Grumpy Esports God Becomes a Wealthy Family’s Stepmom - Chapter 1
The RESCUE Global Finals—after a month of fierce competition, twelve teams made it to the finals. China’s WN team broke through with overwhelming momentum, with an average team age of just 19.8 years.
WN’s captain, Zhong Lu, had just turned nineteen last month.
RESCUE, known in Chinese as “Juéjìng Yíngjiù”, is a tactical shooting game set on a remote island where players must rescue hostages. Players must account for route planning, weather, equipment, and other factors to eliminate all other teams and win the right to rescue the hostages.
There are no resource respawns on the island. During pre-match loadout, players must fill their packs with rations, ammo, and support tools according to their strategy, staying within backpack capacity. Defeating enemies on the island allows them to loot their supplies.
The finals were streamed live, and as the only Chinese team in the tournament, WN drew the eyes of the entire domestic gaming community.
The camera cut to the WN Team. The broadcast director’s voice was calm, but held a hint of anticipation, “WN is the youngest team in the tournament. We’re looking forward to their performance… Let’s look at Abandon’s setup. No nutrition packs, just bullets and medkits in his backpack. That means they’ll need to take down enemies within the first eight minutes to loot their nutrition, or they’ll run out of stamina and be forced out. There’s a Chinese saying, ‘fight with your back to the river.’ WN’s captain, Abandon, is only nineteen—young and fearless…”
The moment the match began, social media back home blew up.
[WN what are you even doing???? This is the world championship, not a city qualifier! OK?]
[LOL they’re going into a battle without food. Dying of hunger in the finals would be hilarious.]
[I’m a fan of Abandon, but even I think this is reckless. All the teams here are top-tier. You might not run into anyone in the first ten minutes if you’re unlucky—then what? Starve for nothing?]
[They’re already behind in total points, and they’re ditching rations to load more ammo for an all-in strategy—this is just the first game!]
[It’s the kid’s first time in a world championship. Be nice. Maybe just turn off the stream for now.]
[Total noobs when facing foreign teams. And come on, everyone knows Abandon means “give up” in English—aren’t you embarrassed using that ID on an international stage?]
[Lost all face globally.]
Meanwhile, at the center of all the noise, the boy in question wore a headset, face icy and eyes sharp. He pressed his lips together and hit the start button once his teammates were all geared up.
A helicopter with the Chinese flag painted on its tail carried the four players toward the island. Zhong Lu chose a landing point—where the river met the sea, the fastest route to the island center by boat.
Coincidentally, they landed at the same spot as the French team.
Zhong Lu’s lips lifted slightly.
Three minutes later, the big screen displayed a kill feed announcement:
[WN-Abandon eliminated EAA (Team Wiped)]
The French team’s backpacks were fully stocked with nutrition packs—more than enough for Zhong Lu’s squad to last the entire round.
[Where the haters at?]
[I KNEW IT! Our God Abandon already ordered takeout!]
[This round we’re feasting on French foie gras, next round it’s Korean fried chicken. Life is good.]
[Proven again! Nothing’s hard in this world if you’re willing to “Abandon”!]
[Open the gates! Let our God Abandon in!!!]
Thirty minutes later, Zhong Lu sniped a figure from a hundred meters away and secured the final kill.
[WN successfully rescued the hostages.]
Kill multiplier: 12. Total score: +190.
A white aircraft reappeared, its wings now marked with the winning team’s flag. The five stars of the Chinese flag gleamed—heroes returning in triumph.
Game one of the world finals. The young star’s debut stunned the world.
Fans and haters were fired up. With five games in total, hundreds of millions watched WN grow fiercer by the match. Their score soared. When the final game ended—
Final score: 1100 points, 70 points ahead of second place.
WN took the championship!
With the youngest average age, the youngest captain, and not a single team member with world finals experience—
First-time contenders, returning as kings!
The next day, the team flew back on a private jet. Fans nearly flooded the airport; the scene rivaled that of a celebrity arrival.
To be honest, in terms of looks, Captain Zhong could compete with any idol but he was cold-faced, temperamental, and never had anything nice to say. As a result, haters were everywhere. His fans and critics fought nonstop.
After landing, a quick media interview awaited. The four players, one coach, and one data analyst stood in a line, surrounded by a sea of fans.
“Was that all-or-nothing strategy in the first match something you planned in advance? What if you hadn’t run into the French team? Wasn’t it a bit too risky for a debut?”
“Abandon, what would you have done if you hadn’t seen anyone in the first ten minutes? Just… abandon the game?”
Zhong Lu looked visibly annoyed. He shot a cold glance at the reporter and moved his lips.
Sensing drama, the reporter leaned in with the mic.
Zhong Lu: “Abandon your dad—”
[Translation, anyone? “Abandon is your dad”? Why so obsessed?]
[No no no, he’s saying, “abandon your dad.”]
[Could be a double entendre, right?]
[Who says our Abandon isn’t cultured! rage.jpg]
Mmm—
His teammates quickly and expertly covered his mouth.
It was a day of celebration—no need to come back and get fined by the league.
They pushed through crowds chanting “God Abandon,” “A-God,” and boarded the van. Zuo Yin leaned back in his seat, opened his phone, and started reading the stream comments from earlier.
“Why does A-God look like an evil stepmother even after winning the world title?”
Some called him A-God, some called him Abandon. The latter started out as a slur, but Zhong Lu’s raw strength had made people forget that over time.
Zong Zhenghui defended him. “What’s wrong with stepmoms? My stepmom treats me great.”
Zuo Yin burst into laughter. Scrolling deeper, he stumbled across a piece of fanfiction and immediately sat up to share it in the team group chat.
“‘The 19-Year-Old Esports God Becomes a Rich Family’s Stepmother.’ The main character is obviously our captain.”
The title practically oozed fan resentment.
Zhong Lu had always been the type to fight fire with fire, and the more he clapped back, the more journalists tried to provoke him. Easy headlines. Easy KPIs. With enough shameless reporters, most of his camera appearances ended with a cold stare. If they questioned his skills or strategy? Interview over.
Some shallow fans who only liked his face felt personally attacked and convinced themselves: God Abandon must be super gentle in private, or why would the team like him so much?!
Zuo Yin read the fanfic out loud, and the van was full of laughter.
Zhong Lu said, “You sound like an idiot.”
Zuo Yin took the hint. “This fic is idiotic.”
Zong Zhenghui replied, “Yeah, total nonsense.”
Zuo Yin mused, “Our captain must be a straight guy.”
“Are you all that free? Extra training when we get back.”
After the post-championship interviews were over, each member was supposed to get a week off.
“Already prepping for a back-to-back run?”
“Not impossible.”
“No way! I want my vacation!”
“Vacation’s gone.”
A young team, crowned world champions—brimming with ambition, unstoppable in their rise.
———
In the early morning, sunlight filtered through curtains that had never been closed, cutting diagonally across the bedpost and falling softly onto the bathroom floor and onto the pale face of a young man.
Zhong Lu blinked and instinctively raised a hand to block the light. A moment later, his eyes shot open, limbs tensed, and a soft groan escaped his lips.
He remembered that last night, everyone at base had either gone on break or out to celebrate. With nowhere to go, he had wandered into the empty training room alone.
Climbing the stairs, he suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed in the stairwell.
His health had never been good. He even wrote a will.
The moment his head hit the ground, he knew—it was over.
He reached to touch the stabbing pain at the back of his head. His mind was foggy, but the feeling of being alive—and in pain—was all too vivid.
Apparently, he’d been too tough to die. Zhong Lu clenched his fist—then froze.
Something felt wrong.
As an esports player, his hands were everything. They had dedicated therapists at the base just for that. But this grip… felt unfamiliar.
This wasn’t his hand.
He looked around. This wasn’t the stairwell either. It was a luxuriously furnished bathroom. The spotless double bathtub clearly reflected an unfamiliar face.
Deep double eyelids, long curled lashes, pale and pretty features—when the eyes closed, it looked like a breeze through spring blossoms.
He turned to the other mirror and stared at the unfamiliar, gentle-looking face in disbelief.
He frowned, trying to pull off his usual cold expression.
In the mirror: Gorgeous beauty, sad.jpg
He clenched his fist, trying to show some killing intent.
In the mirror: Gorgeous beauty, furious.jpg
“…”
He was mad.
He curled his lips, let out a pained hiss, and scattered fragments of memory began to surface.
Bracing himself, he stumbled out of the bathroom and collapsed onto the soft bed.
Zhong Lu closed his eyes and pieced the information together.
It seemed… he had transmigrated into a book.
Just like the fanfic Zuo Yin read out loud.
His new identity? A gentle, virtuous, wealthy stepmother.
First thought: Not even death could save him from Zuo Yin.
The original memories were scattered—no clear images, just dry narrative.
He had to piece together what little there was.
The original was named Zhong Lu—same pronunciation, different character. Half a month ago, he got legally married to Huo Zhehan, the CEO of the Huo Group. After registering the marriage, Huo Zhehan headed to North America for business expansion, leaving the original body and his stepson, Huo Yu, to live together.
The stepson was addicted to gaming, rude and arrogant.
The stepmother? Gentle and kind, trying to reform him with love.
Apparently, the original had a degree in education, loved by children. Before marriage, he helped over a dozen gaming-addicted teens return to school. After marriage, he devoted himself to getting Huo Yu back on track. A role model of the times.
Zhong Lu didn’t care if that was genuine or just for show—he had zero interest in babysitting a brat.
If he had a death wish, this wasn’t the way.
The pain at the back of his head slowly faded. Zhong Lu collapsed onto the bed. Drowsiness and fatigue washed over him. As a pro gamer who trained over 12 hours a day, even the morning sun made him dizzy.
His head throbbed and he tried to comfort himself—
Wasn’t this the peaceful retirement he always wanted?
Cheap husband off on a business trip. Quiet life with stepson for two months.
Save up some money. Divorce when Huo Zhehan returned.
He had never thought about love. His whole focus had been on esports.
The idea of marrying a man felt a bit weird, but since they were getting divorced anyway, gender didn’t matter.
He slept until noon. His mind slowly cleared snd soul was starting to sync with the new body.
He was hungry.
No phone in sight. He headed downstairs to find the kitchen.
The layout of the mansion came into view. He realized he’d been sleeping in the master bedroom—not a great sign.
The second floor was quiet. As he descended, his sharp hearing picked up a familiar game sound.
Top players could ignore hunger. He followed the sound and stopped outside of a half-open door.
His face paled and his blood raced. The foreign heart thudded fast, stirred by unfamiliar emotions.
Zhong Lu pushed the door open. His pupils shrank.
On the screen: a replay of WN winning the championship—led by him.
It was the first time he’d seen it from a third-person view—drop point, loadout, parachute, and combat.
The camera occasionally cut to the teen in the headset, eyes focused and fierce.
His coach. Zuo Yin. Hui Ge. Xiao Xi.
And… himself.
Bang—Abandon landed a flick shot from range.
Before viewers could react, the kill feed lit up.
The volume was loud. Gunfire boomed like thunder.
Zhong Lu stood frozen with his eyes red, his fingers gripping the back of the couch.
He thought he’d landed in some foreign world.
But no. He was still in the place where he had lived for nineteen years.
He thought he had no attachments.
But seeing his teammates again… he wavered.
Just for a few seconds.
Then the boy on the couch closed the replay and opened the RESCUE lobby.
He must’ve been queuing in the downtime.
Zhong Lu finally looked down at the boy’s head—his stepson, immersed in the game.
His lips twitched.
The kid was huge. Easily over 6’1”. Taller than his stepfather.
“…”
Was the stepson older than him?
Did the original marry some rich old man?
Then his eyes landed on the corner of the screen—and froze.
July 16, 20*3.
A whole year had passed since he died.
He had been dead for a year… and just woke up now.
One year was long enough for the esports world to change.
New stars rose. Legends retired.
Time had left him behind.
“Push together! Why are you hiding?! Do you even know how to play?!”
Huo Yu’s voice yanked him back. He finally focused on his “stepson’s” gameplay.
Before he could be blinded by the sheer noob-level mechanics, he noticed Huo Yu’s in-game ID—
Abandon.
Game IDs are unique. That was his.
Still had the champion badge, valid for one year until the next champion emerged.
But the pro tag was gone.
And… the account could now only match into low-level lobbies.
He wanted to ask how Huo Yu got his ID—
Then Huo’s three teammates, all sounding under 15, unmuted.
“We told you not to shoot! Now we’re surrounded by two squads!”
“It’s all your fault, Abandon! We said to play safe! What, you couldn’t hold it in for ten minutes?”
The little girl’s complaints made Huo Yu’s face flush red.
He pounded his keyboard. His character started running around the balcony aimlessly.
“There’s only three minutes until full-scan infrared. Screw hiding.”
“You said it—three minutes!”
RESCUE has no map, but every five minutes a full-scan infrared displays all surviving players on the screen.
The moment it disappears… is Zhong Lu’s hunting hour.
Everyone used to tremble. Hoping Abandon wasn’t nearby.
Once, Zhong Lu wiped out every nearby position with standard tactics.
Someone said: this damn game turned into Minesweeper.
The little girl didn’t know she was insulting both the new user and the former one.
Zhong Lu felt personally attacked. Fists clenched tight.
Another teammate spoke up. “Whoa, are you the guy who spent 30 million to buy the Abandon account? Can you gift me a skin?”
Huo Yu coldly replied, “Keep dreaming.”
Zhong Lu froze. 30 million?!
His account was auctioned?
He almost cursed.
Everyone had their thing—shoes, figures; but Zhong Lu had no cravings, except for one—his account. No one was allowed to touch it.
Zuo Yin used to joke that the account was his wife. Respect it.
Now? He didn’t feel like a betrayed husband—
More like a furious father whose beloved daughter had been kidnapped by a punk and abused in public.
Never in his life had Abandon been played so poorly!
In RESCUE, player accounts belong to clubs. When transferring, both the player and ID are bought.
If someone retires, they can just make a new one.
No one watches the ID. They watch the skill.
But in death? That was a special case.
Zhong Lu had seen people sell accounts after retirement.
Dead? This was a first.
His former club had zero class.
No one with any decency would sell out a dead player like that.
Zhong Lu sneered. Died at the base, and they couldn’t even seal the account in memorial?
And Huo Yu didn’t even seem to mind the bad luck.
In-game, enemy squads were closing in from both sides—his team was seconds from being wiped.
Someone groaned, “If the real Abandon were here, we’d be fine.”
“Having his ID means nothing. Trash is still trash.”
Huo Yu pressed his lips together, humiliated, but said nothing.
“Worlds is next week. That badge is expiring soon.”
The same kid jabbed. “Abandon’s name is trash now.”
Huo Yu snapped: “I’ve got money. Don’t like it? I’ll AFK with Abandon every day—what’re you gonna do?”
AFKing with Abandon…
Zhong Lu wanted to smack the back of his head.
Three teams focused fire. Huo Yu got shredded.
He couldn’t even jump rooftops properly.
Scoped in—immediately lost half his health.
Tried to jump between two buildings—basic stuff.
Fell right into the gap.
Frustrated, he just lay there and gave up.
In ten seconds, they were wiped.
Final rank: 17th out of 20.
Gameplay: last place.
Huo Yu yanked off his headset and slammed it down.
His chest heaving, one straw away from blowing up the world.
Zhong Lu watched his beloved Abandon lose massive points, drop to Bronze, and get reported for AFK.
Felt like he aged five years on the spot.
Everyone at base knew: You could be bad—but not in front of Zhong Lu.
God Abandon would visibly turn violent.
And if you messed up, don’t you dare let him know.
Zhong Lu’s rage bar began to load—
Suddenly, his stomach growled.
Hunger cut down everything.
All that fury choked itself into silence.
After a long pause.
Zhong Lu exhaled two words—
“Trash noob.”
Storyteller Starlightxel's Words
thank you for reading! please drop some comment if you like my translations or if you see some errors. you can buy me ko-fi here :D