The Strategy of Temptation

Ye Shengge was jolted awake from his dream by a rhythmic knocking at the door.

Opening his eyes and seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, his first thought was: Did the system get a reply from the main server and swap me into a new dungeon?

But a second later, his sluggish brain finally began to function, reminding him that he hadn’t switched dungeons. He had simply moved from the dollmaker’s villa to the “big dummy” Heavenly Master’s house, which explained why the decor looked so strange.

The person knocking was definitely Peng Biao. He wondered if the man wanted to discuss the plan to suppress the dolls.

Not wanting to delay serious business, Ye Shengge smoothed down a stray lock of hair that had stood up during his nap and slowly pulled on his jacket. Just to be safe, he only opened the door a crack, poking his fuzzy head out to peer through the gap.

Standing outside was indeed the big dummy. Once confirmed, Ye Shengge opened the door fully.

“Is something wrong?” Having just woken up, his reactions were a bit slow. His voice was drawn out and honeyed, sounding soft and clingy, as if he were acting spoiled.

When he had looked through the crack, he could only see the man’s face. Now that the door was wide open, he realized that Peng Biao’s current appearance was incredibly strange—and quite disheveled.

He didn’t know what the big guy had been doing while he slept, but Peng Biao was currently wearing nothing but a pink apron and a pair of brightly patterned shorts. He was panting heavily, sweat pouring off him. The damp apron clung tightly to his body, perfectly outlining the shape of his impressive chest muscles and the eight distinct blocks of his abdominal muscles.

Setting the abs aside, the size of his chest and his fair skin—which seemingly refused to tan—were enough to make many girls green with envy.

Seeing the beautiful youth’s gaze uncontrollably drift toward his chest, Peng Biao subconsciously puffed out his torso and gave a bright smile. “It’s time for dinner.”

Ye Shengge shook his head, indicating he wasn’t hungry yet, then asked curiously, “Dinner aside… what happened to you?”

Compared to food, he was more curious about why the big guy looked like he had just returned from a frantic escape. Look at all that sweat—it was dripping from his forehead all the way down into his collarbone.

Fortunately, Peng Biao didn’t know that his plan—running five laps around the house in the blistering sun specifically to make his physique look more “inviting,” then stripping off his shirt to cook dinner in just an apron before rushing over to wake his sweetheart—looked less like a “thirst trap” and more like a “refugee crisis” in the boy’s eyes. Otherwise, he would have collapsed in the kitchen.

Unaware of the youth’s thoughts, Peng Biao was feeling quite confident. He assumed the boy was just too shy to admit how much he liked looking at the massive muscles he was currently staring at.

He wanted to tell the beautiful, shy boy that his muscles weren’t all rock-hard; for instance, the two pec muscles were quite soft when relaxed. He wouldn’t mind if the boy wanted to reach out and test them.

But Peng Biao only dared to think these things. He knew if he said them out loud, the boy would call him “shameless.”

Choosing to play it safe, Peng Biao lowered his eyes and explained submissively, “While you were sleeping, I ran a few laps outside to see if any areas needed cleaning and to get some exercise. After that, I went to the kitchen to cook. The temperature was just too high today, so I had to dress like this. It might be like this for the next few days… you don’t mind, do you?”

That last question was a direct probe. He wanted to see if the youth would shyly ask him to put on some clothes.

However, his little schemes were completely ineffective. Not only did the boy not ask him to cover up, but seeing the man’s slightly flushed skin, he even offered some kind advice: “I don’t mind, but you should remember to wear sunscreen next time.”

He was living here for free, eating the man’s food and doing nothing; why would he complain? At most, he was worried the big guy would develop a skin condition from working under the sun.

This “kind suggestion,” however, hit Peng Biao like a bolt of lightning.

Seeing his sweetheart not mention clothes once, nor blush at the sight of his muscles, Peng Biao felt like he was throwing pearls before swine. His confident heart turned cold in an instant.

He could no longer deceive himself using Baidu search results or the advice from the high-priced “Relationship Expert” he had hired online. The boy hadn’t lied; he truly didn’t care for “muscular hunks” or the “fit under clothes, ripped without them” type.

This felt incredibly unfair to Peng Biao. Unless he reincarnated, he could never achieve the body type the boy liked.

Clinging to a final shred of hope, his voice trembled slightly as he asked, “Do you really… not like muscular men at all?”

Ye Shengge found the question bizarre, but considering the man’s hospitality, he thought for a moment and answered honestly: “Well… I wouldn’t say I dislike it.”

Peng Biao’s eyes lit up.

Then came the second half of the sentence—the sound of his heart shattering.

“But don’t you think that a tall man who is as strong as a bear looks very dangerous and scary? It feels like they might punch someone at any moment.” Ye Shengge swore he wasn’t intentionally targeting Peng Biao; he was just stating his inner feelings.

These honest words clearly wounded Peng Biao. Seeing the man’s dejected expression, Ye Shengge felt a bit bad and added: “But it’s better if the person has fair skin, like you. It depends on the person.”

If the big guy hadn’t been fair-skinned—if he had the terrifying bronzed skin of a mob enforcer from a TV drama—Ye Shengge never would have approached him, even if he were homeless.

Peng Biao, whose mood was swinging like a pendulum, had never been more grateful to his long-lost parents for giving him skin that never tanned. For a long time, he had been annoyed that he couldn’t get a tan, thinking it undermined his “tough guy” vibe. Even hours ago, he had been running in the sun hoping to darken his skin.

Now, he realized how close he had come to a catastrophe. If he had actually tanned, he would be even further from the youth’s ideal type.

Ye Shengge didn’t know what Peng Biao was thinking. After talking for a bit, he realized he was hungry. Seeing Peng Biao’s expression soften, he decided to strike while the iron was hot and offer some comfort: “Being tall and strong like you is actually good. At least no one dares to bully you. I bet plenty of men envy your physique, and since you’re so handsome, you probably get a lot of looks on the street. Plenty of people must love the sense of security you provide.”

Ye Shengge swore he only said these things to transition politely into eating dinner.

However, the words were incredibly effective. The moping big guy instantly reverted to his silly self, scratching his head with a blush. He asked in a small voice: “Then… do you like it?”

“What did you say?” Ye Shengge didn’t hear him clearly and looked at him in confusion.

Meeting those clear, transparent eyes, Peng Biao lost the courage to ask a second time. He sighed inwardly with a hint of disappointment and shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Can we go down and eat now? I’m a bit hungry.” Ye Shengge sniffed the air; a delicious, mouth-watering aroma was wafting up, making him impatient.

Recently, because he had the doll bosses stashed in the guest rooms, he hadn’t allowed the housekeeper to come over. He had been living on takeout or dining out, but nothing ever tasted quite right. Now, the scent from downstairs finally sparked his appetite.

“Of course! That’s why I came to get you.” Noticing the boy’s eagerness, Peng Biao puffed out his chest proudly.

It seemed his cooking was a hit. What was the saying? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

He had realized it was okay if his body wasn’t the boy’s type; there were plenty of other ways to win him over, like his culinary skills.

His motivation reached its peak when he saw the boy take a bite of the food and show a look of pure delight. “You’re amazing! This is so delicious!” Ye Shengge’s eyes curved into crescent moons, his smile dazzling.

This was his most genuine reaction. The food was so good that he temporarily forgot his “spoiled brat” character role. Even if he had tried to find fault, he couldn’t have. The meal was not only delicious but perfectly tailored to his tastes—not a single “minefield” dish in sight.

It was clear the chef had done his homework. He hadn’t expected the silly big guy to be so attentive and “domestic.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Peng Biao said, grinning foolishly. All his exhaustion vanished with that one smile.

Just as he was about to test the waters with another question, the phone in his apron pocket vibrated. A crisp notification sound rang out—the specific tone he used for “Special Interests.”

Peng Biao panicked, worried his sweetheart would misunderstand, and looked over quickly. But the youth was too busy eating to care about anything else.

Relieved yet slightly disappointed, Peng Biao frowned and opened the message from his only “Special Interest” contact—the expensive online relationship expert.

The moment he saw the message, his silly grin vanished. His body tensed up, and he shot a guilty look at the boy before shoving the phone back into his apron, refusing to look at it again.

Just recalling the words he saw made his face burn. He felt like his face was hot enough to steam an egg.

The message from the “Expert” read:

Authoritative Relationship Expert: 【Ever heard of ‘motorboating’? If you want to know how he feels about your chest muscles, find a chance to let him bury his face in them and see.】