Song Yi stiffened as he leaned back just slightly to put some distance between them. “This is too fast.”

While a certain great man once said that ‘a relationship not aimed at marriage is just playing around,’ Song Yi thought there was nothing wrong with a little playful indulgence.

His feelings toward Gu Xingchuan were conflicted. On one hand, he enjoyed the novelty and excitement of being with him while on the other hand, he subconsciously resisted letting the relationship progress too deeply.

“Too fast?” Gu Xingchuan blinked, then reached out to pinch the soft flesh at Song Yi’s waist. “I’m just taking you home to meet my parents. I’m not forcing you to marry me.”

Song Yi adjusted his breathing. The bathroom was poorly ventilated, and with Gu Xingchuan pressed so close, the air was thick with the faint, salty tang of his post-exercise scent. It was vibrant and heady, stirring an undercurrent of desire that made Song Yi feel distinctly uncomfortable. His gaze dimmed as he softly said. “I just think that, given our current situation, it doesn’t feel right. Think about it—if we break up in a month, how would you explain that to your parents?”

Gu Xingchuan narrowed his eyes, visibly displeased. “Are you just waiting for us to break up?”

“No, I’m just saying our relationship isn’t stable yet, so it’s unnecessary to—”

Before Song Yi could finish, Gu Xingchuan pushed him down into the bathtub with one firm motion. His hand yanked at Song Yi’s shirt with a rough determination, his teeth clenched as he growled. “Shut up. Third rule of our agreement: no excessive overthinking.”

There was the faint sound of fabric tearing. Within seconds, every button on Song Yi’s shirt had popped open, leaving his upper body exposed to the cool air. Momentarily stunned, he blurted. “What are you doing?”

Gu Xingchuan stared at him for a moment, then leaned down to capture Song Yi’s delicate earlobe between his lips, sucking heavily. “I’ve already told you—listen to me. But you just keep arguing and making me angry.”

“I never said I wouldn’t go.” Song Yi shrank his neck slightly, lightly pushing Gu Xingchuan’s head away as he spoke in a low voice. “Just don’t tell Uncle and Auntie that we’re dating yet. Wait until our relationship is more stable. There’s no rush.”

The last thing he wanted was to let others down.

“My dad’s not stupid. You think if I don’t say anything, he won’t figure it out?” Gu Xingchuan’s hands roamed mischievously over Song Yi, moving like they were dancing a playful tango.

Song Yi’s ears burned red as he let out a soft hum, forcing himself to concentrate. “Cut it out. It’s one thing if your dad guesses, but it’s another if you confirm it. Until we’re certain about our relationship, don’t tell anyone.”

Gu Xingchuan tilted his head, glaring at him before biting his cheek in frustration. His voice came out hoarse and irritable. “How little trust do you have in me? If I were dating someone else, they’d want to shout it from the rooftops. What’s with all this hiding?”

“Calm down.” Song Yi twisted the faucet open, cupping some water in his hand to cool his burning ears. He spoke with measured patience. “We’re figuring out whether we can be compatible. It’s like conducting an experiment—a process of trial and adjustment. The outcome is uncertain for now, so there’s no need to announce it to the world. Once the results are clear, it won’t be too late to share the news.”

Gu Xingchuan stared at him intently, waiting until Song Yi finished his last word before letting out a disdainful snort. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re just planning to dump me after a month.”

He paused, pinching Song Yi’s straight nose as he issued a completely unreasonable warning. “Song Yi, let me make this clear—you can forget about it. Not a chance. I’m not breaking up with you. If you even think about it, I’ll go on Weibo and livestream a public confession. I’ll tell the whole world you’re mine. Let’s see how either of us survives in this industry after that.”

Song Yi prided himself on being reasonable, so he knew there was no point arguing with someone like Gu Xingchuan when he was being unreasonable. Reluctantly, he surrendered, pushing against Gu Xingchuan’s firm shoulder. “Fine, you win. Now get up—I need to catch up on some sleep.”

“Sleep?” Gu Xingchuan grabbed his wrist, his gaze fixating on the smooth, pale skin behind Song Yi’s ear. He licked his lips unconsciously, leaning closer. “Forget about sleeping. You can compensate me instead.”

Song Yi could tell exactly what Gu Xingchuan meant, and he couldn’t help but feel speechless. To still be thinking about that kind of thing after such intense exercise—his stamina was impressive.

He feigned disgust as he cast a side-eye at Gu Xingchuan. “Get lost, you’re all sweaty and smell terrible.”

Gu Xingchuan raised his arm and sniffed himself before reaching for a bottle of shampoo on the shelf by the bathtub. He handed it to Song Yi and tilted his chin slightly. “If you think I’m dirty, then help me out. You know how to wash someone’s hair, don’t you?”

“I’ve washed a dog’s hair, but never a person’s.”

“Just wash me the way you wash yourself.” Gu Xingchuan lowered his head, bringing his messy hair right in front of Song Yi.

Song Yi glanced at the disheveled head in front of him, took the shampoo, and grabbed the handheld showerhead. Turning the water flow to its highest setting, he quickly drenched Gu Xingchuan’s hair. His hair, short and stiff, stuck up in all directions. Drops of water dripped from the ends of his hair, splashing onto Song Yi’s bare skin.

The slight chill of the water brought Song Yi back to his senses, and realizing his clothes were half-open, he instinctively reached to pull his shirt together. Gu Xingchuan gently squeezed his wrist and muttered. “Don’t move, I want to watch.”

Watch what? Song Yi thought to himself, both of them were men so what was there to watch?

Gu Xingchuan didn’t look up, his hoarse voice clear. “Grandma.”

Song Yi let out a long, drawn-out “oh,” and replied calmly, “Your grandma’s not here. If you miss her, just call her.”

He squeezed a large dollop of shampoo into his palm, pressing the bottle repeatedly as if it weren’t enough, until his hand was completely filled with shampoo. Without saying a word, he applied it to Gu Xingchuan’s scalp, spreading it quickly. He turned on the shower and sprayed the shampoo, creating large, frothy bubbles.

Gu Xingchuan rubbed his eyes with his arm and pretended to be hurt, complaining in a feigned voice. “You got foam in my eyes.”

Song Yi responded flatly with a simple “Sorry,” then took the chance to push him away. Stepping out of the bathtub, he washed his sticky hands at the sink and said while walking out. “Sorry, I used too much shampoo. You’ll need at least half an hour to wash it all out.”

As he closed the door behind him, he heard Gu Xingchuan shout angrily. “You’re asking for it.” Song Yi couldn’t help but feel a rush of satisfaction, feeling refreshed and pleased.

Hmph, serves him right for letting his eyes wander everywhere.

When Gu Xingchuan came out of the shower, he was towel-drying his hair, still overwhelmed by the strong scent of shampoo lingering on him.

Meanwhile, at this time, Song Yi was already asleep, peacefully resting on the bed.

Outside, the midday sun blazed. Gu Xingchuan knelt at the edge of the bed, pressing down on the mattress, creating a deep indentation. He twisted a lock of Song Yi’s hair behind his ear, gently tugging it. “Are you really asleep?”

It was only noon, not yet time for a nap.

Song Yi didn’t react, his breathing deep and even. Gu Xingchuan leaned closer, unsure if he was pretending to sleep. As an actor, Song Yi’s skills were top-notch. Gu Xingchuan curled his lips, intentionally speaking in a mocking tone. “I’ve noticed, you’ve gotten old. You don’t look as good as you did back in school.”

Song Yi still didn’t react at all, looking like he was truly asleep.

Gu Xingchuan could only sulk, climbing into bed beside Song Yi. He pulled the thin blanket off him in a petty act of revenge. After a few seconds, looking at Song Yi’s delicate shoulders, he became concerned that Song Yi might catch a chill and quickly pulled the blanket back over him.

He looked at Song Yi’s face, huffed in frustration, then sighed after a while.

Song Yi lightly opened his eyes, glancing at the blanket under his shoulder, feeling both amused and a bit exasperated.

The next day, Song Yi and Gu Xingchuan boarded the flight to Seattle. Song Yi didn’t want to stay there any longer. Besides agreeing to go with Gu Xingchuan, more importantly, he didn’t want to face Shen Li and Zhou Moquan just yet. This trip was supposed to be about having fun, and he didn’t want to bring any unhappiness on himself.

The temperature in Seattle was indeed much cooler than Los Angeles—one city felt like summer, and the other like autumn. As soon as they got off the plane, Song Yi put on a fog-blue sweater over his shirt, looking elegant and refined.

Gu Xingchuan, as usual, wore a simple black hoodie and dark jeans with a relaxed posture. They walked under the clear sunshine—one looked like an intellectual scholar from a university, the other like a model in a European street fashion shoot, photoshopped to perfection. They seemed worlds apart but somehow harmonized perfectly, complementing each other.

Song Yi had heard before that the wealthy in Seattle lived on Mercer Island, and this was his first time seeing it. Sitting on a cruise ship, he looked out to see a vast cluster of dark buildings on the island. White tower spires and golden domes of houses were scattered in an orderly fashion, creating a pleasant sight.

Song Yi suddenly felt a bit of pressure.

Gu Xingchuan rested his arm on the railing, noticing the look on Song Yi’s face, and reassured him. “We live here because my dad likes sea fishing. We’re not that rich.”

Song Yi smiled and gave him a side-eye. “Got it. I’m not scared.”

Though there was pressure, Song Yi was no stranger to the world and maintaining a calm demeanor was no problem for him.

After getting off the cruise, Song Yi got into a car driven by the same driver who had picked him up in Los Angeles. The driver gave them a subtle smile and drove straight to a lush neighborhood.

The streets were lined with plane trees, and a small artificial pond at the entrance had a few leisurely white swans swimming. Gu Xingchuan’s house was not exactly the grand mansion Song Yi had imagined. The main colors of the exterior were white and light brown, giving it a very countryside charm. It looked very laid-back, and he could sense the homeowner’s taste.

Song Yi followed Gu Xingchuan through several doors into the living room, where a grand, dazzling crystal chandelier hung overhead, and the golden teak furniture gleamed brightly under its light.

A casually dressed middle-aged woman approached them with a warm smile. “Young Master, I hope your journey was smooth. Please sit and rest. Mr. and Mrs. went to the city; they’ll be back later tonight.”

“Alright.” Gu Xingchuan patted Song Yi’s shoulder, and they both sat down on the spacious sofa.

Song Yi glanced around, taking in the beautiful golden domed ceiling. Half-jokingly, he said. “Your house feels like it should have uniformed servants bustling around in groups, maybe even a British butler with a perfect London accent.”

Gu Xingchuan affectionately pinched his cheek and smiled lightly. “Our driver, and Auntie, has been with my dad since he came from China over twenty years ago so, she’s like family. We don’t do the whole feudal thing.”

Song Yi clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that Gu Shaoyuan really was a good person. It made sense why someone would stay with him for over two decades—no wonder his business had grown so big.

The phone in Song Yi’s pocket chimed, he pulled it out and saw a WeChat message from Shen Li asking if he had canceled the hotel room.

Gu Xingchuan glanced over, furrowing his brows and pursing his lips. “Are you going to reply to him?”

Song Yi responded to Shen Li with a brief and vague message. Just as he was about to put his phone away, he noticed that Gu Xingchuan’s WeChat ID had quietly been changed to “Bai.”

“Mr. Gu’s going for the artistic route now?” Song Yi teased with a smile.

Gu Xingchuan wrapped his arm around Song Yi’s waist, his voice low. “Isn’t your ID ‘Meng’?”

As he spoke, he took advantage of Song Yi’s moment of confusion, swiftly grabbing his phone and deleting Shen Li’s message with ease.

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Daily love life! A little sweetness, a bit of drama and happiness is simple.