Little Pink Starfish

Zhang Qiu drank some water and bit into a crisp, icy apple. The restlessness in his heart settled a bit. He rubbed his face before heading back.

Steady! Don’t get reckless!

As soon as he pushed open the door, Zhang Qiu’s hand froze on the doorknob—Li Shu was definitely here to torment him!

Inside the room, Li Shu was wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, his upper body bare. His long, wet hair dripped water down onto the towel. Zhang Qiu’s mouth went dry at the sight. Li Shu’s skin was pale—an unhealthy porcelain white—but his body was lean and strong. His legs were long and straight, his waist narrow and toned, and his back broad and strikingly well-shaped.

Hearing the noise, Li Shu turned his head.

Zhang Qiu swore he could hear his own heart about to jump out of his chest. He pressed a hand to it, mouth parched. “Y-you… why aren’t you wearing pajamas?”

“They’re too small.” Li Shu looked at Zhang Qiu as he spoke.

Utter humiliation! He had already picked the largest and loosest ones! Feeling mocked for his height, Zhang Qiu forcefully suppressed his irritation, pretended to size up Li Shu from head to toe, and curled his lips. “Oh.” But in his heart, he couldn’t help but think—damn, even Li Shu’s cold and indifferent style looked ridiculously good.

The atmosphere in the room turned a little awkward. Zhang Qiu, feeling uncomfortable, quickly showered. But when he dawdled his way out, Li Shu was already in bed. The thin blanket barely covered the essentials, and his bath towel was discarded on a chair, revealing those long, straight legs.

“Come sleep.” Li Shu closed the item in his hands and patted the bed beside him, signaling Zhang Qiu to get in.

Zhang Qiu swallowed dryly and hesitated. “You… you’re not wearing underwear, are you?”

“Yours are too small. Uncomfortable.”

First, he mocked his height, and now he was attacking his manhood?! If Zhang Qiu endured this any longer, he wouldn’t be a man!

“You haven’t even seen mine! How would you know it’s small?” Zhang Qiu huffed. “I’m afraid if I take it off, you’ll feel inferior! No more talking, time to sleep!” After his bold words, he got scared that Li Shu would actually compare, so he immediately dove under the covers, turned off the lights, and faked a yawn. “So sleepy, so sleepy.”

Li Shu turned on his side and glanced at Zhang Qiu, who was sneaking peeks at him. A red glow flashed in his eyes. Zhang Qiu, who had been wide awake and on edge, suddenly felt overwhelmingly drowsy. His body relaxed, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

In his dreams, Zhang Qiu murmured, “So comfortable…”

The next morning, Zhang Qiu woke up feeling sore all over. The memory of last night’s dream surfaced in his mind—

He turned to glance at the bedside. Li Shu was already dressed, holding a map in his hands. Sensing Zhang Qiu’s gaze, he looked over with his usual expression and asked, “What is it?”

“Last night—” Zhang Qiu saw Li Shu raise a brow, as if he didn’t know what had happened. Lifting the covers, Zhang Qiu saw that everything was clean and in place. But he clearly remembered crying and begging Li Shu to let him finish last night… Was it really just a dream? But it felt way too real.

His usual morning routine also felt sluggish today, and his waist ached. His legs were weak, and he could still remember the spasms in his dream.

Zhang Qiu looked at Li Shu again and cautiously probed, “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Not very.” Li Shu closed the map, hiding the amusement in his eyes. His face remained cool as he said, “You kept rubbing against me all night.”

Boom!

Zhang Qiu was so embarrassed he stammered, grasping at excuses. He couldn’t believe he had been that desperate!

“N-no way! You’re lying to mess with me!”

“You even finished. I cleaned you up.” Li Shu raised an eyebrow and stared sharply at Zhang Qiu. “The towel with your stuff on it is still in the bathroom.”

Zhang Qiu instantly fluffed up like a startled cat. Without thinking, he dashed into the bathroom. Li Shu watched as he ran, catching a glimpse of his soft, round, pale backside. His eyes darkened slightly before he calmly returned to studying the map.

Inside the bathroom, Zhang Qiu indeed found a towel with a very strong smell. The sheer amount—it was shocking. No wonder his legs had nearly given out when he got out of bed. Everything was crashing down on his worldview. Had he really been so desperate that he turned out like this?

How could this happen?!

How was he supposed to face Li Shu now?!

He might as well just die!!!

Zhang Qiu stood there like he had been struck by lightning, repeatedly trying to convince himself otherwise. But all he could think about was last night’s dream—how good it felt, Li Shu’s lips, his hands…

Stop! Stop!

If he kept thinking like this, they wouldn’t even be able to stay friends!

“You’re not big, but you’ve got a lot of volume.” A voice came from the doorway.

Zhang Qiu turned to see Li Shu and immediately shuddered. When the words sank in, he gritted his teeth, wanting to throw the towel at Li Shu’s face—but in the end, he didn’t dare.

This distraction stopped Zhang Qiu from overthinking. After scrubbing the towel and destroying the evidence, he glanced at Li Shu and muttered awkwardly, “Thanks for, uh… last night.”

“No problem,” Li Shu replied before stepping into the living room.

Zhang Qiu found that answer oddly suspicious. From the living room, his mom’s voice called out.

“Xiao Qiu, Li Shu is already up, and you’re still lazing around in bed. Are you planning to stay in your room like you’re in confinement? Do you want me to serve you meals in bed?”

Zhang Qiu: …

Ouch. That hurt.

After breakfast, Zhang Liu Duan and his wife left for work. Ever since he had stopped his previous business, Zhang Liu Duan had opened a feng shui company, using his expertise to advise on geomancy and deal in antiques. Zhang Qiu’s mom worked as the company accountant, keeping a tight grip on finances.

Before leaving, she reminded Zhang Qiu, “Make sure to tidy up the guest room today. You toss and turn too much in your sleep—I don’t want Li Shu to have trouble sleeping.”

“I got it, Mom!” Zhang Qiu hurriedly cut her off before she could say more, still reeling from last night. He saw them off to work.

Now alone with Li Shu, the air felt awkward. Zhang Qiu avoided looking at him. “Let’s go shopping?”

Li Shu’s lips curled slightly, as if he thought of something amusing. Zhang Qiu happened to see it and was momentarily dazed before mumbling, “About last night… I’m really sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know why it happened…” His voice trailed off.

God, this was embarrassing!!!

“It’s nothing. Just mutual help between men.” Li Shu’s tone was indifferent.

It seemed like he hadn’t taken it to heart at all. Only Zhang Qiu had been dwelling on it. But for some reason, hearing that response made Zhang Qiu feel a little… disappointed.

They headed to the mall. Li Shu’s striking looks attracted attention everywhere, especially with his long hair tied back—elegant and aloof. People took photos, but a single cold glance from him made them quickly put their phones away. Yet the discussions around them continued.

“Ahhh! So handsome! Such a beautiful top! And the one next to him is obviously the shy, submissive bottom.”

“LOL, you’re right! The shy one even pouted just now.”

Zhang Qiu: …

Forget being called a bottom. But why was he shy?!

Since realizing he was bent, Zhang Qiu had done some research and naturally understood what “top” and “bottom” meant. He glanced at Li Shu—who seemed completely oblivious to what the two girls were saying—but when Li Shu caught his gaze, he smirked.

“Shy bottom?”

The world was too cruel to him. Zhang Qiu fumed but, under Li Shu’s gaze, couldn’t find the words to refute.

“He really is shy,” the girls behind them added another stab.

“But he’s cute.”

Zhang Qiu wanted none of their compliments! Burning with frustration, he dragged Li Shu into a men’s underwear store. He needed to buy what he came for and get the hell out—he wouldn’t be setting foot in this mall for the next year.

“For his size, a dozen pairs of underwear!” Zhang Qiu announced the moment he walked in.

The salesgirl was momentarily startled but, upon seeing Li Shu, gave Zhang Qiu a knowing look and hurried off to retrieve the items.

Li Shu wandered around the store, casually browsing. Zhang Qiu, curious, walked over to see what he was looking at—only for his eyes to nearly pop out of his skull.

Li Shu was checking out thongs.

And they weren’t even made of fabric—just a few thin straps!

“For his size, a dozen of these,” Li Shu calmly pointed at the display, then glanced at Zhang Qiu.

The salesgirl’s gaze swept between the two of them, pressing her lips together to suppress a smile. “Understood, sir.”

Zhang Qiu’s face turned beet red. He frantically waved his hands. “I don’t want those!”

But Li Shu had already paid.

Zhang Qiu held the shopping bag like it was burning his hands. Following behind Li Shu, he was so mortified he wanted to bury himself alive.

This was a nightmare.

A huge nightmare.