Xiao Shengyu suddenly saw the person in front of him bursting into tears. He had intended to cheer them up, but his attempt backfired and made the person cry even more, leaving him somewhat panicked.
Without caring about the cream cake in his hand, he casually threw it aside and reached out to embrace the person in front of him, patting them gently as if coaxing a child. He said, “Xiao Miao, don’t cry, don’t cry. Xiao Miao doesn’t look good when he cries. Be good, don’t cry.”
Xiao Shengyu couldn’t bear to see the person cry. It wasn’t that he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to comfort them, but every time the person cried, it hurt his heart too much.
With tightly pursed lips, tears kept falling from his eyes, but not a single sob escaped. It was as if he knew that even if he cried, no one would come to console him, and he might even attract cold gazes if he wasn’t careful.
While patting the person’s back, Xiao Shengyu continuously comforted the person who was shedding tears in his arms. He didn’t know how much time had passed when the person’s trembling voice, filled with apprehension, uttered, “Shengyu… will you… despise me?”
Hearing these words, Xiao Shengyu was stunned and then somewhat amused. He said, “Why would I despise Xiao Miao?”
Clutching the man’s clothes tightly, Gu Weizhou, with tears still streaming down his face, tremblingly said, “Because… I’m not good.”
“Not good?”
Repeating those two words, Xiao Shengyu chuckled lightly, leaned down, and kissed the insecure boy’s red nose. He said, “Xiao Miao is the best in the world, the most beautiful, the purest. No one can compare to you, my angel.”
“But… but if… if I’m not… as good as you say? Not pure, not beautiful, not good?”
“Heh… that won’t happen. As long as I’m here, I will never let that happen. I will protect Xiao Miao.”
Feeling as if his heart had been pierced through, Gu Weizhou turned around to go rest, but he was immediately pulled back by the man and placed on the big bed.
“Be good, sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
As Xiao Shengyu left to take a shower, he glanced at the person lying curled up on the bed, wearing somewhat conservative clothes.
When he had just put the person on the bed, the person seemed off. Why was he so stiff and trembling uncontrollably?
As the thought emerged, Xiao Shengyu quickly dismissed it from his mind, probably worried that he would climb onto the bed in the middle of the night.
Thinking of this, he smiled, even though his body wanted to do so, his heart couldn’t bear it.
He probably wouldn’t be able to bear parting with this person who occupied his heart for the rest of his life.
…
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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One familiar name after another fell from the coach’s mouth, and Lu Zhiyu, standing among the players, dared not even take a deep breath, afraid that he might miss his own name. However, it was evident that his name was not among the chosen ones.
“Next is the list of substitute players: Chen Jianxin, Shun Qian, Gu Nianping…”
Upon hearing the word “substitute,” Lu Zhiyu’s hand, hanging by his side, tightened abruptly. This was his last chance!
As long as he had the opportunity to travel abroad with the team for the league, he would do whatever it took to get on the court, even if he had to pave the path to the spotlight with his own blood.
Because only by having a chance to play on the court could he continue to stay in the national team, to remain on this stage that carried his entire life.
Countless dark thoughts surged and churned in his mind, while Lu Zhiyu’s clenched fist tightened even more, to the point where the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
However, until the last name was announced, until the coach put down the list, he didn’t hear his name mentioned, neither as a selected player nor as a substitute.
It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be. How could his name not appear? How could his name not be on the league list?!
Suppressing the urge to unleash his anger and frustration, Lu Zhiyu forced an extremely ugly smile on his face and said, “Coach…!”
The coach, who had been giving instructions to the players about the upcoming matches, was interrupted by this sudden, cold voice. He instinctively frowned, suppressing his displeasure, and looked in the direction of the voice, seeing Lu Zhiyu’s face twisted in a forced and distorted expression.
“Why… am I not included this time?” These words almost squeezed out of Lu Zhiyu’s clenched teeth.
Upon hearing this almost naked accusation, the coach’s frowned brows deepened with displeasure.
Over the past two months, Lu Zhiyu’s overall training performance had declined rapidly. Gradually, he had been unable to keep up with the rhythm of the entire team. The competition within the national team was fierce, and the principle of survival of the fittest was a natural rule. He had even discussed the issue with someone once, but it had no effect. Now, with this questioning attitude, it was clear that he had no idea that the problem lay entirely with himself.
Thinking of this, the coach’s brows slowly relaxed. He had originally planned to inform Lu Zhiyu privately, but now he spoke directly, “You don’t need to go. After discussing with the team, it has been decided to send you to the provincial basketball team. Once the team leaves for overseas tomorrow, you can go and adapt to the environment there.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Zhiyu’s face turned pale.
At this moment, he felt as though countless pairs of eyes were fixed on him, mocking, ridiculing, pitying, relishing, disdainful, and even indifferent. This intense and piercing gaze stripped him bare in front of everyone, like being placed naked in a crowded street, revealing the hideousness that had always been hidden in the darkness to everyone’s sight.
Lu Zhiyu didn’t hear a single word that followed. His mind was filled with just one sentence, one sound.
He had been abandoned by the national team. He had been transferred to the provincial team.
When Lu Zhiyu snapped back to reality, he realized that he was the only one left on the training court. Looking at the eerily quiet training ground in front of him, he saw his past self, full of dreams, passion, and fiery blood, when he first arrived…
But now, everything was gone.
Everything was gone!
“Ah–!”
Accompanied by an angry shout, he kicked and overturned the nearby basketball hoop, causing numerous basketballs to scatter and roll across the training court like fallen beads.
Lu Zhiyu hunched over, his hands supporting his knees, allowing the cold tears in his eyes to fall one by one onto the training ground that he was so familiar with, where he had shed countless drops of sweat.
And in this moment, as his vision blurred with tears, a face appeared slowly in his mind—a face that wore a mocking smile, an expression of utmost disdain towards his misery.
Staring at that face in the emptiness, at the blurred figure before him, Lu Zhiyu suddenly revealed a smile on his face. With more and more tears streaming down his cheeks, accompanied by the uncontrollable surge of hatred in his heart and the complete distortion of madness on his face, he laughed maniacally like a madman.
Xiao Shengyu, Xiao Shengyu, Xiao Shengyu, I will never let you take my place on the court, let you become the center of attention again. This time, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life!
In the locker room, Lu Zhiyu took out his phone from the locker, his face hidden in the shadows, as he composed a message, which he sent.
Gu Weizhou, who was sitting in the living room at home watching TV, put down his phone, turned off the nearby television with the remote control, and walked towards the kitchen.
[Did you send the things to my dear aunt as per my instructions?]
[I sent them two days ago as you commanded. She should probably receive them today.] And I really don’t want to know her expression when she receives those things.
Different from Number 001, Gu Weizhou, who slowly twisted the gas valve, smiled with his small white teeth. [I’m really looking forward to her reaction.]
…
While the setting sun cast a gentle slanting light, smoke rose from the kitchen chimneys. The tranquil little mountain village, hidden among the winding mountains, entered another lively moment of the day.
While the adults were gathered together chatting after dinner, a delivery boy on a motorcycle shouted to the crowd, “Wang Xiu, who is Wang Xiu? There’s a package for Wang Xiu.”
This statement caught the attention of the people in the crowd, and immediately a woman stood up. However, contrary to the delicate name, the woman had a sturdy figure. She was not at all delicate; in fact, she was quite strong.
Speaking in a local dialect, the woman asked, “I am Wang Xiu. Who sent the package?”
The delivery boy parked his motorcycle and glanced at the small box in his hand. He said, “It’s from Lu Zhiyu.”
“Oh, isn’t he the one who just got into the national team and is about to represent our country in the international competition?”
“I knew that Zhiyu kid had potential since he was little. Who can compare to him now?”
“That’s right. That kid is really filial. He doesn’t forget to send things to his mother even after moving to the city. Let’s see what he sent this time.”
…
As the name mentioned by the delivery boy fell, the villagers who were gossiping beside him immediately erupted in excitement. They praised Lu Zhiyu as if he were a reincarnation of a literary prodigy or a divine being.
And as the mother, Wang Xiu basked in the admiring gazes of the crowd, received the small package with solemnity. Her demeanor resembled more the acceptance of a symbol of power and glory, rather than a mere delivery box.
Once the delivery boy on the motorcycle left, the people around immediately gathered around like they were witnessing a rare sight, all talking at once.
“What did Zhiyu send you?”
“What could it be? Such a small box. I guess it’s a bracelet. If not gold, then it must be silver.”
“I guess it’s ginseng. That boy is filial. He must want to nourish you.”
…
The more they spoke, the more excited they became. Meanwhile, Wang Xiu, surrounded by the crowd, didn’t open the box nor interrupted the guessing game-like atmosphere. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy being the center of everyone’s attention and envy.
Finally, after the commotion had gone on for a while, Wang Xiu, who had received enough compliments, spoke up. “Oh, that child. I told him not to send anything to the house. I don’t need anything. But he never listens. Last time, he sent me a set of face creams, claiming they were worth over two thousand yuan. I have no idea what he sent this time.”
As expected, with these seemingly casual words, everyone in the crowd craned their necks to catch a glimpse.
Immediately, someone jokingly said, “Sister Xiu, let us witness it with our own eyes. Let’s see what Zhiyu sent you.”
LU ZHIYU IS GONNA BE SO FUCKED UP!☠️☠️
lu zhiyu is so dumb i can’t 😭 he’s talking abt getting his spot stolen when he’s never had a spot in the first place… anyway, thanks for the update!! 💟
So stupid and disgusting
Thank you for your translation 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
This section kinda hurts to read. I wanna see the love interest have a good romance lol, poor mc not getting his vulgarity tho either.