ROBEPTQ chapter 12

The afternoon sun peeked out from behind the clouds, casting a sparkling glow on the floor of the living room. Mei Yuchen lazily sank into the sofa, hugging his laptop. The typing speed, which had slowed down earlier, returned to the morning’s pace.

Bai Sijun glanced at his WeChat, finding nothing important. He picked up the Kindle again, but his attention remained as scattered as before. Perhaps even more so.

The whispers by his ear and the attractive eyes continued to disrupt his thoughts. Bai Sijun didn’t understand why Mei Yuchen could be more… alluring than girls. Could it be his own illusion?

Unable to focus on reading, Bai Sijun put down the Kindle and said to Mei Yuchen, “I’m going to clean the yard.”

Mei Yuchen looked up, clearly puzzled. “I can get someone to clean it.”

Bai Sijun shook his head, saying, “No, it’s okay. I ate too much for lunch, so a bit of exercise would be good.”

In truth, Bai Sijun didn’t want to clean. After cooking and washing dishes, he finally had some free time. However, Mei Yuchen’s presence in the living room was too strong, always distracting him. The courtyard was the only place where he could stay close but away from Mei Yuchen.

Mei Yuchen silently lowered his eyes. As Bai Sijun was about to leave the living room, Mei Yuchen suddenly spoke, “Are you bored?”

Before Bai Sijun could answer, Mei Yuchen continued, “I wrote an opening. Do you want to read it?”

Bai Sijun’s steps came to a halt, almost thinking the sun had set in the west. If he remembered correctly, Mei Yuchen had said he would read it after it was finished.

He asked cautiously, “Can I read it now?”

Mei Yuchen pressed a key on the keyboard, apparently manually saving the file. He looked up and asked, “Don’t want to read it?”

“Of course, I want to.” Bai Sijun had been waiting for this day for half a month.

But strangely, after so much anticipation, the excitement was gone. He sat back down on the sofa and said, “I’ll read it carefully.”

The story began with a man receiving a package containing a USB drive. After plugging it into the computer, he discovered it was a dating simulation game. Then…

Then, it stopped.

Bai Sijun checked the word count in the lower-left corner, less than two thousand words. He lifted his head and asked, “Is this it?”

Mei Yuchen smirked, raising an eyebrow, “Anything wrong with it?”

“You’re so…” Bai Sijun hesitated, trying to find the right words, “Is this really it?”

Mei Yuchen didn’t answer directly, just silently watching him.

Bai Sijun, feeling the need to offer some feedback, said, “Your writing style is still as smooth as ever…”

What a useless comment.

Mei Yuchen’s eyelids drooped slightly, indicating he didn’t appreciate that feedback.

Bai Sijun awkwardly coughed and tried to find something to say about the plot, “Does this game have some mystery?”

Also a useless question. Mei Yuchen was known for writing suspense novels, not romantic ones. It was clear that something was off with this game.

“Yeah.” Mei Yuchen responded without much expression, giving Bai Sijun a way to escape.

“But this game…” Bai Sijun hesitated and said, “It’s a dating sim, right? Are there romantic plots in it?”

Another useless question. Mei Yuchen excelled in portraying human nature through his writing. His works tended to be adult-oriented, filled with passion and depth, clearly not fitting the romantic theme.

“At the beginning, there are some.” Mei Yuchen replied indifferently, clearly not wanting to elaborate.

Bai Sijun suddenly felt that Mei Yuchen might not have wanted to show him the story but did so out of boredom, just to give him something to do.

Since that was the case, Bai Sijun had no choice but to continue the conversation. After some thought, he said, “It seems you haven’t written about romantic themes before.”

“Indeed,” Mei Yuchen twirled a strand of hair with his index finger, “I’m not good at it.”

“Is it because it involves men and women?” Bai Sijun asked impulsively, regretting it immediately. He didn’t want to appear concerned about Mei Yuchen’s sexual orientation, fearing it might be misunderstood as malice. However, he couldn’t remain indifferent.

“It has nothing to do with gender.” Mei Yuchen said, adding, “I’m just simply not proficient.”

“Shouldn’t be a challenge for you.” Bai Sijun said seriously, “If you can write complex human nature, simple romance should be no problem.”

Mei Yuchen suddenly laughed, asking, “Do you think writers rely on imagination for their writing?”

The familiar “homework” was back.

Bai Sijun pondered for a moment before raising his eyes and saying, “Imagination is an essential factor, but personal experiences should be the foundation.”

“Or personal accumulation.” Mei Yuchen added. This time, he didn’t mock Bai Sijun’s response and didn’t deliberately make it difficult for him, surprising Bai Sijun.

Mei Yuchen continued, “My storylines come from things I’ve experienced or encountered, including being inspired by other writers’ novels or film works. But I’m blank in terms of romance, so it’s challenging for me to write about it.”

While Mei Yuchen spoke, Bai Sijun was initially listening and contemplating. However, when he heard the words “blank in terms of romance,” his thoughts abruptly halted. He doubted he had misheard and asked uncertainly, “Blank in terms of romance?”

Mei Yuchen stopped playing with his hair and half-opened his eyes, “Yes.”

Bai Sijun was taken aback. “You… never had a romantic relationship?”

Mei Yuchen shrugged nonchalantly, “Never.”

Why pretend to be a sex expert then? Apparently, those erotic descriptions were learned from watching adult films?

Bai Sijun suddenly felt more confident because, at least, he was not a virgin. From this perspective, he should be considered Mei Yuchen’s senior.

Perhaps it was Bai Sijun’s subtle expression, Mei Yuchen raised his eyebrows and asked, “What’s that expression for?”

“Uh, nothing.” Bai Sijun quickly retracted the confidence that came out of nowhere, “I just didn’t expect writing would hinder you from dating.”

Mei Yuchen raised an eyebrow, questioning, “Hinder me?”

“I mean, it’s a pity.” Bai Sijun tried to be tactful.

“A pity?” Mei Yuchen raised an eyebrow.

“You look…” Bai Sijun swallowed back the direct praise, “not bad. I really can’t tell if you’re in your thirties or still a virgin.”

The living room fell silent. Mei Yuchen slightly raised the corner of his mouth, observing Bai Sijun for a moment before suddenly smiling.

Bai Sijun felt his back tingling under the gaze, anxiously asking, “What’s wrong?”

Mei Yuchen raised his chin slightly, staring directly at Bai Sijun, “Who told you I’m a virgin?”

Bai Sijun was stunned, “Didn’t you say you’ve never had a relationship?”

“Never had a romantic relationship,” Mei Yuchen paused, then smirked, “Doesn’t mean I don’t have bed partners.”

Bai Sijun almost wanted to find a hole to hide in. He tasted the sweet and sour flavor of being slapped in the face for the first time.

Before he could respond, Mei Yuchen added with a playful tone, “If you don’t believe it, you can try it with me and see if I know what I’m doing.”

The last words Mei Yuchen said were slow and deliberate. Whether it was Bai Sijun’s illusion or not, Mei Yuchen’s gaze seemed to become more enchanting and captivating.

Could Mei Yuchen do it?

If the descriptions in his books were based on personal experiences, then he must be very skilled indeed.

Bai Sijun felt utterly embarrassed for his naive thoughts just now, and Mei Yuchen seemed to enjoy his reaction. Deliberately adopting a concerned expression like an elder, Mei Yuchen asked, “You haven’t tried with a man yet, have you? Do you want me to let you experience the taste of ecstasy and death?”

Bai Sijun’s initial reaction was disbelief, it couldn’t be that great, more like painful.

However, he naturally didn’t dare to express that to Mei Yuchen. His face turned red, and after hesitating for a while, he awkwardly said, “Pay attention to hygiene and safety.”

Mei Yuchen burst into laughter, saying, “I’m very careful.”

After saying this, Mei Yuchen, as if intentionally, added with a playful tone, “You can rest assured.”

“That’s none of my business.” Bai Sijun mumbled with an unnatural expression.

Mei Yuchen didn’t continue the conversation, just watching him with a smile.

Bai Sijun suddenly felt that his presence here was merely for Mei, the great writer, to amuse himself, even though he was here to work. Frowning, he said seriously, “Hurry up and write; time is running out.”

Mei Yuchen seemed to have had enough fun. He put away his playful expression and calmly responded, “Alright, Editor.”