“What?” Pair up with him? Yun Qi didn’t need to gain fans through some marketing gimmick like that. With his massive following, did he really need to resort to something so desperate?
Yun Qi stared at him in complete bewilderment. To put it bluntly, he almost thought Yu Jin had lost his mind.
Yu Jin caught the full range of emotions flickering across his face—shock above all else. His own posture slumped a little as he averted his gaze. “Just kidding.”
Yun Qi gripped the back of his chair, unable to grasp the punchline of this so-called joke.
“KRO doesn’t need to stoop to that kind of sacrifice,” Yu Jin explained. “If it did, the team would’ve disbanded ages ago. The players would get booted before the hype even caught on. You don’t need to worry about that sort of thing here.”
Yun Qi had no intention of faking a romance for clout, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. He’d been young and foolish once, falling for sweet-talk and empty promises of gain, but no longer. He’d never expected Yu Jin to suggest something like that, though. If it had been anyone else, it would’ve been a hard pass. But with Yu Jin? Everything changed. He had to admit, for a fleeting moment, he’d been thrilled. Eager, even. Because it was Yu Jin. Teaming up with him for the world to see would be an honor. Hell, he’d shout it from the rooftops—fake or not.
Yu Jin as his boyfriend? The whole world thinking that? He could live with it.
That spark of excitement lasted all of two seconds before cold reality doused it. It was just a joke. Yu Jin wasn’t serious. Yun Qi pushed his chair back toward his seat, a hint of resentment creeping into his voice. “…Not funny.”
Yu Jin glanced sideways. The slim figure wheeled the chair away, looking annoyed—or was it disappointed?
Yun Qi returned Jiu Ke’s chair and settled back into his own spot. One of the substitutes across from him leaned over. “Yun Qi.”
Yun Qi’s emotions were still a tangled mess. He quickly schooled his expression before looking up, hesitating as he asked, “Yeah? What’s up?”
The substitute was Pan Feng, Chang Shu’s backup shooter. They’d added each other as friends yesterday. He had that wide-eyed look of a total fanboy. “You get your account sorted? Wanna queue up together?”
“Just a sec,” Yun Qi said.
He checked his messages. Yu Jin hadn’t sent the new account details yet. Yun Qi shook his head at Pan Feng and murmured, “Give me a bit longer.”
Pan Feng sat back down. “Hit me up when you’re good to go.”
Yun Qi nodded.
He fired off a message to Yu Jin: New account ready yet?
【Playing with Pan Feng?】
Yu Jin had overheard. Those ears of his were sharp.
【Can’t I?】
As soon as he hit send, Yun Qi realized how those three words came across—not as the innocent question he’d intended, but with a defiant edge. Like, “What’s your problem? Got an issue with that?”
He scrambled to backpedal, typing furiously.
【Finally someone wants to play with me. I’m bored solo. It’s fine to team with him, right, Captain Yu?】
He sent it, then cringed. Reading it back, it sounded way too whiny and coquettish. “Finally someone wants to play with me. Can I join him, Captain Yu~?”
Especially that last bit. Anyone else could call him “Captain Yu” without it sounding off, but coming from him? It felt awkward as hell. Yun Qi itched to unsend, maybe chop off those last two words—but Yu Jin replied first.
【Sure.】
Yun Qi’s fingers froze over the keyboard.
Just two simple words, yet his mind twisted them into something indulgent: “Go ahead, baby. Have your fun. Hubby’s giving permission.” He had to be losing it. Why was he imagining Yu Jin saying it like that?
Oh, right. It wasn’t coming out of nowhere. That was how things used to be. Yu Jin holding him close, nipping at his earlobe as he murmured, “Baby, spread your legs.” They’d played those kinds of games back then, Yun Qi totally immersed, shamelessly lost in the roleplay.
Yu Jin wasn’t the type to toss around pet names like “baby” or “sweetheart.” He didn’t seem into it. But Yun Qi loved hearing them. He’d nuzzle into Yu Jin’s shoulder and purr, “Hubby.” He craved something even more intimate in return. Instead, Yu Jin had just blinked in surprise, hands on his waist. “What did you call me?”
Yun Qi had mumbled, blushing furiously, “Hubby…”
Yu Jin brushed his ear. “Then what should I call you—”
“Not wifey,” Yun Qi cut in, pressing a finger to his lips. His eyes were flushed, wide and vulnerable. He burrowed into Yu Jin’s chest. “Call me baby…”
Why had he been so fixated on that childish nickname? Maybe because every other couple used it? Yun Qi couldn’t remember anymore.
Point was, Yu Jin had been the perfect gentleman. Yun Qi was the shameless one. Intimacy Starvation Syndrome turned him into a ravenous little beast whenever they were together. He’d play it cool on the surface, all restraint and poise, but the first time Yu Jin’s hand had ventured lower? Yun Qi was the one who’d guided it there. He could still picture Yu Jin’s eyes—wide with shock that his boyfriend could be so bold.
To put it bluntly, Yun Qi loved being toyed with by Yu Jin—and once it started, it was impossible to stop. Though a thin thread in his mind warned him not to cross that final line, he and Yu Jin had savored every shade of ambiguity short of going all the way. Even if Yu Jin had been the epitome of a gentleman back then, he couldn’t hold out forever against a boyfriend who knew just how to tease and coax. Before long, the two of them were caught up in a whirlwind of passion that was no less intense than the real deal.
Every time they met in private, Yun Qi would come home drenched and flushed, his face burning red. The thrill of the forbidden was at its peak—the terror of his parents finding out clashing with the wild abandon he felt in his boyfriend’s arms, driving him to the edge of madness. No one knew that the model student everyone praised harbored such a depraved inner world. He craved intimacy, the press of bodies entwined, the raw touch of skin on skin, the storm of lovemaking, the exquisite torment of being dominated and ravaged. Being around Yu Jin amplified those desires endlessly, tormenting Yun Qi until he thought he’d lose his mind.
Back when he’d been cornered in that classroom, Yun Qi hadn’t just felt fear. There was something else—a twisted hope that his assailant would throw caution to the wind, shatter him completely, pin his throat and claim him with desperate, unrelenting force, making his shameful urges feel justified by sheer coercion. From that moment, Yun Qi had known… he wasn’t normal.
He was sick in the head, a dark, lust-driven mess unfit for polite society.
His illness was the kind he couldn’t confess to his family, his friends, or even his boyfriend of such short acquaintance. He hid it from everyone, clinging to the facade of a normal person.
Only Yu Jin had seen his ugliest side, the unfiltered truth—lewd, debauched, utterly depraved. Yun Qi figured his first relationship must have been a nightmare for Yu Jin. Normal couples took things slow, step by step, but Yun Qi had always pushed him to whisper filthy words and do things no one their age should even know about.
How did Yu Jin really see him?
Had there ever been a flicker of disgust? Yun Qi couldn’t bear to dwell on it.
“Still not ready?” Pan Feng stood up and asked.
Yun Qi snapped out of his daze and glanced at the screen. Yu Jin had already sent over the account details—and had been waiting for a while. He copied the info and told Pan Feng, “All set.”
He switched accounts, logged into the freshly authenticated pro account, tweaked the settings to match his playstyle and habits. No need to add teammates one by one; the whole Shanghai KRO roster was already friended. He checked the champions—full skins across the board, shiny and new, giving him that fresh-start vibe.
But what about the nickname? He’d abandoned “Qiluo” for good and couldn’t think of anything clever on the spot, so he temporarily typed in “Milk Cap,” borrowing the trial trainee account’s name as a placeholder. It didn’t matter much; no pro player had claimed it yet, so it locked in without duplicates. Nickname set, Yun Qi queued up with Pan Feng.
Pan Feng joined the lobby and whistled at the new ID. “Whoa, fresh account.”
Yun Qi hit start, and the system began matchmaking.
Pan Feng glanced at the nickname. “Any meaning behind the name?”
Yun Qi shrugged. “Nah, couldn’t come up with anything original. Just borrowing someone else’s brainpower.”
Pan Feng chuckled, finding his phrasing amusing. “Milk Cap—kinda cute. But it lacks that killer edge.”
Killer edge, huh? Yun Qi mulled it over and had to agree.
Pan Feng went on, “You’re the daddy of top lane. You need something fierce to match. Take Rong Rong’s name—’Little Support’ is adorable.”
Yun Qi replied, “A name’s just a label. Doesn’t need edge if the summoner brings it.”
Pan Feng nodded. “Fair point.”
The new account drew eyes the moment they loaded in. The enemy chat lit up.
【Treading the Wind[Water Moon Princess]: KRO youth trainee?】
【Severing Ties[Siren]: Huh? Matched against pros again?】
【Watch the Moon with You[Specter]: KRO’s got a new face? Never seen that ID before.】
【Wase[Red Ghost]: Shivering. This name screams ‘pig to eat the tiger.】
Barely two minutes later, first blood rang out on top lane, the announcement electrifying. Pan Feng dragged his cursor up there. “That was fast.”
Yun Qi, not wanting to disturb anyone, murmured, “He was playing way too aggressive.”
【Wase[Red Ghost]: Called it—total sandbagger.】
【Wase[Red Ghost]: Go easy on me, pro big bro. It’s my promo.】
【Shanghai KRO Milk Cap[Wind Hidden]: Sure. Don’t overextend—just play clean.】
【Wase[Red Ghost]: Starry eyes.】
Pan Feng caught the exchange and burst out laughing. “This Red Ghost guy’s pretty cute.”
Yun Qi was playing Wind Hidden, a matchup with no hard counters against Red Ghost—each had their strengths, so it all came down to mechanics. After taking Red Ghost’s first blood at the start, the enemy stayed hidden under the tower, missing out on a ton of last hits.
Yun Qi was scratching his head over it when a chat message popped up.
【Wase[Red Ghost]: Wait till big bro finishes eating before you chow down on me】
Pan Feng shook his head with a laugh.
After clearing the minion wave, Yun Qi stopped messing around on top lane. In high-elo games, there were no bushes to hide in, so no point ganking. He pinged the attack signal and teamed up with their mid laner to take down the enemy Water Moon Princess.
They got the kill, but Yun Qi ate some tower shots tanking for the team and went down with her.
【Want to Fall in Love[Meila]: Aaaah sorry pro bro! I didn’t mean to!】
The coordination wasn’t perfect. Towers prioritize units that damage your own heroes, and Yun Qi had opened up on Water Moon Princess first. Meila must’ve panicked that the low-health enemy would escape, so she flashed in under the tower, landed her skills for the kill—and yoinked Yun Qi’s health pack in the process.
It was that last bit that did him in. Yun Qi’s Wind Hidden crumpled under the tower.
Meila quickly turned on her mic, and a high-pitched loli voice burst through: “Sorry, big bro! I’m really sorry! I swear I didn’t mean it—I was just scared she’d get away! Sorry, sorry!”
【Shanghai KRO Milk Cap[Wind Hidden]: No worries.】
Promotion series? Her attitude was surprisingly sweet.
Yun Qi respawned and headed back to top. Pan Feng was farming nicely in bot and messaged him: “Five more minutes, and the whole map’s gonna revolve around me.”
Five minutes later, Yun Qi’s side had a slight edge. Bot’s first tower was down, and the team piled into mid to push.
Their jungler had other ideas, though, stubbornly invading instead. Yun Qi spotted the enemy icons heading jungle-ward and rotated over to back him up. Moments later, their jungler died to Red Ghost. The kill feed lit up, and everyone realized the enemy Red Ghost was popping off with three kills already.
The real pig who’d been eating tigers was right there.
Pan Feng chimed in: “Whoa, Red Ghost’s got three kills already? Missed that.”
Yun Qi glanced over: “Me neither.”
He’d been rotating between mid and jungle without fixating on Red Ghost, who had solid map awareness and used the time to farm up. Now their gold was even with Yun Qi’s—heck, even twenty gold ahead.
