Chapter 61 Ten Years

Fu Huan stayed at Gu Shiying's place for two nights before rushing back to Beijing on the third day. He had many relatives to attend to, and with university graduation approaching, he needed to start learning company management and operations.

After Gu Shiying's account unexpectedly went viral, Fu Huan also began managing it. He, too, altered his original plans, deciding to pursue further studies and enroll in graduate school. This wouldn't deter him from starting his own company; it simply meant a busier yet more fulfilling future.

Although his account didn't promote products, advertisers contacted him for collaborations. As long as the offers were reasonable, he was open to them.

Once the winter break ended, Gu Shiying established his initial small studio. His first ad campaign was for a well-known, established watch brand. However, the brand had one condition: they wanted Gu Shiying and his boyfriend to wear the watch together for the shoot.

The brand's representative, a young woman, was particularly captivated by Gu Shiying and Fu Huan's hands. She had been following his account for a while and admired both their hands.

During their meeting, Gu Shiying didn't immediately accept the collaboration because he couldn't decide for Fu Huan. Even though Fu Huan was his boyfriend, his consent was essential. Of course, when Gu Shiying brought it up at home, Fu Huan agreed instantly.

He hugged Gu Shiying and said, "Why wouldn't we take it? This is our first couple advertisement."

Gu Shiying leaned into his arms and replied, "This direction is a bit different from what I initially envisioned."

Fu Huan asked, "How so?"

Gu Shiying explained, "I originally intended for the account to create meaningful videos, but now it's turned into shooting advertisements, and I've even become a brand ambassador."

Fu Huan said, "Making videos is about expressing your life, while advertisements are about making a living. One is poetry and distant dreams, the other is putting food on the table. You've already gotten further ahead than most even before graduating from university. Besides, I love shooting advertisements with you—it feels like documenting our love, with many people witnessing it."

Gu Shiying conceded, "You've convinced me."

However, turning his account into a joint couple's account wasn't a major issue, but he worried that Fu Huan's family might not approve.

Gu Shiying expressed his concern: "If you shoot this advertisement with me, will it hurt your professional standing at the company in the future?"

"I believe in your skills and ideas." Fu Huan knew that Gu Shiying always had unique perspectives. What others might shoot in an ordinary way, he would capture with a different lens and expression. "We've already made headlines for kissing—why worry about credibility in front of others? In the company, what matters is ability, not my face."

Gu Shiying replied, "Okay."

The advertisement had a tight deadline. Gu Shiying spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas but ended up rejecting over ten concepts. In the end, he chose the original approach: shooting a series of scenes of a couple holding hands—expressing different emotions, in different environments, and at different stages of life.

Once the video was released, it garnered over three million likes on the platform within two days. The classic watch brand sold out, and Gu Shiying's account gained hundreds of thousands of new followers.

From the summer of the previous year to the spring of this year, his account gained over two million followers, outpacing some celebrity accounts. Even Fu Qin's company reached out to Gu Shiying to promote their products, saying, "Keep the benefits within the family."

Fu Huan told his brother that business was business, and personal matters were personal. He couldn't let his partner overwork and insisted on higher pay.

Fu Qin called him "whipped" and "smitten."

Fu Huan retorted that, as a single man, his brother couldn't understand the joys of having a partner.

Time always flew by quickly. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan's relationship remained stable, and both were accepted into their university's graduate programs. Their lives became even busier afterward.

Gu Shiying built out a team and often traveled to shoot footage. Fu Huan split his time between school and the company, handling increasing responsibilities in the investment department. He reviewed and assessed various projects, and his knack for investments rarely resulted in losses. Everyone in the company regarded him as their "cash cow."

Seasons passed, year after year, day after day.

Later, Gu Shiying's uncle's family learned about his relationship with Fu Huan, and his grandmother adored them both even more.

In the year they graduated with their postgraduate degrees, they invited Gu Shiying's grandmother and uncle's family to Beijing for the New Year. The two families finally met and shared a meal together.

The winter in Beijing was bitter cold as always, but Gu Shiying's heart was warm.

Gu Shiying and Fu Huan saw his grandmother and uncle's family off at the airport.

This year, Gu Shiying turned twenty-four. Though he still had a hint of youthfulness in his face, his smile could still make Fu Huan weak in the knees.

He waved goodbye to his grandmother as she went through security. Only after they passed through security did he and Fu Huan turn to leave.

Fu Huan held his hand. Gu Shiying had recently returned from a trip to the desert to shoot small animals. He had lost weight, gotten a bit tanned, and his hands had become rougher. But it didn't matter—Fu Huan would pamper him back to health.

He asked Gu Shiying, "Wanna head home?"

Gu Shiying looked up at Fu Huan, smiled, and said, "Sure."

He knew that when Fu Huan said "home," he meant their new home.

They had bought the apartment together before graduating. They let it air out over the summer to off-gas the formaldehyde and moved in at the end of November. They had invited Gu Shiying's family over for the New Year.

Gu Shiying swung their joined hands gently like a child and asked, "Were you tired these past few days? Showing them around all week."

Fu Huan thought for a moment and teased, "Well, a little. Give me a massage when we get back."

Gu Shiying held his hand and could tell from his expression what he was thinking. However, it suddenly occurred to him that they had only been sleeping without any intimate moments these past few days. Normally, he would have been able to hear Fu Huan's inner thoughts by now, but strangely, he hadn't heard them in a long time. He hadn't even paid attention to anyone else's thoughts.

It seemed like he hadn't heard anyone's inner thoughts for quite a while.

Had his supernatural ability disappeared?

Throughout the journey, Gu Shiying pondered this. From time to time, he touched Fu Huan's exposed hand, neck, and cheek.

Fu Huan held back the entire way. Once they got home, he finally pinned Gu Shiying to the sofa and kissed him repeatedly.

He laughed and asked, "What's going on? You've been touching me the whole way. Are you horny?"

Gu Shiying wrapped his arms around Fu Huan's neck and said, "Not even. It's not that."

Fu Huan asked, "Then what is it?"

Gu Shiying replied, "I was thinking about when I first realized you were different from how you appeared on the surface."

Fu Huan only remembered that they got close after Gu Shiying's first injury.

Fu Huan kissed his uninjured arm and said, "That time you hurt your arm? How was I different? I don't think I had let on how I felt for you back then."

Gu Shiying touched his head and said, "You still remember that."

"I remember everything about you." Fu Huan suddenly realized what Gu Shiying was implying. "Are you saying you knew I liked you back then?"

Gu Shiying said, "Yeah, it wasn't that hard to guess."

Fu Huan asked, "Was I that transparent? Tell me how I gave it away."

Gu Shiying pointed to the tiny beauty mark on the left corner of Fu Huan's eye and said, "Your eyes were always on me. What kind of roommate keeps staring at people like that? It was too obvious."

In truth, it was only after hearing Fu Huan's inner thoughts that he started paying attention to him. Even when Fu Huan pretended not to look, Gu Shiying would observe him.

The way Fu Huan looked at him was always with undivided attention, something he never saw in anyone else.

Gu Shiying had seen that look in his uncle's eyes when he looked at his aunt—back when his uncle was young and in the thick of their romance.

Fu Huan asked, "So you figured I was into you just because I was focused on you?"

Gu Shiying said: "When my uncle was in college, one summer break, he brought a group of classmates home to visit. I was staying at my grandma's house at the time, and my grandma immediately picked out the girl my uncle liked among several female students. She told me that only when you like someone would you look at them that way."

He had never doubted Fu Huan's affection for him. Of course, being a mind-reader didn't hurt either.

Fu Huan: "So that's how it was. I didn't realize I had given myself away so completely in front of you. But come to think of it, did you start liking me only after you found out I liked you?"

Gu Shiying said somewhat shyly: "Why else?"

Fu Huan: "When did you start liking me?"

After being together for so many years, they had never discussed this.

Gu Shiying: "What do you think? When do you think I should have started liking you?"

Fu Huan, without his usual easy smile: "I don't know, but you never rejected me. Maybe you had already liked me for a long time?"

Gu Shiying shoved him playfully: "Narcissist."

But Fu Huan had every reason to be confident. However, back then, Fu Huan was struggling internally with his sexuality but came off insecure when facing Gu Shiying.

Fu Huan: "It's not narcissism. It was after you knew I liked you, and you didn't run away or ignore me, that I felt there was hope—that you might come to like me too. And as it turned out, I was right. You did like me."

Gu Shiying looked at him and said seriously: "Yes, I love you."

Fu Huan leaned down and kissed him. For days, afraid that his family might think young people were too wild, he hadn't touched him for a week. Dry wood meets fierce fire—things got heated fast.

Finally graduating and with time off, Fu Huan took Gu Shiying out of Beijing the very next day, boarding a flight to a tropical region.

He had promised Gu Shiying to take him around the world to shoot footage, but over the years, he hadn't fully kept that promise. Now, they had time.

Fu Huan, born into privilege, taught Gu Shiying how to dive, took him jet-skiing, took him out to sea to watch whales, and climbed islands to watch sunsets.

Gu Shiying, who grew up as an ordinary person, took Fu Huan into the mountains to document the situation of volunteer teachers, experienced high-altitude low-oxygen regions in the west, climbed snow-capped mountains to see glaciers, and experienced extreme cold and hardship. They also tasted all of life's ups and downs, giving back to society in their own way through public welfare and charity work.

As they grew older, their relationship deepened and became more private.

On their tenth anniversary together, Gu Shiying posted a video of him and Fu Huan sharing a very everyday domestic moment.

"Ten years together, and it's also the tenth year he's been cooking for me."

In the video, Gu Shiying is filming Fu Huan, who is wearing an apron.

"What are we eating today?"

"Stir-fried green beans with eggplant, black bean steamed ribs..."

"Is there also steamed perch?"

The two shared a look. Why were they so on the same wavelength, knowing what the other was thinking?

A fan commented under the video:

"Xiao Gu isn't really his thing if it's not spicy, is it? This doesn't seem to match his taste at all!"

Because Gu Shiying had told Fu Huan that it was after his arm injury that he began to truly understand him. On the day Gu Shiying was injured, he ate the three dishes Fu Huan had brought him.

That was Gu Shiying's meal he had while recovering.

Fu Huan hadn't forgotten, and neither had Gu Shiying.

One fell in love right then; the other knew he had fallen.

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Author's note: That's a wrap! Took me two full days to finish~

Thank you all for your support and for sticking with me. See you in the next book!

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