When Bai Yu returned to the base, Song Bo could not hold back his excitement. That very night, he rushed back, eager to discuss playoff strategies with him.
He did not bring a suitcase, only a backpack. After taking a taxi to the entrance, he walked the rest of the way in. As soon as he went upstairs, he saw Lu Sheng standing outside the training room. His expression was filled with defiance, and the left side of his face was slightly red. With both hands tucked into his pockets, he leaned against the glass window by the door. He did not speak a word and looked very much like someone being punished.
Song Bo looked at him curiously. "God Lu,, why are you standing here? Did the captain punish you?"
Lu Sheng immediately replied, "No."
Because he answered too quickly, it only made it more suspicious.
Song Bo was now convinced that he was indeed being punished. He looked at him sympathetically, then carried his backpack into the room.
Inside the training room, only Bai Yu was there. His computer was on, and his desk was covered in notes that had yet to be organized. With his arms crossed, he appeared cold and detached. When he saw Song Bo, he gave only a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Song Bo, who was not particularly sensitive, still sensed that something felt off. But he did not think too much about it. He put down his backpack and enthusiastically began discussing the strategy he had analyzed just the day before.
Their objectives for the playoffs were very clear. The semifinals would most likely be against FFT, while the finals would probably be against TIN. Most of the strategies they had developed were specifically designed to counter these two teams.
At first, Bai Yu continued nodding seriously as he listened. But when Song Bo said, "God Lu is bold. If he plays Akali, it could have an unexpected effect..."
Bai Yu let out a cold laugh. "He is bold, that’s for sure."
Outside the door, Lu Sheng had been standing for quite a while. His legs had gone numb, and he was just about to lean against the glass for a short rest. But as soon as he heard Bai Yu’s voice, he straightened up and resumed standing properly, like he was being punished.
Earlier that day, during lunch, he had forcibly kissed Bai Yu. He was slapped on the spot, and the sting on his face still lingered.
Lu Sheng used his tongue to press against the area that had been slapped. He was still feeling defiant. In his mind, it was not a big deal. Bai Yu had a strong hand, but at least he got to kiss him. From any angle, it did not feel like a loss.
As he thought about it, his gaze drifted toward Bai Yu.
Coincidentally, Bai Yu happened to look at him at the same time. When he saw Lu Sheng’s expression, which showed no sign of submission and even carried a trace of arrogance, he was so angry that he actually laughed. "I think Lu Sheng’s training load could still be increased."
Increased?
Song Bo was stunned.
He quickly opened the training schedule. It was clear that Lu Sheng already had the highest training volume among the entire team. He was often penalized, sometimes even voluntarily adding extra sessions. He had virtually no personal time left.
Song Bo could not help speaking up for him. "His training schedule is already full. Do we really need to add more?"
Bai Yu's tone was more resolute than ever. "Yes. He clearly has too much time on his hands."
Song Bo gave Lu Sheng another sympathetic look. He still did not know what Lu Sheng had done to anger the captain, but here in this environment, Bai Yu had the highest authority. There was nothing he could do to help him.
As the discussion came to a close, Bai Yu temporarily finalized two lineups. He added, "A new coach will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. I’ve already discussed the details with him. Once he signs the contract, he will join our planning sessions. He is quite strict, so you need to be mindful of that. If there’s something you really can’t manage, come to me and I will talk to him."
Song Bo took a deep breath. He could already feel a major challenge ahead. "Understood!"
Bai Yu, sensing that he might feel uneasy, decided to explain further. "He will not appear publicly. He will act only as an advisor. You will still handle the ban and pick during matches. Do not mention him to anyone."
A coach who would not appear publicly?
Song Bo could not help feeling curious. "Is he someone famous?"
Bai Yu gave a soft affirmative sound. He instinctively glanced at Lu Sheng and, seeing that there was no reaction from him, did not bother to be discreet. "He is very capable. He immediately identified the limitations in Lu Sheng’s playstyle. In terms of professional insight into the mid-lane role, he is far more advanced than I am. If you learn from him seriously, you will gain a lot."
Song Bo was genuinely surprised. He had not expected Bai Yu to hold this person in such high regard. Feeling inspired, he responded, "Captain Yu, I can do it!"
At the door, Lu Sheng still held his head high, full of defiance.
He wanted to see for himself whether this new coach was really as amazing as Bai Yu claimed, especially if he dared to criticize him behind his back.
Once the discussion ended, Song Bo left the room.
Bai Yu looked at the notes on the desk, still unorganized. He realized he would be working on them late into the night again. He let out a sigh.
Lu Sheng, at least, had some sense. "Do you want me to help organize them?"
Bai Yu had not forgiven him. His voice was cold. "No need."
Lu Sheng took it literally and did not step in to help. Instead, he stood at the door like a supervisor, watching from the outside. He offered no help, and his presence was only making things worse.
Bai Yu could not hold back. "What are you, the doorman?"
Lu Sheng noticed the irritation in his tone and touched the spot on his face that was still sore. "Still mad?"
He looked at Bai Yu and suddenly thought of something. His throat moved with a quiet gulp, the sound unusually loud in the silent training room.
It was wrong, but the moment he thought of Bai Yu’s flushed face, with the redness at the corners of his eyes, he could not help but feel dazed.
Normally, Bai Yu was always calm and collected. It was rare to see any emotion on his face. For the first time, Lu Sheng realized that Bai Yu’s fair skin could look not only clean and refined, but also strikingly vivid.
Thinking about it, his breathing grew heavier.
At the time, Bai Yu was so angry that he slapped him. But it really did not hurt much. The price was so small that Lu Sheng even felt tempted to go in for another kiss.
He looked at Bai Yu again, cautiously observing his expression. Since no one else was around, he softened his tone and tried to be playful. "What would make you stop being mad? Do you want to kiss me back?"
Bai Yu was already frustrated from trying to sort the notes, and now Lu Sheng was making things worse.
He slammed the notebook on the table and said coldly, "Lu Sheng, do you really think just because the match is coming up, I will not punish you?"
Lu Sheng stayed quiet. In truth, that was exactly what he had thought. But he still said, "No."
Bai Yu was so angry, he let out a dry laugh.
To tell the truth, whether Lu Sheng kissed him or not, he did not really care. They were both men; it was not as if he lost anything. What really infuriated him was Lu Sheng’s unwillingness to submit. That expression alone had truly crossed the line. And the worst part was, he could not figure out a way to properly deal with him.
Bai Yu took back the last bit of sympathy he had for him and spoke with clenched teeth. "Just wait. If I cannot deal with you, someone else will. When the time comes, don’t come crying to me about wanting to leave the team."
Lu Sheng did not take it seriously. "Why would I leave? That new coach? Don’t worry. Even if he quits, I won’t."
Bai Yu made up his mind. "Fine."
Even if he cried later, he would not care anymore.
That night, back in his room, Bai Yu saw a message from Chen Shi’an and began chatting with him about Lin Kun.
When the conversation shifted to Lu Sheng, Bai Yu’s tone clearly showed his frustration: From now on, everything will be handled professionally. I will not get involved anymore. Whatever happens between him and Lin Kun, they can deal with it on their own.
Chen Shi’an found it amusing. He asked, "What did he do to make you so angry?"
Bai Yu did not say what had happened specifically. He only replied, "You were right. I have been spoiling him too much. He subconsciously thinks I will not punish him, so he’s gotten bolder. Look at Xu Bo and the others. Who among them dares to go against me? Who dares to really make me angry?"
Chen Shi’an did not know what exactly had happened between them, but after a long pause, he wrote, "Bai Yu, I think you treat Lu Sheng differently."
Bai Yu instinctively replied, "How so?"
Chen Shi’an typed, "When Xu Bo and the others disobeyed, you handled it directly and got them in line. But with Lu Sheng, when you wanted Lin Kun to join the team, you did not tell him yourself. You asked me to do it. When he made you angry, you wanted Lin Kun to deal with him. You did not confront him personally."
When Bai Yu read that message, he felt heat rising up inside him.
He quickly tried to come up with a series of explanations, but none of them felt convincing. He deleted them all and sent only one line: "He does not respect authority."
Chen Shi’an’s typing indicator appeared again, and after a long while, he wrote, "Back when he was in the youth training camp, he did not respect authority either, but you still got him under control. You have led this team for years, and nothing like this has ever happened before. That is why everything has always run smoothly. Now, I am honestly a bit concerned."
Bai Yu froze. If not for Chen Shi’an’s reminder, he would not have realized it.
In all the years he had led this team, something like this had never happened. Back then, Lu Sheng had just been a stranger to him. If he needed him, he would smile and encourage him. If not, he would send him back to the second team without hesitation or guilt.
But now, things truly were different.
After finding out that Lu Sheng had secretly liked him for three years, and that despite how he had treated him, Lu Sheng still came back to help, Bai Yu had started to care more and more about his feelings.
The phone screen lit up briefly. It was a message from Chen Shi’an: Bai Yu, I truly hope you can be happy. Everything I’ve done has been to follow your heart.
Follow your heart?
Bai Yu gave those four words serious thought.
At this moment, even he could not clearly tell whether the way he treated Lu Sheng differently came from his own perspective, or if his emotions had simply taken over.
Lying in bed, Bai Yu scrolled through his phone.
The group chat had been quite active these past two days. After returning home yesterday, Chen Shi’an had shared a photo of himself eating ice cream with his younger brother. Xu Bo immediately made a fuss about wanting some too. Qi Yi also joined in, posting something from his daily life. Song Bo had chatted with them casually for a bit. Even the usually secretive Fang Zhixu uploaded a selfie and added a wink, which, as expected, earned him a complaint from Xu Bo.
Bai Yu looked at the messages and couldn’t help smiling.
Then, Chen Shi’an’s words returned to his mind, and he suddenly realized something had indeed changed.
He had coached many players before, including Lu Sheng three years ago. For him, the principle had always been that competition came before any individual. That was the only reason the team had always remained stable and conflict-free.
But with Lu Sheng, that highest rule no longer worked.
This kind of emotional shift would inevitably affect the balance of the team. Everything Chen Shi’an had said to him was, in fact, a reminder.
Bai Yu calmed down all at once. Just then, a message arrived from Lu Sheng: Still mad?
He replied: Come out. Let’s talk.
The door next door opened. This floor was only occupied by the two of them. The other staff members who had arrived early were staying on the fourth floor.
Bai Yu gave him a glance. He seemed calmer now. Bai Yu lit a cigarette, his tone steady and composed. "Lu Sheng, I won’t hold what happened during the day against you. But I only have one request. No matter how you feel or what emotions you have, you are not allowed to let it affect training or competition. If you can’t do that, then terminate the contract."
This was not the first time Bai Yu had asked him to consider terminating the contract.
But the tone this time was different. It was far colder, almost like it had returned to the strictly professional attitude from three years ago.
Lu Sheng felt his heart sink. It was as if all his effort from the past few days had been wasted. He responded absentmindedly with a quiet “mm.”
Then, Bai Yu reached out and took the cigarette from between his fingers. His gaze shifted toward Lu Sheng, softening slightly. "Alright. That’s business. Now let’s talk personal."
He turned to face Lu Sheng. His voice and expression were more serious than ever before. "Lu Sheng, I can tell you clearly that I do not dislike you. If I were to find a partner in the future, I would consider you. So yes, I’ve thought about your suggestion. But there’s a condition. I’m not just someone you like. I’m also the captain of this team. I will not show you any favoritism within the team. Everything will be handled strictly by the rules. If you’re not afraid of being treated harshly, then we can start talking."
Lu Sheng mentally broke down every word he had just said, going over them again and again. For a moment, he could not react. "Wait. You mean talking as in dating?"
Bai Yu nodded, thinking he looked a little silly, and smiled. "What else would I mean? Were you expecting to talk about something else with me?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a warm weight landed on him. Lu Sheng stepped forward and pulled him into a full embrace.
Bai Yu’s body was cool to the touch, still carrying the chill of the night air. As Lu Sheng breathed deeply, even Bai Yu’s scent was drawn into his lungs, making him feel lightheaded.
Lu Sheng could not even tell whether he was dreaming. Just that afternoon, Bai Yu had slapped him. Just earlier, he had threatened to terminate his contract. And now, he was saying they could date?
Not even in his wildest dreams would he have dared to imagine something like this.
He hugged Bai Yu tightly, nearly knocking into the railing, almost laughing out loud. "Alright. Whoever backs out first is the loser."
Bai Yu still had the cigarette between his fingers. Afraid of burning him, he patted him on the shoulder. "That’s enough."
But Lu Sheng was afraid Bai Yu would change his mind. The tighter he hugged him, the more reluctant he was to let go. He squeezed so hard that Bai Yu started to lose his breath and had to tap his hand.
Only then did Lu Sheng finally feel safe. Even though it had only been a hug, his eyes were filled with satisfaction, like it still wasn’t enough. He could not hold back his eagerness. "Bai Yu, no one else is around tonight. Can I sleep in your room?"
Bai Yu: ?