Traveling from Jiangcheng to Jincheng that day, Gu Yansheng was already so sleepy by nine o’clock that he could barely keep his eyes open. Originally, he had genuinely fallen asleep, but the moment Xuan Chiyi opened the door and walked in, Gu Yansheng suddenly woke up.
Perhaps it was due to an innate wariness toward Xuan Chiyi and a nameless fear deep within his heart, terrified of accidentally provoking Xuan Chiyi, terrified of triggering the plot from the book, and terrified that Xuan Chiyi would imprison and torture him.
Therefore, when Xuan Chiyi entered, he pretended to be asleep, even though he had no idea what Xuan Chiyi intended to do.
In the dark, human tactile and auditory senses are suddenly magnified, allowing him to roughly judge what Xuan Chiyi was doing through sound alone.
Gu Yansheng sensed Xuan Chiyi quietly squatting down beside the bed, followed by complete silence. He felt as though Xuan Chiyi was watching him.
Then, he felt a wave of heat washing over his face. Xuan Chiyi really was watching him. In the middle of the night, why on earth was he staring at him?
Amidst his nervousness, Gu Yansheng still controlled his breathing, trying his best to make it sound steady like someone who was fast asleep.
In the dead of night, Xuan Chiyi came over to check on him. Could he be planning to do something?
Gu Yansheng still remembered how the book mentioned that Xuan Chiyi possessed stamina far exceeding ordinary people.
In fact, he could feel it clearly from that very night; he had been filled completely to the brim, and for several days afterward, despite applying ointment, his backside had remained sore for days.
Moreover, the reason he was pregnant now was entirely thanks to this man.
The moment he thought of this, Gu Yansheng grew even more nervous. Could Xuan Chiyi be looking for that? He was pregnant right now and still in a vulnerable period.
Gu Yansheng cursed inwardly. As expected of the perverted, crazy, dominant love interest from the book! Even in his current state, Xuan Chiyi was still thinking about such things. Truly an animal. Gu Yansheng clenched his fists tightly. He thought that if Xuan Chiyi really tried to force the issue, he would fight back and refuse to let him have his way, and then he would escape to a place where no one could find him and raise the child all by himself.
To his surprise, Xuan Chiyi didn’t do anything at all. He merely tucked the blanket up carefully around him, lingered with his gaze for a moment longer, and then left.
Gu Yansheng stared in quiet realization, feeling that he had misunderstood Xuan Chiyi once again.
Not long after Xuan Chiyi went out, Gu Yansheng quickly fell fast asleep. He slept so soundly that it seemed he didn’t even dream all night, enjoying a deeply satisfying slumber.
When he woke up the next morning, Xuan Chiyi had already prepared breakfast.
Looking at the lavish breakfast spread across the table, Gu Yansheng drifted off in a daze for a moment. He had never experienced waking up in the morning to find someone else having prepared breakfast already, allowing him to simply sit down and eat.
It gave him a truly wondrous feeling.
Xuan Chiyi sat across from him, asking with genuine concern whether he was getting used to things. “Did you sleep comfortably last night? Did you sleep well?”
Gu Yansheng answered, “Extremely well. No discomfort at all.”
This was the most comfortable bed he had ever slept in, so large and soft.
As Xuan Chiyi dropped a mini soup dumpling into Gu Yansheng’s bowl, he noticed that Gu Yansheng seemed to really enjoy eating them.
“That’s good. Eat a little more.”
To Gu Yansheng, aside from the few specific things he disliked, everything else tasted delicious.
However, he had barely eaten half of this breakfast when a sudden wave of nausea struck. Gu Yansheng covered his mouth and bolted to the bathroom to vomit.
Listening to the sounds of Gu Yansheng vomiting, Xuan Chiyi silently and gently patted his back, his eyes filled with heartache. Was pregnancy really this exhausting?
After finishing vomiting, Gu Yansheng couldn’t eat anything else.
Xuan Chiyi had originally planned to go to the company to handle matters. Having been away from Jincheng for so long, a mountain of work had piled up awaiting his attention.
Yet seeing Gu Yansheng like this, he decided he wanted to stay home and accompany Gu Yansheng instead of going to the office.
Gu Yansheng quickly said, “There’s no need. I’ll be fine by myself at home. You should go to work and not let it delay your responsibilities.”
In truth, Gu Yansheng still didn’t know how to interact with Xuan Chiyi when left alone together. Just thinking about it made him feel somewhat awkward, which was why he wanted Xuan Chiyi to go to work and not stay here.
Gu Yansheng didn’t realize that when he said those words, his tone clearly revealed his desire not to stay together with Xuan Chiyi.
Xuan Chiyi caught that subtle implication as well.
After double-checking that Gu Yansheng would genuinely be fine alone at home, Xuan Chiyi decided to head to the company.
Before leaving, however, he couldn’t help giving a series of careful reminders.
“Don’t drink anything cold. If you want to drink yogurt, warm it up in hot water first before having it. Feel free to wander around any room in the house, and make sure to call me immediately if anything comes up.”
After a moment’s thought, Xuan Chiyi handed him a card. “There’s no PIN. Buy whatever you want, and be safe when you go out.”
Right before heading out the door, Xuan Chiyi smiled and said, “I’ll come back to cook lunch. Wait for me.”
Gu Yansheng thought for a second and gave a small wave. “Goodbye, Mr. Xuan.”
Xuan Chiyi was in an exceptionally wonderful mood all morning. Processing the stacked documents went smoothly, and he finished everything in no time.
Meanwhile, after Xuan Chiyi left, Gu Yansheng wandered around the villa from top to bottom. He had never lived in a house this large or fine.
Yesterday, upon arriving, he had been too shy and hadn’t looked around properly.
Taking a thorough look today, it truly was exceptionally luxurious, fitting for a wealthy upper-class family.
There was even a screening room and an entertainment room, complete with every recreational facility imaginable.
What surprised Gu Yansheng most of all was a spacious basement dedicated entirely to storing wine.
Gu Yansheng found the study, hoping to find some books suitable for himself to read. After browsing around, he found none.
He had no choice but to watch television instead. During that time, he drank a bottle of yogurt, making sure to warm it up in hot water for a long time before drinking it, keeping Xuan Chiyi’s parting instructions firmly in mind.
Such a cozy and pleasant morning passed by in a flash.
When Xuan Chiyi returned home, Gu Yansheng was sitting on the sofa watching television.
For a split second, Xuan Chiyi froze, unable to react immediately.
For a long time, he had lived entirely alone, his home forever desolate and cold. This was the first time he had returned home to find someone inside, to find signs of life in the house.
It truly felt like a home.
Xuan Chiyi asked while changing his shoes, “Are you hungry?”
Gu Yansheng shook his head and pointed to the snack wrapper he had been eating from. “Not hungry. I just ate a white strawberry, drank a bottle of yogurt, and had some other snacks.”
Gu Yansheng added hastily, “Don’t worry, I didn’t drink it cold. I warmed it up in hot water first.”
He looked so obedient and well-behaved that Xuan Chiyi felt a strong urge to walk over and pat his head.
Yet he was afraid of frightening this young man.
“Did you throw up?”
Gu Yansheng replied, “Once.”
Xuan Chiyi carried fresh vegetables into the kitchen. “I’ll start cooking right away.”
Gu Yansheng stood at the kitchen doorway, peeking his head inside. “Um, do I need to help?”
He felt embarrassed to eat for free, live here for free, and contribute nothing in return.
Xuan Chiyi walked over, led him out of the kitchen, and gently pressed him down onto the sofa. “You don’t need to do anything. Since you’re pregnant, you definitely can’t stand the smell of cooking oil. Just watch TV right here. I’ll call you when the food is ready. Just sit tight and be a good boy.”
Gu Yansheng let out a soft oh. Indeed, the mere smell of greasy food made him want to vomit right now.
Xuan Chiyi closed the kitchen door tightly while cooking. Gu Yansheng noticed several books resting on the coffee table that Xuan Chiyi had brought back earlier.
Curious, he walked over to take a look and discovered they were all books about pregnancy.
Titles like The Complete Guide to Pregnancy, The 40-Week Pregnancy Handbook, and The Pregnancy Bible lined the table, with several copies among them.
Xuan Chiyi had learned about these through Song Ming.
However, since Song Ming was a bachelor himself, where would he know about such things? Fortunately, there happened to be several female colleagues in the company who had children.
Those female colleagues had recommended those books to Song Ming, and Song Ming promptly bought them and brought them back for Xuan Chiyi.
Song Ming was well aware that Gu Yansheng was pregnant and already living with Xuan Chiyi, so naturally, he understood why President Xuan was asking him about these matters.
Although Gu Yansheng couldn’t stand greasy odors, Xuan Chiyi prepared a lavish lunch featuring both meat and vegetable dishes, yet none of the meat dishes gave off any oily smell, whether in appearance or aroma.
Throughout the meal, Xuan Chiyi kept a constant eye on Gu Yansheng.
“How does it taste?” “Not too greasy, right? You aren’t feeling nauseous?”
The meat dish was steamed sea bass. Before steaming, Xuan Chiyi had meticulously removed every trace of fishy odor.
The books said that if conditions allowed, pregnant women should use olive oil for cooking. Fortunately, the household had always used high-grade olive oil.
Though Gu Yansheng had claimed he wasn’t hungry before the meal, he still ended up eating half the fish, a bowl of rice, and a portion of greens.
Fortunately, he didn’t throw up afterward, which allowed Xuan Chiyi to relax slightly. Seeing Gu Yansheng suffer through morning sickness made him feel even more miserable than Gu Yansheng himself, wishing he could bear those hardships in his place.
Just as the two finished eating, Song Ming arrived with a team of workers.
Yesterday, Xuan Chiyi had decided to install anti-slip mats in the bathroom.
The bathroom tiles were far too slippery, and he needed to eliminate any potential safety hazards.
Sleeping until nearly three o’clock, Gu Yansheng finally woke up. Because workers were installing the anti-slip mats in the bathroom, Gu Yansheng had ended up sleeping on the sofa.
Upon waking, he was surprised to find himself resting in bed.
Xuan Chiyi must have carried him back to bed after the installation was finished. He had been sleeping so deeply that he hadn’t noticed a thing.
When Gu Yansheng walked into the bathroom later, he found Xuan Chiyi inside, sticking labels onto the bathtub.
Seeing him, Gu Yansheng paused.
Xuan Chiyi asked, “Awake? Do you need to use the restroom?”
Just waking up, Gu Yansheng still had two faint sleep creases on his face, his hair slightly messy, and his voice upon waking was somewhat raspy. “Yeah.”
Xuan Chiyi smiled. “Then what are you standing there for?”
Muzzy-headed, Gu Yansheng reached out to unbutton his pants before it suddenly dawned on him that Xuan Chiyi was still right there.
He looked at Xuan Chiyi, who chuckled helplessly. “Alright, I’ll step outside first.”
When Xuan Chiyi came back in later, Gu Yansheng finally understood what he had been doing.
Xuan Chiyi had pasted the corresponding Chinese meanings next to the foreign labels on the bathtub controls, ensuring Gu Yansheng would know what each function did.
A sudden wave of warmth washed over Gu Yansheng’s heart.