When Bian Ting returned, he found Meng Xin and Zhang Yiming sighing at each other like two old men.
“What are you guys talking about?”
“You,” Meng Xin said. “I asked him why you’re gay.”
Bian Ting glanced at Zhang Yiming. “And what did he say?”
Zhang Yiming made a zipping motion across his lips and raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t spill anything! All I said was that you suddenly had an enlightenment moment and turned gay. The rest? Classified information.”
Bian Ting’s realization had been simple and efficient—he hadn’t struggled through any complicated emotional turmoil.
At first, he just noticed that he was paying an unusual amount of attention to someone.
Then it got out of hand—during lectures, while staring at a blackboard full of formulas and theorems, his thoughts would drift to that someone’s face. He’d be scribbling notes on his scratch paper only to realize he had unconsciously written that someone’s name.
He had told Zhang Yiming about it.
Zhang Yiming: “He’s straight.”
Bian Ting: “Yeah.”
Zhang Yiming: “You like him.”
Bian Ting: “Yeah.”
Zhang Yiming: “You’re gay.”
Bian Ting thought for a moment and admitted, “Yeah.”
“There’s no cure for this,” Zhang Yiming said, taking on the tone of an old doctor dispensing wisdom. “Gay guys falling for straight guys? Never ends well. Your only hope is to cut off your feelings immediately and move on. Otherwise, you’re doomed.”
“…Alright.” Bian Ting didn’t seem all that interested in being “cured.” After a brief pause, he simply accepted it. “Then I’m doomed.”
“Did you even hear me?” Zhang Yiming emphasized, trying one last time. “I said falling for a straight guy never works out!”
“If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.” Bian Ting shrugged. “It’s not like I need an outcome.”
“Wow. Silent devotion?” Zhang Yiming’s expression shifted to admiration, as if he were about to salute him. “Respect.”
Bian Ting let out a short laugh. “Cut it out.”
“Falling for a straight guy is a rite of passage for every gay man.” Zhang Yiming sighed, patting Bian Ting on the shoulder. “Bro, you’ve got a long road ahead of you.”
Zhang Yiming lived in a different dorm area, so they split up at the campus gates.
On the way back, Meng Xin kept thinking about what Zhang Yiming had said—Bian Ting likes a straight guy.
He kept sneaking glances at Bian Ting, hesitating several times, wanting to ask but unsure if Bian Ting would let him.
Bian Ting must have noticed. “You’re curious again?”
Meng Xin immediately switched to an eager, puppy-eyed expression, blinking at him furiously in an attempt to show his overwhelming thirst for knowledge.
As expected, Bian Ting caved pretty quickly. “…Fine. Ask.”
Meng Xin wasted no time. “Zhang Yiming said you like a straight guy. Is that why he doesn’t like you back?”
“Probably,” Bian Ting said. “I think so.”
“Why do you even like a straight guy?” Meng Xin really didn’t get it. “Why not just like another gay guy? There are plenty at our school.”
He had two right next to him, for starters!
“No.” Bian Ting’s voice was soft. “I only like him.”
For some reason, that answer made Meng Xin uncomfortable.
Who the hell is this guy? Even his best bro was turning into a lovesick fool over him.
In Meng Xin’s eyes, Bian Ting—whether he liked guys or not—could have suitors lining up from here to the Louvre in Paris. He could have anyone he wanted. Did he really need to be this pathetic over some dude?
Meng Xin asked, “What’s so great about liking him?”
A faint smile appeared on Bian Ting’s lips, as if he was thinking of the person he liked. “Liking him makes me happy.”
Meng Xin frowned. “Can’t your friends make you happy?”
“It’s not the same.” Bian Ting shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Meng Xin fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Does he know you’re gay?”
“He knows.”
Meng Xin’s expression darkened. “Bian Ting, you have to stop liking him.”
Bian Ting glanced at him. “Why?”
“He’s straight. He doesn’t like you. And he knows you’re gay but still doesn’t keep his distance?” Meng Xin said, increasingly annoyed. “That means he’s just stringing you along. That’s messed up.”
Bian Ting gave him a look. “Don’t say that.”
After returning to his dorm, Meng Xin climbed into bed without saying a word.
He pulled the curtain shut, using “contemplating life” as an excuse to silently stew in his frustration.
He kept thinking about what Bian Ting had said today.
All he had done was say one negative thing about that straight guy, and Bian Ting immediately shut him down.
—That guy didn’t even know Bian Ting liked him, so was it really necessary for Bian Ting to defend him so much?
And then Bian Ting had the nerve to say he didn’t understand!
Meng Xin felt an inexplicable surge of irritation, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
So what if you have someone you like?
I can have one too!
The next day, Meng Xin went up to Gao Yinghang and declared, “I want to date a girl.”
“Perfect timing. Our club is having a group dinner with the arts students. Come with me,” Gao Yinghang said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Tons of girls there.”
Meng Xin thought for a second, then agreed. “Alright, let’s go.”
The moment Meng Xin sat down at the dinner, he regretted it.
These group hangouts were so dull. He barely knew anyone, and even though he could strike up a conversation if he tried, he had zero interest. Honestly, he’d rather be back in the dorm playing a couple of rounds of his game.
Bored, he started eating, quickly making his way through most of the dishes on the table. Once he was done, he considered messing with Bian Ting and sending him a message.
Just as he was about to, a girl sat down beside him.
“Hey, you’re Gao Yinghang’s roommate, right?”
Meng Xin politely put his phone away.
Talking to his bros meant he could joke around, say all kinds of nonsense, and worst case, they’d just trade insults for fun.
Talking to girls was different.
Meng Xin kept the conversation polite and appropriate, sticking to safe, everyday topics.
After chatting for a bit, the girl brought up her roommate.
“I have a roommate who’s super pretty and has a great personality.”
Meng Xin perked up a little. “Oh? I have a roommate like that too. —Not Gao Yinghang, another one.”
“My roommate is also really devoted. She told me that if she ever falls for someone, she’ll like them forever.”
“Yeah, my roommate says stuff like that too.” Thinking of Bian Ting, Meng Xin shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“Still, my roommate had her heart broken before. Now she doesn’t believe in love and thinks all guys are trash.”
“Well, that’s not entirely fair. My roommate is a pretty good guy.”
Meng Xin thought for a moment before adding, “But your roommate is at least self-aware.”
“Right? If you’re interested, I can give you her WeCh—”
“My roommate, though? He just doesn’t get it. He got his heart broken and still keeps chasing after that person. So dumb.”
Thinking about it made Meng Xin frustrated all over again. Why did Bian Ting say I don’t understand? He’s the one who’s completely blinded by love!
The girl blinked at him and said, “Do you seriously have nothing to talk about except your roommate?”
Meng Xin was confused. “No… I mean, you just happened to say something that reminded me of him.”
Wasn’t that just conversation?
“…”
“I was gonna introduce you to my roommate, but never mind.” The girl stood up and walked away, muttering, “Typical straight guy.”
Huh? What was she mad about?
She was the one who started talking about roommates first!
Meng Xin was baffled.
A while later, Gao Yinghang came over and asked, “Well? Did Xiaoying tell you about her roommate? Apparently, her roommate is really into guys like you. I figured it was perfect since you’re looking for a girlfriend… She was actually supposed to come tonight, but she had a schedule conflict. Anyway, did Xiaoying give you her WeChat?”
“She mentioned it,” Meng Xin said, spreading his hands. “But I think she got mad.”
“Huh?” Gao Yinghang was stunned. “Why?”
Meng Xin blinked in confusion. “…No idea.”
For several days, Meng Xin had been searching for a girl to like.
He fought and lost, lost and fought, fought and lost again.
Finally, he came to a realization—
Dating is such a hassle.
Liking someone is also a hassle.
Not everyone can handle the pain of love.
Feeling restless, Meng Xin went to bother Fan Da again: [Is there a way to have someone I “like” without actually liking them?]
Fan Da: [Is this even Chinese?]
Fan Da: [Let’s speak proper Chinese.]
What? How did he not get it? Was this really so hard to understand?
Meng Xin begrudgingly rephrased: [I just want to have someone I “like.”]
Fan Da: [You already do.]
Meng Xin: [I do?]
Fan Da: [You really do.]
Meng Xin: [No, I don’t.]
Fan Da: [I’m about to say two words.]
Meng Xin had a bad feeling and quickly tried to stop him: [Don’t say it.]
Fan Da ignored him and typed out two very familiar words: [Bian Ting.]
Meng Xin was shocked: [What are you even saying? I’m a pure straight guy, okay!!]
He furiously refuted: [And besides, Bian Ting is my friend. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their nest!]
To emphasize, he added with certainty: [Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Don’t talk nonsense.]
Fan Da: [The kind of ‘pure straight guy’ who kisses someone and still claims it was just artificial respiration for a bro?]
Meng Xin: [Obviously not!!]
Fan Da mysteriously replied with three words: [Can’t say for sure.]
Meng Xin: [……]
Meng Xin: [What do you mean ‘can’t say for sure’? Take that back and say it again.]
Fan Da retracted his message.
Just as Meng Xin was about to feel relieved, a new message popped up.
Fan Da: [Dare to swear on it?]
To demonstrate, Fan Da went first: [If I’m straight, I’ll never eat Xinjiang fried rice noodles again.]
Meng Xin thought, It’s just Xinjiang fried rice noodles, not Yunnan rice noodles.
So he repeated it effortlessly: [If I’m gay, I’ll never eat Xinjiang fried rice noodles again.]
Fan Da: [Heh, swear on Yunnan rice noodles if you have the guts.]
Meng Xin: [.]
Meng Xin: [That’s going too far.]
Meng Xin: [It’s not that I don’t dare. It’s that Yunnan rice noodles are sacred, you understand?]
Fan Da sent a meme with a red background and yellow text: “Breaking News! You’re gay.”
Meng Xin once again stressed: [I’m really a pure straight guy, okay!!]
To prove his point, he said: [For example, I’m looking for a girl to like right now.]
Meng Xin laid out his requirements: [I want someone who isn’t clingy, doesn’t get angry, has no presence, doesn’t require much communication, and doesn’t need time or effort to maintain a relationship.]
Even as he finished typing, he felt a bit hopeless himself.
But surprisingly, Fan Da said: [There actually is one.]
Meng Xin was intrigued: [For real? Introduce me.]
Fan Da sent a picture.
It was an electronic dog with a pink bow.
Meng Xin felt utterly betrayed and sent a long string of ellipses to express his frustration.
Fan Da teased: [Do you like it? If you do, you can buy it and name it ‘Ting Ting.’]
Meng Xin replied: [Get lost. I hate you guys.]
—
Fan Da’s nonsense wasn’t entirely useless—Meng Xin actually got an idea from it.
Having a real-life crush was too much trouble. So why not just make up an online relationship?
After thinking it through, that very night, Meng Xin posted on his Moments: [I have someone I like too!!!]
Fan Da was the first to comment: [You bought it?]
Other comments quickly followed.
Gao Yinghang: [666 Who is it? Xiaoying’s roommate? Or the girl from dinner last time?]
Huang Wenjie: [WTF!!!! Even YOU??? WHY!!!!]
Meng Xin replied to each one.
To Fan Da: [Get lost, annoying dude!!]
To Gao Yinghang: [No, someone I met online.]
Meng Xin’s Reply to Huang Wenjie: [Yeah, sorry, bro~]
The “Liangshan Heroes” group quickly gathered almost everyone—except for the one person who should have been there.
Meng Xin waited all night, but Bian Ting never left a comment.
