After returning to the dorm, Lin Le breathed a sigh of relief. He had worked up a little sweat and asked, “What time is it now?”
All three answered at the same time, “Seven.”
The instant they finished speaking, their gazes collided. Fu Ji narrowed his eyes, said nothing more, and turned his head away.
Xiang Chi also gave a snort, folded his arms, and ignored them.
Zhou Zhongshe still wore a smile, looking perfectly polite.
Lin Le did not notice anything wrong with the atmosphere. He murmured to himself, “I’m so full. I think I’ll take a shower first.”
The school dorms were very nice. There was a water heater and a washing machine, the balcony was broad and spacious, and the beds were lofted over desks. The entire dorm room was very large.
Xiang Chi and Fu Ji were both lost in thought and did not hear Lin Le quietly say that he was going to shower.
Zhou Zhongshe noticed, but merely glanced over.
Lin Le: 【Mr. System, where are my clothes?】
The System gave a cold snort. 【In the cabinet on your left. Right there—stop.】
Lin Le took out his clothes and only then noticed that Mr. System seemed to be in a bad mood. He asked, 【Mr. System, are you unhappy?】
The System said, 【A little. Host ignored me just now.】
Lin Le: 【Huh?】
He genuinely had not noticed at all. Being ignored did not feel good, and Lin Le immediately empathized. His brows and eyes drooped. 【I’m sorry, Mr. System. I didn’t mean to ignore you.】
The System had not meant to accuse him of anything, nor had it wanted to hear Lin Le apologize. As long as Lin Le noticed it, its anger was already gone.
【It’s fine. Mission Three is complete too. Are you happy?】
Only then did Lin Le remember that he had completed Mission Three!
【Happy, happy. So that sound just now was the mission being completed. Thank you, Mr. System.】
Because he felt guilty, Lin Le softened his voice until it was almost unbearably gentle. The System felt as though its entire system was about to malfunction from hearing it.
【I-It’s fine. This was all Host’s own accomplishment.】
It was not until the sound of running water came from the bathroom that Xiang Chi and Fu Ji finally came back to themselves. Lin Le had gone to shower.
The shower water was very hot, carrying steam that billowed around him until Lin Le’s face turned red from the heat.
Lin Le showered simply and quickly. He did not use body wash or anything like that. Once he was clean, he put on a fluffy set of pajamas. The weather was very cold, and pajamas like these made him much warmer.
The pajamas had been prepared by the System. They were an oversized fox onesie, complete with a tail at the back that dragged along the floor.
Lin Le did not know what the pajamas looked like. He only thought they were very warm. He touched the sleeve and smiled with pursed lips. 【Mr. System, these pajamas are so comfortable.】
The System looked with satisfaction at Lin Le, who had turned into a fox, and its voice grew a little strained. 【Mm. I think they suit you very well too.】
When Lin Le came out, he did not notice that Xiang Chi, Zhou Zhongshe, and Fu Ji were all staring at him.
He felt his way back to his place. The moment he touched the back of his chair, he remembered that he had forgotten to take Xiang Chi’s jacket to wash it!
Xiang Chi and the others were still sitting there. Lin Le did not know whether they were looking at him, and he was so embarrassed he barely dared move.
【Mr. System, are Xiang Chi and the others paying attention to me right now?】
The System looked at the others staring at Lin Le and replied in an ordinary tone, 【No.】
Lin Le breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were not paying attention to him, he could still secretly take the clothes away to wash them.
Xiang Chi’s jacket was a designer piece. Lin Le could tell by touch. The material was smooth and pleasant beneath his fingers, unlike ordinary clothing. Lin Le had bought plenty of inexpensive clothes, and not a single one had ever felt this good.
Lin Le picked up the jacket and, with a tiny motion, brought it to the tip of his nose and sniffed, wanting to see whether he had made it smell after wearing it.
Fortunately, he himself did not have much of a smell, and he had only worn it for a short while. Lin Le lowered the jacket.
“Why are you smelling my clothes?”
The three of them had already been watching for quite some time. They had watched Lin Le come out with mist still clinging to him, his face flushed from the steam, even his lips red as though they had been painted. His pair of moist eyes drifted briefly in their direction, enough to steal a person’s soul away.
They watched Lin Le return to his place and feel along the back of the chair, only to suddenly freeze. Then they saw him lift Xiang Chi’s jacket and smell it, holding it to the tip of his nose. From where they stood, it looked almost as though Lin Le had buried his face in it to breathe in its scent.
There was clearly nothing special about his expression. It was just an ordinary expression while smelling something.
But paired with his heat-flushed face, his unfocused eyes, and his reddened lips, for some reason, throats bobbed and minds went blank.
Only after a long while did Xiang Chi ask hoarsely why he was smelling his clothes.
His voice came out rough, as though he were suppressing something.
Lin Le froze. His face instantly turned scarlet—not from the steam, but a flush rising naturally from beneath his skin. He felt as though his entire body was being cooked, steam practically rising from the top of his head, and he had no idea where to put his hands or feet.
“I-I wasn’t smelling…”
Lin Le stammered through his explanation, but with his flushed face and eyes darting everywhere, he looked guilty no matter how one viewed him.
Xiang Chi smiled. He rose from his chair and slowly walked over, his voice drawing closer with each step. “You weren’t smelling it? Then did my clothes run under your nose all by themselves just now?”
Lin Le explained, “I-I just wanted to smell whether there was any odor…”
Xiang Chi said, “Odor? What kind of odor? My scent?”
The string of questions turned Lin Le’s mind into mush. He had never expected Xiang Chi to catch him. Hadn’t Mr. System said no one was paying attention to him?
Lin Le was both embarrassed and ashamed now, and it had happened right in front of Fu Ji. After what had happened at noon, he already could not be considered a good person in Fu Ji’s eyes. After this, wouldn’t Fu Ji truly think he was some kind of perverted stalker?
“No. I just wanted to smell my own scent.”
Lin Le explained weakly, enunciating clearly, his expression earnest.
He was not a pervert.
Xiang Chi tilted his head. “Your scent? Why would your scent be on my clothes? Lin Le, aren’t you planning to give me an explanation, you little pervert?”
The instant Lin Le heard that word, his expression changed. He raised a hand against Xiang Chi’s chest to keep him from coming closer and hurriedly explained, “No, I’m not a pervert. I was just afraid I had a smell on me and it would get on your clothes and not wash out. I’m not a pervert.”
Xiang Chi was very close. He bent down, his breath brushing Lin Le’s ear. Xiang Chi’s body was hot, and his palm was hot too. When he caught Lin Le’s hand, he was like a huge furnace, making Lin Le break into a sweat from the heat.
Lin Le’s explanation sounded hollow and unconvincing—at least to Xiang Chi. He looked at Lin Le, who was so anxious he seemed about to cry, his eyes rimmed red.
He was just about to say something else when Fu Ji came over and pulled Xiang Chi away. “Enough. Do you have to make him cry?”
Xiang Chi released him, giving Lin Le room to breathe again.
“I was only teasing him. Why are you getting so worked up?”
Fu Ji pulled out a tissue, took Lin Le’s hand, and wiped it clean one finger at a time. “There should still be a limit to teasing.”
Fu Ji’s movements were gentle. Lin Le pursed his lips. “I really am not a pervert.”
Fu Ji’s tone was as gentle as his movements. “I know you’re not a pervert.”
Lin Le’s tightly strung heart immediately relaxed. He explained, “I only wanted to wash Xiang Chi’s clothes for him. I didn’t mean anything else.”
Xiang Chi cut in from the side. “I know you didn’t mean anything. I was only teasing you. Don’t be unhappy. I apologize. I’m sorry, Lin Le.”
After saying that, Xiang Chi forcefully squeezed Fu Ji out of the way, his tone almost impatient. “Hit me. Go ahead, hit me.”
As he spoke, he grabbed Lin Le’s hand and tried to bring it toward his own face. Fortunately, Lin Le reacted faster and did not let him succeed. Lin Le hid his hands against his chest. “You—you guys need to stop asking me to hit you all the time. Hitting people hurts my hand too.”
Fu Ji spoke coolly from the side. “Exactly. If you truly want to apologize, hit yourself instead. Don’t hold back.”
Lin Le was frightened by that and shook his head repeatedly. “No need to hit yourself. Just don’t hit anyone.”
After saying that, he cautiously added, “Do you—do you guys perhaps have something…uncomfortable going on psychologically? Do you need to see a counselor?”
Lin Le was afraid they really did have some psychological issue, so he did not dare ask outright and instead phrased it tactfully.
Fu Ji and Xiang Chi both froze at first. When they came back to themselves and saw how nervous Lin Le looked after asking the question, they could not help laughing.
Xiang Chi said, “There’s nothing wrong with us. We’re perfectly mentally healthy.”
Fu Ji said, “Mm.”
Zhou Zhongshe laughed outright. “What could possibly be wrong with us?”
Lin Le awkwardly scratched his cheek with one finger and said softly, “But—but you’re always asking other people to hit you. Isn’t that…some kind of problem?”
Hearing this, Xiang Chi realized Lin Le had misunderstood because of his behavior.
“No. How am I supposed to explain this to you?”
Xiang Chi scratched his head in distress. He had no idea how to explain that he had acted that way because Fu Ji and Zhou Zhongshe had both been hit, which made him feel strangely uncomfortable, so he had kept wanting Lin Le to hit him too.
But didn’t that sound even more abnormal?
Fu Ji watched for a moment, then said, “Xiang Chi does have a bit of a problem. We’ll contact a psychologist.”
Lin Le said, “Oh, okay.”
Xiang Chi’s brain, which had still been trying to think through everything, stopped turning. He slowly looked at Fu Ji, fury blazing in his eyes: What! Did! You! Say!
Fu Ji calmly turned his face away and ignored him. Xiang Chi was just about to erupt when Lin Le touched his hand and said, “You seem a little feverish too. You should go get checked as soon as possible.”
Lin Le’s words were sincere. He was genuinely worried about Xiang Chi. Although his eyes could not see, when he looked earnestly in someone’s direction, worry could still be read in his expression.
Xiang Chi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Being stared at like that by Lin Le made him a little uncomfortable. The hand resting on the back of his own was warm and soft, making him want to squeeze it.
“Okay. I’ll go see a doctor.”
Even if Fu Ji had slandered him, getting Lin Le’s concern in return made it a huge win!
Fu Ji looked at the smile on Xiang Chi’s face and silently smiled as well, mocking him.
After letting their food digest for a while, the others went to shower one after another. Lin Le had his own phone too, but accessibility mode spoke very loudly. Whatever app he tapped, whatever he selected, the phone would announce it at full volume.
Lin Le did not especially like playing on his phone, but he loved listening to novels. He liked all kinds: classics and web novels alike.
He opened a novel app and listened as the phone read book titles aloud to him.
Lin Le did not dare turn the volume up too high because he was afraid of disturbing the others in the dorm, so he held the phone close to his ear and listened at a low volume.
His hand accidentally rested over the volume button. As he listened to the mechanical voice announce book titles, his finger unconsciously pressed down.
“One Hundred and Eight Ways to Make Your Roommate Fall for Me”
The volume suddenly blasted louder beside his ear. Lin Le’s mind went blank and his ears rang from the shock. The moment he recovered, he immediately shut off the phone and did not dare make a sound.
The room stayed silent for several seconds. Just as Lin Le was about to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, Xiang Chi’s teasing voice drifted over. “Wow. Lin Le, you listen to books like that?”
His scalp went numb in an instant, the tingling sensation running down his spine. Heat rushed upward and his heart began pounding wildly. Lin Le’s mind was completely blank now, with only two words endlessly looping inside it: I’m finished.
I’m finished…why did they have to hear that one of all things…
Zhou Zhongshe’s voice carried laughter too. “Lin Le, which one of us are you trying to make like you?”
Zhou Zhongshe’s words only poured oil on the fire. Lin Le’s face was now unnaturally red. He lowered his head and did not dare raise it. He wished his ears could shut themselves too, so he would not have to hear what they were saying.
His fingers tightened around the phone. Lin Le’s voice trembled. “No, I-I tapped the wrong thing. I wasn’t reading that.”
That hateful Little Green River. Why did it have to give books names like that? Now look what had happened. He was finished.
Fu Ji heard the commotion outside and came out to ask, “What happened
