Chu Lai said he didn’t need it, but in reality, the daily, regular feeding of hugs had already become a habit for him. For instance, whenever Cen Wei reached out his hand, Chu Lai would instinctively jump into his arms, and Cen Wei would naturally wrap his arms around Chu Lai’s waist.

It was a long and strong hug, enough for Chu Lai to close his eyes, rest his chin on Cen Wei’s shoulder, and enjoy the moment for a while. After doing it so many times, Cen Wei knew exactly how long Chu Lai liked to hug without needing any prompts, and he would pull away on his own.

He said, “Alright, you go play then.”

He didn’t mention anything like “don’t stay up late,” and as soon as Chu Lai sat down, the comments flooded the screen, all marveling at the sound of Cen Wei’s voice.

[Doesn’t he care about you staying up late?!]

[How is this married guy still pulling all-nighters streaming and gaming, hahaha.]

[This game is hard to speedrun, right? I’ve seen some streamers succeed purely by blind luck when choosing items. But this one thinks through everything carefully.]

[The game’s trending now.]

[Up, why is your face so red? Is it really just a hug?]

Chu Lai subconsciously touched his face, and the chat burst into laughter. He said, “What else would it be?”

His voice remained cool and indifferent, but it was pleasant to listen to, always leaving people curious about what he’d sound like when excited. Unfortunately, no matter how scary the game got, Chu Lai would only give a mild “ah.” Viewers often commented that watching his stream felt like playing a game with an emotionally stable teammate—it gave them a sense of security.

The new game was difficult, much tougher than the smaller games Chu Lai usually played. He spent most of his days off immersed in games, even when he was still with Shen Quanzhang, they didn’t go on many dates. Shen Quanzhang played different games, and even though Chu Lai tried to sync up with him, it became clear that it wasn’t easy to find common ground.

Eventually, their interactions boiled down to just grabbing a meal together, and even that became something they had to push each other to do, turning more and more dull.

“The NPC says I need to…”

The soundproofing in the study was pretty good, but even though Cen Wei had been sent off to bed, he couldn’t sleep. His tablet screen showed the wedding photos they had taken earlier. The top-tier photography team had done an amazing job, giving the images a beautiful texture. Xuan Rongqing loved them so much she had printed several albums to keep at home.

When the parents were looking through them, Cen Wei was too embarrassed to even glance at them. But now, in the quiet of the night, his fingers brushed across the screen, and the photo froze on a moment where he and Chu Lai were making eye contact. It was just a fleeting glance, but in the photo, it seemed like a deep, loving gaze.

But it was all fake.

Earlier that day, when they were trying on wedding attire, Cen Wei couldn’t take his eyes off Chu Lai in the custom-tailored suit. The young man’s pale skin made the high-end suit stand out even more, erasing the timid, low-profile image he usually had.

It was hard for Cen Wei to look away, but when he turned his head, Xuan Rongqing caught him and asked bluntly, “How does this one look?”

Xuan Rongqing had a lot of connections, and once the wedding plans were confirmed, these designs had been progressing quickly. Cen Wei was forced to turn back just as Chu Lai looked his way. The young man clearly wasn’t used to such situations and seemed a bit uneasy. He asked Cen Wei, “Does it look bad?”

His gaze was fleeting, and Cen Wei replied confidently, “It looks great.”

Xuan Rongqing added, “All three outfits look great on you. You’ll wear one for the entrance, one for the vows, and then change into the third for the photo session, right?”

The assistants nearby were laughing. “Even the bride doesn’t get this many outfit changes.”

Chu Lai felt a bit awkward, lowering his head as if studying the decorations, only to meet Cen Wei’s gaze in the mirror. Neither of them knew what to say.

Now, with his tablet in hand, Cen Wei looked at the photos and remembered the time they rushed through the rain in Xunxi. The surprise kiss in the car haunted his thoughts, making it even harder for him to sleep.

When he closed his eyes, all he could think of was Chu Lai. Cen Wei turned over in bed and thought about the sight of Chu Lai lying beside him that morning. A few seconds later, he sat up abruptly, deciding to get up.

Passing by the study, Chu Lai heard the noise and asked, “What’s up?”

Cen Wei replied, “I’m going for a walk downstairs.”

[Wow, going for a midnight walk? Someone’s full of energy.]

[Up, you haven’t chosen that option in a while. Why not just ask your partner? Isn’t he a professional at making umbrellas?]

[Exactly!]

The number of people in the stream was steadily growing. Someone must have spread the word. This game was already linked to traditional industries, and it just so happened that it aligned with one of Cen Wei’s company’s sub-brands.

Word got around, and soon people were saying that the wife of a famous umbrella manufacturer’s boss was streaming a game.

Chu Lai didn’t notice any of this. When the NPC asked him to choose materials for an umbrella the protagonist needed, he picked the wood more skillfully than others. People in the chat asked what his specialty was, but Chu Lai remained silent.

The screen paused on the choice of umbrella bones, with the correct answer hidden somewhere in the house, like a game of spot the difference.

Just as Cen Wei was about to open the door to leave, Chu Lai called out to him, “Can you help me with something?”

[Are you guys being too polite with each other?]

[My roommate and I talk like this, hahaha.]

[I’m less polite with my roommate than these two are.]

[Maybe it’s just their way of getting along.]

Cen Wei asked, “What’s up?”

Chu Lai said, “Come over here.”

So Cen Wei came over.

He glanced at the screen, and the right corner looked a bit crowded.

Cen Wei said, “Choosing materials to make a paper umbrella?”

He read the task aloud, his deep voice brushing the microphone, making the viewers’ ears tingle.

[Let me see, does he look the same as in the photos?]

[The photos must be photoshopped, right? If he’s this handsome, why isn’t he a celebrity?]

[People have their own dreams! What’s wrong with that?]

[I’m still so curious about what Up looks like. His voice is so good, he must look good too.]

[Meh, just average.]

[Octopus Scepter, aren’t you a CP fan? Why are you badmouthing him? Do you know Up personally?]

Cen Wei asked, “Should I choose?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar ID. Liu Yuan had sent him a voice message about Shen Quanzhang while they were in the car.

Chu Lai hadn’t seen it. He just nodded, but when he noticed that Cen Wei was bending over awkwardly, he said, “Why don’t you sit down?”

Cen Wei chuckled, “Where?”

Chu Lai: …

There was only one chair in the study.

[Sit on your partner’s lap! You’re legally married! No need to be shy, we can’t see anything anyway!]

[He wouldn’t do it!]

The top three donors in the stream had golden, silver, and green IDs. The third one, with the green ID, was spamming the chat, leaving many viewers confused.

The stream had a block function, and Chu Lai finally couldn’t take it anymore. He banned Shen Quanzhang.

“@Octopus Scepter has been banned for 200 hours by the streamer.”

[Whoa, this is the first time I’ve seen someone ban a donor.]

Chu Lai was annoyed, “What donor? He’s an ex-boyfriend.”

[Huh???]

[Is this the guy who bought you a keyboard but then you two broke up??]

[Whoa, this is wild! So the real husband is there, and it’s all good?]

Cen Wei was tall, and it was a struggle for Chu Lai to look at him while standing. He asked quietly, “Can you pull the sofa over here?”

Cen Wei replied helplessly, “No, it’s too heavy.”

Chu Lai: “You can’t do it?”

That was a hard one for Cen Wei to respond to. He’d never gotten a request like that before.

[Can you even ask that?]

[Why am I shipping them in a horror game stream? Who am I? Where am I?!]

[Sitting on the same chair isn’t that hard, is it?]

[Are they really married?!]

Cen Wei didn’t say anything. The game wasn’t finished yet, and Chu Lai just wanted to wrap up this part quickly. He said, “Then sit down, hurry.”

He pushed Cen Wei into the chair.

Cen Wei went along with it, glancing at the screen.

Chu Lai had already selected the right wood in the previous step. Cen Wei glanced at the game’s instructions and said, “Their materials are inaccurate, there’s a flaw.”

Chu Lai didn’t get it. “Really?”

Their family had been selling umbrellas for generations, so they knew the process well. Plus, Cen Wei’s company was now focused on paper umbrellas. The game stream had turned into an educational session.

[Where is this going… suddenly we’re getting academic?]

[Up is already impressive with his wood knowledge. My grandpa’s a carpenter, and this sounds about right.]

[Are the developers listening? You might need to fix these bugs overnight. You’re getting schooled by an expert!]

[Lianxin’s a big company, isn’t it? Like at the level of Zhima Hu?]

[Look, look! Their hands just touched! Haha, they’re getting all worked up while discussing this.]

[All my attention is on the little box. I noticed when they hugged earlier that their hands are really different in size, probably a big height difference too.]

Cen Wei’s voice was low, and as he chose, he explained his reasoning. He even pointed out the game’s bugs. Whenever Chu Lai didn’t understand something, Cen Wei patiently explained it to him.

It felt a bit like a teacher giving a lesson while the student listened, especially since Chu Lai was still standing.

After they finished, Cen Wei asked, “Can I leave now?”

Chu Lai nodded, then asked, “Where are you going?”

He glanced at the time. “It’s already pretty late.”

Cen Wei replied, “Just getting some air, it feels a bit hot.”

[?]

[Isn’t this a horror game? Isn’t it supposed to be chilling?]

[Well, it’s late at night, so you could do other things too.]

[That was definitely a hint!]

Chu Lai just said, “Don’t catch a cold.”

[Up, you…]

[I’m starting to get a little confused about this whole marriage thing.]

Chu Lai passed the level smoothly, and as usual, he was supposed to answer a few questions. But the chat was filled with personal questions about his relationships—just a sea of them.

He thought for a moment and said, “Can’t you ask something about the game?”

[Did you get paid for promotion? You seem to love this game.]

Chu Lai: “No promotions, I swear.”

[Then just answer the non-game questions.]

Chu Lai: …

[How did you meet your spouse? I’m an old fan! Look at my badge!]

Chu Lai quickly replied, “Love at first sight.”

[Wait, wasn’t your ex the one you bought the keyboard for? When I started following you, you were still in college. How did you guys break up?]

[I remember you posted about the keyboard, said it was a gift for your boyfriend’s first day at work. That’s so sad.]

Late at night, Shen Quanzhang lay on the floor, holding his phone.

With his account muted, he couldn’t send any messages. His gaze lingered on the words “first day at work,” and he remembered the day Chu Lai had unexpectedly shown up at the bar with that gift box.

Chu Lai, who didn’t like holidays or anniversaries, had still remembered his first day at work?

Meanwhile, Cen Wei sat in the dark living room, the dogs already asleep. He looked at his phone, the game paused at level 4-1.

In the corner of the screen, Chu Lai’s hand unconsciously tapped the table, and that little red mole stood out like a red plum in the snow, making it hard to look away.

After several seconds, Chu Lai finally said, “Yes, him.”

“We broke up because…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “He found someone else he liked. I wasn’t his first choice.”

[Isn’t that cheating?!]

[But Up got married in a flash too. Could it be a revenge marriage?]

Chu Lai shook his head. He realized that his stream was starting to feel more like a talk show, and he didn’t like it. But there was something about late nights that seemed to amplify emotions, and for once, he felt like opening up.

His voice was still cool, but he said, “Yes, it was a flash marriage. More like a gamble.”

Chu Lai thought back to that day when he proposed over WeChat, so hastily it almost seemed like a joke. He laughed softly, “But I was desperate for company. Sometimes you think, what if? What if someone could love me forever? But deep down, I know that’s not possible.”

[Are you happy in your marriage?]

[Is he the one you were looking for?]

…

Just then, Cen Wei turned and went upstairs. Before Chu Lai could say anything, he pushed open the door and walked up to the computer, saying, “It’s late, everyone should go to bed.”

Chu Lai rarely got surprised, but Cen Wei added, “Don’t look at me, you too. You’ve been getting lazier about walking the dogs in the morning.”

Chu Lai got a scolding but didn’t have time to respond before Cen Wei answered the chat’s question on his behalf—

“I’ll make sure he’s happy, so please don’t ask anymore.”

“Don’t you all have partners?”

[Wow, he’s so obnoxious!]

[What’s with the showing off?!]

[Who am I? Why am I stuffed with dog food at this hour?]

After the stream ended, Cen Wei picked Chu Lai up and carried him to bed. Chu Lai looked at him in surprise and asked, “Are you afraid I’ll let something slip?”

Cen Wei asked, “What?”

Chu Lai said, “Why else would you rush in here like that?”

Cen Wei said, “Are you assuming I’m watching your stream?”

Chu Lai went quiet.

Cen Wei tucked Chu Lai in and chuckled without saying anything more. “I was watching. Alright, go to sleep now. I’ll go crash on the couch.”

Just as the man was about to leave, he felt a tug on his shirt. The young man nestled under the blanket had taken off his glasses and was gazing up at him, his eyes hazy in the dim light.

Chu Lai said, “Sleep with me.”

Cen Wei: “What?”

Chu Lai rolled over and scooted to the other side of the bed, avoiding his gaze, his voice muffled, “It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before. You’re the one who looks like you haven’t slept well. Your dark circles are awful.”

Cen Wei replied, “Weren’t we not supposed to cross the line?”

He leaned in closer, but Chu Lai didn’t respond, unaware that he was like a stick of butter melting on a hot pan, exuding an irresistible allure.

Cen Wei said, “Then I’m coming in.”

Chu Lai: “You’re so annoying.”