Outside, the sound of footsteps faded away. Xie Xu turned on the lights in his room, and the space brightened up again. After waiting for a moment, he removed the hand covering Jiang Shi’s eyes.
Jiang Shi hadn’t blinked the entire time. His round eyes stared straight at Xie Xu, wide open in disbelief.
Did Xie Xu just kiss him?
Though it had been brief, his lips now felt numb, as if they were no longer his own.
Xie Xu reached out and gently touched Jiang Shi’s tomato-red ears. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
As he spoke, Xie Xu glanced down at Jiang Shi’s still-raised heels.
Jiang Shi: “…”
Getting caught sneaking a kiss and having to stand on tiptoes for it—utterly embarrassing.
In an attempt to salvage some dignity, Jiang Shi grabbed a box off the bookshelf while still on tiptoes and shook it slightly. “I was just reaching for this mug.”
He quickly shifted the focus, frowning at Xie Xu. “Didn’t you say there was only one mug? Then what’s this? And why’d you hide it so high up?”
Jiang Shi shoved the box into Xie Xu’s hands, putting on a stern face as if demanding an explanation.
Xie Xu accepted the box with his usual composure. “Yeah, I lied earlier.”
His straightforwardness left Jiang Shi momentarily speechless. Xie Xu didn’t even try to explain himself? What was he supposed to say to that!
Before Jiang Shi could come up with a retort, Xie Xu tilted his head slightly, smiling as he said, “Are you planning to keep talking to me while standing on your toes?”
With a small “thud,” Jiang Shi’s heels hit the floor.
He’d only done it to minimize the height difference between them at that moment.
But now Jiang Shi had to face the truth—he couldn’t muster any authority in front of Xie Xu. Instead, he always seemed to end up looking foolish.
Jiang Shi shifted his toes inside his slippers, then decided to head over to the table. He grabbed the remaining honey water and downed it in one gulp, feigning composure. “Finished the water. I’ll head back to sleep now.”
As he spoke, he instinctively raised his hand to wipe his mouth, but midway, he froze.
Jiang Shi glanced up, only to lock eyes with Xie Xu’s calm, deep gaze. Unable to maintain eye contact, his gaze involuntarily dropped to Xie Xu’s lips—and then froze again.
They were a little thin and, perhaps because of the earlier kiss, slightly flushed, not their usual pale shade. They looked… really good.
He wondered if kissing them for a little longer would deepen the color.
Jiang Shi had no idea how long he stared, but then those attractive lips curved into a faint smile.
Startled, Jiang Shi’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly averted his gaze, his face burning, and strode toward the door, desperate to escape this dangerous territory. But just as he stepped out, he came to an abrupt stop.
His clothes had snagged on the doorknob.
Covering his face with one hand, Jiang Shi didn’t dare look at Xie Xu’s expression. He hurriedly yanked his overly soft and stretchy sweater free, then bolted down the hall.
Once back in his room, Jiang Shi flopped onto his bed and rolled back and forth, venting his frustration. It took a while before the heat in his face finally subsided.
Did Xie Xu kiss him? Why did Xie Xu kiss him? Could Xie Xu possibly like him too?
His mind was a chaotic mess when the phone by his pillow buzzed with a notification.
Picking it up, he saw a message on his alternate Weibo account.
[x7456315: Still upset?]
Jiang Shi stared at the message for a second. Then, tilting his head, he glanced at the wall beside his bed.
Xie Xu’s bed was probably on the other side of this wall.
So… Xie Xu had heard all the commotion he’d made earlier?
No wonder the message came right after he’d quieted down…
Jiang Shi grabbed the pillow beside him and pressed it over his face, as if trying to smother himself to escape reality.
Three minutes later, he hugged the pillow and, with red-tipped ears, typed a reply.
[TTTT: Not upset anymore.]
[TTTT: I was coaxed already.]
The next morning, after having breakfast at Xie Xu’s house, Jiang Shi and Xie Xu prepared to head back to the team base.
With a packed schedule, including a training match in the afternoon, they couldn’t afford to be late.
Xie Xu’s mom handed them bags filled with food, including fruits, snacks, and frozen dumplings. “Xie Xu mentioned there’s a teammate at the base who really likes my dumplings. That’s you, isn’t it? Here, take these and enjoy them later.”
Jiang Shi was about to politely refuse, but Xie Xu took the bags without hesitation. “Perfect for his late-night snacks.”
He then loaded them into the trunk.
Mrs. Xie handed Jiang Shi a bag of freshly washed fruits. “He’ll be driving, so if you get bored on the road, just have some fruit.”
Their house wasn’t exactly close to the base, so the journey would take some time.
Jiang Shi looked at the heavy bag of fruits in his hands and unconsciously curled his fingers. He wasn’t used to receiving such straightforward kindness from elders.
Seeing his awkward expression, Mrs. Xie gently pushed the bag into his arms. “Alright, I won’t hold you up any longer. Drive safely.”
“Thank you,” Jiang Shi murmured, lips pressed tightly together. After a moment, he added, “Auntie, about yesterday… I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”
“You silly child.” Mrs. Xie’s expression briefly flickered with pity, but she quickly masked it. “Didn’t you help me cook yesterday? Let’s call it even. Don’t bring it up again.”
She knew none of it was Jiang Shi’s fault.
Just then, Mr. Xie walked by with a teapot. Jiang Shi turned toward him and bowed deeply. “Uncle, I’m sorry for causing trouble last night.”
“What’s this about?” Mr. Xie helped him straighten up. “Didn’t we have drinks together last night? Next time, after a match, have Xie Xu bring you back here. I’ve still got some great wine at home.”
He patted Jiang Shi’s shoulder and added with a chuckle, “You’ve got quite the tolerance for alcohol, young man.”
With that, the subject was casually brushed aside, leaving an open invitation for a future visit.
As they got into the car, Jiang Shi still felt a bit dazed.
Xie Xu’s parents were surprisingly easy to get along with.
After securing the bags in the back, Xie Xu glanced over and saw Jiang Shi sitting there, hugging the bag of fruits, looking a little stunned.
Xie Xu’s tone turned teasing. “If you’re reluctant to leave, we can stay another day.”
Jiang Shi snapped out of it and quickly fastened his seatbelt. “No need.”
They had a match against ST the day after tomorrow—there was no time to waste.
Jiang Shi pulled out a cherry from the bag of washed fruits, handed one to Xie Xu, and popped another into his own mouth. Speaking with his mouth full, he muttered, “Your parents are really kind.”
The comment was soft, almost like he was talking to himself.
“They’re not pitying you, Jiang Shi,” Xie Xu said, cutting through Jiang Shi’s thoughts. “They genuinely like you, that’s why they’re like this.”
After saying that, he casually placed another cherry into Jiang Shi’s mouth.
The fruit was plump and juicy, leaving Jiang Shi momentarily speechless.
Mrs. Xie had clearly picked the best, most beautiful fruits for him.
Jiang Shi glanced at the bag of fruits in his arms, blinked, and said softly, “Then I’ll work hard to make sure they keep liking me.”
And then, he’ll steal Xie Xu away too!
Back at the base, Jiang Shi quickly adjusted to the team’s training routine. The upcoming match against ST promised to be intense, and everyone was on high alert.
According to the current score, no matter who the winner was, both teams will enter the playoffs. It’s just a matter of who gets the first place.
That is to say, everyone plays to win.
The two teams will definitely meet in the final. Whichever team is the first will have the better momentum.
The night before the match, everyone trained freely according to their needs to maintain their game feel.
Jiang Shi rushed to the Colosseum mode alone, while Jiang Lele and Yu Hui duo-queued. As usual, Jiang Lele started to livestream.
Zhao Jiu came back with a cup of coffee. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Jiang Lele’s serious face and couldn’t help but tease him. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me… your fans are tired of your face, feeling it’s not fresh anymore?”
Jiang Shi scoffed. “No way! My darlings won’t dislike my handsome face!”
“It’s something else.”
Then, he took a quick glance at Jiang Shi, who sat next to him.
Jiang Shi had just finished a game and successfully reached a higher level. It was a rare occasion when he didn’t bother Jiang Lele. As he moved his cursor, Jiang Shi said, “If you have something to say, just spill it already.”
Jiang Lele turned off his mic, but after struggling to say anything for quite some time, he still hasn’t managed to say anything.
Yu Hui couldn’t bear to watch it anymore. “Time, the incident of your father going to Xie Xu’s house was posted online. Many people in Jiang Lele’s livestream chat are talking about this.”
Yuan Yang had already informed them of Jiang Shi’s situation. After returning from Xie Xu’s house, Jiang Shi also told them directly what his father had done, without any cover-up.
Fortunately, Jiang Shi was emotionally stable, so everyone was relieved. They even secretly felt that the bastard Jiang Youcai was already solved.
However, they didn’t expect that this matter would be posted online.
Jiang Shi looked at Jiang Lele. “Did they flame you or something?”
Jiang Lele didn’t expect that Jiang Shi cared about this. He didn’t know what to say. “What do you think?”
Jiang Shi: “So did you get flamed?”
Jiang Lele: “No…”
“But I think you should maybe… ask Yang-ge on how to deal with it?”
He originally wanted Jiang Shi to use his alt account and come to his channel. However, Jiang Shi took off his headphones and moved his chair right next to Jiang Lele. He turned on his mic, and casually addressed Jiang Lele’s livestream chat: “Repost what you guys just talk about. I’m too lazy to look it up.”
[Fck, so bold!]
[So the rumors online are true? Your dad really went to confront Xu’s parents?]
[Of course, it’s true. Tons of neighbors saw it. When the guy got taken away by the police, the way he cursed was just foul!]
[Time’s ability to curse people… Could it be hereditary? I remember the guy even tried to take a swing at the police.]
[The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree[mfn]The OG Chinese proverb goes like: If the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower beam. It means roughly the same as this English proverb.[/mfn]. A child raised by such a person can’t have good character. Shouldn’t TLG consider replacing him?]
[Does Time have violent tendencies too? He looks scary enough as is.]
The barrage of comments wasn’t just gossip; there were also plenty of attacks aimed at Jiang Shi, some going as far as spewing vile insults, which were promptly filtered by the system.
Jiang Shi’s expression didn’t waver. He responded calmly, “Cursing people is a self-taught skill, a natural talent. It has nothing to do with Jiang Youcai.”
“As for my character, I wasn’t raised by him. But yes, my temper isn’t great.”
He glanced coldly at the personal attacks in the comments and added, “If I weren’t a pro player, I could probably track down your address from your account and challenge you to an offline PK.”
“So, you’d better watch your mouth for your father’s sake.”
The hostility in the comments subsided significantly after that, but others started chiming in, unable to tolerate his remarks.
[This guy is way too arrogant. Doesn’t TLG care about this?]
[What if he’s actually violent at TLG? Ahhh! Time, stay away from my husband!]
[I feel like TLG spoils this rookie too much. He must’ve caused trouble at the base; otherwise, why let him act so unchecked?]
[Not to mention, Lele seems really scared of this white-haired guy.]
[Fck! It’s creepy when you think about it!]
Jiang Lele hadn’t expected the comments to spiral in this direction and quickly clarified, “Time has never started a fight at the base, don’t make stuff up.”
Even when Jiang Shi got upset with him shortly after joining the team, he didn’t lay a hand on him.
Jiang Lele never imagined that their usual teasing and playful interactions would be so grossly misconstrued.
Yu Hui, who could also see Jiang Lele’s screen, frowned at the remarks. “What do you all think TLG is?”
Do they think it’s some gangster den where players brawl daily?
Despite Jiang Lele and Yu Hui’s quick clarifications, the viewers acted as if they hadn’t heard a thing, continuing to blame Jiang Shi.
Not wanting to see Jiang Lele’s livestream become a toxic mess, Jiang Shi raised his gaze slightly and coldly said, “Come to my stream if you’ve got more to say.”
Sure enough, once Jiang Shi started his live stream, these people quickly moved to this new battlefield.
[Wow, this guy is so shameless!]
[When TLG recruits, can they at least run a background check? Is it too much to ask for a clean family record?]
[This guy is disgusting. Can he just leave TLG? I’d even take An back over him. Stop clinging to Xu already.]
When they arrived at Jiang Shi’s livestream channel, these people talked even more.
As the insults flooded in, Jiang Shi took a sip of the honey water Xie Xu had prepared for him before heading off to a meeting with Yuan Yang.
Earlier, Jiang Shi had restrained himself from drinking it, but now he drank several gulps in quick succession.
After being berated for a solid minute, Jiang Shi’s fans finally arrived.
[What’s going on? Why’s our T Bao suddenly went live?]
[I thought he said he was focused on preparing for the match against ST and wouldn’t stream for now. Is this a surprise for us aunties?]
[Wait a minute, who are all these people?]
[I can’t stand it. I’m about to go off. Hey, you up there talking about a ‘clean family record’—this is esports, not joining the Communist Party. There’s no need to check the three generations of your ancestor. A brain is something normal people have, so I hope you have that too, and actually use it for your daily live.]
[What do you mean ‘clinging to Xu’? If I recall, Xu was the one sticking to T Bao at public events, and T Bao was just being polite.]
[Xu’s brainless fans, stop going crazy in Time’s stream!]
Seeing many commenters wearing Xu’s fan badges, Jiang Shi’s fans couldn’t help but lash out at Xie Xu.
Xie Xu’s girlfriend fans, who’d long harbored grievances against Jiang Shi, finally saw this as a chance to openly criticize him, using the incident with Jiang Youcai as their justification.
Jiang Shi was indifferent to the attacks on himself. However, when his fans started turning on Xie Xu, he promptly intervened. “This has nothing to do with Xu. Don’t drag him into it.”
[Tsk, you’re still defending him even when his fans are stepping all over you!]
[Little White Hair, you are definitely a love-brained idiot. I give up!]
[I’m too tired to argue anymore. Let this little idiot deal with it himself.]
[Fine, he’s a pro player now, so his fighting power is zero. Let me do it…]
[But seriously, Xu’s girlfriend fans are vile. They’re the ones that need to be dealt with. They’re acting crazier than idol stans.]
[Xu is a top player with real skills, but his fans have turned him into a vase[mfn]vase = only looks, no real skill[/mfn] male god. It’s ridiculous.]
[Whoever gets close to Xu gets attacked. Poor Time.]
[Speaking of, where’s Xu? He should come out and protect our fragile T Bao!]
Perhaps due to the overwhelming demand, Xie Xu actually showed up.
He opened the training room door, walked over to Jiang Shi’s side, and casually picked up the cup on the table to take a sip. “Why the sudden livestream?”
Jiang Shi had wanted to mention that he’d already drunk from that cup but decided against it, knowing they were being watched. “Finished a match and wanted to relax. Just chatting with the viewers.”
Fans immediately started spamming question marks in the comments.
[Are you insane? Who was just getting flamed a second ago? And you call this ‘chatting’?]
[Xu, kick these lunatics out of the stream. It’s unbearable to watch.]
[Many of these people have high Xu fan badges. Won’t this be awkward for Xu?]
[Bull. These toxic fans are a disaster waiting to happen if they’re not dealt with.]
[Little Idiot, let me teach you: if Xu doesn’t want to kick them, you just play the victim and act cute. Isn’t that your specialty?]
[We’re giving you ideas, and you’re just staring at Xu’s mouth?]
[Can you be more serious about your career! Stop getting distracted by your lust!]
Out of all the insults, Jiang Shi only muted the comment accusing him of being “distracted by lust.”
The matter with Jiang Youcai had been addressed as much as it could. Jiang Shi knew he couldn’t control those people, so the best solution was to focus on the upcoming matches and let the controversy die down naturally.
He didn’t know the impact of banning Xie Xu’s girlfriend fans on his career.
To avoid escalating tensions, he’d even decided to limit his interactions with Xie Xu in public.
Success on the battlefield would silence the noise.
So, when Xie Xu returned the cup to the table, Jiang Shi instinctively retracted his hand to avoid any physical contact, even though he usually enjoyed such small gestures.
Noticing Jiang Shi’s withdrawal, Xie Xu’s eyes flickered slightly. He glanced at the comments, and fans quickly began providing him with “context.”
[Look at how scared your fan base has made T Bao. He doesn’t even dare take advantage of you anymore!]
[You’d better give us an explanation, or we’ll find someone else for T Bao! (dramatic scoff)]
[Sob sob, our little white hair used to act so arrogant on his stream. But ever since he joined your team, he has become a coward.]
Jiang Shi: “?”
Next to him, Xie Xu chuckled softly and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll give you an explanation. No need to find someone else for him.”
[Husband, what are you doing? This guy was just arguing with us earlier! His dad even went to threaten Uncle and Auntie. That’s a matter of principle!]
[Don’t fall for his tricks! He’s laughing behind his hand right now!]
[How shameless can he be? He disgusts me.]
[Who let someone like this into TLG? Was money involved? This is driving me insane!]
[TLG manager, do your job and kick him already!]
Xie Xu’s faint smile faded as he reached out to smooth the hair flattened by Jiang Shi’s headset. His gaze turned cold as he looked at the screen. “I’m the one who brought him in. Any issues with that?”
His frosty demeanor immediately silenced the unruly fans.
Jiang Shi noticed the sudden quiet in the chat and instinctively looked up to see Xie Xu’s expression, only for his head to be pressed down and lightly patted. “Ignore them,” Xie Xu said. “Your character is fine, and your skills are excellent. TLG is lucky to have you.”
Then, Xie Xu leaned over and closed Jiang Shi’s stream. “Queue up with me for a duo match later. No more streaming for now.”
The training room felt much calmer without the barrage of toxic comments.
Jiang Lele couldn’t help muttering, “Captain, your girlfriend fans are terrifying!
He’d ended his own stream before Xie Xu returned, unable to stomach the comments any longer.
After saying that, Jiang Lele saw Jiang Shi’s expression. His heart skipped a beat. “T Bao, don’t pay attention to the bullshit they spew! These people are just venting their anger at you!”
Jiang Shi looked up. “I didn’t pay attention to them.”
Jiang Lele became confused. “Then what are you thinking so hard about?”
Jiang Shi glanced at Xie Xu. “The captain said he brought me into the team earlier.”
He pursed his lips, his voice slightly sullen. “But I came in fair and square through the tryouts.”
It was proof of his ability!
Jiang Lele: “…”
Xie Xu couldn’t help but chuckle, ruffling Jiang Shi’s hair roughly. “My bad. I didn’t consider that.”
His voice carried a faint laugh. “I just wanted to defend you.”
Lmao he ran away after the kiss!!!!