Frost [BL]

Xiao Qiu sat on the balcony, his legs pressed against his chest as he sulked in silence. 

He was the reason Xiao Yi had the habit of going to the balcony whenever he needed to breathe.

Inside, Xiao Yi fiddled around the kitchen. He rinsed and dried the small tea cups, which had been untouched and collecting dust for months, and then poured two cups of tea into them.

While Xiao Yi would smoke - Xiao Qiu really liked his tea. He'd once told him that he met an older gentleman in the hospital room next to his who would invite him to sit and enjoy the tea with him over a board game.

Once he felt that the tea had enough time to sit, he picked up the tray and walked out to the balcony. He didn't forget to glare at the four idiots who hadn't stepped in to break up the fight earlier, each fiddling with their own bags as if they were invisible.

Li Hao shivered as he walked past him and goosebumps ran up his arms. All the times when he was hit on the top of his head with rolled-up paper during practice and forced to keep practicing until the sun rose came back to him.

If he were asked if he regretted it… No, Xiao Qiu had been begging to be beaten up. He only tackled him.

Xiao Yi closed the balcony door with his foot, put the tray on the table and pulled up a chair of his own right in front of his older brother.

He held one of the cups in front of him and coaxed. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

Xiao Qiu took the cup from him. "Explain."

Xiao Yi took the other cup from the tray and leaned back. "I worked as a guide to help players either level up or improve their PVP skills for a bit and got paid pretty well. Then, I started investing and ended up with a good chunk of V's company's shares. I also help on the backend of the game sometimes."

Xiao Qiu listened patiently and Xiao Yi added. "I have a lot of money. I was planning to take you and move after you retired."

Xiao Qiu lowered his eyes in thought.

The career of an esports player is a short one. Just like how athletes will eventually be passed over for the younger generation, so will esports players. 

Whether it's due to injuries to the hand and wrist, or the aging mind with lower reaction speeds, or lack of money, all of those factors play a lot into deciding when a player will retire - most will retire in their 20s. 

Many esports players sign contracts with companies and join their teams due to this fact. There's no guarantee they'll win the big jackpot, the world championships, but at least they'll have money for when they retire.

Xiao Qiu looked at his little brother. "I'm not poor."

"Hmm…" Xiao Yi nodded. "I know, but our parents cut you off years ago."

Xiao Qiu sprung up. "How did you know?"

"It was after I got out of the hospital, right?"

The two brothers sat in silence after that.

He was right.

Xiao Qiu had been cut off from their parents when he went to visit them after they found Xiao Yi on the streets. He scolded them, and asked for money to pay the hospital bills since it was the least their parents could do.

After that, Xiao Qiu never received another allowance payment. His parents were going to try to freeze him out so he'd go back home obediently. 

However, he still had some money and he hadn't ever told Xiao Yi about it since he didn't want his brother to feel guilty.

Xiao Yi stared at his brother's white face and added. "This apartment."

Because he asked Lee to let Xiao Yi stay with him in this apartment rather than move to his old place, which wasn't far from the company building.

Xiao Qiu nodded in defeat. When did his younger brother get so observant? He thought he'd handled it well. 

He wasn't poor, he couldn't even be considered middle class, but he was careful with his money since he knew that he'd need to retire eventually and it may be difficult to get a job with his parents blocking him in the industry. 

A flute played.

Xiao Yi pulled his phone out of his pocket and smiled.

[Nightmare]: Want to meet this weekend? 

[Sleepy]: Sure, where?