Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 24

Playing Ball

A long, black chain was thrown from behind, wrapping around his ankle.

Jiang Zhou fell to the ground.

The demon chased after him from behind, its sharp claws digging into his flesh. A wave of sweet, metallic blood rushed over him.

Jiang Zhou looked back. The demon smiled wickedly at him.

It was Shen Zhiyu!

Jiang Zhou woke up with a start.

It was deep night. There was no light in the room, only endless darkness.

This was the first time Jiang Zhou had dreamed of Shen Zhiyu. In the dream, Shen Zhiyu had transformed into the image of the “Demon” card, chasing him, catching him, binding him, and tearing at him…

The chilling scene seemed vividly real.

Jiang Zhou’s heart remained unsettled for a long time.

It seemed he was still affected by that Tarot card.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t help but recall the words Shen Zhiyu had spoken.

“Don’t think too highly of me.”

Why would Shen Zhiyu say that?

He was clearly so good.

And it wasn’t just Jiang Zhou who thought so.

Shen Zhiyu was famously well-regarded in the industry: outstanding appearance, solid professional ability, kind to fans, and consistently supporting multiple public welfare projects through his fan club—a perfect idol, truly.

Even in the area of private life, where male celebrities were most likely to “crash,” he was so clean that paparazzi and antis had nothing to attack him with.

How could such a perfect person be a demon?

Jiang Zhou suddenly remembered the strong smell of smoke that drifted from the balcony that day.

Shen Zhiyu had never smoked in public. Fans didn’t know he smoked, and not even the paparazzi had ever captured him smoking privately.

As a popular public figure, he concealed it so well. If not for that accidental encounter, Jiang Zhou wouldn’t have believed it.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t lie to himself.

That brand of cigarette was genuinely hard for the average person to handle.

Jiang Zhou realized that things were becoming increasingly complicated. And Shen Zhiyu, the person, was also becoming increasingly complex.

Jiang Zhou suddenly felt a sense of panic.

For the past decade or more, in his world, Shen Zhiyu had always been the symbol of flawlessness.

Jiang Zhou recalled the diagnosis Yuan Rong had given him.

Yuan Rong said he had overly idealized Shen Zhiyu, idealizing him to the point where his self-perception was torn, leading to extreme self-negation.

Subsequently, his emotional regulation mechanism collapsed, causing intense feelings of unworthiness and inferiority, which led him to choose physical pain to mask spiritual suffering.

But if Shen Zhiyu truly wasn’t perfect, then…

Jiang Zhou didn’t dare to think further.

—

Jiang Zhou didn’t try to sleep again.

He lay there with his eyes open, enduring the silent darkness until the sky began to lighten.

After getting up and washing, he went out for a morning run. Before leaving, he specifically checked, and Shen Zhiyu’s door was still tightly shut.

After running two laps and taking a shower, he stepped out of his room and found Shen Zhiyu already in the dining area.

He was wearing a fluffy white sweater paired with gray trousers, his hair falling softly. Stripped of his stage refinement, he exuded a domestic warmth.

The air was filled with the aroma of oil and a faint scent of slightly burnt fried eggs.

Shen Zhiyu was holding two bowls, placing them on the table. Seeing Jiang Zhou emerge, he naturally sat down.

“They aren’t coming over this morning. I fried eggs and bread. Let’s eat together.”

Jiang Zhou didn’t notice that when Shen Zhiyu spoke to him, he mostly used statements, not questions.

He paused slightly and sat down across from the other man.

The edges of the fried eggs on the table were crispy, the whites uniformly set, and the yolks would flow with a gentle touch.

Perfectly flawless.

Just like the man himself.

—

Jiang Zhou finished handling his work in the morning and instructed Wei Yan to send someone to investigate Yu Liang’s matter.

Dong Qianqian’s Tarot reading last night certainly had some merit. Her interpretation of Yu Liang’s three cards was vague, and she collected the cards so quickly, clearly having seen something.

Near noon, Jiang Zhou set off for Languang Bistro.

Unexpectedly, he saw Shen Zhiyu in the restaurant.

He was wearing an apron, standing in front of the sink, washing vegetables.

Hearing the movement, Shen Zhiyu turned his head toward Jiang Zhou. “You’re here.”

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling behind him. The warm, yellow halo made his bright features appear especially soft, making him look even more domestic and warm than he had in the morning.

Jiang Zhou was slightly stunned and blurted out, “Why are you here?”

“Helping out.” Shen Zhiyu glanced meaningfully at Jiang Zhou’s bandaged left hand, then stepped aside.

The kitchen was designed to be spacious, with two washing basins side by side near the sink. He had specifically cleared one spot for him.

Gazing at the tall, busy figure, Jiang Zhou remained silent for a moment before walking over and standing beside him.

Shen Zhiyu was washing water spinach; the other necessary ingredients were already neatly stacked on the counter.

Jiang Zhou noticed that these were exactly what was needed for the day’s menu, which he had posted in the group chat.

After discussion yesterday, everyone decided that Languang Bistro would only serve lunch, with breakfast and dinner left for the guests to handle themselves.

Jiang Zhou had posted the menu a day in advance in the group.

He hadn’t expected Shen Zhiyu to be so meticulous, noticing even these details.

The kitchen was originally Jiang Zhou’s main stage for subtly tormenting himself in front of the cameras.

But with Shen Zhiyu here, he didn’t dare to indulge, afraid the other man might notice something amiss.

Jiang Zhou placed the washed spare ribs on the cutting board, his bandaged left hand lightly steadying them.

He held the knife in his right hand and chopped down toward the clearly textured ribs. The blade struck the bone, producing a dull “thudding” sound.

But after several attempts, the ribs only showed a shallow crack.

Jiang Zhou took a breath, about to bring the knife down forcefully again. Shen Zhiyu suddenly moved closer, reaching out with extreme naturalness and covering Jiang Zhou’s knife-holding right hand.

The sound of running water had stopped at some point. The subtle movements had nowhere to hide.

Jiang Zhou’s hand trembled uncontrollably.

The knife hung suspended in the air, reflecting a cold, sharp light.

He seemed to feel the hand covering his own briefly, almost imperceptibly, tighten.

“I’ll do it.” The voice dropped from above. “Your hand should behave itself.”

Jiang Zhou seemed to wake up abruptly, snatching his hand back. His neck and ear tips were flushed red, and his eyes darted around, unsure where to look. “Thank you.”

He quickly turned and walked to the stove, heating the wok and oil, and began stir-frying the water spinach.

The roaring sound of the range hood and the sizzling oil instantly filled the kitchen, covering their slightly flustered breathing.

Shen Zhiyu watched his almost panicked retreat, his palm still retaining that moment of scorching heat.

Sure enough.

It felt very similar to petting that clumsy cat.

Shen Zhiyu subconsciously curled his fingers.

Once didn’t seem to be enough.

He was already starting to miss it.

—

In the afternoon, everyone went to the venue created by Cai Zhiyang—the Rewang Court.

Jiang Zhou hadn’t wanted to come. Lately, his interactions with Shen Zhiyu had been too frequent, and the corresponding self-punishment had been repeatedly interrupted.

But there were only eight guests on the show. If he didn’t come, one person would be left out.

Everyone changed into light sportswear.

The winter sun set early. It was only five o’clock, and the sky was already tinged with a thin, bluish-gray. The sun hung at the horizon, a dull red.

Cai Zhiyang counted heads, clapped his hands, and announced in a loud voice, “Everyone’s here.”

“Alright, we’ll split into teams using ‘palm or back of the hand,’ four people per team.”

They gathered in a small circle, extending their fists.

“Palm, or back of the hand—!”

In an instant, eight hands dropped in a flurry. Amidst the mixed shouts, the teams were quickly decided:

Palms: Cai Zhiyang, Yu Liang, Zhang Qian, Weng Songlin.

Backs: Jiang Zhou, Shen Zhiyu, Dong Qianqian, Hua Qian.

“Uh oh—” Cai Zhiyang sighed dramatically, looking at Shen Zhiyu and teasing him half-jokingly, “One injured player plus two girls. Brother Yu, you’re under a lot of pressure this round!”

Dong Qianqian retorted angrily, “Who are you looking down on?”

Hua Qian also blustered from the side, “Exactly! Don’t get cocky, watch us four beat you until you call us Grandma!”

“I’m so scared—” Cai Zhiyang said in a high-pitched voice, looking very punchable.

Jiang Zhou did feel a little unsure.

His ball skills were mediocre to begin with, and his left hand was injured. He worried he would drag the team down.

Shen Zhiyu, however, had already started setting up positions. “Qianqian, you’ll be the libero. Hua Qian, setter. Jiang Zhou…”

Jiang Zhou looked up.

“You’re the opposite hitter.”

Jiang Zhou hesitated. “I…”

Shen Zhiyu said calmly, “Don’t feel pressured, just play casually.”

The teams were finalized.

Cai Zhiyang’s team was named the Peach Blossom Team, and Shen Zhiyu’s team was the Dream Team.

The thin, bluish-gray mist gradually dispersed, and the dim sunset released an intense orange-yellow glow, like an extinguishing fire suddenly reigniting, painting half the sky red.

It spilled across the gradually clearing horizon, soaking half the sky, radiating endless golden brilliance. The entire court seemed to catch fire.

Cai Zhiyang, across the net, shouted with a grin, “This sunset is practically an assist! Let’s start, let me show it a good serve!”

Before his words finished, he ran up, jumped, and delivered a powerful jump serve.

The ball shot out like a cannonball, with a sharp whistling sound, spinning as it smashed toward the Dream Team’s backcourt, aiming directly for the gap between Dong Qianqian and Hua Qian.

The ball came fast and tricky.

“I got it!” Dong Qianqian yelled, instinctively diving sideways to save it, but her judgment was half a beat too slow.

The aggressive volleyball grazed the outer edge of her outstretched forearm and dropped, about to hit the Dream Team’s court.

Just when everyone thought the point was inevitably lost, a dark shadow suddenly flashed across Jiang Zhou’s peripheral vision, surging from the left wing straight into the right backcourt with astonishing explosive power.

It was Shen Zhiyu.

He wasn’t in the optimal position for a save, but in a flash of lightning, he sprinted over, receiving the ball barely an inch before it touched the ground.

“Bang—” A dull, massive sound.

That fierce serve was defended steadily by him with incredible control.

The ball rebounded, tracing a gentle arc straight toward Jiang Zhou’s head. His body had already instinctively run toward the landing spot.

After the extreme save, Shen Zhiyu didn’t pause for a second, quickly retreating, turning, and running up—the entire sequence of movements was fluid and seamless.

Just then, Jiang Zhou’s pass reached the front edge of the net, slightly above the net height.

This was exactly the position Shen Zhiyu had anticipated. He leaped high, drawing back his arm, swinging, and snapping his wrist—

Boom!

A crisp sound, smashing back into the Peach Blossom Team’s court.

“Holy cow!”

“He saved that?!”

“I bow to that shot!”

Everyone looked at Shen Zhiyu in unison.

The orange-red light of the sunset fell upon him. His extended figure was like a black eagle locking onto its prey, carrying an almost suffocating sense of pressure.

Dong Qianqian and Hua Qian ran over, happily high-fiving Shen Zhiyu.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhou also hurried forward to high-five him in celebration.

“Our first time cooperating…” Shen Zhiyu looked at him meaningfully.

“I didn’t expect us to be quite so in sync.”