IROAWTMTFL Extra 9

Orange 4

Yan Yan agreed to inquire, but before he could go, the person he wanted to inquire about came knocking on the door. Just as he finished dealing with Zhuang Yiyun, news arrived from Qi Rong. Being tactful and knowing that Cheng Cheng had a thin skin, Qi Rong directly asked if Cheng Cheng was single.

Yan Yan raised an eyebrow, amused.

Yan Yan: [Senior, do you have any ideas?]

Qi Rong: [Hmm.]

Yan Yan: [Why don’t you share your thoughts?]

Qi Rong: [Are you afraid I’ll harm your friend?]

Yan Yan: [No, I’m just gossiping. If you want information, there has to be some exchange, right? Otherwise it’s a lose.]

Qi Rong: [I just wanted to know the thoughts of the person I want to pursue.]

Yan Yan: [Good taste! How about some assistance?]

Qi Rong: [I’ll pursue the person I like myself.]

Yan Yan: [Senior is awesome.]

Qi Rong put his phone down. There was no need for further explanation; if there’s talk of assistance, he must be single.

In the Qi family, the eldest son is in the military and can’t come home, and the youngest one doesn’t like to come home. But today was strange, he came home on a workday. Mother Qi was so excited she wanted to cook personally, but Qi Rong said he had already eaten.

“Do you know what time it is now, Rong? It’s six-thirty. You had your meal before six-thirty and then came home? What happened today?” Mother Qi asked as she chased after him.

“Nothing special.”

“Were you with a friend?” Mother Qi asked tentatively after sensing something unusual.

“Yeah.”

“There is a friend in this world who can make you finish dinner and come home at six-thirty…”

Qi Rong didn’t respond, and just went upstairs. Not only can this friend make him return home early for dinner, but he can also make him plan diligently. Qi Rong worked overtime for Cheng Cheng’s contract that day.

After being busy, he finally decided to send a message to Cheng Cheng.

Qi Rong: [What time are you getting up tomorrow?]

Cheng Cheng was livestreaming in his room. He was not using his professional player account, but a casual one for relaxed gaming. While in a team battle, he received a new message notification on his phone. He casually glanced at it, and the moment he saw the name, he messed up his move.

[Whose message is making my son blush?]

[Baby Orange, it’s not that mom is laughing at you, but your move just now was embarrassingly bad.]

Cheng Cheng realized he almost messed up the game for his teammates by being distracted, so he quickly shifted his focus back to the screen. Although his attention returned, his thoughts weren’t as easy to regain. The viewers in the livestream saw that CORA, who had been playing casually a moment ago, suddenly revealing his true skill—he became aggressive and wild, swiftly finishing the match. The moment the final scoreboard appeared, he immediately removed his hands from the keyboard and mouse.

With that lowered head, those subtle movements of the arm, there was no doubt that he was playing on the phone. Then they saw CORA, who had been playing aggressively just now, smiling with shining eyes. The barrage instantly exploded.

[Damn, I suspect my son is in puppy love!]

[CORA is already over eighteen, it’s no longer puppy love. Spread the word!]

[Which little vixen seduced my innocent husband?!]

Which little vixen? Of course, it’s Qi Rong, who was 1.85m tall.

Orange: [Probably around nine…]

He types and then deleted, thinking nine might be too late. ‘Maybe Lawyer Qi Rong was looking for me for some reason? Wouldn’t Lawyer Qi be at work by nine?’

So, the final message sent was: [At eight, what’s the matter, Brother Qi?]

Qi Rong: [Can you get up by eight? Don’t you usually train from 1 pm to 1 am?]

Cheng Cheng felt a bit embarrassed for being exposed and replied nervously.

Orange: [Today is a day off, so I’ll sleep early.]

He just promised the fans he’d livestream until 1 am today, but if it was Lawyer Qi calling, he could wake up at eight even if he slept at 2 am.

Qi Rong: [Sleep before eleven.]

Orange: [Do you want to do something early in the morning?]

Qi Rong: [I want to take you for a morning run. You need to exercise regularly to stay healthy.]

Cheng Cheng almost typed a row of ellipses but stopped himself. The prefix “morning run” made his heart flutter, and the ellipses died in the text editor.

Orange: [Okay, see you at the base entrance at 8 am tomorrow?]

Qi Rong: [Okay.]

Cheng Cheng thought this conversation was over and was about to put down his phone when a new message arrived.

Qi Rong: [What are you doing now?]

Orange: [I’m livestreaming.]

Orange: [I’m a bit short on my monthly livestreaming hours. I decided to stream for a while today since I had the time.]

Qi Rong: [Which platform?]

Orange: [Cool Cat.]

Qi Rong went to the app store, installed Cool Cat, and opened the homepage. The top push was NTC-CORA’s livestream. He clicked on it, and in the small window at the bottom right of the livestream, Cheng Cheng was still looking at his phone, and the barrage was full of messages: [Baby CORA, come back to life!]

In the livestream of the No.1 jungler king of the “Banner” Professional League, mom fans could be seen everywhere, and were a distinctive feature of this stream. Qi Rong wasn’t very familiar with livestream culture, but out of curiosity, he observed the barrage for a while.

Qi Rong didn’t reply after asking this question, and Cheng Cheng didn’t know if he asked out of politeness or to check if he was livestreaming. He was a bit anxious, but his livestream had too many viewers, with people coming and going every second. He couldn’t tell if Qi Rong was among them. Unable to figure it out, he decided to ignore it. Lawyer Qi didn’t seen like the type to watch livestreams.

Putting down the phone, Cheng Cheng returned to livestream mode. His first words were, “Let’s play one more game today.”

The barrage Instantly went wild.

[You just said you’d stream until 1 am, and now it’s the last one? I’ve already ordered my late-night snacks!]

[Professional player deceives people into joining, only to kill them. Is this a moral decay or a distortion of humanity?]

[Son, are you really in love? Who are you chatting with on your phone, leaving us so abruptly?]

Qi Rong’s gaze fell on this barrage.

“Hey, don’t lead the rhythm astray. It’s just… go to bed early and get up early to be healthy. You guys always say you care about me. How come you don’t think about my well-being?”

[Listen, what kind of talk is this? Who was the one who initially said they’d stream until 1 am?]

[We’ve advised you before, do you listen?]

[Think about when you started streaming at 3 am. Who climbed out of bed to send you gifts?]

“Ahem, ahem. I’ll make up for it next time… I’m sorry.”

Qi Rong couldn’t help but laugh. The boy in the livestream room was pouting and had a look of unwillingness and grievance.

[Confess honestly, who were you chatting with just now!?]

There were too many people asking this question in the barrage. Cheng Cheng, who had always been a fan favorite, could only answer vaguely, “A friend, a friend’s message.”

[Male or female?]

“Why do you guys have so many questions? Are you checking my household registration? Male.”

[Male? Danger!]

[Is it a 1.85m tall fierce attacker?]

[Does he have eighteen centimeters?]

[Verify the goods before getting on the car, understand?]

[The one upstairs, run fast, the room management is going to ban you!]

[For my son’s happiness, sacrificing an account is nothing.]

Cheng Cheng was teased so much that he blushed. He mumbled for a long time without saying anything. Finally, he angrily shouted, “Room management, room management, where’s my room management?”

That helpless and angry yet cute appearance struck Qi Rong’s heart. Now, Qi Rong wasn’t just distracted, he was completely unable to concentrate. He then comforted himself by claiming it was to keep an eye on whether the boy slept early and whether the barrage misled him.

Actually, no man wouldn’t have a restless heart at this time. They may appear righteous, but even someone as upright as Qi Rong is thinking, “Why can everyone tease the boy like this? Isn’t this supposed to be something exclusive to only him?” However, the reality was, not only was this not exclusive only to him, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything inappropriate in front of people.

The next morning at 8 am, they met at the entrance of their base, warmed up first, and then jogged within the community. Qi Rong had a habit of going on morning runs so his movements and rhythm were professional, and he corrected Cheng Cheng’s bad habits step by step.

Cheng Cheng admitted he was a homebody and didn’t exercise regularly. Even an 800-meter run made him breathless. After following Qi Rong for half a lap around the neighborhood, he could barely move his feet.

“Slow down your breathing, follow my rhythm. Inhale… exhale…”

Cheng Cheng shook his head back and forth, “No… I can’t anymore.”

“Is this your stamina at 22?”

“I’m a couch potato.”

“You’ve only run 800 meters, even girls can handle that distance with ease. Try harder,” Qi Rong attempted to motivate him.

Cheng Cheng was not convinced, and kept shaking his head, “Brother Qi, I really can’t.”

He was gasping for air, with beads of sweat on his forehead and neck, looking over with red eyes, and uttering such words…. it was really easy to get a soft heart. However, Qi Rong remained firm, his expression serious. The state of one’s physical fitness can be known after a bit of training. In Cheng Cheng’s case, there was no need for training to know it was clearly lacking.

Having such poor stamina at the age of twenty-two was unacceptable for a young man. Qi Rong wouldn’t tolerate him being lazy on matters of physical health.

“Cheng Cheng, why did you agree to the morning run yesterday?”

His tone suddenly turned severe, frightening Cheng Cheng. Realizing Qi Rong was angry, Cheng Cheng became somewhat uneasy.

“If you think I’m doing something unnecessary, you can leave now.”

“Brother Qi, I didn’t mean… I didn’t mean that. I know you’re doing it for my good,” Cheng Cheng said hurriedly, not taking the time to think. Given their relationship, Qi Rong’s attitude toward him was already abnormal.

The two were mutually accepting of each other’s management, but neither brought up the fact that they had only known each other for a day.

“Then correct your attitude. I’m not casually asking you to exercise. After running a few steps, you are already sluggish and out of breath. Your physical condition is very bad. We can start with a small base, but you can’t give up as soon as you get tired. Practice day by day to build strength and health, understand?”

Cheng Cheng snapped back to reality and asked in surprise, “Every day? Brother Qi, are you going to run with me every day?”

Cheng Cheng’s gaze fell on Qi Rong, who was one meter away. Qi Rong was wearing sportswear, showcasing his well-built body. With a natural height advantage and consistent exercise, he outshone many fitness influencers.

“It depends on your performance.”

Qi Rong’s tone softened a bit and Cheng Cheng quickly nodded and assured, “I’ll perform well. I thought you were just casually inviting me since I’m your neighbor.”

‘Acting coquettish again?’ Qi Rong looked at Cheng Cheng, thinking, why is this boy so cute? Even when coquettish, he doesn’t sound annoying, his tone is soft and gentle. This time, the soft-haired puppy had a breed – Qi Rong believed it must be a little Samoyed. It had white fur, was chubby, and unable to run fast but is always smiling.

“Run another half lap, and I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

Qi Rong matched Cheng Cheng’s pace, encouraging and urging him until he run another half lap. After finishing, Cheng Cheng was about to collapse to the ground, but Qi Rong caught him and pulled him into his arms.

Their bodies were radiating a lot of heat after the exercise, and were covered in sweat. Their body temperature and breaths instantly intertwined. Cheng Cheng’s hand inadvertently pressed against Qi Rong’s abdominal muscles, and he was so shocked that he immediately got the strength to stand straight.

Qi Rong calmly let go of him, instead holding his arm as he said, “Walk slowly after running, don’t do too much. Let’s go sit on that bench over there.”

Cheng Cheng unconsciously followed his steps and sat down on the bench when they reached it. Qi Rong helped him sit down and crouched in front of him, massaging his legs.

Being massaged by a friend he wasn’t very familiar with, Cheng Cheng felt embarrassed at first. However, Qi Rong’s attitude was assertive, insisting on giving his sore muscles a massage, otherwise, Cheng Cheng might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Cheng Cheng realized that he couldn’t refuse Qi Rong, the other party was like a dominant and gentle elder, unconsciously teaching him.

After massaging for a while, Cheng Cheng was really hungry and Qi Rong kept his promise to take him to breakfast. Instead of going elsewhere, Qi Rong told him to wait on the spot while he went home to fetch breakfast. He had already informed the housekeeper about preparing breakfast and that he would have it after the morning run.

Qi Rong’s housekeeper saw him taking the meal box and leaving, and she asked from behind, “Ah Rong, aren’t you changing your clothes before going to work?”

“In a while.”

“Then why not have breakfast at home…”

Her words naturally received no response as he had already disappeared from the doorway. It was strange. He wasn’t picky about food, usually eating whatever was available at home. But this time, he had even asked for the food last night. What was happening today? And why such a large portion?

Why? Of course, it was to take care of Cheng Cheng.

Cheng Cheng enjoyed the porridge that the housekeeper had cooked overnight. It was rich and silky, with a touch of ginger shreds. He nearly lost his tongue in its fragrance. He took another bite of the milky steamed buns. They were not the kind from the supermarket but homemade, and were exceptionally sweet and fragrant. After the simple meal, he felt unusually satisfied. Honestly, the chef at the base wasn’t bad, but because she had to deal with meals for so many people, her focus was limited.

“Brother Qi, which restaurant is this from ? Even the takeout box is so high-end.”

“It’s from my home.”

Cheng Cheng froze, and asked in disbelief, “Really? Are you kidding me?”

“If you like it, I’ll bring it for you every day. My housekeeper can make a variety of dishes, I guarantee you won’t eat the same thing for a week.”

“It’s too much trouble.”

“Not at all. Eat well and grow tall quickly.” Qi Rong patted his head.

Cheng Cheng: “…?” Was he treating him like a child?

“I’m 22, I can’t grow taller.”

After that day, Cheng Cheng was forced to develop the habit of morning runs. The team performed poorly in this year’s spring competition, and bid farewell to the postseason early. The training rhythm slowed down, providing him with the opportunity to reset his biological clock. Qi Rong took him for morning runs every day, and then they had breakfast together.

Cheng Cheng had now eaten the food at the Qi house for almost half a month. Qi Rong didn’t hide it and the housekeeper and Mother Qi now knew about it. He suddenly moved back to his home at Binhu No.1 and then paid extra attention to Cheng Cheng, Mother Qi couldn’t ignore it even if he didn’t say a word.

Mother Qi and Father Qi were already in a good mood because there was now hope about Qi Rong’s marriage, and were already secretly inquiring about the other party’s situation.

After inquiring around, they learned some information Qi Rong didn’t know. Investigation revealed that Cheng Cheng started livestreaming to earn money at the age of fifteen or sixteen because he was an orphan, without parents, and could only rely on himself.

The Qi family has a prestigious background. Father Qi was involved in politics and later engaged in industry, gaining a prominent reputation in the political and business circles of Xing City. Mother Qi came from an scholarly family and was obsessed with ancient cultural studies. She taught at Xing University’s history department, and was one of the country’s top historians. Qi Rong’s brother, Qi Zheng, served in the military. The details were undisclosed, but their home displayed a signboard reading “Home of a First-Class Hero.”

Such a family background contrasted dramatically with the life of an orphan.

Upon learning Cheng Cheng’s situation, Mother Qi felt sympathetic and even planned how to care for him when he came to their home in the future. However, that was a story for later. For now, it seemed that her son hadn’t won him over, and she could only assist in small ways. Whenever Qi Rong instructed the housekeeper on meals, she would oversee adjustments to make them better, a small gesture on her part.

Cheng Cheng endured the care of both. He initially felt embarrassed to accept it but gradually got used to it. Although he wasn’t certain, the kindness Lawyer Rong showed him shouldn’t be mistaken for pity. Aside from being somewhat of a homebody, he excelled in other aspects – he had a high income, fame, a large fan base, and a decent personality. Wasn’t he someone worthy of Qi Rong’s affection?

Cheng Cheng was so happy he messaged Yan Yan every day, updating him on what Lawyer Qi did today. He was so happy that he even tolerated the club’s dirty tricks.

Professional player CORA excelled not only in gaming but also possessed high commercial value due to a good image and fan-attracting personality, combined with a solid fan base from livestreaming. The Spring Split went poorly, and NTC’s online branch faced severe criticism, including CORA. However, because he was being dragged down by others, his fans were even more sympathetic.

How could the team miss such an opportunity to make money?

Training had to make way for his commercial activities.

Apart from shooting ad materials for endorsements and Livestream platform celebrations, he was also assigned a pile of low-level activities such as shopping mall events, awarding ceremonies at city tournaments. What’s even more exaggerated was, one day, he was even made to attend an opening ceremony for an internet café competition…

When Cheng Cheng just started his livestream, he didn’t like livestreaming in the training room due to bad relations with his current teammates. He usually streamed from his own room. On that day, right after he started the broadcast, there was a knock on the door. He instinctively minimized the window, and his fans in the livestream room heard a farce with their own ears.

The one who came to find him was the team manager, intending for him to attend the opening ceremony of an internet café competition. Even though Cheng Cheng had experienced many absurdities here, at that moment, he thought he misheard.

The barrage in the livestream room went crazy, and everyone was asking if it was a prank. Having the current number one jungler king attend the opening ceremony of an internet café competition? They felt like they were living in the esports circle of fifteen years ago.

“The club arranges for you, so you should go. If they can afford it, they can hire you.”

“Manager, I don’t want to go. How will my fans view me if they know? They spend so much money on tickets, fly from afar to watch me compete, buy my endorsements and peripherals. They wouldn’t want to see me participating in such informal events like internet café competitions.”

The team manager sneered and said, “What, do you really think winning a championship allows you to ignore the club’s arrangements? Do you think you’re so wealthy? If the boss can afford it, you should sell whatever smile they want. Understand?”

“I’m not here to sell smiles! I’m here to compete!” Cheng Cheng was thoroughly angered, “Can’t you see the team’s current situation or are you pretending to be blind? As long as it makes money, you don’t care about anything, right?”

“Yeah, I’m only concerned about making money.” As if it were a fantasy, the manager not only didn’t reflect on Cheng Cheng’s questioning, but also said matter-of-factly, “Cora, understand this. You’re twenty-two. How many more years can you play? If you don’t make money now, when will you? Fans are easy to please. Wave your hand, and they’re willing to spend money for you, especially your female fans. They call you ‘son,’ it’s only natural for mothers to love their sons. How can they have expectations for returns?”

The barrage was filled with question marks, and the Weibo hashtag #CORALive# was gaining popularity. The number of viewers in the livestream room was skyrocketing.

In the livestream room, you could see Cheng Cheng’s profile. It was unclear as to whether he was angry or sad, his eyes were red.

“Miracle is nolonger popular, so I’m being kicked out to test the waters with the team banner. The club won’t spend money to buy good players. Are they planning to mess around like this?”

The manager was startled by his appearance. Cheng Cheng had never asked this question so bluntly. He had always tried to revive the team, enduring and accommodating silently.

He also didn’t dare to stimulate Cheng Cheng too much and softened his tone, “This is also unavoidable. The boss hasn’t been doing well in business these past two years. The club is short on funds, otherwise, who wouldn’t want to make the club bigger and stronger? But look, the current situation is also a strategy. No matter what others do, it doesn’t affect your commercial value. They play poorly, so your fans will feel even more sympathetic. You’ll definitely be the champion in the individual competition of the All-Star Game. Forget about the team competition. People can’t be perfect in everything they do in life, right?”

“Get lost.”

“What did you say?”

“Get lost. Don’t make me say it a third time.”

The manager was about to lecture him when the phone suddenly rang. He turned to answer it, and Cheng Cheng, pushed him away and ran. He couldn’t stay in this damned place for another minute.

The manager answered the phone, and it was the club’s publicity department. The person on the other side as soon as he connected, “Cora’s livestream is on, and everything you just said got broadcasted!!! Quickly go shut down his computer and detain him, don’t let him talk nonsense online again!”

The manager’s mind was In chaos. When he looked, Cheng Cheng’s computer was indeed on, and the webcam light was on, but he hadn’t noticed before. He hurriedly went to shut it down, pressed the power button, and then thought of looking for Cheng Cheng. However, by the time he tried to find Cheng Cheng, there was no trace of him; he had already left the base.

Cheng Cheng ran out purely on impulse but had no idea where to go. He left without taking anything – no phone, no ID, no keys to his own house. It was too late to go to a hotel at this hour, and he couldn’t go back home. Suddenly, he found himself with nowhere to go.

He walked along the paths of the community, it was the road he was most familiar with, the route he used to jog with Qi Rong in the morning. Following his intuition, he arrived at the bench where they usually had breakfast, and once he sat down, he couldn’t bring himself to get up.

It felt unbearable, and the stifling frustration that couldn’t be vented weighed on his heart. Throughout the year, he consoled himself repeatedly, believing that achieving good results and rigorous training would solve everything. As long as he became stronger, a bit stronger, things would surely improve. But the reality was… it was futile. His efforts were destined to be in vain long ago. No matter how hard he tried, it couldn’t match the club being abandoned by capital.

He sat on the bench, then later lay down and closed his eyes in silence. The extreme quietness in front of him contrasted with the online uproar. Three related hashtags quickly trended, and this short conversation became a topic for netizens to discuss repeatedly. The online community was filled with curses, and NTC’s official Weibo account was bombarded. It wasn’t just CORA’s fans that were outraged; the words of NTC’s team manager trampled on the dreams and emotions of countless esports enthusiasts.

Suddenly, everyone was against NTC, the esports world was buzzing, and teams couldn’t stop their own players from speaking out. Professional players took to Weibo to support CORA.

However, Cheng Cheng was unaware of all this. He huddled on the bench, lost in his thoughts.

When Qi Rong found him, he thought Cheng Cheng was asleep on the chair. He approached quietly, fearing he might startle him. But Cheng Cheng smelled his scent and abruptly opened his eyes.

Under the moonlight, the streetlights cast a dim glow. The young man in a light blue T-shirt looked over. At that moment, Cheng Cheng’s originally confused eyes refocused, and with a blink, they reddened. It was like a homeless, pitiful puppy finding its home. Cheng Cheng half propped himself up, instinctively wanting to fall into Qi Rong’s embrace.

Qi Rong swiftly closed the remaining distance with large strides, encircling him with his arms and pulling him directly into his embrace.

Cheng Cheng’s grievances and sorrows were stirred by his warmth. Tears immediately welled up in his red eyes. He was originally prone to crying easily but had forcefully restrained himself during competitions in recent years and swallowing any bitterness. But now Qi Rong embraced him, and it was like finding solid support and he couldn’t hold back anymore.

He cried until he was out of breath. Qi Rong kept comforting him, but it didn’t help.

“Cheng Cheng, if you keep crying, security will be alerted. They might think I’m bullying you.”

Qi Rong’s tone was too gentle. Cheng Cheng shook his head and said he will stop crying, but he couldn’t control himself.

After crying for a while, he finally stopped. Only then did he realize that Qi Rong had just finished work. He was still in a suit, which was now disheveled from Chis crying.

Feeling embarrassed, he apologized softly.

However, Qi Rong instead said, “I arrived late, I’m sorry.” In his view, if he had acted faster, Cheng Cheng wouldn’t have endured such mistreatment in the team. He already knew about today’s events. If he had known Cheng Cheng was living like this, he would have acted faster.

“How can I blame you…”

Qi Rong didn’t want to dwell on this with him, so he asked, “It’s late and cold outside. How about finding a place to stay first?”

“I didn’t bring my ID.”

“Then, how about going to my place?” Qi Rong pointed not far away and said, “It’s that building.”

Qi Rong had already earned a place on Cheng Cheng’s trust list. Though Cheng Cheng was slow to react, he agreed without much thought. Only when Qi Rong brought him home, opened the door and revealed Mother Qi and the housekeeper did he come to his senses.

Mother was also taken aback. Of course she recognized Cheng Cheng, but she hadn’t expected her son to bring someone home so quickly. But something seemed off; it was late at night, and Cheng Cheng’s eyes were swollen from crying.

Mother Qi immediately stepped forward and bombarded Qi Rong with questions, “Did you bully him?! How did you make him like this?”

If she weren’t his own mother, Qi Rong would have had a good discussion with her on the application of logic in arguments. What did it mean to bully Cheng Cheng into this state? What kind of bullying could that be?

Afraid that Cheng Cheng didn’t want to discuss his private matters with strangers, he casually explained and introduced Cheng Cheng to her. Then, he took Cheng Cheng to the upstairs guest room.

The guest room was always well-kept and ready for someone to stay at any time.

However, when he turned to look back while climbing the stairs, he found a tensed up Cheng Cheng.

Qi Rong was puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m nervous.”

“Nervous from seeing your mom.”

By now, Qi Rong had taken him upstairs, opened the door, and let him in before closing the door. He narrowed his eyes, lowered his head, and asked, “Why are you so nervous from seeing my mother?”

Cheng Cheng didn’t answer so he asked again: “Are you afraid that she will have a bad impression of you?”

Cheng Cheng nodded.

He was about to ask another question, but after thinking about it, he held it back. Cheng Cheng was too emotionally charged today. It wasn’t the right time to demand answers at this time, he should at least give him a chance to calm down and think.

“Take a shower first. I’ll bring your clothes later. After you finish, just go to sleep early. Don’t think about anything. Leave everything to me tomorrow.”

“Mmm.”

After leaving Cheng Cheng to take a shower, Qi Rong worked through the night to organize the final evidence. The next morning, as the acting lawyer, he formally filed a termination request with NTC.

It was a cloudy day. Qi Rong, accompanied by his legal assistant, led a dazed Cheng Cheng over. He had become accustomed to seeing him jogging recently, and now seeing him in a suit, he couldn’t look away. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, elegant and poised, with his hair pulled back to reveal a full forehead, he exuded an air of a professional elite.

When the team manager was called over, he didn’t take it seriously until he saw Qi Rong.

“Hello, I am Qi Rong, CORA’s legal representative. I will now fully represent him in handling the termination of contract with your company.”

“Termination?! No, Cora, are you kidding? I was just joking with you yesterday. I don’t need you to go to any internet café for a match. It’s not true at all, I was just teasing you.”

Cheng Cheng stood aside without saying a word. Before they came, Qi Rong told him that he would handle all negotiations, and h could remain silent, his lawyer represented his opinions.

Qi Rong handed over his business card, and when the team manager received it, he noticed Qi Rong’s watch. Patek Philippe, rose gold dial, crocodile leather strap, a base price of six hundred thousand. His gaze towards Qi Rong changed; a lawyer who could afford such a watch was by no mean an unknown figure in the industry.

Cora wasn’t joking, and he was serious.

Qi Rong did it on purpose. Usually, he didn’t like flaunting his wealth, but his background gave him confidence.

The team manager wasn’t foolish. After careful consideration, he said, “Lawyer Qi, please wait. Our legal team should discuss this matter.”

“No need. We have ample evidence of your company’s violations of labor and esports laws. The lawsuit has been prepared and submitted to the court. I’m here today just to inform you. Your legal team can contact me after, my client will not respond to any inquiries from your company regarding the termination.”

“Public opinion has been direct regarding the various unreasonable activities your company requested my client to attend. I want to remind your company that damaging professional image is also a form of infringement. Be cautious in your actions.”

Qi Rong’s attitude was unyielding. He clearly didn’t place them in high regard and the team manager was frightened. People like him easily soften in the face of the powerful.

The team manager was not the person in charge, so Qi Rong had no intention to say more. His main goal today was to escort Cheng Cheng back. Not attending work directly wouldn’t be favorable for the termination. Before, his initial plan was to handle the issue through legal channels, but now he couldn’t wait.

When he was leaving the base, Cheng Cheng walked him to the door with a reluctant look in his eyes. He wanted to pat the boy’s head, but the entrance was surrounded by reporters, so it was inconvenient.

The community security arrived, but because there were too many people, they obviously couldn’t handle it immediately.

“You go in first. Be careful and don’t talk to them. Avoid being recorded, and don’t sign any documents.”

“Okay, I understand.” Cheng Cheng nodded.

“I’ll leave now. Take care of yourself. If you really can’t handle it, come to my place. You already know the way.”

Cheng Cheng clenched his hands. He realized he wasn’t as composed as he thought. Upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but reach out and grab Qi Rong, who was turning to leave. Clutching a piece of his clothes, he looked up at him with a face full of anxiety and confusion.

Qi Rong’s assistant was puzzled, not understanding the situation. Then he heard Cheng Cheng ask, “Why are you so good to me, Brother Qi?”

Qi Rong turned around. Unable to hold back, he used his back to block the cameras, then gently and forcefully tousled the boy’s hair.

“Is this considered being good to you?” Qi Rong smiled, “Be good, I’ll come to pick you up.”

Cheng Cheng’s heart was beating loudly. He nodded and let go. It wasn’t the answer he subconsciously wanted to hear, but now wasn’t a good time. The warmth of Qi Rong’s hand reassured him.

After leaving the NTC base, Qi Rong didn’t return to his law firm. He directly called his childhood friend to set up another plan. Although he usually avoided the wealthy circles in Xing City, it didn’t mean he couldn’t navigate in them. If he connected to the capital behind NTC and applied pressure on both ends, he didn’t believe they wouldn’t release Cheng Cheng. He didn’t want to make Cheng Cheng wait for an answer for even another day.

But there was no need to let the boy know about these matters.

Outside, reporters were trying various ways to get in, while inside the base, the team manager was troubled by the online public opinion.

Originally, he was full of anger and wanted to explode. However, when he saw Cheng Cheng, he couldn’t say anything. Thinking about the lawyer from earlier, he could only restrain himself.

Cheng Cheng thought the following days would be tough, but within a few days, the club’s legal team completely dropped their stance and came to seek pre-trial settlement. Cheng Cheng did as Qi Rong advised—he sat there like a mascot, not saying anything. He only answered when Qi Rong asked.

At the moment of signing the termination agreement, Cheng Cheng felt light. The pen felt unreal as he signed, and it wasn’t until Qi Rong said, “Move out today. I’ll help you pack,” that it sank in.

The team was usually noisy, but today it was eerily quiet, as if there was no else besides the two of them. He hadn’t expected to leave so soon and hadn’t packed anything. In a daze, he went upstairs with Qi Rong before realizing what he had overlooked.

Help him pack?

His BL manga books, anime-themed bedsheets, yaoi fanfiction action figures, and even his clothes, pants, and underwear! How could he let Lawyer Qi see all of that?!

He couldn’t push the person out now that he was already in, and in the end, he could only… blush when Qi Rong pointed at his bedsheet and asked him about it.

His bedsheet featured a life-sized manga character. The character’s shirt was open, displaying eight abdominal muscles, a loosened belt, and half-open suit pants.

Qi Rong: “Do you like this?”

Cheng Cheng shook his head vigorously. What about his image? Someone come and save him!

“You don’t like it? I thought that if you liked it…you could look at me.”

Cheng Cheng suddenly looked up, his face full of disbelief.

“So you don’t like it or don’t want to look at me?”

Cheng Cheng’s heart pounded like a drum and was afraid of speaking. After awhile, he finally whispered, “What are you trying to say, Brother Qi?”

“I mean I like you. Cheng Cheng, I like you and want to be with you.”

Cheng Cheng felt as if he was floating in the clouds. When he finally woke up, he heard Qi Rong ask, “Do you like me?”

His response was like a canonball penetrating Qi Rong’s arms. He nodded tearfully and asked, “Why didn’t you say when I asked you at the base gate?”

“I wanted to wait until you terminated the contract.”

“Why?”

“You thanking me is a bonus. Only when you no longer need anything from me can you be free.”

“Brother Qi…”

“Don’t call me that.”

Cheng Cheng: “???”

“I’ll want to kiss you.”

“The door is closed, so you can kiss.” Cheng Cheng’s eyelashes trembled lightly, his voice low. His face was so red it looked like it was about to bleed, but he looked up at him without flinching.

Qi Rong was intoxicated by that look, and immediately bent down and kissed him.