【But you haven’t even seen me before. What if I’m really ugly and have a terrible personality. Besides, I’m a male…】
Yan Linjian had never confirmed God Yuè’s gender, but deep down, he already leaned towards him being a male. Even though he used a female model, people on the forum all seemed to assume he was a man, since someone claimed to have seen him in real life.
In Endless Moon, character gender was just for show, and had a wild mix of all kinds. Any gender combination could become partners, even if they weren’t the same race.
High schooler Yan Linjian had just been too young, too quick to assume he was a girl.
When he learned his first love was actually a guy, Yan Linjian didn’t feel much emotional turmoil. But he had no experience dating men, and his past relationships had all ended messily. If he ended up with God Yuè only to break up again, he really wouldn’t want to fall in love again.
Lú Biān Rén Sì Yuè: 【I just like you, I like how it feels to be with you.】
Lú Biān Rén Sì Yuè: 【If you feel unsure, we can start off as friends, and decide after we meet】
Lú Biān Rén Sì Yuè: 【Sorry, I rushed things】
His typing was so fast that Yan Linjian hadn’t even reacted before the other was already apologising. Yan Linjian stared at those three messages again and again, his mind was as messy as a scribble ball.
Even though the other person was pretty straightforward, for some reason, Yan Linjian always felt a hint of caution behind his words. Maybe it was the money that had placed them in an unequal position. Rather than saying God Yuè liked him, it would be more accurate to say it felt like he regarded him as a benefactor, confusing gratitude for love.
【Sure, let’s take it slow.】
After logging out of the game, Yan Linjian lay on his bed and took a deep breath…
“Sigh——”
A sigh came from above his head, and Yan Linjian forcibly swallowed the breath he had just taken in.
“What’s wrong? Why are you sighing?” Yan Linjian flipped over and lay on his stomach, asking curiously.
Qi Jingzhi also flipped over. The two of them usually slept head to head, with a wooden bunk bed frame between them, separated by a hollow partition about a few dozen centimetres wide. Each of them had their own curtain, and there was some space between them.
But as Qi Jingzhi flipped over, a waft of shampoo drifted over, and Yan Linjian immediately recognized the scent. It was the same one he often used, with a faint orchid fragrance. Qi Jingzhi had said it smelled good and ended up buying the same one.
The scent lingered in the air. Resting his head on his arm, Yan Linjian thought: It really does smell pretty nice.
Qi Jingzhi said: “It’s nothing. Are you helping out at the pub again tomorrow?”
“I am. I promised the department head I’d help out whenever I don’t have class. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
Yan Linjian was part of the department’s Science and Technology Department, which, like the Organization Department, were part of the student council, so he couldn’t really refuse.
Qi Jingzhi hadn’t joined any clubs or student council activities since entering school. He was the most free person in the dorm, with no endless meetings or endless tasks to complete. Sometimes, Yan Linjian really envied him.
“It’s fine. I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have work?”
Yan Linjian had got into the habit of calling Qi Jingzhi’s part-time gigs as “work.” As expected, a laugh came from behind the curtain: “I submitted my tasks last week, so I’ll be quite free for a while.”
“Which game was it this time?” Yan Linjian asked.
Qi Jingzhi said a name, and Yan Linjian’s heart jolted. This was one of the top romance games in the country. This gig probably started at several hundred thousand.
“Your bank card’s still with me. I’m just saying, there’s no need to keep all your money in this card. You should take some out and spend a little on yourself once in a while, buy some clothes, dress up a bit. Otherwise, at this rate, your dowry won’t get used until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse[mfn]猴年马月 – Refers to unknown amount of years/unable to be achieved/no end in sight[/mfn].”
“Then just hold onto it for me until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse,” Qi Jingzhi’s tone was cheerful, and Yan Linjian could practically picture the smile on his face.
“Tch. Then I’m going to charge a management fee.”
“Charge however much you want.”
After turning off the lights, Yan Linjian lay in bed thinking. If things worked out between him and God Yuè, he’d have to help Qi Jingzhi find someone too. Otherwise, the two of them being all lovey-dovey while Qi Jingzhi stayed single would be quite pitiful.
But seriously, with a face like Qi Jingzhi’s, how come no girls liked him?
And if not girls… were there no guys either?
Qi Jingzhi’s looks would be quite explosive even in the gay community.
Some things just should not be thought about. Yan Linjian had teased Qi Jingzhi the night before about not being able to find a wife. The very next day, a bunch of people showed up at the pub for Qi Jingzhi. One table of guys, one table of girls, and both groups seemed to know each other. They ordered seven or eight bottles of alcohol to share while chatting with great enthusiasm. Yet their eyes kept darting back to Qi Jingzhi.
Qi Jingzhi was cleaning elsewhere, and that group of people kept staring at him. Yan Linjian was watching them from the counter and complained to the department head nearby, “Which one of them is interested in Qi Jingzhi? Or maybe they all are? What’s with this huge spectacle?”
“Who knows? Doesn’t matter who it is, as long as it helps boost our sales. It’s worth me, specially getting you guys here to sell your looks.”
“Look at you, saying it like that. We’re not doing this for nothing. When the time comes, we expect every penny of our wages.”
“Of course.”
That group of people called Qi Jingzhi over again, and pushed a petite and delicate-looking guy forward, who blushed and spoke to Qi Jingzhi. Qi Jingzhi remained expressionless the entire time. After a while, he returned to the counter and told the department head, “They want another bottle of Peach Rose.”
“Oho.” The department head glanced at Yan Linjian meaningfully.
What are you looking at me for? Yan Linjian shot him a look in return.
Once Qi Jingzhi walked away with the bottle, the department head leaned in and whispered in Yan Linjian’s ear, “Peach Rose is used for confessions. It’s also known as Love Wine, a must-have on Valentine’s Day.”
“… What kind of nonsense is that.”
Just as Yan Linjian finished speaking, Qi Jingzhi returned, holding the bottle with a slightly troubled expression: “They said this bottle’s a gift for me. How should I count the bill for it?”
Following the direction he came from, Yan Linjian saw the delicate-looking guy staring at Qi Jingzhi’s back with longing eyes, his gaze as intense as an August flame.
Yan Linjian had initially wanted to tease Qi Jingzhi about his love life finally starting to blossom, but upon seeing his confused and bewildered expression, he felt a bit stifled inside and couldn’t help but say sarcastically: “Just take it since it’s a gift. The payment’s on them, not on you.”
Qi Jingzhi looked at him and asked: “Can I take it?”
“If you want it, just take it. Why ask me?”
Qi Jingzhi blinked, his expression even more confused, and turned to the department head for help.
The department head, while stifling a laugh, fanned the flames by saying: “If Linjian says you can take it, then just take it.”
“Well… okay then.”
Yan Linjian’s pupils widened in an instant: Oh, so that’s why you’re not interested in the girls in the department. Turns out, you’re gay!
Qi Jingzhi placed the bottle of wine on the counter, and the guy quickly came up to pay the bill. They’d drunk over two thousand yuan worth of alcohol, and the guy generously pulled out a stack of cash, handing it to Qi Jingzhi with an ambiguous look in his eyes: “The rest is for you as a tip. It’s an honour to have the service of such handsome guys.”
He glanced at Yan Linjian with a friendly smile. Yan Linjian felt a bit sulky but couldn’t bring himself to be angry, so he just returned a smile.
“I’m Hao Chengxuan.” He was quite handsome, and his name was pretty impressive as well.
After settling the bill, Hao Chengxuan left with his friends. Qi Jingzhi and the department head began counting the cash, only to find a small note tucked inside. It had a string of numbers written on it and “Same number as my WeChat,” with a little heart in the bottom right corner.
The department head laughed: “Qi-shen, this is all aimed at you. This Peach Rose is a special Valentine’s Day wine.”
Qi Jingzhi held the note and glanced at Yan Linjian, who smiled at him and teased: “He’s kinda cute. If you’re not bothered by gender, maybe you could give it a try?”
Qi Jingzhi lowered his head, the air around him dropping several degrees. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol from the counter and stormed out without looking back.
Yan Linjian was confused: “What’s his deal? Could he be homophobic?”
But Qi Jingzhi wasn’t disgusted by him when he found out God Yuè was a guy.
The department head neatly placed the cash in the cabinet, then looked at Yan Linjian with a strange smile: “It’s clear that Qi-shen not only has a gender preference but also a person preference.”
Yan Linjian didn’t fully understand, but he felt that what the department head said made sense and nodded in agreement.
A few minutes later, Qi Jingzhi returned. The alcohol and the note were gone, and his expression was bad. He didn’t speak to Yan Linjian or the others. He just grabbed a cloth and broom and started cleaning in the corner.
Yan Linjian was confused. Was Qi Jingzhi really this homophobic?
Should he be more careful in front of him from now on and avoid mentioning God Yuè?
Qi Jingzhi remained silent for the rest of the evening. After returning to the dormitory, he washed up then climbed into bed, not speaking to Yan Linjian at all.
Miao Xin mouthed: “Did you two have a fight?”
“No,” Yan Linjian shrugged.
Qi Jingzhi must have been triggered by today’s events. Yan Linjian thought it over carefully. Whether it was his brother, him, or other gay classmates in their department, they all probably felt like “other people’s matters” to Qi Jingzhi. Qi Jingzhi might not even be aware of his own homophobia. That’s why his reaction was so strong when it happened to him.
After coming to a conclusion, Yan Linjian washed up and got into bed. He knocked on the edge of Qi Jingzhi’s bed and asked, “Want to play together?”
Qi Jingzhi took a few seconds to reply, his tone neutral, neither cold nor warm: “Aren’t you going to play with your little Moon?”
“No rush, I came back early today. How about a few rounds of ranked first?”
“… Log in.”
After he agreed to play, Yan Linjian directly climbed onto Qi Jingzhi’s bed. Qi Jingzhi was startled, and Yan Linjian innocently said: “What? Don’t we always play together in person?”
Qi Jingzhi pressed his lips together and silently made space for him.
The two played a couple of warm-up rounds, and after judging that enough time had passed, Yan Linjian casually brought up today’s incident: “Did you return the alcohol to him?”
“Mm.”
“Why?”
“It was too expensive. I couldn’t accept it.”
Qi Jingzhi’s tone was even colder than before, and Yan Linjian found the situation a bit difficult to deal with. He thought for a moment and asked: “You don’t like guys?”
“First Blood!”
The broadcast rang out, and Yan Linjian looked at his phone, surprised to see that the jungler had given up first blood in less than three minutes.
“Why are you dead…” Yan Linjian looked at Qi Jingzhi.
Qi Jingzhi turned his head away: “Accident.”
A few minutes later, Qi Jingzhi achieved a triple kill, taking down the marksman then the mage. Yan Linjian was playing alone in the top lane when he finally realised Qi Jingzhi still hadn’t answered his question.
“This afternoon, you—”
“Shutdown!”
The jungler was killed. Qi Jingzhi stared at his phone screen, silent, his brows furrowed.
Yan Linjian opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again obediently.
After winning the match, Qi Jingzhi asked him: “Want to play another round?”
“I…”
“Forget it, it’s getting late. I’ll head back first.”
Just as Yan Linjian was about to climb back onto his own bed, he heard Qi Jingzhi say behind him: “It’s not that I don’t like men, I just don’t like him. I returned both the alcohol and the note to him…”
His voice sounded somewhat low. Yan Linjian turned around, and in Qi Jingzhi’s dark pupils, there was a sense of grievance that Yan Linjian couldn’t understand.
“If you don’t like him, then you don’t like him… It’s fine. You could just refuse, but you look like you’re traumatised.”
That’s right, Yan Linjian finally figured out what was wrong with Qi Jingzhi. His expression didn’t seem like he was scared or angry, but more like he was traumatised.
Qi Jingzhi’s lips curled into a bitter smile: “I’m not. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this, so I don’t really know what to do.”
“Mm.”
I don’t believe you.
“It’s not a big deal. Next time, if you have any relationship issues that you can’t resolve, you can come to me for help…”
Qi Jingzhi looked at him suspiciously, and Yan Linjian felt like he was being underestimated: “Ahem, although my relationships didn’t go well, I have plenty of experience.”
“Mm, but the total doesn’t even add up to three months.”
“… Hey, that’s going too far!”
Qi Jingzhi finally smiled and patted him on the back: “Go talk to your crush! I don’t need you to worry about me.”
“You’d better not!” Yan Linjian huffed and went back to his bed to open his laptop.
God Yuè had already gone AFK in the game. Yan Linjian circled around him, seeing that he didn’t react, he sent a【Become Partners】request.
Yan Linjian planned to startle him, then quickly withdrawing the request.
As a result, less than a second after the request was sent, the interface displayed: 【The other party has agreed to become your partner】
Yan Linjian froze. His hand was still hovering over the【Cancel】button. What exactly does God Yuè do, how could his reaction speed be so fast?
Before Yan Linjian could explain, the public channel had already automatically started the server-wide exclusive 99 broadcasts.
【Congratulations to Lú Biān Rén Sì Yuè and Yé Dú Bà Tiān Xià for becoming partners. Best wishes to this couple! Wishing this couple a lifetime of happiness and love forever!】
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Let’s send our best wishes to this couple!
