My straight roommate is so good

“Mm, definitely,” Qiao Song responded with a smile.

With Ling Jianshu around, this New Year was bound to be special.

Qiao Song knew that, because of him, his life had changed in so many ways. No matter if he was homophobic, or even if he disliked him, he still felt that Ling Jianshu was the best person in the world to him.

Just as he imagined, on New Year’s Eve, he called his parents, who were on the other side of the world. They offered to buy him a pricey plane ticket to join them on vacation, trying to show their love in this way. But he understood—while money can sometimes be a measure of whether someone is loved, true love or lack thereof is etched in the subtle attitudes of people. Love can’t be faked. A person either loves you, or they don’t.

Spending this New Year with the Ling family brought him a warmth he had never expected.

“Qiao Qiao, let’s go,” Ling Jianshu called to him after they finished dinner.

“Where are we going? It’s late, shouldn’t we be watching the Spring Festival Gala at home?” Qiao Song looked at him with some confusion.

Ling Jianshu raised an eyebrow mysteriously. “Just follow me.”

Qiao Song trusted him unconditionally. If he said to follow, then there must be a reason.

After saying goodbye to the Ling family, the two headed out. Ling Jianshu pulled out an old bike that hadn’t been used in years, patting the seat behind him. “Hop on.”

Ling Jianshu always acted on a whim…

Qiao Song sighed but didn’t hesitate. He got onto the back of Ling Jianshu’s bike.

“I’m going to ride fast, so hold onto my waist,” Ling Jianshu said, turning to look at him.

“This…” Before he could protest, Ling Jianshu grabbed his hands and placed them firmly around his waist.

“Hold tight, we’re off,” he said, pedaling faster and faster.

The winter night wind was harsh, but as Qiao Song held onto Ling Jianshu’s waist, he felt warmth spreading through his chest. Despite the cold, his heart felt oddly warm, almost burning.

As he sat on the back of the bike, he couldn’t help but think, if only they had been neighbors growing up, or known each other from childhood. His life wouldn’t have been so hard. Someone as warm as Ling Jianshu, someone who radiated light, would have illuminated his life.

No… Being friends with him now was already enough.

Ling Jianshu stopped the bike and led him to a wide-open hillside. He pointed into the distance. “Look over there.”

As the clock struck eight, a loud boom sounded, and a giant firework exploded in the sky.

“So beautiful,” Qiao Song exclaimed.

“Isn’t it? Every New Year’s Eve, there’s a fireworks show here, but the best viewing spots are always crowded. One year I found this place, and I realized that the view here is even better than from the prime spots. I’ve never shared this place with anyone before.”

“That’s wonderful,” Qiao Song said, lifting his head to watch the fireworks. His face was bathed in the glowing light.

Ling Jianshu looked at Qiao Song’s profile, his heart skipping a beat. So beautiful… Even more beautiful than any firework he had ever seen.

During a pause in the fireworks, Qiao Song turned to him, only to find him gazing at his face instead of the sky.

“Ling Brother?” He called out softly.

“Hmm… what is it?” Ling Jianshu replied nonchalantly and moved to stand next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

Their arms brushed against each other, and then Ling Jianshu suddenly reached out and held his hand.

“Ling Brother?” Qiao Song glanced at him, puzzled.

Ling Jianshu didn’t know why he did it. He just suddenly had an overwhelming urge to hold his hand in that moment.

At the same time, he didn’t know how to look him in the eyes, so he didn’t answer.

Qiao Song didn’t get a reply, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t pull his hand away either. There was no one around, so maybe Ling Jianshu was just cold.

Both of them found reasonable explanations for what had just happened, but the atmosphere between them was noticeably different when they got back. It took several days for things to return to normal, though something still felt slightly off.

As the new semester approached, Qiao Song arranged with Ling Jianshu’s uncle and aunt to continue teaching Ling Xiaoxiao online. Now that she was back with her parents, they would need to assist in her lessons.

When Ling Xiaoxiao heard that Teacher Qiao was leaving, she cried uncontrollably and clung to his leg, not wanting him to go.

It took both Ling Jianshu and Qiao Song a long time to comfort her, promising to bring her fun gifts during the summer vacation, before they finally calmed her down.

When they returned to the dorm, Cheng Yuan and Liu Junming were already there.

“Hey… Look at the two of you, looking all refreshed. I guess life without us must have been pretty sweet, huh?” Cheng Yuan teased, raising an eyebrow at them, but neither responded.

Hmm… They didn’t seem to have had a fight or anything. Ling Jianshu even carried Qiao Song’s luggage. So why did the atmosphere between them seem… off?

Once the new semester started, Qiao Song got busy again, and Ling Jianshu didn’t get to see him as often as he had during the holiday.

“Ling Brother? You didn’t go to training?” One day, when only Ling Jianshu and Cheng Yuan were in the dorm, Cheng Yuan asked curiously. “Ling Brother, you seem a bit down lately.”

“What do you mean?” Ling Jianshu didn’t expect him to notice.

“It just feels like you’ve got something on your mind,” Cheng Yuan said. “Did you talk to Qiao Qiao? Or… is it something you can’t tell him?”

Sometimes, it’s better not to have friends who are too sharp. Ling Jianshu couldn’t help but think.

Still, he decided to share his thoughts with him.

“Have you ever felt… like someone is really special to you?” Ling Jianshu began. “Like, you just want to be close to them, and when something happens to them, you’re more anxious than anyone. You just want them to be your best friend, but then you hear they like someone else, and it drives you crazy…”

“Stop, stop, stop…” Cheng Yuan held up his hand, signaling for a pause. He gave him a mischievous look. “Ling Brother, are you sure you didn’t just pull this straight from some romance novel to test me?”

“Believe it or don’t,” Ling Jianshu huffed, about to leave the room when Cheng Yuan pulled him back.

“Wait, Ling Brother, I wasn’t trying to cut you off. I just think I’ve figured something out. Don’t you think what you just described is already pretty obvious?” Cheng Yuan stared at him seriously. “Or maybe I should say… congrats, Ling Brother, it sounds like you’ve got feelings for someone.”

“What do you mean?” Ling Jianshu frowned.

“What do I mean? Isn’t it obvious? I’m guessing you want to be close to that person, and no matter how much you look at them, it’s never enough. They’re the best person in the world to you, right?” Cheng Yuan laughed. “And, maybe on another level, you just want to hold their hand or give them a little kiss… That’s classic ‘falling for someone,’ Ling Brother.”