Yu Ju remembered how, when he was doing his makeup this morning, he had mocked Lin Jian for always wearing the brooch that Gu Qianxing gave him.

Heaven, have mercy—karma came so quickly.

If he were to explain this behavior as just being a fan, it would be somewhat understandable. But if the person involved was someone he knew, then things were a bit off.

He wasn’t sure what Gu Qianxing thought, but Yu Ju felt that as long as he didn’t admit to anything, he could just tell people that he had simply bought a necklace.

Up front, Zhao Yi seemed to be trying to express his gratitude and was still talking.

“Yu Ju told me today that he really wanted this necklace and insisted that I find it. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence.”

“Yu Ju, is Mr. Gu generous?” 

Zhou Jinye also played along: “Mr. Gu has always been generous.”

Yu Ju wanted to explain that he hadn’t particularly wanted the necklace, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. 

Making a strong effort to deny any connection would only cause more trouble; what he needed to do now was to keep his attitude natural. 

It’s just a necklace, after all. 

Zhao Yi asked again: “Yu Ju, why did you buy this necklace? It’s not your style.” 

Yu Ju: “…” 

Nice question, but please don’t ask me any more. 

Yu Ju felt so awkward he could have pressed himself against the door. He looked out the window and said, “I bought it to wear, what else would you buy a necklace for?” 

He was relieved that Zhao Yi didn’t continue with that topic. Instead, he started introducing the two of them.

“Yu Ju, this Mr. Gu is a designer, and he and Zhou Jinye have been childhood friends.”

“Mr. Gu, Yu Ju is my university classmate. I’ve already graduated and started working, but he stayed at school to continue his studies, as a graduate student.”

“University classmate,” Gu Qianxing repeated, then asked, “Which university?”

Zhao Yi replied, “A University.”

Gu Qianxing was particularly considerate, and even after Zhao Yi’s introduction, he turned to Yu Ju and said, “Hello.”

Yu Ju naturally responded, “Hello, Mr. Gu.”

“Mr. Gu,” Zhou Jinye, who was ahead, asked, “How many years has it been since you last returned to A City? Two years, right?”

Gu Qianxing answered, “About that.”

Zhou Jinye said, “Look at how busy you are. If it weren’t for bringing this necklace today, I don’t think we’d have been able to meet up with you.”

Gu Qianxing replied, “Yu Ju has a big face.”

Zhou Jinye heard this and let out a puzzled “Oh,” but after that, he didn’t say anything else.

The car fell into silence, and it was then that Yu Ju realized there was music playing inside the car.

A song he hadn’t heard before.

It didn’t matter, though; after all, every time Zhou Jinye played music, it was something Yu Ju hadn’t heard.

Yu Ju tightly held onto the necklace box, and during the idle moments, his mind had already prepared an explanation in case Gu Qianxing asked him why he wanted the necklace.

He’d seen it by chance.

He liked leaves.

It looked nice, so he wanted to buy it.

Anyway, it’s got nothing to do with you.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

A voice suddenly cut through the fast rhythm of the music.

Yu Ju blinked.

It had to be directed at him.

“I’m too lazy to dry it,” Yu Ju thought for a moment and added, “I’ll do it in a bit.”

Gu Qianxing continued, “If you wash your hair and then just let it dry, you could catch a cold.”

Yu Ju responded with an “Oh,” and said, “There’s no wind, though.”

Two seconds later.

Gu Qianxing asked, “What are you looking at? It’s so captivating.”

Yu Ju paused for a moment, then pointed at the spotless car window and said, “There’s a bug here.”

Afterward, fearing that Gu Qianxing might see, he subtly shifted forward, using his head to block the spot he had just pointed to.

Gu Qianxing then asked, “Do you really have to turn your head like that to talk to me?”

Yu Ju pressed his lips together, then slowly turned his head back.

This time, he saw Zhao Yi in the front passenger seat, slowly reaching out to hold Zhou Jinye’s hand.

It was only then that Yu Ju noticed how unusually quiet the two chatterboxes in the front had become.

With Gu Qianxing and Yu Ju also silent, the car became even quieter.

After a long while, Zhou Jinye finally spoke up.

“You two…,” he said with a smile, “You know each other?”

Gu Qianxing turned to Yu Ju and asked, “Do we know each other?”

Yu Ju replied, “I think so.”

Gu Qianxing nodded and repeated Yu Ju’s answer: “I think so.”

Yu Ju noticed that Zhao Yi was gripping Zhou Jinye’s hand even tighter.

“He’s,” Gu Qianxing seemed to pause for a moment before continuing, “A friend of my friend’s brother.”

Zhou Jinye exclaimed, “So you’ve known each other for a while.”

Gu Qianxing responded, “Mm.”

Zhou Jinye laughed, “Then why did I bother getting you two this necklace? You could’ve just come directly.”

“It’s a bit difficult,” Gu Qianxing replied. “This little one forgot about me.”

Yu Ju: “…”

Yu Ju: “I didn’t.”

I even bought your necklace, what’s with the passive-aggressive tone!

Yu Ju muttered inwardly and turned his head back to the window.

But come to think of it, no one actually asked about the necklace at all.

After zoning out for a while, Yu Ju finally snapped back to reality and realized the car was heading down a street he wasn’t very familiar with.

Yu Ju turned back around and asked Zhao Yi, “Where are we going?”

Zhao Yi replied, “To a bar.”

“A bar?” Yu Ju asked. “To drink?”

“Not just for drinking,” Zhao Yi explained. “There are a lot of friends today.” He pointed to Zhou Jinye and added, “It’s his friend’s new place. They invited us to help bring in some business.”

Yu Ju responded with an “Oh.”

Zhao Yi added, “His friend is like us.”

Yu Ju, having heard Zhao Yi say this many times before, automatically translated it in his mind.

“You mean it’s a gay bar?” Yu Ju sat up straight in surprise. “I’m not going to a gay bar.”

Zhao Yi laughed, “Did I say it was a gay bar? Why are you so sensitive?”

Yu Ju’s voice returned to normal. “Oh.”

Zhou Jinye asked, “Why doesn’t he want to go to a gay bar?”

Zhao Yi laughed even harder. “Probably got PTSD from being surrounded by a bunch of ones,” he said with relish. “It was right after Yu Ju came back from a photoshoot. His makeup wasn’t removed, and his hair was still purple. He looked so cute, really baby-faced.”

Yu Ju shot back, “Shut up.”

And then added, “I’m straight.”

After saying that, Yu Ju sneakily glanced at Gu Qianxing.

Gu Qianxing was looking down at his phone, seemingly not paying attention to their conversation.

“I know you’re straight,” Zhao Yi dragged the word out. “Don’t be so sensitive. Tonight, there will be both gay and straight people, and we won’t treat you straights any worse.”

The car quickly pulled into a parking lot of a large building.

After getting out of the car, Yu Ju looked around, realizing this didn’t seem like a place with a bar.

However, he didn’t ask any questions and simply followed the others inside.

Once they entered the building and explained the purpose of their visit, a dedicated staff member led them to the elevator.

The elevator ascended all the way to the top, and when the doors opened, Yu Ju finally saw the bar.

It was unlike any bar he’d been to before. Even from downstairs, it was clear that it was a visibly high-end establishment, likely quite expensive.

As they passed the stage, a singer was softly singing, occasionally making eye contact with the guests and giving them a nod and smile.

“You guys are here.”

As they moved further in, someone came to greet them. Judging by the words, it seemed like this was their friend.

The person first patted Zhou Jinye on the shoulder, then leaned back a bit to look around.

“Well, if it isn’t the ‘fairy’ Gu here too.”

Gu… fairy?

Yu Ju turned to look at Gu Qianxing in surprise.

Gu Qianxing probably knew what Yu Ju was thinking and gave him a helpless look.

Gu Qianxing asked, “Do you have a seat for me?”

The boss was clearly pleased. “Of course, we have a spot for you.”

After saying that, he glanced at Yu Ju and asked Gu Qianxing, “Is this one yours?”

Yu Ju quickly responded, “No,” then poked Zhao Yi with his finger. “I’m his friend.”

The boss made a sound of realization, “Oh, sorry, sorry, come on in. The mice are already here.”

On the way to the private room, Yu Ju was still mulling over the nickname “Gu Yaoguai” (Gu Fairy).

The more he thought about it, the funnier it became.

How can it be so funny? Hahaha.

“What’s so funny?”

Zhao Yi suddenly turned around. He had probably intended to say something, but seeing Yu Ju laugh like that, he instantly forgot.

Yu Ju cleared his throat. “Nothing,” he couldn’t help but ask, “Why do they call him Gu Yaoguai?”

Zhou Jinye answered, “Don’t you think he’s kind of like a fairy?”

Gu Qianxing joined the conversation, “Give me some face.”

Yu Ju laughed even more happily as he thought of the word that Ah Ling used to describe Gu Qianxing.

Seductive.

Fairy.

Yu Ju remembered that his friend’s older brother was named Gu Qianxing, and everyone called him “Fox Gu.” However, his friend was a little more polite and called him “Brother Fox.”

At that time, Yu Ju didn’t join in calling him that. He felt a little shy for some reason and thought that calling someone by their nickname directly was impolite.

He also worried that Gu Qianxing might not like him, acting overly obedient and cautious.

Back then, Yu Ju didn’t ask why Gu was called “Fox Gu,” and even came up with his own explanation, thinking it was a play on the pronunciation of his name.

Looking back now, Gu Qianxing did exhibit quite a few fox-like traits.

“When we were in college,” Zhou Jinye explained to Yu Ju, “it wasn’t just the beautiful girls; even the handsome guys were completely captivated by him. In a place like the art academy, with his looks, Qianxing could walk around as if the place belonged to him. You could definitely say he was a fairy.”

After finishing, Zhou Jinye patted Gu Qianxing’s shoulder, “How about that? That should be giving you face, right?”

Gu Qianxing: “Thank you.”

Zhou Jinye added, “He’s especially popular with people of all ages—give him a smile, and that person would probably be willing to die for him.”

Gu Qianxing asked, “Then why don’t I see you dying for me?”

Zhou Jinye threw an arm around Zhao Yi. “Well, I already have someone who would die for him.”

Yu Ju wasn’t surprised anymore.

Then, he remembered how Zhou Jinye had initially addressed Gu Qianxing as “Mr. Gu” in the car.

It really was a polite way to call him.

Those comments even said Yu Ju was a little fairy—well, you guys’ husband is the real fairy.

“Anything else that’s disrespectful?” Yu Ju asked, curious.

“Disrespectful things?” Zhou Jinye thought for a moment. “Most of it’s about the people pursuing him. He himself is fine.” He looked at Gu Qianxing. “This guy—don’t be fooled by his rich young master face; his style is actually very proper.”

Gu Qianxing smiled without speaking.

Before long, Yu Ju could feel just how popular Gu Qianxing was.

When the private room door opened and everyone saw Gu Qianxing, their expressions were all the same—first stunned for a moment, then, somehow, someone started cheering out loud.

It was clear that this was a group of friends having fun together, with a few family members like Yu Ju and Zhao Yi who had been brought along.

There were several empty bottles of alcohol on the table, so it looked like they had already been drinking. As the four of them entered, the one leading the group, called “Mouse,” immediately grabbed four glasses.

He poured three drinks, and as he was about to pour the fourth, Gu Qianxing suddenly reached out and lifted the bottle with his index finger.

Gu Qianxing asked Yu Ju, “Can you drink?”

Yu Ju replied, “I can drink two bottles.”

Gu Qianxing directly made the decision for him: “He won’t drink.”

Yu Ju: “……”

Fine.

Mouse looked at Yu Ju, then at Gu Qianxing. “Did you bring him?”

Before Gu Qianxing could answer, Zhou Jinye spoke up, “I brought him.”

Mouse laughed. “You’re impressive, bringing two along.”

Gu Qianxing lightly punched Mouse on the shoulder. “Stop joking with him.”

Mouse raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yu Ju.

“Sorry, sorry,” Mouse said as he poured the drink into his own glass, then turned to Yu Ju. “This one’s for me. My apologies.”

After the simple introductions, Yu Ju followed Zhao Yi to find a spot to sit.

They had barely sat down when a server came over, placing two bottles of drinks in front of them and saying, “Please enjoy,” before leaving.

Zhao Yi asked Yu Ju, “Did you order these?”

Yu Ju replied, “No.”

Zhao Yi patted Zhou Jinye’s shoulder. “Did you order them?”

Zhou Jinye shook his head. “No,” he said, then added, “It’s fine, you guys drink up.”

At gatherings like this, the conversation usually revolves around the people present.

Soon enough, they began reminiscing about the past.

Apart from Gu Qianxing and Zhou Jinye, Yu Ju didn’t recognize anyone else they mentioned, so he just listened to their stories as if they were from strangers.

Yu Ju and Zhao Yi sat in a corner, snacking on sunflower seeds, and felt that if they decided to start a game now, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Lost in thought, Yu Ju suddenly heard a familiar voice.

Unlike the background chatter, the voice came deep and clear from his right ear.

“Take care of the two little ones.”

Yu Ju lifted his head.

Because everyone wanted to chat with Gu Qianxing, the “fairy” was now seated in the center of the crowd.

This sentence was directed at Zhou Jinye.

As soon as Zhou Jinye turned his head, the sound of a bottle clinking against the glass table echoed through the private room.

Yu Ju followed the source of the sound and looked at the table, seeing the bottle spin a couple of times before coming to a stop.

The bottle’s neck was pointed directly at Yu Ju.

“Here we go,” Mouse said as he spun the bottle. “Truth or dare, pick one.”

Yu Ju froze. “Huh?”

So sudden?

They hadn’t been playing that just a moment ago.

“They’re like this,” Zhao Yi explained beside him. “They often start chatting, then spin the bottle and play this game.”

Yu Ju: “……”

Fine.

It wasn’t that hard to blend in, so after thinking for a moment, Yu Ju said, “Dare.”

Everyone seemed to have no intention of making Yu Ju uncomfortable, so Mouse casually suggested, “Then let’s see the latest photo in your album.”

Yu Ju nodded and took out his phone.

His album was quite straightforward—either experimental data or screenshots of voice messages from his mentor that he had translated into text.

Actually, he himself was very open and had no embarrassing secrets…

What?

What did Yu Ju just see?

The latest photo in his album was… a screenshot of a comment on Gu Qianxing’s Weibo.

He’s so open…

What the hell.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing Yu Ju hesitate, Mouse laughed. “Can’t look? Did I hit the nail on the head?”

Zhao Yi, noticing the reaction, was also curious. “You still have something you can’t show?”

Yu Ju, after all, was the type of person who didn’t care about setting a password on his phone.

Yu Ju instinctively pressed his lips together.

From his left, a voice was saying something about taking responsibility and fitting in with the group, not playing if you can’t handle it.

On the right, another voice was muttering about how it always had to be him getting unlucky.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Yu Ju still handed over his phone.

Mouse eagerly grabbed it, but upon seeing the content, he furrowed his brows. “What’s this? A Weibo screenshot?”

He read out the text aloud: “Hubby, who is this little demon?”

“Who… cough cough…”

Over at the side, Gu Qianxing had just taken a sip of his drink.

Mouse, confused, asked, “What does this mean? I don’t get it.”

At that moment, someone suddenly exclaimed, raising their hand. “I know! This is a comment on the Weibo post that Qianxing made today!”

The person then stood up excitedly, pointing at Yu Ju. “I knew it! The person on Qianxing’s Weibo—it’s you!”

Yu Ju: Haha.

Everyone else: What Weibo? What what what?

Gu Qianxing placed his glass on the table, lazily leaning back on the sofa, his eyes lifting to look at Yu Ju with clear interest.

“Little one,” he asked, “What’s your plan with this screenshot of my comment?”

Yu Ju was burning up with embarrassment!

But he still tried to act calm, responding with an “Oh” before adding, “Nothing, just thought I’d screenshot it and ask what it feels like to have so many people calling you ‘hubby.'”

As soon as Yu Ju finished speaking, all eyes were on Gu Qianxing.

A deeper smile appeared at the corner of Gu Qianxing’s lips, his tone now carrying a playful edge: “You really want to know?”

Yu Ju could only force himself to say, “Yeah.”

Gu Qianxing paused for several seconds, seemingly about to answer, but then slowly said, “This is your dare, not my truth.”

Yu Ju: “…”

Is he really teasing him like this?

And why does it feel like he’s being flirted with?

“Fine,” Yu Ju tilted his head back, an inexplicable sense of determination flooding through him as he pointed to the bottle, “Next round.”

The Mouse excitedly gave a small sound of agreement, stood up, and spun the bottle with force.

Everyone watched intently as the bottle spun rapidly, then slowly came to a stop.

A few seconds later.

Damn.

Yu Ju cursed silently in his mind.

How is it him again?

Still shaken, before anyone could ask, Yu Ju quickly said, “Truth.”

After hearing this, everyone fell silent in perfect unison, waiting for Gu Qianxing to speak.

Soon, Gu Qianxing spoke.

He asked Yu Ju, “What about you? They call you that—how do you feel?”

Yu Ju frowned, “What do they call me?”

Gu Qianxing looked at him, his lips curling into a teasing smile, “Wifey.”

Yu Ju: “Hmm?”