SITS Ch17

Chapter 17: A Sticky Bean Bun 

On Sunday afternoon, the team with the lowest points was expected, and as usual, ACE’s match ended promptly at 8 p.m.

It was still a 2-0 victory, and they maintained their position at the top of the leaderboard.

Listening to the cheers from outside the arena, Xu Zhouye noticed that Shen Man seemed clearly distracted. After the match ended, Shen Man even forgot to take down his own keyboard. It was Xu Zhouye who noticed and casually helped him take it down.

The match ended, and it was time to take the bus back. Shen Man glanced at his watch and said, “You guys go ahead, I have something to do.”

The manager looked at him suspiciously. “What’s going on? Are you in a relationship now?”

Shen Man lazily replied, “Yes, I’m in a relationship.”

As soon as he said that, everyone in the break room froze, and Xu Zhouye, who had been smiling while holding a keyboard, also paused. He looked up at Shen Man, his smile gone, replaced by a blank expression.

The manager asked, “Is that for real?”

Shen Man, however, didn’t notice the change in the atmosphere around him. He lowered his head and fiddled with his phone. “What, you guys can date, but I can’t?”

The manager replied, “You never leave the house, could it be an online romance?”

Among the team, Shen Man was the one who disliked going out the most, but perhaps for Shen Man, not going out was actually a good thing…

Shen Man said, “The contract doesn’t say I can’t date, does it?”

The manager responded, “I’m just worried you might get tricked at such a young age.”

Shen Man retorted, “Instead of worrying about me getting tricked, you should be more concerned about Zhao Rui.”

Zhao Rui, who was innocently caught in the crossfire, muttered defiantly, “Who hasn’t fallen for a few scumbags when they were young? Besides, that was love, while you—haven’t even had your first love yet…”

Shen Man didn’t bother responding to him.

“Well, we’re leaving now,” the manager said.

Shen Man waved his hand.

The team members left, leaving Shen Man alone.

Shen Man rubbed his eyes, mentally preparing himself before opening his phone. There were three or four missed calls. He dialed back. “It’s done, let’s meet at the café next door, yeah, that one.”

——

Outside the venue, several people who were supposed to return to the base were huddled together in a dark corner.

“Isn’t this a bit wrong?” the largest one, Xu Xiaochong, muttered.

“Then you go back,” Zhao Rui said.

“That’s not happening, I’m too curious,” Xu Xiaochong replied. “What kind of girl can catch our captain’s attention? A beautiful older sister, or a cute young girl?”

Liu Shishi said, “If we could guess, we wouldn’t be hiding here.”

The group was hiding in the corner near the entrance, wanting to see what kind of girlfriend Shen Man had. Zhao Rui glanced at Xu Zhouye, who had been silent beside them, and noticed that his usual bright smile was gone. His face was expressionless, and without any expression, his features looked quite cold, which made Zhao Rui feel uncomfortable.

“Xu Zhouye, what’s with your expression?” Zhao Rui asked quietly.

“What’s wrong with my expression?” Xu Zhouye seemed unaware that something was off.

“You look kind of scary,” Zhao Rui said. “Are you upset?”

Xu Zhouye tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a fake smile. “I’m not upset.”

Zhao Rui: “…” Well, that smile was worse than no smile.

After a while of chattering, they finally saw Shen Man come out of the door. Clearly trying not to be recognized by fans, he had changed out of his team uniform and was wearing a mask, but his 180 cm height still stood out.

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

When they saw Shen Man exit, they quickly followed him.

Shen Man didn’t realize he was being followed. The place they agreed to meet was a café near the competition venue.

He entered through the main door and immediately saw the woman sitting in the corner.

She was a slender woman with short hair, wearing a light green shirt and white pants, exuding an elegant aura. Although she was over forty, she still looked quite young. At that moment, she was flipping through a book placed beside her, radiating a lazy and peaceful vibe.

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

Shen Man walked over and sat down across from her.

Lu Ni looked up and smiled in surprise. “Man Man.”

Shen Man nodded and casually picked up the menu, ordering a cup of coffee.

“It’s been a long time,” Lu Ni said, her tone slightly awkward. It had been a long time since she had seen her son, the last time was when Shen Man was still a child.

At that time, Shen Man was small and delicate, like a cute kitten. Years had passed, and the childish features were no longer visible on him.

Shen Man took off his mask, pursed his lips, and softly called, “Mom.”

Lu Ni asked, “Are you doing well?”

Shen Man replied, “I’m doing fine.” He crossed his fingers and placed his hands on the table. “When are you leaving after this visit?”

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

Shen Man interrupted her, “It’s not convenient.”

Lu Ni said, “Oh.”

The two fell into silence.

When Zhao Rui and the others arrived at the café, they saw this scene.

Shen Man and a woman were sitting face to face, both with their heads lowered, and the atmosphere seemed very awkward. Shen Man’s back was to the door, so they couldn’t see his face clearly, but they could clearly see the woman’s expression, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

“Is this Shen Man’s girlfriend? Wait, no…,” Zhao Rui tilted his head in confusion. “Why does this woman look so much like Shen Man?”

Indeed, they looked very similar, their features at least seventy percent alike, but Shen Man’s lines were sharper and more refined.

After being silent for a while, Xu Zhouye suddenly spoke up, “This is Shen Man’s mom, right?”

Everyone froze, then looked at Zhao Rui.

ACE changes players every year, and Zhao Rui had been with Shen Man the longest. Faced with everyone’s questions, Zhao Rui helplessly said, “I’ve never seen her before. I’ve never seen any of Shen Man’s relatives come to the base to visit him.”

Everyone: “…”

This was actually quite strange. Most of them were young, and even if they were from different places, they would occasionally have relatives or friends visit them. But now that they thought about it, they had never seen anyone come to visit Shen Man, neither family nor friends.

“Ah, it really looks like Shen Man’s mom,” Liu Shishi said. “I’ve never seen her before, but she looks so young.”

“However, why does the atmosphere between them look so strange?” Xu Xiaochong said.

They had been standing there for so long and hadn’t seen the two of them exchange many words. Either they were silently looking at each other, or they were both looking down at their phones, almost like two top-tier introverts meeting. The air between them seemed to be thickening.

It was torturous for the onlookers, and it wasn’t any better for Shen Man and Lu Ni.

Lu Ni opened her mouth several times before finally breaking the silence, “Have you had dinner?”

Shen Man replied, “…Yes.”

“What did you eat?” Lu Ni asked.

“Just ate something casual,” Shen Man answered.

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

“…Okay,” Shen Man replied.

The topic was too awkward, and neither of them knew how to continue. Shen Man took a deep breath and asked, “Have you eaten?”

Lu Ni replied, “…Not yet.”

“Shall we find a place to eat something?” Shen Man suggested.

Eating might make things less awkward.

Both of them read the same meaning in each other’s eyes and stood up at the same time, silently agreeing to leave and pay the bill.

The group outside was caught off guard and quickly found a hidden spot to avoid being seen.

“Why are they suddenly leaving?” Zhao Rui asked.

Liu Shishi replied, “If they stayed any longer, the tension would have been enough to carve out a three-bedroom apartment under the floor.”

Shen Man was walking behind them. As soon as he stepped out of the café, a few fans who had stayed after the match recognized him and rushed over to him.

“Wow!! Slow!! I’m your fan, can you give me an autograph?” one of them exclaimed.

Shen Man nodded and turned to Lu Ni, “Wait a moment.”

Lu Ni nodded and stood quietly beside him.

The fans happily took out his poster.

Shen Man picked up the pen and signed his name on the poster. As he was writing, his peripheral vision caught something, and his hand paused for a moment before he continued signing the remaining posters.

“Hey, running into fans too,” Zhao Rui said, watching Shen Man’s back. He turned to his friends and said, “Let’s not follow them. It’s a family gathering, it’s not appropriate for us to tag along.”

“We’re already here, why not go?” a voice said.

Zhao Rui turned around, suddenly realizing who it was. “Oh my god!!”

Shen Man, who had been signing autographs not far away, had appeared behind them without them noticing, arms crossed, looking at them.

The group froze in embarrassment, and Xu Zhouye calmly covered, “Ge, they were just worried you might meet some bad people, so they thought they’d follow to check on you. After all, Zhao-ge often gets tricked by online romances.”

Zhao Rui: “?” What? You can explain, but why did you sacrifice me?

Hearing the word “ge,” Shen Man’s tense expression softened. He said, “Alright, stop hiding. Do you want to join us?”

“Is it okay?” Xu Zhouye asked. “Won’t it be inconvenient?”

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said.

It wasn’t inconvenient. Having someone to liven up the atmosphere was certainly better than sitting silently with his mother.

He briefly introduced Lu Ni to the team members, and they went to a nearby barbecue place to sit down.

Lu Ni quickly got along with Xu Zhouye and the others, while Shen Man sat across from Lu Ni. Their atmosphere felt more like a long-separated mother and son, much more so than Shen Man and Lu Ni’s own.

Shen Man lowered his gaze, fiddling with the chopsticks on the table.

“Man Man,” Lu Ni called.

“Mm?” Shen Man responded.

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

“Mm,” Shen Man replied. “I’m doing well, you don’t need to worry.”

Lu Ni nodded, “Good.”

Their conversation was stiff, and Xu Zhouye helped break the silence by talking about things at the base, which eased the tension.

When the food arrived, the atmosphere improved. Lu Ni shared some interesting experiences from abroad, and everyone listened with interest.

Only Shen Man seemed distracted.

Lu Ni was a very graceful woman, and her words and demeanor exuded elegance. Life hadn’t left many marks on her. Even at over forty, she still looked graceful and calm, contrasting with Shen Man, who sat next to her with a neutral expression.

It was clear they were mother and son. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in years, traces of each other could still be seen in their expressions and words.

Shen Man’s beautiful eyes were almost identical to Lu Ni’s. Blood ties truly were a mysterious bond.

With Xu Zhouye and the others keeping the conversation going, Shen Man became even quieter. He sat next to Lu Ni, eating absentmindedly.

His body was still there, but his mind had already wandered.

The team had gotten used to Shen Man’s behavior, but Lu Ni thought he was upset and seemed a little uneasy.

“It’s getting late, let’s go back,” Shen Man said after midnight. “I’ll go pay the bill.”

“I’ll do it,” Lu Ni stood up.

“No need, I’ll do it,” Shen Man said.

Her refusal made Lu Ni frown slightly. “You don’t have to…”

The two of them were in a standoff when Xu Zhouye smiled and placed a hand on Shen Man’s shoulder, “Ge, don’t argue with Auntie, I already paid. Let this meal be my treat to welcome her.”

Both of them were stunned.

“Well, we’ll head back now. It’s late, and it’s not safe. Ge, you can take Auntie back to the hotel, then come back,” Xu Zhouye quickly mediated, pulling Zhao Rui and the others away.

Shen Man and Lu Ni were left behind, still processing what had just happened.

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

This time, Lu Ni didn’t refuse.

The hotel Lu Ni had booked was not far from the base. They took a taxi and walked a short distance. During the ride, their conversation was sparse, but the atmosphere wasn’t as awkward as before.

“Can I visit you again?” Lu Ni asked hesitantly as they stood at the hotel entrance.

Shen Man didn’t respond.

Lu Ni lowered her head, sighing, “I’m sorry for not being there for you.”

Shen Man shook his head slowly: “Don’t think like that. I’m doing well now, and you haven’t wronged me.”

Lu Ni asked, “Do you blame me?”

Shen Man didn’t expect her to ask directly. He blinked heavily: “I don’t blame you anymore.”

Lu Ni: “…”

He had blamed her before, but not anymore.

“Get some rest,” Shen Man turned around and waved his hand. “I’m leaving.”

Watching his back, Lu Ni couldn’t help but call out, “Shen Man—”

Shen Man paused slightly but didn’t turn around.

__

Shen Man thought Lu Ni would continue to contact him, but in the following days, he didn’t receive any more messages from her.

He let out a sudden sigh of relief. It might sound funny, but he truly didn’t know how to treat Lu Ni anymore.

Being affectionate felt impossible, and being too distant seemed awkward. It might be better not to meet again.

When he was seven, Lu Ni had left for another city because of work, and the last time they met was many years ago. He could hardly remember her voice, let alone her appearance.

“Shen-ge, how are you spending the Dragon Boat Festival? Are you with your mom?” Zhao Rui, with his explosive yellow hair, startled Shen Man.

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

“This?” Zhao Rui scratched his head. “I got three days off, so I decided to fix it up. Does it look good?”

Shen Man: “…You look like a giant fried shrimp tempura.”

Zhao Rui: “?”

Xu Zhouye happened to pass by and was also stopped. Zhao Rui angrily said, “Xu Zhouye, look at my hair!”

Xu Zhouye said, “Why do you have a bowl of fried shrimp on your head?”

Zhao Rui: “…”

He cried out, “You two are so cruel! You have no idea how much I sacrificed for this hairstyle!”

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

Zhao Rui: “?”

A failed hairstyle isn’t a big deal, but why he chose it was. Based on Shen Man’s understanding of Zhao Rui, this guy suddenly caring about his appearance must mean something was off. According to past experience, it was most likely because he was head over heels in love.

Coincidentally, during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Zhao Rui, whose hairstyle was mocked by everyone, dragged his suitcase and said angrily that he was leaving this sad place to heal his wounded heart.

The manager looked at him suspiciously and said, “Zhao Rui, where are you going? If you’re not going home, report your itinerary to me. I don’t want to see your IP address in northern Myanmar next time.”

Zhao Rui angrily retorted, “I’m just going home! Why don’t you trust me at all!”

Liu Shishi, who was trimming her nails nearby, smiled innocently and said, “Hehe, I remember the last time you were scammed, the manager flew over to save you…”

Zhao Rui: “Hehe, this time it’s different.”

Manager: “What’s different?”

Zhao Rui snorted and turned to leave. “You guys don’t understand!”

Although no one understood in the afternoon, by the evening, when Liu Shishi was scrolling through Xiaodou, he understood.

Zhao Rui posted a picture of a bus station with the caption: “Online dating success, so I changed my name to Xiao Rui Loves Little Rabbits. If it fails, I’ll change to Xiao Rui Eats Vegetarian.”

It looked a bit weird and gross, so Shen Man quickly scrolled past and informed the manager that Zhao Rui had gone to meet someone from an online relationship.

The manager wasn’t surprised at all. With a calm expression like a Buddha about to meditate, he said indifferently, “It’s fine, I’m used to it. Shen Man, you’re the most worry-free. All you care about is the game, and you don’t even glance at all the pretty fan girls.”

Shen Man sneered, “Then go and seduce Xu Zhouye.”

Manager: “?”

Xu Zhouye, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere, asked, “Who wants to seduce me?”

Shen Man thought he was speaking when Xu Zhouye wasn’t around, but when the person involved suddenly appeared, he felt guilty: “I was just joking.”

Xu Zhouye: “Oh…”

Manager: “?” What does that regretful tone mean?

Everyone was waiting for Zhao Rui’s joke, or rather, his good news. Xu Xiaochong even tried to make a bet on how many days Zhao Rui would return after his failed online relationship. However, due to Zhao Rui’s track record, no one was willing to place a bet on his success in online dating.

At around 8 PM, Liu Shishi, scrolling through Xiaodou, shouted, “He changed it, he changed it!”

“What?” Everyone exclaimed.

“Impossible!” Xu Xiaochong said. “Did he really change his name? What did he change it to?”

Liu Shishi said, “He changed it to, ‘Little Rabbit is longer than me.'”

Everyone: “…”

Laughter filled the room.

Out of humanitarian concern, the manager took the initiative to call Zhao Rui to check on his safety.

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

Manager: “So, are you coming back?”

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

Manager: “…”

Zhao Rui: “I’ll bring you all some local specialties when I come back.”

The manager mumbled, “You’re bringing specialties? Just bring yourself back in one piece.” But after confirming Zhao Rui’s safety, he didn’t intervene further. After all, he was in his twenties and still in the country, so it was unlikely he would be sold to human traffickers.

Xu Zhouye said, “Ge, let’s go out for a walk. It rained this afternoon, and it’s cooler now.”

Shen Man said, “Okay.”

The two quickly left, and the manager didn’t even notice. By the time he realized, they had already disappeared.

He frowned and said, “What’s going on? Why does Shen Man go out whenever Xu Zhouye calls him? Is there something between them that I don’t know?”

Liu Shishi said, “He called him ‘Ge’ How come you just realized?”

Manager: “?”

Liu Shishi: “.”

Manager: “!!!!”

__

The high temperatures of 38 to 39 degrees continued for half a month, and an afternoon rain finally cleared the hot air.

Shen Man, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, hesitated whether to wear his mask, holding it in his pocket. Xu Zhouye said, “It’s so stuffy, just forget it.”

“Alright.” Shen Man actually didn’t like wearing a mask either.

“There’s a night market over on A Street. Want to go check it out?” Xu Zhouye asked.

“Sure.” Although Shen Man had been at the base for almost three years, he rarely went out, so he wasn’t as familiar with the surroundings as Xu Zhouye. He noticed that the kid adapted really well, and ever since arriving at the base, he seemed to have settled in as if he were back home.

“Let’s go, it’s about a fifteen-minute walk.” Xu Zhouye didn’t expect Shen Man to agree so quickly and was quite happy.

The two walked side by side toward the night market.

The weather was nice, with the sun still hanging far in the sky, not yet set. The sunset looked like a giant orange, dyeing a stretch of white clouds red.

Xu Zhouye seemed really happy, his face constantly sporting a smile. He chattered a lot, telling Shen Man about a park near the base where a group of beautiful ducks had recently been raised, and how the lotus flowers were blooming, making it lively and beautiful.

Shen Man responded intermittently. He wasn’t used to people talking so much in front of him. Although the relationships at the base were not bad, everyone had their own lives, and since his personality was cold and distant, people who were usually talkative became somewhat reserved around him.

But Xu Zhouye didn’t mind.

He didn’t care that Shen Man only gave short responses. His eyes seemed to contain stars, sparkling. He rambled on about those trivial things, making them feel like the comforting smoke rising from a stove in the mundane world.

Shen Man seemed to be drawn into the mood and ended up speaking a bit more than usual. He remembered the plants in Xu Zhouye’s room and casually asked about them.

“Oh, I got those from the night market we’re going to. I’ll pick out a couple of pots for you later,” Xu Zhouye said.

Shen Man hesitated. “Are they easy to take care of?”

“They’re easy. Just water them, and they’ll live,” Xu Zhouye assured him.

Shen Man was still a little uncertain.

Seeing his expression, Xu Zhouye smiled and reached out to hook his neck, patting his chest to guarantee, “Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll keep an eye on them. I’ll make sure they don’t die.” He flashed that signature bright smile, which was quite healing.

Perhaps it was because of that smile that Shen Man, who wasn’t fond of physical contact, didn’t push his hand away.

The night market was bustling. The narrow street was lined with all kinds of small shops, selling food, toys, and even a few fortune-telling booths.

This was Shen Man’s first time at such a night market.

The smell of food filled the air, and the surroundings were filled with music, chatter, and the laughter of strangers. He had stepped out of his solitary world into the mundane, with Xu Zhouye, who was walking beside him, laughing carefree.

“Ge, want to eat this?” Xu Zhouye stopped and pointed to a small stall selling sausages. “They make their own sausages here, and they’re really tasty.”

“Sure.” Shen Man nodded.

Xu Zhouye happily bought two sausages and handed one to Shen Man.

The taste was indeed good. After being grilled over charcoal, it had a fragrant wood smoke flavor. Xu Zhouye ate quickly, finishing his in just two bites, then stared at Shen Man expectantly.

Shen Man had only eaten half. Xu Zhouye stared at him, and Shen Man said, “…If you want more, go buy another one.”

Xu Zhouye grinned. “Heh, I’m not eating anymore.”

Shen Man: “Then why are you staring at me?”

Xu Zhouye: “Watching you eat makes it look so tasty.”

Shen Man: “…” Fine then.

Xu Zhouye, eager to join in the fun, went to buy two sticky bean cakes and handed one to Shen Man. Before Shen Man could even take a bite, Xu Zhouye stuffed the whole cake into his mouth, and then disaster struck—

“Ugh!” He chewed for three minutes but couldn’t swallow, his cheeks starting to hurt. He couldn’t chew any further, and he couldn’t swallow either, causing his eyes to redden and tears to form.

Shen Man looked at his pained expression and then glanced at the sticky bean cake in his hand. “Eat slowly, don’t choke yourself.”

Xu Zhouye struggled to speak, “How… how is this thing so chewy?”

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

Xu Zhouye: “…” The thought of Shen Man performing the Heimlich maneuver in public made him feel incredibly embarrassed.

After struggling for ten minutes, Xu Zhouye finally managed to swallow the sticky bean cake. He sat by the roadside, resting and wiping his tears. “I almost died from that thing.”

The sticky bean cake nearly killed him. Shen Man couldn’t help but smile.

Xu Zhouye grabbed the fruit juice that Shen Man had bought for him and drank it all in one go.

Shen Man said, “You should rest. Is there a bathroom nearby?”

Xu Zhouye pointed to a nearby shopping mall.

Shen Man said, “I’ll go use the restroom.”

The mall’s restroom was fairly clean. Just as Shen Man was about to take care of his business, he felt someone approaching. He wasn’t paying much attention at first, but the person walked directly to the urinal next to him, which made him feel uncomfortable. The restroom was mostly empty, and normally, no one would choose a spot right next to someone else. Shen Man stopped what he was doing and slightly turned his head, only to see the person’s face.

Almost immediately, he recognized him. His heart raced with alarm, and Shen Man took a step back.

Seeing Shen Man’s reaction, the person dropped the pretense and smiled as he leaned in closer. “Slow, I’m your fan…”

Shen Man: “…” Damn it.

The person had apparently followed him into the restroom.

Shen Man’s face darkened, regretting not wearing a mask. He didn’t respond and turned to leave, but the person grabbed his arm and shouted, “Why are you running? I’m just your fan, I won’t do anything to you!”

Shen Man coldly said, “Let go, or I’ll call the police.”

The person grinned, “What’s the use of calling the police? I haven’t done anything to you.”

Shen Man gritted his teeth, telling himself that hitting someone was illegal, so he had to endure… but damn it, he couldn’t take it anymore! He swung a punch, hitting the person squarely in the nose. The person, caught off guard, cried out in pain and let go, clutching his nose and squatting down.

Shen Man turned around, calmly rinsing the spot where the person had grabbed his arm earlier. The person was still screaming in pain while threatening to call the police on Shen Man for hitting him.

“Call the police?” Shen Man sneered. “This is the bathroom, there are no cameras. If you say I hit you, then I must have hit you, right?” He walked over to the person and kicked his shoulder without holding back, sending the person sprawling to the ground.

However, as soon as he kicked, Shen Man regretted it because the person, lying on the ground, started laughing while holding his shoulder. He said, “Slow, don’t be mad, I was just joking. You hitting me makes me happy, why would I call the police?” He chuckled while pressing on the spot where Shen Man had kicked him.

It was disgusting… Shen Man felt like he might throw up everything he’d just eaten.

Not wanting to continue dealing with him, Shen Man turned and walked away. The person, perhaps because of the strength of the kick, didn’t follow him.

When Xu Zhouye saw the mask on Shen Man’s face and the cold look in his eyes, he immediately knew something had happened.

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

Shen Man shook his head.

Xu Zhouye’s sharp eyes quickly noticed the wound on the back of Shen Man’s hand. He reached out to grab Shen Man’s hand, but Shen Man instinctively pulled away, causing the two of them to freeze.

“It’s nothing,” Shen Man realized what was happening, raised his hand to show Xu Zhouye, “Just a small scratch.”

But Xu Zhouye saw through it and asked, “You hit someone?”

Shen Man replied, “…Yeah.”

Xu Zhouye said, “Did someone follow you into the bathroom?” He guessed the truth with a single sentence.

Shen Man didn’t want to talk about it anymore. This kind of thing had been happening for a while, but it was difficult to deal with. Following didn’t constitute an actual crime, so calling the police wouldn’t help.

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

Xu Zhouye pursed his lips. “Okay.”

On the way back, the two of them talked.

Xu Zhouye didn’t dare bring up the incident again, fearing it would upset Shen Man. Instead, Shen Man casually talked about the creepy fans he’d encountered over the years. Sending things was nothing compared to the scariest moments, like when fans climbed over the walls to get into the base or when, during an out-of-town competition, someone came knocking on the hotel door in the middle of the night. The person who followed him into the bathroom yesterday was the first of that kind.

Listening to Shen Man’s seemingly indifferent tone, Xu Zhouye’s lips tightened. He finally understood why Shen Man didn’t like going out…

Perhaps sensing what Xu Zhouye was thinking, Shen Man said, “But not going out isn’t because of them. I just never liked going out since I was a kid.”

Xu Zhouye: “…” Huh?

Shen Man slowly said, “It’s just more comfortable lying on a chair…”

Xu Zhouye couldn’t help but laugh.

They thought this was just a small incident, and it passed like that.

Who would have thought that the next day, while Shen Man was still lying in bed, the door was suddenly knocked on. The manager was outside, shouting, “Man, get up, something big has happened!”

Shen Man slowly got up and went to the door. It wasn’t that he wasn’t in a hurry, but he figured if it were really something big, the manager wouldn’t be shouting like that. He opened the door. “What’s going on?”

The manager said, “Look at your Weibo!!!”

Shen Man: “…What now?” He took out his phone, opened Weibo, and saw that his account suddenly had thousands of new comments and countless private messages. He immediately recalled what happened yesterday and said, “Did the fact that I hit someone get exposed?”

“What?” The manager’s face turned pale with anger. “You really hit him?”

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

The manager trembled and said, “How did you go from being a sweetie to a big jerk after one trip?”

Shen Man: “?” Do you even hear yourself?

After a few more words, Shen Man suddenly realized he was having a miscommunication with the manager. In the manager’s words, the person who got beaten was now Xu Zhouye.

The manager said, “Man, there must be some misunderstanding. Let me mediate for you…”

Finally realizing something was wrong, Shen Man made a pause gesture. “Wait, what exactly are you talking about?”

The manager said, “Of course, I’m talking about you bullying Xu Zhouye.”

Shen Man: “?”

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

Shen Man froze for three seconds, took out his phone again, and looked at the comments on his Weibo. This time, he saw clearly. The most popular comment was a photo showing Xu Zhouye sitting next to him, with red eyes and tears in his eyes, looking at him with an expression full of grievance. Meanwhile, Shen Man, facing this sad look, was smiling with a straw in his mouth, looking indifferent and cold-hearted.

Shen Man: “…”

The manager said, “See? The evidence is clear.”

Shen Man, in a stiff tone, tried to make a last-ditch effort: “If I say he choked on a sticky bean bun, would anyone believe me?”

The manager replied, “If you’re a netizen, would you believe he choked on a sticky bean bun, or would you believe I’m Qin Shihuang?”

Shen Man had nothing more to say.

The manager said, “So, where’s Xu Zhouye? I haven’t seen him this morning. Did he leave in a fit of sadness?”

Just as he finished speaking, Xu Zhouye’s energetic voice came from behind: “Manager, good morning.”

The manager turned around and saw Xu Zhouye… holding breakfast in his hands.

The manager’s voice trembled. “Xiao Ye, why aren’t you sleeping in this morning? Where did you go?”

Xu Zhouye said, “I went for a morning run and brought breakfast for Ge.”

He said it casually, but the manager, hearing it, immediately turned to Shen Man with a “Look, look” expression. Yes, early in the morning, sending someone to buy breakfast—wasn’t that bullying?

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye still didn’t know what was going on. Seeing the strange atmosphere between the manager and Shen Man, he was a bit confused. “What’s going on? Why are you both looking at me?”

The manager walked over and gently patted his shoulder, saying, “Xiao Ye, if you’re upset, just tell me. I won’t cover for Shen Man.”

Xu Zhouye: “Huh?”

Shen Man pinched the corner of his eye. “Take a look at Weibo.”

Xu Zhouye quickly took out his phone to check Weibo. He had only recently started his account and hadn’t posted much. The only person he followed back was Shen Man. He quickly scanned through the comments and was shocked. “How was this photo taken?”

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

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

The manager asked, “Then why were you crying? Don’t tell me you choked on a sticky bean bun.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye painfully thought, you’ve already said the lines, what am I supposed to say now?

The manager didn’t care about that and said, “Xu Zhouye, if Shen Man bullied you, come to me. Even if Shen Man is a star player, we can’t tolerate bullying teammates!”

Xu Zhouye said, “It’s really not that… Manager, I wasn’t bullied. Shen Man was the one who got bullied, his hand is all scraped!”

The manager asked, “How did he get hurt? Did he scrape it while hitting you?”

Xu Zhouye replied, “I give up. I really did choke on a sticky bean bun…”

The manager glanced at Shen Man, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking indifferent and cold. “So, sticky bean bun is actually called Shen Man, huh?”

Xu Zhouye: “…” Shen Man, a sticky bean bun eater, how am I supposed to save you from this false accusation?

“Alright, alright, I won’t hit anyone next time.” Shen Man was getting annoyed, waved his hand, and admitted his guilt. “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Xu Zhouye quickly handed over the breakfast. “Ge, don’t be angry, I’ll explain everything to them.”

Shen Man took the breakfast, thanked him, and closed the door, leaving Xu Zhouye and the manager facing each other in confusion.

“You don’t seem to dislike Shen Man,” the manager said cautiously.

From Xu Zhouye, the manager didn’t see any signs of grievance or caution. Instead, when Shen Man closed the door, Xu Zhouye showed a hint of disappointment.

Xu Zhouye gritted his teeth, “I shouldn’t have eaten that sticky bean bun last night.”

The manager: “…” What does that mean? Is the sticky bean bun some kind of weird play between the two of you?