Chapter 66

Rong Yi actually found the scene a bit strange.

Xiao Yin seemed even more upset than he was.

Rong Yi was nestled in Xiao Yin’s arms, his damp arms wrapped tightly around him, whispering softly, “It’s really okay.”

Xiao Yin held him in silence, only releasing him after a while. He looked down to change the subject, saying, “The water is getting cold. Do you want to stay in a bit longer?”

Rong Yi shook his head.

He wasn’t in much trouble to begin with, and with Xiao Yin comforting him, everything was naturally fine.

Xiao Yin’s clothes were soaked and getting cold. Rong Yi touched his slightly cool, wet sleeve and said softly, “I’m done. Go change your clothes.”

“Okay.”

Xiao Yin casually took off his wet clothes, baring his upper body. He first wrapped a blanket around Rong Yi and then helped him to stand up, carefully drying him off.

Xiao Yin’s expression remained very serious. He held Rong Yi’s bare body tightly, drying him thoroughly.

Rong Yi was almost hanging on him, held firmly by Xiao Yin’s strong arms, completely enveloped by him.

It was obvious that Xiao Yin was more upset than Rong Yi. His slightly cool eyelashes drooped, dark and expressive, hiding his deeper feelings.

But Rong Yi’s lower body had an untimely reaction.

It kind of ruined the atmosphere.

He had just slightly imagined some scenes, and his body reacted accordingly.

Xiao Yin paused halfway through drying him, then looked up at him.

Rong Yi clung to his shoulders, burying his head in Xiao Yin’s neck, remaining silent.

It was too embarrassing.

Xiao Yin asked softly, “Ah Yi?”

Rong Yi was already mortified beyond measure, completely buried in Xiao Yin’s shoulder, refusing to lift his head.

He, Rong Yi, had roamed the League for so many years, and today he stumbled in such a humiliating way, twice, right under Xiao Yin’s nose.

Xiao Yin didn’t tease him. He said quietly, “I understand. I’ll come back after dinner.”

“You don’t need to come.”

Rong Yi, still being carried out, insisted stubbornly, “I sleep fine by myself, really. You go handle your stuff.”

Xiao Yin placed him carefully on the bed.

Rong Yi lay there, pulling the blanket over his head.

Xiao Yin didn’t pull the blanket off him; instead, he leaned close to Rong Yi’s ear, his voice calm and steady. “Feeling better now?”

Eager to regain his composure, Rong Yi replied calmly but firmly, “Not better yet.”

“Not better yet? Then I’ll go make you some noodles. Wait here,” Xiao Yin continued.

Seeing that Rong Yi didn’t respond, Xiao Yin lowered his head and asked again, “Want me to make you some noodles? There’s no food left in the fridge.”

“No need, no need,” Rong Yi said, his voice muffled under the blanket.

He was almost dying of embarrassment.

Might as well just die.

Seeing him like this, Xiao Yin paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of a smile.

There was a familiar feeling.

Five years ago, Rong Yi had been a clingy teenager, often behaving like this. When he got shy, he would hide under the blanket and wouldn’t come out, no matter how hard you tried.

Sometimes, he seemed very bold, but in reality, he was only brave with his words. Deep down, he was conservative and timid. This contrast was quite endearing.

Meeting him again after five years, Xiao Yin almost didn’t recognize him. The lively and active Captain had become so composed. Only now could Xiao Yin see him completely unguarded, trusting him wholeheartedly.

Steady, resilient, sharp, this was the real him.

Now his coquettishness, shyness, and vulnerability were also real. These were sides of him that only Xiao Yin could see, hidden from others.

Xiao Yin left a thin blanket over Rong Yi, gently patted his head through the blanket, and then went downstairs.

Rong Yi stayed embarrassed under the covers for a while before coming to his senses.

He got up and checked his phone, wanting to know what was going on.

With so many people at the scene, it must have been quite a big deal.

But strangely, the group chat and social media were both quiet. Only Hydralisk had sent an @everyone message, saying they couldn’t find Xiao Yin and Rong Yi, but they would be back later because they wanted to eat Spicy Soup Skewers.

It seemed like they were still unaware.

There was nothing on social media either, at least nothing Rong Yi could find. The work group and the Public Relations Department were also silent.

After thinking for a bit, Rong Yi got up, threw on some clothes, and went downstairs.

Xiao Yin was in the kitchen cooking noodles.

The kitchen was semi-open with plenty of space. Xiao Yin had his back to Rong Yi, his upper body bare. His damp shirt was casually draped over a chair by the dining table.

“Why haven’t you changed clothes?” Rong Yi found a chair and sat down.

Xiao Yin, noticing Rong Yi had come downstairs, replied casually, “I figured I’d change after washing the dishes and taking a shower.”

Xiao Yin put the noodles in the pot, added the vegetables and seasonings, then turned around and was momentarily stunned when he saw Rong Yi.

Rong Yi had come downstairs wearing nothing but one of Xiao Yin’s shirts.

His long legs were bare, with nothing else on.

Rong Yi sat on the chair, swinging his legs.

He knew exactly what he was wearing.

A large men’s shirt, which had a powerful effect on men, especially when worn after waking up or a bath.

At 22, he was no longer the innocent kid he used to be. He wanted to turn the tables.

Xiao Yin barely glanced at him, his gaze lingering only for a moment before he said, “…Why did you come down?”

He turned back to frying the eggs.

“I wanted to ask how you handled everything.” Rong Yi wasn’t entirely trying to turn the tables; he leaned over the table with his phone in hand. “I haven’t seen any updates or trending topics. What’s going on?”

“I asked the League to add an impromptu audience interaction segment, which pushed the entire schedule back by an hour and a half.”

Xiao Yin carefully flipped the perfectly fried egg, his voice indifferent. “All the attendees were contacted by staff, asking them to keep any photos they took as evidence and not to share them publicly until the issue was resolved, to avoid stirring up public opinion.”

“The attendees were all fans and spectators, very understanding. They signed agreements not to post anything and handed over their photos to our staff.”

“Now the Public Relations Department, along with some media outlets I’m in contact with, plans to release a simple statement to minimize any fallout.” Xiao Yin glanced at the time on his phone, his tone as straightforward and concise as when he was at work. “This is also to prevent any further impact or harm to you.”

“At the moment, the reporter’s press credentials have been confiscated. Their media outlet is contacting us, but we still need to negotiate. They might fire the reporter and then discuss a settlement with us. What do you think?”

Xiao Yin’s long explanation helped Rong Yi follow the chain of events. Before Rong Yi could share his thoughts, Xiao Yin added calmly, “They offered a million, but I don’t think we need that money.”

Rong Yi tried to lighten the mood. “Actually…”

A million!

He could really use that money!

But that thought only flashed through his mind briefly.

It was clear that Xiao Yin was genuinely angry today; he was speaking faster than usual. Even though his expression remained neutral and his tone steady, Rong Yi knew Xiao Yin was really upset.

“I’ve disliked this media outlet for quite some time.”

“I have some departments that can handle this. You don’t have to worry; they won’t be able to stir up trouble for a long time.”

After saying this, Xiao Yin’s voice softened slightly as he turned to look at Rong Yi.

“I’m also having someone investigate what happened to you in the eighth grade.”

Rong Yi was taken aback. “It’s already over.”

“I want to get to the bottom of it. First, to find out where that person ended up. Second, I want to make sure that wherever you are, he won’t appear. He’ll stay far away, and he’ll never dare pull something like that again in his life,” Xiao Yin said.