DMPSA CH 26

Chapter 26: Rent-a-Boyfriend

Yue Qi really wanted to ask Su Qing out for a weekend outing. Even though the teahouse was open on weekends, as the boss, Su Qing could occasionally skip a shift—it wasn’t a problem.

The problem lay in Su Qing’s unusual “vampire-like” sleep pattern. His teahouse operated until four in the morning, and though customers rarely came after two or three, cleaning up and winding down meant he could only get to bed by dawn. Once he fell asleep, he wouldn’t wake until the afternoon, just in time to prepare for opening. If they wanted to go on a date, it could only happen in the evening.

But places like amusement parks were only open during the day. Yue Qi couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

When Yue Qi mentioned his desire to visit an amusement park, Su Qing thought about it and took the initiative to say he wanted to go too. He decided to try adjusting his schedule—maybe sleeping earlier for a day or two would allow him to wake up in time.

The result of Su Qing’s ambitious attempt? He fell asleep on the Ferris wheel.

Looking at Su Qing’s pale, tired face, Yue Qi’s heart ached. Amusement parks and such didn’t matter—what mattered was that the person he cared about could rest well and feel refreshed.

Afterward, their dates became simpler—an evening movie, a quiet stroll. Their relationship remained in a sweet, ambiguous state, somewhere between friends and lovers.

The “emperors” were thoroughly satisfied with this bittersweet, slow-burning romance, savoring every moment. However, Da Wang, playing the role of an overanxious “eunuch,” was practically losing his mind.

“What are you thinking? Why haven’t you made it official yet?” Da Wang demanded of Su Qing. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll slip away?”

“If he runs away that easily, he’d leave even after we made it official,” Su Qing replied with a faint smile. “What’s the rush? Things are good as they are now.”

What Da Wang didn’t know was that Su Qing had some resistance to the idea of “making it official.” He was afraid that once he had it, he might lose it again. So, for now, this arrangement was perfect.

Not truly having something meant there was no fear of losing it.

Su Qing guessed that Yue Qi could sense his thoughts.

He was deeply grateful that Yue Qi was willing to match his pace and walk this journey with him, step by step.

That’s why every step he took and every decision he made needed to be carefully considered. He absolutely didn’t want to let Yue Qi—this delicate flower—down.

Su Qing chuckled at himself. This osmanthus-scented Alpha Yue Qi, wasn’t he just a precious little flower?

Shaking off the bit of negativity lingering in his mind, Su Qing cheerfully pulled Yue Qi’s snack out of the oven. It was the bitter melon cookies he’d mentioned last time. Su Qing had tried them himself and found them far too bitter, but who knew? Maybe Yue Qi would enjoy the taste.

He placed the cookies on the counter. Yue Qi, who was standing by the window on the phone, looked visibly frustrated. His furrowed brows and weary expression turned him into a “bitter melon face” even before tasting the cookies.

Over the phone, Yue Qi repeatedly said “Okay, okay, okay,” in a tone of complete surrender, as though he was ready to throw up his hands and beg for mercy. After hanging up, he trudged back to the bar counter and slumped into his seat.

Spotting the green cookies, Yue Qi didn’t even have the energy to complain. He simply grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth.

The moment he bit into it, his entire demeanor changed.

“What is this? Why is it so bitter?” Yue Qi struggled to swallow the bite, drinking several sips of tea to wash away the lingering bitterness in his mouth, though it barely helped.

“Bitter melon cookies,” Su Qing said as he leaned closer with a teasing smile. “If your mouth tastes bitter, your heart won’t feel bitter anymore, right?”

“What kind of nonsense logic is that?” Yue Qi replied with a pitiful look. “I think it just made everything worse.”

“What’s wrong? Something at work?” Su Qing asked, concerned.

“It’s my dad,” Yue Qi said with a helpless sigh. “I just got back from training in early September, right? It was so hectic I couldn’t make it home for Mid-Autumn Festival. My dad was busy back then too, but now that he’s finally free, he suddenly remembered I didn’t come home and called me to chew me out for it.”

“Your dad’s adorable,” Su Qing said, laughing while also feeling a twinge of envy. “Mid-Autumn Festival was almost a month ago, and he’s just now getting around to scolding you?”

Su Qing couldn’t help but admire the bond Yue Qi had with his family. For someone like him, who lived alone without any relatives looking forward to celebrating festivals together, Yue Qi’s complaints seemed like precious ties of affection.

Yue Qi noticed the envy in Su Qing’s eyes. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, he had indeed been busy. He couldn’t go home or even visit Su Qing, who had probably kept the shop open and spent the holiday with his customers and cats.

Yue Qi exaggerated a sigh. “My dad, knowing I’ve been busy, just finished scolding me and went straight to reserving me for Spring Festival.”

“This year’s Spring Festival is in…” Su Qing pulled out his phone to check the calendar. “February. And it’s only late October now. Your schedule is really tight. Spending New Year with you requires a reservation three months in advance?” Su Qing shook his head in mock disbelief.

“It’s not just a reservation. He also gave me an ultimatum,” Yue Qi said nonchalantly. “He said this year, I have to bring someone home. Apparently, I’m the only one in the whole family who isn’t married, not even in a relationship, and it’s embarrassing for him. He told me if I don’t bring someone, I might as well not come home.” Yue Qi sighed again. “He even said I should just rent someone if I have to.”

“Huh? Rent someone?” Su Qing was stunned. Yue Qi’s dad really had some interesting ideas. “Even if he knows it’s fake, he’s okay with it?”

“He’s just hoping it’ll turn real,” Yue Qi replied with a helpless shrug. “That’s what happened with my little cousin. Two years ago, she rented an Alpha online to go home for the New Year. The two of them ended up hitting it off, officially started dating last year, and got married this year. Look at this.” Yue Qi pulled up a message he’d just received on his phone and showed it to Su Qing. “He even found a website for me and told me to pick one quickly.”

Su Qing stared at the link, feeling a mix of emotions.

Yue Qi clicked on it. “Let’s see how much a rental boyfriend costs these days. Whoa, 10,000 yuan a day, and you can only hold hands? This one allows kissing, but it’s 15,000… Nope, not worth it. Paying to get kissed feels like I’m losing out big time…” He kept muttering complaints, dismissing one profile after another as either too expensive or too unattractive, eventually grumbling under his breath, “Why don’t these people just go rob a bank?”

Watching Yue Qi put on this little performance, Su Qing couldn’t help but feel amused and touched, with a hint of sweetness blooming in his heart. “Alright, stop looking. I’ve already found the perfect rental boyfriend for you.”

“Who?” Yue Qi looked at him warily. “Don’t tell me it’s Da Wang. If you pass this ball to someone else after setting it up so well^[1], I might really hit you.”

Holding back a laugh, Su Qing pointed seriously to himself. “Me. I’ll be your rental boyfriend. My shop is closed for the New Year anyway, so I won’t have any income. If I can pick up a side gig to earn some money, why not? Since you’re a loyal customer, I’ll even give you a discount.”

Yue Qi pretended to scrutinize Su Qing from head to toe, bargaining playfully. “I’ll take the discounted rent, but there’s no discount on services, right?” He grinned mischievously. “Bringing a rental boyfriend home means pretending to be super close. Does Boss Su offer hugging and kissing services?”

“Boss Su offers leg-breaking services,” Su Qing said, cracking his knuckles. “Care to try that first?”

“No, no, I trust you!” Yue Qi hugged Hua Dian, grumbling. “Your boss is so scary.”

“Meow…” Not scary at all! My boss is the cutest! the cat seemed to say. It turned its back to them, probably hiding a secret smile.

“Oh, right. That doctor you mentioned before—your old classmate who specializes in secondary gender issues,” Su Qing said casually as he finished organizing the shelves and turned back, as if he had just remembered something. “Does he still see patients? I’d like to schedule an appointment for a consultation.”

Yue Qi was pleasantly surprised to hear Su Qing bring it up on his own.

“He does. He works at Yunbang Hospital,” Yue Qi replied, pulling out his phone to check Han Junzhou’s clinic schedule. “Ah, all his appointments for the next month are fully booked. His slots are hard to get, but I’ll talk to him. Let me know when you’re free, and I’ll go with you.”

Su Qing nodded.

Yue Qi had gone to great lengths earlier, acting all pitiful, just because he was worried about Su Qing being lonely during the holidays and wanted an excuse to introduce him to his family. Su Qing saw through it all and had already agreed, which was, in essence, a signal that he was ready to take the next step with Yue Qi.

If they were serious about walking this path together, then any health issues needed to be addressed.

Seizing the opportunity, Yue Qi immediately contacted Han Junzhou and managed to get a special access code for an extra appointment next month. He even scheduled Su Qing for one of Han Junzhou’s evening clinic hours.

From Yue Qi’s perspective, the gland issue wasn’t just a medical problem—it was also a psychological hurdle for Su Qing.

As long as Su Qing chose to face it and stop avoiding the matter, they could move forward to the next stage together. Filled with optimism, Yue Qi was confident about their future.

What he didn’t expect was that the one who would hesitate in the end… wouldn’t be Su Qing.

(To Be Continued…)

T/L: Don’t tell me it would be you… Yue Qi?? ಠಿ_ಠ 

---

***
If you enjoy this translation, consider giving it a high rating on Novel Updates! 🩷
Stay tuned, and happy reading! 📖✨