AD Chapter 29

Inside the 7-Eleven convenience store, Shen Du was staring blankly out the window.

The rain-soaked street had suddenly become bustling, with people hurrying by. Footsteps and the sound of rain intertwined, and the eaves were crowded with people seeking shelter.

“Drinking coffee at night will keep you awake.”

Qin Yi placed the hot water he had fetched in front of Shen Du, then sat down across from him.

“Thanks.”

On a rainy day, the convenience store was packed with people. The floor was wet and covered with footprints.

Qin Yi opened the pack of tissues he had just bought, pulled out two, and handed the rest to Shen Du. “Wipe off the water on you.”

The two had gotten a little wet in the rain earlier. Shen Du’s bangs were now damp, clinging messily to his skin, and his hair had darkened considerably. Qin Yi wasn’t much better—his white shirt was patched with wet spots on his shoulders, chest, and back, clinging to his body and faintly revealing the muscles beneath.

Shen Du quickly averted his gaze and crumpled the wet tissue into a ball, setting it aside.

The store was noisy with chatter.

“About what I said earlier, you don’t have to answer me right away.”

After a moment of silence, Qin Yi was the first to break it. His wet hair was pushed back completely, giving him a mature and sensual aura. After a pause, he added, “I understand what you’re worried about.”

Shen Du picked up the cup of water and took a sip. His lips were wet, and he pressed them together before speaking after a long pause. “What do you understand?”

“You’ve never… liked a guy before. I know that.”

Shen Du kept his head down, silent, staring at the reflection of the lights in his cup.

“I’m not the kind of person who tries to forcibly ‘turn’ someone,” Qin Yi said, his brows furrowing lightly before quickly returning to his usual calm demeanor. “You once asked Niao Niao how old I am. I can tell you now.”

“In two months, I’ll turn 30.”

Qin Yi wasn’t someone who expressed himself easily. He preferred action over words. But at this moment, he felt the need to explain. “What I said at the restaurant earlier was true. What I said outside just now was also true.”

When it came to feelings, he had always taken them lightly.

But once he was moved, it was undeniable.

“Shen Du.” Qin Yi suddenly called his name seriously.

“Can you give me a chance? Let me try to pursue you. If you’re unwilling, you can stop it anytime. That’s your right. I’m not the type to cling on. If you reject me, I won’t bother you again.”

He didn’t want to keep things unclear anymore.

Someone had to take the first step.

The store was crowded, and people passed by from time to time. Maybe they overheard those words, maybe they didn’t. But the occasional glances cast their way carried curiosity and scrutiny.

The anticipated response didn’t come, leaving him hanging as if suspended over a cliff. Ahead lay an endless abyss, while behind, there was still a chance of survival.

It was his first time confessing, and despite his usual composure and patience, Qin Yi was beginning to feel the strain.

His palms were sweaty, and he felt a wave of heat wash over him.

After a long while, Shen Du finally looked up.

“What date?”

“What date in two months?”

Qin Yi’s deep eyes flickered, as if a tide was surging within them, unable to settle.

“The 28th,” he said. “September 28th.”

September 28th.

Two months and four days away.

Shen Du used a red marker to draw a star on the 28th of September.

He had been leaning against the headboard, replaying the scene of Qin Yi confessing to him in the rain over and over in his mind. He only snapped out of it when a sharp pain shot through his brow and nose bridge—he hadn’t realized when he had lain down, and the calendar had fallen onto his face with a smack.

“…”

This wasn’t the first time he had been confessed to by a gay guy, but this time… felt different.

When Qin Yi asked if he could pursue him, his first reaction wasn’t to reject him.

That was strange. He clearly didn’t like men. He wasn’t gay.

Shen Du silently tossed the calendar aside, his face slightly flushed. He grabbed his phone, trying to distract himself. One app, then another, he clicked aimlessly.

So when Xu Qingluo’s call came in, he picked up almost instantly.

On the other end, Xu Qingluo sounded stunned. “Shen Du? Wow, you answered fast this time.”

Shen Du choked for a moment, pressing his lips together and coughing lightly. “What, now you have a problem with me answering quickly? Fine, next time I won’t pick up your calls.”

Xu Qingluo said, “Hey, I was just commenting! Why are you so snappy? I didn’t even provoke you.”

Shen Du thought to himself: You didn’t provoke me, but someone else did.

And they’ve really annoyed me.

Feeling overly full from dinner, Shen Du rubbed his stomach, went to the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of yogurt. After taking a sip and noticing something off about the taste, he checked the expiration date and realized it had expired a week ago. Frowning, he threw the rest into the trash and went to the bathroom to rinse his mouth.

On the other end of the call, Xu Qingluo was rambling on about what he had been up to this week with his grandfather.

“Oh, right,” Xu Qingluo said, leaning against the headboard and glancing at the bathroom. “Remember that partner I mentioned last time? Well, I slept with him.”

“Pfft—”

“Cough, cough—”

Shen Du nearly choked on his mouthwash and almost managed to choke on his own saliva instead.

“What? Aren’t you worried your grandfather will find out?”

Xu Qingluo chuckled mischievously. “It was a one-night stand. Exciting, isn’t it?”

Xu Qingluo had been a wild one since high school, always in and out of relationships. Shen Du was used to it. When Xu Qingluo mentioned something off about a face mask last time, Shen Du had found it strange but had been too preoccupied to ask further.

He wondered what kind of guy it was this time. From what Xu Qingluo had said last time, the guy used to like women.

Used to like women?

Then how could he end up with Xu Qingluo?

“Isn’t that a bit sudden? Aren’t you afraid of being played?”

Xu Qingluo replied nonchalantly, “What’s there to be afraid of? I already liked him anyway. Even if he’s playing me, I still got to sleep with him. That’s a win for me.”

“It’s just a one-night stand. If it works out, we’ll continue. If it doesn’t, we’ll part ways. Simple as that.”

Shen Du: “…”

That… actually made a lot of sense.

“Besides,” Xu Qingluo added lazily, picking at his ear, “from my years of experience, everyone thinks they’re straight until they meet someone of the same sex they like. How do you know he didn’t just figure it out after meeting me?”

…Damn.

Shen Du suddenly felt like Xu Qingluo was talking about him.

Shen Du had never given much thought to whether he liked men or women. He always assumed he liked women. It felt natural, as natural as waking up in the morning and checking his phone first thing.

But now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn’t entirely true.

Sometimes, the first thing you do upon waking could also be rushing to the bathroom. In his 21 years of life, he had never been truly moved by any woman.

To Shen Du, the women of the world fell into two categories: his mom and everyone else.

He wouldn’t casually judge a woman’s looks or personality, but he would unconsciously scrutinize certain men.

He wouldn’t feel happy about compliments from women, but Qin Yi’s ambiguous teasing could throw him off balance.

He might actually…

“Shen Du!” Xu Qingluo raised his voice over the phone. “Are you listening? Hey, give me some response!”

He hadn’t said anything outrageous just now… They’d talked about this kind of thing before. Could it be the call had dropped? Xu Qingluo glanced at his phone to confirm the call was still connected, growing even more puzzled.

“Hello? Shen Du? Can you still hear me?”

Shen Du snapped out of it. “I can hear you.”

Xu Qingluo: “What were you doing just now?”

“Nothing,” Shen Du replied. “Xu Qingluo, I have a question for you.”

Xu Qingluo thought, What kind of question is so serious that he’s calling me by my full name?

“Can I choose not to answer?”

“No,” Shen Du said. “If you don’t want to lose access to my game account forever, feel free to refuse.”

“Hey, don’t—” Xu Qingluo quickly said. “I was just joking! Ask away. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Shen Du took a deep breath, trying to sound as calm as possible. “How did you confirm your orientation back then?”

Xu Qingluo, idly swinging his legs by the edge of the bed, nearly fell off when he heard the question. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”

Then, a thought struck him. “Wait… don’t tell me you have someone you like!?”

But if he did, why would he ask this?

Shen Du wasn’t gay.

While Xu Qingluo was shocked by his own thought, Shen Du wasn’t faring much better. He thought about his recent interactions with Qin Yi. Though the time they had spent together wasn’t long, he had to admit it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

It felt like he was going through a belated adolescence, tasting the sourness and unease he had never felt at thirteen or fourteen.

He was both terrified of this unfamiliar emotion and secretly looking forward to it.

Shen Du didn’t answer the question but instead asked, “I remember you once told me that gay guys wouldn’t go after straight men. Is that true?”

“What, did another gay guy confess to you?” Xu Qingluo was well aware of how much Shen Du attracted attention from men. He assumed it was just another guy pursuing him.

Shen Du pressed his lips together. “Just tell me if it’s true.”

“It’s true,” Xu Qingluo said. “Straight guys are boring. They have no sense of romance.”

Then, changing his tone, he added, “But there is one type of ‘straight guy’ who’s interesting.”

Shen Du frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The fake straight guys. They’re gay but not fully out yet. Tease them a little, and they’ll blush, but they stubbornly refuse to admit it.” Xu Qingluo laughed on the other end of the line. “But I don’t like that type. Too sensitive and unplayable. They clearly like it but run away. It’s pointless. Even if you get into a relationship with them, it won’t work out.”

“But they’re fun to mess around with.”

Shen Du: “…”

Through the phone, Xu Qingluo couldn’t sense his change in mood. “Hey, what was your question again?”

When Shen Du didn’t respond, Xu Qingluo suddenly seemed to realize something. “Wait, is the person who confessed to you this time really hard to reject?”

“Damn.”

Could it be that he had guessed right? Was his buddy actually a closeted case?

“Who is it, who is it? Is it that guy named Jia something?”

Shen Du knew that asking this question would definitely make Xu Qingluo suspicious.

Just as Shen Du hesitated over whether to reveal everything about Qin Yi, Xu Qingluo said something that immediately made him abandon the idea.

“Let me tell you, that Jia guy is clearly someone who doesn’t know how to handle things—boring and dull. If you’re going to pick someone, it should be someone like Qin Yi. That type looks like they’d be a lot of fun.”

Shen Du instantly understood what he meant: “…”

“You little—” Shen Du’s ears burned. “Can’t you keep less trashy stuff in your head!?”

“We’re all adults. What’s wrong with thinking about it? Besides, you’re the one who brought up the topic first,” Xu Qingluo said, still savoring the thought. “That shop owner is amazing. The more proper they seem off the bed, the wilder they are on it. Damn, just imagining it feels great. Wonder who’ll get lucky with him in the future. Wait, does he have a partner?”

Shen Du’s face remained stiff. “Why?”

“If he doesn’t,” Xu Qingluo licked his lips and said, “I’ll give it a shot.”

Shen Du forced a cold smile. “Go ahead and try if you’ve got the guts.”