A social phobic can also fall in love.

When Yan Tingmo saw Love life’s comment, his first reaction was: “Please, stop scheduling me.” His second thought was: “Those red bills are waving at me—how could I resist?”

So, Yan Tingmo kept a straight face and replied in the comments below:
[Sure thing!]

This time, Love life didn’t beat around the bush and directly transferred him 20,000 yuan.

Love life: [WeChat transfer]
Love life: [I won’t bother with any specific requirements this time. After working together so many times, you should know my preferences. Just draw three illustrations based on the novel I sent you.]

Yan Tingmo clutched his chest—so generous, throwing 20,000 yuan around like that.

But he still had a conscience and replied:
[You gave too much, I don’t need this much.]

Love life: [Just take it. Why all the nonsense?]
Love life: [I only have one requirement: make it sexy. If you don’t understand, go read the novel.]

Yan Tingmo was speechless. “Read the novel, read the novel”—does this guy do anything else? He even suspected that Love life might be a shut-in, fantasizing all day long.

But upon reflection, Love life seemed quite generous. Maybe in real life, he was a young master from a wealthy family, someone who could spend freely without caring about money.

Either way, the client was king. For the 20,000 yuan, Yan Tingmo thickened his skin and asked He Shiyang if he had any “spicy” videos to watch for reference.

He Shiyang: “…”
He Shiyang: “Who taught you this?”

Yan Tingmo stayed silent. “Does this even need to be taught? I’m an adult too.”

“No one taught me. I just wanted to watch.”

He Shiyang was heartbroken and scolded him:
“You’re still young. It’s not appropriate for you.”

Yan Tingmo replied “I’m 21… still young?”

This time, it was He Shiyang’s turn to be silent.

Yan Tingmo: “Do you have any or not? If not, I’ll ask Zhou Wen.”

He Shiyang: “…I do.”
Helpless, he recommended a few rather risqué videos to him.

Armed with these resources, Yan Tingmo, with a serious learning attitude, opened the videos and began watching them earnestly.

Two minutes later, he exited the video player, opened WeChat, and sent a message to He Shiyang:

Yan Tingmo: [So, you have this kind of hobby…]

He Shiyang didn’t reply immediately. After waiting for a while, Yan Tingmo decided to search for inspiration online himself.

For the sake of Love life, he paid a big price. On a rare day off at home, he pulled an all-nighter and still couldn’t pin down the vibe Love life wanted.

Yawning with exhaustion, he rubbed his sore eyes and realized the sky was already light outside. It was a strange experience—his first all-nighter online.

Wu Shuyi, who had woken up early for work, prepared breakfast and knocked on his bedroom door.
  “Yan Yan, I’ve left breakfast on the table. Don’t forget to eat, okay?”

Still groggy, Yan Tingmo replied in a drawn-out tone:
“Okay, Mom.”

Wu Shuyi grabbed her bag and keys from the entryway, changed her shoes, and left.

Hearing the “thud” of the door closing, Yan Tingmo left his room, ate two steamed buns, and then went back to bed for some much-needed sleep.

He was woken up by the vibrations of his phone. Half-asleep, he groggily reached out by the pillow, groping around to no avail. After a moment of delayed reaction, he sat up slowly, leaned over the edge of the bed, and finally spotted the noisy culprit on the floor.

Lighting up the screen, he squinted at the time.

Oh no, he’d overslept!

Scrambling out of bed, he ran barefoot to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. At that moment, his stomach let out a loud growl. Spitting out the foam and rinsing his face, he ran back to the bed to put on his slippers.

It was an awkward time to cook—neither early nor late—so he wasn’t in the mood. Instead, he picked up his phone and ordered takeout.

After placing the order, he checked WeChat and noticed a new group chat had appeared.

Confused, he opened it. The group showed four members, including him and his three roommates.

The group was buzzing with activity—apparently, the messages had been what woke him up.

What stood out most were the weirdly unique nicknames and cutesy cartoon avatars, giving the group chat an oddly eerie vibe.

Zhang Miao: [So, now that we’ve added Mo Zai to the group, if we talk about inappropriate stuff, will we corrupt him?]

Zhou Wei: [What inappropriate stuff? I’m pure, okay?]

He Shiyang: [Don’t even try to pretend. Mo Zai’s already starting to be led astray.]

Zhang Miao: [What do you mean? What did you teach him?]

He Shiyang: [I didn’t teach him anything! He somehow picked up some… unclean things. Yesterday, he even asked me for those kinds of videos.]

Zhou Wei: […And? Did you give him any?]

He Shiyang: [Of course not! Do I look like someone who’d push him into the fire pit?]

Zhang Miao: [Our dorm’s one and only innocent little flower is about to be tainted?]

Unable to hold back, Yan Tingmo chimed in:

Salt water: [What are you guys talking about…?]

The group chat instantly fell silent, making him so nervous that he thought he’d killed the vibe.

After an awkward minute, Zhang Miao changed the topic, enthusiastically welcoming him:

Zhang Miao: [Welcome our newest member, Mo Yangyang]

Salt Water: [???]

Zhang Miao: [Image attached.]

Zhang Miao: [Now that you’re in this group, you’ll need to follow the group rules—change your avatar and nickname.]

Salt water: [Can I leave the group now? Is it still too late?]

Zhang Miao tried to scare him: [Sorry, it’s too late. If you don’t change, we won’t play with you anymore.]

Yan Tingmo’s heart trembled. These words, like a poisoned blade, pierced his heart sharply.

Having been isolated for so long, he thought he had built an unbreakable shell. But hearing this from the roommates he considered friends, he couldn’t help feeling sad. His eyes grew misty, and he tilted his head back slightly to keep the tears from falling.

This wasn’t like him at all.

While he was silently hurting, a few more messages popped up in the group.

He Shiyang: [Don’t scare him. He is so well-behaved; how could we not play with him?]

Zhou Wen also spoke up.

Zhou Wen: [Exactly. If he doesn’t want to change, he doesn’t have to. Just do what you’re comfortable with.]

Yan Tingmo stayed quiet for a long time, and Zhang Miao gradually realized he’d gone too far. He hurriedly explained.

Zhang Miao: [I was joking! Don’t take it seriously. Even if you don’t change, we’ll still play with you.]

Zhang Miao: [Seriously, say something! I was wrong. I shouldn’t have shot my mouth off.]

Yan Tingmo sniffled, suppressing his unease and sadness, and replied:
[I’m fine.]

Zhang Miao: [You scared me! I thought you were mad.]

Salt water: [Not at all, I’m not mad.]

Zhang Miao: [That’s good.]

The group fell silent again. After a couple of seconds of hesitation, Yan Tingmo decided to comply. He quietly changed his avatar and nickname.

Mo Yangyang: [All done.]

Zhang Miao: […Okay.]

The group was silent once more.

Just then, a knock came from the door—his takeout had arrived.

Putting down his phone, Yan Tingmo wiped the corners of his eyes, opened the door, and brought in his food.

He had ordered himself a bowl of marinated noodles and a bottle of milk.

While he was away briefly, the group chat heated up again. As he ate, he scrolled through the messages, knowing he wasn’t good at fitting in. To avoid further awkwardness, he turned on “Do Not Disturb” for the chat.

Out of sight, out of mind—this was how he consoled himself.

The two-day holiday flew by, and it was time for him to head back to A University.

Wu Shuyi had taken half a day off to see him off at the high-speed rail station. She packed plenty of snacks for him and reminded him as she packed:
“I’ve packed lots of crispy cakes and fried dough twists for you. Remember to share them with your roommates.”

Yan Tingmo nodded.

Wu Shuyi told him: “Take care of yourself out there. It’s getting colder; remember to dress warmly, eat on time, and let me know if you run out of money. Don’t quietly take on part-time jobs without telling me.”

Having just landed a big commission, Yan Tingmo silently nodded again.

“Alright.” she zipped up his bag and stood up, patting his head. “You don’t have to be so sensible all the time. Mom’s not old yet, and you’re still young. Just focus on studying.”

Yan Tingmo bit his lip and leaned in to hug her. “I know, but I can’t help feeling worried about you.”

Wu Shuyi patted his shoulder with a sigh. “My Yan Yan is the most thoughtful.”

Embarrassed by the praise, Yan Tingmo let go, stood up straight, and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Together, they left the house.

The train station was a short drive away—just over ten minutes by taxi.

Wu Shuyi escorted him to the station, waving as she said goodbye:
“Go on now. Don’t miss your train.”

Yan Tingmo smiled, dimples showing, and reluctantly said:
“Mom, you should head back. I’ll come home again during the next break.”

Wu Shuyi agreed. She stood there quietly, watching her ever-taller son with a smile. Waving once more, she left in a taxi under his watchful gaze.

Only after the taxi disappeared from view did Yan Tingmo turn and stride toward his future.

With snacks carefully prepared by his mom, he made it back to the dorm before dinner.

He Shiyang and the others had already returned. They planned to go out for spicy hot pot, and since he had arrived just in time, they dragged him along.

He hesitated briefly before giving in, setting down his bag and tagging along.

“Two days at home, and all I heard from my mom was talk about marriage and kids,” Zhang Miao grumbled while picking ingredients. “It’s so weird. I’m only a sophomore—why’s she in such a hurry?”

“Not every parent is like that,” Zhou Wen commented.

“That’s not always true,” Zhang Miao said. “These days, finding a spouse isn’t easy.”

“True.” He Shiyang added: “Finding a boyfriend isn’t easy either.”

“That might not be the case,” Zhang Miao teased, nodding toward Yan Tingmo. “Mo Zai probably has it easy, right, Mo Zai?”

“Huh?” Yan Tingmo, distracted by whether to grab beef meatballs, replied absentmindedly: “Me? With my personality? No one would like me.”

“Excuse me.”

Surprised, Yan Tingmo turned around.

Qi Xing had appeared behind him at some point, looking at him expressionlessly.