Chapter 34 Part 1

The Coach had prepared a whole long speech, but the words were all stuck in his throat. It took him a long while to squeeze out a sentence: “…Huh?”

A few seconds later, he asked again, “Dating… You? You and who? Someone from your school?”

He had known Yan Zhun for so many years, let alone dating, he even suspected Yan Zhun didn’t have a single female classmate in his middle school, high school, or even university classes.

The Coach suddenly recalled the time he brought Yan Zhun in for Youth Training. PUBG was especially popular back then, and although the esports scene hadn’t fully developed yet, these young Youth Trainees were already receiving some attention. Yan Zhun was the most popular one on their team.

At that time, a minor internet celebrity even asked someone for Yan Zhun’s contact information. When Yan Zhun heard about it, he only said, “Don’t give it to her.”

He wasn’t even interested in her name or what she looked like.

“Mhm,” Yan Zhun said, interrupting his thoughts.

“Alright then, you… have a good date.” The Coach originally wanted to tell him to be a little nicer to the girl, but on second thought, maybe she liked Yan Zhun’s cold and aloof demeanor. “Why don’t you bring her to the Base to hang out?”

Just as Yan Zhun was about to speak, he saw a passerby glance behind him.

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

Although winter had set in, the sun was still out at noon. Pei Ran’s jacket was unbuttoned, and he was wearing a simple white shirt underneath. He had gotten dressed in a hurry, so his collar was a bit crooked. He was looking down at the luggage bag by Yan Zhun’s feet.

Yan Zhun’s surprise lasted only for a moment. He took off his cap and put it on Pei Ran.

He adjusted its position by the brim. “I’m not going.”

There was already a commotion on the Coach’s end, suggesting there were other people around him. Among them, Lin Xuhuan’s voice was the most distinct. Yan Zhun could faintly hear him say, “I don’t believe it.”

Yan Zhun said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Hey, wait, there’s more,” the Coach stopped him. “Are you still coming over tonight?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh,” the Coach said, then asked gossipily, “Not staying the night out?”

Yan Zhun hung up the phone.

To block the sunlight, Yan Zhun had pulled the cap’s brim very low. Pei Ran had to look up to meet his gaze. “Have you been waiting long?”

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

Pei Ran shook his head, his gaze returning to the luggage bag by his leg.

Yan Zhun followed his glance and explained, “I’m not used to living at the school. I’m moving to the Base tonight.”

Actually, it wasn’t a matter of getting used to it or not. It was impossible for him to be roommates with Luo Qingshan again.

Pei Ran understood at once. He lowered his eyes and fell silent. Before he could say anything, Yan Zhun reached out and touched the back of his hand. It was ice-cold.

“But they have an interview this afternoon, so I’ll head over in the evening,” Yan Zhun said. “Before that, can you take me in?”

At the TZG Base, the Coach hung up the phone under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Because he was holding a cigarette in one hand, the entire call had been on speakerphone.

After three seconds of silence—

“I didn’t expect this.” The assistant couldn’t help but light a cigarette for himself as well. “For Brother Zhun to get out of singlehood before me…”

The Assaulter was itching with curiosity. “I don’t want to train anymore. I want to go to his school and be a stalker.”

“What do you think Brother Zhun’s girlfriend looks like?”

“I don’t know, at least a goddess by standard. Otherwise, how could she make the old monk see the light?”

“Hiss—I’m genuinely curious. What type does Brother Zhun like? Cute? Sexy? Intellectual?”

“A man or a woman?” Lin Xuhuan pondered for a long time before suddenly blurting this out.

The others went quiet for a moment. The Assaulter picked up a pack of tissues from the table and threw it at him. “Why don’t you just ask if they’re dead or alive?”

Lin Xuhuan was also shocked by the words that had just come out of his mouth. He reacted quickly, catching the pack of tissues and throwing it back, laughing as he cursed “get lost” a couple of times.

“But Brother Zhun getting out of singlehood is a bit sudden,” the assistant said. “There were no signs at all.”

“Can’t people just fall in love at first sight?” The Coach stubbed out his cigarette and said, “Cut the crap. Go play the training match. I’ll have the little brothers from the Second Team sub in for a while.”

Lin Xuhuan walked behind the crowd, his face scrunched up. The bullet comments from last night’s stream flashed rapidly through his mind.

In the end, he couldn’t hold back. While waiting for the substitutes to arrive, he took out his phone and sent a message.

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

A few minutes later, the other side finally replied.

[Pei Ran: Dorm. What’s up?]

Tsk.

That girl who sent the bullet comment was definitely bluffing.

And he was a real idiot for actually being led astray by that person named Xuxu.

[Lin Xuhuan: Nothing, nothing, just missed you. Come find me at the Base to hang out when you have time. I promised I’d teach you 4x scope recoil control.]

When Lin Xuhuan’s message came through, Pei Ran’s phone happened to be in Yan Zhun’s hands.

Pei Ran was washing grapes. “Is it something urgent?”

Yan Zhun was sitting on Pei Ran’s chair. “No, he’s just bored. Want me to reply for you?”

Pei Ran said, “Okay.”

[Pei Ran: Don’t need it]

[Lin Xuhuan: Why not, isn’t getting kills fun?]

[Pei Ran: I have Yan Zhun]

[Lin Xuhuan: Sigh, my brother won’t have time to teach you in the future]

[Pei Ran: ?]

[Lin Xuhuan: He’s dating, didn’t you know? A man in love has no brothers.]

Yan Zhun hadn’t planned to reply to him anymore, but after seeing this line of text, 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 some information from Pei Ran. The phone’s notification sound chimed ding-dong-ding-dong.