Translator: Moonlit
Editor: Aiya-ge
Li ZouXing’s eyes were filled with a smile, and Gu WenCheng was captivated by his gaze, finally emerging from his daze.
“I…” His emotions were running high. Just like Li ZouXing, he was struggling to find the right words, “I also like you.”
Compared to the clumsiness of their words, their mental connection was more straightforward. Beneath the sea, their mental energies intertwined, casting brilliant silver lights in the space between icy blue and fiery red.
Their entwined mental energies bypassed Li ZouXing and Gu WenCheng, bypassed Ling Nian and Ji Yu, bypassed Xi Nan and Si Wo Lin, bypassed the mermaids and jellyfish, joyfully releasing their happiness in the vast depths of the sea.
Their teammates all laughed like fools.
Li ZouXing also smiled broadly, and hummed, “Mhm.”
Gu WenCheng looked at him, his lips curving involuntarily, the curve of his smile growing wider, bursting into radiant laughter.
They couldn’t be apart, whether it was Li ZouXing leaving him or vice versa.
Unless there was no Li ZouXing in the world, even if it meant the world’s destruction, Gu WenCheng would stay with Li ZouXing.
In his embrace until the end.
…
The wonderful times passed swiftly. While they were having the time of their lives with the Dream Team, they finally received a notification from the military.
They were to head to the capital star and await an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, following Colonel Raymond’s instructions.
They boarded the ship bound for the capital star. This wasn’t their first visit to the palace, and the young men felt no nervousness. Instead, they were reluctant for the journey to end.
They had spent the longest time on White Star Sea, trying every edible thing with the little mermaid. Gu WenCheng’s exceptional cooking skills had completely won over the little mermaid. By the end, this little guy’s eyes would light up when looking at Gu WenCheng, and he’d call him “Big Brother” in a smooth, cheerful tone.
Li ZouXing was the leader, and Gu WenCheng was the big brother, two pillars of the future empire, and a renowned Walter. The little mermaid was truly amazed.
They played with this little fellow they had brought along, and he grew plump and happy. A week later, the merfolk finally found their offspring in the vast ocean. Upon seeing the state of the little mermaid, they expressed their gratitude to the Dream Team for a long time.
The Dream Team maintained a serious facade but felt somewhat guilty. They hadn’t brought a child with them; they had found the little mermaid cute and fun to be with. In addition, they were all newcomers, and there were some initial mishaps. Fortunately, the mermaid’s skin wasn’t as fragile as it appeared, and this group of men, despite being inexperienced, managed not to cause any harm.
As they bid farewell, the little mermaid had teary eyes, calling out “Boss, Big Brother” with a sadness reminiscent of parting from parents.
Li ZouXing and Gu WenCheng promised to visit him many times. Merfolk grows slowly, so perhaps the next time they meet, the little mermaid will still be as young.
Taking time to savor the beauty of the world was also good.
On the return ship, their teammates finally revealed their welcome ceremony.
At that moment, Gu WenCheng was taking a shower in the bathroom, and Li ZouXing leaned against the door, playfully trying to divert his attention, making him ignore the sounds of their teammates stealthily preparing something.
Gu WenCheng thought the room only had Li ZouXing, and his words grew bolder, teasing his little sun, and getting addicted to it. Some topics verged on the unsuitable for children, leaving one blushing.
Li ZouXing cleared his throat several times. If their teammates weren’t around, he would have playfully reciprocated much more openly. Now, he could only respond discreetly, “I like everything about you.”
“Come on, you have to pick one specific thing,” Gu WenCheng’s voice was mixed with water sounds and laughter, “which part do you find most irresistible? I’ll pay extra attention to it.”
Their teammates perked up their ears, their expressions saying, “I’m not listening, I’m not looking, you guys do as you please.” But each time they passed by the bathroom door, they deliberately slowed their steps.
The room had been filled with flowers, candles, drinks, cakes, and freshly prepared delicious food from the ship’s restaurant.
The fragrances were sealed by their mental energy, but Li ZouXing’s nose still caught a sweet scent of wine.
It wasn’t coming from their direction but from the bathroom.
He smiled, “How can I choose? Can I put them in a tie for first place?”
Their teammates gave them a disdainful look.
The youngest member who used to blush at their sweet nothings had evolved into someone with thick skin. When they heard such explicit romantic words, they even found Li ZouXing’s words not spicy enough.
Li ZouXing gave them a look that suggested they go and play somewhere else, continuing to provide cover for them.
Gu WenCheng chuckled, “ZouXing, don’t just brush me off like that.”
His tone indicated some dissatisfaction, but the sweet scent at the tip of his nose had become even more delightful.
Ever since the confession, Gu WenCheng had been exuding a sweet fragrance every day, and the scent was different each day. He was ecstatic to such an extent.
Of course, Li ZouXing, who enjoyed the scent, remained in a fantastic mood every day, even if he had to be busy with physical activities for a long time at night. He didn’t show any signs of fatigue, so energetic that Gu WenCheng began to suspect he was the one who would be worn out.
When it’s delightful, it’s delightful; when it’s intimate, it’s intimate. Gu WenCheng was truly carefree and didn’t mind at all; in fact, he was highly satisfied.
Living with someone like this, who always yielded and openly or secretly spoiled him, was something Li ZouXing was somewhat resigned to but thoroughly enjoyed. However, being a man, in order not to be overshadowed, he was particularly proud of spoiling Gu WenCheng.
A harmonious relationship, each reciprocating the other’s affection, was a bit cheesy.
Their teammates, with stoic expressions, arranged everything. They weren’t very romantic but had food and drinks in place, which was satisfying.
They hadn’t finished setting up completely, but Gu WenCheng was already done with his shower and was about to push the door open.
“!!!” Their teammates were startled and quickly made gestures to signal Li ZouXing.
Oh my! Oh my!
Stop him, don’t let him come out early!
Li ZouXing, facing this critical mission, hurriedly held Gu WenCheng back, saying, “WenCheng, wait a moment.”
Gu WenCheng really froze in place, a smile on his face as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Even the sounds of water in the bathroom had ceased, and their teammates dared not move, fearing he might hear there were others in the room.
“I’ll come in and shower with you,” Li ZouXing, somewhat helpless, said, “Will you wash with me again?”
“In the bathroom…” Gu WenCheng glanced at the entire bathroom and clearly misunderstood Li ZouXing’s intention. He stood at the door, his arms crossed, a playful look in his eyes, “Xing Xing, you want to have some fun in the bathroom with me?”
Their teammates: “…”
Li ZouXing felt embarrassed under their gazes. “I didn’t mean that.”
‘I didn’t mean it that way; I just suggested we shower together.’
“Weren’t you curious about which part I like the most about you? I’ll come in and show you,” Li ZouXing playfully suggested.
He opened the door in front of him, swiftly slipping inside with a whoosh. Their movements were quick, with nothing seen from the outside, and nothing from the inside. After a while, the sound of water started, and the two of them were chatting and laughing softly in the bathroom, their words barely audible over the sound of water. Their teammates, curious but too apprehensive to get closer, scratched their heads in curiosity.
This was the state of being in love, and they finally understood. Surprisingly, this group of single folks watching their intimacy couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy and envy.
They hadn’t even had their first kiss yet, while on the other side, they were already getting close and intimate multiple times. It was a reality that made their hearts ache.
While Li ZouXing was keeping Gu WenCheng busy, their teammates quickened their pace and finally had everything completely prepared in just over ten minutes.
The feeling of preparing a surprise for someone else had made them nervous too. They stared at the bathroom door, feeling a bit embarrassed when it finally opened.
Would Gu WenCheng be surprised? Would he be deeply moved? Would he like what they had prepared?
If he was moved to tears, they wouldn’t forget to take some incriminating photos. Well, they could reluctantly hand him a tissue to wipe his tears.
However, as they thought about all these possibilities, the reality was that Li ZouXing and Gu WenCheng came out of the bathroom, locked in a passionate kiss. They were both wearing bathrobes, with wet black hair, stumbling a bit as they walked. As soon as they stepped out, one pinned the other against the wall for another kiss.
Their teammates: “…” Well, well.
Li ZouXing finally remembered that he had a task on hand and was about to get up when Gu WenCheng held him back by the neck. He caught up to him and initiated another kiss. By the time this round was over, their teammates’ facial veins were about to burst.
They sat at the dining table with fierce expressions. When Gu WenCheng looked up, he was taken aback by their expressions without any prior warning. “…”
His heart, which had been brimming with emotion, suddenly went still.
His expressions kept changing, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Gu WenCheng snapped out of the passionate kiss and noticed the room’s decoration and the warm food on the dining table emitting a tantalizing fragrance. He sensed something was up and involuntarily looked at Li ZouXing. “Is this…?”
But Li ZouXing just smiled and didn’t speak. Instead, he pulled Gu WenCheng to sit with him at the table.
There was an abundance of food on the table, much of it was the same as those prepared by Gu WenCheng for them. Some dishes were so exquisite that the chefs couldn’t replicate them, so they had to substitute with other food.
The wine was also Gu WenCheng’s favorite. Sitting beside his teammates, who felt like family, and his beloved, made the atmosphere brim with warmth.
Gu WenCheng began to recall what day it was today.
Li ZouXing exchanged glances with their teammates and, when Gu WenCheng looked puzzled, they raised their glasses and clinked them together. Loudly, they exclaimed, “Congratulations on the Dream Team’s establishment for a whole six months!”
Ah, Gu WenCheng suddenly realized what day it was. He smiled and raised his glass, clinking it with theirs. At the moment his glass touched theirs, everyone chorused, “Congratulations to Walter for joining the Dream Team for six months!”
Gu WenCheng’s hand trembled.
He stared at them in shock.
Their teammates burst into laughter, doubling over with mirth at his surprised expression.
“We’ve known for a while, silly WenCheng.”
“What’s with the act? Whether you’re Gu WenCheng or Walter, it doesn’t matter who you are to us because we’re the ones who spend time with you.”
“Even though we’ve cursed at Walter many times… cough, don’t mind that.”
“Regardless, whether you’re Gu WenCheng or Walter,” one by one, their teammates clinked glasses with him, “don’t worry, we’ve got your back.”
Gu WenCheng’s hand couldn’t hold the glass anymore, so Li ZouXing took it from him and served him a full bowl of food.
Their teammates chatted away, concealing their concerns in a gossipy manner. “You won’t cry, will you? Really cry?”
“Cry my foot,” Gu WenCheng raised his head, chin held high, displaying a rare youthful arrogance. “Let’s all drink. We’re not leaving until we’re all drunk!”
Having said this, he downed his glass, and their teammates, not to be outdone, raised their glasses and followed suit.
Delicious food, fine wine, teammates, and Li ZouXing.
The heavy burden that had been weighing on his heart was lifted.
This felt as beautiful as a dream.
If it were a dream, he wished he’d never wake up.
Setting down his glass, Li ZouXing also felt deeply moved.
However, it didn’t take long for him to set aside these useless reflections and wholeheartedly join his teammates in playing games.
Even though they were teammates and loved ones, there was no mercy when they played. After a few rounds, each of them had peculiar black lines drawn on their faces, transforming handsome faces into comical ones. They all gave a death stare to the teammates who had drawn on their faces.
Even Gu WenCheng’s face couldn’t avoid being embellished with two thick eyebrows by Xi Nan, which was downright hilarious.
However, Xi Nan was in a worse situation because of his clumsiness. There was no space left on his face to draw, and this look would definitely make people mistake him for having a developmental disability.
Everyone looked at each other with stern faces, but they couldn’t contain their laughter and collectively collapsed into their chairs.
