After that day, Yin Sanyue didn’t show up for quite a long time.

Fang Jun watched as Xu Lanfan’s mood darkened day by day, feeling like Xu Lanfan was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, hurting both himself and others.

Unable to bear living on edge like this, Fang Jun decided to call Yin Sanyue. But just as he was about to, she called him first.

Yin Sanyue said, "Fang Jun, I want to ask you for a favor."

Fang Jun, with his usual playful tone, replied, "Senior Yin, as long as you two can make up, I’d climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames for you, no questions asked."

Yin Sanyue chuckled, "It’s not that serious. I just need you to make sure Xu Lanfan…"

"Mm… Mm… Alright, Senior Yin, you can count on me."

After getting Fang Jun’s promise, Yin Sanyue hung up the phone and sat in front of her computer, lost in thought.

When Xu Lanfan was around, he wouldn’t even let her spend too many hours in front of the computer each day.

Sometimes he’d tell her to get up and walk around, saying she was getting too fat, which made him feel gross when touching her; other times, he’d tell her to eat some fruit, saying that staring at the screen too long was bad for her skin, which made him less eager to kiss her.

He had a sharp tongue, always sounding critical and arrogant, but in reality, he was thoughtful and very caring.

Perhaps it was because he lost his mother at a young age that he was more mature than his peers in many ways, with a stronger ability to live independently.

Even though she was older than him, many times it was actually him who took care of her more.

She remembered once asking Xu Lanfan, "What do you like about me?"

Xu Lanfan scratched his head, "If I knew what I liked about you, I would’ve quit by now."

She thought for a moment and rephrased the question: "Then why do you like me?"

Xu Lanfan was silent for a long time before he finally spoke:

"Yin Sanyue, I know why the Earth orbits the sun, why metals rust, and why organisms don’t directly synthesize proteins from DNA templates…"

"Simple things, complex things—even if I don’t understand, I can learn to know them. But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure out why I like you."

"I’ve asked myself, tried to find a reason."

"Is it because I like your smile? Like when you play around? Or like when we bicker… It’s all of these, but none of them, because even when I add them all up, it still doesn’t fully capture how much I like you."

"I really like you, like you so much that I wish I could control your thoughts, your eyes, so you’d only think of me, only look at me."

"It’s so frustrating, so powerless, yet it’s sweet like honey, and I’m happy to endure it. Can you understand this feeling?"

As she thought about it, Yin Sanyue sighed.

He had always been like this with her, expressing his love without holding back, but she had always been too cautious, overthinking everything, and passively accepting his affection.

So this time, she decided she would be the one to express her love and respond to his deep feelings.

On the agreed day, Fang Jun tugged at Xu Lanfan’s blanket and said, "Xu Lao’er, let me tell you, there’s a voice live stream on Weibo at 5:21."

"Leave me alone, I’m annoyed." Xu Lanfan rolled further into the bed, "Careful, or I’ll beat you up."

Fang Jun laughed, "Wanna bet? I bet two hundred bucks you won’t touch me... Whoa, you’re serious!"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Lanfan had already yanked the pillow and threw it at him.

Xu Lanfan’s tone was unfriendly, "I’m looking for someone to vent on, so if you keep nagging, we’re really gonna fight today."

Fang Jun clicked his tongue and shook his head, "I’m so fed up with your half-dead attitude. I’m telling you, that live stream is by the BL master Wen Liang, who’s about to confess to his boyfriend on Weibo. If you have the guts, then don’t..."

"Who did you say?" Xu Lanfan interrupted him, turning over and grabbing Fang Jun by the collar, pulling him toward the bed, "Say that again! Who?"

"Damn, you’re trying to kill me—cough, cough..." Fang Jun tried to pry Xu Lanfan’s hands off, "BL master, Wen Liang, Wen Liang. Does that name sound familiar? You should thank Senior Yin; she’s the one who woke you up!"

Xu Lanfan paused for a moment, then suddenly released him and flipped over to grab his phone.

But as he stared at the screen, he couldn’t seem to find Weibo.

Fang Jun chuckled, "Look at you, so hopeless, it hasn’t even started yet."

"It’s scheduled to start at 5:21—do you even remember what that number means?"

Xu Lanfan didn’t bother responding, instead calming himself down before opening Weibo.

Of course, he knew that Wen Liang was Yin Sanyue’s pen name. She had once told him that it meant "hearing about the coldness of the world."

But Yin Sanyue didn’t like mixing her writing with real life. Although she had registered a Weibo account, she never posted personal information on it. Occasionally, she would update her writing progress or promote a new novel, but she never asked him to follow her.

Xu Lanfan searched for "Wen Liang" in the Weibo search bar and clicked on her profile.

It showed that a live stream was in progress. Xu Lanfan put on his headphones and joined.

For a while, there was no talking, just the song "Confession Balloon" playing, a song Xu Lanfan had once sung for Yin Sanyue.

At 5:21, Yin Sanyue’s voice finally came through.

She said, "It’s now 5:21, which sounds like ‘I love you.’ My boyfriend is here, and this message is for him. He’s someone who gets jealous easily and isn’t easy to coax, so don’t try to compete with him."

Hearing this, Xu Lanfan suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him, clearing away the days of frustration.

He grinned and quickly typed, "Obviously, I love you more," and sent it.

In the live stream, Yin Sanyue continued:

"The reason for today’s live stream, as I mentioned on Weibo before, is because I upset my boyfriend and made him sad, so I want to confess my love publicly to get his forgiveness."

"Thank you all, lovely people, for joining."

"Before I start begging for his forgiveness with sweet talk, I’d like to say something else."

"A lot of people ask me why I write BL when romance has a broader audience and better earnings."

"But maybe it’s because I’ve always wanted to write about a more perfect, idealized love."

"One that transcends gender and age, where one soul is drawn to another, where one person falls in love with another."

"In most young adult romance novels, there’s no escaping the trope of the strong male and the weak female."

"The female is always the one being pampered, too passive in the relationship, expected to be shy, reserved, and so innocent it’s almost naive, just to be seen as cute."

"Or even if she likes someone, she can’t confess, can’t be proactive—she has to be demure, self-respecting, and play hard to get."

"But that kind of love, to me, feels more like a one-sided dependency."

"So I write about two boys. They’re not constrained by gender; they can both be strong, brave, and ambitious. They don’t have to hide their love, don’t have to feel ashamed of their desires. They’re open, honest, and equally matched..."

As Xu Lanfan listened, he raised his right hand to rest behind his head.

He had once asked Yin Sanyue why she wrote BL, and at that time, she had explained it to him.

She was a very contradictory person, possessing both the carefree nature of a boy and the reserved nature of a girl, making her lively and unpredictable.

Often, he didn’t know which side of her personality would take over in the next moment or what surprising action she might take, just like now—he had never imagined she would publicly reveal her most genuine thoughts like this.

In his earphones, Yin Sanyue’s voice continued: "After explaining my reasons, you might start to wonder what kind of person I am."

"But in reality, the characters I write are idealistic—they represent the personalities I wish to express."

"Especially in matters of love, they are straightforward and direct. When they love, they love fully; when they hate, they hate openly."

"When they say ‘I love you,’ they mean it with all their heart. When they say ‘I don’t love you,’ they leave without looking back."

"But in real life, I’m just like many others—cautious, overthinking, always trying to leave myself a way out. That’s why I’m so restrained in love and unwilling to give my all."

"But my boyfriend is different. He has always loved me passionately and openly, making sure I feel his love every single moment."

"He wanted his sister, who is also my friend, to know we were in a relationship, but I always refused to tell her."

"Just two days ago, I called my friend, and she said she had known all along—my boyfriend had told her a long time ago."

"That’s when I realized he had already carefully taken care of the difficulties I might face."

"So today, I’m doing this live stream to respond to his love, and from now on, I won’t just passively accept it."

"I will love him like a man, as I wrote in my stories: expressing my feelings without reservation, standing by his side as we grow together, being his woman, loved by him, sharing kisses, hugs, and all the affection."

"Xu Xiaogou, I love you."

After hearing that final sentence, Xu Lanfan rolled around on his bed like an idiot, almost falling off in the process.

Fang Jun glanced at him, thinking that if he asked for the two hundred bucks now, Xu Lanfan would probably hand it over without even blinking.

Sure enough, love lowers one’s IQ.

After the live stream ended, Yin Sanyue thought Xu Lanfan, given his personality, would rush back to her place and they’d have a passionate night together.

But Xu Lanfan actually stayed put and went home that night. Yin Sanyue went over to his place.

Yin Sanyue asked directly, "Why aren’t you coming back?"

Xu Lanfan, lounging on the sofa, responded lazily, “I should let you stew a bit longer. What if you’re not used to not having someone cook and do the laundry for you? You might want me back as your servant.”

Yin Sanyue touched her nose and moved closer, throwing herself onto Xu Lanfan. “Xu Xiaogou, are you done being so aloof? If you don’t come back, I’ll really get mad.”

Xu Lanfan didn’t reply but pulled her. “Get off.”

“No,” Yin Sanyue shook her head. “If you don’t come back with me, I’m staying here.”

Xu Lanfan grinned. “Yin Sanyue, are you that eager?”

Yin Sanyue grabbed his hand that was on her waist. “Who’s eager, who knows.”

Xu Lanfan chuckled. “I’ll ask you again, are you getting off or not?”

Yin Sanyue firmly shook her head. “If you don’t come back with me, I’m not getting off.”

Xu Lanfan smirked and suddenly called out, “Dad.”

Yin Sanyue was startled and turned her head to see Xu’s father coming down the stairs.

“Xiaofan, this must be Sanyue?” Xu’s father said with a smile as he walked over.

Yin Sanyue quickly called out, “Uncle,” and then whispered to Xu Lanfan, “Let go of me.”

Xu Lanfan chuckled quietly and replied, “Not letting go. Who was just refusing to get off?”

Yin Sanyue pinched him hard in frustration.

After Xu Lanfan had his laugh, he kissed her forehead and finally let go, standing up while holding her hand. He introduced her formally, “Dad, this is my girlfriend, Yin Sanyue. I really like her.”

Yin Sanyue’s face flushed deeply.

Later, Yin Sanyue learned that Xu Lanfan had deliberately arranged for her to meet his parents.

Xu’s father mentioned that he was originally going on a business trip, but Xu Lanfan called him suddenly and said he needed to come home.

Xu’s father also thanked her because he had never seen Xu Lanfan so happy and lively, and appreciated her for making his son feel as happy as anyone else.

"Don’t do this again. Luckily, my heart is strong, or I’d have been scared out of my wits," Yin Sanyue said, still a bit dazed from the surprise meeting.

Xu Lanfan ruffled her hair and said, “You made your confession like a proposal. I had to let you meet my parents quickly. I had been wanting you to meet them anyway. And there’s one more thing, since you’re still in good health, I should mention it now.”

Yin Sanyue tensed. “What is it?”

Xu Lanfan pulled her close and nibbled on her earlobe. “The house we’re living in now, it’s not someone else’s. It’s our new home, so our first time was in our very own bridal chamber. Now that my parents have met you, all that’s left is for us to get a marriage certificate and have a wedding.”

Yin Sanyue was stunned.

No wonder Xu Lanfan had bought red bedsheets and insisted on having their first time on the big bed in the master bedroom. She had thought he was into ceremonial details; now it all made sense.

“Xu Xiaogou, you’re something,” Yin Sanyue pinched him. “How did you know I’d chase after you?”

Xu Lanfan grinned. “If you hadn’t come, I’d have found a way to get you here. I’ve used all my little tricks on you in this life.”

“I feel like if I were Sun Wukong, you’d be the Buddha, and no matter how I transform, I wouldn’t escape your grasp.”

“That’s good. Just remember to love me honestly from now on.”

“Can I not be honest?”

“You can try.”

“Forget it. I don’t think I can outwit you.”

Xu Lanfan smiled and leaned down to kiss Yin Sanyue.