Chapter 14

A brand-new account couldn't queue for matchmaking right away, and there weren't many champions to play. Wang Luan'an fiddled around and quickly got an account set up for Chen Jingshen.

'Isn't this Zhang Xianjing's account?' Zuo Kuan asked. 'Who's on it?'

'The top of the grade, our class's ace student.' Wang Luan'an clicked the mouse. 'I'm starting.'

Zuo Kuan was taken aback, about to ask how a bookworm like Chen Jingshen could play online games, when a 'ding' cut him off — they'd entered the game interface.

It was Chen Jingshen's first time playing. Under Wang Luan'an's guidance, he picked a healer support.

'Ace student, see those three lanes on the map? Go to the bottom one,' Wang Luan'an said. 'Yu Fan's playing AD this round. Just follow him — his AD is strong.'

Yu Fan was about to shoo him to another lane, but out of the corner of his eye he caught Chen Jingshen seriously studying the skills, and shut his mouth.

Whatever. He'd just treat it like an annoying accessory. He played bot lane 1v2 all the time anyway.

Five minutes later.

Yu Fan stared at the support, who had more last hits than him, and couldn't hold back: 'Why are you, a support, touching my minions?'

Chen Jingshen: 'Your minions?'

'The minions on bot lane belong to the AD.'

'Got it.' Chen Jingshen turned and walked into the bush. 'They're yours.'

'...'

Try saying that in that condescending tone again.

During a team fight, Yu Fan was fleeing with low health when he saw out of the corner of his eye that Chen Jingshen's healer was walking toward him at full health.

Yu Fan immediately turned around, ready to throw down.

Then he got pinned in the bush and killed.

Yu Fan looked at the healer, who was now half a map away: 'We're fighting a team fight here, and you're going for a stroll top lane?'

Chen Jingshen shot back: 'Can't you handle it?'

'...'

By dinner time, Yu Fan stared at a full page of red match history and fell silent.

'Let's take a break, I'm done.' Wang Luan'an put down his mouse. 'I'm gonna grab some food. Yu Fan, what do you want? Ace student?'

Yu Fan was full from losing. Deadpan: 'Not eating.'

Chen Jingshen: 'No thanks.'

Wang Luan'an got up and went to the counter to buy food. Yu Fan closed the game and reopened the livestream page. The blue-haired streamer he'd been watching had already gone offline, and the platform had auto-switched him to another popular League of Legends stream.

It was a female streamer. She'd been a pro female player in another MOBA game before retiring and streaming League of Legends for big money. With good skills, an interesting personality, a pretty face, and a sexy figure, she'd attracted tons of fans.

Yu Fan was tired from losing and didn't feel like moving, so he just maximized the screen, leaned back on the sofa, and focused on watching the female streamer's plays.

A burning gaze from beside him.

Yu Fan couldn't take being stared at. He turned his head and frowned: 'What, is there an online lesson on my face?'

Chen Jingshen's gaze swept over the female streamer's video window: 'Is this what you usually watch?'

'What else, Hu Pang?'

Chen Jingshen was silent for two seconds: 'Do you like bunny ears?'

Yu Fan: '?'

'Or,' Chen Jingshen considered his wording, 'maid skirts?'

'...'

Only then did Yu Fan notice what the female streamer was wearing.

He wanted to say, dumbass, it's called a maid outfit, but the words caught in his throat. He changed it to: 'Have you considered that maybe I like that she's a girl?'

After saying that, he deliberately raised his finger and, right in front of Chen Jingshen, followed the female streamer.

Chen Jingshen silently watched his screen for a while, then turned away and looked back at his own computer.

Yu Fan glanced over and saw Chen Jingshen had opened Hu Pang's online lesson again, but his mouth was pressed into a tight line. He didn't look happy — his face was as sour as if Hu Pang owed him eight million.

Who's he making that face at?

Yu Fan, who was watching him, pulled his gaze back, licked his lips, picked up the bottle of water beside him, took a couple of sips, turned his head to say something, and just opened his mouth —

'I'm not thirsty,' Chen Jingshen suddenly said.

'...' Who the hell asked if you were thirsty?

Yu Fan turned back and went back to watching the female streamer.

What's wrong with watching a female streamer?

It's not illegal.

Wang Luan'an leaned his elbows on the counter, craning his neck to direct: 'Bro, put more ketchup on mine.'

'Got it.' The cashier skillfully spread sauce on the hot dog. 'You buying this much for yourself?'

Wang Luan'an tilted his chin up: 'I've got two more bros.'

Even though those two had said they didn't want any, Wang Luan'an decided to buy a few extra just in case they got hungry later.

Wang Luan'an shook his head and clicked his tongue, thinking to himself, a good bro like me is hard to find even with a lantern.

The cashier followed his gaze: 'The one sitting in the middle is your friend? When he walked in, I thought he'd walked into the wrong place.'

'Hey, you know what, that's exactly what I thought when I first saw him too.' Wang Luan'an was getting bored waiting, his eyes wandering until they landed on the monitor next to the cashier's computer.

A short, stout figure stood at the entrance on the first floor, back to the monitor. Wang Luan'an stared at the top of that person's head for a while, then laughed casually: 'Holy shit, look how bald that guy is.'

The cashier glanced over: 'Looks kind of familiar.'

On the monitor, the person reached up and touched his empty head.

Wang Luan'an mimicked him, touching his own luscious hair: 'He looks familiar to me too, haha...'

The person turned around, revealing the face that terrified every student at Nancheng No.7 Middle School.

Wang Luan'an's smile froze: 'Holy, shit.'

Wang Luan'an ran back, clutching four hot dogs in his hands.

When he got back, Yu Fan was just standing up from his seat. Probably because of the afternoon's losing streak, his face was sour.

'Yu Fan! Holy shit! Yu Fan!' Wang Luan'an shouted. 'Fat Tiger! Fat Tiger! Fat Tiger!!!'

Yu Fan was about to head to the bathroom to cool off. Hearing this, he thought Wang Luan'an was talking about the online lesson Chen Jingshen had reopened.

He frowned: 'So he's watching it, what's the yelling for?'

'No! No!' Wang Luan'an said. 'Fat Tiger's here to catch us! He's right downstairs! About to charge up!!'

'?'

Just then, a ringtone suddenly blared, and most of the guys in the area snapped their heads up!

It was the signal — a teacher was coming!

Wang Luan'an: 'We gotta go—'

Before he could finish, Yu Fan had already spun around and grabbed the collar of the guy watching the online lesson.

'The lecturer himself is here and you're still watching?' Yu Fan said. 'Grab your bag!'

Two seconds later, a furious roar came from the stairwell — 'Nancheng No.7 Middle School students! Nobody runs!!!'

Chen Jingshen picked up his bag from the floor. Before he could put it on, his wrist was grabbed.

The boy's palm was ice-cold, pulling him with force.

'What are you dawdling for?' Yu Fan said. 'Run!'

Chen Jingshen had never been chased down the street before.

The Night Market's lights were on. Barbecue and snack stalls were open, white steam rising hotly, stimulating the passersby's taste buds. A dozen boys were scattering and running in all directions — a ridiculous scene.

Yu Fan ran fast. The wind rushing past him blew his hair back behind his ears, revealing his clean, handsome face.

Chen Jingshen looked away, holding his bag strap with one hand, letting the other drag him through the narrow street.

Wang Luan'an watched helplessly as his two good classmates went from the back of the pack to the front, running faster and faster, farther and farther, until they disappeared from his sight.

What the hell?

What the hell!

Wasn't Yu Fan the delinquent who slept through class with him and held hands while skipping PE?

Wasn't Chen Jingshen the weak, breathless, frail bookworm??

How the hell were they running so fast?!

Wang Luan'an couldn't run anymore. He stopped, panting heavily, still clutching a few hot dogs like an idiot, his fingers turning white from the grip.

I'm your simp, Wang Luan'an thought sadly.

Hu Pang caught up from behind.

Wang Luan'an leaned against the wall, watching the short, stout figure who still had plenty of energy after running so far, and suddenly felt like he was the only useless one in the world.

He'd already prepared to be caught by Hu Pang, but to his surprise, the man didn't stop — he ran right past him —

'Stop! The ones in front, stop! Yu Fan! Don't think I didn't recognize you! Stop now and we can talk, otherwise come Monday, see how I discipline you! Yu Fan —'

Wang Luan'an: '...'

Chen Jingshen didn't know how long he'd been dragged along.

The surroundings had changed from a snack street to towering buildings, the pedestrians mostly tired office workers just getting off overtime.

Afraid of being spotted on the road, they ran into a 24-Hour Convenience Store.

Yu Fan took a moment to catch his breath before remembering to look back.

The second before he turned his head, Chen Jingshen bent over and started panting heavily.

Yu Fan watched his unnatural shoulder movements and frowned: '...Do you have asthma?'

'No, just tired.' Chen Jingshen glanced at the seats by the window and asked, still breathing lightly, 'Can we rest a bit?'

Yu Fan went to the counter and bought two bottles of water, placing one in front of Chen Jingshen.

Chen Jingshen's breathing was still a bit heavy. His face was pale, like he hadn't recovered yet.

How weak was this guy.

Yu Fan reached over and twisted the cap off for him: 'Drink.'

'Thanks.' Chen Jingshen took it.

He tilted his head back to drink. The boy's prominent Adam's apple bobbed gently with each swallow.

His Mobile Phone suddenly vibrated. Yu Fan picked it up and saw it was a call from Wang Luan'an.

'How's it going? Made it to America yet?' Wang Luan'an asked.

'Took a turn at the door. Crappy place, not going.' Yu Fan took a sip of water. 'You didn't get caught?'

'Nope. Oh, so you do remember me.' Wang Luan'an said. 'I saw you running so fast, didn't even look back at me — thought you'd forgotten I existed.'

'Don't be sarcastic.'

'Not gonna lie, you ran way too fast just now,' Wang Luan'an said, puzzled. 'I've seen you go to the internet cafe before, and you were never this scared of getting caught by Fat Tiger.'

He wasn't scared.

It's just that there was a model student here.

'You're too—' Yu Fan's voice cut off abruptly.

'Too what?' Wang Luan'an asked.

The line suddenly went silent. Wang Luan'an was startled: 'Say something.'

'Did Fat Tiger get you? Hey? Yu Fan? Talk to me —'

'Nothing.'

Yu Fan answered dismissively, a little awkward.

In the few seconds of that pause, his free left hand was suddenly grabbed and pulled over.

The person who'd been panting like an ox just two minutes ago had now recovered, staring down at his fingers.

Yu Fan followed Chen Jingshen's gaze downward and saw that his left ring finger had somehow gotten a cut. It was long, blood trickling down the side of his finger like a dark red ring.

He hadn't even felt it hurt the whole way running.

'You just said too what?' Wang Luan'an was still on the phone. 'Finish your sentence if you've got the guts.'

Yu Fan tried to pull his hand back, but couldn't.

Chen Jingshen was holding his fingers, silently examining his wound.

Chen Jingshen's fingertips were warm. They held like that for a while, and Yu Fan suddenly felt the skin under his gaze start to itch.

He was about to tell him to let go when Chen Jingshen moved.

Chen Jingshen held his hand with one hand and reached into his bag with the other, rummaging around the bottom for a moment.

Then he pulled out a band-aid.

Chen Jingshen's hands were big, his fingers easily enclosing Yu Fan's. Yu Fan stared blankly as he tore open the band-aid, placed it over the wound, smoothed it down, and pressed it tight.

After confirming it was on properly, Chen Jingshen let go of him, crumpled the band-aid wrapper into a ball, stood up, and walked toward the trash can by the door.

Yu Fan's hand hung in midair. The spot where his fingers had just been pressed suddenly felt light, a little cold.

On the phone, Wang Luan'an was still rambling: 'So where are you now? I'll come find you. Didn't get to eat the hot dogs, I'm still kinda hungry. Is Chen Jingshen still with you? Hey, why aren't you talking —'

The moment before Chen Jingshen turned back, Yu Fan quickly pulled his hand back, shoved it into his pocket, and looked out the window as if nothing had happened.