Chapter 07: Manager Polishes Shoes, Captain Washes Dishes
Out of some intuition, Xie Jingchu had a big problem with that hand Lu Wuxu placed on Shen Guanchao. He opened that chat log that always made him nervous and sullenly sent a sticker.
The other side replied instantly—
[Flesh: ?] [Flesh: What fart do you have to release now?] [Siren: Nothing.] [Flesh: Scram.]
Shen Guanchao didn’t have the patience to explore this person’s winding, sensitive thoughts. He casually sent two selfies over: [Bro is busy outside, no time to coax you, understand?] [Flesh: Cut the imagination, train more.]
He put away his phone. Beside him, Lu Wuxu suddenly leaned over. “Who are you chatting with?”
“Xie Jingchu.” Shen Guanchao tilted his chin slightly, his long purple hair hanging softly over his chest. “Our new member. Quite handsome.”
“Introduce me later. I heard from Brother Cheng that you recommended him. Are you guys close?”
“Not… really close. Just okay.” After tossing about in the studio for several hours, Shen Guanchao was desperate to return to the base. He changed the subject: “I’ll ask the auntie to buy some groceries later. Tonight, I’ll cook personally to celebrate your glorious return to the country as an assistant. How about it?”
Lu Wuxu knew the score in his heart and went along with him. “Sure.”
Fox walked out of the restroom. Hearing the two good brothers discussing what to buy back to stir-fry tonight, he wiped his hands with a paper towel and said, “I refuse to wash the dishes later.”
Under the influence of the NAVA Club’s abstract corporate culture of “ruthless, unjust, and indifferent to life and death,” they usually resolved dinner with takeout and rarely sat together in the villa’s dining room to eat. Apart from the auntie, whenever someone cooked at the base, the one who ended up washing the dishes was always Fox.
The others were either drunk or passed out.
While washing dishes, he also had to worry about Zoe going into epileptic fits behind him. The magic index was as high as five stars.
On the way back.
Shen Guanchao leaned against the car seat back, sleeping heavily. He was probably truly exhausted. His long eyelashes drooped wearily, his face devoid of its usual arrogance. A light-colored thin blanket covered his hand as he slept soundly.
Lu Wuxu drove the car into a gas station. While waiting for gas, he propped his chin on his hand and stared silently at the sleeping face of the person beside him for a long time.
The lights of the gas station fell in from the window. He suddenly turned on his phone and took a photo.
In the back seat, Fox was busy looking down replying to Zoe’s messages and didn’t notice Lu Wuxu’s movement.
However, he had guessed Lu Wuxu’s feelings for Shen Guanchao a long time ago. But that was none of his business.
As long as those feelings weren’t directed at Zoe.
More than half an hour later, the car drove back to the villa.
The wrought-iron gate slowly opened. Shen Guanchao opened his eyes as if sensing something. He rolled down the window, breathing in the fresh air pouring in from outside. It was already dark. It had rained earlier, and there was a damp scent in the garden.
“We’re here.”
Stopping the car steadily, Lu Wuxu turned off the engine. “Get out.”
The group walked inside.
The base was brightly lit. Upon entering, Lu Wuxu saw the many furnishings in the room he had been away from for a long time, his eyes softening.
Just then, Xie Jingchu came out of the training room, wearing a loose, simple black T-shirt. His figure was upright, and his bangs hung naturally, half-covering those pitch-black, narrow eyes.
Those eyes were bottomless, carrying the sharpness and indifference of youth, looking straight at the stranger beside Shen Guanchao.
“This is the new member I just mentioned to you, Siren.” Shen Guanchao walked over leisurely, smiling sideways at Lu Wuxu beside him.
“Hello.” Lu Wuxu took the initiative to greet him. “I’m Lu Wuxu. I’ll be your new manager from now on, Jingchu.”
He extended his right hand amicably.
A moment later, Xie Jingchu shook the extended hand and said faintly, “Hello.”
The webs of their thumbs met. Both leaned their bodies slightly forward, eyes fixed on each other. One wore a smile, the other had no expression.
Xie Jingchu had never been good at dealing with people, and Zoe, who talked a lot and loved to smooth things over for others, wasn’t there.
After exchanging a few stiff pleasantries, he hurriedly hid in the pantry.
But the pantry wasn’t far from the living room. The lively conversation could be heard clearly. Listening to the person he liked chatting happily with someone else outside, Xie Jingchu came out of the pantry again two minutes later, holding two cups of coffee like a primary school student.
He hesitated for a few seconds, didn’t have the nerve to hand the extra cup to Shen Guanchao, so he simply let Zoe have it cheap, then sat down on the single sofa on the far right where no one was sitting.
Zoe took the coffee and looked at Xie Jingchu in surprise, whispering, “I thought you were going to give it to my brother?”
“Don’t worry, Brother Lu is also very easy to get along with.”
Xie Jingchu pursed his lips and nodded.
The base’s lifestyle auntie had prepared the ingredients early. Knowing Shen Guanchao was going to cook, she even prepared a new apron—bright red, printed with two peonies, symbolizing ‘flowers blooming for riches and honor.’
Lu Wuxu’s eyebrows twitched. He couldn’t bear to look directly, holding back laughter. “Auntie Rong’s aesthetic is still so… special.”
Shen Guanchao stood in the kitchen, actually wearing that red apron at his waist. The apron strings were tied next to a small black mole on his wrist, inexplicably abstract.
He skillfully chopped vegetables, cooked, and seasoned. Every movement was fluid and powerful. A tempting aroma gradually filled the air from the pot.
When several hearty Cantonese home-cooked dishes were served, the others had also set out the bowls, chopsticks, and drinks.
With an old friend returning, alcohol was a must. But this time, Shen Guanchao gave repeated orders forbidding Xie Jingchu from touching alcohol, and forbidding Zoe from egging him on.
This meal was the most satisfying one Lu Wuxu had eaten since returning to the country. He hadn’t eaten at the same table with so many people for a long time.
Days alone in Germany were leisurely but lonely. He often recalled the familiar people and things at the base. It was as if those beautiful things had never left, and so his love grew wildly.
On the day he returned to China, he packed his bags alone, said goodbye to the girl at the flower shop downstairs who was always as passionate as fire, took a final walk on the streets of Berlin enjoying everything that attracted him to this land, and then returned to where they started with his desperate infatuation.
He knew well that it was hard for Shen Guanchao to fall in love with someone. He couldn’t be the first, and it would be hard to be the next.
Someone had already gone through fire and water for Shen Guanchao, loved him for years, promised him their youth, and accompanied his youthful arrogance and reckless behavior.
Having experienced intense love in youth, the next trip would feel much more tedious and dull.
Today wasn’t the first time Lu Wuxu had seen Xie Jingchu.
In a certain year’s LFK Summer Split Finals, in a corner of the stadium, Lu Wuxu had once caught a glimpse of an ambiguous scene between them.
That time, Xie Jingchu had crossed half the city to watch Shen Guanchao’s match.
And the young Shen Guanchao stood in the center of the stage, wearing the white and gold NAVA uniform. Golden rain fell, and boundless glory was about to bow to him.
The shouts of the commentators echoed all around— “Congratulations to NAVA for winning the Summer Split Championship!”
In that unforgettable moment, Shen Guanchao, who had won many championships, suddenly smiled in a certain direction off-stage, mouthing silently— You came?
That smile was wrapped in a warmth Lu Wuxu had never seen, incredibly brilliant. He followed Shen Guanchao’s gaze and was shocked to see a tall, handsome youth holding a golden support sign, standing out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, gazing at Shen Guanchao from afar.
It wasn’t until later that he finally knew this person was Xie Jingchu.
From the first glance at Xie Jingchu, his jealousy grew like wild grass. Bitterness spread in his heart, but on his face, he had to pretend to be generous.
Because he had no right to be jealous.
“Who’s washing the dishes later?”
Full of food and drink, Zoe said lazily, “If we leave them for the auntie to wash when she comes back, Old Cheng will chop us up when he returns.”
Fox looked at him. “Whoever asks, washes.”
“I won’t!!”
Shen Guanchao sneered. “I’ll wash, alright? Lazy ghosts.”
“Can’t let the new manager wash dishes, can’t let the new teammate wash dishes, so only the captain can wash them.”
Zoe whistled triumphantly. “Long live the Captain.”
Helping to clear the bowls and chairs, the others went to rest or train. In the kitchen, Shen Guanchao turned on the faucet. Water rushed down, washing away residue and grease. As he washed, he suddenly realized with self-mockery how “virtuous” he was.
Water droplets hit his knuckles, and he felt a burst of pain. A small patch of skin on the back of his hand had been scalded while stir-frying earlier; he only realized it now in hindsight.
“Hiss—”
He subconsciously turned around to find ointment, only to discover a figure standing by the door.
Xie Jingchu stared at him fixedly. Seeing him holding his hand, he tilted his head slightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Got scalded a bit, it’s nothing,” Shen Guanchao said lightly. “Doesn’t affect training.”
“I’ll go get you ointment, wait.” Upon hearing this, Xie Jingchu spoke hurriedly and ran off quickly.
Watching his flustered back, Shen Guanchao chuckled lightly.
He used to think raising a younger boyfriend (Nianxia) was a particularly interesting thing.
Being with Xie Jingchu consumed a lot of time and energy, but every scar on his body was born because of you and stitched up by you. You taught him how to kiss, how to love, how to live well, telling him it didn’t matter even if he wasn’t accepted by worldly views…
Even if one day you left him, for the decades to follow, he would miss you madly with every breath.
Because in his barren world, you were his Creator.
Current Shen Guanchao still thought this was interesting, but they couldn’t return to the past after all. In this imperfect relationship, the younger one had too many lies, so many that he couldn’t forgive.
Watching Xie Jingchu desperately making up for it and desperately chasing, he told himself to let go little by little, to be forever clear-headed, and not to be pathetic again.
A moment later, Xie Jingchu returned with the ointment. His lips moved, and emboldened, he stuffed the ointment into Shen Guanchao’s hand. “For you.”
Shen Guanchao looked at him quietly while applying the ointment. “Thanks. What were you doing standing here just now?”
“Because… I, wanted to look at you.” Xie Jingchu turned his face away in panic, his eyes dodging. Just like all those in the lower position in a relationship, he had nothing.
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] President Shou Is Not a Total Shou](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-shou-is-not-a-total-shou-214x300.jpg)
![Does A Broken Mirror Reunion Exist in Esports? [Esports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/esports-225x300.png)
