“Mr. Guan, please get in the car.” The driver, seeing the two figures, hurriedly opened the car door. His expression changed, and he cautiously pulled it open.

Jian Yang glanced at the driver. It wasn’t someone he had seen before. To Guan Ciyan, subordinates were like expendable resources—if they were useful, they were kept; if not, they were replaced. He didn’t care where the replaced ones went, nor did it matter to him.

“Is it cold?” Guan Ciyan pulled the zipper of Jian Yang’s jacket down, “You’re wet, change out of it.”

Jian Yang didn’t protest. Since he’d already decided to return with him, there was no need to keep resisting. Guan Ciyan’s long arm wrapped around his chest, and a blanket made of what seemed like animal fur was draped over him, instantly warming him. Jian Yang’s fingers clutched the blanket and pulled it closer.

Actually, he wasn’t that cold. Only his hands and face had been chilled by the wind. He had prepared to leave, so how could he have chosen thin clothes?

He was Jian Yang, who couldn’t afford to lose even a little.

Unfortunately, there was only one blanket in the car. When Jian Yang turned his head, he noticed that Guan Ciyan’s suit jacket was already soaked through, with a dark stain spreading across the back. Jian Yang thought for a moment—during their argument in the snow, the black umbrella had almost covered his head, while Guan Ciyan’s back had been exposed to the snow.

The suit was just for appearance, not for warmth. The snow melted upon contact with his back, dampening his clothes, and new snow kept falling, repeating the cycle. Jian Yang looked at Guan Ciyan’s hand. His usually pale fingers were now red, stiff when pulling tissues, and it took two attempts to pull one out.

“Close your eyes.” Guan Ciyan gently pressed a tissue against Jian Yang’s eyelashes, his brows furrowed as if handling a contract worth billions, “Are your eyes uncomfortable?”

Jian Yang didn’t have much snow on him. His eyes hurt when he cried, but they stopped hurting once he stopped.

“Open your eyes, let me see.”

Guan Ciyan cupped Jian Yang’s face, his eyes scanning carefully, “I’ll take you to Old Su tomorrow for a check-up. If it hurts, you have to endure it. Don’t rub your eyes.”

Now that Jian Yang’s body temperature was rising, he felt the coolness of Guan Ciyan’s fingers. He turned to the driver, “Master, can you turn up the air conditioning?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Warm air from the air conditioning blew on his knees, and Jian Yang felt comfortable all over. Thinking back to the first time he met Guan Ciyan, he had been cold too, and even asked the driver to turn up the air conditioning, but the driver had to check Guan Ciyan’s expression first.

Now, no matter how unreasonable his requests were, everyone would revolve around him. Jiang Ke would abandon the Jian family couple, and even beat the manager of the media company, all because he was Guan Ciyan’s chosen “Young Master.” Guan Ciyan had elevated his status to an undeserved height.

It was unstable. He would fall even harder.

Jian Yang opened half the blanket and said to Guan Ciyan, “Let’s share.”

Guan Ciyan let out a breath, “Finally willing to listen to me.”

“Does it matter whether I listen to you?” Jian Yang murmured, “You’ll always find someone else to replace me.”

“It matters.” Guan Ciyan pinched his face, looking at Jian Yang’s puffed cheeks, “It’s very important.”

At home, Zhang Bo had already arranged various heating and warming supplies. As soon as Jian Yang entered, he was urged to take a bath, and the long-absent servants were waiting in the living room to take the young master for a bath and dry him off. Jian Yang relaxed in the bathtub.

Zhang Bo knocked on the bathroom door, “Young Master, come downstairs for your medicine when you’re done. I’ve put your clothes on the bed.”

“Okay.”

Jian Yang was a little hungry, stood up from the bathtub, feeling a bit dizzy. There were winter pajamas on the bed, and he changed into them, then opened the wardrobe. As expected, there were many new winter clothes added.

Actually, returning with Guan Ciyan was quite comfortable.

Jian Yang dried his hair and went downstairs. Zhang Bo was standing by the dining table, staring blankly at the soup.

For older people, wrinkles became especially noticeable when they furrowed their brows. Jian Yang felt that after leaving for just one night, Zhang Bo seemed to have aged two years. Jian Yang felt a little guilty and jokingly said, “Zhang Bo, if you want to drink, just have a bowl.”

“Ah, Young Master,” Zhang Bo pulled out a chair, “Come quickly, don’t catch a cold again.”

The soup was ginger soup, but the seasoning was off, with a sweet aftertaste, but it wasn’t bad.

“Zhang Bo, stop worrying about me. I’m an adult now.”

Zhang Bo shook his head, “The world is too dangerous, Young Master. Don’t go running off on your own. It was my fault letting someone follow you today, but I really fear that the Jian family, or Old Master, might take you away first.”

“Old Master Guan?” Jian Yang was confused, “What can he do to me? After all, he’s a soldier, he wouldn’t break the rules, would he?”

Zhang Bo only shook his head, “You’re still young. Whether it’s a quarrel or a fight with the gentleman, don’t go to any isolated places.”

Zhang Bo’s tone was full of concern, and Jian Yang inexplicably felt guilty. He didn’t argue or try to understand, only saying, “I understand.”

He then thought, there had always been someone following him. Guan Ciyan could have just ordered someone to bring him back, why go through all that trouble arguing in the snow for two hours? Could it be that he really wanted to “reform” him, to make him willingly return and work for him?

No matter what, didn’t this prove that he was still somewhat useful to Guan Ciyan? He wouldn’t be abandoned anytime soon. If he was always this important to him, and their interests aligned, then Guan Ciyan wouldn’t dare, and certainly wouldn’t easily abandon him, considering the damage it might cause to himself.

Jian Yang’s heart gradually cleared up. Since leaving was not an option, he would just accept it. Anyway, Guan Ciyan would not mistreat him. Self-esteem was something that could only be discussed after establishing oneself. Wasn’t he still going to be subject to the director’s temper if he went out to act in some group performance?

Now that things had come to this, it was better to stay by Guan Ciyan’s side, wait until the day he was fully capable, when their interests were no longer intertwined, and then figure out how to part amicably.

This was better than being bound by the script and having no place to bury his body.

Thinking it through, Jian Yang lifted the soup bowl and drank it all at once.

After finishing, he suddenly froze. Wasn’t his idea just the same as Guan Ciyan’s? Guan Ciyan had taught him countless times to learn to use the resources around him to maximize his benefits, to always think about himself first, with little white lies and kind deceptions being harmless.

The world only cares about success and failure, not good or evil.

It turned out that Guan Ciyan had already given him the answer. It was his own stupidity, needing to experience the pain before he could understand.

“How’s it? Did you catch a cold?” Guan Ciyan came down from the stairs, walked to the dining table, and placed his big hand on Jian Yang’s forehead from behind.

Jian Yang slightly tilted his head back, the back of his head rubbing against Guan Ciyan’s abs, and their eyes met.

Plop—

A drop of water from his wet hair landed on Jian Yang’s cheek.

Guan Ciyan smiled, “Good boy, no fever this time.”

The man’s hair was a little messy from just washing, disheveled and lazy. His gaze was gentle, wrapping around him from top to bottom, his peach blossom eyes affectionate. When he looked at him seriously and with a smile, it gave the illusion of deep feelings. The usual pressure and coldness of Mr. Guan dissipated. He wiped the water off Jian Yang’s cheek with his thumb and pinched his face.

Jian Yang felt a stir in his heart and tightly closed his eyes.

Could it be that Guan Ciyan, for him, was even using a beauty trap?

Guan Ciyan pulled out a chair and sat next to Jian Yang. Jian Yang opened his eyes and froze. Guan Ciyan sat in the main seat, and he was in the first seat next to his right—this was the dining etiquette Zhang Bo had taught him.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” Guan Ciyan smiled faintly, his eyes capturing every expression on Jian Yang’s face.

“Achoo—” Guan Ciyan sneezed.

Jian Yang quickly moved the soup from the main seat to Guan Ciyan’s side, hurriedly saying, “Drink it quickly.”

Guan Ciyan smiled without replying and slowly drank the soup.

Since he had decided to accept Jian Yang’s feelings for him, he naturally didn’t want to keep too much distance. On the way back from the villa, he had figured it out. Although it wasn’t yet time for marriage, he could try to accept the idea of having someone by his side—no, having Jian Yang by his side.

The proper status would come when their relationship stabilized, and he would certainly give it to him.

He didn’t expect to come home and hear that Jian Yang had run away. The little thing had quite the temper. Now wasn’t the time to talk, so Guan Ciyan thought, wait. He sat next to Jian Yang, and Jian Yang should know what that meant.

After all, Jian Yang wasn’t as naïve as he used to be.

“Are you hungry? Want something to eat?” Guan Ciyan felt his throat a little sore, but it didn’t affect his happy mood. He wanted to stay with Jian Yang for another late-night snack.

Jian Yang’s first reaction was to refuse, saying it was too late and too troublesome, but the words changed as they left his mouth. “I want fish.”

“Fish?” Guan Ciyan seemed surprised by the answer, but then he smiled and praised him, “Not bad, you’re learning to make requests.”

“Zhang Bo, make some fish soup, light on the seasoning.”

“Alright, sir.”

Zhang Bo happily went to prepare the fish.

Even in a family like the Jian family, they only ate freshly killed fish, let alone something like fish soup, which required high-quality ingredients. Jian Yang had deliberately said it this way, but he didn’t expect that Guan Ciyan would see through his thoughts and even praise him.

Even Zhang Bo was happy.

It was as if making a request was a big deal to celebrate.

Not knowing how to get fresh fish at this time, Jian Yang heard Zhang Bo on the phone. The kitchen glass door wasn’t fully closed, and he heard faint “okay” sounds.

Jian Yang curled his fingers into a fist, feeling uncomfortable with the guilt of causing trouble for others, especially Zhang Bo, the kind elderly man who had always been good to him.

“Actually, we don’t have to…” Jian Yang wanted to take back what he had just said.

“Drink something sweet to fill up.” Guan Ciyan poured Jian Yang a glass of milk, “Xiao Jian, do you really want fish?”

Jian Yang stared blankly at Guan Ciyan’s almost-smiling expression, feeling as if he had been seen through. There was an impulse to confess and admit his fault.

No, Jian Yang told himself. Don’t forget the reason you came back.

He nodded, looking a little nervous, his gaze timid and with a real sense of guilt, making it hard for anyone to be suspicious.

“What else do you want?”

Jian Yang saw the playful look in Guan Ciyan’s eyes, and teasingly said, “Can I have anything I want?”

His pretend nonchalance made Guan Ciyan see only two words—cute!

Guan Ciyan turned his body, resting his hand on the back of the chair, his arm muscles pressing against his thin sweater. His broad shoulders displayed the strength of a grown man. The collar of his shirt was wet from his hair, and the damp ends of his hair covered his forehead, making him look younger and more approachable than usual. As he spoke, his Adam’s apple bobbed, wet with droplets, moving up and down.

“Anything you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Jian Yang swallowed, his curled fingers pressing into his palm. He said in a hoarse voice, “I want a company, one built just for me, with only me as the artist.”