| BYSG | Hot | 35
"Can you accept such gossip about being involved with someone of the same sex? Doesn't that mean you're no longer homophobic? Can't you give it a chance?" The guy still didn’t want to give up.
Recently, he had been keeping an eye on the gossip on the school forum about Cheng Mofei and Shen Yu. He had even seen with his own eyes Cheng Mofei and Shen Yu sticking close together on campus.
As a gay man, he also thought this was a bit beyond the boundary of friendship.
Previously, Cheng Mofei had always rejected him, using the excuse of being a straight man and homophobic.
But now, Cheng Mofei seemed less homophobic. No matter what, he felt that this was a rare opportunity, and he had to seize it. After all, neither of them was in a relationship and they were still single.
Cheng Mofei hadn’t been this speechless in a long time.
Not to mention the fact that he was still homophobic, he didn’t mind playful teasing with his close friends. But if the person in the post wasn’t Shen Yu and was someone else, he would’ve clarified things and deleted it immediately.
Even if he weren’t homophobic, he was still straight and had absolutely no interest in this person.
A surge of frustration quickly spread in Cheng Mofei’s chest, accompanied by a nauseous discomfort. He no longer wanted to waste another word with this person.
"I hope this is the last time I ever hear you say such ridiculous things."
With that, he turned and left without a second glance.
The figure that had been lurking outside was already gone, unnoticed by anyone.
...
Shen Yu didn’t know what the two of them talked about afterward. After hearing that "impossible," he fled in embarrassment, running away in a panic.
He didn’t know where to go, he wandered aimlessly around campus like a headless chicken, too afraid to stop, fearing that if he did, all his emotions would rush in and overwhelm him.
In truth, he had already known, the moment that question was asked, that he most likely wouldn’t get the answer he wanted. After all, Cheng Mofei only considered him his best friend right now, and they hadn’t moved into the next stage of their relationship.
Even if Cheng Mofei’s homophobia had eased, he would still see himself as straight.
A normal straight guy would never imagine being with a gay best friend.
But the way Cheng Mofei said "impossible" was so clean and decisive, almost like a reflex. If there had been even the slightest hesitation, Shen Yu wouldn’t have been so torn up.
Since their reunion, everything had gone beyond his expectations. His relationship with Cheng Mofei had progressed quickly; they became inseparable best friends, and he had lost himself in the beautiful dream by their friendship and forgot the huge gap that existed between friends and lovers.
It wasn’t until he heard Cheng Mofei's swift, firm "impossible" that he suddenly woke up.
The relationship between them had once again hit a dead end, unable to move forward.
Many things lose their appeal after being rejected once. Even if he didn’t give up, his confidence dwindled.
He had never been a particularly confident person.
What made it worse was that the person who once gave him confidence was now the one who had directly crushed it.
For a moment, he didn’t know what to do anymore.
It felt as if he hadn’t confessed yet, but had already been harshly rejected.
He was so afraid that the ending would really be those three words.
The sky was a dull gray, pressing down so heavily it was hard to breathe. Shen Yu’s heart felt as though it had been covered by a layer of gloom.
He knew, no matter what, he could never give up on Cheng Mofei. But right now, all he wanted was to escape for a short while, to give himself a moment to catch his breath, and to think carefully about what to do next.
It was like a snail that, after being startled in the middle of its slow crawl, quickly retreats into its shell, collects itself, and after a brief moment of calm, continues to move forward.
...
Shen Yu didn’t know how long he had been walking in a daze until Cheng Mofei suddenly called him.
Shen Yu froze for a long while, and with the urgency of the ringing, his fingers trembled as he pressed the hang-up button.
Before this, Cheng Mofei had sent him several messages.
Cheng Mofei: [Where did you go? Old Yuan said you came to find me.]
Cheng Mofei: [Where are you? [Confused face]]
Cheng Mofei: [You didn’t get kidnapped, right? Tell the kidnappers not to hurt you, your brother Fei has money, I’ll pay whatever it takes to get you back.]
Cheng Mofei: [Did your phone die again?]
Perhaps he had called to check if the phone was really off.
Just a second before that...
Cheng Mofei: [Why didn’t you pick up?]
Shen Yu stood under a tree and sat down on a nearby bench, giving his body a moment to relax. He tried to reply in a casual tone:
Shen Yu: [Something came up, I couldn’t take the call. Let’s talk later.]
Cheng Mofei immediately showed “typing...”.
Cheng Mofei: [Okay, then, are we still having dinner? What about the necklace? Are you still going to pick it up?]
Shen Yu: [Not eating, I’ll pick it up another day.]
Cheng Mofei sent him a hamster emoji with a little "OK" gesture.
Since getting a hamster, Cheng Mofei had added a lot of hamster stickers to his collection. Every time they chatted, he would always use a few.
He used to think it was really cute, but now, with emotions fermenting and turning sour, they had taken over his mind, and he couldn’t stop himself from overthinking.
His presence had been like the flap of a butterfly's wings, causing a lot of changes.
As the old saying goes: "The right time, the right place, and the right people are all essential."
How could he be so sure that a nineteen-year-old Cheng Mofei would fall for him?
And even worse, could his appearance have changed the "plot," and cause Cheng Mofei to develop feelings for someone else instead?
Shen Yu felt both sad and afraid.
His eyes were moist and hot, but a little cold drop landed on the back of his hand.
"It’s raining."
"Quick, quick, I didn’t bring an umbrella."
"Wait for me."
Everything around him was lively and vibrant, yet Shen Yu himself seemed to melt into the rain, becoming part of the dull, cold downpour.
...
By the time Shen Yu returned to his dorm, he was soaked through.
He had been sitting in a small pavilion on campus, sheltered from the rain but still feeling its weight. The pavilion was tiny, and the rain had created a barrier, leaving him in a quiet space and putting his mind at ease.
He hadn’t brought an umbrella and he couldn’t find anyone to lend him one. He didn’t want to bother anyone for help. So he had simply braved the rain on his own.
The dorm manager was sitting at the entrance on the first floor, casually knitting what seemed to be a sweater or something else to pass the time, though the shape of the knitting wasn’t visible.
The floor was damp from the students coming and going, leaving a trail of wet footprints.
When she saw Shen Yu come in drenched, the dorm manager couldn’t help but express concern: "How did you get so soaked? Go take a hot shower, and make sure to dry your hair well."
Shen Yu’s eyes slowly moved as he gave her a small nod, moving like a zombie, dragging his heavy body slowly up the stairs.
Other students who had also been caught in the rain passed by, walking quickly, but Shen Yu was the only one taking slow, deliberate steps, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind.
The fifth floor was always difficult to climb, and now it took him twice as long to finally reach the door of his dorm room.
His breath became short and heavy.
He pulled the key, which had also been soaked by the rain, from his pocket, squinting as he tried several times before finally managing to insert it into the lock.
At the same time, he raised his hand to wipe the rainwater from his eyes, hoping to clear his vision.
The key barely turned half a circle before footsteps quickly approached from inside, and the door was suddenly flung open.
"Where did you go? How..."
Cheng Mofei’s voice trailed off as he saw Shen Yu, drenched through.
He immediately pulled Shen Yu inside, his tone more urgent than usual, tinged with worry. "How did you get so soaked? You should’ve called me if you didn’t have an umbrella. Why don’t you take better care of yourself?"
Shen Yu shivered, his lips drained of color, tightly pressed together.
He didn’t take care of himself, and now Cheng Mofei was worried about him.
"Go change in the bathroom, you’ll catch a cold if you stay like this."
Shen Yu, like a wooden puppet, was pushed into the bathroom. A moment later, Cheng Mofei came in with a clean towel and clothes.
The towel and clothes were freshly taken in from the rain, stacked on Shen Yu’s chair, still waiting to be put away. Cheng Mofei had grabbed them all without a second thought and brought them in.
Xiao Xiong and Sun Xinghe were also in the dorm. Seeing Shen Yu in this condition, they set down what they were doing and came over.
But they were stopped by the bathroom door, which Cheng Mofei had mercilessly locked behind him.
The two exchanged a look.
Well, it made sense. Shen Yu was a shy guy from the south, and having three people watch him change would definitely make him uncomfortable. Cheng Mofei was thoughtful and knew that he could handle things on his own.
Inside the bathroom.
Seeing that Shen Yu wasn’t responding or moving, Cheng Mofei didn’t hesitate and directly began helping him out of his wet clothes, one layer at a time.
Being drenched in this weather was no small matter; if not careful, he could end up with a serious illness.
When they reached the point where only the thin, damp inner clothing clung to Shen Yu's body, Shen Yu suddenly swayed and stumbled, falling straight into Cheng Mofei's arms.
He felt hot.
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