Qiao Shu froze.
Call Gu Chenyan?
And demanding to use a coquettish voice and call him “brother”? Referring to himself as “little brother”?
Qiao Shu shivered.
No, this wouldn’t work.
“Younger brother?” Zhou Yanqing stifled a laugh. “Elder brother is waiting.”
Others joined in the teasing.
Qiao Shu’s hand holding the phone stiffened. Did he really have to call Gu Chenyan?
Qiao Shu: QAQ
It seemed like he had to.
Both the male and female leads had completed the dare, and the male second, Wei Rong, had also put on a comical female outfit. Now, he just had to make a phone call.
Stay calm.
Qiao Shu took a deep breath.
It’s just a phone call.
He could do it!
But… Gu Chenyan probably wouldn’t mind, right? If he did… well, there was no other option but to apologize later.
Qiao Shu quickly prepared himself mentally and then opened his phone’s contacts.
His finger trembled slightly as he scrolled down the contacts.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Hold it together!
When the contacts stopped at the letter ‘G’, Qiao Shu tried to steady his nerves. He reversed the phone, presenting the screen to everyone, “Th-there’s only one with the surname ‘Gu’.”
Upon seeing it, Zhou Yanqing nearly clapped with excitement. He had taken a gamble, considering that young couples nowadays often used unique and affectionate nicknames for each other. Unexpectedly, he hit the jackpot!
Mr. Gu.
Hmm, such a serious nickname. Zhou Yanqing stroked his chin, looking forward to Gu Chenyan’s reaction when Qiao Shu coquettishly called him.
Xu Shi chuckled, “Looks like Yanqing doesn’t need to specify conditions anymore.” He stepped closer to Qiao Shu, covering the microphone with his hand, and whispered, “Is this call okay? Can you make it?”
In the entertainment industry, interpersonal relationships were complex, and so were the contacts on their phones.
Qiao Shu shook his head and whispered, “It’s okay.”
Xu Shi sighed in relief, then stepped back, teasing, “After Qiao Qiao’s coquettish act, maybe we’ll be treated to a handmade hearty dumpling feast.”
Qiao Shu: ”..”.
That’s probably not going to happen.
Qiao Shu tried to imagine the serious-looking Gu Chenyan in a handmade suit, earnestly making dumplings in the kitchen…
Starting to feel…
Stop!
This is daydreaming!
Qiao Shu shook away the chaotic images in his head and bravely tapped to make the call.
Beep beep
It sounded quite ordinary, but Qiao Shu’s hands were sweaty with nervousness.
That “beep beep” seemed to echo on the tip of his heart.
Answer, don’t answer, answer, don’t answer…
Time seemed to stretch infinitely.
“Qiao Shu?”
Gu Chenyan’s voice came through the phone.
Qiao Shu was brought back to reality by this pleasant voice. He nervously swallowed, “Mr. Gu.”
Gu Chenyan: “Hmm?”
Zhou Yanqing pointed frantically at the big screen, hinting at Qiao Shu.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Can’t escape…
Qiao Shu took a deep breath, “Gu, Brother Gu—”
The words “Brother Gu” slipped out of Qiao Shu’s mouth without any warning, and his originally composed fair face turned crimson in an instant, startlingly hot.
Even those white-as-jade ears couldn’t escape the invasion of red, almost as if they could drip blood.
Steam rose.
His jet-black eyes were veiled with a thin layer of mist. Qiao Shu felt like his face was hot enough to fry an egg.
Zhou Yanqing was still urging.
Qiao Shu could only endure the shame in his heart, close his eyes decisively, and in a falsetto voice, he said, “I want to eat dumplings made by your own hands~”
Silence.
There was no sound from the other end of the phone.
Qiao Shu’s heart tensed up.
Was he coaxed?
Angry?
Qiao Shu felt a moment of nervousness and confusion.
Finally.
Gu Chenyan: “What filling do you want?”
Qiao Shu: “…”
His mind went blank, and he said, “Pork and shrimp.”
Gu Chenyan: “Okay, call me before you come back.”
Qiao Shu: “…Okay.”
Zhou Yanqing was already laughing uncontrollably in his seat.
For the remaining recordings, Qiao Shu could hardly concentrate.
As soon as the recording was over, he wanted to run to the bathroom, but Zhou Yanqing stopped everyone.
Zhou Yanqing: “Long time no see, everyone worked hard in today’s recording. How about going for hot pot together later?”
Xu Shi laughed, “My treat.”
Zhou Yanqing smiled and declined, “I have good news today, so I’ll treat you all. Don’t compete with me.”
Others were curious, “What good news?”
Zhou Yanqing teased, “It’s a secret, can’t say, can’t say.”
So, except for the female lead who was busy catching up with her schedule, the rest of the crew went to the nearest hot pot restaurant together.
It was already close to 8 PM.
While ordering, Qiao Shu used the excuse to go to the bathroom.
Qiao Shu hid in a cubicle, nervously took out his phone, did some mental preparation for himself, and dialed Gu Chenyan’s number with a resigned attitude.
This time, Gu Chenyan picked up almost instantly.
Gu Chenyan: “Qiao Shu?”
Qiao Shu: “I’m sorry!”
On the other end, there was a pause, and Gu Chenyan asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Shu felt both embarrassed and guilty. “The previous call must have caused you trouble,” he said with some frustration. “I’m filming a variety show, and I got picked to do a dare…”
After explaining the reason, Qiao Shu apologized again, “I’m sorry.”
At the Gu Corporation.
Gu Chenyan stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The Gu Building was tall, and his office was at the topmost level. Looking down, the entire city lay before his eyes.
The neon lights of the city illuminated the scene, with some of the light penetrating the window and falling on Gu Chenyan.
Listening to Qiao Shu’s voice on the phone, his usually cold demeanor softened slightly.
Gu Chenyan: “It’s okay.”
Qiao Shu scratched the phone case with his nails, his face slightly red. He asked uncomfortably, “Did you think I was acting strange at that time?”
That sentence carried quite an impact, and Qiao Shu still found it a bit embarrassing to recall.
Gu Chenyan: “No.”
Just a bit surprised, and also… “Brother Gu” sounded quite nice.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Gu Chenyan smiled and asked, “Do you still want to eat dumplings?”
Qiao Shu: “Huh?”
“Pork and shrimp dumplings?” Gu Chenyan clarified.
Qiao Shu: “Yes.”
Qiao Shu honestly said, “I still kind of want to.”
Gu Chenyan: “I’ll make some for you.”
When Qiao Shu walked out of the bathroom, not only was his face blushing, but he also had a silly smile on his face. His eyes looked as if they had been washed with water, sparkling and bright.
Yu Qiong happened to come out looking for Qiao Shu, and upon seeing him in this state, she quickly grabbed him before he could head to the private room. “Wait a moment.”
Qiao Shu: “Ah?”
Yu Qiong: “Are you sure you want to go in looking like this?”
Qiao Shu: “What’s wrong?”
Yu Qiong: “See for yourself.”
Qiao Shu took the phone handed by Yu Qiong and aimed the camera at himself.
Qiao Shu: “…”
That spring-like look of budding affection!
Qiao Shu finally returned to the bathroom to wash his face again. Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought: Gu Chenyan’s influence is too strong.
After nearly two hours of hot pot, the group chatted aimlessly in all directions.
By the time it ended, it was already past ten.
Qiao Shu stood at the door, feeling the breeze. When he saw Zhou Yanqing about to leave, he immediately ran over.
Qiao Shu: “Senior Zhou.”
Zhou Yanqing turned around: “What’s the matter, Junior?”
Qiao Shu bowed: “Thank you, Senior Zhou, for taking care of me today.”
Not only did Zhou Yanqing take care of him on the show, but even during the hot pot dinner, he always included Qiao Shu in the conversation, preventing him from being left out.
Zhou Yanqing waved his hand: “No need, no need. I’ll rely on you in the future.”
Qiao Shu was stunned: “???”
Zhou Yanqing didn’t say much: “It’s very late; you should go back and rest. Goodbye.”
Qiao Shu could only wave bewilderedly: “Senior, goodbye.”
Covered in the strong smell of hot pot, which was indeed magical and domineering. Regardless of how good or bad one smelled, after being in the same space with hot pot, one would inevitably carry its aroma.
Qiao Shu returned to the hotel, washed his hair, and took a shower. After a day of recording the program and indulging in a two-hour hot pot dinner, Qiao Shu was genuinely tired as he finished tidying up.
He yawned and crawled into bed.
Stretching his hand to turn off the light, Qiao Shu pulled up the blanket tightly, closed his eyes, and gradually drifted into sleep.
Gentle exhales echoed in the room.
The young man on the bed was about to fall asleep.
Suddenly, Qiao Shu opened his eyes. In the darkness, he reached out, feeling around, and found his phone.
The phone screen lit up in the darkness, and Qiao Shu squinted uncomfortably. After a while, he adapted to the light emitted by the phone in the darkness.
His fingers tapped on the screen.
Qiao Shu opened WeChat.
As expected, there were unread messages, and he entered with a subtle sense of anticipation.
Gu Chenyan: If you’re tired, go to bed early.
Gu Chenyan: Goodnight.
Qiao Shu contentedly smiled.
Qiao Shu: Goodnight, Mr. Gu.
Tonight’s dreams were once again not lonely because someone had wished him goodnight.
The next day, Yu Qiong took the early morning flight back to Haicheng, and since Qiao Shu had no immediate work, he decided to explore Lancheng for a while before taking the afternoon flight back to Haicheng.
Naturally, Lu Yue followed him.
This was Qiao Shu’s first visit to Lancheng, and since he was unfamiliar with the city, he could only use his phone to search for the places he wanted to visit. Eventually, he and Lu Yue arrived at a large shopping mall.
When traveling, it’s customary to bring back gifts.
The mall had a large specialty store, and Qiao Shu and Lu Yue filled their carts with various items, including snacks for themselves and gifts for others.
As they passed by a candy shelf, Qiao Shu stopped in his tracks.
Lu Yue: “Does Qiao Qiao want some candy?”
Qiao Shu: “No.”
He paused, revealing a bright smile. “I suddenly remembered that I haven’t given you the wedding candies yet.”
Marriage is a joyous occasion, and although they hadn’t hosted a wedding banquet yet, it was still a reason to celebrate.
Wedding candies would be a fitting choice.
Qiao Shu chose a type of rainbow candy, beautifully wrapped in candy paper and placed in small transparent glass jars, looking particularly dreamy and appealing.
It resembled the colorful stars he used to draw on the walls in his childhood.
Qiao Shu bought over a dozen jars.
He told Lu Yue, “I’ll wrap them up and give them to you when I get back.”
Lu Yue smiled, “Then I’ll look forward to Qiao Qiao’s wedding candies and share in the joy.”
After purchasing local specialties, Qiao Shu pondered for a moment and then headed to the upscale men’s clothing section on the upper floor of the mall.
Considering that Gu Chenyan was now his husband, their relationship status was different, and the gifts he chose should naturally reflect that.
Qiao Shu thought with a bit of a double standard.
After browsing for a while, he finally settled on a pair of navy blue cufflinks. The deep blue resembled the profound and mysterious depths of the sea, while the tiny and beautiful star diamonds embellished the corners.
The nearly thirty-thousand price tag made Qiao Shu, a small commoner, feel a bit distressed, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and made the purchase.
These cufflinks were perfect for Gu Chenyan.
Besides, after getting married, he was, in a way, a small wealthy man himself.
Thinking about the shares he now possessed, Qiao Shu couldn’t help but reveal a smile.
The plane cut through thick clouds and finally landed in the familiar Haicheng.
Qiao Shu picked up his suitcase and walked out of the airport with Lu Yue.
Halfway there, Qiao Shu’s phone rang.
It was from Gu Chenyan.
Gu Chenyan: “Qiao Shu, I’m at the airport exit.”
Qiao Shu was taken aback, “You’re at the airport?”
Gu Chenyan: “Yes.”
Qiao Shu: “Are you picking me up?”
Gu Chenyan: “Yes.”
In an instant, a strong sense of joy surged into his heart, and Qiao Shu revealed a big smile, saying, “Don’t hang up; I’ll be right there.”
He turned to Lu Yue and said, “Sister Yue, Gu Chenyan is here to pick me up. I’m leaving now; you don’t need to accompany me.”
Qiao Shu was extremely happy.
Lu Yue nodded, “Okay.”
Qiao Shu couldn’t wait and quickly ran off with his suitcase.
Lu Yue: “…”
She showed a helpless smile.
Gu Chenyan, tall and with long legs, exuded an outstanding temperament, standing out in the crowd.
Qiao Shu could already see him from afar.
Excitedly, Qiao Shu waved at Gu Chenyan and hastened his pace towards him.
Gu Chenyan noticed and walked towards Qiao Shu with his long strides.
“Gu, Gu Chenyan.”
Breathing heavily, Qiao Shu’s eyes sparkled remarkably. He jogged to a stop in front of Gu Chenyan, looking up at him and smiling, “Why did you come to pick me up?”
No wonder he asked for his flight details before.
Qiao Shu’s overflowing joy was evident.
“Take it slow,” Gu Chenyan said. He looked at Qiao Shu’s bright and beautiful eyes, took a step forward, and opened his arms, pulling Qiao Shu into a hug.
“The promised hug.”
⌈Weekend chapters: 2⌉ ⌊Progress: 1/2 ⌋
