Chapter Text
(1)
There is a fight happening at Line Canyon and Lord Grim is involved. That should be enough information for Xu Boyuan to turn his character around, leave the place and avoid it like the plague for at least a few hours. His curiosity is stronger than reason, though – most players have learned not to fight Lord Grim and the ones that still do are usually pros. He just wants to know which team they’re from, is the flimsy excuse he tells himself as he moves Blue River into a better position, halfway hidden behind a rock.
The commotion has already drawn some attention but so far most people are just watching. Xu Boyuan himself is not willing to get involved, no matter how well he can cooperate with Lord Grim once they manage to sort out all demands and payments. He has no reason to help out here – besides, Lord Grim seems to be up against an entire group of players. No way he’s risking his experience and equipment.
The attackers are from Tyrannical Ambition and that’s even more reason to hide. Considering that Lord Grim is most likely Ye Qiu, this is going to be one hell of a fight and Xu Boyuan feels the urge to get himself to safety when a Striker suddenly rushes out and the rest of the team is immediately ignored so the fight turns into a duel. Blue River should be far enough away, but he’s seen what havoc Lord Grim is able to cause, maybe a few extra body lengths might be a good idea. Judging by the aggressiveness of the player and the overall situation, the Striker has to be Han Wenqing, which means the danger is not just limited to the immediate fighting area.
The two characters move as if they’re alone in the world. As if they aren’t being watched by curious Glory players. As if nothing around them matters – it seems almost like an intricate dance, something way more intimate than a simple fight. Xu Boyuan would give a lot to know what they’re thinking about; if they’re talking. He never really believed they were merely rivals and this looks like proof. He feels a bit like he is intruding, like he has no business being here. And yet …
“Wow, I wanna join them.”
“Huh, did you say something?”
Xu Boyuan just barely manages not to scream and fall out of his chair. That would be embarrassing – even more than the fact that forgot he’s not alone in the room. He can feel himself blush as he stares over to where Zhou Xi is sitting, one eyebrow raised and paying no attention to his own game.
“No! Didn’t say anything!” His voice is a little too high and Zhou Xi’s eyebrow rises further. “I’m perfectly fine.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Can we just forget this?” Xu Boyuan puts his head on the table as if ignoring the outside world would help. It doesn’t, he can still hear sounds from the game and from Zhou Xi’s laughter.
“No way.” Zhou Xi reaches over to pat his shoulder and steal a glance at his screen. “Come on, you’re not even the only one, don’t make a big deal of this.”
“Not the only one…what?” He raises his head again, double checks that his microphone is disconnected and frowns at Zhou Xi who just points towards the retreating figure of Lord Grim.
“I’m sure everyone does that at some point.”
“Everyone…what?”
“Has a crush on a pro player, of course.”
“Oh. Oh!” Xu Boyuan runs a hand through his hair and nods frantically. It’s just a silly little crush, he’ll get over it in no time. Lord Grim will go back to annoying him anyway. “Of course. That makes sense. I mean, between Ye Qiu, Han Wenqing, Zhang Jiale…”
“Wait, hold on!” Zhou Xi stops him, eyes wide and a bewildered expression on his face. “Did you say Han Wenqing?”
“Uh. Yes?”
“Dude. What the hell.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Xu Boyuan frowns at his friend, not really understanding the problem. Sure, Han Wenqing can be scary, but he still has tons of fans.
“Have you seen his face?”
“I think he’s handsome.”
“He’s … I take it back. Please make a big deal of this. What the fuck, Xu Boyuan.”
(1.5)
Desert Dust: You will return.
Lord Grim: obviously
Desert Dust: so why retire?
Lord Grim: not important here
Lord Grim: maybe ask me in person (^_-)
Desert Dust: I will
Desert Dust: but it’ll be a year before you can return
Lord Grim: well if you miss me that much you can just join me on the tenth server
Desert Dust: that’s a good idea
Lord Grim: wait what
Lord Grim: I was joking
Lord Grim: Old Han!
Desert Dust: Wait for my friend request.
(2)
Han Wenqing is wandering the labyrinthine corridors below Samsara’s stadium to clear his head when someone literally bumps into him. He reacts on instinct – only pros are supposed to be here and he’s still upset about Sun Xiang’s challenge – as he pins the person against the next wall. The stranger, now that he gets a better look, stares at him for a few seconds and then starts blushing so deeply it’s visible even in the dimly lit hallway they’re in. Wide brown eyes display shock and confusion and a hint of something Han Wenqing can’t quite define. There’s no camera visible, no notebook or anything. He frowns.
“You’re not a reporter.”
“Uh, no.” The blush seems to get more intense and Han Wenqing takes a step back to give the guy some space. He is well aware of his reputation and does not want to deal with someone panicking or fainting – both have happened before, though usually when other people were there to handle the situation. The distance also allows Han Wenqing to recognize a fan jacket – Team Blue Rain – and a name tag – Xu Boyuan. Small characters next to the name indicate that he’s part of Blue Brook Guild’s division.
“So what are you doing here?”
“I think I got lost?”
Han Wenqing blinks. He’s heard of fans trying to use that excuse but Xu Boyuan seems honest and embarrassed and to be fair, Samsara’s stadium is a bit of a nightmare. He vividly remembers Xinjie studying floor plans when the alliance moved tournaments to bigger places like this one. “Where do you need to go?”
“Uhm.” Xu Boyuan is blushing less now – probably got over the initial shock. He pulls his seating info out of a pocket and stares at it for a moment before handing it over while muttering something so quietly Han Wenqing can’t possibly make out the words. He takes the ticket, glances at it and raises an eyebrow. He hasn’t paid attention to where the guild divisions are sitting but this area is at the other side of the stadium, getting lost is an understatement.
“Follow me,” he says, giving the paper back to Xu Boyuan and turning towards the right corridor.
“What?” There’s a brief pause before Xu Boyuan catches up to him with hurried steps. “You don’t have to trouble yourself!”, he says, and Han Wenqing raises a hand before he can elaborate.
“It’s no trouble. This is easier.”
“Alright.” Xu Boyuan apparently admits defeat so Han Wenqing starts walking again. “Thanks.”
“So, you work for Blue Brook,” he changes the topic to fill the silence and because he is a little curious. Even the experts from Tyrannical Ambition treat him like they fear him, it’s been a while since he met someone actually capable of making eye contact.
“Yes. I’m responsible for the guild on the tenth server.”
“My condolences.” It slips out before he can really think about it. He hasn’t paid much attention to server politics and alliances while leveling up his own character but even he has noticed the trouble Ye Xiu causes for everyone. The name Lord Grim is ever present on that server and Han Wenqing doubts that any player there is capable of handling the walking disaster that is Ye Xiu.
Xu Boyuan stares at him for a moment, looks like he wants to say something but then closes his mouth again. “Thanks,” is what he settles for instead. A wise decision. Han Wenqing is not willing to discuss his personal gaming habits with a stranger.
“What class do you play?”
“Blade Master.” He sounds a little embarrassed to admit that and Han Wenqing doesn’t understand why. Blue Rain and their guilds have a lot of Blade Masters but it’s not like there’s anything wrong with that. They’re fun to play, even if they pale to Strikers, in his personal opinion.
They make friendly conversation about Glory after that which is not something Han Wenqing is used to. He finds that he doesn’t really mind – it’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t keep stumbling over words out of needless fear. Xu Boyuan is refreshingly easy to talk to.
“Here.” He finally reaches the area where VIP-area and pro-area split up and stops where he stands. “Who the hell designed this.”
Xu Boyuan looks at him in confusion for a second, then glances towards the identical doors that show no indicator of where they lead. “Oh. Yeah, that’s a little weird. What if reporters got down here?”
Han Wenqing scoffs. There isn’t even security in this area – he should maybe have a talk with someone from Samsara about their stadium. Perhaps not Zhou Zekai, though, things would never get passed on reliably.
“Well, I should get going.” Xu Boyuan smiles at him and managing to catch Han Wenqing off guard with the gesture. Talking is one thing but a smile this bright? That’s unexpected. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” He inclines his head briefly and they part ways, Han Wenqing returning to his team bench where Zhang Xinjie greets him with a raised eyebrow and a glance at his watch.
“I didn’t know Ye Qiu was here.”
Han Wenqing, having just barely sat down, frowns at his vice-captain. “He’s not. Why would he be?”
Xinjie’s eyebrow rises a little further. “You have that look on your face.”
“What look?”
“…nevermind. What took you so long, then?”
“Ran into a guy, he was lost, I showed him the way.”
“Interesting.” Xinjie briefly focuses on the stage, then back at him. He looks like he’s running an analysis which is something Han Wenqing only appreciates when he is not the target. “Are you meeting him again?”
“Huh?” He frowns at the unexpected question, noticing how his teammates are pretending not to listen. Maybe he should make them run a few extra simulations. “I don’t know.” He probably wouldn’t mind – and the weekend is still long and there are a ton of aftershow parties to attend, a lot can happen.
~
What actually happens is that Ye Xiu shows off against Du Ming and everything else pales in comparison. Han Wenqing struggles to sort out his priorities and somehow manages to get through interviews and photos and whatever else the event throws at him. He wonders what possessed him to develop feelings for a man as infuriating as Ye Xiu even as he texts him to meet up. He’s still owed an explanation – about Excellent Era and that retirement – as well as a lot of kissing – just in general because he always wants to kiss Ye Xiu. They have a lot of things to sort out but Han Wenqing is confident that they can manage.
(2.5)
Lord Grim: so I met a guy :D
Desert Dust: oh?
Lord Grim: on 10th server
Lord Grim: he’s pretty great
Desert Dust: A new player?
Lord Grim: no a blue brook expert :D
Desert Dust: …
Desert Dust: Are you going to recruit him?
Lord Grim: maybe
Lord Grim: if I can
Lord Grim: he’s stubborn ;_;
Desert Dust: you’re impressed
Desert Dust: I want to meet him
(3)
Lord Grim: hey come dungeon with us!
Xu Boyuan stares at the message and knows he should decline. He could come up with some excuse or emergency but the truth is – he has nothing better to do. He is curious. He wants to play with Ye Qiu and his odd group of friends because it’s usually more fun than guild-quarrels. Besides, he can gather information if he meets up with them. That’s important, right? Everyone wants to know more about the Umbrella weapon. That’s the main reason he agrees, obviously.
Xu Boyuan knows he’s lying to himself even as he types his answer.
Blue River: fine
Blue River: where?
The reply is a set of coordinates and a string of happy looking emojis. Xu Boyuan has his character head out in the appropriate direction; some part of him convinced that he’s making a terrible mistake.
This part gets stronger when he arrives and does not see Soft Mist or Steamed Bun Invasion – not even One Inch Ash. Instead, there is a lone Striker called Vale Flood stoically accompanying a very active Lord Grim. The umbrella in his hands keeps shifting forms and the character does not stop moving around. Xu Boyuan can hear Ye Qiu’s chatter once he gets close enough for the voice chat to connect them but there’s no reaction from the other person.
“Uh, hey?”
“Little Blue!” Lord Grim’s movements stop and the umbrella gets placed on his shoulder. “You made it! Old Han, say hi.”
Old Han. As in Han Wenqing? Surely not – there are probably other people with the surname Han who play a Striker with a slightly menacing aura and who are able to keep up with Ye Qiu. Xu Boyuan stops himself from sighing. Who is even kidding? It’s probably Han Wenqing.
“Hello.” Han Wenqing sounds more or less friendly through the headphones. He also sounds a little wary like he’s not too keen on his presence here being known.
“Don’t worry,” Ye Qiu says before Xu Boyuan can even get a word in. “Little Blue won’t tell your secret, right?”
“Who would even believe me?” He can barely believe it himself. Maybe he is dreaming and he will soon wake up and have to deal with Poplar Beach instead. That might even be the safer option – he’s not entirely sure how he’s supposed to survive interacting with two people he has an embarrassing crush on. Maybe he can ask Zhou Xi to fake an emergency?
Ye Qiu laughs sweetly and sounds way too innocent for someone so shameless. “Fair enough,” he says, already having Lord Grim approach the dungeon entrance.
Xu Boyuan gets ready to have his character follow but then Vale Flood is suddenly in front of him. “Wait. You’re Xu Boyuan.” There’s no indicator that it’s a question. He kind of hoped to stay under the radar but that’s apparently not happening. Xu Boyuan really does not want to be reminded of All Stars and how much he enjoyed being pressed against a wall by Han Wenqing. He hadn’t even known he’d like that and now he can’t forget.
“Yes,” he admits after an awkward pause. There’s no use hiding it – he’d rather not be caught in a lie by Han Wenqing of all people.
“Hey, hold on!” Ye Qiu sounds absolutely scandalized and isn’t that a nice change for once? “You know each other, why do you know each other? How come none of you told me? When did you meet, how do you know his name, Old Han, even I don’t know his name! Why…”
“Could you shut up,” Han Wenqing interrupts the flow of words. “You sound like Huang Shaotian.”
Xu Boyuan is glad he’s not the one to bring that up. Hearing Ye Qiu talk so much is a little frightening – he admires Huang Shaotian, sure, but as a player. They guy is too much for him on a personal level.
“Ugh, why would you say that?” Lord Grim’s movements have stopped, possibly because Ye Qiu is still trying to wrap his head around things.
“Because it’s true.”
“We don’t actually know each other,” Xu Boyuan tries to get the conversation back on track. “We just met briefly at All Stars.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” It almost sounds like Ye Qiu is pouting and Xu Boyuan knows he should not be enamoured by that. Nothing about this dungeon run is working against his confusing feelings and they aren’t even in the dungeon yet.
“You kind of stole the show,” he sighs. “Everything else faded a little into the background.”
“That…”
“He’s right. You only have yourself to blame.”
“I see you’re already ganging up on me.” Ye Qiu moves Lord Grim forward with a dramatic swish of the umbrella. “Still, why did I never learn your name, Little Blue? I thought we were friends.”
Xu Boyuan sighs and almost runs his hand through his hair, just barely stopping himself when he remembers that would knock his headset off. “You never asked.”
Surprisingly, that shuts him up long enough they can actually move their characters into a dungeon without a guild spotting them. Xu Boyuan does not want to answer questions about what he’s doing when he doesn’t even know himself.
Watching duels between Han Wenqing and Ye Qiu is impressive. Watching them cooperate in their fighting is an experience. Xu Boyuan knows he’s a good player but he struggles a little to adjust to their pace, not quite used to running this dungeon so smoothly. It’s been a while since he played it with a group consisting only of experts.
His fingers are starting to feel sweaty as he tries to find a rhythm that works for everyone. Han Wenqing and Ye Qiu are mostly quiet but they work together effectively and Xu Boyuan is starting to feel like he’s slowing them down. It’s not a mindset he’d like to keep, especially because he knows it will cause him to mess up, so he stops Blue River in front of the first boss room and mutters an excuse before pulling off his headset.
Xu Boyuan wanders towards the bathroom, where he splashes water in his face, and towards the kitchen, where he gets himself a cold drink. The break helps and he is a lot calmer by the time he returns to his computer. It looks like Blue River is now flanked by two bodyguards, though the mess that is Lord Grim’s equipment ruins the image a little.
“I’m back,” he announces, placing his newly acquired iced tea next to the keyboard and having Blue River take a step forward.
“Everything alright?” Han Wenqing has barely spoken so far but Xu Boyuan thinks he can hear honest concern in his voice and that’s unexpected. It also does things to his brain he is unwilling to think about right now. Damning Zhou Xi for bringing up the whole ‘crushing on a pro player’-topic, he focuses back on the present.
“I’m good, yeah. Just needed to get something to drink.”
There’s no real answer, just a quick ready check and then they’re heading to the boss, Xu Boyuan now mostly relaxed. The fact that they waited for him so patiently is doing wonders for his nerves. He still has no clue why they seem to want to spend time with him but he enjoys it – Ye Qiu hasn’t even demanded materials.
The boss dies quickly under their combined attacks. Xu Boyuan has no hopes of reaching a pro player’s hand speed but he doesn’t have to, this is simple enough and he executes all the necessary manoeuvres flawlessly. His damage output does not lose to them in the end, it pays to have access to all the best equipment.
“I don’t need the loot,” Han Wenqing states when the boss drops a few things onto the floor. Nothing fancy, Xu Boyuan notices. He is briefly tempted to take something out of spite but then he’d have to explain where it came from and it’s not like Blue Brook could use anything so he might as well have Ye Qiu take it for the storage of his newly founded guild.
“Same here,” he says before Ye Qiu can ask and is met with brief silence before there is a satisfied sound and Lord Grim starts picking up the loot.
“You’re so good to me,” Ye Qiu almost hums. He sounds far too happy and Xu Boyuan wonders how much worse this will get – they have only beaten the first of three bosses yet.
“Don’t get used to it,” Han Wenqing grumbles, already having Vale Flood approach the next mob group. Xu Boyuan thinks for just a second, then decides that following him is the best option. The sooner they get this dungeon completed, the less likely it is that someone notices who he’s teamed up with.
Time goes by quickly as they slaughter their way through a labyrinth of caves, gathering XP and a few more boss drops for Lord Grim. The dungeon gets completed so easily that Xu Boyuan wonders if he might be able to join them again. He isn’t going to ask but he wouldn’t mind being invited again, if only to catch a break from having to teach new players the basics of teamplay.
“Hey, Little Blue,” Ye Qiu starts, then pauses. “Can I still call you that?”
“Uh, sure?” It doesn’t really bother him – he can pretend that a personal nickname is affectionate and that will not help get rid of his crush but will certainly make part of his brain very happy. “It’s not like I can stop you.”
Ye Qiu laughs and sounds honestly amused. “True. Give me your QQ?”
“What?”
“So I can make a group and we can team up again.”
Xu Boyuan blinks, stares at nothing and blinks again. Ye Qiu wants to go dungeoning with him again? He can have pro players on his friend list? People like Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing are talking to him? His brain is trying to freak out about the entire situation but it mostly just produces white noise and he hopes he does not actually make an embarrassing sound so close to his microphone. Carefully typing out his contact details, he sends off the message, then shuts down every electronic device in his room and screams into his pillow.
(3.5)
Blue River: won’t be online tonight
Lord Grim: °o°
Lord Grim: what happened ;_;
Blue River: Nothing!
Blue River: I’m fine
Blue River: just need some alone time
Lord Grim: ok ._.
Lord Grim: if you need me to beat someone up in game tell me!
Lord Grim: if its real life ask old han >:P
Blue River: …
Desert Dust: …
Desert Dust: no
Desert Dust: only in game
Lord Grim: :D
Blue River: that’s not necessary!
(4)
When Han Wenqing joins their small group for the evening, he can hear Xu Boyuan complain about something – not exactly in coherent words, he just seems generally unhappy with something and Han Wenqing frowns. People don’t usually assume that he cares and worries but he does and Xu Boyuan has become close to both him and Ye Xiu over the last few weeks. He doesn’t want to see him stressed.
“What happened?” he asks once he meets up with their characters, Xu Boyuan back to mostly playing Blue River. Han Wenqing has heard about the whole spy-/guild-manager-story but he’s not entirely sure about the details and it’s not his business, anyway.
“Just,” Xu Boyuan starts, then apparently hits the keyboard because Blue River does a few weird-looking moves. “So much. Everything. I don’t know.”
Han Wenqing isn’t sure how to reply. He’s not good at comforting people and he’s not sure how to tell someone they need a break. Xu Boyuan seems like he really should take a rest.
“My offer still stands,” Ye Xiu says while moving Lord Grim into the dungeon. They follow him quickly because they both know he will start the fight with or without them if they don’t watch out.
“I know.” Xu Boyuan sighs audibly and part of Han Wenqing is tempted to also offer him a place in Tyrannical Ambition. He respects Ye Xiu enough, though, to accept that his offer came first and should be a priority. It would be good for Xu Boyuan to be around someone like Ye Xiu – hardworking, yes, but also able to relax. On the other hand, Ye Xiu could use someone like Xu Boyuan who doesn’t put up with his mayhem and might even be able to reign it in a little.
Han Wenqing finds that he doesn’t mind the thought of them being together. Whether it’s friendship or maybe more, he’s not opposed to the idea. He’s also not entirely sure about the logistics and his own involvement, yet, but they can figure something out. Not now, though, they have a dungeon to run and a Blade Master to distract.
The distraction works surprisingly well. By the time they reach the first boss, Xu Boyuan has stopped complaining about unnecessary schemes and inter-guild-wars and he only whacks away the NPC monster with a little too much force. He’s also considerate enough to save those forceful strikes for the killing blows so no one has to run after a tumbling enemy.
The run goes as smoothly as all the others they’ve had over the last two weeks or so, all of them quickly getting used to the group dynamic and cooperation required by their class set up. They’re all experienced enough that Han Wenqing can spare a few hours a week for this – though not on match days or directly before. His schedule isn’t as strict as Xinjie’s but he’s still a professional.
“Hey, do you mind if someone joins us for the next run?” Ye Xiu suddenly asks, just as they’re splitting up the boss loot. Xu Boyuan rarely takes anything but Han Wenqing does not want this account associated with Tyrannical Ambition so he mostly relies on bosses for gear. This particular one dropped a nice headband, similar to the one Desert Dust is wearing though much less powerful and not of silver quality.
He stares at Ye Xiu for a moment, then shrugs. “Fine with me.”
“Yeah, sure.”
He wonders who it might be. It could be Su Mucheng but she’s usually busy with the mess that is today’s Excellent Era. Soft Mist has joined them before but decided she’d rather level on her own and Han Wenqing remembers a very odd encounter with Steamed Bun Invasion that he hopes not to repeat. The guy is skilled but also very unique in his approach to Glory.
No use asking question, he figures. They just have to finish the dungeon to get the answer. During the final boss fight Ye Xiu says something that Han Wenqing doesn’t quite catch – but that doesn’t really matter, it might have been trash talk, the important part is Xu Boyuan’s reaction.
“Wow,” Ye Xiu comments while dodging another attack. “I think that’s the first time I’ve you laugh.”
“Wha- surely not!”
“Totally! I remember all our encounters.” Lord Grim fires off his Anti-Tank Missiles while jumping back, briefly pointing the umbrella towards Blue River. “You maybe laughed a little but not like this.”
“Like what?” There’s a hint of insecurity in Xu Boyuan’s voice and Han Wenqing scoffs. Ye Xiu really needs to work on his ability to give compliments that don’t also sound like half an insult.
“Genuine? I think. It’s nice.”
“Uh.”
Deciding to save Xu Boyuan from further awkwardness and embarrassment, Han Wenqing kills off the boss and directs their attention to the loot. Nothing of interest, so Ye Xiu happily picks it all up for his guild and weapon development. “You wanted us to meet someone,” he states once they exit the dungeon – his brain already including Xu Boyuan in this. He should think about that later, once he’s alone.
“Yes! He’ll be right there.”
The character that joins their group just moments later is called One Inch Ash and Han Wenqing remembers seeing that name when he checked dungeon records and forum posts. Another new player Ye Xiu has picked up, presumably.
The voice that greets them after that sounds vaguely familiar. It also sounds very young and Han Wenqing stares at the screen while trying to figure out what exactly is going on. “I’ll be ready in a minute, senior!” There’s some rustling, like a person taking off a headset and shuffling away from the computer.
“Was that a kid?” He has to keep telling himself to breathe so he doesn’t facepalm or reach through the monitor to strangle Ye Xiu. Someone really needs to do damage control for him.
“Yeah, so? We were younger when we started playing Glory.”
That much is true. It still doesn’t explain why Ye Xiu is mentoring a kid while also teaching Soft Mist and Steamed Bun. “So he wants to be a pro?”
“He is one, technically.”
Han Wenqing blinks and takes a deep breath. If Ye Xiu doesn’t offer a proper explanation soon, he will get on a plane to Hangzhou and demand one in person. “What,” he says, hoping to bring the message across.
“Well, he’s technically with Tiny Herb. But he doesn’t really get the attention he deserves there, so I’m taking care of him.”
So the kid is Qiao Yifan. A lot of things suddenly make sense and Han Wenqing decides he does not want to deal with the headache the full story would bring. Qiao Yifan seems like a good guy and mentoring from Ye Xiu is one of the best things that could happen to rookies.
“You poached from Tiny Herb?” Xu Boyuan almost squeals and honestly, Han Wenqing understands. He just has better control over himself. “You … why are you like this?”
“Like what?”
There’s a sound from Xu Boyuan that sounds like he wants to strangle Ye Xiu now – which is, apparently, a common occurrence among veterans on the tenth server. “Nevermind. Are we good to go?”
(4.5)
Blue River: fucking hell
Blue River: the coffee machine broke
Blue River: how will I survive +_+
Blue River: …
Blue River: HOLD ON WRONG CHAT
Blue River: ignore that
Lord Grim: lol too late
Lord Grim: is there no other coffee machine??
Blue River: no one else here drinks coffee ;_;
Lord Grim: yu wenzhou does!
Blue River: …
Blue River: …not gonna ask him
Lord Grim: :D
Lord Grim: steal a cup?
Blue River: his machine is fingerprint locked
Lord Grim: wtf
Desert Dust: what
Blue River: so Huang Shaotian doesn’t get coffee
Lord Grim: lol
Desert Dust: a wise decision
Lord Grim: makes sense
(5)
“Hey, Xu Boyuan!”
He hears Zhou Xi’s yell before he’s even really left his room and is tempted to go right back in. It’s too early for so much noise and he hasn’t had any caffeine – can’t even have any, the damn machine’s still broken after half a week. He needs his coffee, he almost fell asleep last night when he ran a dungeon with Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing and that was more embarrassing than anything else that happened before.
Crawling back under the covers is not an option, though, so he slowly wanders into the common area. Zhou Xi is there, too excited for someone who also can’t have been up long. There’s a package next to him and Xu Boyuan frowns. They’re not expecting any new hardware for the guild department, so what can it be?
“You know anyone in Qingdao?”
“Huh?” All he knows about Qingdao is that it’s where Tyranny and Tyrannical Ambition are located. He doesn’t know anyone there – except Han Wenqing, a little, but that thought is so absurd that he immediately pushes it aside.
“Well, it’s for you. From Qingdao. So?”
“What.” He could maybe come up with an explanation for a package meant for the guild but a personal one? Did he order something and then forget? Xu Boyuan is too confused to notice the kitchen knife Zhou Xi is presenting to him until a finger jabs him in the ribs.
“Come on, open it!”
“Right.” He takes the knife, steps closer to the package and stares at the label for a moment – no indication toward the sender but definitely his name over the address. Carefully, he opens the box, making sure not to damage any possible contents. The thought that it could be hate mail from a member of Tyrannical Ambition crosses his mind briefly, but he figures they wouldn’t be this petty or bring their contest into real life. “Don’t rush me,” he says when Zhou Xi is practically vibrating while trying to stare over his shoulder.
The first thing that falls into his hands is a small piece of paper and he hears a gasped “holy shit” from Zhou Xi. “Dude, you got a personal coffee machine? That looks super expensive!” Zhou Xi whips out his phone, probably to look up the price, but Xu Boyuan’s gaze is fixed on the little paper.
This one won’t break, it says, followed by what looks very much like Han Wenqing’s signature. This doesn’t make sense. Maybe he’s dreaming and when he wakes up, he’s still not able to get coffee without wandering out to a café. The punch that hits his shoulder a moment later feels very real, though, and he yelps before glaring at Zhou Xi.
“The fuck?”
“I should be saying that! Do you know how much this is worth? Where did you get that?” There are numbers and symbols on the phone screen that’s being shoved into his face but they don’t make much sense.
“Hold on, is that from Han Wenqing?!” Zhou Xi tries to grab the note but he holds it away and glares at his friend for a moment. “How close are you to him?” There’s a dangerous spark in Zhou Xi’s eyes and Xu Boyuan is not willing to deal with his love for gossip. Especially when there’s not even something to tell.
“We’re not that close, we just hang out.”
“You … Xu Boyuan. You just hang out? With Ye Qiu and now also with Han Wenqing? What the fuck.”
“Don’t make a big deal out of this.”
“It is a big deal, though? Did you forget who we’re talking about? They’re taking the time to play with you, specifically, and now you’re getting gifts? What is going on?” Zhou Xi looks a bit like he wants to shake him but then, suddenly, his eyes light up in a way that never suggests anything good. Xu Boyuan sometimes thinks that all healers have this mischievous streak that helps them deal with the job.
“Don’t,”, he says weaky, not really expecting it to work. He’s the guild leader in game but right now, he’s just a guy without coffee and apparently odd gaming company.
“They’re rivals in everything, right? Are they now fighting over you?”
“What the hell.”
“It makes perfect sense! Ye Qiu is totally into you and Han Wenqing caught that, so now they’re competing over who gets to woo you.”
“Please never say that again.” And maybe read fewer romance novels but he knows saying that is futile because Zhou Xi would not step away from his favourite hobby.
“You’ll see, I’m totally right.”
“No. I mean, why would they even be interested in someone like me?”
“You know, that’s actually a great question.”
“Thanks.”
“But!” Zhou Xi pokes at his chest, then gestures to the coffee machine that’s now just sitting on the table. “Maybe you’re their type? Come on, are you complaining?”
“Uh…”
“Don’t think so much. Use this as a chance to get laid.” He groans while Zhou Xi pats his shoulder. Before he can retort, Zhou Xi is already stepping back. “Now try out your fancy new machine and then come join us for a few dungeon runs, we still have things to do.”
He sighs but does turn to find the manual and finally get some caffeine into his system. The whole having to do things is what makes up most of his problems, lately. He loves Blue Brook Guild and his friends and playing with them but he hasn’t really been able to enjoy it in a while. Maybe that’s why he so readily agrees when Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing come up and ask him to join their team – he can forget about responsibilities during these runs, about all the fighting and scheming and being stressed.
~
The coffee is divine and that is about the only good thing about this day. Han Wenqing included a pack of high quality beans and Xu Boyuan feels like it’s all that’s stopping him from yelling at people as he gets continuously more exhausted. There’s just so much bullshit to deal with – someone tries to steal from the guild storage and it causes more fights with other guilds; a dungeon run gets cancelled halfway through because a couple’s yelling at each other and they refuse to go back on speaking terms. On top of that, Poplar Beach keeps showing up just to be a jerk.
By the time Xu Boyuan receives the notification that Lord Grim has come online, he is running on spite and caffeine and though he knows he shouldn’t skip meals, he’s too wound up to even consider eating.
Blue River: are you free?
Lord Grim: sure
Lord Grim: miss me that much? (^_-)
Blue River: no
It’s a lie, at least a little. He’s not about to admit that, though. Ye Qiu’s ego seems big enough as it is, Xu Boyuan doesn’t need to add to it. He’s also not ready to ask for the record guides Changing Spring told him to get – the friendship is still too fresh to go back to a business side without feeling awkward. Ye Qiu is much less of a menace when he spends time with you of his own volition.
Blue River: just need a break from drama
Lord Grim: lmao
Lord Grim: come over then
Lord Grim: let’s kill some things
Killing things might not be the appropriate way to handle stress but Xu Boyuan is in. Fighting monsters without having to yell instructions sounds lovely, he thinks. Not worrying about group positioning and then having that ignored even more so. He briefly considers digging Peerless Looks out but whenever he goes to that account, Happy’s newbies throw a barrage of questions at him and he’s not able to deal with that right now.
Blue River: be right there!
He logs out, grabs an unused open account, and sends Ye Qiu the name via QQ. Turquoise Flower is also a Blade Master but it’s anonymous and has been levelled up enough that he won’t lag behind or be forced to drag Lord Grim into a low-level area.
It helps. He feels himself unwind, his thoughts calm down and his shoulders relax. This is why he’s still considering taking up the offer of joining Happy for good. It wouldn’t mean having to leave his friends behind, right? He could still talk to them, but without the stress of work and the guild’s reputation constantly lurking in the back of his mind, even when he’s technically having free time.
Going to Happy sounds more and more tempting even if he can’t keep telling himself it’s just friendship. It is just friendship but his brain keeps coming up with dreams and fantasies that he’s powerless against.
“Are you alright, Little Blue?”
“Huh?” They’re at the second boss, just him and Ye Qiu because Han Wenqing is busy preparing for tomorrow’s match. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seem distracted.”
“Uh.”
“You know you can vent if you need to, right?”
“I … yes. Thanks.”
“Great. You ready for the boss?”
Xu Boyuan cannot help but smile at the change of tone in Ye Qiu’s voice. For a moment, he sounded genuinely concerned. Now he’s back to being excited about Glory. It’s endearing. “Let’s do this,” he says. With just two people, the boss takes a little more careful manoeuvring than with a group but it works out and Xu Boyuan even gets a nice pair of gloves for Turquoise Flower so the account can perform a little better.
“If I were to join Happy,” he starts when they’re back to fighting their way through mobs, “how would we do that?”
Ye Qiu is quiet for a long moment, Lord Grim almost motionless after dispatching a monster. The silence stretches on for so long that Xu Boyuan is starting to worry but then he finally receives a reply. “I’d have to talk to my boss, I just … we’d love to have you, obviously! Don’t know how much we can pay, though?”
“As long as it’s not nothing, I’m sure we can come to an agreement.”
“Huh, you thought about this already.”
“I did.” Admitting it isn’t easy but talking about it feels right, somehow. He’s doing this for himself because otherwise, the stress will win and he might quit Glory altogether. He doesn’t want that.
“Well, I’ll get boss to talk to you about that. Although…”
“Hm?” He performs a few attacks to kill another monster and turns his character to Lord Grim so they can be face to face at least virtually.
“Well, there’s a little issue of space. Tiny, really. I don’t think we have an extra room?”
Xu Boyuan stares at his screen, hearing the words but not entirely processing them. Ye Qiu sounds embarrassed and up until now, he had not thought that possible. Fascinating. He’s curious what other sides he might get to know when they’re living in more or less the same space.
“You could share with me, I don’t mind. Or we could …”
There’s more being said, he just doesn’t catch any of it. His brain is like a broken record, repeating over and over again what Ye Qiu just said. It goes on for so long that he starts wondering if he might have spaced out completely but then Ye Qiu’s voice slowly starts coming back and he’s still talking about the living situation he is apparently in? Xu Boyuan isn’t entirely sure he’s not being pranked via hidden camera right now.
“Hey, you there?”
“Yes, of course.” He straightens his back and tries to shake off the confusion. Ye Qiu is a menace, sure, but he wouldn’t prank someone like this. “Uh, sharing is fine.”
Sometimes, his mouth is faster than his brain. It doesn’t happen often but he knows it will get him in trouble one day. Why would he agree to this? To make himself suffer? He really needs to stop being dramatic.
“Great! I’ll tell the boss to contact you.” The sentence is accompanied by a little smiley face in the chat and Xu Boyuan grins at that. He has no idea how to tell his guild but he’s sure he’ll figure something out. For now, he’s already feeling better.
(5.5)
Blue River: so
Blue River: everything worked out
Lord Grim: (/◕ヮ◕)/
Lord Grim: when are you here
Blue River: after new year
Blue River: February first
Lord Grim: okay (^_^)
Lord Grim: we’ll be ready!