The photo is really me

Two stops before reaching their destination, Meng You suddenly leaned over and poked Fang Zhi Mo's shoulder. Fang Zhi Mo took off one of his earphones and looked at him. "What's up?" Meng You grinned mischievously. "Hey, kid, looks like you're falling for someone." ? Meng You was always so unpredictable. Fang Zhi Mo paused for a second but quickly reached to put his earphones back in. "You're crazy." "I saw it," Meng You said, grabbing Fang Zhi Mo’s hand to stop him, his grin turning even cheekier. He pointed to Fang Zhi Mo's eyes, then vaguely gestured behind them. "In five stops, you’ve glanced at that guy four times. And you're telling me you're not smitten? Come clean, you’ve got a thing for him, don't you?" Fang Zhi Mo: "..." Meng You may be unpredictable, but his eyes were sharp as ever. Indeed, there was a guy sitting diagonally opposite them, near the aisle. The boy looked about their age, wearing a trendy jacket with a skull print, basketball shorts, and a cap tilted at an angle, some messy bangs falling out. He was focused on a mobile shooting game, his posture giving away his height and broad shoulders. He sat with his legs slightly apart, his lips curled into a faint smirk as he played, looking a bit rebellious. Fang Zhi Mo and Meng You had boarded the subway at Tianhe station together. From the moment they entered, Fang Zhi Mo had noticed the guy, but over the next few stops, while listening to music out of boredom, he did glance at him a few times. Not that Fang Zhi Mo was particularly interested in guys—though he did tend to notice tall, good-looking ones more in a crowd. Plus, there weren’t many passengers on this subway car, so it was only natural his gaze drifted over. ...So, what’s this about falling in love? Fang Zhi Mo was about to argue when Meng You suddenly leaned in and stared at his ear, as if discovering something new. "Hey, Xiao Mo, your ears are turning red!" Fang Zhi Mo: "..." "No, they’re not," he muttered, trying to deny it. Without missing a beat, Meng You pulled off his mask. Underneath was a fair, beautiful face—his eyebrows, eyes, and lips all delicately shaped—but due to his friend’s sudden action, Fang Zhi Mo appeared flustered. His dark almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and there was a faint pink flush on his cheeks. "Hahahahah! You're actually blushing! You're so cute!" Meng You laughed until he almost couldn’t breathe. After a couple of chuckles, he paused, his curiosity piqued. "By the way, Xiao Mo, you told me before you’ve never been in a relationship. You’re not serious, right?" Fang Zhi Mo, his face still flushed, pulled his mask back up and stayed silent. He was currently a sophomore at Haida Music Academy, majoring in music. He and Meng You were classmates and roommates. They quickly became close in their first year, mainly because they shared the same s****l orientation—both were "one of those people." But their personalities were polar opposites. Fang Zhi Mo was introverted and quiet, mostly moving between class and the practice room, rarely socializing. Meng You, on the other hand, was outgoing, loved drinking, clubbing, and dating, and had already been through several boyfriends since college started. Meng You knew that Fang Zhi Mo liked men as well. He had tried before to introduce him to his social circle, but every time, Fang Zhi Mo politely declined. Meng You couldn’t help but wonder if it was because his friends didn’t meet Fang Zhi Mo’s high standards. As they spent more time together, Meng You realized Fang Zhi Mo wasn’t a snob. He wasn’t avoiding people because he was picky, but simply because he was shy. At a recent class gathering, they played around and took an MBTI test. Many people in the arts were introverted, but it was rare to see someone like Fang Zhi Mo, who was not only an INFP but had an extremely high introversion score—over 90%. In short, he was severely socially anxious. "You can’t keep doing this, Xiao Mo," Meng You suddenly said. "Did you know that some of my friends wanted to pursue you, but they were too scared?" "...Really?" Fang Zhi Mo had no idea about this. He adjusted his mask and glanced at Meng You, speaking softly. "Yeah!" Meng You went on, "You don’t even know how unapproachable you looked when you first started college. Always in designer clothes, never smiled, came to class in a luxury car, and refused to join us for cards or karaoke after school. Everyone thought you were too good for us, that we couldn’t even catch your eye, so they all gave up." Fang Zhi Mo: "… I didn’t mean to act like that." His clothes were all bought by his family. He didn’t smile because he was nervous around strangers. As for the luxury car—he started college early and hadn’t turned 18 yet. It was his first time leaving home, crossing multiple districts for school, and naturally, his parents were a bit overprotective. Later, it was only when Fang Zhi Mo noticed the unusual glances directed at him whenever he got out of the family car that he decided to stop having the driver pick him up. Instead, he chose to stay in the dorms and take the subway home on weekends. "I know you don’t mean anything by it. You're just socially awkward, Little Butterfly," Meng You said, patting his shoulder. Then, suddenly becoming serious, he added, "But have you ever thought about it? Everyone thinks you're cold and distant, and you're not proactive yourself. Even if you meet someone suitable, it’s hard for anything to develop. Are you planning to stay single forever?" Fang Zhi Mo fell silent. "How about this? You can use today to practice," Meng You lowered his voice and subtly nodded towards the front. "Go ask the handsome guy you were just looking at for his WeChat. Win him over." "Wait, what?" Fang Zhi Mo blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden shift in the conversation. "Why would I need practice for something like asking for someone's WeChat? And... what if he's straight? What if he doesn’t like guys?" The thought of being rejected, especially by a stranger, filled him with anxiety. Meng You, sensing his hesitation, laughed and said, "It’s just WeChat. I didn’t say you have to jump into a relationship right away. Just add him, and if things don't work out, you’ve at least made a friend. You’re handsome, there's no way he’d refuse." Fang Zhi Mo still shook his head, his ears turning pink with embarrassment. He had always been the one to have others ask for his contact information. Even then, he would feel tense around strangers. Asking someone else for their WeChat felt way too intimidating. The two friends remained at an impasse. After a brief tug-of-war, Fang Zhi Mo, clearly overwhelmed, pulled up his mask in an attempt to escape. Meng You, frustrated, muttered, "I really give up on you," and then, rolling up his sleeves, stood up and walked straight toward the handsome guy. Meng You, who dressed to stand out with a trendy, bold style, drew the attention of several passersby as he walked towards the guy. The boy, wearing a baseball cap, seemed to sense someone approaching and looked up. From Fang Zhi Mo’s angle, he could only see the boy's side profile. His lips parted slightly, a hint of surprise on his face. Fang Zhi Mo's embarrassment surged, and he quickly tried to avert his eyes. "I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me," he thought repeatedly, as he pulled his mask higher over his face and shifted further away, closing his eyes to 'pretend to be dead.' The strategy worked. He couldn’t hear anything of what Meng You was saying. After a few minutes, the station announcement came, and Fang Zhi Mo quickly grabbed his bag and rushed off the train, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his neck, finally able to breathe. Seconds later, Meng You caught up with him, grinning and holding up his phone. "Want to know how it went?" Fang Zhi Mo pretended to be uninterested. "… No, I don’t." Meng You laughed, "Come on, did you really think I'd fail? Of course, I got his WeChat." As he spoke, he pulled up a series of numbers and letters from his notes and sent them to Fang Zhi Mo. He paused for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "By the way, that guy’s jersey looked familiar. I think it’s from our school. I'll find out more for you." "No need…" Fang Zhi Mo muttered. "Yes, yes, there is!" Meng You grinned mischievously. "It’s rare to see you interested in a guy like that. If he’s from our school, that’s fate. I’ve got to help you win him over." "…" As they reached the station, Wei Ming Xuan exited the subway at Xueyuan Road and walked for ten minutes back to the Sea University basketball hall. He had planned to meet friends for dinner but suddenly remembered he’d left his bag in the locker room, so he made a detour to pick it up. It was 5:30 PM on a weekend, and the gym was mostly empty, save for a few students from other departments who had reserved the courts. Wei Ming Xuan was a familiar face, and he exchanged greetings with several people as he walked to the locker room. When he opened the storage locker, someone emerged from the dressing room. Wei Ming Xuan didn’t look up but gave a quick glance in the direction of the figure before his movements paused slightly. The person coming out was a boy wearing the same color basketball shorts as Wei Ming Xuan, his upper body bare, showing off his sun-kissed skin still glistening with water droplets. The boy was tall, around the same height as Wei Ming Xuan, with broad shoulders and toned muscles. The boy clearly noticed him too but didn’t speak. He gave a quick glance and then shifted his gaze away. The atmosphere in the narrow dressing room became unexpectedly quiet. Wei Ming Xuan didn’t plan on starting a conversation, instead pulling his bag from the locker and preparing to leave. However, just as he took a few steps, he stopped and said, "Chu Xun." The boy paused his action of wiping sweat, draping the towel over his neck, and turned to look at him. "What's up?" His face was sharply defined, with high cheekbones and a prominent nose. His eyes were deep-set, and his expression was aloof, giving off an air of coldness, as though he was difficult to approach. "Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?" Wei Mingxuan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Today's Ah Bin's birthday. We're having dinner at Times Square, and after that, we're going for karaoke. Want to come?" Ah Bin, whose full name was Zhou Bin, was a third-year student at the sports department of Hai University, just like Wei Mingxuan and Chu Xun. The birthday party had been planned for a while, but no one had invited Chu Xun. Despite being roommates with Wei Mingxuan for three years, they had never really bonded. Perhaps it was due to their different energies—Wei Mingxuan came from a wealthy family and loved socializing, often at the center of attention. In contrast, Chu Xun was distant and rebellious, preferring solitude. Although they were roommates, their interactions were limited to group activities, and they rarely went out of their way to hang out together. Wei Mingxuan didn't really expect Chu Xun to join. He could tell from the tone that Chu Xun wouldn't be interested. Sure enough, Chu Xun replied, "No, I have something else to do later." Wei Mingxuan nodded nonchalantly, not pressing the invitation. However, after a moment, he asked casually, "By the way, has anyone added you yet?" Chu Xun paused, surprised. His dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Who?" Wei Mingxuan watched him for a moment, glancing down at the phone in Chu Xun's hand. He curled his lips in mild distaste. "Never mind." With that, Wei Mingxuan didn’t say anything more and left. To be honest, Wei Mingxuan had only asked out of curiosity. In hindsight, he realized it was an unnecessary and trivial question. The real reason he had asked was because he recognized the face of the person who had approached him for his WeChat earlier. The person was Meng You, a flashy playboy from the music academy next door, someone who was known for his flirty ways. Several of his friends had slept with him. When Meng You had asked for Wei Mingxuan's WeChat, the latter's first reaction had been amusement, followed by a firm refusal. Wei Mingxuan's sexuality wasn’t a secret at Hai University; while he had dated both men and women, he wasn’t interested in someone like Meng You. Wei Mingxuan preferred clean-cut, refined individuals, the type who could wear a tuxedo while playing the piano, with long, slender fingers and an air of elegance—just like the prince in a fairytale. Yet as he rejected Meng You, Wei Mingxuan couldn't help but think of Chu Xun. He was aware that good-looking boys in the sports department were never short of admirers, some even having multiple lovers at once. But Chu Xun had always been like a high and unreachable flower. Wei Mingxuan had never been close to him—most of the time, they were on different teams for basketball practice, only exchanging a nod when they returned to the dorm. Wei Mingxuan had always thought that Chu Xun was deliberately keeping his distance, but about three months ago, he accidentally saw something on Chu Xun’s computer. Since then, his view of his roommate had become a little more complicated. Still, he didn't say anything directly to Chu Xun, just keeping the thoughts to himself. It wasn’t until today, when Meng You came over to ask for his WeChat, that Wei Mingxuan's curiosity flared up again. Although he wasn't interested in Meng You, the fact that Meng You was so openly flirtatious meant he probably had a certain allure with gay men. Although there were many who had shown interest in Chu Xun, he had never seen Chu Xun with anyone, not even Meng You. Meanwhile, on the other side, Chu Xun finished drying his hair and was about to leave when his phone suddenly vibrated. He opened WeChat and noticed a new friend request, marked with a conspicuous red dot. The message read: “Hello, I’m the person who asked you for your WeChat earlier on the subway.” Receiving friend requests from strangers wasn’t new for Chu Xun, but the reason given was obviously fake. He hadn’t been on the subway recently. The message felt awkwardly fabricated. Frowning, Chu Xun was about to ignore the request, as he usually did with such random adds. Just as he was about to tap the "ignore" button, his finger paused. He noticed the profile picture—a sheet of piano music being blown by the wind. The name of the piece was Valse des Chiens ("Waltz of the Little Dogs"). While Chu Xun had no particular interest in music, the title caught his attention because it was one he had listened to repeatedly on social media. It was a song he knew well. Slowly, Chu Xun withdrew his finger, staring at the WeChat name: [Xiao Mo Dian]. His throat tightened as he stared at the screen. Could it be?