Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Song Yuan felt a tremor of nerves, his heart thrumming like a drum against his ribs.

He lowered his gaze, his arm twitching restlessly.

To hold hands, he had first feigned a desire to reward the other, coaxing Gu Jingchi into the gesture. And not content with just that, he’d even asked if Gu Jingchi liked it…

—This was the most audacious thing Song Yuan had done since arriving in this world.

The current Song Yuan was thoroughly branded with the label of "unreasonable," sticky and cloying, like an overheated taffy.

It was… truly obnoxious.

But Song Yuan embraced this role in zero seconds flat.

As long as he could traumatize the clueless straight man, that would be his victory!

Having reached this conclusion, a flushed Song Yuan took a deep breath.

His restless fingers fidgeted in the other’s palm, finally finding a perfect, seamless fit to interlock their fingers tightly once more.

The stark contrast in their skin tones was like an intoxicating hallucinogen—one dose, and all rationality vanished, leaving only a raw, impactful allure.

Gu Jingchi lowered his eyes, an indefinable emotion stirring within him.

His usually prized rationality had vanished without a trace. Realizing he’d been tricked by Song Yuan, Gu Jingchi could have simply pulled away and walked off coldly.

But he didn't.

Song Yuan was like a puppy spoiled with affection, instinctively equating Gu Jingchi’s silence with his own insufficient enthusiasm. As if by being even clingier, even more affectionate, he could find Gu Jingchi’s soft spot and receive a tenderness and response no one else could see.

This side of Song Yuan was something Gu Jingchi had never anticipated.

A completely novel thought surfaced in his mind.

—Song Yuan truly liked him.

Naive overtures, pure expressions of affection, wilfully ignoring the agreement that stated [Please maintain a stranger’s distance] yet still wanting to cling—this was Song Yuan.

No one else but him had ever seen such a direct and passionate Song Yuan.

The idea was utterly absurd, and Gu Jingchi found it laughable, yet his quickening heartbeat betrayed him.

Song Yuan liked him.

Gu Jingchi realized their relationship had already veered off course, and the loss of control was worse than he’d imagined.

This was dangerous.

Reason told him he should withdraw before things spiraled completely out of hand.

Gu Jingchi lowered his eyes and pulled his hand away without hesitation.

Once the distance was re-established, he regained his usual composure.

It wasn't that Gu Jingchi thought too highly of himself; in his view, he and Song Yuan were simply not on the same wavelength.

Though he didn’t know if Song Yuan’s current behavior was a passing whim or an act, Gu Jingchi knew he didn’t want to become a slave to emotion.

That would be irrational, foolish.

Being separated didn't make Song Yuan unhappy.

On the contrary, Gu Jingchi’s avoidance sent Song Yuan a very positive signal.

—Gu Jingchi disliked intimate physical contact.

That proved his approach was correct.

It made him incredibly happy.

After all, compared to the brainless, self-destructive methods of other cannon fodder, he found intimate clinging much more acceptable.

At least he wasn't doing anything truly harmful.

"You should go to bed," Gu Jingchi said, turning to leave.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a startled cry echoed from behind him.

"Hey! Watch out!"

Black Sa, as if discovering something amusing, suddenly lunged at Song Yuan.

Though his limbs hadn't fully recovered, Black Sa was still a large dog, and his weight alone could send Song Yuan sprawling with just a gentle push.

"Young Master Song! Be careful!" The butler shouted, but it was already too late.

Everything happened too quickly.

Song Yuan didn't have time to react before the immense force pushed him backward. His shoe, unfortunately, got caught in the carpet, leaving him unable to move his feet. As a result, his core stability was lost, and he began to fall backward.

In the nick of time, Gu Jingchi grabbed Song Yuan's arm, pulling him towards himself.

Song Yuan swayed like a roly-poly toy, finally tumbling headfirst into Gu Jingchi’s embrace.

"Are you okay?" Pei Han rushed over, visibly relieved to see Song Yuan unharmed.

The butler was full of apologies. "I never expected him to be so excited. It's truly strange…"

Pei Han, standing nearby, paused for a moment. He looked at Song Yuan, then at Gu Jingchi, his gaze sweeping between the two, before a knowing smile spread across his face.

"He's… really excited today."

Gu Jingchi lifted his eyes, casting a brief, icy glance at Pei Han.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Pei Han, with remarkable perceptiveness, scooped up Black Sa and turned to flee.

The butler was equally perceptive and turned to leave as well. Before the main door closed, he poked his head through the crack: "Young Master Song, the ginger tea is warming on the island. Remember to drink it before bed!"

The door closed, leaving only Gu Jingchi and Song Yuan in the living room.

Song Yuan’s cheeks were flushed, and he was still a little dazed.

Realizing he had been caught by Gu Jingchi, Song Yuan’s eyes widened: "You caught me. You're so fast."

Gu Jingchi: "..."

Seeing that the other had regained his footing, Gu Jingchi impassively released his hand and silently distanced himself.

Song Yuan was still immersed in the joy of his narrow escape, his body unconsciously leaning closer to the other: "Thank you, Gu Jingchi!"

"Seriously, you're so nice~"

The moment Song Yuan leaned closer, everything seemed to slow down. The features Gu Jingchi had deliberately avoided noticing in the past now became incredibly clear.

Of course, it wasn't just the smile that became clearer; it was all of Song Yuan.

Under this scrutiny, every pretense vanished.

He was a figure in the world of corporate warfare, having seen all manner of cunning individuals. So Gu Jingchi could be certain that Song Yuan, at this moment, was sincere, without any trace of pretense.

The clinging and affection weren't an act; they came from the heart.

—Including earlier, when Song Yuan's hand had accidentally pressed against Gu Jingchi's chest muscle, and it seemed like he'd even given it a little squeeze.

Gu Jingchi: "..."

Song Yuan really liked to cling to people.

This thought brought Gu Jingchi back to last night, when Song Yuan was drunk.

Song Yuan had a strong need for physical closeness. Specifically, when walking, he liked to press close to others; when hugging, he liked to bury his face in their neck. Even when sleeping, he wasn't still; he couldn't sleep without holding someone, and even then, he liked to press every inch of his skin against theirs, leaving no space for air between them…

These were all Song Yuan’s subconscious habits, but precisely because of this, they stirred a subtle agitation within him.

Where did these habits come from? His adopted brothers? Or a former boyfriend?

Did Song Yuan cling and hug everyone when he was drunk?

"Get some rest," Gu Jingchi said before turning to leave, only to be called back.

"Gu Jingchi."

He stopped.

Song Yuan tilted his head up slightly, his eyes sparkling, "Can I come see you again?"

Gu Jingchi didn't respond.

Song Yuan waited quietly, full of expectation, for Gu Jingchi’s answer.

Gu Jingchi neither refused nor agreed: "I'm busy. I don't come back here often. If you come, you'll only be able to chat with the butler."

Song Yuan’s face lit up with a smile, "So that means it's okay, right?"

Gu Jingchi didn't give a definitive answer. Instead, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.

It was late at night, long past the time for a late-night snack. Yet, in the quiet kitchen, the untimely clatter of ceramic bowls and spoons could be heard, crisp and pleasant.

A moment later, Gu Jingchi returned.

In his hand was a steaming bowl of ginger tea.

He placed the ginger tea in front of Song Yuan and said expressionlessly, "Drink it. Get some rest early."

Like telling a talkative dinner guest to eat more, it was a subtle way of discouraging further conversation.

But coming from Gu Jingchi, Song Yuan chose to interpret it differently.

Not getting a verbal response didn't matter; at least, at this moment, he had a steaming bowl of ginger tea.

The ginger tea didn't taste good, but to avoid getting sick, Song Yuan pinched his nose, ready to down it in one gulp.

The warm liquid slid down his throat, and the next second, Song Yuan’s tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed.

The expected spiciness didn't appear. Instead, he tasted a sweetness that wasn't from ginger.

Gu Jingchi had actually added honey for him.

Song Yuan remembered his first visit to Gu Jingchi’s home, where he had also drunk a bowl of ginger tea just like this.

Only then, Gu Jingchi’s home had no honey, but he had really wanted some and couldn’t resist mentioning it.

He hadn't expected Gu Jingchi to remember and personally add honey for him.

Even more thoughtful than the butler.

For some reason, Song Yuan felt this was an unspoken agreement.

—A tacit permission for Song Yuan to visit Gu Jingchi.

Song Yuan suddenly felt a surge of happiness.

The honey seemed to act like a slow-release drug, integrating into his bloodstream, gradually enveloping Song Yuan. At first, he didn't feel it, but gradually, this sweet, cloying sensation grew stronger, to a degree he couldn't ignore.

Gu Jingchi truly was a good person.

He was a good person who knew how to care for his friends.

Before falling asleep, Song Yuan took out his phone, intending to text Gu Jingchi.

But the moment the screen lit up, a cascade of pop-up notifications appeared.

All from school.

"Good evening, Song Yuan. Your work has passed our assessment. We believe your work fully meets the eligibility criteria. Congratulations, you have been selected for the W University Art Festival Grand Show."

The message was from a professor in the professional panel.

Song Yuan was among the first batch of selected participants.

Below were a flood of congratulatory messages from his classmates.

"My god, your painting is so amazing! Mwah mwah mwah!"

"Finally, I know why my submission didn't pass TT"

"Go, go, go, little Song! The task of restoring the glory of the College of Art is now yours!"

Song Yuan smiled and replied with a "Thank you" emoji.

Besides that, he also received another piece of good news.

Not long ago, the two platforms he had contacted both sent him approval notifications.

He could now take commissions and design clothes for his fans.

Song Yuan carefully compared the differences between the two platforms and finally decided to choose the one with fewer restrictions.

From today on, little Song could earn his own money!

After the initial excitement, he suddenly remembered what he had been about to do.

Right, he needed to talk to Gu Jingchi.

His divorce plan couldn't be neglected either.

Song Yuan carefully reviewed his current strategy, understanding that he needed to lean into a "closeness offensive." He then opened his chat with Gu Jingchi.

"Song Yuan: Asleep? OVO"

"Song Yuan: Free tomorrow?"

His phone vibrated.

"Gu Jingchi: What is it?"

Why the sudden coldness again?

"Song Yuan: I want to have lunch with you."

"Song Yuan: We haven't had lunch together yet."

The chat suddenly showed "Typing…"

"Gu Jingchi: I'm busy."

Always like this, Gu Jingchi always liked to indirectly reject him.

"Song Yuan: But I just want to have lunch with you. Is that not allowed?"

"Song Yuan: You clearly promised."

So what if he liked to avoid things? Song Yuan was a piece of taffy—once he stuck, he couldn't be shaken off.

"Please say yes, okay~"

The chat remained silent for a long time, so long that Song Yuan was almost asleep when his phone finally vibrated.

"Gu Jingchi: Mhm."

Seeing the lone word at the bottom of the chat, Song Yuan couldn't help but laugh.

That single word inherently carried an air of helplessness. He could already imagine Gu Jingchi's exasperated expression when faced with his persistence.

Gu Jingchi had indeed agreed under "intimacy pressure" from Song Yuan.

He put down his phone, opened his laptop, and began to process the last cross-border email.

When the computer was finally shut down again, Gu Jingchi picked up his phone and discovered that Song Yuan had sent him a voice message half an hour ago.

He tapped to listen.

"Gu Jingchi, you're so nice~"

The upward lilt in the trailing syllable was like a tiny hook, lightly scratching at Gu Jingchi's heart.

Effortlessly, he seemed to picture Song Yuan smiling at him with an innocent expression.

The whispered sound was quite loud.

Uncontrollably, Gu Jingchi felt as if he was pulled back to last night by some force. Looking down, Song Yuan had closed his eyes and was murmuring beside his ear.

A new voice message popped up.

Gu Jingchi instinctively tapped it open.

The moment he heard what Song Yuan said, the pen in his hand suddenly slipped, falling onto the carpet.

Song Yuan was pouting again.

Just like last night, the sleepy little drunkard clung to Gu Jingchi’s waist, refusing to let go, and whispered "thank you" into his ear.