Chapter 10

Hearing Gu Chen’s words, He Ziming stumbled, and could not regain his spirit for a long time: “By… together…you mean?”

He really can’t understand what Gu Chen means about being together.

“Yes, I’m sorry Chang’an, I hid it from you before. I am a cut sleeve, and the crown prince is as well. So, we are together… in the way that a man and woman can be together.” Gu Chen had loved He Zisheng for a long time, and felt that he had to hide his sexuality because of it. But now that he only sees He Zisheng as a friend, he can calmly reveal his identity as a cut-sleeve.

He Zisheng still hadn’t recovered from the news: “Cut…sleeves???”

The concept that men could fall in love with each other and be together is entirely new to him… he had never even considered it before.

How exactly can men be together?

“Yes, I like men by nature.” Gu Chen hesitated, and worriedly asked, “Chang’an… you won’t be disgusted by this? You’ll still recognize me as your friend? You won’t treat me like a stranger?”

Having grown up together since childhood, even Gu Chen, this cold, unfeeling person, still cherishes his friendship with He Zisheng very much.

He Zisheng was stunned for a long time, before recovering. Although he was a little embarrassed, he patted Gu Chen’s shoulder suddenly, and said, “How could that be? You and I grew up together, and forged our friendship through years of trouble. Why should I dislike you for such a trivial matter? It’s just, Ziqing, you really shouldn’t have hidden this from me for so long.”

“I always used to ask why you were so uninterested in being close to a woman. It turns out you’ve always liked men!” He teased Gu Chen.

Gu Chen looked at him with relief, feeling that he no longer had to worry about losing his friendship with He Ziming.

He Zisheng paused, and then tentatively asked again, “Then… you and my elder brother?”

“We love each other romantically. I intend to stay with His Royal Highness forever.” He knew he couldn’t hide it from He Zisheng, so Gu Chen didn’t bother to try.

He Zisheng repeated: “You really love him, and intend to stay together?”

“Yes!” Gu Chen said.

He Zisheng asked again, “I … does elder brother also feel this way?”

“… It should be.” Gu Chen frowned slightly, a bit uncertain.

He Zisheng pondered for a while, and as a friend, advised, ” Since your heart is set, I won’t try to persuade you, but it won’t be easy for two men to stay together their entire lives. You’re the Gu family’s only son, and my elder brother is the crown prince… I know you’re passionately in love now, and don’t want to hear this, but as a friend I still have to try to persuade you not to devote yourself too much. You have to leave yourself a way out.”

“My eldest brother is the crown prince. He is loved and supported by the emperor, and because of this always has a back path to take. But you… if you’re too involved with him and something goes wrong, you’ll be finished, Ziqing.” He said carefully.

Gu Chen was hit hard by his words, and fell into thought.

The two discussed the matter for a long time. Gu Chen eventually saw how late it was, and bid goodbye to him. .

He Zisheng stared at Gu Chen’s back. One moment, he seemed to be a gentle and caring friend, and the next his entire demeanor abruptly changed. His face was gloomy, and his aura became pitch black. He clenched his hands into fists, the nails unconsciously digging into the flesh of his own palms. He didn’t even notice when it started to bleed.

“Together?” He murmured, dumbly repeating Gu Chen’s words that had a strong impact on him.

A moment later, he snapped his fingers to summon a shadow guard from his Heaven’s Eye organization.

Shadow Guard Wei respectfully greeted him with a salute: “Master.”

“Wei, how can a man and a man be together?” He Zisheng asked something almost inexplicable.

As a steel-straight son of destiny, he really doesn’t know anything about this.

Therefore, that evening, Shadow Guard Wei quietly brought an incognito He Zisheng to a very special kind of brothel owned by Heaven’s Eye in order to gather information. There, He Ziming found a room to watch two men enjoy a lively spring night together.

He Zisheng only then discovered that two men could really be together just as a man and a woman can be together…

It really can be so …

So then…how exactly does He Ziming enjoy his spring nights with Gu Chen?

He Zisheng licked his chapped lips. While there were no waves revealed on his face, in his heart he was very moved.

“Ding! Host has increased the favorability of the character He Zisheng by 25 points. At present, the character’s favorability towards the host is 100 points, achieving deep, unforgettable love. Asking the host to please continue paying attention.”

He Ziming was lying in bed lazily, playing a game from the system in his mind, when suddenly the system prompt for an increase in favorability sounded in his mind.

It’s just that the person whose favorability increased isn’t the target, but He Zisheng, the protagonist…

“Du, are you sure you aren’t mistaken? The person filled with unforgettable love for me is He Zisheng, not Gu Chen? Are you sure that you don’t have a bug?” He Ziming was shocked by the notification, and immediately cried out, “I haven’t done anything recently! I haven’t even met with He Zisheng in days. How could he suddenly reach 100 points all at once? Even before Gu Chen, who I’ve given ‘Drunken Spring Night’ so many times…”

He felt really incredible.

The favorability of this son of destiny is too senseless, its completely without scientific basis.

The small mechanical voice of the system emotionlessly asked: “…Who is Du?”

“You, I named you Du.” He Ziming answered without thinking.

The system immediately exploded in He Ziming’s mind, and instantly let He Ziming’s soul feel his scorn and disdain for He Ziming in his mind.

He Ziming’s soul was a little dazed for a moment: “…”

“Please don’t give me a random nickname, please refer to me as system. Thank you.” The system waited for him to sober up before he made a solemn statement in He Ziming’s mind with a cold mechanical voice.

He Ziming immediately corrected himself: “Fine, system, but that isn’t the main point just now. The point is, are you really sure you don’t have a bug? Do you need to receive factory maintenance?”

“Otherwise, how is it that I used ‘Drunken Spring Night’ on Gu Chen so many times, but he still only has 65 points of favorability? Especially while He Zisheng, who I’ve done nothing to at all, could suddenly reach 100 points and be deeply in love! Impossible, I clearly remember that when he saw me the other day, he was still at 75 points and his feelings were classified as brotherhood! Why did he suddenly fall deeply in love?” He Ziming was puzzled and could only think that the system needed to be repaired.

“First of all, I’m certain that I don’t have a bug and I don’t require factory maintenance. Secondly, as the greatest AI of this century, my data is incapable of errors. Therefore, I don’t know what the stupid host did to permanently fix Gu Chen’s affection at 60 points. Further, I don’t know what the stupid host did to make He Zisheng’s feelings of brotherly love turn into true, abiding love… but the data is correct! It shows that the characters feelings towards He Ziming match the projections!” The system used calm and righteous words to coldly refute He Ziming’s theory.

He Ziming: “…”

Well, if you insist so much, I will believe you once.

Who made you my system?

In order to explore what is wrong with He Zisheng, that he would suddenly change his affection from a brother’s admiration to eternal love, He Ziming found time to summon He Zisheng.

However, after seeing him, He Ziming increasingly felt that his system was probably bugged and needed to be returned to the factory for repair.

He Zisheng is still gentle and quail-like in demeanor. He is a quiet and obedient teenager. He doesn’t display any major talents, and he can’t see any hidden plots in He Ziming’s actions.

“This minister sees… His Royal Highness Crown Prince.” He Zisheng looked awestruck. He subconsciously started to call He Ziming brother, but immediately changed his address halfway through speaking.

He Ziming squinted at him acting like this, and felt like he was bullying a child.

But in order to maintain the original’s character, he still glared at He Zisheng grumpily: “What the hell do you mean, ‘His Royal Highness Crown Prince?’ Do you think this country has a second crown prince?”

He Zisheng immediately turned pale and looked at He Ziming, pitifully, making people feel that he would burst into tears any second.

“Apologies, Your Royal Highness, it was this minister who spoke in error.” He immediately and sincerely apologized to He Ziming.

Seeing him like this, He Ziming’s heart was weak. He helplessly waved his hand and said, “If you want to call me elder brother, I will permit you to do so.”

He has set up the world’s plot almost identically to the original storyline, but He Ziming doesn’t want to make things too difficult for the protagonist.

“Yes, elder brother …” He Zisheng heard him say it, and immediately rejoiced.

He paused, wondering why He Ziming would casually think to allow him to call him his brother. He Zisheng asked quietly, “… I…can I call you Ge Ge?”

He doesn’t know why, but looking at the current He Ziming, he suddenly thinks of how his elder brother would carry him on his back when they were young. He would take him out to play, always gazing at himself with a gentle and indulging look, until He Zisheng was completely spoiled by his brother’s attentions. He thought that these memories would blur with age but…

Somehow, after finding the soft heart He Ziming hid beneath his fierce mask, He Zisheng’s memories of his childhood and the way He Ziming used to treat him became clearer and clearer.

He wanted to call He Ziming Ge Ge again.

He Ziming watched him for a while.

He Zisheng held his breath, motionless, as if he frightened that if he didn’t perform well enough He Ziming would change his mind.

“Just call me that if you want, as you please.” A moment later, He Ziming closed her eyes, but replied.

He Zisheng was overjoyed, and immediately called out: “Ge Ge…”

He Ziming opened his eyes and looked at him for a while, before saying, “He Zisheng, I don’t want to hate you anymore.”

TN: Shadow Guard Wei is the MVP for this arc. He may only be here for two paragraphs, but he certainly gets things done.