Jiang Min had spent a long time reflecting on his relationship with Yu Hao.
In the past, he thought of them as teammates, fellow members fighting for their dreams, and close brothers.
However, one day, while aimlessly browsing on Weibo, he stumbled upon a post:
*”Does love always have to be between a man and a woman? If deep down it feels like love, then regardless of gender, isn’t that still love?”*
Jiang Min froze when he read it.
He began to reflect on the time he had spent with Yu Hao.
At first, being around Yu Hao felt burdensome. Later, he felt completely at ease, and eventually, he found himself uncomfortable whenever Yu Hao wasn’t around.
Could this… be love?
It wasn’t until he saw Yu Hao interacting with Yun Ning that Jiang Min finally understood his own feelings.
The thought of Yu Hao being with someone else gnawed at him, growing so strong that Jiang Min believed it would affect his performance at the World Championship if he didn’t address it.
So, after preparing himself mentally for a long time, he finally asked Yu Hao out today.
He had considered how Yu Hao might react to his confession.
Perhaps Yu Hao would think it was strange—after all, most people wouldn’t know how to handle a confession from a close friend. But what if there was a small chance that Yu Hao felt the same way?
Just for that slim possibility, Jiang Min decided to take the risk.
This was probably the boldest thing he’d ever done in his life.
“…” Yu Hao was stunned.
Seeing Yu Hao’s reaction, Jiang Min’s heart sank halfway.
Of course—his words were too unexpected. He must have really shocked Yu Hao.
To mask the awkwardness, Jiang Min pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the car and lit one.
“…I wasn’t expecting a response.” He took a drag, feeling the nicotine clear his mind a little.
He had only wanted to confess, to get things off his chest.
As for the outcome, he hadn’t hoped for much.
“I just felt… if I didn’t say it now, I’d regret it later,” Jiang Min continued. “I noticed Yun Ning seems interested in you. She’s a good person… Don’t feel burdened by this—I’m the one who likes you, and it’s up to you how you choose to respond. I just wanted to be honest with you.”
Yu Hao still didn’t say a word.
“When I say I like you, I mean it romantically, not in a friendly way. I think you understand what I mean, right?” Jiang Min stared straight ahead, too nervous to meet Yu Hao’s eyes despite being the one who initiated this.
Silence filled the car.
Jiang Min took another drag and suddenly realized that Yu Hao probably didn’t like the smell of smoke.
Ever since Jiang Min transferred to JW, Yu Hao had told him to quit smoking.
“…Sorry, I forgot.” Jiang Min waved the cigarette between his fingers, awkwardly hinting that maybe stepping out for a smoke would be a good excuse to escape this tension. “I’ll go outside to smoke.”
“…I meant everything I said today,” Jiang Min added as he reached for the door. “If I scared you, I’m sorry. Just forget it ever happened… We still have an important tournament ahead, and I didn’t mean to mess with your head.”
Yu Hao’s silence made Jiang Min feel foolish for hoping for any sort of response.
He placed the cigarette between his lips, ready to open the door, when suddenly a hand reached over from the passenger seat, snatching the cigarette from his mouth and tossing it out the window.
“Didn’t I tell you smoking is bad for your health?” Yu Hao finally spoke.
“…Huh?” Jiang Min blinked, confused.
Wait, what? Was Yu Hao missing the point?
The important part was *“I like you,”* not the cigarette! Jiang Min was on the verge of losing it.
“Sigh, I should’ve brought you some lollipops,” Yu Hao muttered, patting his pockets, realizing he’d rushed out without any.
Jiang Min stared at him, stunned.
“Well, I guess this is the only way to help you with the cravings,” Yu Hao said, leaning in.
Their lips met in a soft kiss.
Jiang Min’s mind went completely blank.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Yu Hao asked, amused by Jiang Min’s dazed expression after their lips parted.
“I… I mean… uh…” Jiang Min stammered, completely flustered.
“I thought you’d never figure it out,” Yu Hao said with a smile.
For the longest time, Yu Hao had silently stayed by Jiang Min’s side, expressing his feelings in subtle ways, but Jiang Min never seemed to notice.
It had left Yu Hao feeling a bit disheartened—he had even resigned himself to just staying by Jiang Min’s side as a friend for the rest of his life.
He never expected Jiang Min to confess first.
It felt like a gift had fallen right from the heavens—no, more like a giant gift that hit him so hard it almost knocked him out.
“Huh?” Now it was Jiang Min’s turn to be dumbfounded.
Yu Hao found his reaction even more amusing.
It was clear that Jiang Min had never realized Yu Hao’s feelings for him.
“Did you really not sense anything?” Yu Hao asked with a fond and helpless smile. “I’ve been obvious about it for a long time.”
“Obvious about what?” Jiang Min was still confused.
“That I like you.”
“…..”
This wasn’t the script Jiang Min had in mind at all! He was stunned.
“I persuaded Yan Ge to buy you out from CC because I like you. I wanted you to quit smoking because I care about your health. I made late-night snacks just for you. And I even got jealous and upset when you played duo matches with someone else… Didn’t you notice any of that?”
“…..” Jiang Min was at a loss.
Now that Yu Hao mentioned it, Jiang Min thought back carefully. It did seem like Yu Hao’s actions were far beyond what teammates or even close brothers would normally do.
So… this whole time, it hadn’t been Jiang Min harboring one-sided feelings for Yu Hao. It was Yu Hao who had secretly liked him all along, and now their feelings had finally become mutual?
Jiang Min was shocked by this realization.
“Is it really that surprising?” Yu Hao chuckled, ruffling Jiang Min’s hair like he wasn’t two years younger than him and still under 20. “Gender doesn’t matter. If you like someone, you just like them. I always thought you were straight, so I took things slow and never confessed. I didn’t expect you to beat me to it.”
Jiang Min’s hair became a mess under Yu Hao’s playful hand.
“Even if I’m a bit late, I still want to say it,” Yu Hao said softly, his eyes full of affection. “Sugar, I’ve liked you for a long time. Will you be my boyfriend?”
Jiang Min’s brain hadn’t fully processed what was happening, but his mouth moved on its own.
“…Okay.”
Yu Hao burst into a bright smile.
The gloom from their loss at the P-City regional tournament vanished. In the cramped space of the car, Yu Hao pulled Jiang Min into a tight hug.
After half a year of complicated emotions, their relationship had finally reached its happy conclusion.
Jiang Min hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly raised his arms to return the hug.
This was the most heartfelt embrace they had shared in over six months.
Just as the moment grew warm and tender, Yu Hao’s phone rang.
Yu Hao frowned—who was being so inconsiderate?
He glanced at the caller ID. It was their manager, Shen Qi.
He had no choice but to answer.
“Hello?” Yu Hao said into the phone.
“Oh, Captain Yu! I need to confirm a few things with you—specifically, your sizes. WPL said they’re sending us some gifts, probably clothing or something. I went to the training room to look for you, but Emperor Fan said you and Tang Shen went out. Could you both quickly send me your sizes? I need to report back to the officials ASAP—they’re in a rush to get everything made!” Shen Qi rattled off in one breath.
“…..”
After reporting their usual clothing sizes to Shen Qi, the car returned to silence.
“…So… should we head back?” Jiang Min suggested.
After all, the global championship was only a few days away, and staying out too late wouldn’t be ideal.
“…Okay.” Yu Hao had originally thought about doing something more intimate while the mood was right, but on second thought, it didn’t feel appropriate to rush things on the first day of their relationship.
Since he was already Jiang Min’s boyfriend, there was no need to hurry—there would be plenty of time in the future. For now, they needed to focus on the competition.
“Hey, Sugar.” On the way back, Yu Hao suddenly spoke while looking at the glittering city lights.
“Hmm?”
“What do you think about winning a world championship trophy together as a keepsake for our relationship?”
Having confidence before the tournament was a good sign, and no player didn’t dream of lifting that trophy.
“Sounds good.” Jiang Min smiled.
—
After they made their relationship official, the two became even more affectionate with each other. Even the usually oblivious Hao Qianyi noticed that something had changed between their captain and Sugar God, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
One day, Shen Qi and Fan Dadi ran into the two holding hands after leaving the cafeteria. Shen Qi gave Yu Hao a knowing look, and after receiving confirmation, both of them smiled and walked away.
Once they were out of sight, they covered their faces in exasperation.
Shen Qi’s inner voice screamed: *Oh my God! As if hiding the relationship between Boss Ji and Captain Lu wasn’t already enough, now there’s another couple to deal with!*
Fan Dadi patted Shen Qi on the shoulder, rubbing his own forehead.
While this was good news for Yu Hao, as the team manager, Shen Qi knew he’d now have to help cover for both of them—what a headache.
Later, when Ji Xiuyan—who was riding high on his own romantic success—pressed Yu Hao about his relationship, Yu Hao admitted to being with Jiang Min. Ji Xiuyan then generously declared that after the world championship, the two couples should go on a vacation abroad together.
This left Jiang Min utterly confused.
Two couples?
Did he know who Boss Ji was dating?
When Yu Hao told him that Ji Xiuyan’s partner was none other than Captain Lu Huai of the Fortune division, Jiang Min was completely stunned.
As for Yun Ning, Yu Hao had immediately come clean to Jiang Min about his relationship with her. There was never anything romantic between them. In fact, after Yu Hao explained his orientation and confessed his feelings for Jiang Min to Yun Ning, she added him on WeChat under the guise of being an “advisor” and often gave him strategic tips.
Not that those tips were needed—Jiang Min had confessed on his own before any of Yun Ning’s plans could even be put to use.
Everything was moving in a positive direction.
JW was full of confidence for the upcoming global championship.
Soon, the day arrived for their departure to Los Angeles, USA, for the competition.
1You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️ -TL: Ysiad
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