Chapter 41

Lin Zhi didn’t let Song Mian kiss him.

Taking advantage of the fact that Song Mian wouldn’t confront Jiang Chaohua, Lin Zhi insisted that Song Mian was definitely lying. Song Mian indeed had no intention of facing his love rival, so he let Lin Zhi muddle through.

But Lin Zhi himself was still bewildered and a bit troubled.

His arch-nemesis was clearly even more of a straight guy than he was. Back in high school, whenever Lin Zhi scored poorly on a test, the mockery from his rival came right away. How could things have changed? After starting university, due to his own lack of ambition, he and Jiang Chaohua had ended up in completely different social circles. Jiang Chaohua was in the circle of good students, while Lin Zhi was in the circle of lazy gluttons.

Moreover, he really did dislike this arch-nemesis—no one liked someone who constantly belittled them. Song Mian had been sharp-tongued in the past, but he’d never belittled Lin Zhi; he’d even tutored him.

But dislike didn’t mean hatred. So now, Lin Zhi felt a faint twinge of guilt.

Lin Zhi decided to send Jiang Chaohua an apology message.

What he got back was a single “F*ck.”

Lin Zhi: “…”

Damn it!

There was now just one day left until the deadline Song Mian had set for getting their marriage certificate! The next day, it was either a B-ultrasound or marriage. Lin Zhi absolutely refused to get the ultrasound—he was already pregnant, and once they did it, the baby would forever be labeled illegitimate!

But getting married? The conservative Lin Zhi wasn’t willing to do that either.

Lin Zhi tried negotiating for more time, clasping his hands together in plea. “Give me one more week! My parents still don’t believe it.”

Song Mian looked suspicious. “Did you really tell them?”

Lin Zhi said sincerely, “I did. They didn’t believe me.”

Didn’t believe?

“Let me see the chat.”

Song Mian snatched Lin Zhi’s phone. As he scrolled, his expression shifted from complicated to strange, and finally, he looked at Lin Zhi with the eyes of someone staring at an idiot.

Lin Zhi: [College student marriage and childbirth video]

Mom: [Thumbs up]

–

Lin Zhi: [Why are there so many gays in college? Video]

Mom: [Society has really opened up]

–

Lin Zhi: [After arriving at my mother-in-law’s house, she actually treated me like this! Video]

Mom: [A guy? This mother-in-law is pretty open-minded. Why have you been sending me and your dad all these videos lately?]

–

Lin Zhi: [Mom, I have something to tell you! Do you know Song Mian?]

Mom: [I know, your good friend. You’ve sent so many videos—are you trying to tell Mom you’re together with Song Mian?]

Lin Zhi: [It’s not that simple. Song Mian is pregnant with my child. I need to marry him and take responsibility. Mom, do you agree?]

Mom: [Teasing your mom again. All these days just to pull this joke on us?]

Lin Zhi: [Okay, Song Mian isn’t pregnant—I’m the one who’s pregnant. He needs to take responsibility for me. Mom, do you agree to us getting married?]

Mom: [Tongtong is getting out of school. Talk later!]

Song Mian looked at Lin Zhi, who now resembled a timid little wife.

Song Mian thought he should be angry—Lin Zhi hadn’t been chatting seriously at all. He walked over to the sofa where the little wife had curled up, shivering.

“You’re going to hit me?” came the innocent, tilted-head question from the little wife.

Song Mian laughed in exasperation. “Lin Zhi, you better not fall into my hands.”

Lin Zhi kept hiding.

“You have to kiss me now if you want my forgiveness.”

Lin Zhi suddenly stood up and pecked Song Mian’s cheek. A flicker of surprise showed in Song Mian’s eyes. The dragonfly-light kiss, devoid of any lustful intent, actually made Song Mian’s heart race.

“Zhizhi?”

Lin Zhi mumbled, “Forgive me!”

Song Mian chuckled softly. “You know how ridiculous your chats were?”

“I’m not really an idiot.” Lin Zhi tilted his head and whispered a warning to Song Mian. “I kissed you—now forget it! Give me one more week?”

Song Mian wasn’t keen. “With your half-assed chatting, the kid was already calling them grandparents, and they thought you’d adopted some random child.”

Lin Zhi knew he was in the wrong.

“Give me one more week, and I’ll chat properly!” Lin Zhi promised.

Song Mian offered another plan. “I’ll just go to your house and propose directly.”

“No way, no way!” Lin Zhi peeked out at Song Mian. “A guy like you proposing? I’d be infamous in my neighborhood.”

Song Mian glanced at Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi looked pitiful, hands clasped in nonstop begging.

Song Mian softened a bit and compromised. “One week. One week later, we register abroad. No more delays.”

Lin Zhi’s pitiful expression vanished instantly. He patted Song Mian’s shoulder like a boss and said, “Go make dinner.”

Song Mian: “…”

After one cooking failure, Song Mian never tried again without preparation. Instead, he studied cookbooks diligently. His efforts paid off that evening with a carrot feast.

There was carrot stir-fry with pork shreds, carrot meatballs, cold carrot and spinach salad, and braised pork with radish.

It looked appetizing, and the aroma was tempting.

Considering he’d just gained seven extra days from Song Mian, Lin Zhi decided to give him face and try it. One bite, and Lin Zhi gave a thumbs up.

Lin Zhi praised endlessly, stars in his eyes. “I take back what I said about you wasting time!”

Song Mian breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He’d tasted the carrots himself and couldn’t tell the difference, but seeing Lin Zhi devour them, they must have passed muster.

Lin Zhi spent the whole evening immersed in Song Mian’s carrot feast, giving multiple thumbs-ups. He even ran into Song Mian’s bedroom and thumped Song Mian’s chest. “If you had this skill, why didn’t you learn sooner?”

Song Mian looked at Lin Zhi and teased leisurely, “If I’d learned sooner, would you have admitted you were gay and happily gotten together with me?”

Hesitation flickered in Lin Zhi’s eyes, stirring complex emotions in Song Mian. “Zhizhi, don’t be such a glutton. If you really like it, kiss me—way more practical.”

Lin Zhi lifted his eyelids, his cheeks flushing pink again.

“You—you stay still.”

At those words, Song Mian’s muscles tensed, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard. Lin Zhi tiptoed up, kissed Song Mian’s lips, and even gave a trembling lick. Song Mian couldn’t hold back. He gripped the back of Lin Zhi’s head and deepened the kiss.

Weeks had passed since their last kiss, and the familiar suffocating sensation returned. Their lips parted briefly for breath, only to be recaptured. It was as if he meant to make up for all the missed kisses.

Lin Zhi’s legs went weak, his lips numb. He had to push against Song Mian before Song Mian reluctantly released him.

Song Mian wrapped an arm around Lin Zhi’s waist, letting the unsteady Lin Zhi slump against his shoulder.

“I told you not to move!” Lin Zhi scolded breathlessly.

Song Mian’s arm tightened as he listened intently to Lin Zhi’s breathing, his voice husky with desire. “Couldn’t hold back.”

Lin Zhi: “Sigh”

The next second, Lin Zhi pushed off Song Mian’s shoulders, creating a little distance. He looked down. “You’re hard again.”

Song Mian: “…”

Song Mian pinched Lin Zhi’s cheeks. “Whose fault is that?”

Lin Zhi blinked, then blurted, “How about I help you?”

Song Mian’s breathing grew heavy. He pinned Lin Zhi in place, his tone heavier. “You can tease me like this now? Do you know what you’re saying?”

Lin Zhi sighed deeply, looking troubled. “I—I might really be deeply closeted. The internet says homophobia is just deep closet case!”

Song Mian’s breath hitched, his pulse pounding wildly.

He ground his teeth and asked lowly again, “Do you know what you’re saying?”

Of course Lin Zhi knew!

Facing Song Mian’s burning, intense gaze, Lin Zhi averted his eyes, his voice rough and unnatural. “But I never thought I’d end up with a guy. Sigh, or even a girl—who’d want a big-bellied me?”

Song Mian steadied Lin Zhi with one hand and pinched his cheeks with the other, forcing him to meet his eyes.

Song Mian asked, “If you weren’t pregnant, you’d go be with a girl?”

Lin Zhi frowned. “Why fixate on that tiny detail? You just want to hear me say I won’t be with a girl so I’ll be with you? I’m not saying it!”

Song Mian’s lips twitched. “Afraid I’ll be too happy?”

Lin Zhi: “Hmph.”

Song Mian chuckled softly.

Lin Zhi pressed his forehead against Song Mian’s shoulder, leaning fully into him. His legs really were weak! But he didn’t mind Song Mian kissing him at all.

Sigh

A straight guy like him was about to fall!

Lin Zhi wasn’t just resting on Song Mian’s shoulder. After thinking for a few seconds, he poked Song Mian’s abs.

“Stop teasing.”

“Not teasing.” Lin Zhi whispered, “I just mean… how about we try dating first? No certificate for now. I know you’re afraid I’ll run, so you’re using it to tie me down. But I definitely won’t now—I’ve even admitted I’m deeply closeted.”

Song Mian’s chest heaved dramatically, his voice terrifyingly hoarse. “Say something I want to hear first?”

Lin Zhi wouldn’t!

“You used to say you loved me all the time. Can’t do it now?”

Lin Zhi pondered.

A straight guy truly had no sense of boundaries. Now that he did, he was… bending!

“No!” Lin Zhi said stubbornly.

“But I don’t believe you.”

Lin Zhi jerked his head up, bewildered.

Song Mian tallied old debts. “We’ve done it so many times, I’ve even helped you finish, and you still avoided me. Who knows if you’re just stalling on the certificate now?”

Lin Zhi’s eyes widened. “I have zero credibility?”

Song Mian didn’t spare his feelings. “Yeah, you’ve got straight-guy hangups.”

Damn!!

Lin Zhi glanced down, then up. “Th-then I’ll help you. Will that prove it?”

Song Mian took a deep breath, holding onto his calm. “Just your hand?”

Lin Zhi: ???

Lin Zhi wasn’t naive—he instantly realized what Song Mian wanted. His head nearly smoked as he shoved Song Mian, incredulous. “N-no way? That fast?”

“Where’s the rush? Forgot how many times you came to me for it?” Song Mian scooped up Lin Zhi’s hips, gaze dark. “This is the only way I’ll believe you.”

Lin Zhi was really about to overheat! He’d said it was the system! The A9901 system!

Spotting Lin Zhi’s stubbornness beneath the shyness, Song Mian reminded him, “The first time I kissed you, you got hard too. Forced reaction?”

Lin Zhi fell silent. Song Mian’s resentment ran deep.

Song Mian pressed his forehead to Lin Zhi’s. “Yes or no?”

Lin Zhi was at a loss. “B-but I have the baby!”

Song Mian’s breathing roughened. “I’ll be gentle.”

“Don’t say stuff like that.”

Song Mian: “Yes or no? Straight-guy baby?”

Lin Zhi’s voice trembled. “D-don’t call me that.”

“Fine, gay baby.”

Lin Zhi glared. “That’s worse.”

“Zhizhi baby.”

Acceptable, but better without the “baby.”

“Yes or no?”

Lin Zhi didn’t dare look at Song Mian. Fortunately, Song Mian didn’t press after asking. Lin Zhi thought it over alone, then lifted his eyes, voice shaky. “Fine, we’ll date first. No certificate, and no teasing me about being straight.”

Song Mian immediately released his hold. Lin Zhi’s shaky legs steadied a bit as Song Mian said, “I’ll go buy condoms.”

Lin Zhi yanked him back. “D-don’t! One more minute, and I’ll change my mind! I’m already pregnant—how unlucky would I have to be to get knocked up again?”

Song Mian still wanted to buy some.

But Lin Zhi draped his arms over Song Mian’s shoulders, dopamine surging, and kissed him again.

Song Mian lost control. Clothes hit the floor, and they didn’t stop until late into the night.

…

Lin Zhi lay in bed, perfectly sober. What was he doing, taking the initiative?! He pulled the covers over himself alone, dodging Song Mian’s gaze. When Song Mian tried to carry him to the bath, the tsundere Lin Zhi bit him.

Song Mian coaxed softly, “You’ll get sick.”

Lin Zhi burrowed into the quilt, voice muffled. “I’ll wash myself!”

“Then go.”

Lin Zhi lacked the energy. “None of your business.”

Song Mian didn’t dare tease. Any teasing, and he’d bolt with the quilt.

All night, Lin Zhi stayed wary of Song Mian. He claimed he’d wash himself but lazed around. It wasn’t until the next morning that he sneaked off to clean up. After changing into fresh clothes, he returned to the bedroom, sat on the bed’s edge, and patted Song Mian’s face to wake him.

Song Mian hadn’t really been asleep—he just cooperated by opening his eyes.

Lin Zhi’s face flushed red as he confronted Song Mian. “Didn’t you say you’d go easy?”

Song Mian sat up from the bed. The embarrassed Lin Zhi even pulled Song Mian’s blanket higher, covering the ambiguous marks on his body.

Song Mian remained utterly calm. “No, it’s about your secret.”

Lin Zhi mentally called out to the Romance Survival System.

“System bro, what secret do I have?”

The Romance Survival System, which had tactfully stayed away during the latter half of the night, returned with its electronic voice full of confusion: 【Host, you’re just a cannon fodder character. What secret could you possibly have? But the male lead can awaken his own memories—he probably really does know some secret about you! Host, agree to the marriage quick!】

“I’ve already agreed, but you’re not telling me now. Getting the marriage certificate still takes time.”

The Romance Survival System’s curiosity got the better of it: 【This system will go ask the boss! You have to stick close to the male lead these next few days. For some reason, even though you’re pregnant, there’s still a lingering bad-luck aura on you. Stick tight!】

Before Lin Zhi could even respond, the voice in his mind vanished.

Lin Zhi glanced at Song Mian again, who was looking back at him with keen interest.

Lin Zhi kept a straight face, curious yet aloof. “You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”

Song Mian blinked. “Do you think I’d lie to you about something like this? Once we’re married, how do we wrap it up?”

That made sense.

Song Mian lowered his voice. “Marry me, and I’ll tell you—your secret.”

Lin Zhi hesitated. “My mom and dad…”

Song Mian suggested again, “I’ll go propose to them in secret—no one else has to know.”

You could do it secretly?

Lin Zhi touched his belly, then his face, before suddenly pressing his forehead against Song Mian’s leg. In a muffled, awkward voice, he said, “If you can pull that off secretly and still get my parents to agree, then I’ll go register with you. But you have to tell me everything you know!”

Song Mian’s lips curved up slightly. “Mm.”