Freshers' Welcome Party

Duan Xu turned to look and smiled. "Tang Che? It is quite a coincidence."

Tang Che was their class's Youth League secretary. He was fairly good-looking, but more importantly, he had a gentle temperament, giving off the feeling of a friendly boy next door.

"A senior gave me this ticket. I wasn't planning to come, but I had nothing else to do, so I came. Good thing I did." Tang Che smiled.

The corners of Duan Xu's lips lifted. "My roommate gave me mine. He has a performance tonight."

"Really? Which one?" 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 cookies. "Want some?"

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

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

Tang Che continued chatting with Duan Xu. After only a few exchanges, Duan Xu heard Shen Yanlang's voice.

Are they that close?

Why do they keep talking nonstop?

He can talk more with him than with me, his roommate.

Duan Xu: "..."

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

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

Tang Che noticed. Their eyes met, then after a moment, they each looked away.

Duan Xu did not notice their exchange. He merely glanced at Shen Yanlang before turning his gaze back to the stage, waiting for the party to begin. But then—

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

Duan Xu: "..."

Why did Shen Yanlang sound like a neglected little wife?

Eugh—Duan Xu hurriedly shook off the thought. It was far too horrifying.

The party began, and around forty minutes later, it was Zhou Zhou's turn.

Zhou Zhou performed alone. He had changed into a long white robe, donned a long wig, and dotted a red beauty mark between his brows. The moment he stood onstage, he looked like a graceful young gentleman who had stepped straight out of ancient times.

The instant he appeared, the audience erupted into screams.

"Ahhh! Who is that handsome guy? He's fucking gorgeous!"

"Oh my god! My heart just got sniped!"

"Handsome guy, look at me!"

Zhou Zhou ignored everyone onstage. As the music began, he danced gracefully to the beat of the drums. Every difficult move was met with a wave of screams from below.

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

Xiao Xu sat 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 at Zhou Zhou without blinking.

Duan Xu could not help smiling. He whispered, "A little stalkerish."

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

His eyes... are so beautiful.

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

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

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

"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 deepening. Unable to focus on the performance, he kept staring at the back of Duan Xu's head.

Duan Xu: "..."

To accommodate Shen Yanlang's little mood, Duan Xu said a couple of words before pretending to watch the performance attentively, speaking to no one.

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 slender.

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

When the party 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 backs thoughtfully. Shen Yanlang was an alpha—could he really like a beta?

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

When they returned to the dormitory, Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu had not come back yet. Who knew what they had gone off to do, but the two of them tactfully did not ask.

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

After the three of them sat down, Duan Xu realized 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 he was too embarrassed to ask. Better to just watch the performances.

Shen Yanlang's performance was the finale. The earlier acts were mediocre, and the audience was not especially enthusiastic—until Shen Yanlang walked onto the stage.

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

"Waiting this long was 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 A City.

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

Shen Yanlang wore a white shirt and a bow tie. He placed the violin on his shoulder, smiled faintly at the audience, then began to play with elegant poise.

The audience held their breath. Some had been dazzled by Shen Yanlang's smile, while others feared missing a single note.

The violin rang out, echoing 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 watched Shen Yanlang onstage, with nothing but the sound of the violin in his ears. Without realizing it, he became lost in the performance. Only when the applause began did he clap along.

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

The moment Shen Yanlang left the stage, he sent Duan Xu a message: [Tell Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu to go order first. Come back to the dorm with me to change.]

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

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

The uncompromising message made Duan Xu too afraid to refuse. In the end, he replied: [Okay.]

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

Mm, not bad!

Duan Xu put away his phone, told Zhou Zhou and Xiao Xu, and 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 dormitory, Shen Yanlang made no effort to avoid Duan Xu. He directly unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, exposing eight sharply defined abdominal muscles and his V-line before Duan Xu's eyes.

Duan Xu glanced at him, feeling rather envious, but when he saw Shen Yanlang undo his belt, he was startled.

He abruptly turned around. "Why aren't you changing in the bathroom?"

Seeing Duan Xu turn his back on him, Shen Yanlang chuckled. "What are you afraid of? We're both guys. What I have, you have too."