Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Gu Zhangyuan quickly said, "I'm not showing you."

Xie Licheng said mischievously, "You think just because you said not to look, I won't?"

As he spoke, he deliberately pulled his collar open and peeked inside.

Gu Zhangyuan was caught off guard by his actions and quickly reached out with both hands to grab his ears.

"Not showing you."

"Why can't I look? It's just the chest, isn't it? You get to look at mine every day."

Isn't a gē'er's chest basically the same as a man's?

Xie Licheng really couldn't figure out why Gu Zhangyuan was making such a big deal out of it.

Xie Licheng even tugged open his own shirt to show Gu Zhangyuan, saying, "It's just a chest. I'll show you mine."

Gu Zhangyuan thought he was completely shameless. "You've got no shame at all."

Xie Licheng: "A man's pecs and abs are the best dowry."

What was there to be embarrassed about?

Gu Zhangyuan couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous logic. He had never met anyone as shameless as Xie Licheng.

But hearing Xie Licheng call those things a dowry, he still instinctively glanced at Xie Licheng's body.

He had to admit, it looked pretty good.

Seeing him look at his body, Xie Licheng smiled and said, "Want to give them a feel?"

Gu Zhangyuan quickly replied, "No."

"Really not?"

"No."

Hearing that, Xie Licheng stopped teasing him. Afterward, he helped Gu Zhangyuan wash his feet and was about to carry him back to bed.

Gu Zhangyuan quickly said, "I haven't even changed my clothes yet!"

As he spoke, he motioned for Xie Licheng to put him down.

Xie Licheng hadn't brought him a change of shoes. He looked down at his clean, soft feet and felt reluctant to put him back on the ground.

Gu Zhangyuan also refused to put dirty shoes back on after washing his feet.

The two exchanged a look, and Xie Licheng suggested, "I'll change you."

"No, I'll change on my own."

They hadn't even slept together yet, and letting Xie Licheng change his clothes felt too embarrassing.

"How long are you gonna take to change?"

Gu Zhangyuan did everything slowly. He was probably rarely dressed by himself, so he wasn't very good at it.

After speaking, Xie Licheng set him down on the stool so he could stand steady.

Xie Licheng was truly fast at changing him—he had his clothes off in no time.

Seeing how embarrassed Gu Zhangyuan was, Xie Licheng quickly wrapped him in an outer robe.

Once he was wrapped up, Xie Licheng scooped him into his arms and strode toward the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, Xie Licheng tossed him onto the bed.

This time, Gu Zhangyuan was mentally prepared, so he wasn't as scared as before.

He landed in the soft bedding and quickly reached for the blanket to cover himself.

Seeing how careful he was being, Xie Licheng asked with amusement, "So afraid of me, and you still want to sleep here?"

Gu Zhangyuan reached up to fix his slightly messy long hair. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm just not used to this yet."

In this world, he could fear anyone, but not Xie Licheng.

Xie Licheng: "Then you better get used to it soon, or how are we gonna have kids?"

Actually, Xie Licheng didn't really want kids. He only brought it up because he figured that given the Gu family's situation, Gu Zhangyuan would want to carry on the family line. So they'd definitely have kids.

Gu Zhangyuan looked up at him and asked, "Can we wait to have kids for now? The world is so unstable right now, and the Gu family really needs me. I don't want to get pregnant that fast."

He hadn't rushed to sleep with Xie Licheng because he was worried that if he accidentally got pregnant, he wouldn't have the energy for everything else.

Xie Licheng took off his outer robe and said casually, "It's fine. My health isn't the best right now anyway. Once I'm healthier, we can have children then."

A man's poor health could also affect the baby's health.

But Xie Licheng said this not because his health was actually bad—he just wanted to give Gu Zhangyuan an out so he wouldn't feel too much pressure.

Gu Zhangyuan did want children. His younger siblings were still little, and he had no idea how his mother and the others were doing. The responsibility of carrying on the Gu family line now fell on his shoulders.

The Gu family was a well-known name, and he didn't want this line to end with them.

Besides, he genuinely liked Xie Licheng. If he could have a kid who looked like both him and Xie Licheng, he'd be really happy.

Xie Licheng changed into his pajamas and found a comfortable set for Gu Zhangyuan too.

"Wear this to sleep tonight."

The pajamas he found for Gu Zhangyuan came in two pieces, but since Gu Zhangyuan was so small, he only needed the top—it fit like a nightgown. So Xie Licheng just gave him the top.

Gu Zhangyuan hid under the blanket and put on the clothes, only then feeling a bit of security.

Afterward, Xie Licheng turned off all the lights outside and then switched off the bedroom light when he came back.

He didn't like sleeping with light, so he had to find his way to the bed in the dark.

Feeling the movement beside him, Gu Zhangyuan quickly scooted inward to make more room for Xie Licheng.

Xie Licheng was a large man, and compared to his build, Gu Zhangyuan looked very small and thin.

Gu Zhangyuan's build wasn't small among gē'er, but it depended on who he was compared to. Against other gē'er or women, he was quite tall and slender. But next to someone as tall as Xie Licheng, he suddenly seemed petite.

The weather wasn't too hot these days, but sleeping in pajamas under a blanket at night still felt a bit stuffy.

Gu Zhangyuan wrapped himself in the blanket, but before long, he started getting a little hot.

He carefully poked his hands and feet out, and as he lifted the blanket, the scent of him slowly leaked out.

Xie Licheng, who had been on the verge of falling asleep, his nose twitched, and he couldn't help rolling over to face Gu Zhangyuan.

Xie Licheng asked, "Why do you smell so good?"

At that, Gu Zhangyuan got even hotter. He snuck a sniff of himself but didn't smell a thing.

Was this guy trying to get fresh with him?

"Can I have a sniff?"

See? He definitely had ulterior motives.

Gu Zhangyuan didn't want to deal with him, but he was afraid that if he didn't respond, the guy might do something crazy. To keep Xie Licheng from pulling any stunts, Gu Zhangyuan held out a slim arm to him.

Basically: Fine, sniff it, but give it back when you're done.

But once the lamb was in the wolf's mouth, getting it back wasn't so easy.

As soon as he stretched out his arm, Xie Licheng grabbed his wrist tight.

Xie Licheng had a hell of a grip—no matter how Gu Zhangyuan struggled, he couldn't get loose.

Xie Licheng said to Gu Zhangyuan, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna mess with you. Just a sniff, promise."

Hearing that, Gu Zhangyuan stopped fighting it. He knew Xie Licheng well enough—if he said it, he meant it, and he wouldn't go any further.

Then Xie Licheng sniffed the back of his hand, but he couldn't tell if it was incense or just the guy's natural omega scent.

He was genuinely curious what this smell was—it had a calming effect on him.

He liked it, and he'd asked Gu Zhangyuan about it a while back.

Gu Zhangyuan's outer robe was usually scented with incense, but he had already taken it off and even given himself a quick wipe. So logically, there shouldn't be any incense left on him now.

Since he couldn't figure it out, Xie Licheng just hauled Gu Zhangyuan over to him.

Gu Zhangyuan was a little scared and flustered, but he didn't say anything to stop him.

He got dragged over, and Xie Licheng tossed the blanket off him.

Then Xie Licheng propped himself up, leaned into his neck and chest, and took a good sniff.

Xie Licheng figured this was probably just the guy's natural omega scent.

Since Gu Zhangyuan smelled it every day, he'd gone numb to his own scent. Only someone from the outside like Xie Licheng would be more sensitive to it.

Gu Zhangyuan bit his thin lip and shoved Xie Licheng's head away with his fingers.

He said, "I'm tired. I wanna rest."

Xie Licheng nodded, "Mm, me too. Night."

When Xie Licheng said he'd stop messing with him, he actually did.

Watching Xie Licheng lie back down, Gu Zhangyuan quickly yanked the skirt back down that Xie Licheng had accidentally hiked up.

He pulled the blanket back over himself, then turned over and shut his eyes.

He'd figured that sharing a bed with a man for the first time would make it impossible to sleep.

But surprisingly, the second he closed his eyes, he was out like a light.

He didn't dream at all that night, and when he opened his eyes, it was already light out.

Gu Zhangyuan rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit thirsty. He groggily crawled up, planning to climb over the mountain of a man next to him to get out of bed.

But just as he swung one leg over, the guy who still wasn't used to having a wife suddenly opened his eyes.

Gu Zhangyuan got startled, froze mid-climb, and plopped right down on Xie Licheng.

Xie Licheng stared at his face with those deep, cold eyes like he was running facial recognition, and accurately read two words on it.

"Wife."

Xie Licheng's eyes instantly softened, and he reached out to steady the waist of his wife sitting on him.

He asked, "Need to get down?"

Gu Zhangyuan nodded, then grabbed Xie Licheng's arm and managed to get off the bed.

His shoes were still in the bathroom, so to get water, he had to wear Xie Licheng's.

Xie Licheng only wore slippers at the farm, and Gu Zhangyuan had small feet, so wearing them felt like stepping into a pair of boats.

Gu Zhangyuan shuffled along in the oversized shoes and made his way to the living room to get some water.

He drank a cup of warm water himself, and thinking of Xie Licheng still lounging in bed, he poured another cup for him in a different glass.

Gu Zhangyuan carried the cup back, and when Xie Licheng saw he'd brought him water, he figured he couldn't just keep lying there.

As he sat up, he asked, "Oh yeah, you said yesterday you had something to tell me?"

Gu Zhangyuan handed him the cup and sat down beside Xie Licheng.

He leaned against Xie Licheng's arm like a little accessory, looking all obedient.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "It's about buying a house for our family."

Xie Licheng gave a low "mm," signaling for him to go on.

Gu Zhangyuan: "I've got my eye on two houses, both on the same street. I want to buy them both—one for my father and the others to live in, and the other for us."

Xie Licheng downed the water in one gulp. "Easy. You don't need to buy the house. Just ask me."

Gu Zhangyuan took the cup from his hand first, then calmly went on to explain, "It's different. For the house for the Gu family, it's better if I buy it myself, or else they'll feel uneasy living there. Also, houses in town are cheap, so I can afford ours."

Xie Licheng guessed his concerns and, after thinking it over, said, "You don't need to buy it. If you feel uneasy, let's do this: from now on, you'll help me manage the houses and shops. To keep buyers from giving you a hard time, I'll set all the prices myself and hand them over to you to sell. You'll also have to handle the deeds and land titles—it's a hassle. From now on, you'll take care of these things for me, and I'll pay you for each place. The payment will be two residences and two shops. You can pick any ones you like. No matter which places you choose, they'll be your personal property. Even if we ever fall out of love someday, I swear I won't take back what I've given you."

Gu Zhangyuan saw how serious he was and couldn't help but smile as he asked, "If we really do part ways one day, what about the kids? How would we split them?"

"If we have two kids, you get one, and I get one. If there's only one, let the child choose."

"Then we've agreed—you can't go back on your word later."

Xie Licheng was a bit rough around the edges, but he treated his wife well, so he figured they'd never fall out of love.

Even if their relationship truly broke down, he wouldn't take back what he'd given, because that would make him look bad.

Besides, if they'd come together, it meant they'd genuinely liked each other. For someone he'd once loved, Xie Licheng couldn't bring himself to be harsh.

Xie Licheng said, "I won't regret it."

Gu Zhangyuan reached out his pinky to make a pinky promise, and Xie Licheng actually linked pinkies with him.

Afterwards, Xie Licheng got up, washed his face, and began sketching out the layout of Peach Blossom Town according to the map in the system.

His drawing skills weren't great, and Gu Zhangyuan watched beside him looking exasperated.

Finally, Gu Zhangyuan couldn't stand it anymore, so he walked over and nudged Xie Licheng aside.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "Let me draw it. You just tell me the specific layout on the scratch paper."

Xie Licheng nodded at that, and the two of them got to work together.

The main purpose of drawing the map was for selling houses later on.

Xie Licheng found a pencil and priced each spot on the layout Gu Zhangyuan had drawn.

After that, if anyone wanted to buy a house in the town, Gu Zhangyuan could sell it according to the prices on the map.

If people were dissatisfied with the prices, since they were set in advance by Xie Licheng, they couldn't easily give Gu Zhangyuan a hard time.

Gu Zhangyuan marked the two properties he had his eye on, and remembering that Xie Licheng was also giving him two shops as compensation, he didn't hold back. He casually picked two well-located shops and marked them too.

He wasn't taking Xie Licheng's stuff for nothing. With so many houses and shops in the town, managing the sales was still a hassle. Even if they were a married couple, he couldn't get used to working for free.

Otherwise, over time, the man would start thinking it was fine to boss him around. Maybe later, if he wanted something, the other would think he was unfaithful or not family-oriented.

After successfully taking over Peach Blossom Town, the quest bar hit (50/50), unlocking the next area.

Now Xie Licheng's pocket world had 89 people, and the next area could be unlocked now.

He wanted to see what the next area was, so he went ahead and unlocked it.

The new area was right next to Peach Blossom Town, a very small place.

After unlocking it, Xie Licheng found it was a small temple, situated on the main road south of Peach Blossom Town.

This temple also had to be taken over, but the method was different from Peach Blossom Town.

There was only one enemy in the temple—a bandit leader at level thirty.

Xie Licheng could take it on by himself, and since he had nothing else to do, he decided to teleport there and take it out.

This temple was different from Peach Blossom Town—the bandit leader wouldn't respawn once defeated, so Xie Licheng didn't need to leave anyone to guard it.

Xie Licheng wanted to use it to level up, so he said to Gu Zhangyuan, "I'm going to go take out a bandit. I should be back soon."

Gu Zhangyuan set down his pen at that. "Be careful, don't get hurt."

Xie Licheng nodded, then turned to leave.

Gu Zhangyuan suddenly asked, "By the way, what about that protective charm I gave you?"

Xie Licheng pointed to the window of the bedroom—he'd hung it there as a decoration.

He thought that kind of thing was too fragile. Every time he went out, it was all fighting and bloodshed, and the charm could easily get ruined, so he didn't keep it on him.

Seeing that, Gu Zhangyuan was a bit exasperated. He walked over, took down the charm, and came to Xie Licheng's side, saying, "It only works if you wear it."

Xie Licheng wanted to say he didn't need such a thing, and since it was a gift from Gu Zhangyuan, he wanted to keep it at home as a keepsake.

But seeing Gu Zhangyuan looking up at him, he had no choice but to tuck the charm into his belt pouch.

Gu Zhangyuan fastened the pouch for him, and Xie Licheng grabbed his weapon and teleported off.

After Xie Licheng left, Gu Zhangyuan started drafting the property deeds. He'd dealt with shop matters often before, so he knew a thing or two about buying and selling deeds.

He wanted to take advantage of the free time to write a few extra copies to have on hand just in case.

Since he wanted those two houses and had picked two shops, he thought he might as well draft the deeds first, so Xie Licheng could sign them when he returned.

Gu Zhangyuan drew beautifully and had excellent handwriting.

He used the paper and pens from Xie Licheng's place, which took some getting used to at first.

But he soon found the paper and pens were of great quality—the paper was thin, clean, and sturdy, and the pen tips were fine, making writing smooth without worrying about smudging.

He wondered where Xie Licheng got all this weird stuff.

Just as Gu Zhangyuan was thinking this and slowly writing the deeds, he vaguely heard Xuan Cui's voice.

Gu Zhangyuan stopped what he was doing and decided to head out in his slippers to take a look.

Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten anything yet, and suddenly he felt a bit hungry.

As Gu Zhangyuan was slowly making his way outside, Xuan Cui pushed the door open carefully, holding a food box.

The master and servant met face to face, and Gu Zhangyuan asked with some surprise, "Huh? How did you get in?"

"It was the master who sent me."