Chapter 9 – Lucky to Meet
“Hello! The person wearing the red clothes!”
The urgent voice of the aunt selling flatbread caught Lin Xingling’s attention. He turned his head and saw her waving at him.
His first reaction was that she needed help, so he quickly walked over and asked, “Are you calling me?”
He had delicate eyebrows and a youthful appearance… He shouldn’t be a child’s father; maybe he’s a brother or something.
The aunt silently calculated in her mind and then replied, “Yes, are you looking for your child… No, is your younger brother missing?”
“Younger brother?” Lin Xingling thought for a moment and said, “No…”
Then, feeling uneasy, he took out his phone and sent a message: “Auntie, wait for me to send a message home to confirm.”
【Long Legs Club】
[DCT-Stars: Who is at the training base now? Reply to this message. @All members]
Within ten seconds, everyone replied.
[Don’t have 460: Me.]
[Xiao Pei, I’m level two: I’m here with Little Pei!]
[Phantom:…]
[Brother Feng: Have you found the shooter? If you haven’t, you better come back, or I’ll chop off your hand.]
Brother Feng is still furious!
Lin Xingling counted to four and then confidently told the aunt, “No, the children are all at home.”
“Oh, I see. That’s fine then. Thank you. Sorry for taking up your time.”
The aunt waved her hand at him and then poked the “white dough” hidden next to her little cart with a rolling pin. “Get up.”
The “white dough” shrank in a pitiful manner.
“Tsk, I’ve been talking for so long, explaining so much, but it’s all useless.” The aunt sighed in frustration and advised, “Stop hiding, get up quickly. He’s not your father or your brother; you mistook the person.”
Lin Xingling took a few steps to the right and looked in the direction the aunt was referring to. Without his glasses, he couldn’t see clearly, but he could roughly make out the figure of a small child squatting on the ground.
A runaway child from home… Hmm… Maybe he’s not getting up because the aunt spoke too harshly?
Thinking this way, he put his index finger to his lips and made a soft sound, silently instructing the aunt not to criticize the child anymore. Then he slowly bent down and used his slender fingers to gently stroke the child’s hair.
“Be good, tell uncle if there’s something.”
“…”
His heart was beating fast, and Cheng Che felt like he might die.
Damn it, at a time like this, Stars doesn’t recognize him; why did he have to act like this?
Being a coward is fine, as long as they don’t meet… But the aunt is so good at stirring up trouble! Oh, aunt, spare me and let Stars leave… it’s so embarrassing.
He could feel the other person stroking his hair, gentle and comforting. Cheng Che’s face was burning painfully, but ultimately, the desire to see Star’s opinion overcame the embarrassment, and he weakly raised his head.
Their eyes met, clear and filled with stars, and within Star’s eyes, there was a faint clarity.
Between the azure, specks of white light.
The current Lin Xingling was probably just over twenty-one years old, with a youthful look on his face. His freshness and handsomeness exuded a kind of masculine beauty. At this moment, he was looking at Cheng Che deeply, his gaze filled with tenderness…
It should be tenderness, a gentle feeling… that’s what Cheng Che thought.
He remained silent, placing his hand in Lin Xingling’s outstretched hand and allowing him to pull him up.
“Ah, I thought you were a real child since I wasn’t wearing my glasses… Sorry, sorry for the offense.” As he spoke, Lin Xingling took out his glasses case from his pants pocket.
After putting on his glasses, he finally saw who was standing in front of him. “Clear?”
“Yeah?”
Does Stars recognize me now? It doesn’t seem like it… But maybe he saw me play those few games?
Cheng Che couldn’t think clearly.
But now, Senior Stars is really standing in front of him, alive and real, not a dream.
Moreover, the current Stars is twenty-one years old, and Cheng Che’s mental age is also twenty-one. In that case, they can be considered peers.
Peers on equal footing.
He can’t be timid; he must show grace and composure.
Cheng Che silently encouraged himself in his heart and nodded, “It’s me, Senior Stars.”
Stars is the current four-time champion of KPL and also the strongest jungler in the league. It is only natural to address him as “senior,” which doesn’t sound unfamiliar or presumptuous.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
…Lin Xingling didn’t know what Cheng Che was thinking, but he felt that the way this child looked at him was a bit pitiful.
Damp and wet… like a little kitten without milk to drink.
The little kitten tried to find something to say, “It’s late… Senior, are you taking a walk outside?”
“Yeah, I am.”
The aunt, seeing the two of them chatting, suddenly got excited, “So, you two really know each other?!”
Without uttering another word, she seized Cheng Che’s hand and forcefully thrust it into Lin Xingling’s hand, exclaiming, “That’s what I thought! You, young one, swiftly escort this child back to his family, so they don’t have to wait anxiously.”
Take this child away quickly, it’s so annoying.
“Okay, okay.” Lin Xingling nodded perfunctorily, a master of nonchalance.
“And, um… I…” Cheng Che wanted to explain to the aunt that he wasn’t a runaway or anything, but before he could finish his sentence of fewer than five words, he was pulled away.
The aunt: Looking pleased with herself.
I’ve done another good deed, I’m great.
When they reached a place where the aunt couldn’t see them, Lin Xingling stopped and turned to look at Cheng Che standing beside him. He smiled, “You played well in today’s match.”
Ah… I’m being praised…
Cheng Che felt flustered in his heart, but he pretended to be calm on his face, “It was… an average performance.”
Stars saw my game… Then… Did he watch the post-match interview…
Lin Xingling shattered all his speculations with one sentence, “We won tonight, why aren’t you celebrating with your teammates? Why did you come alone to the street… to eat flatbread?”
Suddenly, he forgot what the aunt was selling.
The aunt: 🙂
↑This is my expression for you.
He indeed didn’t watch the post-match interview!
Cheng Che pouted in dissatisfaction and replied, stuttering, “The victory… has nothing to do with me. My… contract is expiring soon, and I will soon be… released from the team.”
Stammering, cute, and sounding completely without any temper.
Without beating around the bush, Lin Xingling, after a slight contemplation, went straight to the point, “Have you found a new team?”
“Not yet.”
Cheng Che shook his head, looking straight into Lin Xingling’s clear blue eyes.
Madly hinting.
If he remembers correctly, Stars transitioned to become the assistant coach of the K Division during the spring tournament of 2018. Under his guidance, the DCT team won the K Division championship and secured a temporary spot in the 2018 KPL autumn tournament.
In the autumn of 2018, Stars led the team as the jungler and captain, winning the championship in the autumn tournament and earning an invitation to the Winter Championship Cup.
They were the runner-up in the winter championship, runner-up in the following year’s spring tournament, and runner-up in the World Championship… The K Division team, DCT, competed in the KPL for over a year, achieving one championship and three runner-up positions, causing a great sensation in the league.
Afterward, the team disbanded, and Stars returned to the SYG team, while the remaining team members joined different KPL teams, never to be mentioned again.
In the autumn of the same year (2019), Clear officially joined the KPL as the starting marksman for TG, embarking on his own journey to chase “Stars.”
“I am TG-Clear, and the professional player I admire the most is SYG-Stars.”
…
In this lifetime, Cheng Che happened to be reborn in the summer of 2018, at the moment when DCT was reestablished… Honestly speaking, he really wanted to join this legendary team.
Being able to fight side by side with Stars was one aspect, and the other was… he had a wish for a four-time championship in one year.
If he teamed up with the members of the DCT team, it should be relatively easy to achieve.
“Ah…”
Lin Xingling pursed his lips and smiled, “What a coincidence.”
Unconsciously, Cheng Che tightened his grip on the bag of mooncakes in his hand, focusing his attention on listening to him speak.
“Our team is currently lacking a marksman player. Clear, if you don’t mind, you can come and give it a try. We can discuss the salary and compensation, so feel free to bring it up.”
Sure enough, his performance in tonight’s Eastern Division finals was noteworthy. At least, he had already impressed Stars.
Cheng Che lowered his gaze and asked, “Are meals and accommodations included?”
“Of course.”
Wasn’t that the most basic treatment? Lin Xingling looked at the child in confusion, and upon closer inspection, he noticed the dark circles around his eyes and how he seemed drowsy and worn out…
Suddenly, he seemed to understand something, “TG doesn’t provide you with meals?”
No wonder he ran to the roadside in the middle of the night to eat dry bread…
“Cough…”
Not only that, he had to buy his own meals as a substitute player and pay rent and utilities for the dormitory at the club. When the TG team got tough, they even wanted to exploit their own players.
These undisclosed reasons were ultimately due to the abundance of TG’s online fanbase. They could manipulate public opinion as they pleased.
Cheng Che didn’t say anything more, but Lin Xingling had already grasped the situation.
The child had suffered too much… His face was thin, his body frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. Lin Xingling couldn’t understand how those people at TG could bear to treat him that way.
“Come back with me, I’ll make you some noodles.” Lin Xingling patted his shoulder and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice.
Half anger and half pity.
“…” Cheng Che remained silent.
“I also have a carton of AD milk for you.”
“Okay.”
He still loved drinking AD milk, just like three years later.
…