The ebb and flow of emotions were quick, and besides, it wasn’t a big deal in the first place.
Actually, when CAT handed him the tissue, Zuo Tao had almost calmed down. The main issue was that the director, being too inexperienced, pointed all the cameras at his face as if excited to announce to the world that he was crying.
After being pressed against Song Shihan and brewing with resentment, Zuo Tao finally recovered from his breakdown.
The pressing question now was, how was he going to face the others?
In the livestream comments, the netizens were all busy joking —
【God Han is so stingy, he’s breaking my heart. How can a single hug suffice?】
【I still think that team Wildfire is unique. When others win a game, they hug each other and shake hands with their opponents. When Wildfire wins, four of the members form a circle to coax their youngest child.】
【But my heart feels warm. They have a good relationship!】
【Wait. What is that look on Machine Gun’s face? /you_aren’t_right.jpg】
【To be honest, it’s not like he’s the only one, I feel like something’s wrong with me, too. My smile’s becoming more and more abnormal.】
【Silence, CP party, please pay attention: PINK’s guardian sits on the commentator’s table. I posted something on the forum, please come here to speak freely – https://www…..】
Seeing that Zuo Tao hadn’t moved in a while, Song Shihan gently wiped the corner of his eye with his fingertips, asking, “Are you feeling better?”
Zuo Tao managed to stop his sobbing and nodded.
Jiang Ming had already arrived on stage to urge them. “The staff are calling you to the stage, can you go on, PINK?”
Although his whole being rejected the idea, Zuo Tao still knew how important this was. He nodded in agreement, adjusting his state as much as he could.
Three minutes later, he followed behind Song Shihan to the stage, taking deep breaths. If possible, he would have asked the staff for a mask to cover his face.
After all, he was already so big, and he started bawling out of nowhere.
Throughout the entire handshake session with REBORN’s members, Zuo Tao kept his head down. He couldn’t help glancing at the audience and then looking away; glancing at the screen before looking away; he was completely terrified. On the screen was something stupid — help, is this pink-haired monster with cherry-red eyes really me?
Fortunately, Lin Taisen, having noticed his embarrassment — and after making a few jokes in secret — ended the closing part quickly.
After they left the stage, Song Shihan followed the staff to another room for a post-match interview as the MVP. Zuo Tao didn’t have the chance to talk to him, instead turning to the restroom to wash his face.
He didn’t go back immediately. He looked at his swollen eyes in the mirror, feeling his heart tighten.
What the heck did he do?
In front of thousands of people, he cried in Song Shihan’s arms?
Now his persona as a well-behaved high school student has been cemented, but his personality as the pink tyrant has completely crumbled.
Zuo tao sighed, reaching out to massage his throbbing temples, murmuring, “Zuo Tao ah, Zuo Tao, doing so well now, aren’t you…”
Someone walked into the restroom, amusement clear in his voice as he said, “Mm-hmm, you were quite impressive.”
Zuo Tao froze, not expecting anyone to come in. When he saw Wu Shuibo in the mirror, he tensed up further.
As if he didn’t notice Zuo Tao’s discomfort, Wu Shuibo leaned against the wall and lit a thin cigarette before looking up at Zuo Tao. “Do you smoke?”
Zuo Tao shook his head.
Putting the box back into his pocket, Wu Shuibo glanced at Zuo Tao’s face and exclaimed in surprise, saying, “You have to ice your ice when you get back.” He looked like he had a lot of experience in this area. “Or else your eyes will continue to swell.” He narrowed his eyes. “See, if you don’t pay it any mind, your eyes will look like this.”
Wu Shuibo took a puff of smoke and sighed. “Ah, the things I’ve learned from all those scumbags.”
Zuo Tao: …
He had nothing to say, but it wasn’t very polite of him not to say anything at all. Instead, he laughed and praised, “You’re amazing.”
To be fair, Wu Shuibo wasn’t at all unattractive; he was considerably good-looking among boys, especially with his eyes and eyebrows shaped delicately with makeup. The main issue was that his sense of style was a little out there, and he was a constant braggart whenever he caught someone in conversation, leading to his infamy. Perhaps it was also because of that that he was an indispensable member of Little Bear TV.
Zuo Tao was preparing an excuse to leave; after all, he was not an opponent for the Machine Gun if he wasn’t in his tyrant form.
“Song Shihan is still in the middle of an interview,” Wu Shuibo piped up, “Why not stay and chat for a while? We can leave once I’m done with my smoke.”
Zuo Tao paused, but he agreed after a moment. “Okay, what did you want to talk about?”
He never would have expected that one day, he would have a private conversation with Wu Shuibo. He had no idea how many times he’d used ZZ’s account to interact with Machine Gun’s online followers.
“What do you think of Song Shihan?” Wu Shuibo asked casually.
“Ah?” Taken aback by the sudden topic, Zuo Tao asked, “What?”
Wu Shuibo didn’t ask a second time, simply looking at Zuo Tao with a deep smile.
Zuo Tao thought that this person’s smile had ill intentions, and tried to give an official answer to his question: “Oh, our captain? He’s very good, and his skills are also good.” He paused. “You can find all this online, right?”
Wu Shuibo laughed. He took another breath of smoke and didn’t respond, instead shifting topics once more. “Aren’t you mad at how he treated you today?” He shrugged. “FIRE has always been like that as a player, though. Everyone says he’s proud, arrogant, looks down on others, relies only on himself. He’s gotten used to being on his own.”
“That’s not how he is,” Zuo Tao retorted with a frown without even thinking about it. Even he didn’t realize how serious he sounded as he continued, “That’s all nonsense from people online, our captain isn’t that kind of person.”
Wu Shuibo nodded. “En, he’s not like that.” He asked again: “Didi1Little brother, what kind of person do you think he is?”
Zuo Tao opened his mouth, but he caught the teasing glint in Wu Shuibo’s eyes on time. He paused. “I mentioned it during our interview, didn’t I?” He took his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. “Our coach is looking for me. I have to go.”
“You’re interesting, didi,” Wu Shuibo said as he pressed his cigarette butt on the ashtray. His nails were painted with a transparent base nail polish, adorned with artificial diamonds that shimmered under the restroom lights. Seeing a diamond fall off his index finger, he looked up and gave a sincere invitation: “Should we get our nails done together this weekend?”
Zuo Tao: …?
His face twisted, ‘WHAT’ painted clearly on his forehead.
Wu Shuibo laughed. “Alright, I’m done teasing. You should head back now.” He patted Zuo Tao’s shoulder. “You did well in the game today. Keep it up!”
Zuo Tao walked out of the restroom, puzzled.
After standing where he was for a while, Wu Shuibo walked towards the cubicles and said, playfully, “He has a promising future, choosing Song Shihan. That one’s a tough nut to crack.
Meanwhile…
Song Shihan’s interview had ended and he was already at the lounge when Zuo Tao arrived. Since they didn’t have any other matches left and didn’t need to stay for anything else, Jiang Ming instructed everyone to pack up to return to the base.
On the bus, Zuo Tao remembered something and turned to look at CAT. “Jie, I checked FG’s lounge and didn’t see my aunt. Maybe she’s busy. I’ll ask for her autograph next time.”
CAT shook her head to show that it was okay, asking instead about how he was feeling.
Zuo Tao scratched his nose, glancing at Song Shihan who was seated with Jiang Ming up front. “I’m going to sleep it off,” he answered.
After finishing the race with sheer willpower, Zuo Tao began to feel dizzy, head throbbing, not long after he got off the track. He had taken his temperature before getting on the bus and it had risen to over 38°C2~100°F. Jiang Ming had placed a fever patch on his forehead immediately.
Unable to resist his exhaustion, Zuo Tao slept the entire way back to the base.
Returning to the base after a game would have meant analysis and review in the past, but considering Zuo Tao’s condition today, Jiang Ming let everyone go and rest early, scheduling it for tomorrow morning instead.
It was all Zuo Tao could ask for. He felt like his bones and joints were all made of jelly, sapped of strength. After a hasty dinner, he took his medicine and went back to his room to sleep.
It was two in the morning when he woke up again.
Zuo Tao’s pajamas were soaked from sweat, and he dragged himself out of bed to change. He left his room, planning on going to the break room for some snacks.
Walking down the corridor, he was surprised to find the light to the break room still on. It seemed like people were still awake at this time in the morning.
Zuo Tao was about to push the door open, but he caught a glimpse of Jiang Ming and Song Shihan in conversation inside3This boy just never learns —
Jiang Ming held a cup of chrysanthemum tea, a gloating smile on his face as he said, “I wonder what FIRE plans to compensate with after scaring a child so much he cried?”
Song Shihan’s face remained cold, glancing at Jiang Ming and saying, “He’s almost eighteen, he’s not a kid anymore.”
“As long as he’s underage, he’s still a kid,” Jiang Ming refuted, faking a scandalized expression. “No, are you planning on just sweeping this under the rug?
“I talked to the doctor. Too much emotional burden has an effect on the body. First you scolded him in the lounge, then you humiliated him in-game. If you don’t at least apologize, he won’t understand, right?”
Song Shihan frowned, remaining silent for a few seconds before finally answering, his tone showing his discomfort: “I didn’t do it to harm him.”
Jiang Ming simply smiled, changing the subject. “By the way, you’re getting a lot of flak this time. Have you checked Weibo?”
He didn’t have to check Weibo to know what they were talking about. It’s been the same thing over and over for years.
Song Shihan didn’t care.
Jiang Ming continued, “Or, you can always clarify online. Everything you did during that game was for PINK, anyway; if the match can end early, then he can also come back to the base to rest early. It’ll also save me a trip to PR.”
Song Shihan: “There’s no need. Let them talk.”
Zuo Tao pursed his lips. After another moment, he turned around and went back to his room.
He hasn’t opened Weibo since he woke up, so he took his phone out. He used his account to check the degree of scolding himself —
【#SolidEvidence4Again, a homonym which is usually used with a negative connotationThatFIREIsATeamCaptain】
【#FIREPINK】
【#PINKCried_SuspicionsOfBullying】
He clicked the last entry. Almost everyone was cursing, some even asking him to terminate his contract with Wildfire as soon as possible.
Some professional teams have even sent him private messages expressing that he was welcome to join them any time.
Even more outrageous was a big verified5You know how on Twitter/X, verified or big accounts have a blue checkmark? On Weibo, it’s a V. In the raws, they call it a 大V (dà V) or “great V”, meaning it’s a verified account with a huge following. account that made an analysis of each and every one of his and Song Shihan’s movements on stage, including how his eyes looked, concluding that he was being bullied by Song Shihan.
The reason given by this account was that he had gotten three kills during the first game, overshadowing FIRE and causing FIRE’s displeasure.
Zuo Tao: …
Had he not been the protagonist of this analysis, he would have believed in this late night melon6Gossip.
He did his best to endure, he really did. But his desire to not see Song Shihan being scolded because of him won in the end.
Five minutes later, Zuo Tao logged into his Little Bear TV account and started a live broadcast.
Although it was past two in the morning, with summer vacation nigh approaching, a large number of night owls surged into the livestream within a few minutes.
Seeing that the number of viewers has stabilized, Zuo Tao greeted the camera: “Good evening, everyone.”
【Yeah? Son, why are you streaming so late?】
【Hello baobei, mom’s here now —】
【Huff huff huff my son wearing Doraemon pajamas is so cute.】
【Quick, let aunties take a bite!】
Zuo Tao didn’t pay any mind to the strange comments, coughing lightly and pretending he didn’t see at all. “There’s actually something I wanted to clarify, so I started the livestream so late.”
Calmly, he continued: “It’s just that I have some feelings about the trending topics, and I want to refute the false and negative evaluation of our captain.”
Meanwhile, in the breakroom —
Jiang Ming’s phone vibrated, a notification he had set for each members’ stream as soon as they started one.
Surprised, Jiang Ming took his phone out and said, finding it strange: “Let’s see who suddenly switched personalities, working hard to broadcast so late… even if it’s a casual stream, it’s not good to do it at this time, right?”
His gaze froze on the title [A Little Late Night Chat with PINK], stunned. “Huh? Zuo Tao?”
Song Shihan, who was about to head back to his room to sleep, heard and also brought out his phone.
On his screen, the sickly young man leaned against the back of his chair. Although he looked uncomfortable, he persisted in keeping his speech clear and his eyes bright.
“I would like to reiterate that our captain didn’t bully me. The reason he played like that during the last match was because I had to leave early to rest.
“He’s not like they say on the hot search. Don’t listen to those rumors.” As he spoke, he picked up the gun thermometer on the table and pressed in against his forehead. After a few seconds, he said, “See? 38 degrees Celsius. I have a fever.
“Yeah, I was feverish during the match.”
【Your mom can see, son. Please go to bed!】
【Now! Immediately! Go to bed! Leave the rest to your mothers to tear up!】
【These antis really have no conscience. What is the fate of the families of those scolded by people who have nothing to do? See, an anxious child got up late at night to start a live broadcast. If he doesn’t grow well, everyone is responsible /sorrows_and_tears.jpg】
【Did FIRE force you to play?】
【I see. FIRE was criticized for trending again, so he got angry and dragged PINK to start a livestream. We never know, someone might be standing right beside him.】
【Son, I’ll say it again. Blink if you’re in danger!】
Having anticipated such comments, Zuo Tao picked up his second prop — he shook the bottle of fresh anti-cold extract and said, “No, look. Captain gave me this. He actually told me to rest.”
He once more emphasized: “He’s a good man.”
In the break room. Jiang Ming’s mouth twitched and he looked at Song Shihan, who had been here with him this entire time. “When did you send him extracts?
“Did your ghost send it over?”
From the TL:
And I am back from the dead 🥲 Apologies for the lack of updates the past few weeks, work and health got in the way. But a long break is coming so I’ll be able to update a bit more regularly again!
If you can, please support the author by buying the original work! You can also support the translator through this link:
An extra chapter will be posted each time we reach our dono goal of 3 ko-fis~
![Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/529280897e9ecfdd9f221749897bd3c6.jpeg "Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]")
![There’s a Beauty [Ancient Wear Modern]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image_2023-11-22_095131618.png "There’s a Beauty [Ancient Wear Modern]")
