Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The coach had prepared a long speech, but it was stuck in his throat. After a while, he managed to say, "Huh?"

A few seconds later, he asked again, "You're dating... you? With who? Someone from your school?"

He had known Yan Zhun for so many years that he doubted Yan Zhun had ever had a female classmate in high school or even college, let alone a girlfriend.

Suddenly, the coach recalled the time when he had been coaching Yan Zhun during his rookie days. PUBG had been particularly popular back then, and although esports wasn't as big as it is now, these young trainees had already garnered some attention. Yan Zhun was one of the most popular ones on their team.

Back then, there was a minor internet celebrity who had asked through someone else for Yan Zhun's contact information. Upon hearing this, Yan Zhun simply replied, "No."

He wasn't even interested in knowing her name or appearance.

Yan Zhun's "Mm" interrupted the coach's reminiscence.

"Alright, then... have a good date," the coach said. He initially wanted to advise Yan Zhun to be kinder to the girl, but then he thought that maybe she liked Yan Zhun's aloof demeanor. "Why don't you bring her to the training base to play?"

Just as Yan Zhun was about to speak, he noticed a passerby glancing at his back.

Feeling a presence, he turned around and raised an eyebrow at the person standing behind him.

Though it was winter, the sun still shone brightly at noon. Pei Ran's coat was unbuttoned, revealing a simple white shirt underneath. In his haste, the collar was slightly askew as he looked down at Yan Zhun's luggage by his feet.

Yan Zhun's surprise was fleeting. He removed his hat and placed it on Pei Ran's head.

Adjusting the brim, he said, "I'm not going."

There were sounds coming from the coach's end of the call, suggesting that others were present, with Lin Xuhuan's voice being the most distinct. Yan Zhun could vaguely hear someone say "I don't believe it."

Yan Zhun replied, "It's fine, I'll hang up now."

"Hey, wait, one more thing," the coach called out to him, "Are you still coming over tonight?"

"Mm-hmm."

The coach hummed in response, then couldn't resist asking, "Not spending the night outside?"

Yan Zhun ended the call.

To shield himself from the sunlight, Yan Zhun pulled his cap down low, forcing Pei Ran to lift his head to meet his gaze. "Have you been waiting long?"

"I just arrived," Yan Zhun replied. "Are you cold?"

Pei Ran shook his head, his attention returning to the luggage bag by Yan Zhun's feet.

Following his gaze, Yan Zhun explained, "I'm not used to living at school, so I'm moving to the base tonight."

In reality, it wasn't a matter of getting accustomed. He could no longer share a room with Luo Qingshan.

Pei Ran understood instantly. Lowering his eyes in silence, he hadn't a chance to speak before Yan Zhun reached out, touching the back of his hand—it was cold.

"But they have an interview this afternoon, so I'll head over later tonight," Yan Zhun continued. "Until then, could you put me up?"

At the TZG Base, the coach hung up the phone under the watchful eyes of everyone present.

Having held a cigarette in one hand, he had conducted the entire conversation on speakerphone.

Three seconds of silence followed.

"I didn't expect it," the assistant couldn't resist lighting a cigarette for himself. "Brother Jun would beat me to being in a relationship..."

The assault player was restless. "I don't want to train anymore. I want to go to his school and be a stalker."

"What do you think Brother Jun's girlfriend would be like?"

"Who knows? At least she'd have to be an ethereal beauty. Otherwise, how could she awaken the old monk's emotions?"

"Ouch—I'm genuinely curious. What type does Brother Jun like? Cute? Seductive? Intellectual?"

"Male or female?" Lin Xuhuan pondered for a while before suddenly blurting out.

There was a moment of silence. The assault player picked up a tissue from the table and threw it at him. "Why didn't you ask if they're alive or dead?"

Startled by his own words, Lin Xuhuan quickly caught the tissue and tossed it back, laughing as he cursed playfully.

"Still, Brother Jun's sudden change of status is quite unexpected," the assistant commented. "There were no signs at all."

"Can't people fall in love at first sight?" The coach extinguished his cigarette. "Enough chit-chat. Let's have a training match. I'll get the second team's rookies to fill in for a bit."

Lin Xuhuan followed the crowd, his face creased as the barrage of comments from last night's live stream raced through his mind.

In the end, he couldn't resist and took out his phone to send a message while waiting for the substitute to arrive.

"Lin Xuhuan: Baby Ran, where are you?"

Several minutes later, a reply finally came.

"Pei Ran: In the dorm. What's up?"

Tsk.

That girl who spouted nonsense in the live stream chat was indeed bluffing.

He was quite amusing too, actually getting swayed by that Xuxu person.

"Lin Xuhuan: Never mind, never mind, just missing you. Come to the base when you're free to play, remember we said I'd teach you how to suppress with four times the fire rate."

As Lin Xuhuan sent this message, Pei Ran's phone happened to land in Yan Zhun's hands.

Pei Ran was washing grapes and asked, "Does he have something urgent?"

Yan Zhun was sitting on Pei Ran's chair, "No, he's just bored. Should I reply for you?"

Pei Ran replied, "Sure."

"Pei Ran: Not needed."

"Lin Xuhuan: Why not, isn't killing fun?"

"Pei Ran: I have Yan Zhun."

"Lin Xuhuan: Oh well, my brother won't have time to teach you anymore."

"Pei Ran: ?"

"Lin Xuhuan: He's started dating, didn't you know? A man in love has no brothers."

Yan Zhun hadn't intended to respond, but after reading that message, he tapped back on the keyboard.

"Pei Ran: You're right."

After that, Lin Xuhuan sent several more messages, trying to gauge Pei Ran's thoughts. The sound of notifications on his phone chimed repeatedly.

Pei Ran dragged an extra chair and sat beside Yan Zhun. "Still chatting?"

Yan Zhun acknowledged with a soft "Mm." "He's fishing for information."

Pei Ran was taken aback. "About what?"

Yan Zhun replied, "My boyfriend."

Pei Ran paused in his act of biting into a grape, unable to resist glancing at the phone screen.

Lin Xuhuan had posed many questions. The entire chat history was filled with his inquiries, such as "Is he attractive?", "What year is he in college?", "Can I see a photo?"

Yan Zhun's response was simple: "He's attractive."

Pei Ran swallowed his grape more slowly. Upon seeing this... it seemed as if Yan Zhun was praising himself.

Yan Zhun sent Lin Xuhuan a message that read "Busy," then placed Pei Ran's phone back on the table. In the process, he accidentally touched the mouse, and the computer, which had been in sleep mode, flickered to life.

Scanning the screen, Yan Zhun saw a few games, some unfamiliar drawing software, and sketches saved on the desktop.

The last sketch caught his attention. From its thumbnail, it was clear that it was the same painting Lin Xuhuan had discovered on Fei Yu Yi's Weibo account.

On Weibo, Fei Yu Yi had simply captioned it with "[Image Shared]".

Yet privately, on Pei Ran's computer, the file was named "Yan Zhun".

Pei Ran, head bowed, scrolled up to reread Yan Zhun and Lin Xuhuan's conversation: "Will it be inconvenient for you to live at the base?"

Yan Zhun replied, "No, I'm used to it."

"About what happened in the dorm last time... did the dorm supervisor say anything?"

There was a moment of silence from the person beside him before he called out, "Pei Ran."

Pei Ran instinctively looked up. "Hmm?"

Yan Zhun leaned back in his chair with his hands hanging casually, asking, "Have you painted anyone else besides me?"

Pei Ran blinked and replied, "Yes, quite a few."

Yan Zhun: "…"

"I've added several life models on WeChat, and they're all very professional," Pei Ran said. "I've also done private commissions, painting celebrities and e-sports players."

Realizing that his question had been rather foolish, Yan Zhun couldn't help but tug at the corner of his mouth. "I meant... apart from those, have you ever privately painted someone else?"

Pei Ran's gaze flickered, and he answered, "No."

Pausing for a moment, he added earnestly, "I've only painted you."

Yan Zhun gazed into his eyes for a few seconds before suddenly lowering his lids and asking, "Are the grapes sweet?"

Pei Ran said, "Yes, try one."

Yan Zhun hummed in response, turning his shoulder and leaning down to lick Pei Ran's lips.

Pei Ran's spine instantly stiffened, his hand still holding the grape, frozen in place.

Yan Zhun pulled away after licking, savoring the subtle sweetness that lingered in his mouth without returning to his original position. Their noses remained touching, close enough that either of them could brush against the other with a mere tilt of their head.

"Professor Pei, how much do you usually charge for freelance work?" Yan Zhun asked.

Pei Ran was unsure why he was asking this, his heart pounding as he reluctantly quoted a figure.

"That's expensive, I can't afford it," Yan Zhun said. "Here's an idea, next time don't book anyone else, I'll be your life model."

"..."

Pei Ran had sketched many nudes before. His former mentor sought beauty and harmony, so the models he hired were all exceptionally well-proportioned.

But for Pei Ran, learning was just that – learning. He viewed every model with a detached, analytical gaze, never allowing any extraneous thoughts or desires to surface.

In this very moment, however,

he recalled Yan Zhun's taut, graceful collarbone, the protruding Adam's apple when he tilted his head back, and his fair, articulate fingers.

After a long while, Pei Ran said, "You can't do it."

Yan Zhun asked, "Why?"

"I can't draw..." Pei Ran replied honestly, "If you strip, I won't be able to concentrate and draw."

Even his straightforward answer seemed like a subtle seduction.

Yan Zhun chuckled softly, or perhaps he didn't; Pei Ran couldn't tell before he was kissed again.

The dormitory was empty, and this time, there was no sound of rain. Hearing the sounds they made together, Pei Ran's ears burned with embarrassment.

One of Yan Zhun's hands rested lazily on his waist. Pei Ran's waist was slender, evident even in daily life, and through their clothes, Yan Zhun could sense its smoothness, not an ounce of excess flesh on it.

When Yan Zhun's hand slipped under his shirt, Pei Ran's mind went numb.

Even though the hand didn't touch anywhere else, merely resting where it was.

The air conditioner's warmth was just beginning to take effect, raising the indoor temperature. Pei Ran felt slightly oxygen-deprived yet strangely comfortable at the same time.

Until he let out a soft, muffled groan.

Pei Ran froze, hardly believing it had come from him. Yan Zhun paused too, then released him after half a second.

This time, Pei Ran saw clearly that Yan Zhun was genuinely smiling.

He said, "Thank you for your affirmation, Teacher Pei."