Chapter 90

The influence of the professional eSports league had become enormous, especially since the game Gu Yang developed had been popular for years without losing its appeal. As a result, the attention around the World Championship was massive.

Some fans and players had even booked their tickets for the World Championship early, afraid of missing out when the time came.

By the time the event approached, the city was filled with players and fans from all over the world.

Both the host city and Gu Yang’s company were taking this World Championship seriously. They had arranged for the teams from different countries to stay in well-known, high-end resorts with all the best facilities to ensure the players could adjust and be in top form during their time abroad.

Chu Yan had arrived a week early to spend time with the little one.

The little one was overjoyed.

He had always liked Chu Yan, and after coming to the U.S., he hadn’t gone to kindergarten. Instead, he had a tutor at home, so he hadn’t made many new friends. With Lin Xiaoran and Gu Yang both working, the house was only filled with the nanny and tutor, leaving him feeling somewhat lonely.

But with Chu Yan there, he had a playmate.

However, Chu Yan could only stay for one week before he had to rejoin his team. They needed to adjust their schedules and train intensively before the tournament started, and they also wanted to arrange practice matches with two international teams, so time was tight.

Gu Yang had been busy with the World Championship preparations too, often staying late at work and coming home only after midnight.

This left the little one feeling even more lonely.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Xiaoran had just finished his shower and came out to see the little one curled up on the couch, holding a toy but not playing with it. His head was down, and his little lips were puffed up in a pout, looking a little upset.

Lin Xiaoran quickly went over and picked him up, feeling a little heartbroken.

The little one looked up, his big eyes blinking as he spoke in his soft voice: “Brother left, and no one is playing with me. Daddy doesn’t spend time with me either. I haven’t seen him for so long. What’s he busy with?”

Gu Yang had indeed been very busy lately. He was leaving before the little one woke up and coming home after he had already fallen asleep. It had been several days since the little one had seen him.

Although the little one always seemed to cling to Lin Xiaoran, he was just as attached to Gu Yang.

Gu Yang was better at playing with the little one than Lin Xiaoran. On weekends, Lin Xiaoran would wake up, and the father and son would play in bed for half the morning. They didn’t even know what they were playing, but the little one was always so happy.

Now, they barely had any chance to see Gu Yang, which must have made the little one feel sad.

“Papa is working very hard these days. Once he’s done with this busy period, he’ll take you to the amusement park and bring brother along. How about that?” Lin Xiaoran kissed his little round face and tried to cheer him up.

The little one was easy to please and immediately raised his hands in approval: “Okay! Daddy, Papa, and Brother, and me, we’ll go together. I want to eat cotton candy. Can I have two?”

“Of course, you can have two cotton candies. And tonight, you can sleep with me. How does that sound?”

“Really?” The little one threw his arms around Lin Xiaoran’s neck, smiling so widely that his teeth showed, “I’m so happy! I haven’t slept with Daddy in so long. But…” He suddenly thought of something, “What about Papa? Where will Papa sleep?”

The little one had been taking up more and more space when sleeping. He used to sleep soundly between the two of them, but now he tossed and turned in the middle of the night. His movements took up more space than a single bed could offer.

The last two times, when he insisted on sleeping with Lin Xiaoran, Gu Yang had to go to the guest room after being constantly disturbed by the little one.

So, occasionally when the little one slept with Lin Xiaoran, Gu Yang would have to sleep in the guest room.

Every time Gu Yang walked out with his pillow, he would throw an annoyed glance at the little one.

The little one was still concerned about Papa, even though he was feeling upset himself.

“It’s okay. Papa’s an adult, so he can sleep in the guest room,” Lin Xiaoran said, picking up the little one and heading upstairs to the bedroom.

The little one, his bright eyes turning as he thought for a moment, then forgot about Papa and happily snuggled against Lin Xiaoran.

That night, when Gu Yang returned home, he found the little one in his usual spot, sleeping soundly like a little pig.

He gently pinched the chubby face, but the little one didn’t wake up. With a roll, he turned over and stayed fast asleep.

Lin Xiaoran, who had woken up the moment Gu Yang entered, saw what he was doing and kicked him softly, whispering, “Don’t wake him up.”

Gu Yang, grinning, grabbed his foot and playfully teased him.

Lin Xiaoran’s feet were especially sensitive, and as soon as they touched, he couldn’t help but laugh. However, he quickly pulled his foot back, worried about disturbing the little one. “Go to sleep.”

Gu Yang was tempted to keep teasing him, but with the little one nearby, it didn’t seem appropriate. He only managed to take a little advantage before heading to the guest room, resigned.

But Lin Xiaoran softly called out to him, “Sleep in a little longer tomorrow morning. The little one missed you.”

The room was dark, with only the faint light from the hallway spilling in, illuminating the little one’s rosy face.

Gu Yang felt a pang of tenderness. He walked back, kissed the little one’s soft face, then turned to Lin Xiaoran, who was beside him. He winked and lowered his voice, asking with a teasing tone, “Is it just him who missed me? Don’t you miss me… hmm?”

He leaned in, taking advantage of the situation.

Lin Xiaoran wasn’t fond of being affectionate in this setting and pushed him away gently. “Stop it. Our son is right there.”

Gu Yang didn’t back off, though. As soon as he had Lin Xiaoran close, he couldn’t resist teasing him more, rubbing his face against him. “Want to come to the guest room with me?” he asked, his hand moving to take advantage again.

Lin Xiaoran quickly pushed him away, “I said I’m staying with him tonight… Hey!”

Before Lin Xiaoran could finish speaking, Gu Yang swept him off his feet, holding him around the waist. Lin Xiaoran instinctively wrapped his arms around Gu Yang’s neck. Gu Yang, like a mischievous teenager, quickly carried him towards the guest room, whispering with a wicked grin in his ear, “He sleeps like a little pig, he won’t notice. I’ll send you back before sunrise.”

So, the two snuck into the guest room like thieves, indulging in their illicit fun.

The little one slept soundly until morning, only waking up to find his father still beside him, completely unaware that he had been abandoned in the middle of the night. It wasn’t until he was snuggling with Lin Xiaoran that he noticed the suspicious red marks on Lin Xiaoran’s neck. His face filled with concern as he puffed his cheeks and tried to blow on the marks, muttering, “Mosquitoes are bad guys. They always bite Daddy. I’ll blow on it for you, and it’ll be better.”

His innocent and thoughtful gesture made Lin Xiaoran feel very guilty. He silently promised himself that next time he wouldn’t let Gu Yang distract him and would spend the night properly with the little one.

However, the little one was in a great mood. Gu Yang, realizing that he had been neglecting his son recently, took a day off to play with him. That evening, he picked up Lin Xiaoran and the little one from the hospital, and they had dinner together before returning home.

Afterward, it was back to the grind—because the World Championship had started.

Due to Chu Yan’s involvement, Lin Xiaoran had been paying a bit more attention to the tournament schedule. Chu Yan’s team was one of the world’s strongest, and they were sailing smoothly towards a championship.

Even some of Lin Xiaoran’s colleagues were fans of Chu Yan’s team.

“Oh, this must be fake! Did God Yan get hurt? This is a violent incident; people like that shouldn’t even be allowed to compete!”

“Oh my god! My God Yan, did he injure his hand? Which team did the player who attacked him belong to? They should disqualify them!”

“No, they should call the police. That player should be arrested.”

“That’s terrifying! An esports player’s hands are their life! If his hand is really injured, how will he play in the next matches?”

After finishing his work, Lin Xiaoran returned to his department, where he overheard some die-hard fans discussing Chu Yan’s situation in relation to the World Championship. A hint of concern flashed across his clear eyes. Before he could inquire, Gu Yang’s call came in.

“Chu Yan got hurt, but it’s not serious. Don’t worry too much,” Gu Yang informed him.

The incident had just happened.

As a professional player, Chu Yan hadn’t been playing much over the past few years because he had been focused on school, leaving him with little time for gaming.

But his competitive form hadn’t declined, and due to his immense popularity, he was always included in the annual roster submitted by his team. Even in the few times he had played recently, he still performed at a top-level standard.

For this World Championship, Chu Yan was on the roster, but the plan was for him not to play. In order to ensure the best performance from the team, the coach believed that the regular starting lineup was the safest choice.

However, unexpectedly, during the later rounds, one of the key players fell ill, and Chu Yan had to step in as a substitute.

For fans, this was a bonus, as it was hard to see God Yan in action these days, let alone at the World Championship.

But because it was the World Championship, many fans were worried that Chu Yan wouldn’t mesh well with the team, or that his lack of recent playtime would affect his performance.

Even many foreign media outlets began to criticize his team because of this.

Before their match against the Korean team, many foreign media predicted that they would lose due to the strength of the opposing team, with the biggest factor being Chu Yan’s uncertain performance.

Some media outlets even shamelessly referred to Chu Yan as a “popular face without skill,” claiming that his team was desperate enough to put him on the roster as a filler.

As a result, Chu Yan’s fans strongly protested online, but Chu Yan said nothing. Instead, he responded with a stunning performance in the next match, winning the MVP of that game.

The worst part was when the Korean team’s popular player, who had talked big before the match, got completely shut down by Chu Yan in a solo game. He couldn’t even land a single hit on Chu Yan.

After the match, the player angrily smashed his keyboard and stormed off, with many opportunistic media outlets claiming that he was sore-loser and lacked sportsmanship.

But for Chu Yan, it wasn’t even a side note. He was focused on the game, not on the people.

However, the Korean player saw things differently.

Just a short time ago, after watching a match from another team to determine their next opponent, Chu Yan and his teammates were heading to the backstage area when that same popular Korean player blocked his way and started attacking him.

It wasn’t much of a fight, though; it was more one-sided violence. During the World Championship, any violent incidents would lead to a suspension for the entire team, and Chu Yan knew this. So, he didn’t retaliate at all.

The Korean player’s goal was to provoke Chu Yan into fighting back, so that their team would be disqualified. But when he saw that Chu Yan was determined not to strike back, the player resorted to trying to harm Chu Yan’s hand.

When someone noticed, the player’s foot was pressing hard on Chu Yan’s hand.

The crowd shouted out, and many people rushed over, witnessing the scene with their own eyes. Some quick-minded spectators even took photos and uploaded them online.

Chu Yan’s popularity in the country had already been high, and after his stunning performance in the World Championship, combined with his good looks, a flood of new fans from all over the world appeared overnight. However, just a couple of days later, news of the violent incident broke, sparking a media frenzy. The topic of “God Yan’s injury” quickly became a trending issue in many countries.

As the organizer, Gu Yang received the news right away.

He went to check on Chu Yan and confirmed that his hand was fine. Then he immediately called Lin Xiaoran, worried that Lin Xiaoran might see the news online and become concerned.

Despite his reassurances, Lin Xiaoran still felt uneasy.

After work that evening, Lin Xiaoran brought the little one with him to visit Chu Yan.

Chu Yan’s injuries were all surface wounds, and after some treatment, he returned to the hotel to rest in his room.

When Lin Xiaoran and the little one arrived, Chu Yan was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to comfort Yan Huai.

In fact, as long as his hand wasn’t hurt and the team wasn’t affected by the incident, Chu Yan didn’t pay much attention to the violence. He knew the organizing committee would handle it, and the police had already been involved—there was no way the aggressor would get away.

However, Yan Huai, after hearing about the incident, rushed over and his face was practically as dark as thunder.

Chu Yan could tell he was angry—furious, in fact. But beyond that, there seemed to be another emotion at play. It was almost as if… he was feeling sorry for Chu Yan.

Chu Yan wasn’t sure, but every time his gaze met Yan Huai’s, his heart inexplicably raced. He couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling.

Lately, when he was alone with Yan Huai, he often felt nervous.

Especially now, with Yan Huai looking at him with such a tender, worried expression—it made his heart beat even faster.

Fortunately, when Lin Xiaoran and the little one entered, he breathed a sigh of relief, smiling and greeting them. “Brother, you’re here? Make some room, did you miss me?”

The little one had been worried about Chu Yan’s injury, so when he saw him, he immediately rushed over. Seeing the bandage on Chu Yan’s hand and the bruises on his face, the little one’s heart ached. He gently held Chu Yan’s hand and, in his soft, babyish voice, asked, “Brother, does it hurt a lot?”

Chu Yan pinched his little cheek with his uninjured hand and smiled, “It hurt a lot at first, but seeing you makes it feel better.”

“Really? Then I’ll stay here with you today, and you’ll get better soon, right?”

“Yep. And tonight, you’re not going home. You’ll sleep with me, okay? You won’t see Daddy or Papa tonight.”

The little one immediately regretted saying that. He thought it sounded a bit embarrassing, so his big eyes started spinning as he tried to figure out how to retract his words.

Meanwhile, Yan Huai stood up to greet Lin Xiaoran when he entered.

Lin Xiaoran hadn’t yet asked about the relationship between Chu Yan and Yan Huai, but from the occasional remarks Chu Yan had made, he could tell that the two hadn’t yet expressed their feelings to each other. Specifically, it seemed that Chu Yan hadn’t realized his own feelings for Yan Huai. As for Yan Huai… Lin Xiaoran wasn’t so sure.

He nodded politely to Yan Huai, acknowledging him, and then reminded the little one, “Rang Rang, say hi.”

The little one finally shifted his attention away from Chu Yan, looked back at Yan Huai, and with a bright smile, obediently said, “Hello, Uncle.”

“Eh?”

Lin Xiaoran was a bit surprised that the little one called him “Uncle.”

But given Yan Huai’s age, calling him “Uncle” was normal. Perhaps it was because Lin Xiaoran had occasionally reminded the little one, and now he had finally begun to address adults by their proper titles according to their age.

Yan Huai had never met the little one, but he had heard a lot about him from Chu Yan. He knew how much Chu Yan adored the little one.

The little one also resembled Chu Yan, which reminded Yan Huai of what Chu Yan had looked like when he was around three or four years old.

He walked over and picked the little one up, pinching his chubby little cheek, and teasingly asked, “Why do you call me Uncle, but Chu Yan gets to be called Brother?”

The little one wasn’t shy at all. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before answering, “Because he’s my brother.”

“Then you can call me Brother too,” Yan Huai said seriously.

“Mm…” The little one looked back at Lin Xiaoran, unsure of what to do. “But Daddy said I should call adults ‘Uncle.'”

“Chu Yan is also an adult,” Yan Huai insisted.

“But Brother is still Brother, not Uncle,” the little one argued, sticking to his principles.

“Well…” Yan Huai seemed to care more about the little one’s different terms of address for him and Chu Yan than he had realized. Frowning, he thought for a while before a lightbulb went off in his head. He suddenly began negotiating seriously with the little one, “How about this—call me Brother, and I’ll secretly buy you lots of candy. A whole lot.”

Chu Yan often talked about the little one to him, and Yan Huai knew that at home, Lin Xiaoran strictly controlled the little one’s sugar intake. However, like all kids, the little one loved sweets, so offering candy worked wonders in getting his attention.

Sure enough, the little one’s eyes lit up, and he sweetly called out, “Brother, you have to keep your word.”

Lin Xiaoran couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. However, his gaze slid past Yan Huai and landed on Chu Yan’s face.

Due to his injuries, Chu Yan looked a bit pale, and his eyes were fixed on Yan Huai in surprise, likely trying to figure out why Yan Huai was arguing with a child over what to call him.

It seemed one had figured things out, while the other still hadn’t.

After finally coaxing the little one to change what he was calling him, Yan Huai didn’t stay long. He said he had something to attend to but would come back later.

Chu Yan moved his lips as if to say not to bother coming back, but for some reason, after meeting Yan Huai’s gaze, his words got stuck. Unknowingly, he felt a bit guilty and swallowed the sentence, nodding obediently, “Okay.”

Just as Yan Huai left, Gu Yang arrived, bringing with him the organizing committee’s decision regarding the incident.

The team of the person responsible had already been eliminated from the competition, but they had made it to the top four in the World Championship, with a substantial prize. Now, the entire prize had been confiscated, and a fine had been imposed.

As for the person involved, he had been permanently banned from the league.

This incident had caused significant negative impact for his club, which would not only terminate his contract but might even sue him—provided he could make it back to his home country.

Local laws stated that anyone breaking the law in the country would be subject to the jurisdiction of local laws.

Gu Yang had already consulted with lawyers, and it was highly likely that the individual would face imprisonment.

Chu Yan was satisfied with the outcome, even feeling that it might have been a bit too severe compared to the injury he had suffered.

However, that evening, Chu Yan saw the latest news online. The Korean player, after his outburst, had gone to an underground casino to vent and was badly beaten. What caught Chu Yan’s attention was that his hand had been broken during the assault, and it seemed like the attackers had targeted his hand on purpose.

His hand… Why target his hand?

Chu Yan’s brow furrowed.

The door opened, and Yan Huai walked in.

“How are you feeling?” Yan Huai sat by the bed and gently looked at Chu Yan’s injured hand, moving with such care as though afraid of causing him pain.

In truth, Chu Yan’s hand wasn’t seriously hurt. It had just been protected to prevent it from affecting his performance in the finals.

But it was clear that Yan Huai didn’t see it that way.

“This…” Chu Yan couldn’t hold back. He handed his phone to Yan Huai, asking cautiously, “Could it have been you?”

Yan Huai glanced at the phone screen, looked up at him, and nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

“Really?” Chu Yan’s voice rose a few pitches. Although he had suspected it, hearing Yan Huai confirm it caught him off guard.

What if people found out and decided to sue Yan Huai?

“Why did you do it? It’s dangerous!” Chu Yan said, his voice tinged with concern.

Yan Huai didn’t answer immediately. He simply stared at Chu Yan, but his mood, which had been dark since he’d learned about the incident, began to lighten. Seeing that Chu Yan was worried about him made his heart secretly happy. A faint smile finally appeared in his eyes, and he asked in return, “What do you think?”

Chu Yan had been genuinely worried, but as he met Yan Huai’s smiling gaze, his heart suddenly started pounding, and an odd awareness seemed to stir in him. His face flushed instinctively, and he quickly turned his head away, murmuring softly, “How would I know?”

Seeing Chu Yan’s blush, Yan Huai felt a stir in his heart and almost wanted to do something, but he restrained himself. Looking down at Chu Yan’s injured hand, he softly said, “After the World Championship, I’ll tell you a secret, okay?”

Chu Yan wasn’t sure if he’d heard him clearly or not, but he absentmindedly nodded, “Okay.”

It wasn’t until the next morning that he remembered what Yan Huai had said, and he found himself puzzled. What was so important that Yan Huai had to wait until after the World Championship to tell him?

However, since he wasn’t the type to overthink, and with preparations for the finals occupying his time, he pushed the question aside and focused on what lay ahead.

On the day of the final, Lin Xiaoran rarely brought the little one to the venue, and Gu Yang also took a break from work, sitting as an audience member, accompanying his Omega and son in the stands, holding up Yan Shen’s support light stick.

The World Championship final was packed with a sea of people, mostly enthusiastic fans, many of whom were from overseas. No one seemed to notice the trio in the VIP area.

However, a sharp-eyed domestic fan managed to snap a photo of them watching the match together and posted it online, which immediately sparked heated discussions among netizens.

“Wow, it’s so rare to see a family of three together!”

“Yeah, especially since Dr. Lin went to the U.S., there hasn’t been much news about Mr. Gu.”

“So Mr. Gu finally couldn’t resist the longing and took the kid to see Dr. Lin?”

“How naive! I have insider info. After Dr. Lin went to the U.S. for a month, Mr. Gu followed with the kid, claiming it was for expanding foreign markets, but it was clearly a personal trip. Would he really manage a branch if Dr. Lin hadn’t gone to the U.S.?”

“What’s wrong with Mr. Gu mixing business with pleasure? He’s doing a great job!”

“No wonder after Dr. Lin went to the U.S., Mr. Gu seemed to vanish. I still remember the look on Mr. Gu’s face the day Dr. Lin left; it was so heart-wrenching. After that, no news, and I thought he hadn’t gotten over the pain of separation, but turns out he went to catch up with her?”

“Such efficiency in chasing his wife! Mr. Gu is awesome!”

“Who could leave such a beautiful Omega like Dr. Lin alone in another country? Anyone would chase after her! If I were Mr. Gu, I wouldn’t wait a month; I’d be after her the next day!”

“Stop dreaming. Speaking of which, anyone notice our little fox today? Still wearing the Yan Shen support gear. The outfit changed, but still so cute.”

“Yeah, it’s been half a year since we saw our little Gu. He’s gotten even cuter! I want to pinch his cheeks!”

“Stop trying to make me have a son.”

While the online discussions raged on, the World Championship came to a successful conclusion, and Chu Yan became the first-ever substitute player to take the MVP title in a final.

There was supposed to be a celebration banquet for their team afterward, but Chu Yan was directly pulled away by Yan Huai.

Lin Xiaoran and Gu Yang, with the little one, came over to congratulate him and happened to witness this scene. They exchanged a knowing look, took the child, and decided to leave.

The little one, oblivious to the importance of the championship, was more concerned about the amusement park tomorrow.

“Aren’t we going to see brother? Aren’t we going to tell him about the amusement park tomorrow?”

“That depends on whether your brother can wake up early tomorrow,” Gu Yang said.

“Huh? Why can’t he wake up?” The little one asked in confusion.

“Well, that’s because of Yan Huai…”

Gu Yang didn’t finish his joke, as Lin Xiaoran shot him a stern look, silencing him.

Lin Xiaoran couldn’t understand how Gu Yang could be so casual even with their four-year-old son.

“What happened to Brother Yan Huai? Is he going to bully Brother?” The little one immediately asked.

Lin Xiaoran pinched his cheek and reassured him, “No, your dad is just teasing you. Tomorrow, your mom and dad will go with you to the amusement park, okay?”

The little one was easy to please and immediately threw his arms around Lin Xiaoran’s neck, nodding with a smile, “Yeah, I’m happiest when I’m with Daddy and Papa.”

On a summer evening, a gentle breeze blew.

Under the dim streetlights, the shadows of the three of them stretched longer and longer as they walked further away.

 

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