My Roommate is a Gloomy, Sensitive Guy Who Cries Over Everything - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Landed Right on His Thigh

Lin Zhiyu’s eyes widened slightly as he asked, “Didn’t you go to the clinic to change your dressing today?”

“No.”

Lin Rangchuan’s voice was neither thick nor thin, but when he purposefully lowered it, it carried a hint of piteousness.

It just so happened that Lin Zhiyu was soft-hearted. He let out a soft “ah” and asked, “Why didn’t you go…”

“Waiting for you.” Lin Rangchuan leaned forward slowly, his cold, deep features gradually drawing closer. “Didn’t you say you’d take responsibility for me?”

Lin Zhiyu was speechless. He had promised the Senior he would keep an eye on Brother Lin, so: “I’ll take you to the clinic to change the dressing first.”

Lin Rangchuan let go and stood straight in front of him, his tone indifferent. “Won’t it delay you for your gathering?”

“Your injury is more important.” Lin Zhiyu stuffed all the groceries into the fridge in one go.

In the interval while Lin Rangchuan was changing clothes, he messaged Yu Hechang to tell him he might not be able to make it.

[Shitting Smoothly: What? Not allowed! Arghhh, don’t leave me behind! I’ve already set out, how can you be like this… How about I go with you to accompany Senior Lin to change his dressing?] [Little Fish: That’s actually a good excuse. Go say it then.] [Shitting Smoothly: …I was being sarcastic. Are you serious?] [Little Fish: Yeah, I’m serious.] [Shitting Smoothly: I’m almost there, I’ve already been dragged along. Changing a dressing shouldn’t take long; you could just bring Senior Lin here with you. There are plenty of sophomores here anyway; maybe they all know him.] [Little Fish: Okay, I’ll ask!]

Little Fish was just that loyal; Yu Hechang felt like he loved him to death.

…

On the way to the clinic, Lin Zhiyu brought it up and very considerately said, “If Brother Lin doesn’t want to go, that’s fine too. But I won’t be able to walk you home; we’ll have to split up at the intersection…”

“I can go.”

The corners of Lin Zhiyu’s mouth turned up, and his eyes crinkled. “Great.”

Lin Rangchuan looked down at his beautiful smiling face; the boy seemed to be glowing. “Do you like attending gatherings that much?”

“I do.” In Lin Zhiyu’s mind, what was the difference between a gathering and a wedding feast? It was just eating to your heart’s content—how could that not be a happy thing? Hehe.

Lin Rangchuan: “I don’t like them.”

Lin Zhiyu’s smile faded slightly, but he still asked kindly and understandingly, “Why? Do you think the food isn’t good?”

“Too many people. Too noisy.”

As they neared the clinic entrance, Lin Rangchuan pursed his lips. The things he likes, I dislike. It’s like we live in two different worlds.

“I understand. Sometimes a lot of people can be really noisy, but you can just ignore them. Usually, I just go there to eat and make friends. If there are no friends, I just eat. If you don’t like it, just stay by my side.”

Lin Rangchuan’s footsteps paused. A glimmer of light flickered in his eyes, only to return to a bottomless black an instant later.

It was a long while before he gave a low “un.”

While the dressing was being changed, Lin Zhiyu went to pay the fee. Once finished, he sat on a chair like an internet-addicted teen, chatting with the Senior.

[Senior: Don’t drink alcohol. Don’t drink anything anyone gives you.] [Little Fish: I know.] [Senior: Eat if you want to eat, but don’t run around all over the place.] [Senior: Refuse all advances from strangers.] [Senior: Stay properly by his side.]

Lin Zhiyu couldn’t even type as fast as him. The Senior’s anxiety reminded him of a certain TV plot—the “useless husband” archetype who, even if his wife cheats on him, would kneel and beg her to stay, even saying he could take care of her and the other man.

[Little Fish: You’re very strange sometimes.] [Little Fish: Is this your unique way of making friends?] [Senior: I don’t make friends. Online, I only have you.] [Senior: Can you also only have me?]

Lin Zhiyu’s expression turned a bit peculiar. This was the first time in his life he had encountered something like this, and he was at a loss for how to handle it.

Back in his hometown, the whole village could be Lin Zhiyu’s friend, but…

[Little Fish: Do you call other people ‘Baby’?] [Senior: No. I only have one Baby.] [Senior: What else does Baby want to ask? I can tell you everything.]

Lin Zhiyu stared at the screen. He did have many things he wanted to ask, likely because the Senior felt so mysterious to him. But since the Senior refused to even meet in person, Lin Zhiyu didn’t have the courage to bring it up again for now. He’d wait until school started.

[Little Fish: Nothing for now. There will be later.] [Senior: I’ll be waiting for Baby to ask me.]

“It’s finished.”

Lin Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat. He jerked his head up, quickly locking his phone. The black screen reflected Lin Rangchuan’s handsome, deep features.

“You startled me. You walk without making a sound.”

“I make a sound when I walk.” Lin Rangchuan rubbed his fingers against his palm. “You were just too absorbed in your phone.”

Lin Zhiyu stood up. “Do we have to come back tomorrow?”

Lin Rangchuan moved his wrist nonchalantly. “No need.”

“Did the nurse have any instructions?”

“She told me to play on my phone less.”

Lin Zhiyu: “?”

Lin Rangchuan: “That’s all she said.”

Lin Zhiyu nodded as if he understood. It made sense; Brother Lin had injured his right hand. “Then play less.”

…

The gathering was at a food stall in the night market street near the school. They had rented the largest private room. The doors were wide open, and the air was thick with the sounds of laughter, shouting, gossiping, and various topics—a lively, noisy atmosphere.

For a moment, Lin Zhiyu understood what Brother Lin meant by “too many people, too noisy.”

As soon as Yu Hechang saw him, he lunged over as if seeing a savior. “My dear mother, you’re finally here!”

Lin Zhiyu let him wrap an arm around his neck without pulling away, laughing as he said, “Then where’s your dear father?”

Just as Yu Hechang was about to speak, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. He shivered and looked up, meeting Lin Rangchuan’s dark gaze.

“…”

Yu Hechang instinctively let go and looked around. He felt the private room behind them had grown a bit quieter. Lin Zhiyu blinked, then heard Yu Hechang whisper, “Have you noticed? Everyone seems to be looking at us.”

They were indeed looking, but more accurately, they were looking at Lin Rangchuan.

Lin Rangchuan’s reputation at school was quite significant, thanks to his various skills, but most importantly, because he was handsome.

A few people in the room had interacted with him, but almost none were close—except perhaps Lou Chen.

Lou Chen was surprised for a second, but just as he was about to speak, he was silenced by a look from Lin Rangchuan.

Lou Chen: “…” Fine. I’ll talk about the overdue commission later. I’d better not provoke this lord.

Yu Hechang led Lin Zhiyu to a corner seat. Since there were many seniors here, it wasn’t wise for them as freshmen to stand out. He just didn’t expect Lin Rangchuan to sit down with them.

The noise from the crowd quieted down significantly.

No one expected Lin Rangchuan to come. Most found it shocking; a few were curious.

He could draw, he was a computer expert yet studied law, he was good at tennis, won scholarships every year, and was tall and handsome. He was essentially a collection of virtues—to some extent, a genius.

Geniuses usually had their own tempers: aloof, independent, sitting in the front row for class and leaving exactly when it ended, switching to “NPC mode” when talking to others. To put it bluntly, he hated socializing; solitude was how he recharged.

For such a genius to suddenly appear in a public setting like this had quite an impact.

However, Lin Rangchuan clearly didn’t care about the others’ gazes. His chair was pulled back slightly further than Lin Zhiyu’s, creating the illusion that he was protecting Lin Zhiyu from behind, his body half-enveloping him.

As for the person involved, Lin Zhiyu didn’t notice at all. He naturally began to eat.

Unless they were blind, everyone could see that Lin Rangchuan had followed him here.

Lou Chen took a sharp breath in his heart. He actually managed to bring Brother Lin along. Could this kid be a genius too?!

But soon, no one paid attention to the corner anymore. Lin Zhiyu took a bite of this and a taste of that; the various dishes filled his stomach, making his face flush with happy satisfaction.

Eventually, he felt a bit full and slowed down. Lin Zhiyu looked at the other students at the table with some confusion—for some reason, they seemed to be consciously avoiding him. Is making friends in college this complicated? Whatever, let’s just eat.

Lin Rangchuan was positioned toward the back, ignored by others, quietly existing in his own little world. Suddenly, a piece of meat rolled into his view.

There was plenty of meat and vegetables in the bowl. Lin Zhiyu turned to him with a fox-like grin.

“Since you’re here, eat more.”

Lin Rangchuan paused slightly, his expression hidden in the shadows.

“Baby.”

A soft, raspy sound.

Lin Zhiyu was buried in his food and didn’t hear it.

Finding that the other was eating slowly, Lin Zhiyu didn’t disturb him and instead chatted with Yu Hechang.

In that short time, the Senior had sent several messages.

[Senior: Did Baby drink alcohol?] [Senior: If you get drunk, bad people will do bad things to you.] [Senior: Why aren’t you answering me?] [Senior: Are you chatting with someone?] [Senior: Baby has so many friends, unlike me, who only has you.]

Lin Zhiyu knew he was clingy, but he was surprised by the degree of it, especially after what was said last time… he had become even clingier.

[Little Fish: Are you lacking inspiration?] [Senior: Un…] [Senior: Miss you.] [Senior: Miss you very much.]

Lin Zhiyu blushed slightly and blinked. He took a huge gulp of orange juice and hurriedly replied: I’m not full yet, I’ll find you later.

Behind him, Lin Rangchuan looked up from his phone, watching Lin Zhiyu’s fair, tender nape slowly turn pink.

Lin Rangchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Just as he was about to lean in and speak, Yu Hechang suddenly ran over. “There’s no more orange juice. Try this, it tastes great.”

Lin Zhiyu looked at the bright orange drink. “What is this?”

“I don’t know, it was over there. I just grabbed it. It’s sweet and sour and a bit bitter—very complex. Once you drink it, you want more.”

Lin Zhiyu’s desire for food and drink was satiated; his eyes were shimmering. “You sound like a top salesman. Give me a glass.”

Yu Hechang acted the part of a waiter: “Coming right up!”

Perhaps the spicy chicken had been too much. Lin Zhiyu took the glass Yu Hechang brought and downed it in one go. He frowned slightly the moment he swallowed, feeling the bitter-sweet taste on his tongue.

Lin Zhiyu put the glass down, puzzled. Suddenly, his head felt dizzy, and his limbs went limp. A second before blacking out, he gritted his teeth and quickly stuffed a cherry into his mouth.

…

[Lou Chen: You have time to eat but no time to draw?] [Lou Chen: Do you know you’re overdue!!!] [Lou Chen: It’s just a small cut, is it really necessary? Even if you lost a finger, you’d still have to draw! 「Frustrated and crazy.jpg」]

Lin Rangchuan was so annoyed by Lou Chen’s messages that he blocked him directly. At another table, Lou Chen let out a wail of despair.

From Lin Rangchuan’s angle, he could see Lin Zhiyu’s cheeks bulging as he chewed.

As he chewed, his speed visibly slowed until he stopped completely. He didn’t eat or drink, just sat there on the chair with his head hanging, his ears and cheeks flushed a deep red. His dark lashes trembled slightly, and his lips were pursed.

Something was wrong.

Lin Rangchuan stuffed his phone back, but before he could react—

Thud.

Lin Zhiyu landed right on his thigh.