Chapter 9
Jiang Zhong leaned back in his chair, holding his phone in one hand, repeatedly unlocking and locking the screen, hesitating whether to send a message to Xi Qin.
Since the unexpected coming out that night, Xi Qin hadn’t returned to the dorm for a week and hadn’t initiated any messages to Jiang Zhong.
Jiang Zhong seemed to be… missing him a bit.
“Damn it!” Deng Letian suddenly shouted.
Jiang Zhong was startled, wondering if he had accidentally blurted out his feelings of missing Xi Qin.
“Come over and take a look,” Deng Letian called to Jiang Zhong and Xiao Yuan, “I found a game streamer.”
Jiang Zhong lazily got up, feeling uninterested.
Deng Letian enjoyed watching various live streams, and all the streamers were female.
Of course, this comment didn’t imply that Deng Letian was gay and thus didn’t like women… although it’s true, he is gay and doesn’t like women.
The main reason was that the live streams Deng Letian watched were often quite… dull, except for the streamer’s face.
But Deng Letian was endlessly entertained and had even given many gifts.
As a gay man, Jiang Zhong didn’t understand it. Wouldn’t it be better to spend that money treating girls around him to milk tea? Maybe he’d even end up dating someone.
This time, Deng Letian had found a game streamer who was both attractive and skilled at gaming—”a pretty face and talent”…
Deng Letian said, “It looks like it’s Xi Qin!”
Jiang Zhong almost stumbled, quickly stabilizing himself and rushed to Deng Letian’s seat.
“Look,” Deng Letian pointed to the account currently streaming, “It’s this account number 1, ‘xixixi’. Isn’t that Xi Qin’s game account?”
“It is,” Jiang Zhong confirmed. Although he didn’t play this game much, Xi Qin’s game name was simple and easy to remember, so he remembered it clearly.
“His voice is also recognizable,” Deng Letian said, wearing headphones. “There are quite a few viewers, and the bullet screen calls him ‘¹Xi Shen’.”
“Xi Qin seems to be quite famous,” Deng Letian concluded.
“What platform is this?” Jiang Zhong returned to his seat and asked while opening his computer.
“XX Live Stream, room number 6xxxx5,” Deng Letian replied.
Jiang Zhong found Xi Qin’s live stream using the room number. Xi Qin’s name in the live stream was the same as his game name, “xixixi,” and “Xi Shen” was the fans’ nickname for him.
Xi Qin didn’t show his face but had the microphone on. Jiang Zhong put on his headphones.
Jiang Zhong thought he would hear Xi Qin explaining, but he didn’t, Xi Qin only called out enemy locations or answered questions when asked.
The other three people in the game seemed to be Xi Qin’s fans, chatting and laughing non-stop.
The game had just started, with 53 players still alive.
Jiang Zhong watched the live stream intently, quickly finding enjoyment in it, occasionally checking the bullet screen and watching Xi Qin’s in-game character.
Different from when Xi Qin played with Jiang Zhong, Xi Qin played aggressively, only slowing down when his three teammates couldn’t keep up with him.
Jiang Zhong compared secretly and noticed that Xi Qin was more considerate towards him, giving him equipment and making sure he stayed close. Otherwise, his poor skills would never keep up with Xi Qin’s pace.
As the game progressed, only 21 players remained.
Xi Qin’s two teammates had been knocked down once but were revived by Xi Qin. Now they were getting tense and no longer discussing unrelated topics in the game.
The number of players kept decreasing. Xi Qin looted a ²ghillie suit from a defeated opponent, crouched behind a dirt mound, and constantly shifted his view.
A teammate, number 3, was suddenly hit and, before he could reach cover, was eliminated. Fortunately, he had seen the sniper’s position before dying.
Xi Qin accurately focused on the position reported by teammate number 3 and saw a ghillie-suited player retreating behind a tree.
The ghillie suit player was also aware of the risk of exposure after shooting, so he was preparing to find a new cover.
Xi Qin didn’t shoot recklessly but kept his eyes on the tree.
After a while, the ghillie suit player cautiously poked out a small part of their head. Xi Qin decisively pressed the scope and shoot buttons simultaneously.
Jiang Zhong was dazzled by the quick action. A message popped up on the screen:
【xixixi knocked out lurenjia with a Kar98k headshot】
Jiang Zhong: “!!!”
What just happened?
Jiang Zhong looked at the bullet screen for answers. After a brief pause, it began to flow rapidly.
The comments from the audience were numerous and unified in excitement, to the point where Jiang Zhong could barely recognize the word “handsome.”
After carefully reading the comments, Jiang Zhong finally understood that Xi Qin’s action was called a “quick scope.”
As a novice in gaming, Jiang Zhong didn’t know what a “quick scope” was, so he quickly searched for it on his phone.
Then, as viewers began to focus on the ongoing game, a comment came in late:
【Ah, quick scope! Xi Shen is so handsome!!!】
The username was still an unregistered guest account.
At this moment, Xi Qin was hiding behind a large rock, using a medkit.
【This friend, your network delay is a bit long】
【Haha, how silly】
【The reflex arc could circle the Earth twice】
—
Jiang Zhong awkwardly laughed. He felt his actions were silly, but at that moment, he just wanted to praise Xi Qin—saying that Xi Shen is so handsome!
The game ended, and Xi Qin won with 12 kills.
Jiang Zhong seized the opportunity to register an account and, upon returning, he saw someone sending gifts to Xi Qin. Many gifts appeared in rapid succession, with full-screen notifications.
At the same time, a comment appeared:
【Thank you, Xi Shen, for giving us the ³chicken dinner】
Jiang Zhong realized it was from the people who had just teamed up with Xi Qin.
Jiang Zhong took off his headphones and hesitated before speaking, “Um, Letian—”
Deng Letian didn’t hear anything because he was wearing headphones, so Jiang Zhong had to raise his voice.
“What’s up?” Deng Letian turned around in confusion.
“…How do you send gifts to streamers?” Jiang Zhong asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. He seemed to understand why Deng Letian gave gifts to female streamers.
Deng Letian explained the process. Jiang Zhong followed his instructions, topped up some money, and sent a few medium-sized gifts to Xi Qin, blending in with the other gift-givers without attracting attention.
Next, Xi Qin randomly teamed up with three fans. The fans’ ranks were lower, and their opponents weren’t as skilled as in his solo matches, so they won another chicken dinner.
After the game, more gifts were given.
Jiang Zhong watched from start to finish and, after Xi Qin’s stream ended, he finally sent the message he had hesitated over for a long time:
【Are you free this Saturday?】
Xi Qin, who had just picked up his phone, replied quickly:
【What’s up?】
【Jiang Zhong: This Saturday is my birthday. Letian and the others are insisting I treat them to a meal, so I thought I’d invite you too.】
【Jiang Zhong: If you’re free, come. If you’re busy, it’s fine.】
【Xi Qin: Okay, I’m free.】
【Jiang Zhong: I’ll let you know once I book the place.】
Xi Qin didn’t wait for Jiang Zhong to send a message, he returned to the dorm early on Saturday morning.
At that time, Jiang Zhong was brushing his teeth on the balcony. Deng Letian and Xiao Yuan were still in bed. Xi Qin used his key to open the door and exchanged glances with Jiang Zhong through the sliding door.
Jiang Zhong, with toothpaste foam in his mouth, quickly looked away, his heart racing violently.
After more than a week, the first thing that came to mind when seeing Xi Qin was Xi Qin’s words “I like men” and the “Happy Birthday” message Xi Qin had sent at midnight last night.
Jiang Zhong lowered his head to brush his teeth, but his eyes couldn’t help but glance at Xi Qin.
It seemed Xi Qin first went to Jiang Zhong’s spot, stayed there for a while, then returned to his own place.
After washing his face and going inside, Jiang Zhong saw a gift bag on his desk.
“Thank you,” Jiang Zhong said softly.
“Hope you like it,” Xi Qin smiled.
Xi Qin gave Jiang Zhong a black brand crossbody bag, simple and elegant. Jiang Zhong wore it out that day.
Jiang Zhong invited not only his three roommates but also a few classmates he was close with and some friends from other departments, including Xu Shanshan.
University gatherings usually involve either eating or karaoke. After the meal, Jiang Zhong booked a large private room at a nearby KTV, and everyone was excited to sing.
In order to avoid misunderstandings, Xu Shanshan brought her boyfriend, and they were sweetly singing love songs together.
Jiang Zhong, feeling overwhelmed, moved to Xi Qin’s side. They exchanged glances, silently expressing their shared single status.
“What have you been busy with lately?” Jiang Zhong opened a bottle of water he hadn’t tried before and took a sip, pretending not to know about Xi Qin’s live streaming, “You haven’t been back to the dorm for many days.”
“Nothing much,” Xi Qin said, “I’m not as busy as you. We’re both just second-year students, how could I be busier than you?”
Jiang Zhong thought, ‘Not only are you a popular streamer, but I also know your little secret. I even sent you gifts.’
Thinking of this, Jiang Zhong laughed and said, “If you’re not busy, why do you always leave in a hurry after class? I barely see you outside of class hours.”
Before Xi Qin could speak, Jiang Zhong continued, “If it weren’t for your normal tone when talking to me, I’d suspect I’ve offended you again.”
“No,” Xi Qin looked into Jiang Zhong’s eyes, “I mainly wanted to give you some time.”
This statement was hard to analyze. Jiang Zhong’s heart raced: “Give… give me time for what?”
Xi Qin made a thoughtful “mm” sound, seemed troubled, and after a while, asked, “Are you homophobic?”
Jiang Zhong widened his eyes in disbelief: “I’m homophobic?”
‘I’m gay myself, how could I be homophobic?’
—
¹”Xi Shen” (熙神) is a nickname combining “Xi” (熙), which is likely taken from Xi Qin’s name, and “Shen” (神), meaning “god” or “deity” in Chinese. It’s supposed to be God Xi but I just like the pinyin one.
²”ghillie suit” is a type of camouflage clothing designed to resemble heavy foliage, such as leaves, twigs, and branches, used by military snipers, hunters, and others to blend into natural environments.
³”Chicken dinner” is a term used in gaming, particularly in battle royale games like PUBG, to signify a victory. The phrase “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” is displayed when a player or team wins a match. It implies that the victors get a reward, similar to enjoying a celebratory meal.