After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate - Chapter 30

Qi Yuxiao’s body stiffened for a moment. Soon, he felt a slight weight settle on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Tao Ran’s head leaning over. Tao Ran’s black hair was soft, and his face rested lightly against the side of Qi Yuxiao’s shoulder. His long lashes were lowered, and a bit of his fair, tender cheek was pressed outward.

His hand found its way to Qi Yuxiao’s neck, and one leg curled up, his calf slowly brushing against Qi Yuxiao’s legs. His entire body pressed closer, every movement filled with a sense of defenseless reliance.

Qi Yuxiao was stunned for a moment.

Tao Ran was only wearing a loose white T-shirt. Because of this series of movements, the hem had unknowingly bunched up, and Qi Yuxiao’s arm pressed against the soft skin of his stomach. It was a very familiar touch. Qi Yuxiao couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. He felt a sudden urge to press his palm against it and give it a gentle rub.

He instinctively lowered his head, his nose nearing Tao Ran’s hair. The scent of chamomile filled his senses, satisfying the craving he had felt earlier. His emotions gradually settled.

After taking in enough of the fragrance, he recalled Tao Ran’s repeated insistence before sleep that he was a quiet sleeper. He wasn’t sure how Tao Ran had come to that conclusion, but it didn’t matter.

Tao Ran held onto Qi Yuxiao like a giant plush doll. After a while, perhaps finding the position uncomfortable, his body wriggled. The limbs entwined around Qi Yuxiao quietly retreated as he tried to roll over and move away.

Seeing this, Qi Yuxiao immediately turned on his side, reaching out to wrap his arm around Tao Ran’s waist. He used a bit of force to pull him back into his embrace. This position must have been more comfortable, as Tao Ran didn’t resist at all. With his back pressed against Qi Yuxiao’s chest, he let out a soft hum and remained fast asleep.

Qi Yuxiao finally closed his eyes with satisfaction. Immersed in the scent of chamomile, he felt a sense of fullness in his chest. Along with the person in his arms, he fell into a deep sleep.

They slept until 2:00 PM.

Qi Yuxiao was awakened by a slap from a palm. The person who had been sleeping quietly in his arms suddenly twisted, mumbling protests as if complaining that the embrace was too tight.

Qi Yuxiao’s chin was resting on Tao Ran’s shoulder, his nose close to the crook of his neck. His light breaths brushed against Tao Ran’s skin, causing a faint, recurring itch. Tao Ran frowned, thinking there were insects flying around bothering his sleep. His hand reached up to his face and swatted irritably.

The force wasn’t great, but the sound was crisp, breaking the quiet atmosphere of the room. Tao Ran suspected he was in a dream because he had just hit himself but felt no pain, so he continued to sleep.

Qi Yuxiao, who had been slapped: ?

Qi Yuxiao’s brow furrowed, and he opened his eyes coldly, a hint of morning crankiness appearing on his face. But hearing the person in his arms mutter again, his grogginess faded. His eyes cleared, and he leaned in to see what was wrong with Tao Ran.

Unexpectedly, Tao Ran’s arm bent and he suddenly elbowed backward. Qi Yuxiao let out a muffled groan from the sudden attack. By the time he recovered, Tao Ran had taken the opportunity to escape his embrace, moving back to his original side of the bed.

He lay flat on his back, hands resting gently on his stomach. He occupied only a tiny portion of the bed, his breathing even and his demeanor quiet and obedient. It was the exact same position he had started in.

Two minutes later, the sleeping man’s eyelashes fluttered and he gently opened his eyes. He sat up and stretched, looking completely refreshed and full of energy after a good sleep.

Tao Ran caught sight of Qi Yuxiao out of the corner of his eye. His eyes sparkled with a lively light, and his voice held a touch of rare playfulness. “Qi Yuxiao, you’re awake too?”

Qi Yuxiao: ?

It took him a moment to realize what had happened. It turned out that when Tao Ran said he was a quiet sleeper, he only meant during the first and last few minutes of sleep. He had absolutely no awareness of how his posture shifted in the middle of the night.

Qi Yuxiao’s expression remained neutral, and he stayed silent. Tao Ran immediately looked concerned. “What’s wrong? Did you not sleep well?”

“No,” Qi Yuxiao replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I slept very well.”

“Really?” Tao Ran’s eyes brightened. Although he had woken up in the same position he usually did, he still checked cautiously. “I didn’t push you off the bed while I was sleeping, did I?”

Qi Yuxiao answered calmly, “No.”

Tao Ran asked, “I didn’t snore, grind my teeth, or talk in my sleep, did I?”

“None of that.” A meaningful smile flashed in Qi Yuxiao’s eyes as he looked at Tao Ran. “You are a very quiet sleeper.”

Tao Ran already knew he was a quiet sleeper, but being praised by Qi Yuxiao made him happy nonetheless. “See? I told you I was a quiet sleeper.”

“Mm,” Qi Yuxiao went along with him. “Thanks to your quiet sleeping, I was able to rest well.”

Tao Ran felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head. “Let’s get up. The high-speed train is at 6:00 PM.”

“Alright.”

The four of them finished their nap, packed their bags, and checked out. Before leaving, they went to buy some local specialties and boarded the train for home. Their trip was a success.

By the time they returned to campus, it was Sunday night. Tao Ran had enjoyed himself immensely, but once he returned to the dorm, exhaustion finally caught up with him. After a shower, he lay down and fell asleep within seconds.

On Monday, during a break between classes, Zhou Qi stood up by the podium and announced to the room, “Class 1 and Class 2, please don’t leave after class. I have something to discuss. It will only take five minutes, not too long.”

Tao Ran asked Xu Jiali curiously, “Do you know what it is about?”

“Just the social event between Class 1 and Class 2,” Xu Jiali replied.

Tao Ran frowned slightly. Class activities had been so frequent lately. Last week was the team-building trip, and now there was a social with the other class.

Xu Jiali noticed his expression and asked, “Wait, you didn’t know?”

Tao Ran shook his head.

“It should have been announced in your class group chat.”

Tao Ran thought back. Although he was a marginal figure, he was in the class chat, though he habitually muted the notifications. He opened his phone and scrolled through the records. He found a notice sent by Zhou Qi on Friday night.

Zhou Qi: [@All Members. Sorry everyone, due to uncontrollable factors, tomorrow’s team-building activity is temporarily canceled. After communicating with the other class monitor and the counselor, we decided to hold a social event next Saturday night. The funding is sponsored by the college, so I hope no one misses this chance for a freebie. If you can’t make it, please message me privately.]

Tao Ran’s frown deepened. He had gone to great lengths to find a way to skip last Saturday’s event, only for it to be canceled. Now, this Saturday’s activity would involve a whole group of strangers from the other class.

“Your class definitely sent it,” Xu Jiali noted.

Tao Ran looked up. “Are you going?”

“Sure. Things have been pretty quiet lately, so I don’t have much going on,” Xu Jiali said. “Besides, it’s free. Why not?”

Tao Ran hesitated for a moment before saying, “Then I’ll go with you.”

Xu Jiali nodded. “Sounds good.”

Xu Jiali was the only person Tao Ran was truly comfortable with in the entire major. With his company, Tao Ran’s resistance to the social event lessened. After class, Zhou Qi indeed spoke to them about the social. It would be held at the sports field, involving food, drinks, and some games. It sounded simple enough. Since Zhou Qi didn’t mention bringing family members, Tao Ran felt a bit more at ease.

As class ended, Tao Ran received a message from Qi Yuxiao.

Qi Yuxiao: [Are you back?] Tao Ran: [Yes, just finished class.] Qi Yuxiao: [Don’t bother buying food. I brought some from home for you.] Qi Yuxiao: [I’m in the dorm now.]

Seeing the message, Tao Ran’s eyes lit up. Although Tao Ran had turned down Qi Yuxiao’s offer to have his family’s cook prepare meals for him daily, Qi Yuxiao would still occasionally bring him home-cooked food. After trying it once, Tao Ran realized Qi Yuxiao was right; the food from his home was top-tier. His gloomy mood vanished instantly.

Xu Jiali noticed the slight curve of his lips. “Why the sudden good mood?”

Tao Ran smiled. “My roommate brought me dinner.”

Xu Jiali was envious. “What kind of amazing roommate proactively brings you dinner? That is too good.”

“Yes,” Tao Ran agreed wholeheartedly. “He really is a good person.”

Knowing someone was waiting with good food in the dorm made Tao Ran’s steps lighter. When he opened the door, only Qi Yuxiao was inside, leaning lazily in his chair with his legs crossed, casually looking at his phone. Hearing the door, he looked up at Tao Ran.

“You’re back.” “Mm.”

Tao Ran didn’t even put down his backpack before walking over to Qi Yuxiao’s side. Having been conquered by the cooking of Qi Yuxiao’s family, he no longer felt the embarrassment he had the first time. He asked expectantly, “What is for dinner today?”

“Some home-cooked dishes and a dessert.”

Tao Ran was particularly interested in the dessert, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Qi Yuxiao. “Can I have the dessert first?”

“You can.” Qi Yuxiao met his gaze, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. He opened the insulated bag on the desk and took out a small thermal jar.

As he unscrewed the lid, steam rose from the red bean and mochi soup. The base was a thick, sweet red bean soup featuring a toasted, golden-brown mochi in the center, surrounded by small glutinous rice balls and topped with osmanthus flowers. It was a perfect dessert for the autumn and winter seasons.

“It looks delicious.” Tao Ran was already salivating, but there were no other chairs near Qi Yuxiao’s desk. “I’ll take it back to my desk to eat.”

But before he could move, he felt a warm sensation at his waist. Tao Ran looked down to see Qi Yuxiao’s hand gripping his side. His fingers were long and his palm wide, almost completely encircling Tao Ran’s waist. With a slight pull, Tao Ran was drawn onto Qi Yuxiao’s lap.

The wind had been cold on the way back, and Tao Ran still felt the chill on his body. Sitting in Qi Yuxiao’s lap, he was warmed by the other’s body heat, and soon his whole body felt warm.

“Eat like this,” Qi Yuxiao’s low, slightly raspy voice sounded in his ear.

“Ah?” Although they had shared many close moments, Tao Ran was still caught off guard by Qi Yuxiao’s sudden intimacy. A doubt flickered in his mind: did straight men really sit on each other’s laps to eat? Would this be against the rules?

Dazed for a moment, Tao Ran still felt out of place, sitting stiffly on Qi Yuxiao’s lap without starting his food. Qi Yuxiao’s high nose pressed against the fair skin of Tao Ran’s neck. His usually calm, deep eyes were tinged with a hint of obsession he didn’t even notice himself.

After a while, he spoke suddenly. “I’ll leave as soon as you finish eating.”

Tao Ran’s eyes widened. “Where are you going? To class?”

Qi Yuxiao: “Going abroad for my brother’s birthday.”

“Oh, you have a brother?” Tao Ran was surprised. Qi Yuxiao was usually quiet and seemed very mature, so Tao Ran had guessed he might be the eldest son with many family expectations.

“Mm,” Qi Yuxiao replied. “I actually have a sister too.”

Tao Ran was even more surprised. “You’re the youngest?”

“Yes.”

It was fascinating to think that Qi Yuxiao was the baby of the family. Tao Ran was often shy when talking to strangers, but with people he knew, he liked to look them in the eye. He turned halfway in Qi Yuxiao’s lap, his beautiful eyes looking up at him with a soft, clear light.

Qi Yuxiao’s gaze paused on Tao Ran’s face. He said unexpectedly, “If my mother met you, she would probably like you a lot.”

“?” Why did the topic suddenly shift there? Tao Ran didn’t know how to respond. “I probably won’t have much chance to meet your family.”

Qi Yuxiao: “You can meet them whenever you want.”

Tao Ran: ?

But why would he meet Qi Yuxiao’s family for no reason? Qi Yuxiao’s thoughts had just jumped, and he had mentioned it casually without overthinking it.

Tao Ran asked him, “How long will you be away?” “Probably through the weekend.”

Tao Ran’s expression stiffened for a moment, his thoughts drifting. “I see.” That meant he wouldn’t see Qi Yuxiao for several days.

“So, let me recharge for a bit.” Qi Yuxiao closed his eyes and took a deep breath near Tao Ran’s hair.

For some reason, Tao Ran felt a sudden hollow sensation in his chest. He picked up his spoon and began eating the red bean soup, but even the sweet dessert couldn’t ease his low spirits. He sat quietly in Qi Yuxiao’s lap, letting the other man continue to scent him from behind.

As Qi Yuxiao’s nose moved, it accidentally touched the sensitive area at the back of Tao Ran’s neck. The skin there was thin and very sensitive; with just a light touch, a shiver ran down Tao Ran’s back. His cheeks flushed instantly, but he didn’t say a word this time. He quickly took another sip of the red bean soup, trying to suppress the embarrassment in his heart.

Saturday night arrived. The social event for the two classes was about to begin. Tao Ran and Xu Jiali met at the entrance of the sports field and walked toward the event together.

The location was easy to find. A group of people had clearly gathered on a specific patch of grass in the middle of the sports field. Everyone had naturally formed a large circle, though they were still split into small groups of twos and threes, chatting away.

There were thirty people in total from the two classes. Tao Ran counted them twice, feeling a twinge of regret. If he had known so few people would show up, he wouldn’t have come either.

 

Zhou Qi added the thirty of them into a temporary group chat, saying he would send out announcements, game rules, and other information shortly. When Tao Ran opened his phone, he saw that Zhou Qi had just added one more person. The group member count now showed 31.

 

He scanned the area again. Including Zhou Qi, there were still only thirty people physically present. A flicker of unease crossed his mind.

 

“Is everyone here? Quiet down, please,” Zhou Qi said, standing in the center of the circle. “The other class officers and I will start distributing snacks. In the meantime, find some teammates. We’ll be dividing into six groups to make the games easier later.”

 

Forming groups was the thing Tao Ran feared most. Fortunately, Xu Jiali was beside him. Xu Jiali finished typing a message and turned his gaze from the screen to Tao Ran. “Someone messaged me asking if we want to team up with them. It’s three girls. Including us, that makes a group of five. What do you think?”

 

“They’re all very nice. You don’t have to worry about things being awkward.”

 

“Okay,” Tao Ran nodded in agreement.

 

Xu Jiali led Tao Ran halfway around the circle to three girls. “I brought Tao Ran over.”

 

The three girls looked up simultaneously. Being the center of attention for strangers made Tao Ran instinctively nervous, but he could tell their scrutiny wasn’t malicious. He pursed his lips and gave a shy smile. “Hi, everyone.”

 

“Hello! Hi! Hello!” The three girls seemed a bit shy and nervous themselves, responding with three “hellos” in unison.

 

“Tao Ran, Xu Jiali, do you want some juice? I’ll pour a glass for each of you,” one of the girls offered, waving a bottle of juice.

 

“Sure, thanks,” Xu Jiali said, sitting down with Tao Ran.

 

Everyone was a bit stiff at first, sticking to their phones. That was until a girl named Wu Liwei suddenly sat up straight and slapped Xu Jiali’s shoulder. “Holy crap!”

 

“What is it?” Everyone turned to look at her.

 

Wu Liwei said, “Look at the group chat!”

 

Confused, Tao Ran tapped into the app and saw Zhou Qi’s messages.

 

Zhou Qi: [The snacks have been distributed. Everyone, feel free to eat and chat; we’ll start the games in a bit.] Zhou Qi: [There’s something I’d like to discuss with you all.]

 

Someone quickly replied in the chat: What is it?

 

Zhou Qi: [My boyfriend is nearby. He said he’d like to join us for the games. I hope everyone is okay with that.]

 

Everyone: “…”

 

The group chat went silent for a few minutes. Tao Ran looked around and noticed that after seeing the message, people were exchanging subtle, knowing glances with those beside them.

 

Then, the thirty-first member Zhou Qi invited spoke up.

 

Zhao Kaiyun: [Red Envelope] Zhao Kaiyun: [Looking forward to meeting everyone! (grinning) (grinning)]

 

Zhao Kaiyun sent a red envelope with a total amount of 3,000 yuan—exactly enough for everyone present to get a share. Seeing the money, the crowd’s attitude shifted instantly as they scrambled to claim the funds.

 

— [Holy cow, bro! You’ve got some serious wealth, giving out 100 yuan to everyone right off the bat!!!] — [I’m all for Zhao-ge joining us!] — [I support Zhao-ge joining with both hands and both feet!] — [Welcome, Zhao-ge!] — […]

 

The red envelopes were for everyone, but out of thirty envelopes, only twenty-seven were claimed.

 

“There’s money to grab!” one of the girls wondered. “Wait, why didn’t you three take the red envelope?”

 

Xu Jiali: “I think the money is dirty.” Wu Liwei: “I think it’s bad luck.” Tao Ran: “…”

 

The other two girls instantly smelled gossip. Excited, they asked, “What’s the matter? Is there a story here?”

 

As it turned out, gossiping was the best way to break the ice.

 

Wu Liwei had a look of disgust on her face. “You have no idea how revolting this Zhao guy is. Xu Jiali and I went to high school with him. Just thinking about the things he did makes me want to puke.”

 

Xu Jiali rolled his eyes at the mention of the name. “I’m afraid I’d catch an STD just by touching his money.”

 

The two then began sharing stories of Zhao Kaiyun’s high school exploits one after another. Like how he got a female teacher pregnant during his first year, or how he was caught on security cameras multiple times with different people in various corners of the school. Or how he was caught by the police in a hotel participating in “group activities,” though he only received minor warnings because of his family’s connections.

 

Tao Ran listened intently at first, but he never expected the gossip to be this explosive. The more he heard, the more physically nauseated he felt.

 

Wu Liwei: “He settled down a bit during his senior year, probably because his family started preparing a path for him. I don’t know what happened to him in college, but he suddenly became gay. I just hope people like him go extinct soon so they stop ruining things for innocent people on this planet.”

 

Xu Jiali: “I can tell just by looking at him that he’s still a straight guy. Dating men now is probably just for the novelty. Give it a month and he’ll say he took some Chinese medicine to ‘fix’ himself and go back to being a straight man, ruining girls’ lives again.”

 

The other two girls were stunned. One of them suddenly remembered: “And Zhou Qi is actually with a guy like that?”

 

Wu Liwei dismissed it as normal. “It’s understandable they’d end up together. Maybe one wants money and the other wants looks?”

 

A commotion came from across the circle. Zhao Kaiyun and Zhou Qi had arrived. Because of the generous red envelopes, everyone gave them a warm welcome.

 

“Welcome, welcome, Zhao-ge!” “Welcome!” “Come sit here, come sit!” “Would you like a drink, Zhao-ge?”

 

“Not yet,” Zhao Kaiyun said, smiling like a spring breeze. He and Zhou Qi sat down near Tao Ran’s group of five.

 

Xu Jiali and Wu Liwei weren’t the type to talk behind someone’s back in person. They just watched him silently. After all, they were disgusted by his character, but they hadn’t had any direct personal conflicts with him.

 

After flattering Zhao Kaiyun, people started flattering Zhou Qi.

 

“Monitor, you and your boyfriend are so sweet. Look how clingy Zhao-ge is with you!” “Exactly! I’m starting to ship you two.”

 

Zhou Qi looked shy. “Alright, stop teasing us. Everyone, start on the snacks; we’ll play games in a moment.”

 

“Okay, okay.”

 

“Oh, right,” Zhao Kaiyun suddenly spoke up. “I just noticed that I sent out thirty red envelopes, but it seems some classmates haven’t claimed theirs. Is it because the amount was too small?”

 

The surrounding students immediately started jeering.

 

“Who? Who’s so ungrateful they won’t even give Zhao-ge face?” “Seriously, who thinks 100 yuan is too little nowadays? Send it to me and show me your strength!”

 

Zhao Kaiyun’s smiling gaze cut through the crowd and landed on Tao Ran, who was hiding in the corner. “Tao Ran, I noticed you didn’t claim yours.”

 

Tao Ran, who had been trying to remain invisible, suddenly became the target of everyone’s attention. There were a few talkative guys in Tao Ran’s class who already had a problem with him, feeling he was a loner who never bothered to fit in and acted too “pure.” Since taking Zhao Kaiyun’s money, they had been shamelessly sucking up to him. Hearing that the person who didn’t take the money was Tao Ran, they began their sarcastic remarks.

 

“Oh, it’s just Tao Ran. That’s not surprising.” “Tao Ran, don’t disrespect Zhao-ge. I’ve got an idea: you take the 100 yuan and transfer it to me. I’ll take care of that ‘trouble’ for you.” “You’re really calculating everything, aren’t you?”

 

Those guys were incredibly mean-spirited, loving to express their inner darkness under the guise of joking. If someone got offended, they’d just turn it around and call them “too sensitive.”

 

Zhao Kaiyun walked slowly toward Tao Ran, a deep smile on his face. “Tao Ran, give me some face, will you?”

 

Being looked at by Zhao Kaiyun brought back that familiar, slimy, disgusting feeling. Tao Ran avoided his gaze entirely, shaking his head with a cold expression. “I’m still not taking it.”

 

Xu Jiali sensed something was wrong with Zhao Kaiyun’s gaze and immediately felt on alert. He moved to shield Tao Ran, speaking up: “Hey, Zhao Kaiyun, Wu Liwei and I didn’t take the red envelopes either. Why are you ignoring us and only asking Tao Ran? We were high school classmates, remember?”

 

Zhao Kaiyun answered politely, “Well, I consider you two old acquaintances, so I was just asking this ‘not-so-familiar’ classmate if he had some sort of problem with me.”

 

Xu Jiali’s words were sharp and sarcastic: “Your boyfriend is watching right there. Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to ask if I had offended him somewhere,” Zhao Kaiyun said calmly, his gaze shifting past Xu Jiali to stick onto Tao Ran again.

 

Looking at Tao Ran’s incredibly pure and beautiful face, he couldn’t help but indulge in fantasies. Ever since he told Jiang Zhao that Tao Ran was gay, he had been waiting for Jiang Zhao to tell Qi Yuxiao, thinking that once their relationship soured, he could pursue Tao Ran.

 

But to his surprise, the breakup never happened. Instead, he found them becoming even closer, appearing on campus together more frequently. Jiang Zhao also stopped helping him look for Tao Ran’s contact information. Every time he asked, Jiang Zhao would insist that Tao Ran was a straight man and tell him to give up, even advising him to go back to being straight himself.

 

Zhao Kaiyun wanted to go back to being purely straight, but once a desire takes root, it’s not so easily discarded. He had tried finding other men, like Zhou Qi, but after a taste, he found them bland and uninteresting. Later, Zhao Kaiyun thought that since it was Tao Ran who made him turn, perhaps only Tao Ran could extinguish the fire.

 

Then, Zhao Kaiyun’s gaze seemingly happened to land on the juice and cups on the grass. He leaned down, unscrewed a bottle, and poured a cup of juice. He stood up slowly and offered it to Tao Ran with a smile.

 

“Tao Ran, since you don’t want to take my money, have this cup of juice instead. Consider it giving me some face.”

 

Zhao Kaiyun’s series of actions successfully drew everyone’s eyes to them. Everyone’s gaze turned gossipy, waiting for the drama to unfold.

 

Tao Ran bit his lip and remained silent, his face devoid of expression throughout. But his features were naturally soft and rounded; even with a cold face, he didn’t appear aggressive.

 

“Hey, with so many people watching, what are you doing? Looking for a fight?” Based on Xu Jiali’s knowledge of this scumbag, even turning gay wouldn’t change his nature. He was clearly interested in Tao Ran.

 

Seeing Tao Ran’s pale face and the fact that so many classmates were watching, Xu Jiali didn’t want things to get too awkward. He reached out to take the cup for Tao Ran.

 

However, Zhao Kaiyun dodged him. “It’s better if he takes it and drinks it himself.”

 

Tao Ran suddenly released his bitten lip and gave the other man a cold glance. He reached out and took the cup.

 

Zhao Kaiyun watched him with a smile, prompting softly, “Drink it all.”

 

Those words were like a fuse. That meaningful, slimy gaze, the seemingly light yet disgusting harassment. Tao Ran’s stomach churned, and a feeling of revulsion surged through him. Combined with the resentment built up from before, that last sentence was the final blow.

 

His vision went white, and his head throbbed. His hand trembled as if it had a mind of its own, and the juice in the cup nearly splashed out. By the time he came to his senses, the cup of juice in Tao Ran’s hand had already been splashed onto the disgusting face in front of him.