#gaoqiao

[blueberry-ash]

Word Game Wednesday: "outside"

He doesn’t answer Qiao Yifan’s message; he has no idea what to say or, at least, he can’t quite bring himself to tap out something politely formulaic. He takes his keys blankly when his stepdad brings them over. He puts on his outside shoes. He walks downstairs with his mind in a haze, and all he can think is how much this feels like a scene from some dumb romance—and yet, and yet.

(from chapter nine of my reunion dinner fic)

[weilongfu]

When I hear my favorite song (You are the music in me) Ch 1

The King’s Avatar, Gao Yingjie/Qiao Yifan

Summary: Once upon a time, two boys started a band with dreams of stardom. They were both signed to a great company as trainees and worked hard to debut. But just before they could accomplish that dream, one of them left. Shortly after, Gao Yingjie debuted with his band Kind Tree under Tiny Herb records. Years later, as Kind Tree's star continues to rise, Qiao Yifan sings at open mic sessions in bars across City H, unaware of the people listening to his songs and the opportunity they might provide.

If stars align, and record companies are willing, the two boys with dreams may find each other again some day, and play on the same stage, with different bands, but united hearts. And if fate is cruel, their paths may never cross again.

Chapter Summary: On an ordinary night, at an ordinary gig, Qiao Yifan finds himself back in a situation he hasn’t been in ever since leaving Tiny Herb Records. 

Year “0”

Two teenagers stand together behind a heavy curtain. Stage lights shine and burn upon the stage before them. The boy on the left reaches out and finds a hand nervously toying with a rubber band. 

“Are you going to be able to do this?” The boy on the right shoves him.

“Yingjie…”

“Hey, we both didn’t think we’d ever get here. Let’s just do it as we practiced.”

“Yes!”

They both run onto the stage to polite applause. 

“Hello City B! I’m Gao Yingjie!”

“And I’m Qiao Yifan!”

“Together, we’re Kind Tree!”

------

“Hello everyone. My name is Qiao Yifan, and I’ll be performing a few songs for you tonight.” 

A woman with orange-blonde hair watched behind her large sunglasses and floppy hat as the young man on stage bowed politely, guitar posing only a minor problem. His clothes were neat but plain and his hair styled simply. It was a surprising contrast to the more dramatic styles of most young performers attempting to make a name. However, his face was good with strong brows and kind eyes. Getting fans would probably not be a problem if based on looks. She nudged the dark haired man silently smoking next to her. He said nothing but continued to watch from behind his own pair of more stylish sunglasses.

A few patrons of the cafe-bar clapped politely as Qiao Yifan sat on the barstool next to the microphone. At last, the man smoking put out his cigarette to pay full attention.

Qiao Yifan’s voice wasn’t entirely unremarkable, but it seemed to lack something. It was a pleasant voice, capable of carrying a tune and hitting notes. But even though he was the only one singing in the bar, it felt as if you might not remember who it was that sang when you woke up the next morning. Even the lyrics seemed to come from songs that were just a hair outside of memorable. The two sitting by themselves in the back were suddenly even more invested. The man even leaned forward in his seat. The woman smiled. 

After four songs, Qiao Yifan’s setlist was over. He bowed once more to polite claps and walked off the stage. The bar owner then opened the mic up to anyone else who wanted to perform. Qiao Yifan had been the last scheduled performer. 

The man got up and the woman said nothing. 

Under the spotlight of the stage, the man took off his glasses, revealing sharp eyes behind a rather relaxed and casual expression. He coughed a bit to clear his throat.

“This junior would like to ask Senior Qiao to sing a duet with him!”

The entire bar took on an awkward atmosphere. The man was clearly several years Qiao Yifan’s senior, and yet he called himself a junior. 

“Uhh…” Qiao Yifan walked back up to the stage awkwardly. “I don’t-”

“You know some pop songs, right? Not just your own indie stuff?”

“Well I-”

“Great. Do you know how to sing Battle God? You know, by One Autumn Leaf?”

“ARE YOU NUTS? ARE YOU TRYING TO REVEAL YOURSELF?!” At last, the woman in the back couldn’t hold it in and shouted. 

“Ahh… don’t mind her. She thinks she’s Su Mucheng,” the man said casually into the microphone, as if he didn’t just redirect everyone’s incredulous stares to his accomplice. The woman immediately sat down, smiled at everyone, and waved off their stares. “So, how about it?”

Qiao Yifan gave a nervous nod and walked on stage for the second time. There was no applause, only an awkward stare. "Sir, I don't know how to-"

"Play Battle God? That's okay. Just lend me your guitar."

As soon as the instrument was handed over, the man played the opening riff effortlessly. Qiao Yifan felt his eyes widening. The man nudged him and Qiao Yifan barely caught the cue into the opening verse.

Battle God wasn't an easy song but it also wasn't as fast as many other One Autumn Leaf songs. Qiao Yifan did his best, but his voice didn't quite carry. It wasn't until the second chorus that the man also began to sing. His vocals changed everything.

<For glory, for ruin, I’ll find my way

On this battlefield, I will not stray

One thousand chances to make my mark

One thousand chances for glory!>

With him singing, the entire song came alive. Qiao Yifan adjusted his voice to let the man's voice rise above his. The man raised his brow before adjusting his to let Qiao Yifan's voice carry better. Avoiding a frown, Qiao Yifan adjusted his voice again to back the other and was once again routed. The rest of the audience barely noticed the difference, but the woman in the back frowned.

With no other choice, Qiao Yifan did his best to rise to the occasion. The other man's voice patched the holes in the rising notes. At last, everyone in the bar sat up in attention as the song hit the climactic ending.

The applause was good, Qiao Yifan bowed as best he could while gasping for air. His partner on stage barely seemed winded.

"Not bad at all. I suppose you really are that Qiao Yifan."

"What?!" Qiao Yifan nearly stumbled off the stage. "I'm not-"

The man smiled at him and offered his hand. "Ye Qiu, now Ye Xiu. Former lead singer of One Autumn Leaf, pleasure to meet you."

This time, Qiao Yifan didn't stumble off stage. 

He fainted instead.

------

When Qiao Yifan awoke, he found himself in a room he never expected to see again, a recording studio. The couch he was laid across was much more comfortable than the ones he remembered. After a glance around, there was no sign of the man that claimed to be Ye Qiu or the woman Qiao Yifan remembered seeing with him.

As Qiao Yifan sat up, the door opened and a woman with reddish brown hair entered. Her face was pretty and her expression concerned. Her clothes were business casual, but she held herself well. Qiao Yifan could recognize the type, business exec or some sort of manager. Given that she was only in business casual, Qiao Yifan assumed manager or coordinator.

"Oh good, I was worried when that rascal told me he just left you in here." She sat down next to Qiao Yifan on the couch and offered her hand. "Chen Guo."

Qiao Yifan hesitated for a moment before shaking Chen Guo’s hand. "Qiao Yifan. A pleasure to meet you." Qiao Yifan rubbed the back of his neck. "Why am I-"

“I’d like to ask the same question.” Chen Guo stormed over to the door and opened it. “And you! Why did you bring someone back here? Why not wake him up and take him back to his home!”

“It wouldn’t be polite to dig through the pockets of a fine, upstanding, young man,” Ye Xiu said as he walked into the room, cigarette dangling from his lips, but thankfully unlit. He nodded at Qiao Yifan. “Xiao Qiao.”

Qiao Yifan blinked. “Are you… Are you really Ye Qiu?”

“Didn’t my performance prove it?”

Qiao Yifan tilted his head. “It’s true, Senior performed Battle God very well. However, no one has ever seen Ye Qiu’s face. For all I know, Senior could be very well trained.”

Chen Guo laughed at Ye Xiu’s surprised face. “For once, your reputation has hampered you. Even after your performance!”

“He’s clearly a fan of One Autumn Leaf! How can he not know my voice?”

“All your smoking has ruined it.”

After watching Chen Guo and Ye Xiu bicker back and forth for another minute, Qiao Yifan cleared his throat. “If there’s nothing else…” He stood up and bowed. “Thank you for taking care of me. If you don’t mind, I’ll go now.”

“Oh, if you have some time, Boss Chen and I would like to discuss some things with you.” Ye Xiu casually glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Time?” Qiao Yifan checked his watch and winced. It was one in the morning. “So late?!”

“Oh it’s Saturday. Not a big deal for you young kids,” Ye Xiu said with a sigh. “I’m sure you've had your share of late nights, hmm?”

“Well-

“Great! So, why is a former trainee from Tiny Herb performing in a bar in City H on open mic night?”

Chen Guo looked back and forth between Ye Xiu’s odd smile and Qiao Yifan’s slowly faltering expression. “This… You’re a former trainee?”

“I was signed by Tiny Herb a few years ago. It… didn’t work out.” Qiao Yifan shrugged. “It was a good learning experience though. And I was grateful for the opportunity.”

“Your voice is good. You have stage presence. Why would Wang Jiexi tell you to leave?” Ye Xiu finally lit his cigarette. Chen Guo glared at him.

“Not in the recording rooms!”

“Oh, sorry boss.” Ye Xiu snuffed out the cigarette on the sole of his shoe before Qiao Yifan answered.

“I can’t answer that.” Qiao Yifan looked up at Ye Xiu with a polite smile. Ye Xiu could see it was tinged with regret. “I signed an NDA. In exchange, they are paying my tuition. Please forgive me for not telling you more than that.”

“Hmm… So you can’t tell me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t figure it out myself.” Ye Xiu looked into the recording booth. “Go in and put on the headphones. Let’s hear you sing some more.”

More was an understatement. Qiao Yifan found himself singing through almost every song in his repertoire. Fast songs, slow songs, happy, sad, romantic, fun, dark, edgy, the list went on. Qiao Yifan begged for mercy when Ye Xiu put a rap track on by Troubling Rain. 

“Senior Ye, please… Senior Huang is too… fast.”

Ye Xiu nodded. “Okay, that will be enough then.” He motioned for Qiao Yifan to exit the booth. Qiao Yifan sighed in relief. “I’ve got an idea of what Wang Jiexi was thinking.”

“Any criticism Senior Ye has would be greatly appreciated.” Ye Xiu watched as Qiao Yifan unconsciously pulled a hair tie from his wrist and started stretching it between his fingers. “I am always seeking to improve.”

“Hmm… Your voice quality isn’t bad. It’s good you’ve kept up with vocal training. But…”

“But?”

“You sing the main vocals like you want to hide in the background.” Ye Xiu rubbed his chin. “And… You’re not very good at singing what you aren’t feeling.” The hair tie around Qiao Yifan’s fingers snapped. “So I’m guessing, Wang Jiexi saw both these things and figured he didn’t need a backup vocalist for Kind Tree, nor did he need someone who couldn’t emote on demand. Am I wrong?” Qiao Yifan’s silence and stare directed at his shoes was answer enough. “So, despite knowing all this, you still want to sing, huh?”

“Yes,” Qiao Yifan said quietly. “I still want to sing.” Qiao Yifan finally looked up and met Ye Xiu’s eyes. “I will keep singing.”

Ye Xiu smiled. “It will be a tough road, to build yourself from the bottom and pull yourself up.”

“I’m not a stranger to hard work, Senior Ye.” Qiao Yifan returned Ye Xiu’s smile with a bitter one. “I was a trainee after all.”

“And so how do you plan to build yourself up? More open mic nights? Hope to catch the ear of someone who will give you a chance?”

Qiao Yifan faltered for a moment. “But I thought-”

“Well, you’re assuming I have the power to help you. An awful assumption. I’m just a producer now.” Ye Xiu gave an exaggerated wave over the booth. “All this is only my domain. No more, no less.” Qiao Yifan wilted. “But there is someone else who has been listening.” Ye Xiu turned to the door and Qiao Yifan’s gaze followed.

Chen Guo walked in, a large manila envelope in hand.

“Qiao Yifan, how would you like to sign with Happy Records?”

------

Miles away, another young man jolted awake at the sound of something clattering to the ground. Heart racing, he glared at the fallen picture frame before picking it up and realizing the picture inside.

“Yifan…” 

He pressed the picture frame to his chest, a mimicry of a hug, before placing it back on his desk.

And if his dreams were filled with soft smiles and a warm voice, nudges to his shoulder as they both leaned over a notebook, the young man would not tell a soul.

[mtkiseki]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/3 Fandom: 全职高手 | The King's Avatar (Cartoon), 全职高手 - 蝴蝶蓝 | Quánzhí Gāoshǒu - Húdié Lán Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: 高乔, Gāo Yīngjié/Qiáo Yīfān Characters: Gāo Yīngjié, Qiáo Yīfān, 高英杰, 乔一帆, Dài Yánqí, 戴妍琦, Lú Hànwén, 卢瀚文, Sòng Qíyīng, 宋奇英 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe — Entertainment Industry, Angst and Feels, Hope you guys have tissues, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, Potential Triggers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, Quánzhí Gāoshǒu — New Generation, Teams as Talent Agencies Summary:

What does it take to be loved, to feel loved? How much can Qiao Yifan take, before he shatters?

[troublingrain]

两个天使来个合影 // 森林木十一 [lofter] ※Posted with permission from the artist. **Please check out more of their work on Lofter!** [Please do not remove credit or repost.]

[qiaoyifan-fan]

Gao Yingjie: Hey, I heard you like bad boys.

Qiao Yifan: Not really.

Gao Yingjie: Oh thank god.

[weilongfu]

Ye Xiu’s advice on glory is unparalleled, his advice on relationships, however, is a different story. (Was imagining for GaoQiao but could be for anyone really)

“Qianbei... I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice...” Yifan kept his head down in his bow, but his fingers worried at the hem of his shirt. “If you have time that is! I wouldn’t want to-”

Ye Xiu waved an imperious hand. “Of course I do. But you’ve been improving just fine on your own, haven’t you? Especially now that you’ve got Luo Ji helping you do some calculations to make some new moves, I really think-”

“It’s not about Glory.” Yifan’s face turned just a bit red. “It’s... Uh... Kind of personal.”

The cigarette in Ye Xiu’s fingers twitched. “Personal huh? Well... Uh...” Ye Xiu took a puff of his cigarette to cover up an almost cough. “What’s the problem, Xiao Qiao?”

“How do I... Uh... How do I tell someone... I like them?” Yifan’s gaze stayed resolutely on the floor even though he had lifted his head to reveal his red face.

“Well... I would say,” Ye Xiu said in a louder voice, as if speaking louder meant being more confident, “That this is a time where Glory skills also come in handy!”

“Is it really, qianbei?!” Yifan’s eyes lit up and just around the corner, Fang Rui had to bite his lip to prevent himself from bursting into laughter after hearing Ye Xiu’s shouting. What Ye Xiu knew about dating could fit into a thimble and poor Yifan was going to get the worst of it.

“Absolutely! You see, just like you must analyze your opponent, here, you analyze your target!”

“Ah!” 

“And when you find their weaknesses, you lead them in slowly, carefully, just like you’d lay out your boundaries and time when to use them.” Yifan’s eyes got even wider. “And then when they make that fatal slip up that tells you you’ve got them on the hook, Ghost Feast! Strike as hard as possible to bring them down!”

“Uh...”

“I mean, make them fall in love with you, of course,” Ye Xiu finished before puffing again on his nearly finished cigarette. “See, love, like Glory, is a battle!”

“Oh!” Yifan bowed several times. “When qianbei explains it like that, it makes a lot of sense! Thank you! I will go try to put this into practice!”

“Eh?!”

------

“Uh... Delivery for Gao Yingjie, your noodles are here.” The delivery person placed several bowls of noodles and side dishes for Yingjie to the side of his computer, all of them his favorites. 

“But I didn’t-”

“Already paid for sir. Enjoy and have a good day!”

“Wow... Your favorite noodles and delivery too? Treating yourself today?” Xu Bin asked as Yingjie popped the lids open and took a large appreciative sniff. 

“Someone else ordered them for me. I guess.” Yingjie nibbled on the end of his chopsticks. “Anyway-”

“Don’t forget, no eating in the training room.”

“Oh... Right...”

Yingjie gathered up the bowls and boxes and moved to the lunch room, he spotted the small note which said, “Yingjie, I’m rooting for you! ~Yifan.”

------

“Ah! Xiao Gao, you’ve got a package here,” Liu Xiaobie said as he came in with mail. “Did you order something lately?”

“Uh... I don’t remember ordering something...” Yingjie accepted the small box and sliced it open with his scissors. “What is... Oh...” Yingjie held up two keychains, a broom and a katana. In particular, One Inch of Ash’s katana and Kind Tree’s broom. 

“Wow, aren’t those limited edition?” Liu Fei said as she poked the replica key chains. “Someone spent some serious cash on them. Who sent it?”

Yingjie returned from his amazement to start digging through the box to find another note. “Yingjie, keep them together and keep them safe! ~Yifan”

“Are they from Xiao Qiao?” Liu Fei tugged on the note to read it better. “Well, I guess now that he’s made it he can be frivolous huh?”

Yingjie didn’t say anything, but he tucked the note and key chains against his chest and floated out of the room.

------

“Hey Yingjie you’ve got-” Zhou Yebai didn’t even get to finish before Yingjie was sprinting out of the practice room. “A package. What’s got him so hype?”

“Yifan,” the entire room said in unison.

“Oh. Him.”

Yingjie found the package and immediately ran to his room before tearing it open. Inside was a framed picture of him and Yifan after the Season 10 finals. Yifan proudly flashing his Team Happy Glory account card with the trophy behind him. His other arm was around Yingjie’s shoulders. Yingjie noticed his own happy expression but also noticed Yifan’s. 

Yifan wasn’t looking at the camera, but at Yingjie instead. His smile was soft and fond and Yingjie found his heart racing. Yingjie lifted the frame out and found an envelope under it. Inside, he found a note and a bus ticket.

“Yingjie, I guess you know now. Come tell me your answer? ~Yifan”

Yingjie bit his lip before pulling his pillow over and screaming into it.

------

A few days later at the Happy Internet Cafe, Yifan stood by the door to Team Happy’s floor. He smiled at everyone and bowed when appropriate. Once in a while he checked his phone, frowned, and went back to waiting. 

“You have an awful lot of nerve, Qiao Yifan!” 

Yifan turned to see Yingjie standing in the doorway of the internet cafe, huffing and puffing. Ye Xiu and Fang Rui peered down at the two before they shook on something. 

“Uh... Yingjie, I-”

“Making me take that bus to the wrong side of City H! How dare you!”

“I did what?! No, it should have been-”

“All so I could tell one little thing...” Yingjie stormed up and Yifan winced, but he needn’t have bothered as Yingjie pulled him into a kiss. Several phones were immediately in the air snapping photos. Fang Rui wailed in despair as Ye Xiu held out his hand and several bills were placed in it. “The answer is yes. Of course it’s yes. It was yes before you even left.” Yifan smiled and pulled Yingjie back into another kiss until Chen Guo chased them up the stairs to get out of the public eye.

Fang Rui kicked at the linoleum. “Damn it. How could I lose?!”

Ye Xiu cackled as he counted his winnings. “You see, you had one fatal flaw in your assumption.”

“What was it?”

“You assumed Xiao Qiao was so dumb he’d take me literally. You failed to realize that we’ve all been mentoring him for months now. He’s truly learned how to be an opportunist now.”

Fang Rui could only sigh and sob before asking Su Mucheng for money for lunch.

[weilongfu]

Gao Yingjie and Qiao Yifan just want to go on one normal date that doesn’t involve the press or their teammates’ prying eyes.

After much planning, squabbling, arguing, and a few matches on alt accounts in the Glory arena, two very covered up individuals wearing sunglasses and masks with similar builds hidden by bulky jackets and hoodies, met in the middle of City S. They spoke in hushed whispers at first meeting, but then casually held hands and walked along the streets without fuss. 

Outside of their overly covered features, no one paid them any mind. It seemed, of course, like any other meeting of two boys out on a date desiring of privacy.

Turned up to eleven.

Still, a few prying eyes cast their gazes on them as the pair went into bubble tea shops and video game stores. A few teens took out their phones to snap pictures of the weird couple to send over social media. A few details were caught. The sight of a large ring on a slim finger. A pin here or there that seemed a bit familiar to anyone that played Glory. A bit of laughter recorded on video as one of them fumbled a box of dumplings from a stall.

And then the pair went into a restaurant and the one wearing a jacket took it off to reveal a track jacket saying Team Happy and Inch of Ash on the back. This garnered a bit more attention, but it was hardly abnormal. The Glory Association had recently started selling team jackets apparel as such and anyone could have bought one.

At least until someone on an internet forum posted the picture and said, “Doesn’t that shirt actually look like the official one? Like the official Team Happy uniform? You can tell because the insignia is also on each shoulder and all of them are embroidered. The commercial ones just have the insignia on the front and back screen printed.”

There was a beat of silence around the restaurant as the two lowered their masks to start eating. A small splash of sauce got on a pair of sunglasses. But despite how the person tried to hide their face, the suspicions had already been cast and a picture was snapped and spread like wild fire. Gao Yingjie was in City S with someone.

And there was only one person he’d go out with while wearing an Inch of Ash jacket, much less an official one.

Qiao Yifan!

Before long, camera flashes exploded outside the restaurant and through the window, disrupting the peace and quiet. Yingjie and Yifan felt both their phones vibrating so hard they might shatter in their pockets. 

“So close,” Yifan mourned as he stirred his noodles in his bowl sadly. “We were this close...”

“I knew it wasn’t worth coming all the way out to City S, but you just had to insist...”

“No one would expect us here!” Yifan threw his hands up. “You’re stuck in City B and I’m stuck in City H! It’s a wonder they found us here at all!”

Yingjie sighed and winced as his phone vibrated again and judging by the malice he felt from the signal, it had to be Liu Xiaobie. “Come on, at least we can finish eating and try to dodge them.” 

“Did you bring a change of clothes like we planned?”

“Duh. But I broke the bank on them...”

“I told you to send me the bill...”

“I thought you said Team Happy was still poor?”

“Well... Being champions did give us some money...” Yifan scratched at his cheek. “And what good is it when you can’t spoil your boyfriend a little bit...”

“Oh well if it’s like that, I’d rather you buy me that new mechanical keyboard we saw...”

Yifan looked out the window to see the paparazzi were still going strong. “Later. Everything, anything, later.” Under the table, Yifan squeed Yingjie’s knee. “I promise.”

Yingjie huffed. “You better come through on that. I reaaaaaally want that keyboard.”

[qiaoyifan-fan]

Today- GaoQiao (pt.3)

Aaaand that’s the end of Gao Yingjie’s POV. I do plan to do Qiao Yifan’s POV, but that probably won’t be until next month as I will be out of the country.

And I’m sorry I can’t really write romance LOL

Gao Yingjie’s POV: pt.1/pt.2/pt.3

Qiao Yifan’s POV: 

Tomorrow:

Warning: definitely OOC, and does contain spoilers

Gao Yingjie had heard of Team Happy. Almost everyone had, after all. They were the ‘dark horse’ of the Challenge Tournament, so to speak. A Battle Mage named Soft Mist, Steamed Bun Invasion the Brawler, one of the most infamous Ninjas- Deception, Sleeping Whole Summer Again the Berserker, a Summoner called Concealed Light, the Cleric Little Cold Hands, and a Warlock named Windward Formation , led by God Ye Qiu’s, no, Ye Xiu’s Unspecialized character, Lord Grim. But to him, the most important player was the Ghostblade. Qiao Yifan and One Inch Ash.

Qiao Yifan had improved greatly. As Yingjie watched One Inch Ash attack over, and over again, he wondered about the player behind the account.

Yifan, you’re doing so well. I’m sorry that I’m not there with you.

On the day of the Challenger Tournament final, Gao Yingjie flew to City H. He only told Wang Jiexi, receiving permission with an understanding nod. He didn’t know whether Happy would win or not, but either way, he had to be their for Qiao Yifan. As he was flying, he watched the tournament. It was only until the plane landed, did the tournament end with Happy’s victory.

Yifan! I’m coming! I’ll see you in person soon and tell you my feelings. In person… In front of Team Happy… Alone…

Gao Yingjie froze as he took his first step out of the airport. Was he really ready for this? Would Team Happy accept him? They would be rivals now, would Yifan hate him? Would he reject him? He rushed back into the airport, asking a staff member for paper and something to write with. After frantically scribbling down his letter, he rushed to call a taxi, heading to Xing Xin Internet Cafe.

Thankfully, when he arrived, no one noticed him. Team Happy’s fans were all celebrating and causing a commotion, no one had noticed the him quietly slip in. They were all gathering in a small group, chanting, trying to encourage someone, or someones, to continue drinking. It looked as if the people drinking must have been extremely drunk. Many cups and some bottles were strewn on the floor. He walked quickly to front desk, trying to attract the attention of the current manager.

“Ah…Sister? Excuse me…Sister?” Gao Yingjie tried to ask the manager, who was playing Glory.

“Yes?” She didn’t look up from her screen.

“I would like to meet someone from Team Happy…”

“Like I’ve said many times, Ye Xiu is currently… Ah! You are Gao Yingjie, yes? Tiny Herb’s successor?” After glancing up at him, she excitedly attempted to help him. “Who are you specifically looking for? Sun Zheping and Ye Xiu are actually knocked out now- Sister Mumu and Sister Rou Rou are trying to get them back on their feet. Can I have your autograph? Everyone else is supposedly having a drinking competition over…there.” She pointed to the growing mob.

Yifan? Drinking? He can’t handle any alcohol, can he? Is he okay? I have to check on him!

“Thanks, sister!”

“Wait… my autograph?”

“Later, I promise!”

Gao Yingjie tried to weave through the mob, clutching his letter tightly. After some struggle, he finally saw the mess called Team Happy. One loud, older man was laughing freely holding and spilling the cup of beer in his hand. Wei Chen, Windward Formation. To the right of him was a man in his twenties, wearing glasses. Despite the suprising amount of empty bottles in front of him, he didn’t seem all that drunk. He’s…handsome. An Wenyi, Little Cold Hands. Sleeping on his shoulder was a younger boy, dainty, almost petite, his face a cherry shade of red. I can’t really tell who he is. He seems cute, though. Next to him was a man wearing a hood. He was only holding one small cup of beer, and yet every sip he took flushed his face even more. It seemed as if he was trying to act with an aloof face, but his flush betrayed him. Mo Fan, Deception. On the left of Wei Chen sat two boys, attempting to fight, or at the very least, they attempted to struggle. The taller, blond one, was laughing hysterically as he shook the smaller one. The shorter one was looking as if he was doing anything and everything he could to not throw up. Steamed Bun Invasion, Bao Rongxing. Concealed Light, Luo Ji. Then that means…

Yingjie’s eyes moved to the petite boy, who was now conscious. Now that he could clearly see him, it was obvious that it was Qiao Yifan. Qiao Yifan started to chat with An Wenyi, his face still an adorable shade of red. As they spoke, An Wenyi seemed to blush. Qiao Yifan leaned in to say something in his ear, and whatever he must have said caused An Wenyi to turn freakishly flushed. Yingjie saw red. He wanted to walk over there, and carry off Yifan into the sunset, anywhere away from this person who would even dare to speak with Yifan in front of him, and so closely too. And yet… Yifan looks happy. Maybe… Maybe he likes him. He is handsome. Better looking than me, at least. And they look so close…

I’ll just leave.

Gao Yingjie, trying not to cry, pushed back through the crowd, bumping into a woman.

“Ah! I’m s-sorry! I-I just was r-rushing! I’m r-really really s-sorry! I-” He quickly bowed in apology, trying not to look at the tall woman who was most likely glaring holes into his back.

“Woah! You’re Gao Yingjie, right? Little Qiao’s friend?” Ah?

He looked up at the woman, realizing that this was Chen Guo, the boss of Team Happy and owner of the internet cafe.

“Y-yeah. I was going to visit him, but it looks like I have to visit him some other time. He’s…busy,” Gao Yingjie attempted to fake a small laugh.”Oh! Can you give him this later? It’s for him. Thanks- I have to go soon. My flight is in an hour.” Yingjie pushed the letter into Chen Guo’s hand, then dashed out the door.

I guess today just wasn’t the day.

Oh. I forgot to give the lady her autograph.

Gao Yingjie didn’t really contact Qiao Yifan after that. The only times he interacted with him was at Boss fights. And even then, they had no reason to talk with each other. They were enemies. After giving a curt greeting, they had to try and kill each other. Gao Yingjie didn’t mind. That much. It was easier that way. Like this, Gao Yingjie wouldn’t have to ask if Qiao Yifan had gotten his letter. Yingjie wouldn’t have to ask if Qiao Yifan knew about his feelings or not.

Of course, they would eventually meet. The first time Happy fought Tiny Herb, they never had an individual match, only fighting against each other in the group battle. He never considered the probability that they might fight individually, but that thought was challenged today- Tiny Herb and Happy’s second match.

“The second individual match! Happy’s Qiao Yifan and One Inch Ash! Tiny Herb’s Gao Yingjie and Kind Tree!”

Gao Yingjie froze as his teammates looked towards him, his heart torn. He still loved Yifan, and he was so happy that they could be considered equals. But, they were equal as enemies, and he had to win. He didn’t want Yifan to lose, of course, but someone had too. And it couldn’t be him.

After I win… I will tell him. Today. I will-no, I am going to tell him.

“The second individual match! Team Happy’s Qiao Yifan and One Inch Ash wins!”

Or…not.

As he sat back down in his chair, he ignored the reassurances and attempted comforts given to him by his teammates. Instead, he thought about what he should, or even could, do.

Could I even confess to him, now? What if he- what if he laughs in my face? Would I still even be worthy? It’s even possible that he likes someone else now… His imagined his Yifan in the arms of another- one particular boy in glasses- and tried not to cry.

Even as he fought in the team battle, his thoughts still lingered on his Yifan. He had no problems ordering the team to focus Little Cold Hands. While a natural tactic, Yingjie took some pleasure in watch Little Cold Hands try and run away. Eventually, Yingjie’s jealousy got the better of him, and he made a few critical mistakes. Kind Tree finally ran out of health under the haze of dark ghost boundary.

“Team Happy wins!”

Gao Yingjie started to tear up as they lined up to shake hands. His tears finally fell as he came to Qiao Yifan. Both juniors of their teams, starting together, and yet ending up at vastly different places.

Quietly, Yifan handed him a tissue so he could wipe his tears.

“Yifan, you are so strong now…”

“You are still a genius, Yingjie.”

“But that doesn’t matter, does it? We lost.”

“Practice more. We’ll meet again on the battlefield.”

“Next time, I won’t lose.”

“Okay.” Yifan lightly smiled, then turned back and walked away with his team.

Yingjie watched the hallway Yifan had disappeared on, his heart hurting.

In the end, I never got to tell him.

I’ll prove myself to you, Yifan. I’ll show that I am worthy of you. I won’t lose. Not to anyone.

Happy against Samsara. The final match of the tenth season.

He left City B with Wang Jiexi, Liu Xiaobie and  Liu Fei, planning to watch the last match of the season. He knew that a few more pro players would go to this match than usual. He at least knew that Lu Hanwen would be going, as well as Dai Yanqi.

As they arrived in the stadium, Lu Hanwen and Dai Yanqi dragged Xiaobie and Liu Fei to somewhere he didn’t know, leaving him alone with Wang Jiexi as they took their seats.

“Yingjie? Yingjie? Little Jie?” Wang Jiexi waved his hand in front of Yingjie’s face, trying to get his attention.

“Hmm..? Oh! C-captain? Yes? What is it?” stammered Yingjie, his thoughts of Yifan interuppted.

“You…like Little Qiao, right?”

“Ah…”

“It’s been obvious for a while now.”

“O-oh. Please, don’t tell anyone! If Liu Fei finds out she’ll tell Yanqi, and if Yanqi finds out everyone will find out, including Yifan andIreallydon’twantthattohappenorelsehe’drejectmeand-”

“Calm down. And you’ll have to tell him eventually, or it’ll be too late. Don’t beat yourself up about what might happen. Waiting too long causes more heartbreak than initially being rejected.” Wang Jiexi stared out to where Team Xing Xin would be sitting. “It’s better to tell them as soon as possible. Being too late- knowing that you might’ve had a chance is one of the most painful things in the world. And besides it’s not as if you’ll- well, if you gather enough courage you might find out.”

“Captain…Are you okay?”

“It’s starting now.”

“O-Okay.”

“Glory’s tenth league- Glory’s champion’s, Team Happy!”

He should’ve been cheering, and yet, his heart hurt more than ever. Qiao Yifan made it. He was a part of a champion team- proving he was better than people had originally assumed of him. He was no longer small and invisible. Yingjie was no longer good enough for him.

He- He’s a part of a champion team now. So am I- but have I contributed to that? I’ve probably been dragging our team down. Now, will I have to single-handedly win a championship? Yifan needs someone worthy of him. Someone who is worthy enough to be loved by him.

Today, I finally realize- I am not that person.

“Yingjie, let’s go and congradulate them.” Wang Jiexi stretched, and stood up. “You don’t want to keep Little Qiao waiting, do you?”

I… I kind of do.

“Oh…Of course not! L-let’s go!”

They walked over to where Team Xing Xin was talking with other players. Seeing Yifan -with An Wenyi, of course- Yingjie dashed off into the other direction, running into Chen Guo.

“Oof! Ah! Gao Yingjie! I-I’m really sorry!” Chen Guo rubbed her head with a sheepish smile.

“Oh…It’s fine. I ran into you, after all. Don’t worry about it!” Frantic to leave, Gao Yingjie hastily apologized and tried to continue running away, but stopped by Chen Guo’s firm hand.

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about. Remember last year, when you gave me that letter? I had lost it, and had never given it to Little Qiao. In my embarrassment, I didn’t even tell Little Qiao that there was a letter. I’m really, really sorry.”

What? He- He didn’t reject me?

“Yingjie?”

Oh no.

“Are you alright? You look a bit pale, is everything okay?” asked a soft, familiar voice.

It was Qiao Yifan.

“Wha- Oh! Yeah, I’m fine! I’m fine really. It’s just- I’m in a bit of a rush right now I have to go-” Yingjie stammered out, not exactly knowing what to do in a type of situation like this. He considered running, before quickly being interrupted.

“Yingjie! I love you! I always- Ever since meeting you I…” Qiao Yifan trailed off as he saw that Yingjie was starting to cry. “I…I should go-”

Gao Yingjie grabbed Yifan and pulled him, his lips meeting Yifan’s.

Soft…

It was a pure kiss. It was passionate, romantic, but not overly so. It was one of longing. One where they poured all of their pent up love into.

They pulled away when Gao Yingjie ran out of breath, and he noticed that his Yifan was crying as well.

“Yifan...I love you too. Since our first meeting.”

It was only then that they realized everyone around them were cheering.