My straight roommate is so good

Liking… After hearing what Cheng Yuan said, Ling Jianshu found it strange, but somehow it didn’t seem wrong.

“Are you saying that I… like that person? Like the way men and women like each other?” Ling Jianshu seemed to be asking Cheng Yuan, but it felt more like he was questioning himself.

“Not like brothers, right? I mean, do you feel the same way about me, your buddy?” Cheng Yuan paused, rubbed his chin, and then added, “Actually, no… your feelings for Qiao Qiao seem…”

“Alright, I get your point.” As soon as Cheng Yuan mentioned Qiao Song, Ling Jianshu quickly interrupted him, successfully stopping his thought process that was, in fact, quite close to the truth. “I’ll think it over myself.”

He left the room and walked forward, but his mind was in chaos.

He… likes Qiao Song?

But Qiao Song is a guy. How could he have feelings for another guy?

Could it be that he somehow became gay?

As he thought about the guys who had confessed to him in the past, he suddenly got goosebumps all over. No, he couldn’t accept that at all. But… what if it was Qiao Song standing in front of him?

The thought felt like a drowning person suddenly breaking through the surface of the water, breathing in a rush of fresh air—a feeling of complete relief.

So, Qiao Song was different for him. Ling Jianshu knew that he definitely wasn’t gay, because he wouldn’t like any other man, anyone… except Qiao Song.

The reason he became gay was because he fell in love with Qiao Song, and he just happens to be a man.

This is a completely different concept from other gay people.

He believed that emotions could transcend many boundaries.

But the clearer he became about his feelings, the more Qiao Song’s image popped into his head, gradually filling both his heart and mind.

However, what good did it do to realize this now?

Qiao Song knew that he disliked homosexuals. If he were to confess abruptly, he would probably think he was mocking him. Besides…

He couldn’t help but think of that annoying guy, Xia Zhe, far away in Russia.

Qiao Song likes him, and he’s had a crush on him for a long time…

Just the thought of this irritated him deeply.

That evening, when Qiao Song returned to the dorm, Ling Jianshu found it much harder to act naturally around him, especially as he watched him walk toward him. His heart started racing, his face grew warm, and his palms began to sweat.

Ling Jianshu tried to control his emotions and act indifferent, but he knew that in front of Qiao Song, he’d already let slip a bit of what he was feeling. Qiao Song could sense something was off with him, but he didn’t know why.

The atmosphere between them had already been slightly awkward since they returned from the Ling family, so Qiao Song didn’t think much of it when Ling Jianshu’s attitude seemed a little different.

“So… Xia Zhe, have you been in touch with him recently?” Ling Jianshu cautiously probed.

“Huh? Xia Zhe?” Qiao Song was a bit puzzled, not understanding why Ling Jianshu was suddenly bringing up Xia Zhe.

“Yeah, I just haven’t heard you mention him lately,” Ling Jianshu said, trying to come up with a casual excuse.

Qiao Song blinked. He hadn’t really mentioned Xia Zhe much before either, had he?

But he didn’t think too much about it. He just earnestly answered, “There’s a bit of a time difference with Xia Zhe, and I’ve been busy with coursework recently. We still keep in touch, but not every day.”

He *wants* to keep in touch every day?!

Hearing this, Ling Jianshu felt a surge of irritation.

“Mm, it’s not bad to stay in touch less often,” he nodded, agreeing.

Qiao Song paused. Huh? Was Ling Jianshu suggesting he contact Xia Zhe less?

Suddenly, something occurred to Ling Jianshu, and he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Xia Zhe’s name.

He’d nearly forgotten…

Back when Xia Zhe insisted on exchanging WeChat contacts to communicate about Qiao Song, he had reluctantly agreed. If it weren’t for the fact that Xia Zhe had mentioned Qiao Song, he would never have added him. But on second thought, since this was someone Qiao Song liked, it was probably necessary to investigate Xia Zhe’s character. So, he added him at the time.

However, since then, just seeing Xia Zhe’s name annoyed him, and he had never taken the initiative to chat with him. Xia Zhe hadn’t reached out either, so over time, he had almost forgotten they were connected.

[Ling Jianshu: Xia Zhe, do you like Qiao Qiao?]

He figured it was afternoon in Russia, so he expected a quick response.

[Xia Zhe: What does that have to do with you?] Xia Zhe clearly picked up on something from Ling Jianshu’s question and responded ambiguously on purpose.

[Ling Jianshu: If you like him, we can have a fair competition from now on.]

Xia Zhe, on the other side, stared at the message in shock, nearly yelling out loud.

Look at what he just said! Xia Zhe *knew* there was something off about the way Ling Jianshu looked at Qiao Song!

So much for being a straight guy who’s homophobic!

Though he felt rattled, he responded calmly.

[Xia Zhe: You like Qiao Qiao?]

[Ling Jianshu: Mm.]

Though it was just a simple “mm,” Xia Zhe felt excited.

[Xia Zhe: But that doesn’t add up. Qiao Qiao told me you’re a straight guy who’s homophobic. How could you like him? You’re not trying to trick him, are you? I’m warning you, don’t even think about messing with him. I’m not someone to mess with.]

[Ling Jianshu: Yeah, I’m not gay, and I don’t like other men. I only like Qiao Qiao. But since he is a man, if you say I’m gay now, I’ll admit it.]

Xia Zhe didn’t expect such an honest answer from him, and suddenly felt a bit less inclined to give him a hard time.

[Xia Zhe: Qiao Qiao and I don’t have anything romantic between us. We’re just really, really good friends. Pure childhood friends.]

Ling Jianshu paused for a moment after reading this.

Was he telling him the truth?

[Xia Zhe: Are you planning to pursue him?] Seeing that Ling Jianshu hadn’t responded, Xia Zhe decided to take the initiative.

Ling Jianshu raised an eyebrow. Pursue Qiao Song…

Before Xia Zhe mentioned it, he hadn’t thought that far ahead, but now the idea was starting to take shape in his mind.

[Ling Jianshu: And if I am?]

[Xia Zhe: Hey, hey! Ling Jianshu, don’t you think your attitude is a bit off? Do you realize I’m Qiao Qiao’s best friend? Shouldn’t you be asking me for advice on how to win him over?]

[Ling Jianshu: Fine. Can I ask for your advice on how to pursue him?]

Xia Zhe: Fine, this guy clearly can’t be expected to say anything nice.

But from what he could see, Ling Jianshu genuinely cared for Qiao Song, and he never played games or acted fake.

Unexpectedly, Xia Zhe started to have a bit of a soft spot for him.