Chapter 26

By the early morning hours, the first team also learned about Carrier Pigeon’s situation.

Qin Baotian and Yan Xiu hadn’t been called to the manager’s office for a talk. Both had ended their streams. Qin Baotian was absentmindedly selling collectibles and gear from his stash for Haf Coins while chatting with Yan Xiu. “Heard about this before, with the Wolves. Parents disagreeing with their kid playing competitively, forcefully coming to take them away. Didn’t expect it to happen here at OLG.”

Yan Xiu hadn’t interacted much with Carrier Pigeon. The first and academy teams were in separate training rooms, two floors apart. They only occasionally saw each other when grabbing snacks from the kitchen; otherwise, all they heard were the faint sounds of each other’s games from a distance.

Qin Baotian continued, “Usually, families that don’t allow their kids to go pro are the ones with decent conditions. From what Sister Hua says, Carrier Pigeon’s family isn’t well-off either. Why are they so insistent on him not going pro? He can make money.”

Yan Xiu asked, “His family conditions aren’t good?”

Qin Baotian replied, “Sister Hua said his parents work in Shenzhen. They found out he took a leave of absence and immediately contacted Carrier Pigeon, but he ignored them. So they sent a private message to our official TikTok account and contacted us. Now they’ve bought train tickets from Shenzhen to come here. If his parents left home to work, their situation probably isn’t great… Ah, gotta fill out the form, fill out the form!”

Yan Xiu also clicked on the document CatClaw had sent in the group chat. Dense text immediately filled his phone screen.

Full name, date of birth, home address, religious beliefs, detailed parent information, contact information…

Yan Xiu’s gaze paused on the ‘detailed parent information and contact information’ section for a few seconds. His expression was calm, his eyes lowered as he began filling out the form.

After finishing, Yan Xiu sent the document to CatClaw.

CatClaw sent a reply.

【Received! Huarong will contact you later.】

“Show, what about your parents? They probably won’t interfere with your gaming, right?” Qin Baotian leaned sideways, looking around his monitor at the youth across from him. “Besides Carrier Pigeon, you’re the youngest in OLG.”

Yan Xiu shook his head. “They won’t interfere.”

Qin Baotian lazily leaned back in his gaming chair. “Other than you and Carrier Pigeon, everyone else at OLG has been at the club for over two years. I make so much money every year, my parents practically worship me. Carrier Pigeon is just academy team, so it’s not too bad. It’s a disaster if it happens to a first-team starter like the Wolves last year—getting screwed over by family.”

When signing the contract, Yan Xiu had read it carefully. The club truly held no power over a player’s decision not to compete.

If a player wanted to go pro, the club had plenty of tricks up its sleeve. If a player didn’t want to play and just slacked off, the club was really helpless. It wasn’t even a breach of contract.

After playing two more matches, Yan Xiu occasionally checked his phone. No messages from Huarong.

By 2 AM, Qin Baotian also returned to his room. Yan Xiu was left alone in the training room. The clicking and tapping of his mouse echoed hollowly in the empty space. He picked up his phone again.

Dong dong—

Yan Xiu looked back.

Bai Wei, left hand in his pocket, right hand still resting on the doorframe. Long arms and legs, standing by the door, he looked incredibly tall. From a distance, he glanced at Yan Xiu’s monitor. “Still haven’t finished this match?”

Yan Xiu: “I can take the drop-backpack extraction.”

Bai Wei walked over and pulled out Rose’s chair to sit. His voice stretched out. “Hm… no need. Finish this match.”

Guessing something, Yan Xiu nodded and turned back to his game.

He couldn’t extract this match.

Yan Xiu had taken on a squad in the CEO Office. Just as he team-wiped them, another Shield Dog squad charged up from the other side of the CEO Office. He didn’t have time to repair his armor. Caught off guard, the enemies executed a double jump-peek, two separate sightlines. Locked down hard, not a single chance was given.

Yan Xiu removed his headphones. “Hungry for supper, God D?”

Bai Wei paused.

Yan Xiu asked, “Didn’t you order supper?”

Bai Wei suddenly laughed. “We’ll eat when we get back. Want to take a walk outside?”

Late August in Shanghai, the summer night air was humid. But without the direct sun, occasional gusts of evening wind didn’t feel stifling.

The OLG base was in a residential compound with lush vegetation. A few lonely frog croaks came from the man-made lake at the compound’s center. Among the tree shadows, the drone of cicadas was deafening.

Yan Xiu followed Bai Wei out the villa’s front door. He walked a few steps before the person in front turned around. “Walking so slow?”

Yan Xiu paused, then caught up and walked beside him.

Bai Wei pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He’d just taken out his lighter, not yet lit it, when he remembered someone was beside him. Holding the cigarette between his fingers, he shoved it back into his pocket.

“Heard about Carrier Pigeon?”

“Mm.” Yan Xiu’s voice was quiet, carrying an alluring quality in the night.

Bai Wei couldn’t help but glance at him, his fingers in his pocket tightening, crushing some tobacco strands.

Bai Wei collected his thoughts. “Huarong is in charge of verifying the info all the players submitted, confirming whether everyone can continue to compete properly. She’ll contact each player’s parents. If that’s inconvenient, she contacts their actual guardian.” He paused. “Your info form—I had CatClaw give it to me. It didn’t pass through Huarong’s hands.”

Yan Xiu finally understood the true purpose of this outing.

Walking casually, Yan Xiu looked at the flagstone path. His voice was calm. “My info form shouldn’t have any problems.”

Bai Wei stopped. “You mean because both your parents are deceased?”

Yan Xiu also stopped walking.

The phone call Yan Xiu had taken in the fifth-floor bathroom back then—both of them knew about it. If Bai Wei hadn’t coincidentally overheard his conversation, he wouldn’t have suddenly offered to lend money.

Yet.

Yan Xiu nodded lightly. “Yes, my parents are deceased.”

Bai Wei: “…?”

Under the bright moonlight, the youth’s features were cold and clear. Very seriously, he said, “I really am an orphan. Everything on the info form is the truth.”

Bai Wei slowly froze. The cigarette in his pocket was completely crushed.

…

“When I was six, my mom had an accident—a car accident. She passed away. A year later, my dad took a job repairing someone’s roof. The cement truck backing up didn’t notice him… he also passed.” The youth’s voice was neither light nor heavy, simply stating facts. “The ‘Dad’ you heard me call before… is my adoptive father.”

These events were too far in the past; he was so young then. Yan Xiu indeed didn’t have many strong emotions about it anymore.

Yan Xiu continued, “When I was eight, my adoptive mother picked me out at the orphanage and took me in. When I was 17, her chronic kidney disease worsened. No suitable kidney donor was found in time, and she passed away. My adoptive father later started a new family. We haven’t had much contact since.”

He paused. “My adoptive father isn’t going to come contacting me now. Even if he didn’t want me to compete, I’m 18 now. He couldn’t do anything about it. So, what happened with Carrier Pigeon won’t happen to me.”

A cool breeze gently brushed the youth’s cheek. The moonlight illuminated a strikingly handsome face.

Yan Xiu had experienced many people’s sympathy growing up: schoolteachers, some kind-hearted classmates. There were also some insensitive classmates who’d joke about his family situation, but with so many people, it felt unreal, lacking true impact.

Later, when he got good at Honor of Kings, classmates would beg him to play with them. Such mockery-based discrimination became even rarer.

Yan Xiu’s voice was low. “If you need to contact my adoptive father… his attitude might not be great, but you can contact him. I can send his phone number to the club.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The two started walking back.

After a long while, Bai Wei suddenly asked, “Want some supper?”

~

Tonight’s supper was ordered by Yan Xiu. He chose the same claypot congee place Bai Wei had ordered from last time.

Even in Shanghai, the takeout available past midnight was mostly heavy-flavored BBQ or crayfish. Only claypot congee was relatively light and easy on the stomach.

When they grabbed the delivery, the academy team was still around.

Carrier Pigeon sat on the sofa in the first-floor living room, his eyes red and swollen, his breathing punctuated by sobs.

The academy’s Tao Shi, Superman, a few others, all surrounded him.

Seeing Bai Wei arrive, several of them hurriedly stood up. Even Carrier Pigeon stiffened, getting up to greet him.

Holding the takeout, Bai Wei thought for a moment, then led Yan Xiu to the second-floor training room.

After they left, talking resumed in the living room. Carrier Pigeon couldn’t hold back his tears. Tao Shi and the others cursed loudly, but it was useless.

Before entering the training room, Yan Xiu heard Tao Shi’s voice, hoarse, as if drained of all strength, saying, “Then at KTV in the future… without you, no one will sing as well…”

In the training room, Yan Xiu unwrapped the takeout while queuing up for a match.

Bai Wei’s scalp tingled at his diligence. He opened WeChat, found CatClaw, and sent him a photo of Yan Xiu’s back.

CatClaw was still awake.

【I’m dealing with Carrier Pigeon’s stuff. What are you implying?】

【Good-looking, isn’t he?】

CatClaw just sent: 【???】

CatClaw: 【Even if he’s good-looking, it has nothing to do with you.】

Danger: 【It has everything to do with me.】

【?】

【Young Master, the CP fans say you two are meant for each other. But Show hasn’t said that [Amitabha Buddha knocking wooden fish]】

Bai Wei scoffed and ignored him.

Yan Xiu had already entered the game. He went straight to the CEO Office, holding an angle while listening for movement, sneaking bites of takeout in between.

Bai Wei sat in Rose’s chair, positioned slightly behind, observing the person beside him from the back.

The loose gray T-shirt was slightly oversized, but the neckline revealed just enough: finely sculpted collarbones receding into the shadows of the fabric. From behind, Yan Xiu was lean and delicate, every line seemingly precisely sculpted. The dark hair falling on his nape contrasted with his skin, pale to the point of transparency.

Bai Wei’s gaze darkened. He set down his utensils, propped his chin on his hand, and stared, unblinking.

Yan Xiu had just started peeling a freshwater shrimp when footsteps suddenly sounded in his headphones. He hurriedly put down the shrimp, his fingers now covered in sauce. He wanted to grab a napkin to wipe them clean, but the tissue box on the desk was empty.

“You eat.”

Bai Wei’s chair rolled closer.

Yan Xiu looked back at him.

Bai Wei lifted the headphones off Yan Xiu’s head. His voice was casual, the corner of his lip curling. “I’ll take over.”

Yan Xiu averted his gaze, pushing back to hand over the mouse and keyboard, then picked up the shrimp and continued peeling.

Now he sat behind Bai Wei, watching OLG-Danger easily lock down routes with Luna’s utility. With near-perfect utility usage and godlike gunplay, within a minute, he wiped an entire three-man squad.

Yan Xiu stared at the sharp line of the other’s jaw for a long time. By the time Bai Wei fully cleared the map, he snapped out of it.

In the quiet training room, Yan Xiu suddenly stood up.

The sound of his chair moving made Bai Wei look back. His gaze traveled upward, just meeting the youth’s clear eyes. Yan Xiu had already reached out.

Holding the headphones by both sides, Yan Xiu moved very slowly. His clean fingers, seemingly by accident, gently brushed past the sharp brow above those white locks as he retrieved the headphones from Bai Wei.

The training room’s air conditioning hummed.

The cool fingertips brushed across his brow, faintly, almost imperceptibly. Bai Wei froze.

He looked up.

Yan Xiu’s coldly handsome face was slightly lowered, his expression very calm. Quietly, he said, “Thanks, God D.”