Editor and proofreader: Oceanblue

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After the kiss, the Stone of Love was handed to Gu Shenyuan.

The prize was made in the shape of a pendant, with the shimmering Stone of Love hanging below, dazzling and bright.

Gu Shenyuan could have handed the prize directly to Ye Qingyun, but he didn’t. Instead, he slipped it into his pocket.

After receiving the Stone of Love, the event organizers also gave Ye Qingyun and Gu Shenyuan a room key.

“This room is one of our most popular couple suites,” the host said with a knowing smile. “You’ll love it.”

All Ye Qingyun felt was an endless embarrassment. As soon as the event ended, he hurriedly dragged Gu Shenyuan away.

Ye Qingyun had no intention of sharing a room with Gu Shenyuan, but Gu Shenyuan didn’t agree.

In a calm tone, Gu Shenyuan reasoned with Ye Qingyun, “We’re now in the spotlight. Someone will likely target you to force me into doing their bidding. It’s not safe for you to stay alone.”

Recalling the strength Gu Shenyuan had displayed, Ye Qingyun had to admit he had a point. But still…

“Sharing a room—don’t you find that awkward?” Ye Qingyun asked.

Gu Shenyuan’s tone remained even and unaffected. “We’re both men. What’s there to be awkward about?”

Sure, they were both men, but that’s exactly what made it inconvenient! Gu Shenyuan, as someone who had been pursued by countless men, didn’t realize that men could pose just as many problems!

Ye Qingyun felt too embarrassed to look directly at Gu Shenyuan, afraid he’d recall that earlier, fleeting kiss.

With Gu Shenyuan’s looks, being close to him was quite overwhelming.

Ye Qingyun had always thought he wasn’t swayed by appearances, but in that moment, when he looked at Gu Shenyuan up close, he had to admit he was briefly tempted by such beauty.

Staring at the empty space beside Gu Shenyuan, Ye Qingyun gritted his teeth and said, “I like men, so it’s inconvenient. Do you get it now?”

Gu Shenyuan replied, “That’s fine. There’s no inconvenience.”

Listening to this response, Ye Qingyun suddenly understood Gu Shenyuan’s mindset.

Because Gu Shenyuan didn’t like men and was so strong, he wasn’t worried about what Ye Qingyun might try to do. That’s why he felt at ease sharing a room. If it were a woman, Gu Shenyuan might hesitate because of the gender difference.

Typical straight-guy logic.

Ha, and this was the protagonist of a novel!

Damn it, Ye Qingyun even found this reasoning somewhat logical.

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When Ye Qingyun followed Gu Shenyuan into the couple’s suite, he realized just how naive he had been.

Ye Qingyun had never paid attention to couple suites before. In his mind, a couple’s suite was just a room decorated to be a bit more romantic, so even if two non-couples stayed there, as long as they didn’t use any of the “special features,” there would be no problem.

But when Ye Qingyun sat quietly on a chair, only to be suddenly sprung into Gu Shenyuan’s arms, he was completely dumbfounded.

That, he could still tolerate. But when he went to wash his hands, he was shocked to see that his reflection in the mirror wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Ye Qingyun was startled, and instinctively glanced at Gu Shenyuan in the mirror, who was drinking water.

Gu Shenyuan stood further away, fully visible in the mirror, and he was in the same situation as Ye Qingyun.

“We’re changing rooms,” Ye Qingyun growled as he grabbed a robe and covered the mirror.

Gu Shenyuan, seemingly unaware of what had just happened, silently went to change the room.

For some reason, Ye Qingyun felt like Gu Shenyuan was a bit downcast as if all this running around was too much of a hassle.

Hmph, lucky for him it was Ye Qingyun he was with. If it had been someone with ill intentions, they could have secretly recorded what the mirror revealed and posted it online. That would have ruined Gu Shenyuan’s reputation, and the story might have turned into an 18+ one!

Still…

Did even the original protagonist of a novel have such impressive proportions these days?

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The new room was a standard double suite, without any strange features, and Ye Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

It was already late. After a quick wash, they could sleep. Gu Shenyuan let Ye Qingyun use the bathroom first, and Ye Qingyun didn’t hesitate, quickly heading into the bathroom.

Listening to the sound of running water, Gu Shenyuan’s eyes drooped in frustration.

The mirror in the previous room wasn’t an ordinary one; of course, he had noticed it. But when Ye Qingyun went to wash his hands, even though Gu Shenyuan knew Ye Qingyun might see something, he didn’t move his feet to leave.

When he did that, Gu Shenyuan felt a slight sense of shame. But that shame quickly turned into frustration when he realized Ye Qingyun’s only reaction was surprise, without any other feelings toward him.

Ye Qingyun was pure, and Gu Shenyuan had always known and liked this about him.

But now, Gu Shenyuan’s feelings have changed. He wanted to taint that purity, to make Ye Qingyun feel something more when he looked at him.

…When would that day finally come?

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After his shower, Ye Qingyun hesitated for a moment. Then, turning his back to the mirror, he looked over his shoulder at his tattoo.

One look was enough to shock him. In just a few short days, the tattoo had changed. It now extended around both sides of his waist, forming a delicate and suggestive pattern.
‘Does this thing grow on its own? That’s incredible!’

Ye Qingyun dressed and left the bathroom, opening his terminal to search for information about the plant his tattoo came from. Yet, there was no data on this plant anywhere on the interstellar network.

Maybe the plant was unique to that planet and unknown to the public.

Ye Qingyun posted a question in a plant enthusiast forum, deciding that if no one there knew either, he would stop looking.

Soon, he received responses:

User 1: “Where would you find a plant like that? Don’t joke around. You were probably tattooed while you were asleep!”

User 2: “Keep it simple! My sharp eyes have seen through it! You’re trying to show off that you’ve conquered the legendary man you won his love, and now you’ve got a full-body tattoo as proof, right?”

User 3: “Buddy, if you had eaten a couple more peanuts, you wouldn’t be this drunk.”

User 4: “Are you about to say that he’s lying next to you too? Stop daydreaming, man, just go to sleep.”

Ye Qingyun: ‘…’

He wasn’t dreaming, it was real! There was such a plant!

There was no way someone could have secretly tattooed him while he slept, as Gu Shenyuan had been with him the whole time, and no one else could have gotten close. As for Gu Shenyuan, there was no way he would do something like that in secret.

As for the legendary figure, he was already the boyfriend of the third prince. Ye Qingyun had never met him, let alone entertained the thought that the man liked him.

Rejecting several explanations, Ye Qingyun became more convinced that the plant was unique to that planet and, not overly concerned, turned off his terminal.

He would remove the tattoo when he had time.

…Wait, he was going to change bodies anyway. The tattoo wouldn’t transfer, so there was no need to bother.

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Gu Shenyuan also finished his shower and stood by Ye Qingyun’s bed.

Ye Qingyun could feel the steam from Gu Shenyuan’s body, making his head feel a little foggy.

“Do you need something?” Ye Qingyun asked.

Gu Shenyuan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant.

It was the Stone of Love.

Ye Qingyun thanked him and reached out to take it, but Gu Shenyuan avoided his hand.

“Sit up straight,” Gu Shenyuan instructed.

Confused, Ye Qingyun obediently sat up straight.

Then, he saw Gu Shenyuan lean in, his hands moving behind Ye Qingyun’s neck.

At such close range, Ye Qingyun could see Gu Shenyuan’s eyelashes clearly—long, not curled, but slightly drooping, making his eyes look even colder.

Gu Shenyuan was putting the necklace on him.

It suddenly dawned on Ye Qingyun.

After securing the necklace, Gu Shenyuan adjusted the Stone of Love, so it sat perfectly centered and then straightened up.

“It’s for you,” Gu Shenyuan said in a low voice.

Ye Qingyun stammered, “Th-thanks. I’ll use it to study something useful soon.”

Gu Shenyuan said nothing, climbed into his bed, and lay down with his back to Ye Qingyun.

Ye Qingyun let out a sigh of relief, turned off the lights, and in the darkness, touched the cool surface of the Stone of Love.

For a moment, he even felt as though Gu Shenyuan wanted him to always wear the stone, rather than dismantle it for research.

It was probably just his imagination.

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Next, Ye Qingyun began studying the Stone of Love. That night, with Gu Shenyuan following closely, they went outside to observe if the stone of love would react to moonlight.

They arrived at a remote location with no one else around. After observing the stone of love for a long time, Ye Qingyun stood up, ready to leave, when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps.

Gu Shenyuan pulled Ye Qingyun close, wrapping them both in a thin layer of dark mist, making them invisible to the approaching people.

An angry voice echoed through the night: “I didn’t expect it. You’ve got some nerve, daring to impersonate that person to deceive me?”

Ye Qingyun recognized the voice—it was the third prince.

What did he mean by impersonating? Was the third prince’s lover, not that legendary figure after all?

The third prince slapped his lover hard and interrogated him: “How did I get that tattoo? Tell me the truth, or I’ll have them bury you alive right now!”

His lover remained silent for a while before answering, “I secretly tattooed it on you while you were asleep.”

“No wonder it hurt!” The third prince raged. “I found it odd—the rumor says the tattoo grows without any pain, but with you, it was completely different! You even said that all tattoo changes would be painful, and I believed your nonsense!”

Hearing this, Ye Qingyun subconsciously touched his own lower back.

Funny, his tattoo… didn’t hurt at all when it grew.