TT Chapter 23. Play, Play, Play Games

In just the span of three minutes, faced with Tang Yin’s sincere questions, Chen Ting instantly reverted to his classic mode of “Not listening, not knowing, Ting Ting doesn’t know.” He focused hard on mixing his sizzling rice, shook his head with wide-eyed innocence, and gave the same answer no matter what she asked.

“I really don’t know.”

Tang Yin was clearly disappointed. But after a moment of thought, she realized that with someone like Pei Yiyao, even if he were friends with Chen Ting, he probably would not share something as personal as who he liked. So she stopped pressing and shifted the topic to lighter ground, asking instead about Pei Yiyao’s hobbies and preferences.

That was when Chen Ting realized something troubling.

He did not actually know what Pei Yiyao liked.

He always ordered Americanos and was good at basketball, but did he truly like those things? He had never really said so.

The only thing he could say for sure was that Pei Yiyao liked him.

The thought made Chen Ting’s ears take on a suspicious pink tint. The more Tang Yin asked, the deeper the color spread.

Meanwhile, Yang Shulin was still digging curiously. “So you’re not giving up on Pei Yiyao? Planning to keep chasing him?”

Tang Yin nodded. “I never thought I’d succeed in just one try. If he were that easy to get, he wouldn’t be cool at all. Besides, he said he liked someone. He didn’t say he had a girlfriend. That means he hasn’t won them over yet. Which means I still have a chance.”

Yang Shulin nodded seriously. “Makes sense. I support you.”

Chen Ting: “…”

Tang Yin grinned. “Thanks. If I really do win him over someday, I’ll treat you both to a meal.”

Like Yang Shulin, Tang Yin had the kind of outgoing personality that made her easy to talk to without being annoying. Chen Ting looked at her bright, animated face and felt a strange sense of guilt, especially when she bought him a bottle of Yakult and handed it over with a smile. That guilt only grew stronger.

“I don’t need it. You should drink it yourself,” he said, shaking his head to decline.

“Come on, no need to be so polite. We’re heading off now!” Tang Yin shoved the Yakult into his hand and took a few steps away, only to turn back and glance at him again. Girls had no resistance to someone like Chen Ting. He blushed when talking, sat upright like a proper little student, and had that soft, adorable look that just invited affection.

A boy like Chen Ting seemed made for sitting on a tiny stool, sipping Yakult through a straw.

But reality did not match the fantasy. Chen Ting did not poke in a straw. He tore off the seal and drank it down in one go, then opened his mouth and let out a full-on Yakult-flavored burp. Yang Shulin watched with wonder.

“Tsk. Classic Ting Ting. Even someone who gets tipsy off RIO manages to look drunk on Yakult.”

Chen Ting was suffering. Sweet milk only made a troubled heart feel heavier.

“Hey, Ting Ting, look. Isn’t that Pei Yiyao over there?”

“Where, where?”

The moment Chen Ting heard Pei Yiyao’s name, he turned his head on instinct. Then he dove behind Yang Shulin, terrified that Pei Yiyao would catch him and start whispering embarrassing things again.

Yang Shulin scratched his head. “Oops. I think I got it wrong.”

Chen Ting muttered, “Let’s just go back.”

With a blank face, he stepped out from behind Yang Shulin. As far as he was concerned, nothing had happened at all.

On the other side of campus, Pei Yiyao was currently interrogating Xu Yiming for advice. His tone was far from humble, mostly because he thought Xu Yiming’s suggestions were all nonsense with no scientific backing.

YogurtYiming: I’m begging you, Yiyao ge, trust me just this once. You’re not going to win him over like this. You barely send him a single message a day. What kind of chasing is that?

Pei Yiyao: I did send a message.

YogurtYiming: “Did you eat” is the start of a conversation, not the end!

Pei Yiyao: Chen Ting is not the clingy type who likes texting all the time.

YogurtYiming: That still doesn’t cut it. At the very least, ten messages a day!

Ten minutes later.

YogurtYiming: Wait a second. Did I just see a legendary name?
YogurtYiming: Chen Ting? My Ting ge??
YogurtYiming: You actually like my Ting ge???
YogurtYiming: Since when did you go crooked, Yiyao ge???!!!

Pei Yiyao: You’re overreacting.

YogurtYiming: [kneels down and bangs head emoji]

The shock hit Xu Yiming like a truck. He stopped replying altogether for a long time.

Pei Yiyao lost patience and set his phone aside. After a brief pause, though, he picked it up again and finally decided to send a message to Chen Ting. He really was the type who disliked chatting on messaging apps. He had no interest in carefully curated social feeds or all the micro-business promotions flooding the platform. If he had that much free time, he would rather solve an extra problem set or memorize another formula.

Whenever he wanted to talk to Chen Ting, or wanted to see him, he would usually go find him in person. That was how he had always done things.

But maybe Xu Yiming had a point. Chen Ting was different. And if they could not be face to face, then using a phone to stay connected was not such a bad idea.

Pei Yiyao: What are you doing?

When Chen Ting received the message, he stared at it several times just to make sure he had not misread it. Was this really from Pei Yiyao? Since when did he start messaging people just to chat?

Donghu Crab King: Getting ready for afternoon classes.

Pei Yiyao: Where’s your class?

Wow. He really was just here to chat.

Donghu Crab King: Dexin Building.

Pei Yiyao: I’m at Qiuzhen.

Perfect. One in the north, one in the south. No chance of running into each other.

Donghu Crab King: I’m heading to class now.

Pei Yiyao: Going to the library tonight?

Donghu Crab King: No time tonight either.

Pei Yiyao: ?

Donghu Crab King: I’m playing games in the dorm!

Chen Ting suddenly realized that gaming made for an excellent excuse. Pei Yiyao was the type of cool guy who took things seriously, worked hard, and valued truth. If he found out that Chen Ting was a slacker obsessed with video games, maybe he would stop liking him.

As expected, Pei Yiyao did not reply for a long time.

Chen Ting let out a quiet breath of relief, but a faint sourness crept in. He rubbed his nose, picked up his books, and went to class with Yang Shulin.

All the way until evening, Pei Yiyao still had not sent another message. Yang Shulin invited Chen Ting to join him at English Corner, but Chen Ting turned him down. He had made a decision to follow through on what he said and stay in the dorm to play games.

He was not very fond of socializing to begin with, and he only ever played single-player RPGs. The game he was playing now was one he had already completed, but there were still plenty of side quests scattered across the map. Hunting remained an eternal source of entertainment. On top of that, there were all kinds of ancient tombs and pyramids waiting to be explored.

Tonight, Chen Ting decided, he would sneak into a pyramid.

Curtains, check. Cola, check. Flashlight, check. Overhead light, check. Bathroom light, check. With everything in place, Chen Ting logged in, entered the target area, climbed the pyramid, crawled into the entrance, and started lighting every brazier he could find.

The tomb was pitch black. Chen Ting kept thinking something would crawl out of a corner and attack him. So every time he spotted a brazier, he lit it without hesitation, bringing a little light back into the world.

There was a rare material in the tomb called flint. If you collected fifty pieces, you could take them to the altar at the Sphinx and trade them for a set of Forerunner gear. Chen Ting thought the outfit looked amazing. It came with a hooded mask, and the shoulders, elbows, and other joints were etched with glowing patterns. It was seriously cool.

Ten minutes later, Chen Ting was completely lost in the winding tunnels of the pyramid.

He knew it. That tomb was dark and terrifying, no lights and snakes everywhere. Sure, the lurking danger made things exciting, but the lack of a map was downright unfriendly to someone like Chen Ting, who had no sense of direction.

Knock, knock!

The sudden sound of knocking startled Chen Ting, who had been carefully navigating the dark zone. His hand jerked, hit the wrong key, and the torch slipped right out of his character’s hand.

He was furious.

Without saying a word, he grabbed the flashlight from the desk, switched it on, and rushed to the door. “Yang Shulin, you—”

Oh no. It was his suitor, Pei Yiyao.

Pei Yiyao looked at Chen Ting, who was poking his head out with a flashlight in hand. His eyes shifted past him to the dim interior of the dorm. After a moment of silence, he asked, “What are you doing?”

Chen Ting replied with a blank face and a single word.

“Grave robbing.”

He was so mortified that he could not even react anymore.

Pei Yiyao nearly cracked his cool-guy expression. He stepped forward to enter. Chen Ting tried to stop him, but with his small frame, there was no way he could block Pei Yiyao. One strong arm swept him aside, and Pei Yiyao was already inside.

“I was just playing a game. Didn’t I already tell you that?” Chen Ting blurted, trying to sound righteous again.

Pei Yiyao took one look at the game screen and understood everything. Most people, even if they were exploring tombs in a game, would not go so far as to turn off every light, draw the curtains, and prep a flashlight.

Clearly, Chen Ting had a real fondness for spooky and suspenseful things.

Next time they went to the movies, he would know exactly what to pick.

Standing behind him, Chen Ting mumbled under his breath, “Why are you here?”

Pei Yiyao placed the warm walnut milk on the desk, turned around, and gestured for Chen Ting to sit down.

“I came to see you.”

“I get it, I get it, I get it already!” Chen Ting should never have asked. No matter how he asked, the answer was always something like “I like you” or “I wanted to see you.”

Pei Yiyao gave a quiet reply. “Mm.”

Chen Ting had no idea what that “mm” was supposed to mean. He figured Pei Yiyao probably had no intention of leaving anytime soon, so he gave up on turning the lights on. At least in the dark, he could not see Pei Yiyao’s face, which helped ease some of his awkwardness.

But just five minutes later, he started regretting that decision.

The darkness blurred their expressions, but it also stirred something else. Ambiguity began to build. The warmth between them seemed to rise. Pei Yiyao leaned in so close that Chen Ting could feel his breath brushing against his neck.

All his senses seemed to sharpen in that moment.

But getting up to turn on the light now would feel far too deliberate.

Chen Ting had no choice but to keep playing the game, forcing himself to focus. He was already terrible at directions, and now he was completely lost, wandering around the tomb like a maze with no end in sight.

Suddenly, a quiet laugh sounded near his ear. He could feel the vibration of Pei Yiyao’s throat, the low rumble reaching all the way to his skin.

“What are you laughing at?” Chen Ting was so flustered it felt like even his curls were standing on end. Hadn’t this guy just confessed to him? If he was lying, he deserved to get his head cracked open.

Pei Yiyao didn’t offer any explanation. He leaned in and gently wrapped an arm around Chen Ting, reaching past him to cover his hand on the mouse. With a light click, the character onscreen turned away from the pile of coins Chen Ting had circled past several times and began heading in the opposite direction at full speed.

“This is the right way.”

The deep, steady voice sank straight into Chen Ting’s ear. His whole ear started to burn. He could feel the steady rhythm of Pei Yiyao’s heartbeat through his chest, calm and strong.

From the corner of his eye, Chen Ting spotted a glowing yellow crystal on the screen. His mind blanked, and he blurted out, “I want that stone. I can trade it for the outfit.”

Pei Yiyao’s voice was quiet and warm.

“All right.”