Shen Huai was at a loss for words. After going around in circles, he still couldn’t escape the eyes of this fox.
But he quickly felt that this wasn’t so bad. If he had to explain it himself, he might never know how to start.
He looked at Song Xueyang and sincerely said, “You’ve had a hard journey.”
An indescribable excitement surged in Song Xueyang’s heart. His fingertips trembled slightly, but his face remained calm. He put down his things and stepped forward to give Shen Huai a big hug.
He thought, from now on, Cang Yu is his.
The most intimate gesture Shen Huai had ever made with someone was putting an arm around their shoulder, and that was with his father. With other friends, it was at most a handshake. Now, suddenly being tightly hugged by a man he had only met twice, he was so at a loss that he didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. But through this embrace, he could feel Song Xueyang’s excitement and nervousness, which made him reluctant to refuse.
Fortunately, Song Xueyang’s hug only lasted a few seconds. He changed his shoes and took a simple tour around the house.
Shen Huai’s home was very simply decorated, even a bit sparse. The light-colored tables, chairs, and sofa looked very clean but lacked a bit of life, and there was a faint echo when speaking.
“Do you live alone?” Song Xueyang asked.
“Yeah,” Shen Huai put Song Xueyang’s luggage in the guest room, “My dad’s property isn’t here, but he’s very busy and doesn’t have much time to come back.”
“You too, I guess.”
He could tell that the living room and kitchen were both empty, and the furniture was arranged very neatly, not like they were often used.
Shen Huai said indifferently, “The house was bought two years ago, and I’ve lived here for about three months.”
Song Xueyang understood. In a sense, Shen Huai was also a household name, a big star who was always on the move throughout the year. Going home was a luxury for him.
Next to the guest room was Shen Huai’s bedroom, the door half-open, with a game still running on the computer screen. The mechanical keyboard from yesterday’s live broadcast, the Corsair K95 Platinum, lay on the keyboard tray.
Compared to other rooms, this bedroom was full of life, with a professional computer desk, gaming chair, top-notch peripherals, a comfortable big bed next to the desk, a bookshelf neatly lined with game figures, and a small fridge below.
This was truly a room that every gaming enthusiast dreamed of, where a swivel chair could reach everything in the room. Except for going to the door to get takeout, daily life didn’t require leaving the room.
Song Xueyang didn’t expect Shen Huai to have such a homebody side. He sat down on the gaming chair, which seemed to still carry Shen Huai’s body heat.
He couldn’t help but think that Shen Huai usually sat in this chair to talk to him, using this computer to perform operations that shocked everyone in the e-sports circle.
He habitually tilted his head back and rubbed his neck, a common ailment for every e-sports player, as sitting in front of a computer desk for too long made the neck uncomfortable. But when he looked up, he suddenly noticed a card stuck to the ceiling. The card was positioned directly above the chair, and it was almost impossible to notice unless he made this movement.
Song Xueyang had excellent eyesight and quickly recognized the familiar handwriting on the card—”No one can predict how far you can go, including yourself.”
It was a card he had written to comfort Shen Huai when he retired from the circle, thrown in with the snacks he gave him. At the time, he didn’t know Shen Huai was Cang Yu, nor did he know he retired to play e-sports. It was just because he felt a hint of similarity between Shen Huai and Cang Yu that he wrote this card.
He was very accurate in judging people. In just a few days of interaction, he could see that Shen Huai was by no means the useless pretty face the internet said he was. With his personality, he was bound to achieve something, just not in acting.
But he never expected that his casual act would mean so much to Shen Huai. Sticking it right above the chair meant that every time he was tired from practice and looked up, he could see this sentence.
Thinking deeper, did this sentence encourage him, constantly reminding him that he could go further?
The playful smile in Song Xueyang’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by an extremely serious expression. His fingers on the table curled up one by one, and he could hear his own heartbeat gradually speeding up.
He thought, he could make Shen Huai the person standing at the pinnacle of the e-sports world.
His dreams, he could make them come true.
Shen Huai came out of the guest room and saw Song Xueyang sitting in his chair, looking up at the card stuck to the ceiling.
He was stunned, awkwardly standing at the door.
He didn’t lack motivational quotes or people to encourage him, but this sentence was said by Song Xueyang, making it extraordinary for him.
Song Xueyang was an incredibly skilled e-sports player, with a unique vision and exceptional team-leading abilities. Shen Huai trusted him even more than he trusted himself. Every time he saw this sentence, his heart would become more determined, as if it was encouraging him to go further.
But that was usually the case. Now that the person involved had discovered it, Shen Huai’s heart was filled with nothing but embarrassment.
In that moment, Song Xueyang also noticed him. He saw Shen Huai awkwardly standing at the door, his earlobes faintly pink under his tousled hair, and his heart was about to melt.
He stood up without mentioning the card, “You ordered takeout earlier because you were hungry, right? Let me make you something to eat.”
Shen Huai instinctively asked, “How did you know I ordered takeout?”
Song Xueyang couldn’t help but ruffle his hair, “The guard didn’t even get a word in before you let me in, clearly knowing someone was coming. So it was either takeout or a delivery. You just retired, so you probably wouldn’t leave your home address for deliveries during such a sensitive time. The only thing that had to be delivered to your door was takeout.”
Shen Huai was dumbfounded by his reasoning, but seeing Song Xueyang roll up his sleeves brought him back to his senses, “Let’s go out to eat. You just got off the plane, no need to cook.”
Song Xueyang glanced at him, “There are reporters outside. You better stay home obediently.”
With that, he took off his coat and skillfully entered the kitchen. Shen Huai felt a bit embarrassed, but remembering the culinary skills he tasted at the Maple Moon team, he couldn’t help but look forward to another feast.
The kitchen was designed with a bar counter, and opposite it was the living room sofa. When Song Xueyang turned around, he saw Shen Huai sitting cross-legged on the sofa, full of anticipation, as if he was about to watch a cooking show. His heart was instantly filled with strength, wishing he could prepare a full Manchu-Han banquet.
Song Xueyang’s cooking skills were quite impressive. He managed to make three dishes with the meager ingredients in the fridge, vibrant in color and fragrant. Just the smell made Shen Huai’s mouth water.
During this time, he received another call from the guard, asking if he had ordered takeout. Shen Huai quietly said, “It’s for you.”
As a result, the diligent guard inexplicably enjoyed a sumptuous lunch.
Song Xueyang brought the dishes to the table and found two cans of cola from the fridge. The two of them sat at the table and toasted.
Shen Huai asked the question in his heart, “How did you guess I was Cang Yu? Just by looking at my hands?”
Song Xueyang smiled, “And your birthday.”
Initially, when he saw Cang Yu’s hands during the live broadcast, Song Xueyang coincidentally thought of Shen Huai, who also had such beautiful hands. But he quickly remembered the numbers Shen Huai used to clear the training mini-game, then linked it to Shen Huai’s suspiciously familiar trust in him and the small slip-ups he showed. He became suspicious, Googled Shen Huai’s personal information, and indeed found that they shared the same birthday.
Everything else fell into place naturally.
“Then how did you find out my home address?”
Song Xueyang smirked, “You told me.”
Shen Huai was momentarily confused, but quickly remembered that he had been completely unguarded in front of Song Xueyang, calling the hotel front desk to help mail his luggage, leaving his detailed address at that time.
“You remembered my home address?” Shen Huai had a look of ‘what were you planning to do to me’ on his face.
Song Xueyang calmly said, “I didn’t remember it at the time. After confirming you were Cang Yu, I recalled it carefully.”
Shen Huai: “…” Is your brain a video recorder? Can it replay things later?
“Aren’t you afraid of making a wasted trip? I never promised to join Maple Moon.”
“The decision is yours. Even if you ultimately don’t want to join Maple Moon, I won’t do anything.”
Shen Huai was just feeling guilty for judging a gentleman with a petty heart when he saw Song Xueyang take a sip of cola and casually say, “I’d just stay at your place, stop you from contacting other teams, until the transfer period ends, those trivial things.”
Shen Huai: “…” Well, thank you for saying it out loud!
Song Xueyang reached across the table and held Shen Huai’s hand resting on it, “Shen Huai, give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that Maple Moon is the team that suits you best. Trust me this time, okay?”
Shen Huai couldn’t help but look at him, but as soon as he raised his head, he fell into those deep and serious eyes. He pressed his lips together, not giving in.
Song Xueyang’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, “If you don’t want to take endorsements, you can negotiate with the team. Contracts are dead, but people are alive. With me here, no one in the club will force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Shen Huai’s hand paused. He didn’t expect Song Xueyang to guess his last concern so accurately. Since he knew everything, why didn’t he say it earlier?
As if seeing his confusion, Song Xueyang helplessly said, “I only figured it out after knowing you were Cang Yu.”
Maple Moon had a huge fan base among professional teams, not only because of their unique selection process but also due to the club’s meticulous packaging of each team member. The talents in Maple Moon’s operations department were professionals poached from the entertainment industry, well aware of how to create personas that fans would love. Compared to competitions, the entire club’s goal seemed more like forming a star team. Naturally, they had the most promotional activities among all professional teams.
Shen Huai hated these things; otherwise, he wouldn’t have wanted to leave the entertainment industry so much.
After knowing Shen Huai was Cang Yu, Song Xueyang guessed his hesitation.
“You haven’t signed a contract yet, so these things can be negotiated. Endorsements are usually taken by Zhou Ning and Xiao Ming, and live broadcasts are done by me and Xing Xing. If you don’t want to earn that money, you can refuse. The most important thing for a team is its potential, not these additional conditions. Maple Moon can become a team centered around you, which other teams can’t achieve.”
Shen Huai was tempted. Song Xueyang’s words struck a chord deep within him. Most of the top eight teams didn’t have vacancies, and after joining, he would have to adjust himself according to the team’s existing playstyle. Although he could make this concession to become a professional e-sports player, becoming the core of a team was something every player dreamed of.
The hand holding his tightened, and Song Xueyang’s voice seemed to tempt him bit by bit, “Being able to compete with you is the greatest wish of my professional career. From the moment you said you planned to play professional e-sports, I’ve been thinking about next year’s lineup and playstyle for Maple Moon. Give me a chance to make it happen, okay?”
Shen Huai’s heart softened, and he couldn’t say a word. He looked down at Song Xueyang’s hand holding his, and after a long time, he gently nodded.
Only then did Song Xueyang release his hand, smiling as he raised his can of cola, “Welcome to Maple Moon, Shen Huai.”
Shen Huai followed suit, picking up his can of cola, “Captain.”
Hearing the word “captain,” Song Xueyang’s heart trembled. He felt that even if he were to die now, he would have no regrets.
The meal was finished in a pleasant atmosphere, and Song Xueyang, in a good mood, reminded him, “Do you want to buy some daily necessities online in advance and have them shipped over?”
Shen Huai thought about it and realized that it was indeed impossible to bring everything over such a long distance. Given his status, it wasn’t realistic to go shopping at a supermarket over there, so he picked up his phone and opened a shopping website.
Song Xueyang thought that someone like Shen Huai, a star, would have a lot of elaborate daily necessities and would take a long time to choose. But he found that Shen Huai selected things very quickly, and they were quite simple. Instead, he spent a long time choosing computer peripherals.
While confirming the order, he asked, “Shipping address?”
Song Xueyang directly helped him input it, then requested payment, generated a QR code, and took out his phone to pay.
Shen Huai, caught off guard, had his order paid for, feeling even more embarrassed. But Song Xueyang didn’t mind, “It’s your joining gift.”
“You already made shrimp earlier.”
Song Xueyang, smiling, handed back his phone, “That was a welcome gift, this is a joining gift, they’re different.”
Shen Huai had no choice but to accept it, but when he saw the six-figure payment amount on the order page, he immediately regretted it, “No, I have to transfer it to you.”
“Then I’ll suggest to the manager to make you the team’s image ambassador.”
Shen Huai: “…”
Song Xueyang couldn’t help but ruffle his hair, “Be good, listen.”
Shen Huai realized that no matter when, Song Xueyang could always use both soft and hard tactics, precisely hitting his weak spots. Life in Maple Moon might be both deep and fiery.
Is it too late to regret now?