Chapter 1.2

During dinner time, facing a table full of delicious food, Gu Yuan was calmly eating his meal at his fastest while showing how frustrated and discontented the original host was at the same time. He successfully acted out the highest state of turning grief into appetite, so much so that his acting skill had reached an even higher apex.

Seeing how pitiful he looked, the Gu couple were very apologetic. They could only patiently comfort him while putting food into his bowl. Gu Qi also looked at him anxiously. The younger brother who used to eat only a few chopsticks’ worth of food even when coaxed, suddenly became a big eater. How could the big brother not worry?

The most concerned was not these family members, but Xiao Wu who had worked his heart out for Fan Yuan.

“Ding. Would Master please pay attention to the amount of food? It’s going to be OOC if you eat any more. The rewards will be deducted.”

“Hold on, Xiao Wu. Let me eat two more pieces of sweet and sour pork. In the previous world, because of chemotherapy, I had to endure half a year of non-greasy food. Let me indulge in my cravings. I promise that I’ll work well tonight.”

Xiao Wu: “……”

After eating the last piece of filet mignon, Gu Yuan restrained the impulse to burp and gently wiped his mouth with a napkin. He said to the male lead and the Gu couple, “Dad, Mom, Brother, forgive me for making you worry. Brother and I have already talked. I’ve thought about it. And I know that I have a personality problem. Since my brother and my parents want me to grow up, then I will try to grow up, so that all of you can rest assured.”

While speaking, he secretly glanced at his elder brother with a demand for praise in his eyes. Gu Qi smiled at him and gently wiped away the soup on his cheek with his fingers, teasing him. “You say you will grow up, yet eat until there’s food all over your face. How can we be at ease?”

The Gu father and mother both laughed at their interaction, and finally let go of the worry in their hearts.

Gu Yuan naturally followed up, laughing with a silly smile. But he was mocking the male lead in his heart. Why wasn’t the guy moving according to the pattern? He was supposed to be moved by his words and then encourage him. Was it really good to discourage his little brother so much?! Was he not his dear brother?

This time, Xiao Wu showed its noble sentiment of holding onto reason instead of relationship and pointed out the truth, “Ding. Because the original host doesn’t get soup on his face.”

Gu Yuan choked, unable to form words.

After dinner, Gu Yuan went upstairs with Gu Qi. The siblings’ rooms were next to each other, separated only by a wall.

This was because when Gu Yuan arrived at the Gu household as a child, he was very afraid of strangers. He was inseparable from Gu Qi, even by a step. He even wanted to sleep together with Gu Qi. The Gu father and mother had no choice but to put the two rooms’ beds against the same wall. And every time he had knocked on the wall, Gu Qi would knock back from the other side, so that he could sleep peacefully.

Gu Yuan was “reluctant to part” with his brother and saw him to his room before he entered his own bedroom.

Just inside the room, there was a feeling of repression. The color of the room was primarily made up of gray and black. The layout was also very uncomfortable. Black curtains covered the windows and there were a lot of diablo manga and novels in the room. A simulated skull clock hung on the wall… It was very much in line with the interest of a chuunibyou youth. Once you’ve lived here long enough, it would be strange for your mentality to remain normal.

According to the introduction in the original novel, because Gu Yuan’s mind was sensitive, and not to mention he was a young orphan – the Gu family didn’t dare to interfere too much with him. Except for the servants who had been cleaning it, other people shouldn’t have come into his room. Naturally, it didn’t occur to anyone to urge him to change this fact. It appeared that his onset of psychopathy later had a lot to do with his prior self-isolation and depression.

But these were not clearly written in the script. Of course, Fan Yuan didn’t have to force himself to live in such an environment. He walked to the window and pulled the curtains apart. He could see the lights in the distance. The sky was full of stars. Such a beautiful night sky, and the original host had probably never noticed it.

Different choices make different results. Although he knew that the original owner of this body was only a gay minor character in this Mary Sue novel, he was still unable to understand his suicide – and even found it unforgivable.

If you could live well, then how could you choose death so easily?

Many people worked hard just so they could be like other normal people and breathe freely.

Fan Yuan exhaled a breath, along with all the negative thoughts, and went into the bathroom.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

The Gu family were indeed super rich. The bathroom was luxurious enough to buy a 3 bedrooms, 1 living room luxury apartment in the luxurious district of this city.

Fan Yuan felt that being a gay minor character was actually pretty good. Occasionally, he could benefit from his association with the male lead, and his welfare really couldn’t be any better. Even in the previous world, he was under Gao Yu’s protagonist halo and lived freely and with ease.

Although the battlefront of this world wasn’t as long, he still had half a year. He could take the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life.

After soaking in a hot bath, Fan Yuan stepped out of the bathtub. It only occurred to him then, that he had forgotten to bring his pajamas. But it didn’t matter. No one would come to his room. Fan Yuan was too lazy to wrap himself with a towel and opened the door without any preparation.

“Ding. Master, the male lead. He……” Xiao Wu was too late. The bathroom door had already been opened.

“…………”

“…………”

After a few seconds of consternation, Fan Yuan was quickly able to collect himself and returned to the bathroom before closing the door. [1]”WTF” was running through his mind countlessly. God, what’s this?! The male lead in his room?! What about all the respect for his sensitive, young mind?! The script didn’t say anything about the male lead visiting the gay minor character’s room at night! What about the most basic trust between people?!

“Ding. Master, you’re a man.”

Fan Yuan was suddenly shocked, and a moment later, he felt his heart ache to the point of suffocation. “Xiao Wu, would you say I’m weird? Clearly, I’m a man. But how is it that I’m feeling like I’m being taken advantage of?”

Xiao Wu: “……”

When Gu Qi returned to his senses, his very naked younger brother was gone. He knocked on the door twice, feeling slightly complicated.

“Xiao Yuan.”

“Brother, why are you in my room?”

Gu Yuan tried to sound normal. He’d been acting gay for a long time, and yet he was still affected. But he was convinced that he was still the straightest of men.

Gu Qi leaned against the door, massaging his eyebrows. He quietly spoke, “I’m sorry. Brother knocked on the door. You probably didn’t hear me while in the shower. I came in since the door was unlocked. Brother was a little worried and wanted to talk to you. I didn’t expect to see……”

Fan Yuan didn’t want to continue this topic, and interrupted. “Haha, it’s really alright. We’re all guys. It’s no big deal. Brother, you don’t have to worry about me. I know your heart. I am willing to make friends, to get out of my little world. As long as Brother wants me to do it, then I will. So long as Brother doesn’t hate me, I’ll be fine.”

Gu Qi’s eyes flickered. “Am I that important to you?”

Fan Yuan rolled his eyes in his mind. This Lord Male Lead who will personally send his younger brother, whom he’s been looking after since childhood, to a mental hospital, came running to his room this late – was he seeking a sense of existence?

Gu Yuan was silent for a moment, then with a low voice belonging to that of a pubescent boy, he said, “To me, Big Brother is the most important.”

That’s right. To willingly give up your own dream, become a demon, and even to give up your own life. How could he be unimportant? How could he not matter?

Gu Qi felt touched in his heart. The feeling of being filled with warmth was familiar yet strange. He hoarsely said, “Xiao Yuan, you are also the most important to Big Brother.”

“……”

Fan Yuan’s affectionate expression almost crumbled. This [most important] thing had a short deadline. In less than half a year, he’d be saying that to someone else entirely.

It’s a good thing that he was a professional. Fan Yuan strove to sound happy and shy as he bid, “Good night, Brother.”

“Right. Rest early. Tomorrow morning, Big Brother will take you out. You have been staying home for the whole vacation. You should also go out for exercise.”

“Yes. I got it.”

Fan Yuan put his ear to the door and heard the door outside opening and closing. It was only then that he had the heart to come out.

He dressed and said,” Xiao Wu, did the script say that the male lead will take this character out to go shopping? I didn’t get that impression.”

“Ding. According to the script, tomorrow will be the day the female lead and the male supporting character meet for the first time. There’s no mention of the male lead and the gay minor character’s schedule.”

“Oh, so I’m free to do anything?”

“Ding. Yes. As long as it’s not OOC and doesn’t affect the plot, Master has the freedom.”

“Hey! That’s great! I will taste all the delicious food in this city tomorrow! Because of this damn otaku attribute, I won’t have another chance after tomorrow! I must have a good meal!”

“……” Didn’t you say you were going to work hard tonight? It shouldn’t have expected too much from this happy-go-lucky master.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Gu Qi returned to his room, and took a set of pajamas into the bathroom. He didn’t undress but went in directly under the cold shower. Even though the heating inside the house was plenty warm, he still felt the chill the moment the cold water poured down on him. And his muddled brain was finally getting a little more sober.

He always knew his brother was beautiful. But he never imagined that one day, he would be seduced by it.

When Gu Yuan appeared in front of him, naked, his hair completely wet, he was merely a little bit distracted. But in the next second, he had lost to that face of innocence. That perfect, slightly flirtatious body, with such pure and clean eyes. That conflicting yet sexy beauty – even the immortals must be enticed by him.

Today’s Gu Yuan was different from the usual.

There was a liveliness in his eyes, unlike his usual inarticulate and gloomy self before. Clever and full of vitality. One couldn’t help but be soft-hearted and reluctant to give him a harsh word, just wanting to pamper him.

Gu Qi calmed down his restless desire. The boy was only sixteen, and was his brother. For whatever reason, he must not.

Not ever.

Translator’s notes:

[1]Actual English used.