Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Gu Xu stepped into the elevator first and asked the person still standing outside, "You coming?"

Lu Yan hurried in, and Gu Xu had already pressed the elevator button; the 28th floor button lit up.

Lu Yan reached out and pressed the button for the 26th floor.

When they reached the 26th floor, Lu Yan stepped out of the elevator, then turned back and said, "Thanks, Mr. Gu. This is my stop."

Gu Xu gave a noncommittal "Hmm."

Lu Yan walked to the door, ready to input the lock's password, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen that shot straight to his brain. His hand instinctively pulled back, and he doubled over, crouching on the ground.

The pain was familiar, and the nausea that followed was all too familiar. He immediately realized... his stomach issues had flared up again.

He had struggled with alcoholism for a few months in high school, which had ruined his stomach, and no matter how he tried to heal it, it never fully recovered.

Fortunately, this wasn't his first rodeo, and he could tough it out until it passed. But this time it was more severe than before. Lu Yan clenched his teeth and sat down on the floor, deciding to wait out the pain before heading inside.

"What's going on?"

He turned his head painfully and noticed that the elevator door, which had just shut, had somehow reopened. Gu Xu stepped out of the elevator and walked over to him step by step.

Lu Yan pressed against the painful spot and said briefly, "It's nothing, just my stomach acting up."

Gu Xu's brow furrowed slightly, and he pulled out his phone.

Realizing what Gu Xu was about to do, Lu Yan quickly stopped him, "Don't call 911, I'll be fine in a bit."

Gu Xu didn't stop his action, "Better safe than sorry."

Seeing that Gu Xu had already brought the phone to his ear, and unable to stand up due to the pain, Lu Yan instinctively reached out and grabbed Gu Xu's pant leg.

"...Really, it's a chronic issue, it'll pass soon." He tried to keep his tone calm, "If I end up in the hospital, it'll be a hassle."

Lu Yan's face was pale with pain, his legs bent, sitting on the floor, looking up at the man in front of him.

Like a puppy.

Gu Xu lowered his eyes and looked at him for a few seconds, then let out an almost imperceptible sigh and hung up the phone.

"Can you get up?"

Lu Yan tried twice, "...Seems like I'll need your help to get up."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xu bent down, put his arms around Lu Yan, and with a strong pull, Lu Yan was lifted up.

Lu Yan was dizzy from the pain but couldn't help but think to himself, Damn, he's really strong.

Lu Yan leaned on Gu Xu, the two of them very close. Only then did he notice the scent on Gu Xu, a cologne, quite pleasant.

Gu Xu held him for a while, then finally couldn't help but speak, "The password."

Lu Yan snapped back to reality and obediently reported, "199011."

Gu Xu entered the password, opened the door, and helped Lu Yan onto the sofa.

The sofa was light gray, Gu Xu had seen it before—in a live stream.

He scanned the room. It made sense that he hadn’t recognized the apartment as being in the same building as his. He had bought the 28th and 29th floors, which were designed as a duplex apartment, so the interior structure was completely different from Lu Yan’s.

Lu Yan sat on the couch, clutching his stomach, and was starting to break out in a cold sweat.

"Got any meds?" Since it was a chronic issue, he should have medicine on hand.

Lu Yan nodded: "In the TV stand."

Gu Xu opened the cabinet and immediately spotted the medicine box. He grabbed it, popped out two pills as directed, and handed them to Lu Yan.

After swallowing the pills, Lu Yan pulled out his phone to order some takeout, but his hands were shaking so badly from the pain that he couldn’t get the fingerprint unlock to work.

Gu Xu got him a glass of water and, seeing Lu Yan with his phone, asked, "On your phone with a stomach ache?"

Lu Yan forced a smile: "Probably from drinking on an empty stomach. I wanted to order some takeout."

Gu Xu paused for a moment, then walked to the fridge and opened it.

Instant noodles, instant noodles, and more instant noodles.

And a few eggs.

"Is this what you usually eat?"

"...No, I usually order takeout." Those instant noodles had probably been sitting there for six months.

No sooner had he said that, Gu Xu walked up to Lu Yan, snatched his phone, still on the takeout app, and put it on the entryway shelf. He looked back to make sure Lu Yan couldn’t grab the phone in his condition, then turned and left.

Lu Yan: ...???

What does this mean?

Lu Yan clenched his teeth, attempting to get up and grab his phone, but he gave up as soon as he shifted his weight, collapsing back onto the couch in defeat.

This pain is killing me! Never drinking again!

A few minutes later, the keypad beeped again.

Baffled, Lu Yan peeked out from the couch and saw Gu Xu returning with a calm expression, carrying a bulging plastic bag.

"Can I use the kitchen?" Gu Xu placed the bag in the kitchen, shed his suit jacket, took off his watch, and rolled up his sleeves.

Confused, Lu Yan answered, "Yeah."

After a while, a steaming bowl of porridge appeared in front of Lu Yan.

Lu Yan looked at the porridge and then at Gu Xu, who stood beside him with an expressionless face, wondering if he was hallucinating from the pain.

Gu Xu made him porridge?

Gu Xu was wiping his hands with a tissue and, seeing Lu Yan still staring at him, said indifferently, "It’s getting cold."

Lu Yan snapped out of it, whispered a thank you, and took a spoonful.

Gu Xu, this big-shot CEO, actually knows his way around a kitchen? And the taste is so good...

Lu Yan wasn’t exactly dainty when he ate, shoveling big spoonfuls and puffing out his cheeks.

Just like a little puppy.

Gu Xu couldn’t help but smile, then took the coat hanging nearby and walked out.

By now, Lu Yan had already recovered, and his stomach wasn’t hurting as much. He quickly followed, and Gu Xu was still waiting by the elevator.

"Gu Xu!" Lu Yan called out quickly, directly using his name. Seeing Gu Xu turn around, Lu Yan smiled and waved at him, "I’ll take you out to eat some other time."

They say alcohol is the best cure for sorrow, and Lu Yan used to think so too, which is why he kept chugging bottle after bottle in his teens.

But now, he felt that a simple bowl of porridge did the trick. After all, no matter how much alcohol he drank, it didn’t give him the same comforting fullness.

The elevator arrived right on cue, and Gu Xu walked in. The door slowly closed.

"Okay."

*

Lu Yan had thought that during his four-day break, he could always squeeze in a day to treat Gu Xu.

But he forgot that Gu Xu was even busier than him.

Lu Yan hated being in debt to others, so he went to the 28th floor the next day, but after ringing the doorbell several times, there was no response. He went again the day after, and still, no one was there.

Figuring Gu Xu didn’t need this meal from him, he decided to wait for another chance.

The first shoot was out of town, and Xiao Liu had booked them a 9 a.m. flight the next day, so he had to get up early and leave.

After packing his bags, Lu Yan went into the bathroom to take a shower. While washing his hair, he squinted and groped for the switch.

He pressed it up,

Nothing happened.

Lu Yan was stunned and tried turning it on and off several times—still nothing.

Where’s the water?!

He grabbed a towel to wipe the soap from his eyes, still with shampoo in his hair, and called the property management.

The management quickly went to check and told him, "Oh, Mr. Lu, we’re really sorry, but the water pipe in your apartment has burst."

"It’s okay, how long will it take to fix?"

The management hesitated for a moment and whispered, "The repairman had an emergency and took the day off..."

"..."

They quickly added, "It’s alright, Mr. Lu, this water pipe only serves two floors. You can head to the 28th or 24th floor to get some water..."

After apologizing profusely, Lu Yan didn’t want to make things difficult for them.

After hanging up, he threw on a bathrobe and hesitated in front of the elevator.

Where should he go to get water? The 28th floor—based on his experience from the past two days, Gu Xu might not be home... The 24th floor—who knows who lives there.

After thinking for a while, Lu Yan still pressed the button for the 28th floor, deciding to try his luck first.

As a public figure, it was better to ask someone he knew than a stranger.

When he reached the 28th floor, he rang the doorbell twice.

No one answered.

He pressed the doorbell twice more, but there was still no response.

He sighed, resigned, and got ready to head down to the 24th floor.

As he turned around, he heard a "click," and the door behind him opened.

Gu Xu was also in a bathrobe, towel-drying his hair. He looked tired, like he'd just showered, with the scent of shower gel still on him. He was slightly surprised to see Lu Yan at the door.

Noticing the white foam on Lu Yan's head, he asked, "What's up?"

Lu Yan hadn't expected Gu Xu to be home. "...I came to borrow some water."

Gu Xu had just showered. The bathroom was still warm and steamy when Lu Yan walked in.

Lu Yan figured since he was already here, he might as well take a shower before heading back. He was already wet, and just washing his hair didn't feel like enough.

After showering, he felt much better. He wanted to thank Gu Xu before leaving, but after looking around, he couldn't find him.

Lu Yan thought his single-floor apartment was spacious, but Gu Xu's duplex, resembling a small two-story villa, was even more so.

He found Gu Xu in the study, the door slightly ajar and the lights bright.

Gu Xu, still in his bathrobe, was sitting in a large chair, going over some documents.

Not wanting to disturb him, Lu Yan whispered, "Gu Xu, I'm heading out. Sorry for the interruption."

Gu Xu looked up. Lu Yan's hair was soaked and messy from the towel. His lips were slightly red, and his cheeks had a faint pink hue from the hot shower.

Gu Xu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he calmly said, "It's fine."

The door had just closed when it opened again.

Lu Yan poked his head in. "Can I get your contact info? I've been wanting to take you out to eat, but you haven't been home."

Gu Xu paused, then tore off a piece of paper, wrote down a number, and handed it to Lu Yan. "I've been a bit busy."

Lu Yan took the paper and smiled. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble. A business card would've been fine."

Gu Xu looked at him, his gaze intensifying. "This is my private number."

...

Lu Yan went home and saved the number in his contacts.

As soon as he saved it, his WeChat pinged with a friend request.

SQ: It's Shi Qing.

Lu Yan wasn't surprised. Since they were about to work together, it made sense she'd have his contact info, and his WeChat was linked to his phone number.

Shi Qing: Little bro

Lu Yan replied politely: Hi, Sister Qing

Shi Qing: Don't call me Sister Qing, it makes me feel old!

Wasn't it you who started calling me 'little brother'?

Lu Yan responded with a string of ellipses.

Shi Qing: Let's cut to the chase.

Shi Qing: You know the shoot will take around three months, right?

Lu Yan: Yeah.

Shi Qing: You've been in this industry for several years and have acted in so many dramas, so I won't beat around the bush with you.

Lu Yan was blow-drying his hair while waiting for the next message. The chat kept showing 'typing,' but nothing came through.

Is she sending a one-minute voice note?

Three minutes later, the message finally arrived—and it wasn’t a voice note.

Shi Qing: For these three months, let’s make sure we’re both taken care of—physically, I mean.