Lately, Xue Lan sensed something unusual in the gaze Zhou Kanqing directed his way.
But what made it distinctly unusual, he couldn’t quite discern.
Post-training, as he lifted his gaze, he caught sight of Zhou Kanqing setting down his headphones, a profound resentment shimmering in his stare fixed upon himself.
“…”
Xue Lan couldn’t understand. He had given him a clear explanation, yet why was he staring at him in that way?
Luckily, he remembered that he had an express delivery downstairs. He used this advantage to hurry down.
The package that arrived was a weighty, rectangular parcel. At the sight of the box, Xue Lan remembered its contents. When he procured a keyboard for the streamer, he simultaneously acquired a new custom-made keyboard.
With a delightful thrill, Xue Lan cradled the package, his impatience growing as he yearned to ascend the stairs and anticipated unraveling its contents.
The key switches on this keyboard boasted exceptional tactile feedback and performance. A customizable iteration had hit the market just ahead of the upcoming season. Xue Lan, unable to resist its allure, submitted an order.
The key layout catered to the typical demands of professional gamers, while the keyboard’s space bar was personalized with an engraved gaming ID.
The gaming ID Xue Lan chose was “Reset.”
The first time his eyes fell upon the keyboard, a notion sparked within him — it seemed tailored for Duan Wenzheng. Considering Duan Wenzheng’s recent club entry, it could serve as a congratulatory gift to mark his induction.
For days, his cold lingered, and he was running downstairs earlier. A few sneezes escaped him as he returned to the training room.
Unperturbed, Xue Lan rubbed his nose, intent on moving forward until a voice halted him out of the blue.
“Your cold still hasn’t gone away?”
“Captain.” Surprised, Xue Lan stopped in his tracks. “It’s much better now.”
“Taken your medicine yet?” Wen Yan asked casually while gesturing to Xue Lan to walk together with him.
Seeing Xue Lan nod and follow him, Wen Yan’s gaze trailed down to the package cradled in his arms. “I have to say, their keyboards are excellent.”
Xue Lan’s eyes brightened upon hearing that. “Right? Captain, are you using their keyboards too?”
Wen Yan observed the person beside him, and his tone unconsciously became gentle. “Mn.”
In an instant, Xue Lan’s eyes lit up with sheer delight. Witnessing this, Wen Yan felt the tension that had gripped him for several days begin to dissipate. Suddenly, he sensed a shift within himself, realizing that in his constant rushing forward, he had forgotten the importance of occasionally pausing… to acknowledge the person walking beside him.
With this in mind, his gaze also inadvertently became gentle.
“Your recent performance has been impressive,” Wen Yan remarked in a relaxed tone. “Be it in exams or group collaborations, you’ve truly excelled.”
“Thank you, Captain. I’ll continue to work hard moving forward!”
Wen Yan was on the brink of saying something else when a person hurriedly descended the stairs and strode over.
“Where did you go? I’ve looked everywhere and couldn’t find you.” Duan Wenzheng effortlessly positioned himself between the two, deftly squeezing into the limited space.
Wen Yan couldn’t tolerate such behavior from him and sternly averted his gaze.
“What is this?” Duan Wenzheng paid no mind to his reaction. He stared at the box Xue Lan was cradling.
Xue Lan, rather embarrassed, brought the box in front of Duan Wenzheng. “It’s for you.”
While Wen Yan’s expression also hardened, Duan Wenzheng fell into a momentary daze.
Duan Wenzheng had asked casually, not anticipating it to be directed at him. He pointed to himself, seeking confirmation once more. “For me?”
Xue Lan earnestly nodded his head. With the greatest care, he handed over the keyboard to Duan Wenzheng.
“It’s a gift for your entry into the team.”
Once laid back, Duan Wenzheng now cradled the keyboard with the utmost care, treating it as an invaluable treasure. A smile graced the corners of his lips. “Is it only I who has it?”
Xue Lan muttered, “You’re right. I should also give one to Qi Si—”
Before he could finish speaking, Duan Wenzheng had covered his mouth, preventing the completion of his sentence. Duan Wenzheng’s spirits seemed revitalized as he exuded a joyful energy, cheerfully pulling Xue Lan toward the training room.
“Let’s go. Wait until gege carries you with this new keyboard.”
“Are you not going to see if it suits you first?” Xue Lan, who was dragged into the training room, wormed his way out. “You might not be accustomed to a keyboard you’re using for the first time.”
“It’s okay. What? Are you scared I’ll cheat you?”
“… Of course not.”
Wen Yan’s steps gradually slowed, abruptly watching as the two entered the training room.
Zhou Kanqing came wobbling from the restroom. He immediately saw Wen Yan standing in front of the door. Feeling odd, he draped an arm across Wen Yan’s shoulders. “What are you standing here for? Didn’t Nian-ge press you to do a live stream after training was over?”
Wen Yan returned to his senses. He followed Zhou Kanqing into the training room.
But as he stepped inside, Zhou Kanqing abruptly noticed the oddity —
As he aimed to reclaim his seat, Duan Wenzheng, engaged in who-knows-what beside him, mysteriously glanced in his direction.
“Kanqing.”
A chill ran down Zhou Kanqing’s spine.
“When you first joined the team, did you receive a gift?”
“…” Zhou Kanqing was about to shoot up to his feet.
But Duan Wenzheng deftly pushed down his arm onto the armrest. “I’ve just joined the team, and Exist gave me such a useful gift and even customized my name on the keyboard.”
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