My straight roommate is so good

Following the doctor’s instructions, Qiao Song took a few days to recuperate.

Once his cold had fully healed, he resumed his normal routine: practicing piano and attending his classes. He could now play Tchaikovsky’s *The Seasons: Barcarolle* fluently. 

During his lesson, although Professor Ponočeva pointed out several areas for improvement, she was generally very pleased with his performance. Considering he had just recovered from an illness, his ability to deliver a complete and expressive performance, both full and tender, with skillful technique and appropriate intensity, was truly commendable.

Qiao Song was happy about his progress and remained in a good mood for most of the day.

Unfortunately, that good mood only lasted until the evening.

After finishing his piano practice at the Arts Center, he decided to eat outside of campus alone. 

He had to admit that the forum post he saw that day at the hospital had affected him emotionally. Although he hadn’t been able to resist Ling Jianshu’s closeness at that time, he was fully aware that the two of them should not become too close. It was time to start maintaining a certain distance from him.

Recently, he had been deliberately avoiding him—trying to avoid eating together, and even delaying his return to the dorm whenever possible. He had no idea what Ling Jianshu thought of this, but he himself felt a little more relaxed.

He no longer had to constantly worry about being photographed with him and posted on the forum, or worry about what others might say. Nor did he need to constantly gauge his mood.

But he overlooked one possibility—

Once freed from Ling Jianshu, he might run into another kind of trouble.

For instance, Shen Qiuyuan.

As soon as he reached the school gate and was about to cross the street, Shen Qiuyuan suddenly appeared and blocked his path.

“Qiao Song!”

He glanced at him coldly, ignoring him and walking around him.

Shen Qiuyuan instinctively reached out to grab his arm but immediately hesitated, fearing Ling Jianshu might beat him up for it. He awkwardly withdrew his hand and jogged a few steps to catch up with him.

In the middle of the street, pedestrians were coming and going.

Qiao Song walked swiftly across, but Shen Qiuyuan’s voice kept following him.

“Qiao Song, stop avoiding me, okay? Let’s talk!”

He pretended not to hear.

Shen Qiuyuan was persistent, asking over and over again until they had crossed to the other side of the road.

Finally, he lost his patience. He stopped in his tracks and responded coldly, “I’ve told you many times: I don’t want to talk. Stop bothering me.”

Shen Qiuyuan’s eyes were slightly red as he asked angrily, “Why? I’m your roommate, just like him. Why does *he* get a chance, but I don’t?!”

Qiao Song frowned, “What do you mean by that?”

“You know exactly what I mean!” Shen Qiuyuan, now desperate, bluntly asked, “Did you sleep with Ling Jianshu?!”

“…?” Qiao Song was almost amused by the ridiculousness of the question.

He didn’t even bother giving a direct answer. Instead, he mocked, “Shen Qiuyuan, are you out of your mind?”

But Shen Qiuyuan wasn’t ready to let it go. He had to know the answer. “Didn’t you? You and Ling Jianshu are always together, day and night. The forum is full of talk about your ‘lawsuit CP,’ and neither of you has ever denied it!”

“Only fools believe rumors. What a shame—you don’t seem very smart,” Qiao Song retorted casually and turned to walk away again.

Shen Qiuyuan, staring at his back, suddenly noticed someone approaching. He raised his voice dramatically, “You say you like guys! Are you really going to claim that, with someone like Ling Jianshu around all the time, you haven’t developed any feelings for him?!”

Qiao Song froze in his tracks and, without turning around, replied, “Yes, I like guys. I won’t deny that I could develop feelings for him someday. But, what does that have to do with you? No matter who I like, it won’t be you.”

How would Shen Qiuyuan react to that?

Qiao Song thought he might finally give up or break down and become more aggressive.

But he never expected that Shen Qiuyuan would drop his angry tone and, in a mocking voice, say to someone else, “Did you hear that, Ling Jianshu? Your roommate is gay, and he doesn’t rule out the possibility of falling for you! And if I’m not mistaken, aren’t you homophobic?”

Qiao Song’s heart sank, and he quickly turned to look.

Sure enough, Ling Jianshu had quietly arrived nearby. 

He was standing about a meter away from Shen Qiuyuan, his handsome face tense as he locked eyes with Qiao Song.

Qiao Song had imagined many times what might happen if he confessed to him that he was gay. But he never expected the truth to come out this way—from someone else’s mouth.

Would Ling Jianshu, with his pride, think he had intentionally hidden this from him, trying to disgust him, or even make fun of him?

He didn’t dare think further.

He wasn’t ready for this moment, and every second of eye contact felt like endless torment.

Ling Jianshu was the first to look away. He turned to Shen Qiuyuan and coldly warned, “Stop harassing him, or deal with the consequences.”

Unwilling to back down, Shen Qiuyuan asked, “You really don’t care that he’s gay?”

“Since when is that your business?” Ling Jianshu replied with arrogant impatience, “Get lost. Now.”

Not daring to provoke him further, Shen Qiuyuan gave Qiao Song one last defiant glance before leaving.

The sunset had nearly disappeared beyond the city’s horizon.

As the sky darkened, Qiao Song’s mood grew as dim and unclear as the fading daylight.

He forced himself to muster the courage to look at Ling Jianshu once again.

“Ling brother…” He called out softly, taking a step toward Ling Jianshu, hoping to explain.

But Ling Jianshu took a step back, his gaze cold and wary.

This distant attitude was a stark contrast to their closeness just days earlier.

Qiao Song pressed his lips together, realizing how absurd and unpredictable life could be.

But Ling Jianshu’s reaction wasn’t unexpected.

After all, any straight man with a fear of gay people would naturally show rejection or even violence. His restraint so far was almost generous.

Understanding his need for distance, he didn’t push further.

He took a step back, creating more space between them.

Perhaps his retreat made Ling Jianshu feel more at ease because he finally spoke.

He looked at him, his eyes dark, and asked, “What you just said—is it true?”

The situation had already reached this point, and without hesitation, Qiao Song answered, “Yes.”

“I mean… when you said you like men. Is that true?”

Ling Jianshu seemed to want clarification, but it didn’t make much difference.

“Yes, it’s true. I am gay. I like men,” Qiao Song said firmly.

Though calm on the surface, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. He worried that Ling Jianshu might ask the one dangerous question: *Would you really fall for me one day?*

But thankfully, he didn’t ask.

Perhaps the revelation that his roommate was gay was already enough of a shock for him, leaving no room for other concerns.

He nodded, indicating that he understood. Without saying another word, he turned and quickly crossed the street, heading back to campus.

Qiao Song stood under the dim streetlight, watching as Ling Jianshu’s figure disappeared into the night. He thought to himself—

For safety reasons, maybe he should avoid going back to the dorm tonight.

Maybe he should find a hotel and stay there for a while…