Chapter 35

“Yeah, I recommended you to CatClaw.” Bai Wei answered very quickly.

Yan Xiu didn’t expect him to admit it so directly. He asked subconsciously, “Why me?”

Delta Force was the hottest, most popular game right now. There were plenty of powerful new pro players who had just turned 18. OLG’s previous substitute, Little Gun, was quite good. After going to Chaoge as a Starter, his strength was fully realized, and his results were evident for all to see.

But Bai Wei paused, looking down at him.

The elevator light was dim and yellowish, hazy. The young man’s thin lips were pressed together, just like always. Bai Wei stared for a moment, then suddenly laughed. He followed up, saying, “Yeah, why was it you…” He let the sound trail off, as if genuinely pondering the question.

Yan Xiu looked at the speaker, about to speak.

But Bai Wei had already arrived at an answer. “You’re very strong. Your teamwork is also excellent. Why wouldn’t it be you?”

Yan Xiu silently watched him, not saying a word.

Bai Wei only curled his lips at him. But after a long, silent, mutual gaze, the smile on his lips gradually faded.

The elevator crawled upward, floor by floor. Occupied by the massive package, both of them were slightly turned sideways, their shoulders pressed tightly together.

Finally, it reached the fifth floor. The elevator chimed “Ding” as the doors opened.

After a long moment.

Bai Wei bent down to lift the large box. But Yan Xiu’s hand beat him to it, pressing down on the other side of the box. His fingertips brushed against the back of Bai Wei’s hand. The coolness of his skin made Bai Wei pause. He looked up again.

The motion-sensor lights in the stairwell outside the fifth floor flickered on at the sound. Yan Xiu’s face was silhouetted against the light, hidden in shadow. He said, “Let me help, God D.” As he spoke, he was already lifting the huge box to move it out.

The box looked huge, but actually wasn’t too heavy. It wasn’t strenuous for an adult man. But his slender frame paired with such a large box, his back looking so lonely, gave off a feeling of a particularly harsh, ill-fated life.

Bai Wei took two quick steps to catch up and took the box from Yan Xiu’s hands.

Yan Xiu looked at him with his light-colored eyes. “God D?”

In the dim hallway light, Yan Xiu’s gaze was very still, yet a flicker of ambiguous light danced within his pupils, staring unblinkingly at the person who stopped him.

Bai Wei’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Half a beat later, he said, “I’ve got it.”

Yan Xiu didn’t insist further. He watched Bai Wei carry the package into his room. Suddenly, he said, “Are you free this weekend, God D?”

Bai Wei put down the package and turned back.

Yan Xiu smiled as he spoke, a small dimple forming on his cheek. “Thank you for lending me the money. Let me treat you to a meal.”

~

The next afternoon at 1 PM, Qin Baotian came downstairs right on time for lunch. Arriving at the dining table, he saw two people already seated.

Qin Baotian’s eyes widened. Pulling out a chair, he said with great surprise, “A rare guest! A rare guest! Isn’t this our Young Master Bai? Don’t you usually sleep until two or three in the afternoon? What wind blew you here to the dining room this early?”

Bai Wei seemed tired, his expression slightly weary. Hearing Qin Baotian’s sarcastic remarks, a trace of a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t brush your teeth? Your breath stinks.”

Qin Baotian was alarmed. He covered his mouth and breathed into it, then said angrily, “My mouth does not stink!”

Bai Wei immediately moved one seat away, frowning in disgust. “You really didn’t brush your teeth.”

Qin Baotian: “…”

“I’ve always brushed my teeth after eating, ever since I was a kid! It’s scientifically proven to be healthier for your teeth. Do you even know what you’re talking about?”

Bai Wei just scoffed. “Why not just brush once before a meal, and once after? Simple.”

“…” Qin Baotian was speechless.

Jack also pulled his chair further away, distancing himself from the unbrushed chubby guy.

Qin Baotian’s shoulders trembled with frustration. But the fact that he hadn’t brushed his teeth was undeniable, so he had nothing to say. He then remembered something else and asked Bai Wei, “Why were you showering at 3 AM? I got up to pee around 3:30 and heard the shower running in your room. Didn’t you shower in the evening? Showering twice a night—what’s wrong with you?”

Bai Wei, who had just reached for a package, stopped mid-motion. “None of your damn business.”

Qin Baotian suddenly seemed to understand. He giggled ambiguously and winked at Bai Wei. “Did some… ‘that’… last night, did we?”

Bai Wei: “…”

Qin Baotian: “We’re all men, full of youthful vigor. Totally understand, totally understand.”

Bai Wei laughed coldly, narrowing his eyes at the chubby guy. “Yesterday, in a 2v1, you almost got countered and killed by ZMJ. You suck. Today, you’re doing extra practice until 3 AM.”

Qin Baotian: “…I was talking smack to you about personal stuff! How can you use public authority for private revenge!”

Jack, quietly eating his meal nearby, thought to himself: Does OLG have some sort of SCP, where everyone who joins becomes incredibly good at saying the most disgusting things to irritate people?

While the three were eating, Qin Baotian asked, “Where are Show and Old Liu, anyway? Haven’t seen them.”

Jack knew about this. “CatClaw called them over to film something.”

Qin Baotian leaned in curiously. “What kind of thing?”

Jack, still avoiding the unbrushed teeth, leaned slightly in Bai Wei’s direction. He explained, “The Racing Division recently made it to the Finals. CatClaw asked Rose and Show to go film a support video for the Racing Division.”

After the three finished eating, Jack was just about to get up and leave. Bai Wei called him back, pushing a stack of napkins toward him. “Remember to wipe your mouth after eating.” He deliberately emphasized the word “eating.”

Not wiping your mouth after eating was a meme haters used specifically to trash Bai Wei. It had nothing to do with the rest of them.

Jack was inwardly confused, but still pulled out two napkins and wiped his mouth. When it was Qin Baotian’s turn, the chubby guy, knowing the score, grabbed a napkin and wiped his own mouth without being told.

Bai Wei repeated himself, his tone deeply meaningful. “After eating, you really should wipe your mouth.”

Jack couldn’t hold back. He asked him, “Why are you suddenly going on about wiping mouths after eating?”

“Eating?” Bai Wei leaned back in his chair and retorted with feigned surprise. “How do you know Yan Xiu is treating me to dinner this weekend?”

Jack: “…”

Qin Baotian: “…”

That afternoon, Bai Wei ordered milk tea and cakes to treat the entire team to an afternoon snack. A second-team kid, receiving his delivery, asked in disbelief, “There’s even some for us?”

Huarong was in charge of handing out the deliveries. She also found it incomprehensible. “The Young Master of Shanghai is in a good mood today. Feeling generous, treating everyone to a big one. Even Guo Qiang and Auntie Wang got some.”

CatClaw rarely drank milk tea. Bai Wei had actually specifically ordered a coffee for him.

Holding the hot coffee, CatClaw stared at his computer screen with a baffled expression. He couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out what kind of madness had possessed the Young Master of Shanghai this time. Suddenly, his phone chimed. He opened it to see.

Danger: 【Remember to wipe your mouth after eating.】

CatClaw: 【? Wtf is wrong with you】

【Do you not eat?】

【What does me eating have to do with wiping my mouth? I’m not you.】

Bai Wei’s reply came quickly: 【How do you know Yan Xiu is treating me to dinner this weekend?】

CatClaw: “…”

You pretentious dog. You actually pulled it off.

After Yan Xiu and Rose finished filming the support video for the OLG Racing Division, they’d barely returned to the training room when Huarong had already placed the milk tea and little cake on their desks.

Rose said, astonished, “Are merch sales that good lately? Sister Hua’s treating us to not just milk tea today, but even cake?”

Qin Baotian poked his head out from behind his monitor. “How could that be? It’s our Young Master of Shanghai treating us. Right, Young Master of Shanghai?”

Bai Wei was in the middle of a solo-queue Aerospace match. Hearing this, he lifted his head and glanced at Yan Xiu.

Rose was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. He took a photo of the cake and milk tea and sent it to his wife, muttering, “Good timing—it reminds me to buy some for my wife too. She also loves little cakes like this. But I don’t have that kind of romantic instinct; I’d never think of this stuff on my own.”

Qin Baotian sighed with admiration. “A truly super, top-tier good man, Old Liu, huh? Eating a cake the Young Master of Shanghai paid for, but still not forgetting to buy one for your wife.”

Rose was outwardly humble, but a smug, happy grin was plastered all over his face. “Buying cake for the wife is something every good husband is duty-bound to do.”

After buying the cake and milk tea, and casually ordering a bouquet of flowers, Rose then, very inadvertently, took a screenshot and posted it to his WeChat Moments.

【Buying my wife her favorite little cake [Image]】

Underneath, a bunch of pro players liked and commented.

【Jealous】

【Jealousy is an understatement】

【Why must you flaunt your love?】

【Which direction should I kowtow to get blessed with such a good husband?】

Rose was happily replying to each one, feeling quite pleased with himself. Suddenly, a rare avatar appeared in the top-right notification.

Rose was shocked and looked in disbelief at the white-haired Young Master of Shanghai across the table.

[Danger liked your post]

Danger commented: 【Peerless good hubby.】

Rose looked down at the comment on his phone, then up at Bai Wei, feeling confused. Suddenly, he understood and shifted his gaze to Yan Xiu beside him.

Just at that moment, Yan Xiu also looked at him. As Rose felt the weirdness, Yan Xiu gently pushed his cake toward Rose. His tone was helpless. “I’ve got a cavity. Can’t really eat something this sweet. Brother Liu, if your wife likes cake, how about we put this one in the fridge? It’d be convenient for you to take it to her tonight, if she’d like to try it?”

Rose: “…”

Liu Jianfeng glanced at the Young Master of Shanghai out of the corner of his eye.

The Young Master of Shanghai had no obvious reaction. Liu Jianfeng breathed a sigh of relief. He opened his phone again to reply to Bai Wei’s comment. Upon refreshing, Bai Wei’s comment had disappeared. The like had also been retracted.

Rose: “…”

That evening after dinner, Bai Wei and Jack went into the smoking room together.

Jack exhaled a plume of smoke, his expression worried. “Next week, we face Group E. We’re up against BOX. Show has a history with BOX. I don’t know if it’ll affect his performance.”

Bai Wei had just lit his cigarette. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “He’s played them twice in scrims, and his performance was very solid.”

Jack shook his head. “It’s different. Scrims are online, after all. You don’t have to face them directly, offline, in person. In an offline match, Show will be directly confronting the people from BOX. I remember he had a conflict with their captain, Cola. And when he goes on stage, he’ll likely run into Nestle.”

After a pause.

Bai Wei’s voice was indifferent. “Doesn’t matter. They’re all trash.”

Jack laughed despite himself. “BOX is the Spring Split champion. Even with a heavy dose of luck, they’re still the champions.”

Bai Wei didn’t refute this. He frowned and lowered his head to smoke.

Jack added, “He’s only been on the competitive stage a few times, after all. His mental game isn’t steady enough yet. We’ll see how it goes when the time comes. If he’s affected, we’ll just let Old Liu play the whole thing.”

Bai Wei was silent for a moment. “I’ll be watching him closely the whole time.”

“Alright.” Pausing, Jack asked, “Is this a serious, proper concern for a teammate?”

Bai Wei laughed, annoyed. “Is your brain only filled with gutter filth during matches?”

The two of them played on their phones.

Bai Wei tapped open WeChat.

【Hades: Got some juicy gossip today. Wanna hear it? It’s about your team’s Show.】

Long, slender fingers paused on the screen. Bai Wei clicked his tongue in displeasure. Holding his cigarette in one hand, he typed: 【What is it.】

【Hades: Show used to be with Nanjing BOX, you know that, right? Played once as a Starter. He had a conflict with Nestle. Nestle just straight-up benched him, wouldn’t let him play.】

Bai Wei cut him off: 【I know that.】

【Hades: Then do you know why Nestle benched him?】

【?】

【Show stole Nestle’s girlfriend!】