When Chao Musheng lowered his head to take a sip of milk tea, Su Chenzhu had already lost his ability to react normally.
It wasn’t until he saw the students from Jinghua University stepping out of their car, staring at them in shock, that he finally snapped back to reality.
In the dim darkness, the sight of someone clutching another’s sleeve would seem odd even to Professor Zhang, who was nearly sixty.
"Xiao Chao." Professor Zhang looked at Chao Musheng’s hand gripping Su Chenzhu’s sleeve, paused for a moment, then adjusted his thick glasses. "It’s so late—where are you and President Su going?"
Chao Musheng released Su Chenzhu’s sleeve. Su Chenzhu glanced at the wrinkled fabric, his gaze gradually dimming. Chao was afraid of others misunderstanding their relationship.
"We’re just going for a walk." Chao Musheng instead grasped Su Chenzhu’s wrist and pulled him forward, striding confidently past the stunned Jinghua faculty and students. "Professor Zhang, rest early. Goodnight."
Professor Zhang stared blankly at their retreating figures before lifting his wristwatch to check the time.
A walk at one in the morning?
Once the two were completely out of sight, the Jinghua students exchanged excited glances—this was juicy gossip, the kind that could shake both the business and academic worlds. They could hardly imagine the uproar once this romantic rumor got out.
"Everyone, go back and rest." After recovering from his own shock, Professor Zhang turned to his students. "Don’t spread baseless rumors outside."
He rubbed his temples wearily. The students were young and didn’t fully grasp the international influence of Kunlun’s CEO.
If President Su didn’t publicly acknowledge this relationship, Jinghua had no right to leak even a hint of it.
The night in Hanyue Town was beautiful, with a sky full of dazzling stars. The streets were nearly empty, so quiet that the distant croaking of frogs could be heard.
"Wait." Chao Musheng pulled two cartoon-patterned mosquito repellent stickers from his pocket and stuck them on Su Chenzhu’s clothes. "There are lots of bugs by the river. With skin as fair as yours, one bite would leave a red bump."
The cute stickers contrasted amusingly with Su Chenzhu’s usual dignified appearance.
Under the hazy moonlight, the two descended stone steps toward the riverbank.
Hanyue’s limited budget meant the riverside was lined only with willow trees, leaving wild grass and flowers to grow freely. Chao Musheng bent down to pluck a small wildflower, then suddenly stopped and smiled. "This is actually my first time taking a midnight stroll with someone."
Su Chenzhu turned to look at him.
Chao Musheng stepped closer until their shadows nearly overlapped. He pulled out his phone and leaned his head toward Su Chenzhu. "Such a special moment deserves a photo, don’t you think?"
He held up the tiny flower while Su Chenzhu slowly, carefully tilted his head until their hair brushed against each other.
The camera clicked.
On the screen, Chao Musheng was smiling, while Su Chenzhu’s gaze lingered on his face.
"Mr. Su." Chao Musheng lowered the phone and glanced at him. "Next time we take a photo, remember to look at the camera."
Su Chenzhu’s lips moved slightly before he finally replied with a quiet, "Okay."
At this hour, the riverside was deserted. They walked for a while but saw no fireflies.
"Guess we won’t see any tonight." Standing where he’d spotted fireflies the previous evening, Chao Musheng sounded disappointed. "Oh well, maybe next time—"
Then, from the distant grass, countless specks of light emerged, as if the Milky Way had descended to earth.
Chao Musheng stared in awe. Only when the fireflies fluttered right before them did he snap out of his daze and turn to Su Chenzhu. "Mr. Su, look!"
Though faint, their glow became the most breathtaking sight in the darkness.
"I see them." Su Chenzhu greedily drank in the joy on the young man’s face, his restless heart settling into calm.
Two fireflies landed on his shoulder. Chao Musheng cautiously approached and gently held his forearm. "Mr. Su, don’t move. I want to see what fireflies really look like."
"Okay."
Under the moonlight, the man stood still while the younger man leaned in—from afar, it resembled the tenderest embrace between lovers.
A bodyguard in the distance captured the moment on camera.
He had a feeling his boss would cherish this photo.
"Well?" Su Chenzhu asked as the fireflies flew away. "Did they meet your expectations?"
"They’re different than I imagined." Chao Musheng wasn’t disappointed. He looked up, studying Su Chenzhu’s face from inches away. "But the light they make is beautiful enough."
He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Su Chenzhu, watching the tiny creatures dance among the grass. "You know what I thought when I first saw them yesterday?"
"What?"
"I wished you were there with me." Chao Musheng grinned. "It felt like a shame you couldn’t see it too."
Su Chenzhu heard his own heartbeat—fast, loud.
"Now I’m glad you weren’t there yesterday." Chao Musheng chuckled. "If we’d only seen a few then, we wouldn’t have witnessed this tonight."
Behind them, a fish leaped from the river with a splash.
"Let’s head back." Chao Musheng tugged Su Chenzhu’s sleeve again as they walked. "Next time I find something this beautiful, I’ll bring you along."
Side by side, Su Chenzhu wrestled with unspoken words, terrified of misreading the situation.
He feared nothing in life—except the possibility of misjudging Chao Musheng’s feelings. One wrong step could ruin everything.
By the time they returned to the hotel at 3 a.m., Su Chenzhu escorted Chao Musheng to his door.
"Mr. Su." Chao Musheng smiled. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
After a pause, Su Chenzhu averted his eyes. "Goodnight, Chao."
An almost imperceptible sigh. "Goodnight."
Early the next morning, Chao Musheng boarded the shuttle to the studio with Professor Zhang. Noticing his classmates looked even more exhausted than him, he sipped his soy milk. "What were you all doing last night?"
They exchanged glances, bursting with gossip questions but stifled by Professor Zhang and the staff’s presence.
After stumbling upon such explosive gossip, sleep had been impossible—they’d privately group-chatted until dawn.
Now, faced with the well-rested protagonist of their rumors, they yawned miserably. How could Chao Musheng still look fresh as dew while they resembled withered vegetables?
Ignoring their resentful stares, Chao Musheng pulled out his phone to text Su Chenzhu:
Mr. Su, I’m heading to the studio. Heavy rain’s forecast today—if you’re returning to the county, stay safe.
Slender fingers hovered over the reply. Su Chenzhu typed and deleted multiple drafts, erasing anything that might burden Chao.
Okay.
Chao Musheng’s response came swiftly.
It was a sticker of a pouting puppy, looking both coquettish and as if it was blowing a kiss.
He stared at this sticker for a long time before finally saving it.
Opening yesterday’s interview video, he saw the comments below had already surpassed ten thousand.
"I know shipping real people isn’t great, but the photo of the big boss and that ordinary guy has such a storybook vibe—I couldn’t help imagining countless sweet fanfics."
"And not angsty ones?"
"You don’t get it, this photo just radiates sweetness."
He read these comments over and over before finally setting his phone down and staring blankly out the window.
The receptionist was nervous. Someone as busy as CEO Su had actually paid out of his own pocket to stay overnight in a small-town hotel—one where the water heater alternated between scalding and freezing.
"Did any of CEO Su’s staff mention when he’s leaving this hotel?"
His colleague shook his head.
The receptionist sighed. Even as a native of Hanyue, he couldn’t in good conscience praise this hotel’s conditions. How on earth was CEO Su tolerating it?
"Stop overthinking it." The receptionist gulped down some strong tea. "We’ll never understand what goes on in the minds of important people. Just remind the town staff to do their jobs properly and not embarrass Hanyue at a crucial moment."
He’d heard that just two days ago, some lunatic had been running around stealing sweet potatoes.
When the town staff learned that the CEO of Kunlun Group was still lingering in their small town, their first task was to patrol the streets and eliminate any potential hazards.
Even the cats and dogs owned by local shopkeepers were taken home for baths—they couldn’t let the big boss think Hanyue’s pets were unhygienic.
"I saw it with my own eyes—last night, that man was waiting for a young, handsome guy." An old man held his dog’s leash as the animal napped on the ground, surrounded by a group of elderly listeners. "That young man was exceptionally good-looking, even more so than the celebrities on TV."
"You’re exaggerating." Another old man scoffed. "Last night, I saw him buying milk tea at the shop. My son used the same trick when chasing girls—there’s no way he was waiting for a guy."
"Believe what you want." The dog-owning old man frowned at the skepticism. "But what I saw was definitely a young man."
In a town this small, gossip spread fast. Most of the elderly residents’ children worked far away, so any fresh gossip quickly traveled from one end of town to the other.
When town officials went door-to-door asking if anyone had noticed anything unusual, they were promptly told about the "handsome man waiting hours for a good-looking youth."
"Elders, this is just young people’s personal business—not exactly strange behavior." The questioning staff member was torn between laughter and exasperation. "Besides this, has anything else happened that made you feel unsafe?"
"Yes!" One old man declared. "Two days ago, someone robbed people in our town!"
Robbery?!
The staff member nearly stumbled in shock. At a time like this, such a serious crime had occurred?!
"How many robbers were there? What was stolen? Did anyone report it?"
Old Man A: "Three or four."
Old Man B: "No, I think it was five or six."
Old Woman A: "All young people, and they ran fast!"
A gang operation?!
The staff member’s vision darkened, his legs nearly giving out. "What was the damage?"
"Old Chen lost seven sweet potatoes, Granny Wang lost a big pumpkin, Old Sun lost ten sweet potatoes..."
Sweet potatoes and pumpkins?!
The more he listened, the more confused he became. "Besides crops, did anyone lose anything else?"
The elders shook their heads.
"Pumpkins and sweet potatoes aren’t worth much. We figured those youngsters must’ve been starving, so we didn’t report it."
Starving?!
Starving…
The staff member staggered, not daring to hear more, and rushed back to the town office to report.
When his colleagues heard, they felt the sky was about to collapse.
What era was this, where people were so hungry they had to steal sweet potatoes and pumpkins?!
They immediately called the receptionist stationed at the hotel.
"Oh, that incident." The town receptionist sighed. "CEO Su probably hasn’t heard, but the experts from the capital might know. They passed by while the locals were discussing it the other night—they must’ve overheard."
They were doomed.
Any chance of their town departments receiving commendations was gone.
Doomed.
The entire reputation of Hanyue County was ruined.
"Don’t panic yet. The experts probably just took it as some madman’s antics—they won’t actually think Hanyue’s citizens are starving." The receptionist tried to reassure them. "It might even be rival regions trying to smear us. Just investigate properly and don’t stress too much."
After hanging up, the town staff were determined.
Investigate—they had to.
No one in their town was starving!
"Xiaojuan, you’re the best!"
Peng devoured the braised pork knuckle she’d brought back. "This is so flavorful—it couldn’t have been easy to get in the wasteland, right?"
Xiaojuan: "..."
Actually, it was pretty easy.
When she asked for five pork knuckles, the shopkeeper’s face had lit up with joy.
After they finished eating, Xiaojuan moved to toss the takeout containers, but Peng stopped her.
"Xiaojuan, these boxes look sturdy—we can reuse them." He wiped sweat from his brow. "The heatwave’s lasted three days already. If food gets harder to find, we might need these to collect water if it rains."
"That won’t be necessary." Xiaojuan said. "I’ll bring you two crates of water later."
"Xiaojuan, what’s really going on outside?" Da Chang sensed something odd. Yesterday, she’d brought them ribs and steamed pork; today, it was pork knuckles. Were the NPCs outside this generous to her?
"Nothing’s happening outside." Xiaojuan glanced out the window. "It’ll probably rain in about two hours."
Rain?
The five players exchanged puzzled looks. In an extreme heatwave, would the system really ease their suffering with rain?
The system wasn’t that kind.
"Mhm." Xiaojuan knew they wouldn’t understand. "After the rain, the temperature will start dropping."
Peng: "Then where’s the survival challenge?"
With food, drinks, and cooling temperatures after the rain—was this really a 3S-level survival scenario?
He looked up at the ceiling. Though if it rained heavily, would the roof leak?
"Xiaojuan, you’re sure it’ll rain in two hours?"
Xiaojuan nodded.
Aside from the unnatural storms the Main God had conjured at the villa, this world’s weather forecasts were fairly accurate.
And if they weren’t…
Xiaojuan leaned out the window, studying the clouds. The conditions were ripe for artificial rainmaking.
If the forecast failed, the meteorology bureau would just blast the rain into existence.
"Did the NPCs outside tell you this?"
Xiaojuan nodded again.
Seeing Xiaojuan nod, Little Rou’s expression turned complicated. "Juan-jie, I heard the NPC who took you away is exceptionally good-looking?"
The more handsome a man is, the better he is at deception—NPCs are no exception.
"He really is that good-looking." Xiaojuan, who had been listless from the stifling heat in the room, suddenly lifted her head.
Her Chao-ge’s looks were beyond reproach.
This wasn’t good.
Little Rou noticed the look in Xiaojuan’s eyes, and her heart sank.
That kind of gaze—the kind reserved for a savior—shouldn’t appear when a player mentions an NPC.
"Xiao Chao." The League Branch Secretary carried her meal over and sat down beside Chao Musheng. "Your efficiency this morning was incredible. Even Professor Zhang said your talent is astounding."
Whether it was her or the senior students, they were all in awe of Xiao Chao’s abilities.
"It’s not just me. Without everyone’s effort, I couldn’t have done it alone." Chao Musheng raised a brow. "Did you come just to tell me that?"
"Ahem." The League Branch Secretary cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "We’re close enough, right? Last night, you…"
"Mm, you guessed right." Chao Musheng smiled and admitted openly. "I took Mr. Su out… on a date."
He—he admitted it?
The League Branch Secretary’s eyes widened. Going out for fun and going on a date carried entirely different meanings.
She glanced behind her at the other students and dropped her voice even further. "No wonder when you were sick, CEO Su stayed by your side without leaving. So it was…"
"Don’t worry," the League Branch Secretary whispered. "Before you two go public, I won’t tell a soul."
"Thanks." Chao Musheng chuckled. "But it’s fine even if others find out."
He had never feared others’ judgment or gossip.
What mattered more than the happiness of the one he loved?
Around four in the afternoon, lightning split the sky, and rain poured down in sheets.
Assistant Yang watched the rain lashing against the window and said to Secretary Liu, who was leisurely sipping tea, "Secretary Liu, the county is still waiting to sign the contract with us. Are we really not going back to town today?"
They’d spent the whole day in the hotel without accomplishing anything.
"No rush." Secretary Liu glanced outside. "With rain this heavy, driving wouldn’t be safe."
Outside, the storm raged. Su Chenzhu pulled back the curtains and stared at the white haze beyond the glass, his mind filled with the image of Chao Chao smiling beside the fireflies.
"Boss." A bodyguard knocked and entered, holding a thick stack of photos. "The photos have been printed. Please take a look."
Su Chenzhu took them—each one a picture of him and Chao Chao together.
Chao Chao bending by the car door to greet him with a smile. Him on stage while Chao Chao focused on taking his photo from below. Their silhouettes intertwined under the streetlights as they walked.
And then…
He reached the last photo.
Chao Chao was leaning forward, looking up at his face.
But he distinctly remembered—at that moment, Chao Chao had been staring at the firefly on his shoulder.
Had he not been looking at the firefly… but at him?
He set the photos down and strode out the door.
"Boss, where are you going? The rain is too heavy—you can’t go out!"
Chao Chao was out there.
And he was going to bring him home.
"The rain is so heavy." The League Branch Secretary yawned as she looked out the window. "We finally finished work early today, and now the weather’s ruined everything."
Having stayed up too late the night before, all she wanted now was to return to the hotel and sleep. She swore never to indulge in gossip again.
She turned to Chao Musheng and saw him already packing up. "Xiao Chao, you’re leaving now?"
"Mm." Chao Musheng retrieved his phone from the storage box. "There’s something I need to take care of back at the hotel."
He swiped his work card at the gate, exchanged a quick word with the security guard, and hurried out the studio doors.
The rain roared. Chao Musheng declined the staff’s offer to escort him and pulled out his phone to call a ride—only to spot a familiar figure through the downpour.
"Mr. Su?"
"Chao Chao." Su Chenzhu lifted the umbrella’s edge and strode toward him, shifting it over Chao Musheng’s head. "The rain’s too heavy. I came to take you back."
The car couldn’t enter the inner courtyard, so the two of them shared the umbrella as they stepped into the storm.
Rainwater rushed along the pavement in shallow streams. Chao Musheng noticed Su Chenzhu’s shoes and pant cuffs were already soaked through.
How long had he been waiting out here?
"The rain is this bad—why didn’t you wait in the car?"
"It was too heavy. I was afraid if I sat inside, you wouldn’t see me."
Chao Musheng’s heart melted like cotton candy—soft, sticky, and aching in a way he couldn’t describe.
It was his fault. He’d assumed someone like Mr. Su, who seemed to have everything, would never feel hesitation. So he’d waited for him to speak first.
But he’d forgotten—love wasn’t a transaction. It wasn’t something you could buy with money.
The deeper the love, the greater the fear.
He took Su Chenzhu’s hand and adjusted the umbrella, which had been tilted mostly over him. "Su Chenzhu, your shoulder is completely drenched."
"It’s fine." Su Chenzhu quickened his pace, shielding Chao Musheng as he guided him into the car.
When he folded the umbrella and bent to follow, rain instantly drenched his hair and glasses. Once inside, he shifted away slightly, careful not to let the water on him drip onto Chao Musheng.
"Chao Chao, your hair is wet." Su Chenzhu leaned over to grab a dry towel and handed it to him.
"You do it for me." Chao Musheng scooted closer, tilting into him as if nestling against his chest.
"Chao Chao." Su Chenzhu’s fingers trembled slightly as they brushed against his damp hair.
"Never mind." Chao Musheng caught his fingertips, sat up, and took the towel from him. "Let me dry you instead."
Raindrops trailed down Su Chenzhu’s face. Chao Musheng removed his glasses and saw his own reflection, clear and vivid, in those eyes.
He lifted a finger, wiping away a droplet clinging to Su Chenzhu’s cheek.
Like a fallen tear from an untouchable god.
Su Chenzhu stared at him, dazed. "Chao Chao, I—"
I want to be with you.
His Chao Chao only needed to stand in the sunlight, waiting for him to walk forward.
Before he could finish, the young man before him suddenly leaned in, closing the distance between them.
Warmth lingered for a fleeting moment at the corner of his lips.
Brief as an illusion.
"Su Chenzhu, your lips are a little cold." Chao Musheng rested a hand on his rain-soaked shoulder, smiling. "Are you freezing?"
Su Chenzhu’s pupils shook. He grasped Chao Musheng’s wrist, voice rough. "Chao Chao, I’m not cold."
He was burning—his heart a roaring blaze.
"Ah." Chao Musheng sighed playfully. "If you were, I could hug you."
The greed and desire he’d suppressed burst free like a caged demon, impossible to rein back in.
He wrapped his arms around Chao Musheng and pulled him close.
He wanted to hold him tightly—only then could he believe this wasn’t a dream. But when he finally embraced him, his touch was impossibly gentle. He feared hurting him, feared the rain on his clothes, feared his rejection.
Most of all, he feared being pushed away. "Chao Chao."
Chao Chao, Chao Chao… Chao Chao!
Chao Musheng rested his head on Su Chenzhu’s shoulder and exhaled softly. "I’m here."
Receiving a response, Su Chenzhu tightened his arms slightly, finally embracing the other completely, damp and all.
