My Online Love Is My Childhood Friend and Archenemy

After this week’s finale, I’ll revise the whole story. There are a few chapters I’m really not satisfied with (stomps feet and cries)~ If you’re waiting for the story to build up, come back next month~ *bows*~

Blurb:

Ye Xingmian had been straight for eighteen years and never imagined he’d fall for Qi Yan one day. Who was Qi Yan? His childhood friend and sworn enemy!

The childhood-friend part is easy to understand. They’d had a blissful, inseparable childhood together, after all. But the grown-up Qi Yan... Ye Xingmian wiped away a bitter tear and refused to say more.

In short, he, Ye Xingmian, was tall, handsome, gentle, and considerate, a bona fide dreamboat. But because Qi Yan was a “bug” in his life, he was still single and utterly immune to romance.

So after suffering a devastating blow to his pride at the hands of the very culprit, who looked down on him from a lofty height, he started an online relationship to salvage his self-esteem!

He thought it would be a difficult road, but by sheer coincidence he found himself in a sweet romance with someone who treated him like a little princess.

His partner was a little aloof and quiet, and they never used voice or video calls. The one thing he did know was that his partner was a man, dating another man, but Ye Xingmian adored him all the same.

As time passed, his feelings grew tender and deep, and he couldn’t wait to meet in person. At last, his always-shy partner agreed!

But before their offline date could happen, his partner’s real identity was exposed. Could someone tell him why his sweet romantic partner turned out to be Qi Yan?

He was dating Qi Yan!

So what were you supposed to do when you were dating? Hold hands, hug, kiss, and... get in bed? Ye Xingmian shuddered, panicked, and packed his things to run away in the middle of the night. But as soon as he stepped outside, he ran into his next-door neighbor and childhood friend.

Qi Yan’s cool, aristocratic, expressionless face softened with tenderness. “Where are you going, Mianmian?” Ye Xingmian felt a chill run down his back as Qi Yan approached step by step. He hurriedly called out, “Don’t come any closer!”

Qi Yan stopped and pressed his lips together. In a low voice, he said, “Weren’t you the one who said you liked me and wanted to see me?”

“I fucking thought you were a girl!” Ye Xingmian wanted to scream for help. This guy was way too shameless.

“What difference does it make whether I’m a man or a woman?” A sad shadow fell across Qi Yan’s lowered lashes. “Does it matter that much to you? I’ve liked you for a long time. I like you so, so much.”

His soft, gentle words burned with the confession. Ye Xingmian froze, his mind blank and his heart aching with tenderness. By the time he finally shook off his absurd thoughts and came back to himself from that inexplicable rush of emotion...

He was already in Qi Yan’s bed?!! Great, he was still the one getting topped!

The next morning, Ye Xingmian clutched his lower back, grimaced, and packed up again. Dragging his extremely sore butt, he fled back to his dorm, only then remembering that Qi Yan went to the same university as him! Where could he run?

Ye Xingmian covered his face and cried, mourning with a hand over his backside.

- Coming soon: My Pretty Little Brother Cries Too Easily

[Innocent, gloomy, sweetly obedient bottom with a strong possessive streak * cold and gentle, but shamelessly biased top]

Qi Sen received a message from a friend asking him to look after Jiang Runian.

Jiang Runian was his friend’s younger brother, a new student at Nan University and Qi Sen’s junior. On the first day, Qi Sen went to the airport to pick him up. The boy was pulling a suitcase and wearing a baseball cap. Beneath it was a fair face, pretty and sweet.

Jiang Runian was shy. When he called him “gege,” his eyes shone.

“You’ve grown quite a bit.” Qi Sen bent down, took the suitcase, and pinched Jiang Runian’s cheek. “Do you remember the candy I bought you when you were little?”

Jiang Runian took a piece of candy from his pocket and slipped it into Qi Sen’s palm, much to Qi Sen’s surprise.

-

Qi Sen thought Jiang Runian was very well-behaved, even more so now that he was grown up. He was just a bit of a handful, always needing help with things big and small.

Qi Sen would be out for dinner with friends when Jiang Runian called to say he’d forgotten his key and his roommate wasn’t home, so he couldn’t get inside. During the holidays, Qi Sen went to visit a neighboring province, and Jiang Runian, homesick but unwilling to go back, said he was afraid to be alone.

Whenever someone of the opposite sex showed up around him, Jiang Runian wouldn’t let go of Qi Sen’s hand. He’d tug at him and say, for no reason at all, “Gege, can you take me with you?”

He’d just started school in a new environment. Jiang Runian used that as an excuse to keep Qi Sen by his side.

A friend teased Qi Sen, “You really believe him? Isn’t your little brother just making excuses to keep you around?” Jiang Runian heard every word. His always dewy eyes lifted to stare straight at Qi Sen.

Qi Sen laughed and ruffled Jiang Runian’s soft black hair, his voice gentle. “Of course not. Our Xiao Nian is such a good boy.”

As the two of them left to buy drinks, Jiang Runian’s gaze stayed fixed on Qi Sen’s back, his intense longing and attachment seemingly impossible to hide.

-

Jiang Runian had waited a long time for Qi Sen, long enough to see everyone around him leave.

That was why he never wanted to take his eyes off Qi Sen. When he realized how many people surrounded him, the urgency in his heart only grew, pressing down on him until it hurt.

He called Qi Sen “gege,” but he didn’t want to be Qi Sen’s younger brother at all. He wanted Qi Sen to do all sorts of things to him, things that would make him feel like someone else.

Qi Sen could make him cry, could leave him a complete mess. He dreamed of it often, because at times like that, Qi Sen’s eyes would be fixed on him alone.

Crazy thoughts took root in his heart. With Qi Sen giving him more and more attention and treating him so tenderly, Jiang Runian felt he might not be able to hold back much longer.

-

Qi Sen had been drinking. He knew Jiang Runian had brought him home, and he wasn’t very drunk. He watched through half-lidded eyes as the person in front of him fidgeted nervously. Jiang Runian had changed into a pretty dress.

A silky wig fell to his waist, tied with a transparent ribbon. When he turned around, his face was so beautiful it made Qi Sen’s breathing falter.

Jiang Runian came closer, one step at a time. He bit his lip, his eyes glistening with tears, his hands trembling with nerves. The moment his lips touched Qi Sen’s, their positions were reversed.

“Whose girl is this? Why are you so pretty?” Qi Sen breathed heavily, the scent of alcohol on his breath. He brushed Jiang Runian’s nose with his own, and Jiang Runian wrapped his arms around him tightly.

Jiang Runian looped his arms around Qi Sen’s neck and pressed himself into his embrace. “Yours, gege. You can do anything you want.”

Blurb for The Sweet, Mute Little Genius Is the School Heartthrob’s One True Love:

[Born mute, warmhearted and obedient bottom * cold, aloof, domineering top]

[Rekindled love, school setting in the first half, urban setting in the second]

Sweet-and-angsty version:

Jiang Shi liked to tease Chi Ran, especially in certain intimate moments, when Chi Ran’s eyes turned red and tears brimmed as he held him close and drew hearts on his hand with frantic strokes.

It was their agreed-upon signal, since Chi Ran couldn’t speak. But sometimes Jiang Shi was too rough.

Usually, Jiang Shi pretended not to understand and let him draw anyway. Afterwards, he’d say he couldn’t understand because the heart wasn’t drawn properly, making the haze in the little mute’s eyes grow even heavier.

Chi Ran would grab a piece of paper and write a long complaint. Jiang Shi’s heart would melt all over again, and he’d hold him, speak gently to him, and soothe him with a piece of candy.

Jiang Shi thought that after seven years apart, now that they had each other again, it felt as if nothing had changed.

Official blurb:

Chi Ran was mute. He had been unable to speak since birth.

While other children were babbling their first words, he could only blink. His congenital disability made people feel especially tender toward him, and he grew up surrounded by love and care.

As a result, Chi Ran grew into an optimistic, cheerful boy, and his sweet, gentle looks won him plenty of affection.

The first time he ever hit a wall was with the transfer student, Jiang Shi.

Rumor had it that the aloof, cocky school bully Jiang Shi’s parents were divorced, and he lived all alone with his grandparents.

Chi Ran’s overflowing sympathy made him feel sorry for Jiang Shi, so he decisively resolved to get closer to him. But becoming friends proved unusually difficult.

Chi Ran would tap Jiang Shi’s arm, and Jiang Shi would tell him to get lost. Chi Ran would copy his homework, and Jiang Shi would sneer disdainfully.

He had no patience with the little mute. Communicating with him was difficult and exhausting.

Then, after a mock exam, Jiang Shi received a note Chi Ran had secretly passed him during lunch.

[One failure doesn’t mean you’ll fail forever. You’re very smart, so don’t give up on yourself.] The note went on and on. It was clumsy and silly, but every word was sincere.

Jiang Shi crumpled the note. He glanced over and caught Chi Ran looking at him in secret. When their eyes met, Chi Ran’s eyes curved into a smile, the light in them burning even brighter than the sunlight outside.

After that, a little shadow followed Jiang Shi everywhere.

At meals, Chi Ran put meat in his bowl. In PE class, he unscrewed bottles for him. When Jiang Shi scraped his skin playing basketball, Chi Ran looked so worried that he narrowed his eyes and blew on the wound.

Chi Ran showed his warmth through his actions, but Jiang Shi didn’t need it at all.

“Put your hand out. We went over this problem yesterday.”

Chi Ran was pinned over his desk, studying. The poor, handsome, aloof school bully across from him had transformed into a rich second-generation genius. Jiang Shi tapped his ruler against the desk with a cold expression.

Chi Ran wondered if it was too late to start crying.

Reading guide:

1. Sweet with a touch of angst. The early chapters are warm and slow-paced, with the romance at the heart of the story.

2. The bottom is cute, not a strong bottom. If that’s not your thing, please move on.

Theme: Be careful with online dating, and make sure you know who the other person really is.