Lin Jing recalled the year she failed her college entrance exam, witnessing the triumph of the championship at home, and the scene of her post-match interview.
Wearing the GDT team jersey, his eyelids drooped as if he hadn't woken up, standing beside the host.
After the host excitedly introduced GDT and him, he glanced at the drowsy Sheng Kuang, "Shen, did you not sleep well last night?"
Sheng Kuang lazily hummed an affirmative, then slowly yawned. He looked so languid it was as if he would stretch right there and then, "I didn't sleep well."
Host: "Was it because of the finals, high pressure, and extreme nervousness leading to insomnia?"
"No," Sheng Kuang said, and then unhurriedly yawned again. He looked slightly more awake, "I slept well. There are only four matches left. Fans traveled far to watch the game, so I should let them see a bit more and get their money's worth."
"..."
His words were so unexpected that no one knew how to respond. Even the seasoned host paused for a few seconds before chuckling, "Now that the match is over, Shen can go back and get some good sleep."
"That's not necessary," Sheng Kuang said nonchalantly, "After five games, I'm only slightly more awake."
The host was completely at a loss and awkwardly changed the topic.
At that time, many fans of the HJC team were present. Displeased with his disrespectful attitude, some of them angrily cursed at him.
He had sharp ears and immediately heard who was speaking. He glanced in that direction, then let out a disdainful cold laugh, his eyes full of arrogance and wildness, "What? Not convinced? Hold it in."
That young man lived life truly as he pleased, speaking and acting purely on his whim.
Youthful arrogance; that word, in him, was truly exemplified to the fullest.
Later, he still appeared very arrogant. He would directly challenge Yang Sinian to a 1v1 on stream and publicly call out "Xiao Jing Jing Jing Jiang" on Weibo for seeking attention.
Everyone said Sheng Kuang was still Sheng Kuang.
Many fans would say they liked his spirited arrogance.
But those who had truly interacted with Sheng Kuang would find that he was, after all, not the same as before.
During a practice match against GDT, after GDT unfairly disconnected the internet in the last game, everyone was furious. Although Sheng Kuang retaliated in the subsequent match, at that moment, Sheng Kuang acted as if nothing had happened, took Qin Yu, and started solo training.
Including the time he met Han Fengyan. Lan Bowen, usually a person with such a good temper, showed anger, yet Sheng Kuang remained as calm as if he had no emotions.
That night, she returned to her dorm, increasingly worried. She even took a taxi to the club to see him.
At that time, she thought he was different from before. She couldn't pinpoint how exactly, until now, she knew that behind his arrogance was forbearance.
He knew that Chen Jing and Lan Bowen's concessions were to protect him. He couldn't let their efforts be in vain, so he endured.
Endured being slandered with a lengthy post by Han Fengyan, endured being exploited for popularity by GDT for new players, endured being seen as a has-been by everyone. He endured until he could leave GDT, until he could have a new beginning.
After Sheng Kuang finished speaking, no one in the room spoke. It was dead silent.
Lin Jing's mind was in chaos, filled with various thoughts. She tried hard to quickly sort through them, but these events were truly too unbelievable for her. She took a long time to process them. By the time she had been sitting in the same position for so long that her legs were numb, she finally felt slightly clearer.
She turned her head to look at Sheng Kuang.
Sheng Kuang glanced at the table in front of him, "Are you still eating?"
Lin Jing shook her head. She wasn't hungry to begin with, and now she had lost her appetite.
Sheng Kuang said nothing. He leaned on the table, stood up, then bent down to clear away the takeout.
Lin Jing sat on the floor, looking up at the calm Sheng Kuang. After a while, she said, "Sheng Kuang, have you ever read rebirth novels?"
Sheng Kuang was momentarily caught off guard by her abrupt change of topic, "Hm?"
"Like, do you usually read web novels, those rebirth genres, whether they are for female or male audiences?"
"In the male category, it's usually about the male protagonist being reborn and embarking on a cheat-like life, not only becoming the strongest in the universe but also winning over many girls."
"In the female category, most are about protagonists who were incredibly foolish in their past lives, but upon rebirth, their intelligence suddenly skyrockets. They become like a completely different person, tormenting scummy men and women while finding true love."
"In short, whether it's novels for men or women, after rebirth, they always involve correcting past mistakes and making the current life better."
"These kinds of novels are very popular online. Shall I recommend a few to you?" As she spoke, Lin Jing sat up straight, looking as if she had a treasure to share, "For example, 'The Strongest Rebirth of the God of War,' or 'Rebirth: The Domineering Uncle Falls in Love With Me'..."
"..."
The titles of the books Lin Jing mentioned shocked Sheng Kuang so much that his expression almost broke. He paused for two seconds, "No, thank you."
"Oh," Lin Jing slowly leaned back onto the sofa, "Don't you like this type of novel? Actually, I don't really like them either. I think it's impossible for a person to live a life without regrets, unless they're not human."
"If you regret something, find a way to make amends. Life itself is a process of correction. How terrible must a life be to require starting over to fix it?"
Sheng Kuang was stunned, vaguely understanding Lin Jing's intention. He slowly looked up at her.
Lin Jing felt a little uncomfortable under Sheng Kuang's gaze. She reached for a bottle of water on the table, twisted off the cap, and took a few sips. Then she continued, "The word I hate the most is 'if.' Life has no 'if.' In my opinion, 'if' is self-deception. Compared to 'if,' I prefer 'future'..."
"For example, the future champion will definitely be from YLS. For example, the future me, you, Chen Jing, Lan Bowen, Qin Yu, He Wang, Li Xiaozhou, we will all eventually find our shore and shine brightly. For example, the future me..."
Lin Jing subconsciously stopped herself from finishing the sentence.
She didn't know why such a thought popped into her head at this moment.
She felt that under these circumstances, saying this was not quite appropriate.
Yet, she also felt that there was no better time to say such a thing.
Before boarding the plane, there were some things she wasn't entirely sure about.
It was only when she was high in the sky that she realized what she had impulsively done.
It would be said sooner or later, and she would agree to it sooner or later.
Since it was going to happen sooner or later, it might as well be sooner.
Lin Jing picked at the water bottle in her hand with her fingernail. Thinking this, she placed the bottle on the table, looked up, met Sheng Kuang's eyes, and after two seconds of eye contact, said, "...will be your girlfriend."