Chapter 125 Day 16 of Transmigrating into a Vintage CEO Novel

Chapter 125: The Sixteenth Day of Transmigrating into an Old-School CEO Novel

After hitting the art gallery, An Yi bid farewell to several new friends, declined their lunch invitations, and found a restaurant to dine alone.

This restaurant was recommended to him by the original host's friend, supposed to have amazing food, a real treat.

He wanted to see how good it really was.

Arriving at the restaurant, An Yi followed the waiter to a private room. Just as he entered, he heard a familiar voice.

"An Yi!"

An Yi: ...

An Yi's steps barely paused. What a coincidence?

He turned around and saw Gu Mingzhi walking toward him, his face showing obvious joy, genuine.

It really was a coincidence.

Gu Mingzhi stood before him, his eyes barely hiding his delight. "What a coincidence! What are you doing here?"

He stepped closer and walked right into An Yi's private room.

An Yi: ...

He gave a slight smile. "Because I'm human and I need to eat."

Gu Mingzhi approached An Yi. "Can I have the honor of having lunch with you?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a chair for An Yi and gestured for him to sit. "What do you want to eat? It's on me."

An Yi: "..."

He looked past Gu Mingzhi toward the door.

A young man in a suit, looking like an assistant, stood hesitantly not far away, glancing between Gu Mingzhi and An Yi with a troubled expression.

When his eyes met An Yi's, the young man flinched as if burned, gave a quick bow toward Gu Mingzhi, then turned and practically jogged away from the scene.

Gu Mingzhi also turned to look and then said, "That's my assistant. Looks like he has something urgent."

He paused and added, "Very urgent."

An Yi: "..."

"I can tell," he said lightly. "Like a dog was after him."

The waiter, who'd been quiet, snuck a glance at them and rolled his eyes.

Damn gay guys, coming to a restaurant to show off!

After ordering, the waiter retreated as if he'd been let off the hook, gently closing the door.

In an instant, only the two of them remained in the private room, along with the faint scent of incense.

An Yi sat down on the chair Gu Mingzhi had pulled out. Gu Mingzhi then took the seat opposite him.

For a moment, neither spoke. Gu Mingzhi looked at An Yi, at his unusually calm and handsome face in the light and shadow. The agitation in his heart was strangely soothed bit by bit, replaced by a deeper emotion mixed with curiosity and desire.

He wanted this person. He truly did.

It wasn't just physical attraction, nor merely the urge to conquer.

He longed for this calmness, this powerful core that seemed to penetrate all fog. He longed for An Yi to use that calmness to soothe the dark agitation within himself that he couldn't even fully control.

He... he longed for his pity.

"An Yi..." Gu Mingzhi's voice unconsciously lowered, with a hoarseness he himself didn't notice. "I want to know... who was the first person to say your name sounds nice?"

He clearly remembered that during their first conversation in the hallway of the Gu family's old mansion, when An Yi mentioned "the first," there was a rare, genuine tenderness and nostalgia on his face, so different from the cold teasing he showed toward him.

An Yi seemed surprised by the sudden question. He tilted his head, thinking, as if remembering something nice. His brows relaxed, and he smiled sincerely. "Why suddenly ask about this?"

Seeing his expression, Gu Mingzhi felt a pang in his heart.

Gu Mingzhi let out a low laugh, tinged with helplessness. "You've said many times that you don't like me..."

He raised his eyes and looked at An Yi intently. "What kind of person is he? If... if I try to become a little more like him, would you change your mind about me a little?"

The smile on An Yi's face slowly faded. He just looked at him silently for a long moment, and finally let out an almost inaudible, heavy sigh.

"Why would you do that?"

Gu Mingzhi's gaze was deep, almost piercing through to the depths of An Yi's eyes, as if trying to penetrate the calm surface and see if there was really no ripple underneath.

"An Yi," he began, his voice low and serious, all his pride seemingly crushed, leaving only a pure, almost desperate frankness. "I can't control it."

"I know, before you thought I was fooling around, that I wasn't thinking straight, that it was just frustration or a need to conquer."

He took a deep breath, as if mustering great courage. "I'm clear-headed now. More clear-headed than ever."

"When I told you before that I was gay, I wasn't even sure myself." He said this clearly, noticing a flash of surprise in An Yi's eyes, but he didn't pause and continued.

"At least, before I met you, I wasn't. I had no interest in men. And I won't be interested in any other man in the future. But now, at this moment, I only want you."

His gaze was blazing hot, with a sincerity that could almost burn. "This 'like' maybe came out of nowhere, maybe it doesn't make sense, but it happened. Not because I can't stand not having you, nor because you provoked my desire to conquer—though you did provoke me constantly before."

"I did make you angry."

He gave a wry, self-mocking smile, but his eyes were still firm. "It's because you are you."

"I tried to resist, tried to analyze with reason, but it was useless." His eyes were burning. "My heartbeat, my gaze, my emotions... they don't listen to me. They only go crazy for you."

"You said you can't afford to play games." Gu Mingzhi's gaze locked onto An Yi, not allowing him to evade. "I admit, in front of you, I've long lost any pride in 'being able to play the game.' From the moment I said that word, I gave it up."

"So..." he said, "I'm not playing. I'm serious. Serious enough to lose all face, swallow my pride, and keep being your dog... as long as you're willing to give me a chance, a chance to get close to you."

"I'm not asking you to like me... okay?"

An Yi was speechless.

Gu Mingzhi, such a proud, tough man, had laid himself completely bare before An Yi, leaving himself to be judged.

What a pity...