He Yuxuan had been very professional in his past life, which was why his romantic experience was zero, which was why he had never said these words to any girl.
The moment Chu Ci’s words fell, he thought he’d misheard. Even as his heart churned with shock, He Yuxuan first tore open a wet wipe and unhurriedly wiped his hands; his mysophobia couldn’t stand it.
His eyes flickered slightly as he thought about how to refuse Chu Ci. If he were an ordinary straight man who didn’t know about the existence of BL novels, or even if he wasn’t straight but didn’t know the young master wasn’t straight either, he might not have instantly understood.
Although Chu Ci was a nice guy, this still wasn’t quite right.
“I’m…” straight, He Yuxuan brewed for half a day, but before the words could leave his mouth, he heard the other continue.
“Don’t you think the dorm beds are tiny? The school administration rips people off, doesn’t it?” The first half of the question was very straightforward, the latter half tinged with a somewhat disdainful expression.
It was only He Yuxuan’s first day back in the dorm; well… they did seem pretty small. He should be just able to fit, but! Was that the point?
“The hotel bed I’m staying at is huge, very soft, very comfortable, and the service is decent. Plus, it’s close to the school, so you don’t need to worry about being late for class.” Chu Ci looked at him again.
Seeing the boy opposite him looking so matter-of-fact, He Yuxuan again doubted whether something was wrong with this world. Was a comfortable bed the point?! No matter how comfortable the bed, a straight guy absolutely couldn’t sleep with…
“He Yuxuan, are you shy around strangers?” Chu Ci thought for a moment, then asked, finally remembering they were roommates who had only just met on day one.
He Yuxuan pursed his lips into a fake smile. I’m not shy around strangers, but I still can’t do that…
“No… I have a bad sleeping posture, not really suited for sharing a bed with someone…” He Yuxuan’s voice was clear and youthful, completely at odds with the 24-year-old soul inside his shell.
From Chu Ci’s perspective, the roommate just seemed gentle and polite in speech, his rosy face looking as if he were blushing.
“You’re worried about that? We wouldn’t be in the same bed.” Chu Ci raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused.
The other didn’t know his reputation, that was one thing, but did Chu Ci look like such a cheapskate that he’d invite someone to squeeze into a single bed? Young Master Chu felt his reputation needed some serious rehabilitation, or he couldn’t stand being misunderstood as stingy. To the best-looking roommate around him, the young master was naturally generous.
Chu Ci was still young; although he considered himself mature, his actions often had a childish streak. It was just that people who didn’t know him found him unapproachable, fierce, unpredictable in speech, and assumed someone with so much family money surely looked down on everyone. It wasn’t that Chu Ci couldn’t say something like wanting to sleep with He Yuxuan—provided he had the idea first—but right now, he just purely thought the other was good-looking, a matter of convenience.
Ah… haha. He Yuxuan caught on and began mentally constructing a castle to hide in. Thankfully, he hadn’t rushed to clarify he was straight earlier, or he would have been hugely embarrassed. It was also his own fault for being too narcissistic. After being a male star for so long, he assumed everyone was his rabid fan and often forgot he was just background Cannon Fodder now, impossible to OOC.
He clearly knew the protagonist Gong and Shou of this book were Tang Yi and Chu Ci, yet he’d just worried Chu Ci might have other ideas about him. Whatever the case, it had nothing to do with him. Probably, the young man just randomly grabbed someone to accompany him for eating and drinking, and he happened to be nearby!
Having figured this out, He Yuxuan felt refreshed. This manifested as a genuine interest in the super-big, super-soft bed the young master had described—at first listen, it definitely sounded more comfortable than the four-person dorm. The male celebrity, after all, found it hard to adapt from luxury to frugality.
“I feel a bit embarrassed.” He politely demurred once.
A good-looking person is aesthetically pleasing when calm, but more vivid when they finally show small expressions. Chu Ci just couldn’t handle that. He grunted, stood up, and having learned his lesson from dinner, this time he directly booked a deluxe suite at his family’s hotel chain near the school. Its class and comfort level would absolutely not disappoint. The young master’s face was paramount.
“We’re all roommates, besides, climbing up and down in your current state is dangerous too.” Chu Ci said.
He Yuxuan was convinced. He’d just fulfill his duties as a roommate more diligently in the future! And since he was so much older than the young master, he’d try to take care of him as much as possible from now on.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
As they were preparing to leave, He Yuxuan stood up, deciding to wash his hands with liquid soap. Chu Ci didn’t have much urge, but watching the tall, thin back exit the room, that patch of the nape glowing pale white, a thought stirred him, and he followed anyway. A bit restless, he might as well go if he held it in. He Yuxuan, only planning to wash his hands, saw the young master coming too and, on a whim, also stepped into a stall, lest his mysophobia seemed like a weird quirk.
They were still not very familiar, not communicating much, yet they were about to spend a night sharing a place.
Suddenly, gossip echoed from somewhere in the stalls, voices sounding like two skinny men in their thirties.
“There’s word that a celebrity and his sugar daddy are coming to the hotel upstairs tonight, quite a few colleagues are staking it out.”
“Wonder if it’s true, who is it? If this gets out, it’ll be explosive news.”
“I’m not clear either, supposedly some third-tier male star.”
He Yuxuan had been out of the entertainment industry for quite a while, but hearing this wasn’t unfamiliar at all. With his many male fans in his past life, he was often suspected of having a sugar daddy. Those paparazzi had nothing else to smear him with, so they only grasped at shadows. Even if He Yuxuan ate a meal with his cousins, it’d be gossiped about. He actually hadn’t been in contact with so-called wealthy elite circles in his past life, nor did he know many first or second-generation rich heirs, but there were indeed many looking for connections to get to know He Yuxuan. His interaction with Chu Ci in this life was also He Yuxuan’s first contact with a young master.
But now, none of this was his concern. Hearing such gossip, He Yuxuan didn’t need to nervously wonder if it was about him, nor worry about whether his own scandal would appear the next day. After finishing his business, he calmly went to get liquid soap and wash his hands, finding Chu Ci already leaning sideways against the doorframe waiting for him, not even looking at his phone.
He Yuxuan thought, if he’d known a rich second-generation like this in his past life, he’d actually have been willing to engage too—cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
To accommodate He Yuxuan’s leg, the two moved at a slightly slower pace, waiting for and riding the elevator down to the underground parking garage. The place was bustling with people at this hour, all dressed in wealth and status. In Jinghai’s city center, where land was worth its weight in gold, the people who could afford to spend in this building were no ordinary folks.
“The road might be a bit jammed.” Chu Ci had just mentally run through potential mishaps, only coming up with this bad point, which he stated in advance.
“In Jinghai City, everywhere is jammed at this hour.” He Yuxuan made small talk.
“Mm.”
Looking for the car, Chu Ci, who had a strong sense of direction, walked slightly ahead leading He Yuxuan, who just followed blindly.
“Do you feel something is off?” Suddenly, Chu Ci leaned sideways down to He Yuxuan’s ear, his tone slightly hard.
“Hm?” He Yuxuan hadn’t noticed. Until he caught a faint clicking sound. It was only then He Yuxuan realized. In his past life, he was always surrounded by people and not very defensively aware, but the feeling of being photographed was so familiar he couldn’t help but notice.
“Someone’s taking pictures.” Chu Ci reacted, quickly spotting a dark figure to the southeast, and took off running a few steps. The paparazzo had fast legs and hid well, but facing an athletically capable 18-year-old college guy, there was nowhere to hide.
“Hand it over.” Chu Ci effortlessly kicked him, drawing a pained cry from the man, whose legs buckled and went soft. The camera was full of pictures of He Yuxuan and Chu Ci walking together; though not close, they were quite clear and captured an oddly intimate atmosphere.
Seeing these photos, Chu Ci thought of the set that had landed his Older Male Cousin on the Hot Search before—similar method, different story. The difference was, his cousin was a toad lusting after swan meat; Chu Ci thought himself quite handsome too. But, it was simply not the same thing.
“Why were you secretly photographing us?” Chu Ci couldn’t understand, thinking the guy must be mental.
“I-I-I… heard on a group chat that a male celebrity would be meeting a friend here… so…” The man stammered, beautifying what he knew.
He’d staked out for ages and only saw He Yuxuan and the man beside him. Thinking that with these looks—having seen no one half as good-looking all night—it had to be the target, he followed them all the way to the parking garage. Before getting caught, he’d been secretly delighted, thinking he could break the news first.
“Is your brain full of shit? You got the wrong guy and didn’t even know? You should switch careers sooner rather than later.” Chu Ci’s explosive temper wanted to curse him out several more times, but seeing He Yuxuan arriving belatedly, he subconsciously reined it in a bit.
“I won’t sue you for violating portrait rights. Camera confiscated.” Chu Ci put the camera away without telling He Yuxuan. Privately, he thought the pictures had a good vibe; he didn’t have any other thoughts or intentions right now.
“What happened?” He Yuxuan was still confused; actually, what he’d been thinking just now was: had the young master trained in track and field before?
“It’s nothing, let’s go.” Chu Ci didn’t let He Yuxuan push further. The guy was just from a small county town; how would he know about such filthy matters? Better not let him hear.
The paparazzo could only watch wistfully as the two left, having lost his meal ticket’s equipment.
About two hours later, the Hot Search indeed exploded. Some people were still skilled at their jobs; the paparazzi field apparently had fierce competition too. Though if a Z-list celebrity still counted as a celebrity… Lying on his own designated bed, Chu Ci casually scrolled through it and felt a little happy inside: at least that idiot tonight had pretty good eyesight. His new roommate was worlds better-looking than the male lead.
Next to Chu Ci was where He Yuxuan would be sleeping tonight. Actually, when Chu Ci blurted out asking the other to keep him company while he slept, his mind was completely blank. He just didn’t want to go back to the dorm and squeeze in with others, plus he felt that watching his new roommate’s face would definitely improve his sleep quality. So it just slipped out.
From childhood, there were always too many people willing to hang with Chu Ci. In kindergarten, he was like a god in his class, deciding who could play beside him. Later, once he understood matters of love and affection, his standards became more than just pleasant appearance; Chu Ci wasn’t willing to get close to anyone. His new roommate was the first—good-looking enough that Chu Ci was quite willing to actively engage.
But the young master hadn’t yet thought about anything messy. He had neither asked He Yuxuan his sexual orientation, nor planned to reveal his own. He just wanted to hang out together if they felt like it, and when tired of it, they’d just part ways.
Meanwhile, He Yuxuan was currently showering in the bathroom. Staring at the luxuriously decorated bathroom, almost half the size of a bedroom, he thought enviously inside: A young master is indeed a young master, enjoying such nice things at such a young age. No matter how famous he became later, he’d still endured plenty of hardship during his career grinding period.
When He Yuxuan came out in his bathrobe, the gaze greeting him was intensely unmistakable. It made He Yuxuan constantly remind himself he was no longer a male star, just to avoid that fear of facing a rabid fan.
“Lie here. Sleep.” The young master was cold and of few words.
The designated bed being the one next to him made He Yuxuan glad, because that tone otherwise could have easily been mistaken as meaning “lie here in my arms.”
“Mm.” He Yuxuan lay down flat elegantly, then his whole body relaxed. Damn! It really was so soft and comfortable. It was the first time since transmigrating into the book he’d slept in such a comfortable bed!
In He Yuxuan’s heart now, even the fierce, cool face of the boy across from him seemed to soften into something kind. What a cute kid.
