DMMB Chapter 24

“Maybe I just want to become a decent human being.”

It was a sincere and serious remark, but to Xue Yi, it sounded particularly sarcastic.

Had Sheng Yan heard what they said earlier?

Impossible. If Sheng Yan had heard them, how could he still compete so calmly?

Xue Yi thought this to himself, but deep down, he felt guilty. As if trying to salvage something, he hurriedly said, “Ah Yan, don’t listen to Qin Zigui. Things aren’t the way he made them sound.”

“Did Qin Zigui say anything?”

Sheng Yan raised an eyebrow, looking innocently puzzled.

Xue Yi was immediately at a loss for words.

He couldn’t possibly repeat what Qin Zigui had said. Wouldn’t that be the same as admitting his own guilt?

But he couldn’t be sure whether Sheng Yan had really heard anything.

While Xue Yi was caught between hope and anxiety, unsure of what to do, Sheng Yan smiled again.

“If he didn’t say anything, then let’s leave it at that. But Qin Zigui probably already told you this: you and I aren’t close. So please don’t call me Ah Yan anymore. It’s not appropriate.”

Sheng Yan’s smile never reached his eyes. It lingered only at the corners of his lips, giving him an unmistakably distant and cold expression.

Xue Yi had never seen Sheng Yan smile like that before. His heart suddenly clenched with pain. He opened his mouth, then hesitated, as if wanting to offer another explanation.

But Sheng Yan couldn’t be bothered to look at him anymore. He turned around, took the milk tea with the straw already inserted from Qin Zigui, and walked away with him, side by side.

As they walked, Sheng Yan turned his head and said something. Qin Zigui responded in a low voice, then casually reached behind Sheng Yan’s neck to straighten his collar.

His fingertips brushed against Sheng Yan’s neck, their skin making contact, but Sheng Yan showed no sign of discomfort.

Watching this, Xue Yi remembered how Sheng Yan used to dodge him whenever he tried to straighten his clothes. His eyes began to sting. All the resentment, regret, guilt, and jealousy inside him grew uncontrollably until he finally called out to Sheng Yan again.

“Sheng Yan!”

Sheng Yan frowned and turned around, looking as though his patience was almost gone.

Looking at the expression on Sheng Yan’s face—which was completely different from the one he’d shown Qin Zigui just moments ago—Xue Yi couldn’t help blurting out, “Then why does Qin Zigui get to call you that?”

This time, Sheng Yan genuinely began to wonder whether something was wrong with Xue Yi’s head.

“Qin Zigui spends more time with me than my own mom does. If he can’t call me that, then who can?”

Xue Yi was left speechless.

Sheng Yan continued, “Besides, Qin Zigui can help me pass my math exams. Can you?”

Xue Yi was speechless once again.

“So don’t compare yourself to others. There’s always someone you can’t measure up to. Oh, and of course, even trash shouldn’t compare itself too much to other trash. Otherwise, you might start out as recyclable waste, but after too much comparison, you could end up as hazardous waste. That’s not good.”

Sheng Yan delivered this piece of wisdom with utmost sincerity.

Xue Yi felt as though a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so humiliated in his entire life.

Fu Yun, who had just rushed over, happened to witness the scene. Immediately, he stepped in front of Xue Yi and snapped at Sheng Yan, “Sheng Yan, what’s with the attitude? So what if you got lucky and won one one-on-one match? If you’re so good, why don’t you compete in next month’s city championship?”

“If you put it that way, I don’t see why not.” Sheng Yan took a sip of his milk tea and thought for a moment. “But my main concern is that if I participate, your Brother Yi might not even get a silver medal. He’s not getting any younger. If he can’t win a decent championship soon, he’ll have to stay on the city team until he retires.”

Sheng Yan had always been someone who knew exactly whom he liked and disliked. And when it came to roasting people, he was especially skilled. A seemingly casual remark from him could cut deeper than a knife.

Fu Yun felt as though he’d swallowed a mouthful of blood on Xue Yi’s behalf.

Then Sheng Yan added, “Oh, right. And remember, a man’s word is his bond. That little loser-dog plushie of yours? You’re supposed to tie it around your waist and parade around Shiwai School for three days. Don’t forget. Our Gou You has the recording.”

“Huh?” Gou You, who had suddenly been brought into the conversation, took a moment to react. Then he immediately lifted his chin triumphantly. “Of course! I’m recording everything. If you dare go back on your word, don’t blame us when we play a full 360-degree surround replay of you throwing a tantrum!”

“Exactly,” Zhu Peng chimed in, playing his usual supporting role. “And that’s what this story teaches us: don’t throw a tantrum. Some people might make it onto the city team, but that doesn’t mean they can beat everyone. Our Brother Yan doesn’t even need to join the city team. He’s handsome, rich, and talented. He can crush the competition in every possible way in a matter of seconds. That’s just how he rolls!”

The duo’s sarcastic attack was complete.

Xue Yi and Fu Yun’s faces had turned so dark they were practically black.

Only then did Sheng Yan speak in a lazy yet elegant tone. “All right, tone it down. We should be civilized people. Let’s not learn from certain people who get humiliated every single day.”

“Brother Yan is absolutely right!” Zhu Peng and Gou You chimed in, happily following him. One on either side, they habitually draped an arm over Sheng Yan’s shoulders.

But the moment they did, they felt a sudden, icy chill. They turned their heads and found themselves face-to-face with Qin Zigui’s cold gaze. He had been squeezed off to the side.

For some reason, Gou You suddenly remembered Qin Zigui’s words at the fried chicken shop:

I can make decisions for him. No particular reason. And don’t call him Ah Yan again. It makes me sick on his behalf.

A strange, instinctive sense of danger suddenly washed over Gou You, urging him to avoid trouble.

After maintaining eye contact for three seconds, he decisively withdrew his arm and took the opportunity to smack Zhu Peng’s hand on the other side.

“Let go.”

Zhu Peng looked confused. “Huh? Why?”

“Why do you always have so many questions? Ever heard of being reserved? Or maintaining your elegance? What kind of image are we giving by walking around with our arms over each other’s shoulders? We need to show those losers what true winners look like.”

Gou You had always been smarter than Zhu Peng. Since he sounded so righteous and convincing, Zhu Peng didn’t think much of it. He obediently removed his arm from Sheng Yan’s shoulder and stood beside Gou You.

“Then what?”

“Then, do you suddenly feel like going home to do your math homework?”

Gou You asked with utmost seriousness.

Zhu Peng: “?”

He absolutely did not. Not even a little.

But before he could answer, Gou You solemnly took his hand.

“All right, I know you do. Then let’s hurry home.”

With that, they quickly called out, “See you, Brother Yan!” and disappeared through the shooting range’s entrance.

Sheng Yan: “??”

Were those two idiots actually right in the head?

Thinking this, he turned to Qin Zigui, pointed at his own temple, and explained earnestly, “There’s something a little off up here with those two. You know what I mean. Try to understand.”

Qin Zigui felt that Gou You and Zhu Peng’s brains might actually function better than Sheng Yan’s.

Sure enough, before he could respond, Sheng Yan narrowed his eyes.

“But come clean. Did you do something behind my back, too?”

Qin Zigui raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Sheng Yan spoke with complete conviction. “Otherwise, why would Xue Yi say you’re just like him? How are the two of you alike, exactly? Have you been secretly doing something behind my back? And why did he say it was disgusting for you to call me Ah Yan, too? You’d better confess now. If you do, you might still get a lighter punishment.”

Qin Zigui looked at the fool standing in front of him, who couldn’t even understand what he’d overheard. After remaining silent for three seconds, he coldly picked up his backpack.

“The thing I’ve done most wrong by you is probably printing five more math worksheets at lunchtime today.”

Sheng Yan froze with the straw still between his lips.

This man… What a heartless bastard!

Meanwhile, the most heartless man in the world remained completely unmoved. He gripped Sheng Yan by both shoulders and turned him toward the exit.

“Fifteen worksheets. You can finish them over the weekend.”

Sheng Yan grumbled unhappily, “Can’t I just skip them for today?”

Qin Zigui was strict. “Give me a reason.”

“No reason. I’m just in a bad mood.”

Sheng Yan tossed out the words a little petulantly.

Qin Zigui turned his head to look at him and noticed that his naturally long, slightly curled eyelashes were drooping listlessly. The lively, combative spirit he’d displayed earlier, like a little rooster ready for a fight, had completely disappeared.

It seemed he really was upset.

Qin Zigui paused for a moment, then nodded. “All right. You don’t have to do them today. I’ll take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

Sheng Yan looked up at him.

Qin Zigui opened his umbrella, holding it over both of them. “Just follow me and you’ll find out.”

Perhaps the summer rain had washed away some of the night’s heat. The scent of gardenias lingered in the damp air, sweet and refreshing. Walking slowly beneath an umbrella through Nanwu’s winding, twisting alleys, with their endless ups and downs, felt much more pleasant than it did during the day.

The area was close to the old city, not far from the residential compounds for government employees. Everywhere was filled with the familiar hustle and bustle that had carried over from the last century. The buildings were worn down but lively. Even with the light rain falling, the night market along the old street remained brightly lit beneath its makeshift canopies, bustling with people and noise.

“Wait, they’re still holding this fair?”

Looking at the familiar place, Sheng Yan was a little surprised.

When they were very young and still living in the residential compound, their favorite event every year was the summer exhibition fair held along the street. Long rows of tents would be set up, and vendors would fill the entire street with all kinds of delicious food, drinks, toys, and games.

The adults would give each of them ten yuan, and the children could spend the entire day playing, from the moment the fair opened until it closed.

He hadn’t expected it to still be around after all these years.

Qin Zigui wasn’t surprised at all. After guiding Sheng Yan beneath one of the tents, he folded up the umbrella and said calmly, “They hold it every summer vacation. I only found out it was still here last year when I came to this area for a competition.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“Back then, I was still giving you the cold shoulder.”

“Pfft. So childish.”

Perhaps remembering all those childhood memories had lifted Sheng Yan’s mood. He stopped in front of a sugar-painting stall.

“Watch me spin the wheel and win you a dragon.”

With that, he gave the wheel a spin. Sure enough, it landed on a dragon.

The stall owner, a middle-aged woman, laughed. “What a lucky young man! You really do get whatever you wish for.”

“Of course! When I was little, I always won the biggest prizes whenever I spun the wheel. That guy over there, the one with the grumpy face? He never had any luck. He always got the smallest prizes.”

“That’s why the two of you became brothers!” the woman said cheerfully. “As we old folks say, he must have given all his luck to you. That’s how the two of you were destined to become brothers.”

She handed the dragon-shaped sugar candy to Sheng Yan with a smile.

“Who’s his brother? I’m way too handsome to have the same genes as him.”

Sheng Yan didn’t take the woman’s words seriously. He simply accepted the candy and turned toward Qin Zigui.

“Want some?”

Qin Zigui instinctively opened Alipay and paid for it on his behalf.

“No. I don’t like sweet things.”

Sheng Yan: “?”

Hadn’t this guy said just a few days ago that he liked sweets? How had he changed his mind so quickly?

Qin Zigui calmly put his phone away and looked at him. “Want to visit One-Eyed Uncle’s stall?”

“Huh?”

Sheng Yan was momentarily confused. But once he remembered who One-Eyed Uncle was, he immediately exclaimed, “Holy crap! That uncle is still around?”

“Mm. Still making money off little kids. Want to go see?”

There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Qin Zigui’s voice.

Without a second thought, Sheng Yan threw an arm around Qin Zigui’s shoulder.

“Of course! We have to go. That uncle probably swindled half my summer allowance every year when I was a kid. There’s no way I’m passing this up.”

The so-called One-Eyed Uncle was the man who ran a small convenience store outside the residential compound. Since he had lost one eye, all the children called him that. He didn’t mind at all and cheerfully answered to the nickname.

Every summer, when the exhibition fair came around, he would stock up on huge batches of counterfeit plush toys and figurines that children loved. Then he’d set up a shooting game stall, taking money from the kids. Those who managed to hit enough targets could take home a prize. Those who didn’t had to keep paying for more chances.

You could say he was the one who introduced Sheng Yan to shooting.

And judging by the number of children he’d influenced, Sheng Yan certainly wasn’t the only one.

From a distance, Sheng Yan and Qin Zigui spotted a large crowd of boys and girls clutching five- and ten-yuan bills. They were packed several layers deep around a little boy holding a gun in the middle, all holding their breath as they watched.

The sight was rather amusing.

Sure enough, just as expected, the little boy, who was barely tall enough to aim at the targets, handed over his pocket money to One-Eyed Uncle and walked away empty-handed, his little mouth drooping in disappointment.

Seeing the tiny kid bite his lip and solemnly fish another ten yuan out of his pocket, preparing to hand it over to One-Eyed Uncle, Sheng Yan couldn’t help folding his arms and chuckling.

“Kid, that’s not how you shoot.”

The little boy was tiny but full of pride. He turned around indignantly, lifted his chin, and glared at Sheng Yan.

“I’m the best shooter in our neighborhood! I even won Judy the Bunny for Yuanyuan yesterday. What gives you the right to criticize me?”

“Because I’m better than you.”

Sheng Yan raised his chin too, answering in an utterly provocative tone.

The little boy had just lost face in front of the girl he liked, making him even more unwilling to back down.

“Then prove it! Come and try!”

Sheng Yan gave a snort. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

He was now arguing back and forth with a seven- or eight-year-old child as though they were the same age, with absolutely no generation gap between them.

Qin Zigui lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hide his face.

Meanwhile, Sheng Yan boldly plopped himself down in front of the sniper rifle. He turned toward the adorable little girl named Yuanyuan and asked softly, “Yuanyuan, which one do you want? Big Brother will win it for you.”

Yuanyuan handed him the five-yuan bill in her little hand, then pointed with her childish voice toward the boxed Barbie dolls on the top shelf of the prizes.

“Yuanyuan likes that princess. Can you help Yuanyuan bring her home, pretty big brother?”

The little girl certainly knew how to sweet-talk people.

Sheng Yan’s eyes curved into a smile, and he beamed brightly.

“Of course. Big Brother will bring that princess home for you.”

Then he bent one long leg, positioned the rifle, and took aim.

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

One shot, one hit. Two shots, two hits. A hundred shots, a hundred hits.

By the time he had finished firing, every single target on the opposite side had fallen. Not one was left standing.

The children watching were instantly wide-eyed. They could only stare as the Barbie doll set they’d been desperately trying to win was taken from the highest shelf of the prized display and placed into Yuanyuan’s hands.

After a brief moment of silence, the entire crowd of children erupted.

“Big Brother! Big Brother! I’ll give you five yuan. Can you win me an Ultraman?”

“Big Brother! I want that teddy bear!”

“Big Brother! You’re the handsomest! Even more handsome than Naruto! Can you win me a Naruto?”

“Big Brother, I have money! Can you help me win something first?”

…

“Sure! You can ask for whatever you want. But first, line up properly. The younger children go before the older ones, and the girls go before the boys. Give your money to One-Eyed Uncle, and let him hand out the prizes.”

Sitting at the shooting station, Sheng Yan looked up and smiled at One-Eyed Uncle.

“Uncle, you don’t mind, do you?”

The smiling eyes of the young man in front of him overlapped with the image of a little boy who used to squat in front of his stall every day, clutching his pocket money all those years ago. One-Eyed Uncle recognized him as one of the Sheng family’s children and laughed.

“Just take it easy with the shooting. If you put me out of business, I’ll go straight to your grandparents and complain!”

Sheng Yan smiled, turned around, positioned the rifle, and took aim. In a lazy tone, he asked, “What does everyone want?”

“Ultraman! Thank you, Big Brother!”

“Naruto! Sasuke! Gojo Satoru!”

“Big Brother, you’re so handsome!”

“Big Brother, you’re the king of the night market!”

“Big Brother, I want that bride doll!”

“Big Brother, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Big Brother, Yuanyuan says she likes you!”

One bullet after another. One target after another. One doll after another.

Sheng Yan sat there, holding the cheapest imitation gun and aiming at the simplest targets. He basked in the most innocent admiration and praise, remembering the joy he’d felt when he first fell in love with shooting.

He loved shooting. It had nothing to do with scheming, competition, or chasing fame and fortune. He simply loved it.

And so, even in the most rundown night market, surrounded by the most innocent audience and using the cheapest equipment, he still shone brightly as he effortlessly captured everyone’s attention and affection.

It wasn’t that he was unaware of the ugly, underhanded things that went on behind the scenes. Nor was it that he didn’t care. He simply considered them beneath him and refused to let such darkness cast a shadow over something that had always belonged to the light.

Qin Zigui thought that one day, Sheng Yan would return to the place where he rightfully belonged, receiving all the flowers and applause he had once missed out on.

Because he had been born for it.

And just as all the children were happily hugging their newly won dolls, Sheng Yan suddenly heard a low, cool voice above him.

“I want a Little Prince.”

“?”

Something about that voice sounded wrong.

Sheng Yan looked up and, sure enough, saw Qin Zigui holding a five-yuan bill he’d apparently gotten from some child. He waved it in front of Sheng Yan, then pointed toward a Little Prince figurine and its B612 crystal ball on the prize shelf.

“I want that Little Prince.”

Sheng Yan knew exactly why Qin Zigui had brought him here.

And after receiving so much praise from the little kids, his vanity had become thoroughly inflated. Besides, it was rare to see Qin Zigui in such a playful mood. His spirits were high, so he curled his lips into a rather wicked smile.

“Then why don’t you call me Big Brother first?”

After all, Qin Zigui wouldn’t hit him. At most, he’d throw a few sarcastic remarks his way.

But Qin Zigui didn’t even make a sarcastic remark. He simply leaned back against the railing, lowered his eyes to look at Sheng Yan, and replied in a low, unhurried voice.

“Mm. All right.”

Sheng Yan: “?”

Before he could even process that response, Qin Zigui spoke again, his tone calm and casual.

“I like that Little Prince. So could you help me bring him home, pretty big brother?”

The warm, dim yellow lights of the night market cast a faint glow over Qin Zigui’s lowered eyelashes. His low, rich voice was slow and magnetic, sending a tingling sensation through Sheng Yan’s ears. With just a few casually spoken words, he effortlessly drowned out all the children’s noise and chatter.

And at that very moment, Sheng Yan, who had been sitting there all smug, arrogant, and pleased with himself, let his finger slip.

For the first time that day, he missed a target.

Damn it.

The king of the night market had just suffered a humiliating end to his winning streak.

Beauty really could bring a nation to ruin. The saying was no lie.

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