Chapter 102: Extra – From Target to Sister

After Lin Hexi started working at the new company, there were few occasions where You Chong drove him to or from work.

As for the various events, big and small, held within the company, You Chong never showed up as Lin Hexi’s boyfriend.

At first, You Chong didn’t pay much attention to it, but as time went on, he began to sense that something was off. During dinner one evening, he brought it up at the table, his expression filled with disbelief as he asked, “Am I really that embarrassing?”

Lin Hexi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped, finally replying, “It’s quite the opposite.”

You Chong gave him a sidelong glance, waiting for him to elaborate.

Lin Hexi smiled brightly, his tone carrying a hint of meaning. “You’re too impressive.”

You Chong’s brow twitched slightly, a sense of unease creeping in. “Are there a lot of gay men at your company?”

Lin Hexi sighed. “Eighty percent of the male colleagues are.”

You Chong raised his eyebrows, clearly sensing a crisis. “What about your department?”

Lin Hexi replied, “One hundred percent.”

You Chong pressed further, “And what’s the male-to-female ratio in your department?”

Lin Hexi thought for a moment. “Six men to four women.”

You Chong’s sense of crisis skyrocketed. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll drive you to and from work every day.”

As if he could guess what was on You Chong’s mind, Lin Hexi curved his lips into a smile and said, “They’re all ‘0’ (bottoms).”

But You Chong was still not reassured. He gave Lin Hexi a thoughtful once-over and said, “And who’s to say you can’t be a ‘1’ (top)?”

“You think I can be a ‘1’ ?” Lin Hexi rested his chin in thought, his expression contemplative. Two seconds later, he raised his eyes meaningfully, leaned forward across the table, and lowered his voice with a suggestive tone. “How about tonight you let me—”

“I’ll let you be on top,” You Chong interrupted with a faint smirk, “but being the ‘1’ ? No way.”

“Did you really think I wanted to be a ‘1’ ?” Lin Hexi let out a soft snort, leaning back lazily against the chair. “Compared to being the one doing all the hard work, I much prefer lying in bed and enjoying myself.”

The conversation circled back to the matter of commuting, and You Chong asked, “Are you really not going to ride in my car?”

Lin Hexi nodded leisurely. “I have a driver’s license from the U.S., and I’m planning to convert it to a local one soon. Once that’s done, I can drive myself to and from work.”

“I’m less worried about people at the company trying to steal you away and more worried about them trying to steal me.” He paused, then added, “Whether they can succeed or not is another story. But,” his lips curved into a sly smile as he looked at You Chong mischievously, “compared to someone like me, they’d prefer someone like you.”

He added, reasoning logically, “You have no idea how popular the ‘1’ are when I go to gay bars with them.”

You Chong’s expression turned subtle. “You’ve been to gay bars with them?”

“I only went to have drinks with them,” Lin Hexi coughed lightly, trying to change the subject. “They never care whether the person they’re pursuing has a boyfriend or not.”

You Chong stated expressionlessly, “Even if you tell people at your company that you have a boyfriend, there will still be people chasing after you.”

“They think I’m a ‘1’ ,” Lin Hexi shrugged helplessly. “I even made a point to clarify later, but no one believed me.”

Hearing this, You Chong glanced up at him but said nothing further.

Lin Hexi quietly wondered if this topic had truly been closed at the dinner table. However, recalling You Chong’s ambiguous gaze, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncertain.

That night, though, You Chong didn’t do anything out of the ordinary or unexpected.

As usual, the two of them took their Alaskan Malamute and orange tabby cat downstairs for a walk. Afterward, they went home, showered, watched a movie, and before going to sleep, they had a round in bed.

Everything seemed exactly the same as usual, and Lin Hexi truly believed that the dinner table conversation from a few hours earlier had been completely put to rest.

However, the next morning at the office, when Sister Ai from his department walked past him from behind, Lin Hexi realized that last night’s matter was far from over.

The reason You Chong hadn’t brought it up again was simply that he had already come up with the perfect solution.

At that moment, Sister Ai stopped beside him, his gaze fixed steadily on the back of his neck. He let out a voice filled with awe and envy, “You and your boyfriend had quite the intense battle last night, huh?”

The rest of the office immediately caught wind of his comment and gathered around. Upon seeing the hickeys on Lin Hexi’s neck, they started chattering noisily.

Someone lamented with a pained expression, “Why kill the dog when it’s already so loyal?”^[1]The phrase “Why kill the dog when it’s already so loyal?” (为什么要杀狗) is a playful Internet buzzword in Chinese culture. It originates from the phrase “dog food” … Continue reading

Someone else covered their cheeks and sighed, “I just ate another three pounds of lemons today.^[2]“Eating lemons” (吃柠檬) is a metaphor for feeling sour, much like the taste of a lemon. It’s commonly used to describe the feeling of being envious.”

Another person skeptically pointed out, “Hickeys this deep don’t seem like something a bottom could leave.”

Zhuo Yisi pushed through the crowd from the outskirts, snorted coldly, and corrected them, “Can’t you all tell by now? He’s just like us, a ‘0’.”

Everyone looked up, their faces a mix of disbelief and sudden realization.

From that day on, the rumors about Lin Hexi being a top were effortlessly dispelled.

Countless people were left disappointed and regretful. With Lin Hexi’s qualifications, he could have easily been a ‘1’ in their circles. Why on earth did he insist on being a ‘0’?

Lin Hexi finally had fewer worries about being openly or secretly pursued by others, but he gained a new headache.

He was forced to join the company’s massive “sisterhood” and became one of its members.