Help, My Buff Roommate is Begging to Touch my Abs - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Filled with Tears

He knew that his eyes were already filled with tears.

“I’ll go wash up first.”

To avoid appearing too out of sorts, he lowered his head, picked up his toiletries, and rushed out.

He was unaware that his voice carried a distinct tremble as he spoke.

Zhao Yuheng scratched the back of his head in confusion.

Why was Jin Bao’er’s voice still so raspy?

It seemed he needed to buy him more medicine; he’d have to take a few more packets for it to work.

Zhao Yuheng actually didn’t have much experience taking care of others; he had learned all of this from his “Old Man” (father).

Whenever his mom had so much as a slight cold, she didn’t have to cook, she didn’t have to pour her own water, and she didn’t have to walk where she wanted to go she was directly upgraded to the status of “Empress Dowager.”

Usually, when he was being naughty and getting into trouble, he could talk back to his mom.

But the moment his mom got sick, his dad would pick up a stick and beat him directly.

Zhao Yuheng sometimes felt that his dad was just a “love-brain.”

Even if his dad went on a business trip, he insisted that the mom at home send a message every two hours.

His mom liked raising flowers, and his Old Man liked raising fish, so he insisted on putting the two together; while he raised fish, he’d raise a flower on the side for her.

The two of them went on dates almost every day, and occasionally they even forgot to pick him up from school.

However, every time they forgot, they would always take him to the amusement park to make up for it.

He subconsciously felt that his mom was the most important person to his Old Man, and he could only rank second.

But he was never jealous, because both his mom and his Old Man were the people closest to him.

Therefore, his skills in taking care of people were all learned from his Old Man since he was small.

In the laundry room, while brushing his teeth, Jin Bao’er thought back to everything Zhao Yuheng had done for him.

His heart felt both sour and bitter.

This hateful straight man, why on earth did he have to be so good to him?

Paying his bus fare back then was only because he was handsome; he wasn’t noble at all.

If it had been an ordinary person across from him, he wouldn’t have given them a second glance.

How could someone like him be worthy of Zhao Yuheng’s kindness?

Jin Bao found that he was increasingly unable to control his emotions.

When Zhao Yuheng went to play basketball, he’d play for an entire afternoon; if he didn’t reply to messages, Jin Bao’er’s heart would panic for no reason.

When he heard that Zhao Yuheng’s good buddies were treating him to dinner, even though they specifically mentioned going out, he still felt sour inside because there was no one to eat with him.

Sometimes Zhao Yuheng’s buddies would huddle around him with their arms over his shoulders; watching that lively scene, Jin Bao’er felt as if his heart were blocked and suffocating.

During class, Zhao Yuheng’s brothers would lean over to play games together, and the group would completely ignore him.

Jin Bao’er would stare at his textbook, his fingertips almost poking through the pages, yet he could only endure it desperately without having an outburst.

He didn’t want to lose his composure like he did with Yang Hui last time.

These things weighed on his heart like stones, weighing him down so much that he couldn’t study.

But he had no way to blame Zhao Yuheng; the guy was just playing with his brothers and wasn’t bothering anyone.

In the end, he could only seek out his best friend Hu Xiaowen to vent. The two of them sat on the bleachers of the sports field, feeling the evening breeze.

“Sigh, Jin Bao’er, I advise you to stop while you can; you’ve already fallen in too deep,” Hu Xiaowen sighed.

“Eh?”

Jin Bao’er was stunned.

“You’re clearly jealous,” Hu Xiaowen said with an air of understanding.

“In your case, liking men, you don’t just have to be jealous of women, you even have to be jealous of men. Isn’t that enough to turn you into a lemon?”

Jin Bao’er didn’t deny it.

It was true; he couldn’t stand seeing Zhao Yuheng with his arms around others.

He couldn’t stand them dragging Zhao Yuheng to play games during class.

He couldn’t stand anyone snatching “his Brother Heng” away.

“Stop in time. If this continues, you’ll be exposed sooner or later. When that time comes, what do you think your Brother Heng will do?”

Hu Xiaowen’s tone became sharp.

“You said to yourself he’s a homophobe and a straight man. If he discovers his good brother likes him, how do you think he’ll react? Will you still be able to be brothers like this?”

“Do you think he’ll just disregard it and keep being brothers with you?”

“Or do you think that because of his kindness toward you, you can recklessly turn him gay?”

“Don’t overrate yourself. Even married couples fly apart when disaster strikes, and they have a marriage certificate for security. What do you have?”

“What obligation does he have to be responsible for your feelings? Just based on that little bit of kindness he shows you?”

In order to prevent Jin Bao from sinking further, Hu Xiaowen could only speak harshly.

“But…”

“No ‘buts.’ I admit Zhao Yuheng is a good brother, even a good man, but he is definitely not someone who likes going through the back door!”

Hu Xiaowen’s words were very unpleasant.

But they were also very accurate.

Jin Bao’er was unwilling to give up; a sliver of hope always remained in his heart.

He was different to him, right?

At least in the dormitory, compared to the eldest and second roommates, Zhao Yuheng truly treated him more specially.

…

One day, Jin Bao and Zhao Yuheng were eating lunch together. As usual, Zhao Yuheng directly picked up a chicken leg and put it on his plate, the movement so natural it required no excuse.

Jin Bao’er looked down at the braised chicken leg on his plate, then suddenly looked up at Zhao Yuheng, who was buried in his food, and asked seriously: “Brother Heng, why do you hate gay people?”

Zhao Yuheng swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at him in confusion.

Jin Bao’er waited patiently, only to see him put down his chopsticks as his expression gradually darkened.

“Why else? In my third year of junior high, I was taking the subway home and was so tired I fell asleep. Some bald, slovenly man did that to me…” (Everyone can imagine for themselves).

Before the words fully landed, Zhao Yuheng suddenly covered his mouth, stood up abruptly, and rushed toward the trash can.

He leaned over the edge and vomited violently, his throat making physiological sounds of gagging.

Jin Bao’er sat in his seat in shock, feeling both angry and anxious.

That damned bastard actually dared to desecrate his Brother Heng like that!

No wonder his Brother Heng had such a strong opinion of gay people…

Looking at Zhao Yuheng’s distressed back, Jin Bao’er clenched his chopsticks tightly, his nails sinking deep into his palms.

It couldn’t go on like this.

He made a firm resolution in his heart.

…

How are you finding the dynamic between Jin Bao’er and Zhao Yuheng as the stakes get higher?