Marketing (1)

Xue Lan was so profoundly shocked that he momentarily felt disconnected from his very own soul. He closed his laptop, put on his slippers, and rushed to open the door.

Duan Wenzheng was leaning his body next to the door. He cocked his head and studied him. “Why’d you walk so fast earlier? Are you upset?”

“No.” Xue Lan explained, “Just a little sleepy.”

Duan Wenzheng used the dim light to look behind Xue Lan. “Yet you rushed back home to use the laptop?”

“…” Xue Lan stiffened. “No — just… just looking up some references.”

“Oh.”

While deep in contemplation, Duan Wenzheng’s gaze gravitated toward the laptop perched by the bedside, its lid shut firmly. “What references? How about I look at them together with you?”

With this having been said, he sidestepped into the room. Xue Lan’s entire body trembled with surprise. He immediately seized Duan Wenzheng’s wrist.

“It’s really nothing. Just some competition references!”

“Competition references?” Duan Wenzheng smiled innocently. “The more reason we should study together.”

“!!!” Xue Lan never expected that the protagonist would discover his involvement in this guilty act so quickly! He tightened his grip on Duan Wenzheng’s wrist. “It’s late already. Tomorrow — there’s still practice tomorrow. I won’t look at it anymore. You should also sleep…”

“No way.” Duab Wenzheng chuckled. “This kind of reference should be shared with everyone. How could you look at it alone?”

“…?” Sharing strategies between teammates wasn’t wrong, but…

Even though he felt slightly guilty, Xue Lan still held onto him, unwilling to let go.

Duan Wenzheng, too, didn’t seem particularly interested in the laptop. Instead, with his wrist held by Xue Lan, his gaze was filled with amusement as he leaned in and brought the blushing Xue Lan closer.

“Don’t be shy.” Duan Wenzheng used the hand holding his wrist to pull the person closer to his side. “This isn’t anything to be embarrassed about.”

“…” That’s… true? After all, he was working hard to support his and Wen Yan’s mighty love.

Seeing his face that remained red, Duan Wenzheng couldn’t resist leaning closer and whispered softly into his ear, “Next time when there’s this kind of video… Oh, no, reference, you can also share it with me. We will… discuss and study it together, yeah?”

“…” Study what? Study how to promote CP? Oh, no… He can’t be induced by Duan Wenzheng. He was watching a competition video. Stay calm!

“Which team do you like?” Duan Wenzheng reversed the hold on his wrist. As if unconsciously, he caressed the back of his hand. “Japan’s? Korea’s? Or… the West’s?”

Xue Lan didn’t expect Duan Wenzheng to really mention the other teams. He wasn’t sure if he had escaped danger just yet. His understanding of those teams was too limited. He randomly croaked out, “Ko-Korea. Europe also seems incredible.”

“Incredible?” Duan Wenzheng raised his brows. “I’m also incredible. If you like…”

Duan Wenzheng bent down, his voice husky and filled with a hint of enchantment as he whispered near his ear, “I can make a recording for you too.”

His tone was light and teasing. Xue Lan instinctively felt as if there was more to his words, but after thinking for a long time, he felt nothing was improper.

Seeing Xue Lan look unmoved by his “marketing,” Duan Wenzheng raised his brow and leaned in closer again. His gaze lingered on him. “Not just anyone can look at my video. You really… don’t want to see?”

“…”

No matter how hard Xue Lan tried, he couldn’t evade him, completely forgetting that mere moments ago, he was too afraid to release his hand, which gave him an opening to glimpse at his computer.

There was no way Xue Lan could win. With no other option, he nodded his head, praying that Duan Wenzheng would free his hand once his desire for teasing had been satisfied.

Duan Wenzheng scrutinized Xue Lan’s face, flushed to the point where it seemed as if it could burst into a crimson hue. Aware that he should stop now, he released his wrist. “I owe you one for now. I’ll teach you how to shoot more accurately when I have the chance.”

Xue Lan finally got his hand back. He rubbed his wrist and let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing that he wasn’t upset at him, Duan Wenzheng also sighed in relief.

He glanced toward the closed laptop by the bedside. Despite knowing that Xue Lan wasn’t watching such videos, he still said cheerfully, “Watch less, I’ll take my time to teach you in the future.”

With those words, he tousled the bobbing head before him. Then he turned around and left the room.

It was only after Xue Lan saw Duan Wenzheng off that he relaxed. He didn’t meddle with the CP discussion either. This time, he slept for real after shutting down his laptop.

A few days later, the small team was focused on practice. Xue Lan also gradually tossed the matter to the back of his mind.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the second points match.

Xue Lan arrived at the venue right on time. The points match was the same as last time, but now that they were first, they didn’t have to choose a team to battle against or draw lots.

When Xue Lan arrived at the venue, a voice stopped him before he could find Qi Siyu and the others.

“You’re Xue Lan?”

Xue Lan wasn’t familiar with this person’s voice. Puzzled, he turned toward the voice.

A man in his early thirties, dressed in a suit, stood outside the training room, which served as the competition venue. He was studying Xue Lan with the diffusing light rays outside the glass window, but this person’s gaze was filled with appraisal, causing Xue Lan to feel uncomfortable.

That person soon retracted his gaze and showed a gentle smile. “You play assaulter well.”

“Thank you.” Xue Lan didn’t know who the person in front of him was. Although he was confused, he still gave a nod in their direction.

The training camp’s manager was still absent, leaving the gathered students to engage in lively chatter about the upcoming competition while they waited. In a daze, Xue Lan remembered that Qi Siyu mentioned —

Both LGW’s and Thunder Team’s managers were expected to attend the points match today.

He glanced over and saw that the person in front of him exuded an aura of assertiveness, commanding attention with their every action and openly evaluating everything. Xue Lan instantly discerned the person’s identity.

“Let me introduce myself, I am Thunder Team’s manager, Huo Ran.”

As expected.

The manager in front of him had always considered LGW a thorn in his flesh. Now that LGW’s Sun Haoshan had retired, he was planning on using this chance to eliminate LGW as a candidate for the annual world championship.

Their team had a financial consortium supporting them, which allowed them to invest heavily in the players they valued, and they showed no hesitation in undermining others.

Xue Lan knitted his brow when the other man politely followed with another sentence. “We’ve paid close attention to your past competitions and practices. You must be aware that our team is lacking an assaulter…”

“I’m sorry.” Xue Lan courteously replied, “I cannot join the Thunder Team, but you will definitely find a more suitable player than me.”

“As long as you are willing to join us, you can set the price…”

“It’s not a matter of money.” Xue Lan waved his hand. “I… I already have a team in mind.”