Chapter 43 Part 5

Yun Qi shot him a glance. Ziwu had all the makings of a spoiled rich kid—playboy vibes without losing that innate air of refinement. Every move he made carried a certain allure, but it did nothing to tug at Yun Qi’s heartstrings.

“Your ex-captain’s not going to let you off the hook,” Ziwu said. “He’s probably got plans to make you regret it. Want me to loop in Brother Jin when we get back? He won’t just stand by.”

Yun Qi replied, “Does he even want to manage me anymore? You stirred up all this tension between us, and now you’re constantly bringing him up. Hardly innocent intentions.”

Ziwu tapped the table. “Guilty as charged. I think the way you two are right now is pretty entertaining. You like each other but can’t get close—don’t you enjoy that kind of flirtatious tension? I’ve been hooked on it since I was a kid.”

“Never have, never will,” Yun Qi said. Steam rose from his untouched coffee; not even enough time had passed for a cup of tea, and the whole deal had fallen apart. “I prefer emotions that are clear-cut. It’s just that I’m stuck dealing with him for a while longer. That day, he said… he only sees me as a teammate, told me not to read too much into it. I thought… ah, forget it.”

At some point, Ziwu had lit a cigarette. Moments later, a staff member approached to remind him that smoking wasn’t allowed. Ziwu stubbed it out with an apology.

By the time Yun Qi returned to the base, a torrential downpour was lashing the ground. After days of clear skies, the weather had soured once more.

Ziwu didn’t come back with him, claiming he had plans with someone else. Yun Qi didn’t press and headed in alone.

Thunder cracked and lightning tore through the night sky, booming in his ears amid rolling peals that set the villa abuzz.

Yun Qi was in his room, fresh from a shower, when he caught the sounds of commotion in the hallway—people pacing back and forth, voices murmuring indistinctly.

He set down the hairdryer, slipped into his pajamas, and stepped out to open the door. There stood Chen Wen and Lao Xun, along with two unfamiliar men, huddled in conversation.

“What’s going on?” Yun Qi asked.

Lao Xun replied, “Did we wake you?”

Yun Qi shook his head. “No, I just got out of the shower. Haven’t gone to bed yet.”

Chen Wen chimed in, “It’s nothing. Captain Yu had a bit too much to drink, so we just brought him back. Pouring rain out there, and it’s chilly at night—stay warm.”

Yun Qi glanced toward Yu Jin’s room, latching onto the key details. “Captain Yu… got drunk?”

Chen Wen had a cigarette pinched between his fingers. “Haven’t there been all these team dinners the past couple days? Oh, right—Boss Xu flew back from Shenzhen and footed the bill for a big meal. No worries; a bunch of us overdid it. Sleep it off, and it’ll be fine. Head back to bed.”

Yun Qi nodded and eased the door shut.

But he didn’t walk away. Instead, he leaned against it, eavesdropping on the group outside.

Yu Jin had been heading out constantly lately. Yun Qi had heard it was because the Big Boss was hosting dinners he couldn’t skip, which explained the frequent whiff of alcohol on him. It probably had nothing to do with Yun Qi himself—Chen Wen had said plenty of others got hammered too, not just him.

That all made perfect sense. With Yu Jin back, KRO’s overall performance was bound to climb. Before the International Tournament, as a show of encouragement, Boss Xu had organized a team dinner. On top of that, the two of them had their own private dealings, so it was only natural for Yu Jin to go drinking with him.

But Yun Qi still couldn’t shake his unease.

The thunderstorm outside hadn’t let up. Yun Qi waited five minutes before the noises in the hallway finally died down. He opened his door to find the corridor deserted—Chen Wen and the others were gone.

Yun Qi stepped out of his room and headed down to the one at the end of the hall. His hand rested on the doorknob, and he turned it easily. But before pushing the door open, he hesitated, wrestling with himself in the dead quiet of the night. In the end, worry won out. He pushed the door open.

He had never been inside Yu Jin’s room before.

The room was dim, lit only briefly by flashes of lightning. Yu Jin must have drunk a lot—Yun Qi caught the sharp scent of alcohol the moment he stepped inside. He looked up and spotted the man lying on the bed not far away.

Yun Qi turned back, closed the door, and stood there for a couple of seconds. Then he reached down and slid the inner lock into place.

Only then did he relax and walk over to the bedside.

Yu Jin hadn’t even taken off his jacket. The night air was chilly, and after drinking, he needed to stay warm. Yun Qi noticed how his shirt had ridden up, exposing a strip of waist. He grabbed the blanket from nearby and draped it over Yu Jin.

Yu Jin was out cold. Yun Qi saw that he still had his shoes on, so he knelt down, untied the laces, and slipped them off. He wanted to adjust Yu Jin’s position—his legs were dangling off the edge of the bed, his body twisted awkwardly. Whoever had dropped him off must have just dumped him there and left.

But maneuvering someone as tall as Yu Jin—easily over six feet—was no easy task, especially for Yun Qi’s slighter build. He managed to shift him toward the center of the bed as best he could and gave up. Tucking the blanket around him snugly, Yun Qi stood to fetch a glass of hot water. Suddenly, a warm hand clamped around his wrist, yanking him onto the bed with surprising force.

Yun Qi tumbled down. Yu Jin pulled him into his arms, the cold metal zipper of the jacket pressing against Yun Qi’s cheek. He startled, but when he looked up, Yu Jin’s eyes were still closed.

Unsure what to make of it, Yun Qi caught another wave of alcohol fumes. His heart pounded wildly as he pressed a hand to Yu Jin’s chest and asked cautiously, “Are you… awake?”

Yu Jin didn’t respond, but his grip was firm and deliberate. They were pressed front to front, Yun Qi trapped in his embrace. With no answer forthcoming, Yun Qi let out a quiet breath of relief.

Yu Jin reeked of booze—heavy and potent. Yun Qi didn’t mind the smell of cigarettes, but alcohol was another story. Still, he didn’t push away. Struggling against a drunk was pointless, and those arms locked around him from behind felt dangerously strong.

“Why’d you drink so much?” Yun Qi murmured. “Even wining and dining the big boss doesn’t mean you have to go this hard.”

Yu Jin didn’t stir. He seemed to have drifted off again.

Yun Qi tilted his head up to study his face—the face that had haunted his thoughts for years, now right there under his eyelids, so close he could touch it. And for once, he didn’t have to hold back. Being drunk was a blessing, spurring Yun Qi’s boldness. He gave in to his impulses, his fingers brushing Yu Jin’s lip corner, the tip of his nose, his cheek.

Remembering the distance between them these past few days, the unhappy parting that night, Yun Qi’s chest tightened with pent-up frustration. Seizing the moment while Yu Jin was drunk, he let his true feelings spill out. Recalling the anger in Yu Jin’s eyes that day, he traced his eye corner and whispered, “Do you think I want to just hand you over to someone else? I like you. How could I bear to…? I don’t like how things are now either, but I have no choice. Someone’s afraid I’ll distract you. I didn’t know your insomnia was that bad, and I’m scared of hurting you again. I’m not a mature lover. I’m not steadfast. I’m flawed—I know that. Forgive me. Right now, I just want you to focus entirely on the Grand Tournament, okay?”

Yun Qi’s thumb gently swept over Yu Jin’s eye corner. “I know you’re mad at me. Be angry if you want—it’s fine. I hate myself for overthinking, for not being bold enough. I’ve always been this indecisive. But I promise you this: after the International Tournament ends, I’ll tell you everything. Why we broke up, how I feel about you now. Whether you want me or not, I’ll lay it all out. No more secrets, no matter what.”

His eyes grew misty, the alcohol fumes going to his head. “Then you can decide. If you want to start a new life, I’ll support you. I want you to succeed in love and career alike. Your teammates adore you, but I’ll love you even more. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there. If you don’t, I’ll leave—as compensation. You can do whatever you want with me. Even… toy with me. It doesn’t matter.”

Thunder rumbled in his ears while ragged breaths filled the room. After Yun Qi finally voiced those words, it felt like a weight lifted from his chest. Yu Jin’s body burned hot against him, stirring wicked impulses from the depths of Yun Qi’s heart. If he lingered any longer, things were bound to spiral out of control. He pushed himself up, trying to stand, but the arms wrapped around him refused to let go.

He’d barely shifted when strong hands yanked him back into that embrace before he could pull away. The intimate press of breath and heat made Yun Qi’s head swim. The harder he struggled to escape, the tighter the hold became. Sweat slicked his palms, scattering his thoughts. In a rush of panic, he pleaded, “Let me go, let me go…”

Far from releasing him, Yu Jin buried his face in Yun Qi’s shoulder. A cool cheek brushed against his scorching ear, and Yun Qi felt the fire within him blaze hotter, searing through his very core.

“You like me… do you like me, Brother?” Yun Qi babbled incoherently. Beyond the sharp tang of alcohol, he caught that intoxicating hormone scent he’d craved night after night—Yu Jin’s unique aroma, one only he could detect.

Yun Qi burrowed deeper into the embrace. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed, shattering the fragile threads of his reason. He climbed upward, drawing close to capture Yu Jin’s lips in a kiss. Rationality slammed back into him like alarm bells, shredding his nerves. Abruptly, his expression darkened again. He pecked Yu Jin’s lips twice more, soft as a thief, then settled back into the crook of his arm.

His throat parched like a fish dying of thirst, Yun Qi felt Yu Jin’s palm press firmly against his spine. He lifted one leg, his slipper tumbling to the floor. Rolling onto his side to face Yu Jin squarely, he guided that hand lower down his back.

“Touch me,” he murmured, his mind hazy. He knew exactly what he was doing, yet he couldn’t stop himself from tumbling into the storm’s roar. “Touch me, Brother… Brother Jin…”