MC and ML are contracted lovers. They show hints of it and then finally reveal towards the end that the ML's older brother was gay. You see the ML's nephew in the beginning, the older brother's son. Then you meet the ML's parents and the differences between the mother's and father's attitude towards the MC. Then you see the nephew's mom, and how she can't be with the nephew, her own son. Then there's a scene where the ML takes the MC to follow a random guy. And at that point, as a reader, I was like... ain't no f*cking way. Because if it's true, then it's pretty f*cked up.

But yes.

The story is that the ML's older brother was gay. He introduced his boyfriend to his parents. And the parents weren't having it. Imagine having homophobic parents who can't accept you, but also having the capital to not accept you. The story doesn't show you everything, but it ends with parents hiring people to drug (if I remember correctly) their son and r*pe him. This is why the nephew exists. Shortly after that, the brother got into a car accident and died. The older brother's mentality at that time was definitely not great.

The ML already knew his brother was gay, but, at that time, he was studying abroad. He knew nothing of what his brother was going through until after his death. So the ML has contracted MALE lovers just to spite his parents (yes, ML is or was (idk) straight).

I think this backstory for the ML adds on to his cold personality. He had to responsibility to take care of all the work his brother had. He takes care of his parents, but he doesn't like them. He takes care of his nephew. All the while being surrounded by people who are like his parents. The kind of people that only care about wealth, status, and reputation. And, you know, it's years after his brother's death, but the ML still seems to be grieving.

Honestly, thinking back on it, the ML didn't really have much going on for him throughout the story. He has one friend, but nothing else. He didn't even have ambitions in his career. The ML just did everything methodically/correctly. He probably was just taking care of his brother's things. It's a good thing the MC showed up.

The MC is dying. When he transmigrates over, he has a healthy body with all his allergies. But because his allergies transmigrated with him, he knew his sickness was going to come back too. So he experiences life before it comes. He eats and does whatever he wants. He goes to school, unlike in his previous life. And I don't think I noticed it the first time, but he has a habit of writing in a notebook. He writes down the things he wants to do.

I'm a little sad that this notebook didn't really have a purpose beyond that. It would've been heartbreaking if the ML found it. He writes things like "I want to be in a relationship" (or something like that) and then crosses it out. He writes directly under it "I don't want to be in a relationship if it's not going to last." The last thing he wrote (as seen in the story) is "I want to make Xie Yin (ML) happy." This is after he found out that the ML was sad and he was getting sicker (I believe it was happening at that time). And yes, the author could've used this to make the story so much better.

Anyways, as per usual with a terminally ill character. He tries to leave because he doesn't want to make the ML sad with his sickness and eventual death. He proposed a breakup (breaking the contract) and the ML agreed to it. They just needed time buffer to play their breakup scene. ML was just getting more time since he was setting up for the MC to get a full check up and he was upset that the MC would rather leave than tell him he was sick.

The ML takes the MC to get a checkup. The MC is scared (since he had treatment in his previous life. He relapsed and then died. It was very painful for him). The ML finds that there was a lot going on his the MC's body. Later, they go home and have such a sad scene. MC cried and eventually said that the ML was his best friend and he didn't want to make him sad. The ML's response was that he was his best friend and he could accept all of it.

So they go get treatment. The ML tries his best to stimulate the MC's will to live and get better.

I'm not over the fact the ML wasn't gay. That means he agreed to have s*x with the MC before he realized his feelings for him. Or maybe, he did realize but I didn't know as a reader???

The reason why they started having s*x is because of the MC.

The MC was straight, or he believed he was. The ML always hounds him to not get close or have any thoughts he shouldn't have. The MC always yells at him that he was straight, so the ML needed to calm down.

But later, the MC started having s*xual fantasies of the ML. He m*sturbated to him and had a wet dream. He started talking to his roommates about if s*x felt good and with a man. He then gets excited and starts messaging the ML to have s*x. The ML was like "What the f*ck happened over the weekend?" He eventually gives in (with anger) after the MC ends up in the hospital (for separate reasons). Then right after that, he finds out from the MC's roommate that the MC has been curious about s*x lately.

And so they have s*x and the ML was nice during the whole ordeal. I just thought it was cute. And finding out the ML wasn't gay to begin with makes it even more cute. Like that's how much he indulges the MC.

I actually hate the troupe of the top saying, "I don't like men, but I like you." It feels very heteros*xual to me, because for the bottom, it'll be like "even if I'm a girl or boy, this person will notice me and like me." And most readers are female, so it's like a fantasy for women to be recognized by the male character even if they aren't in a female body. And it's also like, then what is sexually attractive for the top? Does he subconsciously view the bottom as a female? It's just not a very sincere and likable troupe for me.

But in this story, the ML doesn't even say anything about it. He just accepts that he likes the MC and silently moves on with the relationship. It's not a big deal. When the MC is acting cute and silly, he'll do whatever the MC wants, even if it's having s*x. It's an indulgence that just seems natural. Honestly, despite the author saying that he was originally straight, it feels more like he was sexually indifferent (ace).

ML always complains to himself about the MC only caring about money and s*x, but he still indulges him. But the majority of the reason that the MC doesn't "love" the ML is because he doesn't see a future for himself. So he's just enjoying life.