Gu Lingzhou materialized out of nowhere—to be precise, it was the 18-year-old Gu Lingzhou. A scarf was draped over his arm as he walked straight toward Shi Yuxing. He stopped in front of him and looped the scarf around Shi Yuxing’s neck. Shi Yuxing’s eyes, like two clear glass beads, bright and beautiful, looked up at the young man who towered over him by a head.
“Dr. Fan? Dr. Yao?” Shi Yuxing’s scarf wasn’t tied particularly neatly, but it was warm, carrying the body heat of the man who had worn it. “If I ever find out you’ve been coming after my wife again, you won’t last another day in this hospital.”
Shi Yuxing watched the two of them scurry away in disgrace. Then, he abruptly pulled Gu Lingzhou into the back seat of the starship.
The kid was still a bit short of pulling off the mature-man act. Once they were alone, he immediately dropped that macho facade and turned to Shi Yuxing, eager for praise.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay home?” Shi Yuxing furrowed his brow, staring into his eyes. He found only his own reflection there. He turned his head away, suppressing the heart that had nearly leaped out of his throat, and let out a breath. “Did anyone else see your face on the way here?”
Little Zhou obediently shook his head. “I covered my face with the scarf. And… well, that old guy came too.” He pouted in grievance, then tilted his chin toward the space behind Shi Yuxing. Shi Yuxing whipped his head around—sure enough, outside the window stood a man in a cap and mask, revealing only a pair of eyes with subtle crow’s feet at the corners, a trace of weariness settled between his brows.
The three of them stared at each other. Shi Yuxing pinched the bridge of his nose, his chest heaving with a long sigh. His closed lashes cast a faint shadow beneath his eyes. “You two—didn’t I say not to come out on your own? You’re even wearing slippers. If anyone spotted you, you wouldn’t even be able to outrun them.”
“You weren’t coming back, and we don’t have your contact info, so we had no choice but to come to the hospital and wait for you to get off work.” The way he said it made it sound like it was Shi Yuxing’s fault.
Two handsome faces flanked him on both sides. The air in the starship was already stale, and with three people breathing in the confined space, the temperature kept climbing.
“I’ll dig out my spare phone for you when we get home.” With that, Shi Yuxing climbed from the back seat to the front, swallowing hard. He couldn’t help but think—no wonder ancient emperors said beauty was a distraction. He’d almost lost control and kissed them, one on each side.
His knuckles stood out against the steering wheel as the starship shot forward at breakneck speed, cutting the travel time by a full third compared to that morning. The streaks of light blurred into lines, and before long, they had pulled into the underground garage of his villa.
The lights were on inside. Shi Yuxing’s nostrils flared as he shuffled toward the kitchen in his slippers. “What’s in the pot?”
“Da Ling made braised pork ribs and spicy and sour shredded potatoes.” Little Zhou brought out the insulated dishes and even scooped a bowl of rice for him.
Shi Yuxing took a bite of the shredded potatoes along with the soft, fragrant rice. His chewing slowed, and he widened his eyes, his tea-colored gaze searching for the cook. “You made this?”
Da Ling’s eyes curved. “Not entirely—Little Zhou helped carry the groceries.”
Shi Yuxing didn’t catch anything off in that remark, just kept working his jaw. The shredded potatoes were tangy and spicy, crisp and refreshing, jolting every nerve in his teeth. The sweet-and-sour pork ribs rivaled the tenderloin at the hospital—crispy on the outside, tender within, perfectly flavored, down to the last sesame seed. The two dishes disappeared completely into his stomach, earning a satiated sigh.
“Was it good?”
Shi Yuxing nodded, turning to tonight’s head chef. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook. It’s completely different from what the housekeeper makes.”
“If you like it, I’ll cook for you every day from now on.” The 32-year-old was older, but with age came tenderness. “Anything else you’d like? I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”
Shi Yuxing smiled. “Just make whatever you want—I don’t like mushrooms, though. Thanks for your hard work.”
The two alphas stared transfixed, their eyes glued to him. Neither seemed to know who spoke first. “It’s getting late.”
Their brazen gazes finally registered with Shi Yuxing. “Right, time for bed. The guest room should—”
“I’m sleeping in the same room as you.”
“Didn’t you old men agree to a truce and let your wife choose for himself?”
Da Ling raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but I never said I couldn’t fight for myself.”
Little Zhou gritted his teeth. And here he’d just been praising the guy’s cooking—turns out he was just setting the stage for someone else. He squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth. “You’re despicable. You’re shameless.” Then he leaned closer to Shi Yuxing, putting on a pitiful, beaten-down look and started tattling: “Wife, he’s bullying me! I mopped the floor all day today, and he deliberately stepped on it with dirty shoes, making me mop it over and over again, sob sob.”
“I stepped on it by accident. And I didn’t even blame you for purposely dumping salt in my coffee.”
“I couldn’t tell sugar from salt! And who puts that much milk and sugar in coffee anyway? But you deliberately soaked the guest room bedding, didn’t you, you scheming old dog?!”
Gu Lingzhou arguing with Gu Lingzhou—Shi Yuxing felt like he was watching a stand-up comedy show. His mood was lifted, his eyes were pleased, and he couldn’t help but imagine how amazing it must be for an emperor with a harem of three thousand. The two alphas argued endlessly, spilling all the petty grievances they’d held against each other throughout the day. Any prior agreement of peaceful coexistence was thrown out the window, all for the sake of securing the coveted spot of sharing the bed that night.
Just as the two strapping Gu Lingzhous had their hands on each other’s arms and were about to come to blows, the sound of someone entering a passcode came from the front door.
“Incorrect password. Beeeep—”
The stool scraped against the floor with a harsh screech. Shi Yuxing shot to his feet, instantly realizing what was happening. “Quick, hide! My husband is back.”
At those words, the two alphas stopped their wrestling and simultaneously turned their eyes toward the door.
“Incorrect password. Beeeep—”
At the same time, Shi Yuxing’s phone started ringing on the table. An eerie melody filled the entire living room.
“All around you, so many beauties, but for some reason you’ve only set your sights on me. After the passion fades, you never come looking for me, always saying you’re too busy to keep me company!…” How long had it been since this ringtone last went off?
Shi Yuxing didn’t bother hanging up. He grabbed the nearest one and shoved him into the kitchen. “You—find somewhere to hide!” Then he pushed the other toward the stairs. “Hide in the bedroom, anywhere—just don’t come out no matter what happens.”
Tch, why does this feel like I’m sneaking around? Aren’t they both my husbands anyway? Watching the two alphas disappear from sight, the ringtone reached the part about “your conscience got carried off by a dog.” Shi Yuxing’s heart gave a jolt, then he patted his chest and answered the call.
The knocking at the door and the voice from the receiver came one after the other. “Open up.”
Shi Yuxing took a breath, turned to confirm the kitchen door was closed, then trotted over. Before opening the door, he quickly straightened up any traces in the entryway.
General Gu’s shoulders were dusted with a layer of silver frost. The commander’s badge on his arm glinted briefly. His clear, dark eyes dropped to Shi Yuxing as he reached out and wiped a smear of oil from the corner of his mouth. “Eating? You changed the passcode—why didn’t you tell me?”
Shi Yuxing had changed it that morning, precisely to prevent anyone from showing up unannounced. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked down at Gu Lingzhou’s lowered hand and lied: “There were some break-ins in the neighborhood recently, so I changed it.”
“I’ll have someone install a more secure one for you.”
“No need. This door is fine. I’ll just keep changing the code regularly.”
Gu Lingzhou stood in the entryway, then suddenly frowned. Shi Yuxing barely dared to breathe, terrified that Gu Lingzhou might discover he was hiding people.
The alpha lifted his head and sniffed the air. “Fir?” Shi Yuxing was a beta and couldn’t pick up on pheromones, so he’d naturally overlooked that detail. But he quickly came up with an excuse, channeling his inner actor: “Your pheromones are sold online. Since you never come home, I bought a bottle to spray around—that way no one dares to bully me.”
A softness surfaced in Gu Lingzhou’s eyes. He took his wife’s hand. “Sorry. Once I get through this busy stretch, I’ll come back.”
This was one of the rare opportunities Shi Yuxing had to hold Gu Lingzhou’s hand. The other man’s hand was large and warm, enough to envelop his entirely. But right now, any flutter of feeling was drowned out by sheer panic—his eyes kept darting around nervously. It’d be fine if he didn’t come back, actually.
Gu Lingzhou released his hand and strode forward with his long legs. Before Shi Yuxing could react, he had already pulled open the kitchen door. A scream nearly escaped his throat. But there was nothing—only the smell of cooking oil.
“Did the housekeeper not come today?” Gu Lingzhou scanned the room, his gaze pausing on a certain spot.
“I told her to take a few days off.” Shi Yuxing picked up the half-empty glass on the dining table and took a gulp. The ice water froze his nerves. Gu Lingzhou’s eyes swept around, lingering for a few seconds on the coffee table piled with snacks, but found nothing suspicious. Just as the boulder in Shi Yuxing’s heart was about to settle, Gu Lingzhou headed upstairs.
His eardrums thrummed. Shi Yuxing chased after him. “Are you staying here tonight?”
The hand that was about to press down on the bedroom doorknob stopped. He looked quietly at Shi Yuxing. “No.”
“Then don’t go in,” Shi Yuxing said, sourness bubbling up inside him, overpowering his nervousness. “I haven’t tidied up.”
No sooner had he spoken than Gu Lingzhou immediately pushed the door open. The room was pitch black. His nose entered the darkness first. He flicked on the light—a bed came into view first. It was a bedroom, but it also had an attached bathroom, a sauna, and two other rooms: one used as a walk-in closet, the other empty.
Shi Yuxing followed closely, opening his mouth hesitantly. “If you want to stay, you’ll need to have clothes sent over.”
“Mm. Wouldn’t fit anyway.” Gu Lingzhou glanced at the underwear draped over the armchair in the closet.
Shi Yuxing’s face burned crimson. Who put my underwear there?!
Gu Lingzhou, relying on his keen observational skills, noticed a few things, but the other party seemed even sharper than he was. He searched twice and found nothing. Was he really overthinking it? He stopped abruptly. Shi Yuxing, not watching where he was going, walked straight into his firm back with a soft “thump.”
“Are you looking for something? Your things aren’t here.” Shi Yuxing cleared his throat, silently giving kudos to whoever had hidden themselves. Several times, he’d been sure Gu Lingzhou was about to find them—and yet, there was no one.
Gu Lingzhou turned his head and gave him a long, deep look. “Grandmother said there’s a family banquet in a few days. We need to go together.” Shi Yuxing understood perfectly—it was those meddling aunts and uncles again, coming to lecture them about having children.
“Fine. We’ll coordinate by phone then.” He was already seeing him out.
Gu Lingzhou’s lips parted, just about to say something—
“BANG! CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG… WOOOOM…” From somewhere came the sound of a steel bowl hitting the floor, followed by a metallic rattling that grew louder and louder.
Leave a Reply