Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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The location was indeed a bit awkward. Ye Qingyun reached back to touch the tattoo; the area felt neither painful nor itchy, just slightly warm to his touch.

Ye Qingyun was not pleased. If he found a boyfriend in the future and their relationship progressed to a more intimate level, his boyfriend would notice it and think, “Wow, who tattooed this here? You said I was your first love—what a liar, what a scumbag!”

“No way; he needed to find a way to get rid of this tattoo.”

As Ye Qingyun was worrying about this, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind: “Host! The final discussion results regarding your situation are out!”

Ye Qingyun: “What is it?”

System: “After our research, we found that due to the original story’s poor resolution, there are many illogical parts. This world is a real world, and character actions won’t be so devoid of logic, leading to inconsistencies with reality. This is not your fault; we have decided to arrange another body for you. When this cannon fodder body dies, your mission will end, and you can live freely in your new body. Do you accept?”

Ye Qingyun was quite satisfied with this arrangement and agreed to the outcome. The system then asked: “To avoid any regrets, we will give you some time to handle the affairs of this body. How long do you need?”

Ye Qingyun initially thought to say he didn’t have anything to deal with and that the sooner he got the new body, the better. But just before he spoke, Gu Shenyuan’s face flashed through his mind.

Gu Shenyuan had gone through so much to save him and had followed him all this time, likely to learn something from him.

It felt too heartless to just leave like that, especially considering someone who had risked danger to save him and followed him without fear of ridicule, simply out of a thirst for knowledge.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Qingyun said to the system: “Give me three months.”

With Gu Shenyuan’s intelligence, three months would be enough for him to learn everything he wanted, and then he could leave with peace of mind.

“Alright, your request has been accepted. Your body will die in three months; please prepare yourself.”

————

Gu shenyuan listened to the commotion Ye Qingyun was making in another room and his gaze dimmed.

He wondered how Ye Qingyun would react after seeing the tattoo.

“…What kind of tattoo would it be, and where would it be located?”

Gu Shenyuan knew that Ye Qingyun likely had a tattoo, but he didn’t know its exact location, as tattoos weren’t fixed and varied each generation.

Perhaps Ye Qingyun’s tattoo would be on his shoulder, on his waist, or his ankle. He wondered if he would ever get to see the whole thing.

Although Ye Qingyun didn’t like him at the moment, he had a lifetime to slowly win him over. He only hoped that one day, he would be able to kiss that tattoo and the skin beneath it.

——————

Ye Qingyun felt that this planet wasn’t safe; the boy who had forcibly taken him away to marry him might show up again at any time, so it was better to leave sooner.

Fortunately, Gu Shenyuan’s body had almost fully recovered; he didn’t need to rest anymore, so they could leave directly.

Ye Qingyun shared his thoughts with Gu Shenyuan, and the two refueled their spacecraft and departed from the planet.

On the way, Ye Qingyun asked, “What exactly do you want to learn by following me?”
Gu Shenyuan didn’t respond immediately. He fell silent for a moment before saying, “As long as it’s something you can teach me, I want to learn it all.”

This was a rare romantic sentiment from the usually gloomy Gu Shenyuan, who looked at Ye Qingyun with hopeful anticipation, waiting for his response.

Ye Qingyun: “?”

“Wasn’t this nonsense?”

He had spent his whole life researching new things—Gu Shenyuan could follow him and learn for a lifetime.

Once he switched identities, it wouldn’t be impossible to pretend to be a close friend online and teach Gu Shenyuan some things, but this body was set to say goodbye in three months.

Ye Qingyun put on a cold face. “Stop wasting time. Say quickly what you want to learn. I can only teach you for three months; after that, we’ll part ways. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

Gu Shenyuan lowered his gaze.

Ye Qingyun wanted to leave; he had anticipated that, but Gu Shenyuan would not allow him to go easily.

No matter what Ye Qingyun wanted him to do, he would do his best, except for this matter.

He would follow Ye Qingyun for a lifetime.

Ye Qingyun continued to emphasize the time: “There are only three months. Make your choice quickly. After three months, I will…”

Ye Qingyun wanted to say that he would leave after three months, but when Gu Shenyuan glanced at him, even without saying a word, Ye Qingyun could tell from that look that Gu Shenyuan would not let him go easily.

Just like now, wherever he went, Gu Shenyuan would follow, and he might even have to stage a dramatic death right in front of him.

This wouldn’t do; he needed to instill a sense of urgency in Gu Shenyuan so he understood that time was pressing and he couldn’t teach him leisurely.

Ye Qingyun rubbed his forehead and casually found an excuse: “After three months, don’t follow me anymore; I’m already annoyed enough with you. I’m going to find Pu Tian, and if I can’t find him…” He looked out at the shining nebula and said, “If I can’t find him, I don’t want to live anymore. So don’t talk to me about learning anything grand; tell me your true thoughts, and I’ll consider it a charity before I die… before I leave.”

Ye Qingyun was looking out the window and didn’t notice that after he said this, Gu Shenyuan’s expression suddenly turned cold.

He knew that Ye Qingyun liked Pu Tian; that was something he had always known. But he hadn’t expected that Ye Qingyun liked him to this extent.

Gu Shenyuan’s gaze fell on the pale, delicate nape of Ye Qingyun’s neck, which looked quite fragile.

Gu Shenyuan was not a sunny or cheerful person; on the contrary, due to the darkness he had encountered during his growth, his methods could even be considered cruel.

At that moment, many thoughts crossed Gu Shenyuan’s mind—he could confine Ye Qingyun, locking him away in a place where he could only see him until Ye Qingyun developed a dependency on him.

Or he could erase Ye Qingyun’s memories, making him forget about Pu Tian and ensuring that Ye Qingyun would never mention another man in front of him again.

He knew that treating Ye Qingyun this way would lead to greater backlash against himself, but he didn’t care.

These thoughts surged until Ye Qingyun sensed something was off and turned to meet Gu Shenyuan’s gaze.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” Ye Qingyun asked.

In Gu Shenyuan’s warm eyes lay an imperceptible worry, like a ray of sunlight that dispersed the darkness in Gu Shenyuan’s heart.

“Don’t die for him; it’s not worth it,” Gu Shenyuan said softly. “I’ll take you… I’ll take you out to clear your mind.”

——————

Two days later, standing on the most famous dating planet in the entire star system, Ye Qingyun felt utterly crushed.

“Where was Gu Shenyuan taking him to relax?!”

“Looking at all the couples around them, didn’t Gu Shenyuan feel out of place standing there?”

He was foolish, only knowing that Gu Shenyuan was a long-time single iceberg, but he hadn’t considered that in Gu Shenyuan’s mind, there was no notion that single people shouldn’t come to a couple’s dating paradise.

A little girl ran up to them holding a bouquet of roses, glancing at Gu Shenyuan, then at Ye Qingyun, before sweetly saying to Gu Shenyuan, “Brother, look how good-looking this big brother is! Why not give him a flower?”

Ye Qingyun: “……”

“Little girl, you’ve got the wrong person; the cold-hearted protagonist wouldn’t buy flowers.”

Gu Shenyuan lowered his head, picked the largest, brightest red rose, and stuffed it into Ye Qingyun’s hands.

Gu Shenyuan: “It’s beautiful.”

Ye Qingyun: “?”