SITS CH21

Chapter 21: His Eyes

The weather forecast said there would be a storm tonight.

Blinding lightning split the pitch-black sky, and the raging wind howled, making doors and windows rattle violently.

The commotion was truly unsettling. Xu Zhouye lay on his bed with his hands behind his head. He had already been unable to sleep, and now, with all this noise, it was even worse.

Somebody’s window must have been left open—it banged repeatedly, an irritating sound that only heightened his restlessness.

If this wind kept up, the glass might shatter. He got out of bed, walked onto the balcony, and stuck his head out to see whose window was open.

It turned out to be Shen Man’s room.

Xu Zhouye checked the time—it was already past four. Shen Man was definitely asleep.

After hesitating for a moment, he stepped off the balcony and into the courtyard, braving the fierce wind as he headed toward Shen Man’s room.

The fragile window was being slammed back and forth by the wind, and the curtain billowed like a full sail.

The room was pitch black and silent. Xu Zhouye could vaguely make out Shen Man curled up on the bed. He tentatively called his name in a low voice but got no response.

With such a loud storm outside, Shen Man hadn’t woken up.

Xu Zhouye suddenly remembered Shen Man’s expression an hour ago when he had left—dim and exhausted, like a star on the verge of falling. Looking at him now, Xu Zhouye felt his own mood sink as well.

He tried to close the window, but a problem quickly arose—it could only be locked from the inside.

Xu Zhouye hesitated for a moment, then pressed his hand against the window frame and, with a nimble step, climbed into Shen Man’s room.

Uninvited, he felt a little guilty. But he reassured himself—he wasn’t doing anything bad, just closing the window for Shen Man.

After carefully securing the window, Xu Zhouye was about to leave.

But as he passed by Shen Man’s bed, he heard something strange—a faint sobbing sound, as if the person making it was enduring immense pain.

The sound came from the bed, hidden in the darkness.

Xu Zhouye’s steps halted. At first, he thought Shen Man had woken up and softly called, “Ge.” But there was no response.

Shen Man wasn’t awake. It seemed like he was having a nightmare.

Xu Zhouye hesitated, then slowly approached the bedside. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the room, revealing Shen Man’s face.

He was curled up tightly, his eyes shut fast. His black eyelashes trembled violently, as if he were trapped in a terrifying dream. His usually cold and distant face now bore an expression of helplessness and fear.

What pained Xu Zhouye the most was the wet traces on his eyelashes.

Shen Man was crying.

Xu Zhouye felt as if an invisible hand had clenched his heart.

“Grandma…” The muffled voice, choked with sobs, shattered Xu Zhouye’s last bit of restraint. He simply couldn’t leave Shen Man like this.

Gently, he reached out and stroked Shen Man’s hair, carefully comforting him the way his mother had comforted him after nightmares. In a soft voice, he murmured, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

The effect was immediate. Shen Man’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his tense body eased.

Xu Zhouye let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Did he dream about his grandmother? Xu Zhouye wondered. It must have been an unbearably sorrowful dream—so much so that someone as seemingly invincible as Shen Man would look this fragile and lost.

Shen Man’s breathing became steady, the nightmare finally fading away.

Xu Zhouye carefully withdrew his hand, tiptoed to the door, and quietly left the room.

Before leaving, he adjusted the air conditioning temperature slightly higher to keep Shen Man from catching a cold.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped out, raindrops the size of beans pelted down, quelling the relentless heat that had lingered for over ten days.

In the morning, neither of them showed up at the breakfast table, having gone to bed too late.

It wasn’t until noon that two yawning figures finally appeared in the training room.

They arrived almost at the same time, one following closely behind the other.

Shen Man looked well-rested. Xu Zhouye, on the other hand, had dark circles under his eyes.

“What were you two up to last night?” Zhao Rui eyed them suspiciously.

Shen Man ignored him. Xu Zhouye simply replied, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Zhao Rui scoffed. “The dark circles under your eyes are so bad they could pass for smoky eye makeup. What were you doing, sneaking around like a thief in the middle of the night?”

That word—thief—hit Xu Zhouye hard. He immediately recalled sneaking into Shen Man’s room the night before and felt a pang of guilt. “No, just didn’t sleep well.”

He glanced at Shen Man.

When he left last night, he hadn’t been able to lock the door. He wondered if Shen Man had noticed.

Shen Man’s expression remained indifferent. He responded coolly, “None of your business.”

Zhao Rui: “?”

Wait. Xu Zhouye, why are you looking at Shen Man? Did Shen Man keep you up last night? You two are seriously giving off a weird vibe.

Shen Man didn’t seem to have noticed the unlocked door. He casually found a spot and sat down.

With the playoffs underway, the atmosphere had become livelier. Their coach had them reviewing matches while analyzing their strategies.

HCC had four slots for the Global Championship.

ACE had already secured a spot in the playoffs with the best record. Now, their performance in the playoffs would determine the strength of their opponents in the global championship.

Today, UN was playing against another team in a BO5 format.

“UN lost again? That’s crazy,” Zhao Rui remarked in surprise.

“Didn’t they get upset by MIN last week?” Xu Xiaochong said, munching on a bag of chips. “Their bot lane got completely wrecked.”

“Bot lane?” Xu Zhouye suddenly remembered something and glanced at Shen Man. “MIN’s AD isn’t that your little fanboy?”

Shen Man barely reacted, replying flatly, “Where do you get so many fanboys from?”

“Actually, he is your fan,” Zhao Rui said with a smirk. “He even asked me for your autographed photo the other day.”

Shen Man looked unimpressed. “Are you some kind of social butterfly? How do you know so many people?”

Then he changed the subject. “Hurry up and practice your Reedgrass. The global championship meta will definitely require it.”

Zhao Rui grinned. “That’s because you keep duo-queuing with Xu Zhouye and never play with anyone else.”

Shen Man sneered. “Rank. We’re not sleeping until we hit 1,000 LP tonight.”

Zhao Rui: “……”

Thanks to UN, MIN—who had been losing all season—finally secured their first win. The whole team celebrated with champagne. Compared to them, UN’s faces were so dark it looked like they were the ones at the bottom of the rankings. This was a classic case of “those with nothing to lose have nothing to fear.”

During the team meeting, the coach meticulously analyzed their lineup, strategies, every team fight, and even the exact placement of vision wards. ACE had a significant opportunity this year, and they needed to refine every detail.

The playoffs lasted for over a month, and their match was scheduled for the end of the month.

Shen Man made the most of the time, helping Zhao Rui practice his weak support role.

They played ranked for hours. Sometimes, Xu Zhouye would sit beside them, watching. Zhao Rui asked him what he was looking at, and he joked, “Considering a role swap to support?”

Zhao Rui couldn’t stand that suggestion. He looked horrified. “Bro, do you have a problem with me? I can change, okay?”

Xu Zhouye grinned. “Zhao-ge, I wouldn’t dare have a problem with you.”

Zhao Rui: “……” So sarcastic. I should just strangle him.

Xu Zhouye chuckled. In truth, he envied Zhao Rui for being able to duo queue with Shen Man all the time. Since they mainly played bot lane together, it was hard for him to join in.

Zhao Rui suddenly asked, “By the way, has any team tried to poach you lately?” He was casually chatting while selecting champions, but Xu Zhouye’s response almost made him choke.

“Which team are you asking about?” Xu Zhouye asked.

Shen Man and Zhao Rui both froze and turned to stare at him.

Xu Zhouye looked back at them, innocent. “Why are you looking at me?”

Zhao Rui’s voice trembled. “Not just one team?”

Xu Zhouye nodded. “Not just one, quite a few.”

Zhao Rui: “…… When did this happen?”

Xu Zhouye thought for a moment. “Uh, after we beat TKR. A few more reached out after that.” Then, he frowned. “But how do they all know my salary is low? Who spread that?”

Zhao Rui’s vision darkened.

Shen Man was calmer. He asked, “What do you think?”

Xu Zhouye was confused. “Huh?”

Shen Man hesitated. He wanted to ask Xu Zhouye about his plans for next season but felt it was the wrong time. With his current performance, even without winning the championship, his salary would skyrocket. If ACE’s offer wasn’t satisfactory next season, leaving would be a logical choice.

Players like him were always in demand. Clubs would pay astronomical prices for a top-tier jungler.

“It’s nothing,” Shen Man withdrew his gaze. “Just curious.”

Xu Zhouye tilted his head. “Ge, are you asking if I’ll leave next season?”

Shen Man didn’t expect him to be so direct. For some reason, he felt a little embarrassed and gave a quiet “Mm.”

“I’m not leaving.” Xu Zhouye’s response was firm. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Why?” Shen Man was surprised by his certainty.

“Take a guess,” Xu Zhouye said with a sly smile, his eyes shining as he looked at Shen Man.

Shen Man met his gaze and, for once, felt an unusual sense of panic. He forced himself to stay calm. “Game’s starting.”

The match began.

Zhao Rui’s Reedgrass was just as abstract as his love life.

So abstract that Shen Man felt his forehead veins twitch. After three games, he finally lost patience. “Zhao Rui, what the hell are you doing? How did you even manage to play like this?”

Zhao Rui was also baffled by his own performance. He muttered weakly, “I think it’s the champion’s problem.”

Shen Man asked, “Why would it be the champion’s problem?”

Zhao Rui replied, “Have you noticed? Reedgrass is the only support in the pro meta that can lane with his in-game wife.”

Shen Man: “……”

Looking at the current meta, that was indeed the only duo couple viable in pro play.

Shen Man ground his teeth. “What should we do? Want me to contact the lore writers and have them break up?”

Zhao Rui’s eyes lit up. “For real?”

Shen Man: “……” You’re actually brain-damaged.

Feeling hurt by Shen Man’s disdain, Zhao Rui choked up. “You go solo queue. I’ll practice alone. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

Shen Man turned immediately. “Xu Zhouye, duo queue, let’s go.”

Xu Zhouye was already selecting items, but he instantly backed out. “On it.” He switched accounts, glanced at Zhao Rui, and grinned. “Ge, I’ll play Reedgrass this time.”

Zhao Rui: “?”

Shen Man nodded. “Let’s go.”

Zhao Rui didn’t even start a new match. He crossed his arms and watched from behind, thinking, Alright, Xu Zhouye, I’ll see how good you are.

Twenty minutes later, he started doubting himself.

Xu Zhouye and Shen Man’s synergy was frighteningly smooth. Their coordination was seamless, like a destined duo straight out of the game’s lore. They barely needed communication—it felt as if Xu Zhouye had been playing alongside Shen Man in pro play for years instead of Zhao Rui.

How could they be this in sync? Zhao Rui couldn’t understand. Xu Zhouye was full of surprises, and when paired with Shen Man—who had stunned everyone from the moment he entered the pro scene—they were terrifyingly perfect together.

Zhao Rui recalled how Qin Yixing and Shen Man had once been hailed as HCC’s twin stars. But now, he felt that title suited Xu Zhouye even more.

He sighed in relief—thankfully, Xu Zhouye wasn’t a support main. Otherwise, his own job would be in danger.

After they secured an easy win, Shen Man, having compared Zhao Rui and Xu Zhouye’s performances, gave Xu Zhouye’s support a glowing review.

Zhao Rui quickly said, “Hey, I’m actually pretty decent with hook champions!”

Shen Man gave him a look. His voice dropped to a murmur. “Fine, fine, I’ll go practice.”

Shen Man’s reaction wasn’t unwarranted. Zhao Rui’s Reedgrass was notoriously bad in the league. If opponents wanted to counter ACE, they could just ban Reedgrass. If they let it through, Zhao Rui would pick it and underperform. Not picking it meant they left a meta-support open, putting them at a disadvantage.

Draft phase decisions played a crucial role in win rates, and they couldn’t afford to take it lightly.

——

As the playoffs progressed, ACE’s schedule was confirmed.

No surprises—they were set to face TKR on the night of the 28th.

Despite their intensive training, the team’s atmosphere remained relaxed.

Around 8 PM, Shen Man was grinding ranked when he got a call from security. Someone had come to see him.

Since the base had experienced incidents before, security was extra cautious. Shen Man held his phone between his shoulder and ear. “Who is it?”

A familiar voice came through. “It’s me, Manman.”

Shen Man: “……”

Lu Ni called his name again. “Manman.”

“…Let her in,” Shen Man said.

He hung up, and his screen turned black and white as his Nexus exploded. He exited his stream.

A moment later, Lu Ni appeared at the entrance.

She was beautifully dressed in a simple long dress, with a delicate brooch pinned to her chest. Her expression was cautious as she approached Shen Man.

“Manman,” she called softly.

“Let’s talk in my room.” Shen Man stood up.

“Okay.” Lu Ni nodded.

Inside, Shen Man poured her a glass of water and sat across from her.

This was their third meeting. Compared to before, the atmosphere was less awkward. However, what unsettled Lu Ni was that Shen Man seemed even colder than before. He sat with his hands clasped, his expression indifferent, like he was facing a stranger.

She could no longer see any of the hesitation from their first meeting.