Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

In the private hospital room, Jiang Ming sat on a chair next to Jiang Zhiyu's bed, quietly looking at his pale-faced younger brother, his eyes filled with deep pity.

Memories flashed uncontrollably through his mind: little Jiang Zhiyu would always softly hug his legs, her big, clear eyes wide open, sweetly calling him "brother," so lively and vibrant.

But now, the boy in front of me lies quietly on the hospital bed, looking fragile and thin, even his breathing is slow and weary.

He sighed and gently tucked the blanket around Jiang Zhiyu.

His peripheral vision inadvertently swept over the boy's forearm hanging by the bedside, and his gaze suddenly froze, fixed on that skin.

An ominous premonition roared wildly, and Jiang Ming's breathing trembled slightly. Filled with disbelief, he carefully lifted the other person's loose sleeve a little.

The next second, all the scars, some deep and some shallow, were exposed to his eyes.

Jiang Ming's breathing suddenly became labored, a sharp feeling of suffocation instantly swept through his body, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly, and a dense, dull pain spread from the bottom of his heart.

His fingertips trembled slightly, hovering above the scars, yet he hesitated to lower them.

Click—

The ward door was pushed open, and Lin Shi came in from outside with breakfast.

Upon seeing the scene before him and Jiang Ming's slightly trembling back, Lin Shi froze on the spot.

The two remained silent, one sitting and one standing.

After a long while, Jiang Ming stood up from his chair, his head slightly lowered, making his expression unreadable.

He walked straight past Lin Shi, leaving only two words:

"come out."

Lin Shi closed his eyes and followed silently.

The two walked to the end of the corridor, near the medical storage room, where it was quiet and deserted.

Jiang Ming leaned against the wall, fidgeting with the lighter in his hand.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice: "You never told me that his illness had become so serious that he was harming himself."

Lin Shi's face was full of bitterness, but he didn't know how to explain it.

He once wanted to tell Jiang Zhiyu's family, but Jiang Zhiyu stopped him.

At that moment, Jiang Zhiyu's eyes were filled with pain, and his voice trembled slightly: "Please, Brother Lin, don't tell them, or I'll definitely be taken back..."

Lin Shi couldn't resist his gaze, or rather, he had never learned to refuse Jiang Zhiyu.

He knew that not informing the other party's elders about this matter violated the agreement between the two parties, but at this moment he cared more about Jiang Zhiyu's own feelings and stance.

So he didn't refuse, but left behind a single sentence:

Never ask anyone for anything; nothing is worth bowing down to.

Jiang Ming's usually neat and tidy suit was now a little loose. He raised his hand and roughly tore the tie off his shirt collar, clutching it tightly in his palm.

Her hair was hanging down in front of her eyes, and she looked somewhat disheveled.

Confronting his younger brother's pain was like a slow, agonizing torture for Jiang Ming.

Faced with Lin Shi's silence, he leaned back slightly, rested his head against the wall, took a few deep breaths, and then spoke with certainty: "He won't let you tell us."

Lin Shi neither shook his head nor nodded; he simply lowered his eyes.

But his reaction was within Jiang Ming's expectations.

Jiang Ming's eyes flashed, and he sighed, "He's always been like this."

When Jiang Zhiyu opened his eyes, it was already afternoon.

He blinked slowly, and it took him a long time to focus his gaze.

Jiang Zhiyu's memory was still in the practice room. He squinted at the white ceiling above him and a question flashed through his mind: Why has the dormitory ceiling changed?

But soon, the faint smell of disinfectant gradually cleared his mind.

The soreness in my body is still clear and intense, the dull pain in my temples lingers, and my throat is dry and sore.

All of this was a reminder that he was in the hospital.

"woke up?"

A gentle and familiar voice came from above.

Jiang Zhiyu turned his head with difficulty and was caught off guard to see Jiang Ming's figure.

In his panic, Jiang Zhiyu's breath hitched as he looked into the depths of the other man's eyes, which were overflowing with heartache. He fiddled with the sheets, then lowered his eyes, unsure of what to do, avoiding Jiang Ming's gaze.

Jiang Ming reached out and pressed the call button beside him, then stroked Jiang Zhiyu's hair and gently asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"

Jiang Zhiyu's voice was hoarse: "Much better."

Lin Shi also stepped forward from the other side, nervously checking on his condition.

The nurse pushed open the door and entered, carrying simple examination equipment.

She nodded to Jiang Ming, who tactfully gave up his spot next to the IV stand and walked to the other side to stand next to Lin Shi.

The nurse looked up to check the IV line, then looked down and smiled at Jiang Zhiyu.

"Let's check your temperature, pulse, blood oxygen, and blood pressure."

Jiang Zhiyu cooperated obediently throughout, doing whatever he was asked to do.

"Does your head hurt?"

"A little."

"Will it make you feel nauseous?"

"fine."

"Hmm...the fever has subsided, and all the indicators are okay."

As he spoke, several doctors filed in.

The doctor first gave Jiang Ming a brief greeting, and then began to examine Jiang Zhiyu's other conditions.

During this process, Jiang Ming would always unconsciously glance at Jiang Zhiyu's arm, then quickly look away.

Although it was very well hidden, Jiang Zhiyu still noticed it.

He pursed his lips and quietly hid his arm under the covers.

"You still need to rest! Don't do any strenuous exercise for a while; you need to rest well for at least these three days."

Before leaving, the doctor repeatedly instructed Jiang Zhiyu's "guardians" to take good care of him.

A brief silence fell over the ward.

Not long after, Jiang Ming broke the silence.

"I'll be here for the next week, so just let me know if you need anything."

Jiang Zhiyu bit his lower lip and firmly refused: "No, I'm being discharged in three days."

Jiang Ming took a deep breath: "Why?"

"Three days is already a long time, it will interfere with the practice of the three public performances." Jiang Zhiyu's tone was very stubborn.

Jiang Ming felt a surge of energy rushing through his body, causing chaos in his mind.

He gritted his teeth, both angry and heartbroken: "Jiang Zhiyu! Do you really have a death wish?"

"General Jiang!"

Lin Shi reached out and grabbed Jiang Ming's arm, restraining himself from doing so.

Jiang Ming also instantly realized that his tone was a bit too harsh on Jiang Zhiyu right now, and he stopped abruptly, all the words he hadn't said stuck in his throat.

The afternoon sun shone into the ward and cast its light on the white walls.

Jiang Zhiyu's gaze lingered on the edge of the light and shadow. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke: "I can't give up now."

"I know."

Jiang Ming lowered his eyes, sighed, and ultimately couldn't go against his younger brother's wishes.

"At least rest well for these three days. If you can recover in three days, I will let you go back."

"Um."

"Want to sleep a little longer?"

Jiang Ming asked in a low voice, while pulling up his slightly drooping blanket.

"Um."

Jiang Zhiyu closed his eyes wearily and quickly fell asleep again.