Chapter 60: You Chong’s Date

After staying up too late upon returning from the seaside, Lin Hexi was indeed late for his morning class the next day.

The large classroom was in the middle of a major subject lecture. Lin Hexi slipped in quietly through the back door and found an empty seat in the corner.

On the podium, the gentle and graceful female teacher spoke in a steady tone, lecturing on professional theory, while a large portion of the students in the audience had already dozed off.

Usually, during this teacher’s classes, Lin Hexi would doze off immediately.

But this time was different. The teacher’s gentle and soothing voice reached his ears, yet he felt no trace of drowsiness. Instead, he rested his chin on his hand at the desk, spacing out for an extended period.

His gaze was lowered, and his expression was slightly vacant. Whatever he was thinking about made his Adam’s apple bob, and he unconsciously stuck out his tongue to lightly lick his lips.

Lin Hexi was still thinking about last night’s kiss.

To be precise, he couldn’t stop thinking about that unexpected kiss from the previous night.

Waking up late for class in the morning wasn’t just because You Chong lingered in his dreams for too long; it was also because Lin Hexi had spent extra time washing his underwear.

It was clear that Lin Hexi wasn’t the only one surprised and stunned by that kiss—the same went for You Chong, who had been the one to take the initiative.

To say it was an impulsive act brought on by the influence of alcohol didn’t really hold water.

While packing up to head back, Lin Hexi got up to throw away some trash and only then noticed that You Chong’s beer can was about the same weight as his own.

Probably mindful of having to drive and the time needed for the alcohol to metabolize, You Chong hadn’t drunk much either.

On the way back, both of them remained silent the entire time, without any exchange of words, leaving only the continuous sound of love songs playing on the radio.

Now, sitting in the bright, sunlit classroom, a vague and unbelievable thought surfaced in Lin Hexi’s mind.

He wondered if You Chong was no longer straight.

The words he had spoken to Fang Qingning in the dessert shop that night still echoed in his ears, but in just a few short days, the conclusion he had made was already on the verge of being overturned. Instead of feeling frustrated, Lin Hexi felt his heart flutter.

The lunch break was quite long, so Lin Hexi went back to his rental place to take a nap. When he headed out for his afternoon class, he brought along the painting he intended to give to You Chong.

However, when Lin Hexi went upstairs and knocked on the door, it seemed that You Chong wasn’t home.

He waited outside for a moment but only heard the sound of the Alaskan Malamute inside pawing at the door in response.

Certain that he hadn’t remembered incorrectly that You Chong had mentioned he would be waiting for him to deliver the painting in the afternoon, Lin Hexi took out his phone and sent a voice call request.

There was no answer on WeChat.

Lin Hexi didn’t linger any longer and decided to take the painting with him to his class at school.

In the school square, he ran into Zhao Du.

Zhao Du was carrying a backpack, walking with his classmates. As the two of them passed each other, Zhao Du’s gaze lingered noticeably on Lin Hexi’s face, pausing as if he were hesitating whether to greet him.

Lin Hexi felt a bit hesitant as well.

Among the three people in You Chong’s dormitory, he was closest with Yang Juan, had the worst relationship with Zhou Xuan, and was least familiar with Zhao Du.

In the end, he decided to call out to Zhao Du, giving him a smile before asking, “You guys don’t have classes this afternoon, right?”

Not expecting Lin Hexi to strike up a conversation with him, Zhao Du was momentarily stunned. “No, we don’t have classes.” Then, as if something occurred to him, he took the initiative to ask, “Are you looking for You Chong or Yang Juan?”

Lin Hexi thought for a moment before saying, “I’m looking for You Chong.”

Since You Chong no longer lived in the school dormitory, Lin Hexi didn’t have much hope that Zhao Du would know where he had gone.

To his surprise, Zhao Du answered quickly, “He went out for something.”

Lin Hexi nodded, glanced down at the time on his phone, and was about to say goodbye.

But before he could, Zhao Du’s usually quiet classmate beside him suddenly spoke up. His tone suggested he had a good relationship with You Chong, laced with a hint of teasing and gossip. “Is You Chong out on a date with someone?”

Lin Hexi abruptly looked up, staring directly at the person who had spoken.

Zhao Du didn’t deny it; in fact, he even revealed more information: “Someone asked him out—it’s a girl from the art college.”

The classmate sighed in a regretful tone, “Could he be going to turn her down? I’ve known him for three years, and I’ve never seen him date anyone.”

Zhao Du replied, “That’s not certain. His mom is a painter, and You Chong has mentioned that being able to paint is a plus for him.”

The classmate nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Lin Hexi, who was still standing in front of them without leaving, and kindly reminded, “Aren’t you heading to class? It’s almost time for the bell.”

Lin Hexi snapped out of his thoughts, thanked the classmate, gave Zhao Du a faint smile, and turned to walk towards the teaching building.

Although he was somewhat distracted by the conversation between the two, he didn’t feel any strong emotional upheaval.

However, just as he reached the first-floor lobby of the building, he received a voice message and a photo from Fang Qingning on WeChat.

The moment the photo loaded, he truly understood the saying, “When it rains, it pours.”

The picture showed You Chong sitting with a young girl by the window of a milk tea shop in the university town, captured clearly. Fang Qingning’s voice message sounded anxious, “Someone’s posting on the school forum that this is his girlfriend.”

Lin Hexi zoomed in on the girl’s face and recognized her as the one who had been talking to You Chong in the gymnasium yesterday afternoon. He finally realized why she had seemed vaguely familiar to him.

If he remembered correctly, the last time at the Jade Lake by the Arboretum, he had even borrowed her brushes and paper without asking.

The photo was taken from a distance, making it hard to discern the expressions on the faces of the two sitting by the window. However, that didn’t stop a surge of irritation from rising within Lin Hexi.

In just a matter of hours, his emotions had been like a roller coaster, soaring high and plunging low, ultimately sinking straight into a deep valley.

He hadn’t anticipated that the impact of the photo would be far greater than hearing about it from others.

He didn’t know what You Chong meant by all this.

Was it just a momentary impulse that caused him to veer off course, and now he was trying to get back on track while he still could? Or was it because, between straight guys, casual hugs and touches were common, and even kissing on the lips was no big deal—something insignificant from start to finish?

The class bell rang, and Lin Hexi turned and walked out of the teaching building, descending the steps with a cold expression.

Perhaps because Fang Qingning hadn’t received a reply from him, she quickly called with a voice message.

As he answered the call, her voice came rapidly from the other end of the line: “You—”

“They’re probably not dating yet,” Lin Hexi interrupted her in a calm tone.

Clearly relieved, Fang Qingning asked him, “Do you want to go over there and check it out now?”

Instead of answering, Lin Hexi asked, “Do you know where the Art College’s Propaganda Department is?”

Fang Qingning was stunned for a second, obviously not immediately understanding. “What?”

He patiently repeated his question.

With a puzzled tone, Fang Qingning gave him the exact address.

Lin Hexi noted down the address and then said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the line before Fang Qingning cautiously asked, “Are you really not going to look for him?”

Lin Hexi’s tone was inexplicably calm. “Why should I go find him?”

Fang Qingning asked, “Don’t you like him?”

A long silence followed, but Lin Hexi didn’t answer her directly. “Isn’t it normal for a straight guy to find a girlfriend?”

“Is it?” Fang Qingning’s voice sounded a bit downcast. “If you don’t like him, then… if I go after him,” her voice was very soft, “would that be okay?”

Even though Lin Hexi knew full well that Fang Qingning was just testing him and that she would never actually pursue You Chong, he still found himself momentarily stunned.

After a long pause, he slowly responded to Fang Qingning, “Sure.”

Lin Hexi hung up the call and started walking toward the Art College.

As he passed by the school clinic building, he couldn’t help but glance at the entrance.

Then, he remembered the question he hadn’t had the chance to ask yesterday afternoon in the school clinic.

What had he wanted to ask You Chong back then?

If he remembered correctly, it was something like, “Would you care about me?”

His chest was suddenly filled with a deep sense of loss, emotions flooding him like torrential rainwater breaching a dam, overwhelming his heart. And the heart, soaked in the deluge, began to ache with a heavy, swollen pain.

Luckily, he hadn’t asked, he thought.