The Clingy Coquette and His Straight Roommate - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Little Princess

Hua Die, watching from the side, was dazed.

Although Bo Jingshi’s exterior remained cold, his steps were urgent and fast, carrying a joy he hadn’t even noticed himself.

Looking at the boy in front of Bo Jingshi—exquisite features, slender and fair limbs, truly cute tiger teeth, and brows brimming with vivid spirit—his eyes shone bright and clear when he smiled. The nickname “top-tier choice of the gay community” wasn’t for nothing.

Hua Die crossed his arms, twirling his keys as he watched. Bo Jingshi completely forgot his bro was standing right there as he leaned down to say something to the boy. They walked toward the bus stop.

There was no one else at the bus stop currently. Yu Lan and Bo Jingshi sat on the waiting bench. Summer days are long; the evening breeze was heavy and muggy, carrying a thick current of heat. Thin clouds couldn’t block the scorching temperature. Yu Lan held a milky-white small fan to his face. After a while, he turned halfway and held the fan in front of the person next to him: “Senior, you have some too.”

Bo Jingshi froze for a moment. Their arms were pressed together; Yu Lan felt warm like a little furnace, but his skin was delicate and soft as satin. Touching arms didn’t feel unpleasant; instead, it felt very comfortable. He was taller than Yu Lan, so even sitting down, there was a height difference. He lowered his head and leaned his face toward the cool breeze.

The fan had a water-misting feature, making the air exceptionally refreshing. After a moment, Bo Jingshi reached out to grasp Yu Lan’s wrist, gently pushing the fan back: “It’s Lanlan’s turn now.”

Yu Lan froze in confusion, like a glitched machine: “Senior, what did you just call me?”

Bo Jingshi looked at him calmly: “Everyone else calls you that. I can’t?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then I can.” Bo Jingshi asked further, “Are you and that guy from today really close? He wanted to drink the milk tea you already drank from.”

“He’s alright, he’s my class monitor.” Yu Lan knitted his brows again. “I definitely won’t let him drink it, I think it’s disgusting. It’s just like kissing—I think kissing is disgusting too. I can’t imagine how much you’d have to like someone to be willing to eat their saliva, exchange spit, and have your lips and teeth stuck together…”

“—Stop.”

Yu Lan quickly lifted his lashes, his face full of joy at finding a kindred spirit: “You find it unbearable too, don’t you, Senior!”

Bo Jingshi had a mysophobia (germaphobia); he would definitely understand the feeling. Sometimes Yu Lan would see couples in the cafeteria sharing bowls and utensils or eating each other’s food; while he respected them, he would secretly think he would definitely never be like that. He didn’t want to eat what others had eaten, nor let others eat what he had eaten.

Bo Jingshi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he stared contemplatively at Yu Lan’s small mouth as it opened and closed. His mouth was extremely petite, but the lip shape was beautiful—the corners naturally tilted upward, the labial pearl was exquisite, and the flesh was plump with thin skin, like flower petals in full bloom.

It looked very suitable for kissing.

Bo Jingshi secretly warned himself to stop thinking further. To avoid showing any weakness, he looked down at his phone; the app showed the bus was about to arrive.

Bo Jingshi took Yu Lan’s wrist and stood up: “Let’s go, Lanlan.”

“Coming, coming!” Yu Lan stood up, his tone rising with cheer.

Yu Lan still felt something was off. When Tiantian called him that, or even the other strange nicknames she used, he felt it was normal. But when a repetitive nickname came out of Bo Jingshi’s mouth, it took on a strange flavor. It was too intimate.

But they were indeed roommates now. Bo Jingshi bought him desserts and peeled chestnuts for him; they could barely be considered friends. Thinking from that angle, it didn’t seem like there was any problem with the name.

While his small face was solemn with deep thought, Bo Jingshi had unknowingly moved closer. By the time he noticed, they were pressed tight together. Compared to Bo Jingshi’s initiative, Yu Lan was exceptionally repulsed by the heat, his fair little hands pressing against Bo Jingshi’s chest as he muttered about how hot it was.

At that, Bo Jingshi would pick up the small fan to blow air on him. The pink-and-white little face would then obediently tilt toward him, hair fluttering and eyes squinting slightly against the breeze. He looked very well-behaved.

When Yu Lan and Bo Jingshi arrived, the villa was already packed with people.

Night fell slowly. The villa was built on a mountainside, offering a panoramic view of the city’s night lights. Under a sky full of stars, the garden was a kaleidoscope of light, decorated with various gorgeous LED strips and ornaments. Boys wore trendy sneakers and girls wore exquisite makeup; at a glance, it looked like a small cocktail party.

As soon as Yu Lan entered the venue, he garnered a lot of attention. He wore a basic milky-white short-sleeved shirt; his legs were slender and white, his face was flushed slightly pink, and his bright eyes scanned the surroundings, looking more dazzling than the bright moon hanging in the sky.

“Who is he? An influencer?” “I must have seen him online. He’s so pretty, like a doll… Is he mixed-race?”

Li Jianan was dying of jealousy. Yu Lan, in his casual wear, had easily overshadowed him despite his own elaborate dressing. But he had to admit, Yu Lan was indeed born beautiful…

As he was gloomily drinking, a man in a deep blue suit passed by—steady, reserved, and handsome. Li Jianan felt this person looked familiar but couldn’t place him for a moment.

“?? Isn’t that Jiang Heyan who often appears in the Financial Daily? Why is he here?”

Jiang Heyan, a regular on financial magazines and TV screens, was the last person one would expect at a college student party. When people tried to take secret photos with their phones, a group of people immediately came out to stop them, making them even more certain that this was indeed Jiang Heyan.

It was like a massive stone crashing into a calm lake, stirring a storm in everyone’s hearts. But what surprised them even more was that Jiang Heyan, who always maintained a mature, steady, and unsmiling public image, suddenly revealed a gentle and warm smile. As if seeing something extremely beautiful, even his steps lightened.

He was heading toward Yu Lan. They couldn’t help but be stunned:

“Does Yu Lan know Jiang Heyan?”

“Is Jiang Heyan also one of Yu Lan’s pursuers? How does Yu Lan have the chance to interact with people of this social stratum…”

“I’ve always heard Yu Lan’s family is rich, but I didn’t know exactly how rich. But being able to interact with Jiang Heyan, I bet his family are super billionaires.”

“Then he’s way too low-key!”

“He really is. I used to think he was just a regular rich second-gen. But once I accidentally saw his family picking him up. The person picking him up had a watch that cost more than this villa… Think about the housing prices in A-City, and you’ll get it.”

Li Jianan’s gaze was locked on the figure ahead, his jealousy burning so hot he felt faint.

Jiang Heyan cautiously approached the person whose back was turned to him. Just as he was about to startle the other, a cold and aggressive gaze shot toward him.

Bo Jingshi quickly pulled Yu Lan’s wrist, pulling him firmly into his protective embrace. His eyes were dark and deep, carrying undisguised hostility.

Yu Lan was pulled into the embrace unexpectedly. Before he could react, he turned his head slightly, his face going blank for a second before he cheered happily: “Brother Heyan!”

Facing anyone other than Yu Lan, Jiang Heyan naturally didn’t have a pleasant expression. He looked calmly at the arm wrapped around Yu Lan’s shoulder; he was annoyed, but he didn’t want to spoil the mood. Turning his gaze back to Yu Lan, it became incomparably soft. Jiang Heyan opened his arms with a brilliant smile: “Surprise!”

Yu Lan hurriedly struggled out of Bo Jingshi’s embrace and jogged to Jiang Heyan. He was half a head shorter than Jiang Heyan, so he had to look up. He showed his two cute tiger teeth: “Why are you here?”

“I heard from Xiao-Liu that you were here. I happened to have a client nearby, so I thought I’d come see you. I’ll be sad if you talk like that—don’t tell me you didn’t want to see me?”

“No way, I missed you a lot!”

Yu Lan and Jiang Heyan hadn’t seen each other in a long time. They mostly chatted in the family group; Jiang Heyan was too busy, rarely checking social apps, and had no time for private gatherings.

The sweet, spoiled tone naturally elicited a satisfied smile from Jiang Heyan. He wanted to rub Yu Lan’s head, but Yu Lan covered the top of his head with both hands, refusing to let him touch.

“You’ve really grown up, won’t even let me touch you now,” Jiang Heyan said teasingly.

What should have sounded slightly sarcastic was made incredibly gentle by his doting expression. It looked like… flirting. At least, that was Bo Jingshi’s personal interpretation.

Ever since this man appeared, Yu Lan hadn’t spared him a single glance. It was similar to when Ke Yisen appeared earlier that day, but also vastly different. When Ke Yisen was there, Yu Lan clearly didn’t want to deal with him, looking completely disinterested. But now, Yu Lan’s face was full of joy, his tone was sugary and soft, and his bright eyes were sparkling with sweetness.

Bo Jingshi licked his canine tooth. His heart felt as if it had been sliced open by Yu Lan’s smile, leaking an inexplicable irritability. The feeling was unfamiliar, but exceptionally fierce and uncontrollable.

“And this is?” Jiang Heyan finally deigned to spare some time for the stranger.

Yu Lan said: “This is my roommate.”

“A roommate, I see.” Jiang Heyan was clearly uninterested in this person. He looked back at Yu Lan with an unconscious smile: “A client’s son wants to meet you. Want to go see him? He’s a freshman this year, currently in the foundation department, and wants to choose your major. But he doesn’t understand it well, so he wants to ask you about it.”

Yu Lan got anxious: “Why on earth would he want to choose my major?”

He turned his head to Bo Jingshi: “Senior, I’ll go with Brother Heyan for a bit and come find you later.”

A sour and intense emotion bubbled in Bo Jingshi’s chest. He lowered his eyelids and let out an “Mm.”

In reality, Yu Lan had already left with Jiang Heyan before even waiting for his reply. Yu Lan wasn’t consulting him; he was informing him.

Jiang Heyan led Yu Lan to the edge of the string lights. The bright lights made him look even more dazzling. Even though he was in a corner and wasn’t trying to attract attention, one couldn’t help but keep their eyes on him.

A boy with clean features and a decent appearance slowly approached. His face was full of nervousness, his earlobes so red they looked like they might bleed, and his voice when speaking to Yu Lan was very quiet: “Senior, I… I am Xu Weiqing, currently in the freshman foundation department…”

Yu Lan told him very seriously: “Whatever you do, don’t come to Environmental Art. Your head will go bald. Look, I’ve lost so much hair already.”

After saying that, Yu Lan lowered his head and leaned over, showing Xu Weiqing the whorl on his head. Slender, soft fingers slowly brushed through the black hair; the strands slid softly through his fingers like silk.

The skin on his nape was delicate and white. When it entered Xu Weiqing’s sight, he froze on the spot, his nervousness making him start to stutter again.

Not far away, Bo Jingshi’s hand clenched into a fist. The sourness in his chest became more apparent. The inexpressible irritation made his whole body feel uncomfortable—he was annoyed at everything he saw and didn’t want to do anything.

He had always known Yu Lan liked making friends, had a cheerful personality, and was very cute, like a bright, warm little sun. But while Bo Jingshi was enjoying the warmth of Yu Lan’s radiance, he forgot that he wasn’t the only one who could receive such treatment.

Brother Heyan. Roommate.

You could tell from the way he was addressed that Yu Lan didn’t take him seriously at all. Perhaps he really just saw him as a roommate—not even a friend. Hua Die had been worried about him being “fished,” but the reality was even more cruel. He wasn’t even a backup.

“Xu Weiqing? Jiang Heyan? Why are they here?” After his initial shock, Hua Die smiled. “As expected, everyone loves hanging out with a beauty.”

Xu Weiqing was the sole heir to X·1 Technology, and Jiang Heyan’s status went without saying. Two celebrities who would usually only appear at high-society banquets were here, standing with a college student. And in such a humble posture.

Jiang Heyan had shed his reserved public persona, acting like a gentle older brother next door. Xu Weiqing, this year’s freshman representative, looked like a foolish boy experiencing first love in front of Yu Lan.

Ming Qiuwan held her elbow with one hand and a wine glass in the other. She took a slow sip: “Yu Lan is no ordinary beauty.”

“How ‘not ordinary’ can he be?” Hua Die didn’t take it to heart. So what if Yu Lan was a rich second-gen? Who here wasn’t?

“He is the only son of Ms. Yu Yue, the richest woman in A-City,” Ming Qiuwan said calmly.

Hua Die happened to be drinking; hearing this, he coughed violently. The spicy alcohol burned his throat, leaving a painful aftertaste. He leaned against the wall coughing for a long time, his face as red as a monkey’s butt. Despite being so disheveled, he forced out a shocked, high-pitched response through his aching throat.

“Him? How is that possible? There wasn’t a single word about it…”

“I found out by accident. His family is very low-key, but their doting on him has never lessened. The amount the Yu family spends on this matter every year is beyond your imagination. They keep this precious young master hidden away, afraid the outside world will cause him any harm.” Ming Qiuwan summarized, “And of course, no paparazzi would report on him—that would mean making an enemy of the entire upper-class circle.”

Hua Die was shaken: “I knew his family was well-off, but I didn’t expect it to be this extreme. I also heard he’s a player who likes fishing for men…”

“How old is that news? Half a year ago? Four or five months ago?” Ming Qiuwan interrupted coldly. “Your information needs updating, old butterfly.”

“That was pure rumor. Yu Lan’s former roommate, Chen Qihe, thought he was straight but fell for Yu Lan. He believed Yu Lan turned him gay and should take responsibility. In reality, Yu Lan did nothing; it was all Chen Qihe’s delusions. After being rejected, he got angry and stole Yu Lan’s clothes. He was even perverted enough to stalk Yu Lan and keep his fallen hair.”

“The counselor wanted a peaceful resolution, but Yu Lan wanted to handle it his own way. It’s lucky Yu Lan has a good temper; if he had complained to anyone in his family, none of those loudmouths would have escaped. Oh wait—his relative Liao You couldn’t help but rush into their dorm and beat Chen Qihe to a pulp. I heard he was in the hospital for several days.”

“Originally, Yu Lan was going to involve the police, but since Liao You injured the guy severely, he might have faced disciplinary action. I guess that’s why Yu Lan chose a peaceful resolution.”

Spreading rumors is easy. Even if a rumor is clarified countless times, what people eventually keep in their hearts is what they want to remember. The truth is often mundane and lacks conversational value; people prefer to chew on bizarre rumors. Over time, the truth and the lies blur together.

Ming Qiuwan put down her glass. “Hua Die, I’m only warning you because we’re both from Jingzhou—don’t provoke him. A-City’s upper circle centers around the Yu family. They are a massive clan with influence in the internet, finance… They aren’t exclusive, but they hate people from Jingzhou, which is why we haven’t been able to break into their circle.”

Hua Die felt a headache: “I know they hate Jingzhou people. When our studio was coordinating with someone before, the boss frowned as soon as he heard we were from Jingzhou. Even though it didn’t affect our cooperation, the atmosphere was subtle in a way I can’t describe.”

“I heard their ‘Little Princess’ was bullied by someone from Jingzhou as a child, so we’re all suffering collective punishment.” Ming Qiuwan looked at the prominent Jiang Heyan and suddenly chuckled, “Oh? You should know, right? Jiang Heyan is Yu Lan’s cousin.”

Hua Die: “…” Despite his reputation as a social butterfly, he didn’t know that.

“The high-society circle we’re dying to enter is, at the end of the day, just Yu Lan’s backyard to wander in and a playground to frolic in,” Ming Qiuwan said. “If you really want to keep hanging out in A-City, stop believing every rumor you hear. Or, there’s a shortcut—just go flatter him. He’s very kind and has adopted many stray animals.”

“Go be his dog.”

Ming Qiuwan was younger than Hua Die, but her aura was strong. Her nonchalant words were like a scalding blade piercing his chest, bringing a burning pain. The wandering gazes around him made him feel humiliated; shame was burning, and his blood was boiling. He rarely had such a humiliating moment.

Hua Die’s family was well-off, so he inevitably carried the typical arrogance and unconscious superiority of a rich boy. Yu Lan looked exquisite, clearly a young master raised with refined wealth. But Hua Die truly never imagined Yu Lan’s background would be this massive.

In Jingzhou, Hua Die wouldn’t need to think about these things. But this was A-City. A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake; even if their group were the pampered princes of Jingzhou, they still had to flatter the locals in A-City.

A-City had been gaining massive momentum in recent years. Yu Lan’s mother, Yu Yue, had held the top spot on the rich list for five consecutive years. The Yu family was at its zenith, wealthy enough to rival nations, yet they were devoted to charity and were very low-key. The Yu family was also a massive family business with many branches. Perhaps everyone in A-City was like this—one person driving the wealth of the whole family. Over time, A-City’s upper circle became filled with people carrying Yu family blood.

Calling Yu Lan the “Little Princess of A-City” was no exaggeration.

Ming Qiuwan was right; as long as you flattered Yu Lan and made him happy, wealth and status would be yours. Unfortunately, Yu Lan wasn’t an easy person to control.

It wasn’t that Ming Qiuwan hadn’t thought about being friends with Yu Lan. He seemed warm and cheerful, getting along with everyone, but he wouldn’t hold those people in his heart. He was smart; despite appearing to have many friends, he understood that none of them were truly his friends.

Bo Jingshi remained silent. He leaned there, drinking gloomily. Alcohol couldn’t soothe the irritation in his chest; it was like adding fuel to the fire. Reason told him to stop thinking about it, but his emotions controlled him like a demon. He watched self-destructively as Yu Lan laughed with others in the distance. That fair face and those cute tiger teeth—they were supposed to be his.

There was someone else standing by Yu Lan. Xu Weiqing saw that his hair was messy and wanted to help smooth it, but the youth was restrained and reserved. He took a small square box from his coat and handed it over cautiously. Yu Lan opened it curiously; seeing whatever was inside, a look of surprise and joy lit up his eyes. He was successfully coaxed into being happy.

Bo Jingshi thought: What had he himself done? He had only bought some small desserts and peeled a few chestnuts. Just because of that, he actually thought he was special.

Complex emotions pulled at his heart. He had been too arrogant, too self-important. Yu Lan liked making friends. His upbringing ensured he would never show a bad face to anyone. Those soft, spoiled tones and delicate little habits were cultivated by a lifetime of family doting; they had nothing to do with him. He had actually thought it was because of an attraction to him.

Like a fool.

“Jiang Heyan is very busy. His visit today is to warn others not to have ideas they shouldn’t have. Bringing the sole heir of X·1 Technology was just to give everyone a warning—telling people who aren’t on this level to stay far away. Their princess is noble. You kids aren’t even qualified to be pursuers; just keep your secret crushes to yourselves.” Ming Qiuwan gestured with her chin toward the gloomy-faced Ke Yisen. “A nouveau riche like him? Hah.”

“A princess who has seen the world like Yu Lan would never look at a toad like that.”

The more Hua Die heard, the more his scalp tingled. his worldview had been completely overturned; the density of information made it hard to breathe. He nudged Bo Jingshi’s arm: “Say something. That’s your roommate. Did you hear what she said?”

“I heard.” Bo Jingshi’s tone was inexplicably despondent. He kept drinking, exuding a sense of loneliness—as if using wine to drown his sorrows.

Hua Die couldn’t help asking: “What did you hear?”

Bo Jingshi’s drinking motion paused. He let out a self-mocking curl of the lip.

“I am the toad.”

Yu Lan and Jiang Heyan hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so they had much to say. When it was time for Jiang Heyan to leave, he looked at Yu Lan’s milky-white T-shirt and frowned: “What are you wearing today?”

Thinking he was criticizing his fashion sense, Yu Lan was about to lose his temper when Jiang Heyan said seriously: “How can such a basic style look so stunning on you?”

The little flame that had just started to burn was instantly extinguished. Yu Lan gave a proud hum, his tail practically wagging to the heavens: “That’s because I’m good-looking.”

Xu Weiqing chimed in: “Senior is indeed very good-looking.”

Jiang Heyan shook his head with a laugh, his eyes full of deep doting: “Shameless.”

Liao You returned from the restroom and wandered the garden before finding Yu Lan. As soon as he approached, Jiang Heyan looked over indifferently: “What are you wearing today?”

Liao You spun in a circle: “Just a basic G-brand short-sleeved shirt.”

“My point is, why are you dressed so poorly? Low taste,” Jiang Heyan said dismissively. “And you call yourself an art student.”

“…” Liao You rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

Jiang Heyan passed by him and patted his shoulder: “Don’t let people without discernment get close.”

“You don’t need to tell me,” Liao You said impatiently.

Once Jiang Heyan left, Xu Weiqing didn’t even know where to put his hands. Liao You was socially anxious and remained silent. Yu Lan was caught in the middle, looking left and right, feeling extremely bored. Looking ahead, he saw a short-haired girl searching for someone in the crowd, and his eyes lit up.

“I’m going to play with Tiantian.”

He hadn’t stepped far when Ke Yisen blocked his path and said something in a low voice. Ke Yisen had a night class today and had just arrived at the villa; upon arriving, he saw Yu Lan wandering the garden alone. Just now, he told Yu Lan that his former roommate, Chen Qihe, wanted to see him.

At this, Yu Lan’s expression became extremely unpleasant. He tilted up his head, his small face full of hostility: “I don’t want to see him.”

Yu Lan was furious, but because of his exquisite looks and sweet voice, his angry look wasn’t scary—instead, it looked like he was acting spoiled out of grievance.

Ke Yisen softened his voice: “I know you don’t like him, but we aren’t children anymore. We have to solve problems as adults. Having one more friend is never a bad thing. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding between you…”

Yu Lan snapped his eyes up, his naturally upturned, alluring eyes widening into circles from anger. His lashes were already wet with tears; perhaps thinking of something bad, he bit his lip, making the labial pearl look even redder and more pitiful.

He didn’t want to stay there any longer, but Ke Yisen thought he was just being temperamental and helplessly blocked him. Yu Lan’s path was blocked, and with his existing irritation, his temper flared. Without thinking, he slapped Ke Yisen across the face.

Slap. The scene fell silent.

The onlookers looked over in shock. Ke Yisen was a celebrity at school—he was popular and good at socializing. The fact that he was slapped in public was enough to grab everyone’s attention. Ke Yisen had a typical southern face; his skin was whiter than most men, and a small handprint appeared on his handsome cheek.

He was a man with strong self-esteem, but when he saw Yu Lan’s aggrieved look, his anger was extinguished before it could even spark.

Yu Lan snapped: “Tell him to get lost!”

His long lashes were soaked, and his deep sapphire eyes were clouded with a layer of tears, all of which made Ke Yisen’s heart soften. He forgot he had just been slapped; with the handprint still fading on his face, he called out softly: “Lanlan…”

A burning heat came from his palm. Yu Lan looked down at the spot where the skin had broken, revealing red flesh. He bit his lip, and the labial pearl trembled. Seeing the man who caused his injury trying to get closer, he gave Ke Yisen a punch.

“You get lost too!”

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