Shen Ci was a little dazed right up until the Santana parked downstairs at the hospital.

Xie Yu was walking ahead. When he turned his head, he saw Shen Ci following slowly behind, seemingly in a daze. He helplessly reached out his hand, "Teaching Assistant Shen, have you gone silly?"

This address was what Xie Yu was accustomed to using five years ago. At first, Shen Ci felt it was teasing and humiliating, but gradually, he grew used to it. Whenever Xie Yu called him that in an intimate tone, accompanied by a radiant smile, Shen Ci would feel his ears burn.

To this day, no one had called him that for a full five years.

The outstretched hand was long and beautiful, its temperature scalding. Shen Ci lowered his eyes slightly and placed his hand on it.

They held each other's hands.

The two walked into the hospital, passed through a long corridor, and stood in front of the ward's glass window. This ward had a sterile setup; only one person could enter and exit at a time, with a time limit. Xie Yu gave Shen Ci a gentle push and said with a smile, "Go in."

Shen Ci's feelings were complicated. He didn't understand what Xie Yu was thinking. He put on an isolation gown and walked into the ward, watching as Xie Yu mouthed through the glass, "Remember to introduce me."

Shen Ci's ears began to redden again.

...How should he introduce him?

The ward was soundproof, so Xie Yu couldn't hear him speak. Shen Ci could introduce him however he wanted. Even if he said Xie Yu was his boyfriend, lover, or even husband, it would be fine.

Grandma Shen's condition was now stable, but she was old, lacking in energy, and had a poor memory. She spent most of her time sleeping. When her hand was groggily held by someone, she woke up and smiled at Shen Ci, "Do you have some free time today?"

Shen Ci knelt beside her and held her hand, "Yes, I'm not going to work today."

Normally, they always had a lot to talk about, but this time, Shen Ci didn't speak. As he considered how to introduce Xie Yu, Grandma Shen seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration and looked outside, seeing the person outside the window.

Even through a layer of glass, one could see that Xie Yu was tall, with a handsome and upright posture, looking like a celebrity model on television. Grandma Shen paused for a moment and fumbled for her reading glasses.

She put the glasses over her eyes. Xie Yu smiled and waved in greeting. The old woman squeezed Shen Ci's hand and suddenly said, "Who is that child at the door? I've seen him before."

Shen Ci paused, unable to hide the surprise in his tone, "You've seen him before?"

Ever since Xie Yu returned to the country, he practically stayed behind closed doors, completely avoiding his usual social circles, and had never been to the hospital. How could Grandma Shen have seen him?

The old woman closed her eyes in deep thought for a moment and said, "Many years ago, maybe three or five years."

It was only because Xie Yu was truly outstanding in appearance. Had he had an ordinary face, no one would have remembered him for so long.

Shen Ci paused again, uncontrollably turning his head to look at Xie Yu.

Five years ago, that was when he and Xie Yu had just met. Xie Yu was still the wealthy young master of Jiang City whose word was law, while he was an unknown, impoverished student at A University.

The VIP ward was located in a corner of the hospital, separated from other inpatient areas by a long corridor. Unless someone intentionally took a detour, they wouldn't end up here.

But why would Xie Yu intentionally take a detour? To see an old woman he didn't even know?

Xie Yu had absolutely no idea he had been recognized and was still smiling through the glass, mouthing, "Did you introduce me?"

Shen Ci hastily turned his head back, his eyes growing slightly hot.

Grandma Shen patted him and asked once more, "Who is that child at the door?"

Shen Ci masked his somewhat flustered expression, held his grandmother's hand, considered it briefly, and finally said, "He is... the person I like. His name is Xie Yu."

Rolling the two syllables 'Xie Yu' on the tip of his tongue felt unexpectedly tender and lingering.

Grandma Shen was not a conservative person. After a slight change in thought, she understood most of it—first, the medical treatment quota that fell from the sky for no reason; then, Shen Ci's initial anxious and uneasy state at the time; and later on, how he became increasingly stable, even smiling more... And this person standing outside the glass window today and five years ago.

She patted Shen Ci with a relaxed posture, as if a weight had been lifted off her mind, "Grandma trusts your judgment in people."

Shen Ci buried his head in peeling an apple. He only gave an "Mhm" without saying anything to commit.

Trusting his judgment in people... but after so much time had passed, he still couldn't completely read Xie Yu. He could only explore bit by bit, like a blind man feeling an elephant. With every little bit he understood, he liked him a little more. In rumors, he was supposed to be arrogant and violent, yet his personality was gentle and he loved to smile. He had clearly suffered a great deal when he was young, yet he never subjected others to violence later on. He was obviously a young master raised in wealth and luxury, but having returned to the country for several months, he surprisingly cared nothing for fame, fortune, or money. Xie Yu had an ethereal, otherworldly sense about him, as if he were merely a passerby in this world, who would leave when his time was up.

Fifteen minutes flew by in a flash. The prompt tone sounded. Shen Ci placed the peeled apple on the bedside table and told the old woman to rest well. The old woman looked up at Xie Yu outside the door, then at her grandson before her, and reached out her wrinkled, age-spotted hand to gently pat the back of his hand.

Everything was understood without being said.

While the two were talking in the ward, Xie Yu stood idly outside the door. Seeing Shen Ci push the door open and come out, he smiled, "How did you introduce me..."

Halfway through his teasing words, he caught sight of Shen Ci's slightly reddened eyes, so he stopped and pointed to his eyes, "Are you like this every time you come to the hospital?"

Birth, aging, sickness, and death were matters beyond human control. Although the old woman's condition was stable, she still couldn't leave the ward. They spent less time together and more time apart. And although Xie Yu had never accompanied a sick relative, he also knew this matter was hard to bear, so he reached out to hold his hand and comforted him, "Alright now, they're using the best medicine. If you feel bad, just come visit more often."

He reached out to hold Shen Ci and led him outward. However, the person being led struggled slightly, as if wanting to break free. Xie Yu paused and asked good-naturedly, "Do you want to be alone for a bit?"

There were situations like this, where someone didn't want to be seen by anyone when they were sad and only wanted to stay alone.

Thinking this, Xie Yu let go of his hand. But the next second, his wrist was grabbed. Shen Ci slid his fingers between Xie Yu's, interlacing their fingers tightly, and then suddenly threw his whole body forward, embracing him.

Both were wearing long windbreakers over down jackets. Hugging each other felt like a soft mass, very comfortable.

Xie Yu wrapped his arms around him and rubbed the top of the head of the person in his arms. He felt quite surprised in his heart and thought to himself, 'Oh, daring to hug me now? That's an improvement.'

Perhaps due to his upbringing, Shen Ci's personality was a bit awkward. On one hand, he had achieved success in the academic field and was quite proud, but on the other hand, he was overly cautious when it came to feelings. Xie Yu guessed that the sudden departure without saying goodbye five years ago had left him with quite a bit of psychological trauma. He was terrified of laying all his cards on the table, sealing off his escape route, and having nowhere to hide.

Xie Yu felt this little bit of awkwardness was quite cute to tease, so he didn't expose it. He had a bit of a feeling of watching the fire from across the river, along with a touch of naughtiness, wanting to see what Shen Ci was actually agonizing over. Now, being hugged so unexpectedly, he couldn't help but laugh dumbly, "Alright, alright, this is the hospital corridor."

There were still doctors and nurses coming and going.

Only then did Shen Ci loosen his grip.

They drove home, passing by a wet market on the way, so the two got out and went grocery shopping arm in arm. Xie Yu was an expert at picking meat. Since Shen Ci's living conditions were poor when he was young, he ate a lot of leafy greens and could tell the good from the bad at a glance. The two of them wandered around the market and ended up carrying three or four plastic bags.

Neither Xie Yu nor Shen Ci was very good at haggling. They simply followed behind passing uncles and aunties, waiting for them to negotiate a good price, and then popped their heads up, saying, "We'll take a bunch too."

One of them was the former eldest young master of the Xie Family; even though he was down and out now, the stocks in his hands were still worth a lot. The other was the newly established top elite of Jiang City, whom even Xie Yuanhai had to show some respect to. Yet, saving a dollar or two like this and carrying plastic bags worth a few cents, they surprisingly managed to find some joy in shopping.

The two returned home and sorted the groceries into the refrigerator. Looking at the newly bought beef, Xie Yu remembered his freeloader classmates and said, "The classmates I studied abroad with have returned to the country. There might be a gathering in a couple of days. Are you coming?"

Shen Ci was organizing the refrigerator. Hearing this, he paused, then continued organizing, "I'll come."

People often say the first step in a relationship is mutually entering each other's social circles. Today Xie Yu went to the hospital with him, and tomorrow he would go meet Xie Yu's classmates. It really did feel like ordinary people dating.

The days in Xingfu Community passed by like flowing water. At first, Xie Yu thought Shen Ci wouldn't be used to living here, but unexpectedly, Shen Ci was even more at ease than he was. They went shopping for groceries every day. Shen Ci went out to work, and Xie Yu went out to stroll around. At night, they slept in each other's arms. Xie Yu gained a large body pillow, and Shen Ci's dark circles gradually faded. Even though they still carried the title of this agreement relationship, they managed to act just like an old married couple.

Early one morning, Xie Yu was awakened by a hurried ringing sound.

He glanced at the time, felt a slight headache, and still pressed answer, "Hello?"

Rapid-fire dialogue came through, "Brother Yu, we've arrived in Jiang City! We've already put our luggage in the hotel you booked. When are we throwing the party?"

Xie Yu propped up his forehead, "Bro, it's only seven o'clock."

For freeloading a meal, at least wait until noon.

Even so, facing the good friends he hadn't seen for a long time, Xie Yu resignedly climbed out of bed.

There were about ten people who came, and a few brought their boyfriends or girlfriends. The apartment in Xingfu Community was small, and the small table wasn't enough, so they temporarily rented a party venue outside. By the time Xie Yu and Shen Ci drove over, a group of people were already waiting eagerly at the door, their eyes practically boring holes in the distance.

Like a group of hamsters waiting to be fed.

Xie Yu: "..."

He felt a slight headache and pushed aside the crowd blocking the way, "Make way, let me open the door."

As Xie Yu took a step ahead, the remaining gazes all focused on Shen Ci.

Both of them were good-looking, though their styles were slightly different. Xie Yu was free-spirited and unrestrained, while Shen Ci was noble and refined. Many people curiously sized him up, "What's your relationship with Brother Yu?"

Shen Ci paused slightly, wanting to say 'couple', but felt a bit embarrassed under everyone's watchful eyes. Xie Yu opened the door, turned back to grab his wrist, pulled him away, and said, "My family member, don't you guys bully him."

Family member?

This term was much closer than 'couple'.

Shen Ci blinked, and the next second he was pulled into a stumble, dragged straight into the house. Xie Yu pulled him with such ease, as if he had known this would happen.

The group was silent at first, then erupted into a loud chorus of, "Yoooo~"

They all came from different places, and it was rare for them to gather. Although several people had brought their significant others, everyone was more or less aware of them. Only Xie Yu's was kept completely hidden.

Someone immediately joked, "Brother Xie, I was wondering why you were so ascetic while studying. So many people liked you, but you never fancied anyone. Turns out it wasn't being ascetic, it was keeping yourself pure!"

Xie Yu sighed, "Can you guys eat more and talk less?"

A few bottles of wine were opened at the table. As everyone drank, the atmosphere heated up. Various idioms flew around the table, like 'keeping a mistress in a golden house' and 'old monk in deep meditation.' Someone even tried to push drinks onto Shen Ci, patting their chest with grand words, "Since you're Brother Xie's person, you have to acknowledge us as your brothers!"

Xie Yu's face darkened with metaphorical black lines. He directly intercepted the wine glass and said speechlessly, "Get lost, I wouldn't even bear to let him drink too much."

Shen Ci's finger twitched.

He thought back to five years ago, that night of luxury and debauchery on the cruise ship. Xie Yu had similarly intercepted his alcohol, not letting anyone force him to drink, and replaced it with milk.

"Xie Yu." Shen Ci tugged at his sleeve, "I can drink."

Xie Yu glanced at him sideways, half-doubting, "You can drink?"

In the novel, Shen Ci's alcohol tolerance was nothing to brag about. The original owner especially loved forcing drinks on him, playing around after he vomited from drinking too much, finding it to have a special flavor.

Shen Ci insisted, "I can drink."

Everyone else was drinking, so it wouldn't be good for him not to touch a single drop.

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow, took a small glass, poured two mouthfuls into it, and pushed it over, with a bit of helpless indulgence, "Alright, have a taste."

The crowd hooted, "Yoooo~"

They were all classmates and hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they joked around endlessly, going from amusing anecdotes of studying abroad to plans after returning to the country. In the middle, they talked about how Xie Yu had chosen a double major and, despite having several incredibly difficult courses, surprisingly got A+ in all of them, ultimately graduating before everyone else.

Shen Ci was very surprised and turned his head to look at Xie Yu. He seemed to have drunk too much, his brain not quite turning, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Xie Yu held a bit of admiration and respect.

In order to gain face for Xie Yu in front of his family member, this group of people dared to say anything, exaggerating to an outrageous degree, claiming he was top of his grade, the professor's favorite student, an exam god, a top scholar, and so on and so forth, making Xie Yu's head start to hurt.

He was too embarrassed to show off his meager skills in front of the great Study God Shen, so he could only sigh and say, "Eat, eat."

By the end of the party, everyone was high on alcohol. Although Shen Ci had tasted a few sips, it wasn't much. The main target of their forced drinking was still Xie Yu. A group of people joined in the heckling, the atmosphere perfectly lively. Xie Yu sighed repeatedly, but since it was a rare occasion, it wouldn't be good to be a wet blanket, so before he knew it, he had drunk quite a bit again.

By the time the party ended and everyone dispersed, he was already a bit dizzy.

Shen Ci was slightly worried and found a designated driver to take them home. When the two finally cleaned up and lay down, Xie Yu once again pulled Shen Ci into his arms and, the moment his head hit the pillow, fell fast asleep.

Waking up the next day, Xie Yu's first reaction was that he didn't feel very well.

Whenever Xie Yu had a hangover, he would get a headache. This was also an old ailment of his. Last time he drank too much at the cemetery, it also hurt for a long time.

But this wasn't a big deal. Even if he just left the headache alone, it would get better in a few hours. Xie Yu had experience, and he had anticipated being forced to drink, so he had bought painkillers beforehand. Thus, he rolled out of bed, wanting to go to the living room cabinet to find the medicine, and go back to sleep after taking it.

Having just woken up from being drunk, it was inevitable to be dizzy and have blurred vision. Xie Yu accidentally bumped against the cabinet and kicked the doorframe. He cursed silently, his steps a bit unsteady. By the time he reached the living room, his stomach also felt uncomfortable, and he felt a bit nauseous.

Xie Yu thought to himself, 'I am never drinking with these unlucky classmates again, it's practically shortening my lifespan.' He half-knelt in front of the cabinet, and just as he reached out to pull the drawer, he suddenly heard a muffled thud behind him.

Shen Ci stood at the door. He had just returned from buying groceries, holding colorful plastic bags in his hand. The moment he loosened his grip, the bags fell to the ground with a thud. Green onions rolled out, and potatoes slid to the edge of the living room.

Xie Yu pressed his slightly aching forehead, wanting to ask, "Why are you up so early?" "Did you go grocery shopping alone? Why didn't you wait for me." However, his voice was slightly hoarse. He coughed twice, but surprisingly couldn't speak.

Shen Ci's face was frighteningly pale.

He stared blankly at Xie Yu, his beautiful eyes shifting slightly, unexpectedly shimmering with tears. Before Xie Yu could voice his inquiry, Shen Ci had already taken large strides over and pulled Xie Yu onto the sofa.

Xie Yu had never realized Shen Ci's strength was so great. Even though his limbs were weak, his build was still there, yet Shen Ci forcefully dragged him onto the sofa just like that, and even stuffed a throw pillow into his arms.

Xie Yu blinked.

Just now, when Shen Ci was pulling him, his fingers were clearly trembling.

As the newly established top elite of Jiang City, Shen Ci had long since learned not to show his emotions on his face. But now he was trembling violently, his fingertips shivering as if electrocuted, his clothes hem slightly quivering. His face was pale and unsightly, as if something unacceptable had happened.

Xie Yu: "...?"

He thought in bewilderment, 'He just went to buy groceries, what happened? Did the Xie Corporation go bankrupt? Or did the Luo Corporation go bankrupt?'

Before he could re-evaluate who was supposed to go bankrupt at this point in time, Shen Ci suddenly stood up, went to the bathroom, wrung out a hot towel, and leaned over to wipe the sweat from Xie Yu's forehead. He asked softly, "Has it started again, does it hurt?"

He was trembling violently, yet his voice was truly gentle, and his wiping movements were extremely cautious. The feel of the hot towel against the skin was also very comfortable. Xie Yu slightly narrowed his eyes, utterly confused, wanting to ask: "What has started again?"

But he couldn't speak, and Shen Ci didn't wait for his reply. He forced a strained smile. He rarely smiled, and the upward tilt of his brows and eyes surprisingly appeared both hollow and decadent. Paired with his noble and elegant face, it was exceptionally alluring, making one want to both embrace and cherish him, as well as suppress and humiliate him.

Shen Ci whispered, "In the second drawer on your right, I prepared something."

Xie Yu: "...?"

Prepared what thing?

Shen Ci held his hand, gently placed it on the drawer handle, and then guided him inward. Shen Ci's fingertips were still trembling, yet they tightly clasped his hand, the movement unquestionably resolute.

Xie Yu paused slightly, following along to reach inside. Soon, he felt a long, rectangular box at the bottom of the drawer. It was of a leather texture with sharp edges. The box had complex openwork carving on it, and a raised logo in the center. Xie Yu didn't recognize it, but judging from the packaging alone, he could guess it was definitely not cheap.

This drawer wasn't used often, and he never knew there was something placed inside.

Xie Yu was baffled, not understanding why Shen Ci would hide something here. He wanted to make a couple of joking remarks, asking if it was a Valentine's Day gift or a token of love, but saw Shen Ci suddenly turn his back to him and reach out to start unbuttoning his windbreaker.

He was still trembling, but his hands were very steady, unfastening the buttons from top to bottom.

Next, he gently pushed backwards. The overcoat fell off, followed by the vest, and the tie as well. The pieces of clothing slumped to the ground, but Shen Ci showed no intention of stopping. With lowered eyes, he placed his fingers on the buttons of his shirt.

Then, one by one, he peeled himself out of the shirt.

The shirt also fell to the floor.

A smooth back was presented in front of Xie Yu. The skin was warm and smooth like cold-glazed white porcelain. The shoulder blades on both sides were shaped like butterflies. The lines of the shoulders and back tapered inwards at the waist before tucking into his trousers, revealing even two shallow dimples of Venus. This curve alone was enough to elicit tender affection.

Xie Yu was slightly stunned; even his headache wasn't as bad anymore.

Without the cover of sleeves, Xie Yu could clearly see his hands clenched into fists, fingernails digging into his palms with a force so great they were almost drawing blood.

Shen Ci tilted his head to look at him and smiled faintly. His expression was hard to distinguish between relief and nervousness, but in the end, he merely swept his hair aside, exposing a section of a beautiful neck as well.

Shen Ci said softly, "Come."