It had been a very long time since Jiang Chen last touched a piano.
As he flipped through the sheet music, everything felt incredibly unfamiliar. It was as if when Gu Xin transferred schools, he had taken every last bit of Jiang Chen’s artistic flair with him.
Stumbling clumsily through the notes, Jiang Chen looked up and gave Gu Xin a helpless, pleading look.
Gu Xin was already placing his violin back into its case and shutting the lid. He smiled helplessly at himself…he had been foolish enough to think Jiang Chen would actually keep practicing after he left. Accepting his fate, Gu Xin sat down right next to him. Just like they used to do when they were kids, he began coaxing Jiang Chen’s long-forgotten muscle memory back to life, teaching him hand by hand.
Truth be told, Jiang Chen was naturally gifted at the piano. He just didn’t care for it all that much; it was only ever a game he played when Gu Xin was around.
“So, which piece are we practicing?” Jiang Chen asked. Either way, he’d be tucked away behind a grand piano on stage without having to show his face, so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal.
Gu Xin had already picked the perfect piece during a bout of insomnia the night before. “I chose something light and cheerful. You learned it back in the day, so picking it back up shouldn’t be too stressful.”
When Gu Xin’s parents had renovated the house, they made sure to soundproof the music room. No matter how disastrously they played, the neighbors wouldn’t hear a thing. Jiang Chen could bang on the keys to his heart’s content.
Wishing he could just fast-forward to the part where he was a master, Jiang Chen asked, “Which one?”
Gu Xin calmly flipped open the sheet music. He had chosen a breezy, joyful track…the very first complete song Jiang Chen had ever mastered. “How about this? Summer from Kikujiro.”
Seeing a familiar title, Jiang Chen relaxed. “I can do that. But I don’t have a piano at my place, so I’ll have to keep coming over to practice.”
“That works out perfectly,” Gu Xin replied. “We can practice first, then do our homework together. You can either head back home to sleep or just crash here.”
Jiang Chen rested his hands on the keys. “Perfect!” Living just upstairs and downstairs from each other, he was already used to running between the two apartments. Sleeping anywhere was fine by him.
He knew Summer like the back of his hand.
He had started learning the piano during the summer right before third grade. He picked things up quickly, and the teacher used to praise him constantly, but it was really Gu Xin who had kept him company until he could play the whole thing smoothly.
After a few trial runs, his familiarity with the piece quickly flooded back. His muscle memory returned, and it didn’t take long before he could play the entire track without a hitch.
Next came the duet. Gu Xin practiced his violin whenever he had a spare moment, so playing his part was second nature.
Before they knew it, two or three hours had flown by. Jiang Chen was so exhausted he wanted nothing more than to collapse right there.
Slumping over the piano, he groaned, “Ugh, I regret everything. Why did I ever raise my hand to volunteer?”
Gu Xin set his violin down. “Let’s call it a day then. Let’s go grab something to eat.” He shot Jiang Chen a sideways glance. “There are no refunds on volunteering. Don’t you dare think about backing out now.”
Jiang Chen rolled over, resting the back of his head against Gu Xin’s lower back. “Saying it like that just makes me want to try it. Do you think Yang Xiu would murder me?”
“Not just him. Every other Omega in our class would want to kill you too. You practically snatched away their chance to shine on stage.” Gu Xin resisted the urge to push Jiang Chen off. His body froze up a little, growing a bit stiff…and a little warm.
“I didn’t steal their spotlight on stage, I stole their chance to show off in front of you,” Jiang Chen scoffed. “I know how those little Omegas think. Their little schemes are so transparent.” Was this the ultimate meaning of raising his hand? To sacrifice his precious sleep just to keep them away? “You’re bound for Tsinghua or Peking University, you can’t let them distract you.”
Gu Xin had never actually told Jiang Chen which university he planned to attend, but barring any massive surprises, his goal was indeed the top tier.
Yet, Gu Xin didn’t seem to worry too much about his own path; he simply kept his eyes on the prize. Instead, he asked, “If I go to Tsinghua or Peking, where do you want to go?”
Jiang Chen froze. He had mapped out Gu Xin’s entire future in his head, but he hadn’t given his own a single thought. Thinking too much about it was just exhausting.
“Me? Who knows. I’ll just go with the flow…wherever my scores take me. Besides, isn’t it a bit early to talk about this? The school year just started.”
College entrance exams meant the very real possibility of them going to different cities. Facing the prospect of another separation, Jiang Chen instinctively shied away from the topic.
Gu Xin reached behind himself and poked Jiang Chen’s forehead, nudging his head away. “Get up. Let’s go get some juice, I’m parched.”
It wasn’t just Jiang Chen who wanted to avoid the subject; Gu Xin didn’t want to dwell on it either. A fleeting shadow of uncertainty crossed his eyes, but it vanished a second later, replaced by his usual quiet resolve.
Jiang Chen grabbed Gu Xin’s arm, using him as leverage to haul himself up. “My legs are completely numb.”
You had to keep your back perfectly straight while playing the piano. Surviving over two hours of that was a certified miracle for him.
Gu Xin’s mouth moved faster than his brain. “Want me to massage it for you?”
Jiang Chen blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing. He leaned heavily into Gu Xin, clinging to him like a koala. “Xin-bao, since when did you learn how to talk dirty?”
Gu Xin rarely, if ever, made jokes like that. Jiang Chen, on the other hand, would spout nonsense whenever he was in a good mood.
“Stop messing around. I’m being serious, I’m not talking dirty.” Gu Xin genuinely just wanted to help soothe his friend’s aching muscles.
Jiang Chen completely slumped against him, refusing to detach himself. His lower back was genuinely asleep. “Quick, rub it for me then. It’s totally numb.”
The two of them stumbled clumsily into the living room. Gu Xin gently pushed him down onto the sofa. “Alright, sit tight. I’ll grab the juice, massage it yourself.”
The housekeeper had already made the fresh juice before heading out to buy ingredients for dinner. Gu Xin’s parents would both be coming home to eat with their son tonight.
Jiang Chen sprawled out on the couch in the most comfortable position he could find. With his back and legs finally liberated, he basked in the pure flavor of freedom.
“Want to watch a movie in a bit?” Gu Xin walked over, handing him a glass of orange juice.
Jiang Chen glanced out toward the balcony. “Let’s not go out. It’s too hot and sunny.”
Gu Xin knew his friend would hate the idea of leaving the house. “I have a projector set up in my room. We can just watch it here.”
“Sweet. Lying down while watching a movie is peak comfort.” Jiang Chen pulled out his phone, which had remained untouched all afternoon. The moment the screen lit up, he was bombarded by a flood of messages from Wei Meng.
Wei Meng: Chen-er! Where are you?! Get online, quick!
Wei Meng: Your dear son needs you!
Wei Meng: I’ve lost five games in a row! My rank is about to plummet into the abyss!
Wei Meng: I keep getting matched with absolute idiots! Save your boy’s life!
Gu Xin took a sip of his rather tart grapefruit juice just as Jiang Chen turned to him. “Wei Meng wants me to carry him in Honor of Kings. Want to play a few rounds before the movie?”
Before high school, they had attended different middle schools, meaning they rarely had the chance to hang out online.
“Sure, whatever works. It’s the weekend anyway.” Gu Xin set his glass down and slid onto the couch next to him.
The cushions were incredibly plush, sinking deeply under their combined weight.
The three of them fired up the in-game voice chat.
“Wei Meng, hold on a sec. Let me invite someone.”
“Who?”
Gu Xin logged on, and Jiang Chen immediately pulled him into the lobby.
Wei Meng took one look at their usernames and his brain instantly short-circuited.
Id: Chen-chen, the Minion of Xing-xing.
Id: Xing-xing, the Minion of Chen-chen.
Wei Meng: “Whoa, Chen-er! I didn’t see this coming. You’re actually carrying a girl today?!”
Jiang Chen nudged Gu Xin with his elbow. “Come on, ‘girl,’ say hi to the boy.”
Gu Xin bumped his shoulder right back, shooting him an amused, exasperated look before speaking into the mic. “It’s me, Gu Xin.”
Wei Meng: “…Monitor?!” Wait, if it’s the class monitor, why on earth do you two have matching couple names?!
Jiang Chen didn’t waste any time. “Ready up?”
Wei Meng: “Ready.”
Because their competitive ranks didn’t align perfectly, they queued up for a casual match instead of ranked play.
The lobby filled out with two random players. Jiang Chen locked in a mid-lane mage, Gu Xin quickly snatched up the jungle role, and Wei Meng took the marksman slot. Of the remaining two randoms, one headed to the top lane while the last person picked support.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, sweet, lolita-style voice piped up over the team chat.
Random Support: “Player two, can you let me have mid-lane, please?”
Before Jiang Chen could even reply, Gu Xin’s fingers flew across his screen, typing out a cold response: He’s not switching.
Random Support: “Oh, okay then…”
Wei Meng: “…” Wow, the monitor really doesn’t know how to play nice with girls, does he? That voice was adorable. Definitely an Omega.
Jiang Chen didn’t care enough to pay attention to the random player. Once the game loaded, everyone scattered to their respective lanes. Gu Xin cleared his jungle camps with practiced efficiency, while Jiang Chen held down the mid-lane.
Gu Xin clearly knew what he was doing, and since Jiang Chen and Wei Meng played together all the time, their mechanics were solid.
Jiang Chen was busy clearing his minion wave when, out of nowhere, that same lolita-voiced support player wandered over and started stealing his gold and experience.
Too lazy to type, Jiang Chen opened his mic. “Support, go sit with the marksman.”
Random Support: “Why are you being so mean? We’re both Omegas. Why do Omegas have to make life hard for other Omegas?”
Jiang Chen: “…” Where did this psycho come from?
He truly hadn’t expected to run into the classic type of player who only joined matches to flirt with Alpha players for a free carry.
Muting his microphone, Jiang Chen turned his head to look at Gu Xin. “Where do I look like an Omega?”
Gu Xin actually stopped to contemplate it for a brief second. “Does having a pretty face count?”
Jiang Chen bent his leg, sharply knocking his knee against Gu Xin’s thigh. “Like hell it does!”
Gu Xin didn’t flinch. Instead, he laughed softly and bumped his leg right back, shoving Jiang Chen’s leg slightly out of place. “Alright, fine. You don’t look like one.”
Jiang Chen retaliated, kicking back. The two of them playfully bickered and wrestled, their legs remaining pressed tightly together until the match finally concluded.
Throughout the game, the support player kept whining on the mic, blabbering about why a couple was playing games instead of going out on a date. Wei Meng ignored her entirely…he was the type who liked to flirt in theory but absolutely hated real-world drama. The top-laner, meanwhile, silently guarded his tower like a true professional.
Gu Xin and Jiang Chen’s mechanical coordination was flawless. When the enemy tried to dive them under the tower, the duo turned it around for a double kill. When the enemy tried to invade their jungle, Gu Xin and Jiang Chen completely shut them down, taking their buffs in return.
With the natural chemistry between Jiang Chen and Wei Meng, they managed to close out the game with a massive lead, despite the support player constantly dying and trying to sabotage the match.
Wei Meng, finally tasting the sweet flavor of victory, begged Jiang Chen to play a few more rounds. Gu Xin quietly stayed along for the ride.
Staring at the two matching usernames, Wei Meng slowly came to a realization: he was completely excluded from his childhood friend’s world. He couldn’t keep up with the rhythm between Jiang Chen and Gu Xin. Jiang Chen barely had to utter a single syllable before Gu Xin knew exactly what play to make.
Thinking back to his usual games with Jiang Chen…where they would hurl at least ten insults at each other per match…Wei Meng realized what a true, perfect gaming partner looked like.
Damn it, Wei Meng thought. The bar is way too high. How many years of friendship does it take to build that kind of synergy?
With another enemy crystal shattering in defeat, Jiang Chen forgot to mute his mic. He turned directly to Gu Xin and said, “I’m starving. Let’s go grab afternoon tea.”
Gu Xin: “Yeah.”
The next thing Wei Meng knew, both of their icons went dark simultaneously. Jiang Chen had completely forgotten about his “dear son”!
Son of a gun, Chen-er! Weren’t you supposed to be carrying me?!
Fortunately, Gu Xin lived up to his reputation as the model student in the eyes of teachers and the ultimate heartthrob to the Omegas. He was meticulous and thoughtful. While Jiang Chen had totally blanked on Wei Meng, Gu Xin hadn’t. He proactively added Wei Meng through the class group chat.
Gu Xin: Sorry about that, Wei Meng. Jiang Chen is hungry, so I’m taking him out for some tea. We practiced the piano all afternoon and we’re both pretty exhausted. Don’t blame him.
Wei Meng: No worries at all! Go grab some food. Playing the piano sounds exhausting. I’ll just look for him tomorrow.
Gu Xin: We have to keep practicing tomorrow too. I don’t think we’ll have time for games. [Smile Emoji]
Wei Meng: Oh… alright. See you guys at school on Monday then.
Gu Xin: Sounds good.
Wei Meng stared at the text exchange, reading it over three separate times. Something about it felt incredibly off.
Why on earth would he blame Jiang Chen in the first place?
Back in the room, Jiang Chen noticed Gu Xin hadn’t moved yet. He called out, “Aren’t you eating?”
Gu Xin tossed both of their phones face down on the coffee table. With a completely relaxed expression, he walked over to his friend.
“Coming.”