It seemed to be the first time someone had shown such intense and clear affection for him. Gu Qichi blinked. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling; his heart felt a sour, swelling sensation, a little uncomfortable yet full.

Stopping everything he was doing, Gu Qichi straightened up, his tone gentle. “My signature might not be worth any money. Do you really want it?”

Seeing the other person nod without hesitation, Gu Qichi fetched a pen from his room. “Where should I sign?”

Wen Che looked up. He wasn’t very old, and when he smiled, his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, his canine teeth peeking out. He struggled to find a clean sheet of lined paper on his person, leaned in closer, and whispered, “Sign here. Could you write ‘To Wen Che’?”

Following Wen Che’s request, Gu Qichi wrote the sentence he wanted, stroke by stroke, before handing the paper back to him.

His handwriting reflected his character; Gu Qichi’s writing was just like him—elegant and powerful, yet possessing a unique, sharp freedom.

Wen Che carefully tucked it into his pocket, smiled radiantly as he said thank you, and then turned to leave.

After delivering a portion of the takeout to the elderly neighbors upstairs and downstairs, and moving the rest inside, Gu Qichi fished his long-neglected phone out of the blankets. Just as he was about to turn it on, the ringtone cut through the silence.

It was Gu Yuning.

There were also several missed calls. Gu Qichi glanced at the list: Gu Chengtian accounted for three, Gu Yuan’an for five, and Gu Yuning for thirteen.

He raised an eyebrow, hung up decisively, and let out a scoff. what kind of sickness was Gu Yuning suffering from now?

After dialing Wen Xi, Gu Qichi spoke first. “Wen Xi, have you eaten yet?”

On the other end of the line, Wen Xi swallowed what she was about to say, though her tone couldn’t hide her excitement. “Haven’t eaten. Why?”

Gu Qichi: “Come to my place. I have several dishes from Zuixianju. It would be a waste not to eat them.”

Ms. Wen rushed over with the speed of the wind, carrying her car… or rather, driving over so fast it seemed like she carried it. Gu Qichi was impressed.

What he hadn’t expected was that Ms. Wen brought the cat carrier with her.

“Meow~” Ah Ci familiarly drilled out of the carrier, her cry sweet and cloying. She pawed at Gu Qichi’s hand, brandishing her claws as she tried to jump onto him.

Gu Qichi grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and gave it a firm but gentle rub, only then sparing some attention to listen to Wen Xi.

Wen Xi: “This is your first time acting in a film by a big director like Lin Shuangyi, and you’re the third male lead. It was fine when you didn’t have an assistant before, but that nature reserve doesn’t have a soul in sight. I really don’t feel at ease with no one there to take care of you.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Gu Qichi’s expression.

The young man was teasing the cat, half-crouched, his cold-white fingertips waving in front of Ah Ci like a cat teaser.

The Silver Shaded British Shorthair, who had been listless while staying with her yesterday, was now acting as if she were on stimulants. Her eyes were round, extending her paws to catch Gu Qichi’s fingertips, half her body launching into the air.

One cat, one human, playing with immense joy.

Wen Xi: …

So her half-dead act yesterday was just a performance for me???

“This is Luo Qianqian, a fresh graduate. I’ve looked over her resume; her education is good, and her internship reviews are very high. She speaks little, is attentive, tight-lipped, won’t ask what shouldn’t be asked, and can cook. She can take care of your daily diet and living needs on the set.”

“I feel safe leaving you in her hands.”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Ah.” Gu Qichi finished teasing the cat, stood up, looked at Luo Qianqian, then glanced at Wen Xi, and nodded politely.

He knew Wen Xi meant well. Since she had already hired the person, refusing now would just cause trouble for the young girl.

“Hello, I am Gu Qichi,” he said.

Seeing Gu Qichi extend his hand, Luo Qianqian twisted her fingers nervously. “Hello, Teacher Gu, I am Luo Qianqian. You are really handsome, hahaha…”

Gu Qichi glanced at Wen Xi with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Just call me Gu Qichi. We should be about the same age.”

Luo Qianqian felt even more awkward. She wasn’t faking it at all; Gu Qichi was indeed good-looking, top-tier even in the entertainment industry. She had previously interned at the most famous entertainment company and assisted Song Zhian, the ‘visual’ of the newly debuted boy group.

Song Zhian was handsome too, otherwise, he wouldn’t have fought his way out among the interns. But compared to Gu Qichi, it felt like something was missing.

Luo Qianqian thought for a moment. The biggest difference between Song Zhian and Gu Qichi was likely their aura.

Gu Qichi’s aura was unique. His features were rich and beautiful, clearly like the most heavily saturated strokes in an oil painting, yet also like a hazy snow-capped mountain range—misty under the cold moonlight, with perennial snow set against a cerulean sky, lonely and tranquil.

The combination of the two created the one and only Gu Qichi.

Wen Xi nudged Luo Qianqian’s arm. “Don’t just stand there, sit down and eat. Gu Qichi doesn’t have any airs; he’s like a ghost. When you join the crew with him, just feeding him is enough. He’s much lazier than you.”

Luo Qianqian responded with a muted sound.

The decisive Ms. Wen didn’t care about their reactions at all. She sat down directly, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating. Zuixianju’s crab casserole was superb—the crab roe was rich, the meat snow-white, paired with soft, flavorful chicken feet and crisp lotus root slices. It was incredibly appetizing.

While eating, she didn’t forget to instruct Gu Qichi, “Baby Chi, when you join the crew next week, you must pack more clothes. The temperature difference between day and night is huge there, be careful not to catch a cold…”

Gu Qichi asked, “Why was it delayed to next week?”

Wen Xi paused in gnawing on a crab, looked up abruptly, and asked back uncertainly, “You didn’t see Lin Shuangyi’s message?”

Gu Qichi shook his head. He didn’t care much, solely focused on pinching the flesh under Ah Ci’s chin.

Speaking of this, Wen Xi got excited. She spat out the crab shell, wiped her hands clean, her crimson nail polish shining under the light.

“Gu Yuning was kicked out of the crew by Lin Shuangyi. Rumor has it he offended some capital investor, and the other party specifically named him and banned him from participating in ‘Xing Tianqing’. Baby Chi, do you know how excited I was when I got this news?!!”

Gu Qichi subconsciously furrowed his brow. Before he could speak, the phone on the table rang again.

It was still Gu Yuning.

His mind suddenly recalled that when he delivered food to the grandmother downstairs earlier, she mentioned that recently, people had been coming to the apartment door looking for him. They looked unfriendly, and she asked if he had gotten into some trouble.

Could it be Gu Yuning?

Wen Xi was sharp-eyed and one of the few who knew the messy history between Gu Qichi and Gu Yuning. Her face changed immediately, and she said with a fake smile, “What kind of madness has the Young Master Gu succumbed to now? Him losing resources has nothing to do with us. What, is he trying to vent his anger on you again?”

Looking at her expression, Gu Qichi pursed his lips and smiled. His peach-blossom eyes swept upward, his gaze sharp, his beauty possessing an aggressive edge.

He hadn’t wanted to pay attention to it, but the other party jumping up and down to disturb his life was truly disgusting.

Gu Qichi put Ah Ci on the floor, picked up the phone nonchalantly, and pressed answer.

To everyone’s surprise, the precious Young Master Gu Yuning didn’t lash out with hidden barbs. Instead, he spoke in a tone of enduring humiliation and ingratiation:

“Brother Qichi, can you come home? We all miss you very much.”

Gu Qichi: ?

Seeing no answer, and with his father silently urging him on from the side, Gu Yuning’s eyes turned red with anger. He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out slowly: “Brother Qichi, I was wrong before. I’m sorry. I’m begging you, can you come back?”

Not only could Gu Qichi not understand what Gu Yuning was thinking, but Wen Xi, who was eavesdropping, was also jaw-droppingly shocked.

Gu Qichi’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone, his eyes cold as if quenched in ice.

On the other end of the line, although the sound was faint, some conversation could still be heard drifting through the static.

Mother Gu’s anxious voice traveled into his ear:

“What do we do? Will he agree to the marriage alliance?”

Author’s Note:

Bo Yu: Will Wifey agree to me? (Nervous) (Rubbing hands) (I’m going to throw a tantrum.jpg)

Baby Chi: Oh, no. (Just kidding)