The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the stars twinkled.
Tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep soundly while plagued by doubts about his sexual orientation, Lin Qing’an finally got up, put on his clothes, and after letting Qin Zhiyi know, walked out of the room.
Down at the B&B’s front desk, a staff member was still on duty, overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion that only retreated by more than half the moment they saw Lin Qing’an approach.
“Sir, is there something you need?”
Lin Qing’an handed over his ID card. “I’d like to book another room.”
Staff member: “Mr. Lin, there are quite a few tourists visiting here lately, so all our regular rooms are fully booked. We only have one room left in the 600-yuan tier. Would that be alright?”
“Book it.” Lin Qing’an nodded, immediately scanning his phone to pay the six hundred yuan. “Give me the room card, please.”
Staff member: “Sir, here is your room card. Please feel free to call the front desk if you encounter any issues.”
Nodding, Lin Qing’an took the room card and headed toward the elevators.
As he was searching for his room, Lin Qing’an never expected to run into someone in the middle of the night and an acquaintance at that.
It was his handsome neighbor.
“Buddy?” Lin Qing’an approached Xie Tingchuan in pleasant surprise. “I never expected to run into you out here in the middle of the night.”
Halting right in front of Xie Tingchuan, Lin Qing’an lingered on his face for a few seconds, inwardly marveling to himself.
This guy was just effortlessly, aggressively handsome, defying all laws of logic.
Xie Tingchuan was standing by the hallway’s ventilation window, the light from a fixture slightly behind him casting a soft, flattering glow over his rugged facial contours. With a cigarette clamped between his lips, he carried an air of unconstrained, casual ease.
Lin Qing’an had only one thought in his head: So envious.
Why don’t I look like that?
“Aren’t you out here too?” Xie Tingchuan countered. The lighter in his hand clicked with a sharp ding, instantly sprouting a deep blue flame that ignited the cigarette.
Xie Tingchuan passed the cigarette pack sitting on the windowsill over to Lin Qing’an and asked casually, “Want one?”
Eager to give it a try, Lin Qing’an pulled a cigarette from the pack, clamped it between his lips, struck a pose, pulled out his phone, and snapped a flurry of photos.
Xie Tingchuan couldn’t help chuckling. “Never smoked before?”
The muffled chuckle sounded somewhat familiar, prompting Lin Qing’an to take a few extra glances.
“My family is strict, they don’t let me smoke.”
“What a coincidence, my family doesn’t let me either.” Xie Tingchuan tossed his lighter to Lin Qing’an. “It’s precisely because they don’t let you that it makes you curious. Give it a try.”
Taking a single drag, Lin Qing’an was hit by a harsh, pungent, spicy sensation rushing straight down his throat, triggering an uncontrollable fit of coughing that scrunched his entire face into a ball.
“What kind of cigarette is this, why is it so harsh?”
“Smoking is harmful to health; it’s better not to smoke at all.” Stamping out his cigarette, Xie Tingchuan took back his lighter and cigarette case, striding away.
“Such a weird guy,” Lin Qing’an muttered, unlocking his door with the room card.
After washing up, Lin Qing’an lay down in bed, opened his cherished adult film collection, and waited in eager anticipation for his body to heat up.
One minute passed.
Ten minutes passed.
Half an hour passed.
Emerging from the bathroom, Lin Qing’an trotted back with a bouncy step and threw himself face-first onto the large mattress.
Thank goodness, nothing is wrong with me.
I’m still a straight man, a handsome guy who likes soft, fragrant girls.
In high spirits, Lin Qing’an picked and chose through the various messages sent by his “sugar daddy” boss, replying to a few of them.
Meanwhile, just a wall away, Xie Tingchuan was still wide awake. Reading Xiao Qinggan’s teasing, slightly risqué replies stirred a restless, surging heat in his chest.
Xie Tingchuan: “An’an, it seems I didn’t understand you well enough before. I really want to see you right now, and then… bully you hard, make you cry until you’re shaking, and I still won’t stop.”
Lin Qing’an curled his lips. Who’s bullying whom is still up for debate.
Xiao Qinggan: “Disdain you.”
Xiao Qinggan: “What on earth are you thinking about all day long?”
Xiao Qinggan: “I’m ignoring you, going to sleep.”
Early the next morning, Lin Qing’an shared the great news he had confirmed the night before with Duan Xuan and Qin Zhiyi.
Duan Xuan let out a massive sigh of relief. “Told ya! Your brat is definitely 100% straight!”
Staying serious for barely a full second, Duan Xuan immediately threw an arm around Lin Qing’an’s neck. “Confess honestly which classic from your collection did you watch last night? Let me borrow it so I can test it out too.”
“Go look it up yourself.” Lin Qing’an shoved him away roughly, prompting Duan Xuan to chase after him as the two started wrestling and messing around.
Qin Zhiyi followed behind them with a smile, picking up their scattered belongings and putting them back in place.
The two-day-one-night B&B getaway came to a cheerful close. Laden with large bags of fruit and snacks, Lin Qing’an returned home, finally getting everything organized and put away by 8:00 PM.
Despite the exhaustion of the journey back, Lin Qing’an felt exceptionally energized. Packing up a portion of the pomegranates and grapes, Lin Qing’an headed up the stairs toward the sixth floor.
Knock, knock, knock.
Curious, Lin Qing’an tried peeking through the peephole into the apartment, only to be startled when a pitch-black eyeball suddenly filled the lens, causing him to instinctively recoil a step backward.
The door swung open, and Xie Tingchuan looked somewhat surprised to see Lin Qing’an. “Something the matter?”
“Buddy, my friends and I went fruit picking, so I brought some over for you to try.” While speaking, Lin Qing’an marched straight past him into the apartment and set the items down on the coffee table.
He picked out one of the largest, roundest pomegranates. Through a tiny split along its seam, plump, ruby-red seeds were visible; at a single glance, Xie Tingchuan could tell it would be overflowing with juice.
The dark purple grapes displayed on the coffee table were plump and charming, dusted with a layer of natural sugar frost, silently telling everyone just how sweet and delicious they were.
Having delivered the goods, Lin Qing’an prepared to take his leave. “Alright, dropped off the stuff, I’m heading back first. I’ve got early classes tomorrow, can’t afford to be late.”
Xie Tingchuan walked him to the doorway. “Thanks for the fruit.”
“Don’t mention it.” Lin Qing’an’s eyes lit up what was this? This was a positive response from a good friend!
“Let’s hang out together next time when you’re free. Goodnight.”
Stepping into the stairwell, Lin Qing’an walked down two steps before a fatal oversight hit him.
He had known this handsome neighbor for so long, having crossed paths five, six, seven times now, yet he still hadn’t asked for the guy’s name. Major tactical error, major tactical error.
Turning around to ask right then and there, he was greeted by the heavy sound of a door slamming shut (bang). Lin Qing’an paused mid-step.
Whatever, next time then.
He’d get both his name and contact info together next time.