Chapter 59.1

Xue Lan gazed at Duan Wenzheng, still lounging on the bed without a hint of getting up. After a considerable pause, he ventured forth, “Did you two have a disagreement?”

“…”

Xue Lan, wearing a disappointed expression, scrutinized the individual before him. Despite having just extended assistance, the person, seemingly reluctant to approach his buddy with candor, struck Xue Lan as a “sly fox.” This only reinforced his belief that he had indeed clashed with Wen Yan.

“What should he and I fight about?” Duan Wenzheng kneaded his forehead. “Come here.”

Xue Lan said from the bottom of his heart, “You shouldn’t fight. You should be open and communicate properly.”

“…”

At this moment, Xue Lan’s gaze left Duan Wenzheng, who was slightly taken aback. There was a familiarity to it, as if… it mirrored the way his old man would look at him.

As Duan Wenzheng contemplated whether to limit contact between Xue Lan and his old man, concerned about the influence of the older man’s temperament on such an endearing child, Xue Lan attempted to pull him up with determination.

“Ey, don’t kick me out. Let me sleep here just for tonight. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Observing his hesitation to depart, Xue Lan, determined not to yield any further, averted his gaze and straightforwardly ushered him out the door.

“Hurry and return.” Xue Lan refused in a firm, righteous manner. “Captain couldn’t find you earlier. He must be anxious right about now.”

“Whether he’s anxious or not has nothing…” Duan Wenzheng observed the child, cheeks flushed, defiantly blocking the door with a threatening gaze. His voice softened. “Come on, let me in.”

Xue Lan firmly shook his head. “Go back. I’m sleeping. Goodbye!!”

After saying his piece, he firmly shut the door, and Duan Wenzheng’s attempts to cajole him into reopening it were to no avail.

Gazing at the firmly shut door before him, Duan Wenzheng suddenly felt that the child had become more challenging to deceive… No, more rebellious. Could it be that the child was going through puberty?

Once easily swayed into an embrace, the child had now become resistant to coaxing.

Duan Wenzheng let out a sigh. Just as he was about to depart, he turned around and spotted Zhou Kanqing passing by. Pausing briefly, Duan Wenzheng deliberated before choosing to disregard him and head back to his room. However, Zhou Kanqing, seemingly delighted by the earlier event, tagged along beside him.

“Yo, my eyes didn’t deceive me, right? How could a ‘boyfriend’ be kicked out here?”

Duan Wenzheng had to halt in his tracks. He imitated his tone. “Yo, how could there be a single dog strolling in the middle of the night here?”

“…” Zhou Kanqing refused to give up. “I saw a lot of people shipping A-Yan and Exist. Do you know what CP fans are?”

“Why didn’t I see them?” Duan Wenzheng was calm. “I actually saw a lot of CP fans of me and him instead.”

“I didn’t.” Zhou Kanqing didn’t want to reason with him. Then, he recalled another matter. “I saw an odd super-topic today. It was… a CP fan of you and A-Yan.”

“???”

“I think what that CP fan said about you and A-Yan makes some sense. It convinced me to join their side.” Zhou Kanqing said that and laughed, covering his stomach with both hands.

“It’s better not to look at such a detrimental thing.” Duan Wenzheng’s expression did not change as he continued, “Also, I’m sorry for disappointing you, but earlier was how our date normally ends.”

“Normal date?” Zhou Kanqing couldn’t resist seizing this once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness Duan Wenzheng’s denial. “Normal date, you’re a bit… It’s not good for a man to be too hasty.”

Duan Wenzheng glanced at the schadenfreude beside him, raising an eyebrow with a smile on his face. “You might want to reconsider making such jokes in the future. Exist tends to get easily embarrassed. Gently teasing him can be quite amusing.”

“???” Zhou Kanqing choked. He felt as if he had just heard a joke. “Can you hear yourself? So you’re aware that Exist is fun to tease?”

“I made a mistake.” Duan Wenzheng stopped in his tracks. As if he truly just realized his mistake, he explained, “I meant, Exist tends to get easily embarrassed, so… you shouldn’t tease him.”

“…”

Observing Zhou Kanqing’s face split open once more, Duan Wenzheng patted him on the shoulder. Renewing his vigor, he walked back to his room with a lively expression.

Once Duan Wenzheng had departed, Xue Lan delved into the Internet, scavenging for the earlier video devoid of comments. He meticulously pieced together scattered fragments, skillfully edited them, and ultimately released a polished, comprehensive video.

Upon releasing the video, as though apprehensive about the response, he promptly exited Weibo.

The next day was Meng Qi’s departure.

Wen Yan was more reticent than usual. Even Zhou Kanqing, typically more talkative, bore a somber expression.

Silently, Xue Lan returned to his seat, finding that breakfast purchased by Zhou Kanqing was already waiting for him.

Xue Lan hadn’t taken the bet too seriously, but Zhou Kanqing seemed to always remember. Upon arriving at the club, Zhou Kanqing would bring breakfast for Xue Lan each morning. Though Xue Lan initially declined a few times, Zhou Kanqing’s persistent insistence eventually wore him down, and he reluctantly gave in.

Today, Duan Wenzheng arrived a bit later than usual for training. Upon entering the training room and letting out a yawn, Wen Yan glanced at the time.

“Each team member’s time here is finite. Now that you’re part of LGW, please show respect to both your teammates and your career.”

Duan Wenzheng lifted his eyes to look at the time. “Seven minutes.”

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