Chapter 15

Chapter 15 \nChapter 15\n

 

Ever since Yu Yang had joined the team, it was rare for him to play PUBG together with Qi Zui. It was hard for them to even be together in the same place at the same time, so their CP fans ate the dog food until they were full1. They happily made quite a few compilations overnight. Captain Qi believed that honest men did not only flirt in private, if he wanted to flirt, he would do it out in the open2. On the second day, when he saw a post, he naturally used his main Weibo account to like it. The forum exploded in an instant again.

 

Yu Yang only found out that the two people who he had met in the beginning were Americans when he saw Qi Zui’s Weibo post. When he re-watched the screen recording, Yu Yang was so embarrassed and angry that he squatted in a corner of the third-floor balcony and smoked half a box of cigarettes. He had only succeeded in getting the temperature of his face back to normal after staying out and enduring the cold wind for half an hour.

 

Yu Yang had embarrassed himself in front of Qi Zui. Feeling put on the spot, Yu Yang avoided making eye contact with Qi Zui for the next two days.

 

“Did you two argue?”

 

On Saturday, He Xiaoxu woke up very early. He supervised the group of youths that were internet-addicts3 and had them blow-dry their hair and style it and change their clothes. This was to prevent them from looking bad when the camera zoomed in on them during the competition later. He Xiaoxu looked around and could not see Yu Yang. He asked Qi Zui in a hushed voice, “It’s already been two days, hasn’t it?”

 

“Argue?” Qi Zui laughed. “It’s just that he’s too easily embarrassed.”

 

He Xiaoxu had something to worry and fuss over at all hours, from day to night. He sighed. “If you know that he’s easily embarrassed, then don’t go too far! I’m begging you alright? Can the two of you please get along, don’t cause trouble! If one day you two argue and break up one day, and he ends up transferring to another eSports team because of the painful heartbreak, I will really jump into the Huangpu River!”

 

Qi Zui laughed. “Break up? We haven’t even gotten back together yet.”

 

“You haven’t?” He Xiaoxu grumbled. “Make it quick, while you’re still young… Other eSports teams don’t allow their members to date because they’re scared that it would affect their training. But what about me? I’m the manager, yet I have to act like a pimp…”

 

Qi Zui smiled. He casually ran his fingers through his hair to tidy it up, put on the team uniform. As soon as he raised his head, he saw Yu Yang.

 

Yu Yang had not expected Qi Zui to be in the lounge, He glanced at him awkwardly and left.

 

He Xiaoxu looked Qi Zui up and down, feeling quite satisfied, before he went to bug Lao Kai about blow-drying his hair again.

 

Qi Zui followed Yu Yang out of the lounge.

 

Yu Yang walked towards the third floor training room, and Qi Zui quietly followed. Yu Yang took the stairs and went to the lower floor, Qi Zui also made a turn and followed him downstairs4.\n

 

When the members of Team Two and the youth trainees that were on the first floor saw Qi Zui, they hurriedly stood at attention. Qi Zui nodded expressionlessly, while Yu Yang felt extremely awkward. He lowered his head and entered the bathroom… There, he was finally blocked from moving by Qi Zui.

 

“Have I spoilt you too much?” Qi Zui leaned against the door frame of the bathroom, a half smile on his face. “We’re already face-to-face with each other, aren’t you going to greet your Captain?”

 

“Cap…” Yu Yang lowered his gaze. “Captain.”

 

“It’s like I’m the one who made the video, and I didn’t laugh at you either, why are you aiming your temper at me?” Qi Zui kept a distance from Yu Yang, trying not to laugh. “Even if you blame me, we’ve been having a cold war for two days already. You shouldn’t be angry anymore, right?”

 

“We didn’t…” Yu Yang frowned and muttered. “We didn’t have a cold war5.”

 

“We didn’t have a cold war.” Qi Zui nodded. “Then you’re just acting spoiled6?”

 

Yu Yang was embarrassed and angry. “No!”

 

“Mm. You’re not, I was overthinking it.” Qi Zui wanted to laugh, but he was scared that Yu Yang would become even more embarrassed. Qi Zui nodded and smiled as he said, “I’ve always wanted you to act spoiled in front of me, and my imagination is too active.”

 

Yu Yang was a little stunned, then his face turned even redder.

 

Yu Yang did not actually dislike fans making compilations of his and Qi Zui’s videos. He even liked those videos, he himself would spend the whole day watching them. It was just…

 

Making a fool of himself in front of Qi Zui, showing off his incoherent English, Yu Yang felt extremely embarrassed.

 

“If that’s not what you’ve been doing, then stop avoiding me.” Qi Zui could roughly guess what Yu Yang was thinking. He moved backwards slightly, then looked at the hallway, making sure there was no one around before he smiled and said, “You’ve been avoiding me so much, He Xiaoxu is suspecting that we broke up.”

 

“Bro-Broke up?” Yu Yang hesitated, then said, stumbling over his words, “Manager He… Why does he know that we used to be… to…together?”

 

Qi Zui: “…”

 \nHe had spoken too fast and blurted it out.

 

Yu Yang was both embarrassed and anxious, he asked in a low voice, “How did he find out? Will he…”

 

“He won’t, he won’t.” Qi Zui smiled sheepishly. “Although he’s a little annoying, he’s on our side. He won’t hurt you.”

 

Yu Yang was even more scared. “Then he’ll hurt you?!”

 

Qi Zui’s heart softened and he laughed softly. “I’m his source of income7. Why would he hurt me?”

 

Yu Yang thought about it for a moment and felt that it made sense. The anxiety in his heart slowly dissipated as his ears turned red again, and he confirmed in a low voice. “You… Didn’t tell anyone else right?”

 

Qi Zui: “…”

 

Qi Zui leaned on the doorframe, looking at Yu Yang, his brows scrunched up as he was deep in thought.

 

These days… As long as someone came to talk to him, it seemed like he would talk about his history with Yu Yang to them…

 

Qi Zui was really not sure how many people he had told about the relationship that Yu Yang and him once had.

“Mm, if there’s nothing else… it’s time to go.” Qi Zui said ambiguously, quickly skipping over the topic. He rushed Yu Yang, “Go and change into your team uniform, we’re about to leave.”

 

Qi Zui moved out of the way. “I’ll go down to the car to wait for you.”

 

At ten in the morning on Saturday, everyone changed into their uniforms and brought their computer accessories8 and prepared to go to the competition venue.

 

Qi Zui held onto his computer accessories properly and got in the car quickly, lowering his head to play some games on his phone while he waited for the others.

 

“Coach.” Bu Nana leaned on the door of the car and looked at the entrance of the HOG camp, muttering, “I want to wear that too…”\n\nBu Nana was stunned for a moment, then with the tacit understanding he had cultivated with Qi Zui after being teammates for so many years, he understood the meaning of Qi Zui’s cough14. He glared at Qi Zui resentfully before moving over to sit in the same row as Yu Qianxi.

 

When Yu Yang got on the car, it was a seven-seater commercial car, and the only seat left was the one next to Qi Zui.

 

Yu Yang timidly sat down next to Qi Zui.

 

Qi Zui’s phone vibrated, it was a message from Lai Hua.

 

Qi Zui clicked on it…

 

Lai Hua: The competition is at least eight hours long, I… I have some painkillers in my back, it’s sustained-release and takes effect slowly. Do you want to take it now?

 

Qi Zui: There’s no need.

 

Lai Hua: Are you sure?

 

Qi Zui: I put on an intramuscular patch, that’s good enough.

 

In the front passenger seat, Lai Hua sighed.

 

Qi Zui’s body type was unique, and he was especially sensitive towards painkillers. As soon as he ate them, he would feel sleepy, and it would definitely affect his in-game performance. Thus, Lai Hua knew that there was no way he could convince him.

 

Qi Zui turned his head to look at Yu Yang, then sent a message to Lai Hua: If I really can’t stand it anymore, it’s fine, after all, there’s still Youth.

 

Lai Hua turned his head around to look at Yu Yang, smiling bitterly as he typed: He’s never practiced the team coordination of a squad game, and he’s never had the experience of participating in such a large-scale offline competition. If they rashly had him substitute for someone, he wouldn’t be able to deal with it.

 

Qi Zui smiled, then replied: Not necessarily so. And if there is a problem with the main team, no matter what, he must play.

 

Qi Zui’s words turned out to be a prophecy.