132: E-sports genius forced love 2

Lin Xia moved into an apartment near University Town.

It was twenty kilometers away from the VITAS team base, far enough and safe enough.

She even changed her phone number and deleted all her social media accounts, hiding herself completely like a startled bird.

She wanted to stay away from Lu Chen, but at the same time, she also wanted to get closer to Zhou Yu'an, because Zhou Yu'an was the cheerful, sunny boy she truly yearned for.

Not a lunatic like Lu Chen.

That weekend, she deliberately went to a coffee shop for a chance encounter.

"Lin Xia?" Sunlight streamed through the coffee shop's glass window as Zhou Yu'an sat down opposite her with two lattes, his smile dazzling. "What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you here."

Lin Xia smiled slightly. Zhou Yu'an was a substitute player for the neighboring team, with a cheerful and warm personality, completely opposite to Lu Chen's gloomy and obsessive nature.

"I heard you retired?" Zhou Yu'an pushed a cup of coffee towards her. "That's such a pity, you were such a good support player."

Lin Xia's fingertips trembled slightly.

Of course, she couldn't say that she fled in a hurry to avoid Lu Chen.

"Yeah, I wanted a change of environment." She lowered her head and stirred her coffee, the latte art quickly dissolving, just like her confused thoughts at the moment.

Zhou Yu'an suddenly leaned closer: "Actually, our team is looking for an analyst, would you consider—"

"No need." Lin Xia reflexively refused, then realized her overreaction and softened her tone. "I... don't want to be involved in the e-sports circle for now."

Zhou Yu'an glanced at her thoughtfully but didn't press further. Sunlight fell on his profile, coating it in a warm golden halo.

Lin Xia thought in a daze, this is what a normal person should look like.

Unlike that person... always living in the shadows.

*

Wen Ci's second "chance encounter" with Lu Chen was at the community's recycling room.

She was carrying a large stack of empty delivery boxes, swaying as she walked towards the recycling bin, but tripped on a raised floor tile, and the cardboard boxes scattered all over the floor.

"Oh dear—"

A pair of well-defined hands suddenly appeared in her line of sight, helping her pick up the scattered boxes. Wen Ci looked up, meeting Lu Chen's deep, gloomy eyes.

"Thank you!" Her eyes lit up. "Are you here to throw out trash too?"

Lu Chen pursed his lips and nodded without speaking, then put the neatly organized boxes into the bin and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Wen Ci jogged to catch up. "The wontons from last time... did you like them?"

The young man's steps paused slightly, his profile looking particularly stern under the streetlights, yet with a strange hint of gentleness. "Mm."

What a cool and distant type.

Wen Ci couldn't help but blink: "Do you not like to talk?"

Lu Chen lowered his eyes and didn't speak. Wen Ci took a step closer and smelled a faint scent of tobacco on him: "You smoke? That's not good for your lungs."

Lu Chen didn't know why, her light, simple concern could make him flustered, even if it wasn't much concern, just a reminder.

But his heart felt a tickle, a strange emotion filling him.

He hummed again.

Wen Ci couldn't help but whisper a complaint, "You're so aloof, never mind, I won't talk to you anymore, I'm leaving now."

After she finished speaking, she waved and smiled as she left, but Lu Chen's heart felt a chill. When he looked up, he could only see her lively, bouncing back, and a wave of loneliness swept over him.

Did she dislike him?

Was he really too aloof?

This was the first time Lu Chen had doubted himself, and he felt a strange panic.

He squeezed his fingers, deciding to say a few more words next time.

It's just that he wasn't very good at interacting with people, and the game world didn't require him to speak.

He preferred to be a lone wolf.

But meeting Wen Ci was the first time he had the urge to change himself.

*

Wen Ci's keyboard was broken.

To be precise, she "accidentally" spilled black tea on her mechanical keyboard. She was currently squatting at Lu Chen's doorstep, holding the broken keyboard, her other hand hesitating whether to ring the doorbell.

The door suddenly opened from inside.

Lu Chen looked down at her. His freshly washed hair was still dripping, and water droplets slid down his neck into his collar.

He was wearing a simple white T-shirt, his collarbone faintly visible, less sharp than usual, and his handsome features were even more captivating.

"Uh..." Wen Ci looked up, showing a pitiful expression. "My keyboard is broken. I heard you're an e-sports player? Could you help me take a look..."

Lu Chen's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then fell on the wet keyboard: "Water got in?"

"Yes!" Wen Ci nodded vigorously. "I need my computer urgently, and I can't type a single word now..."

Lu Chen turned and went inside, but didn't close the door.

Wen Ci's eyes lit up, and she quickly followed him in.

The apartment was even more minimalist than she had imagined, with black, white, and gray tones, almost no signs of daily life.

The only striking feature was the top-tier e-sports setup in the living room, three monitors side by side, with the keyboard glowing with a cold blue light.

"Sit." Lu Chen pointed to the gaming chair.

As soon as Wen Ci sat down, her wrist was suddenly clasped. Lu Chen had leaned in at some point, his other hand resting on the back of the chair, trapping her in a small space.

"Don't move." His voice was very soft, but his breath brushed her ear. "You know who I am."

This was not a question.

Wen Ci's heart raced, but she pretended to be calm: "Of course, you're Lu Chen, my neighbor."

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes. Finally, he let go, took out a spare keyboard from a drawer, and handed it to her: "Use this."

"Thank you."

Lu Chen's Adam's apple bobbed. He took her keyboard and went to patiently repair and test it.

Five minutes later, Wen Ci also walked over and secretly observed his profile, noticing that his eyelashes were surprisingly long, casting a small shadow in the light.

"Why did you move here?" he suddenly asked.

Wen Ci tilted her head: "The school is close. What about you?"

Lu Chen's fingers paused on the keyboard: "Quiet."

"Oh..." Wen Ci drew out the sound. "So am I being very noisy now?"

Lu Chen didn't answer. The air was so silent that she thought he wouldn't speak, but he finally did. This time it wasn't his previous aloof style of just a single 'mm' to solve it.

He had made progress; this time he said two words, "No."

Wen Ci smiled contentedly.

*

Lin Xia began to deliberately interact with Zhou Yu'an, so she could finally forget Lu Chen's past control and restriction of her freedom. However, she gradually seemed to notice something off about Zhou Yu'an, but in a blink, it seemed as if she had imagined it.

She brainwashed herself, it's fine, Zhou Yu'an is a hundred times better than Lu Chen, he must be her future true love.

As for Lu Chen, no matter how much he liked her, she would never go back to him.

*

Wen Ci found that Lu Chen's balcony and her balcony were only separated by a very small gap. It felt like if the windows weren't sealed, she could just climb over.

One weekend morning, she was watering her plants, and when she turned around, she saw Lu Chen leaning on the opposite balcony, smoking.

In the morning light, smoke curled around his silhouette, creating a strangely lonely beauty.

"Morning!" Wen Ci waved energetically.

Lu Chen visibly stiffened, and ash fell on his pajama sleeve. He quickly extinguished the cigarette like a student caught red-handed. "You... woke up so early?"

"Watering my succulents." Wen Ci pointed to the plants at her feet, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you want to get one too? It's much healthier than smoking!"

Lu Chen threw the extinguished cigarette butt into the trash can. This time, he turned and looked at her eyes firmly, saying, "I'm quitting smoking, starting now."

Wen Ci was stunned, not expecting him to be so serious all of a sudden. She found him adorable like this and couldn't help but chuckle, "Quitting smoking is said to be very difficult, can you really just quit like that?"

Lu Chen pursed his lips again, his handsome face full of conviction, "Yes, I can do it."

He had only been smoking for a few months, and actually, the smell wasn't pleasant to him, but every night when loneliness crept in, he would still smoke.

And he never smoked in public, at most only a few cigarettes at home.

But now, he suddenly didn't want to smoke anymore.

"Wow, then good luck!" Wen Ci cheered him on. Lu Chen nodded at her, then stared at her with that kind of deeply affectionate gaze that made Wen Ci blush a little. She stammered, changing the subject,

"Um... I always lose when I play games, can you carry me? I've done my research, you know. You're Lu Shen, the world's number one jungler, skilled with the hero Shadow Kill, the FMVP of the World Championship. Carrying me definitely won't be a problem..."

Sunlight fell on her upturned face, her eyelashes tipped with gold, her eyes full of anticipation.

Lu Chen's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he finally said two words, "I can."