The next morning, Lu Sheng got up early, washed his hair, changed into fresh clothes, and stood in front of the mirror, checking himself from different angles several times before finally heading downstairs with a clear head and bright energy.
He knew Bai Yu wouldn’t be back so early. The drive alone would take at least three hours.
After breakfast, he finished the day’s basic training, checked the time, and noticed it was nearly the hour. He went downstairs for a cigarette. Though there was a bench nearby, he didn’t sit. Instead, he leaned casually against the railing, waiting. When boredom crept in, he tugged absently at the nearby plants, until he saw a car pulling into the driveway. Immediately, he straightened and started walking toward the entrance.
Bai Yu had just pulled to a stop when he spotted Lu Sheng.
Clean-cut, freshly styled hair, one hand tucked casually in his pocket, Lu Sheng raised the other in a relaxed wave.
Bai Yu let out a quiet sound of surprise and looked around. “What a coincidence. Heading out?”
Lu Sheng replied calmly, “No. I was waiting for you.”
Bai Yu had grown used to his straightforward manner. He didn’t answer and simply opened the trunk, pulling out his suitcase. Along with it, he handed Lu Sheng a bag packed with local specialties his adoptive mother had prepared.
Lu Sheng glanced inside. It was food. He raised an eyebrow. “You brought this especially for me?”
Bai Yu considered denying it, but seeing how self-satisfied Lu Sheng looked, he decided not to ruin the moment. Instead, he smiled and said, “Yeah.”
When the suitcase got stuck at the stairs, Lu Sheng stepped forward and lifted it easily with one hand.
Bai Yu walked beside him and fell into a casual rhythm of conversation. “Is it just you at the base today? When did Chen Shi’an leave?”
Lu Sheng, still carrying the suitcase, replied, “He went back yesterday at noon.”
Bai Yu nodded. He had always appreciated Chen Shi’an’s efficiency. Continuing the conversation, he said, “I assume he explained everything to you? If you’re fine with the new coach, that’ll make things a lot easier. I’ve got a good feeling about the playoffs. With less pressure, I think we’ll perform better.”
Lu Sheng looked unimpressed. “You make it sound like I’ve always been difficult.”
This response genuinely caught Bai Yu off guard. He had expected Lu Sheng to be at least a little unhappy about Lin Kun joining the team. But the way he’d agreed so quickly was surprising.
Bai Yu couldn’t help but glance at him again. There really was nothing unusual in Lu Sheng’s expression. Perhaps he had been overthinking things.
“My bad,” Bai Yu said. “I assumed too much. Since none of you have objections, I’ll move forward and contact him. I’ll also ask Zhou Xunwen to vacate a room for him. He’ll be staying on the same floor. You’re okay with that, right? You’ll be running into each other anyway.”
Lu Sheng, eager to appear accommodating, said, “Whatever works.”
Bai Yu almost felt like sighing. Lu Sheng really did seem like a completely different person lately. He was just about to say something else when they reached the fifth floor. Lu Sheng set the suitcase down, and Bai Yu stepped in to take over. “I’ve got it.”
He dragged it to the door and went inside.
While unpacking, Bai Yu looked up to see Lu Sheng still standing in the doorway. “Something wrong?”
Lu Sheng tried to act casual as he handed over a small bag, stealing a glance at Bai Yu’s expression. “Got you a cup.”
Bai Yu remembered what Chen Shi’an had told him. He stood up and accepted the bag with a smile. “Thanks. I really like it.”
That one smile nearly made Lu Sheng lose his composure.
His gaze trailed after Bai Yu without meaning to, watching him move around the room, organizing his things. There was something calming about it, something oddly reassuring. Even when he finally looked away, the moment Bai Yu moved again, his eyes followed instinctively.
Trying to make conversation, he asked, “Zhou Xunwen didn’t come back with you?”
“He’s being lazy,” Bai Yu replied. “Wants to take all his vacation days at once. I agreed. He doesn’t have much to do right now anyway, so I let him stay.”
Lu Sheng felt a genuine twinge of envy. Zhou Xunwen had grown up with Bai Yu. “What do you usually do when you go home?”
Bai Yu thought about it. “The usual, I guess. Eat my mom’s cooking, listen to the family talk about home stuff, pay respects at my birth mom’s grave, catch up with old friends. Honestly, it’s boring. But skipping any of it feels incomplete, so I go through the motions every time.”
To Lu Sheng, it sounded like a life from a different world. “Do you have a lot of friends back there?”
Bai Yu looked at him with a small, amused smile. “What do you think?”
Lu Sheng considered it. “I’d say you do.”
Bai Yu laughed softly. He placed the last of his things in place and walked over to lean against the doorframe, mirroring Lu Sheng. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it casually. “Then you’d be wrong. I don’t have a single friend there. Zhou Xunwen even said last night that I never really clicked with their group, and I’d probably end up alone.”
His lips curved upward as he spoke.
Lu Sheng found himself watching those lips, then looked away, only to glance back at his face again. His throat moved slightly as he swallowed. “That can’t be right. You’ve got me, don’t you?”
Bai Yu went quiet. The cigarette between his fingers burned unsteadily. For a split second, he found himself seriously considering the idea.
He had barely taken a puff before Lu Sheng took it from him.
“Hey,” Bai Yu said.
Lu Sheng toyed with the cigarette briefly, then put it in his own mouth. His eyes never left Bai Yu’s face. “Bai Yu. Want to date me?”
There was no mistaking the meaning in his tone.
Bai Yu immediately turned away. “I came back early to talk business. Don’t bring this up again.”
Behind him, Lu Sheng’s footsteps followed closely. “I’ve done everything you asked. Shouldn’t you consider at least one of my requests?”
Bai Yu didn’t stop. “I don’t entertain unreasonable requests.”
He rounded the corner quickly, only for a hand to reach out and grab his arm. Lu Sheng took one long stride and was suddenly in front of him, blocking his way, looking down with a smirk. “Why are you always running away when I bring this up? What, you think I’m going to devour you? Honestly, think about it. Have I ever crossed the line?”
Bai Yu stared at him. “You kissed me in the car.”
Lu Sheng paused, then denied it outright. “That doesn’t count.”
He leaned in closer, voice softer, almost coaxing. “Be honest. Have I not done everything you asked?”
Bai Yu had once thought Lu Sheng was the least obedient person he knew. But considering how he’d even agreed to Lin Kun’s arrival, it was hard to argue otherwise. He nodded.
Lu Sheng bent slightly, bringing their eyes level. “Then let’s make a deal. If we win the playoffs, you agree to date me. How about that?”
It was a clumsy trap, and Bai Yu saw right through it.
He raised an eyebrow, voice low and amused. “Lu Sheng. Winning the championship is your job. Whether I agree or not depends entirely on my mood. Understand?”
He lifted Lu Sheng’s chin with a finger and met his gaze directly. “If you behave like this every day, I might be in a good enough mood to say yes.”
Bai Yu had always avoided this topic. But now, for once, he was clearly drawing a boundary. A soft one, at that.
Lu Sheng was getting dizzy from it all. He leaned down, trying to kiss him.
But Bai Yu was ready. He pushed him away and walked off. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Lu Sheng wasn’t annoyed. He trailed behind him, clearly unwilling to part. “I’m eating too.”
Bai Yu had actually chosen to return early partly because he worried that Lu Sheng, left alone at the base, would end up starving himself.
Half an hour later, they arrived at a restaurant. Bai Yu ordered a spread of local specialties.
Lu Sheng had never been picky with food. But after two meals of instant noodles and a dry piece of bread this morning, the sight of a warm, plentiful meal hit hard.
Seeing him eat so well put Bai Yu in a good mood too. He pushed Lu Sheng’s favorite dishes toward him. “We start full-time, closed-door training tomorrow. Phones get turned in until the weekend. If you’ve got friends to contact, better do it now. You can also give them the base’s landline in case something urgent comes up.”
Lu Sheng, caught up in eating, had completely forgotten about Chu Tianyou. “No one’s going to call me.”
Bai Yu nodded. “Alright.”
Still, he picked up his phone and sent Lu Sheng the base’s number anyway, just in case.
At that moment, his adoptive mother called.
He answered, only to hear her bringing up Zhou Xunwen’s blind date, which somehow turned into her bringing up Bai Yu’s love life. She insisted that if he met someone he liked, he should bring them home.
Bai Yu glanced at Lu Sheng across the table and lowered his voice. “Mom, can we talk later? I’m eating out.”
His mother immediately picked up on something. “Oh, I called at the wrong time, didn’t I? You two enjoy your meal.”
Before Bai Yu could explain, she hung up and texted him asking if he was on a date.
Slightly exasperated, he replied: No. Just a teammate.
Lu Sheng had only caught fragments of the conversation, but he heard the word “matchmaking” and something about setting a time. That was enough to put him on edge. “Matchmaking?”
Bai Yu, still busy texting Zhou Xunwen about his own date, answered absentmindedly. “Yeah.”
Lu Sheng frowned, watching him type. “So you’re talking to them already?”
Bai Yu looked up, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”
His phone buzzed again. He lowered his head to reply.
The air seemed to thicken.
Time slowed to a crawl. Every second dragged. Lu Sheng stared at the food in front of him, but nothing tasted right anymore. He took two bites, then gave up entirely. He drained his coffee, chewed on the ice, but the discomfort didn’t go away.
He sat in silence, face tight, and coldly watched Bai Yu across the table.
Just as Bai Yu showed no sign of lifting his head, Lu Sheng suddenly spoke.
"Look at me."
Bai Yu raised his head, only to see Lu Sheng leaning across the table.
Some kinds of pressure are innate, exerted not through volume or strength, but through sheer presence. It was the kind that could make someone instinctively freeze.
A broad hand moved past Bai Yu’s ear, firm and unyielding. Before he could react, his body was gently tugged forward. A moment later, something cold brushed against his lips.
Lu Sheng had just eaten something chilled. His lips were still icy.
Driven by a desperate need to pull Bai Yu closer, he kissed him with force. It wasn’t just a fleeting touch, he even parted his lips slightly, letting the tip of his tongue graze against Bai Yu’s warm mouth.
That subtle contact stunned them both. Neither moved. Eventually, it was Lu Sheng who drew back.
Cold lingered between their lips, but it wasn’t just the temperature. The softness he’d felt, the sudden shiver in his fingertips, had sparked something uncontrollable inside him.
Bai Yu stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to believe what had just happened. His voice was low and sharp, filled with disbelief.
"Do you even realize what you're doing?"
Lu Sheng met his gaze without wavering. "I do."
He sat there, directly across from Bai Yu, his eyes dark and steady. It was the first time he had looked at him with such seriousness, his entire demeanor shifting the air between them.
Even the atmosphere seemed to grow colder.
"Bai Yu," Lu Sheng said slowly, his voice quiet but resolute. "You’re not allowed to go on that blind date."