That evening, Chen Junjie came back too.
"Sons! Come quick—look what Dad brought you!"
He kicked open the dorm room door with exaggerated swagger, one foot planted triumphantly inside—only for his overconfident expression to freeze instantly.
Something felt off.
The room was so quiet you could barely hear anything but the occasional clack of keyboard keys. An Han and Long Xing sat at their respective desks on opposite sides of the aisle, both facing their computer screens, backs turned, not speaking a word. The atmosphere was thick with tension.
Sure, their dorm had never been particularly rowdy—but it had never been this dead silent either.
"Bro Long! Hotpot tonight! I went out specially to buy broth base and sliced meat!" Chen Junjie quickly recovered from his stunned pause, flashing a grin as he sauntered over to Long Xing and shoved his suitcase into a corner. "If there's anything else you want, just say the word—I'll go get it."
"Hmm, thanks."
Long Xing was clearly in a strange mood.
Chen Junjie then turned to pick on An Han: "An Han! Just so you know—none of this is for you!"
"Oh."
"You seriously don't get it? None for you! Even though it's cooked on *your* induction cooker!"
"Got it."
"You're not gonna argue with me? Not even a little?"
An Han finally turned around, his eyes dull and lifeless as he glanced at Chen Junjie flatly. "Are you seriously that bored without a fight?"
"What? Got a problem with that?"
"I'm just too tired to bother." An Han dropped his head onto the desk again, chin resting against the wood, eyes fixed blankly on the computer screen.
His heart felt utterly exhausted...
On screen, a summer anime was playing—but his mind wasn't on the show at all. He hadn't even turned on the audio. He was just staring off into space, lost in thought.
All afternoon, he'd tried everything he could think of to make Long Xing angry with him.
And it had accomplished absolutely nothing!
No matter how wildly he acted out, Long Xing remained unfazed—so calm it was infuriating.
Worse yet, Long Xing probably even found his antics strangely endearing and had actually *gained* a bit of affection toward him!
"Is this what they mean by 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?"
An Han now understood that old saying all too well.
"What the hell's wrong with you two?"
Muttering to himself, Chen Junjie opened An Han's wardrobe, pulled out the induction cooker and non-stick pot, then dragged over the dorm's folding table and plastic chairs from the corner.
"Hasn't Wang Sheng come back yet?" Chen Junjie asked casually as he started boiling the hotpot base. "It's already 6:30."
"... ..."
"Can you guys at least acknowledge me?!"
Chen Junjie was getting annoyed. "Bro Long! Why the long face? Did I do something to you?!"
"No." Long Xing quickly smiled again and cheerfully joined him at the folding table.
An Han let out an even heavier sigh.
Since Long Xing had realized that An Han's over-the-top behavior all afternoon was just an attempt to push him away, he'd deliberately put on a show of being upset—probably as a way to humor An Han's efforts.
And if the system's notification was anything to go by—*Long Xing's affection +1*—it was clear Long Xing wasn't actually mad at all. If anything, he found An Han's antics kinda cute.
An Han felt like a tiny kitten pouncing uselessly at someone's feet, only for the person to pretend to yelp in mock pain just to humor him. It made him want to scream in frustration.
"Xiao Han, come eat hotpot," Long Xing called.
"Not hungry..."
"Hurry up. We've got beef and lamb."
"I don't like pre-rolled meat slices..."
Chen Junjie rolled his eyes. "These are hand-cut slices, not those factory rolls."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!"
An Han hated how thin pre-rolled meat slices were—they just didn't give that satisfying meaty bite. When he ate hotpot, he always preferred paper-thin but fresh-sliced beef, like what you'd get in Chaoshan-style hotpot, not processed meat rolls.
He immediately plopped down at the folding table, chopsticks already reaching for the meat. As he dipped slices into the bubbling broth, he grumbled, "Why the sudden hotpot tonight?"
"Can't I just feel like eating it?"
*This Chen Junjie… seriously, we were born under conflicting stars!*
An Han decided not to waste his breath, turned away, and scooted his chair a little farther from Chen Junjie.
"Has An Han gotten even more girly-looking these past couple days?" Chen Junjie finally took a good look at his roommate.
"None of your damn business."
Chen Junjie reached out to pinch An Han's cheek, but An Han swatted his hand away, glaring at him with unmistakable anger.
"Oho~ You even glare like a girl now."
"You son of a—! Are you asking for a beating?!" An Han shot to his feet.
Long Xing quickly stepped in, pressing a hand gently on An Han's shoulder. "Alright, alright—can't you two chill for once? It's hotpot night!"
"He's just asking for it! He gets antsy if he doesn't get yelled at for a full day!"
An Han had already been simmering with frustration from earlier, and Chen Junjie's provocation pushed him over the edge.
But this time, Chen Junjie actually listened to Long Xing and didn't escalate. Instead, he just tossed another piece of meat into his bowl. "Keep yapping, and I'll finish all the meat."
An Han's eyes snapped back to the pot. He grabbed his small bowl and hurriedly fished out all the slices he'd just cooked.
Chen Junjie wasn't backing down either. Their chopsticks clashed in the boiling broth, each trying to steal the other's meat.
An Han channeled all his pent-up irritation into this hotpot battle. Every time he successfully snatched a piece from Chen Junjie's grasp, he gave a smug little sniff: "Hmph! Mine now!"
"Those beef balls are mine!"
"Oh? Been a few days and you're already this weak? Can't even win a chopstick duel?"
Long Xing watched helplessly as soup splattered all over the table. "Are you two three-year-olds?"
The moment the words left his mouth, both An Han and Chen Junjie abruptly stood up—eyes locked on the *last* slice of beef fat swirling in the pot.
Their chopsticks dove in simultaneously, churning the broth into chaos. The two pairs of chopsticks locked together in a tense standoff—only for Long Xing to swiftly swoop in like a cunning bird and steal the prized slice.
"Nice and crispy."
"That's it! I'm done eating!" An Han tossed his chopsticks down and turned toward Wang Sheng's empty bed. "Where the heck is Wang Sheng?"
"How should I know? I tried reaching him a couple days ago—couldn't get through." Chen Junjie pulled out a toothpick from his drawer and started picking his teeth.
An Han looked genuinely worried. "You don't think something happened to him? I heard him say he was going to try out for that... that pro gaming thing over the National Day holiday. Could he have gotten caught up in a pyramid scheme or something?"
"Don't jinx him," Long Xing said, checking the time. "It's only 7 p.m.—he might not show up till 8 or 9. That's normal."
"An Han just can't stand seeing anyone succeed. Why can't it be that Wang Sheng actually passed the tryout and really is going pro?"
**[Chen Junjie's Affection +7]**
Though Chen Junjie kept teasing him, he suddenly noticed An Han had gone completely still. "What's wrong with you now?"
"N-nothing… it's fine..."
This latest affection boost from Chen Junjie was clearly due to An Han's increasingly feminine appearance.
That part was somewhat understandable—after all, guys are only human. Looks often sway judgment; a beautiful girl could meet a guy for the first time and have his affection meter instantly shoot sky-high.
If Chen Junjie had met An Han for the first time now, under the influence of his "Charming Appearance" trait, his starting affection might've blasted past 60 or even 70.
Still, An Han couldn't help worrying that their dorm was turning into a full-blown harem drama.
That thought alone was terrifying.