My straight roommate is so good

“Let’s talk about it later…” Qiao Song now somewhat understood why Ling Jianshu didn’t like Xia Zhe.

Although he hadn’t shown any disdain towards him personally, his straightforwardness meant he was probably uncomfortable seeing two men in a romantic relationship. Knowing that he had a crush on Xia Zhe, it must have been hard for him to accept seeing them together.

“He doesn’t seem like the right fit for you,” Ling Jianshu said, pretending to bring it up casually.

“Ling Brother, this seems a bit outside your expertise,” Qiao Song replied half-jokingly. He didn’t understand why Ling Jianshu, who clearly disliked same-sex relationships, seemed so fixated on discussing Xia Zhe. 

It had turned from an attempt to use Xia Zhe as a shield into a series of lies to cover up.

“True, how would I know about such things?” Ling Jianshu sensed that Qiao Song didn’t want to discuss it and grew more irked. Was he really protecting Xia Zhe?

But he still believed that Qiao Song shouldn’t be left alone with Xia Zhe. Bringing someone like him, who seemed like a playboy, to a gay bar on the first day back wasn’t ideal. He thought he needed to protect Qiao Song, who was too innocent to handle such people.

Thus, he started a surveillance plan for the next few days. Whenever Qiao Song was about to go out, he would ask where he was going. If the answer was to meet Xia Zhe, he would drop whatever he was doing and tag along.

Time passed, and Xia Zhe’s vacation came to an end quickly.

Qiao Song went to see him off at the airport, while Ling Jianshu, having some urgent matters, couldn’t accompany them.

“Ah… leaving so soon, I’ll really miss the takeout from our country” Xia Zhe sighed.

“You…” Qiao Song, initially feeling a bit melancholic, was cheered up by Xia Zhe’s playful comment, and his sadness eased considerably.

“Of course, the person I’ll miss most is you, Qiao Qiao.” Xia Zhe said, hugging Qiao Song tightly and unwilling to let go.

When Ling Jianshu arrived at the airport in a hurry, the sight of the two of them embracing tightly was extremely jarring to him.

After Xia Zhe released Qiao Song, he smiled slightly and patted his shoulder. “Ling Jianshu seems quite reliable, and he seems to like you a lot. Are you sure you two…”

“Enough with the talk about us! I’ve told you, we’re just friends. Even though he gets along well with my brother, he’d be scared off by the mention of being gay. And… even if Ling Jianshu were gay, he’s definitely not my type. You should believe that there can be friendships between gays and straight men.”

Just as Ling Jianshu walked up behind Qiao Song: “?”

Why was he suddenly the one being completely dismissed? Though it might sound narcissistic, his type was actually quite popular in the gay community. Didn’t Qiao Song like this type?

He really wanted to ask him why he wasn’t his type. Wasn’t he better than Xia Zhe?

But impressions of people are inherently personal.

Maybe, in Qiao Song’s eyes, he just couldn’t compare to Xia Zhe.

Qiao Song wasn’t sure if Ling Jianshu heard his comments, but whether he did or not, it was meant as a compliment. Knowing that a gay person wouldn’t cling to him should be a relief.

After Xia Zhe left, everything seemed to calm down, but things felt different from before.

Qiao Song noticed that Ling Jianshu’s attitude towards him had become much colder.

In fact… he had been spending less time in the dorm lately.

Ling Jianshu hit the punching bag harder and harder, each punch more forceful than the last. It seemed less like training and more like venting frustration.

“Ling Brother, extra training again? You’ve been really intense lately,” Pei Nian, noticing his change in mood, approached with a grin and asked.

“Want to join?” Ling Jianshu turned to him, his brow raised with a hint of challenge.

“No, I don’t want to.” Pei Nian shook his head, giving an unexpected answer.

“Hm?” Normally, he was eager to spar with him, so why the sudden refusal? Ling Jianshu smirked. “Scared of getting hit? A boxer shouldn’t be afraid of taking punches.”

“No, it’s not that,” Pei Nian said, shaking his head. “It’s just that you’ve been off lately, your punches are disorganized.”

His large eyes sparkled with sincerity, and Ling Jianshu couldn’t argue with that.

Calming down, he looked at his fists. When he first started boxing, his coach had told him that despite boxing being a sport of violence, it also had its subtleties.

A punch comes from the heart. If a person’s heart is troubled, their punches will be too.

Lately, every time he saw Qiao Song’s face, he couldn’t help but think of the words spoken at the airport.

Even if he were gay, he wouldn’t choose him.

With that thought, he threw another heavy punch at the bag.

The punch landed hard, making a deep thud that startled Pei Nian, who couldn’t imagine how painful it would be to be hit by it.

Ling Jianshu continued his training until late into the night.

When he returned to the dorm, Liu Junming and Cheng Yuan were absent, leaving only him and Qiao Song in the room.

“Ling Brother, you’re back.” Qiao Song greeted him as he entered.

“Hmm.” Ling Jianshu replied coldly, without saying much else.

The two sat in silence, the atmosphere awkward.

Qiao Song’s eyes drifted over the computer screen. His long, clean fingers pinched at his clothing, and he gradually tightened his grip as if making a significant decision.

“Ling Brother, am I still troubling you?” he asked.

Ling Jianshu looked up at him but remained silent.

“I know you’ve been very good to me.” Qiao Song forced a smile, trying to stay positive. “But you don’t have to continue putting up with a gay roommate.”