# Chapter 107
Shi Luo's sharpened kitchen knife had briefly maintained peace within the team.
But he could only maintain it for a while, not forever. If they calculated carefully, the Free team had only enjoyed one peaceful night.
At two in the morning, everyone had ended their streams. The base's auntie had made them some small wontons for a late-night snack. Except for Yu Sui, everyone else went downstairs to eat.
In Free's elegant, quiet restaurant filled with the rich aroma of ox bone soup, Chen Huo lowered his head to eat a wonton, then looked up at Shi Luo, lowered his head to eat another wonton, then looked up at Shi Luo again. He'd wanted to speak several times but held back, his curiosity reaching the point of explosion.
Chen Huo had been staring at Shi Luo's ear the whole time.
Perhaps to找回 his former days of raising hell, perhaps to intimidate Chen Huo and Puppy—these idiots who couldn't read the room—before the team returned from Hangzhou, Shi Luo had put on earrings he hadn't worn in a while.
Once the earrings were on, he answered to no one.
Shi Luo had chosen a big silver tiger head stud, very fierce, very rebellious.
Very street, very defiant.
Shi Luo's thoughts were simple—he felt he didn't need to say anything, and his teammates would remember that he'd once run with the wrong crowd.
Just this earring combined with the kitchen knife, just this simple act, and his authority was established without anger.
Shi Luo didn't think anyone on the team had the guts to ask about his alt account.
But people don't always share the same sorrows. Chen Huo glanced at Shi Luo's earring from time to time, scratching his metaphorical itch, becoming even more curious.
At this point, what Chen Huo was curious about wasn't the alt account anymore.
"That thing on your ear..." Chen Huo couldn't hold back anymore. After finishing his bowl of wontons, he squinted at Shi Luo's big tiger, the distance making it hard to see clearly. "Is that the tri-gold gift Yu Sui gave you? Seems a bit cheap... Why would he give you something iron?"
Puppy had been holding back all night and had been wanting to ask too. "It's not even a holiday, why'd you suddenly start wearing earrings? Does it mean... your status has changed?"
Shi Luo: "..."
"It's silver." Shi Luo挤出 from between his teeth. "And this is something I bought with my own money."
"Silver?" Chen Huo craned his neck trying to distinguish it. "Oh, it's intentionally antiqued... Looking more closely, this little thing is actually an animal. What is it?"
Shi Luo冷冷地看着宸火，"百兽之王。"
Shi Luo looked at Chen Huo coldly. "King of the beasts."
Yu Sui, who had just walked into the stairwell, choked.
Worried his little boyfriend might be bullied by these idiots, he'd rushed through a shower and come downstairs to find Shi Luo. Standing beside the stairs, Yu Sui nearly burst out laughing, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Yu Sui was afraid he'd lose control, so he took two steps up and leaned against the second-floor railing, listening quietly.
Yu Sui couldn't understand—why was Shi Luo so adorable?
Downstairs, Puppy thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, slapping the table. "Right! Yu Sui was born in '98, he's a Tiger!"
Shi Luo held his breath, took a sip of soup, then闷声道, "It has nothing to do with him."
"You're not a Tiger, so why are you wearing a tiger?" Puppy was still calculating the lunar calendar. "You're 2000-born, you should be wearing a Dragon."
Shi Luo paused, shaking his head. "I don't have a dragon one."
"Buy one later." Puppy said seriously. "You should wear your own zodiac."
"I won't." Shi Luo frowned. "Tigers are stronger."
"Nonsense, Dragons are stronger." Chen Huo argued seriously. "And they're more distinctly Chinese. When we go to Germany later, bringing a Chinese Dragon would be cultural exchange."
"..." Shi Luo struggled to control his urge to hit Chen Huo. "No. Shut up."
Chen Huo was about to speak again when Shi Luo冷冷道, "I'll wear whatever I want. Tomorrow if I'm in a good mood I might wear a Hello Kitty one. None of your damn business."
Chen Huo backed down and shut up.
Just as one wave went down, another rose. Puppy thought for a moment and said to Shi Luo, "Hey, come to think of it... your two zodiac signs are actually quite compatible. Dragon versus Tiger."
Shi Luo paused, thinking that was a compliment, so he said nothing.
Seeing Puppy had already brought it up openly, Chen Huo顺势而上, carefully probing. "You two... when exactly did you..."
"Not telling you." Shi Luo ladled himself another large bowl of wontons, warning: "Shut up and eat yours."
"I'm curious!" Chen Huo疯狂挠着桌布, "We were all brothers, agreed to walk the monk's path together to the end, neither of you told anyone, and suddenly you two got together, ruining the Buddhist purity of our base..."
"It's not sudden." Shi Luo's brain hurt from Chen Huo's stupidity. "Are you an idiot?"
"He is." Puppy凉凉道在一旁. "The first day in Hangzhou, after he sobered up, he secretly told me..."
Puppy imitated Chen Huo's annoying tone. "Puppy, I'm gonna tell you a secret. Don't panic, don't be scared, and don't tell Old Qiao and the others yet. I have a thought—I suspect Yu Sui might actually be with Shi Luo kid."
"So stupid I don't even want to engage with you. Seriously, I suspect even our auntie figured it out long ago." Puppy sipped his soup leisurely, turning to look toward the kitchen. "Right, auntie?"
From the kitchen, while organizing ingredients for tomorrow's lunch, the auntie replied in Shanghainese: "Known for ages. Their gazes were off, and they'd always come to the kitchen together for no reason. What could two people going to the kitchen together be doing? It's not like they'd wash dishes for me... Already discussed with the cleaning lady—we both agreed those two kids are definitely together."
The auntie snapped the vegetable hearts as she worked, not forgetting to念叨 at Shi Luo: "Put the knife back after using it. What are you doing with my knife."
Shi Luo: "..."
Chen Huo: "..."
Chen Huo不死心asked, "What about Zhou Huo..."
"Already knows too." Puppy懒懒道. "And he's been covering for them all the time."
Chen Huo clutched at his last shred of hope. "What about that呆子Old Qiao..."
"Knows too." Puppy looked at Chen Huo with pity. "Only you, only you, got it? The sweeping robot in our base probably figured out what's going on. Only you didn't."
Chen Huo长叹一口气, looking Shi Luo up and down, his stomach churning. "That dog Yu Sui really has it all. Life's winner."
Chen Huo recalled the viral screenshots of the alt account circulating online. Not daring to touch Shi Luo's逆鳞, he could only吐槽疯狂 in his mind.
After the late-night snack, the three of them had, through mutual probing, temporarily figured out each other's bottom lines. As long as they didn't mention the alt account that had now become a tourist attraction for Yu Sui and Shi Luo's CP fans, the team could maintain peace until Worlds.
After the snack, Shi Luo went upstairs. He exchanged a glance with Yu Sui in the stairwell. The two didn't speak—Shi Luo walked straight toward Yu Sui's dorm room, and Yu Sui followed him in. Before Yu Sui had even closed the door properly, he heard a ding. Shi Luo had taken off his tiger earring and tossed it aside. Listening carefully, Shi Luo was still愤愤地嘟囔ing: "Worthless."
Yu Sui suppressed the urge to do his Xiao Sh Shen, closed the door properly, and went to wash up and sleep with Shi Luo.
The next day, it was still the cursed daily stream hours grind.
Chen Huo and Puppy had deliberately woken up two hours early. Chen Huo was manageable—he opened his stream but didn't play games the whole time, and his chat sessions weren't that long either. Puppy, however, had thrown away all shame. He hadn't even opened the game client. He just had his camera pointing at the Free training room, turning it occasionally—sometimes filming Chen Huo who was streaming, sometimes Shi Luo's station, sometimes Yu Sui's station.
When Yu Sui entered the training room, this was the scene he found.
"I've always been curious." Yu Sui walked to his station. "Puppy, does that stream salary burn your hands?"
"Doesn't burn at all. Legitimate slacking. Unlike Shi Luo, I'm not young and resilient enough to stream games all day or I'll die..."
Puppy looked back and, seeing Shi Luo hadn't arrived yet, gained some courage. He turned the camera toward Yu Sui and撺掇: "Come come, say a few words, help me get more views. I'll split some of my stream salary with you this month."
Yu Sui ignored Puppy and sat down to turn on his computer. "I don't make dirty money."
"Tch..." Puppy was anxious. "You won't be able to say anything in a bit! Hurry up."
Yu Sui's voice carried an uncontrollable laugh. "Watch what you say."
Sure enough, before Puppy finished speaking, the stream chat exploded.
【Why won't you be able to say anything in a bit???】
【Those who know, know.】
【66666666...】
【Certain player's team domination confirmed.】
【If I send a gift can I ask a question? Puppy please look at me.】
Puppy glanced at the chat and perked up. "Ask away, ask away. I'm telling you, if you're going to ask, do it quickly. After a while there won't be any dirty money to earn, got it?"
Puppy covered his microphone and asked Yu Sui: "Is Shi Luo even awake yet? When's he coming?"
Yu Sui opened his game client. "Awake. Looking at the time, he's probably been playing on his phone in bed. Should be here soon."
Puppy released the mic. "Only three minutes! After that, no more questions."
No sooner had he said it than someone sent a gift and posted: [How long has Yu Sui liked his partner?]
Puppy read the message to Yu Sui, who completely ignored him. Puppy couldn't do anything, so he turned around and nudged Yu Sui's shoulder. "Hurry up... cooperate. What's wrong with me benefiting a little from your relationship? Are we not brothers?"
Yu Sui was jostled by Puppy until he lost control of his mouse, so he said, "Almost three years."
He didn't need Puppy to repeat it—everyone in the stream heard it clearly.
【Taking notes, taking notes, three years, three years, three years. Damn, I knew it...】
【Sorry to Whisper fans—we really shouldn't have fought that hard for three years. What was the point.】
【Crying my eyes out. So it really is three years.】
【Yu God slays me... I always said this playboy was secretly a deep lover.】
Another gift came: [Cough... Apologizing to Yu God. I cursed his partner on Weibo, I was young and ignorant back then, now I just want to kill myself. Did his partner ever get angry? We said such awful things QAQ]
Puppy read it to Yu Sui. Yu Sui said, "He never really got angry, but..."
Yu Sui chose his words carefully, trying not to be too explicit. "But he questioned himself. Once when you guys attacked him too viciously, he texted me late at night, asking..."
Yu Sui got into a game queue. He entered and bought his starting items, continuing: "Late at night... he suddenly asked me if he was being a total bitch, because people on Weibo were calling him a bitch."
Puppy: "Pfft."
Yu Sui sighed regretfully. "You all... seriously. He's been through hell and high water, lived on the edge... and the first time someone called him that, he was completely numb."
The chat exploded with apologies. A crowd knocked their heads repeatedly.
【Can't see the real person, begging you to let your partner keep posting daily content.】
【I hate myself...】
【I was wrong, truly wrong this time.】
【I cursed the person I love most for months. My heart's been bleeding these past few days. Finally understood Qiao Feng's regret for killing A Zhu, the hatred!!】
【Misunderstanding, all misunderstanding. Begging that alt account to keep updating.】
【The alt account content has become scripture to us. We've read it day and night until we can recite it. Please update.】
Puppy was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He turned to remind Yu Sui to pressure Shi Luo about updating the alt account, but before he could speak, the training room door opened. Shi Luo walked in with an expressionless face. Puppy instantly muted his mic, sat up straight at his station, and asked not a single question.