After that, the atmosphere in the car abruptly turned chilly. For the rest of the journey, the man kept his eyes closed and his expression cold, never opening them again to see what the young man beside him was doing.
Ji Mingzhu looked wistfully toward Gu Shang several times, but all he ever saw was the man's stern profile and tightly shut eyes. His mouth was still terribly dry, but boredom eventually lulled him to sleep, thirst and all.
Uncle Liu, the driver, couldn't help stealing several glances at the rearview mirror. Only when he saw the beautiful, delicately featured young man asleep against the seat, his head tilted slightly, did he sigh inwardly.
Mr. Gu truly had the makings of a man destined for great things. His self-control was so strong that even such a stunning beauty couldn't soften his heart in the slightest.
Thinking of the caged-bird life the young man might lead from now on, he felt a little sorry for him and quietly eased the car into a smoother pace.
The car drove into a villa district and finally stopped in front of a residence with a stately, imposing design.
Gu Shang hadn't been asleep at all. Almost the instant the car stopped, he opened his eyes, as though he couldn't bear to spend another second in this cramped, enclosed space.
But when he turned his head, he found the young man who loved acting pitiful to seduce people sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. His slightly tousled hair lay softly against his smooth, fair forehead, lending him an added air of gentleness and obedience.
Gu Shang: "..."
To wake him or not to wake him-that was a serious question.
Besides, with how good the young man was at playing sweet in front of him, was he really asleep?
Gu Shang irritably rubbed his brow with his knuckles and decided to get out first, then walk around to Ji Mingzhu's side to wake him. Perhaps he wouldn't even need to-the sound of him getting out might wake the young man.
Now that he was back on his own turf, there was no need to put on a show for anyone. He certainly wasn't going to carry him inside bridal-style like some idiotic CEO in a soap opera.
With that thought, the man stepped briskly out of the car, walked around to Ji Mingzhu's side, and opened his door.
Sure enough, the sound of the doors opening and closing woke Ji Mingzhu.
The young man opened his eyes in confusion and looked naturally toward Gu Shang, still a little dazed. His lashes were damp with tears brought on by sleepiness. "Are we here?"
There wasn't a trace of surprise in his reaction. His clear, dark eyes seemed filled with utter trust.
The man's gaze was icy. He didn't believe the young man could feel that kind of trust in a husband he had no emotional bond with. The only reasonable explanation was that he had indeed been pretending to sleep.
He had to admit the acting was good, but he wasn't going to indulge him.
The corner of Gu Shang's mouth lifted slightly. "We're here. Get out."
The tips of the young man's fair ears grew warm beneath his black hair, and Ji Mingzhu lowered his eyes.
Aaah! Had he actually fallen asleep in front of his new husband without a shred of decorum?! How could he have behaved so improperly? If his father and older brothers were here, they would certainly scold him.
It was all because his husband indulged him too much. He was starting to take that affection for granted.
After reflecting on his behavior, Ji Mingzhu tried to get out, only to forget that his seat belt was still fastened. He rose abruptly, and the black belt pulled taut, leaving him trapped in place, utterly bewildered.
He was tugged back against the seat, the soft flesh of his cheeks bouncing a few times. He looked so innocent it was almost adorable.
Gu Shang: "..."
Suddenly, he began to doubt whether Ji Mingzhu had been acting earlier after all.
The young man was so silly that even if he had eight hundred tricks up his sleeve... they would probably all be useless.
Ji Mingzhu froze in place, the tips of his ears slowly burning hot.
Fortunately, his husband didn't laugh at him. The man leaned down, and for an instant, a cool, steady, pleasantly assertive scent enveloped him.
Click-the seat belt came undone.
Ji Mingzhu obediently followed the man toward the entrance of the Gu Residence, taking the opportunity to review what he had just done. He thought it had been a little foolish and worried that his husband might mistake him for an idiot.
So the young man lifted his head slightly and explained in an earnest tone, "I just wasn't fully awake. I'm not usually like that. If I behave improperly again, you can be stricter with me. I won't be upset."
Now that he had married into the Gu Family, he had to uphold its public image. In the Great Ning Dynasty, if a wife disgraced her husband's family, her birth family would be mocked as well, for it showed that they had failed to raise her properly.
Even though the dynasty had changed, Ji Mingzhu was unwilling to lower the standards he held himself to.
At his words, Gu Shang raised an eyebrow slightly.
The delicate-looking young man was telling him, with a solemn, earnest expression, that he could be stricter with him. Anyone else hearing that would probably have been so overcome with tenderness they wouldn't know how best to cherish him.
Besides, wasn't Ji Mingzhu supposedly a child of the Ji Family who had grown up away from them, with little proper education? Would someone like that even care about decorum?
The man's dark, gracefully tapered eyes narrowed slightly.
Sometimes, he sensed an inexplicable incongruity about Ji Mingzhu. It was precisely that feeling that made it difficult for him to lower his guard around the young man.
An attendant pushed open the entrance doors, and the young man beside Gu Shang widened his eyes in surprise, like a kitten suddenly surrounded by piles and piles of freeze-dried treats.
Ji Mingzhu's excellent upbringing had kept him from making a fuss over all the high-tech products he had seen when he first transmigrated. His surprise now wasn't at how luxurious the Gu Residence was. On the contrary, its decor leaned toward a restrained, understated traditional Chinese style. The instant the doors opened, the wave of familiarity that washed over him took him aback.
This was his home now, he thought.
Gu Shang led him inside, explaining as they walked, "This is the floor where my parents and younger brother stay. Our bedroom is on the third floor."
The man pointed toward the second floor.
"Although their rooms are kept here, you and I are usually the only ones living in this house. My parents generally only come for a few days over the holidays or when there's something to discuss."
The man's tone was cold and distant.
The middle-aged man following close behind them acknowledged this respectfully, thinking that their new young master was indeed just as the rumors described: the head of the household didn't think much of him.
Such a cold tone.
Who knew whether the two of them would be able to make a life together in the days ahead? Sigh.
Before you continue