Xie Yu blurted out, "Fuck!"

Under the various stimuli of a hangover, alcohol, and the skin beneath his palms, he could barely endure the agonizing restraint. He wanted to invade, to force, to grind against him; he wanted to firmly pin the person in his arms down, to kiss him, and to do even more things... He clingily kissed Shen Ci's earlobe, biting and grinding it with his teeth, torturing that small piece of soft flesh until it was red and swollen. After Shen Ci let out an unbearable hiss, he gently took it into his mouth again, licking and soothing it.

The wet and soft touch of lips and tongue transmitted from his earlobe. The stud piercing his flesh was astonishingly hot, as if his entire ear was burning up. Yet, Xie Yu refused to let go, taking the earring into his mouth as well. After thoroughly playing with it, he softly asked, "Teaching Assistant Shen, do you think I'm Liu Xiahui?"

Only a Liu Xiahui could remain unbothered with someone sitting in his lap in this kind of situation.

Hot breath puffed behind his ear. Shen Ci broke out in goosebumps all over, his body screaming to escape, but his willpower kept him rooted to the spot. He even gripped Xie Yu's arm, met his gaze, and asked, "Why do you have to be Liu Xiahui?"

As he spoke, he lifted his leg and hooked it over Xie Yu's waist. "Come."

Xie Yu could no longer be Liu Xiahui.

...

This round of messing around lasted until nearly noon.

They kissed and embraced each other until they were exhausted. Shen Ci weakly twitched his fingers and poked them out from under the blanket. "We didn't cook lunch."

They had stocked up on radishes and ribs in the fridge and had originally planned to make stew today. However, simmering soup took at least three hours; if they actually cooked it, they would end up eating in the afternoon.

Xie Yu pressed him back down. "Why bother cooking? Let's go out to eat."

The embrace was warm and cozy. After holding each other peacefully for a while, Shen Ci suddenly wrapped his arms around Xie Yu and pressed himself firmly against him.

He stared into Xie Yu's eyes. "Mine."

From the initial feeling of inferiority and bewildered insecurity in their contract relationship, to the five years of disappearing without a goodbye, and now to being covered in hickeys, he could finally declare that this was his.

Xie Yu rubbed the back of his head and pinched his spine, sighing, "Alright, yours."

He was already planning to stay for him; of course, he was his.

The person in his arms softened and finally settled down, only snuggling in a bit tighter.

After dawdling for a while longer, they washed up, got dressed, and headed out.

Shen Ci was supposed to go to work. The company was in its startup phase, and he should have been busy with business, but neither of them brought it up, tacitly acting as if it didn't exist.

Xingfu Neighborhood was in the old city district, with quite a few commercial areas nearby. They got into the car. Shen Ci originally planned to find the closest one, but unexpectedly, Xie Yu searched on his phone for a moment, located something unknown, and said, "Let's go to this one."

Shen Ci didn't understand why, but he didn't object, letting Xie Yu step on the gas and drive onto the main road.

This Santana was over ten years old, a car Xu Qingshan didn't want anymore. The parts were old, and it was a bit bumpy to drive. Every time they turned or went over a speed bump, Xie Yu would covertly assess Shen Ci. At first, Shen Ci pretended not to notice, but later, it happened too many times. Unable to bear it any longer, he looked back at him. Xie Yu then coughed and asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Shen Ci pressed on his lower abdomen. Even though he had withdrawn a long time ago, the unfamiliar sensation still lingered there. "...A bit strange, but alright."

Xie Yu said, "Let's drive your car next time."

Driving the Santana was a stopgap measure. At first, Xie Yu thought he would be leaving soon, so driving anything was fine. Now that he planned to stay permanently, there was no need to leave a good car sitting unused.

Shen Ci said, "Okay, I'll give you the keys later."

They strolled around the mall. Xie Yu picked a light Cantonese restaurant and ordered dim sum and congee for Shen Ci. When it was time to settle the bill, Shen Ci naturally swiped his card to pay. Xie Yu snatched the card away and replaced it with his own QR code, saying under Shen Ci's confused gaze, "Now isn't the time for you to pay. There's something I want you to buy later."

Only then did Shen Ci say, "Okay."

Xie Yu led him straight to the top floor and turned into an independent studio of a certain jewelry brand.

Shen Ci was originally quiet and had little interest in his surroundings, but he froze when he saw the brand's logo, subconsciously touching his earlobe.

He still kept the ear clip's box; it had this exact logo.

He held Xie Yu's hand, a certain guess rapidly growing in his mind. "Is this?"

Xie Yu looked back at him, amused. "Didn't you say I was yours this morning? So, don't you want to pick out a matching piece of jewelry for me?"

He pulled Shen Ci into the store, handed him a thick set of custom-made catalogs, and took another one for himself. "Take a look. What do you want me to wear? Ear studs, collarbone chains, bracelets, anklets, and rings... Oh, rings won't do."

Shen Ci paused his page-turning, looked up at him, and slightly furrowed his brows. "Why won't rings do?"

Among all jewelry, a ring had the strongest sense of belonging.

Xie Yu was in the middle of selecting designs. Upon hearing this, he didn't even lift his head, stating matter-of-factly, "We still have to wear wedding rings. Those have to be made as a pair; a single one won't work."

Shen Ci's breath hitched, the tips of his ears turning a bit red. Feeling guilty, he glanced around. The shop assistants were very service-oriented, looking up at the ceiling and down at the floor, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

Seeing him silent, Xie Yu thought he wasn't satisfied with any of them. He flipped through the catalog noisily until he reached the less common styles at the back. "Hmm, you don't like any of the ones above? Alright, what do you like?"

He moved a bit closer to Shen Ci, waved the shop assistants away, and spread the catalog open in front of him. "Armlets are fine, and I can accept leg rings too, but these two are too impractical for daily wear. You wouldn't be able to wear them normally. Hmm, if you want to see it, a belly button ring isn't out of the question..."

Shen Ci couldn't control his imagination from picturing that scene. He immediately grabbed him, his fingertips trembling. "Enough! Stop talking!"

Xie Yu looked sideways, leisurely observing him. He narrowed his eyes like a fox, feigning surprise. "You don't want to see it? Do you really not want to see it?"

"..."

Shen Ci's ear tips were so red they looked ready to drip blood. Unable to sit still, he pushed Xie Yu away, spread the catalog out in front of a shop assistant, and hurriedly said, "A bracelet, get me a bracelet!"

It was as if he was afraid that if he was a step too slow, Xie Yu would spot something weird again.

Xie Yu shrugged, deliberately fanning the flames by his ear, "A bracelet, huh? A bracelet is a bit boring..."

Shen Ci felt like his entire body was going to catch fire.

He hurriedly filled out the order form and selected the style. Originally, the designer was supposed to invite them to a one-on-one video call, but Shen Ci had no concept of jewelry. He touched the "X" on his earlobe and only said, "I hope it can use the first letter of my name."

"Your first letter, let me see... 'S', correct?"

Shen Ci nodded. "Yes."

His earlobe dangled with Xie Yu's initial, while Xie Yu's wrist would wear his initial.

Xie Yu had been sitting comfortably to the side, listening to Shen Ci finalize all the details, when the System, which hadn't appeared for a long time, suddenly popped up with an exaggerated tone: "Wow, Host, your wife's last name starts with 'S'!"

Xie Yu replied, "You only realized that today... Wait."

He comprehended another meaning from the System's meaningful words.

System: "And your wife chose a forest style theme. If I remember correctly, that brand's forest series is famous for its intricate, intertwining thorns and vines? Wow, S, thorns, and vines. Does this count as some sort of coincidence with the original text?"

Xie Yu: "..."

He looked on with disdain, refusing to make the association. "Enough, don't say anymore, you dirty-minded System."

They selected the style and paid the deposit. Now they only had to wait for the designer to produce the initial draft, then make modifications to finalize the design, after which they could receive it.

For the rest of the entire afternoon, Shen Ci was in a very good mood. He was visibly happy, even pulling Xie Yu along to try desserts and pastries he previously hadn't been very willing to try. It wasn't until night fell that they finally came out of the mall.

There were many people in mascot costumes at the entrance, handing out flyers along with the crowd. The large mascot heads were somewhat bulky, and they were swept along by the crowd, occasionally stumbling a couple of steps.

Shen Ci and Xie Yu walked past them. Shen Ci suddenly said, "I used to do this part-time job too."

Xie Yu asked, "What?"

Shen Ci replied, "Wearing a mascot costume and handing out flyers."

Xie Yu paused, taken aback. "When?"

Shen Ci answered, "Before I met you, back when I was still studying at A University."

He sounded a bit nostalgic. "This was considered one of the easier part-time jobs to find at school. Tutoring and the like were easier, but they weren't always available. Sometimes when I didn't have one, I would come out on weekends to hand out flyers. A normal one was 10 yuan an hour, but wearing the mascot costume paid a bit more, 15 yuan an hour. I especially liked doing it in winter because I didn't have thick clothes, and the mascot costume was warmer. Summer was a bit agonizing though. Once, I had a close call with heatstroke and almost had to be hospitalized."

Xie Yu could imagine that scene. Shen Ci, not good with words, awkwardly putting on the mascot suit, handing out flyers one after another by the side of the road. Sometimes he would be jostled until he stumbled, and if it was summer, his shirt and hair would be completely soaked through.

Xie Yu's voice was a bit tight. "And then?"

Shen Ci continued, "There was nothing much after that. My head was dizzy, and I couldn't even go to class. My roommates all went to class, and I just lay in the dorm calculating how much it would cost if I couldn't hold on and had to be hospitalized. Later, I calculated that I'd have to hand out flyers for a whole week just to cover the hospital fees. I felt so wronged, so I covered my head. By the time I woke up, my pillowcase was completely soaked. But fortunately, I recovered by the afternoon and didn't need to go to the hospital."

His tone was calm, and because he was very happy today, his voice was even quite light and brisk, as if he was just ordinarily sharing things from his past with the person he liked.

Xie Yu, however, couldn't quite bear it.

At the entrance of the bustling mall, he suddenly grabbed Shen Ci and pulled his entire body into his arms.

Shen Ci was a little surprised. At first, he struggled uncomfortably, but then he reached out and patted Xie Yu's back. They were both wearing thick down jackets. Since Xie Yu's buttons were unfastened, Shen Ci could press directly against his chest. It was warm, like hugging a big fluffy cat.

Shen Ci nuzzled the big cat. He was truly happy today, his thoughts jumping all over the place. One second he was talking about handing out flyers, and the next second it turned into: "Xie Yu, you're so warm."

But he heard the big cat say muffledly, "If only I had come a little earlier."

Shen Ci looked up. "Hmm?"

Xie Yu, however, quietly sighed. "Nothing."

He sniffled, changing 'had come' to 'had met'. His tone was a bit fierce. "If I had met you a little earlier, I would have forced you to take off that mascot suit, then slapped the contract right in front of you, and asked you, 'Do you want living expenses? Do you want the medical treatment quota? Then put down those flyers right now and roll over here to be my wife!'"

Shen Ci couldn't help but laugh.

Those unbearable, painful times had all become memories. Shen Ci himself already didn't care at all, but if someone cared on his behalf, if someone was willing to love him a little more because of these pains, that was wonderful.

He said softly, "But then I definitely would have thought you were a pervert."

Xie Yu said, "Heh, didn't you think I was a pervert when we first met?"

"..."

Shen Ci turned his head away to avoid looking at him, whispering, "I did."

Young Master Xie's fierce reputation was well known; if you asked ten people who knew him, probably nine of them would think he was a pervert.

Xie Yu tightened his arms. "So what if you thought I was a pervert? You were still going to become my wife in the end anyway."

They walked along the commercial street. Xie Yu politely accepted all the flyers from anyone handing them out on the way. By the time they finished walking down the street and reached where they parked, he was holding a thick stack of flyers.

Shen Ci thought he was just holding them and would throw them away in a while. Who knew that when they got home, he brought the flyers upstairs, divided them into a few piles, and started reading them under the desk lamp.

Shen Ci curiously leaned closer. The covers had colorful promotional pictures, and below them were floor plans and specific locations—Xie Yu was looking at real estate agency advertisements.

Shen Ci asked, "Do you want to buy a house?"

This house Xie Yu had was a bit old and small. It was just right for one person to live in, but it became stretched thin for two. If they cooked together, there wouldn't even be enough space to turn around in the kitchen.

Furthermore, old houses always had all sorts of problems. The water pipes were severely aged, frequently leaking on rainy days, and the air conditioning was no longer very effective either. Previously, Xie Yu was making do, but now that he was going to stay, they could buy a new one. As for this unit in Xingfu Neighborhood, he could come by from time to time to tidy it up, which could be considered as giving an answer to the original owner's mother.

As for Shen Ci, he had never bought a house. Before, he lived on the top floor of a hotel, looking at things to reminisce about the person. Later, when Xie Yu returned, there was no need to look at things or pine for the person anymore, so he just moved in with Xie Yu.

Xie Yu said, "I suppose so."

The flyers featured all newly launched houses, mostly mid-rise and high-rise, with areas ranging from 50 to 120 square meters, belonging to residential and upgrade layouts.

Shen Ci, however, said, "You can choose anywhere within Jiang City. A large flat overlooking the river is fine too."

He was referring to those few real estate properties in the city center that boasted frontline river views.

Xie Yu's hand holding the flyer paused and stopped.

He had always treated this world as a game before and didn't have much of a sense of reality. Shen Ci never put on airs whenever he spoke to him, to the point that Xie Yu had forgotten that Shen Ci was now a prominent and influential figure in Jiang City.

With hindsight, Xie Yu muttered to himself, "Wait, so I'm a kept man now?"

The System looked at him with disdain. "Bro, the contract has already been signed, and you only realize it now?"

"..."

Although staying in this world was an accident, and gaining a male wife was also an accident, living off his wife's wealth was truly beyond Xie Yu's expectations.

Xie Yu set the brochure aside, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Wait a minute. We'll talk about buying a house later. Can you tell me more about the situation with Xie Corporation's stocks from a while ago?"

Shen Ci didn't know why he suddenly took an interest in stocks, but he still explained everything in complete detail.

The major shareholders who held the majority of the shares in the Xie Corporation now were just him and Xie Yuanhai. Xie Yuanhai held slightly more than him, and the remaining equity was relatively dispersed.

Xie Yu listened calmly and nodded slightly. It was already late at night by this time. Shen Ci had skipped work today, and he couldn't skip again tomorrow. So, with a yawn, the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

Shen Ci quickly fell asleep, but Xie Yu had things on his mind. Just as he was thinking about the shareholding structure, the System suddenly popped up silently.

The small fluorescent screen circled around Xie Yu, clicking its tongue in wonder. "Oh my god, I'm not seeing things, am I, Host? Are you finally going to pursue the career route?"

Xie Yu was silent at first, then sighed. "I still have to provide for my wife, after all."

He couldn't just let Shen Ci pay every time they went out to have fun.

When Xie Yu studied abroad before, he majored in economics. It was a major chosen for him by Xie Yuanshan. However, the things he could learn about it in school were only superficial after all; it required a great deal of hands-on practice. But Xie Yuanshan was dead, and it was impossible for Xie Yuanhai to teach Xie Yu. When it came to the actual operations of a company, Xie Yu was not an expert.

System said: "Host, I can help you."

Xie Yu: "Hmm?"

System: "Although my exterior is artificial intelligence, to support an intelligent machine like me, my core is a state-of-the-art supercomputer."

"After you enter the company, I can run simulations, exhaust all possibilities, analyze and learn from all past case studies, choose the optimal decisions for you, and assist you in fulfilling your wishes."

It smiled implicitly. "Originally, you could have gone home, but since you gave that up, I can assist you. I won't unbind from you until the day you succeed."

It still had its next mission to do, after all.

Xie Yu: "Thank you."

Even though the System was very unreliable, and he as a Host was also very unreliable, in the end, the outcome was actually pretty good.