Li You had arranged to meet at a bar they frequented.

As soon as Fu Yan entered, he instinctively headed toward their usual private room. But before he got far, Li You suddenly appeared from nowhere and grabbed him.

“Fu Yan, over there.”

Following his gaze, Fu Yan looked toward a booth in the corner.

Yao Jing was sitting there crying miserably, shoulders trembling. Across from him sat Li You’s cousin—the short guy who often tagged along with them—trying to comfort him quietly.

“How are you guys with him?”

Ever since the hotel misunderstanding a few months ago, Fu Yan hadn’t seen Yao Jing again.

Turning his back slightly, Li You explained,

“Ran into him by coincidence. He was completely drunk at the bar and almost got picked up by somebody.”

“I figured, hey, isn’t this your old flame?”

“Couldn’t just leave him there to die.”

“Don't talk nonsense. There was never anything between us.”

“I remember you went out with him a few times.”

“What, tried him out and decided he wasn't compatible?”

Li You waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Seeing that shameless playboy grin made Fu Yan unwilling to continue the conversation.

“Didn't you invite me out for drinks?”

“Are we drinking or not?”

“We are, we are.”

Noticing that Fu Yan clearly wasn't interested in discussing Yao Jing, Li You stopped pressing the topic.

He snapped his fingers at his cousin to call him back and casually draped an arm around Fu Yan's shoulder as they walked.

“By the way, I overheard that little influencer talking about President Gu.”

“You know, the guy I slapped that one time.”

“Gu Zhan from Slungshot.”

“I know someone who's worked with him.”

“Isn't he supposed to be straight?”

“We even drank together during business negotiations.”

“Oh, I get it now.”

“He must be bisexual.”

“Sounds like he bullied the kid or something.”

“The little influencer's been crying to everyone about it…”

Li You continued rattling on like a machine gun.

Only after several moments did he realize Fu Yan had turned around and walked back.

“Huh?”

Then he laughed.

“Well then.”

“Let's go drink.”

He slung an arm around his cousin and headed inside.

Fu Yan sat down beside Yao Jing and handed him a glass of water.

Yao Jing was crying so hard that he barely seemed aware of his surroundings.

The moment he recognized Fu Yan, his already-red eyes immediately became even redder.

With drunken, stumbling steps, he threw himself toward Fu Yan.

“Waaah—President Fu!”

“Please help me!”

“Please!”

Fu Yan gently steadied him and sat him upright.

“What happened?”

“Tell me clearly first.”

“Otherwise I can't help.”

Tears hanging from his lashes, Yao Jing pouted pitifully.

“It's President Gu...”

“He's taking revenge on me because of the misunderstanding between the three of us back then.”

“He removed me from the sales campaign.”

“He restricted my livestream traffic.”

“And just now my boss called and fired me...”

“Waaah—”

“I know I was foolish back then.”

“I know everything was my fault.”

“But how can he be so ruthless?”

As Fu Yan listened, he couldn't help remembering the past.

This little schemer had repeatedly tried to drive a wedge between him and Gu Zhan.

He had even tricked Gu Zhan into staging that dramatic hotel confrontation.

Fu Yan might once have misunderstood Gu Zhan.

But he had never misunderstood Yao Jing.

If anything, he'd seen through the innocent façade and recognized the manipulative, calculating person underneath.

Now the same person was sitting in front of him crying pitifully.

Was he really trying the same act again?

He was seriously underestimating Fu Yan.

“I don't think Gu Zhan would go out of his way to target you.”

“Could you be overthinking it?”

“No...”

“No.”

Yao Jing sobbed.

“I already confronted him.”

“He really wants to destroy me…”

His voice softened as he attempted to lean against Fu Yan again.

Fu Yan immediately pushed him back.

“Sit properly.”

The crying paused.

Yao Jing studied him carefully.

Having spent years navigating social circles, he immediately sensed that Fu Yan was different now.

He was still polite.

Still gentle.

But there was an unmistakable distance between them.

“President Fu…”

“You have a boyfriend now?”

“Yes.”

“Waaah—”

Yao Jing cried even harder.

“It's all my fault!”

“You’re such a good person.”

“How could I have lied to you before?”

“Everything happening to me now is karma.”

“I lost my job…”

“I can barely afford food…”

“I can't even pay rent anymore…”

“I know I was wrong.”

“Please forgive me.”

“Please help me.”

Seeing him cry until he could barely breathe, Fu Yan softened slightly.

Patting his shoulder, he said,

“Your phone number is linked to Alipay, right?”

“Don't worry about rent.”

“As for Gu Zhan, I'll ask him about it.”

“There's probably some misunderstanding.”

“But until then, don't go around spreading rumors about him.”

“That won't help resolve anything.”

“Okay.”

Yao Jing nodded obediently.

“Then go home and rest.”

“And don't drink this much by yourself.”

“Okay.”

Through tear-filled eyes, Yao Jing looked at him expectantly.

Fu Yan stood up.

He called over a bartender he knew, handed him some money, and asked him to make sure Yao Jing got home safely.

After returning home that night, Fu Yan arranged for someone to quietly investigate Yao Jing's situation.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Meanwhile, Gu Zhan had arrived in Australia.

Without even stopping to rest, he went directly from the airport to meet with the brand representative.

By the time he finally checked into his hotel, it was already past ten at night.

After showering away the fatigue of travel, he suddenly realized he hadn't seen his boyfriend's handsome face for over twenty hours.

He immediately initiated a video call.

The call connected after only a few rings.

Fu Yan was lying in bed holding that enormous book Gu Zhan was always reading before sleep.

The moment Gu Zhan saw the familiar image on his screen, his exhaustion seemed to ease.

Lying down, one arm behind his head and the other holding his phone, his voice naturally softened.

“Still awake?”

“Mm.”

Fu Yan put down his book.

“How are things?”

“Is the project going smoothly?”

“Not really.”

A trace of disappointment crossed Gu Zhan's face.

“I've already given up several more percentage points.”

“They still aren't satisfied.”

“Import taxes are high right now.”

“At this rate, unless they're willing to authorize domestic manufacturing, I don't think we'll close the deal.”

“Then find a manufacturer.”

Gu Zhan shook his head.

“Slungshot has never worked with cosmetics manufacturers before.”

“Where am I supposed to find one on short notice?”

“This project focuses on spring products.”

“We need to launch at the beginning of the year.”

“And it can't be some tiny workshop.”

“They’re a major cosmetics brand.”

“We need a reliable factory with real scale.”

Only then will negotiations even be possible.”

Fu Yan smiled.

“When President Gu encounters a problem, why doesn't he ask his rich second-generation boyfriend?”

Gu Zhan laughed.

It was true.

When he'd first approached Fu Yan, hadn't his goal been to make connections with a wealthy heir?

Yet somehow they'd become lovers.

And over time, he'd completely forgotten those original motives.

“President Fu has connections?”

Gu Zhan rested his chin on one hand and looked into the camera.

“I'll ask around tomorrow morning.”

Fu Yan coughed lightly.

“There's something else I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What's going on with Yao Jing?”

“He's crying to everyone and saying you're blacklisting him.”

“What is wrong with that guy?”

“He still isn't done?”

Gu Zhan sat upright immediately.

“Did you really blacklist him?”

“He came to my office and threatened to expose my sexuality.”

The more Gu Zhan thought about it, the angrier he became.

“Forget it.”

“Just stay out of it.”

“I've already arranged for someone to handle it.”

Fu Yan considered his words carefully.

“Better to offend a gentleman than provoke a petty person.”

“If necessary, just pay him a little more hush money.”

“Otherwise he'll keep biting at you.”

“Giving people like that money only makes them bolder.”

“If he doesn't suffer a little, he'll never learn.”

“Still, don't be too harsh.”

“How much trouble can a small influencer really cause?”

Gu Zhan narrowed his eyes at the screen and pretended to be angry.

“What?”

“Can't bear to part with him?”

The corners of Fu Yan's lips lifted.

“What?”

“President Gu is jealous?”

“Hah.”

Gu Zhan snorted.

“I can't be bothered with jealousy.”

“I can.”

Fu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed.

His already deep voice sounded even richer through the phone.

“I'd like some Italian pan-seared ribeye.”

Gu Zhan's chest wasn't overly muscular—just lean and well-proportioned.

Sometimes, depending on the angle, the outline of his ribs could be seen beneath his skin.

Fu Yan particularly loved kissing the tiny red mole near his collarbone.

And those attractive ribs.

He often left red marks all over them.

During the conversation, Gu Zhan had repeatedly sat up and reclined.

His bathrobe had loosened, revealing a stretch of pale skin across his chest.

Quickly noticing, he pulled the robe closed again.

“Can President Fu have a little sympathy for someone who just spent over ten hours on a plane?”

“I really don't have the energy for phone sex.”

“Haha.”

Seeing him sprawled there exhausted, Fu Yan laughed gently.

“Then go to sleep.”

“You can pay your marital duties when you get back from your business trip.”

Gu Zhan's eyelids drooped.

A faint smile curved his lips.

“Mm.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

After exchanging goodnights, both of them unconsciously lifted their phones to their lips and kissed the screens before ending the call.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

The next morning, Fu Yan immediately began asking around about cosmetics manufacturers.

For two reasons.

First, anything involving Gu Zhan automatically became a priority.

Second, he knew how hard his boyfriend had been working lately.

Everything Gu Zhan was doing was for the future they hoped to build together.

Helping him was only natural.

Before long, Fu Yan compiled information on several cosmetics manufacturers connected to the Fu Group and sent it over.

Gu Zhan showed the materials to the Australian representatives.

Combined with President Gu's legendary gift for persuasion, the representative quickly became interested.

Soon he was enthusiastically proposing a trip to Beijing to inspect the factories personally.

As a result, Gu Zhan returned from Australia less than a week later.

The brand representative was a friendly white man in his forties.

He traveled together with Gu Zhan and Richard.

After hearing that Beijing roast duck was famous, he insisted on changing his flight and arriving three hours earlier than planned.

By the time they landed, it was only five in the afternoon.

The foreign businessman spoke surprisingly fluent Chinese, albeit with a very distinctive accent.

“President Gu!”

“Aren't you joining us?”

“Crispy roast duck!”

“Delicious roast duck!”

Gu Zhan smiled apologetically.

“Mr. David, I'm sorry.”

“I really have plans tonight.”

“Richard will take good care of you.”

“Besides, Beijing has many excellent local dishes.”

“Next time I'll treat you to a copper-pot hotpot.”

“Wonderful!”

David looked delighted.

Then he asked curiously,

“It's already dinner time.”

“What could be more important?”

“Don't tell me you're rushing home to have a candlelit dinner with your wife?”

“Hahaha!”

Gu Zhan laughed.

The sweetness in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“Well then.”

“I won't keep you.”

As they parted, David winked.

“Have a good time~”

“You too.”

Even after getting into the car, the smile on Gu Zhan's face refused to disappear.

He even called Xiao Chen to confirm that she'd purchased the steaks he requested.

Normally, Fu Yan was always the one cooking for him.

He had never seriously cooked an entire meal for Fu Yan himself.

Recently, he'd devoted so much time to work.

He knew he'd neglected his boyfriend.

And after spending an entire week apart, he wanted to make it up to him.

Rush-hour traffic slowed him down, but he eventually made it home.

To his surprise, Fu Yan wasn't there yet.

He had intentionally not mentioned changing his flight.

Perfect.

Now he could surprise him.

Gu Zhan tied on an apron enthusiastically.

He pan-seared steaks.

Prepared black pepper sauce.

Selected a bottle of wine and let it breathe.

Set the dining table.

Lit Fu Yan's favorite scented candles.

After finishing everything, he checked the time.

It was already eight o'clock.

Yet why wasn't Fu Yan home yet?