Thank you Wu Lover for the Ko-fi. Here are you Ko-fi chapters. (1/2)
[608 Brothers Group (without Yun Ci and Yu Xun version)]
Luo Sifang: [@All members]
Luo Sifang: [Quick, quick, quick, return to the dorm.]
Luo Sifang: [Do we have a first aid kit in our dorm? Any medicine for bruises and injuries?]
Luo Sifang: [Medicine for bruises might not be enough; we might need bandages and disinfectant. If it’s serious, we’ll call 120.]
Luo Sifang, along with the other dorm members, ran back to the dorm from the cafeteria, thinking they would see a scene of chaos upon opening the door. They imagined their two dorm mates, one sitting on the lower left bunk with a bruised mouth corner, and the other sitting on the lower right bunk with a swollen eye, both occupying their sides and facing off after the battle.
“Bang!” Luo Sifang forcefully pushed open the dorm door.
“Brothers, if the situation in the dorm is too chaotic, we’ll split into two teams. Wang Zhuang with me, Young Master Peng, you take Liu Sheng. The four of us can definitely control—” control them.
Luo Sifang stopped his hand from pushing the door.
The dorm members stood at the door and saw Yun Ci sitting not far from Yu Xun, reviewing today’s class content. He was holding a pen, probably feeling uncomfortable from sitting too long, with one foot on the edge of the chair and the pen pressed against his chin.
He extended his other hand, holding a steaming cup of water, impatiently trying to get the sleeping Yu Xun up: “Drink water.”
“I just had too much,” he explained expressionlessly, “It would be a waste if you don’t drink.”
He added: “I’m not specifically asking you to drink.”
Yun Ci felt that the more he explained, the more it sounded wrong, so he simply shut up: “Drink if you want.”
Then Yu Xun sat up, his posture a bit crooked, half-closing his eyes as he took the water and drank it in a few gulps.
“……”
How is this different from what was said on WeChat?
“You guys,” Luo Sifang awkwardly withdrew his hand, “drinking water.”
After Yun Ci watched Yu Xun finish drinking, he took back the cup and glanced at Luo Sifang: “What else?”
Luo Sifang: “Otherwise, fighting.”
Yun Ci responded with an “Oh”: “It’s done.”
Luo Sifang glanced at Yu Xun, who was unscathed and just sleeping.
Yun Ci said, “He’s internally injured.”
“…”
“He’s got a fever,” Yun Ci put away his joking tone and said, “Almost 40 degrees. He just took some medicine. If the fever doesn’t go down tonight, you guys should pay attention tomorrow morning. He might need to be taken to the hospital.”
Luo Sifang nodded blankly, “Oh, okay. Is the fever that high?”
However, the worst-case scenario did not occur. Yu Xun’s physical condition was indeed as he claimed; after taking the medicine and sleeping for a while, his fever went down in the latter half of the night. By morning, he was back to his normal self.
Yun Ci got up in the morning to find the bottom bunk already empty.
Luo Sifang, still in bed, shouted, “I don’t want to go to the cafeteria to buy food, it’s too cold. Is there any kind-hearted person, anyone willing to be my dad for a day?”
Wang Zhuang: “…Can’t the cafeteria offer a delivery service? In this weather, I feel like it might snow this winter.”
Peng Yiyuan: “No, it can’t. Nanyang University’s school tradition emphasizes hard work and diligence. Guess why the cafeteria has the school rules posted up.”
“…”
Listening to the lively complaints in the dormitory, Yun Ci finished washing up, casually threw on a sweater and jacket, went to the water room to get some hot water, and on his way back, he happened to bump into Yu Xun returning to the dormitory.
Today, Yu Xun was wearing an overcoat with a sturdy design. He looked like a walking clothes rack, and because of his illness, he was wearing a rare mask. The black mask covered half of his face, making his exposed eyes look even deeper.
Yun Ci’s gaze shifted downward. He noticed that Yu Xun was still wearing the same scarf.
Yun Ci averted his eyes, gritting his teeth and softly saying, “Don’t you have any other scarves?”
The two were standing a bit far apart.
Yu Xun didn’t hear clearly, “What?”
“…” Yun Ci took two steps closer and said, “Nothing; I said let me pass.”
Yun Ci had already mentally prepared himself for Yu Xun to say, “I’ll let you pass just because you said so” or “I refuse; what can you do about it?” More likely, these two sentences would be said together.
But Yu Xun said nothing and simply stepped aside.
It seemed since the last phone call that Yu Xun occasionally had some “normal” moments.
As the relationship between them became more “harmonious,” an invisible yet subtle sense of distance also emerged.
Just as Yun Ci passed by, Yu Xun handed him the bag he was carrying, his voice still slightly hoarse: “Breakfast.”
“Just went to the cafeteria,” he said, “brought it along.”
Yun Ci looked up at him.
At the moment Yu Xun let go, he reverted slightly to his old self, with a smirk that could be felt even through the mask: “What, did you think I was so kind as to bring you breakfast, especially in the morning?”
“Although I am always kind,” Yu Xun said, pulling his hand back and sticking it in his overcoat pocket, “but mainly, I don’t want to owe you a favor.”
Reasonable.
Doesn’t want to owe him a favor.
He also doesn’t want to owe him.
Yun Ci took the breakfast and was about to say, “Then it’s even.”
Yu Xun: “I’ll bring it for a month, and then it’s even.”
“…?”
Yun Ci wondered if he had misheard.
“Bring it for a month?”
“Do you think I’m really nice,” Yu Xun almost sang, lifting a finger to the edge of his mask and sighing, “I think so too. Sometimes winning or losing in the short term isn’t important. The key to true victory is a person’s character.”
“…”
After a while, Yun Ci said, “You still look better when you’re sick and half-dead and can’t talk.”
*
Yu Xun’s fever soon passed, and even his voice was only hoarse for two or three days. After that, dormitory life continued as usual.
The only change was the breakfast that appeared on the dormitory desk every morning, like clockwork.
One day, the people in the dormitory were chatting casually.
Luo Sifang asked, “Why has Young Master Peng been getting up so early lately?”
Wang Zhuang casually said, “To bring breakfast for love. Normally, he’d rather skip breakfast himself, but he’s enthusiastic about bringing it for someone else. Isn’t that how secret crushes work? It’s so cold, bringing breakfast to express his feelings.”
“Even I almost know what the girl he likes prefers and dislikes for breakfast,” Wang Zhuang said, lying on his bed, “This must be love.”
Sitting at the desk, Yun Ci, who was facing a bag of breakfast while browsing his phone: “…”
What were they talking about?
A secret crush. Bringing breakfast.
A secret crush????
That morning, Yu Xun had bought small wontons. The wonton soup had seaweed floating in it, and the disposable bowl from the cafeteria was lined with a plastic bag to prevent the soup from spilling. It was still piping hot when he brought it back.
As Yun Ci swallowed a mouthful of wonton, it felt like it got stuck in his throat, momentarily unable to go down.
“Cough.”
Yun Ci coughed a few times, and Luo Sifang asked, “Did you choke?”
Yun Ci, holding the plastic soup spoon, said, “It’s a bit hot.”
Luo Sifang: “Then eat slowly.” He then casually added, “By the way, why has Yu-ge been bringing you breakfast these days?”
These two “breakfast” topics came together.
Even though the person who said this had no other meaning, Yun Ci paused for a moment.
“Got into a fight,” Yun Ci finally said, “Convinced, running errands for his big brother.”
Luo Sifang was just casually talking and didn’t dwell on the topic of breakfast. He quickly changed the subject to the game competition he was thinking about, “Brothers, the competition is approaching. Don’t be nervous. Let’s just perform as usual, and we’ll definitely get through the preliminary round smoothly.”
Wang Zhuang was picking out his outfit for the day. He had spent his own money to get a full-length mirror for the dormitory, which he had stuck on the back of the door to admire his trendy outfits every day: “No one is nervous. To be exact, apart from you, no one else cares that much, so don’t worry, Sifang. We’re all good.”
Luo Sifang: “…”
Luo Sifang glanced at Yun Ci: “Do you not care about our competition either?”
Yun Ci knew it was impossible, but his mind was still full of thoughts about breakfast and secret crushes, making him a bit short-circuited for a moment: “?”
Luo Sifang felt a bit desperate: “You even forgot what competition it is—”
Yun Ci: “I remember.”
He suppressed those two words and said: “I don’t have the heart to tell the truth.”
Luo Sifang was shattered on the spot: “…You might as well have forgotten.”
*
The Endless Glory Campus League started soon.
It wasn’t like Luo Sifang had imagined, with top gamers from all over gathering in a special place with brilliant lights shining on the competition. The preliminary round was held in Nanyang University’s computer lab, and their opponents were just a few teams from within the school. The students of Nanyang University jokingly called it the “Internal Strife” competition.
Meanwhile, the computer science students expressed their feelings: Are our professional computers meant to be used like this???
“Don’t worry, I’m familiar with the computer lab.” The competition was scheduled for the afternoon, and Luo Sifang made a final rallying cry, “The internet speed is fast, and the configuration is good. I heard there will be many people watching in the hallway. Zhuang, help me pick out an outfit for today.”
Yu Xun wasn’t in the dorm at noon. When Yun Ci and the others were about to leave for the computer lab, Luo Sifang was anxious: “Has Yu-ge arrived? Someone call him.”
Peng Yiyuan: “Called, but no answer. But he said when he went out in the morning that he would be there on time. He shouldn’t break his word.”
Luo Sifang: “Ci-ge, you call him.”
Yun Ci, wearing a white down jacket, walked unhurriedly at the back: “Call him yourself.”
“He answers your calls quickly,” Luo Sifang recalled, “Maybe it’s the arch-enemy effect between you two. He doesn’t respond to the group messages but always replies to yours.”
“………”
Not calling would seem pretentious.
Besides, this competition was important to Luo Sifang.
Yun Ci took out his phone, and in front of them, with a cold expression, he opened WeChat, found that black avatar, and after pausing for half a second on “Voice Call,” dialed.
“You guys called, and he didn’t answer,” Yun Ci said, holding the phone, “If I call, will he—” pick up?
The phone rang for three seconds.
Then the call was answered.
The dialing screen changed to a timer that started counting up the call duration.
“He answered!” Luo Sifang patted his shoulder.
Before he could ask, Yu Xun’s voice came from the phone: “Just crossed the road, heading to the computer lab. What floor is A13 on?”
Yun Ci: “Third floor.”
Yu Xun acknowledged.
Yun Ci, holding the phone, didn’t say anything else. Luo Sifang shouted beside him: “See you at the lab, Yu-ge. We’re on our way too.”
Then Yun Ci pressed the end call button.
[Call ended, duration 00:49].
Although it was the second time he had called this person, it still felt unfamiliar.
And why did he pick up when he called?
Thinking about everything that had happened, Yun Ci found himself occasionally considering that ridiculous possibility.
When they arrived at the computer lab, it was already full, and as Luo Sifang had said, there were many students watching in the hallway, crowding from the stairwell to their classroom door.
Yun Ci, sitting inside, felt that a large part of the crowd outside looked very familiar.
Among this part, there were two distinct groups.
One group had a curly-haired guy with a small ponytail standing at the front, and the other group was led by his good friend Li Yan.
“……”
Yun Ci’s right eye twitched, and he looked down at his phone.
Sure enough, he saw a message from Li Yan ten minutes ago: [Don’t worry, their banner is 1.6 meters, ours is 1.8 meters, outshining them by 20 centimeters.]
Yun Ci looked up and noticed that both groups indeed had a roll of red material in their hands.
yc: [……]
His head started to hurt.
____________
Author’s note:
True arch-enemies: rumors.
