The game of Flying Chess is typically played by four people, with seven teams of seven people divided into four groups. Li Chun was in one group by himself, while Ji Yushi naturally paired up with Song Qinglan.

The rules were negotiated, but despite playing several rounds, Ji Yushi didn’t win a single time.

Fortunately, the game continued with a points system, just like in their training, and only the group with the lowest score would face punishment.

Li Chun, known for being a shameless scoundrel, came up with a particularly nasty punishment: the loser had to turn their back to everyone and use their butt to write the words “I am a pig.”

The first loser, Tang Qi, nearly flipped the table and walked away on the spot: “Damn.”

Tang Le, who was teamed up with his brother, also cursed loudly: “Chun, just you wait, you’ll be next!!”

The twin brothers stood up amid the laughter, turned their backs to everyone, and began the task.

Two grown men couldn’t bring themselves to wiggle their butts in front of everyone.

Zhou Mingxuan clapped his hands: “Lift your shirts! Show your butts!! Let us see how beautiful your asses are!”

Everyone: “Hahahahahaha!”

Even Ji Yushi laughed; he didn’t expect this straight guy to be so rustic and funny—it was really quite amusing.

The twins lifted their t-shirts in unison, revealing their lower halves, and painstakingly wrote out “I am a pig” in the air, stroke by stroke. Every wiggle of their hips drew more laughter from the crowd.

“Put more effort into it!!”

“The one on the left, your butt isn’t wiggling enough!”

“That’s a prime example of a perky butt!”

The two cursed as they completed the punishment, with Li Chun nearly laughing until he cried.

As the winner of the first round, Li Chun gained control of the dice for the second round.

In this type of game, intelligence and memory don’t play a role; it’s all random. Once the dice were in Li Chun’s hands, they never made it to Ji Yushi.

Their team’s luck was neither good nor bad, and after enduring several rounds of vulgar games—like Duan Wen simulating drinking Zhou Mingxuan’s milk, Tang Qi and Tang Le rolling while blowing up balloons, and Li Chun doing a handstand while drinking water—they finally lost once.

All four of Li Chun’s planes reached the finish line, and Song Qinglan casually asked, “What kind of punishment do you want?”

Song Qinglan’s deep-set eyes and inherent authority made Li Chun uneasy, even though he was smiling.

“Huh?” Li Chun weakly replied, “Well, why don’t you guys do a hundred push-ups?”

Everyone: “……”

“Come on? Chun, are you even human?”

“It’s just a game, and Song Qinglan isn’t going to eat you. Why are you so scared!!”

“I’m not convinced!! Why are they getting special treatment?! Is it just because I’m not as good-looking as Consultant Ji?!”

Everyone shouted their discontent.

Song Qinglan, however, was already standing up, clapping her hands to prepare: “A hundred push-ups?”

Ji Yushi was also about to stand up.

Zhou Mingxuan: “Wait!”

Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi both paused.

Ji Yushi noticed a glint in Zhou Mingxuan’s small eyes and had a bad feeling. Given their childishness…

Sure enough, Zhou Mingxuan pretended to be profound and said, “Push-ups are fine, but for Song Qinglan, it’s barely a tickle. Consultant Ji can definitely do it too, isn’t it too easy?”

Song Qinglan: “Then?”

“Make it weighted push-ups,” Zhou Mingxuan suggested. “Consultant Ji should sit on Song Qinglan’s back, with his feet off the ground, until Song Qinglan completes them.”

Ji Yushi: “……”

Everyone: “Carry him! Carry him!”

Li Chun weakly said, “It wasn’t my idea, it was Zhou’s!!”

Duan Wen elbowed him: “But do you want to see it?”

Li Chun immediately nodded vigorously: “I do!”

“Boring.”

Song Qinglan sneered. Even though he said that, he began to remove the communicator from his wrist.

Seeing his preparations, the crowd grew even more excited.

Song Qinglan placed the communicator aside and got into position.

He was tall, with a large frame, and the movement caused his back muscles to tense visibly—broad and strong. His arms were firmly planted on the floor, and he looked like an iron board, giving Ji Yushi a nod: “Come on.”

Ji Yushi stood by Song Qinglan’s side, and everyone thought he would refuse.

But to their surprise, as soon as Song Qinglan spoke, Ji Yushi looked at everyone and said, “Actually, I thought you’d make me lie under Song Qinglan.”

Everyone: “???”

Everyone: “Then lie down!”

Ji Yushi, calm and unruffled, said, “Too late.”

Everyone: “Damn!”

Consultant Ji plays so well, it feels like they missed out on a million dollars!!!

But before they could regret and curse, Ji Yushi had already walked over, placing his hands on Song Qinglan’s back and sitting down, crossing his legs.

When Ji Yushi’s palms touched Song Qinglan’s back, through the thin fabric, Song Qinglan felt the heat from his hands.

No one knew, but Ji Yushi was actually very nervous.

“Sit tight.”

Song Qinglan said.

Her triceps, latissimus dorsi, and other muscle groups exerted force, hard as iron. The mature man’s body was slow and steady as he completed a perfectly standard push-up, not even causing Ji Yushi to sway. Amid the cheering, Song Qinglan had already done nearly thirty.

Although Ji Yushi looked slender, he still weighed nearly sixty kilograms. Unless someone exercised regularly, few could handle such a weighted push-up.

Song Qinglan’s movements grew slower, and soon sweat beaded on his temples.

He gritted her teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and Ji Yushi noticed.

“Consultant Ji is feeling sorry!”

“Hahaha, just lie on Captain Song!”

“Sixty! Damn, that’s amazing!”

Ji Yushi simply lowered his eyelashes, staying still and silent, trying to stabilize himself to avoid burdening Song Qinglan.

In how to avoid exciting the crowd, Ji Yushi had a bit of talent.

The less he said, the less they could stir up the drama.

Finally, the hundred weighted push-ups were complete.

As soon as Ji Yushi got off Song Qinglan’s back, Song Qinglan rolled over and collapsed on the floor, panting: “Zhou, just you wait.”

Song Qinglan was drenched in sweat, the droplets glistening like honey under the lights, and a bottle of water was handed down from above.

Song Qinglan thought it was a mechanical arm being so attentive but then heard the teasing from everyone and realized it was Ji Yushi. She sat up and drank more than half the bottle in one gulp, smiling: “Thanks.”

Ji Yushi: “You worked hard.”

Everyone: “Ooooh!!!”

Ji Yushi turned his face away: “……”

A group of straight men couldn’t play any interesting jokes, and they couldn’t drink for fun in the training ground.

After teasing Song Qinglan and Ji Yushi, everyone lost interest in making their teammates look foolish, and most of the rewards and punishments became physical challenges.

They played for over two hours and finally called it a day with waning interest.

“When we get out of here, let’s go drinking,” Li Chun suggested. “Before I left, my friend was renovating a nightclub. It’s been a month now, so it’s probably open.”

“Going to that one again?” Tang Qi, tired from playing, asked with a yawn. “Aren’t you afraid of running into that girl?”

That girl was the one Li Chun had been thinking about before he left but hadn’t gotten her number.

But in this bubble world, they had already dated and found they were incompatible, so Li Chun was not keen on the idea: “No, no, when will this doomed relationship end? Let’s go somewhere else!”

As they discussed where to go, Duan Wen said, “You guys pick a decent place. If it’s all smoky and noisy, can Consultant Ji even go?”

Ji Yushi replied, “Sure, just call me when the time comes.”

Tang Le: “Really? I’m afraid you’ll find it boring.”

Nightclubs are noisy, chaotic, and filled with all kinds of people, while Ji Yushi was refined and handsome, completely not the type to go to nightclubs or to get into the party spirit.

Only Song Qinglan knew that on the roadside of PU-31, Ji Yushi had once said that the way he looked at him was like a pervert in a gay bar staring at him. At that time, they weren’t familiar with each other, so Song Qinglan didn’t take it to heart, but now it came to mind.

Song Qinglan looked at Ji Yushi and said to the others, “We’ll talk about it later; I’ll book the place.”

Everyone: “Captain Song!!!”

Li Chun almost jumped up in excitement: “Did I hear that right?! Captain Song is going to a nightclub too!! We couldn’t get him to go no matter what before!!”

Tang Le: “Hehe, I know why!”

Li Chun: “I know too!! Hahahahaha!!”

Ji Yushi: “……”

If this keeps up, he might never have to speak again in his life.

Song Qinglan grabbed the nearest cushion and threw it at the two of them: “Get lost! Are you done yet?!”

It was late at night, and everyone had psychological evaluations to do the next day, so they left after laughing and joking.

The game area was a mess, and cleaning robots and mechanical arms slowly moved in to start cleaning up.

Song Qinglan was the first to stand up and noticed Ji Yushi was still sitting on the floor: “What are you looking for?”

Ji Yushi didn’t look up: “The dice.”

Song Qinglan asked, “Still want to play?”

The dice that Li Chun had been using was missing. It wasn’t clear if he had left it in his pocket or if the robot had swept it away.

Ji Yushi couldn’t see it on the floor, but he didn’t say anything, only calmly replied, “No.”

Song Qinglan extended a hand to him: “Get up.”

Ji Yushi looked up and, as they had done before, naturally took Song Qinglan’s hand to stand up.

Then, Song Qinglan let go of him.

The cleaning robot hadn’t anticipated Ji Yushi standing up and happened to sweep the area behind him, lightly bumping his heel.

Ji Yushi instinctively took a step forward, almost bumping into Song Qinglan, who caught him by the shoulder to stop him.

The sudden closeness, too intimate, made them both freeze for a moment.

Since their talk, their relationship had become more than friends, and even their teammates assumed they were a couple, though they weren’t officially lovers yet.

The 24-hour waiting period that Ji Yushi had not yet given an answer to still loomed, and Song Qinglan was waiting.

What used to be natural actions now became delicate in this brief yet prolonged wait.

Subtle, thrilling.

Known only to each other.

Song Qinglan moved aside slightly, but Ji Yushi spoke: “Captain Song, I’m a man.”

Bringing this up suddenly puzzled Song Qinglan: “Hmm?”

Ji Yushi looked at him, his gaze calm as he said, word by word, “I’m 25 years old, physiologically healthy. Although my body hair isn’t thick, I do occasionally grow stubble. I like guns, enjoy fighting, practice jiu-jitsu, can rock climb with my bare hands, and have clear male muscle lines. I also have the same morning… arousal that you have.”

Song Qinglan understood what he meant, raising an eyebrow: “Are you trying to introduce yourself suddenly or challenge me?”

Ji Yushi shook his head: “I want to remind you that I’m not what you think.”

Song Qinglan countered: “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

Ji Yushi said nothing.

Song Qinglan’s tone was slightly angry, yet amused: “Do you think I haven’t been straightforward enough? Or do you think I haven’t imagined doing things to you?”

Ji Yushi’s ears burned: “……No.”

Song Qinglan said, “If you want to know, I can tell you.”

It was clear that Ji Yushi had rested well this time.

The dark circles under his eyes were gone, and the fragile feeling he gave off during missions had disappeared without a trace.

Someone too intelligent and too restrained would often have poor sleep quality. Song Qinglan had been worried that Ji Yushi’s overthinking would keep him awake, but now he felt more at ease and didn’t want to say anything that might have the opposite effect.

There were only a few hours left, and he should be able to hold out, so he told Ji Yushi, “If I was too sudden, I’m really… sorry. But you don’t need to overthink it, just rest well tonight, and give me your answer in the morning.”

Ji Yushi: “Okay.”

Song Qinglan said, “Goodnight.”

Ji Yushi: “Goodnight.”

Before Ji Yushi returned to his room, he handed something over: “Your communicator.”

Song Qinglan stood where he was and put the communicator back on his wrist.

He had set it on the ground while they were playing, nearly forgetting it, but fortunately, it hadn’t been picked up by the cleaning robot.

The screen lit up automatically when it sensed his movement, displaying the time and date.

The time on the communicator was incorrect.

It had been set to the following morning, nearly seven hours from now—the 24th hour since he had confessed to Ji Yushi.

Song Qinglan froze, suddenly understanding.

Ji Yushi’s one-day deadline.

Had been manually shortened.

When he closed the door, Ji Yushi’s heart was pounding.

The lights in the private training room were bright, and the mirror reflected his current appearance—something he had never seen before.

He had said everything he needed to say and given the necessary reminders.

Ji Yushi wanted to drink a bottle of water to calm down, but as soon as he unscrewed the cap, there was a knock on the door.

When Ji Yushi opened the door, Song Qinglan barged in without hesitation.

He came in with an imposing manner, his male hormones and intense pressure radiating step by step until Ji Yushi was pinned between the wall and himself.

Ji Yushi had nowhere to retreat, unable to see his expression, and nervously asked, “What——”

Song Qinglan had already lowered his head and kissed him.