Pei Huan downplayed his achievement of winning the gold medal so much that if it weren’t for Yan Zimi having previously looked up which competition Pei Huan participated in, he might have been completely fooled.

The bus’s final stop was their school. As they passed through each stop, the bus was gradually emptying out. By the last few stops, aside from them, there were only the driver in front and a girl sitting diagonally across from them.

As they were approaching the stop, Yan Zimi whispered to Pei Huan, “She seems to be from our school too.”

Pei Huan confirmed Yan Zimi’s observation, “Yeah.”

Yan Zimi asked, “You know her?”

Pei Huan lowered his voice to match Yan Zimi’s, “She’s from my college, a freshman.”

Yan Zimi responded with a soft “Oh.”

Then Yan Zimi asked, “How do you know her?”

Pei Huan replied, “She’s the conductor for her class’s choir this year.”

Yan Zimi pouted slightly, “Oh, so you’re paying attention to pretty girls.”

Pei Huan laughed, “I’ve just heard about her a lot.”

Yan Zimi asked, “Do you know her? Does she know you?”

Pei Huan replied, “Why don’t you go ask her?”

Yan Zimi retorted, “I definitely won’t.”

Pei Huan said, “I’ll ask.”

Without hesitation, Pei Huan turned to the girl and asked, “Do you know Yan Zimi?”

Yan Zimi was completely taken aback and quickly stood up to cover Pei Huan’s mouth.

“What are you doing?” Yan Zimi pulled Pei Huan back. “Why would you do that?”

In reality, Pei Huan’s voice was very quiet, and with the noise of the bus and the wind coming in from outside, it was highly unlikely the girl would hear him.

He just wanted to tease Yan Zimi.

Yan Zimi secretly glanced over at the girl, and sure enough, she was still looking down at her phone, just like before.

However, what Yan Zimi didn’t see was that the moment he sat back down, the girl couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Yan Zimi shot a bland look at Pei Huan. “You’re so boring.”

Pei Huan leaned forward, propping himself on the seat in front, and looked at Yan Zimi with a grin. “Did I scare you?”

Yan Zimi repeated, “You’re really boring.”

Pei Huan laughed heartily.

Before long, the bus stopped at the bus station in front of the school.

It was quite late, and there were hardly any people around the school gate. Their destinations were in two different directions, so after getting off the bus, they exchanged simple goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Yan Zimi’s apartment was right next door, and he reached it in just two minutes.

Once back in his apartment, Yan Zimi collapsed onto his small sofa like a balloon that had been excited all night and finally deflated.

It wasn’t just excitement; it was mental exhilaration.

Every time his balloon-like spirit tried to soar high, Pei Huan would pull him back down.

Pei Huan would tease him, pat his head, protect him, watch him smile, and also make him laugh.

Yan Zimi felt like he was going crazy.

The cushion on the sofa was nearly deformed from Yan Zimi’s grasp before he finally released it.

He turned around to sit up and pulled out his phone, noticing that Pei Huan had sent him a message just a few minutes ago.

fire: “Are you free tomorrow night?”

Typically, when he received a message like that, Yan Zimi would respond with a noncommittal “What’s up?”

But this was Pei Huan.

So, of course, Yan Zimi replied, “I am.”

fire: “Want to grab dinner together?”

fire: “And my roommates will be there too.”

Yan Zimi replied, “Sounds good!”

The next day, Yan Zimi learned that Pei Huan was treating his guest who had won the gold medal, and he found out that aside from his own roommates, he was the only outsider invited.

Yan Zimi spent the entire day running errands, returning to the restaurant a little over half an hour early.

Deciding not to go back to his apartment, he went directly to the restaurant and waited in the lobby.

Pei Huan arrived ten minutes later, and the moment he walked in, their eyes met.

Pei Huan strode over and sat down next to Yan Zimi. “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming early? How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long,” Yan Zimi replied. “Don’t you have class?”

Pei Huan shrugged. “Their classes? I have enough credits.”

Yan Zimi nodded and leaned back against the sofa.

Pei Huan asked him, “Feeling very tired?”

Yan Zimi nodded again. “I got up early this morning and have been busy until just now.”

Pei Huan gently patted Yan Zimi’s knee twice. “You can sleep; they’ll be a while.”

Yan Zimi murmured, “Okay.”

With Pei Huan by his side, Yan Zimi felt safe enough to close his eyes, relaxing fully against the sofa.

As he leaned back, he sensed his body tilting and realized he was about to slide off.

In the moment before he slipped, Yan Zimi tightened his core, intending to brace himself, but suddenly a shadow loomed beside him, blocking him and catching him.

His head ended up resting on Pei Huan’s shoulder.

Yan Zimi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he relaxed his tensed muscles, letting his whole body sink into comfort.

The restaurant lobby was well-lit, so even with his eyes closed, he could faintly make out shadows outside.

So, when Pei Huan reached out, Yan Zimi felt it.

A blurry shape approached, and before he could open his eyes to confirm what it was, something warm touched the tip of his nose.

Pei Huan was poking at his mole.

Yan Zimi couldn’t help it; his eyebrows twitched, and he smiled.

“Not sleeping?” Pei Huan asked.

Yan Zimi opened his eyes to glance at Pei Huan but quickly shut them again. “Just resting for a bit.”

Pei Huan patted his head and asked, “Want some?”

Yan Zimi opened his eyes again and saw Pei Huan extending his index finger toward him.

Yan Zimi looked a bit confused. “What?”

Pei Huan said, “Do you need to hold onto something to sleep better?”

Yan Zimi felt a flush of warmth.

Pei Huan continued, “My little cousin is like that too; he has to hold onto something when he sleeps.”

Yan Zimi neither confirmed nor denied it.

And every little detail from that night would inevitably be brought up by Pei Huan at the most unexpected times.

It was impossible for Yan Zimi not to feel embarrassed.

He turned his head slightly, burying it against the space between Pei Huan’s shoulder and the sofa.

“Were you pretending to sleep that night?” Yan Zimi asked.

“I was sleeping,” Pei Huan chuckled. “But when I heard you talking, I woke up.”

Yan Zimi felt utterly mortified.

So he really knew everything.

Pei Huan even asked, “What, was that meant for me to hear, but not for me to hear?”

Yan Zimi buried his head deeply. “No, it’s okay for you to listen.”

After saying that, he grasped Pei Huan’s index finger and placed it on his lap. “I’m going to sleep now.”

But he just couldn’t seem to doze off.

Less than half a minute later, the lobby erupted into noise, with a familiar voice shouting, “Pei Huan, help!”

Yan Zimi opened his eyes and saw Zhao Di running over, with Xiao Dong following behind.

Yan Zimi sat up.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them were already by their side.

Pei Huan asked, “What happened?”

“Pei Huan,” Zhao Di plopped down beside him, clinging to Pei Huan. “He wants to hug me!”

Pei Huan asked, “Hug you?”

Zhao Di replied, “This idiot saw two guys outside hugging and said it looked warm, so he just put on one layer and insists on hugging me to warm up.”

Xiao Dong chimed in, “Then give me your jacket.”

Zhao Di shouted, “Why would I give it to you? Who told you not to wear enough clothes?” He pointed at Yu Nan, who was trailing behind. “You should hug him!”

Xiao Dong moved forward, trying to pull off Zhao Di’s jacket. “Your coat is bigger.”

Yan Zimi and Pei Huan both looked outside and indeed saw two guys embracing to keep warm, likely waiting for a bus.

When they turned their gaze back, Xiao Dong had already burrowed into Zhao Di’s arms, tugging at his jacket while saying, “I almost froze to death walking over. Is it going to kill you to warm me up?”

The commotion was too much and could easily involve innocent bystanders. Pei Huan not only didn’t help but also pulled Yan Zimi away.

On their way to the private room, Xiao Dong finally stopped fussing as his body warmed up, but Zhao Di still kept his distance from him.

I don’t know how much prize money Pei Huan received for that gold award, but once they sat down, everyone was quite informal, casually discussing what was expensive and what wasn’t.

Pei Huan’s three roommates were particularly lively, creating a very cheerful atmosphere from the start of the meal.

Yan Zimi had witnessed this dormitory’s atmosphere before; it seemed like they never ran out of things to say and could chat about anything. With Zhao Di and Xiao Dong’s little grievances tonight, the conversation hardly paused.

As they continued chatting, the topic shifted to Yan Zimi and Pei Huan’s gaming names.

Once this was brought up, Yan Zimi felt a bit hesitant to speak at first.

But clearly, everyone was very open-minded. Xiao Dong even accused the two of them of not being considerate enough, secretly changing their names without telling anyone.

Then, they started worrying about what name to change to in order to catch up.

“I came up with Dong Dong Winter, and I actually have the same name as someone else.”

Yu Nan added, “I used Nan Nan South, and it also has a duplicate.”

This kind of thinking was something Yan Zimi had never considered; indeed, in the world of straight men, their thoughts were quite different.

“Pei Huan, why don’t you come up with something for us?” Xiao Dong poured a drink for Pei Huan. “I had the fridge change its name too. In the future, when our five-person team goes out, we’ll be quite a sight.”

Yu Nan chimed in, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s all about the momentum.”

Pei Huan initially said, “Think of something yourself,” and then added, “If you can’t think of anything, it’s fine; as long as we look good.”

After hearing Pei Huan’s words, Yu Nan, who had just been discussing name changes, quickly sided with him: “That works, anyway, you two are a pair.”

Zhao Di then asked, “Why did you two suddenly change your names?”

Yan Zimi put down his cup. “I lost in a 1v1,” he turned to Pei Huan and said, “Put the real wild king’s name up.”

Xiao Dong laughed, “What are you thinking, junior? You had a 1v1 with our Brother Huan.”

Yan Zimi nodded, “Indeed, it was a devastating loss.”

Zhao Di asked Pei Huan, “And why did you change yours?”

Pei Huan replied clearly, “I got bullied.”

Yan Zimi let out a chuckle.

Xiao Dong said, “You can still get bullied?”

Pei Huan sighed, “Yeah, I can still get bullied.”

Yan Zimi lowered his head, laughing but too shy to speak.

That night, everyone had some drinks, but not too much—just enough to warm their stomachs.

When it came to drinking, Zhao Di couldn’t help but praise Pei Huan.

It wasn’t that his alcohol tolerance was particularly impressive; it was that he knew how to exercise restraint, aware of his limits and always able to know when to stop.

“But it seems you can hold your liquor pretty well,” Zhao Di added as they headed downstairs, stopping at the entrance.

He patted Pei Huan on the shoulder. “Right, Huan? Is there anyone who can drink more than you?”

Pei Huan chuckled lightly. “Nope.”

Zhao Di paused for a moment and then turned to ask, “Zimi, how’s your alcohol tolerance?”

Yan Zimi replied, “It’s average, I can handle a few drinks.”

Inside the restaurant, it didn’t feel that cold, but once they stepped outside and the door opened, the wind rushed in, and the roommates all let out a collective “wooh.”

Xiao Dong skillfully flew behind Zhao Di and hugged him.

Zhao Di said disdainfully, “Get off me!”

Xiao Dong laughed, “No way.”

Pei Huan glanced at them a few times.

The restaurant was located at the east gate of the school, which was closer to the boys’ dormitory.

So, it wasn’t long before they had to part ways due to their different destinations.

It seemed like this happened every time; the dormitory and the apartments were always in opposite directions.

As they reached the point where they had to part ways, Xiao Dong and Zhao Di were still joking around up ahead, while Yan Zimi stopped in his tracks.

Pei Huan also halted.

Yan Zimi fished out his phone from his pocket and asked Pei Huan, “Aren’t you going to call me today?”

Pei Huan shook his head. “Not today.”

Yan Zimi was taken aback for a moment but still nodded obediently. “Okay then.”

Pei Huan smiled. “You’re just going to let me off the hook like that?”

Yan Zimi replied, “What can I do?”

Pei Huan said, “Today, instead of hearing my voice, you’ll have me with you.” He reached out and untangled the strings of Yan Zimi’s hoodie that had gotten twisted together. “Let’s take a tour of the path that little liar usually walks.”

Yan Zimi immediately felt happy but retorted, “You’re the little liar.”

Pei Huan decided to accompany Yan Zimi, and it seemed like everyone else had no objections; they simply glanced at him before leaving without a word.

It was really cold that day, especially in the evening.

Fortunately, after the meal, they felt much warmer.

What hadn’t been mentioned earlier was that both of them were wearing white hoodies and jeans.

Of course, this wasn’t a big deal; it was quite normal to have matching colors.

But Yan Zimi felt really good about it over such a trivial matter.

A few steps later, Pei Huan suddenly asked him, “Aren’t you going to let me wear your clothes?”

Yan Zimi chuckled in response.

Pei Huan asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Yan Zimi quickly took off his bag from behind and pulled out a packet from inside.

He took out a jacket from the bag. “I brought it.”

Pei Huan was clearly surprised by Yan Zimi’s gesture. He took the jacket and smiled, “You don’t carry this around with you, do you?”

Yan Zimi shook his head. “No, I brought it today.”

Pei Huan asked, “If you brought it, why didn’t you take it out earlier?”

Yan Zimi felt a bit embarrassed, but since Pei Huan asked, it felt different.

He handed over a black trench coat, and he had imagined how handsome Pei Huan would look in it.

Pei Huan said he would wear it, and Yan Zimi wanted to help him put it on, but to his surprise, Pei Huan just tossed it over his back and easily slipped it on.

Yan Zimi held onto the plastic bag, biting his lip as he watched Pei Huan with a silly smile.

Pei Huan looked down at the coat. “It fits perfectly,” he said, then asked Yan Zimi, “How did it fit so well?”

Yan Zimi obviously understood the implication. “It’s a little big on me, but it’s still so good-looking; too bad it’s only available in this size,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “I had to buy it.”

He continued, “It looks great on you.”

Then, feeling bold, he added, “Senior, I’ve had that name change for a few days now. What do you think about…?”

Pei Huan caught onto Yan Zimi’s hint and teased, “Can I wear it all winter long?”

Yan Zimi burst out laughing. “Don’t you think that’s a bit monotonous?”

Pei Huan looked down at the coat again. “It really does look good.”

Yan Zimi felt inexplicably happy and asked Pei Huan, “Is it warm?”

But Pei Huan didn’t answer that question; instead, he asked Yan Zimi, “Are you cold?”

Yan Zimi replied, “No…”

“No,” Pei Huan interrupted him. “You’re cold.”

Pei Huan said as he opened the coat, “Get in.”

Yan Zimi was taken aback. “Huh?”

Pei Huan didn’t give Yan Zimi a chance to think; he grabbed his wrist and pulled him over.

In an instant, Yan Zimi found himself falling into Pei Huan’s arms, enveloped by Pei Huan’s coat.

His breath clearly caught for a few seconds, and his heart instantly started racing.

Pei Huan looked down at him and returned the earlier question: “Is it warm?”