Chapter 54

As Lin Xiao Ran watched Gu Yang’s face come closer, memories of last night on the rooftop flooded back. Gu Yang had suddenly leaned in like this and then kissed him deeply.

His heart raced unexpectedly, and instinctively, he leaned back, wanting to distance himself from Gu Yang. But he miscalculated, losing his balance and tumbling backward.

Gu Yang didn’t expect such a strong reaction. He quickly wrapped his arms around Lin Xiao Ran’s waist and pulled him back, but before he could say anything, his gaze was drawn to Lin Xiao Ran’s flushed ears, which were turning a lovely shade of red.

Gu Yang’s amber eyes lingered for a moment, then a barely concealed smile appeared as he softly teased, “I just wanted to see why you have dark circles under your eyes. Why are you so nervous? Did you think I wanted to do something?”

At that moment, Lin Xiao Ran was just getting settled in the back seat of the bike, and Gu Yang’s warm breath brushed against his earlobe, causing him to shiver slightly. He instinctively turned his face away, pretending to be impatient. “Hurry up, or we’ll be late!”

What he didn’t realize was that this reaction delighted Gu Yang to no end.

In the past, Lin Xiao Ran had been the type to put his face right in front of Gu Yang’s without a hint of embarrassment. Now, feeling nervous and with ears so red, it was clear that his feelings had changed.

But judging by Lin Xiao Ran’s reaction last night, it seemed he still hadn’t sorted out his emotions.

Gu Yang thought he could wait a bit longer.

With that thought, he couldn’t help but steal another glance at Lin Xiao Ran before grinning. “Alright, hold on tight. We’re off!”

After that, he hopped onto the bike, pedaled hard, and they headed toward school.

After two days off over the weekend, and only one day of classes, the fact that they both skipped evening study the previous night caused quite a stir among their classmates.

However, it didn’t affect the two of them much.

Nonetheless, Zhao Tianhua called them into the office. Now that they were in their senior year, even though both had scored first and second in the last monthly exam, with Lin Xiao Ran’s grades so stable that no one worried, skipping class for several days could still have negative effects. So, during lunch break, Zhao Tianhua reminded them to pay more attention.

Both promised to be more diligent and not skip class carelessly anymore.

Back in the classroom, Gu Yang received a phone call from a friend in the game, Bi Ying Liu Nian.

A couple of days ago, they had an offline event for “The Seventh World,” where a group of friends they had known online for years finally met in person. Someone suggested creating a chat group, and everyone joined.

Gu Yang and Lin Xiao Ran were no exceptions, but they hadn’t spoken in the group.

However, Bi Ying Liu Nian made a point to add Gu Yang as a friend.

Bi Ying Liu Nian was the leader of the Xuan Yu Men guild that Gu Yang belonged to. They had known each other online for quite a while, and during their offline meeting, they exchanged a few words. So when she added him as a friend, he accepted. He didn’t expect her to call him out of the blue without saying anything first.

Surprised, Gu Yang answered the call with a smile. “Hello?”

A sweet voice from the other end chimed in, “Hello, Big Boss. I hope I’m not interrupting your class.”

“No, what’s up?” Gu Yang replied.

“I actually need a favor from you. I heard from Ling Jie that you don’t have time to play professionally right now. I understand; school is definitely a priority. But I’d like to humbly ask for your help regarding the Xuan Yu Men professional team. Can we meet to discuss it?”

It turned out that the secondary league of “The Seventh World” professional tournament was about to begin, and as the leader of Xuan Yu Men and the team’s investor, she wanted to ensure everything was ready before the competition started.

She had assumed Gu Yang would likely join her team, but since he couldn’t, she wanted to invite him to provide training for her players. After all, Gu Yang had been a player for four years and had consistently ranked first in the game, so his understanding of the game was unique.

Bi Ying Liu Nian had played dungeons with Gu Yang before. He generally didn’t say much while playing, but when he did, his insights were sharp and insightful, revealing his exceptional perceptiveness and strategic thinking.

“I know this is sudden. The professional league is just starting, and without a professional coach, we’re all trying to find our way. We feel stuck, which is why I’m bothering you. Don’t worry; it won’t take too much of your time. There’s still half a month before the competition. I’ve brought the whole team here and booked a hotel next to your school. You can come over after school, during lunch, or on weekends—whenever is convenient for you—to give us some guidance.”

Bi Ying Liu Nian’s attitude was very sincere. Gu Yang could tell she really loved the game and was one of the few top-tier female players.

She also seemed to be a game streamer on a certain platform, praised by fans as “The Strongest Female Player in the Seventh World.”

As a member of Xuan Yu Men, Gu Yang was more than willing to help her out, so he agreed.

However, he didn’t have much time. From Monday to Friday, he had a full day of classes, and by the time evening study ended, it was almost ten o’clock. Since Lin Xiao Ran had injured his foot, he also needed to take him home afterward.

The most he could spare was an hour during lunch.

So he decided to meet Bi Ying Liu Nian the next day during lunch.

He initially thought about bringing Lin Xiao Ran along, but Lin Xiao Ran preferred napping at his desk over watching professional team training.

When Gu Yang arrived at the venue, he had an engaging exchange with the passionate young players, which reignited his own fighting spirit.

Once Lin Xiao Ran’s ankle healed a week later, he would also find some time to drop by after evening study.

Lin Xiao Ran didn’t ask too many questions. He knew Gu Yang was interested in the professional league and would enjoy helping a team get started. However, Lin Xiao Ran wasn’t particularly interested in it, so he listened when Gu Yang spoke about it but wouldn’t ask if he didn’t bring it up.

Gu Yang had been quite busy lately, so it was simply a matter of him not having the time to tell Lin Xiao Ran everything.

Today, he even rushed out without eating lunch, leaving Lin Xiao Ran wondering what could be so urgent.

This thought crossed Lin Xiao Ran’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it and went back to napping at his desk.

Ding dong—

A WeChat notification sounded.

He pulled out his phone from under the desk and opened it, only to find a notification from the “Seventh World” player group—someone had mentioned him.

He had muted this group, so he hadn’t paid attention to the constant messages. Most people likely wouldn’t even know he was in it unless they specifically checked the member list.

Now, suddenly someone was looking for him, which surprised him.

Opening the message, he saw it was from the leader of his guild, Bi Hai Ge: “Jiu Du Qiu, you’ve been helping Xuan Yu Men lately; we can’t just sit back and do nothing!”

The group had many members, and before Lin Xiao Ran could respond, the others had already started lively discussions.

【Speaking of which, I doubt Jiu Du Qiu is helping Xuan Yu Men just for the guild’s sake.】

【I think so too.】

【I feel like you’re implying something.】

【Do we need to imply anything? Have you seen Bi Ying Liu Nian’s Moments? It doesn’t look like training at all. I’d think they were on a date!】

【Training then having a midnight snack together.jpg】

【The Big Boss looks so cute when he’s asleep.jpg】

【The Big Boss bought me milk tea; he really knows my taste.jpg】

【Just now they had dinner together; the setting looked like a world for two.】

【I saw that too! There were roses on the table!】

【What did I say before? During our last offline event, I could tell Bi Ying Liu Nian was interested in Jiu Du Qiu. Her eyes lit up when he arrived!】

【Isn’t it normal to react that way when seeing a handsome guy? Don’t we have plenty of girls in our group hoping for Jiu Du Qiu and Wu Huan Xing Yi to show their faces?】

【But it’s different! Bi Ying Liu Nian moved her whole team here just to pursue Jiu Du Qiu. She found a legitimate reason to do it—how clever!】

【Well, she’s pretty, has money, and is capable. What guy wouldn’t like a girl like that? Look, even a guy like Jiu Du Qiu fell for her in half a month!】

【True, if it were me, I’d also be hooked.】

【Okay, okay, I’m trying to discuss something serious here. Can you save the gossip for later? Wu Huan Xing Yi, come on and say something! Our team may not have beautiful girls, but we can work together to win the championship. What do you think?】

As top players in the game, their typing speed was impressive, and the chat history filled up quickly.

Lin Xiao Ran was forced to read through so much irrelevant content, feeling impatient. He quickly typed a response: “I’m not interested.”

After sending the message, he tossed his phone aside and went back to sleep.

But for some reason, he felt a bit restless. Closing his eyes, his mind was flooded with images of Gu Yang and Bi Ying Liu Nian having dinner together.

So, was Bi Ying Liu Nian really using the excuse of asking for help as a way to pursue Gu Yang?

He suddenly lost his sleepiness and pulled out his phone to look for Gu Yang’s number, hesitating for a moment with his finger hovering over the dial button before pulling back.

Whether Bi Ying Liu Nian was pursuing Gu Yang or not was none of his business. Why did it bother him?

He tossed his phone aside, took out a practice paper, and started solving problems to distract himself. Time passed quickly.

At two o’clock, the class bell rang. He put down his pen and realized Gu Yang hadn’t returned for class.

His phone had a message from Gu Yang: “The team has scheduled a practice match this afternoon. I want to participate fully, so I won’t be attending class. Please help me excuse my absence if the teacher asks.”

Staring at the message for a moment, Lin Xiao Ran shoved his phone back into the desk and pulled out his notes to listen to the teacher.

Without realizing it, he started to zone out, resting his chin on his hand, his bright black eyes staring blankly out the window.

As a result, he hardly remembered which classes he attended that afternoon.

He felt a bit odd. After class, he skipped lunch and headed to the restroom to wash his face, trying to feel normal again.

After this delay, when he stepped out, the entire floor was quiet; almost everyone had gone to eat.

He walked through the classroom, grabbed his phone, and headed downstairs.

Just as he reached the stairwell, he suddenly heard voices coming from above.

“Hey, do you think Yang Ge and Lin Xue Shen broke up?”

During the afternoon break, some girls, trying to lose weight, skipped lunch and bought some fruit to snack on while gossiping in the hallway.

Lin Xiao Ran had heard similar things before but hadn’t paid much attention; he usually didn’t like getting involved in others’ affairs.

But this time, his feet stopped of their own accord, and he perked up his ears to listen.

“It seems so. During the break, I saw Bi Ying Liu Nian streaming live, and the camera was focused on Yang Ge. The fans were asking if he was her boyfriend, and she was smiling so happily. Plus, haven’t you noticed Yang Ge isn’t walking to and from school with Lin Xue Shen anymore? He skipped class this afternoon to stream live with Bi Ying Liu Nian.”

“What’s up with that? What’s so great about Bi Ying Liu Nian? Is she even half as good-looking as our Lin Xue Shen? Yang Ge is so fickle, what a scumbag!”

“There are already posts on the forum expressing sympathy for Xue Shen. I feel for him too. Did you see how absent-minded Xue Shen was this afternoon? He’s definitely been hurt by Yang Ge.”

“Too much! I watched their four-year anniversary performance video again, and they looked perfect together. Now I realize I’ve been blind; Gu Yang doesn’t deserve our Xue Shen. Scumbag!”

“Yeah, scumbag!”

Lin Xiao Ran: “…”

He felt a slight pang of sympathy for Gu Yang; after all, Gu Yang hadn’t really done anything wrong.

So why did he feel so uncomfortable?

Shaking his head, confused by his own feelings, he decided not to think about it.

Instead, he took the easy route and went to the cafeteria for dinner, returning to the classroom for evening study.

Gu Yang still hadn’t come back.

Lin Xiao Ran didn’t dwell on it, pulling out a few practice papers and focusing intently on his work.

Whenever he took something seriously, his attention was always particularly focused. Even as the evening study progressed, while others in the class were caught up in the forum’s live posts, he remained oblivious, his eyes glued to the questions.

Suddenly, someone slammed their desk and exclaimed angrily, “This is too much! Is our Xue Shen really that easy to bully?”

Startled, Lin Xiao Ran finally pulled his attention away from the exam paper and looked up in confusion.

It seemed the whole class was fired up, and everyone was chiming in.

It turned out someone had bumped into Gu Yang and Bi Ying Liu Nian at the snack street. The classmate who bumped into them was a bit of a gossip and had followed them the whole way, streaming live on the forum. At that moment, they were broadcasting as the two turned into an alley, with the emphasis being that Bi Ying Liu Nian was emitting a strong scent of pheromones.

With a sudden rush, Lin Xiao Ran stood up. Before the class could react, he had already dashed out the back door.

Honestly, Lin Xiao Ran wasn’t sure what he was thinking; it felt like he wasn’t thinking at all. His body instinctively made the decision.

He sprinted out of the school at full speed, and as he neared the alley to the east, the scent of the omega’s pheromones became stronger.

Amidst that, he faintly detected a subtle scent of cedar.

Lin Xiao Ran unconsciously furrowed his brow and quickened his pace.

He ran to the mouth of the alley and suddenly stopped.

Gu Yang stood under the streetlamp at the alley’s entrance, on the phone, with the light casting a long shadow behind him.

Lin Xiao Ran heard Gu Yang say, “110? I’m at the east side of Qi Zhong, at the alley entrance. There’s an omega in heat here, and I’m worried she might be in danger. Please send someone to help.”

After hanging up, Gu Yang seemed to sense Lin Xiao Ran’s gaze, looking up to meet his eyes.

In that instant, surprise flashed in his amber eyes as he quickly walked over, smiling, “What brings you here now?”

Lin Xiao Ran glanced at him, his pale pink lips moved slightly but then pressed together in silence.

Gu Yang noticed something was off with him. As he approached, he could see Lin Xiao Ran’s forehead glistening with sweat and his uneven breathing. Concerned, he pulled Lin Xiao Ran closer, wiped the sweat from his brow, and asked softly, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Meeting Gu Yang’s close gaze and seeing the concern in his eyes, Lin Xiao Ran felt even stranger. It was as if he believed Gu Yang might actually do something to that omega.

Gu Yang was not that kind of person.

He felt inexplicably out of sorts and realized he had been too harsh in doubting Gu Yang.

So, he chose not to mention it.

“How’s the situation inside?” he asked to divert the topic.

“Oh, they said she forgot her heat period, but it’s fine; I called the police,” Gu Yang replied nonchalantly, showing he wasn’t particularly worried about it. His pheromones, which had been slightly out of control, were gradually calming down.

What concerned him more was what was going on with Lin Xiao Ran; he felt something was off.

“What’s really wrong?” he pressed.

But Lin Xiao Ran simply tugged him and turned back toward the school. “It’s nothing. Let’s go back.”

With no way to pry further, Gu Yang followed Lin Xiao Ran back to the school.

After this ordeal, they returned to the classroom just as evening study ended, so they gathered their things and headed downstairs.

Gu Yang had been going to the hotel after evening study to help the team work on strategies, so he and Lin Xiao Ran had been taking different paths home for the past week.

Tonight, however, he didn’t have to go to the team, and a bit worried about Lin Xiao Ran, he followed him to the bike shed, intending to give him a ride home. But Lin Xiao Ran just hopped on his bike and said, “Aren’t you being a bother?”

After saying that, he pedaled hard and rode away.

Gu Yang stood there, watching his retreating figure, his handsome brows furrowing deeply.

It was definitely not an illusion—Lin Xiao Ran had something on his mind!

How strange; Lin Xiao Ran was actually hiding something instead of saying it directly? Wasn’t he always so straightforward?

What had happened that made him want to conceal it?

Gu Yang recalled how he had focused all his energy on the team lately, even missing out on what was happening with Lin Xiao Ran, feeling a pang of regret.

“Yang Ge?” At that moment, Chen Hongqiang, with his backpack swaying, strolled over and, surprised to see Gu Yang, quickly realized what was up. Gu Yang was watching Lin Xiao Ran as he rode off.

Chen Hongqiang was also full of confusion and gossip, unable to resist asking, “Yang Ge, are you dating that… what’s her name… internet celebrity?”

Gu Yang turned his gaze to him, laughing nonchalantly, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying, you don’t know? The school forum is going wild, claiming you’ve found a new girlfriend and dumped Lin Xue Shen. Of course, I know you and Lin Xue Shen aren’t dating, but everyone else doesn’t; they think you’re a scumbag.”

As he spoke, Chen Hongqiang pulled out his phone and opened the forum, flipping to the recent live post, and continued, “Look, just now someone bumped into you and that girl and went to the east alley. They said she was full of pheromones. I heard from the first class that Lin Xue Shen immediately ran out when he heard about it. They think he must be heartbroken and might be hiding somewhere. Yang Ge, do you really… like that girl? I honestly don’t think she’s even half as good as Lin Xue Shen; isn’t your taste a bit questionable? Also, I think…”

While Chen Hongqiang chattered on, Gu Yang wasn’t really listening to him anymore.

His gaze paused, and suddenly he couldn’t help but smile widely, playfully punching Chen Hongqiang on the shoulder. “Qiangzi, thanks! I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”

With that, he dashed off after Lin Xiao Ran.

So, Lin Xiao Ran was feeling strange; that time of day, why would he be there, sweating so much? It turned out… he was jealous!

Oh my gosh!

Gu Yang could hardly believe it; Lin Xiao Ran, that dense person, was actually feeling jealous.

But he was so happy! Surely now that dense guy would understand his feelings, right?
He couldn’t wait to grab Lin Xiao Ran and ask him directly, but after running past an intersection, he finally calmed down. If he chased after him now, Lin Xiao Ran would definitely be at home, and it wasn’t the right time to talk.

He had to suppress his feelings and pulled out his phone to text Lin Xiao Ran: “Are you jealous?”

Lin Xiao Ran saw the message only after getting home, staring blankly at the three words on his screen.

Am I jealous?

Gu Yang: Jealousy is when you see someone you like with someone else, and it makes you uncomfortable. When you heard that I was with an omega in heat, didn’t it make you feel uneasy?

Is that true? It seems so.

So, does that mean I like Gu Yang?

Gu Yang: Think about it tonight. Tomorrow is a day off; let’s have lunch together?

Lin Xiao Ran stared at the message for a while before finally replying: “Okay.”

After sending the message, he tossed his phone aside and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

Meanwhile, Gu Yang smiled when he received the affirmative reply and turned to head home.

The next day, he got up quite early, tidying himself in front of the mirror. This would be his first date with Lin Xiao Ran, so he wanted to make a good impression.

Even though he was handsome, who wouldn’t want to look even better?

After getting ready, he left early and waited at their agreed spot until noon, but Lin Xiao Ran still hadn’t arrived.

To make matters worse, he couldn’t get through on the phone.

Gu Yang felt a bit worried. There was no way Lin Xiao Ran would avoid him just because he hadn’t figured things out after last night.

So, it didn’t make sense for him to ignore his calls.

What if something happened?

With these thoughts, Gu Yang hailed a cab to Tianjun Peak, calling Lin Lan on the way: “Auntie, is Ran Ran at home?”

Lin Lan had just returned from abroad and was swamped with work, still recording a program at the TV station on the weekend. She answered Gu Yang’s call during a brief break: “Yes, he’s at home. Are you coming to see him?”

Gu Yang let out a small sigh of relief but still asked the driver to hurry.

At that moment, Lin Xiao Ran was curled up in the corner of his bed, trembling, and the entire room was filled with the scent of stewed pear and rock candy.

 

 

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