Are All You Straight Guys Like This Chapter 53

Ye Ran fell silent for a while, then nodded.

Shen Shi resumed eating.

During the meal, Ye Ran’s eyes drooped listlessly. He didn’t speak much.

Dinner ended quickly. Just as Ye Ran was about to take the dishes downstairs, a sound came from next door, the study door opened. Father Ye walked out, apparently heading downstairs.

Ye Ran’s eyelid twitched. He immediately took a step back and, panicking, gestured to Shen Shi with a “shh.”

Shen Shi raised an eyebrow, reclining lazily on the sofa.

The warm, dim light spilled across his lean, defined abdomen. He wore gray sweatpants, loose and soft, the drawstrings hanging casually, beneath which his sharp V-line disappeared under the fabric.

Ye Ran glanced at him twice and suddenly felt that the sight was downright indecent. He quickly looked away and pressed close to the door, straining to hear his father’s footsteps.

Three seconds later, Ye Ran’s expression shifted dramatically —

If he wasn’t mistaken, his father’s footsteps had stopped right outside his door!

By the sofa, Shen Shi, who had just been lounging lazily, instantly sat upright. His eyes darkened, a trace of tension flashing across them.

The two of them were on full alert, exchanging a glance. The room was so silent they could hear each other breathe.

The air itself seemed to move in slow motion through that silence.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

Ye Ran swallowed a scream, hearing his father’s gentle voice from outside: “Ranran, are you in there?”

Ye Ran: “……”

Shen Shi: “……”

—Oh cr*p!!!

Ye Ran immediately shoved the bowls and chopsticks into Shen Shi’s hands. Shen Shi’s eyes widened slightly as Ye Ran hissed under his breath, “…Hide! Quick!”

Trying his best to stay calm, Shen Shi squeezed Ye Ran’s hand lightly to reassure him. “I can hide, but not in the closet.”

Ye Ran: “……”

He turned and pushed him in another direction. “Then go to the bathroom!”

As Ye Ran pushed him, Shen Shi’s lips curved faintly upward, the amusement carefully restrained. He turned his head to glance at the flustered, panicking Ye Ran, one slipper still on his foot, the other lost somewhere who knew where.

That slim, pale ankle peeked from under his pant leg, faint blue veins tracing like delicate branches into shadow.

At such a tense moment, Shen Shi’s mind went completely blank for a split second. He stared straight at that foot, throat bobbing dryly and before he could say anything, Ye Ran shoved him, bowls and all, into the bathroom.

Worried he might get cold, Ye Ran even threw him a clean, sun-dried towel.

Shen Shi stood there, one hand holding a bowl, the other clutching the towel, momentarily dazed.

A second later, Father Ye’s muffled voice came again from outside the door.

“…Ranran? Ranran? Are you asleep?”

Then came Ye Ran’s forcibly calm reply: “Coming, Dad, I was just on the balcony.”

Shen Shi lowered his eyes and gave a helpless little smile as he took out his phone.

A message popped up from Yu Ting a few minutes ago:

[Yu Ting]: You there, bro?

[Yu Ting]: Heard I’m sick.

[Yu Ting]: Mind telling me what disease I supposedly have?

[Yu Ting]: /smile smile smile/

The bathroom light was off.

Through the soundproof door, he could faintly hear Father Ye and Ye Ran talking.

Wrapped in the towel which smelled faintly of chamomile, Ye Ran’s scent, Shen Shi sniffed absentmindedly, one hand gripping the towel while the other typed:

[Shen Shi]: [Transfer – ¥1000]

A second later—

[Yu Ting]: [Transfer received – ¥1000]

[Yu Ting]: Bro, you really get me.

[Yu Ting]: Turns out I’m suffering from being broke.

[Yu Ting]: /rose rose rose/

[Shen Shi]: .

[Yu Ting]: Bro, Jiang Yun told me to tell you, you have to come back tomorrow night. Grandma Jiang called him earlier, and she sounded pissed. If I hadn’t said a few clever words, you two would be in serious trouble when you got back.

The faint smile on Shen Shi’s face slowly disappeared, irritation flickering in his eyes.

Yu Ting seemed to realize something then.

[Yu Ting]: Wait! Why did Jiang Yun ask me to tell you?

[Yu Ting]: Holy cr*p, you didn’t stay at a hotel tonight???

[Yu Ting]: Where the h*ll are you?!**

Shen Shi was just about to reply to Yu Ting’s message when he suddenly sensed that something outside was off.

He froze mid-motion, straightened, and moved quietly behind the door, straining to listen.

…

Ye Ran opened the door. Father Ye was standing outside wearing reading glasses and striped pajamas, holding a steaming cup of black tea, looking every bit as though he planned to have a late-night heart-to-heart.

He stepped into the room. Before saying a word, his brows furrowed.

“What’s that smell?”

The scent of curry from dinner was still heavy in the air. Ye Ran’s breath caught, and he scrambled to think up an excuse.

But Father Ye seemed to have already understood. He patted Ye Ran’s shoulder kindly. “Next time, eat as much as you want. You’re still growing, don’t feel embarrassed.”

Thinking of how Ye Ran had cooked four whole bowls of rice at lunch, Father Ye finally put the pieces together.

Ye Ran was, after all, a teenager; having a fluctuating appetite was perfectly normal.

It meant he was healthy.

Father Ye glanced around the room, the familiar decorations stirring up memories.

Ye Ran’s bedroom had been designed by his late mother. When decorating, she hadn’t made it a “child’s room,” but one suited for a young boy, warm yellow walls, lace-edged carpet, soft beanbag chairs and cushions, and a balcony converted into a sunny little study.

Even though it wasn’t a childish space, every detail felt thoughtful and gentle.

Father Ye’s mood eased. He didn’t sit on the bed, but instead pulled over a chair and sat down with his tea.

Ye Ran sat across from him and listened as his father got straight to the point: “Ranran, I saw your little aunt today.”

…

For a brief moment, Ye Ran felt dizzy.

Every bit of worry, tension, and panic he’d been holding onto scattered instantly with that one sentence.

His spine straightened unconsciously, his mind filled with tangled thoughts, and his palms clenched tight.

His aunt had never been easy to get along with. Among the Ye family elders, she had the highest achievements and the most pride.

When Mother Ye was alive, Little Aunt had admired and envied her in equal measure. After her death, she’d been devastated for a few years, treating Ye Ran with an almost suffocating kindness, as if he were her own son.

But time smooths even the deepest wounds. Within just three years, she gradually distanced herself. After all, one was the child her sister left behind, only half a Ye by blood; the other was her own mother, who had resented Ye Ran bitterly. Of course, she chose her mother.

Ye Ran never blamed his aunt for her choices but he also never understood why she seemed to expect him to bow his head and admit fault.

He slowly raised his eyes. Under the lamplight, his clear gaze shone like a still lake, reflecting faint glimmers of light. “Dad, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Father Ye looked up at him, then leaned forward and set down his cup of tea.

“I know.” Just those two words but Ye Ran understood. It was a quiet, wordless understanding that belonged only to this father and son.

“If she comes again next time, call me directly.”

“Mm.” Ye Ran nodded.

Father Ye went on, “It was my fault taking you back to the Chen family this year.”

Chen — that was Mother Ye’s surname.

Ever since her passing, the Ye and Chen families had been estranged for years.

Father Ye couldn’t forgive how Ye Ran’s grandmother had treated him, nor how the Chen family had enabled it. Meanwhile, his mother-in-law and sister-in-law could never forgive what they saw as his cowardice and irresponsibility.

The two families had remained at odds until Ye Ran was in middle school, when things finally began to thaw.

Ye Ran wasn’t surprised. His father’s sense of right and wrong was straightforward. When he was wrong, he would apologize to Ye Ran. Likewise, when Ye Ran did wrong, he was expected to apologize and write a reflection.

“This year I took you to see your grandmother because she was diagnosed with a tumor, benign,” Father Ye said carefully. “If I didn’t bring you, I worried you’d regret it later. But I didn’t expect your little aunt to come looking for you directly.”

Finally, Ye Ran understood his father’s actions during the New Year. The frustration that had been clogging his chest all this time finally dissipated.

“I understand,” he said quietly. “When it’s time to go back… I will.”

But nothing more than that.

Father Ye let out a soft sigh and sipped his tea. “I’m glad you think that way.”

He glanced at the clock on the wall and stood. “It’s late. Get some rest. The day after tomorrow I’ll have the cleaning service come in.”

“Okay.”

Ye Ran walked him to the door.

In the hallway, his father’s back looked older than before.

Hand on the doorknob, Ye Ran watched him silently for a long while before turning back. He walked to the bed step by step, sat down wearily, and stared blankly into space, his mind drifting aimlessly.

The bedside lamp’s yellow glow flickered like a tiny flame in the wind.

A moment later, a shadow fell over him.

Someone appeared in his vision, the man leaning down close, dark, narrow phoenix eyes like pools of ink, gazing at his slightly downcast expression.

Ye Ran pressed his lips together.

Shen Shi reached out and touched the back of his neck, lowering his eyes as he pulled him into an embrace, patting his back gently.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Ye Ran’s cheek brushed against the solid warmth of his chest, and only then did he react; his whole body stiffened, his breathing trembling as he struggled to speak. “You… you should put on a shirt first.”

Shen Shi made a small sound of acknowledgment, unbothered. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Ye Ran: “…” But I do!

All his earlier sadness vanished in an instant. Practically panicking, he wriggled out of Shen Shi’s arms, coughed dryly, and, ears bright red, hurried toward the bathroom. “…I’ll take the dishes downstairs.”

Shen Shi leaned lazily against the headboard, eyes following him. “Alright.”

Ye Ran didn’t dare look back and walked out at top speed.

However embarrassed he was, before leaving he still carefully closed the bedroom door.

Afraid Father Ye would turn back suddenly, he quickly ran downstairs, washed the dishes, then took the stairs three steps at a time back upstairs.

The study light was already off.

Father Ye had returned to the master bedroom. The door was tightly closed. He was probably getting ready to shower and sleep.

Ye Ran let out a sigh of relief. Before going into the room, his hand tightened on the doorknob. After a while, he finally pushed the door open and walked into the bedroom.

Shen Shi was still in the same position as when he left, unmoving.

Dim light fell over his side. He had his eyes lowered, fiddling with his phone, the faint glow reflecting on his face. You could see traces of weariness and coldness.

It had been a full thirteen hours of flight time. Shen Shi had not rested at all. After arriving in Beijing, he had to adjust to the time difference. It was equivalent to not having slept for an entire day.

The three hours of napping in the afternoon were just a drop in the bucket. Ye Ran furrowed his brows. Before he could speak, he said, “It’s too late. Go to sleep.”

Shen Shi looked at him and didn’t object. “Should I shower first?”

“Mm.” Ye Ran walked to the wardrobe and started looking for pajamas for him. “I have a few spare sets here. They’re ones Ah Yu bought that were too big. See if they fit you.”

Shen Shi narrowed his eyes. “An Yu… bought ones that were too big?”

Although he had long known An Yu lived in the Ye household, Shen Shi sharply sensed something wrong. He suddenly realized, and his expression instantly darkened. “You sleep together?”

“Yes,” Ye Ran said, a bit puzzled. “Didn’t you already know?”

“I thought,” Shen Shi suppressed the stir of emotion and spoke with restraint, “he was in your room to talk.”

“No,” Ye Ran couldn’t help laughing, completely unaware of the off note in his tone. “We’ve slept together since we were little. We’re both used to it.”

Shen Shi stared at him. A few seconds later, his gaze returned to calm, but deep inside something thick and dark churned.

He pulled a pair of pajama pants from Ye Ran’s hands. They were silk, obviously draping. Ye Ran froze. “Hey, you didn’t grab a top.”

“Too small.” Shen Shi didn’t even turn around. The lean, strong lines of his back stretched out cleanly, tracing down to the waistband of his sweats.

He pushed the bathroom door open and went in.

Ye Ran looked away.

“…Oh.”

***

That night, the two of them went to bed early.

At ten o’clock, the bedside lamp was switched off on the dot.

Ye Ran was a bit sleepy too. Every winter he constantly felt like sleeping. The bedding was filled with a chamomile scent. Ye Ran lay properly in pajamas, his soft black hair spread over the pillow. He lay on his side, and by moonlight, whispered softly to Shen Shi.

Shen Shi had his eyes half closed, his voice equally tired. But one arm was casually yet firmly wrapped around Ye Ran’s waist, holding him, pulling him into his chest.

At some point, both their voices faded.

In the bedroom, only the gentle hum of the heating remained. The AC blades swayed faintly. A clock hung on the wall, ticking forward.

…

The night deepened.

The world turned dim.

Snow began to fall without them noticing. Black clouds rolled in, covering the entire capital in cotton-like flakes.

2:30 a.m.

Shen Shi woke up restless.

The room was silent.

Inside the blanket was very warm. His barely opened eyes cleared from drowsiness. It felt like he was holding a cool piece of jade in his arms. He looked down. In the rolling darkness of his gaze, Ye Ran was pressed against his chest. His breathing was shallow. Half his face was flushed from the heat. His lips were plump and red, a bit dry, like petals that hadn’t fully unfurled.

Shen Shi’s Adam’s apple moved. He bent down and precisely found Ye Ran’s lips, kissing him.

Ye Ran was deeply asleep. Even when kissed, he obediently parted his lips when he should, stretched out his tongue when he should. Moisture spilled from the corner of his mouth, clear and sticky. His breathing gradually grew unsteady. Dampness misted his eyelashes. The dense, crow-feather lashes trembled. He slowly opened his hazy eyes.

Ye Ran couldn’t quite catch his breath. He instinctively turned his head to avoid it, forgetting he was in Shen Shi’s arms. His jaw was easily held in place as Shen Shi deepened the kiss, greedy and heavy.

That handsome, sharply defined face was right in front of him. Ye Ran’s sleepy eyes were first bewitched. His tongue was kissed until soft and wet. Only after a long time did he return to himself, blinking as he mumbled to Shen Shi, “I don’t want to kiss anymore… I’m so sleepy.”

His whole body was heavy with exhaustion. His limbs were weak. He didn’t feel like moving at all.

“Sleep later.” Shen Shi’s voice was hoarse. He patted Ye Ran’s lower back gently to coax him. “After we finish kissing, I’ll let you sleep.”

Ye Ran felt a bit annoyed with him. He didn’t have morning temper, but being woken up in the middle of the night still stirred some emotions.

Shen Shi continued kissing him, holding his tongue. Then suddenly he grew fiercer. Both hands grabbed Ye Ran’s waist, dragging him out from the depths of the blankets, pressing him beneath and kissing him again.

Ye Ran finally became angry, turning his head to avoid the kiss and gasping, “Hey… how long are you going to keep kissing?”

Shen Shi didn’t answer. His dark eyes fixed on him. Under the blanket, his hand moved, gripping Ye Ran’s ankle.

Ye Ran was stunned. He shook his foot, but couldn’t shake free. Shen Shi’s gaze looked a bit scary, like he wanted to eat him. But the feeling came from nowhere, leaving Ye Ran confused and with a rising sense of unease. “What are you doing?”

The fingers gripping his ankle slowly tightened.

Those fingers slid from his ankle to the top of his foot. The warm, slightly sweaty palm stilled, but Shen Shi’s breathing grew heavier.

Ye Ran was even more confused.

The next second, Shen Shi lifted his eyelids. His voice grew even rougher. Following the curve of Ye Ran’s ear, he leaned close and whispered, “Help me… then I’ll let you sleep.”

Ye Ran stayed frozen for a full minute before he snapped out of his dazed state and understood.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide, his legs jerking harder, and without thinking turned to crawl out of bed. But the arm around his waist tightened, forcefully dragging him back.

Ye Ran had just woken up; his limbs were still weak, and no matter how much strength he tried to muster, he couldn’t fight him off.

“No—!” He was furious and flustered, not even knowing where to look as he kicked wildly. “Shen Shi, do you have no shame at all?!”

“No,” Shen Shi said without the slightest change in expression, his grip unrelenting. His dark eyes were deep and heavy as he murmured by Ye Ran’s ear, “Baby, help me… baby.”

The sticky way he called him that made Ye Ran’s face burn red from ear to ear. Angry and anxious, he snapped, “The things you’re saying are too—” filthy.

He couldn’t even finish the word, but Shen Shi didn’t care in the least. He deliberately leaned in and repeated those words again beside his ear, his voice low and hoarse, dragging out the ending so that Ye Ran had no choice but to hear.

No one knew what exactly he said, but Ye Ran’s gaze shifted slightly, and he seemed half convinced. “…Really?”

“Really,” Shen Shi replied.

Ye Ran was doubtful, but Shen Shi had always been a man of his word, he never lied. Although Ye Ran didn’t exactly trust his character in this matter, he softened again when he thought of how Shen Shi had traveled all the way to the capital just to see him, and his resistance melted away.

“Fine then…” Ye Ran finally gave in. Lying beneath Shen Shi, his eyes were tinged red, long lashes casting shadows in the moonlight. Pure, clear, he turned his head slightly, not daring to look at him. “…Just make it quick.”

Shen Shi answered without hesitation. “Mn. I will.”

He slipped under the blanket.

His movements were exactly the same as when they had watched Deep Blue together.

***

Later that night.

The hum of the air conditioner gradually faded.

More than an hour had passed.

Ye Ran lay on Shen Shi’s chest, his eyes red and wet, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

His gaze was empty, dazed, as though he’d only just returned from another realm. His pajamas were damp with sweat. A little obsessive about cleanliness and uncomfortable in the sticky fabric, he’d ended up, like Shen Shi, bare-chested, sprawled in his arms while Shen Shi lazily patted his back now and then.

Ye Ran’s body was long and supple, a softer kind of grace unlike Shen Shi’s heat; his skin was cool to the touch, like smooth jade, cold and soothing.

Ye Ran felt like he wasn’t himself anymore.

Something in him had been broken.

He stared blankly into the air, pondering the mysteries of the universe.

His feet stuck out from the blanket, perfectly still, stiff as stone.

From time to time, Shen Shi would lower his head to kiss him, satisfied and affectionate, whispering sweet nothings by his ear, his voice hoarse and low. Usually it carried a cold tone, but now it was nothing but gentle.

Ye Ran ignored him, silently contemplating Einstein’s theory of relativity.

After a while, Shen Shi started kissing him again.

Ye Ran stared at him expressionlessly. Shen Shi tried not to laugh, coaxing softly, “Sorry, baby, I really have no shame.”

Ye Ran was speechless.

…At least you know.

He slowly looked away, refusing to meet Shen Shi’s eyes. A few seconds later, the lazy mood in the room was suddenly broken when Ye Ran’s stomach growled.

He hadn’t eaten much dinner, and after all that exertion, hunger struck hard in the middle of the night.

“I’m hungry,” he said to Shen Shi.

Shen Shi immediately sat up. “Are there any snacks in the bedroom?”

Ye Ran shook his head. “No. But there’s instant noodles in the fridge.”

Shen Shi gave a helpless laugh. “Baby, you want instant noodles?”

“Mm.” Ye Ran looked at him, his eyelashes trembling lightly like two damp feathers, pitiful and soft. “I want some.”

The sight made Shen Shi’s heart melt.

He got up right away, pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants from the floor, and raked his dark hair back, revealing a sharply handsome face.

His fingers were long and pale as he tied the drawstring quickly, the loose white cords hanging at his waist. Under the soft night light, he walked out, lazy and sinuous like a well-fed predator, his back muscles stretching smoothly under his skin.

The hallway was pitch dark.

The Ye family’s villa wasn’t large, just an ordinary two-story home.

Shen Shi had only walked through it once, but already knew where the kitchen and living room were.

His night vision was good, but he still stepped cautiously.

Who would’ve thought that the riskiest thing about visiting his father-in-law’s house would be sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to make instant noodles?

Taking a deep breath, Shen Shi crossed the living room, muttering a silent prayer for forgiveness.

The kitchen had two windows.

By the faint moonlight, he found the fridge. When the door opened, the soft light revealed shelves lined with instant noodles and ready meals. The water dispenser had hot water. After thinking a moment, Shen Shi made two cups, both seafood flavor.

When they were ready, his heart beat a little faster. Holding the two steaming cups carefully, he climbed the stairs quickly but quietly, face calm though his steps were swift.

Back in the bedroom, Ye Ran glanced at him lazily.

The smell of the noodles reached him, and he finally sat up, dazed for a few seconds at the bedside. Tilting his head, he watched as Shen Shi set the cups on the table by the window, then got up, moving as if he were learning to walk for the first time, one slow step at a time.

When Shen Shi turned, he saw Ye Ran moving with that strained awkwardness.

Amusement flickered in his eyes. He strode over, lifted Ye Ran in his arms, and pulled a thick quilt from the beanbag chair.

The floor-to-ceiling window was half open, and outside, snow was tumbling down from the sky.

Heavy snow, silver trees like a scene from a film.

Cold air swept in through the window. Ye Ran sat in Shen Shi’s lap, wrapped in the thick quilt, eating noodles unhurriedly.

He really was starving, ended up finishing one and a half cups all by himself.

The remaining half cup of noodles was quickly finished off by Shen Shi. When the two of them were done eating, the smell of instant noodles in the room was already being carried away by the cold wind, leaving only a faint trace that wasn’t unpleasant.

Finally, after washing up again, Ye Ran lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while.

In the bathroom, Shen Shi was diligently handwashing all the clothes they had changed out of.

The sound of running water filled the quiet night.

Ye Ran closed his eyes and gradually drifted into a half-asleep state.

At some point, the sound of water stopped.

The blanket beside him lifted, and a warm body slid in close, wrapping around him. That familiar scent, equal parts infuriating and reassuring, brushed against his face. Ye Ran instinctively snuggled a little deeper into Shen Shi’s arms and soon fell completely asleep.

A low, quiet laugh came from beside his ear.

He was kissed lightly on the eyes.

The man holding him gradually quieted as well, soon sinking into sleep.

…

Outside, the north wind howled—fierce and cold.

In the stillness of the night, only one small light remained shining.

On the carpet, a phone kept vibrating.

[Yu Ting]: Bro, please, I’m begging you, tell me where you are!

[Yu Ting]: You’re my real brother, I just want to know the truth!

[Yu Ting]: It’s just like I thought, isn’t it? It must be!

[Yu Ting]: I talked it over with Jiang Yun. You, Shen Shi, are you living at Ye Ran’s place now? You b*stard… how long have you even been dating him?!

[Yu Ting]: Why aren’t you replying?

[Yu Ting]: Ahhhh!!! Why aren’t you replying?!

[Yu Ting]: D*mn it, Shen Shi!

[Yu Ting]: D*mn it!!!