In the early morning, the sunlight was gentle.

Yuan Xiu, groggy from a long night of heavy drinking, emerged from his room with a pounding headache.

In the club’s lounge, Ah Heng was jogging leisurely on the treadmill, Ren Xiang was watching TV, and Gu Zhefeng was reading an English book.

The moment Yuan Xiu’s room door opened, they all immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at him in unison.

The atmosphere was awkward.

Yuan Xiu descended the stairs, rubbing his temples.

“Headache?”

Ah Heng got off the treadmill with a grin and said, “Of course you have a headache. Last night, well…”

As soon as Yuan Xiu sat on the sofa, the other two immediately gathered around him. “Hmm? Hmm?”

He frowned. “What do you mean, ‘hmm’?”

Ren Xiang smirked, “Last night.”

Gu Zhefeng eagerly urged, “Last night, last night!”

Yuan Xiu turned to Ah Heng. “What happened last night?”

“Wow, Captain, you wouldn’t deny it, would you?” Ren Xiang looked at him with a disdainful expression that seemed to say, “I didn’t expect this from you.”

Yuan Xiu shook his head slightly, his memory a bit fuzzy, and looked at Ah Heng, asking, “What happened last night?”

Ah Heng walked over and said, “Prepare to be shocked.”

“Go ahead,” Yuan Xiu replied.

Clearing his throat, Ah Heng began, “Last night, you said you were going out for a smoke. When I saw you hadn’t returned even after an hour, I went out to look for you. As I passed by the KTV private room in the corridor, wow…”

Yuan Xiu’s heart tightened.

“I saw Lu Manman pressing you down on the couch, kissing you wildly.”

Wildly kissing…

“She kissed your lips, your face, your neck, even planted strawberries on your body. You had your eyes closed, enjoying it so much as if you were about to fly, like a happy puppy.”

The other two covered their hearts, exclaiming in surprise.

Ah Heng continued, “Your hand even slipped inside her skirt, squeezing her buttocks firmly. Oh, I can’t handle the thought of that scene… it’s unbearable.”

Yuan Xiu felt his scalp tighten, lowered his head, and checked inside his collar.

On his tight wheat-colored skin, there was a charming blush, indicating the intensity of the previous night. His cheeks involuntarily turned red.

“Then I was about to leave, and you picked up a wine bottle from the table and threw it at me,” Ah Heng said, “I suppose you wanted me to separate you two. So, I walked over and separated you drunken fools. When I did, Lu Manman even got mad at me and kicked me.”

Ren Xiang remarked, “Why do I feel like… the Captain throwing a beer bottle at you meant he wanted you to roll away as far as possible?”

Gu Zhefeng remained calm and said, “One more.”

Yuan Xiu closed his eyes, tapped his brow, and said in a deep voice, “Luckily.”

Ah Heng remarked, “It’s good that you two were separated. Just imagine, if you really did something in a KTV like that, and fans saw, took photos, and posted them online, how many fangirls would cry in the restroom. Your image as the nation’s beloved husband would be shattered, and your reputation ruined.”

Ren Xiang, with a sense of dread, said, “The main issue was not closing the door.”

Gu Zhefeng added, “Even if you closed it, it wouldn’t help. The doors are fitted with transparent glass, just to prevent thirsty folks like you from engaging in indecent activities in proper KTV rooms.”

Ah Heng continued, “So, I’m glad I was the first to discover this.”

Yuan Xiu closed his eyes and murmured, “Thank you.”

Among the X Club members, Ah Heng was the oldest, mature, reliable, and dependable teammate. Over the years, they fought side by side, understanding each other with just a glance or a gesture, showcasing their rare understanding.

Last night, when Yuan Xiu threw a beer bottle, it was a cry for help. He couldn’t resist her on his own and sought help from his teammate.

When he woke up in the morning, Yuan Xiu couldn’t recall what had happened the night before. After brooding all morning, his memories slowly pieced together, and the more he thought about it… the more his heart raced.

She was too much.

Last night, he… almost succumbed to her.

He couldn’t dwell on it, couldn’t overthink it. Take a deep breath, stay calm.

Ren Xiang nudged Ah Heng, looking at Yuan Xiu under the tree outside, and asked, “The Captain has been smoking outside all morning, is he okay?”

Ah Heng replied, “He touched a young lady’s buttocks, do you think he’s okay?”

Gu Zhefeng added, “And she’s an American sympathizer.”

“I mean, if he touched her, so what,” Ren Xiang said nonchalantly, “At worst, they’ll just start dating, what’s the big deal.”

“X and him are both in their prime right now, a small action could have significant consequences,” Ah Heng looked at Yuan Xiu, furrowing his brows, “At a time like this, the Captain probably has no intention of dating a girlfriend.”

Yuan Xiu paced back and forth under the tree for two hours, smoking seven or eight cigarettes before finally pulling out his phone.

….

Lu Manman, who was studying in the library, was startled when her phone suddenly vibrated on the table, causing her body to jerk.

Hurriedly leaving the study room, she walked to the central hall and answered the phone, saying, “Yuan Xiu.”

“The events from last night, I’ve been thinking about them for a long time,” he cut to the chase, not beating around the bush at all.

“Uh?”

“I won’t deny what I did,” his voice was deep and sincere, “What do you think, should we give it a try or… start dating directly?”

“Hold on…” Lu Manman hadn’t fully processed the situation yet, “Dating and all, why are you suddenly saying such things to me?”

Yuan Xiu paused, “You don’t remember?”

Lu Manman rubbed her head, “I’m still a bit dizzy now, it seems like I drank too much last night, and my friends helped me back to the dorm.”

“So… you don’t remember anything at all?”

“Did something happen between us?”

Yuan Xiu took a deep breath and confessed, “I almost… no, you almost…”

“Uh?”

There was a suffocating silence on the other end of the phone.

After a while, Yuan Xiu asked, “So, you don’t like me, right?”

“Uh,” Lu Manman’s face slightly reddened, “You suddenly call to ask if I like you, without any preparation…”

How does one admit to such a thing?

Yuan Xiu lowered his head and kicked a small stone under his foot, “It’s okay, forget I mentioned it, don’t worry about it.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, I heard you signed up for the doubles competition,” Yuan Xiu changed the subject, “Have you found a partner?”

“Not yet,” Lu Manman felt frustrated at the thought, “There were a few girls who were hesitant at first, but they were threatened by the athletic club members, and now they refuse to participate.”

“Why does it have to be girls?” Yuan Xiu asked, “If it were guys, there would probably be many willing to team up for the finals.”

“They said girls can’t play well in competitive matches, I’ll show them that they’re wrong,” Lu Manman said defiantly, “The girls I bring will definitely win the championship.”

“Acting on impulse,” Yuan Xiu muttered, “Always remember your goal, to make it to the finals, to showcase yourself to more professional managers, to have the opportunity to choose the club you like, rather than being at the mercy of others. Competing with a bunch of amateur idiots right now is a waste of time.”

“Are you saying playing doubles is also a waste of time for me?”

After some thought, Yuan Xiu said firmly, “Yes.”

“… “

After a pause, Lu Manman stiffly admitted, “I acknowledge that playing doubles is indeed because I felt looked down upon. I know what I want very well, no need for your lectures.”

“Do you?” he chuckled, “Then why were you crying last night?”

At his words, Lu Manman’s breath hitched, “I just miss my dad.”

Yuan Xiu murmured her words, “More terrifying than failure is not being able to see hope, not being able to see the direction one should strive towards.”

“… ” Lu Manman gritted her teeth, “You’re bored, carrying around this kind of stuff for no reason.”

“I don’t want to remember either,” Yuan Xiu touched his chest, “I don’t know why it stuck with me so deeply.”

“What does ‘stuck with me so deeply’ mean?”

Yuan Xiu pursed his lips, didn’t answer her, and just said, “It’s okay not to see a future without direction, I’ll give you a future. Perform well in the provincial singles competition, achieve high points and good results, I’ll talk to the manager, you come to our X team, not as a substitute but as a full-fledged member.”

Yuan Xiu hung up without waiting for her response, cheeks flushed.

Lu Manman stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the center hall of the library, gazing at the distant playground, beyond which lay an endless expanse of lush green trees.

“It’s okay not to see a future without direction, I’ll give you…”

The way he said those words so decisively made Lu Manman’s heart tremble.

There was a time when he told her to be a substitute at X, assuring her that one day she would rise again. And now, he was formally inviting her to join X, not as a substitute but as a full member.

Wasn’t this what she had hoped for all along? She longed to join a professional Chinese esports team, and X was undoubtedly the best choice.

So, what was she still hesitating about?

….

In the afternoon, Lu Manman walked back to her dorm room and saw Xia Tian standing by the dormitory corridor with a vocabulary book and wearing headphones.

From inside the dorm room, voices of women arguing could be heard.

“What do you think of me, an ATM?”

“Do you talk to your mother like that?”

“Then what should I say? Buying a house is Cheng Tian’s business, he has his own parents, what’s it got to do with me!”

…..

Xia Tian gestured to Lu Manman, indicating for her not to enter the room just yet.

Lu Manman understood and stood beside her, whispering, “What’s going on?”

Glancing at the dorm room, Xia Tian whispered back, “Cheng Yu’s mom is here.”

Suddenly, the sound of a cup breaking came from the room, startling both of them to step back a few paces. They could hear Cheng Yu shouting in frustration, “Why should I give him money? Why should I give in to him! It’s always been like this since childhood, everything good goes to him, in your eyes, I’m nothing at all!”

“Do you still have an ounce of being a sister? Sisters are supposed to give in to their brothers! Every family is like this. Ah, the brother is the boy, you’re the girl, when girls grow up, they belong to other families. We’re buying the house for your brother, what’s wrong with that?”

“If you want to buy it, go ahead, am I stopping you?”

“We’re still short of money, need a loan, with your father and my meager salaries, it’s barely enough to cover the loan. We thought, with this house, the whole family can live in it, you need to contribute to this family.”

“Are you also going to pay off the mortgage?” Cheng Yu scoffed, “Will the house be registered under my name?”

“Of course, it will be registered under your brother’s name,” the mother said matter-of-factly, “In the future, when you get married, the house will belong to someone else. How can that be? The house must be registered under your brother’s name, he’s the son, it’ll be beneficial for his marriage in the future.”

“I have no money,” Cheng Yu said coldly, “I’m still studying. Normally, you should provide me with a monthly allowance, but now you’re asking for money from me. Do you have the nerve to ask?”

“After all these years of raising you, you’re already an adult, shouldn’t you be supporting us?”

“It’s fine to support you, but what’s the point of also supporting your irresponsible son?”

“Do you have to speak like that? Xiao Tian is your brother, isn’t he?”

“I wish he wasn’t my brother!”

At that moment, several girls passed by the dormitory entrance and heard the argument inside, whispering and pointing to each other.

“What’s there to see,” Lu Manman said stiffly.

The girls smirked and left.

Inside the dorm, there was the sound of something hitting the ground and shattering, accompanied by Cheng Yu’s mother angrily shouting, “Don’t act poor with me. Everyone knows you work in those shady places, seducing several wealthy bosses who can easily give you millions. You’ve received plenty of benefits from them, so what’s wrong with using some to help your brother buy a house?”

“What shady places? I work in a bar, how is that shady? Even if I accompany someone for a meal, I only take what I deserve. And if it weren’t for you constantly pestering me like vampires, do you think I would willingly go to those places?”

“Look at all these expensive bottles and cans you’ve bought, how much did they cost? If you don’t help your brother buy a house, I’ll smash all of them!”

The sound of glass hitting the ground echoed from the dorm room again. Lu Manman and Xia Tian exchanged a glance and quickly rushed into the room.

“Auntie, please calm down.”

“Don’t break things.”

Cheng Yu’s desk was in disarray, with several bottles of water and lotion already shattered on the ground. Cheng Yu’s mother had a flush on her face, her eyes long and narrow, her lips thin and sharp, giving her a stern appearance.

Cheng Yu sat at the table, resting on his elbow, and said, “You better pay attention to this. I won’t mind if you break my things, but if you break my roommate’s items, you’ll have to compensate at full price. My roommate’s belongings are all American goods, and you can’t afford to compensate for them even if you work your whole life.”

Upon hearing this, his mother immediately stopped smashing things, scolded Cheng Yu a few more times, and then left.

Outside the door, a group of girls had gathered, gossiping in hushed tones, all there just to watch the commotion.

Cheng Yu walked over with a cold expression, forcefully closing the door with a loud “bang.”

The room fell into sudden silence, a deathly quiet settling in.

Xia Tian and Lu Manman exchanged a glance and quickly knelt down to pick up the bottles and cans scattered on the floor.

“This facial toner is still half full, it can still be used. Let’s find a small bottle to transfer it into.”

Xia Tian hurried to her desk, “I have an empty bottle!”

“It’s a shame the compact powder is all smashed, but it’s okay, there wasn’t much left anyway.”

“This lotion bottle is intact, thankfully.”

The two girls busied themselves tidying up for Cheng Yu, while Cheng Yu had already grabbed a broom and swept away all the glass shards and bottles on the floor.

She pursed her lips, remaining silent.

Lu Manman and Xia Tian stood up, pondering how to comfort her, but she simply smiled lightly, “It’s okay, I’m used to it. You guys should quickly check your own belongings, just in case she took anything.”

Both of them remained motionless, staring at Cheng Yu blankly.

“Cheng Yu, is there some kind of difficulty in your family?” Lu Manman asked hesitantly, “If there is, we can help.”

Xia Tian nodded repeatedly.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Cheng Yu waved her hand dismissively, “My family is like this, it’s not like we can’t make ends meet. It’s just that everything good goes to their son, I’m basically an outsider. It’s fine, they treat me like an outsider, and I don’t bother with them.”

Lu Manman had never imagined that such a clear distinction could exist between family members.

“By the way, Manman,” Cheng Yu suddenly turned to her, “For that competition, if you win the national championship, will the prize money be higher than the provincial competition?”