154: Lily and Plato

When Yu Heng woke up the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.

He checked his phone; it was seven-thirty.

Beside him, Shen Yueling was still sleeping, her face buried in the quilt, with only the back of her head visible.

Bai Xinran lay on her side on the other side, her back to him, revealing a small section of her smooth shoulder.

Yu Heng climbed up quietly. His waist felt a bit sore; last night had indeed been quite a workout.

He got out of bed, picked up his pajamas from the floor, put them on, and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. He cupped some cold water and splashed it onto his face.

When he came out, Shen Yueling was also awake, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"Did I wake you?" Yu Heng asked.

"No, I woke up on my own," Shen Yueling said, her voice raspy from sleep. "Are you going to class?"

"Yeah." Yu Heng walked to the wardrobe to look for clothes. "I have a major-specific course this morning."

Bai Xinran also moved, rolling over and opening her eyes a crack. "Are you leaving?"

"Sleep a bit longer," Yu Heng said. "If you don't have class, stay in bed for a while."

He pulled on his jeans and a hoodie, grabbed his backpack, and headed out.

"What about breakfast?" Shen Yueling asked.

"I'll grab something at the school gate," Yu Heng waved his hand. "You guys eat on your own."

It was nearly eight o'clock by the time he left the house.

The first period was a major-specific course; he couldn't skip it, but being a little late was fine.

As he neared the teaching building, he spotted two familiar figures in the distance: Hao Junran and Wang Shuo.

The two of them were walking side by side, quite close to each other.

Hao Junran was carrying a pink thermos, which clearly wasn't his own.

Wang Shuo had his head down, his ears slightly red, while Hao Junran leaned in to talk to him.

Whatever was said, Wang Shuo raised a hand to punch him playfully, and Hao Junran dodged with a laugh.

Yu Heng narrowed his eyes and walked toward them.

Hao Junran saw him first and waved. "Yu Heng!"

Wang Shuo looked up as well. Yu Heng reached them, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two.

Hao Junran was still holding the thermos, and at some point, Wang Shuo's hand had slipped around Hao Junran's arm.

"You two?" Yu Heng spoke, his voice tinged with amusement.

"We're together," Hao Junran said with a smile, his tone quite open.

Wang Shuo kept his head down and added softly, "It... it just happened a couple of days ago."

Yu Heng raised an eyebrow, looking at them.

He clicked his tongue inwardly; they actually made it happen.

"Good, good, good," Yu Heng nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Lovers finally united."

He meant those words sincerely.

Wang Shuo looked up, his eyes brightening. "You don't think... it's weird?"

"What's weird?" Yu Heng said. "What's wrong with two guys? This 'Platonic' thing originally referred to love between two men. You guys treat each other well; the road ahead is long and difficult."

Yu Heng walked side by side with them toward the teaching building, the fallen leaves crunching beneath their feet.

"Does your sister know?" Yu Heng turned his head and asked Wang Shuo.

"My sister?" Wang Shuo blinked, shaking his head. "No... I haven't told her."

Hao Junran took over the conversation, shaking the pink thermos in his hand. "Right now, you're the only one who knows."

Yu Heng looked at Wang Shuo. "You haven't come out to your family?"

"No." Wang Shuo's voice dropped as he kicked a pebble. "I wouldn't dare."

"What about your sister?" Yu Heng asked again.

"My sister?" Wang Shuo looked up, his face showing confusion. "What about her?"

Yu Heng narrowed his eyes.

He was asking if Meng Shirui had come out to her family as a lesbian.

Judging by Wang Shuo's reaction, she probably hadn't.

These two siblings were both still in the early stages.

"Nothing," Yu Heng smiled. "Just a random question."

Speaking of which, he had been busy lately. Although they were in the same class, he hadn't really run into Meng Shirui since that basketball training session.

Had she looked for Shen Yueling in private?

Yu Heng grinned; he had completely forgotten about that, and Shen Yueling hadn't mentioned anything to him. He'd have to ask her later.

"By the way," Yu Heng stopped at the stairwell, "how far have you two... gotten?"

Wang Shuo's face instantly turned bright red.

Hao Junran, however, was quite frank, grinning as he asked, "Take a guess?"

"I'm not guessing shit." Yu Heng started walking upstairs. "Anyway, you two do whatever you want; it's not like you can end up pregnant."

"Get lost," Hao Junran laughed and cursed.

Wang Shuo buried his head even lower, the back of his neck flushed red.

Yu Heng had a good idea now; seeing Wang Shuo's reaction, they had likely done everything there was to do.

That kid Hao Junran had adapted pretty quickly, and he was fast with his moves too.

But honestly, when Wang Shuo dressed in girl's clothes, he was a top-tier femboy; it was only natural for someone to take to him quickly.

——

Inside the classroom, everyone was drowsy.

Yu Heng didn't hold out for long and decisively went to sleep.

After class ended, he pulled out his phone and made a WeChat call to He Mengyao.

"Hello?" He Mengyao's voice came through, with a noisy background of girls laughing and music playing.

"What are you doing?" Yu Heng leaned against the corridor window.

"In the dorm, what's up?" He Mengyao paused, her voice taking on a hint of banter. "The new flame isn't fresh anymore, so you remembered your old love?"

Yu Heng heard a girl on the other end whisper 'who is it?', and He Mengyao replied 'no one'.

"I didn't call to bicker with you," Yu Heng said.

"Then say what you have to say, quickly," He Mengyao's tone was stiff.

"I have a Club here, and I've been filming short videos for them lately."

"And?" He Mengyao asked.

"Could you help me teach them how to dance?" Yu Heng said directly. "Guide them through the basics, or teach them some dances that are likely to go viral later."

He Mengyao chuckled. "No time! My time is very precious right now! I'm practicing and rehearsing programs every day, tired as a dog. Why should I help you?"

"I'm not looking for a freebie," Yu Heng said. "I'll pay you, okay?"

"I'm not short on money," He Mengyao said with a smile. "If you have money, go hire a teacher outside; there are plenty of dance training classes."

Yu Heng clicked his tongue. "Then what will it take for you to agree?"

The other end was silent for a moment; she seemed to have moved somewhere quieter.

"Beg me." He Mengyao's voice suddenly dropped a bit, carrying an indescribable tone. "Beg me, and I'll agree."

Yu Heng was taken aback for a second.

"How should I beg?" Yu Heng's voice also dropped slightly.

"Think of something yourself," He Mengyao said. "Your attitude needs to be sincere, and your tone needs to be earnest."

This tone... she used to be like this sometimes in their past life, usually in bed, when she wanted him to scratch her back or massage her waist; she would put on airs like this.

Yu Heng licked his dry lips. The students in the corridor had mostly left, leaving him alone.

"He Mengyao," Yu Heng smiled, "I'll count to three. If you don't agree, I'm really going to find someone else."

In the past, he would usually have played along, saying things like 'Please, wifey,' or 'You're the best, wifey,' but he didn't want to do that now.

He just wanted to find a reason to get close to He Mengyao again. Being lovers would be best, but if not, they could still be friends.

She was also a reincarnator; in terms of career, the two of them working together for a win-win situation would be much better than him struggling on his own.