Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse – CH123

Chapter 123: I’ll Spar With You

Lin Xiao kept his head down, silently taking a few long drags from his cigarette. The cherry had burned down to a tiny stub, glowing faintly in the dim morning light.

It wasn’t until the heat scorched his fingertips that he seemed to snap out of his daze. Dropping the butt onto the dirt, he crushed it hard beneath the toe of his boot and turned toward the center of the campsite, where Wang Li was tending a small fire, curls of pale smoke rising into the air.

“Hey! Wait…” Chu Yang called after him in bewilderment. “What’s going on with you? Did you not sleep at all last night, or did you see a ghost? Those dark circles under your eyes look terrifying!”

At the words last night, Lin Xiao’s back stiffened visibly. His footing hitched, but he didn’t turn around or utter a single word, quickening his pace instead.

Chu Yang scratched the back of his neck, completely baffled. “What is up with everyone acting so weird this morning…?”

“Brother Chu! Breakfast is ready! What are you daydreaming about over there?” Li Yu called out from a short distance away.

“Coming, coming!” Chu Yang shook his head, pushing his questions aside for the moment. He muttered to himself, “Forget it, nothing matters more than food. I’ll figure it out once my stomach is full.”

After a quick, simple breakfast, the convoy set out once more.

Over the next few days, the atmosphere grew increasingly strained, just as Chu Yang had sensed it would.

Lin Xiao became unusually quiet, rarely speaking unless it was absolutely necessary. Normally, he was the loudest one in the group, always cracking jokes and keeping the mood light. Now that he had suddenly turned as silent as a statue, Chu Yang found the change jarring and difficult to get used to.

That evening, the team set up camp in a sheltered valley to rest for the night.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Yang hurried over, slung an arm around Lin Xiao’s shoulders, and pulled him toward a quiet stand of trees. He lowered his voice, asking earnestly, “Old Lin, what is really going on with you? You’ve been acting bizarre ever since that morning. If something happened, just tell me! Your brother has your back. Seeing you so distracted all the time is really worrying.”

Lin Xiao glanced at him with dull, hollow eyes. His lips parted, but it took several seconds before he managed to force out a raspy reply: “…It’s nothing.”

“You call this nothing?” Chu Yang’s eyes widened. “Take a look in the mirror! Did you get dumped, or are you possessed?”

Lin Xiao simply shook his head, looking thoroughly drained and clearly unwilling to talk.

Seeing that he wouldn’t budge, Chu Yang couldn’t help muttering to himself. Even if things were awkward between him and Lin Weiwei, it shouldn’t have changed him this drastically. It was as though he had become an entirely different person.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. “You know what? Talking is useless, and bottling it all up isn’t doing you any good. Old Lin, how about a spar? Stretch your muscles, work up a good sweat, and maybe you’ll shake off whatever is eating at you!”

Lin Xiao had been feeling suffocated with nowhere to vent his frustration. Hearing the suggestion, a faint flicker returned to his eyes, and he gave a short nod. “Alright.”

The two moved to an open clearing. Chu Yang drew his Tang sword, while Lin Xiao unsheathed his own long blade.

Chu Yang twirled his sword with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Come on! No superpowers today—just pure sword skill. Let’s see who’s improved more. Don’t you dare lose to me, Old Lin!”

Lin Xiao didn’t reply. He gripped the hilt with white knuckles, slowly dropping into an opening stance. In an instant, a sharp, suffocatingly fierce aura radiated from his entire body.

Seeing that intense focus, Chu Yang wiped the playful smile from his face, turning serious.

The next second, both men lunged forward. Steel flashed in the fading light, colliding with a sharp, ringing clang!

They moved with remarkable agility, their strikes sharper and more precise than ever as the crisp sound of clashing blades echoed continuously through the trees.

Chu Yang couldn’t resist calling out between parries, “Hey, are you serious right now? That force… are you holding a grudge or something?”

“Tell me the truth, what the hell is bothering you?!”

“You’re acting like this out of nowhere, and even Su Mubai is acting strange!”

“Did you two have a fight?”

At the mention of Su Mubai’s name, Lin Xiao didn’t answer with words; instead, the wind from his sword grew faster, heavier, and far more violent.

He seemed to have shut off every other sense, leaving only the blade in his hands and a desperate urge to tear something apart. His movements abandoned their usual disciplined structure, relying entirely on brute force and blinding speed.

Chu Yang gradually began to struggle. The banter died on his lips, beads of sweat breaking out across his forehead as he focused all his concentration on fending off the relentless assault.

As the fight wore on, Lin Xiao’s attacks became increasingly reckless and frantic, as if he were pouring every ounce of his unspeakable agony into each strike.

Suddenly, with a low, guttural roar, he channeled all his strength into a vicious downward slash!

The strike was too fast, too brutal—it completely crossed the line of a friendly spar!

Chu Yang’s pupils contracted. There was no time to dodge. Instinctively, he raised his Tang sword horizontally above his head, bracing with both arms to block the crushing blow!

Clang—!

The violent impact sent a numbing shockwave through Chu Yang’s wrists, forcing him back several stumbling paces. Before he could regain his balance, Lin Xiao’s cold, gleaming blade thrust straight toward his chest!

“Lin Xiao!” a cold, sharp shout rang out.

At the exact same moment, a blinding streak of silver flashed in from the side. With a precise, metallic crack, the incoming blade cleanly parried both of their weapons away!

Jiang Jue stood firmly between them, his long sword held ready. He immediately turned toward Chu Yang, his voice softening with genuine concern: “Yangyang, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Chu Yang was panting heavily, a cold sweat drenching his back. He looked down at his trembling hand, then checked his chest—his shirt had been sliced open, leaving a thin red scratch across his skin, though thankfully it was only a surface graze.

He let out a shaky breath, shaking his stinging, numb arm. “I’m fine… my hand is just completely numb. I almost dropped my sword.”

Confirming that Chu Yang wasn’t seriously harmed, Jiang Jue slowly turned around. His gaze settled on Lin Xiao with heavy, piercing severity, carrying an unmistakable warning.

His voice wasn’t loud, but every word struck Lin Xiao like a physical blow. “Some things, once done, cannot be undone. If you’re a man, figure out what you truly want and what responsibilities you need to carry. Stop acting like this—wallowing in useless self-pity and venting your frustration in the wrong places only ends up hurting yourself and everyone around you.”

Jiang Jue’s sharp reprimand seemed to jolt Lin Xiao back to reality. Looking down at the sword in his trembling hand, and then at Chu Yang standing safely behind Jiang Jue, a wave of deep remorse and lingering horror washed over his face.

Slowly sheathing his weapon, his voice came out low, broken, and thick with regret: “…I understand. Third, I’m sorry about that.”

Chu Yang waved his hand dismissively. Though still a little shaken, he was far more concerned about his friend’s mental state. “Forget it, I know you didn’t mean it. I’m tough; a little scratch won’t kill me. But… are you really okay? If something is eating at you, don’t bottle it up. Talk to us, and we’ll figure it out together.”

Lin Xiao merely shook his head slowly. His lips parted, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say a single word.

Seeing that Lin Xiao’s emotions had somewhat settled, Jiang Jue said nothing more. Placing a reassuring arm around Chu Yang’s shoulder, his tone returned to its usual gentle calm. “Let’s head back and get some rest.”

Chu Yang nodded and followed Jiang Jue back toward the camp.

After a few steps, he couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder one last time.

Lin Xiao remained standing alone in the clearing, motionless in the encroaching dark.

Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse