Chapter 54 This year's All-Star Weekend, overall...
This year's All-Star Weekend was less exciting than last year. Last year, Wang Jiexi's unexpected defeat, the duel between Sun Xiang and Han Wenqing, the dramatic scene of a lucky audience member defeating a professional player, and Ye Shen's amazing "Dragon Head"... In comparison, this year's events seemed unusually calm, and it was naturally difficult to replicate the discussion frenzy of last year.
Aside from the fun diving segment on the second day, where the newly debuted twin sisters Shu Kexin and Shu Keyi from the Yanyu team sparked a wave of discussion among players with their outstanding performance and striking appearance, both the on-site challenge and the main event of the third day, the All-Star main competition, seemed rather calm and lacked memorable moments.
Furthermore, there is another matter that has caused great anxiety among netizens: Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Zekai did not interact publicly at all during the All-Star event.
Despite numerous anonymous users claiming to be "Honor insiders" or "connected" making confident claims online over the past two days that Zhou Zekai and Zhao Zhinian are definitely a real couple in the midst of a sweet romance, detailing their sweet interactions behind the scenes, their public interactions are, in fact, exemplary in their "respectful and courteous" relationship.
Zhao Zhinian's hosting style was as professional as ever. She made a point of making up for Zhou Zekai's "weak point". Whenever she needed to interact with Zhou Zekai, she would always start with the standard "Team Leader Zhou" and "you", as if the two were just work partners meeting for the first time. Her sense of propriety was just right, and her professionalism was impeccable.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zekai was repeatedly warned by his manager: "Xiao Zhou, dating is a good thing, but you don't want to affect Miss Zhao's work, do you?"
Therefore, although he was gentle and even more proactive than when he was usually interviewed when Zhao Zhinian asked him questions, answering every question and occasionally saying a few more words or using long and complicated sentences, he was generally restrained and his eye contact was kept within a reasonable range. There were no intimate actions that obviously exceeded the scope of normal social interaction.
This greatly worried netizens who were analyzing the images frame by frame with a magnifying glass.
Online posts analyzing micro-expressions abound: from "Zhou Zekai actually uttered three complete sentences with subject, verb, and object today," to "his lips seemed to curve upwards by 0.5 degrees when he looked at the host," to "the brief touch of his fingertips when handing over the microphone"... But no matter how netizens meticulously analyze the clues, a definitive "hard evidence" remains elusive. The unspoken connection is so close, yet impossible to break through.
As a result, angry netizens turned their anger towards Honor fans in Beijing, denouncing them for being "disappointing".
"Sisters in Beijing, get ready! What's the battle report from the front lines?"
"Not a single photo of them together in private for three whole days?"
"What happened to the promised hotel stakeout? What about the back entrance of the venue? This year's Beijing fans are no good!"
"I even prepared a magnifying glass, and this is what you show me?"
"I'm so anxious! They can't be invisible, can they?"
Looking back, the scene where Zhou Zekai accepted fan gifts on behalf of Zhao Zhinian on the first day of the event turned out to be the most direct and "hard" sweet moment between the two during the entire All-Star Weekend.
This left CP fans with a sense of disappointment, as if the story had reached its peak right from the start.
In fact, Zhao Zhinian had a clear understanding of this. As a host, she was well aware of the potential negative impact of excessive exposure of her private life: unnecessary attention, questioning of her professionalism, and even over-exploitation of their relationship. Keeping her public and private life separate was not only a sign of respect for her profession but also the safest way to protect their budding romance.
For Zhou Zekai, the manager's instructions were important, but what truly made him willing to "cooperate" was the unprecedented sense of security he felt inside.
These past two days, he has been able to see Zhao Zhinian every day, and their relationship has been officially confirmed. He feels at peace and content, and no longer needs to do anything like before, such as secretly making small moves online to express his longing or test her feelings.
This kind of tangible happiness is far more satisfying than any online interaction. When you can spend every day together like this, who cares about having a little presence online?
So, just when the entire online CP fans were starving and craving something sweet, the two main characters tacitly switched to "sugar-free mode".
Due to their tight work schedules, the two did not plan any private outings.
One was fully focused on preparing for the hosting role, while the other, despite being a highly anticipated all-star contestant, seemed to have taken over the role of Lin Shuang's assistant, quietly accompanying her throughout.
Not only were they incredibly attentive in serving tea and water, but they also made the host's dressing room their permanent base.
At first, the staff were secretly watching the drama unfold, but seeing Zhou Zekai so naturally standing next to Zhao Zhinian, and the unspoken understanding between the two, everyone understood: they were a real couple, just not wanting to go public yet.
Since they were all in the same circle and would run into each other all the time, and the parties involved had no intention of going public, it would be inappropriate for the news to leak out from their own side. As staff members, out of professional ethics, no one dared to openly take photos of the two interacting backstage. Out of consideration for others, everyone even tacitly helped to cover it up, but they also had to quietly share the gossip with people they knew.
That's why we only see anonymous "insider leaks" and "connection gurus" online, but no concrete evidence has ever surfaced.
The two players' "refresh points" during the All-Star event highly overlapped, consistently appearing in only three locations: Tiny Herb Arena, Yi Zhan Club, and the hotel arranged by the All-Star team. What frustrated netizens even more was that they always used a dedicated staff entrance throughout the event. As the host and the All-Star professional player, they always arrived earlier than the audience and left later than the audience.
This monotonous routine has brought the "search for sugar" campaign, which has garnered widespread attention online, to a complete standstill.
On the second night of the All-Star event, after the activities concluded, Zhao Zhinian treated Jiang Botao to dinner to thank him for all the help and care he had given her, whether it was his guidance in Glory or his support in their relationship.
The reason for this meal is quite interesting. Initially, Zhao Zhinian wanted to thank Jiang Botao and Zhou Zekai, but various factors delayed it until now, and Zhou Zekai has now "successfully become the official couple." This thank-you dinner inexplicably became a special occasion for the young couple to express their gratitude to this "meritorious contributor."
"Deputy Captain Jiang, we really owe you a lot during this time." Zhao Zhinian raised his glass, his tone sincere.
Jiang Botao responded with a smile, his gaze subtly sweeping over the two people opposite him: his captain had only shown him his profile the whole time, quietly fulfilling his duty as a "caring boyfriend".
After the meal, Jiang Botao deeply understood what it meant to "in a group of three, one of them will inevitably be eating dog food (a Chinese idiom for being single and being fed dog food)".
He was both pleased that Zhou Zekai had gotten what he wanted and somewhat uneasy about the affectionate atmosphere before him.
"If only Brother Fang and the others were here," Jiang Botao couldn't help but think. "At least they could share this 'sweet burden'."
The third night of All-Star Weekend should have been the last time the newlywed couple could spend alone together. After all, the entire Samsara team was scheduled to return to Shanghai early the next morning. Since it was a team trip, there would be a bus for transportation, and the airport would inevitably be crowded with fans seeing them off. Considering the potential impact, Zhao Zhinian naturally couldn't appear in such a conspicuous setting to see them off.
Just before their departure, Team Tiny Herb, as the organizer, held a thank-you dinner in the banquet hall of a nearby hotel to reward the staff who had worked hard during the All-Star event. As the host, Zhao Zhinian naturally couldn't refuse.
Moreover, the Tiny Herb manager specifically revealed in advance that the previously negotiated hosting arrangements for Tiny Herb's home games had been basically finalized, and tonight would be a good opportunity to introduce her to the team owner. As long as the owner agrees, the job will be settled.
Faced with such a crucial career opportunity, Zhou Zekai naturally understood. Listening to her slightly apologetic explanation on the phone, he simply replied softly, "Work is important." His "Good luck" was uttered with utmost sincerity, carefully suppressing all his reluctance. After all, the Spring Festival was approaching, and their next meeting wouldn't be too far off.
That evening, Zhou Zekai made a rare appearance at the Samsara team's dinner gathering. Everyone was naturally surprised, given how elusive their captain had been these past few days. Under the concerned gazes of his teammates, he had no choice but to tell them the truth.
"Great job, Captain!" Lü Boyuan was the first to laugh. "That's what you call the man behind a successful woman!"
The other team members chimed in, "That's right, that's right! What's that saying again? If two hearts are truly in love, why should they be together every day?"
Jiang Botao added with a smile, "Our captain is reasonable and understands the greater good."
Fang Minghua patted Zhou Zekai on the shoulder: "This is the self-cultivation of a good boyfriend."
Zhou Zekai ate his meal silently with his head down, but his mind was preoccupied with the people at the banquet.
It was nearly midnight when the banquet ended. Zhao Zhinian stood at the hotel entrance, preparing to call a taxi back to the Yizhan Base. Looking at her chat interface with Zhou Zekai on her phone, she saw a regular pattern of greetings every half hour: "Is it over?", "Be careful.", "Let me know when you get back."
She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to see him, and on a whim, she sent him a message: "I'll be passing by your hotel in a bit, want to meet up?"
She regretted sending the message the moment she sent it. It was so late, and he had to catch a flight the next day, so he was probably already asleep. Besides, it wasn't appropriate to suggest meeting up now, so she quickly deleted the message.
Unexpectedly, the phone vibrated immediately, and Zhou Zekai's reply popped up: "Okay, I'll come downstairs and wait for you."
He was worried about her safety coming home late and planned to go to sleep only after confirming she had arrived safely, but he unexpectedly received a meeting invitation. He immediately prepared to get ready and go downstairs. Just after replying, he discovered that the message had been retracted.
"Why did you withdraw?" he pressed.
Zhao Zhinian could only explain, "It's getting late. I didn't expect you to still be awake. I'll head back soon too. You should get some rest."
A while later, Zhou Zekai sent a photo of the hotel lobby. Warm yellow lights bathed the empty reception desk, as if telling a story of loneliness while waiting. He also sent a wronged emoji: "Is it gone?"
The person had already come downstairs and was waiting, so how could Zhao Zhinian refuse to see him? She already wanted to see him, and now she couldn't bear to refuse, so she replied, "Wait for me."
Twenty minutes later, the two sat down in the lounge area in the corner of the hotel lobby. The staff on duty at the front desk didn't seem to care about the Glory of Kings tournament; they just glanced at them casually before continuing to work, assuming they were just an ordinary couple on a late-night date.
The sudden alone time left them speechless. This meeting was impromptu, and with the night deep, reason told them it was time to say goodbye. However, the lingering affection they felt for each other, having just confirmed their relationship, prevented either of them from being the first to say goodbye.
Zhou Zekai took a light sniff and broke the silence first: "Have you been drinking?"
Zhao Zhinian leaned back instinctively, creating some distance between them: "I couldn't refuse, so I had two drinks." She secretly regretted that she should have gone to buy some chewing gum earlier if she knew he would smell it.
She raised her hand and sniffed her cuff, her tone slightly apprehensive: "Does it smell strong?"
"It's alright." Zhou Zekai shook his head. As a professional player, he almost never drinks alcohol, so he is quite sensitive to the smell of alcohol.
More than the smell of alcohol, he was more concerned about her subconscious evasive action, so he moved closer without making a sound.
Zhao Zhinian actually has a good alcohol tolerance. He used to enjoy buying various base spirits and drinks to mix and match for fun, occasionally having a small drink. Since moving into Yizhan Dormitory, he has had less leisure time and hasn't drunk alcohol for a long time. However, in these work-related social occasions, it's ultimately difficult to completely avoid the drinking culture.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, her eyes were brighter than usual, with a hint of tipsy languor in their gaze. When those eyes looked at him intently, Zhou Zekai felt his heart pound uncontrollably, suddenly quickening, and he became inexplicably nervous.
Zhou Zekai noticed that she was secretly rubbing her temples, so he asked, "Does your head hurt?"
"I'm just a little tired," she said softly, sounding somewhat weary. These kinds of social occasions always took a toll on her mental and physical energy.
The two remained silent. Zhao Zhinian looked down and fiddled with the zipper of his coat, while Zhou Zekai watched her quietly. Neither of them spoke again, but they both felt that it was nice to just stay like this.
"Can I hug you today?" Zhou Zekai suddenly asked softly.
Zhao Zhinian tilted her head to look at him, a smile playing in her eyes: "You really ask every single time?"
Zhou Zekai's ears burned slightly, and he pursed his lips somewhat embarrassedly, explaining in a low voice, "You said... it depends on my performance."
"Let's not go in public," she said softly, glancing at the time in his slightly disappointed gaze before gently leaning her head on his shoulder. "Let me lean on you for five minutes, then I'll go back."
Her hair brushed against the side of his neck, and Zhou Zekai's body stiffened slightly before relaxing. He carefully adjusted his position to make her more comfortable.
Five minutes felt both incredibly short and incredibly long in the dead of night.
As the clock struck the appointed time, Zhao Zhinian straightened up, only to hear a voice beside her ear: "Then you owe me today."
Zhao Zhinian instantly understood; this meant she owed a hug.
"Okay, I'll pay you back next time."
Suddenly remembering that Zhou Zekai had "pre-emptively" given her a hug before they were officially a couple, she asked with a playful smile, "So what about that hug you pre-emptively gave me?" She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, wanting to see how he would respond.
Zhou Zekai was slightly taken aback, and replied in a low voice, "Then I'll pay you back next time."
"Shouldn't they be offset?" Zhao Zhinian countered.
"Cannot be offset."
"Um?"
Zhou Zekai stared into her eyes and forced an explanation: "We weren't together before, but we are now."
“Like the regular season and the playoffs.” Zhou Zekai’s lips curled up slightly: “The competition format is the same, but the points are not interchangeable.”
For him, every legitimate reason to embrace something deserves to be taken seriously and settled separately. What he wants is not to settle all debts, but to keep things "entangled".
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