Yun Ci was in a bad mood tonight. Normally, he wouldn’t chat with a stranger’s game character.
But he had to find something to do.
If he didn’t, he feared he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
That scenic avatar, for over a year, he hadn’t sent a single message.
Despite countless times wanting to press that “send” button.
[yc: You elementary students]
[yc: Sure sleep early.]
But this time, “Jianghu’s Number One Master” didn’t reply again.
The game character standing in front of him remained silent for a long time, then the online status changed to [Offline].
*
Yu Xun sat in the living room of the rented apartment with the lights off.
He stayed in the same position for a long time, legs bent, back against the wall of the living room.
The phone’s glow illuminated his face.
The screen was still on the interface after exiting the game.
For more than a year, he had gotten used to logging into the game every day when he couldn’t sleep or thought of someone.
Since that vacation, Yun Ci hadn’t logged in again, so there was no worry about being seen by him.
……
In reality, he had promised Yan Yue that he wouldn’t have any more involvement with Yun Ci.
But he couldn’t help it.
No matter how much he couldn’t help it, he could only pretend to be a stranger in the virtual world, occasionally passing by him.
He never expected Yun Ci to suddenly log in tonight.
He wanted to reach for the cigarette pack, realizing he had smoked too much today and had finished them all.
Yu Xun kicked the friend who came to stay over, Liu Zi: “Got any cigarettes?”
Liu Zi looked shocked: “……You’re asking me? You killed my smoking habit in high school. Otherwise, I’d be one of those guys who can light a cigarette and look cool walking down the street.”
Yu Xun realized he was asking the wrong person.
After a while, he said, “Forget I asked.”
Liu Zi had brought a lot of alcohol over, citing the dorm not allowing drinking.
Yu Xun glanced at him: “Didn’t you say you’d bring just a few bottles?”
Liu Zi opened a bottle: “……The company has too much liquor. A guest room had a few boxes left after singing and left. It’s already good I didn’t bring a whole box to store here.”
Yu Xun: “Finish it and go back.”
His voice had become very low, losing its casual tone, leaving only a bit of dullness, “There’s no place for you to sleep here.”
Liu Zi reminded him: “Dorms are closed.”
Yu Xun: “Climb over the wall.”
Liu Zi swore: “You really don’t treat your brothers as people.”
A few minutes later, Liu Zi, not holding grudges, habitually opened a bottle and handed it over: “Here.”
Halfway through, he pulled it back: “Forgot you don’t drink.”
Liu Zi asked again: “Really not drinking?”
Yu Xun: “No.”
Liu Zi voiced a long-held confusion: “Why?”
But after asking, he didn’t expect Yu Xun to reply, thinking his brother would remain silent as usual and the topic would pass.
“Because,” Yu Xun suddenly said, “It makes people irrational.”
He couldn’t guarantee what he would do after drinking.
All the suppressed emotions he struggled to hide might tear him apart, making him lose control, just like before.
……
What’s wrong with being irrational?
Liu Zi didn’t understand; wasn’t this irrationality what drinking was for?
Liu Zi added: “This place you rented is nice; it gives a brother a place to relax. By the way, why did you decide to move off-campus?”
This time, Yu Xun didn’t answer him.
Why move? Maybe because of something once said.
Plus, Yang Wei initially refused to give up, repeatedly calling, unwilling to divorce. The worst time, she threatened to cause trouble at the dorm, claiming he maliciously hurt someone, almost killing his uncle.
She even wanted the school to expel him.
……
So he simply moved out.
After moving out, it was also more convenient for him to handle the lawsuit and related procedures against Yang Wei.
Yu Xun stayed silent, turning to the kitchen, opening the fridge to take out a bottle of cold water.
Holding it, not feeling the cold.
Yu Xun stood at the kitchen door, his mind only echoing one phrase: He’s even thinner than before.
He already had little flesh on him.
Now, he was excessively thin.
His clothes hung loosely, his jaw was sharp, and his features were even colder.
After a long time, something furry rubbed against his foot.
He looked down, meeting a white cat.
The white cat had been well-fed, now looking nothing like the frail creature found in the flowerbed.
“Hungry?” Yu Xun squatted down.
For over a year, it seemed only with this cat did he momentarily relax.
He called its name again: “Yu Chichi.”
Last year, when the senior sister graduated from graduate school, she also had a job change and posted on her social media asking who could adopt Yu Chichi.
At that time, he was barely managing himself, dealing with Yang Wei while Yu Ying’s condition worsened, and the school’s teaching schedule accelerated, making the coursework much heavier than in his freshman year.
For a while, he didn’t even know what kind of life he was living every day, with almost no breathing space.
Even in this state, he still private messaged the senior sister.
Only when Yu Chichi came to rub against him did he manage to catch a breath.
……
Liu Zi couldn’t handle his alcohol well and soon got drunk at his place.
Even in this state, he couldn’t stop talking about his quest to find a girlfriend: “If you’re not using that account, how about lending it to me? They say accounts from the opening day are pretty powerful, especially with that account sequence.”
Yu Xun coldly shattered his fantasy: “It’s useless.”
“My account level isn’t high.”
Liu Zi insisted: “No problem, it’s still higher than a level one account.”
“Go buy one online yourself.”
“Buying online costs money.”
“……”
At first, Yu Xun didn’t intend to give it to him, but before Liu Zi passed out in his place, he suddenly thought of Yun Ci unexpectedly logging in tonight.
Would he notice anything?
Like why this player was always around him.
……
He lowered his eyes, not daring to think about the very small possibility that might happen.
Half asleep, Liu Zi saw a piece of paper in front of him: “…What’s this?”
Then he heard his brother say:
“Account password.”
*
After Li Yan’s birthday, Yun Ci continued living as usual.
He finished his homework early, then took the bus back near West High to tutor a student at the Liu family.
Liu Jiayu’s grades in various subjects had improved to an unprecedented level over the past year; even he couldn’t believe the scores he got were his own.
Alongside him was the second-to-last in their grade.
But every time his tutor heard the term “second-to-last,” he would get a bit off, so Liu Jiayu rarely mentioned it anymore.
Someone at school asked Liu Jiayu what his secret was to such a dramatic turnaround.
Liu Jiayu pretended to be deep for a while and then answered: “A heartbroken tutor.”
“Focus on the heartbroken part,” Liu Jiayu emphasized, “That’s very important.”
“……”
That day, Liu Jiayu attended class as usual. He no longer needed to catch up on junior high and freshman content; he could follow the current class material and keep up with the assignments. Before class ended, he asked, “Just one test paper for today?”
Yun Ci: “Mm.”
Liu Jiayu: “Why just one?”
Yun Ci was a bit annoyed: “No reason.”
Almost masochistically, Liu Jiayu said: “Usually it’s at least three, and you only gave me one today? What have you been doing? Why is there only one?!!”
“……”
Crazy.
Yun Ci: “Busy, no time.”
He added, “Do it or don’t.”
He frowned, “Aren’t you supposed to be a school bully? Why do you love studying so much?”
Liu Jiayu showed surprising enlightenment: “It used to be more impressive to be a school bully with bad grades. Now that my grades have suddenly improved, being a top student is also impressive. It’s all the same.”
Let the kid think what he wants.
Yun Ci didn’t say anything more.
He packed up his things and left the Liu house, looking down at the bus schedule at the stop while waiting.
Instead of checking the schedule, he got bombarded by messages from Li Yan.
Li Yan usually didn’t mention Liu Zi in front of him.
But today was clearly special; he was triggered.
Li Yan: [Liu Zi seems to be getting a girlfriend.]
Li Yan: [He’s getting a girlfriend!!!!! He’s showing off with a girl in the game!!!]
Li Yan: [And he sent me screenshots.]
Li Yan: [Damn.]
Li Yan: [Is he mocking me???]
Yun Ci casually opened the screenshot Liu Zi sent to show off to Li Yan.
The first thing he noticed wasn’t the game characters taking a couple photo at a famous romantic spot, but the ID above the character’s head: “Jianghu’s Number One Master.”
……
In an instant, all the previously ignored details suddenly came together.
Yun Ci asked: [Did he always play this game?]
Li Yan: [I don’t think so; I’ve never heard of it.]
Then, Yun Ci stiffly typed a reply to Li Yan.
yc: [Ask him three words.]
Li Yan: [?]
Yun Ci typed, word by word.
yc: [Elementary student.]
On the other side.
Li Yan was deeply moved by these three words: [I knew you were on my side. You also think he’s disgusting, right? You couldn’t help but mock him on my behalf…]
After a while.
Li Yan came back with Liu Zi’s passionate reply.
Li Yan: [He cursed me out. He said you’re the damn elementary student.]
It wasn’t the same person he met in the game before.
So who was that yesterday?
Someone familiar with Liu Zi—at least someone who knew him. Who?
“……”
That unlikely guess was like a faint summer firework, unexpectedly appearing in his dull, day-to-day life.
Yun Ci rarely called Li Yan, but he couldn’t bother typing now.
He stood by the busy street, amidst the honking, and struggled to speak: “Ask him again. Is this account borrowed?”
*
Half an hour later.
Yun Ci didn’t go to school.
He followed the address Liu Zi gave, walked along the street outside the school, and turned into a nearby apartment complex.
After giving the address, Liu Zi nervously emphasized: [But he might not be home. You better not say I told you.]
Liu Zi: [Damn, I feel like I did something I shouldn’t have today…]
[……]
Yun Ci didn’t reply.
Many students from Nanyang University lived here, almost like another form of “student dormitory.” When he walked in, quite a few students were coming out of the apartment buildings in groups of two or three, heading to school for evening classes.
Most of them were campus couples renting together.
He wasn’t very familiar with this place; Zhou Wenyu’s rented place was in another neighborhood.
After entering, Yun Ci took a while to find Building 6.
He found the door number on the address; his fingers curled, and before knocking, he stopped.
It had been too long since they last contacted each other.
Even the last time they met by chance, they felt like strangers.
……
In his haste to find Liu Zi earlier, Yun Ci didn’t even ask if Yu Xun was living alone or with someone.
In the end, Yun Ci leaned against the door, squatted down, and gave up knocking, planning to send a message to the scenic avatar first.
He slowly typed two words in the chat box he had opened thousands of times: [Open the door.]
This was the first time he messaged Yu Xun in over a year.
These two words seemed like the ones he sent when he used to go to Yu Xun’s place.
The message went through, indicating that Yu Xun hadn’t deleted him as a friend. But just as he hit send, he heard a sound from the elevator.
The floor indicator light lit up.
After it flickered, the elevator doors opened.
Yun Ci sensed someone stop in front of him. Against the overhead light in the hallway, a tall figure loomed over him. He looked up and met Yu Xun’s eyes.
Time seemed to stretch.
Facing each other, there was almost no place to hide.
After a long moment, Yu Xun spoke: “Why are you…”
Halfway through, he felt the words seemed too familiar and forced himself to swallow the rest. When he spoke again, it was a much lighter sentence: “Do you need something?”
“Yes,” Yun Ci’s voice was also very light, suppressing his emotions and eager to confirm something, “Give me your phone.”
Yu Xun didn’t move.
Yun Ci repeated: “Phone.”
Only then did Yu Xun move, handing over his phone.
Yun Ci didn’t use fingerprint unlock.
Like a gambler, he entered the password interface.
Then, as before, he entered his own birthday.
In the next second.
The phone was unlocked.
There was no need for further confirmation, not even to open the game app icon on the phone’s screen.
Yun Ci’s voice couldn’t hold back, almost hoarse as he asked him, “Didn’t we break up? Why didn’t you change the password?”
“Weren’t you tired?”
“Didn’t you say it was an illusion?”
“……”
Before Yu Xun could speak, in the brief silence, Yun Ci suddenly raised his hand and delivered a hard punch to his face.
Though he rarely fought, it didn’t mean he couldn’t. This punch carried the force of the wind, decisive and strong, almost using all his strength with no hesitation. When he withdrew his hand, the back of his hand was covered in bulging veins.
Since there were some things between them, he didn’t know where to start.
Perhaps this punch was the most fitting opening.
He and Yu Xun had been adversaries since high school, always talking about fighting but never actually doing it.
This was the first time.
Yun Ci’s eyes turned red, his voice hoarse as he asked: “Why don’t you fight back?”
“……” Yu Xun raised his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and after a long time, said, “Because it’s you, so I can’t fight back.”
____
Author’s Note:
Rumor: I finally got the qualification to sit at the main table.
Hxjxjdjcjjddn me when I try to hide but inadvertently expose myself by doing so lmaoooo
Please talk it out you two stubborn fools!!!