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The audience didn't stop cheering as the final match in the group arena drew to a close.
A disappointed player exited his booth and made his way towards the bench. But the victor had still not emerged and everyone continued to applaud for China's undefeated Qi Master.
Ye Xiu's eyes twitched slightly. It was clear that he was holding himself back from running down to the stage and bursting into the player booth.
"This is the third time in a row.... " said Yu Wenzhou softly. He didn't have to look at Ye Xiu to know his reaction.
Ye Xiu had almost got up, when the player booth opened and out came Fang Rui. The applause reached a crescendo and Fang Rui soaked in the mood with a triumphant smile.
Fang Rui could see the deadly glare coming his way from Ye Xiu but he ignored it and ran to the far side of the bench and squeezed himself between Zhang Jiale and Tang Hao.
Undefeated.
Fang Rui felt a rush of pride as he leaned back.
"Well done... " whispered Tang Hao but before Fang Rui could even respond he quickly got up and ran over to join the discussion for the team match.
Fang Rui was low-key happy that Ye Xiu was in the team match today. If not, he would have come over and started lecturing him.
Fang Rui rotated his wrists slightly. He felt a slight tingling sensation but it was expected after an intense 1V3. He felt Zhang Jiale's gaze on him and looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing. Are you fine?"
"Yeah, of course!"
Zhang Jiale looked like he wanted to say something more but the team match was about to start and Fang Rui got up to go to the restroom.
Fang Rui felt happy thinking of how he had defended his title of the undefeated champion yet again.
While Team China was an incredibly formidable force and no team had dared to look down on them, the one player who nobody could even reach yet was Fang Rui.
Logical explanations included the fact that they had only an years worth of data on his Qi Master and though they could study the videos from his Thief days it still wasn't the same.
But everyone could see it was more than just insufficient data.
Fang Rui played like a demon.
His performance in the game only exploded each round and even experienced players from the other rival teams had commented how his hand speed and style in the matches was a thousand times more intense than the ones they had seen in most videos.
Fang Rui's unbeaten streak was one of the biggest highlights of the World Championships and while every team tried their best to break his record, many acknowledged quite openly that it was a difficult task and it would be better to focus on getting points in other matches than against him.
The media were thrilled to interview Fang Rui who was quite shameless with his achievements but the rest of the team had a surprisingly indifferent attitude.
Even that day after China won the match, Ye Xiu only said that Fang Rui had played well, even though he was the MVP for his significant win in the group arena.
A few toxic people tried to bring up rumours that the rest of the pros in the team were jealous of his achievements but this was instantly squashed by other players back in China as well as many fans.
Fang Rui himself had a feeling he knew the reasons for their indifference but he simply did not care.
He was not just here to fight for the team.
He had his own reasons.
Fang Rui was walking down to the vending machine for a drink when he saw that there were some people already waiting for him.
He came to a halt and stared back at the trio - Ye Xiu, Yu Wenzhou and Zhang Xinjie.
If the three of them were here together it meant serious business.
Humming under his breath, Fang Rui brushed past them and punched in the code to get an energy drink.
"Is there anything you have to say about today's match?" asked Ye Xiu calmly.
Fang Rui was not stupid though and he could sense the passive-aggressive tone.
"I won. 1V3. You guys did great too!"
Fang Rui grabbed his drink and turned to leave but saw that the three had encircled him now.
"We meant from after. You were in the booth for nearly three minutes after the match had ended." said Zhang Xinjie.
Fang Rui's eyes narrowed at this statement which seemed more like an accusation but be took a deep breath and smiled.
"Yeah! It was a 1V3, remember! I know that Mucheng did pretty well with the first guy, but I still had to beat him and then there were the other two! I was just vibing in the moment that's all!"
Fang Rui tried to break past them again, but Ye Xiu grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him back.
Yu Wenzhou quickly tapped Ye Xiu's arm and Ye Xiu let Fang Rui go, but it was clear he was not pleased.
"This was the third time, Fang Rui." said Yu Wenzhou quietly.
Unlike the other two he neither radiated a calm and rational energy nor a passive-aggressive one.
Fang Rui hesitated for a second hearing him speak like that.
Yu Wenzhou continued to speak in the same gentle but firm tone.
"I understand that you want to do everything you can to win. But it is important you understand your limits. Each time you are pushing yourself further, it is leaving you even more drained. I understand the exhilaration at that moment but you need to take into account your personal health too."
"I'm fine!! I know my limits ok!!" Fang Rui gritted his teeth "I'm not stupid! Just let me do my own thing ok!! Or do you think you know me better than I do??"
"No. But that's why we have made a decision." said Ye Xiu.
"What??"
"We are pulling you out next match." said Zhang Xinjie.
"What the hell?!! Who are you guys to make that decision?!! It's my choice."
"It's not. While your performance is impressive, I am not sure of its stability." Zhang Xinjie was not one to mince words and right now his sharp tone cut through Fang Rui's protests ruthlessly "From my analysis, if you continue like this you will only turn into a liability and we require every one of us fit throughout the tournament for optimal team strength. So it is a collective decision that you will sit the next match out."
"Fuck your analysis!" said Fang Rui angrily. He showed a middle finger at Ye Xiu and stormed off.
Yu Wenzhou sighed as this was the very situation he had wanted to avoid. But it couldn't be helped.
"Let him sulk." said Ye Xiu fishing out a cigarette calmly "He will understand it's for his own good."
"I doubt he would. But it will be better for the team in the long run." said Zhang Xinjie.
Yu Wenzhou said nothing for he disagreed with both their views.
It wasn't good for Fang Rui's mental state and his mood would affect the team negatively in the long run. But the damage had been done and the only thing they could do was to carry out their plans.
The next day when Yu Wenzhou was pondering over this in the kitchen, Zhang Jiale approached him.
"You guys.... could have handled it better." he said quietly.
"I know."
Fang Rui had holed himself in the training room after that, refusing to talk to them. Yu Wenzhou wondered if this was just a childish rebellion and if retracting their words from the previous day would get him to go back to his usual state.
But Ye Xiu was unusually stubborn this time.
"It's time he knows he can't always get what he wants."
Yu Wenzhou wasn't convinced if this kind of approach was appropriate for someone like Fang Rui.
Yu Wenzhou always felt that Fang Rui was a slightly wilder and more aggressive Huang Shaotian.
Fang Rui lacked the inner calm and coldness Huang Shaotian had. This kind of thing was very important to detach oneself from extreme emotions and Yu Wenzhou could always talk straight with Huang Shaotian because of that.
But Fang Rui was not just passionate but also more expressive about his own feelings. This made him easier to get along with on his good days but on the bad days extremely difficult to handle.
"The rest will do him good... " said Zhang Jiale as he took a carton of milk from the refrigerator.
He then turned around and shouted "Hey! Tang Hao! Don't you want any milk with your cornflakes??"
"Ah!" Tang Hao dropped his spoon awkwardly but after a moment nodded.
Zhang Jiale poured out all the milk into his cornflakes and threw the carton into the trash. Mumbling a thanks, Tang Hao scooted over to the corner and continued to shove down his breakfast.
Zhang Jiale was used to his skittish behavior by now. At first Zhang Jiale had thought it was due to being the youngest member in their team, but then there was Sun Xiang, another season 7 debutant, who got around fairly with the others.
Zhang Jiale had taken some pity on Tang Hao and even though they never talked much, he made sure to include him in the conversations and activities and at moments like these, make sure the guy ate right.
Tang Hao was focused on his cornflakes. He wasn't sure if he should be hearing the conversation between Zhang Jiale and Yu Wenzhou.
If there was anyone Tang Hao dared to say he knew here, it was Fang Rui. But he couldn't bring himself to speak to him easily. It was a mixture of terror and anxiety which kept him from talking to him.
Though he hadn't been with Fang Rui for long, even he could sense there was something completely different about him.
It didn't feel like Fang Rui.
Tang Hao had seen him training into the night a few weeks back. He was too scared to approach him but he could see an unfamiliar intensity on Fang Rui's face.
Tang Hao understood the others were concerned about Fang Rui but he couldn't bring himself to contribute anything as he felt it was not something he had a say in.
"Zhang Jiale... Maybe you could have a word with him?" said Yu Wenzhou.
"Why me?"
"Ha... no special reason really. You guys sit next to each other in the training room, right? That's why."
"I suppose I can..."
Zhang Jiale wasn't sure if he wanted to do this, but since it was Yu Wenzhou who was asking he didn't feel like refusing either.
The preparations for the next match were in full swing and the team mostly spent their time testing various combinations and strategies together.
Zhang Jiale watched Fang Rui play for a while. He could sense the frustration in each of his moves but he was still confused why Fang Rui was taking it so personally.
Rotation and rest was quite normal especially given Team China had such a diverse group of professional gamers. It was nothing surprising that Fang Rui was being excluded for a day.
"You should slow down a bit" said Zhang Jiale finally.
"Mm..." hummed Fang Rui as he opened another training exercise.
Zhang Jiale wanted to say that so much aggression was not required on a mere AI training module but he could sense the iron wall between the two now.
It made little sense to exclude Fang Rui from the roster, if he still refused to rest but the tactical team were determined to have their way and so in the next match to everyone's surprise, Team China's group arena team no longer had Fang Rui.
Nobody would have complained if things had gone smoothly, but it was a big mess and China lost the game.
The media were ruthless as they tore into the match, especially the group arena.
Sun Xiang had lost a very significant point in the arena and he had failed in the team competition too.
While most people threw harsh criticism at Sun Xiang's performance, there were a few who brought up Fang Rui's absence as the reason for the poor performance. According to them, if Fang Rui had been the group anchor he would have easily turned things around.
Only a few people were rational enough to point out that nobody had played as badly as the media made it out to be and there were many other factors involved too.
In the end, a loss on such a high level stage was practically expected.
The team bounced back immediately though and continued to focus on their training again, undeterred by the ruckus caused by the media ,for they simply did not have time.
Yu Wenzhou was already tired handling the situation with Fang Rui and had been slightly concerned about Sun Xiang's state with the harsh backfire from the media.
But the young Battlemage was quite calm the next day and Yu Wenzhou was glad he was mature enough to take things in his stride now.
Fang Rui was unusually silent after the last game and everyone could sense the nervous tension between him and Ye Xiu.
Su Mucheng was the only one who had tried to talk to them but neither seemed willing to say anything.
As the discussions for the next game started, Fang Rui made his presence known again.
"Put me in. I am your best shot at this. Team Denmark seems to struggle a lot with dirty playing so I can do this easily."
"Not necessary." said Ye Xiu without even sparing him a glance "Shaotian can handle the group arena."
"No. You need him for the team match." replied Fang Rui calmly "His style of hit and run will frustrate them to no end. You can easily pick them off. Put me in the arena."
Ye Xiu continued to list out candidates for the arena, ignoring his words.
"There is some sense in what he says" said Wang Jiexi "I believe a Qi Master is a good match-up against Denmark's classes."
Ye Xiu shot him a deathly glare and Wang Jiexi became quiet, looking slightly confused.
Yu Wenzhou sighed.
Things were going beyond Fang Rui now.
The situation was putting everyone on edge and at this rate the entire team would get affected.
"Put Fang Rui on the list." said Yu Wenzhou.
Ye Xiu looked like he would ignore him too, but Yu Wenzhou was still the team captain and after scrawling Fang Rui's name at the bottom he tossed the pen away and left the room.
The others felt awkward by this strange mood but Fang Rui smiled happily at Yu Wenzhou.
Yu Wenzhou did not smile back because this was not a situation he wanted. He had just chosen the best thing for now.
Fang Rui did not care about Yu Wenzhou's lack of reaction though. He had been training for the last few days and had done his research well to know how to tackle the next match.
Normally, he would not have volunteered so boldly. But right now he had to use every chance that came his way.
He had made a promise.
And he intended to do everything in his power to keep it.
In the next match against Denmark, the team was determined to recover from their previous loss. So naturally every player was determined to win.
The loudest cheers were reserved for Fang Rui though, who had returned for the group arena and after an intense match against the Captain of Team Denmark, Fang Rui won.
Everyone praised the win for it truly was well-fought over, as Denmark's Striker had almost neutralized all of Fang Rui's dirty tricks by pulling him into a direct confrontation.
But in spite of that, Fang Rui's focus hadn't wavered and he had fought back to turn the tables.
"You hoped it would be over before his turn right?" asked Wang Jiexi to Yu Wenzhou.
Wang Jiexi had been given some more insight into the whole situation and after paying closer attention to Fang Rui's game he could finally see what the others were so concerned over.
"I did think it would have been nice..." said Yu Wenzhou "But it's too much to hope that it would be so easy. At least he had to face only one opponent this time."
Fang Rui finally emerged from the booth. He waved to the audience good-naturedly but Ye Xiu could see the exhaustion on his face.
He did not blame Yu Wenzhou for making the decision.
Fang Rui was being quite an ass and the last thing they wanted was for team morale to dip.
Ye Xiu was not the kind to be overly concerned about others but that did not mean he didn't care.
The stress on Fang Rui was quite visible to him. But Fang Rui was too thick-headed to take a hint and that's why they had to be tough on him.
But instead of trying to understand their reasoning, he had only become more stubborn.
In the end Ye Xiu decided that he should leave Yu Wenzhou out of this because as Captain he had many other things to worry about.
An idiot like Fang Rui didn't deserve so much attention.
Ye Xiu was shaken out of his thoughts by a small yelp from Tang Hao. Ye Xiu looked to the side and stared dumbly at the cigarette ash all over Tang Hao's pants.
"Now look what you have done!" said Zhang Jiale with a sigh as be brushed off the ash "If you want to stress smoke, do it elsewhere! Not over the kid's jeans!"
Tang Hao winced at being referred to as a kid but said nothing. He hadn't planned to get sandwiched between two seniors but it was really difficult to plan the seating in advance.
"Ah! Sorry" said Ye Xiu absent-mindedly.
Fang Rui was now talking to Huang Shaotian. Though his face seemed as relaxed as ever, from the way he kept trying to wriggle his wrists ,Ye Xiu knew that Fang Rui was only putting up a brave front.
"He's such a difficult kid!" exclaimed Ye Xiu.
Tang Hao froze thinking that he was the one being referred to but Zhang Jiale looked over at Fang Rui and nodded his head in agreement.
"I've been watching him...Old Ye, did you say something to him? I mean... we all want to win. But he's pushing himself too much."
"I told him to stop! But he's not listening! The first time, I tried not to think too much of it ... in the finals against Samsara. He was exhausted but I convinced myself it was a one-time thing and with this team comprising more people capable on taking the core role, I thought it would be easier for him now."
"But match after match he's only pushing harder... Did somebody insult him or make a bet or something?"
"I don't think he is that stupid... It's like he's possessed." said Ye Xiu.
"No... it's like he has a mission." said Tang Hao.
After a second he become self-conscious because of the two pairs of eyes staring at him.
Mumbling an apology he ran off to find more comfortable company, like Sun Xiang for instance.
Being the two youngest members on the team they did talk a bit amongst themselves but unlike Sun Xiang, Tang Hao still wasn't confident about reaching out to the seniors.
"Zhang Jiale... could you try getting it into his thick skull that if he doesn't go easy on himself there will be consequences?" Ye Xiu looked at Zhang Jiale seriously but the spitfire glared back in suspicion.
"Why are you trying to pull me into this?? Yu Wenzhou already asked me, but I don't want to irritate Fang Rui during training too. I don't even know him that well to talk about something so serious."
"You don't have to know him. You know the serious nature of an injury better than anyone here. That's why I want you to talk to him."
Zhang Jiale went quiet because he knew too well about this.
He could never forget when Sun Zheping had left. Zhang Jiale had never believed there was something like over-training but Sun Zheping's injury had come as a horrific shock.
Sun Zheping never regretted it though. His policy was all-in or nothing. But Zhang Jiale did not think Fang Rui was like that.
"I don't think he understands the seriousness" said Ye Xiu "He's... young. I don't want him to regret it later. If it can be avoided, I want to stop it."
Zhang Jiale did not have to speak to make his own thoughts clear.
He didn't want to see it either.
As Zhang Jiale entered the training room he was not surprised to see Fang Rui was already there. Most of the others had gone to their rooms or to relax elsewhere.
Zhang Jiale himself was planning to get some sleep but he had popped into the training room to switch off the lights.
Fang Rui was sitting quietly in front of the computer, and watching a video analysis.
Zhang Jiale took a quick look and he realised it was the one from that days' match. He was surprised to see the expression of pure dissatisfaction on Fang Rui's face.
"It's the result that counts." said Zhang Jiale .
"I know" Fang Rui closed the video and sat back.
He started to get up but suddenly winced as he put weight on his right hand. He recovered quickly and after flashing a glance at Zhang Jiale he made his way towards the door.
But he didn't make it, for Zhang Jiale had blocked him and before he could even realise what was happening, Fang Rui was pushed against the table.
"Why are you doing this?" said Zhang Jiale trying to keep his voice calm "What happened to you? Do you want to keep pushing yourself until your body gives in?! Is that your plan?!"
After a second of stunned silence, Fang Rui's eyes turned steely and he shoved Zhang Jiale back.
"Why do you care?? Mind your own business!"
"Kid, this is my business." Zhang Jiale did not relent and continued to speak in as reasonable a tone as was possible "I have seen this before, ok. You feel unstoppable... invincible at that moment but it will not last for long.
It's not about your physical condition alone. When you finally realise what has happened it will be too late. You... don't seem the type who can live without regrets. Ease up. Hurting yourself will get you nowhere."
"Shut up! You don't know anything! I'll play the way I see fit!"
"I do know, ok!!" Zhang Jiale finally lost his cool "I watched my Captain and best friend sustain an injury by pushing himself too hard!! It's real! And it's serious!"
"Then why didn't you try to stop him?!" Fang Rui regretted the words the minute they came out.
Zhang Jiale felt the stab clearly but it was something he had always asked himself a million times before.
It was the first time though that someone else had asked him the question.
"I didn't....And I regret it." Zhang Jiale smiled wryly "That's why I'm trying to stop you now. Call me selfish. But I don't want to see a friend of mine get injured again."
"I will be careful." said Fang Rui, his face still guarded "Don't you have faith in me? I know myself better than anyone else. It's only the group arena and it's only until the end -"
"Only the arena....only the championships... Do you really think you will stop with that?! And even then, what is so important that you need to overwork yourself to the point your hands are shaking?!
Do you think we are stupid?!! Each time you get off the stage we can see how hard you are trying to hide your pain!! Yes we have faith in you to do your best! But we don't want you to win at the cost of destroying your health!"
Fang Rui fell silent. He had never heard Zhang Jiale speak like this to anyone let alone him.
"Promise me you will stop." said Zhang Jiale suddenly "You don't need to go so hard to win. Right now you think Glory, the Championships - everything is totally worth the effort. But that's not really true.
Do you think you can accept never playing Glory on the stage again without any regrets? Sun Zheping overworked himself.... You - you are literally breaking yourself intentionally and you are so cocky about it because you think you are young and will recover! Promise me you will stop this stupid attitude and prioritise your condition first!"
Zhang Jiale felt a bit dazed after having spoken so much but Fang Rui's reply left him feeling even more desperate.
"I - I can't."
"What... What do you-" Zhang Jiale considered shaking Fang Rui by the collar until he relented, but he was feeling too tired.
Also there was something about Fang Rui's downcast expression which made him want to comfort him rather than scold him.
"Fang Rui..."
"I can't stop. Not now. Not when I'm doing so well. I - I have a promise to keep too, Zhang Jiale. I made a promise to someone that I would fight hard. Not just for me but for him too. Every step I take forward is not mine alone.
If I ease up for even one moment I know it will be gone. I know I can't play like this forever! I know I will regret it! But what I will regret most is not keeping my promise to do my best. This is my best! I can't let this moment vanish! I plan to push myself to the limit as long as I can!
Yes, I am not like Sun Zheping! But that does not make me any less determined! I don't care about winning or losing! But I have to do everything I can! And I know breaking my limits like this is the only way to do that!"
Zhang Jiale did not say anything as Fang Rui left.
Though Fang Rui's voice had been shaking as he said those words, Zhang Jiale had seen the fire in his eyes.
Zhang Jiale left the room and stood at the corridor wondering whether he should just go back to his room or find Fang Rui again for Round Two.
Suddenly Zhang Jiale saw a wisp of smoke in the air. He looked to the side and saw Ye Xiu was standing there quietly, a half-finished cigarette in hand.
"You... you heard all that?" asked Zhang Jiale.
Ye Xiu nodded and carefully put out his cigarette.
Zhang Jiale could sense something different about Ye Xiu now.
His eyes seemed softer, and when he spoke his voice was rather calm but with a hint of sadness.
'No promise is worth destroying yourself... I believe there is someone else who can settle this once and for all."
Zhang Jiale didn't have to ask who.
There was only one person for whom Fang Rui would be willing to be so reckless for the sake of a promise.
Fang Rui leaned against the balcony railings with a sigh and gazed at the dark sky.
He was feeling rather drained that day.
He hadn't slept too well the previous night, especially after the little incident in the training room with Zhang Jiale. He had forced himself to participate in the training sessions so as to not attract more questions, but he felt more exhausted than ever before.
There was a buzzing from his phone and Fang Rui glanced at the screen.
He didn't recognise the number but answered it, just to check if it was spam.
"Hello, Fang Rui?"
Fang Rui felt his throat go dry hearing that voice. He could recognise it anywhere.
"Old Lin?"
"Ha! Yeah it's me! I hope I did not wake you up. "
"No.. But what's up?? And is this a new number?"
"Yeah, I got a new phone too. Well, more exactly won it in a bet... but yeah anyhow how are you?? "
"I'm great!" Fang Rui laughed out loud to convince himself but Lin Jingyan only sighed.
"Really? Don't lie to me."
"Ah! Not you too!" Fang Rui felt slightly annoyed but he calmed down because there was no point in getting jumpy at Lin Jingyan.
"Ok... so if you are not willing to talk, I will. I have been watching your matches -"
"Impressive right?!" Fang Rui couldn't hold back his delight.
He had never expected his incredible performance would be met with so much coldness by the rest of his team.
Though he tried to assure himself that he was doing this for himself and he didn't need their validation, it did frustrate him that all they did was lecture him and never praise him even a single time.
He felt it was a little bit silly to demand attention but he could afford to act like this around a close friend like Lin Jingyan.
"Fang Rui...... You are so stupid."
Fang Rui was dumbstruck by this reply that he could not speak for a whole minute. Finally he composed himself and spoke again.
"So who put you up to it? Ye Xiu? Or is it Zhang Jiale? I bet that makes more sense since you guys are partners too and he definitely has you just a call away! You know what-"
"Shut up and listen kid, or I swear I will smack you with my phone!"
Fang Rui was taken aback by the fierceness in Lin Jingyan's voice but he was quick to point out the fault in the argument.
"Like that's gonna happen!! You are in China!! I'm in Switzerland!! Let's see you try that!!"
"Good. You still seem to have your sharp tongue about you. Only lost a brain."
"Ah - Who the hell have you been hanging out with??!!! And here I thought you were a nice guy!!"
"Stop trying to distract me! It's not going to work! I'm not going to stop until I'm finished with saying what I wanted to!"
"I can always cut the call."
"I dare you to."
Fang Rui fiddled with the phone quietly.
He probably could just do it, but he doubted whether that would stop Lin Jingyan.
Also it wasn't easy to hang up on a friend.
"Nah... Too much effort. Go on! And if this is about me pushing myself too hard or something then relax! It's just a couple of games and the others are overreacting!"
There was a moment of silence and Fang Rui wondered if Lin Jingyan had dropped off the call. He was surprised that he felt a sense of relief hearing Ling Jingyan start speaking again.
"Ok. So you say you are fine and the others are overreacting? What if I say I don't trust you? And no! I can't look into your honest eyes either!"
"Wha- Ok! Fine! Why are you getting so worked up about this too?! I don't understand why-"
"What's this about a promise, Fang Rui?"
There was an uncomfortable silence as Lin Jingyan's direct question just punched the air out of Fang Rui.
"Old Lin... "
"Don't old Lin me! Did you make a promise to break your bones?! To play so stupidly without any thought?! I do not remember a promise like that!"
Fang Rui bit down on his lip. He was too tired to listen to this now but he mustered up whatever energy he had to shout back.
"I made a promise to keep going forward for both of us!!! To strive harder and do my best! To win for both of us! Is that wrong?!!"
"I can't believe you are so dense!!! Does doing your best mean torturing yourself??! When I asked you to promise me to keep working hard I did not mean for you to kill yourself!! What are you thinking?!!"
"This is my best! All throughout the Season 10 Championships nobody thought I was of any value. But that one match when I did surpass my limits I was accepted again! Acknowledged! That was when I knew if I ever needed to reach my full potential I had to break through like that!!"
"What rubbish!!!"
Fang Rui tried to argue again but his voice was cracking now and Lin Jingyan cut in brutally without waiting.
"Listen here Fang Rui! Don't feel too upset.... but that's a whole bunch of rubbish! What do you mean nobody cared till you were on the verge of collapsing?! The people who did were always around you but if you didn't see it, then you were selfish! Your team! Ye Xiu! Are you saying they never accepted you till then?!!"
Fang Rui wanted to speak but all that came out was a whispery choke and Lin Jingyan continued in the same firm tone.
"The promise we made was that we will both continue to work hard along our own paths and strive for the best. And all so that someday we can play Glory together again without any regrets! I can't believe you forgot this part of the deal!!
Do you think I care about you winning every match by playing like a demon?!! No!! I want us to play together again!! What's the whole point if you are going to exert yourself to the point of sustaining an injury??!
You are not keeping any promises this way!! What's it going to take for you to realise this, huh?!! Keep going until you faint on stage and they say you have to get your arm amputated or something?!"
Lin Jingyan finally stopped to take a breath.
He hadn't given Fang Rui any room to speak. All the time he could hear muffled chokes from Fang Rui and it hurt that he could not stop to console him.
But Lin Jingyan had to keep going on because this was the only chance he could get to speak his heart out.
Fang Rui let out an abrupt chuckle.
"Um.... amputate... isn't that stretching it though?"
Lin Jingyan laughed sheepishly..
"Okay... I got carried away. I'm sorry. I wasn't meaning to scare you. "
"I know. "
"But I meant the rest. If something happens to you... I will never forgive myself. "
"Huh?? It's not your fault! I - I don't know what happened myself. It's just... the feeling that I can achieve more - And the feeling if I didn't do my best it wasn't honouring what I promised you - I don't know... "
"Hey, the only promise I care about now is that you will come back in one piece. You don't need to play like that. You're not alone, ok? They all really care about you. Do you think Ye Xiu would ever bother himself with all this if he didn't care about you??
And Zhang Jiale! He's trying so hard to be that person who carries on for his friend too! He understands you completely and he's worried he will see you hurt yourself too and that's why he talked like that! They all care so much about you! So stop being so selfish and thinking only about our promise, ok!!"
Fang Rui started to laugh. His eyes were still blurry from unshed tears but his heart felt so light.
"I'm sorry" he said softly.
"As you should be!" said Lin Jingyan without hesitating "Now, I hope you have cleansed your eyes and will get some good sleep. I have a poker game to attend to now."
"Hah... what is this strange company you are keeping?? Is it a retired players poker league?"
"Oh something like that... Stay strong! And work hard.... and I mean just work hard! Not work yourself into a delirious frenzy!"
"Okay! Okay! Don't rub it in!"
"Haha! Goodnight!"
"Goodnight!"
Fang Rui pocketed his phone and looked up again. He was surprised to see that the sky was quite bright with many twinkling stars.
It was quite funny how he had missed them the first time because his mind had been clouded with so many worries.
The audience applauded wildly as the group arena came to an end. The cheers did not stop as the player from Team USA walked out of the booth, waving at the crowd.
It was truly a great moment, for he had finally ended the legendary win streak of Team China's group anchor, Fang Rui.
It had been a difficult match as always and the victor and his team were incredibly pleased by their achievement.
But their celebrations were rudely interrupted by triumphant cheers from the other end.
The team gazed in confusion as Team China received the returning Fang Rui with open arms.
They were all laughing and cheering and patting his shoulder and Fang Rui himself looked so pleased that Team USA began to wonder who had actually won.
As Fang Rui settled next to Ye Xiu, he smiled smugly.
"I decided my Golden Right Hand deserves some rest today. You guys better not flop in the team competition or I'll be incredibly pissed off."
Ye Xiu smiled back.
"Don't worry. We've got it."
"I know."
Fang Rui took a look around at the rest of the team - they were preparing themselves for the next round but they were all so relaxed and at ease.
Fang Rui leaned back and smiled
Perhaps it had not just been the stars.
It was quite funny how he had missed out certain good things in life because he was too worried about his own thoughts.
He truly had many friends who cared about him.
And the only promise that mattered to him now was that he would care for them too.
A promise worth keeping.