After adding Xie Xu as a friend, Jiang Shi began to send Xie Xu “good morning” and “good night” messages every day without fail. Sometimes, if he got up early, he would even report what he had for breakfast to Xie Xu.
One day, on a whim, he thought of offering Xie Xu a ride upstairs, secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of him freshly woken up in bed. However, he was mercilessly rejected.
Other than that time when Xie Xu touched his tiger teeth, it seemed like Xie Xu was maintaining a perfectly appropriate distance from him.
Additionally, his morning and evening greetings didn’t seem to make much of an impact, as Xie Xu always responded briefly, with no indication of wanting to engage in idle conversation.
Once, after Jiang Shi said “good night,” Xie Xu didn’t reply for half an hour. When Jiang Shi sent a follow-up message, Xie Xu simply asked, “Are you not asleep?”
Jiang Shi was caught off guard.
Every time he sent the “good night” message, he would pretend to go to bed early after washing up, but in reality, he’d stay up surfing the web, often checking out some risqué jokes related to Xie Xu. He hadn’t expected to slip up on such a small detail.
Fortunately, he quickly came up with a reply [I was waiting for the captain’s message, so I haven’t slept] to fool him.
Still, this incident made Jiang Shi seriously question the strategies he used on his alt Weibo account.
No matter how poor his methods were, Xie Xu should have picked up on something, so why wasn’t there any reaction at all?
Could it be that he needs to package himself and send himself to Xie Xu’s bed?
Jiang Shi wavered between doubting his techniques and wondering if Xie Xu was just slow-witted, until today. After sending his “good morning” message, Xie Xu didn’t even respond with a simple “hmm.”
When Jiang Shi arrived at the training room, Yuan Yang informed him that Xie Xu had gone home.
“Xu’s from the same city as you. His parents called him back for something,” Yuan Yang said, noticing Jiang Shi checking his phone repeatedly. “He’s probably driving now and will reply once he gets home.”
Xie Xu had left in a hurry, only managing to notify Jiang Shi briefly.
Jiang Lele, who had stayed up late playing ranked games, yawned and asked, “Did the captain go home for another blind date?”
Jiang Shi immediately turned his head. “What blind date?”
“You joined the team late, so you wouldn’t know,” Jiang Lele replied, trying to wake himself up. “The captain’s parents think he’s been stuck at the base for too long without meeting any girls, so they want to introduce a few to him. They’d prefer if he settled down soon.”
“My parents have already arranged a blind date for me during the New Year. The captain is two or three years older than me, so it’s normal for him to be pushed too.”
Jiang Shi replied, “But isn’t today the Spring Split draw? The captain isn’t coming back?”
There were 17 teams participating in the Spring Split, with no groupings. Every team would face all others, and rankings would be determined by points. Team captains usually conducted the draw online to determine match order.
“Xie Xu said he’d make it back in time,” Yuan Yang teased, noticing Jiang Shi’s sulky expression. “Maybe the blind date location is near the base?”
Jiang Shi looked up and asked, “Can I go and see?”
Catch him red-handed!
Zhao Jiu burst out laughing. “Yang-ge was just joking!”
Jiang Shi lowered his head and mumbled, “Oh.”
So the blind date location was far away, too far for him to catch.
This topic quickly sparked a lively conversation, with everyone speculating about whether Xie Xu would come back with a girlfriend this time. Jiang Lele was especially enthusiastic.
“My mom’s part of a big blind date group. She knows the base is full of single guys, so she said you guys could check out the group’s photos. If you’re interested, she can send your info over to see what the other side thinks.”
Zhao Jiu immediately volunteered, and even Yuan Yang joined in.
A bunch of bachelors.
Yu Hui wasn’t interested in the slightest and started playing a game by himself.
Jiang Shi was feeling irritated and didn’t participate in the conversation. He thought about playing a game to distract himself, but as soon as he opened the game, an ad popped up for the New Year skins, reminding him of Xie Xu again.
Jiang Shi suddenly didn’t feel like playing anymore.
Just a few days ago, Xie Xu had been coaxing him into adding him as a friend, and now he had gone home to meet girls in blind date.
Jiang Shi couldn’t help but kick Xie Xu’s empty chair.
What was so good about blind dates? Wasn’t falling in love freely better?
No need to take leave from the base.
Jiang Lele wandered over with blind date photos, but when he reached Jiang Shi, he suddenly put his phone away.
Jiang Shi narrowed his eyes. “Show me.”
He needed something to divert his attention.
Jiang Lele looked puzzled. “You don’t need this.”
Jiang Shi snapped, “Why wouldn’t I need it?”
He was going to go on a blind date too!
Jiang Lele, confused, asked, “Aren’t you in love with the captain? Why would you need a blind date?”
Jiang Shi, his face cold, replied, “Why wouldn’t I? Send my information over!”
Unable to argue with him, Jiang Lele reluctantly agreed.
After the impulsiveness passed, Jiang Shi suddenly felt it was pointless. What was he doing in a blind date group? Was he going to let Jiang Lele post about his sexual orientation?
They’d probably think he was crazy.
Just as he was about to tell Jiang Lele to forget it, Jiang Lele spoke up first.
“Your information doesn’t meet the group’s requirements.”
Jiang Shi: “?”
Jiang Lele showed him the message from his mother.
[Mom: The group doesn’t accept 19-year-olds. Tell the kid to go play somewhere else.]
Jiang Shi: “…”
On the other side, Xie Xu was reviewing his father’s hospital report.
“I’m fine, don’t listen to your mother’s fussing,” Father Xie said, patting his leg nonchalantly. “I was just distracted going down the stairs and fell. They took an X-ray, but there’s no bone damage.”
He hadn’t planned to tell Xie Xu at all, but his wife saw how swollen his ankle was and immediately panicked, calling Xie Xu.
After inspecting the medicine prescribed by the hospital and explaining the instructions carefully, Xie Xu said, “I live nearby. Next time, just let me know directly if something like this happens.”
His father replied jokingly, “Sure, sure, we’ll listen to Captain Xie.”
Mother Xie, hearing that he still had the energy to crack jokes, held back from scolding him and said, “Always acting so immature.”
She then turned to Xie Xu and asked, “Is the team busy lately?”
“A bit,” Xie Xu explained. “The competition is coming up, so training is pretty intense.”
His mother didn’t really understand much about esports, but she added, “No matter how busy you are, take care of your health. I’ve made bone broth, you can take some back for your teammates.”
Xie Xu was about to say there was no need, but he remembered something and changed his mind. “Alright, we’ve got a new team member who really likes soup.”
Jiang Shi seemed to firmly believe that drinking bone broth would help him grow taller, and he always drank a large bowl of it.
Mother Xie smiled broadly. “Alright, alright, I’ll pack it in a thermos for you. I’ll make sure to pack extra.”
After chatting for a bit, the conversation shifted to a familiar topic.
“Do you remember Xiao Miao, the girl you used to play with as a kid? She’s Aunt Lin’s daughter, and she’s in the city now. How about you meet up with her?” Mother Xie suggested, recalling, “I saw her a few days ago, out shopping groceries with her mom.”
Father Xie immediately caught on, saying, “I knew there was a reason you called him out of the blue this morning—it was for this.”
“Shut up,” Mother Xie nudged him with her elbow before turning back to Xie Xu. “So, do you want to meet her?”
Xie Xu finished labeling the medicine with instructions and neatly organized it before replying, “Mom, I’ve told you before, I’m not interested in this right now.”
“Please, don’t trouble yourself over it.”
His mother’s mood visibly dropped as she closed the medicine drawer with a snap. “What, are you planning to spend the rest of your life with your team? Or is it that the girls I pick aren’t good enough for you?”
Xie Xu sighed, feeling a bit helpless. “No, it’s just not the right time.”
“Then who would be the right one for you?”
Xie Xu thought for a moment but didn’t respond.
Seeing his expression, Mother Xie sensed something unusual. “In the past, you would’ve flatly told me that no one is the right fit for you. Why the hesitation now? Something going on?”
She knew her son well, and this reaction was different from before. “Is there someone?”
Just then, Xie Xu’s phone buzzed with a WeChat from Jiang Lele.
He had been driving earlier and didn’t have time to respond to Jiang Shi’s messages. After finally replying, Jiang Shi didn’t respond at all—not even to the question about whether he wanted bone broth. So, Xie Xu messaged Jiang Lele for answers.
[Jiang Lele: You should ask Jiang Shi yourself. He thinks you went on a blind date and is currently venting his anger in the game!]
[Xu: He hasn’t checked his phone?]
[Jiang Lele: Are you kidding? He’s been looking at his phone every minute. During lunch, he was glued to it, barely eating. Oh, and he only ate half a bowl of food, looking all gloomy and out of sorts.]
[Xu: …]
[Xu: I didn’t go on a blind date. My dad twisted his ankle.]
Almost immediately after sending that message, Xie Xu received a reply from Jiang Shi.
[Obedient Jiangjiang: Bone broth? I’ll drink it! Tell Auntie thank you!]
Mother Xie, seeing her son distracted by his phone, asked again, “I’m still waiting for an answer! Is there something going on?”
Xie Xu put his phone back in his pocket and decided to go along with the flow. “So please, no more blind dates.”
“He would get jealous.”
His mother beamed with delight. “Sounds like she’s lively! If she gets jealous, make sure you comfort her!”1he and she in spoken Chinese is identical
Xie Xu nodded. “Mom, add more meat to the soup, please.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Shi, supposedly “jealous,” was sitting with his teammates, watching the pre-match entertainment for the Spring Split’s draw.
“Lin Miao is my goddess!” Jiang Lele said, eyes sparkling. “She’s so cool! They say she’s amazing at games too, ranked in the national servers. She’s always invited to the big gaming events.”
He sighed dreamily, “The captain grew up with her, right? Do you think I can ask him to get me an autograph?”
Feeling a bit dazed from hunger while waiting for the bone broth, Jiang Shi mumbled, “…?”
Zhao Jiu, sitting next to him, immediately noticed the change in Jiang Shi’s expression and sighed. “Alright, Lele, you’re just trying to rile Xiao Shi up, aren’t you? The captain has already said they’re just regular friends, but the media loves to exaggerate.”
Earlier in the day, thanks to Jiang Lele’s nonsense about Xie Xu going on a blind date, Jiang Shi had spent the whole day angrily playing games, barely eating his lunch.
Jiang Lele snickered. “Let’s see how mad it makes our Little White Hair!”
For the first time, Jiang Shi had agreed to play ranked with him today. He’d played all kinds of heroes, lost points like crazy, and after it was all over, he stared at his lost stars, nearly passing out in frustration. Even his best hero couldn’t stop Jiang Shi’s crazy gameplay.
Zhao Jiu tried to smooth things over. “Lele, Jiang Shi is a huge fan of the captain. You should stop trying to stir things up with these random pairings. You’ll just get in trouble again if the captain finds out.”
Yu Hui added, “The captain doesn’t like us talking about stuff like this.”
Just like with An, Xie Xu had made it clear from the start that there was nothing between them.
Jiang Lele was about to protest that Xie Xu wouldn’t care about such minor things, but he suddenly fell silent.
He was thinking of another reason.
He realized that Xie Xu had been too indulgent with Jiang Shi lately. It was entirely possible he might actually get in trouble for this.
Meanwhile, Yuan Yang, who had been worrying about their team drawing a strong opponent for the Spring Split, felt relieved seeing how lighthearted everyone was.
‘We have to play against all the teams anyway, so who we face first doesn’t matter,’ he thought to himself.
As he reached for a newly bought orange, he noticed Jiang Shi staring at him.
Yuan Yang handed him the orange. “Do you want it?”
Jiang Shi took it and said, “Thanks, Yang-ge. But actually, I wanted to ask when the captain’s coming back.”
Yuan Yang replied, “TKI just released a new silver-pink keyboard. It won’t be officially available until after the Spring Split, but they sent one over for the captain to try out. He went to pick it up since he said it was on the way.”
“It won’t delay the draw,” Jiang Shi mumbled as he squeezed the orange in his hand.
Yuan Yang noticed Jiang Shi’s lack of enthusiasm and asked, “Xiao Shi, you’re quite clingy with Xu! Is that how all fans are nowadays?”
“Little White Hair wants to be captain’s pendant, always by his side,” Jiang Lele chimed in, “Definitely not your average fan—”
Before he could finish, Jiang Shi shoved an unpeeled orange into his mouth.
“Mmphh…” Jiang Lele was forced to stay quiet.
“Don’t listen to him,” Jiang Shi explained to Yuan Yang. “I’ve just been his fan for so long, and recently we’ve been spending so much time together, so I felt a little uncomfortable for a while.”
If one was to ignore Jiang Shi’s hand that was covering Jiang Lele’s mouth tightly, his calm expression and gentle tone made him seem all the more well-behaved.
Yuan Yang, long accustomed to their antics, smiled. “I still remember when you first passed the trial and joined the base. You were decked out in Xu’s merch. It’s obvious that you’re a dedicated fan.”
In truth, relationships like these within a team could sometimes be tricky, but in this case, Jiang Shi was a fan of Xie Xu, who was mature and composed.
Yuan Yang believed Xie Xu would mentor the younger, less experienced Jiang Shi well.
Zhao Jiu nodded. “Yeah, Jiang Shi is definitely a true fan of Xu. It’s fate.”
Jiang Shi rubbed his nose and hummed in agreement.
In response, Jiang Lele rolled his eyes.
He’d been around Jiang Shi’s livestreams for a while but had never once heard him mention Xie Xu.
Now, suddenly, Jiang Shi was building this persona of being Xu’s ultimate fan.
But sensing the tension in the air, Jiang Lele wisely chose to keep quiet.
At that moment, the door behind them opened, and Jiang Shi was the first to turn around.
Xie Xu had finally returned.
He placed two boxes and a thermos on the table and asked, “What were you all talking about?”
Yuan Yang responded, “We were just saying how Jiang Shi is your fan. The moment you left, he started counting the minutes until you’d come back.”
Xie Xu looked at Jiang Shi. “Really?”
Jiang Shi rubbed his ear and gave a nonchalant “hmm.”
To be honest, it wasn’t so much that he had been waiting eagerly — most of the time, he’d been fuming, possibly even muttering a few curses under his breath about Xie Xu.
Xie Xu began serving the bone broth his mother had prepared, saying, “This is from my mom. There’s not much, so have a taste.”
Jiang Shi was given a full bowl. After taking one gulp, his stomach felt immediately satisfied.
The broth was rich and flavorful, and the meat had been slow-cooked to perfection. The first sip was so delicious that Jiang Shi nearly bit his tongue.
He drank quickly, finishing the bowl in no time.
Xie Xu then divided the rest of the meat, giving it all to Jiang Shi, who accepted it eagerly and ate everything.
Jiang Lele couldn’t help but comment, “Did you skip lunch just so you’d have room for Auntie’s soup?”
Zhao Jiu, also feeling full, laughed. “No way! He probably didn’t eat properly at lunch because he was upset about the captain’s blind date.”
“Upset?” Xie Xu tilted his head, looking at Jiang Shi. “Is that why you didn’t reply to my message?”
At this, the whole group sensed drama brewing, their expressions shifting to one of excitement, eager to watch the show unfold.
Jiang Shi swallowed the meat in his mouth and blinked, answering bluntly, “Can’t I be upset?”
He met Xie Xu’s gaze. “Honestly, Captain, I don’t think you should be dating right now. It would affect your career too much.”
Jiang Shi’s tone was serious, almost righteous. “Captain, I’m your career fan. I want you to focus on the competition, lead us, lead TLG to victory.”
The room fell silent.
Yuan Yang, in particular, seemed to have a complicated expression, not expecting such high-minded words from Jiang Shi, especially as a fan.
The rest of the group exchanged glances, equally surprised and impressed by Jiang Shi’s words.
However, Jiang Lele wasn’t among those in awe.
After holding it in for a while, Lele finally couldn’t resist and burst out, “But didn’t you say on your livestream that you’re Xu’s ‘husband fan’?”
Jiang Shi froze.
He immediately denied it. “I didn’t say that. You must have misheard.”
“Bullshit! Loads of fans recorded it.” With his impressive memory, Jiang Lele quickly found the video clip and pressed play.
In the training room, the unmistakable sound of an electric voice echoed—
[Besides, who said that only wife fans are allowed to exist? As a husband fan, that felt unfair.]
[How else am I supposed to get Xu if I don’t have thick skin?]
[When I get sad, Xu has to come and comfort me in bed. It’s quite embarrassing.]
Jiang Shi: “…” !!!!
