Roommate Won't Spoil His Pretty Boyfriend? Fine, I'll Do It - Chapter 15

Hearing this, a sudden spasm of pain gripped Bai Shijin’s stomach.

He should have anticipated this long ago. Two years of relationship could not be dismantled so easily, nor could it shatter just because of a petty little scheme he had tried to pull.

With his mouth dry, Bai Shijin gave a slight nod to indicate he understood. “If there is nothing else, I will be heading out first.”

Before Bai Shijin could take a step away, Mu Nian called out to him, “Wait a moment, Shijin.”

Turning around, Mu Nian pulled an exquisite gift bag out from under his office desk and handed it to him. “These are the sneakers Qinfan has always wanted. I had someone buy them for him, but after the commotion following the audition, I didn’t get to give them to him. Could you please take them back and pass them to him?”

Digging his fingernails into his palms and staring at the bag for a long time, Bai Shijin finally took it, wearing a polite smile as he said, “Alright.”

“There is one more thing,” Mu Nian said, taking out his phone. “To make it easier to stay in touch, let’s add each other on WeChat.”

Mu Nian had no idea that this person’s WeChat had already been in his contacts list for months. Keeping his expression completely neutral, Bai Shijin switched his main account, Not a Valley, over to his secondary account, Quiet Mountain Ridge, executing the transition with smooth and rapid movements that left no room for suspicion.

With a soft ping, the addition went through. Mu Nian casually updated the remark name and asked, “Do you need me to give you a ride back?”

Bai Shijin politely declined, carrying the pair of shoes out of the office.

The moment the door closed, his polite smile vanished completely, his expression turning gloomy as an aura of absolute unapproachability radiated from him.

Noticing him emerge, Su Yi handed over his newly made work ID and reminded him, “Shijin, remember to punch in at the time clock when you arrive tomorrow, okay?”

Coldly snatching the ID badge from her hand, Bai Shijin replied in a flat voice, “Thank you.”

“Huh?”

Watching Bai Shijin’s departing figure, Su Yi muttered to herself, “Is this really Concubine Jing, who used to call me older sister? Why does he act like a completely different person?”

Upon returning to the dorm, Ye Qinfan was still lounging on the hanging chair wearing the milky-white suit designed by Mu Nian. Hearing Bai Shijin return, he cast a cool, sideways glance in his direction.

Walking straight up to Ye Qinfan, Bai Shijin tossed the bag he was holding right onto his lap. “Mu Nian asked me to bring this to you.”

With a suspicious expression, Ye Qinfan slowly unboxed the bag. Upon seeing the sneakers he had been longing for inside, his gloomy face lit up instantly.

Running his fingers affectionately over the shoes, he sneered, “Bai Shijin, did you really think I was stupid enough not to see through your deliberate attempt to bring up Niannian letting you stay over for the night right in front of me?”

Tiredly lifting his eyelids, Bai Shijin gave a soft hum in response. “I was indeed doing it on purpose.”

Slapping the table in fury, Ye Qinfan stood up from the hanging chair with a loud smack, locking eyes with Bai Shijin at eye level as he said with disdain, “You wanted to drive a wedge between Niannian and me? Bai Shijin, I have known you for two years, and only now do I realize you are a shadow emperor. With acting skills like yours, it’s a real waste that you aren’t an actor.”

Bai Shijin’s delicate face, pale and clear like moonlight, remained utterly calm, though a thin layer of chill lingered in his eyes. He unhurriedly replied, “You have been with Mu Nian for two years, yet he still hasn’t realized you are trash. You are far better at acting than I am. We are quits.”

Ye Qinfan’s pupils constricted abruptly. He took a step forward, grabbed Bai Shijin by the collar, and made a remarkably bold guess, “Bai Shijin, do you like Mu Nian?”

Catching the probing intent in Ye Qinfan’s words, Bai Shijin gave him an ambiguous answer: “Guess.”

Ye Qinfan froze. Before Bai Shijin had returned, he had spent the entire time in the dorm trying to figure out why on earth Bai Shijin would want to sabotage his relationship with Mu Nian. If the reason was that Bai Shijin liked Mu Nian, then the motivation suddenly made sense.

Yet Ye Qinfan refused to believe it.

No matter how attractive Mu Nian was, it was impossible to make a straight guy who had only met him twice fall for him, to the extent that this straight guy would disregard their brotherhood just to drive a wedge between them.

Very quickly, however, Ye Qinfan cast that thought aside. He preferred to believe that Bai Shijin was driven by a strong desire for revenge, still holding a grudge over the bar incident and wanting to make things miserable for him.

Lowering his gaze to the hands gripping tightly onto his collar, Bai Shijin asked, “Do you want to fight?”

Having witnessed Bai Shijin’s fists before, Ye Qinfan knew he couldn’t win, so he wasn’t foolish enough to overestimate himself and pick a physical fight with him.

Since he couldn’t gain the upper hand in a fight, he decided to reclaim his superiority elsewhere.

Shoving Bai Shijin away, Ye Qinfan scoffed, “Bai Shijin, do you really think a couple of words from you could make Niannian break up with me? If so, you seriously underestimate how much Niannian loves me.”

Lifting the pair of sneakers, he flaunted them boastfully, “I only mentioned these shoes in front of Niannian once, and he kept it in mind, buying them for me no matter how expensive they were. The way he treats me is something you can never imagine.”

“So?” Bai Shijin’s eyes flickered with a dangerous spark, his voice trembling slightly, “knowing full well that he treats you well, you still betrayed him and trampled on his feelings?”

Ye Qinfan froze. Staring at Bai Shijin’s contorted expression, he suddenly laughed, “Bai Shijin, I was wondering why you reacted so strongly. Turns out you’re just jealous of me? Look at you, you practically have the word jealousy written all over your face.”

“There has always been a rumor at school that you’re a bastard child who doesn’t even know who his own father is. It seems to be true; otherwise, how else can one explain why you are so starved for affection that you lose your mind just seeing my boyfriend treat me well?”

The hands Bai Shijin kept at his sides clenched into tight fists, his face enveloped in a dark, fierce energy that suggested he might explode at any second.

Taking a step back, Ye Qinfan provoked him, “What? Going to hit me?”

Pulling out his phone, he dialed the contact saved as Niannian right in front of Bai Shijin.

The call connected almost immediately, and Mu Nian’s clean, clear voice drifted between the two of them. “Hello? Qinfan.”

Intentionally pitching his words with a wronged tone, Ye Qinfan said, “Niannian, I’m sorry. I’ve already reflected deeply on myself. What happened today was my fault. Can we talk?”

There was a brief pause on the other end before Mu Nian let out a helpless sigh. “I am by the bridge near the company. Come over if you don’t have class.”

“Okay! I’m heading over right now.”

Hanging up the phone, Ye Qinfan put on a smug, triumphant look. “I heard from Sister Su that you successfully signed a contract with Niannian. That’s fine, Bai Shijin, it really doesn’t matter. You stole the contract if you wanted, I don’t care anyway, consider it a reward from me.”

“Right now, I’m going on a date with Niannian.”

Brushing roughly past Bai Shijin’s shoulder, Ye Qinfan slammed the dorm door shut with a loud bang.

Left standing foolishly in place, Bai Shijin looked at the extremely hard-to-find sneakers on the desk, his heart sinking to the very bottom.

He smiled bitterly. How could such a tragic sense of pathos exist in this world?

Watching the person he liked being deceived by a scumbag without being able to warn him, forced to stand on the sidelines as a passive spectator while being subjected to words that felt like knives cutting into his flesh.

Growing tired of standing, Bai Shijin pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning against the desk. He sat in dead silence as the golden morning glow outside slowly transformed into an icy, biting darkness, yet Ye Qinfan still hadn’t returned.

Switching back to his main account, he opened the pinned chat and typed out three words before hitting send: [What are you doing?]

It was a probe born of insecurity, and every single minute and second spent waiting for a reply felt agonizing.

Ten minutes passed before Years Gone By sent him a photo taken by the seaside: [Taking a walk.]

Not a Valley: [Alone?]

Years Gone By: [With my boyfriend.]

Closing his eyes, Bai Shijin felt as though his heart was being clawed at by a cat.

He was so accustomed to replying instantly to Mu Nian’s messages. No matter how glaring the other person’s responses might be, Not a Valley still maintained its veneer of care, typing out: [It’s windy by the sea, go home early.]

Years Gone By: [You get some rest early too.]

Bai Shijin wanted to rest as well. Lying down in bed, he kept his eyes squeezed shut for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

He was someone devoid of rich imagination, yet at this moment, his mind was flooded entirely with scenes of Mu Nian and Ye Qinfan walking together by the seaside.

With a vacant gaze, Bai Shijin opened his Moments, the light from his phone illuminating his face.

Three minutes ago, Ye Qinfan had posted a photo of their hands intertwined, with the caption: “A love that nothing can ever tear apart.”

Stung to the quick, Bai Shijin stared fixedly at the hand belonging to Mu Nian being held by Ye Qinfan, until the screen automatically dimmed into blackness.

Ye Qinfan did not return for the entire night.