Chapter 2771: The Online Game Master's 'Straight Male' Roommate 12

The newly opened restaurant sat on the street corner, its décor quite atmospheric; warm yellow light shone through the glass windows, making it feel very cozy on a winter evening.

Before they even entered, the standee at the entrance caught passersby's eyes.

Christmas-themed decorations surrounded the large event title: Christmas Month·Love-Warming Limited Couples Event.

Below, the fine print listed the perks: couples dining enjoyed a 60% discount, received a pair of limited-edition winter warm-hearted plushies, and also had a chance to join the daily draw to win VIP tickets to the end-of-month A City International Anime & Game Expo.

They also had a chance to join the daily draw to win VIP tickets to the end-of-month A City International Anime & Game Expo.

Jin Chen's steps stopped in front of the standee; he turned to Cheng Lang and said, "Senior, that expo at month's end—I've been following it for a long time. There's an offline event I really want to attend, but the tickets are too hard to snag; I've tried a few times and still couldn't get any."

Cheng Lang played games, so he naturally had heard of these; he followed his gaze to the poster.

Jin Chen spoke candidly, "Senior, why don't we join this event? The discount is a great deal, and we can enter the draw—who knows, we might win."

Cheng Lang laughed helplessly, "Xiao Chen, look closely—this is a couples event. We're two grown men; even if we pretended…" He didn't finish before he himself felt it was odd, shook his head, and added, "Besides, the genders don't match; the front desk would see right through it as a fake."

"Oh." Jin Chen lowered his lashes, pressed his lips, and smiled, "No problem—I'll just ask a classmate tomorrow to help pretend; I'll surely find someone."

"... Wait a moment." Cheng Lang blurted out, an inexplicable irritation rising unbidden.

It was he who first agreed with Jin Chen to come eat, it was he who first saw this event—why should someone else help pretend to be a couple? What's going on here?

Cheng Lang put his arm on Jin Chen's shoulder, blocking passersby, his gaze drifting to the standee and back, then said, "C'mon, it's no big deal—just pretend a bit; I'll go along with you."

"Don't bother classmates; that'd be weird."

Jin Chen looked at him, a smile blooming in his peach-blossom eyes, "Sure, thanks, senior."

The two walked into the restaurant, warm air and the scent of food hitting them.

The receptionist, dressed in Christmas-themed attire, smiled sweetly, "Welcome! Are you two? If you're joining our Christmas Couples Month event, we need to verify your relationship first."

"Verify… relationship?" Cheng Lang's steps halted, his ears turning red at a visible speed.

He had thought it would just be sitting down and ordering a couples set, but he hadn't expected this.

His mind flashed with various embarrassing couples-verification scenes from TV dramas—public kisses, answering private questions… His Adam's apple bobbed.

The receptionist, probably used to such temporary pairings, smiled and said, "It's simple enough—even a small intimate interaction will do."

Cheng Lang froze, his brain racing—intimate interaction? What could two grown men do? Hold hands? Hug? Or…

While he was lost in thought, Jin Chen slightly leaned in, drawing closer.

Cheng Lang caught a whiff of sandalwood scent curling around him; he instinctively held his breath. In his vision, Jin Chen's eyes reflected tiny lights, silently occupying the space around Cheng Lang.

His mind went blank for a few seconds.

Then Cheng Lang felt his cheek touched—by lips.

Jin Chen kissed him.

On the cheek.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely, yet also to pause for just a tenth of a second.

All of Cheng Lang's senses focused on the touched skin—so light, so fleeting, yet it ignited every nerve in his mind.

An unfamiliar, ambiguous sensation surged like a tide, burning his viscera, crackling into dazzling chaotic sparks, his heartbeat pounding deafeningly.

He remained frozen, as if his soul had been half-sucked away by the light kiss.

Jin Chen looked at the receptionist and asked, "Is this okay?"

The receptionist, clearly unfazed, smiled while noting their table number in her booklet, then handed over two coupons printed with Christmas patterns and a raffle ticket: "All right, verification passed—enjoy your meal, and may your love be sweet!"

Jin Chen took the voucher, his expression normal, looked at Cheng Lang still in a daze, and gently tugged his sleeve: "Senior? We can go in now."

Cheng Lang was led to his seat as if in a dream, sitting down.

Only when the server handed over the menu did he snap back, taking it somewhat flustered, his fingertips tingling slightly.

Jin Chen sat opposite him, picked up another menu and flipped through it, calm: "Good thing I came with you, senior; if I had to ask an unfamiliar classmate for help, I really wouldn't know what to do."

He turned his head, looked at Cheng Lang with an innocent gaze, "Senior, you won't think I'm too rash, will you?"

Hearing that, Cheng Lang pulled himself back a little from his out-of-body state, his mind uncontrollably wondering: if it were someone else he didn't know, would Jin Chen also approach like that and kiss their cheek?

No male or female classmates allowed.

That thought lodged in him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable—worse than when he was just kissed.

Moreover… Xiao Chen has never dated, right? He usually looks cool and pure; if he were tricked by someone ill-intentioned, what would happen?

Cheng Lang thought, and as he took off his jacket, his hand unconsciously rose to the cheek that had just been kissed.

"Senior," Jin Chen's voice pulled him back from his tangled thoughts.

The boy—unknown when he'd put down the menu—had his eyes clouded with disappointment, brows slightly drooping, "Are you angry?"

Cheng Lang's chest tightened; he immediately denied, "No! I'm not angry!"

His tone was a bit hurried; after speaking he felt he'd overreacted, so he softened his voice and said lowly, "Just… a bit sudden, but since it's you, I won't be angry."

If it were someone else, he might feel offended, but since it's Jin Chen… he seems truly unable to get angry.

How strange.

Cheng Lang picked up the lemon water on the table and took a sip.

Jin Chen kept watching him, then suddenly curled his lips, reaching across the small table to hook his pinky around Cheng Lang's finger resting on the surface.

Cheng Lang's finger twitched reflexively, curling slightly, but he didn't pull away.

Jin Chen's hooking force was light; he leaned in slightly, his voice seeming to carry a hook, scraping over Cheng Lang's eardrum and heart's tip.

"Then… senior can also kiss me once." His lashes lifted slightly, his gaze shifting, a hint of enticing smile playing on his lips, "That would even things out."

Cheng Lang's breath stopped completely, "... What?"

Christmas music played in the restaurant; around them, patrons chatted and laughed, but all that blurred into distance as Cheng Lang stared blankly at Jin Chen, at his slightly upturned, pale lips.

Silence spread between them; the warm yellow light above the table seemed to grow ambiguous as well.

The burning spot in Cheng Lang's chest, rather than fading, flared even hotter because of that slight connection.

He realized he was actually, seriously contemplating Jin Chen's words.

Go back to kiss? Kiss where? Cheek? Or……

This realization startled even him; a deeper, heavier, indescribable thing silently surged in the quiet, about to shatter his long-held cognition.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total 24!】

Just as Cheng Lang's Adam's apple rolled, he was about to do something even he couldn't predict; Jin Chen suddenly loosened the hooked finger, leaned back against the chair, and the alluring smile on his face faded, returning to his usual gentle demeanor.

He picked up the water cup on the table, took a sip, and said, 'Just kidding.'

Jin Chen said with a smile, easily extinguishing the almost prairie‑fire ambiguous spark, 'Senior, as long as you're not angry, hurry up and order, I'm hungry.'

He acted so obliviously, as if those words and that gaze had never stirred any ripples in anyone's heart.

Cheng Lang's chest seethed with unfamiliar emotion, yet it had nowhere to go, stuck there, neither up nor down.

Beneath his thin chest, myriad flavors mingled, ultimately turning into a prairie‑fire blaze that dried his throat and disordered his heartbeat.

Cheng Lang lifted his eyes, gazing at Jin Chen's brows and eyes as he slightly lowered his head while ordering; he lingered a few seconds, then drew in a shallow breath of cool air.

Deadly.

He thought.

His indulgence and acceptance of Xiao Chen—could it have reached the point where they could kiss each other's cheeks, even let him feel… that such a thought might not be impossible?

During this meal, Cheng Lang found the food somewhat bland.

Across from him, Jin Chen had a good appetite, often giving him a side of dish and commenting which tasted good.

Until checkout, the front desk told them they had luckily won a VIP double ticket for the comic expo; only then did Cheng Lang come to his senses, watching Jin Chen receive the ticket with eyes full of surprise, the turmoil in his heart seemingly replaced by a soft sense of satisfaction.

Forget it, I won't think about it.

Cheng Lang shook his head, temporarily suppressing those messy thoughts.

As long as Xiao Chen is happy.