TGBOG Chapter 24

For once, the workaholic President Ye finally left work early, taking his newly appointed assistant on a date. After dinner, as they were riding the elevator home, Zhao Yijia couldn’t help but keep sneaking glances at Ye Luan.

Ye Luan caught him in the act and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

Zhao Yijia sighed dramatically, “I’ve got a serious case of Ye Luan fever.” It was actually a popular meme among Ye Luan’s fans, and Zhao Yijia decided to use it.

Laughing, Ye Luan didn’t respond further. He pulled out the key to open the door, but before he could react, Zhao Yijia quickly snatched the key, darted inside, and slammed the door shut, leaving Ye Luan outside, confused.

Ye Luan: “…”

He knocked on the door, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

From inside, Zhao Yijia’s voice came through, “I want to play the ‘Domineering CEO and His Cute Assistant’ game!”

Never one to refuse his lover’s request, Ye Luan quickly got into character, “At 9 PM, President Ye arrived at Assistant Zhao’s home, claiming they needed to go over a contract—Option A: Assistant Zhao thought it was too late and inconvenient, so he refused; Option B: Suddenly, a sound of chaos came from inside, like something had been knocked over.”

Zhao Yijia laughed, “Option A!”

Ye Luan continued, “Assistant Zhao refused President Ye’s request, making President Ye a little unhappy—Option A: He pulled out his phone and ordered takeout; Option B: He pulled out his phone and read the news.”

Zhao Yijia couldn’t stop laughing, “Still A!”

Ye Luan pressed on, “President Ye ordered Assistant Zhao’s favorite pizza, and 30 minutes later, the delivery person knocked on Assistant Zhao’s door—Option A: Assistant Zhao said he didn’t order anything and told the delivery person to take it back; Option B: President Ye took the pizza and started eating it himself.”

Zhao Yijia wasn’t falling for it, “B, let President Ye eat it himself.”

Keeping a straight face, Ye Luan continued, “President Ye ate his fill and finally remembered he had a spare key. So, he took out the key and opened the door—”

Just as Zhao Yijia was eagerly waiting to hear the options, Ye Luan actually took out another key and unlocked the door. Before Zhao Yijia could react, Ye Luan grabbed him, “Option A: President Ye was really mad and decided to kiss Assistant Zhao once; Option B: President Ye was really mad and decided to kiss Assistant Zhao twice.”

Holding back his laughter, Zhao Yijia looked at Ye Luan’s gentle expression under the light and whispered, “Option C: President Ye used his charms on Assistant Zhao, and Assistant Zhao couldn’t help but kiss President Ye three times.” And with that, he kissed Ye Luan three times.

Thus, the little romance game ended.

Since Zhao Yijia was coming over, Ye Luan had tidied up in advance, so the place was neat and orderly. As Zhao Yijia wandered around, he noticed that many things had been swapped out for pairs: toothbrushes, towels, slippers at the entrance… And most of them matched the style or brand of what they had in their Fifth Garden apartment. Even the way the items were arranged fit his usual habits.

Curious, Zhao Yijia pointed to the toothbrushes, “You even bought an electric toothbrush? Even if I didn’t bring mine, you could’ve just grabbed a regular one.”

Ye Luan kissed the top of his head, “That one’s for Fifth Garden. This one stays here. Wherever you are, I just want you to be comfortable.”

Zhao Yijia, who had been with Ye Luan for some time now, knew that he wasn’t usually a very detail-oriented person. But it seemed that Ye Luan had poured all his patience and attention into him.

Feeling a mix of sweetness and sourness in his heart, Zhao Yijia turned around and wrapped his arms around Ye Luan, burying his face in his neck. He whispered, “Assistant Zhao is really touched and wants to do something—President Ye gets to choose the option.”

Ye Luan kissed the tips of his reddening ears and softly replied, “Option A: Love.”

When Zhao Yijia woke up in the middle of the night, it was just past midnight, and he was thirsty. After the intimate evening, his whole body felt like it had been taken apart and put back together, aching all over. He called out, “Ye Luan,” but there was no response. Guessing that he was probably working, Zhao Yijia got up to get some water himself. As he opened the door, he saw that the light in the living room was still on, and Ye Luan was on the phone: “…Give it some time. I’ve only been with Jia Jia for a short while. I don’t want to rush things…”

Zhao Yijia froze mid-step. With his back to the bedroom, Ye Luan didn’t notice him and continued speaking softly:

“…I’m really not brushing it off…”

“…Yes, yes, I know…”

“…I don’t mean any disrespect. Once things calm down, I’ll definitely visit in person…”

“…It’s late here… You should keep track of the time difference…”

“…Okay, goodbye…”

After hanging up, Ye Luan sat down on the couch and resumed reviewing documents.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Yijia knocked on the doorframe. When Ye Luan turned around and saw him, he smiled instantly, “Why are you up? Come here.”

Having dressed in the pajamas Ye Luan had left out for him without paying much attention, Zhao Yijia now realized that, despite buying so many things, Ye Luan had given him an old set of his own pajamas. Now, he was practically enveloped in Ye Luan’s scent.

With his face slightly flushed, Zhao Yijia walked over and sat cross-legged next to him. “Who were you talking to on the phone?”

Seeing that his lips were a bit dry, Ye Luan poured a glass of water, “My mom. She’s worried I’m not giving you a proper title and insisted that I should meet your parents.”

Zhao Yijia didn’t say anything.

Sensing his unease, Ye Luan knew this was a delicate topic. Ever since they had started dating, they’d been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t had a serious conversation about their families.

After thinking for a moment, Ye Luan spoke, “I came out to my parents when I was in college. At first, it was really rough, but after all these years, my mom has come around. When I told her I was with Jia Jia from back then, she was thrilled. If she wasn’t abroad, she’d have come to see you already.”

Zhao Yijia nodded and took a sip of water.

Noticing his tension, Ye Luan gently said, “Don’t worry. If you’re not ready, we can wait until you are before we meet your parents.”

Zhao Yijia’s hand shook, and he blurted out, “No!”

Ye Luan was taken aback by his strong reaction.

Feeling flustered, Zhao Yijia turned away, “Sorry, I…”

Setting down the water glass, Ye Luan gently but firmly made him look into his eyes, “Zhao Yijia, I’m right here.”

Gradually calming down, Zhao Yijia saw the concern in Ye Luan’s eyes and finally managed to speak, “My… my parents have passed away.”

Ye Luan’s grip on his hand tightened, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken sorrow.

After a moment of silence, Ye Luan cautiously asked, “Sixteen years ago, when you suddenly left the mountain, was it related to that?”

After a brief hesitation, Zhao Yijia nodded.

Embracing him, Ye Luan whispered, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s been so many years. It’s nothing now, really. It’s just that you brought it up so suddenly, and I… I…”

“I know. I understand.”

Maybe it was the comfort of Ye Luan’s gentle words, but Zhao Yijia slowly relaxed. The night was cool, but nestled against Ye Luan, he felt cozy and drowsy. He thought: I was right on the money with the description in Chasing White—whenever Ye Luan talks, I feel dazed, like I’m tipsy. Seeing that Zhao Yijia was dozing off, Ye Luan quietly put away his work documents and led him back to bed.

However, something seemed to be weighing on Zhao Yijia’s mind, and he kept tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep until dawn. Ye Luan noticed but didn’t say anything. He quietly got up around 5 AM, cooked some congee, and then stepped out to make a phone call.

Ye Luan: “It’s me, Ye Luan.”

Tian Gai: “…”

Tian Gai squinted at his phone screen, confirming it was indeed “Twelve Ye” calling.

Tian Gai: “Bro, do you know what time it is?”

Ye Luan: “Sorry, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Tian Gai: “What is it?”

Ye Luan: “Has Zhao Zhao ever mentioned anything about his family to you?”

Now fully awake, Tian Gai asked, “What? Didn’t his parents pass away?”

Ye Luan: “So you knew too.”

Tian Gai sat up, scratching his head, “Yeah, he mentioned it a long time ago, just in passing. He didn’t go into details, and I didn’t press him for more.” Tian Gai added, “Zhao Er seems to avoid talking about it.”

Ye Luan: “Got it. Thanks.”

After hanging up, Ye Luan stood in deep thought.

When Zhao Yijia woke up to the smell of fish congee, he sniffed the air while brushing his teeth, “Ye Luan, what are you making? It smells so good!”

Ye Luan: “Fish congee. Finish brushing and come eat. And no talking while brushing.”

Ignoring his warning, Zhao Yijia continued, “You can make fish congee?”

Ye Luan: “Had to learn since it’s what my beloved likes to eat!”

Zhao Yijia’s eyes crinkled with a smile, “How did you know? I never told you.”

Ye Luan: “When you posted the new novel preview, I saw our CP fans had even compared our astrological signs and said they were super compatible.”

Zhao Yijia: “What does that have to do with fish congee?”

Ye Luan: “Someone replied—‘No wonder! I heard in an interview that Ye Luan doesn’t eat fish, so he won’t fight Zhao Zhao for the fish congee.’”

Zhao Yijia: “You really know how to focus on the important parts!”

To be honest, the fish congee was pretty impressive—visually and flavor-wise. Zhao Yijia was thoroughly satisfied, snapping pictures from every angle before sending them to the Meteor Garden group chat:

Zhao Zhao: [Photos x6] Fish congee, so delicious!

Tian Gai: “…Is this why you sent six identical photos of congee? Adding a filter doesn’t change the fact that it’s just congee, thanks.”

Tian Gai: [Indifference.jpg]

Somnolent Fox: “I want some too! I haven’t had breakfast yet!”

Qin Hai: “How do you make it? Is it complicated?”

Switching to voice mode, Zhao Yijia was about to explain when Ye Luan suddenly interjected, “Just tell him to download the ‘Xiachufang’ app. It has plenty of recipes.”

Startled, Zhao Yijia’s hand slipped, sending the message.

It was too late to take it back.

Qin Hai: “…”

Somnolent Fox: “…”

Tian Gai: “…”

Somnolent Fox: “So, what exactly were you going to say? [Curious]”