SITS Ch17

Chapter 17: A Sticky Bean Bun

On Sunday afternoon, playing against a bottom-ranked team, ACE’s match concluded right on time at 8:00 PM without any surprise.

With another 2-0 sweep, they maintained their spot at the top of the leaderboard.

Listening to the cheers outside the arena, Xu Zhouye noticed that Shen Man was visibly preoccupied. When the match ended, he had even forgotten to pack up his personal keyboard; Xu Zhouye had noticed and picked it up for him.

With the match over, it was time to take the team bus back. Shen Man checked his watch: “You guys head back first, I have something to take care of.”

The manager eyed Shen Man suspiciously: “What’s going on? Are you dating too?”

Shen Man couldn’t be bothered to explain: “Yeah, I’m dating too.”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the lounge froze mid-motion. Xu Zhouye, who had been smiling as he held the keyboard, paused as well. Lifting his eyes to look at Shen Man, every trace of mirth drained from his gaze, settling into an unreadable, deadpan expression.

Manager: “For real?”

Yet Shen Man was utterly oblivious to the shift in the room’s atmosphere, looking down as he fiddled with his phone: “What, all of you can date, but I can’t?”

The manager said, “You stay cooped up inside all day long, never stepping out the front door. Don’t tell me it’s an online romance?”

Out of the entire team, Shen Man was the one who disliked going out the most—though perhaps for someone like him, staying indoors was actually a blessing…

Shen Man said, “The contract doesn’t forbid dating, does it?”

The manager said, “Isn’t it because I’m worried you’re young and naive and will get scammed?”

Shen Man said, “Instead of worrying about me getting scammed, you’d better worry more about Zhao Rui.”

Zhao Rui, catching strays innocently, remained stubborn to the bone, grumbling in indignant defiance: “Who hasn’t loved a few scumbags in their youth! Besides, what I have is true love! Someone who hasn’t even had a first love has the nerve to lecture me—”

Shen Man couldn’t be bothered to engage.

“We’re heading out, then,” the manager said.

Shen Man waved his hand.

The teammates all departed, leaving Shen Man alone.

Shen Man pinched the bridge of his nose, mentally preparing himself before unlocking his phone. Three or four missed calls stared back at him. He dialed back: “The match is over. Let’s meet at that coffee shop nearby. Mhm, right, right there.”

Outside the venue, the guys who were supposed to be heading back to the base were huddled together in a shadowy corner like a giant lump.

“Isn’t doing this kind of bad?” the largest of them, Xu Xiaochong, muttered.

“Then head back yourself,” Zhao Rui said.

“No way, I’m too curious,” Xu Xiaochong said. “What kind of girl could bag our Captain? A gorgeous older sister, or a cute young girl?”

Liu Shishi said, “If we could guess, we wouldn’t need to stake out here.”

The group hid in the corner by the entrance without leaving, solely wanting to see what Shen Man’s so-called girlfriend looked like. Zhao Rui stole a glance at Xu Zhouye, who had remained silent the entire time, only to find the kid had completely lost his usual sunny smile. His face was devoid of expression. His features were sharply sculpted, and when blank, he looked unexpectedly cold and aloof, making Zhao Rui thoroughly unaccustomed to it.

“Xu Zhouye, what’s with that face?” Zhao Rui whispered.

“What’s wrong with my face?” Xu Zhouye didn’t seem to realize his expression was off.

“Looks pretty scary,” Zhao Rui said. “Are you unhappy?”

Xu Zhouye tugged at the corner of his lips, flashing a fake smile: “I’m not unhappy.”

Zhao Rui: “…” Great, that smile is worse than no smile at all.

After chattering among themselves for quite a while, they finally saw Shen Man emerge from the exit. Clearly wary of being recognized by fans, he had changed out of his team jersey and put on a mask, yet his 180-centimeter height remained unmistakable.

“Step back, step back,” Zhao Rui said. “Don’t let him see us.”

Seeing Shen Man step outside, the group hurriedly tailed him.

Shen Man didn’t realize he was being followed. Their meeting spot was at a coffee shop near the arena.

Entering through the front door, he pushed it open and immediately spotted the woman sitting in the corner.

She was a slender woman with short hair, dressed in a pale-green blouse and white trousers, carrying an exceptional presence. Though past forty, she still looked remarkably youthful. At the moment, she was flipping through a book placed beside her, her entire demeanor exuding a lazy, serene calm.

The woman’s name was Lu Ni, Shen Man’s biological mother.

Shen Man walked over and sat down across from her.

Seeing him arrive, Lu Ni said pleasantly, “Man-man.”

Shen Man nodded, casually picking up the menu and ordering a coffee.

“Long time no see.” Lu Ni’s attitude was somewhat reserved; it had been an eternity since she last saw this son of hers, the previous time dating back to Shen Man’s childhood.

Back then, Shen Man was still small and delicate, like an adorable kitten. Years had passed, and all traces of that childish vulnerability had completely vanished from him.

Shen Man took off his mask, pursed his lips, and murmured a low greeting: “Mom.”

Lu Ni asked, “Have you been doing well?”

Shen Man replied, “Pretty good.” He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the tabletop. “When are you heading back this time?”

Lu Ni said, “I plan to stay in the country for a while.” She looked at Shen Man, probing gently, “Do you want to…”

Shen Man cut her off: “Not convenient.”

Lu Ni: “Oh.”

The two fell into silence.

When Zhao Rui and the others crept up to the coffee shop, this was the exact scene that greeted them.

Shen Man and a woman sat facing each other, both with heads lowered, the atmosphere seemingly excruciatingly awkward. Shen Man had his back to the door so his face couldn’t be seen, but they could clearly see the hesitant expression on the woman’s face.

“Is that Shen Man’s girlfriend? Doesn’t look right…” Zhao Rui propped his chin, bewildered. “Why does this woman look so much like Shen Man?”

They truly did look alike; their brows and eyes were at least seventy percent identical, though Shen Man’s bone structure was sharper and more defined.

Xu Zhouye, who had stayed quiet for most of the time, suddenly spoke up: “Could that be Shen Man’s mother?”

Everyone froze, then turned their collective gaze onto Zhao Rui.

ACE underwent roster overhauls every year, and Zhao Rui had been with Shen Man the longest. Faced with everyone’s questioning stares, Zhao Rui said helplessly, “I’ve never seen her! I’ve never seen any of Shen Man’s relatives visit him at the base.”

Everyone: “…”

This was actually quite strange. Most pro players were very young, and even if they were living far from home, relatives and friends would occasionally drop by. But thinking back carefully, in all these years at ACE, no one had ever seen anyone visit Shen Man—neither family nor friends.

“Ah, it really does seem like Shen Man’s mom,” Liu Shishi said. “First time I’ve ever seen her. She looks so young.”

“Why is the atmosphere between them so weird, though?” Xu Xiaochong wondered.

Standing here for so long, they hadn’t seen the two exchange more than a few words. It was either mutual silence or looking down at their phones, resembling a meet-and-greet between two extreme introverts. The air looked ready to solidify.

While torturous for onlookers, Shen Man and Lu Ni sitting face-to-face weren’t having an easy time either.

Lu Ni opened her mouth several times before finally breaking the ice: “Have you eaten dinner?”

Shen Man: “…Yes.”

“What did you have?” Lu Ni asked.

“Just grabbed a bite,” Shen Man answered.

“You look too thin. You should eat more,” Lu Ni said.

Shen Man: “…Okay.”

The topic was so stiff that neither knew how to carry it on. Shen Man took a deep breath: “Have you eaten?”

Lu Ni: “…Not yet.”

Shen Man: “Want to find somewhere to grab some food?”

Having a meal might make things less awkward.

Both read the same sentiment in each other’s eyes, promptly rising in tacit understanding to settle the bill and leave.

Those lurking outside were caught off guard and scrambled for cover.

“Why are they leaving all of a sudden?” Zhao Rui asked.

Liu Shishi remarked, “If they sat in that atmosphere any longer, their toes would’ve dug a three-bedroom apartment into the floorboards.”

Shen Man walked behind. Just as he stepped out of the café, he was intercepted.

“Wah!! SLOW!! I’m your fan, could I get an autograph?!” A few fans who hadn’t left after watching the match recognized Shen Man and rushed over.

Shen Man nodded and said to Lu Ni, “Please wait a moment.”

Lu Ni hummed in agreement, standing quietly to the side.

The fans excitedly produced his posters.

Shen Man took a pen and signed his name across the posters. As he wrote, something caught the corner of his eye. His pen paused briefly before continuing to sign the rest.

“Yo, ran into fans.” Watching Shen Man’s back, Zhao Rui turned to his teammates: “Let’s stop following. It’s a family meal, following them is way too inappropriate.”

“Since you’re already here, why not join?” a voice drifted over.

Zhao Rui said, “Well, there’s no girlfriend to gawk at—” Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly recognized whose voice it was. “Holy shit!!”

Shen Man, who was supposed to be signing autographs not far away, had appeared behind them at some unknown moment, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at them.

Everyone wore deeply sheepish expressions, though Xu Zhouye remained relatively composed as he tried to smooth things over: “Ge, they were just worried you might run into bad people, so they wanted to follow along to keep an eye out. After all, Zhao-ge gets scammed by e-dates all the time.”

Zhao Rui: “?” Wait, explain all you want, why are you sacrificing me?!

Hearing that “ge,” the tense lines on Shen Man’s face softened slightly. He said, “Alright, stop hiding. Want to join us?”

“Is that okay?” Xu Zhouye asked. “Would it be inconvenient?”

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said.

There was nothing inconvenient about it. Having people around to liven up the atmosphere certainly wouldn’t be worse than sitting in suffocating silence with his mother.

After giving a brief introduction between Lu Ni and his teammates, the group found a barbecue place nearby and sat down.

Lu Ni actually hit it off chatting with Xu Zhouye and the others. Sitting across from Lu Ni, Shen Man felt the vibe between them seemed far more like a mother and son reunited after a long absence than between him and Lu Ni.

Shen Man lowered his eyes, fiddling with the tableware on the table.

“Man-man,” Lu Ni called him.

Shen Man: “Hm?”

“I’m very glad to see that you’re doing well,” Lu Ni said.

“Mhm,” Shen Man said. “I’m doing fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Lu Ni said, “Good.”

Their conversation was stiff to a fault. Xu Zhouye deftly steered the topic away, sharing a few anecdotes from the base, which finally loosened up the rigid tension.

Once the food arrived, the atmosphere improved further. Lu Ni recounted some intriguing experiences from abroad, and the teammates listened with great relish.

Only Shen Man remained preoccupied.

Lu Ni was a woman of immense poise and elegance; one could sense her distinction from her speech and mannerisms alone. Life hadn’t carved many harsh marks onto her; even past forty, she remained graceful and composed, creating an intriguing contrast with the expressionless Shen Man beside her.

Truly mother and son: though they hadn’t seen each other in years, one could still glimpse faint traces of one in the other’s expressions and words.

Shen Man’s gorgeous eyes were nearly identical to Lu Ni’s. Bloodline was truly a wondrous bond.

With Xu Zhouye and the others warming up the room, Shen Man grew even less inclined to speak. Sitting beside Lu Ni, he idly picked at the food.

His body was present, but his soul had already departed.

The teammates were long accustomed to Shen Man being like this, but Lu Ni assumed he was upset, appearing somewhat uneasy.

“It’s about time, let’s head back,” Shen Man said past midnight. “I’ll go settle the bill.”

“Let me,” Lu Ni stood up.

“No need, I will,” Shen Man said.

The polite distance in his tone caused Lu Ni’s brows to knit slightly. She said, “No need for you to—”

While the two were in a stalemate, Xu Zhouye pressed a hand on Shen Man’s shoulder with a smile: “Ge, don’t argue with Auntie. I already paid earlier. Treat this meal as me welcoming Auntie back.”

Both were taken aback.

“We’ll head back first then. It’s late and not very safe, so ge, see Auntie back to her hotel before returning,” Xu Zhouye smoothed things over, swiftly dragging Zhao Rui and the others away.

Leaving behind Shen Man and Lu Ni, who hadn’t fully reacted.

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said. “I’ll take you back.”

Lu Ni didn’t refuse this time.

The hotel Lu Ni booked wasn’t far from the base. They took a cab and then walked for a short stretch. Along the way, neither spoke much, merely exchanging casual remarks now and then. The atmosphere was finally not as awkward as before.

“Can I still come see you?” standing at the hotel entrance, Lu Ni asked hesitantly.

Shen Man didn’t reply.

Lu Ni felt a wave of disappointment. Lowering her head, she let out a sigh: “It was me who wronged you.”

Shen Man shook his head: “No need to think that way. I’m living quite well now, and you didn’t wrong me.”

Lu Ni said, “Then do you blame me?”

Shen Man hadn’t expected her to ask so bluntly. He blinked heavily: “I don’t blame you anymore.”

Lu Ni: “…”

He had blamed her once, but he didn’t anymore.

“Get some rest early,” Shen Man turned and waved. “I’m heading back.”

Watching his retreating figure, Lu Ni couldn’t help calling out, “Shen Man—”

Shen Man’s footsteps paused briefly, but he didn’t look back.

Shen Man assumed Lu Ni would continue to contact him, but over the next few days, he received no further messages from her.

A huge sigh of relief swept through his chest. It might sound funny to say, but he genuinely had no idea what kind of attitude was appropriate when dealing with Lu Ni.

He couldn’t bring himself to be affectionate, yet acting too distant felt equally awkward; parting ways and not meeting again was simpler.

When he was seven, Lu Ni had traveled far abroad for work. Their previous meeting was already years ago; forget her voice, he had almost forgotten what she looked like entirely.

“Shen-ge, how are you spending the Dragon Boat Festival? Spending it with your mom?” Zhao Rui startled Shen Man sporting an explosive head of yellow hair.

“What happened to your hair?” Shen Man frowned.

“This?” Zhao Rui scratched his head. “Aren’t we getting three days off? Wanted to style it up. Does it look good?”

Shen Man: “…Looks like an oversized shrimp tempura.”

Zhao Rui: “?”

Xu Zhouye happened to pass by and was grabbed as well. Zhao Rui barked indignantly, “Xu Zhouye, look at my hair!”

Xu Zhouye asked, “Why are you balancing a bowl of fried shrimp on your head?”

Zhao Rui: “…”

He wailed loudly, lamenting that the two of them had hearts of venom and had no idea what sacrifices he had made for this hair.

Shen Man said calmly, “Stop crying. If you cry any more, your hair won’t be crispy anymore.”

Zhao Rui: “?”

A failed hairstyle wasn’t actually that big of a deal; the big deal was why he went to get this hairstyle in the first place.

Based on Shen Man’s understanding of Zhao Rui, this guy suddenly paying attention to his personal appearance meant something was wrong again. According to past experience, it was likely another bout of lovesickness going to his head.

It just so happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Zhao Rui, whose hairstyle had been roasted by everyone, dragged his suitcase along, swearing bitterly that he was going to leave this heartbreaking place to heal the emotional wounds in his heart.

The manager eyed him suspiciously: “Zhao Rui, where are you going? If you aren’t going home, report your itinerary to me. I don’t want the next time I see your IP address to be localized in northern Myanmar.”

Zhao Rui fumed: “I am going home! Why don’t you have a shred of trust in me?!”

Trimming his nails beside them, Liu Shishi let out an honest chuckle: “Hehe, I still remember last time when you got scammed out of your money and the manager had to catch a flight to come rescue you…”

Zhao Rui: “Heh, this time is different.”

Manager: “How is it different?”

Zhao Rui huffed, turned on his heel, and walked away: “None of you understand!”

Though they didn’t understand in the afternoon, they understood that evening upon coming across Zhao Rui’s Xiaodou.

Zhao Rui had posted a photo of a train station with the caption: If this offline e-date meetup succeeds, I’ll change my ID to ‘Xiao Rui Loves Eating Little Rabbit’; if it fails, ‘Xiao Rui Swears Off Meat.’

Finding it somewhat sickening, Shen Man swiftly swiped past it and informed the manager that this guy was off meeting an internet date again.

The manager wasn’t surprised in the slightest, wearing a face as calm as an ancient well, resembling a Buddha poised to attain nirvana. He said serenely, “It’s fine, I’m used to it. Man-ah, you’re still the one who gives me the least grief.” His whole heart was dedicated solely to the game; with so many pretty fan girls, he wouldn’t spare them a single glance.

Shen Man sneered: “I’m heading off to couch-cast Xu Zhouye right now.”

Manager: “?”

Xu Zhouye, appearing out of nowhere: “Who wants to couch-cast me?”

Shen Man had only said that assuming he wasn’t around. Seeing the person in question suddenly appear, he instantly felt guilty: “I was joking.”

Xu Zhouye: “Oh…”

Manager: “?” What’s with that disappointed tone of yours?

Everyone waited for Zhao Rui’s joke—oh wait, no, good news. Xu Xiaochong even attempted to open a betting pool on how many days it would take for Zhao Rui to return heartbroken. Unfortunately, given Zhao Rui’s track record, not a single soul was willing to place a wager on him succeeding.

Around eight in the evening, Liu Shishi, who was scrolling on Xiaodou, detected enemy movement and bellowed: “Changed! It changed, his name changed!”

“What?” everyone gasped in unison.

“Impossible!” Xu Xiaochong said. “He really changed it? What did it change to?”

Liu Shishi said, “Changed to: ‘Little Rabbit Is Longer Than Me.'”

Everyone: “…”

Uproarious laughter erupted throughout the room.

Out of humanitarian concern, the manager stepped up to call Zhao Rui to check on his personal safety.

On the other end of the line, Zhao Rui wept like a helpless child: “Why did he lie to me, I trusted him so much…”

Manager: “So are you coming back?”

Zhao Rui sobbed, “I’ll stay for two days, since I’m already here.”

Manager: “…”

Zhao Rui: “I’ll bring back local specialties for you guys when I return.”

The manager muttered under his breath that bringing back specialties was the least of his concerns; coming back in one piece was enough. Still, having confirmed Zhao Rui’s physical safety, he stopped worrying. After all, a guy in his twenties within the country probably wouldn’t get sold to human traffickers.

Xu Zhouye said, “Ge, let’s go for a walk outside. It rained this afternoon, so it’s quite cool right now.”

Shen Man said, “Sure.”

The two moved at lightning speed; before the manager could even react, he saw them dash out like a puff of smoke.

Frowning, he muttered, “What’s going on? Why does Shen Man head out the moment Xu Zhouye calls him? Is there something going on between those two that I don’t know about?”

Liu Shishi said, “He’s already calling him ge, how are you only realizing this now?”

Manager: “?”

Liu Shishi: “.”

Manager: “!!!!!”

The scorching heat wave of thirty-eight to thirty-nine degrees had persisted for over half a month, until the afternoon rain finally washed away the sweltering air.

Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, Shen Man fingered the mask in his pocket, hesitating over whether to put it on. Xu Zhouye said, “It’s so stuffy, forget about it.”

“That works too.” Shen Man actually disliked wearing it anyway.

“There’s a night market over on Street A, want to stroll over and check it out?” Xu Zhouye asked.

“Sure.” Though Shen Man had been at the base for nearly three years, he barely ever stepped outside, knowing less about the surroundings than Xu Zhouye did. He noticed this kid had an exceptional ability to adapt; upon arriving at the base, he had faced zero friction, displaying an ease as though he were right at home.

“Let’s go, it’s about a fifteen-minute walk.” Xu Zhouye hadn’t expected Shen Man to agree so readily, feeling quite delighted.

The two walked side by side toward the night market.

The weather was pleasant. The sun hung low on the distant horizon, not yet set, resembling a giant orange tinting a blanket of white clouds crimson.

Xu Zhouye seemed very happy, a smile perpetually gracing his face, chattering away to Shen Man about how the park near the base had recently brought in a flock of lovely ducks, and that the lotus blossoms were in bloom—bustling and beautiful.

Shen Man responded off and on. Rarely did anyone talk so much in front of him; although the relationships among the team members weren’t bad, everyone had their own lives. Moreover, with his aloof temperament and reluctance to engage, even people who were naturally talkative seemed to turn reserved around him.

Yet Xu Zhouye never did.

He didn’t mind Shen Man’s sparse replies, looking at him with eyes that seemed to cradle stars, glistening bright. Those trivial, mundane little things, chattered about endlessly in his soft chatter, were like hearth smoke gently rising in the mortal realm—cozy and serene.

Shen Man seemed to be infected by the mood, speaking a few more words than usual. Recalling the potted plants growing in Xu Zhouye’s room, he asked casually about them.

“Oh, bought those from the night market—the very one we’re heading to. I’ll pick out two pots for you in a bit too,” Xu Zhouye said.

Shen Man hesitated: “Are they easy to keep alive?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Very easy! They survive with just a bit of watering.”

Shen Man still seemed hesitant.

Seeing his expression, Xu Zhouye chuckled, reached out to hook an arm around Shen Man’s neck, and thumped his own chest in guarantee: “Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll keep an eye on them for you, guaranteed not to let them die.” He grinned, flashing that signature dazzling smile once more—thoroughly healing.

Perhaps because of this smile, Shen Man, who normally disliked physical contact with others, didn’t swat away the arm slung around his shoulders.

The night market was bustling. Along the narrow street, both sides were lined with all kinds of stalls—food, games—and Shen Man even spotted a few divination booths.

It was Shen Man’s first time visiting this kind of night market.

The aroma of food hung thick in the air, enveloped by background music, noisy chatter, and the laughter of strangers. He had stepped out from his solitary castle into the mundane world, and the guide beside him was laughing heartily without a care in the world.

“Ge, want to try this?” Xu Zhouye stopped in his tracks, pointing at a small stall selling sausages nearby. “Their sausages are homemade, pretty delicious.”

“Sure,” Shen Man nodded.

Xu Zhouye happily bought two, handing one to Shen Man.

The flavor was indeed wonderful, carrying the crisp fragrance of fruitwood after being charcoal-grilled. Xu Zhouye ate fast, finishing his in two bites, and then stared eagerly at Shen Man.

Shen Man had only eaten half. Being stared at like that: “…If you want to eat more, go buy another one yourself.”

Xu Zhouye said, “Hehe, not eating anymore.”

Shen Man: “If you aren’t eating, why are you staring at me?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Watching you eat makes it seem so appetizing.”

Shen Man: “…” Fine then.

Joining the fray, Xu Zhouye bought two sticky bean buns, handing one to Shen Man. Before Shen Man could even take a bite, he watched Xu Zhouye stuff the entire sticky bean bun into his mouth, after which tragedy struck—

“So thticky…” After chewing for three whole minutes without managing to swallow, Xu Zhouye’s cheeks began to ache. He couldn’t chew it down and couldn’t swallow it whole, choked until the whites of his eyes turned bloodshot and tears welled in his sockets.

Shen Man looked at his miserable state, then glanced down at the sticky bean bun in his own hand: “Eat slower, don’t go choking yourself to death.”

Xu Zhouye said with great difficulty: “Whut doo I doo?”

Shen Man said, “Don’t worry, I know the Heimlich maneuver.”

Xu Zhouye: “…” The thought of Shen Man thrusting from behind him in broad daylight made him feel thoroughly mortified.

After struggling for ten minutes, practically chewing until his soul detached from his body, Xu Zhouye finally managed to swallow the sticky bean bun in his mouth. Sitting by the roadside catching his breath while wiping his tears, he gasped, “I almost lost my life to that thing.”

What a sticky bean bun homicide case. Shen Man couldn’t help curving the corners of his lips upon hearing that.

Xu Zhouye picked up the fruit juice Shen Man had bought for him and drank it in one go.

Shen Man said, “Rest for a moment. Is there a restroom nearby?”

Xu Zhouye pointed toward the adjacent shopping mall.

Shen Man said, “Going to the restroom.”

The mall’s restroom was fairly clean. Just as Shen Man was about to take care of business, he sensed someone approaching his side. He hadn’t thought much of it at first, but the person walked directly up to the urinal right next to his, causing him an immediate wave of discomfort. The restroom was quite empty; no normal person would pick an adjacent urinal. Shen Man paused, tilted his head slightly, and saw the man’s face.

Almost at first glance, he realized he had seen this person somewhere before. Alarm bells blared in his head, and Shen Man took a step back.

Noticing Shen Man’s reaction, the man dropped all pretense, a grin plastered across his face as he leaned in: “SLOW, I’m your fan…”

Shen Man: “…” Fuck.

God knew how long this guy had been tailing him, actually following him right into the restroom.

Shen Man’s expression darkened, beginning to regret not wearing his mask. Saying nothing, he turned to walk away, only to have his arm violently grabbed. The man yelled, “Why are you running? I’m just your fan, it’s not like I’m going to do anything to you!”

Shen Man said coldly, “Let go, or I’m calling the police.”

The man gave a sleazy grin: “What’s the use of calling the cops? I haven’t done anything to you.”

Grinding his molars, Shen Man reminded himself that assault was illegal, he had to endure it… To hell with that, he couldn’t fucking take it anymore!!! He swung a vicious fist, slamming it square into the man’s nose. Caught completely off guard in his most vulnerable spot, the man let out a shrill shriek, released his grip, and crumpled down clutching his nose.

Turning around, Shen Man calmly washed the spot on his forearm where the man had grabbed him. Writhing in agony, the man threatened that Shen Man had assaulted someone and he was going to call the police.

“Call the police?” Shen Man sneered. “This is a restroom with zero surveillance cameras. Just because you say I hit you, it means I hit you?” He walked over to the man, raised his foot, and kicked him hard in the shoulder. The kick held nothing back, knocking the man flat onto the floor.

Yet the moment he delivered that kick, he regretted it, because the man lay sprawled on the floor clutching his shoulder and began laughing: “SLOW, don’t be mad, I was joking! If you hit me, I’m too thrilled for words—why would I ever call the police?” As he spoke, he rubbed the spot where Shen Man had kicked him, chuckling with a sleazy hehe.

It was utterly revolting… Shen Man felt like throwing up everything he had just eaten outside.

Refusing to entangle himself any further, Shen Man turned on his heel and left. Whether because Shen Man’s kick was too vicious or otherwise, the man didn’t chase after him.

Catching sight of the mask on Shen Man’s face and the frost in his eyes, Xu Zhouye knew instantly that something had happened.

He stood up immediately and asked, “What happened?”

Shen Man shook his head.

With sharp eyes, Xu Zhouye spotted the abrasion on the back of Shen Man’s hand at a single glance. He reached out to take Shen Man’s hand, only for Shen Man to reflexively dodge his touch. The two froze in place.

“It’s fine,” Shen Man realized, holding up his hand for Xu Zhouye to see. “Accidentally scraped the skin.”

Yet Xu Zhouye caught the telltale signs, hitting the nail on the head: “Did you hit someone?”

Shen Man: “…Yeah.”

Xu Zhouye said, “Did someone follow you into the restroom?” He had actually guessed the truth in a single sentence.

Shen Man, however, didn’t want to bring it up anymore. Signs of this sort of harassment had surfaced long ago, but it was notoriously difficult to resolve. If it was merely stalking without substantive criminal action, even calling the police proved futile.

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said. “Head back.”

Xu Zhouye pressed his lips together: “Okay.”

On the way back, the two chatted a bit more.

Xu Zhouye didn’t dare bring the incident up again, fearing it would upset Shen Man. Conversely, Shen Man casually brought up the psycho fans he had encountered over the years as if it were nothing. Mailing packages was already child’s play; the period when he won the world championship was the most terrifying—there were stalkers who hopped the perimeter fence into the base, and when traveling out of town for tournaments, people would knock on his hotel room door in the middle of the night. Today being cornered in a restroom was actually a first.

Listening to Shen Man’s seemingly indifferent tone, Xu Zhouye’s lips pressed into a taut, tight line. He finally understood why Shen Man disliked going outside…

As if discerning what Xu Zhouye was thinking, Shen Man said, “Though not going outside isn’t entirely on them. I’ve hated going out ever since I was a kid.”

Xu Zhouye: “…” Huh?

Shen Man said sluggishly, “Lying in a chair is just much more comfortable…”

Xu Zhouye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

They thought this incident was merely a minor episode that would blow over just like that.

Who could have known that the next morning, while Shen Man was still lying in bed, the door was hammered violently. The manager was wailing like a banshee outside: “Man-ah, come out quick, a disaster has happened!”

Shen Man sluggishly ambled to the door. It wasn’t that he wasn’t in a hurry, but he figured that if it were truly a major catastrophe, the manager wouldn’t be screeching with such vigorous lung capacity. He opened the door: “What is it?”

The manager said, “Quickly, check your Weibo!!!”

Shen Man: “…What happened now?” He pulled out his phone, opened Weibo, and saw thousands of new comments flooding his profile alongside countless private messages. Recalling what happened yesterday, he said, “Did my hitting someone get leaked?”

“What?!” The manager’s eyes nearly tore open in horror. “You really hit him?!”

Shen Man said, “…He was too disgusting, couldn’t hold back.”

The manager’s voice trembled: “How did he go from being your sweet darling before heading out to a giant scoundrel after one walk around the block?!”

Shen Man: “?” Do you hear what you’re even saying?

After exchanging a few more sentences, Shen Man suddenly realized they were talking past each other. In the manager’s narrative, the person who suffered a brutal beating was none other than Xu Zhouye.

The manager said, “Man-ah, you two must have some misunderstanding. Come, come, let me mediate between you two…”

Finally sensing something terribly off, Shen Man flashed a timeout gesture: “Wait. What on earth are you talking about?”

The manager said, “Talking about you bullying Xu Zhouye, of course!”

Shen Man: “?”

Manager: “Didn’t you make him cry yesterday?”

Shen Man’s expression froze for three seconds. Pulling his phone out, he reread the comments under his Weibo post once more. This time he saw it clearly: the top-voted comment was a photograph. In the photo, Xu Zhouye was sitting beside him with red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes, gazing at him with endless grievance, while Shen Man, faced with such a pitiful Xu Zhouye, had a faint smile in his eyes and a straw dangling from his lips, looking utterly heartless and cold-blooded.

Shen Man: “…”

The manager said, “Look at that, the evidence is ironclad.”

Shen Man’s tone was dry and strained as he made one final struggle: “If I said he choked on a sticky bean bun by himself, would anyone believe me?”

Manager: “If you were a netizen, would you believe he choked on a sticky bean bun, or that I’m Qin Shi Huang?”

Shen Man was rendered completely speechless.

Manager: “So where is Xu Zhouye? I haven’t seen him all morning, he didn’t run away from home in heartbreak, did he…”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Xu Zhouye’s energetic voice chimed in from behind: “Manager, good morning.”

The manager whipped his head around, seeing Xu Zhouye… and the breakfast held in his hands.

The manager’s voice trembled: “Xiao Ye-er, it’s so early in the morning, why aren’t you sleeping in? What did you go do?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Went out for a morning run, and picked up breakfast for ge along the way.”

He said it without ulterior motive, but the manager listened with deep suspicion, instantly snapping his head back to glare at Shen Man with an accusatory “look at that, see?” gaze. Right, early in the morning, ordering someone out to fetch breakfast—what was that if not bullying?

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye had no idea what had transpired. Looking at the bizarre tension between the manager and Shen Man, he was somewhat baffled: “What’s wrong? Why are you all staring at me?”

The manager walked over and patted his shoulder gently: “Xiao Ye-er, if you have any grievances, tell me. I definitely won’t shield Shen Man.”

Xu Zhouye: “Ah?”

Shen Man pinched the bridge of his nose: “Check Weibo.”

Xu Zhouye hurriedly pulled out his phone to check Weibo. Having created his account recently, he hadn’t posted much, and the only person he mutually followed was Shen Man. Glancing over the comments, he was thoroughly astonished as well: “How was this photo even taken?”

The manager said, “Never mind how it was taken, just tell me if it’s the truth!”

Xu Zhouye said, “Well, it is, but I wasn’t bullied.”

Manager: “Then why were you crying? Don’t tell me you were choking on a sticky bean bun.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye thought in agony: You’ve already stolen my lines, what am I supposed to say now?

The manager couldn’t care less about that: “Xu Zhouye, if Shen Man bullies you, come tell me! Even if Shen Man is a superstar player, we cannot tolerate toxic bullying within the team!”

Xu Zhouye said, “It really isn’t… Manager, I wasn’t bullied. Shen Man was the one who was bullied—the skin on his hand is even scraped!”

Manager: “How was it scraped? Grazed while beating you?”

Xu Zhouye said, “I give up. I really was choking on a sticky bean bun…”

The manager glanced at Shen Man, who was leaning against the wall with arms crossed, looking completely indifferent and cold: “The sticky bean bun’s legal name is Shen Man, isn’t it?”

Xu Zhouye: “…” Ah, Shen Man, how is a sticky-bean-bun-eating me supposed to rescue a falsely accused you?

“Fine, fine, I won’t hit him next time,” Shen Man said, thoroughly annoyed, waving a hand to confess to the bogus crime. “Leave, leave.”

Xu Zhouye hurriedly handed the breakfast over: “Ge, don’t be mad, I’ll explain everything clearly to them.”

Taking the breakfast and offering thanks, Shen Man closed the door, leaving Xu Zhouye and the manager staring at each other.

“You seem… not to dislike Shen Man at all,” the manager said cautiously.

He didn’t see any grievance or timidity in Xu Zhouye; if anything, the moment Shen Man closed the door, a touch of despondence flashed across Xu Zhouye’s face.

Grinding his molars in resentment, Xu Zhouye muttered, “I shouldn’t have fucking eaten that sticky bean bun last night.”

Manager: “…” What does that mean? Could ‘sticky bean bun’ be some weird roleplay between the two of you?