Freshman Welcome Gala

Duan Xu turned to look and smiled. "Tang Che? What a coincidence."

Tang Che was their class's Youth League secretary. He was fairly good-looking, but more importantly, he had a gentle temperament that made him feel like the friendly older brother next door.

"A senior gave me this ticket. I hadn't planned on coming, but I had nothing else to do, so I came anyway. Good thing I did," Tang Che said with a smile.

The corner of Duan Xu's lips curled up. "My roommate gave me mine. He's performing tonight."

"Really? Which act?" Tang Che asked.

Duan Xu said, "Classical dance. He's seventh."

"That's pretty impressive. Classical dance isn't easy to learn." Tang Che took out a bag of small cookies. "Want some?"

Duan Xu waved his hand. "Thanks, but I just ate."

"Mm." Tang Che said nothing else and put the cookies away.

Tang Che continued chatting with Duan Xu. They had barely exchanged a few words when Duan Xu heard Shen Yanlang's voice.

Are they that close?

Why do they keep talking without stopping?

He talks more with him than he does with me, his roommate.

Duan Xu: "..."

Shen Yanlang deliberately called out to Duan Xu, then said, "The gala's about to start. Pay attention."

As he spoke, Shen Yanlang shot Tang Che a sidelong glance, his gaze unfriendly.

Tang Che noticed and met Shen Yanlang's eyes. A moment later, they both looked away.

Duan Xu had not noticed their exchange. He merely tilted his head to glance at Shen Yanlang, then turned his attention back to the stage and waited for the gala to begin. But then—

Hmph. He's not as tall as me, not as handsome as me, and he's a beta. What is there to talk about?

Duan Xu: "..."

Why did Shen Yanlang sound like a neglected little wife?

Eugh—Duan Xu hurriedly threw that thought out of his head. It was far too horrifying.

The gala began, and about forty minutes later, it was Zhou Zhou's turn to perform.

Zhou Zhou was performing alone. He had changed into a white robe, put on a long wig, and painted a red beauty mark between his brows. The moment he stood onstage, he looked like an elegant young gentleman who had stepped straight out of ancient times.

The moment he appeared, the audience erupted into screams.

"Ahhh! Who is that handsome guy? He's so damn hot!"

"Oh my God! My heart's been shot through!"

"Handsome guy, look at me!"

Zhou Zhou ignored the crowd onstage. As the music began, he danced gracefully to the beat of the drums. Every time he performed a difficult move, screams erupted from below the stage.

Shen Yanlang suddenly nudged Duan Xu and leaned close to whisper, "Look at Xiao Xu."

Xiao Xu was sitting on Shen Yanlang's other side. Duan Xu looked over. The lighting was dim, but he could tell that Xiao Xu was completely absorbed, staring unblinkingly at Zhou Zhou.

Duan Xu could not hold back a smile. "He's kind of a creep," he whispered.

In the dim light, Duan Xu's smiling eyes shone like stars. Shen Yanlang stared blankly at him.

His eyes... are so beautiful.

Hearing that, Duan Xu's heart skipped a beat. It was not the first time someone had praised him, but this person was Shen Yanlang—and he had praised him in his thoughts. The feeling was somewhat strange.

Just then, someone nudged Duan Xu again. He turned around and saw Tang Che.

Tang Che lowered his voice as well. Duan Xu instinctively leaned closer. "Your roommate is really good. You couldn't build that kind of foundation without at least ten years of practice."

"He said he started learning when he was five," Duan Xu replied quietly.

Why is this guy so annoying?

Shen Yanlang's expression darkened slightly, his gaze deep. Unable to focus on the performance any longer, he kept staring at the back of Duan Xu's head.

Duan Xu: "..."

To accommodate Shen Yanlang's little mood, Duan Xu stopped after saying a few words and pretended to watch the performance attentively, ignoring everyone.

When the performance ended, Xiao Xu was the first to stand up. He said he was going backstage to find Zhou Zhou and told them to keep watching.

Duan Xu had wanted to go too, but Shen Yanlang grabbed him. "Do you want to be a third wheel?"

His wrist is so thin.

Duan Xu paused before sitting back down, automatically filtering out Shen Yanlang's inner thoughts.

When the gala ended and the crowd began to leave, Tang Che still wanted to speak with Duan Xu, but Shen Yanlang pulled Duan Xu away in another direction.

Tang Che watched their retreating backs thoughtfully. Shen Yanlang was an alpha—could he really like a beta?

But even if he did, that did not mean Duan Xu would like an alpha.

*

When they returned to the dorm, Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu had not come back yet. No one knew what they had gone off to do, but the two of them tactfully did not ask.

The following evening was the freshman welcome gala for Shen Yanlang's college. The seats he had gotten were near the front and right in the middle—the best viewing spot.

After the three of them sat down, Duan Xu noticed that Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu seemed to have endless things to talk about. He could not get a word in at all.

So, what had happened last night?

Duan Xu was very curious, but too embarrassed to ask. He would just wait patiently and watch the performances.

Shen Yanlang was the finale. The earlier acts were mediocre, and the audience was not particularly enthusiastic—until Shen Yanlang stepped onto the stage.

"Ahhh! The campus heartthrob! The campus heartthrob!"

"Waiting this long was totally worth it!"

"A violin! He's playing the violin! What kind of aristocratic young master is this?"

Duan Xu silently thought, He really is an aristocratic young master. Shen Yanlang's family was among the most prominent in City A.

With a snap, the lights went dark, leaving only a single spotlight on Shen Yanlang.

Shen Yanlang wore a white shirt and a bow tie. He rested the violin on his shoulder, gave the audience a faint smile, and began to play with elegant ease.

The audience held their breath. Some were dazzled by Shen Yanlang's smile, while others were afraid of missing even a single note.

The violin's melody rose and echoed through the spacious performance hall. After a while, Duan Xu heard someone behind him say, "That's Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major!"

Duan Xu looked at Shen Yanlang onstage, hearing nothing but the violin. Before he knew it, he had become lost in the performance. Only when applause rang out did he begin clapping along.

At that moment, Duan Xu felt an indescribable emotion. Shen Yanlang was far too dazzling onstage, like light itself—untouchable.

The moment Shen Yanlang came offstage, he sent Duan Xu a message: [Have Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu go order first. Come back to the dorm with me so I can change.]

Duan Xu: [Do I really need to go back with you?]

Shen Yanlang: [I'll wait for you backstage.]

The unarguable words made Duan Xu too afraid to voice a refusal. In the end, he replied: [Okay.]

Shen Yanlang insisted on having him along, which meant he already considered Duan Xu a good brother.

Mm, not bad!

Duan Xu put away his phone, told Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu, then slipped out with them.

Behind the performance hall, Shen Yanlang was already waiting. When he saw Duan Xu, he said, "Let's go."

"Mm."

Once they reached the dorm, Shen Yanlang did not avoid Duan Xu at all. He directly unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, exposing eight sharply defined abs and his V-line right before Duan Xu's eyes.

Duan Xu glanced at them and felt very envious, but when he saw Shen Yanlang undoing his belt, he jumped in fright.

He abruptly turned around. "Why don't you change in the bathroom?"

Seeing Duan Xu with his back to him, Shen Yanlang chuckled. "What are you afraid of? We're both guys. You have what I have."