LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"Let's congratulate EDG again!" Wawa's voice echoed in the arena, full of power. "They achieved a clean and decisive 2-0 victory in the opening match of the S11 Spring Split with a brutal dominance!"

Miller took a deep breath, his tone filled with admiration: "Two games, two completely different heroes, Sett and Mordekaiser, both extremely unpopular picks in the current patch. But in Mo's hands, they both became unstoppable killing machines. He showed us with two impeccable individual performances that what determines a hero's strength is never the patch, but the ID! When your ID is Mo, whatever you choose becomes the patch's answer!"

“That’s right!” Wawa concluded, “In the new season, the god is still the god! He used a pentakill and a near-perfect laning slaughter to declare that his dominance continues! For the other teams in the LPL, this is probably not good news, but for all of us viewers, this is definitely the greatest blessing! Because we can continue to enjoy the god’s performance!”

In the center of the stage, the two teams of contestants shook hands briefly and then went backstage.

Su Mo could sense that LNG's top laner M1kuya's palms were ice-cold when he shook hands with him, and he didn't even dare to look him in the eye.

Soon, the MVP selection was announced without any suspense.

On the big screen, Su Mo's handsome face was displayed alongside Mordekaiser's imposing artwork. A perfect KDA of 10/0/3, and a terrifying 45% damage share—he was undoubtedly the MVP!

"Alright, now we'll move on to the post-match interview segment that everyone's been eagerly anticipating!" Host Ren Dong's voice rang out again. "And today, our MVP player will be interviewed by someone everyone knows and loves—our very familiar Aunt Yu Shuang!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a beautiful figure slowly walked out from the side of the stage, instantly attracting the attention of the entire audience.

Yu Shuang was clearly dressed up meticulously today. She wore a modified ink-wash style cheongsam, the cut of which perfectly accentuated her tall and graceful figure. The slit revealed a pair of long, straight, beautiful legs that shimmered under the stage lights. Her long hair was elegantly styled, with only a few wisps falling on either side of her face. Her makeup was exquisite and appropriate. Every smile and gesture exuded both the dignified elegance of an Eastern woman and the unique approachability and poise of an LPL host.

She walked to the center of the stage, gave the camera and the audience a signature, warm smile, which drew good-natured cheers and whistles from the crowd.

"Welcome our MVP player, Mo!" Yu Shuang smiled and led Su Mo to her side, and the two stood in front of the interview table.

"Brother Mozi, first of all, congratulations on your and EDG's winning start to the new season." Yu Shuang's voice was like a spring breeze, making people feel very comfortable. "Returning to the familiar arena and delivering such an amazing performance, how are you feeling now?"

Su Mo took the microphone, thought for a moment, and said half-jokingly, "I'm in a good mood. It's mainly because the alliance is too enthusiastic. I couldn't refuse their hospitality, so I could only come up to help out and play a couple of games to stretch my muscles."

This Versailles-esque answer drew laughter from the audience. Even Yu Shuang couldn't help but chuckle, lightly tapping him with her cue card and playfully scolding, "You really know how to talk. Now let's talk about the match. Why did you choose Mordekaiser, such an unpopular hero, in the second game? Was there some special tactical design?"

"Tactics aside," Su Mo shook his head, his expression indifferent. "I just wanted to pick a hero to play with him online, like Mordekaiser. His ultimate can lock someone in a small room for a one-on-one fight, which I thought would be quite interesting, so I picked him."

"So... just because you think it's interesting?" Yu Shuang's expression was somewhat amused and exasperated. The BP strategy that others racked their brains over, he simply said, "I think it's interesting."

"Yes." Su Mo nodded seriously.

The audience burst into laughter again.

Yu Shuang smiled helplessly and continued, "So how did you manage that solo kill in the first two minutes? We saw that M1kuya was playing very cautiously, but you still managed to seize the opportunity. Can you give us a recap of your thinking at that moment?"

"Hmm... he was a bit greedy." Su Mo recalled for a moment and said slowly, "He wanted to come up and get some experience, but I pulled him with my E skill. After that, it was just some very simple operations, nothing much to say."

“Simple operation…” Yu Shuang repeated these four words. Looking at Su Mo’s “taken-for-granted” expression, she felt that her hosting career was facing an unprecedented challenge.

She could only silently complain to herself: How is this simple?! That prediction, that attention to detail, that damage calculation—anyone else would have been killed by Ornn long ago!
“Okay, it seems that in Mo’s world, many extreme maneuvers are just simple maneuvers.” Yu Shuang skillfully steered the conversation back on track. She flipped through the cue cards and asked the last question: “The new season started with a perfect 2-0 victory. What new goals do you and EDG have for this year’s Spring Split?”

Su Mo's gaze swept over the fans waving EDG light sticks below the stage, and his eyes softened slightly: "Our goal is still the championship, of course. The team has added some very strong new teammates, and everyone still needs time to gel. I hope we can play well in every game, live up to the fans' support, and finally achieve a good result."

This answer was fairly standard; Su Mo was quite the seasoned veteran.

"Okay, thank you again for accepting our interview, Mo! We also hope that EDG can continue to make great strides in the upcoming matches!" Yu Shuang concluded the official interview with a smile.

At the staff's signal, the live broadcast signal was cut off, and the interview session officially ended.

Su Mo nodded politely to Yu Shuang and was about to turn and leave when he was called back.

"Brother Mozi, wait a minute."

Su Mo turned around and saw Yu Shuang walking quickly towards him, with a slightly more sincere smile on her face, different from the one she had shown in front of the camera earlier.

"What's wrong, Sister Shuang?" Su Mo asked.

"You played so well today," Yu Shuang exclaimed sincerely. Then, she asked softly, "Um... do you have time tonight? I was thinking of... inviting you to dinner to congratulate you on your winning start."

Su Mo was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Will you treat me to a meal?

He instinctively wanted to refuse, after all, having dinner alone with a woman always felt a bit troublesome.

But looking into Yu Shuang's sincere and bright eyes, the words of refusal reached his lips, yet he couldn't quite bring himself to say them.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

In this world, Yu Shuang did not end up with commentator Guan Zeyuan. She has always been single, a recognized golden bachelor in the LPL circle, and the white moonlight in the hearts of countless professional players and fans.

Since that's the case... then having a meal with her doesn't seem like a problem.

Let's just treat it as a regular dinner with colleagues in the industry.

Thinking of this, Su Mo's momentary hesitation disappeared, and he nodded, readily agreeing: "Okay, I should be free later."

Upon hearing the affirmative reply, Yu Shuang's face blossomed into an even brighter smile, her two shallow dimples appearing and disappearing: "Okay, I'll send you the address later."

"I'll head backstage now, we'll keep in touch on WeChat." Su Mo waved to her and turned to walk towards the contestant entrance.

Yu Shuang stood there, watching Su Mo's departing figure, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, her mood inexplicably improving.

When Su Mo returned to the backstage lounge, his teammates had already changed into casual clothes and were excitedly discussing the match they had just played.

"Brother Mozi, your Mordekaiser game really brought tears to my eyes!" Jiejie exaggeratedly wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye. "The enemy jungler Tarzan has probably already bought a plane ticket back to Korea tonight. This LPL is too dangerous!"

Scout chimed in with a laugh, "The main thing is that Brother Mozi's ultimate move is too crucial. Every time, he manages to trap the opponent's most important person, completely disrupting their formation."

"Is the interview over?" Meiko asked.

"Okay, it's over." Su Mo nodded and began packing his things.

"Why does it seem like Brother Mozi's interview took so long today?" Jiejie noticed something keenly. He leaned over and winked at her with a gossipy look on his face. "Did you have a great chat with Aunt Yu Shuang?"

Su Mo glanced at him and said indifferently, "Isn't it normal to chat?"

"Tch~" Jiejie had a "I don't believe you for a second" look on her face.

Just then, Abu pushed the door open and came in, clapping his hands: "Alright, stop fooling around, the car is waiting outside. We'll go back to the base for a short debriefing meeting, and then everyone can do whatever they want."

Everyone stood up in response.

On the way back to the base in the van, Su Mo's phone vibrated. It was a message from Yu Shuang: "I'm done here. I'm sending you my location."

This is followed by the restaurant's location.

Su-Mo replied with "Okay", and then said to Abu beside him, "Brother Bu, I won't be attending the debriefing meeting later. I have something to do tonight."

Upon hearing this, Abu gave him a meaningful look, then smiled and waved his hand: "Okay, just come back soon."

Abu basically grants Su Mo's every request.

The car returned to the base, and Su Mo did not linger. He took a taxi directly to the address sent by Yu Shuang.

The restaurant has an elegant name, "Still Waters Run Deep," and is located on a quiet street corner. Pushing open the wooden sliding door, a faint scent of cypress wood wafts out. The interior is softly lit, with the gentle murmur of flowing water, creating a world apart from the hustle and bustle outside.

A waitress in a kimono warmly led him to an elegant private room.

Pushing open the door, Yu Shuang was already sitting inside. She had changed out of the gorgeous cheongsam she wore on stage and put on a beige turtleneck cashmere sweater, paired with a camel-colored pleated long skirt. Her long hair, which had been styled in a bun, was now down, flowing smoothly over her shoulders. She looked less radiant on stage and more gentle and intellectual, like a girl next door.

"You're here, please have a seat." Upon seeing Su Mo, Yu Shuang's face immediately lit up with a gentle smile. She personally picked up the small teapot on the table and poured him a steaming cup of barley tea.

"Have you been waiting long?" Su Mo sat down opposite her.

"No, I just arrived a little while ago." Yu Shuang pushed the menu over. "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat. It's on me today, so don't be shy."

Su Mo casually ordered a few dishes, and Yu Shuang added a few more of her signature dishes. While waiting for the food to be served, the two chatted casually.

The conversation naturally started with the match we just watched.

"Honestly, I was on the edge of my seat watching your match today," Yu Shuang said, resting her chin on her hand. "Especially when you picked Mordekaiser, the director and I were backstage saying that if you lost, you'd definitely get a lot of flak."

"And what if you win?" Su Mo asked with a smile after taking a sip of tea.

"You won?" Yu Shuang's eyes curved into crescents. "If you win, you're a god, the king of League of Legends!"

Her tone carried a hint of girlish admiration, a stark contrast to her professional composure on stage.

This contrast struck Su Mo as somewhat novel.

Exquisite dishes were served one by one: fresh sashimi, exquisite sushi, and tempura fried to a golden brown and crispy perfection.

Yu Shuang ordered another small pot of sake, warmed it up, and poured a small porcelain cup for Su-Mo, then poured one for herself as well.

"Celebrating the victory of our LPL's No. 001 player in the new season." She raised her glass, her clear eyes sparkling with captivating brilliance under the lights.

Su Mo gently clinked glasses with her and drank it all in one gulp. The warm wine, carrying a faint aroma of rice, warmed his body as it went down his throat.

After a few cups of sake, the atmosphere became more relaxed and harmonious.

The topic gradually shifted from the competition to a more personal level.

“Actually, I’ve always been curious,” Yu Shuang said, swirling her wine glass, her gaze seemingly unfocused, “You’ve already achieved all the honors a professional player can achieve, so why do you continue playing? With your wealth and fame, you could retire now and live a very comfortable life.”

"Maybe... I'm just used to it." Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "I'm used to the lights on the field, used to training with my teammates, and used to the cheers from the fans after winning a game. Stopping all of this suddenly might feel a little strange."

"Is it because you can't bear to part with it?" Yu Shuang pressed.

Su Mo was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yeah, a little."

Yu Shuang looked at him, her eyes filled with understanding and heartache. She knew that those who stand at the top are often more afraid of saying goodbye than anyone else.

"So you really plan to be a substitute throughout the Spring Split?"

"We'll see," Su Mo said with a smile. "If the team needs me, I'm ready to step in anytime. If they can handle it themselves, I can just cheer them on from below and take a break. Isn't that nice?"

"You're still so laid-back." Yu Shuang was amused by his lazy appearance. She took another sip of wine, a charming blush rising on her cheeks. "Actually, besides congratulating you, there's another reason I invited you to dinner today."

"Ok?"

"I just wanted to say thank you." Yu Shuang's gaze became very serious. "Thank you and EDG for bringing back that most important championship for our LPL last year. You know, after we won the championships in S8 and S9, everyone had high hopes for the LPL. We professionals were under tremendous pressure. Under those circumstances last year, you were able to withstand the pressure and win the championship. It was truly... amazing."

Her words were sincere, without the slightest bit of politeness.

“This is what we should do,” Su Mo smiled, “and it’s also for our own sake.”

"In short, you are a god to all of us in the LPL." She raised her glass again and drank the sake in one gulp.

The atmosphere inside the private room became somewhat subtle, fueled by alcohol and genuine sincerity.

The two chatted casually, from interesting anecdotes in the industry to trivial matters in their own lives.

Su Mo discovered that, beneath the spotlight of being a host, Yu Shuang was actually a very cheerful and talkative girl. She would complain about her work troubles and share interesting things that happened in her life, making her genuine and vivid.

"Speaking of which," Yu Mo suddenly said, seemingly casually, "someone as outstanding as you, Sister Shuang, how come you're still single?"

This question caused Yu Shuang to pause slightly.

She put down her chopsticks and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Maybe... I'm just too busy. I'm running around for competitions all year round, and I don't have much time for myself. Besides, the circle is only so big, so it's quite difficult to find someone suitable."

After she finished speaking, she looked up at Su Mo, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry: "And what about you? How are things going with Rita?"

"Me?" Su Mo shrugged. "I'm busier than you. I'm either training or competing every day. I don't have time to think about these things."

"Really?" Yu Shuang's lips curled into a meaningful smile. She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "I heard that several popular female celebrities have asked you for your contact information."

Her scent, carrying the subtle aroma of sake and a hint of perfume, lingered around Su Mo's nose, causing a slight stirring in his heart.

Looking at her beautiful face, which was so close to his and had a hint of slyness, Su Mo smiled and said, "It's all work-related."

Yu Shuang sighed softly, "That's true. For someone in your position, talking about feelings is too much of a luxury."

The meal, held in such a relaxed yet slightly ambiguous atmosphere, lasted until very late.

It was late at night when I left the restaurant.

"Let me take you home," Su Mo offered.

“Okay,” Yu Shuang readily agreed.

Su Mo hailed a car, and the two sat side by side in the back seat.

Outside the car window, Shanghai's night view was dazzling and colorful, but inside the car it was unusually quiet, with only soothing music playing.

"Thank you for your hospitality today," Su Mo broke the silence first.

"I should be thanking you for gracing us with your presence." Yu Shuang turned her head to look at him, the neon lights outside the car window casting dappled shadows on her face, giving her an unreal beauty. "I've noticed that you're a completely different person on and off the field."

"Then which version of me do you think is better?" Su Mo asked, following her lead.

Yu Shuang thought about it carefully, then smiled: "They're all good."

The car quickly arrived at the entrance of the EDG base.

Su Mo got out of the car, and Yu Shuang rolled down the window as well.

"Be careful on the road," Su Mo said to her.

"Mm." Yu Shuang nodded, looked at him, and suddenly added, "I hope we'll have another chance to have dinner together next time."

After saying that, she urged the driver to start the car before Su Mo could reply.

Su Mo stood there, watching the black sedan merge into the traffic until it disappeared into the night.

He touched his nose; the faint scent of her body seemed to still linger in the air.

He was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that Aunt Yu was simply inviting him to dinner to thank him for his contributions to the LPL? (End of Chapter)