Ch.49 – Does Love at First Sight Exist in Esports?

In early June, Wang Yuxi’s birthday coincided with the university entrance exams. It happened to fall on the first day of exams, so during that time of the year, Wang Yuxi would always jokingly say that the examinees from all over the country were celebrating his birthday. 

@Titans_Xi: At this time of year, I always recall the time I spent my birthday in the exam room as a third year high school student. Good luck my beloved examinees! Grandpa Xi wishes you all top marks! 

[Happy birthday Xi ge, I hope you grow to 1.8m this year (doge)]

[Mathematics is about to kick my ass in a few hours]

[Here to make a wish to reach all my hopes and dreams!!]

[@Titans_Sen: Happy birthday, I got you insoles. IYKYK]

[@Titans_Yue: Happy birthday, I got you a year’s worth of milk tea coupons. IYKYK]

[@Titans_Zhe: Happy birthday, I got you hair tonic. IYKYK]@Titans_Yi: ???]

[@Titans_Yu: Happy birthday, Xi ge!]

[@Titans_Xi replied to @Titans_Yu: Thank you Ziyu~ Xi ge loves you~] 

[hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha look at their fake brotherhood]

[Opened Xi ge’s comments section and mistook those three for ads]

[@NA_Left: Happy birthday]

[@Titans_Xi replied to @NA_Left: Thank you, Shao ge~ I’ll treat you to dinner tonight~]

[Xi ge why aren’t you telling Shao ge you love him]

[Don’t mess around, Xi ge is the captain of the SenZuo ship (doge)]

Although the Titans’s brotherhood appeared extremely fake on the surface, their bond was genuinely strong, and Yao Sen and the others jointly gifted Wang Yuxi the graphics card that he’d been eyeing for forever. Wang Yuxi peppered kisses all over the new card and cheerfully treated his team as well as Noah’s Ark to drinks and karaoke, swearing to not go home until they all got shitfaced. 

Since the last time he drank, Shao Han had barely ever gone out for drinks again, and the others in Noah’s Ark also didn’t drink much so as not to make a fool of themselves in front of the Titans. Bai Yue and Zhou Ziyu were both lightweights, Wang Yuxi and Yao Sen could drink a little more than them, whereas Song Mingzhe could drink anyone under the table. 

Yao Sen was completely wasted after the third round, and under the influence of alcohol, he began hogging the mic, taking over Wang Yuxi’s queued songs when before he barely sang at all. As it turns out, the songs Wang Yuxi had picked were all bitter love songs, yet whether it was a song about being the rebound after a break up, or breaking up after getting cheated on, Yao Sen didn’t skip a single one. He sang with quite a bit of feeling, which directly led to the very much sober Bai Yue, Zhou Ziyu, and even Lin Lan sizing Shao Han up with subtle gazes.  

Shao Han was so embarrassed under the weight of their stares that he had to pull Yao Sen away from the karaoke machine. The party headed home after midnight. Bai Yue and the others were in charge of helping Wang Yuxi walk, while the others were appointed to watch him and keep him from hugging any trash cans on the side of the road and belting out Gone Too Far. 

Yao Sen was held up by Shao Han, barely steady on his feet. However, he couldn’t quite discern their situation, and when he sensed Shao Han next to him, all he wanted to do was gather him close and kiss and hug him, rendering Shao Han a flustered mess, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Shao Han asked Bai Yue to help him hold Yao Sen up and went to call a car. The moment Shao Han left his side, Yao Sen grew unhappy, and he kept drunkenly calling out “Where’s Shao Han?”, “Where’s my baby?”, “Baby come back” in a hoarse voice. Shao Han was so ashamed that he couldn’t show his face. 

Fortunately, his team members were all very considerate; each and every one of them acted as if they were deaf and blind. 

Bai Yue couldn’t even bring himself to look at them. He’d rather go back and take care of the drunk-as-a-pig Wang Yuxi than stay here around those two. He thus suggested to Shao Han, as earnestly as he could, “Shao Han, since it doesn’t seem like we can pry Yao Sen away from you tonight, why don’t you guys go get a hotel room?”

Shao Han was exceedingly embarrassed, but there was nothing much else he could do either. He got into a car with Yao Sen ahead of the rest and headed to a hotel near the Yiyou Building. 

When they got to the hotel, Yao Sen basically stuck to Shao Han like glue, directly laying down on the bed after changing his clothes. The moment Shao Han thought back to the way that Yao Sen had probably taken care of him like this the time he’d gotten drunk, plus the fact that they had only been friends at the time, his heart was filled with warmth.

After Yao Sen fell asleep, Shao Han washed his face and laid on the bed. He slightly tilted his head to the side to gaze at Yao Sen’s sleeping face, and it suddenly occurred to him that he and Yao Sen had been dating for almost half a year. 

Shao Han couldn’t resist poking Yao Sen’s arm with his fingertip. Yao Sen’s eyelashes lightly twitched, his eyes opening slightly. He reached out and pulled Shao Han into his arms before closing his eyes and going back to sleep. 

The next morning, Shao Han awoke earlier than a hungover Yao Sen. He was still in Yao Sen’s arms, having not moved an inch throughout the entire night.Seeing that it was getting late and training was still on today, he should probably wake Yao Sen up, but it was so warm under the covers, and it was so comfortable, pressed against Yao Sen, that he couldn’t help delaying it for a few more minutes. 

Eventually, Shao han gently patted Yao Sen’s shoulder and quietly woke him up. When Yao Sen’s eyes opened slightly, he stared at Shao Han dazedly for a spell before sleepily snuggling into Shao Han’s neck, only half awake as he said, “G’morning baby…”

Shao Han felt a little ticklish as Yao Sen rubbed against his neck. “Wake up now…”

When Shao Han patted his shoulder at first, the still-dreaming Yao Sen assumed it was Miao Miao’s doing until he realised it wasn’t. Recalling how his family’s dog-son had always just pounced on his face, he then remembered that he’d gotten drunk the night before and was now with Shao Han.

Sure enough, his wife was way more considerate than his son.Although he could barely recall how he’d gotten here and fallen asleep last night, he was sure that he hadn’t done anything ‘bad’. After sobering up, Yao Sen sighed in regret; it wasn’t easy to go out and get a hotel room with Shao Han, and unexpectedly, all they did was innocently embrace each other and sleep. 

When Yao Sen recalled Shao Han’s indolent and adorable appearance the morning after ‘night-time exercise’, he felt even more regretful. But regrets aside, getting to hug his boyfriend for an entire night’s sleep was perfectly great too. 

Yao Sen was still nursing a slight headache, but he felt much better after a hot shower. As he put on his clothes, he said, “Oh right, baby, I saw that you’re in the same group as NL. If you end up in the same small group, make sure you guys watch out for them.”

“NL?” Shao Han still remembered the team from the Laser Cup youth competition a while back, and he also knew that they were in the same qualifiers group, but he never thought that Yao Sen would bring them up specifically. “What’s up with that team?”

“I met their captain at the expo in H City this April,” Yao Sen replied. “I think there’s more to their captain than meets the eye. He’s probably a dark horse.”

Shao Han nodded. The sharpness of Yao Sen’s senses in this field was unparalleled. Since Yao Sen had said so, then he definitely won’t let his guard down. When they returned to the Yiyou Building, Yao Sen headed to the training room and found that only Bai Yue, Song Mingzhe, and Zhou Ziyu were present. There was no sign of Wang Yuxi. 

Yao Sen: “Where’s Lao-Wang? Is he still conked out?”

“He practically has one foot in the grave. He puked a couple of times, but he should be here in a bit,” Bai Yue said. “What about you? Did you still manage to go seven times last night, hammered as you were?”

Yao Sen: “I’d like to.”

A few minutes later, Wang Yuxi arrived on wobbly legs, looking pathetically withered. He collapsed in his chair, hugged his stomach, and weakly mumbled, “I’m never drinking that much again. It hurts too much. I puked so much that I thought someone knocked me up after I hooked up drunk or something.”

Bai Yue: “You got so wasted that you were no different from an animal. And a drunken hook up? Who the hell would hook up with you?”

Yao Sen: “Remember to make me the kid’s godfather if you get pregnant.”

Bai Yue: “I was the one who painstakingly took care of him yesterday, I should be the godfather.”

Wang Yuxi didn’t even have the strength to roll his eyes. 

*

The WCAD was still a month away. The intensity of their training gradually lessened, and these days, they only needed to maintain their foundations daily and train as a team, to relax and get adjusted before the competition.

In these two days, the players’ current moods were similar to that of university entrance exams examinees. At present, it was impossible to make a hasty last-ditch effort. If they were truly capable of doing what they set out to, then they only needed to go out there and prove it. 

Following the completion of the university entrance exams, Shao Meng shed all the weight of her shoulders and ran off to find her big brother. 

When Shao Han saw Xiao Meng’s condition, he knew she’d done well. With his heart at ease, he and Yao Sen took Xiao Meng out for some fun.

Shao Meng cheerfully told Yao Sen, “God Sen, my dad only had good things to say about you when he got back from his business trip!”

Shao Han flushed at her words. He pulled Xiao Meng away from where she hung at Yao Sen’s side. “Walk properly, you’re all over the place.”

Shao Meng squinted at him. “Ge, you’re gonna get married. You can’t be so naggy.”

Yao Sen laughed. “It’s all right. He doesn’t say much usually, I like it when he’s a little naggy.” 

The two chittered on like that; Shao Han couldn’t even get a word in edgewise.

Yao Sen: “Which university does Xiao Meng want to go to?”

Shao Meng grinned. “L Uni. It’s in the next city over. If I get in, it’ll only take two hours to come visit you guys.”

“That’s great! Your brother and I can’t wait.”

They stayed out until the evening. When Yao Sen and Shao Han were about to send Shao Meng back to her hotel, Shao Meng said that she was going out to see the nightscape with a friend and told them to head back first. 

“A friend?” Shao Han asked, faintly worried. “Who is it? Is it a guy or a girl?”

“A girl! The one who’s been over to our house twice. You’ve met her,” answered Shao Meng. “And what’s the matter if it’s a guy? Ge, you’re practically married. Can’t I date too?”

Shao Han’s lips twitched. “I’m not forbidding you from dating, I’m just worried for your safety.”

Groaning, she tugged at Shao Han and Yao Sen’s hands and asked a passerby to take a picture of the three of them. 

@Little Miss Meng: Exams are over! Two handsome brothers flew me out [photo]

[@Titans_Sen liked this post]

[@NA_Left liked this post]

[God Sen and Shao ge spotting!!!! This is Shao ge’s little sister!!!! Little sister is so cute!!!!!]

[I’m so jealous! Little sis, I wish I was in your shoes]

[Damn, look at those visuals]

[I wanna be surrounded by geges too!!!!]

[I suddenly want to call Shao ge Young Master Han]

[Why is Sen ge always there when Shao ge hangs out with Meng-meimei… Could it be… (doge)]

[Hush! You know I know everyone knows (doge)]

[Sen ge: How could I refuse my sister-in-law]

After they sent Shao Meng back, they slowly made their way to the Yiyou Building on foot. Since they no longer had evening training, Yao Sen wasn’t in a hurry to return, but Shao Han had accompanied his sister out all day and was probably exhausted, so he wanted to get back as soon as possible so Shao Han could rest.

As they were about to part ways at the entrance, Yao Sen noticed how Shao Han seemed a little hesitant, as if he had something to say, so he asked him what was wrong.

Today, Shao Han had hung out with Xiao Meng all day long, and he hadn’t gotten much alone time with Yao Sen. Although his little sister knew that they were going out, Shao Han still felt a little embarrassed to act too intimately with Yao Sen in front of her.

“Do you have anything on tonight?” Shao Han hesitated before saying, “I still… want to be with you a little longer.”

Yao Sen blinked at him.

Shao Han covered his forehead and let out a small sigh. “Nevermind, you’re probably tired.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Sen drew Shao Han into his embrace. Shao Han leaned into his shoulder, stunned. “Baby,” Yao Sen sighed. “It must’ve been hard on you to be so coquettish with me, your every wish is my command.”

Shao Han: “How was that coquettish…”

“Actually, I was more hoping that you’d say ‘baby, I still I want you to accompany me, to hug me and kiss me.’” Yao Sen looked at him expectantly. “How about it? If you don’t wanna call me baby, how about you call me husband?” 

Shao Han responded with an icy look before spinning on his heels and entering Building B. Yao Sen caught up to him, laughing the whole way.

☆ ☆ ☆

Thank you to anon and anon for the kofis!

Chapter 48 | TOC | Chapter 50