02/14/2025 — 13:15

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Auntie Qin," Gu Xu glanced at the bag in her hand and said to the female secretary, "You can go ahead with your work."

After the secretary left, Xu Fei stepped forward and took it: "Auntie, let me take that for you."

Entering the office, Gu Xu asked, "Auntie Qin, what brings you here?"

"Oh, actually, it's nothing much. I brought you some veggies from my garden," Qin Min followed behind Gu Xu, adjusting her recently permed hair. "Xiao Qing keeps complaining that you're ignoring him. I said how could that be? You've always been the one who spoils him the most."

Gu Xu automatically looked at Lu Yan, who had slumped onto the sofa as soon as he entered the office, getting comfortable, resting his chin on his hand, smirking at him.

Noticing Gu Xu's gaze, Qin Min also turned her face and said warmly, "Are you here to talk business with Xiao Xu?"

Lu Yan shook his head honestly, "I work for him."

Qin Min's smile dimmed slightly. She nodded and gave the person on the sofa a once-over.

Gu Xu said, "Auntie Qin, if there's nothing else, you can head back now."

Qin Min was startled, then nodded, "Alright, alright, I'll go back then."

She walked away, shaking her head and muttering to herself, "It's been years, but Madam Gu hasn't aged a bit. When I saw her just now, I immediately thought of the past. The more I think about it, the luckier I feel."

After Qin Min left, Lu Yan asked, "Is that Lin Qing's mom?"

"Yes," Gu Xu put down the documents and got up to get Lu Yan a glass of water.

Lu Yan took the water and looked up, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Gu Xu pursed his lips and looked at him, thinking for a long time, "About Lin Qing? I don't feel anything for him."

"Why even ask about him," Lu Yan laughed, then reached out and grabbed the end of Gu Xu's tie, putting on a serious face, "About the live broadcast, come clean, and I'll let it slide."

Gu Xu smiled, "That day, I was just checking out Doumao in person."

Lu Yan teased him, "Were you instantly smitten with me?"

"Yes," Gu Xu was very honest, "I was so dazzled that I decided to buy Doumao right then and there."

"..." Lu Yan suddenly thought of something and squinted, "Could it be that the video on Weibo..."

Gu Xu, "I had someone delete it."

Getting an answer more satisfactory than expected, Lu Yan laughed and waved his hand, "Hurry up and work, we need to go to the supermarket. I want to have a Manchu Han Imperial Feast tonight."

Gu Xu lowered his eyes and smiled, bending down to peck Lu Yan on the lips before walking away.

After work, the two went downstairs to get the car.

-

Lu Yan noticed a flashy Ferrari parked next to Gu Xu's car, comparable to Chen Yiming's.

He casually remarked, "Does someone in your company drive such a car to work?"

Gu Xu said, "It's mine."

Lu Yan was stunned, "Such a fancy car, and you just leave it in the company lot?"

"Parking is tight under that apartment, and I hardly ever drive this car."

"You know what I thought when I first saw you at the bar?" Lu Yan leaned against the Ferrari and chuckled, "I thought, here’s this guy in a suit, and he’s driving something so flashy."

After saying that, he patted the car roof: "Wanna take it for a spin today?"

"Do you like it?" Gu Xu raised an eyebrow, "Go ahead, swap it with the Jaguar."

"No, I don't drive," Lu Yan said, "I’ve just never been in a convertible and wanted to see what it’s like. Couldn’t afford it before I got famous, and even after, I never dared to put the top down."

Gu Xu smiled and asked, "Now you dare?"

Lu Yan said, "With you around, why would I be scared?"

Gu Xu felt a pang in his chest and immediately called Xu Fei to bring the keys down.

Five minutes later, a bright red Ferrari, all flash and style, pulled out of the lot.

Autumn had set in, and City B was getting chilly. Not long after they started driving, Lu Yan shivered as the cold wind hit his face.

The car was a head-turner, and the driver wasn’t bad either, drawing plenty of looks. Gu Xu, who usually hated distractions while driving, grew even quieter under the gaze.

At a red light, Gu Xu glanced over and saw Lu Yan rubbing his arms, chilled.

He frowned and said, "Put the top up."

Lu Yan was cold but loved the rush of wind on his face. He was about to stop Gu Xu from hitting the button.

A honk came: "Hey, good-looking!"

The SUV beside them rolled down its window, and the woman in the passenger seat leaned out, smiling: "Can I get your number?"

Lu Yan chuckled and pulled back as Gu Xu hit the button, the roof closing slowly.

The light turned green, and the Ferrari took off.

In the car, the woman in the driver's seat laughed: "I told you they were obviously a couple, but you just had to try your luck."

The woman in the passenger seat pouted, skeptical: "What made them gay?"

The two went to the largest supermarket nearby.

It was rush hour, and the supermarket was packed. The two entered the supermarket and headed straight to the produce section.

The produce section was mostly women, making the two men stick out.

Gu Xu looked at the expiration date on the packaging: "It’s getting cold—how about we make hot pot?"

Lu Yan, who had just been hit by the wind, nodded: "Okay, buy more beef."

A woman nearby with a large basket, hearing their conversation, quickly said: "For hot pot, you’ve gotta get fresh tripe and frozen tofu! Young people these days are so thoughtful, even helping their wives shop. My husband never even steps into the kitchen!"

Gu Xu glanced at Lu Yan, who was picking out beef, and chuckled: "He just makes a mess in there—can’t even chop veggies right."

Hearing this, Lu Yan, holding his mask, muttered: "I actually got pretty good at it later."

The grocery auntie: "?"

The checkout line was also long, and after waiting for a while, it was finally their turn to pay.

On the shelf next to them was chewing gum. Lu Yan remembered that his previous stock had run out, so he picked a few packs and tossed them into the shopping cart. His eyes then caught sight of various intimate products next to the chewing gum.

A naughty thought struck him. He turned around and pretended to browse seriously, carefully reading the labels on each box. Finally, he selected one that claimed to be the thinnest and showed it to Gu Xu: "What do you think of this?"

His voice wasn’t loud, but the girls in line heard him clearly. They looked excited as they whispered to each other, though it was hard to tell what they were saying.

Gu Xu laughed: "You..."

"Gu Xu?"

"...Xiao Yan?"

Two familiar voices called out behind Gu Xu.

Lu Yan leaned out and saw Lu Miao standing behind Gu Xu, with a well-dressed woman.

Gu Xu turned around and said, "Mom."

Lu Yan, still holding the box, was speechless.

"It really is you," Lu Miao stepped forward, "I thought Shufang had the wrong person."

Lu Yan quickly hid the box and put it back on the shelf.

Li Shufang, who had seen everything, smiled: "Two tall guys, how could I miss them?"

She looked at Lu Yan and praised, "Xiao Yan, you're just as good-looking as on TV."

Lu Yan smiled: "Thank you, Auntie."

The girls ahead left, and Gu Xu said, "Let's pay first."

After paying, Lu Miao looked at the big bag of groceries and asked, "How come you two..."

Lu Yan replied, "I live near Gu Xu, and I often go to his place for meals."

Li Shufang nodded: "Yes, Xiao Xu is a great cook."

Lu Miao chided, "That's really troubling Xiao Xu. You too, you're such a grown man, how can you keep sponging off others?"

"It's not a problem, Auntie. I really enjoy having meals with Lu Yan," Gu Xu said, then turned to Li Shufang, "What are you two doing here?"

Li Shufang huffed, "No one's home to keep me company, so I had to come out."

"I ran out of coffee at the office, and Shufang wanted to buy some to try, so we came here," Lu Miao explained, then glanced at her son. Lu Yan had pulled down his mask halfway, revealing his cheeks. "Xiao Yan, why are your cheeks so red?"

Lu Yan replied, "Probably because I've been wearing the mask for too long, it's a bit stuffy."

Li Shufang said, "Xiao Yan, let's add each other on WeChat. I really like you, and I've been watching your recent drama about the lawyer."

Lu Yan quickly took out his phone and added Li Shufang, then said, "Mom, we bought a lot of ingredients. Why don't you and Auntie come to the apartment for dinner?"

Lu Miao frowned, "No, we can't have Xiao Xu cook for us. And you, as a guest, how can you invite others so casually?"

"You're my friend, and Gu Xu has to call you Auntie. What's the big deal about cooking a meal?" Li Shufang said, then turned to Lu Yan, "But today, Auntie and your mom won't join. We've made a reservation at that new restaurant for shrimp, and it's almost time. We'll head off now."

Before leaving, Li Shufang turned back and waved at Lu Yan: "Xiao Yan, let's message on WeChat sometime!"

After they left, Lu Yan chuckled, "Auntie is really adorable."

"What a commotion," Gu Xu also laughed. "Let's go home."

On the way back, the sunroof stayed closed, and Gu Xu felt the car was unusually quiet.

At a red light, Gu Xu glanced over and saw Lu Yan leaning against the window, his arms clutching the grocery bags, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Gu Xu asked, "Tired?"

Lu Yan swallowed lightly, his brows furrowed: "No."

Sensing something was wrong, Gu Xu reached over and took off Lu Yan's mask, pressing the back of his hand to Lu Yan's forehead. Gu Xu's hand was cold, and Lu Yan, who was burning up, couldn't help but lean into it.

Gu Xu quickly withdrew his hand, glanced around, and pulled over at the nearest spot.

He unbuckled, leaned over, and pressed his forehead to Lu Yan's.

He declared, "You have a fever."

He was burning up, at least 101.3°F.

"Yeah... I thought so too," Lu Yan murmured. "Maybe I caught a bit of a chill last night."

Gu Xu didn't say anything and started driving again.

Noticing they were turning around, Lu Yan sat up straight and looked out the window: "Where are we going?"

"The hospital."

Lu Yan said, "No, it's fine. I'll just take some medicine when we get back."

Gu Xu pursed his lips, not planning to turn back: "When did you pick up this bad habit?"

Lu Yan was puzzled: "What?"

"Even kids know to eat when they're hungry and see a doctor when they're sick."

Lu Yan slumped back in his seat: "...I was photographed at the hospital before. A female celebrity happened to be there for a prenatal check-up. We ran into each other on the way out, exchanged a few words, and soon after, rumors spread that I was about to become a father."

The key point was that the female celebrity was married. At that time, he had just debuted a year ago, in his rising phase, and almost got derailed by the scandal.

Lu Yan's voice was muffled and weak, unusually vulnerable.

Gu Xu, however, was furious: "From now on, you’re going to the hospital when you’re sick."