When I'm on the night shift, all the department heads can't sleep.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and light leaked in through the gaps. Lin Ye turned over and buried his face in the pillow. His phone on the bedside table kept vibrating.

He reached over, squinting at the screen: Ma Hao.

"Is he awake?"

There's some news about Ma Hao.

"Come with me to look at an apartment this afternoon. Chen Kai is going too; he already bought three tickets for the game."

"What time is it?"

"Get to the west side of the city before 3 o'clock. Don't fall asleep again, I'll call you then."

Lin Ye hung up the phone, glanced at the time, and saw it was a little past two o'clock.

Ma Hao then sent over the address.

He sat up, paused for a couple of seconds, washed his face, put on a short-sleeved shirt, and went out.

Downstairs, in the shade of a tree, a group of elderly people were playing chess, while cicadas were chirping loudly in the trees.

He went around to the bus, found a window seat, and sat down. The wind blew in through the window cracks, finally bringing some coolness.

After getting off the bus, the map showed that there were still 300 meters to go.

The western part of the city is older, with buildings standing side by side, trees that have been growing for many years, and alleys are shady.

He walked in following the navigation. Ma Hao was waiting by the entrance of the building. When he saw him coming, he pointed inside.

The apartment is in an old residential area, on the fifth floor, without an elevator.

Lin Ye walked up to the third floor and heard Ma Hao panting above him.

"I just got off the night shift this morning, why should I have to climb five floors?"

"Because you rent this place."

Chen Kai's voice came down from above.

"We're on the fourth floor, almost there."

Ma Hao stood firm against the railing and shouted upwards.

"You're here early."

"I made an appointment with the landlord in advance to pick up the keys."

Chen Kai handed over the ice water in his hand.

"The game starts at 3:30, we need to hurry after we've finished looking at the room."

"Looking for a house can't be done quickly."

Ma Hao took a sip of water.

The landlord was a middle-aged man. He turned the key and opened the door, and the three of them went inside one after another.

It's a one-bedroom apartment with a living room connected to the bedroom, a south-facing balcony, a narrow kitchen, and a bathroom on the right-hand side upon entering.

Ma Hao first went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door to take a look, and then squatted down to touch the pipe under the stove.

"Your refrigerator is a bit old."

"It works."

"Being usable and being easy to use are two different things."

Ma Hao stood up, walked to the balcony, and peered at the clothesline.

"The washing machine is here, and it'll be exposed to the sun all day in the summer."

Chen Kai didn't respond, but instead walked around the room holding his phone.

"Full signal. There's a convenience store downstairs, a wet market a two-minute walk away, and the bus stop is right outside the complex. Which bus do you take to work?"

"Two transfers, it's farther than the dormitory."

Lin Ye went into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and the water jet hit the bottom of the sink with great force.

He turned on the hot water again, waited for about ten seconds, and the water slowly became hot.

"The water pressure is okay, but the water heater is electric and heats up slowly, so you have to shower quickly."

Ma Hao squatted at the bathroom door, staring at the grout between the tiles in the corner for a long time.

"It's damp here, a bit moldy," Ma Hao said, standing up. "How much is the monthly rent?"

"One thousand and five."

"Make it cheaper, 1300. The building is old and on a high floor, 1300 is a good price."

"This is the price for this area. If you ask around in the newer residential areas nearby, the starting price will be two thousand."

"Okay, let's change it from one month's deposit and three months' rent to one month's deposit and two months' rent. I'll replace the water heater, but the rent can't be changed."

Ma Hao thought for a moment and said, "Okay. I'll pay the deposit on the day we sign the contract."

Chen Kai glanced at his watch.

"That's it? Didn't you also book a second place?"

"No house is perfect," Ma Hao patted the wall. "It's habitable."

Lin Ye walked to the window, where the afternoon sunlight streamed in, making the room bright even without the lights on.

He opened the window briefly and then closed it again. The sound of electric scooter horns downstairs was now a layer away, making it much quieter.

As they went downstairs, Ma Hao was the last to leave. He paused at the door, turned back, and asked the landlord, "Can't the rent really be lowered a little more?"

"I really can't lower the price any further; I've already offered a very low price."

Ma Hao glanced at him, said nothing more, and followed him downstairs.

Chen Kai waited at the top of the stairs, then took two steps forward: "I'll say it again, I'm only responsible for sending addresses, not after-sales service."

"I know, how can I let my brother Kai handle the after-sales service?"

At the provincial stadium, around 3 p.m., many people were crowding towards the ticket gates.

Chen Kai navigated the area familiarly to the east side of the stands. When he sat down, the sun was blocked by the roof and buildings, leaving only the wind to feel the heat.

"See?" Chen Kai took off his sun hat and fanned himself. "I told you to check which side is sheltered from the sun. We'll sit here, and the other half of the field will be sunny all afternoon."

"You're so clever." Ma Hao placed the ice water bottle under the seat.

Lin Ye sat in a seat near the aisle, which was his habit and made it convenient for him to come and go.

A banner was hung in the stands next to the stadium, and someone was blowing a horn, the sound shrill and ear-piercing.

As soon as the opening whistle blew, Chen Kai pulled a palm-sized notebook from his pocket, opened the page filled with writing, and started talking non-stop.

"Number 9 is in good form this season. Look at his positioning; he pulls number 10 to the left and number 10 to the right. Number 7 was injured for half a year last year, but he's back this year and doing alright, except he's slower."

Ma Hao took a sip of water.

"What's so interesting? Eleven people chasing one ball."

"That's how football is supposed to be played."

For the first half hour, Ma Hao's mouth was constantly moving.

"The pass went astray." "He didn't even shoot." "I could have done it too."

Lin Ye didn't reply, leaning back in his chair and watching the game.

He hasn't sat down to watch a whole game in a long time.

The last time was back in college, when I was crammed into the school's stands with my classmates and shouted until the show ended, my voice hoarse as I rushed to catch the last bus.

Later, when I had more shifts on duty, I would watch the football game on TV as background noise, and I would get sleepy after watching half of it. Eventually, I couldn't even watch the whole half.

Number nine gets the ball and dribbles along the wing, drawing gasps from the stands.

Lin Ye gripped the railing in front of him.

Goal!

The shouts started from the east stands. Ma Hao was the first to stand up, raise his arm and yell, then sat down. He didn't even hear what he had yelled before taking a sip of water.

Chen Kai made a note on the paper: "Number nine, third shot in the first half."

"Oh, that's alright." Ma Hao clicked his tongue. "This number nine, he really dares to charge in."

In the second half, Ma Hao never said "What's so interesting to watch?" again. He would stand up as soon as the ball reached the frontcourt, shouting twice whether it went in or not.

Chen Kai's pen never stopped, and he turned page after page in his notebook.

When the pace of the game picks up, the drumbeats, loudspeakers, and shouts from the entire stands blend together.

Lin Ye didn't shout, but kept his hand on the railing, his palms were a little sweaty.

When the final whistle blew, Ma Hao crushed the half-empty water bottle and stuffed it under his seat.

Two to one, we won.

People around gradually stood up and walked towards the exit. The banner was pulled down from the stands and rolled up, and the loudspeaker stopped playing.

By the time the show ended, the sun was already setting and the temperature had dropped a bit.

Follow the flow of people out of the stadium, turn west onto one street, and you'll find the new night market Chen Kai mentioned.

Before it was completely dark, the stalls were already set up, the smoke from the grilled skewers mingling with the aroma of oil.

"It's so hot!"

Ma Hao didn't stop walking. He stood in front of the barbecue stall and ordered thirty skewers.

"I'm on duty for half a day today. After my night shift, I'll watch the game and then have some barbecue."

"Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

"I've already paid for the ticket, I need to see if it was worth it."

Ma Hao took the first skewer and took a bite.

"value."

Lin Ye ordered a bowl of ice jelly, sat on a plastic stool, and watched the two of them eat it, one mouthful after another.

Ma Hao seemed to remember something halfway through his meal.

"Once the place is rented, you can come over and visit on weekends if you're free."

Who carried your things up to the fifth floor on moving day?

"Isn't this you guys here?" Ma Hao waved his hand. "Besides, you two live close by, we see each other all the time."

I live far away from you; I'm in the east of the city.

The two started arguing again.

Lin Ye ignored the two of them, lowered his head to stir the hawthorn in the ice jelly, and scooped out a spoonful.

It's very sweet, and perfectly chilled.