Chapter 85

Epilogue: World Championship

After making love, Rong Yi got out of bed to take a shower. Xiao Yin followed him in, acting like the perfect boyfriend, holding the showerhead for him.

Rong Yi lay down in the bathtub and instructed, “Wash me.”

Xiao Yin tilted his head, set the showerhead down, and submerged it in the bathtub.

The bathtub was filled with White Peach Milk-scented body wash, and the snowy white foam doubled, quickly covering Rong Yi’s body.

Xiao Yin didn’t respond, and Rong Yi didn’t bother to argue. He sank lower, completely relaxing in the bathtub.

The foam was white, and his skin was also pale, yet it hinted at the flesh color unique to the human body. Wet, it took on a slick, glossy texture. The parts beneath the water appeared hazy, while those above were elegant and slender.

Rong Yi lifted his head, just splashing a bit of water to wet his hair, only to see Xiao Yin entering with a camera.

Rong Yi didn’t bother to move; he just watched Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin didn’t move either. He leaned casually against the wall, pointing the lens at Rong Yi, snapping away.

This time, Rong Yi didn’t dodge, he lazily raised his eyes to look at Xiao Yin, meeting the camera’s gaze.

In the viewfinder, the close-up zoomed in on Rong Yi’s face, his clear, captivating almond-shaped eyes appearing particularly alluring, with a hint of red at the corners.

His gaze was somewhat provocative.

Rong Yi stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

“Pervert.”

Xiao Yin zoomed in closer, chuckling softly, “The pervert is your boyfriend.”

Rong Yi didn’t speak anymore because he sensed that continuing to provoke would lead to Xiao Yin having sex with him in the bathroom.

Xiao Yin loved taking pictures of him.

It seemed Xiao Yin never remembered his own rule of not photographing people when it came to Rong Yi. Ever since Rong Yi made it clear that this was part of his desensitization method, Xiao Yin felt completely free. He would often take pictures of Rong Yi, even when he was napping on the sofa. Rong Yi would find out the next day when Xiao Yin’s desktop background had changed to his sleeping face, with Xiao Yin making no effort to hide it.

Rong Yi suspected that Xiao Yin had photos of him in every expression and pose possible. Both the presentable and the unpresentable ones.

Xiao Yin didn’t make him wait too long. After taking a few shots, he set the camera aside and came over to wash Rong Yi.

He was wearing a shirt, with the front open, his chest looking particularly inviting.

Rong Yi watched while relaxing his body.

“Did your stomach hurt earlier?” Xiao Yin asked, pressing his lower abdomen.

Rong Yi shook his head. “No, it doesn’t hurt.”

“Next time, finish outside. I don’t feel comfortable with it,” Xiao Yin said, always strict about matters concerning Rong Yi.

Rong Yi grabbed his shoulders to avoid slipping. “Finishing outside means we’d have to change the sheets every day.”

“We already change them every three days; it’s no big difference,” Xiao Yin replied softly. “If you’re worried about Auntie seeing when she does the laundry, we can wash them ourselves.”

Rong Yi’s face turned red, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, “Do you really have to make me say it?”

Xiao Yin tilted his head slightly, genuinely confused this time. “Say what?”

“Say,” Rong Yi gritted his teeth, then splashed water at Xiao Yin, soaking him. “I like it when you finish inside me.”

Xiao Yin was stunned for a moment, then a smile curved his lips.

Rong Yi was almost furious with him.

He kicked at him. “Get out, leave me alone, don’t interfere with my training.”

Xiao Yin grabbed his foot. “We’ll train together later. It’s a rest day today, just the two of us.”

Rong Yi kept kicking at him. “Get out, get out, and don’t talk to me.”

Xiao Yin chuckled, knowing they were both pressed for time, and stopped teasing him. He stood up, folded a towel and clean clothes for Rong Yi, and said casually, “I’ll shower outside. I’ll set up the equipment for you.”

“Okay,” Rong Yi mumbled, burying his chin into the bubbles. “Thanks, Yin-Ge.”

Xiao Yin smiled again. Before leaving the bathroom, he paused, took off his wet shirt, and tousled his hair before leaving with a low laugh. Rong Yi didn’t realize how adorable he appeared in Xiao Yin’s eyes at that moment.

This kind of adorability didn’t mean Xiao Yin wanted to do anything; he just wanted to stay by his side, help him bathe, dry his hair, or even get kicked by him. It was all very endearing.

After finishing his bath, Rong Yi got dressed and went downstairs.

Xiao Yin finished his shower faster than Rong Yi. Xiao Yin usually took quick showers, while Rong Yi would soak for twenty minutes to relax his muscles. Today was a rest day, with only half a day off for the VIT members to handle personal matters. Since Mid Autumn, they hadn’t had any breaks. However, none of the VIT members had left the city; they all went to a nearby supermarket to buy some necessities and then took the opportunity to catch up on sleep. The training room was equipped with several real camera setups around their training seats. Xiao Yin was already seated at his station.

Rong Yi looked at the dark, looming camera lenses, took a deep breath, and walked over to sit down, his heart beating a little faster.

He was still not entirely used to it, but it was much better than before.

When Xiao Yin first set up these cameras, Rong Yi felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, which greatly affected his performance. Gradually, he got used to it. More importantly, now when he saw the cameras, his first thought was no longer of prying, judging eyes but of Xiao Yin’s gentle, slightly indulgent gaze. After all, Xiao Yin always looked at him that way when taking pictures.

Rong Yi quickly got into the zone.

The extra practice was indeed intense. They trained for four hours straight, from the afternoon into the evening. Afterward, he and Xiao Yin quietly reviewed their tactics, discussing and simulating to see if they had missed any potential scenarios.

They didn’t come up with any new strategies; their current Plan B and basic tactics were already set.

It was unrealistic to expect to single out an opponent in a world-class team like QILIN, and mistakes were rare. To win, they had to meet two conditions:

First, no one could make a clear mistake.

Second, they couldn’t let the game drag out. The core advantage of their mid core strategy was rapid coordination and resource management in the early and mid-game. If the match extended to a full late-game showdown, this advantage would be lost.

Ten days later, the competition officially began.

The final match of the World Championship was held at the game company’s headquarters, which was also Xiao Yin’s old stomping ground.

Five days before the match, the entire VIT team had already arrived in A City, A Country.

Among the other team members, except for Potato Chip, everyone else had their base here. Returning to A City felt like coming back home, and they excitedly introduced the place to Rong Yi along the way. Hydralisk, Grey Cat, and Wu Daogu hadn’t all grown up, competed, and trained abroad like Xiao Yin. Grey Cat had studied overseas and attended the same high school as Xiao Yin. He loved gaming and joined the QILIN Youth Training Camp after hearing Xiao Yin’s name from their school. Hydralisk’s family wasn’t from A Country; he traveled worldwide, competing like a mercenary and earning prize money, much like Wu Daogu. Eventually, a headhunter recruited him into the Youth Training Camp. This made it easier to take Hydralisk and Grey Cat along. As for Wu Daogu, he recommended himself to Xiao Yin’s team. They had known each other from when they were both in the country, and that’s how the team came together.

Although Rong Yi wasn’t a stranger to A City, he was quite familiar with it.

He had been here five years ago, winning a championship with his old teammates, each with their personal translator assistant in tow.

The scene at the airport was bustling with the team’s international fans and various media outlets waiting outside.

As soon as VIT deplaned, they were met with a frenzy of camera flashes. Rong Yi instinctively moved back, raising his hand to shield himself but without lowering his head or showing obvious fear. Xiao Yin reached out and firmly held his hand.

This moment was captured by many, with fans’ phones snapping the first close-up of Xiao Yin and Rong Yi together.

Holding hands.

The weather in A City was slightly cold, around ten degrees Celsius.

Under the gloomy airport sky, only the flashlights kept illuminating and then fading.

Rong Yi’s black hair contrasted sharply with his bright face, highlighted by the flashes. He wore a casual jacket with orange and blue hues and a slight metallic sheen, looking very stylish and eye-catching. Xiao Yin, on the other hand, wore a blue and white jacket. Both of them looked dazzlingly handsome. Xiao Yin stayed close to Rong Yi, speaking softly to him while also reminding the media in English to keep a bit of distance.

Photos of the two appeared on social media in real-time.

While many marveled at the sight, some remembered.

Aside from the scattered candid shots, this was Rong Yi’s first time appearing openly before the media.

A reappearance into the light.