Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Finding himself suddenly in close quarters with a stranger, You Nan couldn't help but feel awkward. He had barely gotten into the car when he already regretted his decision.

Yet, he was too embarrassed to say he wanted to get out, fearing Yao Xianqing might be displeased.

Who gets into a car only to immediately want to get back out?

You Nan instinctively clutched the bag in his arms, his mouth opening slightly, but his voice seemed stuck in his throat.

Yao Xianqing's peripheral vision took in the person beside him.

Qi Yuwen's wife had fair skin, delicate, gentle features, and a pleasant disposition. Individually, none of his features were particularly striking, but combined, they created a look that grew more appealing the longer one gazed at it, becoming increasingly beautiful.

Yao Xianqing broke the silence in the car by speaking first.

The man's lips curved into a slight smile. "Did you just get off work? I remember Qi Yuwen's hotel is around here. Do you work nearby too?"

You Nan nodded, acting politely. "Yes. Qi Yuwen and I work at the same hotel."

"I see," Yao Xianqing replied, then asked a few more questions. You Nan, not on guard, ended up sharing quite a bit of information.

This included his age, job position, and even led to a conversation about You Nan's hometown.

You Nan possessed the original body's memories, and bringing this up caused his expression to cloud over.

The original owner's family situation was dire: they lived deep in the mountains, were very poor, and had many children. The original owner was the second child, neither valued by his parents nor favored.

Because there were so many children to feed and expenses were high, his parents stopped paying his school fees early on. The original owner only made it to the second year of junior high before being forced to drop out.

Later, he left home to find work, saved money, and put himself through school.

He worked hard, studying while working, and managed to earn an associate's degree. That was how he eventually secured a clerical position at the hotel.

You Nan couldn't help but feel a surge of grief and anger when he thought about those two parents, who exploited their less-favored children, and the spoiled, idle younger siblings who loafed around at home without attending school properly.

It seemed the original owner's feelings of helplessness about his family had transferred to him as well.

You Nan lowered his eyes, his voice flat as he spoke of these things.

The vitality in him seemed to wilt and fade. "My hometown is far from here—an eight-hour train ride. I don't go back much."

"There were a lot of children in my family too. My parents raised six; I was the second oldest."

He only said a few brief words before falling silent.

Yao Xianqing keenly noticed You Nan's emotional shift. He knew he had been too forward and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I've upset you."

You Nan blinked, a slight wetness gathering at the corner of his eye, which he wiped away with his finger. "It's okay, really. You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who chose to tell you."

You Nan saw the subway station approaching and wanted to get out. "You can drop me off here. I'll take the subway back."

Yao Xianqing, of course, wasn't about to do that. Since the other was already in his car, how could he impolitely make him take the subway home?

"It's quite a distance from here to your place. I remember there's no subway station near your home. It's a long walk home after getting off the subway." Yao Xianqing turned the wheel and gently pressed the accelerator, leaving the subway station behind.

He then asked, "Didn't Qi Yuwen get another car?"

Of course, there was a car. Qi Yuwen was meticulous about appearances and had bought one for the original owner too.

"I can't drive," You Nan replied quietly. He could only glance regretfully at the new car, costing around a hundred thousand yuan, in the garage. He figured he'd learn later.

You Nan's willingness to answer questions left Yao Xianqing feeling a little unsure how to proceed.

You Nan was so compliant—whatever Yao Xianqing asked, he answered, his eyes fixed on his, lucid and soft.

Yao Xianqing's heart felt as if brushed by a feather—light and fleeting, gone with the wind.

He swallowed subtly, then rolled his window down.

The sun had already set outside, leaving only a faint, yellowish afterglow on the horizon. The day's heat was carried away on the evening breeze, and the wind blowing in carried a coolness.

Yao Xianqing had been wanting to ask a question since yesterday. "How did you and Qi Yuwen get married so quickly? Were you two together for a long time before?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the blush spreading across the other's face.

The streetlights cast shifting light and shadows across his face and body, making it hard to discern clearly.

Yao Xianqing was surprised by the change in him.

Unaware of Yao Xianqing's thoughts, You Nan stammered, a bit shy, and avoided Yao Xianqing's gaze. "Qi Yuwen and I have known each other for a long time because we worked together."

The young man spoke while playing with the strap of his bag. "I... I like him."

And had liked him for a long time.

You Nan pressed his lips together. "We weren't together before, but he suddenly confessed to me a while ago, and I... I agreed. But I didn't expect us to get married so quickly. To be honest, I still haven't fully processed it. It feels like a dream."

As he spoke, a happy smile spread across his face. Yao Xianqing could see clearly that the earlier gloom and sorrow had been driven away by his joy over Qi Yuwen.

You Nan truly liked him.

Immersed in his happiness for his beloved, he didn't notice the thoughtful look in the eyes of the man beside him.

So that's how it was.

Thinking of Qi Yuwen, Yao Xianqing felt a surge of dislike.

He accelerated, reflecting on his own actions inwardly.

If he wanted to keep Qi Yuwen away from himself, there should be other ways to do it. He didn't necessarily have to force him into marriage and drag an innocent person into this.

He had wronged You Nan.

As a man himself, he understood perfectly well why Qi Yuwen had chosen You Nan.

Since he had to get married anyway, he would naturally choose someone who liked him, was obedient, and wouldn't cause trouble.

And You Nan fit all three criteria perfectly.

Yao Xianqing couldn't help stealing another glance at You Nan.

Judging by his demeanor today, it was easy to imagine that You Nan would follow Qi Yuwen's instructions and not reveal their relationship to other colleagues, keeping it a secret all along.

Yao Xianqing also recalled yesterday's wedding, where the only witnesses were the staff and a few of them.

Everything about You Nan's wedding had been arranged by Qi Yuwen.

Was that the kind of wedding he had wanted?

Yao Xianqing was preoccupied, but didn't show it on his face. He chatted with You Nan about various topics to avoid making the other feel awkward, and eventually the car arrived at the entrance of You Nan and Qi Yuwen's home.

You Nan quietly sighed in relief. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he looked steadily at Yao Xianqing with gratitude and said, "Thank you for driving me back."

The corners of Yao Xianqing's lips lifted. He was good-looking, with pale, cool-toned skin and sharp bone structure.

"It's nothing. I already said, you're Qi Yuwen's wife, and Qi Yuwen is my friend. From now on, we're friends too. What are friends for?"

Yao Xianqing urged him to go inside quickly. "It's getting dark, I should head back."

"Okay." You Nan stood in place, smiling and waving as he watched the car disappear down the street before finally entering the house.

The light was still on in Qi Yuwen's office. The manager walked in, visibly irritated and sarcastic from the get-go. "Still not off work? Sitting in the office scrolling through your phone—aren’t you going home to see your wife?"

Qi Yuwen flipped his phone over on the desk, the light from the surveillance video on the screen dimming.

Qi Yuwen put on his usual fake smile. "Manager, you’re so busy with important matters every day, yet you still find time to care about my affairs. Should I say thank you?"

The manager disliked his two-faced act. "I just saw the light on in your office and came to remind you to head out early. Don’t occupy space without doing work—no need to waste company resources just for a bit of overtime pay."

Under normal circumstances, Qi Yuwen would have had the patience to exchange a few harmless words with him.

But now he was in a bad mood and had no interest in exchanging sarcasm. "You should practice what you preach. Patrolling the office all day—are you that free, Manager? Do you have to stick your nose into everything?"

Qi Yuwen’s tone was mild, but the impact was sharp. "How about you worry about your daughter and yourself? I’m not your son-in-law, yet you’re meddling with my wife. You sure get into everyone’s business."

Having said that, the man stood up, took his suit jacket, and left the office.

The manager was so angry he clenched his teeth, but intimidated by Qi Yuwen’s competence and ruthlessness, he didn’t dare chase after him to argue.

.

As soon as You Nan returned home, 007, who had been cooped up at home all day, stretched and came downstairs. It happily ran to You Nan’s side, brought up its display screen, and praised its good partner, "Nan Nan! You earned five energy points today!"

You Nan’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

He crouched down, cuddling the kitten as they checked it over and over to make sure they hadn’t misread. Only then did You Nan break into a happy smile.

These five energy points were all given by Yao Xianqing. He’s such a good person, so generous.

You Nan felt a bit more confident.

He thought that if he had to be alone with the main lead again in the future, he probably wouldn’t be as nervous.

It was only the second day in this little world, and he already had energy points coming in. You Nan was thrilled. Off to a great start!

He hugged the little cat and gave it a kiss. "I’ll make something delicious—let’s celebrate!"

The kitten nodded repeatedly. Yes, yes!

While You Nan was busy in the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

You Nan put down the kitchen knife and hurried over. Peeking through the peephole, he saw Qi Yuwen and quickly opened the door to let him in.

The smile on You Nan’s face had just spread when he noticed Qi Yuwen was in a foul mood today. You Nan didn’t know who had upset Qi Yuwen. Standing in front of him, You Nan dialed back his cheerful demeanor. "You’re back."

"Yeah."

Qi Yuwen took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door, then asked offhandedly.

"Someone drove you back today?"

You Nan’s heart sank when he heard this.

He followed behind Qi Yuwen, sneaking glances at him.

How did Qi Yuwen know? It couldn’t be that the main lead told him himself, right?

Who would drive someone’s wife home and then proactively bring it up themselves?