translator: Eve
Who would have thought that amongst all the plot points, Xue Mian—whether it was his feelings or his career—remained never deviated.
While heading over to the location of his last mission, Song Xuanhe suddenly thought that there were a lot of things that were very interesting in this world. For example, his inexplicable arrival. Another example: the differences between Xiao Yuanmu in reality and in the book. Another thing that amazed him was how some things didn’t change even when so many other things did.
Song Xuanhe couldn’t help but feel confused. Actually, he had been confused ever since the first day he had come to this world.
Just why did the System choose him? Was it really like the System had said? Because there was a problem with his body?
Every minute, every second, someone died and someone is born. If that was really the case, Song Xuanhe thought that the System must have had many other choices. His condition wasn’t the most urgent and it wasn’t like he was the most appropriate choice to do the mission. That’s why he had always thought that there must be a deeper reason for why the System had chosen him.
It was just that, during his indirect attempts to attain information, he had realized that, while the System didn’t seem very smart, it would not leak a single thing when it came to crucial topics. Now, it was already time for him to complete his last mission. which wasn’t important and not a part of the main story line. Song Xuanhe thought that if he didn’t ask now, he would never find out what the real reason for his arrival was.
Song Xuanhe’s intuition told him that the reason he was chosen was very important to him.
【Did all seven of the men really fall in love with Xiao Yuanmu in the book?】Song Xuanhe suddenly asked.
The System said：【In the book, they are all Xiao Yuanmu’s pursuers.】
Song Xuanhe’s steps didn’t falter. He stared at the forest before him, no expression on his face. When he heard the System’s reply, the light in his eyes changed：【Just pursuers?】
The System was silent for a while. It asked：【Is there a difference between being a pursuer and falling in love?】
Song Xuanhe replied：【Sometimes. If they like Xiao Yuanmu, they will want to be with Xiao Yuanmu no matter what. Meanwhile, there are many different kinds of ‘pursuers’. They may pursue him out of love or out of profit.】
【Everything in the book is in accordance to the author’s descriptions and settings.】The System said：【I cannot differentiate the difference between love and pursuers. If you want to know, you’ll have to analyze it yourself.】
Song Xuanhe didn’t need to analyze it. Actually, he suddenly understood everything the moment he asked the System the question.
He had always found it strange. Even if the butterfly effect was in play, even if Xiao Yuanmu was different in real life, it was very difficult for these things to change whether someone will fall for someone. Even if changes occurred, six people would not completely give up on courting Xiao Yuanmu just because of him. He couldn’t even see an inkling of attraction towards Xiao Yuanmu from these people.
Since his appearance couldn’t have made such a drastic change, the answer was obvious—even in the book, these people didn’t like Xiao Yuanmu all that much.
when Song Xuanhe had read the book, his mood hadn’t been very good because he had just arrived in this world and found out about his body’s condition. That’s why he had only skipped to the important parts while reading the book.
To the him in the past, the important parts were the early parts of the novel, when the original host appeared, and the latter half of the plot that involved the original host. He also considered the scenes revolving around Xiao Yuanmu’s career to be important.
Although the title of the novel, the President and His Seven Boyfriends, made it sound like it was an erotic romance novel, it was actually about the main character’s career. Outside of his career, the Xiao Family and the disputes regarding the interests of other families took up a large portion of the novel. The scenes that had nothing to do with his career were only glossed over and the romance scenes were very roughly written. After all, there were seven pursuers. If the author were to write each one in detail, the author would have to write over a million words to describe just their interactions.
Moreover, Song Xuanhe wasn’t interested in the protagonist’s love life either. If it was a romance scene that didn’t have to do with the main story line, he only skimmed over it. Even so, he remembered how most of the interactions Xiao Yuanmu had with his ‘pursuers’ were related to his work. For example, Hoffman and Zhang Siwei—they were both Xiao Yuanmu’s business partners.
As such, the author’s descriptions of the ‘pursuers’ method of ‘pursuing’ Xiao Yuanmu all had to do with mutually beneficial business agreements. Their ‘dates’ were the business dinners they had to talk about work. The ‘romance’ happened when they worked together to achieve the greatest profit. There was nothing else aside from that. If it wasn’t because the author had written that they were pursuing Xiao Yuanmu, Song Xuanhe would honestly think that they were nothing more than business partners.
As reality would have it, they were really just business partners.
Zhang Siwei and Hoffman were most likely pursuing Xiao Yuanmu because they wanted to form a strong alliance. They probably wanted to help their family or company gain an upper hand in negotiations. As for, Yu Yan might have decided to use Xiao Yuanmu as the best candidate after his heartbreak. During his hardest time, he might have thought that the best way to get over heartbreak was to find new love. Meanwhile, Song Xuanhe had a strong suspicion that Guan Zhi pursued Xiao Yuanmu because he couldn’t find a better chef than Xiao Yuanmu. He probably just thought that he could eat Xiao Yuanmu’s home-cooked food every day if they were to get married.
After excluding these four people, there were three people left. In the beginning, Wei Chen probably started to pursue Xiao Yuanmu for the sake of a collaboration. After all, the relationship between Wei Chen and Xiao Yuanmu has always been strained. It was very unlikely for him to have been attracted to Xiao Yuanmu’s looks or personality. Xue Mian, in contrast, was a hardcore face con from beginning to start. That’s why, unless Xiao Yuanmu’s face changed, Xue Mian’s feelings for Xiao Yuanmu would not change.
In the end, there was still one person left unaccounted for.
Song Xuanhe tried to recall the last pursuer’s name and frowned：【You said that I’ve been in contact with Hao Ke but I don’t have any impressions of him at all. When did I meet him? Why didn’t you tell me?】
【I didn’t know either back then.】The System said：【Hao Ke used someone else’s account to speak to you. I only found out after I upgraded.】
【When did I talk to him?】Song Xuanhe hadn’t been in contact with many strangers who didn’t have anything to do with the original host. There were only a few people who left a deep impression on him but none of them didn’t seem like Hao Ke.
Hao Ke was a hacker in the book. The book described him as 190 cm tall, slightly taller than Xiao Yuanmu. His skin was extremely fair because he rarely stepped out of his home. He was tall, skinny and had a cold aura. He was also quite handsome.
Song Xuanhe sifted through his memories but couldn’t find anyone that fit this description. If anything, his height alone would have made him very recognizable. After all, someone that stuck out among the crowd like that would cause one’s gaze to linger for a few seconds. But he had never seen anyone who was 190 cms tall.
【Have I really seen him before?】Song Xuanhe was skeptical.
The System said：【You’ve been in contact.】
They’ve only been in contact….
Song Xuanhe was lost in thought. A few seconds later, a thought flashed through his mind. He was about to say something to Song Xuanhe when he heard a cold voice, devoid of any emotion, speak up: “There are wild animals over there. If you don’t want to die, don’t go in.”
His steps paused and he looked up to see a tall, thin young man with a mountain climbing backpack. He was standing only two steps away from him, peering down at him, lips slightly pursed.
“Then why are you going in?” Song Xuanhe sized up the other man’s outfit. “You look like you’re about to go in, not like you’re about to leave.”
“I am about to head in.” The tall, skinny young man said flatly. “Because I’m capable of leaving alive.”
Song Xuanhe raised a brow and asked, “How do you know I won’t be able to make it out alive?”
The young man’s gaze swept over his body, landing on his fair, slender fingers that clearly have never done any hard labour. His hand looked like it had no strength. The young man then cocked his brow like Song Xuanhe did, the meaning in his look implicit.
Song Xuanhe naturally understood the ridicule in the other’s eyes but he didn’t mind it. He smiled. “I know that there are wild animals here. But the reason I came here was to see them.”
The young man frowned. He didn’t think that the other would downplay this life-endangering activity after hearing his warning. However, it was already very kind of him to warn this stranger. If the weak young master wanted to go in, then even if he died, it had nothing to do with him.
As he thought this, he gave the young master an insipid look before heading into the forest.
Song Xuanhe stared at his back, brows furrowed as he quietly said, “I was just thinking about a man who is 190 cms tall and I ended up bumping into a man who is 190 cms tall.”
The System was about to respond when it saw Song Xuanhe tread into the forest. He headed straight for the forest’s depths.
The forest was verdant and lush. It was about noon but the foliage blocked most of the sun’s rays, scattering the rest along the forest floor. The speckled light enhanced the vibrant colour of the fallen leaves.
The book only mentioned that the original host appeared in a small wooden house in the depths of the forest. A passing hunter had caught his silhouette. That’s why Song Xuanhe headed in that direction.
Since it was still day time, Song Xuanhe only caught glimpses of a few small, scuttling creatures on his way to the small wooden house, since most of the beasts in this forest were nocturnal. It wasn’t particularly dangerous at present.
In the book, the last time the hunter say the original host was around night time. Actually, that had been the first day the original host’s patron had abandoned him in the forest. The original host’s legs had been broken as well. Probably because Lu Chao thought that it would be amusing, he ordered his people to put food inside the wooden house and around the house. He wanted to see if the original host that couldn’t walk would succumb to crawling in search for food once he starved.
The original host had lived alone in the wooden house for a month. Every day, he would only eat and drink miniscule amounts, just enough to continue living. At night, he would find it difficult to sleep because of the movements of the wild beasts outside. Occasionally, he would be tormented by the withdrawal symptoms from his addiction. After being tortured physically and mentally, he didn’t dare to leave the wooden house. In the beginning, he probably hadn’t realized that these people weren’t just humiliating him. He had probably just thought that they wanted to see him in a wretched condition.
It wasn’t until his rations ran out and no one came to take him away, did he realize just how dangerous a situation he was in. That’s why he had decided to leave the wooden house. However, at that time, the windows had already been boarded shut. As such, he was only able to use sound to determine whether or not there was danger outside. What he didn’t expect, was that after he was able to open the door, it was already night time.
The people did not hide food in places that could be easily seen from the wooden house. The food they hid had also been meat, raw or cooked. The wild animals had started to scavenge the area around the wooden house after finding food in these premises in the past. In addition, the original host wasn’t very mobile. He was malnourished and weakened from his addiction. He wasn’t particularly quiet when he moved. The beasts already knew that there was prey inside the wooden house.
It was just that the previous resident of this wooden house had been a gun-wielding hunter. The animals were smart, so they didn’t choose to break in. Instead, they guarded the area tightly. In the end, they were rewarded with prey that was unable to struggle.
Song Xuanhe stood in front of the wooden house’s door, staring at the wooden steps. In the book, the original host had been dragged down these steps by the wild animals.
【There are still three or four hours until the hunter will arrive.】The System said：【You should go inside. This forest is a bit dangerous.】
Song Xuanhe glanced at the empty space around the wooden house and said in a mild tone：【What are you afraid of? It’s not like I’m on my own.】
The System was taken aback. It then remembered that Xiao Yuanmu’s people had been tailing Song Xuanhe the whole time. But when it thought of the original host’s end, it still tried to persuade him：【Even so, it would probably be safer for you to be inside the house.】
Song Xuanhe didn’t plan on dying now either. He also wanted to check out the wooden house anyway. He had just lifted a foot when he saw the tall, skinny young man from the forest’s entrance heading deeper into the forest.
Thinking of his reminder, Song Xuanhe mulled over it for a bit before chasing after the man.
The young man turned his head in surprise upon hearing the sound of footsteps. He frowned when he saw Song Xuanhe run over. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“You said it yourself, there are wild animals here,” Song Xuanhe said, “I don’t think you should wander around here.”
The young man glanced at him. “I came here for the animals. Furthermore, this area isn’t particularly deep. It’s unlikely for wild beasts to appear here. If you stay here, you probably shouldn’t encounter any danger. Just don’t go any deeper.”
After saying this, the young man started to leave.
Song Xuanhe paused upon hearing this. “Under what conditions would wild beasts come over here?”
The young man stopped walking and turned around. “Unless there’s nothing to eat in the deeper parts of the forest, or if there’s something attracting them over here, it would be unlikely for them to come here.”
He pointed at the wooden house behind Song Xuanhe. “The area around the hunting cabin has animal repellent and traps. Therefore, animals don’t like to come over here. Furthermore, there’s less prey in the outskirts of the forest as compared to the inside of the forest. That’s why it’s so rare for them to come out here. You can stay here without any concerns. Don’t go any deeper into the forest.”
There was no need for the young man to give him such a detailed explanation. Song Xuanhe could see the kindness underneath the other’s cold exterior. Therefore, he asked, “Why are you going inside then? Aren’t you afraid of the danger?”
“Because of a few reasons, I ended up taking care of a few lion cubs.” The young man responded coolly, “They live here. I always come to see them every year, and usually live in this forest for some time as well.”
Song Xuanhe was surprised. He suddenly recalled the passerby who had discovered the original host’s body. The book had only mentioned the passerby in passing, but he now thought that it was very likely that the passerby was the young man before him.
When he recalled that the passerby had been injured, Song Xuanhe reminded him: “Although they used to be your pets, they’re still wild animals. It’d be best if you headed home.”
The young man’s gaze turned cold upon hearing this. “Animals remember kindness and gratitude better than humans do. Anyway, since you know it’s dangerous in there, don’t go in.”
Song Xuanhe frowned as he watched the other continue to head inside. He shouted, “Hey.”
The young man stopped once more. He looked at Song Xuanhe with a look of impatience.
“Take this.” Song Xuanhe pulled a gun out from his waistband. “You should use this. Keep it for self-defense.”
The young man was shocked at the small pistol in his hands. “You have a gun?”
“It was for self-defense,” Song Xuanhe said, “now I’m giving it to you. Remember to protect yourself.”
“What about you?” The young man asked.
“You said that there wasn’t any danger out here,” Song Xuanhe said, “I’ll leave after taking a few pictures around here.”
The young man gripped the holster of the gun tightly. He was quiet for a while, before he tried to hand it back to him. “The cubs I raised wouldn’t hurt me. I don’t know how to use this either. You should keep it.”
Song Xuanhe smiled. “I don’t believe that someone who raised lions doesn’t know how to use a gun.”
The young man’s expression turned rigid. “I can’t take your gun. Although the risk is lower out here, that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. It would be better for you to keep the gun on you.”
“It’s more dangerous inside.” Song Xuanhe said when he saw how persistent the other looked, “Even if you can guarantee that your cubs aren’t ingrates, there are actual wolves inside the forest. There are also other dangerous animals. Will you be safe from those animals?”
After hearing Song Xuanhe say this, the young man hesitated. In the past, he had lived in this area for some time every year. But because of something that had happened last year, he hadn’t come to visit. Therefore, he wasn’t very certain about the situation in the forest right now. If he had a gun, he would indeed feel a lot more safe.
“Are you really going to stay in the outskirts of the forest to take pictures?” The young man mumbled to himself for a while, “and that you’ll leave before nightfall?”
Song Xuanhe nodded. “Yes.”
“I’ll stay with you,” The young man said, “I’ll go in after you leave.”
“The forest is more dangerous at night.”
Song Xuanhe didn’t consider himself to be a particularly good person. The reason he had handed a gun over to this stranger was only because he had a backup. Furthermore, he knew that Xiao Yuanmu’s people were following him. Even if he wasn’t a particularly good person, he couldn’t watch unfeelingly as this person went in without any precautions, when he knew he was very likely the person who had discovered the original host’s body and had gotten hurt.
It was just that the young man seemed very persistent. It seems like he had no choice but to compromise.
“How about you stay the night here and head inside in the morning?” Song Xuanhe said, “I’ll leave at night. You can sleep in the wooden house.”
The young man looked at the wooden house and agreed after contemplating it.
Taking pictures was nothing but an excuse to come here. Although he liked to take pictures, but there really wasn’t much to take photos of in this forest. If he really wanted to take pictures of forests or jungles, he could have gone to the Amazon or the Daxing’Anling mountain range in China. In any case, he wouldn’t have come here.
But he had already given this excuse and Xiao Yuanmu had probably already heard it. There were also people following him, so even if it was only an excuse, he had to act it out.
Song Xuanhe held his camera up and strolled through the forest.
The young man followed him around the forest, like a dedicated bodyguard.
The dried branches and leaves Song Xuanhe stepped on crinkled with his steps. The young man’s footsteps could be heard behind him as he followed after Song Xuanhe.
“You don’t have to follow me.”
Song Xuanhe didn’t like it when other people stuck close to him, whether they were female or male. Xiao Yuanmu was the exception.
“There are snakes around here,” The young man said in a flat voice, “There was a venomous snake hanging on one of the trees you just passed by.”
Song Xuanhe had noticed it. The System had warned him.
“I saw it.” Song Xuanhe said, “I’ll make sure to keep an eye out. Keep a few feet away from me. I feel like punching guys when they get too close to me.”
The young man’s mouth twitched and he took a step back. He explained, “I’m only following you because of this gun. I don’t have any other intentions.”
Song Xuanhe glanced at him. “Then keep your distance.”
The young man stood in place, quietly watching him. A sliver of disdain flashed through his eyes, as if saying that he didn’t want to be close to the other man either.
Song Xuanhe was satisfied with the common understanding between them. He then held the camera to his eye, turning around to find a good angle.
Although taking pictures was an excuse, it was easy for someone like Song Xuanhe, who liked photography and was a designer, to find good pictures to take in a more primitive area like this forest.
Very quickly, Song Xuanhe immersed himself in taking photos, ignoring the outside world and the passage of time.
It wasn’t until he heard the explosive sound of a gunshot that he came back to himself. He turned to look at the young man behind him.
The young man’s hand was raised, his finger pointing to an area on the ground half a metre away from Song Xuanhe’s foot. There was a long, thick cobra dead on the floor, a bullet through its head. It looked like it would have been deadly while alive.
“Your marksmanship’s pretty good.” Song Xuanhe praised the other calmly.
【I warned you three times!】The System sighed in relief：【You’re lucky Hao Ke saw it. Otherwise, you’d have been bitten. Even if Xiao Yuanmu’s people came running, you might not have made it out alive.】
Song Xuanhe looked up suddenly: “Hao Ke?”
The young man, who had been examining their surroundings, paused. His brows furrowed slowly and suspicion appeared in his eyes. “How did you know my name?”
“Name?” There was a sliver of lingering fear in Song Xuanhe’s limpid eyes. “I said, it was really scary just now. Thank you, really.” (TN: Really scary = hao kepa pinyin wise. Different characters though.)
Hao Ke responded expressionlessly. “You didn’t look very scared just now. You even praised my marksmanship.”
“It took me a moment to process,” Song Xuanhe said, “but I was just mentioning how afraid I was off-handedly. The main thing is that I’m grateful to you.”
Hao Ke was swayed by Song Xuanhe’s act and started to doubt himself. He pursed his lips and then glanced at his watch. “It’s already five o’clock. It’s night time now. You should leave the forest.”
Song Xuanhe paused. He was about to speak when he saw a person walk over, his body shrouded in cold air. When his eyes met with Xiao Yuanmu’s chilly, furious eyes, he nodded and told the young man: “The snakes in this forest are really scary. My boyfriend’s come. Thanks for saving me. I’ll be leaving first.”
After saying this, Song Xuanhe walked over to Xiao Yuanmu, ignored the other’s cold expression and grabbed his head. He tried to drag the other towards the exit: “Don’t go over there.”
Xiao Yuanmu stood in place. There was a frigid light to his pitch-black eyes. “Song Xuanhe, do you gravitate towards dangerous areas? Even though you know that I’ll worry about you, you don’t care at all. Or were you just all talk when you said that you liked me? You don’t plan to stay with me for the long-term, do you?”
Eve: The original host’s death is so brutal. Even if he wasn’t a good person, that’s too much. Also, my heart hurts for Mumu.
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