Asianovel

Chapter 128 - The Case

In the restroom.

Ji Min stood inside a stall, gazing at the toilet for a long while.

Not far behind him, Manager Chen waited silently.

Slowly, Ji Min crouched down, his hand wearing a disposable glove reaching out for a moment.

But he didn't dare to proceed.

He stood up again and silently built up his courage for a while.

Manager Chen glanced down at his watch.

Looking at Ji Min's hesitant attitude, he kindly suggested, "Sir, if you really can't do it, shall I take over?"

Ji Min sighed, pressing his forehead.

He waved at Butler Chen dismissively. "No way. He specifically asked me to do it myself. How can I let you do it?"

Ji Min was particularly principled when it came to matters like these.

Butler Chen didn't bother him further and continued to wait silently.

A few more minutes passed.

Ji Min remained crouched in front of the toilet, mentally preparing himself.

Butler Chen was speechless and prompted again, "If you don't go out soon, Shen Cheng will leave. Otherwise... would you like to get a cup from the kitchen's dirty water bucket?"

Butler Chen tried his best to solve his boss's dilemma.

To his surprise, Ji Min replied resolutely, "That won't do. If I hide it from him and he finds out, what if he gets angry?"

Lu Ran could be terrifying when he was upset.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly.

Ji Min had no intention of going through that again.

However, he was also aware that he had been dragging his feet for too long.

He let out a deep sigh and looked at Butler Chen, "…Please leave for now."

Butler Chen fell silent.

Although he regretted not being able to witness his boss's "fall from grace" firsthand, he eventually left with great decorum.

After a short while had passed.

Ji Min appeared with his sleeves rolled up and wearing a stack of seven or eight disposable gloves on his hands. He carried two cups in his careful grip.

His expression was stern, and his movements were meticulous, as if the contents of the cups weren't toilet water but rather hazardous lava.

He placed them carefully onto a discarded tray.

Ji Min promptly removed his gloves and went back to thoroughly wash his hands.

Only then did he carry the tray out.

In the courtyard, Shen Cheng was already seated in front of Lu Ran again.

Upon seeing the esteemed President Ji personally carrying a tray, both of them turned their heads to give Ji Min a long look.

Shen Cheng felt honored and surprised.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in surprise, suppressing a smile as he shot Ji Min a glance. "You're really serving it?"

Ji Min: "…"

He knew this guy was teasing him.

Ji Min personally brought the wine over.

How dare Shen Cheng remain seated? He immediately stood up and reached out to take it.

His genuine surprise showed in this moment.

With the Shen family in turmoil, his long-standing source of income had vanished.

Rumor had it that the Shen enterprise had fallen into the hands of Lu Ran, the wayward child, who was now backed by Ji Min.

Thus, he had come to seek some financial gain from the situation.

Unlike with Shen Hongyuan, Shen Cheng had no intention of leeching off Ji Min indefinitely, for Ji Min was not someone to be trifled with.

He merely hoped for a one-time windfall to alleviate his immediate financial crisis and pay off his recent gambling debts.

Initially, it had been astonishing to see the esteemed head of the Ji family dote so much on Lu Ran.

Now, witnessing Ji Min personally pour wine for him, Shen Cheng felt he had certainly made the right move!

Of course, he was not worthy of such a gesture from Ji Min.

So, for whom did Ji Min extend this courtesy? The answer was clear – it was for Lu Ran!

It was unexpected that Ji Min would go to such lengths for Lu Ran.

Truly terrifying!

Shen Cheng's mind started racing with possibilities.

From the looks of it, as long as he had Lu Ran in his grasp, what benefits couldn't he obtain?

Shen Cheng's attitude became overly eager.

He initially thought that only one glass of wine was meant for him, but after taking one, he realized that Ji Min had placed the entire tray before him.

He felt even more honored than before.

"Many thanks, President Ji!" Shen Cheng hurriedly said.

Ji Min: "..."

He didn't respond, instead silently sitting down beside Lu Ran in silence.

With a stifled laugh, Lu Ran approached and asked, "Why did you pour two cups?"

After a moment of silence, Ji Min replied,

"I don't have much experience, so I'm afraid of making mistakes. Having an extra cup increases the margin for error."

Looking at his utterly serious expression, Lu Ran couldn't help but chuckle.

Ji Min raised an eyebrow in response.

Reaching out, I gently grasped his fingers.

Lu Ran promptly withdrew his hand and whispered, "Eh? Did you wash your hands before grabbing me?"

"Not yet," Ji Min replied.

He held onto Lu Ran's fingers, refusing to let go.

Taking advantage of the relatively high round table before them, he audaciously threaded his fingers through the youth's digits, pushing the boundaries of intimacy even further.

Striving to maximize contact, they rubbed against each other more evenly, sharing their discomfort.

Lu Ran said, "Are you being childish or what?"

Ji Min shot back, "Who's the one being childish here?"

Lu Ran tried to pull his hand back with great effort.

But he was also wary of making too much movement, for fear that Shen Cheng across from him would notice.

The two of them, one gripping firmly and the other tugging back, were on the verge of starting a scuffle under the table.

Shen Cheng was still absorbed in the shock of Ji Min pouring him a drink.

He gazed at the two transparent glasses of alcohol before him.

For Ji Min to personally serve it, it had to be a fine liquor indeed!

With this thought in mind, Shen Cheng promptly took a sip from the cup.

The moment it touched his tongue, an odd yet familiar taste rushed up his throat.

Shen Cheng nearly spat it out.

Lu Ran and Ji Min were engaged in a fierce wrist-wrestling match under the table.

Seeing Shen Cheng lift the cup, Lu Ran paused and, suddenly recalling something, whispered to Ji Min, "Did you dilute it?"

Ji Min: "…?"

"Needs to be... diluted?" Ji Min asked softly, perplexed.

Was it that delicate a matter?

Lu Ran: "…"

Didn't that just ruin everything?

He merely intended to provoke Shen Cheng for the moment, as he still had questions to ask him later.

If Ji Min served this undiluted, he'd surely intoxicate Shen Cheng beyond recognition.

Lu Ran was pounding his chest in frustration.

If only he had known, he should have done it himself!

As Shen Cheng swallowed the drink, his expression began to contort.

It seemed that Ji Min was about to ruin everything.

Just as Lu Ran anticipated Shen Cheng to vomit on the spot,

Shen Cheng shut his eyes tightly,

and swallowed it down.

Ji Min: "..."

Lu Ran: "..."

After Shen Cheng swallowed it, he even savored the taste.

With a twisted face, he praised, "Great wine, quite potent!"

Ji Min: "..."

Lu Ran: "..."

Worried that Ji Min might be upset by his contorted expression just now, and to further prove his words, Shen Cheng simply tilted his head back and downed the entire glass of wine in one go.

After finishing that glass, he moved on to the next.

His actions were swift and graceful, as if he was truly savoring an exquisite wine rather than something as unpleasant as toilet water.

Lu Ran was left staring in amazement.

Lu Ran stood there in a daze for a while before looking at Ji Min again.

He asked mistrustfully, "Did you really do what I asked, or did you just pour two random glasses of wine?"

Ji Min felt deeply wronged.

"You can smell the cups if you don't believe me," the man gritted his teeth.

Lu Ran stroked his chin. "That doesn't make sense, does it?"

He began to doubt himself. "It was all toilet water. Could the glass you poured taste better than mine?"

Ji Min: "…"

"Thanks, but there's nothing to praise about that," he said with a gloomy expression.

After much pondering, Lu Ran finally found the reason.

Few outsiders ever visited Ji Min's home.

The restroom downstairs was seldom used, probably because its scent wasn't authentic enough.

At this thought, Lu Ran couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.

Shen Cheng had no idea what the affectionate pair across from him were discussing.

After downing two glasses of alcohol, he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

This liquor had quite a strong kick, didn't it?

Finishing the drink, he couldn't even distinguish whether it was white liquor or imported spirits.

As expected of a wine brought out by Ji Min.

Truly rare!

After a moment's pause, Shen Cheng finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

He looked at Lu Ran and said, "After being away for so long, only to return and find that the elderly gentleman who doted on you the most has passed away, you must miss him dearly."

"Well, your uncle here used to spend a lot of time with Grandfather back then. I recorded quite a few videos, including some from when you were little."

"Videos?" Lu Ran's interest was piqued.

Seeing that he was hooked, Shen Cheng began to lament, "But lately, I've run into some trouble. My phone and computer were stolen, and I need money to get them back."

At this point, Shen Cheng's intention was crystal clear.

However, Lu Ran seemed oblivious, expressing sympathy with a sigh, "That's truly unfortunate."

Shen Cheng: "…"

Pausing, he couldn't resist adding, "If we search thoroughly, there's still a chance to retrieve them, but it would be quite troublesome."

"Oh, so troublesome?" Lu Ran shook his head sadly. "I can barely remember what Grandfather looked like. If it's going to be that difficult, let's just forget about it."

Shen Cheng: "…"

He then turned his gaze towards Ji Min.

To his surprise, Ji Min replied, "Well, the old man is no longer with us. You'll only feel sad and upset if you see it. It's better if you don't look."

Shen Cheng: "..."

He was somewhat numb.

It was fine if Lu Ran was naive, but Ji Min clearly wasn't.

With this attitude, it was obvious that he wouldn't act unless he saw tangible benefits.

Shen Cheng began to hesitate.

The incident involving Shen Hongyuan had shaken him as well.

Thus, when he came to find Lu Ran this time, he only intended to make a quick deal and not get too involved.

But then he remembered that Ji Min had just poured him two glasses of wine!

This was Ji Min, the chairman of the prestigious Ji Corporation.

Shen Cheng found Ji Min's probing forgivable.

After all, the other party had shown sincerity; he should reveal something in return.

Perhaps Lu Ran, with his innocent nature, would be enticed by this bit of information?

With that thought, Shen Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "In any case, you must miss Grandpa. Uncle still has some photos of him from before he passed away. I'll send them all to you later!"

Soon after, Shen Cheng returned, his mind preoccupied.

Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, flipping through the photos Shen Cheng had sent.

"Are you suspecting foul play in Elder Shen's death?" Ji Min asked.

"I wouldn't say suspicion, but I find Shen Hongyuan very peculiar," Lu Ran mused.

"How about we buy whatever Shen Cheng has?" Ji Min suggested.

"I won't," Lu Ran immediately refused. "No one is getting their hands on my money."

As he spoke, he shot Ji Min a glance. "You're not allowed to splurge either."

Ji Min: "..."

He couldn't help but chuckle.

Lu Ran spent two days at home studying the photos Shen Cheng had sent him.

The pictures weren't very clear, likely taken from screenshots of a video.

There weren't many screenshots, fewer than ten.

Most of them were taken at Elder Shen's residence.

It was unclear if Shen Cheng had deliberately done this to entice Lu Ran into paying up or if it was a limitation of the video itself.

The majority of the screenshots featured scenes with both Lu Ran and Elder Shen.

The elderly man and the young one were not cuddled together, but each was occupied with their own tasks in the courtyard.

Lu Ran perused the pages for quite some time but found no pertinent information.

In the evening, seeing that he was still flipping through those photos, Ji Min pulled him into his embrace.

He gently grazed his chin against the crown of the youth's head, querying, "Do you truly care that much?"

"Let me focus," Lu Ran gently pushed him away.

As their arms brushed, the screenshot on the tablet flipped to the next image.

Lu Ran gazed at the picture, momentarily taken aback.

"What's wrong?" Ji Min inquired.

In the screenshot, the elderly man was supported by his cane, surrounded and led forward by others. The child, on the other hand, was being held by a servant, trailing behind.

Lu Ran's attention wasn't on the person in the screenshot. Instead, he pointed at a flower bed in the corner.

He asked Ji Min, "Does this flower bed look familiar to you?"

"Hmm?"

Ji Min leaned over to examine it but didn't find anything significant.

After some thought, Lu Ran said, "I think I might have stepped on a similar flower bed when I climbed out of the window in the hospital."

Upon hearing that, Ji Min took the tablet to study it closely.

What caught his attention was the building on the other side of the flower bed.

Although the buildings were in different states of disrepair, Ji Min could still tell that it was the building behind his ward when he was hospitalized.

Understanding Lu Ran's implication, Ji Min promptly made a call and asked someone to investigate the hospital where Old Master Shen had stayed before his passing.

Indeed, the same hospital performed the surgery on Ji Min.

It was an independent campus of the New City Private Hospital.

Lu Ran also recalled seeing a photo of Elder Shen in that hospital zone.

"Did something come to mind?" Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran pondered for a moment.

He held Ji Min's hand and said, "Let's investigate if any of Shen Cheng's mistresses used to work at the New City Private Hospital."

At the hospital.

Shen Xingyu sat outside Shen Hongyuan's ward, speaking on the phone with a lawyer.

He was looking for a reliable lawyer for Shen Hongyuan.

Though it was certain that Shen Hongyuan had committed embezzlement, any reduction in his sentence would still be beneficial.

Given the current state of the Shen family, finding a suitable lawyer is no easy task.

Shen Xingyu hung up the phone.

He suddenly felt a bit weary and leaned his head against the wall.

Shen Xingran's trial for corporate crime was about to begin.

After leaving the hospital room that day, Shen Xingzhuo hadn't returned.

Shen Xingyu had checked the bank records and discovered that Shen Xingzhuo's card hadn't been used recently.

He also sought out some of Shen Xingzhuo's acquaintances, asking for any news through intermediaries.

But he gained nothing.

Shen Xingyu gazed up at the hospital ceiling.

In the past, he had never hesitated in his actions.

With a clear objective in mind, he had always proceeded with unwavering determination.

But now, seeing the family he had fought so hard to protect reduced to this state, Shen Xingyu was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Yet, after only a few minutes of despair, he straightened his back, ready to resume his efforts.

He couldn't afford to rest.

Once he did, a deeper sense of confusion would resurface.

Just as Shen Xingyu was about to continue reaching out to the lawyers he knew, footsteps sounded nearby.

A few detectives approached him, showing their IDs and confirming, "This is Mr. Shen Hongyuan's room, right?"

Shen Xingyu assumed it was related to the case of Shen Hongyuan embezzling family assets.

He nodded, about to speak.

Only to hear the police officer in front of him say,

"We've received reports linking Mr. Shen Hanshan's death fourteen years ago and a car accident that occurred in April this year to Shen Hongyuan."

Chapter 80 (3000+)

Initially, Luo Le suspected that Huo Lanjing was lying to him and had secretly visited his workplace.

There, he saw Huo Lanjing lifting a heavy object with dust smudged on his face from an unknown source.

Only then did Luo Le believe that Huo Lanjing hadn't been deceiving him.

As the days went by.

One day, Huo Lanjing arrived late, and Chen Chen asked where Uncle Huo was. Luo Le was taken aback.

It seemed that Chen Chen had grown accustomed to Huo Lanjing's daily visits for dinner.

Similarly, Luo Le had also gotten used to Huo Lanjing's presence and no longer felt the same initial aversion towards him.

This kind of habit was terrifying.

Thus, that very night, Luo Le unilaterally quarreled with Huo Lanjing, ordering him to return to wherever he had come from.

From then on, Luo Le's days returned to their previous tranquility, but his heart did not regain its former calm.

Hasn't Luo Le forgotten?

How did Huo Lanjing treat you before?

Didn't we agree never to have anything to do with Huo Lanjing again?

After a long absence, Wind City sent word today that he had successfully withdrawn his troops and was coming home.

There was a hint of melancholy in his tone.

Luo Le offered to go and see him off.

After some thought, he decided that a farewell gift was in order.

It being weekend, Luo Le took Chen Chen shopping for a present. After browsing for the whole morning, they settled on a small spaceship model.

After having lunch with Chen Chen, they prepared to head back home.

Upon reaching the entrance, a waiter accidentally bumped into Luo Le, spilling the cold dishes all over Luo Le's clothes.

The mercenary promptly rushed over.

The waiter hurriedly apologized.

Luo Le glanced at his soiled clothes and said it was fine, asking the waiter to find him a change of clothes.

Then, he instructed the mercenary to wait outside while he took Chen Chen into the staff changing room.

The waiter even brought a basin of water for him to clean up.

Their changing rooms were individual cubicles.

Luo Le brought Chen Chen inside with him.

"Daddy, I'll hold your clothes for you," Chen Chen offered.

Luo Le replied, "Alright."

He then promptly stripped and tossed his clothes aside, giving himself a quick rinse.

Once the greasy sensation on his body was gone,

Luo Le took the clothes from Chen Chen's hands and began dressing.

Just as he finished, he heard a thud. Lowering his gaze, he saw Chen Chen lying on the ground.

What happened?

Luo Le hurriedly squatted down to lift him up.

But suddenly, his vision darkened, and with a thud, he too fell to the ground.

In the garden, flowers bloomed in vibrant competition. Ten meters above the water surface, there was an ornately carved platform suspended in mid-air.

Qin Cheng observed the one lost in thought, poured a cup of tea, and nudged it over. "What are you thinking about?"

Huo Lanjing gradually regained his composure. "Nothing."

Qin Chen nudged him. "Tell me, maybe I can be of assistance."

Huo Lanjing pushed him away with disdain. "Stay away from me."

"Hold on, let me tell you, I really owe you this time. If you need any help in the future, just ask."

Huo Lanjing glanced at him lazily. "Your Majesty, if you have free time, attend to your official duties."

Qin Chen stepped back sheepishly. "I was just keeping you company."

Qin Chen's rise to this position was largely due to the Huo family's assistance.

"Honestly, why did you agree to help me?"

Huo Lanjing had previously looked down on him. He had only been testing Qin Chen's attitude that day, but unexpectedly, Qin Chen had agreed.

Huo Lanjing pondered for a moment, then looked at him and said, "Because you are more suitable than he is."

Qin Chen chuckled and patted his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

Huo Lanjing felt an inexplicable sense of panic, causing him to abruptly stand up.

Qin Chen was startled. "What's wrong?"

Huo Lanjing didn't respond and walked straight out.

Noticing that something wasn't quite right with Huo Lanjing, Qin Chen pondered for a moment before calling down, "Wind City!"

Wind City's face was cold as he replied, "Here."

Qin Chen didn't mind and pointed at Huo Lanjing's retreating figure. "Follow him."

Wind City glanced at the nearby figure reluctantly before acknowledging the order and trailing behind.

Before Huo Lanjing could exit the palace gates, he received a message from the mercenaries.

Luo Le was missing.

Huo Lanjing's pupils constricted. It only took one day of not keeping watch for something like this to happen.

He glanced back at Wind City, who had been following him since the beginning, and said, "You."

Wind City replied with a sour tone, "What now?"

Huo Lanjing spoke, his voice tinged with annoyance, "Have His Majesty seal off all exits from the empire."

In the dark crimson pupils, Wind City detected a hint of panic.

Realizing something, he stepped forward and asked, "Is something wrong with Brother Le?"

Huo Lanjing's tone was laced with urgency, "Hurry, it'll be too late if you don't."

Aware of the urgency, Wind City immediately sent a message to Qin Chen.

Upon receiving a response, he instructed his men and looked up to ask Huo Lanjing for details, only to find that the man was already gone.

Wind City cursed under his breath and turned back.

--

By the time Huo Lanjing arrived at the shop, the mercenaries still hadn't found any suspicious individuals.

No one resembling a burdened laborer had been seen before or after the incident.

Spatial rings could only store inanimate objects; it was impossible to stow living beings inside.

Huo Lanjing glanced around the shop and asked, "What were they out doing today?"

The guild leader stepped forward, "To choose a farewell gift for a friend."

A friend?

Huo Lanjing twirled the ring on his unoccupied finger.

A friend? A farewell gift?

It had to be Wind City.

Huo Lanjing pondered over the mercenary's words.

Luo Le had come here to dine after making his selection but ended up drenched in oil by a server, prompting him to head to the changing room...

The changing room.

Huo Lanjing suddenly looked up and asked, "Take me to the changing room where he vanished."

He followed the mercenary to that particular cubicle.

Scanning his surroundings, Luo Le's discarded clothes were sprawled unceremoniously on the ground.

Huo Lanjing pondered for a moment, then crouched down to knock on the floor. It was solid.

The mercenary noticed his action and said, "We've checked the other cubicles too. The floors are all solid."

Upon hearing this, Huo Lanjing's gaze darkened. He stood up and asked, "What about the walls?"

The mercenary was taken aback and instructed his team, "Go check them out now."

Seeing Huo Lanjing's furrowed brow, the mercenary hesitated for a moment before apologizing, "Mr. Huo, I'm sorry. We failed. We'll refund your full payment later."

Huo Lanjing's icy stare pierced through him, "Right now, the priority is to find that person for me."

"Boss, this wall is hollow."

The mercenary could only press his lips together, swallowing his words unspoken.

Huo Lanjing approached first and examined the wall the man pointed at. "Break it open."

It turned out that the wall connected to the adjacent restroom.

Unfortunately, the surveillance cameras in the neighboring shop were malfunctioning.

Huo Lanjing requested the two proprietors to stand together.

His face was darkened, and a subtle aura of his pheromones leaked, carrying a heavy sense of intimidation.

As Huo Lanjing posed his first question, the two shopkeepers exchanged a glance before lowering their gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

Huo Lanjing asked his second question with unwavering composure: Why is it necessary to open up this wall?

In an instant, beads of sweat formed on both their foreheads.

Huo Lanjing emphasized his words. "Are you feeling guilty?"

In unison, they replied, "No."

Huo Lanjing didn't waste any more time with them and immediately ordered that both shop owners be taken back for interrogation.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that one of the proprietors was a gambler in deep debt, while the other had offended someone from the Empire's Lin family.

Initially, they refused to divulge any information, but under the pressure of Huo Lanjing's exploitation of their vulnerabilities, they finally spoke.

It turned out that a group had unexpectedly approached the first store's owner, requesting him to host an event with Lego giveaways to entice children.

The other incident involved tampering with the security cameras and secretly breaking through the walls days in advance.

Huo Lanjing further inquired, "Where were they planning to go?"

Both men shook their heads in unison. "Sir, we genuinely have no idea about that."

Despite all their efforts, they had no clue.

All exit routes from the empire were sealed, yet the Huo family searched high and low without finding that group of people.

Huo Lanjing received a stream of grim news, his eyes dark as if submerged in an abyssal river.

*

Luo Le sensed many voices around him but couldn't make them out or rouse himself.

After an indeterminate period, Luo Le felt the weight on his body lift.

He slowly opened his eyes to an encompassing darkness, with a single beam of light filtering through a high window.

"Chen Chen..."

His voice was hoarse, like a guqin that had been sealed for a millennium, causing a subtle ache with each vibration.

No one answered him.

He tried to retrieve a flashlight from his spatial ring but failed; upon touch, he realized it was missing.

It must've been taken by them.

Luo Le's heart tightened, and he attempted to rise and search around.

Before he could stand, he collapsed. The drug's effects were still in place, leaving his body numb and tingly.

Just as he hit the ground, his hand brushed against a small hand.

Luo Le felt around, realizing it was likely a child curled up into a ball.

"Chen... Chen..."

As he called out, he continued to feel around. Suddenly, his touch met with a chilling sensation on the child's neck.

Luo Le froze, then touched again. The body was icy cold, without a pulse.

It couldn't be...

"Chenchen!" His voice was bordering on despair.

If anything were to happen to Chen Chen...

He dared not entertain such thoughts.

Luo Le felt as if time had come to a standstill, leaving him disoriented and unsure of his surroundings.

Suddenly, he heard a hoarse voice behind him, "Father?"

Luo Le crawled toward the source of the sound, gradually approaching Chen Chen.

In no time, he touched Chen Chen's warm little body.

A wave of warmth washed over Luo Le's heart. He held Chen Chen tightly, burying his head in the child's neck, his hands clasped around him.

Just now, he had imagined countless possible outcomes.

But none of them involved him surviving.

Thankfully, thankfully, Chen Chen was unharmed.

Chen Chen inquired with confusion, "What's wrong, Father?"

Luo Le nuzzled against him. "Nothing, Father just misses you."

Chen Chen rubbed his eyes. "Father, Chen Chen is sleepy."

Luo Le scooped him up into his arms and leaned against the wall. He patted Chen Chen's back. "Go to sleep."

"Okay."

As soon as Chen Chen finished speaking, he hadn't even had time to close his eyes.

A blinding light suddenly pierced through.

Luo Le shut his eyes and then reached out to cover Chen Chen's. "Close your eyes."

A rough, unfamiliar voice echoed, "Still alive, huh."

After adjusting to the light, Luo Le opened his eyes. Upon seeing the scene in the room, his pupils constricted abruptly.

The room was littered with bodies, some limbless, some eyeless, and some... headless.

They were of all ages—adults, children, and the elderly...

The floor was stained red like a carpet of blood.

His once-white clothes were now crimson, and his hands felt moist against his skin.

At first, he thought it was dirty water, but to his horror, it was blood.

Chen Chen tried to pull his hand down, asking, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Luo Le clamped his eyes shut even harder. "It's okay, close your eyes. Don't open them without Daddy's permission, understand?"

Chen Chen pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

"Putting on a show of fatherly love, are we?"

With a forced swallow to suppress nausea, Luo Le asked into the light, "Who are you? Why have you captured us?"

Chapter 155: The Reason

As the match began on the arena, the cheers from the demonic spectators in the stands suddenly soared, deafeningly loud and heating up the atmosphere.

"Yan Kuo, do your best! Absolutely don't let a Mirror Demon win first place!"

"How can that guy dodge so well?"

"I'm dying here, will Wen Ying fight or not? Why's he just hiding all the time?"

"Don't you have a brain today? It's obvious that the Giant Demon is a warrior type. Only a fool would engage in a direct clash with a Mirror Demon. Did you forget what our teacher taught us in class?"

"You're the one without a brain!"

The audience nearly came to blows. Lan Jiaying turned her head, her black dragon exuding an aura of anger. The demons who had been swept by the demonic energy immediately quieted down.

"Wen Ying, hiding won't work forever!" Yan Kuo slammed his palm onto the arena floor, creating a spiderweb-like crack that extended all the way to where Wen Ying stood. A trail of black mist followed, surging upward like an octopus's tentacles, wrapping around Wen Ying.

Just as the demonic energy tendrils were about to pin Wen Ying down, Yan Kuo tensed his calf muscles, forcefully stomping and launching himself forward like a bullet. This move was designed for targets that kept running and couldn't be hit.

Wen Ying surveyed the area, and from the shadows, a dozen silver-white vines emerged, entwining around Yan Kuo's demonic aura tentacles. However, they failed to restrain them, causing Yan Kuo's punch to once again miss its target. The repeated failures agitated Yan Kuo, making him even more restless this time. His attacks became disorderly, and while he initially paid attention to defense, after being dodged by Wen Ying multiple times, he gradually shifted his focus entirely to offense, neglecting his defense.

The old demon referee, sitting as still as a monk, shook his head.

Yan Kuo didn't think that relaxing his defense would make much of a difference. Could Wen Ying possibly defeat him with a single blow?

In the stands, Wu Fei watched the agile silver-white vines on the arena and leaned slightly, whispering to Levimo, "Levimo, when did Wen Ying change the color of his magic vines?"

Levimo gently shook his head. "I'm not sure. But these silver-white vines seem more nimble than the green ones he used before. It feels like..."

"They have a life of their own, right?" Phaeros, sitting on the other side of Wu Fei, said coolly.

Levimo looked over. "Yes."

Lilith commented, "Most likely, Aruda has done something again. There's no such silver-white... vine in the wood elemental magic, is there? Or maybe it's a branch. Whatever it is, it looks like both. Do you know about Perseus?"

With the question directed at him, Perseus, who was naturally quite reserved, had become talkative only when provoked by Wen Ying. He glanced at Wen Ying on the arena, remembering his unusual fighting style from the last match. Now, it seemed that he had either grown accustomed to it or learned to conceal it, as he no longer unintentionally employed that sinister claw style during combat.

"I'm not sure."

Lilith's response was both unexpected and unsurprising. She gave him a meaningful glance, but Beros remained unperturbed.

A silver-white magic card encircled Wen Ying, forming an invisible shield that blocked Yan Kuo's leg sweep with a resonant tolling sound like a bell.

Yan Kuo relentlessly attacked the barrier in quick succession. Hearing the cracking sounds of the colorless shield, he felt a surge of delight, his lips curving up involuntarily. But when the barrier shattered, he found himself staring into a pair of profound, shimmering silver eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Yan Kuo froze, his swinging fist suspended in mid-air as his gaze lost focus and failed to converge.

Wen Ying chuckled and kicked him out of the arena.

Yan Kuo, who had just been kicked off the stage by his "beloved," scrambled to his feet, confusion etched on his face. "???"

"What just happened?" a demon wondered.

"I saw a magic card disappear beside him. He must have used it," a demonic succubus ventured uncertainly.

"It seemed to be a natural magic of our succubus clan," another demon from the same clan added.

"A devil mirror using a succubus's innate enchantment magic... It just feels a bit off, doesn't it?"

"Wen Ying wouldn't be bewitching Essence, would he?"

"In fact, Wen Ying isn't ugly. It's just his hair that makes him appear so."

"Does Beros truly have feelings for him? There are too many rumors going around lately. Some say Wen Ying is infatuated with Beros, while others insist it's the other way around."

"Think about it, Beros has shown no interest in anyone before. He'd even beat them up and toss them out if they approached him, despite many of them being incredibly attractive. Now I understand why he remained indifferent to those beauties."

"…Because his aesthetics differ from ours?" the demon whispered ever so softly, casting a cautious and fearful sidelong glance toward Balthos, terrified of being overheard by him.

The adjacent demon wore an expression that suggested he found the situation trainable, or perhaps, that the person in question was ripe for guidance.

Yan Kuo snapped out of his stupor, his face flushing crimson as he angrily retorted, "Have you no shame? To resort to such tactics, where is your dignity as a demon?"

Wen Ying nonchalantly dug his ear, "This is a round-robin tournament, not a one-on-one match. Compared to dignity, it's better to come in first place."

Although his strength had increased, there was still a chance of failure, considering Lan Jiaying and his companions were no pushovers. Naturally, he needed to conserve his energy and magic. Dealing with such a clumsy giant would be most efficient by ambushing him with Essence's magic and kicking him down.

Yan Kuo's eyes turned crimson with rage. "Do you think you can use the same trick twice?"

As he spoke, he looked toward the second demon who was about to challenge.

Although it was a round-robin tournament, each demon had only one chance to challenge, and the champion would get a half-hour break after each match.

The second demon to step forward had already left the spectator stands and was standing below the arena.

Wei Yun, the Dragon-Snake Guard, was a dark-skinned female with an aura of maturity. She had accompanied Lan Jiaying to Aruda's castle before and had been tricked by Wen Ying into donating a vial of blood.

Wen Ying remembered her well due to her forked tongue, snake scales on her face and arms, giving her a primal, beast-like appearance. Her strength seemed to match this image; despite being female, her arm muscles were well-defined and evenly toned, with visible abdominal muscles beneath her exposed midriff.

This one was a hybrid of a mage and a warrior, with a sharper mind than the previous fool. She wasn't easily provoked, and Wen Ying swiftly processed all the information he had on Dragon-Snake Wei Yun.

During the half-hour break, he pondered over how to send this sister down in the most efficient way possible.

Chapter 201 - Whom Did You Sleep With?

In the winter, the rush grass withered, and since they were weaving mats, it could be used immediately after being cut. It was rare for Mother Chen to come out, so she found it fascinating to see the children practicing. The sun was shining brightly on this open space, so Chen decided to leave the rush grass near the training ground and asked Sang Luo to wait. He would return with a few small stools for her and the others to sit on while weaving.

No sooner had he left than Chen Dashan, seeing them return, abandoned his role as second master and left the children to practice on their own. Spotting his grandmother, Gan, and Sang Luo, he hurriedly caught up with Chen Lian, whispering, "How did it go? Did the Zhou family agree?"

He saw a smile on his grandmother's face.

Recalling the secret conversation between Sang Luo and the old lady, Chen Lian smiled and replied, "Grandma said that it's not something that can be agreed upon right away. We'll have to visit again in two days. But I think it will work out."

Whispering, he congratulated Chen Dashan, "Congratulations."

Chen Dashan was ecstatic, almost losing his bearings. He discussed with Chen Lian, "Stay in the valley for another two days tomorrow, okay? I need to search for some things in the mountains."

Country weddings were not grand affairs, and under the current circumstances, it was unrealistic to hold a feast. Thus, he wanted to prepare a more substantial dowry, not wanting to shortchange Zhou Ge.

Chen Lian knew Chen Dashan well enough to understand his intentions from his words. He chuckled and said, "Go ahead. For such a good thing, if you need help, just pick a few of these boys. They're all capable now, even your Second Shan and my younger ones can hunt small game. They just need to be guided by a skilled hunter before they venture out on their own."

Chen Dashan had witnessed Chen Lian's disciples' skills earlier that morning and knew that Chen Lian wasn't exaggerating. He agreed, "Alright, I'll try to find some fresh game. Tomorrow, I'll take Second Shan deeper into the mountains."

...

During the day, Sang Luo and Mother Gan wove mats, while Shen Lie led a few boys to dig up a considerable amount of yellow mud. They used it to plaster a layer of mud wall outside the wooden house where Shen An and Shen Jin lived. Heavy curtains were hung inside the entrance of both the cave and the wooden house, and with furs and thick blankets, the nights would be much warmer.

Worried about her grandson's marriage, Mother Chen decided not to return to the valley just yet. She stayed in the outer village, where the Chen family's cave was slightly larger than Shen Lie's, with two beddings that could barely accommodate the four of them.

It was only because she stayed that she discovered Shen Ning living with Shen Lie and Sang Luo, leaving the old lady stunned.

She couldn't very well ask Shen Lie or Sang Luo about this matter directly, so the next day, she discreetly called Shen Ning aside for a chat.

Shen Ning truly didn't understand these nuances. Growing up without parents by her side, she hadn't given such matters much thought as a child. In the valley, every family had been living together, so in her eyes, their current living arrangement seemed entirely normal.

Mother Gan did live outside, but the Shi family's cave was far from Shen Lie's. Besides, Shen Ning and Sang Luo practiced martial arts and woke up early each day. There was also an additional wooden house built beside the Shen family's, so how could Mother Gan know that Shen An and Shen Jin were the ones occupying the Shen family's wooden house?

Aside from Mother Chen, no one else had paid attention to these details.

"You say you sleep with your eldest sister-in-law?"

Without hesitation, Shen Ning nodded.

Aunt Chen's eyes widened. "Then where does your older brother sleep?"

"On the futon. We have one stored under our bed that we pull out at night."

Aunt Chen was flooded with questions, her mind completely baffled.

It made sense in the valley, but how could this still be the case here? In a house, Sang Luo would be sharing a room with Shen Ning?

Suddenly, she recalled the hanging screen between two beds in Shen Ning's room back in Shili Village. With a stunned expression, she asked Shen Ning, "Has your sister-in-law been sleeping with you all along?"

Shen Ning sensed that something was amiss, though she wasn't sure what. She hesitantly nodded.

Aunt Chen slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh dear!" It seemed they had never consummated their marriage.

The elderly woman looked at Shen Ning with a headache. Seeing no one else around, she whispered, "Are you stupid? How can you sleep with your sister-in-law? Your older brother and his wife should be the ones sharing a bed. How did it end up being you and your sister-in-law?"

Goodness gracious, what kind of situation was this?

Shen Ning was equally stunned. Although she didn't grasp the deeper implications of the old woman's words, she understood the surface meaning. She wasn't foolish; it was just that no one had ever taught her about such matters. Without exposure or observation, she hadn't paid attention to these things.

Especially in the valley, everyone followed this custom. Her brother and sister-in-law seemed to take it for granted, so she hadn't given it much thought.

With Chen's vague hint, she understood, "So... So... Should I move tonight?"

There was still space in Shen An and Shen Jin's room. By shifting her brother's couch, it would be enough for her.

"Move, move, move! Oh, you silly girl, what can I say about you?" Shen Lie's marriage was a strange one; after a year, he had never even shared a bed with his wife.

Considering Sang Luo's embarrassment, he added, "Don't tell anyone that I suggested this, and don't let your sister-in-law know that I know. Just say that you've grown up and don't feel comfortable sharing a cave with your brother, so you requested to move to the wooden house."

As Chen spoke, she nearly slapped her thigh but instead patted Jinning's head twice, "You're such a simpleton."

...

Jinning decided to change rooms.

Sang Luo was still in disbelief, "Why would we change now? Everything's fine as it is."

Unable to directly mention Chen's advice, Jinning didn't know how to explain. Recalling Xu Wenying, she fabricated a story, "I noticed Wenying does this too. She believes that girls should avoid close contact when they grow up. So, she doesn't live with her father, uncle, or cousins; instead, they have separate spaces in the cave. She has her own section, while her brothers share another. Our wooden house also has room. Brother, could you move your couch over for me? I'll hang a grass curtain by my couch, and it'll be like my own private space."

Speaking casually, Shen Lie almost choked on his words, clearing his throat several times before he continued, "Moving over is fine, but the daybed won't be moved. There's extra wood, so I'll build you a bed."

He and Sang Luo had also lived together before, but without the daybed, it would have been unbearable; just thinking about it made him uneasy.

Shen Ning only remembered Old Lady Chen's instruction to move. The daybed was not important to her, and she didn't understand its significance. Hearing her brother offer to make her a bed, she was delighted, "Alright, then Brother, could you bring me a thin blanket and two wolf pelts tonight? I'll add more dry grass and use one pelt for padding and the other for covering. With the wolf pelts on top, it will be warm."

Shen Lie agreed, and Sang Luo didn't give it much thought. Shen Ning usually spent her days with Xu Wenying, so it wasn't surprising that Wei Lingzhen, who was particular about manners, had taught Xu Wenying these rules. As for the cave, before Shen Ning, she, and Shen Lie left the valley, they had already been living together for quite some time, so there was no issue there.

Shen Lie went to borrow a saw from the Chens. When Old Lady Chen heard that he was building a bed, she was taken aback.

Why would anyone need to beat the bed?

So it turns out that the hidden alcove under the bed was still reserved for Shen Lie.

But she couldn't exactly voice her thoughts on this matter.

Well, well, it was certainly better than having Shen Ning sleeping beside her.

...

In the blink of an eye, it was the third day. When Chen Dashan returned from the mountains with two sika deer on his back, alongside Chen Ersan, Gani brought the news of the Zhou family's agreement to the marriage.

Not waiting for another day, when Shen Lie returned to the valley to fetch wolf pelts for Shen Ning two days prior, Chen Dashan accompanied him and prepared the betrothal gifts, which he now presented along with the two newly hunted sika deer. The four grandchildren, two helpers to carry the items, and Gani made the journey together to deliver the gifts.

Two measures of rice, two measures of mixed beans and grains, two jars of salt, six hides, two bolts of new cloth, sixty pounds of smoked meat, and the two sika deer.

This dowry was not only generous for those seeking refuge in the depths of the mountains but would have been considered abundant even during peaceful years. Salt, grain, cloth, and meat – all were scarce necessities for everyone at present.

The entire Zhou family was stunned by the sight of such a substantial offering.

With only one cave as their home, there was nowhere to hide. As marriage negotiations were underway, there was no need to be overly cautious. Thus, Chen Dashan and Zhou Ge finally had the chance to meet again after a two-month interval.

Unlike before when each held their own thoughts, this time, everything was clear, and their exchange carried a sweetness in their gazes.

In the countryside, there weren't many strict rules, and even less so in these times of refuge in the mountains. Ignoring formalities, Zhou Ge retreated into the cave while Chen's grandmother and Zhou Laizi's wife began discussing the wedding date.

Rather than keeping her daughter by her side for longer, Zhou Laizi's wife preferred that her daughter join the Chen family sooner.

Her trust lay in them, for the relative peace in the mountains was tangible, and one could never predict when strangers might arrive. Although the village was populated, Zhou Laizi's wife had more faith in Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, and their group, believing that her daughter would be safer within the Chen household.

With one party earnestly seeking to wed, and the other willingly consenting to marry, the wedding date was easily agreed upon. They chose November 28th, considering the time needed for both families to prepare for the nuptials.

On the other side, Chen Dashan and the Zhou father and son were overjoyed upon hearing that the wedding was less than ten days away; their lips curled into wide smiles, causing Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang to chuckle.

At this point, Zhou Lazi's wife and Old Lady Chen exited the small courtyard. They went to the adjacent larger garden where they continued their private conversation. Only then did the Chen family members return home.

……

With the preparations for Chen's family to welcome their future granddaughter-in-law, the most crucial task at hand was naturally to renovate the house. They converted the cave directly into a new bridal chamber. Following the example of the Shen family, they built an outhouse and a woodshed outside the cave, which would be inhabited by Chen Youtian and Chen Ershan.

Not to mention adults, even the children in the valley had become proficient in felling trees and constructing wooden huts. With dozens of them working together, progress was swift. Chen Youtian was busy crafting a new bed for his son and daughter-in-law, while the two old beds would be moved to his own wooden house for use with Second Mountain, and any other family members who occasionally ventured out of the valley could find accommodation.

With the Chen family constructing a new house, Chen Dashan remained outside the village daily. Shen Lie and Sang Luo began contemplating a wedding gift for Chen Dashan.

In this mountainous region, any gift they could think of had to come from the mountains themselves.

"I'm thinking of trapping a few live sheep and bringing them back. We can build a pen to keep a couple for ourselves, and give one or two to Dashan as a gift," suggested Sang Luo.

Sang Luo enjoyed drinking goat's milk, but after leaving the valley, the milk from the female goat there was mostly reserved for the elderly and children within. She herself couldn't indulge in it often. Hence, Shen Lie had carved a stone mill, allowing them to occasionally make soy milk and tofu, but that was the extent of their luxuries.

Shen Lie had been longing for this for a long time, but he just hadn't been able to leave previously. Now that Chen Dashan was staying here, it was the perfect opportunity for him to try and find a solution on his own.

When Sang Luo heard about raising sheep, her eyes lit up. She looked at Shen Lie and asked, "Are they still easy to find now?"

Animals were actually quite clever. With so many people living in the area, the nearby mountains were frequented by hunters every day. Apart from small creatures like pheasants and rabbits, most of the others had retreated deeper into the wilderness. It wasn't easy to catch larger prey on the outskirts anymore. Even Chen Dashan had to venture far to hunt antelopes.

Noticing her interest, Shen Lie's gaze flickered. "To find specific animals deep in the mountains would require some luck. It might take two or three days. Would you like to come with me?"

His eyes were filled with anticipation, longing for her company.

Chapter 12

Upon hearing Luo Qingshan's voice, Pei Ran's first instinct was to exit the game.

Seconds later, he dismissed the interface, opened the map, and randomly marked a spot.

Luo Qingshan was thrilled. It took him a while to gather his thoughts before he spoke, "I've been at home these few days... I haven't gone anywhere. My mom said there's a new sushi place nearby that's really good. Would you like to..."

Pei Ran asked calmly, "Did you read what I sent you?"

Luo Qingshan paused. In the past few days, Pei Ran had only sent him one thing: a list of gifts he had given him since they started dating.

"I didn't read it," Luo Qingshan replied softly. "There were so many things on there that I wanted to buy for you. How could I possibly remember everything after all this time?"

Pei Ran landed in a wilderness area and began to search for items slowly. "I don't think I missed anything. There are still two pairs of shoes that are out of print. I can't find their prices."

"Sweetheart," Luo Qingshan choked up, then corrected himself, "Pei Ran, do you have to be like this?"

Pei Ran replied, "It's not because I want to be."

"I know, I know, I said it was my mistake," Luo Qingshan admitted. "But there really isn't anything between Su Nian and me. At least, I don't have those feelings for him. Don't you know me? I've always treated him like a brother. I just didn't expect..."

Pei Ran stood silently in the room for a few seconds before bending down to pick up the items. "Don't say anymore."

"You're not even giving me a chance to explain?" Luo Qingshan's voice was laced with bitterness. "Pei Ran, I've been thinking these past few days. I'm wondering if you actually care about this at all. Why aren't you angry? You're just silent, in a cold war with me, like back in high school when you ignored and overlooked me."

How could he explain? And how would he show his anger? Pei Ran pondered.

Should he interrogate Luo Qingshan, asking how many times he kissed Su Nian or if he had truly deleted Su Nian from his life?

Or should he create a scene, having a heated argument with Su Nian in front of everyone, leaving chaos in their wake?

Pei Ran fell into a long, deep silence, so long that Luo Qingshan thought he had muted himself or left the game.

"I just don't want it to end so badly," Pei Ran spoke softly.

It was the first time Luo Qingshan heard such a desolate tone in Pei Ran's voice since the incident.

Pei Ran didn't say much, but Luo Qingshan felt like he understood everything.

Both of Pei Ran's parents were artists, and he was born with an artist's proud spirit, pursuing perfection and romance. This was precisely what Luo Qingshan found most attractive about him.

Luo Qingshan's nose stung. "I'm sorry."

He rubbed his eyes, feeling an even stronger desire to see Pei Ran. After a long while, he asked, "After that, can we still be friends?"

Pei Ran: "..."

"Don't say no, please," Luo Qingshan pleaded. "At least give me some time."

Pei Ran instinctively resisted, but if not for an unresolved debt between them, he might have long blacklisted Luo Qingshan.

Luo Qingshan bit his lip, forcing a smile. He decided to play his trump card. "By the way... it's been getting colder and raining lately. My fingers always ache. Can fingers even get rheumatism? You should wear more layers; you catch a cold easily."

Pei Ran was particularly susceptible to this approach, and Luo Qingshan felt both ashamed and profoundly relieved.

Sure enough, Pei Ran fell silent for a moment before asking, "Have you gone to the hospital?"

"No, it's not very painful." Sensing that he had softened, Luo Qingshan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject. "Did you find any guns? Here, stay still. I'll toss you an M24 with a 6x scope."

Pei Ran didn't pause in his steps as he passed Luo Qingshan. "Thanks, but I'm not into sniping."

-

"Someone's at N, thank you Rocket Boss for the boost, kisses..." Lin Xuhuan was energetically interacting with the stream viewers. Upon noticing his teammate's move, he sat up straight. "Holy sh*t, Number Two, calm down. Wait for me to join you, Number Two... Yan Zhun, for f*ck's sake, don't charge in alone, there are four of them over there!"

Yan Zhun was on a motorbike, a speed that even adding four more wheels to Lin Xuhuan's dilapidated pick-up truck couldn't catch up to. All he could do was watch Yan Zhun dash headlong into the enemy without looking back.

"D*mn it, it's already hard enough playing duo-squad, and you're just throwing yourself away like that!" Lin Xuhuan was furious. "No wonder you suddenly wanted to play with me today. You were planning to drag me down with you..."

"111GOD knocked down TIKERX with an AKM"

"111GOD knocked down HUMI2B with an AKM"

"111GOD knocked down JEONG with a fragmentation grenade"

"111GOD eliminated MRxu with a fragmentation grenade"

Yan Zhun: "Dead."

"Haha, I knew it. My brother must have had a plan before charging in." Lin Xuhuan smiled. "Do you guys think my brother's moves were awesome? If you like him, show your support with gifts."

Lin Xuhuan, munching on snacks, asked, "Brother, what's up? You seem a bit down."

Yan Zhun replied, "Could I be in a good mood and still play games with you?"

"Damn," Lin Xuhuan chuckled in exasperation. "Alright, then tell me what's bothering you, and I'll try to help."

"You can't help," Yan Zhun dismissed him as he swiftly gathered the equipment he needed and leaped onto the rooftop to scout for enemies. "Just be quiet; your footsteps are already hard enough to hear."

Lin Xuhuan was accustomed to this by now. He glanced at the live chat comments. "No, no, he's not cheating... How would I know? We've played countless games together in real life. When I show you his perspective later, you'll see it's all genuine skill."

"If he's not from our team's youth training program and that level of skill is what a trainee has, I might as well retire right now."

"I've always been self-aware. The truth is, he's just incredibly skilled. If you don't believe me, go ask other PUBG streamers which team doesn't recognize 111GOD."

Yan Zhun listened to Lin Xuhuan's praise without any expression, thinking that he should play solo matches.

At the end of the game, Yan Zhun secured a victory with 21 kills.

"Damn, you're really a godly beast," Lin Xuhuan exclaimed in admiration.

Yan Zhun was startled by his choice of words and lit a cigarette without responding.

Lowering his gaze, he looked at the phone placed in front of the keyboard. He repeatedly opened the pinned chat window a couple of times.

"Brother, everyone in my live stream is asking about your gaming platform. Could you mention it? I'll give you some promotion," Lin Xuhuan said. "I guarantee you'll be flooded with orders. You should raise your rates first."

Yan Zhun exhaled smoke. "No need. I'm quitting."

"..." Lin Xuhuan's expression was complicated. "You're giving up too quickly. Young people have no perseverance."

Yan Zhun replied, "Yeah, I hate every job I've ever had."

Lin Xuhuan turned on his live stream's microphone. "Stop spamming, he's not taking any more orders. Why? No reason, that's just how pros are. Bro, hold on a moment. When the team's pigs wake up, we'll play a squad match together."

Yan Zhun didn't respond. As he raised his hand to tap off the ash, his phone on the desk vibrated. His eyes narrowed, almost causing him to drop the entire cigarette into the ashtray.

"Pei Ran: I'm ready, are you still playing?"

Within minutes, the team was assembled. Just as Lin Xuhuan was about to start the game, the system alerted him that one of his teammates was unprepared.

Upon glance, the checkmark in front of 111GOD vanished.

"I'm leaving. You guys carry on," Yan Zhun said.

"Damn it," a man's voice rang out, belonging to the team's assault specialist, "I climbed out of bed just to play with you, and now you're telling me you're leaving? Where are you going?"

Yan Zhun tossed out a reply, "What else can I do? Accompany my boss."

With that, Yan Zhun left, leaving a trail of question marks in his live stream. Fans demanded to know if he was joking around, given that he previously claimed not to take requests.

Lin Xuhuan appeared nonchalant. "He did say that experts like him can be capricious."

Pei Ran had just sent a message but recalled that Yan Zhun was still in-game, so he hastily added another line.

"Pei Ran: If you're still playing, then forget it."

"Yan Zhun: Invite me."

Pei Ran, inexperienced as a team leader, somewhat awkwardly sent an invitation. Soon, 111GOD joined their team.

"What map are you playing?"

"Are you alone?"

Both spoke at the same time.

Pei Ran paused, "Yes, it's just me. Do you want to invite others?"

"No," Yan Zhun hesitated, "I saw you queuing for a duo match earlier."

Pei Ran explained, "I accidentally joined the wrong team just now. I didn't check the ID properly and thought it was your invitation."

Yan Zhun raised an eyebrow slightly, "Oh, you thought it was me."

Pei Ran didn't catch the subtle hint of amusement in his tone and simply responded with a nod, then asked again, "What map are we playing?"

"Let's do the island map," Yan Zhun suggested. "I promised to take you on a helicopter ride."

During the game, Pei Ran's phone kept ringing.

He looked at the voice message from Luo Qingshan but wasn't particularly keen on listening to it. However, he was worried that something might have happened to the other's hand, so he eventually chose to play the shortest one.

—"When are you heading to school tomorrow? Let's go together. I'll pick you up..."

Pei Ran paused the voice message before it finished playing and quickly replied with "It's not necessary."

Yan Zhun glanced at the date, and the annoyance that had just subsided resurfaced, making him crave a cigarette.

Then, through his headphones, he heard a slight rustling sound, like the unwrapping of candy paper.

With some restraint, he opened a drawer, took out a White Rabbit candy, and popped it into his mouth to satisfy his craving.

Playing games with Pei Ran was somewhat sugar-intensive.

After the game ended late at night, Pei Ran stared at the dark computer screen and suddenly thought of something. He opened the gaming companion app to settle Yan Zhun's payment.

The rules of this gaming companion app stated that the customer had to place an order first, and after the designated playtime was over, they needed to manually confirm the payment in the background for the companion to receive their earnings.

The maximum purchase limit for playtime was 50 hours, and companions were required to complete the order within a month, or it would be voided.

"Yan Zhun: ?"

"Pei Ran: I might not have much time for gaming after school starts, so I'll settle your bill now."

"Pei Ran: I'll come visit again if I get the chance."

Unbeknownst to Pei Ran, his last sentence sounded overly polite; in ordinary circumstances, "if I get the chance" could imply "I won't be coming back."

In the end, Yan Zhun couldn't resist. He went to the balcony, lit a cigarette but didn't smoke it, his gaze fixated on those words.

After a long while, he finally reacted.

"Yan Zhun: Transferred 1200 yuan to you."

Pei Ran was taken aback and instinctively typed a question mark.

A voice message quickly came back, and Pei Ran held his phone close to his ear to listen.

"Did you really think I was just your gaming companion?"

Pei Ran hesitated to reply with another question mark, but he felt that it might come across as impolite. Instead, he tapped the voice message button and replied naively, "Yes, I am."

In the next voice note, Yan Zhun's laughter was barely audible, as if he had been holding back.

"Among paid gaming partners, someone like me would charge at least two hundred yuan."

"I'm not currently in need of money."

"The reason I tried to persuade you to buy my services was to get you to play games with me."

After listening to three consecutive messages, Pei Ran's ear was almost glued to his phone from the warmth.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "...Do you really enjoy playing games with beginners?"

Yan Zhun couldn't hold back any longer. He extinguished his cigarette, bowed his head, and chuckled for a while before replying earnestly.

"No, I enjoy playing games with you."

"To be precise, I enjoy doing anything with you."

"It means I like you, do you understand? It has nothing to do with how inexperienced you are."

Pei Ran remained in the position of holding the phone, as if someone had pressed the pause button on his life.

He even paused his breathing for a few seconds, his mind filled only with the sound of his heartbeat, pulsing rhythmically against his temples.

When he put down the phone, he accidentally tapped the voice message again, and Yan Zhun's voice echoed once more—

"It means I like you..."

Pei Ran hastily turned it off. He blinked rapidly, then swiftly stood up and went to the window, slamming it shut with a bang.

It was the rain that was too noisy, he thought.

Chapter 13

Pei Ran stood by the window for a long time, yet he could still hear those voices even with it closed.

It was only when he turned on the bathroom light and looked in the mirror that he realized his cheeks and ears were flushed red.

He washed his face and, using the back of his hand to support it, left the bathroom before picking up his phone again.

Pei Ran had received many confessions over the years. His first love letter came in elementary school, from a fifth-grade girl with a ponytail whose smile carried the freshness of lemon. Blushing, she handed him the letter, reminding him to read it at home.

Back then, he hadn't blinked an extra eye, politely pushing the letter back and saying, "Sorry, thank you."

Luo Qingshan had also received his share of apologies.

Taking a sip of water, he thought to himself that his reaction must have been due to being startled.

Why would Yan Zhun like him? They had no connection before this holiday, no intimate encounters, not even any extra conversation.

Pei Ran unlocked his phone, and the screen still displayed his chat with Yan Zhun.

In the darkness, the phone vibrated again, causing Pei Ran's palm to tingle slightly.

"Yan Zhun: I'm just explaining, not confessing. No need to rush to reply."

"..." Pei Ran was momentarily taken aback.

So that didn't count as a confession?

His rejection seemed to be stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.

"Yan Zhun: But from now on, I won't call you 'boss' anymore."

As the rain subsided, Yan Zhun leaned against the balcony, enjoying the breeze. After sending that message, he went back to check his inbox, which was already filled with messages.

It was the same group of people, urging him to hurry up and continue killing in the game.

Before Yan Zhun could respond, they eagerly sent an audio message. He hung up once, but they persisted, so he finally reluctantly answered with a frown.

"Bro, what are you doing? Why did you hang up on me?" Lin Xuhuan asked.

"Busy."

"What could you possibly be busy with at this late hour?"

"I'm waiting for news."

Lin Xuhuan was taken aback. "Huh?"

Yan Zhun wasn't in the mood to elaborate. "Why did they call?"

"To continue gaming online. Old He and the others are already up. You're the only one missing." In the background, a deep male voice could be heard mentioning Yan Zhun's name.

Yan Zhun replied, "I'm a student, and I have school tomorrow."

"Oh, come on. Old He said skip class and spend two days at the base."

"I won't skip. Gotta go."

Lin Xuhuan stopped him. "Hey, let's chat a bit more. The people in my live stream all want to hear your voice. Don't hang up so quickly."

"Very urgent," Yan Zhun said.

"What's so urgent?"

With his phone in hand, Yan Zhun's voice was carried by the wind. "I'm urgently looking for a sister-in-law for you."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line.

"?" Lin Xuhuan responded, "What the hell! Are you serious? You still like women?"

Yan Zhun spoke in an even tone, "I prefer men."

"Hahaha," Lin Xuhuan laughed, assuming Yan Zhun was joking with him. "Just kidding, just kidding. I didn't mean anything by it. I thought you were going to be single for life... Which woman is so amazing that she caught your fancy?"

"He is indeed remarkable," Yan Zhun replied. "Is there anything else?"

Finally realizing the situation, Lin Xuhuan asked, "Are you waiting to call your girlfriend?"

"Not yet, don't jump to conclusions," Yan Zhun gazed at the moon and said, "I'm waiting for his reply."

Unfortunately, he didn't receive any new messages until the call ended.

Yan Zhun felt that he might not get a reply tonight. He closed the balcony window, tossed his phone onto his pillow, and prepared to sleep.

After gazing at the ceiling for an unknown period, his phone screen suddenly lit up.

"Pei Ran: Okay."

Forty minutes had passed since the last message.

The corners of Yan Zhun's lips twitched. Despite his drowsiness, he unlocked his phone and typed a few words.

"Yan Zhun: I'm sleeping, Pei Ran."

-

The next day, Pei Ran declined the chauffeur's pick-up and took the bus back to school.

When Pei Ran arrived at his dormitory, his roommate had just finished a game. Removing his headphones, he asked Pei Ran, "You didn't check the class group chat, did you?"

Pei Ran, busy organizing his belongings, replied, "No, why?"

"My class is short on male participants for the sports event, so our counselor asked everyone to sign up. We're currently registering," said his roommate. "What do you want to participate in? I think you should just go for the 100-meter dash. Winning isn't important; finishing the race is good enough."

Pei Ran pondered for a moment. "I'll do the 3,000-meter run."

His roommate let out an "oh" and casually continued texting his girlfriend. A few seconds later, he turned to Pei Ran with shock. "Huh?"

It wasn't hard to understand his roommate's reaction. Despite his height, Pei Ran gave off an overall impression of being quite slender, and at one point, his roommate had suspected that he might be thinner than some of the girls in their class.

However, Pei Ran never undressed in front of him, not even when taking a shower; he would always bring clothes in to change. Thus, his roommate could only make rough judgments.

Under his roommate's doubtful gaze, Pei Ran registered for the 3,000-meter run. Lifting his head to meet his roommate's eyes, he chuckled. "I can really finish it. Don't worry."

Just as he finished packing, Lin Kang sent him a message asking if he wanted to have lunch together.

Recalling that he had once offered to treat Lin Kang, Pei Ran readily agreed. They arranged to meet at a Western restaurant near campus.

"I actually wanted to ask you to return to school with me today, but after playing basketball, I realized it was too late," Lin Kang said, sipping his lemon water. He whispered, "Is this place too expensive? We can go for spicy hot pot instead. I'm not picky."

Pei Ran replied, "It's okay. I have a membership here, so we can get a discount."

It turned out that even those riding in a Maybach could use discount coupons. How down-to-earth. Lin Kang felt that the gap between him and Pei Ran had narrowed slightly. As they conversed, Lin Kang suddenly received a call from Luo Qingshan. He glanced at Pei Ran awkwardly, who was calmly browsing the menu with his eyelashes lowered, seemingly unaffected. After ending the call, Lin Kang cleared his throat and said, "He asked me where I put the basketball." Pei Ran nodded and lifted his gaze from the menu. "Shall we order a set meal?" Lin Kang quickly agreed. After sitting for a while, Lin Kang couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "Um, Pei Ran, I'm not being nosy, I'm just really curious… Did you and Luo Qingshan really break up because you two were incompatible?" Pei Ran countered with a question of his own, "What do you think?" "I can't just guess randomly," Lin Kang said, then added, "Was it perhaps because of Su Nian?" Pei Ran paused in his perusal of the menu and fell silent.

Lin Kang was a typical straight guy; the kind who wouldn't realize his girlfriend was angry until hours later. If it hadn't been for a friend mentioning it last night, he would never have thought in that direction.

But after some reflection, he had to admit that those two were... rather peculiar.

"Really? Damn, no wonder Su Nian was acting so snarky in the group that day..." Lin Kang said. "Is there anything I can help you with? Just let me know, I can't stand seeing people treated unfairly."

"No, we've already broken up," Pei Ran didn't want to continue the conversation.

But Lin Kang misunderstood his intentions. "Don't be shy, although I'm closer friends with Luo Qingshan, I'll side with justice over friendship. Should I give him a scolding on your behalf?"

This conversation could go on forever. Pei Ran thought for a moment before carefully suggesting, "No need, but there's something I'd like to ask you."

Lin Kang eagerly asked, "What is it?"

"Was Yan Zhun also a student at Full Middle School before?"

"Yeah... huh?" Lin Kang was confused.

Pei Ran explained, "I don't recall ever seeing him before."

"No way?" Lin Kang was immediately distracted. "He was quite famous in high school, and we were in the same class. But our classrooms were on the first floor, quite a few levels away from yours. Oh, right, he even won the championship in a local online PUBG tournament. You didn't hear about that?"

Back then, the battle royale game was at its peak, and a high school student winning a gaming championship garnered more attention than getting the top score in the city's exams.

Pei Ran held the cup absentmindedly, shaking his head.

"Well, you really were... focused on your studies," Lin Kang said. "At that time, not only within the school, but someone even took a photo of him during the competition and posted it online. It was just a side profile, but it got over 20,000 shares. He was quite a big deal."

Upon hearing this, Pei Ran recalled the incident.

Not because he recalled Yan Zhun, but because he remembered the tweet.

He had been drawn to the keyword "citywide" when he scrolled past it and even clicked to view the full image. However, before he could make out the person, Luo Qingshan had covered his phone with a laugh, teasing him not to look at other boys.

Pei Ran muttered vaguely, "I think... I have a vague recollection."

"What do you remember about me?" A familiar voice sounded from behind them.

Both were startled, but Pei Ran in particular. His eyes widened in panic and embarrassment, as if he had been caught red-handed.

He turned stiffly and met Yan Zhun's gaze through the artificial greenery behind him.

Pei Ran rarely wore such an expression. Yan Zhun studied him for a few seconds before glancing at Lin Kang beside him and explaining, "I wasn't eavesdropping. I've been sitting here for a while."

There were partitions between each seat in the restaurant, making them difficult to notice unless one paid attention. Lin Kang snapped back to reality. "I really didn't see you... Are you dining alone?"

"I was stood up," Yan Zhun glanced at the queue of customers outside the restaurant and suggested, "Want to share a table? There are many people waiting outside."

As soon as Yan Zhun sat down, Pei Ran felt that the four-person table had become somewhat cramped.

He had never spoken ill of anyone behind their backs before, and he never expected to be caught the first time he did.

Pei Ran clutched his phone, lowering his eyes and keeping quiet, trying to minimize his presence.

"What did you say?" Yan Zhun asked indolently.

"Just about you winning the championship in high school," Lin Kang replied. "Pei Ran had no idea you were in the same school."

Yan Zhun was not modest. "As a top student, it's normal not to keep up with games."

Lin Kang glanced down at his phone and grumbled, "Why is this class group chat so noisy? It's just a sports meet; can't everyone just sign up for an event to fill in the numbers? What did you guys choose?"

Yan Zhun replied, "I haven't decided yet."

Feeling their gazes, Pei Ran obediently said, "I signed up for the 3000-meter race."

"Wow, impressive. Forget it, I'll just go through the motions." Lin Kang put down his phone and stood up. "I'm going to the restroom and will call our counselor while I'm there."

As soon as Lin Kang left, the atmosphere at the table turned quiet.

Pei Ran absentmindedly pursed his lips, searching for an excuse to leave in his mind.

If he couldn't alleviate the awkwardness, he would escape from it.

Just as he was about to come up with a reason, Yan Zhun spoke up again, asking, "What did you just remember about me, Pei Ran?"

Pei Ran felt like a student who had been caught trying to skip class and reluctantly answered, "...I remembered the Weibo post that Lin Kang mentioned."

Yan Zhun recalled the photo – it was blurry but not unattractive, given the side profile.

"It's just exaggeration; they're not that impressive."

Pei Ran hummed in agreement.

The restaurant table was small, and when he leaned down, he could see Yan Zhun's casually splayed legs, clad in a limited edition pair of sneakers from a renowned brand.

...So that was how he had fallen for it when Yan Zhun said he needed money and wanted to be a gaming companion back then.

Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed Yan Zhun's shoe turn slightly, gently touching the side of his own.

Yan Zhun lowered his gaze to compare, then commented, "You have rather petite feet."

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."

Chapter 15

When his roommate crossed the finish line gasping like an ox, Pei Ran promptly handed him some water.

Supporting himself on his knees for a long while, the roommate finally looked up and laughed heartily, "I won! I beat the computer science department!"

Pei Ran acknowledged, "Impressive."

After laughing to himself for a bit, the roommate remembered to ask, "What place did I come in?"

Pei Ran replied, "Second from last."

"…" The roommate's face crumpled slightly but quickly regained its composure. "Oh well, as long as I didn't lose to the computer science department."

After recording his time, the roommate remembered to say, "You're quite close with Yan Zhun, aren't you? I saw you chatting at the finish line just now."

"He's Luo Qingshan's roommate," Pei Ran explained.

The roommate suddenly understood, "I see, he came to reconcile things."

"..."

Pei Ran pondered for a moment but decided against arguing.

His roommate quickly bid him farewell to cheer on his girlfriend. Pei Ran found a quiet corner to warm up for the upcoming 3000-meter race.

In truth, the 3000 meters wasn't particularly challenging, but some of the guys in their class were lazy about exercise, and others outright refused to participate in the sports meet. They all seemed reluctant, and when Pei Ran signed up, a few of them even tried to talk him out of it.

After a few leg stretches, he gazed at the ground, lost in thought.

Due to his father's absence over the past half-month, he hadn't gone for his usual morning runs. Yesterday, he attempted a trial run, but he was a bit slower than usual.

He hoped to improve his pace today.

When Luo Qingshan found Pei Ran, he was doing high knees in place.

He performed the exercise with great concentration, his flexed legs forming a smooth, attractive line.

Luo Qingshan watched him for a long while before finally calling out, "Pei Ran."

Pei Ran's movement paused, and he turned his head to look at Luo Qingshan before slowly lowering his leg. "Is there something?"

"Do you plan on participating in the sports meet as well?" Luo Qingshan's polite tone pricked him, and he struggled to control his voice. "What events have you signed up for?"

"The 3000-meter race."

"What a coincidence, me too." Luo Qingshan nervously licked his lips. "Want to warm up together? I can massage your legs for you."

Pei Ran shook his head. "No need, I'm almost recovered."

Pei Ran lowered his gaze, looking at Luo Qingshan's right hand hanging by his side.

Feeling his gaze, Luo Qingshan quickly raised his hand, spreading his fingers apart for him to see. "Did you read the message I sent you? My finger has mostly recovered, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Luo Qingshan's right ring finger was different from his other fingers. Although normal activities were no longer affected, upon closer inspection, a thin, slightly twisted line was still visible.

Pei Ran used to often hold his finger in a daze, stroking it with an incredibly gentle touch that always seemed to reach Luo Qingshan's heart. As he spoke, he subconsciously extended his hand towards Pei Ran.

Pei Ran didn't touch him.

"That's good." Pei Ran withdrew his gaze and looked up at him. "If there are any aftereffects or if you don't feel well, make sure to call me. I'll take full responsibility."

Luo Qingshan suddenly felt a severe dryness in his throat. He retracted his hand and gave a bitter smile. "Okay."

It wasn't until Pei Ran turned to leave that Luo Qingshan realized the other hadn't even wished him luck.

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair twice and sat on a nearby stone bench to play with his phone. His warm-up had been completed long before he found Pei Ran; he had merely been looking for an excuse to strike up a conversation.

After this brief exchange, Luo Qingshan was even more certain of his intentions—he needed to win Pei Ran back.

This task seemed more challenging than he had anticipated. Luo Qingshan hesitantly opened the chat with his first friend, Su Nian, who had sent several messages asking what time the competition started and saying that he would come to cheer him on.

Luo Qingshan tapped on Su Nian's profile, hovering his finger repeatedly over the option to block him.

But then he thought, what did it matter whether he blocked Su Nian or not? He didn't have feelings for Su Nian, so even if they remained friends, he wouldn't cheat.

Moreover, Su Nian... had actually been quite nice to him. It didn't seem fair to unilaterally block him without a valid reason.

"Luo Qingshan: Don't come. If Pei Ran sees you, he might misunderstand our relationship again."

"Su Nian: ..."

"Su Nian: Alright, then do your best in the competition. If you run into Pei Ran, please apologize for me."

"Su Nian: You can reach out to me anytime you need, I'm always available :D"

The phone vibrated again. Luo Qingshan checked and found it was a message from Pei Ran.

He instantly perked up, jumping off the stone bench abruptly—

"Darling: My number remains the same, 134xxxxx. Contact me anytime you need."

Luo Qingshan was so excited that he made a few typing errors: What's wrong? I've never forgotten your number.

After reading it twice, he finally hit send.

"The user has enabled friend verification. You are not yet their friend..."

Luo Qingshan was stunned by the red exclamation mark that appeared.

His eyes widened in astonishment as he confirmed the truth with a series of punctuation marks.

Pei Ran had blocked him.

-

Pei Ran was the last to register for the class, and by the time he finished, everyone else was already at the starting line.

Luo Qingshan stood at Lane 5, looking at him anxiously. Upon seeing Pei Ran approach, he instinctively wanted to go over, but someone grabbed his shirt from the side.

"Student, it's about to start, don't wander around."

Pei Ran crouched down to retie his shoelaces.

The sidelines of the runway were packed with onlookers, many of them discreetly stealing glances at Pei Ran.

Many people in the school knew him. On one hand, he excelled academically and was often used as a positive example by his professors. On the other hand, it was common knowledge that he had a boyfriend.

In this day and age, homosexuality has been largely accepted by the younger generation. The way they looked at Pei Ran was devoid of disgust or aversion; instead, it was filled with curiosity and a desire to understand.

Despite this, Pei Ran still felt uneasy.

The sound of gunfire interrupted Pei Ran's thoughts, and he dashed out from the starting line. The cool breeze that greeted him made him feel much lighter.

Running almost eight laps for three kilometers, Pei Ran counted as he ran. By the time he reached the halfway point of the fifth lap, his breathing remained steady, but his ranking had slightly fallen behind.

Unable to resist, Pei Ran glanced backward. Fortunately, he wasn't at the very back.

When he turned back, he heard someone beside him cry out, "Watch out—"

Before Pei Ran could react, he was violently bumped into.

He was on the far left lane, and somehow, a classmate who had been watching from the side had accidentally wandered onto the track, colliding forcefully with Pei Ran. As he had been exerting himself while running, he was knocked to the ground, seeing stars, and feeling a burning pain in his arm.

Pei Ran knitted his brows but quickly managed to sit up.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!!!" The classmate, having been caught by her friend, didn't suffer a severe fall, and she repeatedly apologized, "Someone pushed me, sorry, sorry! Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

"I'm fine," Pei Ran flexed his hand to examine his arm. It was scraped, bleeding, but seemed to be just a superficial wound.

He looked at the petite female classmate in front of him, "Did I hurt you?"

The girl was utterly panicked, shaking her head before nodding. "I'm not in pain, but you... Are you alright? What should we do? Did you hurt yourself?"

Seeing her distress, Pei Ran was eager to reassure her.

However, he realized that his injuries weren't limited to his arm – his ankle had twisted, and there was a dull ache in his calf.

He took a deep breath and struggled to push himself up from the ground.

"Stay still," Yan Zhun instructed.

Pei Ran lifted his head and met Yan Zhun's gaze.

Yan Zhun crouched down, grasped his arm for a closer inspection, then asked, "Did you hurt your back?"

"I don't think so," Pei Ran replied.

"Can you walk?" Yan Zhun asked. "I'll help you."

Pei Ran felt as if Yan Zhun had quite literally "lifted" him to his feet.

With one arm around Yan Zhun's shoulder, Yan Zhun supported his waist, effortlessly lifting him up.

They were in such close proximity that he could feel the warmth beneath Yan Zhun's thin clothing.

The first thing Pei Ran wanted to do after standing up was to release his grip, but then he heard Yan Zhun casually ask, "Can you make it to the infirmary on your own?"

Pei Ran fell silent for two seconds before responding, "...Thank you for your trouble."

It was the sports meet, and the infirmary was packed with people. The school nurse roughly examined Pei Ran's wounds, providing povidone-iodine and an ice pack for them to tend to the injury temporarily in the adjacent rest room.

Pei Ran sat on the bed in the lounge, carefully rolling up his pants to his knees. A scrape adorned his lower leg, a reddened patch of skin marking its presence.

Yan Zhun entered with a first-aid kit in hand, his gaze lingering momentarily on the wound before he turned to leave again.

"Where are you going?" Pei Ran asked instinctively, noticing the antiseptic solution Yan Zhun held.

"I'll ask her for more medication," Yan Zhun replied.

"No need," Pei Ran said hastily, reaching out to grab his shirt. "It's just a superficial injury, an antiseptic will do."

Yan Zhun frowned.

Pei Ran: "…Really."

A minute later, Yan Zhun casually dragged a chair over and sat down in front of him.

Pei Ran heaved a sigh of relief, intending to thank the other party again when Yan Zhun said, "Put your leg up here."

Pei Ran was somewhat perplexed. "On where?"

He watched as Yan Zhun opened the iodine solution, suddenly realizing what the other meant. "No need, I can do it myself."

Yan Zhun didn't respond and instead gently bent down, holding Pei Ran's ankle and placing it on his thigh.

Pei Ran still had his shoes on. He froze for a few seconds and immediately tried to pull his leg back, but failed.

"My shoes are very dirty," Pei Ran said.

"So don't move around," Yan Zhun said, pinching the cotton swab stained with medicine. His eyelashes drooped, and his gaze was fixed on the wound on Pei Ran's lower leg.

Pei Ran was about to refuse, but the cotton swab had already been pressed against his skin.

His legs were well-proportioned, and his complexion was slightly fairer than most boys. The iodine spread across his skin like an unintended splash of color on a pristine canvas.

Yan Zhun was wearing a short-sleeved shirt that day. Occasionally, his arm would brush against Pei Ran's calf. Each touch made Pei Ran's brow furrow involuntarily, and with each subsequent brush, the frown deepened.

Their position was too peculiar.

"Does it hurt?" Yan Zhun asked.

Pei Ran replied promptly, "No, it doesn't hurt anymore."

In truth, there was still a slight sting, but it was tolerable.

Yan Zhun watched him silently for a while before suddenly leaning closer.

Pei Ran sensed a cool breeze brush against his wound, triggering a prickling sensation that crept up from his calf to his entire body—Yan Zhun was gently blowing on his injury.

Pei Ran held his breath, then exhaled softly, feeling the vibrations of his own heartbeat.

Just as he was about to withdraw his foot, the door to the lounge suddenly swung open.

Luo Qingshan stood outside, still panting heavily. Upon seeing the scene within, his actions froze, and his eyes gradually widened.

The lounge fell into a brief silence.

Luo Qingshan's gaze shifted back and forth between the two, and after a moment, he found his voice, sounding both surprised and perplexed: "…Yan Zhun?"

Chapter 16

Luo Qingshan only learned about Pei Ran's fall after finishing his run.

Luo Qingshan was athletic and had left Pei Ran far behind during the run. By the time he reached the finish line and turned back, Pei Ran was nowhere to be seen.

After inquiring from the onlooking classmates, he rushed over without even registering his own result.

Pei Ran paused upon seeing Luo Qingshan, then the sudden chill on his ankle pulled him back to reality.

Yan Zhun glanced at Luo Qingshan and nodded nonchalantly before placing the ice pack on Pei Ran's sprained ankle. "Is this the spot?"

Pei Ran instinctively replied, "Something like that."

Regaining his composure, Luo Qingshan hurried into the rest area. "Pei Ran, Pei Ran, where did you hurt yourself? Does it hurt your bones?"

Upon seeing the injury on Pei Ran's leg, he took a deep breath and grabbed his phone. "I'll call a car to take you to the hospital."

"No need," Pei Ran said. "It's not that serious, just some disinfection will do."

"No, we still need to take an X-ray. What if there's a fracture?" Luo Qingshan insisted.

"There's no fracture, just a twist," Pei Ran said, reluctantly, as he saw Luo Qingshan open the ride-hailing app. "I won't get in the car even if you call one."

Luo Qingshan paused, his fingertips hovering over the screen, then sulkily closed the app.

He glanced awkwardly at Yan Zhun, who was applying an ice pack on Pei Ran without looking up.

"Yan Zhun, why are you here?" Luo Qingshan changed the subject, turning up the corners of his mouth slightly. "Did you finish the 1000-meter run?"

Yan Zhun replied, "Yeah."

"How did it go?"

"I just ran casually."

"It's fine. The ranking doesn't matter, and I didn't expect any awards," Luo Qingshan said offhandedly. "Gamers like you don't usually exercise much."

Pei Ran fell silent for two seconds. Seeing that Yan Zhun remained quiet as if acknowledging the statement, he couldn't help but speak up before Luo Qingshan could continue, "He came in third. The top two were sports students."

Yan Zhun's expression shifted slightly. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, picked up the ice pack, and used the palm of his hand to wipe away the moisture from Pei Ran's ankle before reapplying it.

Pei Ran felt a warmth from Yan Zhun's palm.

Luo Qingshan was taken aback. "Huh? Like this... Congratulations."

His confusion was evident in his furrowed brows. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his sweat, then extended his hand to Yan Zhun. "Thank you for bringing Pei Ran here. Give me the ice pack, I'll take care of the rest."

Yan Zhun finally lifted his head but didn't do anything else. He looked at Luo Qingshan with surprise in his voice. "Didn't you break up?"

The atmosphere turned chilly once more.

Luo Qingshan's expression was a mix of emotions. After a moment, he smiled, trying to appear casual. "That's why I need a chance to prove myself."

Yan Zhun countered, "Why should I give you that chance?"

Luo Qingshan: "?"

Pei Ran couldn't bear to listen any longer. He pulled his foot back. "I won't trouble you both anymore. It's just a small injury, I can handle it myself."

Luo Qingshan still gazed at Yan Zhun with a slightly complicated expression. Just as he was about to ask a question, his phone rang.

It was their class monitor, urging him to return to the sports field immediately for the signature. Without it, his run would be considered void, and his score would be directly canceled.

After asking a few more questions, Luo Qingshan reluctantly left, turning back multiple times with evident concern on his face.

The ice pack was freezing, so Pei Ran merely symbolically held it against his hand before sincerely thanking the person beside him. "Thank you for today."

Yan Zhun acknowledged with a soft "mm-hmm" before suddenly remarking, "You stepped on me quite a few times on the way here."

Walking on one leg was difficult, especially right after the fall when both of Pei Ran's legs were in pain, making his steps unsteady.

Pei Ran met Yan Zhun's eyes for two seconds before looking down at the latter's shoes.

There were clear shoe prints on the white limited-edition sneakers – undeniable evidence.

"I'm sorry," Pei Ran said. "I'll help you wash them."

Yan Zhun was momentarily taken aback. He raised an eyebrow. "You'll help me wash them?"

Pei Ran added, "Take it to the laundry shop. They can clean shoes there too."

Yan Zhun's interest waned. "No need."

He looked at Pei Ran's hands, a pair of very beautiful hands, suitable for painting, playing the piano, and just right for Pei Ran.

Yan Zhun thought to himself, even if Pei Ran really wanted to wash his shoes by hand, he wouldn't let him spoil them.

Pei Ran suggested, "How about I wipe them with a wet tissue?"

"No need," Yan Zhun withdrew his gaze. "Just consider it a favor from me."

Pei Ran faintly frowned, his tone resolute. "I'll buy you a new pair. What's the model of these?"

Feeling the subtle change in Pei Ran's attitude, Yan Zhun gazed into his eyes for a long while before softly sighing.

He turned around, took a tissue from the table beside him, held Pei Ran's wrist, and wiped the ice pack with it. Then, he casually swiped at the shoe.

"There, they're clean. You don't owe me anything."

No sooner had Yan Zhun finished speaking than his phone in his pocket rang repeatedly.

Upon reading the message, Yan Zhun recalled his promise to Lin Xuhuan to accompany them at the training base for a few practice matches today.

Yan Zhun stood up. "Let's go."

Pei Ran lifted his head and looked at him. "Where to?"

"I'll send you back." Without waiting for Pei Ran's response, Yan Zhun took his hand and draped it around his neck. "Hold on tight."

Pei Ran's dormitory was spotless. After his roommate moved out, he had thoroughly cleaned the place, leaving a subtle fruity scent in the air.

After putting Pei Ran down, Yan Zhun left without even closing the door.

Pei Ran wasn't in a hurry. He opened the black bag on the desk, regretting not asking Yan Zhun if he wanted some fruit earlier.

Struggling to make his way to the sink, Pei Ran meticulously peeled the peach. Just as he was about to take the first bite, there was movement at the door.

Yan Zhun returned, holding another black bag. "Here."

Pei Ran asked, "What is it?"

"It's ice cream," Yan Zhun replied. "You can use it to soothe your foot."

Pei Ran chuckled.

Yan Zhun didn't know what had tickled his funny bone. He stared at Pei Ran for a long while. "Why are you laughing?"

Pei Ran shook his head with a smile and took the bag. "Thanks. Do you want some fruit?"

"Yes," Yan Zhun glanced at the fruit in his hand. "Peach?"

Pei Ran hummed in response. After a moment of hesitation, he passed the peach over. "I've washed my hands. It's clean."

As soon as Pei Ran finished speaking, Yan Zhun suddenly leaned in and took the peach, biting into it.

Under Pei Ran's astonished gaze, he swallowed a large chunk of the flesh. "It's sweet."

-

After several training matches, TZG's coach's WeChat was flooded with messages.

"Their questions were all about whether I lured you into the team, calling me cunning for hiding it from them," the coach chuckled. "How funny. If I really managed to get you, wouldn't I be broadcasting it through a megaphone at their base ten times over?"

Yan Zhun leaned back in his gaming chair, engaged in a sniper duel with someone else. Three seconds later, he landed a headshot on his opponent.

"Nice!" The coach leaned against the back of Yan Zhun's chair. "So, what do you think? Will you give me the chance to make that announcement?"

Yan Zhun scoffed. Why did everyone seem to be asking him for opportunities today?

"No," Yan Zhun said. "Keep nagging, and I'll leave."

"Don't, the room's already prepared for you. You can sleep here tonight." The coach was used to this by now. "Then could you come over more often to help them train?"

Lin Xuhuan wailed, "No, you'll shut me down in no time."

The coach replied, "That's the point, so you won't become arrogant. You're always spouting nonsense in your livestream; I bet you think your salary is too low."

"It doesn't matter..." Lin Xuhuan mumbled. "Brother, how many people are in that building?"

After the training match, the others went out for skewers, but as Lin Xuhuan had a sore throat, he stayed behind and begged Yan Zhun to play Duo Squads with him.

"Four players in total, I took down three," Yan Zhun switched to his rifle. "Charge the building."

After the game ended, they were sniped by a hacker, settling for second place.

Yan Zhun found it uninteresting; there seemed to be more and more hackers in the game. Just as he was about to quit, he noticed an online friend.

He immediately sent an invitation.

"Changing your mind? Bro?" Lin Xuhuan asked, seeing that Yan Zhun wasn't prepared.

Yan Zhun replied, "I'm not sure."

Lin Xuhuan inquired, "...What do you mean by 'not sure'?"

Yan Zhun lit a cigarette. "I'll see if he responds."

Before Lin Xuhuan could ask more questions, another player suddenly appeared on their gaming interface. This person was dressed in the default white outfit, clearly a beginner.

"Who's this?" The coach approached cautiously. "From another team?"

He couldn't think of anyone who could make Yan Zhun utter such words.

Through Lin Xuhuan's perpetually open microphone, the sentence reached Pei Ran's ears. It sounded as though Yan Zhun was not in his dormitory at all.

He couldn't explain why he logged into the game late at night. Upon seeing Yan Zhun's invitation, he instinctively accepted it.

Peering at the unfamiliar, colorfully dressed ID next to him, he asked, "Did you invite the wrong person?"

"No, no, I didn't," Lin Xuhuan hastily assured.

He had seen this person, Ranbaobei, in 197's live stream replays – Yan Zhun's boss.

"Get ready, baby Ran. We're about to start the game and carry you."

As they entered the waiting lobby, Lin Xuhuan switched off his microphone. "Brother, isn't this your boss?"

Yan Zhun merely hummed in response, extinguishing his cigarette after only a few puffs.

Lin Xuhuan approached Pei Ran's in-game character. "But from the looks of it, he doesn't seem very wealthy either. He doesn't even have any fancy outfits."

Yan Zhun didn't bother to reply and instead asked through the microphone, "Does your foot still hurt?"

Pei Ran replied, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Okay, walk less. Skip classes that aren't useful."

Lin Xuhuan commented, "Brother, you're corrupting the boss!"

Pei Ran, overhearing Yan Zhun's casual response to the person beside him, said, "Do you think everyone is like you? My boss is very well-behaved; I can't corrupt him."

The light from the computer screen illuminated Pei Ran's face, revealing the faint pink on his ears.

Pei Ran pursed his lips and couldn't help but take a sip of water.

When Lin Xuhuan and the others first learned that Yan Zhun had become a gaming companion, they were all astonished.

They had even discussed Yan Zhun's rates behind his back. Their sharpshooter mentioned that although Yan Zhun was strong, his personality wasn't something to be admired. It wasn't that he had a bad temper, but rather that he was quiet and aloof. At most, he would charge 110 yuan per hour.

Lin Xuhuan had guessed the highest, predicting two hundred yuan – though he might later get reported and blacklisted by the boss.

After two rounds of gameplay, Lin Xuhuan completely overturned his initial thoughts.

He had witnessed Yan Zhun toss a fully-equipped gun in front of Pei Ran, saying, "Pei Ran, give me a boost."

Gunshots echoed on the mountain like firecrackers. The person who usually ran faster than anyone else at the sound of gunfire was now trailing behind ranbaobei as they scavenged the wilderness, "Wait until he finishes searching the house."

The most outrageous part was yet to come.

After ranbaobei was killed, Yan Zhun wiped out the squad that had taken him down. Then, he pulled out a grenade.

He committed suicide with it.

He killed himself.

He blew himself up...

Lin Xuhuan stared in disbelief at the two boxes lying side by side before him.

After a long while, he turned his head and asked in a faint voice, "Brother, how much... did you actually scam from them?"

Chapter 17

With the school's sports festival ongoing for two days, there were no classes, and at night, the food stalls were filled with students.

Luo Qingshan lounged on a bench with his legs crossed, not engaging in the conversation around the dinner table.

His glass was nudged by someone beside him. "What are you lost in thought about?"

Lifting his chin slightly, Luo Qingshan picked up his glass and took a sip. "Nothing much, where were we?"

"He's been like this lately, it's just a breakup," said his friend, pouring him another drink. "Here, drink up, a few times and he'll be fine."

"Don't pour him more, who's going to carry him back when he's drunk?"

"Su Nian."

Su Nian sat right across from Luo Qingshan. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but glance at Luo Qingshan.

Luo Qingshan didn't even spare him a look, only shaking his head. "No need for anyone to carry me, it's just beer, I won't get drunk."

After a while, Luo Qingshan suddenly blurted out, "Isn't Yan Zhun here?"

Everyone at the table were his classmates from the same major, and they all froze upon hearing this.

"Aren't you tipsy?" a friend looked at him in surprise. "When has Yan Zhun ever come? Only on your birthday."

"I did invite him," Lin Kang poured himself some wine. "He said he had something to do and couldn't make it."

"Damn." His friend swiped through his phone and gasped when he saw a certain Weibo post. He turned his phone around for everyone to see. "Is this Yan Zhun?"

It was a Weibo post from TZG's sharpshooter, which read "Grilling some skewers after training". On the right side of the photo, someone had accidentally been captured in the frame. The boy leaned lazily on an e-sports chair with an exceptionally handsome profile.

Someone in the comments had asked who he was.

The sharpshooter replied: My brother. Not a trainee, so don't guess.

TZG could be considered the top e-sports team in the country, especially in recent years with their success in both PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and League of Legends. They were a hot topic among male gamers, almost all of whom followed them.

"It really is…" Lin Kang retracted his gaze and shook his head, tsking. "For someone from TZG to call him 'brother', Yan Zhun must be quite the deal."

"Yes, if I had his talent, why would I bother studying? I'd have entered the e-sports scene and made a fortune. With that face of his, he could still earn from girlfriend fans even if he wasn't good at gaming." His friend nudged Luo Qingshan's arm, recalling something. "Hey, didn't you play games with Yan Zhun before? Was he impressive?"

Luo Qingshan felt strangely disinclined to respond.

Staring at the photo for a moment, he took a sip of wine and smiled. "What's the point of being so great at gaming?"

"Bro, it's already 2022. Why are you still saying things like that? Do you know how much those professional gamers earn in annual contracts, how much they win in championship prizes, or how much they get from endorsements?" Lin Kang chuckled. "If Yan Zhun had gone pro back then, he would've definitely achieved great things."

"What, do you have psychic abilities?" Luo Qingshan scoffed. "There are so many talented people out there. How could it have been his turn?"

"You don't understand. TZG's coach came to our school to look for him several times. I saw them myself..." Lin Kang pondered. "What's up with you today? You sound weird."

Luo Qingshan fell silent for a moment with his head lowered before shaking it. "It's nothing."

In the middle of the banquet, Luo Qingshan found it uninteresting and left early.

He made an excuse to decline Su Nian's offer to accompany him and returned to the dormitory alone. Along the way, he couldn't resist taking out his phone to send a message to Pei Ran but remembered halfway through typing that Pei Ran had blocked him.

The dorm was dark and empty. Luo Qingshan switched on the light and glanced at Yan Zhun's bed.

The desk held nothing but a computer and headphones, mirroring its owner's dull and uninteresting demeanor.

Back at his own seat, Luo Qingshan turned on his computer casually.

Lost in thought, his mind kept replaying the scene he had witnessed in the lounge—Pei Ran sitting on the bed, clutching the sheets in pain, while Yan Zhun supported his knee with one hand and bent down to blow on it.

It seemed as if Yan Zhun was kissing Pei Ran's leg.

A notification disrupted Luo Qingshan's thoughts. It was a gaming friend asking if he wanted to play PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), one player short of a full team.

Unable to sleep anyway, he logged into the game and glanced at his Steam friends list, spotting the username "Ranbaobei" playing.

Luo Qingshan frowned slightly.

Pei Ran didn't really enjoy this game due to its quick endings, which offered little gaming experience. In the past, Luo Qingshan would have to coax him for a long time before Pei Ran would reluctantly log in.

However, lately, Pei Ran appeared to be playing frequently.

After a moment's consideration, Luo Qingshan ignored the incoming team invite and exited to check Pei Ran's game records.

Then, he discovered that Pei Ran had indeed been playing this game frequently during this period, logging in every day during the seven-day break.

Furthermore, his records were impressive, almost to an eerie extent.

Pei Ran's kill count was usually 0, occasionally with one or two kills, and his total damage dealt wasn't high either.

However, scrolling through his match history, there were numerous indicators of "top ten" and "victory royale."

Luo Qingshan's Adam's apple bobbed as he clicked into Pei Ran's detailed records and saw the IDs of his teammates.

Almost every round, there was "111GOD."

The only time 111GOD was absent was when Luo Qingshan had invited Pei Ran to play that one game some time ago. Following that match, 111GOD reappeared.

Luo Qingshan found it hard to believe and started checking each match individually for confirmation.

Until he reached the game where he had invited Yan Zhun and Su Nian for a squad match.

Luo Qingshan gritted his teeth throughout, only relaxing gradually when his cheeks began to ache.

He sat still for a moment before reaching for the phone on the table and locating his roommate's chat thread on WeChat.

"Luo Qingshan: You're playing PUBG too? Who are you playing with? Add me in."

After an unknown amount of time, a reply finally came.

"Yan Zhun: Not joining."

"Luo Qingshan: Seriously? So heartless?"

In the meantime, Lin Xuhuan's voice echoed throughout the base, "Ran baby! Run, Ran baby! There are so many people behind you! Jump as you run! Quick, come over to me! I'll protect you - hey, why are you going to my brother?!'

Looking at the person running towards him, Yan Zhun let out a soft laugh. After eliminating the opposing team, he picked up his phone to type.

"Yan Zhun: Hmm, there's no spot for you."

-

Yan Zhun stayed at TZG Base for several consecutive days.

The group was hooked, insisting that he accompany them for more training matches. Yan Zhun reluctantly agreed, appreciating the spacious and quiet room they had arranged for him.

On their day off, Lin Xuhuan dragged Pei Ran out for dinner.

TZG's base was very close to Yan Zhun's school; just a short walk across the road – the location was ideal, with its affordable luxury homes and lack of distractions for the team members.

As they passed by a computer shop, Yan Zhun casually glanced inside and then halted in his tracks.

"How much would it cost to fix it?" Pei Ran asked, looking at his laptop.

The shop owner stroked his chin. "Not too expensive, around... three to four thousand."

Pei Ran nodded, about to pay a deposit when he heard a voice from behind him. "What's wrong with the computer?"

Pei Ran turned around to see Yan Zhun.

Yan Zhun wore a cap, his eyes drooping lazily beneath the brim. "Broken?"

Pei Ran acknowledged with a soft "Mm." "I accidentally dropped it, and now the keyboard is damaged."

"Ran darling?!" Lin Xuhuan's eyes widened in surprise as soon as Pei Ran finished speaking.

Pei Ran was startled by the call and stared at him blankly.

"It's me! Me! You know, your... Xuhuan Daddy!"

Lin Xuhuan's gaming username was "nihuandie."

Pei Ran's voice was too distinctive, with its moderate tone that was pleasant to the ear. Lin Xuhuan could recognize it instantly.

Yan Zhun looked at the shop owner. "You just said how much for a new keyboard? Four thousand?"

His face revealed no emotions, yet it sent a chill down the onlookers' spines.

"Four thousand?!" Before the owner could respond, Lin Xuhuan exploded. "What kind of keyboard are you going to install? A black switch? Custom keycaps? Or a personalized ID label?"

Stunned, Pei Ran watched as Lin Xuhuan snatched his computer back from the owner, grumbling about the dishonest store as he walked out.

"Don't come to this place again," Yan Zhun snapped him back to reality. "They're just after your money."

The shop owner behind them fell silent. "...

Pei Ran nodded gently. "Oh, okay."

"Come on," Yan Zhun said casually. "Let's have dinner together."

At the restaurant, Lin Xuhuan couldn't help but continue scolding the proprietors.

"You looked too easy to fool," Lin Xuhuan said. "Did you actually plan on paying just now?"

Pei Ran replied, "I'm not very familiar with the prices here."

Lin Xuhuan tsked in disapproval.

Of course, someone who could afford to hire Yan Zhun as their gaming companion wouldn't be bothered by such a small sum of money.

But Pei Ran's appearance had still caught him off guard. He had initially imagined Pei Ran to be an ordinary otaku who loved gaming and had a nice voice, spending money lavishly.

However, the moment he laid eyes on Pei Ran, he sensed that there was something... something special about him.

Lin Xuhuan, who had dropped out of junior high to pursue esports, found himself at a loss for words.

Gazing at Pei Ran, he found the man bowed his head, meticulously soaking the utensils in hot water.

His slender, fair fingers contrasted starkly with the old-fashioned, colorful patterns on the porcelain spoon.

Suddenly, Lin Xuhuan understood. Pei Ran's presence was remarkable; his straight back resembled a graceful crane standing still, elevating the shabby and disordered repair shop with an air of sophistication.

No one like this had ever been around Lin Xuhuan, and he felt intrigued, instinctively sliding his chair closer to Pei Ran.

"Treasure Ran, what's your real name?"

Pei Ran disclosed his name.

"Nice!" Lin Xuhuan inquired further. "Did you attend the same university as my brother? Since you're classmates, did he give you a discount when taking your order?"

Pei Ran pondered for a moment. "Yes, he did."

Well, he supposed there should have been a discount.

"How much was the discount, and how much did you pay?" Lin Xuhuan asked.

"What does it have to do with you?" Yan Zhun interrupted their conversation.

He took off his hat, revealing slightly tousled hair that, paired with his aloof expression, gave him an odd charm.

Pei Ran found himself staring at those unruly strands before their eyes met by chance.

"Is your leg better?" Yan Zhun asked.

Pei Ran acknowledged with a soft "Mm-hmm." "It was fine a few days ago."

"I want to take a look," Yan Zhun said.

Pei Ran remained silent.

Seeing his silence, Yan Zhun raised an eyebrow.

Pei Ran glanced first at Lin Xuhuan and then, subconsciously, at Yan Zhun's thigh. Just as he was about to refuse, Yan Zhun curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"I meant for you to roll up your pants to let me see," Yan Zhun clarified. "Not put your leg on mine."