Lin Zhi finally dared speak. He leaned close to Song Mian, looked around, and whispered, “Leaving the main family was right. You’re gold—you’ll shine anywhere.”
Song Mian leaned back in his chair, nitpicking seriously. “What if I’m not gold?”
Lin Zhi insisted, “Then jade—the rare kind.”
Song Mian’s gaze locked on Lin Zhi. “Not jade?”
Lin Zhi: “Diamond!”
Song Mian said, “Not even a diamond, huh?”
Lin Zhi sensed something off and narrowed his eyes. “You’re picking a fight.”
Song Mian let out a hum from his throat. “Mm.”
Lin Zhi shook his head with an air of maturity. “That’s what makes you a naughty boy.”
Song Mian: “………”
Lin Zhi’s face flushed again, but he stubbornly finished the last bit of radish. “Aren’t you curious about my precognitive dream? I nailed it!”
Song Mian said, “The chicken soup was laced with laxatives.”
Now it was Lin Zhi’s turn to be shocked.
“Playing favorites! Why was mine laxatives? Making me run to the bathroom?” Lin Zhi fumed.
Song Mian was speechless. “Not satisfied with laxatives?”
Lin Zhi was dissatisfied. He turned his head pettily. “I wanted to dose him too.”
Song Mian said, “I’ve already had someone buy the meds.”
Lin Zhi lit up in an instant and generously offered his other cheek. “Come on, punish me.”
Song Mian: “……”
And Song Mian actually pinched it.
Rubbing his other cheek, Lin Zhi asked curiously, “Didn’t it tip over? How did you know?”
Song Mian replied leisurely, “Guess.”
Lin Zhi actually guessed and was shocked. “Did Uncle Sun really drink it? Is he in the bathroom?”
Song Mian’s mouth twitched. He didn’t spare any feelings. “Can you use your brain? Would you taste poison? It was sent for testing.”
This time, he really had been dumb.
Lin Zhi knew it was awkward, so he casually changed the subject. “Want to go soak in some hot springs to relax?”
The Romance Lifesaving System snarked: [That’s so forced!]
Song Mian’s eyes flickered, as if thinking of something. He didn’t ask why and agreed outright. “Sure.”
Lin Zhi wickedly asked, “Still forced? Little A.”
A9901 mimicked Lin Zhi’s tone: [Damn it!]
***
Song Mian had a private villa with an artificial hot spring.
After changing, Lin Zhi wore a carefully selected shirt and swim trunks, feeling quite thoughtful. But Song Mian didn’t get it and tugged at his collar. “You’re wearing a T-shirt to soak?”
Song Mian only wore swim trunks, showing off a fine physique.
Lin Zhi glanced once and quickly looked away. He felt bad that Song Mian didn’t appreciate his good intentions. He lifted his chin heroically. “These are different times. I have to uphold manhood.”
Song Mian was gay; he was straight! He was the proper man here.
The Romance Lifesaving System popped up to nitpick: [You’re saying gays aren’t men!]
Lin Zhi wasn’t fazed. “I also say all men except me are dogs. So?”
The Romance Lifesaving System suffered a crushing defeat.
Sometimes Song Mian truly couldn’t follow Lin Zhi’s thought process.
As they reached the hot spring, Lin Zhi bowed like a noble and gestured. “Brother Song Mian, gays first—you go in.”
Song Mian got it. He was treating him like a girl.
Song Mian wasn’t mad. As he entered the water, he tossed out, “A perky butt means nothing?”
Lin Zhi innocently asked, “What?”
Song Mian curved his lips. “You can check it in the mirror from behind.”
Lin Zhi understood.
Song Mian was calling his butt big!
The Romance Lifesaving System chimed in: [Host! That’s not what the Male Lead meant!]
Lin Zhi shook his arms. Song Mian seemed to notice and quickly moved deeper into the spring. The next second, a massive splash erupted as Lin Zhi jumped in like a swimming novice.
Even from afar, Song Mian’s back got splashed.
Song Mian shot Lin Zhi a dangerous glance.
Lin Zhi huffed proudly. “Hmph.”
The task didn’t require sticking close, so Lin Zhi stayed nearby. He rested his arms on the edge, cheek on his arm, utterly relaxed. Was it this easy to complete?
Lin Zhi couldn’t believe it and decided to stir things up.
His wet T-shirt clung to his skin. It wasn’t thick, perfectly outlining his curves—slim waist, round hips. Song Mian could hardly look away. Lin Zhi suddenly turned. “Brother Song Mian, want me to scrub your back?”
Under the sudden eye contact, Song Mian calmly looked away. Lin Zhi quickly moved behind him. Song Mian’s body tensed as Lin Zhi’s breath neared. His throat bobbed hard before he asked, “With what?”
Lin Zhi tilted his head from behind and offered his hands. “Hands, of course.”
Song Mian’s breathing hitched for a few seconds.
Little Master Lin got to work with grunts, pounding and pinching everywhere, even patting those abs enviously. Song Mian’s back stayed rigid. Lin Zhi sweated from the effort, but Song Mian didn’t stop him. So Little Master Lin quit on his own.
Lin Zhi moved to Song Mian’s front and wiped his brow. “Brother Song Mian, how’s Master Lin’s technique?”
Song Mian’s eyes were pitch black, wolf-like, staring at him.
Mid-wipe, Lin Zhi casually dropped his hand and circled back. “I can keep going.”
But Song Mian grabbed his wrist. Lin Zhi couldn’t break free and pouted. “What? Scrubbing your back is kindness, not duty. Gonna force me?”
Song Mian’s gaze deepened. “Just scrubbing?”
Lin Zhi: “Pounding works too.”
Song Mian yanked him into his arms. Water splashed softly. Staring at Lin Zhi right under his eyelids, Song Mian pinched his cheeks vengefully, pressing the flesh deep. Lin Zhi yelped, but this time Song Mian didn’t let go. “Doesn’t hurt. Why yell?”
Lin Zhi whined, “It’s still my face.”
Song Mian’s eyes suddenly heated. He released Lin Zhi’s face, now marked with red imprints. Lin Zhi rubbed it tenderly. Song Mian lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
The spring water was clear. Lin Zhi peeked down again. Song Mian was distracted and didn’t notice until Lin Zhi gasped. “It’s perked up!”
Song Mian: “……”
Song Mian turned to him expressionlessly.
Lin Zhi was a bit shocked by what he’d seen—impressive! As a pure straight guy, his face reddened, but hey, men. He suggested, “D-Do you want to… handle it?”
Compared to Lin Zhi’s consideration, Song Mian was suffering. His dark eyes fixed steadily, lips twitching. “You handling it?”
Lin Zhi shook his head and waved. “I’m not that kind of casual straight guy.”
Song Mian’s tone wasn’t friendly. “Then why suggest it?”
Lin Zhi’s eyes were innocent. “I saw it. Doesn’t that… feel bad?”
Under Song Mian’s threatening stare, Lin Zhi shut up, but curiosity itched. He whispered, “Doesn’t it hurt?”
Song Mian, seeing Lin Zhi’s dumb innocence, simply closed his eyes and ignored him.
Lin Zhi felt awkward. He lounged beside him. Minutes later, he peeked again—no change. Softly: “How’d it perk up just from soaking?”
Song Mian couldn’t take it. He opened his eyes coldly. “Shut up or handle it.”
Lin Zhi chose silence.
Not two minutes later, as Song Mian tried to calm down, Lin Zhi piped up. “Brother Song Mian, can I say something?”
Song Mian coldly: “Denied.”
Lin Zhi clasped his hands. “Please, I’ll explode.”
Song Mian: “……Fine. Speak.”
Lin Zhi’s cheeks flushed, voice trembling with emotion. “I always thought you were a tsundere bro—bad at expressing, super clean. But today, you actually asked for help. Tsundere bro, do you see me as a real bro deep down?”
Lin Zhi peeked up, met Song Mian’s gaze, then shyly looked away. Song Mian hadn’t done anything, yet Lin Zhi was the embarrassed one.
Song Mian was genuinely amused by Lin Zhi. About to speak, Lin Zhi grinned mischievously. “Tonight, let’s crash at your place. See if Song Feng’s got the runs.”
Song Mian swallowed his words and dismissed him temporarily. “Don’t be an eyesore.”
Lin Zhi turned away, pretending not to hear. He had a task—he couldn’t leave.
Song Mian: “……”
Half an hour later, the Romance Lifesaving System blared triumphantly: [Branch Task Five completed successfully! Progress bar full—Main Task unlocked. Main Task details next plot kill! Complete the Main Task, and Host permanently avoids cannon fodder doom.]
Lin Zhi was thrilled. “Not Pinduoduo!”
The Romance Lifesaving System: [Didn’t expect the boss to go so easy on you! But Main Task’s probably big trouble. Progress bar result’s out—want it?]
Lin Zhi: “Yes!”
The Romance Lifesaving System: [It’s the Male Lead’s arousal level!]
Lin Zhi shook his head.
The Romance Lifesaving System: [You heard right! Arousal at 100%!]
Lin Zhi pondered deeply.
This time, real thinking.
Song Mian got hard, unlocking the Main Task. If he did one more task and Song Mian got hard again… Was it…
The Romance Lifesaving System cheered: [Yes!]
Lin Zhi stroked his chin, sensing something off. Why was his branch task tied to that? Song Mian’s 100% arousal unlocked Main Task—what could it be? Lin Zhi worried: Was it gonna ruin this straight guy?
He knew a bit about gay stuff.
The Romance Lifesaving System: [Nah! Probably dating!]
Lin Zhi: “Don’t lie.”
The system vanished.
After soaking, wifey Lin Zhi followed the sullen Song Mian home. At the door, Butler Sun reported gleefully. “Song Feng and Song Jiancheng have been glued to the toilet for an hour!”
Song Mian reminded him. “Tone down the grin.”
Butler Sun held back but burst out laughing, then turned to Lin Zhi. “Why aren’t you laughing?”
Wifey Lin Zhi timidly said, “I don’t deserve to.”
Song Mian: “……”
Butler Sun beamed. “Young Master, you’re a wife-tamer.”
Lin Zhi softly: “Uncle Sun, not a wife.”
Butler Sun ignored him.
In Song Mian’s bedroom, Lin Zhi bounced back. Punishment time over. He shamelessly dragged Song Mian into gaming. Annoyed but helpless, Song Mian started it up.
While his character died, Lin Zhi slipped out multiple times for a Song Feng encounter—and succeeded once. Song Feng clutched his stomach, pale, and glared. “What are you doing here?”
Lin Zhi raised a brow. “Why can’t I be?”
Song Feng glared daggers. “Don’t think bringing you home means you’re together! Song Family won’t let a gay inherit! If you love him, leave.”
Lin Zhi slyly: “Then no inheritance.”
Song Feng fumed. “It’s the whole Song Family!”
Lin Zhi feigned shock. “So? Song Mian likes me. He’d ditch paradise for me!”
Song Feng’s eyes bulged. “Y-You! Shameless!”
Then he clutched his stomach and bolted to the toilet again.
Lin Zhi smirked evilly.
Back in the room, his character had died twice. Lin Zhi flopped on the bed. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Song Mian lifted his eyelids faintly. “Listening to you say I’d ditch paradise for you.”
Lin Zhi affectionately bonked Song Mian’s head with his own. “Great hearing.”
Song Mian: “Biting the hand? Finish this round and sleep.”
Lin Zhi obediently: “Okay.”
Naturally, Lin Zhi slept with Song Mian.
Song Mian’s bed was much bigger than the dorm’s, but Lin Zhi scooted close anyway.
Song Mian’s body tensed again. He turned, throat sliding, and warned deeply. “Better stay away now.”
Lin Zhi, ever contrary, hugged his arm and grinned. “Snuggling’s warmer.”
Song Mian stayed silent. But before lights out, Lin Zhi spotted it. “Brother Song Mian, it’s bulging again!”
Song Mian didn’t turn off the light. He inhaled deeply, at his limit, and stared. “Must you peek there?”
Lin Zhi blushed. “Can’t help it!”
Especially after the system called it arousal—he was curious.
“Hey, really handle it. No shame.” Lin Zhi urged.
Song Mian narrowed his eyes and directly reached out to pinch Lin Zhi’s face, sneering, “Are you feeling very proud?”
It really hurt this time. Lin Zhi yelped “Ouch, ouch” twice, but Song Mian still didn’t let go. His gaze burned intensely as he stared at Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi gave up and stubbornly mumbled, “Why should I be proud? Is caring about a brother wrong?”
“Brother?” Song Mian gave an ambiguous smile. He released Lin Zhi’s cheek, but his fingertips lightly trailed over the soft, flushed skin. Lin Zhi shrank back from the ticklish sensation, his eyes growing even more innocent. At the same time, he caught a whiff of danger and cowered, not daring to speak.
Song Mian withdrew his hand and said leisurely, “I’m done playing this game where you tease me and I pretend not to notice. It’ll only make you more bold and presumptuous.”
Lin Zhi didn’t understand.
Song Mian sat on the bed, his jawline taut. He lowered his eyes and demanded from above in a forceful tone, “So, Lin Zhi—do you like me?”
