“As a third-tier magazine, although Youth isn’t as famous as the other major publishing houses, it wins on the character of its editor-in-chief. She won’t do things that harm others without benefiting herself, nor will she deliberately nitpick just to generate buzz. On this point, I’m quite satisfied.”

Wen Xi droned on endlessly in his ear. Gu Qichi was incredibly sleepy, his eyes half-closed as he quietly listened to her instructions.

His waist was terribly sore, and down there was too.

Bo Yu’s hand rested on his lower back, kneading gently, trying to soothe the soreness from overuse. The force was just right—neither too light nor too heavy.

Gu Qichi’s head unconsciously rested on Bo Yu’s shoulder. He nuzzled against him a couple of times before burying his face in the crook of Bo Yu’s neck. The aching distension in his lower back was relieved considerably, and he narrowed his eyes in comfort.

“Also, what we secured this time is the cover for the November issue, not just a simple inside page. The editor-in-chief of Youth is very satisfied with you and feels your temperament fits the theme of this shoot perfectly.”

Wen Xi spoke for ages until her mouth was dry, only to realize there was silence on the other end. She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and ask softly, “Baby Chi, are you listening?”

Yesterday, Bo Yu had pinned him down, going at it for four or five hours straight. Gu Qichi woke up and slept, slept and woke up; in his groggy state, he didn’t know how many times Bo Yu had tossed him about. He woke up early again today and was currently on the way to the airport, so he really had no energy or spirit left.

He was so sleepy that he had drifted off without realizing it. It was Bo Yu who noticed the screen lit up and heard Wen Xi’s voice coming from the receiver several times before reaching out to answer the phone for him.

Wen Xi: “Baby Chi? Where are you?”

Bo Yu lowered his brows, his phoenix eyes long and narrow, the color of his pupils deep and dark. He naturally adjusted Gu Qichi’s head to a comfortable position, wrapped one arm around his shoulder, and tapped the phone with the other hand: “Hello? Is this Qichi’s agent?”

Wen Xi, caught off guard by a strange man’s voice coming from the receiver, jerked while drinking water. The liquid went down the wrong pipe, her throat constricted, and she choked until tears came out.

It took her several seconds to recover. Furious, she shouted at the phone regardless of her image: “Who are you?! Where is Gu Qichi?!”

Bo Yu glanced at the sleeping Gu Qichi and silently lowered the call volume before replying unhurriedly: “Miss Wen, hello.”

He tugged at his tie and continued, “I am Gu Qichi’s husband, Bo Yu. If there is anything, you can relay it to me. He isn’t feeling well today and is still sleeping. If it’s important, I will tell him.”

Wen Xi put down the water glass, frowning. After confirming again that she had dialed Gu Qichi’s number, her brow furrowed in displeasure.

When did this nouveau riche go to find Gu Qichi?!

Isn’t this just a business marriage? Is it necessary to watch Gu Qichi so closely?!

Don’t they say business marriages have no feelings?!

Holding back a breath, Wen Xi didn’t mince her words: “Mr. Bo, if I recall correctly, I assigned a professional lifestyle assistant to Gu Qichi. Why are you the one by his side right now?”

The Rolls-Royce sped along. Outside the car window, lush camphor trees blocked the sun like a canopy. The extending branches hung with leaves so green they seemed about to drip verdant dye. Sunlight pierced through the dense foliage, revealing only a few faint golden rays.

This stretch of camphor trees seemed planted specifically to provide shade in summer. The cars in the center of the road were shrouded in a huge, verdant shadow. The wind whipped up by the scorching summer day was sultry, but as it passed through the treetops, the camphor leaves rustled, soothing the irritability of the moment.

Bo Yu methodically lowered the window a crack and lazily took over the conversation: “Miss Wen, I am Gu Qichi’s lawful partner. Appearing by his side is the most normal thing in the world.”

“By the way, I forgot to remind you. Gu Qichi is married now. Isn’t it a bit overstepping for Miss Wen to still call him ‘Baby Chi’?”

Bo Yu cast his gaze onto Gu Qichi. The other man was sleeping soundly. The car was a bit stuffy, and the breeze drifting in idly lifted strands of his hair, revealing a smooth forehead.

His face was rosy, and the corners of his eyes and brows were still dyed with the flush of passion. His nose was round and high, and his lips, having lost much of their swelling, were slightly parted to reveal white, lustrous teeth.

Most of the blockage in Bo Yu’s heart dissipated, and his expression cleared slightly. He reached out to toy with Gu Qichi’s lips, prying open his teeth to invade inside, his fingertips stirring his soft tongue.

Only when Gu Qichi frowned uneasily in his dream, the tip of his tongue uncontrollably resisting Bo Yu’s fingertip and his teeth biting down on the knuckle, did Bo Yu withdraw his hand.

Gu Qichi can only be my baby, Bo Yu thought.

Not even Wen Xi is allowed.

Because I will get jealous.

“If there isn’t anything else, I’ll hang up first. I will ask his lifestyle assistant about the specific details and communicate with her carefully. We are almost at the airport; talking for too long will affect Little Chi’s sleep quality.”

The call was hung up with a click. Bo Yu tossed the phone onto the seat beside him, his gaze falling on his own fingertips.

Glistening saliva coated them, and a silver thread still connected his finger to Gu Qichi’s lips.

Bo Yu pulled his finger back. The silver thread snapped, and his fingertip landed squarely on the center of his own lips. Bo Yu extended his tongue and licked it.

Refreshingly sweet.

After licking the saliva off his fingertip clean, Bo Yu half-narrowed his eyes. His expression was obscure, much like a large beast staring at its prey—eyes burning, carrying a natural, lazy wildness.

When will Gu Qichi finish filming? I really want to lock him up at home, hide him in a place without daylight, where only I can see such magnificence.

On the other end of the line, Wen Xi stared at the disconnected phone. Her expression went from blank bewilderment to shock and anger.

Wen Xi: “???”

Are you okay???

Where did this petty man come from?!!

…

Fortunately, they weren’t far from S City. Bo Yu accompanied Gu Qichi, upgrading both of them to First Class, while Luo Qianqian was arranged in a seat further back. The three traveled together.

Gu Qichi slept the whole way and still hadn’t woken up on the drive from the airport to the magazine studio.

The car was provided by Bo Yu, a spacious Mercedes G-Wagon.

Luo Qianqian sat in the back, looking at the sleeping Gu Qichi with a complex gaze, her eyes lingering on his shoulders and neck several times.

Something isn’t right. How could there be no marks?

But if they didn’t ‘do it,’ would Teacher Gu be tired enough to look like this?

Luo Qianqian was truly puzzled. Amidst her contemplation, her gaze fell on Bo Yu.

Handsome, rich, and rare for doting on his wife.

If nothing else, Bo Yu had held Gu Qichi while he slept the entire journey; just that arm strength was enough to leave people tongue-tied.

Perhaps Luo Qianqian’s gaze was too obvious. Bo Yu finally seemed to notice. He lazily lifted his eyelids, the contours of his eyes extremely deep, and looked over at her.

This glance was extremely oppressive. The air pressure in the narrow space suddenly tightened, becoming even more cramped.

Luo Qianqian felt like a chicken being choked by the neck. Her eyes widened slightly, and she struggled to control her facial expression, not daring to peek anymore.

She didn’t see Bo Yu shift Gu Qichi’s position in his arms, turning his face toward him so that only he could see it.

---

When they arrived at the shooting location for Youth, Gu Qichi finally woke up. having slept the whole way, his spirit was clearly much restored.

There was a natural flush on his face, though his double eyelids had turned into multiple folds from sleeping. Gu Qichi lazily yawned and rubbed them a few times before they returned to normal.

Because this was his first magazine shoot, Wen Xi had instructed Luo Qianqian to make sure he wasn’t nervous. She had previously assisted with an inside page shoot for a member of the group Scalding, so she had some experience.

While Bo Yu went to park the car, Luo Qianqian glanced at Gu Qichi a few times and started cheering him on: “Teacher Gu, you don’t need to be nervous. Shooting for a magazine is very simple. The idol I worked with before didn’t have experience either, but as long as you follow the photographer’s requests, it won’t be far off.”

“This kind of magazine is mainly for face exposure, to open up your fame in the fashion circle and let your face shine brilliantly!”

The door was pushed open, the handmade wind chimes knocking together with a ding-dong sound. Gu Qichi turned back, looking completely languid. A smile spread across his lips, revealing two very shallow pear dimples: “Qianqian, I’m not nervous, so you don’t need to be nervous either.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he strode inside.

The photographer inside was debugging equipment, the editor-in-chief in charge was flipping through Gu Qichi’s photos, and other staff members were busy with their own tasks.

Hearing the noise at the door, everyone looked over in unison.

A flawless face.

Su Yun inhaled sharply, admiration leaking from her eyes. She threw Gu Qichi’s file onto the table, stood up to hug him, and praised him without concealment:

“Perfect!”

“Gu Qichi, you’re even better looking than I imagined.”

“Very good. You fit the theme of our shoot perfectly.”

Gu Qichi returned the hug, accepting her praise without any shyness: “Thank you for the compliment.”

Others were looking at him too. The young man’s appearance was simply too outstanding; the moment he appeared, it was only right that everyone’s eyes shifted to him.

Today he wore a punk-style black T-shirt with an exaggerated silver-white pattern on the chest. The collarbone area had a unique cutout design, revealing a patch of looming white skin.

Around his neck hung a small and exquisite silver accessory—a butterfly flapping its wings. Paired with the young man’s cold and pure face, it inexplicably added a touch of frigid, ascetic temperament.

His lower half was clad in cargo pants. The stiff black fabric wrapped around his thighs; the cut was excellent, allowing one to easily sense the burgeoning muscle lines beneath. The pant legs were tucked into high-top Martin boots, elongating the proportion of his legs.

A balance of power and design.

Su Yun tapped her fingertips twice on the workbench, pursed her lips, and looked up at him: “I have a great idea. Mart, go find that white wig. I think it will suit him perfectly.”

Luo Qianqian followed closely behind him step by step. Seeing that Gu Qichi didn’t have stage fright at all, she still worried that he wouldn’t remember the process, even though she had walked him through it in advance.

Su Yun: “The theme of this shoot is ‘First Snow.’ It’s set for the cover of the mid-November issue. I think you will shine brilliantly.”

Suddenly hearing the words “First Snow,” Gu Qichi trembled uncontrollably. His eyelashes fluttered as he lifted his eyelids, his amber pupils innocent and blank.

He asked softly, “Is it First Snow?”

Su Yun methodically swiped through her plans on the iPad, ensuring there were no omissions. She looked up, met his gaze, and smiled at his words: “Yes, First Snow. Don’t you think it suits you particularly well?”

In some ways, Su Yun was actually very similar to Wen Xi—capable and rigorous. However, Wen Xi was a fiery, rampant “royal sister” type, while Su Yun was more like an uncut jade polished by time; her aura was sharp but well-restrained.

“The person we originally decided on wasn’t actually you; it was Gu Yuning.” Her gaze swept over Gu Qichi’s face from top to bottom before she explained, “It’s quite a coincidence, actually. You both have the surname Gu.”

“But unfortunately, he doesn’t have your unique temperament. Compared to the biting cold of the first snow, he’s more like a weak dodder flower buried in the snow when the first snow falls—unable to withstand a single blow from the cold wind.”

“I’m very glad I saw the stills released by Lucky Sky Green on Weibo. That makeup photo of Shen Qingye going to his death was taken very well.” Su Yun laughed, showing him the prepared costumes on the iPad. “I’m also a fan of the original novel Shen Qingye. I’m very happy to see that his actor is you; this way, I won’t uncontrollably curse out loud.”

“Sister Su, found it. Let him get styled.”

Su Yun turned at the sound, then put away her electronic device, the corners of her lips sketching a generous and confident smile: “Go to the dressing room. I look forward to your performance.”

Gu Qichi met her gaze. Upon hearing Gu Yuning’s name, his heart suddenly went quiet.

Every time, he would die in that first snow of Dongcheng. The sky-filling flames reflected red against the horizon, the cold snow melted into water, flowing between his fingers.

He could clearly feel life slipping away from his body bit by bit. The biting cold mixed with scorching heat, making it impossible to distinguish reality from illusion…

After coming back to his senses, he lowered his eyes to look at his ten fingers, then looked up again, a sparse smile revealing itself in his eyes.

“Editor-in-Chief Su, trust me. I will bring the best work. I won’t let you regret your decision.”

He turned and walked toward the dressing room.

From this day on, he would personally take back everything Gu Yuning had stolen from him, item by item.

He would not let him off.

---

Author’s Note:
Inserting a little theater:

During the do (intimacy):

Bo Yu: “Wife, you can only be mine alone. You are my wife alone. My baby alone.”
Bo Yu (wronged face): “They all want to steal you away.”

Chi Chi, shattered into pieces and face covered in tears, still forces himself to sit up to kiss Bo Yu. He takes Bo Yu’s hand and places it on his abs.

Chi Chi: “Bo Yu, only you.”
Chi Chi: “I am yours alone.”
Chi Chi: “Can you feel it? Only you can stir-fry* me, can completely possess me.”

(TL Note: “Stir-fry” [chǎo] is often used as internet slang/pun for “fck” [cāo] in this context due to similar sounds or keyboard layout proximity).*