Chapter 29
Shen He turned to the side, creating some distance, and then dragged over a chair to sit down.
Even though there were plenty of empty seats, the person sat down right next to him, behaving elegantly and gracefully, yet exuding an undeniable confidence, as if they were very close.
"I never expected to see you again." The man chuckled softly, his tone gentle and friendly. "It's been a long time, Xiaohe."
Shen He clicked his tongue, too lazy to even look up, a flash of annoyance crossing his face. He didn't like being called that now, especially in this kind of situation.
The manager noticed Shenhe's coldness and quickly took over the conversation: "The schedule has been tight lately, with many training matches scheduled. Shenhe only managed to squeeze out the time to come over with great difficulty."
He turned to Chen He, his face showing curiosity: "You two knew each other before? No wonder I've been wanting to meet you."
Shen He didn't respond. He casually picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of water, and as he looked down, he heard the other person chuckle softly.
“We used to be classmates.” Zhou Wen’s voice was clear, with a hint of amusement at the end.
The manager suddenly realized, and his expression relaxed a bit: "That explains it, it turns out to be an old friend."
Shen He looked up and saw that the other person was also looking over, with a gentle expression.
Shen He didn't speak and looked away.
Zhou Wen is not a friend, but he is definitely a classmate.
The students at that school were all very open about their family wealth. Shen He, who got in through connections from his hometown, could barely be considered to have climbed the social ladder, while Chen Yuchuan had essentially "exiled" himself there.
Zhou Wen, though seemingly humble and polite, always seemed out of place to some.
He was tall and thin, with an unnaturally pale complexion. His clothes were neat and clean, made of decent material, but there was something off about the details: the shirt cuffs were a little short, and the trousers were a bit loose, neither fit quite right. Some people said behind his back that he was an illegitimate child, while others said that although his family was wealthy, his parents didn't care about him.
Having taken two years off due to illness, and being two years older than his classmates, he probably treated those who gossiped behind his back as little kids, and never got into any conflicts with anyone. Even when someone unintentionally brought up his family in a joking tone, he would just smile indifferently and was gentle to everyone. He had good grades and a good temper, and even his teachers liked to use him as a role model.
For a while, Shenhe and he got along quite well, having eaten together a few times. This excellent student even accompanied Shenhe to internet cafes a few times. However, he suddenly turned cold and made sarcastic remarks to Shenhe. Shenhe, realizing he wasn't a good-tempered person, stopped paying attention to him and they gradually lost contact.
Now, Zhou Wen sits under the lights, wearing a well-fitting shirt with perfectly straight cuffs and a subtly luxurious watch on his wrist. Every movement is just right, exuding elegance, refinement, and impeccable manners.
Shen He felt an indescribable awkwardness. He looked down at himself: a loose hoodie, comfortable sneakers, and a generally relaxed and casual demeanor. Then he looked at the other person; although they were only a few years apart, their temperament and mannerisms seemed to come from a different generation.
I couldn't help but think to myself: It's loaded with cargo.
Shenhe took a sip of water and didn't look at him again.
Zhou Wen chuckled softly, a laugh that seemed both understanding of his silence and a sign that he had grown accustomed to this coldness. He softened his tone: "You don't like crowds, and I was afraid of bothering you. I haven't visited you at the base for a while because I was afraid you'd find it annoying."
He spoke so naturally, as if all his decisions were well thought out and made with Shenhe's best interests at heart.
Shen He listened, a cold smile creeping across his face. How did this person's personality change like this?
Zhou Wen continued, "How's it going at ASG? Is the food in the cafeteria to your liking?"
"It's alright," Shen He replied succinctly. The food at ASG was indeed excellent; if he hadn't been exercising regularly, he would have gained weight long ago.
Zhou Wen nodded, as if relieved: "That's good. When I talked to them before, I specifically made a few requests to the cafeteria. After all, you used to be quite picky about food."
Shen He felt his patience rapidly dwindling. Before he could even speak, the manager chimed in with interest, "Actually, we had just adjusted the cafeteria's menu and operations before Shen He came. His timing was really perfect; the old cafeteria was nothing compared to the current one."
Zhou Wen's smile froze for a moment. He was silent for a short while, then continued, "Are you getting used to living here? It's much colder here in spring than where we are."
"Your area," Shen He interrupted, his tone indifferent, "I haven't been back in a long time. The place I lived before was even colder in spring than here."
Zhou Wen smiled again and said nothing more. Although Shen He didn't give him much face, his smile remained as composed as ever.
The dishes were served quickly, with vibrant colors and exquisite presentation; it was clear at a glance that they had been carefully selected.
“You used to love this. It’s not on the menu, so I specifically asked if they could make it.” Zhou Wen casually picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in Chen He’s bowl, his tone gentle.
Shen He merely glanced at him without saying a word.
The manager chuckled and interjected, "You're so thoughtful, you even remember what Shenhe used to like to eat."
Zhou Wen's demeanor was mild and polite, as if it were just a trivial matter: "It's nothing. We often ate together back then, and he always ordered the same few dishes. I think it was easy for me to remember them."
He smiled, as if lost in some memories, then turned to the manager and added, "Back then, he didn't say what he liked to eat or what he liked to do, but I basically knew. Because it was so easy to tell."
The assistant exclaimed, "You really know him."
“Yes,” Zhou Wen’s gaze returned to Shen He, his eyes gentle, “It’s just that we haven’t had a chance to have a proper chat yet.”
The manager smiled and said, "Now the opportunity has come, hasn't it? You've stumbled upon this again, it's quite a rare thing."
Shen He chuckled inwardly. They weren't that close.
The meal was neither particularly good nor bad. There wasn't much atmosphere at the table, but no one dared to break the delicate silence. Zhou Wen and the manager spoke slowly and deliberately, saying little, but every word circled back to Shen He. His tone was always considerate and thoughtful, without the slightest flaw, which ironically made Shen He feel uncomfortable.
Feeling increasingly irritated, Chenhe simply ate a little something, put on his headphones, and started aimlessly scrolling through videos.
First, I clicked on a video link sent by Gao Mingyuan.
It's a fan-edited video; the cover photo is a team photo from their last match, and the title is normal.
[ASG wins again! Match highlights and recap!]
When Shenhe clicked on the video, fans had compiled the official Weibo post, text, and video with the match replay, and edited it quite carefully. There were shots of him communicating with Zhou Yifan during the draft phase, and the clip of him asking Zhou Yifan to lock a hero, which fans played twice. Then, there was the last game where he was defending his base with a blank expression and Zhou Yifan's smug smile after winning.
The barrage of comments was densely packed.
[Lock it! Listen to him! Lock it now!]
Styx has spoken, what are you still hesitating for?
Got it, got it. Both of them were just playing randomly in the last game.
[Oh dear, it's so hard to guess what's making you so happy.]
Shen He's brows furrowed more and more.
He scrolled down, and the second video was a compilation of audio clips pieced together by fans. The official team releases audio clips of some players after each match, and fans edited together clips of him and Zhou Yifan.
In the video, his voice was calm and clear:
"Jungler, wait for my signal."
"Pull it back, I'll catch it."
"Come directly, don't wait."
"If you can't get out of here, don't come."
Zhou Yifan's voice followed, his tone urgent yet obedient:
"receive."
"Coming right away."
"Okay, be careful."
"knew."
The comments section was incredibly lively.
[My brother was so calm and focused during the competition, and his voice was especially gentle during the live ranked game that day.]
[Whoever called Styx an S-type ADC before was a genius.]
[Such a cold voice, completely unable to say no.]
[Tsk tsk tsk, that "Be careful" line really shows how worried he is about his brother getting arrested.]
Uh, they don't seem very familiar with each other.
[They're just a very calm older brother and a very obedient dog, but speaking of which, isn't Zhou Yifan the real commander of ASG? ???]
Shen He was completely baffled. He hadn't said a single unnecessary word from beginning to end; it was all normal communication on the field, yet these people edited it into something distorted.
Gao Mingyuan's messages are still flashing:
【kswl。】
Shenhe replied with an emoji that said "Are you okay?"
Just as I was about to turn off my phone, Chen Yuchuan sent me another video, which was extremely popular and had already made it to the top of the video site's trending list.
[First Encounter with Wander in the Fog: Mysterious Male Guest Makes His First Profile Appearance]
He clicked on it and saw it was a live stream clip of them playing games together that day. Chen Yuchuan's reckless antics were highlighted, followed by his later obediently following instructions, and then Shen He's exasperated words: "Then please get out."
The background music was a light and humorous tune, and Shen He couldn't help but laugh. He was about to praise Chen Yuchuan for being "quite entertaining," but when the comments appeared, he couldn't hold back anymore.
[Hahaha, why is my sister-in-law so gentle when she scolds people?]
Wow, my favorite sister-in-law has updated!
[Chen Yuchuan, the "Henpecked Husband" (Sister-in-Law Limited Edition)]
[I kept laughing when my sister-in-law said, "We have no chemistry," she knows how to handle a dog.]
[Please, Chuanzi, broadcast more of these! Your wife is amazing, and her voice is so beautiful.]
My sister-in-law was also laughing in exasperation today.
[German Shepherd with droopy ears.jpg]
[Brother Chuan, could you please share a photo of your wife with everyone?]
[Speaking of which, could it be because everyone saw his wife's collarbone that day? (thinking)]
[It's terrifying to think about it carefully, it's terrifying to think about it superficially, and it's even more terrifying to not think about it at all.]
[Holy crap, Trump isn't going to do this for real, is he? This is a bit scary.]
[When will the second half of the game air? I don't even want to ship the couple anymore, I just want to see the sister-in-law solve the mystery.]
[When my sister-in-law was solving puzzles and playing the game, I thought the character she chose was especially cool!]
[Yes, yes, yes! That character from the Sichuan gang is infuriating, so annoying.]
[Does anyone understand this dog that's obsessed with attracting attention and his sister-in-law who's completely absorbed in puzzle games?]
[Just a casual player, the game's good. Who are these two? I'd like to ship them.]
Chen Yuchuan sent a message: "Have you eaten yet? The fans all say they want to see the next part of the game, what should I do?"
"You can just record us when we play." Actually, seeing the game's popularity soaring, Shen He was quite happy, after all, it was Chen Yuchuan's thoughtful gesture.
Shenhe had occasionally come across popular YouTuber reviews of this game these past few days, and those seemingly coincidental collaborations or recommendations were clearly part of a planned operation. But since Chen Yuchuan didn't say anything and even pretended to be very serious, Shenhe simply decided not to expose him.
Chen Yuchuan replied almost instantly: "Okay, since my sister-in-law has agreed, I'll have someone cut my hair then."
Shen He stared at the screen and asked Chen Yuchuan, "You're addicted to role-playing, aren't you?"
"Isn't this great?"
"?"
"Do you think that after this mysterious male sister-in-law appeared, no one will ship River x Styx anymore?"
"So I should say thank you, right?"
"No need for that, what kind of relationship do we have?"
Shen He chuckled and sent him a message: "Get lost."
Almost simultaneously, a soft chuckle came from the side: "Little River, what are you looking at that makes you laugh so happily?"
He turned around, his eyes clearly showing his displeasure, and warned Zhou Wen, "Don't call me that."
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