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It was clearly the young man who provoked him first.
Handing him a towel, adding an extra “be careful” compared to others, even calling out his name anxiously when he was falling off a cliff, cooking different meals for him every night, pushing Qiao Li away just to sit beside him and carve branches—so much care and attention.
If this wasn’t love, then what was it?
They had only just met. If he didn’t like him, why would he treat him so well? Huo Qi couldn’t find any explanation.
Even when he had said, “If it’s you, two boys being together is fine.”
The young man had clearly replied that he was a top (1) and even expressed regret in rejecting him.
But now that he had agreed, the young man suddenly said he didn’t know, that he couldn’t respond to his feelings.
If that was the case, then why didn’t he just reject him outright when he said two boys could be together? Why did he say that nonsense about being a 1, making him struggle internally, lower his pride, and cautiously offer up his heart—only to then pour a bucket of ice water over him?
Huo Qi’s heart ached unbearably. His fingers clenched tightly, his voice carrying a cautious tremble:
“Ning Qingyan, you… You said before that you were a 1…”
Facing his pleading, nearly broken gaze, Ning Qingyan felt extremely guilty.
She had never expected that the supposed “no-CP male protagonist” Huo Qi would actually be willing to be the bottom (0) for love. That’s why she had casually joked about being a 1.
She also hadn’t expected that what she thought was mere brotherly camaraderie would be completely misinterpreted—turns out Huo Qi was a closeted gay, and now things were utterly derailed.
If he ever found out she wasn’t even a guy, that she didn’t have the “necessary parts” to be a 1, wouldn’t he hate her even more?
At this thought, Ning Qingyan instinctively tugged at the loose fabric of her pants, feeling utterly nervous under Huo Qi’s icy gaze. She blinked and started speaking in a soft, coquettish voice:
“Ge~ (brother) When you said two boys could be together, I thought you were joking! So I just randomly said I was a 1. I really didn’t think you’d take it seriously. It’s my fault—I didn’t answer you properly. Please don’t be mad, okay?~”
Her voice was different from her usual slightly lowered and serious tone. Now, it was soft and delicate, carrying a coquettish sweetness.
Huo Qi pursed his lips tightly. Even though the sadness in his eyes remained, his gaze still fixated on her with deep longing. His voice was so low it was almost inaudible:
“I thought… the way you treated me… was because…”
Ning Qingyan quickly cut him off. As if recalling a painful memory, she sighed and secretly pinched her own thigh inside the sleeping bag, making her eyes turn red. In a pitiful voice, she said:
“Since I was little, I had an older brother who was exceptionally talented. He was just like you—cold on the outside but warm on the inside. I treated him well in small ways, and he would return it tenfold, always protecting me… But unfortunately, the heavens were cruel… He can only live on in my memories now.”
Her eyes turned misty, tears welling up but refusing to fall, her lips quivering in an effort to suppress her sadness.
Huo Qi’s heart clenched.
He ached for the loss of her brother. But even more, he ached at the realization—he was only a replacement in her heart.
A mixture of emotions crashed into him, leaving him hollow and conflicted. Yet, despite his pain, he still tried to comfort her:
“…Don’t be sad. I misunderstood… I was thinking too filthily…”
Ning Qingyan blinked her watery eyes and nearly pleaded:
“Ge… I don’t want this to ruin our relationship. I used to have nightmares all the time, but ever since you told me you were older than Wen-ge and let me call you ‘ge,’ I haven’t had a single nightmare. Because now, I have a brother who can protect me.”
The more Huo Qi listened, the more pain filled his heart. It felt like it was being ripped apart. His face turned pale, his lips pressed tight, unable to muster the strength to say another word.
Ning Qingyan lowered her gaze, hiding the darkness in her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a single tear finally rolled down her cheek.
“Ge… do you… not want to?” She paused. “Forget it… It’s fine… I shouldn’t have…”
Before she could finish, Huo Qi interrupted her.
He reached out, gently wiping away her tear with his fingertip. His voice was so soft, it was almost impossible to hear:
“I do.”
Wasn’t this the perfect answer?
Wasn’t this the perfect relationship?
If he refused, then how else could he position himself beside the young man?
Huo Qi withdrew his hand and clenched his fingers into his palm. The fingertip that had wiped her tear felt burning hot, and his heart ached to the point of suffocation.
After saying those three words, “I do.”
Huo Qi seemed to have lost all strength. He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, and muttered in a low voice:
“I’m tired.”
Ning Qingyan let out a silent sigh of relief.
A fleeting sense of guilt passed through her heart, but it quickly faded. She hummed softly in response.
She had already been merciful.
If this were her previous life, when she was struggling for survival, she would have strung him along, milking every last bit of affection from him before discarding him.
Today, she had deceived him once again.
She was Mystery Man N.
And on top of that, she wasn’t even a man—she didn’t even have the right “equipment” to be a 1.
If Huo Qi ever found out, Ning Qingyan couldn’t even begin to imagine the consequences. Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and began searching for the world’s strongest, most impenetrable, bulletproof security doors and windows.
With that thought, she closed her eyes and summoned the Green Tea System.
As expected, Gu Si was the easiest to farm at first, but as time passed, his free-spirited nature made increasing his affection harder.
Huo Qi, on the other hand, was the toughest to crack at first, but now that his defenses had been breached, his affection skyrocketed. If she hadn’t rejected him tonight, his affection might have hit 100 within two days.
Meanwhile, Wen Shijin, previously the hardest to move, had started catching up.
Ning Qingyan hesitated.
This had been the happiest and most carefree time of her life.
After spending time with them, she realized that they actually treated her quite well.
Even if she was manipulating them, she wasn’t heartless. She had feelings, too.
She wouldn’t deliberately push further—any misunderstandings like Huo Qi’s were too risky.
Besides, the Green Tea System had warned her—once affection reaches 90, she won’t be able to collect any more.
She had enough. When the show ended, she would immediately escape.
With that, she let out a slow breath and closed her eyes.
The Next Morning
The golden light of dawn filtered through the white tent.
Ning Qingyan instinctively woke up—her biological clock now almost as precise as Huo Qi’s.
She opened her eyes just as he left the tent.
And surprisingly, Gu Si—who always woke up the latest—was already gone too.