Chapter 16 – Two Gifts

“Brother Chi!” Tang Yinuo pounced like a kitten, affectionately pulling Cheng Yichi’s hand as he led him to the sofa. “Today, I went racing with Xiaoshi! It was so thrilling!”

After just one day of dating, Tang Yinuo and Fang Yunshi had already started calling each other “Xiaonuo” and “Xiaoshi.” Fang Yunshi had been forced into it by Tang Yinuo, who now treated him like a sister, their interactions overflowing with warmth.

For some reason, Cheng Yichi exuded an aura of dominance that made Tang Yinuo inexplicably blush and his heart race—something he didn’t feel around Fang Yunshi, even though the latter was taller.

Wei Buyan stood up, eyeing the new guest who had gone on a date with Cheng Yichi. He smiled and extended his hand. “Hello, Wei Buyan.”

“Duan Qingsi,” Duan Qingsi replied, shaking his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Oh? An acquaintance? Wei Buyan was surprised. “I’ve long admired your reputation, Lawyer Duan. Our company has long-term cooperation with your firm, but unfortunately, we’ve never had the honor of working with you personally.”

Duan Qingsi smiled. “Perhaps there’ll be an opportunity in the future.”

He left the possibility open.

This was another reason these elite individuals had joined the show—not just to repay favors, but because they knew they’d meet people they wanted to connect with.

Jiang Heng also stopped playing his game and stood up, flashing his little canine teeth. “Hello, I’m Jiang Heng. My father has spoken of you before.”

While the previous guests all came from decent backgrounds, there were still distinctions among them, and they weren’t particularly familiar with one another. But when it came to Duan Qingsi, the name was practically legendary in business circles.

Duan Qingsi shook his hand as well, though his grip was noticeably lighter compared to Cheng Yichi’s. Cheng Yichi had observed that Duan Qingsi ate with deliberate elegance, even having the staff sanitize his utensils first—likely a sign of mild OCD and germaphobia.

I wonder if he’ll be comfortable staying here. Cheng Yichi frowned.

Fang Yunshi and Tang Yinuo also greeted him politely, though Fang Yunshi seemed indifferent, his excitement reserved for Cheng Yichi. Suddenly, he looked a little sad. “If only you’d been there today.”

“What? Didn’t you have fun with me?” Tang Yinuo teased, poking at his ticklish spots.

Tang Yinuo had meant it as a joke, but Fang Yunshi actually pondered it seriously before replying, “I did have fun with you, Xiaonuo, but maybe we shouldn’t go racing next time. You didn’t seem to enjoy it. I can take you somewhere else.”

Tang Yinuo froze for a moment before his eyes welled up with tears: Wuwu, he and Xiaoshi were going to be besties for life!

But…

His gaze drifted back to Cheng Yichi: Did Xiaoshi have feelings for Teacher Cheng? He hated competing with friends over men, but this was Cheng Yichi! Tang Yinuo fell deep into thought.

—

Surprisingly, after returning, Duan Qingsi and Wei Buyan ended up chatting the most, though their conversation revolved around trivial corporate matters that left the others clueless. Cheng Yichi simply curled up on the sofa to catch up on sleep. He’d been waking up early these past few days and hadn’t napped, leaving him exhausted.

Just as the two were deep in discussion, Duan Qingsi suddenly fell silent.

“Shh,” Tang Yinuo whispered. “Keep it down—Brother Chi’s asleep!”

Wei Buyan was slightly taken aback as he glanced toward the sunken sofa. Cheng Yichi was quite tall, probably around 1.8 meters, but curled up on the sofa, he looked so small. He was sleeping soundly, seemingly exhausted to the point where he didn’t even have the energy to speak. His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but then he smacked them lightly, turned over, and continued sleeping.

Adorable.

Wei Buyan never imagined he’d one day find a 1.8-meter-tall man adorable. But Cheng Yichi truly fit the description. In fact, Cheng Yichi’s charm ran much deeper than that. He seemed to possess a unique aura—when composed, he exuded maturity, masculine appeal, and an air of mystery, as though he carried countless untold stories. Yet at other times, like now, he radiated a youthful innocence that felt innate. In the entertainment industry, few could maintain that sparkle in their eyes.

But that was precisely what made Cheng Yichi special.

Wei Buyan tilted his head slightly, dismissing the thought of consulting Duan Qingsi further. But just as he turned away, he caught Duan Qingsi staring intently at the sleeping Cheng Yichi, his left thumb absently rubbing the jade ring on his finger, his gaze tender and focused.

Wei Buyan’s eyes darkened. He leaned back, crossing his legs, lost in thought.

Bai Ruyu and Gu Zichen were the second-to-last pair to return. The others had expected to see their relationship blossoming, sweet as honey, but instead, the two interacted more naturally than before—just without the previous undercurrent of ambiguity.

Someone had draped a small blanket over Cheng Yichi. Stirred awake by the sound of the door opening, he blinked groggily and noticed Tang Yinuo reaching over as if to cover his ears, urging him to keep sleeping. Cheng Yichi yawned, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Thanks, Yinuo. Whew, I slept so well. Ruyu, Zichen, you’re back?”

His favorite ship had gone on a date together! Blissfully unaware that his ship had already sunk, Cheng Yichi felt a little giddy.

“Mhm.”

Gu Zichen’s gaze lingered on Cheng Yichi with noticeable warmth, though the others hadn’t picked up on it yet.

“This is our new guest, Brother Qingsi.”

Duan Qingsi, wearing gold-rimmed chain glasses, looked rather scholarly as he said, “It’s a pleasure to join the show.”

“Mr. Duan, I’m Bai Ruyu.”

“Hello, I’m Gu Zichen.” Both introduced themselves with unusual formality.

Cheng Yichi couldn’t help but tease, “I wanted to say this earlier—why did everyone suddenly get so formal when Brother Qingsi arrived? It wasn’t like this on the first day. Feels weird, like we’re not on a variety show but more like…”

He paused, struggling to find the right analogy.

Tang Yinuo chimed in, “A summit meeting.”

The group burst into laughter—it really did feel that way.

Duan Qingsi’s voice was deep and smooth, like the resonant notes of a cello, elegant and measured. “I’m around the same age as all of you. You can treat me the same way you treat Xiao Chi.”

Gu Zichen wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but when Duan Qingsi said “Xiao Chi,” his voice seemed to soften, carrying a hint of lingering affection.

He asked, “Yichi, did you go on a date with Qingsi today?”

“Yeah.”

Even now, recalling Duan Qingsi’s arrangements filled Cheng Yichi with warmth. Their eyes met, and Cheng Yichi couldn’t suppress a smile, while Duan Qingsi’s gaze brimmed with gentle amusement.

“It was the most unforgettable date I’ve ever had—so meaningful. I loved it.”

“Indeed,” Duan Qingsi admitted. “This was one of my favorite dates because I saw such beautiful scenery that I wanted to preserve it forever.”

— Cheng Yichi’s smiling face.

—

Gu Zichen remained silent. Bai Ruyu noticed his unusual demeanor and quietly reminded him, “It’s only the fourth day.”

Gu Zichen realized: not only was this just their fourth day together, but it was also merely the first day Cheng Yichi had met Duan Qingsi. There was truly no need for him to be so flustered.

“Keep it up!” Bai Ruyu encouraged. “Think carefully about how you’ll pursue him later.”

Gu Zichen nodded.

Both his true self and the image he projected were consistent—highly restrained, difficult to sway emotionally. The few times his heart had stirred were all related to Cheng Yichi. Had they never met, it would have been one thing, but now that they had, his heart was in turmoil.

Cheng Yichi assumed Bai Ruyu and Gu Zichen were making progress, unaware that Bai Ruyu had already given up.

Moreover, since they returned so late, they must have eaten out. At this thought, Cheng Yichi suddenly felt something was amiss—where was Li Yi? Why had his date taken so long?

Just as he was wondering about Li Yi, the man arrived, carrying a bag of unknown contents. He entered alone. Tang Yinuo curiously peeked over. “Where’s the new guest?”

“Not sure. I had something come up and left early.”

The others sat in the living room chatting while waiting for the new guest, and the atmosphere grew noticeably warmer. Cheng Yichi was also curious about who the new guest might be, but he was feeling uncomfortably hot. The warm clothes he’d worn at noon were now unbearable indoors, making him restless.

“I’m going upstairs to change.”

Li Yi carried his bag as if heading to the kitchen, but then turned and followed Cheng Yichi upstairs.

As Cheng Yichi was changing, someone knocked on the door again—probably that kid Li Yi. Remembering how flustered Li Yi had been the last time he saw him changing, Cheng Yichi couldn’t help but chuckle. He wasn’t sure if he was laughing at Li Yi’s innocence or his own mischievousness. Quickly pulling on his sweatshirt, he called out, “Come in.”

Li Yi entered and, seeing Cheng Yichi fully dressed and waiting for him, looked momentarily disappointed.

Then, he pulled out a carefully wrapped bouquet of sunflowers from the bag and handed it to Cheng Yichi.

“Bro, these are for you!”

The large yellow blooms left Cheng Yichi momentarily stunned. “What made you think of giving me flowers?”

The sunflowers were beautiful, clearly chosen with care. Their petals were tender, and the bright yellow disks radiated joy and cheer.

Li Yi said, “I happened to see them on the way and bought them.”

Cheng Yichi removed the wilted flowers from the vase, refreshed the water, and began arranging the sunflowers one by one. The room seemed to brighten instantly—the flowers truly suited Cheng Yichi’s taste. As he worked, he casually remarked, “Oh, really?”

The person behind him suddenly fell silent.

Just as Cheng Yichi inserted the last stem at a 45-degree angle, Li Yi abruptly spoke.

“No. I just didn’t want to see you accept gifts from others but not from me.”