They broke up

Chen He didn't sleep very soundly.

When I closed my eyes, those messy comments were still churning in my mind. It was a little funny, but the bloody scenes and the stench of decay also lingered in my mind, buzzing around.

He turned over, buried his face in the pillow, and forced himself not to think about anything. Fortunately, physical exhaustion eventually overcame the chaos of his thoughts, and he fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up the next day, there were dozens of unread messages on the screen, all from Chen Yuchuan, but Shen He couldn't be bothered to reply.

He opened Weibo. The farce from last night had subsided; the marketing account that spread the rumors had issued an apology, and the comment section was filled with insults. Shen He scrolled through his own comment section; some people were joking, while others told him to focus on his game and not be affected.

Shen He looked at the comments, his lips twitching, but he didn't laugh. He logged out of Weibo, tossed his phone aside, and got up to wash up.

While brushing my teeth, my phone vibrated; it was Chen Yuchuan again.

He spat out the foam from his mouth and answered the phone: "Hello."

"You're up?" Chen Yuchuan's voice sounded lower than usual, as if he had just woken up.

"Mmm." Shen He continued brushing his teeth.

Have you been sleeping poorly lately?

Shen He paused for a moment. He looked at his face in the mirror; there were indeed faint dark circles under his eyes, but not so obvious that anyone could see them at a glance. He didn't ask, but simply rinsed his mouth and said calmly, "I stayed up all night playing games."

"Play less," Chen Yuchuan said. "Get some rest."

Shen He said, "Okay."

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Chen Yuchuan spoke again: "By the way, I suddenly have something to take care of this week, I'll come see you next week."

"Oh." Shen He casually pulled out a piece of paper, his voice devoid of emotion. "Then you go ahead and get busy."

Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?

"I won't ask."

Chen Yuchuan chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Alright then."

Shenhe warned him once again: "If you have something to do, go do your own thing and don't follow me around all the time."

Chen Yuchuan laughed: "What's wrong with me following you? How can we solidify our relationship if I don't follow you?"

Shen He paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Whatever."

Hearing him laugh, Chen Yuchuan's heart softened involuntarily, and he longed to fly over and see him immediately.

But he just sighed and said, "Okay, see you next week."

In the following days, even though her sleep had barely recovered, she still hadn't recovered from being submerged in the river.

That instinct that allows him to make crucial decisions and his intuition about the situation are like something separated by a membrane—visible but intangible, yet no one can find fault with him. During the debriefing meeting, he remained completely invisible, mostly just staring blankly at the screen.

Shenhe felt that his passion for games was fading away.

Back in his dorm, Shen He turned on his computer, hesitated for a moment, and then clicked on the indie game.

He kept progressing intermittently, and the game had many endings, with each of the sinking rivers being cleared one by one. Apart from the good ending he achieved with Chen Yuchuan last time, most of the other endings were quite heavy.

That night, he finally reached the final ending.

On the screen, the protagonist stands on a wasteland, with a burning city behind him and the road ahead engulfed in flames. The protagonist stands still, not moving an inch.

Sinking into the river did not require pressing ESC to skip as usual.

He leaned back in his chair, watching the credits roll by, line by line, for a long time.

Finally, a line of text appeared on the screen:

“For River.”

"For the one you used to be."

"For the one you are now."

To "river".

Shen He stared at those few lines of text for a long time.

This week's games were still a complete mess.

ASG barely secured a victory, but everyone knew it wasn't due to skill, but luck. The opposing team made a fatal mistake in a crucial team fight, giving ASG the chance to turn the tide. Shenhe's performance remained consistent, but he lacked the dazzling brilliance that had been so highly praised before.

On the way back to the rest room, the atmosphere within the team was heavy. Zhou Yifan walked beside Shen He, stealing glances at him several times.

Shen He's face was cold, his eyes filled with a distant indifference, exactly the same as when he first came to the base. Zhou Yifan thought they were already quite familiar with each other, but after opening his mouth, he swallowed his words.

Shen He ignored Zhou Yifan's hesitant gaze.

He simply walked into the lounge with a blank expression, picked up his coat, put it on, and left without looking back.

After returning to base, Shenhe didn't go for his usual morning run, nor did he read or play ranked games. Most of the time, he would just fall asleep and play on his phone, trying not to think about anything, only then could he feel his mind calm down.

His phone vibrated a few times, but he ignored it.

Then a phone call came in, the vibration sounding particularly jarring in the quiet room. Shen He opened his eyes and glanced at the screen.

He answered the phone, his voice flat: "Hello."

"What are you doing?" Chen Yuchuan's voice sounded quite happy.

"Lie down."

"I'll come see you tomorrow, buddy."

Shen He was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Don't come."

He hung up the phone after he finished speaking.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the door lock made a soft click. He heard the door being pushed open, and hurried footsteps stopping beside him.

Chen Yuchuan squatted down beside him and reached out to touch his forehead. The hand was cold, carrying the chill of the outside air, making Shen He frown involuntarily.

Chen Yuchuan held Shen He's neck and slipped his hand under Shen He's knees, and Shen He opened his eyes.

His eyes were devoid of emotion; he simply looked calmly at Chen Yuchuan and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Chen Yuchuan paused for a moment, then resumed his self-righteous tone: "Nonsense, of course I'll carry you to bed. Seeing you lying on the ground like some fallen princess, I, as a prince, will reluctantly rescue you."

Shen He paused for a moment, then laughed out loud, a very soft laugh: "Are you crazy?" He added, "How could a grown man lift that up?"

"Are you looking down on your brother?" Chen Yuchuan raised his eyebrows, his tone smug. "Is it a big deal to hug you when I exercise every day?"

Shen He didn't say anything, but sat up and leaned against the bed.

Chen Yuchuan sat down next to Shen He. The room was dark and quiet.

Chen Yuchuan took an exquisite box out of his pocket and handed it to Shen He: "This is for you."

Shen He took it, opened it, and found a string of dark beads inside, the material of which was indiscernible. The beads were small, each one was polished very smoothly, and had fine textures on the surface, making them look very delicate.

Chen Yuchuan said, "It's for peace of mind. I saw it while passing by and bought it on the way."

Shen He held the bracelet in his hand, his fingertips stroking the surface of the beads. "Spontaneously? Of course not."

"Why did you suddenly send this?" Shen He asked.

"I just think it looks good," Chen Yuchuan said casually.

Shen He looked down at the beads in his hand and didn't say anything.

"Whether you wear it or not is up to you." Chen Yuchuan leaned against the edge of the bed, tilting his head to look at him. "Anyway, I don't expect you to be so moved that you cry your eyes out."

Shen He chuckled and slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. The beads clinked softly, their sound particularly clear in the quiet room.

"Thanks," he said.

Chen Yuchuan looked at his wrist, a slight smile curving his lips.

Neither of them spoke again. Chen Yuchuan could sense the low aura emanating from Shen He. If Shen He wanted peace and quiet, then he would stay with him for a while.

Time blurred in the silence, and Chen Yuchuan lost track of how much time had passed. He only occasionally glanced at Chen He, seeing him still leaning there, breathing steadily.

Chen Yuchuan thought he was really asleep, but Shen He suddenly spoke.

Do you like me?

The sound was very soft, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Chen Yuchuan froze for a moment, his heart clenching suddenly.

Countless explanations, denials, and evasive statements flashed through his mind, but in the end, he remained silent for two seconds before calmly saying, "Yes."

He even chuckled, with a touch of self-deprecating arrogance, and asked, "Zhou Wen told you that?"

Shen He's voice held a hint of mystery: "How did Zhou Wen know you like me?"

Chen Yuchuan remained silent. He hadn't expected that Shen He had figured it out himself.

Shen He asked again, "When did you start liking me?"

He hadn't prepared an answer to this question, and he hadn't expected Shen He to ask it so directly. Chen Yuchuan opened his mouth, as if he was choosing his words carefully, or perhaps he was recalling that starting point that even he himself couldn't quite explain.

Shen He didn't urge him. After a few seconds, he spoke first, his tone still calm:

"I've been thinking about it, and it probably started back when I was in school, right?"

The moment his thoughts were laid bare, Chen Yuchuan actually relaxed. He raised his chin, put his arm around Shen He's shoulder, and a smirk appeared on his lips:

"Yeah, I've liked you ever since then, so what? Is that a problem?"

Chenhe did not respond, but gently rubbed the beads on his wrist with his fingertips.

Chen Yuchuan couldn't help but ask again, "How did you know?"

Shen He sighed: "It's too obvious. The way humans express affection is something I hadn't thought about in detail before."

Chen Yuchuan's profile picture, his ID, that game, his heartbroken eyes, and all the things from the past.

Each event, taken individually, seems insignificant, but when connected, the answer becomes crystal clear.

Chen Yuchuan was silent for a moment, his throat tightening slightly. He took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question:

"So? What do you think?"

Shenhe answered very decisively:

"So don't come looking for me again."

Chen Yuchuan abruptly turned to the side, looking in the direction of the sunken river. After two seconds, he found his voice, lowering it slightly:

"What do you mean?"

Chen He's eyes remained expressionless, and his tone was calm to the point of being indifferent:

"Literally."

Chen Yuchuan stared at him for several seconds, then suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and helplessness:

"You're really something else, buddy. I just confessed my feelings to you and you dumped me right away?"

Shen He's face remained expressionless: "Yes, I understand now. You can stop now."

"What do you think of feelings?" Chen Yuchuan was getting a little impatient, raising his voice slightly. "Even if you don't accept it, we're still brothers."

Shenhe did not answer, his gaze returning to the void.

“I thought you wouldn’t be this ruthless.” Chen Yuchuan gritted his teeth. “You’re truly a master strategist.”

Shenhe chuckled softly.

"There is no Kongtong." Shen He stood up, his back looking unapproachable in the darkness.

Chen Yuchuan suddenly hugged him from behind, the movement forceful, as if afraid he would disappear in the next second. His chin rested on his shoulder, his breath spraying on his neck, a little hot.

"Then why? I just like you," Chen Yuchuan said, his voice muffled.

Shenhe let him hold her, and simply said calmly, "Go and like someone else."

“…No, it’s impossible.” Chen Yuchuan repeated stubbornly.

"I don't like it when people like me." After saying this, Shen He found the words awkward and couldn't help but laugh.

Chen Yuchuan hugged Shen He even tighter: "Then if I pretend I don't like you, can you pretend you don't know?"

“No,” Shen He said.

Chen Yuchuan was silent for a few seconds, then seemed unable to hold back any longer and blurted out words incoherently:

"Can't you... can't you leave me some room? I don't fucking need your response, I just want to be by your side, that's all. You're just treating me like a dog—"

“Chen Yuchuan,” Shen He interrupted him.

Chen Yuchuan stopped, his breathing erratic, his chest heaving violently.

After a few seconds, he suddenly gave a bitter laugh:

"It's a good thing I didn't confess my feelings before."

His voice held a hint of relief, but also a touch of self-deprecation. He paused, then asked:

"Otherwise, would you have stopped talking to me after we met again?"

Shen He sighed, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather:

"If you had confessed your feelings before, I might have said yes."

Chen Yuchuan froze. His arm stiffened around Shen He's waist, and he paused for a moment, as if his heart had been gripped.

Then he tightened his grip on Chenhe's waist, holding him tightly in his arms, his breathing heavy and rapid.

"Then why can't we do it now?" Chen Yuchuan's voice was a little hoarse.

There was no response after he sank into the river.

“I know you’ve moved on, but you can’t push me out.” Chen Yuchuan buried his face in the crook of his neck, his voice low and dangerously stubborn. “Just consider me the same person I was before, accept me, okay?”

Shenhe patted the back of his hand: "Let go, it hurts a little."

Chen Yuchuan was stunned for a moment, and his arm reflexively loosened its grip. He took a step back, then slumped onto the sofa, looking up at Chen He.

"Go back now," Shen He said, picking up a small, well-packaged box from the table and tossing it into Chen Yuchuan's arms.

Chen Yuchuan didn't move. He just stared straight at Chen He, something surging in his eyes.

It's not the sadness or anger that are common human emotions.

That gaze was so focused, almost frozen, as if driven by instinct, devoid of reason, only pure, almost pathological obsession.

Shen He felt a slight chill run down his spine; it was a kind of alertness, the sixth sense that a creature has when facing a predator.

Shen He suddenly felt that Chen Yuchuan was no longer human.

This thought made him a little soft-hearted.

But he still said:

"Go back and have some peace and quiet. There's nothing about me that I like."