novelODS Chapter 78 The Return Journey
Chapter 78 The Return Journey
The next morning.
The entire EDG team gathered in the hotel lobby, preparing to head to Nanjing Lukou Airport to fly back to Shanghai.
When Lin Mo pushed his suitcase into the lobby, he immediately spotted Rita, who was also pushing a suitcase, standing with several official staff members not far away.
Rita wore a casual outfit today.
A short white T-shirt paired with light blue high-waisted jeans perfectly showcased her slender waist and long, straight legs.
As Lin Mo approached, Rita's gaze met his instantly.
After just one second of eye contact, a slight blush appeared on Rita's cheeks.
She quickly looked away, the scenes from last night involuntarily flashing through her mind.
"Sister Tako, we meet again."
Lin Mo walked over naturally and greeted him with a smile.
"Good morning, Brother Mozi." Rita looked up and rolled her beautiful eyes at him.
Upon seeing this, the factory manager and Meiko immediately perked up like two groundhogs, their eyes darting back and forth between Lin Mo and Rita.
Suddenly, the factory manager seemed to remember something. After whispering something to Meiko, he walked up to Rita and asked, "Rita, are you on the same flight back to Shanghai as us today?"
"Yes, the official flight is with you," Rita replied with a smile.
The factory manager nodded, took the opportunity to take a deep breath, and subtly twitched his nose twice.
The next second, the factory manager's eyes widened suddenly.
Case solved!
The scent that Lin Mo wore last night is exactly the same as the scent that Rita is emitting now!
The factory manager turned his head and gave Meiko a look.
Meiko immediately understood and her eyes widened as well.
Despite the strange looks from the factory manager and Meiko, Lin Mo remained as steady as a mountain.
He turned and glared at the factory manager: "What are you two doing, just staring at each other like that?"
"Cough cough cough, let's go, let's go, let's go for the security check first!" The factory manager called to the other team members. When he walked to Lin Mo's side, he lowered his voice and gave him a thumbs up: "Ten kilometers, you're really something."
Lin Mo's lips twitched, and he turned to Rita, saying, "Let's go, Sister Rita, together."
"Mm." Rita nodded and confidently pushed her suitcase, following beside Lin Mo.
While waiting in line for security, Rita quietly moved closer to Lin Mo and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"You weren't questioned when you got home last night, were you?"
"They questioned me." Lin Mo sighed, feigning distress. "They insisted I smelled of perfume, said I was being kept by a rich woman, and almost told the coach."
"Huh?" Rita tensed up instantly. "Then... what did you say?"
"I said..." Lin Mo turned his head, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, "I said, I met a female ghost on the road who insisted on crawling into my arms and rubbing against me."
"Are you trying to die?!"
Rita realized that Lin Mo was teasing her about her embarrassing experience in the haunted house yesterday. She wanted to reach out and pinch Lin Mo's hand, but then remembered that this was a public place and stopped herself.
"Just kidding," Lin Mo said. "Don't worry, I haven't revealed our secret."
"Pah, what secrets could we possibly have!" Rita glared at him.
Watching the two chatting and laughing behind them, the EDG members walking in front couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
"It's so sour, so incredibly sour." Meiko shook her head. "I feel like I don't even need to eat breakfast; I'd be full just from eating dog food."
"Do you think they're not getting together?" Zet asked in a low voice.
"Isn't that obvious enough?" The factory manager looked at Zet with disdain. "Have you ever seen Rita this close to any other guy?"
"That's one of the four beauties of our LPL, Mozi is really something else!!" Zet shouted jealously.
……
On the other side, although Lin Mo and Rita teased each other in hushed tones, they still maintained a proper distance during the subsequent wait for their flight.
After all, being in a public place, and being a public figure in the esports world, Rita is likely to be surrounded by fans or media cameras at any time.
The two walked side by side, occasionally exchanging a few words about the game, looking like ordinary friends who happened to be going the same way.
Only in the occasional exchange of glances did they reveal a tacit understanding that only they could comprehend.
.........
Noon.
The flight landed smoothly at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
As soon as the group pushed their suitcases out of the VIP channel and into the arrival hall, the scene before them startled Lin Mo.
The arrival gate was completely packed with people.
They held up EDG support signs, banners, and various LED light boards, eagerly awaiting their arrival.
"It's out! It's out!"
Someone shouted something, and the entire arrival hall instantly erupted in cheers and shouts:
"EDG is awesome!!"
"Factory Manager! I love you!!"
"Mo Shen! Brother Mo! Look here!!"
Amidst the frenzied shouts, a large number of fans surged forward like a tide. Fortunately, the airport security personnel and EDG's team staff were prepared and quickly formed a human wall, preventing the scene from completely spiraling out of control.
Seeing this enthusiastic scene, Lin Mo was a little overwhelmed with gratitude.
Although he knew his popularity would rise after winning the championship, he didn't expect to be quite popular.
Looking around, besides the factory manager's "777" support sign, the most common thing was the light board with his ID "Mo" on it!
There was even a girl holding up an exaggerated banner that read "Mo Husband" and waving it wildly at him.
"Wow, Xiao Mo, you're even more popular than me!" The factory manager joked with a smile as he waved to his fans.
"How can I compare to you? I'm just starting out." Lin Mo chuckled.
Facing enthusiastic fans, Lin Mo showed no trace of his "aloof e-sports god" persona.
He pushed his suitcase to the edge of the security line and greeted people with a smile.
"Don't push, don't push! Everyone be careful! I won't reimburse your medical expenses if you get your foot stepped on!"
A man excitedly handed over a mousepad, asking for a fortune slip: "God Mo! Your Fiora A-flash yesterday was so cool! Can you teach me?"
Lin Mo signed his ID in a crooked, illegible stroke, and joked with a smile, "I can't teach you, I can't teach you. That's the hand speed I honed from being single for twenty years. If you have a girlfriend, don't bother learning it, you won't be able to learn it."
"Hahaha..." The group of people around him burst into laughter.
A female fan even shouted, "Brother Mo! You were supposed to be the one getting beaten up! How come you ended up smashing Brother Leg's head to pieces?!"
Lin Mo shrugged: "I wanted to get hit too, but you guys don't know, the air conditioning on that stage was set too low yesterday, I was shivering from the cold, and my hands were shaking so much that I had to do all the movements."
Watching Lin Mo mingle with passersby without any inhibitions, making one joke after another, Rita, who was standing not far away, couldn't help but laugh.
She quietly looked at the bright and sunny young man in the crowd, thinking that his future achievements were boundless.
"Rita! Sister Takko!!"
Just as Rita was staring at Lin Mo in a daze, a shout came from not far away.