Long Xing, thoroughly drunk, leaned against the wall for support and turned his head—only to lock eyes directly with the girl's large, beautiful eyes.
He froze, his eyes widening in shock.
An eerie silence fell over the scene.
His gaze instinctively dropped to the girl's face. Perhaps because she'd just been running, her cheeks glowed pink under the lamplight, her forehead dotted with fine beads of sweat that dampened her bangs, adding an extra touch of vulnerability that tugged at the heart.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly with heavy breaths, and her eyes held a trace of wariness toward him—like a stray kitten on high alert.
An Han forced an awkward, polite smile.
*He saw me. He definitely recognized me...*
Long Ge had gone to a club gathering today. He'd left the dorm that evening, and An Han had assumed he'd long since returned. Who could've guessed they'd bump into each other like this in the dead of night—and get spotted instantly!
*The more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen!* It'd always been that way for him, ever since he was a kid.
Being caught cross-dressing by his roommate of nearly three years was mortifying—but for the sake of his mission, he had to swallow his shame for now.
An Han steeled his expression, putting on a blank face as he walked toward Long Xing. Since he'd been recognized anyway, there was no point hiding anymore. Best to bribe him into silence right away.
"You—"
The drunken Long Xing suddenly snapped to attention. He straightened his back, smoothed his hair with his hand, and flashed what he thought was his most charming smile. "Hey, what a coincidence! Are you heading back to the dorm too, miss?"
"???"
An Han, who'd just stepped up to him, was utterly bewildered.
He stared blankly at Long Xing, his brain momentarily short-circuiting.
*What? What the hell? What "miss"?*
An Han stood rooted to the spot as Long Xing leaned closer. "What's your name, miss? I'm Long Xing—friends usually call me Brother Long."
*So you didn't recognize me at all! Then what the hell were you staring at me for the past few minutes?!*
Now he couldn't say a word—if he opened his mouth, Long Xing would instantly realize he was a guy.
So he adopted a wary expression, crossed his arms, took two steps back, and shook his head firmly.
"Don't be scared—I'm not a bad guy," Long Xing said gently, flashing a warm, sunny smile.
But An Han's eyes drifted to the extensive tattoos peeking out from Long Xing's short sleeves, then to his buzz cut that looked straight out of a prison lineup.
Though Long Xing was undeniably handsome and muscular, his whole vibe screamed "dangerous." Back in their freshman year, An Han had seriously thought this guy was some reformed gangster who'd suddenly fallen in love with studying—which was why he'd respectfully called him "Brother Long" ever since.
Long Xing ran his fingers through his hair again, revealing a set of blindingly white teeth as he tried his hardest to look harmless.
But with his sharp features and that grin, he looked less like a friendly neighbor and more like a henchman straight out of a crime drama.
*Doesn't that stubble hurt when you run your fingers through it?*
An Han silently stepped aside, slipping past Long Xing and continuing toward the school's back gate.
It was already deep into the night, and all the school entrances were locked tight. The only way back in was to climb over the wall.
He expertly made his way to the fence by the back gate, glancing around for the usual stepping stone he'd left there.
"That rock's been moved," Long Xing called out, trailing behind him persistently.
*Since when? How come I didn't know?*
An Han turned back, confused, only to see Long Xing shrug helplessly. "Otherwise, I'd have climbed over already."
The iron fence stood over two meters tall—far too high for An Han to reach the top, even with a jump. And even if he could grab hold, he lacked the strength to pull himself up.
Long Xing probably could manage it—but he was drunk.
"Hey, miss," Long Xing pressed closer, shamelessly grinning, "how about we help each other out? I'll boost you up first, then you pull me over?"
*No wonder Long Xing's being so forward today.* Normally, this guy barely spoke to girls—after all these years, he didn't have a single female friend.
An Han looked up at him, silent and conflicted.
To complete his mission, he needed to get back to the dorm—but to do that, he'd have to risk exposure by cooperating with Long Xing to scale the wall.
*Don't speak!*
He instantly understood the danger.
As long as he stayed silent, his imperfect cross-dressing might pass unnoticed in the cover of night—especially with Long Xing drunk. But if he spoke, his voice would give him away instantly.
So he pressed his lips together tightly and gave a firm nod.
"Miss, why aren't you saying anything?" Long Xing asked, puzzled. "You're not mute, are you?"
*Are you seriously asking that?*
An Han had actually considered playing the "mute girl" card—but now that Long Xing had brought it up, using that excuse would seem way too obvious.
Without overthinking it, he took another step back, maintaining his wary, cautious expression as his eyes darted between Long Xing's tattooed arms and his buzz cut.
He tried to recall how heroines in movies looked when cornered by villains—vulnerable and frightened—and even pinched the soft flesh at his waist hard enough to make his eyes water.
"I really am not a bad guy!" Long Xing insisted, growing a bit frantic. "Don't you need to get back to your dorm? I'm stuck out here too—climbing together would be easier for both of us, right?"
His words slurred slightly, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet.
An Han hesitated, then nodded slowly.
He genuinely needed Long Xing's help to get back inside. At this hour, campus security definitely wouldn't open the gates for him.
"An Han?"
He instinctively looked up—only to find Long Xing studying him curiously. Panicked, he quickly turned his head away, hiding his face in the shadow cast by the streetlamp.
His heart pounded wildly, his toes curled tightly inside his shoes, his throat dry. At that moment, he was already mentally rehearsing how to explain his cross-dressing to his roommate.
*Maybe I should just bluntly confess I'm a pervert? They probably wouldn't even be surprised.*
"The moment I saw you, I thought you looked just like my roommate," Long Xing scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "For a second, I thought it was him sneaking out in women's clothes in the middle of the night. Are you… maybe his relative or something?"
"…"
"Why won't you say anything?" Long Xing muttered, turning toward the fence. "Come on over. You step on my shoulders first, then pull me up after."
An Han hurried forward, only to see Long Xing already crouching with his back against the fence.
"This…"
He felt uneasy—maybe it was because he was getting older, but this felt way too risky. Back when he was a kid, he'd have jumped off a three-meter-high ledge without a second thought.
"Hurry up," Long Xing urged.
An Han gripped the fence tightly and carefully placed his foot on Long Xing's bent thigh, held parallel to the ground.
*Not bad… pretty stable…*
Long Xing's eyes immediately locked onto the delicate little leather shoes on the girl's feet. His gaze traveled upward—past the graceful ankles, the smooth, slender calves, and finally to the softly curved, subtly plump thighs.
His arms unavoidably brushed against An Han's legs, and the silky smoothness of the black stockings sent a shiver through this lifelong bachelor's heart.
Distracted, Long Xing suddenly felt his burden lighten—looking up, he saw that An Han had already scrambled to the top of the fence and was now sitting astride it, looking down at him.
"Pull me up," Long Xing said, standing and leaping to grab the top of the fence—but his drunken muscles failed him, leaving him dangling helplessly.
But An Han didn't even glance back. He simply hopped down the other side and walked away.
"Hey! You're supposed to help me down!" Long Xing wailed, watching the girl's retreating silhouette disappear into the night. "You can't just abandon me like this after I helped you!"
Help you? Like hell I will! If I help you get in, how am I supposed to get back to the dorm myself?!