Jiang Shi’s glass of Sprite was used by Xie Xu to cheat Yu Hui and the other two into drinking half a glass of white wine.
Later, Jiang Shi copied the trick, secretly swapping several of Xie Xu’s drinks with alcohol. Using Sprite as a cover, Xie Xu ended up drinking the other three under the table.
Just as Jiang Shi was about to sneak another swap, his glass was suddenly pressed down by a hand.
Xie Xu turned his head to look at Jiang Shi, whose face was slightly flushed from drinking. His voice was low and firm, “No more.”
Jiang Shi was clearly a little tipsy, tilting his head slightly. “Captain, I’m drinking Sprite.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a small hiccup.
Even so, he looked at Xie Xu with righteous indignation, as if questioning why even Sprite was being restricted. He then tried to stealthily pull the drink back.
But the glass didn’t budge. Xie Xu held it firmly.
Feeling a little wronged, Jiang Shi’s reddened eyes looked pitifully at Xie Xu. In a soft voice, he said, “I’m thirsty.”
Xie Xu: “…”
This was the first time he’d heard of using white wine to quench thirst.
Drunk Jiang Shi was even more unreasonable.
“I want to drink,” Jiang Shi insisted, looking Xie Xu in the eye. “I want to drink your Sprite.”
When Jiang Shi finally processed what Xie Xu was implying, he loosened his grip on the glass and gave an “Oh.”
Reluctantly, he let Xie Xu have it.
At the table, Jiang Shi wasn’t the only one drinking. Jiang Lele, who had been secretly watching him, decided to copy his method. He stole some drinks from Yu Hui and Zhao Jiu but quickly got caught. However, he managed to coax them into pouring him a few glasses.
Initially, Jiang Lele found the alcohol too strong. Jiang Shi helpfully taught him to mix it with Sprite to make it easier to drink.
Jiang Lele trusted him and drank a few glasses of the mixture. Soon, his speech started to slur.
Holding a lobster claw unsteadily, he pointed it at Jiang Shi and stammered, “Little… White Hair… are you cheating me again…?”
How could he get drunk after drinking so little?
Jiang Shi casually picked up a serving of greens that Xie Xu had passed to him and said dismissively, “You’re overthinking it.”
Jiang Lele wanted to press him further, but the alcohol had dulled his mind. After a long pause, he could only mumble, “But you drank it the same way I did…”
Jiang Shi glanced at him and said nothing.
Carbonated drinks accelerate the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream. There was no way Jiang Lele wouldn’t get drunk.
‘Besides, does this little winter melon think his alcohol tolerance can compare to mine?’
Jiang Lele, not convinced, drank a few more glasses. Finally, his mind completely unraveled, and he started babbling nonsense at the table.
“Boohoo, I could’ve gotten a quad-kill today, but that damn Little White Hair stole three of my kills!”
“Back, why are you ignoring me? When I first joined the base, you said I was your favorite. Sob sob sob…. You heartless jerk…”
Jiang Lele went on to grumble about everyone at the table. When he got to Xie Xu, he opened his mouth to complain, but Jiang Shi stuffed a golden bun into it.
Jiang Shi, having drunk quite a bit himself, wasn’t as precise as usual. The bun initially hit Jiang Lele’s nose before finding its way into his mouth.
Jiang Lele instinctively took a bite. By the time he finished eating and tried to speak again, he’d forgotten what he was going to say. He looked at Jiang Shi in confusion.
Jiang Shi asked, “Is the bun good?”
The drunken Jiang Shi had lost his usual sharpness. His gaze was calm and gentle, making him seem less intimidating.
Jiang Lele answered honestly, “It’s alright.”
Having drunk so much, the hot food felt comforting.
He gave a silly smile and said, “Thank you, my good son~”
A vein on Jiang Shi’s forehead twitched. He resisted the urge to dunk Jiang Lele into the soup pot and instead asked patiently, “Is the spicy crayfish too hot?”
Jiang Lele stammered, “Too much Sichuan pepper…numbing. Next time, use chili sauce…”
Jiang Shi asked a few more random questions, gradually wearing Jiang Lele out. Finally, Jiang Shi casually asked, “What’s the group code for the Time Precious Resources Group chat?”
Jiang Lele instantly sat up straight, clearly reciting a string of numbers with flawless clarity. His speech was smooth, showing no sign of his earlier drunkenness.
Clearly, he’d memorized the number by heart.
Jiang Shi: “…”
Mission accomplished. Jiang Shi’s fake smile faded. As Jiang Lele reached for the last golden bun, Jiang Shi snatched it and stuffed it into his mouth.
Ignoring Jiang Lele’s indignant glare, Jiang Shi pulled out his phone and entered the group code.
But joining the group required answering a question:
“What is your relationship with Time?”
Jiang Shi frowned. What kind of question was this?
He tried entering “fan,” “friend,” “brother,” and even the ridiculous “husband,” but all were incorrect.
Drunk and impatient, Jiang Shi shoved his phone into his pocket and stormed off to the restroom, fuming.
He’d been holding back for half an hour for this stupid question!
But as he stood up, a sudden rush of blood made him feel dizzy.
Fortunately, a steady pair of hands caught his shoulders in time.
Xie Xu supported Jiang Shi against himself and asked in a low voice, “Can you walk on your own?”
Jiang Shi, who had just tried to stand up straight, swayed and leaned back against him, rubbing his forehead. “Dizzy.”
Xie Xu didn’t question it. After steadying him, he said to the others, “I’ll take him to the restroom.”
As it was close to the New Year, the restaurant was packed with people coming and going. The hallway was narrow, and Jiang Shi kept getting bumped into.
However, most of the collisions ended up brushing against Xie Xu’s hand, which was supporting Jiang Shi’s arm.
Jiang Shi turned his head slightly and noticed that Xie Xu’s hand was red from being grazed repeatedly.
A few steps later, Jiang Shi stopped in his tracks, glaring murderously at an oncoming passerby. He looked as if he were ready to pick a fight with anyone who bumped into them again.
The passerby glanced at Jiang Shi’s flashy hair color and muttered, “Where’d this drunkard come from?”
Then, they hunched their shoulders and walked by quickly.
Xie Xu glanced at Jiang Shi, who was intimidating the passerby with a fierce aura, and sighed helplessly. He prepared to help him move forward again, but Jiang Shi didn’t budge.
“I’ll walk on my own,” Jiang Shi said firmly. “You walk in front.”
Xie Xu looked at him and asked, “Not dizzy anymore?”
Jiang Shi pressed his lips together. Reluctantly, he mumbled an “Mm” under his breath. “So you won’t get bumped into.”
Besides, he wasn’t so drunk that he couldn’t walk.
But in the next second, a hand appeared in his field of vision. “Hold on to me, and you won’t get bumped.”
Xie Xu had changed into a casual coat before arriving at the restaurant. The black sleeve was neatly cuffed at his wrist, revealing his prominent wrist bones. His slender, strong fingers were just inches away from Jiang Shi.
Jiang Shi’s gaze shifted from the hand to the sleeve, then back to the hand. His mind went blank for a moment before he impulsively grabbed Xie Xu’s hand.
He had wanted to do this for a long time. Last time, he had only gotten away with touching it under the pretense of checking something. Now, the sight of it made his heart itch.
Taking advantage of the alcohol-induced courage, he went ahead and took the liberty.
After all, Xie Xu hadn’t explicitly said whether he meant to hold the sleeve or the hand. And right now, Jiang Shi was “drunk” and not thinking clearly—misunderstanding was perfectly reasonable.
Jiang Shi’s wide sleeve dropped down, covering their clasped hands and hiding the last traces of his guilt.
He could clearly feel Xie Xu glance at him.
Instead of letting go, Jiang Shi tightened his grip and looked up. “Not walking?”
He then added after a pause, “I’m in a hurry.”
Xie Xu didn’t comment and led Jiang Shi to the restroom with their hands still joined. Only when Jiang Shi entered the restroom did his pounding heart finally settle down.
After finishing up, Jiang Shi carefully washed his hands. When he spotted Xie Xu waiting by the door, he casually wiped his wet hands on his pants.
The restroom area was busy, with many people entering and leaving, most of them tipsy.
When Xie Xu saw Jiang Shi, he reached out his hand again, just like before.
But this time, Jiang Shi hesitated.
His hand was still damp, and just now…
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger against his pants again, trying to shake off the lingering shame.
The more he tried to ignore it, the more obvious it became. Resigned, Jiang Shi stuffed his right hand into his pocket, stood up straight, and cleared his throat. “Not holding hands anymore.”
Xie Xu glanced at the pocket where Jiang Shi had hidden his hand, paused for a moment, and asked, “Not dizzy anymore?”
Jiang Shi mumbled a vague “Mm.”
Although he was reluctant to let go, he still had some dignity left.
The two of them standing at the restroom door drew a lot of attention, with several people casting curious glances at Jiang Shi’s team uniform.
Xie Xu’s eyes flickered briefly, but he didn’t press further.
After everyone was full and tipsy, they returned to the base. The whole way back, Jiang Shi kept trying to figure out the answer to the group verification question.
He had even tried to coax Jiang Lele into telling him, but the latter was too drunk to form coherent sentences.
Once they returned to their rooms, Jiang Shi finished washing up and, belatedly, felt the alcohol’s full effect.
The wine had quite the delayed kick.
He haphazardly towel-dried his hair and climbed into bed. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a thought flashed through his mind.
He might know the answer to that stupid group’s question.
Fumbling for his phone from under his pillow, Jiang Shi’s face was illuminated by the cold light of the screen.
“What is your relationship with Time?”
[Dad.]
After typing those two characters, a message popped up: [Verification successful.]
Jiang Shi: “ . “
This group of unfilial sons!
Jiang Shi tossed off his blanket, ready to battle this unruly group for three hundred rounds. However, as soon as he sat up, his limbs turned to jelly, and he collapsed back down.
He felt like there were stars spinning in his head. After struggling a few more times, he eventually gave up. With his leg sticking out and his head tilted, he glanced at the pink teddy bear print on his pajama pants. Confirming he couldn’t sit up, he resigned himself and pulled the blanket back over himself.
Even if he was lying down, he could still kill these stupid sons!
The group chat was very active. As soon as Jiang Shi entered, he first changed his nickname. By the time he returned to the main chat screen, several members had already sent memes to welcome the newcomer.
Then, they resumed their previous discussion.
[It seems that TLG went out to have a celebratory meal today. A friend of mine said they saw someone in TLG uniforms at XX Restaurant.]
[XX Restaurant? Yeah, that’s TLG’s usual spot. Did your friend see anything else?]
[My friend said they were minding their own business walking, and suddenly, some drunkard glared at them. Scared the hell out of them. Also, they saw someone holding the drunkard’s hand, leading them like a kid.]
[Is it Time? He’s quite arrogant outside.]
[Definitely. My friend said the drunkard had white hair.]
[Who was holding T Bao’s hand? Xu?]
[For real? I’ve been saying those two are dating!]
[Bullshit! Time is a coward. At most, he’d grab Xu’s sleeve. That must’ve been TLG’s coach, Yuan Yang, right? Word is he treats Time like a son.]
[Agreed. T Bao doesn’t have the guts.]
The group unanimously agreed, laughing at Jiang Shi for being all bark and no bite.
Jiang Shi fumed and began furiously typing.
[Your Dad Is Here: It wasn’t Yuan Yang. It was Xu, and Time held his hand first!]
[Your Dad Is Here: He’s not a coward! What’s wrong with your eyesight?]
For some reason, after he sent the messages, the previously lively group chat fell silent for a few seconds. Then, the admin suddenly turned on mute mode, only to disable it a minute later.
[The one who just spoke, did you see it yourself?]
Jiang Shi replied without hesitation.
[Your Dad Is Here: Obviously. Why else would I be so sure?]
[Alright, then let me test you. Did you see what they ate?]
[Oh, don’t mind us. It’s just because you’re new, and we’re making sure you’re not a spy from a rival team.]
[Your Dad Is Here: Three plates of shrimp, and they had Maotai too. Smelled kinda strange.]
[.]
[…]
[Oh.]
[Understood.]
Seeing the string of odd punctuation marks made Jiang Shi dizzy.
[Your Dad Is Here: Speak human.]
However, no one in the group paid attention to him anymore. They started talking among themselves as if he weren’t there.
[Even if they held hands, it doesn’t prove anything. Back when Time first met Xu, he said he wanted to sleep with him. Hand-holding is nothing.]
[That little idiot must have found an excuse to hold hands. Such a coward yet so thirsty.]
[Didn’t he say on stream once that he’d kiss Xu? Never happened. I give up believing in him.]
[When do you think Time will actually kiss Xu?]
[Next life.]
[In his dreams.]
[Your Dad Is Here: ?]
What nonsense were they spouting? He and Xu had made great progress, thank you very much!
Maybe his strong resentment reached the group chat, because someone finally spoke up for him.
[No way. Jiang Lele once mentioned on stream that Time and Xu live next door to each other. Long nights, one turn down the hallway—anything could happen.]
[Didn’t they drink tonight? Xu’s the captain, so he must’ve had a lot. If Time knocks on the door now, the alcohol might kick in, and… well, more than just kissing~]
[T Bao is strong too. Pin Xu down and… heh heh.]
[Very reasonable.]
[Stop it. You all have such wild imaginations. Does my cowardly son have the courage to do this? He probably won’t even knock on the door.]
[Bet he’s hiding under the covers playing on his phone right now!]
The messages came in too quickly for Jiang Shi to keep up. The words blurred together, dancing in circles before rearranging themselves.
He squinted at the screen for a long time before piecing together what they were saying. The word “coward” stabbed deeply into his heart.
Jiang Shi couldn’t stand it anymore. He clenched his fists and threw off the blanket.
[Your Dad Is here: What if he goes to knock on the door?]
This time, everyone in the group paid attention to him, and everyone said in unison.
[Then he is our brave and honorable dad!]
[I want to listen to my future dad knocking on Xu’s door!]
The next second, a group chat call came out of the group, and Jiang Shi, who was lulled stupid by the word “Dad”, pressed the answer button without thinking.
He threw the phone into his pocket, put on his slippers, and staggered to the door of Xie Xu’s room.
Thinking that there were hundreds of group friends listening, Jiang Shi straightened his chest and slammed the door.
“Xie Xu! Open the door!”
