Rong Yi finally got to witness how awkward an Alpha in pursuit can look.

Liu Yuan was pressing the elevator button with one hand, flashing a confident and charming smile at Zhou Li, all while chatting nonstop.

“So, you’re Rong Yi’s friend, huh? Came to hang out with him? Leaving so soon? Why not stay a little longer?”

Zhou Li’s expression was quite peculiar. “…Are you coming down with me?”

“I…”

Zhou Li reached out and pressed the “Open Door” button. “If you’re not coming down, you better get out.”

Even after being kicked out of the elevator, Liu Yuan was still in high spirits.

He waved at the closing elevator doors until they fully shut, then immediately grabbed Rong Yi’s shoulders and shook him vigorously. “That’s the one from last time! The one you told me you didn’t know!”

“Stop shaking me!” Rong Yi, still hungover, felt like he was about to throw up. “Speak properly…”

“Alright, alright,” Liu Yuan said obediently, letting go to appease him. “What’s his name? How old is he? Does he have a contact number? Oh right, does he have a boyfriend?”

Rong Yi finally understood why Zhou Li had said Alphas were annoying. Who wouldn’t find this irritating? Knowing Zhou Li, Liu Yuan’s behavior had likely already sentenced him to death in Zhou Li’s mind.

As Rong Yi was debating how to break the harsh truth to Liu Yuan, he suddenly heard Chen Keyao’s voice behind him.

“What are you two doing standing out here? Aren’t you coming in?”

Liu Yuan had bought Rong Yi a can of yogurt and a box of little cakes.

Rong Yi was about to offer him money, but Liu Yuan, putting on an exaggerated act, waved his hand. “Are you really going to quibble over such a small amount? That’s no way to treat a friend!”

Seeing Rong Yi frown, Liu Yuan quickly dragged over a chair for him. “Why are you standing there? Here, have a seat!”

Before Rong Yi could say anything, Chen Keyao, standing nearby, couldn’t help but speak up.

“What’s going on? Did Rong Yi catch you doing something shady?”

“Hehe,” Liu Yuan smiled obsequiously at Rong Yi, rubbing his hands together. “Just give me that cutie’s contact info.”

Rong Yi awkwardly shifted his gaze away. “I’ll have to ask him first.”

“What cutie?” Chen Keyao, puzzled, asked. Then, after thinking for a moment, he suddenly understood. “You mean the one who just left? That’s Zhou Li, right?”

“He’s called Zhou Li? That’s a good name… How do you write it?” Liu Yuan asked.

Chen Keyao glanced at Rong Yi, whose expression was a bit odd, and after hesitating for a moment, he reached out and flicked Liu Yuan on the forehead.

“Quit messing around. That’s Rong Yi’s boyfriend.”

“…What?” Liu Yuan was shocked. “You, you, you… Weren’t you dating that bald guy’s nephew?”

Rong Yi was at a complete loss for words.

After a moment of hesitation, Liu Yuan asked cautiously, “Wait, don’t tell me he’s the bald guy’s nephew…?”

Unbelievable. This series of misunderstandings had somehow come full circle.

Rong Yi looked at Liu Yuan and cautiously nodded.

Liu Yuan let out a wail, but before he could say more, Chen Keyao dragged him away.

As Chen Keyao pulled him toward his room, he mouthed to Rong Yi, “Don’t take it to heart.”

Rong Yi felt like all the embarrassment he could handle in his lifetime was being used up in these past couple of days.

After returning to his room, Rong Yi decided to ask Zhou Li about the situation. Since his and Zhou Li’s relationship was fake, there was theoretically no reason to stop a friend from pursuing true love.

As expected, the result was exactly what he had predicted.

Zhou Li called him back after receiving his message.

“Oh my god, your friend is so typical! I’ve never encountered anyone that over-the-top before. I got goosebumps all over!”

“So…”

“Don’t you dare give him my contact info!” Zhou Li shouted. “I’m begging you!”

Rong Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Got it, I won’t. Besides, Chen Keyao already told him you’re my boyfriend, so I’ll just use that as a shield.”

Zhou Li, sounding relieved, bid him goodbye. A while later, he sent another message.

“I just had a thought. Not sure if I should ask.”

Rong Yi knew that when people said things like this, what they really meant was, “I know I shouldn’t ask, but I can’t help it, so here it goes.”

After Rong Yi replied with, “Go ahead,” the next message came almost immediately.

“Did you ever try to date that idiot?”

Rong Yi stayed silent.

During the time he didn’t reply, Zhou Li sent him three more messages in a row.

“I don’t get it! How is your roommate worse than that guy????”

“Suddenly, I feel extremely, incredibly, overwhelmingly relieved that you rejected me.”

“I still don’t get it!”

Rong Yi frowned at his phone. After a long pause, he finally sent his reply.

“You’ll understand when you grow up.”

Looking like a good match and actually being compatible are two different things.

Rong Yi had had countless one-sided crushes in his life, but never anyone he felt was truly indispensable.

What happened between him and Chen Keyao was more complicated than his other failed relationships, but it wasn’t anything special. Just like how he could be friends with Liu Yuan now without any hard feelings, he could also peacefully coexist as temporary roommates with Chen Keyao.

Chen Keyao was great. But since he didn’t like Rong Yi, he wasn’t the right person.

Giving up on him wasn’t a big deal.

Rong Yi felt like he had thought it through quite clearly.

Liu Yuan decided to stay for dinner.

Cooking was something Rong Yi enjoyed, and having an extra person meant he could try out more dishes, so he was quite happy about it.

While Rong Yi was busy in the kitchen, Chen Keyao suddenly walked in.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked, poking his head around.

Rong Yi pointed to the half-prepared food on the counter. “Take a guess.”

Chen Keyao looked closer for a while, but when he spoke, it was on a completely unrelated topic.

“So, you and Zhou Li…”

Before he could finish, Rong Yi turned around abruptly. “What?”

“Why are you so worked up?” Chen Keyao said. “I wasn’t going to badmouth him. I think you two are quite a good match.”

Rong Yi suddenly found it funny.

Zhou Li also thought he and Chen Keyao were a good match. Was there some kind of strange unspoken understanding between these two?

“Liu Yuan told me you met Zhou Li during a matchmaking event?”

That big mouth.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Rong Yi frowned at him.

“Just making conversation,” Chen Keyao said. “Can’t I be concerned about you?”

Rong Yi’s whole body language immediately became defensive.

“What’s your problem?” Chen Keyao sighed. “I really don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that… you know, we’re at least… friends now, right?”

Rong Yi looked at him but didn’t respond.

“Are we not?” Chen Keyao asked.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

“I don’t really have anything to say. I’m just casually asking,” Chen Keyao said, rubbing his nose. “I was worried you’d be bored on your own, so I came to keep you company.”

“I’m not bored,” Rong Yi turned his back on him, continuing to busy himself. “You’re just getting in the way.”

“Fine, fine.” Chen Keyao said, and surprisingly, he really left.

Rong Yi was completely baffled by what just happened. What was this guy even doing?

But only two minutes later, Chen Keyao came back.

“Oh, right,” Chen Keyao’s tone was completely different this time, filled with a peculiar excitement. “I just remembered something.”

He walked over to Rong Yi with a big grin, confusing him even more.

“Do you remember what happened last night?” Chen Keyao asked.

“…What about last night?” Rong Yi asked.

“You don’t remember what happened after you got drunk? Not even a bit?” Chen Keyao’s face twisted, clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“I wasn’t that drunk, right?” Rong Yi watched him warily. “I remember everything. After I brought Zhou Li home, we even went to the convenience store together, didn’t we?”

Chen Keyao’s expression grew even stranger. He licked his lips. “Do you remember what you bought?”

“Oh… I think I accidentally grabbed a bottle of alcopop, thinking it was soda, right?” Rong Yi recalled. “I really remember everything. I don’t black out when I drink, so don’t try to make up stories to trick me.”

“What else do you remember?” Chen Keyao asked, clearly amused.

“I remember you threw up.” Rong Yi said.

“…”

“After I accidentally bumped into you.”

“Ahem,” Chen Keyao averted his gaze. “That doesn’t count. I got dizzy in the elevator. You even said the elevator was particularly shaky yesterday, didn’t you?”

As if anyone would believe that.

Rong Yi rolled his eyes internally. When he spoke again, his tone was even more disdainful. “Just say what you want to say. Stop being so hesitant, like some old grandma.”

“You bought a box of candy, remember?” Chen Keyao said.

“Yeah, I remember,” Rong Yi replied, exasperated. “It was disgusting. I was going to throw it away, but you wouldn’t let me, so I gave it to you, right?”

As soon as he said that, Chen Keyao burst into laughter again.

He bent over, clutching his stomach, body shaking uncontrollably, completely unable to stop laughing or even speak.

“What’s wrong with you?” Rong Yi was utterly bewildered. “Did your brain short-circuit?”

Chen Keyao started slapping his thigh, and after a while, he finally straightened up, still laughing as he pulled something out of his pocket.

He held out a small box in front of Rong Yi and gave it a little shake. “Recognize this?”

Rong Yi recognized it immediately. At first glance, it looked like a box of candy, but in reality, it was a box of condoms.

The box had already been opened, and on the packaging were two plump, juicy strawberries.

“Disgusting.” Chen Keyao said.

“…”

“I’ve never seen anyone tear open a condom package and just chew on it like that.”

“…”

“If you don’t believe me, you can open one now and try it. See if it’s still as—”

Before he could finish, there was a sudden noise at the door. Both of them instinctively turned to look and saw Liu Yuan standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Sorry, I… uh, interrupted?” Liu Yuan said as he slowly backed out. “You two, carry on.”

By the time they realized what was happening, Liu Yuan had already disappeared.

Left standing in the kitchen, the two of them exchanged glances before their gazes both fell on the box of strawberry-flavored condoms in Chen Keyao’s hand.

One of them blushing furiously, the other teasingly, they had just been talking about “trying it out right now.”

What would someone else think, seeing this?