Chapter 100: My One and Only (Part 5)
Yu Lin had left the game world and had woken up in a warm light.
Above his head was a bright but not dazzling light, and behind him was a special game cabin. Yu Lin was wearing a helmet, and at this moment, the beeping sound of a player leaving was heard by his ear.
The internal test of the World project team was very confidential. After the players who had participated in the test had received their invitation letters, they had come to the company to test within the deadline.
The test room was not large, and it was not very neat. Outside the game cabin was a row of screens that were emitting a faint light. When Yu Lin’s consciousness had woken up, he had first felt a gentle breeze blow by the side of his face, and then a kind of unknown floral fragrance.
This smell had a little bit of a soothing effect, as if it would relax a tense mood.
Yu Lin had closed his eyes, and he had woken up a little in this smell, and then he couldn’t help but feel drowsy again.
Then he had felt the weight on his eyelids lighten, and someone had lifted his helmet, and in an instant, it was as if the curtains of the stuffy room had been pulled open, and the world had become bright.
Yu Lin had blinked, and he had opened his eyes in the bright and sprinkled light.
He was pressing his lips together, and his consciousness was still a little blurry. Then he had felt his hair being ruffled, and a low voice had fallen by his ear, “Wake up and eat something. If you sleep again, you’ll have a headache.”
“…” Yu Lin had lifted his eyelashes, and he had pressed his lips together and had looked over. Chen Shizhou was wearing a black hoodie and was standing in front of him, and his hands were on his knees, and his dark eyes were lowered to look at him.
The game cabin was low, and his tall body was lowered, and he was looking at Yu Lin at eye level.
“En.” Yu Lin looked at him, and after a two-second pause, he had collected his messy thoughts, and he had nodded lightly. “I know.”
He had sat up, and his memory had gradually returned. He had remembered how he had signed up, how he had participated in the internal test, how he had chosen the world, and how… he had gotten to know Chen Shizhou in the small worlds.
Everything in the game world was vivid, and it was hard to forget.
Yu Lin looked at Chen Shizhou, and his breathing had stopped for a moment, and then he had felt his heart soften and ache.
The equipment in the entire room was simple. Besides the test facilities, there was a pot of flowers on the desk, and the fragrance of the flowers was coming from it.
From time to time, the sound of other staff members discussing was heard in the headset. “Are you done?”
“I’m done.” Someone had replied, “This test was very smooth. All the players who successfully completed the mission have successfully left the game… hmm? There’s still one player who hasn’t come out. Is there a problem? I’ll go and wake him up.”
“No need.” Chen Shizhou had suddenly pressed the headset by his ear and had said placidly, “I’m here.”
“Oh, oh… the boss is here.” The people outside had heard his voice, and they had agreed, and they had gradually gone to discuss other things.
Yu Lin had been lying down for several hours, and his joints were weak. He had his eyes down, and he had reached out and had rubbed his sore wrist. After thinking for a moment, he had said to Chen Shizhou, “Then I’ll…”
He had wanted to say that he would leave first, and that they could contact each other again if there was anything.
Chen Shizhou’s confession before he had left the game had shaken him. They had been through a lot together, and as long as he thought of it, Yu Lin had felt that his heart was very soft, and their feelings had never changed. It was just that he was a little surprised by all of this.
Yu Lin had thought that he might have to sort out his thoughts before he could discuss these things with Chen Shizhou.
Chen Shizhou didn’t know what he was thinking, and his eyelids had drooped slightly, and his dark eyes had looked straight over. “Okay.”
He had looked at Yu Lin, and he had half-knelt, and his palm had gently ruffled Yu Lin’s calf.
Everything that had happened in the game world was also an unexpected situation for him, but it was also a lucky break that he had been hoping for. He was happy about it, but he did not want Yu Lin to feel pressured.
Yu Lin had lowered his eyes to look at him, and his hand was on the side, and he had not moved. Chen Shizhou had glanced at the sky outside and had said in a low voice, “It’s a little late. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something before you go back?”
The force of his hand was moderate, and it had relieved the discomfort of the blood not flowing. Although this was their first meeting after a long time, there seemed to be no sense of distance between the two of them. Yu Lin had looked at him, and he had nodded lightly, and he had agreed. “Okay.”
The two of them had walked out of the test room one after another, and they had passed through the corridor, and they had met a few programmers who were about to get off work.
One of them was on the phone. When he had seen Chen Shizhou, he had put down his phone and had greeted him, “Boss, you’re not a part-time tester today… have all the players left? Why are you so late? Are you going to eat?”
“…En.” Chen Shizhou had nodded. “By the way, I have something to do tonight. You can stay and watch for a while.”
“No problem.” The other had smiled. “Did something good happen? You’re so happy. You’re finally not working overtime today?”
Then he had seen Yu Lin behind Chen Shizhou, and he had blinked. “Wait, you… you look so familiar. I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
Yu Lin had stopped. “What?”
The other had been stunned for a moment. “No, let me think… we were university roommates.” He had pointed to Chen Shizhou. “He had gone back to high school, and we had gone back with him. We had caught him secretly looking at your photo on the bulletin board…”
“…” The other was recalling, and he had suddenly fallen silent. He seemed to have understood something, and he had looked at Chen Shizhou, and he had felt that he was like a clown for saying these things.
He did not have a girlfriend yet, but he had been the first to add fuel to the fire of his brother’s relationship.
Yu Lin was stunned for a moment, and he had indeed looked at Chen Shizhou.
Chen Shizhou had pressed his lips together, and not only did he not feel embarrassed, but he had also pretended to be calm. “It’s nothing. It was a long time ago.”
Yu Lin had pressed his lips together, and his voice had become very soft. “En.”
They had walked out together.
The programmer roommate: “…”
I’m a fucking clown.
***
There was a restaurant near Chen Shizhou’s company. It had been open for some years, and it was not large, but it was very clean, and the food was also good.
Night had fallen, and the two of them were walking slowly along the streetlights, and neither of them had spoken.
This was their first meeting in the real world, and it had been delayed for more than ten years.
But it was very strange. Perhaps it was because there was a game world as a buffer. When everything had settled down, and the two of them were walking side by side again, they had completely lost all sense of distance, as if they were lovers who had been in a relationship for a long time.
Their shoulders had involuntarily touched, and then it was as if they had been attracted by a magnet, and they could not be separated.
The night wind was cool, and it was very comfortable. Yu Lin’s hair had been blown onto his skin by the wind, and perhaps it had gotten into his eyes. He had squinted his eyes slightly and had stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Shizhou had felt it, and he had stopped and had looked over. Yu Lin had squinted at him, and his eyes were hazy from the soreness. He had reached out to rub his eyes. “It’s fine. Something got in my eyes.”
“Don’t move. Where?” Chen Shizhou had gently pushed aside his fingertips, and he had lowered his head to look at his red eyes.
Yu Lin’s eyes were sensitive, and a little bit of a slight stimulation would make them red. Chen Shizhou was worried that he would be too rough with himself, and he had reached out and had held his face, and he had gently blown on the uncomfortable spot.
After he had blown away the fine dust, Chen Shizhou had raised his hand and had wiped away the tears that had formed at the corner of Yu Lin’s eyes from the stimulation.
Yu Lin had pressed his lips together and had looked at him, and his eyes were red, and he had not moved, and he had let him. He looked very obedient.
Chen Shizhou looked at him, and his heart had softened, and the corners of his lips had curled up slightly.
The close distance had dispelled the strangeness of the real world.
When they had reached the restaurant, the two of them had sat down side by side. The owner had brought over a menu for them to choose from. Seeing the two of them sitting together, and the opposite side was empty, he was a little surprised. After all, it was common for people to sit opposite each other in a restaurant, and it was rare for two people to sit together.
But neither of them seemed to have noticed.
They have a really good relationship. The owner couldn’t help but think as he left.
The restaurant that Chen Shizhou had chosen was very much to Yu Lin’s taste. In the real world, he lived alone, and he was very casual about his food, and his stomach was always uncomfortable.
Chen Shizhou had ordered a light soup. Not only did it taste very good, but it was also comfortable to drink. Yu Lin was drinking the soup, and before long, his cheeks had been tinged with a red glow, and he was warm and beautiful.
Chen Shizhou looked at him, and his gaze was focused. Yu Lin felt it, and he lifted his eyelashes to look at him, and then he smiled.
A light had fallen on Yu Lin’s eyelashes, and his quiet appearance was actually not much different from ten years ago.
Ten years ago, Yu Lin had been sunny and cheerful, and he had been the little sun of his grade. Ten years later, Yu Lin was a little colder, and he was as quiet as a handful of moonlight that had fallen in the dead of night.
If it were the Yu Lin of ten years ago, and he had known that Chen Shizhou had liked him for so long, he would probably have been a little surprised, and then he would have looked at Chen Shizhou with a smile and would have asked him, “What do you like about me?”
After Chen Shizhou had given his answer, he would have seriously explored his own thoughts. If he had also been moved, he would have nodded with great seriousness. “Okay. I’ve found that I also like you. Then let’s be together.”
To like was to like. He would not worry too much, and he could give an answer after he had confirmed his feelings.
But the Yu Lin of ten years later, after he had experienced a family change, and he had lived alone for many years, would have different thoughts.
He looked at Chen Shizhou and found that he would be a little nervous.
After dinner, Yu Lin and Chen Shizhou were walking side by side on the road.
An afternoon of not avoiding each other had blown away a little of the unreality, and it had stirred the tacit understanding between the two of them, and it had stirred the heart-stirring feeling of a wildfire.
In the face of the person he liked, the heart-stirring feeling had become something that could not be controlled. It was as if just by facing this person, he would feel happy.
The bright lights on the side of the road were like warm sunlight. Yu Lin had passed by them, and his face had been sprinkled with the light, and he couldn’t help but curve his eyes slightly.
When he was feeling happy, he had looked at Chen Shizhou, who was walking side by side with him, and he had known the answer in his heart.
So he had stopped, and in the action of Chen Shizhou, who had almost immediately followed and had stopped, he had looked up and had asked, “If it weren’t for these worlds in the game… you still like me, and you’ve liked me for so long. Why?”
What kind of like was this? To have persisted after a long and hopeless time, and to have waited for an ethereal reunion.
When Chen Shizhou had heard the question, he had not answered immediately. He had stood under the dim yellow streetlight, and he had thought for a long time before he had cautiously given his answer.
His features were distinct in the light and shadow, and his voice was low. He looked at Yu Lin and said, “It’s probably because I’m a very stubborn person.”
Yu Lin was stunned for a moment. “What?”
Chen Shizhou explained, “You had bumped into my arms at that time. Before that, I had never liked anything, whether it was a person, a matter, or a thing. I was as if I were born cold. Your appearance made me realize what it meant to like.”
“I have passed by your surroundings many times, and it was not until I had gotten to know you, and I had gotten to know you a little more every day, that my liking for you had grown a little more. I was like a robot that had been activated by a certain program, and because of you, this program had started to run.”
“I could not give up this liking, and I could not give up you. I had gradually understood the feeling of truly liking a person, and in every day after that, I had felt that I was very happy.”
“I had once seriously liked a very good person. Although he did not know, I still thought that it was a precious and lucky thing, and I happened to be stubborn and was unwilling to change.”
“Later… we had met again, in the game world. I had no memory, but no matter how many times I had seen you, I still could not control being attracted to you and falling in love with you.”
“Perhaps a part of me had already been left on you, and it was always heart-stirring, and it could not be cut off. Perhaps I was destined to like you, no matter how many times.”
“Chen Shizhou will always like Yu Lin, and he will always be heart-stirred, and he will always maintain it.”