ASPWL Ch117: Ning Xu X Huo Ze

Ning Xu, at the age of twenty, had encountered three major turning points in his life.

The first was when he was eight years old, and his parents tragically died in an accident while accompanying a scientific expedition.

In an instant, he and his sister, Ning Xing, became orphans.

Fortunately, life didn’t entirely close its doors on them. The siblings received a significant amount of compensation.

Because of this, their relatives vied for custody of the siblings.

In the end, Ning Xu and Ning Xing’s paternal aunt won the right to take care of them.

At first, everyone said their aunt took them in only for their parents’ inheritance and compensation.

Even Ning Xu and Ning Xing almost believed it.

However, they were too young at the time. Even if they suspected their aunt coveted their compensation, they had no choice but to live with her anxiously.

Fortunately, life with her wasn’t as bad as they had imagined. This aunt, who hadn’t been in touch with their parents for years, not only cooked them lavish meals every day but also prepared new clothes for them during the New Year.

A year passed, then two. Ning Xu and Ning Xing finally understood that everyone had been wrong about their aunt.

She genuinely wanted nothing in return from them.

But at that age, they didn’t know the full story.

They only knew their aunt rarely contacted their father and that he had always looked resentful whenever he mentioned her.

What they didn’t know was that it had never been their aunt who had distanced herself from them.

Their father, rigid and conservative, couldn’t accept his sister’s sexual orientation, and it was he who unilaterally cut ties with her.

Thankfully, they didn’t hold the misunderstanding against their aunt for too long.

And the siblings were far more open-minded than their deceased father.
Ning Xing even attempted, in her early teens, to arrange a blind date for their aunt, nearly getting scolded for it.

As for why it was “nearly,” it was, of course, because their aunt couldn’t bear to lay a hand on them.

Time flew by, and Ning Xu reached the second turning point in his life.
At sixteen, just as the esports industry was booming, Ning Xu stepped into the spotlight.

By the time he turned seventeen, his exceptional skills had already garnered a significant following online.

The day he reached the top rank of the national server, Ning Xu received an invitation from a well-known domestic esports team.

With his aunt’s permission, Ning Xu dropped out of school to join the youth training camp.

This could have been a fresh start for him. Yet, unexpectedly, he experienced relentless cold-shouldering and isolation within the team, which eventually led to severe psychological issues.

Inevitably, Ning Xu was benched.

Misfortunes never come singly, and the team seized this opportunity to sue him for an exorbitant breach of contract fee, using his concealed psychological illness as an excuse.

After a year of isolation, Ning Xu’s mental health had deteriorated. Hearing this news was the final blow.

And at the time, the two people closest to him weren’t by his side. Ning Xing had gone abroad for university, and their aunt had accompanied her, starting a new chapter of her career.

Ning Xu had no one to confide in, lived in a constant daze, and even entertained thoughts of ending his life.

It was then that Huo Ze appeared.

Ning Xu would always remember the day he first met Huo Ze.

Due to his severe psychological problems, the team, unwilling to take responsibility, had driven him out of the training base early.

With nowhere else to go, Ning Xu returned to the dilapidated old apartment his parents had left behind, spending his days ordering takeout and wasting time.

On a rainy day, Huo Ze came to his door with a lawyer.

The knocking persisted until Ning Xu, annoyed, finally dragged himself to open the door.

Outside, Huo Ze stood in casual attire, damp from the spring rain. Hearing the door open, he flashed a bright smile:

“Are you Ning Xu? Interested in joining my team?”

That was the first thing Huo Ze said to Ning Xu.

The memories after that weren’t as clear to Ning Xu.

He didn’t remember much of what Huo Ze had said or what he himself had agreed to. Somehow, he ended up being taken to the hospital, followed by six months of treatment.

During those six months, Huo Ze never even brought up a contract.

It wasn’t until the doctor declared that Ning Xu’s condition had completely stabilized that Huo Ze showed up the next day with a contract—and a lawyer.

The spirited young man handed the contract to Ning Xu with a smile:
“Take your time reading it. Ask the lawyer if you don’t understand anything. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, feel free to let me know.”

Ning Xu glanced at him, then at the contract, and remembered something critical:

“You… If I sign your contract, what about my previous team—?”

“I poached you,” Huo Ze said with a grin. “You’re not seriously thinking about staying with that exploitative old boss of yours, are you?”

Of course not.
Ning Xu was just shocked.

After being sick for so long, he…

When he fully recovered and started thinking about it again, he suddenly realized that everything had already been resolved.

Ning Xu was very surprised and felt emotional.

That same evening, Ning Xu signed the contract.

Huo Ze acted even faster, taking Ning Xu to the team’s base that very night.

The people at the base were lively and friendly, all warmly addressing Huo Ze as “Boss” when they saw him.

Huo Ze wrapped an arm around Ning Xu’s shoulder, introducing him to everyone as they went along, “This is Ning Xu, our team’s ADC!”

With Huo Ze’s help, Ning Xu quickly integrated into the group.

It was only then that Ning Xu realized not all groups were cold and prickly.

KTW was warm.

It wasn’t just Huo Ze—the other teammates were also kind to Ning Xu.

When they learned that Ning Xu hadn’t touched the game for over half a year, the teammates canceled that evening’s training to help him get back into form. Unsurprisingly, they ended up being crushed by Ning Xu in the game.

The teammates protested noisily, “Unfair! How can Ning Xu, who hasn’t touched a keyboard in half a year, still crush me like this?”

“Ning Xu—can’t you go easy on me? I’ve been crushed by you three times already. Go easy on me, pleeeaaase!”

Another player dramatically ran to Huo Ze, complaining, “I can’t take it, Captain! I just can’t take it anymore! How am I such a noob? I think I’d better just stay on the bench this season!”

The entire training room erupted into laughter.

Ning Xu felt his cheeks grow warm. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Huo Ze suddenly say in a very serious tone, “Are you seriously thinking about benching yourself just because of some mistakes in your gameplay? Reflect on your errors properly.”

The laughter immediately subsided.

Although Huo Ze was only a year older than them, his nineteen-year-old self looked entirely serious as he earnestly addressed everyone, “I’ll assume you were joking today. Never mention benching yourself again. I believe that none of you here would actually want to sit on the bench. With your original skills, push yourselves hard. E-sports doesn’t recognize second place! Our goal is singular!”

Ning Xu looked at Huo Ze, feeling a surge of inexplicable emotion in his chest.

After this, the team embarked on a year-long journey of various tournaments, big and small.

KTW, a new team, ended their summer season in the top four.
This result had already surpassed many predictions, but Huo Ze felt it wasn’t good enough. Ning Xu felt the same way.

After a brief rest, the team plunged back into daily training.

It was during this period that Ning Xu encountered the third major turning point in his life.

Ning Xu had never been in a relationship before, nor had he ever thought about being in one.

Meeting Zhao Wei and starting a relationship with him was purely by chance.

A few days before the spring season began, Ning Xing called Ning Xu from overseas.

The siblings chatted about many things—their lives, their recent troubles, and their happy moments.

Inevitably, Ning Xu talked about Huo Ze.

Ning Xu, at that moment, couldn’t avoid mentioning Huo Ze.

For most of the conversation, Ning Xu talked about Huo Ze.

At one point, Ning Xing suddenly said, “Why do you keep talking about your captain? Do you like him or something?”

This comment made Ning Xu’s face flush instantly. “Sis! What nonsense are you talking about? He’s my captain, someone I deeply respect! How could I possibly like… him!”

Ning Xing laughed over the phone. She had just been teasing him, not taking it seriously. After laughing, she even encouraged Ning Xu, saying that if he genuinely wanted to date someone, he should just go for it.

This offhand comment became the spark that led Ning Xu to try online dating.

Ning Xu didn’t understand what real love was, and since his team didn’t oppose players dating, he decided to give it a shot.

By coincidence, he ended up adding Zhao Wei.

Perhaps because it was all text-based communication, Zhao Wei always seemed gentle and considerate, knowing exactly where to draw the line.
Or perhaps Zhao Wei approached Ning Xu with the intention of scamming him, perfectly presenting himself in a way that matched Ning Xu’s preferences.
Either way, Ning Xu quickly fell for it and let himself be led along.

Ning Xu had no experience with relationships, so he didn’t understand his feelings for Zhao Wei.

But in the beginning, amidst his sincere emotions, there was undoubtedly love.

Unfortunately, Zhao Wei was not genuine.
Not only did he deceive Ning Xu, but he also tricked Ning Xing in the process.

It wasn’t until the situation was completely resolved that Ning Xing told Ning Xu in a conversation that Zhao Wei had originally gotten Ning Xu’s contact information by scamming her.

For both siblings, their first experience with love ended in utter defeat.
Fortunately, Zhao Wei ended up in a worse situation, which made Ning Xu feel a bit better.

After everything was settled, Ning Xu returned to the base.
Huo Ze, hearing about his return, specifically came over and asked, “Do you need more time to rest?”

Ning Xu smiled and shook his head. “No need.”

Huo Ze looked at him and, after a moment, said, “Are you sure? You don’t need to put on a front with me. If you’re really upset, it’s okay to take some time off…”

Ning Xu silently observed Huo Ze. Though they were the same age, Huo Ze always seemed more insightful and mature. Seeing Ning Xu remain silent for a long time, Huo Ze continued earnestly trying to comfort him.

A sudden surge of inexplicable emotion rose in Ning Xu’s heart. He couldn’t explain what it was, but he knew he didn’t dislike the feeling.

From then on, Ning Xu stopped thinking about Zhao Wei.

Actually, he wasn’t particularly sad to begin with. Even after learning Zhao Wei’s true colors, his feelings were more about the anger of being deceived, mixed with a greater sense of heartache for Ning Xing.

Thus, Ning Xu’s state wasn’t affected in any way.

The following year, KTW swept through the competition like a tidal wave, winning the championship that year without a shred of doubt.

After the competition ended, they had their victory banquet.
Ning Xu wasn’t particularly fond of these noisy gatherings, but when he thought about having a drink with Huo Ze, he found a bit more enthusiasm.

What Ning Xu never expected was that after Huo Ze went to visit his family once, he came back and said goodbye to them.

Huo Ze left.

The remaining team members, led by their manager, still attended the banquet.
Everyone was in high spirits, causing quite the ruckus as soon as they arrived.

Ning Xu, however, wasn’t in the mood. He sat far away, watching them drink and mess around.
For some reason, he thought of Huo Ze again.

If Huo Ze were here now, would he still be sitting alone like this?

Ning Xu quickly chuckled to himself.
The answer was, of course, no.

Huo Ze was always serious during competitions, but offstage, he was a very sociable and lively person.
At banquets, Huo Ze was always the most eye-catching one.

Not only could he liven up the entire atmosphere, but he could also uplift everyone’s mood.

A banquet without Huo Ze was bound to feel dull.

Ning Xu sat in a corner on the sofa, glanced at his phone to check the time, and planned to leave by midnight.

He watched the clock closely, and as soon as the minute hand ticked past twelve, he stood up.
At that moment, the door to the private room swung open from the outside, and Huo Ze rushed in, saying as he walked, “Sorry I’m late! You guys still up for more drinks?”

Caught off guard, Ning Xu turned to look and locked eyes with Huo Ze’s smiling gaze.

Huo Ze said, “Oh, Ning Xu, you’re already standing up. Looks like you want to have the first drink with me, huh?”

Ning Xu didn’t know what to say.
By then, Huo Ze had already walked up to him and naturally draped an arm over his shoulder. “Come on! Let’s have a drink together!”

The sudden closeness made Ning Xu’s heart pound uncontrollably in his chest, leaving him blushing and breathless.

That night, Ning Xu ended up drinking too much.

It wasn’t intentional—he just suddenly realized how good the team’s vibe was. As they chatted, he unconsciously drank more and more.

Before he fell into a muddled sleep, he vaguely heard Huo Ze cursing, “Damn it, who got him drunk?!”

Instantly, the others’ voices erupted in protest. “How could we dare to get him drunk!”

“Yeah!”

“Captain, we’re being falsely accused here!”

“Clearly Ning Xu got excited seeing you and drank too much himself!”

The corners of Ning Xu’s mouth curved upward slightly. He wanted to nod in agreement, but his thoughts were already drifting away under the influence of alcohol.

The next day, when he woke up, he found himself back in his room at the base.
His teammates eagerly recounted how Huo Ze had carried him back to his room the previous night. Embarrassed, Ning Xu turned bright red.

Knowing how shy he was, his teammates didn’t tease him further. They quickly changed the topic to discuss the base’s vacation plans before leaving.

At that point, Ning Xu suddenly remembered what he wanted to ask. “Where’s the captain?”

A teammate replied, “He went home. Left in the middle of the night.”

The feeling was novel to Ning Xu—his first experience of what it meant to fall from the clouds.
Naturally reticent, he didn’t know how to put it into words.

Luckily, this vacation was long enough. He decided to pack his bags and visit his aunt and Ning Xing abroad.

It was during this time that two major events happened at the base.
The first was Huo Ze discovering a spy within the team.

The second—was Ye Leyao’s departure.

Ning Xu woke up abruptly from a nap one afternoon.

After sorting out his memories, he called Huo Ze. It was late at night in China, but Huo Ze still answered.

When he realized Ning Xu was asking about Ye Leyao, Huo Ze forced himself to suppress his grief and said in a seemingly light tone, “You don’t need to worry. Since you’ve regained your memory, you should know that Xiao Yao… Xiao Yao, he…”

The other end of the line suddenly fell silent.

In the long silence, Ning Xu felt as though his heart was being squeezed, the pain unbearable.

He opened his mouth, wanting to comfort Huo Ze, but didn’t know how to begin.

In the end, Ning Xu was the one who hung up the call.

That night, he booked a plane ticket back to China.

Once he arrived, Ning Xu found himself unsure of how to contact Huo Ze. So he went to the base first.

There were five days left of the vacation. No one was at the base.

Ning Xu set a goal for himself—to train every day while waiting for Huo Ze and the other teammates to return.

He was the first to meet the four teammates.
But even after the five-day vacation officially ended, there was still no sign of Huo Ze.

Days passed. The matches were about to resume soon.
Finally, Huo Ze returned.

He still wore his usual smile, as though nothing was amiss. But keenly observant Ning Xu noticed the subtle changes.

Huo Ze would fall silent abruptly when everyone else left.

He’d also grow quiet after a victory in the game.

And sometimes, late at night, when Ning Xu returned from the training room, he’d see Huo Ze standing on the balcony, facing the cold wind.

Ning Xu looked at Huo Ze like this, only to feel his heart tighten with a sharp pang of pain.

He didn’t know the reason for his sorrow; he only knew that if he wanted to stop Huo Ze from feeling sad, he could only rely on his own performance.

So, in this weather, Ning Xu began training like crazy.

Every day, he waited until the coach was asleep and then practiced alone until late at night.
How long this went on, Ning Xu didn’t know, but eventually, Huo Ze discovered it.

Huo Ze was shocked. After listening to Ning Xu’s explanation, his gaze toward Ning Xu was somewhat complicated. Still, he sternly told Ning Xu that if he was caught again, his wages would be docked.

That night, Huo Ze pushed Ning Xu back to his room, step by reluctant step.
Before the door closed, Ning Xu couldn’t hold back and muttered, “Captain, I…”

“Thank you,” Huo Ze suddenly interrupted.

Ning Xu froze.

Huo Ze smiled faintly and said, “I know you’re doing this to make me happy, so I will pull myself together as soon as possible.”

“And besides, Xiao Yao said he will come back. We can’t be falling short of a Grand Slam when he returns, right?”

Ning Xu couldn’t suppress the urge to look back, and he happened to meet Huo Ze’s smiling face.

After two months, the smile on Huo Ze’s face had finally returned to its original form.

Ning Xu felt his heart suddenly begin to race wildly. He nodded lightly and said, “Let’s work hard together, Captain.”

Huo Ze responded, “Alright.”

And just as they had hoped, KTW was unstoppable that year. They won the championships for both the spring and summer seasons, ultimately making it to the world finals.

That year, all the flowers and applause belonged to KTW alone.

Ning Xu was very happy. Everyone was very happy.

But just as they geared up with high hopes for the next year, during the spring season, Huo Ze injured his wrist.

His injury wasn’t severe, but for a professional player, even a minor injury could be fatal.

For the sake of Huo Ze’s career, he had to stop and rest.

Everyone was worried about Huo Ze, but what they didn’t expect was that Huo Ze had a better mindset than all of them. He even joined the coach as a tactical analyst for their team.

Sometimes, when the players’ movements went astray, Huo Ze would personally step in and “show them how it’s done.”

Ning Xu made the most mistakes, so Huo Ze often ended up soloing against him.

One day, before a practice match, Ning Xu didn’t notice when Huo Ze had come to stand behind him. Suddenly, Huo Ze patted him on the shoulder and said, “Good luck in this match!”

Ning Xu wasn’t startled; he only felt that the hand on his shoulder was burning. Even after Huo Ze removed it, the warmth lingered.

In that practice match, Ning Xu’s movements completely fell apart.

Before the other players could say anything, Ning Xu had already covered his face with his hands.

It was at that moment that Ning Xu suddenly realized—

His gameplay was indeed affected by external factors.

Previously, his performance had been influenced by Zhao Wei’s incident, because he didn’t like him enough.

But Ning Xu liked Huo Ze, so during training just now, his mind had been full of thoughts about Huo Ze’s hand, to the point where he made mistake after mistake.

Afterward, the coach scolded Ning Xu harshly.

But Ning Xu wasn’t the least bit unhappy; instead, he felt relieved.

Because he finally understood his feelings for Huo Ze.

It turned out that he liked Huo Ze.

How wonderful.

It’s just a pity he didn’t know if his feelings could ever see the light of day.
So, even though he was happy, Ning Xu tried hard to suppress his hopes.

But he was still too young, and he and Huo Ze practically lived in each other’s pockets.

The occasional close contact would always make Ning Xu’s face flush red.

As the incidents increased, it wasn’t the others who noticed something was wrong first; it was Huo Ze, the most observant of all.

It happened during a livestream.

Professional players are required to stream for a certain number of hours, and Ning Xu never turned on his camera during his streams. He liked chatting with viewers through the chatbox while playing games.

While he was chatting happily, a team fight broke out.

Ning Xu’s gameplay was usually fast, but maybe because he was multitasking this time, he got distracted and was almost stunned. Just then, a hand suddenly reached over and quickly pressed the Flash button for him.

Ning Xu escaped back to the base with just a sliver of health. He removed his headset and turned around, only to see Huo Ze, who had come over at some unknown point.

Ning Xu stared blankly at Huo Ze. “Captain, why are you…”

Before he could finish, he realized how close they were standing.
If he tilted his head slightly, his hair could touch Huo Ze’s chin. It was a very intimate position.

But it wasn’t intentional on Huo Ze’s part.
Huo Ze had used the same posture when adjusting other teammates’ equipment.

Yet Ning Xu couldn’t stop his heart from racing. He quickly averted his gaze.

But it was too late.

Huo Ze stared at him for a few seconds, then couldn’t help but ask, “Ning Xu, why is your face red?”

Ning Xu opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded:

–“???”
—“Huh? Why is Ning Xu blushing?”
—“Did the captain say that?”

—“Are you two doing something?”
—“Could it be… the kind of relationship I’m imagining?!”

The chat went wild.

That night, Ning Xu and Huo Ze’s supertopic became even more lively.
They already had a group of CP fans, and now those fans went absolutely feral.

And Huo Ze began to realize what was going on.

That night, Huo Ze called Ning Xu to the top floor.

The top floor was always Huo Ze’s residence, but outside there was a large terrace where the teammates often liked to hang out and enjoy the breeze.

As soon as Ning Xu arrived, he met Huo Ze’s gaze, and his face immediately turned red.

In fact, there was no need for Ning Xu to say anything. Huo Ze understood.

Huo Ze stood there for a while, lost in thought, before suddenly smiling and asking, “When did it start?”

Ning Xu’s face turned a deep red, and he awkwardly averted his gaze. “What?”

But Huo Ze wouldn’t let him off the hook. He leaned closer. “When did you start liking me, Ning Xu?”

Ning Xu’s face burned so intensely it was frightening. He looked at Huo Ze, hesitated for a long moment, and then shook his head. “I… don’t know.”

He wasn’t lying. He genuinely didn’t know when he had started liking Huo Ze. He only knew that by the time he realized it, he had already liked Huo Ze for a long time.

He liked him very much.

Huo Ze looked at Ning Xu’s shy expression and, for some reason, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

The two of them just stood there quietly, the wind on the terrace swirling around them.

When the breeze brought a hint of chill, Huo Ze finally said to Ning Xu, “Let’s go.”

Ning Xu looked at him in surprise. “You… Captain, I…”

So, that’s it? Nothing more to say?

“Give me some time,” Huo Ze said, his gaze carrying a hint of unease. “Ning Xu, I realized you liked me because I’ve always been paying attention to you. It’s just that I’m not quite sure how much I like you or if it’s just a fleeting feeling. So, I need to carefully think about it before I give you an answer.”

Ning Xu was shocked.

Huo Ze’s words were earnest, sincere, and without a trace of falsehood.

He felt his heart pounding wildly.

So Ning Xu couldn’t help but ask, “Then… how long will you need?”

Huo Ze thought about it. “A month.”

Ning Xu held back his excitement and nodded firmly.

Over the next month, many things happened.

The first good thing was that Ye Leyao returned.

The second good thing was that Ning Xu saw his ship (his relationship with Huo Ze) turning into reality, especially since this “sugar” was fed to him directly by Huo Ze.

And the third good thing? Ning Xu and Huo Ze ended up together.

The day Huo Ze made up his mind, he ordered a huge bouquet of roses and sent it to the base under his own name.

As soon as the flowers arrived, everyone at the base knew what was going on.

Amidst the teammates’ playful cheering, Huo Ze happily handed the roses to Ning Xu.

Their eyes met, and Ning Xu heard Huo Ze’s earnest confession: “Ning Xu, I like you. Will you be with me?”

The teammates all shouted, “Say yes!”

Following his heart, Ning Xu solemnly nodded. “I will…”

The next moment, Ning Xu’s vision suddenly went dark.

Huo Ze reached out to gently wipe away Ning Xu’s tears and then left a light, affectionate kiss on his forehead.

Huo Ze said, “Alright. The seal is in place. From now on, you’re mine for life.”

Ning Xu couldn’t help but laugh through his tears.

Yes.

From the moment Huo Ze appeared in front of him, their connection had begun.

Ning Xu belonged to Huo Ze.

[Ning Xu X Huo Ze: The End]