Love Is Like Blind Men Touching an Elephant

After realizing I was the villainess in an e-sports novel, I stopped using my position as team manager to control Jax Thorne. When the true heroine joined, I quickly handed over my duties and moved to a new club.

During the Spring Split, our two teams clashed. Jax was out for blood. Before the match, I offered a few words of comfort to our rookie mid-laner. Jax dove under towers, relentlessly hunting the mid-laner.

The commentators: "This must be a strategic play Jax discussed with his teammates!"

The broadcast switched to the TNG team's voice chat.

Teammate: "Jax, are you crazy?! Get back to your jungle!"

Jax, eyes red: "Didn't you see? Harper just touched his shoulder!"

Teammates:

Commentators:

I was the manager for Jax Thorne, the legendary jungler. For half a month, Id woken up early to make yam porridge for him, bringing it to the club every day to soothe his stomach. Jax would grimace, chewing and grumbling, "Summer Hayes, aren't you annoying? This stuff tastes terrible."

Just as I was about to insist he finish every bite, a series of comments popped up in my vision:

[How is this villainess such a simp? She doesnt even know the male lead is allergic to yams?]

[No wonder Jax has been so quiet these past two weeks. Yam allergies make your tongue numb]

[Jax doesn't deserve this. Hes been taking allergy medicine for half a month to spare the villainesss feelings.]

[Other players train 13 hours a day, and Jax is groggy from his meds.]

[Thank goodness the heroine is coming online tomorrow. Jax is finally escaping his misery!]

My jaw dropped as I stared at Jax. He was still frowning, spooning the porridge into his mouth. I quickly reached out and snatched the container. Turning, I handed it to Leo Vance, a passing youth trainee. "Leo, you eat this. You look like you've lost weight recently."

The air instantly went still. Jax, spoon in hand, froze. A few seconds later, his tense shoulders slumped, and he leaned back into his gaming chair. A cold sneer twisted his lips. "Fine. Looks like I dodged a bullet today."

His words really stung. Allergy aside, how many hours of sleep had I sacrificed to make him that porridge every day? And his allergy? That wasn't my fault. What kind of normal person would suffer for half a month without saying anything?

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I snatched the spoon from Jaxs hand and gave it to Leo. Leo slurped a big mouthful, his eyes lighting up. "Manager Hayess porridge is so fragrant and soft, its amazing! If Jax doesnt want his in the future, can I have it all?"

I was about to say there wouldn't be a "future." Jaxs expression stiffened. With a loud clatter, his gaming chair was kicked back. Leo and I both turned. Jax strode over in a few steps, snatching the container back from Leo. "That's enough! I haven't even had breakfast yet!" He then tipped the container directly into his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed furiously.

I stared at him like he was the biggest idiot on Earth. Seriously, what was wrong with this guy? The comments called him a dog, and he was really guarding his food like one.

[??? No way, why is Jax so desperate? Is he addicted to allergy meds?]

[Maybe hes got rabies now]

[LOL, Im dying. Jaxs masochistic tendencies are an old problem, huh?]

[Dogs don't deserve this. My dog even knows not to eat chocolate]

Thanks to the comments, I roughly understood the plot. Turns out, I was the villainess in an e-sports novel. Using my privileges as team manager, Id been secretly pestering Jax. The true heroine, Harper Miller, loved gaming, and after joining TNG, she quickly became close to the team and a playful rival with Jax. Theyd reach the peak of love and career together. As for my fate: fueled by hatred, Id collude with an opponent, betraying information, and be driven out of the e-sports world.

Oh, come on, fate! You didn't even treat me like a decent human being! I wake up earlier than a rooster and go to bed later than a dog, only to end up losing everything? What kind of justice is that?

To resist the storyline, I avoided bothering Jax the entire day. Around eight in the evening, the boss told me Jax had "gone on strike" today and asked me to find him. I drove to the industrial park bar Jax frequented. Sure enough, in a private room, Jaxs long frame was slumped in a sofa, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The comment section was filled with lamentations about how handsome "Jax the dog" was! I pursed my lips; he didnt even drink alcohol; he was just sitting there, purely for show.

Suddenly, I heard someone loudly ask Jax: "Jax, is that yam-porridge manager of yours still bothering you?"

Yam-porridge manager I really wanted to twist the heads off these rich kids and kick them around like balls! But I was so smitten, my hand reaching for the door involuntarily slowed by half a beat. Unfortunately, Jax didnt say anything. His friend beside him spoke first. "If it weren't for the clubs sake, Jax wouldn't have put up with her for so long, right, Jax?"

Jaxs hand paused, and he didnt deny it. It was the reaction I expected. I pinched my palm, then, with a burst of resolve, pushed open the private room door. Everyones gaze turned to me. Jaxs expression stiffened for a moment, then quickly reverted to his usual cold demeanor. I pretended not to notice, walked over, and tossed his team jacket onto the coffee table. "Review meeting tomorrow at eight AM. Now, get up and come back to the base with me."

He lifted his slender eyelids to glance at me, but didnt move. The rich kid with dyed blonde hair blew a smoke ring and scoffed. "Seriously, Manager Hayes, who exactly are you to Jax? Even his own mom doesn't boss him around this much, does she?" The room erupted in laughter. I remained unmoved, simply tapping my wrist and looking at Jax.

Bang! The whiskey glass in his hand hit the glass table, liquid splashing. The laughter instantly choked. Jax grabbed his team jacket, stood up, and placed himself between me and the blonde-haired guy. His face was cold, his tone casual but laced with aggression: "I'm happy to pay someone to manage me. You got a problem with that?" Without waiting for the blonde-haired guys scowl, he pulled me out of the private room.

In the parking garage, Jax got into the car first. He leaned back in his seat, irritably tugging at his collar, his tone displeased. "Summer Hayes, can you stop treating me like a child in front of outsiders?"

"Don't worry," I said softly. "I won't anymore." I didnt linger by his side as usual. After closing his car door, I slipped into the passenger seat. "Driver, please take us back to the base."

The car was silent for a few seconds. Jax's eyebrows furrowed, his tone becoming even more agitated. "Summer, what's with the attitude? Is it because of that damn porridge this morning? I ended up eating the whole pot, didn't I?" He thought I was still sulking about the morning incident. I turned my head to look at the streaking night outside, not bothering to argue. Jax stared at me for a long moment, then let out a cold scoff, closing his eyes to sleep. The driver, accustomed to this, kept his eyes on the road.

I laughed at myself internally. The blonde guy was right, actually. I did micromanage Jax too much.

The entire e-sports world knew I was Jax Thorne's "nanny." Jax was the highlight of my career. He was also the first successful player Id managed. He'd raked in trophies from domestic and international tournaments, and my salary had increased six or sevenfold because of him. But as talented as Jax was, he had just as many quirks. Low blood sugar, tenosynovitis, and nervous gastritisall at once. If he missed even one meal, I worried he'd die in his gaming chair

But I didn't want Jax to die. I didn't want anything to happen to him. I couldn't remember when exactly, but I started cooking for him in various ways, coaxing him to eat. Jax was quite unhappy about it. Everyone in the circle admired my patience. "Summer, you deserve to earn that money!" Even Jax asked me, "Why are you so shamelessly managing me? Are you afraid I'll die and no one will win games and make money for you?"

They thought I'd thrown away my dignity for money. But to be honest, most of the money still went into the boss's and players' pockets. My self-appointed care for him, the biggest reason was to repay a debt of gratitude from two years ago.

The year I entered the industry, the club was just starting out. Everyone wore multiple hats, and I was often dragged by the boss to liquor events to drink on his behalf. One investor, Mr. Davies, loved to use a profile picture of his family of four while sending lewd messages to young women at the table. Later, he did invest a good deal of money. I couldn't block him, so I just put him on do not disturb, out of sight, out of mind.

Jax joined the club not long after and saw the messages on my computer. He averted his gaze, his brow furrowed so deeply it looked like it could trap a fly. "Why don't you delete them? Is Julian forcing you?" Julian was the club owners name. I didn't even look up, working as I spoke, "He's an investor. No need to offend him. Just don't reply." He looked at me intently, but said nothing more.

At the intercontinental championship celebration, that investor was also present. He clapped Jax on the shoulder, praising his youthful ambition. Of course, he didn't care about the player's achievements; he just wanted to use Jax to get closer to the Thorne family. Jax sat at the head of the table, not even touching his drink. His gaze suddenly swept across the crowd, then he put on an innocent, somewhat troubled expression: "Manager, can I drink?"

I was lost in thought when my name was suddenly called. Everyone turned to look at me. Catching Jaxs eye, I understood and played along. "No drinking. Your stomach just recovered." Jax didn't hesitate for a second. His lips curved, his tone regretful, yet his expression was utterly dismissive. "My apologies. Our manager has spoken, and I have to listen to her."

The investors jowls stiffened, then he immediately forced a fawning smile: "Yes, yes, of course, Young Master Thornes health is precious, no need to drink!" From that day on, I never received another harassing message on my phone. I knew it was a simple favor for Jax. In fact, hed probably forgotten all about it. But he truly had, effortlessly, resolved a tricky problem for me. I owed him, and I desperately wanted to be good to him.

The comments said my behavior was "simp-like," and that I was a burden to Jax. Honestly, I still don't understand. For example, why was my "goodness" to Jax so clumsy? Perhaps I never learned how to better express gratitude or love for someone. No one had ever taught me.

My phone buzzed, pulling my thoughts backa message from the boss. "The Miller family's daughter wants to check out our club. Can you show her around?" I mechanically opened the attached resume. Harper Miller, a delicate face, eyes like stars. Her name matched the heroines name from the comments.

The next day, as soon as I entered the base, my assistant, Chloe, rushed over to me as if I were a savior, tears in her voice. "Summer, help! You're finally here! This morning, Jax was sitting there with a grim face, clutching his stomach, not saying anything. He probably got gastritis again from staying up late. The rookie team is so scared they don't even dare to type. You need to go calm him down"

Before she finished speaking, the frosted glass door of the training room opened. Jax walked out, wearing an oversized gray hoodie, his face cold. The area instantly fell silent; the players all uniformly bent their heads, furiously typing on their keyboards. He walked directly to me, leaning in slightly, his tired face close to mine. "Summer Hayes, you're fifteen minutes late today." Then he opened his long, slender palm. "Where's my porridge?"

[No way, a second round? Bro really thinks he's a divine farmer, testing poisons, huh?]

[It expresses some of the male leads hunger]

[Didnt they say the male lead has anorexia? This greedy boy might actually have regained his appetite because of the villainess?]

I took a half-step back, creating a safe distance between us. "No porridge. And there won't be any in the future." With that, I pulled out a strip of stomach medicine and half a pack of soda crackers from my bag, and slapped them into his arms. Jax lowered his head, staring at the items in his arms, his expression bewildered. "Summer Hayes, are you serious?"

The knuckles of his hand, clutching the crackers, were slightly pale, and his voice held a hint of urgency. "What did I do to upset you?"

[Jax, please donate your brain. You don't remember what your friends were gossiping about the villainess last night?]

[Super dense male lead, but its good to let the villainess give up, saves her from future heartbreak]

[Whatever, hurry up and get offline, villainess, I want to see a sweet romance!]

Jax frowned, staring at me. In the past, I would have been heartbroken for a long time. Then Id have gone to sleep alone, comforted myself, and continued to stubbornly manage him and stick to him. But this time, I suppressed the ache in my heart and calmly spoke: "Jax, I'm the manager, not a nanny. Making porridge isn't part of my job. If theres nothing else, Ill get back to work."

With that, I walked past him without a backward glance, heading towards my office. Behind me, I heard hushed whispers: "Is Manager Hayes in a bad mood today?" "Didn't you see the group chat? Miss Miller just joined Manager Hayes is probably being sidelined."

I pushed open my office door. The "Miller family daughter" my colleague had been mentioning was sitting proudly in my office chair.