Yao Shiming didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he looked up at Hu Li, who was standing in front of him, also wearing a gossipy expression.
Seeing Hu Li shrug in acquiescence, Yao finally opened his mouth, “Here’s how it happened…”
Very quickly, everyone heard the whole story. Ji Yuennian now understood what happened after that day: Hu Li, dressed in women’s clothes, barged in and caused a commotion. It seemed to add fuel to the fire, but before things could get out of hand, Tang Xueting saw through his disguise in just a few minutes.
Once the plan collapsed, Hu Li and Yao Shiming tried to slip away, only to be forcefully dragged back by Tang Xueting, who insisted they stay for dinner and chatted with them for a while.
Afterwards, Hu Li returned to school, while Yao Shiming was pulled to Tang Xueting’s residence and made to stay the night.
The two didn’t have any in-depth conversation and slept in separate rooms. At least, that’s how Yao Shiming described it—for now, let’s just go with that, regardless of whether it’s true or not.
The next morning, when Yao Shiming got up from bed, he overheard Tang Xueting in the living room inquiring with a jeweler about diamond rings. After realizing Yao was eavesdropping, she gently hugged him and said, “I’ll invite you for dinner on Saturday, and I have a huge surprise for you.”
As a result, Yao Shiming was so frightened that he skipped breakfast and ran off immediately!
“So, Old Yao, are you planning to accept?” Luo Yikang produced a bag of five-spice sunflower seeds from who-knows-where and asked while cracking them open.
Gossiping is human nature—especially when the gossip concerns someone close. More importantly, he could even play the role of advisor and offer his own strategies.
It wasn’t just him; everyone in the dormitory had grabbed whatever snacks they could find, munching as they listened to this juicy story.
In response to Luo Yikang’s question, Yao Shiming smiled bitterly, “If I were going to accept, I wouldn’t be pouring out my woes in front of you now—I’d be asking you for your red envelopes instead.”
“How do your parents feel about your fiancée? About the two of you getting married?” Ji Yuennian asked while cracking pistachios.
“They naturally agree. Our families have been close for generations, both hoping we’ll end up together and strengthen the family bond.”
“Then why does Sister Tang have her eye on you?” Hu Li gave Yao Shiming a once-over, quite puzzled. “I’ve spent two years with you—can’t say you have no redeeming qualities, but they’re definitely few and far between.”
Yao Shiming could only sweat awkwardly.
“…I saved her once when we were kids.” Faced with the curious, probing looks from everyone, he spread his hands and finally revealed the secret.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Sister Tang is so pure—she was actually taken in by a fool like you…” Hu Li muttered, but the rest of the sentence was too quiet to be heard.
Now it was Luo Yikang’s turn to speak up again. He cracked a few more sunflower seeds, acting like he couldn’t wait for even more drama. “Old Yao, why don’t you just accept? Childhood friends, families bound by generations, plus you saved her life—if it were me, I’d have agreed on the spot…”
“Ouch!” Luo Yikang suddenly yelped.
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to him, but he quickly regained his composure, sitting up straight as if nothing had happened.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing, just a mosquito bite—it bit me right on a wound.”
Luo Yikang chuckled awkwardly. The others let their attention drift away, returning to their snacks and gossip. However, unnoticed by the rest, a fair little hand slipped out of the boy’s pants, and a pair of beautiful eyes shot him a fierce glare.
“We’re fine as friends, but as a couple—I just don’t feel that way about her.” Yao Shiming sighed at Luo Yikang’s teasing, “From when I was a kid up through the start of junior high, I always saw her as a little sister.”
“What about after junior high?” Ji Yuennian picked up on his wording.
“After junior high…” Seemingly recalling something, Yao Shiming’s face twitched. “She suddenly shot up in height, towering over me by a good few heads. Especially now—when we go out to eat, a lot of people think I’m her son.”
Pfft~
No one could hold it in anymore—they all burst out laughing.
For a moment, pistachios and raisins flew through the air, five-spice sunflower seeds and dried papaya mixing together—a truly magnificent sight.
Honestly, Yao Shiming wasn’t short himself. With shoes on, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall, above average for a guy. He just had that sunny, cheerful, big-boy vibe—innocent and harmless like a husky.
But standing next to Tang Xueting, with her mature, alluring aura, he was instantly overshadowed—reduced to a little brother, a mere child.
“If you don’t like her, why not just say so?” Liu Yao, who’d been quietly observing all this time, now spoke up, picking up a slice of dried papaya with her delicate fingers and slowly chewing.
“I did tell her, but she said she still wants to pursue me, even if she fails in the end.” Yao Shiming looked distressed, “Plus, my dad called recently and said if I don’t get into the university he wants, I shouldn’t even bother going to college.”
“He even said he’d pay for me and Xueting to go on a world tour, calling it ‘building our relationship early for the next generation.’”
This time, even Liu Yao—usually as calm as a placid sea—fell silent.
“Brothers, let’s get back on track. I have a strong suspicion Xueting is planning to propose to me at that dinner on Saturday. Advisors, put your legendary wisdom to work and help me think of something!” Yao Shiming was the first to break the silence, his face full of anxiety.
He was only 19, still young. He didn’t want to get married, didn’t want to be saddled with a mortgage or a car loan… uh, no, his family was rich—he didn’t have to worry about those things.
He just didn’t want to go on a world tour with someone he didn’t like!!!
Very soon, with the “legendary wisdom” and “strategies” of his advisors, Yao Shiming gathered a huge pile of ideas.
Stand her up.
Lousy idea.
Pretend to break a leg playing basketball.
Another lousy idea.
Get kidnapped.
The lousiest of the lousy ideas.
In the end, after hearing yet another “lousy idea,” Yao Shiming slumped, downcast and utterly miserable, almost ready to cry.
Just as Yao Shiming was about to fall into despair, Hu Li, who had been munching on raisins nearby, suddenly spoke up, “How about this—I’ll go with you.”
He added, as if remembering something, “Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be crossdressing this time. I’ll just play the third wheel. After all, Sister Tang never said you couldn’t bring friends to dinner.”
After saying that, she turned her face away, but her slightly reddened cheeks seemed to silently speak for themselves.
“Thanks, Old Hu.” Yao Shiming was so moved he almost cried, grabbing the delicate boy’s hand tightly.
“Count me in too,” at that moment, another gentle voice chimed in. Ji Yuennian’s smooth, slightly angular, handsome face appeared before Luo Yikang.
She smiled as she looked at the nearly tearful Yao Shiming and patted her chest in a bold, brotherly gesture.
“I am the dorm leader, your Ji-ge! When a brother is in trouble, how can I not move like a mountain? Third wheel? That’s my job! Hahaha—plus, I get a free meal out of it.”
“Hey? Why are you crying? Tears between brothers are an insult to our friendship! Old Hu, give him a tissue.”
Over on this side, Luo Yikang, after receiving an eager look for approval from Liu Yao, joined the third wheel brigade too.
At this point, Yao Shiming couldn’t hold it back anymore. He bowed deeply to everyone, tears and snot streaming down his face.
“Thank you, brothers!”
“If I survive this ordeal, I’ll treat you all to a foot massage.”
He tilted his head back and shouted,
“With my secret stash, everyone gets a fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged lady to serve them!”
As soon as he finished, Luo Yikang’s face stiffened a little. He glanced nervously to the side and saw that his “good brother,” as if reading his mind, was also looking over, smiling beautifully—a clear warning in her eyes.
“Come on, Hu Li, don’t be shy.”
“Come out, come out, we’re all brothers here, nothing we haven’t seen before.”
“Yeah, yeah, good brother, let us see if you’re as fragrant as they say.”
Crossdressing for Hu Li had always been a half-secret topic in 802. Last time, during their parody of White Snake, everyone found out he could crossdress, but no one ever brought it up again.
But now things were different. Crossdressing and enjoying crossdressing were two separate things.
The first means you can do it, but normally you wouldn’t—especially in front of friends.
The second means you actually like it, which means people like them could egg him on to do it again in the dorm, giving everyone an eyeful.
So, with everyone goading and coaxing him without holding back, Hu Li blushed, looking a little shy, as he pulled a set of women’s clothes from his suitcase and hurried into the bathroom.
After about ten minutes—
Creak. The bathroom door opened.