The Second Era

[Top-Tier Combat Power, Bastard Mercenary Top x Aloof, Untouchable CEO Bottom]

As an elite Olympic mercenary, He Xiao had received professional training. Under normal circumstances, he would never fall in love with an enemy.

Unless there were special circumstances.

Like the enemy being too good-looking.

Like the enemy being too tempting.

Like... the enemy being Lin Xi.

The intelligence bounty for user H7-690 at the Olympic Black Market Intelligence Exchange had been posted for years. No one knew when it changed from “Seeking intelligence on China, huge reward” to “Seeking to buy red roses for a high price, must be real flowers, no fakes.”

The executive thought someone was far too clingy.

Like needing a kiss before a meeting.

Like needing a kiss before bed.

Like... needing a kiss for absolutely no reason.

[Anonymous User 001 on the China Forum] posted: “Help: What do I do if my partner is too clingy?”

[Reader's Guide]

1. 1v1, HE, both are virgins, dual perspectives, each other's one and only. No switching roles, no reversing the pairing.

2. Eastern cyberpunk wasteland, serious story with a touch of ensemble cast. Recommended for readers aged 20+.

3. The protagonists are not purely good and innocent.

4. Feedback is welcome, but no writing advice.

5. [All of the protagonists' behavior can be seen as flirting between a couple.] CP fans and fans of either character are welcome. Please don't put down the bottom to praise the top, put down the top to praise the bottom, or put down both. Extreme fans, please consider carefully before reading. If you're uncomfortable, stop reading in time. I get triggered by extreme fans.

■ The first 50 chapters are free. Thank you for supporting the official version. I'll work hard to give you chapters worth buying! O3O

■ The outline and detailed plot are complete and cohesive. All characters are original, with no AI, no real-life models, and no stand-ins. The setting, plot, and content are all original. No plagiarism, no combining plots, no copying, and no feeding the work to AI. None of the above may be used for personal headcanons. Don't put yourself in the characters' place or fantasize about them. No derailing discussions. Don't break up the CP. If you repost, credit the source. Please respect original works.

□ Please don't conclude that the author is a top fan or bottom fan based on the perspectives. Perspective serves the convenience of the narrative. Top's perspective/bottom's perspective does not equal top protagonist/bottom protagonist, being a top or bottom fan, or favoring either side. Everyone defines these concepts differently. They're already quite muddled in web fiction, and aren't worth arguing over or wasting time trying to figure out.

□ Demanding a perfectly 100% balanced story is also rather abstract. People read for enjoyment and for the experience. Web fiction isn't an academic paper; it doesn't need so many definitive labels, and there's no need to go from one extreme to another.

□ Simply put, Tang is a chaotic-evil CP fan and a little kitchen gremlin. My tastes can get pretty twisted sometimes. I'll write the couple however I think they'll be most delicious. I hope people will stop using top/bottom fans, top or bottom protagonist fans, top/bottom moms, or favoritism to torment authors, and stop imposing so many rules on authors based on their own preferences. Too many rules mean there are no rules at all. Thanks for understanding.

□ From now on, I won't reply to or spend time trying to understand arguments about top and bottom fans. Tang thinks it's a waste of time in the first place. Related comments will be deleted. Everything will be treated as the couple being sweet together.

■ About derailing discussions: Saying the top or bottom in one CP is like the top or bottom in another CP is unpleasant for both pairs. Don't use another character's identity to flirt with the top or bottom in this story. Every character is their own person.

■ About stand-ins: Using characters as stand-ins, or having a character used as one, is just as impolite as derailing discussions.

Chapters marked with “*” don't feature either member of the couple.

Thanks to @Li Yue (Half a Line of Poetry) for the cover.

Thanks for the character cards: @Aki for the realistic ID photo, @Que Qu for the realistic black-and-white avatar, @A Single Sprout for the colorful realistic image (@Mint Cream Roll for liquefying it).

First synopsis draft finalized: 2024.3.12 23:54

Sending 333 kisses to every sweetie who supports me!

Theme: Born equal.