A social phobic can also fall in love.

After breaking up with Qi Xing, Yan Tingmo returned to his usual solitary life—attending classes alone, eating alone, and painting alone. His days were as calm as still water, with no surprises or expectations.

Recently, he had been busy with a mural assignment, leaving him no time to check the campus forum. He had no idea that rumors were spreading like wildfire about the student council president, Qi Xing, being dumped by the famously unattainable “aloof flower” of the art department.

He Shiyang and Zhang Miao were gaming together while Zhou Wen, bored, alternated between watching them and scrolling through the forum. What he saw made him gasp. A newly posted thread had already garnered hundreds of comments within minutes, climbing to the top of the trending list and even being pinned by an admin.

[Anonymous]:
I’ve been debating whether to post this for two days, but I couldn’t hold back anymore. Here’s the deal: That day, I was upset because my boyfriend was mad at me, so I went to the dorm hallway to cool off. He had just finished basketball practice, but because I was in a bad mood, I didn’t greet him. When he went back to his room, I peeked in and saw a gift from someone—I think it was a love letter. But after reading it, Qi Xing’s face darkened, and he angrily tore it up and threw it away.

The next day, still curious, I lingered near dorm 406 again. I overheard his roommate saying something about how “breaking up doesn’t mean you can’t care for your ex-boyfriend.” I initially thought I misheard, but this morning, I followed Qi Xing to the supermarket, where he bumped into the “aloof flower.” The guy acted like he’d seen a ghost and ran off. Now I’m sure—our campus heartthrob and president got dumped by your high-and-mighty academic star!

Comments:

CherryMilkTea: [Is this for real? At first, I thought it was just fanfiction, but this is juicy gossip!]

PancakeBike: [OP must be hallucinating. Got proof?]

AThrowawayAccount: [Am I the only one creeped out? OP’s behavior is downright stalkerish.]

SleepyHead: [Did Qi Xing really get dumped? Does this mean I have a chance?]

ConfusedStorm: [Wait, I thought they were super close? Didn’t people say Qi Xing would do anything for Yan Tingmo?]

RestlessPainter: [This is slander. Take it down.]

HappyUniverse: [Honestly, I’ve always thought Yan Tingmo was so pretentious. What’s he got to be so smug about?]

This last comment sparked a wave of replies, most of them bashing Yan Tingmo. It was as if tearing him down would somehow drag him off his pedestal.

“What the hell!” Zhou Wen exploded, slamming his phone down. “No evidence, and they’re spouting nonsense? Who even are these people?”

His outburst startled Yan Tingmo, who was sketching nearby, and the others playing their game.

He Shiyang glanced over. “What’s with you?”

Zhou Wen tossed his phone to him. “See for yourself.”

After scrolling through the post, He Shiyang frowned. “What garbage. People really believe this stuff?”

Zhou Wen gestured to the phone. “Scroll up.”

When He Shiyang saw the original post, his face darkened. “Are these people bored out of their minds?”

Zhang Miao, intrigued, asked to see the post. Soon, he and He Shiyang joined Zhou Wen in reporting the thread and leaving counter-comments, their combined efforts amplifying their collective outrage.

Meanwhile, Yan Tingmo remained oblivious to the storm brewing on the forum. His roommates saw no need to tell him—what good would it do but make him upset?

That evening, Zhang Miao extended an invitation to hang out. “Wanna grab dinner tonight?”

Yan Tingmo hesitated. “Would I be intruding?”

“Not at all,” He Shiyang chimed in. “Just us, no strangers.”

After a moment of deliberation, Yan Tingmo nodded. “Okay, but I might be late after class.”

“No rush,” He Shiyang said.

Qi Xing, busy with his packed schedule, hadn’t been paying attention to the forum either. When his roommates subtly hinted at it, he finally logged in and saw the thread. His face darkened as he scrolled through the increasingly vile comments targeting Yan Tingmo.

As the student council president, he had the authority to moderate the forum. After reporting the abusive comments and banning the thread, he posted a new one, warning that he would take action against anyone spreading false rumors.

His next decision? Confront Yan Tingmo face-to-face.

Knowing Yan Tingmo’s schedule, he waited outside his classroom. His presence immediately drew attention—students whispered and speculated about his reasons for being there.

Inside, Yan Tingmo had noticed him too. His first instinct was to delay, hoping Qi Xing would leave. But even as the classroom emptied, Qi Xing remained at the door, unbothered and unhurried.

Realizing escape was futile, Yan Tingmo tried sneaking out the back, but Qi Xing caught him.

“Yan Tingmo.” Qi Xing blocked his path, his tone calm but firm. “How long do you plan to avoid me?”

Yan Tingmo froze, then mumbled, “I… I’m not avoiding you.”

“Afraid of what? I won’t bite.”

Qi Xing’s calm exterior masked his frustration. Two months of dating had ended abruptly, without reason. All he wanted was an explanation. “Why did you break up with me?”

Faced with his piercing gaze, Yan Tingmo finally blurted out, “You don’t respect me. You only care about your own desires!”

Qi Xing’s patience snapped. “When have I ever forced you to do something you didn’t want?”

Tears welled up in Yan Tingmo’s eyes. “I don’t want to date you anymore! We’re done!”

With that, he fled, leaving Qi Xing alone to process the sting of rejection.

Watching him cry from a distance, Qi Xing sighed. Damn it. I lost him again.

Yan Tingmo ran off in tears. Once he was far enough from Qi Xing, he crouched down in a corner of the first floor and sobbed quietly. He didn’t understand why he was crying. Qi Xing’s slightly raised voice had made him feel so aggrieved.

In his mind, it was Qi Xing who only cared about physical intimacy, who was only interested in his body. And now he even dared to raise his voice at him.

The more he thought about it, the more unjust it all felt. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, and he grew increasingly annoyed with himself.

He felt pathetic—dull, awkward, unlikable, and antisocial. He hadn’t joined any clubs, wasn’t involved in the student council, and had no friends besides his roommates.

Except Qi Xing. From the time he had started pursuing him in his freshman year to their brief relationship and recent breakup, Yan Tingmo couldn’t figure out what Qi Xing had seen in him.

Oh, right—his body. Because Qi Xing had always wanted to sleep with him.

But to be fair, there wasn’t anything wrong with that. They were dating, after all. Who else dates just to talk, with no kisses, no physical intimacy?

In the end, Yan Tingmo concluded that the problem was with himself. He just couldn’t get past the mental barrier. He had always thought love was supposed to be pure and clean, untainted by any physical desires.

With these thoughts, he gradually stopped crying. He even began to worry that he might end up becoming a monk in the future.

Fortunately, his phone call pulled him out of his downward spiral. Wiping the tears from his face, Yan Tingmo answered.

“Where are you?” He Shiyang asked. “Do you need me to come get you?”

Yan Tingmo quickly shook his head, then realized He Shiyang couldn’t see him. “No, it’s fine. I can find my way.”

He Shiyang paused for a moment. “You’ve been crying.”

Yan Tingmo panicked and stammered, “No, I… I just tripped and fell earlier.”

“Really?” He Shiyang’s tone was dubious but restrained. “Alright, take your time. We’re not in a rush.”

“Okay,” Yan Tingmo replied softly.

Following the location He Shiyang had sent him, he wiped his face again and hailed a cab.

What he didn’t know was that Qi Xing had watched him cry the entire time, hiding nearby. He stood there until Yan Tingmo got in the cab and left, his heart heavy and conflicted.

When Yan Tingmo finally arrived at the restaurant, it was late. His three roommates hadn’t started eating yet and were waiting for him to arrive before firing up the hotpot.

He Shiyang gave him a quick once-over. “Where’d you hurt yourself? Did you get injured?”

Yan Tingmo shook his head and forced a smile, dimples forming. “No, I just bumped my knee on a desk. It hurt earlier, but it’s fine now.”

“Is that so?” He Shiyang said, adding some beef rolls to the hotpot. “I thought it might be a broken heart.”

Yan Tingmo’s hand froze momentarily as he reached for a chopstick, but he quickly recovered and changed the subject. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The roommates let it slide, sensing he didn’t want to talk about it.

But despite the warm atmosphere at the dinner table, Qi Xing’s frustrated expression and words kept replaying in Yan Tingmo’s mind, making it impossible for him to fully relax.