The light outside was rapidly receding and casting scattered patterns into the car.
Han Yuze seemed a bit slow to react, “What did you just say?”
“I said, would you like to try being together?” Jiang Shi hadn’t felt much when he said it for the first time, but having to repeat it made the words slightly awkward. Pausing for a moment, he added, “If you don’t want to, forget it.”
“I do, of course, I do!” Han Yuze suddenly raised his voice, causing the driver in the front seat to peek through the rearview mirror. But that clearly didn’t dampen his joy; his lips curved upwards. “Let’s give it a try then, with after-sales service included.”
Jiang Shi looked at him, “What after-sales service?”
Han Yuze replied with a smile, “Everything that a significant other provides, including upcoming marriage licenses, weddings, and…”
“And divorce, property division?” Jiang Shi quickly interjected.
Han Yuze couldn’t help but laugh, “Can’t we hope for a positive outcome?”
Jiang Shi smiled, “I’ve always hoped for the best. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen to give it a try.”
Their usual banter carried a different atmosphere.
As they continued speaking, they locked eyes and fell into a silence that seemed to grow naturally between them.
Han Yuze reached up to rub his forehead, seemingly trying to disperse any alcohol-induced thoughts, “So, are we now in a relationship?”
Jiang Shi rubbed his chin, “Should we be?”
Before the words could settle, the interior of the car darkened slightly, and suddenly, someone leaned in closer.
Jiang Shi’s heart skipped a beat, “What are you doing?”
Han Yuze’s joking tone couldn’t conceal his smile, “To prove I’m not dreaming, boyfriend, how about a kiss?”
Jiang Shi’s face grew warm.
He wasn’t sure if it was due to the alcohol lingering on Han Yuze’s skin or the instinctive surge of daring desire within him.
Amidst the scattered light, he caught a glimpse of the intense look in Han Yuze’s eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward.
Their soft lips met.
A subtle sensation, almost like a mild electric current, started from his racing heartbeat and spread throughout his body.
So, this was what kissing felt like.
In a trance, Jiang Shi’s mind flashed with these thoughts…
The next morning, Jiang Shi sat on the bed for quite a while.
Even when he entered the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror, he felt a bit dazed.
Honestly, he hadn’t drunk much with Han Yuze last night, but sometimes, certain things happened in a moment of impulse.
But now that the impulse had passed, he was uncertain if it had truly happened.
However, this thought vanished completely when Jiang Shi noticed a cut at the corner of his lips.
Clear evidence; he did indeed have a boyfriend now.
And there was a high probability that he was a teasing one.
After finishing his morning routine and breakfast, Jiang Shi logged into the game inside the holographic chamber.
Personal matters aside, they needed to start preparing for the second stage of the Cup of Nianhua. They couldn’t afford to neglect the planned training sessions.
When Jiang Shi arrived at the guild’s territory, several people were already waiting there.
In the distance, he spotted a tall figure in the crowd.
Before he could approach, Gentleman Fan had already come forward, fanning himself and smiling, “Hey there, you look quite spirited today!”
Maybe it was Jiang Shi’s imagination, but he felt that this assassin comrade’s words seemed to carry a strange undertone.
This made him suspicious, and he gave Gentleman Fan a second glance, “What weird thing have you done this time?”
“Why would you say that? What weird thing could I possibly do?” Gentleman Fan chuckled. His gaze then flickered toward where Han Yuze was, and his words became even more meaningful, “Instead of suspecting me, why don’t you manage a certain someone more? After today’s training, I might receive several assassination contracts.”
Jiang Shi asked, “Who’s being targeted?”
Gentleman Fan raised an eyebrow but before he could respond, he subtly caught sight of a figure approaching them and tactfully left.
A sharp intuition made Jiang Shi vaguely grasp something.
Han Yuze, who had come closer, greeted naturally, “Morning, how did you sleep last night?”
“Pretty good,” Jiang Shi casually replied, growing more suspicious as he observed the person. He gestured in the direction where Gentleman Fan had slipped away. “What did you tell them?”
Han Yuze appeared quite innocent. “Didn’t say much.”
Just as Jiang Shi was about to inquire further, that person leisurely spoke up, “It was a simple announcement about officially getting off the market. Letting them feel the joy of a friend finally finding love.”
As Han Yuze spoke, Jiang Shi glanced at the barrage of messages he had just received.
[Deep Well Ice Player: Finally, you’re here! Can’t you control Yu Weize, that darn thing?]
[Deep Well Ice Player: I shouldn’t have come so early; is enduring this pain necessary for training?]
[Deep Well Ice Player: My ears are blistering! Get rid of this darn thing, don’t let it out!]
[Deep Well Ice Player: I have zero interest in how you got together! None at all!]
[Deep Well Ice Player: You’re together, but what did we single folks do wrong to be treated like this?]
[Deep Well Ice Player: Say it a few more times, and I’ll be able to recite your entire date backwards! If you can’t control it, I’ll explode it right there!]
Jiang Shi closed the flood of messages from friends and smiled, “Are you sure it was a simple announcement?”
Han Yuze recalled, “I thought it was pretty straightforward? At most, I might have mentioned it a few more times.”
Jiang Shi nodded, “About ten times?”
Serious Young Man couldn’t take it anymore and quietly interjected, “To be precise, Master, at an average rate of once every five minutes, the announcement has been reiterated a total of 23.6 times. When it was about two-thirds through, you arrived.”
Jiang Shi couldn’t help but laugh, “Thank you for your hard work.”
“I’m fine,” Serious Young Man pointedly indicated the far-off Deep Well Ice Player, “But someone’s not doing okay.”
That someone synchronously sent another message.
[Deep Well Ice Player: Knew you were a heartless person who prioritizes romance over friendship! Still laughing? How dare you laugh?!]
[PoisonedMilk: Don’t get agitated, I’ll try to control it a bit.]
[Deep Well Ice Player: Control? Control what? Is the point now about you controlling? If you’re going to control something, control that darn Yu Weize!]
[PoisonedMilk: Okay, okay, got it.]
[Deep Well Ice Player: Every word you say is filled with indifference!]
[PoisonedMilk: Really? Never, I’m never indifferent to anyone. 🙂 ]
Jiang Shi comforted Deep Well Ice Player with a few words symbolically and then, with a bit of frustration and amusement, looked at Han Yuze. “Could you exercise a little restraint, boyfriend?”
Han Yuze made an OK gesture. “I’ll try my best, boyfriend.”
“Clang!” A loud noise echoed as Deep Well Ice Player slammed a heavy cannon onto the ground.
A significantly deep crater appeared.
Gentleman Fan and Serious Young Man exchanged glances, silently looked up at the sky.
Previously, they were just two shameless individuals. Although they had always thought that coming together was inevitable, they realized that their assumptions about the depths of human depravity were too narrow. Sometimes, the shamelessness of certain individuals truly surpassed all imagination. And the impact it had didn’t seem to discriminate between friend or foe.
Scavenger and Wuchuan Pants, the last two to arrive, also noticed the strange atmosphere in the area.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with advancing?” Wuchuan Pants could only think of this issue.
“No, it’s not related to advancement,” Gentleman Fan said.
He didn’t need to say more. Someone smiled and walked over.
Han Yuze casually slung his arm around Wuchuan Pants and waved to the Scavenger beside him, “Let me announce something to you guys…”
The overly familiar words reached Serious Young Man’s ears again, prompting him to pull out his notebook and write a bold note: “Hmm, that’s 24.6 times.”
Jiang Shi, sensing the pressure from Deep Well Ice Player, suppressed his laughter and marveled, “Apprentice, you remember everything.”
Serious Young Man nodded, “I have an interest in all numbers, it’s just a hobby.”
Seemingly finished with what he had to say, as per his “simple announcement,” Han Yuze didn’t take much time.
Scavenger looked surprised at the progress between the two, and after listening, she glanced at Jiang Shi with curiosity and said, “Congratulations” after joining the team.
It was clear that this was the first time she had heard Han Yuze’s words. However, as the training progressed, that calm acceptance gradually faded.
“I heard you’re with PoisonedMilk.” As they emerged from the 15-player stage for the third time, Scavenger had already reached Han Yuze’s neck. “If I hear any related words again, I’ll…”
Even Deep Well Ice Player, who rarely spoke in a restrained voice, interjected, “Kill you!”
Under the intense gazes of the two, Han Yuze innocently shrugged, “I didn’t say anything.”
Jiang Shi leaned toward Serious Young Man’s side and asked with interest, “How many times now?”
Serious Young Man took out his notebook and answered carefully, “If we consider the last time that was forcibly interrupted as one-third of the progress, then the total count is precisely 33 times.”
Jiang Shi nodded, “Hmm, sounds good.”
With that said, despite the tense atmosphere nearby with those three, Jiang Shi, smilingly, albeit bemusedly, pondered the next step in their training plan.
Ignoring whether Han Yuze’s excessively enthusiastic mood was reasonable or not, looking solely at the outcome, it not only elevated Scavenger’s killing fervor but also incited a desire to communicate in Deep Well Ice Player. The overall effect could only be summarized in one sentence: Brilliant!