ARML CH177

Chapter 177: Falling in Love

The two of them hugged in the room for a while before Ye Shaoyang suddenly realized a problem.

“Right… you stayed in my room last night. We can’t let anyone know about that, right? Maybe you should go back now?”

In the ABO world, if an Alpha spent the night in an Omega’s room, there was simply no way to explain it away. Although last night Chi Shuo only kissed Ye Shaoyang and gave him a temporary mark without going further, it would still cause a scandal if people found out they had been intimate during a tournament abroad.

Chi Shuo understood this clearly. He released Ye Shaoyang and met his eyes.
“You think our relationship isn’t suitable to be made public yet, right?”

Ye Shaoyang answered directly:
“Yeah. We can announce it after the season ends, or even after we retire. Dating is our private matter—we shouldn’t let it affect Tianhuan.”

Chi Shuo nodded and said softly:
“I agree. The tournament isn’t over yet. If we announce we’re together now, the public might say we’re distracted or unprofessional. It could even affect Old Qin, Qu Jiang, and Xiao Xing. So, after we return home, everything stays the same—just between us.”

Ye Shaoyang said:
“Exactly. In front of the team, we’re still partners, not lovers.”

The two exchanged a smile. Their tacit understanding on this point was perfect.

Being together was their private affair—there was no need to show it off. Their relationship wouldn’t interfere with the game or their teammates. They were still young. Love could wait, but championships couldn’t. S10 was Tianhuan’s best chance to win the world title; if they missed it, they might never get another shot.

They knew which mattered more.

For now, they’d be secret lovers. A hidden relationship with your best buddy—kind of thrilling, wasn’t it?

Meeting Chi Shuo’s gentle gaze, Ye Shaoyang suddenly recalled the image of being pressed against the wall and kissed last night. His ears burned hot.
He quickly looked away.
“You’d better go change your clothes.”

Just then, Chi Shuo suddenly lifted his chin and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

Ye Shaoyang stared blankly.
“…”
Still some aftereffects of the susceptibility period?

Chi Shuo’s lips brushed his as he murmured:
“One day, I’ll let everyone know about us.”

Ye Shaoyang cleared his throat awkwardly.
“We’ll see.”

At that moment, Ye Shaoyang’s phone vibrated. It was a message from Chairman Qiu:
“Lieyang, are you awake? I need to talk to you. Call me when you are.”

Chi Shuo frowned slightly.
“What’s the chairman calling so early for?”

Ye Shaoyang said:
“Not sure. I’ll ask.”

He gave Chi Shuo a meaningful look. Chi Shuo understood and headed to the bathroom.

Once the door closed, Ye Shaoyang called the chairman.

Chairman Qiu’s warm voice sounded from the phone:
“My early-rising pro player—I knew you’d be awake.”

Ye Shaoyang’s voice was slightly hoarse:
“Cough, I just woke up. What’s going on, Chairman?”

Chairman Qiu said:
“When you arrive at the Imperial Capital airport this afternoon, someone from the League will be there to pick you up. A reporter from E-Sports Weekly would like to do an exclusive interview. Get ready for it ahead of time.”

Ye Shaoyang was taken aback.
“An exclusive interview? Uh… is that necessary?”

Chairman Qiu laughed.
“Of course. The reporter’s name is Liu Qing—you can ask Chi Shuo about her. She interviewed him back in S6, very professional, won’t ask weird questions. I’ve already received a draft of the interview outline. I’ll send it to your phone.”

Ye Shaoyang nodded.
“Okay, no problem.”

Chairman Qiu asked:
“Want to have breakfast together?”

Ye Shaoyang hurriedly replied:
“I’ll skip it, Chairman. I’m still packing. You go ahead.”

After hanging up, Ye Shaoyang put the phone down.

Chi Shuo emerged from the bathroom already dressed. While fixing his hair, he said:
“I heard everything. Winning the world championship, it’s normal that media want to interview you. I know Liu Qing—I’ll accompany you, and after it’s done, we’ll go back to the team together.”

Dressed neatly again, Chi Shuo was back to his usual calm and serious self.

But when his eyes landed on the hickeys on Ye Shaoyang’s neck, his ears flushed red. He coughed lightly.
“You… should find a way to cover the marks on your neck.”

It was summer, and Ye Shaoyang hadn’t brought any high-collared clothes. Thinking for a moment, he rummaged through his suitcase, pulled out a few pheromone-blocking patches, and handed them to Chi Shuo.
“Use these to cover them. You help me stick them on—I can’t see the back.”

Chi Shuo: “…”

Helping an Omega put on blocker patches was basically as intimate as helping someone into underwear.

Ye Shaoyang didn’t seem to care, but Chi Shuo’s ears turned an even deeper shade of red. Controlling his racing heartbeat, he carefully tore open the patches and placed three across the back of Ye Shaoyang’s neck.

Thankfully, most of the marks were on the back and could be covered.

Once he was done, Chi Shuo straightened up.
“I’ll head back now.”

Ye Shaoyang:
“Mm.”

Chi Shuo picked up his laptop bag, walked to the door, then paused and turned back. Their eyes met, and both couldn’t help but laugh softly—why did this feel like they were sneaking around having an affair?

Ye Shaoyang said:
“Go on, and if you bump into anyone, be ready with an excuse.”

Chi Shuo nodded, then left.

When the door closed, Ye Shaoyang took a deep breath, calming his pounding heart.

Thinking back on everything that had happened… it was absurd.
Chi Shuo had suddenly kissed him, marked him, confessed the next morning—and he actually accepted it?

In just one day, they had gone from brothers to lovers.
Now that was efficient.

Ye Shaoyang rubbed his temples, sat at the desk, and opened his laptop.

He logged into the emotion forum where he had posted before—the post was still pinned on the homepage, marked “HOT.”
The “Alien” OP had been blasted by thousands of replies, even dubbed “the trashiest Omega of the year.”

Feeling guilty, Ye Shaoyang opened the post and typed a reply:
“Thanks everyone—I ended up with my buddy.”

The OP had risen from the grave again, and the early-morning forum users rushed in.

Reply 3018: “WTF, did you suddenly get enlightened?”
Reply 3019: “I thought you said he was just your brother?”
Reply 3020: “Don’t tell me he fully marked you and you saw the light? [smirk.jpg]”
Reply 3021: “LMAO I wanted to see OP’s face when his Alpha brother finally marked him. You started it—you got eaten, serves you right~”

Ye Shaoyang touched his nose, thinking: Sorry to disappoint you guys.
No, he wasn’t “fully eaten”—just a kiss.

Alien: “We were on a business trip together. My buddy suddenly had his susceptible period. Since he’d helped me with pheromone issues before, I couldn’t just leave him, so I stayed to take care of him. Then he kissed me, confessed his feelings, and I figured—I don’t dislike him, so why not try?”

Reply 3033: “Wait, he marked you multiple times and you didn’t realize it, but one kiss and suddenly it clicked? Isn’t marking way more intimate?”

Ye Shaoyang: “…”
Because in his old-world mindset, kissing was far more intimate.
Getting your neck bitten just didn’t feel the same.

Reply 3038: “Have you really thought it through? Don’t realize a few days later you were just being soft-hearted and break up—your buddy might get heartbroken.”

Alien: “I’m not that kind of person. Since we’re together, I’ll take it seriously. Before, I just hadn’t sorted out my feelings. I thought being with a guy was weird, but last night I realized—if it’s him, I can accept it.”

Reply 3040: “Do you really like him?”

Alien: “Yeah. He’s the most important person in the world to me.”

That was why Ye Shaoyang accepted so readily.
He didn’t want to overthink things. He did like Chi Shuo—so what?

Two men liking each other wasn’t the end of the world. They were both single—why not date?

Comments flooded in:

• “Congrats! Our wooden-headed OP finally gets it!”
• “Not trash at all—an Omega willing to take responsibility is top-tier.”
• “Wishing you eternal happiness and, uh, eventual full marking~”
• “A hundred years of harmony and many children!”
• “We’re basically witnesses! Remember to post candy when you marry!”

Ye Shaoyang smiled at the playful blessings and typed:
“Thank you all. My buddy’s always treated me well. I just never thought about it that way before. But last night, I realized—why be brothers when being lovers feels so good? I’ll treat him well.”

Seeing the happy ending, the commenters congratulated him—though some suspected it was fake.
Marked multiple times and still thought they were brothers? Sure, Jan.

Ye Shaoyang didn’t bother explaining.
He just wanted to finish the story properly. After all, he hated “unfinished posts.” So the ending was simple:
“Thanks everyone, me and my buddy are together now.”

Closing the forum, a message popped up from Chi Shuo:
“Ran into Chairman Qiu downstairs. I told him I left my phone in your room last night and went to pick it up this morning. Let’s stick to that story.”

Ye Shaoyang replied quickly:
“Got it. Just the phone story—no slip-ups.”

Chi Shuo:
“Right. Let’s go eat later, after they’ve left.”

Ye Shaoyang:
“Okay. See you in twenty minutes downstairs.”

Chi Shuo sent a hugging emoji. Ye Shaoyang replied with one too.

Both smiled at their phones—was this what being in love felt like?

After being single for over twenty years, both were complete beginners.
A simple text from the other could make their hearts race, the smile irresistible. Keeping their feelings a sweet little secret made everything even more exciting.

Ye Shaoyang thought wryly—he hadn’t found a girlfriend, but he’d found a boyfriend. Maybe this trip to this world wasn’t such a bad deal after all.

---

That afternoon, the Chinese players gathered in the hotel lobby.

Ye Shaoyang wore jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, carrying a backpack with his laptop and trophy inside.

Three blocker patches covered the back of his neck. Because the nape was considered an Omega’s privacy zone, no one looked closely—and even if they did, he could say he’d put on extra for safety abroad.

No one suspected anything. Beneath those patches, no one could see the traces of Chi Shuo’s kisses and bites.

The two exchanged a glance in the crowd, expressions as composed as ever.

On the plane, Cheng Xing once again cleverly swapped seats with his master, seating Chi Shuo and Ye Shaoyang together.

When the curtain of the business cabin closed, the private space felt like a small world of their own.

Chi Shuo gently intertwined their fingers.
Ye Shaoyang’s heart skipped, but he didn’t resist. He squeezed back, and they sat quietly, hand in hand, as the plane took off.

Chi Shuo leaned closer, whispering:
“Tired? You can rest on me for a bit.”

Ye Shaoyang really was tired. He hadn’t slept well last night; his dreams had been messy and confusing. He yawned.
“Then I’ll nap for a while—wake me when we land.”

Chi Shuo nodded.
“Okay.”

Ye Shaoyang leaned on Chi Shuo’s shoulder. He remembered—on their flight to Seoul, he’d fallen asleep the same way, unknowingly resting against Chi Shuo till they arrived.

Maybe even back then, he’d already liked him.

Being beside Chi Shuo always made him feel safe—that sense of calm was unlike anything he’d ever had with friends before. And when Chi Shuo kissed him… his heart had raced uncontrollably.

He was as bent as a spiral now. And he accepted it.

Ye Shaoyang smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and squeezed Chi Shuo’s hand tighter.
In his heart, he whispered:
“Chi Shuo, I’m not from this world. But I’m really glad… that I met you here.”

“And that I fell in love with you.”

---

The plane landed in the Imperial Capital at 6 PM.

Someone from the League came to pick them up—and unexpectedly, a huge crowd of fans was waiting.
Some held glowing “Lieyang” signs, others carried flowers and banners reading Welcome Home, World Champion!

The scene was overwhelming.

Surrounded by fans, Ye Shaoyang felt flattered and stunned. Chi Shuo stayed beside him, guarding and guiding him through the crowd.

Fans screamed excitedly:
“Yangyang! Captain Chi!”
“Ahhhh Yangyang looks so handsome!”
“World Champion! You’re amazing!”

One fan handed Ye Shaoyang a bouquet. He accepted it with a bright smile and waved.
“Thank you, everyone.”

Scanning the crowd, Chi Shuo said quietly:
“Everyone worked hard coming here. Yangyang still has an interview later—please make way. Thank you.”

The fans immediately parted to open a path.

Chi Shuo led Ye Shaoyang out of the airport and into the League’s car.

Behind them, two excited fangirls whispered:
“Captain Chi’s been protecting Yangyang since they got off the plane—he’s even going with him to the interview. Do you think they’re actually together?”
“I think so! Our ship might’ve become real!”
“Oh my god, I’m crying! I’m already thinking about what their kids would be named!”

Airport photos were soon uploaded to Weibo, and netizens rushed to welcome the world champion home.

In the pictures, Ye Shaoyang held flowers, his bright smile dazzling. Chi Shuo stood beside him in sunglasses, cool and composed, one hand protectively at Ye Shaoyang’s back.

The #SunAndMoonTogether# tag exploded again—CP fans were eating good sugar today.

---

Chi Shuo accompanied Ye Shaoyang to his interview with E-Sports Weekly, the leading esports magazine.
This time, they sent senior reporter Liu Qing, who had once interviewed Chi Shuo during the S6 season.

She greeted him warmly.
“Captain Chi, would you like to join the interview too?”

Chi Shuo politely declined.
“No need—this one’s for Lieyang.”

This championship belonged to Ye Shaoyang. He didn’t want to steal his spotlight.

He leaned toward Ye Shaoyang and whispered:
“I’ll wait for you outside.”

Ye Shaoyang nodded and followed the reporter into the studio.

The lighting was bright. Sitting on a warm orange sofa, Ye Shaoyang looked even more handsome on camera.

“Did you read over the interview draft?” Liu Qing asked.

Ye Shaoyang smiled.
“Yes, no issues.”

“Then shall we start?”
“Sure.”

Facing the camera, Ye Shaoyang’s smile was radiant. Even having interviewed countless top players, Liu Qing thought Ye Shaoyang’s looks and aura were top-tier in esports.

He wasn’t nervous at all—composed, grounded, confident. It was easy to see why his mentality had carried him to a first international victory.

“Congratulations, Yangyang, for winning the World Invitational Solo Championship. Before the tournament, many people weren’t optimistic—analysis said your best result would be top eight. How did you manage an undefeated run to become champion?”

Ye Shaoyang smiled lightly.
“Esports is full of uncertainty—that’s its biggest charm. Until the final moment, no one can be sure of the outcome. On the surface, I lacked major tournament experience and was a rookie abroad. It seemed impossible for me to win.”

Then he laughed with quiet confidence.
“But I always believe—no opponent is unbeatable. Players like Mitchell, Han Seungyu, Vanessa—they’re strong, but they all have weaknesses. My mechanics aren’t worse. Why shouldn’t I be able to win?”

Liu Qing nodded approvingly.
“True! Strong opponents can be intimidating, but they’re not invincible. Were you always this confident?”

Ye Shaoyang nodded.
“You have to believe in yourself to win. If you’re constantly doubting your decisions, you’re prone to mistakes at key moments.”

“Didn’t you worry about being criticized if you lost?”

“Everyone loses,” Ye Shaoyang said openly. “There’s no need to fear it. Give your best each match, win or lose—you’ll always gain something.”

She smiled.
“I heard Captain Chi accompanied you overseas, even acted as your training partner. How did you two prepare in private?”

At the mention of Chi Shuo, Ye Shaoyang’s heart warmed.
“He was really dedicated—helped analyze my opponents’ hero pools and habits, clipped footage from their matches. We ran simulations, tested strategies. He helped me a lot.”

“It sounds like Captain Chi is very responsible. The playoffs are starting soon. Do you think Tianhuan can take the championship?”

Ye Shaoyang said:
“Hard to say right now, but we’ll give it all we’ve got.”

Liu Qing picked up a new question card.
“Many fans are curious about your personal life. Do you have someone you like? Or what’s your ideal type?”

Ye Shaoyang replied easily:
“Right now, competition comes first—I’m not in a rush to date. As for my ideal type… probably someone who understands and supports me, patient, calm in tough situations, doesn’t lose their temper easily—someone whose presence makes me feel at ease.”

Fans screamed in the livestream chat:
“That’s literally Captain Chi!”
“Exactly! He just described Chi word for word!”
“Chi Shuo checks all the boxes—he’s his ideal type!”

Ye Shaoyang also realized he’d described Chi Shuo too accurately. Smiling at the camera, he added quickly:
“Of course, meeting someone like that depends on fate. For now, my focus is on the game—I can’t afford distractions.”

Liu Qing nodded.
“Of course. We hope Tianhuan performs well in the playoffs.”

She asked a few more questions—foreign opponents, tournament insights—then finally wrapped up the thirty-minute interview.

When it ended, Ye Shaoyang let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Outside, Chi Shuo was waiting. They thanked the reporters and left together.

By the time they returned to the Tianhuan base, it was 9 PM.
Coach Lin had prepared a celebratory feast for Ye Shaoyang. Qu Jiang, Lao Qin, and the younger team members were excited, surrounding him with congratulations.

After celebrating, Ye Shaoyang placed his championship trophy in the team’s first-floor display case—right beside Chi Shuo’s S6 world championship cup.

Applause erupted around them.

Cheng Xing said excitedly:
“Awesome! We’re a double-champion team now—Master and Yang-ge both legends!”

Lao Qin sighed emotionally.
“Two trophies side by side—what a beautiful sight.”

Qu Jiang:
“Golden perfection! Shining even brighter together.”

Coach Lin laughed.
“Yangyang’s title is a good omen! Let’s keep the momentum—practice hard and aim for that next trophy. Everyone, rest well tonight. Training starts again tomorrow.”

“Yes, coach!” The team’s voices rang loud, brimming with energy.

That night there was no scrim. Everyone returned to their rooms.

As soon as they entered 301, Chi Shuo locked the door and pulled Ye Shaoyang into a fierce hug.

Ye Shaoyang’s heart jumped, but he hugged back.

Chi Shuo held him tightly, as if wanting to merge into him. Their heartbeats thundered together.

After a moment, Chi Shuo spoke softly:
“Those two trophies look great together. I never imagined I’d find such an amazing boyfriend like you.”

Ye Shaoyang smiled.
“Neither did I.”

They looked at each other and laughed.

Ye Shaoyang said:
“But we’ve only won solo titles. That’s not enough, right?”

Chi Shuo nodded.
“Yeah. The top spot in the team trophy case—the world team championship—is still waiting for us.”

Once, they had each stood on the solo stage: champion jungler and champion mid-laner.

Now, they wanted to stand together on the world team championship podium—to show fans everywhere what true world-class mid-jungle synergy meant.

Ye Shaoyang smiled, extending his hand.
“Chi Shuo, let’s work hard together for the playoffs.”

Chi Shuo clasped it firmly.
“Let’s do it.”

Playoffs—here we come.