Chapter 32

Qi Liangqin washing Yan Bozong's clothes was, of course, a way to show goodwill—he wanted Yan Bozong to know about it.

But this task was left to Aunt Chun. She was one of the key figures in maintaining the lively atmosphere of the Yan family. At every meal, she would always chat about household matters, so she laughed as she recounted what Qi Liangqin had done earlier in the day.

"He's really quite diligent—he carefully washed both of their shirts."

"Why did you wash Big Brother's clothes too?" Yan Yuan asked with a smile.

Qi Liangqin scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I didn't look closely. I thought they were all Songwei's clothes."

"It's not his fault. I packed the two brothers' clothes in separate boxes, but he wouldn't know that," Aunt Chun explained.

"You should tell him about these things," Madam Yan said. "He should learn about everyone's habits in the family."

Aunt Chun responded cheerfully and went off to the kitchen to bring out the food. Qi Liangqin then looked up at Yan Bozong and said, "Big Brother, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine." Yan Bozong's attitude was indifferent—he probably had already guessed what Qi Liangqin was up to.

"Liangqin, is Second Brother coming back?"

"He's busy with something. He might be late."

If Yan Songwei didn't come home on time for dinner, it was almost certainly because he was with Tan Qingqing. There was no need to even ask—Qi Liangqin could already guess. He didn't dare say he didn't know. If he did, Madam Yan would surely respond with sarcasm.

Qi Liangqin washing Yan Bozong's clothes was, of course, a gesture of goodwill—one that he intended Yan Bozong to know about.

But he left the task to Aunt Chun. As one of the key figures who kept the atmosphere lively in the Yan household, Aunt Chun always shared little stories at the dinner table. Smiling, she mentioned what Qi Liangqin had done earlier in the day.

"He's quite diligent—he even carefully washed both their shirts."

"Why did you wash Big Brother's clothes too?" Yan Yuan asked with a chuckle.

Qi Liangqin smiled sheepishly. "I wasn't paying attention. I thought they were all Songwei's."

"No wonder. I usually pack their clothes in separate boxes, and he wouldn't recognize them."

"You should explain these household matters to him as well," Madam Yan said. "He should get to know everyone's habits."

Aunt Chun agreed with a smile and went off to bring out the food. Qi Liangqin then looked up at Yan Bozong and said, "Big Brother, I'm really sorry about that."

"It's fine," Yan Bozong replied coldly. He probably saw through Qi Liangqin's little scheme.

"Liangqin, is Second Brother coming home?"

"He's busy with work, so he might be late."

If Yan Songwei wasn't home for dinner on time, it almost certainly meant he was with Tan Qingqing. There was no need to ask—Qi Liangqin could guess it. He didn't dare say he didn't know, though. If he did, Madam Yan would surely make some sarcastic remark.

"Second Brother has been busy with work, but Big Brother seems to have more free time lately."

"I'll be busy in a few days. The company has a major project bidding coming up. Since I have time now, I'm planning to fly to the U.S. tomorrow."

Yan Yuan immediately asked, "To see Sister-in-law?"

Yan Bozong nodded.

Madam Yan said indifferently, "Didn't you just get back from there? You usually go once a month at most. You stayed for months last time—I thought you weren't planning to go at all this year."

"She has something that needs handling. She called me over, so I'll just be gone for a few days."

"You haven't been focusing much on the company this year. How's business?"

Yan Bozong nodded. "Aside from major projects that sometimes require my presence, most things can be handled over the phone or in remote meetings. Xiao Huo and the team have gotten quite skilled at managing things."

Madam Yan nodded. "How are things between you and Shen He?"

Yan Bozong replied blandly, "The same as always."

Yan Yuan pouted and glanced at Qi Liangqin, who said, "Then, Big Brother, please send my regards to Sister-in-law."

Yan Bozong hummed in acknowledgment. In front of the family, he couldn't be too cold toward Qi Liangqin.

After dinner, Qi Liangqin went to the kitchen to help Aunt Chun wash the dishes, but she waved him away with a smile. "I think you're trying to take my job from me."

Qi Liangqin had always loved being in the kitchen—he enjoyed cooking, especially making soups. He once bought a Cantonese soup recipe book and had tried almost every soup in it. He sometimes thought about claiming the kitchen as his own.

He had watched the Korean drama Mermaid Lady, where the female lead wasn't just a talented screenwriter but also an excellent cook. Her culinary skills won over her entire in-law family, even the harsh mother-in-law. Qi Liangqin admired that. He thought that was the ideal household role—to be capable both inside and outside the home.

Even though he was a man, he had the same dream. He wanted to cook for the person he loved, making different meals every day without ever growing tired of it.

Being able to personally prepare food for a loved one—that was happiness.

In the past, whenever he made a delicious soup or dish, he would eat it alone, thinking about how wonderful it would be to share it with someone. His soups were great, his dishes were tasty—but unfortunately, he had no one to share them with.

Would Yan Bozong ever drink the soup he made and taste the love in it?

He lingered in the kitchen for a while and then saw Yan Bozong returning from his evening walk.

After his walk, Yan Bozong would go take a shower.

And that was when Qi Liangqin's main event of the night would begin.

Stealing underpants.

Yes, it was quite the scandalous act. But while Yan Bozong was showering, Qi Liangqin planned to sneak in and steal his underpants for a sniff.

Stealing and sniffing underpants—this is a clichéd, melodramatic, yet undeniably thrilling trope. As an unapologetically improper BL novel, The Male Version of Pan Jinlian certainly wouldn't miss out on this classic scene.

This trope, however, is tricky to write. If it's too explicit, it might be too much for some fujoshis to handle, coming off as overly heavy-handed. But if it's too subtle and refined, it loses its intended allure.

It's just like the underpants in this scene—they can't be freshly washed and brand new, yet they also can't be too unclean and overpowering. That scent, faint but lingering, that trace, barely visible yet undeniably present—that's what makes it truly tantalizing.

Fortunately, it was just stealing and sniffing underpants—if he were to do that while jerking off, he'd probably die of embarrassment.

Come to think of it, this was exactly why he liked The Male Version of Pan Jinlian. Though the novel was far from proper, it was still a normal BL story at its core, focusing mainly on romance. It wasn't the kind that jumped straight into sex at every turn—its emotional tension was both captivating and restrained.

Everything in excess is flawed—too much intimacy and it becomes overwhelming, too little and it lacks impact. Nothing beats that perfect balance of subtlety and allure.

But this time, it wasn't exactly seduction. According to the plot, Qi Liangqin's actions were purely driven by uncontrollable emotions. Since he was stealing a sniff, it was meant to be done in secret—he had no intention of letting Yan Bozong see him.

And yet, in the novel, Yan Bozong still saw him.

While showering, Yan Bozong sensed someone entering. He pushed the door open just a crack and saw Qi Liangqin leaning against the wall, clutching his underpants and taking a deep breath.

This scene was incredibly gripping. Though the language was simple, the sheer intensity of the moment made it captivating. For Qi Liangqin, this was a real challenge—he was terrified of messing it up.

Falling for someone makes shame weigh even heavier. The more he cared, the more he feared how Yan Bozong would see him. He didn't want to be despised.

Slipping out of the kitchen, he found the living room completely empty. He glanced back at Aunt Chun, and while she wasn't paying attention, he stealthily made his way toward Yan Bozong's room.

The hallway wasn't long. He reached the bathroom door and gently pushed it open just a crack.

In the laundry basket inside the bathroom, Yan Bozong's freshly removed clothes were draped over the top. Behind the frosted glass, a tall, blurred figure stood under the running water, the sound of the shower filling the space.

Qi Liangqin quickly rummaged through the laundry basket and pulled out Yan Bozong's underpants.

Just holding them in his hand made his face burn red.

The fabric was soft, pure cotton, warm from having just been worn. And at that moment, he sharply noticed—the frosted glass door had been pulled open slightly.

A rush of excitement overtook him. He lifted the underpants to his face and took a deep breath, inhaling deeply. His face flushed an even deeper shade of red. He wasn't even processing the scent—his entire body was consumed by overwhelming shame. His mind buzzed, blood rushing to his head, rendering him nearly numb. The only thing he was aware of was Yan Bozong watching him. Watching this utterly depraved scene.

At the peak of his exhilaration, even shame ceased to exist. He was completely numb, breathing in mindlessly, clutching the underpants with a death grip.

This should be enough, he thought, spinning around and bolting for the door.

Amid the rising steam, Yan Bozong pulled the bathroom door shut again. Qi Liangqin, now outside, suddenly realized—he was still clutching the underpants.

He had forgotten to put them back.

But he didn't have the courage to return them. Instead, he gripped the fabric tightly and ran to his room, shutting the door behind him.

In the aftermath of extreme nervousness and exhilaration, it felt as though reason and shame had completely shattered. His desires erupted from deep within, impossible to suppress. He clenched the underpants in his hand, unable to resist their allure.

A pair of underpants, freshly removed from Yan Bozong's body—perhaps still carrying some indescribable scent.

But what was he doing?

He had already fulfilled the original novel's plot. He was free. There was no longer any obligation to follow through with any depraved, reckless actions.

He was no longer anyone's character. He was himself. There was no excuse, no justification for what he was about to do.

This urge, this restlessness—it was entirely his own. He couldn't deny it.

Closing his eyes, Qi Liangqin lifted the underpants. His hands trembled, his mind screaming at him, What am I doing? His face burned so hot it could drip blood, yet his body refused to listen.

Yan Bozong's underpants were incredibly clean—he changed them daily. The scent was faint, barely there, just a trace of something slightly musky. He even wondered if he was imagining it.

But it was enough to make his entire body tremble. Enough to make him feel utterly ridiculous in his own excitement.

Just then, the door was suddenly shoved open with force.

Qi Liangqin had been leaning against it, and when it was pushed open, he stumbled forward a few steps, nearly falling. Horrified, he turned around—only to see Yan Bozong standing there in a bathrobe, water still dripping from his hair. His gaze was locked onto him, dark and fierce, as if he was ready to tear him apart.

Qi Liangqin's entire body went rigid. He panicked and threw the underpants from his hands. Yan Bozong stepped toward him, and he instinctively kept backing away—until he had nowhere left to go, his back hitting the edge of the bed.

Yan Bozong grabbed his collar, his voice low and ice-cold. "I've tolerated you again and again. Don't push your luck."

Qi Liangqin's face was flushed red as he stared at Yan Bozong in shock and fear. "I… I… I didn't mean to… I wasn't… I…"

Shame filled every inch of his being. He could no longer deceive himself by claiming he had no choice.

Yan Bozong's face was dangerously close. Suddenly, he shoved Qi Liangqin onto the bed, then straightened his bathrobe. His towering figure cast a suffocating shadow over him. "If I ever catch you doing something like this again, I'll throw you out immediately. Don't think that just because you belong to Songwei, I don't have the power to do it."

But before Yan Bozong could pull away, Qi Liangqin suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Startled, Yan Bozong instinctively tried to yank his hand back as if he had been burned, but Qi Liangqin held on tightly. His mind was in chaos—was this the moment? Was this when the Qi Liangqin in the novel made his crazed confession? He couldn't remember. His heart pounded, his face burned, and he blurted out, "Yan Bozong, I like you. I really like you."

His voice was breathless, his expression flushed with excitement, his words reckless and passionate—but his tone was awkward, uncertain, as if it didn't come from the depths of his heart.

Then, suddenly, a muffled whimper escaped his throat, and before Yan Bozong could react, he threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Yan Bozong's waist, burying his face against his chest.

For the first time, Yan Bozong was utterly caught off guard. Panic flashed in his eyes. He didn't know what to do.

He reached out to pry Qi Liangqin off him, but Qi Liangqin clung on stubbornly, refusing to let go.

With no other choice, Yan Bozong forcefully gripped Qi Liangqin's throat. Only then did Qi Liangqin finally loosen his hold.

Taking the chance, Yan Bozong fled the room as fast as he could.

In the days that followed, the seduction played out almost relentlessly. Since Yan Bozong had already discovered his intentions, there was no point in pretending to be innocent anymore.

In the novel, Qi Liangqin's feelings had reached an uncontrollable point—the more Yan Bozong resisted, the more excited he became. He was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, eager to sink its fangs in, to conquer this wild stallion.

Blushing, feeling both shame and thrill, Qi Liangqin would secretly rub against Yan Bozong's leg while eating. Sometimes, he even slid his foot higher, all while calmly chatting with Yan Songwei across the table. Yan Bozong's hand, gripping his cup, would tense with faintly visible veins, yet he couldn't react.

Over time, Qi Liangqin began to figure out Yan Bozong's limits. He realized that the more public the setting, the more restrained and helpless the ever-gentlemanly Yan Bozong became. So, he avoided seeing him in private, instead choosing to tease him openly when family members were around. He would brush against him, touch him under the table, deliberately sit across from him or right beside him during meals. When playing basketball, Qi Liangqin would intentionally bump into him, forcing physical contact. Eventually, Yan Bozong cut back on basketball, but he still couldn't escape Qi Liangqin's burning gaze.

Qi Liangqin couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Yan Bozong being relentlessly pursued like this. His scorching gaze often felt so raw, so forceful, as if he were violating Yan Bozong with his eyes alone. And he enjoyed that overwhelming sense of dominance.

Whenever they happened to meet in private, Qi Liangqin never gave Yan Bozong a chance to refuse. He would simply bombard him with declarations—"I love you. I love you the most. I can't live without you."

To Yan Bozong, Qi Liangqin was a contradiction. His actions were shameless, brazen, and aggressive, yet his gaze carried an unmistakable nervousness. The occasional flicker of shame in his eyes made it impossible to truly see through him.

More than twenty chapters of this relentless push-and-pull passed in a torturous yet exhilarating dance. As summer arrived, the story approached its climax—Qi Liangqin had finally encountered a challenge he couldn't overcome.

In The Male Version of Pan Jinlian, the love Qi Liangqin longed for but could never attain finally pushed him down Pan Jinlian's fateful path. On a summer night, he stepped into a gay bar, and in the chaos of its restroom, he embarked on his descent into depravity.

Before Chapter 80, Qi Liangqin had already tasted the pleasures of men. The novel described him as "moaning with a voice soaked in desire beneath another man, like a ripe peach bursting with juice." Once awakened to the indulgence of flesh, he became addicted to the heat and strength of a man's body, unable to stop—this was the beginning of his transformation into the male Pan Jinlian. As Huangling Xiaoxiaosheng* put it, this was his journey "from innocence to seasoned harlotry."

In The Male Version of Pan Jinlian, Qi Liangqin and Yan Bozong never ended up together. However, as an unabashedly improper novel, explicit scenes were inevitable—its title alone ensured that its audience wouldn't be satisfied with a mere slow-burn romance. That wild night at the bar was Qi Liangqin's first taste of true sexual pleasure, and with it, he stepped through an irreversible door. His desires became even harder to control—how desperately he wished that the man holding him was Yan Bozong. That yearning ached through his entire body, leaving him empty and hollow inside.

It's just like how you've been single for decades and managed to get by, but once someone enters your heart, loneliness becomes unbearable. It's like a poor person who suddenly experiences a life of luxury—once they fall back into poverty, they can no longer live as they did before. So that one night at the bar was a turning point.

Qi Liangqin was restless because of this. He was so agitated that he developed a sore throat and could barely eat. He wondered, what exactly was he struggling with? In this society, not just men, but even women no longer placed such importance on chastity. In his past life, he had remained pure, but what was there to celebrate about being an old virgin at his age? A man without love—no matter how many times he has been to bed with someone—as long as it is lawful and consensual, should not be condemned. Hadn't he sworn that since he was young again, he would enjoy life to the fullest?

He shouldn't have fallen in love with Yan Bozong. Once his heart was taken, he could no longer bow to mere desire.

But Yan Bozong did not love him. The Qi Liangqin in the novel had once clung to a final sliver of hope. Before heading to the bar, he confronted Yan Bozong, threatening, "If you don't accept me, I'll go out and sleep with some random man."

Yan Bozong pressed his lips together, his face full of both pity and disdain. "Go ahead. No one will stop you."

Driven mad with resentment, Qi Liangqin indulged in reckless intimacy with another man, even taking photos to send to Yan Bozong, using them as an act of revenge. He drowned himself in depravity, shedding tears, feeling both pleasure and pain, all while fantasizing that the man touching him was Yan Bozong.

"Yan Bozong, Yan Bozong, you have no idea how much I love you. Do you even have a heart?" he whispered.

Yan Bozong did have a heart—but it was never his to claim.

Qi Liangqin hadn't eaten all day.

He went to the bar on the first day of the May Day Golden Week. That entire day, Qi Liangqin hadn't touched a single bite of food. He paced back and forth in his room, a faint excitement stirring in his chest.

This was his first time—not just the first time for the Qi Liangqin in the novel, but also his very own first time in life. His nerves far outweighed any sadness or hesitation he might have felt. He was restless, clenching his fists as he walked back and forth.

It was nothing, really. He had been preparing himself for this for a long time. He bore no moral obligation or responsibility to remain pure for anyone. He was free. Even his nominal lover, Yan Songwei, had encouraged him to go out and make more friends. He was a young man in his prime—there was no reason for him to stay a lifelong virgin just because of Yan Bozong.

He didn't want that kind of life. If he was destined to be alone, if he could never have the one he loved, then he would rather be a Pan Jinlian than spend his life suffering in bitter restraint. This was his wish, and now, he could finally fulfill it.

Having made up his mind, Qi Liangqin left his room. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, he went to find Yan Bozong.

Naturally, it was the same old act—the desperate yet ruthless love-struck scene. He threatened Yan Bozong, declaring that he was going to sleep around. With family members just in the living room, Yan Bozong, standing in the hallway, didn't dare raise his voice. He could only glare at him and say through gritted teeth, "Go ahead. No one will stop you!"

Qi Liangqin leaned against the wall and said, "Fine. Just you wait!"

Yan Bozong immediately turned to leave. The scripted scenes from the novel had played out. The next step was to head out. But just as Qi Liangqin took a step forward, his heart suddenly clenched. Lowering his voice, he called out, "Yan Bozong!"

Yan Bozong stopped and turned to look at him. Qi Liangqin stared at him blankly, a sudden ache rising in his chest. He whispered, "If… if you don't want me to go, I won't."

After saying that, he looked straight into Yan Bozong's eyes.