Ning Guiqu really felt embarrassed, especially after seeing Lu Yuan’s meaningful gaze upon exiting the bathroom. He didn’t even ask to sleep together with Lu Yuan that night. He figured if Li Mu discovered them, so be it. He didn’t want to live anymore anyway!
Lu Yuan returned to his own bed. Even by two in the morning, Ning Guiqu didn’t call him over.
Lu Yuan lay wide awake.
What was he waiting for? Was he sick?
Lu Yuan closed his eyes to sleep.
Fortunately, Li Mu didn’t come on Saturday night.
On Sunday, Ning Guiqu remained quiet all day, trying to drink as little water as possible and trying not to bother Lu Yuan. At night, he wanted to live again and considered asking Lu Yuan to sleep together. But Ning Guiqu estimated that Li Mu probably wouldn’t come. What if he did, though?
Ning Guiqu asked Shi Wen, who often played games with Li Mu.
While playing a game, Shi Wen said, “Xiao Qu asked if you are coming to the dorm tonight.”
Ning Guiqu: !!!!
Idiot!!
Big idiot!!
Shi Wen did it again!!
He was the real idiot, falling into the same trap twice.
Shi Wen wore headphones, so Ning Guiqu couldn’t hear Li Mu’s response. Shortly after, Shi Wen said, “Xiao Qu, Li Mu says to guess. Just come if you’re coming. You’re only looking for a moment anyway. What exactly are you trying to see?”
Ning Guiqu lay on his bed, devoid of hope.
Shi Wen had become a traitor.
“It’s nothing. Why are you asking if they slept together? You’re a bit perverted.”
Ning Guiqu’s heart tightened. He grabbed his phone, with no time to warn Shi Wen.
Shi Wen replied dismissively, “They slept, they slept. Stop asking Xiao Qu. Go back and farm some creatures to heal!”
Ning Guiqu sighed in relief.
Not a complete traitor after all.
“What’s there to believe or not believe about this? If you don’t believe it, then don’t.”
Ning Guiqu felt Lu Yuan should still sleep with him that night, just to be safe. He looked up and locked eyes with Lu Yuan on the opposite bunk. Ning Guiqu raised his phone slightly.
Lu Yuan opened the message.
[Did you hear what Xiao Shi just said? Lu Yuan, please! I suspect Li Mu might come back tonight]
Lu Yuan replied: [You’re not embarrassed anymore?]
Ning Guiqu: “……..”
Ning Guiqu’s face slowly heated up as he looked up, meeting Lu Yuan’s slightly teasing gaze. Damn it, where was the cold and aloof persona? Was this something an aloof male god should ask?
Ning Guiqu could only force himself to reply: [My leg is injured after all, it’s an exceptional situation. I’m not embarrassed. Just feel like I’m troubling you too much]
Lu Yuan: [Is that so?]
Ning Guiqu: “………”
Ning Guiqu quickly opened his alt account: [Ahhhhhhhhhhh!]
After sending a string of “ah”s, he returned to reply to Lu Yuan: [Yes.]
Lu Yuan found teasing Ning Guiqu quite fun, so he wasn’t completely heartless and responded: [Come over when it’s time to rest]
Ning Guiqu felt touched again.
Love brain, love brain! Xiao Qu’s love brain activate!
While feeling moved, he browsed the forum and came across a post about the protagonist gong, holding flowers beneath a certain dormitory building. A photo was attached.
To be honest, for two grown men, the protagonist gong’s behavior was both high-profile and stupid.
Ning Guiqu continued reading the main post. Soon after, a man wearing a hat and mask came down, hastily accepted the roses, and left with the protagonist gong.
Without a doubt, it was the protagonist shou, Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi was clearly embarrassed and wrapped himself up so thoroughly.
Ning Guiqu thought, how could the original cannon fodder like such an ostentatious idiot!
It was bad enough that the cannon fodder liked him, but what if he inherited the original owner’s unrequited love memories four years later and also fell for the protagonist gong? Or for some other convoluted reason, he ended up liking him? That would be a prison sentence waiting to happen!
The thought made Ning Guiqu’s scalp tingle. He needed to develop a love brain quickly! Love Lu Yuan! Ning Guiqu understood himself; he was a devoted person! Once his love brain developed, he’d surely only like Lu Yuan!
Love brain, love brain, grow quickly!
Ning Guiqu muttered to himself.
That night, Lu Yuan came to Ning Guiqu’s bed. Since Ning Guiqu’s leg still hurt a bit, Lu Yuan gently pushed him toward the inner side of the bed.
Ning Guiqu obediently slept on the inside and said, “I’ll definitely be in a normal sleeping position when I wake up tomorrow morning. I’m like a vegetable now. I can’t move my leg.”
Lu Yuan glanced at Ning Guiqu.
Then—
Ning Guiqu hissed. Damn it! His leg was poked again. Immediately after, Ning Guiqu heard Lu Yuan’s nonchalant voice. “Can a vegetable feel pain?”
Ning Guiqu: “…”
Ning Guiqu realized Lu Yuan’s mouth wasn’t just for show. It made growing his love brain a bit more challenging. So, to prevent Lu Yuan from attacking him further, Ning Guiqu chose to surrender and sleep honestly.
However—
At 3 a.m., in the pitch-black night, Lu Yuan lay awake, his eyes bloodshot.
The koala returned…
Lu Yuan breathed in Ning Guiqu’s scent and listened to his steady breathing and his irregular heartbeat.
If he could just break through his mental barrier and sleep while hugging Ning Guiqu, he could rest peacefully.
After all, Ning Guiqu was soft and smelled nice.
Lu Yuan snapped back to reality.
What was he thinking??
Finally, Lu Yuan gently pushed Ning Guiqu away. He even lifted the blanket, using the weak light from his phone to examine Ning Guiqu’s knee.
It was still bruised.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then moved his phone up to see Ning Guiqu’s expression.
He lightly pressed on Ning Guiqu’s leg. Ning Guiqu’s breathing remained steady, with no reaction.
Lu Yuan pressed a bit harder, and Ning Guiqu’s brow furrowed slightly.
Lu Yuan withdrew his hand.
Confirmed, it still hurt. It was just a poor sleeping position.
As soon as Lu Yuan lay down, the koala automatically returned.
Lu Yuan: “…”
Lu Yuan endured until 4-5 a.m. before finally falling asleep.
On Monday, when Ning Guiqu woke up and saw Lu Yuan’s eyes still closed, he guiltily adjusted his sleeping position. As he moved, his leg hurt again.
Ning Guiqu didn’t understand. His leg hurt so much. Why was he still like this?
Damn it!
Stupid leg! Big stupid leg!
But since Lu Yuan wasn’t awake, he could pretend nothing happened.
Soon after, Lu Yuan’s alarm went off. Ning Guiqu also pretended to have just woken up.
Ning Guiqu had asked for leave from the professor, so he didn’t need to get up today. Although he had mentioned earlier about having Lu Yuan carry him to class, it was just talk.
But for the sake of growing his love brain, Ning Guiqu decided to test if Lu Yuan would carry him to school. If he did, his love brain might grow.
So, Ning Guiqu said to Lu Yuan, who was also getting up, “I still plan to go to class.”
Lu Yuan had just woken up, his eyes still drowsy. He flexed his numb arm and casually asked, “Do you have crutches?”
Ning Guiqu replied sincerely, “No. You can just carry me on your back. Lu Yuan, is that okay?”
Lu Yuan and Ning Guiqu stared at each other.
After three seconds of eye contact, Lu Yuan looked away and coldly refused. “Not okay.”
Ning Guiqu lay stiffly on the bed.
This love brain wasn’t going to grow!
As Ning Guiqu turned to face the wall, ready to continue sleeping, Lu Yuan, who had already gotten down, knocked on his bed. Ning Guiqu didn’t move and asked sleepily, “What is it?”
Lu Yuan heard the thick nasal tone.
He couldn’t have really cried, could he?
Since his refusal, Ning Guiqu had faced the wall, looking very sad. Lu Yuan was impressed by his kind-heartedness.
Lu Yuan pretended to be indifferent. “Nothing. I just wanted to say if you want to go to class, get up quickly.”
Ning Guiqu, who had closed his eyes, suddenly opened them, his eyes bright.
The love brain was back!
But Ning Guiqu refused. He didn’t plan to go in the first place; it was just to grow his love brain.
Ning Guiqu gently declined. “No need. I decided to rest in the dorm this morning.”
Lu Yuan thought Ning Guiqu was really upset after being rejected. But it was impossible for Lu Yuan to persuade Ning Guiqu to go to class; he wasn’t that kind of person. So, inexplicably, Lu Yuan blurted out, “Get up quickly.”
This command-like tone startled Ning Guiqu, who hurriedly climbed out of bed.
As they left the dorm, other students came out one after another and immediately noticed the eye-catching Ning Guiqu and Lu Yuan.
“Ning Guiqu? What happened?” A classmate who was on good terms with Ning Guiqu inquired.
Ning Guiqu flashed a perfectly measured smile. “I hurt my leg.”
Lu Yuan silently carried Ning Guiqu on his back, who continued chatting with people until they reached the ground floor.
Lu Yuan felt that the eye-catching Ning Guiqu made him conspicuous as well. Because he needed to carry Ning Guiqu, Lu Yuan skipped buying breakfast and asked Shi Wen to bring two portions instead.
Even so, there were still many students on the way to the teaching building. Ning Guiqu seemed to realize it was a bit embarrassing, so he put on his hoodie and hid his head.
Lu Yuan wanted to drop Ning Guiqu right there.
“What are you doing?” His voice was displeased.
Ning Guiqu whispered, “I forgot it’s Monday. Many people have early classes. There are people everywhere. And you’re famous at school, not just girls like you, but guys too. We might end up on the school forum. I’m hiding a bit.”
Lu Yuan mercilessly exposed Ning Guiqu’s futile attempt. “Where can you hide? Covering your face? If you cover your face, we won’t end up on the school forum? Or are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
Ning Guiqu explained in a muffled voice, “How could that be? Actually, there are many gays on the forum, and they don’t know boundaries when they speak. If I hide, they won’t say you and I are involved. I know you’re straight, and if we end up on the forum because of this, you’ll definitely avoid me in the future. So I can only hide. But I’m still troubling you. I’ll treat you to meals until we graduate to make up for it.”
Lu Yuan: “…….”
“I really appreciate that you remember I’m straight,” Lu Yuan said sarcastically.
Ning Guiqu naturally didn’t dare to shamelessly reply “you’re welcome.”
So when they reached the classroom, Ning Guiqu stared at his phone screen while Lu Yuan’s phone kept flashing.
When he opened it—
[Lu Yuan is super nice!!!!]
[Lu Yuan is the most dazzling handsome guy on the human planet!!]
[Penguins are also the coolest animals!! Even cooler if they’re more aloof!]
[I love Lu Yuan!!]
[I super love Lu Yuan!!]
Lu Yuan turned off his phone after Ning Guiqu’s two direct messages, his ears unnaturally red.
“Ning Guiqu.” Lu Yuan softly interrupted Ning Guiqu, who was still poking at his phone screen.
Ning Guiqu turned his head, eyes curved. “What is it?”
Lu Yuan: “……..”
Lu Yuan warned, “I’m straight.”
Ning Guiqu: “I know.”
You know… shit.
Every time Lu Yuan opened WeChat, he saw Ning Guiqu’s straightforward confessions. Surprisingly, Lu Yuan didn’t find it very troublesome, because Ning Guiqu didn’t seem that flirtatious, never mentioning Song Huai on his so-called alt account. Maybe that day he was just casually looking?
He might have misunderstood Ning Guiqu.
Lu Yuan was in a good mood.
So, at noon, after everyone in the class had left, Lu Yuan voluntarily carried Ning Guiqu on his back again. After picking him up, he said, “You’re not heavy. I can carry you to school from now on.”
Ning Guiqu put on his hoodie again, his voice right next to Lu Yuan’s ear, “No need, Lu Yuan. It’s too much trouble for you. I’ve asked for leave from the professor.”
He actually refused.
The refusing voice was soft and tender.
The person was too.
Lu Yuan’s ears inexplicably softened. He felt he should keep his distance from Ning Guiqu.
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