parents
As they prepared to rest that evening, Shen He glanced at the bed, then at Chen Yuchuan who was still sitting on the sofa, and said in a calm tone, "I'll book another room."
Why go through all that trouble?
Shen He was packing her luggage when she looked up at him and said calmly, "Your sleep quality is terrifying. Stop tossing and turning and get a good night's sleep."
Chen Yuchuan paused, leaned back on the sofa and scrolled through his phone for a while, then said lazily, "Okay, I've got it arranged. I'll stay next door."
Shen He nodded without asking any further questions, then turned to wash up. Chen Yuchuan stood there for a while, then drew the curtains, adjusted the air conditioner, and went out.
The next morning, the rain hadn't stopped, and the sky was overcast. Shen He, carrying his bag, prepared to return to City A by himself. As soon as he opened the door, Chen Yuchuan was already waiting outside, his hat pulled low, his suitcase casually placed at his feet.
He didn't know if Chen Yuchuan wanted to see him off or go with him, but that stubborn insistence on staying by his side, from the competition to the dinner party, and now even waiting at the door on the way home, even without saying a word, made Shen He understand what it meant.
It's a worry that can't be hidden.
Shen He suddenly remembered his dream from yesterday. In the dream, he was in ruins, desperately walking forward, while Chen Yuchuan was frantically calling his name from behind. Was this person really going to search for him so anxiously after he left?
Shen He approached a little closer, his tone still steady, but a little lower than usual, as if he really wanted to say something: "I'm really fine."
He paused, his gaze falling on the unspoken emotion in Chen Yuchuan's eyes, and continued, "You said it yourself, we're brothers. I know why you're doing all this."
"But you also know me. I'm not the kind of person who burns myself out, and I would never punish myself for someone else's mistakes. If something really happens, I won't keep it from you."
"I didn't say it, not because I don't believe you, but because there really was nothing to say."
Chen Yuchuan pursed his lips, wanting to refute something, but in the end he didn't say anything.
"Stop thinking about me all the time. Focus on your game and go back."
Chen Yuchuan didn't reply immediately. He stared at him for a while, and finally said in a low voice, "Okay."
He seemed about to turn and leave, but then looked back at Shen He and said in a casual tone, "I'll take you to the airport, it's on my way."
Shen He did not refuse, but simply nodded.
They remained silent the entire way.
The rain in Lancheng hadn't stopped, and the airport's floor-to-ceiling windows were fogged white. Before pulling his carry-on suitcase through security, Shen He glanced back at Chen Yuchuan, who was still standing there. The other man had his hands in his pockets, stood lazily, and had no expression on his face, but his eyes never left Shen He.
Shen He didn't speak, but simply raised his chin at him as a farewell.
As soon as he got off the plane, the familiar humid and hot air hit him. Shen He walked all the way back to the base, put his things down, washed his face, and sat on the edge of the bed to think quietly for a while.
He wasn't one to dwell on his emotions, but meeting Chen Yuchuan again felt like something that had been buried deep inside had suddenly been unearthed and flooded his mind. He closed his eyes, suppressing the jumbled thoughts in his head, and got up to leave the room.
The corridor lights were on, the training room door was ajar, and the teammates' voices could be heard faintly.
Shen He raised his hand and pushed open the door to attend today's post-match debriefing meeting.
The training room was lit by cold, white lights, and everyone sat upright, creating a very somber atmosphere.
The projector showed a replay of the match, paused at key moments of team fights. Zhou Yifan was the first to be criticized, and the coach pointed out his chaotic rhythm. Chen He was drowsy and didn't want to listen to any nonsense.
When it was Shenhe's turn, the coach's tone was also very serious: "Your teammates clearly gave the signal in advance, but you," he looked at Shenhe, "went to push the lane and chase people on your own, completely ignoring the instructions. How undisciplined are you?"
The air suddenly became quiet.
Shen He leaned back in his chair, his expression calm, and looked up at the coach.
"I held off two opponents and also took down the outer turret in the bottom lane."
He spoke slowly and softly, but every word was clear and forceful.
"If you want to emphasize discipline, you should at least figure out where we lost."
In a single sentence, he remained calm to the point of indifference, effectively ending the conversation on the spot.
There was silence in the room for a moment.
The coach seemed speechless, and even his teammates were stunned. No one expected Chen He to speak so bluntly, like ice water being poured over someone's head.
The next second, Gao Mingyuan coughed lightly, trying to ease the atmosphere, his fingers still tapping on the mouse, as if he wanted to say something.
But Shen He had already leaned back in his chair, turning his attention to the still-playing video on the screen, his expression indifferent, as if nothing had happened.
Throughout the entire replay, Shenhe didn't listen attentively; his chaotic mind automatically went into silent mode. In the second game, the coach mentioned again that he "couldn't listen to instructions and was too individualistic," his tone somewhat harsh, implying that Shenhe needed to adjust.
But Chenhe didn't accept it, not even glancing at the other person.
Finally, the coach threw down a sentence: "If you only want to play your own style, you might as well not play at all."
The room fell silent.
Shen He raised his eyes and said calmly, "Fine, the next match is yours. You take the lead."
No one made a sound; even the sound of typing stopped for a few seconds.
It's not that he has a bad temper or is unwilling to cooperate; it's just that every time he hears these same old words about "team," "discipline," and "self," he gets a headache because these aren't the kinds of things he's heard growing up.
His father is a university teacher. He is smart, well-read, knowledgeable, and makes a lot of money in his hometown, but he is never dogmatic.
You could call him from a scholarly family or a wealthy one, but his father always had a composed demeanor. He wasn't harsh or arrogant, and he had a witty way of speaking. To younger generations or students who were used to putting pressure on themselves, he would always use humor to tell them not to be too tense, and he would laugh at himself afterward.
When Shenhe was young, he didn't quite understand, but he thought his father's humor was quite effective. His father was even more indulgent towards him. It didn't matter if he didn't do well in school; at worst, he could just go abroad after the college entrance exam to get a degree. Doing well in school was just icing on the cake. In short, Shenhe had to put himself at the center of everything and be happy.
His mother is a doctor, much busier and more easily tired than his father, but she never loses her temper. She is gentle, reasonable, and meticulous, both to her patients and her family. Sometimes she can be sentimental, even though she has long been accustomed to life and death, so Shenhe feels particularly sorry for her.
She never demanded that Shenhe become a certain kind of person, but often reminded him: "Don't suppress yourself too much, do whatever you want to do."
She could always tell immediately that Shenhe was in a bad mood, but she would gently tell him to go out for a walk and relax.
He has never been criticized for his personality, nor has he needed to please anyone by putting on a show.
Shen He always felt that he had the most perfect family in the world.
It wasn't material things, nor external appearance, but rather a sense of security that flowed from the very core of his being. That's why he even felt a little sorry for Chen Yuchuan at that time.
Before meeting Chen Yuchuan, Shen He had a friend he got along with fairly well. Later, the two had a falling out, and when he saw Shen He getting close to Chen Yuchuan, he started making sarcastic remarks towards him.
"Are you starting to spread your fake kindness to the poor again? You always act so arrogant, don't you know that?"
"You act all sympathetic towards anyone whose parents are worse than yours, but deep down you look down on everyone."
"You think your parents are so noble and great, but actually everyone is the same."
Shen He remembers that he didn't respond at all, he just played on his phone without looking up, and didn't even spare a glance.
But looking back now, it's clear that what that person said wasn't all just said in anger.
He used to be quite naive, a bit self-righteous, always thinking he had seen through the coldness of human relationships, feeling sad and angry for others, but that wasn't really that noble.
Humans are actually quite hypocritical, including his former self, so he put away all his excess compassion.
He heard a voice calling "Chenhe" in his ear; it was Zhou Yifan calling him.
The debriefing session was over, and most people had left, looking rather grim.
"Let me treat you to dinner, and we can chat for a while."
He grunted in agreement, stood up, and did so as decisively as always.
Zhou Yifan glanced at him and casually asked as she walked out, "What do you want to eat?"
Shen He followed him out and replied, "Whatever."
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