After The Beautiful Woman Moves Into The Jock's Dorm Room - Chapter 86

Chapter 86: “Can’t let him see me with you!…”

It took Shen Qingyu only a few seconds to understand what he meant. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and said, “I didn’t mean that… you’re overthinking it.”

Song Yu saw a trace of guilt flash across his face and said calmly and indifferently, “Is that so?”

Shen Qingyu quickly nodded yes, then swiftly changed the subject: “Don’t delay the check-out. I’ll just go home and sleep. You should go home and rest too.”

Song Yu let out a soft “Mm-hmm,” then said with a mournful tone, “Use me and run, right?”

Shen Qingyu’s vision went dark. He didn’t know what was wrong with Song Yu today; his aggression was so strong that no matter what he said, he couldn’t shake off the “scumbag” image that Song Yu seemed to have branded onto him.

“I…” he stammered, his tongue seemingly tied in knots.

Song Yu sighed softly, the sigh as light as a feather yet heavily landing on Shen Qingyu’s heart. “Forget it,” his tone returned to its usual indifference. “I’ll take you back.”

Shen Qingyu bowed his head, quietly mumbled his thanks, following silently behind him out of the hotel like a quail who had done something wrong.

When he arrived home, he saw a message from Yang Yu from half an hour ago:

【Yang Yu: Not awake yet? What on earth did you two do last night!!!】

The moment Shen Qingyu saw the words “last night,” his head throbbed. He desperately needed to forget that memory.

【Shen Qingyu: I woke up ages ago. Just got home. Nothing happened last night, seriously.】

Yang Yu knew Shen Qingyu wouldn’t lie to him, which only increased his curiosity and regret. He pressed on: 【When did you two get so close?】

Shen Qingyu was looking for someone to confide in about his recent experiences. Knowing it couldn’t be explained in a few words, he called Yang Yu. Seeing the call, Yang Yu instantly knew he was in for a good story. He prepared his snacks and drinks, his face alight with barely contained curiosity and anticipation.

Even Yang Yu didn’t know about the suggestive videos Shen Qingyu had been posting online, so Shen Qingyu omitted some key information but recounted the general sequence of events. When Yang Yu learned that Song Yu had been sending Shen Qingyu harassment messages for nearly a year, his expression was truly something to behold.

His face complex, he stared at Shen Qingyu through the video for a while.

Shen Qingyu couldn’t stand the look and avoided his gaze: “Why aren’t you saying anything…”

“I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“You think this is outrageous too, right?!”

“I think you are absolutely incredible,” Yang Yu’s eyes were shining. “How on earth did you manage to get all three of your dorm mates so devoted to you?”

Shen Qingyu felt a lump in his throat. He bit his lip and glared at him: “Do you even know what the main point is?!”

“Of course, I do,” Yang Yu said emphatically. “These are three handsome guys! More importantly, you already have a boyfriend, yet they still won’t give up. Do you know what that proves?”

Shen Qingyu was sidetracked and couldn’t help but ask, “Proves what?”

“It proves your personal charm is unmatched.” Yang Yu paused, then continued, “But that Song Yu… I feel he’s too calculating. You should be cautious of him.”

“Why do you say that?” Shen Qingyu frowned slightly.

Due to his family background, Shen Qingyu already understood that Song Yu was somewhat obsessive, but aside from the momentary lapse of sending him harassment messages, he had never done anything intentionally harmful.

“I just find it strange that since he could persistently hide and send you harassment messages for a year, why was he so carelessly exposed to you?” Yang Yu rubbed his chin, analyzing the situation logically.

Shen Qingyu pondered for a moment, saying, “Maybe it was a momentary oversight? After all, he couldn’t have imagined I’d mistakenly take his phone.”

“Also, he acted so domineering in the messages, so why was he so quick to realize his mistake, apologize, and even put on a show of keeping his distance after you found out?”

“That just shows he’s willing to turn over a new leaf, right…”

Yang Yu was silenced, pouting and saying, “Anyway, I just find it weird. It feels like he’s trying to gain sympathy by acting pitiful.” He finished by scanning Shen Qingyu up and down, “And you fall for that, don’t you?”

Shen Qingyu’s face felt hot, and he quickly said, “He’s not trying to gain sympathy; he really is quite tragic. I’m not at liberty to discuss his family situation with you, but he’s truly had a very difficult life.”

“Fine, I can’t persuade you.” Yang Yu now fully realized that Shen Qingyu was already biased toward him to a certain extent, and whatever he said wouldn’t be believed. Yang Yu also began to doubt if he was overthinking things, but regardless, Song Yu had saved him yesterday and hadn’t done anything to him, which at least suggested he had no bad intentions toward Shen Qingyu.

“Oh, right, I want to take you and Lu Xiao out for a meal. He even got hurt yesterday because of the mess with Liu Peng. I feel like I should thank him in person.” When Liu Peng was mentioned, Yang Yu’s face visibly darkened.

Shen Qingyu was somewhat hesitant, mainly because he had just hung up on Lu Xiao that morning.

Yang Yu noticed his strange expression and proactively asked, “Is it inconvenient?”

“Not really, but you have to promise to keep yesterday’s matter a secret,” Shen Qingyu said worriedly. “Song Yu happened to speak up when Lu Xiao called me this morning, and I told Lu Xiao I was staying at a hotel with you. You absolutely cannot let that slip.”

Yang Yu clicked his tongue twice and said with a teasing smile, “I never thought I’d be covering for you one day.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingyu cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Then I’ll contact him now.”

“Great, I’ll wait for your message.”

…

Although Shen Qingyu said he would contact him now, he actually tossed and turned on his bed for several minutes after hanging up. He slowly sent a probing message only after half an hour had passed.

【Shen Qingyu: Are you busy?】

He expected to wait a while for a reply, but to his surprise, Lu Xiao replied instantly, as if he had been waiting, with a two-second voice message: “Heh, so you finally decided to message me.”

Shen Qingyu took a deep breath and said somewhat appeasingly: 【Um… are you free soon? Yang Yu said he wants to treat us to a meal.】

Lu Xiao answered quickly: “Sure, I’m free tonight. Send me the address.”

That easily? Shen Qingyu found it a little unbelievable.

After discussing the location with Yang Yu, Shen Qingyu sent the address to Lu Xiao. He then chatted with Cheng Che for a while. Their chat history these past two days had been filled with island scenery. Looking at the blue sky and ocean in the video, Shen Qingyu also felt a pang of longing.

They set the dinner time for 7:30 PM. Shen Qingyu woke up from his nap after 6:00 PM. He quickly tidied himself up and checked his phone, seeing that Lu Xiao had messaged him saying he would come early to pick him up.

When Lu Xiao and Shen Qingyu appeared together, Yang Yu’s signature smile reappeared, making Shen Qingyu feel self-conscious. The moment he sat down, Shen Qingyu explained: “It was on his way, just a detour.”

Lu Xiao immediately scoffed, “How is it on my way? Didn’t I specifically come to pick you up?”

Shen Qingyu awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose, pretending he didn’t hear him.

Yang Yu quickly smoothed things over and formally expressed his gratitude to Lu Xiao.

The recipient of the thanks, however, looked bored. After Yang Yu finished speaking, Lu Xiao stared at him in silence for a long time. The gaze was scrutinizing, giving Yang Yu an inexplicable sense of danger, as if he was being watched by a beast. He couldn’t help but lean closer to Shen Qingyu.

“Did you two get a room last night?” Lu Xiao suddenly asked, his tone flat, yet carrying an unavoidable pressure.

“Uh…” Yang Yu and Shen Qingyu quickly exchanged a glance, then Yang Yu nodded. “Yes, I drank too much at the bar yesterday, and Xiao Yu was worried about me.”

“And then you were still by his side this morning,” Lu Xiao continued to press, his eyes sharp.

“Of course. Didn’t I speak up when you called this morning? You heard me, didn’t you?” Under the intense pressure, Yang Yu acted perfectly natural, leaving no room for doubt. Shen Qingyu’s racing heart finally calmed down, and he gave Yang Yu a thumbs-up under the table.

Lu Xiao’s scrutinizing gaze lingered on him. Once he seemed satisfied that Yang Yu wasn’t lying, he curved his lips into a smile.

The meal was comfortable enough. After dinner, Yang Yu went to pay the bill only to find out that Lu Xiao had already settled the tab after ordering the dishes. He looked at Shen Qingyu helplessly, at a loss.

“I’m in a good mood, my treat,” Lu Xiao said very coolly.

Yang Yu could only transfer the money to Shen Qingyu, asking him to treat Lu Xiao next time. Shen Qingyu was caught between two stools and accepted the transfer under Lu Xiao’s playful gaze.

He suspected Lu Xiao did it on purpose!

Leaving the restaurant after the meal, the night air was cool. Lu Xiao naturally placed his hand on Shen Qingyu’s shoulder and said to Yang Yu, “I’ll take him home.”

Yang Yu sensibly left first.

In the car, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Lu Xiao drove for half the journey, then suddenly spoke, his voice unusually clear in the enclosed space:

“Does Cheng Che know you got a room with Yang Yu?”

Shen Qingyu suddenly felt his breathing stop. If he remembered correctly, he had told Cheng Che he was in the hotel alone. He was now desperately worried that Lu Xiao might go and compare notes with Cheng Che, and his heart pounded like a drum.

“Of course, he knows. I called him back as soon as I woke up,” Shen Qingyu swallowed hard, his hands on his knees tightly clenched.

“So I was the last one to know,” Lu Xiao said.

Shen Qingyu gave an awkward laugh, avoiding an answer.

Just then, his phone suddenly lit up. Cheng Che hadn’t messaged him since he took a nap that afternoon, and he thought he was busy. But the message that popped up on the screen read:

【I’ve landed in Wencheng. I’m already in a taxi. I’m coming to find you. I miss you so much.】

Bang! Shen Qingyu felt like his head had been hit hard by something, instantly going blank.

Why so suddenly?!

Shen Qingyu frantically glanced at Lu Xiao’s profile, then back at his phone. If Cheng Che saw him coming back with Lu Xiao, how could he possibly explain? Not only that, but the lie he told this morning might also be exposed! He now regretted not telling Cheng Che the truth right away!

He violently looked up, all color drained from his face. He no longer cared about the subtle tension with Lu Xiao just moments before, his voice clearly panicked: “Lu Xiao! Quick, hurry and take me back!”

Lu Xiao was taken aback by his sudden, intense reaction. He frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Cheng, Cheng Che is back!” Shen Qingyu was practically incoherent. “He’s already in a taxi and will be at my place soon! I can’t let him see me with you!”

If they were caught, he would be completely unable to defend himself.

Shen Qingyu now realized what it meant to suffer the consequences of his own actions.

Lu Xiao’s eyes immediately darkened. He pressed his thin lips together and said nothing, simply slamming the accelerator and speeding toward Shen Qingyu’s house.

The rest of the drive was silent, the atmosphere suffocating.

The car arrived near Shen Qingyu’s apartment complex earlier than expected. Lu Xiao didn’t drive directly to the building as usual, but stopped in the shadow of a corner, as Shen Qingyu had requested. From here, the entrance to the building was clearly visible, yet they were inconspicuous.

“Thank you…” Shen Qingyu unbuckled his seatbelt, fumbling to get out of the car.

Lu Xiao gave a cold laugh. He was about to watch Shen Qingyu run into Cheng Che’s embrace. And he, it seemed, was only allowed to hide in the dark corner, forever kept in the shadows.

“Cheng Che!”

Cheng Che heard his name and turned around. Seeing Shen Qingyu, a gentle smile instantly blossomed on his face. He opened his arms: “Did you miss me? Why are you wearing so few layers? Are you cold?”

Shen Qingyu forced himself into his arms, embraced tightly.

The hug was warm and familiar, but his body momentarily stiffened. He could almost feel the chilling, piercing gaze from the shadow lurking behind him.

“Why are you back so suddenly? I told you to have fun this morning. You’ve only been gone a few days…” Shen Qingyu slightly pulled out of his embrace, forcibly suppressing his panic, and plastered a look of combined surprise and delight on his face.

Cheng Che ruffled his hair, his eyes bright, with a hint of bashful shyness. He smiled and said, “I meant to surprise you. And… my parents are still having fun over there. But I told them I missed my significant other, and my mom just told me to come home.”

“How about it, is it a surprise?”

His tone was so natural and sincere, full of the happiness of being supported by family and missing his lover.

Lu Xiao looked through the car window at the couple embracing not far away, watching the “surprise” on Shen Qingyu’s face, which he found incredibly grating, and Cheng Che’s unconcealed love. The veins on the back of his hand gripping the steering wheel bulged, his teeth grinding audibly. Emotions named jealousy and resentment ran rampant in his heart.