Side Story One

After four months of work, the Seaside Villa was finally finished with its renovations.

From the overall style down to the choice of furniture, every detail was personally overseen by Ji Su.

After airing the house out for two months, the two prepared to move into their new home in earnest.

Gu Zhao had never been fond of lively affairs, so after some discussion they invited only Qiao Jin and Zhou Yang, along with Wang Mingzhe, who insisted on joining in the fun, to the Moving Party.

They also planned to find a suitable time later to invite the whole Gu Family over for a family dinner.

Before dawn had even broken, Ji Su woke.

He slipped soundlessly out of Gu Zhao's arms, just about to get out of bed, when an arm pulled him back.

Gu Zhao, eyes still closed, his voice carrying the low, lazy quality particular to early mornings: 'Where are you going?'

Ji Su lay against his chest: 'I couldn't sleep. I was afraid of waking you.'

Gu Zhao opened his eyes: 'How come you couldn't sleep?'

'Because we're moving into the new home today.' Ji Su curved his lips into a smile. 'I'm a little excited.'

Gu Zhao picked up the phone from the bedside and glanced at the time. 'It's still early. If you can't sleep, come do some morning exercise with me.'

The large hand at his waist slipped in beneath the hem of his sleepwear, and Ji Su hurriedly caught it. 'No — today's the big day we move in, I don't want to...'

'...end up with my legs so weak first thing in the morning that I can't even stand.'

Gu Zhao let out a low laugh. 'Don't want to what?'

Ji Su leaned in and gave him a kiss of his own accord, his tone coquettish: 'Good gege, let me off just this once.'

Gu Zhao rolled over and pinned him beneath himself, kissing him thoroughly before finally letting go.

Before nine in the morning, the two drove to the new home and carried everything from the car inside.

Not long after, Qiao Jin and Zhou Yang arrived as well.

From the moment Qiao Jin stepped into the Villa, he kept exclaiming as though he'd never seen anything like it.

A two-story detached Villa — at the entrance, bright glass double doors, and the full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows let the light pour in beautifully.

The interior followed a cream-and-natural-wood style: warm white matte tiles on the floor, cream-toned walls, furniture in natural wood and off-white, accented with fresh greenery and framed prints — warm and bright at once.

The Villa came with two courtyards — one had been turned into a Swimming Pool, the other into a garden.

Qiao Jin made his way all the way to the back garden, where the moment his eyes fell on it he was met with a riot of blossoms in full bloom; in one corner a small patch of strawberries had been planted, the little red fruits utterly charming.

'Gu Zhao specially hired a gardener to plant them.' Ji Su snipped a few stems of flowers at their peak as he spoke, cradling them in his arms. 'I'll pick some for you to try later.'

'Beautiful — really too beautiful!' Qiao Jin pressed his palms together before his chest. 'Susu, when I get my new place, I'm leaving it all to you!'

Ji Su laughed. 'Little Qiao, have you forgotten what you studied?'

'I haven't forgotten — but I really, really love the Villa you've put together!' Qiao Jin declared, with a healthy sense of self-awareness, 'I definitely couldn't put together a house this beautiful on my own.'

Ji Su thought for a moment. 'How about this — when you buy a house later, I can give you some advice.'

'Susu baby, I knew you were the best to me!' Qiao Jin paused, then lowered his voice. 'Actually, Zhou Yang has been bringing this up with me lately — he wants to buy a place near the company where I'm interning.'

'That's good, then.' Ji Su asked, 'Do you have any concerns?'

'You know I don't have much money on hand right now.' Qiao Jin was a little awkward. 'I was thinking we'd put down the down payment together and pay off the mortgage together afterward — but he insists on paying the whole thing in cash.'

The moment Ji Su heard this, he understood. 'You don't want to rely on Zhou Yang alone to buy it?'

'Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean.' Qiao Jin nodded. 'What if we have a fight later — I wouldn't have any ground to stand on.'

'Then what do you think of how things are between me and Gu Zhao?' Ji Su hinted. 'Not only did he pay to build this Villa, I still owe him a lot of money.'

'That's different!' Qiao Jin hurried to reply. 'With your professional level, there'll be plenty of days ahead when you're making big money — you might not even be worse off than Gu Zhao!'

'Exactly.' Ji Su bumped his shoulder lightly. 'We're both still young — there'll be plenty of earning days ahead.'

Qiao Jin looked thoughtful. 'Put that way, it does seem to make sense...'

'And besides, Zhou Yang is doing it because he cares about you — you should accept that kindness.' Ji Su coaxed him gently. 'Lovers don't need to keep things too separate; after all, you're in it for a lifetime.'

After hearing this, Qiao Jin suddenly felt as if a fog had lifted, and couldn't help exclaiming: 'Susu, you've really changed a lot since being with Gu Zhao.'

Ji Su laughed again. 'For better or for worse?'

Qiao Jin answered without hesitation: 'For better, of course!'

People often say loving someone is like tending a flower — and Ji Su, tended by Gu Zhao's hands, bloomed more brilliantly than every blossom in the garden.

The two chatted and laughed their way back to the living room. Ji Su casually split the flowers he'd just cut between two vases, then picked one of them up and carried it into the Kitchen.

Gu Zhao and Zhou Yang were busy in the Kitchen. Gu Zhao turned and saw him, immediately walked over, took the vase from him as naturally as could be, and bent to press a kiss to his cheek.

Ji Su tilted his face up slightly. 'Do you need us to help?'

'No need — almost done.' Gu Zhao nuzzled the top of his head again. 'Just wait for the meal.'

Ji Su curved his lips. 'Thanks for your hard work.'

Zhou Yang, watching the two of them from the side, couldn't help breaking into a smile at the sweetness of it.

Qiao Jin followed him into the Kitchen. 'Zhou Yang, what are you grinning about?'

Zhou Yang turned his face, his gaze a little expectant, a little shy.

Qiao Jin walked straight over and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

Zhou Yang's wheat-colored face flushed red in an instant, the upward curve of his lips impossible to suppress.

Gu Zhao cast the two of them a sidelong glance, then tilted his face slightly toward Ji Su.

Ji Su pressed his lips together, lifted a hand to gently push that handsome face away. 'Hurry up and finish cooking — I'm hungry.'

Gu Zhao narrowed his dark eyes slightly but said nothing, let him go, and went back to his work.

Ji Su knew his petty-minded lover had certainly noted it down in his heart, but hadn't expected the 'revenge' to come so quickly.

Around eleven, Wang Mingzhe arrived fashionably late with a congratulatory gift in hand, and Qiao Jin volunteered as tour guide, leading him and Zhou Yang on a full circuit of the place.

Only Gu Zhao was left in the Kitchen. Ji Su walked in. 'When are we eating?'

Gu Zhao lifted his gaze. 'At twelve.'

'Alright.' Ji Su answered. 'Then let's go out and keep them company for a while first.'

Gu Zhao stepped two paces closer to him, reached out to grip his waist, and lifted him onto the counter.

Ji Su's instincts told him something was off; he raised a hand to push him away. 'What do you think you're doing?'

Gu Zhao laughed once, caught his wrist with one hand, gripped his jaw with the other, and pressed his burning lips down over him, sealing them shut.

Ji Su sat on the cool marble counter, forced to tilt his face up and receive a fierce, wet kiss.

Just a door away was the living room, and the voices of the others carried clearly in.

Ji Su was nervous and shy, and the sounds that spilled from his nose were unbearably enticing.

Gu Zhao kissed him deeper and deeper, the wet sounds of lips and tongues tangling echoing through the Kitchen.

Ji Su went soft all over from the kissing; in his dimming awareness he heard footsteps, accompanied by a voice drawing nearer: 'Let me go see if Gu-ge's got it ready yet?'

Ji Su startled, came to his senses, and tried to pry their sealed lips apart.

But Gu Zhao had no intention of letting him off so easily; his large hand tightened around his waist, and he kissed him even more fiercely.

A few seconds later, Wang Mingzhe strode into the Kitchen.

Ji Su stood with his back to the door, leaning against the counter, with Gu Zhao right in front of him.

Wang Mingzhe found it a little odd. 'What are you two doing?'

Gu Zhao lifted his eyelids. 'Nothing.'

Wang Mingzhe didn't think too much about it and asked, bold and carefree: 'When's dinner?'

Gu Zhao released his grip on that slender waist. 'Soon.'

When Ji Su came out, his lips were bright red and a little swollen.

Qiao Jin noticed his unusual state at a glance and let out a low exclamation: 'Holy shit! Is Gu the campus heartthrob this ravenous?'

Ji Su: '……'

This was barely the beginning.

*

As the only single one at the table, Wang Mingzhe took a hundred thousand points of critical damage over the course of the meal.

But fortunately his spirits were good; after a noisy bout of grumbling, he digested it on his own.

After lunch, the five of them sat around on the sofa chatting — about their recent lives, and freely imagining the future.

After a while, Gu Zhao glanced at the time and began shooing them out. 'If you have other things to do, you can head off first.'

'Oooh oooh, shooing us off already?' Wang Mingzhe sprawled on the sofa. 'Your place is so big — what's the harm in giving me a room for the night?'

Gu Zhao looked at him. 'While I haven't laid hands on you yet, roll out of here, quick.'

'I'm not rolling!' Wang Mingzhe's mouth spoke tough, but his body moved fast. 'Can't I just walk out?'

'Hahahahaha!' Qiao Jin laughed so hard he fell against Zhou Yang. 'Old Wang, look at you being such a coward, hahaha!'

Gu Zhao's gaze turned to him. 'Same goes for you two.'

'Alright, alright, alright!' Qiao Jin immediately pulled Zhou Yang up. 'We mere hangers-on won't disturb your world for two!'

Ji Su tried to speak up and ask them to stay. 'Actually, you could—'

Gu Zhao reached out and pulled him into his arms. 'No seeing you off.'

Ji Su: '……'

The Villa had been cleaned in advance by hired help, so the two of them only had to unpack and put away the luggage they'd brought.

After dinner, Ji Su suggested going for a walk by the Beach.

The summer-night breeze by the sea was cool; the two of them walked hand in hand along the Beach, drawing quite a few tourists' gazes.

Gu Zhao frowned, displeased, and drew him into his arms. 'Let's go. We're heading home.'

Back at home, Ji Su remembered there were still things they needed to buy.

'No rush — there's plenty of time later.' Gu Zhao scooped him up in his arms and walked toward the bathroom. 'Let's try out the new Massage Bathtub first.'

Ji Su's heart clenched. 'Can I wash myself…?'

The answer was, of course, no.

The water waves from the double Massage Bathtub kept surging against their bodies, clear water churning into white foam, the force of the current growing stronger and stronger, until finally it spilled all over the floor…

After the bath, Gu Zhao wrapped him in a towel and carried him out of the bathroom.

Ji Su leaned against his chest, the hands looped around his neck as soft and limp as a ball of cotton.

Soon, he realized Gu Zhao hadn't gone back to the Main Bedroom, but to another bedroom instead.

When the Villa was first designed and renovated, only four bedrooms had been kept; the other rooms had all been converted into functional areas and lounges.

Gu Zhao had asked for one bedroom to be fitted out to his specifications — a wall of wardrobes across one side, and the ceiling paneled with a single sheet of mirror.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, opening the wardrobe, he understood what this bedroom was for.

Gu Zhao had set aside an entire bedroom to store all manner of dresses.

Ji Su couldn't help shivering. 'When did you…'

Gu Zhao picked out a red, open-back slip dress from the wardrobe. 'To celebrate moving into the new place today — red it is.'

The red slip dress had only a single thin strap across the back, tied at a waist so slender it seemed it could not bear to be held.

The black sheets lay crumpled; the mirrored ceiling clearly reflected a back of snow-white, fine-grained skin, a fine, dense sheen of sweat rising on its surface, glowing under the light like warm, moist jade, while the dimples at the small of the back held a pool of spring water, growing ever more slick…

Gu Zhao gripped that slender waist and turned him over.

Ji Su tilted his long, slender neck back, his unfocused gaze drifting up to the ceiling, his face flushed red like an overripe strawberry.

Gu Zhao's back muscles were solid without being exaggerated, rising and swelling with each movement, hard as a great stone — a fingertip pressed against them could leave only the faintest mark…

On the first night in their new home, Gu Zhao seemed unusually restless, tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep.

In the depths of the night, Ji Su was pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window he had designed himself, once again.

The window faced the Beach directly; at this hour the sand was long empty, only the tireless sea pounding against the shore.

But Ji Su still tensed all over with shame — if anyone were to pass by, they would see them.

Gu Zhao kept kissing the sweaty side of his neck, praising him in a low, husky voice: 'Baobao really is a natural talent…'

Ji Su's vision went white; he couldn't tell at all whether Gu Zhao was praising the Villa's design, or something else entirely…