Fang Jinshi’s mood was a bit low.
He was never one to hide his emotions well, so it didn’t take long for Gu Tuo to notice that something was amiss.
However, unable to fathom the underlying reason, Gu Tuo simply assumed the younger man was feeling under the weather after getting caught in the rain. Fang Jinshi had only just recovered from a major illness, after all; he shouldn’t be exposed to the cold.
Frowning slightly, Gu Tuo stepped forward to help when he saw Fang Jinshi still busy tending to the waterlogged plants.
Working together, the two of them quickly managed the remaining potted flowers.
Surveying the neatened shop, Gu Tuo suggested, “You got drenched today. You should head home early and change into dry clothes.”
Gu Tuo’s concern was like a gentle, steady stream—quiet on the surface, yet it sent ripple after ripple through the depths of Fang Jinshi’s heart.
Fang Jinshi was the type of person who needed to be stroked with the grain. If anyone rubbed him the wrong way, he would flare up instantly. But when faced with someone like Gu Tuo, whose every word carried genuine warmth and care, he became exceptionally compliant.
Seeing him nod obediently with a gaze full of unreserved trust, Gu Tuo’s heart softened.
“Your driver isn’t here yet,” Gu Tuo added. “Let me give you a ride.”
Fang Jinshi knew that, logically speaking, he ought to decline. He shouldn’t keep troubling Mr. Gu.
But he had always been someone who stayed true to his own heart.
And right now, he wanted to spend a little more time with Gu Tuo.
Since that was what his heart desired, he wasn’t going to give an answer that contradicted it.
“Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Gu.”
Hearing this, Gu Tuo shook his head slightly. “There’s no need to be so polite.”
He looked at Fang Jinshi, and the usually icy depths of his eyes seemed to hold a touch of warmth. “Didn’t you say that we are friends?”
Fang Jinshi didn’t know what Gu Tuo’s brief hesitation meant, but the single word “friends” was enough to lift his spirits entirely.
Mr. Gu viewed him as a friend, not just a member of the younger generation. Shaving off that layer of generational distance was always a good thing!
The rain was gradually tapering off into a light drizzle, making it the perfect time to leave.
Gu Tuo glanced outside and said, “Let’s go.”
“Oh, right.”
Fang Jinshi gathered his personal belongings. After taking a few steps, something crossed his mind. He pulled a spare umbrella from the stand and handed it to Gu Tuo. “Take this with you, just in case it starts pouring again.”
Gu Tuo accepted it without objection, and the two walked out of the flower shop together.
As the old saying goes, each autumn rain brings a new layer of cold.
Following the downpour, the temperature plummeted. The lingering drizzle felt like fine, icy needles, piercing the damp chill straight into one’s bones.
Fang Jinshi held up his umbrella, shivering after only a few steps.
Seeing this, Gu Tuo led him to his car, opened the door first, and held the umbrella over him to usher him safely inside. Only after Fang Jinshi was settled did Gu Tuo walk around to the driver’s seat and get in.
The temperature inside the car was slightly warmer, but the air felt a bit stifling.
Gu Tuo cracked the window open for some fresh air. Worried that Fang Jinshi might feel cold, he turned around, retrieved a small blanket from the back seat, and handed it to him. “Wrap this around you if you’re cold.”
Surprised, Fang Jinshi pulled the small blanket tightly against his chest.
As Gu Tuo started the engine, he offered an explanation: “Sometimes when I work late and have the driver pick me up, I’ll use it to take a quick nap in the back.”
Realization dawned on Fang Jinshi as he soaked in the warmth of the blanket.
That cozy sensation felt remarkably like Mr. Gu’s own touch. Even the faint, crisp scent of cedar lingering on the fabric was utterly intoxicating.
The luxury sedan soon merged into the flowing traffic and vanished from sight.
Standing before the third-floor glass window of the shopping mall, Li Jin quietly watched the car drive out of his field of vision.
He hadn’t mistaken it. That was his uncle Gu Tuo’s car. And the man in the driver’s seat was indubitably his uncle.
What he couldn’t comprehend was why his ex-boyfriend, Fang Jinshi, would be together with his uncle.
Fang Jinshi.
Li Jin rolled the name over in his mind, tasting its bitterness.
He had once loved Fang Jinshi’s arrogant pride, just as he had once hated his ruthlessness.
In moments of nostalgia, Li Jin used to refer to him as a “faded old dream.” He never expected that he was the only one dreaming. Fang Jinshi had always stood firmly outside of that dream, completely devoid of lingering attachment.
Furthermore, the moment Fang Jinshi returned to the country, he had ruthlessly torn apart the parchment of memories Li Jin held dear, trampling their past beauty into pieces.
Recalling how he had twice lowered his pride to apologize, only to be met with Fang Jinshi’s cold mockery, Li Jin clenched his fists tightly. His attempts at making amends felt like a pathetic joke.
This heartless man wouldn’t even agree to be friends with him, yet he turned around and ingratiated himself with his uncle.
Just what were his intentions?
The mere thought filled Li Jin with a volatile mix of anxiety and rage. His face darkened into a grim shadow, and a storm brewed in his eyes.
Lin Nuo had always been highly sensitive to Li Jin’s moods. Noticing his sudden flash of anger, he asked softly with deep concern, “Hubby, what’s wrong?”
Still trapped in the anger Fang Jinshi had provoked, Li Jin snapped irritably, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Lin Nuo’s heart skipped a beat. He bit his lower lip painfully, wondering what he had done wrong this time to upset Li Jin.
In this relationship, he had already humbled himself to the absolute dust. Faced with the man’s cold words, he didn’t dare argue; his only instinct was to please.
After a moment of hesitation, Lin Nuo nudged closer to Li Jin’s side, sliding his hand into the man’s palm. “Don’t let it stress you out,” he said gently. “No matter what the problem is, I’m right here by your side to face it with you.”
If Lin Nuo hadn’t spoken, it might have been better, but his words only made Li Jin feel more agitated.
Face it together?
The truth was, ever since they went public with their relationship, the pressure from the Fang family, the opposition from his uncle, and the criticism from his friends—hadn’t he been the one carrying the brunt of it all?
Lin Nuo had always been sheltered beneath his wings, enjoying a comfortable and peaceful life. What right did he have to tell him not to worry? Li Jin’s current wave of frustrations existed solely because of him!
At that thought, Li Jin shuddered.
How could he think like that?
How could he blame those things on Xiao Nuo?
He was the one who had approached Xiao Nuo first, altering the trajectory of the boy’s life. He was the one who had attracted Xiao Nuo and made him fall in love.
He would never forget that night—the bathtub overflowing with a river of blood, Xiao Nuo slumping against the edge while the razor blade slipped to the floor, splashing misty patterns of crimson.
Xiao Nuo loved him so intensely that only death could ever separate them.
How could he bear to blame a Xiao Nuo who was so pitiful and fiercely devoted?
Li Jin snapped back to reality, his eyes a tangled mess of pain and tenderness.
He tightly gripped Lin Nuo’s hand back. He felt that his lover—his Xiao Nuo—was so fragile and delicate, someone who strictly needed to be cherished.
Softening his voice by several degrees, Li Jin said, “Xiao Nuo, my baby, why are you so endearing? Don’t worry, your husband will protect you. No matter what storms come our way, I won’t let a single wave hit you.”
A sweet warmth flooded Lin Nuo’s heart, washing away the residual bitterness.
He lowered his head shyly with a soft smile, looking just like a delicate white lily of the valley that couldn’t withstand the harsh wind and rain, radiating a terribly timid charm.
Yet, after the initial wave of happiness subsided, a subtle thread of anxiety crept back into his mind.
Lin Nuo hadn’t forgotten Li Jin’s exact wording: “No matter what storms come our way, I won’t let a single wave hit you.”
Just what kind of storm was looming on the horizon that made his husband look as though he were facing a formidable enemy?
Lin Nuo locked this question deep within his heart.
Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was simply too useless, forever unable to truly fathom what was going on inside Li Jin’s head.
If given the chance, Lin Nuo genuinely wanted to be a supportive partner—a capable spouse who could share Li Jin’s burdens and resolve his worries.
With that thought in mind, he became even more determined to look into the matter.
Meanwhile, leaving that scene behind, Gu Tuo’s car had already arrived at the Fang residence.
Fang Jinshi said a brief goodbye to Gu Tuo and was about to step out of the car. But the moment he opened the door, something suddenly crossed his mind. He turned right back around, poking his head back into the vehicle, and said to Gu Tuo, “Mr. Gu, could you wait for me here in the car for a moment?”
Startled, Gu Tuo gripped the steering wheel and tilted his head to look at him.
Taking his silence as tacit agreement, Fang Jinshi beamed. “Then it’s a promise. You have to wait for me!”
With that, he dashed off toward the house.
Gu Tuo frowned slightly as he watched the younger man run off without looking where he was going, stepping right into a small puddle.
So careless. He’s going to soak the hems of his trousers.
The moment this thought surfaced, Gu Tuo found it utterly baffling.
He had never even doted on his own nephew, Li Jin, to this extent—why on earth did he care whether the rainwater ruined the boy’s clothes?
Besides, the youth didn’t need his supervision anyway. Fang Jinshi came from a whole, loving family that cherished him like a precious gem. Where was the need for Gu Tuo’s concern?
At this realization, a faint, inexplicable sense of emptiness brushed against Gu Tuo’s heart.
Before he could dwell on it, a sudden tap on the car window broke his train of thought.
That bright, radiant face was just outside, smiling down at him.
Brushing his lingering thoughts aside, Gu Tuo rolled down the window.
Fang Jinshi bent over, leaning against the window frame like an affectionate, attention-seeking cat.
With one hand gripping the frame, he brought his other hand out from behind his back, dangling a small bag in front of Gu Tuo’s eyes. “This is for you. It’s an herbal tea to ward off the cold. If you don’t have anything prepared at home, drink this. Just brew it directly with hot water—it’s very convenient.”
Gu Tuo’s gaze fell upon the swaying bag. Perhaps it was just the refraction of the light, but a touch of warmth finally pooled in his eyes. He accepted Fang Jinshi’s gift and said, “Thank you. It’s very practical.”
Not wanting to waste any more of Gu Tuo’s time, Fang Jinshi waved goodbye and headed inside.
Once back in his room, Fang Jinshi sat down to sort through the day’s events. Out of the tangled mess of his thoughts, that undeniable spark of attraction toward Gu Tuo surfaced once more.
He knitted his brows, only to smooth them out a moment later.
After pondering for a while, he realized that for a man like Mr. Gu, making someone’s heart skip a beat wasn’t unusual at all.
He really, truly liked him!
Fang Jinshi shifted into a more comfortable position and continued to mull it over.
What would happen if he pursued Mr. Gu?
The fact that he liked men was already common knowledge, so that wasn’t an issue.
However, if the person he liked was Gu Tuo, he couldn’t ignore the man’s familial tie to Li Jin.
There would probably be gossip, wouldn’t there?
But what of it?
Just because he had been blind enough to fall for a scumbag in the past, was he supposed to avoid Gu Tuo just to keep up appearances?
Why should he?
Why should he have to modify his behavior for Li Jin’s sake when Li Jin was the one who had wronged him?
There was absolutely no logic in that.
At this thought, Fang Jinshi felt entirely justified again.
He simply wanted to become Mr. Gu’s lover; the fact that it involved Li Jin was a mere coincidence.
Since it was just an afterthought, Li Jin’s opinions—and everyone else’s opinions—didn’t matter at all!
The only thing he needed to do was make Mr. Gu fall for him.
Just as he had fallen for Mr. Gu.
With no turning back, and with absolute devotion.