After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate - Chapter 28

However, considering Qi Yuxiao was taller and more athletic than him, it made sense that his appetite wouldn’t be small.

Still, Tao Ran was truly stuffed. His footsteps grew heavy; the snack street that had felt vibrant and interesting moments ago now seemed to stretch on without an end in sight. He was busy rehearsing a polite and elegant way to tell Qi Yuxiao he couldn’t eat another bite when he suddenly let out an uncontrollable burp.

Tao Ran: “…”

Qi Yuxiao looked down at him. “Full?”

“Yes.” Tao Ran’s face flushed as he nodded. “Quite full.”

“Shall we head back then?” Qi Yuxiao asked. “We can pack up at the hotel and take the bus to Mount Suyun.”

“Okay.”

Tao Ran hadn’t looked at his phone since entering the food street. Remembering something, he asked, “Are Zhuo Qiang and Su Jialiang awake? Should we pack some snacks for them?”

Qi Yuxiao: “No need. Those two are out having hot pot right now.”

“Oh, I see.” Tao Ran looked at Qi Yuxiao and asked tentatively, “Then… should we go meet up with them?”

Qi Yuxiao paused, a flash of surprise in his eyes. “You want to eat hot pot too?”

“No,” Tao Ran shook his head and said honestly, “I noticed you didn’t seem to eat much, so I thought I’d ask if you wanted to join them for a real meal.”

Qi Yuxiao: “…?”

He explained in a low voice, “I am full.”

“Really?” Tao Ran wasn’t convinced, thinking Qi Yuxiao might just be acting tough for the sake of his “male god” image. He suggested, “It’s okay if you’re not full. We can pack something to go.”

Staring into those sincere, concerned eyes, Qi Yuxiao finally realized what was happening. Tao Ran seemed to have developed a major misunderstanding regarding his appetite.

“No, I’m truly full,” Qi Yuxiao said after a moment of silence. “If you’re done, let’s head back.”

Tao Ran failed to persuade him after several attempts and eventually gave up.

The two returned to the hotel to pack their hiking gear. Qi Yuxiao reminded him, “The temperature on the mountain drops significantly at night. Wear extra layers.”

Having done his homework, Tao Ran nodded confidently. “Don’t worry, I’m prepared.”

Zhuo Qiang and Su Jialiang returned from their meal. After everyone finished packing, the four met in the lobby. Once they confirmed they hadn’t missed anything, they headed to the station for the bus.

The station was quite a distance from the scenic area. They rode for nearly two hours, arriving at the foot of the mountain just before midnight. As they stepped off the bus, Zhuo Qiang shivered. “Damn, we’re still at the base. Why is it so cold already?”

Su Jialiang gave him a “told you so” look. “I told you to wear more before we left, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Tao Ran stepped off next. Hearing them, he offered kindly, “I have two extra sweaters in my bag. Zhuo Qiang, do you want to wear one?”

The two turned around. Tao Ran was wearing a white windbreaker over several layers, a white knit beanie on his head, and gloves hanging from his pockets. He looked exceptionally warm.

Zhuo Qiang’s eyes widened. “No way, Tao Ran. I thought you were already bundled up, but you brought an extra one in your bag too?”

“Qi Yuxiao told me to bring extra,” Tao Ran said with a smile. “He said the summit would be freezing at night, so I brought two. Want one?”

“You really listen to everything Qi Yuxiao says, don’t you? Though he’s right, you can’t go wrong with extra layers.” Zhuo Qiang replied casually, then gave a cheeky grin. “Since you have it, I’ll borrow one.”

“Sure.” Tao Ran swung his backpack around. Just as he was about to unzip it, a shadow fell over him.

Qi Yuxiao: “What are you looking for?”

Tao Ran looked up. “The extra sweater. Zhuo Qiang is cold, so I’m lending it to him.”

An unreadable emotion flickered in Qi Yuxiao’s eyes. He said deeply, “Your clothes are in my bag.”

Tao Ran froze as the memory came rushing back. His own backpack had been stuffed to the brim, so when Qi Yuxiao reminded him to bring extra layers, Qi Yuxiao had offered to carry them in his own bag.

Tao Ran scratched his ear. “Oh, right. Could you find one? Zhuo Qiang needs it.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuxiao glanced at Zhuo Qiang, his gaze dark and indiscernible. Seeing the delay, Tao Ran nudged him. “Qi Yuxiao?”

“Hmm?” Qi Yuxiao retracted his gaze.

“Could you find it?”

“Yes.” Qi Yuxiao’s long lashes cast a shadow as he replied softly, “Let me look.”

He pulled off his backpack, unzipped it, and rummaged around. He pulled out a black sweater and, bypassing Tao Ran, handed it directly to Zhuo Qiang.

Qi Yuxiao: “The clothes.”

“Great!” Zhuo Qiang accepted it happily. “Thanks, bro.”

As the black sweater passed before Tao Ran’s eyes, his memory became momentarily blurred and confused. Wait a minute. He was fairly sure the two sweaters he prepared were both grey.

A seed of doubt grew in his heart. Did I remember wrong? Did I mistake black for grey? He decided to stop overthinking it for now.

Zhuo Qiang happily took off his jacket and handed it to Tao Ran. “Hold this for me.” “Sure.”

Zhuo Qiang shook out the sweater and pulled it on quickly. Within seconds, he exclaimed, “Wow, this is so warm! It’s even a bit loose.”

“It does look a bit big,” Su Jialiang commented from the side. “Tao Ran, when did you buy this? If the sizing is this large, wouldn’t it be huge on you?”

Looking at the sweater—which was unfamiliar in color, size, and style—Tao Ran shook his head in confusion. “I don’t remember.”

As the four headed toward the ticket office, Tao Ran trailed at the back of the group. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice where he was going. Suddenly, his world went dark as his nose collided with a solid “wall” of a person.

“What are you thinking about? Careful,” Qi Yuxiao’s deep, pleasant voice came from above. “Did that hurt?”

Tao Ran looked up blankly. Suddenly, a flash of insight cleared his muddled thoughts. That sweater belongs to Qi Yuxiao, doesn’t it? The high-quality texture, the size that was clearly two sizes too big for him, the style… it had to be his. There was no mistake.

Tao Ran rubbed his nose and said, “Qi Yuxiao, I think you gave the wrong sweater to Zhuo Qiang. That one doesn’t belong to me; it’s yours.”

Qi Yuxiao paused, a tiny arch in his brow. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Tao Ran explained earnestly. “I remember the two sweaters I asked you to carry weren’t black.”

Qi Yuxiao said calmly, “Then I must have grabbed the wrong one.”

Tao Ran asked, “How many did you bring for yourself?” “Just that one.”

“Then what will you do? It’s going to get colder. What about you?” Tao Ran grew worried. “Should we ask Zhuo Qiang to give it back and swap it for mine?”

“No need,” Qi Yuxiao said. His deep, dark gaze fell softly upon Tao Ran’s worried face as he asked:

“Can’t I just wear yours?”

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