Help, My Buff Roommate is Begging to Touch my Abs - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Want to Wash My Clothes Again?

The next morning, Jin Bao’er did not go to the classroom early to snag seats like he usually did.

Instead, he went to the canteen first, bought three portions of piping hot breakfast, and carefully carried them back to the dormitory.

He hadn’t slept well last night; there were faint dark circles under his eyes.

He sat on his bed, clutching his phone, his gaze drifting toward Zhao Yuheng’s bed from time to time, waiting quietly.

Not until the 7:40 AM alarm rang and Zhao Yuheng rolled over did Jin Bao’er quickly stand up. Forcing a natural smile onto his face, he called out, “Eldest, Second, Brother Heng, I bought breakfast. You guys can eat while we walk.”

Zhao Yuheng didn’t say a word. He threw back the quilt, got straight out of bed, and went to the washroom.

His movements were brisk; he completed his washing almost with his eyes closed, never giving Jin Bao’er a single glance throughout the process.

The Eldest and the Second, on the other hand, cheerfully thanked him and rushed to wash up. They had to get it done in five minutes and then spend fifteen minutes sprinting to the classroom; every second counted.

Taking advantage of the gap, Jin Bao’er conveniently packed Zhao Yuheng’s textbooks and notebooks into his shoulder bag and zipped it up.

As soon as Zhao Yuheng finished putting on his shoes, he immediately handed it over, holding it with both hands like a soldier waiting for inspection.

Zhao Yuheng gave a faint glance, his eyes lingering for half a second on Jin Bao’er’s deformed finger. Then, with an expressionless face, he took the bag, a low “thanks” rolling from his throat, and stepped out of the dormitory door.

Watching his cold and distant back, Jin Bao’er felt as if his heart had been pricked by a needle.

It hurt a bit, but mostly it was a sense of peace, like the dust had finally settled.

He comforted himself silently in his heart.

Why must we be a couple?

Brother Heng is such a good person; isn’t it fine to be brothers real brothers?

Real brothers can give their lives for each other and become the most important person in each other’s lives.

Perhaps, kinship lasts longer than love.

Even if in the future he had to watch with his own eyes as the other married a girl he liked, had children, and grew old together though his heart would be jealous it was better than being loathed for forcing love and eventually not even being able to be friends.

Jealousy is just one person’s heartache, but continuing to pull at each other hurts two people.

Having thought this through, Jin Bao’er felt that the guilt and entanglement previously weighing on his heart had lightened considerably.

Zhao Yuheng’s current indifference could be considered the punishment he deserved. After all, over these past few days, he indeed hadn’t failed to cause the other person worry.

…

During the morning classes, Zhao Yuheng still sat in that corner as steady as a rock, with Yang Hui still sitting right next to him.

The two occasionally lowered their heads to say a few words. Seeing this, Jin Bao’er’s heart still felt sour, as if it had been soaked in lemons.

However, he was already able to forcefully control his emotions, no longer losing his composure like before.

After class ended in the middle of the session, he didn’t rest. Instead, he ran straight to the milk tea shop outside and ordered two cups of milk tea from memory.

Walking to Zhao Yuheng’s desk, he set the milk tea down and spoke at a rapid-fire pace:

“Brother Heng, Yang Hui, the milk tea is on me!”

He didn’t wait for Zhao Yuheng to speak.

He knew Zhao Yuheng too well; he guessed the other would either tell him to get lost or mock him with snide remarks. Jin Bao’er put down the milk tea and turned to leave immediately, saving himself from looking for trouble.

Yang Hui looked at his fleeing back with some bewilderment. She picked up the milk tea and checked the label, saying to Zhao Yuheng, “I didn’t expect Gan Jin Bao to be such a nice person.”

“Which cup do you want to drink? I see you work out often, so you probably rarely eat sugar. This sugar-free one for you?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Yuheng glimpsed the note on the body of that sugar-free milk tea cup, written in bold black characters: “Boss, please do not add sugar, definitely do not add sugar!”

Jin Bao’er’s tone was soft and weak, looking easy to bully at a glance.

A surge of fire inexplicably rose in Zhao Yuheng’s heart, and he gave a huff.

He reached out and snatched the cup with 30% sugar: “I want to drink the one with sugar!”

As he spoke, he swapped with Yang Hui without allowing any room for argument.

Yang Hui felt a bit helpless, thinking that Zhao Yuheng was truly aloof in an incomprehensible way. Having spent so much time together, the two hadn’t shared many intimate words; everything relied on Zhao Yuheng’s slight gentlemanly grace to stay afloat. Their emotional progress was almost zero.

Only Zhao Yuheng himself knew that he was just displeased.

On what grounds do I have to drink sugar-free just because you tell me to?

I insist on drinking it sweet!

…

In the afternoon, Zhao Yuheng finished playing basketball and came back after taking a shower.

He had just placed the basin containing his dirty clothes on the floor.

Jin Bao’er, like a long-waiting little wife, walked quickly in from outside. Without a second word, he reached out to grab that basin.

“What are you doing?”

Zhao Yuheng was quick of eye and hand, grabbing his wrist in one go.

His palm was scalding and powerful, instantly enveloping Jin Bao’er’s hand.

Jin Bao’er’s heart skipped a beat, and heat rose to his face, yet his mouth spoke frankly: “Washing clothes.”

“I don’t need you to wash my clothes!”

Zhao Yuheng’s face darkened. He crossly snatched the basin back and slammed it heavily onto the floor, making a loud noise.

“I’m going to wash them.”

Jin Bao’er was also stubborn. He squatted down and lifted the basin again.

Today, his heart was actually feeling very blocked.

Zhao Yuheng hadn’t spoken to him properly all day.

He was actually very obsessed with hearing Brother Heng speak; that voice carried a hint of roughness and masculinity, and occasional physical contact made his heart race even more. It had been nearly a week, and the sense of being excluded made him regretful.

If washing clothes could help him vent his anger and let him scold a few words, it would be better than this cold war.

“If you keep this up, believe it or not, I’ll beat you!”

Zhao Yuheng’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and his voice rose several degrees. His brows were tightly knitted, giving him an appearance as if he wanted to devour someone.

“Hit me if you want.”

Jin Bao’er lifted his head, his eyes obstinate and clear, crashing straight into the depths of Zhao Yuheng’s eyes. “I’ll still wash them after you hit me.”

He didn’t know how to apologize. These clumsy hands, besides doing these trivial chores, could do nothing else.

Zhao Yuheng looked at his “ready to be hit and scolded” appearance.

He clenched his fist, his chest heaving violently, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. Yet, that fist delayed in swinging down.

After a long while, he seemed to laugh out of anger, or perhaps he conceded helplessly. He let go and said crossly:

“Fine, you want to wash them, right? Then wash them clean for me! Also my shoes and socks wash them all for me!”

As he spoke, he turned around and threw the smelly socks from the bed and the dirty sneakers on the floor toward Jin Bao’er all at once. He then climbed onto the bed in a grand manner, not looking back, with his back to everyone.

Jin Bao’er looked at the few pairs of smelly socks and dirty shoes on the floor.

His nose twitched, and he hesitated a bit, but he still bit the bullet and picked them up.

Before he went out, the Eldest and the Second nearby were looking at Jin Bao’er with that “I understand you” smirk. Their gazes seemed to say, “Tsk tsk tsk, something’s going on,” making Jin Bao’er’s earlobes turn completely red.

“Wash them clean for me! Brush them gently; those shoes are expensive!”

Zhao Yuheng, with his back to them on the bed, added another sentence. His tone was both roguish and arrogant, exactly like a young master waiting to be served by a maidservant.

The Eldest laughed and teased: “Old Third is doing alright; in just one night, you’ve got our Snail Young Master washing your smelly socks? We don’t even have this treatment.”

The Second also chimed in sourly: “Exactly. The three of us went to help beat someone up yesterday, and we still don’t have this treatment.”

“Scram!”

Zhao Yuheng cursed, keeping his back to them.

But the corners of Zhao Yuheng’s mouth quietly curled up; his heart was incredibly triumphant.

Hmph, what’s so rare about this?

My underwear is still in the basin at the bottom of that pile of clothes; maybe he’ll wash them together later.

How could his status in Jin Bao’er’s heart ever be compared to these two big idiots?