Pei Ran returned to his dorm, and the first thing he did was take a shower.

The restaurant's food was light in flavor, but the smell in the shop was strong. He now felt that even his hair reeked of the sourness from that plate of stir-fried potatoes with vinegar.

After showering, he stood by his bed, casually drying his hair with one hand while holding his phone, once again opening Su Nian's Moments.

He and Su Nian had added each other on WeChat when they first met, but they had never chatted.

He skipped the first post on his Moments feed and continued to scroll down.

[The chili at this shop is absolutely amazing. [Photo]]

Luo Qingshan had mentioned to him today that he had found a shop with really spicy food, and said it was a pity Pei Ran didn't like spicy food, otherwise he would have taken him to try it.

[Today's exercise (11) [Photo]]

It was a picture of the basketball court. Pei Ran saw Luo Qingshan's jersey in the photo.

[A day trip to the library.]

...

Most of Su Nian's Moments from the past two months were related to Luo Qingshan.

Pei Ran frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed his brow.

Pei Ran didn't know why he had suddenly decided to look at Su Nian's Moments. He had actually scrolled past these pictures before, but he had never paid them any mind, not even clicking to open the images.

No, or perhaps Pei Ran did know.

It was just that his thoughts were too impolite, even carrying a hint of malice. He couldn't make random speculations based on just one or two things, a few photos.

His gaze lingered on the photos for a few seconds before he closed WeChat.

A week later, a notification popped up on Pei Ran's calendar, reminding him that tomorrow was Luo Qingshan's birthday.

He was in a store picking out a gift when he received Luo Qingshan's call.

Luo Qingshan said, "Um... Babe, I want to submit an application to you."

"What?"

"I want to celebrate my birthday at a KTV this time, is that okay?"

Pei Ran said, "It's your birthday, of course you get to decide."

"The key is that you have to be willing to come." Luo Qingshan said, "Don't you hate going to those places the most... This time it was that group of idiots who egged me on, saying they knew someone and could get a discounted package, very cheap. But if you don't want to come, I'll change the venue."

Pei Ran: "As long as you're happy."

And so, it was settled.

The next evening, Pei Ran looked at the face mask on his desk, feeling a little hesitant.

Pei Ran really disliked going to KTVs. They were noisy, messy, and dirty. The smells of everyone mixed together were nauseating. Especially the smell of smoke, and the private room was so small... He couldn't help but wrinkle his face just thinking about it.

Wearing a mask might make it a little better, but it would be a bit stuffy.

His phone rang. It was Luo Qingshan. Luo Qingshan had gone home today and then went straight to the KTV from there, so the two hadn't had a chance to meet.

"I've got the private room. Do you know the way, or should I come pick you up?"

"No need," Pei Ran picked up the mask and stuffed it into his cabinet. Everyone at the KTV would be having fun openly; someone suddenly showing up with a mask would probably be a killjoy. He said, "I'll use the GPS."

-

"Why are you here too?"

Yan Zhun looked up. The person who sat down next to him was a classmate from the same major named Lin Kang. Lin Kang had been in the same class as him in high school. Although they weren't particularly close, they could still be considered friends.

Lin Kang took off his light jacket and tossed it directly onto the sofa. "Luo Qingshan actually managed to get you to come."

"I happened to be free," Yan Zhun said.

"What are you talking about, Lin Kang? Yan Zhun and I are good buddies. What's so strange about him coming to celebrate my birthday?" Luo Qingshan, holding a microphone, heard their conversation and spoke directly into it. "The two of us even play quad-queue PUBG together."

"Watch your wording, it's Yan Zhun who carries you in PUBG!" Lin Kang immediately retorted.

"Bullshit."

The two of them started bickering back and forth. Yan Zhun only listened to a couple of lines before turning his attention back to his phone.

Su Nian looked up from the song selection screen and said with a smile, "That's right, the two of us just get carried to a win."

Luo Qingshan: "Only you get carried, I don't."

"Oh, come on..." Lin Kang asked, "Didn't you say quad-queue? The three of you, who's the fourth?"

Luo Qingshan laughed. "Who else could it be? My wife."

Lin Kang: "Pei Ran plays PUBG too?"

Luo Qingshan: "He hasn't played much, he just plays specially to accompany me. The husband sings, the wife follows, you get it?"

Yan Zhun's hand paused. With a good hand, he tapped "Don't grab the landlord".

He directly quit the game.

The large private room Luo Qingshan had booked was filled with people in less than half an hour.

Luo Qingshan was a well-known rich second-generation kid at school, and there were many bottles of good liquor on the table.

"Luo Qingshan is really generous." Lin Kang sat down next to Yan Zhun, pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and offered one to Yan Zhun. "Here."

Yan Zhun said, "I don't smoke, thanks."

Lin Kang was slightly surprised. He twirled the cigarette in his hand and put it in his own mouth. "What's up? Quit?"

"No," Yan Zhun said flatly, "Not smoking today."

With the cigarette dangling from his lips, Lin Kang walked to the song selection screen, nudged Luo Qingshan's leg, and motioned for him to move. "If you're not picking a song, move aside. I want to pick. Who hogs the song screen to play drinking games?"

Luo Qingshan cursed with a laugh, "Can't you be nicer to the birthday boy? Fine, fine, you take it."

After sitting down, Lin Kang asked, "Where's your wife? Why didn't you go pick him up?"

"What's there to pick up for a grown man," Su Nian interjected with a smile. "Brother Pei Ran won't get lost, right?"

"He'll be here soon." Luo Qingshan took out his phone. "I offered to pick him up, but he refused. Let me send a message and ask..."

The door to the private room was pushed open. Seeing who it was, Luo Qingshan tossed aside the dice cup and strode over.

Pei Ran was dressed as usual, his dark jeans accentuating his long legs. Luo Qingshan put an arm around his waist and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "What took you so long? I was about to go pick you up."

Luo Qingshan's mouth smelled of cigarettes. Pei Ran wanted to pull away, but remembering it was Luo Qingshan's birthday, he forced himself to endure it.

He wasn't used to being affectionate in front of so many people. He pursed his lips and said, "I saw it was close, so I didn't take a car. I walked."

"No need to be so frugal, Brother Pei Ran," a smile played on Su Nian's lips. "It takes more than ten minutes to walk here, right? You could have asked Qingshan to reimburse your taxi fare."

Su Nian was about to say more when Pei Ran suddenly glanced over.

Pei Ran's eyelashes were thick and his eyes were long and narrow, making him look gentle and soft. But there was no emotion in his gaze this time, which made Su Nian subconsciously shut his mouth.

It wasn't until Pei Ran was seated on the sofa that he snapped back to his senses.

"Happy birthday." Pei Ran didn't look at Su Nian, who was sitting to his right. He handed the gift to Luo Qingshan. "I saw your phone screen was broken, so get a new one to use."

Luo Qingshan paused, then took the gift from his hand and couldn't help but kiss him again. "Babe is the best."

"Holy shit, are you all this rich?" Lin Kang, who was next to them, saw it and said in confusion, "Everyone's gifting phones? Qingshan, can you even use them all? Why don't I, your buddy, help you with the burden?"

Pei Ran looked at Luo Qingshan in confusion.

"Ah, right, I also gave him a phone," Su Nian said with an indifferent laugh. The KTV lighting was dim, and the occasional beam of light hit his face, reflecting in his dark eyes. "Same model, too. Haha, what a coincidence."

Before Pei Ran could react, Luo Qingshan's expression changed slightly.

"I'll give it back to you later, Su Nian," Luo Qingshan said. "I'll just use the one Pei Ran gave me. Carrying two phones is too heavy, and I can't use them both anyway."

Su Nian picked up a beer bottle from the table, chugged a large mouthful, and then shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Babe, what song do you want to sing? I'll have Lin Kang pick it for you," Luo Qingshan asked, lowering his head.

Pei Ran shook his head. "I'm not singing. You should drink less."

Luo Qingshan: "Don't worry, I wouldn't have the heart to make you carry me back."

The two chatted for a few sentences before being interrupted by someone next to them.

"Lin Kang, let's switch seats," Su Nian said. "I want to smoke, and I'm afraid Brother Pei Ran can't stand the smell."

Lin Kang said, "Wait a sec, I'm picking a song..."

"I'll switch with you."

Su Nian turned his head subconsciously. Yan Zhun had appeared beside him at some point, his eyes lowered to meet Su Nian's gaze.

Yan Zhun's face was the type to easily make one's heart flutter. Su Nian's heart beat faster for a few moments before quickly calming down.

Unlike Luo Qingshan, who had been turned gay, he was born gay. He had been on this path for much longer than Luo Qingshan and was very good at reading people and situations. A guy with Yan Zhun's personality was someone to be looked at, but not touched. You couldn't get close to him.

It wasn't until Su Nian sat in Yan Zhun's original spot that he suddenly remembered—didn't Yan Zhun smoke too?

Luo Qingshan was restless and couldn't sit still. After just a few words with Pei Ran, he went to the front, grabbed a wireless microphone, and started singing.

Pei Ran lowered his head to play on his phone. There wasn't actually anything fun to play; he had already beaten all the single-player games downloaded on his phone. He just wanted to avoid conversation. Although he knew everyone in the room, he had only spoken a few words with most of them through Luo Qingshan and wasn't close with them.

Only when he had lost all his 'Happy Beans' in the game did Pei Ran slowly lift his head. His mouth was a bit dry, and he wanted to find a glass of water, only to discover there was only alcohol on the table, no juice, and certainly no plain water.

Pei Ran hesitated for a moment. Just as he reached for a full glass of alcohol, the hem of his shirt was tugged.

Yan Zhun was sitting beside him. Although he hadn't made a sound, his presence was strong. Pei Ran could even smell his scent, a faint, cool fragrance of pinewood, which diluted some of the murky smells in the air.

Pei Ran subconsciously leaned back a little and turned his head. "What is it?"

Yan Zhun reached into the pocket of his clothes and took out a bottle of mineral water.

Pei Ran: "..."

"Bought it on the way here, forgot to drink it. It's unopened," Yan Zhun asked. "Want it?"

It was just a bottle of water, so Pei Ran didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out to take it. "Thanks."

Yan Zhun unscrewed the cap before handing it to him.

Pei Ran took a gulp of water and felt alive again. He turned his head to thank him again, only to find Yan Zhun staring at him motionlessly.

To be precise, he was looking at the area below his nose.

Pei Ran blinked and subconsciously reached up to wipe the corner of his mouth. "What's wrong... Is something there?"

Yan Zhun didn't answer. He coolly averted his gaze and turned to join the drinking game nearby.

Pei Ran was a little baffled. Before he had a chance to think about it, an arm was wrapped around his neck.

Having sung his fill, Luo Qingshan returned to Pei Ran's side and formed a four-person drinking game group with Lin Kang and the others.

Lin Kang shook the dice cup. "Same old rules, one cup at a time, no 'raising goldfish'. No special treatment for the birthday boy! Pei Ran, are you playing?"

"He's not playing, he doesn't drink," Luo Qingshan said, then remembered and hurriedly asked, "Babe, are you thirsty? Should I order a glass of juice for you?"

"No need, I have mineral water." Pei Ran subtly freed himself from Luo Qingshan's arm. The position wasn't comfortable for him.

Luo Qingshan was the main character of this party, so he was constantly targeted in the drinking game. No matter what he called out, the others would challenge him.

"Fuck, I only called once and you still challenged me. Lin Kang, are you sick? Trying to take me down with you?" Luo Qingshan laughed in exasperation and drank the alcohol.

Lin Kang: "Remember how you treated me on my last birthday? I'm just returning the favor now, an eye for an eye..."

Pei Ran leaned back on the sofa, watching Luo Qingshan's face get redder and redder as he drank.

In contrast, Yan Zhun had barely drunk anything. His legs were spread casually, elbows resting on his knees. The hand holding the dice cup was clean and slender, which made even the act of shaking the dice seem more imposing than when others did it.

"Why don't you let Pei Ran play for you? Your skills are terrible, you won't even last until the midnight session," Lin Kang mocked him.

Luo Qingshan cursed at him with a laugh. Suddenly, the phone on the table lit up, notifying him of a new message.

Luo Qingshan picked up his phone and unlocked it. After seeing the content, the smile on his lips froze, and he discreetly moved the phone screen a few centimeters closer to his face.

A few seconds later, he put down his phone and answered Lin Kang, "It's no one... It's nothing, let's keep playing."

After another round, Luo Qingshan placed the dice cup upside down on the table.

"Hold on, I'm going to the restroom."

Lin Kang: "What? Scared? Trying to escape by pretending to pee?"

"Piss off, I'm going to take a leak, and I'll call the attendant for some juice while I'm at it," he nudged Lin Kang with his foot. "Make way so I can get out."

Luo Qingshan hurried out of the room. Lin Kang sneered, "Look how rushed he is, taking such big steps. He's definitely not just going for a leak, he's chickened out!"

Lin Kang had just sat back down in his original spot when his shoulder was tapped again.

Pei Ran: "Excuse me, could you let me through again? I'm going out to make a call."

In the KTV hallway, Pei Ran walked slowly with his head down.

After scrolling through Su Nian's Moments that day, Pei Ran had reflected on his own actions.

Firstly, he shouldn't have suspected his own boyfriend over some minor things; secondly, he shouldn't have made any malicious assumptions about Su Nian just because the two of them were close.

It was perfectly normal to have close friends of the same gender. Girls call them besties, guys call them brothers. He couldn't possibly strip Luo Qingshan of his right to make friends just because he liked men.

Besides, homosexuality wasn't that common.

But after Luo Qingshan left in a hurry, his first instinct was still to look for Su Nian, and Su Nian had also left the room at some point.

When Pei Ran came back to his senses, he was already near the restroom door.

He rubbed his temples and couldn't help but laugh at himself, ultimately deciding to go back. But when he lifted his head, the smile on his lips froze.

Not far away, he saw Luo Qingshan.

Luo Qingshan was standing straight at the edge of the hallway, his hands hanging motionlessly at his sides.

Su Nian was hugging him.

It was a lover's embrace. The two were pressed closely together, Su Nian's head resting on Luo Qingshan's shoulder, seemingly saying something.

After about ten seconds, Su Nian lifted his head and kissed Luo Qingshan's chin.

Pei Ran froze on the spot, not yet having decided how to react, when his vision suddenly went dark.

A large hand covered Pei Ran's eyes, and the cool scent of pinewood aggressively invaded all his senses.

"Don't look, it'll dirty your eyes." It was Yan Zhun's voice.