Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 111

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

Very quickly, it was time for Shen Shi’s competition.

This leg of the “Zheng Jie Cup” was held in Yang City, divided into four groups—u8, u10, u12, and u14—and the competition events were men’s singles and women’s singles respectively.

After registration ended, there was only a one-week interval before the competition began.

Within that one week, Shen Shi was kept firmly in hand by Coach Zhang for targeted training, focusing especially on training his ball sense, in the hope that he would not be distracted during the upcoming official match.

The Ye and Shen families finalized the timing and planned to fly to Yang City two days in advance.

Ye Ran and Shen Shi also asked for leave early. On the day of departure, it was a sunny day.

Since birth, Ye Ran had never left Hai City; in the past it was because he was young and often sick, later it was because Chen Wan and the others were busy with work, and Ye Huaishan could not find vacation time.

Even during holidays, they only played around and took short trips in the areas surrounding Hai City.

Carefully counting it up, this was still Ye Ran’s first time taking a plane and traveling far.

Yang City lay far to the southwest and was a nationally famous “Flower City.” In golden October there just happened to be a chrysanthemum banquet; with good timing, after Shen Shi finished competing they could just enjoy themselves for a bit.

Early in the morning, before dawn had even broken, the door to the children’s room on the second floor of the Ye household was knocked.

After patiently waiting for one minute, Chen Wan tiptoed lightly into the room.

It was five in the morning. The sky was just beginning to brighten, shrouded in mist, dim and gray.

Chen Wan turned on the small desk lamp, walked to the window, and gently woke Ye Ran: “Ranran? Ranran? Time to get up, today we’re going to Yang City.”

On the bed, Ye Ran slept deeply.

When he was little, he had been a salted-fish baby, loving sleep the most; after growing up he was the same; if no one called him, he could sleep three times a day. After being called awake by Chen Wan, Ye Ran opened his sleepy, bleary eyes, hugged the blanket as he climbed up, wrapped his little arms around his mom’s neck, and softly rubbed against her.

Chen Wan’s gaze was gentle as she coaxed him: “Let’s sleep again on the plane, okay?”

“Mm…” Ye Ran didn’t have morning grumpiness, but after long periods of sleep he would be very dazed, his reactions sluggish. After quite a while, he obediently let go, climbed out of his mother’s arms, and put on the new clothes his mom had prepared for him.

He was wearing loose pajamas, like a snow dumpling sunk into cotton, his cheeks tinged with red, white and clean and adorable.

What Chen Wan had prepared for him was sportswear: a white top and black shorts, edged with three vertical stripes, the material fitting closely, very safe, sweat-absorbing and durable, well suited to their purpose of going to Yang City.

After Ye Ran got dressed, he stepped in his little slippers and pattered off to brush his teeth and wash his face. Chen Wan watched him with a smiling face. When his face was only halfway washed, the voice of an uninvited guest came over.

“Ranran!”

Early in the morning, Shen Shi, who wasn’t staying at his own home, ran over. He greeted Ye Huaishan, who was cooking downstairs, changed into his own slippers, and as soon as he reached the second floor, he saw Ye Ran poking his head out at him with a face full of water droplets.

Shen Shi had sharp eyes and greeted Chen Wan: “Aunt Chen.”

“Little Shi is here? Play with your little brother, then. I’ll go pack things, I’ll call you in a bit.”

Seeing him arrive, Chen Wan didn’t linger by Ye Ran. After all these years, the two little treasures still had plenty of secrets to share. When they were just a bit bigger than three-head-tall, they could huddle under the quilt and chatter; now that they were ten, they could even imitate the ancients and talk late into the night by candlelight—without the parents urging them, they wouldn’t even know to go to sleep.

After Chen Wan left, Shen Shi went into Ye Ran’s room.

He and Ye Ran were wearing matching brother outfits, the same white top and black shorts. Chen Wan had put real thought into this, treating the two children equally and dressing them up day after day.
This unexpected point greatly satisfied Shen Shi. Seeing his little brother wearing the same clothes as him, Shen Shi felt happy inside, though his expression remained cool and calm as he helped his little brother wring out the towel.

“Big Brother Little Shi, why did you come?” Ye Ran took the towel and wiped his face. Shen Shi then opened the face cream, urging his little brother to put on something fragrant.

Ye Ran was very obedient, though his movements were still rough. He dabbed some white face cream and smeared it messily across his face, and his whole self instantly looked refreshed and lively.

Shen Shi treated his own face the same way, but seeing Ye Ran do this to his little face made him feel a bit of a heartache.

He carefully touched his little brother’s face to check, and only after confirming that the redness from the rubbing faded quickly did he solemnly instruct Ye Ran like a little old man: “Ranran, you can’t rub your face like this. Be gentler in the future.”

“Oh,” Ye Ran looked at him. “But Big Brother Little Shi, you rub your face like this too.”

Children at this age loved most to imitate those they were close to.

Ye Ran couldn’t observe whether Chen Wan and Ye Huaishan rubbed their faces, but Shen Shi would always be urged by Jiang Ruoyan to do it. Whenever he applied it, he would frown, purse his lips, and look very impatient.

After hearing this, Shen Shi paused. A few seconds later, he said heavily, “Then from now on, neither of us will rub our faces like this.”

“Okay,” Ye Ran said.

Coming out of the bathroom, Shen Shi saw Ye Ran’s small yellow duck suitcase placed in the corner of the wall. It was small, could be carried or pulled, and didn’t even need to be checked.

Ye Ran had packed his own little luggage. He was very excited, rarely able to go out of the province to play, he had packed his luggage last night with Chen Wan’s help.

Seeing that Shen Shi was interested now, he opened the suitcase. Inside were comic books, clothes, and shoes.

The comic book was the latest volume of Dragon Ball. The two of them crowded together and passionately discussed the plot of the previous volume, talking until their mouths were dry before being called downstairs by Chen Wan to eat breakfast.

After soaking up his little brother all morning, Shen Shi’s small pre-competition anxiety had already disappeared. The two young boys went downstairs hand in hand. In the living room, Jiang Ruoyan gave Shen Shi a speechless glance, out of sight, out of mind, and focused intently on chatting with Chen Wan.

The breakfast table was unusually harmonious.

The adults chatted about trivial matters; the children talked about comics.

After eating, there was no delay. Everyone got into the car and went to the airport. It was Ye Ran’s first time at the airport, bringing another burst of excitement. Shen Shi was afraid he might get lost, so he held his hand steadily, like a little knight, firmly staying by his side.

They waited for the flight for a full two hours. When they finally boarded the plane, Ye Ran sat by the window, with Shen Shi and Chen Wan beside him. He tasted the milk candy Shen Shi peeled and fed to him, then leaned against the window, curiously and quietly looking outside.

The plane slowly took off.

For a moment, he felt uncomfortable, his ears buzzing, his heartbeat quickening. Shen Shi also frowned, and only after the plane reached altitude and flew steadily did that feeling gradually fade away.

The cabin was very quiet.

There weren’t many people on this flight, and the seats weren’t full. The pretty flight attendants began handing out small snacks and tea. Ye Ran held the disposable cup his mom handed him, took a sip of warm water, then leaned back against the window, staring without blinking at the view outside.

White clouds drifted, the sky clear and pure,

Looking down from above, it was as if all the mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, towering buildings and skyscrapers were like ants in motion, dotting the vast and boundless land.

This was the first time Ye Ran had seen such a scene, and also the first time Shen Shi had seen such a scene.

Their little heads leaned together again, and they began whispering secret words.

“Big Brother Little Shi, the sky is so beautiful.”

“Does Ranran like riding on airplanes?”

“Like it.”

“Big brother knows a kind of sport, it’s called skydiving. When we grow up, we’ll go try skydiving.”

“Skydiving?”

“It’s jumping down from the sky and opening the parachute midway.”

“Wow, so cool~”

Chen Wan listened quietly at the side, feeling both amused and filled with emotion. She listened silently to the two little ones talking, only hoping that time would slow down, slower still, letting them grow up a bit later.

What a carefree childhood.

It ought to go slower.

This leg of the “Zheng Jie Cup” was held at the Olympic Sports Center in Yang City.

It ran from October 13 to October 15, lasting two days. The first stage of the competition used a grouped round-robin format, and the second stage used single elimination. Each group consisted of three people; the top two players advanced to the second round.

Shen Shi competed on the morning of October 13. This time, Coach Zhang didn’t bring only him; he also had three or four students competing in the u10 and u12 groups. Shen Shi had already been taken away in advance by Coach Zhang, likely to receive pre-match encouragement and motivation.

There were quite a few people who came to watch the matches. Most of them were there to watch the u14 group. As age increases, the watchability of the matches increases accordingly. This is the most captivating quality of ball sports: relying on a small tennis ball\ping-pong ball\football\basketball, and so on, they draw people in wholeheartedly and bloom with tremendous charm.

Ye Ran sat nervously in the stands, with a small printed photo of Shen Shi pasted on his cheek. The stadium was open-air, and the morning sun was strong. The spectators all wore darker-colored clothing, with no sequins or fluorescent strips on them, to avoid disturbing the players’ vision.

Jiang Ruoyan and Chen Wan and the others were also a bit nervous. They arrived early and, like Ye Ran, took seats in the front row. Shen Shi had drawn a position near the middle. Coach Zhang stood inside the court, looking unsmiling, fierce, and strict.

The earlier matches stirred the viewers’ emotions. After all, it was the nationally renowned “Zheng Jie Cup.” The competitors’ abilities were all outstanding, with rallies going back and forth. Those watching from the side were probably all parents of players, occasionally exchanging a few words in low voices, with no small amount of worry in their speech.

When it was Shen Shi’s turn to take the court, Chen Wan and the others hadn’t yet noticed that Ye Ran had already gone “whoosh” and jumped up from the stands.

The sounds inside the stadium were noisy, but Ye Ran didn’t dare shout or yell. He waved the small banner in his hand. The banner was only about half an arm’s length, with the words “Shen Shi Must Win” written on it, and a big heart drawn as well.

Tennis players generally developed faster in stature. Shen Shi wore the uniform issued by the competition sponsor: a blue top and black pants, stepping in specially custom-made sports shoes, calmly warming up and testing his feel on the court.

As soon as he appeared, he drew the attention of some spectators.

The slender young boy wore a black baseball cap with the sponsor’s logo on it. His head was slightly lowered, his side profile youthful yet heroic. He grasped the ball, tossing and bouncing it unhurriedly. At a glance, his skin looked cool and pale; his arms were long and his legs long; muscle lines were visible at his calves. A pair of narrow, pitch-black phoenix eyes were filled with calm, as if seasoned by the arena and unafraid in the face of danger.

“I’ve never seen this kid. Quite a few famous players came to the Yang City stop. Logically, there shouldn’t be a player I’ve never seen…”

“Looking at the name, it’s Shen Shi. I really haven’t heard of him.”

“Could it be that he only played small competitions before… whoa, his points are also zero, this year is his first year competing?”

“Impressive. His coach is Zhang Yifan, right? Last year’s u12 men’s champion was trained by Zhang Yifan. Where did this guy get so many good seedlings.”

“You’re already bragging before he’s even played. Let’s watch first.”

Before the match officially began, Shen Shi, who was talking with Coach Zhang, absentmindedly glanced toward the stands. The moment his face was fully seen, it completely confirmed for some of those paying attention that he was indeed a newcomer this year.

Otherwise, there was no way they would forget such a handsome young guy.

Ye Ran waved the banner, pressing down on the small picture of Shen Shi pasted on his cheek, afraid it might fall off. Chen Wan and the others had originally been very worried, but seeing him so excited, they also stood up and waved toward Shen Shi on the court.

Shen Shi’s gaze pierced through the crowd and settled firmly on Ye Ran. The hand gripping the racket tightened again and again.

Coach Zhang seized the moment to analyze the opponent’s playing style with him. He paid attention to the tennis competitions every year, and he knew clearly how some familiar players liked to play, and whose students they were.

But before he could finish speaking, he saw Shen Shi’s steady chest suddenly rise and fall violently twice, his cheeks taut, as if he were taking deep breaths, suppressing the emotions in his heart.

“Shen Shi? Shen Shi, what’s wrong? Nervous?” Coach Zhang was greatly alarmed.

“…No.”

Shen Shi raised a hand to press down the brim of his cap. His eyes looked as clear as ever, but inside his heart was thrown into adorable chaos.

Looking at Ye Ran in the stands with his picture stuck on his face, then narrowing his eyes to look at the banner in Ye Ran’s hands, he truly couldn’t restrain the excitement and happiness in his heart. He only felt his whole body filled with strength, his palms heating up, wishing he could start the match immediately.

Coach Zhang watched him with his heart in his throat as he took two more sharp breaths, deep inhale, exhale, then deep inhale, exhale, while still staring straight at the stands, his eyes bright and black.

Like a little puppy expecting something and glowing.

…If this isn’t nervous, then what is?!

He’s practically thinking about running off!

The match was about to start, and unrelated personnel had to leave immediately. Coach Zhang barely regained his composure, hurriedly softened his voice, and gently encouraged Shen Shi with a few words, everything he said revolving around how talented Shen Shi was and how highly he valued him.

Shen Shi walked toward the center of the court. After no longer looking at his little brother, his mind rapidly calmed down. Within his small body, it was as if there was a vast, condensed power filling him. As he brushed past a patch of shadow, he casually raised a hand to press down the brim of his cap. His wrist bones were slender, his knuckles distinct, as he calmly swept a glance at his opponent.

—Wang Bo.

A quarterfinalist in the previous u10 age group.

This was his last time registering for the u10 age group competition. Like Shen Shi, their ages had reached the limit; this was also their final chance to contend for the championship.

Who would have thought that they would be placed together already in the group stage.

The referee handed the ball to Shen Shi. The first game would have Shen Shi serve first. He felt the elasticity and weight of the tennis ball in his hand. Beneath the brim of his cap, his eyes, calm to the extreme, swept past the net and locked onto the boy on the opposite side, fully on guard.

“Whoosh—!”

The moment had arrived. The green tennis ball tore through the air like an unstoppable long rainbow. The high-speed spinning ball finally converged into a single point, reflected in Shen Shi’s age-inappropriate, extremely calm pupils, then slammed heavily onto the hard plastic court!

All sounds vanished completely.

The surroundings seemed to fall into a land devoid of people.

Shen Shi leaned forward slightly, his body drawn taut like a bow ready to fire, his eyes holding nothing but the high-speed spinning tennis ball.

…His little brother was watching him from the stands.

In this match, he had to win a medal back for Ye Ran.

The match was played with exhilarating intensity. Even facing the already experienced Wang Bo, Shen Shi still held a considerable advantage. In the group stage, Shen Shi lived up to expectations and won four games first, successfully advancing.

In the stands, quite a few players and coaches who had already been quietly paying attention whispered among themselves.

“As expected… his style isn’t much different from Zhang Yifan’s. Go back and ask around, see whether he participated in other small competitions before.”

“Look at Zhang Yifan smiling like that, I just hate him like this.”

“Don’t hate him. If my guess is right, over the next ten years, you’ll probably see this Shen Shi in quite a few competitions. Keep the match recordings and go back to watch them. He’s still young now, with no fixed trajectory yet, but the earlier you study him and figure him out, the better, so you won’t be completely at a loss later.”

Shen Shi’s first group-stage match was a win beyond dispute.

The second elimination match was scheduled for the afternoon of the second day. Same as yesterday, there were many people in the venue. Some players who had been eliminated early didn’t leave, watching the matches accompanied by parents and coaches.

Elimination matches lasted longer and consumed more physical stamina.

From morning until evening, a full day in total, finally the lists of champions and runners-up, top four, top eight, r16, and r48 were announced. The Yang City stop had many new and veteran players, with nearly four hundred participants. More people’s attention gathered on the champions and runners-up of the u14 group, while quite a few coaches and players were quietly paying attention to the u10 age group, to Shen Shi, who, upon appearing, snatched the championship like a dark horse.

The closing ceremony and awards ceremony went on for quite a while, but everyone was in high spirits and felt no fatigue at all. Reporters hurried forward to conduct interviews. Amid the noisy crowd, the Olympic stadium was brightly lit, this was destined to be a sleepless night.

Ye Ran was anxious from waiting. He sat in the stands, not going over to add to the chaos, and also afraid of missing Shen Shi. After waiting for a bit, he saw from afar Shen Shi carrying his tennis bag, walking toward him as naturally as he would after class on a normal day.

Some people in the crowd wanted to speak with him, but all were stopped by Coach Zhang. Coach Zhang smiled like the Laughing Buddha, utterly satisfied and protective of Shen Shi.

Ye Ran suddenly jumped to his feet, waving his arms. “Big Brother Little Shi… here!”

Shen Shi immediately raised his head and quickened his steps toward him.

Jiang Ruoyan stood behind Ye Ran, her eyes a little red. Seeing Shen Shi become so accomplished, she leaned into Shen Hanqing’s arms to cover her loss of composure.

Usually stern, Shen Hanqing also revealed quite a few smiles today. Ye Huaishan helplessly looked at his silly dad’s smiling face and, together with Chen Wan, quietly sat to the side, waiting for the two to calm their emotions.

Shen Shi walked up close and took the medal out of his pocket.

The medal was bright and dazzling, strung on a blue ribbon, golden and brilliant.

He handed the medal to Jiang Ruoyan. “Mom, the medal.”

Jiang Ruoyan took the medal with trembling hands, the smile on her face filled with pride. Shen Hanqing also stared quietly at the medal in her hands, unable to look away.

Chen Wan and her husband leaned in to watch. The emotions of the four adults were all very complicated. All these years of Shen Shi’s training and effort had finally been rewarded, how could the adults who loved him not be happy.

Their emotions truly hard to settle, the four took deep breaths and turned, wanting to praise Shen Shi.

With a turn of the head, the two little boys beside them had already huddled together.

Ye Ran had a small sticker of Shen Shi on his cheek. He pulled out a sports water bottle with a straw from his little backpack and fed it to Shen Shi’s mouth. Shen Shi lowered his head, not moving at all, gulping water in big mouthfuls with the help of Ye Ran’s hand.

Ye Ran’s eyes were red, his small almond-phoenix eyes shimmering with moisture, tears welling. “Big Brother Little Shi, does your hand hurt?”

During the match, there had been an opponent whose serve was tricky and had hit Shen Shi’s arm.

Shen Shi’s eyes were fixed on the little sticker on Ye Ran’s cheek. Seeing it up close still made his heart tremble with cuteness. Seeing his little brother’s eyes red, he immediately stopped drinking water and soothed him calmly: “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“But you twitched at the time,” Ye Ran said sadly.

He hadn’t expected this moment to be seen by Ye Ran. Shen Shi’s expression remained normal as he emphasized his words: “It really doesn’t hurt. His strength wasn’t great, to me it was just a drizzle.”

“Then let me see.” Ye Ran grabbed his arm, putting the water bottle aside.

Shen Shi nuzzled against him like a little black shepherd, soaking up his little brother while revealing his arm. Aside from a bit of redness, there was indeed no swelling and no bruising. That ball hadn’t actually hit Shen Shi; it had just brushed past his arm, leaving a red mark from the friction.

After confirming that Shen Shi’s arm was fine, Ye Ran sniffed, his fanboy mode activated, and began praising his brother with starry eyes: “Big Brother Little Shi, you played so amazingly! None of them were as good as you!”

“It was okay,” Shen Shi’s arrogant little tail was just about to lift when he thought of Ye Ran’s expectations of him and instantly clamped it down in alertness. “I might meet even stronger opponents in the future. I still have to keep working hard.”

“But Big Brother Little Shi is already the champion! A champion, so cool!” Ye Ran was so excited that his cheeks flushed red, and even the little sticker moved slightly.

“Being champion isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just a stop champion. There’s still the finals that haven’t been competed in. The finals champion is the most impressive.”

“I’ll come watch Big Brother Little Shi at the finals too!”

“Okay! You haven’t looked at my medal yet, right?” Shen Shi was once again made dizzy by his little brother’s gaze. He grew a bit impatient, frowned, and turned his head. Seeing the medal in Shen Hanqing’s hands, he directly reached out to ask for it. “Dad, give me my medal.”

Shen Hanqing twitched the corners of his mouth as he handed it over. The earlier pride faded, replaced by a faint urge to hit the kid.

Shen Shi didn’t even look at him. He directly handed the medal to Ye Ran. Ye Ran treasured it in his hands, going “wow,” “wow,” praising nonstop. The little admiration in his eyes shone brightly, making Shen Shi want to perform a barehanded serve on the spot.

After confirming that Shen Hanqing and the others had all seen his medal, Shen Shi finally got down to business.

He hung the medal around Ye Ran’s neck. Seeing Ye Ran look over in confusion, he pressed down the brim of his cap and said with feigned calm, “If you like it, I’ll give it to you.”

Ye Ran held the small medal on his chest. Having received many things from Shen Shi over the years, his first reaction was no longer shock, but confusion.

“But this is Big Brother Little Shi’s medal.”

“What’s mine is yours,” Shen Shi straightened Ye Ran’s little collar. “Don’t you like it?”

“I like it.” Ye Ran nodded obediently.

“Then that’s that,” Shen Shi said. Without noticing the adults nearby who wanted to speak but hesitated, he seriously held Ye Ran by the shoulders and voiced the plan he had long had in mind. “In the future, when Ranran wins his first prize for drawing, just give the medal to me.”

“…Huh?” Ye Ran’s clear little phoenix eyes widened, a bit dizzy from being led around. “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.”

Shen Shi’s little scheme had been brewing for a long time. Just thinking that his little brother’s first medal would also be his made him so happy he couldn’t sit still. To strengthen his persuasiveness, he turned to look at Jiang Ruoyan, his eyes full of urging. “Mom, you agree, right?”

Hurry and say yes, hurry and say yes, hurry and say yes.

He desperately hinted with his eyes.

Jiang Ruoyan: “……”

Jiang Ruoyan: “…………”

Jiang Ruoyan had completely let go of all earthly concerns, utterly speechless.

Shen Hanqing also felt an itch in his hands. Somehow feeling guilty, he glanced at the silent Chen Wan and Ye Huaishan beside him, inexplicably not daring to look at them, intending to change the topic purely on instinct.

Ye Huaishan furrowed his brows, strangely irritated.

At this moment, it was Chen Wan who spoke with a smile: “That’s actually a good idea.”

The remaining three adults all fell silent and looked at her.

Chen Wan was completely unaware and asked Ye Ran: “Ranran, big brother wants to exchange medals with you. Are you willing?”

Ye Ran nodded. “Willing.”

“Then that settles it. Medals that you win yourselves, you can use them however you want. Mom and Dad won’t interfere.” With those words, Chen Wan set the final decision.

The remaining adults had no objections. The strange atmosphere was swept away, and everyone turned to discussing the chrysanthemum banquet that evening, laughter ringing out once more.

Only Coach Zhang, eavesdropping nearby, was utterly heartbroken.

…So, does no one really remember me?

I haven’t even touched the medal yet!

Let me have a look too!!!

Author’s note: Art competitions usually award trophies. This is adjusted to fit the context; everyone doesn’t need to think too deeply about it.

The next chapter will enter high school.

The high school arc will be long.