The 7th floor of the hotel was dedicated to leisure and entertainment.
Several heavy doors bore nameplates: Billiards Room, Badminton Hall, Swimming Room, etc. Nie Anrou had reserved a large private suite. The lights were off; leather sofas lined the walls in a U-shape.
Everyone had drunk a little and was in high spirits, crowding around the song console to pick songs.
Ye Ran, holding his jacket in one hand, as usual sat quietly in the corner.
The heavy metal music pounded through the room like waves of heat. Soon a waiter knocked and entered with fruit platters and trays of drinks.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of draft beer! Are we drinking till we drop tonight?” a boy joked.
Nie Anrou replied, “It’s part of the package. Don’t drink too much—we still have to head back to campus later.”
“Head back? Forget it—the hotel’s right downstairs! Spending a night here won’t kill us. Let’s just have fun!”
They laughed and began pouring drinks. The beer frothed golden in their glasses. Nie Anrou reassured the girls beside her, “Don’t worry, I won’t drink. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
“That’s good… Chen Tao and the others are already wasted.”
The atmosphere grew livelier. Someone shouted to play games. Ye Ran didn’t join, shifting further into the corner.
The air-con was set high, and someone had ordered more drinks. Ye Ran caught sight of one being poured—looked like cola. He took a cup and drank a sip.
The cold bubbles spread refreshing coolness down his throat—
—but almost immediately he realized it wasn’t cola at all. It was cola mixed with liquor.
The whiskey’s sting was masked by sweetness, yet it still burned enough to make him nauseous.
“Y–Ye Ran, right?”
At that moment, a few boys suddenly came through the aisle, stopping in front of him to greet him.
“Come on, come on, have a drink!”
“Hey, don’t go forcing Ye Ran to drink,” another boy slurred, “or Liang Feng will come after you.”
“Liang Feng?” The first one blinked for two seconds, then laughed teasingly. “Right, right… forgot about that. Ye Ran, come on, just one drink, and we’ll be brothers from now on. We don’t mess with our own.”
Their breath reeked of alcohol. The lights in the private room flickered in all colors, spinning across the corners like a turntable.
Ye Ran stood up, feeling dizzy. He steadied himself with a hand on the sofa’s back. “I don’t drink.”
“What?”
The background music was deafening, drowning out his voice. The boys flinched, then turned around.
“D*mn, who’s singing? That bad—Chen Tao, is that you?”
“Man, Chen Tao’s got a real voice on him—it’s like a funeral dirge.”
“For god’s sake, stop! It’s killing my ears!”
…
Amid the chaos, Ye Ran slipped out of the private room. The flashing lights hurt his eyes as he walked along the dark wall. Near the doorway, someone suddenly stood up from the sofa.
Ye Ran glanced over—it was Liang Feng.
Liang Feng’s face was flushed, reeking of alcohol. He had clearly been drinking too. He stared straight at Ye Ran, his voice thick and slurred. “Ye Ran, I have something to say to you—”
Ye Ran didn’t stop walking. He pulled open the door and stepped out.
Behind him, Liang Feng seemed ready to follow, but a few friends grabbed him, laughing and forcing him to drink more.
“Where you going? No leaving till you’re drunk!”
“What are you staring at, Liang Feng? Come on, you’ve only had a few beers—lightweight!”
The heavy wooden door shut, muffling their voices.
Ye Ran stood in the hallway and took a deep breath.
Cool air filled his lungs, but his head was still foggy. The whiskey-and-coke’s aftereffects were kicking in—he felt nauseous and clung to the wall, heading toward the restroom to wash his face.
On the way, his phone buzzed.
He fumbled it out, expecting a message—but it was a call.
“…Hello?” he answered weakly.
The line was silent for two seconds before a deep, calm voice came through: “It’s Shen Shi. Where are you?”
“Shen Shi?” Ye Ran blinked, sluggishly remembering that today was Yu Ting’s birthday. “…Sorry, Shen Shi, I’m a bit dizzy. I might not make it to find you guys.”
“It’s fine.” Shen Shi’s chair scraped faintly, as if he’d stood up. His tone stayed unhurried as he asked, “We just finished too. We’re heading back to school. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
Where was he?
Ye Ran froze for a moment. “I’m at…”
He had already stepped into the restroom. Looking around blankly, he saw a few others washing their faces. One drunken student brushed past him, bumping his shoulder.
His phone fell to the floor with a clack.
Ye Ran stared for a second before crouching down to pick it up.
“Ye Ran? Ye Ran?” Shen Shi’s voice grew heavier, his footsteps quickening audibly through the phone. “Ye Ran, are you okay?”
Ye Ran wiped the dust off the screen, his head spinning and stomach turning. He didn’t notice that the call was still on and muttered, “I’m in the restroom.”
The line went silent.
Ye Ran hesitated. “Shen Shi?”
No reply.
He waited a while longer. “…Shen Shi?”
Still nothing.
After a few quiet seconds, Ye Ran lowered his head and slowly ended the call.
***
Cold water splashed on his face, making him even dizzier.
He felt as if he were walking on cotton. The strong aftertaste of the whiskey burned through his veins like fire; its impact was no less than a bomb. Holding onto the wall, he inched toward the door, unsteady and slow.
Footsteps sounded behind him, stopping right in front of him—casting a deep shadow over his face.
Ye Ran lifted his head slightly, water dripping from his hair.
“Ye Ran.”
It was a familiar voice. The boy in front of him crouched down so their eyes were level. Through his blurred vision, Ye Ran could only make out the outline of a sharply defined face and a pair of dark, steady eyes.
“You’re drunk.”
Then, cutting through the haze, another voice joined in—Yu Ting’s.
“D*mn, Shen Shi, how long were you holding back? So eager?” He stopped mid-sentence, sounding surprised. “…Ye Ran? What the h*ll, he’s drunk?”
Ye Ran hiccuped softly, guilt welling up for no reason. “I… I’m sorry.”
Shen Shi and Yu Ting both looked at him.
Ye Ran seemed lost in his own world—a blur of white and fog. The ground beneath him felt like soft cotton candy. He couldn’t stay upright anymore.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured again.
“I think… I’m going to fall.”
***
Ding.
The revolving doors pushed open.
The rush of cold air instantly sobered Yu Ting a little. It was drizzling, the fine rain like tiny knives against his skin, making him shiver.
Bare trees stood along the roadside, their branches thin and tangled.
Yu Ting looked at Shen Shi, who was supporting Ye Ran. “I’ll go ahead and grab a cab. It’s late, might be hard to get one.”
The night was cold, and the rain made the roads slick. Only a few scattered cars passed by, their headlights casting a pale glow through the mist. Yu Ting’s silhouette gradually disappeared down the street.
Shen Shi looked down at Ye Ran, who was taking two steps forward and one step back, dazed and unsteady. After a brief silence, he crouched down and said, “Get on.”
He had a tall, lean build — even under the padded jacket, the broad shoulders and long legs were unmistakable. When he bent slightly, his pale, strong fingers held Ye Ran’s arm, guiding him to lie against his back.
No longer needing to walk, Ye Ran lifted his eyes, trying to say something. But before the words could form, he had already slipped into unconsciousness.
Shen Shi carried him into the rain. The drizzle tapped against his face; after a few steps, he turned his head slightly and said in a low voice, “Ye Ran, put your hood on.”
The hoodie’s hood hung loose behind him. Ye Ran didn’t move.
Shen Shi couldn’t reach it, so he quickened his pace, heading toward the roadside pickup point where Yu Ting was waiting.
A gust of cold wind swept past, scattering the fine rain.
The warmth from the hotel quickly faded, but Shen Shi’s expression stayed unchanged, his steps steady. His pupils were a pure, dark black—calm, unreadable. A few passersby, meeting his cold gaze, hurriedly put away their phones and backed off.
The chill must’ve stirred Ye Ran awake; he moved slightly, then froze, murmuring in confusion,
“…Where is this?”
The sidewalk was neatly paved, the wind rustling through the trimmed hedges on both sides. The streetlights flickered, stretching and twisting their shadows across the ground.
Shen Shi silently loosened his grip just a little, about to speak—
But Ye Ran suddenly said, “My… my legs?”
He kicked his legs a little on Shen Shi’s back, not touching the ground, and panic rose in his voice as he reached around. “My legs, where are my legs? Did anyone see my legs?”
Shen Shi stopped walking. After a minute, he resumed, his tone faintly laced with a quiet amusement. “I see them.”
Ye Ran went still. Slowly, he tilted his head to the side, his face close to Shen Shi’s neck. His breath, warm and faintly tinged with alcohol, brushed against Shen Shi’s skin.
Shen Shi stopped again, this time for a long while.
He stood there, silent, between two streetlamps. In the dim light, his expression couldn’t be seen.
“Who are you…?” Ye Ran murmured, trying to lean forward and look at his face, his breath soft and warm.
Shen Shi took another step forward, emerging from the shadow. The lamplight spilled across his neck; his face remained composed and distant, but a faint flush rose along the side of his throat.
“I’m Shen Shi.”
Ye Ran made a vague sound of acknowledgment — “Oh.” His tone slow and drowsy, as if he’d already forgotten who Shen Shi was.
He seemed comfortable in that position, head tilted, eyes closing again. His breathing grew long and even, his warm breath brushing faintly against Shen Shi’s skin.
Shen Shi looked straight ahead, outwardly calm. Yet the light blush at his neck crept gradually up to his ears. Against the cold wind, his hands tightened their hold, just slightly.
…
Yu Ting ran back toward the hotel through the biting wind. He’d gone a long way, but there wasn’t a single taxi in sight.
In the distance, through the rain, a figure appeared — tall and slim, short black hair damp and half-soaked, his sharp features made even more striking by the water.
Yu Ting squinted, hurrying forward. “D*mn, it’s freezing! Couldn’t catch a cab, but I ordered a ride, three minutes out…”
He stopped short, staring in confusion at Shen Shi and the unconscious Ye Ran on his back.
Shen Shi gave him a sidelong glance, his tone steady as ever. “Then we’ll wait.”
“Oh… okay.” Yu Ting knew Shen Shi was a bit of a double-standard guy, but still took a moment to process. Ye Ran was clearly too drunk to walk, so it wasn’t strange that Shen Shi was carrying him.
He raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to check on Ye Ran but before he got near, Shen Shi frowned. “Stay back. You reek of alcohol.”
Yu Ting: “?”
What the h*ll? Ye Ran’s completely plastered, and that’s fine, but I get told off?
“My hangover’s already wearing off,” he grumbled, half-laughing in disbelief, his body warming from irritation. “You’re so d*mn picky… wait, what’s with your neck?”
A car passed by, its headlights glaringly bright.
Yu Ting caught a glimpse and froze. “Why’s your neck so red? D*mn, your ears too—what, are you allergic or something?”
Shen Shi paused, silent.
Yu Ting started panicking. “We barely ordered any seafood tonight! You can’t eat seafood and didn’t tell us? Sh*t! Don’t tell me I’m allergic too—hey, help me check…”
“You’re overthinking,” Shen Shi said calmly.
Yu Ting: “???”
For a moment, he thought Shen Shi had said, “You wish.”
What kind of tone was that?
Was he sick?
Since when was an allergic reaction something to sound smug about?
Yu Ting was too exasperated to even argue. He could tell something was off about Shen Shi tonight, but he’d had too much to drink himself; even if his mind was clear, his body felt sluggish.
Then his phone rang, it was the rideshare driver.
“Hello? Hey, handsome, I’m at the pickup spot. Where are you guys?” the driver shouted over the rain.
Yu Ting rubbed his temples. “Just stay there, we’re on our way.”
He hung up and sighed. “Driver’s here. Let’s go, dorm’s gonna lock up soon.”
The car waiting by the curb was a black Volkswagen.
Yu Ting took the front seat. Shen Shi got in the back with Ye Ran.
The driver didn’t need to ask to guess the situation. “How much did the little guy in the back drink? If he throws up in the car, it’s a three-hundred cleaning fee.”
Ye Ran leaned quietly against the seat, fast asleep. A soft flush lingered under his eyes — the light, transparent red of someone not used to alcohol.
Shen Shi glanced at him briefly, then looked away. The exhaustion he’d been holding back finally began to seep through his voice. “Mm. Drive.”
The ride was silent.
Yu Ting dozed off for a short while. When he stirred again, he caught Shen Shi’s reflection in the rearview mirror, eyes closed, head tilted back against the seat.
Half of Shen Shi’s face was hidden in shadow; his jawline disappeared beneath the raised collar of his jacket. As if sensing Yu Ting’s gaze, he slowly lifted his eyelids and gave him a cool, indifferent glance.
He looked harder, and something felt off. Unable to hold back, Yu Ting turned to glance again.
Shen Shi’s face was as cold as ever except…
Thud.
The car jolted suddenly.
A road near Beijing University was under repair. Yu Ting, buckled up, barely felt it.
But Ye Ran, who was drunk and unstable, lurched from the bump and frowned in discomfort. Beside him, Shen Shi quickly raised a hand to steady his shoulder.
His hand was large — slender, pale, the joints distinct. He held Ye Ran’s shoulder for a long moment before letting go.
Yu Ting’s heartbeat grew faster, heavier, more chaotic with every second.
A truck horn blared — BEEP— — sharp enough to pierce the eardrums.
He turned his head stiffly toward the front, but his mind was still stuck on what he’d just seen.
Was Shen Shi… always this unconcerned about boundaries?
Wasn’t he homophob*c?
Then why did he look so—gay?
Cr*p, cr*p, cr*p.
Yu Ting’s eyelid twitched.
A horrifying thought struck him like lightning.
Could it be that “homoph*bic” actually meant… afraid of being gay himself?!
