AD Chapter 35

Shen Du’s eyes were wet at the corners, his cheekbones flushed, and his trembling lips couldn’t form words. Qin Yi took his silence as tacit agreement. His thumb pressed against the corner of Shen Du’s mouth, slipping inside with a bit of force, while the other four fingers gently stroked his neck.

Shen Du couldn’t handle it and kept trying to dodge, but Qin Yi had him firmly pinned, making it impossible to move.

“Speak.” Qin Yi pressed his forehead against Shen Du’s again, smiling mischievously. “If you don’t talk, I’ll start overthinking.”

“Let’s see if what I say matches what you’re thinking.”

Their heated breaths mingled. Shen Du’s tightly clenched fingers slowly lost strength and fell. Qin Yi caught his hand and guided it to wrap around his neck.

Qin Yi kissed the corner of his lips.

“You like me. You like me so much you can’t stand it.”

Then he kissed the other corner of his lips, his voice low and heavy. “You want me to kiss you.”

Shen Du immediately covered his mouth and glared up at him. Qin Yi, however, kissed his trembling eyelashes directly. “You want to be my boyfriend.”

There was something magical about Qin Yi’s kisses. Shen Du couldn’t bring himself to deny it, but he also didn’t want to admit it so easily. He raised his hand and pushed Qin Yi away. “You liar.”

He thought his words sounded fierce, but to Qin Yi, they were no different from a pout. It turned out there really were people who became docile after a kiss. Qin Yi had never seen Shen Du like this before, and his heart melted completely. The surge of affection within him was so overwhelming it was about to spill over.

This was the treasure he had longed for and dreamed of day and night.

He wanted to take him home and keep him hidden, savoring him slowly.

“How am I a liar?”

Qin Yi helped Shen Du stand upright, but his arm around Shen Du’s waist refused to let go. The usual coolness and restraint he displayed had been thrown to the wind. “Come on, tell me. What did I lie to you about? Let’s lay everything out today—say whatever you want. Once we’re done, you’ll be my boyfriend. How about that?”

The word “boyfriend” felt like they carried an electric charge, surging from his ears through his body, spreading along his nerves to every part of him.

Shen Du’s mind was a blur, unable to form a single coherent sentence. The thoughts he usually obsessed over, the ones he held close to his heart, had all been disrupted by the kiss just now.

“What’s there to say? The facts are right in front of us.”

“I’m not lying to you, Shen Du. Believe me, I really like you.”

Qin Yi took his hand and placed it over his chest. “Feel this. Is my heart beating fast?”

“For so many years, you’re the only one who can make it beat this way. No one else can—only you.”

Shen Du, who had praised Qin Yi’s hands countless times before, was now holding them. He felt dazed, like he was dreaming. It didn’t feel real.

He thought back to the dream he had two nights ago. In it, under his palm in this exact spot, there was a brilliantly colored flamingo—beautiful and free.

Someone with such a blazing life, capable of going anywhere in the world, how could they end up by his side?

And yet, he couldn’t help but hold onto that fantasy.

“If you still don’t believe me, you can dig out my heart. I’ll allow it.”

Shen Du seemed entirely lost in his own world. Qin Yi called his name several times before he slowly came back to himself. Qin Yi’s gaze was deep as the sea, and in the dim light of the teaching building, it was like a finely woven net. Once you stepped in, you were gently ensnared.

After a long silence, Shen Du tilted his head slightly. “Do you really want me to be your boyfriend?”

Qin Yi gave a soft “Mm.” “I’ve wanted that for a long time.”

Shen Du pressed his lips together, looking both shy and annoyed, as if he remembered something to hold against him. “You kissed me just now without even asking.”

Qin Yi admitted it, brushing aside a strand of hair near Shen Du’s ear. “That was my first kiss.”

Shen Du trembled slightly at that, his first reaction being disbelief. Qin Yi knew he’d joked around too much in the past, leaving a less than stellar impression.

“That day outside the pet hospital, I wasn’t lying to you. I really haven’t dated anyone, and I haven’t kissed anyone either. You’re the first.”

Shen Du’s heart pounded like a drum. Despite his rational mind reminding him that the man in front of him was eight years older, with vastly more life experience, and that if someone like this set their sights on him with ill intentions, he’d have no way to fight back—

But Shen Du couldn’t help but ask, “Really?”

“Really, Shen Du. Believe me.”

The emotions in Qin Yi’s eyes were intense and heavy, as if he were on the verge of actually pulling out his heart to show him.

In nearly thirty years of life, this was the first time Qin Yi had laid his heart bare for someone.

“I know what you’re worried about, but give me a chance to prove myself. Just choose me this once, okay—”

Before he could finish the last word, Shen Du suddenly held onto his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him. A flicker of surprise flashed through Qin Yi’s eyes, quickly replaced by overwhelming joy.

Shen Du kissed him silently and clumsily. He’d never kissed anyone before; his only experience was the kiss Qin Yi had given him just now. He kissed entirely on instinct, occasionally touching here and there. His awkward and innocent behavior didn’t resemble someone who had dated many girlfriends.

And he had the nerve to call Qin Yi a liar. Between the two of them, who looked more like a liar?

Shen Du kissed without rhyme or reason. Qin Yi pulled back slightly, and Shen Du leaned forward, accidentally knocking his teeth against Qin Yi’s lips.

“Who taught you to kiss like that?”

Qin Yi reached out, holding Shen Du’s neck, his thumb resting on the back of his head—a possessive gesture. Qin Yi tilted Shen Du’s chin and leaned close to his lips, his voice low. “Little Liar, do you even know how to kiss?”

“You’re so good at it?” Shen Du was annoyed, missing the nickname, and feeling defiant. Though he’d been kissed into a state of softness earlier, he still stubbornly retorted, “Doesn’t seem like you’re that amazing either.”

Qin Yi lowered his head, lightly brushing Shen Du’s lips. Shen Du’s pupils shrank instantly as Qin Yi licked his lower lip—different from the shallow kiss before.

Qin Yi bit down gently on Shen Du’s cheek and said, “This is your punishment for seducing me earlier.”

“Don’t do it again next time, or I’ll take it seriously.”

__

The rain poured down in torrents, and a blue rainstorm warning flashed on the weather forecast. Traffic was heavily congested, with constant honking. In such chaos, rules became meaningless, and traffic jams were inevitable.

Qin Yi was in a great mood, even after being cut off by several cars, without showing much reaction.

The windshield wipers moved at high speed. Inside the car, the air conditioning was set to a low level. Shen Du sat in the passenger seat, his posture rigidly upright.

If they hadn’t been delayed earlier, they’d already be home by now.

“What do you want to eat tonight?”

At a red light, Qin Yi unlocked his phone and handed it over. “Take a look and see what groceries we should buy.”

Shen Du still hadn’t recovered from the kiss earlier.

Seeing him unresponsive, Qin Yi simply stuffed the phone into his hand. “What are you daydreaming about?”

Shen Du rubbed his face, taking a long moment to come back to himself. His voice was filled with shock. “Holy crap, we just—we just kissed?”

He’d actually kissed Qin Yi!

A month ago, Shen Du would never have imagined that his first kiss would go to a man, let alone one who seemed so adept at toying with emotions.

Shen Du regretted being too impulsive earlier. He shouldn’t have said those things.

“Mm.” Qin Yi’s response was casual. “Not only did we kiss, but you also stuck your tongue in my mouth.”

Shen Du’s face turned bright red in an instant, as if by magic. “You—you—” he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “You licked me first!”

Qin Yi countered, “So you put your tongue in my mouth?”

Shen Du, feeling utterly humiliated, yelled, “Didn’t you say I didn’t know how to kiss?”

Qin Yi responded with a calm “Mm.” This time, it was a statement. “So you put your tongue in my mouth.”

Shen Du exploded, mortified. “Can’t you phrase it differently?”

Qin Yi refused. “You put your tongue in my mouth, and now I can’t say it?”

As he spoke, he licked his lips, seemingly unintentionally. “And you bit me.”

“Did the kiss feel good?”

Shen Du: “…”

He wanted to shout, could someone come and take this idiot away?

Seeing that Shen Du was so annoyed he looked ready to throw hands, Qin Yi decided to stop teasing and instead said, “Hurry up and see what groceries to buy.”

“What’s there to look at? I’m so mad I feel full—why even eat?”

Just as he was about to continue, the phone rang. Qin Yi glanced at the caller ID. “Pick it up. It’s the pet hospital.”

Shen Du answered the call.

“Hello, is this Da Mao’s dad?”

Still fuming, Shen Du replied curtly, “No, it’s Er Mao’s dad.”

The person on the other end paused, then spoke again with a mix of surprise and awkwardness, “Oh? Er Mao’s dad? Are you two together? I thought I dialed the wrong number.”

“You didn’t dial wrong,” Shen Du said. “Da Mao’s dad is driving. What’s the matter?”

“Oh, you’re together right now? That’s great. I’ll just tell you both at once. Da Mao is doing well today and has passed the observation period. You can pick them up on Monday. However, we recommend bringing the cats back for a follow-up check-up in a week.”

“…”

After hanging up, Shen Du asked, “Are you going to pick them up, or should I?”

“Why not go together?”

Shen Du turned to look at him. “Are you really keeping the cats?”

“They’re already with us. What else would we do, throw them away?”

Shen Du fell silent for a moment. “Why?”

“No reason,” Qin Yi said as he turned on the signal and drove into the underground parking lot. “I just want to raise a cat with you.”

__

That night, Shen Du lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Frustrated, he stared at the ceiling and replayed the events of the day in his mind.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a test? How did it escalate into them kissing?

Damn it, does this mean they’re dating now or not?

The phone on the pillow lay silent. After dinner, Shen Du had gone back to his room as usual. Qin Yi hadn’t said a word to stop him, nor had he sent a single message.

Everything seemed just like before.

But Shen Du was restless and desperate to talk to someone about it. Xu Qingluo? That guy was probably still in the mountains and might not even be reachable. Dreamy Affection? Forget it. That guy was also gay and might even have feelings for him. If Qin Yi found out about it… And then what? Would he be scared of Qin Yi? Hah!

Still, better not. It was late, and the guy was probably asleep.

So who else could he talk to…

It was laughable. For all his life, Shen Du prided himself on having countless friends, yet at this moment, he didn’t have a single person he could confide in. Damn it, how tragic.

Unable to sleep, he got up to play games.

Starting a livestream was an afterthought, but he didn’t expect Dreamy Affection to still be awake. As soon as he started, the system notified him that they had joined.

Shen Du thought, Perfect timing. Thinking back, their last interaction had ended with Shen Du declaring, “I’m not gay.”

How ironic.

Now he was about to tell the guy: Hi, nice to meet you. Actually, I am gay. 🙂

Shen Du cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Still up this late? Want to play a thrilling round of League of Legends?”

Dreamy Affection: Can’t sleep.

Shen Du paused. He can’t sleep either?

Could it be relationship troubles…?

He quickly dismissed the idea. No way. Dreamy Affection was single.

“Alright, same here. Wanna play?”

Dreamy Affection: Sure.

Two minutes later, Dreamy Affection logged in, and Shen Du sent an invite. Perhaps because the stream was picking up, more viewers started joining.

[OMG, look at what I just stumbled upon. Hubby, your streaming schedule is getting more and more nocturnal.]

[I just got woken up by a friend. Bro, please, next time announce your stream in advance, okay?]

[Thank goodness it’s Sunday. Otherwise, I’d have to pull an all-nighter and then slave away at work.]

[3 a.m. streaming. Legend.]

[OMG, am I seeing things? Shen-sama is duo-queuing with Affection-sama!]

[Logging in just to duo with Affection-sama, huh?]

[At this hour? Don’t tell me you two don’t secretly chat. I won’t believe it.]

“You guys should just go to sleep if you can’t stay up. Don’t worry about me; I’ve already slept.” Shen Du’s voice was calm. “We’re not secretly chatting. Don’t spread rumors. Even though the mods aren’t on duty, I can still ban you.”

Shen Du’s favorite role in League of Legends was ADC, but his aggressive playstyle turned ADC into an assassin. As long as he didn’t die, he was always on the hunt for kills. Many random support players couldn’t keep up with his pace, often leading to one of them dying while the other survived.

Dreamy Affection played support quite well, which was why Shen Du enjoyed duo-queuing with him.

Today, however, as soon as they entered the game, Dreamy Affection asked in chat: Want me to support you?

Shen Du hesitated for a moment before replying, “I feel like playing top lane today. You can play whatever you want.”

The chat fell silent.

In the end, Dreamy Affection chose ADC and went bot lane.

The opposing team’s lineup was highly countering. Throughout the game, Dreamy Affection was constantly targeted, and the support couldn’t protect him. The jungler came down to help a few times but got focused down and died, eventually giving up on bot lane altogether and dragging the support away.

Shen Du took down the enemy’s first turret and cleared the last minion wave before recalling. After buying items and leaving base, he headed straight for bot lane. “You go top. Don’t stay here.”

Dreamy Affection: It’s not safe for you to be alone.

“I’m tank. They can’t kill me.”

Dreamy Affection recalled on the spot.

Shen Du’s phone buzzed, but he ignored it. He placed a ward in the bush next to Dreamy Affection, then moved past him to the lane to farm.

After several games, the sky began to brighten.

“That’s it for me.” Shen Du exited the game. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Dreamy Affection: Check your DMs.

The viewers, who had been on the verge of leaving for some much-needed rest, froze at this message. In an instant, they were wide awake, sitting bolt upright in bed.

[What kind of message can’t we see???]

[Huh??????]

[You two have another part planned, don’t you? Fine, fine, treating us like outsiders!]

[Damn it, I knew it! I just knew it! You two are definitely scheming behind our backs!]

Seeing the chat pairing him up with Dreamy Affection and the increasingly unrestrained comments, Shen Du frowned, licked his lips, and said, “We’re not scheming. No private chats.”

“Alright, fine. I didn’t want to say this, but since you’re all asking, I’ll spill.”

He didn’t necessarily have to confide in Dreamy Affection, after all. These netizens were clever—sharper than Xu Qingluo and Dreamy Affection combined.

Besides, no one knew who he was in real life.

[??]

[What are you talking about??]

[Who even asked anything???]

Ignoring the flood of question marks filling the chat, Shen Du continued as if he hadn’t seen them. “I, Shen°, am making an official announcement here: Whether it’s my top supporter or any other streamer, I didn’t care how you shipped me before. But starting today, no more shipping.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle smugly, looking like a total goofball. “Because I—Shen°—have a partner now.”

“Today—no, technically yesterday—we officially got together.”

After saying this, Shen Du rubbed his face. He hadn’t expected himself to be this smug about it. Thankfully, Qin Yi would never find out about this in his lifetime. Otherwise, wouldn’t this whole thing make him look like a complete idiot?

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the chaos erupting in the chat. The livestream was in complete disarray.

Because shortly after Shen° casually dropped his relationship bombshell, Dreamy Affection suddenly went wild, spamming gifts like crazy. The gift effects were so overwhelming they caused the stream to lag.

The viewers were stunned—once, twice, three, four, five times—until they were completely dumbfounded!

They practically forgot what money even looked like!

At 7:18 a.m., just as the early risers on CoolCatTV were preparing to log off for some much-needed sleep, the system alert popped up:

[Dreamy Affection] has sent 99 Star Seas to streamer [Shen°]!

Attached message: Congrats on your marriage! Wishing you a happy life and lots of kids! ^_^