WCG Chapter 66

Thank you TimelessKing for the donation! This is not a bonus update, just a normal, scheduled one. I still have 6 bonus updates for this series on queue. I’ll upload 3 tomorrow, and another 3 the day after tomorrow.

Jiang Shi shivered slightly when he heard Xie Xu’s somewhat stern tone. He instinctively loosened his grip on his sweater and reported to Xie Xu, “The shirt has been rolled down.” 

After he finished speaking, the coat covering his head was finally taken away.  

Xie Xu draped the coat over the back of his chair and glanced at the camera. “Turn off the livestream for a bit?”  

The fans couldn’t stay calm upon hearing that.  

[Xu, don’t be so stingy. It’s just some abs!]  

[Why can’t T Bao give us a little fan service? What, only you’re allowed to look?]  

[Is Xu jealous?]  

[Xu doesn’t seem like the jealous type, though.]  

[He’s definitely jealous! It’s winter, and he’s covering T Bao with a coat so we won’t take advantage of him.]  

[T Bao looks so confused. He probably thought he broke some livestream rule. He was just one step away from raising his hands and telling Xu, ‘Look, I’m dressed properly!’]  

[You little idiot, you’re so awesome with us, but why do you turn into a scared mouse around Xu? Show your usual arrogance now!] 

The livestream comments flew by like a storm. However, Jiang Shi quickly ended the stream, saying only, “It’s time to eat. Signing off for now.”  

After the stream was turned off, the training room suddenly went quiet.  

Jiang Shi couldn’t quite figure out whether showing abs was against livestream rules or if Xie Xu really was jealous, as the comments suggested.  

Just as he was about to speak, Xie Xu beat him to it. “Your abs shouldn’t be shown to others. Don’t change clothes in the training room casually in the future.”  

Jiang Shi blinked, suddenly realizing something.  

Every time he changed clothes, Xie Xu never allowed him to do it in front of others.

Even if there wasn’t a livestream, even if it was just teammates.  

Looking at Xie Xu’s indifferent expression, Jiang Shi took a small step closer and obediently said, “Captain, I was wrong.”  

“I won’t let anyone else see them again.”  

Only Xie Xu can!  

Whenever Jiang Shi made a mistake, his apologies were always quick and sincere.  

Xie Xu lowered his eyes, looking at Jiang Shi’s hand clutching his sleeve at some unknown point. Even if he was genuinely upset, he couldn’t stay angry.  

He placed his coat over Jiang Shi again. “I’m going to get the food.”  

He had rushed over and didn’t have time to bring the meals from the car.  

Jiang Shi immediately threw on his down jacket and followed. “Captain, I’ll come with you!”  

Xie Xu carried five lunchboxes and a thermal container of pork rib soup prepared by his mother, all packed in a large paper bag that weighed heavily.  

As they passed the door, Jiang Shi suddenly remembered the pears he had buried. “Wait, Captain, I need to grab something.”  

But when he turned to look at the flat expanse of snow, he fell silent.  

Another snowfall during the day had covered up the footprints he left earlier.  

Jiang Shi felt around a few spots based on memory but couldn’t find them.  

While Jiang Shi was searching for the frozen pears, Xie Xu was chatting with the security guard.  

“Although you’re still young, you still need to take care of yourselves.” 

The middle-aged security uncle said earnestly. “I saw that white-haired young man walking barefoot in the snow this morning. His ankles were bright red from the cold.”  

If Jiang Shi had taken another step, the guard would’ve gone up to stop him.  

Xie Xu turned his head to look at Jiang Shi, who was diligently digging through the snow, then glanced down.  

Sure enough, no socks.  

His gaze darkened, but he turned back to reply to the guard. “I’ll talk to him about it.”  

The guard laughed heartily. “Kids at this age really don’t make things easy, hahaha.”  

While Jiang Shi continued digging through the snow, a pair of hands reached out beside him.  

Xie Xu spoke, “Stand up. Your hands will freeze.”  

Jiang Shi wasn’t ready to give up yet, but when he saw those beautiful hands in front of him, he didn’t think twice and placed his own hands in them.  

Xie Xu pulled him up and asked, “Did you lose something?”  

“No,” Jiang Shi glanced at the flat snowfield. “Didn’t Jiu-ge say outdoor frozen pears taste better? I buried two earlier and wanted to find them for you.”  

After he finished speaking, Xie Xu looked at him. “When did you bury them?”  

Jiang Shi replied, “Around eleven, after I got up.”  

Xie Xu: “…”  

Jiang Shi nudged the snow with his foot. “I swear it was around here this morning.”  

He spotted the black cat crouching nearby, lazily flicking its tail, and asked, “Xiao Hei, where did I bury it this morning?”  

The cat glanced at him but didn’t respond.  

Jiang Shi: “…”  

He squinted. “It’s for Xu to eat.”  

Then, as if to prove his sincerity, he pointed to Xie Xu.  

He noticed that ever since Xie Xu arrived at the base, Xiao Hei had been keeping an observant distance from him.  

Watching Jiang Shi earnestly talk to a cat, Xie Xu chuckled but played along. “Yeah, it’s for me.”  

After glancing at both of them, Xiao Hei eventually stepped into the snow and walked a few paces in one direction.  

Jiang Shi’s eyes lit up, and he followed, digging at the spot. Sure enough, the pears were there.  

But…  

He stared at the pear in his hand, which looked perfectly normal in color, and widened his eyes. “Aren’t frozen pears supposed to be black?”  

As Jiang Shi turned to show the pear to Xie Xu, he underestimated the snow’s depth. When he lifted his foot, only a bare, snow-covered foot emerged—his slipper had sunk back into the snow.  

Jiang Shi: “?”  

Standing on one foot in the snow, he exchanged a look with Xie Xu.  

A knowing look flashed through Xie Xu’s eyes. “So that’s what the guard meant when he said you were barefoot in the snow this morning.”  

Jiang Shi’s ears turned red. “That was an accident…”  

Just as he attempted to stick his foot back in the snow to retrieve his slipper, Xie Xu stopped him. “Wait.”  

“Hold the food.”  

Though confused, Jiang Shi obediently put the pears into his pocket and took the bag of meals.  

As soon as he did, Xie Xu stepped forward, slipped an arm under his legs, and lifted him up effortlessly.  

Jiang Shi instinctively wrapped his arms around Xie Xu’s neck as he was swept off the ground.  

A textbook princess carry.  

In the past, Jiang Shi would’ve happily buried his head in Xie Xu’s neck to savor the moment. But now, with his snow-covered bare feet dangling, he was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear.  

Who gets carried out of the snow because they lost their slipper?!  

Jiang Shi covered his face with one hand, too mortified to look at Xie Xu.  

Xie Xu glanced at the person in his arms, curled up like an ostrich, and laughed lightly. “I’ll come back for the slipper later.”  

Jiang Shi mumbled a muffled “Mm.”  

He thought Xie Xu would put him down in the living room, but instead, Xie Xu carried him straight to the third-floor bedroom.  

Not only did he have abs, but his arms were also incredibly strong.  

Just as Jiang Shi peeked through his fingers to steal a glance at Xie Xu’s expression, he was gently set down.  

Xie Xu placed him at the bedroom door. “Put on socks and new slippers before coming out.”  

The indoor floors weren’t as cold.  

Once Jiang Shi was free, he dashed into the room, his bare feet thumping on the floor, followed by the sound of a spring bouncing.

Jiang Shi had likely jumped onto the bed.  

Standing at the doorway, Xie Xu originally planned to lecture Jiang Shi about not wearing socks, but he let it go.  

He’d just pay more attention in the future. It wasn’t a big deal.  

Xie Xu said, “I’ll heat up the food. Come down to eat when you’re ready.”  

Jiang Shi, busy rummaging through his socks on the bed, replied with a cheerful “Got it!”  

The meal Xie Xu brought was delicious—Jiang Shi thought it was the best he’d had in days.  

But as he slowly sipped the pork rib soup, he kept stealing glances at Xie Xu.  

Xie Xu finished his soup, wiped his mouth, and said, “If you have something to say, just say it.”  

“Captain, are you still leaving today?” Jiang Shi asked, looking at Xie Xu eagerly.

He was afraid that after the meal, Xie Xu would leave, so he didn’t dare drink the soup quickly.

Xie Xu responded with a question of his own, “You don’t want me to leave?”

Jiang Shi nodded, pursing his lips. “Captain, the snow is so heavy, I can’t sleep well. It feels like the base is empty.”

Xie Xu paused. 

If he remembered correctly, Jiang Shi had slept until 11 AM today. 

However, Xie Xu didn’t speak. Jiang Shi wasn’t drinking his soup and was anxiously looking at him with his innocent face, full of hope, making it hard to say no.

“Alright,” Xie Xu said. 

“I’ll go take a nap first.”

Jiang Shi quickly spoke, “Then I’ll stay in the training room and wait for you to wake up!”

Xie Xu had surely returned home very late after setting off fireworks for him yesterday. Today, he was going to visit relatives for the New Year, but he still came to the base to bring him food and even carried him upstairs. It was normal for him to be tired.

And besides—

Jiang Shi quickly glanced at Xie Xu and then turned his gaze away.

If he slept now, he would have more energy in the evening.

After Xie Xu went upstairs, Jiang Shi put the pears he had buried in the snow all day into the freezer.

Just now, during the meal, he had inadvertently learned from Xie Xu that frozen pears needed to be frozen for at least a week. In the southern region, the only way to make them successfully was by freezing them in the fridge.

Forget it, it wasn’t the first time he had acted foolishly in front of Xie Xu.

After placing the failed pears in the freezer, he also took one of the pears that Zhao Jiu had frozen earlier.

When he arrived at the training room, Jiang Shi turned on the livestream, feeling energized. “Hey, family, I’m here!”

He was back to seek advice.

[What did this little idiot do with Xu to make him this happy?] 

[Didn’t you just finish eating? You still have oil on your mouth!]

[You’re so easy to bribe with one meal. This is all of your ambition?]

Jiang Shi leaned back in his chair, in such a good mood that he didn’t argue with them. Instead, he casually mentioned, “The snow is too heavy outside. Xu is staying at the base today.”

[Fck, you really kept him here?]

[Nice, nice. It’s New Year’s Day today, a good time. Go ahead and make a move okay?]

[It’s just the two of you at the base. No one will hear no matter how loud you scream.]

[Have you prepared everything?]

Jiang Shi frowned. “What are you guys talking about? Xu is just staying here for the night.”

He said this while checking the audience list, and there was no sign of Xu’s main account or alt account.

Jiang Shi was completely at ease, and his next words were, “Do I need to prepare anything?”

[How stupid, so damn stupid. You still boasted that you wanted to sleep with Xu?] 

[Didn’t you check?]

[Forget it, I didn’t really expect them to go all the way on the first try.]

[Even if they don’t do anything, they can still do other things. Let’s not talk about pure feelings, can you two use your hands?]

[Isn’t T Bao a hand-con? That would be amazing.]

[Yes, you can also use your mouth.] 

[Try using your legs? T Bao’s skin is so fair, it probably gets red easily.]

Fans were giving him all sorts of suggestions, some of which Jiang Shi could understand and others that he didn’t.

He mentally noted down the things he didn’t understand, planning to search privately later.

As they chatted, Jiang Shi felt thirsty. He picked up the frozen pear on the table and took a big bite.

It was just crunchy ice.

What’s so good about this thing?

The bullet comments were quickly filled with question marks.

[Did I see that right?]

[Isn’t frozen pear supposed to be eaten after it melts and you suck on the water? What’s the difference between that and chewing on an ice cube?!]

[He just bit off a quarter of the pear, and it’s solid ice.]

[This biting strength… I take back what I said earlier about the mouth stuff.]

[When the zombie apocalypse happens, let this little idiot be in a province by himself.]

Jiang Shi didn’t see the comments about how to eat the pear. He swallowed the tasteless ice, frowned, “What are you guys talking about? Did the pear not freeze well?”

No wonder Zhao Jiu said his were more delicious.

The comments went silent for a while, then started scrolling rapidly.

[This pear looks fine, it should taste good!]

[T Bao, did you eat too big a bite? This ice needs to be chewed slowly to taste the pear’s sweetness.]

[Actually, big bites are fine too. You should eat a few more, some things get better the more you eat.]

Jiang Shi looked at these comments suspiciously. “Are you guys lying to me?”

He felt something was off.

[Aren’t you paranoid? What can we lie to you about? You don’t want to eat, then don’t.]

[Exactly.]

[Hurry up and eat, after ranking I’m going to play with Senna, she’s so strong right now.]

Jiang Shi thought for a moment and then continued eating the pear. “I’ll eat first, then play games.”

As he was finishing the last bite, the door to the training room suddenly opened.

Xie Xu walked in holding a bottle of milk. “It’s cold, so I warmed the milk up a bit—”

He was about to hand it over when he saw Jiang Shi take a big bite of the obviously frozen pear, which was too hard.

Jiang Shi saw Xie Xu looking at the pear in his mouth, swallowed the ice, and mumbled, “Captain, do you want some? There’s more in the fridge.”

Xie Xu looked at the clear bite marks on the pear and his expression became complicated. “That’s not how you eat frozen pears.”

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Shi took the last bite. “What?”

Xie Xu looked at the pear with only the stem left and then at the warm milk in his hand, forming a stark contrast.

…

He was silent for a moment. “Forget it, it’s fine.”

As long as Jiang Shi liked it.

---

T/L:

A proper frozen pear is made from repeatedly freeze-thaw-freeze a pear (choose the right variety, a round Asian one should be good). The flesh is juicy and soft because the repeated freeze-thaw destroys the cell (the water froze forms ice crystals, which are sharp and easily tear open cells), releasing the water and sugar easily. The color of the skin is dark/black because of the oxidation process. That’s when you know you made a good frozen pear!