Chapter 82 – Peeking Is Immoral
Seeing him slouching with his shoulders drooped and his baby face all gloomy, Shao Zhan couldn’t help but let out a cheeky whistle. “What’s the big deal?”
“A big deal? The sky’s practically falling! Do you even realize this was our new captain’s debut appearance?” He pointed at the culprit. “Ancestor, could you please stop causing me trouble?”
“Manager, I can go,” Yang Sa wiped away his tears and put his glasses back on. His eyes and the area around his nose were still slightly red.
“Yeah, I think he’s fine too,” said Fat Tangyuan, holding a slice of pizza he’d grabbed from a nearby plate and twirling it like a weapon. “A little captain who dominates the battlefield during matches, but secretly cries in his teammate’s arms off-stage? That kind of contrast is just too cute—how can anyone not love it… Ow…”
Fat Tangyuan, who was usually unrestrained when it came to trash talk in the team, immediately went silent when he met the sharp gaze of the new captain. He stuffed the pizza into his mouth to shut himself up.
“What’s there to be afraid of when trouble comes?” Shao Zhan wasn’t the least bit scared of brushing up against Manager Qin Chuan’s temper. He said nonchalantly, “I’ll smooth things over for you. Done and dusted.”
After finding out where the media was stationed, he got ready to head over and handle them. Before leaving, he reminded Qin Chuan to take care of the new captain: “He’s just finished a match and is completely worn out. Once things are settled here, take them back to the hotel to rest. I’ll deal with the media.”
“No interviews?”
“We’ll find another chance once we’re back in the country,” Shao Zhan glanced at him. “With Manager Qin on our side, you think Xinghai would ever lack exposure opportunities?”
Flattered by the former captain’s praise, Qin Chuan practically wagged his invisible tail in delight. Taking on the responsibility of protecting the team, he called for the players to follow him closely so they could avoid the press.
On the flight home, whether it was due to exhaustion from the match or finally letting go of years of inner demons, Xinghai’s new captain, Yang Sa, slept soundly the whole way.
Even after landing, when his teammates helped him into the car, he remained half-asleep.
Come to think of it, the boy who had stunned everyone on the Battlegrounds stage was still just under twenty.
While waiting to pick them up, the driver had already noticed that his young master’s concern for the boy was far from ordinary. But years of professional decorum kept him from prying into his employer’s personal matters. He simply followed Shao Zhan’s instructions and set the GPS.
The destination was in the suburbs of the neighboring city. The driver didn’t ask questions—he just drove smoothly all the way there.
Upon arrival, following Shao Zhan’s instructions, he bought some water and restocked the car’s supplies. Then he found a spot nearby with a chess stall and watched people play Chinese chess.
When Yang Sa woke up in the back seat, he thought they had reached the base. But the picturesque mountain scenery outside the window immediately caught his attention.
The yellow leaves of late autumn fell onto the dark brown earth, rustling softly as the wind swept past.
“Sorry for bringing you here without asking first.”
In the front passenger seat, Shao Zhan’s gaze lingered on the nearby mountain scenery. Following his line of sight, Yang Sa looked over as a low, slightly hoarse voice broke the silence in the car.
“Your brother is buried here.”
A brief look of confusion flashed across Yang Sa’s face. Shao Zhan quickly added, “I thought… maybe you’d want to see him. I didn’t find a good time to bring it up on the way, but if you’re not ready, we can come back another time…”
Before Shao Zhan could finish, Yang Sa leaned forward and hugged him over the seat.
“Thank you.” Resting his forehead against the side of Shao Zhan’s neck, he caught sight of a bouquet tucked into the side of the car door and whispered, “Thank you.”
Shao Zhan draped a prepared coat over his shoulders, and the two of them walked up the mountain bathed in the slanting light of sunset.
Shao Zhan had already arranged for someone to clean up Qu Jin’s grave before their visit. Though it stood alone—a tall, narrow marble tombstone—Yang Sa didn’t feel as sorrowful as he’d expected.
He spoke to his brother about his life over the past few years, picking through the memories, mostly sharing happy ones.
“Don’t worry, brother. These past few years I’ve been eating well in Germany and sleeping well too… Wait, no, not really eating well. The food abroad’s just so-so, not as good as back home. But now there’s food delivery, which is super convenient…”
He kept talking, eventually reaching the present—how he’d just come back from Singapore, where he played in a tournament. They won. Champion. He mentioned a teammate who got injured, and how they pushed him there and pushed him back together.
After finally saying all that, he could no longer avoid the next topic: the person beside him.
“H-he… his name is Shao Zhan.” He managed to say the name, but couldn’t continue. Instead, he quietly took the other man’s hand and smiled shyly.
Having been around the league for years, Shao Zhan had developed skin thicker than pavement. He jumped right in without hesitation.
“Hello, big brother-in-law, I’m Xiao Zhan.”
Yang Sa gave him a sharp look, so he quickly added with a grin, “And I’m also the boss of your little brother’s club.”
After a bit of joking around, Shao Zhan’s expression turned serious. “I promise I’ll treat him well. Please trust me with him.”
Then, the serious Shao Zhan only lasted two seconds before pointing at a slender sapling swaying beside the tombstone and said, “Look, your brother’s giving his blessing!”
“You—” Yang Sa squeezed his hand, “Can you be any more shameless?”
“Of course I can,” Shao Zhan leaned in, and just as Yang Sa hurriedly pushed him away in embarrassment, he turned to the innocent “third party” and said with a mock warning, “Big brother-in-law, peeking is very Immoral, you know.”
Flustered and annoyed, Yang Sa blurted out, “What nonsense are you even saying?!”
Shao Zhan wasn’t the least bit annoyed. He lifted his right hand, which was still in a sling, and said, “Don’t worry, big brother-in-law. My injury will heal soon—I won’t let your little brother suffer. You can rest easy.”
Seeing the person beside him gently nudging at the gravel with the tip of his shoe, Shao Zhan took advantage of his distraction and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then he turned and said solemnly, “Big brother-in-law, I’ll treat Xiao Sa well. If I don’t… then you can come take me away.”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Yang Sa quickly covered his mouth, afraid he’d say more—afraid he’d sneak in another kiss.
Shao Zhan took his hand and pressed a soft kiss to it.
“Let’s go.”
By the time they were walking down the mountain, the sun had completely disappeared behind the ridges. The night’s soft veil descended over the world. Hand in hand, they walked for a long, long time.
Yang Sa’s mind was still on club matters. He remembered Qin Chuan had arranged a scrim for the team, trying to make up for the interview that got canceled thanks to Shao Zhan’s earlier disruption. Yang Sa wanted to go back and practice with the team, to keep building chemistry. Otherwise, if he didn’t perform well, he’d feel like he’d let the manager down.
But Shao Zhan, a seasoned veteran from years on the competitive stage, didn’t take it seriously.
“You don’t have to worry about that guy Qin Xiaochuan. He always blows things out of proportion. If you need something, he’s useful—but when there’s nothing going on, he becomes the one making trouble. Trust me, don’t stress about it.”
The place they were in was remote, with few dining options. They settled on a halfway decent diner and had some stir-fried noodles. By the time they got back to Jiangling city, it was already past midnight.
Even Shao Zhan was exhausted. Once they arrived, he took a moment to catch his breath before gently waking Yang Sa.
“Come on, go sleep in a real bed—it’ll be more comfortable.”
Still groggy, Yang Sa was half-dragged along, stumbling unevenly. He vaguely sensed they weren’t heading back to the training base. Figuring they must’ve just found a hotel nearby, he didn’t think much of it.
“At this rate, I could sell you off and you wouldn’t even notice,” Shao Zhan muttered as he guided the dazed boy along. His words were teasing, but his expression was anything but casual.
At the door to Room 406, Shao Zhan paused, unlocked the door with a key, and switched on the chandelier inside.
“Welcome home,” he said.
One second, Yang Sa was confused. The next, he froze in place—this place… this was once his home.
The house where he and his brother had lived carefree lives, back when their parents were still alive.
He stepped inside cautiously. The beige wallpaper had yellowed and cracked with age. The bamboo wicker chair had lost its paint, and the cushion his mother had once woven by hand was gone.
Shao Zhan explained: after his parents passed away, the house was taken by the bank and changed hands several times. These few old items were all that remained. If Yang Sa didn’t like it, they could redecorate.
“I like it. I love all of it.”
Yang Sa looked around, brushing his hands along the surfaces. Every corner seemed to awaken a memory. The old house held traces of his childhood everywhere.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he turned and hugged Shao Zhan tightly.
“I love it all. But what I love most in this house… is you.”
“Go wash up—it’s late,” Shao Zhan said, ruffling his hair.
“I already changed all the bedding. If there’s anything else you need, we’ll add it later.”
Yang Sa nodded in agreement with a good attitude, but his actions were still entirely his own. He wandered around the room, glancing here and there, and eventually fell asleep in the bedroom he had once shared with his brother. Though the small room no longer held the decorations from when the two brothers lived there, it still made him feel at ease.
After washing up, Shao Zhan came back, turned off the lights for him, and took a blanket to lie down on the wicker chair in the living room.
The place was a modest two-bedroom apartment. The other bedroom had belonged to Yang Sa’s parents, and even though Shao Zhan had paid for the house, it didn’t feel right to him to sleep in the master bedroom.
…
The next morning, when Yang Sa got up, breakfast was waiting for him on the small round table in the living room. Shao Zhan had already gone to the company to handle work.
He had left a note telling Yang Sa to rest well. All of Xinghai had the next couple of days off, so there was no need to return to the base.
Since it was still early, Yang Sa went to a nearby furniture store and bought a few lightweight pieces to bring back home. After tidying up the place a bit, he headed back to the base in the afternoon.
As soon as he stepped inside, he startled Qin Chuan, who was in pajamas, chasing a myna bird around trying to force-feed it: “Weren’t you on leave?!”
From a wheelchair, the ever-enthusiastic Tangyuan—who was leading the charge to chase the bird—looked back and said, “Little captain took a day off?”
“Sick leave,” Qin Chuan replied, now realizing what was going on. He yanked off the sleep cap on his head and muttered, “You little beast, I’ll %&#**%*#@&#@ you…”
Yang Sa didn’t have the heart to expose the excuse Shao Zhan had given on his behalf.
“I wasn’t feeling well last night. Probably a bit of jet lag and getting used to different water and weather. But I’m totally fine now. Manager, go ahead and arrange the practice matches and the interview—I’m ready.”
Hearing that, the motherly manager Qin Chuan gave a relieved smile and put on an air of fake concern: “Are you really okay? Do you want to rest a couple more days?”