Chapter 25: It Counts as a Kiss

Chapter 25: It Counts as a Kiss

Xie Guilan remained silent for a few minutes. The lighting in the private room was dim, and his deep, dark eyes were lost in the darkness, his voice cold as he spoke, "Sorry, the manager has a rule that I can't drink."

"A rule?" Wang Yue sneered coldly.

He had no intention of backing down, though his tone was somewhat conciliatory, which only made people feel more disgusted. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I take full responsibility for what happened before. I made an inappropriate joke at the wrong time. The boss has already taught me a lesson. I truly realize my mistake now. I just want to apologize to you tonight, as a personal favor, would you do me the favor of playing one round?"

Xie Guilan had deep-set eyes and prominent brow bones, giving him an icy, predatory look when he looked down at others.

Looking at him, one might even believe that Xie Guilan had killed before.

Wang Yue felt a cold shiver run down his spine and uncomfortably shifted back on the sofa. When he realized it, he felt a surge of humiliated anger. Damn it, why should he be afraid?!

Everyone else in the private room didn’t dare to breathe, afraid of attracting trouble.

But inwardly, they were all enjoying the drama.

"Passing the card"—it was a disgusting game. One person would suck on a card and lean in, allowing another to take it from their mouth—kind of like a twisted version of spin the bottle.

Everyone knew how much Cen Wu disliked Xie Guilan. If he had to play this game with Xie Guilan, he’d probably vomit for half an hour afterward.

That was exactly what Wang Yue had in mind.

Cen Wu was still young, but he had been hanging out at Lan Ye for years. He could even rig the game, making the wheel stop wherever he wanted. He deliberately stopped it at "passing the card."

Cen Wu, the spoiled rich kid of the Cen family, was doted on by everyone. Cen Wu cared even more about his dignity than most. If Xie Guilan had refused first, Cen Wu would definitely be furious.

But if Xie Guilan didn’t refuse and actually came over to pass the card with Cen Wu, knowing Cen Wu's temper, he would likely slap him right away.

Xie Guilan is nothing more than a lapdog to the Xie family, and not even a very good one at that. How could he ever let Xie Guilan treat him this way?

No matter what Xie Guilan did, Cen Wu would flip out and blame him for it. And when Cen Wu got mad, he’d take it out on Xie Guilan. Then it would be Cen Wu who got angry and disciplined Xie Guilan, and it would have nothing to do with him, right?

He could just watch the drama unfold.

In the worst-case scenario, even if Cen Wu refused first, that wouldn’t be bad either. According to the rules, the person who doesn’t play the game has to take a penalty drink.

This bottle of whiskey is 53% ABV, and the glasses are quite deep. After ten drinks, Xie Guilan wouldn’t be walking out of Lan Ye tonight.

A no-lose situation.

Cen Wu frowned. Wang Yue’s move was nothing new to him. He’d seen it all in the entertainment world—both the good and the bad. He knew exactly what Wang Yue was scheming.

Cen Wu didn’t plan to engage with Wang Yue. It would be better to just splash all these drinks in Wang Yue’s face and take Xie Guilan away directly.

But Xie Guilan suddenly moved.

Xie Guilan was wearing a waiter’s shirt and black suit pants, with a pair of black leather gloves on. The young man’s figure was tall and slender, his legs wrapped in the suit pants already showing the transition between youth and adulthood.

His skin was cold and pale, his eyes as black as if soaked in water, and only his thin lips were crimson—coldly handsome.

The soft blue lights in the VIP room flickered faintly. Xie Guilan’s face was blank, his deep, almond-shaped eyes devoid of emotion as he reached for a new deck of cards and walked towards Cen Wu.

His leather shoes clicked softly against the floor. Cen Wu suddenly tensed. A shadow fell over him as the tall and upright figure of the young man blocked his view.

Xie Guilan picked up a card, pressed it to his lips, and sucked on it. Then, leaning on the sofa behind Cen Wu, he bent down towards him.

Xie Guilan’s dark eyes stared directly at him. Cen Wu panicked, stumbling back into the sofa. His cold, pale ears were already flushed red. When Cen Wu didn’t reach for the card, Xie Guilan’s brow twitched slightly. His gloved hand, still in black leather, pinched Cen Wu’s pale cheek, forcing him to tilt his head back. Then, Xie Guilan pressed his lips against Cen Wu’s.

Cen Wu was forced to lift his head, and his mind buzzed. The card was thin and couldn't block anything. He could feel the softness of Xie Guilan's lips and the moist warmth of his mouth.

His eyelashes trembled, and his eyes clouded with moisture, rapidly filling with tears. His entire pretty face flushed red, especially the tips of his ears, which were so red it looked like they might bleed.

The tiny red mole at the tip of his ear was positioned slightly backward, invisible from the front. He wondered if it had turned even redder from the heat.

Xie Guilan's dark eyes moved away from the tip of his ear.

His lips hadn't actually moved, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor as he stayed close to Cen Wu, waiting for him to suck on the card.

Cen Wu's lips trembled slightly. Xie Guilan, being so cold and aloof, had a warm breath that scorched. When he lowered his head, his tall, straight nose almost brushed Cen Wu's cheek. Instinctively, Cen Wu wanted to pull away, but Xie Guilan tightened his grip on his pale, slender chin.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, Xie Guilan's overwhelming presence exuded a natural sense of control.

Cen Wu felt weak all over and couldn't break free. Sitting on the dark green leather sofa, his fair skin looked like snow, but now his face was too hot to lift his head. His body involuntarily slid down, and with trembling hands, he clutched the fabric of Xie Guilan's shirt, almost clinging to him. Xie Guilan's sleeve was crumpled from his grip.

Ji Changyu was nearly startled out of his wits, and the others wished they hadn't come to this place tonight.

Xie Guilan already had the outline of an adult, his shoulders almost completely shielding Cen Wu. Pinned to the sofa by Xie Guilan, only a sliver of Cen Wu's face peeked out, his eyes red and wet, his lashes trembling with water traces. From this angle, it looked exactly like a kiss, and the card was invisible.

With a slight pressure from his fingertips, Xie Guilan’s fingers left red marks on Cen Wu’s pale cheeks.

Cen Wu let out a low breath, his face flushing even more as he realized what was happening. He trembled, trying to suck on the card, but the more anxious he became, the harder it was to hold. His vision blurred with watery hues, and he clung to Xie Guilan's shoulders, practically in his arms, tilting his head back in a posture begging for a kiss.

Cen Wu felt humiliated and wanted to push Xie Guilan away, but if he rejected him, Xie Guilan would be mocked and humiliated by everyone present. The thought made him feel awful.

Anyway, a kiss wouldn't hurt, and it wasn’t a real kiss.

It was all over now.

Even Wang Yue shuddered.

If Xie Shangjing found out, they were screwed.

Wang Yue had never imagined that Xie Guilan would actually dare to kiss Cen Wu, and that Cen Wu wouldn't refuse.

There were many men and women around Xie Shangjing, and Cen Wu often flirted with people in bars and clubs. No one really knew what was going on between them, but everyone assumed that Cen Wu was Xie Shangjing's possession.

What Xie Guilan did was no different from cheating on Xie Shangjing, at least that's how Xie Shangjing would see it.

A-ling was also called to join them tonight. He had been the calmest person in the room, having interacted the most with Cen Wu over the past half month. He wasn't afraid of Cen Wu anymore, especially since he did tasks for him.

Even if Cen Wu got angry, he wouldn't take it out on him.

He had intended to watch the drama unfold, as Wang Yue and the others were too foolish to realize that Cen Wu genuinely wanted to protect Xie Guilan.

But he hadn't expected Xie Guilan to actually kiss him, which left him feeling unnerved. Fortunately, Xie Guilan wasn't in the same line of work as him. Xie Guilan's utter coldness was captivating.

After all, people often overestimate themselves, thinking they can melt the snow on a mountain peak or throw themselves into the fire like a moth.

Especially when someone as handsome as Xie Guilan was involved, the temptation was even greater.

Xie Guilan had been at Blue Night for almost two years. Many had been drawn to him, but when it came to women, Xie Guilan rejected them coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.

With men, he would either politely turn them down or, if they pushed too far, physically confront them. A-ling had seen him fight before and had no desire to provoke Xie Guilan ever again.

After that, anyone who visited Blue Night knew better than to cross Xie Guilan.

It’s not like Xie Guilan is the only attractive guy around.

Why bother trying when it’s clear they don’t care?

Cen Wu was desperate to grab that card quickly. He definitely wasn’t going to pass it to the next person. It didn’t feel so bad with Xie Guilan, but with anyone else, it would’ve been gross.

He wanted to hold the card and then deliberately drop it, thinking Wang Yue wouldn’t dare punish him by making him drink. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get a good grip on it. He awkwardly pressed his lips against Xie Guilan’s, the card still between them.

Xie Guilan’s fingertips pinched his soft cheek, causing it to puff up slightly. Cen Wu thought he heard Xie Guilan laugh softly, but when he looked up, Xie’s eyes were still cold and distant.

Cen Wu felt like someone had thrown cold water on him, the heat in his cheeks fading fast.

Although he had no relationship with Xie Guilan, he was only doing this to deal with Wang Yue. Besides, they were separated by a card; it wasn’t a real kiss. But he couldn’t help but think of the original description of Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan was the kind of guy who stayed cold no matter what, always composed, his dark eyes watching you without emotion.

Cold, with no emotion.

The more you cared about him, the easier it was to harbor resentment, but even that resentment couldn’t affect him.

Cen Wu’s long, curly lashes fluttered. He closed his eyes and stopped looking at Xie Guilan. Just as he was about to secure the card, Xie Guilan moved, as if he couldn’t hold on any longer. The card was accidentally brushed away, and Cen Wu pressed his lips together.

He suspected his lips brushed against Xie Guilan’s, but he managed to stop in time before it became a real kiss.

"Sorry," Xie Guilan’s cold, hoarse voice said, "I accidentally dropped it."

Xie Guilan had been working at Lan Ye and knew the rules. If you didn’t play the game, you had to drink ten shots. If you lost, one shot.

He reached for a glass of alcohol, his pale, prominent Adam’s apple bobbing as he drank it down.

His lips, already a deep red, were made even redder by the friction with Cen Wu. Xie Guilan didn’t have an air of righteousness about him; instead, he looked like a brooding, handsome villain. At that moment, with his lips moistened by the alcohol, he exuded a sensual allure, and a few girls in the room were stealing glances at him.

"I have work to do," Xie Guilan said, his long lashes lowering, "I’ll leave now."

He didn’t care about Wang Yue’s expression anymore and left the private room directly. Ji Changyu finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly followed, waving at the female attendants, telling them to leave as well.

The room was soundproof, and the hallway outside was quiet. The elevator ride down was silent.

By the time they reached the dance floor of the bar on the bottom floor, the crowd was roaring, and Ji Changyu came back to life.

Still shaken, he raised his arm and nudged Xie Guilan. "Are you out of your mind?! Did you even think about what you just did? What if that guy comes after you?"

The more Ji Changyu spoke, the more worried he became. Although it was just passing the card, it was no different from a kiss. Seeing Xie Guilan’s cold face made him even more annoyed. He was doomed, yet still acting all cold and detached.

Xie Guilan didn’t say anything, his eyes shrouded in darkness as he drank a few sips of cold water.

The room was deathly quiet.

A few minutes had passed, but no one dared to speak.

Cen Wu’s cheeks were still flushed, the heat spreading to his ears, and his lips were damp from the friction.

Earlier, he refused to lift his head, so Xie Guilan gently tugged on the hair at the back of his head.

Wang Yue was nearly scared to death, but as long as Cen Wu didn’t report this to Xie Shangjing, no one would dare talk about it.

Cen Wu looked down, feeling irritated by the memory of Xie Guilan’s cold, indifferent stare.

Cen Wù indeed took out his anger on someone else, feeling even more annoyed with Wang Yue, and picked up a glass of wine to splash it onto his face.

Wang Yue, suppressing his anger, wiped the alcohol from his face and said, "Second Young Master, I just wanted to apologize to him. If you're going to act like this, then I'll say nothing more. I can’t explain myself."

"If you don't want to talk, then don't," Cen Wù said impatiently with a cold expression. "Not a single word you say is something I want to hear."

Wang Yue's face turned a livid color, cold alcohol trickling down his neck. Finally unable to hold back, he sneered, "Isn't he just a kid from a family like that? Working in a nightclub like this, pretending to be noble? I'm doing him a favor by asking him to drink a few glasses, Second Young Master. What’s your problem? What’s he got to compare with us? Am I not worthy of asking him to drink?"

Wang Yue, considering himself a member of the upper class, naturally looked down on Xie Guilan.

Cen Wù didn't bother with further words and splashed the last glass of wine onto Wang Yue's face. His beautiful, watery eyes held a kind of innocent cruelty. "Since that's the case, you should know my surname is Cen."

You mess with someone from my family, you’ll regret it, Cen Wù understood the weakness of people like Wang Yue. If you don't suppress them, they won't bow their heads or realize their mistakes.

Wang Yue's face darkened, and he said nothing.

"I remember," Cen Wù's cold, white fingertips lightly tapped on the glass, his eyes curved in a smile, but there was no warmth or real amusement in them. "Your company has a film that is backed by the Cen family."

Wang Yue was starting to panic but didn't want to show weakness. He forced a smile and said, "So what?"

Cen Wù lifted his eyelids and said imperiously, "We’re pulling our investment tonight."

This film had been in preparation for nearly three years, with the Cen family investing 300 million. It was the only collaboration with Wang Yue's family, and while the 300 million was insignificant to the Cen family, it was crucial for Wang Yue to get the film into production.

Wang Yue's heart sank heavily. No matter how much he bullied others, his parents rarely intervened, dismissing it as minor mischief. But if it affected the family's film project, they'd tear him apart.

However, Cen Wù was just a high school student. Wang Yue didn't believe that Cen Wù could make such a major decision on his own.

Seeing Wang Yue's doubt, Cen Wù couldn't be bothered to explain. He stood up and said, "You can... wait for the news tonight."

He hesitated slightly, but Wang Yue was already frightened and didn't notice.

After speaking, Cen Wù ignored Wang Yue, who was pale-faced behind him, and left.

Chu Zijian hurriedly followed him out.

Xie Guilan was at the bar serving drinks when Cen Wù passed by. Their eyes almost met, but Cen Wù quickly averted his gaze, his ears still burning hot.

Chu Zijian had intended to kick Xie Guilan but thought better of it, remembering how Cen Wù had protected Xie Guilan. Instead, he gave a heavy snort and, as he passed Xie Guilan, bumped into his shoulder.

Unexpectedly, Cen Wù immediately turned around and said displeased, "Why did you... bump into him?"

Chu Zijian: "???"

Chu Zijian was pissed off. "Second Young Master, I just bumped him a little. It even hurt my shoulder."

Cen Wù didn't look at Xie Guilan and ignored Chu Zijian. After walking a few more steps, he said, "Don't... don't bully him in the future."

Chu Zijian had known Cen Wù for many years and didn't really understand why Cen Wù disliked Xie Guilan. He thought it was because Cen Wù was close to Xie Shangjing, and since Song Lingwei had ruined Xie Shangjing’s parents’ marriage, Cen Wù felt bad for Xie Shangjing and thus disliked Xie Guilan.

But it seemed like there was more to it.

Regardless of the reason, since Cen Wù was his boss, if Cen Wù had a problem with someone, Chu Zijian would take care of it.

But now, Cen Wù was dead set on protecting Xie Guilan.

He had already figured it out. When Cen Wu went to the Xie family before, it was probably for Xie Guilan's sake.

Otherwise, given that Xie's father went to the hospital to see Song Lingwei, Xie Shangjing could have whipped Xie Guilan with a horsewhip.

Xie Guilan didn't value his life or his knees, but he still had more dignity than that. He didn't understand why Xie Guilan always put on a cold face for show, being treated like dirt under people's feet. Maybe if he just accepted his fate, he could live a bit more comfortably.

"Understood." Chu Zijian said begrudgingly.

Anyway, what he said, Cen Wu wouldn't like to hear. He probably only wanted to hear it from Xie Guilan.

Chu Zijian gritted his teeth in frustration. Damn it, where did this guy come from?!

Wang Yue definitely wouldn't dare to do anything else. Cen Wu didn't stay at the bar either. That night, as he lay in bed, his lips still felt hot from where Xie Guilan had pressed down on him with force. His lips were still tingling from the pressure, making it hard for him to fall asleep. He called Cen Xiao.

Cen Wu was confident that Cen Xiao would pull the funding. The film's production was in trouble. The male lead was caught soliciting prostitutes with Wang Yue, and the assistant director was exposed for drug use.

It was a complete mess, and the film never got released. The investment went down the drain.

"Did Wang Yue bully you?" Cen Xiao asked, his brows furrowing when he heard Cen Wu stammering on the phone. His tone became much sterner. "What did he do? Tell me the truth."

Cen Wu didn't mention the card game incident but told Cen Xiao everything else. Complaining felt embarrassing, but it worked.

The Cen family truly doted on the original host to such an extent. They couldn't bear to see the original owner suffer any grievances.

Even if Cen Wu hadn't hinted at the issues with the crew, Cen Xiao would have pulled the funding without hesitation. Especially since Cen Wu mentioned the assistant director's issue.

"Alright, brother understands," Cen Xiao said. "Go to sleep early. I'll handle it."

Cen Wu's tone was obedient. "Thank you, brother."

But Cen Xiao's tone changed, and he asked, "Why have you been hanging around Xie Guilan lately? Don't you dislike him?"

Cen Wu was at a loss for words. He thought about it and decided to start praising Xie Guilan.

After Xie Guilan was acknowledged by the Cen family, his relationship with Cen Xiao and the others grew cold. It was mainly because Xie Guilan unilaterally rejected them, but Cen Xiao and the others also didn't know him well enough, which led to the gradual estrangement.

Cen Wu didn't want Xie Guilan to remain an aloof moon. A character like that might be charming in a book, but to Cen Wu, Xie Guilan was a real person.

Xie Guilan took good care of Song Lingwei. It could be said that Xie Guilan's miserable state in the Xie family was all for Song Lingwei's sake.

He wasn't completely indifferent to his family.

At least, not anymore.

Cen Wu hoped that Cen Xiao and the others would treat Xie Guilan better. After all, when the situation of usurpation was exposed, he would leave and wouldn't stay in this world much longer.

High school only made up a small part of the original story, but there were still many years ahead. Such a long road would be too lonely, and he hoped Cen Xiao and the others could accompany Xie Guilan.

"He... his grades are excellent," Cen Wu said cautiously, somewhat dishonestly beginning to praise Xie Guilan. "He always... always helps me with homework at school and even buys me breakfast. I... I bullied him before because of a misunderstanding, but he didn't get mad."

Right, as if.

Xie Guilan probably wished he could tear him apart.

Cen Xiao was half-convinced and half-doubtful.

However, that night when he went to the police station to pick up Cen Wu and Xie Guilan, Xie Guilan really didn’t seem to have any malice towards Cen Wu, so he relented, "Alright, invite him over for dinner another day."

Cen Xiao was very busy and had an international conference to attend. He hung up right after Cen Wu finished talking.

During this time, Cen Wu had gotten into the habit of sending Xie Guilan a goodnight message every day, mainly to check if Xie Guilan was okay.

If he could still respond, it meant he was likely fine, or at least not badly hurt.

But tonight, after staring at his phone screen for a long time, typing and deleting, he eventually didn’t send anything to Xie Guilan.

He threw his phone aside.

Forget it, time for sleep.

Why bother worrying about someone so aloof?

The bar was packed, and Xie Guilan didn’t finish his shift until 1:30 a.m. He was using Song Lingwei’s old phone, which had a cracked screen, and it took several seconds every time he tried to open it.

But tonight, after opening it, there was no little cat covering a cartoon character with a blanket on his screen, and Cen Wu’s chat box was still stuck on last night’s messages.

Xie Guilan didn’t bother checking further and put his phone away before heading out.

The day after tomorrow was the provincial chemistry competition. Because of the exam, Xie Guilan didn’t go back to the Xie family and went straight to his rented place.

Xie Guilan’s good grades were the result of intense effort; he studied for the chemistry competition until 3 a.m. before finally getting some rest.

The dorm-style apartment had poor soundproofing, and at night, he could hear people arguing next door. Under the dim yellow light, the wooden stairs still carried a damp, musty smell. It was quiet at night, and occasionally, the faint sound of a cat could be heard from the street where dirty water flowed freely.

On Saturday, Xie Guilan still had to work. He had a part-time job at a café and didn’t get off work until 6 p.m. After visiting Song Lingwei in the hospital, he headed back to Blue Night to continue working.

Leaving Blue Night again past 1 a.m., it had been almost three years like this.

He shot up in height, reaching 1.8 meters by the time he was fifteen, and with his perpetually stoic expression, some people might believe he was still in high school. He started working at places that didn’t require an ID.

These jobs didn’t pay much, but Xie Guilan couldn’t afford to be choosy. As long as they paid him, even distributing flyers would do.

He also helped various stores unload goods, working for more than half a day, and even then, he could only earn fifty yuan, his shoulders raw and bleeding.

Song Lingwei’s daily IV treatments cost more than fifty yuan, and with the added cost of medication, even if Xie Guilan skipped meals, he couldn’t afford it.

The hospital bills always piled up in thick stacks.

When he got home at night, he received another message from Cen Wu. Cen Wu sent a pouting cat emoji.

Then asked,

"Cen Wu: Have you gone home?"

Xie Guilan still didn’t reply.

After ten minutes, as he came out of the shower, Cen Wu sent another message.

"Cen Wu: If you don’t tell me, I really won’t be able to sleep."

Xie Guilan: “……”

Xie Guilan wasn’t sure why Cen Wu was so worried. Maybe he didn’t need as much protection as Cen Wu thought.

Cen Wu stopped sending messages after that, but there was a continuous "typing" indication, giving off a vibe of quiet frustration.

Xie Guilan had been reviewing for half an hour while Cen Wu kept typing. Finally, Xie Guilan picked up his phone.

"Xie Guilan: Go to sleep."

Cen Wu replied quickly.

"Cen Wu: Good night!"

"Cen Wu: Cat covering with blanket.jpg"

After the rain, the weather turned cooler. The lights in the shared apartment swayed in the night breeze, and the light from the screen reflected in Xie Guilan's dark eyes, like tiny lanterns.

Xie Guilan went to bed a bit earlier that night. The prelims of the provincial chemistry competition were being held at the Experimental Affiliated High School.

Huai Jing No.1 High School was in the south of the city, and the affiliated school was in the east, across nearly half the city. He got up at 6:30 to head to the affiliated school.

The prelims consisted of a written test and practical experiments. The written test was in the morning, and in the afternoon, several experiments had to be conducted on the spot.

After finishing the written test, Xie Guilan followed the crowd out and planned to grab a bite nearby.

There was a noodle shop across from the affiliated school, and many people who participated in the prelims were there since they were all testing at the same school. The restaurants in the area were packed during lunch.

Xie Guilan found a seat and opened his chemistry notes to review a few complex experiments.

Before his noodles arrived, he saw a person dressed as Kumamon, the famous bear mascot from Japan, wobbling towards him.

Kumamon had a basket on one arm, filled with bottled water, small milks, and various sodas.

It extended the basket toward Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan initially didn’t want to take anything, assuming it was for sale, and glanced away, silently declining. But Kumamon grabbed his school uniform and pointed at the basket.

Xie Guilan then noticed a sticker that said "free gift from the shop."

Xie Guilan hesitated, intending to take the bottled water, but instead, he chose the lychee-flavored soda next to it.

After Xie Guilan took one, Kumamon wobbled away to offer to others. It was a huge Kumamon, and the person inside seemed to struggle to hold up the costume, always holding their head.

It moved in a way that made it look both endearing and awkward.

There were many residents near the affiliated school, and some brought their children for lunch. A few kids surrounded Kumamon, hugging its legs and not letting go. Kumamon panicked for a moment, unsure how to escape, and was held in place by the children.

"You can't hug it like that," the boss shouted in a loud, gruff voice. "It's easy to get hurt."

The children scattered.

Only a little boy remained, squirting water from a water gun at Kumamon. The bear let out a soft growl and raised its paw to scare him. The boy screamed and ran away.

Kumamon looked up and met Xie Guilan's dark, ink-like eyes. It instinctively stepped back but then seemed to remember it was just Kumamon, raised its paw to its mouth, and blew a kiss toward Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan: “……”

Several students at the shared table laughed nonstop, but Xie Guilan remained cold and unresponsive. Some boys and girls nearby joined in, playfully blowing kisses at Kumamon.

For some reason, Kumamon suddenly trembled and almost collapsed. It seemed startled to be seen by so many people and hid outside the door, half of its body blocked by the door.

Only half of its face and body were visible as it clutched its clothes. It ignored everyone and peeked back into the shop.

"It's so cute," a girl asked the boss, "How come it wasn't here before? Is it new here?"

She was a student from the affiliated high school who often came to eat at the shop. Today, she was there for a competition.

The boss chuckled but didn’t say anything.

Hidden inside the bear costume, Cen Wu had been handing out flyers at the door. When he turned around, he saw that Xie Guilan had already finished his noodles in just a few bites and was still staring at him intently.

Cen Wu’s heart skipped a beat!

Cen Wu was nearly scared to death, thinking Xie Guilan had recognized him. He shifted to the side, making sure Xie Guilan could hardly see him, before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Xie Guilan would never have let him come along for the exam, but today was the exam day, and he was still very worried. So, he asked the boss if he could work there for half a day.

Under the bear costume, Cen Wu felt less socially anxious, but his legs still trembled when the place got crowded.

The boss was a nice person and, knowing the students still had exams in the afternoon, didn’t rush them out after they finished eating. Since there weren’t many customers in the shop at the moment, he let them stay to rest or review.

He even brought over a few kettles of hot water.

When collecting the tableware, the boss brought over a lottery box and said, "There’s a free meal prize today. Let's see who can win it."

Many of the regulars in the shop cheered, "What’s up with this sudden generosity?"

The noodles at this shop had an excellent reputation, and many people from out of town came specifically to eat here. But the boss was usually stingy. Normally, if you wanted extra chili oil, he’d watch you closely, though at least the hot water was free to drink.

Xie Guilan furrowed his brow slightly. The boss walked over and gestured for him to pick a paper ball for the lottery. Xie Guilan pursed his lips, reached out, and picked one. When he unfolded it, it was blacked out.

"Hey," the boss clicked his tongue, "Not bad, you're the first to pick, lucky guy! Alright, you won’t have to pay for your meal today, and if you want, you can have another bowl."

The people around were a bit disappointed but couldn’t help feeling envious. "Such good luck."

"I wonder, is that Xie Guilan? The top student from Huai Jing First High School! First time seeing him in person, I thought the photos on the honor board were just flattering pictures, but he really looks like that?"

"Ugh, seriously, someone so good-looking and he's also such a great student. What am I even doing here? Am I just here to fill the numbers?"

"You think if I go shake his hand for some good luck, he’d go for it?"

"…Probably not, I'm afraid he might punch you."

"Yeah, he does look like he could really fight."

The exam started at 3 PM, so by 2:30, everyone was heading into the exam room. As a group of boys and girls left, they playfully blew kisses at the bear mascot, who hid and refused to come out.

When Xie Guilan came out, the bear mascot peeked its head out. Xie Guilan stared at him. It was a rare day without rain, and the afternoon sun was dazzling. The bear mascot still hid, until Xie Guilan reached the affiliated high school's entrance and the security guard checked his admission ticket. Only then did the bear mascot muster the courage to blow Xie Guilan a kiss and wave goodbye.

Xie Guilan: "……"

Xie Guilan gave him a deep look, and Cen Wu couldn’t help but shrink back. He strongly suspected that if it weren’t for the exam, Xie Guilan would come over and rip off his headpiece.

Many parents accompanied their children to the competition, but Xie Guilan had always gone to his exams alone, coming and going by himself. Not even during the high school entrance exam had anyone accompanied him.

Song Lingwei wasn’t so ill that she couldn’t leave the hospital, but she wouldn’t come to see Xie Guilan off, not even once in all these years to attend a parent-teacher meeting for him.

She went out of her way to avoid any contact with Xie Guilan.

In fact, she didn’t want Xie Guilan to go to the hospital, but if he didn’t, she feared being abandoned by Xie Mingcheng. No one would take care of her.

Just like the original owner, she was equally cowardly, and the bravest thing she had ever done in this life was to secretly swap the children.

Xie Guilan walked towards the examination hall, and when he turned his head, he saw a bear mascot sitting at the school gate watching him, an awkward-looking bear wobbling and waving.

Xie Guilan didn’t expect that a little bear would be there to see him off to the exam, watching him head inside.

He thought he would feel annoyed, but in the warm early autumn sunlight, his steps felt much lighter.

After Xie Guilan went into the exam, Cen Wu plopped down on the steps of the affiliated high school gate. An old man sat nearby, probably there to accompany his child for the exam, and had set up a small stall to sell some items.

"You here to see your kid off too?" The old man struck up a conversation with the bear mascot.

He had thought Cen Wu was another parent trying to earn a little extra money.

Cen Wu didn’t say anything.

The bear mascot nodded.

It wasn’t wrong to consider him a big son, even if he was a rebellious one.

The old man touched the bear’s paw and sighed, "It must be hot in there. You’re really something."

The bear mascot nodded again.

Cen Wu originally didn’t want to take off the headpiece; wearing the bear costume made him feel safe. But it was way too hot and stuffy, and eventually, he couldn’t stand it anymore and removed the headpiece.

His fresh, delicate face was revealed, his hair damp and clinging to his forehead, his eyelashes wet and matted together.

Old man: "..."

Old man: "You’re pretty young, huh?"

Cen Wu remained silent.

Cen Wu had deliberately asked the Cen family’s driver to change cars to avoid being recognized by Xie Guilan. The car was parked across from the affiliated high school. He saw Xie Guilan reply to his messages at the school gate.

"Cen Wu: Did you finish?"

"Cen Wu: I’m peeking out the window."

Xie Guilan finished his exam at 5:30 PM. It wasn’t fully dark yet, but it was much dimmer. The setting sun glowed like molten gold. As soon as he opened his phone, he received messages from Cen Wu.

"Xie Guilan: Yes."

Xie Guilan looked up and glanced at the noodle shop from earlier, but by the evening, there was no bear mascot at the entrance.

Finally, after the exam was over, Cen Wu felt relieved. There was a birthday party for Old Master Lu tonight, and Cen Wu had to attend, along with his parents and Cen Xiao.

After Xie Guilan left, the driver drove Cen Wu to a hotel in the central district of Huijing City.

Under the night sky, the hotel was ablaze with lights.

Lu Wang wore a small suit and ran over to Cen Wu as soon as he saw him, leading him to his grandfather.

The Lu family was close to the Cen family. The old master had no idea that the original owner had scammed Lu Wang out of over 600,000 yuan. He liked Cen Wu a lot, his old face full of smiles, and he reached out to touch Cen Wu’s head.

Then he said, "Go have fun with Wang. I’ve asked the chef to make all your favorite dishes."

"Tha... thank you, Grandpa." Cen Wu pretended to be obedient.

After meeting his grandfather, Cen Wu was led by Cen Xiao to greet the other guests. The room was filled with the scent of perfume and elegantly dressed attendees. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the banquet hall, the city lights sparkled brilliantly, offering a view that overlooked much of Huai Jing.

Cen Wu was taken aback when he saw Xie Gui Lan. He hadn’t expected Xie’s father to have invited Xie Gui Lan to the birthday celebration.

On the other hand, Xie Shang Jing didn’t attend. Cen Wu happened to see Xie Shang Jing’s friend circle update, which mentioned that he had gone abroad to participate in some competition and wouldn’t return until mid-September.

Xie Gui Lan wore a black suit, which accentuated his tall and upright figure, making even his several-hundred-dollar suit seem expensive.

However, not many people spoke to Xie Gui Lan, and those who did usually mocked him. Xie Gui Lan didn’t eat anything and stood by the window, gazing at the night view.

"Brother," Cen Wu tugged at Cen Xiao’s sleeve and pointed in Xie Gui Lan’s direction, indicating he wanted to go talk to him.

Cen Xiao raised his eyebrow but didn’t refuse, "Go ahead."

Cen Wu walked over, took Xie Gui Lan’s wrist, and led him away to get some dinner.

Xie Gui Lan wasn’t eating because, in such settings, people like Wang Yue would come over to mock him if he did, ruining his appetite.

However, the buffet area was quite far from the windows. Along the way, they encountered many people, and some would always come over to chat with Cen Wu.

Cen Wu had no memory of his former self and didn’t know anyone, so he could only smile awkwardly but politely.

A middle-aged man in a suit came over enthusiastically, "Wu Wu has grown taller. I last saw you at your birthday party last year, haha."

Cen Wu: "Oh, that’s great."

The man: "..."

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu felt so awkward that he could have dug a hole with his embarrassment. He never let go of Xie Gui Lan’s wrist. Xie Gui Lan stared at his soft hair and felt like Cen Wu was about to break, like a cat trying to stand tall but still looking soft and fluffy.

Several groups of people came over, and Cen Wu’s fingers were trembling and had lost their color. He took a deep breath, stubbornly standing in front of Xie Gui Lan, and finally made it to the buffet area.

"Young Master, what would you like to eat?" Xie Gui Lan asked.

Cen Wu mumbled, "I’ll do it myself. Don’t… don’t worry about me, go eat first."

As Xie Gui Lan was essentially a servant for both the Xie and Cen families, he couldn’t just leave Cen Wu alone. He started serving Cen Wu food. When Cen Wu found something he liked, his eyelashes fluttered more frequently.

Cen Wu was pleasantly surprised that Xie Gui Lan cared about him, making him feel like a wayward child who had finally grown up.

They took their plates to a quieter corner to eat.

Xie Gui Lan fetched more food for Cen Wu several times. Actually, Cen Wu was quite full, but since Xie Gui Lan was being unusually kind, he feared that rejecting him would make Xie Gui Lan sad, so he forced himself to eat a few more bites, holding his cheeks with both hands and chewing slowly.

Xie Gui Lan wasn’t really focused on the banquet. When he realized he had over-served Cen Wu, Cen Wu was starting to nod off, his eyelids red and wet, his pale cheeks puffed out slightly as he slowly chewed on the shrimp and lychee dish but hadn’t swallowed it for a long time.

But he obediently continued eating, as if no matter what Xie Gui Lan did, Cen Wu wouldn’t resist.

Such a pushover.

Xie Gui Lan: "..."

He lowered his eyes, took Cen Wu’s plate away, and said coolly, "Young Master, stop eating if you’re full."

Cen Wu: Aww.

Cen Wu’s eyes immediately turned watery; his stomach was already aching from overeating, and yet Xie Guilan still had a shred of conscience left.

The banquet ended very late. Cen Fu and Cen Mu were still chatting with the Lu family. Since Cen Wu had to attend school the next day, Guan Xingxue instructed Cen Xiao to drive Cen Wu home first.

This time, without Cen Wu having to throw a tantrum, Cen Xiao naturally brought Xie Guilan along, calling him out as well.

As they were leaving the banquet hall, Wang Yue’s uncle, Wang Jianbin, hurriedly chased after them. “Mr. Cen! Mr. Cen!”

Cen Xiao stopped in his tracks.

Wang Jianbin was drenched in sweat, his suit and tie askew, holding back his anger but not daring to lose his temper. In a subservient tone, he said, “We were supposed to sign the contract soon, right? You can’t pull the funding for the film on a whim.”

Even if they had signed the contract, Cen Xiao wouldn’t have cared about the penalties.

“Mr. Wang,” Cen Xiao said, patting him on the shoulder with a half-smile, “As you know, I have only one younger brother, and my parents dote on him dearly. You’d better keep your nephew in check. There will be plenty of opportunities to work together in the future, so don’t worry about this one incident.”

With that faint smile, Cen Xiao’s tone was ice-cold.

Wang Jianbin felt all the strength drain from his body. He knew it was over. Not only was the project dead, but he had also offended the Cen family.

He wished he could strangle Wang Yue. Wang Yue wasn’t even his son; what did he have to do with this project? Why had Wang Yue caused such a massive problem?!

Cen Xiao no longer paid attention to Wang Jianbin. He drove Cen Wu home, dropping off Xie Guilan along the way.

The interior of the car was dimly lit. Cen Wu, having eaten too much, felt drowsy. Halfway through the journey, he couldn’t hold on any longer and fell asleep with his head resting on Xie Guilan’s shoulder.

Xie Guilan paused for a moment and turned his head. Cen Wu was deeply asleep, his snow-white cheek pressed against Xie Guilan’s shoulder, forming a soft curve. His thick, long lashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.

Xie Guilan’s gaze lingered on Cen Wu’s face for a few seconds before noticing someone watching him. He looked up and met Cen Xiao’s cold gaze in the rearview mirror.

Xie Guilan didn’t resemble the Cen family much, except for his eyes—those cold, jet-black peach blossom eyes that mirrored the Cens’ own, though no one seemed to notice the resemblance.

Cen Xiao trusted his instincts.

Although Xie Guilan was just a high school student, Cen Xiao sensed a dangerous aura from him. Even if he kept his claws hidden, a dangerous person was still dangerous.

When their eyes met, Xie Guilan didn’t immediately look away. After a second of eye contact, he naturally shifted his gaze.

His face was so unreadable that even a master of body language would be stumped.

Cen Xiao also looked away.

Cen Wu slept soundly, oblivious to everything. Even in a luxury car, there was some slight shaking. In his sleep, Cen Wu wrapped his arms around Xie Guilan’s arm, his fingers loosely gripping Xie Guilan’s hand.

Both Cen Xiao and Xie Guilan remained silent. When they passed by a pharmacy, Xie Guilan finally spoke, “Mr. Cen, I’m afraid Wu ate too much tonight. I’d like to buy him some medicine.”

Cen Xiao glanced at him and stopped the car. Since Cen Wu was sleeping with his head on Xie Guilan’s shoulder, Cen Xiao didn’t want to wake him. He told Xie Guilan, “Don’t wake Xiao Bao. I’ll go buy it.”

With that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

After Cen Xiao left, Xie Guilan’s expression grew colder. Cen Wu was sleeping uncomfortably, so Xie Guilan gently pinched his cheek, adjusting his position to make him more comfortable.

“Xie Guilan…” Cen Wu suddenly mumbled his name in his sleep.

Xie Guilan’s fingers unconsciously curled, gripping Cen Wu’s slender white fingers.

Cen Wu’s lashes fluttered with moisture, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red. He nestled further into Xie Guilan’s shoulder and softly called his name.

It was only after several minutes, when Cen Xiao had returned with the medicine, that Cen Wu finally settled into a deep sleep.

Cen Wu was haunted by a nightmare. He dreamt that Xie Guilan was kissing him again, still dressed in the uniform from Blue Night. As they kissed, Cen Wu began to feel something was off. Even Liu Bei and Guan Yu didn’t kiss like this, he thought drowsily. As he tried to push Xie Guilan away, he felt Xie Guilan’s tail. Xie Guilan was actually an incubus!

Cen Wu finally managed to push Xie Guilan away and escape.

The car started moving again. Xie Guilan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. His palms were slightly damp as he held onto Cen Wu’s hand.

Cen Wu had definitely fallen for him. It wasn’t just the kind of affection he had for people like A Ling. He really… liked him this much?