On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Bo Yu brought Gu Qichi back to the Bo family’s old residence.

Bai Heng had finally taken his New Year holiday and no longer had to deal with this troublesome young couple, so this time Bo Yu drove himself.

Gu Qichi carried a cat backpack with A’Ci tucked inside, packed a few bottles of well-aged red wine, and got into the car.

The Range Rover was spacious and the ride was smooth all the way, but after a while the car turned onto a winding mountain road.

The pines and cypresses on both sides were still green even in winter, though darker and denser than in summer. Some branches still held bits of unmelted snow, white scattered over green, making for a strikingly beautiful sight.

A’Ci peered around happily inside her cat carrier, clearly in a good mood too.

Turning his head to look at Bo Yu, who was focused on driving, Gu Qichi couldn’t help asking curiously, “Bo Yu, where exactly is your family’s place?”

Don’t tell me it’s actually built on the mountain…

As he spoke, his gaze drifted unconsciously to Bo Yu’s hands.

Bo Yu’s fingers were long, his knuckles clearly defined, though not the overly thick kind. His skin was pale with that kind of pallor that came from not seeing much sunlight, and bluish veins traced beneath the surface. His wrist bone stood out slightly before vanishing beneath his shirt cuff.

His right hand rested casually on the black leather steering wheel, and the simple motion carried its own lazy elegance.

Gu Qichi, very unhelpfully, found himself staring for a second too long. Then his thoughts wandered somewhere they absolutely should not have gone, and he quickly looked away, a little uncomfortable.

Bo Yu, meanwhile, didn’t seem to notice what he was thinking. He answered naturally, “It’s on this mountain. Back before this land was developed, the most powerful families in Dongcheng bought up the whole area and built several residences here.”

“The older generation likes living here. My mother does too. But I don’t. Transportation isn’t very convenient, and it’s too far from work, so the commute is too much trouble. That’s why I’ve always lived in the villa in the city.”

Gu Qichi froze briefly, mouth falling open before closing again.

Truthfully, even now, he still had no real idea just how rich Bo Yu was.

The only thing he knew was that Bo Yu kept finding new ways to shatter his understanding.

Half an hour later, the car came to a smooth stop in front of an imposing, magnificent estate. Gu Qichi got out and looked it over.

It was a very traditional Chinese-style residence, with carved beams, painted rafters, red walls, and black-green roof tiles. The corners of the eaves curved sharply upward, and if one looked closely, a few magpies’ nests could still be seen tucked under the roof beams.

Bo Yu didn’t rush to take him inside. Instead, he took the cat bag from Gu Qichi, slung it over his own shoulder with practiced ease, then took Gu Qichi’s hand and led him around toward the back of the house.

“I’ll show you around first. The scenery here is pretty nice,” Bo Yu said, adjusting his scarf carefully and making sure no cold wind could get in before finally seeming satisfied.

The air on the mountain really was much fresher than the air in the city, and the view was far more open as well.

It had snowed just a few days ago, and since no one had cleared the paths up here, thick layers of white still lined the roadside. When stepped on, the snow gave off crisp crunching sounds.

Now and then they also snapped a buried pine branch underfoot, making a soft crack beneath the snow.

Inside the cat bag, A’Ci kept pawing at the sides, clearly itching to get out.

Gu Qichi looked around. There didn’t seem to be any risk of losing the cat out here, so he let go of Bo Yu’s hand and released A’Ci from the carrier.

The silver-shaded cat shook out her fur happily and cautiously stretched out a paw to test the snow’s temperature.

Normally, she only curled up at home and was rarely taken downstairs by Gu Qichi to play in the snow, so this sudden chance to touch it made her extremely excited.

Before long, she was rolling around in the snow, completely unbothered by the cold, pawing at it and digging to her heart’s content.

She was already round to begin with, and now that she was dusted in snow, she looked even more like a little white glutinous rice ball—ridiculously adorable.

Watching the silver-shaded cat play in the snow, Gu Qichi smiled until his eyes curved. Bending down, he casually picked up two pinecones.

Probably because of poor nutrients, these two pinecones hadn’t produced any pine nuts, but at least they were beautifully shaped. Their layered petals spread outward like blooming flowers.

“Shang Jue! Hurry up…”

“Huh? Why is there a cat here?”

A’Ci, who had been hard at work building a little snow-cat head with her paws, was suddenly scooped up from the snow. Her whiskers were still dusted white. Confused, she looked up and realized it wasn’t Gu Qichi or Bo Yu holding her, and immediately began to struggle a little.

The area was quiet and empty, with hardly anyone around, so when a child suddenly ran over, Gu Qichi couldn’t help but lift his head and take a closer look.

The child’s clothes were striking enough to draw attention immediately. Not only was his hair dyed pink, even his down jacket was pink.

That sort of bright color would be disastrous on most people, but on this kid, the only possible reaction was: he looked good.

That was because his features were simply too delicate. Even Gu Qichi couldn’t help but think that the child was unusually beautiful—the kind of beautiful that would suit the entertainment industry and the big screen perfectly.

He stood, stamped the snow off his shoes, and walked over in a few quick steps, meeting the eyes of the child holding his cat.

“That’s my cat. I brought her out to play in the snow,” Gu Qichi explained.

Bo Yu stood beside him, looking at the cat struggling in someone else’s arms with barely concealed amusement, clearly finding it a little satisfying.

Yu Sui’s arms stiffened around the cat. Somewhat embarrassed, he scratched his head and handed A’Ci back to Gu Qichi.

“I thought somebody had accidentally lost their cat. Since the owner’s here, then it’s all good.”

Curled in Gu Qichi’s arms, A’Ci stared round-eyed at Yu Sui.

Yu Sui looked awkward to the point of death. The moment he caught sight of Shang Jue approaching, he immediately bent toward Gu Qichi in apology.

“Since the owner’s here, I’ll go now. Sorry about that.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy darted off like a gust of wind.

Gu Qichi narrowed his eyes and saw him rejoin another slightly taller boy. He seemed to kick the other one too, making Gu Qichi laugh despite himself.

Bo Yu lifted his wrist, glanced at the time, then took A’Ci from Gu Qichi and carefully cleaned all the snow off her. Too lazy to stuff her back into the cat carrier, he simply held her in his arms.

“It’s getting late. We should head back. My mother’s waiting for us.”

His tone was perfectly calm, but Gu Qichi suddenly grew nervous.

Come to think of it, he and Bo Yu had already been married for more than half a year, and yet he still hadn’t met Bo Yu’s mother. It really did seem rather impolite.

And besides…

Gu Qichi couldn’t help worrying a little that Bo Yu’s mother might not like him.

The Bo family residence was astonishingly large, with a strict, orderly layout. In front stood an enormous jade screen, seemingly formed from a single natural piece.

Gu Qichi couldn’t help exclaiming, “Is that really carved from actual jade?”

Before Bo Yu could answer, a faintly smiling voice came from behind the screen.

“It is. Carved from one whole piece of jade. It took quite a while to find the right craftsman.”

Gu Qichi looked toward the source of the voice and saw Bo Yu give a slight nod, then introduce him simply.

“Mom, this is Qichi.”

The woman looked very young—far too young to seem like Bo Yu’s mother. If anything, she looked more like his older sister. Time had left only the slightest traces on her, giving her not age but composure and experience.

Gu Qichi noticed that Bo Song probably resembled Bo Yu’s father more, while Bo Yu himself looked much more like Madam Bo.

Bo Yu’s mother was not beautiful in the soft, gentle way Bo Song was. Her features were exceptionally striking, more defined, like Bo Yu’s—beautiful in a sharp, dazzling way.

Gu Qichi found himself beginning to doubt all those old rumors. With a breathtaking beauty like Bo Yu’s mother by his side, had old Master Bo really gone around keeping that many lovers?

But there was no time to dwell on that, because Gu Qichi was now more urgently worried about how exactly he ought to address Madam Bo.

Calling her “Mom” on a first meeting, alongside Bo Yu, felt a bit too abrupt. But calling her “Auntie” seemed too distant.

Ruan Xian sat in her wheelchair, looking up at Gu Qichi.

“Xiao Chi, don’t be nervous. Just call me Mom, the same way Xiao Yu does.”

Gu Qichi hurriedly answered, “Mom.”

Ruan Xian smiled and then looked at the silver-shaded cat in Bo Yu’s arms.

“Is this A’Ci?”

Gu Qichi was a little surprised and turned to look at Bo Yu. Bo Yu explained, “After Mom found out you were an actor, she went and watched a lot of your variety shows and dramas. She also looked up a lot of extra materials. And since A’Ci appears on camera a lot, and she likes cats…”

Ruan Xian cut him off with a smile.

“I was staying in a sanatorium before, so I never had time to go see you. You won’t blame me, will you?”

Gu Qichi quickly shook his head. “Of course not. It’s my fault—I should have come to visit you earlier.”

Bo Yu handed the now-clean A’Ci over to Ruan Xian. She lowered her eyes and held the cat carefully, her delight obvious in her expression.

“Xiao Chi, I even bought your issue of Youth magazine. Could you sign it for me?”

She was far too enthusiastic for him to refuse. So, following her directions, Gu Qichi pushed her wheelchair toward her room.

Ruan Xian’s courtyard was large. A few flowers were planted in front, though they were bare at the moment. Even so, one could tell they had been carefully tended.

Ruan Xian took out a copy of Youth from a drawer. Gu Qichi glanced over and found that the entire drawer was filled with the same magazine issue featuring him.

So Bo Yu’s mother really did like him.

He thought that absentmindedly while signing.

A’Ci was very well-behaved in her arms too, quiet and calm, not causing any trouble.

While petting the cat, Ruan Xian looked at Gu Qichi’s face and said, “Xiao Chi, you’re even prettier in person than on television. Like one of those New Year painting dolls.”

Gu Qichi handed the signed magazine back to her, somewhat embarrassed, only to hear her continue.

“No wonder Xiao Yu likes you so much. Zhaozhao keeps making a fuss about wanting to see you too. Even I, after meeting you, can tell—you’re a good child. The kind of child many people would find worth loving.”

For a moment, Gu Qichi had no words.

He had encountered very few elders around Ruan Xian’s age in his life. Zhou Yuan had beaten and cursed him. His adoptive mother had tried to care for him, but in the end she too had abandoned him and left because she could no longer endure Zhou Yuan. Gu Chengtian and Geng Tingxun had been selfish, never once considering his feelings, let alone saying anything this warm to him.

A steady warmth rose in his chest.

Gu Qichi gave a small nod and answered softly, “Mm.”

Ruan Xian continued, “I think you have a real connection to Buddhism, Xiao Chi. Next time, let Bo Yu take you to the temple on Yuling Mountain to offer incense. It’s very effective there if you pray for a happy marriage.”

Gu Qichi gave an awkward little laugh. “Mom, Bo Yu already took me there.”

At that, Ruan Xian’s face took on a look that was half smile, half knowing amusement.

“That child. He used to mock me for worshipping gods and Buddhas, saying it was superstition. But now that he has you by his side, he couldn’t escape it either.”

Gu Qichi nodded, and suddenly remembered the words the host had said to him before.

“When everything is settled, remember to come back and fulfill your vow…”

After a moment’s thought, Gu Qichi looked back at Ruan Xian and said, “Bo Yu and I will definitely go back to fulfill it.”

Ruan Xian smiled and nodded again, and after a while the topic shifted to something else.

“Xiao Chi, are you livestreaming tonight?”

Gu Qichi froze for a second, then quickly nodded. “My manager did schedule a livestream for tonight.”

His heart skipped a beat, and he looked at her with some hesitation.

Bo Yu’s mother wasn’t actually going to watch his livestream too, was she…

That would be socially fatal.

Gu Qichi clenched his hands tightly.

Ruan Xian turned her wheelchair around, took her phone from beside the bed, and looked eager to learn.

“Xiao Chi, I downloaded the xxx livestreaming app, but I didn’t really figure it out. How exactly do I get into your livestream when it starts?”

Gu Qichi glanced at the app on her phone, leaned over, and began showing her how to use it.

At some point, Bo Yu had walked in. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched Gu Qichi and Ruan Xian talking.

For a moment, everything felt strangely peaceful.

“Mom, stop taking up all his time. I still want to take him around the house.”

Gu Qichi lifted his lashes and looked over at Bo Yu, who was standing against the light, then mouthed silently:

“Don’t start.”

Watching the two of them interact, Ruan Xian shook her head.

“That won’t do. At this point, I think I like Xiao Chi even more than you do.”

Bo Yu raised a brow and looked toward Gu Qichi, the meaning in his eyes perfectly clear—

See? I told you.

Everyone will like you.