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Xie Wen came out holding a coffee. "What time did you guys get up?"

Looking at Xie Wen's messy hair, Lu Shengfan said helplessly, "A Ze and I took Mocha for a morning run. We've been back for quite a while."

Xie Wen sat down and started eating breakfast. "I've been on so many trips with you guys, and I still don't get you. Getting up early is one thing, but a morning run too? How is that any different from a regular workday?"

He belatedly realized something. "Hey, wait. Aren't we missing someone?"

"Still in his room," Chu Zeshen said calmly.

Xie Wen said incredulously, "It's this late and he still isn't up? Wasn't he the first one to go back to his room to sleep last night?"

"Didn't you say going on vacation means sleeping until you wake up naturally, that it's the greatest respect you can show a vacation?" Chu Zeshen took a sip of coffee. "It's not that late."

Hearing how every word out of Chu Zeshen's mouth defended Gu Bai, Xie Wen couldn't help saying, "Oh, staking your claim already? Can't anyone say a word about him?"

Chu Zeshen looked up at him. "I'm just stating the facts. We have nothing scheduled this morning."

Xie Wen gave a snort of laughter and told Lu Shengfan, "Get over here. Don't sit with him. He's starting to act weird."

Lu Shengfan found it funny. "Even if he is acting weird, it only started after he got married. Just don't talk to him about this stuff."

Even after Xie Wen finished breakfast, Gu Bai still hadn't come downstairs. He asked, "So what time is his body clock set to? How can anyone sleep so much?"

Chu Zeshen roughly worked out the time. "Around nine thirty."

It was already ten, and there was still no sign of him.

Xie Wen started playing Chinese chess with Lu Shengfan.

At one minute past ten, there was finally movement upstairs. Mocha, who had been playing tug-of-war with Chu Zeshen, immediately dashed to the foot of the stairs, tail wagging wildly.

Xie Wen sucked in a breath at the sight. "Is Mocha respectfully welcoming his master out of bed?"

Lu Shengfan said, "A whole night apart made him miss him terribly."

When Gu Bai came downstairs, he first rubbed Mocha's head before greeting the others. "Good morning."

Chu Zeshen set down the tug rope in his hand and stood up. "Good morning."

Xie Wen and Lu Shengfan echoed, "Good morning."

Chu Zeshen followed Gu Bai into the kitchen, and Mocha followed them in too.

Watching the inseparable pair and their dog, Xie Wen thought Mocha wasn't the only one who had missed him terribly.

He spoke quietly to Lu Shengfan. "Have you noticed A Ze fusses a little too much over Gu Bai? Why does he have to follow him into the kitchen just to have breakfast?"

Lu Shengfan thought nothing of it. "It's Gu Bai's first trip with us. Of course A Ze should take good care of him. Besides, Gu Bai is several years younger than us."

If Lu Shengfan hadn't mentioned it, Xie Wen would have forgotten that they were all older than Gu Bai. But when they spent time together, they always forgot Gu Bai's age. Whether in how he carried himself or how he talked, he wasn't much different from them, and he was even more mature in how he handled things than Gu Ruilin.

"Gu Bai doesn't exactly seem like A Ze's little brother to me. Last night, I even heard Gu Bai call A Ze by his full name."

Last night, Chu Zeshen had taken Mocha to the downstairs bathroom to wash the dirt off him. Xie Wen didn't know what had happened, but he had heard Gu Bai shout, "Chu Zeshen, hurry up and get him under control!" He had also heard Chu Zeshen laughing.

It suddenly struck him that Chu Zeshen had quite a few tricks up his sleeve. Not calling the older one "big brother"-these husbands certainly had plenty of ways to spice things up.

Chu Zeshen came out with a cup of coffee and set it on the table. Having only recently gotten up, Gu Bai wasn't fully awake yet and trailed slowly behind him.

Back at home, Chu Zeshen had already figured out that, for a while after waking up, Gu Bai would agree to anything and was very obedient.

Seeing only a few pieces of dim sum on Gu Bai's plate, he said, "The shrimp dumplings are pretty good. Want some?"

With a vacant look in his eyes, Gu Bai picked up his cup, took a sip of coffee, and nodded mechanically. He hadn't taken in a word Chu Zeshen had said.

Although Chu Zeshen had talked about how good the shrimp dumplings were, the breakfast food he brought out of the kitchen wasn't limited to shrimp dumplings.

Gu Bai ate whatever Chu Zeshen gave him. By the time he finished his coffee, he was fully awake.

"Do we have any plans this afternoon?"

Only Xie Wen could answer that question.

Locked in battle with Lu Shengfan in the living room, Xie Wen spared a moment to answer, "The resort hotel we didn't make it to yesterday afternoon. We'll have lunch there in a bit too."

Gu Bai glanced at the living room sofa. It was already occupied. Now that he was full, he felt like lying down.

Sitting opposite Gu Bai, Chu Zeshen followed his gaze and thought of how Gu Bai usually loved to lie on the sofa at home, spacing out and playing with the dog.

"There's a hanging chair on my balcony. Want to go up and sit for a while?"

Gu Bai's gaze immediately shifted to Chu Zeshen. "Sure."

Gu Bai followed Chu Zeshen upstairs into his room. Its layout was almost exactly the same as his own, except the balcony was a little smaller, though it had a hanging chair.

The sunshine wasn't too hot that day, and a light breeze was blowing. It was very comfortable.

There was a sun umbrella on the balcony. Once opened, it shaded the little hanging chair and the other chairs.

Gu Bai slipped off his slippers and made himself right at home, lying down in the hanging chair. Holding a tablet, Chu Zeshen sat in front of Gu Bai with his back to him.

Mocha lay down beside Gu Bai's slippers, a restless gleam in his eyes.

Neither disturbed the other, and they stayed quietly like that for quite a while.

From Gu Bai's angle, he could just see what was on Chu Zeshen's tablet. He was reading documents.

Gu Bai narrowed his eyes. "Didn't you say nothing work-related was allowed in this villa?"

Chu Zeshen chuckled. "Are you going to report me?"

Gu Bai shook his head. "Not for now. But how long that lasts depends on what you bribe me with."

Chu Zeshen turned to look at Gu Bai. "How come you're smart today?"

That didn't sound much like a compliment, and Gu Bai was a little annoyed.

The former richest man said indignantly, "I've always been smart."

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