Pei Ran, however, looked perfectly calm. After they were seated at the restaurant, he said, “Sorry to have troubled you all.”

Lin Xuhuan had already calmed down on the way over, and the others didn't mind at all.

The TZG captain said, “We're the ones who overheard by accident. As long as you don't mind, it's fine.”

Lin Xuhuan held it in and held it in, but finally couldn't resist asking, “That guy, was he really your ex?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he got a knock on the head from the captain.

“Ouch...” Lin Xuhuan pouted. “I was just curious. Baby Ran and I are so close now, it's not a big deal to ask, right?”

“Yes,” Pei Ran admitted frankly.

The group of straight esports guys at the table nodded in unison, trying their best to act natural.

A small dish of salmon was placed in front of Pei Ran.

Yan Zhun picked up the tube of wasabi next to him and squeezed a little onto the side of his dish. “Eat.”

Their arms brushed lightly. Pei Ran looked down at his plate. “Thanks.”

Lin Xuhuan ate a couple of bites, regained his energy, and started spouting nonsense again.

“Baby Ran, don't overthink it. We don't mind, love is love.” He pointed at their team's Assaulter and said, “He once used a smurf account to be a simp in a female streamer's channel. In the end, he spent over a hundred thousand and got jack squat, but we didn't look down on him.”

The Assaulter spat curses: “Your mom, what the hell does that have to do with Pei Ran's situation!”

“They're both matters of the heart, what's the difference?”

The Assaulter sneered and began an area-of-effect attack: “Hmph, if you want to put it that way, the captain gave someone a love letter in middle school, got turned in to the teacher, and was punished by having to read it out loud word for word on stage. As his classmate, I didn't look down on him for it.”

The more they talked, the more sidetracked they got, and that bit of awkwardness had completely flown away.

Someone blurted out, “What's the big deal? It's better than Yan Zhun, the Supreme VIP Golden Bachelor.”

The person in question looked indifferent as he picked up the empty cup beside him to get some tea. Everyone was deep in lively conversation, and no one noticed that he had taken Pei Ran's cup.

“Golden bachelor, my ass,” Lin Xuhuan said. “My brother is about to get out of singlehood.”

Everyone was stunned for a moment. Pei Ran also paused, his chewing slowing down quietly.

“Getting out of singlehood? With who?” The Assaulter's curiosity was piqued, and he immediately put down his chopsticks.

It wasn't that they thought Yan Zhun couldn't find a girlfriend—it was that it would be too easy for him, yet he'd always been single. That's why their reaction was so big.

“I don't know,” Lin Xuhuan said after a moment's thought. “He mentioned it to me last time. Said he was going to find me a sister-in-law, and that he was waiting for her to message back.”

Under everyone's eager stares, Yan Zhun wiped his hands with a towel and tossed out a single word: “Yeah.”

Pei Ran buried his head a little lower.

“Holy shit... Really? I thought he was just bullshitting...” the Assaulter said in shock. “Who is she? Someone from real life or from the game?”

“A schoolmate,” Yan Zhun said.

“Why don't you bring her for us to meet?” the captain asked. “What's her name? What year is she in? Let's see a photo.”

Yan Zhun put down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair. “Stop asking. Haven't won her over yet.”

“It's been so long and you still haven't won her over?” Lin Xuhuan asked in surprise. “What kind of girl is so hard to pursue? Baby Ran, have you met her?”

Suddenly being called out, Pei Ran looked up from his plate. His face was as calm as usual, but his ears were bright red. “I haven't.”

“Wow, even you don't know.” Seeing how calm he was, Lin Xuhuan asked, “Aren't you curious?”

Pei Ran said, “I am.” His tone had absolutely no conviction.

“Then you should pay more attention! It must be a girl around him! Tell me the second you find out!”

Pei Ran pressed his lips together. “Then... I'll keep an eye out.”

This topic was quite explosive for the TZG members. They began to wildly guess who Yan Zhun was pursuing. The scope had now been narrowed down to “long hair,” “big eyes,” and “slender waist.”

Yan Zhun was looking down at his phone, completely ignoring them.

Pei Ran took a sip of tea and had just secretly breathed a sigh of relief when the phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

[Yan Zhun: If you're really that curious, you can open your front-facing camera and take a look]

Pei Ran locked his phone screen and put it in his pocket.

The restaurant table wasn't large, and the lighting was bright. As Lin Xuhuan was chatting, his gaze drifted to Pei Ran. He stared for a few seconds and then suddenly asked, “Baby Ran, why is your face so red? Are you hot?”

Pei Ran clutched his chopsticks and said, “The wasabi. It's too spicy.”

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the Coach sent a car to pick them up. Pei Ran hitched a ride back.

Yan Zhun wasn't going back to the school, so Pei Ran handed him the hat before getting out of the car.

Yan Zhun took it and said, “An exchange.”

Before Pei Ran could react, his fingers were gently pried open, and Yan Zhun pressed two creamy candies into his hand.

It was dim in the car, and everyone was sleepy after the full meal. No one saw their small exchange.

Back at the Base, Lin Xuhuan took a shower. When he came out, he saw Yan Zhun sitting on the sofa in the main hall, wearing the hat and looking down at his phone, playing Fight the Landlord.

He was drying his hair with a towel, about to go up and chat for a bit, when his footsteps suddenly halted.

He saw Yan Zhun lose the game, toss his phone aside, and lean back on the sofa.

Then Yan Zhun took off the hat, held it loosely over his nose, and closed his eyes—as if he were taking a gentle sniff.