Are All You Straight Men Like This? - Chapter 14

The seventh floor of the hotel was a dedicated leisure and entertainment area.

Nameplates were attached to several heavy doors, labeling rooms for billiards, badminton, swimming, and more. Nie Anyou had booked a large private room. The lights inside were turned off, and leather sofas lined the walls in a U-shape.

Everyone had had a bit to drink, and their spirits were high as they crowded around the console to pick songs.

Holding his coat in one hand, Ye Ran sat in the corner as usual.

The wave of heavy metal music was deafening. After a while, a waiter knocked and entered to deliver fruit platters and trays of alcohol.

“Holy crap, that’s a lot of draft beer! Are we drinking until we drop tonight?” one of the boys asked with a laugh.

Nie Anyou replied, “It’s included in the package. Everyone, try not to drink too much; we still have to head back to campus tonight.”

“What’s the point of going back to campus? If we get drunk, there’s a hotel right downstairs. One night won’t cost much. Everyone, just let loose and have fun!”

They began distributing the drinks amidst laughter. The beer was served in glass mugs, the golden liquid overflowing with foam. Nie Anyou patted the girls next to her reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m not drinking. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“That’s good… Chen Tao and the others are definitely wasted.”

The atmosphere gradually heated up. Someone clamored to play games, but Ye Ran didn’t join in, moving further into the corner.

The air conditioning in the room was set high. Later, someone ordered more drinks. Ye Ran faintly saw what looked like Coke being poured, so he took a sip. The cold liquid sent a chill through him, but after one mouthful, he immediately realized it wasn’t just Coke—it was a “Coke Bucket” (a cocktail mix).

The taste of whiskey was masked by the cola, but the fumes still made him feel nauseous.

“Ye… Ye Ran, right?”

At that moment, several boys suddenly crossed the aisle and came up to him to greet him.

“Come on, come on, have a drink!”

“Hey, don’t force Ye Ran to drink,” another boy said with a thick tongue. “Be careful or Liang Feng will give you trouble.”

“Liang Feng?” The first boy processed this for a few seconds before breaking into a teasing smile. “Right, right… I almost forgot about that. Ye Ran, come on, just one drink is enough. We’ll be brothers from now on; we don’t cheat our own people.”

Their breath reeked of alcohol as they spoke. Colorful lights flashed inside the private room, sweeping across every corner like a spinning wheel.

Ye Ran stood up uncomfortably, feeling a bit dizzy. He reached out to steady himself against the back of the sofa. “I don’t drink.”

“What?”

The background music was loud, and the deafening roar suddenly drowned out Ye Ran’s voice. Several boys were startled and looked back. “Damn, who’s singing? That sounds terrible… It’s Chen Tao, isn’t it?”

“Chen Tao really has a ‘great’ voice; sounds like a requiem.”

“Dammit, stop singing! It’s hideous!”

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ye Ran left the room. Inside, the lights were flashing. He walked along the dark base of the wall, and someone suddenly stood up from the sofa near the door.

Ye Ran glanced over and saw it was Liang Feng.

Liang Feng’s face was very red, and he smelled of booze—he had clearly been drinking. He stared straight at him, calling his name slurredly: “Ye Ran, I have something I want to say to…”

Ye Ran didn’t stop, immediately pulling the door open to leave.

Behind him, Liang Feng seemed to want to follow, but he was grabbed by several companions who playfully forced more alcohol on him. “Where are you going? Tonight we drink until we drop!”

“What are you looking at, Liang Feng? Hurry up! You’ve only had a few beers; are you that weak?”

The voices were blocked behind the heavy wooden door.

Ye Ran stood in the corridor and took a deep breath.

Fresh air flooded his lungs, but his head was still muddled. The after-effects of the “Coke Bucket” were kicking in; he felt like vomiting. He leaned against the wall and headed to the restroom to wash his face.

On the way, his phone vibrated.

He pulled it out with difficulty, only to find it wasn’t a message, but a call.

“…Hello?” he answered.

The other side was silent for two seconds before Shen Shi’s deep, calm voice came through: “It’s Shen Shi. Where are you?”

“Shen Shi?” Ye Ran froze for a moment before sluggishly remembering it was Yu Ting’s birthday today. “…I’m sorry, Shen Shi. I’m a bit dizzy; I probably can’t go find you guys.”

“It’s fine.” On the other end, Shen Shi seemed to stand up; the sound of a chair dragging back made a dull thud. His voice remained steady and unhurried as he asked, “We’re finished here too and are heading back to campus. Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Where was he?

Ye Ran was dazed again. “I’m in…”

He had already walked into the restroom and looked around blankly. There were a few people inside washing their faces. After they finished, they brushed past him drunkenly, bumping into his shoulder.

The phone hit the floor with a thud. Ye Ran thought for a while before squatting down to pick it up.

“Ye Ran? Ye Ran?” Shen Shi’s voice on the phone was deep, and his footsteps seemed to grow swifter. “Ye Ran, how are you?”

Ye Ran picked up the phone and instinctively wiped the dust off the screen. His head was swimming, and the nausea was intense; he didn’t notice he had hung up the call. He said, “I’m in the toilet.”

There was no sound from the phone.

Ye Ran froze and called out, “Shen Shi?”

Still no reply.

He dazed out for a bit and called again: “…Shen Shi?”

This time he waited a long time, but he still didn’t hear a response from Shen Shi.

After a few seconds of silence, Ye Ran lowered his head and slowly “hung up” the phone.

Ice-cold water splashed on his face, but it only made Ye Ran dizzier. He felt like he was walking on cotton. The after-effects of the 50-proof whiskey were fierce and concentrated; its destructive power was no less than a bomb. He leaned against the wall, moving outward step by step like a snail.

Footsteps echoed in the restroom and soon stopped in front of him, casting a large shadow.

Ye Ran looked up, water droplets falling from his fringe.

“Ye Ran.”

He heard a familiar voice. The boy in front of him crouched down to look him in the eye. In his blurred vision, he could only see the boy’s sharp facial features and a pair of dark, deep eyes. “You’re drunk.”

Then, a male voice cut through his chaotic thoughts.

“Holy crap… Shen Shi, how long were you holding it in? You’re in such a rush?” The voice paused, turning into surprise. “…Ye Ran? What’s going on? Is he drunk?”

Feeling muddled, Ye Ran let out a small alcoholic hiccup. For some reason, he felt a sense of guilt and apologized softly, “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Shen Shi and Yu Ting looked at him simultaneously.

Ye Ran was immersed in his own world, where everything was a vast expanse of white. The cotton candy under his feet was getting softer and softer; he was about to lose his footing. So, he said another word: “I’m sorry.”

“I think I’m about to fall over.”

Ding.

The revolving door was pushed open.

Yu Ting’s drunkenness was instantly extinguished by the cold wind. A misty drizzle was falling from the sky, piercing the skin like needles and making people shiver. Withered trees stood by the roadside, their shriveled branches intertwining.

Looking at Shen Shi, who was supporting Ye Ran, Yu Ting said, “I’ll go ahead and hail a taxi. It might be hard to get one at this hour.”

It was cold and raining today, and the road conditions weren’t great. There were only a few scattered cars on the usually busy road. The streetlights cast a white glow over the curtain of rain. Yu Ting’s figure gradually faded into the distance.

Shen Shi looked down at Ye Ran, who took one step and then paused for a breath. After two seconds of silence, he squatted down. “Get on.”

His frame was lean and upright; even under his cotton jacket, his broad shoulders and long legs were evident. As he leaned forward slightly, his fingers were pale and strong as he gripped Ye Ran’s arms, pulling him onto his back.

No longer needing to walk, Ye Ran opened his eyes slightly, trying to say something. In the end, before the words could come out, he fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Shi carried him into the rain. The light rain hit his face. After two steps, he turned his head and said in a low voice, “Ye Ran, put on your hood.”

The hood of the sweatshirt hung behind his head; Ye Ran didn’t move.

Shen Shi couldn’t reach the hood, so he could only pick up his pace and quickly head to the roadside pickup point to find Yu Ting.

A gust of cold wind swept over them, bringing with it fine droplets of rain. The warmth brought out from the hotel gradually cooled. Shen Shi’s expression remained unchanged, his pace steady. His pupils were a pure black, devoid of emotion. Some passersby, intimidated by his cold face, were forced to put away their phones and leave awkwardly.

Ye Ran seemed to be woken by the cold wind. He moved slightly, his body suddenly stiffening as he murmured muddled and confusedly, “…Where is this?”

The pavement tiles on the sidewalk were flat, and the green bushes on either side rustled in the wind. The streetlights flickered, passing over their bodies like shadows.

Shen Shi unobtrusively loosened the grip of his hands. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Ran said again, “My… where are my legs?”

He swung his legs on Shen Shi’s back. Not hitting the ground, he immediately reached out in panic to feel for them. “Where are my legs… Has anyone seen my legs?”

Shen Shi stopped. A minute later, he started walking forward again, a slight hint of amusement in his voice: “I see them.”

Ye Ran was dazed. He slowly tilted his head, very close to him. His warm breath carried a faint scent of alcohol, spreading evenly across the side of Shen Shi’s neck.

Shen Shi stopped again, this time for a very long time.

He stood silently between two streetlights. In the dim light, his expression was unreadable.

“Who are you…?” Ye Ran tried to lean closer to see his face, his breath becoming even warmer and softer.

Shen Shi lifted his legs again and walked out of the shadows. The streetlight spilled over the side of his neck; his expression was indifferent and aloof, but a faint flush appeared on the side of his neck.

“I am Shen Shi.”

Ye Ran gave an “Oh,” acting sluggishly—he had clearly forgotten who Shen Shi was.

He was sleepy again. Finding this position very comfortable, he tilted his head and closed his eyes tiredly after asking his question. His breathing was slow and long, brushing against Shen Shi with a wet warmth.

Shen Shi stared calmly ahead, but the flush on his neck gradually spread to behind his ears. In the cold wind, he unobtrusively tightened his grip.

Yu Ting ran back to the hotel through the cold wind. He had walked such a long way but hadn’t seen a single sign of a taxi.

In the distance, a figure emerged from the curtain of rain.

Tall and lean, his short black hair half-wet from the rain, making his features look even sharper.

Yu Ting, being sharp-eyed, quickly walked toward Shen Shi. “Damn, it’s freezing! I really couldn’t catch a taxi, so I called a ride-hail. It should be here in three minutes—”

He froze, looking blankly at Shen Shi and the Ye Ran on his back.

Shen Shi glanced at him, his tone unchanged: “Then we’ll wait a bit.”

“Oh… okay.” Although he already knew Shen Shi was a king of double standards, it still took Yu Ting a moment to convince himself. After all, Ye Ran was so drunk he couldn’t even walk; there was nothing strange about Shen Shi carrying him.

He raised an eyebrow to check on Ye Ran, but after taking two steps closer, he was frowned at and called to a halt by Shen Shi: “Stay back. You stink of alcohol.”

Yu Ting: “?”

What the hell? Ye Ran is wasted out of his mind and you didn’t find him disgusting.

“I’m almost completely sober now,” he laughed out of pure anger, his body starting to feel hot. “You’re so fussy… Wait, what’s going on with you?!”

A car drove past the roadside, its headlights shining brightly.

Yu Ting glanced unintentionally and was horrified. “Why is your neck so red? Holy crap, your ears too—you’re not having an allergic reaction, are you?”

Shen Shi paused and didn’t speak.

Yu Ting was already starting to panic. “We didn’t order much seafood today. If you can’t eat seafood, why didn’t you say so? Damn! It’s over. I’m not allergic too, am I? Quick, help me check—”

“You’re overthinking it,” Shen Shi said.

Yu Ting: “???”

For a split second, he thought Shen Shi had said “In your dreams.”

What kind of tone was that? Was he sick? Was having an allergic reaction a good thing?

His head throbbed with anger. He vaguely felt that Shen Shi’s state was off, but since he had also drunk quite a bit tonight, no matter how mentally clear he was, his physical reactions were relatively sluggish.

The phone rang suddenly; it was the driver of the ride-hail he’d just called.

“Hello? Handsome, I’ve reached the pickup point. Where are you?” the driver shouted.

Yu Ting pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can just stop there; we’re coming right now.”

“Let’s go,” he hung up and said to Shen Shi speechlessly. “The driver is here. Let’s hurry, the dorm is about to lock up.”

The driver’s car was a black Volkswagen. Yu Ting sat in the front, while Shen Shi and Ye Ran sat in the back.

The driver didn’t even need to ask to know their situation. “How much did that little handsome guy in the back drink? It’s a 300 yuan fine if he pukes in the car.”

Ye Ran leaned obediently against the back of the seat, sleeping muddled and quietly. The alcoholic flush around his eyes was thin and translucent; he looked like someone who didn’t drink often.

Shen Shi withdrew his gaze. The fatigue he had been suppressing for a long time surged up, and his voice carried a bit of tired alcoholic breath: “Mhm. Just drive.”

The car was silent throughout the journey.

Yu Ting was so tired he took a short nap. When he looked up again, he saw Shen Shi resting with his eyes closed through the rearview mirror. Shen Shi was leaning against the seat back, half of his face hidden in the light and shadow, his jaw also concealed within the stand-up collar of his cotton jacket. Sensing something, he slightly lifted his eyelids and gave him a cold, indifferent look.

The more Yu Ting pondered, the more something felt off. He couldn’t help but look back again.

Shen Shi still had that cold face. The only difference was…

Thump.

The car suddenly hit a bump.

A road near Jingda was under repair. Yu Ting was wearing his seatbelt and didn’t feel much.

However, Ye Ran in the back seat was bounced and swayed. Being drunk, his center of gravity was already unstable; he immediately frowned in discomfort. Beside him, Shen Shi quickly raised his hand to support his shoulder.

His hand was large, the knuckles distinct, long and pale. After gently bracing Ye Ran’s shoulder, it was a long time before he let go.

Yu Ting’s heart rate gradually became rapid and wild during this process.

Vroom—

The piercing honk of a large truck passed through his eardrums.

He turned his head sluggishly to look forward, his retina seemingly still holding the image from a moment ago.

Was Shen Shi… someone who had so little sense of personal space?

Isn’t he a bit too close to Ye Ran?

Where did the homophobia go?

Why does he look so ‘gay-ish’…

Shit, shit, shit.

Yu Ting’s eyelid twitched. A guess that gave him goosebumps suddenly flooded his mind.

Could it be that “homophobia” actually means—”fearing he’s a homo”?!