SFBF CH48

“You…”
Facing Gu Huaiyu, who had stood up, Shen Qing subconsciously wanted to say something. But Gu Huaiyu reminded him that he needed to change clothes, so Shen Qing immediately muttered, “Oh, oh, oh,” and backed out.

…He backed out directly backwards.
Walking so stiffly that he was almost moving his same arm and leg at the same time.

He took one last look at President Gu’s thin and frail, yet exceptionally slender and tall figure, then flashed to the side, disappearing from Gu Huaiyu’s field of vision.

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

Outside the door, Shen Qing: …
He subconsciously paced back and forth.
What do I do? What’s going on? It seems like no one ever told me that Gu Huaiyu could actually stand up!

…Did I transmigrate into the wrong book?
Shen Qing’s eyes widened in an instant, his expression looking a bit deflated.

…No, wait. Even so, the big shot had actually explained it to him already. He just needed to use a wheelchair, but it wasn’t that he couldn’t stand… Perhaps he just didn’t have the strength most of the time and had to rely on the wheelchair…

Before Shen Qing’s grandparents passed away, they were basically in this state.
So he didn’t transmigrate into the wrong book; he just didn’t know this specific setting regarding Gu Huaiyu.

But thinking of this, Shen Qing clutched his chest.
It started to feel stifled and tight again.

His grandparents were both severely ill, in the twilight of their lives, with absolutely no strength left in their bodies, unable to walk independently, which was why they sat in wheelchairs.
Didn’t that mean… President Gu’s days were also numbered?

But President Gu is still so young!
Muscle and tissue damage in the elderly is almost irreparable, but young people have natural vitality, so it shouldn’t be that exaggerated.
Unless he had suffered some sort of irreversible damage. But Gu Huaiyu didn’t look like he had.

When he used to accompany patients in the hospital, Shen Qing had seen some severely ill young people. There were many who were sick to the point where it was genuinely difficult to get up. But someone like President Gu, who was sickly yet could persistently work—and even endure late nights better than ordinary people…
It was really hard to imagine what his condition was.

Could it be that his natural willpower is so tenacious that it exceeds the limits of ordinary people?
Or does he just not feel pain?
So President Gu is…

While he was lost in thought, Gu Huaiyu had already grabbed his clothes and wheeled himself to the bathroom.
Passing through the corridor, his movements paused for a moment. Gu Huaiyu turned his face slightly, but both of them remained silent; neither spoke a word.

The bathroom had double doors. After Gu Huaiyu entered, he skillfully closed them.
Only then did Shen Qing realize—the big shot was taking his clothes into the bathroom to take a shower first, and then he would change into them.
Which meant he wouldn’t change his clothes directly in the walk-in closet.

Then why was he in such a hurry to shoo me out?
Could it be that Gu Huaiyu was feeling shy?

…He had to admit, the big shot having such a strong sense of boundaries somehow made him feel a bit more at ease…
The shock of him actually being able to stand up was quite significant to Shen Qing, after all.
…
Who knew if there would be any other unexpected situations he hadn’t anticipated?

Facts proved that President Gu, who could take care of himself, could indeed shower on his own without needing anyone to serve him.
The sound of running water soon echoed from the bathroom.

Outside, Shen Qing listened to the splashing water while idly scrolling through his phone.
His mind was a bit messy. He scrolled through all his usual apps but couldn’t settle down to read anything closely.

Finally, he tried logging into a currently popular dating and advice forum and posted a thread:
[I didn’t know my husband could stand up before, but today he suddenly could. What should I do?]
[1L: Seeking help, what should I do? He is taking a shower right now, and I am waiting for him to come out. May I ask if I should ask him anything in a bit?]

He refreshed the page, and someone replied quickly:
“If he stands, he stands. Just enjoy it.”
“Coming here late at night to show off your PDA? Or are you roleplaying a trope?”
“What’s there to ask… Just do him. Ask him if he brought condoms.”

Shen Qing: …
The hand holding the phone trembled.
What the hell…

It was obvious the netizens had misunderstood.
Great, now he was even more anxious.
Flushed and exasperated, he exited the forum. A short while later, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

After another moment, the bathroom door opened.
Gu Huaiyu had changed into his pajamas, still sitting in his wheelchair. His hair was half-dry, still looking somewhat wet.

He didn’t seem to expect Shen Qing to still be standing nearby and was momentarily taken aback. Meanwhile, Shen Qing’s focus was completely skewed: “Didn’t you say you can’t be exposed to drafts? Why didn’t you blow-dry your hair before coming out?!”

Saying this, Shen Qing forcefully pushed the man back into the bathroom without allowing any room for argument.
Gu Huaiyu, who was being treated this forcefully for the first time since getting into a wheelchair and hadn’t even had time to resist: “…”

After a moment of silence, Gu Huaiyu explained, “The floor heating in the room is very warm. I won’t catch a cold.”
Despite his words, he still clutched his chest, his face deathly pale.

“It is very warm, but you still need to dry your hair.”
Having stayed upstairs for a while, Shen Qing found that the floor heating on the third floor was indeed hotter than downstairs.
He was even sweating a little in his loungewear.

But the big shot is so weak he’s bound to a wheelchair, what is he trying to act cool for! …Shen Qing immediately positioned President Gu in front of the mirror and picked up the hairdryer from the wall.

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

Gu Huaiyu usually kept a 30/70 parted hairstyle. Combed back, it looked like a classic domineering CEO haircut. But since he didn’t specifically style it on a daily basis, his bangs were actually on the longer side.
Because of this, the moment Shen Qing turned on the hairdryer, President Gu’s hair blew wildly all over the place, directly covering his entire forehead.

While drying his hair, Shen Qing observed the big shot in the mirror.
…Not gonna lie, this hairstyle actually made him look younger.
And he didn’t look quite as cold and aloof anymore.
Perhaps it was because his eyes were completely covered.

Gu Huaiyu, whose hairstyle was being scrutinized by the young man: “…”
His hands subconsciously gripped the armrests of his wheelchair, though he remained perfectly still on the surface.
Supporting his slender neck, his back perfectly straight, he met the young man’s gaze through the mirror.

Shen Qing said, “You really have to dry your hair, otherwise if you keep catching colds, how will your body ever get better?”
The long fingers gripping the armrests began to tap lightly up and down. Gu Huaiyu stayed silent, letting the young man blow-dry his hair.

The area in front of the sink was filled with the lingering steam from the bathroom and the scent of the body wash he had just used.
But Gu Huaiyu could smell a refreshing, sweet scent coming from the young man.
It was strawberry.

Shen Qing added, “Besides, your hair is so short, it dries really fast. It’s no trouble at all to just blow-dry it.”
As he spoke, he had already finished.

Shen Qing picked up a wooden comb from the counter and gave the big shot’s messy hair a simple comb-through.
—It was probably due to his naturally good hair texture; it didn’t require much styling. Just a simple comb after washing was enough.
Especially since Gu Huaiyu had such a great foundational look. As long as his hair wasn’t a complete rat’s nest, it didn’t make much difference whether it was perfectly styled or not.

Of course, Shen Qing’s own foundation was great too, but his hair texture was on the stiffer side. After washing, he had to style it immediately, otherwise, once it dried, it was impossible to change.
And if he didn’t fix it before going to sleep, he would wake up with a bird’s nest on his head the next day.

After combing Gu Huaiyu’s hair, Shen Qing put down the comb and noticed the other man was still watching him through the mirror.
Blinking at the mirror, Shen Qing asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Huaiyu said, “You seem very good at taking care of people.”

Recalling his past experiences of taking on household duties early on as a child from a poor family, Shen Qing immediately agreed: “Yeah… I guess I’m alright. …Just average?”
As he spoke, he hesitated. Meeting Gu Huaiyu’s appraising gaze, Shen Qing started to feel uncertain as to why the big shot was suddenly asking this.

Gu Huaiyu didn’t commit to a response.
A moment later, he abruptly added, “You’re also very good at taking care of patients.”

Shen Qing: “…”
He realized that while he had experience nursing his grandparents, the original owner of this body did not.
However, Shen Qing didn’t panic: “It’s just because I spent so much time serving people in the past, so I learned a bit about everything.”

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu raised an eyebrow slightly: “Serving people? What people?”
Shen Qing: “Just back when I was in the Shen family.”

Before his debut, the original owner was nothing more than a laborer within the Shen family. And there were many “collateral Shen relatives” like his family; they were technically relatives but not quite treated as such. They just managed to secure a steady bite to eat at the Shen house, and naturally, they had to do all sorts of chores.
So answering like this wouldn’t leave any plot holes.
The big shot wouldn’t go as far as investigating what exactly my chores were in the Shen family, right?

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu indeed didn’t say anything more.
He just continued to scrutinize him with a deep, sharp gaze.

Shen Qing let him stare, and suddenly threw a question back at him: “Since you can stand up, Boss, why don’t you get up and exercise more usually… Do you need rehab? Or?…”

Leaning back slightly, Gu Huaiyu asked, “You care about me a lot?”
This movement caused the big shot to tilt his head up slightly. Shen Qing met his eyes directly through the mirror, stating it as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “Of course, you’re my husband. If I don’t care about you, who else would I care about?”

“…”
Meeting the young man’s gaze, Gu Huaiyu fell silent.
After a brief silence, he suddenly said, “Don’t think I don’t know that you like Shen Yuan.”

Shen Qing: “??? How did you know?”
His expression filled with shock and astonishment; this was his genuine first reaction. He was curious how Gu Huaiyu knew. After all, the big shot was busy with a myriad of affairs every day, in poor health, and extremely strict.
No matter how you looked at it, nobody would dare gossip in front of him.
Therefore, the fact that “he” liked Shen Yuan could only have been something Gu Huaiyu actively investigated.
In other words… Gu Huaiyu had investigated him.
He just didn’t know if it was a past investigation or an ongoing one…

Sigh, as someone who had previously abused the cubs and almost colluded with others to murder the big shot, Shen Qing always got nervous at times like this.

Gu Huaiyu watched the young man’s less-than-calm reaction, the depths of his eyes growing even gloomier.
He slowly retorted, “Is there anyone who doesn’t know about this?”

Shen Qing: “…”
Oh, right.
The way the original owner looked at Shen Yuan couldn’t hide his feelings. Aside from Shen Yuan himself, basically everyone who knew him was aware.
The entertainment industry was chaotic, and there was so much discussion about him recently; it was entirely possible the big shot had caught wind of some rumors. There was really no need for him to be so tense.

No longer nervous, Shen Qing replied: “Yes, there is. Shen Yuan himself doesn’t know.”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”
He fell silent again.

Shen Qing: “?”
Now what?

Gu Huaiyu closed his eyes, stayed silent for another long moment, and suddenly said, “Then do you need me to help tell him for you?”

Shen Qing: …
“…I absolutely do not mean that!…”

But Gu Huaiyu didn’t listen to his explanation. Propping his long fingers against his forehead and tapping his temple, he said, “Shen Yuan has had a boyfriend for a long time. You should find someone else to like as soon as possible.”
His voice was hoarse and low, his narrow phoenix eyes half-closed, revealing a trace of exhaustion.

Shen Qing: “…”
It’s here.
President Gu’s earnest, old-cadre-style lecturing has appeared!
Except previously he was advising him to work hard and strive, and now he was advising him on his love life…

Of course I know Shen Yuan has a boyfriend. If Shen Yuan didn’t single-mindedly love Lu Jingyi, the original owner wouldn’t have married as a substitute for love!
And then you, Boss, wouldn’t be involved at all.

Shen Qing smiled and said, “…Don’t worry, I let go of romantic attachments a long time ago… I have transcended worldly desires!”

Hearing him say this, Gu Huaiyu suddenly opened his eyes.
His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, resembling a male lion tired after patrolling its territory all day, carrying a sense of lethargy and fatigue.
But no one would let their guard down just because of a fierce beast’s momentary lethargy.
Looking straight at him, Gu Huaiyu’s gaze remained severe, cold, and solemn.

He slowly, methodically drew a conclusion: “So it seems you really do like Shen Yuan a lot.”

Shen Qing: ?
Where did you even get that from?

Gu Huaiyu: “You would rather give up worldly desires for him.”
“?”
“I’m afraid your current decadence is also because of him.”

Shen Qing: “…”
Holy crap?
What kind of top-tier comprehension and analytical skills does this boss have?

As the person in question, Shen Qing was dumbfounded.
…The critical point was that he couldn’t let anyone think he still liked Shen Yuan!
Lu Jingyi, the man behind Shen Yuan, was a psycho and hard to deal with!
Although it was highly improbable that President Gu would go outside and gossip about him.
But letting him believe he liked Shen Yuan was entirely pointless.

Shen Qing hurriedly said, “No, it’s not like that!”
Gu Huaiyu: “Then what is it?”

Shen Qing: …He simply threw his arms around Gu Huaiyu in a big hug. “Mainly, it’s because I already have you, my husband!”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”
The young man’s every approach was abrupt and unexpected. Gu Huaiyu’s long fingers, originally propping up his forehead, trembled, and before he knew it, he was wrapped in a full embrace.
He could no longer maintain his previous posture.
Gu Huaiyu stiffened his neck, a momentary look of shock appearing on his face.

Shen Qing: “Ugh, let’s not talk about that anymore. Why did we bring up Shen Yuan again…”
Weren’t they just talking about the big shot’s ability to stand?!
Priding himself on being decent at conversation, Shen Qing directly yanked the topic back: “So, Boss, can you actually stand or not? If you practice more, will you be able to stand for longer? What exactly… happened to you before?”

Embraced from behind, Gu Huaiyu remained motionless.
Keeping his eyes on the mirror, he saw the young man hugging him tilt his head up, revealing a pair of bright, clear eyes and a delicate, pointed chin.
In his early twenties, brimming with youth and overflowing with vitality.

Gu Huaiyu looked at the image in the mirror. Within a few seconds, he found himself unable to maintain his composure and averted his eyes.

Shen Qing was still talking: “Whether you believe it or not, I truly hope you get better.”

“…Okay.”
Looking away, Gu Huaiyu said, “I know.”

Shen Qing: “…”
Don’t know what the big shot ‘knows’ this time.
But perhaps whatever he had experienced was truly not something he could casually share. Shen Qing had no intention of forcibly prying into someone’s privacy.
After thinking for a second, the arms hugging the big shot from behind tightened a bit more.

Gu Huaiyu: “?”
He sharply snapped his gaze back to the mirror.

Because Shen Qing had tightened his arms, his face was even closer to the big shot’s.
Almost to the point where their ears were touching.
He also looked at their reflection in the mirror, feeling that this scene was surprisingly pleasant to the eye—if President Gu were a celebrity, his face card wouldn’t be any lower than the male lead Lu Jingyi’s.

Admiring the two handsome guys in the mirror, Shen Qing gently patted Gu Huaiyu with his hand.
His arms were crossed over the other man’s chest, which put his hands just at the right position to pat the big shot’s shoulder.

While patting gently, Shen Qing said, “Then let’s not talk about unhappy things. Anyway, I believe everything will get better.”
…The spiritual victory method!
In the past, when he was exhausted and forced to work overtime, Shen Qing would comfort himself like this—Everything will get better anyway, all the current suffering will pass.
Facts proved his mindset wasn’t wrong.
Weren’t his circumstances much better now?
And the main reason things had gotten better was that the big shot treated him well and was very generous with money…

Thinking of this, Shen Qing hugged him, feeling even less inclined to move.

“…”
Gu Huaiyu’s entire body went rigid. He abruptly looked down at the spot where the young man had patted him.

As if Shen Qing already knew what he was going to say, he spoke first: “Don’t be so serious, it’s just a hug. Don’t tell me you don’t like hugging like this? You might not know this, Boss, but humans are primate social animals, and sometimes we just need to hug and cuddle (贴贴)!”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

Later, Gu Huaiyu went to the bedroom to sleep first, while Shen Qing stayed in the bathroom to wash up.
Originally, he wanted to go back to his gaming room, wash up, and then return, but the big shot said his rest wouldn’t be disturbed, so Shen Qing didn’t bother making the trek.

Perhaps the indoor temperature upstairs was truly on the high side; Shen Qing suddenly found himself yawning incessantly.
Considering he had worked all day and skipped his afternoon nap, he was genuinely sleepy now.
He simply took a quick shower, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed as quietly as possible.

There was only a small lamp on in the bedroom now, located right by Shen Qing’s bedside.
Because the bed was so large, the light only illuminated half of the big shot’s side profile. He could vaguely make out that the big shot was lying flat on his back. His sleeping posture was very orderly, showing a strong sense of boundaries, with a noticeable distance between him and Shen Qing’s side.

The room was extremely quiet.
Afraid of waking the other man, Shen Qing tried his best to avoid making any sound.
Climbing into bed, he gently pulled the covers over himself.

During this, Gu Huaiyu shifted slightly, and Shen Qing saw him slowly open his eyes.
“You’re not asleep yet…”
Saying this, Shen Qing made a slightly larger movement to pull the blanket over himself, swiftly turned off the bedside lamp on his side, and stopped moving.
He suspected the light from his lamp had shined into the big shot’s eyes.

In the darkness, the scent of Gu Huaiyu’s perfume washed over him.
Of course, Shen Qing knew the big shot didn’t deliberately spray perfume; it was just that his body wash and shampoo shared this scent. Shen Qing strongly suspected even his laundry detergent smelled like this—
A highly sophisticated, recognizable fragrance. Most importantly, it wasn’t pungent. Only a fragrance made from pure essential oils could give off such a vibe—exuding an aura of expense and nobility from every note.

So Shen Qing actually liked this scent quite a bit.
Although what he himself used was still the children’s body wash… Ahem, can’t waste it, right?
Besides, the body wash the cubs used was also very expensive!

Enveloped in a scent he liked, lying on what felt like a highly ergonomic bed, Shen Qing felt he would soon enter dreamland.
“Go to sleep, goodnight,” he said.
Gu Huaiyu replied, “Goodnight.”

Shen Qing turned slightly, putting his back to Gu Huaiyu—he never liked sleeping flat on his back.
He could fall asleep quickly lying on his left or right side.

Just as he adjusted his posture, he suddenly heard Gu Huaiyu say, “In a while… if I am still alive, I will tell you what happened.”
His voice was a bit low, lacking any inflection, but not as cold and severe as usual.
It sounded somewhat similar to someone sleep-talking.

Shen Qing: ?
Hearing this, he subconsciously rolled over, turning to face Gu Huaiyu.
The curtains in the room were completely drawn, blocking out any light, so he couldn’t see the other man’s face.
Perhaps this kind of darkness made it easier for people to speak their true feelings. Shen Qing weighed his words and asked, “Does ‘in a while’ mean… when you return to the hospital for surgery?”

Gu Huaiyu said, “Yes.”

Shen Qing: …
I knew it, it’s definitely not a minor surgery!
But is it so serious that it’s a matter of life and death? Are the surgical risks that high?
And why does he have to be alive to tell me… Does the big shot really think he might not make it back alive?

Looking at the blurred silhouette in the distance, Shen Qing said, “…Don’t worry, you will definitely come back alive.”
He wasn’t just saying this blindly. In his memory, Gu Huaiyu didn’t die from a surgery.
In the original novel, someone was actively trying to harm President Gu, yet he still managed to survive this winter. Not to mention now…

In the dark, he sensed Gu Huaiyu turning his head to look at him.
Shen Qing closed his eyes and said, “Don’t overthink it. I think you’re still young, you can definitely recover. Otherwise, you can exercise with me tomorrow.”
“Exercise?”
“Yeah.”
Shen Qing: “Since you can stand up, you should move around more every day and try standing up. Later, when the weather gets warmer, you should go out for walks and get some sun… Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone quite like… quite like you!”

Shen Qing wanted to say someone so lifeless.
Yes, exactly like someone who had given up on their vitality and didn’t even want to be lively.
He remembered the young people he had seen in the hospital; most of them couldn’t bear staying still. Even with a crippled leg, they couldn’t help but fidget. Those severely ill tried every possible method to get cured. They desperately wanted to get better, willing to visit every hospital under the sun as long as there was a glimmer of hope.

But Gu Huaiyu was the exact opposite.
Yes.
Shen Qing now understood exactly what it was that made him feel so shocked and unsettled.
It was that the big shot was simply too calm.

…Anyone approaching death would feel some fear, wouldn’t they?
But Gu Huaiyu seemingly had none.
Even just now, when he said “if I am still alive,” he merely proposed it as a hypothesis, showing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

…Is he really not afraid of death?
How does President Gu manage to sit so still?
Doesn’t his back hurt from sitting all the time?

Shen Qing expressed his lack of understanding. He completely didn’t understand.
“Anyway, I’m going to give you special training tomorrow. You’d better be prepared,” Shen Qing declared.

“Special training?”
Gu Huaiyu’s voice carried a trace of oddity. A moment later, he abruptly asked again, “You want me to live?”

That low, hoarse, yet richly textured voice rang out again, forcing a sleepy Shen Qing to briefly process the thought: …If I remember correctly, the big shot asked me this exact question a few days ago.
So is there a need to repeatedly confirm it?

He subconsciously yawned, snuggled deeper into the covers, and said, “Of course.”
…

There were no more sounds after that, and Shen Qing drifted off into dreamland without realizing it.
The dark night was completely silent.

In the middle of the night, Shen Qing suddenly woke up—woken up by the heat.
The faint, luxurious fragrance reminded him whose room he was in. Shen Qing groggily thought that the big shot’s room was indeed very hot.
…Actually, it wasn’t Gu Huaiyu’s room that was hot; it was that he was wearing too much. Previously, when sleeping in his own room, Shen Qing slept naked and only put on clothes when leaving the room in the morning. Now, he couldn’t do that.

He kicked off the blanket and tugged at his collar, finally feeling a bit cooler.
Shen Qing rolled over, lay there for a bit, then felt that not having the blanket was a bit chilly, so he pulled it back over himself.
An unknown amount of time passed. This patch of the bed was warmed up by his body heat, and feeling uncomfortable again, he rolled over, rolling to the side.

He seemed to bump into a cool arm. In his sleep, Shen Qing subconsciously hugged that arm, feeling quite comfortable.
Remembering the big shot’s perpetually cold hands, Shen Qing thought he should warm him up, and thus fell back asleep hugging it just like that.

This time, he slept quite soundly.
Until he woke up, only to feel that something was wrong—he was wrapped around Gu Huaiyu like an octopus!!
…It was already morning!

The morning light peeked through the curtains. Shen Qing found that his head was currently resting on Gu Huaiyu’s shoulder, his arm was draped over the other man’s waist, and his leg was even more…
He shuddered instantly, sobering up significantly. Shen Qing first lifted his head, then attempted to gently peel his limbs away.

Suddenly, Gu Huaiyu’s eyelashes fluttered. His thin eyelids lifted, and he turned his head slightly to look at him.

Shen Qing: “…”
Lifting his eyes, he crashed straight into the big shot’s gaze. All his movements froze, as if his limbs had gone numb.

A moment later, Gu Huaiyu shifted his shoulder and spoke: “You…”
Shen Qing beat him to it: “I told you I toss and turn in my sleep!”

“…”
Gu Huaiyu slowly turned his head back to stare at the ceiling above: “Your clothes.”

Shen Qing: “?”
Prompted by the big shot, Shen Qing realized that his two-piece, cardigan-style pajamas were currently completely open.
…Wide open.
…The top button at the collar had probably been undone by himself last night because he was too hot.
But the ones below…

“Wait, where’s my third button, and my fourth?” Shen Qing sat up straight, not forgetting to pull his shirt closed.
His normally fair, clean face had become rosy and flushed after a night’s sleep.
Even with the shirt pulled shut, a sliver of his protruding collarbone was still visible.

Last night before bed, he had tried his best to blow-dry his hair, but some rebellious strands had slipped through the net. After a night of tossing and turning, two distinct cowlicks (ahoge) stood straight up on the top of his head.

Looking at the young man like this, Gu Huaiyu also slowly sat up and said, “They were probably rubbed off by you.”

Shen Qing: “?”
Rubbed? Rubbed against what? Rubbed where???

Sitting on the bed in a daze with cowlicks sticking up, Gu Huaiyu had already gotten up and returned to his wheelchair.

President Gu got up to wash and change his clothes, instructing him to keep sleeping.
Shen Qing flopped back onto the bed and checked the time. It wasn’t even 8:00 AM… This time was actually quite awkward. Going back to sleep might not result in good rest, since he had slept early yesterday and was already wide awake.
But if he got up now, it didn’t feel fitting for his persona as a salted fish…

Besides, where were his buttons?
He patted around the bed but didn’t find them!
He simply hopped out of bed to search. Throwing back the covers, he immediately spotted two buttons lying right where the big shot had been sleeping just now.

Shen Qing: …
Did he seriously rub them off against Gu Huaiyu?!
Shen Qing knew he wasn’t a peaceful sleeper, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad…

He immediately collapsed back onto the bed in embarrassment, diving under the covers, refusing to come out.

When Gu Huaiyu finished washing up and came out, he only saw the young man with his back to him, curled up, exposing just a head and a section of a narrow waist.
His hair was scattered across the pillow, the cowlicks still clearly standing up on top of his head.
The hem of the shirt around that narrow waist had ridden up somewhere unknown, exposing an entire patch of smooth, delicate skin…

Gu Huaiyu wheeled himself over, pulled up the blanket, and covered the young man’s waist.

Shen Qing felt it and immediately turned back to look at him, his almond eyes wide and bright.
Gu Huaiyu cast his gaze elsewhere, his voice flat: “Protect your waist.”

Shen Qing: “?”
So the big shot is now supervising my health regimen in return??

Thinking of health regimens, Shen Qing sprang up again: “By the way, Boss, what time is your meeting this morning?”
Gu Huaiyu, who was just about to leave, paused at the question and stated, “Around 8:30.”

“There’s still some time.” Shen Qing hopped straight out of bed, his eyes shining: “Let’s go downstairs and have breakfast together!”
This was exactly the time when the two cubs ate their breakfast.
Since he had rarely woken up this early, Shen Qing felt that scheduling a family breakfast session occasionally was necessary.

Thus, at the dining table, Gu Duo, who was using training chopsticks to pick up food, and Aozai, who was holding a small steamed bun with his little bun-like hand, both froze simultaneously.

Dodo stared blankly at his suddenly appearing Uncle and Auntie, then politely greeted them.
Aozai looked at his older brother: Oh my gosh, people who look vewy similar to Uncle and Auntie have appeawed!
Could they be bad guys in disguise?

—Today, Aozai was still full of vigilance, a cub who absolutely would not be kidnapped or get lost.

Shen Qing poked Aozai’s little cheek, which was stuffed full because shock had made him forget to chew, and motioned for the big shot to sit at the table. Shen Qing himself went over to inspect the food on the table.

Gu Duo and Gu Ao were both very well-behaved when it came to eating. Except for a certain little one who was picky about a few specific foods, the adults rarely needed to urge or nag them about chowing down.
…Of course, drinking milk was the exception.

Although neither cub particularly hated drinking milk, neither liked it much either, otherwise they wouldn’t need Shen Qing to accompany them while drinking it.
Their Granny Zhang loved preparing a rich variety of breakfast items for them. So every morning, at a breakfast table without Shen Qing, both cubs would deliberately avoid the milk and eat other things.

Sure enough, for today’s breakfast, neither cub had chosen to drink their milk.

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow in understanding and beamed: “None of you drank your milk, huh? That’s okay, we’ll all drink it together in a bit this morning.”

Dodo: “…”
On the other side, Aozai frowned: …Okay then, this person who looked vewy pwetty and smiled vewy pwetty, but who made a cub feel his evilness, was indeed their Auntie!

Hearing the commotion, Aunt Zhang came out from the kitchen. With one look, she was also instantly shocked: “Madam? …Sir? You are…”

Shen Qing said to her, “Aunt Zhang, is there any breakfast left? Get a portion for Sir first. Anything is fine, as long as it’s quick; President Gu has a meeting upstairs shortly.”
Aunt Zhang: “There are still some of the Young Masters’ little buns left—custard buns and red bean buns, as well as millet porridge and boiled eggs. Does Sir want all of them?”
“All of them.” Shen Qing added: “And bring Sir a glass of milk too.”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

Eventually, Shen Qing simply went into the kitchen himself to see what was left.
Although Aunt Zhang prepared a wide variety of things for Dodo and his brother, portion control was excellent.
Every time the cubs finished their share, the leftovers were exactly enough for Shen Qing and Aunt Zhang to finish, avoiding waste.

Shen Qing didn’t have much of an appetite this morning, so he brought out his entire portion for President Gu.
“Eat.”

Gu Huaiyu looked at the piglet and calf-shaped buns on the plate, a whole boiled egg, some fruit and stir-fried vegetables, a large bowl of millet porridge, and a glass of milk. The hand holding his utensils subconsciously paused, temporarily not touching the food.
“Then what will you eat?” he asked.

Shen Qing: “I’ll just boil some noodles for myself later.”
Gu Huaiyu: “You eat these, I can’t eat that much.”
Shen Qing: “No, no, no, that won’t do! Starting today, you have to eat properly, Boss!”

Anyway, they had already hugged, and he had already rubbed against him… Shen Qing figured he had tested the big shot’s bottom line—it seemed that on trivial matters, Gu Huaiyu wouldn’t get angry or lose his temper at him.
Therefore, forcing Gu Huaiyu to eat didn’t give Shen Qing any sense of pressure anymore.

He directly grabbed the big shot’s hand and shoved the utensils into it: “From now on, we eat every meal together. I’ll have a chat with your kitchen later.”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

The two cubs watched from the sidelines in bafflement, not understanding what their Uncle and Auntie were doing. They only knew that they were pushing the food back and forth, trying to give it to each other.
The cubs, who well understood the preciousness of food, exchanged a glance. Gu Duo spoke up, calling Shen Qing: “You can have our leftover portion.”

There was still one yellow custard bun left on Gu Duo’s plate. Aozai ate slower, so excluding the one in his little hand that he had just taken a bite out of, there was still one left on his plate too.
Aozai even raised the one in his hand: “Auntie can have dis one too!”

Shen Qing: …
He was overwhelmingly touched, yet simultaneously didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He thanked them and declined the cubs’ modest offering, explaining to them, “Auntie isn’t without food, I’m just not hungry yet. Uncle is going to be busy soon, so I’m letting him eat first.”

The cubs tilted their heads, but both understood Shen Qing’s meaning—sometimes when Gu Duo was about to be late for his tutoring class, Auntie would also let him eat first and only let him leave once he was done.

Shen Qing patted each of the two cubs’ heads, telling them to eat well, then lifted his chin toward Gu Huaiyu, who still hadn’t touched his chopsticks: “Husband?”
The implication: Do you want me to pat your head too?

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

Gu Huaiyu began to eat. The two little bean sprouts on his left and right also resumed eating. At this moment, Shen Qing’s phone rang.
Shen Qing answered the call: “Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay, okay, I’m here. Good, I’ll wait for you. …Okay, anytime is fine.”

Three people, six eyes unanimously turned to look at him. The two cubs were purely curious and clueless.
Gu Huaiyu’s narrow eyes, however, instantly darkened considerably, gaining an unfathomable depth.

Only after Shen Qing hung up did he notice all three of them staring at him. He explained, a bit confused, “It’s the furniture company, they’re coming to deliver things soon. It’s what Dodo and I bought yesterday. Well, are you happy?”

Hearing that their little furniture was arriving so quickly, both little guys were thrilled.
No cub could resist the temptation of a playroom!

Shen Qing had already told Gu Huaiyu about setting up the playroom yesterday. Understanding dawned on Gu Huaiyu; he lowered his eyes slightly, gave a small tug at the corner of his lips, and continued eating.

Right then, Tian Yi came thumping up the stairs, saying as he ran, “President Gu, so you were here. Oh, you’re actually eating breakfast??”
Assistant Tian’s voice cracked a bit on the second half of his sentence.

Tian Yi had stayed on duty last night. According to the schedule, he should report to President Gu’s office at this time to ask if the boss needed him to do anything.
But today, President Gu wasn’t in his office.
This was a rare occurrence.

…Ahem, although Madam slept in the master bedroom last night, Tian Yi felt it couldn’t be true…
As someone who had followed President Gu for a very long time, Tian Yi felt that given President Gu’s temperament and character, it was impossible for him to “neglect the morning court from then on” for a lover, right?
…In all likelihood, nothing happened…
However, just in case, he had still gone to the bedroom to knock on the door.
No response.

So it turned out President Gu had come downstairs to eat!
It seemed Madam’s influence was growing ever stronger; living together was indeed a good thing!

However, as he ran closer, Tian Yi’s voice abruptly cut off. His gaze landed on Shen Qing: “…Madam, this shirt you’re wearing… isn’t it President Gu’s?”

At the same time, the doorbell rang outside. The butler went to open the door—the people coming for the meeting with President Gu today had arrived.

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