CH 26

Is he dreaming?

Murong Jihua raises his stiff wrist, placing it about 2 cm from his left cheek——

And pinches hard.

It hurts.

——So he finally recovers his voice,

“He Jünle, why are you in my room?!”

Time: 23:34, XX/XX/9102

Location: Murong Conglomerate CEO’s private room, Murong Residence, Central District, City A

Person(s): Murong Jihua, He Jünle

Event: Rival in love suddenly appearing on my bed at night, what to do? Waiting_online_please_respond.jpg (TL: Chinese meme implying urgency)

A certain young man with surname He is now sitting on the bed with his legs crossed. His excessively striking features forming a teasing smile.

The book in his hand, is the ones Murong Jihua usually has hidden under his pillow –

‘How the Bossy CEO Was Tempered’

‘Boyfriend Power Training Manual’

‘999 Techniques for Flirting・Godly Instrument for Romance’

And them being damned bound volumes at that.

Looking at the person just holding in a chuckle looking at him, Murong Jihua can barely even hold up his poker face. Before his character archetype collapses entirely, he rushes forth to take the books away from He Jünle’s hands, and asks again,

“Why are you here?”

The young man shrugs, responding, “you thought I wanted to be here? If not for your butler’s incessant coaxing to drag me here, I’d be home already.”

“Butler Cui?”

Murong Jihua pinches his own nose bridge as he recalls the ridiculous developments of the day. His face feels like it would burn. Though thinking from the butler’s shoes, he could understand somewhat.

Fine. He did give him a hard enough time.

Murong Jihua is manipulating the latest micro-terminal installed behind his ears while dragging on his tie——So that the damned burning feeling could go away from his neck, and says,

“Today was certainly a misunderstanding. I believe butler Cui also got the wrong idea today. You can head home if you want. I can arrange for a cavalcade escort…”

His voice stops abruptly when a firm, white hand holds his hand in place.

The young man says, “I’m not going home yet. I want to confirm something first.”

Then, the bomb drops,

“You’d actually like me——”

A thunder rolls out——!

It is rumbling; his earth is shattering!

In a single moment, Murong Jihua’s hair all go numb standing on end. His body is electrocuted for 0.6 seconds, his consciousness blanked for 0.4 seconds.

In a mere 0.6 seconds after he regains clarity, he smacks He Jünle’s hand away to practically roar,

“I like females!”

At the same time, He Jünle’s sentence is still continuing,

“——as a girl with my personality? Pretty unique tastes, huh.” (TL: The original Chinese worked better but I had to modify it a little in English to make the same joke land. I hope I at least got the meaning across)

Murong Jihua took three whole seconds to finally connect up the very skilfully chopped sentences up,

‘You’d actually like me as a girl with my personality? Pretty unique tastes, huh.’

“…

Yeah.”

Murong_jihua_awkward_smile.jpg

He Jünle immediately shows an understanding expression of ‘sure haven’t met such a hopeless man,’ and stands up, smiling, patting Murong Jihua on the shoulder,

“I was right. Girls like Mo-er really aren’t your type; anyway, girls like that should still not be that rare. I bet it’s easy for you to find what you want, even girls, isn’t it?

You’re seriously interesting, though. Thanks for getting me to the hospital that day. Give up on Mo-er, and we can probably be friends——don’t you think so, bro?

I have to say though, you’re quite something, hoho. It’s the first time ever my gender has been doubted. Not a lot of people or things can truly anger me in this world, but bro, you’re proudly one of them.”

Murong Jihua expressionlessly listens to all that He Jünle has to say, while his mind has gone blank thinking only about one thing,

This development, this kind of familiar plot progression that was once popular in those feel-good stories of 9002——I got absorbed into his harem group of lackeys?

… There are so many things he wants to diss he doesn’t know where to begin.

Let him reason this through.

The woman he ‘likes’ has concluded he is together with his rival in love;

His rival in love is gladly hi-fiving him for their newfound, wholesome brotherly bond;

He almost [REDACTED] his rival in love.

Etc.

So, after rounding, he’s practically together with his rival in love?

“Stop stop stop.”

Murong Jihua pushes on He Jünle’s shoulders to get him down to the mattress, saying,

“I need to calm myself down tonight. Sleep. Let’s sleep first, can we?”

He Jünle glances over at the golden timepiece decorated with amethyst placed on the bedside cabinet. It is past midnight already.

So he merely furrows his brow slightly as he ‘mm’s, and begins taking off his off-white shirt.

——His very action shutting down Murong Jihua from saying ‘I’ll have Sophia take you to a guest room.’

“… You plan to, sleep with me?”

“Yeah. We’re both men, anyway. I’m tired.”

“… Without pyjamas?”

“Yeah. We’re both men, anyway. I’m tired.”

“… A very straight male kind of response.”

“Mm? Mr CEO, you still want to confirm my gender, is it?”

He can’t fall asleep.

Not just because his handsome, omnipotent rival in love is sleeping next to him with a naked torso,

Nor because of his progress in capturing the female lead practically worse than resetting——

But more because,

He Jünle’s fucking phone’s screen’s fucking brightness and his fucking tapping on his fucking keyboard is fucking with Murong Jihua’s eyes!

An hour ago,

Q: Who are you talking to?

A: Xiao-Hua, his neighbour lao-Wang’s (TL: ‘lao-‘ is a prefix meaning old. A friendly/neutral term of address here) daughter, saying their goodnights.

Forty-five minutes ago,

Q: Who are you talking to again?

A: My sworn younger sister Xüeru, asking why I’m not home yet.

Thirty minutes ago,

Q: Who are you talking to yet again?

A: A-Yun, the school goddess, asking if I’m going to school tomorrow.

And a nightclub owner, a genki-type girl, a beautiful girl he sits together with in class…

“… Have you finished taking care of your girls yet? It’s almost 3.”

“Just seven more. Be done soon enough.”