“What’s going on, Fei-ge?” Zhang Yiqi looked confused and followed Lin Yufei outside. “Why aren’t we eating here? It’s such a fancy place.”

Qi Jinlin nodded to the waiter politely, “I’m really sorry for the trouble.”

Then he ran after Zhang Yiqi and playfully punched him. “If there’s food, just eat it. Stop being so picky!”

Lin Yufei dragged me all the way to a street-side food stall. His fingers were long and slightly calloused, gripping my wrist tightly. It was the first time I’d had such prolonged physical contact with him. My heart was pounding in my chest, as if it would leap out of my throat and jump straight into his heart, merging with his. I tried to calm myself by placing a hand on my chest, but I was startled by a wet, sticky sensation spreading across it. Little droplets started trickling down towards my stomach, making my face flush. Thank goodness it was getting dark, so no one noticed.

And this was just from him holding my wrist. If we kissed, who knows what would happen? I didn’t dare think further, or else the wetness might not stay confined to my chest.

“Hey, Xiao Fei, you’re here!” The owner of the food stall greeted Lin Yufei as soon as we arrived at the entrance. “Come in and sit down. I’ll get some food ready for you all.”

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before she hesitantly pulled out a pack of wet wipes. “Young man, you should clean yourself up. I bet you don’t come to places like this often, do you?”

I watched as the three guys casually took their seats, preparing to sit down as well. But Lin Yufei took the wipes from the owner. “You can leave it to me; I’ll help him clean up.”

Instinctively, I covered my chest. Did he notice? But Lin Yufei bent down—phew, he was just wiping the chair. I sighed with relief, regretting moving in with him before getting rid of this strange condition. It was one thing to just see him, but now that we lived together, my thoughts were becoming far more… frequent.

The skewers arrived, and Zhang Yiqi immediately grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth, despite the stick being scalding hot. He yelped in pain but kept eating enthusiastically. I had never eaten grilled food outside before—back home, the chef would prepare it in the courtyard—so I became curious watching Zhang Yiqi devour his food.

“It’s delicious. You should try it,” Lin Yufei said, handing me a skewer after wiping the tip clean and wrapping the end with a napkin. “Young master, eat up. Fei-ge used to help the owner when he worked here, so we can eat as much as we want without paying.”

As Zhang Yiqi continued to eat messily, he elbowed Qi Jinlin. “Why are you acting all polite just because the young master is here? You’re not usually like this.”

Saying that, he shoved a skewer into Qi Jinlin’s hand. “I’m not as considerate as Fei-ge. You don’t have a cleanliness issue, do you?”

Qi Jinlin twisted Zhang Yiqi’s arm, but still wiped some oil from his cheek in a subtle, affectionate gesture. Zhang Yiqi blinked in surprise, swallowing his food.

“You…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the owner’s voice interrupted. “The kidneys are ready!”

She came out with four skewers, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere. “We didn’t order kidneys,” Zhang Yiqi said, raising his hand to stop her.

“I did,” Lin Yufei stood up and smacked Zhang Yiqi’s hand before taking the skewers.

Zhang Yiqi’s eyes lit up. “Fei-ge, do you have plans later tonight?”

His face was full of curiosity. “Is it with one of the girls from our department? Or maybe the school beauty who keeps hanging around the taekwondo team?”

Hearing this, my mood sank a little. How could my mom’s investigation have missed that so many girls liked him? Could it be that he’s actually straight?

“It’s none of those girls,” Lin Yufei replied, biting into a kidney skewer.

“Then what type of person do you like? If it’s not the school beauty, could it be a guy?” Zhang Yiqi teased, still in his gossipy tone.

Before Lin Yufei could respond, Qi Jinlin flicked Zhang Yiqi on the head. “So what if he likes guys? I think that’s great.” He glanced at me, then stuffed a bun into Zhang Yiqi’s mouth. “You can’t even shut up while eating.”

Zhang Yiqi, with his mouth full, muttered something incomprehensible. I turned to look at Lin Yufei, who stayed silent—neither confirming nor denying. I couldn’t tell whether I felt relieved or disappointed. The mood at the table became more subdued.

It wasn’t until Lin Yufei finished the last bite of his skewer and drained his glass of beer that he looked straight at me, his gaze intense.

“The person I like—I’ll tell them myself.”

Zhang Yiqi, a lightweight drinker, was already tipsy, but that didn’t stop him from trying to keep up with Lin Yufei. “I’m so happy! Our dorm is finally back to four people!”

He yelled, “And Fei-ge is going to confess his love! I’m happy for him!”

Qi Jinlin pulled Zhang Yiqi back. “Who said Fei-ge is going to confess?”

“Then who’s going to confess?” Zhang Yiqi stopped, his mind foggy. He threw his arms around Qi Jinlin’s shoulders. “If it’s not Fei-ge, then is it you?”

His watery eyes blinked at Qi Jinlin before he suddenly waved his arms. “Fine, I’ll confess!”

Seeing him stumble, Qi Jinlin quickly grabbed him by the waist. “Fine, I’ll confess when we get back.”

The two of them staggered away, their figures blending together under the streetlights.

Lin Yufei wasn’t drunk, but after a few bottles, the wind was making his face flush. “Can you hold me up?” he asked, fluttering his eyelashes, illuminated by the moonlight.

I nodded, extending my arms toward him. He leaned into my embrace, his breath full of alcohol brushing against my face. I felt the dampness spreading across my chest again.

“You’re kind of heavy,” I said.

He lifted his head from my chest, his eyes hazy. “Then let me carry you.” Before I could react, I was suddenly lifted off the ground and thrown over his shoulder like a towel.

“Hey! Lin Yufei!” The sudden movement made me dizzy, even worse than the alcohol!