Chapter 15

Xiao Yin returned to the Training Room, where the two chatterboxes, Grey Cat and Hydralisk, were still deep in discussion.

They were just there for the fun of it, nosy as ever, and crowded around to gossip: “Another E-God fan? Did he say anything? How did it feel to meet him in person?”

Rong Yi put on his headphones, but when he heard his name, he took them off again. He lifted his eyes and met Xiao Yin’s gaze.

Xiao Yin answered them, but his eyes were fixed on Rong Yi, with a look that seemed both meaningful and indifferent: “He said he didn’t expect Easy to be so good-looking.”

“Like a dream.”

He watched him quietly and intently.

Rong Yi felt like this guy was flirting with him.

But he had no proof.

Rong Yi thought for a moment and made a joke: “Didn’t he say you look even better?”

Actually, he and Xiao Yin were of different types. Rong Yi had a delicate appearance, with soft features, peach blossom eyes, fair and smooth skin, and a bit of an androgynous beauty.

In contrast, Xiao Yin had a face full of strong, aggressive features, with pronounced brow bones, sharp phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips, exuding masculinity.

“Is that so.”

Xiao Yin’s voice was still in that odd, indifferent tone, slightly raspy. His eyes, calm and deep, with a faint gleam, looked down at him as he spoke softly, “So, Captain Rong thinks I look pretty good?”

Rong Yi: “…”

The air conditioner hummed coldly in the Training Room. Rong Yi rubbed his arms and avoided his gaze, muttering, “It’s a bit cold, I’ll go adjust the air conditioner.”

Xiao Yin glanced at him but didn’t say anything. He just pressed his lips together and then left.

Grey Cat and the others huddled together, looking at each other in confusion.

It felt like they had missed ten episodes of a drama.

Grey Cat whispered, “Don’t you think there’s something off between Captain Rong and Yin-Ge? Right! Absolutely! Xiao Yin, that pervert, definitely picked the mid laner based on looks!”

“Just looks? You’re underestimating Xiao Yin,” Hydralisk objected. “He definitely knew there was this good-looking and badass player in the domestic League. As soon as he got back, he signed him quickly, afraid he’d slip away. If marrying him could tie Yi-God down, he’d register the marriage tomorrow.”

The first scrim of VIT drew significant attention from various quarters, with its viewership on video platforms even surpassing that of some Spring Finals from a few years back.

Due to this match, Rong Yi’s buzz increased yet again, with everyone discussing his transfer from RS to VIT.

Rong Yi had a great rapport with casual players. As soon as the match replay was released, his highlight plays quickly went viral, gaining over 200,000 new fans overnight, with each play garnering millions of views.

RS team fans were furious.

They suddenly realized that Easy, after leaving RS, did not plummet as they had imagined. Instead, he was gaining more and more attention.

Now, Rong Yi was famous not just for his brilliant plays, but also for the iconic moment that gathered all the support players in the League. The public suddenly became aware that there was a support player in the pro player circle who had conquered all the other players, and their attention towards him only kept increasing.

However, Rong Yi paid no attention to these discussions. Ever since he became a Captain, he had not listened to external opinions for many years.

In the early morning, Rong Yi was the first to get up, holding black coffee and bread as he sat in the Training Room, conducting personal post match analysis.

After joining VIT, his already disciplined routine shifted two hours earlier, waking up at six in the morning.

With summer approaching, their villa faced north and south, and being by the lake, the morning sunlight was intense and clear. The shimmering lake water could cast reflections onto the Training Room windows from a distance.

The others usually didn’t wake up until after eight. After playing for a while, Rong Yi suddenly heard someone ringing the villa’s doorbell.

He took off his headphones and went downstairs to check.

They had a housekeeper who usually arrived early, so Rong Yi thought she might have changed her schedule. But when he opened the door, he found it was a delivery worker.

The mover said, “Overseas delivery for Xiao Yin. Are you a family member? I need a signature.”

Rong Yi checked the time and knew Xiao Yin was still asleep. So he said, “Sure, I can sign for him.”

“Alright.” The worker waited for him to sign, then crouched down and used a box cutter to open the package. “Please inspect the contents.”

Rong Yi had no intention of prying into Xiao Yin’s private matters, but the courier had efficiently opened the box—inside were large framed photographs, wrapped with multiple layers, using art exhibition standards. The frames contained several landscape photographs.

Rong Yi checked the label again: “The recipient is… Xiao Yin, right?”

“Yes.”

The courier confirmed the phone number for verification, which dispelled any doubts Rong Yi had.

Since the packages were too large to move upstairs easily, Rong Yi left them by the door and went back to his tasks.

After eight o’clock, people started coming downstairs one after another. Grey Cat was the first to notice the items by the door. After checking the recipient’s name, he shouted upstairs, “Yin-Ge! Your delivery is here!”

“Got it,” came the reply.

A few minutes later, Xiao Yin appeared at the staircase and motioned for Wu Daogu to help him carry the frames upstairs.

Grey Cat asked, “What did you get? Decorative paintings?”

“They’re Yin-Ge’s photography works from his old place, sent over to be framed and hung for decoration,” Hydralisk explained, knowing a bit more. “His room walls are still bare.”

Rong Yi glanced over.

No wonder some of the landscapes seemed familiar; a few of the photos were of the city they were in now, likely taken years ago. The lighting and composition were quite impressive.

He just hadn’t expected Xiao Yin to be the photographer.

“Didn’t know, did you? Yin-Ge won major awards for photography in high school. The whole school wanted to model for him, but he said he wasn’t interested in taking pictures of people,” Hydralisk said, knowing more about Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin had attended high school abroad, far removed from their current lives, so anything about his past seemed like a blockbuster revelation.

“His family’s equipment alone could cover my salary for a year, but I didn’t see any this time,” Hydralisk mused aloud. Then he shouted, “Xiao Yin, can I borrow your camera gear sometime?”

From upstairs, Xiao Yin’s voice came, cold and indifferent: “I didn’t bring it. Besides, our Club prohibits the use of cameras.”

Hydralisk let out a wail: “Why—”

Rong Yi knew that Xiao Yin hadn’t shared much about his camera phobia, only mentioning that Easy couldn’t be on camera.

Rong Yi wasn’t sure if Xiao Yin’s ban on cameras in the VIT Club and his claim of not having equipment had anything to do with him. He figured it might, but he had no grounds to ask.

He couldn’t very well ask, “Did you stop taking pictures because of me?”

At noon, Rong Yi finished his solo training, but the printer in the Training Room was out of ink, so he went to Xiao Yin’s office to print his documents.

Xiao Yin’s room had almost turned into his office. Like his room, it was a suite, with a full set of equipment and a desk in the outer area, along with a lounge for guests, while the inner area was a resting room.

When Rong Yi arrived, he knocked on the door. Xiao Yin was looking over the season’s training plan and said, “Come in.”

Seeing it was Rong Yi, Xiao Yin put down the papers in his hand. “What’s up?”

There had been some League Organizer representatives visiting that morning, so Xiao Yin was still in his formal suit. He hadn’t changed yet; his cold black suit jacket was draped over a chair, and his shirt was unbuttoned down to the second button, revealing the smooth lines of his throat.

“I need to use your printer.” Rong Yi handed him the document. Xiao Yin nodded and gestured for him to wait a moment.

As the printer hummed, Rong Yi noticed that Xiao Yin’s office now had a landscape photograph hanging on the wall. Compared to the previously all-gray decor, it indeed added a touch of vitality.

It was a scene of rain, with a very distinct contrast, in cool tones, indicating it was a winter rain.

Rong Yi found himself somewhat entranced by it.

The photograph was indeed beautiful. If Xiao Yin weren’t into Esports, he would probably be an outstanding young man excelling in various fields, dabbling in everything and mastering it all, with photography being just one of his many first-rate skills.

“Thanks for signing for the delivery,” Xiao Yin said, breaking the silence.

Xiao Yin watched the warm pages steadily emerging from the printer, his gaze never lifting, but he knew Rong Yi was looking at the photograph behind him. “This kind of courier usually requires a personal signature. I hadn’t gotten up yet.”

“No need to thank me.”

Rong Yi replied politely, then thought of something. “Did you check if everything was okay? I didn’t want to go through your things. I only took a quick glance when he opened it.”

“Everything’s fine.”

The printing finished, and Xiao Yin got up, walked over to Rong Yi, and handed him the documents.

Rong Yi reached out to take them, but Xiao Yin’s fingers still clutched the papers, making the moment awkward as they both stood there with their hands suspended in mid-air.

Rong Yi looked up, a bit surprised.

“They called to confirm the delivery, asking who had signed for me. They wanted to know what relation you were to me.”

Xiao Yin’s eyes were deep and beautiful, with a profound and cool light. His long, dark eyelashes reflected Rong Yi’s image.

“I returned the call, but I want to know what you think would be the best way to describe it.”

He moved a little closer, his fingers relaxing, but Rong Yi, now unable to think clearly, left his hand hanging in the air. Xiao Yin gently pulled his hand over, holding it lightly, the warmth lingering.

The sensation brought Rong Yi back to the days just before he joined VIT.

His ears burned, and his voice became very small, “Boyfriend.”