Gu Xingxing didn’t understand what his mother meant.
They had no powerful connections or influential backers.
Gu Chengjing was the only person they could rely on.
But Shen Yan’s expression was unusually determined.
She took her son’s hand and spoke seriously.
“Xingxing, I want you to remember every single word I’m about to say.”
“We’re going to take a gamble. If we succeed, our situation will be a thousand times better than it is now.”
Gu Xingxing leaned closer to listen.
By the time his mother finished whispering, his eyes had gradually widened.
He stared at her with a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
Gu Yan couldn’t drink alcohol, so throughout that evening’s dinner, Yi Heng had taken his place in offering toasts to the elders.
By a rough count, he’d consumed at least seven or eight glasses.
On the way home, Gu Yan kept a close watch on Yi Heng’s expression.
If Yi Heng showed even the slightest sign of nausea or discomfort, Gu Yan was prepared to ask the driver to pull over immediately.
However, Gu Yan had seriously underestimated Yi Heng.
Yi Heng had attended more business dinners and formal receptions than he could possibly count.
Over the years, he’d developed an extraordinary tolerance for alcohol.
Seven or eight glasses were nothing to him.
It was no exaggeration to say that he could still read business documents with a perfectly clear mind or conduct negotiations with precise speech and flawless logic.
But when he saw the concern written all over Gu Yan’s face, Yi Heng suddenly decided that perhaps getting drunk just once wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
The driver brought the car to a smooth stop outside the building.
Glancing into the rearview mirror, he saw his company’s president leaning against the back seat, apparently fast asleep.
The driver’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
What on earth is going on?
Did someone slip President Yi a sleeping pill?
Yi Heng rarely got drunk, and he never slept in the car!
The driver opened his mouth to say something, but then noticed the young man beside Yi Heng carefully supporting him and draping Yi Heng’s arm over his shoulder.
“He seems to be drunk. Could you please help me get him upstairs?”
Gu Yan asked quietly.
The driver quickly snapped back to his senses.
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
He unfastened his seat belt, got out, and helped Gu Yan support Yi Heng from both sides.
Huh?
The driver glanced suspiciously at his boss.
Almost immediately, he noticed something unusual about the weight he was supporting.
He had helped a drunken Yi Heng home before.
When someone was genuinely drunk and barely conscious, their steps were unsteady, and their entire body weight would press down on whoever was supporting them.
But this wasn’t like that at all.
Right now, Yi Heng almost seemed to be walking along with them voluntarily.
Could President Yi be pretending to be drunk?
The driver blinked.
He didn’t dare say anything.
He certainly didn’t dare ask.
The boss must have his reasons!
Even when he wasn’t completely relaxed, a fully grown Alpha was still rather difficult to support.
Fortunately, there were two of them.
Gu Yan gritted his teeth and did his best to help, realizing just how tall and solidly built Yi Heng really was.
After considerable effort, they finally managed to get him home.
Gu Yan looked at Yi Heng lying on the bed, and a small thought began stirring in his heart.
Yi Heng seemed to have fallen asleep again.
And this time, he appeared to be sleeping very soundly.
Gu Yan quietly crouched beside the bed.
He gazed at Yi Heng’s long, distinct eyelashes, even silently counting them one by one.
Eventually, his eyes inevitably drifted toward Yi Heng’s thin lips.
Whenever they kissed, even the slightest brush of lips and teeth was enough to send Gu Yan’s heart racing.
Someone so exceptional was actually his boyfriend.
A mischievous little idea took shape in Gu Yan’s mind.
He wanted to take advantage of Yi Heng’s sleep and secretly steal a kiss at the corner of his mouth.
But the instant Gu Yan’s lips brushed Yi Heng’s lower lip, a hand suddenly pressed firmly against the back of his head.
“?!”
Gu Yan was so startled that he let out a brief cry.
But the sound was immediately trapped between their mouths and swallowed by the other man.
“Mmph! Ah…”
“So you were pretending the whole time?”
Gu Yan finally realized he’d been completely fooled.
His surprise was mixed with a trace of irritation born from sheer embarrassment.
Yi Heng didn’t answer.
Gu Yan had bitten his lip during the kiss, leaving behind a faint ache and a lingering tingling sensation.
His expression suggested that he was still savoring the kiss they’d just shared.
His eyes were as deep as a starlit lake.
“Yi Heng?”
Still sitting on the floor, Gu Yan pressed his lips together and called his name hesitantly.
Judging by Yi Heng’s reaction, he didn’t seem to be pretending.
Gu Yan was beginning to feel uncertain about whether Yi Heng was actually drunk.
Gu Yan held up three fingers.
“Do you know what number this is?”
“Three,” Yi Heng replied.
“Are you drunk?”
“…”
Looking into Gu Yan’s earnest eyes, Yi Heng finally couldn’t bring himself to keep deceiving him.
“I’m not drunk.”
“Nonsense! You’re obviously drunk!”
Gu Yan climbed up from the floor, speaking with absolute conviction.
“No drunk person ever admits they’re drunk!”
Yi Heng: “…”
Gu Yan felt rather pleased with himself, convinced that his judgment had been correct.
But a moment later, he remembered that in his panic, he’d bitten Yi Heng.
He’d even spoken rather harshly to him.
Thinking about how he’d treated someone who was supposedly drunk, Gu Yan couldn’t help feeling guilty.
He quickly got up and went into the living room to boil some hot water for Yi Heng.
The water was only halfway heated when Yi Heng followed him out.
Gu Yan looked at him in surprise.
“Hurry back to bed and lie down. The water will be ready soon!”
Unexpectedly, Yi Heng walked straight over and wrapped his arms around Gu Yan from behind.
Leaning close to his ear, he whispered,
“Remembered to wear your slippers this time?”
Gu Yan froze.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
If Yi Heng hadn’t mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten those little tricks he’d used in the past.
Looking back on them now from an outsider’s perspective, he couldn’t help finding himself rather childish.
Originally, he could have continued being that childish forever.
Unfortunately, a few unexpected events had occurred along the way.
He had now completely abandoned those old habits.
In fact, he even felt a little embarrassed at the thought of relying on Yi Heng the way he once had.
Yi Heng buried his face against Gu Yan’s neck and inhaled deeply.
His large hand lifted the hem of Gu Yan’s shirt and slipped underneath.
Gu Yan shuddered.
“You’re freezing! Hurry back to bed! You’ll catch a cold if you keep walking around wearing so little!”
Yi Heng’s nose brushed against the smooth, delicate skin along the side of Gu Yan’s neck.
“We haven’t done today’s treatment yet.”
The moment treatment was mentioned, a certain sensitive place at the back of Gu Yan’s body began to ache faintly.
Yi Heng was becoming more and more outrageous!
Last time, he’d eventually increased it to three fingers.
And when he’d reached the deepest point, he’d deliberately spread them apart, tormenting Gu Yan for half the night.
Gu Yan hurriedly pushed against the solid, almost immovable body behind him.
He quickly released his own pheromones, hoping to persuade Yi Heng to show mercy.
“I’m almost better! Look, I can already control my pheromones on my own. My gland should be completely healed in just a few more days!”
Little did he know that those words made Yi Heng’s breathing grow slightly heavier.
Yi Heng recalled what the doctor had said.
“Once the patient’s pheromones have fully returned to normal, we recommend proceeding with a permanent mark as soon as possible. This can significantly reduce the risk of the pheromone disorder recurring.”
Gu Yan withdrew his pheromones.
Then his entire body suddenly went rigid.
His eyes widened in shock and alarm as he felt something hard pressing against him.
“Th-This… Um, well… The water’s boiling! I’ll go pour some water! You should drink plenty of warm water and remember to go to bed early and wake up early!”
Gu Yan’s words tumbled out in a completely incoherent rush.
He frantically broke free from Yi Heng’s embrace, his cheeks turning bright red.
Intimacy after drinking wasn’t exactly unusual.
They were both adults, and they were a legitimate couple.
There was certainly nothing illegal about it.
But this was far too sudden!
He hadn’t prepared himself mentally!
The warmth in Yi Heng’s arms abruptly slipped away.
Yi Heng slowly rubbed his fingertips against his palm, an unreadable look in his eyes.
In truth, he hadn’t intended to do anything like that tonight.
Gu Yan’s gland was still rather delicate and hadn’t fully recovered.
Besides, Yi Heng wanted to wait until Gu Yan was genuinely willing and came to him of his own accord.
That day would come eventually.
And when it came to Gu Yan, patience was the one thing Yi Heng would never run out of.
That night, Gu Yan had a strange dream.
In his dream, he and Yi Heng were entangled together.
Yi Heng was above him, while he lay underneath.
The bed creaked as though struggling beneath their movements, accompanied by the faint sound of Gu Yan’s own whimpers.
“…”
By the time Gu Yan opened his eyes, it was already past eight in the morning.
He silently shifted his legs, wearing the expression of someone who had thoroughly overindulged the night before, then looked toward Yi Heng’s side of the bed.
Yi Heng had already left for the company.
The end of the year was usually an extremely busy period.
Gu Yan slowly rolled onto his back and let out a long sigh.
Then, the very first thing he did after getting out of bed was wash his trousers.
Damn it.
Gu Yan cursed under his breath as he washed them.
He couldn’t believe he’d actually had an erotic dream!
He could only hope he hadn’t made any strange noises in his sleep last night.
Otherwise, he’d be so embarrassed that he’d want to smash his head against a wall.
In the blink of an eye, the Lunar New Year arrived.
Gu Chengjing was a man who cared greatly about appearances.
On New Year’s Eve, he called Gu Yan and told him to return to the Gu family home for the holiday.
Gu Yan figured it was about time he started preparing for his engagement and marriage registration.
He was worried that Gu Chengjing might try to interfere when the time came, so he agreed to return.
In reality, however, his true purpose was to retrieve the household registration booklet.
Gu Chengjing had also invited his own parents over.
Unlike previous years, Shen Yan’s mother was present this time as well.
The entire family gathered around Gu Xingxing, enjoying a warm and cheerful dinner together.
The scene made it seem as though Gu Yan was the illegitimate child instead.
The New Year’s Eve dinner was lavish.
Unfortunately, most of the dishes were things Gu Yan didn’t like.
Gu Xingxing particularly enjoyed seafood, whereas Gu Yan was allergic to certain kinds of it.
Shen Yan put on a show of concern.
“Yanyan, why aren’t you eating? Mom and the housekeeper spent so much time preparing all these dishes.”
Gu Yan couldn’t even be bothered to lift his head.
“Don’t feel like eating.”
With that single sentence, he completely killed the atmosphere at the dinner table.
Gu Chengjing snapped angrily.
“What’s with all this pickiness? Did everything you learned in school go straight into a dog’s stomach?”
“Don’t you understand something as simple as respecting other people’s hard work?”
“Eat!”
Well, the sun must have risen in the west today!
Who would have thought Gu Chengjing’s mouth could actually produce something resembling a reasonable moral principle?
Gu Yan shrugged.
He’d already obtained what he came for.
There was no reason to be polite to Gu Chengjing anymore, and he certainly wasn’t going to bother saving the man’s face.
“I’m allergic to seafood. I can’t eat it.”
Unexpectedly, Gu Chengjing slammed his hand onto the table.
“Ridiculous!”
“You’ve grown this old, and this is the first time I’ve ever heard that you’re allergic to seafood!”
“Now you lie as easily as you breathe! You just open your mouth and make things up!”
“You’re completely hopeless!”
Gu Yan lowered his eyes.
He had no desire to look at Gu Chengjing’s fat face and oversized ears.
He was afraid the sight might contaminate his eyes.
He idly poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, silently thanking his lucky stars that the original owner’s mother had such strong genes.
Although Gu Yan didn’t care all that much about physical appearance, that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of being ugly.
If he’d really ended up looking like Gu Chengjing, he would have closed his eyes and ended his own life on the very first day after entering the novel.
He could have called it a public service.
Meanwhile, the food in Gu Xingxing’s bowl had already been piled into a small mountain.
He basked in the affection of his paternal grandparents, casting a sidelong glance at Gu Yan.
Only in front of the Gu family’s elders could Gu Xingxing finally hold his head high with pride.
As the treasured darling of his grandparents, he was hopelessly addicted to the feeling of being surrounded, adored, and showered with affection.
Whenever that happened, he experienced an almost intoxicating sense of triumph, as though he had finally surpassed Gu Yan.
Gu Yan had long grown accustomed to the unpleasant experiences that came with visiting the Gu family, so he didn’t take Gu Chengjing’s words to heart.
After halfheartedly finishing dinner, he planned to take a walk around the courtyard and see whether anyone outside was setting off fireworks.
But before he could leave, the doorbell rang.
“Who’s coming over during the New Year?”
Gu Chengjing lumbered toward the entrance, his large belly protruding in front of him.
The door opened.
“I’m here for Gu Yan.”
Yi Heng stood tall and imposing in the doorway, a few snowflakes resting on his shoulders.
Gu Chengjing rubbed his eyes, looking again and again to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
The cheerful conversations in the living room abruptly stopped.
The elderly relatives didn’t recognize Yi Heng, but his distinguished appearance and extraordinary bearing were enough to tell them that he was someone important.
They all immediately fell silent.
“Yi Heng? Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to spend the New Year at your family’s ancestral home?”
Gu Yan immediately sprang to his feet and hurried toward the man standing outside.
Yi Heng stood amid the falling snow and opened his arms to welcome him.
“This year is a little different, so I decided not to go.”
“Different?”
“Mm.”
Because this year, I have you.
A New Year without you by my side wouldn’t feel complete.
Yi Heng had come to take Gu Yan out to set off fireworks.
Right in front of Gu Chengjing, he simply swept Gu Yan away from the Gu family home.
Gu Chengjing stood frozen in place.
It took him quite a while to realize that Yi Heng’s actions were practically the equivalent of slapping him hard across the face.
“Outrageous!”
Gu Chengjing was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
He could only watch helplessly as the taillights of Yi Heng’s car disappeared into the vast darkness.
Gu Xingxing set down the can of Coke in his hand, gritting his teeth with bitter resentment.
On the way, Gu Yan’s heart pounded wildly.
He could hardly believe it.
Not long ago, he’d been arguing with Gu Chengjing at the dinner table.
And now, he was already on his way to set off New Year’s fireworks with Yi Heng.
“Where are we going?”
His voice was filled with excitement he couldn’t possibly conceal.
Yi Heng’s expression softened.
“The old square.”
Gu Yan had imagined that the old square Yi Heng mentioned would be a large, open plaza.
But when they arrived, he discovered that it was actually an abandoned basketball court.
Yi Feng was already waiting there.
The moment he spotted them, he raised a hand and waved.
Yi Heng explained,
“This place isn’t far from Kyoto International High School. Back in high school, I used to come here to play basketball with my deskmate.”
Gu Yan’s breath caught slightly.
When he looked at the abandoned basketball hoops again, a different emotion appeared in his eyes.
These weren’t merely pieces of worthless, rusting metal.
They were remnants of Yi Heng’s hidden past, memories he would only share with the people closest to his heart.
Yi Heng had bought all the fireworks.
Yi Feng had simply come ahead to watch over them and make sure they didn’t get wet from the snow.
Gu Yan selected half of each type and handed them to Yi Feng.
“Let’s set them off together.”
Yi Feng was as arrogant and pretentious as ever.
“They shoot into the sky and disappear in the blink of an eye. I’m not interested in something that boring.”
Gu Yan didn’t bother arguing.
He knew Yi Feng was simply the type to say one thing while secretly wanting another.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Yi Feng couldn’t resist anymore.
He quietly swiped a firework from the pile and ended up enjoying himself more than anyone else.
Gu Yan held a crackling sparkler in his hand.
Brilliant sparks streaked across the darkness, shining brightly like stars that had fallen from the sky onto the snowy ground.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air.
Yi Feng had lit a two-stage firework.
Colorful explosions blossomed overhead.
The first bang startled Gu Yan so badly that he instinctively ducked his head.
The noise was so loud that he could barely hear anyone speaking.
The second explosion was about to follow.
Gu Yan lifted his head, eagerly waiting to see the firework bloom into a flower-like shape.
But just then, he suddenly felt someone covering his ears.
The cold wind had turned the tip of his nose red.
Gu Yan turned to look at Yi Heng.
At that exact moment, the firework burst into bloom.
The same brilliant colors were reflected in both their eyes.
Meanwhile, Yi Feng was behaving like the foolish, overexcited son of a wealthy landlord, happily running around the snowy ground and setting off little firecrackers everywhere.
He didn’t notice what was happening between the other two at all.
Gu Yan’s ears grew warm.
He hurriedly looked away, his awkward attempt at hiding his embarrassment only making it more obvious.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered New Year’s Eve.
The fireworks over the city had been beautiful that night, too.
Outside his apartment window, bursts of color had lit up the sky one after another.
He had stood alone inside his apartment, gazing out at the countless lights of Kyoto.
The heating had been turned up high, yet his hands and feet had remained cold no matter what he did.
Now, he was watching fireworks again.
But his feelings couldn’t have been more different.
This was his first Lunar New Year since entering the novel.
And in this moment, the world around him was no longer merely a collection of words printed on a page.
It had become a world more real than anything else.
He wanted to stay here with Yi Heng.
He wanted to celebrate their second Lunar New Year together, then their third, and their fourth, and countless more after that.
He wanted to spend every New Year by Yi Heng’s side until they finally fell into eternal sleep.
There were plenty of fireworks.
Yi Feng kept setting them off one after another.
It wasn’t until he’d used up the entire supply that he suddenly realized what he’d done.
“Ahem… I guess playing with these things once in a while isn’t so bad.”
Yi Feng was still trying to sound dismissive, but the redness at the tips of his ears completely betrayed him.
Just then…
Grrr…
Gu Yan’s stomach growled at the most inconvenient moment.
Yi Heng took his hand.
“Didn’t you eat enough at dinner?”
“Mm… I seem to be getting hungry a little faster than usual today.”
Yi Heng carefully adjusted the scarf around Gu Yan’s neck.
“Come with me.”
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