When Jiang Xu made up his mind, he could be quite reckless. The worst that could happen was changing jobs; a living person with hands and feet wasn't going to starve to death. He had had enough these past few days. He turned on his computer to binge-watch dramas, slacking off blatantly, and sat at his desk chain-smoking, just waiting for Gu Qingzhou to come out and be angered to death by the sight.

However, for the entire afternoon, Gu Qingzhou didn't step out of his office. The door remained tightly shut without the slightest sound. Jiang Xu was puzzled and was just about to incite someone to go in and check the situation when he was suddenly slapped on the back.

Fang Qia was about to suffocate from the smoke. Covering her nose, she said, “Jiang Xu, have you lost your mind? You've smoked eight cigarettes and you're still not stopping?! Just smell this!”

Jiang Xu had no choice but to extinguish his cigarette, muttering, “I think it's fine. Your perfume is much stronger than this.”

Hearing this, Li Si'ao almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in. Fang Qia's face turned red, and she stomped her foot in anger. “If you smoke again, I'll report you! I'll tell Manager Gu!”

Jiang Xu spread his hands, wanting to say, 'Go right ahead, I'd be thrilled,' but before he could speak, with a click, the office door was suddenly pulled open. Fang Qia, scared like a frightened bird, immediately sat back in her seat.

Jiang Xu wasn't the least bit cowardly. Seeing Gu Qingzhou come out of the office, he had no intention of hiding anything. He tossed the lighter in his hand up and down, his gaze sweeping over the other's tightly pressed lips, and his thoughts began to wander. He secretly wondered, 'Did Gu Qingzhou eat the candy, or did he spit it out?'

The drama about a wealthy family's melodramatic love story was still playing on the computer in front of him, a pile of cigarette butts lay beside his hand, and the faint smell of tobacco lingered in the air. The provocation couldn't have been more obvious. Unexpectedly, however, Gu Qingzhou merely shot him a cold glare before withdrawing his gaze expressionlessly and walking straight out.

Fang Qia furtively raised his head. Seeing him walk away, she couldn't help but ask in disbelief, “Why isn't he dealing with you?”

'That's right, why isn't he dealing with me?'

Jiang Xu spread his hands and shrugged, indicating he didn't know.

In the evening, Dou Xun came to pick up Fan Jiajia from work and took the opportunity to invite everyone from the design team for a casual meal. It was hard for everyone to refuse, so they could only agree. Gu Qingzhou was also forcibly dragged along by him. The location was a Korean barbecue restaurant near the company with a good reputation and booming business. Unfortunately, it was peak hour, and there were no private rooms, so they could only eat in the main hall.

Dou Xun was a person who loved a lively atmosphere and didn't mind the noisy surroundings. He warmly greeted everyone to sit down and order. Gu Qingzhou didn't like heavy, oily food, so he remained silent. Jiang Xu, sitting opposite him, glanced at him before looking down to play on his phone.

Dou Xun seemed quite interested in Jiang Xu. Seeing him stay quiet, he asked, “Designer Jiang, why aren't you ordering?”

Hearing this, Jiang Xu looked up, not understanding why Dou Xun would suddenly strike up a conversation with him. He turned off his phone and said, “It's fine, you guys can order. I'm not picky.”

Dou Xun then asked with a smile, “You're about that age, do you have a girlfriend? Tell us what you're looking for, we can give you some advice. If I know anyone suitable, I can recommend them to you.”

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhou silently ground his foot against Dou Xun's under the table. His long, fair fingers held a glass, his little finger tapping rhythmically against its side, reflecting the light from the water. Then he leaned back slowly into his chair and said with a faint smile, “Designer Jiang probably wants to find someone with a car, a house, and money.”

Li Si'ao was a little surprised at how well Gu Qingzhou seemed to know Jiang Xu, but before he could speak, he saw Fang Qia turn her head over and poke his bowl with her chopsticks. “Jiang Xu, you have no car, no house, and no money. On what grounds do you want to find someone with a car, a house, and money?”

Jiang Xu stretched lazily, not ashamed in the least, but rather proud. The lights overhead were scattered, casting the upper half of his face in shadow, making it look somewhat dim and unclear. Only the slight curl of his lips was visible. When he smiled, it was roguish and wicked, and even his words were brazenly self-righteous: “It's precisely because I don't have them that I want to find someone who does. Is there a problem with that?”

'No problem, no problem.'

Dou Xun was no saint either; he and Jiang Xu thought alike. If Gu Qingzhou hadn't been stepping on his foot so hard he almost cried for his mommy, he would have given him a thumbs-up. He lowered his voice and stammered, “He's being quite honest, not hiding anything, right...”

Gu Qingzhou said nothing. He lifted his glass and took a sip of water, but he couldn't refute it—

Jiang Xu was truly like that. He never cared about the opinions of others, dissecting bloody reality without any reservations. Like was like, dislike was dislike, and he couldn't even be bothered to offer a single false platitude. Gu Qingzhou was always looking towards the distant future, while he was always staring at the sordidness of the present.

The drinks kept flowing at the table, and everyone chatted and joked wildly. Gu Qingzhou didn't eat anything the entire time, nor did he participate in the conversation. He just drank glass after glass of alcohol, his movements unhurried, but two empty bottles already sat by his hand.

Jiang Xu didn't touch any alcohol. He had drunk too much back in his school days and now found it uninteresting. So, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, there were only a few sober people left at the table, and they had to see each other home.

Gu Qingzhou hadn't been here long. He was usually a man of few words and didn't interact with his colleagues, so he just sat quietly in his seat.

He had come to this city all alone...

Dou Xun had a driver. After paying the bill, he prepared to take Fan Jiajia home. Seeing that Gu Qingzhou had also been drinking, he patted his shoulder. “Hey, how about I call a designated driver for you?”

Gu Qingzhou didn't look drunk at all. He raised a hand to loosen two buttons on his collar and shook his head, saying flatly, “No need, I'll call one myself.”

Seeing that he was still relatively sober, Dou Xun didn't press the issue. He said his goodbyes and left.

Jiang Xu was also about to leave, but he suddenly remembered a scene from a graduation dinner with his old classmates, where a drunk Gu Qingzhou had clung to him and refused to let go. He paused for a moment, then found a spot on a bench by the road in front of the restaurant and sat down, deciding to wait and see.

Through the glass door, he could see Gu Qingzhou still sitting alone at the table. After a waitress clearing the dishes said something to him with a blush, he finally picked up the jacket draped over the back of his chair, got up, and came out of the restaurant.

His steps were staggering, his gaze vacant and unfocused.

'This guy really is drunk,' Jiang Xu thought. He saw Gu Qingzhou walk to the side of the road, looking like he was about to cross through the heavy traffic to the other side. He quickly dashed forward and yanked him back. "Where are you going?"

'He'll get hit and killed in a moment, and no one will even be there to identify the body.'

Gu Qingzhou didn't speak, merely glancing at him from the side, his expression cold and indifferent. The night wind ruffled his hair, and he really didn't look drunk at all. But he offered no resistance as he was pulled away from the roadside like a marionette, clearly having lost his self-awareness.

'This drunk, even a designated driver isn't safe.'

Jiang Xu looked at him, then at his own little bicycle, and realized it would be a bit difficult to give him a ride. After some thought, he fished the car keys out of Gu Qingzhou's pants pocket, found his Porsche by the roadside, opened the door, and pushed him into the back seat.

Walking around to the other side, Jiang Xu got into the driver's seat and glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Hey, where do you live?”

Hearing this, a brief moment of confusion appeared in Gu Qingzhou's eyes. He tilted his head and fell into thought. A moment later, he recited his home address, precise down to the apartment number.

Jiang Xu, afraid he was just spouting nonsense, confirmed again, “What was the number again?”

Gu Qingzhou stared at him quietly from the back seat, his aura intimidating. It was the same look that made his subordinates tremble during the day. “I don't want to repeat myself.”

Jiang Xu: “...”

If he didn't know Gu Qingzhou was truly drunk, Jiang Xu would have thrown him out onto the street right then and there.

The night was excessively long, an endless darkness enveloping the city. Neon lights lit up one after another, adorning Hai City's most prosperous commercial district. Amidst the surrounding bustling traffic, the crowds were dense. Many were migrants who had come to the city to work, struggling and striving alone in this city, searching for a place to call their own.

When Gu Qingzhou was drunk, he wasn't noisy or disruptive, but he might do something unexpected at any moment. Jiang Xu kept an eye on him through the rearview mirror the entire way. Fortunately, nothing happened.

The alcohol from dinner had a strong aftereffect that only grew more potent over time. By the time Jiang Xu drove the car to the entrance of the residential complex and parked, Gu Qingzhou could no longer even stand steadily.

Jiang Xu pulled him out of the car. “Stand steady. Don't blame me if you fall later.”

It was late and quiet. Only the streetlights illuminated the garden path, and not a sound could be heard. Fortunately, Jiang Xu still remembered the floor and apartment number. He supported Gu Qingzhou into the elevator and upstairs, stumbling their way to the location.

Jiang Xu only had the car key, not the apartment key. He had no choice but to resort to the same trick and search Gu Qingzhou's pants pocket. But before he could find the key, his hand was pressed down hard—

After getting drunk, Gu Qingzhou's eyes were innocent and confused. He stared at Jiang Xu and asked in a puzzled tone, “What are you doing?”

“...”

Jiang Xu didn't want to talk to a drunkard, as it would lower his own IQ. So, he ignored Gu Qingzhou and directly pulled a string of keys from his pocket. He couldn't tell which one was for the apartment door, so he had to try them one by one.

'It's great to be rich. So many keys on this ring, who knows how many properties he owns.'

Jiang Xu was silently complaining in his heart when his waist was suddenly tightened, followed by a weight settling on his shoulder. His movements paused slightly, and he slowly turned his head to look, only to meet Gu Qingzhou's dark, moist, and well-behaved eyes.

Jiang Xu: “...What are you doing?”

Gu Qingzhou ignored him. He hugged Jiang Xu from behind as if simply hugging a pillow, then closed his eyes, nuzzled his shoulder, and became still—a complete contrast to his cold and arrogant daytime demeanor.

Jiang Xu: “...”

'Fine, we're both grown men. A hug won't hurt.'

Jiang Xu quickened his pace, found the key, and opened the door. Relying on his years of experience in interior design, he accurately located the bedroom without taking a single wrong turn. However, Gu Qingzhou was still hugging him and not letting go.

Jiang Xu sighed helplessly. Then, relying on his years of experience in fighting, he tossed the man onto the bed.

Gu Qingzhou was a bit dazed from being thrown. He subconsciously frowned. His pupils were dark and clear, but the corners of his eyes were slightly red from the alcohol, and his originally neat white shirt had become messy and wrinkled.

Gu Qingzhou looked up at Jiang Xu, his tightly knitted brows not relaxing, and stated calmly, “You hit me.”

Jiang Xu was searching around for the air conditioner remote. Hearing this, he replied without turning his head, “I just gave you a light push. Stop trying to frame me.”

After speaking, he saw Gu Qingzhou sitting on the edge of the bed hugging a pillow, not saying a word. The soft light spilled down, casting a thin halo over his dark hair, making him look very weak and easy to bully.

It was rare to see Gu Qingzhou like this. Jiang Xu dragged a chair over to the bedside and sat down, deliberately teasing him, “Hey, do you remember your bank card PIN?”

Gu Qingzhou lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyelids, making his expression unreadable. “I remember.”

Jiang Xu rubbed his chin, thinking, 'Why is Gu Qingzhou acting like a complete idiot?' He continued to tease him, “Then tell me, what's the PIN?”

Gu Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I can't say.”

'Still has some sense left, not completely stupid,' Jiang Xu thought. "Forget it then."

After he spoke, he stood up to put the chair back in its place and was about to leave for home when the corner of his shirt was suddenly grabbed. Jiang Xu's steps halted abruptly. He subconsciously turned his head and was met with Gu Qingzhou's serious face. “The bank card PIN is 26...”

“Shut up!”

Jiang Xu quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, not wanting to hear at all. “Are you an idiot? How can you just blurt out something like that?”

With his mouth covered, Gu Qingzhou couldn't speak, and his brows furrowed slightly. Jiang Xu cursed himself internally for his big mouth, 'Why did I have to ask about his bank card PIN?' “Don't say it! I don't want to hear it! So you can't blame me when you lose your money later. Don't say it!”

After speaking, he tentatively released his hand. Seeing that Gu Qingzhou indeed didn't speak again, he finally relaxed a little. He placed the keys on the bedside table, and fearing something else uncontrollable might happen, he pulled the door shut behind him and quickly left.