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If you were to look at Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu, analyse their personalities, their quirks, their nuances, in order to figure out which of them would be more shameless in a relationship, most would say Ye Xiu. As a master tactician and Glory’s Textbook, Ye Xiu was known on and off Glory’s stage to be shameless. No act ever made him blush, no brazen statement spoken so matter of factly ever caused Ye Xiu to stumble over his words, surely he was just as bold in romance.
Meanwhile, Han Wenqing, while having also never being one to backtrack a statement or change his meaning, was far more stoic. His face, most would argue, was very similar to what a hardened criminal would look like and they would argue that he must be reserved in a relationship, with small gestures of affection. Glory’s fans were certain that they had the personalities of the two long-standing rivals figured out.
If you asked Zhang Xinjie or Su Mucheng, a very different picture of the two Glory Gods would be revealed.
Zhang Xinjie had his gaze firmly fixed on his bowl of noodles, as if the meal contained the secrets to the universe, the code to life itself. He kept his eyes firmly on the bowl and his chopsticks, ignoring the scene that was playing out in front of him. Su Mucheng on the other hand, seemed content to watch it rather than pay attention to her food, she briefly wished Chu Yunxiu was with her, knowing the other woman would appreciate how similar it was to one of her dramas. Zhang Xinjie clearly didn’t appreciate the quality entertainment she thought, as Tyranny’s vice-captain seemed to wish he was anywhere else.
The scene that had caused such differing reactions was Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu, who were both sitting across the table, chairs pressed so close together that Ye Xiu may as well have been sat on Han Wenqing’s lap. Zhang Xinjie was still refusing to acknowledge the scene, wishing he’d brought a pair of earplugs to drown out the conversation as well.
“Ahh Old Han, you’re so good to me, removing the bits I don’t like.” Ye Xiu’s voice, while slightly mocking, held a clear undercurrent of affection and gratitude while Han Wenqing’s eyes were soft as he looked at his boyfriend.
“Not a problem,” he replied, more focused on sorting through the meal than anything else but he didn’t even startle when Ye Xiu leant against his side, waiting for him to finish. Su Mucheng felt the urge to sigh at the sight, the casual domesticity but she settled for capturing a quick photo, capturing the slight furrow of concentration in Han Wenqing’s brow and the look of open affection on Ye Xiu’s face.
Su Mucheng glanced over at Zhang Xinjie and couldn’t help but grab a photo of him as well, stifling a giggle at the contrast between the sappy affection of the couple and the almost pained look in Zhang Xinjie’s eyes. A pained look that only worsened when Ye Xiu opened his mouth obediently as Han Wenqing began to feed him. Su Mucheng offered him a consoling pat on the shoulder, drawing his attention to her, and she smiled brightly.
“It likely can’t get worse than this?” Zhang Xinjie adjusted his glasses and Su Mucheng realised that he was likely calculating the likelihood of the chances of Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu behaving more in love than this.
“I believe that this cannot be the extent of their public affection. With the way captain is unconcerned with what others say and senior’s similar obliviousness, I am certain that they are capable and likely to be more blatant than this.” Su Mucheng hummed, realising that Zhang Xinjie was probably right and she offered another consoling pat, one she thought was needed as right after, Ye Xiu began feeding Han Wenqing in return.
“At least they’re happy.” She thought to herself but she braced herself for more obvious displays of affection in the future.
Su Mucheng wished that Zhang Xinjie had been less accurate in his prediction and from the look on the cleric’s face, he also wished he’d been wrong. They’d ended up at a club to celebrate a match but they had not accounted for how- how uninhibited the atmosphere would leave Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu. More Han Wenqing than Ye Xiu as Glory’s Battle God was fairly tipsy and his unbuttoned shirt, ruffled hair and general aura had men and women flocking to dance with him.
This had, apparently, rubbed Han Wenqing the wrong way and after a quick whisper in Ye Xiu’s ear, the two ended up in their current position with Ye Xiu perched upon Han Wenqing’s lap, with his boyfriend pressing open mouthed kisses against his neck. Su Mucheng blessed the low lights of the club as she was fairly certain the two would get removed for public indecency if they weren’t.
Ye Xiu was now straddling his boyfriend’s lap, pressing his own kisses against the line of Han Wenqing’s lap, with his own neck already extensively decorated. From what Su Mucheng could hear, Ye Xiu was of the opinion that Han Wenqing should be kissed all over and then his hands went to pull his boyfriend’s shirt over his head-
Zhang Xinjie managed to intervene before it happened, having a quick conversation with his captain, his cheeks flushed from more than just the heat of the club and Han Wenqing nodded, serious as ever as he hoisted Ye Xiu over his shoulder, hand spread possessively against his lower back and, it seemed, even lower than that.
“It seems you were right in the end.” Zhang Xinjie shot her a look that clearly demonstrated how much he wished he’d been wrong about how shameless the two could get in public and Su Mucheng couldn’t restrain her giggle.
“I am hopeful that this was due to the alcohol and will not be a reoccurring situation.” Su Mucheng had to agree, as much as it was amusing to watch Ye Xiu drunkenly try and strip his boyfriend, she did not want to explain to management if Ye Xiu got himself arrested for public indecency.
Zhang Xinjie could only hope that the next time the two met up that he was not invited or was able to leave without too much fuss. He got his wish.
Before dating Han Wenqing, Ye Xiu would have never guessed how openly affectionate the other man would be. When they were walking down the street, Han Wenqing would catch his hand in his own and rub his thumb over Ye Xiu’s hand, the motion absent-minded but soothing. He’d often lean against Ye Xiu if the two were sitting, the movement seemingly instinctive, the desire to be close to Ye Xiu making him move without thought.
His boyfriend never seemed concerned about whether a fan might catch the two together, likely banking on Ye Xiu’s concealed identity to avoid getting caught and seemingly taking full advantage of this by pressing chaste kisses whenever he felt the urge, with no care as to who was watching. Ye Xiu leant into each kiss happily, enjoying the open affection, without worrying about who may be looking.
Han Wenqing found himself surprised by how easily light touches and chaste kisses came to him whenever he was around Ye Xiu. He’d never expected himself to be so comfortable with blatant affection in public spaces but it felt natural to lean into Ye Xiu’s space, catch his hand and press a kiss to his lips whenever the urge struck.
Since Ye Xiu never seemed bothered and always leant into the affection, Han Wenqing relaxed into the instinctive gestures, no longer worried if it was too much. He enjoyed the taste of nicotine from Ye Xiu’s lips, found the touch of their shoulders reassuring and liked the feel of Ye Xiu’s hand in his own. With their hands being of a similar size, Han Wenqing found they fit together comfortably, and running his thumb against his boyfriend’s hand was something he found soothing.
Everything felt natural, everything came easily with Ye Xiu and the two settled into a routine of public affection easily and without much thought. It was simply how they worked. Han Wenqing initiated the touch and Ye Xiu returned it happily.
As shameless as each other, Zhang Xinjie would argue and Su Mucheng would have to agree. After all, she had hundreds of photos of the two and in every single one, they were touching each other, even if it was just their hands brushing against the other’s.
Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu had never set out to keep their relationship a secret, with their obvious affection in public spaces, both had assumed that it was an open secret that they were dating. After all, even if Ye Xiu’s face was not easily recognisable, Han Wenqing was easily spotted with his distinctively terrifying expression. With this in mind, neither Han Wenqing or Ye Xiu thought that they could be dating for seven years without people finding out.
As neither of them spent much time on social media, Han Wenqing because he didn’t care and Ye Xiu because he lacked a phone, they were unaware that Glory’s fans knew Han Wenqing was dating someone, they just didn’t know who. Multiple images had been taken, but as the pictures were out of focus and blurry, no one could figure out who his partner was.
Both Zhang Xinjie and Su Mucheng were waiting for the day Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu’s collective shamelessness when it came to affection would inadvertently reveal their relationship. They were surprised that it hadn’t happened yet, but the luck couldn’t last forever, and the day they slipped up came about after Ye Xiu’s explosive return to the Glory Pro Alliance with a brand-new team.
There had always been a strange atmosphere hanging in the air when Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu spoke with one another. Most assumed it was an antagonistic mood, that Ye Xiu’s needling was wearing at Han Wenqing’s patience and many were waiting for the day that Tyranny’s captain snapped at his long-time rival.
Both Happy and Tyranny found the way their captains eyed each other before the match started to be strange, the lazy curl to Ye Xiu’s lips, the way Han Wenqing’s hand seemed to linger on Ye Xiu’s- it all contributed to the odd atmosphere and only Zhang Xinjie and Su Mucheng knew where it came from. With everything going on, the two hadn’t been able to see each other in person in a long while and they predicted a secret rendezvous would take place the moment the match was over.
They were nearly right.
The match dragged on for a long while, Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie being intimately familiar with Ye Xiu’s playstyle and vice-versa. There were some adjustments to be made for Ye Xiu’s new team, some shuffling of their own roster to compensate but the two teams were well-matched, and both sets of fans screamed themselves hoarse.
It was always an exciting match when Desert Dust faced his long-time rival, even if Ye Xiu now played a different account. The pace and tempo of the match was nearly too quick for the commentators to follow, changing tactics, formations and main attackers with ease and liberal use of the replay feature was required. The arena was full of noise, the energy of the fans nearly electric, as they waited for the final blow, the end of the match, waited to see who the victor would be.
It was Happy in the end. Desert Dust fell to a combined assault from Ye Xiu’s Lord Grim and Tang Rou’s Soft Mist and some would call it poetic that Ye Xiu fought alongside his old class as he defeated the rival One Autumn Leaf had for so long. Happy’s fans cheered loudly, their voices echoing throughout the stadium at their victory as the two teams made it onto the stage.
The air surrounding the two captains was crackling with tension, Han Wenqing’s face was set in his usual aggressive expression but Ye Xiu could see tenderness in his eyes and his usual smirk was offset by the softness in his own eyes. He extended his hand, expecting a handshake, expecting to hurry through any formalities so they could have some time alone together.
That wasn’t what happened.
Han Wenqing took Ye Xiu’s outstretched hand and used it to pull him into a deep kiss, releasing his hand to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, pulling him flush against him. Ye Xiu got over his surprise quickly before eagerly returning the kiss, leaving no doubt in anyone’s eyes that this wasn’t a first kiss.
The ease and familiarity with which they kissed spoke volumes about how long they’d been together and they sank into each other, nearly forgetting that they were onstage in front of hundreds of fans until they had to break apart for air, punctuated by a pointed cough from Zhang Xinjie. Su Mucheng had her phone out, filming happily while Zhang Xinjie seemed to be sighing, but unsurprised. The rest of Tyranny and Happy seemed scandalised while the fans’ screaming had reached new heights.
Ye Xiu offered a sly smile to his boyfriend, slipping their hands together and watching fondly as Han Wenqing leant into his space without a second thought, pressing a kiss to Ye Xiu’s forehead as he did.
“Our secret is out Old Han.”
“Hm.” Was all Han Wenqing said before he pulled Ye Xiu into another kiss, uncaring of all the eyes on them, watching as they sank into each other once more, affection radiating off them and Zhang Xinjie and Su Mucheng exchanged exasperated but knowing looks.
Later, after the immediate frenzy of the new revelation had died down, a post appeared from Su Mucheng’s account of eight pictures, all of Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu in various locations. In each photo they were either touching each other in some way or gazing into each other’s eyes, clearly caught up in each other and in love. The final picture was of the couple’s kiss onstage at their match, the moment they’d revealed they were dating.
Su Mucheng ✓ : Seven years in secret only to be revealed now @Ye_Xiu and @Han_Wenqing.
Huang Shaotian ✓ : YOU KEPT THIS A SECRET FOR SEVEN YEARS???? How could you Ye Xiu I thought we were friends!!! I demand a PK for these lies, PK PK PK PK it’s the least you owe me!!! Also have you corrupted Han Wenqing, I never thought he’d be so shameless what have you done to him?????
Wang Jiexi ✓ : Congratulations to the both of you.
Zhang Xinjie ✓ : Does this mean the two of you will be more obvious in public from now on?
Hanyefangirl: AHHHH!!! I don’t know what to say!!! I can’t believe this is actually happening!!!! @Su_Mucheng has BLESSED us all!!!!
Gloryfan: I’m with @Huang_Shaotian, they kept this secret for SEVEN YEARS??? Impressive.
TyrannyisBest: There is no way Captain Han Wenqing would ever kiss his rival, this is clearly a different battle technique.
Hanyefangirl: Only if you think “battling with tongues” is an actual thing, it’s real, it’s happening, don’t be so miserable about it!
Ye Xiu could help but laugh at the comment section of Su Mucheng’s latest post from where he was curled up against his boyfriend’s side and he fished out the other’s phone before telling Han Wenqing to smile as he pressed a kiss to his cheek before taking the photo.
Han Wenqing ✓ : It’s official.
[Image of Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu tucked up against each other with Ye Xiu pressing a kiss to Han Wenqing’s cheek. Both are dressed casually and both look comfortable and completely in love.]
Hanyefangirl: I still can’t believe Han Wenqing is just as shameless as Ye Xiu, I mean it was his idea to initiate that public kiss remember!!!
Gloryfan: Nobody could believe it for a long moment, it was so unexpected but when they just kept kissing, it was really obvious that they are as shameless as each other.
ACismyLife: They look so happy together, I’m glad they found each other!
Neither Han Wenqing or Ye Xiu saw any of these comments, or the hundreds that followed, far too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else and both Zhang Xinjie and Su Mucheng would say that this was a common occurrence. Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu only had eyes for each other and the phone lay forgotten as they lost themselves in the other once more.