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Two weeks had passed since Meilin joined Solaris. Now, at headquarters, the team practiced with intensity.

Ningshun chuckled, his gaze locked on the screen as he leaned back in his chair. "Just don't miss your skill shots, or I might have to find someone who can handle them."

"Replace me, I dare you," she shot back, her fingers flying over the keys, turning an enemy ambush to her advantage.

"Nice gank, Meilin! You're amazing. That was perfect timing."

Flashing a warm smile, she exclaimed, "Thanks, Kaili! Couldn't have done it without you."

"Careful, Kaili. Don't let your admiration show too much."

"Shut up, Hooman," Kaili grinned.

"I'd rather not lose this match because of your... never mind." Hooman rolled his eyes. 'What a simp.'

Han interjected, "Can we focus on winning, please?"

"Yes, focus on the game, Kaili. Stop drooling," Ningshun muttered as he rolled his eyes. Taking a peek at Meilin's amused reaction to Kaili, his finger slipped onto a random key, using Flash to reposition. 'Dammit,' he thought, his ears picking up on her snickering.

Kaili laughed with mockery. "Nice moves. Did you mean to flash into the wall?"

Ningshun sighed, his smirk cutting like a blade. "Absolutely. I was... making sure it's still solid. Can't have those walls sneaking up on us."

"Good to know you're on wall duty, Ningshun. I'll handle the actual gameplay... Keep up the funny fails, though. Meilin's reactions are priceless!" Kaili chuckled.

Ningshun flashed a smile, sleazy and slick. "Hmph. Guess I'm just here for her entertainment."

Meanwhile, having just outplayed the enemy Jungler, she continued navigating the jungle and headed toward the mid-lane.

"Uh, Meilin, did you just gank me?" Ningshun teased.

Giggling, she tossed a playful taunt, "Just testing to see if you're paying attention!"

Ningshun chuckled, his tone a steady anchor. "Stay focused on the objectives instead, rookie."

"At least I'm not flashing into walls."

Rotating his head, Ningshun glimpsed her sticking her tongue out like a daredevil. Shaking his head, he scoffed, his eyes glinting with roguish secrets. "Better that than owning a half-naked, life-size body pillow of Zayn."

Kaili's laughter exploded like a firecracker. "Wait, you actually have one?"

'That... Ningshun!' Scoffing, she drew in a breath like a sigh of wind before a storm. "It's called dedication! Not like I cuddle with it every night or anything..."

"Are you sure it's just dedication and not an obsession?" Kaili questioned.

"Hey, it's all about comfort, okay? Plus, it's a limited edition!"

Ningshun shook his head, tutting. "I don't know whether to be impressed or worried."

With an impish grin, Hooman added, "Why do you seem to know more about her bed than any of us in the first place, Ningshun? Are you jealous of her body pillow?"

"Are you crazy?" Ningshun chuckled, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I think you've been hit by too many of Kaili's pranks, Hooman."

Meilin laughed. "Hey, Ningshun, if you ever feel lonely, I'm sure my body pillow wouldn't mind some company."

'That's not... what Hooman meant.' Ningshun leaned back. "I prefer to keep my distance from that... thing," he replied with the ease of a maestro, earning chuckles from the team.

"Meilin, their Jungler is headed toward Dragon!" Han interrupted.

"On it." She adjusted her path.

Ningshun's eyes widened. "Meilin, watch out!"

"What's wrong?"

"It's a trap. They're after your bounty."

"But that doesn't make sense, I—" her voice cut off as enemies closed in, escaping with her life by a narrow margin. 'I should have predicted this... This hardly ever happens!'

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"Forget about Dragon. Hooman and Kaili have their base covered. Meilin, wait for my signal to attack," Ningshun instructed, focusing on the map. "Han, stall their top laner."

"Got it," Han confirmed.

"Three... two... one... Go!"

Seizing the moment, she sprang into action and disabled the enemy ADC with a paralysis ability. Ningshun joined the fight, preventing the enemy team's escape until Hooman and Kaili breached the enemy base and initiated their final assault.

Inside the enemy base, Hooman and Kaili coordinated without error. "Almost there," Hooman encouraged as they attacked the enemy's core structure, dismantling it. "Keep it up, Kaili. We're nearly done!"

Kaili nodded. "Just a bit more. Almost there! It's impossible for them to win now."

The large Victory sign on her screen emerged.

Kaili leaned back, basking in the glow of their teamwork. "Good game. We really pulled through."

Han turned to the newest member, his expression softening. "You did awesome out there, Meilin. Impressive teamwork." Catching her clenched jaws and tensed hands, he blinked. "You okay?"

She met his gaze, her dim eyes now lighting up with joy in an instant. "Thanks, Han. I appreciate the support."

"Sure..."

Her heart pounded as she let her smile dissolve, straightening her mouth. 'This should never happen again... I can't risk losing this career. I should be perfect at this game at all times... I must be perfect.'

~*~

Ningshun dismounted from his motorcycle and strode through the entrance of a grand mansion. Its elegant marble exterior gave way to a welcoming foyer illuminated by the moonlight and adorned with classy furnishings.

'Please, don't be home.' He navigated the halls with a pounding heart and went to the mansion's center, sweat beading on his forehead.

"What are you doing here?" his father's voice boomed, brandishing a heavy book.

"Father." Ningshun stood outside the living room, avoiding his father's gaze. "I'm..."

"After you ran away!" He slammed the book onto the coffee table.

Ningshun flinched at the sudden noise. His chest heaved, fingers twitching as they clenched into a fist. He met his father's intense gaze.

"What's that noise?" a distant female voice called out. "Ningshun?"

"Mom," Ningshun's voice trembled as he entered the room, meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry. I..."

"My son," his mother's eyes softened as she approached him, her gentle touch easing the tension in his shoulders. "You're here... I've missed you so much."

Ningshun embraced her, soaking in her warmth and the familiar scent of her perfume—a calming blend of lavender and vanilla that made everything else fade away. 'If it weren't for her, I'd never step foot in this damn place...'

His father's scathing remarks cut through the silence. "You see? This is what happens when you indulge his childish fantasies," he directed at his wife. "Look at him, wasting his time on those games while the sons of my business partners are building real careers. They're making names for themselves, while he—"

"Have my own career and don't depend on your dirty money?"

His father struck his face, the slap echoing through the room and leaving a stinging imprint on his son's cheek. "This dirty money you refer to is paying for your mother's medical bills. With you, she'd be dead."

Each word struck Ningshun like a lash, stoking the flames of resentment within him. Clenching his fists and tightening his jaw, he swallowed his anger, recognizing the futility of challenging his father's temper.

His mother reached out, her hand trembling as she stroked his face with a gentle touch. "Honey," she whispered, her voice filled with love and concern. "It's not true. Your father has been under a lot of stress lately, and I'm better. I'm getting better, truly. I just want you to be happy."

"We're having a business dinner tomorrow night. They're bringing their daughter, and it's high time you start thinking about your future and settle down with a good girl, one that isn't a disappointment like you." His father let out a derisive chuckle. "Look at yourself, fix that damn hair... Marriage is your only opportunity to secure your place in society."

Ningshun shook his head. "I have plans."

"You will be there, or—"

"OR WHAT!?"

His father's expression darkened, sneering. "Don't show up... and you'll find out."

Ningshun's breathing grew heavier, his chest rising and falling with restrained anger. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "This was a mistake," he ground out, avoiding his father's gaze. "I shouldn't have come back."

"Ningshun!" his mother cried out.

"I'm sorry, Mom... I'll visit—" Ningshun stopped himself. With that, he made his way out of the mansion.

~*~

Ningshun stormed out of the mansion, his pace quickening as he approached his motorcycle, muscles taut with tension. Scoffing, he adjusted his denim jacket and swung his leg over the bike with practiced ease. The engine roared to life like a lion's growl.

He twisted the throttle, tires screeching against the pavement as he tore down the driveway, gravel crunching beneath him. "Damn old man," he muttered under his breath, fingers tightening on the throttle.

His eyes narrowed as he roared onto the main road, the engine's roar echoing through the streets. The world blurred into streaks of light and shadow as he weaved through traffic. Cars honked and swerved, but his mind raced with his father's words, each a dagger to his pride.

'What was I even hoping for?' He gritted his teeth.

He pushed the bike harder, the needle on the speedometer climbing. He shot through red lights, driving between vehicles with fearless precision, the honking horns fading into the background. The wind whipped against his face, failing to cool his boiling blood.

'Marriage, for my own sake? What a joke coming from a narcissist!' Ningshun's fists gripped the handlebars with such force that his knuckles turned white.

Tearing through the city streets, he took sharp corners at breakneck speeds, his bike leaning at a dangerous angle toward the ground.

Memories of his father's disapproval fueled him. "I'm so sick of it. I'm so tired. I can't handle it anymore!" he growled, pushing his bike to its limits. "LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE US ALONE!"

Racing further, his eyes caught sight of a railway crossing up ahead. Flashing lights and warning bells signaled an approaching train. In a moment of fury and despair, something deep within him snapped. All the frustration, the years of mental imprisonment, flooded through him.

For an instant, Ningshun entertained the idea of speeding toward the oncoming train. "Oh, yes..." A naughty smirk twisted his lips. "You'd love this, wouldn't you?" Gritting his teeth, he rushed toward the tracks at maximum speed as time slowed around him.

The railway crossing lights flashed red, and warning bells clanged with urgency to slow his speed. The ground beneath his tires trembled in anticipation of the impending danger.

There it was—the silhouette of the train hurtling toward him. The world fell silent, except for the roar of the train's wheels ripping through the tracks. Every fiber of his being screamed to let go and end his suffering, all in a split second.