The Cen family’s tradition was to pray to the gods on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but neither Chu Lai nor Cen Wei had gotten up. When they went downstairs, they found the house empty, and upon checking their phones, they realized Xuan Rongqing had already taken the two elders out, bringing along a doctor.

Chu Lai wasn’t fully awake yet, and Cen Wei didn’t need to go to work, so he indulged in the rare luxury of lazily staring at the person beside him, wasting time without a care.

He glanced at Chu Lai and then unlocked his phone, discovering that Chu Lai had woken up in the middle of the night and even posted something on Weibo.

It was likely a picture of the red paper taken after they had finished last night. The rolled-up bills didn’t entirely make it into the shot, but the small image was still fresh enough.

@Laic: “A moment of happiness [picture].”

Besides the red paper photo from last night, there were also quite a few daily-life moments captured at the Cen household. Occasionally, there was a bowl of chicken soup or a picture of the old lady’s back, along with the dog that had appeared on Chu Lai’s Weibo before, sitting beside her.

Cen Wei scrolled through the pictures, realizing that some were photos he hadn’t seen before, including a live photo of Chu Lai lifting up Da Cai, capturing a fleeting moment he wasn’t aware of.

[Am I seeing this right? The guy who didn’t even know how to post about a dog before is now sharing daily life photos?!]

[Even the rich handwrite their red envelopes? It feels like there’s so much love. Is that a blessing from the elders? Ohhh, may they grow old together.]

[Up! Your new husband is so much better than the ex! Trash like that should get lost! What a twisted mind that guy had.]

[Isn’t this guy a mooch, living off others for free?]

[Happy New Year! Wishing you and President Cen a lifetime of happiness! Please update more often!!]

[I heard the blogger quit his job? If it was because of the rumors spread by his ex, that’s so tragic.]

Even though Chu Lai had posted his Weibo in the early hours of the morning, people had responded instantly, and Cen Wei saw the replies.

[It’s custom-made mahjong; it’s my first time seeing it too.]

[Thanks for the blessings, updates are coming, the recorded videos are still being edited.]

[My resignation wasn’t because of that. Thanks for your concern.]

He didn’t reply to many comments, but someone in the comment section had tagged Cen Wei’s account, inevitably asking about their relationship. Although Chu Lai usually avoided sharing personal matters, he made an exception and replied, “I really like him.”

The post received an overwhelming number of likes, and people went wild tagging him repeatedly. They even tagged the official account of the “Paper Umbrella Town” game, urging them to speed up progress.

The curtains were drawn tightly, making it feel like midnight even though it was already noon. A sliver of daylight peeked through the electric curtains, and after the sleep light turned off, Cen Wei shifted closer to Chu Lai.

Chu Lai’s lips were still a bit swollen, his breathing soft and shallow, and his body was curled up under the blanket. Cen Wei pulled him into his arms, unable to resist planting a kiss on him.

One kiss led to another—it was completely spontaneous.

Chu Lai was kissed awake by Cen Wei, and he could even feel that something from last night was pressing against him again.

Squinting, he pushed Cen Wei, “Don’t mess with me.”

It was as if he was swimming in his dreams, floating and drifting. As he turned around to face the other side, he was pulled into an embrace again, and Cen Wei hummed softly.

But the pressing sensation was too strong to ignore, and Chu Lai grumbled, “Handle it yourself, I’m done.”

Cen Wei replied, “I’m just holding you, let’s sleep a little more.”

But Chu Lai was a man too. Even though it wasn’t early morning, being rubbed against after just waking up was annoying, so he reached down and gave it a grab.

This led to them setting off their first fireworks of the New Year early, and it felt like it went on endlessly. By the time Chu Lai was eating something real, it was already evening.

The elders who had gone out early in the morning returned, bringing back a lot of things. Xuan Rongqing noticed Chu Lai yawning on the sofa, hugging the dog, and asked, “Did you stay up late?”

Chu Lai nodded, glancing at Cen Wei, who was pretending to nonchalantly tidy up the dishes. He thought to himself, this isn’t sustainable. If the New Year holiday keeps dragging on like this, things will definitely go downhill. Isn’t this break too long? Why isn’t Cen Wei back at work yet?

If they went abroad like this, forget traveling; he wouldn’t even make it out of the hotel bed.

To protect himself, Chu Lai set up a gaming task for Cen Wei after walking the dog that night, fearing a surprise attack. He even went to his own workshop and locked the door.

Cen Wei understood his message and tactfully agreed. When fans received the live stream notification, they didn’t expect that instead of the actual streamer, it was their partner who went live.

Chu Lai was in the workshop sketching designs. Cen Wei’s birthday was in March, and he still hadn’t figured out what gift to give him.

His father’s tools were in front of him, and in the toolbox, there were also old sketches his father had collected. Chu Lai had never learned to draw, so he was struggling a bit. While watching his own live stream, he continued to study, feeling quite at ease.

The man on the live stream said helplessly, “Why me? Because your streamer doesn’t want to deal with me.”

The chat erupted with comments like, “Are they fighting on New Year’s?!” Cen Wei chuckled, “No, we’re not fighting. It’s my fault for making him unhappy.”

Cen Wei continued, “This is a game he picked out for me. Let’s take a look.”

The livestream of Cen Lianxin Umbrella Industries never stopped, even after Cen Wei’s photos had been leaked. While people had hoped for the boss to appear on camera, no one expected him to livestream for his wife.

The vice president, always focused on work even during the New Year, was at a loss for words when he saw viewers commenting, “Your boss is livestreaming a game right now.”

A while back, their wedding was the talk of the internet, accompanied by rumors and moral gossip about the two. By the end of the year, they had dealt with those spreading falsehoods and increased their efforts to clear things up. The issue was settled, but by then, everyone knew that the spouse of the Lotus Heart Umbrella Industries boss was a game blogger and former employee of a big company. People who knew them had shared photos, including some from college classmates.

Chu Lai wasn’t the typical kind of handsome, but he had a gentle appeal that grew on you the more you looked. His presence was weak, blending in like water merging into a river, making him easily forgettable despite his good looks.

The pictures of Chu Lai shared by those who knew him were often taken from odd angles or in passing. He was slim but not skinny, with a casual, laid-back style. His college days were even more carefree, and in one photo, Chu Lai had a shirt tied around his waist, and even with a jacket on top, his narrow waist was still noticeable, paired with a clean, youthful face like a character straight out of a comic book.

Even Shen Yangxu couldn’t help but peek into the boss’s partner’s livestream. Many bloggers were streaming during the holiday, but Chu Lai’s account was leading the charge, eventually making it to the top of the rankings.

Chu Lai was speechless about this, and after assigning a single-player game to Cen Wei, the chat somehow turned it into a dating game strategy session.

[Where’s your wife, Mr. Cen? Weren’t you scolded into streaming?]

[We all know what you both look like already. Just turn on the camera!]

[Where’s our Laic? You two are married now and living together, so why aren’t you streaming together?]

[Pass it on—suspicion of a marriage crisis for the president of Lotus Heart Umbrella Industries!]

Cen Wei noticed the chat’s teasing but didn’t rush. “I’ll go find him after I finish the game.”

Shen Yangxu, who was watching, even reminded the workaholic not to miss out on this promotional opportunity. The man replied immediately, “It’s not work hours.”

You weren’t like this before! Have you turned into a different person after getting married? Was he working so hard just to avoid sleeping in the study tonight?

In a way, Shen Yangxu was right.

That’s exactly what Chu Lai had said. Not wanting to sleep in the study during the holidays, Cen Wei had no choice but to agree.

[Are you sure you can finish the game in one night?]

[Only speedrunners could do that, right?]

[Isn’t this just a puzzle game? It shouldn’t be that hard, right?]

[No wonder Laic picked it. Where does he even find these creepy little games?]

[He’s into this stuff. Among folklore horror streamers, Laic is one of the best.]

Chu Lai had never watched Cen Wei stream before, so while listening to his voice and carving a wooden sculpture, the sound of the blade running along the wood brought back memories. He realized that the feeling was similar to when he had made a gift for Liu Yuan. The mood was the same.

Cen Wei was special to him. Even when he agreed to be with Shen Quanzhang, Chu Lai never thought about growing old together with anyone.

Now, that phrase seemed more like a wish, but for some reason, he felt that such a possibility might actually exist with Cen Wei.

Determined to finish the game so he could see his partner, Cen Wei didn’t talk much. His voice, deep and pleasant, and the skyrocketing popularity of the livestream attracted viewers, but they had to wait for him to speak.

No one expected him to take this seriously.

[Isn’t he going too fast, bro? It really seems like he wants to speedrun.]

[Their playstyles are totally different. Laic always takes his time and appreciates the game’s artistic design, but his partner…]

[“Partner” is killing me. If you watched their wedding videos, you’d find it hard to call him that.]

[No worries, this is Laic’s stream.]

[Doesn’t he need to think? I haven’t even figured out the puzzle, and he’s already got the solution.]

Chu Lai noticed that Cen Wei had stopped talking, so he gave him a call.

The Cen parents didn’t understand what was up with the kids. When Xuan Rongqing brought some fruit upstairs for Cen Wei, she found her son looking extremely serious, like he was making a major life decision.

He didn’t even look this nervous when deciding to study abroad.

The next second, Cen Wei’s phone rang, and his voice instantly relaxed, “Lai Lai, what’s up?”

[Two-faced! So obvious!]

[LMAO, I saw Lotus Heart Umbrella’s streamers teasing the boss!]

[The boss is busy chasing his wife, don’t disturb him.]

[Instantly so gentle.]

Chu Lai had put the phone on speaker, while Cen Wei continued clicking the mouse and staring at the screen.

“Don’t just focus on the game. Remember to narrate—I can’t hear your voice.”

Cen Wei asked, “You’re watching?”

Chu Lai hummed in response. There were faint sounds in the background—Cen Wei recognized the soft scraping of a carving knife against wood.

“I know,” he replied.

Then he asked, “Can I keep the call on?”

[Didn’t some magazine feature an interview with old companies before the New Year? President Cen was the most handsome, with a really cold look…]

[He looks like a male model in his international social media photos, but after marriage, all men are the same.]

[So pitiful, LOL. What did you even do to get into a fight on New Year’s?]

Chu Lai let it go. Even though Cen Wei wasn’t experienced with livestreaming, his commentary sounded more like he was giving tips rather than explaining.

It gave people flashbacks to those studious classmates who scored high but wouldn’t tell you how they did it.

It had been years since Cen Wei had focused on a game so intently. When Shen Yangxu didn’t get a response from him, he decided to buy a promotion spot for Chu Lai’s livestream.

As an unsigned, non-commercial streamer, Chu Lai ended up on the leaderboard, where the top spots were usually dominated by commercial streamers. His avatar was a picture of a dog going down the stairs, which was especially memorable.

By eleven o’clock, Cen Wei had finally completed the game, and everyone in the chat was impressed.

[That must’ve set a new record.]

[Game developers should definitely test all their games with this couple first.]

[I’ve already bought it. A $19.90 game, here I come for a speedrun.]

[No way! I’ve had this game for a month and I’m still stuck on the first level!]

[He even cleared all the side quests—how does he do it?]

As the comments flooded in, Cen Wei asked the other person on the phone, “Can I come over to your place now?”

The viewers heard a familiar “Mhm” from the other end.

“Okay, I’m coming over,” said Cen Wei.

The chat was full of protests, with people begging him to keep streaming.

“I’m not very good at livestreaming,” he said. “Ask him.”

Chu Lai wasn’t satisfied with the piece he was working on and picked up a new block of wood.

“What else is there to stream?” he asked.

[Let us see what you’re working on!]

[Is it some restricted content?]

Chu Lai caught a glimpse of the comments, feeling a bit guilty as he recalled how many times they’d gone at it over the New Year. “Of course not,” he denied. “I’m just working in the studio.”

“Can I come see you?” asked Cen Wei. “I still need to patch up the bell peppers you mentioned.”

Shen Yangxu bombarded him with texts, reminding him that he’d spent quite a bit of money on promoting the stream, hoping that his boss wouldn’t miss this prime publicity opportunity.

After repeatedly asking for Chu Lai’s opinion, they switched the stream to his phone as he walked over.

The viewers hadn’t expected the camera to turn on suddenly. It went from a black screen to a view of a workshop as the door was pushed open.

The lighting was a warm yellow, and a figure in a light blue chunky knit vest was sitting at the desk. When he noticed someone entering, he glanced at the camera.

Chu Lai was wearing glasses, his aura calm as usual. He wasn’t the type of guy you’d call a super handsome heartthrob, but in terms of cleanliness and refined looks, no one could match him.

[Finally, we get to see Laic in full view! He looks so young!]

[Isn’t this guy like a college student? How is he married?!]

[At last! No more weird angles! Who said Laic was ugly?!]

Chu Lai remarked, “Impressive.”

He watched as Cen Wei came over and sat next to him, placing the phone on the table, with both of them appearing on screen together.

With the camera zoomed in, the viewers could now see the kiss marks that even Chu Lai’s turtleneck couldn’t cover.

[I get why someone would stream a game to make amends.]

[Looks like things got pretty intense.]

[It’s the New Year, you’re making me feel bad.]