The sharp warning alarms from the system rang out continuously in Pei Huaixue’s mind, beating in a regular rhythm along with the undulations of his body. Just before he passed out from the exhaustion of it all, the only thought crossing his mind was: This sound is actually quite good for setting the mood =.=
As for what the system was screaming about, he didn’t take in a single word of it.
Gu Minghe had already captured all of his attention and mental focus, leaving him completely unable to spare a thought for anything else. It wasn’t until he woke up clear-headed the next afternoon that he realized things had taken a massive turn for the worse.
029 had already hidden itself away in a corner, crying all night long.
Propping up his fatigued body, Pei Huaixue still had to go over and comfort it.
“Don’t cry anymore. It’s my fault. I promise I’ll do a proper job with the mission next time,” Pei Huaixue vowed.
029 was filled with resentment.
[The main storyline task for the hot spring trip has failed. Host, you’re on your own.]
Last night, it had gone completely wild trying to warn the host that the task was about to fail. However, amidst its alarm bells, the host had only cried out louder and louder, wave after wave overwhelming everything else, leaving 029 entirely powerless to fight back. It felt as though its mind and body had suffered extreme devastation.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Pei Huaixue could only offer endless apologies.
It wasn’t until the afternoon before they headed back that he crossed paths with Gu Yanchen and Su Jin once more.
Because the task had been missed the previous night, the progress between the protagonist gong and shou remained at absolute zero. Without him there to provide assists as the vicious cannon fodder, Su Jin hadn’t felt the slightest sense of crisis regarding the relationship between him and Gu Yanchen.
The two of them remained good friends as usual.
With a natural demeanor, Gu Yanchen lifted the backpack from Su Jin’s hands and looked over at Pei Huaixue. “Are you guys all packed? Do you need any help?”
“Minghe is still packing up his side, so help won’t be necessary,” Pei Huaixue hurriedly waved his hand to decline, though the moment his voice came out, everyone froze.
His voice… was completely hoarse.
Having overused his vocal cords the night before, his speaking voice sounded like a broken bellows, rasping so badly it was hard to ignore.
Concerned, Su Jin asked, “Xiaoxue, did you catch a cold? Why is your voice so raspy? Do you want to take some medicine?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’ll get better in a couple of days.” Flushing crimson with embarrassment, Pei Huaixue was unwilling to delve any further into that topic.
“Are you really okay?” Su Jin still looked worried. “How is Minghe taking care of you? You fell sick after just one night—Yan Chen, you really need to have a serious talk with your younger brother.”
Gu Yanchen, however, offered a knowing, meaningful smile. “How do you know the primary culprit isn’t that brat Gu Minghe?”
Hearing that only made Pei Huaixue’s face flush even brighter.
He was starting to regret pushing his voice so hard yesterday. Fortunately, the soundproofing in the hotel rooms had been excellent; otherwise, forget about completing missions, he would have had zero face left to show his face in public.
Before long, Gu Minghe finished packing and emerged carrying several large bags.
Even though they were only coming away for a day or two, Pei Huaixue hadn’t skimped on a single item: various skincare products, multiple sets of coordinated outfits and accessories, and even bringing two or three distinct bathrobes without a single duplicate. He had originally planned to snap lots of photos for his feed, but in the end, he had gotten entirely lost in the indulgence of beauty and completely wasted the time.
Originally, they could have stayed and played for a couple more days, but Gu Minghe was scheduled to join his film crew in two days, and there were preparation tasks he needed to handle beforehand, forcing them to head back today.
Once Gu Minghe joined the crew, he would be locked away shooting for three full months. The mere thought of not being able to see his husband for such a long duration made Pei Huaixue feel that seizing every second to stay glued to him was infinitely more important!
On the drive back, feeling utterly exhausted, Pei Huaixue curled up with his head resting on Gu Minghe’s lap and drifted off to sleep.
Wrapping both arms around Gu Minghe’s sturdy, powerful waist, he buried his face right against the hard planes of his abs, taking a deep breath of his husband’s masculine aura and sleeping with absolute peace and contentment.
Gu Minghe reached out to smooth down the stray locks of hair across his forehead, pulling him a bit closer into his embrace. Fearing that he might catch a chill, he carefully draped his jacket over him.
Only after finishing all of this did he pull out his phone and begin attending to work matters.
Then, thinking of something, he opened Weibo, made a brief edit, and hit send.
Ding-dong.
Movie Emperor Gu—who practically never updated his social media—had officially come online for business!
Seeing that Gu Minghe had posted on Weibo, his fans erupted in excited discussion, running around to spread the news. Within a single minute of the post going live, the number of likes and loyal follower interactions shattered the ten-thousand mark.
-Ahhhh Hubby, you actually still remember your Weibo account password?!
-Why did you suddenly decide to post out of nowhere?
-Shocking! Movie Emperor Gu has actually resurrected from the dead!
-Is this a photo of a narcissus flower?
Gu Minghe had only posted a single photograph.
It was a picture he had snapped on a whim as he checked out of the hotel.
A pot of narcissus flowers resting on the windowsill of the hotel room, its jade-white, pristine posture swaying gently in the breeze.
The afternoon sunlight cascaded down, casting a warm, glowing sheen over it, brimming with vitality.
Pei Huaixue loved narcissus flowers. Before checking into the hotel, he had specifically arranged for them to be set up inside the room ahead of time.
Seeing them reminded Gu Minghe of Pei Huaixue.
So he took a picture.
To commemorate spending yet another wonderful night with his wife.
Completely baffled by the photo, the fans began wildly guessing at its potential meanings, but no matter how they brainstormed, they couldn’t come up with a logical answer, eventually leaving them with no choice but to give up.
Only a single netizen left a comment: “This narcissus plant looks super familiar. I think I’ve seen it in some influencer’s vlog before.”
However, that comment was quickly buried beneath a flood of other replies.
After returning home, Pei Huaixue finally woke up fully rested. Pulling out his phone, he immediately noticed a push notification from his special-follow alerts on Weibo.
Gu Minghe had posted.
Hastily switching to his alternate account, he liked and commented on his dear husband’s post.
@MingheFlakesSnow: Husband, kiss kiss =3= Did Hubby know I love narcissus flowers and take this photo specially to show me?
The comment had barely been published when likes and replies began pouring in endlessly.
-Snowxue, you’re finally here! I thought you didn’t love Emperor Gu anymore since it took you over half a day just to leave a comment!
-MingheFlakesSnow, have you no shame? He can post whatever he wants; how on earth did it become something taken specially for you?
-Snowxue is as abstract as ever.
-Step aside, everyone step aside! The biggest delulu male fan in Gu Minghe’s fandom has arrived!
Pei Huaixue’s alternate Weibo account constantly posted various kinds of delusional stan comments directed at Gu Minghe. Initially, the fandom had been thrilled to discover a male fan, treating him like a rare endangered species with all sorts of hugs, kisses, and high-fives.
It turned out, however, that Pei Huaixue was far too abstract. When it came to being delulu over Gu Minghe, he outdid the female fans by a landslide.
Everyone was quickly driven completely unhinged by him.
Unanimously, they told him to stay away from Gu Minghe.
Pei Huaixue wasn’t afraid of being exposed; after all, the most dangerous place was the safest place. The more abstract he acted, the less anyone would suspect the truth.
That was why Pei Huaixue never held back when fangirling over Gu Minghe on Weibo—in fact, he made it look completely natural and bold.
Not a single soul would ever imagine that this fandom-famous delulu stan was actually Gu Minghe’s hidden legal spouse.
Not long after the comment went out, Gu Minghe—wearing an apron—tapped lightly on the bedroom door. “Baby, dinner’s ready.”
Realizing he was also feeling hungry, Pei Huaixue quickly got up and climbed out of bed.
Arriving at the dining room, he found that Gu Minghe had already prepared a table overflowing with dishes.
After serving up a bowl of rice for Pei Huaixue and seating himself right beside him, Gu Minghe busied himself constantly picking out food and placing it in his bowl, entirely occupied.
Pei Huaixue didn’t have a huge appetite and was quite a picky eater. Whenever Gu Minghe was home, he would supervise him to ensure he finished his meals properly—and if he failed to finish, he wouldn’t let him give kisses afterwards.
Perhaps remembering that Gu Minghe was about to leave for his three-month shoot and wouldn’t be able to kiss his husband for the next quarter, and realizing that if he didn’t cooperate tonight he’d miss out, Pei Huaixue dutifully finished every single grain of rice in his bowl.
When night fell, the young couple didn’t waste any time. To make up for the upcoming three months of separation, they tossed and turned together all night long, leaving their traces scattered everywhere the bathroom, the balcony, the living room, the sofa, the kitchen, and the dining room.
Two days later, Pei Huaixue reluctantly and tearfully watched his husband off as he departed.
Before leaving, Gu Minghe didn’t forget to issue a warning: “You are not allowed to secretly meet up with Gu Yanchen while I’m not home.”
He practically had the words No cheating allowed stamped across his forehead.
While Pei Huaixue agreed readily enough to his face, the moment the man walked out the door, he was immediately hauled out of bed by the system brandishing a tiny whip.
[Stop lazing around, hurry up and get up to do your tasks!]
With Gu Minghe finally out of the house for three whole months, Pei Huaixue shouldn’t have any obstacles left standing in the way of his missions!
029 thought to itself with quiet glee.
“What’s the rush, it’s three whole months!” Pei Huaixue let out a yawn. “Let me sleep properly for a few days first.”
He was exhausted from the past couple of days.
He needed proper rest before he’d have the energy to work!
029 could only watch Pei Huaixue sleep with a fresh wave of resentment.
After three to five days of deep, uninterrupted rest, Pei Huaixue finally recharged his battery.
Amidst 029’s hopeful anticipation, he decided that today’s activity would be going shopping!
[What about the mission??]
029 shrieked.
Covering his ears, Pei Huaixue replied, “I need to buy a few daring, sultry outfits first so I’ll actually be able to seduce someone, right? Otherwise, if I walk over wearing casual clothes, the guy won’t even realize I’m trying to seduce him.”
[The Host makes a valid point.]
029 offered a word of praise.
Flinging his little cat-like chin up with pride, Pei Huaixue thought: Obviously.
Since the previous mission had failed, causing him to forfeit a hundred points, Pei Huaixue was filled with confidence this time around, determined to earn those points back through other means.
Because he needed to head out shopping, Pei Huaixue opened WeChat and called upon his designated shopping buddy.
Xu Ran, a minor influencer signed under Star Leap—an MCN agency also belonging to the Gu Group—had met Pei Huaixue on Douyin. Since both of them were gay, they naturally gravitated toward each other and became close friends.
At the cafe.
Spotting Pei Huaixue’s arrival, Xu Ran waved his hand happily.
“Xiaoxue, over here!”
Pei Huaixue walked over and sat down across from him.
Looking him up and down for a long moment, Xu Ran remarked, “I thought the trending searches had crushed you and that you’d be crying at home every day, but looking at you, you’re still glowing and full of life.”
“Those trending searches happened days ago; I stopped caring ages ago,” Pei Huaixue said, looking completely indifferent.
Gossip glowing in his eyes, Xu Ran asked, “Let me ask you, what is actually going on between you and Gu Yanchen? Did you guys really hook up?”
Pei Huaixue narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking that?”
“I’m just curious! After all, the entire internet is currently trying to guess whether the person Gu Yanchen likes is Su Jin or you, Pei Huaixue.” Spotting the protagonist of the gossip sitting right in front of him, Xu Ran immediately grabbed onto his arm and peppered him with questions.
Unaware of Pei Huaixue and Gu Minghe’s hidden marriage, and naturally oblivious to the true nature of the relationship between Pei Huaixue and Gu Yanchen, Xu Ran simply assumed that Pei Huaixue had latched onto a golden thigh, leaving him consumed with envy.
A minor influencer like himself would consider it supreme, heaven-sent traffic if he could ever manage to stir up a scandal with a bigwig like that he’d definitely seize the opportunity to get filthy rich overnight!
Moreover, if he could successfully marry into a wealthy family, he’d be set to kick back and coast through the rest of his life.
“If you become the young madam of the Gu family, you’ll be the boss’s wife at Star Leap. Who among those little bitches at the company would ever dare to mess with you again?”
Pei Huaixue was exceptionally good-looking. Unlike those online influencers who fell apart the moment they met people in real life, he was a genuine, breathtaking beauty who could knock people dead without needing any beauty filters. Because of this, certain influencer streamers at the agency who relied entirely on maxed-out filters to pull in fans felt deeply insecure around him and constantly picked fights with him.
Some had even coveted Pei Huaixue’s looks and tried to proposition him behind the scenes.
However, anyone who harbored such thoughts ended up being fired from the company shortly after.
Everyone whispered that Pei Huaixue had powerful backers, though nobody ever imagined that his backer could possibly be Gu Yanchen.
Lately, plenty of people inside the company wanted to butter up Pei Huaixue, only to find that Pei Huaixue rarely showed up at the office, leaving them with no chance to meet him.
Xu Ran considered himself lucky to be close friends with Pei Huaixue; otherwise, by the time Pei Huaixue truly hit the big time, he wouldn’t even make the waiting list!
Xu Ran eagerly daydreamed about a bright future on Pei Huaixue’s behalf.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
“And if you really marry in, you’ll officially become Gu Minghe’s sister-in-law [older brother’s wife]… wait, wait, brother-in-law [husband’s older brother’s wife]. By then you can help me score an autographed photo of Gu Minghe—”
Maintaining an aloof composure, Pei Huaixue chuckled softly. “It’s all fake like I said. Stop daydreaming so much, will you? Even if it were real, bullying others by throwing weight around isn’t a good look. It’s better to just ignore those people.”
Xu Ran nodded. “True. We’ve got to maintain a good public image after all; wealthy families still care a lot about personal character.”
The two of them sat down to drink coffee and chat for a while before heading upstairs to the shopping mall to buy, buy, buy.
Pei Huaixue wasn’t short on cash and routinely offered to foot the bill when shopping with Xu Ran.
Today was no exception.
After swiping his card to buy Xu Ran a Chanel bag, the two of them were preparing to leave when Xu Ran who was staring intently at his phone suddenly called out to Pei Huaixue.
“Xiaoxue, look at Weibo right now, something’s wrong! Gu Minghe has been in an accident!”
Pei Huaixue’s footsteps ground to a sudden halt, his mind going completely blank for a split second.
Hastily whipping out his phone, his eyes locked immediately onto the top-trending tag marked with a blazing “HOT” character.
#GuMingheCarAccident#