He lay sprawled across his desk, which was tidy and clean, though it looked a bit empty. Some colleagues joked with him, saying he was always ready to quit.

Honestly, on his first day of work, he was already thinking about quitting and lying around at home, but every time he thought of that old man, he endured it.

He was chatting with Tao Nian, planning to meet up at a convenient time to give him a little gift. Tao Nian was talking about something that happened at his company that morning, and An Xun laughed heartily. But his good mood was suddenly ruined by a call from his stepmother.

He hung up, and Chen Xiang didn’t call again. Instead, she sent a text message.

[Chen Xiang]: Tomorrow is your birthday, how come I haven’t received an invitation to your party? You wouldn’t have done that on purpose, would you? Don’t forget, you wouldn’t have gotten into the Bo family without our help. If we had tried to sabotage it, do you really think you’d be where you are today?

An Xun, already angry, replied: You say this every day. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten. As for sabotage, the money you took to save the company was basically the money you got from selling me out. Without me, the three of you would probably be sleeping on the streets somewhere. And about the birthday? I had a fight with Bo Xiangzhou. No party.

[Chen Xiang]: Do you even know what kind of person Bo Xiangzhou is? How dare you fight with him?

[An Xun]: What kind of person? An old man? What’s the big deal about fighting with him? I can even fight with a dog on the street. If I’m fighting with him, it’s because I think he’s worth my time.

[An Xun]: Don’t send me messages. Each one costs me 10 cents, and that’s expensive.

[Chen Xiang]: Then take me off your WeChat blocklist.

[An Xun]: Be content that I haven’t blocked your number.

With just a few words, An Xun ended the conversation, grabbed his bag, and went home.

Bo Xiangzhou got off work earlier than him and was already home, having showered and now sitting in his study.

An Xun found his pajamas, undid his belt, and in a few swift moves, stripped down completely naked. He muttered to himself quietly, “What’s with that stupid study, acting like it’s some kind of secret base.”

After showering and heading downstairs for dinner, the two of them were lying on the bed, and An Xun suddenly felt a strange sense of awkwardness. He fidgeted for a while but couldn’t think of anything to say.

Bo Xiangzhou was the first to speak: “Did your family contact you?”

An Xun, lying on his side and playing on his phone, with one leg pressed against the blanket, asked, “How did you know?”

“An Zhicheng called. Want to know what he said?”

“I do, but it’s up to you if you want to tell me.”

“He advised us not to fight and to get along harmoniously.”

Bo Xiangzhou closed the book he was reading and stared at him.

An Xun avoided his gaze and said, “Aren’t we fighting? What’s wrong with me saying that?”

“There’s nothing wrong, but you’ve made me out to be the bad guy.” Bo Xiangzhou’s tone was relaxed. “You’re ruining my reputation. Don’t you think you should apologize?”

An Xun was puzzled. “When did I ruin your reputation?”

“It’s just a fight, but now it’s escalated to the point where you’re not even allowed to have a birthday party. From an outsider’s perspective, I seem petty and overly sensitive. Isn’t that ruining my reputation?”

An Xun, feeling justified, raised his voice, “But isn’t that exactly what you are?”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he clutched his head and hurriedly buried himself under the covers.

“If you’ve got the guts, come out!” Bo Xiangzhou put the book down and, with pinpoint accuracy, gave a light smack on the spot where An Xun’s head was bulging under the blanket.

An Xun pretended to be dead, while Bo Xiangzhou curled his lips, his eyes full of amusement.

After laughing, he was left in slight confusion, thinking to himself that maybe it was because An Xun’s behavior was just too childish. Everything he did hit Bo Xiangzhou right in his funny bone.

The next morning, An Xun was woken up by his alarm clock. Bo Xiangzhou had been disturbed by his laughter three or four times during the night, so he woke up later than usual.

Seeing that Bo had just opened his eyes and still looked sleepy, An Xun grabbed his clothes and ran to his bedside, speaking proudly, “Lazybones!”

Bo Xiangzhou, being pestered by him, could only give in. “Do you need me to drive you to work?”

“What do you mean? Are you not going to work today?” An Xun was about to explode with anger. “Why?!”

“You were the one who insisted on going to work. I didn’t force you at all.”

An Xun nearly spat out a curse but swallowed it back down, glaring at him. “Whether you forced me or not, you know full well yourself.”

“Alright, alright, it’s my fault. Don’t be mad,” Bo Xiangzhou said good-naturedly. “If you stay mad, you won’t get your attendance bonus.”

An Xun quickly pulled himself together. After work, he had to rush back to the old estate, and time was tight, so he didn’t have time to change his clothes. He didn’t want to show up wearing pink in front of so many elders.

He paced back and forth in a panic.

To Bo Xiangzhou, An Xun’s anxiousness was as if he were running around naked. With a little bit of thought, Bo could easily guess what he was worried about.

Bo Xiangzhou went to the walk-in closet, pointed to a burgundy polo shirt with a half-zip, and said, “Wear this.”

An Xun immediately thought of a punk kid with purple hair. “This color… it’s a bit flashy, don’t you think?”

Would the elders even like it?

“Isn’t it your birthday? You should stand out a little.” Bo Xiangzhou paired it with black trousers. “I’ll pick you up after work.”

An Xun whipped around. “At the company entrance?”

“That won’t do,” he answered his own question. “It’d be bad if my colleagues saw.”

“If they see, they see. Just admit it.”

An Xun shoved him out, standing firmly in the doorway of the walk-in closet. “President Bo, let me be clear. In my world, you can’t be seen.”

The air grew still for a moment.

Bo Xiangzhou: “…So where should I wait for you?”

An Xun thought for a moment, then honestly shook his head. “I don’t know. Find a hidden spot yourself, but make sure to keep our secret marriage well hidden.”

Like he was performing some grand ceremony, An Xun solemnly patted his shoulder, though the height difference made the gesture look slightly comical from Bo Xiangzhou’s perspective.

Bo couldn’t help but worry that An Xun would blurt out the word “comrade.”

Bo Xiangzhou turned into a small, deserted alley and sent his location to An Xun.

He had a note set for An Xun in his phone, but the recent change to An Xun’s nickname had made him curious. Clicking on his profile, he saw that An Xun’s new nickname was even weirder than his profile picture.

He could guess it was changed in those few busy days at work, when he’d only glanced at the new profile picture and moved on, thinking it was just some young person’s new hobby. Now, however, it seemed to have a deeper meaning.

One was [Gulu Gulu], the other a drowning fish.

Bo Xiangzhou compared them in his mind. An Xun did have a few traits in common with a fish—he was quite energetic, flopped around a lot, his soul always seemed to be swimming in the depths of the ocean, he had a terrible memory, and he could lie in bed all day.

There was a loud knock on the car window. Without even looking up, Bo Xiangzhou unlocked the door.

Most people would back away from a luxury car, but only he had the audacity to act so recklessly.

In the backseat was a birthday gift box and a two-tier cake. The cake was gray-toned, modeled to look like a snowy mountain.

An Xun was pleased. “It suits my cold, aloof vibe. My taste is impeccable.”

“Shouldn’t it be my taste that’s impeccable?” Bo Xiangzhou knew he would be rebutted, but he still wanted to say it.

He wanted to tease him.

For some reason, the alpha had a sudden urge to be mischievous.

An Xun, full of confidence, replied, “Although I wasn’t involved in the process, and I didn’t know what it would look like beforehand, the moment I saw it, I loved it. That shows my taste and the cake shop’s taste align. And since the cake shop has great taste, it stands to reason that my taste is great, too.”

“Should I give your brilliant mind a round of applause?”

An Xun waved him off haughtily. “No need. I already know how smart I am.”

Bo Xiangzhou laughed. “Smarter than a fish.”

“Of course!” An Xun obviously didn’t catch the teasing in his words. “What are you laughing at? Hurry up and drive, my [Nian Nian] is waiting for me.”

The old estate was far from the new company, and they got stuck in traffic, so it took a while to arrive.

In an unfamiliar setting, Tao Nian was a bit restrained, not daring to say much for fear that the Bo family would dig into his background.

He now understood why An Xun had to put on an act. Pretending to be dumb really did save a lot of trouble.

The Old Madam, fond of An Xun, was friendly toward Tao Nian, asking him a bunch of questions. Tao Nian responded slowly, but the Old Madam didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she praised him, saying he was just as honest as An Xun.

The “honest” Tao Nian kept glancing around, finally catching sight of the second “honest” person.

As soon as the second “honest” person, An Xun, lifted his foot to run, Bo Xiangzhou caught him.

Their eyes met, and An Xun suddenly understood. He comforted Bo Xiangzhou, saying, “I’m just excited to see my friend. Don’t misunderstand. I won’t hug him or be alone with him. You can relax now, right?”

Bo Xiangzhou felt a sense of helplessness. “…I was just trying to tell you that your shoelaces are untied.”

“Oh, thanks, hubby.”

An Xun pulled away from him and ran off.

Tao Nian, as if seeing rain after a drought, eagerly grabbed onto his arm, pressing tightly against him. In a low voice, Tao Nian whispered, “Babe, the Bo family is terrifying. You should hurry up and get a divorce.”

“Did someone bully you?” An Xun looked around but couldn’t spot any suspects.

Tao Nian: “No, they didn’t bully me. They just asked a lot of questions, almost like they were about to dig up everything about my ancestors.”

“That’s because Grandma likes you.”

“Well, she can’t like me this much!” Tao Nian’s expression was exaggerated. “She wants to introduce me to an alpha!”

The Old Madam they were discussing was talking to Bo Xiangzhou. Bo glanced over at them, and An Xun instantly straightened up, warning Tao Nian, “Nian Nian, control your expressions.”

Tao Nian, a bit slow to react, agreed, “True. The Bo family eats people.”

An Xun corrected him seriously, “The Bo family doesn’t eat people, but Bo Xiangzhou does.”

An Xun’s eyes crinkled in a smile, and Bo Xiangzhou had a bad feeling in his heart. He sensed that An Xun was cursing him.