A social phobic can also fall in love.

Zhang Miao didn’t dare ask directly—he was afraid Yan Tingmo would snap at him.

Unbeknownst to Yan Tingmo, his roommates already thought he was in a lovestruck daze, while he secretly congratulated himself on his wit.

“Tingmo, you’ve worked hard today. Here, I cooked this tripe for you,” He Shiyang said, scooping the hot tripe into his bowl with a slotted spoon.

Holding the bowl, Yan Tingmo politely said, “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks,” Zhang Miao chimed in, adding, “I should be the one thanking you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had a chance to be alone with the senior I admire.” He spoke the last sentence softly, with a mix of shyness and anticipation.

Yan Tingmo felt genuinely happy. If Zhang Miao could start dating, he’d consider himself a great contributor.

The “great contributor” was quite popular tonight. The senior, it seemed, had taken a liking to him, calling him “Momo” repeatedly, which left Zhang Miao feeling envious.

Only just now did Yan Tingmo learn the senior’s name—Li Yinong. Like her demeanor, her name was quiet and elegant.

Well, not entirely quiet. She was actually quite lively, frequently checking on him to ensure he wasn’t being ignored.

He thought of himself as lucky. Whether it was his roommates or Li Yinong, they treated him with sincerity and never judged him unfairly.

“Hurry and eat,” He Shiyang reminded the group. “Let’s head back early after eating, just in case the student council decides to check the dorms.”

“No way,” Zhang Miao said. “Aren’t dorm checks only done every two weeks? It hasn’t even been that long.”

He Shiyang glanced at Yan Tingmo with a knowing smile. “I wouldn’t know. You’d have to ask Tingmo; he probably has the inside scoop.”

Zhang Miao turned to him, who looked completely clueless, clearly not paying attention.

“Ahem,” he leaned in and whispered, “Tingmo, do you know if the student council is doing a dorm check tonight?”

“Huh? Dorm check? Didn’t they just do one a few days ago?” Yan Tingmo replied, bewildered.

“Ugh…” Realizing he’d been tricked, Zhang Miao kicked He Shiyang under the table.

Li Yinong chuckled, “Zhang Miao, you kicked the wrong person.”

Startled, Zhang Miao bent down immediately to check if she was hurt. Li Yinong pressed her shoulder down with a resigned smile. “I’m fine. What were you all talking about?”

With an innocent expression, Yan Tingmo blurted out, “Zhang Miao said he likes you.”

For a moment, she looked surprised, then squinted at him. “Little liar, do you think that’s something you can just say?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yan Tingmo quietly sipped his coconut milk.

Not only Li Yinong but also He Shiyang, Zhou Wen, Zhang Miao, and the others were taken aback. Yan Tingmo seemed so honest, yet his directness caught everyone off guard, leaving no time for preparation.

Oddly enough, his straightforwardness offered some clarity—at least now they had a sense of whether Li Yinong harbored any feelings for Zhang Miao.

She might have a bit of affection for him, but it wasn’t much. Zhang Miao would still need to work hard.

Meanwhile, He Shiyang and Zhou Wen, self-proclaimed intellectuals, noticed something else: her fondness for Yan Tingmo was more than casual—perhaps even leaning toward romantic interest.

“Momo, let’s add each other on WeChat,” Li Yinong said, opening her QR code and tilting her head with a smile. “I really like your cosplay of Qiao.”

Yan Tingmo was naturally immune to others’ affection. In his world, people were either friends or acquaintances with little interaction.

Li Yinong fell into the latter category—just on the edge of acquaintance. Adding her as a friend was fine, but he wouldn’t initiate contact.

After a brief moment of consideration, he took out his phone, scanned the QR code, and saved her contact as “Zhang Miao’s beloved senior.”

Zhang Miao felt a twinge of discomfort. After everyone finished their hot pot and was ready to head back to school, he pulled Li Yinong aside.

“What is it?” she asked.

After deliberating for a long while, he asked, “What do you think of Yan Tingmo?”

Li Yinong smiled. “He’s a good kid. Why do you ask?”

“Do you like him?”

“Who wouldn’t like him?” she seemed puzzled. “Don’t you like him?”

Zhang Miao didn’t respond, so Li Yinong continued, “That’s strange. I thought you two got along pretty well.”

We do, Zhang Miao thought. That’s why I need to know.

Sensing his thoughts, Li Yinong smiled generously. “Don’t worry, I don’t like him in that way. I just think of him as a little brother, you know? Actually, you probably don’t get it. Forget it.”

“But it’s rare to find someone who can cosplay Qiao so perfectly. I have to treat him well.”

Zhang Miao was taken aback. It turned out she saw Yan Tingmo the same way they all did—a little brother to be doted on.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared, he dropped the pretense. “Senior, I’ve liked you for a long time. Can I pursue you?”

Li Yinong was unsurprised. “I know. But if you want me to be your girlfriend, you’ll have to prove yourself.”

That was as good as a yes. Zhang Miao was ecstatic. “Don’t worry; I’ll do my best!”

“Really?” Her gaze shifted to his injured foot. “Your roommates have already gone back. How are you planning to get back to the dorm?”

Zhang Miao’s earlier joy vanished as he realized the predicament he was in. Under Li Yinong’s watchful gaze, he reluctantly called He Shiyang.

The phone rang for a long time before he answered. “Did it work out?”

“Uh…” Zhang Miao hesitated, “Not yet…”

“Oh,” He Shiyang said. “Well, don’t come back then. Bye.”

“Wait!” Zhang Miao quickly stopped him. “Where are you? Did you go back to the dorm? You’re just going to leave me here alone?”

He Shiyang sounded confused. “You’re confessing. Should we have stayed to watch?”

Speechless, he swallowed his pride. “Just come pick me up already!”

Li Yinong gently reassured him, “It’s okay. I’ll wait with you.”

Zhang Miao gave her a shy smile, his heart brimming with love. Senior is the best. I love her so much!

Eventually, He Shiyang and Zhou Wen arrived to pick him up. With Li Yinong accompanying them, they all returned to the dorm.

“Thanks, Senior. You should head back now,” Zhang Miao said shyly.

Li Yinong waved at him. “Take care of yourself. I’ll see you around. Bye-bye.”

Reluctantly, Zhang Miao replied, “Bye-bye.”

He Shiyang and Zhou Wen couldn’t bear to watch, quickly ushering him into the dorm.

Meanwhile, Yan Tingmo had returned to the dorm earlier, deciding to tidy up in case Qi Xing came by for a room inspection, as He Shiyang had speculated.

But after all his efforts, Qi Xing never showed up. Instead, Yan Tingmo logged onto Weibo for the first time in a while and was greeted by an unexpected private message.

It was from the person who had previously commissioned him: love Life.

Love Life: [Hello, it’s me! Do you remember me? I’m back with another commission.]

Yeah, here we go again. Momo’s about to go into full-on reclusive mode.

Please, just be a decent person and leave me alone!

Yan Tingmo forced a smile, wondering if he should just block them—out of sight, out of mind.

But before he could make up his mind, love Life sent another message.

Love Life: What a coincidence, I just logged in and saw you online.

Yan Tingmo: “……”

Since they already saw he was online, it would be awkward not to reply.

Saltwater: Hello.

love life: Hello, hello, Teacher, you still remember me.

Yan Tingmo didn’t really want to respond. He’d already finished the artwork, and he wasn’t sure why love life was reaching out again.

Clearly, in real life, love life must be a social butterfly—how else would they guess exactly what he was thinking?

love life: I’m here to thank you, the drawing is amazing. The person I’m secretly in love with really liked it!

Yan Tingmo was taken aback. Who shows an adult illustration to their crush? Isn’t that just outright flirting?

love life: By the way, almost forgot the main point. Teacher, you’re still taking commissions, right? I want to book another one.

Yan Tingmo wanted to reply with a firm “No.”

But love life sent another message: A commission for 3,000, does that work for you? If not, I can offer more.

Yan Tingmo was stunned. The offer was so generous—he had intended to refuse, but they were willing to pay more.

Money wasn’t the issue; the real problem was, he actually enjoyed taking commissions.

Without much conviction, he replied: I’ll take it. If there are any requirements, let me know. It’d be great if you had example images.

love life: No examples, my request is unique and irreplaceable. Just follow my instructions, Teacher.

Saltwater: Okay.

love life: If you’re out of ideas and can’t draw it, you can always refer to A University’s Yan Tingmo and Qi Xing, just like last time.

Yan Tingmo, feeling awkward, replied: Okay.

love life: Alright, here’s the scene. It’s a kitchen setting, maybe a bit more daring than last time. I’m not sure if you can handle it.

Saltwater: Go ahead and explain.

love life: By the way, do you read novels?

Saltwater: I don’t.

love life: I figured. Alright, I’ll recommend a book to you, and you can read it to get a feel for it.

love life: [YX Collection] Unintentionally Deep Affection.

Yan Tingmo rolled his eyes. Who would want to read such random stuff?

love life: The scene in the kitchen is a bit spicy. The bottom partner is sitting on the counter, wrapping their legs around the top partner’s waist. They’re feeding grapes, but not with their hands—using their mouths. Got it?

Yan Tingmo blushed furiously and cursed under his breath. Pervert.

love life: My suggestion is that you read the book first, then draw the scene based on it.

Yan Tingmo was determined to refuse. He had no intention of reading it. If someone else wanted to read it, let them.

love life: Here’s the transfer for the commission.

love life: Don’t worry, Teacher. You don’t need to rush. I’m waiting patiently!

Yan Tingmo flushed red and silently accepted the payment. The client was generous, paying the full amount upfront.

When his roommates came back, they found him lying on his bed, his face flushed, poking and swiping at his phone.

Meanwhile, in Dorm 406…

Qi Xing placed the previous commissioned artwork in a private album, locked with a password. Looking at the chat logs on Weibo, his smile couldn’t be suppressed.

The drawings Yan Tingmo had made would eventually be put to use on him.

His roommate Lu Ze came out of the shower and saw him grinning like a fool at his phone. Annoyed, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? You’re getting all sentimental over a phone.”

Qi Xing flipped the phone over, coldly saying, “At least I’m normal, unlike some people. Some people wait until we’re all asleep and sneak out to hook up.”

Lu Ze: “……”

As expected, the sharp-tongued Qi Xing was always ready with a retort.