He thought Wen Chengye had called to... but unexpectedly, he was just calling his own father.
"Why are you calling me?" The man on the other end sounded equally puzzled.
"I have something to tell you," Wen Chengye said.
"What needs to be said right now? Listen, Wen Chengye, don’t try any of your little tricks with me. There’s no way I’ll agree to let you stay in the country and fool around with those so-called friends of yours."
"None of that has anything to do with you." Wen Chengye gripped his phone, narrowed his phoenix-like eyes, tilted his head back, braced himself against the sink, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. "What I want to do in the future, what I choose to do, who I befriend, whether I play soccer or work in a factory tightening screws—none of that has anything to do with you."
"Say that again!?" Father Wen roared.
So, Wen Chengye continued, "Also, my grades are fake. Pretending to listen to you before was also fake. I’ve been feigning compliance while secretly defying you all along—cheating on exams by copying answers. The person who gave me the answers was Mom’s little boyfriend. I’ve known for a long time that they were involved, but I never told you."
This speech had been rehearsed in his mind for far too long, and Wen Chengye delivered it with utter clarity and calm.
From the other end of the phone came the sound of things being violently smashed.
But Wen Chengye hung up directly, giving his father no chance to roar back.
The overhead light was bright, and the noise from the locker room outside continued.
The bathroom fell silent again, the only sound the rumbling of wastewater rushing through the pipes.
Fu Xinshu finally understood: Wen Chengye hadn’t been planning to call anyone to expose him at all.
He had simply made his own decision.
But Fu Xinshu didn’t feel any sense of relief.
Because after Wen Chengye made that call, they were no longer the same.
Before, they had both been guilty, each holding the other’s secrets.
But Wen Chengye had taken the first step. He had gone all in, confessing his cheating to his father. Though he would face a storm of consequences, he was now completely free.
And him?
He remained trapped, his heart still crushed by guilt.
"Did you make that call in front of me on purpose?" he couldn’t help asking Wen Chengye.
"Do you deserve that?"
"Then why not say it before? Why did it have to be now, right before the match? Is it because of what the teacher said before leaving?" Fu Xinshu took a step forward, emotions tearing at him inside. "You’ve freed yourself, but what do you want me to do? Admit to everyone before the match that I once bet on games? Have you considered that if they find out, it becomes a problem for our entire team? My suspension would be the least of it—all of you could miss the final because of me!"
"I get it. The match is always the most important thing."
"No, you don’t get it. Your cheating is your own business. You only need to admit it yourself. But me? My problem would force the whole team to bear the consequences. Just a few hours—after the match ends—I can admit to anything. But not now."
"Not now? Then when?" Wen Chengye retorted indifferently.
In that instant, Fu Xinshu was completely stunned.
On one hand, he found it utterly ridiculous—Wen Chengye, who had cheated for so long, could now stand on moral high ground just by confessing. On the other hand, he knew all too well: the more he tried to justify himself, the more pathetic and contemptible he seemed.
Wastewater rushed through the pipes—dark, damp, and hidden from the light.The greed in his bones led him to make mistakes; his innate cowardice made him choose to lie; his fear of responsibility made him constantly evade.
Though most of the time, he breathed the fresh air above ground freely, he knew deep down that he was a creature from the depths.
Filthy water flowed freely beneath his feet—this was where he truly belonged.
"Because I’m a rat living in the gutter, that’s why I didn’t dare speak up," Fu Xinshu said.
Creak... creak...
Faint noises tapped against the crown of his head.
Fu Xinshu didn’t know why there were so many random sounds here.
He slowly turned toward the source of the noise and suddenly noticed that a previously closed door in the restroom had swung open.
Instantly, a chill ran down his spine.
"Who’s there?" Wen Chengye called out.
No response.
The restroom remained eerily quiet. Perhaps it was the wind or the door being old and poorly maintained. Fu Xinshu tried to reassure himself and decided to quietly approach to check.
But just then, a pair of legs stepped out from the toilet stall.
Sneakers, white school trousers.
Further up, a half-changed football jersey.
The words "Hongjing No. 8 Middle School" on the chest stood out vividly and bright.
Lin Lu descended a step, his gaze fixed on him. There was no trace of the trust that once existed in his eyes—only wariness remained.
"Why?" Lin Lu’s clear, puzzled voice rang out.
Fu Xinshu instinctively averted his eyes but caught a glimpse of his own distorted reflection in the shattered mirror. He was fragmented into many pieces, completely trapped.
Beyond the hills lay a plain, the distant outline of a city faintly visible.
The taxi exited the highway, the sign for the Yongchuan exit flashing by.
Lin Wanxing’s phone contacts were filled with numerous numbers, but her eyes settled on one name. Without hesitation, she dialed.
Before her heart could even begin to race, the call was disconnected.
Her spirits sank to the bottom.
But the next moment, her phone vibrated, and a WeChat video call notification sounded.
Lin Wanxing quickly looked down.
[Winfred is inviting you to a video call...]
A spring breeze swept in, tousling the hair at her temples.
The boulevard after the highway exit was lined with endless cherry blossoms.
Heavy petals weighed down the branches.
Lin Wanxing pressed the answer button.
First, a blurry preview, then the screen fully lit up.
The young man’s gaze was clear and bright, filled with surprise.
He leaned against the wooden lockers in the locker room, the light around him as pure as water.
It had been days since they last met, and he had indeed grown thinner, his features more defined, his eyes deeper.
Even though she had been the one to run away, and now she was calling for other reasons—making it seem insincere—seeing Wang Fa again felt surprisingly natural.
A surge of emotions washed over Lin Wanxing, and she had so much to say.
But just as she was about to speak, she saw Wang Fa raise a finger and gently press it to his lips.
Telling her not to speak.
Then, the video camera switched.
In the frame, Fu Xinshu stood under the main light of the locker room, his eyes lightly closed, looking unusually burdened.
Yongchuan Evergrande Stadium, visiting team locker room.
The locker room was engulfed in a silence Fu Xinshu had never felt before.
He thought being caught deleting records was despair, thought having his leg broken in a beating was despair, thought the football team being disbanded was despair. But all those despairs combined could not compare to this moment.
His teammates sat frozen on the changing benches, as if turned to stone.
They couldn’t believe what Lin Lu had just revealed. Their eyes were filled with doubt and caution, waiting for his explanation.This was not the best timing in his plan, but things always slide toward the direction people fear most.
Fu Xinshu knew he could no longer escape.
Opening his eyes, he slowly began to speak.
Starting from that bar, he recounted the entire story of how he had made mistakes out of greed, retreated due to cowardice, and kept avoiding the truth because of fear.
"What I regret most are two things. First, I shouldn't have placed bets for money. Second, after the match against Yuzhou Silver Elephant that day, the teacher was still there. When she asked about the story from back then, I should have told the truth. But out of fear, I chose to lie and deceived all of you again."
"I used to tell myself that this was just a small mistake I had made, that it was all in the past, and that as long as I focused on playing football, I could make up for everything. But every time I tried to console myself this way, I knew better than anyone that as long as I lived in lies, it would never truly be over."
"After the finals, I will turn myself in to the Football Association and the National Youth League organizing committee, admitting that I had engaged in betting. But before that, I can only ask you to forget what you just heard. I am deeply, deeply sorry to all of you, so please let me bear the full responsibility alone."
Fu Xinshu bowed deeply to everyone, then straightened up.
The entire locker room fell into dead silence. The players were completely unable to process the story they had just heard. Was the Fu Xinshu in that story really the captain they knew and trusted?
He had placed bets to make money, had his leg broken so he couldn't play, yet lied to them, claiming the shop owner had falsely accused him of stealing a phone. Just as he had said himself, the last time they got into a fight after a match, when Lin Wanxing asked about the incident from back then, it was almost the perfect opportunity for him to tell the truth.
But he still didn't.
The cold winter rain of Yuzhou seemed to pour into the locker room all at once. Confusion and disbelief plagued them. Fragments of their conversation that day in the hospital's orthopedic clinic echoed intermittently in their ears.
So, in that story, Wen Chengye not only gave directions but also stood by and watched his teammate get beaten without intervening.
And what about Fu Xinshu himself?
They had always thought Fu Xinshu was kind, hardworking, fair, and righteous, which was why they respected him.
But now, the foundation of their trust had completely crumbled.
They had sympathized with Fu Xinshu's plight, only to be met with his continuous deception.
Qin Ao felt like a complete fool.
Zhi Hui said, "So, you and Wen Chengye are both not good people."
After a while, Qin Ao asked in disbelief, "You alone, bear the full responsibility?"
"This is my personal issue and has nothing to do with the team," Fu Xinshu said.
"What do you mean, it has nothing to do with us?"
"Calm down and listen to me. Before the competition started, we signed a pledge. It clearly stated that if a player had engaged in betting, they would be disqualified from the competition. I've read all the penalty notices on the Football Association's website. If it's the player's personal behavior and the team is unaware, only the player will be penalized. But if the team is found to have knowledge of the behavior, covered it up, or concealed it, the penalties will be intensified, and the team will also be punished. So no matter what, not knowing about my situation is the best choice for all of you."
"I see, so you want us to play dumb?" Chen Jianghe said coldly.
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