Are All You Straight Men Like This? - Chapter 9

9:50 PM

It was a rare moment where everyone in Dorm 211 was gathered together.

Xiao Pang was catching up on variety shows, Shu-ge was gaming, and Shen Shi was sitting in his chair idly reading a book. Ye Ran caught a glimpse of the cover—it was in English. The Finance Department professors were very responsible; only two weeks into the semester, they had already assigned relevant reading tasks, and word was there would be a test in the next class.

The dormitory lights were bright and dazzling.

Ten minutes later, Xiao Pang stood up and stretched. They had PE today—Xiao Pang had chosen basketball—and he had been clamoring since noon about wanting to shower and sleep early to recover.

“Brothers, anyone need the bathroom? If not, I’m showering first.” He turned to look at everyone in the dorm.

Shu-ge was immersed in his game, his headphones perfectly blocking out the noise. Shen Shi gave a casual “mhm” and said, “Go ahead.”

Ye Ran also shook his head.

Xiao Pang then said, “Alright, I’m going in then.” For some reason, as he looked for his pajamas in the wardrobe, he gave a mischievous grin. “Anyone want to shower together? Heh heh.”

Hiss.

Ye Ran was startled. Are all straight men this perverted?

No one in the dorm paid him any attention. Shen Shi was leaning his head on one hand, the warm orange desk lamp illuminating the sharp contours of the lower half of his face. He was too lazy to speak, but Ye Ran nervously withdrew his gaze from him.

…What should I do?

Ye Ran’s breathing nearly stopped from tension. Just tonight, he had lied to Shen Shi about being straight. He had lived a leisurely, lazy life for nineteen years and had never told such a massive lie. There was no turning back now. Regardless of what he had been thinking at the time, now that things had reached this point, he had to maintain his “straight man” persona. He couldn’t let Shen Shi suspect a thing.

If it’s straight men… do they really shower together?

Shen Shi and the others hadn’t objected to Xiao Pang’s words…

Do they really do it?!

Ye Ran hardened his heart and spoke up: “I… I’ll go with you.”

Sorry, Xiao Pang. Even though I’m gay, I definitely have zero worldly desires for you!

His voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet dorm, it was crystal clear.

Shen Shi, who had been idly flipping through his book, suddenly looked over at him.

Xiao Pang was also stunned. He had said that just to annoy Shu-ge, since Shu-ge had complained about his sweaty smell at noon. Now that Ye Ran had suddenly and enthusiastically raised his hand to join him, Xiao Pang was dazed for two seconds, but he didn’t really care. He was a Northerner born and raised; he’d been to plenty of public bathhouses and wasn’t fussy about showering.

“Sure, let’s go,” Xiao Pang waved his hand grandly. “We can even scrub each other’s backs.”

Ye Ran was startled again. Scrub… scrub backs?

His face went blank. He searched his wardrobe for clothes in a trance. Behind him, Xiao Pang’s confused voice rang out: “Shen Shi, what are you doing?”

“Using the bathroom,” Shen Shi’s voice sounded a bit cold.

Slam!

The bathroom door was shut tight. Xiao Pang yawned and comforted Ye Ran, who was looking over like a startled bird. “Shen Shi said he needs to use the bathroom. Let’s wait for him.”

Ye Ran nodded heavily, sitting silently in his chair.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do…

He looked calm on the outside, but inside, he was panicking. He could use the “look away” method for showering, but what about back scrubbing? He’d never scrubbed someone’s back before. How do you even do that? He had no idea!

Ten minutes later, Xiao Pang was almost nodding off from waiting when finally, the bathroom door was pushed open.

Shen Shi’s figure appeared in the doorway. Ye Ran instinctively looked up and met Shen Shi’s gaze. Those narrow, deep phoenix eyes were dark, swirling with unknown emotions. After one look at him, Shen Shi withdrew his gaze and said coldly to Xiao Pang, “I just tested the water. The flow is very weak. It’s peak showering time; two people probably won’t be able to wash properly.”

“Huh?” Xiao Pang said. “Forget it then. I’ll go first. Ye Ran, we’ll raincheck.”

Jing University’s water system always had this problem. During peak hours, the flow became thin and weak, and sometimes the water wasn’t even hot. The student office had received many complaints, and the official response was that a maintenance team would be sent eventually.

Hearing this, Ye Ran didn’t know whether to be happy or regretful. He let out a subtle sigh of relief and nodded. “…Okay, you go first.”

Shen Shi walked past him. Ye Ran accidentally glimpsed his damp pant legs.

“?”

Wasn’t the water flow weak? How did his clothes get wet?

He didn’t think much of it. After Xiao Pang came out, he quickly showered and climbed into bed. Carefully pulling his bed curtains shut, he sought advice from his childhood best friend.

Friend: [Holy sh*t! Say that again. What did you just do? Shower with your roommate?] Ye Ran: [I thought straight men…] Friend: [LOU! (Wrong!) A massive mistake! Normal straight men usually don’t shower together in the dorm!]

Ye Ran’s world went dark. [Then what do I do?]

He really didn’t understand straight men at all!

Friend: [I don’t blame you. It’s hard for a layman to fake being straight. I have a lot of straight guys on WeChat; I’ll go observe them.] Ye Ran: [Okay.] Friend: [You silly kid. Why are you looking for trouble?]

Ye Ran pursed his lips. Friend: [Just how good is this Shen Shi?] Friend: [Is it just because he took you to the hospital when you had a fever, walked you back to the dorm when it rained, or chased away people harassing you…] Friend: […] Friend: [Wait, say that again.] Friend: […] Friend: [OK, forget it. I’m going to go learn from the straight men now.]

Ye Ran laughed and typed: [Thanks for your hard work.] Friend: [Just treat me to a meal when I get back to the country.] Ye Ran: [When are you coming back?] Friend: [Around Christmas. I should be back for over a month.] Ye Ran: [No problem!]

Their exchange lasted about half an hour. Ye Ran pulled back his curtain; it was nearly 11:30 PM. The dorm lights were out. Shu-ge, having gamed all night, was still buzzing.

“There’s a new game on Steam with explosive special effects. My crappy laptop is lagging to death; I can’t play it.”

Xiao Pang was also a gaming enthusiast. Hearing this, he opened his curtain. “What game?”

Shu-ge mentioned a title, and Xiao Pang immediately sat up excitedly. “Holy sh*t, I’ve had that on my wishlist forever! It’s finally being released?”

“Yeah, but the system requirements are crazy high.”

Xiao Pang: “So what? Let’s just go to an internet cafe and play together!”

Shu-ge: “Deal! I’m in!”

Ye Ran rolled over sleepily. The moonlight was gentle outside, draping a pale veil over the room like thin gauze. The weather was turning cold. Tucked under his quilt, it took a few seconds for him to process Xiao Pang and Shu-ge’s heated discussion.

…Wait. Staying up late to game—that’s a straight man staple, right?

Back in high school, many boys in his class would go to internet cafes together to pull all-nighters. The more he thought about it, the more awake he became.

This time, I’m definitely right!

He quickly messaged his friend: [My roommates are going to an internet cafe to pull an all-nighter.] Friend: [Follow them!] Ye Ran: [On it!]

Putting down his phone, he immediately raised his hand to sign up. “…I’ll go too.”

“Great, let’s do it tomorrow night then. We don’t have any classes Thursday morning,” Xiao Pang said. He then asked Shen Shi, “Shen Shi, you going?”

Ye Ran followed the sound to the opposite bed. Shen Shi slept across from him and had already pulled his curtains. After a long silence, a low, deep voice came from behind the curtain.

“I’m going.”

As expected. Ye Ran was secretly happy. Straight men really do go to internet cafes together!

Wednesday Morning

Everyone in the dorm had Chinese class. The morning temperature was low, the sky was gloomy, and dark clouds were gathering—a storm was brewing. The fallen leaves swirled along the path to the teaching building, and dry branches stretched out, blocking the dim light.

Ye Ran pulled up his collar against the cold. He was wearing a black jacket today. His soft, dark hair was messy from the wind, and the area around his eyes was slightly flushed. The small mole at the corner of his eye flickered with his blinking, giving him a listless, sleepy look against his pale skin.

Beside him, Shen Shi handed over a water bottle. The water inside was steaming, creating a layer of mist. “Warm your hands?”

“No thanks, I have hand warmers,” Ye Ran said.

Shen Shi gave a low “mhm.”

The path was crowded, and the sound of many voices filled his ears, making him feel a bit restless.

“Look, is that Shen Shi?” “Which one?” “Ah, don’t you check the campus forum? I need to take a photo. A beautiful day starts with seeing a handsome guy.”

Shen Shi frowned slowly, his eyes dark. The girl over there had already taken out her phone, hiding it under her sleeve and raising it as if by accident—

The next second, the sound of the shutter was blocked by a figure.

“Aw, I didn’t get it…” “How did he get blocked?”

Ye Ran had stepped beside him at some point. Half his face was buried in his collar, his eyes shining with a comforting smile. After perfectly blocking the lens, he let out a sigh of relief and said, “I’ll carry the water bottle.”

Shen Shi didn’t move or speak. Not receiving the bottle, Ye Ran blinked, looking confused. “Shen Shi?”

He looked up, only to find Shen Shi staring at him quietly, his eyes very deep. The light was dim, so he couldn’t read the emotions in Shen Shi’s eyes. After a few seconds, Shen Shi handed over the bottle and said softly, “Mhm.”

Ye Ran took the bottle, inexplicably swallowing hard. His palms were a bit sweaty. The strange sensation in his back finally disappeared after walking alongside Shen Shi for a while.

“The classroom is almost full, hurry up!” Xiao Pang called out from the crowd.

Ye Ran clutched the water bottle and snapped out of it. “Coming!”

…Am I getting sick again? he wondered worriedly as they walked.

As they entered the teaching building, a light rain began to fall. Ye Ran’s hair was slightly damp. Xiao Pang, relying on his “extra insulation,” was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Once they were inside the warm classroom, he wiped his hair while shivering from the cold.

“Shu-ge, let me borrow a jacket.”

Shu-ge, who had a cold himself, glared at him. “Fat chance.”

The group sat in the back row. Shen Shi and Ye Ran were both wearing jackets. Shen Shi’s black windbreaker was sharp and clean, perfectly accentuating his tall, upright frame. He kept his head down, idly checking his phone. Yu Ting had sent him a message, practically begging for a saved seat. Shen Shi replied with a “mhm.”

Unexpectedly, Ye Ran’s voice came from beside him: “Xiao Pang, you can wear my jacket.”

Shen Shi immediately looked up, his dark pupils unreadable. Ye Ran took off his jacket; underneath, he was only wearing a white long-sleeved shirt. The cotton fabric was pure and white, making his skin look even softer and paler.

Excellent, Ye Ran thought with satisfaction. This is exactly what straight men do—showing loyalty to their bros. My ‘straight man’ aura is at 100%!

He handed the jacket over. Xiao Pang took it, but after seeing Ye Ran’s caring smile, his expression turned a bit odd. However, a few seconds later, as if he had convinced himself of something, he said gratefully, “Thanks, good brother!”

He emphasized the words “good brother” specifically. Ye Ran was thrilled. As expected! This move was definitely right! He suppressed his smile and tried to act casual. “…No problem.”

Xiao Pang was quite large, and although Ye Ran’s jacket was an oversized fit, it still looked a bit ridiculous on him. Shu-ge looked away, unable to watch. “The brand would sue if they saw you in that.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? Don’t I look good?” “I suggest you stop talking nonsense.”

Ye Ran laughed as he listened to them. The classroom was noisy. Shen Shi turned his head and asked him, “Aren’t you cold?”

A gust of warm air brushed against the side of his face. Ye Ran sat up a bit straighter and shook his head. “I’m fine, the AC in the classroom is quite warm.” It would probably get even warmer once everyone arrived.

“You only just recovered from a fever,” Shen Shi said calmly, taking off his own jacket and handing it to him. “Stay warm.”

The black windbreaker was a size larger than what Ye Ran usually bought. Looking at the jacket Shen Shi was offering, Ye Ran could almost feel the residual warmth coming from it. For some reason, his back felt numb again. “…I really don’t need it.”

He locked eyes with Shen Shi’s deep, dark gaze for two seconds and then explained sheepishly, “I brought a lot of hand warmers.” To prove his point, he showed Shen Shi the three warmers in his pockets and hands. “I’m actually a bit hot.” He reached out and peeled off the warmer in his pocket.

Shen Shi was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Give that to me.”

Ye Ran handed over the unused warmer, and Shen Shi casually stuck it to his waist. His hand was pale and slender with distinct knuckles, the veins visible on the back. After sticking it on, he patted it just as Ye Ran had done. The movement was casual, but it made Ye Ran feel awkward again.

Looking around the classroom, all the students were wearing jackets of various colors. Only he and Shen Shi were sitting in the corner wearing white shirts. Ye Ran blinked, the strange feeling gradually being suppressed by joy. As expected. Straight men are all about loyalty.

A moment later, someone arrived at the seat behind Shen Shi.

“Yu Ting?” Ye Ran turned around.

“Yo, Ye Ran,” Yu Ting hurriedly folded his umbrella. “You guys got here early today.” After saying that, his gaze paused awkwardly. He looked at Ye Ran and Shen Shi’s almost identical white shirts. Shen Shi’s jacket was in the desk drawer, while Ye Ran didn’t have one at all.

“Uh…” he asked tentatively, “Aren’t you two cold?”

Class hadn’t started yet, and the back door was open, letting in a draft. The rain was getting heavier, and raindrops the size of beans pattered against the hallway. The sky grew darker, accompanied by thunder and lightning; it felt as if the world were trapped behind a curtain of water.

Ye Ran, warmed by his hand warmers, said, “I’m not cold.”

Yu Ting looked at Shen Shi, his eyes practically screaming for him to say something. Shen Shi glanced at him idly and said flatly, “Not cold.”

Yu Ting: “…”

Dammit, that look was ‘impatient,’ wasn’t it? It definitely was! He swallowed his pride and spoke to Ye Ran. “The weather is changing faster than someone flipping pages lately. It wasn’t raining when I left, so I had to run back halfway to get an umbrella.”

“True. The forecast says it’ll rain until next week.”

“What?” Xiao Pang chimed in. “Then we can’t go to the internet cafe tonight.”

Shu-ge blew his nose. “In my condition, I’d drop dead if I went to a cafe.”

Xiao Pang sighed. “Let’s wait until the rain stops then.”

“Sure,” Ye Ran thought for a moment and showed his “brotherly loyalty” again. “Just call me when you go; I’m always free.”

Shen Shi looked at him, his voice without much fluctuation. “Me too.”

Yu Ting, who had been listening happily, widened his eyes. He looked at Shen Shi in shock as if he were seeing a monster. Back in high school, who was the one who said internet cafes were “foul and suffocating” and would come out with a long face?

Shen Shi! You’re going too far! You’re a total double-standard dog!

Chinese class was as slow as ever. The old professor lectured leisurely, while the students did their own things. Compared to the last class, only half the students had shown up. The first row was empty, with only the teacher’s water bottle on the desk.

Ye Ran scanned the room and didn’t see Liang Feng or Lin Zijian. He breathed a sigh of relief. He only had this one class today, so the rest of his time was his own.

After class, Xiao Pang took off the jacket and returned it. Ye Ran was stunned and said, “It’s fine, I have hand warmers. You keep it.”

“You have a weaker constitution and just got over a fever,” Xiao Pang patted his shoulder cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I can handle the cold.”

Ye Ran looked at Xiao Pang’s still-damp clothes, feeling a bit hesitant. Xiao Pang: “I’m really fine, don’t worry!”

Xiao Pang, Shu-ge, and Shen Shi had more classes. The four of them parted ways at the classroom door. Ye Ran looked out the window and hurried back to the dorm while the rain had stopped. Xiao Pang watched his retreating back, his expression gradually becoming complex.

Shu-ge finished blowing his nose and urged him, “What are you looking at? Let’s go, the stairs will be blocked in a minute.”

“Coming,” Xiao Pang sighed. After two steps, he sighed again.

Shu-ge was annoyed. “Are you doing this on purpose while my nose is blocked?”

“What do you know?” Xiao Pang said. “I am contemplating.” “You?” “What could you possibly contemplate?” “Something very important. You wouldn’t understand,” Xiao Pang said.

Shen Shi glanced at him idly. Seeing Xiao Pang staring dazed at the hand warmer Ye Ran had given him before leaving, Shen Shi’s gaze darkened. He followed them silently toward the Mingli Building.

For the rest of the day, Ye Ran suddenly found that his interactions with Xiao Pang had decreased significantly. Even though no one had classes in the afternoon, and Ye Ran enthusiastically invited Xiao Pang to watch variety shows to build their “brotherhood,” Xiao Pang rejected him righteously and spent the entire day at the supermarket buying snacks.

Ye Ran was a bit baffled. By 10:00 PM, Xiao Pang finally returned. Ye Ran was already showered and lying in bed, scrolling through short videos. Hearing the door, he poked his head out. Under the lights, his hair was soft and black, his eyes pure and clean. In his cream-colored pajamas, he looked relaxed and comfortable.

“Xiao Pang, you’re back?” he asked.

“Ah? Yeah,” Xiao Pang stammered. He quickly grabbed his clean clothes and said, “Yeah, I’m gonna shower first… I’m exhausted today, I need to sleep early.”

Ye Ran blinked, deeply confused. Xiao Pang had slept from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM; how was he still tired?

Shu-ge laughed. “Even a pig doesn’t sleep as much as you.”

Xiao Pang, who usually would have fired back, acted as if he hadn’t heard. He stayed in the bathroom for over half an hour. By 10:30 PM, it was Ye Ran’s usual time to get sleepy. He didn’t pull the blackout curtains, only the thin outer mesh, letting the dim dorm light guide him into a hazy slumber.

Vaguely, he heard Shu-ge talking to himself: “What’s Lin Feipeng doing? He’s been washing for half an hour. Is he trying to scrub his skin off?”

After coming out of the bathroom, Xiao Pang looked up and saw that Ye Ran had closed his curtain, and he let out a sigh of relief. But before the sigh could finish, he felt another gaze from above. He swallowed hard and turned around to find Shen Shi looking down at him from his bunk.

“She-Shen Shi?” he called out sheepishly.

Shen Shi didn’t speak. His gaze was cold and full of scrutiny. He was naturally handsome but detached; when his narrow, dark eyes were emotionless, he appeared extremely sharp and unapproachable.

Xiao Pang scratched his head awkwardly, not daring to say another word or look at Ye Ran. He tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry basin on the balcony and scrambled onto his bed.

A minute later, inside the dimness of his bed curtains, his phone vibrated. Xiao Pang groaned inwardly and picked it up.

Shen Shi: [Are you avoiding Ye Ran?]

Shen Shi sat expressionless on his bed, a hint of hostility in his eyes. Shen Shi: [He only brought three hand warmers today.] Shen Shi: [He gave one to me, and the rest to you.]

Worried that Xiao Pang would catch a cold, Ye Ran had given him his jacket, his warmers, and even fetched hot water for him after class. Watching the “typing…” status on the message bar, Shen Shi thought coldly: If Lin Feipeng is really avoiding Ye Ran on purpose…

His eyes grew darker, like swirling ink. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, interrupting his thoughts. He looked down and unlocked it.

Xiao Pang: [I know, and I’m really grateful to Ye Ran.] Xiao Pang: […But the situation is different. I don’t know how to tell you.] Shen Shi: [Speak.] Xiao Pang: [Alright, I’ll say it then.]

Shen Shi was losing patience. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Pang sent a short message—

Xiao Pang: [I suspect Ye Ran has a crush on me.]

Shen Shi: “…” Shen Shi: “…………”

It was as if Xiao Pang had opened a floodgate. Once that sentence was out, the rest followed like falling snow.

Xiao Pang: [Starting yesterday, Ye Ran wanted to shower with me. Then he wanted to go to the internet cafe when I said I was going. It’s one thing to cling to me, but today, since I wasn’t wearing a jacket, he was SO caring. He gave me ALL his hand warmers—] Xiao Pang: [Crap, you can’t explain that with ‘brotherhood’! My own mom hasn’t been that good to me!] Xiao Pang: [At first I was just flattered, but today I realized—this is f*cking LOVE!] Xiao Pang: […What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? Shen Shi, you’re with Ye Ran every day, help me out! He’s just confused for a moment; you have to find a way to make him wake up! Loving me will lead to no result!]

Shen Shi: “…” Shen Shi closed his eyes and typed calmly: [I’m the one who’s with him every day.] Xiao Pang: [I know.] Shen Shi (Cold sneer): [I’m also the one who takes him to and from class and goes to the club with him.] Xiao Pang: [Exactly! I clearly haven’t done any of that, so why does Ye Ran still like me?] Shen Shi: “…”

Xiao Pang: [And I carefully recalled everything since I met him. There’s a pattern! Remember when Ye Ran brought duck leg rice for a whole week?] Shen Shi (Expressionless): [That was for me.] Xiao Pang: [What do you know? That was his excuse! Using you as an excuse to actually bring it to me! He knows duck leg rice is my favorite, so he used that to get close to me. We’re in the same dorm; I never saw you eat duck leg rice before that!] Shen Shi: “…………”

Xiao Pang: [I’m really troubled. My brain has been a mess all day. I get scared just seeing Ye Ran’s face. Do you think one day he won’t be able to hold it back and will suddenly confess to me?] Xiao Pang: [I’m really worried.] Xiao Pang: [Give me some advice. You’re with him every day, you must know him well, right?] Xiao Pang: [Is it really just my ‘personal charm’? Did my easygoing aura bewitch him?] Xiao Pang: [Why aren’t you saying anything?] Xiao Pang: [Shen Shi? Shen Shi? Are you still there? You didn’t fall asleep, did you?] Xiao Pang: […Don’t sleep! If you sleep, who’s going to help me?!]

Shen Shi turned off his screen and stared at the darkness inside his curtains. He closed his eyes, suppressed emotions swirling in his deep phoenix eyes. A few seconds later, his hand, which had gripped the phone until the knuckles were white, slowly relaxed. He opened WeChat and simply, decisively deleted Xiao Pang. The stifling feeling in his chest seemed to dissipate by half.

He lay down expressionless, but his phone lit up again. In the eerie glow, a message appeared—

Yu Ting: [You there?]

In the Finance Department men’s dorm building far away, Dorm 317 was brightly lit. The roommates were gaming, their keyboards and mice clicking away. Yu Ting sat on his bed, drying his hair while thinking about the scene from Chinese class this morning.

Thinking carefully, he felt Shen Shi’s state was wrong. Shen Shi had always been cold and detached; he had never seen Shen Shi accommodate anyone like that—taking off his jacket in the cold and clutching a hand warmer.

His previous hints hadn’t worked. Seeing Shen Shi and Ye Ran’s relationship getting closer, Yu Ting couldn’t sleep. His conscience pricked him. No. I have to wake up this block of wood.

Dammit, back in high school, he was so sensitive whenever guys or girls tried to get close to him with ‘intentions.’ Why is he so oblivious now? Ye Ran had such a good personality; what if Shen Shi actually caught feelings? That would be bad for both of them.

Yu Ting had a massive headache. Fck! One of you is a homophobe and the other is deep in the closet. What kind of magnetic field drew you two together?!*

He made up his mind and sent the message. [You there?]

He thought Shen Shi would take a long time to reply, but a minute later, a message came back. Shen Shi: [.] (Translation: Speak.)

Yu Ting racked his brain and said tactfully: [Saw your roommates in class today. Your dorm relationships seem pretty good, but I felt like one person’s vibe was a bit out of place.] Fearing Shen Shi wouldn’t get the point, he quickly added: [Of course, I’m looking at it from a straight man’s perspective, haha. No other meaning, haha.]

As soon as he sent it, Yu Ting almost wanted to die of embarrassment. It’s over. I failed. Shen Shi will never talk to me again. He was nearly in tears when his phone vibrated.

Shen Shi: [You noticed it too?] Yu Ting: “?” Yu Ting: “???”

Holy sht, he woke up?* Yu Ting stared at his fingers in shock. I’m a genius. He immediately followed up: [Yeah, I only noticed it recently. He’s actually gay… what about you? How did you find out?]

Shen Shi: [Last night he asked someone to shower with him.] “!!!” Yu Ting gasped. Holy crap, is Ye Ran that open?

Shen Shi: [Today he wanted to wear someone else’s clothes.] Yu Ting was losing it. So wearing only a white shirt was just to wear another man’s jacket?

Shen Shi: [Before sleeping, he even said some nonsensical things to harass me.] Yu Ting’s eyes were opened wide. He was numb. This is terrifying! Scandalous!

Finally snapping out of his shock and thinking of Ye Ran’s usual image, he still felt a sense of disconnect. He finally asked: [Then what do you plan to do?]

Shen Shi: [I will make Ye Ran stay away from him.] Yu Ting: [That’s right!]

A few seconds later. Yu Ting: [Wait, did you get the subject wrong?] Yu Ting: [May I ask… who is this gay guy?]

Shen Shi’s eyes were dark as he typed slowly: [You don’t know him.] Shen Shi: [His name is Lin Feipeng.]

Yu Ting searched his memory and immediately thought of that chubby, pale little guy from Chinese class. Yu Ting: [Holy sh*t!] He wanted to kneel before Shen Shi. [Are you sure?] That chubby guy is clearly a true straight man who just talks a lot!!!

Shen Shi: [Mhm.]

Yu Ting was dizzy from the shock. He bravely continued: [May I ask one more thing? These actions by Lin Feipeng… were they all directed at Ye Ran?] Shen Shi: [Mhm.] Yu Ting (With difficulty): [So… Ye Ran agreed?] Shen Shi: [I stopped it.]

Yu Ting’s vision went black. Dammit, what do you mean ‘stopped it’?! It’s already like this and you STILL can’t see who has the bigger problem?! Which guy would AGREE to shower with another guy when invited in the dorm?!

Yu Ting got out of bed in a daze to put his towel away, but he stepped into thin air—

“Wait, Yu Ting, how did you fall again?!” “A double whammy! Are you made of iron?!” “Holy crap! He’s staring blankly… Ambulance! Call an ambulance!”

Even an ambulance can’t save me now, Yu Ting thought numbly.

Shen Shi. You are beyond help.