I HATE YOU

The current best men's doubles team was from Indonesia. They were Leo Christian and Anton Kusuma. That pair was the one who snatched the number 1 ranking from Wu Yishui and Zhao Xizhen.

Leo Christian was 25, while Anton Kusuma was 26, and they had better stamina than the Chinese duo who were already in their 30s.

Wu Yishui and Zhao Xizhen had been experiencing a continuous drop in the graphic of their performance, and that was why they decided to retire the next month.

That decision shocked the team management because they hadn't found the right successor for the former world number 1 in the men's doubles sector. Even so, the team management didn't have any option other than to let the duo retire next month.

The burden was on the young teams' shoulders now. The greater burden probably was on Lin Zhu and Ye Quan's shoulders because they had been known as the two best athletes in the men's singles team before they had been kicked out of the men's doubles team.

All eyes were on them right from the start. Even the media put the news as their headlines, and the public was so excited to see their debut today.

Yes, today was the kick-off day of the Korea Open. This day would be marked as their debut day as a team in the men's doubles sector.

Unfortunately, they had to meet the Indonesian pair in the first round.

The public was skeptical upon hearing the news about the drawing. After knowing that Lin Zhu and Ye Quan were about to meet the world's best player, they didn't have high hope for the pairing. They were ready for the worst outcome.

Lin Zhu didn't have high hope as well. As he took off his black shirt and started putting on the red jersey, he just promised himself to do his best without expecting any great outcome.

The red jersey usually gave him more encouragement. The red color was so bold, and it increased his courage as well.

But today was a bit different because he felt more burdened than the encouragement. It was the first time he would play as a doubles player, and he was so nervous as hell.

Moreover, his relationship with Ye Quan didn't get any better since yesterday, so he was basically hopeless today.

He shamelessly hugged Ye Quan yesterday, and he felt even more uncomfortable afterward. That was really embarrassing, for God's sake!

Thankfully, the older athlete didn't come back to their room last night. He probably stayed the night in Zhao Jia's room. He hated to think about it, but at least he didn't have to meet Ye Quan last night. That must be awkward for them to be in a room together.

Lin Zhu had finished changing his outfit, and his body tensed when he noticed another person's presence right beside him. He peeked to the side and found Ye Quan started taking off his shirt casually.

Lin Zhu couldn't help but start comparing his body with Ye Quan's. Just look at the delicious abs owned by the man surnamed Ye. Even though Lin Zhu had been exercising for several years, the abs on his stomach were barely visible.

Thankfully, he had fully clothed now, so he didn't need to be ashamed of his ugly belly.

"Let's not think about anything other than the match today."

An unexpected statement came from his side, and he now openly stared at the taller man. He honestly waited for an apology from the other man, but he knew that a man with high pride like Ye Quan wouldn't ever apologize to him.

"I'm not thinking about anything," Lin Zhu calmly replied.

Ye Quan finished putting on his red jersey, and he glanced at the younger man. "Even though I didn't see your face earlier, I could feel your dark aura," he stated firmly.

Lin Zhu sighed as he shifted away his gaze from the older athlete. "Don't act as if you are a psychic."

Unexpectedly, Ye Quan laughed upon hearing the younger athlete's words. "You don't even know how to hide your feelings, Lin Zhu. It's written on your face so clearly."

Hearing the other man call him by his full name, Lin Zhu once again looked up at the man. "So, what do you think I'm thinking about now?"

Lin Zhu was challenging him, and Ye Quan grinned playfully at the younger man. "You're thinking about me, right?"

Lin Zhu's hazel eyes enlarged before he looked away to hide his crimson face. "Such a narcissistic bastard," he muttered in annoyance.

Ye Quan giggled again as he kept staring at the shorter man. "Let's make a bet," he suddenly voiced his idea.

The strange idea made Lin Zhu look up at the raven-haired man again. "You just want to tease me again, right? You're the one who asked me to only think about the match, but you can't stop teasing me."

Lin Zhu couldn't understand Ye Quan even for a bit. The man was like a day and a night for him. Sometimes he was like the day when he looked so bright, playful, and easy to read. But the other times, Ye Quan was like the night that was dark and mysterious.

In short, Lin Zhu couldn't ever read Ye Quan's mind. That fact alone was enough to scare him.

"I won't tease you this time."

"So, you admit that you've been teasing me all this time?"

Lin Zhu hurriedly replied after Ye Quan finished speaking. The reply made Ye Quan giggle again.

The taller man completely turned his body around so he was facing Lin Zhu now. He then leaned forward a little so he was at the same level as Lin Zhu's eyes. "Why are you so funny?" He spoke with a glint of humor in his eyes. "I've been teasing you because I hate you, Lin Zhu."

Lin Zhu's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Ye Quan's confession. It was not a pleasant beat, but it was a painful beat.