This Tent Isn't Soundproof

Road trip adventure | A comedy of travel mishaps | Younger love interest | Mutual devotion

Innocent girl-top X experienced, flirtatious bottom who has never dated

After the brother who had been his only family died unexpectedly, Duan Huaichuan was sorting through his belongings when he found his brother's notebook. In it, Duan Huaishan had written about the deserts, grasslands, and plateaus he longed to see.

Duan Huaichuan bought a secondhand pickup, packed all his belongings and his brother's notebook, and set off on a lonely journey to the far northwest.

On the road to Minqin, a massive sandstorm hit. The fuel ran out, the windshield was battered, and the temperature dropped. Duan Huaichuan thought this might be the end for him.

Then the man whose tooth he had knocked out came walking toward him through the headlights.

Cursing and spitting out sand, Lin Chiye dragged Duan Huaichuan to safety through the brutal sandstorm, where visibility was less than five meters.

After they reached a tree-planting base, Duan Huaichuan got trapped in quicksand. Lin Chiye rescued him again, only to greet him with a swift, vicious punch.

"One each. Now we're even."

With flights overbooked, Lin Chiye decided to hitch a ride to Inner Mongolia. He didn't expect to run into a sleazy guy who wanted to sleep with him.

In the pouring rain, it was Duan Huaichuan who led the dazed Lin Chiye to the passenger seat of his pickup.

Two people who should never have crossed paths became road trip companions.

During their brief journey, Lin Chiye learned about Duan Huaichuan's past.

The past Duan Huaichuan wanted to ignore made Lin Chiye ache for him. He wanted to piece Duan Huaichuan back together, shard by shard.

Their journey grew livelier.

But Lin Chiye, who seemed capable of doing everything, turned out to be helpless at everyday tasks. He couldn't put up a tent or even start a fire.

On the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, Lin Chiye's face was black with smoke and his eyes were streaming. He slumped against Duan Huaichuan, arms around his neck. "Brother Chuan, thank goodness you're here."

Lin Chiye was like a happy puppy, and Duan Huaichuan quickly fell under the spell of his cheerfulness.

On the road to Lhasa, Lin Chiye suffered from altitude sickness: a headache, nausea, shortness of breath, and weakness all over. The little pickup had been running nonstop, and eventually it couldn't take any more and broke down. Duan Huaichuan got out to check on it and saw Lin Chiye lying in the back seat, looking so haggard that he made Duan Huaichuan want to tease him mercilessly.

He tapped on the window and wrote three words in the dust on the glass. Lin Chiye, who could barely lift an arm, stretched out his leg and lowered the window.

The words "I love you" shattered with the dust in the wind.

Lin Chiye reached toward the window. Duan Huaichuan leaned halfway into the car and took his hand.

Using Duan Huaichuan for support, Lin Chiye pulled himself upright, grabbed him by the collar, and kissed him.

Lin Chiye's full weight tipped backward, and Duan Huaichuan climbed in after him, stepping on the tire.

When they'd kissed enough, Duan Huaichuan pressed a hand to Lin Chiye's forehead. "If we do anything now, I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"It's not clear which of us would be taking advantage of the other."

"Good boy. You've got altitude sickness, so strenuous activity isn't recommended."

1. A road trip story set in the far northwest. Major place names are real; smaller ones are fictional.

2. Duan Huaichuan is the top X Lin Chiye is the bottom

3. Younger love interest, neither has been with anyone else

Theme: Love can bring you back to life.