Yu Qingyue and Yu Wanlai had been back in the country for a few days, but strangely, Bai Yi, who would usually immediately come to bother him after he returned, had been silent. The messages Yu Qingyue sent to him had all been met with no response.

“Chime,” the elevator doors opened, and Yu Wanlai walked out holding two cups of milk tea and a small cake. Xu Ran and Xiao Lai from the CEO’s office were sitting at their desks, along with a new assistant whom Yu Wanlai didn’t recognize. Yu Wanlai glanced at his watch; there were 15 minutes left until off-duty time. He turned his head to glance at Yu Qingyue’s office door, which was tightly shut, and handed one cup of milk tea to Xu Ran and the other to Xiao Lai. “Here, one for each of you, enjoy.”

Xu Ran and Xiao Lai both took their milk teas and thanked him. Xiao Lai, upon receiving her milk tea, immediately punctured the seal with her straw and took a big sip, letting out a long sigh as she leaned back comfortably in her chair. Since Yu Qingyue came back, they had been working overtime nonstop and were exhausted.

Yu Wanlai was well aware that Yu Qingyue had been working late every day, and by the time Yu Qingyue came home, he was almost asleep. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to lose favor. Ever since they got married and came back, Yu Qingyue hadn’t been as clingy. Yu Wanlai decided this wasn’t acceptable, so as soon as he had free time today, he came to pick him up.

After a few sips of milk tea, Xiao Lai was energized again. She looked at Yu Wanlai, thinking that people who didn’t have to work were so fresh and lively. She couldn’t help but mutter, “People who haven’t been worn down by life really have energy. Why does your brother have to work overtime every day, but you don’t even have to come to the company?”

Yu Wanlai didn’t feel the need to come to the office because it wasn’t his company. Plus, he wasn’t as good at this work as Yu Qingyue, and he didn’t want to waste time and energy on it. He gently shook his head. “I know you’ve been working overtime, I just came to tell you that you can go home today!” He waved his hand, “Alright, alright, if there’s nothing urgent, go ahead and leave.”

Noticing there was a new person sitting beside Xiao Lai, Yu Wanlai paused for a moment and then took out his phone to order another milk tea. “…Looks like we have a new person. The milk tea might not be enough. I’ll order one more from the shop downstairs, and when you head down later, you can pick it up.” After ordering, he turned to the new girl. “The order number is 0526, you can leave now.”

The new girl, hearing that, was about to refuse, but upon hearing she could leave early, she wasn’t sure whether to decline or accept. She had only just arrived in the past few days and didn’t even know who Yu Wanlai was.

Xiao Lai noticed the girl’s awkwardness and smiled. “It’s fine, don’t worry. Just take it from him. You don’t turn down the capitalist’s wool, right?”

The new assistant, Xiao Qi, blinked in confusion. “Capitalist?”

Xiao Lai slapped her forehead. “Ah, you’re new, so you don’t know him. He and Xiao Yu are brothers, so… you get it…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yu Wanlai interrupted their conversation. “Do you want to leave or not? If you don’t want to go, then…”

Xiao Lai immediately grabbed her bag from the desk, stood up, and said, “Of course I’m leaving! Please tell Xiao Yu thank you for me! Thank you! Really appreciate it!” As she was about to pull Xu Ran along, she noticed Xu Ran’s seat was already empty. She looked up toward the elevator, where Xu Ran was just stepping inside. Xiao Lai quickly pulled Xiao Qi and ran toward the elevator.

The hustle and bustle settled in just a few minutes, and everything around became quiet.

Yu Wanlai, seeing that he had finally sent everyone off, grabbed the small cake and headed towards Yu Qingyue’s office. “Knock knock—” The door was suddenly knocked on, and Yu Qingyue frowned slightly.

“Come in!”

“The documents are on the desk. I’ll look at them when I have time. If there’s nothing else, you can leave.” Yu Wanlai pushed the door open and heard this, but the speaker didn’t even raise his head. He glanced at him, helplessly shook his head, and turned to close the door.

Yu Wanlai walked straight to the desk, placed the small cake beside it, and then lightly tapped his fingers on the table a few times. Yu Qingyue, pursing his lips, sensed the presence beside him. “Didn’t you say you could leave after putting down the stuff? Why are you still here…”

When he looked up and saw it was Yu Wanlai, his words immediately stopped. His eyes immediately brightened up, and he exclaimed, “You came! Why didn’t you tell me in advance? I could’ve come down to meet you…”

Yu Wanlai turned around, casually leaning against the desk, then pulled Yu Qingyue into his arms, completing his sentence, “To pick me up?”

Yu Qingyue was about to nod when he heard Yu Wanlai’s tone shift into a complaint, “How dare I ask you to pick me up? You’re so busy, I wouldn’t want to delay your work…”

Yu Qingyue, speechless for a moment, raised his hand to wrap it around Yu Wanlai and spoke softly, “It’s just that I’ve had a lot of things piled up from taking leave earlier. It wasn’t intentional. Are you upset?”

Yu Wanlai’s lips curled down slightly as he stared at him quietly, “Just busy? I think someone’s tired of me, right? He didn’t say this before.”

Yu Qingyue felt a little flustered. He really wasn’t intentionally ignoring Yu Wanlai, he had been trying to catch up with work. He raised his head and gently kissed Yu Wanlai’s lips. “Not tired of you, really. I’m just a bit busy. Don’t be upset, brother~”

Yu Wanlai snorted lightly, pressing his lips together, “Really? I don’t believe you!”

Yu Qingyue thought he had comforted him, but then heard the second half of Yu Wanlai’s words, so he had to continue, “Then what would make you believe me?”

Yu Wanlai lowered his eyes and gently rubbed his hand on Yu Qingyue’s waist for a moment before slowly speaking, “Well… you could kiss me again.”

Yu Qingyue immediately leaned up and kissed Yu Wanlai’s lips once more. Yu Wanlai tightened his grip, but his expression remained indifferent. He shook his head, “Still not enough.”

Yu Qingyue’s ears flushed. “Why not? You said a kiss would do.”

Yu Wanlai hummed lightly, “Not like that. I meant the way I usually kiss you.”

Yu Qingyue’s fingers trembled slightly, his mouth opened, but he couldn’t find the words for a while. Yu Wanlai didn’t hurry him, waiting quietly for a response.

Seeing Yu Qingyue hanging his head in silence for a long time, Yu Wanlai couldn’t help but speak again, his voice sounding a bit pitiful, “It turns out you’re really tired of me and don’t want to kiss me anymore…” He said this as though he was about to let go.

Yu Qingyue immediately panicked, tightening his grip, “Don’t go! I’ll kiss you…”

Yu Wanlai’s lips curved into a slight smile before he quickly returned to his neutral expression. He spoke leisurely, “Okay, then go ahead. I’m ready.”

Yu Qingyue’s face heated up, and he bit his lip. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and leaned toward Yu Wanlai, but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Yu Wanlai: …Now he really had doubts! He looked at Yu Qingyue in disbelief and shock. To him, he and Yu Qingyue were so familiar with each other, there was no place on Yu Qingyue’s body he hadn’t seen, so a kiss should be easy. But Yu Qingyue didn’t seem to think so, since most of the time it was Yu Wanlai who took the initiative.

Yu Qingyue’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “Can you… close your eyes? Don’t look at me.”

Seeing the flush on Yu Qingyue’s face, Yu Wanlai’s eyes immediately revealed interest. He looked at Yu Qingyue without blinking until Yu Qingyue almost turned away, then he closed his eyes.

“Alright, eyes closed. Now, go ahead and kiss me.”

Yu Qingyue saw that Yu Wanlai really closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head to lean in. He thought of how Yu Wanlai usually acted, briefly pausing on his lips, then extending his soft tongue to gently trace Yu Wanlai’s lips.

The soft pressure felt like a kitten rubbing against him, teasing yet leaving him unsatisfied. The heat surged up to Yu Wanlai’s head. He immediately reached up, gripping the back of Yu Qingyue’s head, and kissed him deeply.

The sudden intensifying force made Yu Qingyue almost gasp for air. He instinctively pushed at Yu Wanlai’s chest, and Yu Wanlai loosened his hold a little, waiting for Yu Qingyue to catch his breath before continuing the kiss.

Noticing Yu Wanlai’s restless hands, Yu Qingyue pushed him away with force. “Don’t… at the company. Let’s go home…”

Yu Wanlai thought that since work was already over, there was nothing wrong with what they were doing at the company. He pulled Yu Qingyue back into his arms and lightly brushed his earlobe with his lips, his breath becoming a little heavier. “You’ve already finished work, so why don’t we try something here? We haven’t tried it yet.”

Yu Qingyue’s face flushed, and he quickly shook his head in panic. “No, there will be people around. Let’s go home… We’ll talk about it at home.”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue and continued to coax him. “Then how about the break room? This is your office, and I locked the door. Everyone is eager to get home, so there won’t be anyone around.”

Yu Qingyue still felt uneasy. He shook his head, about to refuse, but before he could, Yu Wanlai scooped him up and carried him toward the break room. While walking, he kissed Yu Qingyue’s lips a few times. “Promise me, okay? Yue Yue~”

After some time, Yu Wanlai wiped Yu Qingyue’s face with wet wipes, then untied his tie, which had been covering his eyes. He cradled Yu Qingyue and gently ruffled his slightly disheveled hair. “Are you tired? By the way, I brought you a little cake. We can eat it on the way.”

Seeing that Yu Qingyue didn’t seem very interested, Yu Wanlai didn’t press him. He was afraid of making him angry. He examined Yu Qingyue closely and, seeing that his expression seemed normal, he quietly sighed in relief. Yu Qingyue was usually very serious, and Yu Wanlai often wanted to do something different with him. Of course, if Yu Qingyue really didn’t agree, he wouldn’t dare push him.

“Or do you want to eat now? Are you hungry?” While saying this, Yu Wanlai adjusted their disheveled clothes and then carried Yu Qingyue out of the break room. Yu Qingyue, holding his tie in his hands, still flushed with heat, didn’t reply.

When Yu Wanlai began to gather their things, preparing to leave, Yu Qingyue hurriedly spoke up. “…Put me down, I’ll walk myself.”

Yu Wanlai shook his head. “Didn’t you just say your legs were sore? Are you feeling better now? Or maybe…”

Yu Qingyue gritted his teeth. Hearing this, he felt that Yu Wanlai was up to no good. He immediately changed the subject. “Did you turn off the computer?”

Yu Wanlai picked up the box of cake and his phone from the desk and handed them to Yu Qingyue. “Don’t worry, it’s turned off.”

Seeing the elevator arriving, Yu Qingyue spoke again. “Put me down.”

Yu Wanlai gently put him down, but as soon as Yu Qingyue stood, he staggered, his legs a little numb. Yu Wanlai shrugged. “See? I told you it wouldn’t work.” He lifted Yu Qingyue back up and carried him into the elevator.

Yu Qingyue snorted in dissatisfaction. “It’s all your fault for being reckless!” He kept his head buried in Yu Wanlai’s neck to avoid being seen by any employees.

Yu Wanlai smiled lightly. “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. No choice, I just like you too much.”

When the elevator reached the first floor, Yu Wanlai placed Yu Qingyue on a chair in the waiting area and then gently touched his forehead with the back of his hand. It was still dry, so he felt relieved. “Wait here for a bit. I’ll go bring the car around to pick you up.”

Yu Qingyue wondered why he was making things so complicated and stood up. “No need, we can just go together.”

Yu Wanlai immediately reached out to stop him. “No, your forehead is still a bit damp. The wind will make you catch a cold.” It was autumn; the daytime was fine, but it got cooler at night, with occasional wind.

After getting into the passenger seat, Yu Qingyue finally realized something was off. “Who’s driving if I sit here? You can drive now?”

Yu Wanlai bent over to fasten Yu Qingyue’s seatbelt. “Yeah, I just got my license today. Don’t worry, I’ll get you home safely.”

Yu Qingyue was surprised to see how skillfully Yu Wanlai drove, smoothly merging into traffic. “When did you learn? I didn’t know.”

Yu Wanlai explained, “I was almost done before going abroad; I just got the certificate today.”

Yu Qingyue nodded, genuinely happy for Yu Wanlai. “Do you have a favorite car model? I could buy you one.”

He then took out his phone, preparing to look for a good car model.

Yu Wanlai: …

He seemed to be living off someone else’s earnings. “No need to buy it, I don’t really like driving.”

Yu Qingyue thought to himself, that’s not right. Liking something and having it are two different things. He liked buying things for Yu Wanlai. Since Yu Wanlai didn’t say anything, he decided to pick something himself. Thinking that since Yu Wanlai was a singer, he might prefer a more trendy car model, Yu Qingyue looked at a sports car.

When they arrived at the garage, Yu Wanlai parked the car. As soon as Yu Qingyue got out of the car, he saw a car next to them covered with a cloth, and he couldn’t tell what car it was. Yu Wanlai shut the car door and slowly walked to Yu Qingyue’s side. From behind, he hugged him and gently kissed his cheek. “It just got delivered today. How about we uncover it and take a look?”

Yu Qingyue blinked in surprise and turned to look at Yu Wanlai. “You bought it? But didn’t you say you didn’t want a car?”

Yu Wanlai let go of him and walked to the car. He pulled back the cloth, revealing a cream-colored car—exactly the same model as Yu Qingyue’s previous car, the one that had been badly damaged in an accident.

“Yeah, it’s for you. Do you like it?” Yu Wanlai asked.

Surprise slowly filled Yu Qingyue’s eyes. The car he used to drive was the first car he bought after getting his driver’s license. It wasn’t as expensive as his later cars, but it was his favorite. Yu Qingyue quickly walked up to Yu Wanlai, throwing himself into his arms and holding him tightly. His head buried in Yu Wanlai’s chest for a while, not saying a word.

After a long time, Yu Wanlai finally heard a muffled voice from Yu Qingyue’s chest. “I like it. I really like it!”

Yu Wanlai felt relieved. He had worried that Yu Qingyue might have a negative association with that car model, but when he was choosing, he realized that Yu Qingyue often drove that car and probably liked it, so he had ultimately bought the same model but in a different color. The original car had a black body with black interior, but this one had a dove-gray exterior with red interior.

Yu Wanlai reached out to ruffle Yu Qingyue’s hair, his voice soft and low. “Do you want to take a look inside? I didn’t choose the same colors as your previous car.”

Yu Qingyue finally pulled away from Yu Wanlai’s embrace. He took the car keys from Yu Wanlai and opened the car door. He was immediately struck by the bright red interior.

Though he wouldn’t have picked such a bold color based on his personality, the red and reddish-brown accents didn’t seem too bad after looking at them for a while.

Yu Wanlai noticed that Yu Qingyue was silent for a while and, after walking around to the other side of the car, found that Yu Qingyue had nearly leaned halfway into the car without noticing him. He glanced around the empty garage and then looked at Yu Qingyue’s suit pants, which were pulled tight because he was bending over.

Yu Wanlai took a few steps forward and, with one hand, pushed Yu Qingyue into the car, then got in and shut the door. His sudden movement startled Yu Qingyue, who let out a breath of relief when he saw it was Yu Wanlai. Yu Qingyue braced his arm on the passenger seat and was about to sit up. “What are you doing? You scared me!”

Yu Wanlai smiled lightly, looking a bit mischievous, and kept Yu Qingyue pinned down. “Who told you to ignore me when you saw the car?” He adjusted the seat, then turned Yu Qingyue around to face him, lifting his chin to kiss him.

While kissing him, Yu Wanlai breathed heavily. “You haven’t told me if you like the interior yet.”

Yu Qingyue pushed Yu Wanlai away a bit and quickly replied, “…I like it… I like it. Let’s go home now, we haven’t had dinner, and my parents must be waiting.”

Yu Wanlai wasn’t ready to let him off so easily. He leaned down again, his hands becoming restless. “I remember you just had a little cake, are you hungry?”

Yu Qingyue immediately nodded, “I’m hungry, I’m really hungry.”

Yu Wanlai noticed Yu Qingyue’s flustered expression and his interest deepened. “Hmm, your stomach is empty, it seems like you’re really hungry. Don’t worry, you won’t be hungry for much longer…”

Yu Qingyue instinctively felt that what he was about to say was not good. His face grew even hotter. “Then get up… I want to eat!”

Yu Wanlai nodded, but his body didn’t budge. He was determined to tease him. “Hmm, isn’t this feeding you?”

Since returning to the country, Yu Qingyue had been working overtime, and lately, Yu Wanlai had also been busy with a lot of things, with numerous schedules. Whenever there was a bit of time, it seemed like Yu Wanlai was always working. They had only just gotten married, and Yu Qingyue couldn’t stand this kind of hardship.

Suddenly, he felt heat spreading throughout his body, realizing what Yu Wanlai was planning. He quickly pushed him away. “No… get up, I can’t be here.”

This place was even worse than the office. What on earth was going on with Yu Wanlai today!

Suddenly, a sound echoed in the empty garage.

Qin Shuang had already heard the sound of the car returning and had also received a message from Yu Wanlai saying that Yu Qingyue would be home earlier today. However, she had yet to see anyone come home. She and Yu Cheng waited for a while, but when no one appeared, Qin Shuang thought something might have happened and decided to come and check. If it wasn’t them, she would at least give them a call to ask.

“Qingyue, Wanlai?”

“If you’re back, hurry up and come eat. The food’s getting cold.” As she spoke, she walked toward Yu Qingyue’s usual parking spot.

Yu Qingyue heard her voice and finally felt a sense of relief. Realizing the grip on him had loosened, he raised his hand to push Yu Wanlai away. “Get up! Stop fooling around!”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue. If he had known, he wouldn’t have sent them a message! Moving, he had to move! This was too much. He grumbled to himself, watching helplessly as Yu Qingyue got out of the car.

Suddenly, a “bang” sounded from behind, the sound of a car door slamming shut. Yu Qingyue jumped and turned around, wondering if Yu Wanlai was angry. Yu Wanlai wasn’t actually angry, he was just in a hurry to tidy up Yu Qingyue’s clothes and had gotten a little rushed. He understood Yu Qingyue’s personality, knowing that he wasn’t the casual type, so he could understand. But understanding was one thing, wanting it was another.

Yu Qingyue pressed his lips together. “…Are you angry?”

Yu Wanlai was momentarily confused. “Angry? Why would I be angry?” He walked up to Yu Qingyue, gently fixing his disheveled hair and buttoning his shirt. Once he confirmed everything was in place, he stepped back a little.

Just then, Qin Shuang approached, having been blocked from view by a wall. She had only just come over to take a look. As soon as she turned the corner, she saw the two standing still by the car, silent.

Qin Shuang was startled, lightly patting her chest and sighing in relief, “You guys are here, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t hear anything, and was starting to wonder if I had heard wrong,” Yu Qingyue said, stepping forward with a smile. “We were just looking at the car, and I heard your voice, so I came down.”

“And then you came over?” Qin Shuang asked hesitantly. “What car are you looking at?”

Yu Qingyue stepped back a bit, and Yu Wanlai also moved aside, standing next to him. “This one, it’s a gift from my brother.”

Qin Shuang could hear the excitement in his voice. She looked up at the car and then at the two of them. “Is this the one you wanted? Didn’t you already have this car?”

Yu Qingyue smiled awkwardly. “Well… you know, I really liked that one before, but it got wrecked in an accident. So my brother bought this one for me.”

“Don’t just spoil him like this,” Qin Shuang warned.

Yu Qingyue was about to say something but stopped. ‘It’s actually someone else who likes spoiling him!‘

Yu Wanlai cleared his throat and spoke up for Yu Qingyue. “No, no. Qingyue never asks me for anything. I just saw his old car was damaged, so I thought I’d buy him a new one.”

Qin Shuang finally relaxed and decided not to interfere further. The three of them left the garage and headed home.

—

Later that evening, after dinner, Yu Qingyue finished his shower and changed clothes. He waited for a while but still hadn’t seen Yu Wanlai come over, so he went to Yu Wanlai’s room to look for him.

He opened the door and saw Yu Wanlai lying on the bed, seemingly ready to sleep.

Yu Qingyue: …

He closed the door and sat down by the bed, lifting the covers and preparing to lie down.

“Weren’t we supposed to sleep at my place tonight? Changed your mind?”

Yu Wanlai let out a low hum, “Yeah, changed my mind. I think we should sleep in separate rooms from now on.”

Yu Qingyue paused, noticing the deep tone in Yu Wanlai’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“You said you weren’t angry, right?” Yu Wanlai immediately started venting. “I’m not angry, I’m just sad. How long has it been, and you’re already tired of me?”

Yu Qingyue glanced at him, but with most of his face hidden by the blanket, he couldn’t see Yu Wanlai’s expression. He turned and lay down beside him, looking at him seriously. “I’m not tired of you. You didn’t trust me this afternoon, right?”

Yu Wanlai stared at the ceiling, blinking his eyes, trying to conceal his scheming thoughts. “That was this afternoon, now I’ve had time to think about it.”

“You’re not clinging to me now, when before, wherever I went, you always wanted to follow.”

“You’re always avoiding me, not letting me get close to you.”

Yu Qingyue rolled his eyes. *What nonsense!*

He leaned over and, pulling the blanket aside, kissed Yu Wanlai’s cheek. “I still want to be with you now,” he said, his ears turning red. “And… it’s not that I don’t let you get close. If you want to hug me, hug me; if you want to kiss me, kiss me. Don’t I always let you?”

Yu Wanlai pouted, “You didn’t listen to me! At the company, you tried to avoid me, said we’d talk when we got home, and when we got home, you still avoided me.”

Yu Qingyue: … So, he was still waiting for him. “Well, when Mom came, you can’t blame me, right?”

Yu Wanlai: “I’m not blaming you, but you looked pretty happy at that time. You were hoping someone would come.”

Yu Qingyue: … He was happy, but he just couldn’t accept things like that outside of the bedroom. But he couldn’t admit that now. Yu Qingyue denied it, “I didn’t.”

Yu Wanlai choked up, suddenly at a loss for words. He closed his eyes, “Oh, I’m tired. Let’s sleep.”

Yu Qingyue bit his lip, lowered his head, “…So, what do you need to be happy? I didn’t mean to.”

Yu Wanlai quietly opened one eye to glance at him, then quickly shut it again, “You figure it out.”

Yu Qingyue stood still for a moment, his face gradually heating up. The room fell silent. After a long time, Yu Wanlai still hadn’t heard anything. He helplessly opened his eyes and saw Yu Qingyue’s cheeks bright red, head lowered, unbuttoning his clothes one by one. His shirt hung loosely on him, with one shoulder exposed.

Yu Wanlai’s breath hitched. This person was clearly trying to torment him. Seeing the clothes falling, Yu Wanlai immediately got up and draped a blanket over him. It was a bit cold at night in this season.

Yu Qingyue finally looked up at him, then quickly lowered his head again, stiffening, “I… you…” He really couldn’t do these things.

Yu Wanlai lifted him onto his lap and then spoke, “Qingyue, how about we move out? Come back on weekends?”

Yu Qingyue nodded, “…Okay, I’ll listen to you.” He had already promised Yu Wanlai before that they could move out, as long as he was with him.

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Yu Wanlai couldn’t be bothered to pretend anymore—mainly because he couldn’t keep up the act. He looked at Yu Qingyue and spoke softly, gently coaxing him, “…Then promise me one thing, okay?”

Yu Wanlai’s leg was uncomfortable, so he adjusted his position before responding, “What is it?”

Yu Wanlai leaned closer to Yu Qingyue’s ear, speaking slowly, his eyes betraying his hidden smile and desire, “Be more proactive today.”

Yu Qingyue: … Was he not proactive enough?

Yu Wanlai raised his hand and gently pushed the damp hair from Yu Qingyue’s forehead, continuing to coax him, “Call me ‘brother’… and I’ll let you sleep.”

Yu Qingyue believed him, “…Brother.”

“Liars! You lied to me again!”

Yu Wanlai nodded, finally admitting, “Mm, I only lied to you.”

After Yu Wanlai finished shooting the commercial, he returned to see Yu Qingyue sitting on the living room sofa, lost in thought.

He walked over, and just as Yu Qingyue’s phone screen went dark, he stood up and was about to walk toward the door. Yu Wanlai looked at the homewear Yu Qingyue was still wearing and hurriedly grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

Yu Qingyue then looked up at him. “Bai Yi seems to be missing. I want to go look for him.”

Seeing the panic and confusion in Yu Qingyue’s eyes, Yu Wanlai reached out to hug him and patted his back gently. “Don’t worry. Why don’t you tell me about it first? I can help you look for him.”

He pulled Yu Qingyue back onto the sofa and patiently listened as he spoke. For the past few days, Yu Qingyue had been unable to contact Bai Yi, which seemed odd, but since they had gone through periods where they didn’t contact each other much before, he hadn’t paid much attention to it.

It wasn’t until today when Bai Jian came to ask about him that Yu Qingyue found out that Bai Yi had been missing for several days. Bai Jian said that Bai Yi had been on a business trip, but the assistant who had been with him returned while Bai Yi didn’t. When asked, the assistant didn’t know anything. He said that a few days ago, Bai Yi had disappeared after waking up in the morning, and no one had seen him since. The assistant thought Bai Yi had gone back to the city first, assuming the business was almost finished, but even on Monday, Bai Yi hadn’t shown up for work. That’s when he went to ask Bai Jian.

Yu Qingyue grabbed Yu Wanlai’s hand, his skin cold. “I suddenly couldn’t get in touch with him, and Bai Jian said he hasn’t returned since his business trip, but…”

How could he have suddenly disappeared? Bai Yi wasn’t the type to run off without telling anyone.

Yu Wanlai placed Yu Qingyue’s hand beneath his sweater to warm it and then spoke, “Don’t worry. Did they report it to the police?”

“Where did he go for the business trip?”

Yu Wanlai and Yu Qingyue first went to the Bai residence to look around, but naturally, they didn’t find him. They then filed a missing person report. The investigation of the surveillance footage revealed that Bai Yi had entered the hotel that night but never came out. However, when they went to the room, there was no sign of him. They were told he left on his own, but his phone and wallet were still there. Some speculated that he had been kidnapped, but the surveillance footage showed nothing unusual. There were no hidden doors or anything suspicious in the room.

Yu Qingyue walked over to the window, opened it, and looked down. They were on the 16th floor, so Bai Yi couldn’t have jumped, could he?

Yu Wanlai, who had been sitting on the sofa, looked up and saw Yu Qingyue leaning against the windowsill, half of his body almost hanging out of the window. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly rushed over to pull him back inside. “What are you doing? You’re not thinking about jumping, are you?” He couldn’t find the person, and now he was going to lose Yu Qingyue too?

Yu Qingyue, upon hearing Yu Wanlai’s anxious tone, finally realized what had happened. His heart warmed, and he said, “No, I wouldn’t jump. I just wanted to see the view downstairs…”

Yu Wanlai couldn’t help but lightly tap his forehead. “Is it that important to look? Don’t do that again.” He was startled.

They then checked the surveillance footage around the hotel again, and everything seemed normal. But that was exactly what seemed wrong. There were no signs of anyone leaving, but the person had simply disappeared, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Yu Wanlai suddenly remembered something from his past—he had, in a sense, also disappeared without a trace, right? But his body from the previous world had still been there, didn’t it? But since he had experienced such a strange event, could Bai Yi have experienced something similar? Yu Wanlai couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine as he thought about it.

As time passed, Bai Yi’s absence made his presence in people’s memories grow fainter, until eventually, even Bai Jian had forgotten him. Only Yu Qingyue and Yu Wanlai still remembered. This only made Yu Wanlai more certain of his earlier thoughts.

Yu Qingyue, of course, preferred to believe that Bai Yi was still alive and well. He buried his head in Yu Wanlai’s chest, holding him tightly, his eyes watering. “Then… what about you? Will you… disappear too?”

The words behind that question were too difficult for him to say.

Yu Wanlai gently rubbed his head and then leaned down to place a soft kiss on it. “I won’t disappear. I promise.”

Although Bai Yi had disappeared, body and all, that didn’t mean he would. Yu Wanlai thought he understood the logic of this world: his and Jiang Cheng’s presence had broken the original balance of the story. But as someone meant to replace the antagonist, he wasn’t an extra person. However, Jiang Cheng was, since the original body had already committed suicide. Now, Jiang Cheng was alive, closely tied to the heroine, and had become an important figure in the story. Therefore, the world had to remove less significant characters to restore balance.

Moreover, Bai Yi was a character connected to both protagonists, and the world’s consciousness might have been unhappy with how they were acting outside the original storyline.

As for why Bai Jian forgot Bai Yi, but Yu Qingyue didn’t, it was probably because Yu Qingyue was in a semi-awakened state, much like him. He no longer fully belonged to the original world. Since the world had already erased one person, it wouldn’t need to erase him as well. But there was likely a cost to that, and that cost might be his memories of the original world.

Lately, his memories of his parents and the original world were becoming more and more blurry. Perhaps, once he completely forgot the original world, he would truly be assimilated into the role of a character from the story.

However, it seemed that his relationship with Yu Qingyue wouldn’t be affected. That was the one thing he could be relieved about. He didn’t regret his choices; he just hoped that Bai Yi, as well as his parents, would be okay in other worlds.