I Treat You as a Brother - Chapter 19

Xu Xiran did not understand. He tilted his head up blankly and raised his eyebrows at Fang Mo, trying to convey his confusion.

Fang Mo deliberately avoided his line of sight.

He turned his head and looked at the wall, his expression tangled with of look of misery.

Xu Xiran became more and more curious. Just as he was about to type another message to ask again, Yang Lin, who was sitting across from him, spoke up.

“Xuezhang, what’s the matter?” He half-smiled, “What kind of riddles are you two playing?”

They were all sitting at the same table, so their subtle signs at one another inevitably attracted the attention of the other two. Although the class beauty didn’t speak, she also had a puzzled expression.

At this moment, a waiter’s voice called out from behind. Their mala soup was ready. Xu Xiran, who was sitting on the outside, immediately got up, “Xiao Yang, come get it with me.”

When they came back with four bowls of mala soup, the atmosphere on the table was still dull and strange. Fang Mo was still in a bad mood and didn’t talk at all. The class beauty was left out in the cold and also had a bit of a temper, her face stern.

Xu Xiran felt like his head was going to explode.

Fang Mo’s current expression must have had something to do with Yang Lin. But when Xu Xiran thought about it, he couldn’t figure out how the two had anything to do with each other, and how Yang Lin could have offended him. Although Xu Xiran and Yang Lin have known each other for longer, he and Fang Mo have been closer these days, so it was hard for him to not feel biased inside.

After putting down the bowls, he bit the bullet and said “eat it while it’s hot”, then immediately took out his phone again to ask Fang Mo.

Just as he turned on his screen, he found an unread message. It was a new message from Fang Mo from when he had left a minute ago.

After clicking and quickly scanning the line of text, Xu Xiran was shocked.

[“He touched my thigh.”]

Xu Xiran immediately looked up, and Yang Lin, who happened to be sitting across from him, was also looking at him.

“Xuezhang, the fish balls in your bowl look delicious,” he smiled at Xu Xiran, “Can I trade them with some quail eggs with you?”

Xu Xiran stared at Yang Lin’s face for a while, then nodded. Yang Lin smiled and stretched out a spoon towards his bowl. As soon as he scooped up the fish ball, Xu Xiran suddenly stood up.

“Xiao Yang, can we change seats,” he said. “I think it’s a little stuffy inside, and your side is closer to the door.”

Yang Lin didn’t understand, but after being stunned for a while, he stood up, “Oh, okay.”

After the two of them were seated again, Yang Lin was a little puzzled, “Actually, it feels almost the same… Xuezhang, if you feel uncomfortable, let’s hurry and eat and then go back?”

Xu Xiran made a casual response, then turned his head to look at Fang Mo, who was sitting beside him now.

Fang Mo lowered his eyes and quietly focused on slurping the rice noodles in his bowl.

Under the table, where the two of them couldn’t see, Xu Xiran lightly patted Fang Mo with the back of his hand, as a way to say “it’s okay, I’m here”.

He felt that Fang Mo should have understood.

Because although his head was still lowered, focusing on his noodles, the corners of his mouth were noticeably raised upwards.

Xu Xiran suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.

~

“I really didn’t expect that at all,” Xu Xiran sighed at Fang Mo on the way back to the dormitory, “I’ve never seen him have this tendency before.”

Fang Mo lowered his head and tightened his face, “What, do you think I lied to you?”

Xu Xiran was stunned, “Ah? That’s not what I meant, I know you wouldn’t possibly talk nonsense about this kind of thing.”

Fang Mo looked up at him and said nothing.

“I know you must feel uncomfortable,” Xu Xiran reassured him, “I’ve also experienced this before, and it makes me particularly frustrated. It’s my fault, I brought him here.”

Fang Mo still didn’t answer. It seemed like he was disgusted to the point where he couldn’t come back to his senses.

“Don’t think too much about it,” Xu Xiran leaned over, put his arm around his shoulder, and patted him twice, “Anyway, we don’t know what tomorrow brings. Let’s just count today as being bitten by a dog.”

“…Isn’t he your friend?” said Fang Mo.

“The nerve,” Xu Xiran released his arm and slapped him on the back. “I don’t want to go around knowing he‘s this kind of a person.”

Fang Mo was a little confused, “What if I misunderstood?”

Xu Xiran thought for a while, “How did he touch you?”

Fang Mo raised his hand at him and licked his lips, “How about I show you right now?”

Seeing him digging his nails into his thigh, Xu Xiran smiled and stepped back, “No, no, don’t do this with me.”

Fang Mo shrugged and retracted his hand.

“Actually, it’s really unnatural when you think about it,” Xu Xiran said. “Do you remember? He deliberately went around me to sit next to you, when clearly, the seat across was closer to him. He just wanted to sit next to you on purpose so that he could make a move on you, isn’t it?”

Maybe it was because he felt ashamed for being harassed by a boy that Fang Mo stopped talking.

“What about yourself,” Xu Xiran felt a little disappointed, “Be a bit tougher. If I wasn’t there, what would you have done if you encountered this kind of thing by yourself? How did you deal with this before?”

“I would yell back,” Fang Mo said, “but I wasn’t able to do that in this situation…”

He had a point, the class beauty was also sitting across from him. If Fang Mo suddenly got up and pointed at a man and accused him of harassment, it would indeed be really embarrassing. But now that he mentioned this, Xu Xiran had some new concerns.

“Your girl was unhappy,” he reminded Fang Mo, “Did you notice?”

After Fang Mo was quiet for a while, he sighed, “I don’t think she and I have much in common, and I don’t know what to say when I’m talking with her.”

“Just talk about anything if you don’t have anything to say,” Xu Xiran worried on his behalf, “Do you need someone to teach you?”

“I don’t like that though,” Fang Mo said. “I prefer how it’s like with us, when having things to say just comes naturally. Chatting for the sake of chatting is so tiring.”

Xu Xiran agreed, “That’s true. I also think it’s hard to chat with girls.”

Fang Mo turned his head to look at him, “What about with me?”

“You’re not a girl,” Xu Xiran said with a smile, “If I could chat with girls as well as I chat with you, I would have left the single crowd long ago.”

Fang Mo smiled at first, then shook his head suddenly, “You’re wrong. Don’t you have a wife?”

“…You’re right,” Xu Xiran nodded after a while, “Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue.”

“Quick, apologize to Xiaoyao!” Fang Mo said.

Xu Xiran smiled at him, and did not reply.

To be able to talk without hesitation, and to even crack jokes and not having to worry about it ever being awkward, this kind of casual talking made him very happy.

~

Not long after returning to his dorm, Xu Xiran received a message from Yang Lin.

[“Thank you, xuezhang, for inviting me to dinner today. Are you free next Monday? I’ll treat you to barbecue!”]

Xu Xiran thought about it for a while, then decided to refuse in a more euphemistic way.

[“Sorry, I have plans next Monday. Mala soup is not expensive so there’s no need to treat me back.”]

He has always had a good impression of this enthusiastic and smart xuedi, but at this moment, looking at the seemingly polite message he sent, a lot of discomfort surged in his heart. He didn’t expect such a normal person in his eyes to have this kind of interest.

From the way he saw it, Fang Mo was more attractive to the same sex than he was. But this was also fair, Fang Mo was indeed handsome. Even as a straight man, Xu Xiran very much admired his appearance, so it made sense that others couldn’t resist.

Fang Mo attracted people, yet was so naive. Like a piece of fat thrown into a pack of wolves, it really made a person worry.

Xu Xiran decided he would organize a list of all known suspicious targets, so that he could remind Fang Mo to avoid them ahead of time.

Before taking any action, Yang Lin sent him another message.

[“Xuezhang, there’s something that I’m worried about. I don’t know if it’s convenient for me to say.”]

Seeing this kind of question would make anyone curious. Thus, Xu Xiran immediately answered a question mark.

A moment later, the message from Yang Lin made him furrow his brows.

[“Fang Mo xuezhang and you have a very good relationship, right? I always see you two together.”]

Sure enough, this guy had intentions for Fang Mo.

[“Yes, what is it?”] Xu Xiran asked.

[“I feel like he doesn’t act that normal towards you?”] Yang Lin said.

It was clear that his words had a double meaning. Xu Xiran thought about it for a while, then suddenly realized that Yang Lin regarded Fang Mo as an imaginary enemy. Normal people would never have this kind of misunderstanding when they see two boys who have a good relationship with each other, so it must be that Yang Lin was imposing his thoughts onto others. This was indicative that he was the one with a problem.

Xu Xiran felt a little uncomfortable. He quickly typed a reply.

[“I know what you mean, and what you all did today. I have known you for so long, yet some words are too clear that it gives everyone a bad face. You should respect yourself.”]

After pressing send, the other side fell silent and did not respond for a long time.

On the other hand, a few minutes later, Fang Mo sent him several photos, all of which were close-ups of a cute cat eating cat food.

[“I took this photo when I was feeding it. I wanted to show it to you when we were eating, but I couldn’t find the chance. I said that I was going to treat you today, but I still didn’t get to in the end. I’ll make it up next time? Think about what you want to eat first.”]

Xu Xiran replied immediately.

[“Right, aren’t I accompanying you to class next Monday? Let’s go after class.”]

After pressing send, Yang Lin, who had disappeared for a long time, finally sent a reply.

[“I understand, thank you xuezhang.”]

Author’s note:

Momo: Heh, the me that you meet here will only last one chapter.

Someone who is charming on the outside but schemeful on the inside