This chapter is brought to you by Fatima, thanks for the ko-fi! ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Chapter 49 – I am straight.
Sang Ye’s head was still buzzing, until the earphones were taken off by someone beside him. In that instant, the background music of the stage surged, and the sound of the crowd flooded toward him, but it felt like there was a layer of gauze separating them.
Amidst the deafening noise, Sang Ye tilted his head to look at the person beside him. Under the bizarre lights, Tan Mo’s pale face was covered with a thin layer of sweat. He said something that couldn’t be heard, but Sang Ye read his lips and saw that he was saying—
“We won.”
At that moment, the noisy background sound became clear and loud, and Sang Ye finally snapped back to reality, feeling a sense of relief and, at the same time, an overwhelming and uncontrollable joy.
So, when the camera switched to the WLG players’ area, the white-haired boy suddenly lunged toward the man, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. The carefree posture was like a fish leaping into its ocean.
Under the full force of the leap, Tan Mo was knocked back and quickly braced himself with one hand on the table and the other on the boy’s waist. The gaming chair almost slid out of the frame with both of them.
The screams from the audience rose several decibels.
The livestream chat was delayed as the messages flooded in.
The crowd, beyond shouting meaningless exclamations to release their excitement, could no longer express their love for “rap” in words.
They were young, passionate, from the land of dreams, and everyone was infected and inspired by that enthusiasm.
Sang Ye was so overjoyed that he lost himself, his voice “trembling” like a chick pecking at rice as he spoke near Tan Mo’s ear, filled with childish excitement: “I was so scared at that moment! I could only shoot when I saw their heads, it was so terrifying!”
Tan Mo tilted his head back, his throat itching from the boy’s hair brushing against him. He kept rubbing Sang Ye’s neck and the back of his head, not caring that his hand was slick with sweat. “Who should be afraid of whom?”
No matter how you look at it, the other team would probably find Sang Ye a little more intimidating.
After Hu Fu and Xiao Pai bounced around excitedly, they gathered around and enthusiastically surrounded him.
Sang Ye immediately felt like the air was compressed.
Hu Fu said, “God Song is amazing!”
“Bai Mao, you were incredible!” Xiao Pai shouted loudly. “I didn’t even expect you to take on two at once in that situation!”
After saying that, he even reached up to rub Sang Ye’s head.
If it were any other time, Xiao Pai would have been done for, and Sang Ye would probably chase him down to chop off his hand.
But today, Sang Ye let it slide.
He was still holding onto Tan Mo, not letting go, burying his face in Tan Mo’s shoulder, breathing in the cold, clean air and letting the boiling blood inside him gradually calm down.
The boy couldn’t help but sigh in his heart.
This feels so good…
As for why it felt good, he couldn’t explain it. He just knew that in this moment, in this scene, his life couldn’t have a better time.
…
Outside each separate glass room, the players gathered in the middle of the stage, congratulating one another.
NSN’s team had the lowest popularity and left the stage the quickest.
However, Shine still walked over, exchanged a few pleasantries with his former teammates, and sincerely offered his congratulations.
Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the past.
Xiao Pai playfully jumped onto Shine’s back, only to be swatted off by Shine, a little annoyed.
When it came to Sang Ye’s turn, Shine composed himself, paused for two seconds, lowered his lashes, and extended his hand. “You’re more suited for that position than I am.”
Sang Ye shook his hand confidently. “Of course.”
Shine: “…………”
Really not holding back at all.
Finally, the Catch22 team came out.
Through the crowd, Sang Ye saw Xing Xing hanging his head low, his eyes a little red. He rubbed his eyes with his palm, looking clearly downhearted.
The Fool pointed in this direction, seemingly wanting to call him over to say hello, but Xing Xing stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and silently turned his back.
The Fool shook his head, patted the pink head of his teammate, and came over to represent the whole team.
Sang Ye leaned forward to glance at Xing Xing and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing. It’s his first time in a competition. There are some things he’s not used to.” The Fool looked back, his tone tinged with helplessness. “He thought he could win. He still thought so a minute before it ended, but… you know… kids have a big emotional gap when they lose.”
Sang Ye nodded and said, “So, he can’t take a loss… huh…”
Before he could finish, Tan Mo covered his mouth.
Tan Mo had no idea how to respond to the proud little peacock beside him, so he just asked the Fool not to mind and said, “It’s just bad luck running into Song. Otherwise, the championship would definitely have been yours.”
“I didn’t mind in the first place,” the Fool smiled, “if you hadn’t said anything.”
The two exchanged a few more teasing words.
Before leaving, the Fool bumped Tan Mo’s shoulder.
“See you at the Intercontinental tournament.” As they passed each other, he said, “Next time, I’ll take back everything that’s mine.”
Tan Mo patted the Fool’s shoulder, already used to it, and said, “Stop watching so much The Temptation of Going Home.”
After a brief break, under the arrangement of the staff, the four members of the championship team went up to the stage to receive their awards.
By this time, the stage had been cleared. Streamers fell from above, and the background music was exciting. In the center of the stage was a raised platform with a giant golden trophy displayed on it.
This was Sang Ye’s first time participating in such a large-scale event, and he had already reached the podium. He might not have fully processed everything yet, so he remained quite calm and composed on stage.
However, when the four of them gripped the trophy together and their hands touched the cold metal, a strange emotion crept into Sang Ye’s heart.
Although everyone emphasized how brilliant his 1v2 comeback was, as if winning the match was all thanks to him, Sang Ye knew that the situation Tan Mo faced at the time was even more difficult. If Tan Mo hadn’t managed to break through, they still wouldn’t have won the chicken dinner. Everyone praised him just because he was an unexpected rookie who exceeded expectations, and also…
Sang Ye lifted his head and looked around.
The four of them gathered in a circle next to the podium. Xiao Pai and Hu Fu wore bright smiles, their eyes gleaming as they looked at the trophy.
If it weren’t for their teammates’ support, covering fire, and equal efforts during the match, they wouldn’t have made it to the podium.
Sang Ye had previously only focused on not losing, driven by the desire to make a good impression, but at this moment, for the first time, he truly felt the honor and unity of winning. This was a unique experience that victory brought him, and he suddenly understood the charm of winning a match.
As the music reached its peak, the four of them raised the trophy together.
The entire venue erupted in applause.
The coach and Yu Haotian stood at the bottom of the stage, clapping vigorously.
Miao Sen, sitting in the front row, took out his phone to snap a photo of them.
Back at the center of the stage, the other three agreed in unison to let Sang Ye hold the trophy in the center position.
When the others let go, Sang Ye suddenly felt the weight of the trophy. He pursed his lips and lifted it with effort.
When the official photo was released, the young man with milk-white hair was slightly bent at the knees, his body tilted, brow furrowed as he struggled to hold onto the almost-unwieldy trophy. He exerted so much force that one side of his soft, pale cheek puffed up, looking as if he was in a battle with the trophy.
Meanwhile, the other three men turned their faces, leaning in to look at him, their expressions filled with almost affectionate smiles.
…
On the way back, Sang Ye scrolled through Weibo, overwhelmed by the flood of congratulations for WLG.
However, there were also some who felt sorry for Catch22, thinking that their strength was no less than that of any top-tier team.
As for Xing Xing, it was understandable since he was a new addition to the team, but Sang Ye had never really paid attention to Yu Zhe before. After this summer competition, he realized that this man was very steady in all aspects, much stronger than the overly-hyped Lu Qikai on the internet.
Sang Ye then recalled how Yu Zhe seemed to be quite familiar with Tan Mo, which made him curious about how the two of them knew each other.
Tan Mo and the coach had already left, and Sang Ye was still waiting for the elevator with Xiao Pai and the others.
Xiao Pai, who knew about Yu Zhe’s background, eagerly spoke up: “My brother trained with a team in North America before joining WLG, though it wasn’t for long—maybe less than half a year. He didn’t participate in any big competitions there. He met Yu Zhe during that time. Both of them were Chinese in a foreign country, eating and living together every day. One lonely soul met another lonely soul…”
Sang Ye pursed his lips and interrupted, “No need to go into details.”
“Huh?” Xiao Pai asked. “Are you jealous or something?”
Sang Ye said, “I’ll chop you.”
Xiao Pai dodged behind Hu Fu.
Hu Fu chuckled and continued, “Neither of them stayed there. They both came back to China. You know Tan Mo, he joined WLG, while Yu Zhe went to his friend’s newly established club. They went their separate ways, but it turns out that friend of his was a disaster. Not only did the club operate poorly, but when it disbanded, it led to a bunch of contract disputes. Yu Zhe stayed dormant for almost a year. When he returned, he joined a smaller club playing in the minor leagues. This time, he made his way back to PCL, so he must have worked really hard.”
Xiao Pai peeked out from behind Hu Fu and said, “See? Finding a good boss is so important. Even though I always call the WLG’s behind-the-scenes boss a capitalist, he’s never done anything shady to the players. Tan Mo’s lucky to have met our boss.”
“Exactly,” Hu Fu sighed. “I heard from someone who knew, that when they were training in North America, Yu Zhe was the only one who could go head-to-head with Tan Mo. That shows just how terrifying his skill was. So, while they’re friends, they’re also the strongest opponents.”
Sang Ye had an epiphany.
No wonder Yu Zhe was so confident about the upcoming Intercontinental Tournament. It seemed like he really had the backing, not just empty talk.
He recalled the shy, pink-haired player’s stubborn determination and realized, belatedly, that the Intercontinental Tournament might not be as easy as he had imagined.
However, Sang Ye quickly reminded himself that they were the champions of this summer’s competition, and that was more than enough to keep him happy for a long time. He pushed other thoughts aside.
He suddenly wanted to take another look at the trophy to savor the moment; it was his first time winning such an award, and he almost wished he could hug it to sleep. He asked, “Where’s the trophy?”
Xiao Pai answered, “It should be with my brother. He keeps all the trophies first. After we go back, he’ll put them in the conference room… Why? You want to see it? My brother treats the trophy like a treasure. He’s afraid it’ll get scratched or damaged, so no one’s allowed to touch it before we leave.”
Sang Ye responded with a soft “Oh” and lowered his eyelashes, feeling a little disappointed.
But Hu Fu said, “If it’s Song, it might be different.”
As they spoke, they exited the elevator and passed by Tan Mo’s room.
Unexpectedly, Hu Fu raised his hand and pressed the doorbell, pointing to the door as he said, “Go ahead, try asking Tan Mo if you can see it.”
Sang Ye froze for a moment and waved his hand, “No need…”
But the door had already opened.
Sang Ye’s hand awkwardly hung in the air, and he made eye contact with Tan Mo, who had opened the door.
Tan Mo glanced at the other two before asking Sang Ye, “What’s up?”
Since he was already there…
Sang Ye pursed his lips, lowered his hand, and unconsciously shifted his gaze. Through Tan Mo’s side, he saw the trophy-shaped object on the coffee table across from the door, wrapped in special material.
As expected, it was treated with great care.
Sang Ye suddenly leaned against the doorframe, looking at Tan Mo with his deep, dark eyes.
“……..”
Tan Mo blinked lightly, caught off guard by his sudden move.
The young boy’s pale face was slightly tilted upwards as he looked at him, his eyes moist and innocent, like a puppy’s, full of vulnerability and pleading.
Tan Mo was all too familiar with this expression.
It was usually the one Tan Chunshan made when he wanted to go out to play or get something good to eat — whenever he had a request for Tan Mo.
Tan Mo could refuse Tan Chunshan, but when it came to Sang Ye…
He asked, “What’s up?”
Sang Ye glanced into the room again, then quickly pulled his gaze back, speaking softly to Tan Mo, with a tone that was almost sweet and soft:
“Can I touch your big treasure again?”
“……..”
Not only Tan Mo, but even Xiao Pai’s expression turned a bit silent.
Xiao Pai was still pondering if there was something off about what Sang Ye said.
Tan Mo leaned against the doorframe where Sang Ye was resting, lowered his head, and looked at the boy. “Have you touched my big treasure before?”
Sang Ye: “………”
Xiao Pai: “……”
I knew something felt off.
…
That evening, Sang Ye didn’t get to touch Tan Mo’s “big treasure,” and quickly made his exit.
Since there was a Summer Championship award ceremony later, the team didn’t rush to fly back to Shanghai. They finally had two days of rest, without needing to worry about training.
None of them were fond of going out for strolls, especially not in the scorching heat of summer. With temperatures easily reaching 40°C, one could practically fry an egg on the sidewalk, so shopping was pure torture. They all decided to pass the time in the hotel.
The next afternoon, Xiao Pai put on a yellow duck-shaped swimming ring and said to Sang Ye, “Let’s go, Bai Mao let’s swim a few laps in the rooftop pool.”
Sang Ye, who was lying in bed with his phone, totally uninterested, was deep in a LOFTER binge, not wanting to deal with anything. He turned over, facing away from Xiao Pai, and said, “I can’t swim.”
Xiao Pai, who loved a crowd and the more people the better, kept pushing: “Come on, come on, we have swimming rings! Aren’t they made for people like us who can’t swim?”
Sang Ye responded coldly and succinctly, “Don’t bother me.”
Xiao Pai added, “Tan Mo’s going too.”
Sang Ye hesitated, then sat up with a struggle. “Wait a minute.”
Xiao Pai grinned, showing two rows of white teeth.
He knew it—he had his Bai Mao baiting trap.
The hotel’s rooftop pool was really flashy, entirely transparent and suspended on the 30th floor of the building. Anyone with a fear of heights wouldn’t dare to go, but that made it a popular spot for influencers to take photos.
Sang Ye bought swimming trunks at the front desk but didn’t get a swimming ring because he thought they looked silly and had no intention of actually swimming.
After changing in the separate locker room, he walked through a rain shower and reached the poolside, where Xiao Pai was still wearing that ridiculous duck-shaped float.
However, Xiao Pai seemed stunned, his eyes wide as he looked Sang Ye up and down in awe. “No way! Bai Mao! What did you eat growing up? Or are you the person who supposedly bathes in milk? You’re way too white!”
Sang Ye was wearing only a pair of blue swim trunks, his entire body exposed. His skin wasn’t white in the usual sense, but a delicate, rosy white, glowing with a shimmering radiance under the sun. Even more striking, there were no visible color differences, no scars to be found, and not a single mole in sight.
Normally, when he was dressed, it wasn’t so obvious. People knew Sang Ye had good looks and skin better than most guys, but when so much of him was exposed, the visual impact was striking.
Sang Ye ignored Xiao Pai’s loud exclamations, squinting in the sunlight as he looked around, seemingly searching for something.
Xiao Pai, still caught up in the sight of Sang Ye’s smooth, flawless skin, moved closer and reached out to touch, but Sang Ye, noticing, impatiently swatted his hand away. “Are you sick?”
Xiao Pai rubbed his red hand, muttering unhappily, “What’s wrong with wanting to touch this noble, exquisite skin?”
Sang Ye walked to the other side of the pool, scanning the area around him. He didn’t mind the many men and women who were staring at him, their gazes all filled with admiration and envy.
“What are you looking for?” Xiao Pai caught up to him and asked. “Looking for my brother?”
Sang Ye withdrew his searching gaze and looked at him.
“Oh.” Xiao Pai slipped past Sang Ye, quickly throwing over his shoulder, “I texted my brother, but he hasn’t replied.”
Sang Ye immediately understood that he had been played and stopped in his tracks, gritting his teeth in frustration.
…
Hu Fu had already come up because, in his free time, he would often swim here after meals, so he was very familiar with the place.
He had just finished swimming a few laps and was now lying with Xiao Pai by the transparent glass railing. Their eyes scanned the crowd nearby, and their whispers and giggles floated on the wind.
Xiao Pai: “That girl is pretty, fair-skinned, beautiful, and has long legs—like a million-dollar influencer. Do you think I should go ask for her social media? Maybe she plays PUBG too…”
Hu Fu: “Her friend is also a goddess… That one’s pretty too… Look, at eight o’clock.”
Xiao Pai: “…Fatty, I was wondering why you kept running upstairs. Turns out you’ve been going to heaven, and you didn’t tell me on purpose. Aren’t you just evil?”
Hu Fu: “Hee hee hee hee hee~”
Sang Ye had been tricked into coming over and didn’t want to turn around and leave immediately, so he sat on the edge of the pool with his legs dangling in the water, soaking up the sun. He occasionally glanced at Xiao Pai’s direction.
Xiao Pai was wearing a yellow swim ring, splashing his legs under the water, sneaking peeks, looking like a child trying to figure out which auntie would play with him.
Just then, Xiao Pai suddenly noticed something and awkwardly turned his body in the water: “Hey, Bai Mao, why don’t you come over and look at the girls with us?”
Sang Ye glanced at the lively crowd in the pool, lowered his head, splashed water on his arm, and showed a bored expression. “Not interesting.”
Xiao Pai was shocked and blurted out, “You’re not really gay, are you?!”
Just like how men like to gather to look at beautiful women, women also enjoy looking at handsome men—that’s human nature. How could Sang Ye say it wasn’t interesting?
Although Sang Ye and Tan Mo often seemed close, with their interactions looking somewhat “gay,” everyone teased them on the surface but inwardly believed it was just Tan Mo taking care of Sang Ye like a junior. Two close male friends might appear intimate, and since Sang Ye was from a rich family and spoiled, he sometimes acted a bit coquettish in front of Tan Mo. Everyone saw how young Sang Ye was and thought it was normal.
But if Sang Ye were to admit that he was really gay right now, Xiao Pai would be caught completely off guard.
Sang Ye’s hand paused in the water. Without thinking, he suddenly splashed a wave straight at Xiao Pai’s face, instantly flaring up. “You are!”
Hu Fu quickly stepped in to mediate. “Our little Song God just came of age, he doesn’t care about these things. What’s wrong with not being interested in girls?”
“Bai Mao, I was just saying, why are you so worked up?” Xiao Pai wiped his face, choking on some water. “Fine, fine, I am! My whole family is, happy now?”
Sang Ye pursed his lips, still looking a little furious.
“Oh, come on! You know what Xiao Pai’s like—his mouth never has a filter. No need to take him seriously,” Hu Fu said with a chuckle. “Besides, whether you are or not, it doesn’t matter. We’re open-minded.”
Sang Ye finally felt a little better. His legs kicked at the water by the poolside, making splashes. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped and looked up. “Does Talk also not care?”
“Of course,” Hu Fu replied.
“He doesn’t care about what others do,” Xiao Pai added, lounging at the pool’s edge. “But when it comes to himself, that’s a different story.”
Sang Ye’s heart skipped a beat. He was confused. “What do you mean?”
Xiao Pai said, “At the first Busan Invitational, a Korean tournament official got drunk and slipped my brother a room key in the elevator. Guess what happened?”
Sang Ye, worried about Talk, clenched his hands nervously. “What happened?”
“The ambulance had to take that guy away in the middle of the night,” Xiao Pai said with a smile. “The room key was still stuck in his mouth when they carried him out.”
Sang Ye let out a subtle sigh of relief.
Hu Fu added, “We almost had to forfeit that tournament.”
“That’s not the point,” Xiao Pai said. “The point is—my brother hates it when people have designs on his ass.”
The two of them then started casually chatting about something else.
Sang Ye lowered his head, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief—
Good thing I’m straight.
But as he kept thinking, his brows furrowed slightly.
Just then, a shadow fell over his head. At first, he thought it was a cloud, but when he glanced at the ground, he realized it was a person.
Looking up, he saw that it was Tan Mo standing beside him.
Sang Ye’s gaze froze for a moment before unconsciously drifting downward—broad chest, firm abs, the V-lines tracing deep into his pelvis… Because of Tan Mo’s naturally pale, cool-toned skin, the well-defined muscles had a sculpted, almost jade-like texture.
“Yo! Brother, you’re here,” Xiao Pai greeted enthusiastically before turning to Sang Ye and teasing, “Bai Mao, Bai Mao, snap out of it. You weren’t interested in checking out the girls, but you’re staring at my brother without even blinking?”
Sang Ye’s head snapped up, his face instantly flushing red. The sunlight hadn’t felt this hot before. He dared not look any longer, yet his breath still hitched in panic. For once, he even forgot to curse at Xiao Pai, his mind repeating only one thing—
I’m straight.
Tan Mo stood there, backlit by the sun, making his expression unreadable. He said nothing, and it was unclear where exactly his gaze was focused. But he did look at Sang Ye for quite a long time.
Maybe half a minute passed before he finally sat down beside Sang Ye, slow and unhurried. Their shoulders and arms brushed slightly, making Sang Ye tense up instinctively, his spine straightening.
On the other side of the pool, many people glanced over—some looking at Sang Ye, some at Tan Mo, and even more at the two of them together.
Tan Mo cast a glance in their direction but withdrew his gaze just as indifferently. Then, he pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and asked, “Did you put any on before coming out?”
Sang Ye shook his head and absently ran a hand over his arm.
The fact that they were wearing so little and sitting this close made him feel unexpectedly self-conscious.
At that moment, Tan Mo’s gaze openly swept over Sang Ye’s body before stating, “Your skin is so delicate. If you don’t put some on, you’ll get sunburned.”
A fresh wave of red washed over Sang Ye’s face. For some reason, an image suddenly popped into his mind—those beach scenes in movies where one person helps the other apply sunscreen. Especially on the back, since it’s hard to reach… sometimes even all over…
Sang Ye swallowed hard, his heartbeat slowed down.
Tan Mo said: “I’ll help you.”
“…” Sang Ye was in a trance, his head was hot.
He thought he’d better refuse.
But he couldn’t open his mouth.
Just when he was distracted, a large bath towel was draped over his shoulders.
Sang Ye: “…………”
Tan Mo also clamped the two pieces of bath towel on his chest with the number hand tag, patted his head, and said: “It’s the same as physical sunscreen.”
Sang Ye was motionless: “…Oh, okay.”
Tan Mo’s straight male cancer strikes again…