Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 28

The bar was packed, lights flickering over the booths.

Ye Ran’s expression was serious. He saw that a ten-person booth was nearly bursting with seventeen or eighteen people. Little Fatty, with his size, occupied space for two, pushing a man in a skirt onto another man’s lap.

Seeing Little Fatty about to be taken advantage of, Ye Ran rushed forward—but then a loud shout echoed: “Whoa—”

Inside the booth, Little Fatty, in an impossible stance, slammed a tattooed man off him!

Ye Ran skidded to a stop, stunned.

Brother Shu, holding his phone, immediately shut his mouth.

“Holy sh*t?” he muttered. “Has… his bloodline awakened?”

The pounding drums and music continued, but Little Fatty’s booming laugh rang clear: “Brothers, come on, drink, keep drinking!”

The booth fell silent.

A mix of people—cross-dressers, burly men, gay men, smoking lesbians—all watched the suddenly berserk Little Fatty in silence.

With a sharp “click,” Little Fatty popped off a beer cap, downed half a bottle with a “gulp, gulp,” face flushed, neck thick, excitement rising. He shouted and wildly tore at his clothes.

“Ah—”

A shrill male voice cried. A cross-dresser, in smoky makeup, buried themselves in the arms of a nearby man, mocking: “Pervert…”

Chaos erupted instantly.

No one expected the previously weak and helpless Little Fatty to flip completely like this.

“Holy sh*t, this fat guy’s gone crazy?”

“Who brought him here? Get him out! I haven’t finished my drink!”

A fat guy over 180 pounds is not something an ordinary person can easily handle.

Everyone else could only watch from a distance as Little Fatty suddenly threw his head back and laughed, then began pounding his chest.

“Brothers, don’t worry. Today, I’ll perform something for you—” The crowd was noisy, but since he couldn’t take off his shirt, Little Fatty went all out: “Chest-smash! Hahaha! Those with money, tip me! Those without, cheer me on!”

He laughed foolishly. Red lights from above bathed his face, and the intensity of his contortions scared everyone around, who quickly backed away. Amid the deafening music, shouts rang out: “Security? Security—”

Ye Ran and Brother Shu finally realized what was happening. They hurried forward, mouths agape, watching as Little Fatty, after pounding his chest, started flipping the coffee table. Bottles on it wobbled, and the table, which was fixed to the floor, actually seemed to loosen.

Whoever saw that strength would have to praise it: “Lift mountains, dominate the world.”

Brother Shu’s soul nearly left his body: “Lin Feipeng, that coffee table costs thousands! Stop now!”

“Hahaha,” Little Fatty laughed wildly, drunk: “Today I, Lu Zhishen, will perform the Upturned Willow! I lift—again, I lift—”

Beer bottles clattered onto the carpet. Luckily, the carpet was thick, so nothing broke.

The crowd scattered, giving this madman space. Ye Ran and Brother Shu took the chance to rush in, grabbing Little Fatty by the arms to pull him away.

“Hey, who are you?” a quick-reacting man snapped.

Brother Shu reacted first. He grabbed an unopened bottle of beer and two plastic cups from under the table, poured some, and said to the men: “Sorry, guys. My brother here goes crazy when he’s drunk. Soon he’ll probably puke. My apologies. Here, drink this. Have a good night!”

Ye Ran exchanged a look with him, took the other cup—only a third full—and drank it in one gulp. Then, together with Brother Shu, they struggled to carry Little Fatty, leaving the bar in a mess.

“Family!” Little Fatty wriggled: “Wave your little hands, give the Fat Daddy some 666!”

“Six my *ss,” Brother Shu grimaced, thinking, “Did I owe this fat guy money in a past life?” He muttered: “Lin Feipeng, when you sober up tomorrow, you better kneel and thank me and Ye Ran!”

Several security guards had already run to the front, followed by the cross-dresser from before. Brother Shu even heard them muttering “pervert” under their breath.

“Who’s the pervert now?” he snapped angrily.

The three of them, like headless flies, found the back door. Wobbling, carrying the now suddenly quiet Little Fatty, they escaped.

Inside, most of the crowd still danced wildly to the pounding music.

A server ran up, panting, beside the manager Su Yan: “Manager Su, there was a disturbance just now. The security couldn’t catch them. The guests at that table—”

“Charge the drinks to me,” Su Yan said with a smile, then fixed her gaze on the server: “I told you to get that Little Fatty out. What were you doing?”

The server went silent instantly.

“Next time you do something like this, don’t bother coming back,” Su Yan said.

“Yes… yes,” the server stammered, dripping sweat.

Su Yan picked up her drink and casually said: “Let the security go, and you handle that table—”

Before she could finish, a commotion broke out in the bar.

Su Yan lifted her eyes, scanning the crowded dance floor, and saw a black-haired boy weaving through the crowd.

He wore a black jacket, slim and tall. Colored lights danced over his head, outlining his partially shadowed face.

Expressionless, he passed through the crowd. His gaze was dark, his aura cold and indifferent, as if wrapped in the chill of the outside air. Nothing could disturb him.

“Huh?” Su Yan paused, raising an eyebrow. “…Shen Shi?”

***

It was freezing outside. Ye Ran and Brother Shu were exhausted, having dragged Little Fatty to the roadside, panting.

The street lamps cast bright light.

Traffic flowed continuously; the red taillights of cars stretched seemingly to the horizon.

Ye Ran unzipped his jacket. He wore a black hoodie underneath. Hesitating briefly, he didn’t take off his coat.

Looking down, he was shocked to see Little Fatty quietly sobbing.

Brother Shu snapped: “What the h*ll are you crying for?”

Little Fatty’s quiet sobbing instantly escalated to loud wails: “Holy sh*t, holy sh*t… that was a gay bar, holy sh*t!”

Brother Shu froze, leaning in: “You’re not drunk?”

“Drunk? Me?” Little Fatty’s face was flushed, breath reeking of alcohol, punctuated by a hiccup.

Brother Shu held up a finger: “Then tell me, what is this?”

“…A chicken?”

Little Fatty wiped his eyes, squinting around: “Where’s the chicken? Where?”

“…Okay, definitely drunk,” Brother Shu muttered, lowering his finger.

Ye Ran pulled some paper from his pocket and handed it to Little Fatty: “Wipe your tears.”

Little Fatty turned his head but didn’t take the paper. He fixed his gaze on Ye Ran, staring for a few seconds as if recognizing him. His tears, barely stopped, started flowing again:

“Ye Ran! My good brother Ye Ran!”

“Wuuu, wuuu, my good brother Ye Ran!”

“…I’m sorry… It’s all my fault…”

Ye Ran was caught off guard by his tear-streaked face. “What’s going on?”

“Drunk and crying,” Brother Shu sighed, spotting a convenience store nearby: “Watch him, I’ll go buy two bottles of water.”

After Brother Shu left, Little Fatty completely stopped hiding his emotions. He lunged toward Ye Ran, grabbed his hand, and confessed deeply, “I should’ve known… Shen Shi is so ambitious… It’s all my fault!”

Ye Ran chuckled, following his lead: “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

“How could you not be mad…” Little Fatty wiped his tears. His chubby face flushed red and white in turns: “You, a straight guy with iron bones… all because of my carelessness… Now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have listened to Shen Shi back then!”

“?” Ye Ran sensed something off. “Listened to Shen Shi about what?”

Tearful, Little Fatty said, “Back then, I knew that *sshole Liang Feng kept harassing you. Then I heard from others that Shen Shi drove you to and from school every day because you two were secretly dating… After hearing that, I went to talk to Shen Shi. I even—”

More tears poured out, sobbing bitterly: “I asked him if I should clear things up for you secretly, or… if Brother Shu, Shen Shi, and I should all go pick you up after class to scare that idiot Liang Feng… Shen Shi told me not to—”

“He said he’d clear it up himself. I only realized today… that b*stard never explained a word! Wuuu… Those posts on the campus forum saying you two were sweet? They were the same people who spread that you two were secretly dating—”

“Those people were all… Shen Shi’s puppets, holy sh*t wuuu!”

Ye Ran paused, recalling the campus forum users who immediately decoded it when Shen Shi mentioned he had a boyfriend.

Wait.

He realized something.

Back then, Shen Shi was still homophobic… He wouldn’t have let those rumors spread quietly.

“You’re overthinking,” Ye Ran said, patting Little Fatty on the back: “Shen Shi probably just forgot.”

“No way! I still have those posts! And—” Little Fatty cried a while, then suddenly sat up, spilling his frustrations: “There was a time when there were evening events on the playground. So many handsome guys and girls dancing. I wanted to take you, but you were always with Shen Shi. I asked him when you’d be free so he could tell me, and I could take a walk with you…”

“Every time,” Little Fatty dabbed his tears, “he told me he forgot, forgot, and that Brother Shu and I should go first. You’d come after dinner. But the event ended, and I never once got to meet you on the playground!”

Ye Ran was surprised. He never liked overly crowded places, preferring to stay in the dorm painting or chatting—a true homebody in many ways.

Perhaps… Shen Shi just understood his nature and didn’t want to make things difficult for him.

He sat up awkwardly and explained softly: “It’s not that. Shen Shi really might have forgotten. Back then… we had a lot going on.”

Little Fatty was furious: “And you defend him, he planned all this!”

Ye Ran opened his mouth.

Little Fatty continued: “Another time! Some girls from our class wanted me to bring you bubble tea. Shen Shi saw and told me you don’t drink sweet stuff!”

Ye Ran weakly replied: “…I really don’t drink much sweet stuff.”

“Shen Shi even wouldn’t let me be alone in the dorm!”

“Well, that’s true—”

“He wouldn’t let me give your WeChat to anyone else either!”

“WeChat?” Ye Ran paused.

“I thought since Liang Feng was harassing you, you should just get a girlfriend to stop him… Before I could even ask you, Shen Shi told me he had a better option—d*mn, the better option was himself?!”

Ye Ran: “…”

He moved his lips, ears slightly red: “He probably didn’t mean it like that.”

Little Fatty looked at him in pain: “He did!”

“I really am sorry,” Little Fatty’s tears burst out again. He grabbed Ye Ran’s hand, confessing deeply: “It’s all my fault! If only I had realized sooner…”

Ye Ran suddenly understood: “So these past few days, you’ve been keeping me from having meals with Shen Shi because of this?”

“You… you knew?” Little Fatty was shocked.

“Shen Shi probably knew too,” Ye Ran said.

Little Fatty: “!”

“You both knew?!”

“Yes,” Ye Ran said with a helpless smile, patting his head. “You were too obvious.”

“So now you should understand,” Ye Ran continued, “Shen Shi doesn’t mind what you did. He’s not as… premeditated as you think.”

Of course, Shen Shi doesn’t mind because they aren’t a real couple.

No need to tell Little Fatty that.

Little Fatty: “…”

Little Fatty: “…Wuu!”

That alone proves how calculating he was, huh! He even knew how to retreat strategically.

In the distance, Brother Shu returned with two bottles of water, raising an eyebrow at Little Fatty’s tearful state: “What’s this? Bloodline awakening again?”

Ye Ran was just about to speak when Little Fatty, who had been crying and complaining only a second ago, suddenly froze. His eyes flew wide open, and in shock he hiccuped three times in a row: “Hic… Shen… hic, hic!”

Brother Shu smiled kindly at him. “Still remember to call me ‘brother’ at a time like this? Guess all that looking after you wasn’t in vain.”

“Hic—” Little Fatty stared like he’d seen a ghost, shrieking as he ducked behind Ye Ran, “Shen—Shen Shi, ah… hic!”

Shen Shi?

Ye Ran and Brother Shu both froze.

They followed his line of sight.

From the narrow alley that connected to the bar’s back door, a figure emerged, expressionless.

The early winter wind was like a knife, slicing across their faces.

Under the neon lights, Shen Shi’s strides were long and steady. The loose black jacket draped over his shoulders made his handsome, cold face even more striking. Sensing something, his eyes shifted from the park across the street and landed directly on Ye Ran.

Meeting that dark, deep gaze, Ye Ran instinctively stood up and stepped forward. “Shen Shi…”

They met in the shadowed alleyway.

As Shen Shi’s figure came into focus, that usually calm face now carried a faint, oppressive anger. Ye Ran’s heartbeat skipped. Before he could even speak, he was pulled into a firm embrace.

His vision plunged into darkness, filled with Shen Shi’s faint cool scent, tinged with the sharpness of alcohol.

Against his ear came the fast, unsteady rhythm of a heartbeat.

Ye Ran froze for a few seconds, feeling his body gradually grow warm, temperature rising beyond control.

“…Shen Shi,” he said softly, leaning against his shoulder, the tips of his ears slightly red. After a long moment, he found his voice again. “Why are you here?”

Shen Shi’s chest was broad and warm.

The shadow that fell over him wrapped him completely.

He gave a low “Mm,” his voice brushing Ye Ran’s ear, low and deep in the cold air. “Cheng Shu called me.”

“Oh.”

Ye Ran’s stiff body slowly relaxed in the embrace.

He could feel Shen Shi’s worry. After a few seconds of hesitation, he cautiously raised his arms to return the hug. “It’s okay now.”

The back beneath his palm seemed to tense slightly.

“I came out with Brother Shu and Little Fatty,” Ye Ran said, coughing lightly at the memory of Little Fatty’s drunken rambling. “But Little Fatty’s totally drunk.”

At that, Shen Shi lifted his eyes. Through the streetlight’s glow, he saw Brother Shu trying his best to sober Little Fatty up.

Little Fatty sat on the curb, half-asleep after his drunken outburst, while Brother Shu stood over him with a bottle of mineral water, forcing him to drink.

After a long silence, Shen Shi finally released Ye Ran, only to take his hand instead. He led him toward the two and said calmly, “It’s fine. I know how to sober him up.”

***

“Lin Feipeng!” Brother Shu stood on the roadside with the bottle of water, fuming. “Don’t push your luck! Drink this right now before I—”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two figures approaching. Turning around, he saw Shen Shi holding Ye Ran’s hand as they walked over.

The two of them had only half a head’s height difference. Under the dim streetlight, Ye Ran trailed a step behind, half-hidden by Shen Shi’s figure. Shen Shi’s face was unreadable as he asked, “What’s going on?”

Brother Shu suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine, like a prey animal caught in a predator’s gaze.

“Uh, I’m trying to make Little Fatty drink some water,” he said cautiously.

“I’ll do it,” Shen Shi replied.

He unhurriedly released Ye Ran’s hand, calmly rolled up his sleeves and in the next instant, the same Little Fatty that it had taken both Ye Ran and Brother Shu to lift earlier was yanked upright effortlessly by Shen Shi’s single hand.

“What the—?!”

Brother Shu’s eyelids twitched as he watched Shen Shi, face blank and aura dark, drag Little Fatty toward the newsstand by the road. His back was straight and tall, but there was a heavy, suppressed anger in every step.

As if he were barely restraining himself.

Little Fatty finally realized what was happening. His face went red, veins bulging as he thrashed in panic, gasping: “Help—help—can’t breathe—!”

Ye Ran was about to go after them, but Brother Shu stopped him.

Brother Shu shook his head. “Let that idiot learn a lesson.”

He lazily fished a stick of gum out of his pocket and asked, “Want one?”

….

At the newsstand, the freezer by the door was packed with ice cream bars and bottles of mineral water, their surfaces fogged with frost.

Under the uneasy gaze of the owner, Shen Shi bought a bottle of cold water, then lowered his head emotionlessly to look at the still-hollering Little Fatty.

“Shut up.”

Instantly, Little Fatty went silent like a chicken caught by the neck.

Still holding him by the collar with one hand, Shen Shi dragged him into the shadows where even the streetlight couldn’t reach. In the pitch-dark alley, not even Ye Ran or Brother Shu could clearly see what was happening.

Little Fatty mumbled incoherently, “Ye Ran… wuuu, I’m sorry…”

Shen Shi’s eyes were icy. His grip on the collar tightened until his knuckles turned white, listening to the drunken rambling:

“I’m not a good brother… I’ve sinned… if only I’d known back then I should’ve—”

The next moment, the ice-cold bottle was pressed against his neck. Frosty air seeped into his skin and bones like a blade. Goosebumps shot up instantly, and the haze of alcohol began to lift from his mind.

“Ahhh—!”

He screamed from the shock of the cold, tears spilling as he flailed. Shen Shi’s gaze remained frosty, his hand unmoving.

“S–Shen Shi?” Little Fatty stammered, shivering as though trapped in an ice field. The chill crept down his spine. “W–why are you here?”

“Are you sober now?” Shen Shi didn’t answer, but asked instead.

Little Fatty looked like he was about to cry, struggling desperately to get out of his grip. When he realized he couldn’t break free no matter what, he went still and muttered, “…I’m sober.”

A moment later, he seemed to realize why Shen Shi was treating him this way. Shoulders slumped, voice hoarse, he said, “…I’m sorry.”

Shen Shi’s eyes were cold. “That’s not something you should be saying to me.”

“…I’ll go apologize to Ye Ran in a bit.”

“And what else?” Shen Shi asked.

Little Fatty mumbled, “…And, I won’t ever bring Ye Ran to places like this again.”

“Wrong.”

The hand clutching his collar suddenly released. Caught off guard, Little Fatty fell heavily to the ground. A cold bottle of mineral water was tossed to him; the condensation soaked into his palm, and when the wind blew, the chill made him shiver uncontrollably.

Amid that bone-piercing cold, he heard Shen Shi’s voice, low and commanding from above:

“Remember this. Next time something happens, come to me.”

“Don’t go looking for Ye Ran.”

Little Fatty froze, slowly raising his head.

Shen Shi looked down at him impatiently. “Did you hear me?”

“Shen—Shen Shi…” Finally understanding what he meant, Little Fatty’s eyes filled with tears, remorse flooding him. “Uuuh… d*mn it—You, me, and Ye Ran, we’re brothers from now on!”

“I—d*mn it, I agree to your marriage with Ye Ran!”

Shen Shi clicked his tongue softly, too lazy to reply. He pulled a tissue from his pocket, wiped his hands clean, then turned and walked toward Ye Ran and Brother Shu at the roadside.

The streetlight flickered faintly.

Ye Ran stood slightly turned, chatting with Brother Shu. The dim light outlined his soft, clear features. His cheeks looked a little flushed, long lashes lowered lightly, the curve at the corner of his eyes gently tilting upward.

“So,” Brother Shu raised a brow, looking at Ye Ran, “the reason you have so much patience for Little Fatty, is it because he reminds you of your childhood friend?”

“Mm,” Ye Ran thought for a moment. “Not in looks… but in a way, they really are alike.”

A bit childish, self-centered, doing things their own way but also loyal and full of trust.

Like Little Fatty, who after learning there were two gay guys in the dorm, immediately went online to read everything he could about it— even asking who between Ye Ran and Shen Shi was “1” or “0,” sending him late-night articles like ‘How to Train Your Boyfriend’, ‘Twenty Sweet Things for Couples to Do’, ‘Fifty Things Boyfriends Must Experience Together’, and even using his main account to curse out people online who said he and Shen Shi weren’t a good match.

No one’s perfect. True friends don’t need each other to be flawless—being able to understand, tolerate, and accept each other’s differences is already rare enough.

Someone like Little Fatty, once he starts doubting whether his own carelessness led a friend “astray,” can easily do something impulsive. Giving him a bit of time to sort himself out is often more effective than any explanation.

Besides…

Ye Ran sighed.

If anyone had “gone astray,” it was Shen Shi.

At that thought, he couldn’t help recalling what Little Fatty had said earlier, his ears turning hot. He suppressed a strange unease.

…Little Fatty was definitely overthinking it.

The Shen Shi he knew, and the one in Little Fatty’s words were clearly two different people.

Suddenly, a faint shadow fell over him from behind. His shoulder brushed against someone’s chest. “What is it?”

A warm breath brushed past his ear.

Ye Ran turned his head slightly. Shen Shi had appeared behind him at some point, leaning down a little. His hand naturally reached forward, catching Ye Ran’s hand, fingers intertwining.

After holding his hand, Shen Shi lifted his gaze, calmly meeting Ye Ran’s eyes. Under the fall of his dark hair, those narrow phoenix eyes were deep and shadowed, reflecting Ye Ran’s face. “What were you thinking about?”

Ye Ran’s heartbeat sped up; he quickly looked away. “Nothing.”

Shen Shi narrowed his eyes slightly. “You drank.”

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement.

Ye Ran belatedly remembered the small third of a paper cup of beer he’d had at the bar. It wasn’t enough to affect him. And he’d already chewed the gum Brother Shu gave him; the smell of alcohol should’ve faded.

“I didn’t.” He answered, voice weak and guilty.

He didn’t even know why, he just didn’t dare let Shen Shi know he’d been drinking.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brother Shu trying to lift the dazed Little Fatty from the corner.

Shen Shi said nothing.

Ye Ran suddenly had this absurd illusion, that he was a husband caught red-handed sneaking out drinking at night.

He coughed softly, trying to shake the feeling, and prepared to confess honestly.

“I didn’t drink much—”

A shadow fell over his face. Shen Shi pulled his hoodie up over his head.

The faint, cool scent on Shen Shi’s body filled his nose.

At that close distance, Shen Shi gently squeezed his palm, as if checking whether he’d really been drinking, then leaned down and found his lips.

Under the dim light of the hood, Ye Ran’s lips were pried open; the tip of his tongue instinctively drew back, only to be caught. Shen Shi’s slow, deliberate sucking made soft, wet sounds.

Ye Ran’s knees went weak, eyes half-lidded, his whole body turning to water. The heat of breath spread through the mingled lips and teeth. He couldn’t bear it, tried to step back, but Shen Shi’s arm circled his waist, pulling him even closer.

By the time Shen Shi finally let him go, Ye Ran’s eyes were unfocused, lips parted, unable to close them. His tongue, slightly swollen and flushed red, peeked out a little, soft and obedient.

Shen Shi was about to speak, but when he saw the scene before him, his Adam’s apple moved slightly. His eyes lowered halfway, and he leaned down again, tilting his head under the shadow of the hood, forcing Ye Ran to continue kissing him.

It was a very indecent way of kissing.

Wet sounds echoed by his ear.

And Shen Shi’s breath—hot and urgent.

Ye Ran finally came to his senses a little, squinting as he tried to lean back. His breath came hot and uneven; his lips were flushed and full from being kissed, the corners of his eyes tinted red, lashes damp with moisture. He stared at Shen Shi in a daze, breathing raggedly. “…No more.”

His voice was hoarse from the kiss. “No more, Shen Shi.”

The large hand at his waist still held him firmly in place.

Shen Shi lowered his gaze; the black of his eyes was deep and shadowy. The restless coldness that had surrounded him earlier was gone, his aura now calm, like a beast that had finally fed.

“Alright.”

Ye Ran looked at him for a while longer.

Somehow… he felt that something was off about Shen Shi.

A little bad.

The kind of bad that pushed its luck.

He thought he was imagining it. His ears burned beneath the hood, and when Shen Shi reached to pull it down, he quickly shook his head. “No… it’s fine.”

Shen Shi looked down at him, their faces very close.

After a long pause, he said casually, “Why is your mouth sweet?”

Ye Ran’s breath hitched. “I—is it?”

Shen Shi nodded. “Mm. Very sweet.”

Ye Ran moved his lips, then suddenly remembered. “…I had gum earlier.”

“Where’s the gum?” Shen Shi asked.

Ye Ran froze, then looked at him helplessly. “Oh no… I think I swallowed it.”

In the dim light, Shen Shi’s lips curved faintly. The sharpness in his usual expression softened, and though the light hid his eyes, the lazy amusement in his voice could be heard.

He asked, “So what now?”

Ye Ran said, “I’ll just drink more water when we get back.”

“Mm,” Shen Shi murmured, then added thoughtfully, “Or maybe I swallowed it.”

Ye Ran’s face flushed deeper, words stuck in his throat.

Shen Shi pinched his fingertips. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Ye Ran swallowed hard. The air felt too thick to breathe.

After a few seconds, he said softly, “…No way.”

Shen Shi said, “I’ll drink more water too, just in case.”

It didn’t seem like an illusion.

Ye Ran groaned silently inside.

Shen Shi really was a little bad.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe properly. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Brother Shu still struggling to lift Little Fatty. Trying to sound natural, Ye Ran turned his head and said, “Let’s go help Brother Shu. The school’s going to lock up soon.”

Shen Shi straightened up with him, lazily keeping their hands joined. The warmth between their palms was high, slightly damp with sweat. Following behind Ye Ran, he walked toward the other two.

Brother Shu looked up and saw Ye Ran wearing a hoodie, his expression somewhat unnatural.

He didn’t ask. Then he glanced at Shen Shi, whose breathing had returned to normal, and instantly knew something must have happened. But as a single man, he had absolutely no desire to know what that “something” was.

With Shen Shi’s help, they managed to haul Little Fatty by the collar to the side of the road.

Brother Shu, exhausted and sweating, finally waved down a taxi.

He tossed Little Fatty into the backseat and quickly slid into the front passenger seat.

Ye Ran and Shen Shi got in after.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Beijing University,” someone answered.

The air inside was stuffy. Little Fatty mumbled something incoherent.

The driver immediately glanced in the rearview mirror, wary. “If he throws up, it’s three hundred.”

Shen Shi nodded calmly, pulled a tissue from his pocket, and stuffed it into Little Fatty’s mouth.

Little Fatty’s eyes rolled back, and he went completely silent.

Driver: “…”

Holy cr*p. There was a scary one in this car.

He slammed the gas pedal, speeding toward Beijing University.

Ye Ran rolled down the window. When his ears finally cooled, he used his free hand—the one not held by Shen Shi—to take off his hoodie.

Noticing the movement, Shen Shi looked over at him unhurriedly.

After a few seconds, he squeezed Ye Ran’s fingers lightly, then looked away.

He hadn’t said a word, but Ye Ran had a strange feeling that if there hadn’t been others in the car, Shen Shi probably would’ve kissed him again.

That thought—

He stiffened against the seatback.

His ears started burning again.

This was… kind of bad.