In the evening, Jiang Shi still couldn’t duo with Xie Xu because another person had arrived in the training room
It was TLG’s starting ADC, An.
As soon as An appeared, the atmosphere in the training room suddenly became tense, and even Jiang Lele, who usually talked non-stop while gaming, fell silent.
Jiang Shi, who was snacking on some bread to pad his stomach and preparing to start another promotion match, suddenly heard An walk over.
“Captain, want to duo-queue?”
Since they were picking heroes and the microphone was muted, Jiang Shi clearly heard An’s voice. He instinctively perked up his ears and even pulled down his headphones a bit.
He had planned to ask Xie Xu about duo-queueing after finishing his promotion match, but he kept running into odd teammates tonight, winning and losing, and this was already his fourth promotion match.
Originally, Jiang Shi was going to choose Senna because he got the first pick, giving him an 80% chance of winning.
But he didn’t expect An to also want to duo with Xie Xu and speak up before him.
Jiang Shi glanced at the time; it was already 2 AM. If An was going to duo with Xie Xu, he’d definitely be left out.
“No duo,” Xie Xu replied lightly, “I’ll sleep later.”
Jiang Shi then realized that Xie Xu hadn’t opened a new game since finishing the previous one.
He withdrew his gaze and casually moved his mouse.
‘Xu goes to bed so early? Maybe he should sleep early too and return to the dorm with others.’
As he was lost in thought, a slightly deep voice came from his left, “What are you thinking about?”
Jiang Shi was surprised that Xie Xu initiated a conversation and jumped slightly. “Ah?”
Seeing Jiang Shi’s dazed expression, Xie Xu’s lips curved slightly. “You’ve looked at me more than ten times tonight. Is there something wrong?”
Jiang Shi’s eyes widened slightly, and he blurted out, “You saw me?”
He thought he had been sneaky while Xie Xu was playing!
Xie Xu hummed in assent.
Jiang Shi thought his gaze was discreet, but he had been staring directly — sometimes watching what hero Xie Xu was playing, sometimes watching his hands, and other times just staring at him.
“There was one time you were sneaking a look at me, forgot to pick a hero, and the system automatically locked in support The Cat for you.”
“I remember that was your promotion match.”
In that match, Jiang Shi had played very intensely, with the keyboard clacking non-stop.
Jiang Shi immediately remembered the annoying teammates from that game. They couldn’t farm, had no awareness of ganks, and despite signals to retreat, they kept charging forward, thinking they could 1v5. In the end, they blamed The Cat for not giving them shields.
Jiang Shi had even forced them to AFK in the fountain.
Of course, there was no need to share these achievements with Xu. He laughed it off, saying, “It’s nothing, just a promotion match.”
Fortunately, Xie Xu didn’t ask further. He looked at Jiang Shi’s computer screen and reminded him, “The game is about to start.”
He paused for a moment, then pointed to the right corner of Jiang Shi’s mouth, “Also, you have some bread crumbs on your mouth.”
Jiang Shi instinctively licked around with his tongue.
The tongue quickly flashed, rolling the soft bread crumbs into his mouth, leaving only slightly moist pink lips.
Jiang Shi then realized he hadn’t finished his bread and stuffed the remaining half-bag into his mouth, cheeks puffed up. He choked and coughed a bit.
Just as Jiang Shi swallowed the bread, he heard the sound of a chair being pulled out next to him and turned his head to see only Xie Xu’s back.
‘Is he going to bed?’
Jiang Shi pressed his lips together, realizing he couldn’t follow since his game had just started.
However, right after clearing a wave of minions, someone suddenly placed a bottle of milk on his left side.
Xie Xu reached out, punctured the straw, and handed it to him.
So he wasn’t going to bed; he was just bringing him a drink.
Jiang Shi, caught off guard, missed a minion.
After realizing it, he quietly said thanks and then very “reservedly” drank the milk all at once.
That bread was too choking.
A few minutes later, when Jiang Shi recalled to the base to buy equipments, he noticed that Xie Xu wasn’t playing anymore. Instead, he was lazily leaning back in his chair, looking down at his phone.
Noticing Jiang Shi’s gaze, Xie Xu looked up, “What’s up?”
Jiang Shi asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
It was almost 3 AM, and Jiang Lele and the others had already yawned and left. Aside from him and Xie Xu, the training room only had An left.
Xie Xu’s fingers moved slightly as he closed the small animals that kept shaking on his screen, then responded, “I’m waiting for you.”
Jiang Shi: “Ah?”
Jiang Shi probably didn’t even realize how cute he looked every time he tilted his head and stared blankly at Xie Xu. Only the suspicious milk stains on his lips gave him a different look.
Xie Xu averted his gaze, “It’s dark at night. I’m afraid you might have trouble finding the dorm.”
Jiang Shi could tell that was just a joke.
The TLG hallways were equipped with motion-sensor lights. He had noticed that when he went to the bathroom, so it wasn’t dark at all.
Even though he wasn’t sure about Xie Xu’s intentions, Jiang Shi sped up his gameplay.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Shi succeeded in his promotion and reached the rank of Challenger.
The two of them left the training room together. As soon as they were outside, Jiang Shi saw Xie Xu’s thin sweater and asked, “Aren’t you cold?”
To keep the area ventilated, the windows at the end of the corridor outside the training room were always open, and the cold air hit them as soon as they opened the door.
Feeling the night’s chill, Jiang Shi didn’t wait for Xie Xu to answer and immediately turned back to get a jacket.
As he picked up Xie Xu’s team jacket from the back of the chair, he suddenly felt a sharp, hostile gaze.
An stood at the other end of the training room, his face cold as if Jiang Shi owed him eight million.
Jiang Shi gave him a sidelong glance, didn’t say anything, and turned to leave.
‘What a nuisance.’
—
Back in his room, after taking a shower and tidying up his clothes, Jiang Shi suddenly found the pen Xie Xu had lent him earlier in his backpack.
Xie Xu should still be awake at this hour, right?
Jiang Shi changed into a cute pink bear pajamas and, with the pen in hand, “innocently” prepared to go next door to find Xie Xu.
‘It was so late, Xie Xu might have just finished his shower too~’
As he was about to knock on Xie Xu’s door, he suddenly heard voices from the balcony at the end of the corridor.
“Captain, why was our keyboard endorsement postponed? I’m still with TLG.”
An’s voice was carried on by the wind.
Hearing the word “Captain,” Jiang Shi pressed against the wall and quietly moved closer.
Caught them red-handed!
“Captain, I know you’re still angry with me about the finals, but this isn’t just my fault.” An’s voice sounded a bit aggrieved, “ There are rumors that we’re not getting along, so I invited you to duo-queue tonight to indirectly clear up the rumors.”
He had originally planned to discuss this in the livestream with his fans, but Xie Xu had rejected him without a second thought, instead watching that Little White Hair play, which embarrassed and frustrated him.
Xie Xu leaned against the edge of the balcony, his expression indifferent, “After spending so much time together, there’s no need for you to put on an act in front of me.”
An was stunned, “Captain…”
“There’s no need to call me Captain,” Xie Xu interrupted him, “The endorsement was secured using TLG’s name. Since you’re leaving, there’s no need to renew it.”
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, “TLG isn’t a charity, and I’m not a philanthropist.”
He had delayed the signing in the morning, and by the afternoon, An had come to the main building, his intention obvious.
An grew anxious. “Captain, the endorsement would benefit both of us. Why push it back?”
The money isn’t just for him to make.
He thought of something and widened his eyes*, “TLG isn’t planning to give the contract to the new ADC, right?”
As Xie Xu was about to respond, his peripheral vision caught the glimpse of a head and pink bear slippers peeking around the corner of the corridor. He suddenly remembered that the new keyboard they were going to endorse was silver and pink.
It matched Jiang Shi very well.
Seeing that Xie Xu seemed to be tacitly agreeing, An’s face turned sour. “I’ve been with TLG for so long, and you’re just going to discard me like this?”
“Also, the finals weren’t just my mistake. Did Lele, Back, and Nine make no mistakes? You’re placing all the blame on me, isn’t this quite unfair?” An glanced at Xie Xu, unable to hold back, “Besides, Captain, you dare to say that you are without any problem?”
Jiang Shi was already quite annoyed with An, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.
He stormed out and inserted himself between the two, blocking An’s view, and coldly said, “Xu did have problems in the finals.”
“The biggest issue was that he shouldn’t have used Flash to block that wave of damage in the deciding match. It inflated your confidence, made you think you could take on three opponents alone, leading to your death and dragging Xu down with you.”
Jiang Shi had recently reviewed TLG’s matches, and of course, the finals were a key focus. An’s performance that day was worse than Jiang Lele’s as a substitute ADC—
He had shit skills and no awareness. If Jiang Shi had encountered such a teammate in his solo-queue, he would have flamed him into quitting.
How dare An come to Xu and yell at him!
An didn’t expect Jiang Shi to suddenly appear, “Who do you think you are—”
Before he could finish, Jiang Shi cut him off.
“Shh.” Jiang Shi placed a finger on his lips and made a shushing motion, “You’re disturbing my captain’s rest. Please go back to the auxiliary building, OK?”
He smiled and added, “If you’re lost, I don’t mind getting security to escort you out.”
When had An ever been overshadowed by a newcomer like this? Just as he was about to lose his temper, Xie Xu suddenly cleared his throat.
“It’s late,” Xie Xu said, looking at An, “You should go.”
Once Xie Xu spoke, even if An had more grievances, he didn’t dare to say anything further.
After An left, only Jiang Shi and Xie Xu remained in the corridor. The cold wind blew, instantly dispersing Jiang Shi’s earlier agitation.
‘Was I crazy?’
How dared he confront An like that, especially with An and Xie Xu having worked together for three years, when he just joined the team!
However, he didn’t regret it at all.
Regardless of whether Xie Xu had problems in the finals or not, An’s attitude was deserving of a scolding.
Jiang Shi always lowered his voice around Xie Xu, wanting to cherish him, but An dared to confront Xie Xu?
But he might have gone a bit too far.
“Xu, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Jiang Shi said, feeling a bit remorseful as he handed the pen he borrowed from Xie Xu back, “I just wanted to return your pen.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have interfered.”
After all, he was just an outsider.
Jiang Shi had just finished showering, his body faintly scented with mint, and his freshly dried hair was soft and fluffy, like a fluffy bunny, completely lacking the confrontational aura he had when standing up to An.
He seemed a bit down.
Xie Xu took the pen and looked at the young man before him who was apologizing with his head down. He asked, “Didn’t you sign the contract with Yuan Yang this morning?”
Jiang Shi looked up, slightly puzzled but answered honestly, “I did.”
According to Xie Xu, he had reviewed the contract and found that not only did the paper version match the electronic one, but it also included several additional benefits.
Xie Xu spun the pen elegantly on his fingertips, “Then you’re not an outsider. Feel free to speak your mind.”
Besides, the keyboard endorsement was originally for the TLG’s bot-lane duo, and Jiang Shi had the right to express his opinions.
Jiang Shi didn’t expect his thoughts to be so accurately guessed, and his eyes widened slightly.
Seeing Jiang Shi’s surprised expression, Xie Xu chuckled softly, then reached up and ruffled his wind-tousled hair, “Also, why are you calling me Xu again? Didn’t you just start addressing me differently?”
Jiang Shi suddenly remembered that he had proudly referred to Xie Xu as “my captain” in front of Xu earlier…
It was almost like he was asserting his claim.
Even though he did mean it at the time…
Feeling the teasing tone in Xie Xu’s voice, Jiang Shi’s ears turned red. He looked down at the pink bear on his shoes, mentally preparing himself before mumbling, “Captain…”
T/L:
A question:
In my mind (read: vibe), the phrase “his eyes widened” and “he widened his eyes” are completely different. The first one implied that the action was subconsciously, while the later implied that the action was purposefully done. Am I right in thinking this way?
(this also applies to many other sentences of this ilk)
