Chapter 18: An Lan vs. Li Zhennan
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An Lan’s perception was instantly shifted. In his mind, there was no longer the scent of Li Zhennan’s pheromones; the oppressive and stimulating smell of alcohol seemed to be isolated behind a glass wall. Instead, what occupied An Lan’s mind was the hand, not pressing too hard on his face, even maintaining a seemingly touching but not touching distance.
An Lan’s throat moved slightly, and the person probably knew An Lan had also released his hand.
“Gu Liyu, why is it you again!” Li Zhennan was furious. “Are you trying to confront me?”
“You’re blocking the way,” Gu Liyu raised his chin.
Indeed, Li Zhennan’s car was blocking half of the road.
“You can go from the other side,” Li Zhennan said.
Since they were already outside the school, Li Zhennan wanted to confront Gu Liyu on everything.
Gu Liyu simply took both hands off the handlebars, hanging them lightly on both sides, standing on one foot, showing no sign of caring about Li Zhennan.
“Do you like him?” Gu Liyu lowered his head, looking at Qiao Chuluo, who was being supported by An Lan.
Upon hearing this, An Lan wondered why Li Zhennan was thinking like this, even Gu Liyu was asking such a question.
“He’s my best friend!”
“So, you want to help your friend reject this alpha?” Gu Liyu asked again.
“Yes,” An Lan answered.
Li Zhennan laughed, “What’s the matter, Gu Liyu, are you going to intervene? This doesn’t seem like your style?”
“Ten meters moving target,” Gu Liyu spoke.
“What? Are you going to compete with me in a ten-meter moving target? Just for this omega?” Li Zhennan showed an expression of disbelief.
“You have two mistakes. First, omega is a gender, not a person’s name,” Gu Liyu’s voice remained indifferent.
“What do you mean?” Li Zhennan asked.
“It means that, although you keep saying you like Qiao Chuluo and want him to sit in your car and smile, in your heart, he doesn’t even deserve to have a name; he’s just an omega,” An Lan answered on behalf of Gu Liyu.
With different perspectives, even the most basic understanding was not the same. Li Zhennan had really lived these years in vain.
Li Zhennan unexpectedly met Qiao Chuluo’s disdainful gaze.
“Second, I’m not the one competing with you. Since he said he wants to help his friend, of course, he will be the one to compete with you.” Gu Liyu raised his hand and pointed at An Lan.
An Lan paused.
In the A-circle, shooting had become popular in recent years, and many children were sent to learn shooting.
For example, Gu Liyu and Xu Xingran, they were young elites cultivated by the provincial shooting club and had participated in many professional competitions.
An Lan also practiced shooting, but it was not as high-end as their clubs. Most of those practicing with him were betas. An Lan had made significant progress in the past two years and gained some reputation in the shooting circle.
Li Zhennan also learned shooting, but for him, it was just a social skill. He hadn’t participated much in competitions.
In his impression, shooting belonged to the noble sports of alphas. Even if An Lan knew how to shoot, how could he compare to the shooting skills trained by his high-level coach every month?
“Alright. Let’s compete in the ten-meter moving target. Ten shots, 2.5 seconds. To save time.” Li Zhennan sneered, “If you lose, in the future, you’ll keep your distance from Qiao Chuluo for me. Don’t touch him, don’t talk to him, don’t be annoying in front of me.”
An Lan was stunned for a moment and muttered quietly, “The possessiveness of you alphas is really extreme, huh?”
Who knew that Gu Liyu, standing next to him, would say softly, “You too.”
“Ha?” An Lan thought, I am a supporter of world peace, and I never make such domineering demands like “you can’t do this, you can’t do that.”
Wait a minute, when Gu Liyu said “you too,” he should be referring to the fact that I’m also an alpha, right?
After all, that day in the corridor outside the classroom, when Xu Xingran suggested that An Lan go see a doctor to check his hormones, Gu Liyu also heard it.
An Lan initially thought that an outstanding Alpha like Gu Liyu should be arrogant, but his “you too” carried a sense of acknowledgment.
Gu Liyu raised his hand and looked at his watch, “Let’s settle it today. Go to the Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club.”
“Okay, today is today. But Gu Liyu, I didn’t know you liked to meddle in other people’s business. What will you say if this kid loses?” Li Zhennan asked.
“If he loses, he loses,” Gu Liyu replied. “Otherwise, you can block my way with your car every day.”
“You…”
Finally, Qiao Chuluo also recovered from the influence of Li Zhennan’s pheromones.
“Hey, are you okay now?” An Lan asked in a low voice.
Qiao Chuluo lowered his voice to reply, “I’m fine. But Li Zhennan’s ten-meter moving target… Is he skilled at it?”
“I don’t know,” An Lan replied.
“Don’t know? How could you not know? Aren’t you…” Qiao Chuluo didn’t finish his sentence.
An Lan, seeing Li Zhennan’s car leaving arrogantly, said to Qiao Chuluo, “I’ve never seen him in a competition… I have no idea about his skill level.”
This made Qiao Chuluo worried, “D*mn, Li Zhennan agreed so readily; he must be confident in his shooting skills.”
An Lan glanced at Gu Liyu, thinking they both practiced at the Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club, so Gu Liyu should know Li Zhennan’s level, right?
“Amateur level,” Gu Liyu said, uttering these words before riding away.
However, neither Qiao Chuluo nor An Lan felt comforted.
Gu Liyu, as a champion player, probably considered everyone, except someone like Xu Xingran, to be at an amateur level.
“Whatever, I’m also a spirited alpha, even if I’m just in reserve.”
Saying that, An Lan rode his bicycle to catch up with Gu Liyu because he had no idea where the Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club was.
He originally thought that someone like Gu Liyu, who usually kept to himself, suggested a shooting competition with Li Zhennan purely because he found something unsightly about this alpha. After all, high-quality alphas had dignity and style.
Unlike Li Zhennan, who simply dragged the dignity of alphas into the gutter, making the whole pot of porridge unappetizing.
So, cleanliness-conscious Gu Liyu couldn’t stand it.
Is this explanation a bit forced?
Yes, it is indeed quite forced.
Otherwise, what other reason could there be?
An Lan lifted his head and saw Gu Liyu’s bicycle stopping at the corner, standing on one foot, hands hanging by his sides.
As An Lan approached, Gu Liyu continued riding forward.
Qiao Chuluo behind them tugged at An Lan.
“What do you want to say? Gu Liyu can hear you,” Qiao Chuluo typed a line on his phone and showed it to An Lan.
An Lan, after reading it, almost rolled his eyes.
[Gu Liyu challenging Li Zhennan in basketball is definitely for you.]
An Lan thought, is that even basketball? It’s more like a one-sided crushing.
[Gu Liyu usually takes a car to and from school, but now he’s riding a bicycle. Maybe it’s also to meet you.]
An Lan felt that Qiao Chuluo should consider becoming a scriptwriter. This story was written with just the right mix of sweet and sour.
[He’s challenging Li Zhennan for you, so that you have a fair chance to win against Li Zhennan and not be constantly watched by him.]
An Lan found this even more amusing.
Who knew that Gu Luyu stopped in front and said, “If you don’t want to compete with him in shooting, you can solve it in the alpha way.”
“Alpha way?”
“Phenomenones.” Gu Luyu replied.
Can I pretend I didn’t hear that? I’m a player who doesn’t even know what my own phenome smells like.
This was their first time at the Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club.
At 6:30 in the evening, just in time for dinner, there were almost no people in the club.
Li Zhennan rented a shooting range, and his rifle was stored here. He directly went to the administrator to get the gun and then sneered at An Lan.
An Lan could only ask the administrator to rent a gun and a shooting suit. A professional shooting suit is for the protection of the players.
The administrator showed the fee standards to An Lan. An Lan and Qiao Chuluo looked at each other. It was too expensive. An Lan’s pocket money was not enough to rent it.
“Or I’ll take a taxi back to my club…”
“No need. Bring out the gun and the blue shooting suit that I stored here,” Gu Luyu came to the front desk and said in a low voice.
An Ran froze, quickly shook his head, “Your gun must be very expensive. If I give you…”
“My gun is very expensive, so every shot you take has to be above the nine rings,” Gu Luyu said.
An Lan looked at Gu Luyu, thinking, is this guy serious? He’s competing against Li Zhennan for a 2.5-second quick target!
The expression on Gu Luyu’s face made An Lan realize that he was serious.
With Gu Luyu’s gun on his back and the shooting suit he gave himself, An Lan entered the dressing room. He felt that the gun on his back was really heavy.
The focus of this round of PK was no longer about defeating Li Zhennan but shooting every bullet above the nine rings. Otherwise, An Lan felt that he would be headshot by Gu Luyu.
Entering the dressing room, An Lan took off his school uniform jacket. When he turned around, he found that Gu Luyu was sitting on the chair behind him, and even Qiao Chuluo only dared to stand outside the dressing room, guarding An Lan’s schoolbag.
The Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club dressing room was very large. Unlike the small club where An Lan stayed, the lockers in the dressing room were close to each other. If you turned around, you might bump into the person behind you changing clothes.
Gu Luyu sat on the sofa chair, his legs were in a very natural state, but his back was straight.
“Your… your shooting suit might be loose on me.”
An Lan put on the upper garment and was surprised to find that the shoulder width and sleeve length were almost just right.
Moreover, this set of clothes seemed to be new, and the material was very comfortable, with good support for the cervical spine and waist. An Lan couldn’t help but love it.
“This shooting suit was given by someone else. They thought I was still in junior high school,” Gu Luyu replied.
Meaning it was sent over and then found that it couldn’t be worn, so it has been left in the shooting club. It happened to let An Lan pick up a bargain.
An Lan was choked by Gu Luyu’s words.
So, you mean I only have the figure of you as a junior high school student? What do you big old alphas eat to grow so tall?
An Lan bent down, took off the loose school uniform pants, and performed the golden rooster stand again, which was watched by Gu Luyu behind him. An Lan knew that he was just a small, slender white chicken in front of Gu Luyu. Otherwise, why would there be a difference between ordinary version and quality version for alphas?
He could feel Gu Liyu’s gaze, scrutinizing inch by inch over his nape, shoulders, spine, waist, sliding down his legs to his ankles.
That sensation was like having a cold gun pressing against his spine, his life hanging in the balance. Yet the barrel was strangely hot, a compelling and formidable heat.
Even before the competition started, An Lan became nervous. When he shifted his right foot to the left, he nearly sat on the ground due to a wobble.
But someone firmly held onto his waist from behind, easily pulling him back up.
An Lan didn’t need to turn around to know it was Gu Liyu. The warmth of his palm was a bit high, precisely landing inside the jacket, against An Lan’s skin. At this moment, An Lan felt tormented by his keen senses, unable to prevent himself from sensing the calluses on Gu Liyu’s hand formed from prolonged practice of shooting, the strength embedded in his muscles, and even the pause in the breath behind him the moment it grasped him.
At that moment, An Lan suddenly had a dangerous premonition.
Gu Liyu behind him might open his mouth, fiercely biting his nape, plundering everything from thoughts to flesh and bones, an absolute possession.
An Lan shivered all over, and Gu Liyu suddenly released his hand.
“Be careful,” Gu Liyu stepped back and sat back on the sofa.
An Lan quickly changed his clothes. When he turned around, he found Gu Liyu tilting his face, supporting his chin, looking at his phone.
His expression was indifferent, and the previous contact was entirely unintentional on his part.
An Lan felt embarrassed; he didn’t know where his confidence came from, thinking that Gu Liyu had been watching him all along.
Really embarrassing.
Fortunately, Gu Liyu didn’t know what he was thinking.
“I’m done changing; let’s go,” An Lan said.
“Okay.” Gu Liyu put down his phone and reached out to An Lan.
“Huh?”
“Your changed school uniform,” Gu Liyu said.
An Lan was still a bit confused; he couldn’t quite keep up with Gu Liyu’s thoughts, mainly because Gu Liyu spoke too little.
Wait a minute; Gu Liyu speaking this much to you is already considered a lot. He used up all the words he could say to classmates in a year, and today he used them all on An Lan.
An Lan handed over the clothes in a silly manner, and Gu Liyu’s gaze lowered. He said, “The pants.”
“Ah, oh.”
The school trousers were also handed over.
Gu Liyu walked to the side, opened the locker with his fingerprint, and hung An Lan’s school uniform on the hanger. He gently pulled at the shoulder position.
The blue and white school uniform suddenly became high-end, like a masterpiece from a fashion designer.
Gu Liyu closed the locker and said, “Let’s go.”
Qiao Chuluo, who was waiting outside, lit up when he saw An Lan.
“What the heck! How come I didn’t notice you were so handsome before?”
“You’ve just realized I’m handsome; it’s not too late.”
Qiao Chuluo showed a mischievous smile, “Do you know how I feel right now?”
“I don’t want to know what you feel.” An Lan used his eyes to signal that the other party shouldn’t go too far, not forgetting that Gu Liyu was still here.
This hint worked well, and Qiao Chuluo immediately behaved.
When they arrived at Li Zhennan’s shooting range, he had been waiting for a long time, wearing an impatient expression. The moment Li Zhennan saw An Lan, his expression didn’t look good.
Because An Lan, wearing a shooting suit and holding a rifle, looked handsome and had an air of an elite alpha.
“Oh, changing a bird’s gun for a cannon really makes sense.” Li Zhennan said sarcastically.
“Who goes first?” An Lan asked.
Li Zhennan smiled, “Either. Or do you want to go first? So that after I finish, you won’t be mentally unbalanced and accuse me of bullying you.”
At this moment, a middle-aged man walked in, saying loudly, “Little Gu, why did you call me to watch this match? If it’s not you and Xu Xingran having a PK, don’t waste my time…”
Gu Liyu nodded towards Li Zhennan, then looked at An Lan, “This is my classmate, An Lan.”
The middle-aged man was stunned, then suddenly opened his arms, hugging An Lan and patting him on the back, “Of course, I know An Lan. My goodness, why are you here? Are you joining our Observing Mountain and Sea?”
An Lan was dumbfounded because this man was the very famous coach, Lin Huaien, who had trained many well-known young shooting athletes.
How did he know me?
“I… I’m not joining Observing Mountain and Sea,” An Lan replied.
“Why not? Here, we have the best coaches, the best facilities, and the opportunity to learn from the best opponents.” Lin Huaien showed a puzzled expression.
An Lan had to answer, “I… I’m satisfied with my current club.”
The real reason was that the annual fee for Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club, excluding coaching fees, was equal to his father’s annual salary.
“That’s really a pity,” Lin Huaien sighed, “So today, are you competing with Little Gu? But Little Gu hasn’t changed clothes yet.”
“He’s the one competing with him,” Gu Liyu nodded towards Li Zhennan, then looked at An Lan, “Invited Coach Lin over to be our referee.”
An Lan paused for a moment, understanding the purpose of Gu Liyu calling a well-known coach to watch their match.
Lin Huaien was the most respected coach in Observing Mountain and Sea Shooting Club. As Li Zhennan usually practiced shooting here, bumping into Lin Huaien was inevitable. Li Zhennan’s father occasionally relied on Coach Lin’s connections to get to know other people in the club. So, if Li Zhennan lost and made a fuss, Coach Lin just needed to inform Li Zhennan’s father, and not only would he lose face, but Li Zhennan’s credit card limit might also be halved.
At this moment, Li Zhennan’s face didn’t look good at all.
Although he was domineering and always wanted to compete with the excellent alphas in his class, it didn’t mean he was foolish.
When the impulse inside him was reduced by half, and then he saw Lin Huaien hugging An Lan, he knew that An Lan’s shooting skills must be excellent.
Li Zhennan gritted his teeth and glanced at Gu Liyu. The latter’s expression remained unchanged; he even took out earphones and started listening to music, as if he didn’t care at all about who would win the match.
“Let’s decide who goes first by flipping a coin,” Lin Huaien took out a coin from his pocket and looked at Li Zhennan.
Li Zhennan replied coldly, “Heads.”
“Then An Lan, you’re tails.”
An Lan nodded.
Lin Huaien tossed the coin into the air, and as it fell, he opened it to reveal heads.
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