Kiss you at Sunset (BL) - Chapter 15

Zhou Shiluo stood still for a long time. A gust of cold wind suddenly slipped through the narrow gap in the window, sending an unexpected chill through his body.

The weather has been unpredictable lately. The night sky, which had just been a pale shade of white, was now blanketed in a hazy gray. A heavy rain was likely to fall overnight.

Zhou Shiluo pulled himself together, splashed cold water on his face, closed the window, and stepped out of the bathroom.

The hallway leading from the bathroom to the private room was long. This KTV had no air conditioning, but its soundproofing was top-notch. That was one of the reasons Zhou Shiluo had insisted on getting a membership card here, apart from its proximity.

He couldn’t hear others’ pleasant singing, and others couldn’t hear his wailing.

Despite the short distance, Zhou Shiluo walked it at an agonizingly slow pace. He didn’t know who the girl mentioned in the conversation was, but since Jiang Yutang had set his sights on her, there was a good chance she was still inside the room.

The girl with the twin braids was likely not the one—they were significant enough to Yang Jin that he had fought over her, so she likely held a certain status in his heart.

That left two others.

Zhou Shiluo remembered them well. When they played dice earlier, he had noticed how vastly different their personalities were.

One was introverted—so much so that she blushed no matter if she won or lost, her voice soft and often drowned out by Jiang Yutang’s booming singing. The other was the opposite—bold and outgoing, addressing Feng Jiayang like a brother and spewing C-language slang that left Zhou Shiluo stunned.

Zhou Shiluo felt a headache coming on. For the first time, his thoughts were in disarray. He couldn’t report something to the police based on eavesdropped whispers with no proof. He could only try to warn, to persuade, to intervene before things spiraled out of control.

But more than anything, he hoped he had misheard, misunderstood everything.

Zhou Shiluo steadied himself, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to the private room again.

Yang Jin was curled up in a corner, seemingly asleep. Feng Jiayang and the three girls continued playing dice. Meanwhile, Jiang Yutang was howling through the chorus of a song, face flushed from the effort.

Zhou Shiluo’s entrance caused Jiang Yutang to deflate instantly. Panting, he asked, “Zhou-ge, where did you go?”

Zhou Shiluo gazed at him calmly. He had never thought Jiang Yutang’s smile could make his skin crawl like this. He steadied his nerves and deliberately emphasized, “I was in the bathroom the whole time.”

Jiang Yutang froze slightly but didn’t react with the panic Zhou Shiluo had expected. Instead, he only made a confused sound of acknowledgement and muttered, “Then how come I didn’t see you?”

As the music resumed, Jiang Yutang went back to singing, as if nothing had happened.

Zhou Shiluo, who had originally planned to leave, sat down again. He occasionally glanced at Jiang Yutang, observing his every move. Yet apart from the occasional joke, Jiang Yutang was fully immersed in his singing.

Even Feng Jiayang, who was playing dice with the girls, showed no inappropriate behavior.

As Zhou Shiluo struggled to piece things together, a memory struck him. Hidden in the bathroom stall, he had focused too much on the words and missed their expressions. He had also been too stunned by the conversation to catch the flicker of anger in Jiang Yutang’s tone.

Now, looking at the way he joked with the girls, Zhou Shiluo sensed not even a hint of irritation.

Was the girl not here?

Zhou Shiluo clenched his jaw. Regardless of whether this was a misunderstanding, he had heard something suspicious and couldn’t ignore it. But he couldn’t confront Jiang Yutang without proof. So, his gaze shifted to Yang Jin, still curled up in the corner.

According to Feng Jiayang, Yang Jin was the one who had come up with the idea.

Two years ago, Zhou Shiluo would have trusted Yang Jin unconditionally. But now, Yang Jin’s unpredictable nature made him seem like a stranger.

His thoughts tangled messily, fighting for space in his mind. Right now, he wished for a drink to clear his head, but he had to drive later, so he suppressed the urge and forced himself to endure the headache.

Zhou Shiluo stayed until the gathering ended, his ears buzzing from Jiang Yutang’s relentless singing. It wasn’t until Feng Jiayang said, “It’s getting late,” that he finally snapped out of his daze.

Jiang Yutang shook Yang Jin awake. Yang Jin blinked lazily, momentarily stunned to see Zhou Shiluo still there.

He chuckled to himself mockingly.

The three girls gathered their bags and linked arms as they left the room, the boys following behind them.

Jiang Yutang, carrying his gift, glanced back at Zhou Shiluo and asked casually, “Zhou-ge, we’re heading to the internet café. Are you coming?”

Zhou Shiluo kept his emotions hidden and shook his head.

Jiang Yutang didn’t insist. He simply waved his gift and said gratefully, “Thanks for the present, Zhou-ge. Take care on your way home.”

Then he called out to the girls ahead, “Taozi, how are you guys getting back?”

The girl with the twin braids turned and replied, “Walking, of course.”

Jiang Yutang hesitated before saying, “Wait for me. I’ll walk you back.”

Taozi and her friends stopped in their tracks. “No need. You guys are heading to the café, right? The school isn’t far; we’ll be there in no time.”

Jiang Yutang stepped forward, his tone firm. “It’s too dark. I’ll walk with you. It’s just a few steps, I can go to the café after.”

At that moment, Zhou Shiluo instinctively grabbed Jiang Yutang’s arm and yanked him back.

Jiang Yutang let out a startled curse as he stumbled backward. When he steadied himself, he looked up at Zhou Shiluo in confusion.

The others also turned to stare.

After a brief silence, under everyone’s gaze, Zhou Shiluo slowly let go. “How about… you go to the café, and I’ll walk them back? My car is parked near D University.”

For some reason, he felt a flicker of guilt.

Jiang Yutang frowned briefly before brushing it off with a chuckle. “Zhou-ge, you nearly knocked me over.”

So the group split. Jiang Yutang and the others went to the internet café, while Zhou Shiluo escorted the three girls.

His car wasn’t actually near the university. He just didn’t want Jiang Yutang to accompany them alone.

Some people never change, no matter how much time passes.

He followed three meters behind them, the dimly lit path casting eerie shadows. Just as he was lost in thought about the bathroom conversation, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

He turned instinctively and saw Yang Jin catching up, falling into step beside him without a word.

“You’re not going to the café?” Zhou Shiluo asked.

Yang Jin let out a frustrated grunt. “Not going.”

Taozi overheard and turned around, eyes lighting up. “Yang Jin!”

She ran over to him, chatting animatedly. The once-silent street filled with her voice.

Zhou Shiluo stepped aside, giving them space.

Soon, they reached D University. After the girls entered the dorms, only Zhou Shiluo and Yang Jin remained.

Seizing the moment, Zhou Shiluo stared at the retreating figures, then turned to Yang Jin. “I have something to ask you.”

Yang Jin smirked. “Which one are you into?”

They had spoken at the same time.

Zhou Shiluo was momentarily stunned. “What?”

Yang Jin took a step back, pulled out a cigarette, and sneered, “You were staring at them all night. Then you insisted on walking them back. So, which one are you into?”

He let out a mocking chuckle. “I can introduce you.”