From Ji Zhi’s vantage point, he could see that the screen on Fu Huixu’s phone displayed a woman.
Though he couldn’t make out her face clearly, something about her clothes and the way she posed for the photo felt oddly familiar to Ji Zhi.
After a brief moment of thought, Ji Zhi realized where that sense of familiarity came from.
He had taken a similar photo himself.
The realization startled him. He shot to his feet and took a few steps toward the neighboring bed, his gaze locking onto Fu Huixu’s phone screen once more.
Fu Huixu’s phone screen was still lit up, receiving messages.
This time, Ji Zhi saw the person in the photo clearly.
She wore a red dress and rested her chin on her hand, smiling lightly at the camera. Her long lashes were gilded with a golden glow in the warm light, and her black hair fell softly over her shoulders, making her delicate features shine even brighter.
Her smile was radiant, and she was so close to the lens that it seemed like she might lean out of the photo at any moment, peering at it alongside whoever was looking.
Ji Zhi: “…”
No wonder it looked so familiar. Wasn’t this him in drag?!
His mind reeled. To make sure he wasn’t seeing things, he examined the photo several times. It really was his face.
Ji Zhi remembered this photo well.
He had taken it when he hit five hundred thousand followers.
The theme had been “girlfriend’s perspective,” and as a straight guy, Ji Zhi had a natural knack for it. He knew exactly how to capture the kind of girlfriend-angle shots his audience loved.
The photo had been a hit, racking up countless likes on the platform and drawing in a fresh wave of fans.
Some people even speculated that Ji Zhi must have a boyfriend, since only one could produce such an authentic girlfriend vibe.
Of course, Ji Zhi had quickly debunked that rumor and even released a solo shooting tutorial to prove it could be done alone.
If he hadn’t, the Top Fan’s jealous messages would have drowned him.
That said, the rumor about streamer Zhi Zhi not being straight proved much harder to shake off.
But how had this photo ended up on Fu Huixu’s phone?
Ji Zhi’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the door scraping against the floor behind him.
In the quiet room, the noise stood out sharply.
Ji Zhi turned instinctively.
The bathroom door stood half-open, billowing steam carrying wisps of mist into the room. A figure emerged from the washroom.
Fu Huixu’s damp hair was slicked back from his forehead, and the mole at the corner of his eye made his pale skin stand out even more. Lingering water droplets trailed down his neck, tracing over his collarbone before vanishing into the edge of the towel wrapped around his waist. A thin layer of lean muscle covered his frame—not exaggerated bulk, but impressive enough to command respect.
The lines of his shoulders and back formed sharp, aggressive curves. The shadows of his abs rose and fell subtly with each breath, tempered by his cool-toned skin into an almost ascetic restraint. Veins lurked beneath the surface like hidden rivers.
It was the kind of physique Ji Zhi both envied and resented.
If only those abs were on him.
But meeting Fu Huixu’s icy gaze snapped Ji Zhi out of his envy.
“What are you doing?” Fu Huixu’s cold voice followed, making Ji Zhi acutely aware of how precarious his situation looked.
He was standing far too close to Fu Huixu’s bed—like he had been trying to climb into it while Fu Huixu was out of the room.
Explaining the truth wasn’t an option. “I saw a familiar photo on your phone screen and took a closer look” would sound even weirder.
Facing down Fu Huixu’s powerfully built frame, Ji Zhi’s mind raced, terrified that Fu Huixu might lash out over the misunderstanding at any second.
In a flash of inspiration, he came up with an excuse. “My phone just slipped out of my hand and hit the floor, so I got out of bed to pick it up. I didn’t expect it to slide so far…”
As he spoke, he waved the phone in his right hand.
Thank goodness his attention had been fixed on Fu Huixu’s screen earlier; he hadn’t set his own phone down yet, giving his alibi some solid proof.
Fu Huixu’s gaze followed Ji Zhi’s words to his hand, then shifted away disinterestedly.
Fu Huixu said nothing more. He simply strode past Ji Zhi toward his own bed.
Ji Zhi quickly stepped aside to let him pass, then slipped into the bathroom himself. Under the pretense of washing up, he minimized his presence in front of Fu Huixu.
After all, he hadn’t forgotten what Chen Xingwen had said about Fu Huixu’s history of throwing punches. He stood no chance against the guy.
If Fu Huixu realized he was lying and decided to act on it, at least Ji Zhi could lock the bathroom door and buy time to grab his phone and call the cops.
Fu Huixu paid no attention to Ji Zhi’s movements. His focus was entirely on his own phone.
He had indeed wondered why Ji Zhi was so close to his bed when he emerged from the bathroom.
But Ji Zhi’s explanation seemed plausible enough for now.
There was nothing on his bed worth stealing anyway. His phone had a passcode and tracking; Ji Zhi couldn’t unlock it or take it without notice.
Besides, the screen lit up again just then, drawing Fu Huixu’s attention. He wondered if it was a message from Zhi Zhi.
It turned out to be from the housekeeper instead. A flicker of disappointment stirred in Fu Huixu.
But when he glanced at the lit-up lock screen saver, his mood lifted considerably.
Fu Huixu’s lock screen was a photo Zhi Zhi had posted online before. It had that perfect girlfriend-perspective feel, which Fu Huixu both loved and envied. He had assumed some other man close to Zhi Zhi had taken it, drawing them even nearer.
Fortunately, Zhi Zhi had cleared up the misunderstanding quickly, and Fu Huixu had set the photo as his lock screen so he could see it anytime.
Zhi Zhi had sent him plenty of other photos too, but those were even more intimate. Fu Huixu kept them hidden in a private album, away from prying eyes.
His fingertip caressed the screen tenderly, as if stroking Zhi Zhi’s face through the glass.
By the time Ji Zhi emerged from the bathroom again, Fu Huixu had changed into fresh clothes and was lying back on his bed, absorbed in his phone. He didn’t glance up as Ji Zhi came out, nor did he bring up the earlier incident.
The crisis averted for now, Ji Zhi calmed down after washing up.
Seeing Fu Huixu still glued to his phone, Ji Zhi’s thoughts returned to that lock screen photo.
Why was Fu Huixu using a picture of Zhi Zhi as his wallpaper?
Did Fu Huixu watch his streams? Was he a fan?
Or had he just saved it because it was pretty? After all, the photo had circulated online for a while, and people had even used it as their profile pictures.
Ji Zhi’s mind was a whirlwind. He decided to message Chen Xingwen about it.
Chen Xingwen replied almost instantly.
【Chen Xingwen: ???】
【Chen Xingwen: Are you sure you saw that right?】
Ji Zhi typed back: 【How could I not recognize my own face?】
He could understand Chen Xingwen’s shock, though. When he’d first spotted Fu Huixu’s lock screen, Ji Zhi himself had been stunned and double-checked it multiple times.
Chen Xingwen’s next reply took a while. Ji Zhi waited quite some time before the message came through. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Chen Xingwen had set his phone down for something urgent.
【Chen Xingwen: That doesn’t add up. According to my intel, Fu Huixu isn’t gay.】
【Chen Xingwen: Maybe he just googled it randomly and thought it was a girl. I doubt he watches streams anyway.】
Chen Xingwen had seen Ji Zhi’s cross-dressing photos and found them tempting, but the thought that it was his bro quickly cooled him off.
Not to mention, he was straight as an arrow. He couldn’t make a move on his own little brother.
After a heated half-hour discussion, Ji Zhi and Chen Xingwen still hadn’t reached any solid conclusions.
No matter what, though, Fu Huixu using Zhi Zhi’s photo as his lock screen had caught them both off guard.
They couldn’t chat much longer anyway. Ji Zhi had returned to the dorm late, and after washing up, it was already midnight—lights-out time.
Ji Zhi got ready for bed.
He figured discovering Fu Huixu’s secret would keep him awake, but the day’s exhaustion had worn him out completely.
He fell into a deep sleep without so much as tossing and turning.
Ji Zhi woke early the next day.
He had classes all day.
Since he was up in time, he even caught a glimpse of Fu Huixu leaving the dorm. After a quick wash-up, Ji Zhi followed suit and headed out.
From eight in the morning until eight at night, Ji Zhi finally wrapped up his last elective. He met Chen Xingwen at the nearest cafeteria for dinner.
By that hour, the place was closing soon and nearly empty. They grabbed some food at random and settled into a quiet corner.
No sooner had they sat down than Chen Xingwen leaned in eagerly. “I had advanced math today, and guess who sat right next to me? Fu Huixu…”
Even though no one was nearby, Chen Xingwen kept his voice low since it involved Fu Huixu.
The university’s classes worked like this: core major courses were mandatory, but everything else was up to the students as long as they earned enough credits before graduation. Public electives often mixed students from different majors and years.
Chen Xingwen had run into Fu Huixu before, but only as part of the campus celebrity gawking crowd.
Now, seeing him brought Ji Zhi’s words from last night to mind.
His classmates had noticed Chen Xingwen sneaking glances at Fu Huixu throughout the two classes.
He still couldn’t wrap his head around it: someone as aloof as Fu Huixu using a girl’s photo as his lock screen—and not just any girl, but his cross-dressing bro Ji Zhi.
Chen Xingwen hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, observing discreetly, he saw Fu Huixu checking his phone frequently, his fingertips brushing the screen gently now and then.
In the past, Chen Xingwen would have assumed he was just checking for messages. Now, it looked more like he was caressing the photo on the screen from afar.
Fu Huixu’s eyes were half-lidded, his long lashes veiling whatever thoughts lay beneath. Chen Xingwen couldn’t read his expression, but the gestures somehow struck him as the tender way one might treat a lover.
“I don’t think he just grabbed it off the internet at random,” Chen Xingwen speculated. “He seems to really like that photo—like, treating-it-like-a-lover like. He might be a fan who’s watched your streams.”
Yesterday, Ji Zhi hadn’t paid much attention to Fu Huixu’s attitude toward the photo. Only now, hearing Chen Xingwen’s description, did he find it strange.
This time, it was finally Ji Zhi who voiced the question: “Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?”
After all, Chen Xingwen was a lifelong singleton just like him—he’d never been in a relationship.
Chen Xingwen felt the sting of doubt: “No way, I’ve been sneaking glances at him the whole time. That’s exactly the vibe he gave off!”
“Didn’t I tell you about that bro in our dorm who’s dating? He’s all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend every day. In the dorm, it’s either video calls with her or staring at her photos. Fu Huixu’s vibe was just like that…”
Chen Xingwen had never imagined he’d one day link words like “gentle” and “lover” with Fu Huixu.
Yet when he saw Fu Huixu’s actions, those were the first words that popped into his mind. He felt they were the only ones that could describe the other man’s state in that moment.
Seeing how adamant Chen Xingwen was, Ji Zhi couldn’t help but freeze—
No way. Did it look like Fu Huixu really was his fan?!
Was Fu Huixu gay?
Chen Xingwen kept going: “Fu Huixu’s loaded. For all we know, he might’ve watched your streams and even sent gifts to your channel…”
Ji Zhi mulled it over. His streams drew plenty of viewers, and lots of them sent gifts.
As he thought about it, his phone screen lit up.
Chen Xingwen sat right across from him, so Ji Zhi had already switched to the WeChat account he used for streaming, to make replies easier.
Right then, a message popped up from Top Fan #1.
【Top Fan #1: Baby, what are you doing?】
【Top Fan #1: Just finished calculus. Dorm’s empty except for me. Can we call?】
The problem was that Ji Zhi was outside.
The cafeteria wasn’t crowded right now, but it was still a public spot, so Ji Zhi opted to turn him down.
Telling Top Fan #1 outright that he was outside, though—at this hour—would probably trigger another round of interrogation.
Ji Zhi fired off a quick reply: 【Throat’s sore today. Planning to crash early.】
No sooner had he sent it than Top Fan #1 transferred money.
【Top Fan #1: [Transfer]】
【Top Fan #1: How bad? Baby, get some meds delivered or head to the hospital first.】
Ji Zhi didn’t accept the cash.
He’d heard from guild members before that some streamers took top fans’ money privately, only to have it demanded back later in full. Sticking to platform rewards was safer, so most streamers only accepted gifts through their streams.
Ji Zhi took that lesson to heart.
He assured Top Fan #1 he was fine and just needed rest.
【Top Fan #1: Okay, Baby. Rest up then.】
As Ji Zhi went to exit the chat, his peripheral vision caught the earlier message.
Top Fan #1 had just finished calculus too?
An ominous premonition stirred in his heart.
