Boss Huo Is as Helpless as a Dog

[Coming next: Captain Stole the Show and Still Hasn't Come Back [Esports]. See the blurb below this one or in my upcoming works. Please add it to your collection!]

Chi Xu has always felt that his friendship with Huo Zhiyun lasting twenty-seven years is a mystery worthy of going down in human history.

In elementary school, Chi Xu picked a bunch of wildflowers for Huo Zhiyun, who tricked him into believing they were magical roses he'd grown. He told Chi Xu that picking them had cursed him, and that he'd have to stay at the Huo house as Huo Zhiyun's wife for the rest of his life, never allowed to leave. Chi Xu was so frightened he sat on the ground and cried for half an hour. Huo Zhiyun nearly got beaten to death afterward.

When they graduated from high school, Huo Zhiyun mysteriously told Chi Xu he had an incredibly precious graduation gift for him, and insisted he take good care of it. Chi Xu believed him. He would never forget the helpless, horrified look on his parents' faces when he pulled a flying masturbator out of the gift box in front of them.

During their university summer vacation, Huo Zhiyun said he was taking Chi Xu on a road trip. Just as Chi Xu naively thought Huo Zhiyun had finally done something decent, he found out halfway there that Huo Zhiyun had secretly signed him up for the local competition show Boys and Girls, Keep Moving Forward. During the three-hour drive, Chi Xu cursed Huo Zhiyun for two and a half hours without repeating himself. In the end, he even made Huo Zhiyun compete in his place and win a refrigerator.

Now, after all these years, Huo Zhiyun's pranks were clearly still going strong.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain why, on Chi Xu's twenty-eighth birthday, Huo Zhiyun had chosen to attend this grand party as a couple with Lou Mian.

Chi Xu had been in love with Lou Mian since he was ten, for eighteen years now. And throughout those eighteen years, Huo Zhiyun had been off God-knows-where, busy courting some girl from some family.

So he thought he could date Lou Mian? As if he deserved her.

At the party, a drunk Chi Xu was eventually taken by Huo Zhiyun to the room originally prepared for Huo Zhiyun and Lou Mian.

The room was decorated to create an intimate atmosphere, and the rich, heady scent of incense was enough to stir anyone's desire. But it did nothing for Chi Xu.

"It's a happy occasion. Why aren't you getting cozy with your future wife? Why bring me here?" Chi Xu's question was cold and sharp, with a hint of jealousy.

"I never realized you cared so much about my private life, Young Master." Huo Zhiyun seemed a little drunk too. As he looked at Chi Xu, his expression held a few unclear traces of emotion. "I sent her home."

"You sent her home?" Chi Xu looked around at the room as he spoke, then suddenly frowned and gave a bitter smile.

"Huo Zhiyun, I think you might be impotent."

"?"

And that very night, Huo Zhiyun, who had never been good with words, proved to Chi Xu through his actions that not only was he perfectly capable.

He was more than capable.

From then on, Chi Xu had one more reason to want to cut Huo Zhiyun into a thousand pieces.

[Huo Zhiyun's POV]

After his eight hundred and eighty-first unsuccessful discussion with his family, Huo Zhiyun was finally given an ultimatum by his father: he had to get engaged to Lou Mian, the second daughter of the Lou family.

Huo Zhiyun knew Chi Xu had liked Lou Mian since childhood. So the moment he heard the news, the first thing he thought of wasn't even the miserable rest of his life that lay ahead.

He thought of Chi Xu.

He was afraid Chi Xu would hate him. Huo Zhiyun was terrified.

So Huo Zhiyun wanted to explain things to Chi Xu.

Tonight's party was his last chance.

That evening, he took a drunk Chi Xu to a room to talk.

But Chi Xu wouldn't cooperate at all. Every word was barbed, and he shot Huo Zhiyun down again and again until Huo Zhiyun was at a loss. Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Huo Zhiyun simply left the room to Chi Xu, who could barely get around, and went elsewhere.

"Where are you going?" As Huo Zhiyun headed out, Chi Xu grabbed him. "I won't let you leave this room..."

"Why?"

"I won't let you go see her. If you dare go looking for Lou Mian, I'll kill you."

"...Then where do you think I should go?" Huo Zhiyun didn't resist, letting Chi Xu do whatever he wanted.

"Stay here."

"?"

"Stay here with me, and you won't be able to fool around."

Huo Zhiyun couldn't help but laugh at that.

"You really underestimate me."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I said you'd better keep a close eye on me."

[Check the tags for potential triggers]

1. 1v1, happy ending, straight-to-gay

2. Neither the top nor the bottom has any exes. The bottom has liked girls before but has never dated anyone.

3. Completely fictional setting, fictional enough to be in outer space.

4. I feel like there's more, so I'll add it when I think of it.

--------Blurb for Captain Stole the Show and Still Hasn't Come Back [Esports]--------

Whenever Lu Huaichi was asked in interviews what drove him to give everything on the battlefield, he always had the same answer: money.

It had nothing to do with glory, passion, or fame. Lu Huaichi only cared about money.

As long as he got paid, nothing else mattered.

He could put up with teammates who made things difficult for him every day and spoke rudely to him, then work alongside them. He could accept being inexplicably blamed by the coach every time they lost a match. He could even endure fans denouncing and insulting him in a torrent, saying he would betray the old team that had recognized his potential for money, and that he was a heartless ingrate.

Some said Lu Huaichi had an exceptionally strong inner core. No one could shake his unwavering resolve or his obsession with money. That was, until his second year as a pro...

After Lu Huaichi gritted his teeth and did everything he could to lead his team to the world championship, only to be soundly defeated by Gu Xi, the undefeated legend from their region, his seemingly unbreakable inner core collapsed without warning.

After that, Lu Huaichi, who had once been obedient and sensible, seemed to become a completely different person. Drinking, partying, and living in a haze of luxury became his daily routine. During the off-season, he even asked the team to let him retire.

Some people guessed that Gu Xi had left him traumatized in the finals, and that he had given up on his career after losing his nerve. Others said that after the world championship, Lu Huaichi's mother, who had been bedridden for a long time, suddenly passed away. With nothing left to keep him playing, he chose to walk away.

After all, he was exceptionally talented, but he didn't love competing.

Unfortunately, no one knew the truth. Just as before, Lu Huaichi chose to silently endure everything and never responded to anyone.

-

Even Lu Huaichi himself hadn't expected that after parting ways at the finals, the next time he saw Gu Xi would be in a bar steeped in debauchery.

Lu Huaichi was drunk, caught in the arms of a tall man who was trying to take liberties with him. Gu Xi, usually so calm, saw what was happening and forcibly pulled Lu Huaichi out of the man's arms.

That night, Gu Xi paid a hefty price to hire Lu Huaichi, who was working as a male model for the first time, to keep him company for the night.

Lu Huaichi agreed without a second thought. It made no difference who he kept company. Giving his first night to his handsome, wealthy, once-unbeatable rival, and seeing another side of the aloof, dignified Master Gu that no one else knew about... It wasn't a bad deal.

The two of them spent the entire night in a dim little room, drenched in sweat and entangled without end, their battle raging... Their conversation even included some teasing that made their blood race and their faces flush...

"You've only been out of training for a month, and your skills are already this far off."

"Where are you flashing to? The next match? Are you coming back?"

"Lu Huaichi, doesn't that patch of grass look like the three kills you just handed over?"

"How did you even manage to trade blows with me at the world championship?"

"Are you pretending to be a pro?"

Lu Huaichi was furious, his hands trembling. He, who never defended himself, finally made an exception tonight.

"I drank too much tonight. Once I'm sober tomorrow, I'll show you what I can do!"

"Sure."

"Gu, quit being so sarcastic and help me! Can't you see someone in the river?"

"I'll help you once you're sober tomorrow."

"...?" Lu Huaichi was speechless. "Tsk, Gu Xi, you take everything so seriously."

"Or you could promise me you'll go back and play professionally."

"..."

"Go back and play. I won't just save you, I'll do anything you ask."

*Basically, a story about nurturing and redemption.

*Xiao Chi works himself to the bone to make money for his mother's medical treatment. He's not a money-grubber, QAQ.

Check the tags for potential triggers:

1. 1v1, happy ending, both leads are inexperienced. I love writing romance, and there'll be a lot of it. Proceed with caution if that's not your thing.

2. The leads are on different teams.

3. The game in the story is original. You don't need to play games to enjoy it, and the game mechanics aren't complicated.

4. There should be more, so I'll add them when I think of it.

Theme: Treasure the present and make the most of your youth.