As a Captain, You Must Be Cold

On this day, Yu Zhaohan was quite preoccupied with the question of whether he might be gay or not. Unfortunately, both methods he tried to determine this turned out to be unreliable. His rational side told him that it wasn’t urgent to figure this out at the moment. He was flying to South Korea tomorrow and had more important matters to attend to. Since Shi Du had asked him not to stir up trouble, he might as well take a break.

“Alright,” Yu Zhaohan said, “You go pack your luggage, I’ll go back to my room.”

Shi Du chuckled in exasperation, “Pack my luggage? I should probably start by ‘packing’ you.” He opened a drawer and took out a hairdryer, “Come over here.”

Yu Zhaohan thought Shi Du was a bit clueless, “Thanks, but my hairdryer isn’t malfunctioning. I intentionally didn’t dry myself to test you. Didn’t you realize?”

“… Still, come over here,” Shi Du pulled a gaming chair closer, “Take a seat.”

Yu Zhaohan was sitting on the gaming chair, Shi Du not only helped him dry his hair but also used a hair dryer to blow on his half-wet t-shirt.

Yu Zhaohan obediently let Shi Du fuss around. He noticed an open suitcase on the floor with a few sets of clothes casually thrown inside. He said, “I’m worried about feeling too much pressure during the competition in South Korea, so I thought of bringing my dinosaur pajamas.”

“Bring them.”

“But the dinosaur pajamas are quite large, and the suitcase won’t fit them,” Yu Zhaohan explained, “Plus, in Korea, we’ll all be staying together, so it’ll be easy for everyone to notice me wearing dinosaur pajamas.”

Shi Du said absently, “Then what do you want to do?”

Yu Zhaohan looked at the three balls on Shi Du’s computer desk with longing, “I want to bring some other stress-relief props.”

Despite Shi Du’s confident appearance outside, he also had times of high stress. Yu Zhaohan knew that when Shi Du was under pressure, he would play with balls. He once wanted to change Shi Du’s WeChat nickname to “Ball King,” but Shi Du didn’t allow it.

Seeing the look in Yu Zhaohan’s eyes, Shi Du knew exactly what he was thinking. “I can bring toys to help you relieve stress. I’ll bring both the balls and the duck,” Shi Du said, “But you have to promise me that you won’t mess around anymore, understood?”

Yu Zhaohan hesitated, “But what if I really want to stir up trouble?”

“Then just give me a heads-up in advance,” Shi Du turned off the hairdryer, and ruffled Yu Zhaohan’s hair quite vigorously, “In any case, you shouldn’t make things harder for others anymore.”

Yu Zhaohan obediently agreed, “Alright.”

At half past nine the next morning, the living room on the first floor was crowded with people. Since R.H and their crew moved into this villa, the morning living room had never been so lively.

“Double-check your ID cards, passports, phones, wallets, underwear… remember to bring a few extra pairs of underwear,” Old Tan babbled like an old mother, bustling around, “Timeless, why are you lying on the sofa again? Is your luggage packed and ready?”

Shi Du yawned, “Yeah.”

The little duck and the three balls were put into his suitcase by Yu Zhaohan himself.

“Now, tuck your legs in, you’re blocking the way—by the way, where’s Cheese?”

Before the words had even finished, Cheese came bounding back from outside. “I’ve entrusted Little Kneeling to the brothers from the neighboring academy team,” Cheese said with a touch of melancholy, “It’s the first time Little Kneeling has been away from me for so long. I don’t know if he can adapt.”

Old Tan counted the number of people: “Everyone is here – let’s go!”

Yu Zhaohan said: “Timeless, go help Qi Xian with luggage.”

Shi Du stood up. Qi Xian laughed and said, “I’m not so delicate, I can do it myself.”

Cheese noticed a strange figure in the pink team uniform, and asked curiously, “Huh? Who is this?”

“A physical therapist,” Old Tan explained preemptively, “The little boss was worried that you guys might be training too hard in Korea, so he specially hired a physical therapist to massage your waist and hands and such.”

This physical therapist was recommended by Qi Xian’s attending physician and came at a considerable cost. He would accompany R.H to Korea to be on standby at all times.

Cheese was moved, “The little boss is too kind to us. I need to send him a message on WeChat to express my gratitude.”

Qi Xian smiled and stopped her, “The little boss has a boyfriend. Don’t create a family crisis for him.”

“The little boss and his boyfriend won’t misunderstand this.” Cheese said so, but he still listened to Qi Xian’s words and didn’t send Li Yuexi a WeChat message.

It was rare for them to wake up so early, and everyone was so sleepy that they fell asleep on the way to the airport. When they got off the car, they were like zombies, boarding the plane in a daze and continuing to sleep once they were seated.

Yu Zhaohan, Jiang Di, and Lu Youshan were the only ones who were awake. Yu Zhaohan was watching a match video when a pop-up appeared on a question-and-answer community app:

【There’s a new answer to your question “How to determine if someone is gay.” Come take a look!】

Yu Zhaohan opened the app and saw a unique and somewhat unconventional method for determining this, which he found to have some sense to it. At least, it seemed more reliable than the white sock and eye contact theories.

Yu Zhaohan wanted to share this answer with Shi Du, but when he turned around and saw that Shi Du was fast asleep, he didn’t bother him.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Incheon International Airport in Seoul. Upon leaving the airport, the driver that Old Tan had arranged in advance was already waiting. R.H had a packed schedule in Korea, with matches typically scheduled once or twice a week. Sometimes they even went to Busan for matches. Old Tan didn’t like ordinary hotels and had meticulously selected a luxury vacation home. Although it was only half the size of their base, at least everyone could train together.

“Do you know where Guangzhou ZC wants to stay when they come to Korea?” Old Tan lowered his voice, “I heard it’s those chain budget hotels, and the environment is comparable to the exam hall in Korean dramas.”

When a club goes to an away city to play a match, the league officials subsidize the costs of flights and hotels. However, to provide players with a good resting environment, the subsidies were usually not enough.

“Why are you lowering your voice to talk to us?” Shi Du asked, “There’s no one from ZC here.”

Old Tan clicked his tongue, “I’m just trying to create a bit of gossip atmosphere.”

Cheese couldn’t help but say, “The owner of zc is really lacking in virtue. Can’t the young master help them? Just like when you helped R.H back then, reporting to the league and having the officials take measures against ZC’s owner.”

Shi Du said, “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Didn’t I tell you all?” Shi Du casually said, “I’ve had a falling out with my family. Don’t call me ‘young master’ anymore.”

Cheese and the others exchanged puzzled glances.

Yu Zhaohan had a vague understanding of Shi Du’s family situation. Because of his professional gaming career, Shi Du’s relationship with his parents had become quite strained. If Shi Du were indeed gay, he might be at risk of losing his inheritance rights.

The villa had a total of five rooms, and with six players plus others, it worked out perfectly for two people per room. Old Tan was worried that they might not be comfortable sharing a bed with their teammates, so he had informed the guesthouse owner in advance to add extra beds. Each room had two beds.

It was a given that Yu Zhaohan and Shi Du would share a room, as it was written into R.H’s constitution, and nobody would have any objections. Just as Shi Du had carefully placed Yu Zhaohan’s little duck on the bedside table, he heard Old Tan shouting downstairs, “The league has sent an interviewer! Timeless, come down and talk some trash!”

Trash-talking before a match was an old tradition in E-sports. The fiercer the trash talk, the more embarrassing it would be if you lost, and you’d be ridiculed for at least a whole season.

Most players approached this segment like a chore, having to say a hundred lines of trash talk was like being forced to perform, and they’d rather score a big play in the game itself than waste their breath on words.

However, Yu Zhaohan was one of the few players who enjoyed trash-talking. “I envy you for being able to talk trash,” Yu Zhaohan daydreamed, “Old Tan never lets me do it.”

Shi Du chuckled, “What do you want to say? I’ll say it for you later.”

The interviewer sent by the league was a Chinese-American named Alva. Alva spoke fluent Chinese and had a good appearance. He had a hip-hop style with an American twist, making him seem like someone who knew how to have fun.

Trash-talking only required two people, so Old Tan assigned this challenging task to Shi Du and Qi Xian. Alva asked, “Why not let Shine do it? He’s the most popular one.”

“That’s ridiculous. Does Shine look like someone who can talk trash?” Old Tan said, “Rest assured, Timeless is just as handsome, and the fans will definitely buy it.”

The interview took place in the villa’s garden. The cameraman set up the equipment, and the makeup artist gave Cheese a simple touch-up.

Qi Xian followed the principle of leaving a way out and said, “There are several strong teams in Korea, and every strong team has its weaknesses. As long as we’re prepared, winning won’t be difficult…”

Shi Du took a different approach, “I haven’t really studied our opponents, because there’s no need to. Maybe I’m just used to my captain’s marksmanship, but I don’t think Korean snipers are that accurate. Looking forward to our matches in Korea, hoping the internet there has no lag… Lastly, I have two messages for my teammates: You might not like it, but I’m just that badass. And you, well, you can only watch.”

After the interview, Alva went straight to Yu Zhaohan, smiling, “Hey Shine, are you free tonight?”

Shi Du narrowed his eyes in displeasure.

Yu Zhaohan frowned: “What’s the matter?”

“I’d like to invite you for a drink,” Alva blinked at him, “Just the two of us.”

Yu Zhaohan vaguely understood what was going on and his voice turned chilly, “No, thank you.”

Alva wasn’t embarrassed by the rejection; he smiled, “Then let’s plan for a drink after you win the match. Good luck!”

After the interview team left, Qi Xian suddenly said, “Alva is gay.”

Both Yu Zhaohan and Shi Du were taken aback, and asked in unison: “How do you know?”

“How could I not know?” Qi Xian said, “He already came out on Twitter a long time ago.”

“Oh, really?” Cheese was also surprised, “How could he dare to do that?”

Qi Xian chuckled, “What’s there to be afraid of? Same-sex marriage has been legal in the entire United States for so long.”

Yu Zhaohan fell into silence.

The two returned to their room. Shi Du slammed the door with a disgruntled expression, “That Alva just now…”

“Shi Du,” Yu Zhaohan said incredulously, “I think I might be gay.”

Shi Du paused, “What’s going on now?”

Yu Zhaohan continued, “You’ve hugged me so many times and even called me your wife, but it turns out I’m the one bending, and you’re not. It’s not fair.”

“Why are you accusing me again?” Shi Du sounded a bit impatient, “You say I’m not bending, do you have any evidence?”

Yu Zhaohan said, “Do you know that gay men have a radar for each other?”

Shi Du resignedly asked, “Go on, what did you read online?”

“There’s a seasoned gay man who said the most efficient way to determine if someone is gay is to first get to know a gay person and have them assess the situation. Gays have a keen sense of their own kind, and they can easily see through any deep closets or guys who are unaware of their own sexuality,” Yu Zhaohan said in a deep voice, “Alva just approached me and showed no interest in you. Doesn’t this indicate that he recognized I’m gay, and you’re straight?”

Shi Du was tired and didn’t have the strength to argue with Yu Zhaohan. HHe said with a sense of hopelessness, “Are you asking me to kneel down and beg you? If you want me to admit it directly, I can kneel. Don’t torture me anymore, seriously.”

Yu Zhaohan was puzzled, consoling him, “Shi Du… Shi Du, you don’t have to be in such pain…”

Shi Du’s reaction made Yu Zhaohan feel like he had done something wrong again, but he wasn’t sure where exactly he had gone wrong. He had put in a lot of effort to think it through, but besides being a good team captain, he was a bit clueless about other matters. However, he believed that given time, he would figure it out.

Yu Zhaohan’s comforting seemed to work as it managed to coax a laugh out of his little brother.

Shi Du chuckled, feeling a bit mischievous, “You even know I’m in pain.”

At that moment, both of their phones vibrated simultaneously. It was Old Tan speaking in the group chat.

[Old Tan: The official blog posted a Weibo opening, you all forward it]

[Old Tan: Everyone]

Yu Zhaohan opened Weibo, and swiped to R.H’s official blog:

[Shanghai R.H E-sports Club: All members arrived in Seoul and started a new journey!]

The picture showed a photo taken at Incheon Airport. The six of them walked out from the immigration checkpoint, dressed in identical team jerseys. He was at the forefront, leading a group of juniors with an imposing demeanor.

[Go R.H! Go, go, go!]

[My brother Qi’s red hair has grown again, and Cheese’s face has become round again]

[Damn, Jiang is taller than Timeless? He must be over two meters now]

[I love you, Shine. PS: I’m not gay, I’m just Shine-sexual~]

Yu Zhaohan stared at the words “Shine-sexual” as if he had been hit on the head by an apple, his mind suddenly illuminated.

He grabbed Shi Du’s arm abruptly, “Shi Du, I… I’ve completely understood.”

Shi Du didn’t even want to bother with the foolish captain. He was worried that he might faint again due to high blood pressure if he kept engaging, “Oh, you’ve understood again, didn’t you just understand it?”

Yu Zhaohan said, “Aren’t you going to ask what I’ve understood?”

Shi Du carelessly tossed out a casual “I’m not asking,” and for a while, he didn’t hear Yu Zhaohan’s voice, his grip on his arm even loosening. He lifted his head and saw Yu Zhaohan silently looking at him, a hint of grievance in his eyes.

“Sorry, I’ll ask right away,” Shi Du quickly put away his phone, gently and patiently asked, “May I ask, Yuyu, what did you understand?”

Yu Zhaohan’s face remained cool, and he said in a faint tone, “Never mind, I don’t want you to ask anymore.”

“Don’t be mad, Yuyu, I was wrong,” Shi Du coaxed him, “I’ll listen seriously to whatever you say, okay?”

Yu Zhaohan’s expression softened slightly, “Alright.”

“So, how are you planning to experiment this time?”

“I don’t want to experiment anymore, because whether we are both gay or not isn’t the key issue,” Yu Zhaohan said, “The key is whether you like me or not, and whether I like you. I’m not talking about the liking between teammates, but the liking between Little Boss and his boyfriend. Maybe I’m not gay, I’m ‘You-sexual,’ I only like you.”

Shi Du was taken aback; he didn’t expect Yu Zhaohan to truly understand it. He praised, “You’re awesome, Wife, you really understand it.”

Yu Zhaohan regretted that he had done too much useless work: “If you like someone, you will want to have intimate contact with him from the bottom of your heart. This has nothing to do with whether you are gay or not. For example, you want to kiss him, want to take a bath with him. But you don’t want to Kiss me, I asked you if you want to take a bath with me and you rejected me…you don’t like me at all. “

Shi Du choked for breath, and blurted out resignedly: “Who said I don’t want to?”

Yu Zhaohan was stunned: “Didn’t you say it yourself last time?”

“I want to now,” Shi Du, added while trying to sound confident and concealing his nervousness and awkwardness.

Yu Zhaohan’s cold expression seemed unchanged at first glance, but one had to get very close to notice that his usually indifferent pupils were significantly dilated. His ears twitched several times, and a faint blush colored his cheeks.

The always determined Shi Du finally regained control of the situation. Reflecting on how he had been thrown into turmoil and existential doubt by his foolish captain these past two days, he now felt a triumphant sense of release, as if a slave had finally overturned the master.

Yu Zhaohan understand it, and so did he. If you can’t beat them, join them. The best way to deal with a handsome captain who speaks bluntly is to be good-looking yourself and outdo him in speaking bluntly.

Taking a step forward, Shi Du seized the opportunity to ask, “And what about you? Do you want me to kiss you?”

Yu Zhaohan said: “You have already asked this question last time, I…”

Shi Du cut him off, “Don’t mention last time, I’m talking about now.”

Yu Zhaohan took a half step back, his lips parted and closed, but no sound came out.

Shi Du raised an eyebrow, “Speak, Wife.”

The word “wife” caused Yu Zhaohan’s ears to heat up by another 10 degrees, practically smoking. Fortunately, he had honed his pretentiousness for many years and had a proud sense of self-control, which prevented him from outwardly losing control in various situations.

“Now? I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it.” Yu Zhaohan said, “Please give me some time to think, okay?”

Disappointment flickered in Shi Du’s eyes but was quickly replaced by a calm, strong demeanor.

“Sure,” the young man said coolly, “Then don’t even think about whether you’re gay or not from now on. You just need to figure out one thing—whether you want me to kiss you. Whenever you figure that out, let me know, and I’ll kiss you.”