Too Stupid

Yu Yaochen held Gu Yuechen for a while, then suddenly took out his phone and glanced at it. He released Gu Yuechen's waist, got up, and made a call.

Gu Yuechen assumed he was calling Pei Huanyi and immediately turned to look at him.

"Auntie, you don't need to come over today..." Yu Yaochen paused, then turned his gaze to Gu Yuechen lying on the bed, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "I have a friend here. We might go out to eat."

Whatever the person on the other end said, Yu Yaochen merely nodded before hanging up.

"Is that the auntie who cooks for you?"

"Mm." Yu Yaochen looked down at himself, his smile a little shy. "I'm not really presentable like this, so I had her stay at the Pei Household."

"She isn't an hourly worker?"

"No, she's a servant who works for the Pei Household. My parents don't really trust strangers, so they sent over the longest-serving maid from the Pei Household to cook and clean for me."

A trace of imperceptible mockery appeared in Gu Yuechen's eyes. "Your parents really do care about you."

They had cared for him too well. He did not understand how sinister people could be, letting someone as lowly as him toy with him so thoroughly.

"Are you hungry?" Yu Yaochen set his phone aside and pulled him back into his arms. "Should we go out to eat, or order takeout?"

"There probably isn't much takeout around here." As if deliberately making things difficult for him, Gu Yuechen added, "And going out is a hassle. There isn't anything good to eat nearby, and the shopping district is far away."

Yu Yaochen felt that he had a point. After pondering for a moment, he smiled. "I'll cook for you. I remember Auntie bought a lot of vegetables yesterday. They're all in the fridge."

Gu Yuechen had wanted this pampered young master, accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, to serve him. Satisfied, he nodded.

"You worked hard today. Get some sleep first. I'll call you when it's ready."

Yu Yaochen bent down and kissed Gu Yuechen's cheek.

The instant Gu Yuechen left the room, his expression darkened. He pulled out a tissue and viciously wiped the spot Yu Yaochen had kissed.

Thinking of what Yu Yaochen had just said, Gu Yuechen could not help sneering.

Yu Yaochen was clearly the one being tormented, yet he had told him that he had worked hard.

"Too stupid."

Perhaps because he had studied abroad, Yu Yaochen's tastes had changed. He could only make a few simple dishes.

Gu Yuechen listlessly ate the pasta Yu Yaochen had made, stopping every so often to scroll through his phone.

Yu Yaochen kept watching Gu Yuechen's face. When Gu Yuechen put down his fork and picked up his phone for the Nth time, he could not help asking, "Is it not good? Do you want me to make you something else?"

Gu Yuechen's scrolling finger paused as he looked up into Yu Yaochen's apologetic eyes.

"No." Gu Yuechen put down his phone again. "I just don't have much of an appetite."

Yu Yaochen's expression abruptly turned tense. "Do you feel unwell somewhere?"

"No." Gu Yuechen said, "I'm done eating. It's about time for me to go back."

Yu Yaochen's expression froze slightly. "You're not staying the night?"

"I have work tomorrow." Gu Yuechen got up to retrieve his coat.

Yu Yaochen could not bear to let Gu Yuechen leave just like that. He followed after him and took his hand.

"Stay." Yu Yaochen gazed fervently at the lover before him. "I'll take you there tomorrow morning."

Gu Yuechen lowered his head to stare at Yu Yaochen's hand, which gripped his tightly and refused to let go, then frowned. "My coworkers might see."

"I'll park three hundred meters away." Under the warm light indoors, Yu Yaochen's face looked even gentler than usual. His lips still bore traces of the swelling from their kisses that day. "We haven't seen each other in days. Just stay with me tonight."

Gu Yuechen hesitated for two minutes before ultimately choosing to stay.

Before Yu Yaochen called off the engagement, he could not be too willful, lest something go wrong later.

"Okay." Gu Yuechen smiled as he wrapped his arms around Yu Yaochen's waist. "But that bed is so small. Won't it be crowded when you sleep?"

Yu Yaochen liked sleeping pressed close together, so he naturally would not find it crowded.

But since Gu Yuechen had brought it up, he must have been uncomfortable.

"I'll have someone replace it with a bigger bed in the next couple of days."

Gu Yuechen smiled but said neither yes nor no.

He had merely mentioned it casually. Whether the bed was replaced had nothing to do with him.

Once the engagement was called off, he would not come here again.

That night, Yu Yaochen wanted to kiss Gu Yuechen, but Gu Yuechen was exhausted and had no desire to serve this young master any further.

He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. A moment later, he felt something soft brush against his left cheek, light and fleeting.

Then a sigh sounded by his ear. A strong arm settled around his waist, holding him tightly.

"Yuechen, good night."

Gu Yuechen bit his lip and gave no response.

The next morning, Gu Yuechen woke first.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Yaochen's flawless, beautiful face. His lashes were thick and long, his breathing steady, and the corners of his lips slightly curved, as though he were having a pleasant dream.

Gu Yuechen's brows furrowed tightly as he removed the arm around his waist.

Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly caught sight of the ring on Yu Yaochen's ring finger.

Gu Yuechen did not know where he had found the nerve, but he actually picked up Yu Yaochen's hand and carefully removed the ring.

Once he had successfully taken it off, Gu Yuechen had no intention of throwing it away. Pei Huanyi had painstakingly selected this ring; he did not want to trample on his feelings.

Gu Yuechen played with it for a while before, unable to resist, slipping it onto his own ring finger.

He raised his hand and admired the ring in the light from the window.

If only it belonged to him.

Gu Yuechen was so absorbed that he did not notice the person behind him had already woken up and was staring at his hand.

"Yuechen, what are you doing?"

Gu Yuechen jumped, nearly scared out of his wits.

He turned back in a panic, his mind blank for a moment as he did not know how to explain his actions.

Yu Yaochen's deep eyes remained fixed on Gu Yuechen's face, making the emotions in them impossible to read.

After a moment, Yu Yaochen broke the silence.

"Yuechen, do you really like this ring?"

Gu Yuechen did not know why he was asking, so he decided not to answer and remained silent.

Yu Yaochen took Gu Yuechen's hand and removed the ring.

Gu Yuechen's lashes trembled slightly as he watched the ring slide off his finger, return to its rightful owner, and go back onto Yu Yaochen's hand.

"Until my mother's surgery, I can only wear it for now. Huanyi and I bought this ring together, and I'll return it to him later." Yu Yaochen said, "I'll buy you a better one."

Upon hearing that, the taut nerves in Gu Yuechen's body finally relaxed.

So Yu Yaochen had merely misunderstood and thought he was vain. He did not know that Gu Yuechen liked Pei Huanyi.

Before the engagement was called off, he absolutely could not let Yu Yaochen discover it.

Gu Yuechen looked regretfully at the ring. In the future, he should stop coveting things that did not belong to him.