Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Lin Xuhuan placed both hands on the table and leaned forward, asking, "What happened to your leg?"

Pei Ran shook his head. "It's nothing, I fell during a sports event."

Although the wound on his leg was almost healed, to prevent infection, Pei Ran had been wearing loose three-quarter pants these few days.

Yan Zhun lowered his gaze, staring at the scab on Pei Ran's leg. A few seconds later, Pei Ran awkwardly pulled down his pant leg.

"It's scabbed over," Yan Zhun said.

"Mm-hmm," Pei Ran replied. "It'll heal in time."

Yan Zhun didn't say anything more, but after retracting his gaze, the scar still lingered in his mind.

Lin Xuhuan could be considered a semi-public figure. He had more followers on Weibo than some minor celebrities, and when he went out, he would be fully disguised with a mask and hat. Before leaving, his coach had teased him, telling him not to worry as standing next to Yan Zhun would make him look like a mere assistant.

For safety reasons, however, the coach had booked them a private room. Although there were no-smoking signs outside the restaurant, no one would enforce the rule inside the room. Lin Xuhuan took out a cigarette and offered one to Pei Ran. "Ran darling, care for some?"

Pei Ran replied, "Thank you, but I don't smoke."

"True, smoking is so mundane, it doesn't suit you." Lin Xuhuan readily flattered him before turning to Yan Zhun and offering the cigarette. "Bro, here you go."

Yan Zhun skillfully caught the cigarette and held out his hand to Lin Xuhuan.

Lin Xuhuan was taken aback and handed over the entire pack. "Bro, seriously? Your smoking habit is back? You're grabbing a whole pack at once?"

Yan Zhun took it, stuffed the cigarette back into the box, closed it, and tossed it aside.

"Your coach asked me to keep an eye on you," Yan Zhun said without lifting an eyelid. "Don't smoke, it's harmful to your health."

Lin Xuhuan's expression was a mix of emotions. Their base had rules that stipulated fines for smoking. He hadn't expected that even after sneaking out, he still wouldn't be able to light up.

Moreover...

"No, Bro, if someone else were to say this, I'd let it slide, but not from you," Lin Xuhuan protested. "Back in high school, I used to empty your ashtrays for you. Now you suddenly know it's bad for health?"

"Stop talking so much," Yan Zhun said. "Pay the fine, and I'll let you have one."

"..." Lin Xuhuan folded his arms in frustration. "I won't smoke anymore, I promise."

The waiter knocked and entered, handing them a menu.

Yan Zhun's phone rang just then. Glancing at the caller ID, he stood up. "I'll take this outside. You guys order."

"What do you want? We can order for you," Lin Xuhuan offered.

"Anything's fine." Yan Zhun cast a glance at Pei Ran's leg. "No seafood, please."

With the door closing, Lin Xuhuan opened the menu. "Babe Ran, what do you feel like having?"

They had spent several nights playing games together, so Pei Ran was already accustomed to this nickname.

"I'm good with anything," Pei Ran said, casually opening the plastic bag containing Yan Zhun's utensils and soaking them in hot water.

"Our green pepper chicken is a signature dish," the waiter informed them.

Lin Xuhuan shook his head. "No, he has an injury; he can't handle spicy food..."

"I'm fine. I can eat other dishes, so you don't have to worry about me," Pei Ran hurriedly said.

"No," Lin Xuhuan looked up and smiled. "My brother can't handle spicy food at all. His stomach isn't good."

After ordering the dishes, the waiter retreated.

Pei Ran licked his lips a few times. After chatting with Lin Xuhuan for a while, he turned his head and asked, "Does Yan Zhun have a stomach problem?"

Lin Xuhuan wiped his hands with a hot towel. "Yes, it's an old issue. He used to visit the hospital every day."

Pei Ran asked, "Why? Didn't he eat properly?"

Lin Xuhuan found the question amusing for some reason. When he saw Pei Ran's earnest expression, he felt even more like laughing.

This wasn't a secret that couldn't be mentioned. Most people in the base knew about it.

Moreover, he sensed that his brother treated Pei Ran differently. After playing games together for several days, he had never seen Yan Zhun being so attentive to anyone else.

After some thought, Lin Xuhuan threw out the same question again. "How much did my brother charge you for accompanying you to play?"

Pei Ran answered truthfully, "Twenty."

Lin Xuhuan: "............"

Pei Ran blinked. "Is that too little?"

Lin Xuhuan took a sip of tea to compose himself.

How could he explain to Pei Ran that last year, his coach had offered Yan Zhun an annual salary in eight figures? After taxes, and excluding profit shares from competitions and endorsements.

Lin Xuhuan had an idea of what was going on. He put down his teacup. "He wasn't eating properly. My brother actually trained for a while back then. It was summer vacation, and we both joined the team together."

"At that time, he often only had one meal a day, saying that being too full would make him drowsy and affect his gameplay... Of course, that wasn't sustainable. Within a month, problems arose. He started losing his appetite and would vomit after eating. We didn't pay much attention because in our industry, irregular sleep patterns and all-nighters were common, so minor issues were normal. He refused to go to the hospital when we suggested it, just taking some stomach medicine casually."

"Then one day, he was in so much pain that he couldn't walk. In the end, an ambulance had to carry him out. His parents came later, and after a lot of turmoil... In short, they wouldn't let him continue with esports anymore."

Lin Xuhuan let out a breath and forced a light-hearted smile. "I still remember what his father said to him."

Reason told Pei Ran not to pry into others' privacy.

After much restraint, he finally asked, "What did he say?"

Lin Xuhuan chuckled as he recalled the words, "He said—'What kind of profession is this? Even our family garden is bigger than your competition arena.'"

Pei Ran: "…"

When Yan Zhun returned from his call, he pushed open the door and heard this remark.

"What are you gossiping about?" As he passed behind Lin Xuhuan, he tapped the latter's head with his cigarette case.

"I wasn't!" Lin Xuhuan promptly put on an act, covering his head. "It was Baby Ran who asked how you ruined your stomach."

Yan Zhun paused before pulling out a chair and sitting down.

This was the second time Pei Ran had been caught in the act of gossiping about someone.

And it was the same person both times.

"It's not as exaggerated as he made it sound," Yan Zhun said.

Pei Ran looked at him instinctively. "Hm?"

"Only an upset stomach, nothing life-threatening. The garden isn't any bigger than the training ground," Yan Zhun replied expressionlessly. "Done washing?"

Pei Ran was taken aback. "What?"

"My chopsticks," Yan Zhun reminded him. "You've rinsed them three times."

Pei Ran handed them over, calmly explaining, "The chopsticks in restaurants can be quite dirty."

"Mm," Yan Zhun acknowledged, casting a glance at Pei Ran's reddened ears. "A cleanliness obsession, I understand."

After finishing their meal, Lin Xuhuan carried Pei Ran's laptop out of the restaurant.

"I'll take it back and have a repairman change your keyboard. I'll return it to you once it's fixed."

Pei Ran was surprised. "No need, I can check out other repair shops."

"How could they compare to the ones we have?" Lin Xuhuan assured him. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you a good one."

Pei Ran hesitated for a moment. "Thank you, could you tell me the repair cost through WeChat later?"

Lin Xuhuan waved his hand. "It's just a small amount, we have sponsors."

"No," Pei Ran insisted. "I still need to pay."

Yan Zhun took over the conversation before Lin Xuhuan could argue further. "Sure, I'll send you the price when the time comes."

Pei Ran replied, "Alright."

Yan Zhun put on his cap, revealing his eyes. "Heading back to the dormitory?"

"Yes," Pei Ran recalled something. "My laptop password is feiyi."

Lin Xuhuan noted it down in his memo. "What does that mean? Your girlfriend's name?"

"No, I don't have a girlfriend." Pei Ran glanced at his watch. "Should I head back then? I've got assignments to finish tonight."

"Sure, we can chat on WeChat when you're free." Lin Xuhuan smiled warmly.

Pei Ran had just turned around when his clothes were tugged.

"Wait," Yan Zhun glanced around and then told him, "Stay here for me."

A few minutes later, Yan Zhun emerged from the pharmacy with a bag in hand.

He thrust the bag into Pei Ran's arms. "Apply this three times a day, even if it itches."

Pei Ran opened the bag to find no less than five tubes of the same brand of ointment.

Startled, he looked at the ointment, then up at Yan Zhun.

His expression was somewhat dazed, and Yan Zhun stared back at him, not saying anything for a long while. After a while, he finally spoke, "Scars aren't attractive on boys."

It wasn't until they returned to the dormitory that Pei Ran realized there was something off about those words.

Wasn't it normal for men to have a few scars? It was the girls who should be concerned about such things.

Frowning as he pondered this, he changed his clothes slowly, then washed an apple for dessert. He sat down on a chair, crossed his legs, and began applying the ointment Yan Zhun had just bought for him.

-

Yan Zhun didn't return to the base with Lin Xuhuan. He needed something from his dormitory, but it was too late, and he was too lazy to go back now. So, he decided to stay at school for the night.

When the dorm room door opened, Yan Zhun had just detached his keyboard from the computer. He wasn't used to the equipment at the base, and there was a competition next month. Yan Zhun had promised to help them with training matches these few days, so he naturally wanted to maintain his best condition.

Upon seeing him, Luo Qingshan was initially startled but quickly regained his composure. He casually threw the basketball into a corner.

Neither of them spoke. The dormitory maintained its usual silence. Yan Zhun was not a talkative person, and Luo Qingshan hadn't often approached him in the past to chat. This tranquility was their norm.

But today, there seemed to be an indistinct difference.

"Yan Zhun," after some time, his roommate's voice sounded from behind, "do you know where there's a laundry shop near campus? I want to wash my shoes. I've been practicing running lately, and they've turned black."

Without turning his head, Yan Zhun replied, "I don't know."

"Tsk, they're really dirty." Luo Qingshan crossed his legs and glanced at Yan Zhun before looking down at his own shoes. "If Pei Ran saw this, he might think I don't cherish the things he gave me. That wouldn't be good."

Yan Zhun deftly wound the cable around the keyboard, stuffed it into his bag, and finally turned his head for a glance.

The shoes were in black and white, simple with no intricate patterns – a style that Pei Ran would choose.

"Yan Zhun said, 'There's one just around the corner from the back entrance of the school.'"

"Luo Qingshan smiled and replied, 'These shoes are from a limited edition two years ago. Pei Ran happened to be abroad then, and he queued outside the store all night just to get them for me.'"

Yan Zhun looked down, zipping up his backpack with a crisp sound.

"Luo Qingshan continued, 'Later, he caught a cold and was sick for two days. Oh, I think these shoes were his gift for our first anniversary.'"

Yan Zhun hung his hat in the closet and pulled out another black one.

"'Do you think artists are particularly ceremonious? Every anniversary, he prepares a gift for me in advance,' Yan Zhun remarked."

He stuffed the hat into one side of his backpack.

It was then that the phone on the table vibrated.

"Pei Ran: You can have a glass of milk in the morning, it's good for your stomach."

"Pei Ran: Thank you for the medicine."

The tension around Yan Zhun's lips instantly softened.

He picked up his phone and, grabbing the towel, headed for the bathroom. After taking two steps, he paused to look at the person beside him, as if just realizing they had been speaking.

He asked, "Didn't Pei Ran compensate you in cash for all the gifts he'd given you in the past?"

This was something Yan Zhun had overheard after Luo Qingshan had drunk too much one time.

Luo Qingshan's words were suddenly cut short, his mouth agape with no sound coming out.

Although Yan Zhun's face was devoid of expression, Luo Qingshan could somehow sense a hint of mockery. He blinked rapidly, about to say something—

"Given that, it would be proper to return anything he gave you," Yan Zhun quirked the corner of his mouth, offering a smile devoid of emotion. "Of course, this is merely my suggestion."