In the living room.
Pei Huaixue wrapped himself in a fluffy little blanket, curling into a ball as he shrank back against the sofa, snacking while watching a movie.
Today, he was watching the award-winning film starring his husband a police-action movie.
Pei Huaixue had lost count of how many times he had already watched it, yet he still never grew tired of it.
“Look, 029, isn’t my hubby super handsome?”
Seeing Gu Minghe’s 1.9-meter tall figure step into frame wearing a police uniform looking dashing and heroic, Pei Huaixue’s eyes went wide, and he repeatedly dragged the progress bar back just to feast his eyes on his face.
029 could no longer bear to watch.
[Host, you have already repeated that exact sentence to me over ten times. This system is well aware that your husband is very handsome, but please don’t forget that your target for the mission is Gu Yanchen, not Gu Minghe.]
Pei Huaixue ignored the system entirely, focusing solely on his own amusement.
When Gu Minghe returned home, he found that Pei Huaixue had watched until he was tired, having curled up lazily on the sofa to fall asleep.
The movie had already reached its closing credits.
Gu Minghe turned off the television, sat down beside Pei Huaixue, and stretched out his long arm to gently scoop the sleeping figure into his arms, letting his wife rest his head on his lap to sleep.
Ever since he was little, Pei Huaixue had a frail constitution and easily grew exhausted.
His frame was also slender and thin, delicate like a piece of paper that would topple over at a gust of wind, looking utterly pitiful.
If Gu Minghe hadn’t meticulously cared for and pampered him, he would have been even thinner.
Lacking the heart to wake him, Gu Minghe simply held the person in his arms, quietly waiting for him to wake up.
After about half an hour, the little cat in his arms lazily rolled over, opening a pair of clear, innocent eyes to be greeted immediately by Gu Minghe’s outrageously handsome and dashing face.
Pei Huaixue instantly broke into a bright, crescent-eyed smile, hooking his arms around Gu Minghe’s neck as his fluffy head nuzzled against the crook of the man’s neck.
“Hubby, you came back—why didn’t you wake me up?” His voice was soft and sweet, carrying a sticky cocquetish tone that could melt anyone’s heart upon hearing it.
The large palm resting on Pei Huaixue’s waist tightened its grip by a fraction, and Gu Minghe lowered his head to kiss the soft lips of the person in his arms.
Pei Huaixue very cooperatively tilted his neck upward, obediently parting his lips slightly to allow Gu Minghe to conquer and occupy his mouth and teeth. Once the kissing started, it couldn’t be stopped; Pei Huaixue could feel the large palm on his waist tracing upward along his spine, causing his waist to tremble violently, and his posture shifted from lying in Gu Minghe’s lap to sitting face-to-face astride the man’s lap.
“Tonight… aren’t we… supposed to go back to the old family residence?”
Taking advantage of a brief interval to catch his breath, Pei Huaixue hurriedly reminded Gu Minghe.
“Mhm.”
The man’s large hand rubbed Pei Huaixue’s head, smoothing out his wrinkled clothes before lifting him up entirely in his arms and carrying him back to the bedroom.
When they emerged again, Pei Huaixue had already changed his outfit.
He wore a beige cotton long-sleeved shirt paired with light-colored jeans, making him look soft, gentle, and mild all over.
The marks on his neck were also concealed by a silk scarf, making them virtually imperceptible unless examined closely.
Gu Minghe took his hand, and the two of them walked out together.
The Gu family held a family dinner once every month.
No matter how busy Gu Minghe and Gu Yanchen were, they always had to carve out time to return and keep the family elders company.
At the Gu family’s old residence.
Because of that terrifying trending search earlier in the day, the atmosphere inside the house was somewhat subtle.
Zhong Manzhu exchanged a meaningful glance with Gu Chengyuan, prompting the latter to finally put down the newspaper in his hand and speak to his oldest son, who had entered the house not long ago: “Ahem, Ahchen, what’s going on between you and Xiaoxue?”
Gu Yanchen removed his suit jacket and handed it to a servant, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses with a calm and composed gaze as he replied, “It’s just gossip made up by marketing accounts. What could possibly be between Xiaoxue and me?”
“That’s true,” Gu Chengyuan warned, “In a moment when your younger brother gets back, you should explain it to him properly. You know what he’s like whenever it concerns Xiaoxue, he loses all reason. Just in case he tries to hit you, bear with it and don’t provoke him.”
“Understood.”
Gu Yanchen was long used to it.
In the past, Gu Minghe hadn’t spared him from throwing punches over Pei Huaixue, acting just like a rabid dog.
“Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Minghe and I are back to see you all!” Right at that moment, Pei Huaixue’s voice rang out from the entrance.
They saw Pei Huaixue holding hands with Gu Minghe, walking inside with a radiant, happy expression.
Zhong Manzhu stepped forward and asked him with a beaming smile, “Are you cold?”
With autumn just beginning, apart from a slight chill in the air, the weather couldn’t quite be called cold, but Pei Huaixue’s health was poor, making him more sensitive to the cold than ordinary people, which was why those around him constantly worried about him freezing.
Pei Huaixue shook his head. “Not cold, and besides, I’m wearing thermal leggings.”
Which he had been forced by Gu Minghe to wear.
Zhong Manzhu’s smile froze slightly. “You child, why do you say everything out loud?”
Just as they were speaking, Gu Yanchen not far away cast a profound look over, nodding at Pei Huaixue. “You’re back.”
The moment Pei Huaixue caught sight of Gu Yanchen, a pang of guilt struck him. He averted his gaze, pretending to remain calm as he called out, “Big… Big Brother.”
The words had barely left his lips when a tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped directly in front of him, blocking out every trace of the gaze Gu Yanchen was projecting. Pei Huaixue was momentarily stunned, his hands instinctively grabbing at the waist of the person in front of him as he was carefully tucked away behind his back.
Pei Huaixue stood at 1.83 meters tall, which wasn’t short by any standard, but his frame was far too slender. Standing in front of Gu Minghe a 1.9-meter-tall walking tank with broad shoulders and a narrow waist he looked just like a lion shielding a little kitten.
Since Gu Minghe was intentionally shielding him to prevent Gu Yanchen from looking at him, he truly managed to cover him completely.
Only a pair of snow-white little hands remained gripped tightly against the sides of the man’s waist, clutching his clothing, making him look exceptionally small and pitiful.
With an unfriendly glint in his eyes, Gu Minghe glared at Gu Yanchen, his expression having remained foul ever since they walked through the front door.
Having taken over the Gu Group for many years, Gu Yanchen naturally exuded the aura of someone in a position of authority. Toward Gu Minghe—his younger brother by five years—while he was tolerant, he was also strict, and carried a hint of provocation.
“What, looking to start another fight?”
Gu Minghe twisted his wrist, looking eager to try.
“I wouldn’t mind.”
The moment Pei Huaixue saw this stance from Gu Minghe, he knew instantly that his husband must have checked the trending searches and learned about the incident between him and Gu Yanchen.
Yet all the way here, he hadn’t mentioned it once, acting as though he didn’t care at all—until laying eyes on Gu Yanchen, where Gu Minghe’s patience finally reached its limit.
Pei Huaixue hurriedly grabbed onto him. “Hubby, today’s incident was a misunderstanding, totally a misunderstanding! Don’t be angry with Big Brother; it was all my fault…”
It would have been fine if he hadn’t offered an explanation, but the moment he tried to explain, Gu Minghe’s expression darkened by another shade.
How could his wife possibly be at fault?
If anyone was to blame, it should be Gu Yanchen for constantly trying to seduce his wife.
Frowning in displeasure, Gu Minghe issued a warning to Gu Yanchen: “Stay away from my wife.”
Gu Yanchen chuckled, his expression helpless. “Xiaoxue, it must really be exhausting staying with him.”
Seeing that another war was on the verge of breaking out, Zhong Manzhu hurried over to smooth things over.
Fortunately, Elder Gu was currently walking downstairs leaning on his cane, putting a stop to any further bickering between the two brothers. Catching sight of Elder Gu, Pei Huaixue rushed over to support him.
Seeing Pei Huaixue, Elder Gu wore a deeply affectionate smile.
Pei Huaixue’s mother had once worked as a domestic helper at the old residence, and when he was little, Pei Huaixue frequently came here to do his homework. Elder Gu had watched him grow up and held a deep fondness for him.
Everyone sat down together to eat dinner.
Gu Minghe sat directly across from Gu Yanchen, his eyes maintaining constant vigilance, terrified that if he let his guard down for even a second, Gu Yanchen might bat his eyelashes at Pei Huaixue.
Elder Gu didn’t browse trending topics and was completely unaware of what had happened, cheerfully urging Pei Huaixue to spend more time interacting with Gu Yanchen, reminding them that they were all family and shouldn’t stand on ceremony.
Hearing this, Pei Huaixue smiled awkwardly. He could clearly feel the tension in Gu Minghe’s entire body right beside him as he exerted every ounce of self-control to endure.
Reaching out with a small hand underneath the dining table, Pei Huaixue pinched Gu Minghe’s thigh. His original intent was to offer comfort, but the sound of heavy breathing suddenly dropped right beside his ear.
Gu Minghe looked at Pei Huaixue with a meaningful gaze, the depths of his dark eyes masking any readable emotion.
It wasn’t until after the main course, when dessert was served, that he spoke to Pei Huaixue in a calm tone: “Wife, I want to eat cake.”
Pei Huaixue, who was in the middle of drinking water, nearly choked.
Those around them also cast indescribable expressions toward Gu Minghe.
So childish—truly too childish.
Gu Yanchen raised his eyelids, too lazy to bother with him.
Hastily forking a piece of small cake, Pei Huaixue brought it over to Gu Minghe’s mouth. Gu Minghe obediently opened up and bit off a large mouthful, nearly nipping Pei Huaixue’s finger in the process.
A warm, wet sensation brushed against his fingertips, and with his ears burning hot, Pei Huaixue moved to pull his hand back.
Gu Minghe leaned in closer. “There’s cream on the corner of my mouth, help me wipe it off.”
“Oh…” Stunned, Pei Huaixue reached out to wipe away the cream, but the moment his hand extended, it was intercepted by Gu Minghe’s large palm.
Clasping his hand, the man wiped away the cream from the corner of his mouth bit by bit, before meticulously licking clean the cream stained across Pei Huaixue’s five fingers.
Pei Huaixue’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
“That’s enough, that’s enough Mom and Dad are right here.”
Gu Chengyuan and Zhong Manzhu looked away, pretending not to see anything.
Gu Yanchen smiled, continuing to ignore Gu Minghe’s display of dominance.
Having pouted and stewed in frustration all day long, Gu Minghe finally felt somewhat pacified at this moment.
Gripping his wife’s hand, he gently squeezed it. “Baby, don’t feed other people random things in the future, understand? If you’re going to feed anyone, you can only feed it to me.”
“O-okay, got it.”
Pei Huaixue guiltily agreed.
029 had been spectating for a long time before finally being unable to hold back its commentary:
[Pei Huaixue, your husband is such a vinegar jar.]
Pei Huaixue nodded: That’s right, my hubby is a world-class vinegar jar.
029: [Then what about your mission?]
Pei Huaixue: I don’t know either. I’ll just take it one step at a time.
029: I seriously feel like this host of mine is unreliable.
On the drive back that night, Pei Huaixue sat in the passenger seat in complete silence, his mind still racing with how he was going to complete missions behind Gu Minghe’s back without getting caught.
Moreover, he didn’t want to cause Gu Minghe any heartbreak or sorrow.
With that thought, he glanced sideways at Gu Minghe, who was driving with intense focus, and couldn’t help asking, “Hubby, don’t you have anything you want to ask me about what happened on the trending searches today?”
The car came to a stop just as it hit a red light.
The hand Gu Minghe had resting on the steering wheel tightened slightly. Pressing his lips together and keeping his jaw firmly set, he stared straight ahead before asking in a flat, level tone: “Pei Huaixue, do you still like Gu Yanchen?”
The several dozen seconds spent waiting for the red light felt somewhat long and agonizing to endure.
Pei Huaixue never expected him to ask so directly, leaving him no choice but to pick nervously at his own fingers as he shook his head. “I’ve never liked Gu Yanchen; the only person I’ve ever loved is you.”
In truth, he had said these exact words to Gu Minghe in the past, but the man evidently hadn’t taken them to heart.
As soon as the couple returned home and the door clicked shut, Pei Huaixue’s waist was suddenly seized from behind and pressed firmly against the door with a dull thud.
A large palm cushioned the back of his head, ensuring he didn’t suffer the slightest injury.
In the next instant, the man’s solid, powerful thighs wedged themselves between his legs. Without giving him any time to prepare, Pei Huaixue was hoisted up with both hands, the silk scarf around his neck yanked away to become the instrument binding his wrists.
And that newly exposed, snow-white neck was immediately covered in hot, wet breaths.
Tilting his head back, his sharp, graceful jawline traced a pale white arc against the darkness of the night. Pei Huaixue bit his lip lightly, his body trembling uncontrollably as fragmented sounds slipped from his throat.
Breathing heavily, Gu Minghe wore a dark, unreadable expression.
“Wife, I want to eat cake.”
“No didn’t we already eat some?” Twisting his waist, Pei Huaixue tried to break free from his bindings, but the hands pinning him against the door only locked his fingers tighter together with his own.
The next second, his lips were captured, and the man murmured between tastes: “Not enough, I haven’t eaten enough.”
Pei Huaixue’s gaze turned misty, a watery sheen flooding his eyes.
For some inexplicable reason, he felt like he had been treated like a piece of cake himself, consumed thoroughly inside and out.
Pei Huaixue was remarkably delicate; the slightest exertion from Gu Minghe would bring him to tears.
“Stop, I don’t want anymore.”
Whenever Pei Huaixue cried out in tearful plea, Gu Minghe would always halt. Yet after a brief moment, Pei Huaixue would inevitably wrap his arms tightly around the man’s neck again, crying fiercely: “Who told you to stop?!”
Gu Minghe never mocked him either, simply letting his wife have the final say on everything.
When morning came, Gu Minghe’s jealousy had finally subsided, but Pei Huaixue had been tossed about to the point where he couldn’t even lift his arms.
He had originally planned to sleep in, but 029 began chattering incessantly in his head.
[Host, Host, the mission! Don’t forget your mission!]
“What mission?”
[The four-person hot spring trip the day after tomorrow! Your husband is currently on the phone calling to cancel it!]
The system shrieked.
Only then did Pei Huaixue remember that prior to the trending search incident, Gu Minghe hadn’t been guarding against his interactions with Gu Yanchen quite as strictly, which was why he had agreed to a four-person hot spring trip involving himself, Gu Minghe, Gu Yanchen, and Su Jin.
In the original novel, Gu Minghe hadn’t attended; only the three of them went.
During this hot spring trip, Pei Huaixue used every trick in the book to seduce Gu Yanchen, constantly manufacturing accidents and misunderstandings to make Su Jin believe that he and Gu Yanchen shared an intimate relationship, which stalled Gu Yanchen and Su Jin’s romance and nearly caused a falling out.
This was a major plot point in the original book!
The system reminded him that the hot spring trip was an absolute must!
Pei Huaixue felt a headache coming on.
With no other choice, he supported his exhausted body, wrapping his arms around Gu Minghe’s waist from behind to stop him from continuing his phone call. “Hubby, I want to go soak in the hot springs.”
Caressing his slender wrists, Gu Minghe replied in a calm tone, “I’ll take you some other time, just the two of us.”
“No! I already promised Brother Su Jin, if we don’t go, he’ll be upset!” Acting spoiled, Pei Huaixue begged Gu Minghe.
Giving him a deep, lingering look, Gu Minghe who had never been able to refuse Pei Huaixue reluctantly nodded after a long moment. “Then stay away from Gu Yanchen.”
“I’ll definitely keep my distance from Big Brother.” Pei Huaixue agreed instantly.
As long as he kept it from Gu Minghe and made sure he didn’t find out while manufacturing a few minor misunderstandings between Su Jin and Gu Yanchen, his mission would be considered complete.
Being a vicious cannon fodder, after all, was quite simple.