After such a massive accident, filming naturally couldn’t continue. Ambulances and police cars arrived with sirens wailing. Zhou Zichen earned the dubious honor of a “second-time offender” (being brought into the station again), and naturally, everyone else couldn’t avoid being summoned for questioning though this time, the officers in charge weren’t the same two from before.
These events had nothing to do with Wen Ze. Although he had his share of grievances with both Zhou Zichen and Shen Ruan, he had been under the lens in a different studio when the incident occurred, leaving him with no time to be involved.
Upon leaving the police station, everyone was met by their assistants and agents. Only Wen Ze was left alone Zong Du was balancing two jobs and was busy beyond belief. Wen Ze didn’t want to trouble him, thinking it was just a matter of taking a taxi or the subway. Ji Yun and Ji Hang had both extended invitations to Wen Ze, but Wen Ze had politely declined.
After all, Gu Chao’s gaze from the side was simply too intense to ignore. Wen Ze also deeply wanted to know exactly what had happened to him, how he had ended up in the human realm while losing his original memories.
It was unexpectedly discovered that the two lived quite close to each other. Come to think of it, the city center was only so large; Gu Chao, as a CEO, had to consider his commute, and it wasn’t particularly surprising that they had ended up at the same police station.
Gu Chao drove a very steady, reliable car model, with a comfortable interior. Whether or not he harbored thoughts of having a “private world for two,” Gu Chao sent his driver home and chose to drive himself. The air freshener in the car had a very refined jasmine scent, seemingly mixed with a touch of menthol, which was highly refreshing. Their minds, clouded by the day’s unexpected events, finally cleared.
The production team was large, so they didn’t leave until quite late. The dim, amber sunlight shone into the car, reflecting on the two of them and inexplicably creating an aura of lingering intimacy. The world was quiet and peaceful it was exactly that.
“I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting Mr. Wen to dinner?”
During a pause at a red light, Gu Chao broke the silence in the car. He appeared perfectly composed, yet the fingers gripping the steering wheel seemed to be pressed too hard, his knuckles turning white, revealing his inner anxiety.
“Of course, it would save me the trouble,” Wen Ze replied, his voice clear and resonant. There was a touch of teasing in his words, yet it still betrayed a hint of nervousness hidden beneath his composed exterior. Too many mysteries were tangled in his heart, leaving someone who was usually confident and free-spirited feeling somewhat at a loss.
Perhaps Gu Chao had the kind of disposition where, if someone else was nervous, he stopped being nervous himself. He asked, “Then shall we go change our clothes first?”
The incident had been so sudden that they hadn’t finished removing their makeup or changing their clothes. Walking out in their current attire would be far too conspicuous, and the probability of being recognized was extremely high. Wen Ze readily agreed. “Sounds good.” Although he wasn’t someone afraid of attention, this kind of attention was entirely unnecessary.
Gu Chao turned the steering wheel, not toward the bustling commercial district as one might expect, but turning onto a somewhat quiet, secluded side road. The car stopped before Wen Ze looked up to see where they were.
In front of them stood a shop with a great deal of charm classic décor, looking like a storefront from a Republic-of-China-era film. On the pure wood plaque, a faint layer of purple light shimmered; it was likely some extremely precious timber, carved with four simple, ancient characters.
Pushing the door open, there was no standard “Welcome” greeting; instead, an old man seated before a sewing machine simply looked up and offered a slow, leisurely greeting.
Gu Chao smiled and greeted him: “Good day, Elder.” In this moment, he shed his imposing air, looking like a simple, respectful junior.
The old man had been examining a piece of cloth in his hands. Hearing the greeting, he fumbled to put on his reading glasses, then asked with some surprise: “Ah, it’s Little Chao. What brings you here?”
“You have such fine craftsmanship, so I brought a friend to beg for your favor to make a few outfits.”
Gu Chao pulled Wen Ze forward with a smile, introducing him: “Elder, this is my friend, Wen Ze. Ah-Ze, this is Elder Wu.”
Wen Ze immediately greeted him obediently: “Hello, Elder.”
Elder Wu laughed and scolded: “I’m running a business here; what is this talk of ‘favors’? You aren’t afraid of being insulting I’m just honored that you still think highly of this old man’s craft.”
“Well, yes, he’s a good child.” Elder Wu adjusted his glasses, looking at Wen Ze with great satisfaction. “Making clothes is naturally no trouble, but this old man is getting on in years, and my hands are slow. I fear I’ll have to make you wait for a few days.”
Naturally, the old man had noticed their inappropriate attire immediately and had guessed seven or eight parts of their intention for coming here.
“I know, so I must ask for you to first grant us a few items to wear in the meantime; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to show our faces.”
“Humph, you brat, you look good, and this child looks good too what could they wear that would make them unable to show their faces? You’re just looking to get a couple of outfits out of me.”
Although the old man said this, he had already stood up with a sway, leading them toward the back of the shop. The two hurriedly followed. Gu Chao said with a smile: “Ah-Ze, Elder Wu likes you very much. If it were me trying to pull this kind of stunt alone, I’d have been kicked out directly.”
Wen Ze also smiled shyly but didn’t say anything. In truth, there was an inevitable difference between being a stranger and an acquaintance; one wouldn’t be overly reserved with someone they knew well. However, since Gu Chao had said so, Wen Ze didn’t want to dismiss his face. Besides, who knew if the two would have an even closer relationship in the future?
“I may not have anything here that you young people would like; it’s all old-fashioned stuff.” The old man gestured to the clothes racks, saying flatly, “Choose for yourselves. Mr. Wen is a new guest you’ve brought, so by the rules, you are the one who should be paying for these clothes.”
“How could that be!” Wen Ze was taken aback, but Gu Chao seemed to have been prepared for this: “Of course, I must thank Elder Wu for his kindness.”
“Humph.”
The old man didn’t say more and went straight out. Unlike the bright lights outside, the interior was somewhat dim. Coupled with the fact that the clothing racks occupied too much space, the two could only crowd together, back-to-back or arm-to-arm, to pick out clothes.
The old man hadn’t lied; there really wasn’t much here that young people would like. T-shirts and jeans were nowhere to be found; most were robes, small jackets, Tang suits, Zhongshan suits, or qipaos. There were a few suits, however, all of different styles and sizes, but the cutting and stitching were so beautiful that they appeared completely handmade.
The two could only wear these suits. Gu Chao picked out a black one for himself, then looked inquiringly at Wen Ze. Ever since Wen Ze had arrived in this world, he hadn’t worn such restrictive clothing; he hesitated for a moment before selecting a grayish-blue one. The gray was faintly layered over the blue, creating a smoky, misty effect. The fabric was smooth but not cold, and one could tell it was high-quality material just by touching it. Naturally, the price was absolutely exquisite as well.
The two went to change clothes one after another. Gu Chao returned with the expected elite CEO demeanor, no different from when they first met.
Wen Ze struggled in the changing room for quite a while before finally getting the outfit on. The original host rarely wore suits, and in his memories, there was nothing to refer to. The only suffering was for Gu Chao; if there hadn’t been movement in the room, he would have been so anxious that he’d have wanted to go in and see if something had happened.
Wen Ze ultimately couldn’t manage to tie the tie, so he had to button it up to the very top, emerging without looking entirely improper.
The amber light reflected on the slightly dark-colored clothing, making Wen Ze look as if he had stepped out of an old film. The tie wrapped loosely around his wrist added a touch of unbridled flair, while the top button buttoned to the collar made him look ascetic the contradiction was sharp.
Without exaggeration, Gu Chao’s eyes went straight. Wen Ze hadn’t noticed his distraction, and somewhat distressed, he sought his help: “President Gu, I’m not very good with ties. Could you help me?”
If he hadn’t already known this person’s personality, Gu Chao would have mistaken this for some form of seduction. But even if it were seduction, he would have been more than willing!
“Alright.”
He swallowed his saliva and leaned in close. Wen Ze slightly lifted his chin, revealing his fair skin and a delicate Adam’s apple, his back braced slightly against the smooth mirror rather than pressing entirely against it. The tie was a darker blue, made of satin, without any patterns, feeling slightly cool to the touch.
The smooth fabric slipped across his long, slender fingers, winding around the fair, slender neck and covering the delicate Adam’s apple. Gu Chao couldn’t help but lean in closer, his teeth feeling a slight itch.
This posture, this submission, was truly enough to tempt one into sin. Warm breath sprayed against sensitive skin, causing one to shrink back involuntarily. Wen Ze tried his best to lift his head, his collarbone showing faintly at the neckline.
It was perhaps this stunning flash of white that recalled Gu Chao’s reason; he hurriedly tied the knot and retreated to a safe distance.
“Is it done?” Wen Ze smoothed the tie, his words hesitating.
It was clearly a task that should have taken two minutes, yet both felt it had been infinitely long. An ambiguous atmosphere began to sprout, causing Wen Ze to feel a stirring in his heart. Even if he were only in a soul state, it wouldn’t diminish a succubus’s natural drive to pursue desire—especially for a succubus on the verge of adulthood, currently being teased by his intended object.
It would be a pity not to do something in such a perfect atmosphere.
Unfortunately, while the mistress was willing, the master was… restrained. Gu Chao ruthlessly despised himself in his heart for the behavior just now for being carried away by passion and almost doing something impolite. At this moment, he was exceptionally “emotionally detached,” his heart as still as stagnant water even while smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
Such a good opportunity, wasted just like that. Wen Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret, but he wasn’t in a hurry. Anyway, the two would be eating together in a while; perhaps there would be a candlelight dinner, some red wine, or something of the sort “making mistakes after drinking” was something he’d heard humans did often.
Could it be that Gu Chao hadn’t regained his memories because the demonic aura in his body was insufficient? Maybe it would recover once he merged with him?
Gu Chao had no idea what this ascetic, pure-looking person before him was thinking; he could only continue to marvel at his sheer magnificence. This color was always poised between dull and playful, and few people could pull it off entirely.
The two walked out one after the other. Perhaps they had been delayed too long in the dim light, but the moment they saw the bright, brilliant lights, both couldn’t help but squint slightly.
“You’re out…”
Elder Wu was busy drawing something on the fabric with a piece of chalk in his hand, and he was also stunned when he saw the two. He had always known Gu Chao had a good aura, being an heir groomed by his family at all costs, but he truly hadn’t expected the friend he’d brought along to be just as impressive.
There had naturally been amazement upon their first meeting, though the old man had largely attributed it to makeup and styling. But now, taking a closer, careful look at this person, it was truly a genuine wonder.