After Ye Shanshan read these comments, he felt his eyes burning, a pent-up frustration in his heart that couldn’t be relieved. He estimated that even if he did ten sets of exam papers, he wouldn’t be able to calm down. So, he quickly updated a Weibo post, preparing for a heartfelt conversation with his fans.
“You guys haven’t given me a nickname or anything. Let’s continue to have fun together in the future.”
A minute later, the comments section received a very enthusiastic response,
“—Oh, the dewy little immortal man has appeared!”
“—Oh, the missing person has appeared!”
“—Oh, the agricultural channel’s guest lecturer has appeared!”
“—Oh, the FBI sharpshooter has appeared!”
Ye Shanshan: “…” What to do, it seems like there’s not much intimidation.
After observing for another ten minutes, Ye Shanshan wearily discovered that his peculiar fans were still orderly in the comments section, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Feeling that if he continued to look, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, he quickly withdrew from Weibo.
※※※
Close to four in the morning, there was suddenly some movement downstairs. It sounded like the sound of a car engine turning off. Ye Shanshan immediately quit the game, forgot to put on slippers, and rushed downstairs.
But before he reached the entrance, he saw Gong Yue had already entered. Ye Shanshan blinked. Not seeing each other for three days, did the great demon king learn teleportation? He’s even faster than my flying legs!
“Why haven’t you slept yet?”
Gong Yue handed the tablet in his hand to the butler, Hawke. Just as he opened his arms, Ye Shanshan made a sprint, hanging onto him.
The autumn night was already a bit chilly, but Ye Shanshan, wearing pajamas and exuding warmth, rushed over like this, instantly dispelling all the coolness of the autumn night.
Holding him in his arms, Gong Yue walked steadily inside. “Can’t sleep? It’s already four o’clock.”
Ye Shanshan didn’t know when he developed this habit, but Gong Yue had no intention of correcting or rejecting it.
“I’m cultivating magic!” Ye Shanshan hung onto Gong Yue like a boneless creature, speaking earnestly. After expressing himself, he didn’t know what else to say and laughed twice.
Considering that the Great Demon King Gong Yue wasn’t familiar with the Eastern magic cultivation system, he refrained from making comments. “Are you tired?”
Ye Shanshan shook his head. “I was studying diligently before. Later, Luoyang called me and told me that the variety show I participated in had aired, so I went to check it out. Turns out, they gave me a lot of nicknames.”
“Such as?”
“Dewy Little Immortal Man,” Ye Shanshan said, furrowing his brows afterwards, clearly puzzled.
“Why are their thought processes so whimsical? Calling out such a name would be really awkward! If they really call me that, I would coldly refuse.”
Lowering his voice, he added, “Ah, the world is getting worse, and people’s hearts are no longer pure!” If not for both his hands hanging onto Gong Yue, he might have taken on the role of an old scholar, stroking his unknown white beard in some corner, interpreting his character very professionally.
Gong Yue remembered the name “Làng Shanshan” that had been frequently mentioned lately but chose not to comment.
Carrying him into the bedroom, Gong Yue bent down and placed Ye Shanshan on the bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll wait for you. Let’s sleep together when you come back.”
However, when Gong Yue returned twenty minutes later, he found the person who said he would wait for him was already asleep, snuggled up to a pillow.
※※※
When Ye Shanshan woke up, Gong Yue had already gone to work.
He lay on the bed, contemplating the “Riemann curvature” theory he read about last night, feeling that being energetic every day was essential. So, he didn’t linger in bed, even though it was almost twelve o’clock.
While eating, he scrolled through Weibo and noticed that the formation of comments under his post had indeed been disrupted—entertainment at its finest!
He happily ate two more buns.
However, by the afternoon, Ye Shanshan started to feel nervous, pacing anxiously.
Butler Hawke was changing the flowers in the vase and asked with concern, “Young Master Ye, what’s wrong?”
Ye Shanshan’s eyes lit up. “Uncle, my friend is coming over at five o’clock. How should I entertain them?”
This question troubled him quite a bit since, before the age of seventeen, he didn’t have friends and wasn’t familiar with the concept of “friends.” On the entire Mises Island, besides researchers, there was only him. Perhaps, apart from Gong Yue, the other researchers didn’t even consider him a “person.”
“Is the gentleman you want to entertain Mr. Xu Luoyang?” Ye Shanshan’s circle of friends was small, making it easy to guess.
“Yeah, it’s him. He said he wants to celebrate the great success of my variety show debut,” Ye Shanshan said, sighing with frustration. “What’s there to celebrate? He’s just using it as an excuse to come over and freeload!”
“In that case, I’ll have the kitchen prepare some snacks. Since you and Mr. Xu are good friends, there’s no need for anything too formal.”
Despite the hint to stay calm, Ye Shanshan couldn’t calm down the entire afternoon. After some thought, he secretly sent a message to Gong Yue.
On the other side, Gong Yue was listening to the financial report for the third quarter. When his phone rang, he picked it up distractedly, but the swaying gold Pikachu pendant on the phone immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
“My friend is coming over to my house, and I’m so nervous.” — Shanshan.
Gong Yue looked at these thirteen words, feeling somewhat unable to describe his emotions. He was glad that Ye Shanshan relied on him, but more than that, he felt sorry—Ye Shanshan sought his help because he was nervous about hosting a friend at home for the first time.
After thinking for a moment, Gong Yue replied earnestly, one word at a time, “Don’t be nervous. First, confirm the time, arrange for a driver to pick up Xu Luoyang, have Butler Hawke prepare dinner, nothing too extravagant, just relax and have fun. I’ll come home earlier tonight.”
After reading Gong Yue’s reply several times, Ye Shanshan felt more composed. Humming a random song, he went on to solve two algebra problems.
※※※
At a little past five in the afternoon, when Xu Luoyang entered, he immediately stared at Ye Shanshan. Ye Shanshan didn’t hesitate to return the stare. In the end, both sides stopped because their eyes were getting sore, concluding this inexplicable “war.”
Xu Luoyang wore a look of sorrow and indignation, “Let me tell you, I’m against the rich! Seriously, I’m against the rich!”
Ye Shanshan generously waved his hand, “Well, you be against it. I’ll have dinner first.”
“…”
With the dialogue not getting the expected response, Xu Luoyang felt like his teammate had zero understanding of teamwork. Seeing that Ye Shanshan actually turned and walked away, he quickly caught up, “Good food should be enjoyed together. That’s what real brothers do!”
Ye Shanshan glanced at him, “Officially, they don’t recognize us as good brothers.”
“…” Xu Luoyang felt like coming to Ye Shanshan’s place was a mistake.
Sitting at the dining table, Xu Luoyang noticed that after the dishes were served, everyone else left. This made him forget about appearances and devour a large bowl of rice.
Ye Shanshan, holding chopsticks, looked at him in shock. “Did Zheng Dong deduct your money?”
Xu Luoyang shook his head, “I didn’t have breakfast or lunch just to come eat here.”
“… ” Ye Shanshan suddenly felt sorry for his own rice!
After the foodie’s heart was satisfied, Xu Luoyang took a sip of lemon water. “By the way, when you asked me to come here directly, I was a bit surprised. I thought you would invite me to celebrate at your place.”
“Ah?” Ye Shanshan was a bit confused, not understanding Xu Luoyang’s logic. “This is my home.”
Xu Luoyang paused with chopsticks in hand, trying hard to understand Ye Shanshan’s thinking, “So, you mean, this is your home, and you live here, with no other houses?”
“Other houses? Yes, there’s a big house in the city center,”
Xu Luoyang, feeling relieved upon hearing this, immediately heard the second half of Ye Shanshan’s sentence,
“There are others, but even if bought by Gong Yue, he doesn’t live there often. The most frequently used ones are these two places. Oh, and there’s also an apartment in New York, which is also used frequently.”
“So, it’s Mr. Gong’s after all?”
Seeing Ye Shanshan nod, Xu Luoyang felt that something was not right. He organized his words and earnestly told Ye Shanshan, “You need to learn to save money yourself. It’s best to buy a house so that if… if you’re alone in the future, you’ll have a place to live.”
Actually, he never quite understood the dynamic between Ye Shanshan and Gong Yue, but no matter what, a person needs money and a place to settle down.
Ye Shanshan, seemingly understanding and not understanding, put down his chopsticks. Xu Luoyang prepared to explain this question clearly. “Shanshan, can you be sure that Mr. Gong will always keep you by his side?”
A person like Gong Yue can easily change relationships, and in the future, he will surely marry a woman from a similar background. What would silly Ye Shanshan do then?
“He will.” Ye Shanshan answered without any hesitation, “We will always be together.”
Xu Luoyang’s mind worked quickly. Looking at Ye Shanshan’s serious expression, a sudden thought occurred to him—could it be that between Mr. Gong and Ye Shanshan, they have transcended from sponsorship and nurturing to true love? Isn’t this the kind of development found in TV dramas and novels?
It’s not impossible, but they can’t gamble on it.
So, Xu Luoyang decided to be straightforward and asked Ye Shanshan directly, “What if he gets married in the future? What if he has children? What will you do?”
Ye Shanshan was stunned by the question because he had never thought about this issue, and no one had ever discussed it with him. In his mind, being together with Gong Yue was a completely normal thing, just like the sun rising every day.
So, when suddenly confronted with this question, Ye Shanshan didn’t know where to look. After a long pause, he hesitated before saying, “I don’t know.”
What if Gong Yue gets married?
—No, he couldn’t even imagine that scenario.
After that, Ye Shanshan ate his dinner absentmindedly, his eyes seeming lifeless. He even twice brought food to his mouth but forgot to open it.
His thoughts seemed to experience a glitch, operating very slowly and sluggishly. Ye Shanshan suddenly realized that he and Gong Yue would eventually part ways.
Watching Ye Shanshan’s absent-minded look, Xu Luoyang also felt a bit uneasy—apparently, sponsorship had turned into genuine love, and the feelings were deep.
What he did by bluntly addressing this issue was cruel, even somewhat self-righteous, but he had to say it. Regardless of whether that day would come or not, he wanted to say it. He didn’t want Ye Shanshan to be left with nothing and be heartbroken.
After some thought, Xu Luoyang took out the two bottles of champagne he had brought. Originally prepared to celebrate Ye Shanshan’s successful variety show debut, it seemed they could serve a different purpose now.
However, he didn’t expect Ye Shanshan’s tolerance for alcohol to be so poor.
Watching Ye Shanshan’s cheeks turn pink, his eyes fixedly staring at the remaining half bottle of wine, Xu Luoyang waved his hand in front of Ye Shanshan, “Do you still recognize me?”
Ye Shanshan raised his head solemnly, looked at Xu Luoyang, nodded after twenty seconds, “I recognize you.”
So, he wasn’t very drunk.
However, reality proved that Xu Luoyang had relaxed too early.
“You’re Xu Chang’an, Xu Luoyang’s twin brother.”
“…” When did I get a twin brother? Why don’t I know?
Ye Shanshan continued with a heavy tone, “You brothers have been separated for more than twenty years, and now you can finally reunite.”
Unable to hold back, Xu Luoyang curiously asked, “Why did we brothers separate?”
“Because… because… I haven’t figured it out yet!”
“…”
Ye Shanshan sat still, his posture still upright, but he was clearly not sober. After answering Xu Luoyang, he stared at the bubbles in the wine glass, murmuring incoherently, and then burst into a silly laugh.
Xu Luoyang felt that if Mr. Gong came back and saw this scene, it would be a disaster. Thinking of finding someone to help, he heard footsteps at the door.
Then he saw Gong Yue walking in.
※※※
As soon as Gong Yue entered, his gaze landed on Ye Shanshan.
Noticing that something was off with the other, Gong Yue quickly walked over to Ye Shanshan. Seeing Xu Luoyang standing awkwardly in place and looking at the wine bottle, he had a good idea of what was going on.
With a slight frown, Gong Yue asked, “Shanshan, did you drink?”
“Yes,” Xu Luoyang instinctively stood upright, Gong Yue’s imposing presence making him a bit tongue-tied. “He drank, half a bottle of champagne.”
After providing the main information, he didn’t dare to utter an extra word.
Gong Yue looked at Ye Shanshan, who was sitting blankly in the chair, still staring at the wine glass. He crouched down and said, “Shanshan.”
This time, Ye Shanshan reacted very quickly, turned his head to meet Gong Yue’s eyes, and instantly broke into a smile on his face.
This smile left Xu Luoyang, who was standing by, stunned—damn, this smile is too sweet!
“Brother, you’re back,” Ye Shanshan’s voice was somewhat muffled, and then he didn’t care about the wine glass, just kept staring at Gong Yue. Then, he directly circled Gong Yue’s neck with both arms and rubbed his head against him.
“Brother, why did you get shorter? Haha, I’m taller than you. I’ve grown taller again…” He continued to happily repeat these words.
Gong Yue half-lifted Ye Shanshan while preparing to take him back to the bedroom. After walking a few steps, he heard Xu Luoyang calling him from behind, “Mr. Gong, please wait.”
As Ye Shanshan’s friend, Gong Yue rarely showed such patience and turned around, “Is there something?”
Feeling Gong Yue’s gaze, Xu Luoyang broke out in a cold sweat on his palms. But looking at Ye Shanshan, who was still smiling foolishly beside Gong Yue, he decided to give it a try.
“Although it may sound presumptuous, as Shanshan’s friend, I want to say that if one day, Shanshan becomes an obstacle in your life—”
He hadn’t finished his sentence when Gong Yue interrupted him, “Thank you for your concern about Shanshan, but such a situation will never arise.”
At this moment, Ye Shanshan, in Gong Yue’s arms, twisted a bit and increased his volume, his voice sounding dreamy.
“Brother, I want cranberry cake! Four pieces!” Maybe because of the alcohol, Ye Shanshan became bolder.
Gong Yue lowered his head, his voice noticeably softer, coaxing him, “Two pieces, not more, be good.”
“Okay,” Ye Shanshan replied, probably thinking that two pieces were a good deal, and then he smiled foolishly again.
Xu Luoyang, standing on the side, felt like he had just been served a large helping of dog food. He rubbed his eyes, suddenly realizing—if he hadn’t misinterpreted those looks,
“May I ask, do you, do you like Shanshan?”
Sure enough, not only Ye Shanshan became bolder after drinking, Xu Luoyang also felt more courageous. He cleared his throat, “I asked Shanshan earlier if there might be a day when you would make him leave. He said it wouldn’t happen, and you two would always be together.”
Glancing at Gong Yue, and finding that the other’s expression hadn’t worsened, Xu Luoyang cautiously continued, “Then I asked him again, you will definitely marry and have children in the future, what will happen to him? Shanshan hasn’t thought about that question, saying he doesn’t know. So, if you don’t mind, could you tell me how you feel about it?”
“No.”
Before Xu Luoyang could react to which part of his statement was denied, Gong Yue glanced at Ye Shanshan and then solemnly stated, “Just as he said, we will always be together.”
Gong Yue lifted the already sleeping figure in his arms and concluded with one last statement, “In this lifetime, besides Shanshan, there will be no one else, anyone.”
—–
Author’s note: Shanshan: You say so much when I’m drunk, how about saying it when I’m awake!
Gong Yue: Dare not.
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ❤️”
