Chapter 28

On July 22, 2017, Yu Sui had the most unbearable birthday of his life.

As soon as Yu Sui woke up, he felt that there was something wrong. His stomachache was particularly serious that day. His stomach condition has always bad, but today was the worst. What’s more, he’s never had it start hurting first thing in the morning. They were going to play the semi-finals this afternoon and Yu Sui didn’t want to affect his teammates’ mood. He reluctantly got up and rummaged for the stomach medicine his parents had sent him before. He then headed downstairs to make a cup for himself.

Chen Huo was also up. He headed downstairs and frowned when he saw Yu Sui holding a steaming cup, “What’s the matter?”

Yu Sui’s lips were slightly pale. He took a sip of his drink and said, “It’s that time of the month. Got a problem?”

“F*ck you.” Chen Huo smiled, “I got it. No cold drinks for you at the party tonight. Happy birthday.”

Old Qiao and Puppy also came down one after the other. Old Qiao saw that there was something off with Yu Sui and asked after his condition. After a hot drink, Yu Sui looked slightly better. He waved Old Qiao away, asking him to stop being such a mother hen. He urged everyone to check their peripherals; if nothing was the matter, they’d head to the competition venue early.

Shi Luo had been standing a little ways off. After everyone went to pack their peripherals, Shi Luo walked to Yu Sui, frowning, “Are you really okay? If you can’t do it, I’ll go up.”

Yu Sui looked at Shi Luo, and he hesitated for a moment.

But then he discarded this idea.

Yu Sui recognized Shi Luo’s strength. He was very clear on how strong a player Shi Luo was. In this semifinal, Shi Luo might not necessarily lose.

But if Shi Luo fails in his first ever appearance on a major match and sends everyone’s hard work during the regular season down the drain…he was afraid the sprayers would be sending their regards to Shi Luo for a whole entire year.

“Of course I’m okay.” Yu Sui took the cup and walked to the bathroom. “My stomach’s been hurting for so many days, I’m already used to it.”

Shi Luo followed Yu Sui and forced his way into the bathroom. Yu Sui rinsed the cup clean and said helplessly, “What are you doing coming in here? I’m going to f*cking take a leak. Are you gonna watch me piss?”

“Are you really all right?” Shi Luo looked critically at Yu Sui. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” The space inside the first floor bathroom was very small. Yu Sui urged, “Get out.”

It was like Shi Luo hadn’t heard it. He frowned as he looked at Yu Sui, “Then why do you look so off? Your lips are all white. You should take a look at yourself in the mirror. Anyone would be distressed looking at you.”

Yu Sui laughed in spite of himself.

Shi Luo was too perceptive. Yu Sui didn’t want to make this into a big deal. He gave perfunctory answer. “I had a little quarrel with the captain this morning. It’s no big deal.”

“What were you arguing about?” Shi Luo wasn’t happy about that. “Why didn’t you call me to listen in?!”

Yu Sui: “…”

Yu Sui’s stomach was hurt like a b*tch but he really wanted to laugh. He leaned against the wall and said dispiritedly, “I’m so sorry. Next time I’ll ask you to come and watch the train wreck. Unfortunately, this morning’s quarrel was done through text. All visual, no audio. Sorry. Are we done here? ”

Shi Luo’s eyes were shining. He glanced at Yu Sui’s trouser pocket which held his mobile phone. He made as if to speak but stopped.

Yu Sui didn’t even have to think. He already knew what Shi Luo wanted to do. He opened the bathroom door and said, “No way am I letting you go through my chat history so beat it.”

Shi Luo knew that he had gone a bit overboard. He said sluggishly, “Fine. Go take your smoke. I’ll go pack up …”

Shi Luo walked out. Suddenly, without waiting for Yu Sui to close the door again, Shi Luo skillfully slipped in through the crack!

Yu Sui was in the middle of closing the door. Like this, Shi Luo was almost nestled right into Yu Sui’s arms.

There really was very limited space in the bathroom. Yu Sui wanted to be a gentleman, but there was no room for retreat.

Shi Luo hemmed and hawed, “He … Did he say anything bad about me? You can’t listen to him. Your relationship with me now is obviously much better than with him. His is all in the past.”

Yu Sui hung his head and looked at Shi Luo, after a moment he conceded. He let go of the door handle and fished out his mobile phone. He unlocked it and handed it to Shi Luo.

Shi Luo gripped Yu Sui’s mobile phone and gulped. He whispered hesitantly, “You’re… really going to let me see it?”

Yu Sui nodded.

Shi Luo’s lips slightly ticked up and he bowed his head to look through the chat records.

The two were nestled a little too close. Yu Sui tried his best to stick to the wall behind him. Yu Sui looked at Shi Luo from out the corner of his eye and whispered, “Shi Luo, do you have any idea what you look like right now?”

“I know.” Shi Luo didn’t even raise his head, and said happily, “I look like a green tea b*tch taking advantage of a lover’s quarrel to look over someone’s chat records!”

Yu Sui: “&#k2026;”

Yu Sui felt a bit heart weary and he snatched the phone back. “I suddenly don’t feel like showing it to you anymore. Get out.”

“What’s your hurry!” Shi Luo felt awfully wronged. He muttered in a low voice. “Such a bad temper, geez &#k2026; OK, I’m going.”

Yu Sui closed the bathroom door and muttered, “F*cking idiot…”

He wasn’t a green tea bitch looking over a quarreling couple’s chat records.

He was a bag of vinegar worriedly investigating his husband.

Yu Sui’s stomach was so painful that he lay in front of the small hand-washing station for a while. After the meager effects of the medicine started to kick in, he got up and went out of the bathroom.

At around ten o’clock in the morning, everyone was already all packed up. Shi Luo also had his uniform on and was stuffing snacks, a thermos bottles and stomach pellets into his own peripherals bag … Along with an unknown thing.

Yu Sui lowered his head slightly, scrutinizing the pack in Shi Luo’s hand. He read the words softly, a pause between each word. “Motherwort’s , Menstrual, Heat, Patch?”

Shi Luo’s lips twitched. “See? You shoo-ed me away, but I still went out to buy these for you. Look how nice I am to you …”

“Oh, so that’s for me, is it…” Yu Sui nodded calmly. “It’s my fault. I take back what I said this morning. I don’t have my period today but thanks.”

“What do you know? This kind of heat patch is also good for stomachaches.” Shi Luo tucked the heat patches into his peripheral bag. “Later, I’ll help you stick it under your team uniform.”

“I refuse.” Yu Sui really wanted to open Shi Luo’s brain to see what was inside. “What are you doing putting in all this crap? You didn’t even put in your mouse and keyboard. Take those out and put in your peripherals! ”

“I’m a substitute, I don’t need my peripherals. Is it even necessary to pretend that I’m even carrying any peripherals?” Shi Luo acted quite reasonable. “In any case, the fans can’t see what I have inside here. So, who exactly am I obstructing here? ”

Yu Sui was at the end of his patience. “It’s obstructing me! Go put them in. If you don’t take your peripherals we won’t take you with us.”

Shi Luo was left without a choice. He grumbled out a few words, but threw out the snacks from his bag, and stuffed in his keyboard and mouse. He insisted on bringing the thermos and motherwort’s heat patches. His peripherals bag almost burst from how overstuffed it was.

Shi Luo couldn’t help complaining, “My peripherals bag is all stretched out!”

Yu Sui shot Shi Luo a glance and then ignored him.

Yu Sui didn’t want to say anything but he had an uneasy feeling since this morning.

Yu Sui’s sixth sense has always been the kind that worked well about bad tidings but never about good ones.

Yu Sui thought about it over and over and the more he thought, the more he felt that something was going to go wrong in the semi-finals today. If he really couldn’t get his stomachache to subside, Shi Luo would have to go up.

Naturally, no matter what, Yu Sui would do his utmost best to push through. But this kind of uneasiness that he’d felt since getting up that morning was like a shadow that wouldn’t leave. Aside from an accident occurring in the game, Yu Sui couldn’t think of any other possible setback.

But they cut down Team YT, gaining a decisive victory, 3-0.

Yu Sui’s stomach was really hurting. And it was getting more and more painful. He didn’t want any accidents to occur so he played very aggressively from the very first game. He didn’t give YT nor himself the chance to breathe. Game after game, for 3 games straight, he staked everything. He didn’t allow himself even the littlest bit of fault-tolerance ratio. After three high-intensity games, not to mention Yu Sui, whose stomach hurt so much he no longer wanted to speak, even Old Qiao couldn’t stand it anymore.

After winning the game, Yu Sui was a little more at ease. He pushed himself to accept the interview and accept the fans’ birthday wishes. As soon as he returned to the lounge, he fell on the sofa. He smiled, “I’m dying here. I seriously can’t make it to birthday party tonight. You guys go. Take my card … I’m gonna go back to the base and sleep for a while. ”

“If you don’t go, what would we celebrate? We’ll have the party some other time.” Old Qiao sat next to Yu Sui. “Maybe you should go to the hospital?”

Yu Sui shook his head, “Too much trouble. It will just be the same set of examinations again and then they’ll prescribe some medicine that doesn’t solve the problem. It’s just a waste of time. Better just head back to the base …”

Shi Luo frowned, “Then don’t do the examination. Let’s first get some medicine to help your stomach. I’ll go with you.”

Yu Sui hesitated then his phone suddenly rang.

It was Ji Yanhan calling.

Yu Sui picked it up, nodded a moment later, hummed twice, and hung up the phone.

“No wasting any more time. The captain is already waiting at the base. Let’s have dinner there.” Yu Sui got up, “I’ll be fine until the finals. Stop treating me as if I’m dying…”

This was Yu Sui’s nature. No one would be able to persuade him. Everyone knew it was no use. All they could do was ask the assistant to go ahead and buy Yu Sui some medicine for his stomach. Everyone went back to the base together.

By the time they returned to the base, it was already ten o’clock in the evening.

The long coffee table in front of the sofa on the first floor was piled with several cakes. The sofa was filled with flowers and gifts from the fans that the team manager had brought back early on. Yu Sui looked at the roomful of birthday presents and said, “Use the official Weibo and thank the fans for me. Where’s the captain? ”

The team manager pointed upstairs, “He arrived earlier. He’s waiting upstairs.”

Yu Sui said to everyone, “Go take care of your own things first … Take a bath or take a little rest. Food delivery should be here in a while.”

Everyone agreed and busied themselves with their own matters. Only Shi Luo remained, his eyes always locked on to Yu Sui.

“You …” Yu Sui asked with a smile, “Which cake did you order?”

Shi Luo raised his eyebrow. He signaled with his eyes, “That all white one.”

Yu Sui picked up the complementary fork provided by the cake shop and took a little cream from Shi Luo’s cake and had a taste. “It’s delicious. You rest first, I’ll go find you later.”

Shi Luo made as if to say something and stopped. Yu Sui smiled, “Today is a no go. I want to have a good chat with him. Don’t make trouble.”

It was Yu Sui’s birthday, Ji Yanhan must also want to talk over this calmly. Shi Luo understood the gravity of the matter and nodded reluctantly. “Hurry up though. I also have something else for you.”

Yu Sui nodded and went upstairs.

Since joining FS, Yu Sui lost the habit of locking his door. The dormitory doors were all usually lever handle types. In his room, Ji Yanhan had already been waiting for a long time.

Ji Yanhan was sitting on the small sofa in front of the window, his elbows on his thighs and his face buried in his hands. It looked as if he had fallen asleep from waiting too long.

A small birthday cake was placed on the small table in front of Ji Yanhan, and more than a dozen shopping bags were piled on the ground. A very familiar logo was stamped on the shopping bags. It was from a street wear brand he liked when he was a bit younger.

Yu Sui sat opposite Ji Yanhan. He picked up a shopping bag and took out the limited edition T-shirt from inside to have a look.

When Yu Sui just started playing professionally, he was too young and he grew too fast. He would outgrow his clothes after just a few days. Yu Sui had to train every day and had little time to go clothes shopping. He was FS’ most valuable player. His time was more valuable than gold. And so, Ji Yanhan, who was retired by then, went out to buy clothes for him.

Yu Sui was picky when it came to his clothes but Ji Yanhan had zero fashion sense. He knew that his sense of style wasn’t as good as Yu Sui’s so every time he bought a few items to let Yu Sui have his pick. The ones Yu Sui didn’t like and couldn’t be returned, Ji Yanhan was very reluctant to throw away. So he grudgingly wore them himself.

At that time, Ji Yanhan was taller than Yu Sui. Yu Sui really couldn’t bear to look at Ji Yanhan wearing clothes that were clearly too small for him. After a few times, no matter crude the style or how garish the colors of the clothes Ji Yanhan bought for him, Yu Sui gritted his teeth and said ‘This is f*cking cool. I love it.”

Later, things got better for everyone. Yu Sui also managed to get some breathing room and Ji Yanhan hadn’t bought clothes for Yu Sui for two or three years now.

Yu Sui breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that he didn’t need to choke back his words today. Today, he could confide in the other entirely.

“You’re back?” Ji Yanhan moved, sitting up straight. His eyes were bloodshot and he said tiredly, “Today’s your birthday. I didn’t know what to buy for you, I saw this brand again on the way to the base. So I picked the most expensive ones to see if you’d like any of them.”

Yu Sui said lightly, “I like it all.”

Ji Yanhan smiled, “No need to humor me. It’s already pretty good if you like even one the things I bought. You’re just like Min Min. You both have really good tastes. You guys never would have taken a second look at the things I bought…but you both say you like them anyway.”

Yu Sui paused. “How are things with her family?”

It was as though he hadn’t heard. Ji Yanhan continued, “Min Min’s just like you. Came from a family with a good social standing, she’s never suffered any grievance since she was young. A decent and respectable Ms. Perfect. She must have gone blind for her to settle on me.”

“All these years, I always wanted to wait for everything to settle down before marrying her. I’d grow the business, make it impressive so that she’d be able to raise her head in front of her friends. That way they’ll stop saying that she found a country bumpkin. I really tried my best. “Ji Yanhan was silent for a moment, and said,” Unfortunately … it’s all messed up again. ”

Yu Sui narrowed his eyes, “What’s wrong?”

“Her dad …” Ji Yanhan gave a long exhale. “The older he gets the more muddled he gets. I think it’s unreasonable to invest in those things, but he just doesn’t listen. He doesn’t listen to me nor does he listen to Min Min. Now … In a couple of months, Min Min’s apartment will probably be auctioned off. ”

Yu Sui frowned. He had also guessed that there was something wrong with Min Min’s family, but he hadn’t expected it to be so bad.

Yu Sui asked, “How much do you need? I still have some.”

Ji Yanhan shook his head, “If it was an amount you can make up, then I could too. So it’s useless to do that.”

Before Yu Sui could ask again, Ji Yanhan looked up at Yu Sui and said, “Yu Sui, I remember … you lived in Germany for two years as a kid, didn’t you?”

Yu Sui nodded. He didn’t have any idea what he was getting at.

“I remember you said that you really liked their …” Ji Yanhan murmured, “If you like it then that’s good.”

Yu Sui didn’t know if it was because of his stomachache or because of what he instinctively perceived from Ji Yanhan’s voice, his back was suddenly covered in cold sweat.

Yu Sui took a deep breath, rubbed his stomach vigorously, and said as calmly as possible, “I don’t have a lot of money I can move around here but I do have some assets that I can cash in. Give me half a month, I’ll give you all I have… 60 million. Will that be enough? ”

“How can I not know how much you have?” Ji Yanhan sneered and shook his head gently, “It’s not enough.”

Yu Sui endured the twisting pain of his stomach, “Chen Huo still has a little bit. I’ll owe him. He still has at least 20 million on his side. I’ll give him an IOU and we’ll give you everything.”

Ji Yanhan shook his head, “There’s no use thinking about it. I’ve already thought about all these.”

Without waiting for Yu Sui to speak again, Ji Yanhan asked in a low voice, “Yu Sui … remember who paid the penalty fee for you when you left Knife Blade?”

Yu Sui looked at Ji Yanhan and suddenly became speechless.

Yu Sui was still in a deadlock with his family at the time. He absolutely refused to ask money from them. It was Ji Yanhan who lost all his savings and sold Min Min’s car to get enough money to pay off Yu Sui and their other team members’ contract penalty fee.

“That time she even sold her own bags and shoes … I’ve been unfair to her. I haven’t changed all these years. Yu Sui, this time I’m being unfair to you.” Ji Yanhan looked at Yu Sui impatiently. His eyes were red. “Yu Sui, but if Ge could have made this up myself, I wouldn’t have thought of you. I have put in all that I can put in. The only thing I have in my hands now is you …”

“I’m not your private property.” Yu Sui tried his best to keep calm. “I know that rich European club is rebuilding a new team. They’ve also contacted me. I can’t go, you know that.”

“You have relatives over there, they’ll treat you well, and they can give you the best teammates and the best team configuration …” Ji Yanhan unwittingly murmured to himself, “I can examine the contract for you. We’ll add a lot of favorable conditions for you … ”

Yu Sui didn’t want to hear a word of it.

Unexpectedly, years of friendship finally reached this step.

Yu Sui got up, “How much is the penalty fee? Compute it and let me know. Aside from the penalty fee, I can still give you a bit more…I’ll leave here with nothing. I won’t even take the uniform with me.”

“You’re going to terminate your contract with me? You’re going to be a free agent? How nice…” Ji Yanhan looked up at Yu Sui and said coldly, “Have you taken a good look at your contract? Do you know how much your penalty fee is? ”

Yu Sui said coldly, “Laozi can afford it.”

Ji Yanhan was silent. Indeed, if Yu Sui forcibly terminated his contract, even if his own private assets weren’t enough, he could still lower his head and ask it from his family. Yu Sui’s family was rich. Ji Yanhan had already anticipated that he could pay it off this way.

But……

Ji Yanhan looked at Yu Sui almost pityingly, “You can afford to pay for yourself, but can you pay off Chen Huo’s? Old Qiao’s? Puppy’s?”

Yu Sui’s face paled.

“And …” Ji Yanhan thoroughly hardened his heart. “What about your little boyfriend, Shi Luo? At seventeen … his best age, he clearly signed with me for five years.”

A few days ago, at this base, Shi Luo looked at Yu Sui and said, “I just did the same thing you did back then. So, why are you scolding me?”

The look in Shi Luo’s eyes were stubborn but firm. “You are the only one who has ever treated me well and so I was perfectly happy to do so.”

Ji Yanhan looked at Yu Sui and said cruelly, “He did it all for you.”

Yu Sui’s fingertips shook slightly. He turned around and barely managed to walk into the bathroom. He bent down and retched and suddenly spit something out.

In the sink, there was black and red, all of it was blood.

Translator’s note:

The plot thickens! See you tomorrow! Tomorrow? Yup. See you tomorrow!