Grumpy Esports God Becomes a Wealthy Family’s Stepmom - Chapter 3

Zhong Lu stepped out of the house with a cap on and drank half a bottle of water to soothe his throat.

Tch. No wonder the guy was obsessed with educating kids—it’s addictive.

He found an internet café on the map, 15 kilometers away. The original host had a driver’s license, but Zhong Lu had started pro training the moment he turned eighteen and never learned to drive. All he could do now was stare wistfully at the row of luxury cars in the garage.

After hearing Huo Zhehan mention the email, Zhong Lu had checked the inbox and found their past conversations. It was mostly reports from the original host on Huo Yu’s behavior, with proposals for educational strategies, to which Huo Zhehan replied in brief. Zhong Lu suspected it was just the secretary replying.

In the final email, the original host had dismissed the housekeeper, maid, and driver, and suggested that Huo Zhehan reduce Huo Yu’s allowance.

Which directly led to Zhong Lu now having no driver, and with this area’s high taxi prices and lack of interest from cheap food delivery services, he was bleeding money.

He paid for four hours at the café, picked a computer, and started a full self-assessment. Testing speed, reflexes, and strengths and weaknesses.

RESCUE had its own professional testing software. Zhong Lu downloaded it and logged in with his old account.

Player stats were a trade secret, and accounts were private. That’s why he dared to use his old one. No one would notice, and he could compare with his Abandon stats.

An hour later, four huge characters popped up on screen: PERFORMANCE DECLINE!

Soon after, a detailed comparative report and training plan appeared.

Zhong Lu scanned the data line by line, his confidence growing. The potential was there as long as he trained hard. RESCUE’s maps were unique, requiring strong cognitive skills, and mentally, he was still at his peak.

Zhong Lu registered a new account, started setting up his training schedule, and put on his headphones, focused and undistracted.

Once his form was back, he’d start streaming for money.

Three hours flew by.

He turned his head slightly and noticed a young man beside him watching him play, quietly, like a cat curled on a couch watching TV.

Zhong Lu inexplicably found the guy pleasing to look at. He was used to being watched while gaming, so he didn’t care much. He called the staff to extend his session for another four hours.

“I’ll do four more too,” the guy beside him said.

Zhong Lu glanced at his clean-cut face, then at his computer screen. It was completely blank, not even a single tab open.

The guy took the initiative to explain, “I… don’t know where to go tonight, so I figured I’d crash here. Mind if I keep watching? You’re really good.”

Zhong Lu gave a brief nod. He had been training for three hours and needed a break, so he minimized the game and stretched his fingers.

The guy, assuming he wanted to chat, turned his chair toward him. “I’m Ye Xianyun. What’s your name?”

“…Zhong Lu.”

Zhong Lu wasn’t chatty, and Ye Xianyun didn’t know what else to say after the greeting, so he just kept watching him play.

Zhong Lu guessed he wasn’t a gamer, since his mood didn’t shift at all with kills or action. He was just killing time, watching games like watching TV.

At midnight, Ye Xianyun dozed off in his chair, phone laid carelessly on the table.

Zhong Lu played until 3 AM. Before leaving, he nudged the chair. “Wake up.”

Ye Xianyun flinched and yawned. “You leaving?”

Zhong Lu, expressionless, walked to the exit. “Put your phone away if you’re gonna sleep.”

Ye Xianyun sat up and called after him, “Are you coming back tomorrow night?”

Though he didn’t play, he could tell Zhong Lu wasn’t just messing around. This was serious training.

“No.” Zhong Lu was hungry, and hunger made him unwilling to talk.

“Oh.”

Zhong Lu bought some bread at a convenience store, took a pricey late-night taxi home, and felt even more broke.

Doing this every day wasn’t sustainable. Frowning as he chewed the bread, he thought about how he had finally found his rhythm in training today. The idea of streaming now felt like a distraction, it would definitely interfere. With fall season approaching, every hour counted.

The internet café was 15 km away… maybe he should buy a second-hand electric scooter?

The net café’s machines and internet were solid. Not quite on Huo Yu’s level, but decent.

Zhong Lu had never considered using Huo Yu’s setup or reclaiming the Abandon account. Even with zero effort, he could probably hit rank 1 in China with it and make quick money.

Sold was sold—he wasn’t about to scam a middle schooler out of his account.

He still had to maintain his current identity. Training at home was out of the question.

Unable to sleep, Zhong Lu sat on the stairs browsing used scooters. He found one for 900 yuan and decided to meet the seller in person tomorrow.

Only two hours till sunrise. He ordered breakfast delivery for 11 AM and set a note for the timing.

With nothing else to do, he went upstairs to sleep. Passing the first floor, he noticed the light was still on in Huo Yu’s game room.

He paused at the stairway for ten seconds, then begrudgingly turned back, opened the door, and saw Huo Yu sprawled on the sofa. He was snoring away with the computer still on, frozen on the match summary from half an hour ago.

Noob. Lost more rank points again and died the moment the match started.

Zhong Lu looked closer. In the bottom-left corner was a chat window with customer support. Huo Yu had written a 100-character complaint with 50 exclamation points, accusing a streamer of killing teammates for the sake of views.

The streamer’s ID: “Electric Fan.”

Zhong Lu smirked, turned up the air conditioning by two degrees, and went upstairs to sleep.

At 11, the alarm went off. Zhong Lu got a call from the delivery guy, gave permission for entry through security, brushed his teeth and washed up, then came down to eat.

To his surprise, Huo Yu was already up and gaming.

Yup. Serious internet addiction.

Zhong Lu looked around but didn’t see the food. Suspicious, he opened the game room door. On the desk was a bag from a bun shop. Huo Yu was grabbing buns with one hand and clicking the mouse with the other.

Zhong Lu picked up the bag and it was light as air. Not a single bun was left.

“You ate all seven buns?!” Zhong Lu’s forehead throbbed. “How are you not dead from overeating?”

Teenage boys can eat you into bankruptcy. He had even remembered last night that the original host had fired the chef, so he ordered extra takeout for Huo Yu.

Those giant buns and not a single one is left for him!

Huo Yu blinked, then snapped, “So much for playing the perfect stepmom. Now you won’t even let me eat?”

“It was my delivery. Isn’t it common sense to save me half?”

“I didn’t even feel full!”

In his worldview, being hungry was never an option. The housekeeper or stepmother was supposed to keep him well-fed at all times.

Zhong Lu didn’t bother educating him. “You know why your gameplay sucks? ‘Cause you overeat.”

He opened his payment app. “Sixty yuan. Pay up.”

Delivery fees around here were outrageous.

Huo Yu’s allowance had been cut, but he still had some WeChat balance. He transferred 100 yuan and muttered, “It was just a few buns.”

Just a few days ago, he was all gentle, asking what Huo Yu liked to eat. Now he’d done a complete 180.

Huo Yu felt his stepmom wasn’t the same anymore. Before, he thought those smiles were hiding bad intentions, but now he was just plain infuriating.

Hmph. All stepmothers are evil. Pretends to be kind when Dad’s home, turns harsh the moment he leaves.

What’s worse is, in his dad’s eyes, that pretty boy was still an “education expert”!

Zhong Lu went back to his room to change and head out. The original host’s clothes were all formal shirts and trousers. He wanted to hit the street market for some shorts and tees.

As he was leaving, he heard Huo Yu’s voice chat. Someone was inviting him to go swimming.

Zhong Lu went to buy the scooter first. After paying, he realized there was another issue. Riding around under the blazing summer sun was brutal. By the time he arrived at the café, he was drenched. He stood under the air vent for ten minutes to cool off before going in.

He had only been training for half an hour when his phone rang. Zhong Lu landed a headshot, cleaned up a fight, then answered.

Caller ID: He Mian, the former housekeeper.

“Mr. Zhong, the young master and some friends went wild swimming at Zishan Reservoir. Could you handle it?”

Zhong Lu nearly said, “Why the hell is that my problem?” but stopped. The butler didn’t sound worried or requesting for help. He was instructing him to deal with it.

Once again, Zhong Lu was reminded of how low his standing was in this family. The original host had clearly married way above his league.

Huo Yu might have the body but not the brains, while He Mian, as a seasoned butler in a wealthy household, was a master of social maneuvering. Zhong Lu had to tread carefully.

He shifted his tone. “Send two lifeguards to keep an eye on him.

He Mian replied politely, “Mr. Huo would prefer you personally handle it.”

His tone left no room for argument. Was it trust, or a test… a test?

Wait. Did Huo Yu rat him out to his dad? Did Huo Zhehan sense something was off and want to test him?

Zhong Lu landed another kill with one hand, muzzle still smoking, and said as evenly as he could, “Okay. I’m on my way.”

Huo Zhehan hadn’t married a wife—he’d basically hired a full-time nanny.

Damn it. When is this business trip ending? I want a divorce.

He finished the match and pulled up the map to check the location of Zishan Reservoir. It was a small one and not far from here.

Zhong Lu shut down the computer and had a brief word with the café staff at the front desk.

__

Huo Zhehan might’ve cut off the drivers and maids for his wife and son, but Huo Yu still had bodyguards whenever he went out.

At the moment, one of them was trying to stop Huo Yu and his troublemaker friend Wang Hao. Instead of heading into the reservoir, they’d gone to a nearby clearwater stream. The surface shimmered green and still, shallow at the edges but dark and bottomless in the middle. Overhead, thick trees cast a cool afternoon shade. A sign by the roadside read: “No Swimming.”

“Young master, how about heading to Mr. Huo’s Meizhuang pool instead?” It was open-air and had a massive deep-water area.

Huo Yu, in swim trunks and clearly hyped, said, “That’s no fun. Wang Hao, wait for me.”

Wang Hao added, “People swim here every year. It’s awesome. The water’s cold, perfect for cooling down.”

“Cooling down” hit a sore spot for Huo Yu. Lately, he’d been burning with frustration, whether online and in real life, with nowhere to let it out. The thought of plunging into cold water was suddenly too tempting to resist.

The bodyguard was helpless. He couldn’t tie him up, and Huo Yu was already losing his temper.

The two boys jumped in.

“You said your stepmom’s been acting weird lately?”

“Totally!”

“Think he’ll come looking for you?”

Huo Yu swam with clean form, his teenage shoulder blades still lean. “He dares show up? That scrawny body? I could drag two of him through the water.”

Teenagers bond fast over a common enemy. Wang Hao said, “Let’s pretend we didn’t hear him later. Show him what real swimmers look like. Hey hey hey, your stepmom’s here!”

Huo Yu looked up and saw Zhong Lu standing on a rock with a dark face and his arms crossed.

He raised an eyebrow with a cocky smirk and swam even farther out, daring and smug.

Wang Hao followed. From this distance, you couldn’t even hear someone yelling. Maybe they’d piss the guy off enough to make him jump in.

The two of them floated lazily under the shade of the trees, completely at ease, determined to leave Zhong Lu roasting in the sun above.

Suddenly, clouds slid over the sun, and from deep in the mountains came the eerie, drawn-out wail of a suona horn—growing louder and louder.

A drumbeat followed, the sound waves rippling the water and sending chills through their skin.

Flutes and cymbals joined in. A group of middle-aged men and women in white tops and green army pants marched out of the woods, playing funeral music as they reached the stream.

A funeral procession.

One for both the living and the dead.

Zhong Lu waved to the bodyguards and lifeguards to hide behind the rocks.

Huo Yu and Wang Hao turned and saw only the eerie band left on shore.

Spooky as hell.

The two swimmers: “…”

Wang Hao asked, “Who’s this even for? There’s no grieving family.”

Huo Yu said nothing.

“…Is it for us?”

Wang Hao suddenly forgot how to swim. “Yuzi, I’m getting freaked out. Is it getting windy? The water feels colder.”

“It’s just in your head,” Huo Yu growled. “Why are you shaking?”

Wang Hao said, “This place feels cursed.”

He lunged forward, trying to get back to the sunlit part of the water. Huo Yu grabbed his hand, and Wang Hao screamed in terror.

“What are you yelling for?!” Huo Yu jumped too.

“You grabbed me! I thought it was a ghost! What if this music attracts water spirits? Something just pulled my foot!”

Huo Yu was getting spooked too but didn’t want to back down. “You dragged me here, remember? It’s broad daylight, what are you scared of? That little trick scares you?”

Wang Hao: “This isn’t a trick. You think he’s trying to make you come ashore, but really he wants you gone for good.”

Huo Yu: “…”

Wang Hao: “He’s trying to eliminate you and keep the inheritance for himself.”

Huo Yu: “Piss off!”

Wang Hao, on the verge of tears, watched the band finish their set. If they stayed any longer, mourners might actually show up. He screeched like a frog and scrambled ashore.

Huo Yu was left behind, but now he was scared too and swam frantically.

The two of them emerged dripping wet, scrambling to grab their clothes and wrap up.

Huo Yu cursed, “Screw you! If I go swimming with you again, I’m a dumbass!”

Wang Hao said, “I’m never coming back to this cursed place.”

He saw Zhong Lu standing under a tree nearby, casually checking his phone. Realizing he was the one who dragged Huo Yu out here, Wang Hao fled straight to his driver’s car and took off.

Huo Yu trudged past Zhong Lu with his head down, looking like a drenched rooster.

Zhong Lu doubled the funeral band’s invoice and sent it to Huo Zhehan. Calmly, he said, “If I ever have to hold a funeral for your son, this will be the standard. There’ll even be a banquet tonight.”

At that moment, Huo Yu felt Zhong Lu’s expression looked a bit like his dad’s, calm with a hint of “never again” menace. He snapped, “I’m not your son!”

“Did I say you were? I said I might get a dog next year.”

Wang Hao was gone. The Huo family’s bodyguard instinctively opened the car door for Huo Yu.

Zhong Lu gave a cold look. “Let him find his own way home.”

The guard awkwardly stopped and scratched his nose. Madam was fierce, totally different from her previous soft demeanor.

But for young master Huo, this was exactly what was needed. Spoiled his whole life, he never respected kindness.

Huo Yu cursed Wang Hao again in his heart. “Then you’re not allowed to take the family car either!”

“Of course not.”

Zhong Lu revved his scooter and took off.

Huo Yu’s eyes widened. On this empty mountain road, calling a car could take over an hour. A chill ran down his spine and he took off running.

“Wait for me! I’ll pay you for the ride!”

With long legs, he chased through two mountain bends before collapsing, gasping, and kicking a stone. Damn stepmother was cold-blooded.

Zhong Lu sped away, he couldn’t care less.

His training had been interrupted. He had to come out in the summer heat to deal with this nonsense. Zhong Lu was in a foul mood.

Back when he was pissed, he would grab a teammate and force a 1v1, prioritizing whoever screwed up that day.

A nasty smell of cigarette smoke drifted over. Zhong Lu frowned and looked up. A customer across from him was gaming and smoking. The staff had tried and failed to intervene.

The air conditioning blew the smoke straight toward him.

Zhong Lu couldn’t afford a private room and had to tolerate the chaos of public spaces. If he wanted proper esports gear and a quiet training environment…

His phone flashed a notification: “@WN-Sip is live now.”

Sip was Zhuo Yin’s ID.

Zhong Lu, annoyed and choking on smoke, pulled his sleeve over his nose and opened Duoyou Live.

He’d been meaning to check how the trio was doing a year later. If they were still playing like they did in last fall’s tournament… he’d pretend he never knew them.

Zhuo Yin was solo-queuing on his main account, dropping into the rainforest side of the map.

RESCUE’s map was like a cake sliced into seven zones: mountains, rainforest, stone formations, desert, grasslands, river estuary, and a stranded shipwreck. 

Each zone required different playstyles. Rainforest offered dense cover and was often chosen for stealth approaches.

Three others had also dropped into the rainforest. Zhuo Yin, armed with a bow, landed lightly in a dense treetop.

A swift draw—thump, thump—two arrows to the heart, silent and clean.

He was the top archer in the national server, striking with lethal precision without ever giving away his position.

To a casual viewer, the performance looked god-tier but to Zhong Lu, it simply meant Zhuo Yin had kept up his form.

Last year, Zhuo Yin was only 20, with a year and a half of pro experience. After another year of training, he should be even better.

Zhong Lu pursed his lips and opened the chat to see what kind of content viewers liked these days. It was to plan his own stream accordingly.

【Zhuo God insane! 6666】

【My Zhuo God’s raw skill is unmatched. Say what you want about the dead—Abandon liked brawling, and WN built their strategy around him. Zhuo never got to shine!】

【Zhuo God is King of the Jungle!】

【Fan @436284 sent a BMW!】

【Real talk, Zhuo Yin was overshadowed by Abandon. He had the skills all along.】

【Don’t act like Abandon has no fans! He’s been gone a year and Zhuo God still didn’t lead the team anywhere. Oh right—0 to 3.】

【Fan @ZhuoGodWifey sent a spaceship.】

Zhong Lu had no energy for all the fans and haters.

What caught his eye were the planes and spaceships getting spammed in the chat.

He used to get those too and had even told fans not to send them.

Now that he was broke, he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

He needed to get his stream up soon. He was short on cash, but he knew better than to rush.

Sharpening the blade wouldn’t delay chopping firewood. Skill came first and he held himself to high standards.

After one match, Zhuo Yin turned on his mic, “That’s it for today. Hui-ge’s treating us to crayfish. I’m out.“

Zhong Lu: ”…”

A penny short and stuck in the mud, while his teammates were out feasting.

Frustrated, Zhong Lu typed up a sarcastic spam text.

【Hey everyone, I’m Abandon. I’m not dead. My phone number is my Alipay—send me 10,000 yuan to buy esports gear and I’ll take you to Worlds next year.】

He let out a breath, just about to refocus on training, when his phone buzzed.

He glanced over and his eyes widened.

【Zong** transferred 10,000 yuan to you.】

Zhong Lu was stunned. Did the crayfish make him stupid?

Could he even accept this? Was this legal?

Then two more buzzes.

【Zhuo** transferred 10,000 yuan to you.】

【Xi** transferred 10,000 yuan to you.】

Zhong Lu: ”Are you all idiots or what?”