Fishing-Type Beauties Will Never Love Crematorium - Chapter 18

The lighting in the private room was dim and warm, and the soft glow outlined the persistent determination on Shen He’s handsome profile. He held the tissue pack with the air of someone who would not stop until Chen Qingtang accepted it.

After a long while, Chen Qingtang finally smiled and said, “I will take it.”

Shen He folded the tissue and placed it beside his utensils. “Tell me if you need more. It is right here next to me.”

Chen Qingtang hummed in acknowledgment and turned his attention to his phone.

Qin Liang, however, had been interrupted three times. Even if he were slow-witted, he would have realized that Shen He was showing a subtle defensiveness toward him, as if he did not want him to get close to Chen Qingtang. Qin Liang decided not to say anything more and wisely walked away.

Soon, everyone had arrived, and they sat in a circle around the round table. The club president, Zhang Qingqing, closed the door to the room and stood by her seat, clapping her hands loudly on the table. “Quiet! Everyone, be quiet and listen to me!”

The chatter in the room faded like a receding tide until it finally went silent. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

Zhang Qingqing pushed up the dowdy black-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. “We have finally managed to get out for a dinner party, so let us eat to our hearts’ content! If we need more, we will order it! And there is plenty of alcohol for everyone!”

The group cheered and responded enthusiastically.

Zhang Qingqing clapped her hands. “But just eating is boring. Let us do a program. Does anyone have any ideas? Chu Xi?”

Chu Xi, who was usually boisterous, seemed uncharacteristically introverted today. He sat there waving his hands, his voice higher-pitched than usual. “I do not have any.”

Zhang Qingqing clicked her tongue. “Fine then. Since we are a debate club, let us have a discussion topic. We will go in order around the table and everyone will take a turn standing up to speak.”

Someone shouted, “What is the topic?”

Zhang Qingqing thought for a moment. “How about love?”

As soon as those words were out, the room erupted in noise. Love was a great topic; in college, aside from eating, sleeping, and attending classes, all anyone ever cared about was falling in love.

Zhang Qingqing continued, “I will start with a prompt: what do you think love is, and how do you go about it? Let us talk about that. We will start from the left. You have three minutes to prepare.”

The room plunged back into clamorous chaos as everyone began to prepare. Chen Qingtang glanced over; he and Shen He were sitting near the start of the rotation.

Three minutes passed quickly.

The first to stand was a devil-may-care boy. He downed the alcohol in his cup in one gulp and said, somewhat irreverently, “Love is when two people like each other and are happy together! Am I right?”

The crowd cheered him on playfully. “Yeah!”

Xu Yang continued, “How do you date? By dating, holding hands, going to class together, eating together.”

After rattling off a long list, Xu Yang blew a kiss, thinking he looked very cool. “Applause!”

The crowd cheered, “Great!”

Chen Qingtang listened listlessly, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically, as if playing a game.

Shen He finally put away his notebook. “It will be your turn soon. Are you ready?” He was looking forward to Chen Qingtang’s speech.

Chen Qingtang smiled lightly. “Does it require preparation?”

Soon, one person after another finished speaking until it was Chen Qingtang’s turn. Beneath the eyes of everyone in the room, Chen Qingtang stood up. He was wearing a mask, so people could not see his whole face, only those calm, profound eyes.

Chen Qingtang said, “Personally, I believe love is a product of the higher human soul.”

“Going to class together, eating together, hanging out, playing games—is that love? Does that make two people intimate partners?”

“No, that is just finding oneself a playmate; it is not love.”

Shen He’s previously calm eyes rippled at these words. Chen Qingtang stood there, perfectly at ease, draped in the light of the room.

“Some people might say, ‘But we feel happy and blessed when we date; that feeling is real, so why is it not love?'”

“You must understand that eating, drinking, and having fun are inherently enjoyable activities. You would have a pleasant experience doing them with anyone, so do not confuse that with love.”

Everyone in the room wore a thoughtful expression.

Suddenly, the chair beside him was pulled back, and Shen He stood up. His eyes, usually as cold as moonlight, seemed to have something surging beneath the surface—a kind of indistinct emotion as he stared directly at Chen Qingtang.

“Then what is love, in your opinion?”

Chen Qingtang turned his head to meet Shen He’s gaze. He spoke each word slowly, but the sincerity in his eyes was scorching hot.

“I admire your beauty.”

“I understand your thoughts.”

“I accept your differences.”

“I kiss your scars.”

“I embrace your flaws.”

“I love your soul passionately.”

His tone was as light as a falling snowflake, yet Shen He felt an electric current struggle from his spine and violently surge throughout his entire body. A thirst for something began to rage and expand in his chest like a sponge, becoming more massive and more boiling. It left him excited; it left his scalp tingling.

From Shen He’s eyes, Chen Qingtang saw an aggressiveness and a possessiveness he had never seen before. It was like an untamed beast, carrying the most primitive and dangerous desire. Chen Qingtang, who had lived two lifetimes, had never seen this side of Shen He, and he was momentarily stunned.

By the time he snapped out of it, Shen He’s eyes had returned to their usual calm, leaving no trace of anything abnormal, as if that previous moment had just been Chen Qingtang’s hallucination.

Shen He said, “So your point is that one should not engage in playmate-style romance?”

Chen Qingtang shook his head. “My point is that people have different needs at different stages of growth. If your need in college is simply to find someone to keep you company and stop you from being lonely, then go find someone.”

Shen He was momentarily startled and pursed his lips.

Chen Qingtang continued, “Regardless of the type of romance, if you want to fall in love, go for it. Indulge yourself; enjoy the pleasure of being flooded with hormones, and experience all the flavors that love brings.”

“It does not matter much who the other person is. I need to use them to experience the feeling of being loved and the feeling of loving someone passionately. At the same time, I use them to learn how to love, how to handle intimate relationships, and how to resolve conflicts.”

“I need to use them to grow, to reflect on what kind of love I truly want, and to reflect on who I should be in a relationship.”

“Therefore, how the relationship goes, who you date, and how you date—none of that is important. What matters is that we find ourselves and our optimal model of happiness through love.”

“University is an excellent trial ground for life because the cost of trial and error in college is at its lowest. At most, you will end up heartbroken, but you will not lose your property or your future.”

After he finished, the entire room was shocked. The guests had even forgotten to applaud. The private room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Shen He revealed a burning, irrepressible intensity in his eyes. He looked at Chen Qingtang for several seconds like that, then quietly sat back down.

When Chen Qingtang sat down as well, Chu Xi was the first to recover, leading the applause. “Well said! Applause!”

Instantly, a wave of applause washed over Chen Qingtang, and the way everyone looked at him changed. Such a carefree and clear-headed attitude toward life made people feel enlightened.

Zhang Qingqing greeted everyone. “Alright, a ten-minute break. This student’s viewpoint was very novel and inspiring. Everyone, take a moment to brainstorm.”

“After ten minutes, I hope to hear even more brilliant perspectives than before.”

As soon as she finished, the room grew loud and boisterous as everyone began to discuss the topic among themselves. Only Chen Qingtang and Shen He remained still.

Chu Xi moved a stool and sat down beside Chen Qingtang. “Damn, you were so cool just now!”

Chen Qingtang was not concerned with that and instead signaled to him with his eyes. Chu Xi paused for two seconds before he suddenly remembered.

Oh right, Chen Qingtang had told him earlier to toast him in front of Shen He.

Chu Xi raised his glass and deliberately said in a loud voice, “Drink!”

Chen Qingtang replied helplessly, “There is no alcohol in my cup, only water.”

Chu Xi said, “I will pour some for you.”

He picked up the bottle and filled an empty, clean glass to the brim. Shen He watched the entire process from the side. As he watched the glass fill up until it was almost overflowing, Shen He’s brow furrowed slightly.

Chu Xi placed the bottle on the table. “Drink. You have to finish it.”

Chen Qingtang gently stroked his stomach, feigning difficulty, while his eyes flickered lightly toward Shen He. “My stomach is not great, I cannot drink that much.”

Chu Xi clicked his tongue and was about to say something, but when he turned his head, he noticed Shen He looking at him with clear hostility. Chu Xi’s spine went cold for a second before it dawned on him. So, this was Chen Qingtang’s plan?

Chu Xi rolled his eyes and immediately began acting. “That will not do! You have to drink at least half a cup. It is not easy to have a dinner party; it would be a real mood-killer if you are the only one not drinking.”

Chen Qingtang sighed and picked up the glass. “Alright, I will drink.”

The next second, a long, slender hand reached out and snatched the glass away.

A faint smile appeared in Chen Qingtang’s eyes. As he turned to look at Shen He, it transformed into the perfect amount of feigned surprise. Chu Xi watched him act, holding back laughter. No wonder he asked me to toast him; he knew someone would step in to block it.

Shen He said, “I will drink it for him.”

Chu Xi crossed his arms, feigning difficulty. “Who are you to him? If you help him drink, you have to drink double—two glasses.”

Shen He remained expressionless. “I am his roommate.”

He downed the glass in one gulp, poured another for himself, took a deep breath, and continued drinking. Chen Qingtang leaned his head on one hand, watching with interest.

Shen He looks so handsome drinking. His cold eyes were slightly narrowed, focused intently on the bottom of the glass. Because he was drinking too fast, the pale yellow liquid trickled down from his pursed corners of his lips. His Adam’s apple slowly pulled up before pressing back down, sliding up and down in an intoxicating rhythm. It was like a gun being loaded, sexy to the extreme. He also looked like a ripe cherry, making one want to take a bite and taste it to see just how intoxicating it was.

After finishing, Shen He calmly placed the glass back on the table. “Is this enough?”

Chu Xi was stunned. “…Yes.”

Wait, two full glasses of beer, and he just finished them like that? The glasses at this restaurant were huge—two glasses were nearly an entire bottle of beer. Shen He had polished it off in less than a minute. He could really drink.

Chen Qingtang picked up a tissue from the table and tenderly wiped the liquid from Shen He’s mouth. “Why drink so fast? Are you okay?”

Look at how pitiful he is, his face is all flushed.

Shen He kept his eyes on the floor and turned his head slightly to avoid Chen Qingtang’s touch. “I will do it myself.”

Chen Qingtang pulled his hand back, watching Shen He’s face turn redder and redder. He figured that after a little while, the alcohol would kick in, so he stood up. “I am going to the restroom.”

When he reached the door, he looked back and saw Shen He still sitting there, motionless. But someone else moved.

Qin Liang was standing at his seat, looking at Chen Qingtang, appearing to want to follow him. Chen Qingtang offered him a kind smile.

Qin Liang’s eyes widened slowly. He finally made up his mind and followed him directly.

As for Shen He, after seeing Qin Liang’s move, he stood up after only two seconds of hesitation.

Chen Qingtang closed the door with satisfaction and left. If he could not catch the big fish, he would start by catching the small one; the big fish would eventually chase the small one over.

The restroom was near the warehouse. Chen Qingtang was in a good mood, so he walked slowly. The footsteps behind him were hurried, and they quickly caught up to him.

Qin Liang called out, “Chen Qingtang.”

There was almost no one in the corridor, so Chen Qingtang could not pretend not to hear. He turned back. “Yes?”

Qin Liang quickened his pace to stand before him, his eyes filled with honest admiration. “You spoke so well just now; it was very insightful and inspiring.”

Chen Qingtang caught a glimpse of Shen He not far away—he was almost there, only seven or eight steps away. So, Chen Qingtang got straight to the point. “Is there something you need?”

Five steps away.

Qin Liang smiled, revealing two dimples, and said generously, “Can I get your WeChat? I would like to add you.”

Three steps away.

Chen Qingtang slowly drew out his tone. “Oh… you want to add me on WeChat?”

One step away.

Qin Liang: “Yes.”

The next second, Qin Liang was nudged aside by a figure.

Chen Qingtang curled his beautiful eyes in pleasure and deep satisfaction.