After greeting everyone, Jiang Shi realized that they were all staring at him.
Especially Jiang Lele, who looked at his reddened ears as if he had seen a ghost. “You didn’t greet us like that.”
Facing them, Jiang Shi smiled like a robot and spoke fluently.
But when facing Xie Xu, Jiang Shi’s short greeting felt as difficult as confessing to a crush.
Jiang Lele glanced at Jiang Shi’s hat and the jacket over his sweatshirt, suddenly understanding. “Are you my brother’s fan?”
Yuan Yang also looked over. “That’s a limited edition hat. It sold out immediately when it was released.”
Jiang Lele noticed a familiar item on Jiang Shi’s backpack. “He also has the captain’s FMVP skin Snowman plushie!” This quickly connected the dots for him, making him remember a previous incident. He puffed up indignantly, “There was someone who bought that plushie at the merchandise store, and the captain gave up the last one for him. Then he immediately asked the sales clerk if he could cut off the tag!”
Jiang Lele looked at Jiang Shi, his tone halting. “Come to think of it, you do look a lot like that person.”
During the last trial, Jiang Shi hadn’t worn a hat, and the shock from the pink bunny ears had distracted Jiang Lele, preventing him from making the connection.
Jiang Lele tilted his head, scrutinizing the Snowman plushie on Jiang Shi’s backpack from an awkward angle.
It was clean and undamaged.
Feeling relieved, he sighed, “I thought you were a fake fan pretending to be a real one to deceive the captain!”
Understanding everything made Jiang Shi’s heart tremble.
How could he have known he’d run into TLG members at the merchandise store?
However, he showed no reaction, calmly saying, “I truly am a fan of Xu. I came to TLG because of him.”
Yuan Yang didn’t doubt him at all and looked at the other party involved. “You’re just sitting there watching. Can’t you set a better example? You’re always teasing him, making Jiang Shi nervous.”
Every time Jiang Shi met Xie Xu, he would become tongue-tied.
Before Xie Xu could speak, Jiang Shi quickly interjected, “It’s not Xu’s fault. I just haven’t been out in a while, so I’m not used to it.”
Despite appearing timid, Jiang Shi was mentally calculating his words. His statement not only defended Xie Xu but also reinforced his image as a homebody, contrasting sharply with the troublemaker who almost started a fight and wanted to cut the tag off TLG merchandise. Even if they looked similar, the difference in behavior would prevent any connection.
Indeed, Jiang Shi’s words had the intended effect.
“It seems that he’s a genuine fan,” Jiang Lele commented, clicking his tongue. “The captain hasn’t even spoken, and he’s already feeling protective.”
Finding Jiang Shi more approachable than expected, Jiang Lele asked, “Are you a fan of any other TLG members?”
He sat up straight, coughed, and awkwardly added, “Of course, I’m not talking about myself!”
Expecting some flattery from the newcomer, Jiang Shi instead replied earnestly, “Sorry, I only like Xu.”
His response was so decisive that Jiang Lele could even detect a hint of disdain!
Before Jiang Lele could react, Yuan Yang led Jiang Shi away. “Alright, now that we’ve all met, let’s head to the conference room to sign the contract.”
Yuan Yang guided him upstairs.
“The main building layout is the same as that auxiliary building – the first floor is the living room and kitchen, the second floor is the training area, and the third floor is the living quarters.” He glanced at Jiang Shi’s suitcase. “After we sign the contract, I’ll take you to your room on the third floor.”
He remembered something and smiled, “You’ll be staying next to Xu. You can ask him if you have any questions.”
Given Jiang Shi’s admiration for Xie Xu, living close by would help him integrate into TLG faster.
In the conference room, Yuan Yang handed Jiang Shi the prepared documents. As Jiang Shi took them, the door opened.
Xie Xu entered, and both Jiang Shi and Yuan Yang looked at him. Xie Xu calmly said, “Just came to see.”
He pulled out a chair and sat down.
Jiang Shi glanced at the empty seat next to Xie Xu and quickly sat there before Yuan Yang could react.
Yuan Yang was puzzled by Jiang Shi’s swift move but didn’t dwell on it. He asked Xie Xu, “Why are you here instead of catching up on sleep?”
It wasn’t their usual waking hours, they had been called up just to welcome Jiang Shi.
Xie Xu replied casually, “Just wanted to check.”
Yuan Yang couldn’t say much more and turned to Jiang Shi, who was sitting upright. “Don’t mind him, just go ahead and sign the contract.”
Jiang Shi nodded and looked around the table, realizing there was no pen. Before he could ask Yuan Yang, Xie Xu spoke up, “I have one.”
Xie Xu took out a fountain pen from his coat pocket, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Jiang Shi with the nib facing himself, “Have you read the contract?”
Jiang Shi nodded after receiving the pen, “Yang ge sent me an electronic copy before.”
He flipped to the page where he needed to sign and was about to write when a finger pressed down on the paper, shifting the contract half an inch away, preventing him from signing.
“Everything is subject to the paper contract. Read it again.”
Jiang Shi’s gaze reluctantly moved away from Xie Xu’s finger. He put down the pen and started reading the contract from the beginning.
Xie Xu’s fingertips were clean, smooth, and long, unlike the hands of someone who plays games extensively. They had a scholarly air about them.
More importantly, Xie Xu’s fingers were very long.
Jiang Shi shook his head, trying to dispel the yellow garbage1lewd/pornographic thoughts from his mind. He needed to stay focused.
Reviewing the contract took time, so Yuan Yang pulled Xie Xu to another corner of the training room, suspiciously asking, “Why are you suddenly interested in the contract?”
Xie Xu didn’t answer but asked back, “Did you just find out he’s my fan?”
Yuan Yang was about to respond, but Xie Xu cut him off.
“Lao Yuan, don’t play games with me.”
Yuan Yang: “…”
“I realized the second time he contacted me.” Yuan Yang sighed and whispered, “This silly kid said he was your fan and was willing to take a 20% pay cut for another chance.”
“I could tell he genuinely likes you.”
Xie Xu looked over at Jiang Shi, who was now without his hat, revealing light gray hair, slightly flattened from the hat. As he read the contract, he casually ran a hand through his hair, making it messy and making him look even younger.
Jiang Shi’s soft and clean profile made him look like a recent high school graduate. With no experience and no backing, volunteering for a pay cut before even joining the team would have left Jiang Shi vulnerable to exploitation.
Xie Xu’s eyes darkened, “So? Did you not only give him a substitute position but also cut his pay?”
“Do you think I’m that kind of person?” Yuan Yang replied, exasperated. “I didn’t mention the pay cut to the higher-ups. As for the substitute status, it’s standard procedure. Everyone goes through it.”
Jiang Lele had also transitioned from a substitute to a regular member.
“I know your concern. You fear the higher-ups might bully him just because he’s your fan.” Yuan Yang patted Xie Xu’s shoulder, “I’m keeping an eye to it!”
He served as the bridge between the players and the higher-ups, trying to keep both sides satisfied.
By the time Jiang Shi finished reading the contract and looked around, Xie Xu had already left.
Yuan Yang noticed him glancing towards the door and chuckled, “Don’t bother looking; they’ve all gone back to catch up on sleep. Around 3 PM, everyone will be in the training room. You can see them then.”
Jiang Shi explained, “I wanted to return Xu’s pen.”
The fountain pen Xie Xu had given him was still in his hand.
Yuan Yang replied casually, “Just give it to him next time you see him.”
Jiang Shi nodded, carefully placing the pen into his backpack.
After signing the contract, Yuan Yang took Jiang Shi to his room.
TLG, being a top-tier team, provided Jiang Shi with a bedroom as large as his previous rented apartment.
“Take your time to settle in and rest,” Yuan Yang said. “I’ve already shown you the training room, your seat is the second on the left when you enter.”
He noticed Jiang Shi’s eyes on the computer desk by the window and added, “The computer here isn’t as good as the ones in the training room, but feel free to use it.”
After Yuan Yang left, Jiang Shi unpacked and turned on the bedroom computer.
The computer, which Yuan Yang had called standard, was significantly better than Jiang Shi’s previous one.
Jiang Shi immediately downloaded Little Bear TV and started a live stream.
He knew he’d be training with the TLG team in the afternoon and evening, leaving no time to stream from his secret account.
He quickly decided on a title for the stream—
“#Living Together with Xu#”
This highly recognizable title attracted a lot of viewers.
[This stream time scared me into checking my watch.]
[Same here. This earthly time stream makes me think I entered the wrong channel.]
[Are you getting a substitute streamer now? Not showing your hands? Reported.]
Jiang Shi, seeing the comments in the chat, began to relax after the tense arrival at TLG. He crossed his legs and spoke leisurely, “Don’t doubt your Father.”
“I’m streaming at this time because I won’t be able to stream tonight. I’m doing this to keep you from missing me and spending your money on other streamers. Got it?”
His pleasant voice, even through the poor-quality microphone, quickly eased his fans’ concerns.
[Feeling good.]
[Not gonna lie, I’ve missed his streams these past few days.]
[No one else has his kind of vibe.]
[Has T Bao been busy lately? Nothing serious, right?]
Everyone knew Jiang Shi practically lived on Little Bear TV, often streaming up to the platform’s maximum limit to earn as much as he could.
[If you have something going on, just tell us. We’re not strangers.]
[Didn’t he get attacked by Xu’s girlfriend fans? His recent stream titles have been so wild it makes me shudder.]
[From secret meetings to now living together, I can’t imagine how those little sisters must be losing their minds.]
[Maybe you should change the title?]
“No,” Jiang Shi firmly said, opening a can of cola and taking a sip. The coolness rushed to his head, making him feel a lot more energetic. “Besides, who said that only wife fans are allowed to exist? As a husband fan, that felt unfair.”
This statement immediately provoked Xu fans who were just watching.
[You’re taking this too far.]
[I’ve never seen a streamer this shameless. His face is thicker than a city wall, ew.]
[Reported.]
Under the barrage of insults, Jiang Shi calmly logged into the game, queued for a match, and then responded, “How else am I supposed to get Xu if I don’t have thick skin?”
“But seeing your comments, I do get a bit sad.” He lowered his tone, sounding a bit aggrieved, “When I get sad, Xu has to come and comfort me in bed. It’s quite embarrassing.”
[6666]
[Too smooth, too smooth.]
[I was about to help him fight those people, but as soon as he opened his mouth, those people all ran away.]
Jiang Shi noticed his viewer count had dropped by a few dozen, which was a bit disappointing. “Sigh, if they’d kept posting barrages, it would’ve boosted my viewership.”
Although he hadn’t been streaming much recently, his follower count had increased significantly, albeit with some dubious fans.
But Jiang Shi wasn’t picky.
More fans meant he could negotiate a better base salary and revenue share with Little Bear TV when his current contract expired.
As he chatted with his fans and played games, time flew by, and soon it was 2 PM.
When his alarm went off, Jiang Shi ended the stream promptly, washed his face with cold water, and headed to the training room.
When he arrived, the training room was empty.
Jiang Shi found his designated spot, turned on the computer, and saw that all necessary software had already been installed. He logged into the game with his alternate account.
The Time account was tied to his streaming account and couldn’t be used openly, so he used this secondary account for now.
He had just finished a match when the door behind him opened.
Jiang Shi quickly took off his headphones, tidied his hair, and turned around, only to meet Jiang Lele’s gaze as he bit into a sausage.
Jiang Lele paused, sausage in his mouth, then offered, “You want one?”
Jiang Shi: “..”
He glanced at the bite marks on the sausage and turned back around expressionlessly, “No, thanks.”
Jiang Lele considered explaining that he could get another one from downstairs, but Jiang Shi had already put his headphones back on, clearly not wanting to talk.
He mumbled, “Cold little brat.”
After the complaints, he continued munching on the sausage while looking at his phone.
When Jiang Shi looked back, he saw the Little Bear TV logo on Jiang Lele’s phone. With his headphones on, he vaguely heard the livestreamer’s voice, which sounded somewhat familiar.
Before he could listen closely, the door to the training room opened again.
The empty chair beside him was pulled out.
Jiang Shi immediately shifted his focus from Jiang Lele’s phone and straightened his back involuntarily.
Before he could come up with a topic to start a conversation with Xie Xu, he suddenly heard Yuan Yang’s angry shout from behind, “Jiang Lele! Why are you watching his livestream again?”
Jiang Lele’s phone wobbled from the shout and almost fell to the ground.
Yu Hui quickly caught the phone before it hit the floor, “Jiang Lele, if you drop your phone again, it’ll really be ruined.”
Jiang Lele immediately took back his phone, checked it to make sure it was fine, and sighed with relief. However, when he looked up, he was met with Yuan Yang’s angry gaze.
He bit his lip and defended his favorite streamer, “He’s just talking big, not doing anything bad…”
Jiang Shi was confused by what he was seeing.
Zhao Jiu, noticing Jiang Shi’s puzzled look, explained, “This streamer is a fanatical fan of Xu and even says he wants to sleep with him. Yuan-ge is just worried that Lele might learn bad habits from him.”
“Isn’t that just plain perverted?” Jiang Shi’s fists clenched as he frowned and said, “Shouldn’t the team be dealing with someone like this? If you can’t handle it, I will.”
This guy is so shameless!
Zhao Jiu nodded, “Not only that, but he also puts things about sleeping with Xie Xu in his livestream titles and calls Xie Xu his husband in front of fans.”
Yuan Yang added, “It’s simply immoral!”
Jiang Shi was at a loss for words.
How come this guy’s behavior is so similar to his?!
Just then, Jiang Lele’s phone played the host’s voice.
“–only wife fans are allowed to exist? As a husband fan, that felt unfair.”
“When I get sad, Xu has to come and comfort me in bed.”
Jiang Shi: “……”
Oh, this shameless guy was really him.
The author has something to say:
I changed the Korean team name from YG to YB to avoid name clashes.
