At the meeting, Shen Ci was uncharacteristically tough. He refused to yield even an inch, his words stern and cold, causing the major shareholders to look at him sideways.

The two groups competed and cooperated with each other, having many joint investment projects. Shen Ci came prepared, causing Xie Yuanhai to suffer many hidden losses. He nearly crushed his teeth in anger. As soon as the shareholders walked out of the hall, he smashed his teacup onto the ground with a bang.

The sky-blue teacup shattered into pieces, leaving debris all over the floor. Xie Yuanhai's gaze was gloomy: "This is going too far!"

Shen Ci had no time to care about that.

He let his secretaries go home first, then walked around to the parking lot. At the corner, he carefully tidied his appearance, smoothing out every wrinkle on his suit before arriving beside the Santana and knocking on the car window.

Xie Yu had been waiting for a long time and was playing Anipop. Seeing Shen Ci, he opened the door to let him in. His gaze swept over the other's clothes, and he was slightly taken aback: "Aren't you cold?"

Wearing a suit at a banquet was proper etiquette, but most people would have their assistants hold their coats and wrap themselves up as soon as they went out.

There was no air conditioning in the parking lot. Xie Yu cast him a sideways glance: "Where's your windbreaker? Why aren't you wearing it?"

Shen Ci paused slightly: "I'm not cold."

Xie Yu looked at him in amusement. His fingers and cheeks were slightly red, yet he was still saying he wasn't cold.

He pulled a blanket from the trunk and threw it over: "Make do with this for now. I'll give you one of my down jackets when we get home."

Shen Ci reached out and gathered the blanket around himself: "Aren't you going to ask about the final result of the stocks?"

There was a hint of wanting to claim credit.

Xie Yu didn't care about stocks. As a person from another world, stocks weren't even as important as his steamed fish tonight.

But since Shen Ci mentioned it, Xie Yu still asked: "How did the stocks go?"

Shen Ci: "The amount wasn't small. It can be considered a satisfying conclusion."

Xie Yu gave a noncommittal "Mm": "Thank you."

He turned the key. The old Santana let out a creak, and the engine shuddered three times before finally starting.

Shen Ci surreptitiously examined the car's interior. The leather was old and peeling, and the sponge padding was exposed in many places—in the past, let alone drive it, Young Master Xie wouldn't even sit in this car.

Shen Ci mentioned, seemingly unintentionally: "Rolls-Royce has released a new model."

They happened to be taking a turn. Xie Yu turned his head to look at the rearview mirror and, upon hearing this, said: "Oh, really?"

His tone was flat, a kind of polite social brush-off, showing no interest.

Shen Ci: "Bentley has also released..."

Xie Yu finally turned the steering wheel and drove onto the main road. This Santana had some years on it; the steering wheel was heavy and felt stiff to turn, requiring quite some effort.

Shen Ci had brought up cars twice in a row, and Xie Yu figured out what he was getting at. He shook his head: "I don't really need one."

Xie Yu had few material desires and didn't care much about this.

Shen Ci pressed his lips together unnaturally.

Xie Yu's refusal to accept gifts made him feel uneasy instead.

Xie Yu had no choice but to say: "I'll tell you when I want one, alright?"

Shen Ci nodded.

It was already night. The small roads in the old city district were empty and quiet, with no pedestrians. Under the cover of night, they drove into the Xingfu Neighborhood.

Xie Yu dug out a long down jacket from home and handed it to Shen Ci: "Put this on."

The air conditioning in the old neighborhood wasn't great at heating.

Xie Yu was tall, so the clothes size was a bit large. After putting it on, it truly wrapped Shen Ci up completely.

After five years of experience abroad, Xie Yu was very skilled at cooking. Heating the pan and oil was done in one smooth motion. Shen Ci didn't sit down; he just stood to the side like a door god in the kitchen. Xie Yu then handed him a kitchen knife: "Chop the vegetables for me."

This was an old-fashioned kitchen in a relocation neighborhood, only big enough for one person to move around. With both of them squeezed in here, bumping into each other was inevitable. One's hand would brush past the other's waist, or their hips and legs would accidentally touch. In this freezing weather, Shen Ci grew hotter and hotter inside the down jacket. By the time he finally finished chopping the vegetables, he simply washed his face with cold water.

Xie Yu placed the fish in the steamer and set the timer: "Done, let's go out and wait."

They sat down in the living room, and Shen Ci looked around. This old house was over twenty years old. The original owner grew up here when he was a child before being taken home by Xie Yuanshan. There were still traces of the original owner's scribbles on the walls.

Looking at those pitch-black lines, Shen Ci actually found them quite cute.

He reached out and touched them: "Did you draw this?"

"Uh..." Xie Yu hesitated for a moment and said honestly, "No."

He and the original owner were not the same person. Since he chose to stay, he would have to explain things sooner or later.

However, if he rashly blurted it out, Shen Ci would probably think his mental illness had relapsed and he had developed paranoia, hurriedly look for Xu Qingshan, and then drive him to a psychiatric hospital.

...If he had to secretly accompany me by my hospital bed for another month, Shen Ci's dark circles would turn into panda eyes, wouldn't they?

Xie Yu's mind wandered endlessly. The thought of A University's strict Teaching Assistant Shen and Jiang City's cold and silent Executive Shen getting dark circles under his eyes was so amusing that he let out a laugh before he realized it.

Shen Ci looked at him in bafflement: "Why are you suddenly laughing?"

Xie Yu stood up to cover it up: "Nothing—my fish is done steaming."

He placed the fish on the dining table. The tender yellow fish meat sprinkled with emerald green spring onions looked incredibly appetizing.

The two divided up the fish meat and ate very satisfyingly. Xie Yu raised his hand to look at his watch. It was already past twelve o'clock, so he asked Shen Ci: "Staying over tonight?"

Driving that broken-down Santana back in the middle of the night would be quite a hassle.

Hearing this, Shen Ci raised his hand but didn't speak, his tea-colored eyes looking fixedly at him.

Xie Yu chuckled: "Are you staying or not?"

"Mm." Shen Ci took a bite of fish meat, "...I'm staying."

Xie Yu washed up first and dug out two sets of pajamas. They were both his and slightly larger than Shen Ci's size, but pajamas didn't need to be perfectly fitted anyway.

Shen Ci stared at his back for a while, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and suddenly asked slowly: "Did you read the agreement carefully?"

"Hm?" Xie Yu replied casually, "I read it..."

He hadn't read it at all. Either way, Shen Ci wouldn't harm him.

Shen Ci retracted his gaze and didn't say anything.

After Xie Yu finished washing up, he changed into the old pajamas, lay down under the covers, and played a game on his side to kill time. This time he was playing Jump Jump. He pressed and held the screen, then released it. As a result, during a single round, his phone vibrated with messages several times. The little block teetered precariously and still ended up falling.

He switched back to the message bar and found that they were all from the study abroad group chat.

Many of his classmates graduated today and were sharing group photos in the chat.

At Xie Yu's school, one could graduate as long as they had enough credits. Exams were organized in the winter and summer quarters every year. Those who graduated this time had passed the winter exams.

Xie Yu scrolled through and saw a few acquaintances in the group; they were the ones who often came to him for free meals and threw parties.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, their small party group also became active. First, they showed off their graduation certificates, then they posted their flight tickets back home to find travel buddies, and finally, they took turns @-ing Xie Yu.

"Brother Yu, boohoohoo, we're returning to China. Are you doing well in Jiang City?"

"Brother Yu, will there be a party when we get back to China? We miss you QAQ."

"Brother Yu, we brought you gifts for our return! In exchange, we want to order food! We want to eat potato braised beef!!!"

Xie Yu couldn't help but laugh.

When he was in Jiang City, bearing the title of a rich second-generation heir, others were either overly cautious or scheming around him, so his friendships were only superficial. Instead, these freeloaders abroad didn't know Xie Yu's background, and they had become well-acquainted with each other.

He typed: "Come, I'll cook potato braised beef for you. Do you want to order anything else? A gift in one hand, a dish in the other."

The group chat burst into laughter.

There was a time difference between China and abroad. It was late at night on Xie Yu's side, while it was still daytime at the school. There would be a graduation ceremony and a ball coming up. After making a ruckus in the group for a while, it quieted down. Xie Yu was also getting a bit sleepy. He placed his phone face-down to the side and closed his eyes to rest.

The night was silent. The sound insulation of the old house was poor, so the sounds from the bathroom could be heard.

The pattering sound of water was intermittent and lasted for a long time. Xie Yu estimated the time with his eyes closed and felt it wasn't a normal duration, but he didn't mind it, simply assuming that Shen Ci lived a particular lifestyle now and was exceptionally fond of cleanliness.

Finally, the sound of water stopped.

The bathroom door and bedroom door were opened one after another. The old hinges creaked. Xie Yu spread open his old-fashioned large cotton quilt, exposing a corner, and patted the spot next to him: "Come on in."

It was awfully cold in winter, and huddling together would be warmer.

A body slid in.

Xie Yu reflexively wrapped his arm around him, intending to pull him into an embrace, but he shivered upon touching the skin and immediately opened his eyes in disbelief.

He had touched bare skin.

Shen Ci was wearing pajamas, but the buttons weren't fastened. The clothes were large to begin with, hanging loosely on his body. When his hand pulled him in, it slipped right through the gap.

This was a perfectly calibrated measure—he could advance or retreat. If Xie Yu was interested, they could just go with the flow. If he was uninterested, they could just pretend the clothes weren't buttoned properly, avoiding unnecessary awkwardness.

By the light of the moon outside the window, Xie Yu lowered his eyes. The exposed skin of the person in his arms was truly as cold as white glaze, and fine goosebumps rose wherever his fingers touched. Shen Ci still had that same aloof and noble face; his eyes were tightly shut, and his expression was solemn, just as coldly arrogant as he was at the negotiation table. Yet, his body was laid bare, as if offering itself up to be done with as one pleased. It seemed that as long as he wanted to, he could do anything to him.

As long as Xie Yu wanted to.

Xie Yu froze, but his hands moved faster than his brain. He instantly pulled the quilt over, wrapping Shen Ci tightly, leaving only half of his face exposed.

The quilt was wrapped around him, but under the quilt, they were still embracing. Two thin layers of pajamas could not block the heat of their skin at all. Xie Yu's hand inadvertently traced a curve, the contour perfectly fitting his palm. He paused first, then abruptly pulled his hand back.

Xie Yu gasped.

He was a normal man, not a saint. A great beauty as pretty as porcelain was pressed tightly against him, half-concealed and half-revealed; to say he felt nothing would be a lie.

Heavens have pity, the original owner was experienced in many battles, but Xie Yu had never gone through this at all. He had no idea where to hold him, so he simply reached out, bunched the quilt into a half-roll, and hugged Shen Ci through the roll, saying awkwardly: "Put your clothes on properly, aren't you cold?"

Shen Ci was completely immobilized inside the roll, unilaterally suppressed by Xie Yu. He struggled slightly, but the force of Xie Yu's embrace grew stronger and stronger, making it impossible to break free.

"..."

He felt slightly embarrassed.

It had been like this for the past six months as well. Young Master Xie had signed the agreement, hugged him, and even attended classes with him, but there hadn't been so much as a kiss.

Waking up from his midnight dreams, Shen Ci asked himself countless times: was he the only one whose heart was moved back then?

Shen Ci lowered his eyes, withdrew his hands, and fastened all his buttons. The old pajamas enveloped his young body. He lay down flat, acting as if he really had just forgotten to button up after washing.

Xie Yu sighed.

He seemed to know what the question about the agreement meant now.

Xie Yu pulled Shen Ci back into his arms. The person in his embrace was someone he was used to holding, as obedient as a large plush toy. Hugging him felt warm and soft, very comfortable: "Now is not the right time."

Shen Ci looked up at him: "When is the right time?"

Xie Yu replied vaguely: "At least wait until the day I explain everything clearly."

Shen Ci was so uneasy that he was scrambling in a panic, desperate to confirm something. However, Xie Yu was fundamentally a conservative person. Otherwise, with his conditions, he wouldn't have gone so many years without a single partner. In certain aspects, he had an extraordinary stubbornness. When it came to romance, he wanted a mutual sharing of hearts first.

At the very least, he had to first clearly explain where he came from, and also plan where they were going.

The next morning, surprisingly, Xie Yu woke up first.

Shen Ci hadn't slept for half the night, and the dark circles under his eyes were heavier. He seemed extremely uneasy, his brows furrowed even in his sleep. His attractive brows and eyes were scrunched together, and his lips were pressed into a straight line. Xie Yu watched him calmly for a moment before suddenly reaching out and tapping the space between his brows.

He smoothed out those furrowed brows.

Xie Yu sighed softly, feeling a subtle sense of discomfort in his heart: "In the previous six months, I never made you frown like this."

Although the abusive novel plot had been set at the time, Xie Yu strictly controlled the limits of everything. While Shen Ci was with him, he really hadn't suffered any great grievances.

He thought, 'I need to find a chance to clear things up.'

Xie Yu had many similarities with the original owner, yet they were completely different. It was fine when he only treated him as a mission target before, but now that he had also developed feelings, he was unwilling to let Shen Ci confuse him with the original owner.

Today, when Shen Ci pointed to the original owner's scribbles and asked if he had drawn them, Xie Yu felt an odd sensation in his heart. Those past bastardly deeds of fooling around and violently beating people could absolutely no longer be blamed on him.

No one felt like cooking in the morning. Xie Yu took out his phone to order takeout. By the time Shen Ci quietly woke up, it was already very late.

Xie Yu still had his arm around him: "Not going to work today?"

Shen Ci: "I took a leave of absence."

He took a leave of absence because he had thought that, in case they did it, he heard it would hurt a lot the next day and he would need a day to recover. What a pity they didn't do it.

Xie Yu rolled out of bed and opened the window. Cold, damp air instantly filled the bedroom. He looked out the window; crowds of people were heading to work and school, a breakfast shop was billowing white steam, and steaming hot steamed buns were being passed out from bamboo steamers. Everything seemed just right.

Shen Ci had already put on the coat. He hadn't brought his own clothes, so he was still wearing Xie Yu's. The collar was zipped all the way to the top, making it look like he was draped in a quilt.

Xie Yu: "If you're not going to work, then what are your plans for today?"

Shen Ci: "It's rare for me to be free during the day, so I plan to go see Grandma."

Visiting the special care ward required a reservation. He brought out his phone and tapped into the app. Just as he was about to operate it, Xie Yu happened to close the window, turned his head, and said: "Make a reservation for me too, will you? With our relationship now, I should also go pay a visit."

Shen Ci's typing hand paused slightly. Then he let out a laugh, tinged with self-mockery: "What is our relationship now?"

He had asked this question before. Xie Yu's answer had been crisp and clean, without a hint of hesitation. At that time, he said it was an agreement relationship. Naturally, it was the same now.

Other than that, there was nothing else.

But Xie Yu had already opened the door and was reaching out to grab the takeout. He lifted the porridge up and naturally picked up the conversation: "A romantic relationship?"

Shen Ci's hand loosened, and his phone dropped, rolling onto the floor.

He didn't bother picking it up. His voice was a bit urgent and somewhat bitter: "Say it again. What is our relationship?"

Xie Yu tilted his head to look at him and couldn't help laughing. He genuinely dragged out his tone and repeated it again, pausing after every word: "A romantic relationship."

He placed the porridge on the dining table and shook his head slightly: "Come eat breakfast quickly. Aren't we going to the hospital later?"

Saying this, Xie Yu lifted his eyes, a smile melting in his gaze: "Don't you agree, Teaching Assistant Shen?"