SITS Ch9

Chapter 9: Filming

Although he had a cold, this week’s match went smoothly without any mishaps, and the team secured the victory.

Currently, ACE and TKR are tied for first place on the leaderboard.

Thanks to Xu Zhouye’s outstanding performance, he has quickly become a rising star among HCC’s jungle players. In just two weeks, his Weibo followers have surpassed 300,000 and are steadily approaching the 500,000 mark.

This is the nature of esports: results are everything.

While the team won the match, Shen Man’s cough showed no signs of improving.

The manager was so worried that he kept urging Shen Man to see a doctor.

Shen Man found it troublesome. Although he agreed verbally, he stayed put at the base without making a move.

In the end, the manager lost his temper and said, “Are you planning to die in the base and blame it on me?!”

Shen Man, who was eating an orange Xu Zhouye had peeled for him, responded lightly to the manager’s emotional outburst, “I’ll be sure to crawl out before I die.”

The manager exclaimed, “Brother, you’re my big brother! How old are you now, and you still won’t go see a doctor?”

Shen Man replied, “Didn’t you put off your hemorrhoid treatment for three months too?”

The manager: “…”

Xu Zhouye, who was eavesdropping nearby: “…”

“And in the end, Liu Shishi dragged you out of the bathroom,” Shen Man added in a flat tone, dropping a bombshell in the manager’s ear. “He even helped you put your pants back on.”

“Ahhhh! Die in the base if you want! I won’t care anymore!!” The manager roared angrily and slammed the door as he stormed off.

Shen Man popped the last piece of orange into his mouth and coughed twice before glancing at Xu Zhouye’s shaking shoulders. “He’s gone. Laugh if you want to.”

Xu Zhouye burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! What even is this?”

Shen Man said, “He lost so much blood that he passed out in the bathroom. I wasn’t there at the time but heard about it later from Liu Shishi and the others.”

Xu Zhouye laughed even harder. “This actually happened?”

Shen Man pulled a tissue and leisurely wiped his hands. “Stuff like this happens all the time. That’s why people say ACE is the joke of HCC.”

This statement wasn’t without basis. From Zhao Rui sharing questionable links to the manager fainting in the bathroom due to hemorrhoids, to the coach being mistaken for an intruder and beaten up by their own security guards—ACE’s misfortunes never seemed to end.

Last winter, during a competition, one player even invited Zhao Rui to go ice skating, insisting on showing off graceful moves on the ice. While spinning, he skated too far, fell, and broke three ribs.

When Shen Man heard about it, he nearly blacked out. He wondered if the team’s name, ACE, was cursed to bring them down. (In the game, “ACE” means getting wiped out.)

“Captain, this isn’t working for you either,” Xu Zhouye said. “You’ve been coughing for nearly half a month. If you drag this out any longer, it’ll be harder to recover.”

Shen Man sighed. “True, I’ll book an appointment and get it checked out someday.”

Xu Zhouye thought Shen Man wasn’t afraid of seeing the doctor—after all, he had casually removed his own IV needle before—but for some reason, he just wasn’t willing to go.

Two days later, after relentless urging from everyone at the base, Shen Man finally went to the hospital. He had a chest X-ray, and after confirming there were no lung issues, the doctor prescribed some medication for him to take home.

The medication filled an entire large bag. Shen Man carried it back and casually tossed it onto the table.

“Tomorrow afternoon, we’re filming the promo video,” the manager said gloomily as he walked by, looking like a wronged ghost.

“Got it,” Shen Man replied.

“How’s your cough? What did the doctor say?” the manager asked.

“No lung problems. Just need to take the meds for now,” Shen Man answered.

The manager said, “Eat properly these days. Look how skinny you are; it makes my heart ache.”

Shen Man: “…Don’t disgust me.”

Seeing that Shen Man seemed fine—at least he hadn’t coughed during their conversation—the manager finally left, smiling.

Shen Man slowly unpacked the bag of medicine. There were so many types that it made his head spin. Just looking at it made him feel full. Hesitating for a moment, he was about to put everything back when someone pressed down on the bag.

“Captain, is this the medicine you got from the hospital?” Xu Zhouye suddenly appeared and examined the bag. “So much of it?”

Shen Man said, “I don’t think it’s that serious.” As soon as he said that, he felt the urge to cough but held it back, quickly drinking a big gulp of water.

Seeing through Shen Man’s actions, Xu Zhouye’s expression was teasing but he said nothing. Instead, he began taking out the medications one by one, unwrapping them and reading the instructions.

“What are you doing?” Shen Man asked.

Xu Zhouye replied softly without looking up, “Nothing, Captain. I’m just sorting them out for you so you can take them directly.”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye added, “It’ll be easier this way. Be good and finish them, okay?”

Shen Man suddenly felt a bit awkward. Xu Zhouye was three years younger than him, but his tone sounded like he was coaxing a child. Shen Man coughed lightly. “No need, I can do it myself.”

Xu Zhouye, however, snatched the bag. “It’s fine. I like doing this.”

Shen Man: “…” Kids these days sure are strange.

And so, the chaotic pile of medicine was neatly divided into daily portions, each tidily packed into small bags. Shen Man couldn’t refuse and had to thank him.

“No problem. We’re filming tomorrow. I heard it’ll be tiring, so make sure you get some rest tonight,” Xu Zhouye reminded him.

“Alright,” Shen Man replied.

Despite their mediocre performance last year, ACE remained a sponsor favorite, thanks to the star player Shen Man.

This year’s black-and-gold-themed team uniforms were covered in various advertisement logos, so flashy they looked like billboards.

The shoot for today had been scheduled in last year’s contract. It was an ad for a major car brand, and without a doubt, Shen Man was the star of this shoot.

The day before, he was repeatedly reminded to sleep early, drink less water, and maybe even put on a face mask—though the manager didn’t really expect Shen Man to follow through. If he could just show up alive at the shoot the next day, it’d be a miracle.

The manager’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled when Shen Man arrived at the shooting location.

With tears welling in his eyes, the manager looked like a father finally sending his kid off to college. “I’ve delivered the person to you; now you better keep a close watch.”

Shen Man: “?” What, is he sick or something? Did he think Shen Man was going to run away?

Xu Zhouye arrived a little later. When he got there, Shen Man was already surrounded by several people—stylists and makeup artists. Shen Man sat quietly in the chair like a beautiful porcelain doll.

The girl doing Shen Man’s makeup couldn’t stop complimenting his flawless skin and good looks.

“Oh, you’re Fest, right?” A staff member recognized Xu Zhouye and called out, “Come over here; you’re next after Shen Man is done.”

An announcer had once joked that Shen Man’s face was the front of HCC. This was a double entendre, praising both his skills and his appearance.

Even without makeup, Shen Man’s face held up against the harshest lighting and unfiltered cameras, looking stunning on screen.

With professional makeup, his beauty reached another level entirely.

The makeup artist gave Shen Man a subtle look, applying light eyeshadow and eyeliner to accentuate the depth of his eyes. His otherwise aloof expression softened slightly with pale lip gloss, making him look both alluring and irresistible. The contour on his nose was faint, giving it a refined, sculpted appearance.

His hair was meticulously styled. Sitting there with his eyes half-closed, he exuded an air of lazy nobility. Even a casual glance from him could set someone’s heart racing.

Xu Zhouye couldn’t take his eyes off him, completely captivated.

“All done, Master Shen,” the staff member said after finishing Shen Man’s makeup. “Go change your clothes now.” After speaking, her gaze landed on Xu Zhouye sitting nearby, and her eyes lit up, though it wasn’t clear why.

Xu Zhouye felt a chill run down his back under her gaze.

“Come on, handsome, have a seat.” The makeup artist beckoned to him.

Xu Zhouye sat in the chair Shen Man had just vacated. As Shen Man got up, he noticed Xu Zhouye’s bewildered look, sighed, and patted his shoulder. “I’m done. Good luck.”

Xu Zhouye: “Huh?”

Shen Man turned and went to change.

Ten minutes later, Xu Zhouye understood what Shen Man meant by “good luck.” When the makeup artist made him hold his eyes wide open while brushing his lashes, he felt like he’d turned into an oversized doll. The discomfort made him want to blink, but he wasn’t allowed to. Instead, she told him to open his eyes even wider.

“You’ve got a great base, but your hair’s hiding your looks.” The makeup artist seemed to have discovered a new world and grew excited. “Come, come, let me give you a new hairstyle. I promise it’ll look amazing.”

Xu Zhouye gently protested, “It doesn’t have to be that amazing.”

“Of course, it does! You’re paying for this!” the makeup artist said.

Xu Zhouye: “…Fair enough.”

Shen Man changed into his outfit, a custom-designed ACE uniform. The outfit was tailored to their measurements, with additional design touches, making it more stylish and fitting than their usual uniforms.

After changing, Shen Man found a corner to sit and drink water, resting.

About half an hour later, Xu Zhouye finished as well. He pushed the door open and entered to change clothes.

Shen Man looked up at him, surprised.

“What?” Xu Zhouye walked over to him, a little self-conscious. “Why does the captain look like that? Is my makeup weird?”

“No,” Shen Man replied, “You look great.”

He truly did. The makeup artist had combed Xu Zhouye’s previously messy hair back, leaving a few bangs that revealed part of his forehead. The hairstyle perfectly highlighted his sharp features and handsome profile. His eyebrows had been slightly shaped to appear more striking. His thin lips and the way he lowered his eyes gave off an imposing aura, almost oppressive when he wasn’t smiling.

Looking at this version of Xu Zhouye reminded Shen Man of someone. After thinking about it for a moment, he realized it was Xu Zhouye in the game.

Zhao Rui had once joked that Xu Zhouye in-game was a completely different person. His gentle, smiling demeanor in reality was entirely at odds with his aggressive, domineering playstyle as a carry. While softly advocating peace, he would execute a ruthless combo that metaphorically chewed opponents to pieces.

Thinking of this, Shen Man turned his head to glance at him.

Xu Zhouye noticed his movement and asked, “Captain, why are you looking at me?”

“Nothing,” Shen Man said. “Go change your clothes.”

Xu Zhouye obediently agreed.

The other team members also finished their makeup, and they were ready to shoot.

The shoot was exhausting. They filmed a promo video and took two sets of still photos.

Shen Man, still unwell, had to keep drinking water and taking throat lozenges to suppress the itch in his throat. Despite this, they managed to complete the shoot smoothly.

While resting, Xu Zhouye overheard two staff members quietly chatting.

“Isn’t there always talk online about how Shen Man has a bad temper? He doesn’t seem so bad to me.”

“Yeah, not bad. He’s coughing like crazy, yet he’s still cooperative.”

“And he’s ridiculously good-looking.”

“Exactly. His skin is incredible. I thought his fans must have Photoshopped his pictures, but seeing him today, it’s completely unedited.”

“Not just unedited—he looks even better in person.”

“I’ve got to get his autograph later. My little brother’s a fan of his.”

“Haha, I’m getting one from Xu Zhouye. Who knew he was so handsome?”

“…”

Hearing the conversation, Xu Zhouye couldn’t help but chuckle—he couldn’t help it. Anytime someone praised Shen Man, he would unconsciously smile.