[FLOTG] Chapter 33: Promotional Posters

More than partway through the meal, Zhou Ning and Song Xue-Yang excused themselves to go to the restroom while Fan Jing-Ming deviously tried to get Shen Huai drunk.

Shen Huai found an opportunity to escape, saying he needed to answer nature's call. As he neared the restroom door, he heard Song Xue-Yang's voice coming from inside.

"You really don't have to."

Shen Huai halted, and somehow just stood there without going in.

Zhou Ning sighed softly. "Fox, I really want to thank you. Jing will be 19 next year. If she still couldn't debut, my mum would have... anyway, you know what I'm like. After you helped me out so much, I'd feel uncomfortable if I don't say anything."

"I didn't do anything. Shen Huai was the one who chose her, and he didn't know Zhou Jing was your sister beforehand."

"...You didn't set it up in advance?"

Song Xue-Yang chuckled. "There seems to be some great misunderstanding here. Am I the kind of person who arranges things so meticulously? I told you a long time ago that Maple Moon would not bury those with talent. You should have a little more faith in your sister."

Zhou Ning fell silent, but Shen Huai could tell that the tension between the two had eased considerably.

"Well, thank god for Shen Huai then. If not for him, Jing would have a much harder path to walk."

Song Xue-Yang said leisurely, "As I said, don't repay me for this favour."

Zhou Ning's tone turned a little reproachful. "You think it's easy to repay a favour to Shen Huai? He doesn't lack anything at all, you know."

"Who said so?" It sounded like Song Xue-Yang patted Zhou Ning on the shoulder. "He's lacking a good friend, someone like you."

Shen Huai's heart clenched. He wondered if he had had too much to drink, leaving him emotionally fragile. His nose suddenly felt a little clogged up, and the lights in the corridor were beginning to blur.

He had been acting in films since he was a kid, so he had been educated by private tutors all the way up to high school. He didn't like to talk much, but that didn't mean he was unwilling to interact with others. Every time he passed by the gates of the schools in the city and saw the students there talking and laughing in groups, he was truly envious from the bottom of his heart.

By the time he entered high school, he was already somewhat famous. His classmates all knew him as someone who would appear on their television screens, and so dared not approach him. As for the later years he spent in his ivory tower, those around him were mostly either fawning sycophants or envious critics. He had been unable to find even half a measure of sincerity ever since he entered the entertainment industry. Shen Huai had hated it in the industry not only because he didn't like acting, but also because of how complex and fake people were there.

He wouldn't deny that he dreamed about life as a pro esports player, envious of the mutual trust and friendship in the team bonds.

He had never told anyone any of this, but it still had not escaped Song Xue-Yang's keen eyes.

No one had ever thought for his sake as much as Song Xue-Yang had... Song Xue-Yang did not just pave a road for him but helped him plant flowers along the way, and then, fearing that he would be too lonely, Song Xue-Yang set forth to walk the path with him.

It was as if Song Xue-Yang knew everything he wanted without him ever having to say a word.

Shen Huai sorted out his emotions and headed back to the private room ahead of the other two. This time, he downed a glass all on his own before Fan Jing-Ming could even urge him to do so.

The others could see that he was a little off and they stared judgmentally at Fan Jing-Ming.

Fan Jing-Ming laughed nervously and said, "Shen Huai, I think you'd better stop drinking soon."

Shen Huai just threw back another drink without saying a word.

Fan Jing-Ming was afraid now. A saying which he couldn't recall where he had picked up — "it's really the quiet and agreeable ones you have to watch out for" — suddenly came to mind. He didn't dare to let Shen Huai continue drinking like this.

"I'll drink with you!" He gritted his teeth and poured himself a glass as well.

Shen Huai sportingly tapped glasses with him and met him toast for toast. With a cup here and a cup there, within the span of several phrases, they had each downed four to five cups.

Song Xue-Yang was shocked when he returned to see the two of them in the midst of their drinking battle, and he quickly pushed Shen Huai's hand down. "There's still the photoshoot tomorrow. Watch how much you're drinking."

Shen Huai blearily raised his head and grabbed onto Song Xue-Yang's hand. Whether it was due to drinking too much or who knows what else, his eyes and nose were red. Shen Huai's pupils were as dark as obsidian, staring straight into Song Xue-Yang's eyes as if he had so much to say. However, his lips remained stubbornly closed.

Song Xue-Yang's heart skipped a beat and then began to race uncontrollably.

He saw himself reflected in Shen Huai's misty eyes. Glancing down at the pale line of the other's tightly-pressed lips, he felt the sudden desire to capture those dry lips in a fierce kiss and leave his own mark on them.

The two locked gazes for several long seconds, disregarding everyone else in the room. The atmosphere was charged with a strange intensity.

The group looked back and forth between the two, but no one dared break the silence.

Song Xue-Yang was the first to return to himself. "If everyone is about done eating, why don't we call it a day?"

If Shen Huai hadn't still been clinging to the other's hand for dear life, Song Xue-Yang's easy manner might have really convinced the rest that the odd atmosphere around the both of them was all just an illusion.

"Yes, yes, ok, sure."

The group quickly gathered themselves and packed up their things, leaving the private room as fast as they could, all without looking at Song Xue-Yang and Shen Huai.

Shen Huai was still staring dazedly up at Song Xue-Yang as the other basked under the focused attention. Song Xue-Yang smiled gently and tugged at Shen Huai's hand.

"Come on, we're going home."

But Shen Huai didn't move, his gaze a little lost.

Home?

He was the only one in his home, so what "we" was the other talking about?

Song Xue-Yang couldn't help but chuckle. He remembered the last time Shen Huai was drunk and found his heart melting.

"If you dawdle any longer, our teammates are going to catch a cold."

Teammates?

Shen Huai's eyes finally cleared up.

That's right... he had already left the dark and hypocritical entertainment industry, left those who hurt him and mocked him. He had teammates now, a team... he would no longer be alone after this.

Song Xue-Yang helped him put on his coat and hat. By this time, the manager's car was already waiting outside, two free seats waiting for them behind the open car door.

Song Xue-Yang ushered Shen Huai into the car first and then took the seat closer to the door. It was very quiet inside the car. Everyone was sitting properly, carefully cultivating the polite appearance of not seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary.

The manager was a little bewildered. These crazy punks had always ended up a noisy yowling bunch every time they went out drinking in the past, so why were they as meek as rabbits gripped by the ears this time?

He asked curiously, "What's wrong? Why aren't you all saying anything?"

No one in the car responded. They couldn't very well say that they had seen the captain and Shen Huai locked in a strange staring match for a few seconds, could they?

Hai Xing mustered up a possible reason. "Because we're all drunk!"

The manager snorted. "You guys? Quiet when you're drunk? When you all almost tear this car apart every single time you get drunk?"

Song Xue-Yang added on, "Yeah, did you all not eat well today?"

No one dared to act like an ostrich{i.e. play dumb. T/N: I couldn't help but keep the original phrasing here since the mental image is just too cute.} now that the captain had spoken.

Fan Jing-Ming laughed nervously. "No way. The dishes were great, especially those ribs stewed with pickled potatoes. It's like the best dish I've ever tasted in my entire life."

"Yup, yup, yup, the meat was so soft and tender, yet crispy and fragrant. It looked good and had so much flavour, and the stewed potatoes were super soft."

"It was piping hot, burning the tongue with each bite. Other than having no sauce, it's flawless!"

For some reason, the conversation felt stiff to the manager. It was as if they were playing a survival game where "if you don't speak, you'll be thrown out of the car".

When the car arrived back at the dorms, Song Xue-Yang went ahead and helped lead Shen Huai upstairs. The rest were left to slowly shuffle out of the car on their own. As soon as the team manager left, the boys erupted into chaos.

Hai Xing questioned frantically, "What's up with Shen Huai and the captain?! Why did he look like the captain was bullying him?"

Shi Yi nodded in agreement while Zhou Ning just looked lost.

Fan Jing-Ming prompted Zhou Ning. "Shen Huai left to go to the restroom, and he was weird when he came back. Could he have overheard something the captain said to you?"

Zhou Ning blinked in realization, then quickly smiled and waved the others' concerns aside. "It's nothing. Stop worrying about it, you guys, and just hurry up and go to sleep."

The group pestered him for more information, but Zhou Ning would not say anything more about it. Shen Huai probably wouldn't want the others to know that he had such an innocent and sensitive side to him, so of course Zhou Ning would have to keep this secret for him as thanks for his help.

Song Xue-Yang delivered Shen Huai back to his room, where Shen Huai then sat meekly on the edge of his bed. Shen Huai looked exactly like he had back when he had crashed into Song Xue-Yang's room while drunk, only this time his luminous dark eyes were fixed intently on Song Xue-Yang.

Song Xue-Yang couldn't resist pulling him into into a hug and patted him gently on the back. "How are you feeling?"

Shen Huai's mind was in chaos. The hug was just so warm... the exact type of hug he had dearly wished for when he was little. He didn't know what to say even though his gaze was filled with the desire to say something.

Noticing Shen Huai's inner struggle, Song Xue-Yang's heart softened. "It's all right, you don't have to say anything. I already know."

He actually didn't know, but Shen Huai relaxed completely after hearing this, sagging into his arms.

The two of them stayed like this for a long while, and then Shen Huai said in a low voice, "You promised me a championship trophy."

Song Xue-Yang patted him on the back. "I promise."

A fist appeared beside him.

Song Xue-Yang did not bump fists with Shen Huai. Instead, he leaned down and dropped a light kiss on Shen Huai's forehead. With his eyes trained on the other's bright black eyes, his voice was solemn as he made his oath.

"I promise you."

*******

Shen Huai slept until noon the next day, and after a quick shower, he was rushed off with the rest of the team to the location of the shoot.

As everyone was being made up in the dressing room, the team manager was busy bustling about.

"You just had to drink last night! Look at those zits! Makeup artist, give him another layer of powder to cover them up!"

Hai Xing argued, "It's just regular teenage acne! I get them whether I drink or not!"

"Ming, did you not shave again today? What? Your razor is out of batteries? Don't you know how to use a blade?! Shave manually!"

"Oh my god! Our Zhou Ning should be portrayed as an artistic beauty. What kind of eyebrows are you drawing on for him?! They're almost flying off the top of his head!"

At the end of his rounds, he took one glance at Shen Huai and immediately shut up and gave him a thumbs up. "Perfect."

Shen Huai: "I haven't been made up yet."

The manager glared. "Why not?! Who is responsible for Shen Huai here?"

A female makeup artist feebly raised up her hand. "So sorry, but could you please wait a little longer? Our director wants to work on Mr. Shen personally and she'll be here very soon!"

The manager was taken aback. This makeup company had been working with their club for a long time already, and as far as he could remember, it was very hard to see the director in person.

The makeup artist mistook his silence for reluctance and was so frantic she was about to burst into tears. "Our director has always said that Mr. Shen has the most ideal facial features for Asian men. Her greatest regret in her career is not having had the chance to work on Mr. Shen's makeup even once. Please just wait a little longer. She'll be here soon."

Recalling the previous snubs he had received from the makeup director, the manager rubbed his chin and said loftily, "It's fine to make us wait for her, but in the future you must do our on-site makeup for free."

This makeup company charged a very high price, and there was a pricey additional service fee for on-site service. As a result, the team members would always have to rush over from the club to the makeup company for their makeup before rushing back to the site of the shoot. Not only was this a waste of time, but it also tired out the players. By the time the actual shooting started, they were all drowsy and nodding off.

The makeup artist hesitated for a moment and then sent a message to the director. Very quickly, there was the chime of a notification, and she said excitedly, "No problem! As long as Mr. Shen is there, we can do the makeup on site!"

The others from Maple Moon had been listening to this conversation as it unfolded and they couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh. The beauty bias is real!

Ten minutes later, the director finally rushed onto the scene, and she almost burst into ecstatic tears as soon as she set eyes on Shen Huai.

Everyone else might say that Shen Huai was the most useless "flower vase" in the entertainment industry, but in her opinion, Shen Huai had the most perfect face in the entire entertainment industry! While others were flaming Shen Huai for his terrible acting skills, she was putting virtual makeup onto a high-resolution image of Shen Huai's face!

She believed that her makeup skills were on par with other first-rate makeup artists, but because she was relatively unknown, she could only put makeup on some second-tier stars and could never climb high enough to have access to Shen Huai.

In order to realise her dream, she pulled strings to finally make contact with Shen Huai's makeup artist, hoping that she could at least be an assistant and watch them put makeup on Shen Huai in person. However, before that could happen, the news that Shen Huai had retired from the entertainment industry came out. She was extremely disappointed, but she also sincerely wished Shen Huai could have a better future.

But then, completely out of the blue! This actually turned into an opportunity for her to put makeup on Shen Huai herself! Shen Huai joined a pro gaming team, and this team just so happened to be in cooperation with their company!

Her hand was literally trembling when she saw the text message sent by her subordinate. She had immediately dropped everything she was doing to rush all the way back to the company!

The manager noticed how worked up she was and said uneasily, "Do you want to calm down first? So your hands won't shake when you work later."

With an arch of her brow, the director spread out her makeup set on the table with a wide sweep of her arm. "The hands of professional makeup artists won't shake even if they are suspended by wires in the air. All of you, out! Don't disturb me while I'm working."

She shooed everyone out of the room and slammed the door behind them. Shen Huai looked at the ardent flames in the makeup director's eyes and suddenly felt rather apprehensive.

The makeup director stared closely at him, becoming ever more pleased the more she examined him. She had long known that Shen Huai had an impeccable face, but she never expected it to be even more impressive upon close inspection.

Shen Huai was on pins and needles from all of her staring when the director abruptly broke into a professional smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Shen. I guarantee you'll have no problem taking centre stage!"

---

Previous: Chapter 32: Group Meal
Next: Chapter 34: Tactics

Back to Index