Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Rong Yuan finished looking at the gifts and came back holding a pair of small cloth sheep in his hands. Though each was smaller than a palm, they were exquisitely made, and when shaken, they made a jingling sound—clearly meant for a child to play with.

He saw Lu Yi helping to organize Gu Shenhan's luggage, but Gu Shenhan himself wasn't around, so he asked, "Where is my husband?"

Lu Yi said, "He went to the embroidery studio to check on the renovations."

Rong Yuan went to find him, unconsciously tapping the little sheep together. "Honey, have you had lunch?"

Gu Shenhan said, "I had a simple meal on the plane. Is there anything else in this room you're not satisfied with?"

Rong Yuan shook his head.

It was only now that he truly looked around. Earlier, his mind had been preoccupied with whether he had upset Gu Shenhan, and he had forgotten that the reason he left Cui Xi Garden was precisely because this embroidery studio needed renovations.

Now everything was complete. The shelves and cabinets were neatly arranged, the sofas, desks, and workstations were all coordinated, and clearly someone had cleaned the place—every corner was spotless and the windows were bright and clean.

Though it was completely different from the home in the other world, he still liked it. Just standing here gave him a sense of peace and comfort, perhaps because the colors of the renovation were so warm, or because Gu Shenhan had returned.

Or maybe both.

The butler said, "Madam, we haven't moved your craft materials yet because there are so many. We weren't sure which thread colors you use most frequently, and we didn't want to put them away in a way that would inconvenience you later. When you're ready to organize, just call us, and we'll arrange them according to your preferences."

Rong Yuan thanked him, and the butler left the studio.

Gu Shenhan tucked his left hand in his pocket and reached out with his right. "An An, come here."

Rong Yuan obediently went over and was pulled into a hug. He said frankly, "Honey, I'm not going to play games anymore."

Gu Shenhan pulled him onto his lap. "Why?"

Rong Yuan said, "There are annoying people. I wasn't really playing because I wanted to anyway, and I ended up encountering unpleasant things. The person Xiao Yu knows seems very enthusiastic, but I always feel something is off. His friends are even stranger. They're the kind of people who act nice but make you really uncomfortable."

A truly cultured person wouldn't make others feel that way.

"Then don't play," Gu Shenhan said. "Now that the studio is done, when you have time, you can talk to the designer about how to arrange the baby's room."

"Won't they be curious about where the baby comes from?"

"As long as you don't answer directly when they're curious, they'll know not to ask such questions. Designers who can handle large estates like this have enough social awareness."

Rong Yuan agreed. The designer who had helped him with the studio had been very considerate, and the collaboration had been quite pleasant.

So he decided not to dwell on that annoyance. From now on, instead of playing games, he would use that time to prepare lovely bedrooms for the babies.

Gu Shenhan gently nuzzled Rong Yuan's neck. "Has your appetite improved these past two days?"

Rong Yuan said, "Much better. It's really amazing—after the ultrasound that day, my appetite came back. Now I enjoy eating everything again. I'll tell the chef later that I want hotpot for dinner."

Gu Shenhan couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes he felt the person in his arms was very mature, thoughtful, and considerate. Other times, he still seemed childlike.

He let go of him. "Alright, I'll have them prepare hotpot. If you want company, call Xiao Yu and the others over. If you want it to be just the two of us, then it'll be just us."

Rong Yuan shook the pair of little sheep in his hands.

Gu Shenhan smiled. "Alright, just the two of us."

That evening, Rong Yuan demonstrated with his eating what "recovering his appetite" meant. After eating his fill, he video-called Lin Xiaotang. He was worried that Lin Xiaotang and the others might be concerned about what happened during the day.

Lin Xiaotang was relieved to hear that nothing had happened. "What a coincidence that it happened exactly at that time."

Initially, Rong Yuan hadn't thought much of it, but hearing that, he realized it was indeed too coincidental, as if someone had deliberately timed it.

Gu Shenhan had been on a business trip out of town, taking both car and plane, with many variables in between—yet it still managed to align perfectly.

He couldn't help but suspect it was intentional.

But what was the motive?

Suddenly, Rong Yuan's heart skipped a beat as he recalled the conversation at the old mansion when Gu Shenhan mentioned that the main branch was keeping an eye on them.

Especially the matter at Bishui Bay—the main branch knew all the details.

This style reminded him of someone.

When he returned to Bishui Bay, Rong Yuan asked Yan Yu, "Xiao Yu, when did you first meet Hellfire?"

Yan Yu said, "About a month ago. Why, Xiao'an Gege?"

Rong Yuan recounted the conversation he and Gu Shenhan had at the old mansion with the main branch and said suspiciously, "I'm wondering if they're involved."

Yan Yu asked, "What's the point?"

Lin Xiaotang said, "To sow discord? Think about it: the day Han Ge came back, if he had really misunderstood, it would have had a huge impact on the two of them."

Yan Yu said, "That does make sense. Let me test them."

Rong Yuan had been worried that Yan Yu might get upset hearing this, but Yan Yu didn't seem bothered at all. Even if he was unhappy, it was only because of the possibility of being deceived. He gritted his teeth and said, "If it really is Gu Chengzhi, then I'll make sure they learn a lesson."

"Didn't you notice anything different about him?"

"Not really... maybe?" Yan Yu thought carefully and said, "Oh! He mentioned before that he was injured!"

"Injured?"

"Yeah. I noticed his skill level wasn't as good as before, so I asked him why. He said his hand was injured, which was why he was playing slower."

"Has it recovered now?"

"He said it's getting better, but it still doesn't seem the same as before."

Yan Yu hadn't thought about it before, but now the more he considered it, the more something felt off. Originally, he had thought that if he didn't make any new progress, his brother might also hesitate to move forward with the person he liked, out of consideration for his feelings.

His brother was the type who was quiet but deeply cared about his family. That's why Yan Yu had used the game to create the appearance of being in a passionate romance. He thought that only if he had a boyfriend would his brother be able to be truly at ease with someone else.

In reality, he didn't have much feeling for that Hellfire guy.

It wasn't like he had never seen money before; he wasn't going to be moved just because someone gave him gifts.

Lin Xiaotang asked, "So, Xiao Yu, how are you planning to test him?"

Yan Yu said, "Isn't it simple? From now on, if he buys me anything, I'll say a friend already gave me something similar, but better and obviously more expensive. If he has ulterior motives, he won't want to be outdone, right? Let's see if he tries to send something even more valuable, or if he thinks I'm gold-digging and stops contacting me."

Rong Yuan asked, "But what kind of gift would make him consider it expensive?"

Even if Gu Chengzhi wasn't as wealthy as Gu Shenhan, he wasn't exactly poor. Tens of thousands probably wouldn't mean much to him.

Yan Yu said, "There are plenty of things. Don't worry, Xiao'an Gege, just watch me!"

Rong Yuan felt that at this moment, Yan Yu had become lively again, and he found it both amusing and exasperating.

Just then, June Star privately messaged Yan Yu, asking why his two friends had stopped playing.

Yan Yu said they had work to do and couldn't always play, and besides, they had families—their partners had come back.

Any normal person would know to keep their distance after that. But June Star actually asked when they would be online again, adding that he had been too impulsive before and wanted to apologize in person.

Apologize in person?!

Yan Yu thought to himself, you've got a death wish, don't you?

By now, his tone turned sour: I already said it’s not needed. Didn't you already return the stuff? My friend is a very reserved person, why are you still harping on this?

When Yan Yu got back, he messaged Hellfire: "What’s the deal with the two friends you brought? It’s like they don’t understand what they’re being told. I already said my friends aren’t playing anymore."

Hellfire, who was actually Gu Chengzhi, wasn’t with the other two. But he knew everything that had happened between them better than anyone.

He replied to Yan Yu: "Your friends are just as good as you, so my two friends really became invested. They meant no harm."

Yan Yu said: "Ah, there's really no need. You know where I come from, right? My friends really aren't short on that kind of stuff. Forget a limited-edition skin—they could buy a dozen if they wanted. If my friend just waved a hand, there'd be a queue of people outside sending him things."

Gu Chengzhi naturally knew this wasn't a boast, but the truth. Yet it was precisely this truth that made jealousy burn like fire in his heart.

Ever since he learned that Gu Shenhan was far richer than he had imagined, he had been tormented every moment. Only by destroying it all could he feel some relief.

Just like earlier, he didn't want his brother and Tao Ling to end up well.

Why should it be them and not him?

Why could Gu Shenhan stay steady on a horse the first time he mounted, and ride decently in just three days?

Why, after all his hard practice, was he still told he couldn't match the second young master's effortless brushwork?

Such a filthy, despicable background!

That year when the horse spooked, it should have broken Gu Shenhan’s neck! Instead, it only injured his leg!

Gu Chengzhi stared darkly at the character in his phone, which kept changing outfits.

After a long moment, he replied with a smirk: "You're right, they really don't know their place. I promise it won't happen again. I apologize on their behalf."

Yan Yu: "You didn't do anything wrong, why are you apologizing for them? I'm not blaming you, either. Besides, I might not be online much from now on."

Gu Chengzhi asked: "Why? Can’t we still play together?"

Yan Yu said: "I can't say for sure. You know I sell clothes and have always wanted to get a storefront. But the spot I've got my eye on—the rent alone is seven to eight hundred thousand. Then I'd need to renovate, hire two assistants—at least 1.2 million total. I need to figure out a way to get that money."

Gu Chengzhi said: "You want to borrow money?"

Yan Yu made his character do a belly-laughing animation: "How is that possible? If I wanted to borrow, I wouldn't need to figure anything out. I just have to open my mouth and plenty of people would lend to me. I'm thinking about who could just *give* me that money."

Rong Yuan and Lin Xiaotang were right next to him, and upon hearing this, both of their jaws dropped in shock.

That's way too bold—he's literally asking for free money?!

As expected, the other side didn't reply.