The next day, before the match, Zhou Lingxing pulled out a bag from who-knows-where in the backstage lounge.

Without saying a word, the man handed the bag to Su Heng and left without lingering for even a second.

Puzzled, the young girl glanced at the quickly departing man before slowly unzipping the backpack.

Inside was a mechanical keyboard with black switches, gleaming with a metallic sheen, and a black-and-gray mouse.

Su Heng picked up the mouse and gently stroked the four weighted slots on it, the coarse texture sending a subtle tremor through her heart.

This man had a tender side—he just never expressed it openly or let anyone notice.

She hugged the heavy backpack close and joined the others in line to enter the stage.

As she passed by Zhou Lingxing, she whispered, “Thank you.”

Her gratitude wasn’t only for the gift but also for his thoughtfulness and care.

Zhou Lingxing listened nonchalantly, shrugged indifferently, and replied, “You’re welcome. It’s a birthday present.”

Hearing this, Lao Yu immediately exclaimed, “It’s your birthday today? Why didn’t you tell us, Missy!”

The girl chuckled softly and slipped on her mask. “It’s not really a big deal.”

Lao Yu frowned and protested, “Of course it is! This is your first birthday since joining GI!” He thought for a moment and added, “How about we celebrate after the match with some Japanese food?”

Before Su Heng could refuse, Zhou Lingxing cut Lao Yu off. “We’re having Sichuan food tonight. Now get on stage.”

Su Heng froze for a moment, staring at his retreating back, unable to move her legs.

Behind her, Lao Yu muttered at the back of the line, “Who eats Sichuan food in this heat? Japanese food sounds way better.”

She couldn’t help but smile, then jogged to catch up with Zhou Lingxing. Walking just behind him, she whispered, “Let’s go for Japanese food.”

Without turning around, the man replied, his voice soft, “As you wish.”

Su Heng’s brows arched slightly in amusement. He must’ve suggested Sichuan food just to see if she had any preferences.

Reaching the competition seats at the side of the stage, they sat down. After a moment of thought, she asked quietly, “How did you know today’s my birthday?”

Zhou Lingxing raised a brow. “It’s written in your contract.”

Su Heng nodded and calmly began setting up the equipment she had just received. On the surface, she looked composed, but deep inside, she felt content.

Suddenly, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience. Su Heng glanced in that direction, her eyes flickering with a subtle fire.

FHL had entered the stage, and Jiang Yuan, with his blond hair, was smiling and waving at the crowd.

Sensing Su Heng’s intense gaze, Jiang Yuan glanced her way and happened to meet her eyes.

With an even brighter smile, he nodded in greeting.

Su Heng stared coldly at him for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

Jiang Yuan then shifted his gaze to Zhou Lingxing, but this time, he didn’t even receive a glance in return.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, the two commentators were buzzing with excitement.

**Xiao Hai:** “Now that both GI and FHL are on stage, I think I heard the cheers for Jiang Yuan were a bit louder, right?”

**Dai Mao:** “You’re mistaken. It was for Ling.”

**Xiao Hai:** “Haha, alright, alright. Either way, these two are among the most popular pro players. Fans have been eagerly waiting for their matchup today.”

**Dai Mao:** “Indeed. We can see that GI has chosen Sleeping for today’s lineup, which shows they’re taking the match against this LPL championship contender seriously.”

**Xiao Hai:** “It’s kind of strange, though. Even though Sleeping has only played two games, her mechanics and game sense are clearly better than the other jungler’s. Why has GI kept her on the bench for half a month?”

**Dai Mao:** “I actually spoke to GI’s coach before the match. He said it’s part of their roster strategy. And since GI is out of the playoffs this year, giving other players more practice time isn’t a big issue.”

**Xiao Hai:** “That makes sense, but the outcome of today’s match will directly decide whether FHL or NB secures the top spot in the standings. It’s still a crucial game.”

**Dai Mao:** “Exactly. Both teams are now entering the Ban & Pick phase. FHL has the first pick—let’s see which champion they’ll ban.”

**Xiao Hai:** “The first ban should be Ling’s LeBlanc, right? Wait… They banned Master Yi? What’s going on?”

FHL’s ban choice is truly baffling, leaving the audience in murmurs of confusion. Su Heng’s expression froze for a moment, and she instinctively glanced at Jiang Yuan across the stage. Their eyes met, and Jiang Yuan’s gaze was both playful and provocative.

Su Heng’s heart sank. This person… did it on purpose. He knew her frustration and her plans. But she still couldn’t understand his reasoning—after all, her “Master Yi” didn’t seem like a threat to him from their previous encounter. That night, he had even taunted her before leaving, saying her Master Yi was far from adequate.

Since that day, she hadn’t played Master Yi in front of anyone. Logically, no one should’ve been able to tell that she planned to pick that champion today. She hadn’t even revealed her strategy to her coach or teammates.

So what was behind this ban? Was it instinct? Or had he prepared in advance? If it was just instinct, he was taking a huge risk of wasting a ban on a champion she probably wouldn’t use. That seemed like a poor trade.

Could it be that he had prepared for this all along? Su Heng shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but Jiang Yuan’s confident gaze lingered in her mind.

Noticing her unease, Zhou Lingxing spoke calmly, “Don’t let him shake you. This is his usual tactic.”

She glanced at the man beside her, whose face remained indifferent. For some reason, his voice brought her a slight sense of calm. Zhou Lingxing casually banned “Jarvan IV” and continued, “You’re not limited to one champion. You have many options, so don’t worry about him.” He smiled. “Besides, he can’t ban all of your champions.”

Su Heng stared at him blankly. Something inside her was beginning to stir uncontrollably, and she could no longer suppress it. After a moment, she pressed her lips together and said, “Alright.” There was a slight lift in her tone, with a hint of confidence returning. “Let’s just consider tonight’s dinner a victory celebration.”

The man chuckled lightly, and if you looked closely, you might catch a flicker of something unusual in his eyes. “Alright.”

On the other side of the stage, Jiang Yuan ignored the questioning voices of his coach and teammates, still smiling as he engaged with the audience.

In truth, both Su Heng and Zhou Lingxing were wrong. This wasn’t Jiang Yuan’s instinct or premeditation. It was because he had seen firsthand Su Heng’s refined control and adaptability with this seemingly easy champion. He understood her potential better than anyone, which is why he banned it. The memory of that night was still fresh in his mind, and he would never allow a champion that could make Su Heng so dangerous to be available. Even the slightest chance was unacceptable.

Back at the analyst desk, the commentators were still puzzled, but the pick and ban phase had returned to FHL’s side.

Dai Mao: “Both FHL and GI used their first bans on jungle champions—this is something we’ve never seen before. Quite interesting.”

Xiao Hai: “This time, FHL didn’t hesitate and immediately banned Ling’s LeBlanc. I knew it—there’s no way you can leave LeBlanc open with Ling in the game.”

Dai Mao nodded: “Exactly. We can see GI also quickly banned Du Ruo’s Yasuo.”

Xiao Hai: “Makes sense. Honestly, Ruoshen’s Yasuo definitely needs to be banned. His mechanics, combined with Yasuo’s wind wall, make him a nightmare in team fights. A smart move by GI.”

Dai Mao: “Hmm… I’m guessing FHL’s final ban will be Wave’s Caitlyn. That would balance things out.”

Before he could finish, the screen suddenly displayed the Rek’Sai icon, and just like that, the icon turned grey.

Xiao Hai: “Haha, bet you didn’t see that coming! FHL actually banned another jungler!”

Dai Mao felt a bit embarrassed: “Uh-huh, GI’s final ban is Jhin for the bot lane. Looking at it now, GI’s bans seem more balanced.”

Xiao Hai: “Definitely! Based on the bans, FHL seems to be paying special attention to Sleeping. Out of six total bans, three were aimed at junglers. There are only so many strong jungle picks in this patch, so FHL’s first pick is likely going to be Lee Sin.”

Dai Mao: “I think so too. If FHL is targeting Sleeping this much, I’m looking forward to seeing how Sleeping performs.”

On stage, the two commentators were still talking as Jiang Yuan locked in Lee Sin for his first pick.

After confirming the champion, his gaze instinctively drifted toward Su Heng. The camera on the big screen switched between Su Heng and Jiang Yuan, seemingly trying to capture a moment of eye contact between the two.

However, the girl didn’t oblige, keeping her eyes on the screen with a calm expression, as if shutting out all external distractions.

Jiang Yuan chuckled, feeling his blood stir with excitement—something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Turning to look at the girl on the screen, he thought:

“Come on, all the junglers you’re good with are banned. So now, what will you choose to face my challenge?”

He was eager to find out. But the other side seemed determined not to give him what he wanted—locking in Rumble first.

In front of the computer, Sun He smirked confidently, satisfied with his pick.

“Did you think GI only had Zhou Lingxing and Su Heng? I haven’t been around all these years for nothing.”

Meanwhile, Wave, having waited excitedly, could no longer contain himself when the opponents locked in Caitlyn and Nami.

“I want Lucian! Pick me Lucian! It’s time to show my true skills!”

Zhou Lingxing smiled and helped him lock in the champion, then turned toward the girl beside him. “Have you decided on your pick?”

Su Heng nodded calmly, selecting Thresh for the support, then said, “Rengar or Kha’Zix, depending on their final lineup.”

On the other side, FHL quickly locked in Fizz and Irelia. Zhou Lingxing’s eyes gleamed, and with a subtle flick of his fingers, he clicked on a champion icon and locked it in.

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

Xiao Hai slapped the table: **“Zed! LING has chosen Zed in the most important match of the Spring Split!”**

Even Daimao couldn’t contain his excitement: **“I can’t wait to see this showdown! Zed versus Fizz! My god! Now the final choice is in Sleeping’s hands—let’s see what she picks to counter!”**

The girl smiled faintly, moving her mouse smoothly and locking in Rengar.