For two consecutive days, Ning Guiqu appeared listless, constantly poking at his phone. Lu Yuan didn’t receive any complaints from him. Lu Yuan suspected he was chatting with Li Mu, bombarded by WeChat messages.
During this time, Lu Yuan remained cold towards Ning Guiqu, but Ning Guiqu didn’t care at all, still shamelessly sticking to him every day.
Lu Yuan was at his wit’s end. He considered asking Ning Guiqu to leave, but seeing Ning Guiqu’s miserable expression, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Moreover, Lu Yuan suggested that Ning Guiqu delete Li Mu’s contact.
But Ning Guiqu said, “If I delete him, he’ll come find me. Right now, it’s just WeChat messages. He didn’t use to harass me on WeChat. I guess it’s because he saw you.”
Lu Yuan: “…”
It was his fault.
On Wednesday afternoon, when there were no classes, Lu Yuan received a message from Ning Guiqu: [Want to have dinner together?]
Originally, Lu Yuan should have ruthlessly refused, but seeing Ning Guiqu’s dejected state these past two days, he decided not to rub salt in the wound and replied with a simple “Mm.”
After dinner, Ning Guiqu hesitantly called Lu Yuan’s name several times. Each time Lu Yuan turned his head or glanced at Ning Guiqu, Ning Guiqu would wave it off, saying, “It’s nothing!”
Lu Yuan: “…”
After being called no less than ten times, Lu Yuan stopped by the tree where Ning Guiqu had previously spied on him and asked, “Alright, what is it?”
Ning Guiqu rubbed his nose, then his ear, then looked up at Lu Yuan, his face reddening again. As he lowered his head once more, the entire process reminded Lu Yuan of the scene after high school graduation when Ning Guiqu had asked for his WeChat.
Lu Yuan quickly said, “If you don’t want to say it, then don’t. Everyone has secrets.”
Lu Yuan was about to leave when Ning Guiqu grabbed his arm. Mustering his courage, Ning Guiqu blurted out, “There is something!”
He continued to hold Lu Yuan’s arm, afraid he’d run away if he let go.
Lu Yuan was uncomfortable with physical contact and glanced at Ning Guiqu. Ning Guiqu still didn’t let go, anxiously asking, “Will you run away?”
Lu Yuan sighed, “I won’t.”
Ning Guiqu released his grip but remained nervous.
Lu Yuan watched Ning Guiqu, thinking that if Ning Guiqu uttered the word “like,” he’d immediately cover Ning Guiqu’s mouth! Then he’d tell Ning Guiqu that he would always be straight and that Ning Guiqu should give up.
After that, he’d move out of the dorm. Living in the same room, seeing each other every day, would be too awkward.
“Go ahead,” Lu Yuan said, resigned to his fate.
Ning Guiqu looked down at his shoes again, and when he raised his head, his face was as red as a baboon’s bottom.
Lu Yuan instinctively felt doomed.
Ning Guiqu finally spoke, his voice a mumble, “Could you pretend to be my boyfriend?”
Lu Yuan’s face remained expressionless.
Was this some new way of confessing? At least he didn’t need to cover Ning Guiqu’s mouth now.
Lu Yuan flatly refused, “No. I’m straight, now and always will be.”
Hearing the rejection, Ning Guiqu became even more flustered, his voice growing panicky, “I know! I’m straight, too!”
Lu Yuan took a slight breath, “Do you really think I believe that?”
Ning Guiqu: “…”
Ning Guiqu didn’t expect Lu Yuan to guess his sexual orientation, which made him even more embarrassed. “Fine, I’m not straight. But you can treat me like a brother. I’m still a guy, after all.”
Lu Yuan’s expression grew complicated. A gay guy who liked him wanted to be… brothers?
Ning Guiqu apologetically explained, “Li Mu kept asking if I liked you. I told him many times you were just my roommate. But he kept pressing and finally said if I really liked you, he’d let go. So to make him give up quickly, I panicked and said we were… secretly dating.”
By the end, Ning Guiqu was utterly guilt-ridden. If he had rabbit ears, they’d probably be drooping.
Lu Yuan’s expression cracked for a moment.
What the hell?
Thinking Lu Yuan didn’t believe him, Ning Guiqu took out his phone, scrolled for a while, then handed it to Lu Yuan. “Really, look if you don’t believe me. I’ve been harassed these past few days. I had no choice. Lu Yuan, I’ll make it up to you!”
Lu Yuan automatically ignored Ning Guiqu’s offer of compensation and took the phone.
It indeed contained some questioning messages from Li Mu. At first, Ning Guiqu stuck to his story, saying they were just roommates. It was only this afternoon that he suddenly mentioned secretly dating.
But Li Mu didn’t believe it.
Li Mu: [I investigated Lu Yuan. He doesn’t like men.]
Ning Guiqu: [But he likes me! Just give up already. I’m in a relationship now. You’re being a homewrecker.]
Lu Yuan’s eye twitched slightly.
Li Mu: [I won’t be a homewrecker. This must be your excuse!]
Ning Guiqu: [How could I joke about matters of the heart? I really am secretly together with Lu Yuan. He’s just low-key, that’s why we haven’t said anything.]
Lu Yuan took another deep breath.
Ning Guiqu stood by, not daring to breathe. He knew he’d been unfair this time. If Lu Yuan was willing to help, he’d be Lu Yuan’s servant!
Lu Yuan scrolled down a bit more.
Li Mu: [I’m not so easily fooled. Get him to meet me. I’ve liked you for so long. I can tell at a glance if you’re really a couple! If you truly like each other, the love in your eyes can’t be hidden!]
Ning Guiqu: [Why? I don’t want my boyfriend involved in this.]
Li Mu: [Then I’ll assume you’re lying to me. Xiao Qu, you’ve gone too far! Tomorrow night at 7, Mao Buli Restaurant. Be there.]
Lu Yuan scrolled to the bottom, his feelings mixed.
To be fair, it wasn’t entirely Ning Guiqu’s fault. Though he had lied about their relationship, Ning Guiqu had tried hard to refuse when Li Mu invited him to meet.
It was just that Li Mu was too overbearing and shameless. Ning Guiqu probably had no choice but to ask for help. If he didn’t help, Ning Guiqu would continue to be harassed by this Li Mu.
But Lu Yuan still wanted to say, “You didn’t need to tell him all that. Just tell him to get lost.”
Ning Guiqu had actually… considered it!
But Li Mu was the childhood friend of the cannon fodder villain!
Although he didn’t mean to transmigrate into the book, he occupied the original owner’s body, becoming the cannon fodder villain. Ning Guiqu believed the original owner didn’t actually dislike Li Mu.
From the moment he arrived, Li Mu had been very “enthusiastic” towards him, eagerly asking him out to eat, being quite annoying. Ning Guiqu couldn’t stand it after less than a month. But the original cannon fodder seemed to have been bothered by Li Mu since childhood.
Ning Guiqu had once secretly asked Li Mu when he started liking him. Li Mu’s answer was “always.”
Always meant since childhood! From childhood to now, even after Ning Guiqu arrived, Li Mu was still around. So, how could the original character hate Li Mu? That being the case, Ning Guiqu didn’t want to offend the original’s friend while using his body. It would weigh on his conscience!
So Ning Guiqu thought he could endure it! He was the understanding Genius Xiao Qu.
Ning Guiqu said sincerely, “That would be too hurtful. After all, Li Mu hasn’t done anything truly terrible. Lu Yuan, could you please help? I absolutely won’t take advantage of you!”
Lu Yuan: “…”
Lu Yuan was both exasperated and annoyed at his own soft-heartedness.
Lu Yuan returned the phone to Ning Guiqu, whose eyes were slightly red. “Can you… help?”
Seeing Ning Guiqu’s pitiful look, Lu Yuan’s heart softened, and he grunted an affirmative.
The next second, Ning Guiqu broke into a heartfelt smile. “Thank you! Lu Yuan.”
Lu Yuan felt a bit awkward, especially with the occasional glances thrown their way. Sure enough, chatting under a tree did look suspicious.
Lu Yuan coughed lightly, “Let’s go back.”
Ning Guiqu: “Okay!”
But looking at the still-happy Ning Guiqu, Lu Yuan reminded him, “It’s pretend, not real. Don’t get too excited.”
Ning Guiqu reined in his smile, looking innocent. “I’m not, really.”
As Ning Guiqu tried to act cute, his eyes still red, Lu Yuan didn’t scold him. Ning Guiqu looked like a rabbit with perpetually red eyes. Though rabbits were cute, Ning Guiqu wasn’t actually a rabbit. Lu Yuan remained an unshakeable straight man.
That evening, while Lu Yuan was folding clothes on the balcony, Ning Guiqu snuck over to remind him, “It’s tomorrow at 7 p.m. I might hold your arm with you then. I know you’re straight, but consider this a work injury. I’ll make it up to you! I’ll cover your breakfasts from now on, and I’ll squeeze your toothpaste tonight!”
Lu Yuan paused his folding, sighing, “No need to squeeze the toothpaste!”
Ning Guiqu remained serious, continuing to chatter beside Lu Yuan. “It’s fine. If we can resolve this crisis, I’ve already decided to be your willing servant. When I work at your company in the future, you can use me like a workhorse.”
Lu Yuan wanted Ning Guiqu to shut up.
But he feared that if he said so, Ning Guiqu might hide in the bathroom and cry again. In the end, he pretended not to hear, finished folding the clothes, and went to shower. Out of sight, out of mind.
After reminding Lu Yuan, Ning Guiqu poked at his phone again.
[I really can’t call Lu Yuan an idiot anymore! Where can you find such a good idiot? At most, Lu Yuan is just a cold penguin! Yes, a cold penguin!]
[I regret it! I don’t want to be his workhorse at his company in the future. I’m going to his company for enough rest time. If I’m going to be tortured at his company, too, why would I go there?]
[I regret it, I regret it! The cold penguin didn’t take it to heart, right?]
Ning Guiqu fretted anxiously.
When Lu Yuan came out after his shower, while he was drying his hair, Ning Guiqu gestured for Lu Yuan to look at his phone propped on the desk.
Lu Yuan sighed inwardly. So these past two days, when he’d been ignoring Ning Guiqu, Ning Guiqu didn’t cared at all.
Ning Guiqu gestured again with his eyes, and Lu Yuan had no choice but to pick up the phone.
[I’ll work hard at your company in the future! But I’m still human. Can you not use me like a workhorse?]
Lu Yuan: “…”
Unbelievable.
Truly unbelievable.
He hadn’t said a word, and Ning Guiqu had already acted out an entire drama by himself.
Lu Yuan also opened his other WeChat account, and after reading it, his forehead was covered in black lines. From sending him to Antarctica to be with penguins, to now calling him a penguin, and even a cold penguin. He’d rather be called an idiot!
Lu Yuan glanced at Ning Guiqu, didn’t reply to the message, and just said, “I won’t.”
At this, Shi Wen turned around curiously.
“What? What won’t you do? Did you two create a secret group chat?”
Lu Yuan didn’t respond.
Ning Guiqu looked innocent. “I don’t know either.”
Shi Wen didn’t think much of it.
Ning Guiqu sent another message to his alternate account.
[Straight guys are so good, much more sincere than us gays]
[For these four years of university, I’ll be Lu Yuan’s ox and horse!]
Lu Yuan stumbled severely when he saw this!
Ning Guiqu, really… that’s enough!
Raine: Ooh, we’re going into fake relationship territory now.
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