Chapter 20

On Thursday, the housekeeping service came to clean the house, Madam Yan went out to meet her friends, and Yan Yuan took Qi Liangqin to her flower arrangement class.

But as soon as he arrived, Qi Liangqin realized he was the only man there. To make matters worse, Yan Yuan, with her big mouth, introduced him in full detail, showing not the slightest embarrassment over having a brother-in-law who was technically her sister-in-law. The women in the class were all especially warm toward him, and by the end of the lesson, Qi Liangqin's face was redder than the flowers.

"Pretty interesting, isn't it?" Yan Yuan took a sip of water and said, "Stick with me, work on improving yourself, and when the honeymoon phase is over, at least my second brother won't go looking for a mistress."

Following his storyline mission, Qi Liangqin stuck to praise when it came to Yan Songwei. "He wouldn't do that."

"No man is completely faithful. Even though he's my own brother, I have to be fair—especially with him," Yan Yuan said matter-of-factly, clearly unconcerned that her words might affect their relationship. "My second brother is nothing like my eldest brother. Yan Bozong is way too restrained when it comes to relationships, but my second brother? Way too much of a flirt. As long as you don't fall too far behind, even if something happens, we'll all be on your side. After all, we're family now."

Hearing this, Qi Liangqin lifted his head and asked, "Am I that bad?"

"Other than your face and your ass, you've got nothing going for you," Yan Yuan said bluntly, her words cutting. "As for depth... yeah, you're a bit lacking. Isn't that why my mom wants you to go back to school? Just go and study properly—it's a good thing. The social dynamics at school are simpler, and if you read more, you'll develop some refinement. Look at Shen He, she's got class."

At the mention of Shen He, Qi Liangqin felt a ripple in his heart. "Why hasn't she come back? She didn't even attend my wedding with Songwei, and I haven't seen her call home either."

"That's just how she is. When you see her in person, she's warm enough, but once she's gone, it's like she's a stranger. She only calls Mom every now and then. Haven't you noticed? She rarely even calls Yan Bozong."

Qi Liangqin sighed. "Leaving a man like Yan Bozong sitting there unappreciated… She really doesn't know what she's got…"

Yan Yuan paused, then asked, "What did you just say?"

Qi Liangqin quickly shook his head. He had actually let his inner thoughts slip out.

"I heard that Yan Bozong and Shen He were childhood sweethearts. They must be very much in love, right?"

Yan Yuan shook her head, her bright red lips curving into a dissatisfied arc. "You probably don't know the full story. Our family and the Shen family have had ties since the previous generation, especially when Dad was alive—our families interacted frequently, and Shen He used to come over to our house a lot. But after Dad passed away, the two families drifted apart. Mom and Shen He's father never really got along.

Later, when my brother was in college, our family business was preparing to go public and ran into some difficulties. Shen He's father happened to be in a position to help, so our families started reconnecting. At that time, Shen He had just graduated from university and didn't have a fiancé. Her family set their sights on my brother. Back then, they did seem like a good match, so they had a few arranged dinners, and just like that, they got engaged. The whole 'childhood sweethearts' thing was just something the elders made up to make it sound romantic.

You know what my brother is like—he barely speaks a word. Shen He, on the other hand, is a proud young lady from a wealthy family. They hadn't even seen each other in seven or eight years. How deep could their feelings really be? Later, my brother joined the army, and after he was discharged, they got married. I wouldn't say they're in love—at best, they're respectful toward each other. Honestly, Mom has always regretted it—not just because Shen He refuses to have children, but because she feels my brother isn't happy in his marriage." Yan Yuan sighed. "But marriage is what it is. As long as a couple can live together peacefully, that's already good enough. Better than constant fighting and drama."

"You're still so young. Why do you sound so pessimistic about marriage?"

"I've seen too many divorces and affairs. Once you understand how marriage really works, this is just how it is. There are billions of people in the world—how many actually get to be with their true love? Especially in families like ours, where status and compatibility come first."

After finishing their flower arrangement class, Yan Yuan took Qi Liangqin to a sauna. By the time they came out, it was already evening.

Qi Liangqin changed into a fresh set of clothes—white pants and a beige crew-neck sweatshirt. His hair was only half-dried, and he carried a faint, damp scent. Yan Yuan glanced at him and asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"You're even younger than me," Yan Yuan said. "No wonder you look so fresh."

As she spoke, she glanced at him from behind. "You're so skinny, but your ass is surprisingly perky."

In the novel, Qi Liangqin was naturally blessed with a well-shaped rear, and his daily squats only enhanced it. With heaven's gift and his own hard work, it was impossible for him not to be top-tier. Seeing Yan Yuan staring at his backside, Qi Liangqin quickly covered it and said, "Yours is perkier."

Yan Yuan immediately beamed. "Of course! I train for it specifically." She then struck a pose, sticking her hips out proudly for him to see. Qi Liangqin felt too embarrassed to look. He had very few female friends in his life, and even when he did, he always played the role of a straight man. None of them had ever been this unreserved with him.

"What are you embarrassed about? It's not like you're straight."

Qi Liangqin lowered his head. "Still… I'd feel bad staring."

Yan Yuan laughed. "But, you know, a good ass is partly genetic. No matter how much you train, the naturally gifted ones always look different. When I first saw you, I was surprised because my second brother has always liked bold and glamorous types. Seeing your delicate figure, I thought he had changed his taste. But after noticing your waist and your ass, I realized—nope, my second brother is still the same as ever, hahaha."

Qi Liangqin felt a little flustered.

"But honestly, you're doing pretty well. You know how my mom is—she's always harsh with you, but behind your back, she actually praises you a lot. She says you look good, your figure is elegant, and your voice is pleasant to hear."

Qi Liangqin had a beautiful voice—clear and crisp. In the novel, it was described as "humming beneath a man with a voice soaked in water, like a peach bursting with juice."

That last phrase was deliberately suggestive. It wasn't just a metaphor for how sweet his voice sounded—Qi Liangqin also had a perfectly shaped peach-like ass, making the imagery all the more evocative.

Having received so many compliments about his rear, Qi Liangqin went back to his room and did a few squats. But squats were exhausting. Before long, he was drenched in sweat. After taking a quick shower, he stepped out of the bathroom and immediately heard Yan Bozong's voice coming from the living room.

Peeking through the door crack, he only caught the sound of a door closing. Slipping on his slippers, he walked out and asked Aunt Chun, "Did Yan Bozong come back?"

"Mm. Did Songwei?"

Qi Liangqin shook his head. "I don't know…"

"Call him and ask. If he's coming home, I'll prepare his meal."

Returning to his room, Qi Liangqin dialed Yan Songwei. Yan Songwei was with Tan Qingqing and said, "Don't wait for me. I'll have dinner with Qingqing before coming back. Just tell my mom I'm out entertaining clients, got it?"

After hanging up, Qi Liangqin walked to the window and looked across at the neighboring building.

The window across from his was glowing with warm light. He saw Yan Bozong drinking water—saw the movement of his Adam's apple, heard the quiet gulping sounds as he swallowed.

A desire stirred within him.

He had always been a little insecure. Someone like Yan Bozong—the perfect top—was someone he would never have dared to covet in the past.

But now… he had heard more than one person praise him. His confidence was growing, and with it, so was this secret longing. It made his heart restless.

Though he was, technically, an "old piece of meat," his soul remained young and naive. He still believed in love, still yearned for it, still waited for that one person who would be his forever.

He still had the kind of foolish, reckless heart that would throw everything away for love.

If he could be with Yan Bozong, even if it all ended badly, even if he had to suffer in the end—he felt like he would still be willing.

Qi Liangqin felt that Yan Bozong now carried a certain cold loneliness. He stood alone in that empty room, drinking water. Some parts of the room were lit, others were shrouded in shadow. The interplay of light and dark only made him seem even more solitary, even more desolate.

A man in his prime, yet utterly alone—Qi Liangqin wanted to soothe that loneliness.

He thought, Since Shen He doesn't cherish him, why not give him to someone starving for him?

But the reality was that Yan Bozong would rather stay with the cold and distant Shen He than ever spare Qi Liangqin a single trace of affection.

Human emotions were absurd like that—irrational, incomprehensible.

And the greatest distance in the world was the one between a straight man and a gay man.

That was the poison of being gay. A poison he could not afford to touch.

For a long moment, Qi Liangqin wrestled with himself, waging an internal battle. Then, he reached out and pulled the curtains shut.

Aside from completing the storyline tasks he was required to fulfill, he didn't want to have anything to do with Yan Bozong.

He knew all too well how toxic falling for a straight man could be. Even if he had never personally suffered from it, he had seen enough to understand.

He needed to find a man who loved men—someone like him, someone who was also an outsider.

Someone who would understand his fragility and humility, who would know his hardships and pain.

Yan Songwei came back in the middle of the night again, waking Qi Liangqin as he opened the door.

Qi Liangqin sat up, squinting against the sudden brightness. It took a while for his eyes to adjust. The sound of running water soon came from the bathroom, making it hard for him to fall back asleep. He lay there, scrolling through his phone for a while.

When Yan Songwei came out, towel-drying his hair, Qi Liangqin noticed the trail of love bites on his neck.

"Tan Qingqing really went all out on you," he remarked.

Yan Songwei seemed surprised. "Did she?"

He went to the bathroom mirror to check and let out an exasperated "Shit."

"How the hell am I supposed to go out like this tomorrow?" Yan Songwei asked. "Is there any way to get rid of them?"

Still lying on his stomach, Qi Liangqin said, "Let me Google it for you."

Before he could even pick up his phone, Yan Songwei suddenly lifted his foot and stepped on his butt.

Startled, Qi Liangqin immediately flipped over and sat up. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Yan Songwei, looking genuinely surprised, said, "Even lying down, your ass sticks up like that? I just stepped on it, and it's actually that soft? Damn."

Qi Liangqin's face turned red. Pretending not to hear, he focused on his phone and searched, How to get rid of hickeys.

"Google says you can use a cold compress, roll a warm boiled egg over it, or… just wear a turtleneck to cover it up."

Yan Songwei, still barefoot, walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm pretty sure that girl did this on purpose. She just wanted to leave a mark on me."

Qi Liangqin laughed. "Like a dog peeing to mark its territory—letting everyone know you're taken."

Yan Songwei chuckled but then leaned back against the pillows and suddenly asked, "Do you think straight guys can… be turned gay?"

Qi Liangqin froze.

He really didn't want to discuss anything related to sexual orientation with Yan Songwei, so he just gave a simple answer: "Probably not."

"But when I stepped on your ass just now," Yan Songwei mused, "just for a second, feeling that soft flesh under my foot… I kinda had a reaction."

"…"

Qi Liangqin was speechless. He just stared at Yan Songwei, dumbfounded. Yan Songwei stared back.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Yan Songwei coughed, got up, and turned off the light. "Go to sleep."

Qi Liangqin immediately lay down as well. Darkness swallowed the room, but his heart pounded like a drum.

What did Yan Songwei mean by that just now?

Could he actually be leaning that way?

But wasn't it impossible to turn a straight guy gay? It was like a wolf loving to eat meat—could it just suddenly decide one day to become a herbivore instead?

The thought was terrifying.