SOD | Chapter 106

Nie Chuan’s voice was almost gone, and Reese finally held him, kissing him contentedly.

Luckily, he had slept for a few hours earlier; otherwise, Nie Chuan really thought he might pass out.

It was already past seven in the evening, and Nie Chuan was really hungry. If he didn’t eat soon, he felt like he might faint.

Nie Chuan got up, and as he pulled on his pants, his lower back ached. He glared at Reese, who looked refreshed, casually grabbing his jacket and slinging it over his shoulder.

They headed straight to the hotel restaurant, where Nie Chuan ordered a steak, pasta, and various snacks.

After ordering, he looked at Reese. “You’re paying, right?”

“Of course. Want some chocolate pudding too?” Reese raised an eyebrow slightly.

Nie Chuan understood the implication behind Reese’s mention of “chocolate.” “No thanks!”

“Then I’ll have it,” Reese said, deliberately flicking his tongue over his upper lip.

His face was expressionless, but the subtle gesture stirred Nie Chuan’s emotions.

At the table next to them were two young girls, constantly glancing over at them.

Initially, Nie Chuan didn’t mind, but after seeing the interaction between Reese and him, the girls either giggled or whispered to each other.

This made Nie Chuan feel awkward, and he became cautious in responding to Reese’s questions.

Soon, the steak arrived. Starving, Nie Chuan picked up his knife, cut a large piece, and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Slow down, you look like you just came from a refugee camp.”

“Mm… mm…” Nie Chuan nodded but devoured more than half of the steak in three bites.

Elegance didn’t suit Nie Chuan; he just wanted to fill his stomach quickly.

The pasta arrived, and Nie Chuan twirled it with a fork, shoving it into his mouth.

“You’ve been eating a lot lately.”

“Yeah! Super hungry! And… it’s partly your fault!” Nie Chuan shot Reese a resentful look.

Rolling around with Reese felt great… but everything in moderation.

“I’ve been very restrained,” Reese said, cutting his steak slowly.

“Restrained? Are you sure you know what restraint is?” Nie Chuan’s voice rose half an octave. “From when we got back to the hotel until I woke up, over four hours, you call that restraint?”

Though Nie Chuan’s voice wasn’t loud, it was enough for the two girls to hear clearly.

They stared at Nie Chuan, eyes wide with surprise.

Nie Chuan quickly explained, “I meant playing video games.”

Even as he said it, Nie Chuan didn’t believe his own excuse.

The girls laughed and continued eating.

Reese calmly said, “You don’t need to explain to them.”

Nie Chuan ignored Reese, not wanting to see any more online stories like “The Devil’s Forest” or “Black 24 Hours.”

In just twenty minutes, Nie Chuan cleared all the food in front of him.

He patted his stomach and let out a satisfied sigh.

Reese, on the other hand, elegantly set down his knife and fork, looking at Nie Chuan. “When we get back to the room, can I continue ‘playing games’ with you?”

“What game?” Nie Chuan asked lazily.

“The one you just mentioned,” Reese said, resting his chin on one hand, a barely noticeable smile on his lips.

Nie Chuan finally realized what Reese meant. “You play by yourself! I’m going to sleep!”

“We don’t have to get up early tomorrow.”

“I’m sleeping for twelve hours!” Nie Chuan said seriously.

Reese smiled, raising his hand to signal the waiter for the bill. He signed his name with a flourish and stood up.

At that moment, the two girls from the next table approached.

“Sorry to bother you, we’re your fans! We’ll be cheering for you at the next game!”

“Thanks!” Nie Chuan said, a bit embarrassed.

“Can we take a picture with you two?”

“Of course!” Nie Chuan answered without thinking, then realized they wanted Reese in the photo too.

Reese nodded, pulling Nie Chuan over, placing his left hand on Nie Chuan’s shoulder.

One fan stood on Reese’s left, the other on Nie Chuan’s right.

“Do you want me to send you the photo?” one of the girls asked Nie Chuan.

Before Nie Chuan could answer, Reese spoke first, “No need, you keep it. I already have too many photos with Nie Chuan to fit on my phone.”

With that, he hooked Nie Chuan by the collar and led him away.

“Hey, why don’t you want a photo with me?”

“Do you really want one? When we get back to the room, you can take as many as you want, ones no fan could ever take.”

Though his tone was emotionless, Nie Chuan knew Reese was teasing him.

“You take them yourself!”

“What? Do you really want that girl’s phone number?”

Reese suddenly turned, stopping in front of the elevator.

“Huh? When did I say I wanted her number?” Nie Chuan felt like he and Reese were on different wavelengths.

“Isn’t that it? She asked if you wanted the photo, you said yes. Next, she’d ask for your number, and you’d give it. Then when she sends the photo, you’d have her number.”

“Oh! So that’s how it is!” Nie Chuan looked enlightened.

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside.

When they reached their room, they found the well-known sports journalist Mr. Lynn waiting at the door.

“Mr. Lynn?” Nie Chuan tilted his head.

Since Mr. Lynn had witnessed Nie Chuan’s skills with Larvin, he’d been following Nie Chuan’s growth.

He’d been at the last two games, watching Nie Chuan’s rise to success. Though he was preparing a feature on Nie Chuan, due to an agreement with Reese, he held back, knowing early fame might hinder Nie Chuan’s growth.

But after today’s game, not just the audience, Mr. Lynn could hardly contain himself. He wanted everyone who loved basketball to see Nie Chuan’s brilliance.

“I’m here tonight to ask if Nie Chuan would agree to an interview. It won’t be complicated, just a short one,” Mr. Lynn said sincerely.

Nie Chuan was stunned. A famous sports journalist like Mr. Lynn wanted to interview him.

He instinctively looked at Reese, and Mr. Lynn did too.

“Whether to accept the interview is up to you, Nie Chuan.”

Reese opened the door, inviting Mr. Lynn in.

Nie Chuan sat on the bed, thinking seriously, then smiled apologetically at Mr. Lynn. “Mr. Lynn, I’d love to be interviewed by you. You’re called the Rolls-Royce of sports journalists. Your eye for talent is sharper than most NBA scouts. Everyone you write about becomes an NBA star. But right now, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“To make a Rolls-Royce faster than other cars, it needs a powerful engine. But I… haven’t become that outstanding engine yet.”

“No, Nie Chuan, you already are!” Mr. Lynn handed a stack of photos to Nie Chuan. “Don’t you know how you look in the eyes of the audience and me?”

It was a photo of Nie Chuan switching hands mid-air for a dunk. Though the image was still, Nie Chuan’s figure seemed to burst out of the frame.

“Isn’t it just your great photography skills?” Nie Chuan flipped the photo over.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” Mr. Lynn frowned.

“No, I’m afraid if I keep looking at my best moments, I’ll get complacent and… never improve.”

Mr. Lynn looked at Nie Chuan for a long time, then suddenly laughed, covering his face.

“Sorry, Mr. Lynn! I didn’t mean…”

“No, I’m not angry. I understand now, and it makes me look forward to your future even more.” Mr. Lynn stood, gathering the photos, leaving one behind. “But I think you’ll like this one.”

With that, Mr. Lynn left.

Curious, Nie Chuan turned over the last photo and froze.

It was a picture of Reese soaring in a game, facing two defenders jumping side by side. He had pulled back the ball, passing it to Nie Chuan.

“I like this kind of photo,” Reese said softly, looking down.

Nie Chuan slowly smiled. “I like it too.”

Though Nie Chuan declined Mr. Lynn’s interview, the next day’s “Basketball Express” featured a large article on UDK’s victory over KSU, with a photo of Nie Chuan’s layup against Ashley and Raven prominently displayed.

The report was objective, analyzing both UDK and KSU’s performances without belittling either side, stating it was the highest-level game of the finals so far.

But the last line of the report made Nie Chuan cover his face: UDK isn’t just Reese Reddington’s ace.

As Nie Chuan ate breakfast, he cautiously glanced at Reese, feeling like he had stolen Reese’s spotlight.

Unexpectedly, Reese said, “You should cut out that article as a keepsake.”