Chapter 35
Chen Yuchuan took care of some matters and arrived at the ASG base in the afternoon.
The update was about to be pushed out, so he placed his laptop on the table in Shenhe's dormitory, skillfully plugged it in, and while it was booting up, he turned around and went downstairs, picked up a small cardboard box, and casually tossed it onto the table.
"I bought this on the way here. I think you'll like it."
Chen Yuchuan casually pulled out a few bottles of beer from under the box and placed them on the corner of the table, while Chen He raised an eyebrow.
“I knew you wouldn’t drink,” Chen Yuchuan said. “I bought you something else.”
He leaned closer and glanced at the items, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Quite complete."
Chen Yuchuan was adjusting the screen recording equipment when he just smiled.
The laptop's cooling fan hummed softly. Chen Yuchuan leaned back in his chair, took a cigarette from his pocket, but didn't light it; he just left it dangling from his lips. Shen He glanced at him, then got up and opened the window.
"I really don't smoke." Chen Yuchuan took the cigarette off his hand and twirled it between his fingers.
"I told you before, go ahead and smoke if you want." Shen He sat down and adjusted his position. "What are you pretending for in front of me?"
He could sense the restless aura emanating from Chen Yuchuan, an aura that Chen Yuchuan didn't want to reveal, but which was undeniably present.
Chen Yuchuan turned to look at him and smiled: "Why don't you say now that smokers smell bad after thirty?"
Shen He was stunned for a moment.
That was a long time ago, when they had just met. The two of them skipped class and went to the rooftop. Chen Yuchuan would always lean against the wall smoking, his face gloomy, looking like he had seen through the world.
Shen He thought this person was quite ridiculous. He saw a video on his phone and casually forwarded it to Chen Yuchuan.
The doctor solemnly explained the dangers of smoking in front of the camera, emphasizing that "men who smoke have bad breath and body odor, which becomes more obvious as they get older, and by the time they are thirty, they are basically walking ashtrays."
Chen Yuchuan immediately replied with a question mark, while Shen He ignored him.
Chen Yuchuan pressed further, "What do you mean?"
Shen He found his reaction quite funny and replied, "I'm just concerned about you."
"..."
After that, Chen Yuchuan did restrain himself, but only in front of Shen He. He would always dissipate the smell before getting close, but Shen He's nose was particularly sensitive. As soon as the faint smell of smoke drifted by, he knew that this person had smoked again, but he was too lazy to call him out.
Looking back now, Shen He thinks they were both quite immature back then, but there's nothing wrong with that. He smiled slightly and said, "Just tell me, wasn't I concerned about you?"
Chen Yuchuan put the cigarette back in his mouth, looked at the faint smile on Shen He's face, and felt his irritation dissipate a bit. He asked him, "Then why don't you care about me anymore?"
He then added, to himself, "I only smoke occasionally now, because I'm afraid you'll dislike it if it gets too smelly later."
Shen He glanced at him and tapped the back of the chair with his fingers: "Come on, if you were really scared, you would have quit long ago."
He paused, then said, "I can't be bothered with you. Someone else will take care of you in the future."
Chen Yuchuan mumbled, "It's up to you." He took the cigarette off the table, casually opened a can of beer, and said, "Alright, that's enough. Let's get started."
Shen He glanced at him but said nothing more.
The game has finished loading, and the familiar interface appears on the screen.
“The later chapters are completely different,” Chen Yuchuan said. “There will be several different endings after this part is finished.”
Shen He handed the handle to Chen Yuchuan: "Who told you that?"
"Of course, it's inside information from my relative." Chen Yuchuan's lips curled into a smirk, still with that shameless look.
"Alright, I won't ask anymore." Shen He took out his controller, knowing that Chen Yuchuan wouldn't admit it no matter how he asked. "Let's try to clear the game today."
The two were very close, and Chen Yuchuan could smell Shen He's scent—he couldn't quite describe it, but it was clean and refreshing. Chen Yuchuan felt his mind was in turmoil again.
The second half of the story was unexpectedly quiet. The fog still shrouded the world, but there were far fewer battles. Puzzle-solving and plot were interspersed, and Chenhe stopped playing and quietly looked at the text.
"Is this the protagonist's memory?" Chen Yuchuan asked.
“It should be,” Shen He said. “In previous storylines, the protagonist was always on the run, but it was never explained why he was there.”
"So he created this fog himself?" Chen Yuchuan was too lazy to read the plot, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards the person next to him.
“No,” Shen He said, “but he trapped himself here.”
Chen Yuchuan didn't respond, but just kept looking at Shen He. Shen He looked at him very intently, and from the side, he seemed a bit aloof.
Shen He turned his head away speechlessly: "Why are you staring at me?"
"Can't I just look at you because you're good-looking?" Chen Yuchuan coughed, his tone once again self-righteous.
"Dude, don't scare people." Shen He thought of the random comments on the forum and couldn't help but laugh.
Actually, I feel that the protagonist is very similar to Shen He from before, but Chen Yuchuan pretended to be relaxed and said: "They all say that brothers are the easiest to fool."
"Stop joking, bro." Shen He picked up on the joke.
"See, I thought you were joking."
Both of them couldn't help but laugh, but the game atmosphere was still tense. The fog disappeared, replaced by nothingness, and the characters walking in the interface were just black silhouettes.
"How come this level is..." Shen He paused, "...completely empty?"
"Only when you have nothing can you start over." The subtitles suddenly appeared on the screen, and Shen He was stunned for a moment.
This section picks up the pace, with the protagonist moving forward and occasionally encountering NPCs who stand by the roadside, their faces blurred, saying things that seem unrelated. "Where are you going?" "There's nothing ahead." "Go back, it's safe in the fog."
These words echoed in Shen He's ears, as if trying to tempt him to turn back, but Shen He ignored them, simply continuing to move forward with his character. Chen Yuchuan noticed his movements and suddenly spoke:
"Online play is pretty good; at least the main character isn't alone anymore."
"It's pretty good." Shen He seemed completely immersed in the game and didn't pay much attention to Chen Yuchuan.
However, this made it convenient for Chen Yuchuan to paddle around, drinking beer while watching Shen He, since Shen He was too focused to notice his gaze.
As you near the end, the controller vibrates every few steps, as if the protagonist is panting. There are no items or words along the way, only an endless road.
"This part is so boring, how long will it take?" Chen Yuchuan didn't seem to be playing the game seriously and couldn't help but complain.
"If you don't understand the game, shut up." Shen He was speechless. It was obvious that this person didn't care about anything else when playing games except fighting and killing.
As the character finally stepped onto the last step, the clouds dispersed. Mist swirled beneath his feet, but could no longer reach him. The blood-red moon sank below the horizon, and the sky gradually turned blue.
Shenhe put down the controller, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath. The character began to move forward automatically; the path led to an unknown place, but at least it was no longer shrouded in mist.
The ending animation slowly appears. The scene flashes back to the first three chapters: the bloody chase, the desperate escape, the endless loop. The scenes shatter one by one, and in the last shot, the protagonist is surrounded by dissipating mist, and in front of him is an endless starry river.
The production team credits started scrolling, and Chen Yuchuan clicked "skip".
The room fell silent; no one spoke.
"This game is alright," Chen Yuchuan said after a long time.
"Um."
"We're really amazing, we got the true ending in one go."
"Give me a break." Chen He almost laughed when he said that. He was so self-righteous while paddling. But then he remembered that Chen Yuchuan had said that before, and he thought Chen Yuchuan was being silly for remembering such childish things.
Chen Yuchuan took a swig of beer, turned his head, and stared at the profile of Shen He's face. Whether it was the alcohol or something else, a faint smile appeared on Shen He's face, like some kind of unreal illusion.
"Sinking in the river."
"Um?"
Where do you think the protagonist ended up?
Shen He was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know. But at least it's not in the same place."
Chen Yuchuan chuckled softly, almost inaudibly. He finished his last bottle of beer, his gaze still fixed on the bottle. "True," he said, "just keep moving forward."
Shen He noticed his gaze and turned to look at him. Chen Yuchuan looked drunk, with an indescribable emotion in his eyes. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, and a strange feeling welled up in their hearts. Shen He simply broke the awkward silence by saying, "You know that drinking too much makes you smell bad, right?"
"..." Chen Yuchuan sobered up a bit, his Adam's apple bobbed, he looked away, and said with a hint of speechlessness, "It must be hard to be your brother, you can't smoke or drink."
"I can't let you down, let me treat you to another street food meal." Shen He stood up. He had eaten quite a few snacks, but Chen Yuchuan seemed oblivious to hunger, only drinking.
Chen Yuchuan then realized it was already past midnight and he was terribly hungry. He got up to wash up, and the person in the mirror looked a bit more composed, though he was still a little drunk.
When he came out, Shen He was standing at the door putting on his coat. The two went downstairs, and the night breeze made Chen Yuchuan feel even more dizzy. He unconsciously reached out and put his arm around Shen He's shoulder, bringing the two of them closer together.
The aroma of barbecue wafted over, and the owner brought the grilled skewers to the table. Chen Yuchuan didn't eat much; he mostly drank.
Shen He could tell he was in a bad mood, but didn't try to comfort him. Seeing that it was quite late, he finally asked:
"Have you had enough to drink?"
"Hmm." Chen Yuchuan leaned back in his chair, his voice muffled.
After paying the bill, on the way back, Chen Yuchuan was clinging to him, staggering and almost being dragged along by Shen He. His breath reeked of alcohol. Shen He subconsciously turned his head to the side; he really didn't like the smell of alcohol.
Chen Yuchuan's movements stiffened for a moment.
He didn't say anything, but loosened his grip on Shen He's shoulder slightly and turned his head to the other side.
Back in the dorm, Chen Yuchuan collapsed onto the sofa. Seeing his half-dead state, Shen He couldn't help but say, "You're going to sleep on the sofa if you don't want to wash up."
Chen Yuchuan seemed a little out of it. Shen He had thought he was faking his death, but to his surprise, he actually slowly took off his coat, staggered into the bathroom, and took a quick shower.
Shen He also felt sleepy. After a quick wash, he pushed open the door and found Chen Yuchuan sitting on the sofa, staring at him with a strange look in his eyes.
Shen He paused, then asked him, "What's wrong?"
There was no answer. The next second, Chen Yuchuan suddenly stood up and hugged him tightly.
The movement was swift and forceful. Caught off guard, Shen He was knocked back a step, his back slamming against the doorframe. Chen Yuchuan's arms were tightly wrapped around his waist, his head bowed to the side of his neck, his breath hot.
"What are you doing?" Shen He frowned, his tone turning serious, and gave him a push, but Chen Yuchuan's hand tightened abruptly, preventing him from moving.
Shen He felt something was off. The atmosphere was strange all night. Chen Yuchuan hadn't been acting right when he arrived. He was drinking while playing games and drinking again while having a late-night snack. He was still like this now that he was back, as if he had a relapse.
"Let go," Shenhe said in a low voice.
Chen Yuchuan remained motionless.
"Chen Yuchuan".
Chen Yuchuan seemed not to hear.
Shen He took a deep breath, grabbed Chen Yuchuan's arm, and forcefully pushed him away. Chen Yuchuan staggered, but quickly leaned back. This time, Shen He didn't hold back, grabbing his arm and slamming him against the wall.
"Get out if you cause another drunken scene." Shen He's voice was cold.
Chen Yuchuan leaned against the wall, looking at him. His eyes appeared somewhat unfocused in the dim light, yet they also held a certain stubbornness.
"I'm not crazy," Chen Yuchuan said in a low, hoarse voice.
"Then what are you doing?"
"Can't I even give you a hug, bro?"
"No." Shen He released his grip and turned to walk towards the bed.
Chen Yuchuan stood there, watching Shen He's retreating figure. After a few seconds, he walked over and lay down on the bed. The bed wasn't small, but it felt cramped with two adult men lying down. Shen He turned to his side, his back to him.
Chen Yuchuan suddenly spoke, his voice clearly slurred with drunkenness: "Zhou Wen... has come to see you again?"
Shen He's eyes were already closed; he was incredibly sleepy. "Yes."
He didn't think too much about how Chen Yuchuan knew; he just felt that after a whole night of commotion, all he wanted to do was sleep.
“Zhou Wen…” Chen Yuchuan’s voice was muffled, “He and I used to…”
"Oh," Shen He replied perfunctorily.
"I'm serious." Chen Yuchuan propped himself up, leaning closer, his voice more slurred, "Zhou Wen... he just... he just likes you..."
He stopped halfway through his sentence, as if he had forgotten what he was going to say.
Shen He opened his eyes, looked at the person in front of him who was still talking despite being drunk, and was finally speechless: "What exactly do you want to say?"
"Stay away from Zhou Wen." Chen Yuchuan's eyes were unfocused, and he mumbled something incoherently: "Why are you hugging him?"
Shen He stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Since you like Zhou Wen so much, why don't you go have dinner with him tomorrow?"
Chen Yuchuan was stunned.
“Perfect.” Shen He lay back down and closed his eyes. “I promised him we’d have dinner tomorrow. Since you care about him so much, you can go in my place tomorrow.”
"You agreed to have dinner with him?" Chen Yuchuan's voice suddenly became more clear-headed.
"right."
Why did you agree?
"Why are there so many whys?" Shen He was annoyed; all he wanted to do now was sleep.
After saying that, Shen He didn't bother to pay any more attention and lay back down with his eyes closed.
In the darkness, Chen Yuchuan stared at the ceiling for a long time without moving, his emotions fluctuating under the influence of alcohol. He didn't know if Shen He was asleep, but he didn't care. He just hugged Shen He tightly from behind. Why could Zhou Wen do it, but he couldn't?
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