Lingering Game
Lingering Game chapter 2

Jing Tian stood at the entrance of the hospital, silently staring at the large display screen beside him.

At the bottom of the screen was today’s date and the current time.

“What’s wrong?” came the urging voice of Yang Yue beside him. “Let’s go inside quickly.”

Yang Yue was the first handsome boy he had seen after waking up.

“Um, is this… written wrong?” Jing Tian pointed to the year displayed on the screen.

“Huh?” Yang Yue was confused by his question for a moment, took out his phone to check, and quickly confirmed, “No, it’s correct. You don’t remember this either?”

Jing Tian pursed his lips, thinking, Could it be that I’ve transmigrated three years into the future?

“You’ve lost the memories of the past three years,” the doctor said, looking down at the examination report. “It’s a mild concussion, probably causing memory disorder due to external impact. Generally, it should gradually recover with time.”

“No wonder he doesn’t remember me!” Yang Yue had been puzzled for a long time, finally relieved. “So, how long will it take for him to recover?”

“It’s hard to say,” the doctor said. “It could be as fast as a few hours or as slow as a year or two, depending on the specific circumstances. Returning to a familiar living environment and seeing friends more often will help.”

“As long as he can recover,” Yang Yue sighed in relief, turning to look at Jing Tian. “Why do you look so stiff, still uncomfortable?”

Jing Tian shook his head slowly, his expression dull.

He was still in shock, not only because of what the doctor said.

A few hours ago, he had seen his current appearance in the hospital restroom mirror.

The thick lenses on his face had disappeared, and his somewhat messy hair had been trimmed meticulously, dyed into a striking silver color.

The neatly trimmed hair exposed most of his ears, adorned with several sparkling earrings, with a delicate and fashionable style.

After staring blankly in the mirror for a while, he realized that even his eyebrows had been dyed, and meticulously groomed.

On the way to the hospital, he had noticed that his wrists and neck were adorned with accessories, and the coat he was wearing was a style he would never have considered before, completely unsuitable in his opinion.

In his concept, people who dressed like this weren’t serious.

Three years may not seem long, but it’s not short either.

From the third year of junior high to the third year of high school, apart from the changes brought about by normal growth, the only change he made was the thickness of his glasses.

From the third year of high school to the third year of university, however, he seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

The ordinary appearance in his memory, after these simple yet meticulous modifications, even he couldn’t help but be impressed.

No wonder there were so many people deliberately or unintentionally casting glances at him along the way.

As he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar person in the mirror, he couldn’t help but think that this appearance was quite similar to that of a master of the romantic field who could move between three men.

Unfortunately, his handsome appearance was paired with a somewhat silly expression.

Jing Tian still couldn’t give up the possibility of transmigration.

Perhaps he wasn’t the transmigrator; it was his body that had been transmigrated.

A stranger with a personality completely different from his own had occupied his body during these three years, transforming him into someone unrecognizable, even engaging in male-male relationships.

It’s really torturous.

He didn’t dare to tell Yang Yue about such speculation, fearing ridicule.

The examination fee was paid by Yang Yue.

Jing Tian’s phone was missing, probably left behind when he fell.

When he anxiously told Yang Yue that his wallet was also missing, he was told that nowadays, people rarely carried wallets as mobile payment was available everywhere.

This made Jing Tian feel somewhat uncomfortable.

He lived in a boarding school in high school, where mobile phones were only allowed to be used on weekends.

Most of his classmates secretly used them, but he always obediently followed the rules.

Using the phone less often, and the school’s supermarket not accepting mobile payments, he was more accustomed to using cash.

For him, that was just the normal life from a few hours ago.

The change was too sudden, leaving him at a loss.

“I’ll pay you back when I get back.”

Jing Tian emphasized to Yang Yue as they left the hospital.

“No rush,” Yang Yue noticed his discomfort and reassured him, “These are small matters. You’ll get used to them soon.”

Jing Tian gratefully glanced at him and nodded, “Hmm, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yang Yue grinned and leaned closer, reaching out to put his arm around Jing Tian’s shoulder, “we’re good friends, aren’t we?”

Jing Tian wasn’t used to such intimate physical contact, and he immediately felt nervous, involuntarily shrinking back.

Yang Yue quickly noticed and withdrew his hand, feeling awkward. He patted Jing Tian on the back, saying, “What’s wrong with you? You’re making me feel embarrassed.”

“…I’m sorry,” Jing Tian apologized.

Yang Yue sighed helplessly, “I’m not blaming you!”

After saying that, he shook his head with a wry smile and sighed, “When we first met, you were like this, always timid and quiet. Looking back now, I kind of miss it.”

Jing Tian looked at him and tentatively asked, “Are we good friends?”

Yang Yue shrugged and pretended to say casually, “It’s alright.”

Jing Tian didn’t dare to assume too much and didn’t ask further.

But there was still a small sense of joy in his heart.

Perhaps for Yang Yue, their relationship was just “alright,” but for him, it was a fresh experience he had never had in his past life.

He was too introverted, lacked personality, and was extremely boring, so no one wanted to maintain a friendship with him, let alone care for him like this.

Silently in his heart, Jing Tian thought, Maybe I have a friend now.

Yang Yue’s care for him was naturally sincere, different from the feeling the senior gave him.

After hearing the explosive remarks from Zheng Xunqian, the senior’s expression changed drastically, clearly unable to accept it.

Maybe to ease his emotions, after receiving a call from his mentor, he quickly left.

But before leaving, he still showed considerable concern for Jing Tian, reminding him to contact him if anything happened and saying he would come to see him later.

However, Jing Tian could see that his smile at that time was very forced.

Yang Yue, on the other hand, was different.

After the initial shock, he seemed to have discovered a new world, full of interest and eager to explore.

Unfortunately, Zheng Xunqian didn’t cooperate at all, and Jing Tian couldn’t remember anything.

Yang Yue’s gossip-like appearance didn’t seem like what one would have when hearing about their lover cheating.

The conversation in the clinic before seemed more like arguing with the senior.

Jing Tian was earnestly analyzing the situation when Yang Yue approached him again, excitedly lowering his voice, “After we go back, why don’t you give Zheng Xunqian a call?”

“Huh?”

“To explain the situation to him,” Yang Yue said, “and also to ask… what’s really going on between you two. Aren’t you curious?”

Jing Tian thought, Aren’t you the one who’s curious?

Zheng Xunqian didn’t come to the hospital with them.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Yang Yue asked Jing Tian as they called for a car.

Jing Tian was very nervous and couldn’t answer, just staring blankly as he recalled what Zheng Xunqian had said to him at the clinic earlier.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Zheng Xunqian had asked again after hesitating for a moment. “Are you afraid of me?”

Admitting this would seem very rude, so after hesitating, Jing Tian just shook his head.

Zheng Xunqian raised his hand somewhat abruptly.

When his fingertips were about to touch Jing Tian’s face, Jing Tian’s body involuntarily leaned backward.

“You’re afraid of me,” Zheng Xunqian had said firmly.

So Jing Tian didn’t even dare to shake his head.

But he had objections in his heart.

He thought that his “fear” was completely different from fear; it was more like nervousness and unease.

Thinking of what might have happened between them, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

Zheng Xunqian’s hand stopped moving forward, but it didn’t retract either.

He used his fingertips to touch Jing Tian’s bangs, gently circling the first joint of his index finger, then quickly let go.

“…You weren’t like this last night,” he had said softly.

Jing Tian’s face quickly turned red, while Zheng Xunqian still appeared calm, as if he had just made the most impartial and objective description, without any ambiguous meaning.

“But…this guy just left like that,” Yang Yue said, rubbing his chin, “just after spending a night together. Shouldn’t he be by your side at a time like this?”

Jing Tian had also thought about this question.

Although the discomfort in a certain part of his body had eased over time, it still constantly reminded him of what had happened in the past.

This impact on him was no less than that of the stylish young man he saw in the mirror.

In theory, shouldn’t Zheng Xunqian show a little more concern for him?

“What do you think?” Yang Yue asked, following up.

“It’s fine if he doesn’t come. He looks… too serious,” Jing Tian thought for a moment, speaking his mind to Yang Yue, “I get nervous when I see him.”

“He always has that deadpan look,” Yang Yue mused, “I remember now. There was a time when you seemed to have a problem with him for some reason, always cursing him behind his back, as if you couldn’t stand him.”

Jing Tian widened his eyes and blinked, “Huh?”

“Was there something going on back then?” Yang Yue suddenly realized, “I can’t believe I didn’t see the clues!”

“…What did I curse him for?”

“Pretentious, showing off, arrogant, always wearing a sour face as if trying to show off to someone, besides studying, what else can he do, boring to the core, idiot, definitely still a virgin…”

Seeing Yang Yue gesturing with his fingers and continuing endlessly, Jing Tian quickly interrupted with a red face, “Okay, okay…”

This person who had taken over his body was really arrogant!

No matter how you thought about it, these descriptions couldn’t fit Zheng Xunqian, some even sounded like describing himself.

“Sigh,” Yang Yue sighed loudly, feeling sentimental, “Thanks to you, he’s definitely not a virgin now.”

The two of them had already entered the campus at this point, and Yang Yue’s loud voice attracted the attention of many people around.

Jing Tian’s appearance was already eye-catching, instantly becoming the most dazzling focus within a radius of ten meters.

For someone used to being unnoticed, this was too stimulating; he nervously lowered his head and hurriedly quickened his pace, trying to escape.

But wherever he went, there were always people looking at him.

A University  was an engineering university with a highly unbalanced gender ratio and very few female students, and the vast majority of male students had no concern for their appearance.

Jing Tian stood out in the campus, feeling out of place.

“Why are you walking so fast?” Yang Yue followed behind, “You just fell down, take it easy.”

“Where’s the nearest barbershop?” Jing Tian asked, walking with his head down.

He wanted to dye his hair back to black as soon as possible.

Yang Yue quickly understood what he meant and patted him on the back, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you dye it when we get back. You’re rushing so fast, do you even know where our dorm is?”

Jing Tian stopped in his tracks, he didn’t know.

Suppressing a smile, Yang Yue led him back to the dormitory building.

On the way, they received a call from the class teacher, saying that they had been unable to reach Jing Tian on the phone, and upon hearing that he was in trouble, they were very worried.

Jing Tian felt embarrassed again when he heard Yang Yue say, “He’s fine now, he just might not remember you.”

Indeed, he didn’t remember, and he even felt a bit nostalgic about the fact that there were class teachers in university.

After a brief conversation with the teacher, facing his evasive attitude, the teacher became even more worried and decided to come over immediately.

“Would it be inappropriate for the teacher to see me like this?” Jing Tian nervously touched his head after hanging up the phone.

Those piercings on his ears had all been removed during the medical examination, and he had no intention of putting them back on.

But his hair, he couldn’t hide.

“Come on, you didn’t just dye your hair today,” Yang Yue said helplessly, “You change colors every semester, you could summon the dragon now, so why worry about the teacher?”

Jing Tian held his head in his hands, sinking into the 99th shock of the day.

“Remember to act a bit weak later,” Yang Yue said, putting his arm around his shoulder, “let the teacher fully understand your situation, maybe you can get special treatment during the final exam. Otherwise, you might…”

Jing Tian finally came to his senses, “Oh yeah, I seem to have forgotten everything I’ve learned!”

“You’re joking,” Yang Yue glanced at him, “As if you’ve learned anything.”

Jing Tian blinked twice, not understanding his meaning.

“You’ve always been struggling with exams,” Yang Yue said, “In addition to this semester’s courses, you also have to retake several courses from last semester and even the semester before that.”

Jing Tian came to a complete stop.

“…It can’t be true,” he murmured.

“Remember to behave well later, gain some sympathy, and try to get leniency,” Yang Yue put his arm around his shoulder, “Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll be persuaded to drop out.”

After saying that, he pulled Jing Tian forward again.

They had already entered the building, and around the next corner was their dormitory.

Jing Tian’s steps were floating, his mind was scattered, and he took a few steps in a daze. The person pulling him suddenly stopped.

“Oh,” Yang Yue whispered, “look who it is?”

Only then did Jing Tian come to his senses and look ahead.

Not far ahead, leaning against a tall figure by the door, was someone looking down at their phone.

Upon sensing movement, the person quickly looked up, then straightened up.

It was still early in the morning, and the corridor wasn’t lit. He was against the light, his face blurry.

But Jing Tian immediately recognized this person who should be unfamiliar.

Zheng Xunqian.

Jing Tian nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva and subconsciously stepped back.

Zheng Xunqian silently watched his movements.

After two seconds of silence, Jing Tian nervously spoke up, his voice loud but trembling, “Hello?”

“Mm.”

Zheng Xunqian responded softly, then walked straight towards them.

As the distance closed, his facial features gradually became clear and three-dimensional in Jing Tian’s sight.

Jing Tian could clearly feel his heart rate speeding up gradually.

What’s going on, he thought, I seem to be really afraid of him.

Zheng Xunqian stopped in front of him, looking at his face, and asked, “What did the doctor say?”

Before Jing Tian could answer, Yang Yue muttered quietly on the side, “doctor.”

The atmosphere just now was suddenly disrupted, and Yang Yue chuckled out loud.

Zheng Xunqian glanced in Yang Yue’s direction.

“Sorry, am I disturbing you guys?” Yang Yue clicked his tongue, “Do you need me to leave?”

Jing Tian was trying to hold back his laughter, but now he felt uneasy again.

He sneakily reached out and grabbed the hem of Yang Yue’s clothes behind him, hoping he wouldn’t leave him alone.

“It’s okay, you can stay,” Zheng Xunqian shifted his gaze back to Jing Tian’s face, then slowly downward, “About last night…”

Jing Tian, who had initially been pulling Yang Yue’s clothes, suddenly changed to pushing, “M-maybe, you should go back to the dorm first…”

1 comment
  1. Cocole has spoken 4 months ago

    Oh no 🫣😂

    Reply

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