The winter in the city is always gray, and the air smells of dampness and earth, like silt stirred up from the bottom of a distant river. Li Ran shuttles through this gloomy weather every day, squeezes into the subway, sits in the office, and faces endless documents and meetings. He is already thirty years old, but he always feels like a frog trapped in a quagmire and can’t move. It’s useless to shout.
He broke up with his girlfriend. It was a war without gunpowder. After the quarrel, nothing was left. She left and took away his only warmth. The house was empty, even the shadow of a person was missing. Li Ran lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The TV programs were boring, and the circle of friends was as lively as other people’s lives. He watched and felt cold in his heart.
By chance, he downloaded a game called “Mingchao”. There is a character named Xia Kong in the game. He is a wind warrior. He is taciturn, but extremely powerful. When Li Ran saw Xia Kong for the first time, he felt a long-lost excitement in his heart. He didn’t know why, but he felt that she was like the suppressed self deep in his heart.
When he started playing the game, Li Ran didn’t have too many expectations, just wanted to have some fun and escape from the boredom of reality. But as he got deeper into the game, he found himself getting deeper and deeper. He kept collecting materials, “Burning Phosphorus Bone”, “Golden Fleece”, “Full Frequency Tide Eclipse Sail Core”, these names sounded weird, but they made him feel that he had a goal. He set a plan for himself, playing dungeons, fighting bosses, and completing tasks every night.
Xia Kong in the game, starting from level one, gradually became stronger, more beautiful, and more lonely. Li Ran watched her break through the limit step by step, and the light seemed to illuminate his own gloomy life. In reality, he was still scolded by his boss, and was troubled by customers. When he returned home, he could only stare at the empty wall. But in the game, he can control his own destiny.
Once, Li Ran didn’t sleep well for three consecutive days, all in order to clear the “Sigh Ancient Dragon” dungeon. The dragon was so powerful that it was despairing. Li Ran failed dozens of times, his fingers were calloused, his eyes were red and swollen, but he refused to give up. After defeating the last boss and seeing the “Burning Phosphorus Bone” dropped, Li Ran suddenly felt that his heart was tightly grasped by something. That feeling was both painful and sweet.
After the game ended, he looked back at Xia Kong shining on the screen of his mobile phone, as if he saw a new self.
He began to bring the things in the game into reality. He bought new running shoes and went running. He also plucked up the courage to sit in the bar that he didn’t dare to go to before. Although he was a little clumsy and might even be laughed at, he felt that he was moving.
Xia Kong’s breakthrough materials were finally collected, and Li Ran decided to upgrade her to level 90. That night, he sat in the cabin, turned on the fan, held the phone in his hand, and the light on the screen reflected on his face. At that moment, he felt that all his fatigue disappeared.
“Breakthrough!” He pressed the button gently.
Xia Kong’s image was shining, and her eyes seemed to be filled with some kind of firmness and tenderness. Li Ran closed his eyes and his breathing slowed down, as if he had experienced a baptism.
He knew that life would continue, with pain, disappointment, and loneliness, but he also knew that he was no longer the person who could only wait and escape.
Perhaps, life is a game. Fall down and get up, fall down again, and get up again, until one day, we can finally look back at the road we have walked with a smile.