Chapter 49. Zhou Zekai stood there, motionless...
Zhou Zekai stood there, quietly watching her, his emotions churning with a complex mix of surprise, uncertainty, and immense joy.
Those eyes, accustomed to seeing everything on the field, now seemed to have encountered a problem that they couldn't solve instantly, and were unusually bewildered.
Zhao Zhinian's overly direct "like" completely disrupted his established rhythm.
Zhou Zekai is accustomed to expressing himself through actions rather than words. Whether it is the pursuit of the championship or the responsibility of taking on the cycle of life, he is used to expressing himself through persistent efforts.
The same applies to relationships.
But just as he was steadily advancing at his own pace, thinking that the goal was still far away and required continuous effort, the "victory" he had been dreaming of suddenly and clearly descended upon him in a way he had never expected.
This overwhelming surprise caused his usually sharp mind, adept at handling complex situations, to momentarily falter when processing this pure emotional gift.
Unlike his silence caused by the accident, Zhao Zhinian felt as if a long-standing boulder had been lifted from his heart after he uttered those words, and a feeling of relief and ease suddenly welled up inside him.
She has always been clear about her own personality. Before making a decision, she would weigh the pros and cons repeatedly and consider all the pros and cons. But once she made up her mind, she would cut off all avenues of retreat and go forward without hesitation.
Looking back, their paths were always out of sync, both in terms of their relationships and personal development.
He had already confessed his feelings in high school, but she hadn't yet understood her own heart. When they met again, he was as steadfast as ever, but she was still caught up in the anxieties and considerations of reality.
When Zhou Zekai had already taken on the responsibility of the entire Samsara team, she was still a student on campus with an uncertain future; when she finally stumbled onto the path of e-sports hosting and tried to gain a foothold in the industry, he had already been crowned "the number one in Glory", shining brightly.
The initial obstacle to this relationship was perhaps her unresolved feelings and the unease and concerns arising from the vast difference in their career stages.
Zhou Zekai has always protected this relationship in his own unique way, using understanding to resolve her difficulties and giving her time with tolerance. During the long wait, his gentle yet firm initial intention has never wavered.
From initially sensing Zhou Zekai's silent yet firm intentions, to calmly enjoying his ubiquitous and meticulous care and help, and then gradually sorting out her own equally fluttering heart through their interactions... Throughout this process, she was always the more passive one, clearly perceiving his efforts, but unsure of what she could reciprocate.
Now that her feelings are clear and her career is gradually getting on track, another subtle unease is quietly emerging: in this relationship, she always seems to be accepting and depending on others, but rarely has the opportunity or initiative to "give" anything in return.
This subtle sense of inequality sometimes makes her doubt herself: Have I been too selfish by accepting his kindness so readily without ever giving him clear and equal feedback?
Their relationship went from being kept secret to being almost common knowledge, yet it never reached a clear conclusion. Their friend Lin An'an, after seeing the online buzz, even asked, "Seriously? After all this, you two still haven't reached the finale?"
Perhaps it was because the story began with her questioning his online confession, "Did you hack his account?" that she insisted on "meeting up and talking" just as their relationship was about to become clear.
What she wanted was probably not a definitive conclusion about their relationship, but rather a belated, solemn response to make up for the lingering sense of inequality in his heart.
Although she still couldn't help feeling nervous and hesitant when "expressing" herself face-to-face, Zhou Zekai, as always, reassured her in his own way: a notebook connected the years he had lived alone, years she had never participated in.
He always did this, making up for the shortcomings of words with the most practical actions, which inexplicably gave her a lot of peace of mind and courage.
It was this gentleness that finally gave her the determination to take this step.
If there's any small regret at this moment, it's probably that she didn't expect today to be such an important milestone. She secretly glanced at herself in the mirror: bare-faced, with the weariness accumulated from days of rehearsals in her eyes, wearing an ordinary sweater and jeans, with takeout food scattered on the table, and the whole dressing room exuding the mess of a busy day.
Although she has always been somewhat confident in her looks, the scene before her was not the romantic one she had imagined for a confession. There was no elaborate makeup, no perfect atmosphere, only the most authentic version of each other, bearing the marks of everyday life.
But on second thought, perhaps it is precisely this unadorned honesty that deserves the sincerity that needs no embellishment at this moment.
After a long while, Zhou Zekai seemed to have reloaded his language system, looking intently into her eyes and saying, "I like you too."
Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but laugh out loud, raising her hand and waving it gently in front of him, extending a finger with each word she spoke: "I also like you... Brother Kai, it took you so long to process those five words!"
Her teasing made Zhou Zekai's ears turn slightly red, but he did not shy away. Instead, he gently held her hand as she was counting.
Zhao Zhinian subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Zhou Zekai silently tightened his grip. The e-sports player's fingers were exceptionally long and strong, gently yet firmly enveloping hers. The difference in their hand shapes was particularly noticeable as they clasped hands; his palm was large with distinct knuckles, perfectly cradling her slender hand in his palm.
"You beat me to it," he explained in a low voice, his tone tinged with a hint of annoyance, yet unable to conceal the elation that followed his overwhelming surprise.
"Um?"
Zhou Zekai explained somewhat embarrassedly, "I booked a restaurant for tomorrow night." He paused, then added, "I told the manager I wanted something more formal."
Zhao Zhinian instantly understood that Zhou Zekai had originally planned to fulfill his promise to "confess his feelings again when we meet next time" the following night.
Although the manager of Samsara felt that Zhou Zekai's behavior of having a candlelight dinner with Zhao Zhinian during the All-Star period was simply offering his personal feelings to the league as free hot topics, he still worked hard to prepare everything for him.
Zhao Zhinian gently shook their clasped hands, her eyes curving into crescents: "Then what should we do? How about you pretend to have amnesia?" She teased him deliberately, "I can pretend I never said that, and see what you say tomorrow night, then I'll think about it?"
"No." Zhou Zekai immediately refused, squeezing her hand tightly again, as if afraid she would really change her mind. He looked into her eyes, his tone firm: "I've said it, and I can't take it back."
At this moment, he showed no trace of the lapse he had just experienced; the confidence bestowed upon him by love made him exceptionally persistent.
Zhao Zhinian looked at him with a smile, seeing his unusually willful demeanor, and asked, "Then what about the restaurant tomorrow?"
He pondered for a moment, then looked tenderly into her smiling eyes: "Celebrate," he said softly, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips: "Our first day."
“But,” Zhao Zhinian suddenly remembered something, “I said before that I would treat Vice Captain Jiang to a meal when he comes to Beijing.”
"Want to invite him the day after tomorrow? Let's go together." Zhou Zekai immediately replied, then added seriously, "He doesn't really like Beijing cuisine."
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be Beijing cuisine…” Zhao Zhinian suddenly remembered the birthday gift she gave Jiang Botao: “But if he doesn’t like Beijing cuisine, I also gave him a lot of Beijing specialties for his birthday before, I don’t know if he will like them.”
Zhou Zekai said calmly, "Everyone likes snacks."
Zhao Zhinian was taken aback, then realized what was happening: "You know about me giving Vice Captain Jiang a birthday present?" As she spoke, she subconsciously pulled her hand away from his.
"Hmm." Zhou Zekai nodded, his gaze involuntarily following her withdrawing hand.
"I thought you didn't know!" Zhao Zhinian's eyes widened as she carefully recalled, "Wait a minute! You didn't ask me after you found out, did you? And I even pretended I hadn't prepared a birthday present for you... Wait, when did you find out I had prepared a present for you?"
Zhou Zekai glanced at her cautiously: "It's Jiang Botao's birthday."
"Ah!" Zhao Zhinian suddenly realized, "So you already knew? My surprise plan is completely ruined! Vice Captain Jiang is indeed closer to you."
“It just so happened that we met, so he explained it to me.” Zhou Zekai reached out and gently touched the cloud-patterned jade pendant on his chest: “It was a pleasant surprise, although I only found out today.”
It's unclear whether they're referring to the origins of Yunpai or Zhao Zhinian's feelings.
Zhou Zekai's hotel was near the venue, while Zhao Zhinian needed to return to the Yizhan base.
Although her new boyfriend wanted to exercise his right to escort his girlfriend home, Zhao Zhinian insisted that he go back to the hotel to rest first. After all, he had a filming assignment with the All-Star contestants the next day, while she, as the host, could arrive a little later since the event started in the afternoon.
The next day at noon, Zhao Zhinian finally arrived at the venue. She changed into a dress she had carefully chosen for the day's event. Because of her work, she could only eat a little something to tide her over. She was wearing a thick coat and holding a hand warmer to ward off the winter chill, waiting for the makeup artist to do her makeup and styling.
Just then, the door to the dressing room was gently pushed open. Zhou Zekai, who had just finished his morning shoot, came straight over after learning of her arrival. He had obviously come directly from the filming location, still wearing makeup, and although he was in his team uniform, his look was much more refined than yesterday.
The dressing room was unusually lively today, as it was shared by all the commentators and hosts of the All-Star event. Under the watchful eyes of several staff members, Zhou Zekai walked up to Zhao Zhinian as if no one else was around, and very naturally took her hand that wasn't holding a hand warmer. Feeling the slightly cool temperature of her fingertips, he frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Are you cold?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone present clearly. The natural intimacy and undisguised concern in his words instantly quieted the previously slightly noisy dressing room.
Lin Shuang, who was standing to the side, immediately understood. She pretended to look away and tidied up the items on the table, but in reality, she was listening intently out of the corner of her eye.
Zhao Zhinian hadn't expected him to come over so directly, especially in front of everyone. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull her hand away. She just looked up at him and gently shook her head: "I'm not cold, I'm super resistant to the cold."
Zhou Zekai, however, seemed unconvinced by the answer. He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, as if trying to warm it with his own body heat. His gaze swept over her dress, then at the hand warmer in her hand, as if to confirm whether she was truly not cold.
Zhao Zhinian felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, gently shook their clasped hands, and whispered a reminder, "There are so many people..."
Zhou Zekai then raised his eyes, looked around, and met the curious yet blessing-filled gazes. He did not let go of her hand, but his ears turned slightly red. He nodded slightly in greeting, maintaining his composure as if holding her hand was the most natural thing in the world.
The consensus they reached yesterday is that they will not officially announce or publicly acknowledge their relationship, but they also do not intend to hide their special connection.
"Mmm," he responded softly, his gaze returning to her face. "Have you eaten?"
"I ate a little. You can't eat too much while working." She gently scratched his palm with her fingertips, a hint of coquettishness in her voice. "I need to get my makeup and hair done in a bit, you go back first..."
Before she could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly arose outside the door. Zhang Jiale's clear voice came from afar: "Didn't they say Zhou Zekai was coming this way? Where is he?"
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