Chapter 31 Hint

Chapter 31 Early Signs

After Gu Shiying had unintentionally saved yet another person who had been drugged, everyone in their private room agreed that the two scumbags couldn’t be let off and decisively called the police.

He Zexuan, who had been drugged, was taken away by an ambulance, while the men in suits and shirts, along with everyone in their private room, were taken in by the police for questioning. The KTV manager was also escorted away by the police, breaking out in a cold sweat.

With things having escalated to this point, there was no point staying at the KTV any longer. The group had lost their enthusiasm and decided to head straight for a barbecue joint instead.

The barbecue stalls had four- or six-person tables. Since they arrived late and the place was crowded, they couldn’t get tables pushed together and ended up splitting into two groups.

Gu Shiying sat with the four from Room 701, while Liang Qi, Fu Huan, and their friends sat together.

The barbecue wouldn't be ready that fast, so everyone started chatting freely.

Zhang Zhi once again regretted not going to the restroom with Gu Shiying.

He said with a shudder of fear, "Ying Er, are you really okay? Next time something happens, just call for help—don’t rush in by yourself. How many times has this happened to you lately?"

Gu Shiying replied, "I didn’t think that much about it at the time. Besides, I’m fine—without a scratch on me. I saved someone and sent a bunch of societal trash to the police station."

Zhang Zhi said, "Alright, alright, you’re a modern-day Lei Feng."

Gu Shiying responded, "I don’t want to be, either. But if you encountered someone asking for help, what would you do? I couldn’t just go against my conscience and leave them there. Those two guys showed up later."

Zhang Zhi conceded, "That’s true. But next time, don’t do something like that—take care of yourself first."

Gu Shiying asked, "Still, how did you all manage to show up just in time?"

Zhang Zhi patted his shoulder and said, "We have Brother Huan to thank for that. He was the first to notice you’d been gone for a long time and dragged us out to look for you. You should really thank Brother Huan properly!"

Gu Shiying had already lost track of how many meals he owed Fu Huan. How was he supposed to repay him? It wasn’t like he could offer himself in return.

Even if Fu Huan agreed, he certainly wouldn't!

So, he could only continue buying gifts for Fu Huan. But what should he give him this time?

Ugh. How come the one who saved someone always ends up owing others favors?

This time, he had accepted Fu Huan’s help again, and the two of them had barely spoken.

Fu Huan didn’t return to the dorm that night, planning to leave in Liang Qi’s car.

Gu Shiying casually asked him, "You’re not going back to the dorm tonight?"

Fu Huan replied, "No, I have some things to take care of. Text me when you get back."

Gu Shiying nodded, "Yeah, yeah."

Now that Gu Shiying knew about his sexual orientation, Fu Huan wanted to give both of them some time to adjust.

Before, when his orientation wasn’t public, he had discreetly given him food and drinks, silently protecting and watching over him from behind the scenes, playing the role of a devoted but unobtrusive admirer. But now, everything was different.

Gu Shiying had said he didn’t discriminate against gay men and hadn’t shown any disgust or aversion. He had even turned to Fu Huan for help immediately.

Perhaps it was time to seriously consider whether he could confess his feelings and how to take the next step in their relationship.

He didn’t want to just be Gu Shiying’s roommate—he wanted to at least become close friends, more than friends, less than lovers, surpassing Zhang Zhi’s place in Gu Shiying’s heart.

Fu Huan had his own place near the school, but only Liang Qi knew about it.

Since they had all been drinking, Liang Qi called a designated driver service.

Liang Qi leaned back on the sofa and said, "Isn’t your law student roommate away at a judicial tutoring class? Little Lamb isn’t around either, so it’s just you and Gu Shiying in the dorm. Such a great opportunity, and you’re not going back?"

Fu Huan couldn’t quite suppress a smile, his mood lifting significantly compared to his earlier melancholy.

He said, "I’m not going back."

Liang Qi remarked, "It’s really something how Gu Shiying is like a cure for you. I spent the whole day with you and didn’t get a single smile, but he shows up for less than half an hour and your mood is fixed. Tsk, tsk, even miracle medicine isn’t that effective. That’s love for you."

Fu Huan said, "He knows about my sexual orientation."

Liang Qi shrugged, unimpressed. "So what? It’s just your orientation—that’s normal. Everyone in our class knows mine, and plenty of girls even ship us together."

Fu Huan let Liang Qi’s words go in one ear and out the other, proudly sharing what mattered most to him: "He didn’t discriminate, didn’t show any aversion, and didn’t show any disgust."

Liang Qi asked, "So what are you planning to do? Preparing to confess?"

Fu Huan replied, "I’ll wait a bit longer."

Liang Qi, exasperated, slapped Fu Huan’s sturdy thigh and said, "I’m telling you, Fu Ge, Brother Huan, Fu Dashao, can’t you be a little more direct? Use even half the ferocity you use when pounding scumbags!"

Fu Huan said, "Butt out. I have my own pace."

Liang Qi sighed, "…" Fine, he was meddling unnecessarily.

So what if Gu Shiying knew his orientation? The fact that he wasn’t rejected had him over the moon. A hopeless case of lovesick foolishness.

After returning to school, the KTV incident gradually faded from the students’ memories.

Gu Shiying had helped many people during this time—this was just one of them. He himself had largely forgotten the incident, only remembering that he needed to learn to read people better after entering the working world and to be cautious outside, since bad guys don't go around wearing 'I'm a villain' name tags.

Compared to that incident, the guys from Room 504 were more concerned about Fu Huan’s sexual orientation. Since coming out, Fu Huan’s attitude toward Yang Shuhang and Guan Yu remained as aloof as ever—not particularly friendly, but not distant either. He treated them the same as before.

Only when it came to Gu Shiying did he become more open. Gu Shiying felt this change most keenly, while Yang Shuhang and Guan Yu took it as a matter of course, since Fu Huan had always been closer to Gu Shiying anyway. There was nothing unusual about it.

Gu Shiying: …

That guy has designs on me!

Even though Fu Huan maintained a respectful distance from Yang Shuhang and Guan Yu, adhering to a sense of male integrity, it didn’t stop Yang Shuhang from being curious about him.

After all, it was quite rare for such a standoffish roommate to openly admit he was gay.

Yang Shuhang often headed in the same direction as Fu Huan for classes, but Fu Huan and Liang Qi, who walked as if their legs were a mile long, walked too fast for him to keep up.

But that was just as well—he didn’t need to catch up. He could just gossip from behind.

#Steel-Straight-Men Secret Base#

"Little Lamb: [photo.jpg]"

"Little Lamb: Brother Huan and Liang Qi look pretty shippable walking together."

"Guan Yu: They’re just walking together normally. Where do you see the shippable vibe?"

Gu Shiying clicked to open the photo Yang Shuhang had sent.

Before Gu Shiying could share his opinion, Yang Shuhang sent a second photo.

"Little Lamb: [Photo.jpg]"

"Little Lamb: No way, is the campus heartthrob pursuing Brother Huan? He waited for Fu Huan at the intersection—oh, he knows Liang Qi too! Then the three of them headed off together!"

"Gu Shiying: That seems pretty normal, right? Our Brother Huan’s looks and aura are really appealing to other guys."

"Little Lamb: Everyone, wait for my real-time updates! I think if these two get together, they’re gonna be really attached!"

"Gu Shiying chimed in happily: You got it, Lamb Streamer!"

At noon, Gu Shiying and the guys from Room 701 went to the cafeteria together.

Everyone was worn out from their 8 a.m. class, so they just checked their phones for entertainment while eating, barely talking.

Gu Shiying also opened his phone and saw Yang Shuhang’s "live broadcast" again.

Yang Shuhang had upgraded—this time he posted a video instead of a photo.

"Little Lamb: Whoa, whoa, Lin Zijing is having lunch with Brother Huan and Liang Qi! Does this mean something’s brewing between them?"

His classes were in a different building from Gu Shiying’s, and there was a cafeteria over there. Since Yang Shuhang and Fu Huan had classes in the same direction, it made sense they’d end up at the same cafeteria.

"Guan Yu: You’ve got sharp eyes spotting that!"

"Little Lamb: Well, you gotta have an eye for these things."

"Gu Shiying: They look pretty comfortable together, laughing so happily."

In the video, Fu Huan’s expression hadn’t changed much, but Liang Qi and Lin Zijing were chatting happily.

Lin Zijing really lived up to being the campus heartthrob of the art department—his smile had a unique charm, and the way he looked at Fu Huan was pretty suggestive. Is this what being gay is like? That gaze is pretty overt.

Gu Shiying still remembered what Fu Huan told him at KTV: "I don’t just eat with anyone who asks."

Tch, and now he’s eating with him.

Men’s promises are empty—guess even someone as aloof as him would be tempted by such a handsome guy.

"Little Lamb: The three of them sitting together is such a sight. I even saw some girls secretly taking photos!"

"Little Lamb: Full now, heading back to the dorm to nap!"

"Little Lamb: What do you think—if Brother Huan and Lin Zijing are in that ambiguous phase, will he come back to the dorm at noon?"

"Gu Shiying: Doesn’t he usually play basketball at noon? He hardly ever comes back to the dorm."

"Guan Yu: His stamina is seriously impressive."

"Little Lamb: But he does come back occasionally, right?"

"Gu Shiying: I’m full too."

Gu Shiying had an 8 a.m. class, so he always napped at noon. But today, even when it was time to nap, he couldn’t fall asleep. He kept listening for any noise at the door.

Fu Huan never came back. Was he really getting ambiguous with Lin Zijing?

Ah, forget it, none of my business. His nap was more important than other people’s private affairs.

The afternoon classes were hectic again.

The summer heat was setting in, and the classroom was quiet except for the teacher’s voice and the hum of the AC.

Even though he napped, Gu Shiying still felt sleepy.

After the first class, he slumped over his desk, not wanting to move.

Zhang Zhi was still full of energy, chatting animatedly with the classmates next to him. At some point, he nudged Gu Shiying.

"Ying Er."

Gu Shiying lifted his head from his arms, looking confused. "What’s up?"

Zhang Zhi: "Why are you so out of it today? Are you sick?"

They were nearing finals, and teachers had started highlighting key points. In another week, exam week would begin.

Gu Shiying denied it: "Nah, just really tired today. Summer’s here—it’s nap season."

Zhang Zhi: "Are you doing your final project alone, or should we team up again?"

Their last collaboration went viral online, gathering over 500k likes. The school’s assignment account even gained a lot of followers because of it.

Gu Shiying thought for a moment: "I’ll do it on my own."

He had his own plans for the future.

Zhang Zhi: "I wanna try doing one solo too. What theme are you thinking?"

Gu Shiying originally wanted to do something fun, like a campus cafeteria theme, but since it was for finals, he wanted something with more depth.

"Haven’t decided yet. I’ll think about it."

As they chatted, the leader of Room 701 mentioned that even their elective had an exam, and he needed a partner.

Some guys had signed up for ballroom dancing to meet girls, but most ended up in classes full of guys and had to pair up with each other—everyone found it hilarious.

Gu Shiying thought about his not-so-great breaststroke skills. Zhang Zhi became unreliable once he entered the pool, and among the people he knew well, not many were good teachers. That left only…

He pursed his lips and opened WeChat.

"Gu Shiying: Free tonight?"

"Fu Huan: Yeah."

"Gu Shiying: I have an exam next week—can you teach me swimming?"

"Fu Huan: I’ll stop by the dorm after class to grab my swim trunks, then come find you."

"Gu Shiying: I need to go back and get mine too."

"Fu Huan: My last class is free today. I’ll grab yours for you."

"Gu Shiying: Sure, they’re in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe."

Fu Huan replied after a minute.

"Fu Huan: Got it."

Fu Huan had class in a small classroom in the afternoon. He was tall, so sitting in the front rows wasn’t ideal—he usually chose the back row.

He sat leaning against the window sill, propping his head up while holding his phone, occasionally glancing at the screen as if confirming something.

Liang Qi nudged him with his elbow: "Wanna smoke?"

Fu Huan: "No."

Liang Qi suddenly looked as if he’d spotted something rare: "Holy shit, why are your ears so red? Did you eat some poisonous mushrooms at lunch?"

Fu Huan: "...Get lost, you."

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Author's note: Fu Huan: [Blushing][Blushing][Blushing] Gonna check out my wife's closet!

Gu Shiying: ???