C64

The sound of Xie Heng’s fall interrupted Ji Mian's train of thought mid-conversation with Chen Xu.

He quickly turned around to check.

Xie Heng had indeed fallen hard, landing squarely on the floor. Although he managed to brace himself with his arm to avoid hitting his face, his elbow still scraped against the ground, drawing a bit of blood.

Ji Mian, closest to him, rushed over to help.

Chen Xu and Jia Wenbo were completely stunned, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events involving Ji Mian and Xie Heng.

But it was Xie Heng who felt the most shaken.

What did Lu Zhou just say? The gender is different?

No way!?

“Are you okay?” Ji Mian said, supporting Xie Heng’s arm around his neck, while using his other hand to help lift him up.

Having just showered, Xie Heng was still slightly warm and damp, leaving Ji Mian feeling unexpectedly affected by their close proximity.

Xie Heng was capable of getting up on his own, but the moment Ji Mian touched him, he froze in place, not daring to move.

Unaware of Xie Heng’s reaction, Ji Mian felt he was unusually heavy and exerted a lot of effort to pull him upright.

Meanwhile, Xie Heng’s right elbow was bleeding slightly, and Ji Mian’s expression tightened.

“Wait a second,” Ji Mian said, dashing to his cabinet for first aid supplies.

The other three were still processing the shock, while Xie Heng wore an inscrutable expression.

Chen Xu was the first to regain his composure, stammering, “Lu Zhou, what do you mean by the gender being different?”

“You… you like guys?”

“Yeah,” Ji Mian answered without looking back, still rummaging through the supplies.

He found some iodine and a small bottle of antiseptic.

As he stood up with the items, he turned around to find all three gazes fixed on him, their expressions ranging from shock to curiosity.

[Coming out isn’t easy for many people to accept,] the system reminded him.

[I know.]

But living together in college for four years meant he would eventually have to pursue Song Yu as Lu Zhou, and the issue of orientation would inevitably come to light. It was better to address it openly than to be discovered unexpectedly.

He felt lucky to be in such a good dorm. Although they had only known each other for two weeks, Ji Mian trusted the character of his roommates.

While he wasn’t concerned about himself revealing his orientation, he worried how it might affect the others, making them feel awkward.

Bringing his focus back to the present, he flashed his usual confident smile, “What are you all staring at?”

Jia Wenbo averted his eyes, falling silent, though his expression had shifted from shock to calmness.

Chen Xu swallowed nervously, “N-no…”

Back in high school, he had heard rumors about a few same-sex couples but had never seen them in person.

“Don’t worry; I only like people who share the same orientation as me.” Ji Mian tilted his head back, his smile a little teasing. “No need to be afraid.”

“Who’s scared?!” Chen Xu shot back defensively.

No man should ever admit to being scared!

Ji Mian didn’t bother with Chen Xu’s antics, turning his attention to treating Xie Heng’s elbow.

“No need,” Xie Heng said, his expression strange, as if he was suppressing something. The muscles in his face twitched slightly.

“You’re bleeding; it needs to be treated.”

“... I’ll do it myself.”

Ji Mian nodded and handed the supplies to Xie Heng.

Throughout the exchange, Xie Heng had shown little emotional reaction, but Ji Mian sensed he was the one most affected, considering he had just perfected the art of falling as if he were the star of a melodrama.

As Xie Heng took the supplies, his fingers brushed against Ji Mian’s, though he deliberately avoided any skin contact.

Ji Mian noticed this and felt his suspicions confirmed.

Xie Heng’s reaction was indeed unusually strong, but it was different from the simple shock that Chen Xu and Jia Wenbo displayed. It felt more like… a hint of fear?

Living together in the same dorm and being evasive about such matters wasn’t healthy. Ji Mian decided to be straightforward, asking, “Xie Heng, are you a bit homophobic?”

“…”

Xie Heng choked slightly, lifting his gaze to meet Ji Mian’s eyes.

Those bright, clear eyes were disarming.

In the face of Ji Mian’s candor, the resistance in Xie Heng’s heart softened, losing some of its previous intensity.

After hesitating for a moment, he replied honestly, “... a little.”

Actually, long before this, when Xie Heng first heard about people being attracted to the same gender, he experienced a strange mix of feelings but eventually chose to be respectful.

However, in high school, there had been a pair of male students who would sneak away during class to kiss in the restroom.

Those two hadn’t realized the stall door was malfunctioning, leading to a rather intense moment.

Xie Heng had unfortunately been the one to walk in on them.

Kissing was one thing; it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

But when one of the boys, the taller one, pulled the other’s pants down, and the other was left completely naked, the scene was etched into Xie Heng’s memory.

Recalling that moment made his expression twist with discomfort.

“... It’s my issue; don’t take it personally.” Though his mindset was fraying, Xie Heng still managed to maintain a facade of calm.

“……” This was the first time Ji Mian had seen Xie Heng's emotional control completely break down like this.

He was actually this scared...

“I’ll be more careful in the future and won’t bring this up in the dorm again,” Ji Mian said, hoping to ease Xie Heng's discomfort.

However, it seemed to have little effect; Xie Heng's expression didn’t improve at all.

“Can I ask something?” Xie Heng spoke up, “Do you only like guys, or…”

This question left Ji Mian uncertain. After all, the only person he had ever liked was Duan Zuo. However, the original owner’s sexual orientation had always been clear:

“Only like guys.”

“……”

Xie Heng's response felt a bit forced. “I understand.”

Ji Mian pressed his lips together, starting to regret having been so open so early.

He should have tested his roommates’ acceptance first before easing into the topic.

Xie Heng felt regret as well—regret for agreeing to stay in the dorm for another month.

Just the thought of one guy being affectionate with another made his temples throb, and suddenly, a month felt endless.

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