Su Yiran looked at Gu Yuanting. Though unease still lingered in his heart, his thoughts over the past few days had finally become clear. No matter what answer he would get from Gu Yuanting, he was ready.

He recalled what had happened that day and calmly said, “That day, you said you wanted to sleep in separate rooms. We had a fight—for the first time since getting married.”

“You even said you were leaving, and you’d never come back again.”

Gu Yuanting stiffened at his words. In a panic, he rushed over to explain, “No, Ranran—”

But before he could finish, Su Yiran raised his hand to stop him. “Let me finish, Ting-ge.”

Gu Yuanting noticed that when Su Yiran looked into his eyes, those tea-colored pupils were calm—not like before, when they looked at him with warmth and deep affection. Now they carried a mild, gentle detachment.

Like the way Su Yiran usually treated others.

Gu Yuanting’s heart clenched, both in pain and panic.

After spending so much time with Su Yiran, he knew that Su Yiran was not as gentle and approachable as he seemed on the surface. He was kind to everyone, smiled politely, and seemed easygoing and warm.

But it was very difficult for anyone to truly enter his heart.

Su Yiran had many friends, but none that were truly close. Part of that was due to the original host’s interference, but a big reason was Su Yiran’s own personality.

Only in front of him—Gu Yuanting—did Su Yiran truly open up, fully dependent, soft, and loving without holding back.

Gu Yuanting’s lips turned pale. He neither sat back down as Su Yiran had motioned, nor dared interrupt. He stood frozen, his limbs numb.

Su Yiran, still thinking about that day, continued, “Later, you told me it was because work wasn’t going well, that things were tough, and you were just too tired to control your emotions. That’s why you said those things.”

Su Yiran recalled how busy Gu Yuanting had been then. He had thought it was because of his job at Weihua—because that’s what Gu Yuanting told him.

But since Gu Yuanting never actually worked at Weihua…

“If that reason was fake, then were you originally planning to… leave and never come back?”

Su Yiran asked calmly.

Then, without pause, he followed up with the heaviest question in his heart:

“Were you going to… divorce me?”

Before the word “divorce” fully came out, Gu Yuanting rushed forward and pulled him into a tight hug.

Gu Yuanting held him desperately, his breathing nearly stopped, his heartbeat frozen. His voice trembled as he pleaded, “No, Ranran.” His mind blank, he kept repeating, “No, Ranran.”

Su Yiran paused as he felt Gu Yuanting trembling, clearly shaken. With patience and gentleness, he reached up and stroked his hair, softly calling, “Ting-ge.”

Feeling the touch, Gu Yuanting finally began to calm down.

Looking into Su Yiran’s eyes, he hastily repeated, “No, Ranran.”

He was suddenly filled with overwhelming fear. If he had said the word “divorce” that day—if he had truly gone through with it—then there would have been no turning back.

Su Yiran would have been heartbroken, hurt, but eventually he would have walked away and never looked back. No matter how hard Gu Yuanting tried to win him back, it would’ve been over.

Thankfully, he hadn’t.

He was deeply grateful that he had held back those words, that he had changed his mind.

Su Yiran asked again, “Really… not?”

Gu Yuanting answered, “No, Ranran.” Struggling to justify himself, he added, “It was because… something else came up. Not work, but something difficult. I was exhausted, and I lost control of my emotions.”

Then, carefully, he asked, “I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Su Yiran looked into his eyes, hesitated, but ultimately let it go.

Gu Yuanting had never actually said he wanted a divorce that day. Su Yiran had only had a vague, anxious suspicion. After discovering that Gu Yuanting had lied about so many things recently, those old fears came rushing back and unsettled him.

Now, having let it go, Su Yiran visibly relaxed. His posture loosened, and he leaned gently into Gu Yuanting’s arms, no longer pushing him away.

Gu Yuanting felt this change and finally relaxed, holding him more tenderly.

Su Yiran said, “As long as your reasons are justified, then it’s okay.”

He looked up. “So tell me, what really happened? Why… did you lie to me?”

At the end of that sentence, his voice dimmed with hurt.

Gu Yuanting’s heart tightened. Seeing Su Yiran looking so sad, he felt even worse.

He took a breath, gathered his thoughts, and began, “Do you remember how I came to Z Province when I was little?”

Su Yiran was stunned. He hadn’t expected that.

A City was the capital of Z Province, and Su Yiran’s hometown was a remote rural town in that region.

As a child, Gu Yuanting had been trafficked and ended up in a local begging ring.

Remembering this, Su Yiran felt a pang of pain. “…I remember,” he said, gently comforting him, “That’s all in the past, Ting-ge.”

But Gu Yuanting only felt more bittersweet. He knew Su Yiran was really trying to comfort the original Gu Yuanting—the boy who had grown up with him—and not him.

Still, he pressed on. He had to explain everything.

Slowly, he told Su Yiran about the scandal that had rocked the Gu family years ago: “The President’s Wife Trafficking Her Stepson” case, and even pulled up the old news reports to show him.

Su Yiran’s eyes widened in shock. He sat up in disbelief. “You’re that Gu family kid—?”

He had heard of the Gu Corporation, but only in passing. That kind of legendary wealth had nothing to do with an ordinary citizen like him.

Gu Yuanting nodded. “Just over two months ago, the Gu family found me.”

Su Yiran blinked. “Your family found you?” He was about to express joy, but then remembered that Gu Yuanting said there had been trouble… Could it be—

Gu Yuanting said, “There was trouble with the Gu family. Maybe even danger.” He downplayed the risk, not wanting to scare Su Yiran. “At the time, I was handling those affairs, so I was exhausted and lost my temper with you.”

“I told you I worked at Weihua because I didn’t want to drag you into the Gu family mess. I didn’t want you to get hurt. That’s why I lied.”

He gently stroked Su Yiran’s cheek, guilt gnawing at his heart.

The truth was, he had intended to leave Su Yiran at first—to return to the “right path” of his life.

But later, he changed his mind. He decided to stay, to make Su Yiran part of his world. So he never told him the truth.

Su Yiran was alarmed. “Dangerous?”

“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Gu Yuanting kissed him, “It’s all resolved.”

Su Yiran could imagine how vicious internal fights in such a powerful family could be. Thinking of how Gu Yuanting had faced it all alone while pretending everything was fine around him made Su Yiran’s heart ache.

He asked, “Then when you went to Country D…”

Gu Yuanting explained, “The Gu family’s main estate is in Country D. I went to handle family matters. Everything’s settled now.”

While abroad, he’d feared that if Su Yiran knew the truth, he’d come looking for him. Until every threat was neutralized, he couldn’t allow his enemies any opening to harm Su Yiran.

So, he kept silent.

He added, “Xiao Li, the guy you saw that day—he’s someone I sent to protect you. Nothing else.”

Su Yiran finally understood why Xiao Li had shown up suddenly and called Gu Yuanting “President Gu.” Why Gu Yuanting could instantly suppress all the online hate.

The job and financial lies finally made sense.

So, the ordinary man he had grown up with and married… turned out to be the heir to the legendary Gu Corporation.

Su Yiran was still reeling from the shock.

Gu Yuanting noticed his silence and hugged him a little tighter. Nervously, he said, “Ranran, I lied to protect you.”

He asked cautiously, “Can you forgive me?”

Su Yiran slowly came back to himself, deciding not to deal with the identity bombshell for now.

He nodded, accepting the explanation: “Okay.” Then added, “But is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”

Gu Yuanting stiffened. He couldn’t say “yes,” but didn’t dare lie with a “no.”

He mustn’t let Su Yiran find out that he wasn’t the original host.

Su Yiran saw his reaction and laughed in disbelief. “Still hiding something?” How much had this man lied about?

He tried to pull away.

Panicked, Gu Yuanting grabbed him again. “Ranran, Ranran—”

Su Yiran glanced at him. “Hmm?”

Gu Yuanting reluctantly admitted, “There’s… something else, but I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

After a pause, Gu Yuanting buried his face in Su Yiran’s neck and murmured, “Because I’m afraid you’ll… hate me.” And leave me.

Su Yiran froze.

He remembered how their old classmates once accused Gu Yuanting of things, and how Gu Yuanting had said the same thing: “I was afraid you’d hate me. Leave me.”

Was Ting-ge still this insecure?

Su Yiran softened. “Is it something serious?”

Gu Yuanting immediately replied, “Not serious.” (It was.) “But I promise, I’d never hurt you.”

The worst misunderstanding was resolved. Su Yiran relaxed and said gently, “Okay, I forgive you.”

“When you’re ready, you can tell me.” He wanted to give Ting-ge more security.

“But,” Su Yiran continued, “what you did this time—hiding something so important, lying to me like that—was still wrong, you understand?”

Gu Yuanting admitted, “It was my fault. I made you sad.”

Su Yiran shook his head. “That’s not it. You were in danger, and you chose to bear it alone. We’re partners—we face things together. Don’t hide behind ‘protecting me.’ You have to tell me. Understand?”

Gu Yuanting nodded. “Okay.”

Su Yiran ruffled his hair. “I don’t think you do understand.”

He pushed him away and added, “You made a big mistake. You don’t get off that easily. As punishment, let’s not talk… for a week.”

But he immediately felt that a week was too long. His heart softened, so he changed it. “Three days. I won’t talk to you for three days.”

Gu Yuanting was stunned. He instinctively reached out to hug him. “Ranran—”

But Su Yiran stepped back and added one more thing, “Also, you forgot our anniversary yesterday. I noticed. I just didn’t say anything.”

Gu Yuanting: “…”

“But with everything going on, I understand.” Su Yiran let that one slide. “Anyway, we’re not talking now.”

He went into the bedroom to shower and sleep.

The truth about Ting-ge’s identity was still too much to take in. He needed time.

Gu Yuanting realized Su Yiran really wasn’t talking to him.

No hugs, no kisses, no touches—not even holding hands.

From the end of that conversation to bedtime, Gu Yuanting tried every excuse to talk to him, lingering nearby—but Su Yiran just gave him a glance and kept silent.

That first night of the “silent treatment,” Gu Yuanting was miserable.

At bedtime, he thought he could finally cuddle Ranran—maybe hold him and sneak in some kisses while he slept. He lay in bed early, warming the blankets, waiting eagerly.

But Su Yiran pulled out another blanket, made up the other side of the bed, and curled up tightly in it, cocooned, clearly forbidding Gu Yuanting from entering.

Gu Yuanting: “…”

Lying alone under his covers, he looked at Su Yiran beside him.

But Su Yiran didn’t even glance his way, let alone speak.