Shang Sui’s reaction was even stronger than expected.
Under the weight of his intense gaze, a shiver ran down Shi Qi’s spine. He had no choice but to repeat himself as requested, “Can you… be my boyfriend?”
He quickly added the second half, “Not to actually date me—just pretend, to deal with my family.”
“…”
The emotions that had nearly erupted a moment ago were abruptly cut off, forced into a pause by that one sentence.
Shang Sui’s expression was unreadable. He said nothing. Shi Qi began to feel unsure.
Was this request too sudden?
After all, he hadn’t known Shang Sui for very long. Even if they got along well, maybe he’d oversimplified the whole thing.
Shang Sui could tell he was clueless and hadn’t realized how much damage an incomplete sentence could do to someone. For a moment, Shang Sui didn’t know what to say.
But it made sense.
Shi Qi had probably meant to finish the second half earlier, but it was Shang Sui who had interrupted him.
Even so… Shang Sui lowered his eyes. He couldn’t immediately stabilize the emotional swing he’d just gone through.
Was Shang Sui upset…? Shi Qi sensed he didn’t want to talk much, and awkwardly said, “It’s fine if you don’t want to. Really. I’ll just think of something else.”
Shang Sui didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked quietly, “Why did you ask me for help?”
That question was easy. Shi Qi replied, “Other than you, I don’t know any other Alphas that well.”
“My family cares a lot about compatibility. They might even ask for a match report. I’m used to your pheromones, so our compatibility score is probably pretty high.”
Those were the most legitimate reasons. But there was also a bit of selfishness on his part.
Still, even someone as frank as Shi Qi couldn’t bring himself to say that out loud.
He didn’t fully understand it himself. He didn’t know what this light, hazy feeling of something new meant. He only knew he should tread carefully and treat it with care.
“That’s all?”
Was that really all?
“And… you’re very convincing.”
“What do you mean?”
Shi Qi took a deep breath.
Wasn’t this guy usually pretty observant? Why was he suddenly asking so many follow-ups?
Shang Sui was still waiting. With things as they were, Shi Qi could only say, “Because you sound nice when you talk, and you’re good at bluffing. My family would totally buy it.”
“The most important part is that you’re really handsome,” Shi Qi told truthfully. “Everyone in my family likes good-looking people.”
If he pulled some random Alpha off the street to deal with the pressure to marry, Shi An would most likely sneer and accuse him of making things up.
But with Shang Sui’s face, the story’s credibility would instantly go up by fifty percent.
Shang Sui paused for a moment, then smiled once he processed what he’d heard.
It felt a little unreal.
Without Shi Qi even noticing, the negative emotions that had just begun to surface had quietly slipped away.
“…In that case,” Shang Sui said, as if responding to the proposal and talking to himself at the same time, “I suppose there’s no reason to say no.”
Shi Qi let out a breath of relief. “Then let’s talk about your payment.”
“?”
Shi Qi added considerately, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer a loss.”
Shi An had frozen his card, but he still had some savings stashed away. Besides, as long as he convinced Shi An that he had a partner, his allowance would be reinstated soon enough.
Once he was sure he hadn’t misheard, Shang Sui fell silent for a moment, then asked, carefully enunciating each word, “You want to pay me to pretend to be your boyfriend?”
Shi Qi nodded.
There probably wasn’t much difference between pretending to be a couple and working at Huijian. Both were types of service, so the pay should be about the same.
Before bringing it up, Shi Qi had already done the math; buying Shang Sui’s cooperation was within his budget.
“When I was chatting with Lin Yan before, he mentioned the hourly rate at Huijian. It’s about a thousand per hour when accompanying guests. You’re probably more expensive than the average server, right?”
“Since I don’t know how often I’ll need you to help out, let’s assume four hours a day. I’ll give you… 200,000 a month?”
Shang Sui nearly choked, repeating in disbelief, “200,000?”
What on earth did Shi Qi think he was??
“Too little?” Shi Qi hesitated at Shang Sui’s reaction. “Then… 250,000?”
“But in that case, you can’t keep working at Huijian. And you can’t be with anyone else.”
From now on, Shang Sui would only be serving him. That didn’t sound so bad? Expensive things have their reasons for being expensive.
He could hold off on buying those few pairs of shoes he’d been eyeing. And postpone that ski and hot springs trip Lin Yan had mentioned for the colder season.
“But my card is temporarily frozen. I can pay your first month’s salary on time, but after that, there might be a bit of a delay…”
As Shi Qi continued down this off-track path, Shang Sui interrupted him, “Aren’t we friends?”
“Hm? Yeah.”
Shi Qi froze for a second.
Shang Sui thought they were friends too?
“Helping you out is something I’ll do willingly.”
The Alpha’s voice was gentle and light, tinged with the same sweet, tempting note as his unique pheromones. “Of course I won’t take money from you. I’m happy to help.”
“Besides, I’ve already quit Huijian. I won’t be going back there, and I won’t be with anyone else but you.”
Shi Qi felt a little dazed. “Huh? Then…”
“But you were the one who asked me for help first.” Shang Sui shifted the conversation with a smile. “Don’t forget it this time.”
For a brief moment, Shi Qi felt like prey caught beneath a beast’s claw.
Shang Sui stared straight at him. Though he was smiling, there was an instinctive sense of danger, like being ensnared in a spider’s web.
Don’t forget it this time… What did that mean?
Before Shi Qi could think too hard, Shang Sui returned to his usual demeanor and changed the subject. “So, that means we’re a couple now.”
“Xiao Qi?” Seeing Shi Qi suddenly look up, Shang Sui added the second half, “It’s okay if I call you that, right?”
–
On the way back, Shi Qi was still a bit dazed.
The sound of Shang Sui calling him by his nickname kept echoing in his mind. He clicked his tongue silently, feeling his ears grow warm.
Thinking about it, he snuck a glance to the side.
To adapt to their new roles, Shang Sui was walking back with him. It hit Shi Qi a beat late—he was going to be spending a lot more time with this person in the near future.
Just then, Shi Qi’s phone buzzed.
Lin Yan had sent a message.
Yanyan: [Fu Siyue is waiting downstairs. Maybe don’t come back?]
Shi Qi didn’t think much of it and replied casually.
17: [I’m not scared.]
Yanyan: [Uh, what do you mean by that?]
Yanyan: [I’m worried he’ll ruin your mood.]
17: [It’s fine. I’m almost downstairs.]
Almost as soon as he hit send, Shi Qi looked up and saw two familiar figures in the distance.
Lin Yan and Fu Siyue stood like a pair of guardian statues at the dorm entrance, deep in conversation.
Because Shi Qi had blocked him, Fu Siyue could only gather news through others, and Lin Yan naturally had nothing to offer.
It was anyone’s guess what madness had come over him. Unable to get an answer, the guy had actually come to the dorm to wait in ambush.
Lin Yan had no choice but to come down and kindly advise, “You should give it up already. Shi Qi’s never gonna like you.”
Fu Siyue retorted stubbornly, “It’s not up to me. My mom wants me to spend more time with him—”
Lin Yan exposed him, “When are you going to stop using your mom as a shield? She only said that because you were clearly interested.”
Fu Siyue had been foul-mouthed since he was a kid, always operating on the principle of bullying the one he liked, much to Shi Qi’s frustration.
Everyone else had noticed what he was up to, except for Shi Qi, who never caught on at all.
In front of a familiar friend, Fu Siyue sighed and finally dropped the act. “It’s just hard to bring up, okay?”
“When we were kids, I asked Shi Qi if he’d marry me, and he straight-up gagged in response.” As he recalled the tragic memory, Fu Siyue scratched his head. “So, I had to come up with some kind of excuse…”
“…”
To have persisted until now, you’re quite impressive.
Still, Lin Yan thought, Fu Siyue probably didn’t realize that his very existence had become a kind of obstacle for Shi Qi.
If not for Fu Siyue, Shi An might’ve eventually relented and allowed Shi Qi to live a free but short life. But because Fu Siyue existed as a so-called “cure,” Shi An clung to that slim hope and kept pushing Shi Qi.
Whatever Fu Siyue thought he was doing, Shi Qi was already going through enough with his illness. Lin Yan resolved that when the moment came, he’d find a way to ruin Fu Siyue’s plan.
While he was still deep in thought, the person at the center of it all had already arrived downstairs.
Lin Yan immediately noticed someone walking beside Shi Qi and assumed he was just another passing student. His brain rapidly fired off thoughts like: Holy crap, so handsome. My eyes are blinded. Since when does our school have this kind of high-end goods… and so on.
Wait—this wasn’t the time to be admiring handsome guys.
Recalling how Shi Qi had braced for that family check-up like it was a battlefield, Lin Yan asked, “Are you okay?”
Shi Qi nodded.
Fu Siyue, who had been closely watching him, seized the moment and said, “You’re finally back. I have something I want to say to you.”
Shi Qi coldly spat out, “Let it out.”
“?” Did he mean let out a fart?
“I heard your family had a check-up today. Your condition… it’s always been special, and there’s still no sign of improvement.”
Out of courtesy, Shi Qi looked at him while Fu Siyue spoke.
Shi Qi’s eyes were slightly rounder than most, and when he looked at someone, it easily gave the impression of full, undivided attention.
The thought that such a beautiful Omega, who might live a shorter life due to the absence of glands, could vanish too soon stirred something uncontrollable in Fu Siyue’s heart.
“Shi Qi, be with me!”
“I’ll take good care of you. From now on, no matter what you say, I won’t talk back! I swear!”
Shi Qi froze for a moment, taking a while to react.
“You like me?”
Fu Siyue was speechless for a second, then nodded vigorously.
Images of Fu Siyue’s years of countless misdeeds flashed through Shi Qi’s mind. He blurted out, “So you’ve finally gone crazy?”
“…” Fu Siyue’s voice caught in his throat. “All these years, I’ve always been too embarrassed to say it, but I’ve actually always…”
He didn’t get the chance to finish his heartfelt confession because suddenly, a laugh rang out.
A tall Alpha stood not far from them, and once noticed, he was impossible to ignore.
“Sorry, go ahead.”
The words sounded polite, but the tone was off. He didn’t seem sorry at all.
Fu Siyue’s train of thought was completely derailed. He snapped, “Why is it you again?!”
Shang Sui walked to Shi Qi’s side as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Lin Yan, sensing something, began to take a closer look at this unfamiliar Alpha.
Black hair, brown eyes, tall and lean. His hair was longer than most men’s, a messy wolf-cut brushing the back of his neck.
The more Fu Siyue thought about it, the angrier he got. “Seriously, what the hell does my confession have to do with you? Do you have to stick your nose into everything?”
Shi Qi didn’t like his aggressive tone when talking to Shang Sui. “Who said it has nothing to do with him? He’s my…!”
The words caught in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t bring himself to say that scorching word.
Unexpectedly, seeing his hesitation, Shang Sui took the initiative to ask, “Is it inconvenient to introduce me?”
“It’s okay.” Shang Sui winked ambiguously. “Even without status or title, I’m still willing to stay by your side.”
Shi Qi: “?”
Fu Siyue was stunned. “What do you mean?” What did status have to do with this?
“Exactly what it sounded like,” Shang Sui replied in a drawn-out tone, eyes glinting with thinly veiled malice. “The person you like just so happens to be someone I also really, really like.”
Shi Qi had been about to jump into the battle, but upon hearing that, he immediately pressed his lips together, looking a little uneasy.
Already slipping into character?
Shang Sui really was impressive. Might as well turn around and sign up for acting classes. Conveniently, the country’s top media school was right next door.
The confession scene had completely devolved into chaos. No one quite knew how it had gotten to this point, but it was far more entertaining than watching Fu Siyue’s melodramatic act.
Most importantly, this way, Shi Qi didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Baby, that was awesome.”
Lin Yan gave a sincere thumbs-up, clearly enjoying the drama. “Where’d you find this guy? He’s such a natural—I want one too.”
Fu Siyue was immediately led astray by Lin Yan’s comment. He stared at Shang Sui and accused, “So you really do this kind of thing for a living… Did you come up with all sorts of ways to trick him? He’s been super naive since he was a kid and doesn’t understand how cruel people can be!”
This overly sentimental childhood-friend act gave Shi Qi goosebumps. “Get lost. Stop trying to act all close with me.”
Fu Siyue couldn’t bring himself to lash out at Shi Qi, so he turned his trembling fury toward Shang Sui. “You hear that? He told you to get lost! You’re shameless! How could you do something like this?!”
To his surprise, Shang Sui remained utterly unfazed and even delivered a memorable line, “When you’re not loved, what’s pride even worth?”
The scene had grown so intense that people had started stopping to watch.
Seeing that Lin Yan was about to stir things up even more, Shi Qi felt a pounding headache. “All of you, just stop—”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it immediately brought everything to a halt. Everyone turned to look at him.
Shi Qi looked genuinely angry. His small face was cold as ice, which only made him seem more vivid, impossible to look away from.
Shang Sui stayed quiet for a moment, then obediently said, “I was wrong.”
“…I wasn’t talking about you.”
Even though he knew Shang Sui had stirred things up, Shi Qi didn’t blame him. His voice softened slightly. “But you should calm down a bit too.”
Fu Siyue stood frozen, stunned by what he was seeing.
Was this really Shi Qi? He was way too biased!
Having caused enough trouble, Shang Sui circled back to the original topic. “So, are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
After all that fuss, this was what he had really wanted to hear.
Of course, he could’ve introduced himself. But he wanted to hear it from Shi Qi directly.
Since they had agreed to pretend to be a couple, it wasn’t too much to exercise a few boyfriend rights, was it?
The person who had just been imposing now looked like someone had gripped his throat. Shi Qi parted his lips, then fell silent again.
“Go on,” Shang Sui said.
His voice was soft and affectionate, sending an electric jolt straight through Shi Qi’s brain. Before he could even process it, the words had already left his mouth. “His name is Shang Sui.”
The moment he said the name, something subtly shifted.
Even though he knew none of this was real, it felt like he had handed over a piece of his heart, forming a false yet strangely intimate connection with someone else.
“He’s… my boyfriend.”
Author’s note:
Just like that, the cat got tricked into saying exactly what he wanted to hear XD
Sui: You don’t remember, but I’ve been with you since childhood
Qi: ?
–
Today felt like a chaotic New Year celebration (though in reality, it’s just the first day of pretending to be a couple
From now on, this household will be made up of the competitive 2s and the biased 17
