After winning the championship in the Spring Split, Team GD was invited to participate in the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
This was an event organized by the officials every year. 12 regions each sent their Spring Split champions to compete with champions from other regions for the title of "MSI Global Champion."
Everyone here was a champion team from their respective regions, so the competition was exceptionally fierce.
Team GD performed extremely strongly from the group stage, sweeping the other 3 teams in Group B and advancing to the top 8 with a complete victory record. Immediately after, they won all the way to the Grand Finals and finally took the championship without any mishaps.
The news of GD winning the MSI championship quickly spread back to China. Fans were as excited as if it were New Year, leaving congratulatory messages on the official Weibo one after another.
Many people believed that Team GD, after Chi Shu joined, indeed had stronger momentum than last season. Last year, they regrettably brought back a runner-up title in the Global Finals. Could they win the championship this year?
Most people were very optimistic about Team GD.
But there were also many naysayers who believed Team GD would likely follow the old path of last year—good results in the regular season, but dropping the ball at the most crucial moment in the S-series tournament at the end of the year.
After all, Ye Shaoyang had already taken several runner-up titles, as if naturally cursed by the "Champion Curse."
Regardless of what the outside world said, Ye Shaoyang was full of confidence. Having played matches for so many years, Chi Shu was the most compatible teammate he had ever met. He believed he and Chi Shu could create miracles.
Team GD flew back to Shanghai the next day. The manager invited everyone to a celebration banquet. The club's higher-ups were very satisfied with the results of the first half of the year, giving the players a bonus and a few days off.
Anyway, there was still some time before the Summer Split opened, so the coach let everyone relax.
After dinner, the group went to KTV and played Truth or Dare lively.
In KTV, Truth or Dare was the most common game. A turntable was placed on the table with many punishment items. Whoever's turn it was would spin the pointer and accept punishment or drink.
As the captain, Ye Shaoyang spun the plate first. The pointer stopped at "Drink a glass."
Ye Shaoyang decisively picked up the beer in front of him, opened the tab, and drank it in one gulp.
Teammates around him cheered one after another: "Captain is bold!" "Next, whose turn is it?"
Sitting on Ye Shaoyang's right was Top-laner A-Rong. Spinning casually, the pointer stopped at "Perform Yangko dance on the spot." A-Rong didn't say a word, tied his jacket around his waist, and danced on the spot.
Teammates laughed non-stop beside him.
The game rotated down one by one. Everyone was quite open, and the room was full of joy. Since Chi Shu sat on Ye Shaoyang's left and the game rotated counterclockwise, his turn came last.
Chi Shu spun the turntable casually.
After spinning quickly for two rounds, the pointer stopped at a punishment item—
"Make eye contact face-to-face with the person next to you for 30 seconds."
Chi Shu sat on the edge of the sofa. To his left was the song selection console, and to his right was Ye Shaoyang. He had to turn back to look at Ye Shaoyang and whisper, "Captain, cooperate a bit."
Ye Shaoyang said readily, "No problem, but don't laugh!"
Staring at people, he had played this kind of punishment item many times before. Ye Shaoyang could always make the opponent laugh and accept the punishment of drinking. He thought he would have no problem today either.
However, Chi Shu suddenly approached him, their nose tips less than a fist apart. Meeting those deep eyes, Ye Shaoyang only felt his scalp hit by electric current, and his heartbeat instantly lost its rhythm.
It was quiet around them; teammates were watching the fun.
Chi Shu stared at Ye Shaoyang motionless, and Ye Shaoyang also looked up to meet his gaze. at such a close distance, he could clearly see the other's long and dense eyelashes. Just a little further forward, and they could kiss.
Their breaths blended with each other.
Ye Shaoyang heard the sound of his own heart beating violently.
Beside them, A-Rong was still timing with a stopwatch. Countdown 30 seconds; whoever laughed first lost.
Being gazed at gently by Chi Shu, Ye Shaoyang's mind went blank, and his heartbeat almost lost control. When A-Rong's countdown had 15 seconds left, Ye Shaoyang couldn't stand it first and quickly looked away.
His cheeks were a bit hot. Turning his head, he opened a can of beer. "I accept the punishment."
Then, amidst the jeering of teammates, Ye Shaoyang drank a can of beer cleanly. For some reason, he was a bit embarrassed to look into Chi Shu's eyes.
A-Rong wondered, "Brother Yang actually lost this round? When playing this item before, didn't you casually persist for 30 seconds without blinking?"
Ye Shaoyang guiltily found an excuse: "Condition isn't good today."
A-Rong said, "A-Shu passed. Come come, continue, Captain's turn!"
Ye Shaoyang took a deep breath to stabilize his heartbeat and spun the game turntable casually.
As luck would have it, the pointer stopped at a punishment option: "Confess deeply to the person on your left."
Ye Shaoyang screamed holy crap internally!
Was this game turntable going against him today?
Unfortunately, the tactless teammates beside him were still jeering: "Confess! Confess!"
Ye Shaoyang touched his nose. "Can I change one? I'll spin again."
Teammates: "Captain, can't afford to play?" "Exactly, whatever you spin is what it is. Our team's fine style can't be destroyed."
Fine style? This is damn bad style, right!
Ye Shaoyang took a deep breath and went all out. "Confess then confess! Afraid of you guys?"
Anyway, we're good brothers; just playing Truth or Dare. Chi Shu shouldn't mind. Thinking this, Ye Shaoyang coughed lightly, looked at Chi Shu, and pretended to be frank. "Bro, I like you."
Laughter erupted around them: "Is there a confession like yours?" "Deep confession, the key is deep, understand?" "Captain, you truly remained single until now by your own ability."
Ye Shaoyang blushed and had to start over. He looked at Chi Shu seriously and pretended to be affectionate. "Chi Shu, playing matches with you, you can always understand what I'm thinking, always appearing by my side when I need it most. Really happy you can become my teammate. I… I li-like you."
The beginning was spoken relatively smoothly, but when it came to the last few words, he stuttered.
For the first time, Ye Shaoyang stammered and almost couldn't complete a sentence. Although this was just a game and no one would take it seriously, why was he so flustered?
After Ye Shaoyang finished speaking, screams immediately erupted around them: "So touching! Am I becoming a CP fan?" "Congratulations Captain on leaving singlehood!"
Everyone was joking; no one took it seriously. Only, Ye Shaoyang felt in a trance that under the dim lights of the KTV, the look Chi Shu gave him was exceptionally gentle, a look that made his heartbeat lose control.
He had to avoid looking at Chi Shu for the rest of the time, just drinking with others.
That night, the group played until 3 AM before returning to the base. Ye Shaoyang was a bit drunk and was carried back by teammates. Chi Shu didn't drink throughout, only having a few glasses of juice.
Everyone sent Ye Shaoyang to the door of the dormitory, and Chi Shu let the teammates go back.
After helping Ye Shaoyang into the room, Chi Shu picked him up in a princess carry, carried him all the way to the bedroom, helped Ye Shaoyang take off his shoes and jacket, and then covered him with the quilt seriously.
Sitting by the bed, looking at Ye Shaoyang whose cheeks were flushed from drinking, Chi Shu's heart softened. He couldn't help reaching out and gently rubbing his hair.
The feel of the hair was very similar to the blonde mixed-race in the ABO world, still so soft.
Just then, Ye Shaoyang suddenly opened his eyes. Looking at Chi Shu, he said in a daze, "Chi Shu? Why am I dreaming of you again?"
Chi Shu froze for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Do you dream of me often?"
Ye Shaoyang nodded. "Mn, dreamed of you scrubbing my back, massaging me. Also dreamed of you biting my neck."
Chi Shu chuckled lightly. "Biting your neck?"
Ye Shaoyang: "Very strange, like a vampire, biting the back of my neck."
Chi Shu: "…"
It seemed Yangyang vaguely remembered fragments of being marked by Chi Shu in the ABO world. Only, his memory wasn't complete enough. Chi Shu didn't know the specific reason yet.
Chi Shu leaned over, turned Ye Shaoyang's head to reveal his fair nape, and then gently bit the skin on the back of the neck, asking, "Is it like this?"
Can this awaken your memory?
The man's warm breath brushed against the sensitive nape.
Ye Shaoyang wasn't drunk to the point of unconsciousness. Chi Shu's bite made him shudder all over, goosebumps rising on his spine, and his drunkenness was instantly scared away. He widened his eyes and asked, "What are you doing?"
Chi Shu looked at Ye Shaoyang and said seriously, "Yangyang, do you like me?"
Meeting those gentle eyes, Ye Shaoyang's tongue almost tied in a knot. "I, I was talking nonsense just now; don't take it to heart. Our team used to play this kind of game often. Last year, KK and A-Rong even drank cross-cupped wine; it's just a game…"
Chi Shu interrupted him in a low voice, "Don't like me even a little bit?"
Ye Shaoyang was stunned by the question.
Like? Chi Shu was his teammate, his good brother. Even when Chi Shu scrubbed his back every day while he was crippled, and massaged him every day after removing the cast, he never thought crookedly.
Could guys say "like" to guys?
Seeing his confused expression, Chi Shu leaned closer, stopping 5 centimeters from Ye Shaoyang's nose tip, just like when they looked at each other during the KTV Truth or Dare session just now.
Ye Shaoyang's heartbeat instantly went into chaos.
He lay on the bed, Chi Shu leaned close, their noses almost touching. Such a close distance, as if he would be kissed by the other party at any time.
Ye Shaoyang looked away in panic.
Chi Shu asked in a low voice, "Why dare not look at me?"
The distance was too close. When Chi Shu spoke, warm breath sprayed on Ye Shaoyang's face. Such intimate distance made Ye Shaoyang's brain almost stop working.
Only the bedside lamp was on in the room.
The warm light illuminated the tips of Ye Shaoyang's red ears.
Chi Shu continued to ask, "Didn't you never lose when playing this staring game with people before? Why, dare not look when it's my turn?"
Ye Shaoyang: "…I, I don't know either."
Chi Shu got a few points closer, almost touching his lips. "Never thought that you might like me?"
Ye Shaoyang denied subconsciously: "Ho-how is that possible? We are good bros!"
Chi Shu wanted to laugh a little. Worthy of the [Alien] OP, marked three times by an Alpha in the ABO world, yet still calling him good brother, good bro. Turns out it was because he was missing a string, never thinking in that direction.
In the world where Ye Shaoyang lived, men and men couldn't register for marriage. Usually, men who were with men were called "Gay," while Ye Shaoyang was "Straight." Between straight men, it was a good bro relationship; even intimate actions wouldn't cause misunderstanding.
Carrying straight-guy thinking, he treated Chi Shu as a bro in the ABO world.
But Yangyang, maybe you aren't as straight as you think?
You just haven't met the person who makes your heart beat.
Chi Shu gently placed his hand on the position of Ye Shaoyang's heart. Feeling the violent beating of that heart under the thin skin, Chi Shu exposed him unceremoniously: "Your heart is beating very fast."
Ye Shaoyang explained in a panic, "Must be because of drinking."
He didn't quite believe this reason himself. Ye Shaoyang's ears burned terribly. He wanted to chase Chi Shu to sleep, but the next moment, Chi Shu suddenly leaned down and gently kissed Ye Shaoyang's lips.
Ye Shaoyang: "!!!"
After the fleeting kiss, Chi Shu looked at him and whispered, "Good bro really wants to kiss you."
Ye Shaoyang froze stiffly on the bed.
Until Chi Shu directly clasped the back of his head and kissed him deeply again.
The boy's lips and tongue carried the sweet taste of juice.
Being held down and kissed, Ye Shaoyang's already muddled brain crashed completely.
He forgot to resist and was quickly conquered by Chi Shu.
Chi Shu seemed to have endured for a long time; once he started kissing, he couldn't stop. The weak sounds of resistance spilling from Ye Shaoyang's lips were gently blocked by him.
Coming to this world for nearly half a year, being with Yangyang day and night, Chi Shu indeed endured very hard.
Worried that being too hasty would affect Yangyang's mentality and Team GD's results, he kept suppressing the intense liking and missing in the bottom of his heart.
Now that it was finally spoken, Chi Shu didn't want to endure anymore.
He was sure Yangyang liked him, just didn't realize it.
Chi Shu held Ye Shaoyang and kissed him for a long time, as if retrieving his lost lover.
Ye Shaoyang was kissed until his whole body went soft.
After a long time, Chi Shu pulled back.
The two looked at each other at close range. Ye Shaoyang's cheeks were hot enough to burn.
Chi Shu chuckled and asked, "Still good bros?"
Ye Shaoyang: "..."
Chi Shu gently stroked Ye Shaoyang's hair and said softly, "Yangyang, I like you."
"I said, even without the influence of pheromones, I would still like you."
"What about you?"