Halfway through the banquet, Shen Ci arrived as expected.

He seemed to have just gotten off work. Dressed in a meticulous suit and leather shoes, he handed his coat to a waiter upon entering the venue, then glanced around. His gaze landed fleetingly on Xie Yu before quickly shifting away.

The System was quite curious: "If he didn't visit the prison so often, I really would've thought he didn't know you."

In front of outsiders, Shen Ci was always aloof and noble, with a cold appearance and a cold tone. Xie Yu admired this for a good while until someone sat next to him and chuckled, "Young Master Xie?"

Xie Yu turned his head. It was a young master he didn't recognize, though they had briefly crossed paths at the reception area. He had been walking with Xie Yi.

Xie Yu nodded politely. "Can I help you?"

The man said, "I see you've been staring at CEO Shen. Do you know him?"

It was no secret in Jiang City that Shen Ci had followed Xie Yu when he was down and out. This time, upon Xie Yu's return to the country, many were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, wanting to see when the once precious and noble Young Master Xie would be put in his place. The man's words could be considered a provocation.

Xie Yu's expression remained neutral. "I know him. What about it?"

The man let out a heh. "Aren't you going up to offer a toast and say hello?"

He was deliberately mocking Xie Yu to reclaim face for the current young master of the Xie Family. Little did he know, Xie Yu just gave him a look, then turned his head away and ignored him.

As if he were looking at a jumping clown.

The man, realizing he had snubbed himself, walked away with his wine.

However, truth be told, Xie Yu did want to chat with Shen Ci.

He didn't know what to talk about either; it was just that the task was completed, yet some regrets remained, so he wanted to have a proper face-to-face conversation.

Shen Ci was sitting in the middle of the banquet, surrounded by layers of people. Xie Yu, now a nobody, couldn't squeeze his way in. He circled the outer periphery twice with his wine but completely failed to find an opening.

Everyone at the banquet was busy socializing and indeed had no time to pay attention to him. Xie Yu couldn't be bothered to squeeze in either, so he simply sat down on the outskirts and spaced out around the round table.

He didn't care, but unfortunately, there were people who cared a lot. The young master of the Xie family was used to being domineering, and many people wanted to see him fall from grace—the harder the fall, the more satisfying it was. Xie Yu overheard a few scattered remarks, mostly mocking his cheap clothes, calling them street stall goods, and saying he could no longer afford his usual brands. Some even mentioned he was driving a Santana, which was two or three tiers lower compared to a Bentley.

Xie Yu was indifferent. In his own world, he couldn't even afford a Santana.

These voices weren't quiet, and some were even deliberately meant for Shen Ci to hear. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the chatter suddenly quieted down halfway through.

Shen Ci raised his hand and clapped, making a gesture to stop. "Alright, let's get back to the investment."

The gossip about Young Master Xie was, after all, just a sideshow; the investment was the important matter. The topic returned to the right track. Who would have thought that twenty minutes later, a waiter leaned in beside Xie Yu and whispered, "Mr. Xie, could you please head to the private booth? Mr. Shen would like to meet with you."

Xie Yu looked up. Shen Ci was still in the middle of the crowd, turning his head to explain something, not glancing in his direction at all.

Xie Yu nodded at the waiter. "Naturally."

The banquet had private booths for private conversations, well-stocked with food and drinks. Xie Yu had only taken a couple of shallow sips of wine when Shen Ci arrived.

His gaze swept over Xie Yu, skimming over his street-stall clothes, and his eyelids drooped slightly. It was hard to tell if it was mockery or something else: "You've really fallen into such a state."

Xie Yu's hand holding the wine glass paused.

Shen Ci knew best what state he was in right now. Saying it out loud in front of him intentionally was a bit strange.

Xie Yu wasn't angry; he said lightly, "Mm."

Shen Ci sat down opposite him. "Are you really planning to hand over the Xie Consortium's shares to others?"

"Xie Yuanhai has been operating in secret. The price they are offering you is far below the market value. Add in inheritance tax and other issues, and what you actually get in hand won't exceed this amount."

Xie Yu tilted his head to look. Shen Ci wrote a string of numbers on a piece of white paper. He didn't count clearly how many zeros there were. This amount was enough for most people to live comfortably for a lifetime, but for the spending habits of second-generation heirs, it would be slightly stretched.

Shen Ci continued, "As far as I know, you have a debt relationship of millions with He Zhiyuan and the others?"

His attitude was cold, and his voice was cold, as if devoid of any emotion. Xie Yu recalled, "Yes."

The two of them used to go out and spend money together. Both were top-tier elites of Jiang City, and neither cared about a million or two. Later, when He Zhiyuan fell from grace and the two had a falling out, if they really went to court, Xie Yu did indeed owe a few million.

Shen Ci said indifferently, "If you want to repay this money, I'm afraid you'll have to work for twenty or thirty years."

Xie Yu: "..."

He still had several million on his card, so he wasn't actually short on money. Besides, the task was completed, and he would be leaving soon.

But as Xie Yu scanned Shen Ci, he saw his fingertips gripping the table tightly, unconsciously exerting force as if he were nervous. Seeing this, Xie Yu couldn't bring himself to say those words.

He asked good-naturedly, "Then what should I do?"

Shen Ci didn't look at him. After a long while, he finally said, "In your current situation, you must be strapped for cash, right?"

His tone was cold and hard, carrying a hint of bravado and an attempt to cover something up.

Xie Yu ignored the balance on his card and played along, "Uh, yes?"

Shen Ci: "I can help you take back the shares you deserve."

Xie Yu didn't reply, vaguely guessing what Shen Ci wanted to do.

In all fairness, he didn't need the equity. But the Shen Ci in front of him looked slightly haggard, with faint dark circles under his eyes—the result of rushing between the company and the psychiatric hospital these past few days. Those beautiful eyes were downcast... Shen Ci was clearly already among the top elites of Jiang City, but looking at him now, he actually seemed somewhat down and out.

Seeing this, Xie Yu felt a slight astringency in his chest, making him unable to utter words of refusal.

When he was hospitalized for an illness as a child, no one ever came to visit him, not even once.

Xie Yu asked, "Then what should I do?"

Shen Ci remained calm. "Sign an agreement with me, just like the one you signed with me five years ago."

When he said this, he had no expression and didn't look at Xie Yu. It was as if he wasn't looking for a lover, but negotiating a highly valuable business deal. He lacked any of the careless, hedonistic swagger of a young master. His fingertips pressed against the tabletop, and the faint veins visible on the back of his hand betrayed a subtle anxiety.

...What was he anxious about?

Xie Yu was clearly the one waiting for a price, yet he was the one who was anxious.

Xie Yu could even imagine how devastated Shen Ci would be if he refused. His meticulously styled hair would probably droop, and those clear, cold eyes would lose their luster... All these thoughts made it impossible for him to say the words.

Even during the past six months, he had never made Shen Ci this sad.

He couldn't bear to see Shen Ci so sad.

The System was already shocked by the derailed plot. It circled Xie Yu, even more anxious than he was, muttering, "What kind of play is this? Ah? Is there even such a plotline? But the task is complete, and the host is leaving soon. Host? Why aren't you speaking? Host?!"

Its voice abruptly came to a halt.

Only to hear Xie Yu chuckle lightly, "Alright."

He agreed crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation. His tone was calm and gentle, as if he weren't signing an agreement involving personal freedom, but merely asking what to have for dinner.

System: "?!"

It asked in disbelief, "Host, don't you want to go home?"

Xie Yu was usually lackadaisical, letting nothing bother him, but he was a man of his word. Having signed the agreement, he absolutely wouldn't leave, at least within its timeframe.

But wasn't the agreement initially made just so he could go home?

The System was bewildered.

Xie Yu waved it away. "I won't go back for now."

There was no one at home anyway.

Xie Yu had always been emotionally detached from his family. This was true in this life, and it had been true in his previous life as well. His mother died early, and as for his father, Xie Yu considered him completely dead. So much so that when he closed his eyes at death, he didn't have anyone to miss. Later, he only agreed to the System because he didn't want to die so suddenly. As for having much nostalgia for his previous life, he really didn't.

But certain people in this world made him feel a bit of nostalgia.

Shen Ci let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He slid a contract over, adopting a businesslike demeanor. "Xie Yuanhai has significant ambitions and is autocratic and ruthless. Over the past few months, he has swallowed up a large portion of the market, which has greatly impacted our company's overseas expansion share. Supporting you to rise to power is beneficial to us, so it can be considered a win-win situation."

The System was dumbfounded. "Is that true? Why do I remember that in the original text during this segment, the Xie Consortium was beaten so badly they couldn't find north? In two months, they're supposed to face a stock price crisis and be on the verge of delisting. Just like that, they can still seize market share?"

It sighed, "As expected, a centipede dies but never falls down. Xie Yuanhai is quite calculating and astute."

"...I told you not to misuse idioms."

Xie Yu held down the chattering System, nodded at Shen Ci, and agreed, "Indeed so."

Once the agreement was signed, Shen Ci visibly relaxed. "I've written out the conditions clearly. If you want to buy a car, buy a watch, or any daily expenses, you can put them on my tab."

The agreement was quite thick. Xie Yu flipped through it roughly. It was much better than the one he had given Shen Ci back then. There were none of those outrageous demands, such as BDSM or sleeping together.

The agreement was signed in duplicate, and they each put away their copy. Having settled a matter weighing on his mind, Shen Ci stood up. "I'll head back to the banquet first. Wait for me after it ends, and we'll leave together."

Shen Ci was one of the central figures of the banquet; he really couldn't stay away for too long.

Xie Yu pulled the door open for him, his movements quite gentlemanly. "After you."

The small booth fell quiet for a moment.

Xie Yu took out his phone. The System spun left and right beside him, suspicious. "Are you really not leaving?"

Xie Yu casually scrolled through the pages. "Am I getting in the way of your next task?"

"Not exactly," the System muttered. "I guess I'm on vacation too. Next time I look for a host, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled. I definitely can't find one like you again."

50 points! Heaven knows how much it had sacrificed for its host, only to get a measly 50 points!

Xie Yu had no time to deal with it, staring blankly at his phone. The System drifted over curiously to take a look, finding the screen filled with colorful images of fish and meat, accompanied by potatoes and scallions. On the side, the ratios of scallion, ginger, and garlic were detailed, teaching how to blanch and remove fishy smells.

Xie Yu was actually looking at recipes.

System: "? What are you doing?"

Xie Yu didn't even lift his head. "Learning the self-cultivation of a kept man."

"...?"

Xie Yu continued flipping through: "The agreement is signed. This is within my duties."

The System was surprised. "You can tear up this agreement at any time. Are you really going to abide by it?"

As long as Xie Yu said the word, he could return immediately.

Xie Yu: "I want to."

Xie Yu wasn't stupid. He had more or less sensed Shen Ci's feelings, but at the time, he only considered himself a passing traveler here and hadn't planned to stay long, so he deliberately kept his distance. But when it was truly time to leave, he found himself conflicted and hesitant.

Once he returned there, there would be no one watching over his hospital bed anymore.

Laying these hidden thoughts out plainly, it just meant he couldn't bear to part. Xie Yu asked himself honestly; he was somewhat reluctant to just walk away, reluctant to part with the accommodation and care, and even more reluctant... to make the great beauty sad.

Fortunately, he had always been a free-spirited person. Since he had made up his mind to stay, he would do it well.

The System was rendered speechless: "...Alright then."

Xie Yu remembered Shen Ci's tastes. He preferred light flavors, liked shrimp and fish, preferably steamed or boiled. When taking him out to eat in the past, these were the two dishes he picked at the most.

Since it was late at night, fresh fish and shrimp were hard to buy. Xie Yu located a nearby seafood market and texted Shen Ci: "I'm stepping out for a bit."

He typed while pulling open the booth door to walk out. Meanwhile, Shen Ci, in the center of the banquet, casually glanced at his phone, instantly paused, and then furrowed his brows.

The two hadn't added each other as contacts, but it was incredibly easy for Shen Ci to find out Xie Yu's number. The moment the message popped up, he knew who it was from.

Shen Ci softly excused himself, opened the chat box in a secluded spot, his fingers hovering over the screen. The anxiety he had just suppressed came rushing back.

He wanted to remind Xie Yu that they had signed an agreement, wanted to remind Xie Yu that the stock transfer hadn't been completed yet and what belonged to him wasn't in his hands, and also wanted to remind him that he had just agreed to leave together with him...

But before he could clumsily finish typing in the input box, Xie Yu slowly popped up another message: "The food at the banquet today is a bit unpalatable, and the beef is overcooked. Let's have an extra meal tonight?"

Shen Ci was stunned.

Xie Yu continued slowly: "Actually, I can cook. Do you want to try it?"

After sending that, Xie Yu remembered that Shen Ci was picky with food. When they first met at the hotel, even though he was so terrified, he still interrupted Xie Yu's ordering. He was very hard to please. So Xie Yu added: "My cooking skills are pretty good, not much worse than a restaurant."

He stayed on the typing interface, so Shen Ci's side kept displaying that he was typing. The highly revered CEO Shen stood just like that in the shadowy corner, staring at his worn-out phone, his palms sweating slightly.

He didn't understand what Xie Yu wanted to do.

Just a few days ago, he was still aloof and distant, acting as if they didn't know each other. Because of a paper agreement, the change was this huge?

Promising to buy him cars and watches made Xie Yu this happy?

'That's good too,' Shen Ci thought to himself, 'I have plenty of money now.'

Xie Yu adjusted his clothes and went downstairs, completely unaware of these convoluted thoughts. When Shen Ci didn't reply, he thought he hadn't seen it, so he continued slowly: "What do you want to eat? I see knife fish is in season. They're quite fresh recently. Do you want some?"

Knife fish is a migratory fish. Every year, it migrates from the coastal waters to the Yangtze River. It's only commonly seen in January and February. Eating it now means catching the first batch of the season's fresh harvest.

This thing was sold expensively. Wild ones cost several thousands per catty. Ordinary shops didn't have them; one had to look for them specifically. Xie Yu rarely ate it normally, but since today was a rare occasion, he wanted to buy it for Shen Ci to try.

Shen Ci replied at lightning speed: "Okay."

Actually, Xie Yu's belief that Shen Ci was hard to please was a pure misunderstanding. Shen Ci had been raised roughly since childhood; he wasn't picky about food or drink, nor was he particular. When Xie Yu mentioned knife fish, he didn't even know what it was.

And so, Xie Yu dragged his sneakers over to the seafood market, carefully selected a plump and energetic fish, had the boss stun and clean it with one knife strike, and brought it back in a red plastic bag. He didn't really like the atmosphere of the banquet, so he simply went into the parking lot and sat cross-legged in the Santana.

Xie Yu took a photo of the plastic bag in his hand and sent it over: "Bought it. It's over two catties."

A moment later, he typed again: "I'll wait for you in the parking lot."

Upstairs, the big shots of Jiang City were seated in their respective places, arguing over equity until their saliva flew and their faces turned red. Shen Ci quietly lit up his phone and looked at the message Xie Yu had sent.

A casually snapped photo, lacking any refinement in composition or color, featuring Xie Yu in casual clothes with only half his body visible, and the cheap plastic bag in his hand.

Very ordinary, and full of earthly warmth.

Previously, when Xie Yu stayed in Xingfu Neighborhood for three days, Shen Ci accompanied him next door for three days. At every mealtime, piping hot steam would rise from next door, the aroma of stir-fried scallion and ginger diffusing through the air, and chicken or pork rib soup would bubble away in a clay pot. Meanwhile, Shen Ci ate hotel catering; although it consisted of expensive ingredients—one dish costing as much as countless dishes of Xie Yu's—he desperately wanted to taste the flavor from Xie Yu's pot.

He hadn't expected that on the very first day of signing the agreement, he would get such an opportunity.

Shen Ci pondered his words before typing: "I live in a hotel and don't have a stove, so there might not be a place to cook?"

The moment the message was sent, it showed Xie Yu was typing.

He typed slowly. The car was toasty with the heater on, and his fingers were curled inside his coat, reluctant to stretch out. Xie Yu tapped the words one by one, completely oblivious to the anxiety on the other side of the screen.

It felt like an instant, yet also like a long time had passed. Xie Yu: "Can we go to my house? It's an old house my mom bought, but the conditions are a bit poor. You might not be used to it."

"...!"

Of course, Shen Ci wouldn't mind. He waited for a moment to make the message seem less eager, appearing aloof and reserved, before clicking send: "Sure."

The power play in the room was still continuing. After his brief reply, Shen Ci had to bring most of his attention back. Throughout the process, he kept looking at his watch, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Thinking back to those previous years, Shen Ci was always the last to leave. During high school evening self-study, he was the last in the class to leave; during undergraduate and postgraduate lab sessions, he was the last to leave the laboratory; later, when he joined Roche, he worked the latest overtime. It was only because after his grandmother was hospitalized, his home was destitute, empty, and silent. In the dead of night, his home felt like a hollow tomb without a trace of human presence. Rather than going back to suffer in bitterness, it was better to stay longer at the company or school.

But now, recalling the rising steam from Xingfu Neighborhood, he didn't want to waste any more time with a bunch of wrinkled old geezers.

This was the day Shen Ci wanted to get off work the most in his entire life.