24 : neither

 The phone on the sofa vibrated violently. Song Shi picked it up and saw it was Chen Zhoumu. He stared at the caller ID without moving, neither hanging up nor answering.

He just watched it slowly go dark, and then the phone showed another call a moment later.

The same method, the same situation.

After making countless calls, Song Shi finally looked at the phone that had lit up again and swiped it.

He lay back on the sofa, the phone gently pressed against his ear.

There was no sound from the phone, only the soft breathing of both of them.

"Could you open the door, Song?" The voice on the other end of the phone was a little hoarse.

"I know this is my fault, so can we explain it in person?"

"Besides, I bought your favorite little cake, even if it's just for its sake..."

Song Shi didn't reply, but the voice on the other end continued. He listened quietly.

With a "click," Song Shi opened the door, and the sounds from the phone gradually overlapped with the sounds outside the door.

The person outside crouched by the wall, looking up in shock as if they hadn't expected Song Shi to actually open the door.

Song Shi took the phone away from his ear, hung up the call emotionlessly, and leaned against the doorframe, watching Chen Zhoumu.

The other man slowly stood up, his tall frame immediately blocking most of the light falling on Song Shi. He lowered his head slightly, one hand resting on the wall.

Neither spoke. The motion-sensor light outside slowly went out, leaving only the warm glow of the room's lamp on the floor.

"Here," Chen Zhoumu said, handing over the cake.

Song Shi, standing inside, took the cake and then reached to close the door: "I've taken it, you can go back now."

Chen Zhoumu instinctively reached out to stop the door from closing: "Wait."

He braced one hand against the wall, the other forearm against the door, as if pulling Song Shi into his embrace.

Song Shi stood to the side, looking up at him: "Say it, then leave."

"Can I not leave?"

"If you want to stay here, just get a room yourself.

" "How can I get Song Shi's forgiveness?" Song Shi

glanced at him speechlessly, then turned and went inside. Chen Zhoumu smiled at his retreating figure.

Luckily, he was easy to coax and had a soft heart.

He closed the door and followed Song Shi eagerly.

The small cakes were neatly arranged on the table. Song Shi casually grabbed a pillow and threw it on the sofa: "You sleep here."

Chen Zhoumu sat on the sofa with a smile, hugging the pillow: "Okay, I'll sleep anywhere, even on the floor..."

Before he could finish, Song Shi had already turned off the main light, plunging the room into darkness.

Chen Zhoumu lay on the sofa, which was much shorter than him. To be honest, sleeping here would definitely make his whole body ache tomorrow morning, especially since there was no blanket tonight.

Song Shi glanced at the sofa. The person's legs, draped over the armrest, had grown quite long. He closed his eyes, but before he could say anything, the person's voice came from nearby: "Song, it's a bit uncomfortable." Song Shi

pretended not to hear and turned his back to the person.

He heard a rustling sound, and thinking the other person had fallen silent, Song Shi slowly opened one eye.

He saw a figure in front of him—Chen Zhoumu, holding the white pillow, squatting beside his bed, just looking at him.

Song Shi was startled, biting his upper lip as he looked at the other person, his tone somewhat unfriendly: "Sleep if you want, get out if you don't."

He had spent four hundred yuan to book this room; he was already being generous by giving Chen Zhoumu a place to sleep. What more did he want?

After saying that, he turned back to him again.

Then, footsteps sounded, and the person lay back down on the sofa.

After an unknown amount of time, Song Shi's face was poked. He listened with his eyes closed as the other person said, "Cough cough, Song Shi, I'm afraid I'll catch a cold again without a blanket."

Annoyed, Song Shi didn't even open his eyes, just shifted to the side.

Chen Zhoumu smiled at the empty space, looking at Song Shi wrapped in the blanket, thinking how adorable he was.

He carefully lifted the blanket and got in, the spot where Song Shi had just slept still warm.

He had been washing Song Shi's clothes recently, so both of them smelled of his gardenia-scented laundry detergent.

Chen Zhoumu wasn't asleep, turning to look at Song Shi, who was already asleep.

The curtains beside the bed weren't fully drawn, and some still-lit lights from outside shone through the gap.

Although the room was somewhat dark, the light still allowed him to make out outlines.

Song Shi's skin was very fair, as if he hadn't been in the sun for years, especially below his neck; sometimes, under the sun, the blue veins were clearly visible.

His hair was a chestnut brown, and his face was thin. He was lying on his side facing him, with his other cheek pressed against the pillow, making him look a little chubby.

He looked somewhat cute.

His nose was high, and his eyelashes were long.

Chen Zhoumu looked at him and unconsciously moved closer.

His gaze slowly moved down to Song Shi's tightly closed lips. Song Shi's lips were thin and usually a pale color.

His gaze lingered on them for a longer time.

Lying on his side, Chen Zhoumu suddenly remembered what Shen Yihan had said not long ago.

So, could he accept kissing, hugging, or sleeping with Song Shi?

Could he?

The answer was yes. He didn't know where he got this answer from, but the only answer in his heart was that he could accept it.

He didn't seem to have any aversion to it. Even sharing a cup or a bed with Song Shi didn't seem to be a problem.

It was like when Song Shi first transferred to his apartment and he was told he had a new roommate, but after learning that the new roommate was Song Shi, he didn't feel any aversion. As

if possessed, he slowly moved closer, the distance between them gradually closing, filling the gap between them.

Chen Zhoumu turned his head, stopping abruptly just two fingers' distance from the mouth, then quickly pulled away.

He pressed his hand against his wildly pounding heart, feeling as if he had done something wrong, as if it were an inexplicable dream, making

it hard to breathe.

The answer in his heart was confirmed, signed and sealed, like a legally binding document in black and white.

Every word indicated that he seemed to accept it.

There was no aversion, no disgust.

There was even a hint of anticipation, a touch of enjoyment.

He thought he was going crazy.

Chen Zhoumu picked up his phone from the bedside table,

his mind a complete mess. He could only open a search engine.

[What to do if you like your deskmate?]

There was a highly-rated answer, which he clicked on.

【It's perfectly normal to like your deskmate, especially during the early stages of high school when feelings begin to blossom. Everyone's first crush is probably their deskmate, because you spend the most time with them...】

【But I still don't mind puppy love!】

Following that were some random answers.

Chen Zhoumu exited and searched again: 【My deskmate is a boy, but I think I like him, what should I do?】

【What if my deskmate is a boy but I like him? Here's the answer you're looking for....】

He clicked on it, and in the blink of an eye, he was taken to a chaotic, jumping website.

"..."

He exited and searched again: 【My deskmate is a boy, I'm straight, but I feel like I might like him, what should I do?】

The first result was a novel called "Straight Male Deskmate..."

He continued scrolling down, and there was a post: 【Can straight men like boys?】

Someone answered: 【Straight men only dislike each other, they would never like a boy!】

【Supported!】 I'm a guy, and seeing all those lovey-dovey posts from Nantong makes me want to vomit. If you're really straight, you wouldn't be so hung up on this.

[How can a straight man fall for another man? Unless you're not straight at all, but have a closeted gay man in your life!]

Chen Zhoumu looked at these posts and then exited.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering what he would do if he really fell for Song Shi.

Then he picked up his phone again.

[How to make the person you like fall for you?]

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