Chapter 54

Chapter 54

As soon as he entered the hall, Xie Ci saw his father's oil painting hanging in the most prominent position.

Some people nearby noticed and were whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that 'The Secret Courtyard' that was just auctioned a few days ago? Jian Yan's painting style is so distinctive; it’s instantly recognizable."

"You know about it too? I followed it too, but sadly, it was out of my price range."

"A friend of mine liked his paintings years ago and collected one. He paid 200,000 for it back then, and now it’s worth a hundred times that."

"This one went for 28 million! Your friend really has an eye for art!"

"Hey, Lao Xie!" Fang Size and Wang Wei and her mother stood in a corner near the window, waving at them.

The crowd slowly gravitated toward the center, and Xie Ci and the other two made their way from the side, waiting for the main event to begin.

"You’re Xiao Ci, aren’t you?" Shen Chuyue looked up at the approaching Xie Ci and smiled warmly. "I’ve heard Wei Wei and Aze talk about you a lot. Thank you for helping Wei Wei out earlier."

Xie Ci nodded slightly. "They were after me, and Wang Wei got caught up in it."

"Do you have a grudge with them?" Shen Chuyue asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Those jerks started it with Xie Ci," Wang Wei interjected, briefly explaining the situation at the Gu family's house.

Shen Chuyue nodded in understanding and then smiled at Gu Yufeng. "You’re the Gu family’s second son, aren’t you?"

Gu Yufeng smiled. "Call me Xiao Feng."

Shen Chuyue said, "Come over during winter break. Let Aze bring you along."

Jiang Chenyu chuckled. "Aunt Shen, is Lao Fang your future son-in-law?"

Fang Size adjusted his glasses, his eyebrows twitching. "Wei Wei and I have known each other since we were kids. Us getting married would be as weird as me marrying you. Is that possible?"

Jiang Chenyu cringed at the comparison and pulled a face, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

After a bit of small talk, two women around Shen Chuyue's age waved at her, each with their kids in tow.

As Shen Chuyue led Wang Wei over, Xie Ci spotted two young guys nearby, whispering and glancing their way.

"That must be Shen Chuyue, right? The vice mayor handling economic affairs."

"She also oversees investment, information technology, housing, and urban management. She’s a big deal in the business world; everyone wants to get on her good side."

Xie Ci was a little taken aback.

In his past life, when he started interacting with government officials, the city’s leadership had already shifted. He didn’t expect that at this point in time, the official in charge of economic affairs was actually Wang Wei's mother.

"Lao Fang," Xie Ci leaned closer and asked Fang Size, "Wang Wei’s mom is Shen Chuyue?"

Fang Size nodded. "Oh, and Shen Qiuya’s her niece."

Xie Ci: "..."

Wait, so Wang Wei and Shen Qiuya are cousins?

They’re polar opposites in personality.

"He’s here," Gu Yufeng pointed out.

Xie Ci and the others all turned to look at the stage at the same time.

Xie Cheng personally gave the opening speech, and Xie Jinlin invited a close friend to dance the opening dance, and then other young people started joining in.

Since it was a birthday party for the younger generation, the background music and lighting were relatively lively, leaving a group of middle-aged folks feeling out of place, mostly huddled in the corners chatting.

Worried that the earlier misunderstanding had pissed off Shen Chuyue, Xie Jinyan invited Wang Wei to dance but was refused, which left him fuming. So he turned to Xie Ci to take it out on him.

But just as he found him, he saw his grandfather, Xie Hongguang, who usually wouldn’t bother with younger folks’ gatherings, had come and went straight to Xie Ci.

The two, who shouldn’t have had anything in common, were chatting like old friends, and the grandfather even introduced Xie Ci to officials and big shots even he struggled to get close to.

"Who the hell is Xie Ci?"

The thick-browed, crew-cut man beside Xie Jinyan grew more and more puzzled, "He’s so close to the second young master of the Gu family, has your brother totally wrapped around his finger, and now even your grandfather is so polite to him."

Another brown curly-haired man unhappily added, "He’s such a pain. Let’s find a chance to drag him into an alley and teach him a lesson."

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a warning look from Xie Jinyan and somewhat fearfully shut his mouth.

"Haven’t you learned your lesson from the Gu family yet?" Xie Jinyan said with a bad tone.

The thick-browed, crew-cut man replied, "Your grandpa wouldn’t take his side too, would he? You’re his grandson, what is he?"

After the opening dance ended, Xie Jinlin’s friends started taking the stage one by one to give their well-wishes.

Xie Ci, holding a glass of juice, followed Xie Hongguang around greeting various connections. Because he had thoroughly investigated and contacted everyone in his previous life, he already knew everyone’s personalities and preferences inside out, making it much easier to get acquainted again. A few words were enough to win them over, and he avoided any potential pitfalls.

Seeing how well-mannered his grandson was—never interrupting or acting shy, and behaving gracefully and skillfully—Xie Hongguang became more and more satisfied.

Rumor had it that Gu Yongnian had rented out a place to celebrate the basketball team and had lavishly praised Xie Ci in front of a circle of friends and officials, making it look like Xie Ci was practically a Gu family member.

Earlier, Gu Yongnian had also taken Xie Ci to high-profile auctions, and it was already rumored in the circle that Gu Yongnian had recently taken a liking to a junior, intending to personally cultivate him. This junior ranked first in the elite No.1 High School, had just won the provincial math competition, and led the team to win the basketball league championship, truly all-around.

He’s my grandson—why should the Gu family hog the spotlight?

"What’s going on?"

In the distance, Jiang Chenyu leaned against the windowsill, watching Xie Ci being led around by the old man, and asked Gu Yufeng beside him, "Could it be that the old man from the Xie family’s taken a shine to Lao Xie? He came to the school a while ago, and Lao Xie was really annoyed with him at the time, but now he seems quite happy."

Gu Yufeng, after dealing with a wave of people coming to greet him, leisurely swirled the glass in his hand and glanced over there: "He’s reaping the rewards—of course he’s happy."

Jiang Chenyu was puzzled: "Reaping what?"

Gu Yufeng smiled: "Stepping stones."

The Xie family used the junior’s birthday party as a cover to make a big show, actually wanting to take the opportunity to announce Xie Ci’s identity.

The fact that Xie Hongguang personally came and introduced Xie Ci to those people already confirmed this speculation.

However, what the Xie family thinks is the Xie family’s business, Xie Ci may not obediently comply. If the Xie family insists on having its own way, it might turn into a farce.

Over there, Xie Ci, after following Xie Hongguang around and greeting everyone, stopped in front of the oil painting.

This "Secret Garden" is one of the few works among all of his father’s paintings that uses bright colors as the main tone. The surroundings are still cloaked in a gloomy dark tone, like a black hole ready to swallow up everything in the garden.

Though abstract in style, with just one look, Xie Ci was reminded of that portrait of his mother.

The painting likely portrays a courtyard the couple once lived in.

"What do you think of the painting?" Xie Ci asked.

Xie Hongguang stood beside him, looking up, reluctant to discuss the painting: "What can I say? This was all spent for your sake."

Some young people were singing with microphones on the stage, while others gathered around chatting, so for a moment, no one noticed their conversation.

Xie Ci turned to look at Xie Hongguang, his face expressionless: "Do you really think this painting isn’t worth 28 million?"

Xie Hongguang snorted, tapping his cane lightly but firmly on the ground: "Twenty-eight hundred, maybe! Don’t think I don’t know, the sudden spike in his paintings' value is all your doing."

Since he was ten, after moving to his aunt's house, Xie Ci had been subjected to an education full of setbacks, making him used to such verbal abuse.

But Ye Yurou and her husband weren’t his real parents. He couldn’t fathom why someone would belittle their own child so much, even with good achievements right in front of them, they still turned a blind eye.

Seeing Xie Ci silent, Xie Hongguang quickly added: "I’m not blaming you; in fact, I admire your talent, as long as it’s nurtured—"

"I don’t understand."

Xie Ci interrupted his long-winded speech, "He’s not selling out; he’s succeeding on his own merits. Why can’t he earn your recognition?"

"What’s the point of painting so well if he’s clueless about business?!"

At this point, Xie Hongguang seemed to think of something, his tone intensifying, "My son, Xie Hongguang’s son, cannot be a painter! I’d rather he laze around the company than be so unprofessional!"

"Twenty-eight million?"

Gu Yufeng walked up to Xie Ci, looked up at the painting, and shook his head, "A waste."

As he went over, Jiang Chenyu followed, along with some business circle bosses who came to greet Gu Yufeng.

As more people gathered, others joined in.

The junior’s party was dull, so any little commotion easily caught attention.

A group started discussing Jian Yan’s painting.

"Is this Jian Yan’s work? His paintings have a very special texture."

"The last one sold for twenty million; eight million more for this one isn’t too crazy. How much do you think this painting is worth, Second Young Master?"

Xie Hongguang seemed to have found agreement, turning to look at Gu Yufeng: "I said it’s not worth it, the painter’s unknown, and the painting’s rather insignificant."

"Sold at a loss."

Gu Yufeng said leisurely, "This painting, from texture to concept, surpasses the one my father bought. Behind the parted thick fog is a bright courtyard, the technique is very advanced, blurring reality and illusion, sparking endless imagination, it’s one of the few works by Jian Yan that shows hope, worth at least twenty million more."

Xie Ci gazed intently at Gu Yufeng.

Unexpectedly, for the same painting, he saw despair, while Gu Yufeng saw hope.

Xie Hongguang felt somewhat awkward, but when the butler came over to announce the cake-cutting ceremony, his mood improved.

He planned to announce Xie Ci’s identity publicly after cutting the cake.

"Master Xie."

Xie Ci spoke up first, "If you don’t like this painting, how about giving it to me?"

Xie Hongguang and everyone around him were completely taken aback.

Jiang Chenyu’s hand shook so much he nearly spilled his drink.

Is this really how you pull off a heist? Just a straight-up, no-frills grab? Not even a little act, dude?!

Asking for a 28-million-dollar painting out of nowhere is pretty bold.

An old friend of Xie Hongguang tactfully pointed this out.

Xie Ci, unfazed, gazed at the oil painting: "This painting was meant for family, not for sale. There must have been a mix-up, and it got auctioned."

Someone asked, puzzled, "How do you know that?"

Xie Ci casually replied, "Because Jian Yan’s my dad."

The moment he said it, the crowd erupted in murmurs.

Xie Ci is Jian Yan’s son?! How come no one’s ever mentioned this?!

Gu Yufeng glanced at Xie Hongguang’s grim face, raising an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Old man Xie still can’t outmaneuver Xie Ci.

He’d planned to act first and explain later, but Xie Ci beat him to it.

The old man had always refused to acknowledge Jian Yan, even bad-mouthing him in public.

Now that Xie Ci’s admitted he’s Jian Yan’s son, if the old man wants to claim Xie Ci as his grandson, he’ll have to acknowledge Jian Yan too.

Now, whether he goes ahead or backs off, it’s all pretty awkward.

Xie Ci looked at Xie Hongguang and said casually, "It’s your call. I’m not forcing you."

"Take it!" Xie Hongguang snapped, his eyes sharp. "Since you asked, it’s just a painting. If you want it, it’s yours."

Xie Ci gave a slight nod and said politely, "Thanks for your generosity."

Xie Hongguang opened his mouth to say more but was too furious to speak. He glared at the painting, clenched his teeth, and stormed off.

The onlookers were all stunned, their faces full of shock.

The Xie family’s really generous, handing over a 20-million-dollar painting just like that.

Looks like Old Master Xie really holds Xie Ci in high regard.

The two top families in Blue Sea City, the Gu family and the Xie family, both hold Xie Ci in high regard. This young man has a promising future.

Jiang Chenyu, totally baffled, whispered to Gu Yufeng, "Why’d the old man just hand it over like that?"

Gu Yufeng chuckled softly, turning to look at Xie Ci, "Because he has a favor to ask."

Moreover, Xie Ci has already said that this is a painting for family. Not giving it would mean not considering Xie Ci as family.

If Xie Hongguang still wants to acknowledge this grandson, he has to give this painting away.

After spending 28 million, he didn’t get his grandson back, and the painting was taken away too.

Jiang Chenyu was a bit lost, but that didn’t stop him from getting excited. The idea that Xie Ci scored a painting worth over twenty million for free sent him hurrying to find Fang Size and Wang Wei to share the good news.

Meanwhile, at the stage, Xie Jinyan, seeing Xie Ci being surrounded, got more and more irritated. He picked up the microphone and called out Xie Ci's name: "You're Jinlin's senior, you should show off some talent, don’t you think?"

The crowd around him started egging Xie Ci on, urging him to go on stage.

Xie Jinlin himself was doing his best to stop them, tugging at the microphone in Xie Jinyan's hand, telling him to back off.

But Xie Jinyan was set on making Xie Ci look bad and didn’t want to listen.

With everyone in the hall watching, Xie Ci calmly spoke: "My family’s broke, couldn’t afford to teach me any skills. Sorry to let you all down."

Xie Ci's straightforward response left most people in the room with no desire to mock him. Hearing the group of young people on stage ridicule Xie Ci, they suddenly thought those guys were pretty rude.

Xie Hongguang, halfway across the room, was fuming, especially at Xie Ci's comment about being "broke," which was like a slap in the face.

"Go get Jinyan," Xie Hongguang instructed the butler, "He’s so rude! Is this how I taught him to act?!"

Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng skipped the cake-cutting and went straight to the large terrace on the second floor to get some peace and quiet.

"Aren’t you worried he’ll blow up if you push it this far?" Gu Yufeng leaned on the railing, looking at the city lights in the distance.

Out here, away from the city’s hustle and bustle, except for the occasional cheers from downstairs, there was only the sound of the wind. It was pitch black all around, and these villas were mostly empty, hardly anyone lived in them.

Like the one Xie Ci bought in his previous life, he’d only stayed there a few times over the years.

Xie Ci didn’t care at all: "This kind of money is nothing to him."

"Is this about money?" Gu Yufeng turned around, leaning against the railing.

Xie Ci was somewhat helpless: "They came after me, what was I supposed to do?"

Gu Yufeng thought about it and agreed. Given Xie Ci's current situation, he couldn’t actively avoid the Xie family's entanglements and could only deal with them as they came.

He joked lightly: "Why don’t you come with me to Germany?"

"To Germany?" Xie Ci asked without expression, "What for, to mooch off you?"

Gu Yufeng chuckled briefly: "Sure, even ten of you, I could afford to keep."

But Xie Ci looked away, gazing at the distant flickering lights: "You don’t need someone who lives off you by your side."

"It’s that I don’t need it, not that you don’t want to?"

Gu Yufeng leaned on the railing, slightly tilting closer, "Your words might make me think—you have a bit of a thing for me?"

Xie Ci looked at the face so close to his, amused: "Can you not think everything in that direction?"

"I’m severely love-struck, the incurable kind," Gu Yufeng said slowly, staring into Xie Ci's eyes, "If I want someone, I’ll use every means to get them."

Xie Ci raised an eyebrow: "For example?"

Gu Yufeng thought for a moment: "Pretend to be very stupid, so they can’t stand it and come to me on their own."

"..."

Xie Ci gazed at him thoughtfully, "So you realized it was dumb?"

Thinking about their first meeting on the old street, Gu Yufeng couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

His laugh got Xie Ci laughing too, who then cursed, "You moron."

Gu Yufeng: "Are you calling me or yourself an idiot?"

Xie Ci: "Both of us are idiots."

It was like fishing with a straight hook—one was bold enough to cast, the other was bold enough to bite.

Catching sight of the familiar house nearby, Gu Yufeng took an extra look.

The shadowy, chilly house before him was hard to connect with the bright home in his memory. It was the same house, but it felt completely different.

The faint light barely illuminated the gardens on either side, the courtyard layout completely different from what he had seen in his past life.

The contrast was so stark that Gu Yufeng only caught on later.

The courtyard in his past life had been completely redesigned to match his home in Country D.

Looking back now, that house was full of things he recognized.

The decor was his preferred minimalist style, from the bedding and sofa to the carpet's material and color palette, the design of the tableware, the brands of toiletries, the lighting's intensity, the desk's placement, the blackout curtains, even the door handles were all to his taste.

During the days he was struggling to adjust, at first, he could barely eat anything. They went out for dinner once, and he ended up throwing up everything when they got back.

After that, Xie Ci had his assistant bring over takeout, which he found more palatable. Looking back, it might have been specially chosen for him.

Xie Ci would bring him coffee whenever he felt worn out from work, made small talk for a bit, and then they would each continue with their tasks.

He’d wake up right away when Gu Yufeng got hungry in the middle of the night and bring him warm porridge.

He’d sit down and play Gu Yufeng’s favorite piano pieces whenever he felt dizzy and cranky.

He hardly ever got sick when he was with Xie Ci, because being sick meant no fun, and no fun meant it wasn’t the right time to meet.

That was the first time he was taken care of by Xie Ci.

He couldn’t remember why he’d missed so many details back then, maybe because he was too uncomfortable, or there was too much work, or perhaps it was too comfortable, so he overlooked it.

On the night they fell out, he righteously accused Xie Ci of not seeing him, but in fact, he hadn’t really looked carefully either.

The smile on Gu Yufeng’s lips faded, and his gaze at the house was somewhat nostalgic: "I really want to hear you play again."

"Play what?" The topic was too abrupt, Xie Ci didn’t understand immediately.

Gu Yufeng came back to his senses, intending to brush it off casually, but as soon as he turned around and met Xie Ci’s gaze, he got lost in those eyes, and before he knew it, he had answered.

"Hear you play the piano."

After saying that, he added, trying to cover up: "Can you?"

Xie Ci looked behind him, there was a grand piano in the small hall on the second floor.

"Come here."

Sitting in front of the piano, Xie Ci wasn’t sure if he could still play.

Skills like playing the piano, all flashy and ostentatious, were learned solely to pursue Gu Yufeng.

From before the rebirth to now, it’s been several months since I last played. This body lacks muscle memory, so whether I can play depends entirely on luck.

“What do you want to hear?” Xie Ci looked up at Gu Yufeng standing by the piano, asking with considerable confidence.

Gu Yufeng: “Whatever you prefer.”

Xie Ci thought for a moment, tried a few notes, and then began to play Richard Clayderman’s piano piece, *Secret Garden*.

The small, secluded hall was dark, with only a small night light on the terrace. His slender fingers danced on the keys, casting long shadows.

Gu Yufeng, hands in pockets, leaned against the piano, half of his body hidden in the shadows, staring out at the terrace, lost in thought.

The familiar melody instantly transported Xie Ci back to the past, countless memories flashed before his eyes.

He should have been on that island, carrying all his regrets and resentment, disappearing with Gu Yufeng in that explosion. That should have been the best outcome, but he was reborn instead.

Those dark, glamorous, challenging, and brilliant times became secrets known to no one, only he would revisit them repeatedly.

They say the scary thing is dying with money still in the bank, but even scarier is spending all the money and still being alive.

He is akin to the latter, having lost everything familiar, starting from scratch, forced to bury his past self, carrying the secret of rebirth, and starting anew in this familiar yet strange world.

In the extreme, it’s like falling into a virtual world identical to reality, where everything is fake except for him, like an observer, detached from this world by an invisible, intangible barrier.

Towards his father, his aunt, and everything around him, he feels no emotional response.

In the face of life and death, there’s nothing he can’t release.

Whether it’s suffering or glory, the scenery ahead on this path and the unyielding black mist at its end, he has seen it all, and can’t help but feel somewhat indifferent.

A world only he knows, and a world he can’t integrate into, the boundary between reality and illusion blurs, making it hard to discern which is real.

“It’s real.”

A pair of hands wrapped around him from behind, slowly tightening.

The fingers on the keys abruptly stopped, the melody abruptly stopped.

“I prove it existed.”

Xie Ci’s heart skipped a beat, struck by this sudden statement.

Regarding Gu Yufeng’s identity, he had already drawn reasonable conclusions based on factual details, but when it came to facing the truth directly, he still couldn’t stay calm.

Xie Ci’s voice was somewhat dry: “What do you mean?”

Gu Yufeng looked down at the hands resting on the piano keys, his expression serious: “What do you think?”

“Here you are, I’ve been searching everywhere.”

Jiang Chenyu hurried over, “Let’s go eat cake, after that we can leave, those people are causing a scene, it’s so annoying.”

Gu Yufeng’s hands, which were around Xie Ci’s shoulders, loosened, and he turned his head: “Why eat cake, can’t we just leave?”

Jiang Chenyu: “Isn’t it about saving face?”

The three returned to the first-floor hall, some of the older generation had already left.

Xie Ci took Gu Yufeng to greet Xie Hongguang, only to be informed that the old man had already gone to bed.

"Probably because you annoyed him," Gu Yufeng joked.

Xie Ci didn’t argue back. After greeting the others in the hall, he was about to leave.

"Wait!"

Xie Jinyan had someone stop Xie Ci, pointing at a nearby champagne tower, "So many friends invited by Jinlin have had a drink, but you haven’t. Are you trying to snub us?"

"You didn’t eat the cake, and now you’re not drinking? Are you disrespecting Second Young Master?" a buzz-cut man chimed in.

"Aren’t you guys tired of this?"

Jiang Chenyu couldn’t stand it anymore and retorted impatiently, "We’re not even of age yet, what’s the point of drinking?"

"It’s a special occasion, what’s the harm in a little drink?"

The buzz-cut man argued back, "You say you’re minors, but you’re only a few months away from adulthood. Stop acting so high and mighty. Don’t act like I don’t know you’ve already started drinking behind the scenes."

Seeing this, Xie Jinlin hurried over to intervene, "Brother, enough already?! Stop bothering Xie Ci!"

Xie Jinyan pushed him aside, smiling as he stared at Xie Ci, "Since you’re minors, just have one drink, and then you can go."

"I’ll do it," Gu Yufeng took a glass of champagne, smiling at Xie Jinyan, "The Gu family’s blessing—hope you can take it."

Xie Jinyan’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly signaled for someone to stop him.

Last time, things had already turned sour with the Gu family. If they messed up again this time, his father would probably kill him.

Just as Gu Yufeng raised the glass, Xie Ci snatched it away.

Xie Ci downed the glass in one go, turned it upside down, and looked at Xie Jinyan, "Happy now?"

He knew why Gu Yufeng did it, confident that these lowlifes wouldn’t dare to confront the Gu family head-on. But he couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. After saying "Happy Birthday" to Xie Jinlin, he left with Gu Yufeng and the others.

Xie Jinyan didn’t expect Xie Ci to have such a good tolerance for alcohol, and having also offended Gu Yufeng, he had no choice but to watch them leave.

Fang Size and Wang Wei were already at the door. After the three of them said goodbye, they each followed their parents home.

Xie Ci had come by taxi, and the Xie family’s staff offered him a ride home.

But Xie Ci turned it down and eventually got into Gu Yufeng’s car.

The two sat in the back seat, and Robertson drove off smoothly.

Gu Yufeng glanced at Xie Ci sitting on his right, seeing that Xie Ci seemed fine, but still asked, "You drank, are you okay?"

He asked, though he wasn’t really concerned.

In their previous life, Xie Ci often frequented some entertainment venues, and he didn’t try to hide it. Of course, Gu Yufeng knew, and he also knew that this person wouldn’t get drunk from drinking, able to hold his liquor through multiple rounds.

It wasn’t until the car had been driving for more than ten minutes, seeing Xie Ci frequently rubbing his temples, that Gu Yufeng realized something was wrong.

"Headache?"

Gu Yufeng leaned over to check Xie Ci’s forehead—he wasn’t running a fever—but suddenly thought of something, "You’re not drunk, are you?"

Xie Ci leaned back against the seat, feeling dizzy, "A bit."

Gu Yufeng: "..."

One glass of champagne and he's out cold? How did he manage to build up his alcohol tolerance in his past life?

Gu Yufeng rummaged through the medicine cabinet, found some hangover medicine, and handed over a bottle of mineral water he had just opened: "You feeling okay?"

"I’m feeling dizzy."

Xie Ci nearly fumbled the water, spilling a bit.

Gu Yufeng just held it to his lips, teasing habitually: "If this doesn’t do the trick, I’ll have to feed you mouth-to-mouth."

"Don’t even say the word 'mouth'."

Xie Ci frowned, "I think I’m gonna throw up."

Gu Yufeng: "..."

Maybe the alcohol’s making him carsick, Gu Yufeng signaled Robertson to pull over. After Xie Ci took the medicine, he helped him out to take a short walk.

Feeling unsteady as his feet hit the ground, Xie Ci steadied himself against the car door before getting out.

"You look like an old man in his seventies or eighties," Gu Yufeng went over to support him.

Xie Ci waved his hand: "An old man doesn’t need your help."

They were still a ways from the city, and there were hardly any cars passing by at night.

The two strolled slowly down the road, and as the wind blew, Xie Ci's mind cleared a bit.

Gu Yufeng reached over to fix his collar, asking as he did so: "You cold? Your collar’s a bit loose. I’ll grab you a scarf—don’t catch a cold before the booze wears off."

"I’m not cold."

As Gu Yufeng turned, Xie Ci grabbed his wrist, "Bundling up just makes it worse."

Gu Yufeng didn’t insist, walking beside him: "First time having a drink?"

Xie Ci: "Yes."

Gu Yufeng hinted: "The first time’s always rough, but you’ll get used to it."

Pretending not to understand his innuendo, Xie Ci retorted: "You seem pretty experienced?"

Gu Yufeng: "Want me to show you the ropes?"

Xie Ci: "Your experience doesn’t mean anything to me."

"Who knows, maybe it’ll be useful this time?" Gu Yufeng smiled.

Xie Ci: "Won’t need it, so don’t bother."

The two made small talk, and after walking a while, the road ahead no longer had a sidewalk.

Xie Ci was still feeling unwell, so Gu Yufeng had Robertson, who was following behind, stop the car and let him sit at the front for a while.

Robertson parked the car and, with a nod of approval, happily stepped away to smoke.

Gu Yufeng took a bottle of mineral water from the car and handed it to Xie Ci: "If you’re cold, hop back in the car. If you’re really feeling rough, I’ll get you a room nearby—don’t head back tonight."

Xie Ci took a sip and asked, "I live alone?"

"Want me to keep you company?" Gu Yufeng smiled, placing his hands on either side of Xie Ci and leaning in close. "That'll cost you extra."

Xie Ci's gaze swept over Gu Yufeng's wind-blown bangs, the faint smile in his eyes, his light yet vivid eyes under the streetlight, and the curve of his lips as he spoke. Every subtle expression deepened his impression of Gu Yufeng.

He was certain that in his past life, he had never been as concerned about Gu Yufeng as he was now. It was because, after being reborn, they shared a common secret. The weight of shared experiences over time brought the joy of reuniting and the relief of having survived a disaster. These emotions slowly evolved through their daily interactions, and the once vague fondness turned into an intense, persistent longing.

In both lifetimes combined, apart from Gu Yufeng, he could never like anyone else.

But this person only liked his chest muscles and butt. Was that even reasonable?