SITS CH42

Chapter 42: He and His Flowers

After letting his teammates celebrate ecstatically for a moment, Shen Man finally removed his headset and led the squad—bouncing around like wild monkeys—over to shake hands with BBB on the other side.

Naturally, compared to ACE’s electric joy, 3B looked like corpses. Their Marksman, inner, sat in his chair with his hands covering his face until Shen Man walked up to him and extended a hand.

inner clasped Shen Man’s hand, asking in clumsy English: “Was your hand really injured?”

Shen Man lowered his gaze to glance at him: “Mm.”

inner: “Don’t blame me for doubting it. Those mechanics just now didn’t look like someone playing with an injured hand.”

Shen Man stayed quiet for a moment, reaching up to roll back his sleeve, revealing the blood-seeped wound underneath.

Looking at his arm, inner let out a heavy sigh, thoroughly accepting his defeat.

Finishing handshakes with their opponents, the five walked to the center of the stage.

Bathed in spotlights, the trophy sparkled resplendently as colorful confetti rained down from the ceiling. Standing in the center of the crowd, Shen Man watched his teammates lift the trophy together.

His right hand throbbed with intense pain, yet he still reached out with his fingertips to touch the trophy.

The metal felt cold to the touch, but the roaring fervor around him transformed that chill into blazing flames and warmth deep in his heart, the glistening tears in his teammates’ eyes shining like scattered stars.

Suddenly realizing the person beside him was staring, Shen Man turned his head, his gaze meeting Xu Zhouye’s.

Xu Zhouye’s lips moved, seemingly saying something.

Yet the deafening cheers drowned out his voice. Shen Man asked, “What did you say?”

Xu Zhouye repeated it.

Shen Man still couldn’t hear clearly, so Xu Zhouye lowered his head and leaned close to his ear, his breath scorching hot as he spoke: “Ge…”

Calling out “ge,” he stopped speaking. Shen Man asked, “Hm?”

“Never mind.” Xu Zhouye gave a cheeky grin.

Shen Man: “…” What is this kid smiling so dazzlingly for?

If people believed ACE and 3B were evenly matched fifty-fifty before Shen Man’s injury, nobody had expected ACE to win after his hand was hurt.

This victory was practically a massive upset.

The five stood on stage, taking questions from the host.

When it was Xu Zhouye’s turn, the host asked him what single sentence he wanted to say most right now.

Xu Zhouye smiled brilliantly, saying, “I want to say, I hope everyone who chases stars has their dreams come true.”

Finishing the sentence, he turned to look at Shen Man, his voice gentle like a breeze cradling the stars: “I cannot touch the star, but I can hold him in my eyes.”

Listening to the translation, the host smiled along: “You are quite a romantic.”

Xu Zhouye merely smiled, offering no reply.

With the interview concluded, the team returned backstage.

Overjoyed, the manager rushed toward Shen Man to engulf him in a hug—naturally failing, blocked once again by Xu Zhouye.

“No hugging, what if you hurt his hand?” Xu Zhouye spoke with righteous indignation. “Nobody touch the Captain’s hand.”

The manager chuckled sheepishly: “Right, right.”

Shen Man had played so exceptionally in the match that he had nearly forgotten his hand was injured.

“We’re going to celebrate properly tonight!” the manager declared. “We still have a few days before flying home, so everyone has time off. Go wherever you want, just keep safety in mind!”

Zhao Rui raised his hand: “Coach, I want Chinese food tonight.”

The manager waved expansively: “Eat up, whatever you want, you’ll get it!”

“Manager, you guys celebrate first. I’ll take ge to the hospital to check on his wound,” Xu Zhouye said.

With him bringing it up, everyone finally snapped back from their euphoric daze, remembering Shen Man’s hand was still injured.

“Sorry, Captain—” Zhao Rui hastily apologized.

“What is there to apologize for?” Shen Man wasn’t petty enough to spoil the mood while everyone was celebrating. Besides, the match was already won; what good would it do him if everyone stayed worried about his injury? It was far better to celebrate cleanly and wholeheartedly. As for the injury, that could be dealt with later.

“Let’s go, ge,” Xu Zhouye said.

Shen Man hummed in agreement, and the two walked out.

Walking down the path, Xu Zhouye suddenly halted, calling softly, “Ge.”

Shen Man turned his head and saw Xu Zhouye extending both arms toward him, wearing the expression of a child begging for candy, making his intent instantly clear.

Shen Man gave a half-smile: “My hand is injured, how is it convenient to hug someone?”

Ever since the stage ceremony, he had noticed it: this kid Xu Zhouye had blocked everyone—from Zhao Rui to the other teammates, and even the coach. Not a single person had successfully hugged Shen Man.

Xu Zhouye tilted his head with an innocent look: “I’m different, aren’t I?”

Shen Man said, “How are you different?”

Xu Zhouye said, “I’ll be very careful, I won’t hurt ge‘s hand.” As he spoke, he kept his arms raised, striking a stubborn stance of refusing to budge without a hug.

If it were anyone else, Shen Man would have turned on his heel and walked off.

Yet he truly could not treat Xu Zhouye with that cold attitude; this kid had looked after him for so long…

Shen Man was never an awkward, conflicted person. He didn’t make Xu Zhouye wait long, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around him: “Thank you, Xu Zhouye.”

Thank you for taking care of me, thank you for blocking that beam of light for me, and thank you for accompanying me to lead ACE across the mountains.

They had finally become those who stood atop the summit. Even through ten thousand hardships, it was all worth it.

Holding Shen Man, Xu Zhouye tightened his grip.

Shen Man was very slender, enveloped in his oversized team jacket, feeling almost weightless in his arms. Xu Zhouye could only pull him tighter, and tighter still, pressing their chests firmly together to gain even a momentary tangible feeling of truly holding Shen Man.

An undercurrent of anxiety ran through Xu Zhouye’s emotions, his grip shockingly tight.

Having just secured victory, Shen Man couldn’t comprehend where Xu Zhouye’s unease stemmed from, yet he did not push him away. Silently resting his chin on Xu Zhouye’s shoulder, he caught the scent clinging to Xu Zhouye: a subtle blend of laundry detergent and warm sunshine, faint and comforting.

Xu Zhouye wished he could melt Shen Man straight into his own body. He whispered, “Ge, I was actually terrified.”

Shen Man asked, “What were you afraid of?”

Xu Zhouye said, “I was afraid of so, so many things.”

He feared Shen Man would be unhappy if they lost, and feared Shen Man would ruin his hand if they won. He feared the injury would derail Shen Man’s professional career, and feared the lonely sorrow in Shen Man’s eyes…

There were so many things he feared.

From love springs sorrow; from sorrow springs fear; from fear springs dread.

Shen Man lifted his hand with effort, patting his back to console him: “Didn’t we win?”

Xu Zhouye sighed, “You don’t understand at all…”

Shen Man was silent for a moment: “How much longer do you plan on hugging?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Ah, why are you so stingy? I’ve only hugged you for a second and you’re already unwilling.”

Shen Man said, “It’s not that I’m unwilling. Mainly, someone is taking photos. How about we change locations before continuing to pour our hearts out?”

Releasing his grip, Xu Zhouye followed Shen Man’s gaze and indeed spotted two young women standing in the corner. Judging by their faces, they were fellow Chinese. They didn’t seem like typical fans either, showing zero intention of approaching for autographs, instead brandishing their phones and snapping photos with feverish excitement.

Xu Zhouye asked, puzzled, “What are they doing?”

Shen Man said, “Let go.”

Xu Zhouye released him.

Shen Man turned and strode toward the two girls.

Seeing Shen Man walk toward them, the two girls instantly turned flustered, not knowing what to do, until Shen Man stopped before them with a gentle “Hello.”

“H-Hello,” the long-haired girl on the right stammered.

Shen Man said, “Were you taking photos of him and me just now?” He pointed to Xu Zhouye behind him.

The long-haired girl said, “Ah… yes. We are fans of ACE.” She paused, then added in a quiet whisper, “And fans of you and fest.”

Shen Man said, “CP fans?”

Hearing the term “CP fans,” both girls froze, exchanging a glance of utter disbelief.

“Could you delete the photos you just took?” Shen Man smiled, fixing his eyes on the girl. “Posting them out there creates a bad impression.”

Shen Man looked gorgeous through a phone camera, but only when standing directly before him could one truly grasp the sheer, breathtaking impact of his beauty. Faced with a smiling Shen Man, virtually no one could refuse his polite request.

Dizzied by his visuals, the two girls wiped every last photo clean. The bolder one asked in a trembling voice, “Um… um… are you two really together?”

Shen Man’s smile blossomed like a flower, breathtakingly stunning as he said gently, “Of course.”

Hearing that “Of course,” the two girls nearly fainted on the spot.

“I’ll be taking my leave then,” Shen Man said. “Have a wonderful trip, and stay safe.”

The girls nodded, vibrating with excitement while attempting to maintain composure.

“By the way.” Taking two steps, Shen Man abruptly halted, turning his head back to drop one line: “I’m the top. Don’t flip the positions.”

The smiles on their faces instantly froze.

Moments later, a blood-curdling wail erupted behind Shen Man: “NOOOOO! Ships cannot be broken, and positions cannot be reversed!”

Shen Man let out a cold sneer in his heart. Heh, that’s what you get for kicking my alt account out of the Super Topic.

Having exacted his petty revenge, Shen Man was in soaring spirits, wholly oblivious to the catastrophic mental storm the two behind him were enduring.

A short while later, a new post surfaced in the Super Topic:

[I’m losing my mind, I’m genuinely losing my mind! I just walked out of the match and bumped into SLOW outside the venue, and even saw him hugging FEST! We took pictures, but sadly he caught us and came over asking us to delete them!! That’s not even the craziest part! The craziest part is that he admitted he and FEST are together, and explicitly said he’s the top!!!]

Once posted, replies flooded in rapidly:

[Heh, if I hadn’t read the last line, I almost would have believed you.]

[What, reverse-shippers here to stir trouble? @Moderator]

[Next time you make up stories, could you at least be professional? With SLOW’s personality, walking up to you to announce he’s the top? How absurd is that? Totally OOC, okay?]

The original poster was on the verge of tears, bitterly regretting how she had been blinded by Shen Man’s beauty into deleting every shred of evidence.

She choked out in reply: [Sisters, I’m truly not lying! My friend was there too, she saw it with me!!!]

Yet the post was ruthlessly hidden by the moderator, accompanied by a warning that further posts would result in a ban.

“AAAAAH, this is driving me insane!” The girl clutched her phone, screeching, “What do I even have to say for you guys to believe me?!”

Truly a tragic ordeal that blackened one’s vision… Had Shen Man learned of it, he would have merely scoffed and stated coldly: that’s what you get for insisting on making him the bottom; entirely deserved.

Standing at a distance, Xu Zhouye had no idea what had just transpired, only noting that his captain returned in remarkably high spirits.

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said.

Xu Zhouye glanced toward the distance: “What did you say to those two girls?”

“Nothing much,” Shen Man said. “Told them to delete the photos.”

Xu Zhouye let out an “Oh,” assuming Shen Man was worried about misunderstandings.

Shen Man knew what he was thinking: “The posture was wrong. Easy to cause misunderstandings.”

Xu Zhouye asked, “Misunderstandings about our relationship?”

“No,” Shen Man stated solemnly. “Misunderstandings that I’m the bottom.”

Xu Zhouye: “…” He was thoroughly defeated.

Earlier, Xu Zhouye had held him tightly in his arms, looking like the dominant one no matter how one sliced it. Recalling that Super Topic where he was on top with fewer than a thousand followers, Shen Man ground his teeth in vexation.

Naturally, Shen Man kept those thoughts to himself.

Having won the championship, the entire world seemed illuminated.

Even the roadside grass and blossoms sparkled. Leaving the hospital after learning Shen Man’s hand had no lasting damage, Xu Zhouye was literally humming tunes as he walked.

The manager had booked a victory banquet, intent on celebrating lavishly.

Shen Man received a call from Lu Ni.

Likely fearing awkwardness, she didn’t say too much, merely congratulating him on the championship and asking about his injury. Shen Man answered each question in turn.

“What date are you heading back?” Lu Ni asked cautiously.

“We can spend a few days touring here,” Shen Man said, still remembering his promise to her.

Lu Ni sighed softly, saying, “Come over to where I live tomorrow. Can I cook you a meal?”

Shen Man said, “Of course.”

She gave him her home address and settled on a time.

In autumn, darkness fell extraordinarily early. By the time they reached the venue the coach provided, night had fully descended.

Inside the restaurant, everyone celebrated the hard-won championship. With alcohol flowing, the mood was joyous.

Mindful of his hand injury, Shen Man didn’t drink much, sitting in his habitual corner watching Zhao Rui wipe tears and snot all over Liu Shishi beside him.

Liu Shishi had drunk far too much to notice, wrapped up in a sobbing hug with Xu Xiaochong. Xu Xiaochong cried, saying that without this championship, he definitely would have had to deliver food delivery after retiring…

“You can’t do food delivery,” Liu Shishi choked out.

Xu Xiaochong wept, “You really are my brother!”

Liu Shishi said, “Where are you going to find an electric scooter that can handle two hundred pounds…”

Xu Xiaochong: “?”

Liu Shishi wailed, “You’ll get your pay docked for delivering late—!”

Xu Xiaochong broke down, crying even louder than Liu Shishi.

This was the result of nerves stretched taut for over half a month finally unwinding. Even the coach was completely plastered, clutching the team manager’s hand and babbling, “Please don’t leave me!”

The manager’s face was as dark as coal: “If I don’t leave you, who the hell is going to pay the bill?”

Shen Man: “…” This bunch is completely unhinged. I desperately want to pretend I don’t know them.

Sitting beside Shen Man, Xu Zhouye was amused by his look of utter disgust, shooting him a meaningful glance.

Shen Man caught it. The two stood up with unspoken tacit understanding, sneaking away quietly.

The autumn air was crisp, the cool breeze washing over their faces and diluting the heavy buzz of alcohol.

Shen Man didn’t know if he was drunk or not, but his body felt light and airy, as though stepping on clouds.

Xu Zhouye walked beside Shen Man, chatting casually, only to turn his head mid-sentence and find Shen Man gone.

Panic instantly seized his chest as he called out loudly: “Ge—!”

Looking left and right, he spotted the person who had just been walking beside him squatting by the roadside curb, doing who-knew-what.

Xu Zhouye hurried back, squatting down beside Shen Man: “Ge, what are you doing?”

With one arm wrapped around his knees, Shen Man pointed a finger toward the ground: “Look, there’s a flower.”

Xu Zhouye followed Shen Man’s pointing finger, seeing a tiny white daisy nestled amidst the roadside grass. A flower that belonged strictly to summer was quietly blooming in this late autumn night.

Under such dim streetlights, god only knew how Shen Man had managed to spot it amongst a patch of weeds.

Shen Man reached out a finger, gently poking its tender petals. Tilting his head, he looked at Xu Zhouye: “Why is it all alone? Where did its friends go?”

A faint flush dusted his cheeks, his lips a soft crimson, looking unimaginably adorable.

When that question left his mouth, Xu Zhouye finally realized that Shen Man was drunk too… even though on the outside, one could hardly tell.

“Where are its friends?” Shen Man asked stubbornly. “It’s so late, why isn’t it going home?”

Xu Zhouye’s heart melted into liquid. He said softly, “It’s going home soon. Its friends are waiting for it at home.”

Uncertain whether this answer satisfied him, Shen Man tilted his head, murmuring softly: “I remember now. You gave its friends to me.”

With that, his smile blossomed, as brilliant as spring flowers.

Xu Zhouye knew what Shen Man was referring to: that first bouquet of flowers he had gifted Shen Man. Little daisies were very easy to keep alive; sitting in a vase with a bit of water, they could thrive cheerfully for half a month without care.

“See? They’ve all gone home. Let’s head home too, okay?” Coaxing Shen Man like a child, Xu Zhouye said, “It’s late, outside isn’t safe.”

Shen Man remained squatted there without moving.

Xu Zhouye didn’t rush him either, quietly keeping him company. After a moment, he heard Shen Man mumble: “Don’t want to go home.”

Xu Zhouye paused.

“Don’t want to go home,” Shen Man said. “Scared.”

Hearing the word “scared,” Xu Zhouye’s heart skipped a beat. A lump rose in his throat, rendering him speechless for a long time.

Resting his chin on his knees, Shen Man curled himself into a small ball, whispering: “I miss home, but… I’m so scared…”

Scared that upon pushing the door open, what greeted him wouldn’t be his smiling waipo, but a decomposing corpse.

Those things suppressed in the deepest recesses of memory always crept to the surface when one’s guard dropped.

Shen Man said, “Is it refusing to go home because it’s scared too?”

The solitary little white daisy stood in the cold autumn night, awaiting the harsh winter with nowhere to go.

Looking at Shen Man, Xu Zhouye suddenly summoned his courage. Reaching out with tentative care, he gingerly… grasped Shen Man’s hand.

It felt softer than he had imagined.

Slender and cool, with fine, delicate skin. Held securely in his grasp, Shen Man didn’t pull away. Its owner merely cast a puzzled look at him, asking with his eyes what he was doing.

“Don’t be afraid,” Xu Zhouye said. “I’ll accompany you home, okay?”

Shen Man didn’t answer. Unlike his own icy fingers, Xu Zhouye’s hand was broad and warm, his body temperature seemingly higher than normal; held by him, it felt like being warmed by a blazing sun.

“If I go home with you, you won’t be alone anymore.” Xu Zhouye didn’t know what was going through Shen Man’s mind, but he felt that if he was by his side, Shen Man wouldn’t have to be so afraid. “Shen Man, I’ll always be here.”

Shen Man glanced at the roadside flower, then down at their clasped hands, suddenly blurting: “Do you like me?”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Shen Man leaned closer, his gorgeous face practically pressing against Xu Zhouye’s. His dark eyes widened, staring until Xu Zhouye’s heart hammered in chaos: “Xu Zhouye, do you think I’m drunk, so you’re deliberately taking advantage of me?”

Faced with Shen Man’s interrogation, Xu Zhouye’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Before he could concoct a proper answer, he heard Shen Man add with complete earnestness: “But I’m not cheap at all. I earn a lot of money.”

Xu Zhouye: “…” Ge, my dear ge, are you actually drunk or not?

“Hehe,” Shen Man chuckled softly, stood up, and strode forward happily. His hand remained held in Xu Zhouye’s; no, more accurately, this time he was holding Xu Zhouye’s hand. Interlocking his fingers with Xu Zhouye’s, Shen Man stepped forward with long strides.

Led along by him, Xu Zhouye followed behind, docile and thoroughly dazed.

Xu Zhouye called, “Ge…”

Shen Man said, “What are you calling me for?”

Xu Zhouye said, “While I hate to spoil your mood, you’re walking in the opposite direction.”

Shen Man: “Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Xu Zhouye said aggrievedly: “You didn’t ask earlier either.”

Turning around.

Under the streetlights, their shadows stretched long and thin. Nobody recognized them here; they could do whatever they pleased.

Xu Zhouye couldn’t be bothered trying to figure out whether Shen Man was genuinely drunk or not anymore. If he was drunk, great—count it as taking advantage of him; if he wasn’t drunk, even better—count it as Shen Man taking advantage of him.

Either way, he didn’t lose out.