Chapter 83: A Confession in the Toxic Zone

I emptied forty bullets, and the two opponents, scrambling and rolling, finally reacted. They executed tactical maneuvers like aerial jumps and prone crawls, seizing the moment I reloaded my magazine.

One of them, having dropped to the ground, pulled out an AK. After observing me for a moment, he began reloading.

The other, who had jumped, produced a smoke grenade, seemingly intent on using it to bludgeon me to death.

Fortunately, the one with the smoke grenade reacted swiftly, switching weapons to a shotgun. By then, I had finished reloading, and once more, I unleashed a furious spray of bullets across the ground.

Forty rounds poured out, striking him twice with brutal force, and two crimson blossoms of blood erupted from his feet.

Not to be outdone, he seized my reloading pause to pepper me with five close-range shotgun blasts, instantly knocking me to the ground.

“Brilliant,” Old Shen remarked.

The guy who had drawn his AK, only to find it empty, finally finished reloading. He raised his weapon, poised to finish me off. Just then, Old Shen peered out from behind me.

My character lay prone on the ground. I heard the distinct crackle of an M16 behind me. After a flurry of gunshots, the two brothers before me were reduced to two neatly stacked wooden crates on the ground.

I had taken several hits, a mere sliver of health remaining. Old Shen, quick-witted and agile, revived me just as my health teetered on the brink.

I remained silent.

On screen, I knelt on the ground, a picture of embarrassment, while Old Shen crouched beside me, gently stroking my back. She looked as though she were comforting someone on the verge of a breakdown.

“You’re a bit off today,” Old Shen said softly. “I noticed it when you arrived. Even when you drink during the day, you’re never like this.”

I was helped to my feet, lowering my head to apply a bandage.

Old Shen rummaged through her backpack, tossing a first-aid kit at my feet. “Is something bothering you?” she asked quietly.

I paused my bandaging to pick up the first-aid kit. At that moment, the toxic zone finally arrived, a vast, encroaching tide behind my game character.

“What would you do,” I began, “if I told you right now that I liked you?”

Just as the toxic zone was about to engulf me, I finished using the first-aid kit and began drinking an energy drink.

Old Shen froze, her silver-grey eyes widening as she stared at me, a hint of disbelief in her gaze.

After a moment, she slowly lowered her head, her eyes downcast, shifting her gaze away. “What… what could I do? I’d definitely be conflicted, wondering whether to accept you or not…”

“Wouldn’t you find me disgusting?”

“Why? Why would I find you disgusting? What’s disgusting about it?” Old Shen exclaimed, startled. “It’s… it’s perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

The toxic zone swallowed us both. I finished my drink, grabbed my weapon, and headed out of the military base.

“After all, you used to be a man, and I know that…”

I said.

“Think about it. Even though you’re a woman now, a man’s soul still resides in your body. If I said I liked you, what would that even mean? Spiritual homosexuality?”

“I just can’t get past it in my mind. I’m a straight man through and through, damn it. So what exactly is this?”

On screen, Old Shen held her gun, following closely behind me.

She remained silent, her silver-grey eyes fixed on the screen, unblinking. “You mean Dragon Brother? Right?”

“I truly don’t know what to do now.”

I looked at the screen, speaking softly. “Dragon Brother is living at my place right now. I see her the moment I open my eyes. She sits in front of the computer playing Dungeon Fighter Online first thing in the morning, and then I make her breakfast, and she thanks me…”

“I might actually have a bit of an inappropriate thought about her.”

Neither Old Shen nor I spoke, concentrating on controlling our game characters.

We found a car. The toxic zone was in the very center of the map, and we drove through the azure electric grid, passing golden rocks and sand along the way. The deserted city was consumed by the toxic zone, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

“If you like her, go for it,” Old Shen said softly.

“But I’m scared…”

“Scared of what?” Old Shen sighed, giving my shoulder a light but firm pat.

I turned my head, but she had lowered her eyes, silent, taking a sip of cola. Her silver-grey eyes were calm, yet they seemed to hold something back.

I was driving, and Old Shen sat idly in the car. The safe zone was still far away, but we had plenty of medical supplies.

“If you want to pursue her, just do it. What’s the big deal?” Old Shen let out a long sigh. “Go confess. I wish you happiness.”

I was silent for a moment. “But I feel like Dragon Brother and I used to be brothers. I just feel like this is a bit…”

“A bit of your ass!” Old Shen suddenly swore.

I turned my head, stunned.

Old Shen’s profile was exquisite, her silver-grey eyes downcast above her elegant nose bridge. She seemed a little angry, and a little sad, as she asked, “Do you like Dragon Brother or not? Speak up! Do you like her?”

For some inexplicable reason, a strange sense of guilt flickered within me for a moment.

After much thought, I gritted my teeth. “I do!”

Perhaps my tone was too firm.

Old Shen turned her head to look at me. After a long pause, her expression softened into one of gradual helplessness, and she sighed.

“If you like her, go woo her. Why are you asking me?” Old Shen smiled wryly.

I stared at her blankly for a moment, then nodded. “Oh.”

She patted my shoulder hard, as if she had more to say, or perhaps just to comfort me.

****

Neither of us spoke that day, playing until morning. But I’m not one for staying up late, and coincidentally, neither is Old Shen.

The next day, after Old Shen and I parted ways, I entered my home to find Dragon Brother just waking up. She was probably heading to the bathroom, rubbing her eyes, her gem-red eyes still a little hazy.

Seeing me, she squinted, her long white hair falling over her shoulders, a tangled mess. “Why are you back so late? It’s already morning,” she said softly.

I averted my gaze. “I pulled an all-nighter at the internet café.”

“With whom?”

“Old Shen.”

Dragon Brother didn’t seem inclined to ask further, rubbing her eyes sullenly before yawning and nodding, indicating she understood.

I took off my shoes and entered the living room. Dragon Brother went into the bathroom and locked the door.

I sat on the living room sofa. Ming Hai’s laptop was still neatly placed on the coffee table, stacked with her programming books. There were a few Red Bull cans on the table. After sitting for a while, I picked them up and threw them into the trash can.

I heard the toilet flush from the bathroom. Dragon Brother scratched her backside, glanced at me, and walked into her room. Her white hair was disheveled, and the strands on her forehead were damp, likely from having just washed her face.

I recalled my conversation with Old Shen last night:

‘If you like her, go woo her.’

I secretly took a deep breath.

Dragon Brother was heading towards her room.

“Dragon Brother,” I called out.

“What is it?” She turned to look at me, her eyes still hazy and a little watery.

I scratched my face, shifting my gaze away.

“Are you busy this afternoon?”

Dragon Brother looked at me, her expression a little strange. “No, why?”

“Go to a coffee shop…?” I thought for a moment, then said.

“No,” Dragon Brother stated unequivocally.

Right, Dragon Brother wasn’t particularly fond of coffee shops.

Scratching my face, I thought for a while, then said softly:

“I just feel like we haven’t gone out together in a long time… What do you think of that outfit from before? Should we buy another one?”

“There’s no need,” Dragon Brother tilted her head, thinking for a moment. “The clothes are perfectly fine, they fit well, and I haven’t burned a hole in them or anything…”

I was at a loss for words, looking at Dragon Brother helplessly.

Dragon Brother, wearing my oversized grey T-shirt, stood at the doorway, gripping the doorknob. She looked at me with a bewildered expression, scratching her backside. She probably thought I was acting strange today—and she was right; I even felt strange myself, in every sense of the word.

Seeing that I had nothing more to say, she looked at me suspiciously for a while, then at the floor, her gaze darting back and forth several times. Finally, seeing that I was only looking at her helplessly, she hesitated, then stepped into the room.

Dragon Brother didn’t have a habit of eating breakfast, but she loved my omurice.

I rose from the sofa and walked towards the kitchen.

I had become quite skilled at making omurice. The fried rice was piled into a plump mound on the egg crepe. I tossed the pan, wrapped the fried rice in the egg, arranged it on a plate, squeezed ketchup over the egg, and then carried the plate into Dragon Brother’s room.

In front of the computer, Dragon Brother rested her chin on her hand, looking at the screen, utterly bored.

She was turned partially away from me, yawning. Her red eyes looked somewhat unfocused, and her long white hair draped over her shoulders in a messy tangle, like curly sheep’s wool. Her slippers were under the chair, one of them flipped over, haphazardly placed.

I placed the plate on the table, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

As usual, Dragon Brother turned, glanced at me, and said, “Thanks.”

I nodded, saying nothing more. Dragon Brother turned back to her computer, ignoring me. The morning was quiet, save for the hum of the computer fan. After a moment, the background music of Dungeon Fighter Online began, and Dragon Brother leaned back comfortably in her chair, typing in her account details.

I watched Dragon Brother’s profile.

Her face was somewhat round and fair, looking very soft, with her white hair falling over her shoulders.

After a while, she stretched languidly, like a lazy white kitten, then slumped, rubbing her gem-red eyes with the back of her soft, pale hand.

I always wanted to ask Dragon Brother out, anywhere at all. I liked Dragon Brother, but I had never been in a relationship. Regarding ‘wooing’ a girl, I just instinctively felt we should go out, explore places, and at the very least, not sit at home watching her play games.

Dragon Brother had already opened the game interface, equipped her buff set, and was inviting people via QQ to start a raid.

Meanwhile, I was still racking my brain, thinking that a stroll down the pedestrian street would be quite nice.

After a moment, Dragon Brother’s phone rang.

Dragon Brother turned, picked up her phone, looked at it for a moment, then answered, “Hello?”

She held the phone between her shoulder and ear, rapidly typing on the keyboard. “Internet café?”

I looked up. There was a faint voice on the phone, sounding like a man’s. Dragon Brother held the phone silently, remaining quiet for a moment. Then she turned to glance at me. “Alright, then later.”

I had tried to invite Dragon Brother out twice, both without success, yet one phone call had done the trick.

A strange feeling rose within me. “Who was that?” I asked.

Dragon Brother tilted her head. Her petite figure made the gesture look languid. She took the phone from her shoulder and placed it back on the table. “Xiao Cuihua. He wants me to go to the internet café.”

I said nothing.

Dragon Brother didn’t seem to mind, her eyes fixed on the screen. After a while, she was typing furiously in the QQ group again, occasionally letting out a laugh or two.

I scratched my hair, pretending nonchalance. “I’ll come along too then. It’s been a while since I’ve been to an internet café.”

Dragon Brother turned to me, her expression a little strange. “Didn’t you just pull an all-nighter with Old Shen last night?”

I was momentarily choked, then thought for a moment, and could only say, “Xiao Cuihua, I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

Dragon Brother’s large eyes blinked, staring at me, silent.

I remembered drinking with Xiao Cuihua yesterday. Before leaving, I had told Xiao Cuihua I was going drinking and asked him to check if the gas tank was turned off, and Dragon Brother had agreed readily.

The room fell silent, only the incessant sounds from QQ breaking the quiet.

Dragon Brother blinked, thought for a moment, then turned her head, probably finding it strange but too lazy to ask. “Then let’s go together.”

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