USF Chapter 3: Not Interested

In the afternoon, all the trainees gathered and Shen PD announced the theme song for the program, along with the upcoming reevaluation mission on the spot.

The name of the song is “The Light Given To You”, it is of moderate difficulty in both vocals and choreography. The trainees were given three days and four nights to master it.

A wave of chatter rippled among the trainees. Once dismissed, they quickly paired up and scattered to explore the different practice rooms of each class.

Xia Dongchan and the two other teammates stayed behind in the practice room to rehearse, while Lin Ye, drenched in sweat from the morning’s dance training, returned to the dorm to shower.

After washing his hair and changing into his uniform, he went to look for the hairdryer, only to realize he had no idea where Xia Dongchan had placed it.

He instinctively reached for his phone to call him, but then remembered it had been turned in at noon.

Lin Ye ruffled his damp hair, sending droplets flying onto his eyelashes and the tip of his nose.

He stepped out into the hallway and knocked on the dorm doors one by one. When he reached the room he had mistakenly entered the night before, he hesitated briefly before skipping it. Yet, none of the other dorms had any response.

Left with no other choice, he turned back and knocked on the very door he had avoided.

He hadn’t expected much, but surprisingly, the door swung open almost immediately.

And standing there was Jiang Lian himself.

Heat poured out from the room, and Lin Ye was met with the sight of Jiang Lian, bare-chested, looking down at him. “What? You knocked on every door from the first to last one, and no one answered?”

Realizing he must have heard everything from inside the dorm, Lin Ye felt a flicker of embarrassment but quickly regained his composure. “Can I borrow your dorm’s hairdryer?”

“Come on in.” Jiang Lian turned and walked inside, his tone unreadable on whether it was a jab or a simple suggestion. “With how warm it is in the dorm, you could just stand by the heater, and your hair would dry in no time.”

Lin Ye followed him in without a word, but as Jiang Lian passed the couch, he turned around and glanced at Lin Ye, “Close the door.”

Lin Ye turned to shut it, but when he turned back, he was met with a towel tossed at his chest. He caught it reflexively, recognizing it as the one that had been draped over the couch’s armrest earlier.

Jiang Lian’s voice followed shortly. “Dry the tips of your hair.”

Lin Ye raised his gaze, slightly surprised, he was about to say thanks, only for Jiang Lian to add, “Don’t let the water drip all over the floor.”

The words of gratitude that had almost left Lin Ye’s mouth were instantly swallowed back into his stomach.

He lifted the towel to his head, but the moment he touched it, he realized it was damp. He glanced down, only to see the center of the towel was significantly darker than the edges.

Lin Ye frowned slightly, “You’re giving me a wet towel to dry my hair?”

Jiang Lian turned his head and looked at him.

Lin Ye’s brow twitched. “What did you use this for—”

“My hair,” Jiang Lian interrupted flatly.

Lin Ye hadn’t processed what he heard yet. “What?”

Jiang Lian looked away, uninterested. “I used it earlier. Just find a dry spot.”

Lin Ye’s expression finally eased as he took a seat by the couch and made do with the driest part of the towel.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lian pulled a hairdryer from the cabinet and plugged it in. As he passed the couch, he bent down to grab the pink uniform that had been casually tossed there.

The corner of it was trapped under Lin Ye. Jiang Lian flicked his gaze up at him. “Lift your ass.”

Lin Ye complied, his gaze inadvertently landing on Jiang Lian’s torso,lean and defined, without any excess fat in sight even when he was bending down.

Jiang Lian slipped on his uniform and gestured toward the power strip. “Use the dryer here, don’t take it with you.”

Lin Ye glanced at him, his eyes lingering for a moment on the slightly wrinkled fabric now covering Jiang Lian’s waist. That uniform had been beneath him just moments ago, probably still carrying some of his warmth.

For some reason, his thoughts started to wander.

It wasn’t until Jiang Lian spoke again that Lin Ye snapped back to reality. He stood up abruptly, meeting Jiang Lian’s gaze with a calm, measured expression. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not gay, and I have no interest in you. I wouldn’t use something like this as an excuse to get close to you.”

Jiang Lian’s lips curved slightly, his gaze steady. “I still need it when I return tonight, I was just scared you’ll forget to return it”

Lin Ye hadn’t expected that response, but he simply nodded. “Good.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his expression unreadable. Yet as he passed Jiang Lian, he felt a strange dryness in his throat and a faint warmth in his palms.

“Besides,” Jiang Lian added casually, “I have no intention of developing any relationships beyond teammates and rivals with anyone here.”

Lin Ye’s hand hovered over the hairdryer switch for a second before he finally turned it on. Without looking back, he said lightly, “Why tell me that? Shouldn’t you be saying it to the ones actually interested in you?”