After Falling for My Childhood Friend's Tricks

Xia Yaoran was a nobody writing for a male-oriented fiction site, and he was nearly starving. At the suggestion of an online friend, he switched to the danmei channel, supposedly the most profitable one.

"Your writing is great, and your pacing is top-notch. Trust me, the readers on the new channel will love it."

A new channel, a fresh start. Xia Yaoran was almost driven into a breakdown by the readers' insults. Every one of them said he couldn't write romance and was wasting a great setup for the leads.

"Don't be discouraged. Readers are easy to please. Just write about the interactions between your two protagonists the way you'd write about brotherly affection, and they'll be happy."

Xia Yaoran had an epiphany. Then the readers tore into him a second time, saying he didn't understand the beauty of a subtle flutter of the heart and could only write cheap, mass-produced romance, wasting a great setup for the leads.

The new channel's fans might love to complain, but they were also willing to spend real money. For the sake of his earnings, he asked his online friend for advice a third time, swearing it would be the last.

"Do you have a childhood friend who's a guy? Why not try finding inspiration in him?"

*

Ji Chaoqi had a secret: he'd always been in love with his childhood friend.

In the year he dropped out of school, he accidentally got drunk, and his little cousin, who'd spent years immersed in the danmei scene, coaxed the secret out of him.

"Unrequited love can shorten your lifespan. I've got a brilliant idea. Want to hear it?"

Watching his little cousin, eyes shining and wearing a mysterious smile, Ji Chaoqi swallowed hard. Unable to resist the temptation, he finally said, "Sure."

Before long, his childhood friend took the bait and came to him of his own accord. Ji Chaoqi dutifully played along while inwardly berating himself for being so shameless.

*

Later, Xia Yaoran realized he'd fallen for Ji Chaoqi.

Just as he tried to find a corner to calm down in, Ji Chaoqi wrapped his arms tightly around him from behind. "Yaoran, don't run. I've been waiting right here for you for so long."

Theme: We make our own paths. If there isn't one, then we create one ourselves