After The Beautiful Woman Moves Into The Jock's Dorm Room - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: How Could He Have That Photo?

Shen Qingyu’s illness came and went quickly. By the fourth day, he was lively again. However, he still drank a lot of water every day under Cheng Che’s supervision.

In addition, before leaving the dorm, he had to endure Cheng Che’s scrutinizing gaze and put on a thick coat.

Shen Qingyu had gained a little weight compared to a few months ago. His cheeks were noticeably rounder, and his skin looked nourished and glowing. He put on the thick coat and turned around in front of the mirror, genuinely feeling that he had gained a lot of weight.

“Let’s go, Xiao Yu,” Cheng Che knocked on the restroom door.

Shen Qingyu pushed the door open, looking a little unhappy. Cheng Che bent down to adjust his collar.

“Why the pout? Not happy?”

Shen Qingyu said, “This coat makes me look so fat. I don’t want to wear it.”

His childish petulance was incredibly cute, and Cheng Che felt his heart melt. He couldn’t help but raise a hand and rub his head: “How could it? You’re not fat at all. It looks great.”

The creamy white lamb-fleece coat made his complexion look healthy, like a newborn lamb.

“You’re just humoring me. I saw it when I looked in the mirror.”

“Heaven is my witness, I’m telling the truth, absolutely no exaggeration.” Cheng Che held up three fingers to swear. “Though your face does have a little more flesh than before, it looks better this way.” After saying that, he pinched Shen Qingyu’s cheek flesh, which felt soft.

“Really?”

“Of course. Why would I lie to you?” Cheng Che put his arm around his shoulder and said, “Hurry up and let’s go, or our usual spot in the library will be taken.”

Shen Qingyu realized Cheng Che really liked pinching his cheeks and also reached out to pinch his own twice. The texture was indeed quite nice.

Now satisfied, he smiled and said, “Okay.”

…

The library in winter was a bit stuffy. After studying for a few hours, Shen Qingyu needed to go out for some fresh air. With his hands in his pockets, he lowered his head, hiding his nose and mouth in the high collar of his coat, wandering back and forth outside the library.

Seeing Gu Ye, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, Shen Qingyu was slightly startled, then flashed a bright smile and greeted him.

“Senior! Long time no see!”

Gu Ye stopped in front of him, carefully sized him up, and said gently, “Yes, long time no see. Have you been well recently?”

“Very well, I was sick a few days ago, but I’m completely recovered now. Senior, you should also pay attention to keeping warm.”

“I know.” Gu Ye sighed softly. “You’re still the same, getting sick every season change.”

Shen Qingyu gave a silly laugh. “Senior, have you been very busy lately?”

“A little, busy with competitions and an internship.”

The dark circles under Gu Ye’s eyes were too obvious for Shen Qingyu to ignore.

“Then you really need to take good care of yourself. Getting sick in this weather is miserable,” he said worriedly.

Gu Ye felt a warmth in his heart. He nodded and said, “Why are you standing by the entrance? Aren’t you cold?”

“I studied for two hours straight just now. The library was too stuffy, so I came out for some air.” Shen Qingyu pointed to his clothes, his tone slightly boastful, and said, “Not cold at all. I’m wearing a lot and it’s very thick!”

Gu Ye chuckled. “Mhm, I can see you’re wearing a lot.”

“Are you going into the library to study or borrow books? Let’s go in together.”

“I…” Gu Ye hesitated. “I’m here to study.”

Not seeing him carrying any books, Shen Qingyu naturally assumed he had left his things inside. Wen Da’s library had storage lockers, which were very convenient for students preparing for graduate school or civil service exams.

The two swiped their faces to enter the library together. Shen Qingyu thought Gu Ye would go to his usual study room, but he found Gu Ye following him the whole way.

“Senior, are you in this study room too?” Shen Qingyu asked.

Gu Ye cleared his throat and said, “No, I’ll go after I take you back.”

“Oh…” Shen Qingyu was a little confused why he needed to “take him back.” Could something happen in the library? “I’m here!”

Shen Qingyu stood at the door and pointed in a direction. “The spot with the light on is mine. I grabbed it by coming over early.”

The smile on the corner of Gu Ye’s mouth froze, because he saw a very familiar person sitting there, looking at them with a wary expression.

“You came with a roommate.”

“Mhm, yes.” Shen Qingyu hesitated for a moment, then proactively said, “Oh, Senior, I haven’t told you. I’m in a relationship. It’s with him.”

He lowered his head, his ears and neck turning a flush of red.

Shen Qingyu’s youthful shyness made Gu Ye freeze. Although he didn’t specify who “him” was, Gu Ye understood the meaning of his words. “He” was the roommate.

He remembered that person’s name was Cheng Che. He was quite famous in the PE College. Gu Ye had inquired about his character before and received consistently positive reviews.

Under Shen Qingyu’s expectant gaze, Gu Ye forced a strained smile and said, “Does he treat you well?”

“He treats me wonderfully.” Shen Qingyu’s eyes sparkled with happiness. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t need to look to know Cheng Che was asking why he hadn’t come in. “I’m going in now. Let’s chat another time when we’re free.”

Watching Shen Qingyu enter the study room and sit down next to Cheng Che, his eyes filled with a smile, Gu Ye quietly lowered his gaze, stood for a moment, and then left the library.

…

Back in the dorm, the warmth rushed over him, dispelling the surrounding chill.

Shen Qingyu took off his heavy lamb-fleece coat and moved his limbs, which were stiff from sitting for a long time.

“I’m going to take a shower. My shoulders and arms are so sore,” Shen Qingyu said, grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the restroom.

Soon, the sound of running water started.

Cheng Che sat in his chair, ready to scroll through his phone while waiting for Shen Qingyu. His gaze casually swept across Lu Xiao’s desk next to him. Lu Xiao’s phone was placed carelessly on the desktop, the screen still lit, apparently having just been used and not yet locked.

The clear wallpaper on the screen made Cheng Che’s blood rush to his head instantly—it was Shen Qingyu’s sleeping face!

In the photo, Shen Qingyu’s eyes were closed, his eyelashes long and thick, casting a faint shadow on his eyelids. His cheeks were flushed from sleep, looking utterly defenseless and so soft it made one’s heart tremble.

The bedsheet and pillowcase were white, clearly indicating the background was a hotel.

The long-standing dissatisfaction with Lu Xiao, combined with now seeing his boyfriend’s photo used as his wallpaper, caused an instantaneous surge of irrational anger in Cheng Che.

He shot up from his seat, grabbing Lu Xiao’s phone. Suppressing his rage, his voice was frighteningly low: “Lu Xiao! What’s with this photo?”

Lu Xiao, who was wearing headphones and playing a game in his gaming chair, took off one earphone upon hearing the sound. Seeing Cheng Che holding his phone and the murderous expression on his face, he showed no panic. Instead, he curled his lips into a slight, provocative smile: “It’s exactly what you see. What’s the problem?”

His flippant, dismissive attitude made Cheng Che’s anger burn hotter and fiercer.

“When the hell did you take this?! Did he agree to it?!” Cheng Che slammed the phone onto the desk with a loud BANG, stepped forward, and grabbed Lu Xiao by the collar.

Lu Xiao’s temper flared up too. He violently broke free: “Mind your own business! I’ll take pictures if I want!”

“Say that again!” Cheng Che’s eyes were bloodshot, and he threw a punch.

Lu Xiao was caught off guard, his cheek snapping to the side. He immediately fought back, and the two instantly wrestled together. The chair was knocked over, producing a grating scrape and heavy thud.

The sounds of BANG and CLANG instantly filled the entire dorm.

Song Yu, who had just returned, walked into this scene. He raised an eyebrow, folded his arms, and stood to the side watching the fight, showing no intention of stopping them.

Just then, the restroom door opened with a click.

Shen Qingyu walked out, his hair soaking wet and his body enveloped in steam, his face still holding the relaxed pink flush from the shower. However, the sight before him made him instantly freeze. The color drained completely from his face, his eyes widened in terror, and the towel he was using to dry his hair dropped to the floor with a PLOP.

“You… what are you doing?!” His voice carried an imperceptible tremor, clearly terrified by the sudden violence.

No one paid attention to him. They were both immersed in their own fury.

Shen Qingyu grew more afraid, his pleading gaze turning to Song Yu, as if he were his last hope.

Song Yu saw Shen Qingyu, pale with fright, and then looked at the two men grappling wildly. He spoke calmly, his voice not loud but extremely penetrating: “Stop fighting. Do you want to scare him?”

These words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over Cheng Che and Lu Xiao’s heads.

Their movements stopped abruptly, and they both looked at Shen Qingyu.

When Cheng Che saw Shen Qingyu’s frightened, wide-eyed expression, like a startled deer, his anger was instantly replaced by heartache and regret. He immediately released Lu Xiao, breathing heavily, and adjusted his rumpled clothes.

Lu Xiao, with blood smeared on his mouth, glared fiercely at Cheng Che and headed to the restroom to spit out the blood. As he passed Shen Qingyu, he specifically turned his face away, not wanting Shen Qingyu to see the bruise on his face. It was a little embarrassing.

Fortunately, Cheng Che hadn’t gotten off easily under his hands either. They had both exerted all their strength, wanting to vent their frustrations.

The atmosphere in the room remained tense.

“What… what exactly is going on?” Shen Qingyu asked, his voice trembling. He bent down to pick up the towel, his fingers clutching it tightly.

Cheng Che took a deep breath, trying hard to calm his churning emotions. He pointed to Lu Xiao’s phone, which was now dark on the desk, and his voice was hoarse: “He has… a photo of you on his phone. When was this taken? How could he have that photo?”

Song Yu’s composed expression stiffened slightly. Clearly, he hadn’t expected Lu Xiao to also have photos of Shen Qingyu.

Hearing this, Shen Qingyu’s body swayed almost imperceptibly.

He looked at Lu Xiao, then at the angry and hurt expression on Cheng Che’s face. His lips trembled, and his eyes quickly turned red, clouding with moisture.

He lowered his head, his voice tiny, filled with sobs and an inability to speak the whole truth: “It was… during the summer vacation… We, didn’t we travel together for a few days… It might have been taken then…” He paused, sniffled, and looked up at Lu Xiao with misty eyes, feeling a bit angry, but mostly helpless. “Lu Xiao, why did you secretly take my photo? How could you do this…”

Lu Xiao pressed his tongue against his cheek and said with a cheeky grin: “I thought you looked good, so I took it.”

Cheng Che only just learned at this moment that they had actually traveled together during the summer. He hadn’t realized Xiao Yu had hidden so much from him. But even so, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry at Shen Qingyu.

They weren’t together during the summer vacation, so who Shen Qingyu traveled with was his freedom. Since they got together, Shen Qingyu had tried hard to give him a sense of security, and Cheng Che appreciated that. Moreover, the photo was secretly taken by Lu Xiao, which suggested that perhaps Lu Xiao hadn’t yet expressed his feelings to Shen Qingyu at that time.

Looking at it this way, Shen Qingyu was merely naive in his choice of acquaintances. He was also a victim.

Cheng Che’s chest rose and fell dramatically, as if blocked by a large stone. A powerful, offended sense of possessiveness and jealousy almost drowned him, but seeing Shen Qingyu’s red-rimmed eyes and frightened expression, all his anger melted into heartache and regret.

He shouldn’t have started a fight in the dorm; he must have scared him terribly.

Cheng Che endured the pain in his cheek and chest and stepped forward, gently pulling Shen Qingyu into his embrace. Feeling his body still trembling slightly, a sharp pang went through his heart. He stroked Shen Qingyu’s semi-dry hair, his voice low and suppressed: “…It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”

A dead silence fell over the dorm, broken only by Shen Qingyu’s quiet sobs and Cheng Che’s heavy breathing. Song Yu quietly put down his bag, the veins bulging on the back of his hand from clenching his fist too hard, while Lu Xiao, with a dark expression, picked up the overturned chair, remaining silent.