Chapter 55 – I’m Not Falling for That!
Because the thread had heavy traffic, the post went viral almost instantly.
Original Poster: [Here’s a post I made a while ago:
[Link: Does anyone still remember JueWei Duck Neck back in the day?]
[It’s not that Unique is bad—I genuinely admire him for winning the championship—but as an early fan of the SJUE and WEI couple, I just can’t stand the feeling of having my home stolen. I hope the fans in the super topic can give us back our names.]
The words struck a chord, and the comment section was instantly flooded with replies.
[2L: Oh my god, finally someone said it! I didn’t even dare to speak up these past two days with all the hype.]
[3L: Longtime WEI fan here—don’t they have their own home? Why are they stealing other couples’ names?]
[5L: Isn’t WEI just Wolf?? This couple hasn’t ended yet?]
[7L: Wolf hasn’t appeared since the finals. Why is no one talking about that? Did AVG’s investors have him taken out?]
[9L: Breaking news! Someone on the forum posted a photo of AVG manager Xu Shaoqiu attending a court hearing! [Link] Everyone, go check it out!]
Xu Shaoqiu hadn’t expected to be photographed while attending court.
It was already noon when he walked out of the courthouse. He turned on his phone and updated everyone on the trial’s outcome.
Xu Shaoqiu No Overtime: [The first trial sentenced him to three years. He appealed, and the second trial is still pending.]
Da Shu replied almost immediately.
Da Shu Doesn’t Want to Be a Libero: [Where was he before the second trial? He didn’t cause any more trouble, did he?]
Xu Shaoqiu No Overtime: [The detention center.]
Da Shu Doesn’t Want to Be a Libero: [[/Great][/Thumbs Up]]
Da Shu Doesn’t Want to Be a Libero: [By the way, Brother Qiu, you were photographed today [Share Link]]
Xu Shaoqiu tapped the link and saw a photo of himself standing outside the courthouse that morning.
His eyes looked gloomy, his face haggard—he seemed more like a defendant than a plaintiff.
“Damn, I should’ve shaved this morning.” He pulled a mask from his bag and put it on, then clicked on the link and skimmed the content.
[Some Connections | [Photo] AVG Manager Xu Shaoqiu Attended Court Today for the Trial]
[I smell gossip. Could it be related to what happened earlier??]
Scrolling further, Xu Shaoqiu found a netizen who had posted an announcement from the official website of a district people’s court in Hai City. It detailed the trial date and charges. The defendant was a certain Wei.
“Oh my god, people are so sharp!” Xu Shaoqiu’s eyes widened as he went through the comments, realizing netizens had practically pieced together the truth.
“Well, you can’t blame me for not keeping it a secret from you.”
He whistled as he hailed a taxi back to base, recalling Wolf’s fierce insistence on appealing in court.
It only takes three hours to fly from Hai City to Taipei. Perhaps due to some telepathic connection with his hometown, Ji Wei woke up just before landing.
A little embarrassed, Ji Wei realized she had drooled on Yin Sijue’s shoulder and hurriedly pressed a tissue against it.
The slight tickling on his shoulder roused Yin Sijue, and he found his boyfriend looking at him guiltily.
“Didn’t sleep well?”
“No, I slept great.” Ji Wei slipped an arm around Yin Sijue’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.
Yin Sijue tingled at the kiss, but the announcement to disembark had already sounded. He unbuckled his seatbelt and led the group out.
As they exited the plane, Ji Wei casually opened WeChat and glanced at his unread messages.
The next moment, he gripped Yin Sijue’s hand in alarm.
“It’s over!”
Yin Sijue turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
“My brother’s outside!”
He shoved his phone into Yin Sijue’s hands:
Ji Lin (urgent, please call): [[Share link: The JueWei couple is going to Taipei City, their airport interaction is so sweet!]]
Ji Lin (urgent, please call): [I checked—there’s only one flight from Hai City to Taipei City this afternoon. Wait for me.]
The message had been sent an hour ago.
Yin Sijue blinked slowly, pulled out his phone, and started typing.
Ji Wei’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Now’s not the time to play with your phone!”
“Having Brother Qiu send the hotel address. And canceling the airport pickup.” Yin Sijue finished and tugged Ji Wei forward, quickening their pace.
“We can’t let your brother come here for nothing, can we?”
…
Outside the arrival hall, some passersby held up placards with names, while others waved frantically, their faces lit with the joy of reuniting with friends and family.
Standing in the middle was a handsome man, arms crossed, face stern, looking completely out of place—like a gatekeeper.
Ji Lin had been waiting outside the aisle for ten minutes when he finally spotted his adopted brother emerging reluctantly from the arrival area.
And—oh—he was even holding hands with a man. Ha.
Yin Sijue, who had never even met Ji Lin, immediately recognized him from his overly conspicuous stance.
Ji Lin had rushed over from home on short notice, looking a bit dusty. He wore a plain gray T-shirt and black-framed glasses. His hair was slightly messy but still thick—not the stereotypical programmer’s look.
After Ji Wei’s hurried explanation along the way, Yin Sijue had already realized that his boyfriend’s family probably wasn’t very happy with him.
Seeing Ji Lin’s expression gradually darken, Yin Sijue let go of Ji Wei’s hand, stepped forward, and gave a slight bow.
“Hello, are you Brother Ji Lin?”
Tsk, just being polite. I’m not falling for that. Ji Lin nodded expressionlessly, then cast a sideways glance at Ji Wei, who was hiding behind Yin Sijue.
“You little brat! I sent you so many messages and you didn’t reply! I’m so pissed off!”
Ji Wei peeked out from behind Yin Sijue’s shoulder, looking pitiful. “I was wrong, brother.”
Ji Lin: .
Forget it. No point arguing with a kid.
Holding back his temper, Ji Lin raised his brows and glared at the man standing beside Ji Wei.
Yin Sijue, carrying two large suitcases on his own, bent down to take Ji Wei’s bag as well. He said softly, “Let’s go. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Tsk, just being considerate. I’m not buying it.
Ji Lin cleared his throat. “Haven’t had dinner yet, right? I’ll treat you.”
He drove them straight to an upscale restaurant.
As a junior executive, Ji Lin often met with clients and was familiar with the places in Taipei best suited for entertaining guests.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the restaurant he had reserved. It was elegantly decorated—understated yet grand. A waiter at the entrance led them to a small private room.
When they sat down, Ji Wei tried to sit beside his boyfriend, but Ji Lin shot him a glare. He was forced to sit across from Yin Sijue, next to his brother instead.
Not wanting Yin Sijue to feel awkward, Ji Wei winked at him before sitting down. “Talk nicely! Don’t scare me!”
Ji Lin pretended not to notice, resting his folded hands on the table, exuding the aura of an interviewer.
“I already know about you and Ji Wei.”
Ji Wei: …
“It’s my fault,” Yin Sijue said with a slight nod. “I didn’t contact you sooner. But since I’m here now, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask for your approval for Ji Wei and me to date.”
Pretentious. I won’t fall for it.
Ji Lin arched a brow. “It’s not about whether I approve or not. This road is tough, and you’re both public figures. Can you guarantee Ji Wei won’t get hurt?”
“You’re right. This job does put us in the spotlight, and I can’t control what others say.” Yin Sijue paused, then spoke firmly.
“But I’ll do my best. Please believe me—I truly love him.”
Oh my god… Ji Wei’s eyes instantly reddened. He puffed up his cheeks and tugged at his brother’s sleeve. “Stop it…”
So corny! I won’t fall for this! Ji Lin rolled his eyes at his brother, whose elbows were practically bent out of shape, and pressed on with his interrogation:
“What do your parents do?”
Yin Sijue took a sip from his cup. “They’re schoolteachers.”
“Teachers?”
Catching this key word, Ji Lin frowned and asked, “Teachers probably wouldn’t accept same-sex relationships. My brother would definitely end up feeling wronged. No way.”
Yin Sijue ended the argument in one line: “They’re all art teachers.”
“…” Ji Lin, unwilling to back down, said, “Have you told your parents?”
“I haven’t had much time for training lately, so I haven’t contacted them in a while. But I’ll definitely find a chance to take Ji Wei to meet them.”
It was flawless. Ji Lin couldn’t find a crack in it. Just then, the waiter brought in the dishes, and he said, “Let’s eat first.”
It had to be said, Ji Lin really knew how to pick a place. Every dish that came out was excellent. The glossy braised pork was served in a coarse porcelain bowl, rich and fragrant. In another clay pot, a slow-cooked chicken broth was brought to the table. The broth was clear, dotted with golden oil, revealing tender chicken and mushrooms steeped in the rich soup.
The side dishes looked simple and homely, but the presentation betrayed their high price, making them all the more appetizing.
“Ji Wei, eat first.” Yin Sijue ladled a small bowl of soup and set it in front of him.
“Mm.” Ji Wei reached for a bowl to serve Yin Sijue, but Ji Lin cut him off.
“That’s enough.”
Ji Wei immediately caught on. “I’ll get a bowl for my brother first!”
Ji Lin accepted the golden chicken soup, satisfied. He turned to Ji Wei. “I asked you to send me a custom string yesterday. Why didn’t you?”
Ji Wei froze, bowl in hand. “When did you ask?”
“After the 356th question mark.”
“…” Ji Wei held back the urge to complain. “And why do you even want that?”
Ji Lin said matter-of-factly, “Didn’t you tell me that Steam can recover passwords based on game purchase history? Yesterday I spent ages digging up my old purchase history. I’ll try to recover my account later and give you a new password.”
“Remember to make it more complex this time!”
Ji Wei’s eyes widened. “Wait, you actually found it?”
Ji Lin nodded. “Depends on whether they’ll accept the proof I submitted, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Another voice chimed in from across the table. “As long as it can be recovered.”
Ji Lin: ?
He stared blankly at Yin Sijue for two seconds, then slowly turned to Ji Wei.
“How does he know about your account?”
“Uh… I forgot to tell you, brother.” Ji Wei looked guilty. “Actually, I’ve known him since I was fourteen.”
Oh my god. Ji Lin’s whole body stiffened. Childhood sweethearts too? He wasn’t buying it. Not at all.
“How did you meet?” he asked, forcing the words out.
Ji Wei counted on his fingers. “Through gaming.”
Ji Lin was speechless. He was the one who got Ji Wei hooked on PUBG in the first place. Now he could only regret it in silence.
“…Forget it.” He rubbed his brow. “How many days are you planning to stay in Taipei?”
“Three days. We’ve got the competition tomorrow, and another day for shopping.”
“Okay.” Ji Lin glanced at Yin Sijue and said reluctantly, “If you have time these days, spend more time around Taipei. There are plenty of tourist attractions. If you want to buy something, just use my name—it’ll all be full price.”
“You two have known each other for so long, I don’t have much else to say. Let’s eat.”
Yin Sijue nodded. “Thank you, brother.”
The meal went on quite harmoniously. Ji Wei had worried that Taipei’s food might not suit Yin Sijue’s taste, but he seemed to handle it just fine.
The only problem was that the two of them kept competing to feed Ji Wei, leaving him the fullest person at the table.
He rubbed his round belly and said weakly, “I’m so full. Let’s go home.”
Ji Lin pulled out his car keys. “Alright, I’m just about done too.”
“Where are you staying? I’ll drive you.”
Yin Sijue gave him the name of the hotel.
Ji Lin was a little surprised. “That hotel’s pricey. Your company’s really willing to spend.”
Then he suddenly realized. “Wait—how many rooms did you book?”
Ji Wei hadn’t expected to be asked this question twice in one day. He said helplessly, “Two rooms. Don’t overthink it.”
“Good.” Ji Lin looked satisfied. “I’ll take you there.”
…
Xu Shaoqiu and Ji Lin’s concerns weren’t baseless—but they turned out to be unnecessary.
When they arrived at the hotel, Ji Wei and Yin Sijue checked into a single room without a word.
With the competition tomorrow, they couldn’t do anything reckless, but Ji Wei still wanted to spend time with his boyfriend.
“Aren’t we wasting money?” Ji Wei spread open his suitcase and hung up his kitten-print pajamas in the closet.
Yin Sijue glanced at the thick-walled bathroom, a faint disappointment flickering in his eyes. After a moment, he said, “Don’t worry about the club’s money. They’ve already earned plenty since you won the championship.”
“Great.” Ji Wei plopped onto the sofa, swinging his legs. “The competition’s tomorrow night. Should we go out for a walk? Or maybe hit an internet café to practice?”
Yin Sijue thought for a moment. “Is the internet café where we used to play still nearby?”
“It’s about a half-hour taxi ride. Not too far. I haven’t been there in a while. Let’s go.”