What's the Point of Living, when the best is Sleeping? [BL]

16

The game felt almost beneath him. Ye Ming's hands moved with effortless precision, his fingers tapping the red buttons in rapid succession. It was nothing more than a simple exercise—fast reflexes, precise movements, and a sharp mind working together. The more he played, the more he was reminded of how out of place he felt here, among them.

His cerulean blue eyes remained fixed on the screen, the shifting colors reflecting his focus. He didn't need to try too hard; it was automatic. Almost like muscle memory, even though he'd never played this game before. The room hummed with the electronic sound of machines and the low murmur of voices, but Ye Ming felt isolated in his bubble, detached from the noise and distraction. The world around him might as well have been silent.

"Indeed, people say smart ones can adapt like insects," Li Wei murmured, his voice barely cutting through the noise of the arcade. His green eyes, however, weren't on the game. They stayed on Ye Ming, watching his every move with unsettling fascination.

Ye Ming ignored him. He'd gotten used to their gaze, their constant observation. It was like being under a microscope, every breath, every twitch analyzed for weaknesses. They thought they were subtle, but Ye Ming saw through them. They were all playing their own game, even if they pretended otherwise. He could feel the weight of their stares like a chain around his neck, tightening every time he acted like nothing was wrong.

"What kind of metaphor is that? Did you just compare Ye Ming to an insect? So cruel of you, Li Wei," Jing Jian interjected with a grin, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Our Ming-Ming's more like a koala... maybe mixed with a bunny? Cute and cuddly."

Jing Jian's teasing tone barely masked the possessiveness in his words. Ye Ming didn't miss the way his eyes followed him, as if he were some toy Jing Jian had no intention of letting go. Li Wei's ruddy lips twitched in irritation, but he said nothing. The two of them had been in this unspoken competition for Ye Ming's attention for as long as he could remember, each trying to outdo the other, though neither would ever admit it.

But beneath the surface of their playful banter, something darker simmered. Ye Ming knew that much. It was never just light teasing with them. Everything was calculated, every word meant to probe, to test how much he could take before he snapped.

He wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

Ye Ming remained quiet, his focus only half on the game now. Their words rolled off him like water on glass, but he couldn't ignore the tension beneath them. The obsessive way they watched him, analyzed him, and fought for control over him was suffocating. He could feel the invisible strings tightening, but he couldn't allow himself to react.

"Seriously, Jing Jian, you and your weird metaphors. Maybe 'you're' the insect around here," Li Wei replied dryly, his voice layered with a dismissive edge. Still, he kept watching Ye Ming out of the corner of his eye, as though waiting for a slip.

Ye Ming gave a slight smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. It was all part of the game—pretending he didn't notice, playing along with their banter. But deep down, he knew this was all temporary. He just needed to figure out when to make his move.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Ming spotted a shadow in the distance—Bai Yuer, lingering at the edge of the arcade. She was watching, her expression unreadable.

What was she doing here? Was she waiting for him? Was she involved in this game, or simply observing from the sidelines, her true intentions hidden behind that distant gaze?

The thought unsettled him, but he couldn't dwell on it for too long. If Bai Yuer had some part to play, he'd have to unravel it slowly, carefully. For now, he had to focus on surviving these three.A sharp snort broke the tension. Guang Kai, standing a few steps away, seemed as unimpressed as ever. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his sharp gaze moving lazily over the arcade, barely masking his disdain. He looked out of place, like a figure carved from ice standing amid a noisy crowd.

"This place is disgusting," Guang Kai muttered, his voice cutting through the air like a cold blade. He barely glanced at the screen before dismissing it entirely. His attention, as usual, was on Ye Ming. "Why are we even here?"

His sharp eyes, framed by the pristine glasses, met Ye Ming's for a brief moment before flitting away, as if already bored by the interaction. "For someone so smart, Ye Ming, you do a terrible job of blending in with the common rabble."

There was no venom in Guang Kai's words, just a chilling detachment. His expression remained impassive, though the corners of his mouth curled slightly, almost in amusement. It was clear he felt above all of this, above the arcade, above the game, and maybe even above Ye Ming.

Ye Ming said nothing. He'd learned early on that engaging with Guang Kai's icy comments only led to more mind games. Guang Kai thrived on making people feel small, and right now, Ye Ming had no interest in playing along. The focus was survival, not feeding their egos.

Jing Jian leaned in closer to him, his warm breath brushing against Ye Ming's ear as he chuckled. "You're good at this, aren't you? Always so calm, even when you're being watched." His tone was playful, but there was something predatory in his gaze, something that made Ye Ming's skin crawl.

Ye Ming's hand paused for a fraction of a second on the controller, but he quickly recovered, keeping his expression neutral. "It's just a game," he said softly.

"Yes," Jing Jian replied, his smile widening. "Just a game."

But they both knew it wasn't. Not really.

Li Wei's laugh broke the tension, though it felt hollow. "You're too serious, Jing Jian. Let him play in peace."

"Peace?" Guang Kai echoed, his voice heavy with sarcasm as his gaze swept across the noisy, flashing arcade. "There's no peace in a place like this."

Ye Ming's eyes drifted toward Bai Yuer again, still lurking in the shadows. She hadn't moved, her presence almost ghostly, as if she was there but not really part of the scene. She always had a way of appearing when things started to spiral out of control. But what was her angle? Was she here to pull him out, or was she simply observing, like some puppeteer watching her strings? He couldn't read her, and that only added to his frustration. Bai Yuer was a wild card, and in this game, wild cards could tip the scales in ways no one expected. For now, she remained an enigma, her intentions buried beneath layers he couldn't yet unravel.

Ye Ming tapped the buttons faster, the rhythmic clicking drowning out the noise around him. He knew he had to play along, to maintain the façade, but his mind was already working ahead, plotting the next step. They might think they had him trapped in this game, but Ye Ming had no intention of staying their pawn.

Soon enough, the real game would begin.