Captain, I Beg You to Give Me an Official Status [E-sports] - Chapter 15

The night was deep now, the dark sky adorned with a few scattered stars so tiny they were nearly invisible unless one looked closely.

Though they sparkled, they remained inseparable yet utterly unreachable.

Xu Ziqi, hurrying toward the entrance of the residential complex, was in no mood to look at the sky. As the cold wind brushed against his bare arms, he could not help but shiver.

His figure was clearly visible under the streetlights. Following one orange glow after another, he spotted a familiar silhouette up ahead.

The man stood beside a black Jeep, looking down at his phone. Even from this distance, Xu Ziqi knew the man’s brow was furrowed, restless yet waiting patiently.

As if sensing something, Gu Chen put his phone away and turned his head. He began walking forward, taking off his jacket as he moved.

Soon, Gu Chen reached Xu Ziqi. Looking at the face that had caused him so much anxiety, he swallowed the words he wanted to say. He reached out and draped his black suit jacket over Xu Ziqi’s shoulders. He leaned down, adjusting the collar and grasping Xu Ziqi’s wrist near the cuff. “Is it not cold? Why did you come out dressed like this?”

Gu Chen was one year older than Xu Ziqi. Both his appearance and voice leaned toward maturity; he was the type of person who drew others in with just a glance at his face and aura. Having just come from the office, he wore a clean, crisp suit and leather shoes worth tens of thousands. Even his tie was without a single wrinkle.

Standing before him, Xu Ziqi looked like an inexperienced university student; even his gaze seemed much clearer. He did not dodge Gu Chen’s intimate gesture. Instead, he steadied the jacket with his hand and looked up, asking calmly, “What are you doing here?”

Gu Chen remained leaned over, staring into his eyes. His voice was very gentle. “Looking for you.”

After a second of silence, Xu Ziqi stepped back expressionlessly but failed to break free from the hand holding him.

Gu Chen tightened his grip on Xu Ziqi’s wrist and took a step forward. “I called you and you did not answer. I sent messages and you did not reply. Therefore, I had no choice but to come here to find you.”

Xu Ziqi looked at him and spoke slowly, “I have said everything I need to say. There is nothing else to talk about. You,”

“Is this how you communicate?”

Xu Ziqi looked up, momentarily unsure of how to answer.

“I said so much to you, yet you dismissed me with just a few sentences?” Gu Chen’s voice was calm, his tone nearly flat. “Can you stop refusing to communicate? You stated your thoughts. Should you not also give me a chance to speak?”

Xu Ziqi was no longer as cold; the suit jacket was thick and warm. His body stopped trembling. He raised his eyes, equally composed. “You have not changed. You still want me to go with you, do you not?”

Gu Chen nodded. “Yes, I still feel that way.”

Xu Ziqi immediately interrupted him, not wanting to hear the rest. “Then what else do you think I have to say?”

He tried forcefully to pull his wrist away, but the difference in strength was too great. After a wasted effort, his other hand was also grabbed.

Xu Ziqi grew annoyed. He asked in a cold voice, “What exactly do you still want to say? I have made it clear enough. You have not changed, and I cannot change. Let us stop wasting time. Have I made myself clear enough?”

Their fingers became entangled. Gu Chen easily pried Xu Ziqi’s hand open and interlocked their fingers.

Gu Chen lowered his eyes, his gaze revealing a hint of stubbornness. “I do not think it is a waste of time. I am only asking you to consider it and plan for your future early. I am not going abroad immediately. Is half a year not enough time for us to discuss it?”

“Is there a point in discussing it?”

Xu Ziqi looked at Gu Chen as if discovering the hidden hardness in the man’s nature for the first time. It was a coincidence that he himself was also a person who did not know how to bend. He was incredibly stubborn and had his own persistence. “I am satisfied with my job. I have no intention of leaving the competitive scene for several years. I will not give it up for you, so please do not say you are doing anything for me, okay?”

After speaking, Xu Ziqi suddenly looked at him and smiled. “I am overthinking. You would not give up anything for me anyway. You only know how to persuade me to give up my work.”

Gu Chen gazed at him and said in a low voice, “Is that truly what you think? Do you think my asking you to consider the future is for my own selfish reasons?”

“Is there a difference?” Xu Ziqi shouted sharply. He truly did not want to fight with Gu Chen or argue in this place. He suppressed the anger in his heart. His voice was muffled. “I do not want to talk anymore.”

Gu Chen still held his hand. After a few seconds of silence, he applied some force, trying to lead the person in front of him. He let out a sigh as if compromising. “Then let us not talk about it. You have not eaten yet, have you? Come, let us go eat.”

The corners of Xu Ziqi’s mouth tightened. He swung his hand with all his might to break the grip, and the jacket on his shoulders fell to the ground due to the force. His eyes were slightly red as he glared at the man. He spoke quickly, “Leave. Do not come here looking for me again. I do not go to your company, and you do not come to my base. This is what we agreed on from the beginning.”

Gu Chen’s hands fell to his sides. He did not reach for Xu Ziqi’s hand again. He said with a raspy voice, “If you do not answer my calls or reply to my messages, then next time I will go directly to the venue to find you.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqi’s expression darkened completely. His voice sounded like that of a stranger. “What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said,” Gu Chen looked up and spoke in a tone that allowed no argument. “We cannot break up, and you cannot ignore me. You can act out in any other way you want.”

Perhaps because it was his first time seeing this side of Gu Chen, Xu Ziqi froze on the spot. Just as he was about to lose his temper under that unfamiliar gaze, clear footsteps sounded from behind him.

Compared to Gu Chen’s domineering and forceful tone, the voice from behind was much deeper. It suddenly broke into their world.

Sheng Huanian looked like an unrelated passerby, yet he stopped beside Xu Ziqi. The distance between them was only a shoulder’s width. As he turned his head, his voice came through. “The coach wants you to go back. He has something to say to you.”

Xu Ziqi’s first reaction was a sense of unease. He did not know how much Sheng Huanian had seen or if he had discerned this special relationship. Because of these thoughts, he did not respond as he looked at Sheng Huanian.

Sheng Huanian avoided Xu Ziqi’s eyes. As he left, he looked up and glanced at the man opposite them.

Gu Chen’s gaze actually followed Sheng Huanian’s figure. When he turned back, Xu Ziqi had already walked several steps away. He did not chase after him but simply said into the silence, “See you tomorrow.”

A few steps away, Sheng Huanian heard this. He furrowed his brows and cursed in a low voice, “To hell with your see you tomorrow.”

Returning to the base, Xu Ziqi silently adjusted his state of mind. By the time he walked into the training room, he had already cast his irritable emotions into the cold wind. He pushed the door open and saw Lot sitting alone at the computer desk. He asked, “Were you looking for me?”

Lot turned his head. “Hmm? What?”

Xu Ziqi walked in. “Were you not looking for me?”

Lot looked confused and asked in return, “When did I look for you?”

“I,” Xu Ziqi froze for a moment. “You were not looking for me?”

“No. Did you not go out to see that whoever? Why would I look for you?”

Xu Ziqi stopped beside Sheng Huanian’s seat. He propped himself up with one hand on the gaming chair, only then realizing he had been lied to. Or, had he been rescued?

He was full of doubt. Looking back now, he still could not tell what Sheng Huanian was thinking when he said those words.

Lot’s confusion remained. “Who told you I was looking for you?”

Xu Ziqi looked up and did not reveal the truth. “No one. Are we not doing a review?”

Lot pulled his head back and looked at the computer again. “No. Everyone is changing for tomorrow’s match anyway. There were no problems with how you played tonight. There is nothing to review.”

Xu Ziqi reached for his phone. While turning it on, he asked, “Did you talk to Duoming about the final days of the trials?”

“I did. I just finished talking to him. He agreed.”

Xu Ziqi nodded. “Fine. If there is nothing else, I will rest for a bit and come back to play later.”

Lot was never worried about him and waved his hand. “Go on, go on. Order something to eat if you are hungry.”

Xu Ziqi walked toward the door. “I know.”

After leaving the training room, Xu Ziqi did not return to his room. He sat on a single recliner in the living room, scrolling through the nearly thirty messages sent by Gu Chen.

The more Xu Ziqi looked, the more annoyed he became. He exited WeChat directly and prepared to watch the replay of the training match.

However, at that moment, the front door was pushed open violently. If not for the crash strip behind the door, the force would have likely left a hole in the wall.

Yan Zhe, also known as XMode, had returned from his trial. The moment he pushed the door open and entered, his gaze locked onto the sofa. His eyes instantly took on a look of obvious ruthlessness, staring fixedly at Xu Ziqi.

Xu Ziqi scanned him calmly as if seeing an insignificant person. A second later, he looked down again to find the match replay.

A few steps away, Yan Zhe interpreted a lot of disdain and provocation from Xu Ziqi’s gaze. Having been insulted on the forums, his mood was terrible. He was currently suppressing his rage, his clenched right fist trembling frequently. He desperately wanted to settle the score with force.

The air seemed to freeze. Xu Ziqi did not look that way again, completely indifferent to the hostile glares in his peripheral vision.

Although Yan Zhe was furious, he knew what he could not do. As he gritted his teeth and turned to leave, an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

Sheng Huanian, who had gone to the convenience store at the entrance but bought nothing, had been standing there for several seconds.

Yan Zhe’s eyes were full of anger as he looked at Xu Ziqi, while Sheng Huanian, who was staring fixedly at Yan Zhe from behind, exuded a strong sense of pressure.

“What are you looking at?”

This cold voice reached Yan Zhe’s ears. He turned around immediately. When he saw that face, his mind was filled with scenes of this rookie finishing him off with punches and shooting his corpse in the game. It was truly embarrassing.

Yan Zhe’s eyes were bloodshot and wide. “Who are you talking to?”

Sheng Huanian looked down and said directly, “I am talking to you. What are you looking at?”

“Damn it.” Yan Zhe’s temper exploded. His right hand snapped forward like a spring and grabbed Sheng Huanian’s collar. “What are you being so arrogant for? You little brat, who do you think you are talking to?”

Xu Ziqi, who had sensed something was wrong a few seconds ago, had just walked over to them. His expression changed drastically when he saw Yan Zhe grabbing Sheng Huanian’s collar. He immediately rushed forward, grabbing Yan Zhe’s hand while also stepping between them. He was no longer calm. He glared at Yan Zhe and shouted, “What the hell are you doing?”

Yan Zhe shifted his gaze. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

Xu Ziqi knew the man was targeting him. Their long-standing conflict had reached a point where he could no longer even maintain a superficial appearance of politeness. Xu Ziqi pushed Yan Zhe’s hand away forcefully. He then used his arm to shield Sheng Huanian, not backing down even a bit. His face was terrifyingly cold. “What do you think you are doing by getting physical?”

Yan Zhe’s face turned bright red from suppressed rage. He was much shorter than Xu Ziqi, but his weight was nearly double. He raised his hand, his intention to strike being very clear. Xu Ziqi saw it as well. Before he could raise his left hand to block, the arm swinging toward him was grabbed and thrown aside by Sheng Huanian.

Xu Ziqi only felt a gust of wind and the warmth from the body pressing up against his back.

Their contact was brief, but both clearly felt it.

Sheng Huanian reached out his right hand, grabbed Xu Ziqi’s wrist, and with a gentle pull, successfully brought Xu Ziqi behind him.

The two swapped positions once more. Xu Ziqi looked up and saw Sheng Huanian’s profile.

He looked incredibly fierce.