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Night in City H was bustling with life. Zhang Jiale watched dazedly from where he sat on the bench as people passed by, seemingly not noticing him. A middle-aged man carrying a suitcase walked sluggishly. A couple walked while talking on the way, their hands linked together. Everyone has their own life, with their own circumstances.
He had grown more familiar with this city now that he had spent a year here.
Zhang Jiale met Ye Xiu in the game in the summer last year, and Ye Xiu invited him to join his team. What a bold thing to do, starting a team from scratch and aiming for championship. It's a bit too daring for him, joining a team with no strong financial backing, limited equipment and members that are beginners. And yet after a lot of contemplation, he found himself accepting Ye Xiu’s invitation, joining Happy.
He still remembered how Ye Xiu told him at that time, “Congrats, you’ve definitely made the right decision.”
And it had seemed true. Playing Glory alongside Ye Xiu was fun and comfortable. Team Happy had various shortcomings, but they were still able to . Even though it wasn’t easy, Happy managed to win Challenger League. That day, he felt that maybe it was really possible to win a championship with this team.
But now he wasn’t so sure. They had just lost against Misty Rain last week, and now they lost against Tyranny. If this continued, forget the championship, they might not even make it to playoffs.
Zhang Jiale had tried his best, everyone in the team had also tried their best. What if their strengths were still not enough?
Had he really made the right decision by coming here? Should he have accepted Tyranny’s offer instead? Even though there was still no guarantee that Tyranny would win the championship, at least it was a more stable and established team.
What if his unlucky streak rubbed off on Ye Xiu and Happy, making Happy lose? Does it mean he was doomed no matter which team he chose?
Zhang Jiale was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear footsteps approaching him. He only turned around when he felt someone sat beside him, and was met with Ye Xiu’s gaze.
He jolted. “Don’t surprise me like that.”
“I wasn’t being particularly secretive.”
Well, Zhang Jiale couldn’t blame Ye Xiu. He was the one spacing out. “How did you find me?”
“Didn’t you also go here before?”
That was also true. There was a time when something troubled his mind, and he went to sit at this particular bench. Zhang Jiale didn’t respond, and Ye Xiu didn’t say anything after that. For a moment, there was silence between them.
“I was trying to clear my mind,” Zhang Jiale offered an explanation. He did leave without telling anyone after all. But there was nothing scheduled this evening, so everyone was free to do what they wanted.
“Does it work?”
Zhang Jiale laughed. “Not as much as I liked.” Sure, the change of pace was nice, but it was not enough to make his worry disappear. After all, it was not like walking outside will magically make oneself stronger or make their opponent weaker. It still wouldn’t guarantee them a championship, it wouldn’t necessarily change anything.
But then again, training blindly when he wasn't in a good state of mind was also not effective. He felt that he was stuck, his performance was not as good as he wanted, so he decided to get fresh air.
“What are you worried about?” Ye Xiu asked, his voice light. “It’s not like you never lost at all.”
“Why does it sound like an insult when you’re the one saying it?”
Zhang Jiale sighed. Ye Xiu had guessed correctly what his source of worry was. Zhang Jiale was never particularly good at hiding his reactions, and Ye Xiu could be strangely perceptive at times.
“When you invited me to join Happy, you said your team will win, right? Well, that’s also what everyone would say.”
“Yes,” Ye Xiu nodded. “I said that, and I was being realistic.”
“When we won Challenger League, I was completely convinced. That we could really win with this team. But… what if your prediction was wrong? What if we keep losing?”
Ye Xiu probably sensed that Zhang Jiale still had things to say, so he didn’t interrupt, merely listening.
“I won’t blame you if we ended up not getting the championship, after all it was my own decision. Maybe I should have accepted Old Han’s offer instead,” he laughed. “Sorry if I end up bringing my bad luck to your team, Old Ye. You have won before, so it shouldn't be too bad.”
“Zhang Jiale,” Ye Xiu chided, “the season is still early, why are you talking like we're already lost?”
“I said if,” Zhang Jiale defended himself, “just in case, okay?”
Ye Xiu didn't seem to accept his point. “I’ve won before, but I still want to win. Don't you also want to win?”
He did. To the point of leaving the team he founded and abandoned, facing opposition from the fans, taking risks with Ye Xiu’s team.
“Of course I want to win. But I’ve been wanting to win all this time, and I haven't won the championship even once. What difference does it make? What if I’m just unlucky no matter where I go?”
“Didn't you say I’m lucky before? Then just think of my luck making up for your unluckiness.”
How confident, so like Ye Xiu. But even with Ye Xiu's luck…
Ye Xiu continued. “I believe we will win, and you being here will increase our chance of winning. Do you not believe in me?”
For a moment, Zhang Jiale was silent.
Of course Zhang Jiale believed in Ye Xiu, or else he wouldn't be here in City H where Ye Xiu's team is, wouldn't accept Ye Xiu’s invitation back then. Zhang Jiale believed in Ye Xiu, in his judgement and experience, in his trust on Zhang Jiale.
Zhang Jiale had believed in Ye Xiu, but he faltered. While Ye Xiu still believed in him this whole time.
Zhang Jiale laughed, running his hand over his face. He felt a bit silly. There was still a sliver of doubt in his heart, but if even Ye Xiu believed in him…
“Then you better make sure I don't regret choosing you,” Zhang Jiale stared at Ye Xiu, finger pointing at him.
Ye Xiu smirked. “Of course. Also,” he patted Zhang Jiale’s shoulder. “Glory is not a single player game. Everything won't crumble just because you mess up a little. Relax.”
“And why are you accusing me of messing up now?” Zhang Jiale retorted.
“Haha, just in case.”
Though, Zhang Jiale was thankful for the reminder. Glory was not a single player game, he didn’t need to shoulder the team’s burden by himself. Like Ye Xiu said, even if he made a mistake, his teammates would cover for him. In return, he would cover for his teammates’ mistakes.
And he was not alone. There was Ye Xiu by his side, his strongest ally. There were Su Mucheng and Wei Chen with their experience. And even the rookies had their own strength, and they were still growing to be even better.
“Thanks,” Zhang Jiale said. He got up and stretched. “I’m feeling better, let's go back.”
Ye Xiu smiled. “That’s good,” he said, also getting up from his seat. “Do you want to get something to eat before we go back?”
“Ah, then that noodle shop we visited before…”
The future was still uncertain. Never mind the championship, even the result of the next match couldn't be determined from statistics on paper. The one who seemed to have the upper hand could still lose, and the ones who seemed to be at a disadvantage could still win.
But Zhang Jiale had decided to not let the past determine the future. So what if they lost two matches? They could still win the next three. He decided he wouldn't blame himself so easily, and wouldn't be so quick to judge his decision to be wrong. It was still too early to know. What he could do was to do his best and make sure he didn't regret it.
And if his negative thoughts got overwhelming again, he could tell them to Ye Xiu, and let him refute those thoughts.
Zhang Jiale walked toward Happy with light steps, and a lighter heart.
