Xiao Zheng felt himself spiraling into madness. He had only wanted to assist others, yet he found himself trapped in a bewildering predicament. Attempting to speak, his words transformed into desperate moans, his voice scarcely louder than a mosquito's whisper. "Please, don't approach..." he weakly implored the figure standing before him.

"Girl, I'm not moving at all," Qi Zhen responded with a touch of exasperation in his voice.

However, in Xiao Zheng's distorted perception, Qi Zhen multiplied before his eyes. One figure split into two, two into four, swaying unsteadily toward him, their voices echoing and overlapping, rendering their words incomprehensible.

Xiao Zheng's vision blurred as sweat streamed down his face. He gasped for breath, unable to articulate his thoughts. Waves of intense heat coursed through his body, threatening to scorch every inch of his skin.

His trembling hand instinctively reached for his collar, fingers fumbling as he began to pull it down. Amidst the chaos, his lips moved, forming words that may or may not have escaped his mouth. "Zhuo Xuan..."

 

Originally, he had intended to ask Qi Zhen if he was hosting Zhuo Xuan. However, Qi Zhen couldn't discern the message. As a result, he leaned in closer to listen. Inadvertently, Xiao Zheng reached out and felt the cool sensation on Qi Zhen's face. Qi Zhen was unsure if he had misunderstood the intentions of the other party and if he wanted to get a hug, Qi Zhen directly extended his arms and embraced Xiao Zheng. He then proceeded to undo Xiao Zheng's belt and began removing layers of clothing.

Wait a minute!

Although the world of cultivation is very casual, I am not casual!

Xiao Zheng's heart tried to preserve his last innocence, but the actions that his body instinctively made were not like that at all, he couldn't wait to respond to the other party's caress, the two bodies were entangled, and Qi Zhen's body seemed to be infected with heat. Xiao Zheng tried to push him away in disgust, but his wrist was caught and brought back, and then he was tied by his own belt. "Girl, you..."

Qi Zhen looked at Qiu Huailing with wide open eyes in surprise, as he found that the other party was actually a fake girl dressed as a man.

Xiao Zheng's cheeks were flushed, and his eyes looked back in confusion, and he couldn't hear what he was saying at all.

"Hold me."

"Aunt... Brother, do you know what you're doing? ” Qi Zhen's voice echoed in his ears.

Xiao Zheng replied in a very direct way, reaching out and grabbing the other party's clothes, pulling Qi Zhen to his eyes, and kissing him without saying a word.

Qi Zhen never thought that he would be forcibly kissed by someone, or forcibly kissed by a man even, and he was a little confused all of a sudden, until he felt the pain on his lips, and he woke up.

Was this not awkward? Certainly a little.

But resist? He didn't seem to want it.

He grasped the other party's chin firmly and pulled away Xiao Zheng's body, which had been driven to a state of hunger and thirst due to the medicine, gently but insistently. "Do you recall who I am?" he inquired.

Xiao Zheng opened his eyes, confusion clouding his mind, unable to recollect who the other person was amidst the whirlwind of thoughts induced by the potent concoction.

He couldn't wait to kiss him again, but the other party had no choice but to hug him and carry out this snapping activity to the end.

Xiao Zheng remained mindful of their precarious location amidst the bustling city streets. Even though they had concealed themselves at the far end of an alley, attempting to remain as discreet as possible, there was always the possibility that someone might unexpectedly walk into the alley instead of taking the main road., and then he would see two monks here hugging, doing something unsightly.

This sense of shame made him more sensitive, even if the other party's sucking on him seemed to be infinitely amplified by the senses, not to mention the other party's hand reaching into the clothes, all the way down, groping all the unspeakable places.

The flame of lust was all engulfed, and the flame of desire became more and more intense, until Xiao Zheng's whole person was burned out. In order to avoid being offensive, Xiao Zheng consciously put a mosaic on this crackle in his mind, so the readers naturally saw the mosaic.

.

When Xiao Zheng awoke, it was already the next day, and the unobstructed sunlight streamed in through the uncovered window, blinding him momentarily.

Contrary to the usual sense of rejuvenation that often follows a night's sleep, Xiao Zheng found himself with limbs that felt weak and unsteady. As he glanced down at the sheets beneath him, he realized with dismay that they were damp, and all the details were full of indescribable shame, fortunately no one saw it.

The lingering effects of the medicine persisted in Xiao Zheng's body as he awoke from his dream, causing him to nearly collapse when he attempted to get out of bed. Recalling the events of the previous night was a challenging and uncomfortable task. Among the many questions swirling in his mind, one stood out: Could it be that Zhuo Xuan from his dream had somehow transformed into Qi Zhen?

Lacking the courage to make a direct inquiry, Xiao Zheng decided to take a sick leave from work. He ordered a takeaway meal, removed the soiled sheets, and loaded them into the washing machine, replacing them with fresh ones. After completing these tasks, he crawled back into bed, contemplating the enigma that had become his life.

Was it Zhuo Xuan?

Xiao Zheng found himself torn between the desire to ask and the fear of the answer. He decided to employ a peculiar method - if the delivery time was an odd number of minutes, he would inquire, but if it was an even number, he would not.

Half an hour later, the takeaway arrived, and Xiao Zheng glanced at the time, realizing it was an odd number of minutes. His mind raced, debating whether or not to seek answers from Zhuo Xuan.

Ultimately, he chose not to and buried himself in the quilt, attempting to pretend that nothing had transpired. However, his phone rang, displaying Zhuo Xuan's name on the caller ID. Xiao Zheng hesitated for a moment but ultimately picked up the call.

"Xiaoxiao, aren't you supposed to be at work today?" Zhuo Xuan inquired.

"I'm on sick leave," Xiao Zheng replied, his voice slightly hoarse. In the midst of his confusion, he vaguely recalled that his words hadn't been idle in the dream... Best not to dwell on it, he thought.

 

Silence enveloped the other end of the phone. "No wonder I didn't see you at the office today. Have you eaten? I can send you something to eat," Zhuo Xuan offered.

"No need, I'll just take a break," Xiao Zheng hastily replied. He hadn't considered how to face Zhuo Xuan at all, let alone muster the courage to meet him.

Fortunately, Zhuo Xuan didn't press further into Xiao Zheng's unusual behavior. He exchanged a few words, reminded Xiao Zheng to take care of himself, and then ended the call. Xiao Zheng let out a sigh of relief. While everyone was an adult with normal needs, the author and readers both felt awkward about diving into explicit content within the context of this book.

Feeling a sense of loneliness, Xiao Zheng decided to write Qiu Huailing out of the story, putting an end to any future romantic interests for Qi Zhen. He envisioned Qi Zhen as the first male protagonist to embark on a journey to cultivate immortality in the Five Finger Mountain. With newfound motivation, Xiao Zheng fired up his computer and let his fingers fly across the keyboard, crafting a 10,000-word update in one go. In this update, he abruptly ended Qiu Huailing's life, even though she had only been introduced to the male protagonist for less than half a day, leaving the male protagonist in a precarious situation that hinted at him being a potential murder.

The reactions from readers below were a mix of confusion and surprise:

Reader A: "So far, it seems like none of the female characters who could develop a relationship with the male protagonist have survived. [Black question mark .jpg] Is the author drawing inspiration from a recent breakup?"

Reader B: "Wait, there was a female character who seemed so easily seduced, how did she meet her end?! Is the author male? The author must be Disi!"

Reader C: "I remember when Zhao Chengqi was the heroine, she met a tragic end. I thought maybe Qi Zhen was truly cursed. Then, when he sought refuge with Huangfu Huazang, she too met a grim fate. And now, it's Qiu Huailing's turn. I dare not take sides anymore; it seems anyone near Qi Zhen is doomed. What kind of chaos is the author trying to create?"

 

Reader D: “I've got it! Qi truly possesses a "lone star" aura; anyone who gets close to him faces misfortune. It's as if the moment a potential heroine appears, all significant supporting characters within a hundred-mile radius meet their untimely demise!”

Xiao Zheng glanced at these comments, his expression unchanged. Deep inside, he felt a pang of regret. For the sake of the author’s chrysanthemum, Qi Zhen was destined to lead a monk life, transcending the ordinary world. Thoughts of Qi Zhen inevitably led to Zhuo Xuan. Xiao Zheng wanted to bury himself in his quilt once more.

However, just then, the doorbell rang. It was Zhuo Xuan, holding a bag of food. "I happened to pass by a Cantonese restaurant, so I brought you something to eat," he said.

Compared to Xiao Zheng's disheveled appearance, Zhuo Xuan seemed refreshed and wore a smile that could rival an old sage who had just balanced yin and yang.

Ahhh

"Oh, you shouldn't eat spicy food when you're unwell. These are milder dishes—preserved egg porridge, char siu buns, and lightly stir-fried cabbage hearts."

Trying not to hit the cheerful person, Xiao Zheng extended his thanks with a forced smile, hoping that Zhuo Xuan would leave soon.

However, Zhuo Xuan seemed entirely unaware of Xiao Zheng's desire for solitude. He took the food to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and began helping him to pour out the porridge. He looked at the takeaway Xiao Zheng  had ordered earlier. "Eating fried rice when you're ill?" he commented, looking disapprovingly at Xiao Zheng.

With no other options, Xiao Zheng replied, "There's nothing else nearby, and since you brought porridge, I'll definitely have it." Zhuo Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, you sit down, and I'll quickly reheat the porridge. You'll be feeling better in no time."

Xiao Zheng was confused and was pressed on the sofa . He couldn't help but watch Zhuo Xuan work in the kitchen like a pro before snapping back to reality.

Wait a minute, why was he being such a terrible host?

He actually wanted to chase his guest away! When Zhuo Xuan emerged with the steaming porridge, Xiao Zheng, while sipping it, decided to make a not-so-subtle hint.

"A position like yours must keep you quite busy, right? You should get back to work soon," he said.

Zhuo Xuan chuckled, "Luckily, you understand that they value my father's influence more than giving me orders. I get to choose what interests me."

Xiao Zheng was taken aback by Zhuo Xuan's directness. As he continued to eat, Xiao Zheng commented, "With your looks and wealth, you must have plenty of admirers. You're probably busy with dates all the time. You should go on a date and not hang around with me."

Zhuo Xuan responded, "I already have someone I like, so I don't waste time on irrelevant people." Seeing Xiao Zheng's surprise, he added, "What? Do you think someone like me should be surrounded by admirers, and socialize with all kinds of people?"

Xiao Zheng quickly replied, "Of course not. But many wealthy second generations nowadays have endless options, so I'm pleased that you can stay true to your feelings."

When Zhuo Xuan heard this, he smiled with a deeper meaning. "You're pleased?" Xiao Zheng blinked, unsure of where he went wrong.

Zhuo Xuan remarked, "But don't all the male protagonists you write about have multiple lovers?" Xiao Zheng scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "That's just for the sake of the plot. You know, many male readers enjoy that kind of storyline. It's a way to live out their fantasies through the protagonist in the novel."

Zhuo Xuan nodded and commented, "I also think you're a very innocent person."

This left Xiao Zheng baffled. "Huh?"

Zhuo Xuan elaborated, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did last night."

Xiao Zheng: "............"

Xiao Zheng's face turned crimson at an alarming speed visible to the naked eye. He was at a loss for words, his mouth agape, and he could only stare at Zhuo Xuan, feeling utterly awkward.

Seemingly amused by Xiao Zheng's reaction, Zhuo Xuan took a step closer and gently kissed Xiao Zheng's lips. "Seriously, I really like you. Can I pursue you?"

 

End of the text

 

Translator : DarNan