TTIG Chapter 5

The five of them headed to a nearby mall. Mo Xun confidently led the group into a restaurant and found a round table in a quiet corner.

 

Everyone went to get their food. Soon, the table turned into an international feast—a mix of dishes from all over.

 

Tan Junwen was cutting into a steak with a knife and fork; Fu Fei was happily eating mousse cake with a spoon; Fang Yinnian brought over a plate of crayfish and put on gloves to peel them; Mo Xun was munching on chicken wings; and Tang Che was dipping vegetables into his fiery hotpot.

 

Tang Che’s pot was filled with bright red chili peppers.

 

He ate from the ultra-spicy broth without even flinching. Fang Yinnian couldn’t help but admire his incredible tolerance for spice.

 

Their first team dinner turned out to be quite enjoyable. With the wide variety of foods at the buffet, everyone’s preferences were satisfied.

 

After eating their fill, they returned to the dormitory. It was only 8 p.m., and Mo Xun said, “There are two bathrooms—Yinnian, Xiao Fei, and I will use the one in the hallway. Tang Che and Junwen can use the one near the living room. Keep your toiletries organized in your own space. As for showering order—no need to decide; just go when you feel like it.”

 

Seeing that Mo Xun wasn’t in a hurry to shower, Fu Fei started another game on his phone. Fang Yinnian decided to go first.

 

He had brought his toiletries from school and quickly finished showering. Changing into fresh white pajamas, he returned to the bedroom.

 

Hearing the door open, Mo Xun turned around and saw Fang Yinnian standing there with damp hair hanging softly by his ears. His black hair looked smooth and delicate under the light. His simple white short-sleeved pajamas revealed elegant collarbones on both sides.

 

Perhaps due to his childhood ballet training, Fang Yinnian had a tall and upright posture with beautifully defined shoulder and neck lines. Under the light, his skin appeared almost dazzlingly fair. Compared to Mo Xun’s darker complexion, their skin tones would make for a striking contrast if they stood side by side.

 

Mo Xun had many friends but had never met someone as quiet and gentle as Fang Yinnian before. He studied him carefully for a moment and thought to himself that Old Xu really had an eye for talent—this lead vocalist truly lived up to being called the “visual center” of their boy band.

 

Fang Yinnian would likely stand in the center position (C-position). With someone like him as their visual anchor, their group’s overall aura would undoubtedly be elevated.

 

Noticing that Mo Xun was staring at him, Fang Yinnian turned around and asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Captain?”

 

Mo Xun smiled and looked away. “Nothing—I’m going to take a shower.”

 

Fang Yinnian sat down at the desk, put on his Bluetooth headphones, and opened his laptop to search for the Korean song he’d heard earlier that day.

 

Not long after, the bedroom door suddenly burst open as Fu Fei rushed in anxiously. “Oh no! Oh no! Mo-ge! Tang Che and Tan Junwen are fighting!”

 

Fang Yinnian took off his headphones and turned around. “What?”

 

Fu Fei, noticing that Mo Xun wasn’t in the room, paused for a moment. “Where’s Mo-ge?”

 

Fang Yinnian replied, “He’s in the shower.”

 

Fu Fei scratched his head in frustration.

 

Seeing Fu Fei’s troubled expression, Fang Yinnian asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

 

Fu Fei whispered, “Tang Che and Tan Junwen are arguing. I don’t know how to stop them! Could you go take a look?”

 

Fang Yinnian: “…”

 

He wasn’t sure how to mediate either.

 

But he decided to go anyway—if the argument escalated and turned physical, it could become a big problem.

 

Fang Yinnian got up and followed Fu Fei to the door of the neighboring bedroom. Sure enough, they could hear raised voices from inside.

 

“I’ve told you countless times not to touch my stuff on the desk—don’t you understand plain language?” Tang Che’s cold voice rang out.

 

“I didn’t do it on purpose! How much do you want? I’ll pay for it, okay?” Tan Junwen sounded frustrated.

 

“Pay for it? Do you think I need your money?”

 

“Your headphones were old anyway—they’re practically antiques from years ago. I’ll buy you the most expensive, newest model tomorrow, alright? Can we drop this already?” Tan Junwen’s tone was impatient. “It’s late—can you stop causing trouble? I still need to finish unpacking.”

 

“Causing trouble? That’s hilarious. Who started this crap in the first place?” Tang Che snapped, even swearing. “Are your eyes just decorative? You get lost at the company during the day, and now you can’t even recognize your own bed at night. Have you even been weaned yet?”

 

“…Tang Che, who the hell are you calling unweaned?”

 

A loud bang echoed from inside—it sounded like someone had thrown something in anger.

 

Fang Yinnian quickly pushed open the door. “What’s going on here?”

 

Fu Fei peeked into the room from behind Fang Yinnian and muttered quietly, “Whoa… it’s such a mess.”

 

The room looked like it had been ransacked by bandits—everything was in complete disarray.

 

Tan Junwen’s face darkened as he turned toward them and explained, “I accidentally stepped on Tang Che’s headphones and broke them. He started yelling at me right away. It’s just an old pair of headphones—I said I’d pay for them; is there really a need to make such a big fuss?”

 

Tang Che’s face was pale, and his eyes seemed slightly red at the corners.

 

He took a deep breath to calm himself but didn’t say anything. Instead, he squatted down and picked up the broken headphones from the floor. Fang Yinnian noticed that Tang Che’s fingers were trembling with anger as he picked them up.

 

“Tang Che,” Fang Yinnian asked softly, “Are these headphones very important to you?”

 

“…” Tang Che didn’t reply. His expression remained cold as he held the broken headphones and walked out of the room without saying a word.

 

Turning to Tan Junwen, Fang Yinnian spoke gently but firmly: “The value of something can’t always be measured by money. These headphones might seem old and worthless to you—something that can easily be replaced—but they might hold special meaning for Tang Che.”

 

“If they were a gift from someone important—a relative or a close friend—then they’re irreplaceable no matter how much money is spent.”

 

“You should apologize to Tang Che sincerely.”

 

“…” Tan Junwen fell silent.

 

Tang Che’s stiff posture as he left confirmed Fang Yinnian’s guess.

 

If it had been an ordinary pair of headphones with no sentimental value, their age and condition wouldn’t matter much—replacing them with a new pair would have sufficed.

 

Tang Che’s anger was clearly due to the fact that the headphones held special significance for him. On the other hand, Tan Junwen had a dismissive attitude, thinking, “It’s just a pair of broken headphones. I’ll pay for it—it’s not a big deal.” This nonchalant response only fueled Tang Che’s outburst.

 

Tan Junwen had brought a lot of stuff to the dorm today and had been unpacking all afternoon, leaving the room in complete disarray. Breaking Tang Che’s headphones wasn’t intentional, and he hadn’t expected Tang Che to react so explosively. After exchanging a few heated words, Tan Junwen’s own temper flared as well. He felt Tang Che was making a big deal out of nothing, throwing barbs at him unnecessarily—what was his problem?

 

At this moment, Fang Yinnian’s calm voice poured over them like cold water, extinguishing the fire in Tan Junwen’s mind. He cooled down and thought seriously about what Fang Yinnian had said—it made sense.

 

Reflecting on his own behavior, Tan Junwen realized he had indeed been rude earlier.

 

Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his expression and walked over to Tang Che. “Tang Che, I’m sorry—I didn’t do it on purpose.”

 

Tang Che remained silent, his face cold.

 

Tan Junwen continued, “If these headphones have special meaning to you, I don’t know how I can make it up to you. How about I take them to get repaired tomorrow and see if they can be fixed? Or I’ll try to find the same model for you.”

 

This time, his apology sounded sincere.

 

Tang Che also calmed down and responded indifferently, “Forget it—I was planning to buy new ones anyway.”

 

Tan Junwen quickly offered, “Let me buy them for you.”

 

When Mo Xun came out of the bathroom after his shower, he noticed the strange tension in the living room. Drying his hair with a towel, he stepped forward and asked, “What’s going on here? Were you arguing?”

 

Fu Fei leaned in and whispered, “The argument just ended.”

 

Mo Xun: “…Who was arguing with whom?”

 

Fu Fei pointed at the two with sour expressions. “You weren’t here—Yinnian settled it.”

 

Mo Xun glanced at Fang Yinnian in surprise, almost unable to believe it—this quiet guy actually managed to mediate an argument?

 

Fang Yinnian spoke calmly: “Junwen has a lot of stuff while I have very little. How about I share a room with Junwen so he can use more of the shared space? Tang Che can move in with you instead.”

 

Mo Xun interrupted decisively: “Yinnian, you don’t need to switch—let Xiao Fei move instead.”

 

Fu Fei froze. “Huh? Then who am I sharing with?”

 

Mo Xun replied firmly: “You’ll share with Junwen. You two have similar schedules—you can binge-watch dramas and play games together late into the night. Tang Che will have his own room—it’ll be quieter for him and better for everyone.”

 

The room fell silent.

 

After a moment, Tang Che nodded. “Alright, I’ll switch now.”

 

Fu Fei said cheerfully, “Then I’ll share with Junwen! My house is nearby anyway, and I don’t have much stuff.”

 

Tan Junwen agreed easily: “Sure.”

 

Mo Xun stepped forward and patted both Tang Che and Tan Junwen on the shoulders with a smile. “You two should let this go. It’s normal to have friction when adjusting to a new dormitory—it takes time to get used to each other. Don’t take anything said during an argument too seriously.”

 

Tang Che nodded briefly before turning back into his room.

 

Mo Xun added: “Junwen, if you can’t finish organizing everything tonight, just leave it for tomorrow. This isn’t school—no one’s going to inspect your room or grade cleanliness.”

 

Tan Junwen replied casually: “Got it.”

 

Tang Che and Fu Fei were busy switching rooms, Tan Junwen was still organizing his belongings, and Fang Yinnian returned to his room with Mo Xun.

 

After closing the door, Mo Xun turned to Fang Yinnian and joked, “I didn’t expect you’d be the one to step in and mediate the argument—and actually succeed.”

 

Fang Yinnian replied earnestly, “If no one had stepped in, things might’ve escalated beyond control.”

 

He wasn’t usually one to meddle in others’ affairs. But since it was his teammates arguing, he didn’t want FTM—just formed today—to fall apart tomorrow due to a fight.

 

Moreover, Fang Yinnian had always been sensitive to emotions. When he entered the room earlier, he had a strong feeling that Tang Che was on the verge of tears.

 

Although Tang Che often appeared cold and arrogant, it seemed like he used sharp words as a way to protect himself. Fang Yinnian could sense that Tang Che’s emotions were nearing a breaking point, which is why he had stepped in to stop the argument from escalating further.

 

Recalling Tang Che’s red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands, Fang Yinnian guessed that the headphones must have been very important to him. Having them broken must have hurt him deeply.

 

Now that Tang Che was being moved into a room by himself, it felt as though he was being isolated by the group—which didn’t seem right.

 

With this thought in mind, Fang Yinnian bent down and began rummaging through his drawer.

 

Curious, Mo Xun asked, “What are you looking for?”

 

Fang Yinnian replied, “I’m going to give Tang Che something.”

 

—

 

A few moments later, after switching rooms, Tang Che heard a knock at his door. He frowned as he opened it and was met with a pair of smiling eyes.

 

Fang Yinnian handed him a palm-sized glass jar. “Tang Che, this is for you.”

 

Tang Che stiffened slightly. “…What is this?”

 

Inside the jar appeared to be chunks of meat mixed with chili peppers.

 

Fang Yinnian explained, “This is spicy meat sauce I made back home. I brought it to school and occasionally mix it with rice in the dorm. I thought I’d share some with you—give it a try.”

 

Tang Che: “…”

 

Fang Yinnian’s warm smile made him seem approachable. Plus, since he was offering food so kindly, Tang Che couldn’t bring himself to refuse outright.

 

Awkwardly accepting the jar, Tang Che muttered, “Thanks.”

 

Fang Yinnian smiled back. “You’re welcome! If you like it, let me know—I have more.”

 

After delivering the spicy sauce to Tang Che, Fang Yinnian turned and headed to another room. The door was open; Tan Junwen’s luggage was still unpacked, with clothes piled messily on the chair and barely any space left in the room to stand.

 

Fu Fei was sprawled on the bed playing games. Occasionally, the sound of “Double kill” from his game echoed through the room.

 

Fang Yinnian sighed inwardly and said, “Junwen, let me help you organize.”

 

Tan Junwen scratched his messy hair awkwardly. “No need—you don’t have to trouble yourself…”

 

Before he finished speaking, Fang Yinnian quickly began hanging up his clothes one by one on hangers and placing them neatly into the wardrobe. Clothes that couldn’t fit were folded into perfectly compact squares—looking as pristine as if they’d just come out of their packaging.

 

In just a few minutes, Fang Yinnian had hung up and folded all of Tan Junwen’s scattered clothes neatly into categories inside the wardrobe.

 

The wardrobe looked so tidy it could pass for an exhibit.

 

Tan Junwen: “…………”

 

Fu Fei glanced up after finishing his game and exclaimed loudly, “Whoa! That was lightning-fast!”

 

Fang Yinnian replied calmly, “When I was younger, I was responsible for cleaning at home.” He then began sorting Tan Junwen’s miscellaneous items into storage boxes and labeled each box clearly with its contents using a marker.

 

Tan Junwen stared at his increasingly organized room with mixed feelings before giving Fang Yinnian a thumbs-up.

 

Fang Yinnian’s gaze fell on a backpack in the corner. Spotting an exposed palette of colorful paints inside it, he said thoughtfully: “I’ll help you organize your paints and drawing boards too. If someone accidentally knocks them over and stains your clothes, it’ll be hard to clean.”

 

Tan Junwen clasped his hands together in a gesture of gratitude. “Thank you, thank you! You’re literally my lifesaver!”

 

Fang Yinnian moved all the art supplies to the living room, found a spacious spot, and neatly arranged them.

 

Next, he headed to the dining area and began organizing the bags of household items Mo Xun had bought earlier. He sorted everything—drinks and snacks were placed neatly into the refrigerator, while kitchen items like pots, bowls, and cutting boards were arranged in an orderly fashion. Finally, he cleaned up the living room until it was spotless.

 

Fu Fei curiously poked his head out of the bedroom to watch.

 

He saw Fang Yinnian moving around like a whirlwind, and in no time, the entire room was clean and tidy.

 

It was almost magical—better than a professional organizer. The way he folded and arranged things was so precise it looked like he had military training. Everything was so perfectly aligned that no one would dare mess it up.

 

Just then, Mo Xun walked out of his bedroom. Fu Fei quickly ran over to him and whispered excitedly, “Whoa! Fang Yinnian is amazing!”

 

Mo Xun looked puzzled. “What happened?”

 

Fu Fei said with enthusiasm, “If he weren’t here, this place would’ve fallen apart tonight!”

 

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