Edited by Decembery

After being hugged for a while, Duan Jiayan felt the other loosening his arms. He immediately took a step back and left Lu Xingci’s embrace. 

Lu Xingci’s pheromone made Duan Jiayan feel very comfortable. He was able to feel the lemon scent that floated in the air.

Duan Jiayan smirked, “My body is buffed now?”

Without waiting for Lu Xingci to speak, he continued, “Say, if I go chase Jiang Qinian now, will she start to like me?”

Lu Xingci pondered for a bit, “That’s probably not possible.” 

Duan Jiayan laughed as he tutted.

He did not want to return to his dorm for now. After thinking it over, Duan Jiayan told Lu Xingci, “I want to go to the internet cafe, you can go back first.”

“With Song Yi?”

“Song Yi today…” Duan Jiayan paused, unable to say the word “heat” out loud. “He’s been under the weather recently, I’ll go look for Shen Chilie.”

As he spoke, he lowered his head to play with his phone.

Lu Xingci’s gaze dipped as he studied Duan Jiayan.

“I want to go to the internet cafe too.” Lu Xingci suddenly said. “Why not go there with me? Shen Chilie still has not ended class, you still have to wait for him.”

Duan Jiayan’s fingers paused. 

He hesitated for a moment before feeling like the suggestion made some sense. He raised his head towards Lu Xingxi and asked with some suspicion, “You don’t need to go home? I tend to play till pretty late.”

“How late?”

“Around midnight, I might even play through the night.”

Lu Xingci frowned at the thought of Duan Jiayan staying overnight at the internet cafe, his body tainted with the smell of others. An irrational surge of annoyance surfaced once again. 

He felt like he’d been pretty weird lately. Lu Xingci pressed down on his messy thoughts and gave an “En”.

There were five to six internet cafes behind Yi Zhong. Duan Jiayan went to the one he frequented the most.

After entering the internet cafe with Lu Xingci, the both of them looked for machines to sit down at when he suddenly heard someone calling his name.

“Duan Jiayan!” Heipi was enthusiastically calling to him as if he was a relative of his. “This way, this way! Come sit here, form a team with us!” 

Duan Jiayan was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hear him and so replied in a louder volume, “I’m looking for two seats beside each other.”

The cafe was both crowded and noisy. Heipi faintly heard him asking for two seats and was wondering what exactly one person needed two seats for when he noticed who was standing behind Duan Jiayan. He could not stop a ‘fuck’ from being blurted out.

He immediately recovered and said, “Come over here! There are two seats beside each other here!”

Heipi watched as Duan Jiayan sat down beside him, before glancing over to Lu Xingci who sat on Duan Jiayan’s other side. 

“Why did you kidnap Lu-ge over?” As he spoke, Heipi thought of a possibility. “Is what is written on that forum thread true? F*ck, can’t you learn to study hard like Lu-ge, instead of getting him to accommodate you and come to places like these.”

Before Duan Jiayan could respond, Lu Xingci decided to cut in after overhearing their conversation, he could not help laughing, “It’s fine, I just like accommodating him.”

That laugh felt particularly meaningful, coupled with his ambiguous words, in the ears of others it felt indescribably pampering.

Heipi, “……” 

In his heart, Heipi thought that the both of them were really a match made in heaven.

Duan Jiayan patted Lu Xingci on the shoulder, “Ai, Lu Xingci, that’s enough. He’s not very bright, he just might buy into your words.”

Heipi froze, “What do you mean?”

Duan Jiayan said, “It means that he’s just playing with you, that thread is fake. You mentioned forming a team just now, how many are in the team?” 

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“Hey! Exactly!” Heipi took a look at Duan Jiayan’s rank, as well as Lu Xingci’s, and felt like their victory was assured. “We had a little altercation with Jiu Zhong. We were originally supposed to meet at an alley after school, I even have my steel pipe prepared, But then I heard about how the police are stricter when it comes to catching students fighting, and I already have a bro that just got caught, so…”

Duan Jiayan, “So…” 

Heipi, “We discussed it with Jiu Zhong, and agreed to fight it out in Ionia instead.”

Duan Jiayan, “……”

Duan Jiayan never thought something like this was possible, “You street lads, since when was it a thing to fight it out online?”

Heipi said, “We can see blood online, can chop heads off, can we do that in real life? Once a knife is stabbed in, won’t I need to go to jail?” 

Duan Jiayan, “……”

In his heart, Duan Jiayan found it actually made some sense.

After making a room, Heipi and the other side started to share harsh words with one another.

The other side started first, “We have a Challenger and two Masters, I advise you guys to surrender early and type on the public chat that ‘Jiu Zhong is the best’.” 

Heipi, “So what if you have a challenger? We have a campus tyrant and campus hottie here.”

The other side replied, “……The ones on the forum’s homepage?”

Heipi, “Those two are exactly the ones that are on the forum’s homepage.”

The other party, “Ah ah, laozi specialises in beating dog couples.” 

Heipi, “Ah ah, then let’s see you try.”

Duan Jiayan stared at the conversation and spoke into his mic, “Lu-ge, we’re already becoming more famous thanks to this.”

Lu Xingci made a sound in response and lazily made his hero switch his Summoner skill, “That’s why if I am unable to find a partner, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

Duan Jiayan, “……” 

The game began.

Lu Xingci was playing Vladimir, which was a carry that needed to be developed. As such, the other side probably did not take him as a big threat and did not attack him much, seeing as how not many could properly play this hero.

During a wave mid-match, it was only Lu Xingci left with two on the enemy’s side. At this point, Lu Xingci’s Vladimir was already more or less done developing. Somebody exclaimed in admiration, “I feel like such a disappointment. Not only can’t I beat Lu-ge in my exams, but I’m also a burden when playing video games.”

Duan Jiayan said, “I’m used to it. Our Lu-ge is simply amazing. Ai ai ai, Support go help Lu Xingci! Shield him!” 

Heipi said, “Did you hear that? The campus tyrant is asking you to protect the campus hottie!”

The male student beside Heipi said, “Understood! Ge you can rest at ease, I will use my life to protect your boyfriend!”

Duan Jiayan said, “No, he’s not my— F*ck f*ck f*ck! Protect my boyfriend! My boyfriend’s about to be out of health! Heal him!”

Lu Xingci heard Duan Jiayan’s cries over the microphone and wavered slightly. This carelessness resulted in him being killed by the enemy’s Syndra. 

Lu Xingci ‘tsked’ after his screen turned black and white. He suddenly reached out and turned Duan Jiayan’s head towards him.

Duan Jiayan only felt a hand landing on his head before his vision flashed and his eyes met Lu Xingci’s.

They were both wearing their earpieces, after a few delayed seconds, Lu Xingci’s voice entered his ears.

“Behave, don’t be noisy.” 

His voice was deep. Perhaps because of his mistake earlier and his sour mood, it sounded a little aggressive.

Heipi and the other students started shouting “Oh oh oh oh oh!”

Heipi said, “Lu-ge is very domineering huh.”

The male students, “It is the feeling of being in love.” 

Duan Jiayan belatedly realised something wasn’t right, “Then I’ll stop calling you my boyfriend.”

Lu Xingci only felt like his ears were tugged by one word. His heart thumping, he looked at Duan Jiayan for a moment before saying, “You can call me that.”

Duan Jiayan, “????”

Lu Xingci, “With a partner, I’ll get a drive to win.” 

Heipi on the side carried on from Lu Xingci’s words, “This is the Spiritual Method to Victory. Lu-ge, do you think the rest of us should call you father?”

Lu Xingci’s hero just so happened to be revived in the spring. He opened the equipment menu and lightly laughed, “It’s no use if you guys call me father, you’ll have to find a way to get our enemies to call me father.”

Heipi was in awe, “Lu-die! From now on, you will die!”

After Lu Xingci was revived, the enemy’s Ezreal typed out a sentence, [Vladimir stop chasing me, keep this up and I’ll kill your wife.] 

Duan Jiayan’s attention was sucked in by those words and was completely distracted for a moment. He expressionlessly typed out, [Who are you calling his wife?]

The other side, [Other than you, who can it be?]

Duan Jiayan, [I am your father.]

After thinking about it, Duan Jiayan felt like it wasn’t taunting enough and added a ‘qaq’ at the end. 

The other side, [……]

After the strong words, Duan Jiayan started to issue orders over his microphone, “Lu Xingci, see that Ezreal? Just attack him, his words insulted both of us.”

Lu Xingci raised a brow, “How did he insult me?”

Duan Jiayan looked at him incredulously, “He called me your wife, is that not insulting enough?” 

Lu Xingci, “……”

Vladimir is the kind of hero that after being raised properly, and one’s gameplay is good enough, his late-game will be crazy good.

There was an intense fight in the enemy’s base. They exchange four of their players for five of the enemy’s, with only Lu Xingci left to destroy the enemy’s nexus.

Heipi was already dead and was focusing on Vladimir on his screen that was controlled by Lu Xingci, “Lu-die, for victory!” 

The male student beside Heipi also shouted, “For Yi Zhong!”

Duan Jiayan also played along, “Boyfriend, destroy it ah— Destroy destroy destroy! Destroy it for me!”

After the opponent’s nexus was destroyed, Heipi and the others gave celebratory shouts. Before they could force their enemies to call them ‘big brother’, Heipi’s phone suddenly started vibrating.

After looking at his notification, Heipi’s expression fell, “Director Jiang is coming to catch students! The internet cafe up the street was already raided. Hurry hurry, let’s quickly hide.” 

Duan Jiayan’s expression also changed. He pulled his earpiece off and pat Lu Xingci, “Hurry up, let’s go hide in the washroom.”

Lu Xingci was a little confused at why they were all so flustered.

Duan Jiayan saw him still sitting like a young master and nagged him while trying to pull him along, “Director Jiang’s punishments are all very perverted. Running ten rounds around the school field, plus a reflection essay. Running ten rounds is fine, but an essay too? After I was made to write 3000 words for Du Xuchen, I vowed to never write more than 1000 words on anything but composition paper.”

He spoke while tugging Lu Xingci, with the thought of heading towards the washroom to hide. 

Heipi stopped him, “My bros said that the washroom is already full, you can’t squeeze unless you’re hiding in the female washroom.”

“……” Duan Jiayan looked around and only just realised the two students they were playing with were already gone. They were probably hiding in the washroom.

He studied his surroundings. Just as he was trying to think of a good place to hide, Director Jiang made his way in.

Duan Jiayan and Lu Xingci stood on the spot. As they were both very conspicuous, Director Jiang immediately noticed them and angrily said, “Duan Jiayan! It’s you again!” 

Duan Jiayan, “……”

Duan Jiayan thought in his heart, ‘My sincere apologies, it is indeed me again.’

Director Jiang’s gaze moved to the side and asked in disbelief, “Why is Lu Xingci here as well?!”

His voice was very loud. As most of the internet cafe’s customers were students from Yi Zhong, after Lu Xingci’s name was announced, a number of students were shocked. 

“F*ck! The school genius!”

“What is the school’s top scorer doing here?”

“Didn’t you see who he’s with? This is called ‘Fighting online for love’.”

Director Jiang and Duan Jiayan could be considered to be familiar with one another. However, it has been a long while since he caught Duan Jiayan getting into trouble this semester. Now that they’ve met once again in the internet cafe, he was able to get back into his old rhythm. 

He smoothly told Duan Jiayan, “3000 words, read your reflection during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony.”

Duan Jiayan looked at him and figured he would not be able to escape this time. So he could only sigh and glumly nod his head.

After a beat, Duan Jiayan felt that something was not right.

He did not hear Director Jiang giving Lu Xingci a punishment. After waiting for a good few minutes, with Director Jiang not speaking, he decided to directly ask, “What about him?” 

Director Jiang, “He…”

Director Jiang hesitated. For a second, he was unsure whether he should punish Lu Xingci.

Director Jiang, “……”

Lu Xingci, “……” 

Director Jiang met Lu Xingci’s gaze and hesitated, “You…”

Lu Xingci gave in, “I’ll write it.”

Lu Xingci felt that Duan Jiayan, this fellow, was really a little muddled.

If his punishment was to write a reflection essay, was it possible for him to not help Duan Jiayan? 

Was it not alright for each of them to write 1500 words? No, he had to have each of them write 3000 words.

Just as Director Jiang opened his mouth to speak, a male student they were playing with came running out of the washroom.

Perhaps because he was still high off the match earlier, his emotions were not controlled. As Director Jiang’s position was a little further back, the student did not notice his presence and hurriedly shouted to Duan Jiayan, “School tyrant! There’s space in the washroom! You can go hide there with your boyfriend!”

After he was done speaking, he suddenly caught sight of Director Jiang and could not help saying an “Oh f*ck.” 

He swiftly ducked and hid behind a PC station.

Director Jiang’s gaze instantly changed. He thought of Duan Jiayan having passed a bottle of water to Lu Xingci before, as well as the note that was passed around during night self-study. The more he thought of it, the more true the accusation felt.

What made Director Jiang even more distressed was the fact that Lu Xingci seemed unable to control Duan Jiayan. He was even being led astray by the fellow, not going home after school but playing games in an internet cafe instead.

“Are you two having an early romance?” As he spoke, his gaze fell on Duan Jiayan and Lu Xingci’s joined hands. He sternly asked, “Still not letting go?” 

Duan Jiayan released his hand. He was not sure what Lu Xingci was thinking about but he immediately grabbed his hand back.

He only realised something was not right after, and quickly let go.

Director Jiang saw them pulling and pushing, and coldly laughed, “What, still want to hold on for life?”

The author has something to say: High school boys holding hands. What! About! It!

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T/N: LXC not wanting to let go hahaha Also thank you so much to those that helped me with the LOL terms QwQ Really tried my best with them. Hopefully, they sound okay.