Gu Xingchuan glanced briefly at Shen Li and Zhou Moquan, he never greeted unfamiliar people. Taking slow, deliberate steps toward Song Yi, he tugged on the bunny plush’s ear and handed it over to him. “This is the last one.”

Song Yi blinked a few times, the softness of the plush tickling his palm. His heart skipped a beat, and he murmured a quiet “Thank you.”

“Get in the car. We’re going to eat.”

Gu Xingchuan’s long arm slipped around Song Yi’s waist. Startled, Song Yi instinctively took a step back. But with a swift motion, Gu Xingchuan tightened his grip, pulling him in as though into an embrace.

Feeling a little flustered, Song Yi lowered his voice, asking. “What are you doing?”

“Claiming my territory,” Gu Xingchuan shot him a look, his expression unapologetic. He opened the passenger door with a smooth motion, showing no regard for the situation.

Song Yi, though a bit taken aback, couldn’t bring himself to argue. He bent slightly to sit in the passenger seat. Through the window, he caught Shen Li’s gaze—his eyes wide and fixed on him, pale face filled with silent tension.

Zhou Moquan had his arm around Shen Li’s shoulder, his head lowered as he muttered something. His long hair partly obscured his profile, lending him a cold, distant aura.

Song Yi didn’t feel like he owed Shen Li an explanation, especially since Shen Li had never agreed to his pursuit of Gu Xingchuan. Whether they were together or not had nothing to do with Shen Li. However, Shen Li had once been someone he cared for, and seeing him look at him with that resentful expression did make him feel a little guilty.

As the black Bentley pulled away, Song Yi glanced at the rearview mirror. Shen Li’s shoulder suddenly twitched, his face contorted in pain. Weakly, he squatted down, as if drained. Zhou Moquan reached out to help, but Shen Li forcefully pushed his hand away, his gaze fixed on the retreating car.

The Bentley grew farther and farther away, almost disappearing from sight. Shen Li quickly stood up, wiped his reddened eyes, and ran toward a brown SUV parked at the side of the road. Raising his voice, he shouted. “Drive, follow them!”

Zhou Moquan glanced at him briefly, flashing a fleeting smile before wordlessly getting into the driver’s seat.

Seeing Shen Li’s car follow them, Song Yi rubbed his forehead and sighed inwardly. The situation felt strangely unpleasant.

He had once genuinely liked Shen Li. Back when he was an alpha, Shen Li had seemed like the perfect partner for marriage—gentle in appearance, kind in character, and with a touch of charm that made him perfect for a life together.

But now, after all the things that had happened, Shen Li had deeply disappointed him. Song Yi could understand Shen Li’s vanity—he was only human, after all—but by this stage in life, one had to learn to control such vanity. It couldn’t be allowed to consume and backfire on oneself.

Clearly, Shen Li hadn’t learned that lesson.

A suitable marriage partner not only had to meet the criteria Song Yi had sought but had to be sincere and reliable. These were the most basic requirements for a lasting relationship.

Shen Li failed on both counts. Even if he excelled in every other area if the foundation was flawed, what was the point?

Gu Xingchuan gripped the steering wheel with both hands, casting a glance at the rearview mirror. His fingers tightened on the wheel, and with a firm push on the accelerator, the tires screeched loudly against the asphalt as the car shot forward like an arrow.

Song Yi was startled, frowning. “Drive slower.”

Gu Xingchuan gradually eased off the accelerator, slowing down the car, and a cold chuckle escaped from his nose. “Are you happy to see old acquaintances?”

Song Yi shot him a helpless glance. What was all this about? He didn’t want to see Shen Li or Zhou Moquan right now; just thinking about them gave him a headache. The less he saw, the better.

Gu Xingchuan narrowed his eyes, his expression dark. “Answer your ‘friends-with-benefits’ question.”

It seemed the young master Gu couldn’t get past this.

“No,” Song Yi reclined against the chair, tilting his head back and pinching the bridge of his nose, speaking softly. “But seeing you makes me happy.”

Truth be told, his mood had brightened considerably upon seeing Gu Xingchuan. The two had actually been getting along pretty well these past few days.

Gu Xingchuan, who had been frowning, let out a soft chuckle at his words. One hand remained on the steering wheel, but he tilted his body slightly and quickly pressed a light kiss on Song Yi’s soft lips. Song Yi blinked in surprise, staring at him in a daze before slowly blinking again.

Gu Xingchuan looked at him with a playful, suggestive gaze, his voice low. “You have a sweet mouth.”

Regardless of how Song Yi viewed their relationship, at least for now, Song Yi was his—no one else’s.

Song Yi touched his damp lips and shot him a glare. “Focus on driving.”

The car pulled up in front of the only Chinese restaurant in Palm Springs. The decor was a typical Chinese style, with a retro Tang Dynasty vibe, complete with small bridges over flowing streams and lush greenery blending harmoniously.

They chose a private room by the window and ordered a few refreshing dishes. Just as they were waiting for the food, Shen Li and Zhou Moquan entered the room, one after the other.

Shen Li forced a smile and casually said. “In a foreign land, we’re all friends. I hope you don’t mind if we sit at the same table.”

To be honest, Song Yi minded quite a bit. While it was Shen Li’s choice of partner, it was hard to stomach seeing him bring Zhou Moquan into his sight after all the tension between them. It felt inconsiderate and unsettling.

Gu Xingchuan took off his sunglasses and casually laid them on the table. The metallic frame made a sharp, crisp sound as it hit the redwood surface. He cast a cold glance at Shen Li, his lips curling into a thin smirk as he spoke one clear word, “Leave.”

Shen Li froze, instinctively shrinking behind Zhou Moquan, still haunted by the memory of almost being beaten the last time.

Zhou Moquan frowned, visibly displeased, and patted Shen Li’s arm in an attempt to comfort him. “Please, be a gentleman to omegas.”

Gu Xingchuan gave Zhou Moquan a cold glance, sizing him up before crossing his arms and sneering, “Fine, he can stay. You, leave.”

Zhou Moquan’s face darkened. In the entertainment industry, connections and politeness mattered, and this was the first time he had encountered such blatant disregard.

Song Yi thought for a moment. Since they had come all the way here, it seemed pointless to create further conflict so he lightly tapped Gu Xingchuan’s arm. Gu Xingchuan turned to look at him, his expression instantly softening. He quietly asked. “What is it?”

Song Yi picked up the menu and politely extended it toward Shen Li. “The dishes we ordered aren’t enough. Feel free to order whatever you like.”

Shen Li, whose body had been tense, visibly relaxed. He sat down at the large round wooden table, gazing at Song Yi with a longing look, like an abandoned puppy, his expression pitiful.

In the past, Song Yi would have immediately pulled him into his arms to comfort him when seeing this. But now, with Shen Li’s fiancé present, it wasn’t his place to act that way. He turned his gaze away and casually started discussing the upcoming itinerary with Gu Xingchuan.

Shen Li’s eyes widened, but he received no response from Song Yi. He took a few tissues, wiped his nose, and vigorously rubbed the tip of his nose until it turned red. Occasionally, faint, almost imperceptible sobs escaped him.

Zhou Moquan placed his arm around his shoulder, speaking softly to comfort him.

The round wooden table seemed like a dividing line, separating two different worlds.

Gu Xingchuan ordered a dish of salted shrimp. Once it arrived, he quickly put on gloves and began peeling the shrimp. His fingers moved with remarkable dexterity as if playing a musical instrument. In the blink of an eye, he revealed the plump, juicy shrimp meat. He dipped it in some sauce and placed it in Song Yi’s bowl.

“Thank you,” Song Yi said, feeling a bit awkward being cared for like this. He cleared his throat lightly. “I can do it myself.”

Gu Xingchuan acted as if he hadn’t heard, peeling a small bowl of shrimp before removing his gloves. He picked up his chopsticks and, without hesitation, asked. “Do you want lemon chicken or sweet and sour ribs?”

Song Yi hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be treated like a child, but unable to let Gu Xingchuan’s chopsticks hover in mid-air. He quickly replied. “Sweet and sour ribs.”

Gu Xingchuan nodded in response and placed the sweet and sour ribs into Song Yi’s bowl. “What do you want to eat tomorrow?”

Song Yi couldn’t face the gazes of Shen Li and Zhou Moquan, so he kept his head down, pretending to be calm as he ate. “Maybe barbecue…” he muttered.

Gu Xingchuan nodded slightly, filling Song Yi’s glass with water while casually adding. “In a few days, you should come with me to Seattle. We can have a barbecue outdoors. Our family’s chef is pretty good.”

Song Yi gave a dry laugh. The atmosphere at the table had grown too quiet, with Shen Li and Zhou Moquan no longer speaking. It made him feel uncomfortable, so he softly responded with a brief “Mm.”

Zhou Moquan paused before speaking up politely. “Mr. Gu may not have seen the news, but there was a forest fire in California a few days ago. They’ve just revised the public forest fire management laws, temporarily prohibiting outdoor barbecues.”

Gu Xingchuan glanced at him sideways, narrowing his eyes slightly with a smile that seemed more mocking than friendly. “How interesting. Does public forest management extend to private estates?”

Zhou Moquan looked embarrassed, clearly caught off guard by the response.

Shen Li, not pleased, was all about saving face. His fiancé had just been put in an awkward position, and he was furious. He smiled slightly, trying to seem gentle, and said. “Darling, I want some of that XX lime juice. Could you go buy a bottle for me?”

The XX lime juice was two streets away, and Song Yi had seen it while walking earlier. On such a hot day, the thought of running that far for a bottle of drink made it seem unbearable—he’d be dried up in the sun.

Zhou Moquan hesitated, glancing at Shen Li but didn’t move.

Gu Xingchuan reached out and lightly squeezed Song Yi’s hand, asking teasingly. “Do you want some?”

Song Yi shook his head decisively, not wanting to get involved between Shen Li and Zhou Moquan.

Shen Li glanced at Zhou Moquan, dragging out his words in a syrupy tone. “Darling…”

Zhou Moquan gave him a quick look, smiled lightly, and then turned to walk out.

As soon as Zhou Moquan left, Shen Li pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, placing it between his pale lips, and flicked the lighter, the flame sparking to life. Just as he was about to take a drag, a cold voice interrupted. “Put out the cigarette.”

Gu Xingchuan raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent.

Shen Li froze, the cigarette still in his hand, his heart tightening as he felt the urge to cry. “You care about me?”

Gu Xingchuan casually spun his tea cup, chuckling lightly as if he had heard a joke, his tone ruthless. “If you want to smoke, go outside. Song Yi hates the smell of smoke.”

Shen Li’s face turned various shades, his chest heaving as he looked at Song Yi, silently pleading for help.

In the past, Song Yi wouldn’t have cared, but now, with more than just one person present, he really couldn’t tolerate the smell. He softly said. “Xiao Li, for your own good, don’t smoke.”

Shen Li froze for a moment, then, in a fit of frustration, stubbed out the cigarette and crushed it angrily in the ashtray, pressing it down with force. His lips were tightly pressed into a line as he looked at Song Yi, asking miserably. “Are you two together now?”

Song Yi didn’t know how to respond. His relationship with Gu Xingchuan was complicated and not something that could be easily explained.

His silence only made Shen Li feel worse. The light in his eyes dimmed, his thin shoulders sagging as though they couldn’t bear the weight of his head. He sniffled, asking pitifully. “Do you not like me anymore?”

Song Yi’s heart softened. He couldn’t stand seeing someone look so helpless, but before he could speak, his thigh suddenly hurt. Gu Xingchuan had pinched him, his eyes warning him to stay silent.

Embarrassed, Song Yi cleared his throat and looked at Shen Li seriously, saying. “Xiao Li, I’ve liked you before, but you’re already engaged. I won’t comment on Zhou Moquan’s character, but you must have your reasons for choosing him. As your friend, I respect your decision and wish you happiness. That’s all I want to say.”

Shen Li stared at him, his eyes filling with tears.

Song Yi sighed inwardly. It was time to bring this to a close. “I’m sorry, but I’m not the one who will walk with you in the future. It’s alright, though, we’ll still be friends. I’ll continue to be by your side, and I’ll help you when you need it the most. But taking care of you and loving you, I can’t do that anymore. Do you understand?”

Shen Li blinked rapidly, tears spilling down his cheeks, but he forced a smile. “What if I don’t get married? Would you still like me?”

“To hell with you.” Gu Xingchuan couldn’t listen anymore, disgusted by the endless manipulation. He threw the cup in his hand at Shen Li, hitting him squarely in the chest before shattering on the floor.

Standing up, Gu Xingchuan pointed at Shen Li, his voice cold with fury. “If you keep thinking about my person, I’ll twist your head off.”

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Zhou Moquan and Shen Li are not the secondary couple.

The author’s writing never has a second couple!

If you’ve forgotten who Zhou is, feel free to revisit Chapter 23.