WCG Chapter 89

Under Jiang Shi’s persistent persuasion, Xie Xu still brought the Snowman plushie back.  

Jiang Shi placed it in the specially cleared spot in the display case, then, satisfied, closed the cabinet door and locked it.  

With this matter settled, Jiang Shi’s thoughts became more lively. He quietly glanced at the neatly made bed beside him.  

It was so late already. Surely. it wouldn’t be too much for him, someone with a legitimate reason, to stay the night?  

Jiang Shi turned and reached out, trying to hold Xie Xu’s hand, but Xie Xu subtly avoided it. “It’s late. You should go back and rest early. Training was pretty long today.”  

Jiang Shi thought Xie Xu was just tired, so he suppressed his thoughts and said considerately, “Then I’ll head back. Good night, Captain!”  

But the moment he stepped out the door, Jiang Shi’s expression fell.  

No goodnight kiss. He had forgotten to touch that little mole earlier because he had been too preoccupied.  

Such a loss!  

---

A few days later, TLG’s exhibition date was finally confirmed. Yuan Yang came to the training room to remind them, “The exhibition is tomorrow. Everyone, get some rest early tonight. We’ll leave the base at nine in the morning.”  

“The event will be held outside the main venue, and the official staff will set everything up in advance.”  

Jiang Shi, who had never attended an exhibition before, asked, “Do we need to prepare anything?”  

“Just make sure you look presentable before heading out,” Yuan Yang explained. “You won’t need to hype up the crowd. There’ll be a host for that. You guys just need to play a few mixed-position fun matches with fans and hand out some merch.”  

The schedule was simple.  

Jiang Lele said cheerfully, “I love playing fun matches with fans. My jungle and AD are super strong! If I wasn’t worried about clashing with you guys, I wouldn’t be stuck as this useless mid-laner.”  

Everyone could steal his minions, and not only did he never get kills, all his plays turned into assists.  

Jiang Shi glanced at him. “I finally understand why you’re always so confident.”  

Jiang Lele: “?”  

Jiang Shi: “One fun match can inflate your ego for an entire year.”  

Jiang Lele once again experienced the sharpness of Jiang Shi’s tongue. Furious, he grabbed the nearby Xiao Hei and rubbed it against Jiang Shi’s white T-shirt.  

It was already March, and A City’s temperatures were warming up. When it got the hottest at noon, Jiang Shi would take off his jacket and just wear a short-sleeved shirt.  

Xiao Hei, who also disliked the heat, had started shedding. Every time someone petted him, black fur would float around the training room like black snowflakes.  

Jiang Shi was very particular about keeping fur off his clothes.  

But before Jiang Lele could succeed, Xiao Hei was intercepted midair.  

Xie Xu took the cat and placed it on the ground. “Yuan Yang is going to check on the exhibition setup later. Take Xiao Hei to the pet shop for a bath and flea treatment. Stop messing with him, or we’ll lose track of the cat again.”  

Jiang Lele listened to Xie Xu’s serious tone but wasn’t fooled at all. “You just keep spoiling Little White Hair! Let’s see how you’ll rein him in when he gets completely out of control.”  

Jiang Shi had been eavesdropping with perked ears when he suddenly heard Xie Xu call his name.  

“Time, help me out with something later if you’re free.”  

Jiang Shi immediately exited his matchmaking queue and stood up. “I’m free right now.”  

Ever since swapping the Snowman plushie, Xie Xu had barely let him get close. He was probably sulking about not being able to flaunt their token of affection.  

Jiang Shi had been worrying about not having any alone time to cheer him up.  

Jiang Lele rolled his eyes. “Little White Hair, at least ask what it is first.”  

Jiang Shi was probably being sold off and still counting money for his seller. Sometimes, Jiang Lele seriously worried that Jiang Shi would be eaten alive, bones and all.  

Xie Xu turned to him. “There are a lot of packages at the security office. Carrying them alone would take too long. Want to help?”  

Jiang Lele immediately covered his ears and played dead. “Captain, I just remembered I scheduled a duo queue with Back. This kind of courtesy should be left to T Bao~” 

The sun outside was too harsh. He wasn’t that fair-skinned, and he was working hard to keep it that way!  

Jiang Shi put on his jacket. It wouldn’t be stable carrying packages with bare arms.  

But when they reached the security office, there were indeed a lot of packages, yet there were also small carts available. He barely needed to carry anything.  

Even though he didn’t understand Xie Xu’s true intention, Jiang Shi still took hold of the cart handle and headed toward the main building.  

After placing all the packages in front of Xie Xu’s room on the third floor, Jiang Shi didn’t leave right away.  

“Captain, don’t be mad anymore,” Jiang Shi mumbled, pursing his lips. “You’ve been ignoring me for days.”  

Xie Xu set down the packages in his hands. “I haven’t.”  

Jiang Shi: “…”  

He had, but Jiang Shi had dropped countless hints, and Xie Xu still hadn’t let him hold hands or touch that little mole.  

But Jiang Shi had no shame in voicing his grievances, so he just lowered his head in silence.  

Seeing Jiang Shi sulking in place, Xie Xu found it amusing. “Open your room door.”  

Jiang Shi made an “oh” sound and reached out to push his door open. But as his hand touched the handle, realization struck him, and he turned abruptly. “You’re coming into my room?”  

Even though they all trained on the second floor, this was still a public hallway. Doing anything here wouldn’t be convenient.  

Jiang Shi’s eyes lit up, his thoughts practically written all over his face.  

Xie Xu glanced at the pile of packages at his feet and hummed in confirmation.  

Jiang Shi promptly opened the door wide. Xie Xu carried a portion of the packages inside, and as soon as he placed them down, the door behind him shut with a soft click.  

Xie Xu’s bent-over motion paused ever so slightly but quickly resumed. “Why did you close the door?”  

“Huh? Shouldn’t I?”  

Jiang Shi blushed but still left a small gap open.  

Xie Xu was even more daring than he was.  

Xie Xu shifted his gaze to Jiang Shi’s shoe rack, about to speak when Jiang Shi suddenly grabbed his hand and gave it a small shake. “Don’t be mad anymore.”  

“Gege.”  

The last word was spoken in a softened tone, paired with Jiang Shi’s slightly flushed ears and fair, youthful face. It was innocent yet teasing.  

Xie Xu looked at the person acting coy beside him.  

Jiang Shi pressed on, tilting his head up and kissing Xie Xu’s cheek. “If you want to put the doll back on your desk, just do it. I don’t care about the livestream viewers.”  

When Jiang Shi tried to coax someone, not only did his voice soften, but his expression lost its usual sharpness, making him look like a pitiful little puppy.  

Xie Xu held the finger that Jiang Shi had been rubbing against his own. “Alright, I’ll put it back later.”  

The moment he said that, Jiang Shi’s coaxing expression visibly froze as he stared at Xie Xu in shock.  

Xie Xu wasn’t playing by the script!  

Jiang Shi’s smile disappeared instantly. He pried Xie Xu’s hand away and stubbornly reached for that little mole. “Fine, do whatever you want.”  

At worst, he’d just get scolded as a scumbag for a while. It wouldn’t be the first time. 

Xie Xu, hearing his aggrieved tone, couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was teasing you. I won’t put it back.”  

As he spoke, he swept back Jiang Shi’s sweat-dampened hair, revealing his smooth forehead, and leaned down to kiss the equally damp tip of his nose. “Go open the packages.”  

Realizing Xie Xu was no longer upset, Jiang Shi happily grabbed scissors and got to work.  

But when he pulled out three pairs of sneakers, he couldn’t help but turn around. “Why did you buy so many shoes?”  

It might be changing seasons soon, but this was still excessive.  

There were even more packages outside. If they were all shoes, there had to be six or seven pairs.  

Xie Xu didn’t answer directly. “Just keep opening them.”  

Jiang Shi unpacked the rest — six pairs in total. Some of them looked familiar.  

Xie Xu asked, “Which one looks the best?”  

Jiang Shi glanced over them and pointed to a pair of dark red sneakers.  

These looked really cool.

Xie Xu picked up the shoe and removed the stuffing inside. “Sit on the chair.”  

Jiang Shi was a bit slow to react, but as soon as his foot fit perfectly into the shoe, his eyes widened. “My size?”  

Xie Xu hummed softly. “I picked a versatile color for you. I have the same pair.”  

He took out the other shoes and placed them into Jiang Shi’s shoe cabinet, quickly filling the previously empty slots.  

Jiang Shi was never materialistic and never put much thought into clothes or shoes. The only thing he had bought for the sake of being cute was a set of pink pajamas. He washed them during the day, and they would be dry by night. Even when they started getting worn out, he was too lazy to replace them. As for shoes, he just wore slippers in the base and had two pairs of sneakers for going out.  

But now, his shoe cabinet was full.  

Jiang Shi jumped off the bed, checking the labels on each pair. If he remembered correctly, the pair that looked familiar was the same limited edition one Xie Xu had. Jiang Lele had once mentioned that it cost over ten thousand.  

For Xie Xu to get another pair in such a short time, the price must have skyrocketed.  

“Can these be returned?” Jiang Shi lifted his foot, standing on one leg. “My floor isn’t dirty, so even if I tried them on, they wouldn’t get dusty.”  

He was serious—these were way too expensive.  

Xie Xu reached out to steady Jiang Shi’s wobbly stance and patted his knee. “Put your foot down.”  

Jiang Shi pressed his lips together and slowly lowered his foot but didn’t step down completely.  

“They can be returned,” Xie Xu said casually. “Unless you take back that Snowman plushie from the display case.”  

Jiang Shi immediately deflated. If he took it back, he wouldn’t have anything to exchange as a token of their relationship.  

The most valuable things he owned were those plushies.  

While Jiang Shi was still struggling with the decision, Xie Xu helped him sit down on the chair and handed him the other shoe. “I have this same pair, in blue.”  

“I’m planning to wear them to the expo tomorrow.”  

Jiang Shi: “?!”

“Not returning them!” Jiang Shi gritted his teeth and swiftly put on the other shoe. “I’m wearing these tomorrow too!”  

He wanted to wear couple shoes with Xie Xu!  

Xie Xu covered his mouth and coughed, hiding the curve of his lips. “Really not returning them?”  

Jiang Shi was tying his shoelaces and answered without hesitation, “No.”  

It wasn’t just about the money. Now, every day, he could wear matching shoes with Xie Xu. Pair that with their identical team uniforms—  

This kind of subtle, underground yet obvious way of showing off their relationship was absolutely thrilling.  

Jiang Shi finished putting on his shoes and swung his legs by the bed, sounding a little smug. “Do I look handsome?”  

They were close, and as Jiang Shi moved his legs, they accidentally brushed against Xie Xu’s lower leg a few times.  

Jiang Shi didn’t think much of it. He assumed the movement was too light to matter, and besides, he was just breaking in new shoes.  

Seeing that Xie Xu didn’t answer, he tilted his head and asked, “Captain?”  

Was this such a difficult question?  

Without a word, Xie Xu subtly shifted a step to the side before finally responding, “Mm. Suits you well.”  

Jiang Shi looked cool when he wasn’t talking, and these slightly flashy shoes matched that vibe perfectly.  

But only when he wasn’t talking.  

Jiang Shi grabbed Xie Xu’s collar and tugged it downward, speaking seriously, “Captain, you’re too tall. My neck hurts from looking up at you.”  

The last time there was such a height difference between them was that night when Xie Xu gave him extra training, pinning him in the chair and asking who he had been calling “gege”.

From that angle, Xie Xu was seriously seductive.  

With a slight air of dominance and restraint, combined with his flawless face, Jiang Shi had no will to resist. Instead, his heart pounded uncontrollably.  

And now, it was happening again.  

As Xie Xu was slowly pulled down, his sharp features became clearer, and his breath fell on Jiang Shi’s face.  

Jiang Shi instinctively leaned back a little, propping himself up on the bed with one hand. He licked his dry lips.  

Want to kiss, ah. 

Jiang Shi tightened his grip slightly and leaned in, brushing his trembling eyelashes against Xie Xu’s lips.  

The touch was fleeting.  

Jiang Shi had drunk honey water during training, and as he moved closer, a faint sweetness lingered in the air.  

“Xie Xu.” Jiang Shi called his name softly, his fingers clutching at his collar, knuckles turning pale. Still, he tried to act calm. “It’s been three days since our last kiss.”  

Jiang Shi’s team jacket hung loosely on his frame. Whether from heat or embarrassment, his neck was slightly flushed, and his collarbones stood out in sharp relief.  

“Mm.” Xie Xu placed a hand on Jiang Shi’s nape, his fingers brushing against the damp skin. “Sweaty.” 

Jiang Shi turned his head away and insisted stubbornly, “I’m just wearing too many layers, it’s hot.”  

He listened to his own uncontrollable heartbeat and urged, “Are we kissing or not? If not, I’m going back to training.”  

The moment he finished speaking, a hand caught his chin, tilting his face back.  

Xie Xu bit down lightly on Jiang Shi’s upper lip, almost as if in punishment.  

Jiang Shi had a faintly visible lip bead on his upper lip, only noticeable when he tilted his head up. It made him look even more innocent.  

Jiang Shi tightened his grip on Xie Xu’s collar, and the jacket’s zipper made a quiet rustling noise.  

Just as he was about to run out of breath, Xie Xu released him. “Don’t hold your breath.”  

Jiang Shi took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.  

Xie Xu kissed intensely—so much so that Jiang Shi barely had time to react.  

Jiang Shi licked his lips, which were still tingling slightly, then wrapped his arms around Xie Xu’s neck and moved in for another kiss.  

But just as their lips touched—  

There was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of it creaking open.  

“Why isn’t the door closed? Is Xiao Hei in here? I need to take him out for a bath.”  

Yuan Yang stepped in, only to freeze at the sight of the two of them tangled together.  

Jiang Shi’s ears turned crimson. He immediately buried his face in Xie Xu’s neck like a turtle retracting into its shell.  

He forgot to close the door!  

Xie Xu turned slightly toward the uninvited guest and gently squeezed the back of Jiang Shi’s neck in reassurance before replying, “Xiao Hei isn’t here.”  

“Oh, then I’ll check somewhere else.”  

Yuan Yang walked out of Jiang Shi’s room in a daze.  

“Click.” The door closed. His rationality slowly returned.  

Standing in the bright sunlight streaming through the first-floor windows, Yuan Yang suddenly realized what he had just seen.  

He cursed, turned back, and banged on the door furiously. “Fuck! Xie Xu, you beast! Let go of him right now!”