Lin Xuhuan supported himself on the table with both hands and leaned forward upon hearing this: "What happened to your leg?"

Pei Ran shook his head: "It's nothing, I fell during the sports meet."

Although the wound on his leg was almost healed, to avoid infection, Pei Ran had been wearing loose-fitting capri pants these past few days.

Yan Zhun lowered his eyes, staring at the scabbed-over scar on Pei Ran's leg. A few seconds later, Pei Ran unnaturally pulled his pant leg down.

"It's scabbed over," Yan Zhun said.

"Yeah," Pei Ran said. "It's always like this, it'll be fine after a while."

Yan Zhun didn't say anything, but after he looked away, the image of that scar still lingered in his mind.

Lin Xuhuan was something of a minor public figure. His Weibo followers outnumbered many minor celebrities, so he'd go out fully equipped, wearing a mask and hat. Before leaving, the Coach even teased him, telling him not to worry, that standing next to Yan Zhun, he'd just look like a shabby little assistant.

But to be on the safe side, the Coach still booked him a private room. Although a no-smoking sign was posted outside the restaurant, no one would care in a private room. Lin Xuhuan took out a cigarette and casually offered one to Pei Ran: "Baby Ran, want some?"

Pei Ran said: "Thanks, I don't smoke."

"Right, smoking is so tacky, it's not worthy of you." Lin Xuhuan was a natural flatterer. He turned and offered it to Yan Zhun, "Brother, here."

Yan Zhun skillfully took the cigarette between his fingers and then held out his palm towards Lin Xuhuan.

Lin Xuhuan paused, then gave him the entire pack: "Brother, no way, has your addiction gotten worse? A whole pack right off the bat?"

Yan Zhun took it, stuffed the cigarette in his hand back into the pack, closed it, and tossed it to the side.

"Your Coach told me to watch you." Yan Zhun didn't even lift his eyelids. "Don't smoke, it's bad for your health."

Lin Xuhuan's expression was priceless. Their Base had a rule: getting caught smoking resulted in a fine. He hadn't expected that on a rare occasion he managed to sneak out, he still wouldn't be able to touch a cigarette.

And also—

"No, Brother, I'd accept it if anyone else said that, but you?" Lin Xuhuan said. "Back in high school, I was the one who emptied your ashtrays. Now you know it's bad for your health?"

"Why do you talk so much," Yan Zhun said. "Pay the fine, and I'll let you have one."

"..." Lin Xuhuan crossed his arms in a huff. "I'm not smoking, I'm not smoking."

A waiter knocked and entered, handing them a menu.

Yan Zhun's phone rang at that moment. He glanced at the caller ID and stood up: "I'm going out to take a call, you guys order."

"What do you want to eat? We can order for you," Lin Xuhuan asked.

"Anything." Yan Zhun glanced at Pei Ran's leg. "No seafood."

The door closed. Lin Xuhuan opened the menu: "Baby Ran, what do you want to eat?"

They had been playing games together for several consecutive nights, so Pei Ran was already used to him calling him that.

"Anything is fine." Pei Ran casually unwrapped the plastic from Yan Zhun's bowl and chopsticks and put them in hot water to sterilize them.

"Our green pepper chicken is a signature dish," the waiter said.

Lin Xuhuan shook his head: "No, he has a wound, he can't eat spicy food..."

"It's okay with me, I can eat other dishes, you don't have to worry about me," Pei Ran said quickly.

"No," Lin Xuhuan looked up and smiled. "My brother can't handle spicy food either, not even a little. He has a bad stomach."

After ordering, the waiter left.

Pei Ran pursed his lips a few times. After some small talk with Lin Xuhuan, he turned his head and asked, "Does Yan Zhun have a stomach problem?"

Lin Xuhuan wiped his hands with a hot towel: "Yeah, an old problem. He used to go to the hospital all the time."

Pei Ran asked: "Why, did he not eat properly?"

Lin Xuhuan found this question inexplicably funny. When he turned and saw Pei Ran's serious expression, he wanted to laugh even more.

This wasn't some unspeakable secret; most people at the Base knew about it.

Besides, his intuition told him his brother treated Pei Ran differently. They had been playing games together for days, and he had never seen Yan Zhun take care of someone like this.

Lin Xuhuan thought for a moment, then threw out that question again: "How much did my brother charge you to play with him?"

Pei Ran answered honestly: "Twenty."

Lin Xuhuan: ".........."

Pei Ran blinked: "Was that too little?"

Lin Xuhuan took a sip of tea to compose himself.

How was he supposed to tell Pei Ran that the price his Coach had offered Yan Zhun last year was an eight-figure annual salary? After taxes. Not including his cut from competitions, events, endorsements, and so on.

Lin Xuhuan had his answer. He put down his teacup: "He didn't eat properly. My brother actually did Youth Training for a while. It was during summer vacation, he joined the team with me."

"During that time, he'd often have only one meal a day, saying that being too full would make him sleepy and affect his performance... Of course, that couldn't work. Not even a month later, problems started. He began to be unable to eat anything; he'd throw up whatever he ate. We didn't pay much attention at the time, because in our line of work, turning day into night and pulling all-nighters is common, so minor health issues are normal. He didn't want to go to the hospital either, so he just took some stomach medicine."

"Then one day, he was in so much pain he couldn't walk. In the end, he was carried out by the 120 ambulance. Later his parents came, and after a whole ordeal... basically, they wouldn't let him play esports anymore."

Lin Xuhuan let out a breath and smiled to lighten the mood: "To this day, I still remember what his dad said to him."

Reason told Pei Ran not to pry into other people's privacy.

He held back, and held back, then: "...What did he say?"

"He said—'What kind of future is there in this industry? Even our family's garden is bigger than your competition venues'." Lin Xuhuan laughed after saying it. "Shit."

Pei Ran: "..."

Yan Zhun returned after taking a call from his family, pushing the door open just in time to hear that sentence.

"What gossip are you spreading?" He tapped Lin Xuhuan on the head with the cigarette pack as he passed behind him.

"I wasn't!" Lin Xuhuan immediately feigned injury, clutching his head. "It was Baby Ran, he asked me how you ruined your stomach."

Yan Zhun paused, then pulled out a chair and sat down.

Pei Ran was caught red-handed talking about someone for the second time.

And it was the same person both times.

"It's not as exaggerated as he says," Yan Zhun said.

Pei Ran subconsciously looked at him: "Hmm?"

"It's just a stomach problem, not fatal, and the garden wasn't bigger than the venue." Yan Zhun was expressionless as he asked him, "Are they washed?"

Pei Ran paused: "What?"

"My chopsticks," Yan Zhun reminded him. "You've dipped them three times."

Pei Ran handed the chopsticks to him, explaining with a calm face: "The chopsticks in restaurants are quite dirty."

"Mm," Yan Zhun glanced at his crimson earlobes and casually agreed, "A germaphobe, I get it."

After dinner, Lin Xuhuan walked out of the restaurant holding Pei Ran's laptop.