Chapter 131: The Identity of Sang Yijia

Duan Yuqing clearly hadn't expected Bian He to ask such a question. She froze for a moment, blinked, and then began to think back in all seriousness. "No."

Seeing Duan Yuqing shake her head in denial, Bian He truly found it hard to believe. Knitting his brows, he asked again, "Really? Not a single person?"

"There were some," Duan Yuqing answered. "I’ve seen love letters and small gifts in Jiajia’s desk drawer."

"And how did Jiajia handle them?" Yan Ning-si asked curiously.

Sang Yijia recalled the past. If it had been herself, she would have placed them on the teacher's podium for the owners to claim. If they were from other classes, she would simply hand them over to the homeroom teacher.

That was exactly what Duan Yuqing said.

Suddenly, Yan Ning-si and Bian He fell silent.

"I imagine no one gave Jiajia gifts after that." Who could handle such a response?

Bian He couldn't help but laugh. "I really never expected Jiajia to have that side to her."

"What else did you expect?" Duan Yuqing asked. "Did you think Jiajia would be dating early on?"

"Most people would, I suppose," Yan Ning-si replied.

Sang Yijia shook her head. "I didn't have any interest in that at the time."

"That makes sense, too." Yan Ning-si didn't press the matter further.

Bian He looked toward the room. "One more round?"

"No," Sang Yijia said, checking her WeChat. Lu Wenchuan had sent a message. She waved her phone and said, "Lu Wenchuan has already booked a place. Let's head over now."

Duan Yuqing glanced at the time. "Perfect timing; we can eat as soon as we get there."

"Where is it?" Bian He asked.

Sang Yijia took a look at the restaurant name and address Lu Wenchuan had sent, then copied and forwarded them to Yan Ning-si, Duan Yuqing, and Bian He.

"Qingqing, just come with me," Sang Yijia said.

Duan Yuqing smiled. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Let's go." Yan Ning-si exited the game and took a moment to stretch her waist and neck. "We've been playing games for the better part of the day without doing a single productive thing."

"And just like that, the morning is over," Yan Ning-si lamented, marveling at how quickly time flies.

Bian He disagreed. "Who says we weren't working?"

"Do you think we're all like Qingqing?" Yan Ning-si stared at him, wide-eyed, and clicked her tongue while shaking her head. "Among the four of us, she's the only professional gamer."

Mentioning this, Sang Yijia almost forgot to ask Duan Yuqing, "Did the contract negotiations go through?"

"Not yet," Duan Yuqing shook her head. Then, recalling something, she raised her lips slightly, shielded her mouth from the camera, and whispered into Sang Yijia's ear, "The company wants to build an all-Chinese female team."

This was something Duan Yuqing had never dared to imagine.

Sang Yijia was equally stunned. Her pupils constricted slightly as she looked on with a hint of inquiry. "Really?"

"It's true," Duan Yuqing said, spreading her hands. "I've already read the contract."

"The terms themselves are fine, but the team's marksman wants to be the captain." Duan Yuqing shrugged. "That’s the only downside."

Sang Yijia murmured, "What do you mean?"

"Because I’m the only one who has participated in professional matches; everyone else was scouted over the last two years," Duan Yuqing said, her expression turning serious. "To be precise, they haven't played a single formal match."

"Not only that," Duan Yuqing held up a finger, "they haven't even participated in a single training scrim."

Duan Yuqing gave a cold laugh. "And with that, she still wants to fight me for the captain's position."

"Pure fantasy."

Sang Yijia fell silent. "Why the sudden push to form an all-Chinese female team?"

In the realm of esports, Sang Yijia had observed that the vast majority were male professional players; female pros were a rare sight. Given her own lack of interest in gaming, she had assumed that women simply weren't interested in the field.

Duan Yuqing genuinely shrugged this time. "I have no idea about that."

"You'd have to ask the company boss what they're thinking."

At this point, Yan Ning-si noticed the two whispering. She glared at Bian He, ran over, and linked her arm with Sang Yijia's. "What are you two talking about?"

"Is it a secret?"

"Can I know?"

"Of course it's a secret," Duan Yuqing replied, "but we can tell you."

Yan Ning-si was delighted. She grabbed Duan Yuqing's arm with her other hand and asked affectionately, "What secret?"

Bian He followed behind, clicking his tongue and turning his head away, though he was pricking up his ears, trying hard to hear what the women were saying.

—

The underground parking lot was filled with company-provided vans, and even Yan Ning-si followed the company's arrangements.

But at this moment, Yan Ning-si noticed a green Lamborghini and couldn't help but walk toward it.

"This color is truly..." It was so unique that Yan Ning-si couldn't find the words to describe it.

Sang Yijia nodded. "That's a car my older brother gave me."

"The color was specifically chosen, too." Sang Yijia truly loved green, and looking at the shade on the Lamborghini, it wasn't overly flashy, nor was it too dull.

It was just the right shade of green.

Sang Yijia was perfect.

"Yours?" Yan Ning-si let out a "wow," her brows arching. "I once heard a saying: 'A pearl hidden in straw.'"

"Jiajia, you're really good at keeping things from us."

Bian He was also shocked. He had always assumed Sang Yijia's family background was decent, but he hadn't imagined it was to the point where she could buy a car on a whim.

Duan Yuqing was the only one not surprised. In fact, she was surprised that the others weren't aware. "Did you guys really not know?"

"What were we supposed to know?" Seeing the look on Duan Yuqing's face, Yan Ning-si realized she was in the know. She immediately clung to her arm, her attitude doing a 360-degree turn as she became incredibly sycophantic.

"Tell us, quick, tell us."

"It's just about Jiajia's family background."

Bian He swallowed with difficulty. "Go ahead, I'm mentally prepared."

"Just tell me, is she the heiress of some major conglomerate?"

Sang Yijia laughed at the suggestion. "Of course not."

"My family just collects rent."

Duan Yuqing nodded in agreement. "That's right, Jiajia's family collects rent."

Duan Yuqing hadn't known initially. She didn't remember exactly when it was, just that it had been a rainy day.

The landlord of the place she had been renting had refused to renew the lease, wanting to take the unit back for a relative to live in.

Duan Yuqing had to move.

When Sang Yijia found out, she mentioned that she had units for rent in the Jinyang residential complex, and the price was very affordable—perfect for Duan Yuqing's situation.

Duan Yuqing checked with her family, and it was indeed very cheap.

Later on, when Duan Yuqing mentioned it to Sang Yijia, she had replied nonchalantly that she owned several buildings in the Jinyang complex.