Chapter 30

The ride home was silent.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Yan Zhun's mother first glanced at her tight-faced husband, then turned to look at her son.

Yan Zhun looked relaxed, leaning back lazily in his seat with his eyes lowered to his phone.

"Xiao Zhun, don't spend too much time on your phone in the car. You'll get carsick," his mother reminded him gently.

His father snorted. "If he listened to you, you wouldn't have had to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night to get him back from the police."

His voice really was cold, and his expression really was sour.

He glanced at Yan Zhun in the rearview mirror. "Your mother's the only one willing to bother with you."

"You came too, didn't you?" Yan Zhun said.

His father choked up for a moment before finally saying, "I drove her here. I didn't come to see you."

Used to his father's sharp tongue and soft heart, Yan Zhun nodded in agreement instead of arguing.

Clutching her handbag, his mother asked, "Xiao Zhun, those boys just now were your gaming friends, weren't they?"

Yan Zhun gave a mild "Mm."

"What about the one who was talking to you just now? Is he a new teammate?" she asked.

"He's not," Yan Zhun said.

His mother nodded, then added, "He came all this way for you so late at night. Remember to thank him next time."

Yan Zhun agreed.

"So why did you get into a fight tonight?" his father finally asked after a long silence. "Were you being bullied?"

"No," Yan Zhun said. "I was bullying someone else."

His father frowned and glared at him through the rearview mirror. Done beating around the bush, he asked directly, "What did he break that belonged to you? Was it worth coming to blows over?"

Yan Zhun looked out the window. "It was."

"Enough. It's over now. Stop scowling at our son," his mother said, turning around. "Xiao Zhun, was it something very valuable? I'll have someone buy you another one."

The phone in his hand vibrated softly, and Yan Zhun lowered his eyes.

[Pei Ran: I'm back at the dorm. Are you home yet? Be careful with your wound. Don't get it wet.]

"No need," Yan Zhun said, typing on his phone.

Once home, Yan Zhun went straight to his room.

His father wasn't one to nag. After those few remarks in the car, he let the matter drop. When he returned to the bedroom after his shower, he found his wife sitting at the head of the bed, staring somewhere with worry all over her face.

"What's wrong?" He sat down beside her.

"Nothing." After a pause, she suddenly said, "It's been so long since I've seen Xiao Zhun spending time with friends."

She had attended a parent-teacher meeting during Yan Zhun's final year of high school. From the school gates to the classroom, and throughout the nearly two-hour meeting, Yan Zhun had waited leaning against the corridor railing without speaking to anyone.

At the end of his first year of college, she had gone to pick her son up on a whim. The other students were in groups, joking with each other. He had sat alone on a bench in the school garden, offering only a quiet "Let's go" when he saw her.

His father's brow furrowed. "Hasn't he always been like this?"

"But before, he was at least willing to talk to his friends," she said.

The couple hadn't actually opposed Yan Zhun's gaming before. Not until his stomach condition flared up and he nearly needed a gastrectomy, and his mother cried herself unconscious beside his bed, leaving both mother and son hospitalized, had his father strictly forbidden him from continuing in esports.

Yan Zhun had been stubborn at first, until he saw his mother lying in a hospital bed, much of her hair having turned white overnight.

Without a word, he had carried his luggage out of the club, his face expressionless.

After that, Yan Zhun had grown even more distant.

His father was silent for a long time before saying, "Don't overthink it. Go to sleep."

The next day, Pei Ran went to buy a massager after class. On his way back to campus, he received a WeChat message from Lin Xuhuan.

[Lin Xuhuan: Ran baby, we're eating near your school. Want to join us?]

[Pei Ran: Is Yan Zhun there too?]

[Lin Xuhuan: No, he's not at school. Isn't he coming back the day after tomorrow?]

[Lin Xuhuan: We're here. Follow the map over. [Shared location]]

Pei Ran paused, hesitating for a while.

[Pei Ran: I still have a drawing to work on, so I won't come. Enjoy your meal.]

[Lin Xuhuan: ? You're not coming because my bro isn't here?]

Pei Ran's eyelid twitched. He was just about to explain.

[Lin Xuhuan: Wait, are you working on my fan's commission? Okay, then hurry back and do a good job. Make me look badass. It has to be hotter than the one on Weibo!]

[Pei Ran: ...Okay.]

After getting out of the car, Pei Ran went straight to the studio.

He hadn't lied to Lin Xuhuan. He really did have an assignment to do, though his instructor had given him plenty of time.

The studio was empty. Once he shut the door, the whole world fell quiet.

After an unknown amount of time, Pei Ran held his brush and looked at the painting before him, his lips pressed together.

Without a calm mind, he couldn't paint well.

He had just torn off the paper and crumpled it into a ball when the phone he had left on the table rang.

Pei Ran got up to wash his hands and answered with only a few seconds left before the call ended.

"Hello?" Pei Ran said. When he got no response, he called again, "Yan Zhun?"

Yan Zhun gave a low "Mm."

"What's wrong?" Pei Ran asked.

Yan Zhun was quiet for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Why aren't you keeping your word?"

Pei Ran's hand stilled. "What?"

A few seconds later, he noticed the box beside him and understood. "I bought it, but you're not at school."

Yan Zhun hummed again, sounding subdued.

Holding his phone, Pei Ran took a long time before asking, "Is your injury any better?"

After putting on an act once, doing it a second time no longer felt embarrassing. Yan Zhun said, "It hurts. I didn't sleep well."

Pei Ran frowned. He was about to say something when someone pulled open the studio door.

His teacher wasn't surprised to see him, merely raising an eyebrow. "Pei Ran, you're here? Perfect. There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Come with me."

"Okay. Please give me a moment..." Pei Ran said.

"Go ahead," Yan Zhun said. "I'll hang up."

Pei Ran listened to the busy tone for a few seconds, then slipped his phone into his pocket and followed his teacher, carrying the box containing the massager.

His teacher hadn't needed him for anything major, only wanting him to enter a competition. Pei Ran came out of the office with an entry form and checked his phone. The screen was empty, without a single message.

He turned into the supermarket next door and bought a bottle of water, setting it casually on the box before taking out his phone again.

[Pei Ran: How about I bring it over?]

Two seconds later, Pei Ran typed, "Would that be convenient?" Before he could send it, his phone vibrated.

[Yan Zhun: [Location]]

[Yan Zhun: I'll book you a car. Wait at the bus stop for a bit.]

Once in the car, Pei Ran rolled up the entry form and put it away. He was about to tell Yan Zhun he was on his way when he noticed several unread WeChat messages.

[Lin Kang: Pei Ran, are you there?]

[Lin Kang: Ugh, what a mess... Take a look.]

Lin Kang had sent several screenshots of a group chat.

It had begun with someone mentioning that Yan Zhun and Luo Qingshan had gotten into a fight.

[God... What did Luo Qingshan do to make Yan Zhun angry enough to hit him?]

[Who knows? Yan Zhun's always been weird, though.]

[Luo Qingshan must have provoked him. With that temper of his, he can get into arguments just playing ball.]

After a few exchanges, someone "in the know" appeared.

[Su Nian: That's rich. Wasn't the other guy the one who fouled first last time? How can you blame Qingshan for that? Besides, Yan Zhun hit first this time. Stop victim-blaming, okay?]

[Then tell us why Yan Zhun hit him. Surely it wasn't just because his hands were idle.]

[Yue'er: Fine, you want to know? Remember how Yan Zhun disappeared halfway through Zai'er's birthday last time? Pei Ran picked him up. Those two had been gaming together every day before that, and Pei Ran even gave Yan Zhun gifts.]

Pei Ran enlarged the selfie avatar of the person named Yue'er. He vaguely remembered that she was Luo Qingshan's classmate, a girl who had sat very close to Su Nian at the gathering.

[Yue'er: Yan Zhun stole his buddy's man. He's a homewrecker, understand? Luo Qingshan was already being decent. He only said a few things to him, but Yan Zhun actually had the nerve to hit him first.]

What followed was nothing but shock and insults. Pei Ran didn't want to read any more and simply closed the image.

Lin Kang was conflicted too. He couldn't even understand why he had sent the screenshots to Pei Ran. He just felt that neither Pei Ran nor Yan Zhun would do something like that.

After hesitating for a long time, he tried to recall the messages, only for the system to inform him that more than two minutes had passed.

[Pei Ran: Is this group chat still there?]

[Lin Kang: ...Yeah. It's a group for arranging ball games, dozens, maybe a hundred people. Yan Zhun's in it too, but I think he's always had it muted. He's never said anything, anyway.]

[Pei Ran: Could you add me?]

[Lin Kang: Better not... They're still talking about it.]

[Pei Ran: It's fine. I'll just say a few things.]

[Pei Ran: Sorry for the trouble.]

After a long internal struggle, Lin Kang finally closed his eyes and added him to the group.

[Yue'er: Whatever. Homewreckers get their own partners stolen sooner or later. Better to see him for what he is early. I just feel bad about all the money Luo Qingshan spent on Pei Ran. Nian Nian told me it was at least six figures.]

[Pei Ran: @Yue'er No need to feel bad. We've already settled everything. If I missed paying anything back, tell Luo Qingshan to ask me for it.]

The onlookers in the group instantly fell silent. Sensing gossip, they all tacitly tightened their grips on their phones.

[Yue'er: ...Seriously, who added him? Lin Kang? That's not cool.]

Pei Ran paid her no further attention and opened the member list for a glance. The names were all familiar, mostly classmates from Luo Qingshan and Yan Zhun's department.

Pei Ran had always been easygoing. He rarely explained himself when misunderstood or misinterpreted, partly because it was troublesome and partly because it was unnecessary. Even when he lost out, he rarely held it against anyone. But at this moment, he typed especially fast.

[Pei Ran: Luo Qingshan and I broke up because he cheated with @Su Nian, so we agreed to part amicably.]

[Pei Ran: This has nothing whatsoever to do with Yan Zhun.]

[Pei Ran: Also, @Yue'er, I'm a man, not Luo Qingshan's wife.]

Everyone in the group was stunned. Pei Ran rarely grew close to anyone. Though he spoke gently and politely, talking to him felt like there was a pane of glass between them. No one had expected him to calmly tell everyone, "I got cheated on," and even fucking tag the homewrecker.

Several onlookers couldn't help typing long strings of periods.

[Pei Ran: Sorry for interrupting. Carry on.]

With that, Pei Ran left the group.

Immediately afterward, Su Nian and Yue'er both hastily left as well.

The group exploded at once, with many people calling on Lin Kang to add him back.

But Pei Ran knew nothing of this. The car reached its destination, and he opened the door and got out.

Yan Zhun stood at the park entrance, looking down as he scrolled through the chat history.

Hearing the car door close, Yan Zhun looked up and saw Pei Ran getting out with a medium-sized box, his brows faintly furrowed and the corners of his mouth tense.

As soon as Pei Ran approached, someone took the box from him. Yan Zhun opened his hand and tucked a piece of candy into his palm.

"Mr. Pei," Yan Zhun said, "don't be angry."