Chapter 1: Day One of the Straight Top

Chapter 1: The First Day of a Straight Male Lead

"...So that's how it is, Xiao Qin, we're in a tough spot too. You just have to go—the organization must—"

The office was bright and clean. A middle-aged man was droning on and on, while the man sitting across from him was spacing out.

It wasn't a subtle daydream, but the obnoxious kind. He was lounging in an armchair, his head tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, his gaze fixed on the opposite wall, his long fingers tapping the armrest every now and then.

The middle-aged man's tone sharpened: "Qin Shu!"

The man straightened up: "Yes, sir!"

"Did you hear what I said?!"

"No!"

The middle-aged man rubbed his forehead for a long moment, then stood up and slammed the desk: "Qin Shu, you have to go on the blind date at three this afternoon! Otherwise, don't expect me to go easy on you next time you break the rules!"

Qin Shu squinted and let out a "tch."

"Boss, I told you, I don't like guys. Don't waste your time."

"He's a guide who's highly compatible with you. Just meet him once; maybe you'll like him?"

"Boss..."

"The higher-ups are planning to transfer you to the White Tower."

Qin Shu jolted, fully alert now: "I'll go, I'll go! Boss, please save me. I'm fine here; I don't want to go to the White Tower!"

The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction.

-

Stepping out of the Marshal's office, Qin Shu rubbed his temples.

It had been six years since he'd transmigrated into this bizarre interstellar world. He'd gone from being completely out of place to fully integrated, but there was still one thing he couldn't accept: ninety-nine percent of people here were gay!

How crazy, how weird! Qin Shu simply couldn't accept it!

And there was actually a scientific reason for it:

The humans in this world underwent a differentiation in childhood, splitting roughly fifty-fifty into guides and sentinels. Guides had strong psychic powers; sentinels had strong perception. Guides could soothe and guide sentinels; sentinels could protect guides. The mutual attraction between guides and sentinels was only natural.

And people of the same gender were even better at soothing and guiding. So male sentinels ended up with male guides, female guides with female sentinels. Men and women dating? It happened, but it was super rare.

...In fact, there was no concept of being gay in this world. To them, a guide-sentinel relationship was straight. "Being gay," by this world's standards, meant a guide with a guide or a sentinel with a sentinel.

In ancient times, that was taboo. But now, as times changed and society progressed, guide-guide and sentinel-sentinel couples were also common, and being gay was accepted...

Only people like Qin Shu, a straight guy from Earth who liked women, couldn't catch a break.

Nobody could understand why he liked women. After all, sentinels were physically attracted to guides, and that attraction didn't care about the guide's gender.

Qin Shu had a lot to say but couldn't! He was just straight; why was that a problem? Why did they keep nagging him to get married?!

On the sixth floor of the military bureau, a tall, handsome man angrily unlatched the security window and jumped down with a "swoosh."

The cleaning lady shouted worriedly downstairs: "Colonel Qin, you can't jump! What if you damage the plants below!"

The young assistant stared blankly: "Sister Zou, was the security window installed just to stop Colonel Qin from jumping?"

The secretary pushed up his glasses helplessly: "A bit embarrassing... but you got it."

Colonel Qin Shu, the brightest rising star in the just-concluded imperial border battle, was known to all: handsome, but a bit of a fool.

-

At three in the afternoon, in a high-end café in the capital.

By the window sat two handsome men—well, a handsome man and a beautiful man.

One man was handsome, with deep brows and eyes, his thin lips pressed in displeasure, his aura sharp and solemn.

The other young man had long hair, a face as delicate as a painting, his lips rosy and glossy, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the man opposite him, admiration and affection clearly written on his face.

"Colonel Qin, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Gu Shi, a guide. I admire you greatly. In the border battle..."

A delicate, passive type from ancient style, Qin Shu thought seriously.

I'm being liked by a delicate passive type from ancient style? Do I really look that gay?

"...Colonel Qin?"

"Hm? Hm, thanks."

Qin Shu snapped back to reality. Seeing that the man was about to continue, he decided to finish this quickly.

"Gu Shi, thank you for coming. I'm sorry to have wasted your time. You're wonderful, but I don't have any plans for marriage or relationships right now..." Qin Shu apologized smoothly, as he'd done almost once a week since arriving in the capital. He didn't understand why his boss kept setting him up on blind dates. "If you don't mind..."

Just as he was about to offer some compensation, Gu Shi interrupted him: "Colonel Qin, I came of my own accord. Our compatibility is very high. I can help with any issues you have, and I've always admired you. We can give it a try!"

"I don't like men."

Gu Shi froze: "What?"

A moment of silence, then Gu Shi asked weakly: "Does that mean you don't like guides?"

Qin Shu: "I don't like men, including male guides and male sentinels."

Gu Shi was stunned: "Then do you like female guides? Why?"

Damn, I knew it would come to this!

Qin Shu was annoyed. He stood up: "If they ask you upstairs, just say it's all my fault. I won't waste any more of your time. Goodbye."

He was in a hurry to go back and play games!

"Wait, Qin Shu!"

The man tried to grab Qin Shu's sleeve.

But a top-level colonel, an S-class sentinel who had fought through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, could never be caught by a mere ordinary person.

He dodged, sidestepped, and steadied Gu Shi's posture...

Wrong.

A familiar black shadow flashed over, shielding him.

The next second, Gu Shi, who had grabbed nothing, fell to the ground. Qin Shu instinctively wrapped an arm around the newcomer's shoulder: "Wuya, what are you doing here?"

-

Clearly, throwing a delicate guide to the ground was very socially unacceptable. Qin Shu went over and helped Gu Shi up. Gu Shi lowered his head in silence, then suddenly picked up his coffee and threw it at Qin Shu.

Watching the furious look on the guy's face, Qin Shu sighed inwardly.

It took five minutes to handle the situation, mainly to apologize, then have Li Wuya call a subordinate to escort the guy back.

Five minutes later, ignoring the strange looks around them, the two walked out of the café.

Li Wuya was pissed: "Why didn't you let me stop him from pouring coffee on you?"

Qin Shu was speechless: "Wuya, can you not be such a straight guy? He's a guide; if you pressed down on him, he'd die."

"His father is a Treasury official. I would've held back."

"Then think about my reputation. If word gets out that I'm so ungentlemanly, what girl would wanna hang out with me?"

"Girls hang out with you?"

"..."

Qin Shu threw a punch in anger, which Li Wuya dodged with practiced ease.

Three seconds later, they were cool again, and Qin Shu slung an arm around Li Wuya's shoulder again: "So why'd you let him fall on the ground?"

Li Wuya said indifferently: "I thought it was an ambush."

Qin Shu couldn't help but laugh.

He'd been transmigrated for six years, the first five spent on the border battlefield. Li Wuya was his closest comrade, best friend, brother-in-arms, and sworn brother... skipping ten thousand words, they were really tight.

The two walked into Li Wuya's hovercar, chatting and laughing. Li Wuya pulled out a set of clothes with practiced ease.

Qin Shu took the clothes just as easily, but stopped in surprise: "Isn't this your spare military uniform? You're just gonna let me wear it?"

Li Wuya didn't look up, staring at Qin Shu's bare back, covered in scars: "You wore it all the time."

"How's that the same? You're an admiral now, man."

How can a colonel wear an admiral's uniform?

Li Wuya met Qin Shu's eyes, his look serious: "You should've been an admiral too. That last credit shouldn't have gone to just me."

Qin Shu quickly pulled on the uniform: "Forget it. I don't wanna lead troops or get into politics. I'm fine just staying a grunt."

"You don't get how valuable you are politically."

"Alright, alright, I don't get all that," Qin Shu thought for a moment and added, "Even if I'm useful, only you can use me."

"..."

This time, it was Li Wuya who went silent.

The hovercar started up slowly and switched to autopilot. Qin Shu had access to everything Li Wuya owned, including this car.

He casually unlocked the dash and set the destination: his place.

"Play games with me later—SGA has a new co-op mode."

"Sure."

"What're we having for lunch?"

"You decide."

"After we eat, wanna spar at the training ground?"

"I'm down."

They sat side by side. Qin Shu lazily scrolled through the StarNet.

Li Wuya pulled out some wet wipes and grabbed Qin Shu's hand.

It was a really nice hand—defined knuckles, long fingers, with calluses and small scars that were part of the art, but the coffee stains on it were driving him crazy.

The guy lowered his eyes, serious and careful, wiping Qin Shu's hand.

And Qin Shu didn't think anything of it.

Over the past five years, he'd gotten used to this. Li Wuya was a total neat freak who couldn't stand mess; after battles, he'd always wipe Qin Shu's hands, face, neck, chest... of course, anything below the waist was off-limits.

Half-asleep, Qin Shu half-opened his eyes and studied Li Wuya.

The sunlight was perfect, but his friend's features were too rigid and cold; the gold only cast a colder sheen over him.

What was that called? Inorganic coldness?

Li Wuya was finally satisfied and tossed the wipes into the trash.

Qin Shu suddenly moved, grabbing Li Wuya's chin: "Nanny."

Li Wuya said, "Nanny-daddy."

"Oh, so you want to be my dad?"

The two started wrestling in the back seat again—mainly Qin Shu attacking, Li Wuya blocking. Finally, Qin Shu pinned Li Wuya beneath him, their breaths mingling, ten centimeters apart—not quite an intimate distance. Li Wuya tucked a stray strand of hair behind Qin Shu's ear.

"If you're really worried about the Gu family's youngest son affecting your reputation, I'll make him shut up," Li Wuya suddenly said.

"Come on, it's not the battlefield."

"I'll use more civilized means."

"What's the point of bullying a little guide?"

"..."

He was the one bullying you, Li Wuya thought.

The sunlight made Qin Shu's features even more dazzling, his thick eyelashes shimmering with gold, his slightly narrowed eyes reflecting only Li Wuya.

He still smelled a bit of coffee, mixed with the scent of Li Wuya's clothes, wearing a brand-new three-star, seven-stripe military uniform—elegant, straight, and full of spirit.

Indeed, the admiral's uniform suited Qin Shu better.