Chapter 29

  There's only a month left until New Year's, and the weather in the South China Sea has been particularly good lately. The sea surface is calm and flat like a mirror, and recent calculations have been going smoothly. Fortunately, they also have time to take a stroll on the deck, feel the sea breeze, bask in the sun, and sometimes play three-on-three basketball. The table tennis competition in the entertainment room has also been heating up, as this is preparation for the New Year's table tennis tournament organized by the ship. This is currently the qualifying round, where 16 people will be selected to compete in the formal competition on New Year's Day.

  The day Ming Lang came to deliver supplies happened to be after lunch, when several table tennis enthusiasts were playing. He was usually good at hitting two shots, and he was also one of those with excellent skills. Watching the intense battle between the two pairs in front of him, he couldn't help but feel itchy. After these two finished a game and determined the winner, he immediately went over and said to the winner: "Hey, buddy, let's play a game?"

  This is the best billiards player among this group of men on the ship, except for Ding Ling, he has never lost to anyone. Seeing someone challenging him, he was naturally delighted and immediately smiled: "Okay, let's play a game."

  Then he took the pole and went back to the case, Minglang said to Xingyun's ear: "Look at me." Then he also walked over with a proud pony.

  "You're the guest, you kick off." The lieutenant with a small flat head, still basking in the glory of their previous victory, looked excited and gestured to Ming Lang to start the game.

  Ming Lang didn't show any courtesy and made a powerful opening shot. The white ball suddenly dispersed the triangular formation of balls at the tail end, and one ball fell into the pocket.

  Ming Lang smiled brightly and raised an eyebrow at his good fortune, then with a pleased smile playing on the corners of his mouth, he swept around the case with a loud whoosh.

  The lieutenant who had been fighting with Ming Lang was also convinced by this wonderful skill, and someone started clapping, then it was a round of applause.

  Ding Ling, who had been standing far away, was still looking coldly at first, but now walked over through the crowd.

  "Shall we play one round?"

  "Let's go!" A bright and cheerful smile, then a teasing remark: "But if you lose, don't cry."

  "Hmph!" Ding Ling sneered, originally she had a pretty good impression of Ming Lang, although he was a bit of a playboy, but not so annoying. But unexpectedly this guy was also so arrogant, with an air of playing the world and being unscrupulous, her heart felt some disdain, and she regretted coming to play this game with him. But since they had already started, they couldn't just quit now, or it would seem like she was afraid of him.

  Ding Ling took the bat from the lieutenant's hand and said coldly, "It's not certain who will win or lose yet. It's better to stop bragging first, so that when you lose, your face won't look even more ugly."

  "Hmph!" Ming Lang also snorted, a woman, what can she be capable of? Still pretending to be elegant, how annoying!

  She said with a clear and disdainful tone: "You go first, you're a girl, I should give in to you."

  Ding Ling increasingly disliked the guy, coldly ignoring him in her heart, and directly went to open the ball. At the first stroke of opening the ball, she already hit a ball into the pocket, and then cleared the table.

  Her movements were smooth and efficient, her posture elegant and perfect. The applause was even more enthusiastic, everyone had always liked Ding Ling anyway, this opportunity was a chance to show their appreciation. The applause and cheers lasted for a long time before finally dying down.

  Ming Lang's face fell for the first time when a girl made him lose face. "Let's play another round."

  "Alright." Ding Ling personally set up the board and made a inviting gesture, "You can start this round."

  Ming Lang walked away with a clenched jaw and averted mouth, glancing back at Xing Yun to see if he was looking, but Xing Yun had already retreated to the back to talk to Yu Su. The pain in his heart eased a little more.

  The spirit is not concentrated, the clearer and more urgent, the more mistakes are made. As soon as I take action, my hands slip off the bar, and the white ball just brushes past the triangular ball area, and the tightly arranged balls all roll slightly with their bodies, and then recover to be still again.

  Ding Ling smiled lightly and glanced at Ming Lang with the corner of her eye, then moved to a suitable position, bent down, and cleared the table again.

  His face turned bright red as he glared with his eyes wide open, shouting: "The last one was a slip-up, let's do it again, another round!"

  He still wanted to play again, but the people who came with him to deliver things outside the entertainment room were already calling him: "Ming Lang, let's go."

  With a bright and cheerful face, he took a glance outside, then looked at Lucky again. It was just noon when they arrived, so they had lunch with Lucky before coming to this entertainment room. They hadn't even exchanged a few words yet, but after some thought, he still threw the cue stick onto the table.

  "See you next time."

  Then he huffed and puffed his way through the onlookers, walked up to Yu Su and Lucky, and pulled Lucky over: "I'm leaving."

  Xingyun listened and followed Minglang out. The two went up to the upper deck, where Minglang shook Xingyun's hand, but quickly let go for fear of being seen by others.

  "Lucky, let's apply to go back, I haven't seen you every day now, but I miss you." Ming Lang said in a low and sorrowful tone, his small face was brightened by the sunlight on the sea, but his expression was extremely unhappy, with his eyes and mouth drooping down, like a poor little dog begging for sympathy from its owner.

  "Come on, how can I just leave? The work is already halfway done. In a few more months, the military exercise will be over, hang in there."

  "It's been months!!!!!!" He let out a loud and clear howl, but also knew that going back was impossible. He just complained and vented, feeling relieved after speaking his mind.

  "Lucky, were you thinking of me?" Ming Lang ignored the repeated waves from his comrades, beckoning him to return, and instead stuck to Lucky's side, asking sweetly.

  Lucky smiled and said, "Let's go quickly, everyone is waiting for you."

  "What? You don't want me?"

  "No."

  "So tell me." Ming Lang hurriedly pulled Lucky along, asking.

  "Oh dear, it's still useful, you don't know. Alright, let's go quickly." Xingyun pushed Minglang to one side.

  "I want to hear you say it."

  "Hurry up."

  "Call me tonight then."

  "Alright, let's go quickly, everyone is waiting for you."

  "Did you hear? Phone tonight."

  Lucky had no choice but to nod repeatedly, "Let's go, let's go."

  "Tonight..."

  "Uh-huh, got it~~~"

  The bright person left, and Lucky stood on the deck looking at the small helicopter, which gradually became a small dot in the sky, and then flashed in the sunlight and disappeared.

  The sea is boundless and endless, the sky is boundless and endless. The person standing between the sea and the sky is so small.

  Life is drifting away with the wind at this moment, and every minute and second is gone, can't be grasped, can't be repeated. Is it really like this, deceiving oneself? Deceiving each other, pretending to love, how long can we go on?

  These days, he has been thinking about his relationship with Minglang every day. This emotion without love as its foundation is now making him feel increasingly heavy, often suffocating him. At first, for the sake of that little light in front, he made such a decision, but after being together for more than half a year, he finally realized that emotions can't be self-deceived forever. He and Minglang will eventually only be friends, or maybe they can't even be friends now.

  Lucky let out a sigh and stretched his body, "It's time to make a decision!"

  "Lucky?..."

  "What are you thinking about?" Ding Ling had already stood behind him, "You've been staring at the sky in a daze for quite a while now."