TPWNDHAYD Chapter 10

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On the night of the Qixi Festival, which fell on a Thursday, Wu Ming was walking home from work. The streets were filled with couples holding hands, their faces lit up with happiness. Compared to them, he seemed particularly lonely, walking alone.

On normal days, it didn’t bother him much, but tonight, for some reason, he felt a bitter ache in his heart.

His neighbor, Qin Kong, hadn’t been visiting recently. Wu Ming didn’t want to impose either, especially knowing that Qin Kong had someone he liked.

Tonight, Qin Kong was going to confess to that person. He would definitely succeed.

With a pleasant voice, a beautiful singing talent, a kind heart, and a helpful nature—even to his neighbors—surely, he would be even more tender toward his lover.

Who could possibly bear to reject him?

When Wu Ming got home, he turned on his computer and refreshed his social media feed. Qin Kong had only posted one update today.

   [CV Qingkong: Don’t reject me, okay?]

Wu Ming, feeling a mix of sourness and jealousy, commented—

   [No Name: You will definitely succeed! Go for it, silly mom!]

Qingkong replied: Then it's settled!

Wu Ming froze. Why had Qing Kong been replying to his comments so often lately?

Just then, the doorbell rang. Wu Ming set down his computer and went to open the door.

“Hi~” Qin Kong stood outside, holding a bouquet of roses, flashing a dazzling smile.

“……” Wu Ming looked at him, confused.

“Tell me, how do I look?” Qin Kong asked with anticipation. “Am I handsome?”

He was dressed in formal attire—a crisp white shirt buttoned to the top, neatly pressed black trousers, polished leather shoes gleaming under the light. His hair was perfectly styled, held in place with gel. The most amusing part was the bright red bow tie at his collar.

Wu Ming chuckled. “Very handsome.” Then he added, “But it would be even more perfect without the bow tie.”

Qin Kong looked embarrassed, yanking off the bow tie and stuffing it into his pocket. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and said, “Do you think I’ll succeed if I confess like this?”

Wu Ming already knew Qin Kong was going to confess today, but he pretended to be surprised. “Confess?”

“Yeah, it’s Valentine’s Day,” Qin Kong said. “I’m really nervous. What should I say to him?”

“How would I know?” Wu Ming replied.

Qin Kong put on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression. “What if I get rejected? Wu Ming, if someone confessed to you, what would they have to say for you to accept?”

“I…?”

“Yeah, I need a reference.”

Wu Ming felt a pang of discomfort. Not only was the confession not directed at him, but now he had to help advise someone else's love life. Yet, he couldn’t refuse.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally muttered, “Just saying ‘I like you’ is enough. But everyone is different—”

“I like you.” Qin Kong interrupted.

Wu Ming was stunned.

Qin Kong’s expression suddenly turned serious. He took Wu Ming’s hand, placed the bouquet into his grasp, and curled Wu Ming’s fingers around the flowers, repeating firmly, “I like you.”

Wu Ming instinctively tightened his grip on the bouquet, stammering, “You… you’re just… practicing, right?”

“No, I’m serious. Wu Ming, or should I say, ‘Nameless Name,’ this is my genuine confession.”

Qin Kong pulled a small box from his pocket, opened it, and revealed a simple men’s ring. No fancy patterns—just a plain band.

“Can I put this on for you myself?”

Wu Ming stared at the ring, then at Qin Kong’s eager gaze. One thought dominated his mind—He knows who I am!

Flustered, he shoved the bouquet into Qin Kong’s arms and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Qin Kong stood there, stunned. The roses slipped from his hands, scattering onto the floor. Then, he quickly recovered and started knocking frantically.

“Wu Ming! You already agreed on Weibo!”

Wu Ming didn’t respond. He just covered his face with his hands, mortified.

Oh my god, he knows I’m his crazy fan!

His mind was in chaos. All the silly, brainless things he had done online—Qin Kong had seen them all. The embarrassment made him want to disappear from the world immediately.

But Qin Kong was relentless.

“Wu Ming, open the door!”

“If you don’t say yes, I’ll keep shouting!”

“You already agreed to me on Weibo!”

“You comment on all my posts!”

“I’ve seen everything!”

“You’re always so nice to me!”

“I was an idiot for not realizing it sooner!”

“Give me a chance!”

“I’ll sing for you every day from now on!”

“I’ll sing anything you like!”

“If you don’t open the door, I’ll keep shouting!”

“I’m really going to shout—”

“There’s no pregnant lady next door!”

The door swung open.

Qin Kong stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance.

Wu Ming’s eyes were red, looking like he was about to cry. He sniffled and muttered, “Stop yelling. You’ll disturb the neighbors.”

“Don’t cry, don’t cry…” Qin Kong panicked and reached out to wipe Wu Ming’s tears.

Wu Ming pushed his hand away, avoiding his gaze. He stared at the floor and whispered, “Come inside first.”

Qin Kong, sensing victory, grinned ear to ear. He picked up the scattered roses and walked inside.

Wu Ming sat stiffly on the couch, staring blankly at the teacup on the table, his lips pressed together. His thoughts were a mess.

When had Qin Kong found out? And now, he even knew Wu Ming was his fan.

Suddenly, being confessed to by the "silly mom" he had admired for so long left him completely flustered. His first instinct had been to escape.

“Wu Ming.” Qin Kong sat across from him, seeing his silence, and called out tentatively.

“…Mm.” Wu Ming responded softly.

“I like you.”

Wu Ming didn’t reply to the confession. Instead, in a barely audible voice, he hesitantly asked, “When… when did you find out?”

Qin Kong had thought the confession would go smoothly. After all, they liked each other—it should have been a sure thing. But instead, Wu Ming had slammed the door in his face! Now, seeing Wu Ming still avoiding him, Qin Kong sighed and admitted honestly, “Last time I went into your room, I saw the postcards on your desk… and then I just knew.”

Wu Ming suddenly remembered—he had let Qin Kong into his room to grab something.

So he had been found out for a while now. Yet he had remained clueless, foolishly thinking he was still keeping a secret.

After a brief hesitation, Wu Ming clenched his hands together and finally said, “I can’t accept your confession.”

Qin Kong was confused. “Why not?”

Wu Ming didn’t dare look at him. “Online is online, and real life is real life. What I like is CV Qing Kong, not Qin Kong. I was good to you because I wanted to be close to my favorite voice actor and help you out. It made me happy. But I never expected you to like me back.”

“Listen to me, Wu Ming.” Qin Kong took a deep breath and made a "time-out" gesture, stopping him. He pulled the ring out again and placed it on the table. “I understand your concerns. You think you only like me as a fan adores their idol. But have you considered this? If you didn’t truly care about me, would you have gone to such lengths for me in real life?”

“But—”

“No ‘but.’” Qin Kong stood up, placed his hands on Wu Ming’s shoulders, and made him look directly into his eyes. “Look at me. Tell me honestly—do you really not like me? Do you really believe that?”

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