Chapter Text
“I’m your biggest fan!” Luo Binghe shouts.
He shuts his eyes and feels his face heat up. His hands are sweaty with nerves. I’m your biggest fan – what kind of confession is that? And, he said it so loudly. How embarrassing!
Something is handed to Luo Binghe.
“Thank you for your support!”
Luo Binghe cracks an eye open and is immediately blinded by Shizun’s smile. He quickly looks down at what Shizun gave him. A signature? He signed Peerless Cucumber on an open page in his notebook.
That’s such a crude pseudonym! It doesn’t fit his elegant Shizun at all. Luo Binghe doesn’t recognize it but he pushes past it. He tries to confess again, “I want to spend more time with Shizun!”
“Okay, you can come with me to my home.”
This is the best day ever.
Scratch that.
This is the worst day ever. Actually, the final judgement is hard to say.
He gets to see Shizun’s apartment. It’s kinda messy. The walls are covered with posters and papers filled with writing. His laundry litters the floor. There are shelves with figurines and other merchandise. Mysterious stains mar the table and couch. Luo Binghe fights the urge to tidy up the room.
Shizun laughs nervously and begins picking things up as he pushes him to his table and provides snacks and tea. He is told to open his laptop because Shizun sent him something to edit. Luo Binghe logins to his email and the first one is from Shizun.
He gets to work editing.
Though he didn’t recognize the pen name, the story quickly becomes apparent to Luo Binghe. Shizun is the writer of a popular webnovel that he is following. The writing is as engaging as ever. Now that he knows Shizun is the author, something about the protagonist draws his attention. The protagonist is strong, sincere, and straightforward to the point of brutality. Is this Shizun’s ideal man?
The sky is dark when he looks out the window. He didn’t get to talk with Shizun at all! Luo Binghe pouts in disappointment. He will have to create a plan to win Shizun’s heart, a detailed one that takes into account work and Shizun’s obliviousness.
“Luo Binghe, do you have any preference for takeout?”
“You don’t have to do that! I can cook for us.” Maybe through food, Shizun can taste the love Luo Binghe has for him. He can add that as a step. Luo Binghe stretches and gets up, making a move towards the fridge.
“Nonsense, you already are helping me so much.” Shizun stands in front of his fridge, blocking Luo Binghe from it.
“Really, I insist! I love to cook.”
Shizun concedes and steps aside. Luo Binghe takes a look inside the fridge. It’s not bad? Or not as bad as Shizun made it seemed. It is clear that he is subscribed to one of those grocery delivery services.
There are enough supplies for a simple stir-fry. Shizun awkwardly stands over him so Luo Binghe allows him to chop some vegetables. It cooks in no time. He plates the food and they eat at the cleared table.
Luo Binghe sighs. It is not the sort of meal that will convey his feelings. He will have to do better next time, perhaps even bring his own tools. It will be vital to his plan. His mother always says the fastest way to a man’s heart is his stomach.
Shizun’s voice breaks him out of his spiral. “This is amazing Luo Binghe! I didn’t know food can taste this good.”
Luo Binghe preens at the praise.
“You must have girls waiting along the block for a chance to date you. You really have everything,” says Shizun.
He wishes that Shizun knew where his true attentions lie. Luo Binghe pushes a pepper around his plate. As he is eating, he finally realizes who the protagonist reminds him of. He gathers his courage to ask, “Did… did you based your protagonist on Liu Qingge?”
“Yep! He is so effortlessly cool and objectively, he is one of the prettiest men I have ever seen. He can be an idol. Plus, the gap moe is very cute. Liu Qingge is sweet beneath his tough exterior, you know? He must have many admirers,” Shizun gushes.
Damn it – the gap moe is cute. It makes it hard to resist teasing the man since he flushes so pretty. Hardworking yet easily embarrassed, he can imagine him as the protagonist.
“Do you like him?” Luo Binghe asks hesitantly. He is a bit afraid that this is where Shizun would be self-aware.
“Of course – he’s my best friend!”
For a moment, Luo Binghe feels bad for his rival. In his heart, he lights a candle to Liu Qingge.
“Does he know that you based the protagonist on him?”
“Nope! Don’t tell him, okay?”
Luo Binghe nods in agreement. This will make his plans easier.
In the end, that day is a net positive. From thereafter, he comes to Shizun’s place pretty often. But his conversation with Shizun left him with a misconception that is corrected with the appearance of Liu Qingge.
He’s just, sitting there like he belongs. Luo Binghe thought he didn’t know about Shizun’s webnovel, but Shizun is beside him writing the latest chapter. There is no way Liu Qingge is an editor too.
“What’s he doing here?” Luo Binghe does his best to keep the whine out of his voice.
By Liu Qingge’s glare, he didn’t do it well. Or it can be his resting bitch face.
Shizun blinks. “Didn’t I tell you Liu Qingge’s my illustrator?”
Luo Binghe shakes his head. He directs his question to Liu Qingge, still in disbelief, “You do the art?”
“Mn.”
“Can I see?”
Liu Qingge scoots closer to Shizun to make room next to him. He shifts the tablet out of the way. Luo Binghe sits at the vacated space.
He looks at the illustration for the chapter. Liu Qingge is not a narcissist; the protagonist looks nothing like himself. But then again, Shizun didn’t tell him about the inspiration. The protagonist doesn’t share any similarities with Shizun either. But something about him is familiar. He is tall and broad with long curly black hair. Luo Binghe’s physical appearance fits the description Shizun wrote for the protagonist but it is a bit generic. Liu Qingge brings more to him.
Luo Binghe traces a finger over the face, not quite touching the screen.
Who is he kidding? That is him. Knowing that Liu Qingge is the artist adds a new lens. Is this how Liu Qingge sees him? As brave and kind and earnest as the protagonist in Shizun’s stories?
Not consciously though, that is for certain. Liu Qingge shares the art freely without a second thought, unaware of what he is betraying.
He will have to get through both Shizun and Liu Qingge’s obliviousness.
Luo Binghe’s ten-step plan will need some adjustments.