TORFOM

26

Editor: Uncia, Sahloknir

Proofreader: DarkSapphire

In April, the temperature in Yangcheng was already heating up.

As the spring flowers bloomed, the city was full of vigour and vitality, and pedestrians around the city began to change into summer clothes.

In the stadium, the voices were thunderous.

When Lin Xizhou sneaked backstage, his sweat had soaked the team uniform under his sweater.

Wearing a mask, he was taken into the BLK team's lounge.

The lounge was very large. There was a sofa and a huge TV. The staff stood by to shoot the gags. Lin Xizhou kept his hat down and walked in from the corner. Ji Beiling saw him coming and motioned the team to stop shooting.

Without removing his mask, Lin Xizhou stood next to Ji Beiling. The slightly wet hair stuck to Lin Xizhou's forehead, making anyone feel hot just by looking at the younger man.

Ji Beiling frowned, reaching out to take Lin Xizhou's hat off, he grabbed the brim of the hat and fanned the younger man.

"Are you not hot?"

Because of the temperature outside, the air conditioner in the venue blasted at full capacity, so it shouldn't be stuffy.

Lin Xizhou blinked slowly and smiled into a curved bridge. He pulled up his sweater to reveal the BLK team uniform inside.

The team uniform had the BLK players' signatures, the same one Lin Xiting helped him get signed last time.

Lin Xizhou quickly took off his sweater. With the BLK team uniform and a worker name tag, he became camouflaged as a staff member. He followed Ji Beiling to the other team members, clenched his fists and cheered them on.

"Good luck!" The voice through the mask was muffled, but anyone could still hear the excitement and tension in the tone. "You guys can do it!"

Lin Xizhou waved his arm and appeared as if he hated not being able to play on the stage himself.

Bighead nodded, moved by the display. "You actually flew here from the northeast. I'll play my best."

"Did you have fun in the northeast?" Little Dream probed curiously. "Was the Paektu Mountain beautiful?"

Lin Xizhou chuckled and held up a bag filled with gifts.

"Ding-ding-ding, a local speciality snack, you can open them to celebrate after the game."

Bighead immediately grabbed the bag, and several people began to study the food in it. Lin Xizhou took the opportunity to step back, pulled out a small charm in his pocket and stuffed it into Ji Beiling's hand.

Lin Xizhou wet his bottom lips.

"I got this when I prayed for your victory in last year's World Championship. This year, the charm will definitely bless you with good luck!"

In Ji Beiling's hand lay the exquisite charm bag, which still carried Lin Xizhou's body heat. It was very warm. He smiled, spread out the red string stuffed in the bag, and put it over his head.

After he studied the charm around his neck, he looked up and met Lin Xizhou's eyes for a split second.

Those eyes were filled with a soft smile.

"Thank you."

Lin Xizhou didn't know why. In the past few months, he chatted with Ji Beiling on WeChat clearly like ordinary friends, but now standing face to face, he was still fiddling. Just like when he saw Ji Beiling for the first time, he was too nervous to speak under the older man's gaze.