Volume 3 - CH 2

Playing Fish Trapped in Secret Room

Book 3: The Glory on the Other Side

Chapter 2

Ai Qing was amused by it all.

After witnessing it numerous times, she was already used to seeing people challenge Dt to a game, but she never expected that someone would ask him to play in a computer store.  She was nonetheless excited by the prospect.  What was it like?

It was like something from wuxia novels, where a strong man was challenged by a stranger.

She pulled his sleeve and standing on her tiptoes to get close to his ear and whispered, “Hurry.  I’ll buy you candy if you win.”

……

Dt felt her breath subtly brush behind his ear, then he picked up the controller quietly without knowing why.

Then, the man who just won the grand championship of an offline StarCraft game stood in a narrow aisle in a computer store playing three matches against a hefty fellow.  He held the controller keenly aware of the girl next to him.  She smiled with one hand placed on the glass counter and the other hand supporting her cheek watching the TV.

As for his opponent:

His was headshotted in a swimming pool before seeing anyone……

He was already lying dead underneath the parasol before he saw anybody……

He became a corpse at the entrance of the gate before he saw anybody……

The guy put down the controller and scratched his hair.  “You’re pretty good.”

The man being praised didn’t seem to hear.

Dt was partially zoned out when they got into his car and drove out to the address she told him.

He reached a very quiet small community after about twenty minutes of driving.

There were arrays of high buildings and both sides of the street packed with parked cars.

Apparently, the underground garages were not big enough for all the residents living in these tall buildings, being forced to park on the streets.

His driving ability was quite underwhelming compared to his ability to play video games, so the famous “God’s Left Hand” was embarrassedly stuck in the middle of the road.  The car in front of him was trying to drive out, but the car behind him was trying to drive in------

“Damn.”  Ai QIng was also helpless.  “I don’t know how to drive, I can’t help you.”

He pursed up his mouth, regretting that he had not practiced driving more while he had time back in Norway.

So he was sandwiched between two honking cars, finally he drove the car slowly over and parked it.  He got out of the car without an umbrella, put his hands into pants pockets, and ran into the gate of the unit of her home.

As she was putting away her umbrella, he spoke, “I’ll be leaving then.” He didn’t see any more reason to stay after walking her to the entrance of her home.

What he hadn’t expected was that the girl in front of him, without looking at him, suddenly asked him in a tiny voice, “You’ve never been to my home, right?”

It seemed as if electricity surged through his ear.

He uncertainly asked, “Your home?”

Ai Qing had been preparing herself ever since she exited the car and finally mustered enough courage to ask him after they reached the doorway.  She was a little bit apprehensive after his response.  She used the umbrella tip to poke at the ground and pressed the button for the elevator without answering him.

Fortunately, he didn’t ask any more questions otherwise she would’ve rescinded the invitation.

They embarrassedly faced each other until reaching the twelfth floor.  There were six units along a corridor and the second door from the end was her home.

She opened door and threw the key onto the table in the living room.  She changed into slippers at the foyer and searched around before pulling out another pair of white, cotton slippers which had been obviously taken from a hotel,  “......this should be large enough?”

It was just large enough to fit.

He replied her with his actions.

After he entered the room, Dt found to his surprise that this wasn’t the home which Ai Qing shared with her parents-- --

The open living room, with a thick carpet, stacked with various game periodicals, magazines, and movie DVDs.

The dark blue leather sofa was sunken in, she probably slept on it frequently.  She definitely did, because there was a pillow on it.

To the left, there were a bedroom, a bathroom, and a little kitchen.

To the right…...The door was half open, he could see a computer and other equipment inside so it must be office for live broadcasting.

This was…...truly her home.

Her own home, where she lived by herself.

“Are you flying to Guangzhou tomorrow?”  She came out from the bathroom shortly.  She must have washed her face as her hair on both sides of her ears were slightly wet.  “I didn’t know until this morning.  Solo and Gun reached an agreement that we’ll play in the Shanghai region and you guys in the Guangzhou region.”

It was a good idea so the two teams would not face each other before the national finals.

If these two big clubs were to compete in the same region, then that region would be called a death zone.

He nodded, “The ticket was originally for tomorrow morning, now it’s for the afternoon.”

“I see.” She looked at him, “Why do you keep standing there?”

……

Feeling awkward, he sat down on the sofa.

Dt suddenly realized that his lack of social skills was magnified a thousand fold at this moment.  He tried to find some subject, but it would be too business like to talk about games and too boring to talk about competitions.  What about…...computer programming?  Probably something that only interested him.

But what else could they talk about except these?  He combed his brain to find a relaxing and interesting subject, but, in the eyes of Ai Qing, it was just another awkward moment of silence……

She tore open a small package of tea,  “Is Big Red Robe[1] black tea ok?”

“No problem.”  Dt saw the tea bag in her hand and nodded.

“Why do you sit up so straight?”  She put the tea leaves into a small teapot and poured a bottle of mineral water into the water kettle.  Then she pressed the boil button.  “This is my home, not an interview site.”

A bitter laugh echoed in his mind.

He would feel more relaxed if it was an interview.

In order to calm his nervous mood, he took a cup in his hand.  He pretended to be interested in it and played around with it in his hand.

The water began boiling shortly.  The water kettle was bubbling and steaming on the induction cooker.

Ai Qing was a little bit distracted until he said, “Water is boiling.”  She came to herself and hurried took the kettle, but she overlooked the steam spraying out from the kettle.  Fortunately he pulled her wrist away in time.

Everything seemed to slow down the moment they touched.  An image rapidly passed before his eyes.  It was Solo who went to the airport personally to pick her and Inin up.  He rubbed Inin’s hair and turned his head to smile at her softly and spoke in low voice……

Ai Qing tried lightly to pull her wrist back.

She pulled out her wrist successfully but her hand slipped into his palm.

He suddenly tightened his fingers.

His dark eyes were as clear and pure as the sky.  There was her, and only her, in his eyes.  His heart was thumping fiercely inside his chest.  He was afraid that the opportunity would quickly escape from him.  “Ai Qing.”

Originally, Ai Qing stood stupefied, unsure of what to do.

But she came to her senses the moment she heard her name and forcefully pulled her hand back and stepped away from him.  Her face was red and pale.  She poured water into the teapot in a panic and then poured tea from the teapot into the tea cup.  The moment she handed the cup over, she immediately retracted the cup.  “No, no.  I haven’t made tea for a long time.  This was the first round of water to wash the tea leaves, not for drinking……”

Dt was quiet.

He was frustrated that he began to despise himself.  He was so scared that everything would just go back to its original state.  Would his eager and impulsive actions make her feel disgusted?  Would she think that he was too frivolous?  Different emotions depressed his already heavy heart and only made him more anxious.

Then the sound of something shattering broke the silence.

The small teacup was broken inside his hand……

Both of them were shocked.

[1]: The literal English translation of an actual type of tea: 大红袍 , “da hong pao”