Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gu Jingchi was taken aback by Song Yuan’s words.

The snow intensified.

Silence settled between them, Song Yuan’s gaze unwavering on Gu Jingchi.

He had just carefully observed that sudden physical contact would elicit a reaction from Gu Jingchi, most notably pulling his arm away and subtly creating distance.

A true-blue straight man, indeed.

Nevertheless, this was an excellent sign for Song Yuan.

—The more Gu Jingchi resisted his touch, the more effective Song Yuan’s little ploys proved to be.

As long as he continued to test Gu Jingchi’s limits, he believed Gu Jingchi would soon find him unbearable and seek a divorce.

Artificial intelligence, you never lie!

“We’re already engaged; some physical contact is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

Song Yuan’s mind had never raced so quickly. “If we avoid even basic physical contact, people will surely find it odd. Wouldn’t that just create new fodder for gossip?”

Song Yuan was undeniably right; this was indeed a new complication.

Gu Jingchi never imagined he would one day agree with Song Yuan.

Receiving no immediate response, Song Yuan decided to back off. “Never mind, I was just speaking nonsense…”

Gu Jingchi suddenly spoke. “Very well, but no hand-holding, no hugging, and no interactions beyond necessary contact.”

Song Yuan tilted his head up. “Why?”

Gu Jingchi’s tone was cold. “Because I dislike it, and it’s unnecessary.”

You dislike it?

Song Yuan blinked, thinking—all the more reason to do it.

Not only would he hold hands, but he would also hug, and…

Gu Jingchi felt he had spoken too harshly. He had intended to tell Song Yuan not to overthink it, but as he looked down, he met Song Yuan’s increasingly bright eyes.

Gu Jingchi: “…”

He couldn’t fathom what was so amusing.

What a strange person.

Realizing his own thoughts, Gu Jingchi frowned.

He noticed his tolerance threshold was steadily dropping, from initially refusing to meet to now allowing contact. Without him noticing, Song Yuan was gradually encroaching upon his boundaries, a loss of control entirely beyond his grasp.

His intuition told Gu Jingchi he needed to swiftly end any discussions related to the engagement and create distance. In his view, continuing to discuss intimacy levels with an unfamiliar fiancé would only entangle him further, which was highly irrational.

Gu Jingchi stated concisely, “In front of others, we can put on a show. But in private, please maintain your distance.”

Song Yuan nodded like a pecking chick. “Understood, understood. So, can you take me with you?”

Gu Jingchi: “…”

Song Yuan blinked at him.

Gu Jingchi averted his gaze. “We part ways immediately after leaving.”

Song Yuan nodded obediently, then, emboldened, spoke, “Thank you, fiancé~”

Gu Jingchi frowned.

If he remembered correctly, their agreement explicitly forbade calling him “fiancé.”

He suspected Song Yuan was doing it on purpose. As an adult, he should possess better judgment, yet when Gu Jingchi met those round, bright eyes, he couldn’t discern a trace of deceit.

Just as he was about to speak, hurried footsteps sounded from behind.

It was the Song family.

Song Shenyu cast a fleeting glance at Song Yuan before speaking: “Mr. Gu, my sincerest apologies. Song Yuan was too young then and hadn’t yet received his etiquette lessons. His words were thoughtless and inadvertently offended you. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Song Yuan: “…”

Unjustly branded as ill-mannered, a question mark slowly formed above Song Yuan’s head.

The surrounding guests turned to look their way, most with schadenfreude.

Then, a soft chuckle came from behind.

Song Yuan turned to see it was Pei Han.

“Alright, alright, it’s a rare banquet, let’s not spoil the atmosphere.”

Pei Han, always adept at diffusing tension, patted Song Shenyu’s shoulder and smiled, “Mr. Song, I think the young man is quite good-natured, well-behaved, and very polite. He’s not as bad as you make him out to be. Besides, if there’s a misunderstanding, why not discuss it privately instead of bringing it out into the open and making everyone uncomfortable? Half the social circle is here today, and media reporters are present. If this gets photographed and posted online, whose fault would that be?”

Pei Han’s words were subtly layered, implicitly admonishing Song Shenyu, stopping just short of calling him tactless.

Song Shenyu’s expression shifted.

The other Song elders, typically arrogant and self-important, failed to grasp the underlying message even after Pei Han had painstakingly explained it.

The older elder seemed about to speak, but Gu Jingchi interrupted.

“You seem to have forgotten something: Song Yuan and I are already engaged.”

Everyone froze.

Gu Jingchi’s tone was unhurried yet carried an undeniable force.

“Since we are engaged, Song Yuan is no longer solely a member of the Song family. When people think of Song Yuan, the first person they will think of is me. In this context, while we appear as two, we are, in fact, one.”

Gu Jingchi then challenged the Song family present: “Are you educating him to, by extension, educate me as well?”

The Song family’s faces paled completely.

They recalled the recent rumors they had heard, exchanging incredulous glances.

—Could Gu Jingchi truly have returned to the country for their family’s useless relative?

Most of Gu Jingchi’s ventures were overseas, and just last month, he had initiated a series of aggressive acquisition plans in the Bay Area, dominating financial headlines for three months.

Everyone had assumed Gu Jingchi would remain abroad to expand his business empire. As for the engagement with the Song family… most viewed it as an unspoken formality, believing Gu Jingchi would never truly value Song Yuan.

Yet, the reality was that Gu Jingchi not only publicly acknowledged his role as fiancé but also displayed such clear protectiveness.

It was hard not to suspect he had returned for Song Yuan.

Jiangcheng was truly on the brink of change!

The Song family couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret—who was it that said CEO Gu was a straight man, and an emotionally detached one at that!

Had they known, they would have arranged for a direct descendant of the Song family to be engaged. Even if it lasted only a year, it would have been better than letting that adopted son benefit for free.

But now, it was too late for regrets.

*

Leaving the banquet, Song Yuan’s spirits lifted.

“Gu Jingchi, thank you for taking me with you.”

Gu Jingchi ignored him.

Being ignored was fine; Song Yuan wasn’t at a loss. He had gained a brief moment of freedom.

After calming down slightly, he gazed at Gu Jingchi’s retreating back, his eyes gradually brightening.

He had to admit, Gu Jingchi possessed the best physique he had ever seen, especially when dressed in a suit—a walking clothes hanger.

Song Yuan and the original owner were in the same major: fashion design and technology. He used to envy classmates who brought friends to class, as they had free models, unlike himself, who had to lug around a dress form.

If only Gu Jingchi could wear his designs.

Starting from scratch, every piece on him designed, made, and dressed by Song Yuan himself.

What a sense of accomplishment!

His gaze swept over Gu Jingchi’s attire: suit, tie… uncontrollably, he suddenly wondered if Gu Jingchi wore shirt garters.

Judging by the crispness of his shirt, Gu Jingchi likely did. More precisely, he might even wear sleeve garters.

He definitely wore them.

Otherwise, the shirt would surely shift.

Song Yuan imagined Gu Jingchi looking disheveled with a messy shirt and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Gu Jingchi: “…”

Gu Jingchi frowned, looking at Song Yuan with a very complex expression.

For some reason, he felt that Song Yuan gave him a strange feeling.

But he couldn’t quite pinpoint what was strange.

Oblivious, Song Yuan remained lost in his own world.

He then noticed that Gu Jingchi was wearing a deep red tie today—simple yet understated. Besides that, there were no other accessories.

Song Yuan’s professional instincts kicked in. He felt it looked incomplete; at the very least, a tie clip was needed, the simplest style, in smoky gray, which would perfectly complement the deep red.

As for other things…

But before he could ponder further, Gu Jingchi suddenly leaned closer to him.

Song Yuan’s eyes widened slightly. He watched Gu Jingchi approach him, inch by inch. Although the movement was slow and gentle, it suddenly made Song Yuan nervous.

He stood rooted to the spot, like a rabbit frozen in its tracks.

The next second, a pair of distinctively jointed hands appeared in his vision. Those exceptionally beautiful hands naturally bypassed Song Yuan and pressed the elevator button behind him.

The elevator began its slow descent.

Song Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

It was just pressing the elevator button.

He had thought he’d been caught staring.

Although he hadn’t been caught, Song Yuan felt a little embarrassed, and the warmth in his cheeks gradually rose.

When people are awkward, they often abruptly bring up a topic, and Song Yuan was no exception. “Um, are you really planning to stay in Jiangcheng?”

Gu Jingchi nodded.

Song Yuan was delighted and spoke with some embarrassment, “I’ll get you a gift.”

Gu Jingchi’s face was expressionless: “Why?”

“No why, I’m just glad you’re staying.”

Song Yuan’s mind was buzzing with plans. He definitely intended to continue his studies, and he was currently reviewing his major courses, preparing for the re-enrollment exam. For the practical training section, Gu Jingchi would make a perfect model.

He would personally draw the designs and turn them into finished products, such as shirt garters, suspenders, sleeve garters… choosing styles favored by online cosplayers. While these seemed perfectly normal to Song Yuan, they would be utterly unconventional for Gu Jingchi.

Gu Jingchi, with his refined and proper demeanor, would surely be overwhelmed if he saw the items Song Yuan designed for him.

“Ding—B2 level, arrived.”

The elevator stopped at the second basement level of the underground parking lot. Song Yuan turned and waved at Gu Jingchi, “Then I’ll be off. See you next time.”

Gu Jingchi said nothing, turning coldly and walking away.

As the car drove out of the underground garage, Gu Jingchi received an impromptu call and pulled over to the side of the road.

Just as the call ended, a light rain began to fall.

Not far away, Song Yuan handed his umbrella to an elderly woman selling roasted sweet potatoes. The woman touched Song Yuan’s hand, and her mouth seemed to form the words, “What about you?”

Though he couldn’t hear what Song Yuan said, he ultimately lent out his umbrella. And that wasn’t all; Song Yuan then paid out of his own pocket to buy all the woman’s remaining sweet potatoes.

Gu Jingchi casually rested his hand on the car window, watching the scene with an impassive expression.

The rain grew heavier, and the weather forecast warned of snow. Gu Jingchi closed the car window, preparing to head home.

The car engine started, his hand resting on the steering wheel, but his foot remained off the pedal.

The air was silent for a few seconds, long enough for the rain to turn into snow, falling on Song Yuan’s shoulders.

He handed the purchased sweet potatoes to the security guard at the booth, then distributed the rest to the cleaning aunties passing by after their shift.

But even after sharing, he still had a whole bag left.

“You bought so many, can you finish them all?”

Song Yuan quickly turned around, somewhat embarrassed, and tried to hide the bag behind him. “I bought them all so the elderly lady could go home early, didn’t I?”

Then, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll share them all. There are a few uncles on night duty downstairs in my building; nothing will go to waste.”

Song Yuan’s voice was soft, yet it had a tangible quality, striking the softest chord in Gu Jingchi’s heart.

“Song Yuan.”

Song Yuan looked at Gu Jingchi, tilting his head in confusion.

“I’ll drive you home.”