The Champion’s Taunt

“Seeing you haven’t changed, I feel at ease.”

‘What kind of ‘at ease’?’ Qing Zixi wondered.

Qing Zixi tilted her head, observing Lan Mengyao. Though her fists were clenched, a smile graced her lips as she continued speaking.

“Now I can rest assured and do some excessive things to you.”

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Alarm! Alarm!

Qing Zixi, with her long legs, swiftly leaped back, again and again.

Just Xia Mengying alone was enough to leave her helpless; now, with Lan Mengyao joining the fray, what was she to do?

If it had just been Xia Mengying, Qing Zixi might have been able to defend herself using advantages like height difference and arm span.

But now, caught between two forces, like “cheese in a sandwich,” her eventual surrender seemed to hinge entirely on their whims.

‘Damn it, living under someone else’s roof is truly difficult!’

The three of them sat on chairs, chatting idly. After a while, however, Xia Mengying suddenly slapped her forehead and asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t Little Xi competing in a match? As her older sister and a professional player, why are you just chatting instead of offering her advice?”

“Besides, Little Xi has already reached the semifinals, hasn’t she? Isn’t that incredibly impressive?”

Lan Mengyao shot a glance at Xia Mengying, a look that clearly said, ‘Why bring up something so inconvenient?’

How could she not know Qing Zixi’s achievements? If she could have spoken about them, she would have long ago.

‘And you think I need *your* reminder?’

“Aren’t you going to encourage her, mmmph…?”

Just as Xia Mengying attempted to ask another question, Lan Mengyao promptly clapped a hand over her mouth.

Alas, it was too late. Qing Zixi’s face had already adopted that particular expression. To outsiders, it would inspire them to kneel and hail her as a queen.

However, through Lan Mengyao’s filtered gaze, that same expression made her want to punch Qing Zixi.

“That’s right~ I am the noble Lord of the Semifinals, the Lord of the Semifinals! With my meticulously crafted formulaic rhythm, I can effortlessly win any game.”

“Formulas make problem-solving so quick! Do you have a formula like mine? I am truly unparalleled and invincible~”

Qing Zixi rose to her feet, taking a step forward until she stood directly before Lan Mengyao. She then lifted her foot, placing it with a soft thud onto the stool Lan Mengyao was sitting on, right between her legs.

Leaning in, she gripped Lan Mengyao’s chin, convinced she was exuding an immensely powerful aura.

“Isn’t your Sister Xi amazing? Obediently acknowledge my strength, then kick your team’s support player and humbly welcome me.”

“It wouldn’t be impossible for me to lead you to victory then, you know~?”

Gazing at the utterly arrogant and cold beauty before her, Lan Mengyao pressed her lips into a tight line. Her eyes flickered towards Xia Mengying, who was nonchalantly whistling nearby.

The very reason she hadn’t brought up Qing Zixi’s achievements was because she knew Qing Zixi’s personality would undoubtedly lead to this kind of blatant taunting.

‘However, if she’s going to be like this…’

Lan Mengyao slowly reached into her pocket, pulling out a small ring and slipping it onto her finger. She then spread her fingers, as if admiring it herself, or perhaps, flaunting it for Qing Zixi.

“What is that?”

Qing Zixi’s brow furrowed slightly as she observed the blue ring on Lan Mengyao’s hand.

It didn’t look particularly beautiful; in fact, it appeared quite ordinary. Qing Zixi even felt the ring was too clunky, utterly unfitting for Lan Mengyao’s light and ethereal elegance.

“Pfft, what *is* this, exactly~?”

Seeing that Qing Zixi had no idea what it was, Lan Mengyao stroked the ring on her knuckle with her other hand, then countered with a question.

“Little Sister Xi, do you truly not know? You don’t even recognize something like this~?”

‘Damn it, how could I be inexplicably underestimated like this!’

Qing Zixi could not tolerate such a slight, especially when she was in the middle of taunting someone, only for them to suddenly produce something she didn’t recognize.

Still holding Lan Mengyao’s chin, a flicker of impatience crossed Qing Zixi’s cool face. With her other hand, she quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the ring.

[What in the world is this junk? Asking online, it’s urgent.]

Although she had only been streaming for a few days, Qing Zixi had already amassed hundreds of fans in her group. This was due to her being outed as the white-haired loli from Lan Mengyao’s stream, coupled with Zi Yun’ai’s explosive show and Qing Zixi’s incredible, impossible comebacks during matches.

Her fan group was currently abuzz with fervent discussion.

Just then, she sent a message into her fan group. The next second, the lively chatters all fell silent for a few moments…

[No way, Sister Champion Ring, you don’t recognize it?]

[LOL, everyone, how can a pro player not recognize a championship ring?]

[Wait, this is an unedited photo, right? Who are you taking a picture of?!]

*Hiss.*

A championship ring…

With that much said, even Qing Zixi now understood the profound meaning behind the item.

‘No, what?’

Her cool, serene face was now filled with utter bewilderment.

She had only known that this person was an incredibly formidable professional player; she hadn’t realized Lan Mengyao was a *champion*!

Observing the beautiful woman whose face was a tempest of emotions, yet who was still trying to appear nonchalant despite her shock, Lan Mengyao extended her hand. She pinched Qing Zixi’s chin and leaned closer.

“Understand now?”

“Ah!”

A blush immediately crept onto Qing Zixi’s face. She recoiled instantly, absolutely fuming!

“No way, Little Sister Xi! You mean you didn’t know Mengyao is a world champion? Do *you* have a championship ring like this?”

At this moment, Xia Mengying also burst into laughter. While she was subtly trying to make up for her earlier slip of the tongue, her main motivation was the sheer amusement of seeing Qing Zixi flustered.

Especially now, the silver-haired empress was biting her lip, her face flushed crimson, yet she stubbornly tilted her head, her red pupils fixed on the ground, striving to appear calm and unaffected.

This image of a humiliated fairy brought immense satisfaction to both of them. Lan Mengyao leaned in, removed the ring from her own hand, and gently took Qing Zixi’s delicate hand.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. If you want it, I’ll give it to you~”

“I…”

Qing Zixi’s lips parted slightly.

“I don’t want it! Who, who’s crying? A, a stinky ring, I don’t like it at all!”

In an instant, her composure shattered. Qing Zixi’s aloof demeanor, which she had meticulously maintained for so long, completely vanished.

However, she was far too proud to simply yield to others.

“Just you wait! This year, this year I will get one!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I offered it to you for free, and you refused. If you want it later, there’ll be no place to get it, you know.”

After retrieving her ring, Lan Mengyao turned to Xia Mengying and spoke.

“Actually, I’m here for another matter. Little Sister Xi’s identity requires some new procedures, so I wanted to discuss it with you.”

*Gurgle, gurgle.*

*Munch, munch.*

The two huddled together, murmuring about something Qing Zixi couldn’t quite make out, her head tilted in confusion.

After about a minute or two, just as Qing Zixi was about to interject, the two women concluded their conversation. Smiles bloomed simultaneously on their faces as they turned to Qing Zixi.

“Alright~ everything’s settled. Now, let’s all go to the bathroom and take a bath together~”