Gu Qichi had no idea how Bo Yu had enjoyed the meal or what his feelings were; all he knew was that he himself was happy.

The hallway lights flickered on one by one, triggered by the sound of his footsteps. The glare of the incandescent bulbs was piercing, illuminating a desolate corridor devoid of a single soul. A window had been left open by someone unknown, and a cool breeze rushed through, billowing Gu Qichi’s oversized shirt high around him.

The great beauty was usually cold and distant, his gaze sharp and indifferent to everything, possessing a sense of detachment from the world.

But today was different.

The apartment door opened from the outside. A’Ci, who had been curled up in the corner, instantly pricked up her ears and dashed toward Gu Qichi. Her snowy white paws with pink pads hugged his calf tightly, refusing to let go for even a second.

Hearing the commotion, Wen Xi roused herself from her drowsiness, but froze the moment she saw Gu Qichi.

The young man’s soft, jet-black hair hadn’t been trimmed in a while; it was getting long, slowly covering his ears, with strands scattered across his shoulders and neck, creating a stark contrast against his cold, white skin. Having drunk a few glasses of red wine before returning, a tipsy flush spread from his cheeks to his ears. His peach-blossom eyes were shimmering and watery, glancing down at her with a look that seemed hesitant to speak yet brimming with a decadent allure.

A question mark slowly rose over Wen Xi’s head. Wasn’t Gu Qichi threatened by the Gu family into a commercial marriage alliance? How could he come back looking like this?!

Had he been drugged?

Was the cabbage she had meticulously tended for four years so foolishly dug up by some pig?

“Xiao Chi, are you alright? Did the Gu family take you somewhere unsavory? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Dizzy, nauseous, or in pain?”

In the entryway, Gu Qichi was completely absorbed in petting the cat.

A’Ci lay submissively, exposing her soft, white belly and twisting her body. Gu Qichi’s cold, white fingertips rubbed her chin, stroke after stroke, with just the right amount of pressure. A’Ci was incredibly comfortable, mewling softly and emitting a low purr from her nose.

Hearing Wen Xi’s questions, Gu Qichi tilted his head, eyes full of confusion, but answered honestly, “I drank some wine, so I am a little dizzy. Why?”

He was indeed feeling a bit lightheaded; his voice was slightly hoarse and nasal.

Anxious and angry, Wen Xi grabbed his wrist, bit her lip, and took a deep breath. “Xiao Chi, don’t be afraid. I’ll take you to the hospital to check for injuries. As long as you don’t want to, no one can force you, not even the Gu family.”

The fingers petting the cat paused. Gu Qichi looked up belatedly, let out a soft “Ah,” and finally realized what Wen Xi had misunderstood. Standing up with a mix of amusement and exasperation, he patted A’Ci’s head and began to explain.

“Sister Wen, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. The Gu family can’t do anything to me; I can protect myself.”

Seeing that Gu Qichi didn’t seem to be just comforting her, Wen Xi frowned. Still worried, she asked him twice if he was telling the truth. Only after receiving his guarantee did she finally put her heart back in her chest.

---

After sending Wen Xi off, Gu Qichi felt a wave of fatigue. He buried himself in the soft bed for a long while before sluggishly fishing his phone out from the edge of the mattress.

There was one new person in his WeChat contacts tonight. Gu Qichi lowered his eyes, his pale fingertips sliding across the screen, scrolling up one by one. They were all from Bo Yu.

President Bo’s WeChat looked incredibly boring. His profile picture was a solid black image with no decoration. His “Moments” were completely empty, a barren wasteland without even a single corporate promotion.

However, he had sent Gu Qichi a lot of messages.

Gu Qichi: [I have accepted your friend request. We can chat now.]

Bo Yu: [Are you home?]

Bo Yu: [You can let me know when you get home.]

Bo Yu: [Regarding the room you’ll be staying in, do you have any special requests? For example, decoration style, color scheme, furniture you like…]

Bo Yu: [Is your profile picture the cat you raise? It’s very beautiful, just like you. You can bring it with you to the Bo residence.]

Hmm. Gu Qichi scrolled through a few times, thinking to himself that Bo Yu seemed a bit clingy.

They hadn’t been apart for very long. He glanced at the time in the top right corner: 10:23 PM. It had only been a little over an hour.

Gu Qichi: [I’ve arrived.]

President Bo, who handled ten thousand matters a day, replied almost instantly. He was so fast that while Gu Qichi was still answering the previous questions, Bo Yu had already sent a new message.

Bo Yu: [That’s good.]

Gu Qichi: [I don’t have any special requests, only one thing. My bedroom needs blackout curtains, and it’s best if the soundproofing is good.]

Because I have very severe grumpiness when waking up, Gu Qichi thought nonchalantly.

Bo Yu: [Can do.]

Bo Yu: [Do you sleep poorly? Once you’re at the Bo residence, I can hire a doctor to help you adjust.]

President Bo lowered his eyes, the screen’s glow projecting onto his chiseled side profile, making his eyes look even darker. If Gu Qichi slept poorly, he could try sleeping in his bed. His bed was custom-designed by specialists for ergonomics to ensure maximum sleep comfort…

Gu Qichi: [I have a cat bed here, I can just move it over when the time comes.]

A’Ci curled up into a ball beside Gu Qichi, her large lake-blue eyes clear and innocent. Her voice was overly cutesy, meowing endlessly, trying to get more of Gu Qichi’s attention. Gu Qichi glanced at her without making a sound, though he did begin to wonder about Bo Yu’s attitude toward A’Ci.

Bo Yu: [You don’t need to worry about the cat and the house. Just leave it to me.]

Gu Qichi: [No need. I don’t like doctors.]

Bo Yu: [Sorry.]

Gu Qichi: […]

The two of them carried on this disjointed conversation, the next sentence hardly connecting to the previous one, yet it was unexpectedly harmonious. Time ticked by without them noticing.

Despite disliking excessive communication on social apps and hating when others intruded on his life, Gu Qichi answered truthfully whatever Bo Yu asked, as if it were only natural.

Much, much later, Gu Qichi would realize that it wasn’t just Bo Yu indulging his probing of boundaries; he was doing the same. He indulged Bo Yu’s boundary-crossing behavior without a grudge, even finding amusement in it.

He and Bo Yu were, in fact, indulging each other.

Neither was innocent.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains like gauze, gently draping over the young man. The night grew deeper, but instead of feeling sleepy, Gu Qichi became more awake.

The phone in his palm was scorching hot, warming the skin of his hand. His fingertips ached slightly from typing for so long. Gu Qichi stretched his joints, his finger inadvertently brushing past the video call button on the bottom right of WeChat.

A’Ci poked her head over, winding around Gu Qichi’s forearm, the tip of her tail sweeping across the exposed section of his slender waist.

Her pink paw pad suddenly hit the video call button. After two beeps, the video connected immediately.

Bo Yu looked like he had just finished washing up. His cold face was slightly flushed from the steam, and his whole body was damp.

His hair wasn’t dry yet; water droplets dripped from the ends, some rolling down his jawline, over his bobbing Adam’s apple, and finally sliding down into his slightly open chest, outlining a hint of abdominal muscles.

Gu Qichi had good eyesight. His gaze swept up and down, quickly taking in all of Bo Yu, before finally settling on a certain spot.

President Bo had come out in a hurry, wearing only a loosely draped bathrobe. While his chest was exposed, the sash below was tied tight, the messy folds of the robe perfectly concealing everything else.

Including the place Gu Qichi wanted to see again.

Seeing Gu Qichi, Bo Yu’s breath hitched, his voice low and husky. “Gu Qichi.”

Suddenly called by name, the great beauty lazily lifted his eyes and let out an ambiguous “Mhm.”

Before Bo Yu could speak, the beauty turned on his side, his aggressively stunning face fully exposed to the camera lens.

“I can’t sleep.”

He cleared his throat, slowly voicing his current trouble.

Bo Yu paused the hand holding the towel. His right hand quietly tightened. He raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, “Then, do you want me to coax you to sleep?”

“Sure. You coax me to sleep.”

---

Author’s Note:

Gu Qichi: The cat made the video call, not me. And Bo Yu is the one who wants to coax me to sleep, it has nothing to do with me.

Bo Yu: Oh, is that so?