The scorching afternoon sun of midsummer beat down relentlessly, with waves of heat shimmering in the air. Su Mucheng walked to a roadside cold drink stall, hoping to buy a popsicle to cool off, but even the vendor, despite it being prime time for selling cold treats, had vanished somewhere to escape the heat.
Su Mucheng waited for a while, but no one showed up. Resigned, she left and wandered down the quiet street until she reached an internet café. Pushing open the door, she was greeted by a refreshing blast of air conditioning, letting out a long sigh of relief. Immediately, she heard waves of excited chatter and shouting from inside the café.
What's going on?
Curious, Su Mucheng glanced toward the source of the commotion. The café's manager had already spotted the young girl entering and, instead of greeting her like a regular customer, waved cheerfully. "Little Mucheng, you're here?"
"Yep, Brother Cui," Su Mucheng replied with a nod.
"Here to bring your brother lunch again, huh?" Brother Cui noticed the insulated lunchbox in her hand, a familiar sight.
"Yeah, where is he?" Su Mucheng asked.
"Over there." Brother Cui pointed toward the noisy crowd. "But he might not have much of an appetite today."
"Why's that?"
"He's met his match," Brother Cui said with a grin.
His match?
Su Mucheng paused, caught off guard. She didn't fully understand the video games her brother played on the computer every day, but she had always known one thing: her brother was amazing. In these competitive games against others, he rarely lost.
His match? Did that mean someone who could actually keep up with her brother?
Su Mucheng walked toward the commotion. Two computers, positioned back-to-back, were surrounded by layers of spectators, packed so tightly she couldn't squeeze through. Being small and short, she stood on her tiptoes but still couldn't see what was happening. All she could hear were the crowd's gasps, sighs, and exclamations of surprise.
"Su Muqiu, you're not doing so hot today, huh?" someone suddenly shouted.
Not doing well?
Su Mucheng's heart skipped a beat. Was it not just a close match, but an opponent her brother couldn't beat?
Determined to see for herself, she pushed her way through the crowd. Su Muqiu was a regular at this internet café, and Su Mucheng often came by as well, so she was familiar with the manager and some of the regulars. Recognizing her, people made way, fond of the pretty young girl.
Finally, she squeezed through!
Su Mucheng let out a breath and looked up, catching sight of her brother seated at one of the computers. His expression was unusually serious, a rare sight.
And his opponent?
The opponent was right in front of her, but all she could see was his back. He seemed to be a boy around her brother's age. Su Mucheng's gaze quickly fell to his hands strikingly graceful hands, dancing nimbly across the keyboard and mouse. The crisp sound of keystrokes filled the air, accompanied by the crowd's intermittent gasps of awe.
This guy must be really good!
Though Su Mucheng didn't know much about video games, just watching the boy's fluid movements gave her that impression. At that moment, the crowd erupted again some in shock, others in disappointment. The match had ended.
Who won?
Su Mucheng didn't need to look at the screen. Her brother's expression told her everything.
Instantly, the crowd broke into teasing jeers. Many of those surrounding them were people Su Muqiu had defeated in the past. Seeing him lose now, they couldn't contain their glee, finally getting a chance to gloat.
Su Muqiu rolled his eyes, looking a bit embarrassed but not angry. Most of the hecklers were his friends, and their taunts were all in good fun. Normally, they'd go back and forth like this, but Su Muqiu's impressive win rate usually gave him the upper hand. Today, though, they'd caught him slipping, and they weren't about to let it go.
"Su Muqiu, your sister's here with lunch. Better eat up and get some strength before trying again!" someone shouted, sparking another round of laughter.
At the sound of this, Su Muqiu looked up and spotted Su Mucheng standing across from him.
"I'm done playing," he said, pushing the keyboard away and standing up.
"Gonna eat and come back for more?" his opponent asked with a chuckle.
The crowd roared with laughter. This kid was quick, jumping right in with the teasing!
Su Muqiu glared at him, clearly flustered. "Oh, come on! You're eating too, so you won't have any excuses when you lose later."
"Do I need excuses?" the boy replied, standing up.
The crowd laughed again. This kid wasn't just skilled at gaming his trash talk was on point too!
"Come on, let's eat together!" Su Mucheng chimed in, stepping out from behind the boy to smooth things over.
"You're his sister?" The boy turned, noticing Su Mucheng, and struck up a conversation.
"Yep!"
"Do you play games?"
"Not really."
"You should learn. It's fun," he said.
"Mucheng, come here. Don't talk so much with strangers," Su Muqiu interrupted, calling her over.
Su Mucheng smiled and hurried to her brother's side. The internet café had a rest area for waiting customers, and Su Muqiu was a regular there for lunch. The boy didn't hesitate to join them.
Su Muqiu took the lunchbox from Su Mucheng and skillfully divided the food into three portions. After a moment's thought, he scooped some from one portion to another, giving the larger share to Su Mucheng, taking the smallest for himself, and leaving the third on the table, gesturing for the boy to help himself.
"Brother, you take the bigger portion!" Su Mucheng protested. The food was meant for two, and even splitting it three ways was stretching it. With Su Muqiu giving her extra, he'd barely have enough to eat.
"I'm not that hungry," Su Muqiu said, holding his lunchbox firmly.
"Haha, mad about losing? No need for that. Winning and losing are normal. Just keep a cool head," the boy said, picking up his share without hesitation. In a flash, he scooped half of his portion back to Su Muqiu. "I'm in a good mood, so I don't need to eat much."
"You…" Su Muqiu muttered, but he didn't bother arguing further.
"I haven't seen you around before," Su Mucheng said to the boy, and this time, Su Muqiu didn't interrupt with warnings about strangers.
"Oh, I was just passing by and stopped in to play. Then I heard there was a pro here, so…" the boy trailed off.
"So what?" Su Muqiu shot him a look.
"So I challenged him. He's definitely a pro just a tiny bit worse than me," the boy said with a grin.
"Don't get cocky! We're going again after we eat!" Su Muqiu declared.
"Haha, can't. I'm out of money," the boy said, patting his pockets.
That excuse was ironclad. No money meant no computer time at the café.
"I'll cover you!" Su Muqiu wasn't about to let him off that easily.
"You're paying for my food, covering my internet fee, and I still beat you? That's a bit much, isn't it?" the boy teased.
"Who says you're gonna win?" Su Muqiu shot back.
"Well, I might lose once in a while," the boy said casually.
"I'm full," Su Muqiu said, clearly fed up.
"Why don't you guys play at home?" Su Mucheng suggested.
"Oh?" The boy looked intrigued.
"Well… the two computers at home aren't quite the same. Some games might not run well," Su Muqiu explained.
The difference in specs could affect competitive play, and it was clear one of the computers was significantly weaker. Su Mucheng, not knowing much about tech, had assumed two computers were enough for a match.
"There's gotta be some games that'll work, right?" the boy asked.
"What, you think you can beat me at any game?" Su Muqiu challenged.
"Not any game. Just the ones I know how to play," the boy replied.
"Stop eating! Get up, we're settling this now!" Su Muqiu was practically ready to flip the table.
"I'm done," the boy said, setting down his chopsticks.
"Let's go! Mucheng, head home later," Su Muqiu said, standing and dragging the boy along without wasting a second.
"See you later," the boy called back to Su Mucheng with a wave.
"See you," Su Mucheng replied with a smile.
In that moment, she had no idea that this strange boy, who had barged into her and her brother's lives, would walk with her for the next ten years or even longer.