Lin Feng watched as he stood up and took the lead. “Aren’t you going to wipe your pants?”
“I’ll wash it when I get home.” Yun Hu held his coffee cup, his eyes showing his indifference.
Lin Feng decided he was being silly; he could just wash it back home.
“I’ll get a cab.” Lin Feng wanted to make it up to him but after two tries, he still couldn’t get a cab and the long stretch of cabs that had lined the plaza were in a serious shortage.
Yun Hu could see the steam coming from the hot coffee cup. He glanced over at the person beside him, who was still on his phone, snowflakes falling onto his fingers. Just the looks of it seemed cold.
Yun Hu stilled before he leaned forward and passed the coffee cup over.
“It’ll be fast, I’m…” Lin Feng glanced at the cup that was pressed into his palms in confusion. What did he mean? But this time, he held it firmly.
Yun Hu took out his own phone. “I’ll get the cab. Hold the cup firmly, it can warm your hands.”
Thanking him seemed overly polite, hence, he held onto the cup and took a sip. At that moment, there was another remark. “They’re sharing the coffee, an indirect kiss! The little submissive looks like he isn’t willing but deep inside, he seems to like it. It’s so adorable!”
Lin Feng suppressed the urge to spit out the coffee. Adorable? Submissive? Him? F*ck, take a good look at his face! Even if he was gay, he should be the dominant! The dominant one!
Lin Feng told himself to calm down. If he took out his mask completely, his identity would definitely be exposed.
Yun Hu glanced over at him. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Sometimes, he was rather envious of Yun Hu, who had such a poor sense of hearing.
Yun Hu kept his phone, his long fingers moving. “There aren’t any cabs around, let’s take another walk.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Unbeknownst to him, Yun Hu hadn’t searched for cabs at all. He just wanted to be with him for a while more since it was a holiday. They were together on a holiday that only couples would celebrate together. Lin Feng didn’t think much of it since they weren’t seated on the long bench and he wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he went home now.
This time, it was unlike before. It was crowded as usual, with music floating in the air and couples taking loving photos. The plaza was decorated for the festivals, with light designs everywhere. It was the sort that appealed to a girl’s heart. Lin Feng wasn’t sure what was in a girl’s heart but just the look of all the girls taking photos was a sight to behold for a straight man like himself.
Just then, Yun Hu asked, “Were you very bothered about the public opinion just now?”
“Of course, I’m…” Lin Feng stilled. He had heard it after all.
Yun Hu stuffed both hands into his pockets. “It’s not your problem, anyone with me would seem like the submissive.”
Lin Feng smirked. “Bro, your narcissism has improved.”
Yun Hu turned. “Was I wrong?”
Lin Feng glanced over at the pair of eyes that were watching him closely. Suddenly his heart gripped and he tilted his head over. “Why are you coming so close? You scared me!”
“It didn’t take much to scare you.” Yun Hu straightened. He added slowly, “When did you become so timid? Or are you afraid of public opinion? If so, you should be keeping your distance. Let’s go, the car is here.”
Lin Feng felt misunderstood. Yun Hu raised his arm and placed it over Lin Feng’s shoulder, just like brothers did. “I was joking, let’s go, the car is coming.”
Just like that, Lin Feng diverted his thoughts away from the battle against the Japanese. Instead he thought about his behavior. Did he act in a way that made it seem as though he was bothered about Yun Hu’s sexual orientation? The entire journey home, he kept trying to seem more enthusiastic.
Yun Hu noticed everything. Indeed, speaking harshly was the best way to deal with him. At home, he changed out of his pants and tossed it into the washing machine. When he turned, Lin Feng was there.
Yun Hu assumed that after today, he would definitely stay the night in order to show their tight relationship. However, the situation was unlike before.
Lin Feng placed the cup down. “It’s getting late, you should sleep early. There isn’t a need to be stressed since you are already such a good player. I should be the one under pressure. Alright, I have to turn in as well.”
Lin Feng turned and stretched. “See you tomorrow.”
“You…” Yun Hu was about to ask if he was sleeping here but seeing the bewildered expression on his face, he changed his line. “Remember to take everything, don’t forget your hand guards.”
“Alright, I know.” Lin Feng walked out, waving his hand dismissively. The doors shut behind him.
Just then, Yun Hu heard his mother from outside. “Oh, Little Feng, you aren’t sleeping here tonight?”
“No, it isn’t convenient, tomorrow…” His voice slurred at the end, probably because he was already at the entrance.
Yun Hu looked at his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window. They were both wearing the same down jacket. Even strangers could see that and yet, he saw it only as a similarity.
Lin Feng was as dense as usual but still, there was a change even though it was slight. In fact, it was so slight he didn’t wish to think much into it. Even staying the night had turned into an inconvenience. What exactly was he thinking about?
Yun Hu leaned his head against the window, the bustling lights shining brightly amidst the dark sky.
With that person around, his stress seemed to diminish.
The Japanese were indeed strong. They were so strong he was worried history would repeat itself for Lin Feng. He hadn’t done anything wrong but yet, he had a habit of finding fault in himself. In certain areas, that insensitive person wasn’t dense.
Time trickled by slowly. The sun started to raise. Inside Jiang City’s largest building, staff members started entering to set up the competition grounds. The hustle and bustle were enough to show the emphasis placed on the competition.
After one hour, the foreign reporters arrived, looking sharp and intense. Their presence was attracting attention. The domestic side had been speculating the reasons attracting so many foreign media to the scene. They headed over to sound them out since reporters would definitely express their views. Of course, they wouldn’t show their disinterest in Supreme Alliance.
They laughed. “Everyone knows of the Japanese’s abilities and any competition they are in will definitely be exciting. I believe that’s also the reason the others are here.”
It sounded flawless and straight forward but they hadn’t mentioned Supreme Alliance at all. Quickly, however, they added, “Ah, Supreme Alliance. I haven’t seen any of their matches but since they managed to represent China, they should be pretty good.”
It was a half-hearted reply, which was obvious from his expression. They probably hadn’t heard of Supreme Alliance before. Of course, there were some who had done their homework but it was all brief, none of them taking much interest in Supreme Alliance.
“Which team do you think will win?”
They laughed. “The answer is obvious. Anyone that can battle against Hoshino and You Sixin will definitely learn a lot. Perhaps Supreme Alliance is a strong team but these two are international level players who are difficult to surpass. With them around, the Japanese will definitely win.”
It wasn’t a pleasant reply but they had been objective. Hoshino and You Sixin had always been the superstars of the esports industry. Hence, it would be a tough battle for Supreme Alliance. Moreover, the past battles between the Xiangnan and the Japanese were still clear as day.
That year, You Sixin didn’t even compete. Hoshino alone was enough to obliterate Xiangnan.
They knew because of the National League that Supreme Alliance and Xiangnan were equally matched. Supreme Alliance’s win had been difficult and narrow. There was an obvious and vast disparity between the teams. The current Supreme Alliance was lacking Qin Mo.
The internet was grieving. There were people like that. They tended to side with foreigners whenever the national teams go for international competitions. There were even some who would start to scold even though they didn’t know anything. “Come fight us if you dare.”
There were others who would comment, “If Supreme Alliance doesn’t win, it will be an embarrassment to the Chinese.”
It was easy to give remarks but it hadn’t seemed to occur to them that no one was responsible to fight on behalf of someone else. Fortunately, all the players were no longer allowed to use the internet. They were tempted but they knew they would feel worse.
Still, they had many supporters and thus there were many warm and comforting words. But there was an invisible pressure in the face of the competition.
Hence, even though Bo Jiu had been running a fever the entire night, the time kept her on edge which woke her up before 8 am.
When she realized where she was, she opened her eyes and was looking straight at a handsome face.
He hadn’t taken his coat off, probably because he had been taking care of her the entire night. The black trench coat was half open, the fur around his collar spilling onto the pillow. Her face was pressed against his chest, a clear spot to see the sun rays splashing on his nose bridge. His eyelashes were darker than before, casting a soft shadow on his beautiful face, clean and gentle.
Bo Jiu wanted to stand but the moment she moved, he stirred and frowned. The Almighty had always been bad tempered when he woke up but surprisingly, it didn’t last long today.
