I've liked Liam for three years. Then, I accidentally overheard him talking to my brother. "Your brother's twenty-two, right? I've never seen him date anyone." My brother: "Yeah, now that you mention it, I've never seen him get close to any girl." "You really don't care enough about your brother. Find some time to set him up. He's like a kid; he needs someone more mature." My heart sank to the bottom of a lake. There was no way he didn't know I liked him. But I guess I need to have some dignity. If he's saying that, it means he doesn't like me. I immediately pulled out my phone and called in reinforcements. I got my friend from the drama club, Chloe, to pretend to be my girlfriend. I thought I had this in the bag. But when Chloe showed up, both Liam and my brother turned green. 1 When I led Chloe into the private room, my heart was beating a chaotic rhythm. Today was my brother's birthday, and he had invited some of his closest buddies. Among them, naturally, was our childhood friend, Liam. Coincidentally, my feelings for Liam changed three years ago, turning him from a good buddy into the object of my secret affection. Even more coincidentally, when I was taking care of a drunk Liam a few days ago, I accidentally let slip that I liked him. I originally thought he was too drunk to remember anything, but looking at it today, he must have heard everything. Including that restrained kiss. I didn't even dare to kiss his face; I just kissed his ring finger. Thinking about it now, I was really shameless. Having a secret crush is one thing, why did I have to... See? He was bringing in outside help to set me straight. So, when I heard him say he was going to set me up, I instinctively called for backup. Instead of waiting for him to introduce someone to me, I might as well find a fake one myself. I'm already like this, why look for a real girlfriend? That would just be ruining someone else's life! There were over a dozen people in the private room. They all froze for a second when they saw me walk in with Chloe. "No way, I was just wondering why a plus-one brought a plus-one. Tell me, bro, are you showing off to me?!" The one speaking was my brother's former college roommate. He used to come over to our house a lot, so we were pretty close. I smiled and replied, "I wouldn't dare show off to you. She was just in the neighborhood, so I brought her over to say hi. I'll take her back in a bit." Chloe smiled sweetly, raising her hand to wave, "Hi, everyone. I'm Alex's girlfriend." "Oh, okay, okay." "Hello, hello." "Yeah, nice to meet you." ... I pointed to my brother and said to Chloe, "This is my biological brother." Chloe smiled and looked over, "Nice to meet you... brother?" What's with that tone? I looked at my brother in confusion, only to find his face had turned green, without a hint of a smile. What's going on? And Liam, sitting next to him, looked even greener. What's the meaning of this? Anyway, the situation wasn't right, so running away was the best option. "I just brought her to say hi. I'll take her back first, I'll be back in a bit." With that, I grabbed Chloe's hand and left the private room amidst a chorus of "Goodbye, sister-in-law." On the way, I asked Chloe what was going on. Chloe looked troubled and said, "Your brother, he's been hitting on me lately." I gasped, "You're actually my future sister-in-law." Chloe was furious, "How do you know I have to choose him?!" I pointed at her face, "Your face is burning red, the same color as a boiled lobster." Chloe hurriedly covered her face. I called a cab to take her back to school. Just before she got out, she suddenly said to me, "I think the guy sitting next to your brother likes you." Me: ... The guy next to my brother was Liam. "Stop joking. He's the one who wanted to set me up with a girlfriend." Chloe was shocked, "No way, bro. I've been swimming in the shipping fandom for years, my radar is spot on." I smiled bitterly, "There's a lot of baggage here. I'll tell you about it when I have time." 2 After dropping Chloe off at her dorm, I went back to the restaurant. Thinking about the spicy garlic shrimp and roasted lamb chops on the table, I decided to go wash my hands first. Before, Liam would always peel my shrimp for me. But with the current situation, are we considered to have fallen out? I really didn't have the face to accept his shrimp-peeling service anymore. I was sadly washing my hands when someone grabbed me from behind by the waist and dragged me into the bathroom stall. Holy crap, what's going on? Kidnapping? Just as I was about to yell, a hand covered my mouth. Liam's voice sounded in my ear, "It's me." My body instantly relaxed, but because I was so scared just now, the sudden release made my legs go weak. As I slumped down, Liam caught me in a full embrace. He pressed me against the wall, forcing me to stand up straight. "What's wrong? Why are your legs weak?" My face flushed red. Never mind the weak legs, why is he talking to me from so close! He was speaking right into my ear. I didn't even dare to turn my head; if I did, I'd definitely kiss him on the mouth. I didn't say anything. Liam chuckled twice, then continued to ask close to my ear, "How come you never told me you had a girlfriend? Why so distant?" I pushed him, but my hands met rock-hard pecs. Heh, show-off. I pushed a few times but couldn't move him. So I just stiffened my neck and answered, "It's not a big deal, so I didn't think to tell you guys." "Then why tell us today?" "I thought the timing was right, and she was in the neighborhood." "How long have you been together?" I kept pushing him. Seriously, why does he have to build so much muscle? A weakling like me can't move him at all. "Do you have to talk to me like this? Let me go first." "Alright." He finally let me go, and the surrounding air rushed back in. Being pinned in the corner by him just now really made me feel like I was trapped by an iron wall, unable to breathe. "Speak." My eyes darted around, then I clutched my stomach, "Bro~ I'm so hungry, my stomach hurts. Can I eat something first? Let's talk after I eat." "Stomach?" I moved my hand covering my belly upwards a bit. Liam looked at me and nodded, "Fine, let's eat first. After we're done, you're coming home with me." "What?" I was shocked, "I'm not going home with you." "Then let's make things clear right now." Me: ... "I'll give you two choices. Say it now, or think it through now, get your thoughts in order, make up a lie, and tell me when we go home tonight." Me: ... "Looks like you want to say it now." I sighed, "I'll go home with you tonight." "Let's go." Back in the private room, they were talking about some new project they were working on. I didn't understand a word; I just wanted to eat. But looking at the table, there was basically nothing left. Just as I was falling into despair, Liam pulled out two food storage containers from the cabinet behind him. "I didn't know when you'd be back, so I got some food set aside for you. I also ordered a bowl of bamboo noodles from the waiter just now, you should eat some carbs too." I watched him open the lids of the containers and place them in front of me. My favorite lamb chops, present. My favorite shrimp, also present. The broccoli and carrots I hate, also present. ... I secretly pushed the container with broccoli and carrots to the side. But it was pushed right back. "Don't be a picky eater." Despair. But the lamb chops and shrimp were really good. While I was gnawing on the lamb chop, Liam was peeling shrimp for me on the side. He shouldn't be this good to me; it makes it hard for me not to like him even more. 3 It was already past ten when we finished eating. When everyone was leaving, my brother told me to go home with him. Me: ... Liam reached out and put his arm around me, "He's coming home with me. I need to interrogate him about his girlfriend." I didn't dare to look up, so I just peeked at my brother from the corner of my eye. His face was green. His hair, which he had dyed blue before, had faded, and now it looked kind of yellowish-green too. Right now, I didn't dare face my brother. As it stands, I kind of cuckolded him. Ahhh, his glare is so scary. I want to go home with Liam. Liam tightened his arm, spinning me around in a half-circle, "We're leaving first." Then, with his arm around my waist, he dragged me away. I was too submissive to make a sound, like a little lamb entering the tiger's den. The designated driver drove the car, and Liam and I sat in the backseat. There was clearly a lot of space, but he insisted on squeezing me right against the door, his arm resting behind my head, draped over the headrest... It was clearly a three-person backseat, but the two of us were only taking up the space of one and a half people. I was practically plastered against the door. "Bro, can you move over a bit?" He grunted and moved slightly, but not by much. The driver left after pulling the car into the garage. I got out of the car but stood there, refusing to move. Liam looked at me and sneered, "What, are you waiting for me to carry you in, or sling you over my shoulder?" I shivered. Those actions were way too intimate. I was afraid my heart would skip a beat. "I'll walk." With that, I dragged my weak legs to the front door, extended my index finger, and the fingerprint lock opened instantly. Once inside, I shrank into a corner, not daring to move. Liam walked past me, took out my designated slippers, and placed them at my feet. The look in his eyes was a bit scary; I didn't really want to go in. "Bro, it's getting late. How about you hurry up, wash up, and go to sleep?" He leaned against the shoe cabinet and smiled, "Not a good idea." He checked his watch, "I'll give you ten minutes. Change your shoes, go up to the second floor, to my room, change your clothes, wash up, and then sit nicely and wait for me." Me: ... He really had my whole schedule planned out. I wanted to cry but had no tears, so I had to follow his instructions. I timed it; it took me twelve minutes. I casually grabbed a set of clothes from his closet, put them on, and then sat obediently on the bed waiting for him. When Liam came in, he had also changed his clothes. He must have washed up in the guest bathroom. He walked to the edge of the bed and ruffled my hair. I looked up and gave him a toothy grin. "Good boy." With that, he picked up the remote from the bedside table and lowered the projector screen. I was confused, "It's so late, are we still watching a movie?" He stood in front of me, reached out, and pinched my chin, "Come on, let's settle the score." "Huh? What score, bro? I didn't do anything." "When did you and your girlfriend start dating?" I blurted out, "Two months ago." "Oh, two months~" "Yeah, two months." I nodded, confirming my own lie. "Break up with her." He leaned closer and closer to me. "Ah?" I scrambled backward until I was in the middle of the bed. "Don't come any closer. Just stand there and say whatever you want to say." "You being with her, is it a moral failing on your part, or a moral failing on hers? Which one of you do you think is the problem?" What kind of nonsense is this? It sounds like a tongue twister. I thought about it for five seconds and couldn't figure it out, "I don't understand what you're saying." "Your brother started pursuing her half a year ago, and currently, the two of them are in an ambiguous stage. If she's dating both of you at the same time, it means her character is flawed. I don't mind letting the whole school know." I pointed a finger at him, "Don't mess around, there's nothing wrong with her." He instantly grabbed my hand and pulled. I fell straight into his chest. "If she doesn't have a problem, then you're the one with the problem." I was dragged into his embrace and held tight, unable to break free. I struggled while arguing back, "What problem do I have? I don't have a problem." He chuckled twice, "You don't have a problem? You like someone else, yet you're dating a girl. And during your relationship, you kissed someone else. Do you still think you don't have a problem?" I completely froze. What does he mean? How does he know I like someone? How does he know I kissed someone else? Then does he know who I like? I sat there dumbfounded, but he simply picked up the remote and pressed play. 4 When the video started playing, I was completely stupefied. He was playing a piece of security footage. In the footage, I was carrying a drunk Liam into the bedroom. I tried to snatch the remote from his hand. He casually tossed the remote into the corner of the sofa. "Liam, pause it." He pinched my cheeks, the anger in his eyes practically overflowing. "You're not even calling me 'bro' anymore. You know what happens next in this footage, right? I've watched it no less than twenty times. It's no use refusing to watch it now. You're going to watch the whole thing." I was held firmly in his embrace, completely immobilized. He forced me to watch the video. In the video, I helped him drink water, wiped his body, covered him with a blanket, and babbled on about how much I liked him. Finally, I wanted to kiss him on the cheek, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, I took his hand and kissed his ring finger. I closed my eyes. It's over. It's all over. Everything is ruined. Liam actually knew. "Liking a guy but dating a girl, do you think you have any morals?" Hearing his questioning tone, my tears just started flowing. I felt so wronged. It's bad enough that I like him and can't say it, but now he's scolding my character. "I don't like guys, I just..." He turned me around, stared into my eyes, and asked, "You just what?" Things had reached a point of no return. I took a deep breath and said, "I don't like guys, I just... like you, that's all." Now it was Liam's turn to freeze. "I admit, I am immoral. I like you, I'm too immoral. But how could I say something like that out loud? With what happened today, we won't even be friends anymore." The more I cried, the sadder I got, eventually breaking into a loud wail. "How can you have security cameras? When did you install them? Even if you have them, why did you have to check them? And if you checked them, why did you have to watch? And if you watched, why did you have to make me watch? Do you know how awful I feel? Waaaaah~~~~~~" I wailed while rolling around on the bed. Liam watched in utter shock. Liam tried to pull me up, but I swatted him away with a slap. When I finally cried enough and vented my emotions, I quietly curled up in a corner of the bed, sobbing to myself. Liam: ... Liam reached out to grab me, and I brushed him off. He tried to speak, and I covered my ears and howled. "Okay, okay, okay. Stop crying. You're not going to listen to anything I say right now anyway, are you? Let's just go to sleep, it's too late. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow." With that, he lay down beside me. Maybe I was just tired from howling. Carrying a heart full of sorrow, I actually fell asleep within a few minutes. Early the next morning, when I woke up, I didn't dare to move an inch. Because I was being held by Liam. This is getting ambiguous, bro. I slowly slid out of his embrace, changed into my own clothes, and basically executed a grand escape. Given the situation last night, he clearly wanted to warn me not to harbor any more feelings for him or whatever. Pfft. Whatever, the damage is already done. From now on, Liam and I will go our separate ways. He takes the high road, and I'll take the low road. I'm never thinking about him again. There are so many guys out there. I refuse to hang myself on his lush, flourishing, giant tree of a self. 5 After getting back to school, I quickly found Chloe. She came out right after washing her face, looking exhausted. "What happened to you? Why are you so tired? What were you doing?" Chloe slumped on the table, "Your brother called me, sent WeChat messages, asking what was going on. He kept me up for an hour." "Did you tell my brother?" Chloe rolled her eyes at me, "I didn't even know how you were going to handle things on your end, so I didn't tell him the truth. I kept changing the subject, but he just kept asking and asking, and I..." I asked nervously, "What did you do?" "I blocked your brother." Me: ... "Let's put your brother aside for now. Why did you look for me so early?" I stammered out the events of last night to her. Chloe looked shocked, her mouth hanging open as she listened to my story. "Bro, I wouldn't even dare write a script like this. If it's really like that, aren't you guys done? This is a bad ending." I slumped on the table, "If it's a bad ending, then it's a bad ending. There are so many guys out there, there's bound to be someone who likes me." Hearing this, Chloe leaned forward, "Upperclassman, I know a few guys. Should I introduce you? They're all from the acting department, super handsome. There was originally one who was adorably handsome, but unfortunately, you're too late, he already has a husband." "But!" She spread her hands in front of me, "I have several good guys on hand, top-tier quality, and their character is also great. The main thing is that their orientation aligns with yours. Want to consider?" I remained silent. Seeing I wasn't speaking, she continued, "A so-called breakup is just a transitional period. The guys I'm introducing to you are really, really good. You can try interacting with them. Who knows, fate might just arrive! Just treat it as me introducing you to a new friend." That actually makes some sense. "Alright then!" Chloe chuckled a few times and took out her phone. "I'll send you their WeChat contacts. I'll introduce you to the first one, named Noah. He's the highest quality one, and now that I think about it, he actually looks a bit like the guy you like. If you guys don't work out, I'll introduce you to the others. But let's be clear upfront, no treating him as a stand-in. Noah is a really good guy." I lay paralyzed on the table, unmoving, just raising an arm to flash her an 'OK' sign. 6 I didn't expect to meet Noah so soon. While I was walking Chloe back to her dorm, we bumped right into Noah halfway there. Chloe clapped her hands, "What is this? This is destiny." Handsome, truly handsome. He was only slightly less handsome than Liam. Liam too, why does he have to be so good-looking? A sucker for good looks like me... Sigh, don't think about it, don't think about it. "Hello~" Noah said with a smile. "Hello~" I replied with a smile. Chloe stood aside, smiling at the two of us. "I'm heading to our family's restaurant for a tasting. If you guys aren't busy, want to come with?" Chloe glanced at me, "Sure, let's go together then. Alex, his family runs a seafood buffet. If you're free, let's all go." Hmm, sounds good. I haven't even had breakfast anyway, and I'm a bit hungry. But, a seafood buffet must be really expensive, right? I'll just transfer the money to him after we eat. Seeming to notice my hesitation, Noah spoke up, "Don't overthink it. Mainly, we have new dishes now and need people to taste them. Having two more people to taste and offer suggestions helps them improve. It's not really a formal meal." Chloe chimed in, "Noah always invites us to tastings. Sometimes, if we give good suggestions, his dad even rewards us with dining vouchers." Oh, is that so? Then I won't hold back.
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