Are All You Straight Men Like This? - Chapter 13

Sunday evening, at the Swan Hotel.

It was only seven o’clock, and guests were already trickling in and out of the hotel entrance. When Ye Ran stepped out of his taxi, he happened to spot Nie Anyou and her roommates. Nie Anyou waved at him.

“Ye Ran, you’re here too?”

Tonight was the class dinner, after all. Although it was scheduled for 7:30 PM, Ye Ran had left early to avoid any potential traffic jams.

Autumn in the capital grew colder by the day. Tonight, a fine, dense drizzle was falling, and the cold wind carried icy droplets that stung any exposed skin. Despite living in the capital for many years, Ye Ran still hadn’t acclimated to it.

He wore a hooded sweatshirt layered under a brand-name black cotton jacket. His skin was a cool, delicate white, and his narrow phoenix eyes were slightly hooded. Standing under the flickering lights of the hotel entrance amidst the misty rain, he gave off a gentle yet aloof vibe. However, the moment he smiled, that distance vanished completely.

Ye Ran asked, “Is everyone else here?”

Standing next to Nie Anyou was the Youth League Branch Secretary. The girl was looking at him curiously; upon hearing his question, she curled her lip. “Nope. Including you, only a few of us have shown up.”

“The party doesn’t start until 7:30. It’s still early,” Nie Anyou remarked.

“It is early, but we agreed that the class committee would arrive ahead of time. In the end, Liang Feng and his group only just left their dorms.”

Ye Ran guessed they probably had items to set up, so he offered, “I can help out.”

Nie Anyou was startled. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded gratefully. “It’s just some small decorations and a banner. We just need to hang them on the wall.”

The Swan Hotel was luxuriously decorated. The lobby was adorned with welcoming pines and other greenery, and the lighting was brilliant. After the front desk registered their information, they were led to their private room.

The room was on the second floor. The corridor was covered in thick carpeting, and the sounds of clinking glasses and toasts occasionally drifted from neighboring rooms. Once they entered their room and closed the door, the noise faded away.

Nie Anyou opened her backpack. As she had said, it contained only a few small decorations and a banner. The banner, which needed to be hung on the wall, read: 2023 Painting Major, Class 1 Gathering.

The decorations were something Nie Anyou had paid for out of her own pocket—customized Q-version mini-dolls of everyone in the class. Ye Ran’s doll was a palm-sized figure wearing a grey hoodie with little red blushes on its cheeks. He couldn’t help but laugh. “This is…”

“Remember when we took photos in October? I had the merchant make them based on the class album,” Nie Anyou said shyly.

Ye Ran fiddled with the doll. “It’s quite cute.”

The group hung the banner and arranged the dolls on a table near the entrance. Then, they settled in to wait for the rest of the class.

In the meantime, groups of girls entered the room. They were thrilled to see the Q-version dolls at the door and began excitedly hunting for their own.

At 7:25 PM, Liang Feng and several other boys finally hurried in.

They were covered in damp moisture from the rain. Knowing they were in the wrong, they apologized and explained themselves incessantly in the face of the Youth League Secretary’s darkened expression. Nie Anyou stepped in to smooth things over. “Alright, it’s our first class activity, so we’re still working out the kinks. Just be mindful in the future.”

The Youth League Secretary curled her lip. “Honestly, if you couldn’t make it, you should have said so earlier. If it wasn’t for Ye—”

Nie Anyou interrupted her. “Let’s just take our seats. I told the servers to start serving the food at 7:30.”

Liang Feng’s expression was a bit strained, but he said nothing. “Fine.”

Ye Ran wasn’t well-acquainted with his classmates. Having arrived first, he simply sat quietly in a corner, head down, calmly scrolling through his phone.

Someone sat down next to him—a group of four boys from the same dorm. They were laughing and joking, and one of them accidentally bumped into Ye Ran’s chair. It wasn’t a hard hit, but it caused him to lean to the side.

“Hey there, Ye Ran,” they said.

Ye Ran tucked his phone away and straightened himself without making a scene. He nodded to them. “Hello.”

“Everyone’s chatting; why are you still on your phone?”

“Just telling my roommate I arrived.”

“Roommate,” the boys said with interest. “I remember your roommate is that Shen Shi guy. I saw his photo on another school’s forum yesterday. I heard his family is really rich—is that true?”

“It’s probably true. I’ve seen him a few times; his shoes are incredibly expensive, and his clothes seem to be from those niche luxury brands.”

“Damn. Handsome, smart, and rich. Comparison really is the thief of joy.”

Ye Ran said nothing. When they pressed him for more, he finally looked up and blinked blankly. “Hmm? What were you saying? Sorry, it’s too loud; I didn’t hear you.”

“We were asking about your roommate—”

Just then, the servers began bringing out the dishes. The smile on Ye Ran’s lips was faint, and his voice was soft, yet it cut through their questions: “The food is here.”

The first dish was a cold appetizer: Northeast Large Sheet Jelly (Da La Pi). The springy jelly was coated in sesame sauce—refreshing and appetizing.

The service at the Swan Hotel was excellent. Reviews on Dianping mentioned that the kitchen was very efficient; you wouldn’t find yourself finishing one dish and waiting ages for the next.

The boys tried to ask him more questions later, but Ye Ran pretended not to hear any of it. In the midst of the noisy, bustling crowd, he ate his meal in silence, not uttering a word.

During the meal, a few of the more outgoing and socially adept boys sparked a conversation, asking everyone where they were from. As the talk at the table grew more animated and the air conditioning was turned up, people began shedding their coats. The atmosphere was reaching its peak.

“I studied in H Province,” a relatively quiet girl in the class said. “The province known for its brutal Gaokao competition.”

“Haha, I’m from H Province too! We’re fellow provincials. We can book tickets together for the holidays.”

“I’m from Hai City, a major tourist province. If anyone wants to visit, feel free to look me up. I’ll be your free tour guide.”

Someone eventually asked, “What about Ye Ran?”

The voice sounded a bit familiar. Ye Ran looked up and met Liang Feng’s gaze from across the table. Liang Feng wasn’t sitting with his roommates but with several close friends.

The person who had asked was one of Liang Feng’s friends. Ye Ran could see them teasingly nudging Liang Feng’s arm.

He put down his chopsticks and answered, “I’m a local.”

“Whoa, a capital local?” More eyes turned toward him. “Do you have any siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child.”

“So, what do your parents do?”

Ye Ran paused for a moment before saying, “They run a small business.”

“You guys are never-ending, aren’t you? Are you running a census?” The topic was diverted by Nie Anyou. She stood up to refill the girls’ drinks and smiled. “Ye Ran isn’t the only local in this class.”

The other locals in the class laughed and began talking about their own backgrounds. There were twenty students in the painting major, four of whom were locals. They lived in different districts, and their family situations varied.

Muttered voices could be heard: “Ye Ran’s family clearly has money.”

“Yeah… those shoes he’s wearing were only just released.”

“People from the capital are just rich.”

Even though he knew people often filter their social circles based on status, Ye Ran still felt uncomfortable. Although the conversation had shifted to others, many eyes still lingered on him.

He picked up his phone, planning to go out for some air. Before leaving, he glanced up and met Liang Feng’s eyes again. Liang Feng was watching him, his expression hidden in the shadows.

The air in the corridor was indeed fresher. Ye Ran closed the door and headed toward the restroom.

The restroom smelled of flowers, and an attendant was cleaning. Ye Ran washed his hands, the cold water helping to clear his head. Suddenly, someone stepped out from a stall and looked at him in surprise. “Ye Ran?”

Ye Ran turned around. “Yu Ting?”

Yu Ting looked delighted and walked over to the sink next to him to wash his eyes. “What a coincidence! You’re here too?”

“Yeah,” Ye Ran smiled. “Happy birthday.”

Yu Ting didn’t react at first. “Haha, Happy birth—”

His voice suddenly faltered, and his pupils dilated. “H-how did you know?”

What the hell? How did Ye Ran know about his “makeshift birthday” today?

“Isn’t it your birthday today?” Ye Ran asked, confused. He had even asked Shen Shi to bring a gift.

The two stared at each other in silence—one puzzled, one shocked.

Then, Ye Ran watched as Yu Ting’s face turned from blue to green and green to blue. It shifted from disbelief to realization and then to utter despair. His eyes were wide with fury.

“Yu Ting? Yu Ting, are you okay?” Ye Ran panicked and immediately stepped forward to support his wobbling frame. “Are… are you drunk? Should I call an ambulance?”

“An ambulance?” Yu Ting muttered. “Why call an ambulance? If I just give Shen Shi a beating, I’ll be fine…”

“?” Ye Ran didn’t hear clearly. “What did you say? Call Shen Shi? Okay, I’ll call him right now.”

Yu Ting quickly grabbed his hand. “No need.”

He spoke with difficulty. “I’m fine, just a bit dizzy. Where are you guys heading next? Maybe we can go back to school together.”

Ye Ran: “We’re going to a private room on the seventh floor for KTV.”

“Oh,” Yu Ting said thoughtfully. “KTV, huh.”

They chatted a bit longer before parting ways at the corridor fork.

Filled with resentment, Yu Ting stopped at the door of his private room. He tried to steady his mind and put on a leisurely front before pushing the door open.

The room was quiet. The round table was covered in dishes, most of which had been eaten.

Under the bright white light, Shen Shi was leaning casually against his chair, his long legs hooked out comfortably. Hearing the door, he looked up. His dark pupils were indifferent, though they held a hint of fatigue from the alcohol.

“What took you so long?” Shen Shi said. “If your kidneys are failing, go see a doctor.”

Yu Ting choked. “…” Your kidneys are the ones failing!

He sat down, gritting his teeth with a fake smile. “Heh, I just ran into an acquaintance.”

Shen Shi was lazily scrolling through his phone, his eyelids drooping. “Oh.”

He’s actually not interested at all! Yu Ting thought bitterly. Shen Shi really was a villain; he didn’t care about him at all. Did a “tool” have no right to speak?

“Isn’t it a coincidence? Ye Ran is actually in this hotel too.” He paused intentionally. As expected, Shen Shi looked over. “His class is having a party. They’re going to the seventh floor for KTV in a bit. It’s almost 9:30 now; if they go singing now, are they planning to stay all night? Are they even going back to campus?”

The Jingda dormitories locked at 11:30 PM. They could make it back as long as they left before then. However, the Swan Hotel was a ten-minute drive from campus; if the students got carried away, they might not make it back on time.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

After a moment, Shen Shi put down his phone and asked, “Do you want to do KTV?”

Yu Ting stared at him silently, waiting to see what other nonsense would come out of his mouth.

Shen Shi: “My treat.”

Yu Ting was completely indignant. “Shen Shi, be a human being for once, dammit!”

Even the 7°C weather wasn’t as cold as his heart!

“You only brought me here because Ye Ran was here, didn’t you?” Yu Ting slumped in his chair and pounded the table in anger. “What the hell are you doing? You have to follow them even to their class party, and you used the excuse of celebrating my birthday! I’ve inexplicably become half a year younger than you—the psychological damage this has caused me is enough to call the police! What did Ye Ran ever do to you? Why do you care so much…”

At this point, his expression shifted. The anger began to give way to suspicion as he stared at Shen Shi. “Speaking of which, it really is a bit strange. Why do you always act so ‘proper’ in front of Ye Ran? Do you and Ye Ran have…”

“Some unspeakable secret?!”

He suddenly felt like he’d caught them red-handed and began shouting accusations. “…Are you two sworn brothers behind my back? Damn, count me in! Let’s have our own ‘Oath of the Peach Garden.’ You’ll be the Big Brother, and I’ll be the Second Brother.”

In his line of sight, Shen Shi leaned against the back of his chair and watched him calmly. His dark eyes were lazy, as if he were looking at a drunken idiot.

Yu Ting was indeed a bit tipsy. He shook his head and hissed, “Shit, this wine has a strong after-effect… What was I saying just now? Don’t glare at me; I won’t take it back even if you do. I was saying… what was I saying…”

Shen Shi spoke: “You said you wanted to go to the seventh floor to sing.”

Yu Ting was dazed. “Did I say that?”

Shen Shi had already stood up, his tall, upright frame casting a shadow over him. He said with certainty, “You said it.”

Yu Ting instinctively followed him out. “I don’t want to sing.”

“You do,” Shen Shi said.

Yu Ting: “I really don’t want to.”

“You do,” Shen Shi said.

Yu Ting felt muddled. “I… I… bleh… I want to throw up…”

“You don’t,” Shen Shi said.

Yu Ting: “…”

Yu Ting: “Shen Shi… bleh… be a human being, dammit!”

Please! Stop ruining my life alone, okay?!