Pei Ran first noticed something was off with his boyfriend when they were playing PUBG.

His boyfriend was named Luo Qingshan. They started dating in their second year of high school and had been together for almost three years now. Later, they got into the same university, but were in different departments.

Today was the weekend. He had returned home for a visit. After dinner, he went online, wanting to video chat with Luo Qingshan, but before they could even exchange a few words, he was dragged into a game.

Playing with them was one of Luo Qingshan's classmates. Pei Ran couldn't remember his name, only that the boy wasn't tall, had skin as white as snow, and often went to the library with Luo Qingshan.

Pei Ran was a fairly skilled MOBA player, but he wasn't good at this type of shooting game. In the past, Luo Qingshan would often take him to play PUBG, and to accommodate him, they would always jump to less populated rural areas.

At the start of this match, teammate number three marked a spot at the Airport.

“How about we drop at the Airport? I want to play an exciting round.” It was the voice of Luo Qingshan's classmate—very soft, with a slight nasal tone that made him sound a little pitiful.

Luo Qingshan said okay.

Pei Ran remained silent. They were in a four-person squad this match, and there was one other person he didn't know, possibly another one of Luo Qingshan's friends. This person, like him, hadn't said a word since the game began.

Only after Luo Qingshan and his classmate had cleared out a building did he seem to remember there were others on the team.

Luo Qingshan: “Pei Ran, stay hidden.”

Pei Ran, holding a pistol, had been standing still in the corner of a room for a long time: “Mhm.”

Luo Qingshan: “Su Nian, come on, there’s someone in this room.”

“Coming, bro.”

“I’ll rush in first, you follow me.”

“Okay, don't you die.”

So this person's name was Su Nian.

Listening to the gunshots, Pei Ran suddenly felt a bit bored. He moved his mouse, and his view happened to land on their number four teammate in the opposite building.

He watched his teammate fight alone over there, single-handedly wiping out a full squad cleanly and beautifully. His health dropped into the red, but he stood calmly at the window, using meds.

From this angle, it looked as if the two of them were looking at each other.

“They’re all dead,” Luo Qingshan said, “Babe, you can come out now.”

They didn't intentionally hide their relationship; almost everyone around them knew. Luo Qingshan had been calling him Babe since high school.

Pei Ran snapped back to his senses. Without turning on his mic, he clutched his small pistol and jumped out the window.

When he arrived, Su Nian was looting a crate. Pei Ran stood still. He wasn't a good player and wouldn't fight with his teammates for resources.

“Bro…” Su Nian asked, “Did you loot the M4?”

Luo Qingshan chuckled. “You even noticed that?”

“Give it to me, please. My aim is off today, I don't want to use an AK.”

“Sure,” Luo Qingshan said, “bring me a meal back to the dorm later, and the gun is yours.”

“You’re doing this again…” His words were a complaint, but his tone held a laugh. “Fine, I’ll bring it.”

Pei Ran frowned slightly. He opened the crate and saw that there wasn't even a single gun left inside.

He suddenly grew irritated and turned to loot elsewhere. Who would have thought that after searching less than two rooms, he would get sprayed by an enemy hiding in the opposite building, and his character was instantly knocked down.

The opponent mercilessly shot him twice more, and he was instantly left with only half a bar of red health. Pei Ran quickly moved to a nearby blind spot.

At the same time, a scream came through the voice chat: “Ah—bro, there’s someone in this building!”

Immediately after, a system notification popped up that Su Nian had been knocked down.

“Aiya, this guy ambushed me! He’s behind a box and doesn't dare to finish me. Bro, come quick!” Su Nian was so angry his voice grew louder.

Meanwhile, Pei Ran had already given up struggling. The enemy was too close; he figured he would be finished off soon.

Perfect, he wasn't in the mood to play anymore anyway.

However, a gunshot rang out, and a line of text suddenly popped up in the upper right corner of the screen—

[111GOD knocked down zhiyefudi with a Kar98k headshot]

The enemy running toward him was shot dead by number four from the high tower with a single shot.

Pei Ran was stunned for a moment. He couldn't help but open the map to take a look. Number four was very far from him. To be able to snipe and headshot a running enemy from this distance, it was clear that this number four was… either a god or a hacker.

But whether this person was a hacker or a god wasn't important.

Pei Ran's gaze shifted down to Luo Qingshan's icon. Luo Qingshan's position was delicate, right between him and Su Nian.

Luo Qingshan hesitated for only half a second: “Babe, wait a sec. I'm going to Su Nian first, I’m afraid he'll get finished off.”

[111GOD knocked down luwenz6 with a Kar98k headshot]

The moment Luo Qingshan's voice fell, the person near Su Nian was also headshot by number four.

Pei Ran looked at the map again. Luo Qingshan hadn't stopped; without a backward glance, he ran to Su Nian's side.

Su Nian had only been knocked down. The enemy was killed by number four before they could finish him off. When Luo Qingshan revived him, he still had more than half of his health left.

In contrast, Pei Ran's health bar was about to bottom out, just like his mood.

Luo Qingshan revived Su Nian, glanced at Pei Ran's health bar, and said: “Fuck.”

Seeing that he was almost out of time, he rushed to the car outside the fence, got in and tried to drive, and couldn't help but curse again.

Both of the car's tires had been shot out; it couldn't move at all.

“Babe, wait for me, I'm coming right now.” Luo Qingshan got out of the car, put away his gun, and ran toward the building Pei Ran was in.

Pei Ran: “Forget it…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a motorcycle engine, coming from far to near, entered his headset.

Pei Ran was taken aback. He shifted his camera and saw number four jump off the motorcycle before it had even come to a complete stop, instantly losing half of his health.

Number four vaulted through the window, immediately crouched in front of him, and revived him in the very last second before his health bar depleted.

Pei Ran blinked. He didn't know if it was because of his "narrow escape from death," but he felt his heart accelerate for a second or two.

After his game character stood up, he was still a bit dazed. Number four threw something on the ground, then turned and ran out of the room.

Pei Ran picked up the First-Aid Kit on the ground: “...Thanks.”

Number four's footsteps paused, then he suddenly turned back.

Pei Ran thought he had changed his mind and quickly canceled using the medkit, only to see an M416 suddenly appear on the ground.

Pei Ran glanced at the lone 98k left on his back and quickly said: “No need, I’m not very good at this game.”

Number four left through the window without a word.

Pei Ran thought this teammate was a bit strange, but in the end, he could only pick up the gun: “Thanks.”

After a few seconds, just as Pei Ran was thinking the other person didn't have a microphone, the small speaker icon next to number four's name suddenly flashed.

“Don't mention it.”

The words were rushed, the tone deep.

Pei Ran raised an eyebrow. He inexplicably felt that the voice was somewhat familiar.

“Damn, you’re awesome, Little Zhun.” Luo Qingshan let out a sigh of relief. “I owe you one, I owe you one. Next time my babe and I will treat you to a meal.”

Pei Ran remembered now. Little Zhun, Yan Zhun, was Luo Qingshan's roommate.

Their university was split into two campuses. Pei Ran and Luo Qingshan were on opposite ends. Because of the distance, Pei Ran rarely went to Luo Qingshan's dorm. Strictly speaking, he had only seen Yan Zhun twice. Once, Yan Zhun was playing on his computer, and all he remembered was that the other person's shoulders were broad, and the arm holding the mouse also looked very strong.

The other time was on the balcony of their dorm floor. Yan Zhun was leaning against the wall smoking. When his peripheral vision caught sight of him, he first froze, then hastily turned his back and lowered his head to extinguish the cigarette.

The impression Yan Zhun gave Pei Ran was that he was somewhat cold, didn't like to talk, and was also very handsome.

Of course, these impressions, apart from the last point, didn't mean much. Take Su Nian, for example. He had also previously thought Su Nian was reclusive and didn't like to talk, but now he knew that perhaps others just didn't like talking to him.

“Babe, how come you only have one gun?” Luo Qingshan ran up to him and quickly threw his own gun on the ground. “Here, take my AK.”

Remembering where this gun came from, Pei Ran said: “No thanks, I'll use Yan Zhun’s M4.”

Yan Zhun's motorcycle had just driven a few dozen meters when the driver made a mistake, and the front of the bike crashed squarely into a tree.