Jian Yang suddenly came to a realization.

The past was the past, but what if Guan Ciyan still liked Jian Buqing in the future? If he did, and Jian Buqing found out that he had slept with him, wouldn’t he be skinned alive?

And if that happened—without Guan Ciyan’s protection, or worse, if Guan Ciyan sided with Jian Buqing against him—how would he even survive?

Jian Yang rested his chin on Guan Ciyan’s chest, hesitating before speaking. “Sir… you…”

Guan Ciyan chuckled. The moment he heard that formal ‘Sir’, he knew this little thing was about to ask for something again. Go ahead, ask for more—ask for everything. Whatever he wanted, Guan Ciyan would give, even the stars in the sky.

“What is it?”

“Sir, do you… only have me?”

Guan Ciyan had already planned to gift him an entertainment empire, yet this unexpected question caught him off guard. “Of course.”

“Then in the future… can it be just me too?” Jian Yang felt like he was asking for too much. What right did he have to ask Guan Ciyan to stay loyal to him? Watching Guan Ciyan’s expression and sensing the long pause, he quickly added, “If… if we separate, then forget it…”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Guan Ciyan interrupted. “Of course, it’s only you.”

His heart ached. Jian Yang didn’t want money, fame, or anything else—just his sincerity. How foolish. Didn’t he know that now was the best time to ask for wealth and status? No matter, there was no need to teach him.

It had been his own fault in the past, making Jian Yang wait in uncertainty. But from now on, with him by his side, Jian Yang could do whatever he pleased.

Jian Yang saw Guan Ciyan frown slightly and assumed it was because he had made an unreasonable demand—one that displeased him. Still, despite that, Guan Ciyan had agreed. He really was an exceptional rich man. Jian Yang comforted himself with that thought as he stretched and sat up.

Guan Ciyan immediately pulled him back into his arms. “Stay with me a while longer.”

“Why didn’t you sleep earlier?” Jian Yang blinked at him.

“What do you think?” Guan Ciyan found himself at a rare loss for words.

Because he couldn’t bear to close his eyes while looking at him.

How absurd.

That he could even feel embarrassed about it. Even more absurd.

So, this was what being in love felt like? Guan Ciyan chuckled. Jian Yang followed suit, his voice soft and pleading, “I’m hungry… sir…”

Last night’s battle had left him starving. Halfway through, Guan Ciyan had fed him some milk and water, a bit of cake and fruit, but with how sensitive he had been—orgasm after orgasm—those things had ended up in Guan Ciyan’s mouth in rather unspeakable ways.

“Go on, be good.” Guan Ciyan pinched his cheek. “There’s food in the kitchen’s warming box.”

Boom—Jian Yang felt his blood rush backward.

What??

What did Guan Ciyan just call him????

The pet names from last night were just playful bedroom talk—what a man said in bed couldn’t be taken seriously. But now… they weren’t even doing anything.

Had Guan Ciyan lost his mind?

Seeing his stunned reaction, Guan Ciyan reached up to rub his earlobe. “Yangyang, baby.”

“Sweetheart.”

Jian Yang: I’m going to die. Someone light a moxibustion stick for me. What is this couple’s act?!

Shit, why is my heart about to jump out of my chest?

Calm down. Calm down.

Guan Ciyan laughed. “Weren’t you bold as hell the other night? Turns out you’re actually this shy.”

“I am not,” Jian Yang huffed, smacking a hand against Guan Ciyan’s chest.

After he did, he froze. “Oh—sorry, sorry, sir, I—”

“Don’t be afraid of me.” Guan Ciyan caught his hand and held it gently. “I was wrong before. I won’t be harsh with you anymore.”

Jian Yang suddenly felt a wave of emotions rise in his chest. His eyes blinked rapidly, lids lowering, and—what was this? Why did he feel like crying?

Damn him, Jian Yang thought. If he had just stayed mean, it would’ve been fine. But suddenly apologizing? And so sincerely, too? How is anyone supposed to hold themselves together after that?

Guan Ciyan sighed, speaking seriously, “I didn’t expect us to come this far. Back then, I just wanted you to grow up a little. At your age, you’re not quite young, but not quite old either. You were too naïve. So yes, I was harsh with my words. Can you not take it to heart?”

Jian Yang’s eyes turned red, and he nodded firmly.

Even without Guan Ciyan saying it, he understood. He had scolded him, yes, but he had also taught him a lot—never once holding back knowledge.

But given a choice, who wouldn’t prefer a gentler approach?

“Then… in the future, can you use encouraging teaching methods?” Jian Yang sniffled, his voice carrying a hint of a whimper.

Guan Ciyan chuckled again. “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

“Then let’s eat,” Jian Yang rubbed his nose. “You haven’t eaten in a while either. That’s not good for your health, sir.”

He didn’t even realize how soft his tone was—like he was coquettishly acting spoiled. He left Guan Ciyan no room to refuse.

Just as sleepiness was settling in, Guan Ciyan got out of bed and followed him to eat. After their meal, they went back to sleep again, resting until the next morning.

The timing was just right. If it weren’t for the past two days being a blur, Jian Yang could have gone to work like nothing had happened.

When he opened the warming box, the dishes inside were still vibrant in color, steaming with enticing aromas. Jian Yang practically drooled—after such intense physical activity, his body craved carbs and protein more than ever. But as he reached for a bowl of spicy soup brimming with red chili peppers, he hesitated.

In the novels he read, eating spicy food after that kind of night meant suffering a very specific consequence.

While he was debating, Guan Ciyan ladled him a bowl of soup. “Eat. If you want, you can even go film your scenes later.”

Jian Yang shifted slightly in his seat.

Huh.

No discomfort at all.

Did Director Guan have such good skills? He probably didn’t have any past bed partners, right? According to the book’s plot, he remained chaste for Jian Buqing until his death. Could my presence have altered the previous storyline?

Well, that’s a good thing. That terrible plot might as well be abandoned.

Chairman Guan, who never does anything without certainty, had thoroughly studied male-male health knowledge, from driving techniques to aftercare, covering everything. This made Jian Yang suspect that he might be a seasoned veteran.

Of course, even if he was experienced, Jian Yang could understand. After all, he was the biggest villain in the entire book, and countless people adored him.

After finishing his meal, Jian Yang carefully checked himself. There were no visible marks on the skin above his neck, and only a few faint red marks on his chest and the inside of his right thigh. He put on his clothes and headed to the set. Aside from Wen Ye, who had a dark expression, everyone else asked, “Are you feeling better? Changing seasons is when you’re most likely to catch a cold.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Changing seasons also make people go into heat, Jian Yang thought, smiling as he responded.

Guan Ciyan held Jian Yang’s jacket and waited for him to finish filming. Before shooting started, Jian Yang gave him a look, signaling him to do as he pleased. Guan Ciyan chuckled softly, his gaze brimming with warmth. Confirming their relationship really makes a difference—Jian Yang is even sneaking glances at him now.

He was so focused that he didn’t even notice Bai Shun walking up next to him.

“So, Chairman Guan, you finally got what you wanted?” Bai Shun asked.

Guan Ciyan lifted his eyelids, paused for a moment, then picked up the coat from the chair beside him and said, “Sit.”

“Oh, look at you, being polite for once.”

Bai Shun sat down unceremoniously, let out a small laugh, and then sighed, “Congratulations. Jian Yang is a rare one.”

“What do you mean?” Guan Ciyan’s face remained calm, as if evaluating something.

Bai Shun was momentarily speechless. “Let me give you some advice—learn to speak properly, or you’ll suffer for it in the future.”

“What can you do to me?”

“It’s not me.” Bai Shun tilted his chin toward Jian Yang’s direction. “He can make you suffer. Jian Yang isn’t like the people around you—he doesn’t play your kind of hypocritical games. He has a strong sense of fairness. If you treat him well, he’ll treat you even better. But if you make him lose faith in you, he might resent you for a lifetime. He’s simple, but his love and hate both run deep.”

Guan Ciyan thought back to the three times Jian Yang had run away from home and was surprised by how well Bai Shun understood him. He spent every day with Jian Yang, yet he had only recently realized that Jian Yang couldn’t tolerate even a speck of deceit.

That was why he had insisted on proving his sincerity before taking the next step. Yet, Jian Yang’s love for him had surpassed even his own principles—he only wanted him and nothing else.

But how could Chairman Guan admit defeat? He replied, “Are you talking about Jian Yang, or reflecting on yourself?”

Bai Shun was provoked, propping his elbow on his knee and turning toward Guan Ciyan. “Guan Ciyan, I thought we were friends. Do you really have to be so sarcastic? You’re already satisfied, do you still have to mock me?”

“Friends?” Guan Ciyan raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, so I’m not even qualified to be friends with Chairman Guan, huh?”

Guan Ciyan chuckled and looked back at Jian Yang, but his mind was elsewhere. Bai Shun was probably the one who understood his romantic situation best.

Not Jian Yang—Jian Yang was still filled with uncertainty about his feelings. But Bai Shun had taken on the role of an advisor, much like a strategist in a love-struck young man’s scheme.

To be honest, if Bai Shun hadn’t helped deal with Wen Ye yesterday, Wen Ye would have barged into the hotel to catch them red-handed.

Looking at it from another angle, Bai Shun had repeatedly turned down his offers. With his status, he could’ve made a lot more money and gotten better opportunities in the entertainment industry. Yet, in recent years, he had deliberately maintained a slow, high-quality work pace without any ambition for expansion.

There was no direct benefit linking them together.

Bai Shun was simply helping him out.

“No,” Guan Ciyan finally answered.

“What?” Bai Shun didn’t follow.

“I mean, you barely qualify as a friend.”

“Oh, I should be thanking you then,” Bai Shun replied sarcastically before his tone grew more serious. “But I do have something I need your help with.”

“What kind of resources do you want?”

“You and your money-minded brain,” Bai Shun scoffed, smacking Guan Ciyan’s shoulder. “It’s about Wen Ye. When we wrap up filming, can you make sure he attends? I want to formally confess to him. If he finishes this shoot and runs off again, I’ll never be able to find him.”

Guan Ciyan frowned, yanking open Bai Shun’s collar. Three fresh scratch marks stood out against his skin. “Did you really just help me take a leave of absence yesterday? Or was it that Wen Ye needed some rest too?”

Bai Shun looked relieved. “Finally, someone noticed. He wouldn’t let me talk about it, and he insists it was just an accident. But I can tell—he still doesn’t trust me.”

“What exactly happened between you two?”

“When I first debuted, we worked on a movie together, and after that, we got together. You could say we became famous young? Later on, investors kept approaching him, interfering with his creative work. He dropped out of several projects halfway through.

As for me, I just wanted him to live better, so I focused on making money. I was afraid our relationship would affect my career, so we never went public. And because we were both so busy, we barely saw each other. In two years together, not a single paparazzi ever caught us.

Then he got more and more famous, and no one could interfere in our lives anymore. I thought everything was finally okay, so I wanted to ask if we should go public. But before I could, he told me he wanted to break up.

The rest, you more or less know—you helped him hide away. I searched for him for three years.”

“Honestly, Guan Ciyan, I felt wronged too. I was thinking about our future. But I feel even worse for him. He must’ve watched me change into someone he no longer liked, suffering through endless doubt and self-torment.

He’s a deeply emotional person. Even when I ignored him for three or four months at a time because of filming, he never broke up with me. But the moment things finally got better—he left.”

“This time, I have to learn from my mistakes, don’t I? Besides, I don’t want anything else anymore. I just want us to go back to how we were in the beginning. You get that, right?” Bai Shun glanced at Guan Ciyan.

“…Forget it. You wouldn’t understand. With the way you talk, one day you will understand—when it comes back to bite you.”

Guan Ciyan: “Do you still want my help or not?”