Yu Qingyue wasn’t done yet. “Then how did you know you liked me?” Who knows, this person might suddenly decide he doesn’t like him anymore.

Yu Wanlai sighed lightly, wondering when this would end. “…I’ve always thought about you. I think of you when I eat, when I sleep, when I shower. If I didn’t realize that I liked you by now, then I must be an idiot.” Yu Qingyue’s mood softened, a smile tugging at his lips, and his tone turned gentler. “Then why did you take so long to come back?”

Yu Wanlai: …”…Well, once I figured out that I liked you, I came back immediately.”

Yu Qingyue was shocked. Who takes two months to realize their feelings? Was this person lying to him again? He glared at Yu Wanlai, his anger rising. “Are you stupid? It took you two months to realize you liked me? Are you lying again?”

“Does liking me make you uncomfortable? Why are you so unwilling to admit it?!”

Yu Wanlai: …Oh my god, why is this getting worse? Help! He quickly held Yu Qingyue’s head and embraced him tightly. “No, no, I have a reason.”

Yu Qingyue exhaled heavily. “Then tell me, what’s the reason?”

Yu Wanlai hesitated for a moment before returning to the original topic. “…I thought you were straight.”

Yu Qingyue was furious. “You’re talking nonsense, that’s definitely not the reason. Are you going to tell me or not?”

Yu Wanlai cleared his throat, holding back the emotion in his voice. “It’s because of that. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Turning a straight man gay will bring lightning from the sky’?”

Yu Qingyue was almost convinced. “Fine, if you’re not going to explain it today, don’t ever bring it up again! I’m not listening anymore!” He said this and tried to push Yu Wanlai away to leave. He was so mad he could explode.

Yu Wanlai grabbed him and hurriedly spoke, “Don’t be angry, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you, okay?”

Yu Qingyue stopped struggling, lifting his eyes to quietly look at Yu Wanlai.

Yu Wanlai took a deep breath, tightly holding Yu Qingyue’s wrist, as though afraid he might run away. His story was getting pretty ridiculous. “…When I tell you, you have to believe me. I’m not crazy or stupid, okay?”

Yu Qingyue nodded, thinking, what does this have to do with being crazy or stupid?

Yu Wanlai then pulled him to the small couch, made him sit on his lap, and wrapped his arms around his waist, gently rubbing his back. He slowly began to speak. “I’m not from this world, and I’m not Yu Wanlai. My original surname was Chu.”

Yu Qingyue was at a loss for words. What was this about? Before Yu Wanlai changed his surname, he was indeed Chu. But Yu Wanlai gently stroked Yu Qingyue’s cheek and continued, “As for where the original Yu Wanlai went, I don’t know.”

“I only know that in this world, my identity and my relationship with you weren’t pleasant. In fact, one of us died, and the other was injured.”

“So, I had to figure out a way to be good to you, to make you realize that I changed. I won’t compete for the family property, and I won’t harm you.”

He noticed Yu Qingyue’s strong reaction to his words, so he immediately raised three fingers as if swearing, “At first, I was trying to win you over on purpose, but later on, it wasn’t. Later, everything was sincere. Really.”

Yu Qingyue finally calmed down. As long as Yu Wanlai truly liked him now, that was enough. After all, didn’t he himself dislike Yu Wanlai at first?

“So I thought you were straight, because the original you really married a woman…” Yu Wanlai pouted unhappily. “That woman, Bai Jian.”

He buried his head in Yu Qingyue’s neck and rubbed it. “Yueyue, break off the engagement with her, okay?”

Yu Qingyue didn’t answer that question. Though it seemed a bit ridiculous, he thought there was no need for Yu Wanlai to make up such a story. After all, Yu Wanlai had changed so much before, it was like he was a different person. Suddenly, it became hard to dislike him. Now, thinking back, it did make sense.

“How did you know I was going to marry a woman? How did you know that one of us would die and the other get hurt? Who died?”

Yu Wanlai felt that telling Yu Qingyue he was just a bunch of words was somewhat cruel, but since he had already said this much, it didn’t seem quite right to deceive him. Besides, wasn’t he just a bunch of words too now?

A healthy, lasting romantic relationship requires trust, and since he wanted to be with Yu Qingyue for a long time, sincerity was essential. Yu Wanlai had no choice but to answer Yu Qingyue’s question honestly, “Because this is a world from a book, I’ve read it. You are the main character, and I’m the villain.” So, naturally, the villain is the one who dies.

Yu Qingyue had been listening seriously, but suddenly found the words a bit juvenile and couldn’t help but laugh lightly, “You’re so interesting.”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue. “It’s true.”

Having heard this, Yu Qingyue didn’t doubt him, but he found it amusing. He wouldn’t let this make him think that he didn’t exist—after all, he had flesh and blood, his own thoughts, and he could control everything about himself. Now, he even had someone he liked. So, what did it matter? However… he suddenly became a little nervous. “Then how did you come here? You’re not going to disappear again, right?”

Yu Wanlai had thought about this, but he believed it was unlikely. He shook his head. “It shouldn’t happen. I’ve already died before.” He thought about how he hadn’t disappeared during his time in the hospital.

Yu Qingyue immediately tensed up. He reached up to wrap his arms around Yu Wanlai’s neck and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead to comfort him, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid, you definitely won’t die. I won’t let you die.”

He thought about how Yu Wanlai had known he wasn’t his biological father. So many people didn’t know, and Yu Wanlai had no power. It would have been very difficult for him to investigate. Seeing that Yu Qingyue really believed him, Yu Wanlai relaxed and even had the energy to tease him again. He kissed Yu Qingyue’s collarbone again and again, and while Yu Qingyue was getting drowsy, Yu Wanlai gently guided him, “Qingyue, let’s break off the engagement with her now, okay?”

“Being the third wheel will kill me! Can you bear to see me die?”

Yu Qingyue raised his neck, tightening the hand that was holding Yu Wanlai’s clothes, his breathing growing more rapid, “There’s no engagement… it’s fake.”

At first, he was still angry at how Yu Wanlai had neglected him for so long, but now, he couldn’t stay mad anymore.

Yu Wanlai: …So he had been lying to him! His delicate young master really had learned to play tricks.

Yu Wanlai pressed down on Yu Qingyue’s head and lowered his chin, kissing his already swollen lips repeatedly, pressing and sucking. His fingers buried in Yu Qingyue’s soft hair, gently massaging. Then he pressed Yu Qingyue’s head down more forcefully and kissed him harder.

Hearing the sound of their tongues entangling, Yu Qingyue’s face flushed with heat again. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and pushed Yu Wanlai away. Yu Wanlai’s movements were too intense, and he was finding it hard to catch his breath. “…Mmm, you… gentle… it hurts~”

Yu Wanlai didn’t let go until a while later. He buried his head in Yu Qingyue’s neck, breathing in the sweet orange scent of him. His breathing gradually calmed down, and he glanced at his phone, relieved to see it was only 6:30 AM. He hadn’t expected they would be so late last night, but Yu Qingyue had woken up so early.

After thinking about it, Yu Wanlai finally had a moment of conscience and completely released Yu Qingyue. He reached into his pocket for some wet wipes and gently wiped away the moisture from Yu Qingyue’s lips and neck. He patted Yu Qingyue’s bottom lightly. “Get up, it’s almost time. Let’s go downstairs for breakfast, then you can come back and sleep some more.”

Saying that, he checked his phone again, confirming that it was indeed Sunday.

Yu Qingyue just casually threw on a jacket over his pajamas and got ready to go downstairs for breakfast. When they arrived at the restaurant, Yu Cheng and Qin Shuang had already been there for a while. It wasn’t clear how long they had been there, but half of the meat congee in their bowls was already gone.

Hearing the noise, Yu Cheng immediately looked up at the door, and sure enough, he saw Yu Wanlai. He slapped the table, about to stand up and scold him, but Qin Shuang quickly pulled him back down. He didn’t stand up, but his expression was still dark, and his voice was stern. “So you actually decided to come back!”

“This is a hotel, huh? You come and go as you please? Do you still have any respect for your elders?”

Yu Wanlai knew he would be scolded, but he didn’t expect this person to be up so early today. He walked in and immediately bumped into him. Yu Wanlai awkwardly smiled, “Dad, please don’t be angry. I know I was wrong.” He said this while pulling out a chair to sit in his usual spot, but Yu Qingyue was already sitting there. Yu Wanlai lowered his head to look at him, but Yu Qingyue ignored him, so Yu Wanlai had no choice but to sit beside him.

Yu Qingyue was worried that Yu Cheng would get angry and hit Yu Wanlai. He didn’t want Yu Wanlai to get hit, so he sat there to block it. If his father really wanted to do something, he could stop him more easily this way.

Yu Cheng glared seriously at the two of them. Seeing that neither of them had any intention of coming clean, he spoke up, “…What are you two thinking? Yu Qingyue, do you think that matter is just going to pass like that? And you, Yu Wanlai! You have no sense of responsibility! Every time something happens, you hide behind your brother! You’re unbelievable!”

Seeing these two, Yu Cheng’s head started to hurt. Yu Qingyue had at least been good at avoiding trouble, but now he was acting recklessly. What did he do to deserve this?

Qin Shuang gave Yu Cheng a disapproving look. The kids had finally come back, and here he was, acting so aggressively, shouting early in the morning. It was really noisy.

Yu Qingyue’s hand trembled slightly. The place he had been kicked felt sore again, and his spoon clinked loudly as it dropped into the bowl, hitting the edge and making a sharp sound. He had forgotten that his parents were still angry.

Yu Wanlai looked at Yu Qingyue strangely, then reached out to touch his hand, which had become a little cold. He quietly asked, “…What happened? Why is Dad so harsh on you?” He used to just scold him, right?

Yu Qingyue pressed his lips together, hesitating before replying, “…They… they found out about us.”

Yu Wanlai’s heart instantly raced. He heard another clink from the table as he picked up his spoon. Looking at Qin Shuang and Yu Cheng’s expressions, he forced himself to stay calm, but his voice was firm, “What I think is that I want to be with Yu Qingyue. If you’re worried about public opinion, I can move out, and you can publicly explain that I’m not your son. After all, not many people know about this.”

No wonder Yu Qingyue was beaten. How could he bear this alone? “I can change my surname back to the original one. I don’t expect any inheritance or the company, as long as you don’t make things difficult for Qingyue.”

After a brief pause, he turned to Qin Shuang, “Auntie, if you need to blame someone, blame me. Qingyue definitely didn’t want this… Also… I will treat him well.”

Qin Shuang swallowed the soup in her mouth. She was suddenly moved by his determination, making her son seem like he was being courted for marriage. She raised her eyes to speak, but before she could, Yu Cheng interrupted. He snorted coldly, not saying whether he agreed or not, “…That’s more like it. At least you’re taking responsibility. I thought you’d keep hiding behind your brother.”

Yu Qingyue immediately retorted, as if his tail had been stepped on, “I’m not his brother!”

Yu Cheng had already been preparing to stand up and leave, but hearing this, he sat back down. “…Okay, okay, one of you is preparing to disown me, and the other doesn’t want to recognize his brother. Are you two trying to make me die from anger?”

Qin Shuang lightly coughed and helped explain, “If they’re together, calling him brother really doesn’t seem right.” She didn’t know if it was because she had sensed something was wrong earlier, but she accepted it quite quickly.

Yu Cheng’s expression suddenly froze. He fell silent, his face full of disdain, “You guys have to focus on the people in the family. Why not look at the people outside? What kind of chaotic relationship is this?! I’m so frustrated I can’t even sleep at night because of your mess!”