Chapter 18: Mo Jingchun’s Hand Injury Relapses
Mo Jingchun was a bit off today, Song Qi thought. The two of them often duo-queued, and Mo Jingchun’s mechanics on Sun Shangxiang today were obviously discounted compared to usual. Mo Jingchun evidently realized this too, pressing his lips together without speaking.
Song Qi: “Brother, did your hand injury relapse?”
Song Qi hit the nail on the head. Mo Jingchun tapped the crystal a few last times to blow it up, then placed the gaming phone on the table. He didn’t speak, just lowered his head and stared at his wrist silently. Song Qi sent a message to the team doctor asking him to come over, then took Mo Jingchun’s sore wrist and massaged it gently, trying to make him feel a bit better.
Mo Jingchun’s Adam’s apple rolled, his eyes dark and unclear. After a long while, he spoke: “Little Song, I want to retire…”
Song Qi froze upon hearing this, then pretended not to hear and continued massaging his wrist. He only felt upset and confused, full of anger with nowhere to vent. He tried hard to calm his emotions, not answering the question but asking back: “Without holding a trophy, are you willing to retire just like this?”
Willing? This question stumped Mo Jingchun. Of course he wasn’t willing. FM had debuted at the peak, and the sudden valley of losing their Mid Laner left everyone unable to adapt. Everyone held a breath of frustration in their hearts.
Song Qi: “…Brother, at least finish playing the next season, okay?”
Aside from Chi Jing who had signed a contract for the new season, none of the others had renewed their contracts yet. If Mo Jingchun wanted to leave, no one could keep him. There was a hint of pleading in this sentence. Mo Jingchun just stared at his lowered head, feeling the warm touch on his wrist.
Mo Jingchun: “…Okay.”
Take it as his own selfish desire. Once he left this base, the number of times they would meet would be an unknown variable. Their homes were one in the north and one in the south; wanting to meet would mean crossing half of China. Just consider him greedy.
After the team doctor arrived, he asked a few routine questions and began the examination. Mo Jingchun’s hand injury was the most severe among them. To practice last-hitting and build muscle memory, with a minimum of six hours of training every day, and constantly trying out meta heroes, his wrist, which worked all year round without rest, finally couldn’t hold up anymore.
“Go to the hospital tomorrow for an X-ray. If it really doesn’t work, you’ll need a cortisone shot (nerve block).”
Mo Jingchun responded indifferently. After the team doctor packed up, Song Qi saw him out. Mo Jingchun just sat on the sofa like that, staring unblinkingly out the window. It’s almost Chinese New Year, he thought.
When Song Qi returned, he saw Mo Jingchun leaning back in the chair looking out the window. The balcony outside set off his whole person, radiating an aura of decadence. Song Qi just sat next to him and turned his chair back around.
Song Qi: “Brother, what are you thinking about?”
Mo Jingchun said, “Just spacing out, not thinking about anything.”
Song Qi, who had spent countless nights wondering why his heart raced and he suffered insomnia when seeing Mo Jingchun, finally, belatedly, realized the fact: “My brother likes me.” He didn’t have any misgivings, but he hadn’t forgotten that part of Mo Jingchun’s kindness toward him came from the brother he had never met.
But he just wanted to try. After all, Mo Jingchun liked him too, didn’t he? He, Song Qi, was not anyone’s substitute, nor Mo Jingchun’s biological brother. Why couldn’t he fall in love with him? He brainwashed himself over and over, but retreated every time he saw Mo Jingchun’s eyes.
If Mo Jingchun hadn’t said he wanted to retire today, Song Qi felt he could hide it for a lifetime, never saying it out loud. Time would wash away that love. He subtly felt that Mo Jingchun liking him was just an older brother liking a younger brother. But the suppressed emotions he occasionally saw in those eyes always defeated him.
Song Qi: “Brother, want to date? With me.”
A single sentence struck Mo Jingchun like a thunderclap. He opened his mouth, his fingers gripping the edge of the chair turning slightly white. His lips moved for a long time without uttering a word. He just stared at Song Qi in a daze, the suppressed emotions in his eyes almost breaking through the soil.
“Brother, I said I like you. I want to date you, want to…”
Before he could finish, Mo Jingchun suddenly grabbed Song Qi’s arm, pulled him onto his lap, and kissed him directly. His hands shackling Song Qi were still trembling slightly. He raised a hand to cup the back of Song Qi’s head, the other arm hooping his waist, pressing him tightly against himself. From shallow to deep, Song Qi was kissed breathless. The quiet space allowed hormones to spread unscrupulously.
Mo Jingchun, who had always been restrained, finally lost control of his long-suppressed feelings. His heart beat heavily, his dark eyes reflecting desire. The kiss, lips and teeth intertwined, was unusually fierce. Like someone who had been starving for a long time, he pried open his teeth and deepened the kiss.
It wasn’t until Song Qi was breathless and pushed against Mo Jingchun’s chest with both hands that he barely stopped.
“This is my true face. Still want to be together?”
Song Qi was dazed from the kiss, but hearing this, he nodded without hesitation. Mo Jingchun laughed deeply, his hand gently rubbing Song Qi’s waist as he teased:
“Can you handle it? I’m not as good as you think. If one day you don’t love me anymore and want to leave, I will definitely tie you to my side, no matter what means I use.”
In late December, Shanghai was still snowy. Mo Jingchun put on a coat, tied a scarf for Song Qi, and led him by the hand to the garage. They had to go to the hospital for a checkup anyway; better to choose today than wait.
Sitting in the passenger seat, the blush on Song Qi’s face had not yet disappeared. It wasn’t until the car started and the scenery along the way flashed outside the window that he realized he wasn’t dreaming. Not only was he together with his teammate and “brother,” but they had kissed on the first day of being together, and it was… Song Qi couldn’t believe it. Everything went too smoothly, overly smooth.
“Fasten your seatbelt.”
Mo Jingchun’s low, husky voice awakened Song Qi. He finally shook off those messy thoughts. Anyway, they were together now; there would be plenty of time in the future.
Mo Jingchun found his reaction somewhat amusing, muttering to himself: “This person was bold enough to confess directly to me just now. Why is he burying his head in the sand like an ostrich now? Where did that domineering energy go? Could it be he’s starting to feel scared now?” He couldn’t help but find it interesting, the corners of his mouth rising slightly to reveal an imperceptible smile.
Song Qi looked at his smile and felt aggrieved. Taking advantage of the red light interval, he grabbed the man’s collar and pressed his lips heavily against the other’s.
The man obviously hadn’t expected Song Qi to make such a sudden move, his eyes widening in astonishment. But soon he recovered, the corners of his mouth rising slightly, allowing Song Qi to do as he pleased with him.
Song Qi sucked the man’s lips hard, as if venting the dissatisfaction in his heart. His fingers tightly grasped the man’s collar, nails sinking deep into it, as if to tear the fabric.
The man sat there quietly, letting Song Qi kiss him. His eyes revealed an indescribable tenderness, seemingly enjoying this moment of intimate contact.
As time passed, Song Qi gradually calmed down, realizing his behavior was a bit excessive. He slowly released the man’s collar, a blush rising on his face, not knowing how to face the man in front of him.
The man looked at Song Qi silently, a trace of playfulness flashing in his eyes. He gently smoothed his collar that Song Qi had messed up, the smile on his lips becoming more obvious.
The green light turned on, the car restarted, and the atmosphere inside became unusually awkward. Song Qi turned his head away, pretending to admire the scenery outside, but couldn’t help observing the man’s reaction out of the corner of his eye.
The man drove in full focus, that faint smile always hanging on the corner of his mouth.
Recommended Reads
