【Snap!】
The newly replaced stylus broke again.
Gu Yu’s usually unshakable expression cracked slightly.
He could never forget how in the previous life, Jiang Yumo exploited Xu Chengying’s trust to steal sealed project files from Xu Feiyao’s company, causing the Xu family to suffer devastating losses and go bankrupt within just a few months.
Xu Feiyao was shattered, drowning himself in decadence, frequently going for reckless drives that ended in fatal crashes.
The scene of Gu Yu identifying corpses in the morgue replayed in his mind, his head splitting with pain, as if a hundred tiny needles were piercing it at once.
In the end, when Xu Chengying learned the truth and could not bear knowing he had indirectly caused his brother’s death, he followed suit.
Then Xu family’s parents lost both sons, and they didn’t survive for long afterward.
Gu Yu pressed his hand to his forehead, leaning against the car window, his suit nearly tearing under his broad, arched back.
The assistant watched nervously. “President Gu, are you alright? Should we go see Doctor Zhou?”
Just as the assistant was about to ask the driver to turn around, Gu Yu’s low, slightly hoarse voice came, “No need, I’m fine.”
In just a moment, his previously neat bangs became slightly damp, a few strands falling down. The man’s jet-black eyes peered through the gaps, not only sharp and fierce but also resolute.
The assistant and driver exchanged a glance in the rearview mirror. The rest of the ride was filled with a heavy, oppressive silence.
After more than ten minutes, Gu Yu arrived precisely at the restaurant entrance, while Jiang Yumo and the others were still inside the private dining room.
Guided by the waiter to the door of the private room, laughter and chatter filtered through the thin wooden partition.
Gu Yu’s expression had returned to a flawless, controlled state.
He knocked on the door, then pushed it open.
【Host! You must stay completely calm!】
The more Jiang Yumo laughed, the more the system panicked.
Fresh dishes had already been served on the table. Gu Youyou and Xu Chengying, like persistent flies, were subtly competing around Jiang Yumo, trying to build a towering mound of vegetables in his bowl using the serving chopsticks.
Jiang Yumo’s smile now appeared to Gu Yu as arrogant showing-off.
Only the system knew how irritated the host was at this moment, how malice kept growing. But just when the situation seemed to worsen, the male lead appeared.
Then the system was surprised to find that the host’s irritation gradually subsided, replaced by a rapidly brewing, stronger sense of interest.
Jiang Yumo could sit still, but the other person could not.
Gu Xuan just wanted to cover his face. What on earth was going on?
Two people already fighting over Jiang Yumo wasn’t enough? Now Ah Yu comes to stir up chaos too!
Before rationality could catch up, Gu Xuan was already standing in front of Gu Yu, hands pressing on his shoulders, trying to push him aside. “Eh, Ah Yu, why are you here? You just got off work and haven’t had dinner yet, right? I’ll get you another private room, too many kids here, don’t want to bother you.”
Gu Xuan pushed with considerable strength, but Gu Yu remained unmoved.
Damn! Did Ah Yu just eat a ton of spinach or something?
Gu Yu lightly but unmistakably moved his brother aside. “I just got off work. I don’t mind joining for dinner, do I?”
He said it casually, but as soon as the words fell, he was already sitting across from Jiang Yumo.
The waiter, perceptive, immediately brought a set of clean tableware.
Gu Yu just looked on, while Gu Youyou and Xu Chengying discreetly put down the serving chopsticks and greeted him with a bit of restraint.
Gu Yu nodded, his gaze sweeping across the table.
“You can’t have food without drinks, can you?” he said, signaling the waiter to bring a bottle of fine red wine.
He first poured for Gu Xuan, giving him a sidelong glance as if to say, “Drink well, don’t speak.” Then he poured half a glass for Xu Chengying, who thanked him with delight.
Finally, he filled a full glass for Jiang Yumo and raised it. “Xiao Mo, can I call you that? Youyou just got back and doesn’t have many friends yet. Thank you for playing with her.”
“No, Youyou’s very cute. I consider her my little sister,” Jiang Yumo said, his eyes narrowing with a smile. His thick, dark lashes hid his expression. He clinked glasses with Gu Yu. “No need to thank me.”
Jiang Yumo then turned to Gu Youyou. “I guess we’re friends now, right?”
“Of course! Brother Jiang is my best friend!”
Gu Youyou, overjoyed, finished a whole glass of orange juice in one go.
She glanced at Xu Chengying and proudly shook her head.
“Eh, Xiao Mo and I hit it off instantly. Come on, let’s have a drink too,” Xu Chengying said, unwilling to be outdone. “I’ll drink, you go ahead.”
Jiang Yumo’s empty wine glass was quickly refilled by Gu Yu.
“Thank you,” Jiang Yumo said politely.
But in his mind, he told the system: “Do you think the male lead is trying to get me drunk?”
【N-no, probably not. Maybe he’s just worried his sister will be tricked?】
Jiang Yumo smiled silently and, in a bold move, downed a full glass.
The highball glass was soon refilled again. Jiang Yumo asked the system: “Can my energy let me drink endlessly without getting drunk?”
【1 energy point can exchange for 10 minutes of ‘drunk-proof’ ability.】
“Let’s exchange for 30 minutes first,” Jiang Yumo said.
【Okay, host. Exchange complete. Current energy value: 11】
After this, Gu Yu didn’t push more drinks, but Jiang Yumo wanted to see what he was up to. He also had his own plan: he’d sip every now and then, refill when empty, and by the end of the meal, he was full and successfully tipsy.
His face was flushed, eyes glassy. Sitting in his seat, he was slow to respond when called, clearly drunk.
The headache was that Xu Chengying competing with Gu Youyou also got himself tipsy, and Gu Youyou, who somehow had secretly poured alcohol into her own cup, was now leaning back with a silly grin.
“What do we do?” Gu Xuan ran a hand through his hair. “I could send Xu Chengying home; I happen to know where he lives, but he—”
“I’ll take him home,” Gu Yu volunteered.
“Ah… this…” Gu Xuan hesitated. “You mean take him home, right?”
He was worried about waking up tomorrow to see the Gu Corporation President trending for being overly affectionate with a young boy.
Gu Yu replied calmly: “Otherwise?”
Gu Xuan realized he was overthinking. He should trust Ah Yu’s character.
Gu Yu helped Jiang Yumo up, letting his arm rest on his own shoulder.
At such close proximity, the boy smelled faintly of red wine and laundry detergent, with a subtle, clean scent that wasn’t unpleasant.
Warm breath brushed against Gu Yu’s neck. He tilted his head uncomfortably, but after only a few steps, the restless Jiang Yumo began fidgeting, searching all over himself. “Hmm? My… uh, where did my things go? Uh, ah, found it!”
Although Jiang Yumo wasn’t short, around 1.75 meters, he was so thin that even hanging on Gu Yu didn’t make the man feel any weight.
Only when he fidgeted did his elbow almost hit Gu Yu in the eye.
Gu Yu’s expression darkened slightly. “Don’t move!”
“Found it!” Jiang Yumo quickly pulled something unknown from his pocket and, without hesitation, shoved it directly into Gu Yu’s mouth.
Gu Xuan, just having helped Gu Youyou into the car and turning back to help Xu Chengying, saw the scene and exclaimed, “Holy shit! What is that?”
A strong durian scent exploded on the tongue.
Gu Yu’s brows furrowed like a steamed bun, but he soon relaxed, face expressionless. “I’m leaving first.”
Gu Xuan watched the two of them leave and then noticed a small package of durian candy on the ground. He exclaimed again, stunned: “Holy shit!”
Ah Yu hated durian more than anything! And he didn’t get angry, if that’s not true love, what is????
Crap, crap! Should he call Mom and Dad first? Snuff out the tiny spark of affection that Youyou just showed?
Meanwhile, Gu Yu didn’t yet know that rumors were about to fly everywhere. He helped Jiang Yumo into the back seat and got in from the other side.
【Congratulations, host! Random punishment task: Feeding Gu Yu candy completed!】
The driver smoothly drove onto the highway, and the divider between front and back seats was raised.
Gu Yu crossed his legs casually, brushing against Jiang Yumo through two layers of clothing. He didn’t move, only resting his forehead, his expression unreadable as he watched the boy.
Jiang Yumo: “What is he doing?”
【The male lead is just watching you… oh no!】
What?
Before Jiang Yumo could react, a burst of heat approached rapidly, and his mouth was pried open. A moist durian-flavored hard candy was shoved in.
Jiang Yumo: !!!!!
System: 【Host! Calm down, calm down, calm down!】
“Ahhhh, system, I’m going to kill him!”
【Sizzle sizzle sizzle!】
Jiang Yumo’s body was unsurprisingly shocked, but he forced himself to stay rational, pretending to be half-drunk and half-awake. “Huh? What is this? Yuck! So disgusting!”
A pop sound.
The durian candy traced a smooth parabolic arc and landed on Gu Yu’s slightly tensed thigh from sitting, bouncing between his legs.
The moist hard candy lay on the smooth suit fabric.
Gu Yu’s temple twitched.
He clenched and released his fist, squinted, and stared at Jiang Yumo for a moment. Before the candy could clump, he wrapped it in a tissue and slipped it into Jiang Yumo’s pants pocket.
Jiang Yumo felt completely uneasy in his contact with Gu Yu. He struggled on the seat like a fish out of water, awkwardly lifting his body while muttering incomprehensible nonsense.
Gu Yu tested by grabbing Jiang Yumo’s cheek and tugging hard. Jiang Yumo winced in pain and mumbled, weakly clutching Gu Yu’s forearm, leaving only faint scratches on the firm muscle.
“Hmph!” Gu Yu snorted, then leaned closer. His thigh knelt against the outside of Jiang Yumo’s thigh, his broad upper body hovering over him. The light from the car ceiling was completely blocked by Gu Yu’s body, casting Jiang Yumo entirely beneath him.
The feeling of having complete control over Jiang Yumo made an unprecedented strange sensation rise in Gu Yu’s chest.
His gaze sharp as a hawk’s, Gu Yu silently studied Jiang Yumo’s flushed face, then asked in a low voice, “Jiang Yumo, what exactly are your intentions getting close to Youyou and Xu Chengying?”
He deliberately lowered his voice, using a tone even more intoxicating than the most popular voices online, trying to lure Jiang Yumo into answering.
Jiang Yumo’s eyes couldn’t open fully; his narrowed gaze was dazed and hazy.
Gu Yu asked again twice, and Jiang Yumo seemed to finally “hear” him. He couldn’t help but cover his mouth and giggle, “You’re so silly! We’re best friends! Friends walk together for life! Hehehe!”
This wasn’t the answer Gu Yu wanted. He pried open Jiang Yumo’s right eye.
Jiang Yumo: o-0
Gu Yu coaxed patiently, “You weren’t trying to keep Gu Youyou and Xu Chengying innocent, easy to control, to lure them into listening to you, so you could achieve your hidden goals, were you?”
Jiang Yumo looked at him drowsily, his face full of intoxicated confusion, his eyes unfocused, completely not aware of what Gu Yu was saying.
Yet in his mind, Jiang Yumo was telling the system: “Haha, your male lead has lost it!”
System: l0-0l
【No! The male lead should be polite, refined, gentlemanly…】
【Why? This isn’t logical!】
While the system panicked, Jiang Yumo continued pretending to be drunk.
Gu Yu refused to believe it. From his past life experience dealing with Jiang Yumo, this person was the best at acting obedient. Even when evidence was right in front of him, he could twist an unfavorable situation with an innocent expression and his smooth tongue.
This had to be an act!
Gu Yu narrowed his eyes, his gaze suddenly dangerous.
His fingers slowly slid down the boy’s smooth, flawless cheek, lightly touching the smaller throat compared to his own. As the boy swallowed involuntarily, his Adam’s apple moving up and down, Gu Yu’s large hand closed around Jiang Yumo’s neck, gradually tightening at an excruciating pace.