Gu Yuanting lifted one corner of his blanket and tried to strike up a conversation with Su Yiran. “Ranran, come sleep here. I’ve already warmed it up—it’s all toasty.”

Su Yiran didn’t respond at all, as if he hadn’t heard him. He completely ignored Gu Yuanting.

Feeling helpless, Gu Yuanting lay there, watching Su Yiran turn off the lights. In the dark, he gazed toward Su Yiran’s side.

Then he crawled out of his own blanket and said, “Ranran, you sleep in my warmed bed. I’ll sleep in the newly made one.” The freshly made bed had Ranran’s scent—it made him feel comforted, even if he was alone in it, as if wrapped in Ranran’s presence.

His own warmed blanket also carried his scent. He wanted Ranran to be surrounded by it, embraced by him even if just through a blanket.

“…,” Gu Yuanting dared not think further. If he did, he’d react again.

He looked at Su Yiran with hope, thinking this suggestion surely wouldn’t be turned down.

But Su Yiran only glanced at him before closing his eyes, clearly intending to sleep without paying him any attention.

Gu Yuanting was very disappointed, but not daring to disturb him, he had no choice but to crawl back under his own blanket.

He lay there in the dark, quietly watching Su Yiran. After about ten or twenty minutes, he finally heard Su Yiran’s breathing even out—he was asleep.

Gu Yuanting listened a while longer to confirm, then carefully scooted closer, gently pulling the other—blanket and all—into his arms. He held him quietly while he slept.

He lowered his head and kissed Ranran’s forehead. He wanted to lightly kiss his eyelashes, nose tip, and soft cheeks, but he didn’t dare wake him.

Fortunately, Ranran slept soundly.

After a while, Gu Yuanting couldn’t resist. Gaining courage, he lightly kissed Ranran’s soft lips. He didn’t dare go too far—just pressed gently for a moment, and then reluctantly pulled away.

Then, with the blanket between them, he hugged Ranran tightly, inhaling his scent until he fell asleep.

---

The next morning, Su Yiran woke up to find himself—blanket and all—wrapped in Gu Yuanting’s arms. He sighed and gave him a helpless push before getting out of bed.

Gu Yuanting immediately opened his eyes after being pushed. Seeing Ranran ignore him and walk off to put on slippers, he felt guilty and nervous. He followed after him and explained, “…I didn’t mean to hug you while you were asleep. I must’ve done it unconsciously.”

He didn’t want Ranran to think he was some creep who sneaks around stealing hugs and kisses.

Su Yiran didn’t buy it and continued to ignore him.

Even after breakfast and arriving at the shop, Su Yiran still didn’t talk to him.

The shop was busy as usual. Gu Yuanting helped out like he always did—slicing fruit, stirring, baking, serving customers. He tried talking to Su Yiran while they worked together, but got no responses. He looked like he was talking to himself.

Su Yiran had been working all morning and afternoon, and his waist started to ache again. He reached around to massage it, and Gu Yuanting immediately rushed over to help him.

“Are you sore? Take a break. Sit down, I’ll massage it for you.”

Seeing that Yuanting was genuinely concerned, Su Yiran didn’t pull his hand away and obediently sat down. He still didn’t speak, though.

After a short massage, another group of customers arrived. Su Yiran pushed Gu Yuanting away and went back to work.

Gu Yuanting stood there dejectedly but continued to assist him.

Some of the shop assistants knew Gu Yuanting—this handsome guy was the boss’s partner, freshly returned from overseas.

Seeing how they were acting today, one gossipy employee quietly asked Su Yiran, “Boss, are you two…?”

Su Yiran realized he’d been found out. He smiled faintly, a small dimple appearing on his right cheek. “We’re having a cold war.”

Gu Yuanting: “…”

Employee: “…” Wait… this is a cold war? Why does it feel sweeter than most people’s honeymoons?

The single employee quietly went back to work, shivering from the overwhelming sugar.

Su Yiran stayed busy at the shop. Regarding the online scandal, where rumors had accused the shop of having hair and fingernails in the desserts, he’d already issued clarifications online with evidence.

Later, Gu Yuanting suppressed the storm, and the originating marketing account publicly apologized. That matter was put to rest.

However, some of the shop’s signature desserts had been copied by other popular stores. This was inevitable—aside from two original recipes Su Yiran had developed, the others weren’t uniquely his.

His goal with launching signature desserts wasn’t just profit or business expansion. He wanted to share delicious treats with fellow dessert lovers.

So he wasn’t too bothered by the imitations.

Still, many customers, especially locals or tourists in A City, considered his shop “Yiting” the most authentic. They came to experience the original flavor.

Su Yiran planned to release a third series of specialty desserts once the shop expanded to keep “Yiting” competitively unique in the market.

That evening, after work, he received the design drafts for the shop’s expansion. While the staff cleaned up, Su Yiran sat down to go over the designs.

Gu Yuanting joined him, offering opinions even though Su Yiran still wasn’t talking to him.

Thinking back to the recent smear campaign, Gu Yuanting’s expression darkened. He had already found out who was behind it but had been too focused on Su Yiran to take action yet.

Those who dared to harm Ranran—he’d never forgive them.

Gu Yuanting stepped outside and made a call, giving brief instructions before returning to the shop, calm again.

Su Yiran glanced at him but said nothing.

Gu Yuanting: “…”

Back home, the two made dinner together. Afterward, Gu Yuanting took the initiative to wash their clothes from the day before and hung them up to dry. He followed Su Yiran around closely.

But even by bedtime, Su Yiran still didn’t speak to him and insisted on separate blankets.

Gu Yuanting lay alone in his bed, feeling miserable. It was only the first day—and it was already unbearable.

He turned over to look at Ranran beside him and accidentally brushed against his left side.

Suddenly, he remembered something.

Su Yiran had just turned off the light, about to sleep, when he heard Gu Yuanting say, “Ranran… my wound kind of hurts.”

These past days, Gu Yuanting had almost forgotten he was injured. Now, he shamelessly used Su Yiran’s feelings for the original “him” to get his attention.

Su Yiran opened his eyes at once, ignoring the silent treatment. “Your wound hurts?” he asked anxiously, sitting up and turning on the light. “You’re injured? What happened?”

Gu Yuanting clutched his left side and pitifully said, “Here, it kind of hurts.” (It didn’t really.)

Su Yiran was panicked and moved to lift Gu Yuanting’s blanket. Seeing this, Gu Yuanting’s heart ached with sweetness. He held Su Yiran’s hand. “It’s fine, just a small wound.”

Su Yiran frowned. “Where is it? Let me see.”

Not daring to lie anymore, Gu Yuanting lifted his shirt, revealing stitches and scarring on his left rib area.

Su Yiran’s heart clenched. He reached to touch it, then stopped, afraid to hurt him. “What happened?”

Gu Yuanting took his hand and guided him to touch the area. “See? It doesn’t hurt at all. Just a minor injury—should be ready to remove the stitches in a day or two.”

He had only just remembered the wound and the timing for the stitches.

Su Yiran thought of the dangers Yuanting had once hinted at. Hearing about them was one thing, but seeing a physical injury made it feel real.

His heart hurt. He lightly brushed the scar before quickly pulling back. “Does it hurt?”

Gu Yuanting said, “Not at all.”

Su Yiran nodded, eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, Ting-ge.”

Seeing how distressed he was, Gu Yuanting pulled him into his arms. This time, Su Yiran didn’t resist. Gu Yuanting kissed him gently. “Don’t ignore me anymore, okay?”

Su Yiran, heart aching too much, could no longer hold a grudge. He nodded quickly and kissed him back. “Let’s be okay, Ting-ge.”

Gu Yuanting finally felt peace again. He was even thankful for the wound. Hearing Su Yiran’s words filled him with tenderness and hope. “Mm, let’s be okay.”

He hugged Su Yiran and kissed him deeply. Their lips lingered, full of gentle acceptance and affection, like white clouds drifting in a blue sky.

After the kiss, they lay together. Su Yiran still worried about the wound. “Let’s go to the hospital tomorrow, okay? I want to hear what the doctor says.”

Gu Yuanting agreed.

They finally shared a blanket again. Su Yiran reminded him not to move too much in his sleep and lay on his side, afraid to touch the wound.

Gu Yuanting had no objections. He couldn’t hold Ranran tightly, so he held him lightly—thinking, maybe being injured wasn’t that great after all.

Su Yiran lay on his side for a while before his waist started to ache again. He massaged it and shifted into a lying position.

Gu Yuanting noticed his movements and reached over to help massage his waist, worried. “You said your waist hurt last time, and again today. You should get it checked.”

Su Yiran said casually, “Probably just tired. A couple days of rest will fix it.”

Gu Yuanting insisted, “No, you’re going to the hospital too.”

Su Yiran figured they were going anyway for Gu Yuanting’s stitches, so he agreed.

The next day was freezing—below zero degrees. The wind howled outside.

Gu Yuanting helped Su Yiran dress warmly in bed, carefully putting on the pink and white sweater he had knitted for him, then layered his clothes and finally his white down jacket.

Before heading out, Gu Yuanting wrapped the matching pink and white scarf around Su Yiran’s neck and put gloves on him.

Looking at him bundled up like that, Gu Yuanting’s heart turned to mush. He kissed Su Yiran gently.

Su Yiran blushed, wrapping his arms around Yuanting’s neck to kiss him back, dazed from the kiss as always.

Before leaving, Su Yiran also found a scarf for Gu Yuanting—a dark green one to match his black down jacket—and wrapped it around him.

Gu Yuanting looked down as Su Yiran wrapped it once, then again, around his neck, his heart full of warmth and joy.

Once dressed and ready, with the keys in hand, the two of them left together for the hospital.