"I have no idea why she's here," someone whispered nearby. "Rose Xiao's supposed to be repping the Capital Division—what's she doing all the way out here in the sticks?"
"Could she be an imposter?"
"No way. Didn't you hear? F-University confirmed it themselves!"
As the crowd of seasoned gamers murmured in disbelief, details about Rose Xiao's legendary background spread like wildfire—her status as the runner-up in the national CS championship, her undefeated record in the capital, and of course, her status as the undisputed queen of the FPS scene.
Hearing all this, Lu Xiqing's eyes lit up with malicious delight. If Rose was really that good, then Howie's little protector—Doug Feng—was about to be humiliated.
That thought alone made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Hey," a clear voice interrupted the chatter. A girl with a calm, sharp gaze walked up and extended a hand toward Doug. "I'm Rose Xiao. I heard your name's Doug Feng? I saw your match earlier. Pretty solid. Wanna spar?"
Her words were polite, her smile even friendly—but beneath it all was a subtle hint of challenge.
Doug shook her hand with a casual grin. "Nice to meet you, Goddess Rose. But are you really sure you want to step in… for him?"
As their hands met, Doug felt something unexpected.
Her hand wasn't soft like he'd imagined—it was… firm. Not calloused, but strong, like it had handled a mouse and keyboard through a thousand battles. If he had to pick one word to describe it, he'd say "powerful."
Rose tilted her head slightly, shooting a brief glance at Lu Xiqing with thinly veiled disgust.
"I'm not stepping in for anyone," she said with a faint smile. "I just think your skills are interesting. Thought it might be fun to test mine against yours. That's all. Or are you scared?"
Lu Xiqing's face turned green. Wait—what? This goddess-level player finally showed up, and she wasn't even on her side?
Doug scratched his nose and shrugged. "If you're not fighting for someone else… then why should I bother playing?"
Rose blinked once, then grinned. "How about this? If you win, I'll let you kiss me."
The crowd gasped.
No one expected that.
Rose Xiao, the queen of CS, the dream girl of every keyboard warrior in the country… and she just offered herself up as a prize?
Of course, the unspoken truth was clear—she was too confident to think she'd lose.
Doug's eyes narrowed. "Wow, confident much? You sure I want to kiss you?"
Everyone collectively groaned. Even Howie hissed behind him, "Bro, just play! If you don't want the kiss, let me take it if you win!"
Rose rolled her eyes and, with a sharp motion, pulled off her baseball cap. Her long ponytail came tumbling down, and for a moment, the dim cyber café lights caught the fierce gleam in her eyes. She was like a wild horse, beautiful and untamed.
"You in or what?" she snapped.
Doug smirked. "Alright, alright, let's dance. But if I lose, do I get a kiss too?"
"You wish! If you lose, you join my team," Rose shot back.
Without waiting for a response, she sat down and slid into position at the nearest PC. "Let's go. Unless you're just talk."
"Pfft. You wish," Doug replied, flopping into the seat next to her.
The whole room held its breath. The air crackled with tension.
A real match. A duel between top-tier players. This wasn't some casual pickup game—this was esports combat at its finest.
They entered the game lobby, loaded up their weapons, and dropped into the map.
Doug seemed relaxed, casually drifting through corridors like he owned the place, showing zero concern about being ambushed.
Rose, meanwhile, crept carefully along walls and cover points, sharp and silent like a sniper waiting for her kill.
Rat-a-tat!
Two bursts of gunfire echoed. Footsteps scuffled across digital terrain.
Doug spun his character toward the noise, but it abruptly stopped.
"A fake-out?"
He frowned. She knew tactical baiting. That was good. That was really good.
Rat-a-tat!
This time the shots came from the left.
Doug's fingers tensed on the mouse. He didn't dare get cocky.
"Behind you!"
Howie's shout snapped through the room.
Doug's instincts kicked in. He swiveled just in time to see Rose dropping down from a rooftop, gun blazing mid-air.
Da-da-da-da!
She was shooting while falling—and adjusting her aim in mid-air.
Doug lunged sideways, barely dodging the bulk of the bullets, but a couple rounds clipped his leg.
Blood splattered on the HUD. He'd lost ten health points.
He grinned. "Now that's impressive."
"Did you see that? She adjusted her aim mid-jump!"
"She really is the CS queen!"
"Damn, and that guy still dodged most of it! He's no joke either!"
The peanut gallery was going nuts.
Doug ducked behind a wall to catch his breath.
"She's strong. But I'm not too far off now," he muttered.
From here on out, it wouldn't be about reflexes. It'd be about strategy.
He crept to the center of the map, behind a thick wooden door, and crouched.
"Alright, sweetheart," he murmured. "Try and sneak up on me now."
He had full cover. Any angle Rose approached from would force her into a direct shootout.
Tap. Tap.
Deliberate footsteps echoed.
Doug chuckled. "Nice try. Like I'm gonna fall for that."
He stayed put. It was bait. Obviously. If he went chasing the footsteps, she'd already be scoped in from a different angle.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—
This time, the footsteps were real—and getting closer. Fast.
Doug frowned. "What the hell is she doing?"
Every CS player knew not to stomp around during a 1v1. It was asking to be shot.
And yet here came Rose, charging straight at him, heels slamming the digital floor like she was marching into war.
Was it a bluff? A double bluff? A triple bluff?
Doug's eyes narrowed. "Alright, Rose Xiao. Let's see who's bluffing who."
(To be continued…)