Brother, Don’t Delete Me! 5

Chapter 5: New Year

Huai Dan found this amusing. He handed the bag to the eagerly waiting child: “Mm.”

Luo Jing took the milk tea bag: “Don’t they not have takeout?”

“Teleported to get it,” Huai Dan replied, playing along.

“So amazing,” Luo Jing didn’t question it, taking the milk tea and praising him smoothly, “Thank you, brother!”

He opened the bag and first handed a cup to Huai Dan, then, thinking he was being thoughtful, offered a cup to his sister, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, secretly observing something.

“You can play with the dog if you want,” he said considerately, handing over the milk tea, assuming Luo Feng was observing Plastic Bag and wanted to play but was too shy to say so.

Luo Feng didn’t respond to his words but took the milk tea, somewhat surprised: “There’s one for me too?”

Luo Jing: “?”

Luo Feng: “?”

The two looked at each other in confusion for a moment, neither understanding what the other was confused about, then looked away.

On New Year’s Eve, the family had a full table of dishes for their reunion dinner. The housekeeper lived nearby and went home after preparing the food.

After having dinner with Luo Jing’s family, Huai Dan excused himself to go back to his room to rest.

He went upstairs to Luo Jing’s room, retrieved his luggage, and placed it in the guest room.

The room’s soundproofing was excellent. After closing the door, most of the noise from outside was blocked out, as if he had entered another world.

The guest room was very clean, simply furnished, but with everything he needed. New toiletries were thoughtfully placed in the bathroom, showing the host’s attentiveness and hospitality.

Huai Dan took his change of clothes and took a shower in the bathroom.

When he came out, the friend who had been inexplicably blocked that morning was persistently bombarding him with messages.

Ye Lin: [You actually blocked me in the game???]

Ye Lin: [So cruel, bro, I hold you in my heart, and you kick me into a ditch]

Ye Lin: [On this New Year’s Eve, where is Brother Huai gallivanting? Don’t tell me you’re huddled alone in some small hotel, watching the Spring Festival Gala by yourself?]

Ye Lin: [Are you sure you want to ignore your only lonely brother?]

Ye Lin: [New Year’s Eve with no one to spend it with, lonely?]

…

Huai Dan skimmed through the messages. These harmless words didn’t affect him at all.

Ye Lin was probably extremely bored, sending him messages from time to time. Huai Dan had long been accustomed to it, and he usually chose to ignore them, this time being no different.

Actually, he always preferred being alone to being with others.

Although his friend’s family was very friendly and enthusiastic towards him, the idea of spending New Year’s at someone else’s house felt abrupt and impolite.

His sudden visit was already intrusive enough, so during special times, times best spent with family, times not suitable for him to join, he didn’t want to disturb them.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

As he was thinking, there was a knock on the door.

“Brother, it’s me,” Luo Jing’s voice sounded from outside.

Huai Dan glanced at the time and saw it was past eleven.

The child outside persistently knocked on the door, three knocks at a time.

“Luo Jing, don’t disturb your brother’s rest,” Lin Xue’s voice drifted faintly from downstairs, through the door.

“But the light in his room is still on…” Luo Jing stopped knocking, then muttered softly, “We haven’t added each other on WeChat yet, otherwise I would have messaged him.”

The child’s voice wasn’t loud, but the room was quiet, so it was very clear.

He inexplicably detected a hint of grievance in it.

Huai Dan looked down at his phone screen, which had gone dark, thought for two seconds, and turned it on.

H: [Not lonely, I have a little friend with me]

Luo Jing only realized that Brother Huai wasn’t sleeping with him after he finished dinner and returned to his room.

What terrible news, he felt like a bolt from the blue.

During the day, Wu Li, having heard about Luo Jing’s achievements last night, found it unbelievable and challenged him to a game. Luo Jing felt a surge of pride and readily agreed, planning to let Wu Li witness his newfound skills and win back his five yuan.

He was completely oblivious to the fact that Huai Dan had played the game for him.

It wasn’t until he returned to his room and saw the empty corner that he belatedly realized the thigh he had just clung to had changed locations and wasn’t sleeping with him.

Huai Dan had very little luggage, just one suitcase, but it was black, which clashed with the decor of Luo Jing’s room, making its presence very noticeable.

So its disappearance was also very obvious.

Luo Jing glanced at the time, seeing it was past eleven, but he wasn’t sure if Huai Dan had the habit of staying up late on New Year’s Eve. So, with a nervous and uneasy feeling, he took his phone and tablet and headed straight for the guest room next door.

Fortunately, there was light under the door!

The door opened, and Luo Jing, holding his phone, looked up at Huai Dan respectfully: “I can’t beat him again.”

Huai Dan sighed softly and moved aside slightly: “Come in.”

Luo Jing, as if granted amnesty, happily carried his electronic devices inside, walked familiarly to Huai Dan’s bedside, and chose a comfortable spot to sit.

Huai Dan turned to close the door, and upon turning back, he saw the child staring intently at him, eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement.

Luo Jing was indeed very excited.

Unlike his equally unskilled deskmate, Wu Li’s gaming skills were slightly better than his. Luo Jing had never won, but the feeling of being crushed by someone his own age was emotionally unacceptable for a boy his age.

He always had the mentality of “we’re the same age, he can do it, why can’t I?”

Today was the day he would avenge his previous defeats.

Huai Dan walked to the bed, sat down, and reached out to take the phone Luo Jing handed him: “No voice chat this time?”

“Yes, yes,” Luo Jing said eagerly, “Just like before, brother, you don’t have to say anything after answering the call.”

Huai Dan chuckled, wanting to say something but then giving up. He nodded to indicate he understood, then handed the phone back to Luo Jing and let him make the call.

The call was answered after only a few rings. The boy’s slightly childish voice sounded from the other end, tinged with doubt and distrust: “Can you really beat me now?”

“You’ll see.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

On New Year’s Eve, the sounds of fireworks occasionally erupted outside, but thanks to the good soundproofing, they seemed distant and unreal.

The only sound in the room was Luo Jing occasionally talking to his friend on the phone, not loud, but somehow creating a sense of quiet.

After replying, the phone was put aside. The screen was filled with unread messages from Ye Lin, almost every sentence ending with a question mark.

Huai Dan ignored them.

“How about it, pretty awesome, right?” Luo Jing asked excitedly after killing the opponent’s character for the third time.

Wu Li was completely puzzled.

“Are you cheating?”

“Report me then.”

Luo Jing was so righteous that he seemed somewhat irrefutable.

Although suspicious, unlike Luo Jing, Wu Li wasn’t as competitive. It didn’t matter how his friend had suddenly become so strong, as long as he was strong. So after the game ended, he readily admitted that Luo Jing’s gaming skills were indeed impressive now and invited him to play duo.

After getting Huai Dan’s consent, Luo Jing accepted Wu Li’s invitation.

But after two days of watching Huai Dan play, although he enjoyed it, he couldn’t help but want to play himself.

Huai Dan saw his intention and handed him the phone, silently mouthing: “You play first.”

Luo Jing: Will you take over if I can’t win?

Huai Dan: Mm.

Getting the answer he wanted, Luo Jing happily took the phone and started playing.

Huai Dan smiled silently, picked up his long-neglected phone from the bedside table, unlocked it, and saw that his friend’s messages filled the entire screen.

This guy had gone from initially guessing that “little friend” was a term of endearment for his new partner to suspecting he had a child in just ten minutes. It was quite entertaining.

Now he was guessing whether his child was a boy or a girl.

Huai Dan had thought about blocking this person more than once, but the urge was particularly strong this time.

H: [A friend’s child, junior high student]

Ye Lin replied instantly: [Besides me, you have other friends?]

H: […]

Actually, that was a bit of an exaggeration. Although Huai Dan seemed a bit unapproachable, he still had some ordinary friends, just not many like Ye Lin.

Ye Lin: [Forget it, as long as you have somewhere to stay]

They chatted for a while longer, then a phone suddenly appeared in front of Huai Dan.

Not long after the game started, his childhood friend on the other end realized something was wrong.

After Luo Jing died twice, Wu Li’s voice was tinged with suspicion: “Did your cheat expire?”

“…No, I’m just not feeling it,” Luo Jing defended weakly, then handed the phone, currently displaying the respawn timer, to his “cheat.”

Huai Dan looked at the phone and raised an eyebrow slightly, as if to say: So soon?

Luo Jing felt inexplicably embarrassed, pulled the phone back slightly, and started to wonder if he should just play himself.

Huai Dan took the phone.

The game went smoothly from then on, his childhood friend’s opponent’s performance returning to its previous level. If Wu Li hadn’t known Luo Jing’s family situation, he really would have thought the person on the other end of the phone had changed.

Luo Jing was happy to be praised.

As the game progressed, time passed slowly. Just as a team fight ended, the sound of fireworks outside suddenly intensified.

In the game chat, a player typed “Happy New Year,” and others followed suit.

Luo Jing then realized it was midnight.

In his headset, Wu Li’s voice rang out: “Happy New Year, Happy New Year.”

Luo Jing paused, then turned to Huai Dan and blurted out: “Brother, Happy New Year.”

Wu Li: “…”

Wu Li: “?”

He was so shocked by the term of address that his face contorted.

“Who are you calling ‘brother’?” he asked, bewildered and incredulous.

Luo Jing didn’t answer him. A different, unfamiliar male voice came from the headset.

Deep, yet with a hint of laughter: “Happy New Year.”