Chapter 65
Unrequited love.
These words were significant, but even though Yu Congyan suspected it, he didn’t dare to confirm.
He hadn’t expected this answer when he asked the question. He hadn’t even expected an immediate answer.
The story continued its peaceful trajectory. The CEO, having fallen from grace, was left with only two coins in his pocket. Xia Wansheng couldn’t possibly abandon him in this situation.
Although this was all arranged by Fu Ling, Yu Congyan still felt a subtle sense of guilt, as if he was taking advantage of Xia Wansheng’s kindness.
Fu Ling’s earlier considerations were quite thoughtful. If Yu Congyan wanted to resolve this situation, his only option was to borrow Xia Wansheng’s phone, but the implications were too awkward.
It would seem like he was deliberately creating this situation, leading to misunderstandings.
The downpour was sudden.
Staying over, initially just an option, became a necessity.
But this wasn’t the Yu family villa, there weren’t many spare rooms.
Xia Wansheng hadn’t even fully unpacked after his hasty move, even the sofa was recently purchased.
It was stylish, but not very comfortable.
After much hesitation, Xia Wansheng thought of Housekeeper Zhang and Aunt Liu’s kindness and couldn’t bear to let the CEO sleep on the sofa.
He would just suffer for one night.
So, when Yu Congyan emerged from the shower, he saw a blanket burrito on the sofa.
Xia Wansheng had wrapped himself up and even turned on the projector, choosing a suspense film.
Not to scare himself, but to set the mood for their upcoming discussion of otherworldly tales.
Yu Congyan’s initial romantic thoughts dissipated. He chuckled, “Planning an all-nighter?”
Without his phone, he could finally enjoy a night free from work.
At least until he got his phone back tomorrow, Xia Wansheng was his only source of information.
Xia Wansheng, who had been planning his opening lines, was startled by his sudden approach: “Yes, such a good opportunity, do you want to hear a story from another world?”
He wondered if recounting a typical worker’s day would shock the CEO. Probably things like “tube-shaped dormitories” and “early bird tickets” were already beyond his realm of experience.
Yu Congyan didn’t refuse and sat down on the plush sofa.
To set the mood, Xia Wansheng used the projector for background music and even moved a bit closer, gossip was best shared as whispers.
The distance between them suddenly decreased.
Xia Wansheng’s hair smelled faintly of jasmine, he must have only towel-dried it. His sudden proximity made Yu Congyan instinctively lean back.
But Xia Wansheng, oblivious, even unconsciously moved closer when Yu Congyan leaned back.
Shoulder to shoulder, their breaths mingling.
Yu Congyan stiffly shifted to the side, his heart pounding, “Your hair is still wet, where’s the hairdryer?”
“It’s fine, it will air dry.” Xia Wansheng didn’t want to move from his comfortable position on the sofa.
Yu Congyan took the opportunity to stand up and find the hairdryer, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
While his hair was being dried, Xia Wansheng remained still, but his hands fidgeted with the empty photo frame.
“When I was younger, I wanted to find my biological parents, hoping to have a family photo.” He sighed.
He didn’t hide his past, he had even asked the system to investigate.
The system searched diligently but only found evidence suggesting a possible time-space distortion, nothing more.
Yu Congyan listened quietly, watching as Xia Wansheng placed the photo frame back down.
He knew Xia Wansheng’s decision to stay was a difficult one.
Although that world didn’t hold any fond memories for him, it was still his life for decades, not something easily forgotten.
“But I don’t think about that anymore, I have more important things to do,” Xia Wansheng looked up and asked, “Let’s not talk about depressing things, stay up all night with me, can you play games?”
He hadn’t played his favorite game in a while, there should be a welcome back gift waiting for him.
This was a rare opportunity, Yu Congyan wasn’t busy with work, playing games all night was perfectly normal.
“I can try.” Yu Congyan didn’t refuse.
“I created a new account, we can team up.” Xia Wansheng opened his notes app, showing him the username and password.
Just as he handed him his phone, he turned and met Yu Congyan’s gaze.
The sound of the hairdryer filled the air, and they quickly looked away, the atmosphere suddenly awkward.
Only after entering the game did Xia Wansheng remember he had linked his main and secondary accounts as a couple to speed up mission progress.
Explaining it now would be strange, hopefully, Yu Congyan wouldn’t notice, it was just teaming up, no big deal.
The game’s startup music filled the room.
While fighting a boss, Xia Wansheng wondered: Why did the game feel easier after being away for so long?
They couldn’t have lowered the difficulty for new players, could they?
Then he realized Yu Congyan had quickly grasped the gameplay and was even looking at equipment stats.
Xia Wansheng, who had struggled through the early stages of the game, following guides and raiding with experienced players: …This must be the power of a business tycoon, truly terrifying.
But thankfully, Yu Congyan’s skills weren’t very refined.
He understood the mechanics but lacked practice, his gameplay mostly theoretical, still relying on Xia Wansheng’s guidance.
They soon encountered a difficult level on the secondary account, the shortcut being to find a partner to carry them.
Yu Congyan had intended to clear the level normally, but a notification popped up, suggesting he seek help from his linked partner.
“Do you want to ask ‘DefinitelyNotACat’ for help?”
He turned to look at Xia Wansheng, who was already dozing off.
He had asked him to stay up all night with him, and now he was falling asleep.
His head bobbed, then, unable to resist, he leaned towards the source of warmth.
Xia Wansheng’s fluffy hair brushed against him, the lingering scent of jasmine filling his senses.
Yu Congyan tensed, not daring to move.
The suspense film on the projector reached its climax, the music stopping, the living room falling silent, only Xia Wansheng’s soft breathing could be heard.
Yu Congyan closed his eyes.
He had asked himself, if Xia Wansheng hadn’t come to this world, his rebirth would have just been about taking down those annoying villains and achieving his goals.
But the outcome of being alone wouldn’t have been much different from his previous life.
Everything had changed.
Even to the point where—if this was the ending, he hoped tomorrow would never come.
The rain fell all night, finally stopping at dawn.
Xia Wansheng woke up the next morning to find himself in bed, he naturally rubbed his eyes and got up to wash.
Passing by the living room, he noticed Yu Congyan was gone, a breakfast of sandwiches and fried eggs, a common sight in TV dramas, left on the table.
He must have watched a lot of them.
Xia Wansheng took a bite of the toast, then his phone dinged, a message from Yu Congyan saying he had retrieved his phone, but it might rain again, so he should remember to bring an umbrella.
For some reason, his earlier melancholy lifted.
Nothing significant had happened, but these small gestures were a form of silent companionship.
He didn’t need grand gestures, just the reassurance of their presence.
At the Science Park
Fu Ling scrutinized Yu Congyan, not seeing any sign of triumph.
He gave him a strange look, then, after the meeting, asked meaningfully, “Don’t tell me nothing happened last night?”
A stormy night, a shared shower, changing into bathrobes, and potentially cuddling, yet no progress?!
Dude, if you’re this incompetent, no amount of pushing will help.
“Of course nothing happened,” Yu Congyan said disdainfully, “Do you think I’m an NPC with a predetermined, R-rated plot?”
He would never do anything illegal.
“…” How righteous.
Fu Ling didn’t bother arguing, it was their relationship, his meddling wouldn’t change anything.
“Are you sure about selling that building?” Fu Ling asked to confirm, “I remember you bought it without hesitation, saying it held significant memories, a constant reminder.”
And Yu Congyan hadn’t changed anything about the building after purchasing it, it remained an office building, just with a different owner.
But the location was prime, and with the recent development nearby, its value had increased significantly.
Many had tried to buy it, but Yu Congyan hadn’t budged, showing no intention of selling.
This led to new rumors.
They said the building must be situated on a ley line, otherwise how could Yu Congyan always escape unscathed after such setbacks? He must be involved in some shady, mystical practices.
But no matter how they investigated, they couldn’t find anything, because there was nothing to find.
And their rivals, attempting to sabotage him by cutting off the power and harming his money tree, were caught by security and ended up on the local news, their stock price plummeting.
Yu Congyan had initially intended to clarify the rumors, but seeing the endless stream of incompetent competitors, he decided to keep this useful target.
“People change, I’ve forgotten those unpleasant memories.” He said calmly.
Although the building was a useful tool, it was also a constant reminder of his past.
It had been long enough, it was time to move on.
“The location is indeed excellent, but selling it to me at this price means tying our companies together.” Fu Ling discussed the pros and cons, but he clearly wasn’t backing down.
Acquiring this property wouldn’t be a loss, and Yu Congyan might suddenly change his mind, he wouldn’t have this opportunity again.
“Fu Yan’s suggestion wasn’t entirely his own idea,” Yu Congyan sat down, “Although I could have handled it myself, I’m grateful for the Fu family’s support.”
“Since we’re cooperating, let me offer you some advice. You should know about Xia Wansheng’s past, someone who was suicidal suddenly becoming optimistic, you should be careful.” Fu Ling’s hand, signing the document, paused.
This could be a facade.
Even if it were genuine, such a drastic change in attitude could have a significant impact, a potential rebound effect leading to new problems.
“Xia Wansheng wasn’t truly suicidal, he was…” Yu Congyan stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was wrong.
Although there was the five million reward, if the host had no intention of leaving, how could he have acted so decisively?
Repeatedly trying to go offline without hesitation, even when the system’s channels were closed…
Xia Wansheng’s regretful tone echoed in his mind: “There was only one time it almost failed, the system’s offline channels were closed, I almost didn’t make it.”
At the time, Yu Congyan had assumed he was lamenting the lost bonus and the system’s inefficiency.
So, although he had felt something was off, it was Xia Wansheng’s private matter, so he didn’t pry.
Now, looking back, the regret in his voice had been genuine.
If he was just trying to go offline for the five million, his reaction to almost dying wouldn’t have been so calm.
He even sounded regretful.
Why would he be regretful?
Definitely not because of the lost bonus. He already knew the system was offline, even a successful exit wouldn’t have yielded any reward.
Then what was he regretting?
That the offline channels were closed, or…
That he hadn’t succeeded.
Then it wouldn’t have been his choice, just a small mishap during world traversal.
The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining, but the light didn’t bring any warmth.
Xia Wansheng looked at Xiang Haichao, busy preparing for the wedding, and couldn’t help but sigh, love was truly the greatest motivator.
The system chimed in: [Host, weren’t we supposed to visit Old Man Feng today? Why are we here?]
“He’s traveling, not available.” Xia Wansheng replied helplessly, he was going to have a lot of free time.
And he felt like he needed some sunlight, the weather had been getting colder.
He felt sluggish, perhaps from vitamin D deficiency.
His current state wasn’t just drowsiness from lack of sleep, but a lack of motivation stemming from his disrupted routine.
His internal drive had succumbed to the external chill.
But since he had agreed to catch the bouquet, he couldn’t ignore the preparations. He had nothing else to do anyway, so he agreed to familiarize himself with the process and offer assistance.
It was 2 pm, the warmest time of the day, but Xia Wansheng still felt a chill.
Seasonal changes, perhaps.
Just more severe than usual.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, trying to reconnect with this world.
A caged dove cooed somewhere, the sound triggering a sharp pain in his temples.
“I think I caught a cold last night, I’m not feeling well, I’ll be going now.”
Xia Wansheng forced a smile and said goodbye to the staff, asking them to inform Xiang Haichao.
Xiang Haichao was very perceptive, he couldn’t let him see him like this.
He tried to slow his breathing, suppressing the sudden wave of melancholy, inappropriate and inexplicable.
He just wanted to be in a familiar environment, creating the illusion of a stable routine.
The sky had darkened by the time he got home. Xia Wansheng turned on the light, met with an empty apartment.
The furniture was exactly as he had left it.
The familiar surroundings that usually brought him comfort, Xia Wansheng blinked, suddenly missing the time he spent playing games with Yu Congyan on the sofa last night.
He had checked the game progress this morning. Yu Congyan seemed to have discovered the relationship quests and even completed the long-abandoned level-up tasks.
Xia Wansheng, seeing the progress, had thought it wasn’t bad.
Everything was moving forward, but the destination shouldn’t be winter.
He had to find a reason to live until summer.
He lay down on the carpet and sent a message to a photography studio he had been eyeing: “Hello, I’d like to book a couple’s photoshoot package, the later the date, the better.”
Preferably next summer.
As Xia Wansheng was wondering if he had forgotten anything, he heard the doorbell.
A new message popped up on his phone: “Open the door, I have a surprise for you.”
That wasn’t a surprise anymore.
Xia Wansheng got up and opened the door, about to joke, “It didn’t rain today, what brings you here?”
Then he was hit in the face with a giant Totoro plushie.
“…Ow.”
He was being sincere, that impact almost shattered his carefully maintained composure.
“It wouldn’t fit in the villa, Housekeeper Zhang asked me to bring your things.” Yu Congyan lied without batting an eye.
Then Xia Wansheng watched as movers carried in various new furniture and household items, arranging them neatly.
After bringing in a suitcase, they thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
The two stood there, staring at each other.
After a long silence, Xia Wansheng finally asked: “You’re not going back tonight?”
“My phone’s dead, I can’t go back.” Yu Congyan said calmly.
