Chapter 12

Ever since Chu Ci became aware of his sexual orientation, the world had told him it wasn’t normal. Of course, no one ever said it to his face.

It was just that all the boys his age in class were only interested in petite and pretty girls. Online, the discussions about the gay community were almost universally derogatory. Some older, more conservative teachers would even express disdainful, disgusted remarks during class.

Chu Ci was inherently cold, proud, and conceited. He felt nothing about any of this, even though he was the exact protagonist everyone was talking about.

Or rather, he simply didn’t care what anyone thought.

He would watch gay movies at home without any reservations, openly size up other boys’ bodies, and without any hesitation, tell girls who confessed to him: “I don’t like girls.”

Naturally, no one dared to gossip about Chu Ci. Everyone just thought the Young Master was in a bad mood and talking nonsense. They never imagined he never lied.

But still, indifferent as he was, He Yuxuan was the first boy to say in front of him that he wasn’t homophobic.

Without knowing his sexual orientation, without flattering him, he said it with such an open, frank expression.

Chu Ci’s thought in that split second was still that the other was naive, hadn’t seen much of the world, and didn’t understand anything. So ignorance bred fearlessness.

Later, Chu Ci had been to gay bars and seen all sorts of chaotic things in the gay scene. Especially those rich second-generation gays, they played even more wild games.

He also had to admit deep down that some prejudices were indeed justified.

Chu Ci never claimed to be a good person. He admitted his moral baseline wasn’t high, but it was a pity he’d never met anyone he truly wanted.

So although the Young Master had a bad reputation in the circle, he had actually never done anything.

“What do you know?” How dare you say something like that so casually.

I know the Young Master is frustrated because of the Protagonist Gong’s behavior, He Yuxuan thought, pouting slightly.

If Chu Ci weren’t actually a decent kid, which stirred a bit of pity in He Yuxuan, he wouldn’t get involved in this. But now that he no longer had that male-fan-attracting physique, to be honest, He Yuxuan really didn’t care much.

“Anyone in there?” He Yuxuan knocked on the bathroom door and asked.

“I’m in here.” Jiang Lu’s weak voice came from inside.

Because Chu Ci had been in the dorm all day today, Jiang Lu felt his digestive system wasn’t even that good. He had gotten out of bed and headed straight for the toilet. Honestly, he really admired Little He. Facing the two biggest prominent figures of their Economics and Management Department, he didn’t even flinch and seemed completely at ease.

“Okay.” He Yuxuan had no choice. With his mysophobia, he couldn’t stand feeling dirty. He simply pulled his black T-shirt off and changed into another shirt.

The chest under what seemed like a skinny frame was actually quite solid. From his collarbone down, his entire upper body was fair and sleek. Although he didn’t have prominent abs, his muscle lines looked very good.

Chu Ci was first stunned by He Yuxuan’s sudden action, then his eyes darkened.

In summer, guys going shirtless in the male dorms was common. Normally, He Yuxuan was a particular person, but perhaps his self-suggestion was quite successful, and he felt it wasn’t that embarrassing anymore. Anyway, he wasn’t a celebrity; who would look at him while he changed?

He knew Chu Ci was gay, but the man had an official match. Why would he pay him any attention? Being narcissistic once was enough.

Chu Ci watched as this person busied himself without a care. If it were just him, fine. But there were other people outside the door. Zero guardedness.

The Young Master felt it wasn’t right. He couldn’t just watch He Yuxuan be so clueless forever. He moved slightly to block the view.

“Is your club stuff finished? Want to go out tonight?” Chu Ci suddenly extended an invitation to He Yuxuan again.

He Yuxuan was already used to the Young Master’s way of doing things—no context or reasoning, just acting the moment a thought came to mind.

He looked at the boy’s expression and saw it seemed much better. He probably wasn’t feeling so awful anymore. And he wasn’t some big busy VIP now. In return for the Young Master’s generosity, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.

“It’s all done. Sure.”

He Yuxuan didn’t ask why Chu Ci had suddenly decided to come back to the dorm. He knew perfectly well. Today’s plot involved the Protagonist Gong’s homophobia scene, so for whatever reason, Chu Ci had to show up.

“Then why haven’t you deleted that Moments post yet? Want more random people messaging you every day?” Chu Ci navigated his phone to He Yuxuan’s only Moments post, changing the subject.

“I’ll delete it right now.” He Yuxuan also thought it made sense. The Photography Club had almost recruited enough people, but loads of people still added him every day.

Even though he hadn’t accepted them, he still found it quite bothersome. So he quickly deleted it, and his Moments became a blank slate again.

It didn’t look like a handsome guy’s Moments at all. People with good looks usually couldn’t wait to post more, showing off their charm.

Chu Ci had taken his seat, so he could only lean to the side, chatting idly.

All of Chu Ci’s tactile senses were focused on the legs that were currently touching right in front of him. He didn’t move, thinking that the other’s plaid pajama pants also exuded a kind of clumsiness, which suited their owner perfectly.

He just wondered if there was a more expensive version of the same style. Otherwise, the quality was really too poor.

He had just caught a glimpse of He Yuxuan wearing black. The impression was quite profound, a completely different feeling. Chu Ci thought his own clothes would probably look good on He Yuxuan as well.

But the mere thought of the other’s fair, smooth skin coming into contact with the fabric he had worn made Chu Ci’s head feel a bit congested. So he shook off these stray thoughts.

Tang Yi closed the dorm door and came in. His entire demeanor was deeply low. He clearly wasn’t the slightest bit moved by the crying tone of the boy who had confessed to him; instead, he seemed greatly troubled.

What’s more, Jiang Lu happened to come out just when he couldn’t crouch anymore. Tang Yi washed his hands in the bathroom over and over again. He Yuxuan could hear the force he used, as if he wanted to scrub the skin off his hands. One could see how much aversion he felt inside.

“Chu Ci, that ring on your hand is quite nice.” He Yuxuan timely steered the conversation elsewhere.

Chu Ci lifted his hand to glance at it. His Big Sister had bought it for him while shopping at the mall. Chu Ci wasn’t particularly keen on it, but since it was from his own sister, he wore it occasionally. He hadn’t expected his roommate to compliment it.

Did his roommate think he had good taste?

“Mhm,” the Young Master responded, a little pleased inwardly.

Chu Ci had been showered with praise since childhood. Many people heaped piles of flattery on him, and he only treated it as hot air. His roommate rarely praised him, so every time he did, it pleasantly surprised Chu Ci. He felt He Yuxuan was speaking from the heart.

After Tang Yi straightened himself up, he returned to his usual composed demeanor and continued studying under his bed, as if nothing in the world could affect him.

Chu Ci wasn’t blind. Of course, he saw Tang Yi’s reaction completely, but he had no issue with it.

He even thought, sometimes the person next to him could learn a thing or two from Tang Yi. When dealing with those men of unknown origin, one shouldn’t be so gentle. As for Chu Ci himself, he naturally excluded himself from that list.

Finally leaving the school for once, He Yuxuan, who cared quite a bit about his image, put on his most expensive set of clothes and even blow-dried his hair, although his current hairstyle didn’t have much style to it.

But just a little grooming made him incredibly striking.

“Unnecessary,” Chu Ci frowned, wanting to interrupt, but stopped himself. But He Yuxuan was quite enthusiastic and paid him no mind at all.

He Yuxuan felt like he hadn’t spruced himself up in ages and ages!

And so, Chu Ci frowned on one hand while being drawn in by He Yuxuan’s elegant movements on the other. This went on for more than half an hour before they finally headed out.

He Yuxuan hadn’t hung out with rich second-generation kids, rarely went out to play, and thus had no idea what the activity was.

Until he found himself sitting inside a gay bar.

One had to say, the Young Master put on quite a show. This was the most famous gay bar in all of Jinghai City, with very high prices. It was generally frequented by young, wealthy types. Just looking at appearances, the quality was certainly good—after all, with money, how could anyone be ugly?

The male performers dancing on stage had seductive looks and great figures.

He Yuxuan had never seen such a scene. Curiously, he looked a few more times. Apart from knowing from the book that Chu Ci and Tang Yi were the Protagonist Shou and Protagonist Gong, respectively, he had no concept of the division between 1s and 0s in the real gay world.

And Chu Ci, who had wanted his roommate to become fearful and keep his distance from men, saw those clear, naive eyes and an unintentional meeting of gazes with someone else, and felt a subtle displeasure inside.

The two of them had reserved a booth, but the moment they entered, they became targets in many people’s eyes.

Chu Ci actually didn’t come here often, either. One, he had only recently turned eighteen. Two, if people like them wanted to, they naturally had more private venues for amusement.

Besides, what attraction could a place with more 0s than 1s hold for him? There were just quite a few people who mistook his role and threw themselves at the Young Master.

There were girls in the gay bar too, but they were mostly here to watch the spectacle. He Yuxuan was also here to watch the spectacle.

So when Chu Ci saw him watching that 0 on stage for a long time, he nudged the other’s leg with his own.

“What are you watching so intently?”

“He dances pretty well,” He Yuxuan turned his head, stopped looking, and spoke to Chu Ci.

He must have studied pole dancing for many years. Although He Yuxuan himself lacked coordination, he had an eye for it.

“…” Fine. Chu Ci quite believed that. He Yuxuan was purely watching the dancing, not for any other reason. The other’s overwhelmingly straight male vibe was simply too obvious.

But he was still annoyed.

The atmosphere offstage was actually quite chaotic. Kissing, groping, and hugging were common. Some 0s were crazy wild. Right outside the bar door, turning left, there was a hotel that was very convenient for one-night stands or multi-person relationships.

“You said you’re not homophobic? Tell me again after tonight.” Chu Ci figured that He Yuxuan probably had zero understanding of the gay community, which was why he was so naive.

His intention wasn’t wrong. He Yuxuan soon discovered this problem. When he suddenly saw two men locking lips, hands roaming everywhere, he found it hard to keep looking.

He Yuxuan had never even filmed a kissing scene yet.

His next project was supposed to have one. Too bad this disaster struck before filming even started. Having never even kissed before, he definitely felt that two men who were strangers before tonight suddenly getting entangled like this wasn’t a good thing.

What’s more, He Yuxuan, who had been an observer, was quickly dragged into it. A bold 0 came directly to hit on him, even though he was sitting with Chu Ci, even though they might look like a couple.

He Yuxuan’s looks could be described as beautiful, but the pure aura on him was completely unlike a 0. What kind of 0 would stare at other 0s?

If he was a straight man, that was even better!

Everyone knew, straight men were the ultimate prize for 0s, let alone straight men who looked like this.

A wolf-dog 1 like Chu Ci was also very popular, but he looked too fierce, which deterred many people. After all, they were just here for a hookup, not to cause trouble.

“Hey handsome, want a drink together?” A 0 wearing light makeup patted He Yuxuan’s shoulder, carrying the strong scent of a nightclub fragrance.

He guessed this younger guy was a college student. He looked especially young, and so tall.

“Take your hand off him,” before He Yuxuan could refuse, Chu Ci coldly admonished first.

It directly startled the person, who patted his chest and walked off a bit unhappily.

“And now?” Chu Ci had only brought this naive guy here to open his eyes. He never truly intended for him to be touched by anyone.

He Yuxuan indeed pouted. “I don’t really like this kind of place.”

Chu Ci didn’t know whether to be happy or unhappy for a moment. Happy that after today, the other might truly be homophobic. That tiny bit of unhappiness was because he himself was part of that crowd.

But Chu Ci didn’t plan on revealing that to He Yuxuan, so he didn’t give a damn either way.

“Then let’s go out and get some air.” Chu Ci didn’t like it here either. The heavy smell of makeup and powder was about to trigger his rhinitis, and he had zero interest in those seductive 0s. He was even more disgusted by the few remaining flamboyant 1s.

He Yuxuan couldn’t agree more.

After the two left, people in the nearby booths felt a bit of regret for not hitting on them earlier. It wasn’t easy to see two new faces at once, and both looked like college guy 1s.

“I told you not to speak too soon,” Chu Ci said, making He Yuxuan walk by the riverside while he walked on the outside, ensuring the crowds wouldn’t bump into him.

The riverside evening breeze was very comfortable. Many couples were strolling, the atmosphere deeply romantic.

“Actually, I still think it’s nothing,” He Yuxuan shrugged and spoke his true feelings.

He wasn’t gay; naturally, he wouldn’t go to that kind of place again in the future. But the two kids around him, he simply couldn’t feel any disgust.

“I don’t like casual people, regardless of their sexual orientation. But if it’s proper and healthy, whether it’s homosexual or heterosexual, I think it doesn’t matter.”

Chu Ci hadn’t expected He Yuxuan’s answer to still be the same now. Because he was too innocent? So he couldn’t even feel dislike.

“So, you wouldn’t resist intimate contact with a guy? You wouldn’t feel disgusted?” Chu Ci tilted his head and asked him.

He Yuxuan thought, how intimate could it be? Normal contact between friends was fine anyway.

“For example?” He thought for a moment and asked.

Chu Ci clenched his fingers, then in a moment no one expected, he took He Yuxuan’s hand.

Warm, dry, slender and smooth, just like the feeling he gave off.

“What about this?” Chu Ci asked.

This was their first physical contact that wasn’t through fabric. Although Chu Ci had become interested because of the other’s face, he had never made any inappropriate moves, so he was extra nervous now. Only he could hear his own heart pounding faster.

The feeling the other gave him was free of impurities.

Two boys holding hands seemed a bit strange… but He Yuxuan didn’t feel disgusted. Holding Chu Ci’s hand felt just like holding his little brother’s hand.

He Yuxuan wasn’t one of those extreme types who, upon discovering someone is gay, would immediately worry that person might fall for him. Relationships between people weren’t just about romantic love; there was also familial affection and friendship, and all were important.

“No problem at all,” He Yuxuan smiled easily.

So Chu Ci didn’t immediately let go. He was a little greedy for this feeling—comfortable and warm.

“Thirsty?” Chu Ci saw a little girl squatting by the street selling water.

He Yuxuan nodded.

Chu Ci bought a bottle and handed it to He Yuxuan.

After He Yuxuan opened it and took a sip, he realized Chu Ci had only bought one bottle. But they had already walked past.

Chu Ci very naturally took the water He Yuxuan had drunk from, tilted his head back, and took a sip.

“This is nothing either, pretty normal between friends,” Chu Ci tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can with perfect aim, his posture lazy.

Truthfully, Chu Ci didn’t have any particularly close same-sex friends, let alone sharing a bottle of water.

As for why he was willing to drink He Yuxuan’s water, it was simply because the feeling the other gave him made him imagine the water the other had drunk might be sweet too.

It was indeed quite sweet.

“Indeed, it’s nothing,” He Yuxuan could only agree.

The Young Master didn’t have mysophobia, and the Young Master now considered him a friend?

That was nice.

He finally had a friend too, not just fans.