[FLOTG] Chapter 25: Second Invitation

Shen Huai was left speechless. After all of that, he still hadn't managed to escape the eyes of this fox.

But he soon decided that letting the issue end like this was pretty good overall. If he had to take the initiative to explain, he probably wouldn't know how to start anyhow.

He looked at Song Xue-Yang and said sincerely, "It's been hard on you."

An indescribable surge of emotion rose up within Song Xue-Yang. His fingertips trembled, but his expression remained cool and composed. He set his things down and then moved forwards to wrap Shen Huai into a big hug.

He thought that, from this moment on, Ash Wing was his.

The most intimate Shen Huai had ever gotten with another person was an arm around the shoulder, and that was with his own father. With other friends, he would at most shake their hand. Now, suddenly hugged by a man he had only met two times before this, he felt so overwhelmed he hardly dared to breathe. Still, he could feel Song Xue-Yang's nerves and excitement through the hug, so he couldn't bear to push him away.

Luckily, Song Xue-Yang's hug only lasted for a few seconds. After that, he slipped into some house slippers and walked about a little in the house.

The interior of Shen Huai's house was decorated very simply, and seemed rather empty aside from the light-coloured tables and chairs, and a sofa. It looked very clean, but felt a little cold and unlived in — faint echoes could even be heard when they spoke.

"You live by yourself?" asked Song Xue-Yang.

Shen Huai made a noise of agreement as he put Song Xue-Yang's luggage into the guest room. "My dad's properties aren't around here, but he's very busy and doesn't go back much anyway."

"It's the same for you too, right?"

Song Xue-Yang could see that the living room and kitchen were empty. Although they were fully furnished, they didn't look like they were used much.

Shen Huai said unconcernedly, "I've owned this place for two years and stayed here about three months in total."

Song Xue-Yang understood. Shen Huai was technically a superstar, a household name. He was most likely always out and about on business, so staying at home was probably a luxury for him.

Shen Huai's bedroom was right beside the guest room. The door was currently partly ajar, and a game could be seen running on the screen of the computer in the room. The keyboard holder before it held the Corsair K95 Platinum mechanical keyboard seen in yesterday's live-stream.

Compared with the other rooms, this bedroom was full of life. It featured a professional computer desk and gaming chair, top-notch peripheral accessories, and a wide and comfortable bed next to the desk. Several game figurines were neatly arranged on a bookshelf, which had a miniature fridge beneath it.

This was truly the room most gaming geeks dreamed of. Everything within the room was within easy reach of the swivel chair. Other than going to the door for takeout orders, there was no need at all to leave the room during the day.

Song Xue-Yang never expected Shen Huai to have such a geeky shut-in side. He sat down in the gaming chair, which still seemed to hold some of Shen Huai's body heat.

He couldn't help but think that this was the chair Shen Huai usually sat on while speaking to him, and that this was the computer which Shen Huai had used to perform those moves which had amazed everyone in the esports circle.

By habit, he arched his head back and rubbed his neck. This was a common issue for every esports player — sitting at a computer for a long time wasn't good for the spine. However, as he looked up, he suddenly noticed a greeting card on the ceiling. The card was positioned right above the chair. If he hadn't dropped his head back to look up, he would probably never have seen it.

Song Xue-Yang had very good vision. He quickly recognised the familiar handwriting on the card... "No one can predict how far you can go, including yourself."

That was the greeting card he had written for Shen Huai before this, to console him on his retirement from the entertainment industry. He had thrown it into that bag of junk food he had given to Shen Huai. At that time, he hadn't known Shen Huai was Ash Wing, nor had he known that the other had retired in order to focus on esports. He had written the card purely because he had sensed something about Shen Huai that had reminded him of Ash Wing.

He had always had a keen eye for people. After spending just those few days together, he could already tell that Shen Huai definitely wasn't the useless 'flower vase' he was labelled as online. Shen Huai's character was built for success, just not in the field of acting.

Still, he could never have expected that his offhand decision to write a card would mean so much to Shen Huai. Judging by its placement... didn't that mean that every time Shen Huai was tired from practice, he would only need to look up to see these words?

Carrying the thought a little further... was it his words which had encouraged Shen Huai, constantly reminding him that he could go further?

The flippant light in Song Xue-Yang's eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a intensely serious look. The fingers of his hand on the table curled up as his heartbeat grew louder in his ears.

He wanted to... he could... make Shen Huai become the one to stand at the top of the esports circle.

Whatever Shen Huai's dreams were, he could make them come true.

When Shen Huai came out of the guest room, he saw Song Xue-Yang sitting in his chair, looking up at the greeting card he had stuck onto the ceiling.

He hovered in the doorway, embarrassed.

He neither lacked chicken soup for the soul, nor lacked people who encouraged him, but these words from Song Xue-Yang held special meaning for him.

Song Xue-Yang was a very impressive esports player. He had a unique way of looking at things and outstanding leadership skills. Shen Huai believed in him even more than he believed in himself. Every time he saw those words written by Song Xue-Yang, his heart would settle and become even more resolute, motivated to go further.

That was what he felt normally, anyway. Right now, caught out by the man who wrote those words himself, Shen Huai was overcome with embarrassment.

Song Xue-Yang caught sight of Shen Huai hovering awkwardly in the doorway, and saw that his earlobes were faintly tinged with pink where they peeked out from under his hair. Song Xue-Yang felt like his heart was about to melt.

He stood up without saying anything about the card. "You ordered takeout so you must be hungry? Let me make you something to eat."

Shen Huai asked reflexively, "How did you know I ordered takeout?"

Song Xue-Yang couldn't help patting Shen Huai's head. "You asked the guard to let me in before he could even say anything, so you obviously knew someone was coming, which should either be a takeout delivery or a courier. You just retired from acting, and so would probably avoid leaving your personal address with a courier service at this sensitive time. Therefore, takeout is the only thing left that would be delivered right to your doorstep."

Shen Huai was left gaping at his deductive reasoning, but gathered himself when he saw Song Xue-Yang rolling up his sleeves. "Let's go out to eat. You just got off the plane so you shouldn't be cooking."

Song Xue-Yang gave him a side-eye. "It's filled with reporters outside. You better be good and just stay home."

After saying that, he took off his coat and entered the kitchen. Shen Huai felt a little embarrassed, but recalling the delicious cooking he had tasted back with the Maple Moon team, he couldn't help but want to enjoy it again.

Shen Huai's kitchen was designed with a bar counter, and it was right across from the sofa in the living room. When Song Xue-Yang turned around, he saw Shen Huai seated on the sofa with anticipation written all over his face, like he was about to watch a cooking show. Song Xue-Yang was instantly brimming with energy, almost wishing that he could prepare a Manchu–Han Imperial Feast{满汉全席: Refers to a style of cooking and a type of grand banquet that combined elements of Manchu and Han's Chinese cuisine developed in the Qing dynasty of China. It involved six banquets over three days with over 300 dishes. (Wikipedia, 2022)}.

Song Xue-Yang's culinary skills were really quite good. He managed to produce three dishes from the meagre offerings in the refrigerator, each amazing in both appearance and aroma. Shen Huai's mouth watered at the smell of them.

During this time, Shen Huai received a call from the security guard, asking him if he had ordered any takeout. Shen Huai moved away somewhere out of Song Xue-Yang's sight and said softly, "You can have it."

And so, though baffled, the model security guard obtained a sumptuous lunch.

Song Xue-Yang served the dishes up to the table and also rummaged up two cans of coke from the fridge. The two of them sat down and clinked their glasses together.

Shen Huai voiced the doubts he had. "How did you guess that I was Ash Wing? Just by looking at my hands?"

Song Xue-Yang smiled and said, "And your birthday."

When Song Xue-Yang had first seen Ash Wing's hands in the live-stream, it had only occurred to him how Shen Huai also had a pair of hands which were just as lovely. Soon, however, he recalled Shen Huai's high score in the training game, and also how Shen Huai seemed to know him so well and trusted him so much, and the little slip-ups the other had made. His suspicions raised, he searched up Shen Huai on Baidu, and sure enough, he discovered that Ash Wing and Shen Huai had the same birthday.

And everything else just fell into place.

"Then how did you find out my address?"

Song Xue-Yang said with a half-smile, "You told me."

Shen Huai was at a loss for a moment, but he soon remembered how unguarded he had been with Song Xue-Yang previously. He had called the front desk of the hotel in front of Song Xue-Yang when he asked them to help mail his luggage. He had given his detailed address at the time.

"You remembered my home address?" Shen Huai's expression seemed to say 'what were you planning to do to me?'.

Song Xue-Yang replied calmly, "I didn't at that time. But after confirming that you were Ash Wing, I carefully thought back."

Shen Huai: "..." Is your brain a video recorder? It has a replay function?

"Weren't you afraid of making a wasted trip? I have never promised to join Maple Moon." Shen Huai was still trying to wrap his head around Song Xue-Yang's sudden visit.

"The decision is yours. Even if you still don't want to join Maple Moon in the end, I won't do anything."

Shen Huai was just about to reflect upon himself for not giving Song Xue-Yang the benefit of the doubt when, Song Xue-Yang took a sip of his coke and said breezily, "I'll only hang around here and prevent you from contacting the other teams until the transfer period ends. You know, little things like that."

Shen Huai: "..." Well, thank you so much for letting me know!

Song Xue-Yang clasped Shen Huai's hand from the other side of the table. "Shen Huai, give me a chance. I'll prove to you that Maple Moon is the most suitable team for you. Trust me on this, ok?"

Shen Huai couldn't help but look at him, and at the very instant he raised his head, he was pulled into the other's deep and solemn gaze. His lips pursed, but he said nothing.

Song Xue-Yang's gaze searched his face for a moment. "You can talk to the team if you don't want to take on any endorsements. Contracts are just dead paper; humans are flexible. With me around, no one in the club would dare force you to do anything you don't want to do."

Shen Huai's hand stilled. He hadn't expected Song Xue-Yang to hone in so accurately on his final concern. If Song Xue-Yang had already known about it, why was he only bringing it up now?

As if reading his confusion, Song Xue-Yang said helplessly, "I only figured this part out after finding out that you were Ash Wing, ok?"

Of all the pro teams, Maple Moon had a huge fan base. This wasn't just due to their unique player selection method, but also the specific packaging the club custom-designed for every player. The club's operations department was staffed by professionals poached from the entertainment industry who knew how to create personas to win fans' hearts. As such, the club seemed more like it was trying to build an idol team than it was focused on competing, and it was naturally one of the pro teams most active in promotional activities.

Shen Huai hated these things, otherwise he wouldn't have wanted so badly to leave the entertainment industry.

Once he knew Shen Huai was Ash Wing, Song Xue-Yang could guess at the reasons behind his hesitation.

"You haven't signed a contract yet. All of this can be negotiated. Zhou Ning and Xiao-Ming usually pick up the endorsements, while Xing-xing and I handle the live-streaming. If you don't need the extra income from those tasks, it's fine if you refuse them.  The most important thing for a pro team is your potential and not all these extra conditions. Maple Moon can become a team with you at its core, while other teams cannot do this."

Shen Huai was moved. Song Xue-Yang's words unerringly pierced his heart's deepest desire. There weren't many open spots in the top eight teams... whichever he joined, he would have to adjust himself to the playing style of the team. And although he was completely willing to do this in order to become a professional player, every player dreamed of becoming the core of their team.

His hands clenched into fists as Song Xue-Yang's voice chipped away at him, a subtle temptation. "Playing with you is the greatest wish of my professional career. From the moment you said you were planning to play professionally, I've been thinking about the line-up and playing style of Maple Moon. Will you give me a chance to realise it?"

Shen Huai's heart softened, and he found himself unable to speak. He looked down at his hands held in Song Xue-Yang's hands, and after a good long while, he nodded lightly.

Only then did Song Xue-Yang withdraw his hands. Grinning, he raised his can of coke. "Welcome to Maple Moon, Shen Huai."

Shen Huai lifted his can of coke as well. "Captain."

When he heard Shen Huai call him captain, Song Xue-Yang's heart trembled. He felt like he would have no regrets if he were to die right then.

Thus was the meal finished in a cheerful mood. Song Xue-Yang happily reminded Shen Huai, "Do you want to buy some daily necessities online beforehand and mail them over?"

Shen Huai thought about how it was indeed impossible for him to bring everything he needed along with him since he would have to travel quite far. His identity also made it impractical to shop at the supermarket once he got there. So, he picked up his phone and clicked into a shopping website.

Song Xue-Yang thought that superstars like Shen Huai must be very particular about the daily necessities they used and would need a long time to pick and choose, but he found that Shen Huai chose very quickly and that the things he chose were rather simple. Instead, he spent much more time selecting the peripherals for his computer.

As he confirmed the order, Shen Huai asked, "Mailing address?"

Song Xue-Yang took over to enter the address and then asked the system to generate a payment QR code, quickly fishing out his phone to pay for the order.

Unable to stop Song Xue-Yang in time from paying for him, Shen Huai felt even more embarrassed, but Song Xue-Yang was unbothered. "Your welcome gift."

"You already cooked the prawns."

Song Xue-Yang smiled brightly and returned his phone to him. "That was just a gift to say hello, but this is a welcome to the team gift. They are not the same."

Shen Huai could only accept it, but when he saw the six-figure total on the receipt, he immediately regretted it. "No, let me transfer the money to you."

"Then I'll propose to the manager for you to become the ambassador of the team."

Shen Huai: "......"

Song Xue-Yang couldn't stop himself from ruffling Shen Huai's hair. "Be good and let it be."

Shen Huai found that no matter when, Song Xue-Yang was always able to accurately strike his weakness with a combination of force and cajoling. His life in Maple Moon after this was certainly going to be a challenge.

Was it too late for him to regret his decision now?

ryuxenji: I live!!!

Like I mentioned on Discord, life's been crazy since January. In summary, I lost my old job, got a new one, and then there was all the CNY happenings and COVID cases with the extended family... this hobby translation project has unfortunately had to take a back seat.

Thank you all for your patience and the kind comments! ❤️️ I'm sorry I still can't make any guarantees on a steady release schedule, but I'll be working on it!

P/S: Interested co-translators are welcome to contact me.

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Previous: Chapter 24: An Unexpected Visitor
Next: Chapter 26: I Was Mistaken

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