Return

Gu Qingzhou had never felt a moment where being independent was so important. When Mother Gu was young, she relied on her parents, then on men she had flings with, and finally on her husband. Her entire life was like a dodder vine, clinging to others, so she never had the ability to change anything. She couldn't sway her husband's thoughts, nor could she sway her son's. She could only passively accept all the outcomes she was unwilling to accept.

It's a good thing to have someone to rely on in this world, but if there's no one behind you and you don't dare to fall, then you can only do your best to stand firm on your own.

Without looking back, Gu Qingzhou left the mansion. As the last trace of human presence departed with him, the luxurious and exquisite villa behind him seemed no different from a cage. Some fought desperately to escape it, while others would rather die than take a step away.

The weather in Hai City was gradually warming up, and everyone at the company had returned to their usual busy state. By the floor-to-ceiling window, where a half-human-height banana plant once stood, there was now a lucky bamboo. Its emerald green stems gleamed, but due to long-term neglect, its leaves were slightly yellowed.

It was lunchtime. Fang Qia, with a blank expression, sat before her computer, racing against time to finish her drawings. The speed of her keyboard tapping grew faster and faster, making one's heart race just listening. In the end, the computer froze, and she got so angry she slammed her mouse down. "Fuck! I'm so pissed off! Is that pig head insane? Taking on so many client orders for me, even a donkey would be worked to death!"

The Hai City branch was one of the weaker ones among all the subsidiaries. This newly appointed Manager Liu was clearly very 'focused' on performance. Right at the start of the new year, he set a clear workload for everyone, more than double the usual amount, causing widespread complaints. People didn't even have time to eat at noon.

This was obviously not the first time something like this had happened. Li Si'ao was already used to it. He quickly patted her shoulder to comfort her, "You should go eat. Don't ruin your stomach. I'm almost done with my part. I'll help you with your drawing in a bit."

Jiang Xu wasn't any less busy; he was also rushing his drawings. Hearing this, he raised his hand and said, "Ah Sao, I haven't had lunch either. Why don't you help me draw mine too?"

Without turning his head, Li Si'ao said, "Get lost!"

Jiang Xu's fingers flew across the keyboard, correcting dimensions bit by bit. Even though he was usually fast at drawing, he was finding the current high-pressure workload a bit overwhelming, to say nothing of Fang Qia, an irritable woman on her period.

The little admin assistant went into the office to deliver some documents. She came out shortly after, grinding her teeth hatefully, and whispered to everyone, "Guess what Manager Liu is doing?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xu lifted his eyelids. His foxy eyes, which usually held a smile, now showed a hint of hidden impatience. "What kind of trouble is he stirring up now? A few days ago he wanted to change the desks, yesterday the chairs. I think we should just change him."

The little admin assistant said, "That Manager Liu, he's making us work overtime here, but he's in his office eating a luxury takeout meal, watching a livestreamer while eating, and he even gifted two big yachts!"

When Fang Qia heard this, she let out a very, very dirty curse, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Fuck! That old bastard! None of you stop me today, I'm going in there to fight him!"

Manager Liu was sleazy. He always liked to lecherously stare at the pretty young girls and would occasionally take the opportunity to grope them. While everyone else was angry but didn't dare to speak up, Fang Qia was not one to be trifled with. One time, when he almost took advantage of her, she directly cursed him out in public, causing Manager Liu to lose a lot of face. Because of this, he had given her no small amount of trouble, both openly and secretly.

Li Si'ao, afraid she would act rashly, quickly held her down. "Shh, calm down, calm down. If he finds out, who knows how he'll mess with you again. Just bear with it a bit longer. Things will be fine once Manager Gu comes back."

Fang Qia said, "Who knows when Manager Gu is coming back? It's been a month, and there hasn't been a sign of him!"

Jiang Xu glanced at her upon hearing this. Just as he was about to say something, his phone suddenly vibrated with a new message. Everyone watched as he, having seen some incredible piece of news, shot up from his seat with a whoosh. His knee hit the desk with a dull thud, but without even rubbing it, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out.

Seeing this, Fang Qia asked, "Hey! Where are you going?!"

Without looking back, Jiang Xu said, "You'd better go fight that old bastard now, or you won't get the chance later."

After saying that, he left the office like a gust of wind.

Gu Qingzhou had been away for nearly a month. Although he called Jiang Xu several times every day, it was still a completely different matter from seeing him in person. He only messaged Jiang Xu after getting off the plane and was now waiting at the airport for him to pick him up.

It had been a long time since Jiang Xu had gone to meet someone with such a joyous heart. He drove to the airport at the fastest speed of his life, then searched for Gu Qingzhou's figure at the arrivals exit. His gaze swept past travelers of all shapes and sizes—tall or short, fat or thin—before finally settling on a slender, tall frame.

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Xu's racing heart suddenly stilled for a moment. He watched as Gu Qingzhou walked towards him, pulling a suitcase. The contours of his face and eyes gradually came into focus, and he finally realized that the other person had lost a lot of weight.

Not just a little, but a lot.

Theirs was a reunion after a long separation, a recovery of something lost, a mending of a broken mirror. Separated by two thousand kilometers, they had gone round and round, only to end up back where they started.

The surrounding crowd was bustling, but Gu Qingzhou's gaze was locked tightly on just one person. He walked quickly towards him, his heart starting to pound as if it would leap out of his throat. The emotions churning inside him were about to burst forth, barely suppressed beneath a calm exterior.

Gu Qingzhou called his name, "Jiang Xu..."

Before he could finish the two words, he was unexpectedly pulled into a familiar embrace. The tip of his nose bumped against the other's shoulder with a slight, dull pain, and then a strong force wrapped around his waist, holding him very, very tightly.

Gu Qingzhou couldn't speak. He had thought that a reunion after a long separation would be a happy occasion, but it turned out that the heartache outweighed the joy at this moment. He closed his eyes, resting his head against Jiang Xu's shoulder, and didn't make a sound for a long while. Finally, he managed a smile. "Hey, I'm back."

Just by looking, Jiang Xu could tell he had lost a lot of weight. Now, holding him in his arms, he realized he was truly so thin he was nothing but a bag of bones. After a long while, he slowly let him go. He still spoke in his usual flippant manner, smiling as he said, "You remembered to come back. Any later and I would've run off with someone else."

Gu Qingzhou gave him an impassive sidelong glance, and the bit of sorrow in his heart immediately vanished. "Want to run off with someone else? You can try."

Try it, then.

Jiang Xu didn't answer, just pinched his face, then took his luggage and started walking. "There's no meat on you. Did someone bully you or did they not feed you?"

Gu Qingzhou walked shoulder to shoulder with him. So many things had happened during this time. It would be a lie to say he wasn't sad, and a lie to say he wasn't tired. But strangely, he didn't feel it until he was asked, and once asked, he couldn't say a single word. Gu Qingzhou was used to enduring things in silence, always feeling he couldn't cry about his grievances like a three-year-old—that would be too dramatic. Meeting Jiang Xu's gaze, he could only shake his head.

Seeing this, Jiang Xu was silent for a moment, then he smiled and hooked an arm around his neck, pulling him closer. He sighed and asked in a low voice, "Are you very tired?"

Gu Qingzhou was practically half-held in his embrace. The pressure on his shoulder gave him an invisible sense of security, dispelling all his fatigue. Under the cover of their jackets, he poked Jiang Xu's waist and said meaningfully, "I'm okay. Just worried you were out here attracting bees and butterflies."

Jiang Xu said, "Give me a break. Who has time to attract bees and butterflies? I've been too busy to even eat."

As they spoke, they reached the car. Jiang Xu opened the trunk, put the luggage inside, and they both got into the front seats, one on the left and one on the right. Before he had even settled in, Gu Qingzhou asked, "What have you been busy with every day?"

Jiang Xu said meaningfully, "Busy thinking about you, of course."

It wasn't just Jiang Xu; everyone else at the company missed him too. After all, being tormented by that pig head Liu Kangming had left them barely human. By comparison, even Gu Qingzhou's previously cold image seemed kind and approachable.

Jiang Xu had just said it as a casual tease, but unexpectedly, Gu Qingzhou was very happy to hear it. He smiled and asked, "Really?"

Jiang Xu suddenly felt that Gu Qingzhou was sometimes as innocent as a child. Seeing the other man looking at him with such expectant eyes, he couldn't resist. He leaned over slightly, cupped the back of his head, and kissed him. The movement was so gentle and meticulous that the latter subconsciously closed his eyes.

Gu Qingzhou wanted to respond, but for once, he held back, obediently letting Jiang Xu take the lead.

His slightly pale, dry lips gradually turned crimson from the friction. Jiang Xu pecked at him intermittently, his voice muffled, "Really. I'm a puppy if I'm lying to you."

Gu Qingzhou clutched his collar and refused to let go. The emotions in his heart were in such turmoil that it seemed only through a painful method could they be vented. He gently bit Jiang Xu's lower lip, leaving a faint teeth mark on it, causing a dense, rippling sting.

Jiang Xu couldn't help but roll his eyes and pull his arm off his neck. "So I'm not the puppy, you are."

Gu Qingzhou didn't care what he said. His long-somber mood finally brightened. He rested against Jiang Xu's shoulder and said, "I'm the dog, and you're the bone."

Jiang Xu didn't speak, just smiled at his words. He ruffled Gu Qingzhou's hair, his hand then coming to rest on the other's gaunt face. He paused. "Are you hungry? I'll take you to eat."

Gu Qingzhou shook his head. "Not hungry. Let's just drive home. I want to go home."

For this past month, he had really missed Jiang Xu, but he was clumsy with words and couldn't say anything endearing. Besides kissing and hugging, he didn't know what else to do.

Jiang Xu was about to start the car when he caught a glimpse of several faint, crescent-shaped red marks on Gu Qingzhou's wrist. They were so light they were barely visible, but they stood out against his pale skin.

Jiang Xu had been in his fair share of fights before. He could tell they were from fingernails digging in. He grabbed Gu Qingzhou's wrist and asked, "Who did this? Your mom?"

Gu Qingzhou felt this kind of thing was rather embarrassing. He averted his gaze and grunted an "mm."

Jiang Xu wanted to ask if Gu Qingzhou had gone back to City A to handle a funeral or to be abused. Not only did he come back a whole size thinner, but he also had injuries. But it wasn't right to start scolding, so he muttered a curse, "Are you stupid? Why didn't you dodge when she was pinching you?"

Gu Qingzhou said, "It's fine, it's not serious."

Jiang Xu let him go and started the car. "You only know how to be defiant with me. How come you're such a pushover in front of others? You pick the soft persimmons to pinch, huh?"

'When have I ever been defiant with you? I'm as obedient as can be,' Gu Qingzhou thought. He rested his head on his hand and didn't say anything. Jiang Xu, remembering something, suddenly said, "You have to go back to the company tomorrow."

Gu Qingzhou noticed his clothes were a bit wrinkled and reached out to smooth them, asking casually, "Why?"

Jiang Xu said, "If you don't go back soon, someone at the company is going to revolt."