Yao Ai pouted, feeling that this was really ruining the plan she and Duan Zhi Hao had come up with. She leaned back and looked at him behind Li Ming’s back, trying to catch his gaze.

Unfortunately, Duan Zhi Hao was still scrolling through the website, not even noticing his gaze.

Li Ming noticed though. And as the two of them had noticed, he was a rather observant person when he wasn’t blinded by love. With Yao Ai asking him all these questions and now looking at Duan Zhi Hao like this, he had a bad feeling once again.

He also turned to glance at Duan Zhi Hao and then looked back at Yao Ai before turning to Duan Zhi Hao once more. Between these two, he was pretty sure that Duan Zhi Hao was the one who had a harder time lying. At the very least, while he did, it showed on his face or in his voice. So if he wanted the truth, it was better to look for clues from him. "Are the two of you planning to set me up with somebody?"

As expected, Duan Zhi Hao immediately froze in what he did, his eyes turning a little wider while his gaze slipped to the other side, clearly trying to find an out.

Li Ming’s gaze also wandered, and he took a deep breath, trying not to get angry. He knew they were just trying to help but this help wasn’t welcome at all. It had taken him a long time to get over Su Yan and jumping into a relationship almost right the instant when he did hadn’t worked well.

Now, with Mo Fang, he was even more heartbroken because this hadn’t just been a crush but a full-fledged relationship that he had invested his time and heart in. He had seen a future with him but then everything he had believed in had been stomped on.

He just … wasn’t ready. He needed time. And somebody trying to cut that time short because they believed it was best for him made him quite angry. It just felt like what Mo Fang had done to him all over again: Somebody deciding what he wanted or needed and acting on that, trying to hoodwink him into believing things that weren’t true.

He realized that his reaction was partly fueled by his recent experiences though. Duan Zhi Hao and Yao Ai hadn’t been up to anything nefarious to get a benefit for themselves. They were just trying to help.

Even though they were going about it all wrong, he realized that. And because he did, he couldn’t lose his temper. He even regretted having done that with Mo Fang the other day. He didn’t want to add another reaction to that list. "Really, you don’t need to do that. Actually, I want to kindly ask you not to do that. I’m not interested."

Finally, Duan Zhi Hao looked up. "We didn’t! I mean, maybe we were wondering if getting into a new relationship would help you get over the old one but we wouldn’t do something like setting you up." He tried to sound blasé about it but it was pretty obvious to anyone listening that he was lying.

Meanwhile, Yao Ai might be able to realize that their plan was out in the open but she still didn’t think that there was anything wrong with what they had done. "I really don’t know why you’re being like this, brother Li. Are you still that hung up over your ex? Anyway, I’m sure that a new relationship would be good for you! If you don’t start something new, how are you going to get over the old?"

Li Ming sighed when she tried to argue her point. He didn’t know if he should even try to explain to her why, indeed, he didn’t like this idea or if he should just categorically tell her no. Either way, he wasn’t sure if she would still try something. And with Duan Zhi Hao seeming to realize that this wasn’t a good idea, he wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t try to pull something off on her own. If she did, things might get even more awkward. When Duan Zhi Hao was involved as well, he was at least sure that things wouldn’t get out of hand too much. With just Yao Ai, he wouldn’t be too reassured.

He thought for a moment and then just shook his head. "Sister Yao, you don’t need to understand this. Please just accept that I don’t want this."

Yao Ai pursed her lips and still wanted to argue but saw Duan Zhi Hao on Li Ming’s other side shake his head. Finally, she could only sigh. "I still don’t understand though. Anyway, I’m sure that your next girlfriend will be much better than the last. If she was that awful, it’s unlikely you’ll find somebody just as bad again. You just need to trust in yourself! You’re a good guy. You’ll definitely be able to attract nice women as well."

Li Ming smiled wryly, feeling that there really was no use in talking to her at all. "Well, maybe I will be able to attract somebody nice in the future. For now though, that is not a concern for me. I’m just looking out for myself."

"Fine! If you really can’t be bothered to look for somebody, then I’ll accept it. But if you change your mind, you can always tell me. I’ll be there for you!" Her expression immediately lit up when she reassured herself that there would be an opportunity in the future, clearly believing that Li Ming would get back to her about this.

Li Ming looked at her a little exasperated but finally just nodded. "Alright. Whenever I feel that it’s time, I’ll tell you." He should probably also tell her that he was gay while he was at it. But that was also a concern for the future. Right now, he just hoped that this wouldn’t be brought up again.