Guo Cheng Yu's POV
He wasn't sure when it started this need to look over his shoulder just to make sure Jiang Xiao Shuai was still there.
Maybe it was that night after the bubble tea hangout. Shuai had laughed more than usual. He hadn't flinched when Cheng Yu's arm brushed his. He even stayed back to help clean up after the others left. It felt... soft. Quiet. Real.
Now Cheng Yu was pacing his dorm room, half-listening to his podcast, half-watching his phone. No new messages. Not from Xiao Shuai.
He flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
They hadn't defined anything. They hadn't kissed again, not yet. But they were something now, right?
He grabbed his phone and typed: ''You wanna come over tomorrow? Movie or something dumb?''
Then deleted it.
Rewrote: "You good?"
Deleted again.
Groaned into his pillow.
Before he could overthink it a third time, his phone buzzed. From Shuai.
''Meng Tao texted me again.''
Everything inside Cheng Yu snapped to attention. His thumb hovered over the screen.
''Want to talk about it?''
No reply.
He stared at the dots that appeared... then vanished.
Jiang Xiao Shuai's POV
He sat curled on his bed, hoodie sleeves pulled over his palms, phone resting on his stomach. The message still glowed on the screen: Meng Tao – "Can we meet? Just once?"
Shuai didn't reply. Instead, he shut his eyes and let his mind wander back to that laugh. Guo Cheng Yu's laugh at the bubble tea shop. The way he looked at him like Xiao Shuai wasn't too complicated, or fragile, or hard to love.
And yet... here was Meng Tao. Again.
He bit his lip and typed to Cheng Yu:
''Meng Tao texted me again.''
As soon as he hit send, his stomach twisted. Why did it feel like betrayal, even though it wasn't?
Cheng Yu's reply came fast:
''Want to talk about it?''
Shuai hesitated. His fingers hovered. His heart pounded.
He wanted to talk. But more than that, he wanted Cheng Yu to stay. Even if he couldn't say it out loud yet.
He typed slowly:
''Can I come over tomorrow?''
The answer came instantly.
''Anytime.''
And for the first time in a long time, Shuai let his body relax.
Tomorrow was soon.
And this time, he wouldn't run.