Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(1)

There is a fight happening at Line Canyon and Lord Grim is involved. That should be enough information for Xu Boyuan to turn his character around, leave the place and avoid it like the plague for at least a few hours. His curiosity is stronger than reason, though – most players have learned not to fight Lord Grim and the ones that still do are usually pros. He just wants to know which team they’re from, is the flimsy excuse he tells himself as he moves Blue River into a better position, halfway hidden behind a rock.

The commotion has already drawn some attention but so far most people are just watching. Xu Boyuan himself is not willing to get involved, no matter how well he can cooperate with Lord Grim once they manage to sort out all demands and payments. He has no reason to help out here – besides, Lord Grim seems to be up against an entire group of players. No way he’s risking his experience and equipment.

The attackers are from Tyrannical Ambition and that’s even more reason to hide. Considering that Lord Grim is most likely Ye Qiu, this is going to be one hell of a fight and Xu Boyuan feels the urge to get himself to safety when a Striker suddenly rushes out and the rest of the team is immediately ignored so the fight turns into a duel. Blue River should be far enough away, but he’s seen what havoc Lord Grim is able to cause, maybe a few extra body lengths might be a good idea. Judging by the aggressiveness of the player and the overall situation, the Striker has to be Han Wenqing, which means the danger is not just limited to the immediate fighting area.

The two characters move as if they’re alone in the world. As if they aren’t being watched by curious Glory players. As if nothing around them matters – it seems almost like an intricate dance, something way more intimate than a simple fight. Xu Boyuan would give a lot to know what they’re thinking about; if they’re talking. He never really believed they were merely rivals and this looks like proof. He feels a bit like he is intruding, like he has no business being here. And yet …

“Wow, I wanna join them.”

“Huh, did you say something?”

Xu Boyuan just barely manages not to scream and fall out of his chair. That would be embarrassing – even more than the fact that forgot he’s not alone in the room. He can feel himself blush as he stares over to where Zhou Xi is sitting, one eyebrow raised and paying no attention to his own game.

“No! Didn’t say anything!” His voice is a little too high and Zhou Xi’s eyebrow rises further. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Can we just forget this?” Xu Boyuan puts his head on the table as if ignoring the outside world would help. It doesn’t, he can still hear sounds from the game and from Zhou Xi’s laughter.

“No way.” Zhou Xi reaches over to pat his shoulder and steal a glance at his screen. “Come on, you’re not even the only one, don’t make a big deal of this.”

“Not the only one…what?” He raises his head again, double checks that his microphone is disconnected and frowns at Zhou Xi who just points towards the retreating figure of Lord Grim.

“I’m sure everyone does that at some point.”

“Everyone…what?”

“Has a crush on a pro player, of course.”

“Oh. Oh!” Xu Boyuan runs a hand through his hair and nods frantically. It’s just a silly little crush, he’ll get over it in no time. Lord Grim will go back to annoying him anyway. “Of course. That makes sense. I mean, between Ye Qiu, Han Wenqing, Zhang Jiale…”

“Wait, hold on!” Zhou Xi stops him, eyes wide and a bewildered expression on his face. “Did you say Han Wenqing?”

“Uh. Yes?”

“Dude. What the hell.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Xu Boyuan frowns at his friend, not really understanding the problem. Sure, Han Wenqing can be scary, but he still has tons of fans.

“Have you seen his face?”

“I think he’s handsome.”

“He’s … I take it back. Please make a big deal of this. What the fuck, Xu Boyuan.”

(1.5)

Desert Dust: You will return.

Lord Grim: obviously

Desert Dust: so why retire?

Lord Grim: not important here

Lord Grim: maybe ask me in person (^_-)

Desert Dust: I will

Desert Dust: but it’ll be a year before you can return

Lord Grim: well if you miss me that much you can just join me on the tenth server

Desert Dust: that’s a good idea

Lord Grim: wait what

Lord Grim: I was joking

Lord Grim: Old Han!

Desert Dust: Wait for my friend request.

(2)

Han Wenqing is wandering the labyrinthine corridors below Samsara’s stadium to clear his head when someone literally bumps into him. He reacts on instinct – only pros are supposed to be here and he’s still upset about Sun Xiang’s challenge – as he pins the person against the next wall. The stranger, now that he gets a better look, stares at him for a few seconds and then starts blushing so deeply it’s visible even in the dimly lit hallway they’re in. Wide brown eyes display shock and confusion and a hint of something Han Wenqing can’t quite define. There’s no camera visible, no notebook or anything. He frowns.

“You’re not a reporter.”

“Uh, no.” The blush seems to get more intense and Han Wenqing takes a step back to give the guy some space. He is well aware of his reputation and does not want to deal with someone panicking or fainting – both have happened before, though usually when other people were there to handle the situation. The distance also allows Han Wenqing to recognize a fan jacket – Team Blue Rain – and a name tag – Xu Boyuan. Small characters next to the name indicate that he’s part of Blue Brook Guild’s division.

“So what are you doing here?”

“I think I got lost?”

Han Wenqing blinks. He’s heard of fans trying to use that excuse but Xu Boyuan seems honest and embarrassed and to be fair, Samsara’s stadium is a bit of a nightmare. He vividly remembers Xinjie studying floor plans when the alliance moved tournaments to bigger places like this one. “Where do you need to go?”

“Uhm.” Xu Boyuan is blushing less now – probably got over the initial shock. He pulls his seating info out of a pocket and stares at it for a moment before handing it over while muttering something so quietly Han Wenqing can’t possibly make out the words. He takes the ticket, glances at it and raises an eyebrow. He hasn’t paid attention to where the guild divisions are sitting but this area is at the other side of the stadium, getting lost is an understatement.

“Follow me,” he says, giving the paper back to Xu Boyuan and turning towards the right corridor.

“What?” There’s a brief pause before Xu Boyuan catches up to him with hurried steps. “You don’t have to trouble yourself!”, he says, and Han Wenqing raises a hand before he can elaborate.

“It’s no trouble. This is easier.”

“Alright.” Xu Boyuan apparently admits defeat so Han Wenqing starts walking again. “Thanks.”

“So, you work for Blue Brook,” he changes the topic to fill the silence and because he is a little curious. Even the experts from Tyrannical Ambition treat him like they fear him, it’s been a while since he met someone actually capable of making eye contact.

“Yes. I’m responsible for the guild on the tenth server.”

“My condolences.” It slips out before he can really think about it. He hasn’t paid much attention to server politics and alliances while leveling up his own character but even he has noticed the trouble Ye Xiu causes for everyone. The name Lord Grim is ever present on that server and Han Wenqing doubts that any player there is capable of handling the walking disaster that is Ye Xiu.

Xu Boyuan stares at him for a moment, looks like he wants to say something but then closes his mouth again. “Thanks,” is what he settles for instead. A wise decision. Han Wenqing is not willing to discuss his personal gaming habits with a stranger.

“What class do you play?”

“Blade Master.” He sounds a little embarrassed to admit that and Han Wenqing doesn’t understand why. Blue Rain and their guilds have a lot of Blade Masters but it’s not like there’s anything wrong with that. They’re fun to play, even if they pale to Strikers, in his personal opinion.

They make friendly conversation about Glory after that which is not something Han Wenqing is used to. He finds that he doesn’t really mind – it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t keep stumbling over words out of needless fear. Xu Boyuan is refreshingly easy to talk to.

“Here.” He finally reaches the area where VIP-area and pro-area split up and stops where he stands. “Who the hell designed this.”

Xu Boyuan looks at him in confusion for a second, then glances towards the identical doors that show no indicator of where they lead. “Oh. Yeah, that’s a little weird. What if reporters got down here?”

Han Wenqing scoffs. There isn’t even security in this area – he should maybe have a talk with someone from Samsara about their stadium. Perhaps not Zhou Zekai, though, things would never get passed on reliably.

“Well, I should get going.” Xu Boyuan smiles at him and managing to catch Han Wenqing off guard with the gesture. Talking is one thing but a smile this bright? That’s unexpected. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He inclines his head briefly and they part ways, Han Wenqing returning to his team bench where Zhang Xinjie greets him with a raised eyebrow and a glance at his watch.

“I didn’t know Ye Qiu was here.”

Han Wenqing, having just barely sat down, frowns at his vice-captain. “He’s not. Why would he be?”

Xinjie’s eyebrow rises a little further. “You have that look on your face.”

“What look?”

“…nevermind. What took you so long, then?”

“Ran into a guy, he was lost, I showed him the way.”

“Interesting.” Xinjie briefly focuses on the stage, then back at him. He looks like he’s running an analysis which is something Han Wenqing only appreciates when he is not the target. “Are you meeting him again?”

“Huh?” He frowns at the unexpected question, noticing how his teammates are pretending not to listen. Maybe he should make them run a few extra simulations. “I don’t know.” He probably wouldn’t mind – and the weekend is still long and there are a ton of aftershow parties to attend, a lot can happen.

~

What actually happens is that Ye Xiu shows off against Du Ming and everything else pales in comparison. Han Wenqing struggles to sort out his priorities and somehow manages to get through interviews and photos and whatever else the event throws at him. He wonders what possessed him to develop feelings for a man as infuriating as Ye Xiu even as he texts him to meet up. He’s still owed an explanation – about Excellent Era and that retirement – as well as a lot of kissing – just in general because he always wants to kiss Ye Xiu. They have a lot of things to sort out but Han Wenqing is confident that they can manage.

(2.5)

Lord Grim: so I met a guy :D

Desert Dust: oh?

Lord Grim: on 10th server

Lord Grim: he’s pretty great

Desert Dust: A new player?

Lord Grim: no a blue brook expert :D

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: Are you going to recruit him?

Lord Grim: maybe

Lord Grim: if I can

Lord Grim: he’s stubborn ;_;

Desert Dust: you’re impressed

Desert Dust: I want to meet him

(3)

Lord Grim: hey come dungeon with us!

Xu Boyuan stares at the message and knows he should decline. He could come up with some excuse or emergency but the truth is – he has nothing better to do. He is curious. He wants to play with Ye Qiu and his odd group of friends because it’s usually more fun than guild-quarrels. Besides, he can gather information if he meets up with them. That’s important, right? Everyone wants to know more about the Umbrella weapon. That’s the main reason he agrees, obviously.

Xu Boyuan knows he’s lying to himself even as he types his answer.

Blue River: fine

Blue River: where?

The reply is a set of coordinates and a string of happy looking emojis. Xu Boyuan has his character head out in the appropriate direction; some part of him convinced that he’s making a terrible mistake.

This part gets stronger when he arrives and does not see Soft Mist or Steamed Bun Invasion – not even One Inch Ash. Instead, there is a lone Striker called Vale Flood stoically accompanying a very active Lord Grim. The umbrella in his hands keeps shifting forms and the character does not stop moving around. Xu Boyuan can hear Ye Qiu’s chatter once he gets close enough for the voice chat to connect them but there’s no reaction from the other person.

“Uh, hey?”

“Little Blue!” Lord Grim’s movements stop and the umbrella gets placed on his shoulder. “You made it! Old Han, say hi.”

Old Han. As in Han Wenqing? Surely not – there are probably other people with the surname Han who play a Striker with a slightly menacing aura and who are able to keep up with Ye Qiu. Xu Boyuan stops himself from sighing. Who is even kidding? It’s probably Han Wenqing.

“Hello.” Han Wenqing sounds more or less friendly through the headphones. He also sounds a little wary like he’s not too keen on his presence here being known.

“Don’t worry,” Ye Qiu says before Xu Boyuan can even get a word in. “Little Blue won’t tell your secret, right?”

“Who would even believe me?” He can barely believe it himself. Maybe he is dreaming and he will soon wake up and have to deal with Poplar Beach instead. That might even be the safer option – he’s not entirely sure how he’s supposed to survive interacting with two people he has an embarrassing crush on. Maybe he can ask Zhou Xi to fake an emergency?

Ye Qiu laughs sweetly and sounds way too innocent for someone so shameless. “Fair enough,” he says, already having Lord Grim approach the dungeon entrance.

Xu Boyuan gets ready to have his character follow but then Vale Flood is suddenly in front of him. “Wait. You’re Xu Boyuan.” There’s no indicator that it’s a question. He kind of hoped to stay under the radar but that’s apparently not happening. Xu Boyuan really does not want to be reminded of All Stars and how much he enjoyed being pressed against a wall by Han Wenqing. He hadn’t even known he’d like that and now he can’t forget.

“Yes,” he admits after an awkward pause. There’s no use hiding it – he’d rather not be caught in a lie by Han Wenqing of all people.

“Hey, hold on!” Ye Qiu sounds absolutely scandalized and isn’t that a nice change for once? “You know each other, why do you know each other? How come none of you told me? When did you meet, how do you know his name, Old Han, even I don’t know his name! Why…”

“Could you shut up,” Han Wenqing interrupts the flow of words. “You sound like Huang Shaotian.”

Xu Boyuan is glad he’s not the one to bring that up. Hearing Ye Qiu talk so much is a little frightening – he admires Huang Shaotian, sure, but as a player. They guy is too much for him on a personal level.

“Ugh, why would you say that?” Lord Grim’s movements have stopped, possibly because Ye Qiu is still trying to wrap his head around things.

“Because it’s true.”

“We don’t actually know each other,” Xu Boyuan tries to get the conversation back on track. “We just met briefly at All Stars.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” It almost sounds like Ye Qiu is pouting and Xu Boyuan knows he should not be enamoured by that. Nothing about this dungeon run is working against his confusing feelings and they aren’t even in the dungeon yet.

“You kind of stole the show,” he sighs. “Everything else faded a little into the background.”

“That…”

“He’s right. You only have yourself to blame.”

“I see you’re already ganging up on me.” Ye Qiu moves Lord Grim forward with a dramatic swish of the umbrella. “Still, why did I never learn your name, Little Blue? I thought we were friends.”

Xu Boyuan sighs and almost runs his hand through his hair, just barely stopping himself when he remembers that would knock his headset off. “You never asked.”

Surprisingly, that shuts him up long enough they can actually move their characters into a dungeon without a guild spotting them. Xu Boyuan does not want to answer questions about what he’s doing when he doesn’t even know himself.

Watching duels between Han Wenqing and Ye Qiu is impressive. Watching them cooperate in their fighting is an experience. Xu Boyuan knows he’s a good player but he struggles a little to adjust to their pace, not quite used to running this dungeon so smoothly. It’s been a while since he played it with a group consisting only of experts.

His fingers are starting to feel sweaty as he tries to find a rhythm that works for everyone. Han Wenqing and Ye Qiu are mostly quiet but they work together effectively and Xu Boyuan is starting to feel like he’s slowing them down. It’s not a mindset he’d like to keep, especially because he knows it will cause him to mess up, so he stops Blue River in front of the first boss room and mutters an excuse before pulling off his headset.

Xu Boyuan wanders towards the bathroom, where he splashes water in his face, and towards the kitchen, where he gets himself a cold drink. The break helps and he is a lot calmer by the time he returns to his computer. It looks like Blue River is now flanked by two bodyguards, though the mess that is Lord Grim’s equipment ruins the image a little.

“I’m back,” he announces, placing his newly acquired iced tea next to the keyboard and having Blue River take a step forward.

“Everything alright?” Han Wenqing has barely spoken so far but Xu Boyuan thinks he can hear honest concern in his voice and that’s unexpected. It also does things to his brain he is unwilling to think about right now. Damning Zhou Xi for bringing up the whole ‘crushing on a pro player’-topic, he focuses back on the present.

“I’m good, yeah. Just needed to get something to drink.”

There’s no real answer, just a quick ready check and then they’re heading to the boss, Xu Boyuan now mostly relaxed. The fact that they waited for him so patiently is doing wonders for his nerves. He still has no clue why they seem to want to spend time with him but he enjoys it – Ye Qiu hasn’t even demanded materials.

The boss dies quickly under their combined attacks. Xu Boyuan has no hopes of reaching a pro player’s hand speed but he doesn’t have to, this is simple enough and he executes all the necessary manoeuvres flawlessly. His damage output does not lose to them in the end, it pays to have access to all the best equipment.

“I don’t need the loot,” Han Wenqing states when the boss drops a few things onto the floor. Nothing fancy, Xu Boyuan notices. He is briefly tempted to take something out of spite but then he’d have to explain where it came from and it’s not like Blue Brook could use anything so he might as well have Ye Qiu take it for the storage of his newly founded guild.

“Same here,” he says before Ye Qiu can ask and is met with brief silence before there is a satisfied sound and Lord Grim starts picking up the loot.

“You’re so good to me,” Ye Qiu almost hums. He sounds far too happy and Xu Boyuan wonders how much worse this will get – they have only beaten the first of three bosses yet.

“Don’t get used to it,” Han Wenqing grumbles, already having Vale Flood approach the next mob group. Xu Boyuan thinks for just a second, then decides that following him is the best option. The sooner they get this dungeon completed, the less likely it is that someone notices who he’s teamed up with.

Time goes by quickly as they slaughter their way through a labyrinth of caves, gathering XP and a few more boss drops for Lord Grim. The dungeon gets completed so easily that Xu Boyuan wonders if he might be able to join them again. He isn’t going to ask but he wouldn’t mind being invited again, if only to catch a break from having to teach new players the basics of teamplay.

“Hey, Little Blue,” Ye Qiu starts, then pauses. “Can I still call you that?”

“Uh, sure?” It doesn’t really bother him – he can pretend that a personal nickname is affectionate and that will not help get rid of his crush but will certainly make part of his brain very happy. “It’s not like I can stop you.”

Ye Qiu laughs and sounds honestly amused. “True. Give me your QQ?”

“What?”

“So I can make a group and we can team up again.”

Xu Boyuan blinks, stares at nothing and blinks again. Ye Qiu wants to go dungeoning with him again? He can have pro players on his friend list? People like Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing are talking to him? His brain is trying to freak out about the entire situation but it mostly just produces white noise and he hopes he does not actually make an embarrassing sound so close to his microphone. Carefully typing out his contact details, he sends off the message, then shuts down every electronic device in his room and screams into his pillow.

(3.5)

Blue River: won’t be online tonight

Lord Grim: °o°

Lord Grim: what happened ;_;

Blue River: Nothing!

Blue River: I’m fine

Blue River: just need some alone time

Lord Grim: ok ._.

Lord Grim: if you need me to beat someone up in game tell me!

Lord Grim: if its real life ask old han >:P

Blue River: …

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: no

Desert Dust: only in game

Lord Grim: :D

Blue River: that’s not necessary!

(4)

When Han Wenqing joins their small group for the evening, he can hear Xu Boyuan complain about something – not exactly in coherent words, he just seems generally unhappy with something and Han Wenqing frowns. People don’t usually assume that he cares and worries but he does and Xu Boyuan has become close to both him and Ye Xiu over the last few weeks. He doesn’t want to see him stressed.

“What happened?” he asks once he meets up with their characters, Xu Boyuan back to mostly playing Blue River. Han Wenqing has heard about the whole spy-/guild-manager-story but he’s not entirely sure about the details and it’s not his business, anyway.

“Just,” Xu Boyuan starts, then apparently hits the keyboard because Blue River does a few weird-looking moves. “So much. Everything. I don’t know.”

Han Wenqing isn’t sure how to reply. He’s not good at comforting people and he’s not sure how to tell someone they need a break. Xu Boyuan seems like he really should take a rest.

“My offer still stands,” Ye Xiu says while moving Lord Grim into the dungeon. They follow him quickly because they both know he will start the fight with or without them if they don’t watch out.

“I know.” Xu Boyuan sighs audibly and part of Han Wenqing is tempted to also offer him a place in Tyrannical Ambition. He respects Ye Xiu enough, though, to accept that his offer came first and should be a priority. It would be good for Xu Boyuan to be around someone like Ye Xiu – hardworking, yes, but also able to relax. On the other hand, Ye Xiu could use someone like Xu Boyuan who doesn’t put up with his mayhem and might even be able to reign it in a little.

Han Wenqing finds that he doesn’t mind the thought of them being together. Whether it’s friendship or maybe more, he’s not opposed to the idea. He’s also not entirely sure about the logistics and his own involvement, yet, but they can figure something out. Not now, though, they have a dungeon to run and a Blade Master to distract.

The distraction works surprisingly well. By the time they reach the first boss, Xu Boyuan has stopped complaining about unnecessary schemes and inter-guild-wars and he only whacks away the NPC monster with a little too much force. He’s also considerate enough to save those forceful strikes for the killing blows so no one has to run after a tumbling enemy.

The run goes as smoothly as all the others they’ve had over the last two weeks or so, all of them quickly getting used to the group dynamic and cooperation required by their class set up. They’re all experienced enough that Han Wenqing can spare a few hours a week for this – though not on match days or directly before. His schedule isn’t as strict as Xinjie’s but he’s still a professional.

“Hey, do you mind if someone joins us for the next run?” Ye Xiu suddenly asks, just as they’re splitting up the boss loot. Xu Boyuan rarely takes anything but Han Wenqing does not want this account associated with Tyrannical Ambition so he mostly relies on bosses for gear. This particular one dropped a nice headband, similar to the one Desert Dust is wearing though much less powerful and not of silver quality.

He stares at Ye Xiu for a moment, then shrugs. “Fine with me.”

“Yeah, sure.”

He wonders who it might be. It could be Su Mucheng but she’s usually busy with the mess that is today’s Excellent Era. Soft Mist has joined them before but decided she’d rather level on her own and Han Wenqing remembers a very odd encounter with Steamed Bun Invasion that he hopes not to repeat. The guy is skilled but also very unique in his approach to Glory.

No use asking question, he figures. They just have to finish the dungeon to get the answer. During the final boss fight Ye Xiu says something that Han Wenqing doesn’t quite catch – but that doesn’t really matter, it might have been trash talk, the important part is Xu Boyuan’s reaction.

“Wow,” Ye Xiu comments while dodging another attack. “I think that’s the first time I’ve you laugh.”

“Wha- surely not!”

“Totally! I remember all our encounters.” Lord Grim fires off his Anti-Tank Missiles while jumping back, briefly pointing the umbrella towards Blue River. “You maybe laughed a little but not like this.”

“Like what?” There’s a hint of insecurity in Xu Boyuan’s voice and Han Wenqing scoffs. Ye Xiu really needs to work on his ability to give compliments that don’t also sound like half an insult.

“Genuine? I think. It’s nice.”

“Uh.”

Deciding to save Xu Boyuan from further awkwardness and embarrassment, Han Wenqing kills off the boss and directs their attention to the loot. Nothing of interest, so Ye Xiu happily picks it all up for his guild and weapon development. “You wanted us to meet someone,” he states once they exit the dungeon – his brain already including Xu Boyuan in this. He should think about that later, once he’s alone.

“Yes! He’ll be right there.”

The character that joins their group just moments later is called One Inch Ash and Han Wenqing remembers seeing that name when he checked dungeon records and forum posts. Another new player Ye Xiu has picked up, presumably.

The voice that greets them after that sounds vaguely familiar. It also sounds very young and Han Wenqing stares at the screen while trying to figure out what exactly is going on. “I’ll be ready in a minute, senior!” There’s some rustling, like a person taking off a headset and shuffling away from the computer.

“Was that a kid?” He has to keep telling himself to breathe so he doesn’t facepalm or reach through the monitor to strangle Ye Xiu. Someone really needs to do damage control for him.

“Yeah, so? We were younger when we started playing Glory.”

That much is true. It still doesn’t explain why Ye Xiu is mentoring a kid while also teaching Soft Mist and Steamed Bun. “So he wants to be a pro?”

“He is one, technically.”

Han Wenqing blinks and takes a deep breath. If Ye Xiu doesn’t offer a proper explanation soon, he will get on a plane to Hangzhou and demand one in person. “What,” he says, hoping to bring the message across.

“Well, he’s technically with Tiny Herb. But he doesn’t really get the attention he deserves there, so I’m taking care of him.”

So the kid is Qiao Yifan. A lot of things suddenly make sense and Han Wenqing decides he does not want to deal with the headache the full story would bring. Qiao Yifan seems like a good guy and mentoring from Ye Xiu is one of the best things that could happen to rookies.

“You poached from Tiny Herb?” Xu Boyuan almost squeals and honestly, Han Wenqing understands. He just has better control over himself. “You … why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

There’s a sound from Xu Boyuan that sounds like he wants to strangle Ye Xiu now – which is, apparently, a common occurrence among veterans on the tenth server. “Nevermind. Are we good to go?”

(4.5)

Blue River: fucking hell

Blue River: the coffee machine broke

Blue River: how will I survive +_+

Blue River: …

Blue River: HOLD ON WRONG CHAT

Blue River: ignore that

Lord Grim: lol too late

Lord Grim: is there no other coffee machine??

Blue River: no one else here drinks coffee ;_;

Lord Grim: yu wenzhou does!

Blue River: …

Blue River: …not gonna ask him

Lord Grim: :D

Lord Grim: steal a cup?

Blue River: his machine is fingerprint locked

Lord Grim: wtf

Desert Dust: what

Blue River: so Huang Shaotian doesn’t get coffee

Lord Grim: lol

Desert Dust: a wise decision

Lord Grim: makes sense

(5)

“Hey, Xu Boyuan!”

He hears Zhou Xi’s yell before he’s even really left his room and is tempted to go right back in. It’s too early for so much noise and he hasn’t had any caffeine – can’t even have any, the damn machine’s still broken after half a week. He needs his coffee, he almost fell asleep last night when he ran a dungeon with Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing and that was more embarrassing than anything else that happened before.

Crawling back under the covers is not an option, though, so he slowly wanders into the common area. Zhou Xi is there, too excited for someone who also can’t have been up long. There’s a package next to him and Xu Boyuan frowns. They’re not expecting any new hardware for the guild department, so what can it be?

“You know anyone in Qingdao?”

“Huh?” All he knows about Qingdao is that it’s where Tyranny and Tyrannical Ambition are located. He doesn’t know anyone there – except Han Wenqing, a little, but that thought is so absurd that he immediately pushes it aside.

“Well, it’s for you. From Qingdao. So?”

“What.” He could maybe come up with an explanation for a package meant for the guild but a personal one? Did he order something and then forget? Xu Boyuan is too confused to notice the kitchen knife Zhou Xi is presenting to him until a finger jabs him in the ribs.

“Come on, open it!”

“Right.” He takes the knife, steps closer to the package and stares at the label for a moment – no indication toward the sender but definitely his name over the address. Carefully, he opens the box, making sure not to damage any possible contents. The thought that it could be hate mail from a member of Tyrannical Ambition crosses his mind briefly, but he figures they wouldn’t be this petty or bring their contest into real life. “Don’t rush me,” he says when Zhou Xi is practically vibrating while trying to stare over his shoulder.

The first thing that falls into his hands is a small piece of paper and he hears a gasped “holy shit” from Zhou Xi. “Dude, you got a personal coffee machine? That looks super expensive!” Zhou Xi whips out his phone, probably to look up the price, but Xu Boyuan’s gaze is fixed on the little paper.

This one won’t break, it says, followed by what looks very much like Han Wenqing’s signature. This doesn’t make sense. Maybe he’s dreaming and when he wakes up, he’s still not able to get coffee without wandering out to a café. The punch that hits his shoulder a moment later feels very real, though, and he yelps before glaring at Zhou Xi.

“The fuck?”

“I should be saying that! Do you know how much this is worth? Where did you get that?” There are numbers and symbols on the phone screen that’s being shoved into his face but they don’t make much sense.

“Hold on, is that from Han Wenqing?!” Zhou Xi tries to grab the note but he holds it away and glares at his friend for a moment. “How close are you to him?” There’s a dangerous spark in Zhou Xi’s eyes and Xu Boyuan is not willing to deal with his love for gossip. Especially when there’s not even something to tell.

“We’re not that close, we just hang out.”

“You … Xu Boyuan. You just hang out? With Ye Qiu and now also with Han Wenqing? What the fuck.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of this.”

“It is a big deal, though? Did you forget who we’re talking about? They’re taking the time to play with you, specifically, and now you’re getting gifts? What is going on?” Zhou Xi looks a bit like he wants to shake him but then, suddenly, his eyes light up in a way that never suggests anything good. Xu Boyuan sometimes thinks that all healers have this mischievous streak that helps them deal with the job.

“Don’t,”, he says weaky, not really expecting it to work. He’s the guild leader in game but right now, he’s just a guy without coffee and apparently odd gaming company.

“They’re rivals in everything, right? Are they now fighting over you?”

“What the hell.”

“It makes perfect sense! Ye Qiu is totally into you and Han Wenqing caught that, so now they’re competing over who gets to woo you.”

“Please never say that again.” And maybe read fewer romance novels but he knows saying that is futile because Zhou Xi would not step away from his favourite hobby.

“You’ll see, I’m totally right.”

“No. I mean, why would they even be interested in someone like me?”

“You know, that’s actually a great question.”

“Thanks.”

“But!” Zhou Xi pokes at his chest, then gestures to the coffee machine that’s now just sitting on the table. “Maybe you’re their type? Come on, are you complaining?”

“Uh…”

“Don’t think so much. Use this as a chance to get laid.” He groans while Zhou Xi pats his shoulder. Before he can retort, Zhou Xi is already stepping back. “Now try out your fancy new machine and then come join us for a few dungeon runs, we still have things to do.”

He sighs but does turn to find the manual and finally get some caffeine into his system. The whole having to do things is what makes up most of his problems, lately. He loves Blue Brook Guild and his friends and playing with them but he hasn’t really been able to enjoy it in a while. Maybe that’s why he so readily agrees when Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing come up and ask him to join their team – he can forget about responsibilities during these runs, about all the fighting and scheming and being stressed.

~

The coffee is divine and that is about the only good thing about this day. Han Wenqing included a pack of high quality beans and Xu Boyuan feels like it’s all that’s stopping him from yelling at people as he gets continuously more exhausted. There’s just so much bullshit to deal with – someone tries to steal from the guild storage and it causes more fights with other guilds; a dungeon run gets cancelled halfway through because a couple’s yelling at each other and they refuse to go back on speaking terms. On top of that, Poplar Beach keeps showing up just to be a jerk.

By the time Xu Boyuan receives the notification that Lord Grim has come online, he is running on spite and caffeine and though he knows he shouldn’t skip meals, he’s too wound up to even consider eating.

Blue River: are you free?

Lord Grim: sure

Lord Grim: miss me that much? (^_-)

Blue River: no

It’s a lie, at least a little. He’s not about to admit that, though. Ye Qiu’s ego seems big enough as it is, Xu Boyuan doesn’t need to add to it. He’s also not ready to ask for the record guides Changing Spring told him to get – the friendship is still too fresh to go back to a business side without feeling awkward. Ye Qiu is much less of a menace when he spends time with you of his own volition.

Blue River: just need a break from drama

Lord Grim: lmao

Lord Grim: come over then

Lord Grim: let’s kill some things

Killing things might not be the appropriate way to handle stress but Xu Boyuan is in. Fighting monsters without having to yell instructions sounds lovely, he thinks. Not worrying about group positioning and then having that ignored even more so. He briefly considers digging Peerless Looks out but whenever he goes to that account, Happy’s newbies throw a barrage of questions at him and he’s not able to deal with that right now.

Blue River: be right there!

He logs out, grabs an unused open account, and sends Ye Qiu the name via QQ. Turquoise Flower is also a Blade Master but it’s anonymous and has been levelled up enough that he won’t lag behind or be forced to drag Lord Grim into a low-level area.

It helps. He feels himself unwind, his thoughts calm down and his shoulders relax. This is why he’s still considering taking up the offer of joining Happy for good. It wouldn’t mean having to leave his friends behind, right? He could still talk to them, but without the stress of work and the guild’s reputation constantly lurking in the back of his mind, even when he’s technically having free time.

Going to Happy sounds more and more tempting even if he can’t keep telling himself it’s just friendship. It is just friendship but his brain keeps coming up with dreams and fantasies that he’s powerless against.

“Are you alright, Little Blue?”

“Huh?” They’re at the second boss, just him and Ye Qiu because Han Wenqing is busy preparing for tomorrow’s match. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seem distracted.”

“Uh.”

“You know you can vent if you need to, right?”

“I … yes. Thanks.”

“Great. You ready for the boss?”

Xu Boyuan cannot help but smile at the change of tone in Ye Qiu’s voice. For a moment, he sounded genuinely concerned. Now he’s back to being excited about Glory. It’s endearing. “Let’s do this,” he says. With just two people, the boss takes a little more careful manoeuvring than with a group but it works out and Xu Boyuan even gets a nice pair of gloves for Turquoise Flower so the account can perform a little better.

“If I were to join Happy,” he starts when they’re back to fighting their way through mobs, “how would we do that?”

Ye Qiu is quiet for a long moment, Lord Grim almost motionless after dispatching a monster. The silence stretches on for so long that Xu Boyuan is starting to worry but then he finally receives a reply. “I’d have to talk to my boss, I just … we’d love to have you, obviously! Don’t know how much we can pay, though?”

“As long as it’s not nothing, I’m sure we can come to an agreement.”

“Huh, you thought about this already.”

“I did.” Admitting it isn’t easy but talking about it feels right, somehow. He’s doing this for himself because otherwise, the stress will win and he might quit Glory altogether. He doesn’t want that.

“Well, I’ll get boss to talk to you about that. Although…”

“Hm?” He performs a few attacks to kill another monster and turns his character to Lord Grim so they can be face to face at least virtually.

“Well, there’s a little issue of space. Tiny, really. I don’t think we have an extra room?”

Xu Boyuan stares at his screen, hearing the words but not entirely processing them. Ye Qiu sounds embarrassed and up until now, he had not thought that possible. Fascinating. He’s curious what other sides he might get to know when they’re living in more or less the same space.

“You could share with me, I don’t mind. Or we could …”

There’s more being said, he just doesn’t catch any of it. His brain is like a broken record, repeating over and over again what Ye Qiu just said. It goes on for so long that he starts wondering if he might have spaced out completely but then Ye Qiu’s voice slowly starts coming back and he’s still talking about the living situation he is apparently in? Xu Boyuan isn’t entirely sure he’s not being pranked via hidden camera right now.

“Hey, you there?”

“Yes, of course.” He straightens his back and tries to shake off the confusion. Ye Qiu is a menace, sure, but he wouldn’t prank someone like this. “Uh, sharing is fine.”

Sometimes, his mouth is faster than his brain. It doesn’t happen often but he knows it will get him in trouble one day. Why would he agree to this? To make himself suffer? He really needs to stop being dramatic.

“Great! I’ll tell the boss to contact you.” The sentence is accompanied by a little smiley face in the chat and Xu Boyuan grins at that. He has no idea how to tell his guild but he’s sure he’ll figure something out. For now, he’s already feeling better.

(5.5)

Blue River: so

Blue River: everything worked out

Lord Grim: (/◕ヮ◕)/

Lord Grim: when are you here

Blue River: after new year

Blue River: February first

Lord Grim: okay (^_^)

Lord Grim: we’ll be ready!

Chapter Text

(6)

Xu Boyuan arrives at Happy Internet Café without much fanfare. Ye Xiu is busy with negotiations for another dungeon guide when Chen Guo – who just barely not murdered him when he broke the news – barges into the room with a stranger in tow. He looks up from his screen, pauses and then smiles because the similarities between avatar and player are big enough that he can easily recognize him.

“Little Blue!” The cable from his headset almost trips him as he hastily gets up and he can hear Su Mucheng, still at her spring vacation, snicker but pays her no mind. She’s been enjoying the past few weeks immensely and at some point Ye Xiu simply stopped trying to convince her that he is not flirting with Xu Boyuan. He doesn’t even know how flirting works, how could he be doing it? He’s just excited to have more support for the team and a good player by his side and if he wants to hold the guy’s hand, that not anyone’s business but his own. Such things can be solved without flirting, that’s how he and Han Wenqing did it. “So good to see you.”

“Hi.” There’s a smile on Xu Boyuan’s face and his hair looks like Ye Xiu should run his hand through it. He doesn’t, though, he’s got self-control.

“You wanna see the room first or just play a bit?” He can barely finish the sentence before Chen Guo whacks him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. It doesn’t really hurt but he pouts at her nonetheless. She is, expectedly, not impressed and simply glares at him.

“Show him around!”

“Why me?” Instead of answering, Chen Guo lifts the newspaper again and Ye Xiu raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, you’re the boss. Come on, Little Blue.” He throws one arm around Xu Boyuan’s shoulders and receives another smile as well as a weirdly strangled sounding noise.

Their first stop is the apartment so Xu Boyuan can drop off his luggage and a ridiculously expensive looking coffee machine that has to be from Han Wenqing. He remembers a conversation about that but so far had no idea the guy actually went through with his plan. It’s a bit hilarious – Ye Xiu refuses to take his money or gifts so now he’s throwing that at other people. It’s his love language or something, according to Su Mucheng. She knows more about that than he does so he’s inclined to believe her.

“You sure sharing is fine? I can just take the floor or something.”

“I’m not letting you sleep on the floor!” Xu Boyuan shakes his head and glares a little in a very adorable way. “We’re sharing.”

“Alright, alright.” The storage room actually looks better now. Chen Guo, after getting over her initial shock, sprung into action and turned it into a more or less proper bedroom in record time. There’s a bigger bed now, a small wardrobe and a low table by the window. She also dug out an extra blanket and more pillows than any human could possibly need. No luxury but enough for the time being. “Make yourself at home then,” he says. “I suppose I should go outside to smoke?”

“That would be nice. Thanks, Ye Qiu.”

Oh oops. He thinks he meant to properly introduce himself a while back during their gaming sessions but apparently he never did? Han Wenqing is so going to facepalm when he hears that. “Uh. So. My name is actually Ye Xiu.”

Xu Boyuan stares at him, smile turned to something like exasperation. “What.”

“Well, Ye Qiu is my twin brother. I … signed up under his name. It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later, just thought you should know.”

“I …” There’s a deep sigh and something muttered so quietly it’s impossible to understand. “Alright. I’ll ask questions later.”

“Great, you’re the best!”

With that out of the way, the rest of the tour doesn’t take much time – there isn’t a lot to see here yet and so they soon wander back into the private room where Su Mucheng is now busy running a dungeon on her own. Chen Guo is on her phone about something, probably concerning the townhouse she talked about yesterday.

“Say, do you need an account?” He is quiet, so as not to disturb the boss’s phone call. Xu Boyuan sits down at the computer next to him and shakes his head, then suddenly nods. Ye Xiu blinks in confusion.

“Uh, for the Heavenly Domain, yes. I got to keep Peerless Looks because it’s pretty much useless for Blue Brook now, so I’m all set on the tenth server.”

“Ah, I see, I see. I’ve got one.” He did remember to acquire a Blade Master account card, so he reaches into the desk drawer and digs it out. “I have no idea what the gear is like, though.”

“Better than what I have, I suppose.” Xu Boyuan takes the account card and smiles again. Ye Xiu, who is used to Han Wenqing’s stoic face, has no idea how to handle that. He settles for doing nothing and enjoying the view and goes back to his conversation about guide prices while his guild enthusiastically greets the returned Peerless Looks. It’s peaceful and Ye Xiu can’t wait to be able to spend more time with Little Blue.

(6.5)

Lord Grim: old han

Lord Grim: han wenqing

Desert Dust: what

Desert Dust: it’s six am

Lord Grim: little blue took all the blankets

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: so take them back

Lord Grim: can’t he’s stronger

Lord Grim: and very adorable

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: don’t freeze

Lord Grim: don’t worry I got your jacket :D

Desert Dust: so you did steal it

Lord Grim: …good night!

(7)

Settling into Happy takes surprisingly little time. Chen Guo splits her time between acquiring a house for the team and helping him with the guild development. Su Mucheng is hanging out and after his initial shock, he just accepts that he’s meeting another pro player. It’s becoming a common occurrence at this point. Ye Xiu is a menace. Xu Boyuan has known that before, of course, but experiencing it in real life and not just through a screen really makes him glad they’re on the same side now.

The image of ‘untouchable pro player who is also terrorizing all the major guilds’ gets ruined, though, by the fact that Ye Xiu regularly forgets to eat. It only takes a few days of spring festival questing – as well as a conversation with Han Wenqing – to come up with a solution. If you place the food directly in front of him, he will eat it without complaining too much.

What he struggles with getting used to is the bed-sharing. It’s not that he sleeps badly, really, and it only took him a few days to learn how to enjoy the accidental cuddling and not freak out about the fact that he’s touching his crush. And yet, whenever he wakes up to find that he has wrapped himself into every available blanket again, he wishes the ground would just swallow him up.

He doesn’t even know why it keeps happening. It’s been years since he shared his bed with anyone and he doesn’t remember stealing blankets back then. Ye Xiu isn’t even helpful, he just laughs it off and says he doesn’t mind when Xu Boyuan tries to apologize. Su Mucheng, before leaving again, says he should just roll with it and so that’s what he’s now trying.

It’s still early when he leaves the small room, despite Ye Xiu sleepily protesting and trying to grab him. He throws one of the blankets over him and quietly heads out to see if anyone from the guild is online. Happy is big enough now that there’s usually someone around and he can maybe run a few dungeons or finish a couple of missions. The guild still doesn’t have a proper storage system – much less items that could be stored – but Xu Boyuan is determined to change that as soon as possible.

He spends most of his morning teaching a group of new players that Assassins make terrible tanks, that a healer is not obligated to heal you if you pull unnecessary stunts and run out of their range or that you shouldn’t pay absurd prices for low-level gear. He manages to finish exactly one dungeon and that’s only because Steamed Bun Invasion shows up briefly and slightly drunk and claims he wants to level a bit before work so he can finally catch up to the boss.

Xu Boyuan tunes out every single word of the rant he hears during the dungeon run, glad that Steamed Bun is good at what he does and they can both grab a few XP. The guild members they drag along for a full group seem on the verge of tears by the time they finish.

With Steamed Bun running off again and a few more guild members coming online, Xu Boyuan helps everyone group up for dungeons and tells them to contact him for help should they need it, then he opens his writing document and starts figuring out the best possible wording for the storage guidelines.

Most of the outline is done by the time Ye Xiu walks in, stretching and yawning. He grabs some of the breakfast Chen Guo left here earlier and waves with a sleepy smile before sitting down at his computer. It’s quiet today, the café will open later and Chen Guo decided yesterday to stream the Tyranny vs Excellent Era match in the evening. Until then, they’re free to play Glory and see how close to level 50 they can get Lord Grim. Last Xu Boyuan checked, there wasn’t too much more experience needed.

They work quietly for a bit, Xu Boyuan slowly becoming better at not getting distracted by the proximity to Ye Xiu, until his QQ indicates a new message. His first thought is that it might be Zhou Xi but the notification is next to the group chat he has with Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing – which, even after a month, he is not used to.

Desert Dust: we’re having dinner tonight

Xu Boyuan blinks, looks away and checks again but the message remains there and he’s pretty sure his brain is displaying an error message. Was he meant to be included here? He can’t really imagine it but he also can’t imagine Han Wenqing sending a message to the wrong chat. He blinks again.

“You okay there, little Blue?”

“I, what?” Great, he’s apparently lost the ability to form coherent sentences. Why must he be so affected by stupid feelings? Why do these feelings keep getting fed?

“You look a little red, do you need some fresh air?”

“Uh … yes.” Fresh air might help get his brain back to working order. “Did you see QQ?”, he manages after taking a few deep breaths. Maybe he should go with Zhou Xi’s advice and take this chance, whatever it may entail.

“Hm?” Ye Xiu makes a questioning noise and then, instead of going back to his own computer, leans over Xu Boyuan’s shoulder. Thankfully, the correct chat is still open.

“Oh, he’s as forward as ever.”

“I can see that.”

Ye Xiu chuckles and pats his shoulder. “You can still say no if you don’t wanna go.”

“I … no, I don’t mind.” He runs a hand through his hair and briefly closes his eyes. “I’m just … not sure why I got invited?”

“Why not?” Ye Xiu looks like he’s considering using the open window to smoke a cigarette, so Xu Boyuan pointedly pushes the package to the side and glares as much as he can manage. It earns him another chuckle. “We’re hanging out online, so this is the next step, right?”

“..right. Yeah.”

“Great. It’ll be fun!” With that, Ye Xiu finally wanders back to Lord Grim, just in time for another message to pop up on Xu Boyuan’s screen. This one’s private, though.

Desert Dust: make sure ye xiu wears proper clothes tonight

Xu Boyuan: how am I supposed to do that ;_;

Desert Dust: just ask nicely

Desert Dust: he’ll agree

Xu Boyuan: fine

Xu Boyuan: have fun in the match tonight

He briefly thinks about wishing him good luck but he’s pretty sure that with the state Excellent Era is currently in, Tyranny’s win is guaranteed. Xu Boyuan still isn’t sure what exactly happened between Ye Xiu and his former team but it seems he can cheer for Han Wenqing without feeling bad about it.

The rest of the day passes quietly. Ye Xiu eventually wanders downstairs to help Chen Guo with the café business and Xu Boyuan joins them later when it’s time for the livestream. It’s different from being in an arena. For the last few years, he’s been busy with the Blue Rain fanclub during matches. Today, he’s sitting near the back of an internet café with people who took him in when he needed them. He thinks he can get used to this.

If Ye Xiu is disappointed by the outcome of the match, he doesn’t show it. He briefly mentions being proud of Su Mucheng and then starts walking towards the door once most of the guests have left. Xu Boyuan frowns at him.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re meeting Old Han for dinner, remember?”

“Dressed like that?” He crosses his arms as he takes in Ye Xiu’s outfit and shakes his head, suddenly understanding why Han Wenqing contacted him about it earlier.

“What’s wrong with it? It’s comfortable.”

“You’re wearing sweatpants that look like you slept in them and your T-Shirt has holes as well as a soup stain.”

“Ah. Well.”

“Get changed.”

“I’m not sure I have better clothes,” Ye Xiu says with a grin as if that was a valid argument. Unfortunately for him, it’s not.

“Didn’t you go shopping with Su Mucheng just a few days ago?”

“That was for her. I might have some different pants, fine?”

“It’s a start.” Xu Boyuan is happy to steer him towards their room. He’s at least ninety percent sure he has a shirt that would fit Ye Xiu – it’s a little too big on himself but not so much it would be too loose. Ye Xiu might be a bit taller than him but he’s skinnier, it should work out.

The shirt is a simple light-blue button-up and Xu Boyuan is met with a frown when he hands it over. “Not sure this is my colour.”

“Really?” Xu Boyuan wants to shake him, just a little. “It’s this or the Troubling Rain shirt, your choice.”

At that, Ye Xiu’s eyes go wide in shock and he snatches the shirt. “It’s fine,” he quickly says. “Perfect, this is perfect.” And then, without a warning, he takes off the shirt he is currently wearing. Xu Boyuan briefly loses all of his brain functions before quickly turning around. He’s not even sure why he’s so affected. Ye Xiu is pretty average looking but somehow, Xu Boyuan is incredibly attracted to him. Also, the shirt does look good on him.

They make it to the restaurant without further problems. Xu Boyuan manages to get them both into proper coats – it’s so much colder here than he’s used to – and they don’t freeze while walking to the address Han Wenqing sent them earlier. Some people are still out, celebrating or mourning and at one point, they take a little detour to avoid a group of aggressive Excellent Era fans.

Han Wenqing meets them in a private room. The light here is a lot better than during their first meeting and Xu Boyuan does not care what Zhou Xi thinks, Han Wenqing is handsome. He is also, somehow, a little bit shorter than Ye Xiu which is only noticeable when they stand next to each other and Ye Xiu doesn’t slouch. Xu Boyuan stares.

He manages to catch himself before it can get awkward and once they get their greetings out – there is a surprising amount of careful touches involved – they sit down at the small table where a few appetizers are already placed. There are drinks, too, though none with alcohol. That’s fine, it’s probably better for pro-players to not drink any and Xu Boyuan would rather not become intoxicated and embarrass himself.

“That’s a nice shirt,” Han Wenqing comments and Xu Boyuan cannot stop the smug grin from appearing on his face. He’s glad he’s not alone with his opinion.

“Why thank you! I got it from Little Blue.” His grin is a bit too smug and Han Wenqing raises an eyebrow before letting out what sounds like an amused snort.

“You know you’re not getting that back, right?”

“I kind of guessed.” He glances at Ye Xiu again and, well, it’s not too bad if he keeps the shirt. Xu Boyuan has others and he quite likes the idea of Ye Xiu in his clothes.

There is a bit of chaos when the waiter arrives and takes their orders but in the end they manage to all get situated with platters and bowls of food to share. It’s nice. Xu Boyuan feels a little awkward, still, but he gradually relaxes and joins the conversation while trying to defend his plate from Ye Xiu’s chopsticks. Han Wenqing is facing the same challenge but he seems more practiced and not for the first time Xu Boyuan wonders how long they’ve been this close.

“Well,” Ye Xiu says at one point when he’s finally using his own plate. ”I should hit Level 50 tonight if nothing goes wrong and we can soon tackle a few Heavenly Domain dungeons, that should be fun.”

“Sure,” Han Wenqing looks like he’s considering something for a moment, then he nods. “I can always get a random account from the guild, I suppose.”

“I’ll need better gear,” Xu Boyuan intercepts before they can make plans for the harder dungeons. His new account, White Squall, is wearing mostly blue and green gear and he hasn’t managed to find better equipment yet. It’s also not what he’s used to, Blue Bride Spring Snow had great gear that was just a step below silver but he gave everything to the guild storage before leaving with the account card. It’s been sitting in his bag for the past few days because he’s still not ready to play on it again.

“I’m sure we can manage,” Han Wenqing says. “I can go dungeon with you while Ye Xiu does the Quest Line.”

“That’ll take a while.” Ye Xiu sighs, puts his chopsticks aside and reaches for a cigarette. It’s alright in here, there’s proper ventilation and Xu Boyuan doesn’t really hate the smell, he just doesn’t want it where he sleeps. “No one else is Level 50 yet, so I can’t do the Arena Challenge.”

Xu Boyuan blinks at that but before he can say something, Han Wenqing nods and agrees. “Yeah, right, so you have to wait with that and just do the other quests first.”

“Hmm. I just hope some people catch up soon.”

“Uhm,” he says, a little unsure because aren’t they Glory experts? Is he really about to lecture them? “The Arena isn’t server locked, though?”

Both Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing stare at him with astonishment and something unreadable in their expressions. “Right,” Ye Xiu then starts slowly. “I forgot.”

“I don’t even know what to say.”

“That’s alright.” Ye Xiu leans over and ruffles his hair which causes Xu Boyuan’s eyes to widen. He doesn’t mind when people – at least people he likes – play with his hair but this is unexpected and he has no idea how to handle it. “Thank you, what would I do without you?”

“Bother other people.”

“Hey! I’m perfectly nice and polite.”

“There’s an entire group chat dedicated to you being a nuisance on the tenth server.” A group chat he is no longer part of because some of the other guild leaders claimed he is collaborating with the enemy now. Xu Boyuan thinks they’re exaggerating and taking the conflict way too seriously, so honestly, he doesn’t mind not having to deal with them on a daily basis anymore.

“What? I need details.”

“Forget it.”

He has to admit, he missed having friendly banter with someone. Time passes easily as they talk mostly about Glory, though there are a few travel stories and memories involved. Xu Boyuan can’t remember the last time he was this relaxed and by the time they get back to Happy internet café, he is too emotional to be able to sleep. He settles for playing Glory on Peerless Looks until Lord Grim finally makes it to fifty, then he watches Ye Xiu tackle the first challenges and even clears a few of them for him. Simple ones that don’t involve combat because he is not sure he can handle the umbrella just yet. He probably stays up way too late but it’s worth it.

(7.5)

Xu Boyuan: I need advice

Bound Boat: should I get a drink?

Xu Boyuan: I had dinner with Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu

Bound Boat: … brb, getting a drink

Xu Boyuan: …

Bound Boat: alright

Bound Boat: tell me everything

Xu Boyuan: well, Han Wenqing invited us for dinner

Bound Boat: hold on both of you?? thats new info, good to know

Xu Boyuan: not the point!

Xu Boyuan: is he flirting with me?

Bound Boat: …

Bound Boat: dude, the expensive coffee machine wasn’t a dead giveaway?

Xu Boyuan: no?? I mean … why me?

Bound Boat: still no clue

Bound Boat: but maybe I was wrong

Xu Boyuan: ??

Bound Boat: I think they wanna share you :3

Xu Boyuan: (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

(8)

“Do you think I need to send stronger signals?” Han Wenqing stretches and closes his eyes to take a break from constantly looking at computer screens. He and Xinjie are the only ones left in the training room and they’re about to retreat to their rooms as well. He just wants a quick conversation with his vice-captain. Some advice, maybe.

“Towards this Blade Master you’re interested in?” Xinjie doesn’t even look up from his notebook and Han Wenqing wonders briefly what he might be doing. They analysed yesterday’s match pretty thoroughly. It doesn’t matter, though.

“Yes. I think I made my intentions clear but he’s showing no reaction.”

“Hm.” There’s a pause in which Xinjie adjusts his glasses. “Either he’s not interested and doesn’t know how to let you down so he ignores it. Or he is interested and hasn’t figured out that it is reciprocated.”

“What else am I supposed to try? I got him a gift.” He is maybe not the best at relationships but he tried various strategies now and that even worked on Ye Xiu, eventually. Xu Boyuan can’t possibly be more oblivious. “I had dinner with him and we play Glory together. A lot.”

“Okay, that’s something.” Xinjie sighs, placing his notebook in his pocket. “But have you talked to him?”

“What?”

“Talking, captain.” Xinjie appears calm as ever but Han Wenqing knows him well enough to realise that he is about two hundred percent done. “Having a proper conversation about feelings. Don’t you have those with senior Ye?”

“Not really.” They talk when they’re together or meet online, just not about emotions or what they mean to each other. It’s obvious through gestures and other shows of appreciation.

“Well, I’m glad you worked things out nonetheless. Xu Boyuan might not be the same. Maybe he needs some verbal reassurance.”

That’s not actually something Han Wenqing considered until now. It’s also not what he’s good at and he was hoping for different advice. “Are you sure?”

“No. You could also ask Su Mucheng or Chu Yunxiu,” Xinjie adds. “They are more knowledgeable than I am.”

“Uh.” He doesn’t really want to contact them. At least not about relationships. Even if they don’t gossip to any outsiders, he’d never hear the end of it – besides, he’s pretty sure that Su Mucheng is already involving herself on Ye Xiu’s side.

“Whatever you decide on, I wish you the best luck.” Xinjie smiles before exiting the room and leaving Han Wenqing alone with his thoughts. It’s not a situation he enjoys, so he heads back to his private computer and checks his QQ.

Desert Dust: any plans for tonight?

If not, he can always find other ways to distract himself. Xu Boyuan recently suggested a few action movies that Han Wenqing hasn’t managed to watch yet. He hopes for Glory, though.

Lord Grim: I’m busy sorry!

Desert Dust: oh?

Xu Boyuan: he got a bounty on his head for scrap picking and can’t play Lord Grim right now

Lord Grim: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Desert Dust: …impressive

Desert Dust: and stupid

He admires Ye Xiu, he really does. He also wants to shake him, sometimes, just to see if that would maybe make him less of a hazard to society.

Xu Boyuan: I’m done with guildwork though

Xu Boyuan: I can switch accounts

Desert Dust: great

It only takes a few minutes for them to meet up near a level 70 dungeon. He would not have chosen the name Formless Heaven for his own character but it’s a max-levelled Striker with proper equipment that is not openly connected to Tyrannical Ambition. He simply told the guild department he wanted to try out some things for Tyranny without making that obvious and they handed it to him. It’s technically true in a way. This account will help Lord Grim which will in turn help Han Wenqing get a better understanding of the Unspecialized. Just because they’re together doesn’t mean they’ll go easy on each other in matches.

Striker and Blade Master are maybe not the best possible combination for a dungeon but it’s only a 5-player-difficulty and they’re both good enough to manage. It’s enough of a challenge to take Han Wenqing’s mind off things like feelings – even if they’re there, in the back of his head, content to just spend time together. It would be better with Ye Xiu present as well but he’ll take what he can get.

(8.5)

Bound Boat: so how are you settling in

Xu Boyuan: really well ^.^

Xu Boyuan: different kind of stress

Xu Boyuan: but easier to handle

Bound Boat: I’m happy for you

Bound Boat: means I won’t have to fight for your honour

Xu Boyuan: … what

Bound Boat: we’re friends! I have to make sure you’re doing well

Xu Boyuan: thanks

Xu Boyuan: everything alright on your end?

Bound Boat: we’re doing great when Ye Qiu isn’t haunting us :D

Bound Boat: but if Poplar Beach shows up again he will have an accident

Xu Boyuan: lol I thought he only hated me

Bound Boat: nah he’s just a jerk

Bound Boat: why are you still using your irl name here tho??

Xu Boyuan: not entirely sure what feels right

Xu Boyuan: I’m getting there

Bound Boat: alright

Bound Boat: keep me updated!

(9)

Early flights are an invention of something evil, Xu Boyuan thinks. He went to bed early but then couldn’t sleep because ever since they finally moved into the townhouse last week, he’s been missing the feeling of sleeping next to someone. It’s a little pathetic and now his alarm is going off at four in the morning and he just wants to crawl back under the covers and ignore the world.

He can’t miss this flight, though. They’ve been working tirelessly to set up the house and a basic training centre and the first members of Team Happy – apart from Ye Xiu and Tang Rou, who are already here – are set to arrive after this weekend. The trip to Qingdao is a reward, though Xu Boyuan doesn’t quite understand why he has been invited. He has decided not to question it.

With a groan and slow movements, Xu Boyuan makes his way out of the room he’s so far not sharing with anyone. He kind of hopes Steamed Bun won’t insist on moving in – he likes the guy but he’s not sure his sanity would survive being roommates. If his sanity survives this unholy hour of the day, that is.

The kitchen light is way too harsh and he closes his eyes, only moving again when he suddenly smells coffee. “Hm?”

“Good morning.” That’s Ye Xiu’s voice, accompanied by a small laugh. How is he so awake, did he pull … he probably pulled an all-nighter. Xu Boyuan wraps his hands around the hot mug that is being handed to him and then just breathes in, still refusing to open his eyes. “You won’t fall over, right?”

He makes a noise that is hopefully a confirmation of him being awake before he starts drinking the coffee. It’s just how he likes it and he smiles as soft hands guide him to sit at the table they put up yesterday. Everything is still sparsely furnished; a fresh start, just like Team Happy itself. Xu Boyuan is proud to be a part of it. Even if he still can’t believe Ye Xiu got Wei Chen, former Captain of Team Blue Rain, to join him.

“Boss said she’ll call us a taxi,” Ye Xiu says somewhere near him. “So you can have some more coffee.”

“Good.” The first cup is almost empty and he feels a little more ready to move. Xu Boyuan slowly blinks, adjusting to the light and looking over to where Ye Xiu is busy with what looks to be sandwiches. Huh. Did Chen Guo put him up to that? She probably did.

With a sigh, he empties what’s left of the coffee and gets up to grab more. The process has him look at the mug itself, stare a little and then shake his head. “Really?”

Ye Xiu just grins. “It’s a gift.”

He should have expected this, really. Cursing at Ye Xiu while also feeling warm inside, he goes to refill the mug that has HAPPY’S #1 BABYSITTER printed on it.

~

Most of the day is spent exploring Qingdao in pleasant spring weather. It’s sunny, though still colder than what Xu Boyuan is used to and he ends up wearing one of Han Wenqing’s Tyranny jackets. It’s not the official team jacket that gets worn for matches, so he can feel comfortable without being mauled by fans.

They have to split up in late afternoon, Han Wenqing has to prepare himself and his team for the evening’s match and Xu Boyuan and Ye Xiu decide to go find some food before heading to the stadium’s VIP area. When Ye Xiu told Han Wenqing about the plans to visit him after his birthday, he insisted on getting them exclusive seats.

“Hey, can I get your phone?” Ye Xiu leans into him once the individual matches are done and Xu Boyuan tries to ignore the way the closeness makes his heart speed up. Sometimes he thinks that he’s adjusting to having a great friendship, sometimes he thinks Ye Xiu might also be interested in him and then his feelings go haywire again.

“Yeah, why?”

“Just checking something.”

He glances over as Ye Xiu, who hasn’t retreated that far, scrolls through the currently running matches until he reaches the section for Excellent Era vs Void. Xu Boyuan isn’t sure it’s good for him to be checking up on his former team – their performance over the past few weeks has been steadily declining and he knows Ye Xiu well enough now to see how much it still affects him.

When it gets clear that Ye Xiu is not paying attention to the present, instead staring at the phone without moving, Xu Boyuan reaches over to cover the screen. “There’s nothing you can do,” he says, gently nudging Ye Xiu’s shoulder with his own. “Don’t beat yourself up now.”

“Right.” There’s still a sad look on his face and Xu Boyuan wants to hug him. He settles for keeping close, for letting Ye Xiu’s head rest on his shoulder. They watch the rest of the match like that, without checking on Excellent Era again. Tyranny wins over Seaside and Xu Boyuan thinks he sees Han Wenqing smile in their direction when he leaves his player booth.

The press conference is still running when they leave the stadium and find a quiet corner so Ye Xiu can smoke and Han Wenqing can find them without running into his fans. When they regroup, they are mostly quiet until they reach Tyranny’s headquarters and Xu Boyuan feels incredibly out of place. There’s none of the familiar blue or the neutral colours of Happy. No one is around, yet he feels like people stare at him and judge him for intruding.

It’s not a great sensation. He already thinks he’s getting in the way of the relationship between Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu, already feels like he’s taking away their chances for privacy and has to constantly remind himself that they invited him. Asked him to share their time.

Xu Boyuan takes a deep breath and the door to Han Wenqing’s room closes behind him, shutting out most of his insecurities. The room is bigger than any Xu Boyuan has ever lived in, high shelves separating the sleeping area from a couch and a desk. To the left, a door leads into what he assumes to be the bathroom. It’s comfortable, though unlike Ye Xiu, he doesn’t immediately fall down onto the couch and hog all the space.

Han Wenqing leaves for a bit to get water and just as Xu Boyuan – after shoving Ye Xiu’s legs aside – carefully takes a seat, he sees the guy’s face fall. There’s a tablet in his hands, probably Han Wenqing’s, and Xu Boyuan knows Excellent Era lost their game. Badly, by the look of it. He has to do something.

“Hey,” he starts, slowly moving a little closer. Ye Xiu barely reacts. “Do you want a hug?”

There’s a moment of silence and then, finally, Ye Xiu glances over at him. He nods. It’s a barely visible gesture but that’s enough for Xu Boyuan to pull him into his arms. Ye Xiu hesitates for a moment, then relaxes into the hug and lets go of the tablet. Xu Boyuan has no idea what to say, so he settles for running his fingers through his hair and holding him.

“Is everything alright?”

Xu Boyuan looks up when he hears Han Wenqing’s voice. By now, Ye Xiu is practically in his lap and he can’t enjoy it as much as he’d like. “Not sure.” He tries to be quiet and just makes a vague gesture towards the tablet that’s threatening to fall off the couch. Han Wenqing, thankfully, gets the message and frowns at the news site before sighing.

“Yeah, that sucks,” he says and joins them. Xu Boyuan doesn’t even have time to freak out before he is wrapped up in the hug as well. He’s not even freaking out about it. Instead, it just feels comfortable and so right.

(9.5)

Desert Dust: tell the team we resume training on Monday

Immovable Rock: I see.

Immovable Rock: Please keep quiet. ^-^

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: nothing is happening

Immovable Rock: So you say.

Immovable Rock: But my room is next to yours.

Immovable Rock: And I would hate to miss out on sleep.

Desert Dust: whatever you say

Desert Dust: Good night Xinjie

(10)

Han Wenqing wakes up with Ye Xiu’s hair almost in his mouth. That’s nothing new, it usually happens when they share a bed. What’s unfamiliar is the fact that his blanket is gone and when he glances over, all he sees of Xu Boyuan is his hair. Honestly, he is impressed. After Ye Xiu’s reports, he made sure to have three blankets available even if he often shares one with Ye Xiu. Apparently, that was still not enough.

He's pretty sure that one of the blankets is on the floor but the other two are wrapped around Xu Boyuan so tightly Han Wenqing doesn’t even know where to start trying to get them back. It also doesn’t help that Ye Xiu is more or less completely on top of him even though they kept yesterday’s cuddling tame since they’re still not sure where exactly Xu Boyuan stands with them.

There is no going back to sleep now. Ye Xiu is moving a little, making little sounds that indicate he’s waking up but doesn’t want to. He’s easy to handle in this state, usually he just needs something – or someone – to cuddle.

Unfortunately for Han Wenqing, cuddling also often means elbows or knees jammed into painful spots or, like right now, his bladder. “Ye Xiu,” he whispers, hoping to avoid waking Xu Boyuan as well. “Stop that.”

“Hmm? No.”

Great. An uncooperative Ye Xiu is usually a recipe for disaster. “Could you not stab me with your bones?”

While Ye Xiu starts laughing, a voice comes from the side. Muffled by sleepiness and blankets but undeniably Xu Boyuan. “Don’t be dramatic,” he says and Han Wenqing thinks he’s rolling over but it’s hard to tell with the mountain of fabric. “That’s my job.”

He doesn’t even need to look at Ye Xiu to know what his smirk is like right now. Neither of them minds Xu Boyuan finding his role in their relationship but maybe Zhang Xinjie is right – maybe they should finally have a talk. Later. Once they’re all ready for the day.

“I’m getting breakfast,” he announces, pushing Ye Xiu to the side and ignoring the resulting pout. “Any requests?”

“No.” Ye Xiu, still pouting, rolls into the space Han Wenqing just vacated and throws an arm around Xu Boyuan. “But bring coffee for Little Blue.”

Thankfully, there is a coffee machine in the cafeteria. It’s not as expensive as the one he bought for Xu Boyuan but it’s also not seeing much use here. Under Zhang Xinjie’s watchful – and amused – gaze, Han Wenqing piles a bit of food and a few drinks onto a tray. None of the other team members are around, probably still asleep, so he doesn’t have to worry about their teasing.

He’s not sure how Xu Boyuan drinks his coffee – other than too hot for a normal human, according to Ye Xiu – so he adds milk and sugar to the tray, just in case. An unnecessary precaution, as it turns out, because Xu Boyuan does not even sit up properly before grabbing the cup, taking a long sip with a content noise. Han Wenqing raises an eyebrow.

“Told you.” There’s a smug look on Ye Xiu’s face and he rolls his eyes. Xu Boyuan, oblivious to their conversation, is enjoying his scalding hot coffee.

“How has he not burned his mouth yet?”

“I think he did that long ago and is now immune.”

“I can hear you.” Xu Boyuan, with an almost empty cup in his hands, sounds a lot more coherent now. He’s also sitting, the blankets somehow still wrapped around him though at least his head is free. His hair is in a worse state than Ye Xiu’s which is impressive. “Coffee has to be hot.”

“Sure. I’ll stick with tea.”

Han Wenqing, well aware that Ye Xiu knows high-quality tea and prefers substances with more sugar than anything else, scoffs while turning to his own breakfast. They don’t have plans for today but Ye Xiu and Xu Boyuan have to catch a plane back to Hangzhou later tonight and he would like to spend as much time with them as possible.

None of them are in a mood to go out so once they’re all up and have cleaned the dishes, they settle for watching a movie. Which means that Han Wenqing ends up on the couch with Xu Boyuan while Ye Xiu takes over his desk chair and scrolls through what appear to be the Glory forums. There was still an aura of nervousness around Xu Boyuan yesterday but it seems to have disappeared by now and Han Wenqing is glad to see him relaxed.

The movie is enjoyable – meaning it has very little plot and makes up for that with action scenes. The characters are forgettable but the designs are great and the scenery pretty. He is distracted at some point, though, when Xu Boyuan’s legs end up across his lap and by the time the movie is over, he is sure that he could make a move. Maybe?

Groaning inwardly, he remembers his talk with Zhang Xinjie. He should use words first. Han Wenqing places a hand on Xu Boyuan’s ankle and squeezes lightly to get his attention.

“May I kiss you?”

Xu Boyuan blushes and his eyes go wide but he nods and so Han Wenqing closes the distance to press their lips together. He is aware of Ye Xiu watching them but figures he can join on his own. The kiss is very nice – Xu Boyuan makes a soft noise and tilts his head for a better angle. By the time they break apart, he is smiling – though still blushing – and Ye Xiu has joined them on the couch to not be left out.

Watching them is great, too, Han Wenqing decides. He leans back and, while making sure they all still fit on the couch that’s actually meant for two people, enjoys the view for now.

(10.5)

Xu Boyuan: we got home safely!

Desert Dust: good

Desert Dust: you wanna sleep or play glory?

Xu Boyuan: Glory

Xu Boyuan: if ye xiu stops being clingy

Desert Dust: …good luck

Desert Dust: try luring him with gaming

Lord Grim: be nice to me :/

Lord Grim: I have to enjoy being allowed to cuddle little blue!

Xu Boyuan: …you were allowed before (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

Xu Boyuan: you just didn’t ask

Lord Grim: …

Desert Dust: …

Lord Grim: right, gaming

Chapter Text

(11)

Guild Happy is progressing nicely. Xu Boyuan helps with the team training but the more members the guild gains and the higher people level on the tenth server, the more he has to focus on that. They need at least one elite team to keep up with the other big guilds and they always need materials, so he is currently putting together a group for some of the harder dungeons.

Seven Fields and his friends are useful for basic knowledge and questions but they’re not at the level that he needs. They did manage to help him find a few suitable players and now he is waiting for them in front of the entrance to a level 65 dungeon. Two of them are a couple, he thinks, a Knight called Red Rock and a Cleric called Jewel Valley. There’s also an Elementalist called Flower Arrow and …

And he hasn’t contacted the potential fifth player yet, he still has the chat window open and just stares at it. Next to him, Ye Xiu is running a Heavenly Domain dungeon with Qiao Yifan and Wei Chen, though he keeps glancing over or taking Xu Boyuan’s hand in between fights. He’s not used to this level of casual attention and it keeps surprising him in all the best ways.

“Come on, how bad can it be?”

He sighs. The conversation has the potential to be awkward as hell and he’s not sure he is mentally prepared to handle that. “What if he says no?”

“Then you find someone else. Or take Steamed Bun with you for this run.”

“I’m … right. Okay.”

Peerless Looks: hey

There’s a moment of silence during which his group arrives. He’s sure they have interacted before but he starts an introduction round nonetheless.

Thousand Creations: yes?

Peerless Looks: would you want to play in a group?

Thousand Creations: wtf

Thousand Creations: we haven’t talked in months

Thousand Creations: and now this?

Peerless Looks: well when you put it like that…

Thousand Creations: wait you ARE xu boyuan right??

Peerless Looks: yes

Thousand Creations: wow

Thousand Creations: thought you hated me

Peerless Looks: why?? I also went to Happy

Xu Boyuan is not sure if this chat is going where he wants it to. He feels awkward and is tempted to hide his face somewhere when he suddenly feels Ye Xiu’s chin on his shoulder because of course he has to read along.

Thousand Creations: hm, fair

Thousand Creations: and now you expect me to become a group guy?

Peerless Looks: not expecting

Peerless Looks: I’m offering a chance

Peerless Looks: if you want it

Ye Xiu makes an approving sound but apparently, Qiao Yifan returns from a bathroom break or something and he goes back to his own game – though not before pressing a kiss to Xu Boyuan’s cheek. He feels himself blush – those kisses are something else he enjoys immensely yet never expects.

Thousand Creations: fine lets try

That’s something. He sends over the coordinates, informs the group they’ll soon be ready and settles for waiting again. The Elementalist is sitting on a tree stump while Knight and Cleric appear to be playing a game of tag. It’s a bit like watching kids except they are also competent Glory players. Thousand Creations arrives just moments later, Chasers already gathered. He probably killed a few monsters – or other players, who knows – on the way here.

“Alright, have you done this dungeon before?”

“I did but I died very early,” Flower Arrow says. The others have never been here, except for Thousand Creations who vaguely remembers doing it before deciding to abandon group play. This is going to be a challenge, he thinks. Maybe he should have helped Ye Xiu with team training after all.

“Okay, so just listen to me. Knight decides the tempo, Cleric as well. You already know how to coordinate, so use that. I will explain the bosses when we get there, until then it’s just monsters and no one attacks before the tank does.”

Early during his Glory days, Xu Boyuan realised that while he can fight in the arena, PvE is what he’s really good at. He knows this dungeon and its story well enough to not listen and instead think about the positioning and how he will order this particular group around.

They soon enter the ruins of an ancient temple where a group of archaeologist’s has recently gone missing after sending out word about an unknown entity. Xu Boyuan, having played this particular dungeon on almost every server now, knows that an old magical artifact containing the entity’s essence drove everyone mad. The final boss will be a mage possessed by dark forces but there’s still time until they reach those unpleasantries.

For now, there are a bunch of alchemically created monsters and zombie-like former scientists. None of them pose a great challenge or have a lot of health so he leaves most of the damage output to Thousand Creations and Flower Arrow while focusing his attention on the Knight and Cleric Duo. They work well together and seem to have figured out their own distress calls but he can tell they’re not entirely used to group play.

“Try not relying on your taunting skills so much,” he tells the Knight at one point, shortly before the first boss. “Use skills that quickly deal a bunch of damage. That should be enough. Thousand Creations, make sure to give them a second to establish aggro.”

There’s what sounds like an annoyed huff from Thousand Creations but he complies and slows down a bit. Huh. Maybe he has finally found the right motivation to work himself into the group. Whatever it is, Xu Boyuan hopes he doesn’t lose it. The guild needs players like him.

The first boss is one of the members of the lost expedition. There’s no saving her, the players can only end her pain and Xu Boyuan has his group stop at a distance where she won’t attack. “She will randomly spawn a few adds,” he explains. “Red Rock, if you get them with your attacks that’s good but stick to her and don’t move around too much. She will throw flasks of poison at you but you should be able to handle that. Jewel Valley, focus on the tank but keep an eye on everyone else when the adds arrive. We will make sure they don’t reach you and Thousand Creations and I will stick to the back of the boss so we aren’t hit by the poison. Flower Arrow just stay back and deal damage. Any questions?”

No one says anything and Xu Boyuan hopes that is a good sign. Ye Xiu, in the middle of throwing a boss around with the added help of Warlock curses and Ghostblade boundaries, flashes him a wide smile and gives a thumbs-up before turning back to his screen. Fine. They will probably survive this boss.

They do, in fact, make it through the entire dungeon without casualties. It’s a bit of a surprise and Jewel Valley runs out of Mana twice but the final boss and his corrupted summons die under their combined efforts and when the loot falls to the floor, Xu Boyuan briefly closes his eyes and wipes the sweat off his forehead. This group has potential and they have made it through the first test. He’s going to need a break now.

Before he can log off, though, he has to pick up and distribute the loot. A bit of blue gear dropped throughout the dungeon and now he sees a shimmer of orange on the ground. It’s the Skirt of the Ancient and while it’s not top-tier, it’s pretty good and can be used by Elementalists. Flower Arrow lets out a bunch of happy noises when Xu Boyuan hands him the skirt and he promptly equips it.

“Good job, everyone,” he tells them when they exit. A few groups from other guilds are around but no one pays them attention. That’s good, he’s not in the mood for PK right now. “Let’s see if we can make this a regular thing.”

They all say their good-byes and go back to quests, the arena or real life. Xu Boyuan answers a few more questions in the guild chat, then logs off and grabs the account card for white Squall to join Ye Xiu in the Heavenly Domain.

“Hey, by the way.”

“Hm?” It’s just him and Ye Xiu in the room right now, though they will drag Luo Ji, Steamed Bun and Tang Rou through some Heavenly Domain dungeons in just a few minutes and Luo Ji is the only one joining from another city.

“Old Han says he can probably manage one more meeting with us before he’s too busy with the play-offs, I think we should use that.”

Xu Boyuan smiles and his heart flutters a little. “I’d like that,” he replies. “But I’m sure we can pay for our own plane tickets?”

“Don’t tell him.” Ye Xiu laughs and links their hands briefly. “He’ll insist on paying. Plane tickets are pretty much the only thing I let him buy me, he’ll be sad when he can’t.”

Sad is not an emotion he associates with Han Wenqing but he supposes it can be there even if it’s not shown. And, well, Ye Xiu makes a compelling argument. Having someone buy you tickets so you can see them feels nice. “Alright,” he says. “I look forward to seeing him again.” Having Ye Xiu around and being allowed to touch him is very nice. He simply wishes he could have them both.

(11.5)

[Image description: A somewhat blurry picture of Han Wenqing with one arm around the shoulders of another man with dark hair who seems very relaxed at the touch. A cloud of what might be cigarette smoke is in the background]

Troubling Rain: @Desert Dust @Desert Dust @Desert Dust

Troubling Rain: I demand an explanation!!

Doubtful Demon: lol why are so invested in his love life

Windy Rain: ^this but I also want an answer from @Desert Dust

Windy Rain: why the sudden pda

Beautiful Light: oh so that’s what Ye Qiu looks like

Doubtful Demon: …

Windy Rain: …

Vaccaria: …

Dancing Rain: …

Cloud Piercer: …

Swoksaar: …

Troubling Rain: wtf wtf wtf that’s not Old Ye! why would you think that’s Old Ye what’s wrong with you??

Beautiful Light: what

Beautiful Light: He is cheating? O_O

Windy Rain: that’s what I wanna know

Troubling Rain: yesyesyes! Tell us @Desert Dust!

Desert Dust: …

Lord Grim: lol

(12)

Ye Xiu sends off his comment and relaxes back onto Xu Boyuan’s lap while the pro-chat explodes. Han Wenqing’s very unhelpful answer and refusal to talk more does not lower anyone’s confusion and Ye Xiu grins despite the somewhat pained groan from somewhere above his head. Xu Boyuan is sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall, while Ye Xiu is comfortably lying on his side and resting most of his upper body on Xu Boyuan’s thighs.

He turns onto his bed, shuffling a little to avoid positioning himself in a way his back hates. He’s getting old. Xu Boyuan is glaring down at him. Affectionately, he’s sure. Like Han Wenqing always does.

"You’re not going to explain, are you?”

“Let me have some fun.”

“I think you’re having too much fun,” Xu Boyuan says with a sigh and Ye Xiu grabs his hand to link their fingers. He likes this form of physical contact. Next to them, the laptop almost struggles to keep up with the incoming QQ messages. He’s sure some people are messaging him privately but he can’t be bothered to check. If Han Wenqing needs something, he will call Xu Boyuan. Same goes for Su Mucheng – or she might just come over. No one else is important enough to draw Ye Xiu’s attention away from the present.

“Are you sure I should see this, though?” Xu Boyuan asks after a while. “I mean, I’m not a pro.”

“Eh.” He makes a vague gesture with his free hand. “It’s fine. You’re the main topic, right?”

Just to make sure that’s still the case – Xu Boyuan is too good and honest to stay calm if it’s about actual pro-things – and then frowns at the screen. Some of those messages are not appropriate and he releases Xu Boyuan’s hands while rolling to the side again to type faster.

Beautiful Lights: I don’t get it

Beautiful Lights: the guy looks kinda mediocre

Lord Grim: don’t insult my boyfriend!

He doesn’t wait for further reactions – the pros can now come to their own conclusions – instead cuddles up to Xu Boyuan again and is met with a bewildered look as well as a faint blush. “Hm?”

“I’m…” Xu Boyuan clears his throat, looks at the screen and back at him. “Boyfriend?”

“Yes?” He frowns. Just a little. Does Xu Boyuan not want to be boyfriends? Would he prefer something casual? Ye Xiu isn’t sure he can do casual. Su Mucheng once told him he falls fast and hard and though he doesn’t always understand his own feelings, he trusts her. He knows he wants Xu Boyuan and Han Wenqing to be his boyfriends. “Do you not want to?”

“What? No, I do!” Maybe his worries are showing on his face because Xu Boyuan squeezes his hand and bends down to gently kiss him. “I do,” he repeats quieter, not moving too far away. Ye Xiu can catch his lips again when he wants to. “I just wasn’t sure about you.”

“Oh. Well, of course.” Slowly, so they don’t bump their heads, he sits up and twists until they’re facing each other. “We kissed.”

“Yes. I was kind of missing some verbal confirmation, I think. Didn’t want to assume anything.”

“Ah.” That explains that. Him and Han Wenqing – they just happened. They love each other. They don’t talk about that. Ye Xiu raises one hand to run his fingertips over Xu Boyuan’s cheek. “Sorry,” he says before leaning in to kiss him. “Well, I guess Mucheng is right. I do need to talk more. About feelings, I mean.”

“Hm.” Xu Boyuan keeps him close which he very much appreciates. He misses Han Wenqing but the longing is easier when you share it with someone. Plus, Xu Boyuan has a phone and that makes it easier to receive Han Wenqing’s gym selfies. “I also could have said something. Earlier, I mean. I had a very embarrassing crush on you before we even met.”

“Aw, really?” Ye Xiu grins as pulls back a little. Not far, just so he can see Xu Boyuan’s flustered face.

“Fuck. Forget I said that.”

“No, tell me!” He knows his pleading face isn’t impressive but maybe it’ll work on Xu Boyuan? It’s worth a try, he’s curious. “I wanna know.”

“Ugh.” Xu Boyuan’s head falls forward onto Ye Xiu’s shoulder, so he brings one hand up to run his fingers through his hair. It’s nice, he should do this more often. “It was just a stupid celebrity crush.”

“On me?” That sounds a little wrong. Do people do that? Judging by the way Xu Boyuan, barely raising his head, glares at him, maybe that’s actually a thing.

“I’m pretty sure every Glory player is required to have at least a fleeting crush on you.”

“Why? No one ever saw my face!”

“It’s about your skill,” Xu Boyuan explains. Is he blushing again? Is skill what drew him in? Huh. “You’re very competent. Your matches are fascinating to watch.”

“Heh. Good. So you like watching me play?”

“Obviously.” He is back to hiding his face and his voice is a little muffled by Ye Xiu’s shirt now but that’s okay. They’re close enough to still understand each other. “My friend always teased me for it. Well. And for being into Han Wenqing in general.”

“Doesn’t he have lots of fans?”

“Yeah, but apparently, most people don’t think he’s handsome? I don’t know, I don’t get it.”

Ye Xiu scoffs. Han Wenqing is incredible and not just for his looks. One day, he thinks, the three of them might live together and the public opinion won’t matter.

“What about you?”

“Huh?” He shoots Xu Boyuan a questioning look. “What about me?”

“You must have started to have, uh. Feelings. For me. At some point.”

The way he can barely say that sentence is adorable. Ye Xiu wants to hug him and never let go. “You were fun to hang out with. And you’re good at Glory and guild stuff. And I liked teasing you.”

“You still do that, don’t pretend that’s a thing of the past.”

He laughs but doesn’t bother answering. It’s true. “But also, you didn’t just put up with all of my demands. I was fascinated. And then I told Old Han about you and we started the dungeon team and look where that got us.”

“Hm.” Xu Boyuan looks at him again, a smile on his face before he leans in for a kiss. “I’m glad things worked out,” he adds, mostly against Ye Xiu’s lips which is very nice. They should stay here for the rest of the day – work is mostly done, anyway, they both did their part for the team development and now it’s up to the kids to work on their cooperation. He’ll analyse the recordings tomorrow.

“By the way,” he starts while shoving one hand under Xu Boyuan’s shirt. “Will you join the team for the Challenger’s League?”

“I … what?” Xu Boyuan’s eyes are wide and he seems a little distracted by the skin-on-skin contact. Chen Guo would yell at him for using such underhanded methods but she’s not here and it’s working, so he’s not going to stop. “Yeah, okay.”

“Awesome.” He shoves the laptop aside so they can both stretch out on the blankets. “How about we call Old Han?”

(12.5)

Lord Grim: wtf is with that team build old han??

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: I’m not telling you

Lord Grim: ._.

Lord Grim: I’ll figure it out anyway!

Desert Dust: have fun

Desert Dust: how is YOUR team going

Lord Grim: really well! :D

Lord Grim: everyone is working hard

Lord Grim: right little blue?

Xu Boyuan: if steamed bun keeps interrupting me I quit

Lord Grim: noooo

Lord Grim: I’ll come over (^_-)

Desert Dust: … [photo attachment]

(13)

Summer is a busy time for everyone and Xu Boyuan understands that they can’t meet up more than a few times but that doesn’t mean he likes that. He knows that part of Ye Xiu’s brain is still trying to figure out Tyranny’s new roster but most of his focus is on Team Happy and Xu Boyuan enjoys helping the newbies. He sometimes helped out in the training camp at Blue Rain and really liked working with the teenagers there, maybe he can do something like that for Happy in the future. Once they are established enough to have a training camp, that is.

Luo Ji, for as long as he’s in Hangzhou and not at university, is a pleasant roommate. He moves in on his first day of summer break, choosing Xu Boyuan before Steamed Bun can so much as ask. Xu Boyuan takes some time to get used to sharing his room with anyone other than Ye Xiu – or Han Wenqing – but he spends a lot of time pouring over material lists with Luo Ji. He might not get the maths behind any of the explanations but he knows Glory and he knows which materials are already used for silver equipment. Together, they start early ideas that surprise even Ye Xiu.

By the time the Challenger’s League officially starts and Luo Ji goes back to his classes, Xu Boyuan hasn’t seen Han Wenqing in weeks. Ye Xiu often comes over to his room at night, leaving Wei Chen some privacy and allowing them to find comfort in each other. Chats and calls are just not enough, he finds, but they have to be. He’s just happy facetime is a thing – even if his brain more or less short circuits the one time Han Wenqing calls in the middle of a shirtless workout.

The first matches aren’t even too bad. Most of the teams in the Challenger’s League are just randomly thrown together and though Xu Boyuan is nervous about somewhat public duels, he’s holding up fine and he helps win a few individuals and team competitions. His nerves really kick in when they meet their first actually challenging opponent.

Team Everlasting shows him what’s really at stake. Failure has never been an option – except it is and if they’re not careful, the dreams of Team Happy will be crushed before they can really start. He takes a deep breath and prepares himself for his fight. This is the first test to decide if they can do it. He cannot lose.

A hand, soft and familiar, gets placed on his shoulder. Ye Xiu. He turns a little, tries to smile and is met with a kiss while their teammates look away. “Come on, Little Blue. I sent you up for a reason.”

Right. Ye Xiu believes in him. He can do this. He closes his eyes and then takes Ye Xiu’s hand to press a kiss onto his fingers. “I know. I’m ready.”

~

They win against Everlasting. Xu Boyuan does not take part in the deals Ye Xiu makes afterwards, he is busy with his little group of guild elites. They have moved on to the Heavenly Domain, more or less, though they all maintain accounts on the tenth server to help acquire materials they need from there.

“I have good news!” Ye Xiu barges into the room late, when Xu Boyuan is half-asleep on his keyboard. He watched Tyranny’s match and chatted a bit with Han Wenqing and then he started pouring over the material storage and its potential uses again. It’s harder without Luo Ji around but the kid has some kind of homework to hand in and so Xu Boyuan told him to take the weekend to focus on university.

"Huh?” He looks up and something in his neck strains unpleasantly. He’s not even thirty yet, why is his body acting up? “Ouch.”

“You alright?”

“Just a little sore, I think.”

“Come here.” Ye Xiu moves them to the training room’s couch and soon enough, Xu Boyuan feels warm fingers work on his neck and shoulders. “So, Wu Chen is willing to join us.”

“Oh. As a pro?”

“Well, sort of. He’s getting old and he knows that. But he’ll help us with the Challenger’s League and the guild, so I thought you could show him around a bit when he gets here?”

“I can do that.” Xu Boyuan smiles, relaxing under Ye Xiu’s careful touch. More help with the guild is much appreciated and he’s sure Wu Chen will be great. “I talked to Mo Fan earlier,” he says, then, because Ye Xiu should know.

“And he didn’t try to murder you?”

“Don’t be dramatic.” Xu Boyuan reaches up to take Ye Xiu’s hand. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s just bad at expressing himself.”

“I noticed.”

“It’s easier with Sign Language.”

“That’s … huh. Interesting. You know Sign Language?”

“A little.” Xu Boyuan leans back against Ye Xiu and an arm winds around his waist. The couch is not meant for cuddling but he supposes they will head to bed soon. His knowledge of Sign Language is rusty from years of not using it – he’s sure, though, that he can refresh it. “He wants to learn. I can help ease the communication but you have to figure out a way to teach him.”

Ye Xiu is quiet for a long moment, then sighs deeply. “I can’t say no to you,” he laughs. “I’ll do my best. Just make sure he doesn’t PK me.”

~

Mo Fan seems anxious the first time Xu Boyuan drags him along into a dungeon. Flower Arrow is busy with his family, so they had a free dps spot anyway and he figures a 5-player-dungeon is enough to start with. He just hopes Thousand Creations, who has at least heard of Deception, doesn’t cause any trouble.

As it turns out, there is no need to worry. Red Rock and Jewel Valley have no history with Mo Fan and Thousand Creations actually seems excited? Huh.

“Okay, everyone,” he starts when they have gathered. Mo Fan looks ready to bolt – in game and in real life. Maybe Xu Boyuan should have positioned himself between him and the door. On the other hand, he doesn’t want him to feel trapped. Why must everything be so complicated? Isn’t it enough that Mo Fan refuses to accept help from Ye Xiu and only agreed to let Xu Boyuan teach him? “We’re doing some simple dungeons today. Fight as usual.”

He mutes his microphone and looks across the desks to Mo Fan. “You good?”

Mo Fan glares at him and nods, determination in his eyes. The dungeon Xu Boyuan picked is one that has chances for Mo Fan to shine and show off his abilities but it could also display the issues that still need to be worked at. He is excited about how it will go.

“Right,” he says. “Just follow my lead. We’ll go through it afterwards.”

Unmuting himself again, Xu Boyuan has White Squall enter the dungeon. A few days ago, during another Challenger’s League match, he finally felt that he has a connection with the character. To avoid losing that, he has set it as his QQ display name now – it was getting weird to use his real name, after all.

They make it to the first boss without much trouble, though Xu Boyuan is already starting to see the problem. Mo Fan fights like he always does – dashing in, delivering a few blows, dashing out. It’s very useful during wild boss fights but not in PvE. Not even in most arena fights. Chances are, you tire out before your opponent does.

“The boss has a few tricks. His armour reduces a lot of incoming damage but with precise actions, it is possible to get some of the plates to come loose. Under the arms and around the hips are his most vulnerable points, but there are more. Just look for little gaps between the plates.”

It’s mostly a job for himself and Thousand Creations – and Mo Fan, potentially, according to Ye Xiu, he’s good at these small details. Good, Xu Boyuan quickly finds out, is putting it mildly. The guy still darts around a lot but he delivers precise hits and soon enough, one of the bigger plates clatters to the ground, leaving a huge opening for attacks. He manages a brief thumbs-up into Mo Fan’s direction and goes back to dealing out damage.

After the boss fight, while Deception’s damage numbers are higher than Red Rock’s and Jewel Valley’s, they are way lower than Thousand Creations’ or his own. That’s something they’ll have to work at.

“Thousand Creations, you know the shortcut?” Xu Boyuan asks when the drops are collected. There are some pretty nice materials that Luo Ji wants for future analysis, so Xu Boyuan pockets them for the guild storage.

“Sure. Want me to open the door?”

“I want you to show Mo Fan the way. And all the tricks.”

“I get to teach Deception something?” His character starts moving immediately. “Nice, let’s go.”

Xu Boyuan receives a questioning look from Mo Fan and smiles encouragingly. “He’s better at stealth than I am, so watch and learn.”

“Okay.” There’s the hint of a smile on Mo Fan’s face and he looks more alive than usual. That’s a good start, Xu Boyuan hopes. He looks back to his screen when there’s a private message.

Thousand Creations: this is so cool!

White Squall: ?

Thousand Creations: never thought I’d get to play with Deception

Thousand Creations: he’s awesome

Of course, the notorious kill-stealer is a fan of the most famous scrap-picker. He should have seen this coming, Xu Boyuan thinks. He just hopes this set-up still works for learning purposes and they don’t get distracted by being ingame criminals.

At least they don’t pull any mobs during their stealth mission. There’s a door near the first boss that can only be opened from the other side but if one or two characters manage to get there, it saves the group a lot of grinding. Mo Fan, apparently, is a quick study when it comes to learning sneaky routes. The damage output needs some more work but Xu Boyuan has started taking notes and he will go over those with Mo Fan and Ye Xiu – separately, of course – to set up a training plan.

He will also drag him into more dungeons and try out various group constellations. Maybe start with Qiao Yifan and Wu Chen since they’re experienced without being a menace. Sometimes, he is honestly surprised just how polite Yifan is and how even Ye Xiu’s presence doesn’t change that.

Today’s dungeon ends slowly but successfully. Xu Boyuan tells everyone to catch a break and stays long enough to watch Thousand Creations invite Mo Fan for a few rounds in the arena. He’s a bit curious but soon enough busy on his own because Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu log in and take him on one of their dungeon-run-dates.

(13.5)

Lord Grim: old han!

Lord Grim: we’ll be at all stars!

Lord Grim: you better make time for us

White Squall: … it’s 2am

White Squall: come to bed

Lord Grim: almost done here

Desert Dust: …

Desert Dust: I will make time if you go to sleep

Lord Grim: ;_;

Lord Grim: don’t be mean

White Squall: I support that

Lord Grim: ugh fine

Desert Dust: good

Desert Dust: @White Squall tell me when he actually sleeps

White Squall: will do!

Lord Grim: ;_;

(14)

“Ye Xiu invited us to a party,” Han Wenqing says when the last day of All Stars is coming to a close. It’s been a nice weekend, though not as spectacular as last year. Han Wenqing managed to meet up with Ye Xiu and Xu Boyuan for dinner and now Heavenly Swords is throwing a party but they were too shy to invite other pros. Those kids really are still green.

“Did he now?” Zhang Xinjie looks like he’s already thinking about how to work that into his schedule which Han Wenqing takes as a good sign. “Where?”

“Nearby.” He got the address and it doesn’t seem far. “You in?”

“Sounds like fun!” Zhang Jiale is the first to speak up, already halfway out of the room. Han Wenqing honestly can’t tell if he’s genuinely excited or just looking for a distraction. Either is fine, though, he doesn’t want to be the only pro crashing the party.

“I suppose I can join for a bit. Who else is invited?”

Han Wenqing shrugs and then quickly changes into more party-appropriate clothing. “Ye Xiu didn’t say much but he said we could bring people.”

“Hm.” Zhang Xinjie blinks at his phone, then quickly fires off a few messages. The poor players from Heavenly Swords might have a few more guests than expected but their money can surely handle that and, to be honest, they should know by now that this kind of chaos is to be expected from friendship with Ye Xiu.

Not all the teams end up joining them. Han Wenqing is honestly not surprised and he’s also not sad that, for example, Lin Jingyan’s former teammates don’t come along. The only exception is Fang Rui who looks very excited to be spending time with sensible people, as he puts it. Han Wenqing’s own team is there, as well as Blue Rain and Tiny Herb. The news are still spreading by the time he reaches the hotel, though, so who knows which other players might show up?

There are drinks and food available, so Han Wenqing grabs himself a bottle of water and starts looking for his boyfriends. Xu Boyuan is easiest to find – he looks to be hiding from the Blue Rain members so as not to be recognized by them. Han Wenqing is reasonably sure his attempts are only working because Huang Shaotian is distracted by everything and Yu Wenzhou is keeping an eye on his Blade Master.

“Hi.” Xu Boyuan whirls around, eyes wide in shock, then his face lights up and Han Wenqing suddenly has him in his arms. Not that he’s complaining. He wraps Xu Boyuan into a tight hug and feels himself relax at the contact. It’s been too long.

“I think Ye Xiu got into a fight with some jerk.”

“How?”

Xu Boyuan shrugs and shoots him a helpless look. “I didn’t really catch all of it. But I think he wants to make a point.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.”

The sound of a piano is what draws them to Ye Xiu just moments later. Han Wenqing sighs, wraps an arm around Xu Boyuan and moves both of them towards the source. They stick to the sides during the event and its aftermath but he has to admit, he is very glad once everything is over – once Tang Rou’s father has left, once the jerk has been thrown out. The evening turns livelier after that and Han Wenqing eventually settles on a couch, Ye Xiu and Xu Boyuan by his side.

He is still sober. The same cannot be said for everyone – he’s pretty sure Wei Chen has had enough alcohol to get about five people drunk and Lin Jingyan is tipsy enough to laugh at whatever Steamed Bun is saying to him. It takes Han Wenqing a moment to find Fang Rui, who spent the first hours of the party glued to Lin Jingyan’s side. When he does spot him, he’s talking to Happy’s young Summoner about something. Ye Xiu seems unbothered by that but maybe he doesn’t care about anything but slowly making his way onto Han Wenqing’s lap.

He trusts that Zhang Xinjie will be fine and doesn’t need anyone checking on him. The same can’t be said for Zhang Jiale but even after scanning the room a few times, Han Wenqing can’t find him. It’s starting to worry him enough that Xu Boyuan notices.

“What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Zhang Jiale?”

“A while ago. He was talking to Sun Zheping, I think?”

Han Wenqing blinks, then sighs and shakes his head. Alright, so Zhang Jiale is probably fine and he doesn’t have to worry. He does mentally prepare himself for having to console him in the morning – hopefully once he’s had a chance to get dressed because with how touchy Ye Xiu is, Han Wenqing doubts he’ll keep his clothes on for much longer.

(14.5)

White Squall: i might not have to play in the finals

White Squall: wanna watch?

Desert Dust: of course

Desert Dust: i can make the trip

White Squall: nice

White Squall: I’m still scared of EE

Desert Dust: if anyone can do it it’s ye xiu

Desert Dust: we’ll watch together

(15)

The final match of the Challenger’s League is about to begin and Xu Boyuan is a nervous mess. He’s sitting at Team Happy’s player booth, off to the side and near Han Wenqing who somehow made it here. Xu Boyuan is glad for it because he’s pretty sure his presence is the only thing stopping him from panicking and causing a scene. They are mostly hidden by the shadows of their surroundings and he is not inclined to change that.

“Oh fuck, is it starting?”

“Soon.” Han Wenqing pats his hands and inches closer. It helps, a little. Xu Boyuan still wants to throw up and he’s glad to have skipped dinner. “Come on, why are you so worked up?”

“How are you not?” He tries to glare but is pretty sure that fails because he’s not impressive on a regular day and he’s so far from his best right now. They’re whispering to avoid drawing attention but honestly, Xu Boyuan thinks no one would even believe their eyes if they saw him here. If anyone gets curious he’ll just say he’s talking to Chen Guo. She’s sitting next to him and appears just as jittery as he feels.

“Just watch,” he hears by his ear. “They’ll win this.”

“They have to.” Xu Boyuan tries to focus on his breathing but it doesn’t help much so he leans his head onto Han Wenqing’s shoulder. “I’m so glad I don’t have to go up tonight.”

He would probably embarrass himself by throwing up or stumbling over nothing or spectacularly losing the match.

“You’re forgetting to breathe again.”

“Sorry.” He does calm down a little when the players and characters are introduced, though it feels a little wrong to see One Autumn Leaf with Sun Xiang. Judging by the way Han Wenqing tenses, Xu Boyuan is not alone with his opinion. He squeezes his arm briefly and then returns his attention to the team because even if he doesn’t fight, he is a member of Happy and has to get introduced along with White Squall. He somehow makes it through the booing and the flashing lights and he grabs Han Wenqing’s hand as soon as he sits again.

The first player for Excellent Era is Xiao Shiqin and he knows how that messes with all of the plans Ye Xiu made for this match. Xu Boyuan makes a noise that can only be described as a whimper, as embarrassing as that is. He is tempted to hide his face in Han Wenqing’s shirt but forces himself to watch as one by one, Team Happy loses while Xiao Shiqin claims victory. Fuck.

He moves a little, ends up with Han Wenqing’s hand between his shoulder blades, still out of any camera’s view. Xu Boyuan twists his hands into the Team Happy jacket someone draped around his shoulders at some point while Chen Guo does her best to break his wrist. He only releases his grip when it’s Ye Xiu’s turn and Xiao Shiqin withdraws from the match. Xu Boyuan takes a deep breath – maybe there’s still a chance – and feels a quick kiss against his temple. The next player for Excellent Era is Qiu Fei and though Xu Boyuan has never met the kid, he’s heard Ye Xiu talk about him a lot. He’s curious how that fight is going to turn out.

There are a few moments for Qiu Fei to shine and Xu Boyuan is glad about that. He knows how much Ye Xiu cares about his students. He is also glad, though, that Ye Xiu wins. It gives him a brief moment of being relaxed before Sun Xiang gets up and Xu Boyuan makes a strangled noise that is immediately echoed by Chen Guo. She is the only one who understands him. How is everyone else so calm?

“He’s got this.” Han Wenqing’s hand tightens a little and Xu Boyuan briefly closes his eyes. He trusts Ye Xiu. If anyone can win this, it’s him.

The match is terrifying to watch and Xu Boyuan almost jumps out of his chair more than one time but luckily manages to contain himself even after the final blow that has Lord Grim standing with 0.03% of his health left. Xu Boyuan is pretty sure he’s more out of breath than Ye Xiu right now. The stunned silence in the stadium perfectly represents how he feels, though he suspects most people are quiet for a different reason.

The rest of the group arena is a lot less stressful, even if it does not end with Happy’s win. It’s okay, though. Sun Zheping did his best; Su Mucheng is great and she deserves to take the final point – the fact that she immediately sits down with them makes Xu Boyuan smile. He’s already known that she’ll fight with them next season and this feels like an official confirmation. Her knowing smile at the sight of him and Han Wenqing is a little worrying – she can be terrifying when she wants to – but it also seems approving? He is tempted to ask but then Chen Guo grabs him again and wildly points towards the stage and the upcoming fight. Xu Boyuan would once again like to throw up.

After the team fight and their win – he can’t believe it’s real, yet, but Team Happy will be entering the pro scene and Xu Boyuan played a part in that? – things escalate a little. He’s not entirely sure how the party gets organized so quickly but he soon finds himself in a room full of people who cheer for Happy.

While Han Wenqing sticks to quiet, shadowy corners to avoid having to answer questions, Xu Boyuan finds himself in the middle of the crowd. Seven Fields and a few others come up to hug him and hand him drinks and he isn’t sure how to tell them he doesn’t like alcohol. He settles for just placing the drinks on tables or passing them on to other people.

“Hey.”

Xu Boyuan turns when a new voice suddenly addresses him. He doesn’t recognise the guy and he doesn’t hear or see any cheering. “Yes?”

“I’m Qian Wei,” he says and Xu Boyuan blinks. “Or Thousand Creations.”

“Huh. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yeah, well, I came.” Qian Wei scowls at him but it lacks Han Wenqing’s intensity and there’s a spark of excitement in his eyes. “Introduce me to Deception’s player?”

“To … okay, sure.” That’s a first. And, Xu Boyuan thinks, Zhou Xi is never allowed to make fun of his crush on Han Wenqing ever again. At least he’s not into the game’s most infamous Scrap Picker. He quickly leads Qian Wei through the room and only stops when he reaches the sitting area where Mo Fan is almost comfortable on one of the couches. He has a half-emptied drink in one hand and somehow manages to still look like he’s ready to bolt at any given moment.

“Mo Fan,” he says, carefully, so he doesn’t startle him. There’s almost no one around, but Steamed Bun is nearby inventing a new drinking game. “This is Qian Wei. Thousand Creations. Have fun.”

It’s probably the worst introduction ever but he does not want to be in the way if Mo Fan suddenly decides that violence is the answer. If not, well, they can have a conversation without Xu Boyuan, right? He leaves them to go back to Han Wenqing, find some peace and quiet and maybe figure out how they can grab Ye Xiu and leave.

(15.5)

Bound Boat: congrats!!

White Squall: thank you ^.^

Bound Boat: will I see you on stage next season?

White Squall: no!

White Squall: no I’ll focus on the guild

White Squall: competing isn’t for me

Bound Boat: aw

Bound Boat: well, guess we’ll meet ingame

White Squall: we will :3

Bound Boat: …now I’m scared

Bound Boat: we need another conversation topic

Bound Boat: how’s your love life going?

White Squall: lol you sure you want details?

Bound Boat: ……..

Bound Boat: NEVERMIND

(16)

There is a fight happening because a wild boss spawned. Xu Boyuan is directing Happy’s troops along with Wu Chen but he knows Tyrannical Ambition is closing in and they have to hurry. The boss drops materials used for Fighter-Classes and Happy desperately needs those for Steamed Bun’s gear – what little Silver Equipment they have is not enough for the Pro League.

“Watch out,” he hears from Mo Fan who’s sitting next to him. He’s playing on a Ninja account that has no visible guild tag and is currently stealthing across the battlefield along with Qian Wei to pick up whatever usable gear might drop. The warning comes just in time and Xu Boyuan has White Squall drop and roll out of an overly aggressive Striker’s attack.

He curses, gets back on his feet and shouts out a few more orders to the guild. Even if he dies, they have to kill the boss. If he can keep the Striker busy, their chances might be better.

“Nothing personal,” says Han Wenqing’s voice over the headphones. Xu Boyuan groans. He won’t be able to distract him for long. “But we need this boss and you lead too well.”

It’s a compliment, sure, but it’s not helping right now. Xu Boyuan focusses on evading incoming attacks, sidestepping punches and rolling but never quite managing to shake his pursuer off. That is, until a Battle Mage – Ye Xiu’s character for the day – sprints over to them and crashes into the Striker. He is briefly distracted by watching them because he is still very much into that display and it’s only getting stronger the more time he spends with his boyfriends.

He quickly catches himself and goes back to giving orders regarding the boss. It’s taking damage and it’s still in Guild Happy’s possession, so the little attack hasn’t done too much to interrupt their rhythm.

Bound Boat: dude!

White Squall: busy

He fires off the answer and then quickly moves out of the way when Han Wenqing decides that despite duelling Ye Xiu, he can throw attacks at Xu Boyuan. It’s a way of flirting, he knows by now.

Bound Boat: are that Han Wenqing and Ye Xiu? Are they fighting over you again??

White Squall: yes

White Squall: they sure are

White Squall: you were joking

White Squall: but it’s real

For a while, Xu Boyuan is busy with the incoming teams of Blue Brook Guild but he knows them well enough to be able to deal with them. He makes sure there are still enough Clerics to watch over Wei Chen who is leading the direct fight with the boss. They can do it. Just a little more.

Bound Boat: good for you but I regret every decision that led me here

Bound Boat: good luck with the boss

Xu Boyuan laughs at that, still keeping an eye on everything while Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing fight each other. It’s kind of how the whole thing started, except now he can happily say that he has both of them.

The End <3