Before going to bed, Yu Zhaohan lay on his bed, consulting the almanac and carefully considering. He thought February 14th would be a good day, both Valentine’s Day and during the off-season, so whatever they did on that day wouldn’t affect their competition. He shared his idea with Shi Du, who responded with a curse and then adopted an attitude that seemed tired and uninterested in dealing with him.

No matter how stupid Yu Zhaohan was, he could tell that Shi Du was dissatisfied with the days he picked. He asked Shi Du why, and Shi Du asked him back, “What month is it now?”

Yu Zhaohan said, “July.”

Shi Du was speechless to the extreme and instead laughed: “If you’re worried about affecting the competition, why not just wait until you retire?”

Yu Zhaohan’s professional career was at its peak, and he believed he could play for another seven or eight years at least.

“But I’ll be nearly thirty when I retire,” Yu Zhaohan said, “Isn’t that too late?”

Shi Du lightly sneered, “Oh, so you still have the concept of ‘late’?”

Yu Zhaohan conceded, “Alright then, when do you think we should kiss?”

Shi Du turned over in the adjacent bed, facing away from Yu Zhaohan, and said, “I don’t want to say.”

Picking an auspicious date was absurd, not saying “no” on the spot was his fault. But given the circumstances back then, he had been dumbfounded by Yu Zhaohan’s stupidity to the point of questioning life himself. Managing to squeeze out a word was impressive in himself.

Yu Zhaohan turned off the lights, and after a few minutes of silence, he asked, “Shi Du, have you kissed anyone before?”

Shi Du replied, “…No.”

“Me neither, so this will be our first kiss,” Yu Zhaohan said in a reproachful tone, “First kisses should be taken seriously. Since you don’t want to discuss the date now, I suspect you’re stalling.”

Shi Du sat up suddenly, incredulously asking, “I’m stalling?”

Yu Zhaohan nodded, remembering that in the darkness Shi Du wouldn’t be able to see he said, “I nodded, so you’re stalling.”

Shi Du chuckled, “And you’re actually saying this is a first kiss. Have you ever heard of someone planning the date in advance for their first kiss? Do you want to arrange a banquet at the village entrance too?”

Shi Du’s words snapped Yu Zhaohan back to reality. He recalled all the romance novels he had read over the years just to act cool. In those novels, there really was no precedent for the main characters agreeing on a date for their first kiss.

After pondering, Yu Zhaohan said, “You are right.”

Shi Du seized the opportunity to respond, “If you insist on discussing with me, then my advice is to let things happen naturally.”

Yu Zhaohan asked, “What does letting things happen naturally mean?”

Shi Du was tormented to the point of enlightenment, and realized a new truth—Yu Zhaohan’s thought process was different from that of normal people. Explaining too much to him wouldn’t be effective and might even entangle him further. There was no need for explanations; just telling Yu Zhaohan what to do was sufficient. Little Yuyu was so obedient, he would listen.

“Don’t think too much,” Shi Du said, “Just wait for me to kiss you.”

In the darkness, Yu Zhaohan gazed at the blurry silhouette of the guy sitting on the bed, suddenly feeling like he wanted to act spoiled in his arms.

This feeling, just like when he watched his younger brother dealing with Cobra, was awestruck by handsomeness.

Yu Zhaohan couldn’t help but sincerely compliment, “Shi Du, you understand so well.”

Shi Du chuckled softly, “I wouldn’t dare to claim that, but I’m definitely more understanding than you.”

Taking Shi Du’s words to heart, Yu Zhaohan no longer dwelled on auspicious dates and obediently waited for Shi Du to come and kiss him.

In the morning, the training room was only occupied by Yu Zhaohan, Jiang Di, and Lu Youshan. Yu Zhaohan played in a duo with Jiang Di for two hours, only losing one game, and that was due to a stupid teammate who went AFK. There wasn’t much to criticize about Jiang Di’s gameplay, but for some reason, Yu Zhaohan felt that in certain subtle aspects, Jiang Di was different from before. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.

Yu Zhaohan saved the recording of the two-hour session and planned to review it from Jiang Di’s perspective during his free time, trying to identify any issues.

At this moment, Old Tan returned with takeout and started hyping it up in the group chat. Not seeing a response from Shi Du, Yu Zhaohan went upstairs to wake up his bed-loving younger brother.

In the room, there was no one on Shi Du’s bed, and the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Yu Zhaohan entered the bathroom and saw the guy who had just woken up, with a messy head of gray hair, brushing his teeth and browsing his phone at the same time. His face still carried traces of sleepiness, and his whole demeanor seemed lazy.

Shi Du met Yu Zhaohan’s gaze through the mirror, spat out the foam in his mouth, and said, “Wasn’t it time to eat?”

“Yes,” Yu Zhaohan replied, “I’ve come to call you for the meal.”

“Call me.”

Yu Zhaohan called out, “Shi Du, it’s time for dinner.”

Shi Du was in a good mood, “Coming.”

After brushing his teeth, Shi Du splashed his face with a few handfuls of cold water and quickly washed his face, not even bothering to look at the men’s facial cleanser on the washstand.

On their day off, Cheese and Qi Xian had gone on a shopping spree in Seoul, bringing back a box full of skincare products, and they had also given some to their teammates.

Drying his face, Shi Du said, “Let’s go.”

As the guy approached, Yu Zhaohan caught a whiff of a fresh and energetic fruity scent, like the smell of lemons.

Yu Zhaohan asked, “Did you change your toothpaste?”

“Yeah, I tried the new toothpaste that Qi Xian gave us, it’s pretty good,” Shi Du said. “Do you want to try it too…”

Yu Zhaohan suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “Are you going to kiss me on the mouth?”

SShi Du was momentarily taken aback and instinctively replied, “No.”

Yu Zhaohan sighed in relief, yet there was a tinge of disappointment, “Then why did you bring up the toothpaste?”

Shi Du chuckled, “Weren’t you the one who brought it up first? Besides, what does toothpaste have to do with kissing?”

“You just brushed your teeth. If we kiss now, I’d be able to taste the flavor of your toothpaste.”

Shi Du lowered his eyes to look at Yu Zhaohan, and said slowly, “I’ve found out, it’s not like you don’t understand at all.”

When he should understand, he doesn’t, and when he shouldn’t understand, he’s quicker on the uptake than anyone else.

In the evening, the R.H team trained as usual until the early morning hours. Teammates gradually went upstairs, leaving only Yu Zhaohan and Shi Du in the temporary training room.

After finishing his last game, Shi Du stretched lazily and asked, “How much longer for Yuyu?”

Yu Zhaohan made a precise prediction, “Three minutes.”

Shi Du sat on the gaming chair and slid over to Yu Zhaohan’s side to watch him play. Yu Zhaohan was playing the support role, using Jiang Di’s signature hero, the monk. His playstyle was also characteristic of Jiang Di– when his teammates had low health, he let them be, as long as they didn’t die and hinder his own damage output. The salvation of all beings had nothing to do with him; he was an unfeeling monk.

The match ended right on schedule after three minutes, and Yu Zhaohan was awarded the MVP of the game. He turned to Shi Du and sought praise, “Look, I, a support, got the highest damage dealt.”

Shi Du was already very close to Yu Zhaohan, but when Yu Zhaohan turned his head, their noses almost touched.

Their gazes unintentionally intertwined, and Shi Du’s eyes landed on Yu Zhaohan’s slightly reddened lips.

Yu Zhaohan noticed Shi Du’s Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. His heartbeat gradually accelerated, and his lips felt a bit dry. He wanted to lick his lips, but he worried it might not look elegant.

Yu Zhaohan’s gently trembling long eyelashes swept across Shi Du’s face, “Shi Du…”

After a few seconds, Shi Du emitted a soft “Hmm.”

In a hushed tone, Yu Zhaohan asked, “The atmosphere now is quite nice, are you thinking of kissing me?”

Shi Du’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as he was caught off guard.

Initially, he had been thinking about it, but now that Yu Zhaohan had asked, kissing him would seem rather embarrassing. Moreover, the atmosphere had changed after that question.

Shi Du replied nonchalantly, “Oh, I’ve changed my mind.”

Yu Zhaohan tried to decipher the hidden meaning in Shi Du’s words, “So, were you thinking about it just now?”

“Don’t bother about what I was thinking.” Shi Du suddenly adopted a strong tone, “Next time, don’t talk. Even if you think I’m about to kiss you, don’t ask.”

“Okay…”

Back in their room, after Yu Zhaohan took a shower, he brushed his teeth with the lemon-flavored toothpaste on purpose. After he finished, Shi Du was still playing on his phone. However, Shi Du wasn’t fully focused on the game; he kept stealing glances at Yu Zhaohan.

Yu Zhaohan felt anxious again due to the constant looks from Shi Du. He stiffly sat down at the edge of the bed, and Shi Du casually put down his phone. Both of them sat facing each other on their respective beds.

Yu Zhaohan remembered not to talk due to Shi Du’s earlier instruction, so he remained silent and used his eyes to ask: Is it going to happen?

Shi Du’s expression in response to Yu Zhaohan’s gaze could be described as “hopeless.” He seemed to convey the message: No, and if you ask again, I’m done.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be kissed anytime soon, Yu Zhaohan relaxed slightly. After drying his hair, he sat or lay down on the bed, focused on his phone for a while, and then told Shi Du, “I’ve sent you a document. You can take a look.”

Shi Du had developed a shadow over Yu Zhaohan’s “documents,” so he asked, “Can I not look?”

Yu Zhaohan was taken aback and said somewhat disappointedly, “But I spent a lot of time organizing it…”

Immediately, Shi Du responded, “Then I must read it.”

Yu Zhaohan didn’t want to force him, “It’s okay, you don’t have to read it.”

“I want to see it,” Shi Du said, “Please let me read it.”

After taking a deep breath and mentally preparing himself, Shi Du clicked on Yu Zhaohan’s document.

[How to Kiss with Style]

[Setting: The environment is crucial for creating an atmosphere, aiming for a beautiful and romantic scene. Reference: Under the mistletoe, in the first snow, under fireworks, etc.]

[Techniques: Different kissing methods require different techniques. Here, we recommend the sliding style and the pushing style. The former involves mutual sliding, while the latter focuses on an inward-to-outward motion.]

[Voice: Don’t forget to whisper words filled with affection in her ear to warm her up for the whole day!]

Shi Du said leisurely: “You’ve used the wrong pronoun here; it should be ‘him’ instead of ‘her’.”

Yu Zhaohan said: “I copied that sentence and forgot to change it.”

Shi Du continued reading.

[Precautions: Place your hands in the correct positions, you can embrace the waist or gently hold their chin. To show respect, your hands should not wander unless they give their consent.]

Yu Zhaohan observed Shi Du’s reaction. He saw Shi Du calmly read through the document and say, “This is so useful, it’s all essential information. Great job, Yuyu. I’ll definitely memorize the whole thing.”

Yu Zhaohan asked hesitantly, “Do you really think it’s useful?”

Shi Du nodded: “Really.”

“Would you actually follow what’s written in there?”

Shi Du smiled, “Yes.”

Yu Zhaohan’s tense shoulders relaxed a bit.

This meant that Shi Du would only kiss him in a romantic atmosphere. And since the base wasn’t exactly romantic, he wouldn’t need to be so nervous around Shi Du there.

This weekend, R.H didn’t have any matches. They were going to face the third-ranked team in the Eastern division next week, and this off-week gave them ample time to prepare.

“This week, EAU is playing against TCO, and DSD is up against Cobra – if DSD can’t beat Cobra three to zero, I’ll wash my hair standing on my head.” Cheese looked at the schedule and continued, “Oh, and ZC and JSE! Is it finally time for ZC’s first victory?”

Qi Xian laughed and said, “Maybe.”

“I’m going to bet all my guessing coins on ZC, three to zero against Cobra!” Cheese hesitated, “Oh, never mind, I’ll bet three to two instead.”

JSE was currently ranked second-to-last in the Eastern division, and so far, they had only won one game, and that too, relying on luck to not be the last. R.H and ZC played practice matches every week, so they knew ZC’s progress better than anyone. As long as ZC played at the level they did during practice, their chances of winning against JSE weren’t low.

In the evening, R.H played another practice match against ZC. In this match, ZC achieved a historic breakthrough. Although they didn’t win a map, they managed to win two team fights against R.H.

In the first engagement, Jiang Di’s positioning was too aggressive, giving ZC an opportunity, and he was the first to be eliminated. In the second one, all four members of ZC saved their ultimate abilities, intending to win the fight with their combined power. Yu Zhaohan had been calculating their energy levels and predicted that all four of them had their ultimates ready. He commanded the others to engage in the fight cautiously, exhausting ZC’s ultimates before launching a counterattack– this fight could be considered as R.H.’s tactical retreat.

Nevertheless, there was no doubt about ZC’s progress. After the training ended, Yu Zhaohan was still thinking about ZC’s performance in the practice match, completely unaware of his surroundings. Shi Du extended his hand horizontally in front of Yu Zhaohan’s waist and brought him back, saying, “Watch out for the path.”

Yu Zhaohan snapped back to reality, “Sorry.”

Shi Du asked him, “What were you thinking about? You didn’t even look at the path.”

“I was thinking about ZC,” Yu Zhaohan said, “Shi Du, who do you think will win between ZC and JSE?”

Shi Du said, “Hard to say. In terms of strength, ZC should be stronger than JSE at the moment. The next match will depend on whether ZC can avoid being impatient or flustered when they’re close to winning. That’s the key for them.”

Yu Zhaohan fully agreed with Shi Du’s analysis. The key to whether ZC could win lies in their mindset.

“And there’s one more thing,” Yu Zhaohan walked into the room, “Map selection.”

“Yeah, whenever ZC encounters a map with an open field of view, they’re forced to rely solely on aim battles, and their aim is still quite strong – but I believe Alligator will focus on improving their training for this issue.” Shi Du closed the door and suddenly remembered something, “By the way, Captain.”

Yu Zhaohan responded, suddenly being lightly pushed. Unprepared, he leaned against the door.

A shadow approached, and Yu Zhaohan widened his eyes, instinctively calling Shi Du’s name, “Shi…”

He saw Shi Du slightly bending down, closing his eyes, and lowering his head towards him.