A meal

Surprise filled Ji Yaozhi's eyes. Getting someone out of Jubao alone was easy enough to explain, but placing him at Baiyu and negotiating terms with them as well...

Securing such a major concession was not something that could be explained away so simply.

Puzzled, he could not help pressing further. "What's your friend's name?"

Gu Nian'an looked up at Ji Yaozhi's expression, wondering whether to give Fu Xiuyuan's name, but then remembered that Ji Baiwei had met him the day he fell ill.

Even if he said nothing now, Ji Yaozhi would find out who it was if he asked Ji Baiwei later.

Besides, he actually had a very favorable impression of the Ji family. He lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the emotion that flashed through them.

He said softly, "It's Fu Xiuyuan. My friend's name is Fu Xiuyuan."

"Huh?!" At the name, Ji Yaozhi's expression changed abruptly, his eyes widening in astonishment as though he had seen a ghost.

If it was that man, all of this made sense. But how could it be him? Thinking of his various tactics in the business world, Ji Yaozhi could not help shuddering.

Even his aunt had to steer clear of that man's methods.

How had the person before him gotten involved with that man? Remembering the friend he lived with, Ji Yaozhi had a fairly good idea already, but still asked, "The friend you live with wouldn't happen to be him too, would it?"

Gu Nian'an nodded somewhat hesitantly, as if he knew this was a bit much.

Ji Yaozhi took a deep breath and glanced over the sweet-faced, beautiful young man before him. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. What a mess this was.

After a long silence, he asked hesitantly, "How did you meet that guy?"

Gu Nian'an's eyes shifted. After a moment's thought, he faltered, "Um, Mr. Fu's group funds my orphanage. Later, some things happened, and we gradually got to know each other. My health isn't very good, and I don't have any family. He was a little worried about me, so we started living together."

As he finished, the young man suddenly smiled.

He added softly, "Mr. Fu has always taken good care of me. When I got sick during that variety show last time, he even stopped by the hospital to see me. Bai Wei knows about it too."

Hearing this, Ji Yaozhi could not help rolling his eyes. His aunt had told him absolutely nothing about this.

He recalled that Gu Nian'an had indeed been in poor health during the show, but to have the young man move in with him just because of that...

The corner of his mouth twitched again. Just what was Fu Xiuyuan plotting?

Taking him in so he could look after him because his health was poor? Like hell!

He glanced again at the sweet-faced, beautiful young man before him, and irritation suddenly welled up inside him. That guy had definitely fooled him.

Suddenly, Gu Nian'an felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up and saw over a dozen missed calls, all from Fu Xiuyuan. His heart abruptly tightened.

How had he accidentally put his phone on silent? Fu Xiuyuan had called so many times, yet he had not heard a single one.

Remembering that he had not told him he was going out either, he began to feel a little guilty.

"My friend's calling. I'll take this first." He spoke quietly, giving the person across the table an apologetic smile.

Ji Yaozhi nodded casually.

A deep male voice came from the other end of the line.

"An'an, why did you go out?"

Gu Nian'an rubbed his fingers together awkwardly and answered with a trace of nervousness, "I came out for a meal with a friend and forgot to tell you. I'm sorry, sir."

The man heard the nervousness and unease beneath the young man's tone.

He paused on the other end, then asked gently, a smile in his voice, "Are you with Yu Songqing?"

"N-no. It's Bai Wei's nephew, Ji Yaozhi. He's also a friend I met on the variety show last time."

"I see. Enjoy your meal, then. Don't forget what we're doing today." He gave a soft chuckle.

Gu Nian'an froze and thought for a moment about what they had planned for today, then suddenly patted his head. Right! He had almost forgotten that he was going ring shopping with Fu Xiuyuan today.

He hurriedly replied, "I'll come back as soon as I finish eating. Please wait for me a little, sir."

"There's no rush. I'm still at the office. Say hello to your friend for me. I'll pick you up later." The man's resonant voice carried a languid note through the phone, giving the listener an inexplicable sense of being teased.

Gu Nian'an lowered his eyes and murmured his agreement.

After the call ended.

On the other end, the man idly turned the thumb ring in his hand. A screen full of surveillance feeds reflected in his dark eyes as he thought of Ji Baiwei and Ji Yaozhi.

He chuckled softly and casually dialed a number.

"Look into the Ji family for me."

At the restaurant.

Having heard the entire call, Ji Yaozhi could not help asking, "Isn't Fu Xiuyuan at the office? How did he know you'd gone out?"

What kind of friend kept tabs on someone all day? Remembering the man's words, "Say hello for me," he broke out in goosebumps, a strange feeling surging within him.

Gu Nian'an blinked and tilted his head, looking bewildered. Only after a long moment did realization dawn. "There are lots of cameras at home connected to his phone."

At this, Ji Yaozhi's brows knitted tightly, his expression full of disgust.

"He even keeps you under surveillance?"

Seeing that Ji Yaozhi seemed to have misunderstood, Gu Nian'an hurried to explain, "No, that's not it. I was ill before, and he worried that if something happened while I was home alone, he wouldn't know. That's why he had the cameras installed."

Looking at the young man's innocent expression, Ji Yaozhi's eyes filled with helplessness.

But then he considered that he himself had only known the young man a short time, while there was no telling how long Fu Xiuyuan had known him. In the end, he said nothing, merely watching him with some concern.

The meal ended in that strange atmosphere.

After walking Gu Nian'an to the car, Ji Yaozhi sighed and could not help saying, "Take good care of yourself. If there's ever a problem you can't solve, you can contact me anytime."

Gu Nian'an turned and saw the concern in Ji Yaozhi's eyes. Warmth filled his heart, and he smiled at him. "Okay. Thank you, Yaozhi."

Two shallow dimples appeared in the young man's fair cheeks, his eyes brimming with a smile.

Ji Yaozhi felt his heart suddenly skip a beat. He stood rooted to the spot, watching the figure disappear. After a long while, he lowered his eyes to conceal the emotions in them, then turned and left.

It was already afternoon when Gu Nian'an arrived home. Opening the door, he saw Fu Xiuyuan lounging against one side of the sofa, quietly watching him enter.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a little guilty. Gu Nian'an walked over with small steps and gave him a faint smile.

"Sir, you're home so early."

The man simply sat there in silence, his expression filled with loneliness.

Gu Nian'an felt his heart tighten. Thinking of all the care Fu Xiuyuan had shown him, while he had gone out to eat with Ji Yaozhi today without telling him and had missed so many of his calls, he wondered whether Fu Xiuyuan felt he was growing distant.

Then he remembered Fu Xiuyuan's lonely expression that day, and guilt kept welling up inside him.

He pressed his lips together unconsciously and sat down beside him, speaking gently. "I'm sorry, sir. My phone was on silent when I went out today. I only saw how many times you'd called after I got there. I wasn't ignoring your calls on purpose."

Fu Xiuyuan gazed at the young man beside him, whose eyes were full of guilt, then reached out and slowly drew him into his arms.

Gu Nian'an froze at the sudden embrace. Before he could speak, he heard the man say, "Tell me before you go out next time. Do you know how scared I was when I saw you weren't home and you weren't answering my calls? What if something had happened to you?"

Hearing the lingering fear in Fu Xiuyuan's voice, Gu Nian'an could not help widening his eyes. So he had been worried about him.

Remembering that the male lead in the book had been just as insecure, he slowly wrapped his arms around the man's waist in return and gently stroked his back.

He kept soothing him. "I'm sorry. I'll definitely tell you beforehand next time. I'm sorry."