Chapter 12

Bian Yan didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity. He grabbed the jacket and backpack from the chair and dashed out. By the time he caught a cab and arrived at the base entrance, it was already 7:20.

Pei Yun Chang answered the phone, only to hear heavy breathing on the other end.

“Are they back yet? I’m at the entrance.”

“Congratulations…” Bian Yan let out a sigh of relief, but then Pei Yun Chang’s tone shifted, “Traffic was light this morning, so they came back early.”

Bian Yan laughed helplessly, “Thanks, I’ll go turn myself in.”

Pei Yun Chang sneakily opened the door a crack and peeked outside.

“They’re in the meeting room right now, handing out souvenirs that Sister Xu Ke bought for everyone. Soon, they’ll be knocking on doors one by one. I’m in a single room, so I’ll be the last one they come to, and I can just not open the door.”

“Beg me, and I might consider helping you,” Pei Yun Chang’s annoying voice came through the receiver.

Bian Yan suddenly felt like he was under the protection of someone with connections.

“No begging, just help, I’m coming up now,” Bian Yan stubbornly replied.

“Then go turn yourself in.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there were two beeps from the other end, and the call was disconnected.

No way…

When did this guy become so petty? Bian Yan was left bewildered.

The WIN Esports Team has always maintained its level by buying in top players, so they don’t usually recruit youth trainees. But when they do, they manage them extremely strictly, known as the youth training boot camp in the esports circle.

From negative training, smoking, and drinking, to staying out all night and having private relationships, everything is strictly controlled. If caught, there are penalties, and in severe cases, they are advised to leave, not even issuing a youth training certificate.

So no one wants to cross the line and end up wasting their time, but this doesn’t include Bian Yan, who is eager to improve his skills.

Moreover, he went out for training, leaving himself a way to explain.

This was the closest Bian Yan had come to being caught. He didn’t have time to mourn for himself and hurriedly scrambled inside.

Xu Ke and Qin Yu Xuan went up from the lobby stairs, so Bian Yan had to take a detour from the other side to avoid running into them.

By the time he quietly reached the third floor, the two at the end of the hallway had already knocked on the door of dorm 307.

He needed to speed up. As long as he could make it to 305, he’d be in the clear.

Bian Yan slowed his pace, sticking close to the wall, using the open door of 307 to shield himself from view.

But just a few steps in, the door to dorm 303 opened, and Bian Yan’s shoulder twitched.

“Hey, Nova! It’s me!” someone called out in a hushed voice from behind him.

Bian Yan turned around cautiously, and it was PP and Xiao Zi.

PP, although about the same age as Pei Yun Chang, was shorter and spoke softly, often getting knocked over by Pan Shi’s heavyweight “arm around the shoulder.”

Xiao Zi was a bit more lively compared to PP, but often felt inferior in front of Lu Chang Kong due to not being socially adept enough.

PP pointed ahead with his finger, covering his mouth, “No time to explain, quickly give us your jacket and backpack.”

Bian Yan was a bit surprised. Did they know where he had been?

Xiao Zi, being impatient, saw Bian Yan not moving and came out in his slippers to help him take off his jacket.

Bian Yan snapped out of it and quickly handed his jacket to Xiao Zi.

“No need to thank us, little brother,” Xiao Zi said as he tossed Bian Yan’s backpack and jacket inside, giving him a glare, “Just helping out the youngest brother, no need for thanks for such a small thing.”

“Don’t get caught, Coach Qin is one thing, but Coach Shen is scary.”

PP nodded, giving him a thumbs-up before closing the door.

Xu Ke and Qin Yu Xuan had already finished with one room and were chatting and laughing as they headed to dorm 306. Bian Yan took the opportunity to stick to the door frame, barely hiding himself.

It was like playing a game of underground warfare.

If it weren’t for the restroom being on their side of the hallway, he wouldn’t be in such a mess.

But as long as the jacket and backpack weren’t with him, he still had a chance to explain.

Bian Yan took advantage of the moment they went inside to move forward.

He had to hurry. Once Xu Ke and Qin Yu Xuan came out of 306, the next stop would be his dorm, 305. If he couldn’t slip in before then, all his efforts would be in vain.

“Brother Lu, Brother Shi, help!”

Bian Yan quietly made it to the door of 305, but he didn’t dare knock. He could only press his eye to the peephole and call out softly.

There was no response from inside, and Bian Yan was getting anxious, feeling the heat rising to his head, so he continued to call out.

“Brother Lu! Brother…”

Creak, the door opened.

Lu Chang Kong poked his head out, patting his chest in relief.

“Thank goodness you’re back, you almost scared… hey hey!”

But before he could finish, Pan Shi shoved him aside.

“Why do you talk so much?” Pan Shi, holding pajamas and slippers, shoved them into Bian Yan’s hands, “Quick, get in and change, change as much as you can.”

After all, the Martin boots on Bian Yan’s feet and the cargo pants on his legs didn’t look like someone who had just woken up.

It wasn’t realistic to change completely into pajamas now, but as long as he was in the dorm, he could explain the rest, hopefully dissuading Qin Yu Xuan from checking the surveillance.

Just as Bian Yan was about to go in, the door to 306 opened.

This was bad, there was no restroom in the dorm, and he had nowhere to hide.

Seeing the door to 306 about to open and holding pajamas in his arms, Bian Yan felt hopeless. In those few seconds, he had already concocted a story about being an old man who got up early for morning exercises.

In a panic, Pan Shi tried to push Bian Yan inside, using his large frame to block the door, hoping to buy some time.

But Xu Ke was already halfway out of the room next door, and Bian Yan was still at the door, clearly too late.

Instead of running away in a panic and being seen, it was better to take a chance.

Bian Yan raised his hand, ready to greet them.

Suddenly, he felt a strong pull from behind!

Bian Yan stumbled backward uncontrollably, then was yanked inside!

As the door closed, Xu Ke and Qin Yu Xuan came out of the previous dorm.

Bian Yan, still in shock, steadied himself and realized he was in Pei Yun Chang’s single dorm. He could faintly hear the voices of the others outside the door.

“Chang Kong, Pan Shi, what are you doing here?” Xu Ke asked in surprise.

“Well… we missed you after not seeing you for a few days! We were here to welcome you and Coach Qin!” Lu Chang Kong quickly forced a smile, nudging Pan Shi beside him.

“Yeah, yeah! We heard the commotion and came out immediately!” Pan Shi chimed in.

Qin Yu Xuan, carrying the bags of things Xu Ke bought, peeked into the dorm.

“Where’s Nova? Why isn’t he here?”

“He went to the…” Pan Shi started to say but was cut off by Lu Chang Kong, who gave him a glare.

When you should speak, you don’t, and when you shouldn’t, you do.

“I’ll explain! He slept in Brother Pei’s room last night! You’ll see them both when you go over there.” Lu Chang Kong pointed brightly across the hall, “After all, they’re both marksmen, it’s important to bond, right, Coach Qin?”

Qin Yu Xuan paused for a moment.

When Pei Yun Chang joined the team, both he and Shen Chuan had personally tested and picked him up on the big boss’s orders, even arranging for him to have a single room. How come he didn’t know Pei Yun Chang would invite someone to sleep over?

“Coach Qin?” Lu Chang Kong tilted his head, asking.

Qin Yu Xuan pursed his lips, “Nothing, let’s go in first.”

——

On the other side.

It was Bian Yan’s first time in here, and he couldn’t help but look around curiously.

As expected, the place where the club’s young master lived was different from theirs.

“You don’t even have a word of thanks?” Pei Yun Chang pulled a chair over with one hand, sat down, and crossed his legs, “Ungrateful wolf.”

“So what? Who will you duel with if I leave?” Bian Yan retorted, knowing Pei Yun Chang wouldn’t go back on his word and throw him out.

Pei Yun Chang glanced at his watch, “If it weren’t for my heroic act, you’d be in Coach Shen’s office by now.”

“Yeah, so I won’t hold you accountable for scratching me, no need to thank me.” Bian Yan pretended to grimace, rubbing his chest.

Pei Yun Chang chuckled, not arguing over who should thank whom, but instead got up from the chair, step by step cornering Bian Yan.

“Really? Where are you hurt, let me see?”

Bian Yan thought he had won the verbal spar, but didn’t expect Pei Yun Chang to pull this move.

“Hey, hey, hey? Don’t come over, I have a girlfriend!” Bian Yan waved his hands in the air.

“Do you need to say that?”

Pei Yun Chang stopped abruptly at the last sentence, walked to the bed, and tossed the pajamas to Bian Yan, his tone not very pleasant, “Change yourself, hurry up, they’re coming soon.”

Bian Yan stood in the corner, holding the pajamas, looking at the neatly dressed Pei Yun Chang across from him…

No, why does this scene feel so weird?

A few days ago, Bian Yan was frantically training to try and beat Pei Yun Chang, never expecting he’d be changing clothes in Pei Yun Chang’s room one day.

Laughter came from across the room, and Pei Yun Chang urged, “Hurry up, do you want me to change you?”

Damn, what kind of domineering CEO line is that?

“Shut up!”

Bian Yan, holding the pajamas, was both angry and embarrassed.

——

“Xiao Pei? Xiao Pei, are you awake?” Qin Yu Xuan knocked on the door.

Pei Yun Chang, wearing slippers, went to open the door, “Brother Qin.”

Qin Yu Xuan nodded, and sure enough, saw Bian Yan sitting on the chair, surprised, “Bian Yan is here too, what are you guys doing?”

A minute ago, Bian Yan had tossed his clothes into Pei Yun Chang’s wardrobe under his cold gaze, now wearing his own Doraemon pajamas.

He still remembered the mocking look in Pei Yun Chang’s eyes when he saw the pajamas.

All because of Bian Tang.

But he could just blame it on that nonexistent girlfriend, at least it didn’t let Pei Yun Chang laugh too hard.

Bian Yan feigned a yawn, smiling as he replied, “We were practicing our skills last night, Coach Qin. Tomorrow is the practice match with the first team.”

Qin Yu Xuan nodded approvingly, “It’s good to have that spirit, I’m looking forward to your performance in tomorrow’s practice match.”

Xu Ke, smiling, chimed in, saying she rushed back just in time for the practice match and learned a new nutritious recipe to cook for everyone.

The four of them started discussing the small gifts Xu Ke brought back, laughing and chatting.

Although WIN was strict, at that moment, Bian Yan genuinely liked it here.

The silent help from PP and Xiao Zi, the selfless care from Lu Chang Kong and Pan Shi, the joyful atmosphere when everyone was together, the strict Coach Shen, the talkative Coach Qin, the thoughtful and accommodating Xu Ke…

And of course, Pei Yun Chang, the annoying guy and respectable opponent.

Bian Yan was already eagerly anticipating the day they would become professional players after youth training, even imagining the scene of them lifting the trophy together.

But at that time, Bian Yan would never have expected that on the second day of adulthood, he would be personally expelled from WIN by his old club.

Nor would he have imagined that in his most youthful arrogance, he would never have the chance to stand on the stage.