Chapter Fourteen

Yuxingyue thought it over and over, but in the end decided to tell Rain Drop.

“Brother has a secret to tell you. Do you want to know?” Yuxingyue gestured.

Rain Drop nodded eagerly.

Yuxingyue took a deep breath, tried to make the gesture, but his hand shook too much and he couldn’t manage it. At last, he wrote it down on a piece of paper.

“Do you know about the Scattered Quick Strike?” Yuxingyue wrote.

Rain Drop took the pen and paper immediately after reading the words, writing her reply. She actually knew how to write, but preferred communicating through sign language—writing felt too troublesome.

She wrote: “I know. I’ve heard the coach mention it. It was invented by an older student.”

Yuxingyue smiled and wrote: “Do you believe I’m the creator of the Scattered Quick Strike?”

Rain Drop looked puzzled, not quite believing him, and she shook her head.

Yuxingyue understood—no one would believe it, and if Rain Drop didn’t, so be it. Only Xiao Jian and himself knew this secret. Perhaps it was better not to tell.

Then Rain Drop wrote: “Are you one of the older students from the Sky Source team?”

The moment Yuxingyue saw that, he snatched the pen and paper away. His earlier actions had raised Rain Drop’s suspicions. He had just claimed to be the creator of Scattered Quick Strike, and whether she believed it or not, her gaze changed as she watched his reaction.

Yuxingyue wrote: “If you believe me, then please keep this secret. Do you trust me?”

“I do. I trust you, brother. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret and won’t tell anyone,” Rain Drop wrote, her face very serious.

She promised to keep the secret. She believed her muteness was just an illness, and that someday she would recover. Seeing Rain Drop so earnest, Yuxingyue couldn't help but smile. Seriousness requires a serious demeanor, but Rain Drop’s seriousness was almost invisible.

“How should I address you, then? Senior… or?” Rain Drop wrote.

“Call me whatever you like, as long as it makes you happy.”

Rain Drop nodded excitedly after writing this, and Yuxingyue entrusted his watch to her, along with his secret. Keeping secrets can weigh on the heart; sharing them eases the burden.

By afternoon, Lin Ling and Wang Tianqi arrived together. Lin Ling had gone to find Wang Tianqi in the morning, and after a brief talk, persuaded her to apologize to Rain Drop. With Wang Tianqi’s character, apologizing seemed impossible, but Lin Ling’s urging brought her back. Still, everyone eyed her strangely.

“Everyone, please gather for a moment,” Lin Ling called out.

“Senior, what’s up?” Xiao Jian asked.

“Oh, I brought Wang Tianqi. She wants to apologize to Rain Drop. I hope you all can forgive her.”

“Senior, this isn’t our business. We can forgive her, but it’s up to Little Rain Drop,” Xiao Jian replied, turning his gaze toward Rain Drop.

Perhaps she had been pampered since childhood—before, it was always others apologizing to Wang Tianqi, but now the tables had turned. She felt awkward.

Yuxingyue took Rain Drop’s small hand and led her to Wang Tianqi. He gestured: She wants to apologize. Whether you accept it is up to you.

Rain Drop nodded.

“Wow, Rain Brother, you know sign language?” Xiao Jian exclaimed in surprise.

“I just learned a little, not fully,” Yuxingyue replied modestly.

Zhang Yi added, “Never thought the team medic had such skills. I’m impressed.”

“How can you say that to Rain…” Xiao Jian started, but Yuxingyue stopped him with a shake of his head, signaling not to say more. Xiao Jian respected his wishes.

“Thank you for the compliment,” Yuxingyue said, cupping his hands.

He turned his gaze to Wang Tianqi and Rain Drop. Wang Tianqi looked at Rain Drop, and Rain Drop looked back. Rain Drop couldn’t speak, so Wang Tianqi had to take the initiative. Lin Ling wrote down Wang Tianqi’s words for Rain Drop to read, but Wang Tianqi hesitated.

Wang Tianqi gripped the fan in her hand tightly, took a deep breath, and quietly said to Rain Drop, “I’m sorry.”

Lin Ling wrote it down for Rain Drop, letting her know Wang Tianqi had apologized. Though her voice was soft, it was Wang Tianqi’s greatest act of courage.

Rain Drop wrote her reply for Lin Ling, who then showed it to Wang Tianqi: “I should apologize too. I’ve thought a lot. You were sick and still came to practice, and I dragged you along. I owe you an apology.”

Wang Tianqi said with shame, “You don’t blame me for calling you mute and humiliating you?”

Yuxingyue stepped forward, and Rain Drop relaxed upon seeing him—before, she had been wary of Wang Tianqi, but with Yuxingyue present, she felt secure.

Rain Drop gestured her meaning to Yuxingyue, who turned to Wang Tianqi: “She said she doesn’t hold it against you. If she did, she’d be petty. Let the past stay in the past. Your attitude has been received.”

Wang Tianqi, moved by Rain Drop’s forgiveness, gave her a grateful look. Rain Drop opened her arms, and Wang Tianqi hugged her excitedly. Though Rain Drop’s embrace was small, her heart was large—she no longer held grudges. For both Wang Tianqi and Rain Drop, this was a kind of growth.

Lin Ling said to Yuxingyue, “Looks like you understand Rain Drop well now.”

“She’s not difficult to communicate with, just has too few companions.”

“Maybe it’s only with you around that she can open her heart.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Wang Tianqi and Rain Drop reconciled, and Wang Tianqi was happy to spend time with her. Yuxingyue said nothing further—more company for Rain Drop could only be good.

During break, Huang Feifan and Zhang Yi called on Xiao Jian and Yuxingyue to play games together.

“Hey! You guys skipping training to play games?” Yuxingyue grumbled.

Huang Feifan replied mournfully, “We never get any time to relax. Would playing a bit kill us?”

“Feifan’s right!” Zhang Yi chimed in.

Yuxingyue pinched his brow and asked, “What game’s got you so hooked?”

“Rain Brother, it’s a great game—called Two-Fifty Battle. Kinda like King of Glory.”

“Is it a tower-pushing game?”

Huang Feifan nodded. “Yeah, it’s got an anime style, and the characters are really cool. Team Doc, you should try it.”

Yuxingyue frowned. “I might get addicted. But fine, let me try it out. Send me the download link.”

“Roger!”

About an hour later—

“Yes, just like Huang Feifan said, it’s really good. I’m going to spend money on it!” Yuxingyue praised Two-Fifty Battle, thoroughly hooked.

Huang Feifan grinned, “I told you—the art’s great, characters too. Only problem is it keeps crashing. I just want to say: Fly Sky sucks!”

Yuxingyue asked, “Is that the developer?”

Zhang Yi and Xiao Jian nodded. They too had suffered from crashes, and Huang Feifan’s rant echoed their feelings about Fly Leap Studio.

“I’ve never had crashes—maybe my phone’s just too good,” Yuxingyue said smugly, looking at the others. They could only envy him; game crashes truly drove one crazy.

Especially Xiao Jian, who once, about to get a pentakill in ranked, experienced a crash—nothing was more infuriating. He almost smashed his phone, not to mention losing his points.

Just as the game’s name suggested, Two-Fifty Battle was full of quirks.

Their gaming was discovered by Lin Ling, who chastised them briefly before leaving. Once she was gone, they resumed playing.

Huang Feifan suggested, “Why don’t we form a team in the game, using our names?”

Yuxingyue smiled, “Sure, but what should we call it?”

The four pondered, and Xiao Jian soon came up with an idea.

“How about ‘Lucky to Have Met You’?” Xiao Jian asked.

“What’s the meaning?” Huang Feifan inquired.

Xiao Jian grinned, “Lucky matches Xing, Have matches Huang, Met matches Yu, You matches Jian, and Yi matches One. I picked these characters from our names—they flow well together.”

The others agreed—this was Xiao Jian’s creative limit, but the name, pieced together from their own, sounded smooth. Xing Huang Yu Jian Yi became ‘Lucky to Have Met You.’

“Great name. I’ll make the team and invite you all,” Huang Feifan said, forming the group and adding Yuxingyue, Xiao Jian, and Zhang Yi. The team was just four people, a newly sprouted blade of grass, unlikely to attract attention.

In the game interface, Yuxingyue spotted a tournament registration form. “Should we sign up for the tournament?”

“No way, we like to keep a low profile, not interested,” Huang Feifan replied.

“Come on, Feifan, playing against randoms gets boring. Competing with strong teams is real strength,” Zhang Yi urged.

Huang Feifan thought for a long time. “Alright, let’s sign up, but we’ll need to train!”

“Understood!” Zhang Yi replied.

Huang Feifan filled out the registration form, and they successfully signed up—only to discover that a team of five was required. This troubled him.

“No five, no registration. What do we do?”

Xiao Jian pondered, then suddenly said, “I’ve got it—Little Rain Drop!”

Yuxingyue knew Xiao Jian meant Rain Drop. “What about her?”

“She loves this game. Why not invite her?”

“Senior, calm down,” Zhang Yi said.

Xiao Jian realized his excitement and composed himself. “I’ve seen her play—she’s at the champion level. But getting her to join is tough. Only one person can do it.”

“Who’s that?” Huang Feifan asked.

Xiao Jian’s gaze shifted to Yuxingyue; Huang Feifan and Zhang Yi followed suit. Yuxingyue sensed something was off.

“Why are you all staring at me?”

Xiao Jian patted Yuxingyue’s shoulder. “Rain Brother, you’re close with Little Rain Drop. If you invite her, she won’t refuse.”

“That’s all?”

The other three nodded. Seeing their agreement, Yuxingyue had no choice but to seek out Rain Drop.

But as training had ended, Rain Drop was nowhere to be found. Yuxingyue couldn’t locate her, so he decided to ask her the next day.

That evening, Xiao Jian added Yuxingyue to the group chat—the Sky Source team’s group. Yuxingyue saw the members: Huang Feifan, Zhang Yi, Xiao Jian, Chen Siyu, Wang Tianqi, and Rain Drop were all there. Lin Ling had been added too, though she was offline.

It was just a group chat, nothing special. Xiao Jian messaged: “One more, one more bit of warmth.”

Yuxingyue thought to himself: Oh! Xiao Jian’s learning to write phrases now. He kept the thought to himself, not typing it out.

Then Zhang Yi messaged him privately: Hurry up, get online for a match.

Yuxingyue quickly logged in and joined them for a round.