Chapter 53 After finishing a hot pot meal, the night was already deep…

After finishing their hotpot meal, it was already late at night. Zhao Zhinian escorted Zhou Zekai to the entrance of the Righteous Execution Base.

In fact, the Yi Zhan base is very close to Zhou Zekai's hotel, only a 20-minute walk at most. However, considering that it's All-Star Weekend and the density of Glory fans in the vicinity is extremely high, plus it's already late, Zhou Zekai chose to take a taxi to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Unexpectedly, the ride-hailing app showed that there was a queue. It seems that after the All-Star game ended, many audience members went out for late-night snacks or night outings and are now returning to their hotels.

While waiting for the bus, the two stood quietly under the streetlights. The winter nights in Beijing were quite cold. Zhao Zhinian buried half her face in her coat collar, put her hands in her coat pockets, and lightly tapped the curb with her toes, pacing back and forth like she was walking on a balance beam, enjoying herself immensely.

Zhou Zekai kept checking the queue progress on his phone, but his gaze kept drifting to the girl next to him who was playing a balancing game by herself.

Watching her swaying figure, Zhou Zekai hesitated for a moment before finally speaking softly, asking a question that Zhao Zhinian hadn't expected: "Can I hug you?"

This problem caused Zhao Zhinian, who was concentrating on maintaining her balance, to slip and almost fall off the curb. Zhou Zekai instinctively reached out to help her, but before he could touch her, she had already regained her balance thanks to her years of dance training.

Zhao Zhinian looked at Zhou Zekai with some surprise: They had already "pre-emptively" hugged each other in Shanghai, and now that they were officially together, why was he being so polite and courteous?

What Zhao Zhinian didn't know was that after Zhou Zekai returned to the hotel last night, he experienced a unique "three-way interrogation".

Under Jiang Botao's "tips and tips," Manager Samsara, along with Jiang Botao and Fang Minghua, launched a "midnight knocking" operation. As soon as Zhou Zekai returned to the hotel, the three of them squeezed into Zhou Zekai's room, demanding that he explain the progress of his relationship.

Upon learning that the two had finally tied the knot, the three breathed a sigh of relief. The married Fang Minghua lowered his voice and subtly inquired about other "progress": "Holding hands, hugging, kissing... how far have you gotten today?"

Zhou Zekai shyly indicated that they held hands.

The manager and Fang Minghua, both married, exchanged a glance. The manager sighed repeatedly, "Our Xiao Zhou is indeed a pure love type. Minghua, don't lead him astray."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Zekai made a surprising remark, adding in a low voice, "We hugged."

The word "before" carries a deeper meaning, after all, they only got together today. The Samsara Manager was wary: "You hugged before you even got together?"

Upon further questioning, it was discovered that the hug was something Zhou Zekai had "pre-paid" for.

"Is this even possible to get an advance payment?" The manager was both amused and exasperated, thinking how lucky it was that they were mutually in love, otherwise, this kind of "advance payment" behavior might have been considered harassment if it happened on an ordinary person.

So he patted Zhou Zekai on the shoulder and earnestly advised him: "Zhou, even though you're together now, you have to take it slow. The most important thing is to respect the girl's wishes..."

Although Zhao Zhinian said she wouldn't make an official announcement for the time being, and the manager was relatively at ease with her, Zhou Zekai had too many past "tricks" to pull. This ancestor always liked to "bombshell" unexpectedly, and the manager was really afraid that one day he would just pull out a marriage certificate and catch the entire Reincarnation PR department off guard.

Seeing how shocked the two experienced people were by his "preemptive hug," Zhou Zekai couldn't help but reflect on whether he had been too abrupt in the past. So tonight, he earnestly put into practice the teachings of the "Reincarnation Love Mini-Class," which led to his exceptionally polite inquiry just now.

However, the question itself was a bit difficult to answer. Zhao Zhinian's eyes darted around, and she chose to ask instead of answering: "If I say no, what will you do?"

Zhou Zekai thought about it seriously for a moment, then looked at her with clear and honest eyes: "Ask again tomorrow."

Zhao Zhinian was caught off guard by this answer and suddenly found him adorable. She realized that Zhou Zekai's emotional rhythm was always so unpredictable: sometimes so direct that it made her heart skip a beat, and sometimes so considerate and patient. But no matter the method, he always presented his feelings to her in the most sincere and direct way, without reservation.

She smiled, opened her arms wide, looked at him with her eyes crinkling, and answered seriously, "Today is fine."

Zhou Zekai's eyes lit up slightly. He stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms. This embrace was unlike the impulsive "pre-emptive" one he had in Shanghai, which was filled with the sorrow of parting. Instead, it was filled with a sense of security and warmth. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, gently nuzzling the top of her head with his chin, feeling the softness in his embrace.

Even the night's chill seemed to soften. The two slowly parted ways only when the lights of the ride-hailing car drew nearer. Zhou Zekai got into the car, waving to Zhao Zhinian through the window. Zhao Zhinian smiled and waved back, watching the car merge into the traffic before turning back.

Back in her dorm, Zhao Zhinian had just taken off her coat when her phone lit up. It was a WeChat message from Zhou Zekai: "Is today okay only?"

Seeing this message, Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but laugh out loud. After thinking for a moment, she quickly tapped her fingers on the screen: "See how you do~"

Zhou Zekai immediately replied with a hardworking little penguin emoji. The round penguin clenched its fist and its face was full of seriousness, as if it was determined to complete the mission.

Since most of the All-Star activities were scheduled for the evening, the next morning, the Happy team was invited by Lou Guanning to visit the Yi Zhan team's base. Yi Zhan showed extraordinary importance to this, with Lou Guanning personally driving to the hotel to pick them up, and Lin Shuang, who called herself "Ye Shen's Fan Club Yi Zhan Branch President," eagerly waiting at the base entrance early in the morning.

The more enthusiastic and attentive Lin Shuang and Lou Guanning were, the more mixed feelings Chen Guo felt as she looked at Yi Zhan's impressive base and complete facilities. After a morning of visits, she deeply realized the vast gap in hardware between Happy, a grassroots team, and a top-tier team.

Although Happy and Yi Zhan triggered a "serendipitous encounter" along the way, leading to Sun Zheping's subsequent connections with Yi Zhan and Happy, this still couldn't completely dispel the huge sense of disappointment in Chen Guo's heart. After all, Lou Guanning, as the boss, was someone she could only look up to with envy, both in terms of financial resources and Glory's strength.

The observant Lin Shuang noticed Chen Guo's silence, and she couldn't accept her idol's team being compared like this, so she immediately comforted her firmly: "Happy has Ye Shen! Where Ye Shen is, there is a top-tier powerhouse!"

Lou Guanning smiled and agreed, "Lin Shuang is right. We just have better hardware, but Happy has Ye Shen as the tactical core and spiritual pillar. To be honest, all the players in Yi Zhan combined probably can't compare to the value of Ye Shen alone."

After being flattered by Lin Shuang, a devoted fan, all morning, even Ye Xiu, with his battle-hardened skin, was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. Seeing Lou Guanning still earnestly adding to the charade beside him, Ye Xiu coughed awkwardly twice and decisively changed the subject: "Well, let's eat first."

Baozi immediately raised his hands in response, not forgetting to offer his signature compliments: "Yay! Let's eat! Boss is truly brilliant! He knew I was hungry without even asking!" He rubbed his rumbling stomach, looking at Ye Xiu with admiration, as if his boss's suggestion was some kind of incredible genius.

The group followed Lou Guanning toward the cafeteria. Lin Shuang enthusiastically introduced, "To be honest, I've been to several club cafeterias. Although I don't want to put anyone down, I can guarantee that our Yizhan's cafeteria is among the best in the country! Plus, we can cook for ourselves. We even had hot pot last night, and even Captain Lou showed us his skills before!"

Chen Guo was immediately drawn to the topic: "Ah! Is that the first episode of Chinen's vlog? I've seen it!"

Chen Guo was practically a fan of Zhao Zhinian, as she had always admired beautiful and capable girls. Initially, it was because Zhao Zhinian served as the resident host of Yi Zhan, and Xingxin had close ties with the members of Yi Zhan, which made her feel a bit closer to him.

Later, it was because Zhao Zhinian would occasionally commentate on Happy's Challenger matches. Lou Guanning would also encourage Happy in advance: "Good luck winning tomorrow, Zhinian has specially prepared a long speech praising you." This made Chen Guo feel a sense of closeness to this commentator, like "family." After winning the game, listening to Zhao Zhinian's clear voice praising Happy's every wonderful move, every word touched Chen Guo's heart. The sense of pride and satisfaction made her happy no matter how she listened.

As for recently… well, she's naturally been following the gossip about Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Zekai. Gossip is a woman's nature, and today, coming to Yizhan, she secretly hoped to see them in person. However, Lin Shuang had explained beforehand that Zhao Zhinian was preparing for her hosting duties at Tiny Herb All-Star and probably wouldn't be coming today, so this little bit of hope had to be quietly dashed.

However, this expectation was quickly answered. Just as Chen Guo reached the entrance of the Yizhan Cafeteria, her sharp eyes immediately spotted the tall figure standing by the door, carrying a backpack that was clearly a woman's. Her fingers trembled with excitement, and her voice stammered, "Zhou... Zhou Zhou..."

Baozi, who was standing next to her, looked in the direction she was pointing and seriously complained, "Is this person called Zhou Zhou Zhou? That's a weird name."

Chen Guo realized that she had stuttered when she met the Glory God, which was a bit embarrassing. Then, Baozi's nonsensical吐槽 exposed her mistake, and she became a little angry and embarrassed: "What Zhou Zhou Zhou! This is Captain Zhou Zekai of Samsara! Baozi, you don't recognize him?"

Upon hearing this, Baozi looked Zhou Zekai up and down carefully again, then shook his head with great certainty: "Captain Samsara? I don't know him."

Their commotion naturally caught Zhou Zekai's attention. He turned his head, and the members of Tongyi Zhan nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze swept over the members of Happy, finally landing on Ye Xiu, who nodded obediently in greeting, "Hello, senior."

Looking at the scene, Ye Xiu chuckled and teased Lou Guanning beside him: "Wow, Boss Lou, your Yi Zhan is about to take off! You just welcomed the former captain of Bai Hua, and now the current captain of Samsara is guarding the entrance of Yi Zhan's cafeteria like a doorman."

Lou Guanning explained with a smile: "Team Leader Zhou, this has nothing to do with the team's strength. At most, he's just... a family member of one of our Yizhan staff members."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiu drawled out the words meaningfully, "Family members, huh?"

He turned to Zhou Zekai, his eyes filled with his usual mockery: "Since you're here as a 'family member,' what about my 'fan'? I just got her an autograph yesterday, and she's nowhere to be seen today even though her idol is here to fight?"

This naturally refers to Zhao Zhinian. Yesterday, after dinner, Lou Guanning embarrassedly took out two pieces of paper for him to sign, saying that his team's operations and hosts were all his fans. Ye Xiu then gave a meaningful "Oh".

He had no dealings with the operation of Yizhan, but he naturally knew that the person in charge of Yizhan was Zhao Zhinian. He had met her before in the God's Domain, and because of Zhou Zekai, he had a deep impression of her. Later, he was fortunate enough to hear the landlady explain her love story with Zhou Zekai.

Meeting Lin Shuang, a truly devoted fan, today makes the sincerity of another "fan" seem quite questionable.

Zhou Zekai wasn't very good at handling his seniors' teasing. When faced with Ye Xiu's question, he simply explained, "She's getting something."

Zhou Zekai had nothing to do this morning, so he came to have lunch with Zhao Zhinian, and then the two of them went to the Tiny Herb All-Star Arena together. However, just before leaving, Zhao Zhinian realized that she had forgotten a folder in her dormitory. Not wanting Zhou Zekai to go back and forth with her, she asked him to wait for her in the cafeteria.

Zhou Zekai, sitting alone in the cafeteria, soon felt uncomfortable under the curious gazes of the passing staff. He decided to wait at the door, only to run into Yi Zhan and a large group of Happy.

Baozi, still looking completely bewildered, asked, "Big Brother's fan? Who's that? Am I going to have another follower?"

Ye Xiu recalled for a moment and reminded him with a smile: "Baozi, have you forgotten? You met a 'female version of Mo Guang' before."

"Oh!" Baozi clapped his hands, suddenly realizing, "I remember her! She's a Pisces!"

Then Baozi turned to Zhou Zekai with a serious expression: "You're a Pisces' family member! What's your zodiac sign?"

Tang Rou, listening to this nonsensical conversation, couldn't help but burst out laughing. Chen Guo interrupted Baozi speechlessly, "Alright, Baozi! Stop asking everyone about their zodiac signs!"

Zhou Zekai was taken aback by Baozi's sudden question, but he was happy to be recognized as Zhao Zhinian's family member, so he politely replied, "Sagittarius."

"A marksman! That's amazing!" Baozi gave a thumbs up, looking very confident, although no one understood exactly what made him so amazing.

Zhou Zekai was not good with words, so after a brief greeting, everyone went into the cafeteria to eat. A little later, Zhao Zhinian rushed back, carrying the file bag she had left behind that morning.

Upon learning from Zhou Zekai that she had just encountered the Happy team, Zhao Zhinian's eyes lit up, and she quickly asked, "Is Tang Rou here?"

Zhou Zekai nodded, though he didn't understand why she wasn't asking about Ye Xiu, but instead suddenly became so interested in Tang Rou.

Seeing Zhou Zekai nod, a sly smile immediately appeared on her face. Du Ming's feelings for Tang Rou were no secret in the cycle of reincarnation, and Zhao Zhinian had also heard this gossip from Zhou Zekai.

"What a pity." Zhao Zhinian shook her head regretfully and joked, "You should have taken a picture of Tang Rou and sent it to Du Ming! This would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to get updates on his goddess."

Zhou Zekai then understood her intention and looked at her with a helpless expression. He had never been good at doing such gossipy things, let alone taking photos of other people without permission.

"But speaking of which..." Zhao Zhinian leaned closer to Zhou Zekai and chuckled in a low voice, "If Du Ming knew that you saw Tang Rou at Yizhan today, he would probably be so envious that he would beat his chest in despair. He might even come to our Yizhan base tomorrow to try his luck."