After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sleeping Together

The others were stunned to see Zhao Jingqun driving an old, beat-up electric tricycle.

Tao Ning and Secretary Liu didn’t know his background, but He Niannian knew very well. She didn’t dare to argue with Zhao Jingqun, not because of his lack of manners, but because of the Zhao family behind him, the only wealthy family in Star City with a military background. They weren’t someone an ordinary rich family could afford to provoke. Although Zhao Jingqun had been living on his own for many years and had only been back with the Zhao family for a few, the Zhao family had gone to great lengths to compensate him. Even though Zhao Jingqun had kept his delinquent habits, the Zhao family tolerated it. The family had never let Zhao Jingqun lack for anything materially. His seemingly ordinary black t-shirt could buy hundreds, if not thousands, of these electric tricycles.

He Niannian was used to seeing Zhao Jingqun drive Ferraris and other supercars, so even though she had heard he had a difficult childhood, this was the first time she had ever seen him drive a tricycle.

The system in Tao Ning’s mind was ecstatic. “Great job, dummy! He’s driving a tricycle for you today, which means he’ll block a train for you tomorrow! At this rate, success is just around the corner.”

Tao Ning was a little confused. “What is the standard for success?”

The system pondered for a moment before saying, “Getting an ‘I love you’ from each of these three men. How does that sound? Simple, right?”

Tao Ning fell silent and replied in his mind, “I…”

“No!” the system said, rejecting him sternly. “I know what you’re going to say, you little dummy. Are you going to try to trick Zhao Jingqun into saying it tonight? That’s cheating, and you’re a good student. Cheating is shameful. Besides, heh heh, it’s useless even if they say it now, because you don’t have love in your heart… wait, no, they don’t have love in their heart yet.”

“Anyway, you’ll feel it the moment you succeed.”

With his thoughts exposed by the system, Tao Ning’s face flushed with a biological shyness. The blush didn’t disappear until that low, lazy voice sounded impatiently, “Are you getting on or not?”

Tao Ning looked up, his eyes meeting the man’s in the driver’s seat. The back of the tricycle was already full. He Niannian was pinching her nose and complaining to Zhao Jingsui, while He Yan was rolling his eyes beside her.

So in the time it took Tao Ning to have a conversation with the system, the only seat left was the one next to Zhao Jingqun.

Zhao Jingqun looked straight ahead, but his peripheral vision caught the flush on the person beside him.

Tao Ning saw his unfriendly gaze and cautiously moved his feet, inching forward like a snail until he sat beside the man. He hugged the railing of the tricycle, and because he was so thin, there was enough room for another person between him and Zhao Jingqun.

The scenery on both sides of the road flew by. Tao Ning thought to himself, If there’s no mission later, I’ll solve those Olympiad problems I found last night.

But his plans never went as the system wished. The system advised him, “You must seize every opportunity to deepen your relationship with him! The sooner you succeed, the sooner you can focus on your math problems.”

Tao Ning considered the pros and cons and decided the system had a point. “…Mm, then can you show me those romance novels you were talking about tonight? I’d like to study.”

He didn’t understand what “romance novels” were, but if they could help him “seduce” these people, they were probably like the solution guides for math problems. Although he didn’t usually need guidebooks for his schoolwork, these were “problems” he had never encountered before. It couldn’t hurt to study more so he wouldn’t have to bother the system later.

The system was quite pleased. “It’s good that you have such a studious attitude. Tonight, I’ll give you my treasured strategy guides. You can read them when you go to bed.”

Tao Ning mumbled, “Sister says reading at night is bad for your eyes. I’m not supposed to read before bed…”

From the moment Tao Ning sat down, Zhao Jingqun had been aware of his every move. The deeper they went into the mountains, the cooler the breeze became, and it carried the scent of the person next to him to his nose. The scent, a subtle hint of lemon, was pervasive and clung to him. He was both annoyed by it and couldn’t help but take a few extra sniffs.

Is he a lemon spirit?

And what is he mumbling about now…

Zhao Jingqun tightened his grip on the handlebars, his eyes flashing with impatience. He slightly held his breath until a scream came from behind them. “—Ahhhhh! Jingsui, tell your brother to watch how he drives! Look at the road! We’re going to fall off!”

The tricycle carrying the group entered Yellow Lemon Village to a chorus of ear-piercing screams. People had already come out to greet them at the village entrance. An old man over sixty squinted and came forward happily, grabbing Tao Ning’s hand and pointing at Zhao Jingqun’s group. He spoke a torrent of words in a fast dialect.

The old man: “@#1~%￥##…”

Tao Ning nodded and replied, “Okay.”

He Niannian asked in confusion, “What is this old man mumbling about?”

Tao Ning said, “That’s the village chief. Many people in the village don’t speak Mandarin. He says they don’t have enough places to stay. One is at Secretary Liu’s house, one is at the village chief’s… and one is at my house.”

He Niannian said, “No wonder you have an accent. It’s so awkward. You mountain people really are a bunch of uneducated…”

The nearby Zhao Jingsui quickly covered her mouth, a gentle smile on her face. “Is it close to where we’re going to sketch?”

The purpose of their visit was for her to sketch. Although Yellow Lemon Village was remote and backward, it had a kind of rustic, unadorned beauty that was rare in the country, attracting many art students every year. Zhao Jingsui had wanted to come alone, or at most with a bodyguard, but for various reasons, it ended up being the four of them. As she looked at the resentful He Niannian, the He Yan who only smiled at her, and the seemingly happy but emotionally detached Zhao Jingqun, she felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

She placed her hope in the quiet, shy boy. The boy nodded. “Mm, our three houses are very close. I’ll take you to the sketching spot tomorrow after you’ve settled in.”

Zhao Jingsui was relieved. This boy named Tao Ning seemed quite reliable. It looked like she would have to rely on him a lot during her stay in the mountains.

The next second, she heard the introverted boy quietly ask her, “Can your brother… sleep with me?”

Zhao Jingsui: “…?”

Zhao Jingqun, who was casually kicking a stone, also stopped. “?”

The system shrieked, “Dummy, you misunderstood! The mission was for him to stay at your house, not for him to sleep with you!”

On their way back, the system had issued its second mission for Zhao Jingqun’s single storyline—get Zhao Jingqun to stay at his house. During that time, Tao Ning had been thinking about the best way to ask. In the end, he decided on the most direct and sincere approach.

Tao Ning was confused. “Sleeping in my house means sleeping with me. Because there’s only enough space for a bed in my room.”

The system was at a loss for words. “You’re a real dummy… Fine. Tonight, I’ll teach you all my secrets. I guarantee I’ll turn you from a dummy into a master of romance.”

Tao Ning nodded, half-understanding. Seducing people was much harder than solving math problems.

Looking at Tao Ning, who had lowered his head and stopped talking, the strange feeling in Zhao Jingqun’s heart grew stronger. First, he held his arm and wouldn’t let go, and now he was so eager to sleep with him, and he was saying it in front of everyone. Was this little gay boy that desperate?

Zhao Jingqun asked with a half-smile, “Why should I sleep with you? Aren’t there three houses?”

Upon hearing this, Tao Ning’s hands clenched at his sides. His curly eyelashes trembled slightly. “B-Because… the secretary’s house has a daughter, and the village chief’s house…” The village chief’s situation was similar to his own. He had an empty room and two sons. But Tao Ning didn’t know how to explain it. He didn’t want Zhao Jingqun to go to the village chief’s house because it would mean the mission had failed. The system had told him that if a mission failed, one of his five senses would be randomly sealed for twenty-four hours, and he didn’t want to make Tao Yuan worry. But he also wasn’t good at lying…

So Zhao Jingqun watched as the boy’s voice grew softer and softer, and his pale cheeks grew redder and redder, like two strawberries on a cream cake.

Zhao Jingqun suppressed the strange feeling in his heart. He wanted to see what kind of tricks this little gay boy had up his sleeve. He scoffed. “Fine. I agree.”

Zhao Jingqun stared at the boy with his head lowered and said, word by word, “I’ll sleep with you.”

The living arrangements were settled just like that. He Niannian and Zhao Jingsui stayed at the secretary’s house. He Yan stayed at the village chief’s house. And Zhao Jingqun followed Tao Ning home.

It was midday when they arrived home.

The moment Tao Ning opened the door, the smell of food wafted out. In the warm, yellow light, Tao Yuan was putting dishes on the table. Hearing the sound behind her, she wiped her hands on her apron and turned around. When she saw the boy, her eyes lit up. “Ningning, you’re back? Hurry and wash your hands and eat. Today… who is this?”

Her gaze stopped on the man behind Tao Ning. Tao Yuan’s eyes moved up, pausing on his rooster’s comb-red hair. She muttered to herself, What kind of delinquent friend did Ningning bring home? I thought he was going to pick up a guest?

Zhao Jingqun could clearly feel the woman’s wariness spike. The way she looked at him was like she was looking at a hooligan trying to kidnap her precious treasure. He ignored her gaze because he had become used to that look over the years.

Tao Ning answered softly, “Sister, he’s the guest staying with us.”

Zhao Jingqun smiled faintly and introduced himself.

Tao Yuan’s expression immediately changed. She plastered on a fawning smile and said, “Oh, so you’re the guest! No wonder you’re so handsome and dashing!” Without waiting for Tao Ning to get a stool, she eagerly offered the best seat to Zhao Jingqun and said affectionately, “Come sit, come sit! Jingqun is so much better than us country folk. He looks so lively and spirited! You can tell he’s going to be a big success one day. We just happened to stew some chicken today. It’s the most authentic free-range chicken from our mountain. It’s very nourishing, and you city folk don’t usually get to eat it. My Ningning loves it…”

At the dinner table, Tao Ning quietly listened to her praise Zhao Jingqun, and the latter smiled and talked with Tao Yuan, completely at ease and unbothered.

Tao Ning served a bowl of chicken soup to the animated Tao Yuan, who was on the verge of pouring alcohol for Zhao Jingqun. “Sister, where’s Xiaomeng?”

Tao Yuan drank the chicken soup in one gulp, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and continued to chatter with Zhao Jingqun. “Your nephew? He’s at your Uncle Liu’s house playing… haha, where were we? I bet you city folk rarely see this fern…”

Tao Ning was abandoned as a baby. His identity was unknown, and he was picked up by the Tao family, who had no sons and lived on another mountain. At the time, the Tao family already had three daughters, and Tao Yuan was the oldest. The Tao parents were busy with farm work and didn’t have much time to take care of Tao Ning, so Tao Yuan raised her three younger siblings all by herself. When Tao Ning was nine, Tao Yuan left for two or three years to work, but instead of going to the big city, she stayed in a small town nearby to make clothes for people.

Tao Yuan didn’t return until both Tao parents suddenly passed away. With their parents gone, the family completely fell apart. Her two younger sisters didn’t want to be burdened with Tao Ning, afraid he would ruin their chances of getting married. After all, he wasn’t their biological brother and had a chronic illness. They pushed him back and forth until they finally decided to send the eleven-year-old Tao Ning to an orphanage.

When Tao Yuan heard this, she flew into a rage. “Did a dog eat your consciences?! Tao Fang, don’t think I don’t know you took the money Mom and Dad left for Ningning! And you, you heartless creature, you’ve been bullying Ningning since we were kids. And now you have the nerve to say you want to send him to an orphanage?!”

Her two younger sisters’ faces turned white and then green. Little Tao Ning stood behind a pillar, listening to them.

“I’m going to say it now. If anyone dares to lay a finger on Ningning, I’ll beat the living daylights out of them!”

After that, Tao Yuan cut ties with them and left with Tao Ning. Two years later, she married into the Li family, bringing him with her.

Li Xiangdong was a gambler, but he was the only man for miles who didn’t mind Tao Yuan bringing Tao Ning with her. At the time, Tao Ning knelt in front of her and said, “Sister, he’s a gambler. Don’t marry him.”

Tao Yuan patted his head, a big smile on her face. “You’re a good boy. It’s not for nothing that I love you so much.” She looked around to make sure no one was there, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Silly boy, Li Xiangdong lives by himself, just like us, with no parents. I won’t have to suffer if I marry him. His family also has land and a house, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Are you afraid he’ll make me suffer?”

Tao Yuan put her hands on her hips and laughed. “I’m still here. You just focus on studying hard. Your sister is going to rely on you when you grow up. Besides, a man wouldn’t dare to mess with me.”

Things turned out to be true. Tao Yuan ruled the house, and although Li Xiangdong’s gambling habit was deeply ingrained, thankfully, he didn’t gamble away too much money and never dared to lay a hand on Tao Yuan because she would actually hit him with a knife. So for the past few years, their lives had been relatively peaceful.

A few days ago, Li Xiangdong had gotten carried away at the card table and secretly taken the money Tao Yuan had saved for her son, Xiaomeng, to go to school. Tao Yuan was so angry that she beat him with a stick and chased him out of the house, and he hadn’t dared to return.

At the dinner table, Tao Yuan grew more and more excited. She subtly turned the topic to Tao Ning, first talking about how he could recite the multiplication table at one year old, write poetry at two, and solve all the math problems in the county at three.

Finally, with a “clatter,” Tao Yuan slapped the table. The already wobbly table shook. She said excitedly, “Our Ningning… he even won a Nobel Prize!”

At this outrageous claim, Zhao Jingqun, who was drinking water, choked.

Tao Ning quietly put down his chopsticks. “Sister, that was an Olympiad award.”

Tao Yuan waved her hand dismissively. “They’re all awards. What’s the difference? I believe that you’ll be able to win this… this Nobel Prize one day.”

Her voice was full of pride, and her sallow cheeks were flushed with alcohol.

Finally, her proud gaze turned timid. She unconsciously clutched her apron and said to Zhao Jingqun, “Jingqun, you won’t find anyone smarter than our Ningning in any of these villages. He’s going to the city to study after this summer. When he does, can you please look after him for me?”

“When this child makes it big in the future, he’ll definitely repay you!”

Zhao Jingqun watched the dissimilar brother and sister with interest. One was articulate and had been chattering at him for half an hour, but her only purpose was to help her brother. The other was quiet and didn’t seem as smart as the secretary and his sister had claimed. Instead, he seemed like a dummy—and a gay one at that.

Zhao Jingqun raised an eyebrow, put his teacup on the table, and said casually, “Sure.”

The meal was a long one. Halfway through, a childish voice came in. “Uncle! Uncle!”

Tao Ning stood up after finishing his meal. His thigh sank, and he looked down to see a pair of big eyes with curly eyelashes looking up at him. A chubby hand was wrapped around his thigh, holding on tight like a charm stuck to his body.

Zhao Jingqun asked, “Your nephew?”

Tao Ning patted Xiaomeng’s head and nodded.

Xiaomeng then noticed a stranger in the small house. The man had a smile on his face but no warmth in his eyes, and his red hair made him someone to be avoided. Xiaomeng looked for a moment, then suddenly pursed his lips and began to cry.

Tao Ning was stunned. He bent down, picked him up, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He looked at Zhao Jingqun, who smiled. “I didn’t do anything.”

Xiaomeng suddenly began to cry loudly without warning. The sharp cry woke up the slightly tipsy Tao Yuan. She immediately yelled, “Li Xiaomeng! What are you crying for?! All you do all day is make your uncle hold you. Do you look like a man?! How embarrassing! Get down from there!”

Xiaomeng quickly clung to Tao Ning’s neck and continued to wail, “I don’t want to!”

“I don’t want to! I don’t want him!” Xiaomeng pointed at Zhao Jingqun and said, utterly wronged, “You’re not allowed to bring other men home! Mom, you’re not allowed to marry my uncle to other men! Uncle is going to be my bride one day…”

Tao Ning: “…”

Zhao Jingqun: “…”

Tao Yuan quickly pulled Xiaomeng off Tao Ning, laughing awkwardly. “This little kid just loves to stick to Ningning. Jingqun, please don’t take anything a child says to heart. I’ll take him to get a bath. The bed was made yesterday. Ningning, you should take Jingqun into the room…”

Tao Ning nodded. The two of them left the room, leaving Xiaomeng’s sobs and Tao Yuan’s anger behind.

The farmers’ homes in the mountains were usually a few concrete rooms forming a square. Tao Ning’s family had three rooms: two bedrooms and a main hall. There was a chicken and duck coop in the backyard and a simple lean-to for bathing.

Tao Ning lived in the best-ventilated room. Zhao Jingqun only had one suitcase. With a “clack,” the sound of the suitcase hitting the floor and footsteps entered the room simultaneously.

Zhao Jingqun looked at the six-by-seven-meter room. The furniture was simple, but there was a large bookshelf filled with neatly arranged books. What surprised him the most was that the room had two full walls of awards! The awards took up half of the wall space, with very little space between them. Almost every award was for “Three-Good Student Tao Ning,” “Math Star Tao Ning,” “Physics Star Tao Ning,” and so on.

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