Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 21

The next morning, around nine, the sky was still overcast.

Dark clouds churned in the distance as wild winds howled; the heavy black sky was cut through every so often by flashes of thunder and lightning.

The rain grew fiercer, veiling the world in mist and haze.

The villa was halfway up the mountain—perfectly positioned to see each burst of lightning tear across the dark sky, blinding and violent, as if about to split the heavens.

The thunder woke Ye Ran. He squinted, grabbed his phone, and checked the time.

Nine thirty.

Still early.

He set his phone down and drifted back to sleep.

The next time he woke, it was to a steady, unhurried knocking. Ye Ran pulled himself out of a foggy dream, thoughts sluggish and tangled. After a long moment, he opened his eyes, blinked twice to clear them, and got out of bed to answer the door.

Click—

The door opened.

The hallway was dim, silent, the air filled only with the soft hum of the central heating.

Ye Ran looked up, eyes slightly red from sleep, his lashes curling messily as he blinked in confusion at the figure standing there. “Hm? Shen Shi? What’s—”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

A shadow fell over him without warning.

The distance between them vanished in an instant—close enough for Ye Ran to smell the faint, cool scent of rainwater. His pupils constricted sharply. All he could see was Shen Shi’s face, enlarged before him.

Shen Shi’s features were sharp and striking, flawless; his long, dark phoenix eyes were like ink, calm, cold, unreadable. At that moment, they were lowered, emotionless.

And then—

A damp kiss fell on his lips.

Their breaths tangled together.

Ye Ran’s lips were pried apart effortlessly, his tongue caught and lightly sucked. The air entering his mouth was scorching hot, tinged with the clean taste of a young man’s breath.

When Shen Shi finally drew back, he almost absently traced his tongue over Ye Ran’s lips again.

He straightened up, the black windbreaker crisp and sharp, carrying the chill and dampness of the rain outside. His expression was calm and casual, as if nothing about what he’d just done was out of the ordinary.

“You can go back to sleep,” Shen Shi said.

With that, he turned and walked back to his own room.

“Click.”

The bedroom door next door closed.

Ye Ran stared blankly at Shen Shi’s departing back, his lips still parted, the corners glistening faintly with a trace of moisture.

A few seconds later, his hand tightened suddenly on the railing as he tried to steady his trembling, weak legs. Only then did he draw in a sharp breath. “This… I… ah…”

He’d completely lost the ability to speak. His mind was blank.

What did that even mean? Was Shen Shi sleepwalking?

Or was he the one dreaming?

Expression vacant, Ye Ran closed the door, stumbled to his bed, and fell forward onto it. The mattress was soft and springy, swallowing him like a puff of cotton candy. He shut his eyes.

Sleep. Just sleep.

This had to be a dream.

The next second, his phone buzzed.

Ye Ran cracked his eyes open, grabbed the phone lazily—and when he saw who had messaged him, he froze for several seconds before shooting upright.

Shen Shi: [I don’t seem to have felt much today.]

Ye Ran: “…”

Aaaah—it really wasn’t a dream!

So this was what Shen Shi meant by “we’ll talk about it tomorrow”?!

He immediately tensed, his breathing uneven. The screen’s glow lit up his face, his ears flushed red, and he pressed his lips together, too stiff to know how to reply.

Not feeling anything was good.

That meant he was still straight.

But how could a straight guy kiss like that—so… so…

Even if it was just an “experiment,” wasn’t that way too—

Ye Ran’s thoughts spiraled into chaos. The sensation of his tongue being sucked still lingered—tingly, itchy—spreading through every nerve in his body.

His waist felt weak again; his knees couldn’t straighten. If he hadn’t been holding the doorknob earlier, he probably would’ve collapsed the instant Shen Shi’s tongue brushed his lips.

Maybe because Ye Ran hadn’t replied for a while, another message came.

Shen Shi: [And you?]

The vibration jolted him back to attention.

Ye Ran froze even harder.

How was he supposed to answer that?

If he said he didn’t feel anything, it proved he wasn’t gay. But if he said he did, that meant he had improper feelings for his friend.

After a long internal struggle, the need to clear his own name won out. Ye Ran kept a straight face and typed with grave seriousness:

Ye Ran: [Me too.]

Absolutely no emotional disturbance, and definitely no impure thoughts.

Shen Shi: [Mm.]

Ye Ran: [Mm.]

Seeing Shen Shi’s calm response, Ye Ran let out a long breath, tossed his phone aside, and collapsed onto the bed.

The mattress and blankets enveloped him as his heartbeat thudded in his chest. It took a long while before it finally steadied. He didn’t dare recall a single detail from earlier. Forcing his mind blank, he tried to sleep again.

***

Outside, the rain poured down relentlessly. The clouds hadn’t lifted, and the sky remained dim.

Around noon, Ye Ran grabbed a quick bite at the buffet, then on his way back to the villa, he spotted the club president and a few members taking photos in the garden. The girls were dressed up, makeup perfect, smiles bright.

“Even though we didn’t get to see the stars, everyone—please admire the rain, the mountains, the lightning… how full of mountain charm it all is!”

Ye Ran couldn’t help laughing, which the president immediately caught.

“Hey,” they called, smiling. “Ye Ran? Come over here!”

A few girls turned toward him. It was the first time Ye Ran had faced them since that game of Truth or Dare the other night. Feeling awkward, he nonetheless walked over.

The president, dressed in a blue raincoat, showed him his camera with a troubled look. “No matter how I take it, it just looks weird. Do you think it’s a problem with the composition?”

People who studied art had a lot in common. Back in high school, Ye Ran had enjoyed photography, though he’d stopped once academics took over.

Now, looking at his hopeless photos, he twitched an eyelid, took the camera, and said, “Rainy-day light is softer. If you shoot against the light, you should meter for the face—especially watch the flash…”

He tilted his head toward them as he spoke, focused and serious. His long, narrow phoenix eyes were faintly reddened from the damp weather. His skin was pale, his black hair neat, and his down jacket casual. Altogether, his presence felt gentle and clean.

A few girls whispered among themselves.

“Ye Ran’s actually really good-looking.”

“Yeah, and he’s so nice. I used to think art majors were all aloof, but Ye Ran just makes you feel comfortable.”

The vice president smiled. “Yeah, he really does have a good personality.”

“Didn’t you say you liked guys like that, Ranran? And your names even—”

“Don’t start,” the vice president cut her off with a helpless smile. “He’s gay. Don’t joke about that.”

“Fine, fine. Guess the cute ones are never ours.”

As she said that, she suddenly felt another gaze on them. Turning, she saw Shen Shi standing a short distance away.

Rain whispered all around, the world hazy through the mist.

The patter of drops hitting puddles echoed softly, and the streams of water falling from the eaves made the air even more still.

Shen Shi stood in his black windbreaker, tall and slender. The raised collar hid his jawline. His face was cool and distant, expression lazy and unreadable. When he lifted his eyes, the pupils were pure black—cold and sharp against the dim, rainy light.

“…Uh, Shen Shi?” she asked hesitantly. “You’re here too?”

The girls fell silent instantly.

Compared to Ye Ran—who had already been confirmed as “bent”—Shen Shi’s silence during that truth-or-dare round made the girls hesitant to draw any conclusions. Generally, guys that handsome tended to be bi, especially someone like Shen Shi—so good-looking it was almost excessive—someone both men and women could like. It wasn’t impossible.

Gossiping about someone’s friend behind their back was already awkward; being caught doing it was mortifying.

The club president spotted Shen Shi and immediately waved. “Hey, Shen Shi! Come here a sec!”

Shen Shi walked over.

The three boys stood together, apparently discussing composition.

One of the girls exhaled quietly in relief. “He didn’t hear us talking about him, right?”

“Probably not. We were quiet.”

The vice president said, “Forget it, want to hang out after we’re done taking photos?”

“Sure! Ranran, where do you want to go?”

Vice President: “Let’s go sing karaoke.”

The girls exchanged knowing glances.

…So she had taken a liking to the freshman.

While discussing camera settings with the president, Ye Ran suddenly noticed that Shen Shi seemed distracted. He had his head slightly lowered, eyes on the camera lens, but his expression was distant and unreadable.

Ye Ran didn’t think much of it. After giving the president a few pointers on good angles and exposure, he was about to leave when the president called after him, “Hey, you two, since you’re our club’s male representatives, you should both be in the shot too!”

Ye Ran: “…Male representatives?”

The president, full of confidence: “We’ll use this photo for next year’s recruitment poster. I’m sure our club will regain its former glory!”

Hearing that, Ye Ran couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

He glanced at Shen Shi. Remembering that morning, a strange unease stirred in his chest. “Should we take it?”

Shen Shi asked, “Do you want to?”

“It’s fine.”

“Then we’ll take it,” Shen Shi said simply.

Both of them were taller than the girls, so they couldn’t stand off to the sides. The vice president adjusted everyone’s positions until Ye Ran and Shen Shi stood in the middle. Behind them was a stone stele carved with red letters, surrounded by blooming flowers so bright it was hard to believe it was winter.

The president called directions nonstop: “Hey, Wang Ting—scoot toward the center! Yeah, like that! Chen Yanyan—smile bigger, perfect, perfect…”

Ye Ran stood with Shen Shi on his left and the vice president on his right.

Before the photo was taken, the lineup got messy, and the vice president ended up bumping into him. She was nearly his height and apologized helplessly. “Sorry.”

Ye Ran smiled. “It’s fine.”

“Oh, right, Ye Ran, do you have time later to go sing—”

Before she could finish, Ye Ran felt an arm slip around his shoulders, pulling him slightly to the other side.

The palm on his shoulder was wide and firm. He suddenly found himself pressed closer—almost into Shen Shi’s chest. Above him came Shen Shi’s even tone: “There’s more space on this side.”

“Oh… okay.” Ye Ran nodded a beat late.

A few seconds later, he turned back to the vice president. “What were you saying?”

She looked at the two of them, smiled faintly, and said, “Nothing, just that we might be heading back to campus tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow already?”

“Yeah. The school’s been urging us.”

The president’s voice rang out from in front: “Everyone look at the camera! Eyes here, say cheese—”

Ye Ran looked toward the lens and curved his lips into a smile.

With a “click,” the flash went off, freezing the moment. He suddenly felt something off—and the next second, the hand on his shoulder withdrew naturally. He could still feel the lingering warmth.

…Wait.

He sucked in a quiet breath.

Don’t tell him—that’s how they were standing in the photo just now?!

“Going?” Shen Shi asked beside him, lowering his head slightly.

A short distance away, the girls were gathered around the president, picking out photos. Ye Ran also wanted to see the final results but when his eyes met Shen Shi’s, inexplicably, he swallowed the words of refusal.

“…Yeah,” he said.

***

In the villa’s living room, a few boys were playing video games, volume blasting—thud, bang, clatter—their excitement growing as a small crowd of club members cheered them on.

Ye Ran and Shen Shi entered quietly and went upstairs. The carpet in the second-floor hallway was thick, muffling their steps. Ye Ran yawned; it was past one in the afternoon—perfect nap time.

He was getting sleepy, eyes rimmed red. Shen Shi’s room was next to his. Opening his own door, Ye Ran’s voice held a drowsy note. “I’m heading in first.”

Click.

The lock turned.

The room was dim; the curtains were still drawn, faint gray light spilling across the balcony. Ye Ran went to slot his key card into the power switch but then he heard Shen Shi call his name.

“Ye Ran.”

“Hm?” He turned his head.

It was like déjà vu. A shadow fell over him as Shen Shi leaned down.

Backlit, half his face was hidden in shadow, his dark hair messy against his forehead. Ye Ran could only see those deep, unreadable eyes.

Soft warmth brushed his lips. His mouth was pried open again, the tip of his tongue caught and gently sucked. Heat flooded between them. This time, Shen Shi didn’t pull away, he kissed him for a long while.

Ye Ran instinctively reached for something to steady himself but found nothing.

His body leaned back on its own, the suction on his lips growing stronger—so much that, in the end, his knees gave out, and he sank weakly to the floor.

The floor was cold and smooth beneath him. He sat there blankly, breath shallow and uneven then the shadow before him lowered further, following his movement down.

(Only kissing—above the neck.)

Shen Shi lowered his head again, finding Ye Ran’s slightly parted lips in the dark. His eyes were black and calm as he slipped inside easily, tangling with the tongue that trembled beneath his chin.

A faint wet sound echoed near his ear.

Ye Ran’s shoulders arched, sweat beading fine and hot along his neck. The redness around his eyes spread to the tips of his ears. He trembled, dazed and breathless, unable to speak or even push away. His fingertips shook again and again, caught in the shadow of Shen Shi’s half-kneeling figure as the other kissed him — slow, steady — until every bit of air in his mouth was taken.

…

After who knows how long, Shen Shi finally withdrew. Before leaving, he brushed Ye Ran’s lips lightly with his tongue again — enough to make Ye Ran shudder once more, fingers curling tight, trembling unconsciously.

Half-kneeling before him, Shen Shi’s hair was tousled, his lips red, a far cry from his usual cool restraint. He asked, almost casually: “Did you feel it this time?”

His voice was slightly hoarse, low and cold.

Ye Ran panted lightly, dazed eyes unfocused on the floor. He looked completely stunned, speechless, unable to even process what had happened.

Shen Shi only nodded, got up, and said, “Got it.”

Then, “Sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Just like that morning, he turned and went back into his room, calm and composed once again.

“Click.”

The sound of the door closing jolted Ye Ran back to his senses.

He slowly lifted his head, still slumped on the floor, staring at the now-empty hallway. An awful, awful realization began to dawn on him.

Could a straight guy… really kiss another man like that?