| BYSG | Phone Screen | 21
Although not long ago, on the phone, Cheng Mofei had casually mentioned that they'd could take a shower together when he returned so that he could have a good look, but... that was just a joke.
Why is it suddenly happening for real??
Shen Yu wasn’t really shy or anything, after all, it’s Cheng Mofei, and he was quite willing. He was just too shocked.
How did the progress suddenly speed up like this, as if they were riding a rocket?
Seeing Shen Yu not moving after a long time, Cheng Mofei probably guessed that as a southerner, Shen Yu might not have shared a bath with anyone before and wasn't quite ready to do so with him.
He was about to say something when he suddenly saw Shen Yu stand up and silently walk over to the wardrobe to grab some clothes.
Cheng Mofei pursed his lips with a slight smile and continued looking for towels, in a good mood.
Originally, he had planned to suggest that Shen Yu, since he hadn’t traveled long distances today, he could just wash up with some hot water later. There was no need for a full shower.
But since Shen Yu was willing, there was nothing more to say.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Once the weather cooled down a bit, he planned to take Shen Yu to experience a northern-style public bath.
If Shen Yu couldn't even manage to take a bath with him, the public bath might scare him to death.
Sounds of water and voices came from the bathroom.
“Hurry, hurry, it’s 23:50, only ten minutes left.”
“The water pressure is so low. Is everyone rushing to shower at this time?”
“At least there's still hot water, that’s good enough…”
…
“Get ready to take your clothes off and come in—”
This was said to the two people outside the bathroom.
After hearing this, Cheng Mofei responded and directly took off his T-shirt and pants.
Shen Yu: "..."
Cheng Mofei’s gaze naturally fell on Shen Yu.
Shen Yu quickly looked away, "I’ll take them off after I go in. You wash first."
Cheng Mofei laughed, knowing the truth but not saying anything.
A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened, and Xiao Xiong and Sun Xinghe both emerged wearing only their underwear and bare-chested, saying to the two: "Go ahead, seven minutes left, hurry up!"
Shen Yu, almost fleeing, clutched his clothes and walked in, locking the bathroom door behind him once Cheng Mofei entered.
"Click."
The sound of the bathroom door locking was drowned out by the flow of water from the shower.
It had nothing to do with shyness. Ever since he realized his sexual orientation, he had consciously kept a certain distance from both men and women, regardless of whether they were straight or gay.
It was simply basic respect.
Of course, Cheng Mofei was the exception.
During the brief moment when Shen Yu locked the door, Cheng Mofei had already taken off his last piece of clothing and stood under the showerhead.
Warm water cascaded down his well-toned, attractive muscles, covering his body in a thin mist.
Shen Yu’s Adam’s apple bobbed quickly, and he focused on his breathing, making sure not to let his gaze linger too long in certain areas. He quickly blinked and stood in the corner, slowly fiddling with his clothes.
It was a familiar size.
The familiar scent of oranges suddenly filled the air.
It was easy to tell it was Cheng Mofei using body wash.
Cheng Mofei squeezed the body wash onto a loofah, mixing it with hot water to create a thick, frothy lather.
As he scrubbed, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Shen Yu, who was not far away.
It seemed like he wasn’t as thin as he had been at the start of the semester. In the past month, he had gained some weight, thanks to Cheng Mofei’s persistent efforts to feed him.
To be honest, Shen Yu was really pale, especially in places often covered by clothes. Some areas even had a pinkish hue, so different from the rough, muscular guys.
Cheng Mofei couldn’t help but recall the words he overheard in the infirmary that day—Shen Yu’s looks were quite popular in the gay community.
If some gay guys saw Shen Yu like this now, they’d probably turn into hungry wolves…
No, no, it’s probably better not to take Shen Yu to the public bath for a scrub, the risk is too high.
If Shen Yu wanted a scrub, he’d just buy some bath tools and take him back to his place. With a bathtub and shower, he’d make sure Shen Yu would be comfortable.
As his gaze lowered and landed on a certain spot, Cheng Mofei felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction deep within.
It felt almost like… finally completing some sort of "brother" ritual.
Good bros should be able to be open and honest with each other.
"23:55, only 5 minutes left."
The two outside turned into little alarm clocks.
Seeing that Shen Yu had placed his clothes to the side, Cheng Mofei immediately stepped aside to let him use the shower, while he himself stood to the side and began lathering up with the orange-scented bubbles.
By alternating like this, they could maximize their time.
Shen Yu lowered his gaze and let the warm water run over him.
At this hour, the water pressure was indeed low, but at least it was still warm.
Halfway through rinsing, Cheng Mofei had already lathered himself up with bubbles.
Seeing the water pressure was still poor, he squeezed out more body wash and created a new layer of foam.
As Shen Yu stepped out of the shower stream, intending to give Cheng Mofei some space, he saw Cheng Mofei smear the new bubbles across his chest, his hand brushing against his skin.
The warmth of the touch was undeniable.
Shen Yu flinched in surprise.
Outside the door: "23:57, only 3 minutes left."
"Hurry up, turn around, I’ll scrub your back," Cheng Mofei urged as he walked to the shower, letting the hot water wash the foam off his body while grabbing Shen Yu’s shoulder to turn him around and start scrubbing his back.
Shen Yu didn’t push him away.
The pressure from behind was particularly clear—gentle, not heavy, but careful.
Outside the door: "23:58, only 2 minutes left."
"I’m done rinsing, you hurry up," Cheng Mofei said, pushing Shen Yu under the showerhead and then walking over to the sink to rinse the loofah and his hands with cold water to get rid of the foam.
Outside the door: "23:59, only 1 minute left."
"59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57 seconds…"
The voices outside sounded almost like they were counting down to something dire.
Shen Yu scrambled to wash off the body wash foam on him, terrified that the hot water would run out at any second.
In his past life, Shen Yu had been particularly sensitive to the cold due to his poor health, always afraid of catching a cold or falling ill.
"... 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second."
The hot water suddenly cut off with a swoosh, and the pipes made a gurgling noise as cold water took its place. Shen Yu quickly stepped out of the shower stream and hurriedly turned off the showerhead.
"Let me see if you've rinsed it clean," Cheng Mofei said, hanging the loofah on the wall as he glanced over Shen Yu.
Shen Yu allowed him to look, while silently observing him in return—might as well take a look.
They were very close to each other, both carrying the same scent.
Soon, Cheng Mofei nodded in satisfaction and said, "You're clean now. Quickly use a dry towel to wipe off, don't catch a cold."
Shen Yu obediently dried off the water droplets on his body and changed into his sleepwear.
Cheng Mofei was quicker than him, but he didn’t rush to open the door. Instead, he quietly waited by the side for Shen Yu to finish.
Once dressed, Shen Yu walked over to the sink, picking up his cup and toothbrush. "Are you brushing your teeth?"
Cheng Mofei responded with an "mm" and walked over to stand beside him, brushing his teeth together.
The bathroom was small, and the sink was cramped, so their arms brushed against each other.
A very cozy cohabitation experience.
Although, technically, they were "cohabiting" in a four-person dorm.
…
That night, Shen Yu had a dream.
In the dream, he and a nineteen-year-old Cheng Mofei made love in the sheets, and it was in their dorm room.
The bed was narrow, and Cheng Mofei's abs pressed against his back, the sensation clear and distinct.
The season of Autumn causes spring dreams.
When Shen Yu woke up, he let out an absurd laugh.
He quickly got out of bed, tiptoeing to the bathroom to wash his underwear.
Fortunately, none of the other three roommates had early classes today, so they hadn't woken up yet.
After hanging his freshly washed underwear, Shen Yu quickly grabbed his backpack and headed out the door for his 8 a.m. class.
On the way, he plugged in his earphones, blending into the crowd of university students.
As he chewed on breakfast, his face remained expressionless as he listened to a calming chant.
After two back-to-back early morning professional classes, Shen Yu finally managed to calm his mind.
When the bell for the end of class rang, he packed up his bag, ready to leave the classroom.
Just then, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was the girl who had fainted from heat stroke during military training, named Meng Li.
Meng Li blinked at him and asked, "Shen Yu, are you going to participate in the student president election tonight?"
Shen Yu shook his head.
He wasn’t someone without a sense of collective honor, but precisely because he felt he couldn’t contribute much to the class, he wasn’t planning on running for student president.
Meng Li let out a soft "oh" and then asked, "Have you joined any clubs yet? A lot of clubs are recruiting right now."
Shen Yu shook his head again, "Not yet, I’m still thinking about it."
Meng Li tugged at the fingers behind her back and invited, "Would you like to join the Animal Rescue Association? My senior sister in her third year said it’s a great way to earn credits, and the activities are all voluntary, plus they’re fun."
Shen Yu didn’t say yes or no, merely responding, "I’ll look into it when I get back."
He wasn’t an idiot; he could tell what the young girl’s intentions were.
It was probably because of the incident during military training that she felt some goodwill toward him, and being in a university where hormones were in full swing, even a small amount of goodwill could prompt someone to take action.
He didn’t dislike the girl, but there was no possibility between them, and he wouldn’t give her any chances.
Meng Li was about to say something else, but Shen Yu coldly ended the conversation, "I’ve got something to do, I need to head back."
Meng Li fell silent.
On his way back, Shen Yu sent a message to Cheng Mofei, asking: [Brother Fei, are you in any clubs?]
He knew Cheng Mofei had to be involved in some clubs since earning credits in various areas was essential. Club activities contributed to those credits, which directly impacted graduation.
It would be best to complete those credits in the first and second years.
Since he was going to join a club anyway, Shen Yu figured it might as well be one where Cheng Mofei was involved. That way, they could participate in some activities together.
At this time, Cheng Mofei had already arrived at the teaching building for class. The message came back quickly, and Cheng Mofei sent a screenshot of the clubs he had joined, strongly recommending a few of them.
Cheng Mofei: [This club has a lot of activities where you can just sign up for credits; it's super easy, highly recommended!]
Cheng Mofei: [This club is really fun, they organize parties and other events regularly, it’s lively and great for making friends.]
…
Shen Yu’s sharp eyes noticed that Cheng Mofei had also joined the "Animal Rescue Association," and he couldn’t help but smile to himself.
It made sense. Given how much Cheng Mofei liked fluffy little animals, it wasn’t surprising that he would join.
Shen Yu immediately submitted applications for a few clubs.
Since the clubs he applied for didn’t require interviews, the approval process would take a little time.
Once it was approved, he would be able to join, so he just had to be patient and wait.
…
In the afternoon, Shen Yu attended his first-ever college physical education class.
Physical education classes were considered an elective, and among the various options like basketball, soccer, volleyball, and table tennis, Shen Yu chose the simple and unpretentious—"Tai Chi."
It was healthy and calming, making it perfect for him.
In the first class, the teacher taught them the "starting position" and a bit of the "Wild Horse Parts Mane" move. It wasn't too difficult.
When Cheng Mofei heard that Shen Yu had chosen Tai Chi, and since he had no class in the afternoon, he was curious and decided to come over to the sports field to watch.
Coincidentally, the campus run for the semester had already begun, and once Shen Yu finished his class, they could go for the run together.
It was best to complete the campus run while the temperature hadn’t dropped too much, or they wouldn’t be able to run at all once it got colder and the snow arrived.
When Xiao Xiong and Sun Xinghe heard that the two were planning to go for the run, they handed their phones to Cheng Mofei and Shen Yu, asking them to run together.
Shen Yu quickly spotted Cheng Mofei, who was watching him with a smile from a distance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two boys holding basketballs walking up to Cheng Mofei, saying something to him before leaving.
Shen Yu guessed that the two boys had probably wanted to invite Cheng Mofei to play basketball but were turned down.
The reason for the refusal was obvious — Cheng Mofei had other plans.
After finishing the campus run together, they’d grab dinner, and Cheng Mofei had evening classes, so he naturally didn’t have time.
Finally, after the physical education class ended, Shen Yu walked briskly toward Cheng Mofei, only to find Cheng Mofei staring at his phone screen, seemingly amused by something.
Shen Yu: “?”
He immediately leaned over to look at what Cheng Mofei was looking at, only to find that the screen displayed a picture of himself.
Or rather—his own meme.
Cheng Mofei had not only secretly taken a photo of him while he was practicing Tai Chi but had also edited the photo and turned it into emoticons.
One photo showed him in the "starting position," raising his hand and sinking his energy, with the text: [Not angry.]
Another one showed him lifting his hand, with the text: [Hi.]
One of the emoticons was a photo of him with his eyes closed, with the text: [Going to sleep now.]
Another one captured him during the "Wild Horse Parts Mane" move, with the text: [Sneaky.]
...
Cheng Mofei couldn’t help but laugh, looking smug as he asked, "So? Not bad, right?"
Shen Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he replied flatly, "Heh."
He didn’t delete the memes nor did he try to take the phone away, but simply said, "Tonight, when you're asleep, I'll secretly format your phone."
Cheng Mofei quickly shielded his beloved phone as if it were his precious child, "You don’t even know the lock screen password."
Shen Yu smiled and casually rattled off a string of numbers: "001122."
Cheng Mofei froze, his face filled with shock. "How do you know that?"
Shen Yu: "Your birthday. I was just guessing."
Cheng Mofei countered: "Then yours? 010601?"
That was Shen Yu's birthday.
Shen Yu: "Nope."
Cheng Mofei tried another combination: "200161?"
Shen Yu: "Still no."
Cheng Mofei: "Isn’t it your birthday?"
Shen Yu smiled and walked ahead, still replying, "Nope."
Cheng Mofei: "Then what is it?"
Shen Yu, still smiling, said as he walked forward, "Not telling you."
Cheng Mofei quickly caught up, his footsteps crunching the fallen leaves beneath him.
"After we finish the run, I’ll treat you to some super-duper-ultra-delicious spicy hotpot. Can you promise not to secretly format my phone?"
Shen Yu smiled, "We'll see if it's really super-duper-ultra-delicious."
“It's official,”
...
More than an hour later, Shen Yu and Cheng Mofei arrived at a spicy hotpot restaurant in the basement of a small shopping mall after three subway stops.
It was clear that the hotpot here was genuinely good, as the place was already crowded even though it wasn’t quite mealtime yet.
Luckily, they arrived at the perfect time, and a couple who had just finished eating vacated a table just for them.
The hotpot was self-served; you selected your ingredients and weighed them. Meats and vegetables were priced the same, and the broth was freshly brewed with a rich, savory aroma.
Shen Yu carefully selected his ingredients based on his preferences, and Cheng Mofei did the same as they headed to the counter to weigh their items.
Cheng Mofei insisted on paying, as if he were afraid that Shen Yu would secretly go ahead and format his phone tonight.
Though Shen Yu considered Cheng Mofei his "person" and "someone close," he didn’t want Cheng Mofei to always be the one paying.
Whether friends or partners, it was important that both sides contribute equally.
Back at the table, Shen Yu noticed they both had identical phone cases. He thought that he should buy Cheng Mofei a gift at some point.
Soon enough, the two bowls of hotpot were brought to the table.
The hotpot was indeed delicious, and the broth was tasty, but...
"Is this level of spiciness for real?" Shen Yu felt his lips swelling a bit, pulling out a tissue to dab at them.
At first, it wasn't too bad, but the more he ate, the spicier it got, and his lips started to burn.
Cheng Mofei, who was pretty good with spicy food, didn’t feel much of an issue. When he noticed Shen Yu's lips becoming noticeably red and swollen after wiping them, he immediately got up. "I'll go get you some milk and water. Don’t eat anymore for now."
Before long, Cheng Mofei returned with a bottle of milk, unwrapped it, and handed it to Shen Yu.
He also placed a bowl of plain water in front of him. "Drink some milk first to help with the spiciness, and then drink the water. It'll calm down the heat."
It did help a lot, though his lips remained swollen, and they wouldn’t go down anytime soon.
There was still the class meeting and the student president election later that evening.
Though Shen Yu wasn’t planning to run for class president, he had to attend and participate in the voting.
Having swollen lips and being seen by others didn’t seem ideal...
After finishing his meal, Shen Yu went to a nearby convenience store to buy a mask.
That would do the trick.
Cheng Mofei, obediently and dutifully, followed him around like a puppy, even buying another bottle of milk for him.
Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh as he took the carton of pure milk and said, "It's fine, I won't secretly format your phone, don't worry."
The spicy hot pot tasted really great, but it was burning hot. His stomach felt fine, not the kind of spicy that harms the body.
Cheng Mofei let out a sigh of relief and secretly decided to buy a box of pure milk from the small supermarket after class in the evening.
It was getting late, so they took the subway back to school. One had an evening class, and the other had a class meeting, so they separated when they got to the teaching building.
The class meeting was about electing class president, so Shen Yu didn't have much to do. He only needed to vote in each round.
He found a corner seat and began seriously searching for phrases like "what gift to give a boy you're interested in."
He wanted to give Cheng Mofei a gift, but he didn't want to give it purely from the perspective of a friend, nor did he want to be too ambiguous and cross the line - he had no experience in pursuing anyone, so he didn't know what to give.
There were many answers to this kind of question online, so Shen Yu read through them one by one.
A lighter... Cheng Mofei didn’t smoke, so giving him a lighter wouldn’t be useful.
Basketball, headphones, mechanical keyboards, watches... Cheng Mofei already had good ones, and for now, Shen Yu couldn’t afford anything better.
Flowers... That seemed a bit too romantic.
Underwear... Huh, underwear?
Shen Yu quickly blinked his eyes.
It’s not completely from a friend's perspective—underwear is a very personal item, and it's rare to give it to a friend.
But not crossing any ambiguous lines—sometimes, good friends prank each other with a few pairs of underwear, and that's not a problem.
Shen Yu immediately switched to a shopping app and began selecting a suitable pair of underwear for Cheng Mofei.
After making his selection, he confirmed the payment.
He would wait for a few days until it arrived and then find an excuse to give it to Cheng Mofei.
...
After the class president election ended, Shen Yu returned to his dorm early.
The dorm was empty, as everyone had gone to their evening classes.
Shen Yu took off his mask, walked to the bathroom mirror, and glanced at himself. He noticed his lips were still red and swollen.
He rinsed his face with cold water, then secretly opened the locked cabinet and applied a bit of lip balm.
Not long after, the door to the dorm opened, and the other three returned from class.
Xiao Xiong immediately noticed something was off with Shen Yu and exclaimed, "What the hell, Xiao Shen, who forced a kiss on you? Your lips are all swollen like this."
Shen Yu was momentarily speechless, and instinctively glanced at Cheng Mofei, the culprit, who was standing nearby holding a box of pure milk.
Cheng Mofei: "..."
Cheng Mofei coughed a couple of times and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? I took him to eat spicy hot pot tonight, and it was so spicy his lips got swollen."
With that, he walked over to his desk, used a utility knife to open the box of milk, and placed it between their desks. He told Shen Yu, "Feel free to drink."
Shen Yu smiled and nodded.
How silly.
Pure milk does help with the spiciness, but in his current state, milk wouldn’t do much.
For the past few days, Shen Yu had been wearing a mask whenever he went out.
The temperature had dropped recently, and many students had gotten sick, so most of them were wearing masks. Shen Yu blended in and did not stand out.
A few days later, Shen Yu's lips finally weren't swollen anymore, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the irritation, they became even drier.
With the temperature in Yancheng City steadily dropping, the air had become more and more dry. His lips were so dry that they even cracked and bled.
As a Southerner living in the North, he already had difficulty adapting to the dry climate.
On top of that, he hadn't dared to use body lotion or lip balm, or any other skincare products, because of Cheng Mofei's "homophobic" and "straight guy" tendencies.
Naturally, Cheng Mofei also noticed Shen Yu's lips were in bad shape and was especially worried. He searched online for solutions.
After all, it was because of him that Shen Yu’s lips had ended up like this, bleeding and all. It must hurt so much.
That very day, he drove back home and brought back the imported lip balm his mother had bought abroad—brand new and unopened. His mother had bought several, and this was just one of them.
He had heard the lip balm worked wonders and, naturally, wasn’t cheap.
Excitedly, Cheng Mofei made his way back to school, ready to give the lip balm to Shen Yu.
But just as he was about to arrive, he suddenly saw that Shen Yu already had a lip balm in his hand.
His lips were soft and moist, clearly already applied with something.
Nearby, Xiao Xiong saw Cheng Mofei coming back and, with a mischievous look, gossiped, "Did a suitor give that to Xiao Shen? Hey, soon our group chat name’s gonna change to 'Single Status 2/4!'"
Cheng Mofei gripped the lip balm in his pocket tightly, pressing his lips together without saying a word.
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