The finals are coming as scheduled—
"Don't be nervous." Xie Zhinian paced back and forth in front of the few people: "The Thunder is not your opponent, you just need to play normally in this game, and Windy should not try to be brave, and everything should be based on preserving your strength. Don't be nervous, play the game well!"
"… "
"Brother Nian, we are not nervous, but can you..." Zhou Kanqing pressed his forehead: "Don't walk around, it gives me a headache."
"This brat!"
Thinking that they were about to go on stage, Xie Zhinian held back the curse words he wanted to say.
After he finished speaking, he wanted to move again, but when he remembered Zhou Kanqing's words, he immediately stopped in embarrassment.
In order to divert attention, Xie Zhinian turned his gaze to Xue Lan: "Exist, this is your first time playing in the domestic finals. Are you nervous?"
"..." Xue Lan, whose name was suddenly called, looked up from the game video and shook his head blankly.
Xie Zhinian was very surprised by Xue Lan's reaction: "I remember when I first came to the team, exist was the most shameless, I didn't expect that his mentality has become so good now."
"He is still the most shameless now." Zhou Kanqing said casually: "If you don't believe me, wait until the post-match interview?"
Xue Lan: “…”
The atmosphere gradually became relaxed as they laughed and joked, but suddenly there was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside the door. Everyone subconsciously stopped talking, and saw Huo Ran and Yuan Haoran from the Thunder Team appearing outside their lounge with fake smiles.
"Hey, isn't this God Wind..." Huo Ran looked at Wen Yan, who was wearing the team uniform, and greeted him in an unnatural voice: "Didn't you go to treat your injuries? Why are you back?"
"Yeah, are you surprised?" Zhou Kanqing rolled his eyes and sneered speechlessly, "What does it have to do with you?"
"Hey, green."
Wen Yan's gentle reminder made Zhou Kanqing retract his gaze, but Huo Ran's face had become even darker.
"I'm just trying to show some concern for Wind. Let's see what his attitude is."
Zhou Kanqing was already holding his breath, and seeing that he dared to appear in front of them like this, he angrily said again: "How dare you say that you didn't do anything last time, and his injury had nothing to do with you? I should thank the rule of law for allowing me to still be here and talk to you in a nice tone, otherwise I..."
Huo Ran sneered and said, "What? You still want to hit me?"
"What?!"
Zhou Kanqing was immediately furious. Lu You, who was standing by, saw that things were not going well and quickly held the man down.
The atmosphere in the lounge instantly fell into a stalemate, and even Wen Yan's expression turned unsatisfactory.
In such a tense atmosphere, the only one who was calm was Duan Wenzheng who was sitting beside him. Seeing Huo Ran dare to provoke him like this, Duan Wenzheng smiled instead of getting angry and said, "Is the fact that Wind is going to play such a big blow to you? Are you so nervous that you need to provoke him like this?"
The smile on Huo Ran's lips froze. He was about to speak when Duan Wenzheng continued, "The rules of the game require five regular players and one substitute. Wen Yan is our regular player. This list has never changed and will never change. Therefore, there is no need to notify you whether or not he will play, and when he will play."
Xie Zhinian looked at Huo Ran's unhappy expression and said cheerfully, "Manager Huo, if you have finished what you want to say, you can leave. You are not welcome here."
"You don't welcome me? We need evidence for everything. You said Wind's injury was related to us. Such empty slander is unacceptable. I came here today just to express my concern in advance when I heard that an old friend would be on the field. Who knew that you..." Huo Ran angrily looked around at the LGW people: "You are so ungrateful..."
"There's no need to say more about that." Xue Lan, who had remained silent the whole time, pressed Zhou Kanqing's shoulders, his tone of voice was completely different from the cold and distant tone of the past: "Because LGW has it, we are never welcome to join us."
"You! You guys?!"
Xue Lan raised his head slightly, and the eyes that always contained smiles and shyness in the past were now full of contempt and alienation: "But it's not because you used any dirty tricks, but because we don't like talking to the defeated."
"What?!"
Xue Lan would say this not only to Huo Ran, but also to the other members of LGW. After being shocked, they immediately asked Huo Ran, who looked livid, and Yuan Haoran, who had been standing behind him and remained silent, to leave the lounge.
Just when Zhou Kanqing was about to close the door of the lounge again, Yuan Haoran suddenly asked, "Does the retirement of unknown have anything to do with us?"
Zhou Kanqing paused as he closed the door, then raised his eyebrows and asked, "What? He retired? Then we should really congratulate him for escaping the sea of suffering."
After he said that, he ignored the two of them and slammed the door shut.
He sneered, then withdrew his gaze and suddenly lit up when he fell on Xue Lan: "Fuck, Lanlan, did you really say that just now?"
"..." At this moment, Huo Ran and the others were driven out. Xue Lan's fierce aura had disappeared and he returned to his shy and awkward look: "Did I say something wrong?"
“No!” Zhou Kanqing ran to him excitedly and put his arm around his shoulders: “Our Lanlan is super fierce and super cute!! Come on, let your brother love her!”
“…” Xue Lan looked at Zhou Kanqing’s expression at the moment, and somehow thought of the way cat lovers pet their cats. He quickly stepped back in fear.
Fortunately, before Zhou Kanqing could stretch out his claws, he was pulled away by Wen Yan.
"I just said that... Is that okay?" Xue Lan was still a little nervous. His eyes fell on Wen Yan: "The game hasn't started yet, isn't it a bit inappropriate to say that?"
"What's wrong with that? They're all defeated anyway!" Before Wen Yan could say anything, Zhou Kanqing beside him said excitedly, "Just for what you just said, we'll beat them to a pulp and send them home in the international preliminary round!!!"
Xue Lan smiled when he heard this: "Thank you all for helping me get back the face I had for bragging."
Xie Zhinian hesitated and said, "This... conserve your strength..."
"Why should we preserve our strength? People are bullying us now!!"
Xie Zhinian was choking on his words. He gritted his teeth and threw the schedule in his hand on the table: "Why save your strength? Beat them till they are left with their teeth on the ground!!"
Xie Zhinian's sudden off-line words made the originally tense atmosphere in the locker room become excited again. Everyone seemed to be infected by this atmosphere of common hatred and a common enemy, and they were eagerly looking forward to the upcoming game.
In such anticipation, Zhou Kanqing was about to say something to encourage morale, but his voice was interrupted by a voice prompt. Zhou Kanqing took out his mobile phone in confusion, and after finding out who the other party was, he hung up the call with a bad look on his face.
Xie Zhinian took over the topic and reminded again: "Don't be nervous later..."
His opening sentence triggered some switch, and everyone stood up at the same time. Some shouted that they wanted to go out to smoke, and some said they wanted to go to the toilet. The lounge that was full of people just now was suddenly left with only Xie Zhinian.
"… "
Xue Lan, who slipped into the restroom, felt that he had escaped a disaster. He walked to the side to use the toilet, not noticing that someone was standing next to him.
"What a coincidence, Captain, you're going to the bathroom too?"
Xue Lan was startled by the sudden voice, but the person next to him glanced down with a teasing and inquiring look.
Xue Lan was so scared that he quickly solved the problem, pulled up his pants and ran to the sink.
Duan Wenzheng calmly turned off the water, then walked over to him and turned on the faucet again. He looked at the child who was washing his hands seriously with his head down, and couldn't help laughing: "It's not like you haven't washed it before."
"… "
Duan Wenzheng wiped his hands carefully, grabbed the child who was about to escape, leaned over and whispered in his ear: "Not only did you pass, you also..."
Xue Lan's ears instantly turned red from his breath.
He was afraid of being caught, so he quickly broke free from his hand and ran out of the bathroom weakly: "I'm going home..."
But when he ran to the door and saw someone standing outside, Xue Lan's face instantly lost all color.
"Captain..."
Xue Lan stood there at a loss, like a child who had made a mistake and was caught by the teacher.
Wen Yan lowered his eyes and said in a very soft voice: "The game is about to start, why don't you go over there quickly."
Xue Lan felt as if he had received a pardon when he heard this, and he hurried back.
Even when he ran back to the training room, Xue Lan still felt that this sudden incident had somehow weighed on his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe for a long time.
If Wen Yan had just reprimanded him like he did before, maybe he would feel better. But Wen Yan didn't say anything, he just said - the game is about to start.
However, Xue Lan could not forget the look in Wen Yan's eyes when he lowered his eyes.
Xie Zhinian urged them to get ready to go on stage. Xue Lan picked up his keyboard bag and followed everyone out of the lounge.
He turned around and looked at Wen Yan who had not yet followed him. Wen Yan was still sitting in his seat with his head down, looking at something, and gradually stopped.
If it were in the past, if this moment was not the scene of the finals.
He might not disturb Wen Yan at this moment.
But now that the game is imminent, he... is no longer the child who only needs to play his own game well and leave everything else to Wen Yan.
He walked back to Wen Yan again.
"Captain... Brother Yan." Xue Lan remembered that he had called him by the wrong name, so he found another suitable name: "Are you okay? If, if you feel uncomfortable, I will go talk to Brother Nian. Let's let him in the first game..."
Following his line of sight, Wen Yan's eyes fell on the bottle of drink in his hand that was half-hidden under the edge of the table.
Xue Lan's guilty feeling made his nose sore at this moment, and he could no longer say the words he had prepared. He only felt a sore throat: "Brother Yan..."
Wen Yan looked up at him when he heard that. He seemed to be slightly startled, but there was still a gentle smile in his eyes: "Why do you have that expression?"
Xue Lan felt that he was still immature and had not been able to handle everything properly. At least Wen Yan was so good, and since he joined the team, he had been unreserved to him, and he had given all his trust and entrustment to him...
But he still owed him an explanation.
If it weren't for him.
Wen Yan... must have been with Duan Wenzheng for a long time.
"sorry."
Xue Lan clutched the strap of his keyboard bag tightly, his voice sounding guilty and solemn as he lowered his head.
At this moment, the drink bottle in Wen Yan's hand slipped out of his hand and rolled far under the table.