Live together

Jiang Hao was utterly stunned; he felt as if a ‘dumbfounded’ meme had been photoshopped onto his very own face.

‘Yu Huageng was actually a girl… a girl… a girl…’

That sentence kept echoing in his mind.

He was in a daze, performing actions like going to the bathroom and washing his hands purely on instinct.

Yu Huageng, overjoyed, quickly finished up and rushed back to class to share the amusing news with Ji Ze.

She sat at her desk, still laughing uncontrollably and slapping the table as she watched Jiang Hao’s frozen expression when he returned to the classroom.

Jiang Hao felt incredibly awkward, but on the surface, he remained composed.

He strove to maintain a calm and steady demeanor, returning to his seat.

After a moment of hesitation, he couldn’t help but nudge Ji Ze, his deskmate, with his arm.

“She… what’s with her hair?”

If not for her hairstyle, coupled with her cold-induced voice, how could he possibly have mistaken her for a he?

Ji Ze stifled a laugh, clearing his throat before he replied, “Huageng made a bet with someone before.”

“If she lost, she had to shave her head.”

“Her hair has finally grown out a bit recently, and when it was just past a buzz cut, she thought it was ugly.”

“So, she went and got a really trendy, handsome guy’s haircut.”

“Ahem, like it is now.”

Jiang Hao listened, still finding it hard to imagine.

Ji Ze watched his stunned expression and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, utterly delighted.

A wide arc curved his lips, and his eyes crinkled with mirth.

For someone who usually maintained a poker face, this sudden smile was especially rare, like ice breaking and snow melting, instantly brightening the scene.

Jiang Hao froze, captivated.

It was a long moment before he finally curved his own lips.

‘So, he could smile?’

‘And he smiled… damn, he looked good.’

‘Forget it, being tricked like this wasn’t so bad after all.’

The school bell rang, and the students noisily returned to their seats, discussing the amusing incident of Jiang Hao being successfully fooled.

Ji Ze rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window.

Sunlight spilled across his face, outlining him in a golden glow against his jade-like skin, a faint smile gracing his lips.

He looked exquisitely beautiful.

Jiang Hao stared, lost in thought.

The first time they met, he knew the class monitor was a beauty, but now, thinking about it seriously, it seemed Ji Ze was even more attractive than those fair-skinned, long-legged girls.

He felt… unable to tear his gaze away.

Snap.

Without thinking, he slapped his own forehead hard, trying to clear his head.

‘Am I crazy?’

‘Staring blankly at a guy?’

When Ji Ze turned to look at him strangely, he feigned composure once more, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache, and asked, as if genuinely puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Ji Ze’s expression was complex.

“…Nothing.”

However, Jiang Hao was always free-spirited and casual.

After some thought, he merely shrugged, lifting the corners of his lips nonchalantly.

‘It’s just looking at a guy, isn’t it?’

‘Everyone appreciates beauty.’

Indeed, Jiang Hao was not an especially ‘straight’ straight man, nor had he ever made an effort to maintain his ‘straightness.’

He was a very willful person.

Jiang Hao nudged Ji Ze with his elbow, a grin spreading across his face.

“Class Monitor, there aren’t any extra dorm rooms, so I’ll be staying with you.”

Ji Ze instinctively frowned.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao propped his chin on his hand and asked, “Don’t want to?”

Ji Ze paused, then suddenly asked, “Do you snore when you sleep?”

“Do you grind your teeth?”

Jiang Hao was slightly taken aback.

“I don’t think so.”

Ji Ze shook his head.

“Then it’s fine.”

Jiang Hao immediately smiled, forthright and casual.

“Then we’re practically cohabiting, Ji Ze.”

Ji Ze choked on the guy’s words, turning to stare at him with wide, speechless eyes.

“Do you know what ‘cohabiting’ means?”

“Living together.”

“Very well.”

“Your Chinese teacher is probably crying herself unconscious in the bathroom.”

Jiang Hao laughed, shrugging indifferently.

After evening study, Jiang Hao’s luggage was already moved into the dorm room, and he began tidying up with much commotion.

Before Ji Ze went to shower, Jiang Hao was fitting a duvet cover onto his bed.

When Ji Ze came out of the shower, he found Jiang Hao still struggling to hang his mosquito net.

It wouldn’t have been a big deal, but Ji Ze looked at the large section of mosquito net that had collapsed in the middle, and his hands began to itch.

It looked particularly awkward.

Jiang Hao poked his head out and smiled, saying, “Finished showering so fast?”

“I’m almost done too.”

As he spoke, he was already tying the corners of the mosquito net, looking as if he had settled on that method.

Ji Ze stood watching for a while, finally unable to resist speaking.

“Let me help you hang the mosquito net.”

Jiang Hao paused, then smiled brightly.

“Huh?”

“Oh, sure, thanks.”

Ji Ze climbed onto his bed, took the mosquito net corner from Jiang Hao’s hand, and bent over to tightly wrap the ties several times.

Once the mosquito net was taut, he began to tie the knot.

It didn’t take long before it was perfectly set, looking incredibly neat—like a model from a picture, a textbook example.

Jiang Hao sat cross-legged on the bed, slapped his knee, and looked up, praising, “It feels like the space has gotten much bigger.”

Ji Ze stood hunched over, his head touching the top of the mosquito net.

He simply squatted down, resting his hands on his knees, and spoke without ceremony, “Of course.”

“The way you put it up, it was all collapsed, a tangled mess.”

“That’s why I said thank you.”

Jiang Hao wasn’t angry at all about being told off.

He grinned, patting Ji Ze’s shoulder like a good buddy.

Ji Ze felt it was improper to sit casually on someone else’s bed, which was why he squatted.

But to others, he looked like a well-behaved child seeking praise after doing something, looking up at people with an expression that made one want to ruffle his hair.

Moreover, Ji Ze was currently wearing sleep pants that reached just his ankles, revealing his beautifully shaped feet.

Due to his health, Ji Ze rarely exercised, and faint blue veins were visible beneath his fair skin.

His toes were rounded, and even his toenails were pink, truly resembling a collection of small seashells gathered from the beach.

Jiang Hao inadvertently glimpsed them, and without realizing it, his gaze lingered a moment too long.

He genuinely felt it was a pity that Ji Ze wasn’t a girl.

Jiang Hao slapped his thigh, stopping Ji Ze, who was about to get off the bed.

“Wait.”

Then he agilely hopped off the bed, grabbed his phone from the desk, and ran back, saying to the person on the bed, “Ji Ze, look over here.”

Ji Ze instinctively turned his head to look at him.

Click.

Ji Ze frowned.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Hao said matter-of-factly, “Taking a commemorative photo!”

“It’s not every day we get such a beautiful mosquito net.”

Ji Ze pressed against the railing, looking down at him.

“Then why don’t you just photograph the mosquito net?”

Jiang Hao smiled, glanced at his phone, then looked up again.

“How could I do that?”

“You’re the hero of this achievement.”

Ji Ze was slightly speechless.

“I’m coming down.”

Jiang Hao stood at the bottom of the ladder, arms outstretched, smiling brightly.

“Alright, come on down.”

“I’ll catch you.”

Ji Ze paused, looking at him expressionlessly.

“…”

‘Damn idiot.’

As he climbed down the ladder, Jiang Hao really did pretend to grasp his arm and steady him.

Jiang Hao’s bright, sunny demeanor always made Ji Ze feel an irresistible urge to kick him.

Ji Ze waved his hand dismissively.

“Go shower quickly.”

Surprisingly, Jiang Hao actually listened, nodding and saying, “Alright, alright, I’ll go right away.”

His quick agreement, however, made Ji Ze feel a little guilty about his own bad attitude.

He could be so polite to other classmates, yet whenever he dealt with this guy, he just couldn’t help but want to retort.