The man leaned in closely as he pressed for answers, the scent of citrus filling the air but lacking the sharp sting of mint.

An Le Yan met his gaze for two seconds, gently tugging at his wrist, but his eyes shifted toward the net bag hanging behind the front seat.

The production team had handed out bottles of mineral water to everyone, which were placed in the net bag.

Fu Shicang frowned slightly, suspiciously releasing An Le Yan’s wrist, and picked up the bottle of mineral water. At the boy’s signal with his eyes, he unscrewed the bottle cap.

An Le Yan pointed at Fu Shicang’s pants pocket and, in a soft voice, said, “Don’t snatch it, can’t you just give it to me?”

Fu Shicang’s thin, transparent glasses flashed with a sharp glint. He pulled out the chess piece, tapping it twice in his hand before stuffing it into the mineral water bottle.

An Le Yan nodded lightly, and the two of them watched as the chess piece bubbled a few times before sinking to the bottom of the bottle.

The wood used by beginner woodcarvers is mostly soft, so it should be lighter than water.

This chess piece has something inside!

It’s so small and placed on his bedside table—it’s most likely a listening device or something similar.

Fu Shicang’s face darkened. He took out his phone and sent a few messages.

When he looked up again, he saw the small cosplayer frowning as he stared at the chess piece in the bottle, seeming to want to retrieve it but not knowing what to do with the full bottle of water.

After a moment, it seemed like he finally came up with a solution. He took out another bottle of mineral water from the net bag, unscrewed the cap, and began drinking.

His neck, already slender, formed a graceful arc as he tilted his head to drink, the subtle motion of his Adam’s apple causing Fu Shicang to feel a sudden impulse to kiss it.

The business vehicle was traveling on the intercity highway and was just about to cross the speed bump at the service area entrance when the driver stepped on the brakes.

The boy’s body swayed violently, and a small stream of water leaked from the corner of his mouth, slowly trailing down his jaw and dripping into the collar of his shirt.

He quickly put the bottle down to wipe it off, but the vehicle hit another speed bump and rocked again. Forgetting to maintain his balance, An Le Yan let out a small scream and fell into the arms of the person beside him. The bottle of water wobbled and was about to spill all over Fu Shicang.

Fu Shicang quickly wrapped his arm around An Le Yan’s shoulder, pressing him against his chest. His fingers extended, and without hesitation, he flicked the bottle cap outward.

The vehicle hit another bump, and the water surged out, splashing all over Anderson’s arm.

“What’s going on? Is it raining heavily?” Anderson suddenly woke up, looking alarmed.

“Ah, sorry,” An Le Yan quickly apologized, “I accidentally spilled water.”

Anderson turned around at the sound.

An Le Yan, who was sitting directly behind him, was blushing, holding half a bottle of water in his hand.

Not far from him, Fu Shicang also had a bottle of water, but it contained something dark inside.

“Hahahahaha,” Anderson laughed, “What kind of water are you drinking? Something’s fallen inside.”

His laughter startled the other guests, who were trying to sleep, and they all turned their eyes toward them. Fu Shicang set the bottle down calmly, while An Le Yan’s face turned even redder, wishing he could crawl under the car.

“Sorry about that, we were going a bit fast over the speed bump,” the driver turned back to apologize. “We’re at the service area now. Do you want to get out and rest for a bit?”

Everyone who had been napping stood up. The guests, with their long limbs, had been cramped in the narrow vehicle for over an hour and were eager to get out and stretch.

Fu Shicang gently flicked his fingers.

The sensation of the boy suddenly falling into his chest lingered, and the sweet citrus scent seemed to intensify, making his heart race.

He grabbed An Le Yan, who was about to get out of the car, and shook the bottle in his hand.

“What were you trying to do just now?” He pointed at the chess piece and then at the half bottle of water in An Le Yan’s hand.

The boy’s face turned even redder. “I just… wanted to get the chess piece out, so…”

Fu Shicang couldn’t help but laugh. “So, you were planning to drink one bottle and then pour the other bottle into it?”

As he said this, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the service area outside the window.

Was he really in such a rush that he couldn’t wait to pour out the water once they got to the service area?

An Le Yan glanced at his direction, stomped his foot in embarrassment, then grabbed the bottle with the chess piece from his hand, and without saying another word, stormed out of the car.

When he got back in, the bottle of mineral water was gone, and An Le Yan stood in the second-to-last row of the aisle. He threw a crumpled tissue at Fu Shicang.

Inside the tissue was an electronic component from the chess piece, now completely damaged from the water exposure. Fu Shicang nodded but his eyes remained fixed on An Le Yan’s tightly clenched hand.

The little cosplayer had a wary expression, his palm barely open for a second before it quickly closed again. He turned his head, acting like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell.

The business vehicle started moving again, and An Le Yan focused on the greenery outside the window, trying hard to keep his attention on the roadside.

But it was as if he could sense it—he felt a gaze following him from behind, persistent and unyielding, making his ears burn with heat.

He finally couldn’t resist looking back, and the man was looking at him with a half-smiling expression. When their eyes met, he raised his hand and made a sculpting gesture.

An Le Yan: …

This wasn’t like him in the past!

Fu Shicang had been about thirteen or fourteen when he started learning woodcarving. He was overly confident in his work and would show it off wherever he went.

At that time, An Le Yan had been only eight or nine years old, still recovering from an injection and feeling sluggish, forcing himself to engage in conversation with this young master.

“I have something good, do you want it?” the young master suddenly noticed someone who hadn’t been given a gift yet, his eyes lighting up.

An Le Yan shook his head.

Shicang’s things were very expensive, things he couldn’t casually accept.

“It’s really good. You can sell it for a lot of money later. Can I give it to you?”

See, it was definitely expensive.

An Le Yan shook his head again.

“No, you have to take it. How can you refuse when I’ve been so good to you?” The young master stuffed a dark object into An Le Yan’s hand, hard and uncomfortable.

“Look, isn’t it beautiful?” he said proudly. “I carved this myself.”

An Le Yan brought the wood carving closer to his eyes. The proud young master began to explain enthusiastically, “See, this is a chess piece. Do you see the crown on it? If it had a cross, it would be a king. This one, with the ring of jewels, is the queen.”

An Le Yan studied the blurred contours, then suddenly showed some interest. “Why didn’t you carve a king?”

“I carved a king, of course, but I want to keep that one. This one’s for you.”

An Le Yan blinked slowly. “I’m not a girl, I don’t want a queen.”

“What does being a girl have to do with it?” Fu Shicang, afraid he’d refuse, immediately took An Le Yan’s small hand and made him hold the piece tightly. “The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. Didn’t you say you want to be someone great when you grow up? The queen is perfect for you.”

An Le Yan struggled, but Fu Shicang wouldn’t let go.

In reality, it wasn’t about the king or the queen; it was just that Fu Shicang was too strong, and the chess piece was rough and painful to hold.

Back then, he had insisted on giving it to me, An Le Yan thought silently. But later, it stayed with me for so many years, and I really grew to like it. I just didn’t want to part with it.

He opened his hand and looked at the chess piece in his palm.

It didn’t really look like the one he had—it hadn’t been smoothed over from years of touch, and the middle had no scratch from when he had once dropped it. The base had a hole from where a listening device had been inserted.

But… he still liked it.

He turned around quietly.

The man seemed to have given up, his phone beside him and his eyes closed, as if trying to catch up on sleep.

So…

This is mine!

An Leyan secretly smiled and carefully tucked the chess piece into his pocket.

As soon as he returned to the villa, An Leyan immediately went back to his bedroom and placed the newly acquired chess piece into his own box.

Not long after, Zhang Mao began organizing the filming of a promotional video, and the guests all started complaining.

“There are just a few shots, and no need to change outfits much, it’ll be over quickly,” Zhang Mao soothed like a kindergarten teacher.

He waved to An Leyan, “Leyan, come over and pose for a bit.”

Later, he finally managed to catch a few minutes of sleep, and when the other guests came downstairs, he nearly fell asleep again. Still a bit dazed, he sat down on the sofa as Director Zhang had asked.

“Come, sit forward and lean on the armrest,” Director Zhang instructed him to lie down. “Be more lazy with it. You control your expression and movements.”

The guests all curiously looked over.

The exhausted-looking young man half-lay on the sofa, revealing the perfect curve of his neck.

Perhaps because he wasn’t comfortable, he lazily bent one leg, his hand resting lightly on his forehead. His shirt had two buttons undone, and the collar hung open because of the arm movement, showing a glimpse of his collarbone.

Everyone was stunned.

An Leyan usually gave off a gentle and sunny vibe, always smiling, always busy helping others.

But now, the young man’s face was cold, his gaze distant, and his slightly lifted eyelids seemed to hold infinite charm.

Fu Shicang was the first to react.

He slowly walked to the low back of the sofa, one arm draped over the backrest, leaning over from above, getting closer to the young man.

The distance between them wasn’t particularly close, but the air between their gazes seemed to burn with heat. Fu Shicang’s pale fingers lightly brushed An Leyan’s forehead, as if he were about to kiss his forehead in the next second.

“Damn…” Anderson couldn’t take it anymore. He walked to the nearby double sofa, sitting down and resting his hand on the armrest near An Leyan’s head. It was a clear gesture of rejection, as if to push Fu Shicang away, yet it also seemed like he was trying to pull An Leyan into his arms.

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became charged with tension, and the guests all slowly moved toward the scene. They didn’t even need Zhang Mao to guide them—they had already created an incredibly intense tableau.

Zhang Mao had quietly stepped back, signaling to the photographer to capture every detail.

Ten minutes later, the sofa shots were finished, and Director Fang shouted “cut,” finally waking the guests from the captivating atmosphere.

But everyone silently kept their positions, still gazing at the young man on the sofa.

His pose remained enticing, but his breathing was now shallow and steady, and he had actually fallen asleep.

The guests finally began to move.

Mu Wei supported his waist and muttered in a hoarse voice, “Damn, my back’s about to break.”

Yin Xin stood up from the carpet, stumbled a bit, and while catching his breath, rubbed his numb knee.

Fu Shicang retracted his hand and picked up a thin blanket from the side, covering An Leyan with it.

“Let’s go, let’s go, go rest,” Nie Changxing waved his hand. “Let Leyan sleep here.”

Unusually in agreement, the guests silently left and went upstairs.

“What’s going on?” Xiao Li quietly asked Zhang Mao. “The atmosphere was so good, I thought they’d stay longer, maybe hang out with Leyan.”

Zhang Mao didn’t respond and led everyone back to the next villa.

Assistant Director Wang pulled Xiao Li over and pointed to the monitors in each bedroom.

All the cameras were covered.

“Turn them off, only leave the public areas on,” Zhang Mao said from behind them. “We’ll shoot the closing shots when they wake up. I’ll go handle the intro part.”

In the rooms, where the cameras could no longer spy, the guests lay silently on their beds, wrapped in thin blankets, trying to block out the heat from their bodies.

Everyone napped until the afternoon, and by the time the first episode ended…

“When are you going home?” Nie Changxing asked, pulling his suitcase downstairs and looking at An Leyan, who had just gotten up from the sofa. “I have an academic conference to attend, I need to go to the airport now.”

“So soon!” An Leyan hurried to the door. “I thought everyone would have dinner before leaving.”

“Then that’s one meal you owe me,” Nie Changxing laughed. “When the next episode starts, we can work together, and I’ll treat you to dinner.”

“Sure,” An Leyan escorted him to the door. “How are you going to the airport? Did you call a car?”

“Brother Fu is taking me,” Nie Changxing looked toward the door. “He’s here.”

Fu Shicang appeared at the door, holding his own suitcase.

The man’s expression was still as gentle and calm as when he first arrived, as if this past week hadn’t taken much of a toll on his life.

He seemed like a traveler who had just finished a job, and now, he was going back to his life.

An Leyan lowered his head, gently biting his lip.

It would be a few days before he’d see Brother Cang again. But then again, who doesn’t look forward to a break from work?

Anyway… in a few days, the next episode would begin, and they’d meet again.

He looked up and smiled.

“Now I really feel like the first episode is over.” He helped Fu Shicang put his suitcase into the trunk. “Later, I’ll go home and rest. A break feels so good!”

He waved and watched the car drive off before returning to the living room.

“When is Leyan planning to go home?” Mu Wei seemed to have been standing at the door for a while. “I’ll take you.”

“Don’t even think about it!” The voice of Zhang Mao suddenly came through the door camera. “During filming, guests’ private addresses are off-limits. Have you even read the contract?”

Mu Wei jumped, glaring at the camera for a while, before turning to An Leyan, who was laughing beside him. “Don’t listen to him, I’ll take you to the station later.”

He was plotting in his mind—he’d take An Leyan to the station, then follow him in his car at a distance. Once he knew where he got off, he could look around the area and find him.

An Leyan laughed even more happily. “That sounds great. What about the others? If they’re staying longer, I’ll make dinner.”

Bai Jingchen had an interview in the evening, and Yin Xin needed to rush back to the art gallery because he had a book signing event tonight that he had to attend. The two of them left reluctantly, and An Leyan sent them off one by one before heading to the nearby supermarket with Anderson and Mu Wei to buy ingredients for dinner.

“No need to go to all that trouble, anything will do,” Mu Wei said, pushing the shopping cart and watching An Leyan and Anderson picking through the food section.

“Alright,” An Leyan nodded, “Then let’s just have Western food, steak and pasta?”

Neither of them objected.

An Leyan bought fresh steaks, meat sauce, and casually picked up a box of shrimp.

It wasn’t until they returned to the villa and were about to start cooking that An Leyan suddenly remembered that Brother Cang had already left. That box of shrimp…

Never mind, I’ll bring it home and eat it tomorrow.

The steak was quickly done, and the usually lively dining table now only had the three of them. The kitchen suddenly felt too spacious.

“What should we do?” An Leyan’s gaze swept across the empty spots, “They just left, and I already kind of miss them.”

“Yeah,” Mu Wei said, taking a bite of steak, “It’s really fun to eat together.”

In the world of young people, they compete when together, but they can also develop closeness and friendship.

Just as they were about to finish their meal, Mu Wei suddenly received a call. He frowned and returned to the table, apologizing in frustration, “Sorry, Leyan, something came up at the bar, I need to rush over. You…”

“It’s fine, I can take a taxi back later,” An Leyan quickly stood up, “Is it serious?”

“It’s not a big deal, just need me to handle it for a moment.”

Mu Wei quickly grabbed his suitcase, standing at the door, “I’m leaving now. When you get home, let Director Zhang know you’re okay, and he’ll pass it on to me.”

He turned toward the camera and said, “Is this okay?”

The camera nodded up and down, making An Leyan and Anderson laugh.

“Sorry, An, I also need to catch a flight…” Anderson also grabbed his suitcase.

“Don’t be so polite,” An Leyan smiled, “I’ll have Director Zhang let you know I’m fine too.”

After sending the two of them off, An Leyan slowly walked back to the kitchen.

The kitchen still looked the same as the day he arrived—spacious and bright, as if nothing had changed.

But he knew, this place had carried a week’s worth of laughter.

This world… is really nice.

An Leyan washed the plates from the three of them, tidied up the kitchen, and took out the trash bag as he walked out of the villa.

The lights in the villa were still on, and the lights in the night made him feel like he was home. He was even a little reluctant to leave.

I really hope… that Brother Cang from the past life could experience this too, that life isn’t just about hatred, but also so much warmth and joy.

He smiled gently, tossed the plastic bag in his hand, and turned around.

The lights in front of the villa emitted a warm glow, softening everything on this early summer night.

Under the soft lights, a man was casually leaning against the door, a smile on his lips, gazing in his direction.

It felt as though… he was waiting for him to come home.