Xie Yu and Shen Ci had walked shoulder to shoulder through many years. During his five years studying abroad, Xie Yu had traveled across all five continents alone, but now he took Shen Ci with him to travel the world, try new foods, and experience different cultures and local customs.

On a leisurely afternoon, lying on a rocking chair on an island, Xie Yu confessed to Shen Ci, saying that he came from another world and was here for a mission.

At that time, he was wearing beach shorts and floral sunglasses, a cola straw dangling from his mouth, while Shen Ci sat beside him, applying sunscreen to his pectoral muscles.

"Mhm," Shen Ci hummed softly, neither light nor heavy, and continued applying the sunscreen.

The vacation sunlight had tanned Xie Yu a shade darker, but he remained as handsome as ever. The muscles under Shen Ci's palms were in a relaxed state, soft to the touch.

Xie Yu turned over and caught his hand, a suspicious look on his face. "You're this calm? You don't think I'm having another psychotic episode, do you?"

Shen Ci sighed slightly. "Although it sounds strange to say, I've felt for a long time that you and him are not the same person."

A person's appearance might change, their personality might change, but how could the fundamental nature of their disposition change? Beneath Xie Yu's lazy and carefree exterior lay gentle bones and blood. How could Shen Ci believe that he had once been arrogant and domineering, had once cracked a whip at the innocent, and had once built his happiness upon the pain of others?

"Really?" Xie Yu raised an eyebrow. "Felt it for a long time—when exactly was that?"

Shen Ci's movements paused, and he suddenly shifted his gaze away.

It was strange to say. They had been on vacation for so long, and the skin on Xie Yu's arms had tanned to a wheat color, yet Shen Ci was still just as pale, so much so that even the slightest blush on his face was incredibly clear.

Xie Yu raised his eyebrow even higher.

Shen Ci was, of course, very easy to tease. He was thin-skinned and would blush at the slightest tease. Xie Yu also liked to say dirty things to tease him, but after being teased so much, he had gradually become desensitized. Now, aside from during the main event, it was rare to see this kind of expression on his face.

Xie Yu crossed his arms. "Tell me, when exactly was it?"

Shen Ci: "...Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Xie Yu: "Of course I want to hear it."

Shen Ci sighed. "But I'm afraid you'll be unhappy if you hear it."

Xie Yu: "Why would I be unhappy because of this... Wait!"

But he saw Shen Ci's gaze shift downward, slowly landing on Xie Yu's colorful beach shorts.

Xie Yu looked down.

"...?"

"!"

He sat up in disbelief, pulling a towel from the side to cover his beach shorts. "No way, that kind of thing?"

"Mhm."

Because Xie Yu was moving around, the sunscreen slid down his chest and dripped wetly onto the beach chair. Shen Ci raised his hand to press him back down and continued what he was doing. "You know, Young Master Xie's reputation precedes him. If he were to engage in romance, he should be very experienced, but..."

Shen Ci shook his head slightly, swallowing the rest of his words with an expression of hesitation.

Xie Yu: "???"

His expression twisted in a rare manner. "But what?"

Shen Ci sighed. "I told you you'd be angry..."

Xie Yu clenched his fists. "Say it!"

Shen Ci spoke slowly: "If I have to say it, you were very green and lacked any method, like it was your first time being in a relationship."

"..."

Watching Xie Yu nearly petrify, Shen Ci added, "Actually, it was okay."

Shen Ci had always been enduring. Once, with a high fever of 39 degrees, he still said he was fine and wanted to get up for work, only to be pressed down at home by Xie Yu to sleep for the day. If he said it was somewhat comfortable, it actually meant it was uncomfortable.

Seeing Xie Yu's face turning darker and darker, Shen Ci hesitated for a moment before comforting him, "You improved very quickly."

Xie Yu's face was covered in dark lines. "Teaching Assistant Shen, are you treating me like a little kid to be coaxed? Should I say thank you?"

The topic gradually veered from its initially serious and proper tone in a weird direction. After night fell, they lay on the net bed of the overwater bungalow looking up at the starry sky, and decided to deeply explore the daytime's issue.

After they were exhausted, Xie Yu pulled Shen Ci into his embrace and dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Close to noon the next day, Xie Yu struggled to wake up. He reached out to the side to pull someone in, but grasped empty air.

"...?"

Ever since they came out on vacation, Shen Ci would sleep until they naturally woke up together every day. This was the first time Xie Yu hadn't caught hold of him.

...Where is my wife?

He opened his eyes, looked around, and his sleepiness was mostly wiped away. Then, he abruptly sat up from the bed.

This was not their vacation cabin.

A balcony, a suite, heavy mahogany furniture, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and a circular bathtub next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

This was a suite in a Jiang City hotel.

For a moment, Xie Yu thought this was a clumsy prank. But no matter how vast someone's capabilities were, there was no way they could have transported him halfway across the Pacific Ocean while he was asleep. Xie Yu flipped open his phone, and the time displayed nine years ago.

It was still a full two years before the story started, when he and Shen Ci would sign the contract.

In other words, his wife didn't know him yet.

Xie Yu cursed under his breath and tumbled out of bed. He scrolled his phone contacts from top to bottom, then bottom to top, and finally selected Zhou Yang: "Hey, bro, help me find someone."

In his sparse memory, Zhou Yang's family held shares in A University, so looking up a student wouldn't be difficult.

At this time, Xie Yu, Zhou Yang, and He Zhiyuan hadn't parted ways yet. The three of them were still thick as thieves. Not long after, Xie Yu received a call back.

Zhou Yang's voice came through, "The guy you wanted to look up took a work-study job from the Student Affairs Department. He should be handing out flyers on Qunxing Avenue."

Handing out flyers?

Xie Yu instantly recalled a certain day after they had bared their hearts to each other. Shen Ci had said that he used to hand out flyers in the summer for 15 yuan an hour. Inside a thick mascot headpiece, sweat would soak through his shirt and hair, and he nearly suffered a heatstroke and went into shock.

He looked out the window. It was the peak of summer heat, and the sunlight was venomous. Under the glaring sun, every patch of the earth was being scorchingly roasted.

Wearing a mascot headpiece in this kind of weather—he couldn't imagine how unbearable it would be.

Xie Yu swiftly threw on some clothes and rushed out the door. During this time, the noisy, incessant chatter of Zhou Yang kept coming through: "Hey, hey, Xie Yu, why are you asking about him? How come I hear a car engine starting, what are you doing?"

Xie Yu: "Going to find my wife."

He promptly shut off his phone.

Young Master Xie's car at this time wasn't the low-key, luxurious Bentley, but rather a champagne-gold convertible sports car, flashy and a money magnet. Xie Yu had no time to care; he slammed on the gas pedal, rushed onto the main road, hit the brakes sharply in front of Qunxing Avenue, and strode out.

At the end of the street, Shen Ci weakly gripped the railing, his stomach spasming in waves.

It was unbearable, so unbearable. Sweat dripped down his hair, and his shirt hung wetly on his body. Shen Ci didn't even have the strength to take the headpiece off. He was dizzy and lightheaded, his body trembling finely. His gaze stared blankly ahead through the mascot's two eyes, not knowing what to focus on.

It felt so unbearable... but if he stopped now, he wouldn't get the day's wages.

15 yuan, 10 hours—that was more than a week's worth of food money.

Shen Ci lowered his head. He still had a thick stack of flyers in his hands. The top few were already soaked with sweat, sticking clammily to his hands.

He thought dizzyingly, "I have to finish handing them out."

Shen Ci supported himself against the railing and stood up. Pedestrians hurried back and forth, but his movements were sluggish. Often, by the time he extended a flyer, the person had already walked past. His arm was bumped countless times. After handing them out for half the day, the stack in his hands hadn't decreased much at all.

Inside the headpiece, Shen Ci pursed his lips and quietly gripped the edge of the mascot suit. His gaze fell into the distance, and he saw someone walking over.

The approaching person was very tall. He could no longer see their face clearly, but their silhouette was attractive. They shouldn't be someone hard to talk to; they would probably take a flyer from him.

Shen Ci held onto his headpiece to stand properly and handed over a flyer: "Hello, sir..."

His voice was extremely hoarse; listening closely, it was jarringly raspy and awful. Shen Ci pursed his lips and weakly smiled. "Sir, our new store is opening..."

Before he could finish his words, all the flyers in his hand were snatched away.

Shen Ci froze. Just as he was about to try and stop them, his shoulders were grabbed, and he was forcefully pressed down to sit on a bench.

"...Sir?"

Xie Yu pulled off his headpiece with one hand.

The little bear head was placed next to the chair. The person inside the headpiece had a flushed face and damp corners of his eyes. Fresh air suddenly flooded in, and he panted hastily a couple of times. Immediately using his remaining rationality, he said: "Sir, I am working. Please return the headpiece to me."

Xie Yu had never seen Shen Ci like this.

He was gentle, polite, and a bit shy. At this time, although his grandmother's illness was serious, they were not completely at the end of their rope. Shen Ci hadn't been worn down into dead silence by life yet; he looked very vibrant.

Xie Yu said, "You have heatstroke. You can't keep working; if you continue, your life will be in danger."

He grabbed the zipper of the little bear suit: "Hurry up and come out."

Leaving no room for Shen Ci to refuse, Xie Yu pressed down on the bear's short, fat, round tail and stripped the entire suit off him.

The person inside the suit was indeed completely soaked. His shirt clung to his body in wrinkles, revealing the cold white color of his skin.

Xie Yu forcibly yanked him out of the clothes, hauling him up with one hand while grabbing the mascot suit with the other. "Let's go. You need to go to the hospital."

By this time, Xie Yu had been working out for a while, and Shen Ci was dizzy and faint. Yanking him was no different to Xie Yu than yanking gym equipment—he did it with effortless ease and energy to spare.

Xie Yu didn't explain anything, and Shen Ci was forced to follow. His throat was too severely parched to cry for help, so he could only hazily wonder: 'Am I being kidnapped?'

But when Xie Yu threw open the car door, Shen Ci dismissed that thought.

The convertible sports car parked by the road was passionately flamboyant. The logo was a shape Shen Ci didn't recognize, but just from the streamlined body and the eye-catching color scheme, Shen Ci could guess it was incredibly expensive.

The owner of the car didn't need to kidnap him, because his family couldn't even produce one percent of this car's worth.

Shen Ci's steps were unsteady, and he couldn't even get into the car properly. Therefore, Xie Yu lifted him into the passenger seat, leaned over to fasten his seatbelt, and even unscrewed the cap of a mineral water bottle before handing it to him.

Then Xie Yu ignited the engine, which let out a massive roar, and he said, "I'm taking you to the nearest hospital. You need an IV drip."

Beneath him was a soft leather seat, its texture intricate and delicate to the touch. Shen Ci thought in a daze: if he had the money this car cost, could he afford the best medicine for his grandmother, hire the best doctors, put her in a single room, and save her from waking up startled from shallow sleep every night?

He was practically half-carried into the hospital by Xie Yu. This unfamiliar young man didn't mind at all that he was covered in sweat, instead settling him comfortably into a chair. Following that, he single-handedly took care of the registration, the consultation, and fetching the medication. Immediately after, he was brought to the IV infusion area. It wasn't until the needle entered his vein that Xie Yu finally sat down beside him.

Shen Ci was confused, very confused. He didn't know the young man beside him, yet Xie Yu was far too familiar with him, as if they had lived together for many years. He hesitated slightly, his fingers twitching faintly as if wanting to curl up: "You...?"

Xie Yu had been reading the medication leaflet. Hearing this, he looked up: "Don't move your hand, be careful not to dislodge the needle."

"..."

His instruction was natural and intimate, as if he was naturally supposed to be here, accompanying Shen Ci during his IV drip.

Shen Ci hesitated. "Sir, do we know each other?"

Xie Yu: "We do and we don't. If you have to ask, right now, we don't."

His words were ambiguous. Shen Ci's dizzy brain spun for a long time but couldn't analyze what he meant. He just felt incredibly unwell. Halfway through the IV drip, he closed his eyes in drowsiness and fell asleep.

When he woke up, he was slumped to the side, his head resting perfectly on Xie Yu's shoulder.

The time pointed to nine o'clock. For the nearly four hours of the infusion, this person had just been sitting here.

Having a shoulder pressed down like that wasn't a comfortable posture; blood circulation would be cut off. After four hours, his arm was probably completely numb.

Shen Ci lifted his arm that didn't have the needle in it and gently kneaded it for him: "You...?"

Xie Yu didn't show any discomfort. He put down his phone, his gaze peaceful: "It's so late. Should I take you back to school? But it's a bit far. By the time we drive back, the dorms might be locked."

A University's undergraduate dorms locked at 10 PM.

Before Shen Ci could hesitate, Xie Yu spoke again: "It's also not good for you to sit in a car for a long time right now; I'm afraid you might throw up again. Is it okay to stay at a nearby hotel for the night? We can head back tomorrow morning."

"..."

A stranger inviting him to stay at a hotel—no matter how you looked at it, it was an inappropriate request. But Xie Yu's gaze was mild, completely devoid of any coercive or seductive undertones, as if he truly was just worried the journey was too far and Shen Ci would feel unwell on the way.

"Oh, sorry." Xie Yu was the first to react. "Don't worry, we'll book two rooms. I won't be staying in the same room as you."

"..."

If anyone else had said this, it would have zero credibility, much like the notorious "I'll just rub it on the outside." But whether prompted by some strange coincidence, momentary bedevilment, or perhaps just his heatstroke-addled brain failing to turn, Shen Ci hesitated slightly and actually nodded.

And Xie Yu genuinely booked two rooms.

He handed the room card to Shen Ci and entered his own room without looking back. He didn't come out all night, let alone seek Shen Ci out for anything. It wasn't until breakfast time that he finally came to knock on Shen Ci's door.

When Shen Ci opened the door, Xie Yu was standing at the entrance. He wore a pure white casual outfit, his hair casually combed back. Sunlight streamed in from the glass window behind him, plating his silhouette with a layer of gold. His posture was tall and slender, his appearance devastatingly handsome.

The forums had never mentioned that the cruel Young Master of the Xie Family was this handsome.

Shen Ci was slightly stunned for two seconds before politely greeting him, "Mr. Xie."

Xie Yu paused, then smiled. "You found out who I am."

Shen Ci wasn't an idiot. Although his physical condition yesterday had indeed caused him to act foolishly the whole time, once he regained his wits later, he kept his guard up.

Young Master Xie's flashy car and its consecutive-number license plate—you couldn't find a second one like it in all of Jiang City.

Shen Ci didn't mingle in their circles, but he had read plenty of idle gossip on the forums. They talked about how tyrannical Young Master Xie's methods were, how many people he had played with until they ended up in the hospital. There were even attached photos of a certain internet celebrity's blood-soaked back—the evidence was irrefutable, leaving no room for denial.

But Shen Ci was completely unable to connect the person from the rumors to the young man from yesterday. Although they hadn't spent much time together, yesterday's Xie Yu was clearly patient and meticulous, gentle to the extreme. He didn't resemble the rumors in the slightest.

He began to wonder if the rumors were mistaken or if his own judgment was off.

Knowing Xie Yu's identity, Shen Ci was inevitably tense. The Xie Consortium was a local pharmaceutical giant holding numerous resources in its hands; perhaps they even had the means to save his grandmother. Someone like this, Shen Ci could not afford to offend.

He followed Xie Yu and anxiously finished breakfast. Xie Yu drove him back to school. During the ride, they chatted casually; Xie Yu spoke more, and Shen Ci replied from time to time. The two of them seemed like old friends catching up. Xie Yu never mentioned a single word about any compensation.

Shen Ci thought: if Xie Yu really was just a passing Good Samaritan, what should he do to repay yesterday's care?

However, just as he was about to get out of the car, Xie Yu suddenly stopped him and handed him a paper contract.

Young Master Xie touched his nose and said, "Take a look first. The terms are negotiable."

Shen Ci felt a moment of clarity in his heart.

He asked himself, he had nothing of value. Besides his physical appearance, there was nothing on his entire body worth Young Master Xie's consideration, much less qualifying him for such proper care and kind treatment. It was just that, when this contract was truly handed to him, Shen Ci still felt a bit saddened.

Yesterday's goodwill indeed had an ulterior motive; that gentle and kind young man, in the end, did not exist.

Xie Yu saw the unease in his eyes, but he said nothing. He only made a gesture and smiled, "Call me when you've thought it over."

He thought Shen Ci would hesitate for a couple of days. However, that same night, he received a call from the other party.

Over the phone, Shen Ci's voice was nervous, a bit lost and confused. He asked uneasily, "Mr. Xie, I've read the contract, but..."

Xie Yu smiled. "Are you unsatisfied? If you're not satisfied, we can change it again."

His tone was quite indulgent.

"No, no!" The volume over the phone spiked, then subsequently lowered. Gripping the receiver, Shen Ci seemed to be avoiding others as he asked softly, "I saw my rights, but what are my obligations?"

Both parties in a contract should naturally enjoy rights while performing obligations. According to Shen Ci's original assumptions, Young Master Xie was to provide money and medical conditions, while he would offer up his body and agree to some non-lethal tricks. But this contract wasn't like that. Xie Yu hadn't made any demands. He didn't ask Shen Ci to sleep with him, nor did he ask him to dedicate anything else. Yet, he promised to pay a massive sum of money—a sum massive enough for his grandmother to receive better medical treatment, and enough for Shen Ci to comfortably finish his university studies.

This was a contract that only outlined rights, but stipulated no obligations.

It was almost like a pie falling from the sky.

Hearing the rustling on the other end, Xie Yu could imagine how the thin-skinned and easily embarrassed Teaching Assistant Shen was carefully hiding in a corner of the school, nervously and shamefully testing out the terms he had offered. Just thinking about it improved his mood.

"There are no other obligations, just one."

Over the phone, Xie Yu's tone was languid, leisurely and at ease. Shen Ci held his breath, listening as the other party said unhurriedly: "First, eat well. Second, sleep well. Third, um... third, study well."

"..."

What kind of requirements were these? Scouring the entirety of Jiang City, there wasn't a single contract like this.

Shen Ci was stunned, asking hesitantly: "...Mr. Xie?"

"Oh, right, there's one last condition."

For some reason, hearing this, Shen Ci actually breathed a sigh of relief. He felt a bizarre sensation of 'he finally had something to do, and wouldn't just be freeloading.'

Shen Ci gripped his phone steadily and stood up straight: "Mr. Xie, I'm listening. Please go ahead."

Xie Yu's slightly stern voice came through the receiver: "The last condition: you are not allowed to take on overtime work-study jobs, you are not allowed to hand out flyers on the streets in summer, you are not allowed to wear mascot headpieces, and you are absolutely not allowed to get heatstroke and end up in the hospital. Do you hear me?!"

The hand Shen Ci used to grip the phone trembled, and the heart in his chest began to beat uncontrollably.