Chapter 55: Argument

“What are you… talking nonsense about?”

Yu Qing stared blankly at Li Ming, the other’s confident demeanor making him even more confused.

Could it really be true?

Did he become like this because he liked Junior Yi?

It didn’t sound too far-fetched—after all, he did like Junior Yi’s body.

“So after rambling for so long, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Coming back to his senses, Yu Qing quickly composed himself, putting on a baffled expression as he questioned back.

At first, he thought Li Ming had figured everything out, but now it seemed like the guy was just making guesses based on a series of coincidences.

Comparing the two, he still had room to maneuver.

“So you think I secretly took medicine to become effeminate just to chase after Fu Yi?”

Yu Qing’s expression shifted from shock to exasperation.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Old Li, with your imagination, it’s a waste that you’re not writing novels.”

“The last part, I’m really not sure about.”

Li Ming nodded, admitting his own uncertainty.

“As for that, I only started having some thoughts about it last night.”

He looked at Yu Qing, hesitation flickering in his eyes.

“Not long after you left last night, Fu Yi came over. You should know about that.”

“And what I want to say is, when you weren’t around, the interaction between Fu Yi and Lin Wei had already surpassed the scope of normal friends. At least, that’s how it looked to me. Later, I asked Qing Huan, and she said Lin Wei does like Fu Yi, and it’s the kind of liking between lovers.”

“So what? The two of them are together? What does that have to do with me.”

Yu Qing replied with a smile, but there was no warmth in his voice.

He felt happy that Li Ming, as his roommate, cared about him so much.

But at the same time, he was frustrated, because the other was trying to dig into his deepest secret.

“Are you trying to say I started taking medicine just because Fu Yi likes girls, so I tried to change myself? Don’t talk nonsense, bro. I treat you as a brother, don’t disgust me.”

Yu Qing shook his head, a ridiculous look on his face.

He deliberately raised his voice so the two eavesdropping behind the door could hear, too.

“As for my changes? Yeah, I know myself, but I also want to know why I’ve turned into such a damned effeminate mess lately!”

“I dance every day now! For that damn school anniversary performance! Every day I’m beaten up by Shen Tang, exhausted like a dog, pass out as soon as I get back. No, now I can’t even sleep, and instead, I’m caught by you, you dog, to listen to your nonsensical deductions!”

Yu Qing spoke louder, listing his arguments nonstop.

Li Ming, behind his glasses, narrowed his eyes but didn’t immediately refute.

Seeing Li Ming’s silence, as if he was thinking it over, Yu Qing’s eyes lit up.

He pressed the attack, his tone gaining a hint of grievance from being misunderstood, laying out all his thoughts.

“Yes, I did buy some things online recently, but they were sports guards and a fascia gun! As for dressing up? I wear black or white every day, with a mask and a hat, I could be mistaken for someone from the next class. You call that learning to dress up?”

“You ask what I do at night in bed? I’m stretching and relaxing, otherwise, my whole body would hurt too much to get up the next day! Do you want to come in now and see the bruises on my arms and legs?”

As he spoke, Yu Qing rolled up his sleeves and pants, revealing bruises all over from losing balance while dancing.

“As for livestreaming, I have no idea what you’re talking about. When did I ever livestream?”

He let his sleeves fall, leaning against the wall to let the cold sensation wake him up and ease his nerves.

“Fu Yi is even less likely! You know her personality, is she someone who’d do livestreams? Old Li, I know you’re concerned, but if you insist on making things up, it puts me in a tough spot!”

When Yu Qing finally finished, Li Ming was still silent, lost in thought, but from inside the door came Zhang Li’s voice.

“Old Li, you’re really off the rails this time! The smell on Old Yu when he comes back these days—sweat and red flower oil—I can smell it!”

Beside him, Zhang Haoxuan quietly agreed.

“Yeah, Ming-ge, Old Yu’s been exhausted lately. Let’s just drop it and rest.”

Li Ming looked silently at Yu Qing, who stared back without flinching.

Li Ming’s palm was sweating slightly.

Yu Qing knew Li Ming wasn’t so easy to fool.

“There’s a recording.”

Li Ming finally spoke, his voice steady but quiet, just enough for Yu Qing to hear, and not enough for the secret to leak out.

“What?”

Yu Qing’s heartbeat skipped.

A recording?

What recording?

He never authorized anyone to clip his streams, and he was such a no-name streamer—would anyone even bother?

“Cool Bro recorded it. Every time you finished a stream, he saved it and uploaded it to the Jianzhang Group.”

Li Ming spread his hands, looking helpless.

“You must have set notifications to ‘Do Not Disturb,’ right? You never talk in that group, either.”

“So what, Li Ming.”

“Can you really not tell that I don’t want to talk about this at all right now?!”

“I appreciate your concern, but have you ever thought about whether I really need it? Honestly, I’ve never felt as annoyed by you as I do now!”

He snapped.

Completely snapped!

He couldn’t let Li Ming continue down this path!

Panic swept through Yu Qing’s mind.

He didn’t have the energy to think of a better way to deal with this.

At the same time, he felt a bit of resentment toward Li Ming.

Even if it was for his own good, to protect his secret, Yu Qing couldn’t let the conversation go on, even if it risked ruining their friendship.

Wasn’t his avoidance these past few days obvious enough?

Didn’t Li Ming notice how he’d been dodging him?

It had taken so much for Yu Qing to agree to dinner and bury the hatchet, yet now the past was being dragged up again.

Truthfully, Li Ming’s concern did make Yu Qing happy and even moved.

But care shouldn’t be forced on someone against their will.

At the very least, after repeatedly expressing that he didn’t need help, he shouldn’t be pressed further.

It wouldn’t make anyone happy.

Li Ming looked dazed, staring at Yu Qing for over ten seconds in silence.

He had so much more to say, but seeing Yu Qing’s cold expression, none of it could come out.

The air on the balcony felt frozen.

“I…”

In the end, he pushed up his glasses, his previous aura collapsing as he seemed to wilt.

I just wanted to help you, as a friend.

He looked at Yu Qing, a touch of loneliness in his gaze, all his words reduced to a sigh.

He turned and opened the balcony door.

“It’s cold outside. Let’s go in.”

The tight string in Yu Qing’s heart loosened a little.

He didn’t answer, waiting about a minute after Li Ming went in before returning to the dorm.

Inside, Li Ming was already wearing headphones, sitting sullenly at his desk, playing with his phone.

Seeing Yu Qing enter, Zhang Li immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulders, his face red with embarrassment, and finally spoke up.

“Old Yu, don’t take it to heart. Old Li just overthinks things and comes up with wild ideas!”

Zhang Haoxuan quickly nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, Old Yu, we were just worried about you.”

“Mm, thanks.”

Yu Qing forced a smile in reply.

“I’m fine.”

He climbed onto his bed, closed the bed curtains, and shut out the world.

Inside, Yu Qing leaned against the wall, letting out a heavy breath.

The night wind on the balcony had been cold, but his back was still drenched in cold sweat.

He pulled out his phone, intending to watch some videos, but couldn’t focus on anything.

After all that, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything.

He lay there in a daze, watching as the lights outside the bed curtains went out one by one, until the dorm was completely dark.

Yu Qing took out his phone again, opening a rental app.

He just wanted to escape this suffocating environment as soon as possible.

But in the end, he couldn’t focus on anything.

He turned off his phone, then turned it back on, then off again, repeating the cycle, not knowing what to do.

Finally, when he opened his phone again, he saw that dog sending over a grinning dog-head emoji.

Yu Qing found himself smiling again.

Once more, it was from being pissed off.

But this time, there was something subtly different.

His finger hesitated, then after a long pause, he sent the dog-head emoji back.

Then, as if he’d accomplished something major, he let out a breath.