Chapter Twenty-Eight: CGFC

As Yeyu and his friends chatted idly, time slipped by quietly. After about ten minutes had passed like a gentle stream, six girls entered the shop, and by coincidence, they too chose seats by the window—right behind Yeyu's group, at the very next table.

In other words, if either group spoke in a normal voice, the other could easily overhear their conversation.

These six girls were none other than Xiao Mo and her five dormmates.

Yeyu's gaze was immediately drawn to Xiao Mo. Her skin was as pale and lustrous as silk; her eyes held a boundless cerulean, the vivid blue of the brightest sky, glimmering with radiant light. Her cheeks were softly contoured, and her black hair fell in gentle waves, its natural arc inviting one to imagine running a hand through those strands. Dressed in a casual white top and shorts, she radiated a relaxed yet fashionable aura, making her seem approachable and at ease.

The other five girls were each striking in their own right, but beside Xiao Mo, their presence seemed to dim, her brilliance outshining them all.

“Third Brother, are you mesmerized?” Luo Wei waved his left hand in front of Yeyu’s eyes, grinning as he spoke.

Hearing Luo Wei’s teasing whisper, the others shifted their gaze to the group of girls behind them, only to quickly look away after a brief glance.

“So it’s Xiao Mo,” Huang Hong said with a small smile, eating as he spoke.

“Xiao Mo?” Yeyu frowned slightly, her name now etched more deeply in his memory, before he withdrew his gaze and took a sip of his lemon tea. Only the cold, tart bitterness of the tea seemed to douse the strange ripple stirring in his chest.

“Third, don’t tell me you haven’t heard of her? She’s one of the most talked-about freshmen at Qingda this year, and by far the most beautiful girl known in the computer science department. She’s basically the department’s campus belle,” Luo Feng said.

“Campus belle?” Yeyu was startled by Luo Feng’s words—this guy always seemed to have his finger on the pulse of campus gossip. “Tell me, you newsmonger, what else do you know?”

“They call me the modern Bai Xiaosheng for a reason,” Luo Feng replied, striking a pose with his thumb brushing across his nose, mimicking Bruce Lee’s signature move, a confident smile on his face.

“Yes, yes, you’re so amazing,” Qu Zheng said, clapping Luo Feng on the shoulder and laughing. “Amazing enough to be a total fool.”

Qu Zheng’s words were like a bucket of cold water over Luo Feng’s head, making everyone else burst out laughing.

“Get lost,” Luo Feng grumbled, shaking off Qu Zheng’s hand in disgust before continuing, “Xiao Mo won her city’s Computer Game Championship three years in a row. They call her the Queen of Games. With her looks and her top student status, it’s no wonder she’s so popular. The moment she arrived at Qingda, rumors about her spread like wildfire. Plenty of upperclassmen have expressed their admiration, but apparently she’s turned them all down with remarkable grace.”

“The Computer Game Championship... that sounds familiar,” Yeyu muttered, scratching his head as if he faintly remembered taking part in something like that himself.

Luo Feng grinned. “The Computer Game Championship is a nationwide competition sponsored by the country’s top gaming and tech companies. Every year, they pick the three hottest games for the competition. Winning three consecutive city titles isn’t easy, especially since there’s no male or female division.”

“I see,” Yeyu said with a wry smile as realization dawned. The competition’s full name was the PRNS Computer Game Grand Prix.

This contest carried significant clout. With new gaming companies springing up everywhere, the event—led by China’s Mythic Technologies and co-hosted by the nation’s leading firms—even drew powerful international developers and issued globally recognized certificates. Awards ranged from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, to Master level.

The certificates also included a new rating for player talent, with tiers from the lowest to the highest, culminating in the top-tier, which only one player in the country had reportedly achieved—though their identity remained a secret. To earn that tier was to stand at the pinnacle.

“Third Brother, from what you’re saying, did you enter that contest? What place did you get?” Huang Hong asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips—perhaps too much time spent with Qu Zheng had left him with a taste for mischief himself.

Luo Feng answered first, “This guy entered back in middle school, but just the one time—and by a stroke of luck.”

“So he didn’t place?” someone asked.

“On the contrary, he took first place. But only because the three games in the competition that year happened to be his specialties,” Luo Feng explained with a shrug, as if the events of that tournament were as clear as yesterday in his mind.

“Did you compete too, Luo Feng?” Tan Cong asked, a spark of interest in his eyes. At the mention, a subtle change flickered across Luo Feng’s otherwise calm features.

“I did,” Yeyu replied, a faint smile curving his lips as he glanced at Luo Feng, whose expression soured, his eyes brimming with silent indignation.

“So if Third Brother won, you must have come in second, right, Luo Feng?”

“Is that the legendary eternal runner-up?” Huang Hong and Qu Zheng chimed in, volleying quips back and forth.

Luo Feng’s expression darkened to the extreme—there was no need to guess further. Since Yeyu had won, the best Luo Feng could have done was second place.

“Xiao Mo, what are those guys behind us talking about? I thought I heard something about the Computer Game Championship you used to compete in?” Liu Yashi asked in a hushed voice, popping a takoyaki into her mouth.

Xiao Mo’s expression didn’t change; she simply took a bite of her food, absentmindedly murmuring an acknowledgment.

“Our little Mo here was the city champion three years in a row—her skills are beyond question! Didn’t you see her slicing through the competition in God’s Descent today?” teased the girl beside Xiao Mo, her arm draped over Xiao Mo’s shoulder. She wore a pale-blue top and shorts with simple red flip-flops. Her jet-black bob was streaked with bold silver strands, her eyes as dark as ink beneath her fringe, inviting a person to fall into their depths. Her lips were a demure pink, like peach blossoms, adding a touch of allure.

This was Ran Jingxue, another of Xiao Mo’s roommates.

“Jingxue, stop exaggerating. Can we not bring up those old stories?” Xiao Mo said with a faint look of annoyance as she returned from her reverie.

“I’m just stating facts!” Jingxue pouted, muttering under her breath. But as soon as she spoke, she remembered the difficult times Xiao Mo had endured during those three years—though they hadn’t truly affected her, the memories still surged through her heart like the tide.

“If only I had your gaming talent, life at Qingda would be so much easier. At least some boys would like me,” said the girl across from Jingxue, dressed in a simple school uniform. Her lips curled in an envious smile. Her hair was tied in a neat ponytail with a silver crescent-shaped band, her bangs perfectly styled. Her delicate oval face held a trace of youth, her dark brows arched gracefully, her bright eyes shining with longing. Her nose was straight, her lips pursed, but though she envied, there was no jealousy—her calm held a quiet confidence and strength.

“Muyinglan, if you say that, I’ll be upset. We’re all beauties here! Even if Little Mo’s radiance makes the rest of us seem like mere vases, together we’re still a dazzling scene,” quipped Zhao Mengyan, sitting beside Mu Baolan, wearing a white shirt dress with the word “Strive” across it. Her voice had a commanding edge.

Her sea-green eyes were as deep as the night, with a misty allure that only added to her charm. Cherry lips and willow brows, porcelain skin and a dainty oval face—she looked like a fairy from a painting, almost too beautiful to be real. Zhao Mengyan, the quintessential queen bee of Xiao Mo’s dorm, came from a scholarly family, her name steeped in literary grace, though her personality was the boldest, most lively of them all.

The last girl was the quietest outside the dorm—a petite figure, delicate features, and eyes sparkling with life, as if they alone were real in this world. When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons. Her hair, softly curled, cascaded down her back; she wore a sky-blue leisure set, her whole demeanor gentle and alluring. This was Ran Ruqing, Xiao Mo’s classmate and close friend of three years.