Chapter 34

The coach had prepared a whole speech, but it all stuck in his throat. It took him a long moment to squeeze out, "...Huh?"

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

He had known Yan Zhun for so many years. Forget dating-he even suspected there hadn't been any girls in Yan Zhun's classes in middle school, high school, or even college.

The coach suddenly remembered when he had coached Yan Zhun in the youth training program. PUBG had been especially popular then. Although its esports scene hadn't yet taken off, these young trainees had already attracted varying degrees of attention. Yan Zhun had been the most popular member of their team.

Back then, a minor internet celebrity had even asked someone to get Yan Zhun's contact information. When Yan Zhun heard about it, all he said was, "No."

He hadn't even been interested in her name or what she looked like.

Yan Zhun gave a quiet "Mm," interrupting his thoughts.

"All right, then you... enjoy your date." The coach had wanted to tell him to be nicer to the girl, but on second thought, maybe she liked that cold, aloof manner of his. "Why don't you bring her over to the team house?"

Yan Zhun was about to speak when he noticed a passerby glance behind him.

As if sensing something, he turned around. When he saw the person standing behind him, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Winter had arrived, but there was still sunshine at noon. Pei Ran's coat was unbuttoned, with a simple white shirt underneath. He had dressed in a hurry, and his collar was a little crooked. His head was lowered as he looked at the duffel bag by Yan Zhun's feet.

Yan Zhun's surprise lasted only an instant. He took off his cap and put it on Pei Ran.

Pinching the brim to adjust it, he said, "No."

There was already a commotion on the coach's end; apparently, other people were with him. Lin Xuhuan's voice was the clearest, and Yan Zhun could faintly make out an "I don't believe it."

Yan Zhun said, "If that's all, I'm hanging up."

"Hey, wait, one more thing," the coach stopped him. "Are you still coming over tonight?"

"Mm."

"Oh," the coach said, then asked nosily, "Not spending the night out?"

Yan Zhun hung up.

To block the sunlight, Yan Zhun had pulled the brim very low. Pei Ran had to lift his head to meet his eyes. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Just got here," Yan Zhun said. "Are you cold?"

Pei Ran shook his head, his gaze returning to the duffel bag beside Yan Zhun's legs.

Yan Zhun followed his gaze and explained, "I'm not used to living at school. I'm moving into the team house tonight."

It wasn't really a matter of being used to it. He couldn't keep sharing a room with Luo Qingshan.

Pei Ran understood immediately. He lowered his eyes in silence, but before he could say anything, Yan Zhun reached over and touched the back of his hand. It was ice-cold.

"But they have an interview this afternoon, so I won't go over until tonight," Yan Zhun said. "Until then, will you take me in?"

At the TZG team house, the coach hung up under everyone's gaze.

Since he had a cigarette between the fingers of one hand, he had kept the call on speaker the whole time.

After three seconds of silence-

"I never imagined it." The assistant couldn't resist lighting a cigarette himself. "That Zhun would get a partner before I did..."

The entry fragger was itching with curiosity. "I don't want to practice anymore. I want to go be a peeping Tom at his school."

"What do you think Zhun's girlfriend looks like?"

"No idea. At the very least, she must be a goddess. How else could she get that old monk to fall in love?"

"Man-I really am curious. What's Zhun's type? Cute? Sexy? Intellectual?"

"A guy or a girl?" After a long spell of contemplation, Lin Xuhuan suddenly blurted this out.

Everyone else went quiet for a moment. The entry fragger picked up a pack of tissues from the table and threw it at him. "Why don't you ask whether they're alive or dead?"

Lin Xuhuan was startled by his own outburst too. He quickly caught the tissues and threw them back, laughing as he told him to get lost a couple of times.

"But Zhun getting a partner really came out of nowhere," the assistant said. "There wasn't a single sign."

"Can't people fall in love at first sight?" The coach stubbed out his cigarette. "Enough chatter. Go play your scrims. I'll get one of the second-team youngsters to fill in for a while."

Lin Xuhuan trailed behind the others, his face scrunched up as comments from last night's livestream flashed through his mind.

In the end, he couldn't help himself. While waiting for the substitute, he took out his phone and sent a message.

[Lin Xuhuan: Ran Baby, where are you?]

It took a few minutes for the reply to come.

[Pei Ran: My dorm. What's up?]

Tsk.

That girl who had posted the comment really had been bullshitting.

He was ridiculous too, actually letting that Xu Xu lead him astray.

[Lin Xuhuan: Nothing, nothing. Just missed you. Come hang out at the team house sometime. I promised I'd teach you recoil control with a 4x scope.]

When Lin Xuhuan's message came through, Pei Ran's phone had just ended up in Yan Zhun's hands.

Pei Ran was washing grapes. "Does he need something urgent?"

Yan Zhun sat in Pei Ran's chair. "No, he's just bored. Want me to reply for you?"

Pei Ran said, "Sure."

[Pei Ran: No need]

[Lin Xuhuan: Why? Isn't getting kills fun?]

[Pei Ran: I have Yan Zhun]

[Lin Xuhuan: Ah, my bro won't have time to teach you anymore]

[Pei Ran: ?]

[Lin Xuhuan: He's dating someone. Didn't you know? Men in love don't have bros.]

Yan Zhun hadn't planned on replying anymore, but after reading that line, he opened the keyboard again.

[Pei Ran: You're right.]

After that, Lin Xuhuan sent several more messages in a row, trying to fish for information from Pei Ran. The phone kept chiming with notifications.

Pei Ran brought over a spare chair and sat beside Yan Zhun. "Still chatting?"

Yan Zhun hummed. "He's fishing for information."

Pei Ran paused. "About what?"

Yan Zhun said, "My boyfriend."

Pei Ran paused in the middle of biting into a grape and couldn't resist glancing at the phone screen.

Lin Xuhuan had a lot of questions. Almost the entire screen of chat history consisted of him talking, asking, "Good-looking?" "What year?" and "Any photos?"

Yan Zhun had only replied, "Good-looking."

Even Pei Ran's swallowing slowed. Looking at it this way... it was as though he were complimenting himself.

Yan Zhun sent Lin Xuhuan an "I'm busy" and put Pei Ran's phone back on the desk. In the process, he accidentally bumped the mouse, and the sleeping computer instantly lit up.

Yan Zhun glanced at the screen. There were a few games, a few drawing programs he didn't recognize, and some artwork saved to the desktop.

The last piece caught his attention. Even from the thumbnail, he could tell it was the picture Lin Xuhuan had previously found on Fei Yu Yi's Weibo.

On Weibo, Fei Yu Yi had captioned it with nothing more than a simple [Image shared].

But in private, on Pei Ran's computer, its filename was "Yan Zhun."

Pei Ran had his head lowered, scrolling back through the conversation Yan Zhun and Lin Xuhuan had just had. "Will living at the team house be inconvenient for you?"

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

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

The person beside him was quiet for a while, then suddenly called his name. "Pei Ran."

Pei Ran instinctively looked up. "Hm?"

Leaning back in the chair with both hands hanging loosely, Yan Zhun asked, "Have you drawn anyone besides me?"

Pei Ran blinked and said, "Yes, lots of people."

Yan Zhun: "..."

"I have a few figure models on WeChat. They're all very professional," Pei Ran said. "I've taken private commissions too. I've drawn celebrities and esports players."

Realizing his question had been a little stupid, Yan Zhun couldn't help quirking his lips. "I mean... apart from those. Personally, in private, have you drawn anyone else?"

Pei Ran's gaze shifted slightly. "No."

He paused, then earnestly added, "Only you."

Yan Zhun held his gaze for a few seconds, then suddenly lowered his eyes and asked, "Are the grapes sweet?"

Pei Ran said, "Yes. Try one."

Yan Zhun murmured assent, turned his shoulder, and lowered his head to lick Pei Ran's lips.

Pei Ran's back instantly went rigid. His hand stayed poised with a grape in it, motionless.

Yan Zhun pulled away after that lick, tasting the faint sweetness spreading in his mouth, but didn't move back to where he had been. Their noses still touched; either of them could reach the other with the slightest lean forward.

"How much do you usually charge for commissions, Mr. Pei?" Yan Zhun asked.

Pei Ran didn't know why he was asking. His heart pounded wildly as he held his lips taut and gave him a number.

"Expensive. I can't afford it," Yan Zhun said. "How about this? Don't book anyone else next time. I'll be your figure model."

"..."

Pei Ran had drawn plenty of human figures. His former instructor had pursued beauty and proportion, booking models whose physiques were each better than the last.

But to Pei Ran, studying was studying. He looked at every model calmly, without a trace of any other thought or idea.

But at this very moment.

He thought of Yan Zhun's taut, smooth collarbones, the Adam's apple that protruded when he tilted his head back, and his fair, clearly jointed fingers.

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

Yan Zhun said, "Why?"

"I wouldn't be able to draw..." Pei Ran said honestly. "If you took your clothes off, I wouldn't be able to settle down. I couldn't draw."

Even his perfectly earnest answer sounded like a seduction.

Yan Zhun seemed to laugh very softly-or perhaps he hadn't. Before Pei Ran could get a clear look, he was being kissed again.

No one else was in the dorm, and this time there was no sound of rain either. Hearing the sounds he and Yan Zhun made together, Pei Ran felt even the roots of his ears burn.

One of Yan Zhun's hands rested lazily on his waist. Pei Ran's waist was slender, something that was apparent even normally. Through his clothes, Yan Zhun could feel how smooth it was underneath, without an ounce of extra flesh.

When Yan Zhun's hand slipped beneath his shirt, even Pei Ran's head went numb.

Even though that hand didn't touch anywhere else, only covering the same spot as before.

Only now was the air conditioner's heat slowly taking effect. As the room warmed, Pei Ran felt a little short of oxygen, yet there was also a strange sense of pleasure.

Until he let out a very soft, muffled moan.

Pei Ran froze, unable to believe that sound had come from him. Yan Zhun paused too. Half a second later, he let Pei Ran go.

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

He said, "Thank you for the approval, Mr. Pei."