Chapter 15: It's Fine, I'm Just Walking Around
"Phew... Huff..."
Early in the morning, Lin Wan arrived at the north gate, breathing heavily.
"I'm not too late, am I?"
Last night, he stayed up late watching a horror movie with his two roommates.
It definitely wasn't because he was too scared to sleep!
After waiting for a while, Zhuo Feng took out two hot steamed buns and a bag of milk, then stuffed them into Lin Wan's hands.
"Don't worry. The match starts at nine. It's not even eight yet."
After climbing onto the back seat of the bicycle, Lin Wan took a bite of the bun.
"How much was it? I'll transfer the money to you later."
After making sure Lin Wan was sitting steadily, Zhuo Feng started pedaling.
"No need."
"Yes, there is!" Lin Wan wasn't the kind of person who liked taking advantage of others. Besides, other people's money didn't just fall from the sky.
"Fine. One hundred yuan."
Lin Wan almost choked on his bun.
"What kind of bun costs that much?"
"The bun isn't expensive. Neither is the milk."
"Then why is it one hundred?"
"Most of the cost is labor."
"Huh?"
"I got up early to buy breakfast for you. These legs of mine need maintenance too, right?"
"Are your legs made of gold?"
"Pretty much."
"I'll send you five yuan. Take it or leave it!"
"Deal! Thank you, Master Lin! Please sit tight, we're speeding up!"
Hiding behind Zhuo Feng's broad back to block the cold morning wind, Lin Wan rolled his eyes and quietly ate his bun in small bites.
They hurried into the internet café.
"What's wrong? Were you being chased by a dog?" Han Jinsong looked at the two of them rushing in while holding half a loaf of bread.
"He's afraid of being late." Zhuo Feng pointed at Lin Wan.
Chen Jie waved his hand.
"Even if you're late, it's no big deal. We'll just let the next group play first and go on after you arrive."
Lin Wan blinked in surprise.
*You can actually do that?*
Chen Jie: Sorry, but sponsors can do whatever they want.
"By the way, have you two eaten? There are bread, eggs, steamed buns, and fried dough sticks over there. Take whatever you like." Chen Jie pointed at a small table in the room before walking out to check the ten computers that would be used in the competition area.
Lin Wan looked at the pile of breakfast on the table and felt his heart ache.
He could have saved those five yuan!
He puffed out his cheeks, frowned slightly, and secretly shot someone a resentful look.
Pretending not to notice, Zhuo Feng calmly walked past him, turned on his computer, and started warming up.
Their opponents that morning felt even weaker than Sun Mao's team from yesterday.
In less than fifteen minutes, they summoned the Rift Herald, pushed straight through mid lane, and ended the game in one attack.
Even playing against AI didn't feel this easy.
After the match, there was no team practice for the rest of the morning, so Lin Wan began walking laps around the internet café.
His teammates were completely confused.
"What are you doing?" Zhuo Feng couldn't understand his behavior at all.
"Nothing. I'm just walking around." Lin Wan waved his hand.
He was trying to increase his step count for his daily task. He was still far from today's goal.
As noon approached, more and more people entered the internet café.
Feeling embarrassed to keep walking around in the main hall, Lin Wan wandered back into the practice room.
Inside, none of his teammates were playing games anymore.
Instead, they were all gathered around one computer, watching something.
Lin Wan walked behind everyone and leaned forward to look at the computer screen.
It was a live broadcast of a League of Legends match. Two teams were fighting back and forth.
T1 vs TL
The World Championship had officially begun!
While watching the match, everyone shared their thoughts about the game.
They had to admit that the pace, teamwork, and positioning of the world's top teams were on a completely different level from a small team like theirs.
They could fight, compete for objectives, and still never fall behind in farming.
This was what a great match looked like.
Everyone watched with great interest until one hour before their afternoon match, when Chen Jie stopped them and told them to go warm up.
Their afternoon match was a little more difficult than the morning one.
It lasted four minutes longer, but they still finished it in under twenty minutes.
After the match, Lin Wan played three solo ranked games and then three five-player ranked games with the team.
That was the end of the day's training.
At nine o'clock that night, they walked out of the internet café and immediately felt the cold wind rushing toward them.
It would be December in just a few days, and the weather was getting colder every day.
Lin Wan pulled up the hood of his hoodie and turned down Zhuo Feng's offer to ride on the back of his bicycle.
"You guys go ahead. I have something to do."
Actually, he had nothing to do. He just wanted to earn more steps.
"Alright, we're leaving first."
Yu Sen rode away on his electric scooter with Ding Hanwei sitting behind him.
The evening wind carried Ding Hanwei's faint shouting behind them. "Damn it! Slow down! Are you trying to freeze your dad to death?!"
"What's wrong? Is it because of another video or those comments aga—"
Zhuo Feng thought someone had said something unpleasant again, but before he could finish, Lin Wan interrupted him.
"No. I just want to take a walk. I'll buy a few things from a shop on the way."
"Alright. Call me if anything happens."
Since Lin Wan said so, Zhuo Feng left with Han Jinsong on their bicycles.
Watching his teammates disappear into the distance, Lin Wan tightened the strings around the collar of his hoodie and slowly walked toward the school.
The cold wind really made his legs feel chilly.
It was like tiny needles poking at them.
After walking for a while, his body gradually warmed up.
He asked the little spirit in his mind, "Spirit, how many more steps do I need to finish today's task?"
"Just a little over four thousand more~"
I walked around for such a long time this morning. How am I still missing so many?
Four thousand steps...
Based on his height, each step was about 0.4 meters, so it was a little less than two kilometers.
That's not too bad.
He walked slowly, watching the busy traffic and crowds of people.
Then, for no clear reason, a feeling of sadness suddenly filled his heart.
Many people were walking with friends, chatting and laughing.
He felt like he didn't quite belong among them. He let out a cloud of white breath.
Maybe he had gotten used to the noise from his roommates and teammates.
Being alone now felt a little strange. It surprised him that he had become used to lively company.
In the past, he probably would have preferred being by himself.
When he was alone, all kinds of random thoughts filled his mind.
Sometimes he thought about his parents.
Sometimes about his studies.
Sometimes about his illness and the upcoming matches.
Lost in those thoughts, he unknowingly arrived at the school gate.
At the security booth, someone noticed him approaching and stopped chatting with the old security guard.
The person walked out of the booth and stood in front of Lin Wan, who had been looking down at the ground.
With the streetlight behind him, his face was hidden in the shadows.
"Weren't you going to buy something?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Wan looked up. He couldn't clearly see the other person's expression.
"Why are you here?"
Zhuo Feng shrugged and nodded toward the security booth.
"I came to get on good terms with the security guard, just in case I come back late one night and can't get through the gate."
"And while I was at it, I warmed myself by the heater in the security booth."
"I see."
Is that really the reason?
Lin Wan started walking forward.
Zhuo Feng picked up the bicycle that had been leaning against the security booth and walked beside him.
Lin Wan sniffed the air.
He smelled cigarette smoke.
"Did you smoke?"
As far as he remembered, his Zhuo Feng didn't smoke. He had never seen Zhuo Feng smoke before.
"No."
Zhuo Feng shook his head.
"The old guard likes to light a cigarette while talking about the old days."
"What was he talking about?"
"The time when he was a soldier and fought in wars."
"The old guard has actually been on a battlefield?"
"You're underestimating him."
"An old veteran is still an old veteran."
"That's true."
Lin Wan looked up at the thin crescent moon in the cold night sky.
Somehow...
This winter didn't seem quite as cold anymore.