After returning to the training room, Xue Lan continued to think about Wen Yan's words.
Although they cannot remove the Thunder from the international competition regardless of winning or losing in the upcoming domestic finals, if they meet the Thunder in the second game, they can...
But if this is the case, then it really is in line with Duan Wenzheng's words. After the team arrives at the competition city, they will be given a week of rest time, and then the first game will be held.
Thinking that he might have a chance to send the Thunder back in the first game, Xue Lan actually began to feel excited.
In the following few days, he worked harder to practice and study the Thunder team's tactics, and LGW's training gradually got on track.
Just when Xue Lan thought that everyone was as devoted to practice as he was, not paying attention to what was happening outside, a few days before the finals, a few people who had just finished their training gathered together and whispered to each other—
“… Really! How could it be false?” Zhou Kanqing said proudly.
"… what did you do?" Lu You still seemed a little unconvinced.
"I didn't do anything. This is probably what they call 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth', right?" Zhou Kanqing saw that everyone's eyes were focused on him, and he held his head high with even greater delight.
Duan Wenzheng raised his head, and seeing his cocky look, he couldn't help but remind him, "You didn't expose yourself, did you?"
"How could that be possible?" Zhou Kanqing rolled his eyes. "He would never think it was mine. Besides, even if he did, what would it matter? Am I wrong? I am simply an excellent life mentor!"
"This is not good..."
Before Lu You could finish his words, Zhou Kanqing patted him on the back of his head: "What's wrong with that? They Thunder managed to pry Qi Siyu away in the first three rounds of the game, so why can't I pry their people away?"
"Deng Ruiqiu..."
"Deng Ruiqiu, what is Deng Ruiqiu? He is just greedy and lustful. I have given him a lot of bribes..." Zhou Kanqing was halfway through his speech when he suddenly saw Xue Lan who had returned. He waved to him hurriedly: "Lanlan!!"
Xue Lan didn't quite understand what they were saying, so he walked over to them in confusion: "What were you talking about just now?"
"Of course..."
Before Zhou Kanqing could finish his words of taking credit, Duan Wenzheng interrupted him: "I was listening to Zhou Kanqing telling the story of how he used a voice changer to trick Zhinian into canceling his contract with the team and becoming a host instead."
"…" Zhou Kanqing was so angry that he almost vomited blood. He jumped up and pretended to fight with Duan Wenzheng: "Who lied to you young man? I only told him the evil of human heart and the darkness of thunder!"
Xue Lan grasped the key points of a few sentences and said in surprise: "Deng Ruiqiu lied... and advised me to retire?!"
"Yeah." Zhou Kanqing said calmly, "We didn't lie to him. You don't know how bad the Thunder is. They used Deng Ruiqiu to trick Frank out and framed Frank for bribery and match-fixing. Do you know what the most infuriating thing is? Doesn't their sniper Liu Qi know Lu You? They actually want to use the same method on Lu You!"
"Liu Qi refused." Lu You sighed.
"How did Liu Qi stay in such a shady team?" Zhou Kanqing knocked on the table angrily. "If I hadn't used my beauty to trick him into saying these things, who knows what would have happened! I told Deng Ruiqiu that if he stayed in this team, he would only be used and abandoned forever. It would be better to go back and do live broadcasts. Retirement life is not bad!"
"… "
The faces of the people in the room couldn't help but become a little strange. Zhou Kanqing looked at the faces of the people and grabbed the honest Lu You and asked, "What's wrong? Are you beautiful women dissatisfied?"
"..." Lu You was awkwardly pulled up by him. After hesitating, he asked frankly: "Isn't it because of the... rich lady persona of sending 666, 888, 999, 1314, 3344 red envelopes?"
"… "
Xue Lan looked at Zhou Kanqing and Lu You who were quarreling, and roughly understood what was going on.
It seems that Zhou Kanqing got to know Deng Ruiqiu in some way during this period... and persuaded him to leave Thunder
"Yes..." Xue Lan hesitated and said, "Will Lei Ting let Deng Ruiqiu go so easily?"
"So what? He's not going to his team. Thunder didn't know A Yan was back. They didn't even plan to let Deng Ruiqiu play in their last two games in China. Why can't he retire?"
Lu You glanced at Zhou Kanqing and said hesitantly, "But the Thunder's termination fee shouldn't be low."
"So what? That's also buying back your freedom!"
Xue Lan was about to ask something else, but Duan Wenzheng stood up and put his arm around his shoulders: "Don't worry about it. It's already late. Go to bed. We have a game tomorrow."
In the days after the top four match, Duan Wenzheng seemed to have tasted the sweetness and would go to Xue Lan's room every day. Although he just hugged him and kissed him, Xue Lan still felt that he had repeatedly received obvious hints.
Alexander.
Duan Wenzheng has also been intensifying his training in recent days, and the interactions between the two of them outside of training have become very rare.
But at this moment, Duan Wenzheng's last words made him think wrongly again.
Xue Lan stopped herself from daydreaming in annoyance and was hugged by Duan Wenzheng as he walked out of the training room.
"Why is your face so red?" Duan Wenzheng looked at Xue Lan's blushing cheeks and asked in confusion.
"..." Xue Lan turned away, as if trying to cover up his mistake: "No."
"No?" Duan Wenzheng seemed unconvinced, and tightened his arm around his shoulders slightly, pulling him closer to his chest: "Tomorrow is the finals, are you nervous?"
"Don't be nervous." Xue Lan breathed a sigh of relief and puffed out his chest: "Lei Ting is no match for us!"
"Who said that..." Duan Wenzheng looked around and leaned close to his ear: "I was talking about our finals agreement."
"… "
"Where are we going tomorrow? Your place or mine? If you're shy, we can go to your rental house, or..."
“… … ”
Xue Lan just wanted to cover his ears at this moment. He quickened his pace to get away from this chattering person.
"Or we can get a room. How about that? Where do you want to go?" Duan Wenzheng caught up with him again, and asked with a smile, "How would I know if you don't tell me? What if I make a decision and you don't like it?"
"I, I'm not ready yet..."
Xue Lan covered his ears with his hands as if he was about to cry. He just wanted to go back to his room and continue lifting weights.
"What are you preparing for? I'll teach you tomorrow."
He was too close when he spoke, and Xue Lan looked around with a guilty conscience: "Don't let anyone see us, the boss doesn't want any of the team members to have a romantic relationship."
"What are you afraid of?" Duan Wenzheng put his arm around his shoulders nonchalantly. "Maybe he has already guessed our relationship. He ran back to save me during the last game. Did you see what people said online?"
"H-what do you mean?" Apart from training, Xue Lan has been watching the game videos between Thunder and other foreign teams selected after the finals. He has not paid attention to these things for a long time.
"People on the Internet say..." Duan Wenzheng seemed to have thought of something interesting and laughed softly, "'That wasn't to save his teammates, that was his boss.'"
"… "
Xue Lan secretly glanced at the person beside him, wanting to ask if he really saw it or was just saying it to tease him. After all, Duan Wenzheng didn't seem like the kind of person who would have nothing better to do than look up super chats... But Xue Lan knew that even if he asked this, Duan Wenzheng would not tell him, and would only use it to make fun of him.
Little did he know that his sneak glances were reflected in Duan Wenzhen's peripheral vision.
As they were talking, the two of them had already walked to the door of Xue Lan's room.
Xue Lan opened the door and said to Duan Wenzheng: "I'm going back first. Good luck in the game tomorrow. Tonight..."
He moved very quickly, and even though he was about to get into the room in the next few seconds, he was still grabbed by the collar by the person behind him.
"The competition is tomorrow, why don't you cheer for your boyfriend?"
Xue Lan secretly tried to pull back the collar that he had grabbed, and whispered again: "...Come on...Come on."
"Boyfriend." Duan Wenzheng's slightly raised eyebrows showed dissatisfaction on his face: "Don't be perfunctory to me."
His shy child had already entered the room, so he blocked the door with his hands: "Kiss me, kiss me and I'll go to sleep."
"… "
Duan Wen Zheng did not urge him, but patiently stood in front of the door and waited for his reaction.
Xue Lan knew too well Duan Wenzhen's ability to kill time, so while he was waiting, she glanced vaguely at the empty and dim corridors on both sides, then she carefully stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his lips.
"Come on, late... um..."
Just when he kissed the corner of his lips and was about to close the door and leave, Duan Wenzheng took the opportunity to sneak in through the crack of the door before him, pressed him against the wall next to him and kissed him again before Xue Lan pushed him out again.
Duan Wenzhen was like a greedy predator, insatiably begging for kisses, but that quick kiss had been unable to satisfy his thirst without him noticing.
His fingertips caressed his cheeks which were burning because of him, as if he was trying hard to suppress the urge to destroy them because of how precious they were.
It wasn't until the person in his arms leaned against him with unsteady breathing that he kissed the top of his head again.
"Baby, if you make me wait any longer tomorrow, I can't guarantee that I can continue to be Liu Xiahui."
“… ”Is there such a Liuxia Hui
Xue Lan blushed and complained in his heart, but at this moment Duan Wenzheng's gentle hug made him feel particularly at ease, and he didn't have the heart to break the warmth of the moment.
After a while, Duan Wenzheng finally looked at the time and let him go.
"It's getting late, it's time to rest."
Xue Lan, who had just been quiet and well-behaved in his arms, raised her head at this moment, and actually felt a little reluctant about the separation...
Xue Lan was trying hard to come back to his senses from such emotions, when he saw Duan Wen Zheng letting go of him and walking naturally into the room.
"You wash first or should I wash first?"
“…” How come this person decided to stay so naturally
"The competition will start tomorrow. Besides, you promised to get a room tomorrow. Why would I do anything now? I'll just hold you and sleep for a while. I won't do anything else." Without hearing Xue Lan's answer, Duan Wenzheng stopped and turned to look at him: "Let's just..."
Xue Lan's cheeks flushed instantly. Duan Wenzheng had said it thousands of times and she knew what he wanted to say without having to guess. Xue Lan covered her ears and didn't want to hear what he said anymore. She slid around him and ran into the bathroom amid his joyful laughter.