Chapter 91

Epilogue: After Winning the Championship

Xiao’s father sneered.

“Why do I find that so hard to believe?” Xiao’s father’s logic flowed seamlessly, “I know all my children inside out. You and your brothers, even with a younger sister, are cold-blooded to the core. Wasn’t that incident with the media something you planned from the start?”

“Making that kid’s reputation collapse can only be attributed to you.” Xiao’s father’s frown deepened, and as he continued, he convinced himself even more, “I even found out that the kid has almost no relatives, a very narrow social circle, and was targeted by former colleagues. Wasn’t all that your doing as well?”

Xiao Yin was speechless.

He thought about it and, for a moment, didn’t know how to explain.

Xiao’s father sneered again, “Your business tactics are far more ruthless than this. How could you not use them on others?”

Xiao Yin raised his hands to show his innocence, “I did use some tactics.”

“Good, keep talking,” Xiao’s father said, “If your answer doesn’t satisfy me, I’ll call that kid in right now for a confrontation.”

Xiao Yin took a deep breath.

“I did deceive him about coming back to start a company and build a team because I just wanted an excuse to stay with him.”

“Because I didn’t want him to go elsewhere. I wanted to present a team perfectly suited for him right in front of him. Everything was arranged so it would seem just right for him.”

Xiao Yin continued, “I swear I didn’t do any of the things you mentioned. He’s genuine and passionate, and I just wanted him to be with me in the most real and comfortable way, so I initially proposed a contractual relationship.”

Xiao’s father frowned even more.

This little son of his.

So composed.

Why was it so hard to believe?

Xiao Yin pressed on, “I believe when you pursued Mom, you didn’t use any deceptive or harmful tactics either, right?”

“Your mom,” Xiao’s father’s face softened noticeably at the mention of his wife, and he chuckled, “You think I pursued your mom? She was fiercer than me. During the first week of school, she slapped a wad of cash in my face, saying she was buying three semesters of my time to be her boyfriend, with the condition that I couldn’t talk to any other girls.”

Xiao Yin had heard this story from his parents so many times that his ears were practically calloused. “And then you found out he was the son of a family friend, so you decided to propose during the New Year of your second year in high school. My mom proposed to you.”

“That’s right,” Xiao’s father, gradually forgetting the original topic, said with particular pride, “That’s my wife.”

“So,” Xiao Yin said, somewhat helplessly but steadily, “do you believe me? Ah Yi and I are in a consensual relationship. Don’t scare him.”

“It’s easy to make me believe,” Xiao’s father said casually, “Give me 30% of the shares in your company. I won’t misuse them; I’ll just play around with them. The profits can be your dowry, entirely for your little boyfriend.”

“My wife,” Xiao Yin corrected.

“Fine, alright,” Xiao’s father stared at him, “Are you going to do it or not? You’ve chosen to live with a man, which means you can’t take over the company, causing a huge loss to our family and the business.”

Xiao Yin said, “Sure, I’ll call my assistant right now.”

Seeing Xiao Yin not hesitate at all, Xiao’s father gestured to stop him, “Hey, hey, alright, fine. You’re really something, kid.”

Xiao Yin had already edited the message and was ready to send it.

Xiao’s father rubbed his temples, “I was just messing with you, and you took it seriously. It seems you’re really committed this time.”

“I’ve always been serious,” Xiao Yin said. “You can take as much of the company as you want. After Ah Yi and I retire in a few years, if we don’t continue in esports, we just need a place to work.”

Xiao Yin paused for a moment and said, “I plan to leave VIT under Ah Yi’s name. He doesn’t need much else and feels that having too much money is unnecessary. After he turns thirty, wherever he wants to go, I’ll go with him. Traveling or doing some small business would be great.”

“You wish,” Xiao’s father said, nearly fuming, “You think you can push the company onto me and just collect a salary with your little partner?”

Xiao’s father was so angry he almost started smoking, “Xiao Yin, your calculations are sharp, but I’ll tell you this: I don’t want your company, but you will take over mine.”

Xiao Yin was speechless.

“I can’t take the money I earn in this life to the grave, so I’ll leave it all to you.” Xiao’s father said, looking at his little son, who seemed to have his retirement plans all figured out. Suddenly, he understood the bigger picture, “Are you going to run the company into the ground? You can’t live too comfortably. In this era, same-sex couples are not a problem. In fact, I noticed that after you announced your relationship, the stock price went up.”

Xiao Yin: “I refuse.”

Then, Xiao Yin ignored his father, who had fallen into deep thought, and left the room alone.

Only the sound of Xiao’s father’s angry shout followed him, “Come back here! Are you trying to rebel?”

Xiao Yin closed the door behind him, raising his eyes to meet three curious but somewhat frightened pairs of eyes in the living room.

Xiao’s mother: “What did he do to you? Let me go talk to him.”

Leiya calmly guessed, “Is he asking you to take over the company again? If so, I must remind you that he had a phone conversation with me this morning. His core idea was that a female successor would boost the company’s stock, so it would be best if I took over. Of course, I refused.”

Xiao Yin, modestly, “I refused too.”

Leiya burst into laughter.

Only Rong Yi, still holding a cup of tea for Xiao Yin, remained curious but felt the situation was not appropriate for questions.

Xiao Yin looked at him, walked over, sat down next to him, and naturally pulled him into his embrace, the two of them close together.

Rong Yi felt a bit shy in front of the adults, but Xiao Yin gave him no time to be embarrassed. He whispered softly in Rong Yi’s ear.

“My dad asked if I used any tactics to force you to be with me.”

Rong Yi couldn’t help but laugh, “And then?”

Xiao Yin said, “I told him no. When he comes, you tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

Rong Yi leaned in closer to ask, and Xiao Yin calmly said, “Tell him you used tactics to force me to be with you.”

Rong Yi: “…”

He almost burst out laughing but held it in.

Xiao Yin said, “Be good, and I’ll send you a red envelope with five thousand dollars.”

Rong Yi quietly raised the price, “Add another five thousand.”

Xiao Yin lowered his voice, “Deal.”

That damn competitive spirit.

Meeting the parents continued harmoniously.

Because it wasn’t a holiday, most of the Xiao family’s relatives, including Xiao Yin’s Elder Brother, didn’t have time to come back. The next gathering would be around the end of the year, with a prior trip back to the country.

This time, it was as if Rong Yi was making a formal visit as a new member of the family.

On the elders’ side, Lei Mama and Xiao’s father each handed Rong Yi a bank card as a welcome gift. Rong Yi didn’t know the exact amount inside and didn’t dare to ask.

At the dinner table, they had casual family conversations, such as discussing the Xiao family’s villa that Xiao Yin hadn’t visited in ages, and Leiya’s work plans for this year.

After dinner, Xiao’s mother showed Rong Yi around, introducing him to the Xiao family’s residence. She also instructed Xiao Yin to take him skiing the next day, organize a barbecue and camping trip, and invite the VIT kids along.

Midway, Xiao’s mother pulled Xiao Yin aside for a brief discussion.

Rong Yi didn’t pay much attention to it until Xiao Yin came back and told him.

“My mom asked about the wedding arrangements, specifically which parents would be involved. Especially your parents.”

“I discussed it with my mom. For your side of the family, we plan to just include our own family members. Since we’re both men, there’s no ‘marrying into’ anyone’s family; it’s like we already have this son in the family.”

“My mom said she would handle the matter with your family, declaring that from now on, Rong Yi is part of our family and not under their jurisdiction anymore.”

Xiao Yin hugged Rong Yi and said, “Leiya told my mom about the past incidents, and she’s really angry. She said, ‘Ah Yi is such a good kid, we would love to have him, how could he have such a biological mother and relatives?’ Don’t mind her, that’s just how she is.”

Rong Yi chuckled, his laughter shaking his body.

“No wonder they said she proposed to Uncle and forced him to be with her.”

After laughing, Rong Yi sincerely sighed, “It’s really nice.”

Middle-aged people, valuing their health, went to bed early. Lei Mama and Xiao’s father quickly finished their evening routines and, in their pajamas, watched TV in the upstairs living room, while Leiya began working overtime.

That left Xiao Yin and Rong Yi, the two idle ones, to take a walk in the yard.

In the late autumn evening, the yard was slightly chilly. Xiao Yin opened his coat to wrap around Rong Yi, and they walked slowly, taking small steps together.

“When I was a kid, after school, I would come here to skateboard every day,” Xiao Yin said. “I didn’t like playing soccer, but Leiya loved it. My parents were worried I’d break my leg, but the doctor said it was better than doing nothing at home. I wasn’t very healthy back then.”

“Leiya actually broke a bone playing soccer once,” Xiao Yin chuckled.

“Really?” Rong Yi reached out to touch his firm abs. “You can skateboard too, that’s so cool. I want to try it.”

“Do you really want to?”

Xiao Yin looked down at his gaze, seeing his eyes shine like a deer’s, bright and sparkling in the night.

He genuinely wanted to try.

Xiao Yin went back to his room and dug out his old skateboard from his teenage years. He took great care of his things. The skateboard was over a decade old, covered in scratches but not damaged. It was a professional-level skateboard, and the marks on it seemed to represent stories from Xiao Yin’s youth that Rong Yi had never heard.

Xiao Yin handed Rong Yi a pair of wrist guards. “Protect your hands. Be careful not to fall.”

Rong Yi watched as Xiao Yin changed into sneakers, then skated down the slope in the backyard, kicking up wind and leaves, and stopped steadily in front of him.

Super handsome, super cool.

Rong Yi clapped excitedly and then eagerly tried to stand on the skateboard himself.

The skateboard was very slippery, and once he stood on it, he realized it wasn’t as easy as he thought. He wobbled and had to grab onto Xiao Yin’s shoulders tightly, letting him guide the movement.

He was very happy.

It was a kind of complete relaxation and freedom he rarely experienced, with the warm evening breeze and lights, and the sweet aroma of fried corn chips wafting from the kitchen.

“I was thinking,” Xiao Yin said, holding his waist gently to steady him, “if we had gone to school together, it would have been so much fun.”

“Exactly.”

Rong Yi thought for a moment. “I would have chased after you to play skateboard.”

“And then we’d go to the internet cafe together,” Xiao Yin laughed softly, “and get into gaming, start competing in esports. We would be the original members of Team RS.”

“No, no,” Rong Yi corrected, “if you were there, the team would have been VIT. ‘Rising Stars’ wasn’t a name we came up with; we just made it up back then.”

He started to worry again, “So in that timeline, does that mean we wouldn’t have Kitten, Little Snake, Gu-Ge, and Potato Chip?”

Xiao Yin looked at him, silently smiling. Gentle and full of affection.

“Of course not. After we win the championship, Easy would be the world’s best esports scout, and everyone would come together again.”

“Three years from now, I’ll be twenty-eight and you’ll be twenty-five. By then, the second team would be established, with Hydralisk and Grey Cat leading the new generation. Gu-Ge would retire with us and join the Competition Training Team, busier than when we were competing.”

“After another ten years, maybe our VIT esports system would be complete. We’ll retire in our prime and travel the world.”

Before Xiao Yin could finish, Rong Yi laughed, “Leiya just said you’d have to take over the family business by thirty-five, and she isn’t going to inherit it.”

Xiao Yin replied, “I won’t take it over either. Let my dad have another kid.”

Rong Yi burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that the skateboard slipped away from under him, and he fell into Xiao Yin’s arms. Xiao Yin picked him up and held him, then sat down on the steps with him.

He quietly nestled in his embrace.

Autumn leaves, evening breeze, everything that made today so happy, and from now on, every day would only bring more intense happiness.

Because they would always be together, always having a brilliant and splendid life.

The End.