The Captain Went to Steal the Base and Hasn't Returned [Esports]

[The tags are incorrect. They'll be fixed shortly.]

Whenever Lu Huaichi was asked what kept him fighting so hard in the arena, his answer was always the same: money.

It wasn't about glory or passion. Lu Huaichi was in it for the money.

For money, he was willing to lower his standards to rock bottom. He didn't care about his coach giving him a hard time, his teammates bullying him, or his fans hurling abuse at him.

Some said Lu Huaichi was mentally unshakeable, that as long as he had money, nothing in the world could get to him. That was until the World Championship in his rookie year...

Lu Huaichi gave it everything he had to lead his team to the finals, but in the end, they were crushed by Gu Xi, the undefeated legend from their own region. Just like that, his seemingly unbreakable resolve collapsed without warning.

After that, the once quiet and well-behaved Lu Huaichi seemed to become a completely different person. Drinking, partying, and living in a haze of excess became his daily routine. During the off-season, he even asked his team to let him retire.

Some guessed that Gu Xi had traumatized him at the World Championship, leaving him unable to recover, so he gave up on his career. Others said that after the tournament, Lu Huaichi's mother, who had been bedridden for a long time, suddenly passed away. With no reason left to keep competing, he chose to walk away.

After all, he was only exceptionally gifted. He had never truly loved the arena.

Unfortunately, no one knew the truth. Just as before, Lu Huaichi silently endured everything and never responded.

-

Even Lu Huaichi never imagined that after parting ways at the finals, the next time he saw Gu Xi would be in a bar in Bailu City.

Lu Huaichi was drunk, held in a man's arms as the man tried to grope him. Gu Xi saw the whole thing. Usually so composed, Gu Xi acted completely out of character, rushing over and forcefully pulling Lu Huaichi out of the man's arms.

That night, Gu Xi paid a fortune to buy Lu Huaichi, who was working as a male model for the first time, and asked him to spend the night with him.

Lu Huaichi agreed without a second thought. It made no difference who he was with. Why not give his first night to the very demon who had once driven him to give everything he had and still proved impossible to defeat? Why not see the hidden, lovesick side of the aloof and dignified God Gu, who always seemed so untouchable in public?

So the two of them spent the entire night awake in a dimly lit room, sweating, entangled, and going at it fiercely... Their conversations even included some dirty talk hot enough to make one's blood race and cheeks burn.

"You've only been out of training for a month, and you're already this bad."

"Where are you flashing to? The match next door? Coming back or not?"

"How did you manage to go toe-to-toe with me at the World Championship with skills like that? You think you're even in my league?"

"Pretending to be a pro player?"

After an exhausting all-nighter and a crushing defeat at Gu Xi's hands, Lu Huaichi was so angry his hands were shaking.

"I'm done..."

Lu Huaichi tried to get up and leave, but Gu Xi raised a hand to block his way.

"Is this your first day on the job?" Gu Xi raised an eyebrow. "I paid for the whole night. You can't just stop whenever you feel like it."

"Then what do you want...?"

"It's simple. I want you back in the league." Gu Xi's expression changed in an instant. "Go do what you're supposed to do. You don't belong here, wasting away."

"What if I refuse?"

"That doesn't matter." Gu Xi smiled again. "If you keep selling yourself, I'll keep buying... And I promise you, Lu Huaichi, next time I buy you, we won't just be playing games."

"..."

"Think it over. Where do you want to see me, in the arena or in bed?"

*This is probably a story about nurturing and redemption.

Potential trigger and preference notes:

1. One-on-one, happy ending, both leads are each other's first and only

2. The leads are on different teams

3. The game in the story is the author's own creation. You can enjoy the story even if you don't play games; the setting isn't complicated.

4. The author is responsible for any issues, not the characters.

6. Thanks in advance for pointing out any typos.

7. There are definitely more notes. I'll add them when I think of them.

Theme: We should all shine in the work we're passionate about.