Gu Yansheng was not a good student and had attended a vocational high school. In his class, almost no one cared about studying; most were just waiting to get their graduation certificate when the time came, so the teachers were quite lenient.
Unlike others, Gu Yansheng had no family, no parents, and no one to lean on. He only had himself. Back then, to make money to support himself, he spent most of his time working part-time, which caused his studies to fall behind completely.
By graduation, he had barely managed to get a high school diploma, a detail very similar to the original owner.
Because of this, Gu Yansheng couldn’t understand the foreign words printed on the bathtub. They looked like English letters, but didn’t feel quite like English, so he had no idea what language it was and simply couldn’t read it.
Yet Xuan Chiyi had quietly pasted Chinese characters that he could read right over them.
Gu Yansheng suddenly remembered that Xuan Chiyi had graduated from an internationally renowned university and was an exceptionally talented person.
They felt almost like people from two entirely different worlds.
“Does somewhere hurt?” Seeing him dazed with a frown, Xuan Chiyi thought he was uncomfortable and hurriedly asked, “Are you feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit, or is somewhere else hurting? Let’s go to the hospital right now to take a look.”
He was extremely anxious. As someone who had fallen in love for the first time and was becoming a father for the first time, there were many things he had never experienced before, leaving him with plenty of things he didn’t understand and needed to explore step by step.
Therefore, whenever Gu Yansheng frowned or showed any sign of discomfort, Xuan Chiyi would grow extremely tense, feeling as though his heart was being suspended by a string, and the person holding that string was Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng shook his head. “I’m not uncomfortable. I want to eat strawberries.”
Without a second word, Xuan Chiyi headed to the kitchen to wash strawberries.
He had noticed that Gu Yansheng enjoyed eating fruit, and since the fruit in the fridge was running low, he needed to buy plenty more back.
There was also another issue to consider: he wanted to find a domestic helper.
He couldn’t stay at home with Gu Yansheng every single day. Of course, he desperately wanted to accompany him, but Gu Yansheng was somewhat afraid of him.
Yet, considering how much Gu Yansheng feared him already, he wondered if adding a nanny to the household would frighten Gu Yansheng even more, so he decided to ask for Gu Yansheng’s opinion first.
After Xuan Chiyi brought up the idea, Gu Yansheng agreed without even thinking.
Xuan Chiyi thought to himself: Wasn’t he afraid of strangers? How could he agree so quickly?
Xuan Chiyi cleared his throat and said gently, “It’s fine. If you don’t want an extra stranger in the house, I’ll carve out more time to stay home and keep you company.”
He thought Gu Yansheng was just too embarrassed to refuse him, but as it turned out, Gu Yansheng seemed quite willing.
“I don’t mind at all.” Gu Yansheng thought about how Xuan Chiyi had to rush back every noon just to cook for him, which must be quite troublesome. So if they had a nanny, Xuan Chiyi could eat a hot, freshly cooked meal the moment he returned home.
Xuan Chiyi had no idea what Gu Yansheng was thinking; he genuinely believed he was deeply disliked by Gu Yansheng.
Still, having someone at home to look after Gu Yansheng gave him greater peace of mind.
So when he headed to the office, Xuan Chiyi instructed Song Ming to find an experienced, skilled, efficient, kind-hearted, and tight-lipped domestic helper.
Seeing that Mr. Xuan had listed so many requirements, Song Ming knew it had to be for Gu Yansheng.
Mr. Xuan was used to peace and quiet on his own and disliked outsiders entering his territory to disturb him, which was why he had lived alone all these years.
The cleaning helper who came every day had to finish tidying the rooms before Xuan Chiyi returned home, and the placement of items in the house had to remain identical to how it was when he left.
Yet now, not only had Mr. Xuan brought Gu Yansheng to live in his home, but he was also hiring a housekeeper.
Song Ming simply felt a bit worried. Ever since that period when Mr. Xuan relentlessly searched for Gu Yansheng, it was clear that Mr. Xuan had truly given his heart to Gu Yansheng. However, Gu Yansheng didn’t seem particularly fond of Mr. Xuan and instead kept hiding from him. He only hoped that in the end, Mr. Xuan could get what he wished for.
With the task assigned by his boss, Song Ming immediately set out to handle it.
After waking up from his afternoon nap, Gu Yansheng felt bored and went out using Xuan Chiyi’s card.
More than half a year ago when he first arrived here, he had fled after staying for just two days. Now, he finally had the chance to properly look around.
He wanted to do it before his belly started showing.
He hailed a taxi to the shopping mall. In the past, he definitely would have squeezed onto the subway and never dared to take a taxi directly because the fare was quite expensive and he hated spending the money. But now, he didn’t dare squeeze onto the subway anymore, because there was a tiny little life inside his belly, and he needed to avoid bumps and jolts as much as possible.
Gu Yansheng had already decided what he wanted to buy.
He wanted to buy a few novels and a few comic books.
They were all things he had wanted to read in the past but never had the time or money to purchase.
Now, with the card given to him by Xuan Chiyi, he could finally buy them.
He knew very well that Xuan Chiyi was treating him so well because of the baby in his belly, so he stopped feeling awkward about it.
After all, pregnancy was truly exhausting, and he had thrown up again this morning.
Life had been extremely harsh back in his original world, but having transmigrated here, he was determined to live well, eating and drinking whatever he pleased.
Gu Yansheng browsed around the bookstore and picked up several novels and comic books, which should be enough to keep him entertained for a while.
Passing by a baby supply store, Gu Yansheng paused for a moment before stepping inside.
Meanwhile, during a meeting, Xuan Chiyi listened to his subordinate’s report with a grave expression.
Then his phone received a series of consecutive bank card consumption notifications.
At first, Xuan Chiyi froze upon seeing the alerts, but then he realized this was the card he had given to Gu Yansheng.
The little fellow was finally willing to use it.
From the text messages, Xuan Chiyi could roughly trace Gu Yansheng’s path through the mall.
Gu Yansheng had bought books at the bookstore, then gone to the neighboring snack counter to pick up some snacks. Huh? He even bought a cup of milk tea?
Xuan Chiyi frowned. He had no idea if pregnant women were allowed to drink milk tea, feeling that it contained too many additives and probably wasn’t very healthy.
When Xuan Chiyi saw the latest text message, his brow suddenly relaxed.
This was a consumption notification from the baby store.
Gu Yansheng was buying things for the baby.
He had always worried that Gu Yansheng wouldn’t want to keep the child, especially since Gu Yansheng himself was still practically a kid, not even twenty years old yet.
An age like that should be carefree and happy.
Yet he always felt that Gu Yansheng harbored an immense sense of insecurity inside.
The subordinate giving the report watched as Mr. Xuan’s brow furrowed one moment and smoothed out the next, nearly making him forget how to continue.
He pinched his own arm to force himself to stay calm and pressed on with the presentation.
Finally, the report concluded, and the subordinate nervously awaited the boss’s verdict.
Xuan Chiyi put away his phone nonchalantly and said, “Not bad, excellent work. Hand this project over to you.”
The subordinate let out a deep sigh of relief, having nearly scared himself to death under the impression that something was wrong with his proposal.
Back in his office, Xuan Chiyi alternated between working and eagerly anticipating a text message on his phone.
He was dying to know what Gu Yansheng had been doing all afternoon.
Instead of a text message, however, a phone call from Gu Yansheng came through.
Gu Yansheng had bought a pile of items and couldn’t carry them all by himself, so he had asked the store to deliver them to his home.
Right now, he was standing in front of a laptop computer.
Come to think of it, he had never owned a computer of his own before. With a computer, he could play games.
He checked the price and found it a bit expensive, several thousand yuan, almost reaching ten thousand.
After hesitating for a long time, he decided to call Xuan Chiyi.
Gu Yansheng’s initiative to call made Xuan Chiyi’s heart race. He quickly answered, keeping his excited voice under control as he asked, “What is it?”
He thought his voice sounded perfectly calm, but he had no idea that the corners of his mouth were already refusing to obey him.
After making the call, Gu Yansheng felt a slight pang of regret, but he still braced himself and called out, “Mr. Xuan.” It sounded soft and defenseless.
Xuan Chiyi let out a sigh. Gu Yansheng was still so polite and distant toward him.
“Sheng-sheng, don’t call me Mr. Xuan. It’s too distant.”
Gu Yansheng paused for a moment. “Brother Chiyi.”
Xuan Chiyi responded with an amused smile.
The sound of Xuan Chiyi’s laughter came through the phone. Gu Yansheng blinked. Why was he so happy? Was it because he changed how he addressed him?
Xuan Chiyi asked, “Sheng-sheng, what’s wrong?”
That’s when Gu Yansheng remembered the purpose of his call: “Brother Chiyi, I want to buy a computer.”
Xuan Chiyi replied, “Buy it.”
Gu Yansheng hesitated slightly. “But the price is a bit high.”
Xuan Chiyi let out a confused exclamation. The card he gave Gu Yansheng had more than enough funds to buy four or five villas, let alone a computer.
Gu Yansheng whispered, “That computer costs over nine thousand yuan.”
Xuan Chiyi suddenly understood. The amounts on the notifications he received all afternoon had been just a few hundred yuan here and there.
Xuan Chiyi said, “Mm, buy whatever you want.”
Gu Yansheng’s voice noticeably brightened. “Is it really okay?”
He had never bought such an expensive computer before and didn’t expect Xuan Chiyi to agree so easily.
Xuan Chiyi said with doting indulgence, “Of course it’s okay.”
Just as they were about to hang up, Xuan Chiyi told him, “Sheng-sheng, from now on, buy whatever you like without asking me. Just buy whatever catches your eye.”
He felt a fresh wave of heartache for Gu Yansheng, wondering just how hard his life must have been in the past.
Gu Yansheng quickly purchased the laptop he had set his heart on.
As he was leaving the mall carrying his bags, someone called out to him.
“Gu Yansheng?”
Gu Yansheng turned around and saw a young man calling his name, but he didn’t recognize him.
The young man walked up to him and said, “I’m Lu Feng! We were both at the Nancheng Orphanage, did you forget?”
At first, Lu Feng had thought the figure of the person ahead looked a lot like Gu Yansheng, but the person was dressed entirely in designer brand clothing, so he hadn’t dared to confirm it.
How could Gu Yansheng possibly afford such expensive clothes?
That was why he had trailed behind him to double-check before finally daring to come up and speak to him.
Gu Yansheng figured this person must be someone the original owner knew from the orphanage.
Gu Yansheng said, “Ah, so it’s you. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you just now.”
Lu Feng glanced up and down at Gu Yansheng, then fixed his eyes on the computer in his hand. “Not bad, Gu Yansheng. Haven’t seen you in over half a year, and suddenly you’ve gotten rich? I saw that exact same computer earlier, it costs close to ten thousand yuan! And what you’re wearing, just that top alone must cost tens of thousands. Gu Yansheng, what on earth have you been up to? How did you get so rich?”
“Why did you suddenly leave Nancheng half a year ago and even change your phone number? I couldn’t find you anywhere. Good thing I ran into you here. I happen to be short on cash, mind lending me some to spend?”