Chapter 54: A Lifetime and Beyond

Song Chu had been holding his breath the whole way, following Ji Xiao’s steps. Only after they returned to the office and closed the door did he finally let out a sigh.

“That Tang Ji, he’s got some nerve!”

Ji Xiao held Song Chu’s hand, paused, then walked out again.

“Xiao Ge?”

It was the direction of the restroom.

Song Chu suddenly understood. “Are we going back to save the boss?”

In the restroom, Cen Huan and Tang Ji were no longer there.

Ji Xiao turned on the faucet, placed Song Chu’s hands under the water, pumped some soap, and carefully washed them.

Song Chu: ‘…’ He blushed.

He explained softly, “I don’t usually forget to wash my hands, but just now it was inconvenient…” The boss was still pressed against the counter.

Ji Xiao chuckled. “Mhm.”

****

Cen Huan later hired three more full-time players.

He had already contacted the game officials and obtained their recognition.

They were preparing wholeheartedly for the upcoming league.

Song Chu observed for a few days and noticed that not only was Tang Ji not fired, but he occasionally slipped into the boss’s office for one-on-one training. He quietly said to Ji Xiao, “The boss and Tang Ji definitely have a story.”

He was a bit curious.

Ji Xiao tugged at his collar. “Have I been too lenient with you? You still have the energy to stare at other men all day?”

Song Chu: “?”

The company had an auntie who cooked meals.

Song Chu changed his livestream name to “The Daily Life of Xiao and Song” and switched from the food channel to the leisure and entertainment channel.

Some of his original fans left, but new ones came.

As time passed, Ji Xiao insisted on exercising every day. He no longer looked pale; his already handsome features became more masculine. Sometimes, when the mood struck, he could even lift Song Chu with one hand.

Song Chu, who had gradually become more laid-back, never expected that just livestreaming his daily life would attract even more fans than before.

Gradually, because he occasionally streamed Ji Xiao playing games, some gaming fans joined too.

Song Chu: ‘…I might be a natural talent.’

Some fans: Wake up, it’s your husband!

My salary seems to be wrong?

Ji Xiao sat beside him and laughed. “No, it’s right. My salary is also deposited into your account.”

“Why?”

“You take care of me. With you around, I don’t need to carry money.”

‘…’ He blushed.

The two girls next door let out a soft gasp.

Ji Xiao turned his head.

The two girls quickly lowered their heads.

Probably because they had followed them before, among the team members, only those two were tormented the most by Ji Xiao.

Curiosity really does kill the cat!

They silently moved a little further away and whispered:

“Still shipping?”

“Yeah, I followed Manager Song’s livestream.”

“Actually, I found another couple to ship… The boss and Tang Ji…”

“That’s the boss. Aren’t you afraid of getting kicked out?”

“Ship?”

“Ship. Come on, tell me what you found…”

Ji Xiao withdrew his gaze.

He didn’t quite understand why Song Chu was so determined to show off their love during the livestream, just as he didn’t understand why strangers were so eager to snoop into other people’s love lives.

The league was about to start, and Ji Xiao spent time every day having the team members pair up and continuously battle each other.

A true player must also be familiar with the skills of other sects.

Facing different opponents and different classes, how to maximize teamwork—that was the key.

After all, the league wasn’t 1v1; cooperation was essential.

This was the first time Zhu Yue participated in the league.

Ji Xiao joined the battle.

Zhu Yue’s first shot had to be a brilliant victory.

Song Chu watched him from below as his fingers flew across the keyboard. The character on the screen killed gods and buddhas alike. The light in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.

He had almost forgotten his first impression of Ji Xiao. The graceful gentleman with a sword in his heart had gradually been replaced by a dual-blade assassin.

Sometimes, when he recalled the inconsistent attitude of his lover during their first month together, he wondered if he had hallucinated.

Ji Xiao was so good to him. How could that be possible?

On the night Zhu Yue won the championship, everyone had an excited dinner party. Song Chu hugged Ji Xiao tightly. “Xiao Ge, I love you.”

In all their time together, he had never said those words.

Ji Xiao reached out and hugged him back. Under the lights, his eyes were full of deep affection and tenderness. “I know.”

“Then you… Mmm.”

Ji Xiao lowered his head, cutting off the words he was about to ask. The kiss was passionate and lingering.

The team members already knew about their relationship. Some whistled, while others, feeling sour, turned a blind eye.

Tang Ji slid one hand onto Cen Huan’s thigh and raised a glass with the other. “Boss, let’s raise a toast to celebrate this victory.”

Cen Huan: ‘…’

****

When the party ended, Song Chu curled up in Ji Xiao’s arms.

In the taxi, Ji Xiao wrapped his coat around him, looked down at his dazed face, and whispered, “What are you thinking?”

“Xiao Ge is amazing. Hic.”

“I know. I can be even more amazing.”

“Xiao Ge is amazing!”

“Silly.”

‘…’

****

Zhu Yue.

Song Chu was still the manager, but he no longer juggled multiple roles. He was only responsible for publicity.

The players of Zhu Yue all had their own fans. Among them, Ji Xiao and Tang Ji had similar fan counts, the highest among all.

Ji Xiao truly kept no money for himself; all his earnings went directly into Song Chu’s account.

They moved to a bigger house and adopted a cat.

After the second year’s league, Ji Xiao stopped playing and became a real coach, leading the players to win championship after championship.

The daily livestream of Xiao and Song never stopped.

****

The daily livestream of Xiao and Song.

On the screen, Ji Xiao, with graying temples, was cutting vegetables in the kitchen.

Song Chu still liked to lean against the counter and watch him.

As he watched, he occasionally popped a grape into his mouth and chewed.

[After all these years, their dynamic hasn’t changed at all, hahaha]

[My granddaughter said I was too old to be a fangirl, but she ended up falling into the pit too]

[My son saw how much I liked it and even edited the past videos of Xiao and Song for me… The more I watched, the more I thought: this video is so sweet. Could he be, could he be???]

[Reply to the above: Tell your son you’ll introduce him to a boyfriend. See how he reacts]

Song Chu squinted and popped another grape into his mouth.

Ji Xiao had finished cutting all the vegetables. He came over, took the plate, and put it in the refrigerator.

Song Chu: “?”

“You’ve already eaten more than half the plate of grapes. Are you still going to eat dinner?”

‘…’ Sigh.

[Wow, look at those meat slices! And the potato slices!]

[After so many years, Xiao Ge’s knife skills are still amazing!]

[His hand is steady when holding the wok too]

[Still strong in old age. Admirable. I haven’t cooked in a long time. My son and daughter-in-law are afraid I’ll fall in the kitchen]

[They didn’t adopt a kid or anything…]

[Xiao and Song only need each other]

After dinner, they turned off the livestream.

Ji Xiao and Song Chu went downstairs together and walked in the neighborhood.

“Hey, Xiao Ge?”

“Hmm?” Ji Xiao stopped.

Song Chu squinted, a bit uncertain. “Is that person Zeng Yang?”

Ji Xiao glanced at the old-looking figure in the distance and said flatly, “Who is Zeng Yang?”

Song Chu was silent for a moment. “Not important. I must have seen wrong.”

In fact, Song Chu barely remembered Zeng Yang. But a while ago, he had suddenly seen a news article about someone being fired because of their sexual orientation, which reminded him of his past with Zeng Yang.

“Next week is your parents’ birthday. Let’s go visit.” Ji Xiao held his hand and said softly.

Song Chu nodded. “Mm.”

Originally, his parents had disapproved of him being with Ji Xiao.

But later, when they learned that Ji Xiao gave all his income to Song Chu and had kept doing so for years, they relented.

Occasionally, during holidays, they would ask them to come back for a visit.

But the Xiao family…

Song Chu glanced at Ji Xiao and said quietly, “Uncle Xiao seems to be in poor health. Should we… take some time to visit?”

“No need,” Ji Xiao said flatly. “My brother is there.”

“But…”

“If I go back, that so-called mother of mine will make a scene. She’ll just annoy my dad even more. It’s better if I don’t go.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Yang’s biological mother died when he was young.

Later, Father Xiao married Mother Xiao, and they had a son.

Xiao Yang had been idle and obsessed with games because Mother Xiao had persuaded Father Xiao to make him understand the difficulty of earning money and living, hoping he would become independent. So Father Xiao stopped his allowance and cut him off financially.

He wanted his son to be independent.

At that time, when they met Ji Xiao and Song Chu at the cinema and learned about his eldest son’s sexual orientation, Father Xiao was furious.

But Mother Xiao had been kind-hearted in her persuasion. On the surface, she seemed to advocate reconciliation and tolerance, but behind the scenes, she was constantly fanning the flames. As a result, Father Xiao hadn’t contacted his unfilial son for years.

It wasn’t until he fell ill recently that he remembered Ji Xiao.

****

Ji Xiao and Song Chu lived an ordinary life together. Song Chu truly supported him for his entire life.

All their food, clothing, and expenses came from Song Chu’s account.

Ji Xiao’s name had nothing under it.

Those who knew said that Ji Xiao was utterly devoted to Song Chu.

Song Chu thought so too.

So until his dying breath, he was filled with happiness.

“Xiao Ge, I want to meet you in the next life.”

Ji Xiao gently stroked his head. “In the next life, you will also be happy.”

Song Chu closed his eyes.

Ji Xiao’s expression gradually changed. He let out a soft sigh. “In the next life, you can only reincarnate in this world. As for me, I’m going to another world.”

He gently rubbed Song Chu’s hand, then closed his eyes.

“Let’s go.”

****

It was still that small hill.

The Black Cat offered a cigarette. “Host, want a smoke?”

Ji Xiao turned his head. “No. Let’s go directly.”

“Okay.”

****

Three in the afternoon.

Though it was afternoon, the sky was gloomy, casting the entire room into darkness.

Ji Xiao glanced at the room’s decor and turned on the light.

The Black Cat: “This…”

Ji Xiao walked to the door, changed his shoes, and opened the door: [Let me speak first. I’m going downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes.]

The Black Cat: “You can use points…”

[I can buy them here. Why should I use points?]

The Black Cat: ‘…’ Unable to argue.

Ji Xiao was about to close the door.

The Black Cat: “Wait, Host. It’s about to rain. Take an umbrella.”

Ji Xiao paused, picked up the umbrella by the shoe cabinet, and closed the door. His gaze softened slightly. [Mm.]

The Black Cat spun around in his mind. “Host, this world is very simple. After you buy the cigarettes and come back, I’ll give you the plot.”

[Okay.]

When Ji Xiao reached the ground floor, the rain indeed started falling.

He opened the umbrella.

The Black Cat: “Host, across the street, that Dashung Supermarket, is yours. You can take things without paying!”

Ji Xiao: ‘…’ Understood. In this world, his identity was a supermarket owner.

He changed direction and walked across the street.

At that moment, there were no cars on the road. As he walked, he noticed a young man standing outside his supermarket, letting the rain soak him.

He quickly walked over to him and held the umbrella over his head.

The young man looked up at him, his eyes turning red.

Ji Xiao: “?”

The Black Cat: “Host, he…”

[Shh.]

‘…’

Ji Xiao met his gaze.

The young man had a great physique, handsome features, long legs, and a slender waist. Standing together, they were about the same height.

“Qin Che…”

The rain poured down in torrents, stinging the face.

Ji Xiao reached out his hand.

He took Ji Xiao’s hand.

The Black Cat: “Host…”

Ji Xiao: [Shh.]

Ji Xiao shielded the young man with the umbrella and led him into the supermarket.

With a rumble of thunder, the Black Cat sensed trouble and sounded the alarm.

“Host, you…”

[Don’t talk.]

The Black Cat’s feeling of unease grew clearer. Tentatively, it materialized at the supermarket checkout counter, staring at Ji Xiao, meeting his eyes.

Ji Xiao didn’t tell it to leave, nor did he avoid its gaze. He calmly met its eyes, even curling his lips into a cold smile.

The Black Cat’s heart almost stopped. It forced itself to say, “Then you take care, Host. I’m going to watch a cartoon.”

With that, it vanished on the spot and quickly retreated deeper, knocking on the team leader’s door.

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