FIMA Ch178: Conclusion [Part Two]

Xie Qingxiao’s throat tightened almost instinctively.

This… this is Gu Siyuan’s voice?

He lightly rubbed his fingers together, slowly, slowly lifted his head, as if he were a stiff machine wound up—Gu Siyuan’s stern face magnified before his eyes.

“Boss…” Xie Qingxiao’s mouth slightly opened, his voice trembling.

“Mm, it’s me.” Gu Siyuan gently released him.

In that instant of separation, Xie Qingxiao seemed to see a faint smile deep in this person’s eyes.

Suddenly, his cheeks reddened slightly, and he recalled Gu Siyuan’s tone when he had just spoken. He felt an intense urge to flee, but found himself unable to move his feet or tear his eyes away.

Gu Siyuan began to inquire, “Why did you run so fast just now?”

Xie Qingxiao lowered his eyelids slightly, his face naturally regaining some of its cold and charming demeanor. “It was Ying Ze. He said you woke up.”

Gu Siyuan’s lips curled slightly.

Although the movements and sounds of the two were not loud, just as the newly engaged couple exchanged engagement rings and pledged vows, thanking and bowing to the crowd, the sudden appearance of someone at the entrance naturally attracted many eyes.

Word spread quickly among the guests. Before they knew it, the entire banquet hall had turned their gaze towards them, sparking various discussions.

Zhuang Hongkai looked at the tall figure with his back turned, his gaze deepening. This little brat, Xie Qingxiao, deliberately came to pick a fight today. He didn’t know where he found this wild kid to disrupt their intimate moment.

If he had known Xie Qingxiao’s rotten temperament, and if Professor Gu from the institute hadn’t been bedridden and unable to assist him now, he would never have allowed this trouble back into the Zhuang family.

He called out sharply, “Qingxiao, come over and toast the guests with your younger brother, okay?”

Xie Qingxiao looked up and sneered.

To toast?

He’s not getting engaged, what’s there to toast? Is it more like going to stand up for Zhuang Ming?

He said coldly, “I have a headache today and can’t drink.”

“Xie Qingxiao!” Zhuang Hongkai was furious.

The thing he cared most about in his life was his face, and Xie Qingxiao dared to give him no face in front of everyone.

On the side, Liu Qian smirked slightly, but quickly tried to pacify Zhuang Hongkai, “Oh my, Hongkai, Qingxiao has been out there for so many years without anyone to educate him. His temper has always been like this. Why are you mad at him?”

While this seemed like an attempt to defuse the situation, it actually struck a nerve and sounded harsh.

Everyone looked at each other.

Xie Qingxiao was about to retort.

Suddenly, Gu Siyuan reached out and lightly grasped Xie Qingxiao’s wrist. “Wait a moment, let me take you to dinner.”

“Ah? Oh…” Xie Qingxiao’s head buzzed, forgetting what he had wanted to do and just looked down at Gu Siyuan holding his wrist, still somewhat dazed.

Except in those absurd and unreal dreams, Gu Siyuan had never held him like this before.

Gu Siyuan turned around, his cold and stern face exposed completely under everyone’s gaze.

He looked towards Zhuang Hongkai standing nearby and said indifferently, “Qingxiao has been living a difficult life these years. I’ve been helping to support him. If Mr. Zhuang has any complaints about him, please discuss it with me directly.”

Zhuang Hongkai naturally recognized Gu Siyuan and couldn’t help but widen his eyes in astonishment.

Six months ago, Gu Siyuan had been critically injured while on an inspection trip, and despite the nation mobilizing numerous experts for consultation, the outlook was extremely pessimistic, with many saying Gu Siyuan might never wake up.

That was why he had abandoned the idea of having Zhuang Ming marry Gu Siyuan.

Afterward, to avoid gossip, he hastily arranged for Zhuang Ming to be engaged to the second son of the Cheng family.

But now, this…

“Professor Gu,” Zhuang Hongkai exclaimed, “you… you’ve recovered?”

Gu Siyuan nodded. “Mr. Zhuang, I apologize for coming unannounced and disturbing your event.”

“No, no, it’s my honor that you could come.” Zhuang Hongkai chuckled awkwardly a few times, then couldn’t help asking, “When did you wake up?”

Gu Siyuan replied calmly, “Just an hour ago.”

“Ah…” Zhuang Hongkai was momentarily stunned.

Gu Siyuan had just woken up, hadn’t even done anything else, and had come straight to his son’s engagement banquet?

Could it be… he’s here to break up the engagement?

Thinking like this, Zhuang Hongkai couldn’t help but feel immensely pleased.

His current son-in-law was the second son of the Cheng family, and while they were a good match, they couldn’t compare to someone like Professor Gu, who was a big shot in both scientific research and business.

If Gu Siyuan really came to break up the engagement, he could just announce it right here.

Love between young people, mutual consent is most important. True love is invincible. As parents, they shouldn’t force relationships and shouldn’t interfere too much…

He exchanged a glance with his wife beside him, immediately understanding each other’s unspoken agreement and expectations.

“Professor Gu, did you come here for something important?”

Gu Siyuan gripped Xie Qingxiao’s wrist, gently caressing it a few times, his eyebrows slightly raised. “So today is a happy occasion for Young Master Xie. I apologize for intruding.”

Zhuang Hongkai frowned in confusion, hesitating as he said, “Actually, Ming has long admired Professor Gu. This engagement was pressured by me and his mother…”

Xie Qingxiao smirked, interrupting, “Dad, the Cheng family is right here. What nonsense are you talking about?”

Zhuang Hongkai was taken aback, immediately realizing he had been too hasty.

He was about to say something to smooth things over.

But at that moment, an angry voice rang out.

“Fine, fine! Mr. Zhuang, if you dare to trample on the face of our Cheng family today, this matter won’t end like this.”

With that, the Cheng family and their son stormed out.

…

Xie Qingxiao followed Gu Siyuan out of the hotel’s entrance.

Gu Siyuan walked to the car door and lifted his chin slightly. “Get in.”

Xie Qingxiao glanced at the car and walked over slowly.

Gu Siyuan wasn’t one to indulge in luxuries, so there were only two cars in the garage—a shared one and a private one. Xie Qingxiao had ridden in this car a few times, but it was the first time Gu Siyuan had opened the door for him.

Today seemed to be full of firsts.

After Xie Qingxiao got in, Gu Siyuan sat down beside him. The car immediately entered autonomous driving mode.

Feeling the warmth from the person beside him and catching a hint of the faint fragrance of ice and snow tea, Xie Qingxiao couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

He wished he could cover his ears and pray that Gu Siyuan wouldn’t ask him why he had helped treat his psychic powers, why he had set up so many melodramatic worlds, and why they were entangled in such melodramatic identities.

However, Xie Qingxiao anxiously held his breath for a while.

The person beside him remained silent as if he didn’t exist.

Xie Qingxiao couldn’t help but sneak a glance at him.

Gu Siyuan was fiddling with his phone, and sensing his gaze, he turned the screen toward him. “How about this place?”

“Huh…” Xie Qingxiao was slightly confused.

How about what?

He looked at the screen, which displayed pictures of various delicious foods from his favorite restaurant.

Xie Qingxiao reminded him, “I think this restaurant doesn’t do delivery.”

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow. “Why should we do delivery? Let’s just go to the restaurant and eat.”

Xie Qingxiao looked at him in amazement.

Gu Siyuan, the workaholic, usually found even going to the cafeteria during his time at the institute a waste of time.

Thinking this, his eyes happened to sweep outside the car window. “This isn’t the way back to the institute…”

Gu Siyuan nodded. “We’re not going back. We’re going to eat.”

Xie Qingxiao blinked in surprise, about to say something, but the car had already stopped in front of the restaurant.

Gu Siyuan got out of the car first. After waiting for a moment and seeing no movement from inside, he spoke up. “Time to get out.”

Xie Qingxiao immediately scrambled out.

The two entered through the restaurant’s entrance, where a server promptly approached them.

Gu Siyuan said, “We already have a table reserved.”

“Of course, please follow me,” the server said, leading them towards a window-side table.

The table was adorned with fresh tablecloths and a bouquet of newly picked flowers, emitting a pleasant fragrance. Nearby, a violinist played melodious tunes.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Qingxiao sat opposite each other.

The server brought up the electronic menu and asked them to place their orders.

Gu Siyuan looked up. “You go first.”

Xie Qingxiao nodded. “Alright.”

He knew Gu Siyuan’s tastes very well. Deciding what Gu Siyuan would eat was even a kind of secret happiness for Xie Qingxiao.

Pointing at the menu on the screen, he said, “Braised beef brisket, secret recipe chicken pot, and also this grilled fish… Hmm, let’s add a vegetable salad.”

“Alright,” the server nodded repeatedly. “Anything else?”

Xie Qingxiao looked at Gu Siyuan. “Boss, anything else you want?”

Looking at the dishes Xie Qingxiao ordered, all of which he often ate, Gu Siyuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said to the server, “Add another dish of steamed shrimp. Yes, salt-baked shrimp, it’s a signature here, add that too.”

The server hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Alright,” and left with the electronic menu.

Although ordering two shrimp dishes on one table was a bit odd, maybe they just liked eating them…

The server hadn’t guessed wrong.

Xie Qingxiao was a huge fan of shrimp, and the reason he loved this restaurant was precisely because of their shrimp dishes.

However, eating shrimp required peeling, which was time-consuming compared to other dishes. For Gu Siyuan, a workaholic, it was definitely not something that would appear on the dining table.

When Xie Qingxiao ate with him, he wouldn’t actively order this dish.

Now, Gu Siyuan was taking the initiative…

Xie Qingxiao couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased. In other words, Gu Siyuan had been secretly paying attention to his preferences for a long time, and now he even accompanied him to eat shrimp. Could it be…

If that were the case, then Gu Siyuan shouldn’t make things difficult for him anymore or ask him about the dream worlds, right?

At that moment, Gu Siyuan’s slightly lowered voice sounded, “What are you daydreaming about?”

Xie Qingxiao quickly shook his head. “Nothing.”

Meeting his gaze, Gu Siyuan asked, “Self-reflection?”

Xie Qingxiao lowered his eyelids slightly, took a sip of the tea beside him, and pretended to be calm. “Hmm, self-reflection? What do I need to reflect on? Boss, I’ve been very honest recently.”

Gu Siyuan lightly tapped the table with his finger. “Very honest? Like setting yourself as my mission target in those nine virtual worlds, like intentionally appearing in my arms at the beginning of each world, like…”

Cough cough. Xie Qingxiao coughed uncontrollably, holding the glass in his hands.

Damn, just when he thought he wouldn’t ask! Talk about speaking of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.

Gu Siyuan glanced at him, stopping mid-sentence, and reached out to grab a tissue, handing it over to Xie Qingxiao.

Xie Qingxiao hurriedly took it, and in his haste, their fingertips brushed against each other, their hands touching briefly, sending a soft warmth from their fingertips straight to Xie Qingxiao’s heart.

Xie Qingxiao felt a bit nervous and yet somewhat eager.

Just then, his fingertips suddenly felt warm.

Xie Qingxiao widened his eyes.

Gu Siyuan turned his hand around and gently grasped a few of Xie Qingxiao’s fingers, lightly massaging them.

Xie Qingxiao immediately looked up at him. “Boss, what’s wrong?”

Gu Siyuan remained composed, gently rubbing Xie Qingxiao’s palm with his thumb, speaking casually, “You haven’t answered my earlier question yet. Using the parallel lives in the virtual world to help me recover my spiritual power was a topic we considered before. However, the various entanglements between us in those worlds, those were your additions. So, what are you thinking?”

Xie Qingxiao’s fingers trembled momentarily. He couldn’t help but try to pull his hand back, but despite Gu Siyuan’s seemingly casual grip, he couldn’t break free.

Xie Qingxiao cleared his throat lightly, trying to sound calm and steady. “I wasn’t thinking much, just randomly designing the plot.”

Gu Siyuan chuckled softly, using his free left hand to grasp Xie Qingxiao’s chin, forcing him to lift his head. Their gazes locked, unable to evade each other.

He spoke in a low voice, “Tell me the truth.”

Xie Qingxiao always feared when Gu Siyuan looked at him like this, his heart softened immediately.

He licked his lips, averting his gaze slightly. “I intentionally designed it that way.”

“Hmm, why?” Gu Siyuan nodded calmly.

Seeing him so relaxed, Xie Qingxiao couldn’t help but feel a bit aggrieved.

Hmph, clearly he initiated this, yet somehow I’m the one flustered.

His mind buzzed, his eyes widened, and almost fiercely, he said, “Can’t I enjoy the tangled, complicated relationship with you? And also, what’s wrong with us hugging? I’ve liked you all along. I want to be close to you. If I weren’t worried about you being too shocked, according to my design, I would have wanted our first meeting in each world to be directly in bed!”