WCG Chapter 88

When Jiang Shi was sneaking around, he tilted his head to avoid Jiang Lele but couldn’t escape the live stream audience.

Everyone went to tattle to Jiang Lele.

Jiang Lele, seeing the barrage of messages flooding the screen, clutched his chest with a heartbroken expression, as if he were about to faint.

He leaned against Yu Hui’s shoulder and lamented, “Back, they’re ganging up on me to flaunt their love. I need CPR!”

Yu Hui was busy handling a double jungler comp. Upon hearing this, his hand trembled, causing the nearly dead red buff to escape. The buff leisurely wandered back into its pit while Yu Hui, unfazed, bumped Jiang Lele off his shoulder and ignored him.

Jiang Lele rubbed his head, nearly concussed from the impact, and sighed, “Back, why is your heart so cold? Can’t we counter-flirt back at them?”

Back, who had just finished clearing the jungle: “No.”

Jiang Lele pouted but was used to Yu Hui’s coldness by now.

He glanced at Jiang Shi, who was grinning from ear to ear, and scoffed, “Stop smirking. If I come over to eat dog food again, I’ll be a real dog!”

The main reason he always came over was that Xie Xu was very impartial in the team. He believed Xie Xu wouldn’t play favorites, so he kept coming back time and again.

The TLG bot lane had never been clean—it was nothing new.

The viewers in Jiang Shi’s stream were thrilled to see Jiang Lele take a loss.

[Can’t imagine what kind of life Lele leads at TLG.]

[In TLG, it’s usually him and Back spreading dog food on others. Now, he’s getting force-fed dog food.]

[That Little White Hair had bad intentions for Xu from the start. This is just another way of cozying up to him. The shocking part is that Xu actually indulges his nonsense.]

[TLG’s bot lane is real! (I’m tired of saying this.)]

[Quick question: at the start of the stream, did anyone see what was on Xu’s desk? It looked familiar.]

[Didn’t notice, was too focused on the friend list.]

[I know! You mean that Snowman plushie? I think T Bao also have this one.] 

[Not just that, I strongly suspect Xu’s plushie is actually T Bao’s.] 

Jiang Shi hadn’t expected his fans to be this observant. He glanced at the plushie on Xie Xu’s desk facing the camera but quickly looked away, his expression unreadable. He calmly denied, “You’re mistaken.”

[No way! I screenshotted it and zoomed in, the Snowman’s hat has noticeably sparse fur.]

[Seriously? That’s solid evidence. Back when T Bao was heartbroken, he always held that plushie while crying. He even plucked the fur off its head until it was almost bald.]

[I didn’t notice the fur, but I did see that the plushie looked old, definitely not a new purchase.]

[So, why is T Bao’s symbol of his ex-boyfriend sitting on Xu’s desk?]

[I analyzed this deeply and I bet that Little White Hair took the stuff meant for his ex, pretended it was new, and gave it to Xu again.]

[???]

[I swear… you little bastrd, can you be any cheaper? Even I can’t stand this.]

[No, no, no. Xu is way too familiar with that plushie. There’s no way he wouldn’t notice it’s second-hand. If he’s openly displaying it on his desk like this, I have a terrifying suspicion—]

[Wait, are you thinking what I’m thinking?!]

Jiang Shi, seeing these messages, suddenly had a bad premonition. He quickly interrupted, “Stop.”

“I admit I’m cheap. Don’t guess anymore.”

If it weren’t for the mandatory streaming hours, he wouldn’t even have gone live! Every time, they dug up something new about him. Soon, he’d have no secrets left!

But the fans weren’t buying it.

[You being cheap is a fact, but Xu definitely noticed the plushie was second-hand.]

[Explain yourself.]

[Feels like T Bao secretly did something we don’t know about. Aunties won’t allow secrets!]

[Confess and receive leniency, resist and face strict punishment!]

Since he had already lied, Jiang Shi decided to double down. “Didn’t you all say we’re dating? So what if the gift is a little old? It’s still a treasure. You single dogs just don’t understand.”

Maybe because their relationship was confirmed, Jiang Shi’s old trash-talking habits were resurfacing. The more he spoke, the more justified he sounded, even getting a little smug.

[6]

[Starting to act up again, huh?]

[@TLG-Xu, Time said you two are dating.]

[@TLG-Xu, he also said you’re a love-struck fool who treasures even old gifts.]

[Next second, I want to see you kiss him until he shuts up.]

Jiang Shi glanced nervously to the side, but Xie Xu seemed focused on his game, not paying attention.

Instead, Jiang Lele spoke up, “That Snowman is the one you gave the captain?”

No wonder Jiang Shi’s face was so sour when he first called the plushie ugly.

As he spoke, he tried to steal Jiang Shi’s minions while assisting.

Jiang Shi, multitasking, noticed his little trick. “Jiang Lele, keep your hands to yourself.”

Jiang Lele backed off sheepishly. He then casually asked while glancing at the plushie, “T Bao, do you like snowmen because of the captain?”

He had once visited Jiang Shi’s room to play with Xiao Hei and noticed an entire display case filled with Snowman plushies, spanning several years.

Jiang Shi had liked Xie Xu for that long?

“No,” Jiang Shi replied, taking down the enemy ADC alongside Jiang Lele. “Three or four years ago, I stumbled upon some esports event and went in for the free food. Someone must’ve mistaken me for a fan and gave me a plushie.”

“I found it quite fateful and memorable, so I kept it.”

Jiang Lele exclaimed, “An event! Based on the timeline, we should be organizing one soon too, with various merch as gifts.”

Then, he realized something odd. “Three or four years ago was when those Snowman plushies were at their peak popularity. The official store even used hunger marketing. You had to go through scalpers to get one. And someone just gave you one for free?”

Three or four years ago, Xie Xu was at his peak – one of the most valuable and promising players in the league. The Snowman plushie, symbolizing his champion hero, was in high demand. Yet, Jiang Shi got one for free?

Jiang Shi hadn’t known the market situation then and was stunned.

Jiang Lele scrutinized Jiang Shi’s striking face and made a logical guess. “That person had to have a crush on you.”

Jiang Shi immediately felt Xie Xu’s gaze shift toward him.

Jiang Shi: “?”

He suspected Xie Xu’s headset was playing his stream.

Or maybe Jiang Lele was just too loud.

Feeling a sense of danger, Jiang Shi instinctively distanced himself. “What nonsense are you spouting? I was just a kid back then, not even an adult.”

He blankly fabricated, “Besides, the guy who gave me the plushie was an old man. No way he had a crush on me.”

Jiang Lele muttered. “An old man who came for that esport event? Who are you trying to fool…”

He wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by Jiang Shi. “Shut up, I’m going to continue to concentrate on playing.”

After Jiang Shi finished speaking, he turned up the volume of his headphones, ignoring Jiang Lele.   

This topic was too dangerous. He’d have to be a fool to continue it.  

During training, Jiang Shi approached Xie Xu, who had gone out to make coffee, and asked, “Captain, can you switch out that Snowman plushie? I’ll give you one that’s less obvious.”  

Today’s training was intense, and Xie Xu didn’t bother with fancy coffee; he just made an instant one. But he still took the time to juice an orange for Jiang Shi.  

As he busied himself, he responded, “Why does it need to be less obvious?”  

Jiang Shi was momentarily at a loss for words.  

Because that plush had sparked too many discussions. Not just about his online boyfriend, but also this constant nagging feeling that he and Xie Xu were about to be exposed.  

He didn’t say that outright and instead changed the subject. “Captain, after the match with ST, you lost fans.”  

Xie Xu had been indifferent toward those fangirls, even going out of his way to defend Jiang Shi, which disheartened them enough to unfollow in protest.  

The incident had briefly trended before quickly dropping off. It’s probably Yuan Yang’s doing.  

No one at the base brought it up, but Jiang Shi, who kept a close eye on Xie Xu, had noticed immediately.  

Xie Xu continued washing the oranges, his movements unhurried. “Number-wise, I didn’t lose. Didn’t your fans make up the difference?”  

Jiang Shi was speechless.  

His fans were dying to see him and Xie Xu get together and had efficiently filled the follower gap.  

The breakroom was soon filled with the sweet scent of orange juice and the light aroma of coffee.  

Xie Xu handed the orange juice to Jiang Shi. “If you want me to swap the plushie, bring me something more valuable.”  

Jiang Shi’s eyes lit up. He had a ton of limited-edition Snowman merch.  

But before he could respond, Xie Xu lazily added, “In exchange for our token of love.”  

Jiang Shi: “…”  

Later in training, Xie Xu didn’t remove the plushie but simply moved it, placing it right on the table between them. When Jiang Shi started his livestream, the camera captured it perfectly.  

It took Jiang Shi a while to realize the problem.  

Xie Xu was doing this on purpose. He wanted everyone to know they were together…  

Even when the livestream chat started discussing Jiang Shi’s “boyfriend” and how that player had given him the Snowman plushie, Xie Xu “coincidentally” reached out and poked the plush’s belly.  

And knocked it over.  

Jiang Shi felt like his stomach had taken a punch. He couldn’t understand why Xie Xu was jealous of him and some older guy, yet he had no way to explain himself.  

Yuan Yang walked in and said, “The league gave us a task. We’ll be attending an exhibition in a few days for offline promotion. Just giving you guys a heads-up to prepare.”  

Jiang Shi barely listened and just echoed an “Oh” along with the others.  

He was busy moderating the chat.  

The livestream fans were fueling the fire, stirring things up for Xie Xu.  

[Xu, you watching the stream? You have no idea how badly Jiang Shi cried when he got dumped.]  

[He was wailing, even had snot bubbles.]  

[I may be a T Bao fan, but he’s a real scum. He even used his love token for his ex to fool you.]  

[I think you should teach him a lesson tonight.]  

[If I see Little White Hair streaming as usual tomorrow, that means you failed.]  

Jiang Shi casually moved his mouse and blocked the person who said he cried with snot bubbles. Then he mercilessly refuted the chat: “No matter how mad the captain gets, he wouldn’t hit me.”  

[……6]  

[Idiot.]  

Training finally ended, marking the end of Jiang Shi’s torturous livestream session.  

He still needed ten more hours. That means at least two more days of streaming.  

And there were only two or three days left in the month…  

He had to get rid of that Snowman plushie!  

Late at night, Jiang Shi pressed himself against the wall, listening until the sounds from Jiang Lele’s room finally quieted. Then he sent a message to Xie Xu.  

[Obedient Jiangjiang: Captain, Jiang Lele’s asleep. I’ll come to your room in ten minutes!]  

Xie Xu glanced at the message, his gaze shifting slightly before replying with a simple “Mm.”  

This time, Jiang Shi was punctual. When the knock came, Xie Xu checked the mirror before going to open the door.  

But when he did, he didn’t see Jiang Shi – just a giant, rectangular display case.  

Jiang Shi poked his head out from behind it, struggling slightly. “The door’s too narrow.”  

The display case was stuck.  

Xie Xu stepped aside, and Jiang Shi finally maneuvered inside, setting the display case on Xie Xu’s empty desk.  

Jiang Shi glanced at the case full of Snowman plushies. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t heartbroken, but he still bit the bullet and spoke. “This is the most valuable thing I have. I’ll trade it for that Snowman plushie.”  

Xie Xu looked at Jiang Shi, who had practically moved his whole collection over, a bit surprised.  

Jiang Shi treasured this display case the most. During the New Year, he hadn’t even cleaned his room but had taken the time to wipe down the entire case, even posting a bragging moment on his feed.  

And now, he was willing to give it up.  

“I know a love token is precious, but this is great too.” Jiang Shi, afraid that Xie Xu wouldn’t believe in the value of these plushies, added, “There are several discontinued ones inside. I bet even you don’t have them.”  

As he spoke, he wanted Xie Xu to take a closer look but then noticed something off. “Captain, is your room’s light broken? Why is it so dim?”  

He looked around and realized the main light wasn’t on.  

Broken?  

“Don’t worry. I replaced all the lights in the house. I’ll grab a ladder and check.”  

Xie Xu stopped Jiang Shi, who was about to head to the storage room, then silently turned off the mood lighting and switched on the bright overhead light. “It wasn’t broken. I pressed the wrong switch.”  

“Oh, that’s good.” Jiang Shi didn’t think much of it and returned to the topic. He carefully introduced his collection in detail before looking at Xie Xu expectantly. “So? Pretty good, right?”  

Xie Xu looked at his earnest expression, his emotions complicated. But he still nodded. “Mm. Not bad.”  

Jiang Shi, sharp as ever, noticed Xie Xu’s lack of interest in the plushies. He subtly reached out and held Xie Xu’s index finger. “Captain, a lot of these are your merch. I think giving them to you is meaningful.”  

His fingers gradually intertwined with Xie Xu’s, his fingertips affectionately brushing against Xie Xu’s palm. “I like them, so you’ll definitely like them too.”  

Jiang Shi tilted his head, dimples showing as he smiled, his voice sweet and pleading.  

Xie Xu gazed down at him. “If you like them so much, why give them to me?”  

Jiang Shi blinked. “Because I like you more!”  

He answered without hesitation.  

The sudden confession actually made Xie Xu pause.  

Jiang Shi had just showered, his hair still a fluffy mess, making him look even softer. His worn bear pajamas had a loose collar from too much use.  

From Xie Xu’s angle, he could see Jiang Shi’s slender neck, the back of which had a few red marks. It’s probably from Jiang Shi scratching too hard while bathing.  

His skin was pale, making the marks even more noticeable.  

Xie Xu looked at the completely defenseless Jiang Shi, his gaze darkening.  

His voice was lower. “Did you really just come to give me the display case?”  

“Of course not!” Jiang Shi’s eyes sparkled at Xie Xu’s meaning. “You figured it out?”  

His voice was full of excitement.  

Xie Xu averted his gaze. “Mm.”  

“Your stream chat put you up to something again?”  

Every time Jiang Shi got ideas, it was because his fans had egged him on.  

Jiang Shi nodded like a pecking chick. “Yeah, yeah! They’re evil.”  

They had been nagging about his boyfriend all day.  

Xie Xu paused. “I think… it’s better to keep things the way they are.”  

They had only recently confirmed their relationship. He didn’t want Jiang Shi getting influenced by the stream chat.  

“I agree.” Jiang Shi quickly nodded. “So, will you accept the display case?”  

Xie Xu sensed something was off, but under Jiang Shi’s expectant, pleading gaze, he still nodded.  

The next second, Jiang Shi let go of his hand.  

The sudden emptiness in his palm caught Xie Xu off guard. Before he could speak, Jiang Shi pointed at the door and politely suggested, “Captain, shouldn’t you go get that plush from the training room?”  

He coughed lightly, sounding a bit embarrassed. “It’s kind of urgent.”