Captain, I Beg You to Give Me an Official Status [E-sports] - Chapter 20

If Sheng Huanian could have heard Xu Ziqi’s inner thoughts, he would have likely loved the title of “madman.”

Xu Ziqi, of course, did not voice his thoughts. Instead, his thousands of words were simplified into a single thumbs up.

Lot held his phone so close it almost touched his corneas. After confirming that he did not have presbyopia, he quickly accepted the fact that the team had gained another “madman.” He looked at Sheng Huanian, and without intending to comment on the move, he simply stood up and said, “This works out well. We can save some money. Stop playing, pack up, and let us head out for dinner.”

Things had progressed to such a point that even if Team Seven desperately wanted a good entry fragger, they would not stoop to chasing someone who had so clearly rejected them.

Sheng Huanian had left himself no way back and had given Team Seven zero hope. By rejecting them so blatantly, he was likely to be held in contempt by their management.

While Team Seven’s shot-caller was airing his grievances on livestream, the members of Team TK had already left the base and were on their way to a hot pot restaurant.

Qiqi did not drink, so he drove the young players. The rest had to take taxis. Sheng Huanian and Xu Ziqi sat together in the same cab.

Lot, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around and asked, “Every time we go out, it is hot pot. Can we not change it up for once?”

Eating hot pot had been Sheng Huanian’s suggestion because, a few hours ago, he had overheard Xu Ziqi’s conversation on the phone.

At that time, Core had been complaining to Xu Ziqi over the phone, sighing. “He really has a temper. Our manager went to invite him three times, and he refused to trial no matter what. What is so good about your place? He does not even care about joining us, the Winter Season champions.”

Xu Ziqi had flopped onto the sofa, watching Sheng Huanian, who was focused on a training match video, with great interest. His voice was drawn out, carrying a hint of pride. “The rookie simply has good taste. Out of all the teams, he chose us.”

“Give me a break!” Core had not called him for that reason anyway. After grumbling a bit, he asked, “Are you coming out for dinner tonight? I want barbecue. A new place just opened. Do you want to go?”

Xu Ziqi immediately refused. “No barbecue.”

Core understood him and immediately compromised. “Hot pot then? Did you not say you wanted it last time? Come on, my treat.”

Xu Ziqi almost agreed, but he caught Sheng Huanian’s eyes and remembered. “Not today. Our team is having a dinner gathering.”

This made Core sad for another second. He could only mutter, “Fine. Tomorrow then. You have to eat with me tomorrow.”

Xu Ziqi agreed with a smile.

The phone was not soundproof, so Sheng Huanian heard everything. That was why he suggested hot pot before they left.

In the taxi, Xu Ziqi leaned his head against the backrest and raised his eyes slightly. “The person paying the bill said he wanted hot pot.”

Lot looked at Sheng Huanian, but his expectant gaze was quickly met with silence.

Sheng Huanian, who had his head down, immediately replied, “Yes, let us eat hot pot.”

Lot pursed his lips and turned back around, somewhat helpless. After a while, as they neared the restaurant, he turned again. “What about Jax? Is he there yet?”

Xu Ziqi checked his phone. “Not yet. Our timing is similar; we should arrive right after each other.”

Lot nodded. “Okay. Did you tell him to bring his luggage?”

“Yes, I told him. But he said he will go back to Stars tonight and officially move in tomorrow.”

Lot replied, “That works too.” He turned his head. “What about you? When are you moving in?”

Sheng Huanian looked up. He had planned this long ago. “I called a moving company. I will move tomorrow afternoon.”

Xu Ziqi put down his phone, questioning him. “A moving company? How much stuff do you have? Did Seven-ge not tell you that people from the team would help you move?”

Sheng Huanian turned his head. Currently, only the night light shone into the car, but his pupils shimmered as he looked at Xu Ziqi. “I have quite a lot of things. It is more convenient to use a moving company.”

Xu Ziqi nodded silently and looked back out the window.

Once they reached the hot pot restaurant, these people, who had been hungry for hours, did not hold back. They ordered seafood and premium meats as if they were free.

Qiqi glanced at Sheng Huanian’s expression and asked tentatively, “We will not eat you out of house and home, will we?”

Sheng Huanian sat to the right of Xu Ziqi and said calmly, “Order whatever you like.”

Lot spoke from the other side of the table. “The man is even willing to pay his own transfer fee. Would he be short of money for one meal?”

Qiqi thought that made sense. “Indeed. Then I will not be polite.”

They ordered a table full of food and even had the waiter bring in a crate of beer.

Among them, only Qiqi did not touch a drop of alcohol. The others drank beer like it was water. As soon as a glass was empty, it was immediately refilled by the person next to them.

Qiqi watched Jax with some concern. Seeing that the young man’s face was already flushed, he reached out and touched his shoulder. “Hey, if you cannot drink anymore, stop. We are not here to force you.”

Jax was a shy and introverted rookie, but his in-game operations were always bold and decisive. Although he did not have much official tournament experience, his attention to detail and in-game awareness were excellent. At this moment, his eyes were a bit glazed. He propped his hand on the table and looked at Qiqi blankly, unable to say a word.

Qiqi panicked a bit seeing the kid like this. He quickly took away his glass and said to Lot and the other staff members, “That is enough. You are all in your thirties. Are you here to get a kid drunk?”

The others were in high spirits and did not listen to a word Qiqi said.

Qiqi slapped the table. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he sat down, bored. Then, his gaze moved up and landed on the face of the other rookie across from him.

Steady, calm, and composed.

Sheng Huanian’s eyes still held a hint of coldness. He did not participate in the laughter and noise of the drinking table. Like an observer, he quietly picked up his glass.

He downed one glass with no visible effect. Even his brow did not twitch.

Seeing this, Qiqi was about to ask him how he was feeling, but Sheng Huanian did not look his way.

After putting down the glass, Sheng Huanian’s hand rested casually on the table. When he turned his head to look at Xu Ziqi, his gaze was not blurred in the slightest. It was incredibly direct.

In his ears, Xu Ziqi’s laughter sounded like an antidote that could dissolve the alcohol.

Sheng Huanian kept listening. Every time he heard Xu Ziqi’s voice, it felt like being briefly nourished by rain, falling gently and refreshingly on his cheeks.

Xu Ziqi was drinking with Lot and the others. The six of them were relentless, pouring glass after glass down each other’s throats. There was no hierarchy here. They were simply partners who could drink, talk about everything, and occasionally curse at people they disliked.

While Xu Ziqi was in the middle of the fray, Sheng Huanian sat in his seat, staring at him intently with eyes full of deep meaning.

During this time, Lot and the others did not leave Sheng Huanian out. Every time they raised a glass, they would say to him, “Bottoms up!”

Sheng Huanian finished every glass. His frequency of raising a glass was higher than most, yet his face remained unchanged.

About an hour later, Xu Ziqi swayed as he walked back to his seat. His head felt heavy, and it looked as though his forehead was about to hit the table.

However, his forehead met something warm.

Xu Ziqi’s hand grabbed this object. He opened his eyes and slowly raised his head. In his blurred vision, he saw a person’s palm.

Sheng Huanian had moved quickly to block Xu Ziqi’s forehead, preventing him from hitting the hard, cold table. Sheng Huanian’s gaze was soft as he looked at the man staring intently at his palm. He spoke softly, “Stop drinking.”

Xu Ziqi’s cheeks were not just rosy. Even the back of his neck had a visible flush. He gripped Sheng Huanian’s wrist with his left hand, and for some reason, his right hand suddenly moved closer, lightly poking the palm with his fingertips twice. Perhaps awakened by the physical touch, he turned his head slowly, appearing to be trying hard to identify his target. He looked confused and adorable.

This unusual look caused Sheng Huanian’s heart to sink deeply.

Sheng Huanian did not look away, nor did he intend to pull his arm back. He let Xu Ziqi hold onto him, using the moment to feel the heat radiating from those flushed fingertips.

“You have had too much. Do not drink anymore.”

These words seemed to offend Xu Ziqi. He opened his eyes wide and immediately protested, “I… I have not had too much!” He released Sheng Huanian’s wrist and reached for a glass, only to have his own wrist enveloped by the same palm.

The roles reversed. This time, Sheng Huanian held Xu Ziqi’s wrist firmly, pulled it back under the table, and then gently let go.

Sheng Huanian confiscated his glass. His cold tone carried a hint of warning. “Stop drinking. This is your eleventh glass.”

Xu Ziqi stared at him blankly, looking somewhat intimidated by his demeanor and tone.

Sheng Huanian looked at him and immediately softened his tone, leaning in closer. “Drink some water, or… do you want to go back?”

Xu Ziqi stared at him for a long time, so long that Sheng Huanian felt he might break. Just as his emotions were on the verge of overflowing, Xu Ziqi crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, leaving Sheng Huanian with only a view of the back of his head.

Sheng Huanian could not feel the noise from the other side of the table.

He slowly reached out and touched Xu Ziqi’s soft hair, gently smoothing down a few stray strands.

After a while, Lot stumbled over with a clear goal, looking as if he was about to grab Xu Ziqi’s arm. Sheng Huanian watched from the side and stood up, blocking Xu Ziqi. He quickly and firmly caught Lot’s arm and said in a low voice, “He cannot drink anymore.”

Lot looked at the youthful face in front of him and suddenly laughed loudly, the smell of alcohol heavy on his breath. “What! Blocking a drink? He cannot drink anymore? Then you do it! You drink for him! We made a bet last time. If he cannot drink, he loses!”

Sheng Huanian turned his head to look at Xu Ziqi, who was slumped on the table, only half of his flushed face visible. Sheng Huanian reached out and grabbed his own glass. After refilling it with his other hand, he downed it in one go.

Sheng Huanian’s drinking style was straightforward. Seeing this, Lot did not want to be outdone. When he poured himself a drink, he spilled quite a lot due to his clouded mind.

Lot raised his glass to Sheng Huanian and shouted, “Straightforward! Bottoms up!”

Sheng Huanian poured himself another glass. He did not spoil the fun and accompanied Lot and the others for several more rounds.

Half an hour later, Qiqi was pulling a person in each hand. He turned his head with great effort and said to Sheng Huanian, who was conscious but had a flush on his collarbone, “You, take care of ZD and Paipai. Take a taxi back.”

Sheng Huanian looked at the two people slumped on the table and nodded. “Okay.”

After calling a taxi, Sheng Huanian first walked to Paipai’s side and asked from a step away, “Can you walk?”

Paipai had not slumped down, but his reactions were slow. “I can, I can.”

After saying that, he stumbled to his feet, searched for a wall for support, and moved away bit by bit.

Sheng Huanian did not intend to help him. When he turned around, he walked to Xu Ziqi’s side. He lowered his eyes and gently reached out to wake the person who seemed to have fallen asleep. “Wake up.”

His voice was incredibly gentle, though unfortunately, no one heard it.

Sheng Huanian patted his shoulder lightly and said again, “Get up. We are going back to the base.”

The slumped figure finally moved. When he raised his head, his disheveled appearance caused Sheng Huanian to lose his composure for a moment.

He looked lost and innocent.

More than that, he looked tempting.

Sheng Huanian’s hand remained on his shoulder as his eyes fixed on him. “Let us go. The car is here.”

Xu Ziqi was helped up by Sheng Huanian. He could not walk steadily, so half of his body weight was leaned against Sheng Huanian. Being leaned upon, Sheng Huanian walked steadily, occasionally turning his head to check on Xu Ziqi’s expression.

After successfully getting into the car, Sheng Huanian squeezed into the back seat with the two of them.

As soon as Xu Ziqi was put into the car, he leaned against Paipai’s shoulder. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to have fallen asleep again.

Sheng Huanian huddled in the corner. He gave his phone number to the driver, then reached out and gently supported Xu Ziqi’s head from behind, tenderly placing the unconscious man on his broad shoulder.

During the journey, Sheng Huanian adjusted his posture several times, fearing his hard bones would be uncomfortable for Xu Ziqi. Once he saw that Xu Ziqi was sleeping peacefully, he did not move again.

When they got out of the car, half of Sheng Huanian’s shoulder felt numb, but another source of warmth covered the pain, leaving him only with the memory of Xu Ziqi’s scent and temperature.

Paipai walked ahead, dragging his feet like a wobbling toy.

Five steps behind him, Sheng Huanian carried the sleeping Xu Ziqi on his back, every step steady.

Following the faint light in the night and watching the long shadows on the ground, time seemed frozen in this moment.

Sheng Huanian tilted his head slightly to look at the small head on his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the fair, flushed face.

Xu Ziqi’s head rested on Sheng Huanian’s shoulder as he slept peacefully. The features on his small face were exquisite, looking like a carefully tended porcelain doll.

Usually, he always exuded a certain coldness, but now, the way he allowed himself to be handled was incredibly docile.

His breathing was light, and a few strands of hair pressed against the skin of Sheng Huanian’s neck felt like a gentle tease. Although unintentional, it caused the growing affection in his heart to flourish.

Sheng Huanian forced himself to look away, fearing that another glance would allow the worst side of his inner thoughts to develop a consciousness and break through his currently solid barrier.

Although he wanted to, it was not time yet.

In the seemingly deserted street, the figure was no longer lonely.

Someone was a sleeping prince.

And he was the knight who would always be on guard.