Pen Pals {MXTX}

36- Is this a date?

"Oh, this apple pie is quite good."

"Shen Yuan-ge sounds surprised."

"Well, yeah, I don't really like apples. Or any fruit really."

The expression on Luo Binghe's face turns to the expression Luo Binghe always makes when he learns something new about Shen Qingqiu.

"Oh, I didn't know that."

Shen Qingqiu shrugged.

"But Shen Yuan-ge has very nice skin, I would never guess you don't like fruits."

"I don't. But it doesn't mean I don't use them," Shen Qingqiu muttered.

Luo Binghe: "...?"

Shen Qingqiu: "I told you that I have two dormmates, right?"

Luo Binghe nodded vigorously, "Yeah! And how you always tripped over one of your roommates' stuffed fox."

Shen Qingqiu grimaced. He continued, "Well, my other roommate is obsessed with natural skincare. He'll make us try on face masks he made from fruits along with him. I supposed the face masks actually work." Shen Qingqiu's left eye twitched as he remembered Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian, and him laying in the living room, on the carpet or the couch, with cream smeared across their faces and two slices of cucumber for their eyes. While listening to the theme song of So Funny Youth. Very fitting.

Luo Binghe's eyes turned round. "They sure did work! Shen Yuan-ge's skin is amazing! Maybe I should try it sometimes."

"..." Shen Qingqiu tried to imagine Luo Binghe wearing a face mask with cucumber slices placed over his eyes, and his hair wrapped in a pink towel.

Shen Qingqiu snorted out loud.

Shen Qingqiu: "!"

Shen Qingqiu veered his head away from Luo Binghe.

"..." Shen Qingqiu looked back at Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe's eyes were twinkling.

"Ahem," Shen Qingqiu awkwardly coughed. He felt his face heating up. "I don't think you need any face mask, your skin is already so... um nice," Shen Qingqiu finished lamely.

Luo Binghe smiled. He reached for Shen Qingqiu's head from across the small round table. "Shen Yuan-

I neVer wanNa hear- you sayyy

Iiii want it that- waY~

Luo Binghe: "...."

Shen Qingqiu: "...."

Shen Qingqiu retracted his hands and Luo Binghe reached for his phone.

Click.

Luo Binghe: "Hello?"

The shout over the phone almost made Luo Binghe fall out of his chair.

"LUO-XIONGGGG-! Lan Zhan never came to pick me up! Am I abandoned?! After all this time???"

Shen Qingqiu: "..."

Luo Binghe: "Um..."

Luo Binghe: "Wei Ying, are you alright?" Luo Binghe turned to the side, lowering his head and cupping his hand over his phone.

"Nooo, I'm not. :( I've been abandoned! Luo-xiong, where are you? Let's go buy some spicy food-!"

"..." Luo Binghe snuck a peek at Shen Qingqiu. He turned back to the phone. He replied in a whisper, "Wei Ying, I'm sort of busy right now, why don't you call Hua-xiong?"

"I tried, but Hua-xiong's phone is turned off. :("

"Oh..."

"Heyyy, why are you busy, Luo-xiong?? My guts are telling me it's because you are on a date! Is that why???"