Are All You Straight Men Like This? - Chapter 12

The weather was growing colder by the day. Recently, the skies had been overcast and gloomy. The evergreens lining the paths of the teaching buildings had completely withered, and the very last of the dry leaves curled up and fell to the ground.

Inside the classroom, fluorescent lights hummed as an old professor explained a PowerPoint presentation. Time slipped by, and the bell finally rang at 5:20 PM.

As the fourth period of the afternoon ended, the entire teaching building became lively. Students quickly packed their things and filtered out through the back door.

Ye Ran stood up and shouldered his backpack. He had only taken a couple of steps when a voice called out from behind him.

“Ye Ran.” The class monitor, Nie Anyou, walked over. “I have something to tell you. Are you going to the cafeteria? Let’s walk together.”

“Sure.”

The corridors were packed, and their ears were filled with a cacophony of voices. A biting wind brushed against their faces; the temperature difference between inside and outside felt like two different seasons. Ye Ran, who was sensitive to the cold, slowly wrapped his scarf around himself. Once half of his face was buried in the wool, Nie Anyou, standing beside him, let out a laugh.

“Is it really that cold?”

Ye Ran looked at the “nude-effect” leggings she was wearing and remained silent.

When he had woken up this morning, Fatty had been sighing incessantly, complaining that it was only 8°C today.

Autumn and winter in the capital were dry and harsh. Ye Ran had layered a black cotton jacket over his grey hoodie. The stand-up collar of the jacket was perfect for wearing a scarf. His skin was a cool white, and his phoenix eyes were narrow and elegant. When the corners of his eyes flushed slightly red, he carried a vivid yet drowsy sort of laziness that was very attractive.

Nie Anyou smiled at him and said, “I wanted to talk to you about our class party. We’re planning to hold it this Sunday. Everyone can go out to eat, drink, and take some photos. Since we don’t know each other well yet, and we’ll be classmates for the next four years, it’s better to get acquainted.”

“I’m fine with anything,” Ye Ran nodded.

“Regarding the cost, we don’t plan to use the class funds. We’ll split the bill equally. The counselor told me there will be a week of school festivities before New Year’s Day, and we’ll need the class funds for that.”

The two walked downstairs side by side as the crowd moved sluggishly.

Ye Ran kept his hands in his pockets, clutching a hand warmer. “Alright. If we’re splitting the bill, who do I give the money to?”

“Just give it to the life counselor.”

Ye Ran’s mind raced for a second, and his footsteps faltered. Wasn’t the life counselor Liang Feng?

Clearly, Nie Anyou had the same thought. She ran a hand through her wind-blown hair, looking a bit stressed. “How about this: just give the money directly to me. When Liang Feng collects it, I’ll hand him both of our shares together.”

“Thank you.” Ye Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

Nie Anyou laughed. “Let’s add each other on WeChat first then.”

Ye Ran pulled out his phone. The stairwell was a bit dim, and his screen auto-adjusted its brightness, making it hard to see names. They stood by the third-floor corridor, using the weak hallway light to scan QR codes.

With a beep, Nie Anyou tucked her phone away. “Done. Once I’ve booked the venue tonight, I’ll contact you.”

“Okay, thanks for the hard work,” Ye Ran smiled.

“It’s nothing.”

Nie Anyou was about to say more when a male voice suddenly rang out from nearby.

“Ye Ran.”

Both of them looked toward the source of the voice. Shen Shi was standing there, head slightly tilted, watching them.

He was wearing a black cotton jacket, his figure tall and upright. His short black hair was messy from the wind. Leaning against the corridor wall with a casual air, his dark, deep phoenix eyes remained cool and indifferent as he stared at them.

It was impossible to tell how long he had been standing there before finally speaking up.

“Ah… Classmate Shen Shi, right?” Nie Anyou suddenly felt self-conscious and smoothed her hair, offering a shy, pretty smile. She turned to Ye Ran. “Do you guys have plans? I won’t disturb you then. I’ll head out first, bye!”

Ye Ran snapped out of it and waved to her. “Bye.”

The noise in the teaching building gradually subsided, and the stairs were mostly empty.

“Shen Shi,” Ye Ran readjusted his scarf and walked toward him. “What are you doing here?”

The Mingli Building was laid out in an “H” shape. Ye Ran was in one wing, and Shen Shi was in the other. The distance between the two wings was quite far. Ye Ran had been prepared not to “accidentally encounter” Shen Shi today, yet Shen Shi had still appeared at the stairwell on time.

Shen Shi said, “We finished class early.”

He straightened up and walked downstairs with Ye Ran, asking casually, “Who was that girl?”

“She’s my class monitor. She said there’s a small party this Sunday, but the location hasn’t been decided yet. She’ll notify me once it is.”

“Sunday?”

Ye Ran nodded. “Yeah. I’m not going to the cafeteria first. My cup broke during class today, so I’m going to the supermarket to buy a new one.”

Shen Shi stopped with him and said, “I’ll go with you.”

The Jingda campus had many supermarkets, with large and small shops scattered along the living street. At night, it was bustling. Some shops were cooking oden, and the aroma was mouth-watering.

Ye Ran entered a small supermarket. The store was quite crowded. He was in the household section picking out a water bottle when his phone vibrated. It was a message from Nie Anyou.

[Ye Ran, the location is set. It’s at the Swan Hotel. We’ve booked a private room. We’ll do KTV after dinner and finish around 9:00 PM.]

He replied with an “Okay.”

When he looked up again, a girl had appeared in front of Shen Shi.

She had long flowing hair, pearl earrings, and a fitted trench coat. Her voice was very sweet as she asked Shen Shi for his WeChat. Behind her were three or four companions, all watching with excited expressions.

The light spilled over them. Shen Shi had his hands in his pockets, eyes lowered, looking tired and aloof. He said, “Sorry, I don’t have WeChat.”

Ye Ran was stunned.

The girl was also taken aback. “Then… then QQ?”

Shen Shi’s tone didn’t change. “Don’t have that either.”

“Then what do you have?”

“Email.”

Who used email to make friends these days?

Even the most slow-witted person could understand what he meant. The girl didn’t persist; she just shrugged regretfully and walked away with her friends.

As they passed Ye Ran, he unintentionally heard their discussion, which was filled with curiosity.

“Damn… the Campus Grass is definitely the Campus Grass. He totally captured my heart.”

“He’s even more handsome in person than in photos!”

“We didn’t get his WeChat. I bet his contact list is full of beauties… Forget it, I’ll stop thinking about it.”

Ye Ran couldn’t hold back a smile. Shen Shi walked over at some point, looking at him and asking, “What are you laughing at?”

Ye Ran said, “I realized I don’t have your email either.”

Shen Shi paused for a few seconds before pulling out his phone. “Want to add it?”

“Now?” Ye Ran was surprised.

“Tonight,” Shen Shi said. “I have to download it first.”

Ye Ran was completely amused. “No need, WeChat is enough for us to keep in touch.”

He looked at the wide variety of water bottles on the shelves, chose one made of high-temperature insulated material, and asked casually, “That girl was quite pretty. Why didn’t you add her?”

Students who had just entered university had been suppressed for so many years; logically, they should be full of curiosity about the opposite sex. Many students in the Art Department had started dating during military training. By the time Ye Ran found out, some were already on their second or third “spring.”

He found it impressive, but having seen it so much, he’d grown used to it. However, in these few months, not a single female friend had appeared around Shen Shi.

This phenomenon seemed out of place on him. After all, with Shen Shi’s face, he could look either cold and detached or like a total playboy.

“Not interested,” Shen Shi said. Then, he glanced up, his tone flat. “Are you thinking about dating?”

Ye Ran sighed inwardly. How could he? With a homophobic friend like this, as long as he didn’t fall out with Shen Shi during these four years, he wouldn’t have any of those “worldly desires.”

Besides, their circle was messy to begin with. The moment Ye Ran thought about the potential trouble that came with dating, his head hurt.

“We’ll see,” he said non-committally. Otherwise, if a guy solemnly declares he has no interest in romance, it’s usually hard to explain.

Shen Shi didn’t speak again.

Ye Ran finally picked out his cup and prepared to check out. After two steps, he noticed Shen Shi was still standing in front of the shelf, motionless. The bright lights shone on him, outlining his cold and dark features.

“Shen Shi?” He walked back, confused, following Shen Shi’s gaze to the bottles on the shelf. “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with this cup?”

Hearing his name called, Shen Shi finally snapped out of it.

“Nothing,” he said, catching up with Ye Ran. “I just suddenly remembered something.”

“What is it?”

“Yu Ting once had a relationship. It didn’t end well,” Shen Shi said succinctly.

Ye Ran was shocked, his pace slowing down unconsciously. His mind flashed to Yu Ting’s refined and scholarly face; he never would have guessed that a “model student” like Yu Ting would have been involved in puppy love.

“What do you mean by ‘didn’t end well’?”

Shen Shi said, “He and that girl were in adjacent classes. He sent her food every day. Because he liked her too much, he once ran away from home with her. The girl said they’d be together for a lifetime, but later they were forced apart by their parents. However, Yu Ting never gave up.”

That “however” sounded like a total tragedy!

Ye Ran’s heart tightened with tension. He never expected that beneath Yu Ting’s sunny smile lay such a tragic past.

“What happened later?”

Shen Shi glanced at him and said, “Later, the girl went abroad.”

Ye Ran gasped.

Such a classic novel plot.

“Yu Ting didn’t do well on his exams that time and almost failed to get into university.”

Shen Shi kept his hand in his pocket and continued casually, “If you really want to date, it’s best to wait until you have a stable job and life.”

“Otherwise, it’s just harmful to both parties.”

Ye Ran nodded slowly, his expression solemn. “You’re right.”

Thinking again of Yu Ting’s face, which was always full of sunny smiles, he was filled with respect. To almost fail but still get into Jingda—Yu Ting must have been a true “chosen one.”

“Oh, right. My class party location is set. We’re going to the Swan Hotel. I’ll probably be back late that night,” he told Shen Shi.

“What time?” Shen Shi asked.

“Around nine or ten, I think.”

Thinking of this made Ye Ran’s head ache. He thought it would just be a meal, but he hadn’t expected KTV afterward. KTV inevitably involved drinking. With Liang Feng there, he didn’t want to stay long, but since the itinerary was set, even if he wanted to leave early, he’d have to stay for a bit.

Waiting in line irritably, Ye Ran sighed. Suddenly, Shen Shi’s calm voice came from behind him: “It’s fine. I should be at the Swan Hotel that day too.”

“You’ll be there too?”

“Celebrating Yu Ting’s birthday.”

Ye Ran: “It’s Yu Ting’s birthday that day? How many of you are going?”

Shen Shi paused for two seconds and said, “Two.”

Ye Ran: “…”

Two? Just two?

Not even their other roommates?

He hesitated. “Does Yu Ting… not have many friends?”

“Yes,” Shen Shi nodded.

“…Then I’ll prepare a gift for you to give him for me,” Ye Ran said, then added, “If we finish early, I’ll go find you guys.”

“Okay,” Shen Shi lowered his eyes, seeing Ye Ran’s slightly relaxed expression. “I’ll give you the room number then.”

Having resolved one worry, Ye Ran used the time in the queue to scroll through his phone. He happened to see Yu Ting’s post in his WeChat Moments. He paused, remembering Yu Ting’s secret past, and clicked on his profile to take a look.

The first thing he saw was a background image of a vast field of blooming tulips.

Below it was a small line of text: [Tulips? Could they be as fragrant as my bath towel (Yu-jin)?] (Note: “Tulip” and “Bath towel” are homophones in Chinese).

Ye Ran: “…”

Ye Ran: “…………”

He slowly put down his phone, his eyes dazed and bewildered.

Yeah.

Yu Ting… should have already moved on from his heartbreak, right?

Dorm 317.

Yu Ting had finished washing up and climbed into bed early. His roommates were all lying in bed playing on their phones. Since it was cold today, no one felt like chatting.

He yawned and was about to put his phone down when the screen suddenly lit up. Yu Ting caught a glimpse—

Shen Shi: [Are you there?]

Yu Ting: “…”

Yu Ting: “…………”

He suddenly sat up in bed, staring at the screen with a grave and serious expression.

A “weasel” doesn’t visit a “chicken” without bad intentions. These two ordinary, simple words somehow gave him an ominous feeling of a coming storm.

Yu Ting suppressed this unlucky premonition and typed cautiously: [I’m here. Something up?]

The other side was silent for a long time.

Yu Ting became increasingly restless. Just as he was about to call Shen Shi to ask what he wanted to say, Shen Shi’s message arrived.

Shen Shi: [I remember you’ve been in a relationship.]

Yu Ting: “…”

Yu Ting: “…………”

As expected. He stared peacefully at those few words. He knew it.

[Shen Shi,] he typed word by word: [Are you even human?]

[You’re digging up stuff from kindergarten just to stab me in the heart?]

Shen Shi: [Kindergarten?]

[Yeah,] Yu Ting typed while sighing with emotion: [That little girl went abroad with her parents later. I almost didn’t pass the entrance exam for primary school.]

Shen Shi: [Oh.]

A few seconds later. Just as Yu Ting thought Shen Shi wouldn’t speak again, Shen Shi added: [I’m treating you to dinner this Sunday.]

Yu Ting was instantly delighted, forgetting all about his “heartbreak.” [For real? What’s up? Is something happening that day?]

Shen Shi: [You were born.]

Yu Ting: [?]

Yu Ting: [???]

Shen Shi: [Celebrating your birthday.]

Yu Ting took a deep breath, trying to swallow the blood rising in his throat. [Three years of friendship, three years of birthday parties… Can’t even win you over? No way, no way, you didn’t forget my birthday is in June, did you?]

Shen Shi paused: [Celebrating it early.]

Yu Ting: [Half a year early?]

Shen Shi: [Swan Hotel. Coming or not?]

Yu Ting grit his teeth in anger. Was this a matter of money?!

[Coming!] He replied sweetly: [Brother, do you need me to appear in person that day, or just my name to appear?]

Shen Shi: [Both.]

[Alright, Brother,] Yu Ting said. [If there are any other instructions, just tell me. I can actually have 360 birthdays a year.]

Shen Shi ignored him: [Going to sleep.]

Yu Ting replied with a spring-breeze-like gentleness: [Mm-hmm-hmm-hmm.]

Until the chat screen went dark, he still felt a sense of unreality, like he’d won the lottery.

For real? Shen Shi was treating him to dinner?

How terrifying. Could it be a “Hongmen Banquet” (a trap)? The world had suddenly become so kind to him; he found it hard to believe.

This isn’t a dream, is it?

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it felt. Yu Ting simply sat up and whispered a test to the dorm: “Friends, if… I’m just saying if… it’s my birthday this weekend, what would you think?”

Dead silence in the dorm. Only the faint glow from the other three beds remained.

After receiving no reply for a long time, Yu Ting’s enthusiasm faded, and he turned over to sleep.

The next second, a roommate’s voice broke the silence.

“We would pool our money and give you thirty million.”

Yu Ting: “!!!” What? Thirty… thirty million?

Damn! So touching! Even if it’s just talk, the fact they have the heart for it is enough—

Roommate #1: “Thirty million (Qian-wan) times be happy.”

Roommate #2: “Thirty million times be joyful.”

Roommate #3: “Thirty million times be brave.”

Roommate #1, #2, & #3: “Hahahahaha!”

Yu Ting: “…”

Yu Ting: “…………”

Fine. It was confirmed. Not a dream.