After the match ended, the team captain offered to treat everyone to a meal. Lin Shaojun, claiming Pei Xi was family, dragged him along too.
With an arm slung over Pei Xi’s shoulder, Lin Shaojun grinned triumphantly. “Hey, third bro, did you see that awesome three-pointer I just made? Did you record it?”
Pei Xi’s mind had been completely occupied by Lu Li throughout the game, leaving no room to actually watch it. He brushed it off vaguely, “Yeah, I saw it. It was cool.”
“Right? I wonder if anyone caught it on video. I’m gonna post it on my socials.” Completely oblivious to Pei Xi’s lack of interest, Lin Shaojun was still basking in the glory of his perfect three-pointer, rambling on about that crucial shot.
Pei Xi trailed along absentmindedly with the group, his gaze fixed on Lu Li’s back as his thoughts drifted far away.
Because Lu Li shared so many similarities with his top supporter, he had initially dismissed the comparison each time it arose, having taken Lin Shaojun’s word at face value. Now, with the confirmation, he felt genuinely happy.
But that happiness quickly faded. 【User10557880】 liked 【XiXi】, but Lu Li did not like Pei Xi.
Disappointment soon washed over him, erasing even that brief flicker of joy.
He still didn’t know how to feel about 【User10557880】 and his real-life roommate, Lu Li.
Counting the days, he had known User-ge for nearly three months now. From the initial read-but-no-reply phase to their current daily sharing of mundane moments, User-ge had carved out a special place in his heart—an important online family member, the pillar of his fan community.
In reality, however, since the start of the semester, the conversations between him and Lu Li probably hadn’t exceeded ten sentences.
Lu Li was a man of few words. If no one initiated a conversation with him, he wouldn’t even join in on any topic. This alone made Pei Xi keep his distance. He had nothing to talk to Lu Li about and didn’t want to invite awkwardness or annoyance.
Moreover, whenever Lin Shaojun labeled Lu Li as straight and homophobic, Lu Li never bothered to correct him. So, Pei Xi kept his own feelings carefully hidden, terrified that even the slightest hint might make the other uncomfortable or uneasy.
Thus, when he discovered that Lu Li was his top supporter, he was deeply shaken. He was desperate to know if Lu Li, like him, was also attracted to men.
But he was a cross-dressing blogger. During livestreams, he always wore pretty dresses, applied delicate makeup, and used a voice changer.
Perhaps Lu Li’s interest was just a fleeting novelty, which was why he never objected to Lin Shaojun’s “straight and homophobic” label.
These questions tangled together like a messy knot, impossible to unravel.
Pei Xi took a deep breath. Perhaps he could use his 【XiXi】 identity to clarify everything.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long. Pei Xi’s gaze secretly lingered on Lu Li, who was looking down at his phone, a slight frown on his face, clearly in a sour mood.
The next second, Pei Xi felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
After realizing that Lu Li was the one who had sent him a message, his heart began to race uncontrollably.
……
……
The place the team captain had chosen to treat everyone was a casual eatery near the school. As soon as they stepped inside, the aroma of food filled the air.
Pei Xi didn’t have the courage to sit next to Lu Li, so he followed Zhai Jiarui instead. Surrounded by classmates he didn’t know, he felt socially anxious and kept his head down, staying silent.
The food arrived quickly. While everyone else was chatting and eating, Pei Xi finally took out his phone to see what Lu Li had sent him.
【User 10557880: What’s wrong?】
【User 10557880: Are you in a bad mood?】
Not having received a reply, Lu Li had sent a few more question marks.
Pei Xi stole a glance at Lu Li, who was sitting diagonally across from him. Was he feeling down because he hadn’t gotten a response?
Biting his chopsticks, Pei Xi frowned in frustration. Was he being too self-absorbed to think this way?
“Spicy chicken is here!”
While everyone’s attention was drawn to the newly served dish, Pei Xi quickly sent a few replies.
【Xixi: Yeah! I’m in a bad mood.】
【Xixi: [Image: A kitten lying down]】
After his messages were successfully sent, Pei Xi slipped his phone back into his pocket and calmly helped himself to a piece of spicy chicken, though his peripheral vision remained fixed on Lu Li.
He noticed that Lu Li opened his phone the moment he received the messages.
A faint sense of joy spread across Pei Xi’s face, and his heart felt as if it had cracked open, letting something warm seep in.
In their interactions, if one person chose to reply instantly, did it mean the other held significant importance in their heart?
Lu Li was looking down at his phone, the screen’s light illuminating his face just enough to reveal his expression. His brows were slightly furrowed, his expression serious, and his fingers tapped lightly on the screen. Even after putting his phone down, his expression remained unchanged.
“What’s wrong? Who messaged you? You look so grim.”
Lin Shaojun teased him from the side, but Lu Li didn’t respond. He simply took a sip of the wine Lin Shaojun had poured for him.
Pei Xi eagerly pulled out his phone to take a look.
【User 10557880: [Douyin Red Packet]】
【User 10557880: Do you want some cake then?】
【User 10557880: Or… would you be willing to share what’s bothering you?】
Pei Xi stared at the messages for several seconds, his face growing slightly warm. He couldn’t help but steal another glance at Lu Li, wondering how to ask him. Just then, Zhai Jiarui leaned over to look at him, startling him into hurriedly putting his phone away.
“What? Got a secret?” Zhai Jiarui teased, seeing his flustered expression. “I just noticed your face was red and wondered if you were feeling stuffy. Guess I was overthinking it.”
Pei Xi stammered, unsure how to explain, and simply stayed silent, letting Zhai Jiarui continue to tease him.
Seeing this, Lin Shaojun laughed. “Hey, why are you picking on Lao San? Look how red his face is—it’s like a peach.”
Pei Xi: “!!”
He felt Lu Li’s gaze linger on him for a moment before quickly shifting away.
Pei Xi was caught between joy and sorrow.
The sorrow came from the realization that Lu Li seemed genuinely uninterested in him.
What brought joy was that User 10557880 seemed to have special feelings for Xixi.
After the meal, the group made their way back in a lively procession.
Lin Shaojun had drunk a few beers, his face flushed from the alcohol, and he walked unsteadily, his arm slung over Lu Li’s shoulder as he led the way. With a tone of complaint, he said, “Haven’t you made it official yet? How long have you been chasing after her without securing your status? Are you even capable?”
Pei Xi’s footsteps faltered, and he tensely pricked up his ears.
Lu Li pushed away Lin Shaojun’s head as it leaned in, saying coldly, “You’re drunk.”
Lin Shaojun shamelessly leaned in again, saying, “If you haven’t caught up with her yet and she’s already hard to find, what would happen if you actually did? Wouldn’t you be hovering around your little sweetheart all day long?”
At the mention of “little sweetheart,” Pei Xi felt his hair stand on end and rubbed his arms.
Zhai Jiarui glanced at him and asked, “Cold?”
Pei Xi shook his head, mumbling, “A bit, I guess. The weather has gotten much cooler lately.”
Zhai Jiarui replied, “Yeah, the weather forecast said it’s going to drop in temperature over the next few days.”
Lu Li sighed helplessly, “Stop talking nonsense.”
A teammate nearby, who had been listening curiously, looked at Lu Li in disbelief and boldly asked, “Do you have someone you like?”
Pei Xi once again fixed his gaze on Lu Li, holding his breath in nervousness, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, gripping the hem of his shirt.
However, Lu Li merely said calmly, “He’s drunk. Do you really believe his nonsense?”
“Alright, it seems he really is quite drunk.”
“Lu Li, are you still single?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Ever since I found out you joined the basketball club, people keep asking me about you—whether you’re single, how to get your WeChat, what kind of girls you like. It’s getting annoying.”
“I’m still single for now.”
“Oh? That sounds like there might be more to it?”
Lu Li just smiled and didn’t say anything more.
The streetlights stretched their shadows long across the ground. Pei Xi silently lowered his head, watching the shadows at his feet, feeling a pang of disappointment.
He hadn’t heard the answer he wanted.
By the time they left the food stall, the night was already deep.
But the shops lining the streets were still bustling with business, the smell of cooking oil lingering in the air. The early autumn evening breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness to the lively night market.
Pei Xi returned to the dormitory with his gloomy mood lingering. He glanced at the notification center on his phone screen, which was already filled with several messages, but he didn’t bother opening them. Instead, he casually tossed his phone onto the bed, grabbed his pajamas from the wardrobe, and headed into the bathroom.
As the hot water poured down, he closed his eyes, the events of the day flashing repeatedly in his mind.
It wasn’t until the steam in the bathroom rose, fogging up the mirror, that he turned off the water heater. Leaning against the bathroom wall, he stood there quietly for a long time.
The evening breeze, carrying a chill, seeped through the gaps in the window. Pei Xi sneezed before slowly drying himself off and putting on his pajamas.
The moment he pushed open the bathroom door, a lazy figure was leaning against the balcony, seemingly enjoying the breeze.
When Pei Xi saw Lu Li, he instinctively touched his face, hurriedly dashed back into the dormitory, and put on his old-fashioned glasses again.
Lu Li merely glanced at him indifferently, paying no mind to his odd behavior. Instead, he kept swiping through his phone screen, seemingly waiting for some message.
Pei Xi’s bed was near the balcony, and from where he stood at that moment, he could see the entire balcony. While drying his hair, he subtly observed Lu Li, noticing that he was always staring at his phone, his usually aloof expression seeming even colder than usual.
It was then that Pei Xi remembered—he had forgotten to reply to Lu Li’s TikTok message.
He quickly finished drying his hair, climbed into bed, found his phone, tapped into the notification bar filled with messages, and opened the TikTok backend.
Seeing the little red dot on the pinned message, he eagerly opened the chat window.
[User10557880: It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me.]
[User10557880: [TikTok Red Envelope]]
[User10557880: I heard X Tea released a new product, and the reviews are pretty good. Want to try it?]
Because Pei Xi had read the message but hadn’t replied, Lu Li mistakenly thought he didn’t want to chat.
[Xixi: It’s not that I didn’t want to chat. I was busy earlier, so I forgot to reply.]
[Xixi: Kitty cuddle.jpg]
[Xixi: Sorry for making you wait so long.]
Lu Li’s reply came almost instantly.
[User10557880: I’m not angry, just worried about you.]
[User10557880: Are you feeling better now?]
Pei Xi quietly pulled the curtain aside and lifted it high so he could clearly see Lu Li’s face.
[Xixi: Can I ask you a question?]
Pei Xi watched as the corners of Lu Li’s lips lifted slightly, his usually stern expression softening. His chest felt as if something were blocking it—tight, swollen, and a sour, bitter taste welled up in his heart.
He suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy toward his identity as a TikTok streamer. He never expected that the role he played online would receive such gentle treatment from Lu Li.
This inexplicable emotion struck him as absurd.
How ridiculous—he was actually jealous of himself.
[User10557880: You can ask anything. I won’t hide anything from you.]
Pei Xi took a deep breath and, without hesitation, typed out the question he most wanted to know the answer to.
[Xixi: Do you like boys or girls?]
[This question might be a bit presumptuous. If you don’t want to…] Pei Xi was still typing this sentence in the input box when Lu Li had already given him the answer.
[User10557880: I’ve never been in a relationship, but the person I like right now is a boy.]
Pei Xi’s fingers hovered over the screen, slightly stunned. He thought Lu Li might hesitate or give him an ambiguous answer, but he never expected it to be delivered in such a straightforward manner.
He didn’t have the courage to ask Lu Li who the boy he liked was. He believed that if he asked, Lu Li would answer without holding back, but he was certain he didn’t have the courage to handle such honesty.
After all, he liked Lu Li, but Lu Li liked [Xixi].
The two were not the same.
Lu Li probably liked the sweet-talking, exquisitely made-up, beautifully dressed Xixi online, not the real-life Pei Xi who wore thick-framed glasses and dressed like a grade-schooler.
Without makeup, he was just an ordinary boy, worlds apart from the TikTok streamer Xixi.
Lu Li’s fondness for him must be because of how he looks after putting on makeup, right?
If only they could have an online romance.
This thought flashed through Pei Xi’s mind.
He fell into deep contemplation.