He was voice-chatting with Xiao Yu; there was no way Shen Kuangye didn't know.
The only possibility was that Shen Kuangye wanted to hint something to Shen Luoyu.
"Could it be that you want to make our relationship official?"
Lu Xiangyang pretended to think seriously, humming for a moment. "Then I'd better think about it carefully."
Shen Kuangye let out a short, sharp laugh.
"Do you disagree?"
"It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing."
Lu Xiangyang glanced around. After making sure no one was nearby, he leaned close to Shen Kuangye's ear and whispered, "We're just lovers for now."
"Cough!"
Shen Kuangye hadn't expected Lu Xiangyang to use that word to describe their relationship.
He rarely reacted so strongly, and Lu Xiangyang thought he had said something wrong.
"Isn't that right? You didn't accept my confession, but you allow us to sleep together every night and even kiss, while no one knows about us. Isn't that what lovers are?"
That term was something Lu Xiangyang had picked up from a CP fanfic super-topic.
In that fanfic, Shen Kuangye was the Imperial Alpha General, and Lu Xiangyang was his secret Omega lover. By day, they were cold, professional superior and loyal subordinate; by night, they lay on the same bed, kissed, and did more intimate things.
Lu Xiangyang had reread that fanfic several times afterward, convinced he couldn't have misunderstood it.
Shen Kuangye pinched his face. "Did you secretly read all that on your own?"
Using the word "lovers" like that—it was outrageous.
Of course, Lu Xiangyang couldn't tell him the truth; he feared that revealing it would ruin the image he had in Shen Kuangye's eyes.
He started ignoring him, replying teasingly: "Am I wrong?"
"Of course you're wrong."
Shen Kuangye refuted him, his voice low: "Being lovers doesn't require mutual affection, so your setup doesn't work."
At first, Lu Xiangyang didn't understand, but when he realized what Shen Kuangye had said, his face instantly flushed.
"So," Shen Kuangye pressed his lips together, "can we skip going to the movies with Xiao Yu on Sunday night?"
He thought he had made himself clear—they liked each other, so the "lovers" label didn't apply.
Since they mutually liked each other, no unnecessary third party should get involved.
Although Shen Kuangye deeply, extremely, tremendously, and particularly didn't want Lu Xiangyang to see his possessive side, he had agreed from the beginning: before the Abyss ended, Lu Xiangyang could do whatever he wanted.
But Shen Kuangye discovered he couldn't act as nonchalant as his words suggested. He was extremely wary of anyone deliberately approaching Lu Xiangyang; even the slightest hint of someone trying to get close would make him want to drive them away.
Last night, when he wanted to use Lu Xiangyang's account to play, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea—it was planned.
But Xiao Yu came online and sent an invite immediately. His closeness with Lu Xiangyang was second only to Shen Kuangye. Their relationship was obvious.
Yet Lu Xiangyang didn't understand the hint. He looked at Shen Kuangye and shook his head firmly. "No, brother."
Shen Kuangye: "."
"I can't break my promise."
Shen Kuangye: "."
Seeing his expression slightly displeased, Lu Xiangyang added: "Shen Luoyu is a very good friend of mine. Since I promised, I have to go. Besides, I owe him a meal. I was going to take this chance to return the favor anyway."
So that guy's name was Shen Luoyu.
Shen Kuangye knew Lu Xiangyang hated owing people favors.
This owed meal was obviously Shen Luoyu's excuse to find another reason to meet him.
Shen Kuangye realized he didn't have the standing to question this, so he gritted his teeth and feigned calm: "Alright."
Even if Shen Luoyu managed to take Lu Xiangyang out, it didn't matter. Shen Kuangye knew exactly how much Lu Xiangyang's feelings were devoted to him.
Besides, Shen Luoyu was just a friend in Lu Xiangyang's heart; Shen Kuangye was the irreplaceable brother, the person who understood him best in the world.
…But Shen Luoyu was taking Lu Xiangyang to the movies, and they might even have dinner afterward.
Shen Kuangye's attempts at self-soothing failed completely.
"Alright then, brother."
Lu Xiangyang cupped his face in both hands, smiling: "It's just a movie, not like I'm not coming back. You're a bit clingy, you know?"
Shen Kuangye glanced at him, naturally brushing his face against Lu Xiangyang's palms, raising his phoenix-like eyes to meet his, his voice extremely gentle: "Is that not allowed?"
Lu Xiangyang's heart raced. Shen Kuangye usually kept a cold expression; anyone would feel he was unapproachable. Those flawless features and cold aura made him intimidating.
But now, with this expression, Lu Xiangyang had the illusion that Shen Kuangye was acting cute and spoiled.
He swallowed hard.
No one could resist someone they liked acting spoiled, especially when that person looked so beautiful.
"Alright."
The words slipped out before he realized it.
Shen Kuangye's lips curved into a faint, confident smile.
His tone softened even further, like coaxing a child: "Then we won't go this weekend, alright?"
Lu Xiangyang froze, not knowing why Shen Kuangye was so adamant about preventing him from going with Shen Luoyu.
After thinking for a moment, he understood completely.
His expression serious, he said: "Brother, I know you're worried about me going alone. But don't worry—Shen Luoyu really isn't a bad person."
Shen Kuangye still didn't feel reassured, but he was a little exhausted now.
He moved his face out of Lu Xiangyang's palms.
Lu Xiangyang added: "Hmm… if you're really worried, I can take a photo for you every now and then?"
Shen Kuangye raised an eyebrow slightly, still pretending to hesitate for Lu Xiangyang's sake: "Wouldn't that disturb your movie with your friend?"
He even emphasized the word "friend."
"No problem, it's just a photo," Lu Xiangyang said.
Shen Kuangye finally relaxed a bit.
After resolving this major concern, he also focused on catching up on his streaming hours—he owed a lot now.
Apart from mealtime, he was sitting and gaming almost constantly.
He first played ranked for two hours, then trained for five hours.
After dinner, he played another two hours of ranked, successfully reaching the top 5 leaderboard.
He looked at the number one spot—they were 16 stars ahead.
Peak-tier duo players in Identity V were many. Being in a duo reduced the chance of encountering random players and increased win rates due to synergy.
Shen Kuangye, a solo player, had a 75% win rate, but compared to duos who knew each other perfectly, he lagged slightly.
He considered himself not very obsessed with rankings; for them, ranked was just a way to relax.
Still, he wanted to reach number one to be on par with Lu Xiangyang.
He intended to play a killer match.
As soon as he matched, the humans on the other side sent a few lines:
[I'm the CEO of Pingxiu Group. I've never had to ask anyone for anything in my life, but damn, my self-control has collapsed in front of you!]
[If you want, bring along Listening or Golden Body. I'll bring a beautiful butler to stay in the manor with you and settle for a draw.]
[If you refuse… girl, I admit your little tricks seduced me. I can spare two minutes to play a cat-and-mouse game with you.]
Shen Kuangye: "…"
He didn't want to be indulgent, but while fixing his PC, the composer also sent him a few kisses.
Too much effort.
He decided to go easy, moving to a corner to AFK, glancing at Lu Xiangyang.
By now, Lu Xiangyang had finished ranked, sitting in his gaming chair with his headset on, holding a small pillow, livestreaming a horror game for fans.
Having been scared often as a child, he normally avoided horror games.
But the fans' hype earlier inflated his courage, so he agreed.
This game was extremely spooky, with jump scares everywhere. NPCs appeared randomly, sometimes chasing the player.
After a short while, Lu Xiangyang's eyes started squinting; he couldn't bear to open them.
[Hahaha, your expression is hilarious.]
[Can't open your eyes? Hope it's just my imagination.]
[Seems like you're even more scared than us.]
[If you're scared, you don't have to play.]
Lu Xiangyang looked at the chat, feeling his authority challenged.
He said stubbornly: "I'm not scared."
Next second, a ghost suddenly popped out, almost making him fall off his chair—luckily, Shen Kuangye caught him.
Shen Kuangye withdrew his hand and stared at the screen: "If you're scared, why play?"
Lu Xiangyang muted his mic and pitifully complained: "It's just that the game is too hard to play!"
Shen Kuangye glanced at his screen. "Can we do co-op?"
Lu Xiangyang's glasses sparkled, nodding frantically.
"Yes."
"Wait for me."
Shen Kuangye downloaded the game and logged into the account.
Now Lu Xiangyang was completely different—confident and composed.
"Tonight we'll beat it. Watch closely."
[Your face is hilarious.]
[Having someone backing you up makes a difference. You were so pitiful alone just now, but now with WILD, you're confident.]
This co-op mode had an option to attach one player to the other, though it increased difficulty.
Shen Kuangye asked: "This mode?"
He didn't ask about others because he saw Lu Xiangyang was slightly scared.
Kids were easily frightened and could have nightmares if overexposed.
Lu Xiangyang clung to Shen Kuangye, sharing the perspective, just watching him play.
Shen Kuangye was silent while playing, analyzing patterns from one or two deaths and avoiding mistakes.
Later, he could predict where ghosts would spawn and instructed Lu Xiangyang to close his eyes in advance.
In under three hours, they cleared the game.
[So smooth! Never played before?]
[Map is unfamiliar, but WILD is so calm. So many scary moments, yet not scared at all.]
After finishing, Shen Kuangye checked the time—midnight. He had streamed for about eight hours.
He said goodbye in chat and ended the stream.
Lu Xiangyang yawned slightly, said goodbye to fans, and ended his stream.
Shen Kuangye had worried he might be scared, but Lu Xiangyang handled it well.
That night, while taking a shower, Lu Xiangyang hesitated at the door, holding the new plush pajamas Shen Kuangye had bought him.
Shen Kuangye looked at him: "What's wrong?"
Lu Xiangyang's mind was full of the ghosts from earlier. He pouted, looking pitiful: "Brother… I'm a little scared."