It was a hand wearing a leather glove.
The soft sheepskin was loosely attached at the brow arch, blocking the view in front of him tightly, plunging everything into darkness. The surroundings were pitch black, leaving Chen Zemian unable to see anything. However, he could hear a cry of surprise, sharp and unmistakable.
“How many rings? How many rings?” the voice demanded urgently.
Chen Zemian’s heart pounded as he anxiously pushed Lu Zhuonian’s hand away. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pry it loose. He could only tilt his head back, trying to avoid the intrusive touch.
Once a person loses their sight, it’s easy to feel disoriented, even unsteady. As Chen Zemian tilted his head too much, his balance wavered. Suddenly, he swayed and fell backward.
In this fall, the back of his head just happened to hit Lu Zhuonian’s shoulder.
Immediately, Chen Zemian raised his head high, his back pressed against Lu Zhuonian’s chest. One hand covered his eyes, and he found himself half leaning into Lu Zhuonian’s arms in confusion. His neck stretched into a graceful arc, with his Adam’s apple protruding slightly—a delicate, almost fragile curve, like a swan tilting its neck back, elegant and tender.
Lu Zhuonian’s breathing changed instantly. His black eyes dimmed, flashing with a deep, dangerous light that was almost imperceptible beneath his calm exterior.
Unaware of the looming danger, Chen Zemian still clung to Lu Zhuonian’s wrist, his voice trembling with anticipation. “How many rings? How many rings?”
Lu Zhuonian’s breathing grew heavier, and suddenly, he struck Chen Zemian’s ear with a hard blow.
Startled by the shift in Lu Zhuonian’s breathing, Chen Zemian’s heart skipped a beat. His fingers curled unconsciously. “Is it a full ring again?” he asked softly, voice trembling with nervous hope.
Lu Zhuonian remained silent, refusing to answer.
Chen Zemian wondered silently—did Lu Zhuonian stay silent because Lloyd scored full rings again? Was that the reason he lost the chance to win? Frustration bubbled within him, and he couldn’t help but feel annoyed. He didn’t want to witness Lloyd’s moment of glory. So, instinctively, he covered his eyes.
But then, a cold thought swept through him: Was he really going to lose?
In that moment, his concern for Lu Zhuonian’s emotions completely overwhelmed his competitive instinct.
He gently shook Lu Zhuonian’s hand, trying to comfort him. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. There are still several shots left. The outcome is uncertain, and we still have a chance.”
Lu Zhuonian chuckled softly. “He has no chance,” he said with quiet confidence.
Chen Zemian was stunned. He wanted to ask, “Huh? Why?” but because of the awkward angle of looking up, his throat unconsciously made a “gu” sound instead.
Lu Zhuonian chuckled again. “Kesong said you can coo, and it’s true,” he teased lightly.
Chen Zemian’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he almost jumped in frustration. “Why does Lloyd have no chance? Did we actually win?”
Lu Zhuonian replied in a low, steady voice, “We won.”
Suddenly, Chen Zemian began to tug at Lu Zhuonian’s hand again, eager to see the results. “I want to see! Why do you keep covering my eyes?”
Lu Zhuonian leaned forward slightly. As he let go, he whispered into Chen Zemian’s ear, “He missed the target.”
Chen Zemian’s eyes widened suddenly. He pushed Lu Zhuonian’s hand away and looked up sharply. His gaze fixed on the scoreboard—Lloyd had indeed missed.
What had happened to Lloyd?
No wonder there had been no more gunshots after that shot—the game was over. Lloyd was destined to lose, and there was no point in him shooting again.
The impact of a missed shot was too significant. Even if Lloyd scored full rings in the next shot, his total wouldn’t surpass Lu Zhuonian’s.
For a top shooter like Lloyd, missing the target was an unforgivable mistake—especially after hitting a perfect ring just moments before.
Something must have thrown him off.
“No wonder you suddenly covered my eyes just now!” Chen Zemian exclaimed, turning around abruptly. He instinctively linked cause and effect in his mind. “He looked at you after shooting a perfect ring, trying to show off his achievement. But he didn’t expect to see you covering my eyes. He knew you had mysophobia, and in his surprise, his hand slipped, causing him to miss the target.”
Lu Zhuonian said nothing, only silently listening.
Sometimes, he truly admired Chen Zemian’s logical thinking. Whether because Chen Zemian was the mastermind behind the game or simply because of his vivid imagination, his ability to connect unrelated details was remarkable. It was an unparalleled talent.
Chen Zemian sighed, a faint smile on his face. “You’re still so cool,” he said admiringly.
Lu Zhuonian blinked in surprise. “?”
Chen Zemian continued, “Only you could come up with such a clever move.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded, a hint of pride in his expression. “Yes, only I could think of it.”
Chen Zemian playfully punched Lu Zhuonian’s chest, grinning widely. “I knew you could win! That’s right! To achieve your goal, you have to do whatever it takes. I was worried you were too upright—disdaining these crooked tricks. I underestimated you.”
Lu Zhuonian responded sincerely, “And I underestimated you as well.”
Chen Zemian wasn’t joking. “Don’t be modest. We’re the same,” he said confidently.
Lu Zhuonian hesitated, unsure of what to say. He had even hugged the man in his arms, yet Chen Zemian seemed to interpret it as a tactic.
It was more straightforward than he thought.
The victory or defeat had already been decided. Lloyd, having finished his shooting, silently put away his gun. He ignored the cheers from his teammates and simply watched Lu Zhuonian from a distance.
Lu Zhuonian nodded slightly. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
Lloyd clenched his teeth, his cheeks tense, and raised his thumb in a defiant gesture.
The referee announced the end of the game, and the circular screen above displayed the results clearly.
Lu Zhuonian had won.
A wave of cheers erupted around the scene.
In that moment of joy, adrenaline surged through everyone’s veins, and a relaxed, pleasant thrill filled the air.
Lu Zhuonian also smiled faintly.
Seeing him victorious, Chen Zemian felt a happiness beyond expectation. He turned around and threw his arms around Lu Zhuonian, patting him on the back enthusiastically. “Amazing!”
Lu Zhuonian’s pupils contracted slightly, and his heartbeat suddenly quickened—like a roller coaster cresting a peak before plunging downward.
He couldn’t tell whether he was happier about the win or the simple act of hugging Chen Zemian.
He was stunned for half a second before raising a hand to vaguely hug Chen Zemian, patting his back softly. “Don’t swear,” he muttered.
Chen Zemian looked up, grinning. “Don’t spoil the fun.”
At that moment, Lu Zhuonian suddenly felt lightheaded and dizzy, as if his body was wavering.
He heard himself whisper, “Then you talk.”
Chen Zemian, with a big, bright smile and eyes shimmering with warmth and brilliance, leaned closer. His expression was gentle, almost radiant—like a spring breeze, a warm sun, a blooming sea of flowers, or a rippling lotus pond. It made people instinctively want to embrace him.
Until this moment, Lu Zhuonian had always thought that description of a person’s smile lighting up the world was just a figure of speech—an exaggeration, a metaphor. But now, he realized the truth.
It was real.
There truly was such a person—someone whose smile was warmer than the sun, capable of penetrating the chest and illuminating the heart.
In an instant, Lu Zhuonian felt a strong urge—he wanted to kiss Chen Zemian.
He lowered his head slightly.
The scene was noisy, chaotic even. Chen Zemian thought Lu Zhuonian simply wanted to speak to him, and he leaned in, not wary at all, to listen closely.
Lu Zhuonian held his breath, closed his eyes, caught between reason and impulse. After a moment, reason finally gained the upper hand.
He decided to make the best of the situation—pretending he just wanted to say something, though he wasn’t quite sure what. Instead, he simply called out Chen Zemian’s name.
Chen Zemian turned his head at the sound, leaning in slightly.
As their ears brushed, static electricity seemed to explode in Chen Zemian’s head. He shuddered instinctively, caught completely off guard.
He rubbed his ears, aware that it was an accident, yet unable to suppress a small complaint. “Why did you shock me on purpose?” he asked softly.
Lu Zhuonian’s lips were slightly numb. He wiped them with the back of his fingers and replied casually, “It was obviously your own movement.”
Chen Zemian watched Lu Zhuonian wipe his mouth, then skillfully handed him an alcohol wipe, attempting to excuse himself at the same time. “Does this count as you touching me, or me touching you?”
Lu Zhuonian took the alcohol wipe and wiped his gloves absentmindedly. “Count it as me touching you, okay?”
Chen Zemian smiled again, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Alright, then.”
Lu Zhuonian pursed his lips, a barely perceptible smile flickering in his gaze.
Chen Zemian is a touchy person. Seeing Lu Zhuonian being kind to him, he couldn’t help but reach out and poke the corner of his lips. “I don’t think your mysophobia is that serious.”
Lu Zhuonian pushed Chen Zemian’s hand away, his tone firm. “I said I hate physical contact.”
Noticing that Lu Zhuonian was not angry, Chen Zemian grew bolder. He leaned in slightly, teasing. “Then, what do you think would happen if I touched you?”
Lu Zhuonian lowered his head and removed the magazine from his rifle. “Just don’t regret it,” he replied quietly.
Chen Zemian was about to ask, “Can you still kill me?” but before he could speak, he heard footsteps behind him. Without turning his head, he whispered to Lu Zhuonian, “Lloyd is here.”
Lu Zhuonian looked up and saw Lloyd walking up the stairs, still some distance away. “You can hear that from so far away?”
“Of course,” Chen Zemian said proudly, pointing at his ear. “Super sensitive.”
Lu Zhuonian put away his rifle. “What do you think he came for?”
Chen Zemian guessed, “I suppose he’s not convinced and wants to challenge you in some other way.”
Sure enough, Lloyd invited Lu Zhuonian to a competition—this time, with flying discs.
The target was a lime-green disc, only 10 centimeters in diameter. In formal competitions, shotguns are usually employed, but Lloyd suggested using a pistol since it was just for fun.
“How about the Beretta 92?” Lloyd proposed. “We’ll shoot a hundred flying discs. The one who hits more wins.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded in agreement.
The flying disc contest was scheduled to start in forty minutes.
After Lloyd left, Lu Zhuonian examined his hand and muttered, “He might have noticed something.”
Chen Zemian looked at his hand. “If he knew your hand was injured, why did you switch from a shotgun to a pistol? Shotguns require both hands, which would be more advantageous for him.”
Lu Zhuonian pondered for a moment. “The pistol magazine has a small capacity, and changing magazines wastes time.”
Chen Zemian hadn’t considered this detail.
The competition involved four launching devices, firing flying discs from different angles— a total of 100. The first person to hit 51 discs would be declared the winner.
Since the Beretta 92 only holds fifteen bullets, at least three reloads would be necessary during the contest—each reload breaking the rhythm of shooting. The launcher keeps firing regardless of whether the magazine is full or empty, and there’s no distinction between the competitors. Whoever hits the most discs wins, hence the term “rush shooting.”
Lu Zhuonian’s hand was injured, making his reloading slower than Lloyd’s. Lloyd could leverage his three reloads to buy time and dominate the rush shooting.
“Lloyd actually calculated that,” Chen Zemian muttered angrily. “I really can’t afford to lose.”
Lu Zhuonian replied softly, “It might just be my own weakness. He’s simply having fun with this.”
Like many petty, vulgar people, Chen Zemian unconditionally sided with his brother. “Impossible—he must have done it on purpose.”
Lu Zhuonian couldn’t quite explain what was wrong with him at that moment.
The more Chen Zemian trusted him, the more he wanted to prove himself and deepen that trust.
“Do you want to test him?” Lu Zhuonian asked.
Chen Zemian looked up, eyes sparkling. “How?”
Lu Zhuonian suggested, “If I lose this round, then we’ll see what he proposes in the next.”
Chen Zemian’s mind raced. “If he sees you’re slow reloading this time, he’ll definitely challenge you to a scramble in the next round.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded, praising, “Smart.”
Frowning, Chen Zemian considered their options. “Then what should we do? Otherwise, I’ll throw the discs to you, but I’ll slow down when you change magazines.”
“Throwing flying discs is dangerous,” Lu Zhuonian said seriously. “And honestly, you really want me to win.”
Chen Zemian nodded vigorously. “Of course! If you lose this round, your chances in the next scramble will be even slimmer. Though you’re usually quick, your hand isn’t what it used to be. How can we compete?”
Lu Zhuonian shrugged. “It’s not hard—it just hurts.”
Chen Zemian blew twice on Lu Zhuonian’s gloves, trying to encourage him sincerely. “Stay strong, hold on—that’s what counts this round.”
Lu Zhuonian looked down at the back of his hand. “Good. The gloves really don’t hurt anymore.”
“If I take off my gloves now,” Chen Zemian said, glancing at the clock, “people will notice my injuries, right?”
Seeing that time was almost up, he pushed Lu Zhuonian out of the lounge and added, “Comfort yourself first. I’ll take them off when I get home and blow on them for you.”
Lu Zhuonian replied, “They’re torn. Normal people would say ‘pluck’—you didn’t finish high school, but you must’ve gone to elementary school.”
As a game plot planner, Chen Zemian defended his proficiency in Chinese. “Definitely ‘take off’—it’s more accurate.”
Lu Zhuonian, considering his condition, couldn’t stand hearing Chen Zemian’s casual words every day. He asked seriously, “Don’t you think ‘take them off when I get home and blow on them’ sounds awkward?”
Chen Zemian, being a little careless, pushed open the door to the preparation area. “What’s so awkward about just taking off your gloves? I’ve taken off your clothes before.”
Suddenly, with a loud ‘clang,’ something fell to the ground inside the room.
Chen Zemian thought it was Lloyd’s people coming to cause trouble. He pushed open the door and looked. To his surprise, he saw Xiao Kesong, who was stunned.
Xiao Kesong’s eyes widened in shock. He looked first at Chen Zemian, then at Lu Zhuonian, speechless.
He hadn’t been able to meet with them for days— they simply vanished. Today, upon hearing Lu Zhuonian was at the shooting range, Xiao Kesong had come to see for himself. He never expected to hear such a strange phrase as soon as he arrived.
What did “take off and blow for you” even mean?
Take off what? Blow what? Why was he even taking off his clothes?!
Xiao Kesong was utterly stunned.
Chen Zemian remained silent.
Lu Zhuonian, walking into the preparation area with calm ease, said, “Why do you insist on using ‘take off’? It wouldn’t be so troublesome if you just said ‘pick off’.”
Chen Zemian looked at him, speechless.
“What do you mean by ‘take off’ and ‘pick off’?” Xiao Kesong finally found his voice. He rushed forward, grabbed Chen Zemian, and shook him. “Why are you helping Zhuonian take off his clothes?!”
“Don’t shake me,” Chen Zemian struggled, nearly shaken apart. “This can’t be known to others. Let me close the door first, and then I’ll tell you.”
Xiao Kesong froze, realizing the importance of secrecy. He couldn’t let anyone else find out.
What else could possibly happen?
Chen Zemian, so handsome, and Lu Zhuonian with his illness— this was a disaster waiting to happen.
Xiao Kesong silently closed the door of the preparation area, then turned and embraced Chen Zemian tightly.
Chen Zemian was taken aback. “???”
Xiao Kesong pressed his forehead against Chen Zemian’s shoulder, choking with emotion. “It’s all my fault,” he whispered.
Chen Zemian gently patted him on the back, confused. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Xiao Kesong burst into tears, overwhelmed. “If I hadn’t brought you to Lu Zhuonian, you wouldn’t have been ruined by him.”
Chen Zemian stared in disbelief. “?????????????”
Lu Zhuonian, watching silently, simply shook his head
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
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