SITS CH40

Chapter 40: Captain, So This Is the Kind of Person You Are

Xu Zhouye hailed a cab to the hospital. Unlike back home, procedures moved very slowly here. Sitting in the waiting room, Shen Man grew a bit drowsy.

“Want to sleep for a bit?” Xu Zhouye asked him.

Shen Man let out an “Mm.”

“Lean against me,” Xu Zhouye said, straightening his posture and patting his shoulder. He felt somewhat uneasy, expecting Shen Man to act tough and refuse his offer, but unexpectedly, Shen Man softly agreed and rested his head right onto his shoulder.

Xu Zhouye turned tense in an instant, his body stiffening slightly, while Shen Man slowly closed his eyes.

“A bit tired,” he said.

Playing an entire evening of matches with a wound that had healed only to tear open again, how could he not be tired? Xu Zhouye’s heart ached terribly, yet he didn’t know how to console him, able only to sit steadily and let Shen Man lean against his shoulder.

An unfamiliar foreign country, a late autumn night, a quiet hospital.

In this fleeting moment, the entire world seemed to hold only the two of them.

Shen Man was exhausted, wanting to sleep yet unable to. The wound throbbed with intense agony; with eyes half-open, he felt somewhat dazed.

“Can’t sleep?” Xu Zhouye asked softly.

“Mm,” Shen Man slipped into his local dialect, “…hurts so bad.”

The dialect from Shen Man’s hometown could hardly be called soft, but spoken so listlessly right now, it carried an unmistakable hint of petulance.

Xu Zhouye had not expected Shen Man to voice his pain. Throughout the entire series spanning nearly four hours, Shen Man hadn’t let out a single whimper, yet now he was murmuring about pain beside his ear. Flustered and at a loss, Xu Zhouye tentatively extended a hand, patting Shen Man’s back: “Pain, pain, fly away… pain, pain, fly away…”

Amused by Xu Zhouye’s reaction, Shen Man’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Xu Zhouye asked what he was laughing about.

Shen Man said, “You act just like my grandmother¹.”

“Grandmother?” Xu Zhouye said. “Seeing you like this, your grandmother would definitely feel heartbroken…”

“Wouldn’t,” Shen Man still spoke in dialect, his gaze drifting into empty space as distant memories resurfaced. “Grandmother said boys shouldn’t cry so easily. A little injury is nothing; you have to be brave.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

“I used to think Grandmother didn’t care about me,” Shen Man said. “Only later did I realize she didn’t lack love for me; she simply foresaw that I would be all alone, terrified that I wouldn’t be able to hold on.”

Those harsh teachings were rehearsals meant to make Shen Man independent and strong.

The rehearsal had succeeded, succeeding to the point where Shen Man believed he no longer needed anyone in this world.

Yet could anyone truly go through life needing no one at all?

Xu Zhouye’s hand was large and warm, gently stroking his back: “Guaiguai, no more pain, no more pain.” Mimicking Shen Man’s cadence, he spoke in clumsy dialect.

Closing his eyes, Shen Man felt, almost miraculously, that the throbbing had genuinely dulled.

After waiting for two hours, they finally saw the doctor.

Xu Zhouye’s English was quite good, handling communication from start to finish.

Dressing the wound, picking up prescriptions, and paying bills: his real-world capability seemed vast, appearing both adept and dependable.

Shen Man sat quietly as the nurse treated his wound, his docile demeanor resembling that of an adorable child. In truth, he was barely twenty-one; had he stayed in school, he wouldn’t even have graduated from university yet.

By the time everything was handled, it was already three in the morning.

On the ride back, Shen Man asked what the doctor said.

Xu Zhouye said, “The doctor said you should eat less spicy food.”

Shen Man: “?”

Looking at his suspicious frown, Xu Zhouye grinned: “Just kidding… There’s good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Shen Man: “Good news?”

Xu Zhouye said, “The injury isn’t severe; you just need rest.”

Shen Man: “Bad news?”

Xu Zhouye: “Even though it isn’t severe, you must rest.”

Shen Man understood.

Although they had beaten GC, the grand finals were seven days away against BBB, and scrims were packed to the brim in the meantime.

Shen Man was quiet for a beat: “I don’t think my injury is that bad.”

Xu Zhouye: “…It doesn’t matter what you think; it matters what the doctor thinks.”

Shen Man pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

Knowing how stubborn he was, Xu Zhouye sighed: “In this state, you definitely can’t join scrims. Even if you force yourself to practice, can we truly beat 3B once the match arrives?”

Immune to both soft pleading and firm logic, Shen Man said, “We’ll see.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Looking at Shen Man’s unyielding side profile, irritation flared up in Xu Zhouye’s chest. They arrived at the hotel entrance just in time and got out together.

Xu Zhouye said, “Got a cigarette? Give me one.”

Shen Man shot him a glance: “Didn’t bring any.”

Like hell he didn’t bring any. Xu Zhouye reached straight into his pocket. Shen Man let out an “Hey,” trying to dodge, but was held down by Xu Zhouye. His entire body was pulled into Xu Zhouye’s arms; half-embracing Shen Man to restrict his movement, Xu Zhouye smoothly slipped his hand into Shen Man’s coat pocket, fished out a pack of cigarettes, and only then loosened his grip.

Shen Man wore a helpless look, discovering that this kid Xu Zhouye was growing less and less afraid of him by the day.

“Don’t you not smoke?” Shen Man said. “It’s not a good habit, why pick it up?”

Wearing a frosty face, Xu Zhouye ignored him, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips.

Shen Man: “Xu Zhouye…”

Xu Zhouye said, “I can’t control you, so don’t you try controlling me either.”

Shen Man: “…”

With a sharp click, the lighter sparked a flame in the dark, igniting the cigarette. Under the glow of the fire, the expressionless Xu Zhouye looked remarkably cold, almost like a stranger Shen Man didn’t know.

Shen Man let out a sigh.

Xu Zhouye ignored it.

Shen Man sighed once more.

Unable to hold back, Xu Zhouye lifted his eyes to look at him.

In the autumn night, a slender and pale Shen Man stood across from him, the tips of his hair ruffled by the chill wind. Strands of hair partially veiled his face, yet the exquisite contours remained clear. His eyes held a sorrow unseen during the day, like a star on the verge of falling.

The frost on Xu Zhouye’s face melted away. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Man lowered his head, kicking a small stone near his foot. He murmured, “Then I’ll rest for three days.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

“But afterward, you can’t stop me from scrimming,” Shen Man said. “Deal?”

Of course it was a deal. Xu Zhouye had never imagined Shen Man would concede. He mumbled an agreement. Shen Man reached over and took the cigarette from between his lips, his fingertips brushing past his mouth, leaving behind the delicate warmth of smooth skin.

Shen Man said, “Don’t smoke either, it isn’t anything good.”

Xu Zhouye nodded.

“Rest now?” Shen Man asked.

“Rest.” Xu Zhouye let out a sigh of relief.

Stepping out of the night into the warm hotel and collapsing onto the soft mattress, Shen Man closed his eyes, feeling as though he rested upon plush clouds. But this time, he was no longer that weightless star falling from the heavens in his dream.

He lay in the mortal realm, with a fussing Xu Zhouye right by his side.

Everything was just right, carrying the grounded relief of waking from a nightmare.

Shen Man slept straight through until eleven.

The gnawing hunger in his stomach roused him from sleep. Opening his eyes, he met a dim room: Xu Zhouye had drawn the curtains in advance.

Shen Man sat up in bed, reflexively propping his weight on his right hand. An agonizing flare of pain shot through his arm, making him suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

He took a moment to recover before the throbbing subsided.

Pulling out his phone and opening WeChat, the sheer density of red unread notifications made his scalp tingle.

Skimming through, practically all of them were asking about his injury, along with several missed calls from Lu Ni.

With too many messages to answer individually, Shen Man simply posted on Moments: I’m fine, no need to worry.

After hesitating for a moment, he returned Lu Ni’s call.

The conversation unfolded as expected. Lu Ni was deeply concerned about his arm. Hearing he had seen a doctor and was free from permanent damage, she breathed a sigh of relief. Hesitantly, her words hinted at wanting to visit him in person, but Shen Man ultimately declined.

First, a visit served no practical purpose; second, Shen Man genuinely lacked the emotional energy to manage her company.

Sensing the unyielding finality in his tone, Lu Ni could only sigh softly: “Then if you need anything, remember to call me. I’ll see what I can do to help from my end.”

Shen Man agreed.

When the call ended, both audibly relaxed.

With a creak, the door opened. Xu Zhouye carried a tray inside, set it down, and walked over to pull back the balcony curtains: “Awake?”

It was a brilliantly sunny day. Pierced by the bright light, Shen Man narrowed his eyes: “Mm…”

“Eat something,” Xu Zhouye said.

Looking over, Shen Man saw several dishes on the tray: noodles and sides, none of which belonged to the hotel menu.

“You made this?” Shen Man asked.

Xu Zhouye laughed: “If I said the cooking auntie at our base made it, would you believe me?”

The corner of Shen Man’s mouth curved upward: “If you say it, I’ll believe it.”

While he had slept, news of his injury had fermented back home all day across the time difference. Right now, three of the top five trending searches on Weibo were about this incident: or so Xu Zhouye recounted.

“They identified the person, a staff member from GC,” Xu Zhouye said. “He adamantly claims it was an accident, saying he just slipped and bumped into you. The surveillance camera at that angle only captured a view of his back, with no clear front angle.”

Slowly chewing his noodles, Shen Man didn’t find the outcome surprising: “Mm.”

Xu Zhouye said, “So we can’t pursue legal liability against them, but tournament officials should still penalize them, probably termination or a temporary suspension…” Such penalties were largely symbolic, but there was no better recourse.

Shen Man nodded. The noodles were egg noodles tossed with a touch of vinegar, fragrant sesame oil, and a sprinkle of finely chopped scallions: incredibly delicious, easily his most satisfying meal since arriving here.

With good food in his stomach, his mood brightened, and the frustration from hearing bad news receded considerably.

“Ge,” Xu Zhouye said, “how can someone be so vile?”

Chewing steadily, Shen Man swallowed his food before speaking: “Do you remember when that player from KN got banned?”

Xu Zhouye said, “I remember…”

Shen Man said, “I actually know some inside details. He was deliberately set up back then too.”

Xu Zhouye paused in surprise.

Shen Man said, “He had a friend who took him on a trip to Macau before his match. At first he won quite a bit, but then lost everything. Unwilling to accept it, he borrowed money to keep gambling. The eventual outcome is known to everyone.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Shen Man said, “Only later did people discover that the friend who brought him had long been betting on match outcomes. Doing that was purely to drag him down into the mud.”

Xu Zhouye felt a chill down his spine: “How horrifying.”

Poking the egg in his bowl with his chopsticks, Shen Man murmured softly: “Wherever there are people, there is a jianghu; and within the jianghu, there are good people as well as bad.”

Perhaps his childhood experiences had exposed him to far too much warmth and coldness in human nature, allowing Shen Man to remain remarkably detached when confronted with its ugliest extremes.

Shen Man lifted the egg with his chopsticks, taking a bite: “What did the coach say?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Told you to rest for three days first, then reevaluate.”

Shen Man said, “Are you guys not scrimming today?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Morning off, heading over in the afternoon.”

Shen Man nodded. Having finished the egg, he felt quite full: “Where is everyone?”

Xu Zhouye checked the time, right at noon: “Probably having lunch down in the restaurant.”

They were indeed eating lunch in the restaurant, and it was that same dry hotel lunch. The group had won their match, yet looked completely dejected. The moment Shen Man entered, he spotted Zhao Rui stuffing two hard-boiled eggs into his mouth at once, looking like a hamster hoarding food.

Shen Man thought to himself that eating like that would choke him to death. Barely two seconds after the thought crossed his mind, he saw Zhao Rui choking until his eyes rolled back.

Shen Man: “…” Zhao Rui, you truly are something.

“Man-ah, you’re here,” the manager greeted him.

“Mm. You guys are scrimming this afternoon? I’ll come along,” Shen Man said. “Nothing to do staying at the hotel anyway.”

The manager said, “That works… but remember what the doctor said, you must rest for at least three days.”

Shen Man: “Mm.”

Xu Zhouye thought to himself that three days was far from enough, but held his tongue, deciding to cross that bridge when they reached it.

The GC incident continued to escalate. By evening, the official ruling was released: the staff member who harmed Shen Man issued a public apology and was terminated, while Team GC received a six-month competitive ban.

Most people were dissatisfied with this outcome, claiming the punishment was far too light.

[From now on, I’ll just hire someone to throw scalding water on the opposing team before matches.]

[Scalding water is too gentle; I’d throw hot sewage, disgusting the player half to death without committing a major felony.]

[How about heated manure then?]

[Terrifying, I can already smell it through the screen.]

[No joke, not punishing this severely sets a toxic precedent. God knows what players might face before matches in the future.]

[Poor SLOW. Look at the match replay, his sleeve was soaked with blood during the post-match interview.]

[Where are the trolls who claimed SLOW turned pale from getting outplayed? Why aren’t you barking now?]

[Even with an injured hand, SLOW still pinned those GC scrubs to the floor and beat them senseless.]

[Using disgusting tactics like that, forget beating them down, someone should force-feed them manure.]

Discourse raged across the internet with all sorts of hot takes, though the vast majority sympathized with Shen Man and condemned the culprit.

“Throwing manure is actually viable,” Zhao Rui nodded in agreement while reading the comments under the Weibo post. “It doesn’t just neutralize the target, it debuffs their teammates nearby too. Truly five birds with one stone.”

Liu Shishi said, “Why don’t you try putting that into practice during our match against 3B?”

Zhao Rui: “…Let’s pass on that.”

The storm blew up so massively that gamers and non-gamers alike were tracking it.

While his teammates scrimmed that afternoon, Shen Man saw the story trending across every platform. The cover image was always that ghastly, deathly pale face of his; those who knew the context knew he was injured, but those who didn’t might have assumed Shen Man had contracted a terminal illness and was about to ascend to heaven.

Passersby happened to adore this exact trope of a gorgeous, tragic, yet fiercely capable character, flooding comment sections asking who he was and what had happened. In barely a day’s time, Shen Man gained over a hundred thousand followers on Weibo.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Shen Man visited the Man Tian Bian Ye Super Topic once again. The feed was filled with mournful wailing: most were feeling heartbroken for Shen Man, while another portion felt heartbroken on Xu Zhouye’s behalf. Naturally, their ways of expressing heartache varied wildly, but without exception, every post carried an intensely suggestive, spicy undertone.

Finishing a match nearby, Xu Zhouye turned his head, only to see his captain curled on the sofa staring at his phone screen. His fair ears were flushed crimson, his eyes widened as though he had laid eyes on something scandalous.

Struck with curiosity, Xu Zhouye stood up and padded softly to Shen Man’s side.

“Ge, what are you looking at?”

The moment Xu Zhouye spoke, Shen Man jolted violently as if scared out of his wits: the phone slipped from his hand, tumbling to the floor.

“Don’t touch it!” Shen Man shouted.

Yet it was already too late. Moving with lightning reflexes, Xu Zhouye bent down and scooped up Shen Man’s phone, catching the contents displayed across the screen in full view.

It was a composite photo of the two of them: locked in a passionate embrace, Shen Man’s face flushed with deep desire. The gaze they shared brimmed with overwhelming devotion, looking as though they were about to lose all restraint the very next second, sealing their lips together.

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Silence, an agonizingly long silence.

Xu Zhouye murmured faintly: “Captain, it turns out you’ve been looking at this stuff every day.”

1. Maternal grandmmother ↩︎