Pardon the typos, misspellings and grammar.
Chapter 7:
We fucked up.
Fourth Ye and Little Ye thought in sync. Luckily, Fourth Ye is even more professional in maintaining his expression, compared to Fifth Ye. Which means, It's at grandmaster level.
0.56 second is used by his brain to decide which expression and which story he wanted to use before he reacted, "What?" Furrowed eyebrows, dibelieving eyes, a frown, perfect.
"You're Old Ye right? Old Ye, this is me!" Huang Shaotian pointed to himself before lowering his voice, "Old Ye, what happened to you? You look like you're twenty again."
"Who are you?" Fourth Ye asked in accussing tone.
"Old Ye, this is me!" Huang Shaotian gritted his teeth.
"I never met you, pervert!" Fourth Ye denied insistently.
"Then why are you so simliar to Old Ye?!"
"Who the hell is this 'Old Ye', between the two of us the one is more suited to be called 'Old' is you!" Fourth Ye retorted.
"What?!" Huang Shaotian stared incredulously. "Look at me!" Huang Shaotian grabbed Fourth Ye's cheeks and forced him to look at Huang Shaotian as he lowered his scarf carefully. Fourth Ye blinked, now Fourth Ye remember, Wasn't this the noisy chatterbox from Blue Rain Camp that had always been a headache to Old Wei?
"Senior! What are you doing?!" Lu Hanwen hissed to his senior, who is borderline harassing an innocent bystander. "Let it go! You don't want to be discovered by your fans but you'll be arrested by the police this way!"
"Are you suffering Amnesia, Old Ye?" Huang Shaotian ignored Lu Hanwen. "Or are you got deaged and your memory got locked? Or are you a clone?" After all in Huang Shaotian's logic, it's all possible if it's Ye Qiu.
"Let go of my brother, pervert!" Little Ye finally couldn't stay silent as his older self's chastity is on the edge being blemished, he tugged on Fourth Ye with his full strength and Huang Shaotian's grip slipped.
Fourth Ye would shamed his three championships if he couldn't take the opportunity, he yanked Little Ye's collar and dashed for it, from behind they could hear Huang Shaotian cried out.
"Aaah! Clones!"
"Senior! You're making ashamed! Stop reading my comic books and stop harassing a slightiest pretty boy you could find!"
"Brat! What did you say?! I could still revoke your inherittance!"
"I said what I said! You're embrassing me! Let's just go back!"
"Dejavu!" Little Ye exclaimed as they both slowed down to a stop, breathing raggedly.
"Fuck it, we got the worst outcome, why would a pro player easily loitered around the place?!" Fourth Ye huffed as he shoved a plastic bag toward Little Ye.
"Are we gonna keep running like a mad whenever we met someone that Third Ye know?" Little Ye whined.
"Well, what can we say? Instantly claiming we're brothers? Do you know how wide pro player's connections are? One people know it, the next day a hundred would know too! Unless Big Ye succeeded in making our idetities solid, we're completely limited." Fourth Ye helplessly sighed. "That man just now actually right, before our identities are solid, we're like clones."
"I don't want to be a clone! I'm a real one!" Little Ye whined.
"We all are."
"Why do we have so many acquintance?"
"Three championships."
"Why do they all like to grab us perversely?"
"That," Fourth Ye turned solemn, "is a very good question."
The two crashed over their seats tiredly, disturbing the other three who are absorbing the moment and bonding over sarcastic comments on practically everything they laid their eyes on.
"What is wrong with you two?" Second Ye chastised as he shifted on his seat.
"We met someone that Third Ye knows," Fourth Ye heavily sighed as he distributed the snacks and drinks.
"It's just meeting them, no need to overreact," Second Ye disdained.
"He grabbed my face!" Fourth Ye hissed and everyone paused attentively to look at Fourth Ye, scanning for any harrasment wound.
Fifth Ye set down his milk tea to gently cradle Fourth Ye's face, attentively turning it from side to side slowly, "You look fine, no scars nor bruises left behind. No permanent damage," Fifth Ye assured and looked at the older two.
"Thank God," Big Ye and Second Ye sighed in relief.
"Get off!" Little Ye, who is seated in between Fifth Ye and Fourth Ye, protested.
"So, who did you meet? Any idea?" Big Ye asked as he took some picture of the stadion.
"I guess he was that Blue Rain's camp member, the one who always gave Old Wei a headache? Huang Shaotian?" Fourth Ye answered and the oldest two choked.
"Of all people?" Second Ye facepalmed.
"It had to be him?" Big Ye lamented and looked around, "Hey!" Big Ye called out to a young merchandise seller, who eagerly approached their seats.
"Is there anything I can help, sir?" The young seller, who is donned in Misty Rain's merchandise T-shirt and cap, said cheerfully.
"Give me Tyranny's hat and scarf, two sets," Big Ye said as he handed him the money. After he bought the items, he tossed them to Fourth Ye and Little Ye. "Wear it, Ye Qiu would never wear Tyranny's things, and black is easy to disappear in the crowd."
Tyranny had always been Ye Xiu's answer for a nice disguise.
[999+ New Messages Since Yesterday]
Troubling Rain: Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye! Old Ye!
Troubling Rain: Old Ye!
Troubling Rain: Old Ye!
Troubling Rain: Old Ye are you clonned?!
Troubling Rain: Alright, maybe 'clonned' is taking it too far...
Troubling Rain: old ye this is huang shao!
Troubling Rain: your beloved shaotian!
Troubling Rain: are you deaged?!
Troubling Rain: I met you just now! You look twenty and prettier!
Troubling Rain: I meant, younger!
Troubling Rain: Old Ye, if you don't answer me I'll assume you're really deaged and lost your memories!
Ye Qiu: What the hell are you spouting out?
Troubling Rain: old ye! You're not deaged?
Ye Qiu: ... Are you drunk? Fever? On drug? Weren't you going to perform for allstar? I'm going to tell on you.
Troubling Rain: fuck off!
Troubling Rain: I just saw you.
Ye Qiu: Hm? I didn't though... Are you stalking me again? Didn't you said you're out of that phase already?
Troubling Rain: I didn't stalk you! I already said it was a misunderstadning rught?!
Ye Qiu: are those typos? Shaotian, you're losing your touch
Troubling Rain: Fuck off fuck off fuck off fuck off fuck off!
Troubling Rain: ...
Troubling Rain: So you're not deaged?
Troubling Rain: So who did I see?
Ye Qiu: What did you see?
Troubling Rain: You. The you who looked like the You I first met in fourth season.
Ye Qiu: ...? I'm twenty five going twenty six. Me in the fourth was twenty one. I don't think we look that different.
Ye Qiu: Besides, I didn't see you.
Ye Qiu: Shaotian, are you sure you're okay? Have you consume some med before going to allstar?
Troubling Rain: ... I did have a migraine, so yeah...
Ye Qiu: See? Maybe you're halucinating...
Troubling Rain: Perhaps...
Troubling Rain: Thanks for your concern old ye :-) ;)
Troubling Rain: Is this my clue to hope for more as you're never concerned for just anyone? ;) ;)
Ye Qiu: ?
Troubling Rain: I'm just joking lol!
Troubling Rain: ...
Troubling Rain: Wait. You said you 'didn't see' me? You know I'm in Samsara's stadium right?
Troubling Rain: Old ye, you're also in all-star?
[Ye Qiu had gone Offline]
Big Ye shutted his phone and leisurely leaned back, he puffed out a cloud of smoke ignoring every glares directed at him. It's useless to hide anything from Huang Shaotian, destiny would still take its course and soon everyone would know it anyways.
He glanced at the shifty Fourth Ye and Little Ye and smirked.
Should he tell them that the crisis had pass?
Nah.
They look adorable in Tyranny's merchs
The event started and the oldest two silently slipped onto their 'Don't ask, I swear to Go, Don't' mode, this mode is signaled with their eyes look straight and resting-bitch-face on. They knew what's going after this...
"One Autumn Leaf!" Next, One Autumn Leaf materialized in the air.
Fourth Ye blanked and Fifth Ye almost spurted out his milk tea from his nose.
"What?!" They both cried out in dismay, gathering some odd looks.
"He's blonde!" Fifth Ye cried out incredulously.
"My lifetime partner! What the hell happened with his hair?!" Fourth Ye gasped, Three championships he snatched with One Autumn Leaf beside him and they're practically like brothers from different dimension- or so Su Mucheng had once said, he couldn't believe the familiar charcoal hair and piercing golden eyes had been replaced with blonde hair and steely blue eyes.
"Oh my God, whose deed it is?" Fifth Ye covered his eyes horrifiedly.
"Fifth!"
"Fourth!" The two shared a twin dismayed looks, this hits them too severely.
"You know, I was about to comment how ugly your taste is, but it seems like the hair and eyes are not your pick?" Little Ye commented, idly nimbling his ice cream.
"Of course not!"
"We're better than that," they hissed.
"Fifth Ye made a blond cleric with blue eyes, so I assumed..." Little Ye shrugged.
"Hey, Cloudy Autumn Sky's design is beautiful!" Fifth Ye protested.
"Accident could have happened!" Little Ye argued.
"Yi Ye!*" Fourth Ye still can't take his eyes off of the blonde Battlemage in the stage. Devastation and confusion are clear on his face
Big Ye and Second Ye spared them a pitying glace. Young people always prone of getting emotional.
And the old always like to see them suffer. Let's not tell them that Sun Xiang, later on, changed back the hair to black after he got to Samsara. The older two shared a twin mishievous grins.
Luckily, soon enough, Fourth Ye and Fifth Ye settled down as they curiously watched the performance going on. They seemed to be astonished with the tech of future Glory, the sight of the beautiful Dancing Rain made them smile softly.
Fourth Ye even furiously flipped through the All-Star catalogue to get more informations of these future opponents he'll fight (Of course, he won't admit that he stopped for a minute on Su Mucheng's brochure, too enamoured and proud.) That's it until he reached the last page.
He stared at the slightly familiar Sharpshooter and the handsome player behind him. Fourth Ye clicked his tongue, "What a pretty face, he's more suited to be a model," he commented as he read the avatar's name.
"Cloud Piercer? Samsara?" Little Ye also curiously peered on the brochures.
Fourth Ye hummed, slightly impressed, "Did Zhang Yiwei got a golden luck? Where did he find a fancy successor?" Fourth Ye commented. He looked on the additional infos, "Number one Gunner? The Great Gunner?" Fourth Ye went silent, "Someone inheritted that tittle already?"
"Number one gunner?" Fifth Ye snapped his head and squeezed close, peering over Little Ye's head who sat in between them, to see a very handsome man smiling softly on the page. He looked up again to stare at the aloof Sharpshooter who is waiting for the other All-Stars to make an appearance. The youth frowned.
"He's really good, Zhou Zekai that is. Very helpful and obedient, a talent indeed," Second Ye filled in the younger three when he saw twin frowns on Fourth Ye's and Fifth Ye's faces.
"It's the time for that empty tittle to be filled back, huh?" Fourth Ye snapped the catalogue shut with a bitter smile.
"How is he any better?" Fifth Ye asked expressionlessly as he mindlessly stroke Little Ye's head.
Big Ye finished his coffee and smiled meaninglessly, "He has some strong advantages." The younger three looked at him, "Amongst those advantages, time to grow is the strongest."
Fourth Ye kept his face straight whilst Fifth Ye grimaced. What Su Muqiu lacked the most is precisely the time to grow.
Yu Wenzhou watched the on-going performance calmly before he glance at Huang Shaotian, who is secretely busy on his phone below, yet still manage to do some derogatory comments and remarks for the match.
Yu Wenzhou leaned back (no, he's not leaning back to peek who is the one Huang Shaotian spamming on), and asked, "Do you think Ye Qiu come?" Seemingly innocent and airy question. It is an innocent one, for once.
Huang Shaotian paused for a mili-second, "How should I know?" He blinked at Yu Wenzhou, before going back to his phone, eyes unusually wide and suspiciously no additional remarks and an essay of complaints and woes.
Yu Wenzhou smiled, "Who are you texting?" His soft blue eyes never left the stage as he observes Tiny Herb's new, talented, blood.
Huang Shaotian sweated a little, he had been in trouble for -'harassing' a delicate, prettty and young 'gege'-, as Lu Hanwen dubbed (That damn brat! Huang Shaotian will wipe the floor with him once they got home!). If Yu Wenzhou is anymore displeased, Huang Shaotian might need to be a vegan for a whole damn week.
They might be earned the tittle of 'Blue Rain Monastery' because the inexistence of girls in their rank, but let's not take that to another level.
"A friend..." But Ye Qiu is a different problem alright?
Yu Wenzhou hummed and does not pursue on, "Shaotian, you're so quiet today. Are you sick?" Yu Wenzhou turned his head and asked. "You should eat more veg-"
"Let's ask Su Mucheng! About Ye Qiu, that is! She must knew something!" Huang Shaotian turned his head toward Excellent Era's place and lets out a long shameless whistle to get the beauty's attention. But the said beauty turned her head the other way, instead, the whole Excellent Era turned to look at Huang Shaotian.
"Damn that girl!" Huang Shaotian swore.
Yu Wenzhou smiled at Excellent Era and waved at them, Excellent Era waved back, confused.
Ye Xiu sighed as he looked at the young but promising talent, it would be a waste if this gold keep being burried in the sand because of his insecurity added with no one guides him.
"You can do it, you're still young," Ye Xiu encouraged, this is not an empty mindless comfort, Ye Xiu believes Qiao Yifan could do it. There would be a day where Qiao Yifan would be the one who got challenged instead of challenging, there would be the time where Qiao Yifan could shine as dazzling as the stage he had just left from. But everything needs time. Time and hard work.
Qiao Yifan nodded, he understood perfectly. He understood it all, "Yes, Thank you," he exhaled a patheticly shaky breath. Dry tears stain still tainted his cheeks.
"You were just losing your tempo," Another, younger, voice piped up from Ye Xiu's back and Qiao Yifan blinked. "If you could just stay calm and pulled back, the second after that, admittedly surprising, Sword Boundary, at the very least you could land a few hits."
Ye Xiu stepped aside to look at the newcomer, Little Ye smiled up at him and stepped beside him, "Though, unexpectedly, your opponent used Sword Demon instead..."
Qiao Yifan blinked and wiped his remaining tears away, embrassed to look so weak in front of a younger boy, "You...?" Qiao Yifan does not recognize this boy.
"How did you get here?" Ye Xiu looked down on his younger self who beamed back.
"Second Ye told me how! I wanted to see how he," Little Ye pointed to Qiao Yifan, "deal with his devastating lost."
Qiao Yifan faltered a bit, does his misfortune is really that interesting to be watched on? He looked down, of course, after all with such a pathetic lose everyone would be looking forward to tease and insult him.
Ye Xiu's brows twitched, this cheeky boy really need some discipline over his sharp mouth, what did Second Ye was thinking? "Someone's misfortune is not for you to see," Ye Xiu reprimanded.
Little Ye then realized that he had said something wrong and quickly added, "I wanted to console him."
"You are a stranger, why would he wanted to be consoled by you? What if he wanted to be alone?" Ye Xiu challenged.
The fifteen years-old runaway young master immadiately run out of words, he looked at Ye Xiu as if been wronged before looking back at Qiao Yifan, "I'm sorry... Do you wanna be alone? I could leave..." Who can say no to those sincerely guilty eyes? Ye Xiu rolled his eyes exasperately.
Qiao Yifan smiled, "It's okay," he waved it off weakly.
"But..." Little Ye started, still with the same wronged tone, "We're not strangers..." Little Ye protested as he huffed unhappily at Ye Xiu.
"Does he know you?" Ye Xiu challenged.
"He does!"
"In real life?"
"... Knowing people in-game is count as 'half-knowing'," Little Ye said solemnly. "Weren't eighty-seven percent of your friends were from Glory?" He accussed.
"We met in real life, too, that's not count."
"We're not stranger, right?" Little Ye gave up arguing with his older self and turned toward Qiao Yifan.
Qiao Yifan shifted on his feet and rubbed his arm awkwardly. Had he met this younger boy who looks eerily similiar to God Ye? "I don't think we've met before," he meekly replied.
"Of course we hadn't. But we're not strangers, brothers remember?" Little Ye gestured, "One-Inch Ash?" Little Ye said expectantly.
Qiao Yifan's heart skipped a beat, "Eh?" Suddenly he thought that Little Ye's voice and way to speak are really familiar.
"Yifan, meet Xiao Ye. He's my... Little brother, and the player behind One-Inch Love," Ye Xiu patted Little Ye's head and introduced them to each other.
"One-Inch Love!?" Qiao Yifan exclaimed in pleasant surprise, without him realizing it, his lips quirked into a very genuine happy smile.
"Hi! Pleased to finally meet you!" Little Ye smiled and jogged to Qiao Yifan's side to offer a handshake that Qiao Yifan gladly returned.
"Nice to meet you too," Qiao Yifan smiled softly.
"You played good, it's just your opponent was too strong. We're still young and still learning, we can always try again in the future, don't let it get you down," Little Ye kindly advised as he patted Qiao Yifan's shoulder consolingly.
"Yes, thank you," Qiao Yifan took the advice nicely with a fond smile, especially since Little Ye had used 'We' instead of 'You'. It made it even more affectionate and gave Qiao Yifan a sense that he's not alone and he'll have someone by his side to accompany him when he try again in the future, and it makes Qiao Yifan happy for some reason.
Seeing the boys hit it off nicely, Ye Xiu sighed exasperately with a smile, but they can't stay for long, "Xiao Ye, we have to go. Let's get you to the others," Ye Xiu called out to get their attentions, and motioned to Little Ye.
"Oh, okay!" Little Ye retracted his own dainty hands back and took a step back, "Bye Yifan!" Little Ye jogged back to Ye Xiu's side and they both walked back into the darkness of the corridor, talking about Little Ye's Tyranny's merchandise cap and scarf of all things.
Qiao Yifan sees them off until he couldn't see them anymore. He's alone now, but for some reason he couldn't wipe off the stupid soft smile on his face, he looked down to his right hand and clenched it tightly.
He thought back of how powerfup and brilliant One-Inch Love was... Turn out the player is even younger than he is, Qiao Yifan's smile turned bitter.
'If it was Xiao Ye, at least, he wouldn't lose so terribly like me. In fact, he'll instantly get everyone's attentions in the best way... I should hurry up and catch up to them... Yingjie and Xiao Ye,' Qiao Yifan shutted his eyes and exhaled heavily as he had found his new resolve.
Work harder!
He couldn't fall behind and ended up only staring at them from far below.
Qiao Yifan opened his eyes, he has to stand up after this fall. If the untalented him want to stand with the richly talented Gao Yingjie and Xiao Ye, he has to work hard.
Qiao Yifan blinked rapidly as he realizes something. He immadiately blushes like cherries. He just realized that Xiao Ye's name was just nickname... And he just called him by nickname twice in his head...
Qiao Yifan needs water.
"What happened?" Little Ye came back to see Fifth Ye is tightly hugging Fourth Ye's waist, while Fourth Ye is sheething (He looks expressionless, and the slight tug on the corner of his lips proved that he's pissed).
"Young people's blood boils faster," Second Ye made an air quote.
Little Ye frowned, "Don't use such an ancient language, I'm still young."
"Fourth Ye, Little Ye is back, no kicking up fuss okay? Child-friendly policy, remember?" Fifth Ye coaxed sheepishly as he slowly released his hold and moved back to his seat beside Second Ye.
"Tch, it's not like I can do something," Fourth Ye clicked his tongue as Little Ye took a seat beside him.
"'Something' not 'anything'," Big Ye mildly pointed out.
"If that guy challenged me, I won't even give him a chance," Fourth Ye scoffed, forgetting his mild phobia of getting challenged in All-Star weekend, and leaned back gloomily. He looked to the distance where Team Wind Howl is.
"Old Lin..." Fourth Ye murmured to himself.
Little Ye looked at Fifth Ye who shrugged cluelessly, he then looked at the oldest two. Second Ye looked wistful, whilsy Big Ye is too hard to understand. Little Ye leaned back, deciding to not ask. But he put his little dainty hand on top Fourth Ye's bigger, no less pretty, one.
"Whatever you're thinking on, I agree wholeheartedly," Little Ye stated solemnly, earning a look from his older selves.
But Fourth Ye's chuckle after that is worth it.
Fourth Ye cackled, after his gloomy period for him to feel indignant his old friend's place, the next challenge filled him with schadenfreude.
One Autumn Leaf v Desert Dust.
The blonde One Autumn Leaf.
Not to mention, this so called successor of his is also very arrogant, much like that Tang guy. It will be a pleasure to see him lose...
Han Wenqing hates arrogance the most. Except, if it was him who did it.
End the old grudge? Fourth Ye snorted. How many times he had tried to end the so called illusionary 'Old grudge'? Han Wenqing would just go and drag him to another duel. There's no 'End of old grudge' unless one of them is destroyed completely to the point they can't even lift a finger against the other.
That's how stubborn they are.
They had been fighting since they met, not long after Glory was founded.
Whenever they met, it's rare for heart-to-heart talk, it's usually fist and spear flying around. Wild BOSS fight? It's them who fight each other. Outside dungeon? They still fight. Events? They fought their way to the top leaderboard, met, then fight again.
It was lucky that Ye Xiu is a pretty fragile and weak guy in real world, otherwise Han Wenqing might even drag the rivalry into the real world too.
He did, however, dragged Ye Xiu to gym once in a while, literally. Because Ye Xiu would never be willing to step into such a place.
The match started and fans from both opposite side hollered in cheer, Fourth Ye included.
"Beat him, Old Han! Beat him! Kill that blonde One Autumn Leaf for me!" Fourth Ye yelled in excitement as the others looked at him in exasperation.
"Old Han hadn't fall, right? Third Ye is still pretty great, Big Ye too..." Fifth Ye turned his head to ask.
"Just watch," Big Ye smiled.
Fifth Ye sweetly smiled and nod obediently, he turned back to look at the stage, "Old Haaann! Beat him!" He also yelled emotionally, One Autumn Leaf's sudden blondeness still affects him greatly.
"Destroy that nightmare, Old Haann! Destroy him for me!" The audience around Fourth Ye reacted calmly, after all Fourth Ye is wearing Tyranny's merch cap and scarf on him, they treated him like another anti-One Autumn Leaf and pro-Tyranny fan.
The intense match ended and Fourth Ye collapsed back to his seat, weirdly satisfied after seeing Desert Dust triumphed over One Autumn Leaf. He watched in amusement as Han Wenqing dismissed the younger generation, not just Sun Xiang.
"The children want a change in dysnaties, but they're still too green," Han Wenqing laughed coldly and Fourth Ye followed with a snort. Little kids should take notes, they're indeed still too green and arrogant. (A certain three-times champion conveniently disregarding the fact that he was actually being arrogant by dissing the rookies.
"That guy is so cool," Little Ye sighed in astonishment and admiration. "I like his style!" Little Ye clapped.
Second Ye incredulously turned to look at the youngest, "What?! Fifth Ye, cover his eyes!" Second Ye harshly nudged Fifth Ye who scrambled to cover Little Ye's eyes.
"Why?!" Fifth Ye and Little Ye asked in sync.
"He'd been enchanted and seduced by Old Han's badassery. Next time we knew, he might be joining the enemy's camp."
"I won't!" Little Ye protested.
"I see," Fifth Ye nodded
Fourth Ye and Big Ye rolled their eyes at them, before Fourth Ye hummed, "Remind me to thank Old Han," Fourth Ye said to the others.
Big Ye snapped a picture of the stage and snorted, "Consider it done,"
"Good night," Little Ye collapsed to his and Fifth Ye's shared bed, fresh after shower with soft milly scent on him, ignoring the shouts and yells of indignance coming from the bathroom where Big Ye is standing guard by.
Big Ye smiled affectionately at the youngest, "Good night, have a glorious dream." He, then, turned to look inside the batroom, "Hurry up you two, clean up, use the soap and shampoo, brush your teeth and be quick. After that, drink your milk and sleep," he ordered to the deeply violated young adults inside.
"We're not kids!" Fifth Ye cried out.
"This isn't even my room!" Fourth Ye hollered in indignance.
"Be quick or I'm going inside and help you two bath," Big Ye blandly threatened.
"This is an act of sexual violation! Voyeurism!" Fourth Ye yelled.
"Be quiet, Little Ye is asleep."
They instantly went quiet, "We can take a bath ourselves," Fifth Ye is already covering his whole face and moaned into his palm like a wronged daughter-in-law.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before," Big Ye commented boredly.
"There! I'm finished! Let me out!" Fourth Ye reached out for his towel.
"Behind the ears?" Big Ye asked and they groaned.
"Why didn't you force Second Ye too?!" Big Ye had been to fussy with their cleanliness and had forced them to shower right away before sleep, even though they usually only take a shower once a week (or maybe more), because of their light activity.
They had underestimated a CEO's lifestyle. He's being too fussy.
Big Ye sighed, "I would. But he unexpectedly managed to run out, excusing to buy a cigarette pack," Second Ye is too sly. Next time, Big Ye would get him.
...
Meanwhile, Second Ye was truly innocent and truly bought a pack. Though, indeed, he had felt an ominous feeling and quick to excuse himself and slip out, he never knew what kind of tragedy that will hit them.
He's currently at the elevator. And is regretting his choice to go out, badly.
Why? Can someone tell him why the freaking Wang Jiexi is beside him? Please, an answer would be nice.
Why do a pro player like him lingered around and not properly tucked in his bed at this hour? This is not right. The Alliance should watch their players properly.
Worse, Second Ye left his wig in his room. Who would wear a wig for buying a pack when it's dark outside? Second Ye is not wrong at all.
It's just Second Ye's bad luck to run into the Magician after he went for a pack. Worse, their eyes even meet but nothing had been said. But not they're in the same elevator and Second Ye is dying by maintaining Big Ye's mannerism, to try not look like the usual him.
Wang Jiexi glanced at the person beside him, wondering why he acted like stranger. Was it right that he didn't want to be found? But honestly, why is he so silent?
"Senior, how are you?" Wang Jiexi inclined his head a bit to greet the veteran player. A smile graced his lips, "It's a pleasant to see you here. Are you here for All-Star weekend too?"
Second Ye glanced at Wang Jiexi, raising his brows, "Do I know you?"
Awkward silence fell into the lift.
Wang Jiexi gave Second Ye a sideway glance and smiled bitterly, that sentence is so deadly, Wang Jiexi could even felt his heart is bleeding. He wanted to cough out blood. Why does he felt like an unwanted Ex-boyfriend who is completely erased from memory?
As Wang Jiexi is busy repairing the critical damage, Second Ye is already planning to get out in a different floor just to get Wang Jiexi off of his trail. His golden eyes are impatiently glared at the number of floor they're reaching.
'Three floors off, then I'll use the emergency staircase,' after Second Ye thought up this, the lift trembled and the light's suddenly out, luckily Wang Jiexi's reflex is good and he caught Second Ye before he fall.
"Are you okay?" Wang Jiexi asked in concern as Second Ye shook his head and pushed him off gently.
"What happened?" Second Ye squinted his eyes to adjust, he could only see a faint sillhouette of Wang Jiexi.
"It seems like, the power's out. Don't worry they'll fix it soon enough," Wang Jiexi stayed calm even in a sudden situation. But Second Ye could not.
Second Ye's eyes darted around, he never been trapped inside a lift before, his lifetime fear is becoming a reality. Trapped in a dark, cold, and small space, no Su Mucheng here to calm him down, no Ye Qiu to accompany him, there are none of them.
"Senior, are you alright?" Wang Jiexi tapped Second Ye's shoulder who flinched under his touch. Wang Jiexi blinked in the dark, bewildered.
"I'm fine, a bit claustrophobic," Second Ye admitted with a sigh as he calmed himself down, It's fine... There's still Wang Jiexi here, if Second Ye died at least there's someone to accompany him... Bad thought. "Can you move away a bit?"
Wang Jiexi complied, knowing that he needs a space to calm down, "Breathe, senior. They'll fix it soon, try to think happy memories," Wang Jiexi tried to help.
Second Ye nodded distractedly, happy memories, happy memories, Second Ye held onto the railing. Tenth season, World championship, teasing Ye Qiu, spending time with Mucheng, the National Team's quirks... Second Ye exhaled calmly.
Second Ye looked back to Wang Jiexi, "Thank you, stranger."
Wang Jiexi smiled exasperately, "You're welcome, senior."
Second Ye kept reminiscing the past, until he triggered a certain memory in National Team's training days regarding Chu Yunxiu... Second Ye squinted his eyes when he felt something's terribly familiar... He looked at Wang Jiexi and blinked around the dark lift.
"Yunxiu, Mucheng, why are you not training?" Ye Xiu questioned as he snapped shut his notes.
Chu Yunxiu jumped and Su Mucheng smiled at him, "Leader!" Chu Yunxiu playfully saluted. "We're going soon, after we finished this good doujinshi," she giggled with a blush and Ye Xiu wondered why she sounded so perverted.
"What doujinshi?" Ye Xiu tilted his head to look at the book in the girls' hands.
"A fan manhua, made with already existing characters or even people," Su Mucheng, knowing Ye Xiu is clueless, explained.
"Oh, so it's just a comic book? What's so good about it that you two dare to skip, huh?"
"Don't be like that, Leader! If I don't finish this, I wouldn't be able to focus!" Chu Yunxiu whined.
"What sort of comic is that?" Ye Xiu approached them.
Su Mucheng grinned awkwardly, "Just a fan's fantasy, it's stupid and not according the fact, honest."
"You can see it if you want!" Chu Yunxiu jumped and shoved the book toward Ye Xiu's face.
"YunYun!" Su Mucheng cried out.
One look at the book, Ye Xiu's years of maintained eyes' virginity is destroyed at an instant, he says nothing about Su Mucheng reading something like this but instead, he scrunched up the book in curiousity, "Isn't it the same as porn, but a 2D version?"
"Porn is distasteful! We know nothing about the model, nor we idolize them deeply. They don't even have a background story," Chu Yunxiu scoffed haughtily.
"And... You idolize the people drawn in here?"
"It's based off of real life people."
"Then, who are them?" Ye Xiu asked and Chu Yunxiu brightened.
"You and Wang Jiexi," the girl answered gleefully.
"Pardon?"
"WangYe! See? This one with uneven eyes is Wang Jiexi, whilst the one pushed to the wall and sitting on the railing is you," Chu Yunxiu pointed to the two nicely drawn characters.
Ye Xiu is starting to regret this, "And... Where are them?"
"In an elevator, doing it," Chu Yunxiu grinned. Ye Xiu couldn't see Wang Jiexi in the eyes for a week after that.
Second Ye banged the lift's steel door, "Let me out, damn it!" Damn it, Chu Yunxiu! Don't let me find you, or else I won't be polite!
"Senior, calm down!" Wang Jiexi exclaimed.
"Don't get near me, I'm claustrophobic!"
Not a minute later, the power is back and the lift proceeded smoothly.
*Bam!*
Big Ye looked up and smoothly closed his laptop, "Second Ye, you're finally back. Go to shower first before you sleep," he yawned but only answered by a door slamming close. He blinked to see Second Ye clearly.
"Be quiet, Fourth Ye is asleep, what happened to you? You look worse for wear..." Big Ye asked.
Second Ye tossed the pack onto the table and glanced coldly at Big Ye, "Do you know this hotel is where Tiny Herb is residing?"
Big Ye blinked, "No, I just chose this because it was close to the stadium, did you meet someone?"
Second Ye collapsed to the sofa beside Big Ye, "Worse, it was Wang Jiexi."
"Ah..." Big Ye set aside his laptop, "Make sense, because this hotel is close to the stadium it's bound if one of the team is here... So what happened?"
"The power was out not long ago, right?"
"Uh-oh."
"I got trapped in the lift with him for God knows how long-"
"It was out for five,"
"Five minutes. And I don't think he bought my stranger act, dammit." Second Ye glanced to Fourth Ye, who is still asleep, and cursed lowly.
"Are you okay?" Big Ye asked.
"No," Second Ye rubbed his face tiredly. "And to throw him off my track, I got out three floors away, so I need to use the staircases, instead."
Big Ye patted his shoulder, "There, there, you have a rough day. Go to sleep okay?"
"I'm sweaty, I'm showering first," Second Ye sighed and got up to the bathroom. Big Ye smiled before frowning thoughtfully.
"That means, we can't exactly loitered around in this hotel... I should tell them all about this in the morning," Big Ye yawned and stood up, "Second Ye, lock the door okay?" Big Ye knocked on the bathroom's door before exitting the room, closing the door quietly.
Fourth Ye and Fifth Ye laughed at the joke they shared after they waved towards Su Mucheng who looked over them with her binoculars. Su Mucheng giglled to herself when she watched them having fun.
She never got the chance to visit them which made her feels bad. Her schedule won't ler her to have any additional time aside for that one visit to Happy Internet Cafe to see the real Ye Xiu. But Ye Xiu had told her more about them, and she met some of them in tenth server too.
It made her happy to suddenly have two more big brothers and three new little brothers. Especially Little Ye, who spent more time with her in the tenth server than the others. From her memory, fifteen years old Ye Xiu was sly, clever, snarky and really cool, but that was from her young self's point of view. Now she had grown up and had seen much, Little Ye is plainly cute.
Very cute. Cutely sly, cutely clever, cutely snarky, really cute. She wants to adopt him.
Su Mucheng chuckled at her ridiculous thought. There's no way that could happen, whateer the timeline was, Su Mucheng had always been Ye Xiu's little sister, and she loves that position dearly.
Number one beauty? Number one launcher? Those are no match for her position as Ye Xiu's little sister. Maybe, at new year she could visit them, of course Ye Xiu has to take a break of his job and join them too.
"Su Mucheng, what are you laughing at?" From behind her, Liu Hao asked unhappily.
The beautiful warmth on her face is replaced by an ice-cold winter, as void as the feeling she had for this team, placed back her binocular and indifferently open her mouth, "None of your bussiness," it stopped be, once you rebelled against Ye Xiu.
She conveniently ignored Liu Hao's annoyed growls as she took out her phone and texted Chu Yunxiu.
Why she couldn't just sit with Misty Rain? It's much cooler and pleasant there rather than sitting aimlessly in a changing Era.
After she texted Chu Yunxiu, she turned off her phone and blankly looked over the stage to see Zhou Zekai is randomly shuffling numbers for a lucky audience to get on the stage.
"17, area A!" The MC almost cried after he announced the final result after leading Zhou Zekai around. The audience immadiately sighed in pity for not being able to play onstage, but the owner of the seat number did not share their sentiment.
"Oh my God," Every Ye looked at Fifth Ye with wide eyes filled with horror, except for Big Ye, of course, who looked terribly amused. The randomly choosen seat number fell onto Fifth Ye's hand.
Fifth Ye's eyes twitched as he shared a look of disbelief with Fourth Ye, "Why me?"
Fourth Ye patted him on the shoulder, "Your luck is really bad, count it as a good karma, you protected Little Ye," initially, it was Little Ye who sitted at number 17. But because he was tired being squeezed on whilst Fifth Ye and Fourth Ye joked around, they switched seats.
Second Ye nodded solemnly, "You protected Little Ye from calamity, now go."
"Stay alive," Little Ye tearfully expressed, this brat...
"Why did this happen to me?" Fifth Ye whined.
"Just sacrifice your body!" Second Ye hissed.
"Count it as experience, quick, the MC had called you twice," Big Ye commented as he waved cheerfully to the pale Ye Xiu, who was watching them since the start.
In the end, Ye Xiu's fear become reality.
Fifth Ye gracefully stood up and walked down, dragging his feet, slowly. His speed is so slow that it unnerved the other fans, be excited would you?! It's your honor to go onstage!
"Walk quickly! Stop trying to imitate penguin, you don't even wear Samsara's team jacket!" Second Ye yelled at him and Big Ye snorted in mirth.
Fifth Ye tugged his hoodie lower, and readjusted his dark-tinged glasses as he reached the stage. Frown eternally etched his lips.
"We have out last lucky audience, What's your name?" The MC hold out the mic towards Fifth Ye.
"Ye Xiuwu," Fifth Ye answered fastly.
"How do you feel about being here today?"
"Good."
"Do you feel excited?"
"Of course."
"... Alright, let's move onto the competition!" The MC feels a headache pounding and immadiately start the show. "Everyone brought their own account cards?" The MC asked the audience members who answered with affirmative with the exception of one person.
"Excuse me, I don't bring mine," Fifth Ye politely said. He brought it, actually. But he won't about to run with a low levelled cleric. Besides, he was so sick with clerics.
Everyone then become certain that this guy is a noob. How could you didn't bring your own card? No wonder he was so hesitant to go up and answered the MC's question with bland words.
They feel annoyed, how many of them who had become fans since forever but never got chosen? Lady of luck is indeed unfair. Is that guy her son or something?!
"Oh, of course, we'll prepare an account for you," the MC also reached the same conclusion as the audience but immadiately trying to ease the tension with warm smile, "What class do you play?"
Fifth Ye wanted to answer his favourite, Battlemage, but he stopped short before he said it out. He went silent before turning to look at the very much silent pro player. Everyone followed his line of sight to also look at Zhou Zekai, confused as to why this noob suddenly turn to look at Zhou Zekai.
Fifth Ye smirked, fresh, mishievous and very boyish, "Sharpshooter," he tilted his head up towards Zhou Zekai, "I play Sharpshooter," he said out loud and Zhou Zekai looked at him.
Zhou Zekai blinked his grey eyes at Fifth Ye, the two gazes met and Fifth Ye's smirk widens. Zhou Zekai's lips pressed into a thin line, he hadn't heard wrongly. There's a rebellious tone in those words.
Even the audience could feel it. From the tone, the mannerism, the way he looked at Zhou Zekai, the same class. Everyone went silent still as they stared at the two handsome youngmen, who stared at each other, onstage.
Samsara's fans immadiately rioted, shouts, yells, and screams with various degree of hostility, resounded. Because this is their home ground, of course there are so many of it. But Fifth Ye ignored them, still smirking towards Zhou Zekai.
It's a challenge.
A challenge to the God.
*Yi Ye: from; Yi Ye Zhi Qiu. So yeah, Fourth Ye is calling OAL with a shortened nickname.