Chapter 7: In Short

Jian Yanzhi’s hand, which had been reaching to pull down the coat, froze in mid-air.

 

Realizing who was standing before her, she paused for a couple of seconds before awkwardly muttering, “…I forgot to bring my own.”

 

“Fine, you can just wear it home like that,” He Yuan said, as if about to walk away. Jian Yanzhi blinked, then yanked the coat down enough to reveal her eyes. “Hey, wait for me!” she called out.

 

He Yuan turned back to see most of his coat dragging on the ground. After calling out to him, Jian Yanzhi had quickly turned her back to the crowd, facing the wall to avoid the curious stares of passersby.

 

“At least show some respect for the coat,” He Yuan said, returning to her side. He leaned down slightly to meet her mischievous gaze. “It’s a coat, not a giant face mask.”

 

“Hey, look at that guy—he’s so tall!”

 

“And so handsome! Is he a celebrity?”

 

“I don’t know. Should we ask?”

 

“Eek, you go! I’m too shy.”

 

“Me?…”

 

Nearby, two girls were nudging each other, their whispers carrying through the air. Jian Yanzhi thought wryly, *I haven’t even managed to attract any attention, and he’s already stolen the show…*

 

“Shen Yuan, let’s hurry,” Jian Yanzhi said. As soon as the words left her mouth, the man in front of her suddenly crouched down and grabbed the hem of the coat draped over her shoulders.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

*Zip!* The zipper shot to the top. Jian Yanzhi recoiled, narrowly avoiding having her chin caught. He Yuan didn’t say a word, but rudely yanked the hood of the black down coat forward, completely covering her head.

 

The coat was already a men’s long style, but now, on Jian Yanzhi, it enveloped her from head to toe.

 

“It’s… a little warm,” she stammered. The coat seemed freshly removed, still retaining his body heat. His scent permeated every fiber, overwhelming her senses and leaving her flustered.

 

“Endure it,” He Yuan growled, his gaze fixed on the pair of eyes peeking out from beneath the hood. “Don’t cause me any trouble.”

 

“……”

 

He Yuan took two steps forward, then glanced back when she didn’t follow. “Aren’t you coming?”

 

“Um…”

 

“Um, excuse me, wait a moment.” After hesitating for quite a while, the two girls finally approached. Anyone who could afford to dine at a place like this was clearly not an ordinary person. Though their faces were flushed, they boldly asked, “Hello, could we have your business card, please?”

 

He Yuan stopped walking, his gaze settling on the two girls. “A business card?”

 

“Yes, exactly.”

 

“I don’t have any.”

 

“Then could we add you on WeChat? Maybe become friends?” the other girl quickly chimed in.

 

“I don’t have WeChat,” He Yuan stated with a perfectly straight face, spouting a blatant lie.

 

Jian Yanzhi stood beside him, feeling a pang of melancholy. *Sigh, girls,* she thought, *if you got gender reassignment surgery, you might actually have a chance.*

 

Lost in her silent lament, Jian Yanzhi didn’t notice the two girls sizing her up.

 

“Hey!” A hand suddenly pressed down on her head, tightening her hat until it slid down over her eyes.

 

“What the hell? I can’t see!” Jian Yanzhi muttered irritably.

 

“If you can’t see, don’t look,” He Yuan said, using his height to easily press her head down and guide her forward. “Let’s go. Stop standing there like an idiot.”

 

Deprived of her vision, Jian Yanzhi had no choice but to let him lead her. As they walked, she could hear him subtly distancing himself from the bewildered onlookers. “Honestly, are you crazy? We have central heating, why are you bundled up like this?”

 

“…?”

 

When He Yuan brought Jian Yanzhi back to the private room, the lively group inside abruptly stopped what they were doing.

 

“What’s going on?” Jian Boyi sniffed the air. “Jian Yanzhi, did you run into a bear or something?”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s two exposed eyes darted a playful glance at He Yuan. “He made me wear it.”

 

Lao Yao let out a suggestive hiss. “Oh my, worried about you getting cold, huh?”

 

Jian Boyi looked utterly astonished. “Eldest, I never knew you were so thoughtful.”

 

“Thoughtful my ass,” He Yuan retorted, a corner of his mouth twitching. He strode to his seat. “Your sister just wandered out there half-dressed and almost got caught.”

 

Jian Yanzhi coughed awkwardly. “Sorry…”

 

“So that’s what happened. Well, you should be embarrassed,” Jian Boyi said, getting up and flicking Jian Yanzhi’s forehead. “Are you an idiot or what? I told you going out was a hassle and warned you to be careful, but you didn’t listen. Didn’t your manager teach you anything? So clueless. See? This is what happens when…”

 

“Get lost! Stop nagging!” Jian Yanzhi snapped, swatting his hand away. “I’m not embarrassed in front of *you*!”

 

Jian Boyi tutted and shook his head, turning to the others with a shrug. “See? Not ladylike at all.”

 

Jian Yanzhi glared at him, speechless. Jian Boyi was infuriating beyond belief!

 

Lin Mao chuckled and sidled closer. “Ladylike or not, you’re still cute! Xiao Yanzhi, next time you need a hero, call me.”

 

“Get away from her!” Jian Boyi grabbed Lin Mao by the back of his collar and yanked him backward. “Stay away from her. You’re too young to be chasing after girls all the time.”

 

“Hey! Hey! You’re choking me! It hurts!”

 

Jian Yanzhi rolled her eyes at Jian Boyi’s retreating back. Just then, He Yuan suddenly turned to look at her. “Why are you still standing there?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Jian Yanzhi pursed her lips and slowly shuffled back to her seat. Just as she was about to sit down, He Yuan chuckled. “Hey, you really like my jacket, huh?”

 

Jian Yanzhi froze, realizing she was still wrapped in his outerwear.

 

“…”

 

Flustered, she quickly reached inside the collar, pinched the zipper, and pulled it down.

 

“Here,” she said, taking off the jacket and handing it to him.

 

He Yuan glanced at the nearby sofa and casually said, “Just put it there.”

 

Since he had helped her earlier, she obediently placed the jacket on the sofa. When she turned back to look at He Yuan, he had already lost interest in her. He was now deep in conversation with Hang Wenjie, the usual languidness in his eyes replaced by the vibrant energy of a young man.

 

In truth, Jian Yanzhi only knew He Yuan from his livestreams and competitions. She had no idea what he was like in his personal life.

 

Watching him laugh and joke with his teammates up close like this felt strangely surreal.

 

Around midnight, the group finally packed up and headed home.

 

Among the group, He Yuan was the only one who didn’t touch a drop of alcohol, making him the obvious choice to replace Lao Yao as the driver.

 

Jian Yanzhi gazed at his profile, wondering vaguely whether he abstained from alcohol because of his low tolerance or if he’d deliberately stayed sober to ensure the group’s safety.

 

Back home, Jian Yanzhi collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep instantly. In her dream, she saw He Yuan slowly approaching her. She’d dreamed of him before, but those dreams always involved them playing games together with unrestrained joy. This time, however, there were no games in their dream.

 

He Yuan simply walked toward her, a faint smile playing on his lips. He suddenly reached out and gently patted the top of her head, his touch far softer than when he’d adjusted her hat at the restaurant.

 

Jian Yanzhi jolted awake, startled by his captivating smile. She sat up abruptly, momentarily stunned.

 

Then, clutching her flushed cheeks, she muttered under her breath, “Damn it! Why does he have to smile so brightly? Ugh, it’s so hot, so hot.”

 

“Wait, why am I blushing? Am I… getting a crush on Shen Yuan right now?”

 

“Goddamn it! Not only is he a gaming god, but he’s handsome as hell!”

 

*Buzz… buzz… buzz…* The phone on her nightstand rang. Jian Yanzhi shook off the lingering image of someone from her mind and answered.

 

“What do you want so early?”

 

“Sister, it’s already noon!” Lu Xue exclaimed excitedly on the other end. “Are you seriously just waking up? Have you seen Shen Yuan’s latest Weibo post?”

 

“Shen Yuan… he’s awake?”

 

“Of course he is! What a dumb question!”

 

“Right, I’ll check it out now. Gotta go.”

 

“Okay, okay, let me know what you think after you read it!”

 

After hanging up with Lu Xue, Jian Yanzhi opened Weibo and logged into her private account, “God Yuan’s Little Fox.” This account only followed League of Legends personalities, including He Yuan’s official account.

 

A quick scroll revealed He Yuan’s latest post:

 

“Keith retired for personal reasons, without any external pressure. Xiao Jiu joined DSG through a joint decision by the team and management. His skills are on par with anyone else’s, and I believe in him. I hope you all will too. As for the trolls spreading rumors, my eyes are sharper than yours. Your unsolicited opinions aren’t needed here.”

 

Keith was DSG’s former support player, the one rumored to have been ousted by Jian Boyi.

 

Yesterday, Jian Boyi had a bottle smashed over his head in public. As team captain, He Yuan was clearly speaking up for him today.

 

He Yuan rarely posted on Weibo, let alone write such a lengthy message. Every sentence defended Jian Boyi, and the line “I believe in him” was downright swoon-worthy.

 

Jian Yanzhi raised an eyebrow and clicked on the comments.

 

The post already had tens of thousands of comments and shares. After skimming through the top comments, Jian Yanzhi felt like she’d been struck by lightning.

 

“Holy crap, the boyfriend energy is off the charts! I’m officially shipping Ninth Brother and Shen Yuan from now on!”

 

“Shen Yuan almost never speaks like this! He never defended Lao Yao and the others this strongly before! Ninth Brother must be special!”

 

“Seriously, Shen Yuan standing next to Ninth Brother just oozes dominant energy.”

 

“We believe in Shen Yuan! Support Xiao Jiu!”

 

“Ninth Brother was never lacking in skill. His previous team was just trash. DSG’s management clearly has good taste.”

 

“Xiao Jiu is so cute! Hold tight to Shen Yuan and don’t let go!”

 

Before Jian Yanzhi could even finish reading the comments, Lu Xue’s phone rang.

 

“Did you see it yet? What do you think?!” Lu Xue exclaimed.

 

“What the hell is this?” Jian Yanzhi retorted. “Shen Yuan and my scumbag brother being shipped together?”

 

“There are already tons of Shen Yuan fans,” Lu Xue replied, “and since both he and your brother are so good-looking, putting them together like that is explosive! The fujoshi are losing their minds!”

 

Jian Yanzhi chuckled. “Xiao Xue, I bet you’re one of those losing your mind, aren’t you?”

 

“How did you know?!” Lu Xue’s voice suddenly rose, her excitement barely contained. “Suddenly, my cousin seems so… gayish!”

 

Jian Yanzhi fell silent.