Surveillance

It was already a week later when they returned home. What had happened that day seemed like nothing more than a minor interlude, and neither of them brought it up again.

But they had visibly grown much closer. What had begun as a few words over meals had become daily greetings, lunches packed in the morning,

And the light left on every night.

The evening sunlight fell gently over him, wonderfully warm.

Holding the kitten, Gu Nian'an leaned against the downstairs window with his eyes half-closed. He gazed at the slowly setting sun and stretched comfortably.

As the sun set, Fu Xiuyuan slowly walked in from outside. Gu Nian'an's eyes lit up at the sight of him, and he was about to go greet him when he noticed several strangers following behind.

He instinctively set down the cat in his arms and approached Fu Xiuyuan with quick little steps, looking at him in confusion.

Seeing the young man's puzzled expression, Fu Xiuyuan said mildly, "They're here to install a few things."

Before Gu Nian'an could ask what those things were, the workers expertly took out their toolboxes and began installing cameras in every room, starting on the first floor.

Gu Nian'an watched in bewilderment and tugged at the hem of the man's clothes. "Sir, why are you installing so many cameras at home?"

This was a villa community with comprehensive security. What? Did they need this many cameras?

Fu Xiuyuan rubbed his thumb ring and lowered his eyelids, concealing every emotion in his eyes. "Your health is too poor. I'm often away from home, and no one would know if something happened to you. Having cameras will make it easier for me to check on you."

Something about the man's words felt strange, but Gu Nian'an could not think of anything wrong with them. His health really was prone to problems, so he obediently nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

Hearing the young man simply thank him without resisting, Fu Xiuyuan's eyes flickered several times, but in the end, he said nothing.

A moment later, he spoke again. "Come pick out a pair of matching rings with me in a few days."

Gu Nian'an's eyes filled with astonishment, and he looked at the man in confusion.

"Rings? Aren't we in a contractual relationship?" They only had a contractual relationship, so why did they need matching rings?

A ripple stirred in Fu Xiuyuan's deep eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. He merely said casually, "Yes, that's right. It only occurred to me recently. Although ours is a marriage by agreement, we'll inevitably attend certain events in the future. We should buy a pair of rings in advance so anyone looking for something won't notice anything amiss."

Hearing that, Gu Nian'an suspected nothing. It made sense, he thought. Couples wore rings.

The male lead probably had not yet received the shares his grandfather had left him. Gu Nian'an still had to keep up the act with him, so he obediently nodded.

Seeing that he had no suspicions whatsoever, Fu Xiuyuan fiddled with his thumb ring. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and a dark glint flashed through his eyes.

That night.

The man sat by the window, watching the footage on his computer. Gu Nian'an's figure appeared on the screen; he was still playing with the kitten on his bed.

Ever since that day, he had made up his mind to use every means at his disposal to make him stay once their three-year contract ended. Before then, his every move also had to remain under his control.

Ever since childhood, he had hated things going beyond his expectations, and he hated things slipping out of his control, so he could only resort to this method of watching him.

Then he gave a mocking smile. He found himself utterly disgusting, too. He was precisely this kind of despicable, filthy person, and the other man had believed the excuse he had casually fabricated.

Then he remembered that embrace and those words, "I'll stay by your side." For some reason, waves of a strange feeling kept rising in his heart. He did not know what it was, nor did he need to.

Recalling the young man's innocent gaze, Fu Xiuyuan curled his lips into a faint smile. In any case, he had plenty of ways to make sure the young man could not leave him.

When he came back to his senses and looked again, Gu Nian'an had already fallen asleep in bed, with half of one foot still sticking out.

He rose and headed out the door.

With a creak, the door was gently pushed open.

Moonlight spilled through the glass onto Gu Nian'an's face. Asleep, he looked even more docile than usual.

Fu Xiuyuan slowly approached him and gently took hold of his slender ankle, unconsciously rubbing it before tucking it back under the covers.

He slowly moved toward the soundly sleeping young man, whose loose clothing exposed a large expanse of snowy skin. As though sensing the man beside him, the young man frowned slightly in his sleep.

The man bent down and reached out to smooth his furrowed brow, only to have his hand suddenly caught.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Fu Xiuyuan's eyes. Before he could react, he watched the young man cradle his hand beside his face and nuzzle it gently.

A tingling sensation spread from his palm through his entire body, and that strange feeling welled up again.

The man's gaze kept flickering, countless emotions seeming to churn in the depths of his eyes.

After a long while, he withdrew his hand. He silently gazed at the young man for a moment, then turned and walked out, not forgetting to glance at him once more as he closed the door.

The next day.

Gu Nian'an was playing with the cat at home as usual when a message suddenly popped up on his phone. He swiped it open and saw that it was from Ji Yaozhi.

"Are you free to come out for a meal?"

Thinking of how he had spent the past few days lazing around, he promptly replied.

"OK, where?"

The other party soon sent over the address.

"Four this afternoon, Moon-Greeting Pavilion."

The afternoon soon arrived. Gu Nian'an looked up at the restaurant, whose name was traditional but whose decor was distinctly Western, and could not help wondering if he had come to the wrong place.

Then a man's voice suddenly sounded nearby.

"Nian'an, over here."

He looked up at the voice and saw Ji Yaozhi standing in the second-floor corridor, waving for him to come up.

As he went upstairs, the crystal chandelier overhead cast a soft glow, lending the entire restaurant an intimate atmosphere.

Glancing around the empty space, Gu Nian'an asked in confusion, "Yaozhi, did you book the whole place?"

Ji Yaozhi gave a sheepish smile. "This is our family's restaurant. Since I was having a meal with a friend, I had them suspend service."

Gu Nian'an froze briefly before suddenly remembering that he was Ji Baiwei's nephew as well as the heir to Ji Group, and asked no further questions.

The two chatted as they ate. Ji Yaozhi suddenly asked, "By the way, Nian'an, where are you living now?"

Gu Nian'an hesitated a little before answering, "In Jinglin District, Xinghai City."

Ji Yaozhi paused. As far as he knew, the young man should not have much money on hand right now. Besides, homes in Xinghai City's Jinglin District were not something money alone could buy.

He glanced at the young man eating quietly, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes, and said casually, "I know that area. Homes there certainly aren't cheap."

"Mm-hmm. A friend of mine lives there. I'm staying with him," Gu Nian'an replied casually.

"A friend?" Ji Yaozhi murmured those two words, searching his mind for anyone who fit. After a while, he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

"I heard you moved from Jubao to Baiyu. How come I haven't seen you appear anywhere?"

He recalled his disbelief when he had learned from Ji Baiwei that Gu Nian'an had transferred from Jubao Company to Baiyu Company. After all, the young man was at the height of his popularity. How could Jubao possibly let him go so easily?

He had even transferred to Baiyu, a renowned company in the industry. Even if Baiyu had taken a liking to his potential, the fact that he had not appeared on camera again all this time showed that things were not that simple.

Gu Nian'an rubbed his fingers together a little nervously, hesitation flashing in his eyes. After a long while, he said uncertainly, "My friend helped me transfer out of Jubao."

A friend? Before Ji Yaozhi could think it over, he heard him speak again.

"I'm pretty laid-back, so my friend discussed it with Baiyu. I won't have too much work, and I haven't taken on jobs I don't want."

With that, the young man picked up his glass of water and took a small sip.