| Marry Me, I'm Super Well-Behaved [Esports] (MARRY ME) |
One,
Two,
Sleep???!
Sleeping together was not an option in Ning Nanzhou's mind. Although they had slept together once before—okay, more than once—those times were when they weren't sober. How could he possibly sleep in the same bed as Chi Yu while fully conscious?!
He suddenly wasn't sleepy anymore: "I'll go watch TV in the living room for a while. I'll sleep on the couch when I get tired."
Chi Yu reached out and pulled him back: "Kids who stay up late won't grow tall."
He was already eighteen!
Despite being eighteen, Ning Nanzhou was still dragged onto the bed, like a long-tailed sparrow being coiled and tucked into its nest by a black snake.
The bedroom light was already off, the curtains drawn tightly, leaving the room pitch black. Only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
His heart pounded fiercely beneath his chest. Pretending to be calm, he curled up into a ball, making himself look even more like a white fluffball, and he was quietly inching outward at a rate of one centimeter per minute.
He stealthily moved to the edge of the large bed. This position made him feel much more at ease, and Chi Yu's presence wasn't as noticeable anymore. He closed his eyes and peacefully drifted off to sleep.
Ning Nanzhou liked sleeping in warm places, especially in winter, where he enjoyed bundling himself up thickly. However, Chi Yu's blanket was too thin, and the room temperature was too low.
He instinctively wrapped himself tightly in the thin blanket, forgetting he was at the edge of the bed. His body suddenly tilted downward.
Oh no!
What adult falls off the bed?!
Just as he thought he was about to fall, a man's strong arm wrapped around his slender waist, holding him naturally and effortlessly.
Ning Nanzhou froze completely. Should he push him away now?
In reality, he didn't even need to hesitate because, when he tried to push the person behind him, he realized he didn't have the strength to do so.
Was Chi Yu asleep?
He didn't want to disturb Chi Yu, so he took a deep breath and tried his best to relax, to get used to... the other's embrace.
But the man's breath was unmistakably warm against his neck, and his long fingers rested on his sensitive waist. Whether he was asleep or not, that hand habitually tightened its grip.
The distance between them grew even closer, and his ears burned fiercely red.
Fortunately, his face couldn't be seen in the darkness. He calmly closed his eyes and started counting sheep.
One,
Two,
Three…
The suppressed drowsiness surged over him, and before he knew it, he fell asleep.
Ning Nanzhou had a dream that night. In the dream, he was entangled by a black snake.
A dangerous aura closed in on him. He struggled to break free from its grasp, but the black snake coiled even tighter, and its cold body temperature gradually turning scorching hot…
In the morning, Ning Nanzhou woke up abruptly in bed, the sweat from last night still lingering on his neck.
Why did he have such a dream?
The dream from last night felt too real, leaving his body with a slippery, sticky sensation as if it had been coiled by a snake's tail. The first thing he did after getting out of bed was take a shower.
He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Hot water streamed down his hair.
Perhaps the water was too hot. After finishing his shower and drying himself, he glanced down and noticed his skin was slightly red.
After washing up, Ning Nanzhou walked out of the room. Chi Yu had already prepared breakfast.
He didn't really feel like eating breakfast, but compared to being forced into his seat by Chi Yu, he chose to sit down and eat on his own.
He thought sharing a bed last night would be awkward, but the other person's expression was no different from usual, sipping coffee and reading documents.
Today was actually his birthday. He wanted to ask if the other had time for dinner, but remembering how Chi Yu had once said birthdays were a waste of time, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
He suppressed his unrealistic thoughts, finished his meal, and hurried off to school.
His afternoon class was Computer Science. He found a seat in the last row and started slacking off.
He didn't start a livestream but logged into the game. A message from Ren Xingzhou popped up.
【Xuanji.Ren】Team up?
He casually replied "okay" and used the shabby computer in the lab to queue for Ranked Match.
Professional players generally have spectator views, so even though Ning Nanzhou wasn't streaming, his Ranked Match gameplay with Ren Xingzhou was being broadcast live.
Zhang Huai from Universe Guild watched the stream and felt confirmed in his judgment: this person's skill was decent, but far from professional level. He couldn't understand why a big shot like Ren Xingzhou would queue with him.
After finishing two Ranked Matches, Ning Nanzhou sent a message.
【South】Not playing anymore for now
【Xuanji.Ren】Why aren't you playing?
While packing his textbooks, he sent a message back.
【South】The lab session is over
Ning Nanzhou simply explained with that one sentence, unaware of the shock it caused among the Xuanji members on the other side of the screen.
Advent was a game heavily reliant on mechanics. Generally, players should retire by age twenty-four—Chi Yu was the only one who had won a championship at twenty-five.
Therefore, the game had high hardware requirements. It didn't necessarily demand the highest-performance computer, but at the very least, it shouldn't be a school lab computer, right?
Liu Xiaopeng suddenly understood: "No wonder FKW and Blue Flame were interested. Playing decently on a lab computer—this kid is a monster! I just wonder how he performs offline."
Some said online and offline were two different types of competition because offline tournaments came with greater pressure, testing not only mechanics but also mental fortitude.
If the other person performed just as well offline, Liu Xiaopeng estimated that all teams would be scrambling to recruit him directly at his doorstep.
Ren Xingzhou's reaction was much calmer. He adjusted his monocle and said, "We'll meet soon enough."
Ning Nanzhou had no idea what Ren Xingzhou was thinking. After class, as he walked out of the classroom, his phone rang several times.
Catching a glimpse of the caller ID, he hung up and headed toward the school gate.
The area around Hudong University was bustling, or perhaps there was no place in Hu City that wasn't lively. He made his way through the crowd.
He passed by a cake shop, where various cakes were displayed in the glass window.
He wasn't interested in desserts, but when he saw the "Happy Birthday" stickers in the shop, he thought of something and still bought a small chocolate cake.
Just as he was about to head home after buying the cake, an anxious voice called out to him from behind.
"Xiao Zhou!"
He turned around and saw Qi Yidan's face. Unlike the elegant and composed woman he had seen last time, a trace of barely noticeable anxiety flashed across her face.
He didn't know why Qi Yidan had sought him out. Wasn't she afraid he would influence her daughter?
Qi Yidan suppressed her panic and walked up to the young man. "Last time, I spoke too impulsively. I've reflected on it for a long time since then. You're already an adult, and I shouldn't interfere in your life."
She handed him a gift bag. "Today is your birthday. I bought you your favorite racing car."
"And this watch was picked out by your sister," Qi Yidan handed him another bag. "She really likes you as her brother and asks every day when she can see you."
He recalled that lively and innocent little girl. Perhaps she really saw him as a brother, but how would such a young child know to give a watch as a gift?
And it wasn't a cheap one at that.
He didn't know what Qi Yidan was trying to do, nor was he interested in finding out.
Ning Nanzhou continued walking forward expressionlessly. The woman grabbed his arm. "Xiao Zhou, I know you don't want to see me, but what's past is past. I'll make it up to you properly from now on. Wouldn't it be nice if we could be a family?"
"I heard from your counselor that you moved out. Are you unhappy in the dorm? Rent in Hu City is so expensive. You should come home to live from now on. Uncle Wu has already cleaned up your room."
"Let go." He took a deep breath.
Qi Yidan's grip tightened, as if he were some kind of lifeline.
As they stood locked in their stalemate, the cake he had bought fell to the ground.
He stared intently at the cake on the ground while Qi Yidan still held his hand firmly. "Let's go home, okay? Besides us, you have no family in Hu City. Do you really want to live all alone with no one to rely on?"
"Who says he has no family?" A cold voice sounded from behind him. "Would you prefer to leave on your own, or shall the police escort you away?"
Qi Yidan stared in astonishment at the black-haired man who was holding the young man's hand.
Her intuition told her this person wouldn't be easy to deal with, so she stopped pressuring Ning Nanzhou to return home. "Xiao Zhou, whether you believe me or not, I truly want to make it up to you."
Ning Nanzhou looked at Qi Yidan without speaking. If she really wanted to make it up to him—though he didn't need any compensation—she should have known he no longer liked racing cars.
After Qi Yidan left, he glanced at the ruined little cake, then turned his head to look at Chi Yu.
Chi Yu looked at the silent young man and asked with utmost gentleness, "Did you buy this to share with me?"
Ning Nanzhou was about to say it was ruined and couldn't be eaten when the refined man picked up the damaged little cake, unwrapped it, and took a bite. "Thank you for treating me to cake, little one."
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