Help, My Buff Roommate is Begging to Touch my Abs - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Roommates Too?

Zhao Yuheng had to get off midway to find a bank and withdraw money.

The driver pulled over at a bus stop.

“Alright, I’m heading out. Thanks a lot! Once I get a new phone, I’ll definitely pay you back,” Zhao Yuheng said, grabbing Jinbao-er’s right hand with a serious expression.

With that, he pulled his suitcase, preparing to disembark.

“Wait a moment.”

Jinbao-er quickly fished out a small wallet from his bag, took out all the remaining loose change inside, and handed it to Zhao Yuheng.

“Take this. Just take a taxi later; it’ll save you from wandering around looking for one.”

Zhao Yuheng watched as Jinbao-er handed him every last cent in his wallet, looking at the scattered change in his hand.

The small change he used to look down upon seemed to take on a different meaning at this moment.

“Thank you.”

Zhao Yuheng took out a piece of paper and noted down Jinbao-er’s phone number and name. He was determined to thank him properly!

Then, under the driver’s repeated urging, Zhao Yuheng dragged his suitcase off the bus.

The bus started up and kicked up dust as it sped away.

Standing where he was, Zhao Yuheng gazed thoughtfully at the receding silhouette of the vehicle.

…

Because school didn’t start until tomorrow, entry was not yet permitted.

Jinbao-er wandered around for a long time before finally finding a small inn for only 50 yuan a night.

The room was tiny, the walls were slightly yellowed, and the air conditioner hummed as it blew out air that wasn’t very cool, mixed with a faint smell of mold and cheap air freshener.

But Jinbao-er was satisfied; at least he had a place to lie flat.

After showering, he lay on the bed and turned on his old phone, which had a cracked corner on the screen.

On WeChat, his best friend Hu Xiaowen was frantically spamming him.

Hu Xiaowen was his middle school classmate, high school classmate, and best friend.

In this year’s college entrance exams, there was a gap between their scores. To stay at the same school as him, Hu Xiaowen preferred to apply for a slightly worse major rather than change the school choice.

This holiday, Hu Xiaowen had gone traveling and wouldn’t arrive at school until tomorrow; right now, he was constantly sharing interesting stories from his trip to Thailand.

Jinbao-er replied to messages while typing out his work.

That’s right Jinbao-er had another identity.

An author. An author who earned two yuan a day.

Of course, he hadn’t been writing novels for long. Being able to earn any money at all already made him very happy.

Most importantly, he truly loved writing. Since it did actually bring in a little bit of cash, he stuck with it.

Having this kind of achievement after three months of writing was considered fairly standard.

After finishing his writing, he turned off the lights and lay down, preparing to conserve his energy to welcome a beautiful university life.

That night, Jinbao-er slept very comfortably.

…

North Capital University

The school gate was a sea of people under the scorching sun.

Jinbao-er carried a massive hiking backpack on his back and held a heavy, tattered suitcase in his hand, squeezed into the long registration line.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes, stinging painfully.

He wiped the sweat with his sleeve while marveling at the sight.

As expected of a university in a big city; the school gate was as magnificent as a palace.

Just as he was lost in thought, his foot suddenly tripped over something.

“Fuck! Who the hell stepped on my Kyrie 7s?!”

A violent, angry roar nearly shattered Jinbao-er’s eardrums.

Jinbao-er shivered in fright, quickly retracted his foot, and looked up.

In front of him was a “meat wall” that carried immense pressure.

A black, tight-fitting T-shirt outlined shocking lines of broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

A silver chain hung around the man’s neck, dizzying to look at under the sunlight.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Jinbao-er hurriedly lowered his head and pressed his hands together, wishing he could shrink into a quail.

“If apologies worked, why would we need the police? You have to wipe this clean for me!”

The man was clearly pained over his shoes; he grabbed Jinbao-er’s collar.

A large, calloused hand pressed directly against his chin, forcing his face upward.

Jinbao-er was forced to look up at this fierce, sinister face.

His heart skipped a beat.

It’s over!

This guy looked like a “Big Brother” from the underworld who was not to be messed with.

With his own thin arms and legs, he was probably going to meet his end right here.

He nervously closed his eyes, waiting for the storm.

However, the expected fist did not fall.

The hand pinching his chin suddenly froze.

“…Jinbao-er?”

The violent smell of gunpowder vanished without a trace in an instant, replaced by an unbelievable pleasant surprise.

Jinbao-er cautiously opened his eyes.

The face that had been roaring just a second ago was now wide-eyed, looking at him with a dazed expression.

“Heng… Heng-ge?”

Jinbao-er was also stunned.

Wasn’t this the big dummy who borrowed money on the bus?

Zhao Yuheng immediately let go and even considerately helped him smooth out the wrinkled collar he had grabbed.

The fierce look on his face instantly turned into a bashful, silly grin.

“Ayo, brother! It really is you!”

He slapped his thigh in excitement, his voice so loud it drew glances from everyone around.

“Look at how this turned out! A good step! A great step! You can step on them whenever you want forget one shoe, I’ll let you step on both!”

Jinbao-er’s toes curled in embarrassment.

Big brother, we’re in public, can you have a little bit of dignity?

The line ahead had moved a significant distance.

“Move, move, move, don’t just stand there, come with me!”

Without another word, Zhao Yuheng snatched the heaviest suitcase from Jinbao-er’s hand.

He then smoothly took the hiking backpack off Jinbao-er’s back and slung it over his own shoulder.

The massive luggage pressed against him, yet he made it look as light as a feather.

“Heng-ge, I’ll do it myself…”

Jinbao-er tried to grab them back.

“Stop being so damn polite!”

Zhao Yuheng glared at him, revealing a row of big white teeth.

“We’re practically family! Yesterday you lent me money, today I will carry your bags. It’s called ‘reciprocity’ don’t you get it?”

Jinbao-er looked at Zhao Yuheng’s broad back blocking the path in front of him, shielding him from most of the sunlight and the crowded throng.

His bronze skin glistened in the sun, and sweat slid down his spine, disappearing into the black fabric.

A faint, pleasant scent of soap mixed with the smell of sunlight wafted toward him.

Jinbao-er’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

“By the way, Jinbao-er, were you asleep at midnight last night? I added you on WeChat, but you didn’t approve it.”

Zhao Yuheng walked with great strides while looking back to ask.

Jinbao-er paused for a moment and quickly pulled out his phone.

Sure enough, there was a friend request on the screen.

The profile picture was a wacky meme, and the nickname was “Grandpa Doesn’t Like Celery.”

“Is it this one?” Jinbao-er handed the phone over.

Zhao Yuheng leaned in to look; the distance between them closed instantly.

Warm breath brushed against Jinbao-er’s ear, making it itch.

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s the one!”

Zhao Yuheng smiled like a total dork. “What do you think of the nickname?”

Jinbao-er’s lip twitched. “…It’s very special.”

He tapped his finger and approved the request.

…

At the bottom of the dormitory building, Zhao Yuheng was sweating profusely. He dropped the luggage on the ground and pulled out his phone to check the assignment sheet.

“Eh? Jinbao-er, which room are you in?”

“2429.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuheng’s eyes lit up like lightbulbs.

He slapped his thigh hard and shoved his phone in front of Jinbao-er.

“Holy crap! It’s fate, brother! Look!”

On the screen, in the bottom column of the dormitory assignment sheet, two names were written clearly:

One was “Zhao Yuheng.”

The other was “Gan Jinbao.”

Not only were they in the same major and the same class, but they were also bunkmates in the same room!

Looking at that line of text, Jinbao-er was also completely dumbfounded.

Good heavens, are you closing a window just to open… What kind of door exactly?

Facing such a hormone-overflowing muscular macho man every single day…

How was he supposed to stay pure-hearted and devoid of desire?

How was he supposed to keep his underwear dry?!