| Marry Me, I'm Super Well-Behaved [Esports] (MARRY ME) |
If it had just been simple sucking, it would have been fine—just a tingling numbness at most. But the man leaning over his neck was gently biting him and his tongue constantly licking the sore spots he'd created.
In that moment, Ning Nanzhou's vision blurred, as if he had returned to that night when the other had left marks all over his body.
The silver-white-haired boy's ears flushed red, the color spreading from the roots all the way down his snow-white neck. His tightly buttoned collar had loosened considerably, though from the perspective of the person behind him, all that could be seen was the boy allowing the impeccably dressed man to kiss him.
The air was thick with sounds that made one's heart race. Just as Ning Nanzhou was at a loss for how to push the other away, Chi Yu politely released him.
"Done."
Through the hallway mirror, he saw the obvious red marks left on his neck.
So... was he just helping to deal with the entanglement?
Even so, his ears remained flushed. By the time he returned to school, he had to cover the hickey with his collar.
His excuse about going back to the dorm to pack wasn’t entirely false. Worried about the safety of the guesthouse, he had stored all his belongings in his dorm locker, except for his computer, which he absolutely needed to bring.
When Ning Nanzhou returned to the dorm, no one was there. He stuffed his clothes into the suitcase first, then packed his textbooks, and finally opened his treasured locker.
Inside were all the Chi Yu merchandise he had collected. At first, he could only afford cheap stickers. After signing his contract, he had enough money for keychains, and now he even had signed posters.
There was also a black-haired, black-eyed cotton doll.
He changed the doll into the newly arrived team uniform and carefully placed the miniature silver glasses on it. The chain of the glasses draped over the black jersey, making it look like a pocket-sized version of Chi Yu.
Just as Ning Nanzhou was about to pack the merchandise into his suitcase, a sudden thought struck him.
What if these things were discovered?!
Reason told him he should leave them in the dorm, but as he gazed at the doll that so resembled Chi Yu, he couldn’t resist tucking it into his suitcase.
Chi Yu wasn’t the type to pry into others’ privacy. As long as he didn’t take it out in front of him, it should be fine, right?
As he was packing, the dorm door suddenly swung open.
A voice filled with disbelief came from outside: "Xiao Zhou?"
Xu Ye’s chest heaved violently—he had thought Ning Nanzhou wouldn’t return.
Did this mean... he didn’t actually hate him that much?
The moment this thought surfaced, he saw Ning Nanzhou place a cartoon bear into the suitcase, taking everything he had left behind.
When the boy brushed past him, Xu Ye caught a glimpse of the glaring hickey beneath his collar. It was a blatant mark of ownership, and he knew then that he had no chance left.
—
Yuyuan was only a ten-minute walk from the school. Ning Nanzhou had originally planned to drag his suitcase there himself, but Chi Yu had arranged a car for him.
The driver helped him carry his luggage to the door, and it was only then that he remembered to ask for the passcode: "I’m here—"
Before he could finish, a low voice came through the phone: "The passcode is your birthday."
He knew his birthday…?
Slowly, he entered the numbers. A mechanical male voice announced: "Welcome home."
Ning Nanzhou hadn’t heard the word "home" in a long time—it felt like something from a past life. After a pause, he stepped inside.
The silver-white-haired boy moved like a long-tailed tit inspecting its territory. At first, he paced cautiously, but soon he was peering around, familiarizing himself with his new nest.
He hadn’t looked around much during his last visit. The house actually had two floors, with another level downstairs, so there was no need to worry about accommodations. But when he saw his own streaming setup, he froze.
White Bird stiffened instantly.
He was living with Chi Yu now—how was he supposed to stream?!
(:з」∠) , (○o○) , ⊙ε⊙ , ╥﹏╥ , Σ(゜ロ゜;)!
When Chi Yu returned from training, Ning Nanzhou couldn’t help but ask the long-haired man, "Is there a room where I can read?"
"The study?" Chi Yu removed his coat.
Chi Yu was the epitome of "looks slender in clothes but is actually muscular." Beneath his coat, his shirt was buttoned up meticulously, exuding an air of restraint that starkly contrasted with his ferocity that morning.
Ning Nanzhou had considered the study, but it was too close to the living room. Even if he spoke just a little louder, he’d be heard.
Embarrassed, he asked, "It’s a bit close to the living room. Is there somewhere quieter?"
Chi Yu poured himself a glass of water and led him downstairs. "How about this one?"
Ning Nanzhou loved the room immediately. First, the curtains were thick—he could close them during the day to stream without worrying about screen glare like in the dorm.
Second, the room was far enough from upstairs that no one would hear him, no matter how loud he got.
Chi Yu noticed the boy’s enthusiasm. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he said, "You can read here. I’ll go upstairs to review some materials."
Ning Nanzhou obediently took out a book and sat down to read.
But the moment Chi Yu left, he swiftly pulled out his laptop.
He logged into his streaming account and was immediately flooded by an overwhelming barrage of comments.
[??? Where’s our son???]
[Do you even know you’re on the front page recommendation?!]
[Getting a rec and not streaming???]
[New fan here—does the streamer always go live this randomly?]
[South’s been MIA lately]
Only then did he realize he’d been featured. Pausing before putting on his headset, he opened Starry Sky TV.
The front-page ad slots rotated among several top streamers. The editor, who had apparently trained at the "UC Shock News Department," had written the tagline as:
"Why This 18-Year-Old Refuses to Go Pro!"
The influx of viewers was equal parts confused and shocked.
[Someone actually refuses to go pro???]
[Do they know how much pro players make?]
[Who needs pro gaming when you can stan idols?]
[???]
[South himself said this]
A streamer from the Huanyu guild noticed the front page. "That name sounds familiar. Wasn’t this the newbie the guild wanted to sign before? Refusing to go pro—bold move."
Zhang Huai, a veteran streamer from Huanyu who had built his reputation on skill, frowned. He didn’t know if the guild had tried to sign this person, but as someone who valued professionalism, he had no respect for this kind of unserious streamer.
"You actually believe someone would refuse to go pro? Their marketing tactics are impressive, though."
Ning Nanzhou had no intention of stirring up hype. The more famous he became, the higher the risk of his identity being exposed. He stared in despair as his follower count surged from just over 10,000 to 50,000!
By 60,000, he was panicking. By 70,000, he couldn’t sit still.
He called the platform manager. "Can the front-page recommendation be removed?"
"Why?" The manager had never encountered someone asking to be taken down.
Ning Nanzhou scrambled for an excuse. "I think my skills are average and my abilities limited. Such a prime spot should go to more talented streamers."
Truthfully, the manager hadn’t wanted to give South the slot either—the front page was the face of the platform.
But hearing the boy’s earnest tone, coupled with his previous voluntary withdrawal, he suddenly felt that South was refreshingly pure and unpretentious—a rare breath of fresh air in the cutthroat world of streaming.
The manager reassured him, "How could someone who reached Rank 1 on the national server be unskilled? Young people should have more confidence. I’ll arrange another featured spot for you later."
Ning Nanzhou: "…" Did you forget I called you a sugar daddy?!
After hanging up, he sat in silence for a long time. The bad news was that his followers were still skyrocketing.
The good news was that he was only 30,000 followers away from V3 status, which came with a monthly guaranteed bonus of 10,000 yuan. If his stream’s popularity stayed high, he could earn even more through revenue shares. According to official sources, V3 streamers made at least 20,000 yuan a month.
Now that he was living with Chi Yu, in a neighborhood where rent started at 20,000, even if the other man didn’t care about money, Ning Nanzhou couldn’t accept his kindness without guilt. He didn’t want to be seen as a bad kid.
As he opened the game, a notification popped up.
—Congratulations! You’ve qualified for the World Server. Now enter this supreme battlefield!
The World Server had the smallest player base but the fiercest competition. Only the absolute best could enter—this was the true domain of the gods.
No one knew the exact criteria for entry. Some players got in after a single match, others after a thousand-win streak. Rumor had it the system had its own evaluation standards, making World Server players exceedingly rare.
[The World Server’s still recruiting???]
[I thought they only gave slots to pros]
[It’s not that strict—King-tier players have a shot]
Ning Nanzhou hadn’t expected to qualify. Maybe it was because he was Rank 1 on the national server?
He smirked and logged into the World Server. The moment he went online, a message arrived.
[Xuanji.Ren] Interested in duo queue?
[??? Captain Ren from Xuanji!!!]
[Captain Ren, tell me—will I pass my CET-4?]
[What about my financial luck next year?]
Liu Xiaopeng, Xuanji’s mid laner, asked curiously, "Captain, why are you queueing with a streamer?"
He knew the captain’s morale had been crushed by World Server trolls, but even pulling someone from the second team would be better than a streamer—and one with less than 100,000 followers at that.
"FKW and Blue Flame have both been keeping an eye on him. Let’s see what he’s made of," a young man with a monocle and a small peach-blossom mole under his eye said lazily. "If he can hit Rank 1 in the cesspool that is the national server, dealing with these trolls should be a breeze. And—"
"And what?" Liu Xiaopeng instinctively asked.
The monocled young man pocketed his copper coin tied with a red string. "The divination says he’s a good match for me in queue."
Liu Xiaopeng: "…" Stop with the superstitions, damn it!
Ning Nanzhou refused without hesitation. Teaming with a pro meant exposure, and exposure meant a higher risk of his identity being exposed.
[He turned down Captain Ren!!!]
[Do you even know what you just passed up?!]
[Mom is heartbroken for you!]
Unexpectedly, Ren Xingzhou came prepared.
[Xuanji.Ren] I have Chi Yu's signed photo.
The white-haired boy changed his tune in an instant.
[South] When are we playing???
[??? South, weren't you supposed to be aloof and cold!]
[Changed your tune as soon as you heard about the signed photo, huh?]
[Just came back from Chi Shen's stream, he said if you do a female cosplay, he'll sign your body]
[Bro, I heard it too! He also said he wants to see South in a skirt]
If he didn't know that Chi Yu had gone to look at the documents, he might have almost believed the nonsense from his online friends.
"If Chi Shen himself says he wants to see me in female cosplay, I'll immediately order a Maid Outfit and lie down, and do whatever he want, alright? If he's not here, stop yelling over there."
[Damn! Our son isn't easy to fool]
[When was he ever easy to fool?]
[Am I the only one looking forward to the 'lie down, do whatever he want' part?]
Ning Nanzhou accepted Ren Xingzhou's friend request, took his medicine, and started a Ranked Match.
The World Server and the domestic server had no difference in content. If he had to point out a difference, the game interface changed from pure black to black and gold, which looked more premium.
Also, the Ranked Match times became longer.
Not knowing the skill level of his opponents, he chose Lucas, a hero suitable for Ranked Matches. While he was focused on the match, he faintly heard a knocking sound.
With lightning speed, he switched the game screen to CNKI, stuffed the headset into the drawer, realized he forgot to take out his pen, hurriedly fished it out from his bag, and pretended to be studying hard.
Only after setting up the act did he open the door, only to find it was a false alarm—there was no one outside.
He breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his computer, but his previous advantage had completely vanished.
[??? Why did he stop moving?]
[Our son really has something going on]
[Looks exactly like when someone gets called away by their partner mid-game]
He pretended not to see the comments and continued playing. Lucas was a late-game hero; he found an opportunity to solo kill the enemy jungler and easily secured the victory.
He usually ended his stream around two or three in the morning, but today, afraid that streaming too long might raise suspicion, he ended at eleven.
Moving today had been exhausting. The boy hugged his bag and yawned, then suddenly realized a problem.
Where was he going to sleep tonight?
Earlier, he had only asked Chi Yu where he could read, but he hadn't asked where he himself would sleep.
He knew Chi Yu was looking at documents and didn't want to disturb him, but he was just too tired.
Ning Nanzhou gently knocked on Chi Yu's door and peeked his head in like a cautious little bird: "Sorry to bother you, but where do I sleep tonight?"
Chi Yu was lying on the bed reading documents. Hearing the boy's voice, he turned his head.
The silver-white-haired boy was wearing a white hoodie with the top two buttons undone, revealing the vivid hickey he had left, yet he asked in an utterly innocent tone, "Where do I sleep tonight?"
He picked up the coffee from the bedside table and took a sip. "There is a guest room next door."
Hearing this, Ning Nanzhou sighed in relief and was about to drag his suitcase to the guest room when Chi Yu, leaning against the bed, spoke again.
"But the bed is broken."
The bed is broken???
This was the first time he'd heard that a bed could just break. The atmosphere instantly grew tense. He swallowed hard. "Then what should I do?"
The other's Adam's apple seemed to move. "You can sleep with me."
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