Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Pei Ran wanted to refute, but upon comparing himself with Yan Zhun, he had to admit that there was indeed a slight difference.

Silent, he withdrew his foot.

Yan Zhun smiled and didn't tease him further, instead taking out his phone to check messages.

"Lin Xuhuan: Waaa, wait for me, big bro! I'll change clothes and be right out! Damn, my streaming hours were way off, and Coach just dragged me back for a lecture... I'll treat you to dinner today!"

"Yan Zhun: Wait, don't change yet."

"Lin Xuhuan: ?"

"Yan Zhun: How much does a rocket cost on your streaming platform?"

"Lin Xuhuan: 2000 yuan, why?"

"Yan Zhun: Sent 2000 yuan to the recipient."

"Lin Xuhuan: ?"

"Yan Zhun: I've got something sudden to attend to. Go have fun on your own."

Lin Kang returned quickly. He was quite restless during meals, needing to open his mouth in between every couple of bites.

"It's been raining nonstop for the past seven days. I haven't gone anywhere; I'm about to grow mold at home," said Lin Kang as he wiped his mouth. "Where did you go for your holiday?"

He was asking Yan Zhun, but Pei Ran was too engrossed in his meal for him to interrupt politely.

"I didn't really go anywhere," Yan Zhun replied. "I was busy making money."

Lin Kang asked, "Making money? Did you get a part-time job?"

"Sort of," Yan Zhun said casually. "I worked as a gaming companion for a few days."

So absorbed was Lin Kang in his astonishment that he failed to notice the pause in the actions of the person sitting beside him, followed by a noticeable slowdown in their chewing.

"You... worked as a gaming companion?" Lin Kang said. "Like Huobi Gaming?"

Yan Zhun replied, "Somewhat, on other platforms."

Lin Kang wore a complicated expression. He and his friends often hired gaming partners, so he was well-versed in the art of finding the right companion. You could be inexperienced or play passively, but you had to have a pleasant voice and know how to please.

After all, playing games was meant for fun. If one wanted to rank up seriously, it would be more efficient to hire an actual boosting service.

But Yan Zhun... He wasn't exactly skilled in pleasing others, let alone paying attention to them.

So Lin Kang cautiously asked, "How did it go then?"

"Not bad." Yan Zhun glanced at Pei Ran nonchalantly. "I only took one client."

Pei Ran: "..."

He had already prepared himself to tell Lin Kang the truth if he asked – that he spent the entire holiday gaming, which was a common occurrence among guys.

However, Yan Zhun's brief explanation made the situation seem less innocent.

Sure enough, Lin Kang was taken aback for a few seconds before asking, "Just one boss? How many hours did she buy?"

"Sixty," Yan Zhun said.

Lin Kang took a deep breath and began to calculate, "Sixty hours... You must charge at least a hundred per hour, right? That's six thousand yuan for just a week of holiday... She's willing to spend that much on you! Are you being kept by your boss?"

Pei Ran choked slightly and couldn't help coughing. Both men beside him turned to look at him simultaneously.

Under their gazes, Pei Ran managed to force out a calm response, "It's just a transaction... I don't think it counts as being kept."

Yan Zhun leaned back in his chair and gave a lazy smile.

Lin Kang, oblivious to the subtle tension between the two, earnestly explained to Pei Ran, "You've never hired a gaming companion before, so you wouldn't understand. Normally, when we hire one, we pay them after each session. But it's different with big bosses. They usually deposit money with the companions, who then deduct it themselves. Sometimes, if they overcharge, the bosses won't say anything."

After that, he asked Yan Zhun, "Did you finish the sixty hours?"

"No, the boss was worried that I wouldn't get paid, so he settled the bill early," Yan Zhun replied with interest, "What do you think he was thinking? Was he afraid I would run away?"

"This means she's become your regular client, and she'll definitely order you again in the future," Lin Kang answered confidently, "She has feelings for you!"

The dining table fell silent.

After a long moment, Yan Zhun gave a short laugh. "Is that so? But my boss is male."

Lin Kang: "..."

Yan Zhun's "fixed boss" calmly sipped his coffee, finishing his meal.

When it was time to settle the bill, Yan Zhun was the first to open his payment code with a casual tone. "I've earned some money from my part-time job, so I'll treat you."

After the meal, the three of them left the restaurant together. Lin Kang veered into a supermarket nearby to buy cigarettes.

Pei Ran hesitated for a long time before he spoke up. "I didn't mean to sponsor you or anything like that. I was just worried that you wouldn't have time to play games while in school, and it might affect your ability to pay. If I offended you... I'm sorry."

Yan Zhun had been about to say 'offend me more', but decided against teasing him. "It's alright."

Pei Ran breathed a sigh of relief and took out his phone. "How much was dinner? I'll transfer it to you."

That Western restaurant was quite expensive; even a set meal cost two or three hundred yuan.

Yan Zhun kept his hands in his pockets. "No need."

"You didn't earn that money," Pei Ran insisted. "Can I transfer it to your WeChat?"

Just as Pei Ran opened the WeChat interface, his roommate called, saying he was moving out to live with his girlfriend and would leave tonight. He wanted to discuss the cost of the shared appliances they bought previously, asking Pei Ran to return to their dorm.

At that moment, Lin Kang came out of the supermarket. Seeing Pei Ran on the phone, he didn't disturb him, simply pointing at their campus. "Yan Zhun and I will head off first. You can take this shortcut back; it's closer."

Although they were in the same school, they were in different campuses separated by a street, which took about ten minutes to walk across.

Pei Ran wanted to call them back, but his roommate kept asking on the phone, "Can you hear me? Is it convenient for you to come back now?"

Pei Ran had no choice but to reply, "Yes, it's convenient. I'll be right back..."

Suddenly, Yan Zhun took two steps closer, reached into his pocket, and gently put something into Pei Ran's hoodie pocket.

It wasn't until Yan Zhun's figure blended into the night that his roommate finally hung up the call.

Pei Ran turned off his phone and walked a few steps before putting his hand into his pocket.

He pulled out a few candies.

-

On the day of the sports meet, Yan Zhun was awakened by a phone call from his class monitor, reminding him not to forget his 1000-meter event in the afternoon.

Yan Zhun dismissed him with a few casual words and lounged in bed for a while longer before reluctantly sitting up.

Luo Qingshan, wearing sneakers, said, "I was just about to wake you. Do you want to go for a jog together as a warm-up?"

Yan Zhun declined and after a moment, asked, "What events did you sign up for?"

"3000 meters," Luo Qingshan replied with a hint of excitement. "I checked, and Pei Ran is also doing the 3000. Wish me luck, buddy."

Yan Zhun frowned momentarily before relaxing. He reached under his pillow for his phone without responding to Luo Qingshan.

Ever since Yan Zhun stood up Lin Xuhuan that one time, the latter seemed to have gotten a taste for it and sent him daily messages inviting him to dinner.

"Lin Xuhuan: Bro, wanna grab a meal tonight? My treat. If you're busy, it's fine to stand me up."

Yan Zhun scoffed.

Not preying on fans' gifts but on friends – truly inhuman.

As he was pondering, another message popped up on the other end.

This message was quite lengthy, and its content was clearly a playful, mass-forwarded joke.

Yan Zhun glanced at it and was about to dismiss it when something occurred to him. With a crooked smile, he held down the message, tapped on forward, and sent it off.

Pei Ran was currently sitting in the cafeteria, his tray holding only two vegetarian dishes.

He had a long run in the afternoon, and eating too much would upset his stomach.

His phone rang softly.

"Yan Zhun: Big brother, it's almost the end of the season, and I haven't reached 6,000 points yet qaq Although I'm not very skilled, I'll always follow you closely o(〃'▽'〃)o I'm too scared for rushing up floors with guns, wahh, I don't want to kill anyone; I just want to carry a first-aid kit and medical box while following you!"

Pei Ran: "...?"

He blinked slightly, repeatedly checking the sender's nickname.

"Pei Ran: Did you send this to the wrong person?"

"Pei Ran: I'm Pei Ran."

"Yan Zhun: Yeah, I sent that to the wrong person."

"Yan Zhun: When's the 3000-meter run?"

"Pei Ran: Three o'clock in the afternoon."

"Yan Zhun: If you can't finish, just stop. Your art department isn't that strict about sports events."

"Pei Ran: ..."

"Pei Ran: I'll finish the race."

In the afternoon, Pei Ran went to the sports field with his roommate.

His roommate had signed up for the 1000-meter run and was only there to participate casually. As the race time hadn't arrived yet, they sat on the grandstand waiting for registration.

His roommate was chatting on his phone when he suddenly laughed, "My girlfriend is running in the relay soon. I'm going to cheer her on."

Pei Ran nodded. "Everything's fine."

"About you," his roommate casually asked, "isn't Luo Qingshan here to cheer you on?"

Pei Ran replied, "We broke up."

"Oh?" His roommate paused in his typing and turned with surprise. "When did that happen? I ran into him the day school broke for vacation, and he said you two didn't have any plans and were just going to hang out at home..."

Pei Ran was unaware of this. He tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We split up before that."

His roommate wasn't as nosy as Lin Kang; after two surprised comments, he dropped the topic. Patting Pei Ran's shoulder, he said, "Let's not talk about it. My race is starting soon, so come on, let's go to the finish line to cheer me on."

Seeing Yan Zhun at the starting line, Pei Ran was momentarily taken aback.

Yan Zhun was tall, and his starting stance was just as impeccable as the other two athletes beside him. Although the athletes had well-built physiques, Yan Zhun's broad shoulders and long legs effortlessly drew the spectators' attention.

Pei Ran could even hear two girls beside him discussing how they would approach Yan Zhun to offer him water later.

The moment the starting gun sounded, Yan Zhun bolted from the line like an arrow from a bow.

A kilometer was not a challenge for male students, and the two athletes dashed swiftly. Following them was Yan Zhun, while his roommate... was at the tail end, playfully jostling with a computer science student.

Pei Ran watched as Yan Zhun drew closer and closer, eventually crossing the finish line in third place, then heading straight for him.

After a sprint, one usually needed a light jog to recover. Pei Ran suspected Yan Zhun might collide with him and subconsciously stepped back.

Yan Zhun came to a steady halt.

His chest heaved rhythmically as he caught his breath. Then, he said, "Don't worry, I won't hit you."

Pei Ran blinked rapidly and dryly said, "Congratulations, third place."

"What's so congratulatory about being third?" Yan Zhun cast his gaze down and noticed the two bottles of mineral water in Pei Ran's hands. "For me?"

Pei Ran pondered for a moment and, instinctively, lifted the bottle in his right hand. "This one..."

The moment he spoke, Yan Zhun snatched it, twisted off the cap, and took a deep swig.

The icy cold water cascaded down his throat, refreshing his soul.

He drank more than half the bottle in one go. Looking up after finishing, he found the person in front of him staring at him in astonishment.

Pei Ran intended to say that he had already drunk this bottle, and the other was meant for his roommate.

Yan Zhun raised an eyebrow, about to inquire, when someone approached to remind him to record his exam results.

"I'll be right back to register," he said, standing very close to Pei Ran, who could even sense his breath. "Don't be petty. If it's really a problem, I'll buy you another one later."