Chapter 24
The entire base fell into a long period of anxiety.
After Qu Xing collapsed, he was rushed to the hospital, where tests revealed a heart condition. As to whether it was a genetic disease he inherited from his father, the results wouldn't be available for a week after the genetic test.
The doctor, assuming Ling Yin was a relative like his brother, warned him in advance: This disease is highly hereditary, and since this particular incident happened to be a heart problem, he should be mentally prepared. Judging from his current condition, the onset is premature, and he still has several years to go, depending entirely on treatment effectiveness and luck.
In the following days, although Qu Xing said that he was no longer feeling unwell, Ling Yin still couldn't control his emotions and kept wanting to check on Qu Xing. He was completely out of form during training.
【southhhhh:? ? ? Wind? 】
[southhhhh: Your account has been hacked? ]
southhhhh: Are you crazy?
[southhhhh: Damn, I can’t believe this is the move you made]
[southhhhh: You can't even use leg hair to control it like this, right? Wind God?]
[southhhhh: MD, if I wasn’t a professional player, I would have clicked it.]
[southhhhh: I'm really angry. No matter who you are, get off the Wind God.]
Ling Yin didn't even glance at South's angry outburst. He knew he wasn't in top form. After the round ended, he simply put down his mouse and didn't start the next one for a long time.
In the evening, Ling Yin passed by the conversation room and saw Zhao Hui get up and walk out through the glass door, while Qu Xing was still sitting inside in a daze.
Zhao Hui ran into him when he went out, closed the door, and sighed, "He told me to bring up the substitute AD first."
Ling Yin turned and glanced at him.
Zhao Hui said, "What's up with this kid? He's so calm and composed. He said he could be the backup AD carry's personal coach. If he can play during the one-year contract, he'll do it. If he can't, he'll make sure the backup AD carry is capable of facing top teams."
Ling Yin had never felt so uncomfortable before.
He pushed open the glass door and went in. Qu Xing was sitting lazily in the chair as usual. When he saw Ling Yin coming over, he just looked at her quietly and then looked away.
Ling Yin couldn't help but gently touch his face.
Qu Xing raised his face and smiled: "What?"
"Nothing." Ling Yin half-sat on the table, occasionally fiddling with the hair behind Qu Xing's head.
There was a floor-to-ceiling window in front of me, but the view wasn't particularly good. Aside from scattered lights, dark shadows obscured my view. Even if the lights were on everywhere, it would still appear chaotic and suffocating.
Ling Yin had never realized there was such a poor view in the base. He wanted to ask Qu Xing to sit somewhere else, but seeing how lost in thought he was, he kept silent. He sat close to him, barely appreciating the unsightly view.
Qu Xing was quiet for a while and suddenly started twitching his nose.
Ling Yin was startled, thinking he was crying. When she lowered her head, she realized he was sniffing around.
"What's wrong?" Ling Yin stopped fiddling with his hands: "Is Zhou smoking in this room again? How about changing..."
Qu Xing moved closer to his abdomen and sniffed for a while before leaving, wondering, "Why do you always smell so good? What kind of perfume do you use..."
"No." Ling Yin picked up his hair again: "It might be the incense in my room that stained it."
"What does it smell like?"
"I forgot." He said absentmindedly, "It seems to be some kind of mint."
Qu Xing pulled his arm over and sniffed it again: "It doesn't smell like mint."
Ling Yin: "What other flowers... I forgot."
Qu Xing hugged his arm and said casually, "Can I go to your room and smell it?"
Ling Yin: "Okay."
Qu Xing looked up at him and smiled.
Qu Xing hugged his arm and didn't let go. The two of them sat quietly for a long time, until Ling Yin saw through the glass that Qu Xing's eyes gradually closed, then opened again sleepily, and closed again, the whole weight of his head pressing on him.
Ling Yin moved his arms: "Go back to sleep if you're tired."
Qu Xing didn't move: "Why are you sleepy so early? Isn't it only 11 o'clock?"
Ling Yin raised his wrist: "It's 12 o'clock." He rubbed his head and said: "Don't worry about the time, just go to sleep if you are tired."
"Okay." Qu Xing pulled him up, hugged him tightly, closed his eyes and stopped moving.
Ling Yin patted him on the back.
After a long while, Ling Yin finally couldn't help but let out a short laugh: "Why don't you move? Either I carry you up? Or hold you in my arms, choose one."
Qu Xing opened his eyes slightly: "Back."
Ling Yin pushed him away slightly, walked around to the front, and half-knelt down: "Come."
Qu Xing smiled and lay on top of him.
Ling Yin's steps were steady, and his breath on his neck was warm. Qu Xing didn't want to come down so quickly, so he leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Can you take the stairs?"
Ling Yin held him steadily, "Yes."
But even so, it wouldn't take too long to walk down one floor. Stopping at the door, Ling Yin tilted his head and asked, "Are you going to my room or your own?"
Before Qu Xing could say anything, Ling Yin added, "Or I can carry you around again."
Qu Xing couldn't hold it in any longer and buried his head in laughter for a while: "Reply to my own."
Only when they reached the bed did Qu Xing bear to get off Ling Yin and lie down on the bed.
Ling Yin helped him take off his shoes first, then squatted down, looked at his face with his eyes closed and said, "Take off your coat, shall I help you take it off?"
Qu Xing had fallen into a dream for a moment. A low and gentle voice reached his ears, and his frown subconsciously relaxed a little: "Hmm..."
Ling Yin treated him like a baby who needed careful care, and he was extremely gentle as he slowly helped him take off his coat. He also pulled out the quilt from under him and covered him up.
"Good night." Ling Yin said.
Qu Xing did not respond.
Ling Yin stood up, stared at him for a long time, and was about to leave when his hand was suddenly grabbed. He paused and turned back to squat.
Qu Xing looked into Ling Yin's eyes with clarity and explained, "I'm not sleepy anymore once I lie down."
Ling Yin: “Yeah.”
Qu Xing leaned back to make some space, and patted his hand and said, "Why don't you tell me a story?"
Ling Yin smiled and said, "I can't tell stories."
Even though he said that, he still sat over and took out his phone: "Can I just pick one?"
Qu Xing dozed off in bed, his face full of happiness: "Go ahead."
Ling Yin directly entered "children's bedtime stories" into the search box and began to read: "The little duck who goes to bed on time..."
Qu Xing opened his eyes wide and punched him: "What are you talking about?"
Ling Yin covered his fist while laughing: "No, this is the name of the story."
"Will you tell me a children's story?" Qu Xing asked with his eyes open, then continued, "Okay, then tell me."
"There's a little duck on the farm..." Ling Yin paused, but couldn't help but say, "His name is Xingxing."
Another fist came up, but it was weak. Qu Xing rolled out of the bed, holding him tightly with one hand, and snatched the phone with the other hand, taking a look at it: "Can't you read, Ling Yin?"
He tapped the screen: "My name is 'Ya Ya'!"
Ling Yin tilted his head and smiled, trying to pry his arm away from his neck. Qu Xing simply removed his hand and placed it around the back of his neck. With his other hand, he yanked open his collar and tossed the phone inside.
Qu Xing: "Just read it carefully!"
Ling Yin was wearing this one, and when his cold phone fell into it, he couldn't help but bend over. Then he looked up with a smile, and just as he took out his phone, Qu Xing let go and stepped back.
Ling Yin pressed Qu Xing's waist and pushed him in front of him: "Why are you running? I'm not bullying you."
Their breaths suddenly became so close that they practically mingled. They held this position, staring into each other's eyes. For a few seconds, they even felt like kissing. But Qu Xing simply lowered his head, kneeling over him, and remained motionless.
"Then let me tell you a story." Qu Xing said.
Ling Yin said "hmm".
"A long time ago," Qu Xing paused, "there was a star."
Ling Yin laughed.
Qu Xing slapped him: "Don't laugh."
Ling Yin nodded: "Okay."
"This star... was so naughty, it kept twinkling all day long. Grandma's eyes were dazzled by it, so she got angry and took the star off. And guess what happened?"
Ling Yin thought for a moment and said, "Give the stars to others."
Qu Xing: "Who is it for?"
Ling Yin pretended to think for a moment and said, "Give it to me. My eyesight is better."
Qu Xing smiled and nudged him, "You have a point... Grandma inlaid a beautiful shield around the stars, like a diamond. This way, the stars' light is weakened, but the beautiful diamonds refract the light into brilliant colors. From then on, the stars hung beautifully in the sky."
Ling Yin curled his fingertips and whispered, "Is it over?"
"It's over." Qu Xing left Ling Yin and lay back down, closing his eyes and saying, "I was talking in my sleep."
Ling Yin sat quietly beside him for a long time, until he heard Qu Xing's breathing gradually calm down, then he stood up and walked out quietly. When he passed the cabinet in the entrance hall, Ling Yin suddenly stopped and looked at the ceramic ornament in the center of the cabinet.
It was a 30-centimeter-tall humanoid figurine. Its body was all white, its face neither male nor female. Its palms were clasped together, its eyes were tightly closed, and it was facing a gust of wind. Its long hair and tattered clothes were all flowing backwards, yet its posture was as if it were walking forward.
For some unknown reason, Ling Yin's fingertips hanging by his side suddenly began to tremble.
After that match a year ago, Qu Xing's fingertips trembled slightly, as if in sync with the current moment. Every detail of the match, Qu Xing's expression during the interview, even the texture of his skin, which he had never noticed before, and the throbbing of his heart at that moment, all came back to him with incredible clarity.
Looking at the ornaments, Ling Yin felt that the beating of his heart was ten thousand times stronger than it was at that time, mixed with countless complex emotions, almost filling his chest. His heart felt so uncomfortable that it seemed like it would explode in the next second, and pain and suffocation came up together.
Did Qu Xing feel the same way before he fainted that day?
Instantly, a powerful and frantic urge washed over him. He wanted, desperately wanted, to get sick with Qu Xing. He wanted to feel the pain his heart ached for, to play with him, to train with him as a substitute, to leave together after a year. He wanted to suffer with Qu Xing, to live out the few short years of his life together, and to die together.
Qu Xing is not just an ordinary teammate of his, but his destined lover since the birth of "Qu Xing".
Ling Yin let out a shuddering breath. He raised his hand and gently touched the closed eyes of the ornament. He turned and walked out.
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The author has something to say: Don’t die, the next chapter will be fine
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