TT Chapter 35. Sharing A bed

Sharing a dorm meant figuring out one important thing: who would sleep where.

Chen Ting thought he could just crash on Pei Yiyao’s bed while Pei Yiyao took his roommate’s. But in reality, he got kidnapped into Pei Yiyao’s arms and was going nowhere.

On the narrow student bed, Chen Ting lay on his side facing the wall, with Pei Yiyao’s warm chest right behind him. No matter how he shifted, even a slight move of his foot, he would end up touching the other.

The lights were off. Ambiguity filled every corner of the room.

“How am I supposed to sleep like this?” Chen Ting gave up and turned around to face him. They were already sharing the same pillow, and now their noses were nearly touching.

“Relax, I won’t do anything.” Pei Yiyao reached up and pinched his earlobe, eyes blazing, actions blatantly contradicting his words.

But Chen Ting didn’t believe him for a second. As the saying goes, things don’t happen more than three times. The first two times, they had stopped short of going all the way. Now, it was about to be the third.

The dorm supervisor uncle would never know exactly what he had made possible.

But some things just happened naturally. Both Chen Ting and Pei Yiyao insisted it was the other’s eyes that had hooks in them, pulling them closer and closer until they tangled together again.

The cramped space restricted their movements. Two young bodies, still awkward and unsure, stretched and tangled together, clumsy and heated in their fumbling pursuit.

Near midnight, the sound of running water came again from the bathroom.

But by then, Chen Ting was already fast asleep, mumbling something under his breath that no one could make out.

That night, he had the crab dream again. In it, the big crab blew a huge bubble and wrapped him inside, then started poking at him with its giant claws.

He floated down into the river in that bubble, bobbing along with the waves. Everything was hazy, the world around him strange and shimmering, like a dream within a dream.

When Chen Ting woke up, it was already noon the next day. A full twelve hours of sleep had not left him refreshed. If anything, he felt even more exhausted. Lethargy and soreness seeped from every part of his body, pinning him down to the bed like dead weight. All he could manage was a feeble little groan.

At the slightest stir, Pei Yiyao, who had been sitting below reading, immediately got up. He was tall enough to clearly see what was happening up on the top bunk. He reached out to touch Chen Ting’s cheek. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“You try it and see…” Chen Ting muttered weakly, sprawled like a salted fish, unmoving. The more he thought about it, the more it hit him. He had taken a high-speed train back three days early, only to toss himself straight into bed. If this wasn’t delivering himself on a silver platter, what was it?

Just thinking about it made his butt ache.

At that moment, he caught a faint whiff of food in the air. His stomach immediately launched into a dramatic solo.

“Lie down, I’ll bring it to you,” Pei Yiyao said.

But Chen Ting hadn’t even brushed his teeth yet, and he wasn’t actually bedridden. So he struggled to get up. Pei Yiyao couldn’t dissuade him and ended up standing at the ladder with arms open protectively. Before Chen Ting could plant his feet, Pei Yiyao scooped him up and carried him straight into the bathroom.

The cafeteria hadn’t reopened yet, so lunch was a takeout spread. Century egg and lean pork congee, a few light side dishes, and the milk tea Chen Ting had been craving for ages.

Chen Ting was all smiles as he ate, sipping the milk tea in little satisfied mouthfuls, momentarily forgetting to accuse Pei Yiyao of his beastly behavior the night before.

What kind of “upright gentleman” kept those things stashed by the pillow? That was clearly premeditated.

Seeing him so pleased, Pei Yiyao crouched down in front of him and lifted one of his feet onto his knee. He wasn’t very practiced, but he started helping him into his socks.

Chen Ting froze for a second, then flustered, tried to pull his foot back. “I can do it myself.”

But Pei Yiyao held firm. His long, distinct fingers wrapped around Chen Ting’s pale ankle and planted it right back on his knee. Then, piece by piece, he pulled the sock up.

They were soft, fluffy wool socks in a thick gray knit.

Chen Ting’s feet, like his hands, were smaller than average, with slightly plump arches and rounded nails. Once bundled up in thick socks, they looked even pudgier.

Pei Yiyao gave them a rub, then a gentle squeeze, his expression calm and solemn, as if this were the most proper thing in the world.

Chen Ting wanted to kick him in the face, but after assessing his own combat power, he figured the chances of Pei Yiyao catching his chubby foot midair were far too high. So he gave up on resisting and continued to lie there in blissful surrender.

He was a magnanimous person. He could tolerate his boyfriend’s weird little habits.

Just then, he relaxed a bit and let out a loud belch that still carried the sweet scent of milk tea. Rubbing his belly, he felt a trace of melancholy. If things went on like this, his magnanimity was going to turn into a belly.

That extra pound he’d put on over the New Year seemed to have gone straight to his face and waist. His six-pack abs were becoming more and more of a distant dream.

So there he was, a slightly melancholy Chen Ting, letting out a sigh as the sunshine spilled across the balcony. This must be what people called… radiant sadness.

Pei Yiyao couldn’t read that kind of emotional nuance, but he knew he had to coax him. After thinking for a second, he offered, “Want me to play your game for you?”

“Okay!” Chen Ting perked right up.

Over the next two days, Chen Ting holed up in Pei Yiyao’s dorm, not stepping out once. During the day, they played video games, with Chen Ting acting tough behind Pei Yiyao’s skills. At night, they did all sorts of shameful things. It was lazy and indulgent, but also delightful.

On the afternoon of the third day, as students began trickling back to campus, Chen Ting packed up and slipped back to his own dorm before the crowd really arrived. On the way, he ran into Yang Shulin, who helped him carry one of his bags.

“This year was hell. I got tormented by bratty kids at every single relative’s house. I’m telling you, I only just scraped through Comprehensive English. Any worse and I’d be hanging from a beam right now!” Yang Shulin dramatically reenacted his traumatic holiday like it was the end of the world.

Tragic as it was, he was still the same upbeat and cheerful Yang Shulin. Once Bai Yu and Jiang Hai arrived, he immediately proposed going out for a proper meal. No one objected. They all unanimously chose the Sichuan restaurant outside the campus gate, where they feasted with gusto.

And so, amidst the laughter and noise of the four friends, the new semester quietly began.

The new year didn’t feel all that different from the last. Chen Ting and Yang Shulin, the ever-struggling English majors, were still buried in the endless pursuit of certifications. As long as you wanted to take tests, there would always be more to take.

From time to time, Chen Ting would go play drums for Ren Yao’s band, more like a freelance member drifting on the edges. The band, aptly named “Escape Earth,” was getting more and more inappropriate by the day. What they were driving wasn’t a car, but a spaceship to Mars. Half the time, before Chen Ting even knew what was going on, they’d already rocketed off into outer space.

Thanks to them, Chen Ting felt like he was becoming less and less pure.

Yang Shulin was still focused on his budding career in journalism. Their campus press group leader, Gou Yi, was set to graduate this year. If Yang Shulin didn’t step up now, he’d miss his chance to take over.

Unfortunately, up until now, the number of his articles actually published could be counted on one hand.

Gou Ge told him clearly that if he could land an exclusive interview with Gao Duo and pull off the handsome-guy strategy, he would become the next team leader.

Yang Shulin had no choice and turned to Chen Ting for help, asking him to play the middleman. It was rare for him to ask for favors like this, so Chen Ting agreed.

But Gao Duo had become even more elusive than last semester. It had been over two weeks since the start of the term, and no one had seen even a glimpse of him.

“You don’t think he ran off to some remote mountains or an uninhabited region again, do you?” Chen Ting asked as he absentmindedly wiped down the counter, chatting with Pei Yiyao who stood outside.

“There aren’t that many ancient ruins left to excavate these days,” Pei Yiyao replied.

“Thinking back, I really got scared the first time I saw him…” Chen Ting chuckled as he recalled Gao Duo’s wild-man look. Then, catching sight of Pei Yiyao’s icy expression, he quickly changed the subject with expert reflexes. “Ahem, I just got last semester’s paycheck. When you’re free, want to go somewhere and have some fun?”

Pei Yiyao’s mood instantly shifted from cloudy to sunny. “Sure.”

Chen Ting paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, “How about… we go to Disneyland?”

Chen Ting actually loved going to theme parks. He could wander around for a whole day and never get bored. But Pei Yiyao didn’t seem like the type who would enjoy that kind of place—especially not somewhere as famous as Disneyland.

Pei Yiyao, however, thought about it quite simply. He truly didn’t like places like that, but if Chen Ting did, then the only person allowed to go with him had to be himself.

And just like that, the two of them agreed to the plan. Right then, a customer came in. Pei Yiyao took his coffee and stepped aside, planning to leave with Chen Ting after his shift ended.

But at nine thirty, just as Chen Ting was getting ready to clock out, Yang Shulin came rushing in, all flustered, asking if Gao Duo was around.

Chen Ting shook his head. “He hasn’t shown up at all this semester. What’s the matter? You look like something big just happened.”

“It’s huge,” Yang Shulin said, visibly shaken in a way that was clearly not an act. He quickly handed his phone to Chen Ting. On the screen, a forum post marked in red was pinned to the top, its headline written in bold, sensational letters: “Second-year archaeology graduate student from the main campus, campus beauty senior, attempted suicide over heartbreak!!!”

Chen Ting froze. Shock made his fingers tremble as he clicked into the post. The more he read, the more unsettled he became. The post laid everything out in detail, starting from Gao Duo’s undergrad dating history all the way up to the present, claiming that his ex-boyfriend had recently gotten married and that Gao Duo couldn’t handle the blow and tried to kill himself by burning charcoal.

That’s right. Ex-boyfriend.

Chen Ting rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things wrong. It really did say ex-boyfriend, not ex-girlfriend.

But someone like Gao Duo… Chen Ting couldn’t imagine him doing something like burning charcoal in a suicide attempt. No, it had to be fake. The post said the incident happened at seven thirty that night. In just two short hours, how could an outsider know so many details?

Just compiling evidence and writing the post would take at least an hour.

With his sharp instincts, little Detective Ting Ting quickly picked up on the inconsistency and immediately tried to calm Yang Shulin. “Don’t panic. Most of this is probably fake. Don’t you have his WeChat? Did you try messaging him?”

Yang Shulin nodded. “I did, but he hasn’t responded.”

Chen Ting said, “No reply doesn’t mean something happened. Let’s try to reach him first before we jump to conclusions.”

“I’ve got the phone number of a senior from the main campus. I’ll ask him.” Pei Yiyao frowned slightly. He had no fondness for online forums, those places where nine parts were fiction and one part truth, and he didn’t believe Gao Duo would do something that stupid. Still, without concrete information, he couldn’t draw any firm conclusions either.

While Pei Yiyao stepped aside to make the call, Chen Ting quickly tidied up and signaled for them to move. The café was too crowded, and he didn’t want their conversation to be overheard and twisted into some rumor.

Pei Yiyao ended the call quickly and returned. “Nothing from the main campus.”

Chen Ting raised an eyebrow. “So that means we can’t say it’s real, but we also can’t say it’s fake?”

“What are we supposed to do now?” Yang Shulin was already overwhelmed. If they didn’t get to the bottom of this today, he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

With no progress to be made, the three of them headed outside the library.

Yang Shulin was visibly the most anxious, his expression broadcasting every emotion he felt. Just then, Chen Ting had a flash of insight. “You could ask Gou Ge. He’s always more in the loop than we are. He’s definitely seen that post.”

“Oh right, why didn’t I think of that?”

Yang Shulin hurriedly searched for Gou Ge’s number and dialed. As he waited for the call to connect, his eyes wandered aimlessly in his anxious state, and just happened to land on a figure sitting on a bench outside the library. There was something oddly familiar about the man’s back.

“Mm… yeah… uh-huh…” he mumbled into the phone, but his gaze stayed fixed, trying to get a better look. And the closer he looked, the more startled he became.

“Senior!” His shout cracked the air like a gunshot.

“Fuck.” Gao Duo, who had been smoking, jumped in surprise. The cigarette slipped and landed on his pants, burning a hole right through them. He shot to his feet and turned around, glaring at Yang Shulin. “Saint. Laurent.”

“Here!” Yang Shulin stood frozen, dumbstruck by that piercing look.

“I just bought these pants today. This year’s spring collection. Four thousand five hundred, do you even know that?” Gao Duo strode over in long, furious steps, looking like he could throttle someone on the spot.

Yang Shulin immediately darted behind Chen Ting, poking his head out cautiously. “Senior, you’re okay?”

Gao Duo rolled his eyes. “What could be wrong with me? You really thought I killed myself? Burning charcoal, seriously? Is that the extent of your imagination?”

Pei Yiyao said calmly, “You just didn’t like the method?”

“Oh? You looking to fight me?”

Sensing the situation getting out of hand, Chen Ting quickly jumped in to smooth things over. “We’re just glad you’re okay, senior. Actually, we were just looking for you. By the way… what happened to your face?”

The corner of Gao Duo’s mouth was visibly bruised, with a faint trace of blood still lingering. But he didn’t seem to care. He casually lit another cigarette and said, “Isn’t it obvious? Some guy got itchy and thought I was in his way, so I gave him a full-body massage. Figured he ought to learn what running his mouth gets him.”

As he spoke, Gao Duo leaned against the wall outside the library, clearly tired. He took a slow drag from his cigarette. His lips parted slightly, and the haze of smoke softened the sharp lines of his face, giving him a melancholy edge. But the blood on his lips and the slight lift of his chin still carried that old air of arrogance, the kind that once made him a campus legend.

“You were worried about me?” His tone toward Chen Ting remained unusually gentle.

Chen Ting nodded honestly. He saw no reason to hide it.

Gao Duo glanced sideways at Pei Yiyao and gave a light chuckle. “Relax. A little trick like that is just meant to scare the weak. I’ve seen worse. Won’t even take me a full night to clean this up. Right, cool guy?”

So spoke the number one beauty of N University.

That night, all related posts on the forum were taken down, and the rumor-monger issued a public apology. Gao Duo lounged comfortably in a hotel room off campus, sheet mask on his face, and posted a new WeChat update:

Gao the Beauty: Not a single worthy opponent 【meme.jpg】

Chen Ting, Pei Yiyao, and Yang Shulin were each sitting on a corner of the bed.

Yang Shulin, his face plastered with sticky notes, stared at the cards in his hand in anguish. After much deliberation, he finally played one and turned to urge Gao Duo, “Senior, it’s your turn!”

Pei Yiyao leaned in close to Chen Ting, holding his hand and whispering by his ear, “Let’s go back to our room after this round.”

But Chen Ting saw right through his intentions and replied solemnly, “No. We need school spirit. Tonight we’re pulling an all-nighter. Together.”

Pei Yiyao’s face darkened. As soon as Gao Duo played his card, Pei Yiyao opened his mouth and casually declared, “Joker bomb.”