It was a rare occasion—the five roommates had gathered together in the cafeteria.
The five of them sat on opposite sides of a dining table.
Each had ordered a simple meal and was chatting while eating.
“The dorm electricity bill needs to be paid,” Chen Zhilong said while checking the prepaid balance.
“It’s almost used up. We kept running the air conditioner every day before, so the electricity cost was pretty high. Now we don’t need the AC anymore. Let’s recharge three hundred first? That should last about a month.”
“Sixty per person?”
Lin Mingxin’s face twitched painfully.
“I’m already eating at the cafeteria with you guys. Can we pay a little less?”
“You’ve already spent your living expenses before the end of the month?”
“I bought a gift for my girlfriend.”
He turned to accuse Wang Zuhao.
“It’s all Wang Zuhao’s fault. Even when it was only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees, he insisted on turning on the air conditioner. Otherwise our electricity wouldn’t have been used up so fast. You should pay more!”
Wang Zuhao snorted.
“Didn’t you enjoy the air conditioner too?”
“Didn’t you see me freezing and wearing a jacket before?”
The two sides of the table were almost starting an argument.
Meanwhile, Bai Yao was sitting quietly beside Qiu Ye, as if the electricity bill had nothing to do with them.
Bai Yao had always been too lazy to get involved in things like this.
If the electricity fee was split evenly and everyone paid sixty, then he would just pay sixty—even if he secretly agreed with Lin Mingxin.
He simply wasn’t good at arguing and always tried to avoid anything that might lead to conflict.
As for Qiu Ye, his attention was completely focused on Bai Yao and not on anything else happening around him.
“Your soup. Don’t let it get cold.”
“Mm.”
Bai Yao had only ordered one meat dish and one vegetable, along with a fist-sized portion of rice.
But after eating about half, he frowned and started biting his chopsticks.
The feeling of heaviness in his lower abdomen wasn’t exactly painful, but it still ruined his appetite.
On top of that, he had been suffering from the **DEBUFF** for several days, and his bad mood made his appetite even worse.
“Do you want some braised pork?”
He shook his head, then still picked up his chopsticks and tried to eat a bit more to avoid wasting food.
Of course, with Qiu Ye around, the food wouldn’t be wasted anyway.
“If you don’t want it, give it to me.”
Wang Zuhao snatched a piece of braised pork from Qiu Ye’s plate.
“Bai Yao, you’re not eating either?”
“Well…”
Qiu Ye immediately grabbed Bai Yao’s plate and moved it in front of himself, looking extremely protective of the food.
It was fine if someone took his food—but not Bai Yao’s!
Wang Zuhao rolled his eyes.
“If you take it all, what will Bai Yao eat?”
“It’s fine. I don’t really have an appetite anyway.”
Bai Yao picked up the free pickled-vegetable egg-drop soup from the cafeteria and drank it in two or three gulps.
Then he stood up to get another bowl.
In the past, he didn’t care for hot water or hot soup at all.
No matter the season, he always preferred iced water or drinks.
But after drinking it for several days, he realized warm drinks actually felt pretty good—at least his stomach felt much more comfortable.
After Bai Yao walked away, Wang Zuhao asked curiously, “Is he still sick?”
“It’s been several days already,” Chen Zhilong said with concern.
“Did he see the school doctor?”
“He did,” Qiu Ye lied without hesitation.
“It should get better in another couple of days.”
Lin Mingxin muttered, “That’s almost a week already. Could it be menstrual cramps?”
Was this guy a little too sharp?
Qiu Ye brushed it off casually.
“Menstrual cramps? Come on, what man gets menstrual cramps?”
“He acts delicate like a girl anyway,” Wang Zuhao joked out of habit.
“I wouldn’t even be surprised if he actually got his period.”
“…”
Qiu Ye quickly changed the subject.
“So how are we splitting the electricity bill? You should pay a bit more, right?”
“Damn! It’s not like you guys didn’t enjoy the AC! I’m fat and afraid of heat, okay? Can’t you treat fat people a little better?”
The other roommates all looked at Wang Zuhao with synchronized disdain.
You still dare to represent all fat people? You’re the one ruining their reputation!
Wang Zuhao covered his face dramatically.
“Damn it! I’m depressed!”
At that moment Bai Yao came back with his soup and immediately saw Wang Zuhao being collectively bullied.
Feeling a little soft-hearted, he leaned toward Qiu Ye and whispered, “What happened to him?”
“He deserves it.”
The warm breath from Bai Yao’s words tickled Qiu Ye’s ear.
He could even faintly smell the subtle fragrance from Bai Yao’s body—like orchids carried on soft breath.
**[Qiu Ye’s heart skipped a beat…]**
Bai Yao froze for a moment before noticing Qiu Ye’s ear tips had turned red.
Qiu Ye subconsciously tilted his head away to create some distance.
His ears were actually that sensitive?
That meant his money-making efficiency could improve again.
During the past few days of his “period,” he had been earning about five hundred yuan per day on average!
If menstrual cramps weren’t so tormenting, he might have wished the period could last an entire month so he could earn fifteen thousand yuan a month.
Well… Qiu Ye’s body might not be able to handle it though.
But judging from how young and strong he looked, it should be fine, right?
“I’m leaving first. I have a date at noon.”
Lin Mingxin finished eating first and walked away proudly with his tray while the others watched with envy and jealousy.
Qiu Ye also quickly finished Bai Yao’s leftovers.
Normally, whether ordering takeout or eating in the cafeteria, he needed to eat one and a half portions or even more.
But finishing Bai Yao’s leftovers was just right for him.
“Let’s go too.”
“Mm.”
Bai Yao followed behind Qiu Ye like a little tail.
“You two aren’t going back to the dorm at noon?”
Chen Zhilong asked curiously.
“I’m taking Bai Yao to see the school doctor.”
“Didn’t you say he already saw one?”
“Follow-up check.”
Even though he said that, Qiu Ye himself didn’t actually know where he was taking Bai Yao.
Bai Yao simply followed along blindly.
After they returned their trays and walked out of the cafeteria, he finally caught up and asked:
“Where are we going?”
“Let’s just walk around and help digestion.”
Qiu Ye pulled out a small bag of dried tofu and jerky from his jacket pocket.
“The sun is pretty strong. Maybe getting some sunlight will help with menstrual cramps. Want some?”
“Let me try.”
Qiu Ye ate a lot and constantly had snacks.
No one knew how he managed to maintain his weight.
Bai Yao tore open the package, took a small bite, and found the taste pretty good.
It even stimulated his appetite, so he stuffed the whole piece into his mouth, chewing with puffed cheeks.
The sunshine today was indeed pleasant—bright, slightly warm, but not enough to make people sweat.
The sky was an endless clear blue without a cloud in sight, making anyone who looked at it feel relaxed.
Bai Yao didn’t usually like the sun, but during his period, sunlight really did make him feel more comfortable.
He glanced at Qiu Ye walking beside him.
Under the sunlight, Qiu Ye’s black hair was coated with a golden glow.
His sharp, aggressive features softened a bit in the light, making him look extremely handsome.
His tall figure—over one meter eighty—seemed even more imposing to Bai Yao, always giving him a sense of security.
In fact, it wasn’t just a feeling of security.
It was real.
Qiu Ye had protected him countless times.
“Hm?”
Bai Yao hurriedly lowered his head to avoid Qiu Ye’s gaze.
Suddenly he realized his face was a little red.
For no reason, the question that had been buried in his heart surfaced again—and this time he wanted the answer more than ever.
Bai Yao gently tugged on Qiu Ye’s sleeve.
Qiu Ye turned around.
Behind him, Bai Yao stood in the shade of the trees, head lowered, clutching his sleeve.
His legs were pressed tightly together as he stood there.
He looked shy—almost like a bashful girl.
Although Bai Yao often behaved in feminine ways, it was rare to see such a girlish expression on his face.
“What is it?” Qiu Ye suddenly felt nervous.
“Um… do you… like me?”
Bai Yao tried to ask in a casual, joking tone, but once the words left his mouth, he stuttered nervously.
“……”
He had asked a similar question before, but that time he had panicked and brushed it off quickly.
This time, however, he simply stood there quietly, waiting for an answer.
Qiu Ye’s gaze flickered.
Finally, he sighed softly, reached out, and grabbed Bai Yao’s hand, pulling him out from the shade of the trees.
Then he answered calmly:
“Yeah.”
Damn it.
He was going all in.
If Bai Yao’s orientation was toward girls, then he was completely finished.
Despite his calm expression, Qiu Ye’s legs were trembling slightly with nervousness.