Gu Zhan looked with satisfaction at the beautifully arranged dinner table and dialed Fu Yan’s number.

“Hello? Gu Zhan, you’ve landed?”

“Mm.” Gu Zhan could hear some noise on the other end.

“Looks like you got back earlier than expected.” Fu Yan glanced at his watch. “It’s Chuyin’s birthday today. I’m out having dinner with him.”

“Oh.” Gu Zhan responded lightly.

“The airplane food probably wasn’t enough. There’s pork rib soup in the insulated pot in the kitchen—I simmered it all night. Have some, take a shower, and get some rest to adjust to the time difference. I’ll head back after dinner.”

“Okay. Don’t stay out too late.”

“Mm.”

The call ended after only a few brief exchanges.

Gu Zhan stared at the carefully prepared meal, his expression stiffening slightly. He leaned back in the dining chair. After more than ten hours of flying, he was genuinely exhausted.

A moment later, his phone screen lit up with a news notification. He glanced at it absentmindedly and noticed the words “Fu Group.”

Curious, he tapped it open.

The article reported that a private club co-funded by Fu Group had recently signed several rising soccer stars. Industry analysts speculated that Fu Group was planning to enter the sports market. The article was packed with expert commentary linking the move to international economic trends, making it all sound highly significant.

Gu Zhan immediately knew it probably had little to do with Fu Hongping. More likely, it was simply his hobby project.

Scrolling down, he eventually found a photo titled “Exclusive Coverage of the Signing Ceremony.”

There stood Fu Yan.

The young heir occupied the center of the frame. Beside him was Wang Yanqiao, smiling brightly, along with several other attendees.

Fu Yan usually kept a low profile and had never officially appeared before the media. But with a face like his, he would have stood out even in entertainment headlines, let alone in a financial news section.

Gu Zhan casually skimmed the comments.

╰┈➤ Wow, who’s the handsome guy in the suit at the center? Exactly my type!

╰┈➤ Heard he’s the heir to Fu Group. Not sure if it’s true.

╰┈➤ Holy crap, marry me, handsome!!

╰┈➤ Calm down. Rumor says the heir is gay.

╰┈➤ Ahhh, the cute guy beside him is adorable too~

╰┈➤ Is it possible they’re a couple???

╰┈➤ Maybe this entire club was built just to make his beauty smile.

╰┈➤ Hahaha, this is peak “spoiling-the-wife” romance novel material. I love it.

Gu Zhan locked his phone.

Why am I even reading this pointless gossip?

He sat quietly for a while, then got up and cleared away the entire meal. After taking a quick shower, he went to bed.

He hadn’t slept much on the plane anyway. It was time to fix his sleep schedule.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Meanwhile, at a Shandong-style restaurant, the group was celebrating Fu Chuyin’s birthday.

“Holy shit!” Li You’s already-small eyes widened like saucers. “Fu Yan, you actually got together with Gu Zhan?!”

Fu Yan had just returned after taking the phone call. He shot Li You a cold glance, clearly dissatisfied with the wording.

Beside them, Wang Yanqiao calmly picked up slice after slice of sweet-and-sour fish and ate with great enjoyment.

Fu Chuyin sat there with a dark expression, silently drinking.

Li You stared in disbelief.

“So I’m the only one who didn’t know? Xiao Wang, you knew too?”

Wang Yanqiao proudly held up two fingers.

“Only a little earlier than you. But I figured it out myself—with my highly sensitive gaydar.”

“Ugh.” Li You shuddered dramatically and turned toward the table’s other straight man. “Chuyin, I’ll just hang out with you.”

Fu Chuyin shot him a cold look so frightening that Li You immediately withdrew the arm he’d been about to drape over him.

“Just stepped away for one phone call...” Fu Yan snatched the wine glass from his brother’s hand. “Chuyin, did you drink all of this?”

He shook the nearby bottle and looked at the other two.

“Couldn’t either of you stop him?”

Li You took a sip of wine.

“Your brother only listens to you. Who else would dare? Besides, if you hadn’t upset him, would he be drinking like this?”

Fu Yan gently stroked his brother’s hair.

“Chuyin, I owe you one for the Youfan incident.”

Li You leaned back lazily in his chair.

“You handed your proposal right to the guy’s doorstep yourselves. You can’t blame anyone else. At the end of the day, Gu Zhan is a businessman. Business is always going to come first for him.”

Wang Yanqiao, busy eating, casually interjected:

“But President Gu is really handsome.”

Fu Yan grabbed his brother’s hand before he could reach for the bottle again, having no interest in responding to Li You’s cynical remarks.

Li You continued:

“Seriously though, what exactly do you see in him? Just tired of your usual type and wanted something different?”

“Obviously because President Gu is handsome,” Wang Yanqiao answered instantly, looking completely smitten.

Li You raised a hand as if to smack him.

“You’re so young. How did you become this shallow?”

Wang Yanqiao instinctively ducked, then raised his chin stubbornly.

“And you’re not shallow? Then why do you have so many long-legged girls on WeChat?”

“When adults are talking, kids stay quiet.”

Li You lectured him before turning back to Fu Yan.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Have fun if you want, but don’t take it seriously.”

“Enough, all of you.” Fu Yan sighed. “I know exactly what kind of person Gu Zhan is. Stop worrying about me.”

“Fair enough. Our President Fu has walked through countless flowers without getting attached to any of them. Guess I’m worrying for nothing.”

Li You grinned lecherously.

“Brother—”

Fu Chuyin looked at Fu Yan seriously.

“You still believe him, don’t you?”

“Chuyin, that matter is already in the past. There’s no point dwelling on something that’s already happened.”

Fu Chuyin’s eyes reddened.

Then—

“Bleurgh—!”

Fortunately, Fu Yan reacted quickly and caught a trash can before his brother could vomit all over himself.

“You can’t even drink. Why did you drink this much?”

Fu Yan rubbed his back gently.

“It’s your birthday. You’re supposed to be happy.”

After vomiting for quite a while, Fu Chuyin lifted his flushed face and looked at him.

“Brother... do you even care whether I’m happy anymore?”

Then he bent over and vomited again.

Fu Yan looked helplessly at the others.

“I’m taking Chuyin home. Sorry, everyone. Dinner didn’t exactly go well.”

“I told you we should’ve gone somewhere lively.” Li You grumbled. “This boring restaurant was a terrible choice. Fu Yan, after you drop him off, want to go for round two?”

Fu Yan hoisted his brother up.

“It’s late. I’m heading home afterward.”

Li You clicked his tongue.

“When did you become so boring?”

Fu Yan only shook his head.

Nearby, Wang Yanqiao glared at Li You.

Fu Chuyin lived alone in an apartment he had bought himself.

He couldn’t handle alcohol, and by the time they got home he was vomiting uncontrollably again.

Fu Yan made him some hangover soup and helped him onto the bed, preparing to wipe him down with a warm towel.

The warm cloth touched his face.

Fu Chuyin jolted awake and stared groggily at the figure beside the bed.

This was the brother who had loved him more than anyone else.

He had never met his biological mother.

Ever since he could remember, his father was rarely home. When he did return, he was usually drunk. Sometimes, in a bad mood, he would vent his anger on Chuyin—yelling at him, even hitting him.

No one truly cared about Fu Chuyin.

No one truly loved him.

He had always felt like an unwanted extra in this world.

Until that Spring Festival family gathering years ago.

The most celebrated eldest grandson of the family had come back from overseas on holiday.

Six-year-old Fu Chuyin had been bullied by a group of relatives’ children and was trembling beneath a table, refusing to come out no matter who called him.

Because he was afraid.

The moment he emerged, everyone—adults and children alike—would look at him the same way.

As if saying:

Look. The Fu family’s illegitimate child.

Then a hand reached beneath the table.

The dazzlingly outstanding teenager crouched before him on one knee, wearing the most beautiful smile in the world.

“Come out, Xiao Chuyin. I’m your brother.”

Fu Chuyin had grabbed that hand instantly, terrified it would disappear.

Even now, drunk and unable to control his strength, he gripped Fu Yan’s hand so tightly it hurt.

Fu Yan smiled and patted his hand.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Chuyin? Did you have a nightmare?”

Suddenly, Fu Chuyin sat upright and threw himself into his brother’s arms.

“Brother... sob... don’t abandon me, okay?”

“Silly. When have I ever abandoned you?”

Fu Yan rubbed his back comfortingly.

“Grandma... Grandma said you got a ‘girlfriend’... Uncle likes her... Aunt likes her too... and you like her a lot... You’ve never brought anyone home before. Why is 'she' the exception?”

Tears streamed down his face.

“Are you going to get married soon? Will you stop going out in the middle of the night to buy me my favorite cake? Brother... sob... you don’t want me anymore...”

Fu Yan laughed softly and helped him lie back down.

“Chuyin, you’re drunk and talking nonsense.”

Fu Chuyin obediently lay down, but his hand stubbornly clung to Fu Yan’s.

“Brother, don’t go.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Go to sleep.”

Fu Yan sat beside him for a long time, soothing him until he finally fell asleep.

After settling his brother in, Fu Yan drove home.

When he checked the time near the residential complex, it was already after ten.

He frowned and sniffed himself.

His clothes reeked of alcohol.

So he decided to return to his own apartment first, shower and clean up, then go see the boyfriend he hadn’t seen for an entire week.

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

Gu Zhan lay in bed idly scrolling through his phone.

The moment he heard the front door unlock with a ding, he immediately tossed his phone aside and closed his eyes.

Truthfully, he hadn’t been able to sleep at all.

After showering, he tossed and turned endlessly.

Fu Yan quietly entered the bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed.

By the moonlight, he studied Gu Zhan’s sleeping face.

The silvery glow spilled across his sharp profile.

When President Gu was asleep and unguarded, all the sharp edges he displayed during the day disappeared.

He looked like nothing more than a tame, harmless little animal.

The longer Fu Yan looked, the harder it became to resist.

He leaned down, wanting to find out what moonlight tasted like on those lips.

“You’re back?”

Gu Zhan murmured, turning toward him with sleepy eyes.

Seeing him awake, Fu Yan became even less restrained.

He kissed him immediately.

The kisses grew deeper and rougher, biting his lips, prying open his teeth, tangling with his tongue.

Soon both their breathing became uneven.

Fu Yan stripped off his suit jacket and climbed over him.

A clean, elegant fragrance drifted into Gu Zhan’s nose.

Not only when Fu Yan lifted his shirt—

His neck smelled that way.

His hair smelled that way too.

He had clearly just showered.

Gu Zhan gently pushed his shoulder.

“You showered?”

“Mm. I went back to my apartment first. Didn’t want to wake you by showering here.”

As he spoke, he continued kissing and nibbling along Gu Zhan’s neck, trying to stir his desire.

Gu Zhan barely reacted.

“Where did you eat tonight?”

Fu Yan suddenly stopped.

Supporting himself above him, he looked down.

“A private restaurant.”

Gu Zhan’s eyes were half-closed, still sleepy.

Yet the question sounded oddly deliberate.

What was he trying to figure out?

Fu Yan stared at him for a moment.

Does he think I went out fooling around again?

That I came back covered in someone else’s scent and showered first to destroy the evidence?

“I don’t go to those chaotic places anymore. Besides, it was my brother’s birthday. I wouldn’t take him somewhere like that.”

His kisses trailed across Gu Zhan’s brows, nose, and lips before lifting his chin gently.

“What’s wrong? President Gu upset again?”

“No.”

Gu Zhan turned to face him properly, his eyelashes drooping with fatigue.

“The flight was tiring.”

Fu Yan had really wanted him.

But seeing Gu Zhan’s exhausted appearance made him soften immediately.

His large hand cupped Gu Zhan’s cheek.

After days of nonstop travel and work, he seemed thinner than before.

As a reward, Fu Yan kissed him deeply and tenderly.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“How was the restaurant?”

Gu Zhan suddenly asked.

“Was Wang Yanqiao there?”

“Yes. Li You too. The others were either busy or out of Beijing.”

Fu Yan lay down beside him and wrapped an arm around him.

“The food was good. We’ll go together next time.”

“Mm.”

Gu Zhan shifted closer and nestled into his embrace.

Fu Yan pulled the blanket around them and gently patted his back.

“If you’re tired, go to sleep.”

He paused.

“The marital duties can wait. I’ll collect the debt later—with interest.”

Gu Zhan laughed softly at that.

Then, little by little, he drifted off to sleep.