As expected, by the third day of treatment, Guan Ciyan had neither come to see him nor called once.

Jian Yang had acupuncture every day, and by the end of each session, the places where the needles had been inserted ached and felt numb, making him very uncomfortable. Su Lao said that the flow of Qi and blood was blocked and could not be resolved by itself, so acupuncture was necessary. The treatment took place in a stuffy and hot room, and after every session, both of them were drenched in sweat.

On the third day, his condition improved slightly, but Jian Yang was restless, holding his phone. As long as Guan Ciyan was in front of him, it was fine, but once he was not there, Jian Yang became anxious, fearing that Guan Ciyan might be planning something bad. His company was still in its early stages; what if Guan Ciyan decided to give it away?

At that moment, Jian Yang was incredibly glad he had built a persona of someone who liked Guan Ciyan, so he could openly inquire about his whereabouts.

“Mr., are you busy?”

As dusk fell, Jian Yang sent a message to Guan Ciyan.

Guan Ciyan had just landed from a flight.

He had arranged an international conference long ago but had delayed it to wait for Jian Yang’s second treatment. Fortunately, after the first phase of treatment, there were no issues, and the results were slightly better than expected. With the second phase beginning smoothly, he finally had time to handle his work.

During the three days abroad, he was extremely busy, changing clothes only twice. Whenever he had free time, he refrained from calling Jian Yang because of the four-hour time difference, not wanting to disturb his rest. The ungrateful person didn’t even send him a message.

Recalling Jian Yang’s anxious look when they parted, Guan Ciyan automatically forgave Jian Yang for not keeping in touch. The beginning of their relationship wasn’t ideal, so giving Jian Yang some more time to adjust was better. In any case, his heart was still with him.

He had prepared flowers and a cake, planning to visit the next day, but as soon as he got out of the car, he received Jian Yang’s message.

Guan Ciyan was always quick with his work. As he pulled his luggage out of the terminal, he immediately returned Jian Yang’s call.

“I’m not busy. Is there something you need?”

Jian Yang was momentarily choked up. This cold tone—did it mean that they couldn’t contact each other unless there was something urgent? That couldn’t be, right? What if Guan Ciyan was lured away by those young actors who were not only talented but also physically fit?

What was his advantage? Wasn’t it the fact that Guan Ciyan trusted his feelings for him? Jian Yang quickly emphasized his own advantage. “Nothing important, just missed you, Mr. Guan.”

His uncertain tone, however, was misinterpreted by Guan Ciyan, who thought Jian Yang was shy. Feeling pleased, he couldn’t resist teasing, “How much do you miss me?”

Jian Yang thought: Is this the boss? Why does he always like to ask such questions?

“Probably, maybe as much as I miss you in the summer.”

They say dogs are the most loyal, so this comparison must be right.

The magnetic sound of Guan Ciyan’s laughter came through the receiver, and Jian Yang’s ears tingled. To be honest, Guan Ciyan was indeed like a dog in a good way—his looks, voice, and figure were flawless.

Just hearing him laugh made his heart flutter.

“Jian Yang.” Guan Ciyan elongated his name, with an ambiguous undertone. Jian Yang’s face flushed with heat.

What was going on? Was it just because it was nighttime that he was feeling this way?

“Do you know that border collies are the least loyal dogs? When there’s danger, they run away first, and if you give them food, they consider you their master. Summer never misses me.”

“Huh?” Jian Yang reasonably suspected that Guan Ciyan was slandering dogs. “Then why do you keep one?”

“Because it never hides its true nature.”

“Ah…” Jian Yang half-understood, feeling like Guan Ciyan might have some M tendencies.

“So, why haven’t you sent me a message for three days? How do you explain that?” Guan Ciyan asked without any courtesy.

Jian Yang: Wait a minute! This isn’t the direction the plot was supposed to take! I wasn’t prepared for this line!

He improvised.

“You didn’t send me any messages either,” Jian Yang complained. “Did you meet someone more suitable for me outside?”

“Go knock on Su Lao’s door,” Guan Ciyan said.

“Why?”

“Let him check if there’s something wrong with your brain.”

The familiar feeling of being scolded reassured Jian Yang, and a smile appeared at the corner of his eyes. “Tch.”

“There’s no one else, right?”

Guan Ciyan took his luggage off the conveyor belt with both hands, using his shoulder to hold the phone, unwilling to hang up. “Aren’t you tired? Old Su said you should be sleeping by now.”

“I’m okay,” Jian Yang moved his shoulders and neck, “I slept too much during the day. Are you going out?”

Guan Ciyan had just gotten into the car. “How do you know?”

“I heard the car door close,” Jian Yang said heavily. “It’s already 10:30.”

Guan Ciyan felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Was he being checked on?

He covered the receiver and told the driver, “Go pick up the flowers first, and make sure the cake is ready quickly.”

Driver: What flowers and cake? Isn’t today the day you’re supposed to return to the company?

Luckily, they had their own small group for coordinating the boss’s schedule. Another driver had indeed received the task of picking up the flowers and cake, but it was scheduled for the next day. The group immediately updated Guan Ciyan’s personal assistant.

The assistant contacted the flower and cake shops overnight to adjust the pickup time.

The driver was sweating as the car moved slowly, trying to buy more time for the assistant.

Guan Ciyan, immersed in the phone conversation, didn’t notice these small details. “So, I can’t go out at 10:30?”

“No,” Jian Yang sounded disappointed, “I just wanted to remind you, sir, early to bed, early to rise is good for your health.”

“Oh,” Guan Ciyan raised his voice intentionally, “Then who was wandering by the sea at 1 AM without going home?”

“I…” Jian Yang found it difficult to keep Guan Ciyan from seeing other people, so he decided to play the considerate role, “Last time, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have kept you from resting. It’s normal for you to be busy, just don’t stay up too late.”

This time, Guan Ciyan had nothing to say. He remembered Jian Yang wasn’t usually this obedient—usually, he would throw a tantrum and not let him go.

He guessed that Jian Yang didn’t trust him because of what happened before, so he stopped teasing him. “Don’t worry, take care of yourself.”

“Okay, sir, you get busy, don’t worry about me.” Jian Yang’s voice trailed off, and it made Guan Ciyan feel uneasy.

“Behave.”

After hanging up, Guan Ciyan quickly told the driver to get out and drove the car himself at full speed to Old Su’s house.

He was afraid that Jian Yang would fall asleep again if he was a little late.

Jian Yang hung up the phone and sat on the bed, scratching his head. What if Guan Ciyan really replaced him?

This treatment was taking up too much time. He couldn’t wait to get on set tomorrow and start filming. The more scenes he filmed, the higher the cost for Guan Ciyan to replace him, and the more at ease he would feel.

Tomorrow, he was going to remind Guan Ciyan to arrange for him to start filming soon.

With everything planned out, Jian Yang still had trouble sleeping. The previous experiences had made him nervous, worrying that when he woke up tomorrow, he would receive bad news.

Unable to sleep, Jian Yang slipped on his slippers, put on a long black down jacket over his white pajamas, and went outside for a walk.

As soon as he opened the door, his breath turned into white mist. “It’s so cold, it’s almost New Year’s.”

If he were still in the original world, his sister would have already started preparing for the New Year by now. Jian Yang walked slowly under the moonlight, wondering if his sister was looking at the same moon.

Although Guan Ciyan wasn’t a good person, since coming to this world, Guan Ciyan had been the one who accompanied him the most.

He wasn’t sure if he would return to the Guan family for the New Year. If he went back, he would be spending the holiday alone.

The area was full of similar little courtyards, with short distances between them. Occasionally, he could hear the barking of dogs. Jian Yang circled behind the house and returned to the front door, where he saw a familiar license plate.

Guan Ciyan came out of the courtyard, holding flowers and carrying a cake. Jian Yang’s eyes lit up, and he smiled instantly, “Sir!”

He ran over a few steps, his slippers making a slapping sound on the ground. “Sir, what are you doing here? Didn’t you say you were going out?”

Guan Ciyan had been frowning, rushing over, only to find no one at home. It was late and cold, and his first reaction was that Jian Yang had run away again, and he didn’t know where to find him.

When he saw Jian Yang running towards him with a smile, his anger melted away like snowflakes in his hands.

“Yeah, I was going out,” Guan Ciyan said, his tone slightly angry.

Jian Yang immediately understood. Guan Ciyan had gone out to see him but didn’t find him.

Jian Yang, full of smiles, approached him. “Is this for me?”

The sunflowers and daisies were wrapped in old newspaper. The yellow and white flowers were bright and vibrant, contrasting with the nostalgic beauty of the old paper. Jian Yang took the bouquet from him, “So beautiful, sir.”

Guan Ciyan had no choice but to rest his palm on Jian Yang’s head. His soft hair brushed against his hand, and the itchy feeling from the hard roots made him feel restless. After three days of international business, he felt as though he had been floating in the clouds. Aside from relationships, it was all about numbers. Now, thinking back, he couldn’t even remember the faces of the people he had spent the whole evening socializing with.

“Sir, sir?” Jian Yang called out, “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, is it cold? You’re out here so late.”

Jian Yang tugged at his collar. “This outfit costs 19,800.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Guan Ciyan naturally took Jian Yang’s hand and led him back to the room, as if he were entering his own space.

On the table was an unopened cake.

The bouquet had lost its appeal. Jian Yang tossed it on the table and walked straight to the cake, his eyes filled with the words: I want to eat it.

“Old Su said you shouldn’t eat things that are too sweet,” Jian Yang said with a mischievous smile.

“Well, then I won’t eat it,” Guan Ciyan took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack.

“No, you brought it all the way here!”

While hanging up his coat, Guan Ciyan turned around, only to find that Jian Yang had already unwrapped the cake and was happily cutting a slice.

Guan Ciyan grabbed the knife from his hand and cut a piece about the size of a palm. “This is all there is. Once it’s gone, there’s no more.”

“Sir—” Jian Yang stretched out his tone.

Guan Ciyan shook his head.

“How wasteful.” Jian Yang furrowed his brow, his words implying that he wanted to eat more.

“It’s not wasteful. There are others who will eat.” Guan Ciyan unbuttoned his shirt, crossed his long legs, and sat on the redwood bench against the wall. His tone seemed to carry a hint of intentional irritation.

Jian Yang hummed, lowering his head to eat a small piece of cake. Guan Ciyan was really something—knowing full well he couldn’t eat, yet he specifically brought it. And now, he could only have a tiny bit.

Was he trying to make him crave it?

The light in the room was dim, half illuminated by the moonlight outside the window. Jian Yang sat at the edge of the bed, bathed in moonlight, his pure white pajamas reflecting a faint glow. Guan Ciyan had also undone his shirt’s buttons, exhaled a breath, and settled into the moment.

In a world full of uncertainties, the person in front of him and the moonlight were real, and the sweet, cloying scent of the cake hanging in the air was undeniable.

“Jian Yang.” When Guan Ciyan called his name, a white and beautiful little hamster turned its head to look at him.

“It’s nothing, eat it.”