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The next day, Xue Wei slept until 10:30 AM.

He usually had a good, healthy routine, typically not waking up past 9 AM.

After a hangover, his sleep time was extended, and he enjoyed a sweet, deep sleep, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

The room was dark, the curtains fully drawn; he couldn’t tell if it was morning or evening.

His phone rang in the distance, beeping loudly, a bit irritating.

Xue Wei opened his eyes, rolled over in bed, sleepily looking towards the sound, then got up and out of bed.

But his movements quickly stopped.

There were two reasons for his pause.

First, a man was sitting on the sofa by the window, his long legs crossed.

He leaned over to look, then reached out and silenced Xue Wei’s phone for him.

Second, he realized that apart from a very oversized shirt, he was completely naked.

Wen Man’s gaze was on the phone on the coffee table: “Awake? It’s a spam call; I hung up for you.”

He turned to look over.

Xue Wei immediately remembered his bare legs and quickly scurried back into bed, pulling the covers around him.

It took him a while to calm his heartbeat and breathing: “Wh-what time is it? How are you… how are you in, my…”

“How am I in your bed?” Wen Man reached out, gently pulling back a corner of the curtain to let in light, and then casually uttered a suggestive remark.

Xue Wei, due to some strange associations, turned red all over, like a cooked crab, and remained motionless wrapped in the quilt.

His voice was soft and small, muffled by the quilt, sounding very docile and obedient:

‘His words halted abruptly.’

“Last night you were drunk, refused to leave no matter what, so I conveniently brought you to my room,” Wen Man said.

The sound of pages turning came from beneath the window.

Wen Man was flipping through a magazine in his hand.

Xue Wei said: “Then…”

He didn’t ask further.

He remembered something crucial: he remembered almost nothing.

But he vaguely remembered showering and changing clothes.

And at that time… Wen Man seemed to have been…

He didn’t remember if Wen Man was present, but he remembered him talking to him, seemingly very close.

Xue Wei said stiffly: “Then… you didn’t have any trouble, did you?”

Wen Man’s voice paused.

“Not really.”

“You don’t remember?”

He asked softly.

The more he asked, the redder Xue Wei’s ears became, because he slowly, slowly remembered more.

He seemed to have been… carried to bed by Wen Man, and he seemed to have…

He seemed to have been held down by Wen Man in a hug.

The matter was simply too outrageous.

He felt it might have been a dream, but to ask further, he absolutely couldn’t bring himself to.

“That’s a shame,” Wen Man’s voice was devoid of emotion.

He turned a page of the book: “You can sleep some more. If you’re hungry, I brought some food for you by the bed. The closing ceremony ended this morning. The others have probably packed up and left.”

Xue Wei asked: “What about Zhao Xiaoyi and them…”

“EGT and the others have also gone back already. I’ll take you later,” Wen Man said. “Your suitcase, they brought it for you.”

“Oh, okay.”

Xue Wei certainly couldn’t stay any longer now.

He decided to get up immediately.

“That, you… can you…” Xue Wei took a deep breath, his voice becoming a bit firmer, “Turn your head away. I want to change.”

“Mm.”

Wen Man moved his leg slightly, turning the swivel chair towards the window, facing the cloudless sky, still looking down.

Xue Wei quickly took off his clothes and changed.

He found his suitcase, pulled out a few random clothes, and started changing overhead.

The sound of fabric rubbing against skin, falling to the floor, was clearly audible, just like their breaths.

After changing, he went to the bathroom to wash up.

When he came out, he saw Wen Man still sitting facing the window.

He coughed: “I’m ready.”

Wen Man put down the magazine, then turned around: “Let’s go.”

Xue Wei was also very obedient. He nodded.

He reached out to lift his suitcase, but Wen Man reached over him, lifted it with one arm, not letting him touch it.

“Is there anything you want to eat?” he asked, as he led him down to the underground parking garage.

Xue Wei thought for a moment, then shook his head.

He still felt unwell after the hangover and didn’t want to eat anything; he just wanted to curl up in bed.

Wen Man paused: “Then I won’t take you to eat for now.”

He looked at his watch, as if he had something to do, “See you later.”

Xue Wei opened the back car door, but Wen Man shooed him to the front seat.

He had just sat down, fastened his seatbelt, and quietly watched out the window.

After a long time of contemplation, he asked him: “See you later, when is ‘later’?”

Wen Man looked up, his peach blossom eyes sharp and bright.

Xue Wei still looked out the window, his profile beautiful and delicate, with a hint of baby fat on his cheeks.

His dark eyelashes were long, still very youthful, just a little restrained: “I don’t know when I’m going to the national team. First day of the new season?”

“I have some things to handle in Europe in the first half of next year. When I return for the next season, I’ll pick you up,” Wen Man said.

Xue Wei was silent for a moment, then said “Mm.”

After this season ends, there would be Chinese New Year.

After Chinese New Year, the new season would begin, which would also be roughly when the domestic spring season starts, and a new round of World Championship selections would also take place.

“Happy New Year, Naonao,” Wen Man said softly. “The time hasn’t come yet; I’m telling you in advance.”

Wen Man’s car gradually entered the EGT compound.

He parked the car and said softly: “Here we are, Naonao.”

Xue Wei opened the car door and got out.

He looked back at him, seeing Wen Man smile at him: “Aren’t you going to wish me a Happy New Year? You’ll get a gift if you do, oh.”

He was stunned for a moment, words caught in his throat.

After Wen Man waited for a few seconds, he suddenly lowered his head and chuckled: “Never mind. So cruel, little thing. I’m going first.”

“On the road, be careful.” Xue Wei composed himself, trying his best to appear unaffected.

He waved at him, then tucked his hands into his pockets and returned to the club.

“Okay.” He heard Wen Man chuckle softly, as if even that much satisfied him.

The car engine restarted, and Wen Man’s car drove away.

Xue Wei pushed open the door.

EGT was quiet.

The other three EGT members had gone to catch up on sleep, and the table was piled with clutter.

Xue Wei didn’t mind.

He curled up on the sofa piled with clutter, looking out the window at the falling snow.

His phone suddenly chimed.

It was a message from Wen Man.

–Didn’t wish me Happy New Year, but the gift is still yours as usual.

Xue Wei sent a question mark back.

[Wen]: account: CHN.Ice

Password: Xuewei1123

[Wen]: This is the account and password. I couldn’t give you the CEO’s account for 《Fire》, so I asked him to help me retrieve this account for you. After a long period of inactivity, old accounts have a one-month unfreezing period, and some functions will be restricted, but it will be fine afterward.

Xue Wei was stunned at first.

After a long time, he finally reacted.

He left the sofa and sat in the gaming chair.

The computer hummed to life.

A few seconds later, he opened the 《Fire》 login page and entered the account information.

A prompt popped up: [It has been -4 years and 23 days since your last login, veteran player, welcome back!]

He first minimized a series of authentication and binding information, and the first thing he saw was the friends list.

Three people.

[CHN.Pretty], last online: yesterday.

[CHN.Poet], last online: four years ago.

[CHN.BlackWhite], last online: four years ago.

Next, he saw his private mail.

Besides a large number of system compensations, there had always been mail from an account gift.

[CHN.Pretty] gifted you fashion – Big White Rabbit on XX year, X month, X day.

[CHN.Pretty] gifted you weapon skins AWM – Monsoon, AWM – Stellar, AWM – Wilds on XX year, X month, X day.

[CHN.Pretty] gifted you season update new weapon Galil-AR, M82A1 sniper rifle on XX year, X month, X day.

Over a thousand emails, starting from that day four years ago, every week without fail.

He sent him every new weapon, new skin, new fashion for every week, every year.

Everything was sent.

The most recent was last week, when the game official released a New Year limited gun skin for two guns he never used.

[CHN.Pretty] gifted you weapon skins VEPR – Red Snow, VEPR – Bell on XX year, X month, X day at 3 AM.

And messages accompanying the gift emails.

“Welcome back, Xue Wei.”

“Welcome back, Xue Wei.”

“Waiting for you to come back, Xue Wei.”

“Waiting for you to come back, Xue Wei.”

“Welcome back, Naonao.”