After helping Xia Zichen clean up, Gu Xu carried him to the bed. Xia Zichen was truly exhausted; the moment his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep.
Gu Xu smiled and gently smoothed back his still slightly damp hair, then kissed him on the forehead. Afterward, he picked up his keys and wallet, walked out of the room, and drove to a 24-hour pharmacy to buy some topical medicine.
Although he had already been very careful, there was still a little bleeding, mixed together with the white bodily fluid, making the sight somewhat glaring. To prevent Xia Zichen from suffering discomfort, he had to apply medicine for him tonight.
When Gu Xu returned to the room, Xia Zichen was sleeping soundly and had no idea that Gu Xu had left at all. Gu Xu washed his hands and prepared to apply the medicine for him.
Before he could even open the cap, the phone Xia Zichen had placed in his pants pocket suddenly rang.
Gu Xu quickly took out the phone and glanced at Xia Zichen, who had not woken up. He walked out of the bedroom and went to the living room to answer the call so he would not disturb him.
After closing the bedroom door, he looked at the caller ID.
It was Xia Yuze.
“Hello? Uncle Xia.” Gu Xu answered the call.
Xia Zichen could not return home tonight. He should have called Xia Yuze earlier to inform him, but just now his attention had been completely focused on Xia Zichen, so he had forgotten.
“Gu Xu? Where’s Chenchen?” Hearing that it was Gu Xu who answered, Xia Yuze was not too surprised. After all, the two children were officially together now.
“Uncle, I’m sorry. Chenchen drank some light fruit wine at the banquet. I didn’t pay much attention to it. I didn’t expect the aftereffect of the fruit wine to be so strong, and he got drunk. He’s sleeping now.” Gu Xu explained. “I was worried he would feel uncomfortable, and if I sent him back, the back-and-forth trip might make him throw up, so I let him sleep in the hotel’s guest room.”
“This child really doesn’t know his limits.” Xia Yuze knew Xia Zichen had gone to Gu Yan’s birthday banquet. Since it was Gu Xu’s elder brother and Gu Xu was accompanying him, he had not been worried. But Xia Zichen still had not returned so late at night, so as a father, he naturally had to call and ask.
“It’s my fault. I originally thought it wouldn’t have much alcohol content. Seeing that he liked it, I didn’t stop him.” Gu Xu said.
Naturally, he would not mention that Xia Zichen had been drugged. He could only make up an excuse and take all the responsibility onto himself.
“Chenchen didn’t cause trouble after getting drunk, did he?” Xia Yuze had never seen what Xia Zichen was like when drunk. Usually, Xia Zichen did not drink alcohol. During holidays, the father and son would at most open a bottle of red wine, and Xia Zichen would only take two sips before stopping.
“No. He fell asleep after getting drunk. He’s quite easy to take care of.” Although Gu Xu had also never seen Xia Zichen drunk before, based on Xia Zichen’s personality, he felt that he would probably only sleep.
“That’s good.” Hearing this, Xia Yuze relaxed. After all, if his son got drunk and acted up in front of his lover, it would not look good.
“Once he wakes up tomorrow, I’ll send him home. Don’t worry.” Gu Xu said.
“Alright. Then I’ll trouble you with Chenchen.” With Gu Xu taking care of him, Xia Yuze had nothing to worry about.
“Uncle, you’re being too polite. It’s what I should do.” Xia Zichen was not only his lover but also his family, so taking care of him was only natural. “Uncle, get some rest early. It’s already very late.”
“Alright. You should rest early too. Good night.”
“Good night, Uncle.”
Gu Xu hung up the phone and turned back into the bedroom.
Xia Zichen was lying on his side, sleeping deeply. Gu Xu sat beside the bed and carefully applied the medicine for him.
Xia Zichen let out a few soft sounds but did not open his eyes. Looking at his instinctive reaction, Gu Xu smiled and turned around to enter the bathroom.
After taking a shower, he hugged Xia Zichen and fell asleep.
When Xia Zichen woke up, it was already noon the next day.
The weather was slightly cloudy, and the temperature inside the bedroom was just right.
With his eyes closed, Xia Zichen rubbed against the pillow before slowly opening his eyes.
Gu Xu was already awake. He was sitting beside him, leaning against the pillow while reading today’s newspaper.
Seeing Xia Zichen move, Gu Xu turned his head and met his still sleepy gaze.
“Awake?”
Putting down the newspaper, Gu Xu leaned over and adjusted the thin blanket covering Xia Zichen.
“Mm…” Xia Zichen nodded.
He wanted to turn over, but halfway through the movement, the soreness in his waist made him stop. Feeling embarrassed, he pulled the blanket higher.
Although he had been drugged yesterday, he remembered everything that happened from beginning to end. He even remembered the words he had begged with at that time.
Because of that, he felt somewhat embarrassed when facing Gu Xu.
“Does it hurt?” Seeing him stop while turning over, Gu Xu sat up and gently massaged his waist with just the right amount of strength.
“It’s alright.”
With Gu Xu’s help, Xia Zichen turned over and let him massage him. Not having to look at Gu Xu’s face made his embarrassment fade a little.
“Uncle called last night.”
Although teasing Xia Zichen and watching him blush was quite interesting, Gu Xu did not want to embarrass him now, so he changed the subject.
Xia Zichen was startled and immediately remembered that he had not informed his father.
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him you drank too much…” Gu Xu repeated the excuse he had given Xia Yuze the previous night.
After listening, Xia Zichen nodded and smiled.
“You’re quite good at making things up.”
“Anyway, it’s not completely false.”
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen did not say anything else and simply enjoyed the strength of Gu Xu’s massage.
“Regarding the drugging incident, my brother has already found out what happened.”
Gu Yan had called him that morning and explained everything, while also asking about Xia Zichen’s condition.
“What happened?” Xia Zichen asked.
He had never expected that he would be the one caught in such a situation.
“Simply put, someone wanted to use this drug to make something happen between my brother and someone else, then use that matter to negotiate with the Gu family and cooperate with them.” Gu Xu spoke calmly. “The other party bribed the bartender. But my brother didn’t order anything from the bar the entire night, so the bartender had no chance to act. Eventually, he caught the opportunity when my brother was talking with you and you ordered fruit wine. The bartender was afraid there wouldn’t be another chance, and he didn’t know which glass was meant for my brother, so he simply put the drug into both glasses.”
“Was your brother alright?” Hearing that the target had been Gu Yan, Xia Zichen became somewhat worried. After all, ever since meeting Gu Yan, this elder brother had treated him very well.
“He’s fine. At the time, the bartender split one dose of medicine into two portions in order to make things happen. Naturally, the effect wasn’t as strong as the original dose. That’s why both you and my brother were still able to remain conscious.”
Gu Xu’s expression carried a hint of helplessness.
“Things like this are unavoidable for members of the Gu family. After all, with the Gu family’s business, there are many people who want to cooperate, but the opportunities are limited. So some methods that cannot be brought into the open will appear.”
Gu Xu looked at him seriously.
“If someone suddenly appears in the future and says strange things to you, don’t pay attention to them. Just believe in me.”
Although Xia Zichen had never personally encountered such things before, he had already seen examples of people putting profit first through Shen Yicheng.
“Are you reporting to me in advance?”
“I’ll try my best to prevent such things from happening, but I still need to tell you beforehand.”
Gu Xu kissed the back of Xia Zichen’s neck.
“You always like to hide things when something happens, so I have to take precautions in advance.”
Naturally, he would guard against such things himself, but he was also afraid of unexpected situations.
“I understand.”
After this period of getting to know him, Xia Zichen already understood what kind of person Gu Xu was.
“Actually, I don’t get involved with the Gu family’s matters, so it’s not as dangerous for me. Compared with my brother, I’m much safer.”
“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Are you hungry? Get up and eat?”
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen responded. After letting Gu Xu massage him for a while longer, his waist felt much better.
Gu Xu got up to make a phone call and have food delivered. Xia Zichen went into the bathroom to wash up.
It was a calm morning, quiet and warm, with an understanding between them.
After eating, Xia Zichen rested for a while before Gu Xu sent him home.
Because medicine had been applied beforehand and the injury was not serious, Xia Zichen could walk fairly normally. Xia Yuze did not notice anything unusual, and the two of them successfully passed the test.
Otherwise, if Xia Yuze had discovered something, even though such things were normal between two people in love, Gu Xu’s credibility in Xia Yuze’s eyes would probably have been ruined. After all, he had only said that Xia Zichen had gotten drunk.
After that, their days continued as usual. When they had free time, they would eat together, watch movies, and do other ordinary things. Their life was peaceful, yet real.
The holiday passed quickly, and soon it was time to return to school.
Gu Yan’s house had been given to them. Xia Zichen and Gu Xu had gone to see it and added some furniture. Once school started, they could move in directly.
They did not cancel Xia Zichen’s dormitory bed. If his classes happened to be both in the morning and afternoon, he could still return to the dormitory to rest in between.
During registration, An Jing was surprised to see that Xia Zichen had brought nothing.
“What happened to you? Did someone rob you halfway here?”
“No. I’m temporarily not living in the dorm.” Xia Zichen smiled and placed the new textbooks he had received on the desk, waiting for Gu Xu to pick him up after work.
“Ah? Then where are you living? Going home?”
He remembered that Xia Zichen’s home was not particularly close to the school.
“Outside.”
Regarding An Jing, Xia Zichen felt there was no need to hide it. Although An Jing was quite gossipy, he knew when he should keep his mouth shut.
An Jing thought for a moment, then suddenly realized.
“With Gu Xu?”
“Mm.” Xia Zichen nodded.
“Not bad.”
An Jing slapped Xia Zichen on the shoulder.
“Does this count as getting married?”
“Go away.”
Xia Zichen discovered that An Jing always became unreasonable halfway through speaking.
“Anyway, it’s almost the same.”
An Jing continued without caring.
“Have dinner together sometime? At least we’re family now.”
“When there’s time, I’ll invite you all over to my place.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Before An Jing could finish speaking, Shen Yicheng walked in carrying a suitcase.
“You’re back?”
Shen Yicheng greeted them first.
“You came back early.”
An Jing had not seen Shen Yicheng for the entire holiday. In previous years, Shen Yicheng always returned only the day before school started.
Xia Zichen nodded as a response and did not say anything more.
Shen Yicheng placed his suitcase beside the bed, then turned to Xia Zichen.
“Zichen, if you have time, let’s talk.”
Xia Zichen slightly raised his eyebrows.
“Is there something?”
He truly could not think of anything Shen Yicheng had left to discuss with him. Their relationship was not so bad that they could not speak at all, but there was indeed nothing left connecting them.
“Yes, there is something.”
Shen Yicheng looked at him.
“Is it convenient?”
An Jing looked curiously at the two of them. Shen Yicheng’s gaze toward Xia Zichen carried a hint of urgency.
Xia Zichen thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright.”
The two did not go far. They only went to a café near the school—the same place where Xia Zichen had first met Gu Xu.
Xia Zichen ordered a mocha, while Shen Yicheng ordered black coffee. The two sat in a corner where there were not many people, making it quiet.
“What is it?”
Seeing that Shen Yicheng had not spoken for a while, Xia Zichen had no choice but to speak first.
“There is something I want to ask you for help with.”
Shen Yicheng said.
Xia Zichen looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“At the banquet last time, I could tell that the Gu family treats you well. Judging from your appearance, you and Gu Xu should also have a very good relationship.”
Shen Yicheng spoke while observing Xia Zichen’s expression.
Xia Zichen lifted his coffee and took a sip, remaining silent.
Shen Yicheng glanced at him and continued.
“My father recently joined together with several families to work on a project and hopes that the Gu family can invest. You know that it’s very difficult to contact Gu Yan, so I want to ask you for help. Help me arrange a meeting with Gu Yan. I want to discuss this project with him.”
Xia Zichen’s expression darkened as he looked at him coldly.
“With you arranging the meeting, Gu Yan should come. If that doesn’t work, you can ask Gu Xu for help. If the deal succeeds, I can give you a sum of money as compensation.”
Seeing that Xia Zichen showed no reaction, Shen Yicheng continued.
“We’ve known each other for two years already. You should know how I’ve treated you. Your brother is asking you to help with such a small favor. You wouldn’t refuse, right?”
Xia Zichen looked at Shen Yicheng’s self-righteous face and the eagerness for profit revealed in his eyes. He coldly curled the corners of his lips.
Previously, he had only thought that he and Shen Yicheng belonged to two different worlds.
But now, he clearly realized that he had simply misjudged him…
After returning home with Xia Yuze, Xia Zichen did not dare to ask anything while his father remained silent.
There was one thing that he and his father were very similar in—if they did not want to talk about something, no amount of questioning would be useful.
He also did not want to make his father upset, even though Xia Yuze did not appear unhappy on the surface.
Dinner was prepared by the father and son together. During the meal, their conversation mostly consisted of ordinary daily matters.
Xia Yuze asked about his studies and internship, while Xia Zichen asked about his father’s recent work and health.
Only after the meal was finished did Xia Yuze sigh and pat Xia Zichen’s shoulder.
“Gu Yan told me that you and Xiaoxu are living together.”
Xia Zichen had not expected his father to find out about this from Gu Yan. He could only nod awkwardly.
“I wasn’t intentionally hiding it from you…”
“I know.” Xia Yuze clearly had no intention of pursuing the matter further. “Gu Xu is a good child. I have no objections to you living together. Gu Yan came over today partly because he wanted to tell me about this. He was worried that I would be unhappy after finding out, and he also hoped that I would feel assured about you and Gu Xu.”
Xia Zichen pressed his lips together, not knowing what to say.
“You have already grown up, so your father will not interfere with your decisions or thoughts. I only hope that every step you take is one you have carefully considered.”
Xia Yuze looked at Xia Zichen seriously, his tone solemn.
“Mm, I know.”
Xia Zichen had always known what he was doing.
He liked Gu Xu and enjoyed everything Gu Xu brought into his life. Even if the future was not as easy as he imagined, he would not regret it.
“Mm.”
Xia Yuze naturally understood his son.
“As for my relationship with Gu Yan, don’t overthink it. I was his senior at university. Back then, we also worked at the same shop.”
Thinking about the past, Xia Yuze sounded somewhat emotional.
“I worked there because I needed money. He only worked there because he wanted to experience life.”
After hearing this, Xia Zichen could not help imagining Gu Yan, who was always expressionless and intimidating, working at a shop and serving customers.
It felt extremely out of place.
He even wondered whether that shop’s business had declined because customers were frightened away by Gu Yan’s cold expression.
“Alright. I have told you what I should tell you. The rest are matters between adults and have nothing to do with children like you.”
Xia Yuze stood up and patted Xia Zichen’s shoulder.
“After you finish packing your things, go back early. Don’t make Gu Xu worry.”
After saying that, he turned and entered his study, preparing to deal with the remaining work from the day.
Watching Xia Yuze’s back as he left without showing any concern about him living together with Gu Xu, Xia Zichen suddenly felt that his father had already married him off…
When Xia Zichen arrived home, Gu Xu had just entered as well.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Gu Xu wiped his washed hands and walked out of the bathroom.
“I bought you some supper.”
Xia Zichen changed his shoes.
“Did you eat dinner?”
“Mm.”
Gu Xu walked over and took the things Xia Zichen had brought back.
“Today, I saw Big Brother and my father at the entrance of my home.”
After a pause, Xia Zichen added two words.
“Liar.”
“Hm?”
While Gu Xu was confused, amusement had already appeared in his eyes. He knew exactly why Xia Zichen said that.
“Big Brother and my father know each other. You already knew, didn’t you?”
Thinking about it now, even if Gu Xu had wanted to hire Xia Yuze, he would not have simply dug up his information without reason.
Furthermore, with Gu Xu’s careful personality, there was no way he would not have asked about such a detailed investigation, especially since it involved someone related to him.
And unlike Xia Zichen, Gu Xu was not someone who would simply avoid asking when others refused to explain.
Therefore, he must have asked Gu Yan.
Gu Xu smiled and pulled out a chair for Xia Zichen.
“Yes. I knew.”
Xia Zichen slightly frowned.
“What exactly is going on?”
“Actually, that file was someone else’s request for my brother to investigate. As for who that person was, my brother refused to tell me, and I couldn’t get anything out of him.”
Gu Xu gave a simple explanation.
Someone wanted to investigate his father.
Xia Zichen’s heart tightened again.
“Don’t worry.”
Gu Xu reached out and pinched his ear.
“Since my brother agreed to help find information about your uncle, it means that person was not harmful to your uncle. My brother should also know exactly who that person is. Besides, my brother has known your father for a long time. He wouldn’t do anything that would harm him.”
Xia Zichen nodded, feeling that Gu Xu’s words made sense.
“Besides, with our relationship now, my brother has to consider his actions even more carefully.”
“Mm.”
With Gu Xu saying this, Xia Zichen finally felt relieved.
Tomorrow, he would call his father and remind him anyway, so Xia Yuze could at least be mentally prepared.