At 23:59, a small remote control was slipped into Gu Qichi’s hand.

He looked at Bo Yu in confusion. Bo Yu chuckled, indicating with his eyes for him to open it.

Gu Qichi tentatively pressed the button. A black curtain on the far right side of the observatory dropped, revealing a hidden screen.

It was broadcasting something live.

Gu Qichi turned his head, puzzlement showing in his eyes. “What is this?”

Before him was an iron tower constructed from countless metal frames.

It stood tall on a vast, desolate expanse of land. The wind whipped up yellow earth and gravel, obscuring the sky, yet it was still unable to block the blinding, burning flames piercing through the dark night.

When Gu Qichi clearly saw what was on the iron tower, his pupils violently contracted.

He wanted to turn and look at Bo Yu, but was suddenly embraced from behind. As usual, Bo Yu intimately buried his head in the crook of Gu Qichi’s neck. The resonance of his chest vibrating traveled through the fabric and reached Gu Qichi’s back.

Bo Yu’s voice was very faint, but the breath he exhaled was scalding, hitting the side of Gu Qichi’s neck.

“Gu Qichi, count down with me.”

Gu Qichi couldn’t fathom what he was trying to do. His Adam’s apple bobbed; he could not only hear his own swallow but also his deafening heartbeat.

But all these sounds were suppressed by Bo Yu’s voice. He found himself involuntarily speaking along with Bo Yu.

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Six.”

“Five.”

Soaring flames erupted from the tail of the rocket, followed by thick, howling white smoke, tearing a rift through the darkness-swallowed night sky. The fiercely burning flames ascended rapidly, its roaring tongues of fire seemingly ready to obliterate everything.

A massive roar pierced through the screen, transmitting clearly to the eardrums, accompanied by scattered metal debris reflecting piercingly bright, snowy light under the glare of the flames.

Gu Qichi’s heart beat faster and faster.

He could no longer remember if there had been a moment tonight when his heart beat slowly.

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

Like a phoenix breaking through the clouds, the flames surrounding it scorching and boiling, it fulfilled its mission. The satellite it carried merged into space, its metallic shell reflecting a cold, hard white light.

“As long as you wish, you can see the Qichi Star at any time.”

His tone was nonchalant. Something so unbelievable and seemingly impossible sounded as casual from his lips as discussing what to eat for tomorrow’s dinner.

Bo Yu chuckled softly, taking Gu Qichi’s fingers and playing with them, his tone taking on a more serious edge. “It will eternally orbit the Qichi Star, becoming a wildfire burning solely for love in the boundless universe.”

“This is what I created for you—Feng Qi (Phoenix Rest).”

He solemnly announced the name of the satellite to him. He had spent so much time, exhausted so much energy, all just for the one person in his heart.

Gu Qichi’s soft heart caved in another piece. The phoenix rests on the Firmiana tree—everything was intimately connected to him.

Bo Yu was like a romantic poet walking in the wilderness, always capable of giving reckless, desperate love.

“The Qichi Star is the sole meaning of the Feng Qi Project’s existence. Gu Qichi, you are also a unique existence in the vast heavens.”

He had gone months without sleep, submitting countless documents, going through endless reviews, and meeting countless people.

He irresistibly, forcefully used money to smash this surprise into existence for Gu Qichi.

It was even more absurd than King You of Zhou lighting beacon fires to amuse Bao Si, but he did it willingly.

As they spoke, fragments of the rocket that had carried the satellite began to fall from the sky. These outer debris, tumbling downwards, experienced intense friction with the atmosphere, generating light and heat that burst forth with immense white brilliance, outshining even the stars in the sky.

As these shedding rocket remains descended in a single instant, Gu Qichi stopped looking at the screen and looked up instead.

It was like a magnificent meteor shower slowly drawing its curtains across the sky. Every single one sped in Gu Qichi’s direction, trailing a faintly discernible silver glow behind them. It was fleeting, yet unable to withstand the dazzling brilliance of this moment.

This was a grand banquet held solely for him. Even if no one remembered it after tonight, it would forever leave an indelible mark in the long river of Gu Qichi’s memories.

“Do you like it?” Bo Yu’s voice was very, very soft. “I prepared it for a long time.”

He had a very crisp scent about him, faintly lingering at the tip of the nose. After the crisp top notes of peppermint dissipated, the spicy aroma of pepper passionately enveloped Gu Qichi’s entire body along with Bo Yu.

Just like Bo Yu himself—highly aggressive. Yet, when approaching Gu Qichi, he retracted all his cold, hard thorns, revealing only his soft interior to him.

He held his hand, his voice casual, but the words he spoke carried an irresistibly forceful tone. “Gu Qichi, the phoenix rests on the Firmiana tree. But your Firmiana tree isn’t your fans. In this life, you can only rest on my Firmiana tree.”

Gu Qichi broke free from his embrace, turned around, and wrapped his arms around Bo Yu’s waist.

“In my heart, only your Firmiana tree is planted, Bo Yu.”

…………

…………

…………

Hiding in the corner, Wen Xi couldn’t hold back a whispered curse, “Holy shit.” She then looked up at the sky, muttering, “This is a real fucking domineering CEO. How much money does it take to buy a satellite and launch it into space…”

“I feel like all the domineering CEO novels I’ve read before are weak in comparison…”

Her sleeve was suddenly tugged. Wen Xi turned her head in confusion to see Luo Qianqian looking completely dumbfounded, pointing at Special Assistant Bai beside her.

“Sister Wen, Special Assistant Bai said, Boss Bo spent eight hundred million…” Luo Qianqian’s voice was wavering, the ending note trembling.

In the domineering CEO fanfiction she wrote before, the most expensive gift Bo Yu gave Gu Qichi was that luxury mansion in East City worth 1.7 billion RMB. At that time, YUCHI had even politely DMed her to say that someone like Bo Yu couldn’t possibly give Gu Qichi a house that was so lacking in aesthetic taste and so cheap.

Luo Qianqian didn’t believe it then, considering that luxury mansion was the favorite place for celebrities in the entertainment industry to flaunt their wealth.

But now she believed it. For someone of YUCHI and Bo Yu’s class, it was indeed unlikely they would give Gu Qichi such a “luxury mansion.” He might give Gu Qichi an island, or perhaps build him a manor…

Poverty has limited my imagination. Luo Qianqian ruthlessly despised herself internally.

Next time before she wrote fanfiction, she absolutely had to ask the rich patroness YUCHI for her opinion.

Beside her, Wen Xi stiffly turned her head, her gaze unfocused, trembling as she faced Bo Yu. “How much did you say?”

Bai Heng, wearing a black suit, blended perfectly into the darkness. Hearing Wen Xi’s question, he adjusted his tie, revealed a brilliant smile full of white teeth, and amiably answered her query: “Eight hundred million—”

Seeing Wen Xi’s dumbfounded look, Bai Heng considerately added the last few words: “US Dollars.”

“Miss Wen, now you can safely entrust Mr. Gu to Boss Bo, right?”

Bai Heng waited for Wen Xi’s answer with an understanding look, but Wen Xi couldn’t hear anything. She only felt her legs go weak, and her vision spin.

She spoke with difficulty, “Qianqian, how much money is eight hundred million US dollars?”

Luo Qianqian couldn’t answer her. Bai Heng pulled out his phone, the fluorescent blue screen illuminating his face, making him look somewhat sinister. “Miss Wen, according to the exchange rate as of 6:00 PM on January 16th, the exchange rate of US Dollars to RMB is approximately 1:7.327.”

Wen Xi turned her head again, watching Bo Yu considerately pull Gu Qichi into his embrace. She tremblingly grasped Luo Qianqian’s wrist, closed her eyes, and exhausted her voice to say, “Yu Qin Gu Zong, is the fucking realest!”

Luo Qianqian: “?”

Luo Qianqian: “QAQ”

Sister Wen, do you remember, you are Teacher Gu’s toxic solo stan?!

On the way back, Gu Qichi and Bo Yu didn’t travel with the others.

Wen Xi, Luo Qianqian, and their group were arranged by Bo Yu to stay in the best local hotel, while they went to a villa Bo Yu had bought here in advance.

Gu Qichi strongly condemned this wasteful behavior.

Bai Heng was responsible for driving. The interior space of the Land Rover was huge, and the crisp scent of the car perfume spread in the enclosed space.

Gu Qichi didn’t lean into Bo Yu’s embrace. Instead, he turned around and laid on the seat, staring intently at the pile of equipment in the trunk.

“Bo Yu, tell me honestly, how much money did you drop tonight?”

Bo Yu got a bit of a headache seeing his posture. He grabbed his shoulders, pressed him down onto the seat, and didn’t answer his question first, but instead scolded Gu Qichi, “Pay attention to safety, sit properly.”

Gu Qichi’s gaze remained glued to the packed-up astronomical telescope, unwilling to look away for a long time.

“Did you really give me a star?” he asked again, a hint of disbelief still present in his tone. “And a satellite.”

Bo Yu laughed, reaching out to pinch his jaw, thoroughly turning him around and making him sit up straight.

“I gave it to you, didn’t you see it all? If you didn’t see enough tonight, I’ll take you to continue looking tomorrow night.”

Gu Qichi’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, the depths of his eyes clearly reflecting his image. He paused, then shuffled from the right side of the car seat into Bo Yu’s embrace. “Will you still be able to find the Qichi Star tomorrow night?”

He spoke, seeming amused by his own question, a layer of bashful red staining the tips of his ears.

“Does my question sound a bit stupid? But before today, I never, ever thought that someone would give me a star.”

“I really like it, Bo Yu. I also really like Feng Qi.”

The car drove steadily along the way. Bai Heng kept his eyes on his nose, his nose pointing to his heart, quietly treating himself as a lump of air.

When the boss and the boss’s wife were showing off their affection as if no one else was there, he should act as a qualified invisible person.

But…

When Bo Yu wasn’t paying attention, Bai Heng secretly glanced at Gu Qichi in the rearview mirror.

He sighed silently. It wasn’t an exaggeration at all for Bo Yu to be willing to drop so much money on Gu Qichi. After all, with Gu Qichi’s face and personality, there was no one who wouldn’t give everything for him.

When Emperor Wu of Han sought to marry Chen Ajiao from the Grand Princess of Guantao, he said, “If I can have Ajiao as my wife, I will build a golden house to keep her in.”

Bai Heng genuinely felt that if modern social conditions weren’t so prohibitive, Bo Yu would also build a golden house for Gu Qichi and lock him up to keep him.

With Bo Yu’s personality, he really could do such a thing.

But the scapegoat responsible for executing this matter would definitely be himself. Bai Heng withdrew his gaze, sighing silently, I am truly a pitiful corporate slave.

Upon arriving at this new villa, Gu Qichi immediately went to the trunk to get the astronomical telescope as soon as he got out of the car. Bo Yu had prepared too many celestial models to bring back, so Bai Heng had arranged for people to send them back to East City exactly as they were tomorrow.

“Bai Heng, it’s so late now, how about you stay inside too?” Gu Qichi had just started to lift the box containing the telescope when Bo Yu reached out and took it from him. He looked up at the night sky, a bit worried about Bai Heng’s safety. “There should still be many guest rooms inside.”

Bai Heng fell silent for a moment, and as expected, saw his CEO’s brow furrowed enough to kill a fly. He very swiftly and decisively rejected Gu Qichi’s proposal.

“It’s fine if you and Boss Bo stay here. Boss Bo has arranged the best hotel for me, so I won’t disturb you.”

Gu Qichi then nodded and followed Bo Yu inside.

Bai Heng let out a sigh of relief. If he really dared to stay overnight in Bo Yu’s new home today, it wouldn’t be any different from seeking death.

…

The lights weren’t on in the villa. Gu Qichi had never been here before, so he could only follow behind Bo Yu.

Just as they entered the foyer, before they even had time to take off their shoes, Bo Yu’s voice sounded again: “Wifey, the second switch on the right is the dining room light, turn it on.”

Gu Qichi turned around, feeling the wall, and upon touching the switch, did as he was told.

With a click, the light turned on.

Unlike the luxury of the observatory just now, there was only one cake on the kitchen island.

Strawberry flavored.

With lots of white frosting sprinkled on top.

It was Gu Qichi’s favorite flavor.

Bo Yu set down the things in his hand, lifted his chin, and said to Gu Qichi, “Let’s go, let’s make a wish.”

“I still owe you a simple birthday.”

Gu Qichi’s eyes flickered, his nose crinkling slightly as a helpless smile appeared on his face.

He had just said it casually at the time; he truly hadn’t expected Bo Yu to still remember it.

There were no bustling cameramen and staff in this house, nor were there airtight cameras like in the East City villa. Without so many people prying, Gu Qichi noticeably relaxed a lot.

He walked toward the kitchen island. Bo Yu had his head lowered, the broken hair on his forehead falling quite a bit, obscuring his face.

He was very seriously helping Gu Qichi place the candles.

“Just one is enough,” Gu Qichi suddenly spoke up to interrupt him.

Bo Yu looked up at him and quietly stopped what he was doing.

The light was somehow turned off by Bo Yu again, plunging the room back into darkness.

But a faint flame appeared in front of Gu Qichi. It slowly approached the candle on the cake, and in the next second, crackling sparks erupted, the brilliance in the darkness illuminating Gu Qichi’s face.

Accompanied by Bo Yu’s deep birthday song, Gu Qichi slowly closed his eyes.

“Happy birthday to you.”

“Happy birthday to you.”

“Happy birthday to you.”

“Happy birthday to you.”

The sparks finally dissipated before his eyes, dimming bit by bit. Gu Qichi brought his hands together, standing before this cake, and made his 23rd birthday wishes.

First, he hoped Bo Yu would be in good health.

Second, he hoped Bo Yu could live to be a hundred years old and accompany him for a lifetime.

Three wishes were too extravagant; Gu Qichi was very content to make just two.

When the lights were turned back on, Gu Qichi kissed Bo Yu’s lips.

Because of the height difference, he had to tilt his head up, his beautiful jawline drawing a clean, straight line, the corners of his eyes a bit moist.

The smacking sound of moisture echoed in the empty room, restlessness and desire infinitely magnified in this instant.

Gu Qichi was directly picked up by Bo Yu and sat on the kitchen island. One leg was forcefully wedged between Gu Qichi’s legs as he held his jaw, kissing him with utmost lingering affection.

The continuous tide of passion burned silently between them, like an endless wildfire on the wasteland, with no end in sight.

Gu Qichi tilted his head back, struggling to keep up with Bo Yu’s rhythm. The tips of their tongues tangled, sucked, and kissed, their teeth colliding, their lips rubbing against each other.

They didn’t know which room in the villa was the bedroom, and there was no time to open doors one by one to find it.

They conveniently fell onto the sofa.

The curtains in the villa hadn’t been drawn earlier. The moonlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows draped a layer of silver glow, spilling in indistinctly, with a little of it falling on Gu Qichi’s face.

Gu Qichi was held in Bo Yu’s embrace, pushing him down. His hands clung to Bo Yu’s shoulders, their scorching hot breaths tangling together, the crimson at the corners of his eyes spreading inch by inch.

Soon, the flush spread all over Gu Qichi’s body.

His entire body presented a white and translucent luster under the moonlight. His thin shoulder blades trembled silently, like a butterfly spreading its wings, fragile and exquisite.

Below the shoulder blades, the sunken ravine formed by the spine and the skin on both sides was very deep. Bo Yu’s hand covered it, sliding all the way from the spinal groove to Gu Qichi’s left rear chest. His large palm rested above it for a moment, as if sensing his heartbeat.

But it was hard to clearly sense the frequency of the heartbeat.

Because Bo Yu was too fierce, making a total mess of Gu Qichi’s heartbeat, and his breathing too.

Gu Qichi looked at him uncontrollably. In that instant, scene after scene of what he saw tonight flashed through his mind again.

The Qichi Star twinkling alone in the vast heavens, the snow-bright satellite Feng Qi piercing through the night sky, and the countless suspended, rotating celestial bodies behind Bo Yu.

Everything was silently expressing love in the quietude.

“Bo Yu,” Gu Qichi called him.

He didn’t know what he wanted, or rather, what he wanted to do.

His thoughts were as chaotic as his heartbeat.

Outside the window was the moon hanging bright on the horizon. The vast snowy mountains never melted year-round, the moonlight was bright white, and the cold, translucent icicles reflected a cold, piercing light.

Beneath the mountains and rivers, wandering Buddhist disciples murmured sutras. The ancient Sanskrit transformed into characters, echoing in circles on the roads where people came and went.

Chanting ancient legends.

But it wasn’t enough, still not enough.

Gu Qichi thought he and Bo Yu weren’t close enough.

He uncontrollably bred the deepest malice within him. His beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with pools of tears as he looked down at Bo Yu.

“Wifey…” Bo Yu called him passionately, his voice hoarse and deep. “Gu Qichi…”

The dark night was silent. That bit of lustrous white, faintly showing in the darkness, was blindingly dazzling.

A spring tide rippled in the two shallow dimples on his lower back. Someone had deliberately shattered the calm surface of the lake, making it ripple.

Gu Qichi’s sweat dropped from his jaw into his collarbone. He raised his hand to caress Bo Yu’s brow and eyes, and smiled very, very lightly.

In the final moment of midnight silence, Bo Yu heard Gu Qichi’s indulgent permission:

“C*m inside now.”