Chapter 21

Outside the campus at Xu Ji Private Kitchen—this was Lin Zhi’s favorite spot, where the stir-fried dishes were second to none.

At that moment, the three of them sat in a private room. After Tong Xu and Zhu Muyun had been drinking for a while, Tong Xu finally noticed that Lin Zhi’s can of beer hadn’t been opened. He casually cracked it open for him and handed it back.

Tong Xu clinked his beer bottle against Lin Zhi’s in a very atmospheric way.

Not a word was said, but the mood was clearly set. Lin Zhi raised his beer, the bottle just touching his lips, when Song Mian’s warning suddenly flashed through his mind: “If you dare come back drunk and make a scene, everything that’s happened these days will end up word-for-word on the campus forum.”

Lin Zhi snapped sober and pushed the bottle away with his hand. “I can’t drink!”

Tong Xu’s brow twitched. “Putting on an act?”

Lin Zhi’s tone was tragic. “Not an act. Song Mian warned me repeatedly not to drink.”

Tong Xu paused, then finally couldn’t hold back. “Now that Song Mian’s not here, let me say what I really think. Lan Sheng—”

Lin Zhi: “Go ahead.”

Zhu Muyun kept his head down, eating and drinking quietly.

Tong Xu didn’t mince words. “Do you really want to marry into a wealthy family?”

Lin Zhi furrowed his brows. “Have the forums brainwashed you?”

Tong Xu continued on his own. “Wealthy families aren’t that simple—a bunch of schemes and plots. If you marry Song Mian, and you can’t scheme against him, they’ll come after you. You’re one with Song Mian. If you do something stupid, he’s done for too. And if he’s done, what good days do you think you’ll have?”

Lin Zhi’s brows stayed furrowed. “You’re overthinking it.”

Tong Xu concluded, “As a friend, you can latch onto his thigh. As a wife, you’re easy to take down.”

Lin Zhi countered, “Husband, you mean?”

Tong Xu: “……That’s not the point. The point is, do you want to marry into a wealthy family?”

Lin Zhi shook his head. “I’m a straight guy.”

Tong Xu stayed serious. “Then why did a straight guy peep on Song Mian taking a shower?”

At the mention of that, Lin Zhi slammed the table and threw his head back with a sorrowful expression. “It’s a long story! Is my straight guy identity about to fall here?”

Zhu Muyun jumped in surprise.

Tong Xu’s mouth twitched. “If it’s not to marry into a wealthy family, I just don’t get what goes on in you abstract weirdos’ heads.”

Zhu Muyun elegantly wiped his mouth. The silent Zhu Muyun finally spoke two words: “I get it.”

Lin Zhi instantly looked at Zhu Muyun expectantly.

Tong Xu questioned, “You get this?”

Zhu Muyun didn’t snap back at Tong Xu. Under their gazes, he slowly said, “Zhizhi barging into Song Mian’s bathroom was just pure boredom and looking for trouble.”

Lin Zhi’s eye twitched as he scratched his face innocently. “No way?”

Tong Xu grew curious too.

Zhu Muyun went on, “Zhizhi, you sleep and eat all day. After eating and drinking your fill, you don’t study—you want someone to game with, but no one wants to carry you. So you ended up bothering Song Mian, right?”

Tong Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Xiao Zhu, you’re not giving Zhizhi any face.”

Lin Zhi’s face reddened a bit, pained. “That’s slander! Tong Xu, take me gaming tonight.”

Tong Xu: “But seriously, top student lives up to the name. Spot-on analysis.”

Zhu Muyun tilted his head and adjusted his glasses. “You’re one too, actually.”

Tong Xu froze for a second. “Me?”

Zhu Muyun said, “The difference between you and Zhizhi is that he wastes his time bothering Song Mian, while you waste yours simping after girls and gaming. You’re not even as good as Zhizhi.”

“Damn it.”

Zhu Muyun’s gaze sharpened. “You swear too. Zhizhi doesn’t.”

Lin Zhi stopped sulking and played peacemaker. “No fighting, no fighting! We’re all roommates! Roommates!”

“Mu Yun, that’s a personal attack. Tong Xu’s a flirt, but he hasn’t two-timed anyone.”

“Tong Xu, that’s a personal attack too. Mu Yun just doesn’t smile much—he’s not paralyzed!”

Lin Zhi mediated for half an hour before his two roommates stopped sniping at each other. Under his guidance, they even reluctantly clinked glasses. Half an hour later, no one remembered the “Lin Zhi peeping on Song Mian showering” incident anymore.

But then Lin Zhi got a call from Song Mian.

Lin Zhi answered openly. “What?”

Song Mian’s clear, cold voice came through the phone. “You’ve been out for two hours. You can come back now.”

Lin Zhi was baffled.

“Huh?”

Song Mian: “Hanging up.”

Lin Zhi was even more baffled. Even so, he told his roommates, “Song Mian’s calling me back.”

Tong Xu: “Something up?”

Lin Zhi was suspicious. “Probably?”

Song Mian hadn’t said what for, but he wouldn’t call him back for no reason, so Lin Zhi figured he’d go check.

Conveniently, he was full anyway. Compared to Tong Xu’s drinking and Zhu Muyun’s seemingly constant eating but actually tiny bites, Lin Zhi ate fast and a lot, leaving him energy to mediate.

After Lin Zhi left first, Tong Xu and Zhu Muyun wouldn’t stand on ceremony with him. The host was gone, so they kept ordering dishes.

It was past eight, and the sky was fully dark. Lin Zhi spotted a familiar back outside the dorm building. As he hurried closer, he confirmed it was Song Mian, feeding stray cats under a tree.

Lin Zhi suddenly felt like Song Mian looked a bit lonely, lonely enough to play with cats.

Heart aching, Lin Zhi walked over and heard, “So dumb. Can’t even lick yogurt properly. Just like Lin Zhi.”

Damn.

All his messy thoughts vanished. He squatted in front of Song Mian, eyeing the kitten that indeed seemed bad at licking yogurt, and grumbled, “I heard that. You curse me out even when feeding cats?”

Song Mian grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck, preventing it from shoving its whole head into the yogurt cup.

Song Mian showed no guilt at being caught badmouthing. He even countered, “Isn’t it true?”

Lin Zhi pouted.

Lin Zhi cherished animal lives but didn’t particularly like cats or dogs. Song Mian seemed cold on the surface but often fed strays.

His bro was cold-faced but warm-hearted.

The kitten “gulped and gurgled” licking the yogurt. Lin Zhi squatted beside Song Mian. “I didn’t drink, okay? Is there something urgent calling me back?”

Song Mian: “Mm.”

Lin Zhi was curious. “Something I can help with?”

Song Mian’s tone was flat. “Sleep with me tonight.”

So flat that Lin Zhi thought he’d misheard. Quite innocently, he asked, “What do you mean?”

Song Mian glanced at him. Those big eyes looked utterly stupid. Song Mian’s thin lips parted patiently. “Sleep with me means staying in bed with me tonight.”

Lin Zhi drew a sharp breath. He really hadn’t misheard!

Before he knew Song Mian was gay, Lin Zhi would’ve bounced right onto his bed. But now, he wrinkled his face. “You’re gay and I’m straight. How can we sleep together?”

Song Mian was straightforward. “Didn’t we sleep together last night?”

Lin Zhi whispered, “I was forced.”

Song Mian shot him a look, and Lin Zhi shut up.

The kitten meowed, seemingly full. Song Mian released its scruff, and it scampered off like Lin Zhi after teasing and running.

Song Mian cleaned up the yogurt cup. Lin Zhi spotted the lid and picked it up. “Song Mian bro, don’t tell me you’re again…”

Lin Zhi’s face flushed as he tried to glance at Song Mian’s crotch. Song Mian stood up in time and gave the official reason. “Sleeping with you has improved my sleep quality a lot.”

Lin Zhi followed Song Mian to toss the trash.

“Am I that good?” Lin Zhi wondered.

Song Mian didn’t answer. He sneered coldly. “After all the things you’ve done. What, pat your butt and walk away?”

Lin Zhi’s mind didn’t quite turn. Song Mian’s words felt off, but seemed kinda right.

“Fine then.” Lin Zhi even warned, “Don’t overthink it, okay?”

It’s not my fault—Song Mian wanted me to sleep with him.

Song Mian gave Lin Zhi a strange look. Lin Zhi’s face was still red as he dodged his gaze.

Song Mian scoffed.

After showering, it wasn’t even nine yet.

Seeing Song Mian about to climb into bed to rest, Lin Zhi blocked the ladder in time, not letting him.

Lin Zhi was serious. “You know Tong Xu?”

Song Mian didn’t hold back. “An idiot?”

Lin Zhi looked graver. “He suspects I want to marry into your family.”

Song Mian paused, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “I’ll probably cut ties with the main family, but I’ll take everything that’s mine from them.”

Lin Zhi didn’t quite get why Song Mian was telling him this, but he always hyped people up. “Awesome, Song Mian bro!”

Song Mian: “……”

Faced with those stupid eyes, Song Mian couldn’t hold back a low curse. “Talking to a cow about harps!”

Lin Zhi innocently pulled the topic back. “Okay, I’m the cow. Tong Xu thinks I want to marry you, so if I sleep in your bed, it’ll confirm the rumor.”

Song Mian leaned against the cabinet, his dark eyes still sizing up Lin Zhi. “Tong Xu, or you?”

Lin Zhi swore, “Tong Xu!”

Song Mian’s tone turned dangerous. “So you want to back out now?”

Lin Zhi shook his head. “No. I want you to sleep in my bed. That way, they’ll think you want to sleep with me.”

Song Mian: “…….”

Lin Zhi whispered, “Can you? It’s about a man’s dignity. Tong Xu’s nagging is annoying.”

Song Mian rubbed his brow. “Fine.”

The dorm beds were small, and the two pressed close. Lin Zhi felt inexplicably nervous. But it wasn’t his first time sleeping with Song Mian.

The first time, he’d shamelessly begged to sleep together so he could sneak a kiss at midnight. The kiss was shameless, but sleeping with Song Mian had made him happy—happy he was Song Mian’s first guy. Thinking back now, since Song Mian was gay, he probably didn’t sleep with guys before.

Now, Lin Zhi felt no excitement, only tension. Eyes wide open, he couldn’t sleep. He bumped Song Mian’s shoulder and whispered, “You cramped?”

Song Mian’s voice was husky. “It’s fine.”

Lin Zhi “oh”-ed, then whispered, “A-are you shy sleeping with me?”

Song Mian’s throat bobbed. He turned his head. “What are you trying to say?”

Lin Zhi avoided his eyes, turning away. “You’re gay, I’m straight. From a certain perspective, it’s like you’re sleeping with the opposite sex.”

Song Mian: “…….”

Lin Zhi yelped and burrowed into the covers. A muffled voice came out. “I’m so embarrassed.”

Song Mian was expressionless.

So the reason Lin Zhi blushed downstairs wasn’t just sleeping together—it was overthinking this stuff.

Song Mian spoke. “Are you a girl?”

Lin Zhi poked out, hands propping on the sheets, face red as he looked down curiously. “I’m not. But do you ever feel like the girl?”

Song Mian nearly laughed in frustration. His dark gaze fixed on Lin Zhi. “I don’t have gender dysphoria. I just happen to like guys.”

Lin Zhi’s mind cleared again.

“Oh, right.”

So not a “Song Mian girl,” just gay Song Mian.

With that, Lin Zhi stopped avoiding. He nuzzled Song Mian’s chest like a tough guy acting cute. “Wanna game together?”

Lin Zhi’s tough-guy aegyo was aggressive, headbutting relentlessly. Song Mian pushed his head away speechlessly, holding a grudge. “You said it. I’m bad too.”

Lin Zhi regretted it. Song Mian was bad, but not as bad as him.

Lin Zhi apologized. “My bad.”

Song Mian: “So what happened?”

Lin Zhi sighed, propping his face on the bed as he complained to Song Mian. “Someone said I just eat and sleep, and after waking up, I can’t even find anyone to game with. I wanna prove I can find someone.”

Lin Zhi wasn’t fat, but not skinny either. His cheeks were meaty, now propped up round and puffy. Song Mian inexplicably found it cute and looked away. “Sure, but with a condition.”

Lin Zhi: “I’m in!”

Song Mian’s expression was subtle. “Not scared I’ll ask something excessive?”

Lin Zhi’s eyes were full of trust. “You wouldn’t.”

He would.

Song Mian said, “Pinch your cheek until it’s red. No red, no release.”

Lin Zhi froze.

So evil!