Chapter 102: Since You’re Already Here
Yu Fan’s arrival didn’t really bring any warmth to the cold room.
After all, his cheerful personality wasn’t strong enough to change the temperature like a ghost could.
But Li Mu really did feel better, even though he just sat there with no expression, listening to Yu Fan talk and mess around with him.
So, he decided not to tell Yu Fan the truth, in case he’d be tricked even more in the future.
After joking around for a long time, Yu Fan finally got to the point.
“So, why are you feeling down? Did you break up with your girlfriend?”
“I don’t even have a girlfriend.”
“Then why did Xiao Jing call me over?” Yu Fan picked up the mirror from the table and asked Xiao Jing inside, “Are you just bored?”
Xiao Jing pouted and said sadly, “He really was in a bad mood just now.”
She was used to using Li Mu’s appearance, so what Yu Fan saw in the mirror was a pouty little version of Li Mu, so cute it made people want to comfort him.
Yu Fan was stunned speechless for a moment by this look.
Li Mu quickly grabbed the mirror and put it back on the table with a blank face. “Don’t block her from watching TV.”
“Alright, alright.” Yu Fan shrugged and leaned back on the sofa, complaining, “I was in the middle of a game, then Xiao Jing called me out of nowhere. I thought something serious happened to you, so I had to quit the game!”
“I’ve got Dota on my computer. You might still have time to jump back in.”
Li Mu peeled a banana that Ren Tianyou had brought over, took a bite, and asked, “Isn’t gaming the most important thing in your life?”
“Yeah, but if something’s wrong with my brother, I have to come, right?” Yu Fan muttered.
Then he looked over at Li Mu, surprised, “Why are you sitting with your legs crossed like that?”
“Don’t all guys sit like this?”
“But you always...”
Yu Fan noticed Li Mu’s annoyed expression and quickly changed the subject. “Oh right! I finished that drawing I told you about. Let me show you.”
Earlier, when they were practicing singing at KTV, Yu Fan had secretly taken a photo of Li Mu to use as a reference for a drawing. He said he was entering a painting contest and might even get his work into an art book if he won.
Li Mu didn’t care at all. After all, Yu Fan was a computer science student and didn’t even have any art classes, so his drawing skills probably weren’t great.
A moment later, Yu Fan sent a photo of the finished painting to Li Mu.
Li Mu looked down at the picture, then looked up in surprise.
It was a typical oil painting. In the picture, Li Mu was sitting properly on a sofa, with a Stitch plushie on his lap. His legs were together, sitting with good posture, his calves tilted slightly. The lights from the KTV reflected off his face, adding some colorful highlights.
That was about all Li Mu could say about the painting, he didn’t know art much. But to him, the shapes looked fine, and the colors were used well.
However… it looked more like a girl in the painting than a guy.
To be honest, the most he had expected was something like the simple sketch portraits hanging in the school’s art room.
“I was going to just do a pencil sketch!” Yu Fan said proudly. “But since I was already home, I thought I might as well make it more detailed. I think this painting could easily make top three!”
The surprised look on Li Mu’s face disappeared immediately. He curled his lips and said, “It’s just okay.”
He really couldn’t stand that smug look on Yu Fan’s face.
“By the way,” Yu Fan said, looking at the painting on his phone, then back at Li Mu sitting beside him with his legs spread wide. “Didn’t you used to sit with your legs close together? This feels a bit forced.”
“......”
Really? Guys sitting like this would still look unnatural?
Li Mu had indeed been trying to sit in a bold, wide-legged pose to show off his manliness. Even if all he had left was his "little brother," which was just a display now, at least he could still proudly say he was a man when he took off his pants.
People are like that, when they feel insecure or have a weakness, they try to hide it with their words or actions.
Like how someone with a small size might brag about how flexible they are, or someone who can only last three seconds might claim they can go for two hours. Short people wear thick soles or insoles to look taller. Flat-chested girls might use padded bras.
In the past, Li Mu never cared about his closed-leg, slightly feminine sitting posture. After all, no matter what people said, it didn’t change the fact that he was a man.
But now…
Then he imitated Yu Fan, casually leaning back, crossed one leg over the other, and folded his arms across his chest, trying to look more casual and manly.
“You’re even pushing your chest out now.”
Li Mu quietly lowered his arms.
Yu Fan found it kind of funny. He stretched and stood up.
“Alright, I’m heading back. I’m in the middle of a game and haven’t even had dinner yet.”
He had just taken a couple of steps when he suddenly heard Li Mu say behind him, “Since you’re already here, just stay and have dinner with me.”
“So friendly all of a sudden?”
“I haven’t eaten either.”
Yu Fan turned back, looking a little confused and cautious. “You’re not gonna trick me into cleaning your place again, are you?”
Last time Li Mu was this friendly, he ended up making Yu Fan help clean the whole place.
Li Mu ignored him and looked down at his phone to open the food delivery app. “What do you want to eat?”
“Hey, if you don’t say why, I’ll just go home and eat.”
Li Mu looked up helplessly and tried to come up with a reason.
“My computer’s lagging when I play Dota. Can you take a look? Also, practice some songs with Xiao Jing so we don’t need to go to KTV tomorrow.”
Yu Fan looked Li Mu up and down.
Something felt off, Li Mu wasn’t acting like his usual self today.
Normally, Yu Fan was the one annoying Li Mu, just to see him get frustrated. But today… it felt like Li Mu didn’t want him to leave?
Feeling confused, he sat back down.
“Yu Fan! Li Mu must like you!” Xiao Jing suddenly exclaimed in an excited, fangirl voice. “He’s asking you to stay tonight because he wants to be with you!”
“Cut it out.” Yu Fan raised his foot and kicked the mirror on the table.
The mirror hit the table with a thud, and Xiao Jing started fake crying. “I’m blind! I can’t see anything anymore!”
Yu Fan always felt like Xiao Jing’s mind wasn’t very healthy. She must’ve been full of weird thoughts even when she was alive. She could twist anything into something dirty.
But really, he and Li Mu just had a pure friendship, okay?
…Right?
He turned to look at Li Mu next to him.
He had to admit, Li Mu did look attractive while focused on his phone, ordering food.
His face was flawless, his skin was smooth like jade, long eyelashes, small nose and mouth, bright eyes and white teeth…
This guy was prettier than most girls.
Honestly, none of the girls in their class looked better than Li Mu.
Luckily, most of Li Mu’s changes happened while they were at school. And he used to be basically invisible, so not many people noticed. Otherwise, he’d already be the main topic of gossip in class.
“I ordered crayfish and barbecue,” Li Mu said, looking up. But he noticed Yu Fan was staring blankly at him.
Li Mu frowned slightly and asked, “Do you want to add any dishes? Or get some drinks?”
Why was this guy always staring at him? It was not the first time either.
“No need to add. Let’s get some beer.”
“Alright.”