Chapter 43

Shenhe came out through the back door, ready to take a taxi back to the hotel.

Just as I turned the corner, I saw Chen Yuchuan standing by the car, talking on the phone, his shoulders tense. Even though I could only see his profile, I could tell he was suppressing his anger. The moment he saw Chen He, he hung up the phone, his expression instantly relaxed, and he forced a smile.

He tossed his phone back into the car and walked towards Shen He. But when his gaze fell on the flowers in Shen He's arms, his smile froze, and his eyes darkened.

Who sent it?

Before Shen He could speak, Chen Yuchuan stepped forward and snatched the bouquet of flowers from his arms.

The movement was so fast that Chenhe didn't even have time to react.

The next second, Chen Yuchuan threw the bouquet of flowers to the ground, and a few white petals scattered.

Chen Yuchuan said coldly, "You have the nerve to give me something so shabby?"

He gestured with his chin towards the sports car parked by the roadside. The passenger seat was open, crammed with a large bouquet of flowers that almost filled the entire seat. Black roses were paired with a few blue flowers of unknown origin; the colors were somber and intense, possessing a kind of violent beauty.

Shen He glanced at it and thought it was indeed quite beautiful. Then it suddenly dawned on him: had this guy lost his mind?

He didn't speak, but bent down to pick up the flowers from the ground. The wrapping paper and white petals were covered in mud. Chen He frowned almost imperceptibly; after all, it was a gift from someone else, and it would be impolite to damage it.

Chen Yuchuan stood to the side, his expression becoming somewhat complicated. He stared at Shen He picking up the flowers, his Adam's apple bobbing, as if he regretted it but couldn't bring himself to apologize. In the end, he simply looked away and reached for a cigarette.

Shen He picked up the flowers again and asked calmly, "Didn't I tell you not to come looking for me?"

"I didn't contact you." Chen Yuchuan shrugged, put a cigarette in his mouth, thought for a moment, and then threw it away.

"I just happened to be here. I stopped you as you were passing by. It doesn't count as me looking for you."

Shen He glanced at him: "Okay, what a coincidence. Then please move aside, I need to get a taxi."

After saying that, he walked around Chen Yuchuan and went forward.

"Wait a minute," Chen Yuchuan called out to him.

He stopped in the river and didn't look back.

"You're angry because I like you, right?" Chen Yuchuan's voice came from behind, with a twisted sense of self-righteousness. "Then I'll just stop liking you."

Shen He turned around, his brows furrowing unusually; it was unclear what he was planning to do.

"I love you," Chen Yuchuan said confidently, but the smile on his face was stiff.

Shen He was silent for a few seconds: "What exactly do you want?"

Chen Yuchuan walked up to him, placed the flowers in his arms, and hugged him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Chen Yuchuan lowered his voice, "He wants to pursue you."

Shen He felt goosebumps all over his body and really wanted to take out his phone and call the police on the spot: "Don't chase me, I'm scared."

He pushed Chen Yuchuan away and put the flowers back in his arms.

If he hadn't been holding something in his hand, he might have even wanted to punch Chen Yuchuan; this guy's skin was so thick it deserved a beating.

“I know,” Chen Yuchuan said, “I disagree.”

"..."

"There's no point in you doing this."

Chen Yuchuan, holding the bouquet of black flowers, followed closely behind: "I've done plenty of meaningless things."

"I really don't have time to mess around with you."

“You have them.” Chen Yuchuan pointed to the white roses in his arms, a smile on his face, but his voice sounded a little hoarse. “You can accept flowers from other suitors but not mine. That’s not fair to me.”

"This wasn't a gift from one of my suitors," Shen He said helplessly.

"Then you have to give me a chance." Chen Yuchuan stopped him, but his eyes showed a completely different side, filled with a forced smile and anxiety.

Shen He looked at him for a while, then sighed: "Let me think about it."

Back in his hotel room, Shen He stared at the two bouquets of flowers.

They were both quite an eyesore. He rubbed his temples, thinking that he would have to move these two useless things back to his dorm tomorrow.

Chen Yuchuan's situation is just like these two bouquets of flowers. Now, whenever he sees Chen Yuchuan, he automatically associates it with "he likes me," and the trouble is unavoidable.

Although they had been separated for several years, they had known each other for far too long, from their school days to their professional gaming careers, from brothers to their current awkward situation. Shen He had considered ending things completely, like last time, cleanly and neatly, to avoid further complications, but when it came to that, he felt a little guilty towards Chen Yuchuan. After all, Chen Yuchuan hadn't done anything wrong, yet he had been treated like a servant, summoned and dismissed at will.

Moreover, it's not a relationship that can be completely severed.

What the doctor said made a lot of sense at the time. But when Chen Yuchuan actually stood in front of him, he realized he had no idea what to do.

How can Chen Yuchuan be treated as both an animal and a human?

He tried to treat Chen Yuchuan like an animal: stubborn, shameless, and unreasonable.

But then again, he's too smart. He knows when to make a joke and when to soften his edge. Aside from his liking for it, he knows Shenhe's bottom line.

Animals don't do that, but humans do.

But once you treat him as a human being, his actions become less funny.

After returning to the base, Shen He basically didn't go out again.

He lay in bed for almost a week, not playing games, not running, not answering the phone, and occasionally reading and eating.

The two bouquets of flowers withered one after another, and Shen He was at a loss for what to do with them. He glanced at the finals that night; VLG had lost, 1-2. Not exactly a crushing defeat, but close. Their opponents played exceptionally well. Although the problem wasn't with Chen Yuchuan, a popular player like him was bound to face scrutiny. Shen He looked at the chaotic speculation on the forum and couldn't help but laugh, feeling a bit sorry for him.

But the smile quickly faded.

That day, Chen Yuchuan insisted on giving him flowers, which was captured on camera by a passing fan.

"Shocking..."

"Are you two playing such a big game behind our backs?"

"I'm really begging you..."

"It seems to be that one, the male contact list."

"I looked up the meaning of the flowers and I'm hooked."

"What straight male friend would give a gift like this?"

"Styx's impatient expression is so authentically sister-in-law-like (thumbs up)."

"My sister-in-law has quite a temper (thinking)."

"Styx is cold to everyone else, but why does he have so many emotions when facing Trump? It's making me cry."

"There's no obligation for straight men."

Chen Yuchuan definitely shouldn't be considered straight anymore. As for himself? He seems uninterested in everything, so he doesn't quite fit the straight mold either. Shen He's feelings were a bit complicated.

The ASG season has officially entered its off-season. Shenhe simply booked a plane ticket for himself, departing in three days, planning to visit N City, just to have some fun and take it one step at a time.

The day before his departure, the manager came to see him.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Shen He walked into the conference room and immediately sensed something was off as soon as he sat down. There were three or four senior executives sitting in the room.

The manager looked at him, hesitated for two seconds, and then spoke.

"Regarding next season... there is a possible change."

Shen He leaned back in his chair, expressionless: "What changes?"

“VLG,” the manager said in a relaxed tone, “would like you to go there.”

Shen He's brow twitched slightly: "Transfer?"

“Hmm.” The manager paused. “Actually, we had this idea last year. Their AD carry had a serious hand injury and was planning to retire after winning the championship. But as you know, the league has always been short of top-tier AD carries, so he played another season. This year, his old injury has recurred, and it’s basically confirmed that he will have to leave the competition.”

Shen He didn't speak, waiting for him to finish.

“This wasn’t decided today,” the manager continued. “They’ve been looking for someone for a while, but they weren’t quite satisfied with any of them. Now you’re the most suitable person, and this is definitely an opportunity for you.”

Shen He smiled and said, "Did ASG sell me out?"

The manager choked, his face bearing the expression that said, "Don't put it so harshly."

"It's not a sale. The major shareholders of ASG and VLG are the same company. As you know, esports teams are usually club brands, but the operators and investors behind them may be the same."

He paused for a moment, then explained, "In other words, we are actually two teams under the same parent company. But you contacted us first, and we wanted to acquire a player like you as soon as possible, so we finalized the deal first."

Shen He stared at the table, not responding immediately.

“Of course, the decision is yours,” the manager said. “If you don’t want to go, stay at ASG. Your happiness is the most important thing.”

Shen He looked at him suspiciously; something about those words sounded rather strange.

Another executive suddenly spoke up: "VLG has a more flexible management style, a good team atmosphere, and not much pressure. Your playstyle might be more free and comfortable for you there."

Shen He was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "Did VLG also want to sign me back then?"

The man nodded: "Yes. Actually, VLG was the one who first had the intention."

Shen He understood.

"I'll think about it." He stood up, his tone indifferent.

"Okay, take your time to think it over. No rush. We can handle all the other procedures."

Shen He returned to his hometown as planned.

He didn't contact anyone; he just went alone to the back hill of the park where he used to ride his bike.

The benches along the roadside have long been renovated, and many new plants have been planted on them.

He walked to the familiar tree and stood there for a while. He had buried the dog under this relatively secluded tree, but something had dug it up, and now even the small mound of earth was nowhere to be seen.

The next stop was N City. The scenery was beautiful, and the climate was pleasant. He visited a few attractions, but mainly spent his time eating, resting, and relaxing.

On the third day, he saw Chen Yuchuan at a roadside stall.

The moment their eyes met, Shen He didn't stop walking or say hello.

Chen Yuchuan didn't come closer, but followed him from a distance. Shen He didn't chase him away, but he didn't say much either.

In the evening, we circled around to the old town, where there were far fewer people than in the tourist areas.

After a short while, Chen He suddenly stopped walking.

In the nearby green belt, a cat lay motionless on its side.

He took a few steps closer, squatted down, and took a look. Blood was seeping from the corner of the cat's eye and nose, and its hind legs were still twitching unconsciously.

Chen Yuchuan followed, glanced at the cat casually, then looked up at Chen He, before taking out his phone: "I'll get someone to come and take a look."

"No need," Shen He said calmly.

"Why not use it?" Chen Yuchuan dialed the phone. "What if it can still be saved?"

"It's hopeless," Shen He said. "Life and death are in the hands of fate."

He withdrew his hand, stood up, and dusted off his hands.

"It's still moving, how do you know it can't be saved?" Chen Yuchuan stared at his face, trying to catch a trace of emotion from that overly calm face, but found nothing.

"My neck was broken," Shen He said. "Do you think I wasted my college education?"

Chen Yuchuan stared at him silently for a few seconds. Shen He's face was cold, but his gaze was elsewhere, no longer looking at the cat.

"How will we know if we don't try?" Chen Yuchuan said, then gave the location to the person on the other end of the phone.

The person arrived quickly, but after checking, still shook their head.

"He has a fractured cervical spine and internal bleeding; he's already beyond saving."

Chen Yuchuan had the vet take the cat away for treatment. The street returned to silence. He took a cigarette, but didn't light it; he just took a deep drag, his brows furrowed tightly.

"How could it not be saved?" His voice was tinged with frustration. "Which damn bastard did this? If I find him, I'll fucking kill him."

Shen He stood there, looking at the spot where the cat had just been lying, where there was still a trace of blood on the ground.

He turned his head and looked at Chen Yuchuan.

Chen Yuchuan looked impatient, but not like he was feeling sorry for the cat.

"Is it really necessary to be so angry?" Shen He asked. "It's just a cat."

Chen Yuchuan turned his head to look at him.

“Actually, whether it’s a person or an animal,” he suddenly said, “if they die, they die, it’s none of my business.”

Shen He looked at him without saying a word.

Chen Yuchuan said, "It's just one life, it's no big deal."

His voice was cold as he spoke, and his expression conveyed an indifference that seemed to run deep within him.

"But I can't bear to see you suffer."

Shen He was taken aback; he hadn't expected Chen Yuchuan to speak so frankly.

He meant to say, "I'm not feeling unwell," but the words that came out were something else entirely.

How did you know I was feeling unwell?

Chen Yuchuan looked at him and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"I could smell it," he said, with a hint of joking. "Your aura is off."

Shenhe didn't continue the topic and walked to the roadside to sit down. He was already very tired today, so he decided to take a taxi back to the hotel.

Chen Yuchuan sat down next to him.

"I might go to VLG."

Chen Yuchuan paused for a moment.

"You agreed?" he asked, his voice slightly tense.

"Not yet," Shen He said. "I'm thinking about it."

Chen Yuchuan was silent for a few seconds, then chuckled.

"What are you still thinking about?" he said. "Come on."

Shen He turned to look at him: "ASG is pretty good."

Chen Yuchuan finally couldn't hold back any longer: "VLG can give you three times the signing fee from ASG, and the salary is much higher too. Is your meager salary at ASG enough to buy all those random merchandise and figurines?"

Chen Yuchuan was still complaining when Shen He suddenly smiled.

Chen Yuchuan was quite clever when he was being cunning and sweet-talking behind his back, but when he casually tested him, the other party exposed everything. It was the same thing in that game last time.

“How stupid,” Shen He suddenly said, just like the stupid dog that used to always follow him around.

Chen Yuchuan didn't react in time. Shen He stood up, patted his head, and said, "The car has arrived."