Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Lin Xuhuan was live streaming. He was lazy with everything else, but diligent when it came to streaming. After all, he was a chatterbox, and at least there were chat messages to interact with during the stream.

The chat was teasing him, saying that he couldn't even handle an AK-47 with four times scope yet was teaching others. Some asked who was speaking.

"Who said I can't handle an AK-47 with four times scope? Apart from my brother, I haven't seen anyone better than me. Don't believe me? Go shout it outside and see if anyone dares to respond," Lin Xuhuan said. "The one who just spoke was my brother, yeah, the one who was playing with me earlier. Nice voice, right? ...Oh, he's not taking orders anymore... Handsome, isn't he? Of course, he's super handsome..."

"Are you done?" Yan Zhun asked.

"Done, done, finished talking," Lin Xuhuan chuckled nonchalantly. "Where are you guys now?"

Yan Zhun ignored him, but Pei Ran, after some thought, responded through the microphone, "Internet cafe."

Lin Xuhuan was taken aback. "Why did you go to an internet cafe? Just come straight to the base if you want to use the internet; I'll pay for your taxi fare! Which internet cafe are you at? Maybe I'll come find you guys to play."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone fired a few shots at his feet, making him jump up and scream, "Shit, shit, someone's nearby! I didn't even hear their footsteps! They're a hacker!"

He jumped around in place a few times, then turned around in horror. Yan Zhun had raised his gun and aimed the sights directly at him.

"..." Lin Xuhuan stammered, "Brother, I'll be quiet."

Pei Ran didn't respond, only smiling silently.

Whenever he played games with them, Pei Ran felt particularly relaxed and happy. Even if he didn't get a single kill in a match, his mood would still be good.

After scavenging the wilderness area, he found that Yan Zhun and the others had encountered opponents. Hearing gunshots, Pei Ran put away his weapon, intending to see if there was anything he could assist with. Suddenly, someone reached out beside him.

Yan Zhun pressed down on Pei Ran's backpack button, quickly scanning what he had on his gun and body.

Pei Ran's grip on the mouse tightened. "What's wrong?"

Yan Zhun swiftly eliminated the two enemies and was on his way to loot their boxes. "I'm checking what you need."

And then, Pei Ran was introduced to a new world.

He didn't even have time to see what items the enemy lacked in their boxes before Yan Zhun finished looting both within ten seconds, all before Lin Xuhuan and the others arrived.

"Come here," Yan Zhun glanced at the pitifully empty attachments on Lin Xuhuan's weapon and said, "Let's do this quietly."

Lin Xuhuan muttered to his live stream audience in confusion, "I clearly saw a gun attachment just now... My brother wouldn't take it, he already had one. I saw it... Did I just have an illusion?"

Then, he turned around and witnessed his teammates dividing the loot.

Lin Xuhuan exclaimed, "Damn, Bro, you're so biased!"

Caught red-handed, Yan Zhun replied frankly, "Mm."

Lin Xuhuan protested, "Unfair! Put it back, let me and Baby Ran race for it! Whoever grabs it first gets it!"

Pei Ran hadn't participated in the previous battle anyway, so a single gun attachment didn't matter much to him. With his skills, he could adapt on the spot. Thus, hearing Lin Xuhuan's suggestion, he turned around, ready to compete with him.

Yan Zhun argued, "I killed both of them, and I looted the box myself. If I picked it up, it's mine. How is that unfair?"

Lin Xuhuan didn't bother with the peculiar logic behind Yan Zhun's words. He was obsessive-compulsive, and his gun was just one attachment short of being fully equipped. Seeing that this approach wasn't working, he decided to try another way. "Baby Ran, come here, give me the attachment first. I'll return it after I kill someone and loot their box."

Pei Ran had already started walking towards Lin Xuhuan, but at Yan Zhun's words, he changed his mind and turned back.

Pei Ran suggested, "Go search the houses instead."

Lin Xuhuan: "..."

Lin Xuhuan shook his head and clicked his tongue, thinking that Pei Ran had been corrupted by his brother. In the past, Pei Ran would have been willing to share anything.

He quickly glanced at the chat assistant and noticed that the vibe of his chat was a little peculiar.

Some messages were beyond his comprehension, but he caught one that read, "Does Number 1 like Number 2?"

Lin Xuhuan stared blankly, recognizing that Number 1 was his brother and Number 2 was Pei Ran.

"Sunny: My gaydar is blaring, there's definitely something going on between Number 1 and Number 2."

He promptly muted the game's microphone and addressed his fans, "Don't go spreading rumors, we're just brothers! Hey, 'Sunny,' put your gaydar away, you're jumping to conclusions!"

Despite his words, the moment they mentioned it, Lin Xuhuan suddenly felt... well, it was just plain weird.

Yan Zhun: "Are there any lightweights?"

Pei Ran replied, "Yes, I just picked one up. I'll give it to you in a bit."

Lin Xuhuan entered a random house and spotted a lightweight grip on the ground. Glancing at the map, he realized he was closer to Yan Zhun.

"Brother, I found one here. Let me give it to you," Lin Xuhuan said as he started running towards Yan Zhun.

However, Yan Zhun brushed past him without turning back, heading straight for Pei Ran.

"Throw it to me."

Lin Xuhuan stood there, dumbfounded, holding the lightweight grip in his hands, staring at the two figures in the distance. He blinked rapidly a few times.

After a moment, Lin Xuhuan tossed away the grip and cleared his throat. "Um, is the girl named 'Xuxu' still around... Could she private message me? No, nothing important, just want to chat, chat."

-

They enjoyed their group gaming session until late into the night, around eleven o'clock. Back in the game lobby, Yan Zhun glanced at the time and spoke into his microphone, "Let's call it a night."

With that, he removed his headset without waiting for Lin Xuhuan's protest.

"Going back?" he asked, turning his head.

Pei Ran naturally agreed. He bid Lin Xuhuan farewell and said goodbye before logging off. By the time he turned off his computer, Yan Zhun had already put on his coat.

The two of them stepped out of the private room. Although the internet cafe was still packed with people, it wasn't as noisy as during the day. Walking side by side, Pei Ran could smell the cold, distinctive scent of winter coats emanating from Yan Zhun.

A group of rowdy boys approached them, and Pei Ran instinctively shifted to the side, lightly bumping into Yan Zhun's arm in the process. Assuming that Pei Ran had lost his balance, Yan Zhun grabbed his wrist.

Startled, Pei Ran froze for a moment. Before he could react, the boys suddenly stopped in front of him.

"Pei Ran?" The leader of the group raised an eyebrow and called his name. "What are you doing here?"

Looking over, Pei Ran recognized the face but couldn't quite place where he had seen it before.

"I'm here to use the internet," Pei Ran replied.

Upon hearing this, the boy realized his question was rather silly and chuckled to himself. "Just you? Where's Luo Qingshan?"

Pei Ran paused, then recalled.

These were friends of Luo Qingshan's from another high school. They had all had a meal together right after graduating from high school.

The guy beside him clearly recognized Luo Qingshan as well. He raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Who's this?"

"The one and only Pei Ran," the guy replied. "Luo Qingshan's boyfriend – they've been together for years!"

The man's eyes widened in realization, and he chuckled at Pei Ran. "Oh, oh, oh! I've heard so much about you. Luo Qingshan used to talk about you all the time in our group chat; it was driving us crazy."

"Yeah, he kept calling me 'baby' this and 'baby' that. So girly."

"Tell me about it," the guy said, unable to resist divulging his friend's past antics. "Remember the time he got drunk at Soho? He went around bragging to people in other booths that he proposed to Pei Ran and they were getting married abroad right after graduating college..."

Feeling his wrist being released, Pei Ran realized Yan Zhun had let go of him.

Yan Zhun's gaze remained downcast, but his expression didn't change. "I'll wait for you at the front desk."

Pei Ran fell silent for a moment before acknowledging, "Okay."

It was clear that these guys had a genuine friendship with Luo Qingshan. Just mentioning his name sparked a conversation. Pei Ran listened quietly for a while until someone finally asked, "He didn't come with you?"

Pei Ran nodded and replied, "We're no longer together."

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

The boys exchanged awkward glances, at a loss for words.

It couldn't be helped; just last month, Luo Qingshan had mentioned Pei Ran in the group chat, suggesting that they should all hang out together when he had free time.

"The, uh, that's it," the leader of the group scratched his head embarrassedly.

"Mm," Pei Ran asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Nope..."

Pei Ran nodded. "Well, goodbye then."

Yan Zhun leaned against the front desk, playing with his phone. The boss struck up a brief conversation with him, but seeing that Yan Zhun wasn't particularly engaged, he let it be.

In truth, Yan Zhun wasn't doing anything in particular. He swiped through his phone screen, but none of the messages registered in his mind.

Luo Qingshan used to love showing off his affection. He'd talk to Pei Ran on the phone in their dorm room without any attempt to hide from Yan Zhun. Whether Yan Zhun wanted to hear it or not, he had already listened to it all countless times before.

Initially, Yan Zhun would slip out for a smoke to avoid it, but eventually, he grew accustomed to listening in silence.

Perhaps it was a long time, or perhaps just a brief moment, but Yan Zhun found himself growing restless. He tapped on the counter and asked the owner, "Give me a pack of cigarettes."

"The brand you like is out of stock," the owner said, taking out his own. "I opened the last box for myself. Take one to satisfy your craving, but you'll have to step outside to smoke. This place is non-smoking."

Yan Zhun took it and placed it between his lips.

"I'm ready. Shall we go?"

Just as the owner was about to hand Yan Zhun a lighter, he saw Yan Zhun suddenly pluck the cigarette from his mouth and clasp it in his palm.

Then, with a casual expression, he turned back to the person behind him and said, "Let's go."

As the two left the internet cafe, the owner couldn't help but ponder over Yan Zhun's actions, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

It was as if... as if...

It was exactly how he reacted when he reached for his cigarette, only to have his wife suddenly appear in his line of sight.

On this cold and windy night, the streets were deserted except for a few scattered barbecue stalls still illuminated. The two walked in silence as taxis had all migrated to the neighboring nightlife district. This one-way street only saw cars with "Occupied" signs passing by.

Pei Ran lowered his gaze, pondering how to initiate a conversation.

He sensed that Yan Zhun was somewhat displeased.

When the rain first started pouring down, a drop landed on the tip of Pei Ran's nose, chilling him to the bone.

Winter rain came without warning. Diners sitting by the roadside were caught off guard, hastily scrambling into the shops to avoid the downpour.

Just as Pei Ran was about to raise his hand to shield himself from the rain, his waist was encircled. Yan Zhun led him to a convenience store nearby.

They didn't enter the shop. Instead, they found shelter beneath the overhanging roof at the top of the building, where the owner had thoughtfully placed a bench for customers to enjoy their oden and sugarcane.

The eave was narrow, so both had to keep their legs tucked in to avoid getting drenched.

Despite the brief exposure, Pei Ran's clothes were damp, with his hair ends clumped together by the rain.

Yan Zhun went into the supermarket and bought a pack of tissues, then pulled one out. "Come here."

Pei Ran intended to do it himself but, after a moment's hesitation, he obediently leaned his head forward.

Pei Ran's hair was soft, and Yan Zhun's initial stiff movements while wiping it gradually became gentler.

They were very close, and the scent of Pei Ran filled Yan Zhun's nostrils. The sound of rain drowned out all other noises, making it feel as if the world consisted only of him and Pei Ran. In the dim light, those suppressed thoughts lurking in the corners of his mind resurfaced.

Yan Zhun held his breath and released the strands of his soft black hair.

"It's done."

Pei Ran acknowledged with a gentle "mm," then looked up at him.

Deep emotions swirled in Yan Zhun's eyes as he gazed silently back at Pei Ran for a long while before he spoke hoarsely, "Don't look at me like that."

"Why?" Pei Ran asked.

Fixing his gaze on the tip of Pei Ran's nose, Yan Zhun replied, "I might do something I shouldn't."

With that, Yan Zhun averted his eyes, balled up the damp tissue in his hand, and then unfolded it again.

He could sense that Pei Ran was still gazing at him, silently yet captivating.

Yan Zhun's Adam's apple rolled gently. Just as he was about to speak, his shoulder was softly bumped, followed by a light touch on the corner of his mouth.

Pei Ran's heart pounded fiercely. He was accustomed to this miraculous bodily response; Yan Zhun's lips felt cool, akin to the rain around them.

He only kissed for a fleeting half-second before blushing and attempting to retreat, but his neck was suddenly held in place by a hand, pulling him forward.

Yan Zhun didn't let him withdraw, instead turning his face to gently bite Pei Ran's lips.