Chapter 16 Part 1: Couple’s Room Protocol Activated

“Lin Chuji’s mother provided your photos to prove that you two already know each other and even went on a graduation trip together.”

“And since double and quadruple rooms are in high demand right now, the school went along with the adjustment.

Everyone wins, right?”

“Since Lin Chuji is shy around strangers and specifically insisted on having you, you should take good care of him.

Xiao Lin is in your hands now.”

 

The dorm manager’s words came through the phone one after another, clearly audible in the quiet room.

Each additional sentence was like a flaying.

“Do you understand, Xie Yan?” the person asked him.

“Yes, got it.

Thanks,” Xie Yan said flatly.

 

Lin Chuji had lived for over a decade and never experienced a moment this embarrassingly suicidal.

He had no time to care about the iodine residue on the floor.

His mind was a chaotic mess, practically short-circuited.

 

After a long while, he finally managed to sort through his thoughts.

So not only had Xie Yan gotten into the same university as him and was about to become a four-year classmate, but he had also been forced into being his double-room roommate.

And all of this had happened after Lin Chuji had sent the social phobia dating guide, deleted him on WeChat, and said they’d never contact each other again.

On top of that, the dorm manager’s relayed line—”He insisted on having Xie Yan”—was practically the last straw for the camel’s back, making it seem like an established fact that Lin Chuji had designs on Xie Yan.

 

At this moment, Lin Chuji had a thousand questions to ask and a thousand things to explain.

But all his thoughts got stuck in his throat, and he turned back into that socially phobic mute who couldn’t speak.

In the end, all he could squeeze out was the most suffocating sentence: “You… you were supposed to go to the Seeker of Excellence Men’s Athletic Academy?”

 

Oh my god, what kind of zero-IQ conversation is this?

If you can’t speak, just donate your mouth.

Lin Chuji closed his eyes in anguish, understanding for the first time what it meant to have a clumsy tongue.

 

Xie Yan hung up the dorm manager’s call and stood by the door, quietly looking at him.

Lin Chuji had lied to him, just as he himself had told the same lies, which was why this absurd scene was now unfolding.

After deleting him on WeChat, flirting online, and then disappearing for a month and a half, he was now enthusiastically back as his roommate, sitting there half-naked, every breath seeming like a deliberate seduction—he didn’t understand.

And that line “he insisted on having Xie Yan” practically laid his intentions bare, making it very hard not to make certain associations.

 

Xie Yan didn’t want to guess what other ulterior motives he might have.

But the coming days would be countless cycles of seven days of constant proximity.

He decided to keep his distance, no longer wanting to play this tedious game of fishing back and forth with Lin Chuji.

So, like any ordinary classmate meeting, he answered his question flatly: “You didn’t go to Tieling Excavator Tech either.”

 

Lin Chuji retorted, “You said you scored 275.”

Xie Yan shot back, “And you did great too—288, with a terrible math score of 23.”

 

Lin Chuji’s face burned painfully.

Fine.

Our memories are both ridiculously good.

I guess we’re even, even if it’s in the most awkward way possible.

“So, what did you actually score?”

Lin Chuji asked, still determined to get to the bottom of it.

 

Xie Yan curled his lip slightly and admitted, “I did exceptionally well—717 raw score.

Medical program, combined bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Anything else you want to know?”

 

The room was quiet for a moment as awkward silence spread.

That score was probably the top in Mist City.

Why hadn’t he thought to search online?

But with the way Xie Yan had acted so proud of the sports academy, who could have guessed?

 

Lin Chuji sighed slightly, thinking, If I’m going to die, might as well go all the way.

So he started another lethal topic: “That guide…

I didn’t mean it that way.

I absolutely have no ulterior thoughts about you.

Don’t overthink it.”

 

Xie Yan hummed in acknowledgment and stated the facts: “Clearly, since you deleted me right after.

But if you could put your shirt on right now, it would probably be more convincing.”

 

Probably because Xie Yan had been so friendly and easygoing before, only now did Lin Chuji realize that when he had a cold face, there was an undeniable sharpness to him.

He really hadn’t handled this well, and Xie Yan was angry.

My fault, Lin Chuji thought.

 

He lowered his eyes in reflection.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly then.

I just felt too embarrassed.

You know me—I have a bad personality.

I panic easily and mess things up.”

 

Xie Yan remembered each thing clearly.

“And then you wouldn’t answer my video call.”

 

Lin Chuji’s expression grew even more dejected.

“Because when the video popped up, I panicked and my phone fell into a sewer drain.

Not only could I not answer, but I lost all our photos together.”

 

Xie Yan raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and just watched him with an expectant expression.

Lin Chuji had no idea why.

“Are our photos together important?”

Xie Yan asked.

When he asked this, he realized that he was actually feeling a bit hurt.

He hadn’t felt it when he was deleted.

He hadn’t felt it when Lin Chuji contacted him on the alt account.

He hadn’t felt it when Lin Chuji flirted a couple of times and disappeared again.

Not until now.

“Important, yes, of course,” Lin Chuji said softly, looking at him.

“I’m sorry.

For everything before.

Even though this apology is over a month late.”

 

Xie Yan’s dissatisfaction was subtly soothed.

How strange.

Lin Chuji always has a way.

Just a few words.

He magnanimously stopped dwelling on it and said quietly, “Forget it.

It’s fine.”

 

Lin Chuji breathed a sigh of relief, looked down, and only then realized he was still half-naked.

He scrambled up and turned around.

Unfortunately, he had already taken off his shoes and was standing barefoot on the bed frame, surrounded by the scattered remnants of the spilled iodine.

A mess.

He bent down, carefully put on his sneakers, and nearly stepped on the broken glass in his panic.

He had been so flustered since they met that even his neck was now completely red.

 

Watching him scramble, Xie Yan said helplessly, “Are you an idiot?”

 

Lin Chuji kept his head down, not wanting to look at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xie Yan stride toward him.

As his gaze traveled from Lin Chuji’s neck down his spine, Lin Chuji’s whole body went rigid.

Please don’t mind me.

Just leave me alone for a bit.

 

But Xie Yan came over anyway, stood in front of him, slightly bent his waist to meet his eyes, and asked, “Don’t worry about your shirt for now.

What happened to your back?”

 

Lin Chuji couldn’t stand being looked at like that.

He turned his face away and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s, “A lamp fell and hit me.”

 

Xie Yan glanced at his back, then at the iodine scattered on the floor, and looked a bit exasperated.

“I’ll go buy a new bottle.

Don’t move.”

“Forget it.

Too much trouble for you,” Lin Chuji said dryly.

 

Xie Yan glanced at him, remembered everything that had happened, and found it amusing.

“Is this the only time I’ve ever been trouble for you?

You can keep your distance after I’m done.”

 

Lin Chuji was rendered speechless.

He watched Xie Yan stride back out, leaving him alone in the empty room, and the awkwardness from before rushed back.

He ran his hands through his hair until it was a mess, then for the first time ever, he actively called Zhan Wanqiu and complained to the source of his social death: “How could you put Xie Yan in the same dorm as me?

Did you even ask if he wanted to?

And paying to switch him to a double room?

Isn’t that a bit too capitalist?”

 

He blurted all this out in one breath, truly annoyed.

 

Zhan Wanqiu answered very matter-of-factly.

“Isn’t he your friend?

He promised me during the video call that he’d continue taking care of you.

Why wouldn’t he want to?

Besides, I didn’t make him spend any money, and he gets better room facilities.

He should be thanking me.”

 

Lin Chuji was stumped.

Great.

My own boomerang has finally stabbed me in the back.

 

Zhan Wanqiu asked again, “Have you seen him yet?

You two didn’t contact each other all summer.”

Lin Chuji answered, looking like he wanted to die, “I’ve seen him.

We’ve been in touch online.”

“Xie Yan made a very good first impression on me.

He’s an upright person, his parents are police officers, and his family upbringing shows.

He can’t be too bad.

You should spend more time with him.”

Zhan Wanqiu paused.

“As for other friends, I hope you’ll keep the same distance as you did in high school.

The most complicated thing in this world is human nature.

You never know what bad intentions lie beneath the surface.

What happened with Qin Yi before…”

“Mom, okay, I get it,” Lin Chuji interrupted her.

“I’ll let you go now.”

 

His back hadn’t been medicated, but being shirtless was uncomfortable.

He put on a jacket and used a broom to carefully clean up the mess on the floor.

Just as he sat back down, Xie Yan returned with the medicine.

Having not seen each other for over a month, combined with this absurd reunion, Lin Chuji reverted to his initial nervousness around Xie Yan.

He reached out halfway, then pulled back.

“Give it to me.

I’ll do it in the bathroom.”

“After hugging each other in our sleep several times, you’re just now thinking about avoiding suspicion?”

Xie Yan said.

“You…”

Lin Chuji was speechless.

Spending time with a gay man really is full of landmines.

He said quietly, “Nothing happened between us.

Don’t make it sound so ambiguous.”

 

Xie Yan couldn’t be bothered to argue.

He took out two cotton swabs and, even before starting medical school, already looked like a doctor.

“Take off your jacket.

Let me put the medicine on for you.”

 

Lin Chuji pulled open his jacket, presenting his back to Xie Yan, his head bowed very low.

He felt the cotton swab dipped in iodine gently sweep across his skin—the movements deliberately light, very gentle.

He gripped the edge of the bed with his palms and asked hesitantly, “If you don’t want to live with me, we can go to the dorm manager and ask for a reassignment.”

 

Xie Yan carefully applied the medicine to the red, swollen area, repeating what he had heard earlier.

“Isn’t it that you can’t do without me?

Anyone but Xie Yan won’t do.”

 

Lin Chuji protested loudly, “That wasn’t me!

It was my mom!

She made that up!”

“Using mom as a shield,” Xie Yan commented.

“It really wasn’t!

She just really likes you…

Who asked you to perform so well during that video call…”

The more Lin Chuji explained, the more his head hurt.

He felt it was too much to force on someone and started to get up.

“I’ll go apply to the school right now.

Anyone will do.”

“Can’t switch.

I already asked,” Xie Yan said, pressing him back onto the bed.

Seeing Lin Chuji’s brow furrow slightly, Xie Yan softened his voice.

“Does it hurt?”

 

Lin Chuji was sensitive to pain, but now he forced himself to endure.

“No.”

The antiseptic seeped into the broken skin, making his voice tremble a little, exposing his true feelings.

 

Then Lin Chuji felt a cool breeze gently brush over the injured area.

Very comfortable.

Xie Yan… was actually blowing on it for him.

Like comforting a little child.

Lin Chuji grew even more anxious, his fingers turning white as they gripped the edge of the bed.

His whole body stiffened, afraid to move.

Without turning around, he could feel Xie Yan’s breath on his skin, an ethereal presence.

“Feeling better?”

Xie Yan asked.

Lin Chuji hummed in acknowledgment.

 

He could sense that Xie Yan was positioned above his back, one arm braced on the bed, neck slightly bent, eyelids slightly lowered—looking serious yet also casual.

Being so close, Lin Chuji smelled that citrus scent from Xie Yan again.

It was different, after all.

Even the same brand of product, when on different people, developed a unique, unrepeatable fragrance.

And this was the authentic version he had missed.

 

I can’t breathe, Lin Chuji thought, holding his breath.

 

Xie Yan noticed his discomfort.

“It’s just medicine.

Why are you so tense?”

“I’m not—” Lin Chuji had just started two words when the dorm’s ajar door was pushed open.

Two voices preceded their owners, arriving slowly.

“Boss Xie, how could you abandon us and move your dorm here?”

“Yeah, don’t you know that a double room at Jing University is also called a ‘couple’s room’?

It’s for, like, actual couples.

What are you butting in for?”

 

The Shen brothers barged in noisily and the moment they saw the scene before them, both turned to stone.

From that angle, they could clearly see Xie Yan embracing a boy from behind.

Because his body was broader, they could only see a hint of pale shoulder and neck from the person in front.

Probably nervous, the person seemed to be trembling all over.

Extremely ambiguous.

 

Shen Yinan was shocked.

“Holy crap, in broad daylight, under the bright red flag in the glorious light of the Party, you two are doing this?”

 

Shen Yibei cursed, “Holy crap, so Lin Chuji really turned you gay and you’re going further and further down the gay road?

The one who dumped you, you found another one?!

Wake up, bro.

Can you turn straight again?”

 

Xie Yan turned to look at them, completely exasperated.

“I think you two should go to the mental hospital—the one just right and turn left.

They’ve got plenty of beds lately.”

 

Because he moved, the face he had been hiding was finally revealed.

Cool, delicate, and with the tension of being caught in a compromising position, the exposed skin was flushed with an embarrassed pink.

A very beautiful face.

Also very familiar.

 

The brothers looked at each other for two seconds.

In the midst of their mutual shock, Shen Yinan spoke first: “Holy crap!

Lin Chuji!

Aren’t you supposed to be at Tieling Excavator Tech?

How are you here?

Did you come to Jing University to visit the old site?”

 

What kind of incoherent nonsense are you talking!

 

Lin Chuji frantically covered his face with the clothes next to him.

If I had known today would happen, I never would have told that lie, instead of being flayed alive over and over.

No, he had been wrong from the start, so everything was wrong.

He and Jing University were just incompatible, destined to clash.

If he had just been firm and taken Cambridge’s offer and gone far away, he wouldn’t be in this desperate situation now.

Drop out.

I’ll drop out today.

It’s still not too late to go back and repeat the year.

Next year I’ll switch to Qinghua University instead.

I’m only eighteen, one year isn’t—

Xie Yan pulled the clothes out of his hand, interrupting his chaotic thoughts, and reminded him, “You can put your shirt on now.

Pick something loose, or you’ll rub off the medicine.”

 

With a face burning at forty degrees, Lin Chuji couldn’t be bothered to choose.

He grabbed the nearest shirt and quickly put it on, then dared to face the Shen brothers.

After ten seconds of mental preparation, he finally explained, “Long time no see.

I actually… the school I got into is Jing University too.

I filled out my application right after the scores came out.”

 

Shen Yinan sounded a bit disappointed.

“So you didn’t come specifically to see our Boss Xie?”

 

Lin Chuji kept his face calm and shook his head.

“Of course not.”

“Then why did you lie?

We were all afraid to tell the truth, worried we’d make you feel inferior,” Shen Yibei rambled.

“With all that talk about weightlifting and running at a sports academy, I almost fried my CPU.”

 

Lin Chuji didn’t know how to answer.

“I’ve got it.

It was ‘first suppress, then raise.’

You planned to surprise Boss Xie when you got here, right?”

Shen Yinan refused to let the conversation die.

 

Shen Yibei found this guess very reasonable.

“Definitely a surprise.

I’m shocked too.

That’s so awesome.

Hey, it’s a good thing you came.

You don’t know, but for two days in the middle, we tried to invite Boss Xie out to hang out, and he looked totally uninterested.

Such a buzzkill.

He was probably missing you—ow—”

Xie Yan couldn’t help kicking him.

Too noisy, too annoying.

 

Lin Chuji saw that they were holding things in their hands.

He stammered, “Don’t you guys have other plans?

Don’t worry about me.

You go ahead.

I…

I’m hungry.

I’ll go check out the cafeteria.”

He started to stand up and head for the door.

 

Shen Yinan stopped him and pulled him back, enthusiastically inviting him.

“Hungry?

Perfect.

We’re having a get-together today.

Come along!

We’re all classmates now, we’ll be seeing each other often.

Let’s continue our fate and become four-year best buddies.”

“Yeah, this is fate.

Who would have thought that randomly assigned roommates on a cruise ship would end up as roommates in college too?

You two are so fated that even Thor and his mother couldn’t break you apart.”

Shen Yibei was already pushing him toward the door.

 

Lin Chuji was full of resistance.

“What kind of get-together?

I don’t want to go…”

 

Xie Yan closed the door, stopped hiding, and said casually, “My birthday.”

 

Lin Chuji froze.

He vaguely remembered that Xie Yan’s birthday wasn’t in August.

But he hadn’t yet told him the truth—that he himself hadn’t turned eighteen yet, and his birthday was tomorrow.

Just one day apart.

What a coincidence.

He who lies must swallow a thousand needles.

Lin Chuji truly felt that this day was impossibly long.

He mumbled, “It’ll definitely be your friends, right?

I’m not really comfortable with strangers…

I’d better not…”

“Not strangers,” Xie Yan said slowly, playing with his phone, bouncing down the stairs two at a time, then turning back.

“I’m new here and don’t have any friends.

The people coming are just the seniors we met on the cruise ship.”

 

Lin Chuji’s pupils dilated again.

Although he had mentally prepared himself that he’d run into them eventually on campus, the fact remained: he was about to experience his third major awkward reunion.

He made one last dying effort, asking the question that social phobics fear most: “Your birthday venue isn’t at a Haidilao, is it?

They won’t have that special celebratory service, will they?”

If he had to be surrounded by staff in the middle of the restaurant holding signs and singing, even if he wasn’t the main character, just being in that situation would be agony.

 

Xie Yan looked at him, saw what he was worried about, and finally laughed.

“No.

It’s a very nice, very quiet restaurant.

I don’t always like things that lively.”

 

Lin Chuji couldn’t find any more excuses to refuse.

As he stepped through the restaurant’s doors, he felt his feet weighed down with a thousand pounds.

Sure enough, the moment he appeared, everyone at the big central table turned to look at him, most with shock.

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