SMS CHAPTER 51

They all stared at one another in the hotel lobby.

The air was heavy with silence, yet no one took the initiative to speak.

The one who finally broke it was Tao Luo. She hadn’t figured out what was going on, but she still hesitantly asked, “Since everyone’s here… should we go grab some conveyor belt sushi together?”

Still, no one said a word.

Taking their silence as consent, Tao Luo ended up dragging everyone to the small, bustling conveyor belt sushi restaurant she had been longing to visit.

As expected, the restaurant was packed, with nearly all the single seats by the conveyor belt taken. The four of them had no choice but to sit together at the same long table, maintaining the same silence amid the lively crowd.

Zhen Ning was silent because he had always been a man of few words. Kong Xian was silent because he was busy wiping down the table and utensils with alcohol wipes. Tao Luo was silent because her eyes were glued to the conveyor belt, watching the sushi pass by.

And Yan Chengfeng was silent because his mind was a mess.

He had never imagined that Zhen Ning could have any kind of connection to Kong Xian.

In his memory, the two were like people from entirely different universes—two completely separate worlds, with no possible intersection.

One was a world-champion support player. The other was a rookie AD. There was no way they could have known each other, let alone sit in the hotel lobby just now, chatting and laughing in such an intimate manner.

Something didn’t add up.

It absolutely… didn’t add up.

Countless fragments of memory floated and spun in Yan Chengfeng’s mind. He could sense they were connected by fine, invisible threads, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t grasp them to piece everything together into a coherent answer.

Zhen Ning and… Kong Xian.

Last year’s… group photo.

Yan Chengfeng locked eyes with Zhen Ning across the table. In that fleeting moment when their gazes met, something clicked in his mind.

His attention immediately shifted to Kong Xian, who was sitting next to Zhen Ning.

Tao Luo sensed the atmosphere was a bit off, but she was still in high spirits.

She had only wanted two people to join her for a meal, but now there was an extra person, which made her even happier.

Trying to lighten the mood, she coughed and said, “What a big sushi restaurant! So many kinds of fish! And the rice smells amazing!”

Kong Xian snorted softly, still wiping his chopsticks with a wet wipe. “Cheap and unsanitary. If you don’t get food poisoning, it’ll be a miracle.”

Tao Luo dared not voice her anger.

She was both intimidated by and curious about Kong Xian. Not daring to confront him directly, she held back her frustration, then finally jabbed Yan Chengfeng’s arm. “Yan Kitchen, I want grilled eel, sea bream, salmon, and tamago sushi. Watch the conveyor belt for me and grab two plates of each. I’m so hungry…”

Yan Chengfeng, distracted by his chaotic thoughts, absentmindedly agreed.

Since they had arrived at the restaurant late, only booth tables were available. Kong Xian pulled Zhen Ning to sit on one side, while Yan Chengfeng and Tao Luo took the seats opposite them.

Kong Xian and Yan Chengfeng were seated closer to the conveyor belt, meaning only the two of them could directly pick up sushi from it.

After finally finishing wiping down the tableware, Kong Xian softly asked Zhen Ning, “What do you want to eat? I’ll grab it for you.”

Yan Chengfeng’s body stiffened, his ears perking up.

A moment later, he heard Zhen Ning reply, “Just grab whatever. Anything’s fine.”

Kong Xian stared at the conveyor belt, watching the colorful sushi roll by. After a while, he clicked his tongue. “The rest look pretty mediocre. Only the sweet shrimp sushi seems decent… Here, I’ll get you a plate. Try it and see if it’s fresh.”

Zhen Ning glanced up and noticed Yan Chengfeng, seated diagonally across from him, staring at him with a gloomy expression—a stark contrast to Tao Luo beside him, who was happily scarfing down sushi.

The moment their eyes met, Yan Chengfeng quickly turned away, jaw tightening as he fixed his gaze on the sushi moving along the conveyor belt.

Zhen Ning took a deep breath.

The shrimp sushi slowly rounded the corner, coming into view.

The translucent orange-pink sweet shrimp lay delicately over perfectly shaped vinegar rice, the two neatly arranged pieces resting quietly on a green plate, inching closer to them.

Kong Xian raised his hand, ready to grab the plate.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch it, Yan Chengfeng suddenly reached out with lightning speed and snatched it first.

Kong Xian: “…What are you doing?”

Yan Chengfeng didn’t answer directly. He nonchalantly lifted the cover, picked up one piece of sushi, and popped it into his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” He swallowed the food without expression. “Oh, sweet shrimp sushi? I wanted some too, so I took it. First come, first served, right?”

Kong Xian: “…?”

Zhen Ning: “…”

Just then, another plate of shrimp sushi appeared on the conveyor belt.

As Yan Chengfeng reached out again, Kong Xian immediately stood up, leaned forward, and stretched out his arm, snatching the sushi away before Yan Chengfeng could.

Yan Chengfeng: “You—”

“Oh dear, looks like you were too slow,” Kong Xian said with a smirk. “If you’re this sluggish on the field in a few days… that won’t be good, will it?”

Up until that moment, their absurd conflict had remained at the level of an ordinary “sushi battle.”

But last year’s defeat to Kong Xian was Yan Chengfeng’s biggest sore spot. He couldn’t find a retort, and his expression darkened instantly.

The two top support players had turned the sushi restaurant into their new battleground, competing in speed and reflexes. The conveyor belt was their arena, and the helpless shrimp sushi was their only target.

By the time Yan Chengfeng swiped the seventh plate of sweet shrimp sushi from Kong Xian and consumed his fourteenth piece of sushi for the evening, Zhen Ning finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“You two, stop it.”

Both Kong Xian and Yan Chengfeng froze simultaneously.

Yan Chengfeng tapped the stack of plates beside him with a smirk. “Seven to three. Looks like the senior’s hand speed could use some improvement.”

Kong Xian smiled and casually snatched another plate of sweet shrimp sushi just as it passed in front of him. “Truly impressive. But with hands this fast, how did you end up losing three to one to me on the field last year?”

Zhen Ning: “…Kong Xian.”

Kong Xian raised an eyebrow and spread his hands wide, feigning innocence.

“Yan Chengfeng.” Zhen Ning took a deep breath and stood up. “Come outside with me.”

Yan Chengfeng shot a glare at Kong Xian, then grabbed another piece of sweet shrimp sushi and shoved it into his mouth. Chewing with a blank expression, he stood up as well.

Tao Luo, who had been watching the entire spectacle, was dumbfounded. She couldn’t understand how eating sushi had turned into such a tense confrontation.

As she stared at the mountain of shrimp tails piling up on Yan Chengfeng’s plate, she paused in thought. Suddenly, realization dawned on her. “Ohhh, so sweet shrimp tastes that good? Then I’ll give it a try too!”

Kong Xian, looking utterly disgusted, pushed the plate he had just grabbed toward her.

Tao Luo: “…Huh? You’re not eating? Weren’t you just fighting like crazy with Yan Kitchen for it?”

Kong Xian glanced at the two figures who had just walked outside. A moment later, he smiled faintly and shook his head.

Retracting his gaze, he said nonchalantly, “I have no interest in eating this gross, fishy stuff.”

 

Zhen Ning and Yan Chengfeng stepped out of the sushi restaurant.

The sky had darkened, and the neon lights along the street shimmered brightly. Without a word, they sat down by the roadside. Neither of them spoke until Yan Chengfeng suddenly let out a loud burp.

Yan Chengfeng: “…”
Zhen Ning: “…”

Yan Chengfeng knew Zhen Ning was looking at him, but he didn’t dare meet his gaze.

After a pause, he heard Zhen Ning sigh softly. “Kong Xian is my friend. I met him a few years ago in the US.”

A prolonged silence followed before Yan Chengfeng finally muttered, “Oh.”

Zhen Ning exhaled silently.

Not only had Yan Chengfeng’s behavior in the sushi restaurant been baffling, but even earlier in the hotel lobby, his expression had seemed off.

Although they hadn’t had a chance to talk alone until now, Zhen Ning was certain Yan Chengfeng had pieced together something about his relationship with Kong Xian.

What exactly Yan Chengfeng had figured out, Zhen Ning wasn’t sure.

But he had a feeling that Yan Chengfeng wanted to ask him something, yet, for some reason, he held back.

“You don’t need to explain anything to me anymore.”

But the next second, he heard Yan Chengfeng speak in a stiff tone, “I already know everything.”

A jolt shot through Zhen Ning’s heart.

So, he really overheard something? Zhen Ning thought.

At the same time, Yan Chengfeng noticed the subtle change in Zhen Ning’s expression.

Yan Chengfeng’s suspicions were confirmed, and an even deeper discomfort settled over him.

First, his stomach felt unbearably full. The cold, slimy shrimp he had consumed seemed to come alive in his belly, flicking their tails and gleefully swimming around, stirring up a storm deep within his gut.

But what was even more uncomfortable was his heart.

It felt as though his chest was being squeezed, his breathing growing increasingly labored.

Staring at the cars passing by on the road, Yan Chengfeng finally forced himself to speak after a long silence. “Last year, when Kong Xian went out of his way to ask for a photo with me and said all those cryptic things… it wasn’t random, was it? It was because of you.”

He saw Zhen Ning flinch slightly.

After a long pause, Zhen Ning rasped, “Yes.”

Yan Chengfeng sniffled.

“So, he’s a thousand times better than me, isn’t he?” he blurted out. “After all, he’s a champion support player. His vision score is higher than mine, his awareness and reflexes are sharper, and basically, he’s better than me in every way. All I can do is give you a temporary mark, and beyond that, I don’t measure up to him at all. Isn’t that right?”

His words were so sharp that Zhen Ning was momentarily stunned. “…What?”

Yan Chengfeng clutched his stomach, his head bowed as he panted heavily, remaining silent for a long time.

His stomach felt even worse.

“Stop pretending. Didn’t you already admit it indirectly before?” Yan Chengfeng finally gritted out through clenched teeth. “That person you liked…”

The early spring breeze carried the faint scent of flowers, and Yan Chengfeng’s voice was fragmented by the wind, making it sound hazy.

“No, maybe it’s not someone you liked. Maybe it’s someone you still like now—”

Yan Chengfeng paused, his expression stiff as he forced out a cold laugh. After holding it in all night, he finally asked, “It’s Kong Xian, isn’t it?”

Zhen Ning’s eyes widened slightly.

Before he could even process what he had heard, Yan Chengfeng’s expression suddenly contorted, a look of immense pain flashing across his face.

In the next instant, Yan Chengfeng turned away sharply, his chest rising and falling before he doubled over and vomited with a harsh gag.

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Author’s note:
“Kitchen’s Diary”
Location: Japan.
Weather: Light rain.
Mood: Terrible.
Reason for terrible mood: Ate some unclean shrimp sushi. That’s all.