"Is it good?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
Shen Kuangye hummed in response, "It's alright."
He had long since lost enthusiasm for sweet things, but if Lu Xiangyang liked them, he didn't mind indulging a little.
"Brother," Lu Xiangyang turned his head to look around, "don't you feel like someone is watching us?"
He always felt like they were being stared at.
Shen Kuangye teased him on purpose: "Maybe it's fans taking photos."
"And posting them online."
Lu Xiangyang glanced at him, gripping his hand tighter. "Then from now on, you'll really have to be tied to me, huh?"
Shen Kuangye chuckled. "I know."
But Lu Xiangyang was just speaking aloud—he didn't want their relationship publicly known during the competition. If their performance dipped or they had a bad streak, people would find excuses to criticize them for 'focusing on love instead of the game.'
Lu Xiangyang didn't care if they criticized him.
But Shen Kuangye? That was off-limits.
So he first went to a nearby store to buy two masks. Once he put them on, he finally felt safe enough to boldly hold Shen Kuangye's hand.
They went to a nearby mall first. Whenever Lu Xiangyang's eyes lingered on something, Shen Kuangye would quietly buy it for him.
To him, the prize money from the Autumn Finals championship plus their salaries meant they could live comfortably. Having lived a harsh life once, Shen Kuangye no longer attached much importance to material things, he just wanted Lu Xiangyang to be happier than he was as a child.
Eventually, Lu Xiangyang was so overwhelmed by his generosity that he dared not browse further, quickly pulling Shen Kuangye to the street food area, vowing to spend five hours trying all of Hangzhou's delicacies.
Today, Shen Kuangye wore a black down jacket, the zipper only partially closed, revealing a simple white layer underneath.
Even with a black mask covering his face, his striking bone structure was impossible to hide. His eyes looked cold and distant, yet he carried a cute tote bag that didn't suit his aura, and on his chest was the adventurer badge Lu Xiangyang had randomly pinned on him, softening his intimidating presence.
A nearby girl whispered to her friend, "Girlfriend, I want this handsome guy's WeChat."
Her friend quickly pulled her back, whispering, "What for? He already has someone!"
The girl was puzzled. "How do you know?"
"Just watch how he looks at the guy next to him," her friend said helplessly.
The girl glanced over and immediately understood.
Earlier, all her attention had been on the cold, handsome guy. Now, seeing the badge on his chest matched the cheerful boy next to him, and the bag in his hand clearly belonged to that boy, the atmosphere between them didn't feel like ordinary friends. When they looked at each other, the cold expression of the first boy softened at the corner of his eyes.
"Your turn," the vendor handed a box to Lu Xiangyang. He smiled and said thanks.
His face, no longer as thin as when Shen Kuangye first saw him, had gained healthy roundness and a fair complexion, radiating confidence and sunshine.
Now Lu Xiangyang puffed his cheeks and blew on the freshly bought takoyaki. As usual, the first bite was for Shen Kuangye.
Shen Kuangye hesitated at first. He wasn't used to being fed, and he wanted to save the best for Lu Xiangyang. But every time he refused, Lu Xiangyang would make a pitiful face. Shen Kuangye would sigh and take a symbolic bite.
After Lu Xiangyang ate, he looked satisfied, as if he knew this trick always worked on Shen Kuangye.
Lu Xiangyang leaned closer as Shen Kuangye lowered his mask to take a bite. Suddenly, he realized a long-overlooked detail.
He was a neat freak, yet he didn't mind Shen Kuangye feeding him.
And Shen Kuangye, also a neat freak, had always refused Li Shu's requests but had allowed Lu Xiangyang everything, even before knowing his true identity. He never mentioned his cleanliness habits and even let Lu Xiangyang use his cup.
Lu Xiangyang's heart swelled with a narcissistic thought—could it be that Shen Kuangye had liked him from the first moment they met?
The takoyaki was hot, and after eating, Shen Kuangye felt even warmer.
The sudden quiet around him felt unusual.
He glanced at Lu Xiangyang, who was grinning to himself for some unknown reason.
After leaving the food street, Lu Xiangyang bought some Hangzhou specialties to bring back to Lu Ning and Xu Wen.
At the airport, Shen Kuangye noticed the strange looks from Xingxing and Yishui.
At first, he didn't think much of it. But once he settled Lu Xiangyang under a blanket on the plane, he could no longer ignore their intense gazes. He looked up: "What's wrong?"
Yishui shook his head, giving a dry laugh. "Nothing, just… looking around."
Xingxing's expression stiffened. "Yeah, that's it."
Shen Kuangye didn't believe them but decided not to bother. He put on his eye mask and rested.
By the time they returned to the club, it was almost dawn. Li Shu and the others had stayed up late, tossed their luggage downstairs, and gone straight to their rooms to sleep.
Shen Kuangye had slept a bit on the plane and wasn't too tired.
Lu Xiangyang, however, hadn't slept well at all after the long day. He was utterly exhausted, leaning on Shen Kuangye's shoulder during the taxi ride. At the club, still half-asleep, he suddenly remembered something.
He turned back, rubbed his eyes, and tugged on Shen Kuangye's sleeve: "Brother, let's sleep."
"What?"
Xingxing heard this and instantly became alert, raising his voice.
Sleep?
Had these two already gotten to this stage without anyone noticing?
Lu Xiangyang, startled by the raised voice, said blankly, "Sleep."
Xingxing awkwardly went, "Oh…"
Shen Kuangye stood silently, arms crossed, thinking he roughly understood why.
Lu Xiangyang tugged him back to the room. Even though he was exhausted, he needed Shen Kuangye to hold him before he could sleep. Shen Kuangye lay down with him, waiting until he was fully asleep before quietly getting up to grab the luggage and tidy the room.
But when he turned on the light, he saw Xingxing alone on the sofa, unusually smoking.
As Shen Kuangye reached the luggage, Xingxing said, "Kuangye, come here."
Shen Kuangye knew it couldn't be hidden forever; sooner or later, everyone would find out.
He put down the luggage and sat opposite Xingxing, bluntly asking, "You know everything."
Xingxing finally exhaled. He hadn't expected Shen Kuangye to admit it so directly. He crushed out the cigarette and remained silent.
Shen Kuangye could sense his inner struggle.
After a pause, Xingxing asked, "When did it start?"
"A few months ago."
Shen Kuangye quickly added, "Don't worry, it won't affect training or matches."
His serious and firm tone left Xingxing momentarily stunned. It almost sounded like he was about to separate them.
Xingxing, half-amused, half-exasperated, quickly explained: "I'm not worried. It's your business; I have no right to interfere. I was just a little shocked."
He had always treated the club's players like his own younger brothers. Seeing them fall in love was naturally shocking.
On reflection, it was obvious Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang had never hidden it—it was just that people were too oblivious to notice.
"All right, it's late. Go sleep."
Xingxing patted his shoulder and left.
Shen Kuangye had imagined many possible reactions but hadn't expected Xingxing to accept it so easily.
During his brief daze, Xingxing's attitude reminded him of another person.
If Lu Ning knew about his relationship with Lu Xiangyang, what would they do?
For the first time, Shen Kuangye realized this was a question he had to face.
He sat alone in the dimly lit lobby for a long while.
"Brother?"
Lu Xiangyang's voice suddenly sounded.
He had just had a terrifying dream.
In the dream, Shen Kuangye suddenly disappeared. Not only that, but everyone around him had forgotten him. The club's starters were still Li Shu, Pei Xunan, Cheng Rang, and Jiang Xin. Lu Ning and Xu Wen didn't remember him. Everything about Shen Kuangye seemed deliberately erased, even Lu Xiangyang's phone wallpaper reverted to the original. Shen Kuangye had seemingly vanished from the world, remembered by no one—except Lu Xiangyang.
By the end of the dream, even Lu Xiangyang wasn't sure if Shen Kuangye had ever existed.
Sweating profusely, Lu Xiangyang woke up, finding Shen Kuangye not in the room. The sheets were cold and neatly arranged. He panicked and ran outside barefoot, only to find Shen Kuangye quietly sitting in the lobby, sighing in relief.
Shen Kuangye then got up from his stiff legs, noticing Lu Xiangyang's bare feet. "Why aren't you wearing slippers?"
Lu Xiangyang whispered, "I thought you disappeared."
Shen Kuangye was silent for a moment, then rubbed his head: "Don't overthink it."
The dream had left a deep psychological shadow. Before sleeping, Lu Xiangyang had clutched Shen Kuangye's pajama tightly, waking often to check if he was still there.
Once he finally slept peacefully, Shen Kuangye's mind replayed the sight of Lu Xiangyang's reddened eyes and the pitiful, worried expression as he said, "I thought you were gone."
He tightened his hold around Lu Xiangyang, staring at the faintly brightening sky and the morning birdsong.
Shen Kuangye quietly thought: If just thinking he was gone caused this reaction, what would Lu Xiangyang do if he really disappeared or returned to his original world? He didn't dare imagine.