Chapter 15

His roommate was panting like an ox when he crossed the finish line. Pei Ran hurriedly handed him some water.

His roommate braced his hands on his knees and took a long while to recover before looking up and laughing. "I won! I overtook the guy from computer science!"

Pei Ran hummed. "Impressive."

His roommate celebrated for a while before remembering to ask, "What place did I come in?"

"Second to last," Pei Ran said.

"..." His roommate grimaced, then quickly got over it. "Whatever. As long as I didn't lose to computer science."

Only after registering his result did his roommate remember to ask, "You're pretty close with Yan Zhun? I saw you two chatting near the finish line just now."

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

His roommate understood. "Got it. He came to talk you into making up."

"..."

Pei Ran thought about it and decided not to contradict him.

His roommate soon said goodbye and went to cheer on his girlfriend. Pei Ran found himself a corner and warmed up for the three-thousand-meter race coming up.

Three thousand meters wasn't actually difficult, but some of the guys in their class were too lazy to exercise, while others flat-out refused to take part in the sports meet. Every one of them resisted entering, and when Pei Ran signed up, several people even came to talk him out of it.

He did a few leg stretches, staring absently at the ground.

With his father away from home for the past two weeks, he hadn't gone on many morning runs. He had tried running the distance yesterday and finished it, though he had been a little slow.

I'll try to go a little faster today.

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

He was taking it seriously, the taut lines of his legs smooth and beautiful as he bent them.

Luo Qingshan watched for a long time before finally bringing himself to call out, "Pei Ran."

Pei Ran's movements faltered. He turned to look at him, then slowly lowered his leg. "Did you need something?"

"You're taking part in the sports meet too?" Stung by his polite tone, Luo Qingshan tried hard to control his own. "Which event did you sign up for?"

"The three thousand."

"What a coincidence. Me too." Luo Qingshan nervously licked his lips. "Want to warm up together? I'll massage your legs."

Pei Ran shook his head. "No need. I'm pretty much done."

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

Noticing his gaze, Luo Qingshan quickly raised his hand and spread his fingers to show him. "Did you see the messages I sent you? My finger's recovered over the past few days. It doesn't hurt anymore."

The ring finger on Luo Qingshan's right hand was different from his other fingers. Though it no longer affected normal movement, a long, thin, slightly crooked line was still visible on closer inspection.

Pei Ran used to hold his finger and drift off, stroking it so gently that every touch felt as though it landed on Luo Qingshan's heart. As he spoke, he unconsciously held his hand out in front of 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 lasting effects, or you feel any discomfort in the future, make sure you call me. I'll take full responsibility."

Luo Qingshan suddenly felt his throat go terribly dry. He pulled back his hand and gave a bitter laugh. "Okay."

Only when Pei Ran turned and left did Luo Qingshan realize that he hadn't even wished him luck.

He raked a hand through his hair twice in frustration, then sat down on a nearby stone bench to use his phone. He had finished warming up well before finding Pei Ran; he had only wanted an excuse to talk to him.

After those few words, Luo Qingshan was even more certain of his decision-he had to win Pei Ran back.

This was going to be harder than he had anticipated. Hesitantly, Luo Qingshan opened the chat with the first friend on his list. Su Nian had sent several messages in a row, asking what time his race was and saying he wanted to come cheer him on.

Luo Qingshan opened Su Nian's profile, his finger hovering over the block option again and again.

But then he thought, what difference would blocking him make? He didn't like Su Nian. Even if they stayed friends on the app, he wouldn't cheat.

Besides, Su Nian... was actually pretty good to him. Blocking him without a word didn't seem very decent.

[Luo Qingshan: Don't come. If Pei Ran sees you, he'll get the wrong idea about us again.]

[Su Nian: ...]

[Su Nian: Okay, good luck with your race. If you run into Pei Ran, help me apologize to him]

[Su Nian: Message me anytime you need anything. I'm always free :D]

His phone vibrated again. Luo Qingshan backed out to check, and it was actually a message from Pei Ran.

He perked up immediately, springing to his feet from the stone bench-

[Baby: My number hasn't changed, 134xxxxx. Contact me anytime if anything comes up]

Luo Qingshan was so excited that he even mistyped a few words: What's wrong? I've never forgotten your number.

He read it over twice before hitting send.

[The recipient has enabled friend verification. You are not yet his (her) friend...]

That red exclamation mark left Luo Qingshan stunned.

His eyes widened in shock. He sent several punctuation marks in succession as if to make sure, finally confirming the fact-

Pei Ran had blocked him.

Pei Ran was the last to register his class. By the time he finished, everyone else was already getting ready at the starting line.

Luo Qingshan stood in lane five, watching him anxiously. Seeing Pei Ran approach, he instinctively started toward him, but the person beside him caught him by his clothes.

"Hey, we're about to start. Stay where you are."

Pei Ran crouched down and retied his shoelaces.

People crowded the edge of the track, most of them sneaking looks at Pei Ran.

Many people at school knew him, partly because he excelled in his major and his instructors often used him as a positive example, and partly because everyone knew he had a boyfriend.

These days, most young people accepted homosexuality. There was no disgust or aversion in their eyes as they looked at Pei Ran, only more scrutiny and curiosity.

Even so, Pei Ran still felt uncomfortable.

The starting gun interrupted his thoughts. He dashed off the starting line, and the cool wind blowing into his face finally put him much more at ease.

Three thousand meters was nearly eight laps. Pei Ran counted as he ran. Halfway through lap five, his breathing was still steady, though he was a little far back in the rankings.

Pei Ran couldn't help glancing behind him. Fortunately, he wasn't last.

As he turned back, he heard someone beside him cry out, "Look out-"

Before Pei Ran could react, someone slammed hard into him.

He was in the leftmost lane. Somehow, a student watching from the side had stumbled onto the track and collided squarely with him. Pei Ran had been running with force behind him and was knocked straight to the ground, stars swimming before his eyes and his arm burning with pain.

Frowning, Pei Ran quickly pushed himself into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" Her friend had caught her, so the other student hadn't fallen as badly. She apologized over and over. "Someone shoved me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

"It's okay." Pei Ran bent his arm to inspect it. The skin was scraped and bleeding, but it looked like it should just be a surface wound.

He looked at the petite girl in front of him. "I didn't hurt you when we collided, did I?"

The girl was panicking. She shook her head, then nodded. "I'm not hurt. Are-are you okay? What do we do? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

Seeing how badly she was panicking, Pei Ran really wanted to offer her a few words of reassurance.

But he realized that his arm didn't seem to be his only injury-he had twisted his ankle, and his lower leg was aching faintly too.

He took a deep breath and braced himself against the ground, struggling to stand.

"Don't move."

Pei Ran looked up and met Yan Zhun's eyes.

Yan Zhun crouched down, held his arm, and examined it carefully, then asked, "Did you hurt your back?"

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

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

Pei Ran felt as though Yan Zhun had "lifted" him to his feet.

He put one arm around Yan Zhun's shoulders, while Yan Zhun supported his waist and easily hoisted him up.

They were so close that he could even feel the warmth beneath Yan Zhun's thin clothing.

The first thing Pei Ran wanted to do once he was standing was let go, but then he heard Yan Zhun ask mildly, "Can you walk to the infirmary by yourself?"

Pei Ran fell silent for two seconds. "...Sorry for the trouble."

With the sports meet underway, the infirmary was packed. The school doctor gave Pei Ran's injuries a cursory examination, then handed them povidone-iodine and an ice pack and told them to go to the rest room next door for some basic treatment first.

Pei Ran sat on the bed in the rest room and carefully rolled his trouser leg up to his knee. There was a scrape on his lower leg too, with a patch of redness around it.

Yan Zhun came in with the medicine. His gaze lingered on the injury for a moment before he turned to leave again.

"Where are you going?" Seeing the disinfectant in Yan Zhun's hand, Pei Ran asked instinctively.

"To ask her for more medicine," Yan Zhun said.

"Don't." In his haste, Pei Ran reached out and caught his shirt. "It's just a surface wound. Disinfecting it will be enough."

Yan Zhun frowned.

Pei Ran said, "...Really."

Half a minute later, Yan Zhun pulled over a random chair and sat down in front of him.

Pei Ran breathed a sigh of relief. He was just about to thank him again when Yan Zhun said, "Put your leg up."

Pei Ran was a little confused. "Where?"

Watching Yan Zhun open the povidone-iodine, he suddenly understood. "No need. I can do it myself."

Yan Zhun didn't answer him. He simply bent down, held his ankle, and lifted it onto his thigh.

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

"My shoe's dirty," Pei Ran said.

"So don't move around." Yan Zhun held a cotton swab stained red with the medicine, his eyes lowered toward the scrape on Pei Ran's lower leg.

Pei Ran still wanted to refuse, but the cotton swab had already pressed down.

Pei Ran's legs were very straight, his skin a little fairer than most guys'. The iodine spread over it like paint accidentally staining a clean canvas.

Yan Zhun was wearing short sleeves today. His arm occasionally brushed Pei Ran's lower leg, and Pei Ran frowned unconsciously, his brow tightening with every touch.

Their position was far too strange.

"Does it hurt?" Yan Zhun asked.

Pei Ran answered quickly, "Not anymore."

It actually still stung a little, but it was well within what he could bear.

Yan Zhun watched quietly for a while, then suddenly lowered his head a little further.

Pei Ran felt a cool breeze brush over his wound, sending waves of ticklishness spreading from his lower leg through his entire body-Yan Zhun had blown gently on his wound.

Pei Ran held his breath, then took a very soft, deep breath. He could even feel the vibrations of his own heartbeat.

Just as he was about to pull his foot back, the door to the rest room suddenly opened.

Luo Qingshan stood outside, still panting. When he saw the scene inside, he stopped short, his eyes slowly widening.

A brief silence fell over the rest room.

Luo Qingshan's gaze moved back and forth between them. Only after a moment did he find his voice, surprised and puzzled. "...Yan Zhun?"