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Mocha first ran over to drink from the water bowl, then happily bounded onto the sofa and sat beside Gu Bai.

Gu Bai sighed. "You went wild today. How do you still have so much energy?"

Chu Zeshen came out of the bathroom. "Xie Wen said Mocha slept the whole time after we left. Everyone waited until Mocha woke up before moving on to the next activity."

Gu Bai chuckled and tapped Mocha's head. "Aren't you something, making everyone wait for you?"

No wonder Xie Wen had said they hadn't had their fill of fun. This little dog was the culprit.

Mocha cuddled up in Gu Bai's arms. Gu Bai took the shell necklace out of the bag, and sure enough, Mocha's eyes lit up at the sight.

The shells clinked together, and Mocha sprang upright in excitement.

Gu Bai put the necklace around Mocha's neck, prompting even more joyful bouncing.

The two of them couldn't help laughing at the little dog's excitement.

It was getting late, and it was time for bed.

Chu Zeshen left a light on for Xie Wen and the others. Mocha led the way, with Gu Bai close behind.

When Gu Bai reached the second floor, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Chu Zeshen. "How much was Mocha's necklace?"

Chu Zeshen had paid for both necklaces.

Chu Zeshen said, "Don't worry about it."

Gu Bai kept a clear distinction when it came to money. He should pay whatever was his to pay.

"It does matter a little. I was the one who wanted to buy it for Mocha, after all."

Seeing how insistent Gu Bai was, Chu Zeshen couldn't help saying, "Then why didn't you buy me one when you treated me like Mocha that day?"

There was a smile in Gu Bai's eyes too. "You can't compare to Mocha."

Chu Zeshen pressed, "Why not?"

Looking a little tired, Gu Bai raised an eyebrow and said languidly, "Because you're better behaved than Mocha."

Chu Zeshen froze for a moment at the stairs. The lighting in the second-floor hallway was rather dim, with a beam falling on Gu Bai's shoulder, leaving his expression indistinct. Since they were standing close together, Chu Zeshen could see the fine fuzz on Gu Bai's cheek.

Gu Bai, on the other hand, could see Chu Zeshen's expression clearly. His eyes remained fixed on him, filled with surprise.

He gave a soft laugh. "Good night."

Then he turned and went into his room, leaving Chu Zeshen alone at the stairs.

Only when Mocha nipped at his trouser leg did Chu Zeshen slowly climb the stairs.

The next day, the living room was still in that same half-asleep state. Xie Wen was the second to last to get up, and last night's unrestrained partying had left him rather listless today.

After breakfast, he lay sprawled on the sofa like a salted fish. Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see something jump up.

Xie Wen squinted and took a look. Mocha was standing beside his head, with that fluffy neck right in front of his face.

"What are you doing, Mocha? Trying to tear the roof off? Go play by yourself."

Rather than getting down, Mocha moved even closer to Xie Wen.

Xie Wen couldn't very well push the dog off the sofa. Left with no choice, he opened his eyes and noticed that Mocha seemed to be wearing something.

He raised a hand to take a closer look. "A Ze, what's your Mocha wearing? I don't remember seeing it yesterday."

Chu Zeshen came out of the kitchen with his coffee. "A present Gu Bai bought for Mocha."

At that, Xie Wen sat up, the top of his head brushing Mocha's fur, and exclaimed, "What about us? Our presents?"

Chu Zeshen glanced at him. "Nothing. You like this sort of souvenir?"

"Whether I like it is beside the point. It's the thought that counts. I looked after Mocha for half a day so you two could have some time alone together. Doesn't that deserve a present?" Xie Wen let out a cry. "You didn't seriously bring us nothing, did you?"

Chu Zeshen nodded and said without a trace of guilt, "Nothing."

Xie Wen gave several cold laughs. "I've finally seen you for what you are."

Lu Shengfan sat down with a smile. "Isn't this what friends are for? Looking after the kid so they can enjoy some time alone together."

Mocha jumped off the sofa and walked over to Lu Shengfan, who gave Mocha a pat. "Looks nice."

Xie Wen was bewildered. "So Mocha jumped up here to show it off to me?"

After hearing the compliment, Mocha seemed to hold that head even higher and puff that chest out even farther while pacing around the living room.

Xie Wen was annoyed. He lay back down on the sofa and asked weakly, "Then did you get a present?"

Lu Shengfan also looked at the married man who had been in high spirits all morning.

Chu Zeshen took a sip of coffee. "No."

Xie Wen abruptly sat up again and stared straight at Chu Zeshen. "No? Then what did you do yesterday? Didn't you take him out for some couple time? No holding hands or kissing?"

The coffee seemed to taste very good. Chu Zeshen didn't take his eyes off it or say a word.

What had been said on the stairs last night had such a lingering effect that he still hadn't fully recovered.

How could Gu Bai say something like that so calmly?

From his reaction, Xie Wen knew he hadn't done any of the things he had just mentioned. Chu Zeshen hadn't gotten even the slightest reward yet. If this were a business deal, he would already have lost tens of millions by now, and ought to act decisively and cut his losses.

He tilted his face toward the ceiling and sighed deeply. "It's hard. Harder by the minute."

Gu Bai had just come downstairs when he heard Xie Wen say this. He glanced at the sofa, then went into the kitchen.

Catching sight of him out of the corner of his eye, Xie Wen lowered his voice and asked, "He probably didn't hear what I said, right?"

Lu Shengfan said, "Even if he did, he wouldn't want to bother with you. Who knows what you're wailing about?"

Gu Bai had a fairly good appetite today and ate until he was seventy or eighty percent full.

There were no plans for the early morning. On the third day, the game console Xie Wen had brought finally came in handy.

Xie Wen had been a gaming enthusiast since childhood. Even now, at almost thirty, he was the first to rush in whenever a new game came out. He was the perfect embodiment of the saying that men remained boys until the day they died.

The new game caught Gu Bai's attention. Standing beside the sofa with his coffee, he unwittingly became engrossed in watching.

Across from him, Chu Zeshen watched Gu Bai in amusement. How was he still thinking about games when they were away having fun?