Chapter 29

All the words Lin Xuhuan had struggled to come up with to smooth things over got swallowed back down.

The last time his bro had beaten someone up, his expression had been terrifying, all vicious aggression. Lin Xuhuan had even worried he would scare Pei Ran. But looking at him now...

He had never seen Yan Zhun look like this, his eyes lowered, radiating a sense of grievance that was completely unlike him.

Wait, grievance??

"Holy shit, bro," Lin Xuhuan took a deep breath and asked for confirmation, "did you win the fight? You didn't lose, did you? How many of them were there? Why would you go and hit someone for no reason? That's not peaceful at all!"

A crack appeared in Yan Zhun's carefully staged expression.

If this had been a game, he would have pulled out his gun and killed his teammate.

Pei Ran's lips were a little dry. He hadn't even had time for a sip of water before leaving. "Does your hand hurt? What did the doctor say?"

"It's fine, just superficial injuries." Yan Zhun paused. "It hurts."

Lin Xuhuan said anxiously, "It still hurts? Then let me take you back to see the doctor right away. Hand injuries are no joke!"

Yan Zhun: "..."

Pei Ran's tense shoulders relaxed a little. He glanced at the vending machine nearby and took a step back. "I'll get some water. What do you want to drink?"

After Pei Ran walked away, Lin Xuhuan was still talking. "Come on, while the emergency room's empty, let's go ask the doctor again."

Yan Zhun leaned back and said flatly, "Doesn't hurt anymore."

Lin Xuhuan: "??"

Yan Zhun glanced at the person by the vending machine, then turned back and asked with a frown, "Why did you bring him?"

Lin Xuhuan felt terribly wronged. "I didn't ask him to come. We ran into each other on the way."

Yan Zhun asked, "On the way?"

"Yeah. Boss drove me here, and Ran Baby was standing outside the school gates." Lin Xuhuan sounded casual. "I didn't even mention you were hurt. He came to see his ex."

Yan Zhun's hand stopped rubbing his wrist.

Lin Xuhuan continued, "But why did you get into a fight, anyway? Sure, that roommate of yours does seem a little... but he's Ran Baby's ex, after all. You could've held back a little. You have no idea how awkward I felt in the car just now..."

Lin Xuhuan rambled on for ages. He had always been a chatterbox. Every day, his fans complained in his stream that he was driving them crazy, sending gifts even as they cursed him out.

Only when Pei Ran returned from a distance carrying several bottles of water, his footsteps echoing down the corridor, did Yan Zhun finally acknowledge him. "Shut up."

Pei Ran had bought five bottles of water. He handed three to Lin Xuhuan and said, "One of those is for Coach."

Then he lowered his eyes and asked, "Where's Luo Qingshan?"

Yan Zhun looked up at him, Pei Ran's figure reflected in his dark eyes.

After a long while, he said hoarsely, "Seventh floor."

The elevator beside them opened just then, and two police officers stepped out, walking straight over to Yan Zhun.

"We've spoken to the other person. He's very firm about this," one of them said. "But we still recommend settling it between yourselves. It's not a major incident, after all, and you're still young. A man has to know when to give way. You threw the first punch, so swallow your pride and apologize."

Coach came over after parking the car, just in time to hear this. He hurried forward and spoke before Yan Zhun could. "Yes, yes, it's nothing major. Thank you both for your hard work this late at night. This is one of our boys, young and hotheaded... but what exactly happened?"

The officer looked at him in puzzlement.

Coach lowered his voice. "Ah, he won't tell us adults the truth."

Understanding dawned on the officer. "It wasn't anything major. Just a bit of an argument, and then the other one broke something of his. Nothing expensive, apparently some kind of massager..."

Lin Xuhuan went over to join them, leaving only Pei Ran and Yan Zhun behind, one standing and one seated.

Pei Ran listened silently for a while, until someone caught his fingers. "Pei Ran."

Pei Ran murmured an acknowledgment, then said, "I'm going upstairs for a bit."

Yan Zhun kept holding on to him.

They held hands for a while before Pei Ran drew his hand away, picked up the bottle of water on Yan Zhun's lap, and unscrewed it.

"Have some water," Pei Ran said. "I'll be right back."

The elevator doors closed. Bored with listening, Lin Xuhuan sat back down. "Ran Baby went to see his ex?"

Yan Zhun took a sip of water, turned his head, and asked evenly, "Do you know what 'ex' means?"

Lin Xuhuan froze for a moment. "Yeah..."

"If you know, stop bringing him up. He doesn't exist," Yan Zhun said. "Understood?"

There were few people in the hospital late at night. Pei Ran immediately spotted Luo Qingshan sitting on a bench, talking on the phone.

"It's fine, don't come. I'm not hurt anywhere... of course I'm going to make him pay..." Hearing a faint sound, Luo Qingshan looked up and froze, then said, "Something's come up. I have to go. Hanging up now."

Luo Qingshan was obviously much more badly hurt than Yan Zhun. His face was injured, with two large gauze patches and a big bruise at the corner of his mouth, to say nothing of the injuries on his body.

Joy showed in his eyes. He unconsciously straightened his back and called out, "Baby..."

"Don't call me that anymore." Pei Ran walked over and handed him the water.

Luo Qingshan faltered, took it, and gulped some down. He pressed his lips together. "What brought you here?"

"Lin Kang called me."

"What the hell's wrong with him, calling you this late?" Luo Qingshan cursed, then stole a glance at Pei Ran. Pei Ran sat beside him, leaving one seat between them. He could smell Pei Ran's faint fragrance. "Did it wake you up?"

"No," Pei Ran said. He waited until Luo Qingshan screwed the cap back on before asking, "What would it take for you to agree to a settlement?"

Luo Qingshan went rigid, the tenderness gradually fading from his face.

He stared straight at Pei Ran, sorrow and helplessness filling his eyes. Only after a long while did he speak with difficulty. "Pei Ran, why have you become like this?"

He couldn't help complaining. "What makes Yan Zhun better than me? What makes him worth breaking up with me over? Everything I did for you, all those years we spent together, they meant nothing to you, right?" Luo Qingshan said, "Don't bother denying it. You bought him that massager. I could tell at a glance. It's a niche brand, hard to even find. Nobody but you would use it."

"I bought it," Pei Ran said calmly. "But he isn't Su Nian, and I'm not you."

Something seemed to lodge in Luo Qingshan's throat, leaving him unable to speak.

He was all too familiar with this side of Pei Ran.

Back when he had relentlessly pursued Pei Ran, Pei Ran had always been like this, neither cold nor warm. No matter how hard he tried, he got no response.

Of course Luo Qingshan felt guilty, and he had a guilty conscience too. That was why he insisted on forcing the blame onto someone else, as if doing so would lessen his own responsibility.

"Pei Ran," Luo Qingshan couldn't help asking again, "did you ever like me?"

The hospital fell quiet again. All they could hear was the ticking of the clock overhead.

Luo Qingshan lowered his head with a self-mocking smile and was just about to say, "Forget it."

"I did," Pei Ran said.

Some time ago, late one night, Pei Ran had thought about this question. Only when he was nearly asleep had he remembered when something resembling romantic feelings had first begun to stir.

In high school, a classmate had discovered Pei Ran's sexuality through his search history on a computer in the computer lab. A few boys in his class couldn't accept it, and as a result, he had endured a period of bullying at school.

His textbooks were torn up, his uniform cut while he napped between classes, his stationery thrown away. They had even written nasty things on his back.

Then Luo Qingshan confessed to him, and afterward, new textbooks, new uniforms, and new stationery began appearing in his desk.

That was when he had started noticing Luo Qingshan.

The door to the doctor's office suddenly opened, breaking the silence between them. The doctor passed by with a cup of water and gave them a puzzled look, not quite understanding why the patient was still lingering in the hospital so late at night.

The phone in his hand chimed, and Pei Ran looked down.

[Yan Zhun: Mr. Pei]

The typing indicator stayed there for ages before an inconsequential message appeared.

[Yan Zhun: Lin Xuhuan is so noisy]

Pei Ran put his phone away and returned to the subject. "You know this won't turn into anything major. If possible, we'd still like to settle. Name your terms. I'll unblock you, so just message me directly if you have any demands."

Pei Ran stood, hesitated, then said anyway, "Go home and rest soon."

Luo Qingshan gritted his teeth in silence.

Since arriving, Pei Ran hadn't once asked whether he was in pain or feeling unwell.

Pei Ran had taken two steps when he heard the person behind him ask, "Pei Ran, is there really no chance left for us?"

Pei Ran stopped, turned around, and answered very seriously, "Yes. Goodbye."

Back on the first floor, Pei Ran stepped out of the elevator to find a middle-aged man and woman standing beside Yan Zhun.

Before he could get a clear look, Lin Xuhuan pulled him aside.

"Ran Baby, why are you back down so soon? Don't go over yet. Things are tense over there." Lin Xuhuan leaned close and whispered, "His parents."

The man was speaking to the doctor with a stern expression, while the woman looked worriedly at her son. Yan Zhun sat in front of them, idly playing with his phone.

Just after he sent a message, a chime sounded nearby. Yan Zhun looked up and met Pei Ran's eyes.

Yan Zhun's father had just finished speaking with the doctor and said goodbye. His mother hurried to help her son up, but Yan Zhun avoided her hand. "Mom, I can walk on my own."

His mother paused, then nodded. "All right, all right. Be careful, then."

As the family of three approached, Lin Xuhuan instinctively stepped back.

Perhaps it was because what Yan Zhun's father had said a few years ago had been so imposing, or perhaps because the man himself looked so stern and upright, but Lin Xuhuan had always felt an inexplicable awe toward him.

Yan Zhun's father stopped in front of them, and a momentary silence fell.

After a while, he said, "Thank you for coming all this way in the middle of the night."

That brief sentence made him sound exactly like an official visiting the grassroots.

"It was no trouble. We're all friends. It's what we should do," Coach said.

Yan Zhun's father nodded, then turned and left.

Yan Zhun walked up to Pei Ran and stopped.

They stood very close. Yan Zhun said, "I've spoken to them. You can ride back in their car later."

Pei Ran agreed.

Yan Zhun remained there. Lowering his voice, he called, "Mr. Pei."

Pei Ran said, "Hm?"

Yan Zhun lowered his eyes. "I accidentally broke the massager you gave me."

"I know."

"I really liked it," Yan Zhun said. "I was going to hide it away."

"You'll have another one. Tomorrow." Pei Ran raised his hand, curled his index finger, and very gently touched the gauze on his wrist. "Sleep well tonight. Don't lie on your hand."