At the beginning, Jian Yang still suffered a bit.

After all, Guan Ciyan only had theoretical knowledge—his control over the accelerator and brakes was not yet proficient. Sometimes, he would press too hard on the gas, charging forward too aggressively, causing Jian Yang to cry out in pain. In response, he would slam on the brakes, leaving them stuck in an awkward position—neither moving forward nor fully stopping—resulting in pain without any pleasure.

Fortunately, Guan Ciyan had secretly practiced twice before and knew how to adjust certain aspects to improve the vehicle’s performance.

His patience was impeccable. He kneaded Jian Yang’s slender waist as if it were soft dough, molding it as he pleased. His words were as sweet as honey: “Baby, your abs are really well-trained.”

“You… stop… ang…” Jian Yang’s breath was unsteady. “Stop… calling me that.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

One moment, he was calling him “Yang Yang,” the next “baby” or “darling”—as if they were truly lovers.

But what stuck most in Jian Yang’s mind was still the times when Guan Ciyan would sternly call him by his full name, scolding him for being useless, telling him to use his brain when doing things.

As the pain in his lower back eased, Jian Yang started to wonder if Guan Ciyan had been possessed by a ghost—why was he being so gentle?

Struggling to open his eyes, his long eyelashes were damp with sweat, sticking to his eyelids. His almond-shaped eyes shimmered with moisture, and when the pain had been at its worst, he had even shed two tears. His whole body was drenched in sweat, like a fish out of water.

Just one look at him made Guan Ciyan’s little brother stir again. Taking advantage of Jian Yang’s moment of distraction, he floored the gas pedal, going all the way to the end in one go.

Jian Yang’s almond eyes widened, his lips trembling violently, unable to make a sound. A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

Guan Ciyan kissed it away with a mix of tenderness and guilt. “Sorry, baby, I couldn’t hold back.”

Perhaps this was just a man’s nature. Combined with Guan Dong’s extraordinary ability to learn, once Jian Yang got past the initial pain, his waist soon went soft.

But Guan Ciyan took good care of him, treating him as if he were a gardenia flower that had just bloomed in early summer, drifting along the waves of the sea.

Before falling asleep, Jian Yang saw that golden glow on the floor again—the one that had disappeared earlier. He couldn’t tell whether it was the setting sun or the rising dawn.

With the curtains drawn, the sense of time in the room was distorted. At first, every second felt like an eternity; later, he was tossed onto the peak of the waves, unable to tell night from day. His body was drained of strength, sweat soaking and drying, over and over again. The bed was covered in traces of their passion, and everything within reach felt sticky. Eventually, he was placed into warm water, washing away all the marks.

Wrapped in a soft, dry towel, Jian Yang tilted his head and leaned against a firm chest. The workout had made Guan Ciyan’s chest muscles even more defined. Jian Yang cracked open one eye, thinking to himself that he’d probably never be able to train to this level.

Guan Ciyan carried Jian Yang back to his own room—the bed in the other room was beyond saving. “Sleep.”

He brushed aside Jian Yang’s bangs, letting him cool off a bit.

Jian Yang had been waiting for those words. Just before drifting off, he suddenly thought of something and grabbed Guan Ciyan’s hand. “Sir, don’t make breakfast tomorrow morning… I really can’t handle it.”

Every time Guan Ciyan made breakfast, Jian Yang was the one left cleaning up the mess.

Right now, he really couldn’t handle anything at all.

Guan Ciyan chuckled softly and bit his cheek playfully. “So, you don’t like cooking, huh? Be good, go to sleep.”

Not that breakfast could be made now anyway—it was already 5:37 in the afternoon.

They had gone at it for an entire night and day.

Luckily, Jian Yang had been taking Master Su’s herbal medicine for nourishment, or else he definitely wouldn’t have been able to endure Guan Ciyan—a man who had been abstinent for over twenty years—suddenly unleashing like a dam breaking after a long buildup.

After waiting for two minutes, making sure Jian Yang had fallen asleep, Guan Ciyan finally left the bedroom. He plugged in both his and Jian Yang’s phones to charge—both had completely run out of battery.

On the other end, Wen Ye had been anxiously waiting with his equipment for an entire day, so furious that he was practically fuming. He had sent people to the hotel multiple times to drag them out.

If the hotel’s soundproofing weren’t so good, they probably would have been called out 120 times by now.

As soon as Guan Ciyan turned his phone back on, it vibrated non-stop for three minutes. He was a proper CEO, with tens of thousands of employees waiting for him to issue salaries. His inbox was stuffed with messages, which he dealt with one by one.

Among the overwhelming work-related notifications, Bai Shun’s lone message stood out:

“I’ve taken care of the issue with the film crew. You owe me big time.”

Still wrapped in only a bath towel, Guan Ciyan ran a hand through his damp hair, revealing his smooth forehead. When he smirked, he looked like a man who always had the upper hand. Leisurely leaning back on the sofa, he replied:

“I’ll give you one chance to name your price.”

At this moment, he had to admit—when it came to the art of pursuing someone, Bai Shun was indeed a step ahead of him.

And more importantly, he had impeccable timing.

Guan Ciyan wasn’t worried about his own work. But once Jian Yang woke up and realized he had been dragged into this for over twenty hours, delaying filming and offending Wen Ye, he would definitely be pissed.

After finishing his tasks, Guan Ciyan instructed Dongdong to prepare a meal and have it delivered in a thermal container.

During this time, Jian Yang remained asleep. Guan Ciyan applied medicine to him once more, then lay leisurely beside him, watching his peaceful sleeping face. His slightly long black hair was mostly tucked under the blanket, revealing only half of his small face. Guan Ciyan gently pinched Jian Yang’s fingertips and kissed them.

How lucky. Guan Ciyan sighed inwardly—he liked someone, and that person happened to like him back, and had liked him for a long time.

Jian Yang murmured in his sleep, turning over to snuggle against Guan Ciyan’s shoulder. His hand, which had been pulled away, landed on Guan Ciyan’s chest and even gave it a little squeeze.

Watching all of this unfold, Guan Ciyan raised an eyebrow. “Little rascal.”

Compared to the subtle torment of unspoken affection, the physical expression of desire was much more obvious and reassuring. Guan Ciyan simply pulled Jian Yang onto himself, letting him lie on his chest. He occasionally pinched his ears or planted kisses on his hair.

Even after over twenty hours of exercise together, he was still too elated to sleep.

He liked Jian Yang more than he had imagined. Even now, having gotten everything he wished for, having fully claimed this person as his own, he still felt overjoyed. Even with Jian Yang by his side, he still felt a sense of longing—just looking away for a second felt unbearable.

In his dreams, Jian Yang felt like he had been thoroughly beaten, his insides all jumbled up. He slept until the early morning, only to be woken up by hunger in a dream where he was eating fried chicken.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a small nightlight glowing at the bedside. Guan Ciyan was sitting there, shirtless, his enviable chest blatantly flaunting itself in front of him. His peach-blossom eyes held an unreadable emotion, their upturned corners resembling strokes painted by an artist’s delicate brush. They were still the same eyes, yet they carried a steadiness and warmth, a quiet smile lingering in them.

The warm orange light amplified this feeling. Jian Yang’s brain stalled for a moment, recalling his first encounter with Guan Ciyan—standing beneath an ancient European-style chandelier, appearing untouchable, unfathomable. Clearly a dangerous man, yet his dignified and composed appearance had deceived many.

Now, his perfectly shaped lips curved slightly, his touch firm yet gentle as he kneaded Jian Yang’s hand. Though Jian Yang couldn’t see clearly, he had the strange feeling that this version of Guan Ciyan was different—closer, more vulnerable.

When he looked at him, it felt as if he were seeking something from him.

“Sir…”

Jian Yang spoke, but his voice was rough, as if it had been scraped by sandpaper. In the end, it came out as little more than a breath.

Guan Ciyan traced his lips with a fingertip, then reached for a glass of water on the bedside table. “Drink some.”

What did he do to deserve Guan Ciyan serving him water?!

Jian Yang tried to sit up with a carp flip—only to fail.

“Hiss…” It hurts.

His waist ached, the muscles on his inner thighs felt like they had been torn apart, and certain unspeakable places throbbed in pain!

Even his arms were sore.

Forcing himself into a sitting position, Jian Yang took the water with both hands and rasped out a thank you, “Thank you, sir.”

After gulping down the entire glass, his throat felt better—but his hunger only became more apparent.

Clutching the empty glass, Jian Yang avoided looking at Guan Ciyan, unsure of what to say.

The matter of him and Wei Wei privately discussing whether Guan Ciyan was “not up to the task”—and even gifting him adult toys—would have to be taken to their graves. Because Guan Ciyan had very clearly proven his capability. And Jian Yang himself had been the one to bear witness to it.

He could only blame his bad luck—of all times, he had to run into Guan Ciyan coming home early. A normal man reacting a bit aggressively was understandable, and to be fair, he did have a good-looking face.

Guan Ciyan’s physique was also quite impressive. They were both men—no one had suffered a loss.

Wait—Jian Yang frowned slightly—would Guan Ciyan think he had been deliberately seducing him, trying to trap him?

No wonder he hadn’t slept after twenty-plus hours of action—was he waiting to settle accounts with him?!

That petty man held grudges like no other!

“Sir!!” Jian Yang suddenly perked up, flustered. “I—I didn’t mean to do that in your room! I was just trying out that… that… that toy… I wasn’t trying to—”

“I know,” Guan Ciyan interrupted.

While Jian Yang had been drinking water, Guan Ciyan had also sat up, leaning against the headboard. He reached out and casually ruffled Jian Yang’s hair.

Jian Yang: ?

“Do you like me?” Guan Ciyan arched an eyebrow, the smile at the corner of his lips spreading across his entire face.

Well, there was no denying it now.

Jian Yang gave a small nod.

From the night before until now, Guan Ciyan had confirmed this countless times. Wrapping an arm around Jian Yang’s shoulders, he pulled him into his embrace. “I understand you. I feel the same.”

Jian Yang finally relaxed.

Guan Ciyan must have believed that he had a genuine crush on him and had only been in his room looking for excitement. And when Guan Ciyan said “I feel the same,” he must have meant that he had been looking for excitement, too?

Well, that made sense. There was no shortage of people trying to climb into Guan Ciyan’s bed, and plenty of others eager to send him company. His tolerance for sharing space with others was razor-thin—he wouldn’t just let anyone into his bed. So it must be that his ‘secret crush’ had passed the test and officially landed the ‘friends with benefits’ role.

At least Guan Ciyan didn’t seem suspicious anymore.

Jian Yang didn’t think sleeping with Guan Ciyan was a big deal. Scoring a night with such a wealthy, drop-dead gorgeous man? That was an achievement.

After two lifetimes of no luck in romance, it turned out fate had been saving up for a big win. Jian Yang smirked to himself.

Not to mention, this ridiculously handsome man had even helped him start a company.

He had caught a once-in-a-lifetime jackpot.

“You’re that happy?” Guan Ciyan tilted his head, resting it against Jian Yang’s. The little thing was shaking with laughter, shoulders trembling.

“Ah? Is it that obvious?” Jian Yang asked.

Guan Ciyan lay down and held Jian Yang even tighter. “Very obvious.”

For the first time, someone was utterly overjoyed just because they had earned his affection. He hadn’t even sent over the private island and fleet yet, and Jian Yang was already this happy—did he really like him that much?

Guan Ciyan wished he could merge Jian Yang into his very bones and deeply regretted it.

Why? Why hadn’t he realized his own feelings sooner? Why hadn’t he gotten together with Jian Yang earlier, instead of making him wait for so long? Just a simple “I feel the same” had made him this happy.

But Jian Yang didn’t mind at all—he had hit the jackpot.

Guan Ciyan was surprisingly skilled, and even made sure to clean him up and bathe him afterward. Probably something he had mastered over time.