Are All You Straight Men Like This? - Chapter 15

Yu Ting was so startled he became completely sober. He shuddered, his scalp tingling again and again.

Dammit, the gay guy is right by my side!

The old driver nearby glanced over casually and turned up the heater. “You’re not doing so well, young man. Is your constitution really that weak?”

In a single night, Yu Ting had been questioned about his “kidney health” by Shen Shi and his “weak constitution” by an old man. He forced a smile, his gaze constantly drifting toward the back seat. “Heh, I’m just not wearing enough. Not wearing enough.”

“Young people these days just don’t pay attention to their health. When you’re old, you’ll have problems here and there.” The driver opened the floodgates of conversation, beginning to brag about how worldly and socially adept he had been in his youth.

Yu Ting didn’t respond, instead stealing another furtive glance at Shen Shi and Ye Ran.

In the narrow space of the rearview mirror, flashes of streetlight cut through the shadows. As the car traveled along the smooth road, Ye Ran was sleeping deeply. His crow-feather lashes were thick and scattered, and his hair, somewhat damp, clung softly to his cheeks. His lips were an unnaturally bright red, slightly parted as he breathed slowly.

It was indeed a face that made people instinctively want to lean closer.

Yu Ting wanted to look closer, but suddenly, a large hand blocked his view.

At some point, Shen Shi had braced himself against the back of the front passenger seat and leaned over. His eyes were deep, dark, and intense. The veins on the back of his pale hand were visible. He glanced down at Yu Ting, then turned his gaze back to the front, saying flatly, “Mister, WeChat scan.”

“Oh,” the driver shut up immediately and handed over the QR code. “Fifteen yuan.”

It wasn’t until the notification for the WeChat payment sounded that Yu Ting finally snapped out of it and swallowed hard.

…Scared the life out of him. He thought Shen Shi was going to hit him.

The car stopped at the main gate of Jingda. It was just after eleven, a freezing time of year where no students were wandering outside. The guard in the booth was wrapped in a military overcoat, drinking hot water.

Yu Ting got out first. Seeing that Shen Shi was about to carry Ye Ran on his back again, his eyelid twitched. Remembering his theory, he immediately tried to stop him. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it… You carried him for so long just now; you must be tired.”

Shen Shi gave him an emotionless look. “You can’t handle it.”

Yu Ting: “?”

His smile froze, but he swallowed his pride. “Don’t look down on me. How much could Ye Ran possibly weigh? It’s a piece of cake for me.”

Shen Shi had already squatted down and pulled Ye Ran onto his back. His frame was lean and powerful, upright and tall. As he carried Ye Ran, he lowered his eyes slightly, his expression somewhat casual.

Ye Ran, meanwhile, rested quietly against his shoulder, wearing a grey hat that only revealed a few strands of hair.

Yu Ting was about to speak again when Shen Shi said indifferently, “You have a weak constitution.”

After a pause, he calmly added, “And poor kidney health.”

“You can’t carry him.”

Yu Ting: “???”

What the hell are you talking about?!

A laugh erupted from the taxi. The old driver was cackling.

Yu Ting turned around in shock. Old man, you haven’t left yet?

Sensing the shock and fury in his eyes, the driver immediately started the car. “I’m going, I’m going. Oh, young man, you should leave some dignity for your classmate.”

This last part was said to Shen Shi, before the driver stepped on the gas and sped away.

Yu Ting was dizzy with anger. This is what you call ‘worldly and socially adept’?!

The guard signaled for them to enter the school quickly. They didn’t delay and walked briskly toward the dormitory.

On the way, Yu Ting fell back a step, using an investigative gaze to study Shen Shi’s back. It didn’t make sense; Shen Shi had been a straight man for so many years, there was no reason for him to suddenly turn gay.

Besides, whether Shen Shi was truly gay remained to be proven. Relying purely on intuition, Yu Ting believed Shen Shi was still straight—but his intuition was notoriously unreliable. It was better to rely on evidence.

To put his mind at ease, Yu Ting hesitated for a few seconds before quickening his pace to catch up. He opened his mouth to test him: “Shen—CRAP!”

Before he could finish, he stumbled, almost tripped by a small stone on the path. Scrambling forward two steps in an undignified mess, Yu Ting stood under a streetlight, furious and fuming, his eyes wide as saucers. “Why is there such a huge stone on this road?!”

Shen Shi said nothing, unhurriedly passing him and continuing forward.

Yu Ting didn’t dare complain further and immediately chased after him. Just as he got close, he heard Shen Shi speak: “Stay away.”

Yu Ting: “?”

Shen Shi: “Your stupidity is disturbing me.”

Yu Ting: “…”

With a tongue that poisonous, he doesn’t seem gay. A handsome guy like himself wouldn’t be treated so cruelly by a gay man. Yu Ting confirmed this with tears in his eyes.

Verdict: Straight. Shen Shi, you’re a real one.

The two were in different dorm buildings, so they parted at the fork in the path.

Fine rain misted the air, and a cold wind brushed against his face. Shen Shi walked with steady steps, his gaze dark and calm, showing no signs of emotional fluctuation as usual. His handsome features were pale, his eyelids lowered. The faint flush on his neck slowly spread to behind his ears, though his expression remained indifferent.

Ye Ran, leaning on his shoulder, was sleeping deeply, breathing out warm, moist air. Suddenly, Shen Shi stopped in the darkness. After a few seconds of silence, he started walking again.

As he emerged from the darkness once more, his eyelids flickered slightly, silently tolerating Ye Ran’s drunken proximity. Ye Ran hugged his neck, huddling closer as if afraid of the cold. His lips seemed to brush against Shen Shi’s neck—or perhaps it was just an illusion.

It’s a bit hot, Shen Shi thought calmly. I wore too many layers today after all.

The dormitory was five minutes from locking up. He carried Ye Ran into the building in the very last minute.

Many guys in the building hadn’t slept yet and were still laughing and playing. Seeing Shen Shi walk in through the wind and rain, they all stopped and stared blankly at him and the Ye Ran on his back.

Shen Shi acted as if he hadn’t noticed, walking straight upstairs. The lobby was silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.

“Holy shit! Was that Shen Shi?”

“Who got a photo? Who got a photo? What happened? Did they go out and get into a fight?”

“Don’t assume everything is a fight. I suspect… it was some kind of large-scale group physical activity.”

“Crap, a gang fight?”

The next morning, the Finance Department had classes during the third and fourth periods.

Yu Ting arrived early with two dark circles under his eyes to secure a strategic position. He had spent the entire night scrolling through the school forum. The knowledgeable netizens there had never seen someone like Shen Shi before, unanimously labeling him as “Schrödinger’s Straight Man”—simultaneously straight and not straight. They asked Yu Ting to provide more material for their research.

After tossing and turning all night, Yu Ting decided to sacrifice himself for the cause. …To determine whether Shen Shi had turned gay or not, he was going for it!

When a good brother shows signs of straying onto a “curved road,” he at least had a duty as a friend to offer a reminder.

Shen Shi always arrived and left exactly on time. Today, he still showed up ten minutes before class. Yu Ting quickly waved to him: “Over here, over here!”

“Why did you just get here? How is Ye Ran?”

“Still sleeping.”

The temperature was low today. After the rain, it was officially winter. The temperature difference between indoors and outdoors was vast, and a thin layer of frost had formed on the windows.

Shen Shi was wearing a pure black cotton jacket, its stand-up collar obscuring his jaw. His complexion was pale. Sitting in his chair, he lazily and coldly lifted his eyelids. The people around him who were stealing glances immediately retracted their gazes.

Yu Ting was puzzled. “It’s not like they haven’t seen you before. Why do they keep looking?”

And what was with those excited yet wary looks? Did Shen Shi kill someone?

Shen Shi didn’t answer.

Yu Ting didn’t dwell on it. Class was about to start. He looked at Shen Shi’s arm hanging by his side and, remembering the heavy burden on his shoulders, endured the suffocation and pain as he gave a forced laugh and bumped Shen Shi’s arm.

The contact was lightning-fast; he retracted his hand almost the instant it touched him.

As expected, Shen Shi looked at him.

Yu Ting was terrified. Dammit, dammit, dammit, he really looked at me! The forum was right; gay men are attracted by these little gestures! Yu Ting immediately sat bolt upright, terrified that Shen Shi would lose his mind and commit an unforgivable act against him, ignoring their brotherly bond and morality.

Crap, I’m in such danger! Yu Ting thought heavily.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Shi—who was leaning lazily against his chair—tilted the other way. He shoved the arm Yu Ting had touched into his pocket and rested his other hand on the chair’s armrest, casually closing his eyes to rest.

He actually resisted the urge! Yu Ting was shocked. As expected of Shen Shi!

Temporary Verdict: Gay.

The teacher entered the classroom, and the testing was temporarily suspended.

Yu Ting listened attentively to the lecture. The class was a double session. Midway through, the professor allowed everyone a restroom break. Yu Ting immediately went into high-alert status. Seeing Shen Shi head for the restroom, he endured again and again, but finally followed him numbly.

The restroom was empty as other classes hadn’t finished yet. Shen Shi was at a corner urinal, unbuckling his belt. Yu Ting took a deep breath and, as if facing death, ignored the other empty urinals and stood directly next to Shen Shi.

Sure enough, Shen Shi’s movements paused. He slowly turned his head to look at him. Yu Ting gave him a stiff smile. “…”

Dammit, I can’t tell if he’s happy or not! As expected of Schrödinger’s Straight Man—really seems both straight and not straight!

In his peripheral vision, the restroom lights weren’t on, and dark shadows flickered over Shen Shi’s face. His eyelids were slightly lowered, his emotions unreadable. His long fingers gently tapped the edge of his belt. A few seconds later, he spoke: “Get lost.”

Yu Ting: “…”

Yu Ting: “…Okay.”

No signs of improper thoughts. Yu Ting pondered.

Temporary Verdict: Straight.

Now it was a 1:1 tie. He had to continue.

After the restroom break, the professor entered the final stage of the lecture. Obscure and difficult economic principles were paired with vivid and interesting case studies, keeping everyone laughing.

Shen Shi twirled his pen and made a few notes in his book, marking the key points.

Yu Ting immediately sat up straight. His eyes darted around, and he leaned his head deep over the desk. Soon, his large head was covering Shen Shi’s book. After an intentional five-second pause, Yu Ting retracted his head with the same slow movement and sat up straight with a smile.

He turned his head. Shen Shi was staring at him quietly.

Dammit! He really thinks I’m cute! The hair on Yu Ting’s arms stood up. So disgusting, holy crap! Yu Ting grit his teeth and made a verdict in his heart once more.

Verdict: Gay. Shen Shi, you bastard, you really are gay! He won’t even let his own brother off! Yu Ting was completely anxious. What should he do? What attitude should he take toward Shen Shi in the future? Getting too close would lead to an unwanted confession; getting too distant might hurt Shen Shi’s feelings. Dammit, the world of straight men is so hard!

In the midst of his anxiety, the bell rang. The large classroom was crowded, and everyone filtered out through the back door.

Shen Shi stood up and looked down at him. “Come out.”

Yu Ting instinctively packed his things, his scalp tingling. It’s over. What does Shen Shi mean? Is he going to confess? I’m not ready yet, help! A good brother suddenly turns gay—who could handle that?!

He followed Shen Shi with sighs and moans, only to find Shen Shi walking toward an increasingly secluded area. Soon, he led him to a small corner near the restroom.

Yu Ting looked left and right, a bit puzzled. Why was no one there?

Shen Shi had already stopped. Standing in the shadows of the wall, his gaze dark and unreadable, he slowly took off his cotton jacket and rolled up his sleeves. The smooth lines of his forearms were revealed, covered in a thin layer of muscle—dangerous and intimidating.

Yu Ting’s eyelid suddenly twitched, and he took a wary step back. “Um… do you have something you want to say to me?”

Shen Shi looked up at him flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. “You’re looking for trouble, aren’t you?”

Yu Ting: “?”

Shen Shi’s gaze was indifferent. “You’re not done yet, are you?”

Yu Ting: “???”

Wait, what ‘looking for trouble’? What ‘not done yet’? Who’s looking for—

CRAP! Yu Ting suddenly realized, the hair on his back standing on end.

Shen Shi, you bastard… you’re about to beat me up, aren’t you?!