Chapter 25

Rong Yi shifted, intending to return to his original position. As soon as he moved, he froze, then sprang back as if electrocuted.

Xiao Yin, on the other hand, remained much more composed and indifferent.

It was as if he hadn’t touched anything he shouldn’t have.

Rong Yi raised his phone to cover his face, but his body temperature had already risen to the tips of his ears. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, “You…”

Xiao Yin replied, “It happens every morning, don’t worry about it.”

His tone remained calm and cold.

Rong Yi’s face was red for a long time, and he couldn’t think of how to respond. This was a really difficult topic to continue.

It was too overwhelming.

How could he say something so stimulating without changing his expression?

Rong Yi rubbed his head, got up, and started getting dressed.

Just as he lifted a corner of his shirt, Rong Yi remembered that Xiao Yin was still behind him. Feeling awkward, he grabbed his change of clothes and said, “I’m going to use the bathroom.”

Xiao Yin paused briefly before saying, “Alright.”

Rong Yi quickly completed his dressing and washing process in the bathroom.

Xiao Yin must have found him quite strange. After all, he never used to act like this, often sticking around and even asking for help with dressing when he was feeling bold.

But those were just faint remnants of the past.

Rong Yi pushed open the room door and saw that Xiao Yin was no longer on the bed, probably in the next suite washing up.

The door was open, and there were faint sounds of conversation outside. Hydralisk and the others were already up, chasing and playing as usual.

Rong Yi tidied up his things and went out. Sure enough, he saw Xiao Yin in the next room, discussing some technical issues. When he saw Rong Yi, Xiao Yin paused, stood up, and said, “You guys go downstairs for breakfast with Captain Rong first. I’ll join you later, I have something to finish.”

“Okay, I’ll take them,” Rong Yi nodded. “What can I bring you?”

Xiao Yin’s almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly, and after thinking for two seconds, he said, “Just some bread and coffee.”

Rong Yi nodded and then went downstairs with the team member.

They were late, so there wasn’t much left in the buffet. Rong Yi prepared a cup of coffee, packed some bread, steamed buns, and boiled eggs for Xiao Yin, and took his own portion upstairs.

He didn’t have a habit of staying in the dining area to eat. This hotel was near a lot of media outlets, and the buffet area often had suspicious-looking people.

Xiao Yin seemed to be dealing with some new algorithm iterations that required urgent modification. Rong Yi went up with a paper bag to join him.

The dark blue programming interface was filled with lines of code that Rong Yi couldn’t understand.

Xiao Yin’s expression was calm but intensely focused, even more so than when he was playing in a match.

Rong Yi didn’t disturb him and placed the items beside him. He was about to leave when Xiao Yin, hearing the noise, turned around and seemed to remember something: “Is Lin Yi coming with us at noon?”

Rong Yi, biting into a piece of bread, replied, “Yes, I told the support team. You were still asleep at that time, and then…”

Then he got so preoccupied that he forgot about it.

“No problem.” Xiao Yin stretched, pulled a small bun from the paper bag in Rong Yi’s arms, bit into it, and reached for the coffee cup.

He didn’t notice his own paper bag right next to him.

Rong Yi had a habit when eating these types of small snacks that came in packs: he would take a bite out of the best part of each one and then eat the rest slowly.

Rong Yi reached out to stop him: “Um… I already bit into that one.”

Xiao Yin seemed not to understand what he meant. He looked down at the bite mark on the small bun and then said, “It’s okay.”

Rong Yi pointed to the other bag: “Those are yours.”

Xiao Yin glanced at it, then acknowledged with a simple “Mm,” but still finished the honey bun he was holding.

Lin Yi was almost ecstatic when he found out he could even get a seat in the private jet. He started bombarding Rong Yi with messages before they even left.

“Yin must be loaded! I always get reimbursed for economy class tickets. During peak travel seasons, I can’t even book those and have to pay extra myself. And this is from the League Organizer.”

“RS never seemed this generous before, did they?”

Rong Yi replied: “RS? Generous?”

Despite making tons of money from endorsement fees, collaborative merchandise, and skins, they hadn’t fixed the hardware issues in his personal training room for ages, and the air conditioning was always problematic.

But Rong Yi wasn’t one to gossip behind people’s backs, so he didn’t say much more and added: “Right, this is also my first time flying private for a league event.”

Lin Yi remarked, “But Xiao Yin really seems quite rich. When he returned to the country, a lot of people offered to help him out, but he probably didn’t want to owe anyone favors, so he just used money to solve everything.”

Rong Yi replied, “Obviously. How else could he afford to buy a retired team and maintain it for two years?”

Lin Yi, trying to persuade him, said, “You should lock him down quickly. He’s so rich, marry him already.”

Rong Yi retorted, “You’re almost a decade older than me and that’s all you can think of?”

After a pause, he typed back, “The twenty million he gave me, I’ll repay him with a championship prize pool.”

They chatted sporadically about personal matters until Lin Yi’s ride arrived.

Lin Yi, a commentator, had a knack for talking. If talking could generate electricity, he could power an entire village. He quickly bonded with Hydralisk and the others, and soon they were all engrossed in a script murder game.

Meanwhile, Rong Yi quietly worked alongside Xiao Yin.

The technical issue Xiao Yin was dealing with seemed quite challenging. He was fully engrossed, constantly on calls and messaging for feedback. Even when they boarded the plane and switched to flight mode, he continued debugging.

Seeing how busy Xiao Yin was, Rong Yi doubted he would have time for Lin Yi’s dinner gathering that afternoon.

Although they had already made it past the first round of the competition, their rest time was still limited. In esports, even a single day off could negatively impact their game sense, let alone two consecutive days of intense relaxation.

Rong Yi had informed Lin Yi in advance, and Lin Yi understood. Everyone was pretty much prepared for the possibility that Xiao Yin wouldn’t make it.

However, once the plane landed and Xiao Yin put away his laptop, he unexpectedly brought up the matter himself: “What time is the dinner?”

Lin Yi quickly responded, “It’s an afternoon meal to thank everyone, and we can relax at my new massage parlor afterward. I hired top-notch massage therapists, which are great for lumbar muscle strain and herniated discs. Yin-Ge, if you can’t make it today, I’ll always keep this opportunity open for VIT! Ah Yi and I have known each other for years, like family. Anyone from the team can come for free!”

“That’s quite generous,” Xiao Yin remarked.

Rong Yi thought Xiao Yin was going to politely decline, but Xiao Yin continued, “They used my card for the charges anyway. No need for free services; just give me a 20% discount in the future when I come to your place.”

Lin Yi was speechless.

This guy was truly unpredictable.

It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious, which made him all the more intimidating.

“So, are you going today?” Rong Yi asked.

Xiao Yin turned to look at him, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Yes.”

Having decided to go, they first returned to the club to neatly store their luggage. They arrived on time for the 5:30 PM appointment.

Over the years, Lin Yi had made quite a bit of money from his work as a commentator and from investing in teams. He had also invested in some physical stores. One of his hotpot restaurants had gone out of business due to poor quality, but another private kitchen he owned was doing well.

Xiao Yin did come along, but he mostly stayed quiet, sitting next to Rong Yi and eating quietly.

Lin Yi had already gotten familiar with several VIT members, and the atmosphere was lively. After finishing a meal of stone pot fish, he clapped his hands and invited everyone to try out the massage parlor.

Rong Yi looked up and saw a sign that read “Blind Massage Rehabilitation Center, Acupuncture, Physiotherapy,” an old and worn-out sign swaying in the wind.

Above it was the grander and more imposing “Traditional Massage.”

Rong Yi hesitated, retracting his foot. “What kind of rehabilitation center is this?”

Lin Yi, all smiles, pushed him inside. “Come on, Ah Yi, it’s our place. Try out the services. Every esports player who’s been here loved it.”

The interior was quite well-decorated, resembling a typical high-end physiotherapy and massage parlor.

Nearly 99.99% of esports players had some issues with their shoulders, back, or waist. Rong Yi was no exception. His lumbar muscle strain had once been so severe that he needed daily treatment after work.

Grey Cat and Hydralisk had already chosen their treatments and went to the adjacent rooms to change and lie down.

When it was Rong Yi and Xiao Yin’s turn, the receptionist politely asked, “What services would you like, gentlemen?”

Rong Yi said, “I’d like a light massage on my lower back, please.”

Xiao Yin, however, said, “I’m fine. I don’t need anything.”

The receptionist and Lin Yi were both taken aback. “Then, sir, are you here to…?”

Rong Yi suddenly remembered Xiao Yin’s crippling germophobia鈥”anything involving unavoidable physical contact, like a massage, was definitely a no-go for Xiao Yin.

It was admirable that he had come along to save face for Lin Yi.

Before anyone else could intervene, Xiao Yin pointed at Rong Yi and said, “Put me in the same room as him. Just give me a place to rest.”

The receptionist, a bit flustered, quickly found a suitable option. “Would you like a hot compress on your temples? We also offer herbal ice compress and hot compress options.”

“Hot compress, then,” Xiao Yin replied nonchalantly, looking somewhat tired and uninterested.

Thus, Rong Yi had the honor of sharing a room with Xiao Yin.

Rong Yi’s treatment was a two-hour full-body physiotherapy massage, whereas Xiao Yin’s option cost only twenty bucks.

When they entered, the lights dimmed, creating an almost cave-like atmosphere. The air was filled with a subtle scent of roses and lilies, accompanied by soft piano music that was both calming and somewhat hypnotic.

The physiotherapist waited outside the door while they changed.

Rong Yi, standing close to the cabinet, folded his clothes, which were still warm from his body, and looked over to see Xiao Yin already lying down quietly.

The scene suddenly felt a bit surreal.

Perhaps it was because everything was so quiet that even their breathing was audible.

When the physiotherapists entered, there were four people in the room, but everyone spoke in hushed tones, as if they were on the brink of sleep.

Xiao Yin was the quietest. The physiotherapist placed a hot compress mask over his eyes, and he lay there with a serene expression, breathing evenly, his posture straight.

The physiotherapist whispered, “Does the gentleman over there need a massage?”

“No, he does not,” the other physiotherapist replied softly.

The room fell back into silence.

The physiotherapists were well-trained, their movements swift and precise. Rong Yi started to sweat slightly from the pressure.

The physiotherapist also placed a hot compress mask over his eyes, so he couldn’t see what was happening outside, but the pain was very real.

Rong Yi’s lumbar muscle strain was quite severe. He had a dedicated physiotherapist during his time with RS, but the chaotic period between terminating his contract and joining VIT left him with no time for treatment.

VIT had its own masseurs, but Rong Yi had been too busy, especially with the recent competitions, and had missed several sessions.

The room was very quiet. Rong Yi, accustomed to restraint, endured the pain in silence, his breathing slightly heavier as he held back.

Next door, Hydralisk, Grey Cat, and Wu Daogu had already started howling in pain.

Xiao Yin remained silent, as if he had fallen asleep.

It was the physiotherapist who noticed something was wrong. “Sir, does it hurt a bit too much?”

Rong Yi managed a smile and, suppressing his voice, said, “It’s actually alright. It’s just that my muscle strain is really severe.”

The physiotherapist responded, “I’ll try to be a bit gentler, sir, but this is already very light. Any lighter, and it won’t be effective. Please bear with it.”

Then, the physiotherapist pressed a specific point on his lower back.

Rong Yi felt like his skull was about to fly off.

His hand shook as he removed the hot compress mask from his eyes and picked up his phone to distract himself.

One had to admit, the physiotherapists at Lin Yi’s establishment were very skilled. After the initial sharp pain subsided, it was replaced by a sense of muscle relaxation and overall ease.

Rong Yi’s attention was diverted by a post he stumbled upon.

He had been following Xiao Yin’s personal fan site with his smurf account and saw a gossip post about him today.

[Since everyone knows about his sexual orientation, has anyone dug into his dating history? Is there anyone besides the person in the photo?]

A reply below read: “No one has. Even the person in the photo hasn’t been identified yet. Yin’s family background is complex, and his records and connections are very clean. The only people who claim to know him are his high school classmates.”

“Did he attend high school in the NA Region? That must have been chaotic.”

“Breaking news! I know someone who went to high school with him! They said his orientation was an open secret, but no one ever managed to date him. The person in white with him is really mysterious. Even though Yin moved to the NA Region after everything, they might still be together.”

“What would Yin be like in a relationship? Just thinking about it makes me excited. He might actually be a hopeless romantic. An iceberg on the outside but incredibly clingy on the inside.”

“Agreed! He’s totally that type. I can tell just by looking at his face.”

Rong Yi scrolled through the little messages and glanced to the side.

He wondered how people could determine things just by looking at someone’s face. If you went by appearances, wouldn’t the probability be higher that an iceberg-like figure doesn’t care about love at all?

He quite enjoyed reading these gossip posts because it felt like he was blending in, bringing him an indescribable sense of closeness to Xiao Yin.

Recently, every time the forum opened, there was a lot of buzz about him. The narrative was all about how Easy had been hiding his true self and how joining VIT had made him more outspoken. The comments were mixed, but he couldn’t be bothered to read them all.

Rong Yi skipped over the posts mentioning his name and clicked on a humorous thread featuring reaction images of players from across the League.

Before he could find Xiao Yin’s reaction image, the physiotherapist suddenly applied more pressure, catching Rong Yi off guard. He gasped, clenching his phone and gripping the blanket underneath him, breaking out in a cold sweat.

On the other side, Xiao Yin shifted and glanced at him.

“It hurts,” Rong Yi admitted honestly this time.

Although he was explaining to the physiotherapist, Xiao Yin’s gaze returned to its original position, likely understanding that this was a necessary part of the process.

The physiotherapist reassured him, “Just bear with it here. I’m going to correct your posture. You’ve been sitting improperly for a long time, haven’t you?”

Rong Yi, sweating from the pain, could only nod in agreement. He gripped the massage table tightly, following the physiotherapist’s advice to breathe deeply and relax.

Correcting posture and realigning stretches were his worst nightmares. He once had a chiropractic session that was a hellish experience he never wished to recall.

The physiotherapist continued with steady and precise movements, comforting him all the while, “It’s okay, just hold on a bit longer.”

Rong Yi endured for a while longer, but when the physiotherapist applied pressure again, he couldn’t help but gasp once more. His breathing became erratic, his voice a mix of pain and restrained beauty.

On the other side, Xiao Yin shifted again.