Behind Your Smile: Oneshots - Chapter 5 - TITANjo2333 - 你微笑时很美 (2024)

Snuggling up behind his fiancé possessively—and Buddha above did it feel good to call her that finally!—a rare and blissful smile split over Si Cheng’s sleepy face the longer he stared down at the woman—his woman,in fact!—watching her sleep soundlessly after their previous night. After the Mid next’s doors wedding ended on such a high note, Si Cheng quickly swept Yao off her feet before promptly locking themselves inside her (let’s be real, their ) bedroom for the remainder of the night. He hadn’t let his Mid get a wink of sleep until dawn broke over the horizon, and his little rabbit quite literally fell asleep with him still inside her.

Yet, not a single soul dared to knock on their door for fear of who might kill them first; the Legendary silver-tongued King of OPL or the relentless tyrant and China’s Famed Queen of Midsolo?

Truly, no one wanted to find out!

Continuing to lazily trace a steady hand along her exposed waist littered with bite marks and slow-forming bruises that matched his fingertips alike—and no, Si Cheng did not care if those thought he was possessive of his Mid—the rabbit-like twitching of her nose in her sleep only served to turn on the first heir of the Lu Corporation even more, as a breathless sigh slipped out of him. Only the woman turning in his arms, seeking the comforts of his naked chest, could make him feel anything other than the robotic feelings he’d been maneuvering through for the last twenty-seven years without his Yao-er.

He’d continue thanking the Buddha above each and every day for delivering the perfect woman directly to his doorstep—and thank f*ck how perfect his soon-to-be-wife truly appeared to be inside and out.

If he had ended up married to some siphoning harpy of a woman, Si Cheng would have rather stayed married to the OPL League.

“Si Cheng?”

Marveling at the drowsy way his fiancé—Buddha above! He wouldneverget tired of hearing it until she became his wife!—mumbled his name in her half-awake state; the way her lips moved against his slightly scratched-up chest had him shivering but not from the cold.Heavens above, he truly adored and loved this little shorty who turned into his personal hellcat whenever he pinned her down and had his way with her, with every fiber of his being—and not for the first time did Si Cheng wonder just how she’d gotten so far under his skin before he ever knew it.

He should have known then.

“Shhh,Yao-er. It’s still early. Go back to bed, shorty.”

“Looks like My Captain could use some support.” The way she was looking up at him pressed against his chest, blossoming desire and teasing mischief lighting up her doe-like mahogany brown irises, playfully biting on her lower lip, only solidified how Si Cheng made no plans of getting out of bed anytime soon, nor had any intention to let his Mid free either.

“Troublemaker,” Si Cheng hissed out playfully, as his Yao-er’s precious laughter, combined with her boldness that only came after he utterly claimed every last inch of her and left her mind a seductive, beautiful mess, would seal their fates for the rest of the morning.

“I’ll show you a troublemaker, Ge-Ge.”

Si Cheng was so screwed!

“You asked for it, Yao-er.”

He devoured her lips, gasp of surprise, and her body alike before the afternoon heat started to settle in, rolling them over as he proceeded to yank off his shirt she happened to be sleeping in, and Tong Yao’s happy giggles continued to fill their room.

“Pervert!”

Having finally made it downstairs and beelining it to the kitchen for a fresh cup of black coffee sometime past 3pm, the rest of the team were scattered around the first floor common areas as Si Cheng finally decided to check his phone.

There were noises coming from all around the base as the Captain poured himself a full cup, savoring his first sip. His Mid was still upstairs in their bedroom on the phone with her parents discussing the upcoming wedding plans—an unexpected phone call, yet not really, right?—right before he had decided to come down, and Si Cheng wasn’t afraid to admit that he already missed her presence.

Truly, he was a f*cking goner.

Beginning to scroll through the endless notifications that had popped up since the news of his engagement popped up overnight on Weibo, with a heavy sigh, a nerve was ticking annoyingly at his temple as a familiar group chat had a blaring 60+ Unread Messages waiting for him, with an additional few from his parents.

It would probably be better if he decided to start with the heathens than his parents.

[MeiYi’s God]: Remember, you all asked for tonight. <sent heavy sighing gif>

“What the f*ck?” Furrowing his brows in further annoyance, Si Cheng picked his head up, swiveling to locate Ming or his troublesome little brother, knowing they’d have some sort of answers to whatever madhouse his friends had clearly checked into. What had he missed in the short hours that he’d kept his kindergartener up well past her bedtime??

And why the hell were his friends (who were more like his second family, but the Lu Heir would never tell them and inflate their egos, no sirree) so goddamn nosy again?!

This is exactly why he preferred not to have them around in the first place.

“What happened, Cheng-ge?” Pang popped into the kitchen for a drink, mouth full of dried pork jerky, noticing the annoyance on his Captain’s face and body the longer Si Cheng glared down at his phone.

The team’s Support had been mindlessly chatting with Lao Mao in the gym when his stomach started gurgling hardcore. Watching their Topsolo working out was enough to work up Pang’s appetite! Yet, now the team’s nanny was worried someone was bullying their team Mid again since that seemed to be the only time their Captain wore such looks of frustration, and Pang wouldn’t stand for it. Not on his watch!

“Is someone trying to bully our Xiao JieJie again?! They better not! Or I’ll—”

“Do nothing, Pang.” Shaking his head at his support, a smirk played over his lips at how protective he knew their teammates were of his fiancé; Si Cheng knew he wasn’t the only one who had spoiled her ever since she abruptly arrived in their lives.

Yet, he was the only one who earned the pleasure of continuing to spoil his dwarf for the rest of their lives.

“Apparently, the entire club has dinner plans for the evening.”

“Really?” And somehow, Pang had turned the one word into four long, drawn-out syllables. “Where? Who? Wait!” Turning to face his Captain with a hand held up, a serious look flickered over Pang’s face as he asked the most important question of all. “More importantly, what’s for dinner?”

“...Pang, you only ever care about food.”

“Dāngrán (of course), Cheng-ge! Food is the way to your Support’s soul. Or have you forgotten all about me, now that you’ve permanently taken up residence in the Mid lane?”

“Should I remind you again of how I’ve remembered you and help you with Rankings before inspection?”

“NO! I’m g-good, Cheng-ge! Oh? Do you hear that? Yeah, Lao Mao, I’m coming!”

“Tch.Idiot.”

Snickering to himself, amused whiskey irises watched as his support fled the room quicker than when they told him food delivery had arrived. And to think, Si Cheng didn’t even have to say anything about what they were having for dinner. Feeling his phone buzzing with incoming texts once again, his eyebrows furrowed again for another hesitant moment.

[ZGDX_Manager Rui|: Everyone better be on their best behavior! Or deductions all around! You hear me? Just because we’re National Champions doesn't mean we can afford to slack off and relax, now more than ever!

Sighing, Si Cheng knew he should have just convinced his shorty to stay in bed with him all day!

Naturally, it was no surprise that Pang headed toward the gym to recollect their typically clueless Top after making such a hasty escape, as the ZGDX group chat lit up with their dinner plan arrangements not seconds after Pang shoved his foot in his mouth. Rui was also mysteriously missing, which usually meant he had been called back to headquarters for this or that.

Pity for him, truly.

Yet, the Captain hadn’t expected to find the rest of his team standing on the veranda like a pack of lazy lions.

“Ge and Shorty can’t stay in bed all day! Is this how all couples are?! Being serious, I can’t believe this is the first time ZGDX is meeting the crew, Ming-ge.”

“If the three of you didn’t gatekeep your friendships, we would have met them long ago, Yue. Mei-Mei won’t even tell me which idols she knows!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Yue. Hush, K. You know she’s contract-bound. Plus, there’s always a time and a place, Yue, and apparently, Cheng-ge’s engagement is that precise moment.”

Shaking his head, eyes rolling again as his teammates poked fun at him, the Captain swerved in the direction of where he could finally hear their Jungler, Coach, and Team Toddler on the outside patio veranda.

“You guys are worse than henpecked wives hungry for the latest gossip.”

“Ge! You finally woke up!”

“Cheng-ge, you know gossiping keeps us young.”

Rolling his eyes at K’s unsurprising response, the Captain locked eyes with his childhood best friend, knowing the potential storm they’d face later that night.

“You and I know they’re crazy enough to storm the base, Cheng-ge. My Goddess can only hold them back for so long.”

“Hold them back?” A frown overtook Si Cheng at the idea of his cousin “holding” anyone back. “More like she’s holding the damn door open. Those four are so troublesome.”

“Troublesome doesn’t even begin to cover it.” Laughter ripped out of Ming’s chest, catching Si Cheng’s downturned frown, as he knew exactly the chaotic foursome Si Cheng was referring to.

His CEO music magnate cousin, a fourth of their childhood best friend quartet, Yu Chang Ming, and his equally musically talented wife, Yu Chun Hua, were the first half of the foursome. (And bless them both, but their son, Yu Xiao Ming, was equally a hellion!) The other half was his and Si Cheng’s other best childhood friend, current public defender Zhang Fang Yu combined with his firecracker of a pregnant wife and CEO’s Assistant, Zhang Ming Xia. Suffice it to say that the four were a dynamic powerhouse and the textbook definition of overprotective, need-to-know-all older siblings who always looked out for everyone within their group.

Let’s just saythat whenever the group needed an “adult,” one of those four was usually the first to becalled.

“Not to say I told you so, but I suggested bringing Shorty to Family Dinner months ago, Ge.” Ignoring his brother’s glare with a dramatic eye roll, Yue quickly joined in on Ming’s laughter, knowing his brother truly couldn’t get out of tonight’s prearranged family dinner without a viable reason like hospitalization or being on the verge of death. Even then, they were rarely allowed to skip or miss family dinner, as it only happened once a month and on a day when everyone’s schedules coincidentally freed up.

Over the two decades since they’d all been friends, family dinners had only been canceled during everyone’s college years, as it was harder for them to meet up, being on different continents and all for some.

Yu Chun Hua, Zhang Ming Xia, and Wang Mei-Yi made for a terrifying scheduling team when they put their minds to it!

“Childish. They knew we were busy training.”

“Yet, they still found out about your relationship with the dwarf because of E-sports Farm News.”

“…shut your mouth, brat. Tch.”

“Would a video call not work as an introduction, Cheng-ge?” K shook his head in wonderment as Si Cheng, Ming, and Yue slowly shook their heads in a no fashion.

“Formal introductions into a group setting are a high society nuance, K.”

“Anything other than a formal introduction in our social circles, K, would mean that Cheng-ge doesn’t respect his partner.”

“And we all know he’s obsessed with the Salt Maiden. So that was a no-go.”

“Do you want a beating, brat?”

“No!”

“Well, that’s dumb as f*ck.” Bluntly speaking, K felt semi-sorry for his Captain’s impending pain if all the stories he’d heard over the years were anything to go by. Bless his sister’s heart, but Mei-Mei and Yue certainly hadn’t skimped on any of the juicy details! Regardless, Jungler knew that the friendships forged between their friend group were probably as strong as his bonds with his ZGDX family and Mei-Yi.

“Shorty also deserves to be presented to society as the jewel of China she is.” Unafraid of the sappy words passing through his lips, he ignored them as his friends rolled their eyes playfully. After officially making Yao his fiancé, Si Chengdid not intend to hidehis feelings about how much he treasured his soon-to-be-wife from here on out. They all knew how henpecked their Captain truly was, even if he did enjoy riling her up and teasing her.

“I thought it was bad enough when you two were dating, but you engaged is definitely worse, Ge!”

And a lounge pillow went soaring through the air, flying out of Si Cheng’s hands, before landing directly in the middle of his brother’s face.

“Ge!!”

“Keep it up, and you’ll get another serving.”

“My Goddess did tell me to slap the kindergartener again.”

“Not you, too, Ming-ge!”

“Yue, you should probably run.”

“My baby is getting married, Lao Tong! I told you he had that sparkle in his eye when we visited your base, Yao Yao. Your mother knows these things!”

“I know, A-Ma!”

“En, Yao Yao. You listen to Mama now.” Her mother turned to face the screen, a look of sweetness crossing her face as her father looked on proudly beside her.

“Xiao Lu came to visit us to ask for our permission to propose, and it was then that your Baba and I knew you had found someone who truly loved you, and we couldn’t be happier or prouder of you. Plus, he’s strong and confident enough to stand by your side in the E-sports world, and you two have proved it by winning the National Championship.”

“A-Ma! Stop it, or you’ll make me cry, and then my crazy Captain will complain about my puffy eyes.”

“Oh, speaking about crazy, Yao Yao. Baba must ask, did you happen to speak to your close cousins about your new relationship? You remember how protective they were after things with Jian Yang ended.”

“From that look on her face, we can assume not, Lao Tong.”

Her mother’s disappointment cut crystal clear through the screen, despite the sappy family moment they had just shared.

“En. Your Ma and I, we tried to explain to them, and your Da Jie, Yu Lan, that you were busy with training and would speak to them soon. But, you know how they are.”

“I will call them all today, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other soon.” Or she may very well wind up dead!

“The four of us can hardly stay away from each other. You know that, Mama, Baba.”

Triple f*ck.

Her parents shook their heads fondly, remembering the chaos the foursome, plus Jin Yang and Ai Jia had experienced and had a personal hand in causing throughout their childhood years.

Snickering at the very memory, Yao’s rabbit-like nose twitched at the unforgettable smell of fresh youtiao as she remembered her older cousin punching—and breaking his nose!—the rude little boy who’d dared squeeze his little sister’s ass without consent.

“I promise I’ll speak to them all and let you know how it went, okay?” Just as a text message came in from the ZGDX’s group chat that would have had her eyes opening wide if she wasn’t still on the phone with her ever-observant parents!

What the hell had the team done now and how had she gotten involved?!

Shooting off a couple of quick messages while her parents were conversing amongst themselves for a second, she was going to throw a fresh slipper at Lu Yue as soon as she saw him!

“Yes, Mama. Talk to you guys soon! Love you!”

Ending the video call, a heavy sigh escaped the Mid. Dinner was bound to be something exactly out of a drama she and K enjoyed watching!

She could only imagine what messages awaited her.

In the mayhem of what had quickly become her life over the course of the last year and a half, Yao admittedly had not been keeping up with her cousin's group chat aside from the occasional emoji reaction here and there. She had no one to blame but herself, but still! Pushing out another sigh, her shaky fingers briefly hovered over the group chat before tapping on the 55+ Unread Messages glaring back at her.

Right.

[Younger Xue Troublemaker]: I’ll drive!

Eyes widening in extreme shock, Yao knew she had to move fast. There were only two options, and they were both terrible! Either her cousins would bulldoze their way in—AKA Li Ling—or her Captain was bound to unleash Hell on her family! Her stubborn, perverted, and even more clingy and possessive fiancée would eviscerate anyone who dared storm their base, and the Mid wasn’t quite ready for that sort of bloodshed.

“Crap! What time is it?” Praying to any God that happened to be listening, Yao swore she’d never ignore her cousins again! Daring a look at the screen, that feeling of doom finally settled in.

Screaming loudly, the glaring ‘3:15pm’ stared back at her and the Mid knew without a doubt her crazily overprotective cousins would absolutely gank the base just like her parents had when she first arrived!

[Mao’s Mama]: Jiemei, you forgot to turn off your tracker; first off! Second, your cousins are on their way to your base. Don’t call me if you need reinforcements! This is my last message before I leave for my honeymoon! Good luck, Smiling!

“f*ck! Gotta get downstairs! Come on! Pick up, Ge!”

“Stop beating up Yue. Did you hear that?”

Instantly freezing as the scream echoed throughout the entire base, all four men on the veranda turned their heads up one level to their Mid’s window.

“Everyone heard that scream, Cheng-ge.”

“Was that Shorty?”

Without waiting for a response, Si Cheng was already walking back inside in search of his Mid, a frown slipping over his stoic face.

“f*ck! Why isn’t he answering?!”

“What stamp did you collect now?”

“This is no time for jokes, Cheng-ge! I have to stop the base from getting ganked again!”

“Ganked?” Eyebrows crinkling in confusion, Si Cheng wondered if Yao had forgotten to take her medication this morning or maybe he’d literally turned her brain to mush with their nightly activities. Because she didn't make a bit of sense the longer, she fought against his hold.

“Yes!”

“By who?”

“My cousins!”

“What cousins?” Si Cheng’s eyebrows shot up towards the skies, just as the rest of their team made their way towards the front door, where Yao was trying not so subtly to guide them.

“Xiao JieJie, what’s going on? Why are you fighting the Captain?”

“And why did you utter such an ugly scream, Shorty?”

“Lu Yue! Shut your big mouth!”

“Cheng-ge, maybe you should let Yao go?” Rui was the only one brave enough to ask the question as the Captain’s cold gaze swung to pin him in place. “…or not.”

“Cheng-ge, please! You don’t get it! If they come, they’re going to—“

“f*ck! No one opens that!”

“Shorty, have you lost your mind? What would your cousins possibly do to me now that we’re engaged?”

“It’s because we’re engaged, Captain!”

“You’re acting crazy, Lu Yao.”

“Lu Si Cheng! Speak nicely!”

“…Not to interrupt, but I’m pretty positive that it's Mei-Yi at the door and not your cousins.”

All eyes swung to Ming as Yao finally stopped fighting her Captain—although everyone present had caught how their Captain had already changed his future wifey’s name.

“My cousin? Why is that troublemaker coming?”

Rolling his eyes at his best friend, Ming knew he clearly hadn’t checked any of his latest messages either.

“We’re going out to look for a new condo.”

And all the eyes were back on Ming, as the usually even-faced Coach looked everywhere but at his team.

“Oh?? Our Coach is finally making his move!”

“About damn time you two move into a bigger place!”

“Why is everyone leaving the base?! Are we supposed to be leaving too, K?”

“Eventually, Mao Mao. I have no plans on spending our lives forever at the base.”

“A condo?! What a huge move, Ming-ge!”

“Shouldn’t a proposal come first?”

“Lu Si Cheng! That’s none of your business.”

“Once again, Dwarf, your cousins can’t do anything to me. No need to scream.”

“Hooligan! You just don’t get it!”

Shaking his head, Ming headed towards the still ringing door as Yao was still urgently trying to get ahold of her cousins, and the rest of the team stood around watching the fireworks with a front-row seat.

“Don’t bite me! Are you mad, Lu Yao?!”

Yet, the last person the Coach expected to see when he swung the base's front door open was one of three men who had expressed any interest other than friendship with his Goddess, with his finger poised to push the doorbell again as an awkward silence befell the two.

“Xue Shang Shan? What brings you to ZGDX?”

Although Ming had a funny feeling, he knew exactly why this man who had gone to college alongside Ming’s Goddess was here, along with two younger women standing behind him who wore strikingly similar glares aimed at him, just like their Mid whenever she felt hangry.

If the Golden Midsolo had to venture a guess, these were Yao’s infamous cousins of the hour. Supposedly, the same ones who could cause some severe damage to their Captain’s reputation.

Yao should have opened the damned door after all.

“Our cousin—“ So Ming had guessed correctly, as the younger of the two women cut off Shang Shan, stepping forward to meet the younger man shoulder to shoulder with her arms crossed, glaring even harder at Ming. Like their team’s Mid reminded him of a fussy kitten when riled, so did the woman standing before him.

“Our Yao Yao. We know she’s here.”

“And we know she’s supposedly engaged to your no-good Captain, and all he’s done is let our hard work go to waste!”

Li Ling gripped her arms tightly alongside her older brother, Shang Shan, as she felt her cousin, Yu Lan, also join them aside her as they stared at the other man, unaware of the crowd gathering behind the Golden Midsolo—more specifically, the rest of the ZGDX team and their precious cousin, Yao, whom she was seeking so loudly for.

“We’re here to ensure she’s okay, and we aren’t leaving until she comes out!”

“That’s right! Now bring her out at once!”

“…like I said, we are here to see our cousin, Yu Ming.”

“Li Li? Yu Lan Jie? Shang Shan Ge?”

“Yao Yao!”

Three voices simultaneously called out her name, as the ZGDX’s Mid was suddenly engulfed by her oldest female cousin, Tong Yu Lan, first, followed by Xue Li Ling, and then Xue Shang Shan.

“Look at you, Yao Yao!” As she held Yao’s face between her hands, tsking disapprovingly, Yu Lan’s mind was firing on all cylinders at the new meal plans she would have sent to her mei-mei! “You’ve lost all that weight I was trying to get you to put on, mei-mei!” Turning Yao’s face the other way, Yu Lan was also wondering what happened to the previous meal plans she had arranged for her younger cousin. She voiced that same sentiment aloud, instantly noticing how docile her younger cousin had become.

“What happened to all the meal plans I had arranged for you, Yao-er? Everything was set for the year?”

A bright red blush blossomed over the Queen of Mid’s cheeks as Yu Lan’s eyes narrowed questionably.

“Tong Yao, what did you do with the meals?”

“…the A-Yi down the hall needed it more than I did, Yu-Yu-Jie!”

“And that A-Yi has a troublesome co*ckroach for the disappointment of a son that is more than capable of taking care of their own mother.”

“…Missy, did you give your food away to Sunflower’s mother?”

And her silence spoke enough for her team to fill in the gaps of Pang’s question, as Si Cheng glanced at his fiancé with a sour look, and everyone couldn’t help but curse her bleeding heart mentally. Dragging her back to his side and out of her cousin’s arms, Si Cheng didn’t like sharing her with anyone—even family.

“What I’m hearing is that CK’s sorry excuse for a captain owes you compensation for taking care of his mother, is that right, Yao-er?” Inquiring from his fiancé, her silence once again spoke volumes as his hand clenched a little tighter around her waist. “Tch.I’ll send him the bill within the hour.”

“Lu Si Cheng! Don’t you dare!”

Her cousins watched closely as she smacked her fiancée’s arm, something they knew she only did with those she was close with, before said fiancé smirked at her, leaning over to whisper something in her ear that caused a bright red flush to snake up their cousin’s neck and cheeks, and smack him once more.

“Scoundrel!”

“When it comes to you? Absolutely, Shorty.” As their team watched on, all too used to this scene, shaking their heads in faux annoyance. Yue even seemed to be recording a short video before sending it off to his mother. Ming shook his head, standing next to the younger Lu, knowing that Si Cheng would get revenge on his younger brother for the stunt before the night ended.

“Did you two see that?” Li Ling whispered to her brother and cousin as they both nodded, looking both put-off and equally happy for their cousin.

“When’s the last time she’s been so playful with someone?” Shang Shan couldn’t help inquiring, as Yu Lan answered him with an equally questioning look, all three unable to remember the last time aside from with them, Jin Yang, or Ai Jia, that she had been this playful with anyone.

“Something tells me that he might very well be different from that rootless, wilted weed after all,” Yu Lan remarked as Yao finally returned her attention back to them with that wide smile of hers that could melt even the grumpiest of hearts.

“Sorry you three had to come all the way out here. It’s been a busy year and a half, and I meant to answer our group chat between training and matches,” Yao began explaining, as her cousins all softened at her, knowing exactly how much she hyperfocused, especially when it came to an activity or hobby she genuinely enjoyed.

“We’re just glad to see you’re doing alright, Yao Yao,” Shang Shan stated with a soft smile, as his youngest cousin turned her smile onto him. “And that you seemed to have found someone worthy of your playful ire,” he continued teasing, as she shot him a glare.

“Don’t you start, Shang Shan-ge!” Even as her fiancée chuckled at her side, and she turned to poke him hard in the side. “Quit laughing, Si Cheng, or you can sleep in your own bed tonight!” She hissed out, as Si Cheng glared at her challengingly.

“Do you really think you could keep me out of our bed, Lu Yao?” And everyone heard yet again, as ZGDX’s Captain added his last name to his Mid’s first name. Even her cousins couldn’t ignore it, as they all turned to him with judgment in their eyes.

Li Ling, Yu Lan, and Shang Shan all shared an equally afronted look at the mention of their cousin sharing a bed with her fiancée, even if it made sense with their engagement and all. Neither of them needed to know a damn thing about what their cousin did behind doors, as they shot Si Cheng another judgmental look.

“Will you please stop threatening my Yao Yao?” A new voice cut through the tension in the air as all eyes swung to the young woman in an all-black riding outfit (think black leather jacket, form-fitting black t-shirt, accompanied with black skinny jeans, and black leather boots) stepping off the back of a motorcycle. As she removed her helmet, those who weren’t aware of how much she loved riding, minus her cousins, Ming, and K, looked on in shock as they saw Mei-Yi.

“Mei-Yi?!” Pang, Mao, Rui, and Yao were all shocked by Ming’s girlfriend’s appearance, despite knowing that she was coming to pick him up to look for a new condo together. Not a single one of them knew she could ride a motorcycle! Shooting them all a smile, Mei-Yi waved at Yue and K, before locking eyes with Si Cheng, glaring at him as per their usual exchange. Ming immediately zeroed in on her, quickly making his way over to her side before the two cousins decided to fight in front of the base.

“My Goddess,” Ming murmured happily, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead as she beamed up at him tenderly before reaching over to interlace their fingers together with a gentle squeeze.

“Sorry, I’m late, my God. There was more traffic than I anticipated.”

“No worries, I’m just glad you made it here safely,” Ming softly spoke as she got on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss against his lips.

“Mei-Mei!” Yao’s three cousins also called out her name as she looked over her much taller boyfriend’s shoulders to spot one of her high school friends that she ended up going into business with, one of three of her college bestie from Harvard, and his younger sister who was a close friend of hers, too.

“Li Li? Shang Shang? Lan Lan? What are you three doing here?” She couldn’t help asking before releasing her boyfriend’s hand to greet them all with a tight hug.

“Yao Yao is our cousin,” Shang Shan spoke up first, smiling softly at his best friend— and admittedly the only woman who currently held his interest, despite her being in a happy and committed relationship —as Mei-Yi’s honey-brown irises twinkled in amusem*nt, her mind happily connecting all the dots from their multiple conversations throughout the years.

“That makes so much sense! Of course, Yao Yao is your cousin; I can see the resemblance now.” Mei-Yi teased as her three friends all laughed. Yao still looked confused at how her cousins seemed to know Ming’s girlfriend. They were all so friendly with her, and Yao couldn’t figure out how or when they would have had the time to meet! Turning to face the group, Yao tugged on Si Cheng’s arms, practically dragging him over to the quartet, as Ming joined them to slip an arm around Mei-Yi’s waist, knowing exactly how Shang Shan felt. Like his best friend, Ming sure as hell didn’t like sharing his Goddess with anyone, especially not her college besties.

“How do you know my cousins, Mei-Yi-Jie?” Yao couldn’t help asking as her fiancée’s cousin reached over to squeeze the younger girl’s hand in greeting.

“Yu Lan and I graduated high school together, and I met Shang Shan at Harvard before being introduced to Li Ling during a family event Shang Shan invited her to during a holiday break.”And just like that, Yaofinallyconnected all the dots, turning her doe-like eyes onto her older cousin, who looked at her with a ‘please shut up and don’t say anything’ look in his eyes.Ming’s girlfriend had been the one unrequited love of her cousin ever since he went abroad for college!

“What a small world!” ZGDX’s Mid couldn’t help exclaiming, deciding to keep her cousin’s secret for now, as Mei-Yi nodded with another small laugh pouring out of her. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to introduce her fiancée to her cousins, Yao finally pulled Si Cheng in front of her so he could meet her overprotective, at times, cousins.

“Lu Si Cheng, these are my cousins, Xue Shang Shan, Xue Li Ling, and Tong Yu Lan. Shang Shan-ge, Li Li, and Yu Lan-Jie, this is my Captain and fiancée, Lu Si Cheng.” Introducing them, she couldn’t help but notice how her heart fluttered as Si Cheng shook hands with them all, and they shook his hand in equal greeting. It was better than a bloodbath or the base being ganked! “Sorry, I didn’t introduce him to you before the news broke out!” Yao apologized with a rabbit-like twitch of her nose as her cousins all softened once more, and her Captain squeezed her hand in support.

“It’s okay, Yao Yao. We wanted to see you,” Yu Lan spoke up first, cupping her younger cousin’s cheek with a small smile, as Li Ling nodded, coming over to squeeze her cousin’s hand with a smile on her face, too.

“We just wanted to make sure you were okay and that we didn’t have to kill your fiancée like we wanted to kill that damn co*ckroach you call an ex,” Li Ling snarked vehemently, absolutely hating how that pest had broken her cousin’s heart for no good reason, other than being an absolutely terrible friend later turned boyfriend, then ex.

“En, Yao Yao. I still think you should have let me punch him in the nose or at least broken a finger or two. Let’s see if he can play so well after that,” Shang Shan added, emphasizing the violent parts, as Yao finally let loose a small laugh of her own. Only her overprotective cousins could hold a grudge like this! Catching onto how viciously they all hated his fiancé’s ex, Si Cheng couldn’t help but have a smidgen more respect for these three, who seemed equally important to his Mid as Jin Yang and Ai Jia, a smirk splitting over his usual cold features. Shang Shan turned to look Si Cheng in the eye, a seriousness flitting over darkened espresso irises after ruffling Yao’s hair.

“You hurt her, and we’ll end you. We don’t care if you’re the Lu Scion or not,” he stated in a cold tone, as Yao’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Shang Shan-ge!”

“If I hurt her in any capacity, I’ll let you,” Si Cheng responded honestly, as there was an unspoken truce between him and his Yao-er’s cousins. Looking over at her Captain, Yao’s eyes softened, knowing his words rang true. Si Cheng would never hurt her like Jian Yang had, and Yao knew that now more than ever. Watching him making an attempt to get along with some of the closest people in her life only solidified how much she truly loved the scoundrel of a man.

She was truly a goner!

“This is also the rest of my team and my brothers on and off the field,” Yao turned to face the rest of ZGDX, who were all still watching curiously with a sunshine smile, catching their amused and proud looks as she mentioned they were her brothers, before pointing out each man as they were introduced. “Yu Ming, our Coach, and Mei-Yi-Jie’s boyfriend; Xiao Pang, our Support; Lao K, our Jungler, and his partner, Lao Mao, our Toplaner; Xiao Rui, our Manager, and Lu Yue, my substitute and future jiùzi (brother-in-law).” Returning her attention to her cousins, she repeated their names again, as both of her families finally met, and everyone seemed to be shaking hands and getting along!

Thank Buddha for small wins!

“Thank you for taking care of Yao Yao in our absence,” Yu Lan thanked the young men with a smile, her eyes randomly locking with Pang’s, who blushed at the sudden attention from a pretty maiden who looked a little familiar if he were, to be honest with himself. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet, but he would find out, or he wasn’t Xiao Pang!

“The Little Missy will always have our protection and affection, whether she’s on or off the field,” Pang declared as Mao, Rui, and Yue nodded their heads in agreement. K smiled softly at their Mid, the two sharing a small smile before nodding in agreement. Despite their rocky start, Mid and Jungler were often found watching dramas and doing facemasks together after livestreaming. Yao became another sister to K, and somehow, the Jungler ended up with two protective sisters. Even Ming couldn’t help nodding his head, still standing with his arm wrapped around Mei-Yi’s waist.

“Since you came out to see her, maybe you’d like to join us for dinner?” Si Cheng spoke up as Yao, Mao, Rui, and Pang turned to him with shock clear as day on their faces. Weren’t their dinner plans with ZGDX sponsors?! Yao especially looked shocked and felt like there was something about tonight that her Captain wasn’t telling her. Wrinkling her nose curiously, Mei-Yi and Ming spoke up next, drawing everyone’s attention to them.

“You three should definitely come!” Mei-Yi asserted, repeating her cousin’s offer, as Ming nodded, sensing that Yao would end up needing her family with the hoard of people she’d be meeting tonight.

“En. There will be plenty of space for you three,” Ming revealed, as Yue quickly nodded his head too, catching onto both his brother, best friend, and Ming’s hidden meaning. Even though he loved their crew, even Yue knew that they could be a bit much at times; his sǎozi (sister-in-law) could easily be overwhelmed faster than when she recorded her first livestream.

“Are you sure we won’t be imposing?” Yu Lan inquired as Mei-Yi shook her head with a wide smile that could almost rival their cousins.

“I’m sure Yao would enjoy your company, right, Yao Yao?” Mei-Yi asked as Yao finally shook off her shock, with her fiance looking at her fondly again before nodding at her three cousins excitedly.