Chapter 13: Warning

Chapter 13 Warning

"Xiao Shi, are you done?"

Yu Lanzhao's voice echoed from just outside the cubicle.

So close.

Lin Shenshi instantly froze, his hand hovering over the door.

"Xiao Shi?"

Receiving no reply, Yu Lanzhao called out again.

Lin Shenshi broke into a cold sweat.

If he opened the door now, Qi Lian would undoubtedly see Yu Lanzhao.

Absolutely! He absolutely couldn't let Yu Lanzhao fall into the hands of that perverted top again!

Lin Shenshi's mind raced. Out of the corner of his eye, Qi Lian curiously stood up, as if intending to reach past him and push the door open.

His body reacted before his brain could process. By the time Lin Shenshi realized what was happening, his hand was clamped firmly over Qi Lian's mouth.

Warm breath misted against the back of his hand as the man raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

Lin Shenshi couldn't afford to care about anything else at this point. He shouted towards the door, "I still need a bit more time! You go out and wait for me, I'll be right there!"

There was a rustling sound outside, followed by Yu Lanzhao's obedient reply, "Okay, I'll wait for you outside."

Only after confirming Yu Lanzhao's footsteps had left the restroom did Lin Shenshi finally lower his hand, a lingering sense of dread in his chest.

Qi Lian eyed him with amusement. "What? Afraid your boyfriend will catch you cheating?"

Lin Shenshi frowned, not wanting to discuss Yu Lanzhao with him. "Hey, Actor Qi, I just helped you get rid of your obsessive fangirls. How about returning the favor?"

Qi Lian silently raised an eyebrow, neither refusing nor explicitly agreeing.

Lin Shenshi cut straight to the chase. "I'll go out first. Can you wait ten minutes before you come out?"

"Not impossible," Qi Lian said evasively. "But are you sure your little boyfriend didn't notice me?"

He extended a long, slender finger and pointed downwards. "Just now, there were two pairs of feet on the ground, you know."

Lin Shenshi: "Ha— He's not like your fangirls who would peek!"

Qi Lian remained noncommittal, the corners of his handsome, alluring eyes curving slightly. He even sat back down on the toilet lid, looking ready to enjoy a show.

Lin Shenshi: "......"

Did he think everyone was as perverted as him? Ah Zhao was the purest boy, and besides, they were lifelong best friends—their relationship was infinitely more sacred than that of lowly creatures like Qi Lian who only thought about sex!

After complaining a thousand times in his head, Lin Shenshi still prioritized the bigger picture and didn’t dare show any of it on his face.

After leaving the cubicle and closing the door behind him, he walked out of the restroom as usual.

The small boy stood with his back to the restroom, the large shopping bags at his feet. His fluffy head was bowed as he looked downstairs, his expression deep and unreadable, lost in thought.

"Ah Zhao!"

Lin Shenshi waved to him.

Yu Lanzhao turned, a bright smile instantly blooming on his lips. "Xiao Shi!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's fine." Yu Lanzhao shook his head understandingly, his tone obedient. "As long as Xiao Shi remembers I'm waiting outside, I'm willing to wait however long it takes."

Lin Shenshi didn't detect any hidden meaning in his words and cheerfully picked up the bags. "Let's go, we're heading back to school."

The two stepped onto the escalator.

Before the agreed-upon ten minutes had passed, the handsome, bewitching man had already left the cubicle without permission and arrived at the railing where the two had just been standing.

On the moving escalator, two figures of slightly different heights stood side by side, chatting harmoniously without any sign of a heated confrontation.

Qi Lian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Just as he was about to leave, his interest waning, the smaller figure, while switching to the downward escalator, glanced in his direction.

Those dark, deer-like eyes shot a warning glare sharp enough to kill.

Qi Lian rubbed his chin.

Interesting.

So it was a...

fellow predator disguised as a little white rabbit.

*

The first class on Thursday was diction, and most of the students were lifeless, yawning and listless.

Contemporary college students who loved staying up late faced their 8 a.m. classes with the enthusiasm of attending a funeral, slumping in their seats to conserve energy while waiting for the old professor to arrive.

At that moment, a splash of strikingly bright color flashed into the classroom, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.

And after seeing what made up that color, each person’s face looked as if a palette of paints had been spilled on it—expressions were varied and vivid.

The boy was dressed in vividly clashing colors: a pair of red-and-green plaid pants that looked utterly rebellious and full of personality, and a deep orange top the color of something that should only exist in a toilet—an unmentionable shade. His shoes were a pair of leather boots studded with spikes, looking like they could kick down a row of creeps with one stomp.

The style was bold.

It’s just...

a bit eye-searing.

It made people wonder which fashion disaster genius had dug up these items from some obscure corner and then had the sudden inspiration to put them together.

Under the stunned gazes of his classmates, Yu Lanzhao walked casually and calmly to an empty seat in the front row.

Behind him followed a slender young man—the mastermind behind this outfit.

Lin Shenshi saw everyone’s reactions and smirked in satisfaction.

Excellent!

Their reactions were perfect!

As for today’s outfit, before they left, Yu Lanzhao had also expressed similar doubts.

"Xiao Shi, is it really okay for me to dress like this?"

The boy nervously clutched the hem of his shirt, his fair face filled with confusion and uncertainty.

Lin Shenshi patted his shoulder. "Of course it is, it's absolutely perfect!"

It was an outfit that could knock someone dead at first glance!

The delicate, innocent aura was finally gone—now it was Yu the Unapproachable, Lan the Provoke-Me-and-Die Zhao.

Their trip to the mall yesterday wasn’t in vain!

Encouraged by his words, Yu Lanzhao let go of his clothes, his gaze growing resolute. It seemed that as long as he had Xiao Shi’s approval, even if he were to parade around naked in the emperor's new clothes, he wouldn’t fear others’ stares.

Lin Shenshi sat down next to Yu Lanzhao.

He was really looking forward to seeing Lu Yuan’s reaction in tomorrow afternoon’s acting class.

As the class bell rang, the students stopped staring, pulling out their textbooks as they waited for the old professor to arrive.

Lin Shenshi leaned in, chatting with Yu Lanzhao. In the noisy classroom, their heads were nearly touching, completely unaware of the renewed murmurs of surprise around them.

In the spacious lecture hall, someone walked in through the front door. The crisp, steady sound of leather shoes echoed, growing louder as they approached. Lin Shenshi didn’t notice anything unusual until a well-defined hand landed firmly on the desk.

Knuckles rapped sharply.

"Knock, knock!"

The crisp sound cut through the hushed whispers, piercing straight into their ears.

Lin Shenshi instinctively looked up.

In his line of sight stood a tall man, his face expressionless. Behind gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were icy, his dark pupils seeming to emanate from the depths of hell as he glared down at them.

And he and Yu Lanzhao were practically cheek to cheek.

"!"

Lin Shenshi’s heart jolted violently, his entire body freezing in place.

Huh?

What’s going on?

Isn’t this the diction class? Why is Lu Yuan here?

The classroom filled with noise. After a moment of hesitation, the class monitor stood up. "Um... Teacher Lu, did you perhaps come to the wrong classroom? This is Professor Liu’s diction class..."

Lu Yuan didn’t even glance his way. His cold, dark eyes remained fixed on the two, as if speaking to them but also addressing the whole class. "Professor Liu has a family matter. I’ll be taking over this class."

The classroom gradually quieted down. The monitor sat back in his seat, but cold sweat broke out on Lin Shenshi’s back.

Under Lu Yuan’s gaze, he felt like prey targeted by a venomous snake, as if sharp fangs could pierce his neck at any moment.

Heavens, could someone please explain to him why a university would allow cross-subject substitution?

And of all people, why did it have to be Lu Yuan who caught him sitting so close to Yu Lanzhao?

Although Lin Shenshi had decided to stay and save Yu Lanzhao, during Lu Yuan’s acting classes, he always made a point to keep his distance from Yu Lanzhao. The two had always sat separately.

This was the first time since the failed "dormitory intervention" that Lin Shenshi had been caught being so intimate with Yu Lanzhao.

Was it too late to change seats now?

Clearly, it was already too late.

Lu Yuan glanced at him, then at Yu Lanzhao beside him. His sharp eyebrows lifted, his tone accusatory, as if dredging up old grievances. "...'Just average'?"

"What?" Yu Lanzhao looked clueless, his deer-like eyes innocent and bewildered.

But Lin Shenshi knew exactly what he meant!

That was the word he had used to describe his relationship with Yu Lanzhao when Lu Yuan had asked him before. Now it was being thrown back at him.

"Yeah..." Lin Shenshi forced himself to stay calm. "Our relationship is just average, but it’s not like we’re sworn enemies who ignore each other. It’s normal to come to class together. Everyone sits with their roommates."

Lu Yuan lifted his chin slightly, his deep eyes swirling with unreadable darkness. Before the other students could start gossiping, he turned to Yu Lanzhao. "Come see me after class."

Then he strode up to the podium.

Lin Shenshi let out a sigh of relief, but what did Lu Yuan want with Yu Lanzhao after class? He didn’t dare lean in to talk to Yu Lanzhao again. Instead, he pulled out his phone and opened WeChat. Just as he was about to tap on Yu Lanzhao’s chat, the class group suddenly popped up, bumping to the top of his messages.

In the blink of an eye, the unread message count in the upper right corner had already reached 99+.

Lin Shenshi: "???"

The Class One acting group was usually dead silent, aside from the occasional notification. The last chat record was still the location pin from last week’s class gathering.

Why was it so active today?

Curious, Lin Shenshi opened it.

Messages instantly flooded the screen—

Student A: OMG OMG OMG! What did I just witness? A three-person showdown? Two guys fighting over one guy?!

Student B: You saw right, I can confirm! Teacher Lu’s eyes were practically shooting daggers!

Student C: Does anyone remember last week’s diction class? These three were at the entrance then too. I knew the atmosphere felt off—turns out there really is something going on!

Student D: Who’s the top and who’s the bottom? This is really important to me!

Student C: Definitely (slurp slurp) Yu Lanzhao (slurp slurp) is the bottom (slurp slurp)...

Student E: I disagree! A cute top is still a top!

Student D: Heh, you’re not wrong, it’s kinda hot.

Student F: Then the truth is clear—Lin Shenshi is the bottom!

Lin Shenshi: "........"

Bottom your ass! I hope you get a zero on your final exam!

This world has gone mad. Why is everyone so obsessed with guy-on-guy romance? Is the world just one giant BL circle? Is there anyone here with a normal thought process?

Oh, wait, he was wrong.

As an explicit BL harem novel, this was already pretty mild.

What more could he possibly expect?