I’ll Still Love You Even If You’re a Man Vol 2 Chapter 17

***********************************************
In a matter of months, the days were slowly getting shorter and slowly getting colder. Winter was indeed upon the world. The wind was beginning to get a little too cold. Mai Ding was trying to close the window, and with every breath, he could see the mist forming. “I can’t believe that winter is already coming. It’s so cold.” Mai Ding said, as if talking to the bare trees outside his dorm.

It felt like it was just yesterday that the two men met.

An Ziyan was at his desk writing something. Mai Ding, realizing that An Ziyan did not respond, went up to him and hugged him from behind, resting his chin on An Ziyan’s shoulder. “I’m so bored. What are you writing?”

“Writing a report.”

“Why are you doing a report?” Mai Ding asked innocently.

“We have to hand it in tomorrow. Don’t you have to do so too?”

It was only then did Mai Ding finally realize that he had homework to complete. He had totally forgotten about it! He rushed to his room wanting to retrieve his materials, but when he entered the room, the entire place was in darkness and he saw a group of guys surrounding Li Ming on the computer. He knew what they were watching from the sound that was coming from the video. He turned on the lights and one of the guys turned and told Mai Ding, “Do you also want to watch it?”

“He’s not interested in such things. You looking for something?” Li Ming asked.
“Ya, just some pen and paper. But seeing you guys watch these low level videos, I can’t help but say a few words. My dear comrades, it’s time to stop such behavior. Let’s do something more worthwhile with our lives. Perhaps organize something for the school? What about small tuition groups? Or maybe start a club?”

If you were outside Mai Ding’s room, you would have seen him being thrown out of his own room. Then his pen and paper would have been flung outside after that.

Mai Ding went back to An Ziyan’s room and complained to him about the boys watching p.o.r.n in the room.

“That’s normal for guys.” An Ziyan remarked, showing no response whatsoever.

“That’s not true. I do not watch such stuff and see, I turned out fine.”

“No wonder you turned out to be this scrawny weird kid.”

“That's not true! Who said masturbation would strengthen the body? So now I know why you have such skills in bed. You must be studying those types of videos every day, right?”

“I don’t see you complaining when you are at the receiving end of those skills.”

Mai Ding blushed. He has this weakness. Whenever someone talked dirty to him a little, he would not know how to respond. He was, after all, just an innocent guy living amongst not-so-innocent people. He tried his best to change the topic. “Let me copy your homework.”

“No.” An Ziyan responded, preventing Mai Ding from taking his work.

“You petty a.s.shole, just let me copy. Besides, we are not even from the same cla.s.s. No one will find out.” Mai Ding protested.

“I won’t be in cahoots with you.”

“You make it sound like it’s a sort of crime. C’mon, on the account that you are like a husband to me, let me copy? Don’t be so heartless.”

“Don’t even try acting so close to me.”

“What do you mean by that? We are close. Quick lend it to me, or else it'll be too late.”

“No, unless…” An Ziyan purposely baited Mai Ding.

Mai Ding frowned. “What is it now? You want me to be your housemaid for another month? I will definitely not agree. I will also not agree if you want me to wear some kinky outfit or wear some cat ears. No can do!” It seems like the one who is providing these suggestive propositions was Mai Ding himself.

“I want you to sing for me.” Obviously, An Ziyan himself was bored.

“What???!!!” Mai Ding shouted incredulously. It was fortunate the An Ziyan ducked just in time else Mai Ding’s saliva would have rained on him. But, An Ziyan looked like he was serious with the request. In his mind, Mai Ding thought that he might as well just eat some s.h.i.t in front of An Ziyan, but he decided to say it out loud. AnZiyan might just ask him to do so. Who knows what he is not capable of doing. ‘Okay you can stop pulling my leg. I like Chinese songs and you prefer English ones. You won’t like the song that I will sing. So let’s cut you some slack and you just lend it to me? Both parties will be happier that way.’
An Ziyan shook his head, waiting for his song.

Mai Ding was feeling ill at ease. In his mind, a battle was going on. He didn’t know which was more important, his grades or his reputation. “If I do sing, you have to promise not to laugh at me, or else I will hate you for life.”

An Ziyan nodded in agreement.

“If you look at me, I won’t be able to sing.” After saying that, Mai Ding stood behind An Ziyan. He cleared his throat before he began. Singing was definitely not his forte. Even the first note he produced was already out of tune. He was, of course, unaware of this. And with great gusto, he sang:
Love... So that’s your form
When you look at it up close,
you will not understand what you see.
As for me, even after inspecting it from all angles,
I couldn’t fathom what it was about.
Yet you, in just one second,
have effortlessly captured my heart.
How should I describe the emotions inside me?
If you understood me, my past desires,
you would have gone the distance with me and be the light in my life.
You knew that I was still waiting, waiting for some lost love.
People thought that I had grown accustomed to my own solitude,
but you saved me from that lonely life.
You brought me back out to the light.
All this while, I was just hoping against hope.
Trying to find a soul mate to share my life story with.
But loneliness will find me eventually.
Will you continue to give me that hope?

When Mai Ding was done, he sighed in relief. At least it was over. “Now can I have your homework?”

An Ziyan pa.s.sed the report to Mai Ding, but Mai Ding realised that An Ziyan was trying to stifle his laughter. He pinched An Ziyan, and said, “You are too much. Didn’t you promise that you won’t laugh at me? I already told you I can’t sing. I really hate you.”

“It was indeed true that it was not very nice.”

“Can’t you say something nice for a change? I want you to console me.”

“It’s ok, you are just tone deaf.”

Mai Ding decided to ignore An Ziyan and swore never to sing in front of An Ziyan ever again. While copying An Ziyan’s report, a thought came to his mind. “Hey, Christmas is coming” he mumbled to himself.

Thinking that Mai Ding was just mumbling to himself, An Ziyan would, of course, not respond.

“An Ziyan. I want all the current Fantasy movie DVDs as my Christmas present”. A direct but difficult request.

“I’m not Santa Claus.”

“You are rejecting my request a little too fast. You should at least try your best to do so.”

“I will need to go back home during the Christmas break.”

Mai Ding considered what he said for a while. It is true that one should spend some time with the family during Christmas. It was the right thing to do. What’s so fun about two guys around a Christmas tree anyway? Mai Ding was trying to console himself but no matter how hard he tried, he was still a little upset. “Well, you can go back home but I still want my present.”

“Go find your Santa Claus.”

“I’m not Santa Claus’s lover.”

----
To be continued...