SITS CH70

Chapter 70: Sudden Disappearance

The next morning at nine o’clock sharp, Xu Zhouye appeared punctually in Shen Man’s room.

Shen Man was currently brushing his teeth with his Cheese Snow Top ice-cream-flavored toothpaste. Looking listless in the mirror, he had clearly slept poorly last night.

“I feel like it doesn’t hurt that much anymore,” Shen Man said.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Xu Zhouye simply stood watching him in silence.

Shen Man murmured, “Really…”

Checking his watch, Xu Zhouye replied, “I booked the appointment for ten o’clock. Driving over from here takes forty minutes.”

Rendered completely speechless, Shen Man wondered how Xu Zhouye could already be this difficult to handle at such a young age; god knew how unstoppable he would become later in life. Making one last struggle, he pleaded, “Why don’t you feel it? It really doesn’t hurt anymore…”

Xu Zhouye smiled: “Alright.”

Shen Man blinked: “Huh?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Come here, let me check.”

Before Shen Man could react, Xu Zhouye slipped a finger straight into his mouth, pressing his thumb lightly against the inflamed gum over the wisdom tooth. Though the pressure wasn’t heavy, it still sent a sharp jolt of pain through Shen Man, making him shiver.

“Mmm!” Shen Man let out a muffled groan.

“Thought you said it didn’t hurt?” Wiggling his finger gently against Shen Man’s tongue, Xu Zhouye watched his captain knit his brows in aggrieved pain, the corners of his eyes turning red and glistening with faint tears. “Hm?”

Stubborn as a dead duck refusing to admit defeat, Shen Man mumbled around his finger, “It really doesn’t hurt.”

He couldn’t even enunciate clearly.

Clicking his tongue, Xu Zhouye couldn’t bear to torment him further and let him off the hook: “Let’s go.”

Grabbing Shen Man firmly by the wrist, he towed him toward the door with unmistakable finality. Abandoning all resistance, Shen Man allowed himself to be pulled along behind him.

Stepping out into the hallway, they happened to bump right into Liu Shishi and the others, exchanging quick greetings: “Yo, heading out so early? Where are you two off to?”

“Ge has a toothache, taking him to get it checked out,” Xu Zhouye replied.

“Oh, a toothache definitely needs a doctor,” Xu Xiaochong chimed in. “Are you guys coming back for lunch?”

Xu Zhouye said, “We’ll see. I already requested leave from the coach, so we won’t make today’s scrims.”

“No worries, health comes first,” Liu Shishi nodded.

With that, the two headed out.

Turning back into the training room and taking their seats, Liu Shishi and Xu Xiaochong suddenly realized something felt off.

“Did I see things just now?” Xu Xiaochong murmured. “Did it look like Xu Zhouye was holding Shen Man’s hand?”

Liu Shishi frowned: “Not holding hands, wasn’t he gripping his wrist?”

Exchanging a look, Xu Xiaochong asked, “Would you ever grab my wrist like that?”

Liu Shishi gagged: “Blegh, stop grossing me out.”

Xu Xiaochong blinked: “Then those two…”

Liu Shishi and Xu Xiaochong gasped in unison: “No way?!”

Shen Man had zero spare energy to care what those two were thinking; lying flat on the dental chair at the clinic right now, he felt like a slab of pork awaiting slaughter.

After taking X-rays, the good news was that his wisdom teeth sat in decent alignment without risking nerve damage. The bad news was that he had wisdom teeth on both sides, and the one on the right hadn’t even erupted through the gums yet, meaning both had to be extracted at once.

Keeping his mouth propped open while the dentist administered local anesthesia, Shen Man locked eyes with Xu Zhouye standing right beside the chair.

The two carried out a silent conversation through eye contact:

Can we skip pulling them?Ge, we’re already lying right here.Lying here doesn’t stop me from standing up and walking out.Then you took that anesthetic shot for nothing.…Mad at me?

Too lazy to look at Xu Zhouye anymore, Shen Man stared up at the bright overhead lamp in silent sulkiness, unsure whether he was mad at Xu Zhouye for dragging him here, or mad at himself for still fearing tooth extractions at his age.

People always said orthopedic surgeons did heavy manual labor, yet Shen Man’s dentist wasn’t falling behind in the slightest.

One tooth grew at an awkward angle, requiring a miniature chisel and mallet clanging away inside his mouth for ages before finally coming loose. Lying in the dental chair with his jaw propped wide open, Shen Man radiated an aura of utter existential despair.

Looking pitiful, yet undeniably adorable.

Once the left side wrapped up, it was time for the right. Since that tooth remained submerged beneath the gumline, the dentist had to slice open the tissue before extracting it.

Despite the local anesthesia, Shen Man could still feel the distinct sensation of flesh being incised inside his mouth. Knitting his brows tightly together, he felt a heavy tightness lodge in his chest, unable to catch a smooth breath for a long while.

Two teeth took well over half an hour; by the time the procedure finally ended, Shen Man’s entire jaw felt stiff and numb.

Sitting on the metal tray beside him were two freshly extracted wisdom teeth, round, plump, and textbook in shape.

“All done,” the dentist said, pulling off his gloves with a compliment. “Nice, well-formed teeth. Wait twenty-four hours before brushing, don’t rinse with hot water, and avoid licking the blood clots in the sockets. I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatories; take them on schedule.”

Sitting up on the dental chair with his brain still fogged over, Shen Man stared blankly into space. His entire mouth felt completely numb, leaving him unsure whether it was from the lingering anesthetic or the mallet hammering away earlier.

Xu Zhouye seemed to be chatting with the dentist about aftercare instructions, though Shen Man barely registered a word.

Picking up the daily anti-inflammatory medication, Xu Zhouye took Shen Man by the hand and led him out the door like a parent escorting a young child.

Biting down on two wads of cotton gauze tucked against his back molars, Shen Man’s cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding nuts as he climbed obediently into the passenger seat. Leaning across to buckle Shen Man’s seatbelt, Xu Zhouye asked gently, “Does it hurt?”

Shen Man shook his head.

No pain simply meant the anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet. Xu Zhouye said, “You can only drink congee today.”

Shen Man gave a small nod.

Looking this docile and well-behaved made Shen Man unbearably cute. Unable to resist, Xu Zhouye tapped a fingertip lightly against his puffed cheek, murmuring softly, “Guaiguai.”

Saying nothing, Shen Man kept his head lowered with his long eyelashes fluttering, letting Xu Zhouye tease him freely.

Melting into pure tenderness, Xu Zhouye leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek: “Come on, let’s head home.”

Twenty minutes into the drive, the local anesthetic wore off. The dazed blankness faded rapidly from Shen Man’s face, replaced by a tight frown as sharp, burning pain flared across both extraction sites.

Xu Zhouye glanced over: “Starting to hurt?”

Shen Man turned his head to glare at him.

Xu Zhouye coaxed hurriedly, “Ah, ge, don’t glare at me like that. Getting them pulled early brings peace of mind; otherwise if they worsen later, you’d end up needing fillings on neighboring teeth too.”

Everyone understood the logic, yet getting teeth pulled was still genuinely terrifying, Shen Man thought gloomily.

By the time they returned to the base, it was already noon, coinciding right with lunch hour.

Walking into the cafeteria, Shen Man and Xu Zhouye immediately spotted Zhang Chaoyun, who had brought several MIN players over to mooch a free meal once again.

“Yo, Shen Man, haven’t seen you in a few days… gained weight?” Sharp-eyed as ever, Zhang Chaoyun noticed immediately that Shen Man’s face looked off.

Off indeed; the instant the anesthesia faded, swelling set in with a vengeance.

Both of Shen Man’s cheeks had puffed up noticeably. Naturally slender-faced, the extra roundness made him look chubby and soft, stripping away his usual icy aloofness and adding a touch of boyish cuteness.

With the extraction sites throbbing fiercely, Shen Man had zero patience for banter, merely shooting Zhang Chaoyun a sidelong glare.

“What happened to your face?” Unaware Shen Man had gone to the dentist, Zhao Rui wandered over holding a rice bowl. “Why are your cheeks all swollen? What did you stuff in your mouth to act cute?”

Lacking the energy to deal with Zhao Rui’s noise, Shen Man waved a dismissive hand to signal he was heading back to his room and turned on his heel.

Xu Zhouye called after him: “I’ll bring some congee up for you in a bit.”

Having zero appetite, Shen Man waved a hand in refusal without looking back.

Xu Zhouye curved his eyes into a fond smile.

“What’s going on with him?” Zhao Rui asked curiously.

“Took him to get two wisdom teeth pulled,” Xu Zhouye explained.

“You actually got the Captain to go?” Zhao Rui gaped in astonishment.

Xu Zhouye blinked: “Yeah, why?”

Shaking his head in admiration, Zhao Rui marveled at how effortlessly Xu Zhouye had hauled Shen Man off to the clinic. Back in the day, Shen Man was notorious for letting a severe cough drag on for half a month until he practically coughed up a lung before reluctantly seeing a doctor.

“Nothing,” Zhao Rui said, giving Xu Zhouye a sincere thumbs-up.

If the extraction itself had claimed half his life, the aftermath finished off the remaining half.

Less than an hour after returning to his room, Shen Man’s entire face had ballooned like a steamed bun overloaded with yeast. Spitting out the blood-soaked cotton wads, he caught sight of his swollen cheeks in the mirror.

Shen Man: “…” Sigh, how many days is this swelling going to last?

Carrying a bowl of congee into the bedroom, Xu Zhouye found his Man-man sitting on the bed hugging the giant noob dog plushie, resting one swollen cheek against its green fabric, looking both pitiful and adorable.

“Ge,” Xu Zhouye called softly as he walked over with the tray.

Shen Man let out a listless “Mmm.”

“Drink a little congee,” Xu Zhouye coaxed. “You haven’t eaten anything all day.”

Shaking his head, Shen Man indicated he had no desire to eat.

Xu Zhouye asked: “Not even congee?”

Refusing to drink because it hurt far too much, Shen Man said nothing, though his eyes communicated his refusal clearly enough.

“Alright then, I’ll leave it right here,” Xu Zhouye relented. “Drink some whenever you get hungry.”

Shen Man gave a small nod.

People always joked that wisdom tooth extraction was the ultimate weight-loss method, and Shen Man was experiencing that truth firsthand; even when hunger made his stomach ache, he couldn’t bring himself to swallow a bite. Taking a painkiller hoping to dull his jaw pain, he waited half an hour with zero relief—until abruptly realizing his dull hunger pangs had vanished instead, nearly making him laugh out of sheer exasperation.

Even painkillers took the wrong turn.

While his stomach stopped hurting, his jaw throbbed relentlessly. Tossing and turning with barely any sleep all night, Shen Man woke up feeling even worse. Forcing down a few spoonfuls of congee in the morning, he walked into the training room looking so ghastly that everyone jumped in fright.

The manager gasped in horror: “Man, what happened to you?! Why do you look like a waterlogged corpse?!”

Shen Man: “…” Aren’t your metaphors a bit too vivid?

You couldn’t blame the manager; with severely swollen cheeks, a pale complexion, and dark circles beneath his eyes, Shen Man practically floated across the floor like a ghost.

Too exhausted to speak, Shen Man sank silently into his gaming chair.

“Xu Zhouye dragged him out to get his wisdom teeth pulled yesterday,” Zhao Rui chimed in from out of nowhere, munching on a savory crepe. “Probably going to stay swollen for a few more days.”

The rich aroma of the crepe filled the room. Having barely eaten for a full day, Shen Man’s stomach let out a low rumble; resting his chin in his hand, he breathed an almost inaudible sigh.

“Why don’t you go rest?” the manager suggested. “Skip today’s scrims.”

Shaking his head, Shen Man signaled he was fine to play.

Manager: “…” This kid really is stubborn as a mule.

They had scrims scheduled against MIN today, which Zhang Chaoyun had supposedly dropped by yesterday to coordinate, though Shen Man suspected he had simply come to mooch lunch.

Every single player who walked into the room took one look at Shen Man and immediately said the exact same line: “Captain, take the day off today.”

Nobody could be blamed; Shen Man’s haggard appearance looked genuinely alarming.

Xu Zhouye walked in last, carrying a dining tray in his hands.

Stepping up beside Shen Man’s desk, he set the tray down gently: “Ge, I cooked some congee for you.”

Shen Man still had little appetite.

“I just made it fresh.” Bending down, Xu Zhouye murmured quietly beside Shen Man’s ear, “It’s not plain white congee; I added minced lean pork and preserved century egg. Tastes great. Come on, ge, you haven’t eaten in a full day, at least try a bite.”

Delicate and refined in appearance, Shen Man looked pampered on the surface yet endured pain more stubbornly than anyone else. Xu Zhouye recalled when he had first joined ACE and caught Shen Man getting an IV drip for a fever; once the bag emptied, too lazy to call a nurse, Shen Man simply yanked the needle out himself. Whenever he fell ill, he avoided doctors until dragged there kicking and screaming.

Mature and composed in every other aspect of life, when it came to taking care of himself, he acted like a stubborn child brushing everything off.

Xu Zhouye suspected this wasn’t even the first time his wisdom teeth had flared up; he had likely just ignored them in silence previously.

Warm and steaming, the congee gave off a rich, savory aroma, clearly prepared with genuine care.

With Xu Zhouye coaxing him so softly, Shen Man couldn’t bear letting his effort go to waste. Besides, reluctant as he was to let Xu Zhouye realize it, Shen Man truly had zero defense whenever Xu Zhouye acted sweet and clingy.

Picking up the spoon, he took a sip.

Xu Zhouye’s cooking remained consistently impressive; both the preserved egg and tender pork had been carefully selected, tasting miles better than anything bought hastily from a street stall.

“Good?” Xu Zhouye tilted his head hopefully.

Nodding slightly, Shen Man mumbled indistinctly that it was delicious.

Watching Shen Man willingly eat finally put Xu Zhouye’s mind at ease.

Rationally, he knew Shen Man was a grown adult who wouldn’t suffer lasting harm from skipping meals for a day or two, yet emotionally his heart still ached.

How could he bear letting the tiny bit of healthy weight Shen Man had finally put on his cheeks starve right back off?

After lunch, they played three scrim games against MIN.

Without Luo Zhile, MIN’s performance this split actually looked slightly smoother than last year’s, explaining why Zhang Chaoyun joked that Luo Zhile and MIN were a pile of crap together, yet scattered stars apart.

Still, ACE’s sheer mechanical superiority stood undeniable; even with Shen Man under the weather, MIN stood little chance, dropping two straight games before logging off regretfully.

After wisdom tooth extraction, the sole treats one could indulge in freely were ice cream and popsicles.

That evening, curled up in his training chair sucking on a popsicle, Shen Man queued duo ranked with Zhao Rui to practice new patch pairings.

Despite his swollen cheeks, his mechanics remained razor-sharp, racking up a four-game win streak until past ten o’clock when Zhao Rui finally called it a night.

“Where’s Xu Zhouye?” Shen Man suddenly realized he hadn’t seen him around since wrapping up afternoon scrims.

“No idea. Didn’t he tell you?” Zhao Rui asked.

Shen Man shook his head.

When focused on games, his attention locked completely onto the screen, tuning out everything around him. Only after logging off did he realize Xu Zhouye had been absent all evening.

Pulling out his phone, he found four or five missed calls alongside a single text message: Ge, something came up at home, heading back for a bit.

His chest tightening abruptly, Shen Man typed back immediately: What happened?

Always lightning-fast at replying, Xu Zhouye sent nothing back.

“Want to give him a call?” Zhao Rui suggested.

Hesitating briefly, Shen Man dialed. Ever since getting together, Xu Zhouye always reported his whereabouts in advance, making tonight’s silence feel distinctly unsettling.

The call failed to connect; his phone was switched off.

“Could something serious have happened?” Zhao Rui frowned too, knowing this wasn’t Xu Zhouye’s style at all.

Knitting his brows, Shen Man stood up: “I’ll go check his room.”

Knocking for several moments yielded no response. Right as they prepared to head downstairs and ask the front gate security guard when Xu Zhouye had left, they ran into Liu Shishi emerging from a shower in search of snacks.

Spotting the two standing outside Xu Zhouye’s doorway, Liu Shishi asked, “Looking for Xu Zhouye? He left back in the afternoon.”

“Alone?” Shen Man asked.

Liu Shishi shook his head: “No, seemed like his mom was with him. They looked pretty rushed when I said hi, mentioning they had a flight home booked and were hurrying to make it…”

Mentioning Xu Zhouye’s mother, Liu Shishi cast a subtle glance toward Shen Man, clearly recalling the sight of Xu Zhouye leading Shen Man out by the hand yesterday morning on their way to the dentist.

Even between close teammates, that gesture had been far too intimate.

Once a person caught onto a suspicion, every previously overlooked detail snapped sharply into focus.

Xu Zhouye and Shen Man had practically been joined at the hip for months, their subtle glances and touches crossing well past ordinary friendship into unmistakable romance.

Liu Shishi hesitated, opening his mouth before stopping himself.

Catching his hesitation immediately, Shen Man asked, “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Rubbing the back of his head, Liu Shishi murmured, “Um… never mind, it’s nothing.”

Looking at Shen Man, he felt a pang of worry, yet speaking out of turn felt overly intrusive. Keeping his thoughts inside, he merely told Shen Man not to worry too much, guessing Xu Zhouye had simply gotten tied up with family matters.

Polite words aside, everyone understood the reality: in an era where nobody parted from their phones, going completely unreachable meant something serious had come up.

Liu Shishi walked off, yet Zhao Rui lingered, trailing Shen Man to his bedroom door and slipping inside: “Captain, let’s chat for a second.”

Shen Man asked flatly, “Chat about what?” His cheeks were still swollen, leaving him reluctant to talk.

“D-Does his family know about you and Xu Zhouye?” Zhao Rui asked cautiously. “Just treat it as me speaking out of turn… in case, I mean just in case, you two end up breaking up, don’t beat yourself up too hard.”

The instant the words left his mouth, Zhao Rui regretted jinxing them: “Ptooey, ptooey, I’m talking nonsense, don’t take it to heart.”

Shen Man nodded quietly: “Mm.”

Zhao Rui sighed: “Then I’ll head out first. Get some rest.”

The door clicked shut, plunging the bedroom into silence.

Catching sight of the giant noob dog plushie resting on his bed, Shen Man pulled out his phone and sent one more message to Xu Zhouye:

— Xiaoye, call me back when you see this.

Still met with complete silence, the message sank like a stone into the sea.

Reaching out, Shen Man gave the noob dog’s grinning green mouth a hard pinch.