Yu Ju had been sitting in the car for an entire block before realizing that something felt… off.

So now, he was the one sitting in Gu Qianxing’s car, sending Gu Qianxing home?

Outside, the streets were quiet, not particularly lively. The car window reflected Yu Ju’s face, and he stared at the glass, completely baffled. How on earth had this idiot in front of him been tricked into getting in the car?

His thoughts drifted, and suddenly, he recalled the first time he had called Gu Qianxing “gege” (older brother).

Back then, they had only met a few times and had never even spoken properly.

That afternoon, four people were sitting cross-legged on the floor of a friend’s gaming room—one person playing, the other three huddled together watching.

Gu Qianxing’s gameplay was simply too good. While the other three had struggled to get past a certain level, he had cleared it effortlessly in a continuous streak.

His controls were precise, his hand speed lightning-fast. Every move was smooth and fluid, so much so that watching him play gave off the illusion that it was easy—that anyone could do it.

Just as a round ended, the two brothers who owned the place were called away by their father. Their aunt had arrived, and they had to go out and greet her.

And so, only Yu Ju and Gu Qianxing were left in the gaming room.

Yu Ju remembered that it had been a scorching day. The gaming room’s air conditioning was set to an icy cool, and Gu Qianxing was wearing a white T-shirt—fresh, clean, effortlessly crisp.

“Juhao.”

Gu Qianxing set down the game controller and called him by his nickname.

Only then did Yu Ju realize that he had been staring at Gu Qianxing’s back the entire time.

He quickly averted his gaze.

Yu Ju: “Hm?”

Gu Qianxing asked, “What’s your real name?”

At that moment, the game screen returned to the main menu. The soft blue background bathed the entire room in a gentle glow, and the small animated character in the bottom right corner of the screen bounced playfully—its reflection flickering across Gu Qianxing’s white T-shirt.

“Yu Ju,” he answered. “Yu, as in ‘remaining life.’ Ju, as in ‘period.’”

Gu Qianxing raised his eyebrows slightly, then turned to him and asked, “So, do you hope your remaining life will end with a perfect period?”

Yu Ju was surprised. “How did you know?” His eyes curved into a smile as he said, “That’s exactly what my mom used to say.”

“Just a guess.”

Gu Qianxing turned his head back.

Now, Yu Ju could only see the side of his face again, but for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw him smile.

Gu Qianxing restarted the game, loading a new round.

Yu Ju watched the big screen. “Aren’t you going to wait for them to come back?”

He spoke while keeping his gaze on Gu Qianxing’s back, but the person in front of him remained completely still, as if he hadn’t heard a word.

Yu Ju frowned in confusion.

He wasn’t speaking quietly.

“Hey.” He called out to him.

Gu Qianxing finally turned his head, but instead of answering, he asked, “You calling me?”

Yu Ju: “Who else? Is there anyone else here?”

Gu Qianxing made a sound that was somewhere between acknowledgment and indifference before turning back again.

On the screen, he continued clicking.

“Hey,” Yu Ju called out once more. “Aren’t you going to wait for them to come back?”

Gu Qianxing turned his head again. “You calling me?”

Yu Ju: “Who else? Is there anyone else here?”

This time, Gu Qianxing actually smiled at that, but the next second, he turned away again, unmoved.

If Yu Ju weren’t still a perfectly rational human being, he might have thought he had fallen into some kind of absurd, never-ending loop.

He was about to call out again when, in that instant, something suddenly clicked.

Calling someone “hey” really wasn’t the most polite way to get their attention.

“Uh…” Yu Ju pressed his lips together. “What’s your name? What should I call you?”

Gu Qianxing didn’t turn around. His eyes remained on the screen, but he had stopped clicking.

He asked, “What do you call Zhang Qiyi?”

Zhang Qiyi was Zhang Qiming’s older brother, so Yu Ju answered, “Qiming-ge.”

Gu Qianxing said, “You can call me that too.”

Yu Ju hesitated. “But… you’re not Zhang Qiming’s brother.”

Gu Qianxing’s voice carried a slight lilt, almost amused. “That’s true. So what should we do about that?”

Yu Ju thought for a moment. “Gege?”

Gu Qianxing: “Mm.”

Almost the instant Yu Ju called out, Gu Qianxing responded.

Yu Ju blinked, holding back a laugh at first. But then, realizing that Gu Qianxing couldn’t see him anyway, he let the smile spread freely across his face.

“Oh.”

Not only did Yu Ju smile back then, but even now, just remembering it, he still found himself grinning.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at his own reflection in the car window and cursed himself in his mind—idiot.

The same Yu Ju who once thought all that “gege” and “meimei” nonsense in school was childish and embarrassing had, just because Gu Qianxing responded to him, spent the entire night rolling around in bed, unable to sleep, absolutely over the moon.

And for what, exactly? What an idiot.

Looking back on it now, Yu Ju realized he might have been tricked by Gu Qianxing.

Though, calling it a trick wasn’t exactly right. More like… he had just let himself be led around by the nose.

Just like how he got tricked into getting in the car today.

But back then, Yu Ju had been more than willing.

Now, things weren’t quite as he wished.

Inside the car, aside from the two of them in the back seat, there was only the driver up front.

Judging by how the driver had respectfully greeted him with a “President Gu” when they got in, Yu Ju figured this was Gu Qianxing’s car and driver.

Gu Qianxing had probably gotten busy with something urgent—he had taken out his laptop to work shortly after getting in.

Yu Ju had no idea where Gu Qianxing lived. The car had been driving for over ten minutes now, weaving through the streets without reaching any apparent destination.

He continued looking out the window, doing his best to press himself against the car door, keeping as much distance as possible.

Before long, Gu Qianxing made a call.

Whatever the person on the other end said, it was clear he wasn’t pleased. Gu Qianxing responded impatiently, “Mm,” then asked, “No schedule?”

“The itinerary?”

A few seconds of silence followed.

Gu Qianxing: “So all of this—one, two, three, four—are just your guesses?”

Yu Ju instinctively pressed his lips together.

Gu Qianxing’s voice was deep, each word landing like a drumbeat. If Yu Ju were his subordinate right now, he’d probably be trembling in fear.

“A schedule—do you understand what that means?” Gu Qianxing’s tone was sharp, clearly unwilling to waste another word. “Have it on my desk by six tomorrow morning.”

Six in the morning.

What a merciless boss…

Yu Ju couldn’t help but wonder if that subordinate was internally screaming at this moment—if you love schedules so much, why don’t you make one yourself?

The car fell into silence for over a minute.

Then—

“You dislike me that much?”

Gu Qianxing spoke again.

Yu Ju blinked.

His tone had changed—he must have ended the call.

Yu Ju knew Gu Qianxing was speaking to him, but he had no intention of responding.

He kept up the act for a few seconds before Gu Qianxing called his name. “Yu Ju.”

Unable to keep pretending, Yu Ju finally answered, “What?”

Gu Qianxing sounded helpless. “Is sitting with me that unbearable?”

Every fiber of Yu Ju’s being screamed yes, except for his mouth, which said, “Not at all.”

Gu Qianxing let out a soft sigh. “Let’s talk.”

Yu Ju hesitated for a moment before finally turning away from the window to face him.

Gu Qianxing: “Do you think I’m going to eat you?”

Yu Ju kept his gaze fixed ahead. “Eating people is illegal.”

Gu Qianxing didn’t entertain the joke. Instead, he said, “Come closer.”

His voice was gentle enough, but maybe it was just Yu Ju’s nerves—he couldn’t help but hear a hint of intimidation in it.

He hesitated for a moment before reluctantly shifting a little closer.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Yu Ju sat up unnaturally straight, carrying an inexplicable air of arrogance, as if to say, What could we possibly have to talk about?

Seeing this, Gu Qianxing suddenly laughed.

Out loud.

After laughing, he leaned back against the seat, resting one arm on the window as he looked at Yu Ju, his posture relaxed and lazy.

Yu Ju instantly felt uneasy. Gu Qianxing’s gaze was stripping him bare.

“Weren’t we supposed to talk?”

“You seem very resistant to me,” Gu Qianxing remarked.

Yu Ju: “I’m not.”

“Are you resisting me?” Gu Qianxing asked again.

Just as Yu Ju was about to wonder what the difference was, Gu Qianxing added, “Because of that incident.”

Yu Ju’s throat tightened.

He blinked, his gaze losing focus.

Instinctively, he took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

Just as he struggled to find an answer, Gu Qianxing spoke again.

He asked, “What would it take for you to stop resisting me?”

——

Yu Ju had a fragmented dream.

He dreamt of that summer again.

One moment, Zhang Qiming’s face was lit with joy as he called out, “Juhao, come on! Let’s play some games.”

The next moment, Zhang Qiming looked hurt and dejected, his voice cold. “Get lost. I don’t want to see you.”

The scene was a chaotic mess, voices overlapping in his ears—his parents, Zhang Qiming’s parents, and Gu Qianxing.

Suddenly, space twisted, and Gu Qianxing’s voice turned murky, then gradually sharpened again.

“Where’s the plan?”

Yu Ju opened his eyes, hearing the first words of reality.

Why is it always about the plan?

He sat in a daze for a while before fully grasping where he was.

He had fallen asleep in Gu Qianxing’s car.

He had no idea when he dozed off, nor what time it was now. The car had already stopped, the street outside was eerily quiet, and the driver was nowhere to be seen.

Yu Ju glanced down—Gu Qianxing had draped his jacket over him.

The front and rear windows were slightly open, allowing the cold night air to circulate through the car. Gu Qianxing was still seated beside him, a laptop on his lap and a phone in his hand.

“Redo it. Have it on my desk before six.”

Yu Ju’s neck felt stiff.

Hearing Gu Qianxing hang up the phone, a sudden panic hit him. Without thinking, he quickly shut his eyes again.

The silence around them was so profound that it sharpened his senses.

He heard Gu Qianxing power down his laptop and close it. He heard him toss his phone into the compartment with a dull thud.

Then, once again, silence.

Yu Ju could hear his own heartbeat—thump, thump, thump—reverberating in his chest.

Just as he was debating whether it was time to open his eyes, he suddenly felt someone lean in close.

In that instant, he held his breath.

Something warm brushed against his cheek.

It was brief, just a fleeting touch before it pulled away, followed by a hand adjusting the jacket that was about to slip off his shoulders.

Then, his hair was touched.

Or perhaps, it could be called a caress.

Gu Qianxing’s broad palm pressed gently against Yu Ju’s head, gliding downward in a slow stroke.

His touch trailed past the back of Yu Ju’s head, pausing for a moment over his ear—then withdrew.

Yu Ju’s heartbeat pounded even louder, so intense that it seemed to shake his very eardrums.

Gu Qianxing did nothing more. He simply leaned back into his seat.

Yu Ju cracked his eyes open just a little, stealing a glance—Gu Qianxing had closed his eyes as well.

For a moment, Yu Ju considered how ridiculous it was for the two of them to be sleeping in a car like this. After mentally preparing himself, he decided to wake up properly.

“Mm?”

He made a deliberate noise, the kind of drowsy confusion one has when just waking up.

Gu Qianxing opened his eyes.

But Yu Ju didn’t see him smile.

“Why am I here?” Yu Ju continued, playing along.

Gu Qianxing replied calmly, “You fell asleep.”

Yu Ju let out a small oh before asking, “What time is it?”

Gu Qianxing: “Three twelve.”

“Three twelve?” Yu Ju was genuinely shocked. “It’s that late?”

He patted around, searching for his phone. When he finally pulled it out and checked, it really was past three.

“Shit.”

He blurted out the curse instinctively, then darted a glance at Gu Qianxing.

Gu Qianxing acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. Picking up his phone, he said, “I’ll have Xiao Chen take you back.”

With that, he made the call.

Yu Ju couldn’t help but suspect that Xiao Chen had been hiding under the car the whole time—Gu Qianxing had only just hung up when the car door swung open.

The sudden movement startled Yu Ju.

Once Xiao Chen got in, Gu Qianxing reached over and opened the door on his side.

Yu Ju was momentarily stunned, but his mouth reacted faster than his brain. “Gege.”

Gu Qianxing paused.

“Mr. Gu,” Yu Ju quickly corrected himself. “Where are you going?”

Gu Qianxing stepped out of the car. “I live here.”

Yu Ju turned his head and glanced outside. Sure enough, they were at the entrance of a residential complex.

“Oh… okay.”

There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. Yu Ju just sat there, blankly watching as Gu Qianxing got out of the car.

It wasn’t until Xiao Chen started driving away that Yu Ju suddenly realized what he should have said.

He should have thanked him.

For the ride.

And for the necklace.

For taking me home—thank you.

For the jacket—thank you.

And also… I didn’t reject you.

“Xiao…” Yu Ju hesitated, then changed his words. “Mr. Chen.”

Xiao Chen let out a chuckle. “No need for that formality, just call me Xiao Chen.”

Yu Ju hummed in acknowledgment, then politely said, “Could you pass a message to Mr. Gu for me? Tell him… thank you.”

Xiao Chen responded immediately, “Of course, no problem.”

After a brief pause, Yu Ju asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up just now?”

The car came to a stop at a red light. Xiao Chen stepped on the brake and took a deep breath.

“Because Mr. Gu…” He realized his voice was a little hoarse and cleared his throat before continuing, “Mr. Gu saw that you were sleeping so soundly. He didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

He glanced at the red light, his whole body tense. “He didn’t sleep at all. He stayed with you the whole time. In this freezing weather, he even gave you his jacket.”

Yu Ju lowered his head. Somehow, the jacket on his lap suddenly felt much heavier.

His heart tingled with a strange numbness. “Please thank him for me. I really appreciate it.”

Xiao Chen let out a breath, as if relieved. “Alright.”

The red light began its countdown. Xiao Chen quickly stole a glance at his phone.

The screen displayed a WeChat chat. The contact name read: “Boss Gu.”

The latest three messages—

“Tell him I saw he was sleeping soundly and didn’t have the heart to wake him.”

“Tell him I never slept. I stayed with him the whole time.”

“In this freezing weather, I even gave him my jacket.”