Ye Hai watched Song Xi’s profile and replied, "No."
But before he joined the army, Ye Hai was an internet addict. He had an extraordinary talent for gaming, picking up new games after only two or three tries and becoming the top player on any server within two or three days.
Ye Sen thought this was neglecting his proper studies for trivial pursuits, so he cruelly sent him to the army, where he remained for over a decade.
"Little brother, is this your first time watching a stand-up comedy show?"
"...No."
"Little brother, what's your name?"
"Little brother, what's your WeChat ID?"
"Little brother..."
The questions gradually veered off-topic, and the girl's tone shifted from curiosity to probing.
As a woman, Song Xi understood the thoughts of girls and frowned.
Ye Hai wasn't foolish. The moment the girl’s hand landed on his shoulder, he felt repulsed. However, out of consideration for Song Xi, he endured it.
Finally, when the girl's boyfriend returned with milk tea, she sullenly retracted her hand, adding with disdain, "Why did you take so long?"
The boyfriend panted, "So many people, the line was so long. Your phone, did you get it?"
The girl smugly handed him her phone.
"Holy crap!" the boyfriend exclaimed, "You actually won!"
"Impressive, huh? It's all thanks to this little brother. He plays games better than you. What good are you!"
Although it seemed like a joke, given her earlier physical gestures towards Ye Hai, the remark likely held a degree of sincerity.
The boyfriend, oblivious, asked Ye Hai with admiration, "Bro, you're amazing! Can I add your WeChat? We can play a few rounds sometime!"
"Have some self-respect!" the girl scoffed.
The boyfriend was insistent, scanning Ye Hai's QR code.
Ye Hai found it difficult to refuse with Song Xi present, so he pulled out his phone with a stiff expression. Seeing this, the girl quickly scanned it too, attempting to cover her tracks by saying, "Bring me along to play sometime, too."
"But you don't play games!" the boyfriend said.
The girl sneered, "That's with you. After two months of playing, you haven't even reached King rank! Aren't you embarrassed!"
"I..."
"I'm going to the restroom," Song Xi suddenly said, having been silent all this time.
Ye Hai instinctively stood up. "I'll go with you."
The girl grabbed Ye Hai. "Little brother, why are you following her to the restroom? My boyfriend is about to lose this round again, hurry up and help him." She then turned to Song Xi and said, "It's starting in ten minutes, don't be late, miss!"
Her expression seemed to carry a hint of challenge.
Song Xi's gaze remained impassive as she withdrew her eyes and left the hall.
A while later, Song Xi emerged from the restroom only to see the boyfriend leaning against the wall smoking.
Song Xi initially intended to pretend she hadn't seen him, but he noticed her immediately.
"Hey."
His tone was somewhat cold. He tossed the cigarette butt on the ground, extinguished it with his shoe, and walked directly towards Song Xi.
"Can you play games?" he suddenly asked.
Song Xi frowned and then shook her head.
"Is he your boyfriend? Can you ask him to stay away from my girlfriend?"
Song Xi continued to frown.
The man went on, "I know he's handsome and plays games well, but shouldn't there be some personal space in public? I don't know why you two are having a fight or what the misunderstanding is, but seeing him so close to her, aren't you jealous?"
It seemed his earlier nonchalance was all an act.
Song Xi paused for a moment, her voice cool and clear, "Firstly, let me reiterate, he is not my boyfriend, and I have no relationship with him. I don't know what caused this misunderstanding. Secondly, if you're a man, you should express your dissatisfaction to your girlfriend's face. Complaining and being jealous towards me won't achieve anything."
"It's about to start. If you want to stay out here alone, that's up to you. I need to go watch the show."