Everyone followed Ji Siyue's gaze and saw that she was holding a jar of lollipops in her arms. "These are my favorite lollipops. I'll give them to you if you win!"
"Pfft! Didn't you say these lollipops are out of print?" Nangong Qi scoffed.
"So I'm giving them as a reward! Come on, kids!" Although Ji Siyue was the youngest here except for Xingxing, when she held up the candy jar and shouted to the others as "kids", everyone still felt encouraged.
If they lost this round, it would truly be a defeat! All their efforts over the past days would go to waste!
Even with Ji Siyue's reward, everyone still didn't feel relaxed.
Just one minute before the competition started, Qin Chengyao suddenly said to everyone, "Guys, do you still remember the original intention of playing games?"
"To have fun and be carefree," Zhu Zhiyao replied.
"Yes, we started just for the fun," Bai Yu also said.
Nangong Qi laughed. "I'm different from you guys. I told you from the start that I'm going to win the championship!"
Xingxing timidly said from the side, "I wanted to prove myself to my brother..."
"Great! Since everyone has their own original intention, then play whole - heartedly for it! Don't care about winning or losing. Enjoy the competition. Remember, enjoy!"
Everyone replied, "Got it!"
The competition officially began. The members of Jun Chen were extremely nervous because the opponents, for some unknown reason, all had smiles on their faces...
Ji Siyue felt her eyes well up with tears.
She took out her phone, stood beside everyone, took a selfie with red - rimmed eyes, and posted it on Weibo.
[It's a do - or - die battle. Go, GH!!!]
[Wuwu, I'm about to cry! They all have smiles on their faces, as if they're enjoying the competition.]
[Do they think they're going to lose, so they're just enjoying the competition?]
[I bet they'll make a comeback.]
[There's something wrong with their makeup this time. I think it's a bit risky...]
[Wuwu, come on, GH! You're my original inspiration!]
When Ji Siyue saw this comment, she finally couldn't hold back and shed a tear.
Yes, GH was her original inspiration. She decided to play games and do live - streaming after watching their competitions. By now, they were her enlightenment!
Come on, guys.
Ji Siyue silently cheered in her heart, then turned around and left the second floor.
She didn't want to make herself and them more nervous here, so she decided to wait downstairs.
Anyway, she believed in GH.
After Ji Siyue went downstairs and sat alone for a while, she went out to get some fresh air.
It was already October. Winter would come soon.
She still remembered that last winter, she was complaining about how boring life was. Unexpectedly, in just half a year, she had experienced so much with these passionate teenagers.
Most importantly, she had found a lover.
Although this lover was hiding something from her now, Ji Siyue believed that when everything was settled, that person would come to explain everything to her.
"Pikachu~!"
A strange number called her phone.
She answered, "Hello?"
"Hello..."
Ji Siyue stood at the crossroads, listening to what the person on the phone said. Her eyes widened involuntarily, but no matter how wide she opened them, she couldn't hold back the tears that were about to fall...
She felt a buzzing in her head...
"Hello? Are you listening, Ji Siyue?"
Ji Siyue came back to her senses, silently hung up the phone, and returned to the base.
An hour later, a burst of cheers erupted from upstairs.
Ji Siyue smiled.
It seemed that the do - or - die battle was a success.
She opened Weibo and saw that the number one trending topic was #GH's Do - or - Die Battle, Three - Game Comeback#
Thankfully, this matter was resolved.
Now, it was time for the second thing.
The people upstairs came down. Ji Siyue stood up and said to Qin Chengyao, who had a smile on his face, "Senior, could you come here for a moment? I have something to say to you."
Outside, Qin Chengyao approached Ji Siyue, but she took two steps back to avoid him.
"Siyue? What's wrong with you?"
"Senior, let's break up."
...
Six days had passed. Ji Siyue stayed in her room. She didn't talk to anyone. When she was hungry, she would take a few bites of bread. When she was thirsty, she would drink tap water.
She didn't wash her face, didn't groom her hair, and didn't change her clothes. She was in a complete mess, just like someone who had just escaped from a disaster.
"Pikachu~!"
Ji Siyue glanced at the number and answered the phone, "Hello?"
"Hello, Siyue! It's a success! Your mother's surgery was a success! She'll recover slowly from now on!" It was her father's ecstatic voice on the phone.
Ji Siyue forced a smile. "I know. Take good care of Mom. I'll come to see you guys when I'm free."
"Okay. Your mom said she missed you just before the surgery."
"Bye."
After hanging up the phone, she was in a daze for a while, then called a person in her phone contacts with the note "Q".
It took a long time for the phone to be answered.
"Hello, I'm Ji Siyue... Yes, the surgery was a success... Thank you... I know what to do about that matter... I don't blame you. I should thank you... Yes, I'll announce it soon and will... find time to leave here."
Ji Siyue said many things to the person on the phone, but her tears fell involuntarily.
"Wuwu..."
At first, she cried quietly, like a wounded little animal, burying her head and tears between her knees.
Then, she couldn't hold back anymore. She lay on the cold floor and wailed, crying heart - rendingly, as if something was being slowly pulled out of her body while she was crying.
"Qin Chengyao!!!"
She finally cried out his name. Her chest ached, and a sweet and fishy taste welled up in her throat. Then, she spat out a mouthful of blood foam.
"Cough... Qin Chengyao... Wuwu!"
She didn't say anything else, just kept calling that person's name.
The room was so big, but she was so thin, as if she had lost the whole world.
...
"Stop drinking, buddy!" Zhu Zhiyao snatched the wine bottle from Qin Chengyao's hand, frowned at the mess on the floor, and tried to persuade him. "Does it help you to drink like this?"
Qin Chengyao just silently took a new bottle of wine, opened it, and gulped down half of it. Then he let out a long sigh, his eyes red as he said, "She didn't say anything and just wanted to break up with me. I don't understand... What exactly went wrong."