Bright light filled the room, contrasting sharply with the dark, eerie mountains outside.
Ye Ran’s gaze went straight ahead. Through Shen Shi’s shoulder, he could see the storm raging outside.
The floor-to-ceiling window was streaked with winding water trails, and the rain showed no sign of letting up.
Finally, Ye Ran broke the silence, his eyes nervously darting around. Embarrassed, he said, “This… didn’t we already test this last night?”
The image of Shen Shi flushed and angry from last night still lingered in his mind.
There should be no need to test again… a little deduction should be enough.
“Did we?” Shen Shi seemed to be recalling. After a pause, he asked lazily, “What happened last night?”
Ye Ran: “?”
He looked at him in confusion. “Last night… you were in the back courtyard…”
His words faltered. A sudden, uneasy premonition hit him.
“You don’t remember?”
Shen Shi nodded. “Mm, I drank too much.”
Indeed, Shen Shi had drunk a lot last night: three drinks before the game under others’ urging, then five more during the game. After that he left, Ye Ran wasn’t sure if Shen Shi continued drinking, but if it had been him, he would have been completely out of it.
No way.
His heart raced, a rising unease.
Shen Shi wouldn’t have forgotten everything, would he?
The next second, Shen Shi lifted his gaze to Ye Ran, asking again: “What happened last night, Ye Ran?”
“….” For once, Ye Ran couldn’t speak. He moved his lips, his mind in chaos. After a long pause under Shen Shi’s calm stare, he stammered out: “Last night… I kissed you. Your reaction… didn’t seem like that of a gay person.”
“Mm,” Shen Shi’s tone remained unchanged, as if he didn’t care that he’d been kissed. Half-turned, his lean frame outlined by the warm orange light, he calmly countered, “Are you sure?”
Ye Ran, under that gaze, couldn’t confidently speak: “…N-not really sure.”
But last night’s reaction was indeed nothing like that of a gay person.
It was just a very normal straight male reaction, angry when kissed, but trying to suppress it.
After understanding the situation, Shen Shi was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Then let’s try again.”
Ye Ran: “?”
He couldn’t believe his ears. “What did you say?”
Shen Shi slowly lowered his eyes, gaze calm as it rested on Ye Ran’s face. He spoke clearly: “I said, let’s try again.”
***
The bedroom had become hot without them noticing.
The air conditioner was quickly turned down.
Beep — it set to 28°C.
Ye Ran, wearing light and comfortable loungewear, stood properly in front of Shen Shi. The pale gray of his outfit complemented his skin. His black, soft hair framed his glasses, and beneath them his narrow phoenix eyes were slightly reddened, nervous and uneasy as he looked at Shen Shi.
After a few seconds, he seemed to make a decision. He stiffly leaned forward, slowly approaching Shen Shi on the edge of the bed.
A silent kiss landed, like a dragonfly brushing water — soft, cool, barely perceptible.
“…That’s what happened yesterday,” Ye Ran said after pulling back quickly, heart hammering in his chest. “I just… kissed you once.”
In the stillness, Shen Shi, motionless, lifted his eyes, dark and heavy, and said, “Once?”
Ye Ran, trying to suppress his embarrassment: “Yes… and then you let me go.”
“Oh,” Shen Shi nodded, expression unreadable, as if thinking something over. A few seconds later, he continued along Ye Ran’s words: “I don’t really remember much.”
Of course, because you never actually said anything.
Ye Ran, ashamed, didn’t dare meet his gaze. “When someone’s drunk, their reactions are subconscious. Your reaction shows that you really aren’t gay.”
Shen Shi didn’t respond.
Ye Ran’s sentences gradually became smoother. “Even now, it’s not too late to face it, you’re still straight.”
Shen Shi glanced at him.
Ye Ran breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright… then I’ll go back.”
The ordeal of tonight was finally over. When he reached for the tablet, Ye Ran felt a sense of achievement akin to getting into Beijing University. Getting into Beijing University changed his life; helping Shen Shi confront himself changed Shen Shi’s life.
He had finally straightened Shen Shi’s strange sexual orientation.
Feeling proud, he just touched the tablet when Shen Shi’s thoughtful voice sounded: “Have you considered… this doesn’t really prove anything.”
Ye Ran: “?”
His heart, just settling, began pounding again. “This doesn’t prove anything?”
How can a straight guy be so suspicious?
Shen Shi’s gaze was slightly puzzled. “Of course. Because up until now… I haven’t felt anything.”
Not felt anything?
After being kissed last night, clearly—
Ye Ran’s fixed gaze fell on Shen Shi’s ears, not red.
Then on his neck, still not red.
Something’s wrong.
You weren’t like this last night.
Shen Shi: “Seems like you’re the same.”
A direct blow to the heart.
Ye Ran’s pupils trembled slightly as he swallowed hard. “Because… because I already kissed you twice…cough, once yesterday. If I kiss you again today, it won’t feel any different, so this… this…”
He racked his brain for an excuse, trying desperately to find a way to prove that he was gay while also proving that Shen Shi was still straight.
So difficult.
Why was proving a straight guy was straight so d*mn hard?!
Shen Shi raised an eyebrow, understanding his implication. “So what you mean is— I should kiss you?”
Ye Ran: “?”
Ye Ran: “…Is that what I meant?”
Shen Shi said evenly, “Mm. Since you kissing me has already made both of us immune to it, as for me kissing you—”
He looked at Ye Ran thoughtfully, straightening up. His tall, upright figure cast a deep shadow that completely enveloped Ye Ran, an inexplicable heaviness pressing on his heart.
“—it might help me feel it better,” Shen Shi said.
Ye Ran fell silent, thinking about it. It actually… kind of made sense.
After all, Shen Shi was homophobic. Maybe before their lips even touched, he’d already feel disgusted and be forced to face his own orientation.
At worst, it would turn out like last night, he’d realize afterward that he found it repulsive.
Him taking the initiative and Shen Shi taking the initiative were definitely two different things. Could it be that he’d been doing it wrong since last night?
Ye Ran took a deep breath. “Alright.”
He sat upright, lowering his gaze slightly, face serious. From above, his soft brows and delicate lips were clearly visible.
“Go ahead,” he said, keeping his expression stiff, completely unaware of Shen Shi’s lowered gaze.
From the first day of school registration, Shen Shi had known that this roommate of his had a soft temperament.
That day, Ye Ran had clearly chosen the bed by the window first, but when the chubby guy didn’t see his backpack marking the spot, he quietly moved his things to the bed by the door without a word.
Shen Shi had never been around someone like that before. His classmates at the provincial experimental school were like moths drawn to a flame— always crowding around him, every one of them carrying some trace of arrogance, coldness, or sharpness. Even he was the same— indifferent to everything, only seeing what he wanted to see.
But Ye Ran was different.
He was mild, lazy, with barely a temper. In the dorm he was usually sprawled on his bed, wearing loose home clothes. Even though they weren’t close, whenever Shen Shi entered, Ye Ran would look up, smile softly, eyes bright, and say, “You’re back?”
The chubby one liked sticking around him too, asking him to bring food, then flopping beside him, whining and joking, saying things like, “Ye Ran, you’re really my best bro.”
Every time he heard that, Ye Ran’s eyes would light up, like he was genuinely happy.
A guy who really lacked friends, and didn’t know how to keep them when he had them.
Shen Shi had watched quietly, thinking that.
So when Ye Ran suddenly stood up and shut the door that day, cutting off all outside intrusion for him, his mind went blank for the first time. He’d stood in silence for a long while before finally saying, “Thanks.”
Ye Ran had clearly been caught off guard too. After a brief pause, he just smiled faintly and shook his head.
He seemed to be like that with everyone— with Little Fatty, with Brother Shu, and with him.
Everyone was equal in his eyes; if he could help, he would. So gentle, yet he always kept a deliberate distance.
Ye Ran had helped him once and in Shen Shi’s eyes, any favor owed must be repaid.
That was why he’d gotten close to him, joined the same club, walked him back to the dorm on rainy days, accompanied him to the hospital, helped him deal with Liang Feng and Lin Ziqian, and by the way, chased away the chubby guy who always lingered around, restoring him some peace and quiet.
Someone as careless as Lin Feipeng wasn’t worth Ye Ran’s effort.
Shen Shi leaned down; Ye Ran’s face grew clearer in his vision— the fine, trembling lashes, the slender phoenix eyes with a beauty mark hanging at the corner, and those soft lips that always seemed to be smiling.
He lowered his gaze slowly. The dark strands of his hair fell forward, concealing his eyes, and gently— their lips touched.
…
Ye Ran froze completely.
A few seconds later, he reacted violently, jerking backward. His cheeks flushed instantly, his pupils trembling as he stammered, panicked and dazed, “D-Did you… did you kiss wrong?”
The lingering warmth on his lips refused to fade.
If he weren’t sitting down, his knees definitely would’ve given out.
His blood felt like it was boiling, heat spreading through his veins. Sweat broke out along his back, clinging to his shirt, trembling faintly with each breath.
Shen Shi slowly straightened. The air conditioner was blowing cold air across his back. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. “No.”
Ye Ran’s voice wavered. “N-no? But…” Why kiss the lips?!
Even so, his tone remained soft— no trace of anger or accusation.
“Friends can kiss on the cheek, but I don’t think that would work,” Shen Shi said plainly. “To test if there’s a reaction, something more intimate is better.”
Ye Ran froze completely, blanking out for a while before asking in confusion, “Then… did you feel anything?”
“Yes,” Shen Shi replied.
Ye Ran: “…”
He fidgeted, clearly uneasy. His breathing quickened slightly; his eyes shimmered faintly with moisture, reflecting the warm orange glow of the desk lamp. “How… how could you feel something?” he asked, bewildered.
In theory, straight men shouldn’t feel anything toward gay guys.
Shen Shi said, “Maybe because it was my first time.”
Ye Ran immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Then Shen Shi looked at him again and suddenly asked, “Was it yours too?”
Why ask such an embarrassing question?!
Ye Ran’s face burned. “Yes.”
Very soon, Ye Ran reacted again. “So that means it’s canceled out, right?”
Before Shen Shi could answer, he sighed in relief. “That’s good, as long as it’s canceled out.”
Shen Shi lowered his head to look at him, gaze landing on Ye Ran’s slightly reddened lips. After a few seconds, he spoke calmly: “Let’s try again.”
Ye Ran froze on the spot.
Shen Shi said, “If this time I don’t feel anything, then I’m not gay.”
“Alright.” Ye Ran finally relaxed and replied dryly.
This was the decisive moment—he could feel the weight pressing even heavier on his shoulders.
….
The bedroom was silent.
Even though the air conditioner was set to 28°C, it still felt hot.
The sound of rain pattering outside filled the air. Amid it, Ye Ran heard Shen Shi’s voice.
“Spread your legs a little.”
“Lift your head—mm, don’t dodge.”
Ye Ran instinctively followed his instructions, and in the next second, someone stepped between his legs, forcing them wider apart. He couldn’t control himself and leaned back against the chair, head tilted up higher—and then came the sound of a slow, warm breath.
His lifted chin was gently held in place, and his lips once again felt that same soft touch.
Immediately after, a scorching breath pried his lips open, entering with lazy ease, finding his obediently still tongue tip and brushing against it lightly.
Ye Ran’s shoulders instantly jerked; his pupils widened uncontrollably.
His mind went completely blank. A strange electric current rushed from his tongue through his whole body, even his breathing felt stuck, and he couldn’t move a single muscle.
Only a few seconds passed, but it felt like half a lifetime.
“…Sorry.”
Shen Shi released him, slightly lifting his brows. His pitch-black pupils betrayed no extra emotion as he rasped, “It should be gone this time.”
Ye Ran: “…N-no problem.”
He hadn’t recovered at all—his eyes were still unfocused, his words purely instinctive.
Shen Shi straightened, stepping back from between his legs with composed restraint. He looked down at Ye Ran, who was slumped limply in the chair, lips parted slightly, with a trace of moisture that didn’t belong to him lingering there.
After glancing at him a few more times, Shen Shi finally withdrew his gaze. “Sorry,” he said evenly, “this time I didn’t really feel anything.”
Ye Ran’s scattered soul finally returned to his body at those words.
He pushed himself up with effort, his ears red to the point of bleeding. The room light was bright; Shen Shi stood with his back to it, head lowered casually, black hair falling into disarray. His expression was hidden, but he lifted his eyelids slightly to look at Ye Ran. “What about you?”
Ye Ran sat up blankly. His drifting reason slowly returned; his fingertips twitched slightly, still numb, and his ears burned hotter with every passing second. “I…”
His voice trembled a little, but he forced it steady. “I didn’t feel much either.”
As if he’d dare to admit he felt something!
“Oh.” Shen Shi narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sliding over the deep-red tips of Ye Ran’s ears, then lightly, deliberately, flicking toward his delayed expression. “You didn’t feel anything either?”
“Yes.”
Ye Ran quietly clenched his fist, dying to ask why Shen Shi had used his tongue—but the mere thought of it made him so mortified he could die on the spot.
Shen Shi said, “Then you probably aren’t gay.”
All the courage Ye Ran had finally mustered crumbled instantly under that one blow.
“I’m… not gay?” he repeated blankly.
“Mm.” Shen Shi sounded perfectly reasonable. “A normal gay person would react to kissing someone of the same sex.”
Ye Ran grew even more confused. “So I’m not normal?”
“We’re probably both not normal.”
After saying that, Shen Shi bent down again, pressing into the narrow space between Ye Ran’s legs.
His sharp, handsome features loomed closer and closer in Ye Ran’s eyes; those long, dark phoenix eyes were filled with unreadable emotion, hidden under the shadow of his lashes, deep and obscure. “Open your mouth. Let’s try one last time.”
…The last time.
Ye Ran blankly opened his mouth—then the soft, lingering touch on his tongue returned once more.
This time, Shen Shi caught his tongue gently and sucked, just a little, and the hot breath between them seeped through their locked lips into Ye Ran’s mouth.
Ye Ran immediately couldn’t breathe. His body trembled faintly, like his territory had been invaded; his shoulders curled up, his head was forced higher, both hands slipping weakly from the chair arms as his whole body shuddered.
A few seconds later, Shen Shi naturally let go. His breathing was slightly uneven too. After a moment, he looked at Ye Ran—there was moisture on his lips, unclear whose it was, but obvious and intimate.
“How about this time?” Shen Shi’s voice was low and husky. “Still no reaction?”
Ye Ran shook his head almost in fright. His breathing was far more chaotic than Shen Shi’s, his whole body looking dazed and lost, eyes glistening with red-tinged moisture, lashes damp. He shook his head repeatedly, stammering, “…I—I did. I did feel something.”
Only then did Shen Shi straighten. “Mm.”
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then at Ye Ran, limp in the chair.
Ye Ran’s hair was damp with sweat, darker than ink; his pale face seemed to glow faintly under the light. His breathing came soft and shallow, gaze unfocused and dazed, lips coated in a sheen of moisture—clearly not yet recovered.
Obviously, if Shen Shi told him to open his mouth again right now, he would.
Shen Shi withdrew his gaze. His fingers tightened slightly in his pocket. “Seems I felt a little something too.”
Ye Ran lifted his head slowly, dazed, lips trembling after a few seconds. “…You—you felt something again?”
“Mm.” Shen Shi seemed thoughtful. “It wasn’t very strong, but I think it’s enough to confirm that I’m gay.”
Ye Ran stiffened. “Could it be… just because the method this time was a bit… more aggressive?”
Kissing like that—anyone would feel something, even if they weren’t gay.
Shen Shi shook his head. “No. I’m very sure. I am gay.”
Ye Ran immediately forced his mind to start working again, but no matter how hard he tried, his brain was a complete mess. His nerves still lingered at the tip of his tongue and along his lips; he could almost still feel that alien warmth and the pull of suction.
He couldn’t think about it… he must not think about it.
His thoughts started going fuzzy again.
“Or maybe we can try again tomorrow,” Shen Shi suddenly turned slightly to the side and suggested, “Next time, we don’t need to be so… step-by-step about it.”
He said it casually, watching Ye Ran’s expression. “Today’s attempt felt more like I was just testing my tolerance level.”
“Don’t you think so?”
“…R-really?” Ye Ran was caught off guard, dazed for two seconds. “Try again tomorrow? How would we try tomorrow?”
Shen Shi said, “We’ll talk about it then.”
***
After leaving Shen Shi’s room, Ye Ran stumbled step by step back to his own. He was completely silent the whole way, his eyes hidden behind his black-rimmed glasses. The moment he closed his bedroom door, his body went limp like a deflated balloon, sliding down to the floor.
There was no carpet on the floor—cold and hard.
He leaned forward, the loose collar of his loungewear slipping down, revealing a faint flush along his neck.
One hand braced on the floor, the other pressed tightly over his mouth, leaving only his reddened, damp eyes visible, panting heavily and unevenly.
Something… felt wrong.
His head was a jumble. Suddenly, he wanted to just give up—to stop caring whether Shen Shi was straight or not. But then he remembered that Shen Shi was only doing this weird “test” because of him, and that thought made him grit through his impulse to quit.
In the end, he was the one who had wronged Shen Shi.
It wasn’t Shen Shi’s fault—it was that d*mned sex-ed encyclopedia’s fault.
Clearly, that method didn’t work at all.
But—
Sweat gathered in his palm, and his eardrums throbbed. What did Shen Shi mean by “We’ll talk about it tomorrow”?
***
Bang—
“D*mn, Yu Ting, what the h*ll are you doing?” came a teammate’s voice through the headset.
“Why’s the marksman charging the front line? Stay in the back and deal damage, will you?”
“Hurry up and ready up, what’s taking you so long?”
Yu Ting quickly pulled off his headset, tilting his head to listen. He was sure he’d heard the sound of a door opening in the next room.
“Sh*t, I’ve got something urgent—keep playing without me!” He bolted upright, quitting the game in a flash.
He hadn’t seen Shen Shi or Ye Ran at dinner, and that had already made him uneasy. Hearing that sound now, he didn’t even stop to think, just yanked on his pants and rushed out.
Ye Ran, don’t tell me you actually went to his room yourself?!
Did you even read the WeChat article I sent you? This is serious, man!
With a loud bang, he shoved open the next door.
The lights inside were glaringly bright,, Yu Ting immediately breathed a sigh of relief. With the lights on like that, surely Shen Shi couldn’t be doing anything shady.
He stormed across the entranceway and turned the corner—
And froze.
In the middle of the room, Shen Shi sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
The light poured over him, wrapping him in a hazy glow.
His head was tilted slightly back, breathing heavy; one hand covered his eyes, the other braced behind him. His Adam’s apple moved faintly, a restrained, suppressed motion.
At the sound of the door, he slowly lowered his hand and looked toward Yu Ting. His long, black phoenix eyes were dark and cold, full of unhidden chill. Ignoring the faint red tint spreading along his ears and neck, he looked… dangerously calm.
In the silence, Shen Shi spoke: “Get out.”
Yu Ting: “…”
Yu Ting: “…Got it.”
He bolted from the room immediately, face pale with shock.
What’s scarier than a pervert?
…A pervert who blushes, holy sh*t!
Yeah, tomorrow he’d definitely have to talk to Ye Ran.
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