Chapter 12 Chapter 12: Don’t Come Any Closer! (Part 2)
“Oh no, oh no—am I seriously gonna die right here like this?!”
Xu Yecheng’s mind immediately flooded with images—courtesy of all those romantic “action” films he’d watched before.
A cold shiver ran down his spine, and icy dread crept over his entire body.
*Click.*
The bathroom lock clicked open. The doorknob began to turn—
—but in the very next second, a sharp, middle-aged woman’s voice cut through the air from outside the dorm room.
“Is Xu Yecheng in this dorm?”
He Xiao Han froze mid-motion. He turned toward the dorm doorway to see the dorm supervisor standing there, nodded, and answered politely, “Yeah, he is. What’s up, Auntie?”
The moment her voice rang out, the “mask” Xu Yecheng had been wearing instantly dissolved. His body began reverting—visibly, rapidly—back to its original form.
Xu Yecheng gasped in shock, then felt an overwhelming wave of relief.
*Oh, glorious, sacred, and beautiful dorm auntie—thank you for kindly calling out my name…*
“This is his ID,” the auntie said, handing over Xu Yecheng’s national ID card. “Tell him not to lose it again by accident.”
He Xiao Han took it. “Got it, thanks, Auntie.”
He pushed the bathroom door open—and locked eyes with Xu Yecheng.
Xu Yecheng saw an utterly bizarre expression on He Xiao Han’s face.
“You didn’t answer me no matter how much I called just now. Why?” He Xiao Han asked.
“I didn’t hear you,” Xu Yecheng replied sheepishly.
He Xiao Han’s eyes drifted over Xu Yecheng’s body.
“The way you wear your pajamas is… unique,” he said, barely suppressing a laugh before finally letting out an amused, resigned chuckle.
Xu Yecheng blinked—then looked down.
His pajama collar had slipped off one shoulder, hugging tightly around his torso in a way that made it look suspiciously like an off-shoulder outfit.
*Oh crap!*
Mortified, Xu Yecheng quickly yanked his clothes back into place and stepped out of the bathroom.
He Xiao Han still found the whole thing odd.
He studied Xu Yecheng’s face. Xu cleared his throat lightly, sensing the awkwardness in the air.
“You staring at me like that—do I have something on my face?” Xu asked, noticing He Xiao Han’s lingering gaze.
He Xiao Han dropped the puzzled look and replaced it with a warm, friendly smile.
“You look… hotter lately,” he teased playfully.
Xu Yecheng walked past him with a casual wave. “Eh, average, average~”
Even as he said it, he suspected the guy was mocking him.
There was no way he’d gotten more handsome—he’d been pulling night shifts lately and hadn’t done a single thing for skincare.
He felt another surge of dislike toward He Xiao Han.
He Xiao Han took a step back, his eyes scanning Xu Yecheng’s face again—and froze for a split second.
*Did Xu Yecheng… always have a mole by his eye?*
He frowned in confusion, then glanced down at the ID in his hand—only for Xu Yecheng, having just stashed the "mask" away, to snatch it back instantly.
“Don’t stare—my ID photo’s hideous,” Xu Yecheng muttered as he walked over to his drawer and slipped the card back inside.
He Xiao Han’s unanswered suspicion only deepened.
*He definitely didn’t have that mole before… right?*
His gut said it was impossible. He was sure of his memory.
*Maybe I just imagined it?*
While he was still lost in thought, Xu Yecheng spoke up again.
“I saw you nearby yesterday. Why’d you only come back this morning?”
He Xiao Han looked slightly embarrassed. “Slept at a hotel last night.”
Xu Yecheng’s expression stiffened immediately.
He Xiao Han caught that micro-expression—and gave a knowing, faintly suggestive smile. “It was tiring… heh.”
Xu Yecheng’s face darkened.
*So it’s true…*
*Ji Qingying was really taken by this guy?*
A wave of intense irritation crashed over him—mixed with jealousy and anger.
The person he’d gone to such lengths to protect… had been treated like a roadside weed, trampled without a second thought. The thought twisted his gut.
He couldn’t wrap his head around it. How had He Xiao Han even gotten Ji Qingying to give herself up?
Drugs? Force? Some underhanded trick?
But Xu Yecheng couldn’t say anything. It was their personal life. He Xiao Han had the looks, the charm, the “capital”—and love, after all, was consensual. There was no clear right or wrong.
At most, Xu Yecheng could mutter “scumbag” under his breath—but aside from his playboy tendencies, He Xiao Han was actually a solid friend.
Whenever Xu Yecheng couldn’t be bothered to write lab reports, He Xiao Han was the one who saved the whole dorm.
So Xu didn’t want to wreck their roommate harmony over this.
Besides, Ji Qingying herself hadn’t complained—so if he suddenly jumped in to condemn He Xiao Han, it’d just make him look petty, like he couldn’t stand seeing others happy.
And that… would just make him seem pathetic.
“The campus beauty’s not that special anyway,” He Xiao Han added, his tone suddenly laced with amusement.
Xu Yecheng’s frustration boiled over into anger.
“If you don’t like her, just break up. Why trash-talk her like that?” he finally snapped.
“Well, sure—but it’s nice having someone to chat with anytime, you know? Especially when they’re so obedient and sweet,” He Xiao Han said as he settled onto the desk behind Xu Yecheng and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
Xu Yecheng sighed. He didn’t know what to say anymore.
He Xiao Han lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“There are plenty of women out there. Playing around with a couple won’t make the Earth explode.”
“I can’t understand that mindset,” Xu Yecheng replied flatly. “If you’re in a relationship, you should take responsibility and treat it seriously—not act like it’s just a game.”
He Xiao Han raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled.
“Dude, what’s gotten into you lately? You’ve been giving me serious side-eye,” he chuckled, taking another puff.
Xu Yecheng hesitated. “It’s nothing. I’m just curious—if you only care about the physical, why not just pay for it? Why go through all the trouble of ‘dating’?”
He Xiao Han frowned. “That’s not really fair. It’s more like… the satisfaction you get in a dating sim after you’ve successfully ‘cleared’ a route, you know?”
“Watching them get mad, teasing them until their ears turn red, saying one thing and making them either cry or smile—it’s fun,” he said, exhaling another plume of white smoke that curled around his face, momentarily hollowing out his eyes.
Xu Yecheng truly couldn’t fathom He Xiao Han’s logic.
“By the way,” He Xiao Han grinned, “when are *you* getting a girlfriend? Want me to introduce you to someone? I’ve got a few solid contacts in my contacts list.”
What's the appeal with this guy? He's your typical playboy asshole through and through. I seriously despise him.