Zhen Ning quickly finished the fruit wine in his glass.
He set the glass back onto the coffee table, and it made a crisp clink as it touched the surface. The others paused for a moment before snapping back to their senses, as if waking from a dream.
Tao Luo, the queen of gossip, was the first to react. She immediately sat up straight, her expression brimming with barely contained excitement. It was clear that this outcome was something she had never expected.
Even Xu Hao froze for a second. After a brief pause, he spoke in a somewhat ambiguous tone. “Oh? Is that so…”
Yan Chengfeng was the last to grasp the situation.
The moment he realized what had just happened, his eyes widened. He stared fixedly at the empty glass in front of Zhen Ning.
What did this mean?
Yan Chengfeng felt his breath quicken. Why had Zhen Ning drunk the wine?
His mind was in chaos as he struggled to stay calm, but no matter how he turned it over, there was only one conclusion he could draw:
Zhen Ning… actually liked someone?
A few years ago, the absurdity of that idea would have made Yan Chengfeng laugh out loud. He knew Zhen Ning too well—this was simply impossible.
But the empty glass and the undeniable facts before him said otherwise.
Because of Tao Luo’s “first blood in a match” vow, Zhen Ning hadn’t wanted to lie, so he had chosen to drink instead.
This Truth or Dare game was tricky. Even though Zhen Ning had used the drink to avoid answering directly, that very action had indirectly acknowledged that there was indeed someone who made his heart skip a beat.
As for why Zhen Ning hadn’t simply said “yes”—perhaps he didn’t want to admit it out loud. Or maybe he just didn’t want to answer the inevitable follow-up question: When did it happen?
Yan Chengfeng couldn’t believe it.
Back when they were best friends as teenagers, he had been one hundred percent sure that Zhen Ning had never liked anyone.
Zhen Ning had always worn a cold expression and barely exchanged more than two words with the cafeteria auntie. Other than training with him, Zhen Ning had no “intimate” interactions with anyone at the base.
Could it be… that this had happened during the three years they were apart?
Yan Chengfeng suddenly looked up at Zhen Ning. His profile remained calm, but perhaps because of the alcohol, a faint flush colored his cheeks. There was a soft sheen in his eyes.
Zhen Ning’s departure still weighed heavily on Yan Chengfeng to this day.
And those three years that Zhen Ning had been gone were three years Yan Chengfeng could never fully comprehend or understand. He was aware that Zhen Ning had made new friends and built new social circles in the United States, but he had never imagined that Zhen Ning would…
What kind of person would it be?
After Zhen Ning went to the US, he had become an omega. So, who was this person… an alpha? Did he play games? Or was he someone Zhen Ning met at school while studying in the US? Zhen Ning had now returned to KYM, but were they still in touch? Did Zhen Ning still have feelings for them…
Yan Chengfeng’s mind was a mess, and his breath was becoming erratic. In his haze, he heard Zhen Ning ask softly, “It’s my turn now, right?”
Sitting beside him, Xu Minghe also recovered, adjusted his expression, and smiled gently. “It’s indeed your turn to ask me. Since everyone has chosen truth, I’ll try a dare this time.”
The game continued, and it seemed to get more lively after Zhen Ning drank that glass of wine. The only exception was Yan Chengfeng, who appeared completely dazed, like he was sleepwalking.
Xu Minghe chose a dare and ended up mixing different colors of fruit wine to share a cross-cupped drink with Tao Luo. Xu Hao also took out his phone and showed off his seemingly endless dating pool.
Lei Tao was forced to reveal his worst recent ranking record, 0-8-3, and was ruthlessly mocked by Tao Luo.
In the end, he downed several gulps of alcohol with a livid expression. His face turned red from the alcohol, and Tao Luo, laughing so hard she was nearly out of breath, teased that he looked like a monkey’s butt. Lei Tao couldn’t hold back either and started wrestling with Tao Luo on the sofa. It was just some typical scuffling between young alphas, creating a lively atmosphere. Xu Minghe and Li Feng had to step in to pull the two apart.
Zhen Ning quietly observed everything. Though he sat among them, it seemed he never truly belonged to the excitement.
Yan Chengfeng’s gaze unconsciously fell on Zhen Ning’s face.
Zhen Ning’s neck and ears were a little red. Yan Chengfeng noticed his slight frown as Zhen Ning got up, whispered something to Xu Minghe, and walked toward the restroom in the back.
Yan Chengfeng was momentarily stunned, becoming even more distracted.
Time seemed to fly by, or perhaps his thoughts were simply too scattered all evening, until he heard Tao Luo loudly announce, “Last round! No need to follow the seating order, just pick someone to ask!”
Yan Chengfeng hadn’t reacted yet when Tao Luo called out his name. “Yan Kitchen? You’ve been zoning out all night, it’s your turn!”
Yan Chengfeng: “…”
With flushed cheeks, Tao Luo burped and asked, “Any restaurant you’ve been particularly fond of lately?”
What kind of Truth or Dare question was that?
Yan Chengfeng frowned, not understanding, but since he wasn’t in the mood for such childish games, he hoped for an easy question.
He randomly mentioned a few restaurant names, to which Tao Luo responded with an “Oh~” and nodded thoughtfully.
Next, it was Xu Hao’s turn to ask.
“I also have a question for Yan-ge,” Xu Hao said. “Among those restaurants you just mentioned, which one do you feel like eating at the most?”
Yan Chengfeng: “…?”
He couldn’t understand why they seemed to be picking on him. After a brief pause, he hesitantly mentioned a hotpot restaurant.
By the time Xu Minghe asked the third question, “What’s your favorite cake flavor?” Yan Chengfeng finally figured it out. This whole round of questions was aimed at getting information out of him.
Because Yan Chengfeng’s birthday was next week.
That day coincided with the second round of their Spring Split BO3 match against another strong domestic team, ZC. With all the training, Yan Chengfeng had almost forgotten about his birthday.
He rubbed his temples. “Don’t organize one of those self-indulgent dinners. Let me make it clear: I don’t plan on celebrating my birthday this year.”
“Hold it right there. Whether you celebrate or not isn’t up to you,” Tao Luo said. “We’ve already made plans. If we lose to ZC that day, we’ll go to the hotpot place and mournfully celebrate your birthday. If we win, we’ll celebrate happily there. If it’s a 3-0 win, we’ll get the four-section pot; if it’s 2-1, we’ll get the double-flavor pot; if we lose, we’ll settle for plain soup…”
Xu Hao: “No matter what happens, even if the sky falls, you’re not getting out of this meal, right?”
Tao Luo pulled out her phone and giggled. “Exactly! I’m booking the restaurant now…”
Tao Luo and Xu Hao continued excitedly discussing whether to plan any post-dinner activities, but Yan Chengfeng stopped listening, his thoughts drifting away.
A birthday.
Yan Chengfeng was turning twenty-one this year. In his memory, his happiest and most painful birthdays were both linked to Zhen Ning.
The happiest was his seventeenth birthday, back when he and Zhen Ning were best friends.
Zhen Ning had given him a new keyboard as a gift. Although Ah-Jiang’s stir-fry place had closed, they shared a small piece of cake Yan Chengfeng had brought from home.
The cake was small, with the frosting slightly collapsed. Yan Chengfeng had carefully cut it into two halves.
He finished his portion in just two bites, while Zhen Ning ate slowly, savoring each bite with a small fork. Yan Chengfeng watched his cheeks for a while and couldn’t help but tease, “You eat slower than the stray cats outside the base.”
Zhen Ning glanced up at him quietly. Yan Chengfeng coughed and didn’t dare say more.
After that, Yan Chengfeng fell silent. While lovingly caressing his new keyboard, he watched Zhen Ning quietly chewing his cake. He felt especially happy.
The happiness wasn’t just because he had a new keyboard but because he believed that after just one more year, he would be able to play in matches alongside Zhen Ning.
The training was tough, but with Zhen Ning by his side, everything felt worth waiting for and looking forward to.
The saddest birthday came a year later, when he turned eighteen, because Zhen Ning was gone.
At that time, Yan Chengfeng had started playing training matches with the starting lineup. Once confirmed, he would officially play his first match.
That eighteenth birthday was his most lavish since joining KYM, with both the youth and starting teams celebrating with him.
He was about to become the club’s youngest active player, surrounded by either envious or admiring gazes, and in front of him was a large, round cake.
As the candles flickered, Yan Chengfeng looked at the space beside his gaming chair. It was empty.
Now, at twenty-one, Zhen Ning had returned.
But it felt like they were worlds apart. Zhen Ning had differentiated into an omega, and their relationship had become stiff and awkward. Zhen Ning now had secrets of his own.
Yan Chengfeng realized why he was feeling so irritable.
The closeness he had once shared with Zhen Ning, the mutual understanding during matches, the way they had prioritized each other in every aspect of life—none of it could simply be described as “friendship.”
This was why, when Zhen Ning left, it felt like a part of his soul had emptied out with him. He felt anger, resentment, the desolation of being abandoned, and the uncertainty of facing the future alone.
But over the years, Yan Chengfeng hadn’t changed. Whether it was hate or resentment, Zhen Ning still occupied the largest part of his heart.
What he hadn’t anticipated was that, during their time apart, Zhen Ning had moved forward. He had even… found someone he liked.
And this person’s place in Zhen Ning’s heart… might be even greater than the one he used to hold.
When Yan Chengfeng realized this, he felt hollow inside. He was overwhelmed with frustration, suddenly struck by how pathetic he seemed.
Staring at the empty seat across from him, he stood up and said hoarsely, “I’m going to the bathroom too.”
Zhen Ning turned off the faucet, pressing his cold, wet hands against his cheeks to dampen the slight buzz of alcohol.
Whether it was due to his low tolerance for alcohol or the onset of his heat, Zhen Ning felt a mild fever, his breath slightly hot.
He exhaled softly, staring at his pale face in the mirror before looking away in weary disgust.
The next moment, the bathroom door opened, and a tall alpha stepped in. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Zhen Ning froze.
The room was quiet, perhaps because they hadn’t spoken since their unpleasant parting at noon. In the stillness, a faint but unmistakable awkwardness lingered.
Yan Chengfeng walked to the sink next to Zhen Ning expressionlessly. Zhen Ning wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the hostility emanating from Yan Chengfeng seemed unusually strong.
Yan Chengfeng turned on the faucet, the sound of running water filling the silence that otherwise remained frozen.
“Xu Hao joined the club two years ago.”
The silence didn’t last long because Yan Chengfeng spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice. “He came to KYM with five or six national titles. Joe said he was a highly talented and promising top laner.”
“But once he gained some popularity on stage, he started dating his fans seamlessly, sneaking out of the base at night and returning in the morning to sleep. He’s still doing that.”
Yan Chengfeng continued, “You’ve played a few matches with him, so I’m sure you’ve noticed. His performance now is just average, not even as impressive as the veteran from DXG who’s about to retire.”
Without any foreshadowing, Yan Chengfeng abruptly brought up someone seemingly unrelated, leaving Zhen Ning confused about his intent.
After a long pause, Zhen Ning asked, “What do you mean?”
Yan Chengfeng didn’t respond for a while.
Standing side by side in front of the sink, they were very close. The bathroom’s lighting was dim, and the sound of water stopped abruptly as Yan Chengfeng turned off the faucet.
He turned to face Zhen Ning.
“I’m not interested… in your personal life. I don’t know what kind of messy people you met in America.”
Sometimes, he found himself strange—he would prepare calm, rational words in his mind, but when he spoke, there was always a hint of bitterness he couldn’t control.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed. “…What I mean is, esports isn’t like other careers. Everyone’s peak only lasts a few years. Anyone with a clear mind knows that emotions are just obstacles in a professional career. Letting personal feelings affect your performance on the field is incredibly foolish.”
Zhen Ning quietly looked at Yan Chengfeng’s face.
That same look again.
Yan Chengfeng cursed inwardly. He was about to say something more to cover up his emotions when he noticed Zhen Ning’s eyelashes tremble slightly. After a moment, Zhen Ning nodded.
“I won’t get into a relationship, and I won’t let emotions affect my performance,” he said calmly. “Competing is also one of the most important things in my life right now. You don’t need to worry.”
Zhen Ning looked at Yan Chengfeng’s face. “Anything else?”
Yan Chengfeng was silent for a long time. After a pause, Zhen Ning saw him gritting his teeth before saying, “…Yes.”
Zhen Ning took a silent, deep breath.
The next moment, he heard the alpha say dryly, “My birthday’s coming up.”
Zhen Ning froze for a moment.
The young alpha’s expression seemed nonchalant, but his eyes burned intensely as they locked onto Zhen Ning’s face. “Aren’t we playing against ZC in a few days? After the match, Tao Luo and the others plan to go for some hotpot or something, and they’ll celebrate my birthday along the way.”
“I’m not really into celebrating birthdays, but they enjoy the excitement, and… I can’t really stop them,” he added.
Zhen Ning blinked.
“Usually, at these team dinners, staff record some footage to share on social media for the fans. If it turns out someone’s missing… it’ll lead to all sorts of rumors—exclusion, bullying, whatever. It wouldn’t look good.”
Yan Chengfeng glanced at Zhen Ning’s expression, pausing briefly before awkwardly averting his gaze.
“So… do you want to come?” he asked.
Author’s note:
Whatever, come or don’t—it’s not like I care!
