Chapter 109 - Wow, an online romance.
Much later, on the same day.
Having heard the first half of the brilliant happenings being narrated to him in vivid detail, Liao Su found the itch in his heart unbearable and he stopped eating to ask: “And later?”
Liang Chulin said: “Later? There was no later, that’s it, that is the final ending.”
What did the final ending even mean? Liao Su was confused so he decided to seek what he wanted in a clear-cut and uncomplicated manner: “Did Kang Shengzhe win or lose?”
Gritting his teeth, Liang Chulin said with a complex expression: “…… He didn’t lose!”
More than just not losing, he was so overpowering it hurt to recall.
Once he remembered how the school senior’s confidence had crumbled bit by bit until he was vegetable green in complexion at the very end, Liang Chulin frankly wanted to step forward to give his consolations. It was not that he hadn’t gamed with Kang Shengzhe prior to this, but he had never experienced a situation where Kang Shengzhe had gone crazy.
One against five, no, it was more appropriate to say it was one against nine— despite facing such a crisis, Kang Shengzhe had remained calm and collected as he chose the moonlight Luna before he proceeded to show his superiority by slaughtering the entire field in seconds!
In that match, from beginning to end! He had left his team and butchered all five!
The opposing team’s King and Xingyao players had been blinded by him as well, stiffening up time and time again. Let alone the marksman who had been offed in a second, even the mage that had brought strong control abilities did not even manage to take Luna’s head once. Once Kang Shengzhe released all three of his abilities, the mage did not even have the chance to yell out ‘save me’ before Kang Shengzhe jumped far away while slinging along his head.
…. He basically demanded their lives.
It would have been fine if he had stopped at wholesale slaughter and a.s.sa.s.sinating left and right, but Kang Shengzhe just had to jump into the enemy fountain and commit suicide after attaining a penta kill during the last wave. What followed after was allowing the bots to bring the minion lines forwards to shatter the enemy crystal nexus while typing in all chat: — Thanking my teammates for bringing me to fly.
Who were his teammates? Four computers! Not only could they not kill, they even gifted their heads to the enemies!
Right then and there, the school senior’s face started swelling.
Liao Su could not help but laugh after hearing that and he kept praising him: “666, as expected of…”
Liang Chulin: “Ah?”
Liao Su withdrew his laughter in the next second and he said seriously: “How could he do that, he’s going a little too far.”
Liang Chulin nodded: “Right?! The school senior was so pitiful he couldn’t even speak after that.”
Liao Su followed along and nodded in agreement on the surface. But in reality, he secretly felt pleased as his fan. He asked: “What happened to the basketball team in the end? Did they get him to join?”
Liang Chulin: “Like h.e.l.l they managed to make him join. With how lazy of a person Kang Shengzhe is, if he partic.i.p.ated in the basketball team on his own will, I, I won’t be tall in this lifetime!”
Such a poisonous swear sufficiently expressed the resentment Liang Chulin felt. It happened that Liao Su truly treated what he said as something natural so he did not pay much attention to it. “Then where is he? Where is he right now?”
“He’s in the dormitory, I hope he dies from laziness.” Liang Chulin groaned, “I really don’t want to be friends with such a person, it freaking breaks my heart!”
Liao Su said: “Yes yes yes.” After exchanging a few more sentences, he finished his food and said: “Let’s go.”
Liang Chulin: “Hold on.”
“En?”
With a cold expression, Liang Chulin uttered: “I need to grab some food for that big b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
Liao Su: “……”
Liao Su put aside the fact that Liang Chulin had a mouth full of knives but a tofu heart first because he could not resist asking: “Why didn’t you buy it together just now?”
Liang Chulin said stuffily, “If I bought it just now, wouldn’t it have gone cold by now? How is Kang Shengzhe going to eat it when I bring it back?”
Liao Su: “k2026;k2026;” EMMMMM.
Liang Chulin gave him a strange look. “Why are you using such a gaze to look at me?”
Liao Su: “Nothing really.”
I just feel that you’re a little cute.
* * *
It was dinnertime, and Kang Shengzhe, who was too lazy to go to the cafeteria to squeeze for food was currently lying on his bed, unmoving. When his WeChat rang, the flipping of his body was similar to that of a live fish and he held his phone up as if it was some kind of peerless treasure.
You Liangxing had sent him a message: — Having a break.
Ardent and earnest, Kang Shengzhe typed: — Have you eaten? Are you tired?
You Liangxing said: — Currently eating, I’m alright.
Kang Shengzhe: –〖Heart Trembling〗
It was the same questions but he had to ask them three time a day, and he did not seem like a big man but an old mother instead. He did not know why but every time he saw these natural and useless drivel, You Liangxing felt like his fatigue was being alleviated and even his mood would become better.
He raised his phone and took a picture of his dinner and sent it to Kang Shengzhe immediately after. The picture contained four dishes and one soup. Although disposable packaging was being used, it looked more thoughtful than most provided meals.
Compared to others, one might as well say that his work meals were of a comparatively high standard, and it was palatable to the point where it was almost offensive.
Kang Shengzhe commented: — Pa.s.sable.
You Liangxing: — Pa.s.sable?
Kang Shengzhe: — Because in my heart, it’s not excessive even if you ate the delicacies from the land and sea~
The sudden cheesy pickup line he used was so sour You Liangxing’s teeth almost dropped out.
— Speak properly, don’t mutter and slant your words.
Kang Shengzhe: — Is that your office table?
You Liangxing: — En.
Kang Shengzhe: — Where are the others?
You Liangxing glanced at the office s.p.a.ce behind him. The expansive room only had an office table and because it was a CEO’s office, and it need not be said that he was the only occupant.
Although that was the case, he did not feel the need to explain the circ.u.mstance. Since it happened to be the time for rest, he only replied: — They’re off work.
Once that sentence was sent, Kang Shengzhe did not type more from his end. Instead, he swiftly requested for a video call. You Liangxing paused and looked at the huge gla.s.s windows at the side out of conditioned reflex. The window reflected his suit-clad figure and You Liangxing took off outer shirt before he tapped on accept.
As he accepted the call, You Liangxing was still fixing his hair and adjusting his seating posture. Soon after, his own image appeared while the other side was a piece of inky darkness. You Liangxing frowned and said, “Kang Shengzhe?”
Kang Shengzhe responded, “Give me a moment, I’m combing my hair.”
You Liangxing: “……”
Since he wanted to comb his hair, was it necessary to send a video call that quickly? Kang Shengzhe seemed to know what he was thinking intuitively as he said unhappily, “I was anxious~”
When he spoke, there was a sticky quality to it and it had the propensity to throw people into turmoil. After not hearing him speak for a few days, You Liangxing unexpectedly found that he was not quite used to it. Kang Shengzhe also felt the same, but he contrasted the quiet You Liangxing in the sense that his mouth started chirping and going crooked in speech without stopping. “Liang Liang, hurry up and say a few more lines, your voice sounds very, very nice oh~”
You Liangxing: “… Behave yourself.”
Kang Shengzhe: “I’m already quite well-behaved, if I was misbehaving, my person would be in Beijing. Hm, Liang Liang, hold on.”
You Liangxing: “?”
Kang Shengzhe: “I’m starting a recording, say a few more nice-sounding words.”
You Liangxing: “……”
You can shut up.
As they were conversing, Kang Shengzhe finally stopped covering the camera lens with his hand. He was still tying his ponytail when his head moved into the camera frame and the outline of his distinct and profound face, carrying a slight smile, came into view. He stared at You Liangxing for a good while before he sighed with some satisfaction. “Sure enough, Liang Liang is very handsome.”
All of a sudden, You Liangxing laughed.
The immunity Kang Shengzhe had towards such a cold laugh was extremely strong. Thus, he asked, “What’s the matter?”
You Liangxing replied, “While the occurrences are few and far between, it doesn’t feel bad to receive your praise once in a while.”
It was different from the sarcastic comments he had expected and he had no preparations against the sudden attack, which almost lifted Kang Shengzhe up to the heavens.
Just as his words landed, You Liangxing stood up and shifted his camera slightly to press it against the window, transmitting the night scenery outside – lights, radiance and beauty intermingling – to Kang Shengzhe.
Kang Shengzhe cooperated very well as he said: “Pretty.”
You Liangxing laughed softly. He did not know if it was because the night scenery was overly pretty or because they were both deep in their thoughts, but their surroundings went quiet and there were no words spoken in that moment.
A short while later, Kang Shengzhe said: “Liang Liang, are you tired?”
You Liangxing lowered his eyes, and asked strangely, “You seem to ask this question rather frequently these days.”
From the day he stepped out of school up until one month after, they had maintained a constant stream of communication and while Kang Shengzhe rolled about and acted spoilt daily, he never failed to ask this sentence every day. With the lengthening of his work time recently, the frequency of Kang Shengzhe asking that particular question became increasingly high.
Kang Shengzhe lowered his eyes and said faintly, “I might be a little anxious.”
“What are you being anxious for?”
Knag Shengzhe did not answer that question either. He faltered before he opened his mouth, tone half genuine and half feigned. “I’ll support you in the future.”
You Liangxing gave a slight pause. “You, support me?”
Kang Shengzhe nodded and You Liangxing tried to suppress his urges time and time again only to slant his head away to conceal his smiling expression. When he eventually composed himself, he shifted his head back and replied: “Your thoughts are quite something.”
Kang Shengzhe went stiff and the expression he showed was the last straw before You Liangxing let out a soft peal of laughter.
There was a smile on a face and his heart finally understood the source of Kang Shengzhe’s anxieties. And with his increasing comprehension of the man, the impression that You Liangxing had towards Kang Shengzhe refreshed ceaselessly.
A long time ago, on a certain night, he and Kang Shengzhe were unanimous with regards to their perceptions. Kang Shengzhe might be lazy and scattered as a person but when it came to his own life principles, he was extremely strict.
Even though he wanted to stay indolent for the rest of life, he wanted to maintain a comfortable and carefree state which meant that the things that needed to be done had to be done well.
And right now, for Kang Shengzhe to unexpectedly voice some of his anxieties, it was hard for You Liangxing not to feel moved even if he did not visibly show it.
“You’ve just started university and you’re not even done with your first year. You don’t need to think so much, you just need to keep to the original path you had planned.” It was rare for You Liangxing to say so much in one breath. His lips drew back with a smile. “Kang Shengzhe, listen well, I’m not tired, doing business suits me.”
Kang Shengzhe said: “… Really?”
You Liangxing said, “En.”
Kang Shengzhe blinked and his eyes gradually became glittery. You Liangxing gazed at him and said in a calm manner: “Compared to you supporting me, it might be more appropriate to say that I’ll be the one supporting you.”
Kang Shengzhe: “You’ll support me? Then I…”
“Wouldn’t that be beautiful?”
You Liangxing: “……”
Instantaneously, his worries were all swept away and he giggled out loud. Since he no longer had anything pressing on his mind, he started to tell You Liangxing about the things that have been happening in school recently. And when Kang Shengzhe reached the topic of the basketball compet.i.tion, he could not help but tack on a few more sentences.
“A few people running back and forth on such a small court, just to throw the ball into the hoop and compare who has more points, how meaningless is that? The weather is so hot and the most importantly, it’s so tiring to move around.”
You Liangxing remained quiet until he was done speaking. Then, he replied: “But winning feels good.”
Kang Shengzhe: “You’ve partic.i.p.ated in it before?”
You Liangxing’s physique and height was placed there for all to see, and there was not a single activity in year one that he missed. “I’ve partic.i.p.ated in it.”
“How many matches did you win?”
“All the matches,” said You Liangxing.
Kang Shengzhe could not help but whistle, impressed. “Amazing~”
You Liangxing: “Are you sure you’re not going to partic.i.p.ate?”
Kang Shengzhe: “Not partic.i.p.ating.”
“Is that so?” You Liangxing casually commented, “That’s a shame, men who know how to play basketball are quite handsome.”
Kang Shengzhe: “… What did you just say?”
You Liangxing returned a question: “What did I say?”
Kang Shengzhe: “You just say I was very handsome.”
You Liangxing: “……” I did not say that.
The video call was still ongoing and Liang Chulin and Liao Su’s voices transmitted over, albeit shakily. In order to avoid riling more matters, You Liangxing simply hung up but Kang Shengzhe was not disappointed. He wore his shoes and ran towards the Liberal Arts College building.
Liang Chulin called out, “Kang Shengzhe! Where are you going!”
Wobbly, Kang Shengzhe said: “Playing basketball.”
Liang Chulin froze before his face became green.
He stood rooted to the ground for a few seconds. Half a beat later, he seemed to be jamming up as he asked: “Brother Liao…. Before this, did I swear something that I shouldn’t have?”
Liao Su: “Yeah…. Like h.e.l.l! I didn’t hear anything, really!”
Liang Chulin: “…… QAQ!!” Could he take it back! Kang Shengzhe, you swine!