In the dim team van, silence settled as everyone relaxed after the match, gradually drifting into sleep.
Except for Jiang Shi.
He leaned against Xie Xu’s shoulder, their height difference making the posture feel natural. With his head slightly tilted, Jiang Shi felt the firmness of Xie Xu’s clothes and the strength in his shoulder.
Even as the vehicle went over speed bumps, Xie Xu barely moved, steady as ever.
Jiang Shi’s heartbeat quickened. He tucked his face closer to Xie Xu, hiding in his shadow.
Rarely did he find himself so close to him.
At this moment, he could smell the faint blend of laundry detergent and body wash, with a hint of warm, lingering citrus—familiar and elusive.
Closing his eyes, Jiang Shi tried to ignore it, but the scent crept into his senses, like it was merging with Xie Xu’s warmth itself.
Embarrassed, he felt his ears flush and couldn’t help but nuzzle lightly against Xie Xu’s shoulder.
A moment later, he felt a hand gently steady his head, making his position even more comfortable.
Jiang Shi pretended to stay asleep, giving no sign that he’d noticed anything.
The light from the street lamps outside the car fell on the car window, daying Jiang Shi’s pale-colored hair a warm color, making it look softer than usual.
Xie Xu lowered his gaze, glancing discreetly at Jiang Shi’s closed eyes and the slight quiver of his lashes.
The corner of his lips curved up, but soon he turned his head to cover them up.
The hour-long drive was over, and Yuan Yang was the first to disembark. “It’s late, so if anyone’s tired—”
His sentence broke off as he noticed Jiang Shi’s wide, alert eyes, brimming with energy.
It’s like he was ready for the championship finals.
Yuan Yang switched his tone, “Looks like everyone’s still full of energy. Let’s head to the conference room and review today’s match.”
Chengchen from the second team headed back to the annex building, while Jiang Shi and the others moved to the conference room.
As Yuan Yang set up the video equipment, the room was already echoing with yawns. Jiang Shi’s hidden excitement had mostly faded, and he joined the others in yawning.
Yawning, Jiang Lele, his eyes watery with drowsiness, mumbled, “Yang-ge, might as well let me train now—I might perk up a bit.”
He was really not in the mood to review the match right after the car ride.
Besides, today’s match felt too easy to need a review.
“Think I don’t know what you’re thinking?” Yuan Yang thumped his notebook on the table. “That today’s win was so easy there’s no need for review?”
He skipped to a specific point in the video and stopped, “Jiang Lele, you thought I didn’t notice when you Flash-ed and missed your ult under their tower?”
“If you didn’t Flash and use your ult, the team fight that broke out in the lower jungle river half a minute later would result in a kill!”
Yuan Yang’s raised voice drove away any hint of sleepiness from everyone.
Jiang Lele shrank back, muttering, “I thought I could take him.”
The little white hair in the bottom lane was going on a killing spree, so it made Jiang Lele want to show off, too.
One after another, Zhao Jiu and Yu Hui got called out as well.
Jiang Shi, watching from the sidelines, tentatively reached for the candy bowl.
But Yuan Yang’s attention suddenly shifted to him. “And you, Jiang Shi.”
Jiang Shi immediately straightened, withdrawing his hand.
Yuan Yang paused the video at the exact moment, “Fifteen minutes in, when everyone else was grouped up, why were you waiting alone in the bushes near their second tower?”
Jiang Shi blinked, clicked the mouse to let the video continue.
Moments later, An appeared under the tower alone, and Jiang Shi, nearly godlike in skill, eliminated him.
Yuan Yang: “…”
His eye twitched. “Are you so sure that An would show up alone? That his support wouldn’t check the bush? You know your bounty was sky-high at that point? If you’d lost that duel, it might’ve been their chance to turn the game!”
“I told you to play a mid-to-late game marksman, not to go cutting into the backlines!”
Jiang Shi’s small sense of pride vanished, and he obediently apologized. “Yang-ge, I was wrong.”
“You weren’t entirely wrong,” Yuan Yang conceded, taking a sip of water to moisten his throat. “Because you surprised their ADC, we took down all their outer towers and pushed their high ground.”
He scolded those who should be scolded, and praised those who should be praised.
Jiang Shi’s drooping head quietly raised up.
Beside him, Jiang Lele leaned in and whispered, “Next time, bring me along. I want a turn sneaking behind to cut the backline’s carry.”
That would be so cool.
Zhao Jiu also added, “I want to go too.”
The bottom lane was full of exhilarating confrontation, but he was still mechanically clearing the top lanes. God knows how envious he is.
Watching the screen, Xie Xu spoke calmly, “More players wouldn’t have worked. An isn’t that stupid. If too many disappear, he’d suspect something.”
Maybe Xie Xu was also sleepy, he leaned back on his chair in a casual posture, his voice sounded languid.
Jiang Shi nodded and concluded, “Next time, I’ll just take the captain with me.”
Jiang Lele: “…”
Xie Xu laughed, choosing a lemon candy from the bowl and handing it to Jiang Shi. “I’ll just grab an assist?”
Jiang Shi looked at the candy in front of him. It was lemon-flavored. The GIF of “mouth-to-mouth candy feeding” flashed involuntarily on his mind.
To be honest, when he was sleeping on Xie Xu’s shoulder in the car, this GIF kept replaying in his mind, making him wonder – if Xie Xu really fed him candy with his mouth, would it taste like lemon mint?
Just like his body scent now?
Jiang Shi glanced at Xie Xu’s lips. It was nice in shape and light in color. But when Xie Xu ate the candy before, he swore that the lip color darkened a bit.
His mind drifted far away. When he came to his senses, he quickly took the candy, mumbling, “You can come however you want.”
This is the fault of those netizens! He was itching now, but couldn’t do anything.
Just when his mind started to roll into the gutter, a handful of candy suddenly appeared in front of him.
Seeing how successful Xie Xu was with this candy-giving thing, Jiang Lele grabbed some candies to coax Jiang Shi.
He gave a handful to Jiang Shi, treating him like a child, and smiled. “In that case, let me grab a kill, too.”
Jiang Shi pocketed Xie Xu’s candy, pushing away the mixed assortment Jiang Lele offered. “Are you dreaming before you even sleep?”
Jiang Lele: “…”
By the end of the review session, it was late. Back in their rooms, Jiang Shi opened his Weibo and saved that mouth-to-mouth candy feeding GIF, and gave it a name.
But since this GIF might be too much, it might get taken down. He must save it before it’s too late.
As he walked back to his room, he tried not to glance at Xie Xu. Just as he passed, Xie Xu called his name, “Jiang Shi.”
Startled, Jiang Shi immediately pocketed his phone. “Yes, Captain?”
Thinking fast, he said, “I’ve noted everything from the review. I’ll work on fixing it in training tomorrow.”
Despite the formality, Jiang Shi’s gaze subconsciously flickered to Xie Xu’s lips.
Back in the conference room, Xie Xu took several sips of water. Now, the lips are still faintly damp.
Xie Xu’s eyes moved slightly, but facing Jiang Shi’s innocent expression, he merely replied, “Rest early tonight.”
Jiang Shi responded in an obedient fashion.
After Jiang Shi finished washing up, he bid good night to Xie Xu as usual, then laid under the bed to do his nighttime routine. He opened a new fanfic snippet that [18 Years Old Pure Female College Student] had posted.
His favored bedtime reading session!!
Jiang Shi blushed as he read the fanfic, and he supplemented his reading by watching that GIF again. He was so excited that he rolled into the wall, making a thud sound.
Jiang Shi immediately suppressed his enthusiasm.
His room and Xie Xu’s room were next to each other. If he was too loud, he might be discovered.
Jiang Shi threw the blanket over his head to force himself to sleep. After a while, he gave up, pulled out his phone, and began to harass his only good friend Bamboo.
[Obedient Jiangjiang: Are you awake? I’ve got something good to show you.]
He found the candy feeding GIF in his gallery, but just as he was about to send it, a new message popped up on his screen.
[Xu: Still up?]
It must’ve been the sound of him hitting the wall.
Heart pounding, Jiang Shi’s fingers trembled, and somehow, the candy-sharing clip sent itself straight to Xie Xu’s chat.
[Obedient Jiangjiang: Kissing husband.gif]
T/L:
I just realized that I translated Bamboo’s name into English, but kept Juzi and Chengcheng in romanized Chinese… oh well, it’s too late to keep them all uniform now.
In my defense, I kept “Juzi” and “Chengcheng” in romanized Chinese to differentiate them from the fully latin alphabet official ID. I have no reason for “Bamboo” however…
