A social phobic can also fall in love.

The dinner gathering lasted until ten o’clock. Yan Tingmo, feeling unfamiliar with the crowd, left early, citing an excuse, when the others suggested moving to a new venue.

Once he left, Gu Beinan found himself disinterested among a group of seniors he barely knew. He whispered a few words to Lin Xiaoxiao before standing up to leave as well.

Stepping out of the restaurant, he immediately noticed Yan Tingmo waiting for his ride. Dressed in a light yellow hoodie with the hood down, he stood straight, his gaze resting quietly on a tattoo parlor across the street, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding noise of the world.

“Ahem.” Gu Beinan approached casually, feigning nonchalance. “Senior, you haven’t left yet?”

Yan Tingmo turned at the sound, not particularly surprised to see him. “No.”

Gu Beinan took his car keys out of his pocket and dangled them. “I brought my car. Want a ride back?”

Yan Tingmo instinctively declined. “No need, I’ve called a car.”

“But it hasn’t arrived yet,” Gu Beinan pointed out. “Come on, senior. I’m heading back to campus anyway. It’s on the way.”

Yan Tingmo glanced at his phone. The app indicated his ride was still ten minutes away. Gu Beinan, now standing closer, chuckled lightly at his hesitation. “Would you really rather wait than take my car?”

“It’s not that…” he began to explain, but Gu Beinan interjected, “Or is it that I’ve done something to make you dislike me, senior?”

Yan Tingmo was at a loss for words, feeling completely outmatched by Gu Beinan’s eloquence and persistence. It seemed like he had a knack for cornering socially anxious people like himself.

Reluctantly, he canceled his ride and stammered, “N-no, not at all. See, I’ve already canceled the car.”

To his dismay, Gu Beinan wasn’t satisfied. “So, you canceled the ride just because you had no other choice but to accept mine?”

Yan Tingmo’s face flushed red, his frustration and helplessness obvious. He wanted to explain but couldn’t find the words. He simply stared at him, his distress evident.

Finding the situation amusing but not wanting to push him further, Gu Beinan relented. “Alright, I won’t hold it against you. After all, I’m the one asking to be your friend.”

“Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride back.”

Yan Tingmo’s mind was a mess. He cursed himself for choosing to hail a ride right outside the restaurant. If he had walked a bit further, he could have avoided this awkward and nerve-wracking situation entirely.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Gu Beinan’s next words, which left him stunned: What do you mean, ‘I’ll give you a ride back to campus’? Didn’t you just say it was on your way?

Men really are fickle, he thought with a mix of frustration and resignation.

Yan Tingmo silently vowed to steer clear of Gu Beinan in the future and limit their interactions as much as possible.

Gu Beinan, unaware of the plans forming in Yan Tingmo’s mind, felt victorious and practically skipped to the parking lot.

However, when Yan Tingmo saw the sleek black motorcycle parked there, his eyes widened in amazement.

What a cool bike!

So, this was the “car” Gu Beinan had mentioned—a stunningly stylish and powerful motorcycle.

Noticing Yan Tingmo’s admiration, Gu Beinan said, “This is my partner, Derma Elita.”

The name made Yan Tingmo’s feelings complicated. He resisted the urge to comment on how ridiculously over-the-top it sounded.

“What brand is it?” Unable to resist, he reached out to touch the bike. After all, which man doesn’t love a rugged motorcycle?

“A Kawasaki H2,” Gu Beinan replied.

“It’s gorgeous,” Yan Tingmo said sincerely.

Gu Beinan swung a leg over the bike, settled into the seat, and adjusted his helmet before flashing a grin. “Glad you like it. Hop on.”

With some hesitation, Yan Tingmo climbed onto the back, careful to keep a respectable distance between them.

Glancing back, Gu Beinan advised, “Hold onto me, or you might fall off.”

Yan Tingmo shook his head vigorously. “No need. I’ll hold on tight to the back.”

Gu Beinan narrowed his eyes at him for a moment, silently deciding to take things slow. Not wanting to scare him, he drove at a leisurely pace, turning a 30-minute ride into a full hour.

By the time they arrived at campus, Yan Tingmo’s body felt stiff from maintaining the same position for so long. He dismounted carefully, his legs shaky as he finally stood upright.

“Thanks for the ride,” he said earnestly. “I’ll head to my dorm now.”

Gu Beinan removed his helmet and, under the streetlight, looked at his face. “I’ll walk you up.”

“No need, I know the way!” Yan Tingmo called back as he hurried toward the dorms.

Gu Beinan watched him go, shaking his head with a soft laugh. “Why’s he so determined to avoid me?”

It wasn’t until Yan Tingmo was sure he was out of sight that he slowed his pace. Despite the novelty of his first motorcycle ride, the soreness in his legs made him vow never to do it again.

Climbing to the third floor of the dormitory, he let out a sigh—the 362nd of the night. He deeply regretted attending the dinner in the first place.

His social circle had always been simple and quiet. His polite but distant manner kept people at arm’s length, a deliberate choice to avoid social interactions and protect himself.

Tonight’s impulsive decision had thrown him out of his comfort zone. Now that he knew how his classmates viewed him, he found himself caring less. He disliked inconveniencing others, especially someone like Qi Xing.

If he’d known he had secretly stood up for him, he might have shared his chocolates with everyone to keep the peace.

As the events of the evening replayed in his mind, he couldn’t help but criticize himself for his overthinking and irrational fears.

“You’re so useless,” he muttered to himself before turning in for the night.

Dragging his weary body back to the dorm, Yan Tingmo was still brooding over how his actions had not only caused trouble for himself but also dragged Qi Xing into the mess.

As he pushed open the door, frowning, he stopped in his tracks, suspecting he was hallucinating.

It looked like Qi Xing was there. Warm, very real, actual Qi Xing.

Tilting his head in disbelief, he hesitated for a moment before cautiously calling out, “Qi Xing?”

“Hmm,” Qi Xing replied coolly, exuding his usual high-handed demeanor. “It’s me.”

Half of Yan Tingmo’s body remained wedged between the door and its frame as he asked, “Why are you here?”

Qi Xing lifted his chin arrogantly. “Take a guess.”

“Ahem…” Zhang Miao cleared his throat and greeted him enthusiastically, “Mo Zai you’re back!”

Qi Xing’s eyebrow arched slightly as he squinted at Zhang Miao. Mo Zai? What kind of nickname is that?

He Shiyang and Zhou Wen joined in the playful banter. “Mo Zai, why are you back so late? We thought you were planning to camp out at the library.”

Yan Tingmo was utterly baffled. The library? When did I ever go to the library?

“The library?” Qi Xing was equally puzzled. “If he went to the library, why does he smell like alcohol?”

“Ah?” Yan Tingmo froze.

He Shiyang and the others facepalmed inwardly. In truth, they had no idea where Yan Tingmo had gone that evening. They’d only made up the library excuse on the spot when the student council came knocking for an inspection.

Dorm 302 was unusually crowded tonight. Besides Qi Xing, there were two other unfamiliar male students whom Yan Tingmo unconsciously overlooked.

“We’re here for a dorm check,” one bespectacled, scholarly-looking student explained with a polite smile. “It’s already 11 PM. Lights out is in half an hour, but according to the rules, you’ll still lose points for being out late.”

So that’s why Qi Xing was here—he was conducting a dormitory inspection.

“I…” Yan Tingmo hesitated briefly but decided to tell the truth. “I was at a classmate gathering.”

“Hmm, we’re aware,” the bespectacled student said. “Your entire department has already been docked two points per person.”

Yan Tingmo was stunned. The student added, “Of course, it’s not just for being absent during dorm checks. Most of it is for hiding unauthorized appliances.”

Qi Xing, maintaining his role as student council president, began scrutinizing the room with a critical eye. “Why is there trash in the trash can?”

Yan Tingmo and his three roommates collectively screamed internally. Why wouldn’t there be trash in the trash can?!

“And this,” Qi Xing said, pointing at his desk. “It’s too messy. It affects the overall appearance.”

Yan Tingmo immediately stepped forward. “I’ll clean it up right now!” Without hesitation, he began tidying his desk.

Unable to watch him struggle alone, his roommates pitched in. “Mo Zai, let us help.”

Qi Xing observed their harmonious teamwork with a faint sneer before pointing to the bottom bunk on the right. “Whose bed is that? The blanket isn’t folded properly.”

Taking a deep breath, He Shiyang forced a smile. “It’s mine. I’ll fold it now.” Meanwhile, he cursed inwardly. Who folds their blanket into perfect squares before bedtime?!

“Good.” Qi Xing’s gaze swept over the room, his voice icy. “And the clothes—don’t just toss them around. Use hangers. Otherwise, what’s the wardrobe for?”

Zhou Wen quickly grabbed the jacket draped over his chair and hung it up. “Got it.”

Zhang Miao, not to be outdone, dashed out with the trash can and returned moments later after throwing everything away.

As the roommates collectively sighed with relief, Qi Xing jotted something down in his notebook and waved to his companions. “Let’s move on to the next dorm.”

When the door shut behind him, the four of them exchanged incredulous looks, only to overhear a snippet of conversation from the hallway:

“Qi, are we deducting points from 302?”

“What do you think?” Qi Xing replied.

“Got it! I’ll mark it down right now.”

“Deduct a single point, and you’ll see what happens,” Qi Xing warned coldly.

“…Then, Qi, why did you…?”

“Mind your own business, handsome.”

Yan Tingmo: “…”

Roommates: “…”

Breaking the awkward silence, Zhang Miao turned to Yan Tingmo. “Mo Zai, how did you get back tonight?”

“A junior gave me a ride on his motorcycle,” Yan Tingmo replied honestly.

The three roommates immediately turned to look out the balcony window. From their vantage point, they could clearly see the street below, where a young man stood by the curb, still making a phone call.

Understanding dawned on them all at once.

So that’s what this is about.

Simultaneously, they couldn’t help but marvel:

What a pure and refreshingly petty display of jealousy.