Thanks for working so hard, hubby~

Ji Mingzhu obediently waited in the office for his husband to return, idly pulling out a finance magazine to read.

He did not have to wait long before Gu Shang finished his meeting and returned.

Gu Shang had just come out of a routine meeting, his expression so dark all the way back that it was practically dripping ink.

In a conglomerate as vast as the Gu Corporation, there were bound to be a few parasites in every branch, from top to bottom.

When Gu Shang took control, he had overridden all opposition and forcibly rooted out most of them. Disregarding the bleeding wounds left by his ruthless excision of those tumors, he had pushed the Gu Corporation to new heights.

But some parasites could not be eliminated in one sweep. Every time Gu Shang saw those faces, drawing salaries while doing nothing, a nerve throbbed in his head.

Today would probably be another day when those idiots infuriated him so much he could not eat.

With that thought, Gu Shang pushed open his office door.

And without warning, a beautiful face appeared right before his eyes.

Ji Mingzhu had been drinking water. Suddenly seeing the husband he had been longing for, he happily tried to call out to him.

But trying to drink and talk at the same time meant that the moment he opened his mouth, a violent fit of coughing followed. The young man's eyes watered, their rims turning faintly red, and moisture rippled through his already alluring gaze. His lips, originally only a pale pink, were flushed a vivid red by the warm liquid.

The young man looked up at him, the outer corners of his eyes slightly elongated while his pupils widened innocently, making him look rather pitiful.

One glance was enough to steal his soul. This was outright seduction.

The curve of the man's lips gradually flattened, and he rather deliberately shifted his gaze away from the young man.

Gu Shang turned his head aside stiffly. "What are you doing here? Don't you know I'm busy?"

The young man did not get angry. He said softly, "I missed you."

Gu Shang: "..."

The man choked on his words, unable to say anything harsh.

Gu Shang stared at him, and he stared back. For no apparent reason, the kiss that morning surfaced in Gu Shang's mind, and the tips of his ears reddened. "Oh."

A corner of Ji Mingzhu's heart softened. He naturally took the man's hand and drew him down to sit, his eyes curving into crescents. "I heard from Mom and Uncle Chen that you work too hard, don't take care of yourself, and don't eat properly. So I made some food that's gentle on your stomach and brought it over especially for you today. Want to try it?"

A little surprised, Gu Shang raised an eyebrow. "You made it?"

Ji Mingzhu nodded, a hint of sly pride in his clear eyes, like a kitten showing its owner how good it was at catching mice.

"I made all of it myself. Nobody helped. Try it."

Gu Shang pressed his lips together and said in a low voice, "Tell me what you want. I'll buy it for you."

Ji Mingzhu's eyes widened, a little hurt showing in them.

The young man protested aggrievedly, "I just want you to eat properly. When did I ever ask you to buy me anything? Why would you think that of me? I only want my husband to eat a little better. Is there something wrong with that too?"

Gu Shang froze, his expression turning slightly awkward.

Gu Shang was taken aback, but still a little skeptical, so he asked again, "...You don't want anything?"

Ji Mingzhu glared at him, growing a little unhappy. His eyes plainly said, What do you think?

Gu Shang fell silent.

Could someone like that really exist? Someone unrelated to him by blood, who wanted nothing and simply rushed over to treat him well for no reason?

Even when his own parents taught him, they always said, "Gu Shang, if you want something, fight for it. Nothing in this world belongs to you."

He did not doubt that his parents loved him, but sometimes he wondered whether they would still treat him the same way if he were not the Gu Shang he was now...

If he were not strong enough, would his younger brother stop looking up to him?

Gu Shang had always thought that way.

The man sat there in a daze. Ji Mingzhu gave him a reproachful look, then forgave him.

Forget it. His husband was just stubborn!

He refused to believe anyone could still be mean after eating his cooking!

Regaining his enthusiasm, Ji Mingzhu happily introduced each dish and its benefits. In truth, Gu Shang did not take in a single word.

Ji Mingzhu had come alone, without telling him beforehand. It hardly took any thought to know that getting upstairs could not have been so easy. There was no way Ji Mingzhu would endure the indignity of being questioned and given a hard time just to bring him a meal without wanting something.

Gu Shang waited coolly.

He waited through Ji Mingzhu's introduction of the emerald tofu and golden-edged crispy pork, then through Ji Mingzhu ladling him a bowl of clear winter melon and meatball soup. Finally, the young man pressed a pair of chopsticks into his hand and looked at him expectantly. "Go on, eat."

Gu Shang: "..."

He had already discreetly messaged Secretary Chen while Ji Mingzhu was talking, asking whether anything had happened on Ji Mingzhu's way up to see him.

But now, looking at the young man's untroubled expression, he still could not help asking, "Isn't there anything you want to tell me?"

Ji Mingzhu blinked his bright, clear eyes. Tell him what?

The young man's eyes lit up. Oh, oh, oh! He understood!

When his eldest brother came home tired from drilling the troops, he would shed the imposing air of a formidable general that he wore outside, shut the door, and secretly act spoiled with his wife, telling her how tired he was.

Then his sister-in-law would gently soothe his eldest brother.

The couple were very much in love! And that kind of intimacy really could comfort a loved one after all the toil and exhaustion they faced outside.

Ji Mingzhu looked at the man and wondered if his husband was acting this way because he was tired from work and wanted to be coaxed too.

Without the slightest hesitation, the young man leaned forward a little and wrapped his arms around the man's firm waist, his voice sweet and soft. "Thanks for working so hard, hubby~"

Gu Shang shuddered from head to toe.