Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The drizzle veiled the magnolias on either side of the path, and there were few people on the campus walkway. Pei Ran strolled slowly with his laptop in hand, gently gripping a small trinket he had just received.

His phone buzzed urgently.

"Yan Zhun: Walk faster."

Pei Ran was taken aback and instinctively turned his head, only to see two couples walking side by side under their umbrellas.

"Pei Ran: Are you still there?"

Yan Zhun replied with a voice message, which Pei Ran held to his ear. "I guessed. You usually walk quite slowly."

Pei Ran pressed his lips together and quietly put his phone away in his computer bag.

His heart was pounding rapidly, and it hadn't slowed down even after such a long walk. Listening to more would make things even stranger.

Pei Ran didn't accept Yan Zhun's confession. As usual, he began with an apology, but as he spoke, he realized his voice was trembling slightly.

Yan Zhun waited silently for his answer, and this patience only made Pei Ran more nervous. With great effort, he managed to say, "I'm not ready to be in a relationship right now."

His words were hesitant and lacked confidence.

Yan Zhun nodded calmly and replied, I understand, but I still want to pursue you.

He even asked, Will you let me?

Pei Ran remained silent, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would stumble over his words again.

Finally, Yan Zhun adjusted the brim of his cap and said, I got it, then I'll pursue you.

"Pei Ran?"

Pei Ran turned around and saw Su Nian.

Su Nian stood side by side with another guy, appearing quite close.

Su Nian glanced at him, paused for a moment, then asked, "It's raining, and you're not using an umbrella? Also, your face... why is it so red?"

Pei Ran's face was flushed, but his tone remained as composed as ever. "Is there something you need?"

"Oh, nothing much, just wanted to say hi," Su Nian paused. "By the way, I apologize again for what upset you before. Since we've run into each other, I thought I'd make it right."

"You don't have to," Pei Ran inquired, "Didn't Lin Kang pass on my message to you?"

Su Nian smiled. "He did. I understood you were upset at the time and didn't take it to heart. As long as you're not angry anymore, that's fine."

Pei Ran frowned, not wanting to prolong the conversation. He turned to leave.

"Wait, hold on," Su Nian called out, "Let me give you my umbrella. Don't catch a cold."

Pei Ran declined. "No, thank you."

"No, really," Su Nian chuckled, "This umbrella is from Brother Qingshan. I kept forgetting to return it. Now that we've met, you can use it and help me return it to him when you're done."

"I've already broken up with him. You borrowed the umbrella, so you should return it yourself," Pei Ran walked away, leaving his last words trailing in the rain.

Su Nian stood rooted to the spot, watching his departing figure, unable to move.

The guy beside him nudged his shoulder. "Did you hear what you just said? Is that even human language? I think you're being overly sly."

Su Nian smiled. "That's how you deal with Pei Ran. If you're too subtle, he won't understand."

"Why bother annoying Pei Ran when they've already broken up?"

Su Nian's smile remained unchanged.

They might have broken up, but Luo Qingshan still had feelings for him.

As long as the issue with Luo Qingshan wasn't resolved, he could only settle it with Pei Ran. As long as Pei Ran didn't reconcile with him, Luo Qingshan would be powerless.

Seeing Su Nian's silence, his friend couldn't help frowning at him, asking after a while, "Why bother? I don't think Luo Qingshan is that great. There are handsome guys everywhere. Want me to introduce some to you?"

"No thanks." Su Nian glanced at his phone. He had sent Luo Qingshan over ten messages and hadn't received a reply yet. He looked up at the rain and said, "Let's go."

Back in his dorm, Pei Ran removed his hat, changed clothes, then picked up the hat and headed for the washbasin.

He grabbed a new toothbrush and gently scrubbed the hat with a downward gaze.

Pei Ran had a penchant for washing things, as the repetitive actions allowed him to comfortably zone out. But now, he couldn't relax at all; Yan Zhun's voice echoed relentlessly in his mind.

It alternated between "I like you," "I'm starting to pursue you," and now, "Can I pursue you?"

Before parting, Yan Zhun had even reached out to touch his head through his cap, but quickly retracted his hand, urging him to go back home, mentioning that the rain was about to intensify.

The sharp clinking sound jolted Pei Ran back to reality. He turned his head to see raindrops splashing into the room, leaving damp spots on the windowsill.

Closing the window, Pei Ran returned to his desk and noticed multiple text messages on his phone.

"Unknown Number: I lent him that umbrella a long time ago..."

"Unknown Number: Did you get caught in the rain today? Remember to drink some hot water to warm up."

"Unknown Number: If this happens again, call me, and I'll come pick you up."

"Unknown Number: I miss you. Can you just reply to me?"

Blocking Yan Zhun's WeChat and phone number did no good – Luo Qingshan still found ways to infiltrate his life.

Pei Ran glanced at the time. Luo Qingshan had found out about his meeting with Su Nian in less than half an hour.

Without responding, Pei Ran exited to check the messages he had received on WeChat.

"Yan Zhun: ..."

"Pei Ran: ?"

"Yan Zhun: Check if I'm still here."

"Pei Ran: Where are you?"

"Yan Zhun: In your friends list."

Pei Ran took a deep breath, feeling a slight warmth in his ears.

Holding his phone, he typed a string of ellipses after a long while but didn't manage to send them yet.

"Yan Zhun: Typing for five minutes, writing some sort of essay?"

"Pei Ran: ..."

"Pei Ran: I was occupied with something else and forgot to close the chat window."

"Yan Zhun: Busy with what?"

"Pei Ran: ...A personal matter."

After sending this message, Pei Ran flipped his phone face down on the table.

He then stood up and returned to the sink to continue washing Yan Zhun's hat.

-

In late autumn, the rain drizzled intermittently for two days.

With his roommate having moved out, the dormitory was quieter than usual, making it easier for Pei Ran to concentrate on his drawing.

Just as he had sketched a couple of lines, his phone rang.

"Ran darling, what are you up to?" It was Lin Xuhuan, whose side was unusually devoid of the sound of typing.

"Drawing," Pei Ran inquired, "What's up?"

"Drawing? Drawing me?" Lin Xuhuan's voice rose in excitement, "Quick, send it to me!"

"I've only sketched the outline; the image isn't fully formed yet," Pei Ran continued, "Is there something you need?"

Lin Xuhuan didn't respond immediately. It seemed like he was with someone else, as Pei Ran could hear his voice growing distant, "Brother, it seems like Baby Ran is drawing me. For this sort of thing, one needs to be focused. Should we not disturb him then?"

In an instant, Pei Ran knew who was with Lin Xuhuan.

He held his phone a little tighter. Upon realizing what he was doing, he had already put down his paintbrush, turned on the speakerphone, and held it close to his ear.

Lin Xuhuan returned quickly, "Actually, nothing much... We were discussing about playing basketball at your school court today. Do you want to join us?"

After Lin Xuhuan hung up, the person sitting beside the sofa asked, "What did he say?"

"Of course, he agreed," Lin Xuhuan replied in confusion, "Why didn't you ask him yourself? Why did you have to make me call?"

There could be no other reason.

Of course he was worried that Pei Ran would refuse to come.

Lin Xuhuan had helped Pei Ran before, and as long as the latter asked, he wouldn't decline.

Yan Zhun stood up and casually patted Lin Xuhuan's shoulder, saying lazily, "You train them for a thousand days."

Due to recent rain, the ground was damp, so the players had moved indoors to the gymnasium.

It being Saturday, most people were out having fun, leaving the basketball court rather empty; no need to reserve a spot.

When Pei Ran arrived at the gym, he caught sight of Yan Zhun effortlessly jumping for a mid-range shot. The corner of his jersey lifted slightly, revealing his toned abs glistening with a thin sheen of sweat.

"Ran darling," Lin Xuhuan panted after playing for a while, "Why did you take so long? Come on, let's play three-on-three."

Not expecting a match, Pei Ran was taken aback, his movements in removing his jacket pausing. "I'm not very good at this..."

"No worries, we're all beginners. You've at least participated in sports events before. We're usually too lazy to even walk properly, so you'd be an asset just by joining us," Lin Xuhuan reassured him.

Pei Ran hesitated for a moment, just about to nod, when halfway through taking off his jacket, someone suddenly grabbed it and pulled it back onto him.

"He won't play," Yan Zhun said from behind him, his voice slightly strained but as deep as ever. "He has an injury on his leg."

Pei Ran's shoulders tensed up, but he didn't bother to adjust his loose coat.

"Oh, right." Lin Xuhuan was momentarily confused and blurted out, "If you knew he couldn't play, why did you ask me to call him over?"

Yan Zhun replied, "Don't worry about it. Just play ball, don't slack off."

Lin Xuhuan didn't sense anything amiss. He simply responded, "Okay, then hurry up and come join us."

Left alone, the two of them stood there.

Pei Ran took a moment to regulate his breathing before slowly turning around.

They had been playing for a while. Sweat had gathered in Yan Zhun's hairline, framing his dark eyes below.

Perhaps due to the physical activity, Yan Zhun appeared more vibrant than usual, with a sheen of sweat beneath his eyes.

The atmosphere was thick with the scent of male hormones.

Pei Ran pulled a baseball cap out of his coat pocket. Due to the limited space, the hat had become slightly creased, but fortunately, the brim remained mostly intact.

He smoothed out the wrinkles and held it out to Yan Zhun. "This, thank you."

Yan Zhun caught a faint scent and inquired, "Did you wash it?"

After borrowing someone else's item and getting it wet, it was only proper to return it clean. However, there was something about Yan Zhun's tone that made Pei Ran feel uneasy.

Pei Ran confirmed, "Yes, it should be clean now."

The voices of the others called out from afar, and Yan Zhun casually acknowledged them before saying, "Hold this for me, please."

The sound of a basketball hitting the ground was too loud, so Pei Ran didn't catch it at first. "Hm?"

"I need you to hold onto it for a bit," Yan Zhun explained. "My hands aren't clean, and I smell bad. I might soil it."

Though he spoke of the hat, his gaze never left Pei Ran.