After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 27

Wen Huihan’s mind had been a mess these past few days. He couldn’t focus on anything else; the moment his thoughts drifted, they landed right back on the matter that was keeping him on edge.

How on earth was he the “most suitable person” for He Chenshuang? Something had to be wrong.

He Chenshuang himself had never said such a thing, so how could Wen Huihan just arbitrarily jump to that conclusion? That was giving He Chenshuang far too much credit.

He couldn’t let the “evil power of the gays” influence him. If he did, he’d stop being a proper straight guy, and the gay guys would stop being proper gay guys.

After giving himself a stern warning, the effect was immediate. Once he successfully calmed down, he began to reminisce about every little detail of his years with He Chenshuang, trying to find evidence in the minutiae that they were, in fact, incompatible.

Although he and He Chenshuang had been inseparable best friends since high school, they actually weren’t that close at the very beginning.

In their first year of high school, He Chenshuang sat behind him. Everyone was quite reserved when school first started, and He Chenshuang was hardly the warm or talkative type. He spent his days alone, radiating an aura that practically shouted “do not approach.”

During that first week, aside from when He Chenshuang was called on to speak in class or when he stood on stage as the student representative during the opening ceremony, Wen Huihan hadn’t heard him say a single unnecessary word. He was a man of few words, seemingly full of disdain for mere mortals.

Wen Huihan was the polar opposite. He had an easygoing, cheerful personality, and within a few days, he was already hanging out with the boys in class. Whether it was playing ball or grabbing a meal after class, he was always part of a rowdy group.

However, Wen Huihan soon noticed that outside of his little social circle, there was always one person drifting on the periphery. Even though that person never said a word, his presence was strikingly vivid.

Wen Huihan wasn’t short; in fact, he was quite tall for a guy. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what He Chenshuang had been eating growing up, because He Chenshuang was always just a little bit taller than him.

During school assemblies or morning jogs, He Chenshuang always stood right behind him. They kept a bit of distance, but occasionally their eyes would meet. He Chenshuang would give him a small nod and then look away.

Even when they ran into each other in the cafeteria or the hallways, despite Wen Huihan being surrounded by a large group, He Chenshuang only seemed to see him. He would give him a slight nod of acknowledgment before nonchalantly walking away.

So much personality.

At the time, Wen Huihan thought that since he had only smiled at He Chenshuang once while passing out test papers, and He Chenshuang had greeted him every time they met since, the guy wasn’t actually as unapproachable as he seemed. He was actually quite a good person.

He wondered if this guy would become even more different once they became good friends.

Adolescent boys rarely fit He Chenshuang’s archetype, so it was only natural for Wen Huihan to become interested. He immediately decided he wanted to befriend him.

One day after school, Wen Huihan chased after him. “He Chenshuang, do you live over by that row of villas on Shengnan Road? I saw you there last time.”

He Chenshuang stopped, looked at him, and gave a lukewarm “Mm.”

Wen Huihan smiled and said, “Then let’s go to school together from now on! By the way, what’s your QQ number? Let me add you.”

“Okay.”

***

Without really knowing how it happened, as Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang hung out more, they became each other’s closest friends.

Even though Wen Huihan had plenty of other friends, the only one he truly considered a “best brother” was He Chenshuang.

But He Chenshuang actually dared not to cherish it!

Wen Huihan was the type of person who went with the flow. Even if the sky fell, he’d break down for two days and then slowly accept it. He believed in letting nature take its course. He Chenshuang, however, was clearly different in that regard.

He Chenshuang held himself to strict standards. Everything he did had a process and a plan. Even in unexpected situations, he could quickly calm down and formulate a new response strategy.

They seemed like two completely different people, yet in other aspects, they were incredibly harmonious. They didn’t just complement each other; they were similar.

Setting aside their hobbies, which He Chenshuang could grasp after just a few glances at the things Wen Huihan liked, leading to all-night conversations, their lifestyle habits matched too.

Wen Huihan liked a clean, fresh environment, and coincidentally, so did He Chenshuang. He kept himself neat and handsome every day, which was very easy on the eyes and made him a great companion to take out.

In terms of academics, back when Wen Huihan set his sights on A University, he casually mentioned it only to find out He Chenshuang had the same goal. They shared the same ambition and worked hard together, remaining an eternal legend at their high school to this day.

As for their personalities, He Chenshuang was indeed quite aggressive, but Wen Huihan wasn’t weak either. Just look at the last time a momentary lapse in Wen Huihan’s brain had been enough to infuriate He Chenshuang.

In short, it was only natural for them to become brothers. After all, He Chenshuang was the friend Wen Huihan had personally chosen back then. He clearly had great taste.

They understood each other, appreciated each other, and knew everything about one another.

Sometimes, there is only a thin line between friends and lovers. Originally, they were both straight and could have been best friends for life. But He Chenshuang had quietly turned gay, so the “most suitable best friend” naturally became the “most suitable boyfriend.”

So the problem didn’t lie with Wen Huihan, it lay with He Chenshuang.

Everything became clear to Wen Huihan again. Exactly. He was a straight man, so how could he mysteriously become He Chenshuang’s best choice?

Falling for him was obviously He Chenshuang’s fault. He hadn’t intentionally seduced him; He Chenshuang was the one who crossed the line.

Wen Huihan temporarily gave up on the idea of scouting a “0” (bottom) for He Chenshuang. There were too many “crooked melons and split dates” out there. If he kept searching like this, he’d probably never find anyone.

Besides, following He Chenshuang’s pattern of only liking his best friend, where was he supposed to find another person like himself for He Chenshuang?

Even if he found one, with He Chenshuang’s sharp tongue, he’d probably drive them away in minutes. Whether they could transition from friends to partners was a whole other story.

Under the circumstances, Wen Huihan thought bitterly, he would just have to reluctantly continue being the object of He Chenshuang’s secret crush.

Anyway, it was just letting his best friend like him a little; it wasn’t like he was going to lose a limb over it.

Fortunately, after their “three-point agreement,” He Chenshuang looked quite like a straight man most of the time. Perhaps he had masqueraded for so long that it had become muscle memory.

As long as he didn’t intentionally smile at Wen Huihan, Wen Huihan wouldn’t even think in that direction.

But the problem was, hadn’t He Chenshuang been smiling a bit too much lately?

Wen Huihan had recently promised to treat him to breakfast for a month, so every morning on the way to class, he’d head to the cafeteria first. This guy wasn’t picky either; he’d eat whatever Wen Huihan bought.

Wen Huihan casually hooked his finger through the edge of the bag containing the buns and handed it to He Chenshuang. “Here, a gift from your father.”

He Chenshuang replied, “Thanks.”

The moment their fingers touched, Wen Huihan felt his fingertip accidentally brush against the other man’s warm palm. He pulled his hand back instantly, as if he’d been electrocuted.

He looked up abruptly and caught a fleeting smile at the corner of He Chenshuang’s mouth.

Wen Huihan felt a shiver run through him again from that smile. “? What are you smiling at? Next time, I’ll dig up a pile of dog poop from the roadside and put it in your hand.”

He Chenshuang raised an eyebrow. “If you dare to dig it up, I’ll dare to take it.”

Wen Huihan was speechless. “…”

Scheming gay man. Even poop taken from the hand of a crush probably smells like roses to him.

After a moment of silence, he asked a soul-searching question: “Who exactly is spreading the rumor that you’re a cold, aloof god? Did you buy bots on the school forum?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” He Chenshuang said with mock seriousness. “After all, since you’re the ‘Melancholy God,’ I’d be embarrassed to stand next to you if I didn’t buy a few bots.”

Wen Huihan was silent once more. “…”

Bringing up stuff from eight hundred years ago—gay men really do have a strong sense of vengeance.

He Chenshuang had probably seen a post on the forum looking for him, where he was referred to as the “Melancholy God,” and he had clearly remembered it until now.

He guessed He Chenshuang definitely had a section in his hard drive titled “Universal Vocabulary for Mocking My Brother,” just waiting to pull it out and dazzle him from time to time.

…Wait, Wen Huihan suddenly remembered something. He Chenshuang also browsed the forum.

The forum had various local food guides compiled by graduated seniors. The reviews were quite authentic. Sometimes when He Chenshuang and Wen Huihan went out to find food, they would refer to the recommended restaurants in those posts.

Other than that, He Chenshuang shouldn’t have any reason to log on. Furthermore, there were thousands of posts on the forum; who was to say he would definitely see that one?

Even if he did, Wen Huihan hadn’t revealed his name in the post. How could He Chenshuang possibly know he was the author?

Wen Huihan immediately felt at ease. That was the beauty of an anonymous system.

Since his grand vision of finding a “0” for his best friend had already collapsed halfway, Wen Huihan planned to delete that post in a moment.

He went to class with He Chenshuang as usual, and they went to grab a meal together afterward.

However, when Wen Huihan had no afternoon classes, he preferred to find a random spot to sit rather than tagging along to He Chenshuang’s classroom.

It wasn’t for any other reason than not wanting He Chenshuang to get too full of himself. Although they were still best friends, auditing a class together was an intimate behavior reserved for couples.

He had only agreed to let He Chenshuang like him for the time being; he couldn’t encourage the gay man’s arrogance.

Wen Huihan ordered a bubble tea at a milk tea shop. While waiting for He Chenshuang to finish class, he took out his phone, intending to destroy the evidence of that post.

However, the post had gained quite a few more replies in the last couple of days. He wanted to finish reading them before deleting it.

[Where did the OP go? Is your roommate still available?] [I’ll take your roommate even if he has minor flaws.] [I’ll take your roommate even if he bites.] [Everyone, let’s pack it up. I don’t think the OP is seriously trying to market his roommate.]

Wen Huihan took a big gulp of his milk tea. How was he not serious? He was very serious about finding a suitable “0” for He Chenshuang, but it was just that he couldn’t find one.

He clicked “delete post,” but just as his finger was about to descend, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

“You’re that ‘Heartless Death Star’ from the forum, right?”

Wen Huihan was stunned. “…”

How did this person know his forum ID?

Wen Huihan looked up. Standing before him was a man dressed flashily, with pink hair and subtle makeup.

The man’s outfit was extremely unique, and combined with that signature hair, Wen Huihan actually recognized him.

Holy crap.

He let out a small exclamation in his head. It was actually the “social butterfly” from the neighboring Fine Arts Academy—the veteran gay man whose ex-boyfriends could supposedly form a line to France. He had actually tracked him down here.

Wen Huihan quickly lowered his head. “You have the wrong person.”

“How could I be wrong?” The social butterfly sat down directly across from him and got straight to the point. “Actually, I accidentally memorized your forum ID before. Didn’t you post a ‘lost and found’ thread? I remember your name is Wen Huihan, right?”

A lost and found thread? Wen Huihan thought back. He must have found a bracelet during his freshman year and posted on the forum to find the owner, including his name and contact info.

He had deleted the post once the owner was found. Who would have thought that two years later, someone would still remember his forum ID?

There was no way to deny it now. Wen Huihan helplessly looked up. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Qi Run smiled. “I saw the post you made, so I came to ask: are you really looking for a ‘0’ for He Chenshuang?”

Wen Huihan was speechless. “…”

He was too late in deleting the post.

And how did this guy know it was for He Chenshuang? What if it was for one of his other two roommates?

Qi Run blinked, still waiting for an answer.

Wen Huihan felt a bit awkward. How was he supposed to explain to the other person that the “event” was over?

Besides, wouldn’t this count as inadvertently outing He Chenshuang? He hadn’t intended to do that at all!

“Actually, I’m the one looking for a ‘0’.”

Wen Huihan closed his eyes. Between outing He Chenshuang or outing himself, he resolutely chose to protect He Chenshuang’s dignity.

What did sexual orientation matter? Protecting He Chenshuang’s “Academic God” reputation was more important. Anyway, Wen Huihan didn’t plan on finding a partner during university.

Before Qi Run could speak again, He Chenshuang’s calm voice suddenly drifted from behind them. “Looking for what ‘0’?”