When Shen Kuangye slowly opened his eyes, the first thing that met his gaze was the familiar team uniform. It took him a moment to realize that he seemed to be being held in someone's arms.
Lu Xiangyang's eyes were still tightly shut; he was still asleep.
Shen Kuangye calmed himself and thought carefully, realizing he had no recollection of what happened after last night's drinking.
He slowly sat up, not expecting to wake Lu Xiangyang.
Rubbing his eyes, Lu Xiangyang mumbled groggily, "What time is it…"
Shen Kuangye instinctively reached for the phone beside him, only to realize it didn't seem to be his own.
The wallpaper was a photo of him and Lu Xiangyang together, apparently taken last night.
Lu Xiangyang had fallen asleep in his arms, smiling at the camera and flashing a "peace" sign.
Shen Kuangye lowered his lashes and replied, "1:30."
Lu Xiangyang curled up under the blanket, murmuring a faint acknowledgment.
He asked, "Does your head hurt, brother?"
Most people had headaches after a hangover, especially Shen Kuangye, who had drunk so much last night.
But surprisingly, he didn't feel any pain. Instead, he felt unusually relaxed.
Pressing his lips together, clearly nervous but trying to appear calm, he asked, "What… did I do last night?"
Lu Xiangyang opened his eyes. "Brother, you don't remember?"
Shen Kuangye's dark eyes looked at him, full of confusion.
Lu Xiangyang couldn't help but laugh softly, then quickly suppressed it. He sighed. "Brother kept calling me 'baby,' wouldn't let go, and kept saying that he couldn't wait until the Abyss—he wanted to be my boyfriend right then."
Shen Kuangye felt that maybe it was better to just go back to sleep and not wake up.
Seeing his expression growing more incredulous, Lu Xiangyang finally smiled and said, "Just kidding. That was only my imagination."
But calling him "baby" had been real.
Not long after Lu Xiangyang wished Shen Kuangye a Happy New Year, Shen Kuangye, after some troubling dream, felt uneasy, calling out "Yangyang" and "baby" intermittently.
It was only then that Shen Kuangye finally exhaled in relief.
It seemed nothing inappropriate had been said last night.
He glanced at Lu Xiangyang's neck, silently thinking, and it appeared nothing inappropriate had been done.
"But brother," Lu Xiangyang suddenly sat up, his small face serious. "I need to tell you something. I don't like Shen Luoyu. I've always treated him as a friend. I didn't know he liked me."
The stone Shen Kuangye had been holding in his heart suddenly fell. He softly acknowledged, "Mm."
Lu Xiangyang continued, "I'll make it clear to him. But I also have to apologize to you—sorry for making you upset so many times, and I didn't even realize it."
"Don't say sorry," Shen Kuangye replied. "I said, before the Abyss, you could do whatever…"
His voice trailed off, either unable to continue or unwilling to lie to himself anymore.
He didn't want anyone else near Lu Xiangyang; he didn't like anyone else stealing Lu Xiangyang's attention.
Even though he was the one who first made the promise, now he was the first to break it.
"What do you mean, 'whatever'?" Lu Xiangyang asked, wrapping his arms around Shen Kuangye's neck and moving closer. Shen Kuangye instinctively hugged his waist.
Lu Xiangyang's beautiful eyes searched his usually impassive face for any trace of emotion. "If I fall in love with someone else, or kiss someone else, could you accept it?"
Shen Kuangye pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but the hand around Lu Xiangyang's waist tightened suddenly.
"Brother," Lu Xiangyang gently touched his face, voice soft, "can you try to speak honestly from now on?"
Shen Kuangye pressed his lips together, and after a long pause, said, "I will."
"Then do you want to say your true feelings again?" Lu Xiangyang coaxed.
Shen Kuangye wrestled with his emotions internally, then finally stopped hiding his heart. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I won't accept it. You're mine."
Lu Xiangyang suddenly realized this scene felt familiar.
He remembered when he first met Shen Kuangye, someone tried to add Shen Kuangye as a friend. He, out of insecurity, wanted Shen Kuangye to delete him to give that stranger a chance.
Back then, Shen Kuangye had comforted him in this exact way, and he remembered his reply:
"This is mine. I won't give it to you."
It was the first time Shen Kuangye had made him brave enough to fight for himself.
Now, the roles were reversed. Lu Xiangyang had become the one offering comfort; he wanted Shen Kuangye to be brave enough to love.
"Brother, I've always been yours," Lu Xiangyang whispered, pressing his forehead to Shen Kuangye's.
It had always been Shen Kuangye taking care of him; now it was his turn.
Lu Xiangyang's words made Shen Kuangye's chest ache.
He couldn't help but voice a question he had kept buried for a long time: "Why do you like me?"
Lu Xiangyang said, "I don't know either, brother. Do you know? Before you came, I felt nothing for the old Shen Kuangye. But the day you arrived, I suddenly really, really liked you. Besides, brother, you're amazing!! you've won so many Abyss championships, and even after transferring to the human side, you're still incredible. You're gentle, caring, and so good-looking. Isn't it natural that I'd like you?"
Shen Kuangye's ears immediately flushed red.
He asked in a hoarse voice, "Really?"
Was he really that good?
In his 23 years, he hadn't grown much—always paying debts, competing, constantly mocked, instinctively avoiding social interaction.
On the surface, he seemed like a genius, FMVP of multiple consecutive Abyss championships, but in reality, he had been trapped at 18 years old.
His essence was still that insecure boy.
"Of course," Lu Xiangyang said. "There will never be anyone like you again."
He paused, realizing his words weren't precise enough, then corrected himself: "Maybe the third one."
Shen Kuangye couldn't help but smile.
His smile was truly beautiful; the usual impassive corners of his mouth lifted slightly, tracing a faint arc, like a lake in early spring just starting to melt, stirring gentle ripples that broke through his usual cold mask.
At that moment, Lu Xiangyang's phone rang.
He picked it up—Xing Xing was asking in the team group if everyone was awake, and mentioned the flight at 11 p.m., suggesting they could visit some sights in Hangzhou.
Li Shu responded the most eagerly: "Me! I'm awake! I've wanted to try West Lake vinegar fish for so long!"
Cheng Rang replied succinctly: "Okay."
Before replying, Lu Xiangyang asked Shen Kuangye, "Brother, are you still tired? If you are, we can rest at the hotel."
For Lu Xiangyang, whether outside playing or quietly cuddling with Shen Kuangye, it made no difference—as long as Shen Kuangye was by his side.
Shen Kuangye wasn't someone who liked going out; he had been used to solitude for years. But seeing the expectant look in Lu Xiangyang's eyes, his lips curved slightly: "Not tired, let's go."
Lu Xiangyang's eyes lit up. "Great!"
——
Since EAR's championship last night, their fans had a new catchphrase:
"Ah? How did you know my team won?"
"Ah? How did you know my team went from last place in the points match to champion in the Autumn Tournament?"
"You're right, but my team did win."
EAR had always had a good reputation. Even if they had been weak before, the players were honest and straightforward, without drama.
Now, after their reversal and victory, they gained many new fans. Their joy was evident in-game: all night, almost every ranked match had casual or even four-player cooperative play.
Many fans were also checking WILD and SUN's streams, but… they still hadn't gone live since last night.
On EAR's Weibo fan page, fans were crying out:
"Wicked Deliveryman": Why isn't WILD streaming yet? I've already prepared my gift money!"
Someone replied: "Don't bother. Even if they stream, you can't send gifts—WILD disabled gifts on the first day, you can only watch."
"Wicked Deliveryman": Ah? How do I send my blessings?"
"Yangyang Kisses Me": Same question, SUN hasn't streamed either."
Everyone was speculating why they hadn't gone live—maybe they were too tired, or perhaps they hadn't woken up from the banquet. Some even debated whether the championship excitement had overwhelmed them.
Meanwhile, the two at the center of all the attention were standing inside a dessert shop.
Xing Xing first took them to try Hangzhou's specialty dishes. After trying West Lake vinegar fish, Li Shu was silent.
After dinner, worried they wouldn't enjoy themselves walking together, Xing Xing allowed them to explore separately, only asking that they be at the airport by 10 a.m.
Shen Kuangye handed a milk tea to the obediently waiting Lu Xiangyang.
Lu Xiangyang, wearing an off-white cotton jacket, looked fair and delicate, happily sipping the hot milk tea.
They decided to stroll around West Lake first, but since it was New Year's Day, the area was crowded. They had to hold hands tightly to avoid losing each other.
Walking, Lu Xiangyang suddenly asked Shen Kuangye curiously, "Brother, what if fans see us holding hands?"
Shen Kuangye glanced at him and replied calmly, "Then let them see."
"Then aren't you afraid of online criticism?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
Shen Kuangye smiled lightly, looking straight ahead and holding his hand tighter. "Not afraid."
They walked around West Lake, then Lu Xiangyang wanted to explore a nearby mall.
Their appearances were so striking that many passersby couldn't help but glance.
Xing Xing and Yishui were sitting in a café near West Lake, discussing matters.
The club owner was overseas and couldn't return quickly, but hearing about the championship, he was pleased. His business was booming, so he decided to give EAR a raise.
Xing Xing took a sip of cappuccino, sighing to Yishui, "I've never felt so relaxed all year."
Yishui smiled: "The club's kids are very sensible. Rare."
Almost all IVL club players had some scandal; they weren't exactly obedient. But EAR had always competed quietly, causing no trouble, and now they had taken the championship in one fell swoop.
"I was actually worried whether Kuangye and Xiangyang would adapt," Xing Xing said, "but it turns out they're the ones I can trust the most."
Thinking of Shen Kuangye's three FMVPs, Xing Xing felt proud.
He lowered his head, sipped his coffee slowly, then looked up again. His smile froze, because the two kids he trusted the most were now holding hands tightly, walking past them.
The younger-looking one even handed milk tea to the usually reserved boy, who drank without hesitation.
Xing Xing: "..."
He glanced at Yishui, who also had a strange expression.
"Did I see that wrong?"
Xing Xing said blankly, "Are those our club's two big treasures?"
Yishui coughed lightly, unsure of what to say: "Seems like it."
Xing Xing: "..."
No wonder they had seemed so strange before—they had been secretly dating behind the entire team's back!