GSCCO Chapter 20

Mu Huai rarely found himself uncertain about the nature of his relationship with someone else. The two of them belonged to the category of people who could end up in the same bed, but Yu Yi’s overwhelming presence elevated that relationship into something more. Beyond the thrill, there was a subtle sense of happiness. Mu Huai had no intention of digging into that subtle feeling for now.

Yu Yi’s self-control ability was incredibly strong.

Several books had been knocked off the shelf, yet Yu Yi did not touch Mu Huai’s loose sports shorts. Instead, he’d pushed him into the bathroom, telling him there wasn’t enough time to clean up and come down for a meal quickly.

In all of Mu Huai’s twenty-five years in life, he rarely encountered something so unbelievable.

He stood in the bathroom with a dark expression. He suspected several times that Yu Yi simply wanted to take revenge on him, using a method that would leave them both burned—and it had worked all too well. At that moment, he’d wanted to tear the bathroom door off its hinges.

Since everyone else was taking a shower, no one thought it was strange that the two of them took a shower again. After eating, they trained and rested as usual. Yu Yi was still the cool, aloof team leader, still snapping at people as the irritable fish when he opened his mouth.

Mu Huai spent the entire afternoon, wearing a dangerous smile. He looked at the sky outside countless times and thought that maybe the weather was too hot. He was so angry that he had a sweet dream like a snail boy.

Bullshit.

Yu Yi slipped in right at the dorm’s lights-out time that evening. He was still looking down at his phone when he opened the door, then lifted his gaze to sweep a faint glance over Mu Huai, his face utterly serene and detached.

After the first episode aired, the platform would gradually release some behind-the-scenes clips of the players in their dorms and playing games in daily life. Fans who follow the updates will gradually become CP fans of all kinds of pairings.

The managers were the hottest topic—every possible CP had its supporters. Fewer people shipped the contestants, since many who watched were fans from the livestreams. Some streamers had openly or covertly fought over resources before, so CP fans didn’t dare make too much noise.

Among all the contestants, those who got along well with the managers also attracted many fans. Like the strict manager Liu Jiaolong and his capable little assistant, or Shi Shaoqian and the youngest pitiful one on the team, or Lin Zifei and Luo Yan, and Mu Huai with Yu Yi.

But since the gap in popularity between the two sides was too vast, these CP didn’t dare stand out either.

The official CP among managers was undoubtedly Lin Zifei and Mu Huai, while among the streamers was Yu Yi and Luo Yan— the kind where even a single glance at each other would have people shouting “true love”.

Lin Zifei and Mu Huai arrived at the show with CP fans already, while Yu Yi and Luo Yan were simply products of the show. The pairing of the cold, handsome unattainable flower with a silly, cute friend was unexpectedly popular: even their ship name was fun: Chen Yu Luo Yan.

Streamers were always on the internet, tracking every trending post. Shuangshuang and the short-haired girl in the same dorm each had their own ships, and both had, without discussion, started shipping the captain—but Shuangshuang favored Mu Huai and Yu Yi, while the short-haired girl thought the captain and Luo Yan were cuter. 

But both of them have been moving closer to Chen Yu Luo Yan recently because the manager and their leader have been too ambiguous recently.

“Open your mouth.”

“Sour.” Mu Huai frowned. When the cup was held out to him, he subconsciously opened his mouth and was given a large mouthful of kumquat lemon tea.

“Still sour?” Yu Yi took a sip and asked, “Then do you want to change it to milk tea?”

Mu Huai was a little tempted.

Yu Yi reminded again: “Sha-jie wants you to report your weight to her tonight. If you take a sip, you will have to run one more lap.”

Mu Huai: “…”

Peeling back all the layers, Yu was actually mean and a bit childish.

Mu Huai exchanged the milk tea for Yu Yi and pulled the kumquat lemon tea in front of him, staring at the table in a daze for a while.

Auntie would make them drinks every now and then—even sweet, sour fruit tea—which was just the right amount for one cup per person. Mu Huai liked sweet drinks and cannot handle sour ones. And he recently gave up milk tea after controlling his body fat rate.

He was also a very self-disciplined person when it comes to work, and he knows that the cup of milk tea would be given to Yu Yi—so why had he even picked it?

“Want to drink milk tea?” Yu Yi thought he was upset.

Mu Huai: “No need. You will just drink.”

They chatted for a while, and Mu Huai suddenly felt inspired. He picked up the cup of kumquat lemon tea and went upstairs, saying that he wanted to write lyrics. He often behaved like this, and everyone in the team was not surprised.

Yu Yi picked up the barely-touched milk tea and followed him. This boss never explained himself — another mysterious character.

In the living room, some were cracking sunflower seeds, and others were watching dramas. Short-haired girl touched Shuangshuang’s arms, “Isn’t it sweet? So close at hand, together day and night—us to Chen Yu Luo Yan shippers couldn’t ask for more. Why did you suddenly give up on them?”

Shuangshuang looked dead inside: “The whole point of CP is the push-and-pull, thrill of digging crumbs through a thousand hardships. Who wants to ship a real couple?”

Short hair:?

Short Hair: “Shuang, do you know that the closer they are, the more it proves they are just good brothers?”

Shuangshuang: “Didn’t you just say our pair is a sweet couple?”

Mu Huai’s inspiration came from sourness. He rarely touched such sour things, and after taking a few sips, his mind went blank—which was exactly when inspiration came flooding in.

The light was warm and cozy, scattered draft papers messy yet orderly. The hand holding the pen was lazy and confident, his strokes smooth and very neat. Sometimes finishing a passage, he then deleted the entire paragraph above it. His ring tapped against the pen barrel now and then, like some kind of ritual.

Yu Yi thought that this person had too many accessories.

When Mu Huai stood up and relaxed his shoulders and neck, the other person in the room moved, as if given a command, carrying over all the things he will be needing.

Mu Huai was stunned for a moment.

After fooling around for a long time, he got used to Yu Yi being able to come and go freely in his room.

“Not sour anymore?” Yu Yi was studying the cup of kumquat lemon tea in confusion.

When Mu Huai would get stuck, he would drink one sip after another and continued writing with a mouthful of sourness. Unknowingly, the cup also bottomed out, and the orange and lemon that was paired with it lay at the bottom of the cup.

“Sour.” Mu Huai said without hesitation. He still felt his mouth was numb.

Mu Huai laughed when he noticed that Yu Yi’s cup of milk tea had been set aside with barely a sip taken. Yu Yi didn’t care much for sweets very much, yet he was willing to exchange drinks with him every time, making him look like he was bullying a child.

Yu Yi: “Want something sweet?”

When the ice cubes melted, the sweetness became lighter and more bearable than before.

Mu Huai said jokingly: “Sure.”

Before he finished speaking, the child sitting on the chair made the first move and pulled Mu Huai into his mouth for a kiss.

After Yu Yi took a shower in the evening, he originally wanted to go next door. But when he opened the door, the opposite door also opened. Shuangshuang’s nightgowns were fluttering, and her twin ponytails reached to her hips when they were put down. She was so frightened that she forgot to say hello.

“… Good evening.” Yu Yi said. Even across the corridor, his voice was loud — Shuangshuang shouldn’t have been able to hear him clearly, yet she flinched in fright all the same.

Yu Yi: “…” Wasn’t this girl usually pretty bold?

“G-good evening!” She whispered, “Captain, it’s very late! You should go to bed early!”

After she finished speaking, she turned around and went back to her room, closing the door behind her.

Girls were rare at the base, so Shuangshuang and the short hair rarely go out at night to avoid awkward encounters.

Someone from downstairs came out after hearing the noise. Yu Yi glanced aside, then returned to his room. Mu Huai had to write music today, and he can stay up until any time.

Yu Yi sent him a message and told him that he would not go there at night. He took a notebook from his suitcase and sat at the table.

Yu Yi was doing some design work. He actually didn’t have many new ideas. He had already made preliminary plans for what he was going to do and was not in a hurry to catch up on the progress. But he suddenly wanted to find something to do.

Mu Mu: Okay.

Just a message.

Mu Huai got stuck and wanted to take a rest. The man’s legs were placed on the table, and his casual home clothes outlined his frame.

Yu Yi: Not finished yet?

Yu Yi still used this alt-like account to contact Mu Huai, and their chat history had actually gotten long enough to scroll through for a while now.

Mu Mu: No, Yu-ge, do you want to help me?

Mu Huai put down his legs and turned around with the water glass in his hand on the table.

Yu Yi: …

Mu Mu: Pfft.

Mu Mu: Just kidding.

Mu Mu: Yu-ge’s hands are used to defeat Liu Jiaolong.

Yu Yi: …

Yu Yi: I thought it was used to take care of Master Huai.

Mu Huai: “…”

Yu Yi should be talking about trading for milk tea or something like that. Mu Huai pressed his hand to his forehead and reflected for a while, then decisively changed the topic.

Mu Mu: Do you want to know who will be the commentator for the next game?

Yu Yi: ?

Yu Yi: Your former teammate?

Mu Huai suddenly didn’t know what to reply and even wanted to withdraw that sentence. He had been thinking about this a lot lately and secretly asked Devin about it. Devin replied that he hadn’t received the notification yet, and there was a high possibility that Yin En would come.

The phone vibrated, and a call invitation popped up.

Mu Huai looked up at the wall and paused for a while before answering.

Yu Yi’s clear voice snaked around his eardrums: “Are you unhappy?”

Mu Huai laughed: “Why am I unhappy?”

“I don’t know.” Yu Yi said honestly, “I just think you are unhappy.”

Mu Huai blinked lightly: “Have you ever coaxed others like this before?”

There was silence for a while.

Mu Huai regretted a little: “Pretend I didn’t say…”

But Yu Yi hurried to answer: “No, I have never coaxed anyone else. “

“… Oh. “

The two of them remained silent, letting time crush the ambiguity to dust.

For a long time, Mu Huai licked his dry lips, and couldn’t help but laugh at himself for looking like a young boy. Sure enough, he had spent too long with these brats, and his thinking habits had become much smoother.

He had no clear memory of how the call ended, only that the wind outside was strong, and it was already very, very late.

During the day, Lin Zifei approached Mu Huai privately once and said that Yin En asked him to release him from the blacklist.

Mu Huai only cares about one thing: “Did you give him my mobile phone number?”

Lin Zifei squatted facelessly by the flower bed, trying to pull his hair, but he was worried about the hairstyle he had just done and finally gave up.

“Give my ass. You guys screw around with your own damn business, and I’m telling you, nine out of ten, that it was President Yin who showed up that day. If you’re looking to stir up trouble, you sure know how to pick your timing!”

Mu Huai lowered his eyelids to look at Lin Zifei and kindly reminded him that there might be cameras nearby.

Actually, even before Demons disbanded, Mu Huai and Yin En had already been practically strangers to each other. It was only after the disbandment that Yin En started to cling to him every couple of days. If one really counted it up, they were in contact more often now than back before the disband.

Seeing the former maknae scratching his head in pain, Mu Huai opened his mouth to speak, only to swallow the words back down.

In fact, even if Mu Huai didn’t release Yin En from the blacklist, there were still many ways for that person to contact him.

Mu Huai may have changed his phone number, he couldn’t change the social media accounts he used all the time, like WeChat and Weibo. That night, checking his phone, he found someone added a request to him with a note, using a new account.

Yin En: Mom wants you to attend the banquet on the 7th.

Mu Huai’s fingers froze. The corner of his mouth twitched, perhaps into the ghost of his smile, and a chill spread through him from the inside out. The next second, he cleared the record without hesitation.

Translator’s Note: Hi everyone! I am very sorry to say this, but I will be taking a short break from translating. My sched right now is very tight (I was swamped with two research and a thesis, and I really need to finish all of those to graduate) I still can’t say when I will be coming back, and I’ll just announce it to discord. You can read my other TL, while you were waiting for updates. If you have extra too, please donate to my KoFi *kneels*