Early the next morning, when Ning Guiqu woke up, his head throbbed painfully. As soon as he moved, he felt something pressing against his butt. He groped under the bed but found nothing. Yet the sensation of a foreign object remained.

Suddenly, Ning Guiqu’s eyes flew open. In disbelief, he reached into his pants and pulled out… a phone.

????

Ning Guiqu was completely confused.

He turned his head and startled even more. Lu Yuan was looking at him, with a hint of drowsiness in his eyes, as if Ning Guiqu had woken him up. Wait, why was he in bed with Lu Yuan?

Ning Guiqu’s mind went blank. He couldn’t imagine how he ended up sleeping next to Lu Yuan. Moreover, as he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, he realized this wasn’t even his own bed!!

Ning Guiqu sat up again, ruffling his hair.

Sleeping in Lu Yuan’s bed with a phone on his butt. Ning Guiqu looked at the calm Lu Yuan. His face scrunched up, and his voice filled with helplessness and guilt. “I seem to have forgotten a lot. Do you know what happened to me last night?”

The drowsiness vanished from Lu Yuan’s eyes. He sat up, eyeing Ning Guiqu’s messy bird’s nest hair and his sour expression. So he forgot everything.

“How much do you remember?”

Ning Guiqu’s eyes were innocent. “I just remember drinking, and then suddenly I’m here. I didn’t do anything, did I?”

Lu Yuan’s lips curved slightly as he leaned against the headboard, his voice tinged with amusement, “No, you were quite well-behaved.”

Well-behaved???

How could that word describe a grown man with no manners like him?

But wait, Ning Guiqu’s eyes widened slightly. He woke up in Lu Yuan’s bed, pulled a phone from his butt, and received such a response from Lu Yuan. Which meant!

It meant Lu Yuan had slept with him last night, and Lu Yuan didn’t know when he put the phone on his butt!

Suddenly, Lu Yuan added faintly, “Ning Guiqu, you fell for it again?”

Ning Guiqu froze.

Did… did Lu Yuan know about the phone on his butt?

Ning Guiqu instantly burrowed into Lu Yuan’s bed, pulling the covers over himself, not wanting to face anyone.

He heard Lu Yuan chuckle. Yesterday, he was a cold penguin; today, he turned into a laughing penguin! What embarrassing things did he do?

Ning Guiqu thought, if he was going to lose face, he might as well know the full extent of it.

He flung off the covers and sat up abruptly, glaring at Lu Yuan with a do-or-die attitude. “So! What did I do? The phone, how did it end up… there?”

Ning Guiqu’s hand gestured towards the blanket, presumably indicating his butt.

Lu Yuan: “…”

Now, he was a hot-blooded apple again.

Lu Yuan pretended not to understand and gestured with his eyes toward the phone on the penguin plush’s head. “The phone’s right there.”

???

Ning Guiqu frowned, staring directly at Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan’s expression remained neutral. Did he really not know about the phone on his butt?

Genius Xiao Qu tentatively asked, “Do you know where my phone was last night?”

Lu Yuan countered, “Am I supposed to keep track of your phone?”

Ning Guiqu’s eyes gradually lit up.

Lu Yuan really didn’t know!

Ning Guiqu exhaled softly. It was over, it had passed! Lu Yuan didn’t know. So he must have secretly hidden the phone, maybe to keep his alt account from being discovered!

But Ning Guiqu continued seriously, “Why am I sleeping in your bed? Did I go wild while drunk?”

Lu Yuan suppressed a laugh, giving face to the clueless Ning Guiqu, “No, after your shower, you saw the penguin on my bed, played with it for a bit, and then fell asleep.”

Ning Guiqu could barely contain the smile tugging at his lips.

He… he didn’t go wild while drunk!

He just played with the penguin, not with Lu Yuan.

Ning Guiqu: “…”

But Lu Yuan implied earlier that he wasn’t quite well-behaved when drunk.

So, he must have done something.

Ning Guiqu glanced at the opposite bed. Shi Wen wasn’t there. He continued questioning Lu Yuan, “So I got drunk, you brought me back. Then I slept in your bed until morning. Is that right?”

Lu Yuan said nothing.

Ning Guiqu’s heart leapt into his throat. Why couldn’t he just say “yes”!

Ning Guiqu had never been drunk before, so he had no prior experience to know what he might do when intoxicated. Stupid Jiang Xu, stupid Shi Wen! They were the ones who kept forcing him to drink!

Ning Guiqu’s face grew even sterner. Genius Xiao Qu was about to explode!

But Genius Xiao Qu was still waiting for Lu Yuan’s “yes.”

Ning Guiqu and Lu Yuan stared at each other, neither backing down.

Lu Yuan chuckled, “Though it wasn’t as simple as you say, you didn’t do anything embarrassing. Ning Guiqu, have you ever been drunk before?”

Ning Guiqu sighed in relief, quickly shaking his head.

But he noticed something odd about Lu Yuan! Lu Yuan was genuinely smiling more, and even seemed gentler? Yesterday, he was still a bloodthirsty penguin!

Ning Guiqu eyed him suspiciously, “Are you… okay?”

Lu Yuan smiled again.

Before Ning Guiqu could react, Lu Yuan reached out and pulled him into an embrace.

Ning Guiqu’s breath caught, his body stiffened, and his eyes filled with confusion.

“I’m fine. Ning Guiqu, you’re so cute.”

Ning Guiqu found himself completely enveloped in Lu Yuan’s arms, his head being ruffled.

Ning Guiqu was terrified!

What was Lu Yuan doing???

Why was he suddenly hugging him and messing with his hair???

Why did he call him cute??

Ning Guiqu struggled out of Lu Yuan’s arms, his face burning. Their gazes met, and Ning Guiqu was at a loss. What… what was happening?

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh again. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he said, “But last night you said you wanted to kiss me, that you liked me. You even went fishing. Caught five fish, saying you’d fatten them up as a betrothal gift for me.”

!!!!

Ning Guiqu was utterly shocked!

K-kiss Lu Yuan?

L-like Lu Yuan?

Betrothal gift?? He even knew about betrothal gifts??!

He stared unblinkingly into Lu Yuan’s eyes, and Lu Yuan didn’t look away.

After a while, Ning Guiqu couldn’t take it anymore and averted his gaze, forcing a laugh, “Lu Yuan, that joke isn’t funny.”

Then he casually lay down on the bed, pulled the blanket he kicked aside over himself, closed his eyes, and said obediently, “I’m going to sleep. Good morning.”

Lu Yuan: “……”

Lu Yuan calmly opened his phone and pulled up a recording.

[Ning Guiqu, wake up.]

Ning Guiqu, who was pretending to be dead, instantly opened his eyes, staring in disbelief at the source of the sound. Lu Yuan’s phone continued to emit the familiar voice.

[What? I’m not letting you see my phone!]

Ning Guiqu gasped. It was his voice, slightly slurred.

[Do you like me?] Lu Yuan’s voice.

[I do.] Ning Guiqu’s voice.

Ning Guiqu: !!!!

[Do you want to kiss me?] Lu Yuan’s voice.

[I do. Your lips look very kissable.] Ning Guiqu’s voice.

The recording ended there.

Ning Guiqu quickly pulled the covers over himself, hiding his entire body under the blanket, his mind blank.

And just like that, the pitiful and weak Ning Guiqu, blanket and all, was embraced by Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan was worried that Ning Guiqu might have trouble breathing under the covers, so he thoughtfully pulled the blanket down, exposing Ning Guiqu’s head.

Ning Guiqu saw daylight once again.

Lu Yuan hugged Ning Guiqu tightly, “Actually, I didn’t need the recording because I’ve always known your feelings. I just wanted to keep it as a memento.”

But Lu Yuan didn’t expect someone to deny it, so it came in handy.

Ning Guiqu felt the world had turned upside down!

Ning Guiqu turned his head, stubbornly presenting the back of his head to Lu Yuan, muttering, “Didn’t you say I didn’t do anything embarrassing last night?”

Lu Yuan replied calmly, “Is this considered embarrassing?”

Ning Guiqu: “……”

This… this wasn’t embarrassing?? He harassed a straight man!!

Ning Guiqu gave up, “I’m just lustful. I want to kiss everyone I see. Lu Yuan, don’t take it to heart.”

Lu Yuan, in a good mood, said, “You said yourself you didn’t want to kiss Song Huai. As for others, we’ll discuss that later.”

Ning Guiqu: “……”

Of course, he didn’t want to kiss Song Huai!! Song Huai was the protagonist gong!

Ning Guiqu felt like crying. He would never drink again! Stupid Shi Wen, stupid Jiang Xu, and the biggest idiot of all, Ning Guiqu!!

Ning Guiqu could only try to resolve this issue quickly. With a gloomy look, he said, “So you must hate me even more now, right? A straight man being harassed like this. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll find a way to move out of the dorm.”

Lu Yuan’s face instantly darkened, “Who said you should move out?”

Ning Guiqu smiled bitterly. “It’s not about who said it. Someone like me, in a straight men’s dorm, is just too dangerous.”

Lu Yuan: “……”

Lu Yuan questioned, “Do you think I look like a straight man right now?”

Ning Guiqu, who was tightly held by Lu Yuan, his ear tingling, stared blankly, “How are you not? You’re the iron-clad straight man.”

Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment.

He pulled back Ning Guiqu’s blanket and, despite Ning Guiqu’s helpless expression, hugged him again. This time, without the blanket between them, Ning Guiqu was pressed seamlessly against Lu Yuan’s body.

Ning Guiqu froze.

Why was he hugging him again?

Then he heard Lu Yuan say in a steady voice, “I’m gay now, not straight, and not some iron man. I admit I was too absolute before, so it’s understandable that you’re having trouble processing this. Ning Guiqu, let’s be together.”

Ning Guiqu: !!!!

What! What did he just hear??

Ning Guiqu wanted to see Lu Yuan’s expression as he said this. Was he messing with him? A straight man turning gay? Wasn’t Lu Yuan still an iron-clad straight man just a few days ago?

As Ning Guiqu was about to look up, Lu Yuan pressed his head down.

“Ning Guiqu, what do you think?”

With his head pressed down, Ning Guiqu couldn’t see Lu Yuan’s expression. He could only hear Lu Yuan’s deep voice, which seemed to carry a hint of nervousness.

Ning Guiqu blinked.

What did he think? He suspected Lu Yuan was messing with him and retaliating for his drunken behavior!

Ning Guiqu responded stubbornly, his voice muffled, “Others might not know, but I do. You’re really, really, really straight. Lu Yuan, just tell me directly. How do you want to get back at me?”

Lu Yuan’s eye twitched.

Because he felt embarrassed, Lu Yuan didn’t directly say “like”. So now, Lu Yuan said plainly, “Ning Guiqu, I’m not trying to get back at you. I really am gay now, and I like you very much.”

Ning Guiqu’s heart skipped a beat unnaturally, then he scoffed.

“Don’t be like this, Lu Yuan.”

Lu Yuan: “……”

“I’m telling the truth.”

Ning Guiqu scoffed again, stubbornly nudging Lu Yuan’s hand with his head, signaling him to let go. Lu Yuan released him.

Ning Guiqu wriggled in the blanket until he was at eye level with Lu Yuan, then said seriously, “In my heart, you’ve always been a good person who wouldn’t joke like this. Tell me the truth, what did I do last night while drunk that makes you treat me this way now? I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

Lu Yuan was silent for a few seconds, then said slowly, “Then pay me back with your body.”

Lu Yuan grasped Ning Guiqu’s chin. As Ning Guiqu looked at him in confusion, Lu Yuan slowly leaned in. Ning Guiqu’s eyes gradually focused, and just as their lips were about to touch, Lu Yuan slightly turned and kissed Ning Guiqu’s cheek instead.

Sure enough, it was soft.

Ning Guiqu quickly pushed Lu Yuan away, scrambled off the bed to the corner, covering his face, and shouted, “What are you doing?”

He looked every bit like a bullied little wife.

Lu Yuan said frankly, “Kissing you. You promised me last night.”

Ning Guiqu’s breathing quickened, his eyes slowly welling up with tears. Lu Yuan gently wiped the corner of Ning Guiqu’s eye, sighing, “You’re crying from just a kiss?”

“I’m not crying!” Ning Guiqu tried to sound fierce.

Now, he really did look like a rabbit.

But Lu Yuan truly wasn’t messing with Ning Guiqu.

Lu Yuan sat facing Ning Guiqu, and after considering from Ning Guiqu’s perspective, he understood why Ning Guiqu was reacting this way. He had rejected Ning Guiqu many times before and was saying all sorts of nonsense yesterday, and today, he suddenly liked him.

It was normal not to believe it.

Lu Yuan’s attitude became more serious as he said earnestly to Ning Guiqu, “I admit my attitude towards you wasn’t great before, but that was because I hadn’t interacted with you much and didn’t understand you, so I rejected you. As I got to know you better, I gradually fell for you. Ning Guiqu, I’m not someone who would deceive you about feelings.”

Ning Guiqu was curled up in the corner, covering his face and looking pitiful.

Lu Yuan suddenly felt as if he had committed some unforgivable sin.

“Ning Guiqu, did I scare you?”

Ning Guiqu shook his head. He, Genius Xiao Qu, wouldn’t be scared! His mind was just in chaos right now.

Ning Guiqu lowered his hands and asked weakly, “Didn’t you say you could only see me as a friend at most, now and in the future? And that you were straight, now and in the future? How did it… become like this?”

Lu Yuan sighed, “So I guess I’m eating my words now.”

Ning Guiqu continued to question, “But these past few days, your attitude towards me was so cold!”

Lu Yuan chuckled, “Do we really want to bring up Song Huai now?”

Ning Guiqu fell silent.

Lu Yuan continued gently, “Ning Guiqu, I’m not forcing you to answer now. I’ll court you slowly. After all, we’re just freshmen.”

Because Lu Yuan’s attitude was so sincere, Ning Guiqu gradually lowered his guard. His face flushed, feeling a strange sensation.

“You really like me?”

Lu Yuan countered, “Is there any reason I shouldn’t like you?”

Of course, he, Genius Xiao Qu, was amazing! But Ning Guiqu’s head was steaming. Let him process this!

Let him process.

No, wait. Ning Guiqu’s brain started functioning again. What did he mean by “I rejected you before because I hadn’t interacted with you and didn’t understand you”? If it was about that night when he suspected Lu Yuan liked him, that was his misunderstanding. He hadn’t confessed to Lu Yuan, so what did he mean by rejecting him?

Lu Yuan wasn’t so arrogant, so could it be that the original owner had confessed to Lu Yuan before and been rejected? But didn’t the original owner like the protagonist gong?

Ning Guiqu looked up, probing, “I confessed to you a long time ago, but you rejected me?”

Lu Yuan’s eyes showed a hint of regret, “I’m sorry, Ning Guiqu.”

Ning Guiqu’s pupils shook.

He quickly said, “When? I’m not the original me, I don’t remember!”

Lu Yuan thought Ning Guiqu just didn’t want to accept the reality of past rejections, and said seriously, “Both in high school and university. But you can reject me now, too, as many times as you want.”

Ning Guiqu leaned dazedly against the wall, his head aching.

What the hell was going on with this dog shit novel! Didn’t the original owner like the protagonist gong? Both high school and university, so multiple rejections? Ning Guiqu’s head was about to explode. He was… he was going to faint!

Lu Yuan quickly held Ning Guiqu’s shoulders, his gaze sincere. “Be strong. Ning Guiqu, it’s all in the past. I won’t reject you anymore.”

Ning Guiqu stared blankly. “I’m a bit confused, let me think.”

Lu Yuan: “Take as long as you need. It’s my fault for treating you so badly before.”

Ning Guiqu: “……”

Undeniably, Lu Yuan was quite handsome. As he humbled himself, Genius Xiao Qu’s heart softened, thinking that dating wouldn’t be so bad. Although being alone forever was fine, being together with someone would mean having a companion.

But he couldn’t be with Lu Yuan!

There was still the protagonist gong! How could Lu Yuan possibly break off with the protagonist gong for life?

Lu Yuan seemed to sense what Ning Guiqu was thinking and volunteered, “I’ve already deleted Song Huai’s WeChat.”

Ning Guiqu was stunned.

“That can’t be true, right?”

Lu Yuan’s eyes curved slightly, “It’s true. So he’s not an issue.”

It really was true, because Ning Guiqu had deleted it himself.

Last night, Ning Guiqu hid his own phone in his pants, then fixated on Lu Yuan’s phone. He asked if he had been in contact with Song Huai and demanded to see their chat history.

Lu Yuan showed him.

As a result, Ning Guiqu casually swiped and opened the top right corner, deleting Song Huai. After deleting, he innocently returned the phone and went to sleep. Without any explanation.

Now, Ning Guiqu was completely dumbfounded.

Early in the morning, he received far too much information to handle. And he had been… he had been kissed!

Ning Guiqu dazedly lifted Lu Yuan’s blanket, lay on Lu Yuan’s bed, and turned to face the wall.

“I need to process this.”

Lu Yuan found Ning Guiqu both adorable and a bit pitiful at this moment. His frequent rejections in the past had indeed left a shadow on Ning Guiqu. Although Ning Guiqu’s state was quite pitiful, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but think, Ning Guiqu wouldn’t be like this because of Song Huai, right?

Based on Ning Guiqu’s attitude towards Song Huai last night, Lu Yuan was certain that Ning Guiqu preferred him. Song Huai was just a spare tire.

The only regret was that this adorable Ning Guiqu couldn’t be his yet.

In a good mood, Lu Yuan tucked the penguin plush beside the bed into Ning Guiqu’s arms, “Sleep. What do you want for breakfast?”

Ning Guiqu hugged the warm penguin tightly. “Any-anything is fine.”

Lu Yuan got off the bed, leaving it to Ning Guiqu.

After Lu Yuan left, Ning Guiqu slowly began to think. He pondered about this novel world, it was so chaotic!

If he had confessed to Lu Yuan and been rejected multiple times, what did the protagonist gong mean? Could it be that he liked both Lu Yuan and Song Huai at the same time? The protagonist gong, the original owner must have liked him, otherwise he wouldn’t have stabbed for love four years later.

But Lu Yuan, the original owner had also confessed to multiple times. Lu Yuan wouldn’t lie about such things. So, when Lu Yuan had been so dismissive of him before, could it have been because he knew he was pursuing two people at once?

Help! How could the original owner be so fickle!?

What should Genius Xiao Qu do!?

While Lu Yuan was out buying breakfast, Jiang Xu and Shi Wen returned.

They immediately noticed that Ning Guiqu was sleeping in Lu Yuan’s bed.

Jiang Xu and Shi Wen exchanged a glance, and Shi Wen cheerfully said, “Xiao Qu, are you asleep?”

Hearing the voice, Ning Guiqu let out a lifeless “Ah.”

Shi Wen: “Have you made up with Lu Yuan?”

Ning Guiqu remained silent.

Jiang Xu chuckled, “They must have made up. People speak the truth when drunk.”

As soon as Jiang Xu finished speaking, an eerie laugh echoed from the upper bunk.

Jiang Xu: “…”

Shi Wen: “…”

The two instinctively looked up. Ning Guiqu had sat up and was now peering down at them, his smile still in place. His voice lowered to a ghostly whisper, “You two deliberately got me drunk last night, didn’t you? I can’t believe I fell for your tricks!”

Then, he collapsed back onto the bed.

Jiang Xu: “…”

Shi Wen: “…”

Jiang Xu and Shi Wen retreated to the balcony.

Shi Wen whispered, “Xiao Qu seems to have gone mad! Is this a hangover symptom? Is it because of us?”

Jiang Xu lowered his head, “I’m texting Lu Yuan. He replied.”

Shi Wen leaned in to look.

[Where are you? Xiao Qu is acting strange in the dorm. You two made up, right?]
[Yeah. Buying breakfast. How is he acting strange?]

Jiang Xu and Shi Wen exchanged bewildered glances.

Jiang Xu typed on his phone screen: [He’s laughing]

Lu Yuan: [? Isn’t that a sign of happiness?]

Jiang Xu and Shi Wen shared another confused look, inhaling sharply. This was far from happiness.

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