Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 34

After those words fell, the corridor became utterly silent.

The central air conditioner hummed faintly, blowing out a stream of cold air.

Ye Ran rubbed his forehead; only then did he realize Shen Shi still hadn’t said a word.

He turned his head slowly and glanced over.

Shen Shi was half-leaning against the wall, his lowered black hair obscuring his expression. As if sensing Ye Ran’s gaze, he lifted his eyelids slightly and looked back at him.

That glance was dark and deep, and for some reason, Ye Ran felt a flicker of panic.

“Sexual indifference,” Shen Shi’s low voice broke the silence, the tone unreadable. “What exactly does that mean?”

Ye Ran hesitated. “It means… I might not be able to make you happy.”

Shen Shi froze. A few seconds later, his voice rasped faintly, “Can’t make me happy?”

“Yeah.” Ye Ran took a deep breath and decided to lay it all out. “When it comes to sex, I’m a bit slow to respond… or maybe I just don’t have much desire. You might… react when we kiss, but I won’t.”

He didn’t notice how Shen Shi suddenly fell silent.

Frowning, he went on awkwardly, “When you kissed me, I actually didn’t feel much of anything.”

…Didn’t feel anything.

Shen Shi silently rolled those words over in his mind.

Very good.

He closed his eyes briefly. A rare surge of irritability burned beneath his skin; even his breathing faltered.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze dropped to the curve of Ye Ran’s lowered neck. Pale skin peeked through the disarray of dark hair, faintly luminous like fine white jade.

His eyes darkened further. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he glanced toward the far end of the corridor—

There, faintly glowing red, was a hidden surveillance camera.

A few seconds later, he restrained himself, licking his canine tooth before pulling his gaze away.

“Shen Shi.”

Under the warm, dim light, Ye Ran remained oblivious. He stood up, his phoenix eyes calm and clear, his expression tinged with guilt and unease as he apologized softly, “I’m really sorry.”

“You shouldn’t like me.”

A carnivore and an herbivore—there’s no way that could work!

…

After saying that, Ye Ran nervously glanced at Shen Shi’s expression.

To his surprise, Shen Shi didn’t respond to his words. He only gave a brief nod and said quietly, “It’s not convenient to talk here.”

“Let’s go back to the room.”

Ye Ran couldn’t see his face clearly, and obediently nodded. As they walked, he mumbled self-critically, “It’s not that I’m denying your attractiveness. It’s really just my problem.”

Shen Shi only made a soft sound of acknowledgment, his strides quickening.

Ye Ran could hardly keep up. After a moment, he finally realized—

…Shen Shi was angry.

Of course he was. Ye Ran should’ve told him earlier about possibly being “sexually indifferent.” Now that things had turned out like this, Shen Shi must feel deceived.

Ye Ran sighed helplessly.

What should he do now?

He was desperate too!

***

Night deepened. The hot spring inn remained lively.

Voices echoed faintly from the various pools, but on the way back to the room, Ye Ran saw no one.

After such a chaotic night, he was exhausted.

His body’s internal clock urged him to shower and sleep.

With a soft beep, Shen Shi swiped open the room door.

Ye Ran yawned again, stepping sleepily into the pitch-dark room. He was just wondering why Shen Shi hadn’t turned on the light—

When suddenly, a heavy shadow fell over him.

That familiar sense of danger surged through his body.

His pupils contracted. Before he could speak, he was pinned against the wall, knees forced apart, head tilted back, his lips caught in a searing, breath-stealing kiss.

He had never been kissed like this before.

Shen Shi was usually gentle and gradual, waiting for him to adapt before deepening the kiss, lightly teasing with his tongue. But this time was completely different, fierce and stormlike from the start.

Ye Ran’s legs went weak; he trembled and nearly collapsed, sliding helplessly down to the carpet.

Even so, Shen Shi didn’t let him off. Like a starving beast that hadn’t tasted meat for ten or fifteen days, he once again lowered his head, found Ye Ran’s lips, pried them open, and forced his way in.

Once he caught his prey, he wouldn’t let go.

(Just kissing — but a sulking man is nothing to trifle with.)

Ye Ran trembled under the kiss, shoulders curling inward, his eyelashes soon damp with moisture.

He squinted his eyes; the rims were wet and flushed red. Even after Shen Shi finally released him, he still couldn’t recover from the overwhelming sensation. His gaze drifted aimlessly, lips parted, eyes blankly unfocused on the empty air.

His tongue tip, flushed and swollen red, flickered faintly between his teeth.

Then that familiar breath brushed against him again. His lashes fluttered, and the very tip of his tongue was lightly caught.

Only this time, the shadow before him finally rose and drew back.

The suffocating, predatory air around them slowly dissipated.

A sharp click.

The dim, warm-orange light flicked on. Ye Ran blinked uncomfortably and turned toward the source.

Shen Shi stood beside the bed, having switched on the bedside lamp.

The light spilled over him as he picked up his charged tablet. He glanced over casually, his expression as calm as ever, yet his eyes were dark and heavy-lidded, filled with something that made Ye Ran’s heart stutter and race.

Shen Shi… how could he…

He’d gone too far.

Ye Ran almost felt like he’d been kissed to the point of breaking.

His body kept trembling uncontrollably; sweat beaded on his skin, the damp ends of his hair clinging to his neck and prickling uncomfortably yet he had no strength to brush them away.

He swallowed hard and froze. There was a faint taste in his mouth that didn’t belong to him. A wave of weakness washed over him.

Shen Shi… this is too much—

Just as anger began to rise, Shen Shi’s voice came suddenly, calm and detached, as though that fierce kiss had never happened. “You really don’t react to my kisses.”

Ye Ran: “?”

He blinked, stunned. “…What?”

He watched blankly as Shen Shi stood from the bedside, walked toward him step by step, and then sat down on the carpet across from him. Shen Shi’s gaze dropped to his bathrobe.

Ye Ran, following instinct, also looked down but his eyes accidentally swept past Shen Shi’s lap.

In an instant, it was like being stung by a bee — every emotion vanished. He pressed himself against the wall and lifted his head carefully, voice trembling: “Maybe you should… go deal with that.”

“It’s fine.” Shen Shi unlocked the tablet; the screen’s glow lit his face. His tone was unchanged, as if none of this was of any consequence. “Ignore it.”

But it’s clearly reacting to me!

Ye Ran’s scalp prickled, his fingers clutching the carpet fibers at random. His ears burned red.

Little Shen Shi is being way too impolite!

He struggled to steady his breathing, trying to appear as composed as Shen Shi but his mind was chaos. Within seconds, random images popped up in his head: a cola bottle, or a Wahaha drink bottle.

Ye Ran: “…”

I’m corrupted, d*mn it.

“Ye Ran.” Shen Shi’s voice broke through his daze, calm and level. “You probably are sexually indifferent.”

He continued, “You helped me confirm my sexual orientation before. This time, it’s my turn to help you.”

Ye Ran’s gaze instinctively fell to Shen Shi’s hands.

Shen Shi was holding the tablet. On the glowing screen, a search bar displayed a freshly entered line of text: [How to tell if you’re sexually indifferent.]

Ye Ran was dumbfounded. “…”

This operation… looked awfully familiar.

Shen Shi tilted his head slightly, his eyes shadowed under his fringe, no visible emotion, just cool objectivity. “Kissing alone can’t confirm that you’re sexually indifferent. I’ll look it up, okay?”

Ye Ran hesitated, then nodded.

Only then did Shen Shi tap search. The page flickered and loaded a list of results.

At the top was a link titled “20-Question Test for Sexual Indifference.”

Shen Shi narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing casually at Ye Ran’s quiet, dazed profile, his lips still swollen from the kiss, the soft curve of his mouth slightly open in surprise. “This is…”

He withdrew his gaze and said naturally, “It’s a self-assessment quiz. Want to try it?”

Ye Ran: “…”

He slowly closed his mouth. Yes, this whole thing felt very familiar.

As a loyal Baidu user, Ye Ran trusted it implicitly. “Okay.”

“Wait.” Before starting, he asked cautiously, “It doesn’t cost money, right?”

Shen Shi raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with understanding. “No.”

Good.

Ye Ran relaxed. After all, that so-called sexual orientation test last time had cost him 200 yuan.

The room was dim.

The warm orange light created a cozy, safe atmosphere.

They sat together in the shadowed corner, close enough that even their breaths mingled.

“First question,” Shen Shi read aloud. “Do you rarely have sexual fantasies?”

Ye Ran, embarrassed: “…Yes.”

“Second question: Do you feel aroused when you hear, talk about, or see sexual scenes?”

Ye Ran forced down his discomfort. “…No.”

“Third question: Have you ever experienced sexual trauma or abuse?”

Ye Ran: “…No.”

“Fourth question: Do you feel aroused when you see suggestive behavior or scenes?”

Ye Ran: “…No.”

…

The twenty questions were finished quickly. The screen now displayed: Generating analysis report — approximately one minute required.

Leaning numbly against the wall, Ye Ran felt as if he’d just survived a heavenly tribulation.

Was this what Shen Shi had felt when he’d done that “sexual orientation test” before?

No — back then, he was probably the only one suffering in silence.

A minute later, Shen Shi said, “The results are out.”

Ye Ran’s spirit instantly tightened.

The nighttime internet speed was a bit slow.

The report gradually cleared from a blur into legible text, and without realizing it, Ye Ran scooted closer beside Shen Shi, staring fixedly at the screen until he saw a glaring red stamp.

[Test Result: Sexual Indifference.]

It was clearly not a great result, yet Ye Ran’s feelings were a tangled mess, to his own surprise, his eyes even stung a little.

So I really can’t give Shen Shi hap—

“Is it accurate?” Shen Shi suddenly asked.

Ye Ran sighed. “I think it’s pretty accu—”

Before he could finish, Shen Shi had already clicked open the “Recommended Solutions” section, and Ye Ran followed his movements down the screen.

[Recommended Solutions:]

1. Undergo testosterone therapy.

2. Appropriately supplement male hormones.

3. Have regular prostate function checkups.

4. Impotence isn’t a disease; it’s mostly psychological, consider psychotherapy.

Ye Ran: “…”

Ye Ran: “…………”

Boom.

His mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom. He felt like he couldn’t lift his head; it was as if two great mountains were pressing down on his shoulders—one labeled “Impo,” the other “tence.”

Im… impotence?!

Shen Shi was silent for a couple of seconds. Then, quietly closing the tablet, he leaned down in the dark, finding Ye Ran’s downcast face with unerring accuracy.

“This one isn’t accurate.”

He was so close that his features flickered in and out under the dim light, deep, sculpted, and dangerously clear.

Ye Ran instinctively leaned back, but Shen Shi caught the back of his neck and brushed a kiss against his lips. Shen Shi’s voice was slow and calm as he said, “I took it too. According to the report, I’m also sexually indifferent.”

Ye Ran perked up a little, asking weakly, “Really?”

After all, Little Shen Shi had seemed quite spirited.

“Really,” Shen Shi said. “These free self-tests are too broad; their accuracy isn’t high.”

Ye Ran thought for a moment. “The paid ones aren’t accurate either.”

“Then we’ll find another method.”

“Okay.” Ye Ran nodded gloomily.

The tablet lit up again.

This time, Shen Shi straightened his back, and the two of them looked at the screen together. Beneath the self-test result, the second related link was from an account called ‘Two-Sex Encyclopedia’, offering further “solutions.”

…You again?!

Ye Ran immediately objected. “That one’s a clickbait account.”

Shen Shi paused, turning his head toward him. “Clickbait?”

“Yeah.” Ye Ran leaned forward and scrolled down a bit, spotting another account named ‘Life All-Encyclopedia.’ That one at least sounded more credible. “Let’s read this one.”

Shen Shi nodded obediently and opened it.

The webpage loaded for several long seconds before displaying an article in full academic format, complete with headings and subheadings.

Ye Ran instinctively skipped straight to the testing methods section—

1. Determine whether there’s any physical response through kissing, hugging, and similar actions.

Below that was a dense block of analysis and explanation, all the way to the end of the page, and not a single “method two” in sight.

Ye Ran: “…”

Two-Sex Encyclopedia, don’t think I won’t recognize you just because you changed your name!

It’s you again, isn’t it?!

…

The room fell into an odd silence.

Shen Shi idly twirled his stylus, glancing at Ye Ran from the corner of his eye. His tone was light, contemplative: “…Kissing, hugging.”

Ye Ran finally snapped out of his daze. His ears went hot, and his back once again pressed flat against the wall like a small creature sensing danger, afraid of being devoured again. “That… didn’t we just do that?”

“Not the same,” Shen Shi said.

“It should be you who takes the initiative.”

Ye Ran: “…”

He drew in a deep breath. “Me… taking the initiative?”

“Mhm.” Shen Shi lifted his eyelids, dark eyes gleaming faintly, his chin propped casually on his hand. “Do you want me to teach you?”

Ye Ran gave a dry cough.

What’s there to teach?

It’s just a kiss.

With a doomed sort of resolve, he muttered “no need,” then leaned in quickly and gave Shen Shi a brief peck on the lips.

Shen Shi’s lips were thin and cool, their curve elegant, the very picture of detachment.

As soon as he pulled back, Ye Ran clenched his fists and said stiffly, “…Mm. No feeling.”

Shen Shi didn’t move.

The air was silent.

Ye Ran had the faintest sense that something was off. After a few seconds, he cautiously looked down. Shen Shi was leaning slightly toward him, head tilted back to meet his gaze, expression unreadable.

That familiar sense of danger returned, the kind that made his pulse go haywire.

“I…”

He stammered dryly, “I’ll try again.”

“Mhm.” Shen Shi lowered his gaze, speaking calmly. “This time, open your mouth and remember to use your tongue.”

Ye Ran clutched at the carpet, palms sweating. “…Oh.”

He leaned down slowly, Shen Shi’s face coming into sharp focus before him.

The feel of those lips, soft and faintly cool, was strange and electric. As soon as they touched, Ye Ran had the urge to pull back again, but Shen Shi seemed to read his mind. His eyelids lifted slightly, and in the deep darkness of his pupils, Ye Ran saw his own reflection.

Ye Ran’s heartbeat instantly skipped a few beats. He tentatively parted his lips, and just as the tip of his tongue cautiously reached out, he felt another breath of warm, moist heat.

For two whole seconds, his mind went blank. Acting purely on instinct, he clumsily brushed against Shen Shi’s patient, waiting tongue then bolted away without thinking.

This kiss felt even harder than surviving a heavenly tribulation.

He hurriedly tried to steady his breathing, the corners of his eyes still flushed red. Rambling, he said, “It’s done… I didn’t feel anything.”

“Really?”

Shen Shi slowly straightened up.

Sitting upright, he was half a head taller than Ye Ran. Under the dim light, he lowered his eyes lazily, broad shoulders blocking out the warm light spilling from behind him.

Surrounded by that shadow, Ye Ran instantly realized the danger. He curled up, covered his mouth, and looked at him with wide, alarmed eyes—clean, narrow, and trembling. His voice came out muffled: “…Don’t kiss me.”

Shen Shi didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned forward and reached for Ye Ran’s wrist.

Trapped within that small space, Ye Ran couldn’t see his expression. Panic flooded him as he bent low, trying to crawl away just like he had done earlier on the bed but this time, Shen Shi calmly blocked every escape route.

Ye Ran’s strength was no match for him; it was like a candle before a bonfire.

In the end, his wrist was pried open, fingers intertwined, pulled firmly into Shen Shi’s arms then kissed dizzy, disoriented, and utterly undone.

By the time he was finally released, Ye Ran’s hair was damp with sweat, clinging to his cheeks. From the corners of his eyes to his fingertips, even his neck glowed with a flushed, damp red. His breathing trembled, shaky and uneven, as if even air couldn’t find its way in.

Shen Shi’s gaze slid from his robe and away. “Mm. No reaction,” he said lightly.

Ye Ran stared at him blankly. Shen Shi picked up the tablet again.

The glow from the screen fell across his face, his thin lips were a deep red, glistening faintly, his lashes lowered, his whole demeanor steeped in languid, satisfied calm.

After a pause, he murmured thoughtfully, “Second point: use external stimuli to see if there’s any reaction.”

Ye Ran: “…”

Ye Ran: “…………”

His drifting thoughts came crashing down. Without thinking, he blurted, “I have normal morning reactions.” 

So there’s absolutely no need to test that way!

His voice came out low and hoarse, words dragging slightly after the kissing.

Shen Shi paused, nodded, and checked that item off. “Okay, skip this one.”

Ye Ran barely had time to breathe in relief before Shen Shi continued:

“Third point: watch an aesthetic film, create an ambiguous atmosphere, and experience emotional immersion.”

Recommended films:

For heterosexual subjects: Heaven’s Love Letter

For homosexual subjects: Deep Blue

There’s more?!

Ye Ran buried his head between his knees, refusing to look at Shen Shi, wordlessly expressing his protest.

Shen Shi spoke leisurely: “This is the last one.”

…The last one.

Ye Ran hesitated, then finally lifted his head from his knees.

Across from him, Shen Shi was watching quietly. His tone didn’t change: “If you still don’t have a reaction this time, then we can be sure.”

“…If it’s confirmed,” Ye Ran asked softly, “will you still chase me?”

Shen Shi looked at him, then as if granting his wish, shook his head.

“No.”

***

The room had its own projector and screen. Ye Ran climbed onto the bed, watching as Shen Shi adjusted the equipment. Shen Shi was crouched by the projector, his back muscles smooth and taut, moving with a subtle rhythm of power.

Before long, the film’s opening theme began to play.

Shen Shi turned off the bedside lamp and sat down beside him on the bed.

Ye Ran: “?”

As if reading his thoughts, Shen Shi said, “Watching together helps create the atmosphere.”

Ye Ran was silent for a moment, then shuffled toward the foot of the bed, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket.

Yes, that’s right. He was going to watch fully armored. As long as he stayed firm, no atmosphere could be created.

Shen Shi’s eyes glinted faintly with amusement. He leaned casually against the headboard, gaze fixed on the screen as the images shifted across it.

Deep Blue told a seaside story; two boys who grew up together, childhood companions, loving each other deeply. On their twentieth birthday, a painter arrived in town.

The painter was young and handsome, a smooth talker. By describing the wonders of the outside world, he stirred the heart of the younger boy. Seeing his success, the painter pressed harder: sending flowers, food, photographs, and books from beyond their small world.

At last, the younger boy was tempted and left town with the painter, eager to see the world.

When the older boy discovered their disappearance, he set out at once to find him. When he did, the younger boy was in a hotel, nearly forced by the painter.

At the critical moment, the older boy burst in, knocked the painter unconscious, and the younger boy finally realized his true feelings. No matter how vast the outside world, his heart still belonged to the older boy. But by then, the older boy had already darkened.

….

The room was completely dark, hushed and still.

Only the faint sound of the air conditioner’s blades turning filled the air.

The film’s first half was warm and tender—the ocean deep and blue, a beautiful seaside town with beaches, sunlight, fishing boats, and dappled rays filtering through palm leaves. Two young men played by the shore, carefree and laughing.

Scene after scene flowed like water, the flickering light brushing across Ye Ran’s cheeks. Unknowingly, he was drawn in, sitting up straight, watching intently.

Then, midway through, the tone shifted.

A dark hotel, roaring wind and rain, a lonely road lined with bare trees, and an empty wilderness.

The younger boy was tied to a bed by the furious older one, his shirt torn apart with a sharp rip.

The atmosphere instantly turned ambiguous.

Ye Ran coughed awkwardly, but because the plot was genuinely good, he kept his eyes wide open, waiting to see what would happen next.

Seven or eight minutes later, the two protagonists were still tangled in scenes of both physical and emotional torment.

Ye Ran couldn’t take it anymore and muttered inwardly that the movie’s storyline was starting to fall apart.

The next second, a low, heated breath brushed against his ear.

Startled, he turned his head only to meet Shen Shi’s gaze in the dim light crafted by the film, dark and bottomless, like a pool of spilled ink.

…

Ye Ran’s breath caught. He immediately ducked under the blanket, his voice hoarse and muffled.

“…No kissing.”

Shen Shi’s Adam’s apple shifted slightly. He lifted his head.

On the movie screen, the two leads were still busy with their elaborate displays of passion. Shen Shi narrowed his eyes, watching for a while before finally glancing toward the lump under the blanket that was Ye Ran, refusing to move.

Ye Ran was sweating under the covers, clutching them tightly, giving Shen Shi not the slightest chance to act up.

After a while, it got hard to breathe.

The muffled sounds of the movie buzzed faintly in his ears. The two leads hadn’t even reached the main act yet. Ye Ran didn’t know where the story had gone when suddenly, the voice of the main shou rose sharply.

Ye Ran blinked in confusion, then felt the quilt at the foot of the bed being grasped. A large, well-defined hand pressed against the fabric, not pulling it open, just a rough, low voice saying: “I’m not kissing you.”

Ye Ran didn’t believe that for a second and kept wrapping the blanket even tighter.

Sensing his wariness, Shen Shi’s voice softened further, coaxing gently: “I swear—if I kiss you, I’ll also turn asexual.”

What a vicious oath.

Ye Ran knew Shen Shi was a man of his word. After a few seconds of hesitation, he reluctantly shifted aside, opening a small gap in the blanket.

A moment later, a hand seized that opening and lifted it—

Dim light poured in, carrying the faint chill of Shen Shi’s scent.

Ye Ran blinked, about to crawl out from under the blanket when he realized the gap was widening. Shen Shi’s cool, handsome face appeared in the opening, and then he actually climbed in.

Ye Ran stared, completely baffled, and sucked in a few desperate breaths of fresh air. “What are you doing?”

Had the movie suddenly turned into a horror film?!

Shen Shi’s frame was lean and tall. In moments, he was sitting right beside him, his voice low and rough, tinged with restrained heat, murmuring something against his ear.

Ye Ran’s ears instantly burned red. Without thinking, he scooted away, clutching his robe. “…No!”

“What nonsense are you saying?!” His ears felt contaminated!

Shen Shi let out a helpless sigh, his breath heavy. “That’s the key part of the third step. If we don’t verify it, the movie’s been for nothing.”

Ye Ran: “…”

D*mn it, why did his pursuer have so many creative ideas?

Sweat dotted the tip of his nose. His expression shifted again and again, but he still sat curled up, holding his robe tight, motionless.

Shen Shi’s breath pressed closer, warm and steady, brushing his ear. His chin rested lightly on Ye Ran’s narrow shoulder, his voice low and hoarse, almost pleading:

“Just once. Okay?”

Ye Ran’s body stiffened. The heat of Shen Shi’s breath made him uncomfortably restless.

He spoke very quietly, his tone awkward and suspicious from embarrassment: “…Then you’d better keep your word.”

He hesitantly lowered his hands from his robe. The instant his palms dropped, he felt scorched by Shen Shi’s intense, heated gaze and froze again, reminding him insistently: “I really am asexual. Even if we do this, it’s still… anyway, remember, you’re not allowed to chase me anymore.”

Shen Shi leaned lazily against his shoulder, patient as ever, and hummed in quiet agreement.

“Got it.”