304 You’re Just Pretending (2/2)

”Uh … No. No, I'm not blaming you. I just meant that since I've shown you, we could start working on the milestones now. Don't you also want to go home?”

Su Yan hesitated whether he should forgive his boyfriend this easily or not. In the end, he nodded. Nie Chang was always so nice to him, always thinking on his behalf. He should be nice to him too and not be unforgiving. ”Then let's do that. What was it you wanted to try? Something outside, right?” Su Yan stood up and wanted to go but Nie Chang pulled him back.

”Wait! Actually … I think it might be better to do it inside, after all.”

”Why? What are we trying?” Su Yan sat down next to him and grabbed onto his arm.

”Well …” Nie Chang gently took his darling's hand and interlaced their fingers. ”Normally, in this kind of novel, if the protagonist encounters problems with his cultivation, he would ask his Master for help who would painstakingly guide him. Isn't that what you always wrote?”

Su Yan nodded. ”Sure. But what does that have to do with relationships? Isn't that because they're Master and disciple?”

Nie Chang chuckled. ”Sure they are. At the beginning at least. Afterward, they'll slowly turn into something different. Aren't those protagonists often poor orphans or illegitimate children that aren't loved by their biological father? They often have nobody else to depend on than their Masters and that dependency might turn into love when they get older.”

Su Yan pursed his lips. ”You're sounding like the system now. I've read and written so many xianxia novels and in none of them did the protagonist and his Master ever fall in love. And Dou Fang Hai isn't an orphan anyway. His father even appeared at the beginning of the novel. He's a nice man.”

Nie Chang sighed. ”There are always exceptions. But this is still something that is true for a lot of bl novels that I read. And … this isn't about novels anyway, is it? This is about milestones in a relationship and if we're two cultivators that are in a relationship, then cultivating together and helping each other through our bottlenecks would be the normal thing to do, wouldn't it?”

Su Yan pursed his lips. This sounded logical … ”Well, I guess if you're saying it like this, then I can't refuse. If you definitely have to try and teach me, I'll have to accept. But don't think I wouldn't be able to figure it out on my own!”

Nie Chang tried very hard to keep a straight face. ”Of course not, darling! How could I ever think you would need my help with this? You're so smart. I'm sure you're just pretending not to have figured it out anyway. Ah, you're really too nice to me, letting me take on the role of a real Master for a while just to make me happy.” He leaned over and kissed Su Yan's cheek.

A certain someone beamed as if all this was indeed as Nie Chang said.

Ah, he really was so good to Nie Chang! It was a matter of course that his boyfriend should be happy.