[46]

This night, the three boys were doing homework in the dormitory.

Domineering Guy threw a pen on the desk angrily, “Chen, we need to talk.”

Sitting up straight, Coquettish Guy did not move, but his body stiffened slightly. Straight Guy became nervous, because this wired atmosphere reminded him of the childhood scene when his parents quarreled with each other. He felt a little bit helpless immediately.

Coquettish Guy replied in a cool tone, “No. We’ve talked about it.”

“That’s only your idea! I didn’t agree. I’ll never break up with you!” Domineering Guy yelled at Coquettish Guy suddenly. The dormitory fell into awkward silence briefly. Coquettish Guy was helpless, “Won’t you get off my back?”

Straight Guy stood up from the seat before Domineering Guy replied Coquettish Guy. Then, the two boys paused at the same time and both were astonished by Straight Guy.

In general, Straight Guy was a mild person without any aggressive behavior, therefore, they did not deliberately avoid Straight Guy even after the relationship was discovered. However, Straight Guy was not an insensible child and he also felt uncomfortable when his two roommates’ relationship soured. “I’m ok. I just need some fresh air.” No sooner had Straight Guy finished speaking than he ran out, leaving Domineering Guy and Coquettish Guy staring at each other.

Coquettish Guy, “You have to say those words in front of Zhou Yang (Straight Guy), don’t you?”

Domineering Guy, “No, I don’t. But what else can I do? Chen, you are driving me crazy. Do I have to beg you not to leave me in the classroom in front of more people?”

“You…” Coquettish Guy was a little bit moved, “Don’t talk about it now. Let’s find Zhou Yang first. We have to explain the whole thing to him.”

Domineering Guy looked at him with a complicated feeling, “I’ll find him. You go to sleep after finishing the test paper.”

“No, let’s find him together.” Coquettish Guy was avoiding Domineering Guy, which was rarely seen recently.

“Ok. Together.”

[47]

When they found Straight Guy, he was sitting on the edge of the grove alone and looked a little pathetic. Coquettish Guy walked to him and said softly, “Zhou Yang, go back. It’s too late.”

Straight Guy raised his head and looked at them, “Have you made up yet?”

Coquettish Guy sat beside Straight Guy, “Sorry, we shouldn’t have said these things in the dorm. This is between Zhou Ming (Domineering Guy) and me. But, don’t worry. No matter what happened between us, you are our best brother. This will never change.”

Straight Guy, “You won’t quarrel anymore, will you?”

Domineering Guy glanced at Coquettish Guy. Coquettish Guy nodded compliantly, “Won’t quarrel in the dorm anymore.”

Seeing wify (Coquettish Guy) tolerated Straight Guy so much, a good idea struck Domineering Guy. He winked at Straight Guy many times, intending that Straight Guy would help them to make up once and for all. However, Straight Guy merely glanced at Domineering Guy and did not decode the meaning of the winks.

“Ok. In the future, please talk to each other nicely. No more fights.” Straight Guy muttered and stood up to go back to the dormitory.

Domineering Guy watched them going back to the dorm and signed, “Damn the child, you could’ve helped me out for such a good opportunity!”

[48]

The person who actually triggered the breakup drama appeared unexpectedly.

This weekend, Coquettish Guy went back home, therefore, Domineering Guy felt like going back home as well. Seeing the son returning home, The Domineering’s mother patted her thigh, “Ah! You papa just left, he was invited by Uncle Ji (Coquettish Guy’s father) for a meal. Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you are coming back?”

“Why did Uncle Ji invite papa?”

“Chen didn’t tell you, did he?” The Domineering’s mother said, “Your papa helped Uncle Ji to find someone who organized Chen’s studying abroad issue.”

“What! It was papa.”

“What’s wrong? Do you want to go too?” The Domineering’s mother said, “Actually, I’ve thought about whether to send you abroad. But your father said is right. It is better to study in domestic collage for a few years before going abroad. Uncle Ji has more than one son, so, he can bear the separation. You’re the only son in our family, so I can’t part with you..”

Domineering Guy understood the whole thing instantly. Uncle Ji had to depend on his father in terms of business. In childhood, when Uncle Ji sent Little Ji Chen to play with him for the first time, they brought a heap of snacks and toys, Little Ji was like a peace-making marriage princess to please Domineering Guy., Afterwards, Domineering’s father became more and more powerful. Uncle Ji’s business was getting bigger and bigger. So, Uncle Ji was willing to see Domineering Guy and his son maintain their friendship, while the other  father was more and more disinclined to see that.

Domineering Guy understood the causes clearly. The reason why the wify intended to break up with him was that his father interfered. Then, at night, Domineering Guy closed the study room and negotiated with his father.

Domineering Guy, “Papa, you have to think clearly. If Chen doesn’t go to B collage, I’ll behave badly in the college entrance examination.”

The Domineering’s father went furious immediately, “This is your future. You can’t threaten me.”

Domineering Guy was angry to a vertex and sobered himself a little instead, “It’s not that simple. You think I’ll become straight after Chen was sent abroad? Ridiculous! To be honest, I’m gay. You can’t change it. You can send Ji Chen away now. In the future, can you send Zhou Yang away too?”

The Domineering’s father, “??? What are you talking about?”

Domineering Guy showed a meaningful expression and walked out with a snort. The Domineering’s father held the desk, taking a deep breath and feeling this matter was beyond him.

[49]

Domineering Guy’s father could make Uncle Ji to send his son away using carrot and stick approach. But this wouldn’t work on Zhou Yang’s parents who were honest and ordinary citizens and did not count on The Domineering’s father’s benefits. If The Domineering’s father were to take advantage of his official position to send Zhou Yang abroad, he would be reported by others.

This puzzled The Domineering’s father. Threatening Ji Chen was easy, but it was difficult to threaten a boy from a law-abiding family, unless the son left them willingly. Now, it was the critical period of college entrance examination. His son had good academic performance all the time. He had to count on his son to bring honor. Offending his son at this time was unwise. On the weekend night, Domineering Guy lingered at home, playing games and eating the crab cooked by mom.

“What are you doing?” The Domineering’s father was angry as soon as he saw his son, “You haven’t gone back to school yet. Do you want to quit school?”

“School is boring as beans. Nothing excites me there.” Domineering Guy continued to eat crab.

The Domineering’s father was about to lose his temper but he didn’t want his wife get involved, so he lowered the voice, “Zhou Ming, I’m telling you, don’t cross the line. What do you want?”

Domineering Guy laid down the crab leg, “If you don’t mess with me, I don’t mess with you. I just feel school is boring.” And then he resumed crossing his legs on the sofa and refused to go to school.

The Domineering’s father was helpless and asked Ji Chen’s father for Ji Chen’s phone number. He hid in the study room, “Chen, this is Uncle Zhou, please do me a favor….”

….

Zhou-Domineering-Rascally-Guy received the phone call from Ji Chen, he wiped the mouth contentedly after eating another crab. He finally decided to go back to school. Before leaving home, he brought some carbs for his wify and son and said some harsh words, “Dad, don’t send Chen away. Don’t push me too much. I’ll prove it to you, even if your son is a gay, he is a gay who brings you honor.”

[50]

At night, Domineering Guy came back to the dorm, seeing Straight Guy and Coquettish Guy had already arrived.

He walked in the dorm with a gloomy face, carrying a box of crab. Straight Guy raised his head in surprise, glancing at Domineering Guy and was going to say something. Domineering Guy stopped him, “Zhou Yang, here are the crabs. You go out for a while. Close the door for there may be PG scenes coming up.”

He behaved so domineeringly that Straight Guy didn’t dare to reject so he just silently took the crabs.

“Hold on. Get some crabs for Chen. The rest is yours.”

“Got it.” Straight Guy opened the box obediently, preparing to set out the crabs.

“Forget it.” Domineering Guy said, “Tonight, he won’t have time to eat them. There is no refrigerator in our dorm. They are all yours.”

“Ok. Ok.” Straight Guy was shocked by his domineering tone and subconsciously Straight Guy knew he forgot to tell Domineering Guy something but he couldn’t recall what it was.

Coquettish Guy knew what was going to happen. Receiving the call form The Domineering’s father, he understood Domineering Guy had known the whole thing and he was prepared for the interrogation. Domineering Guy walked up to Coquettish Guy, pressing him on the bed and stooping slightly to face him closely with a dangerous tone, “Chen, you are giving me a headache.”

“Bang.” The door was opened suddenly.

It was Straight Guy, he showing an expression that seeing it with his own eyes was still shocked, even expecting it before and that he shouldn’t be here. Therefore, he warned Domineering Guy with a low voice, “Boss, I forgot to tell you something. English teacher said whoever failed to submit the homework before 8 o’clock must copy it for fifty times. And you have missed the deadline.”

Domineering Guy, “Fuck!”

What Coquettish Guy had worried did not happen, because our endearing Domineering Guy, the King of the past, was busy with copying English test paper under the lamp.

[51]

That night, Domineering Guy still educated Coquettish Guy a bit in a physical way, “In the future, please share it with me no matter what happens. Don’t worry about me and my father. I’m his son no matter what happened.”

Coquettish Guy shined longings in his eyes and his lips got swollen but he still tried to persuade Domineering Guy who was under a strong sexual desire to stay calm, “Zhou Ming, it is not as simple as you think.”

Domineering Guy hugged him tightly, “I know. It’s not simple. But I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of anything if I can be with you, I’ll not fear anything. Don’t hide it from me anymore. If my dad separates us, I can fight back. But I’m at wit’s end when you ignore me.”

Coquettish Guy was a bashful person unlike Domineering Guy. He blushed and felt speechless, feeling like moving slightly but was hugged harder.

Domineering Guy knew that Coquettish Guy was embarrassed by being so intimate around someone else, he chuckled, “Next time you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll kiss you in front of Zhou Yang.”

Straight Guy looked back silently. He watched them resignedly with his earphones on and thought awkwardly, “Damn, my earphones were not noise proof enough.”

“Zhou, turn back.” Coquettish Guy tried to stay calm.

“Gosh.” Straight Guy pushed the earphones further down his ears, he felt happy secretly when he turned back because the harmonious atmosphere appeared in the dormitory again. How wonderful!

[52]

The college entrance examination was just around the corner. Domineering Guy buried himself in books while indulged himself with passionate love. Some observant classmates had unavoidably witnessed the unusual love signs.

Last time, the temperature of the air conditioner was set too low in the classroom. Coquettish Guy woke up with frigid fingers after a nap. He couldn’t help rubbing his hands to warm them up. Seeing that, Domineering Guy promptly grabbed Coquettish Guy’s hands and warmed them up for him. Coquettish Guy pulled his hands back with a fierce look, but Domineering Guy grinned from ear to ear like a blooming Chinese rose.

The girl who had sent a love letter to Domineering Guy found that abnormal so she asked Straight Guy, “Don’t you think that your two roommates are too much?”

Straight Guy stayed alert to cover for his brothers, he read between the lines and replied instantly, “What are you talking about? You mean warming hands for each other? It is so normal. You don’t know about friendship between boys. Last time, when I got ill, Ji Chen fed me and Zhou Ming wiped my face. For boys, pampering each other is natural.”

The girl shivered and looked at Straight Guy with a strange expression. She never thought the friendship between boys could be so overwhelming.