Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 31

Morning.

A faint whiteness spread across the sky.

The blackout curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows hadn’t been drawn. In a haze, Ye Ran felt the glow of morning light. He lifted his eyelids slightly, his vision still veiled, only able to make out the softly gurgling spring in the backyard, and the lush greenery growing by its edge.

The courtyard was quiet. On this cold winter morning, the blanket was warm and soft, the air conditioner humming out gentle heat. His head still ached faintly from last night’s drinking. He closed his eyes again, leaning back lightly, intending to doze a little longer—

Behind him was another body—tall, broad, and solid.

The man’s chest radiated warmth. He was wearing only a simple bathrobe, his breathing long and even, falling softly against the back of Ye Ran’s neck, where the ends of his hair brushed his skin.

Ye Ran: “?”

Ye Ran: “???”

His whole body went rigid in an instant. He propped himself up, turning around in disbelief.

In the stillness, he saw Shen Shi’s face.

Those well-defined features came sharply into focus — deep, handsome brows, short jet-black hair. That face, usually cool and distant when awake, looked faintly tired now after too little sleep.

Under Ye Ran’s blank stare, Shen Shi seemed to sense something. His eyelids moved slightly, parting just enough to reveal eyes still hazy from sleep. After a moment, his low, slightly hoarse voice sounded:

“…Awake?”

He also propped himself up halfway, voice rough and deep:

“Not sleeping anymore?”

The air beneath the blanket was thick with mingled warmth.

Ye Ran caught the scent of Shen Shi, a mix of red wine and something faintly cool, clinging also to himself.

His mind went blank. Instinctively, he leaned back.

“This… I—why am I…?”

Shen Shi rubbed his brow casually, then lifted his chin toward the other bed.

Ye Ran turned at once, and his breath caught.

On the bed by the window, the quilt was messy, a faint, still-damp patch visible on the sheets.

“This is…?” he asked numbly.

Meeting Ye Ran’s bewildered gaze, Shen Shi lowered his hand, a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes.

“You were drunk last night,” he said. “Went to bed wearing a wet bathrobe.”

Ye Ran stared at the damp marks on the other bed. It was obvious, not only had he climbed into bed soaking wet, he’d even kicked off the blanket… maybe even made a scene.

The thought alone made him unable to meet Shen Shi’s eyes.

“Then I didn’t… do anything else, did I?” he asked, his throat tight.

“Anything else?” Shen Shi raised a brow, gaze indifferent. “Aside from not changing clothes before bed…nothing.”

That was… a relief.

Ye Ran just started to relax, but when his eyes dropped to the clean bathrobe on himself, he froze again.

Right — a bathrobe doesn’t put itself on.

So—

“I changed it for you,” Shen Shi said evenly, as if reading his thoughts.

Ye Ran looked at him. Shen Shi’s eyes were half-lowered, his pale hand buried in his dark hair. When he lifted his gaze again, his voice was low and hoarse: “Going back to sleep?”

“It’s only seven-thirty,” Shen Shi added. “Get some more rest. We’ll see what to do when they wake up.”

The clock on the wall ticked softly. Outside, thin mountain mist veiled the hot-spring inn.

Little Fatty had already made an itinerary before the trip. Brother Shu had helped, determined to get their money’s worth.

Ye Ran had glanced at it yesterday: hiking halfway up the mountain to soak in a natural hot spring, seasonal foot therapy, Thai massage, ear-cleaning, spa sessions, even a note reminding everyone to eat more seafood at the buffet.

Just thinking about it now made him feel exhausted.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds, then lay down again.

“…Okay.”

The bed was large. He cautiously shifted toward the edge, leaving almost a full person’s width of space between them.

A moment later, Shen Shi lay down as well.

The scent of both their bodies filled the air under the covers.

The faint aroma of red wine made Ye Ran realize Shen Shi had probably drunk quite a bit last night too. Not only had he been drunk, Shen Shi likely was as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forgotten to call the front desk or change the bedding.

So they’d just slept together like that all night… The thought alone made Ye Ran’s ears burn.

A soft beep broke the silence, the smart curtains closed automatically, shutting out the dim morning light.

The room fell into darkness again. Ye Ran’s fragile wakefulness dissolved; the comfortable warmth dulled his thoughts.

He reminded himself not to move, not to tug at the blanket. His breathing evened out, drowsiness rolled in and before he could even set an alarm, he drifted off once more.

He slept neatly, back facing Shen Shi, black hair fanning over the pillow, the pale line of his neck and shoulder exposed, slender and clean, carrying a youthful air.

Shen Shi looked at him quietly. After a few seconds, he lowered his gaze; his eyelids veiled the depth in his eyes, calm as usual.

***

When he next woke, it was to the vibration of a ringing phone.

Ye Ran surfaced from a sweet, dark dream, feeling vaguely hot, warm breath brushing the back of his neck.

He blinked blearily and again found himself face-to-face with Shen Shi.

They were nearly tangled together. His head rested on Shen Shi’s chest, one of Shen Shi’s arms looped around his waist, holding him as if afraid he’d fall off the bed.

Ye Ran: “…”

Ye Ran: “…………”

He was completely numb.

He shut his eyes briefly, then sat up carefully, easing Shen Shi’s arm away. Looking around, he spotted his phone on the carpet.

It was still ringing. The caller ID showed “Little Fatty.”

Just as he picked it up, Shen Shi stirred awake too.

Ye Ran answered, “Hello? Little Fatty.”

“Ye Ran!” After a night’s rest, Little Fatty’s voice was full of cheer again. “You and Shen Shi up yet? We’ve got a packed day ahead, several things to do! Get ready quick, we’ll go down for breakfast together!”

Ye Ran said, “Okay.”

He glanced at the time — 9:30.

In the background, Brother Shu’s grumbling voice came through, half-awake and cranky:

“D*mn it, you know you were snoring last night? Thought someone was driving an excavator outside!”

“I slept too deeply yesterday… must’ve been the alcohol,” Little Fatty said sheepishly over the phone.

Ye Ran hung up, went to his backpack to look for clothes, and turned around to see Shen Shi getting out of bed as well.

Forcing himself to forget the scene from earlier, he spoke as if nothing had happened.

“I’ll go shower first.”

Standing by the bed, Shen Shi was untying his bathrobe belt. He gave a low hum in response, eyes glancing sideways at Ye Ran.

“Mm.”

Ye Ran didn’t dare meet his gaze and slipped quickly into the bathroom.

By the time both of them had showered and changed into fresh bathrobes, it was already ten o’clock.

At ten, the buffet restaurant was lively with guests who had just woken up.

Ye Ran casually picked up a few things and sat at a four-person table to wait for the others.

At the next table sat a family of four. The two children were running up and down the aisle, giggling and playing. One of them suddenly vanished from sight.

As Ye Ran peeled an egg and took small bites, he caught sight of Shen Shi walking back with a completely blank expression, holding a small child by the collar.

Ye Ran nearly choked on his egg yolk.

“…Shen, Shen Shi?” He immediately stood up, dazed, his eyes landing on the tray Shen Shi held steadily, two cups of steaming milk rested on it. “What happened?”

The restaurant’s hot milk could be reheated by the chef, who added honey to improve the flavor and aroma.

It turned out Shen Shi had come back late because he was waiting in line. Ye Ran took the tray from him and looked down at the little boy, who seemed to have his fate firmly pinched in someone’s grasp.

As soon as the boy was set down, his eyes reddened. He pouted pitifully.

“Big brother, I want milk too.”

Without even looking at him, Shen Shi pushed one of the cups toward Ye Ran, his tone cool and indifferent.

“Go line up yourself.”

The boy bit his lip, clearly angry but not daring to protest. Then he looked at Ye Ran again, eyes watery and pleading.

“Big brother, I don’t want to wait in line.”

Ye Ran blinked.

“Then what should we do?”

The boy froze.

Ye Ran pinched his cheek lightly and smiled.

“This milk was warmed by my brother for me. I can’t give it to you.”

Across the table, Shen Shi’s hand paused mid-motion. His lashes lowered, hiding the darkness of his pupils. After a brief silence, he resumed eating, though the heavy expression on his face seemed to ease a little.

The boy, sly as he was, knew when he wasn’t wanted. Seeing that neither Ye Ran nor Shen Shi would indulge him, he gave up quickly, whining as he ran back to his parents.

The freshly warmed milk was indeed delicious, sweet, soothing, and a perfect cure for a hangover.

“Does your head still hurt?” Shen Shi asked.

“No, it’s fine now,” Ye Ran replied, then asked in turn, “What about you?”

He himself only had a low alcohol tolerance and had drunk just three glasses of light plum wine the night before. But Shen Shi was different, Ye Ran vaguely remembered him drinking red wine before passing out.

He must’ve been even drunker.

“I’m fine,” Shen Shi said.

As they were talking, Little Fatty and Brother Shu returned with plates piled high with food, seafood fried rice, brown sugar sponge cakes, hot dry noodles, and fruit for dessert.

Ye Ran looked at the table.

“Can you even finish all that?”

“Of course,” Little Fatty grinned. “I actually woke up from hunger this morning.”

Brother Shu was cutting into a steak.

“So, what are we doing after this?”

Between bites, Little Fatty pulled out his phone.

“Massage. I heard the massages here are top-notch.”

Ye Ran was a little tempted. He spent most days hunched over his desk drawing, and his neck and back often ached.

“Are they really that good?”

“Absolutely,” Little Fatty said confidently. “Everyone who tried it gave five-star reviews.”

Brother Shu looked uninterested.

“Then you two go for massages. I saw a foot bath over there, I’ll go soak instead.”

He turned to Shen Shi.

“You’re coming with me, right? You don’t really need a massage anyway.”

Shen Shi lifted his head. Across the table, Ye Ran was peering curiously at the reviews on Little Fatty’s phone.

Little Fatty leaned close, whispering with mock mystery,

“They say all the massage therapists are beautiful ladies. D*mn, I’m definitely going.”

Ye Ran didn’t care much about that, he pointed at a photo in the review.

“But this one’s a man.”

“Tch.” Little Fatty leaned closer, grumbling enviously, “Even the male masseurs these days have bodies like that? No way, I’m having a beautiful lady, period.”

“Oh,” Ye Ran said mildly. “I think it’s random, though.”

In the service industry, appearance mattered.

After being around Shen Shi’s face every day, Ye Ran had built up an immunity to good looks. He was more focused on the “body and mind relaxation” tag in the review.

“Why does it say the massage relaxes the mind, too?”

Brother Shu jumped in before Little Fatty could answer.

“You don’t get it. Once your blood circulation improves, your body releases energy. That energy activates your potential and stimulates dopamine secretion. That’s why you feel happy and relaxed.”

Little Fatty gave a simpler explanation.

“Basically, if a hot guy or girl massages you, how could you not feel relaxed?”

Ye Ran nodded in realization.

“Ah, so that’s it.”

He wasn’t too interested in the “mental relaxation” part, but the idea of loosening up his stiff shoulders and neck was appealing.

After a two-second pause, he nodded.

“Alright, I’ll go too.”

At that, Shen Shi slowly narrowed his eyes and looked over.

Ye Ran sat by the window, half his body outlined by sunlight. The loose bathrobe draped over him, his head tilted down slightly, the curve of his eye soft and calm. His neck was pale and smooth, half-covered by dark strands of hair, which made the exposed skin seem even softer.

A few seconds later—

With a soft clink, Shen Shi set down his utensils.

Everyone looked at him instinctively.

Ye Ran had just finished his milk, a trace of white still on his lips.

Shen Shi’s tone was unreadable as he said,

“I’ll go for a massage too.”

Brother Shu froze, about to ask what kind of massage Ye Ran wanted, when his gaze fell on Shen Shi’s deep, dark pupils, black as ink, seeming to churn endlessly.

Reflected in Shen Shi’s eyes, Ye Ran had no idea of the seriousness of the situation. Smiling, he stood up and said to them: “Alright, I’ll go to the restroom first.”

Brother Shu: “…”

Brother Shu: “…………”

He immediately inhaled sharply and started frantically signaling Ye Ran with his eyes.

Ye Ran didn’t notice and left quickly.

Brother Shu: “…”

Hopeless.

After Ye Ran left, Shen Shi got up as well. Shadows pressed down from his frame as he spoke calmly: “I’ll go to the restroom too.”

After the two left, Little Fatty thought for a moment and also got up: “Alright then, I’ll go too…”

“Go do what!” Brother Shu groaned, pulling him back, exasperated. “Ye Ran’s already taken! What are you doing taking him for a massage? And with hot guys and girls? You’re just creating trouble for them!”

Little Fatty looked confused: “It’s not like it’s only hot guys and girls. Uncle and aunty could do it too, right?”

Brother Shu: “?”

Brother Shu: “D*mn! Why didn’t you say that earlier?!”

Little Fatty didn’t understand:

“Say what? It’s fine as long as Ye Ran sees it.”

Brother Shu: “…”

Are you kidding me?

It’s not enough for Ye Ran to see. Shen Shi has to see.

***

The men’s restroom was empty.

Ye Ran finished up and stepped out from a stall, only to see Shen Shi waiting by the door.

Shen Shi wore a black bathrobe, tall and broad-shouldered, features handsome and pale. He watched Ye Ran wash and dry his hands with a faint, calm expression, no different from usual.

Ye Ran walked over:

“Why are you here?”

Shen Shi: “Waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Ye Ran smiled. “What about Little Fatty and the others? Did they go ahead?”

Shen Shi hummed: “Probably.”

Ye Ran felt strange at that “probably” and couldn’t help sneaking a glance at him.

What does “probably” even mean?

“Then let’s go.” He didn’t think much, dropping the paper towel he was holding.

Shen Shi nodded but didn’t move to leave; instead, he stepped closer.

Ye Ran stared at him blankly:

“…What’s wrong?”

He instinctively stepped back, unnerved by Shen Shi’s presence.

It felt like some deep, primal memory stirring unease in his bones.

Swallowing hard, he whispered: “Shen Shi…?”

In the silence, Shen Shi stopped in front of him. Slowly, naturally, he leaned down, shadows falling from his frame and enveloping Ye Ran.

His brows and eyes were even clearer in Ye Ran’s dazed gaze, high, defined brow bones, deep-set eyes. A cold, almost indifferent face, yet in the act of kissing, it radiated desire.

Water-like sounds filled his ears, from his lips being enclosed, to his teeth parted, to his tongue being sucked, everything blurred like a dream. Ye Ran’s body trembled, his legs went weak, and his breathing was jagged and uneven.

When released, he nearly collapsed to the floor.

Shen Shi caught him in time, holding his waist.

“Alright.”

…Alright?

What’s alright?

Ye Ran still couldn’t collect himself, pupils dilated.

He leaned against Shen Shi’s chest, his shoulders trembling slightly. A sheen of sweat covered his neck, and dark hair clung damply to his soft skin.

Inside his mouth, he still felt another heavy, heated breath.

Shen Shi’s tongue twined with his, tasting, sucking, swallowing as if it were honey.

Too…

His ears burned.

Too much.

The next second, his neck was lightly but firmly grasped, strands of hair gently swept aside. Ye Ran staggered, his eyes wet and red at the corners, hearing Shen Shi speak softly:

“Just confirming, can I make my boyfriend’s body and mind completely relaxed?”