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“No worries, no worries! Just scraped a little skin while picking coconuts earlier—bled a bit. Honestly, if we weren’t in the middle of nowhere, I wouldn’t even bother bandaging it,” Ning Qingyan said with a cheerful smile. To prove his point, he flexed his hands, showing that the injury wasn’t serious.
Seeing this, Qiao Li relaxed. She didn’t want to stay here any longer cutting tree branches alongside an iceberg of a man. Since Ning Qingyan offered to help, she stood up and let him take her place.
Watching Ning Qingyan sit down and pick up where she left off, Qiao Li felt a flutter in her heart. She glanced at Huo Qi, who barely acknowledged her presence, and the contrast swayed her feelings even more toward Ning Qingyan.
“I’ll get you both some water,” Qiao Li said.
Before she finished speaking, Ning Qingyan looked up with a sweet smile and said, “Thanks, sis! Don’t forget to drink some too—it’s good for your health.”
That sunny face, paired with his honey-coated words, made Qiao Li blush unexpectedly. She quickly turned and headed off to fetch the water.
In the past, she would’ve been acutely aware of Huo Qi’s indifference. Now, she didn’t even notice his presence. Realizing this, Qiao Li hurriedly patted her flushed face and ran toward the tent.
In the forest, it was just Ning Qingyan and Huo Qi now.
Huo Qi’s cold demeanor grew even more frosty as he watched the boy carefully whittle away at the branches despite having his hands bandaged. His grip tightened on the handle of his knife, his long, narrow phoenix eyes lowered, and his sharp jawline tensed. Only the slight trembling of his lashes hinted at the turmoil he was trying to suppress.
Did Ning Qingyan really think he couldn’t see through his little schemes?
Pretending to help Qiao Li was just an excuse to separate them, so he could have an excuse to stay with him. Even after being rejected twice, Ning Qingyan kept coming back. Did he think Huo Qi wouldn’t dare cross that line?
The boy winced, hissing softly as he accidentally pressed too hard on a bandaged wound. This small sound shattered Huo Qi’s resolve to ignore him.
Huo Qi snatched the branch from Ning Qingyan’s hands, avoiding his gaze as he said in a cold, low voice, “If you’re hurt, stop. I can finish it myself.”
Ning Qingyan glanced at him, biting his lip pitifully. “Did I do something wrong, Brother? Are you mad at me?” he asked softly, like a child who didn’t understand why he was being scolded.
At noon, Huo Qi had insisted on giving him all his chicken and said he didn’t need to do anything. Now, he wasn’t even speaking to him properly. The sudden change in attitude made Ning Qingyan feel lost.
The boy’s voice was soft and low, like he was genuinely upset. Huo Qi’s tightly guarded emotions began to unravel. After a long silence, he pulled off his earpiece, his eyes reddened as he looked at Ning Qingyan.
In a hoarse, trembling voice, he said, “Actually, if it’s with you… two boys being together… wouldn’t be impossible.”
The words came out faster and quieter as he spoke, his head lowering to avoid Ning Qingyan’s reaction. His long lashes trembled, and his pale ears flushed crimson.
Ning Qingyan’s eyes widened in shock, but he quickly masked it, pretending to stay calm. He removed his earpiece as well and replied, “That’s fine… but I’m a top.”
When Huo Qi looked up in disbelief, Ning Qingyan swallowed and clarified, “A top, as in… the one on top, in bed.”
Huo Qi’s hands clenched into fists, his expression darkening as he growled through gritted teeth, “Dream on!”
Ning Qingyan sighed in relief. As expected, a straight man—forced to bend—would never agree to being the bottom. Let alone someone destined to dominate the business world. He relaxed internally, though outwardly he feigned disappointment.
“Well, in that case, I won’t push—” Before he could finish, Huo Qi abruptly stood up and stormed off, his retreating figure tinged with embarrassment and frustration. Ning Qingyan couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt watching him go.
As Ning Qingyan contemplated the “blackmail potential” of this incident, he worried that if Huo Qi turned against him, he might be silenced permanently. To avoid further trouble, Ning Qingyan hurriedly resumed whittling, muttering to himself about how it might not have been him “bending” Huo Qi, but rather discovering his hidden preferences.
Qiao Li’s voice interrupted his thoughts as she returned with water.
“Here’s your water, Qingyan. Did he… leave already? Need help with the branches?”
Ning Qingyan smiled warmly. “He had something urgent, so he left. It’s fine—just two more to go. I’ll manage.”
Watching him work so earnestly, Qiao Li felt her heart stir. A boy who’s serious about his work is truly charming, she thought, sighing softly.
“Why the sigh, Sis? I didn’t know even fairies had worries!” Ning Qingyan teased playfully, breaking her gloom with a laugh.
The banter continued, as Ning Qingyan unknowingly climbed higher in everyone’s hearts, one sweet word at a time.