Brother, you smell good - 8

 

| BYSG | My Brother is Straight | 8


Time was tight. After some playful banter, they quickly got ready and left the house.

Cheng Mofei didn’t explain that he stayed up all night to observe Shen Yu’s sleepwalking condition, fearing that Shen Yu might feel like he was causing trouble and would be embarrassed.

On the way out to buy breakfast, Sun Xinghe suddenly remembered and said, "Did Xiao Shen not sleepwalk last night?"

Everyone’s gaze turned to Shen Yu, who was wearing camouflage clothes.

He was fiddling with his hat, and when he noticed the attention, he nodded and looked at Cheng Mofei. "I guess so."

He had woken up in his own bed this morning, and when he woke up, the steam eye mask Cheng Mofei gave him the previous night was still properly on his eyes, without any signs of sleepwalking.

Cheng Mofei lightly hummed, his dark circles under his eyes making him seem quite convincing.

"I guess it’s not that serious," Shen Yu said, his steps becoming lighter.

There was no need to go to the hospital, and no need for doctors or medication.

After buying breakfast, they all parted ways. Shen Yu went alone to the military training field, while the other three headed to the teaching building for their 8 a.m. class.

As soon as the roll was called, Cheng Mofei laid his head on the desk and fell asleep. 

Fortunately, there were only two English classes in the morning, and the English teacher only called the roll once at the beginning of class. During the lesson, the teacher didn’t randomly call on students to answer questions.

After the class, Cheng Mofei returned to the dormitory to continue his sleep, resting until noon when Shen Yu returned from training with lunch.

After getting enough sleep, the dark circles under Cheng Mofei’s eyes finally disappeared.

Having trained all morning, Shen Yu’s exposed skin had turned slightly red from the sun.

However, Shen Yu didn’t feel much discomfort. During his part-time job over the summer, he’d been tired, and the military training was actually quite mild. 

The only issue was that his skin took after his mother, who had fair skin that easily turned red when exposed to the sun. But it would only last about half a month and would fade eventually.

On the other hand, Cheng Mofei, while chewing on his chopsticks, started rummaging through drawers and cabinets.

After a short while, he pulled out a sunscreen and said, "This is the one my mom bought for me last year during military training. It’s got a long shelf life, and there’s still quite a bit left. I probably won’t use it anymore, so it might expire if I leave it. You should use it, don’t get sunburned."

It was a very expensive sunscreen with excellent sun protection, and the only downside was its price.

He noticed that Shen Yu had bought sunscreen himself, but it probably wasn’t as effective as his, since his skin had already turned red from the sun.

Shen Yu, who was eating, paused for a moment before taking the sunscreen. He didn’t refuse, instead, he smiled and said, "Thanks, Brother Fei."

After lunch and a short nap, Shen Yu applied the sunscreen Cheng Mofei had given him, right in front of Cheng Mofei.

Cheng Mofei, feeling inexplicably in a good mood, took the initiative to help him smooth out the areas he hadn’t applied it to on his face.

In the afternoon, Shen Yu still had training, and the other three had two professional courses. 

Around 1:30, they all left again, parting ways at a crossroads.

After the professional course, Xiao Xiong rushed off to play games with his friends and went straight back to the dorm. Sun Xinghe was heading to the military training field to see his girlfriend, planning to have dinner with her after her training in the evening.

Cheng Mofei thought about it for a moment and then decided to follow Sun Xinghe to the freshman military training field. He wanted to check how his junior roommate was doing with their training. 

He could also head to the indoor basketball court afterward to shoot some hoops.

The military training site was located near the East Sports Hall, a place Cheng Mofei frequently visited for basketball, so he was quite familiar with it.

Each college had its own formation, and everyone wore the same uniforms. But to make the gatherings more social, there were signs next to the groups with the names of the colleges, so it was easy to find.

Sun Xinghe went straight to his girlfriend’s training area and found a spot nearby to sit and wait.

Cheng Mofei didn’t stay with him. He left after saying, "I’ll go check where Xiao Shen is."

Cheng Mofei was good-looking, and as he walked around the area, many eyes fell on him.

He was already used to this kind of attention.

Soon enough, he found the chemistry section, where Shen Yu was supposed to be.

At that moment, the students from the chemistry section were resting in place, and the instructor was chatting with them casually.

Cheng Mofei searched several times but couldn’t spot Shen Yu.

Although the sunlight was a bit blinding, he was certain that he hadn’t seen Shen Yu.

Where could he be?

The instructor was still going on, saying, "Students who feel unwell must report to me immediately. Don’t push yourselves too hard. Like the student just now who fainted from heatstroke, we don’t want that happening again."

Cheng Mofei's ears immediately perked up at the words "heatstroke" and "fainting." Alarm bells went off in his mind.

Could it be that his junior had fainted from heatstroke?

Cheng Mofei couldn’t help but recall Shen Yu’s slightly reddened skin from earlier that afternoon. Shen Yu was already thin, and his physical condition was probably average, making it quite possible for him to suffer from heatstroke and faint.

The instructor continued, "The beds at the school infirmary are not comfortable."

Without hesitation, Cheng Mofei turned on his heel and quickly headed towards the school infirmary.

The infirmary was located right next to the East Sports Hall, convenient for handling injuries that students might sustain during training. Cheng Mofei, with his long legs, walked fast and soon arrived.

He stopped a woman in a doctor’s coat and asked, "Excuse me, where can I find the student who fainted from heatstroke? I’m his roommate."

The female doctor looked at him weirdly but didn’t ask anything further. She simply raised her hand and pointed in a direction, telling him the exact location.

After thanking her, Cheng Mofei hurried towards the indicated spot.

But soon, he understood why the doctor had looked at him strangely.

Shen Yu was indeed in the resting room—but it wasn’t him who had suffered from heatstroke.

The one who had heatstroke was a round-faced girl with a ponytail and straight bangs. She was leaning against the bed, sipping water in small sips, her face looking a bit pale.

Next to her sat another girl, also wearing camouflage, who was likely her roommate. Additionally, Shen Yu was sitting there with them.

The three of them were chatting casually, and the atmosphere didn’t seem awkward at all.

When Cheng Mofei appeared suddenly, Shen Yu was a little stunned. He immediately spoke up, "Brother Fei? What are you doing here?"

The two other girls turned their attention to him as well.

Cheng Mofei, taken aback, quickly realized he had made a mistake. Since there were two strangers present, he felt a bit embarrassed to admit his blunder. 

He gritted his teeth and came up with an excuse, "Oh, I came over here to play basketball, but I twisted my ankle. I just came to rest for a bit. I thought I saw someone inside who looked like you, so I came to take a look."

Shen Yu, not suspecting anything, stood up and asked with concern, "Is it serious?"

Cheng Mofei pretended to limp as he took a few steps, "It’s fine. I’ll be okay after resting for a while."

Shen Yu nodded and then briefly introduced the two girls to Cheng Mofei.

“This is my roommate.”

“This is my classmate. She had heatstroke, so I came with her roommate to bring her to the school infirmary. We're just taking a break from training.”

Cheng Mofei understood now.

Shen Yu then said, “Let me help you to the male rest area to sit for a while.”

He was naturally more willing to stay with Cheng Mofei.

Cheng Mofei nodded, "Alright."

He continued to pretend to limp as Shen Yu helped him to the adjacent room.

For convenience, the rest area only had gender restrictions for patients and didn’t limit the gender of visitors. Each bed had a curtain that could be drawn for privacy.

In the next room, there were three other boys resting.

One of the boys, dressed in a basketball jersey, was lying on the bed, another one in a jersey stood nearby, and the third, wearing regular clothes, was sitting at the edge of a bed.

As soon as Shen Yu helped Cheng Mofei inside, all their gazes fell on them.

Cheng Mofei’s expression shifted slightly. He really wanted to leave, but he was still pretending to limp. Since he was already here, he hesitated, then decided to stay and grit his teeth.

Shen Yu hadn’t paid much attention to the other people in the room until one of them called out Cheng Mofei’s name.

Cheng Mofei responded and politely asked, “What happened to you?”

The boy lying on the bed, with slightly darker skin, said, “I twisted my ankle playing basketball. What about you?”

Cheng Mofei’s expression stiffened. "Well, how coincidental."

He then replied, “I’m about the same, but not as serious. A bit of rest and it’ll be fine.”

The boy asked, “You were playing basketball too? Where were you playing? I didn’t see you.”

Cheng Mofei really wanted to shut his mouth, internally rolling his eyes. He answered, “I was warming up on the side. I wasn’t paying attention while warming up.”

“Oh, I see. It’s been a while since we played together. I didn’t expect we’d miss out again today. Oh well,” the boy sighed.

Finally, the questioning stopped.

"You guys never pay attention when playing basketball," the boy sitting by the bed with a gentle appearance suddenly spoke up. "Next time, if you break your arm or leg, you'll regret it."

The boy lying on the bed immediately grabbed his hand, not caring about the others around them, and in a soft, apologetic tone said, "Sorry, baby. I'll be more careful next time."

Cheng Mofei: "..."

He was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

Shen Yu: "..." 

As expected.

It seemed like gay couples really did exist. Shen Yu had already sensed something "strange" between the two boys earlier, and now it turned out just as he suspected.

This reminded Shen Yu of what Cheng Mofei had told him yesterday morning about a member of the basketball team who is in a relationship with a boy.

— Shen Yu was right, it was indeed those two.

Due to his upbringing, Cheng Mofei, despite his discomfort with homosexuality, wasn’t the type to constantly voice his aversion. He’d only expressed such feelings to close friends or persistent male admirers who didn’t take a hint.

When he found out that one of his basketball teammates was gay and in a relationship, he simply distanced himself quietly, making sure not to cause any awkwardness or discomfort for anyone.

Shen Yu subconsciously glanced at Cheng Mofei, and just as it happened, Cheng Mofei looked at him as well.

In Cheng Mofei’s eyes, Shen Yu saw a clear desire to leave the room. Yet, Shen Yu pretended not to notice. He stood up and said, “Do you want some water? I’ll bring two cups.”

Since Shen Yu was already standing and had said “two cups,” it was clear he was thirsty too. 

Cheng Mofei had no way to refuse and could only say, “Yes, cold water, please.”

“Alright,” Shen Yu replied before turning to leave the room.

As the saying goes—"fight fire with fire."

Having this closeness with gay individuals could be good for Cheng Mofei, even if he was deep in the closet. Perhaps one day, he would come to terms with things on his own.

After Shen Yu left, the other guy who had been standing by the bed in a basketball jersey also walked out, saying, "I'm going to get some water too."

Cheng Mofei didn’t recognize this person, who looked a bit carefree and unfamiliar.

As soon as the other guy left, the couple sitting nearby began to whisper to each other.

"Why were you playing basketball with him?"

 "Because we were short on players this afternoon, so I joined in. If I knew Xiao Cheng was there, I would’ve brought him along instead and not play with that guy. Don’t worry, it was we just played basketball. There was no other interaction. I won’t be influenced by him."

"Stay away from him. Playing with him is bad luck. Recently, with the freshmen starting school, he’s been coming to our building a lot. Who knows what he’s after? It's not enough to deceive his own school; now he’s trying to fool freshmens?"

"Alright."

The two were completely unbothered by Cheng Mofei’s presence. 

There were two reasons for this: first, they had played basketball together for nearly half a semester, so they were somewhat familiar with each other, and Cheng Mofei's character was trustworthy; second, what they were saying wasn’t exactly a secret—most people in the local circle knew about it.

Cheng Mofei's frown deepened the more he listened.

It was clear that the boy in the basketball jersey was no good.

Normally, Cheng Mofei wouldn’t have gotten involved in gossip, especially when it came to gay gossip, but this time he couldn’t help but ask, "Who was that person just now? I’ve never seen him before when we were playing basketball."

That person had just followed Shen Yu out to get water.

The break room was on the second floor, and the water dispenser was only on the first floor. It wouldn’t be that quick to return, so there was no need to worry about people overhearing behind his back.

Moreover, Cheng Mofei was sitting right at the entrance of the break room, so anyone coming in would be noticed immediately.

The boy lying on the bed answered, "He’s a rich second-generation guy from a neighboring school. His private life is a mess. I’ve heard that he’s kept a few college students as his sugar babies and even hooks up on dating apps. I saw him once at a friend’s birthday party. At that time, I didn’t know about his dirty affairs. We played a game of pool together, so I sort of recognized him. I didn’t expect him to start coming to our school to play basketball recently. I used to avoid him, but this time I was really short on people, so it felt awkward to refuse ..."

Cheng Mofei’s expression changed slightly.

The handsome-looking boy clearly had a very bad impression of that person. "I think he's here to 'hunt' at our school. Freshmen are so easy to deceive. He can even turn straight guys gay. With a bit of money in his pocket, he doesn’t even care about his face anymore."

The two of them continued discussing the guy's dirty deeds.

Cheng Mofei silently listened to these words, which made his temples throb with tension, when suddenly he noticed something. He sprang to his feet, "Why haven't they come back yet?"

Even though the water dispenser was on the first floor, they should have returned by now.

The handsome-looking boy also furrowed his brows.

He recalled the appearance of the junior who had helped Cheng Mofei into the room earlier and stood up, saying, "Your friend... does have the kind of look that some people in our circle might like. I’ll go take a look."

But Cheng Mofei had already rushed out before him.

His leg was no longer limping.

...

Shen Yu deliberately slowed his pace, thinking of giving Cheng Mofei a little more time.

Just as Shen Yu was leisurely walking downstairs, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind.

At first, he didn't think much of it, since it was a public space, and it was normal for others to walk by.

But then, the footsteps stopped right beside him, matching his pace as he went down the stairs.

Shen Yu glanced sideways and saw it was the guy who had been silent in the break room earlier, the one wearing the basketball jersey.

He was a little handsome, with a slightly cocky expression.

Shen Yu faintly sensed something uncomfortable and decided not to engage. He shifted his gaze forward and continued walking down the stairs, picking up the pace a little.

After all, he didn’t know the person and didn’t see the need to.

But the guy suddenly spoke up, "I’m going to get water too. Want to go together?"

Shen Yu thought to himself that the guy was just trying to make small talk. He let out a brief exhalation through his throat, his attitude cold.

The guy continued, "I’m Meng Feng, from the school next door. What’s your name?"

Shen Yu didn’t even glance at him, speeding up even more as he responded curtly, "I’m from Yanda University."

Meng Feng was momentarily taken aback. Did he really need to say it? 

With Shen Yu wearing military training clothes at Yanda University, it was obvious he was from there. 

Still, his interest grew even more.

He quickened his pace to catch up with Shen Yu and asked, "Want to add me on WeChat?"

Shen Yu replied curtly, "No."

This was the first time Meng Feng had encountered someone so difficult to deal with, but Shen Yu did fit his aesthetic. The more he was rejected, the more determined he became.

Fair skin, a slim frame, beautiful features—he was the kind of person that made you want to protect him. His voice was also pleasant to listen to.

After thinking for a while, Meng Feng decided to approach things differently. He said, "The person you helped in earlier, his name is Cheng Mofei, right? I know him. My family and his family have done business together."

The implication of his words was clear—his background wasn’t bad either.

Since Shen Yu was so close to Cheng Mofei, he must be familiar with Cheng Mofei's family background as well.

Of course, Meng Feng's so-called "business collaboration" was nothing more than a small opportunity his family had fought for from Cheng Mofei’s company, a chance that didn’t mean much.

But Shen Yu remained unmoved.

He knew too well the status of the Cheng Mofei family in Yancheng City. He had been interacting with Cheng Mofei for so long and had never heard of any powerful figure with the last name Meng. It seemed like Meng Feng was just trying to get close.

Fortunately, the water dispenser finally came into view.

Shen Yu quickly walked up, took out two disposable cups, and started filling them with water.

Meng Feng stood behind him, oddly quiet for a moment.

Just as Shen Yu finished filling one cup and began to fill the second, Meng Feng suddenly took a step forward, leaning ambiguously against Shen Yu's back. 

Out of nowhere, he said, "I heard Cheng Mofei is really homophobic."

This information came from one of his "flings," who had heard it from friends within their circle at Yanda University.

Earlier, when he was in the break room, he had carefully observed the situation and found that it was true—when Cheng Mofei heard the word "baby" earlier, he had visibly reacted poorly.

Meng Feng had also observed Shen Yu, noticing how close he was to Cheng Mofei and how attentive he was toward him. 

When he saw two unfamiliar guys acting intimate and calling each other "baby," Shen Yu had no unusual reaction at all.

Meng Feng considered himself quite experienced in dealing with people. He was sure that Shen Yu, even if not gay, was likely bisexual or deeply closeted.

 Regardless of what Shen Yu's relationship with Cheng Mofei was—whether just friends or something more—Meng Feng felt he could handle it.

Shen Yu blinked his lashes quickly, maintaining a calm expression, though his eyes grew colder.

So, this was a threat.

The second cup of water was filled, and Shen Yu released his grip on the water dispenser.

Having lived two lifetimes, he wasn’t about to be intimidated by a brash young man in his twenties.

Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of fast footsteps approaching from behind.

Shen Yu’s movements paused briefly, and the next second, he felt the person who had been leaning on him roughly pulled away.

Meng Feng let out a sharp sound of pain.

A cold voice followed, "My brother is straight. Take your filthy thoughts elsewhere."

Cheng Mofei stood protectively in front of Shen Yu.

Shen Yu: "..."

Though he wasn’t gay, he still felt touched by the gesture.

...

In the end, things were settled when the doctor from the infirmary arrived after hearing the commotion. Shen Yu didn’t want to escalate the situation, so he quickly ended it, leaving the matter unresolved.

After all, it wasn’t worth making a big deal out of something like this, and he hadn’t really been wronged.

Besides, Shen Yu was also somewhat concerned about his sexual orientation being exposed, so he didn’t feel the need to say more.

Meng Feng, realizing he couldn’t confront Cheng Mofei head-on, left in a dejected manner.

As training time approached, Shen Yu had planned to relax in the break room until it was over and then head to the cafeteria for a meal. He hadn’t expected the commotion to happen.

However, this worked out perfectly, as it meant he could go to the cafeteria with Cheng Mofei.

On the way to the cafeteria, the setting sun painted half the sky, casting a warm orange glow everywhere.

It was Cheng Mofei’s favorite color—orange.

It had been a long time since Shen Yu had walked under the sunset with Cheng Mofei.

In his past life, ever since he got sick, he rarely left the bed, spending all his time lying there without even bothering to look at the sunset outside the window.

This time, he was determined to cherish every sunset he shared with Cheng Mofei.

Walking side by side with Cheng Mofei along the campus path, Shen Yu felt an immense sense of happiness.

In stark contrast to Shen Yu's good mood, Cheng Mofei’s brow furrowed deeply as he held a disposable cup in his mouth, mumbling into Shen Yu’s ear all the way.

"They said your looks are quite popular in their circle. You should be more careful in the future."

Shen Yu responded with a distracted "Mm-hmm, got it."

His tone was clearly dismissive.

There was nothing to be cautious about.

His heart was entirely on Cheng Mofei.

Shen Yu then suddenly asked, "Hey, is your ankle better?"

Cheng Mofei was momentarily caught off guard, feeling guilty.

"Mm," he replied reluctantly.

...

Later that night, around midnight, Cheng Mofei’s phone suddenly received a text message.

The military training had been exhausting, and even though he had rested in the break room for a bit in the afternoon, he was still drained. Shen Yu, lying on the bed across from him, had already fallen asleep.

The message was short and to the point, consisting of only a few words: [Shen Yu is gay.]


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