For a moment, Yu Yan froze. Wait, wasn’t this stuff bought by Shen Yuming?

A sudden realization hit him, and he quickly dialed He Zhiyu’s number to clear things up.

He Zhiyu’s teasing voice came through, “Well, well, Little Yan Yan actually has time to call me at this hour? Is President Shen not up to the task?”

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Even though Yu Yan hadn’t put the call on speaker, He Zhiyu’s voice carried through the entire space.

Shen Yuming raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.

“Shut up!” Yu Yan barked, his tone fierce. “Was that box of stuff your doing?”

“What stuff? Be more specific, I don’t understand.” He Zhiyu began feigning ignorance.

“You…” Yu Yan hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. “He Zhiyu, you just wait!”

As Yu Yan was about to hang up, He Zhiyu hurriedly stopped him. “Hey, don’t hang up! I was just trying to make sure you two wouldn’t run out of supplies! I put together a complete selection for you—different sizes, types, and effects. You can try them all out one by one. I even paid extra for same-day delivery, so don’t waste my good intentions, alright?”

“Why isn’t President Shen saying anything? Shouldn’t he be showing some appreciation? Back when Lu Yan—”

Beep— Yu Yan hung up the call and promptly blacklisted He Zhiyu, ignoring the latter’s protests in their group chat. He also muted the chat notifications—he had no intention of opening it for at least three days.

He cursed himself for being too careless, letting his excitement override his awareness of what kind of person He Zhiyu was. If he’d known the “gift” was a whole box of that, there’s no way he would have accepted it!

After ending the call, Yu Yan looked innocently at Shen Yuming. “It’s my fault for having bad taste in friends.”

Other people’s friends give houses and cars. His friend? Condoms.

“It’s fine.” Shen Yuming looked at Yu Yan’s slightly flushed cheeks and reached out to pinch them gently.

Yu Yan, steeling himself, glanced at the box and was about to ask what to do with it. Before he could speak, Shen Yuming had already placed the items on the top shelf of the bedside table.

“You…”

“What?” Shen Yuming feigned innocence as he looked at him.

Yu Yan hesitated for a long time. “N-nothing.”

There was simply too much stuff—the bedside table couldn’t hold it all. Shen Yuming ended up distributing the contents between the cabinet under the coffee table and the study’s shelves.

All three cabinets were packed to the brim, leaving no room to spare.

When Yu Yan opened the box again, he discovered that it wasn’t just condoms—it also contained half a box of lubricant!

Shen Yuming’s calm expression left Yu Yan unable to keep up. He stood there awkwardly, staring blankly.

Shen Yuming handed him a cup of milk tea, already prepared with a straw. “Iced?”

Yu Yan gave up entirely. “Yeah, perfect to cool down.”

The four-inch cake was just enough for the two of them to share. Yu Yan, ever the sentimental one, even lit a candle and insisted Shen Yuming interlock fingers with him for a photo.

“Ge, how about we buy a photo album? We can print a picture every anniversary and keep them all in it.”

The awkwardness forgotten, Yu Yan regained his enthusiasm, chatting non-stop.

“Don’t you already have a photo album on your phone?”

“It’s not the same! Holding physical photos feels different.” Yu Yan clung to Shen Yuming’s arm. “Can we? Can we? Can we?”

For someone so lazy that he could stay home for ten days straight without going out, Yu Yan had an inexplicable obsession with this idea. When Shen Yuming responded with a soft “Mm,” Yu Yan had already opened a shopping app to pick out an album.

After browsing for a long time, he finally chose one with the words Peace and Joy, All Wishes Fulfilled printed on the cover.

Yu Yan chuckled to himself. “Remember to pick up the package in a few days. This will be our family photo album.”

“Alright.” Shen Yuming nodded. “It’s getting late. Let’s sleep. Don’t you have to discuss the script tomorrow?”

“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Yu Yan reluctantly opened the group chat and muted its notifications.

Inside the chat, He Zhiyu was still complaining about how ungrateful Yu Yan was for hanging up after receiving the gift.

Annoyed, Yu Yan tossed his phone aside and threw his arms around Shen Yuming’s neck, planting a kiss on his lips.

Although they kissed often, Yu Yan was rarely this proactive, which showed just how much the idea of a “family photo album” had moved him.

Shen Yuming hugged his waist, letting him sit on his lap. “Where’s your blanket?”

“I don’t know, probably got kicked off the bed,” Yu Yan replied nonchalantly.

“Then… want to share mine?” Shen Yuming lifted the blanket beside him and wrapped it around them both.

Yu Yan reluctantly nodded, “Alright, I guess this will do.”

He leaned forward, his gaze tracing the contours of Shen Yuchen’s face.

Shen Yuchen’s appearance heavily inherited traits from Zhang Shujun, especially those long, narrow eyes. The dark depths of his gaze were captivating, almost as if they could devour someone whole in the next moment.

Yu Yan was undeniably a looks-enthusiast; no matter how much he looked at Shen Yuchen, he never got tired of it. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his eye.

The two kissed intermittently, and Yu Yan lay sprawled on top of him, unwilling to move, resting his head in the crook of Shen Yuming’s neck.

“Bro, your abs are poking me.”

Due to his lack of exercise, Yu Yan’s stomach was always soft and flat. But he had poked Shen Yuchen’s abs before—they were firm, well-defined, and a solid eight-pack.

Now, lying on Shen Yuchen, his abs pressed against Yu Yan’s stomach, which wasn’t the most comfortable feeling, but he didn’t get up either.

Shen Yuming chuckled lightly, “Abs?”

“Yeah?”

Yu Yan propped himself up on Shen Yuming’s shoulder and instinctively poked his “abs,” but something felt… off?

After thinking about it carefully for a moment, Yu Yan’s eyes widened in realization.

He bolted upright, jumping off the bed in one swift motion, dragging the blanket with him as he curled into a corner, trembling.

Terrified!!!

He thought the box of gifts He Zhiyu sent was already the most awkward thing of the night, but in just two hours, something even more mortifying had happened!

How could he have mistaken that for abs?!

He even said Shen Yuchen’s abs were poking him!

“Don’t cover yourself with the blanket, you’ll suffocate,” Shen Yuming gently pulled the blanket away.

Yu Yan’s face was flushed red as he stammered to recover, “Well… uh… you’ve got a nice body, bro.”

Help! What was he even saying?!

“Mm.” Shen Yuming’s smile deepened.

“Do you… do you need to go to the bathroom?” Yu Yan asked, trembling.

Shen Yuming shook his head. “No, it’s late. Let’s sleep.”

The soft amber light of the wall lamp was turned off, and moonlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains.

In the dark room, Yu Yan’s embarrassment gradually subsided. He lay stiffly on his back like a wooden plank, not moving a muscle.

“Baby.”

The word caught Yu Yan off guard. Apart from Jiang Mo, no one had ever called him “baby” before. Hearing it now, his heart softened.

He peeked his head out from under the blanket. “What is it?”

“I don’t have a blanket.” Shen Yuming turned over.

Yu Yan snapped out of it and hurriedly draped the blanket over him. “Sleep. No more talking.”

The two lay facing each other. Shen Yuming loosely embraced Yu Yan, the faint scent of the same laundry detergent lingering on both of them.

This familiar, controllable atmosphere gave Yu Yan an immense sense of security. Though he usually slept very still, he unknowingly draped his leg over Shen Yuchen’s hip.

Within ten minutes, the sound of steady breathing filled the room—Yu Yan had already fallen asleep.

Shen Yuming gently moved his leg away, then got up and headed to the bathroom.

The next day, during a pre-launch dinner for the Shadow film crew, He Zhiyu sternly scolded Yu Yan for his behavior.

“Seventeen calls! From 7:30 to 9 in the morning, I called you seventeen times! And you didn’t answer a single one! Unbelievable! Since the dawn of time, no one has ever dared to ignore my calls!” He Zhiyu gritted his teeth.

Yu Yan gave him a sideways glance. “Well, now someone has.”

“You ungrateful soul! After all my effort, carefully selecting that box of gifts for you, this is how you repay me?” He Zhiyu huffed coldly.

Yu Yan gritted his teeth and spoke, “Don’t bring up that box of gifts again. What kind of decent person gives something like that as a present?”

“Just tell me, is it useful or not?”

“No, it’s not.”

He Zhiyu sneered coldly, “You’d better never use it for the rest of your life!”

“You…” Yu Yan took a deep breath, “Stop twisting the facts!”

“Hmph, whoever uses it will know!” He Zhiyu stubbornly said, “Look at Xiao Ranan; he even gave me a return gift.”

Everyone burst into laughter, their gazes turning to Jian Ran.

Jian Ran’s eyes widened instantly. “It wasn’t me who sent it! I didn’t sign for the delivery either! I know nothing about it, so don’t ask me!”

He Zhiyu clicked his tongue. “Xiao Ranan, what’s going on? Didn’t you message me to thank me back then?”

The message wasn’t sent by Jian Ran, of course. His face turned red, and he remained silent.

“Alright, alright, He Zhiyu, stop being so cheeky. They just got together, and you sent that kind of gift? You deserved to be scolded.” Song Yunjing laughed, trying to mediate.

He Zhiyu’s arrogance deflated. “You have a point. Then I’ll wait until their relationship is more stable and send a grand gift to express my sincere blessings.”

“No! Keep it for yourself,” Yu Yan said, alarmed.

Jian Ran chimed in right after, “I don’t want it either.”

He Zhiyu looked regretful, sweeping his gaze across everyone before it finally landed on Chen Qingyu, who always humored him.

Chen Qingyu chuckled, “Brother, I have no use for that. But if you give it to me, I’ll accept it. However, the gift might appear on a second-hand platform at a discounted price. Would you mind? But honestly, I’d prefer you just transfer me money instead.”

He Zhiyu sighed with regret. “None of you understand my good intentions. No one understands me. If only someone did, how wonderful it would be.”

“Alright, alright. Weren’t we supposed to discuss the script today?” Yu Yan steered the conversation back on track. “The script has been polished enough. I had a master calculate a date, and there’s an auspicious day next week to start filming.”

Yu Yan and He Zhiyu knew each other’s temperaments well, so a bit of joking at the dinner table was nothing to dwell on. The matter was brushed off, and no one took it seriously.

The script for Shadow was ready, and the filming would soon officially begin.

The estimated shooting time was about three months, leaving another month for editing and promotion. It would be just in time for release during the Spring Festival slot next year.

“Brother Yan, since when did you become so superstitious? You even picked an auspicious day?” Song Yunjing asked curiously.

Yu Yan wasn’t superstitious originally, but after seeing how Fang Chi—who had failed in multiple ventures—suddenly thrived in the bar and restaurant business after setting up altars to the God of Wealth, his steadfast materialist beliefs had wavered slightly.

“Better safe than sorry. It doesn’t hurt.” Yu Yan chuckled twice.

Gu Yingying chimed in, “Many film crews choose auspicious dates to start filming and even make offerings.”

He Zhiyu’s interest was piqued again. “Can I be the one to light the first incense at the ceremony?”

Yu Yan: “…”

His focus was always so peculiar.

Director Yang Chao, wanting to appease him, agreed on the condition that He Zhiyu wouldn’t interfere with any part of the filming and must fully cooperate with the team.

He Zhiyu agreed without hesitation—after all, those trivial matters were nowhere near as important as lighting the first incense.

Due to his long career and the massive success of Cultivation Chronicles, coupled with his family background, He Zhiyu had gained some recognition in the industry. However, his personality occasionally led to some antics. The two directors on the crew were relatively new and couldn’t handle him.

In the entire crew, apart from Yu Yan, probably only Gu Yingying and Song Yunjing could get him to listen.

Exchanging the first incense for his cooperation was undoubtedly a worthwhile trade.

After dinner, Yu Yan received a call from Shen Yuchen.

“Chen-ge, are you off work yet?” Yu Yan kicked a pebble on the roadside.

“Not yet. Are you done? I’ll come pick you up.”

The sound of a keyboard tapping came from the other end of the call—Shen Yuchen was probably still busy.

“Finished eating. I’m heading home tonight.” Yu Yan’s tone was full of regret. “My brother’s back.”

Yu Chen wasn’t as easygoing as Yu Lin and Jiang Mo. If he got upset, he might actually scold him.

The issue with Chao Xing Smart Home’s blocked exports had mostly been resolved by Shen Yuming. Yu Chen’s visit was likely just to discuss some details with the person in charge and sign the contract—nothing major that would take too long.

Plus, with Yu Chen’s wedding approaching, it was indeed time for him to return.

Just hopefully, Eric wasn’t with him!

“Alright,” Shen Yuchen replied. “When you have time, come home with me.”

“To the old house?” Yu Yan was a little surprised.

“Mm. My mom wants to meet you.”

Yu Yan hesitated for a moment. “Alright, after my brother’s wedding then. I don’t really have much time right now.”

Although he had met Zhang Shujun many times before and had some unpleasant experiences with her, this time was different. This time, Yu Yan was visiting as Shen Yuchen’s boyfriend, and that made him feel a bit nervous.

“Alright, call me if anything comes up.”

“No problem, no problem at all.”

As soon as he stepped into the house, Yu Yan was called out by Yu Chen.

“Hey, bro. Good afternoon.”

Why did he suddenly feel a bit guilty?

When he turned to meet Jiang Mo’s gaze, he felt even guiltier.