Song Guang didn’t seem to like talking about the past.
Chi Zhan lay sprawled on the bed with nothing to do, so he logged into the game to run some dailies. Suddenly, a message popped up beside him:
Your boyfriend [Song Guang] is now online~
Song Guang has invited you to form a team. Accept?
Yes / No
Chi Zhan accepted the invite and typed: Shouldn’t you be at work? Playing games on the sly, are we?
Song Guang: Aren’t you slacking off too?
Chi Zhan: Long story. I’m technically on medical leave. Been pretty free lately.
Qi Song furrowed his brow as he read that line on the screen.
Originally, there was supposed to be a scrim today, but the opposing team’s driver had an emergency, so the match got postponed. It gave everyone a rare day off.
“Let’s go for hotpot,” Chen Che suggested.
Everyone agreed—except for Qi Song, who remained frozen in front of his computer.
“Captain Qi, are you coming?” Wen An asked.
“Come on, come on,” Chen Che drooled. “Juicy beef slices, spicy tripe, that crisp crunch, the aromatic broth—it’s heaven on Earth! Plus, we’ve got a match tomorrow. Coach won’t let us eat this stuff then!”
“Not going.”
“You’re serious? This is your favorite food!”Â
Chen Che looked genuinely shocked.
Qi Song might’ve looked aloof and unbothered most of the time, but he had a serious weakness for spicy food—especially hotpot. He could handle the fieriest sauces without flinching. When it came to spice tolerance, no one could beat him.
Bathed in the pale glow of his monitor, Qi Song stared at the screen with intense focus. The light outlined the sharp lines of his brows, lashes, nose bridge, and lips, casting a faint shimmer on the tiny beauty mark at the corner of his eye. As he typed a line of text, he suddenly turned to Wen An.
“What’s the earliest flight to Province A?”
Chen Che was stunned.Â
“Why go to Province A? There are hotpot joints nearby too. No need to go to such extremes, man.”
“Wait—Captain Qi, what’s going on?”Â
Wen An wasn’t as thick-skinned as Chen Che. He noticed something different in Qi Song’s expression—was that… concern?
“My boyfriend’s sick,” Qi Song said, glancing down at his phone. “I’m going to see him.”
***
The room fell completely silent.
Someone was mid-conversation and cracking sunflower seeds; the moment they heard that line, the seeds slipped from their hand and scattered all over the floor.
Not a single sound remained.
Chen Che’s jaw dropped into a perfect “O” as he stared blankly at Wen An.
“I didn’t mishear that, did I? Captain Qi said he has a boyfriend? I must be dreaming. Pinch me!”
“I think I’m dreaming too… Seven, are you serious? You have a boyfriend? When did this happen? You never told us!”
Qi Song didn’t bother explaining. He was already searching for the earliest flight on his app. Realizing this wasn’t just idle talk, Wen An snapped out of it and quickly pressed down on Qi Song’s phone.
“Don’t. We’ve got a match tomorrow. If you leave for Province A tonight, you won’t make it back in time! Coach won’t let you go either.”
Qi Song’s brows furrowed.
“What’s wrong with your boyfriend? Is it serious? Didn’t you say you’ve got a cousin in Province A? If they live nearby, ask him to check in first. We really can’t leave the province right now—did you forget? Didn’t he want that custom gift box? Give him your slot, ask him to do you this favor.” Wen An continued, “Don’t worry too much. …But seriously, when did you even get a boyfriend?” Wen An asked, baffled. “You’re practically glued to the base, gaming nonstop, barely stepping outside all year. If I were your boyfriend, I’d have dumped you by now.”
“……”
Expressionless, Qi Song replied, “He wouldn’t.”
Fake boyfriend. The role hadn’t even officially started yet.
So how could he possibly “dump” him?
***
After Chi Zhan sent a message to Song Guang, there was no reply for a while.
It was easy to get along with Song Guang. Chi Zhan could sense that he was someone who understood boundaries well. He was a bit like a cat—occasionally aloof and prideful—but ever since working under someone like Zhou Yanxing, whose words rarely matched his intentions, Chi Zhan had gotten quite good at handling prickly personalities.
That’s probably why he let his guard down a bit while chatting with Song Guang. But maybe the other party wasn’t interested in his personal life—and Chi Zhan wasn’t trying to fish for sympathy anyway. So he nudged him and changed the subject: Let’s play.
A moment later, Song Guang replied.
Song Guang: Was it a serious injury? I can come take care of you.
Chi Zhan had only been casually sharing something from his day and didn’t expect a reply like that. His heart warmed, and he responded: Just a minor injury, nothing serious. Don’t worry.
Then came a string of links from Song Guang:
[If You Ignore a Waist Injury, Regret Comes Too Late]
[Still Not Paying Attention to Lower Back Pain? The Consequences Are Serious!]
[Just How Important Is a Man’s Waist? You’ll Know After Reading This!]
Song Guang: The waist is important.
He even made sure to add that last line.
Chi Zhan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time: No need, really. Go focus on work. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest. Trust me.
The typing bubble in Song Guang’s chat box appeared again. After a while, another message came through:
Song Guang: If you need anything, reach out anytime.
Chi Zhan urged him to start the game. This couple event required seven consecutive days of participation to earn the top-tier title. They’d already cleared Stage One, and today was the second. But this round had a failure rate listed at 99.9%.
Ninety-nine point nine percent? Seriously?
Chi Zhan found it odd. It was just a cooking challenge. How hard could it be?
Only when Song Guang launched the game did he realize why.
This time, the event wasn’t a couple-vs-couple battle. They still had five minutes to complete the dish, and after the chaos of the last round, Chi Zhan felt much more composed this time. If the game allowed for private chat mid-challenge, he could’ve probably spared a hand to chat with Song Guang too.
He maneuvered his avatar to chop vegetables with swift clicks, when suddenly, a pop-up window appeared in the center of the screen.
[Couples Compatibility Quiz Challenge]
What is your boyfriend’s favorite color?
(Correct: +1 minute | Wrong: –1 minute)
