— Ye Ran feels like his straight roommate might be… flirting with him.

*

【Conscientious, gentle, polite art-department little-angel shou × aloof flower, calculating, self-bent, teasing gong】

His “straight” roommate is a campus celebrity — a god-tier figure in the university town. Handsome, quiet, distant — he’s the well-known aloof flower everyone admires from afar.

Love letters pile up until his hands go soft; his admirers are countless, and they come in both genders.

Feeling troubled, Ye Ran calls up his childhood friend to complain.

After listening, the friend instantly understands: “Got it. You want to chase him.”

Ye Ran: “?”

Friend: “I support you.”

Ye Ran: “……”

Friend: “I’m super experienced in this kind of thing. I’ve chased plenty of hotties — you can tell right away if they’re into you once you confess.”

Chasing someone, after all, only comes down to a few approaches:

Show concern and care

Be attentive in every detail

Be gentle and thoughtful

……

Ye Ran struggles to explain: “Actually…”

The friend, enlightened again: “Ah, I see. You don’t get it yet.”

He gives examples: “When he’s sick, you take care of him — buy medicine, bring water — that’s showing concern. When he needs something, you help right away, always keeping an eye on his social media — that’s being attentive. When he’s sad or upset, you comfort him — that’s being gentle.”

Ye Ran stays silent for a long while.

Then, gathering his courage: “What if… he’s the one doing all that to me?”

Friend: “?”

Ye Ran’s ears flush red, his voice soft: “He… he lets me wear his clothes, join the same club as him, takes me traveling with him… and… and…”

Friend urges impatiently: “And what else?”

Ye Ran: “When he got drunk, he hugged me and slept with me.”

Friend: “Tsk.”

Friend: “Sneaky straight guy.”

Friend: “Pah — devious top.”

……

Ten minutes later.

Friend: “Plane tickets booked.”

Ye Ran: “Huh? You’re coming back to the country?”

Friend: “Yep.”

“Romance is always most fun when you’re watching someone else’s.”

Reading Notes:

Slice-of-life; written in memory of my own college days.

The gong is cunning and teasing, but only teases the shou.

The pre-relationship tension and post-relationship sweetness are about equal — I love that silent, unspoken ambiguity before the window paper is pierced.

After starting university, Ye Ran is assigned to a mixed dorm. His roommate Shen Shi is a campus heartthrob — handsome, quiet, and considerate, which quickly earns Ye Ran’s admiration. Living, eating, and attending classes together, their feelings subtly change with time. The story’s characters are vivid and realistic; the tone is light and humorous. It gently explores family, friendship, and love, resonating easily with readers. Definitely worth a read.

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