Can We Get Married First?  67

Chapter 67

No, this is too disgusting.

Chi Lin couldn’t bear Tan Luo’s closeness and pushed her away.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Chi Lin?” Tan Luo asked innocently. “Weren’t we having a nice moment? Why the sudden change of heart?”

There was never a “nice moment” to begin with…

Two people hurried past them, discussing Nine Heavens’ first match in the Winter World Cup. Books can wait, one said, HighTowerMiyuki’s performance is a must-see!. They were rushing home to watch.

Lou Mi has a match today? Chi Lin was completely unaware; Lou Mi hadn’t told her. So that’s why she hasn’t been home lately.

Chi Lin pulled out her phone and saw Lou Mi’s WeChat messages. Lou Mi had wanted to see her before the match… A wave of anxiety washed over her. She hurried towards the library exit, ignoring Tan Luo’s calls.

The sea wind made it difficult to breathe. As Chi Lin walked along the railing, a middle schooler on a hoverboard zipped past, then doubled back, staring at her for a moment before finally working up the courage to speak. “Are you… the fairy from South Lake Third High?”

Overcome with excitement, the student had struggled to remember Chi Lin’s name, settling for “fairy,” then cringing internally.

Chi Lin glanced at him, then at the hoverboard. She recognized it, a modern equivalent of Nezha’s Wind Fire Wheels. While not as fast as a car, it was definitely faster and less strenuous than running.

Wanting to borrow it, Chi Lin forced a smile and confirmed, “Yes, that’s me.” The student immediately pulled out his phone for a selfie.

“Sure, we can take a picture,” Chi Lin said. “But I need to borrow your hoverboard.”

The student: “Take it! You can even have my life!”

Chi Lin: “…”

This was her first time on a hoverboard. Following the student’s instructions, she gripped the handles and used her waist to steer. Initially wobbly, she quickly found her balance, mastering the controls within a hundred meters, then sped off.

The coastal road was wide. Chi Lin pushed the hoverboard to its maximum speed in the non-motorized lane. The wind stung her eyes. For a first-timer, this speed, without any protective gear, was dangerous.

The broadcasting building was in sight, its exterior displaying the live stream.

Glancing at the screen, Chi Lin’s heart sank. The tide of the battle had turned. Hu Hu and Xie Buyu were dead, leaving only Fu Tu and Lou Mi.

And the opposing team still had three players!

What happened?

Dr. Bai, sitting in the front row of the spectator area, was sweating nervously. Things aren’t looking good, she thought. Lou Mi seemed distracted. After securing first blood, she’d had a chance to wipe out the enemy team, but her combo had failed. She’d missed a kill by a hair’s breadth!

In high-level esports, even the slightest mistake could be fatal. Now, Nine Heavens was at a disadvantage. Fu Tu was also low on health. She and Lou Mi were cornered at the peak of Five Finger Mountain, their escape route blocked.

Dr. Bai, not an esports expert, could still sense the tension. The person beside her seemed to be Nine Heavens’ manager, the one who had been ejected earlier. “What’s happening?” Dr. Bai asked. “Does HighTowerMiyuki have a secret weapon or something?”

Zhuo Jinglan, fuming, didn’t want to answer any questions. If she could, she would have climbed the Empire State Building and screamed. But seeing the woman’s enthusiasm for Nine Heavens, she forced a smile and said, “Their strategy has fallen apart.”

Dr. Bai: “Oh, so they’re in danger?”

Zhuo Jinglan thought, Even with Lou Mi’s recklessness, they’re not in that much danger. They were outnumbered, but even if Fu Tu died, Nine Heavens might still pull through. Lou Mi’s individual skill was far superior to most.

Dr. Bai muttered, “Is it because of the drugs again…?”

Zhuo Jinglan’s ears perked up. Looking at the woman more closely, she asked, “Are you Lou Mi’s doctor?”

“Yes, I’m Dr. Bai.”

“What’s this about drugs?”

Dr. Bai: “…” She has good hearing, she thought.

The match reached its climax. Sturm prepared for the final push, aiming to eliminate Fu Tu and HighTowerMiyuki.

Fu Tu: “Mi-jie, what’s the plan?”

Lou Mi glanced upwards. “Can you hold them off for a bit?”

“Huh? All three of them?” Fu Tu asked incredulously. “Are you kidding me?”

“What about the one above?”

Fu Tu followed her gaze and understood immediately. After years of playing with Lou Mi, she’d learned to accept the absurd. “Fine. Who made me join Nine Heavens and play tank? If not me, then who?”

…

Reaching the broadcasting building, Chi Lin grabbed the hoverboard and ran towards the elevators.

Security was tight during the World Cup. Seeing someone running, the guards immediately stopped her.

“Excuse me, miss, is there a problem?”

Chi Lin was sweating, her usually neat bun disheveled. Catching her breath, she explained, “I’m Lou Mi’s family. I need to see her.”

Security: “Lou Mi? HighTowerMiyuki? She’s in a match right now. You can’t see her. Why don’t you wait here? You can contact her after the match.”

Chi Lin: “Will she come down here after the match?”

“I’m not sure.”

There were no screens in the lobby. Chi Lin tried to watch the live stream on her phone, but it required registration and payment. By the time she finally got in, the stream was lagging due to the high viewership.

Chi Lin pleaded with the guard, “Can you tell me how the match is going? Did HighTowerMiyuki win?”

The guard, unable to use his phone while on duty, had no idea.

Suddenly, a roar of cheers erupted from upstairs. Chi Lin and the guard looked up.

The guard pointed. “Sounds like they won! With HighTowerMiyuki, we never lose!”

…

Lou Mi fired her flamethrower at the cliff behind them, triggering a rockslide. Fu Tu shielded her with a barrier. The three Sturm players were buried, taking minimal damage, but their vision was completely obscured.

Darkness, flashes of red mist, and rapidly depleting health bars.

Before they could even locate their attackers, they were cut down by HighTowerMiyuki’s lightning-fast flamethrower.

The screen displayed:

“HighTowerMiyuki killed Himmel”

“HighTowerMiyuki killed Feuer”

“HighTowerMiyuki killed Theresa”

The broadcasting building erupted in cheers.

HighTowerMiyuki always delivered the unexpected! Turning a near-certain defeat into a total victory, she once again held the world’s hearts in her hands.

“Mi-jie—!” The match over, Xie Buyu ripped off her access crystal and leaped into Lou Mi’s arms.

Still in her chair, Lou Mi, her chest injury flaring up from the impact, yelled, “Get off me! You’re crushing me!”

“Mi-jie, you little tease! Why didn’t you do that earlier? Waiting until the last minute for a comeback, you almost gave me a heart attack!”

Lou Mi scoffed. “Did you really think we were going to lose?”

As Xie Buyu tried to get up, Fu Tu jumped on top of her, pinning them both down.

Fu Tu: “Mi-jie! I love you forever!”

Xie Buyu’s face turned blue. “Get the fuck off me!”

Lou Mi, suffocating: “…”

Fu Tu: “Nope! This is too comfortable!”

Xie Buyu: “Didn’t I crush you enough last time? Want me to finish the job tonight?!”

Fu Tu: “Try me.”

Xie Buyu: “Still talking back to your mama?”

Annoyed and force-fed a mouthful of dog food, Lou Mi kicked them both off. “Get lost!”

Xie Buyu, looking at the shoe print on her uniform: “Mi-jie, what’s with the hostility?”

Lou Mi realized she’d overreacted. They were just celebrating. Soccer players piled on each other after a win; she shouldn’t take her frustration out on her teammates.

Hu Hu tried to smooth things over. “Jiejies, we won! We should be celebrating. Don’t be angry, it’s bad for your health.”

Lou Mi was about to apologize when Xie Buyu cut her off. “Mi-jie, you really need to let off some steam. Hu Hu’s right, bottling it up is bad for you.”

Lou Mi: “…”

Hu Hu: “That’s not what I meant! I’m innocent!”

Right, so much for apologies. Nine Heavens should just disband right here, right now.

After the match, Zhuo Jinglan finally returned. From the post-match team interview to individual interviews, her gaze never left Lou Mi, making Lou Mi increasingly uncomfortable. Fortunately, with the media present, Zhuo Jinglan maintained a professional demeanor, sparing Lou Mi her usual lecture.

After their victory, the club owner treated them to dinner.

Fans gathered outside the broadcasting building, their cheers and chants echoing inside. Xie Buyu and Fu Tu went to the window, their heads together, and formed a heart with their arms, sending the fans into a frenzy.

Hu Hu waved cheerfully. Lou Mi, standing beside her, mirrored her actions, but her face remained expressionless, like a greeting robot. Longtime fans of HighTowerMiyuki were used to her stoicism. It didn’t matter; as long as she delivered victories and championships, they adored her, grumpy face and all.

After interacting with the fans, the team and club staff left through the VIP exit.

Chi Lin sat in the lobby, watching the excited fans waving HighTowerMiyuki banners. Remembering the recent online hate directed at her, she stayed inside, pulling her hoodie over her head.

As night fell and the fans dispersed, Lou Mi still hadn’t appeared. Chi Lin’s phone buzzed with notifications, none from Lou Mi.

Tired and hungry, she continued to wait.

The security guard and his colleagues emerged in civilian clothes, surprised to see Chi Lin still there. “You’re still here?”

Chi Lin: “I’m waiting for her.”

“They left a long time ago! Through the VIP exit! Go home! They left over an hour ago!”

“I see…”

“You should leave. The building will be closed in 15 minutes.”

Chi Lin bowed slightly to the guard and slowly walked out. Using her phone, she located her car, which automatically drove to pick her up.

Sitting in the car, Chi Lin realized she had just bowed like a soldier. The guard must think I’m crazy, she thought. Well, with her mind in such turmoil, she probably wasn’t entirely sane.

Exhausted from her five-kilometer run, having eaten nothing since breakfast, Chi Lin fell asleep in the car.

She was awakened by someone knocking on the window.

“Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin? Why are you sleeping in the car?”

Peng Ziyuan, just returning from work, had spotted someone in Chi Lin’s car and recognized her daughter.

Chi Lin quickly woke up, got out of the car, and took the elevator up with Peng Ziyuan.

As the elevator doors opened, Chi Lin’s heart pounded. She couldn’t even think of what to say to Lou Mi.

Fortunately, Lou Mi, always considerate, spared her the awkwardness.

She wasn’t home.

After showering, Chi Lin emerged to find Lou Lixing had also arrived.

“Yuan Yuan, I’m so tired,” he said, seeing Peng Ziyuan reading on the sofa. He hugged her affectionately. “Where’s Mi Mi?”

“Mi Mi isn’t back yet. Is she celebrating with her teammates?”

Lou Lixing: “Probably. The club always throws a party after a win. But the World Cup just started, they have more matches to play. They shouldn’t be drinking or staying out too late. It’s almost midnight, she should be back by now.”

“Why don’t you call her?”

“She’s a grown-up now, I don’t want to smother her…”

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

Lou Mi stepped out, her hair loose, glancing at them. “Still awake?”

Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan rushed to greet her. “We were waiting for you to come home and celebrate your victory!”

Lou Mi smiled faintly. “It was just one match, we haven’t won anything yet.”

“You’re already a champion in my eyes!” Lou Lixing declared.

“Alright, I’ve heard enough praise for tonight. You two should get some rest. Good night.”

Lou Mi waved tiredly and went to the kitchen for ice cream. Passing Chi Lin’s room, she saw the door open. Chi Lin was about to dry her hair, but stopped when she saw Lou Mi, just staring at her, waiting for her to make eye contact, waiting for a conversation.

But Lou Mi walked past twice, not even glancing her way.

Eating her ice cream, Lou Mi returned to her room and was about to close the door when she saw Chi Lin standing there.

“What?” Lou Mi jumped, almost dropping her ice cream. “Why are you so quiet? Are you a ghost?”

Chi Lin: “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“What do you want?” Lou Mi asked, still eating her ice cream.

“I need to talk to you…”

“Oh, it’s so cold outside, my feet are still numb. I need a hot bath. Can we talk tomorrow?”

Chi Lin: “Then go ahead and shower. I’ll wait for you.”

Lou Mi nodded. “Fine, wait then.”

“I’ll wait in the living room.”

“Whatever.”

Lou Mi went to shower. Chi Lin returned to the living room. Her parents had already gone to bed. She waited for over half an hour, but Lou Mi didn’t emerge.

Lou Mi was understandably upset; Chi Lin had missed such an important day. She had seen the comments online, about Lou Mi’s late login and phone use during the match. Lou Mi had probably been waiting for her message, which had caused her to lose focus.

Not wanting to miss Lou Mi if she came out, Chi Lin sat in the living room with wet hair, waiting until past one o’clock. Surely Lou Mi must be done showering by now. She knocked on her door.

“I’m asleep,” Lou Mi’s voice came from behind the door, not sounding particularly sleepy.

Leaning against the door, Chi Lin said, “I saw your messages. Something came up, so I couldn’t reply immediately. By the time I did, you were already playing. I went to the broadcasting building, but I didn’t see you.”

Silence. No response.

“I didn’t know you left through a different exit. It wasn’t anything urgent, but I wanted to congratulate you on your victory.”

Still no response.

“About Tan Luo…” Chi Lin began. “There are some things that are hard to explain, and even if I did, you might not understand, so…”

The door suddenly opened. Lou Mi pulled her inside and pushed her against the wall.

The door closed. The room was dark. Blinded, Chi Lin’s other senses sharpened. She smelled Lou Mi’s perfume, the cool, crisp scent she loved.

“You haven’t even explained, and you’ve already decided I won’t understand?”

Lou Mi’s voice, so close, made Chi Lin realize how close they were.

“It’s a bit complicated…” Chi Lin forced herself to remain calm, not wanting her voice to betray her anxiety.

“You’re very calm,” Lou Mi said, pressing closer.

Chi Lin had nowhere to retreat, their bodies flush against each other. As she tried to pull away, Lou Mi grabbed her arm, pinning her in place.

“Where do you think you’re going? You’re not going anywhere until you explain everything.”

Chi Lin had never seen this aggressive side of Lou Mi. She was completely taken aback.

It was like…

“Have you been drinking?” Chi Lin asked.

“Do you smell alcohol on me?” Lou Mi chuckled coldly. Before Chi Lin could reply, she felt a warmth on her lips. Lou Mi was kissing her.

Not a gentle peck, but a forceful, demanding, almost savage kiss.

Chi Lin found herself unable to resist, surrendering to the kiss.

“So, do you smell alcohol?” Lou Mi paused, giving her a chance to breathe.

Before Chi Lin could answer, the kiss resumed, deeper this time. Lou Mi’s body was burning hot, pressing against Chi Lin, her hands unsure where to go.

As the kiss deepened, Chi Lin’s mind snapped back to reality. She pushed against Lou Mi’s shoulders, a gesture of resistance.

Lou Mi stopped. “You don’t like it?”

Chi Lin’s eyes, adjusting to the darkness, noticed Lou Mi was wearing the camisole slip she’d deemed “indecent.”

Pressing Chi Lin’s wrist against the wall, Lou Mi whispered in her ear, “Did you find in someone else what you couldn’t find in me?”

Chi Lin’s heart ached. She looked at Lou Mi, her eyes shimmering in the dim light.

“Have you given up on me?” Lou Mi asked.

Chi Lin shook her head. “No…”

“Then why are you rejecting me?”

Chi Lin couldn’t answer, completely under Lou Mi’s control.

“You clearly feel it. Do you know what your expression looks like right now?”

“Lou Mi…”

“If you don’t like me, tell me now. Tell me you don’t like me, not even a little.”

She couldn’t say it.

Seeing through her, Lou Mi smiled triumphantly.

The smile, the embrace, the overwhelming possessiveness – this was the real Lou Mi, the Her Majesty she knew.

As if returning to her wife’s embrace, Chi Lin surrendered, letting herself be guided, enveloped in her love.