Yan Chuan lightly nodded, “Sure, but I need to take a day off.”
He was unable to find time during workdays, and his days off were also occupied by Evan. If he wanted to attend Curry’s match, he would first need to request leave.
“Great!” Yan Chuan heard Curry eagerly say in his earpiece, “I’ll pick you up on Wednesday at noon!”
Thinking for a moment, Yan Chuan sent him an address near his new home, as by Wednesday he would have already moved to a new rental place.
After they arranged the time, Yan Chuan continued to hear Curry rambling on about something, and after politely saying goodbye, he went to sleep.
Before sleeping, he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and noticed that the lights in the adjacent room were still on, a faint glow seeping through the gap in the door.
Still not asleep?
Yan Chuan glanced at the time, shook his head, and left.
Perhaps he was working late, but over the past few days, Yan Chuan hadn’t noticed any signs of Evan being a corporate executive; he even called him up during lunch breaks.
Yan Chuan felt that the atmosphere of slacking off in the office came from the top floor.
He shook his head and prepared to sleep after finishing his water.
Before sleeping, Yan Chuan reviewed his task progress.
The first task the script assigned him was to rank within the top hundred broadcasters; he had accomplished that. But just as Curry asked him if he could attend his offline match, the script assigned him another task.
“Meet the top three givers in the live broadcast room offline,” the cold prompt chimed in at the same moment as Curry’s voice, “Ensure they continue to support you financially.”
Yan Chuan: …
Huh?
It required him to meet the… sponsors from the live broadcast offline? And to express that he needed them to keep giving him gifts?
Are the tasks for escaping the variety shows getting more absurd by the day? Does the script expect the meager contestants to generate revenue for the platform?
Yan Chuan found himself lost for words, with only Curry’s somewhat delayed voice remaining in his earpiece.
Cautiously, Curry asked him if he would be willing to observe his match, emphasizing how crucial it was for his career and how much he hoped Yan Chuan would attend.
His tone was careful and nervous, fearing Yan Chuan would flatly refuse and find excuses to evade.
What else could Yan Chuan say? He could only agree.
Curry received his affirmative answer and quickly became excited, his voice rising a few pitches.
“The commercial street south of the city center is bustling; there’s even a large amusement park!” He sounded like a high school boy trying hard to impress a girlfriend, saying all sorts of naive things. “If you’re willing, we can also stroll around there.”
Yan Chuan was unsure about the standards for “meeting offline and requesting continued support,” so he could only nod in agreement.
He hoped that no outrageous incidents would occur when meeting with Curry.
Curry was ranked second, and the first was Qi Yan, whom he had contacted before. Yan Chuan considered this. But the third was someone with the ID “Li,” whose account was very mysterious, leaving no traces, and rarely posted comments apart from gifts.
Visiting Curry provided a reason for wanting to “watch the match,” but what excuse would he use to contact the other two fans privately?
Would he say he appreciated their gifts but hoped they would continue supporting him?
Yan Chuan felt his cheeks flush with heat.
He simply covered himself with the duvet and buried himself in the soft bedding.
It was better not to think about these things; he wasn’t sure if Curry could handle it on that side.
Maybe they would scoff at his hints for continued support and angrily leave the live broadcast.
Yan Chuan tried to clear his mind of those thoughts, closing his eyes, and falling asleep directly.
In the bedroom just a wall away,
Evan was still awake.
However, he wasn’t up due to any unfinished work. In front of him lay not a computer or a phone, but a delicate leg ring.
The leg ring was a lace band connected by two sections of ribbon, with a tiny metal ring in the middle, secured with a teardrop-shaped silver charm.
The silver droplet swayed slightly, gathering faint light at the bottom.
This leg ring had been worn by someone, tinged with body heat and a subtle fragrance, which could still be detected upon closer inspection.
After such a long time, the warmth had long dissipated, and the scent was nearly impossible to capture, fading into the air.
The leg ring lay quietly on a dark gray bed sheet, within easy reach of the tall man.
Yet now, the leg ring appeared crumpled, curled in on itself as if it had been vigorously crumpled by someone.
The small leg ring compared to the man’s palm looked almost like a tiny toy, exposing the significant size difference between the wearer and the man.
But considering the man’s exceptionally tall stature, such disparity in size was inevitable.
It was easy to imagine if the owner of the leg ring was caught by the man, whether they would struggle to break free or be dragged back by their slender ankle.
Only able to look tearfully at the person who was bullying them.
Evan glanced at the palm of his hand.
In the subtle light, a handful of liquid with a metallic scent slowly dripped down.
It landed on the clean, tidy bed sheet, leaving behind a wet, sticky patch.
Some even splattered onto the small leg ring, leaving a bit of viscous liquid, tinged with a hint of fragrance, staining the lace.
In the faint light, Evan’s deep green eyes appeared even darker.
When his expression was neutral, he looked quite fierce, with a heavy brow and eyes that seemed intimidating, unlike the clumsy demeanor he showed in front of Yan Chuan.
Evan swallowed hard, staring at the tiny leg ring.
He had gotten Yan Chuan’s leg ring dirty.
***
Yan Chuan’s weekend overtime finally concluded.
Evan drove him to work, but Yan Chuan asked him to park a bit farther from the company and walk the rest of the way.