"Second Chao, you bought so much groceries today. Is Shengsheng coming home?"
"Yes, he said he’s bringing a friend over. I got some ingredients to make hotpot."
"The crown daisies in my field have been growing really well these past couple of days. Take some with you."
Second Chao had just gotten off the car at the village entrance, and before he even reached his doorstep, half the village already knew that Chao Musheng was bringing a friend home—though by the time the news spread, it had somehow morphed into Chao Musheng bringing his fiancé home.
It was the National Day holiday, and the village was bustling with tourists. The parking lot at the entrance was completely packed.
"We’re not parking here," Chao Musheng told the driver. "Drive straight into the village and stop right in front of my house."
"Understood, Mr. Chao." The driver glanced at the sea of cars outside and remarked, "Your hometown is really well-developed. It’s amazing how many tourists it attracts."
"I didn’t expect so many people either," Chao Musheng admitted, surprised. When he had visited in May, the village hadn’t been this crowded.
"Mr. Chao, someone’s blocking the road ahead," the driver said, spotting a middle-aged man standing in their path, and quickly brought the car to a stop.
Uncle Ming eyed the luxury car about to enter the village and stepped forward to explain, "Sir, my apologies, but there’s no parking inside the village—"
"Uncle Ming, it’s me." Chao Musheng leaned out the window. "You look even more energetic than the last time I saw you."
"Oh, Shengsheng!" Uncle Ming’s polite smile instantly warmed. He admired the car, running a hand over its roof. "This is a beautiful car. Did you just buy it?"
"I couldn’t afford this. It belongs to my partner," Chao Musheng said with a laugh. "Uncle, come over for dinner tonight."
"I’ll have to pass this time. Your aunt and I already have plans," Uncle Ming replied, quickly withdrawing his hand upon hearing it was Chao Musheng’s partner’s car—better not risk damaging it.
He peeked inside the car, catching only a vague silhouette sitting beside Shengsheng. No telling what the person looked like.
"Go on ahead. Don’t keep your grandparents waiting," Uncle Ming said, stepping aside to let the car pass.
"Uncle Ming, I’ll head back first. We’ll catch up later," Chao Musheng said, ducking back inside. He turned to Su Chenzhu, who sat stiffly with tension, and reassured him, "Don’t be nervous. Grandma and Grandpa are very easygoing."
Su Chenzhu kept his face expressionless, turning to look out the window. "I’m not nervous."
Chao Musheng rested his hand over Su Chenzhu’s. "We’re almost there."
The gate to the house was wide open, and Chao Musheng directed the driver to pull into the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, Grandma and Grandpa came out to greet them.
"Grandma! Grandpa!" Chao Musheng jumped out of the car and ran to them, taking their hands and swinging them lightly. "I’m back."
"Good, good, you’re back," Grandma said, her gaze shifting behind him. "Your mother mentioned on the phone that you’d be bringing Xiao Su with you. Where is he? And where’s your partner?"
Su Chenzhu stepped out of the car and stood beside Chao Musheng. "Grandma, Grandpa, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for the sudden visit."
Grandma recognized Su Chenzhu immediately and eagerly pulled him toward the house. "The more, the merrier! No need to apologize. Come inside and rest—you must be tired from the trip."
"Not at all," Su Chenzhu said, bending slightly to make it easier for Grandma to talk to him. "Chao Chao and I took a private jet to the airport."
"Oh, private jets—I know about those! The rich leads in dramas always ride in them," Grandma said, having recently become obsessed with wealthy-family TV shows. "Our Xiao Su must be even more impressive than those drama protagonists."
Grandpa, unable to get a word in, busied himself arranging the fruits and snacks he’d prepared earlier on the table for the two young men.
Spotting a pomelo on the table, Su Chenzhu peeled off the thick rind, carefully separated the segments, and handed the fruit to Chao Musheng.
Grandma found this odd. Shengsheng was usually such a polite boy—why was he letting a guest serve him?
"Delicious. Give me another piece," Chao Musheng said, feeding the remaining half of a segment to Su Chenzhu. "Grandpa has a great eye for fruit. Isn’t it sweet?"
"Very sweet," Su Chenzhu replied before continuing to peel the pomelo for Chao Musheng.
"Shengsheng, didn’t you say you were bringing your partner home?" Grandma asked. "Where are they?"
Su Chenzhu’s hands stilled. He glanced up at Grandma and Grandpa, not daring to speak.
"I did bring them," Chao Musheng said, draping an arm over Su Chenzhu’s shoulder. "Grandma, Grandpa—Su Chenzhu is my partner."
"Ah?" The elderly couple froze for a moment before Grandma recovered first. "Oh! Well… that’s wonderful."
The two exchanged a look, momentarily at a loss.
Su Chenzhu, misinterpreting their reaction as disapproval, stood up. "Grandma, Grandpa, I brought some gifts for you. Let me get them from the car."
"I’ll go with—"
"Shengsheng, I made the broth for the hotpot. Come taste it and tell me if it needs more seasoning," Grandma said, pulling Chao Musheng into the kitchen. She lowered her voice. "You little rascal, why didn’t you tell us your partner was Xiao Su?"
Chao Musheng wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Mom said she’d talk to you about it. Was there some miscommunication? Su Chenzhu is a great person—once you spend more time with him, you’ll adore him."
Before leaving that morning, he’d specifically messaged the family group chat to say he and Su Chenzhu were on their way. Grandma had replied, so he’d assumed she already knew.
"Your mother only said you were bringing Xiao Su back…" Grandma suddenly understood. No wonder her daughter had spent so much time praising Xiao Su in their last call—this was what she’d meant.
"Of course I know Xiao Su is wonderful, but the gifts your grandpa and I prepared were for a girl," Grandma fretted. "Will Xiao Su think we don’t like him? That we’re making things difficult for him on purpose?"
"He won’t," Chao Musheng said, gently shaking her shoulders. "He knows how much you and Grandpa adore me. Even if just for my sake, he wouldn’t assume the worst."
Grandma chuckled. "Xiao Su is new here and doesn’t know anyone yet. Go keep him company. Don’t worry—we won’t let him feel unwelcome."
When Chao Musheng returned to the living room, the table was already covered in gift boxes. Grandpa, never much of a talker, sat awkwardly beside them, looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how.
Relieved to see Chao Musheng, Grandpa said, "Shengsheng, please tell Xiao Su to stop. He’s brought too many gifts."
"We picked these out together. They’re his way of showing respect—just accept them," Chao Musheng said, turning just as Su Chenzhu walked in with another armful of exquisitely wrapped boxes. He took them and added them to the pile. "Grandma, Grandpa, take your time opening these. I’ll take him for a walk around the village."
"Yes, show Xiao Su around. Just be back before dinner," Grandma said. There were still three hours until sunset—enough time for them to prepare a proper welcome gift.
Less than five minutes after Chao Musheng and Su Chenzhu left, Grandma and Grandpa quietly slipped out of the house as well.
"Where are Grandma and Grandpa going?" Su Chenzhu watched the elderly couple's retreating figures. "Should I drive them?"
Chao Musheng shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Su Chenzhu lowered his gaze and retracted the foot he had stepped forward.
"Let me tell you—Grandma and Grandpa thought you and my partner were two different people. The welcome gift they prepared for you was in a feminine style." Chao Musheng leaned on Su Chenzhu's shoulder, laughing quietly. "Right now, they’re definitely sneaking into the city to buy a new one."
Su Chenzhu fell silent for a moment. "I don’t mind."
As long as Grandma and Grandpa didn’t dislike him, that was enough.
"I know you don’t, but they don’t want to shortchange you." Chao Musheng took Su Chenzhu’s hand. "It’s easy to get to the city from here—just a twenty-minute ride on the rural bus. Let’s stroll around outside a bit longer so they don’t feel awkward."
Chao Musheng led Su Chenzhu through their family’s vegetable garden and orchard. As they passed the village committee office, Sister Ling, the women’s director, called out to them.
"Musheng." Busy with tourist preparations, Sister Ling barely had a moment to rest. Spotting Chao Musheng’s leisurely pace, she quickly stopped him. "Tourism has been thriving these past six months, so the village prepared Mid-Autumn gift boxes for every household. Take yours home."
After speaking, she gave Su Chenzhu a slight nod before hurrying off.
"That’s Sister Ling, our village’s women’s director." Chao Musheng led Su Chenzhu into the committee office, where a crowd of elderly villagers were already queuing for their gift boxes.
"Musheng’s back?" The elders immediately surrounded him.
"Musheng, could you take a look at my phone? The sound’s been fuzzy lately."
"And mine—no sound when I watch shows."
"Young man, are you Musheng’s friend?" An elderly woman moved slower than the others. By the time she approached, Chao Musheng was already swarmed.
"I am." As soon as Su Chenzhu answered, she thrust her phone toward him. "Since you’re Musheng’s friend, you must be just as capable. Can you fix this for me?"
"Of course." Su Chenzhu took the phone and adjusted the settings in a few taps. The old woman was delighted, showering him with praise.
No matter how impressive a businessman he was, in the village, his worth was measured by his ability to fix phones.
Seeing this, the other elders handed over their devices as well.
"Young man, do you have a partner?"
Su Chenzhu nodded. "Yes."
"Is Musheng your classmate?"
Su Chenzhu paused. "No. He’s the most important person in my life."
"Then you must be very close." The villagers didn’t dwell on what "most important" meant—once they confirmed his bond with Chao Musheng, they chattered away freely.
It was Su Chenzhu’s first time in such a setting, and he fumbled a little in responding.
But the elders didn’t mind. Laughing and chatting, they shared plenty of amusing childhood stories about Chao Musheng.
"Musheng, they said you brought your girlfriend home. Where is she?"
"I don’t have a girlfriend." Chao Musheng deftly adjusted another phone’s settings. "This time, I only brought him to meet Grandma and Grandpa."
He glanced at Su Chenzhu, who was flustered by the villagers’ teasing, and stepped closer to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. "I’ll help everyone with their phones today. Tomorrow, I’ll fix your TVs."
"Bring your friend along?"
"Of course." As he spoke, Chao Musheng finished adjusting another phone. "We’re inseparable."
Su Chenzhu’s lips curved into a smile.
After bidding farewell to the elders, Chao Musheng collected the Mid-Autumn gift box and headed home.
"I grew up under their watch. Most of their phones don’t actually have issues—they just want an excuse to gather and chat." He glanced back at the committee office. "They’re getting older, and many of their children work far away. So when they see someone like me, they love to tease a little."
"They’re all very kind." Su Chenzhu took the gift box from Chao Musheng. It was heavy, likely packed with goodies.
The next day, Su Chenzhu followed Chao Musheng to several households, helping the elderly adjust their TVs. By the time they returned, his arms were full of fresh produce.
On the third evening, they attended an open-air movie screening at the village committee. The village head was too frugal to pay for a streaming membership, so the picture quality was far from HD.
On the fourth day, Chao Musheng took Su Chenzhu into the city. They explored the streets, took countless photos, and sampled endless delicacies. By the time they returned, Chao Musheng’s parents had already arrived at the village entrance.
The villagers were puzzled—where was Chao Musheng’s spouse? Why was he always coming and going with his good friend?
That night, Grandma and Grandpa brought out mooncakes, and the family gathered in the courtyard. Chao Musheng picked two egg-yolk-flavored ones and handed one to Su Chenzhu. "Look, the moon’s so bright."
"Of course—it’s Mid-Autumn Festival." Grandma beamed. "Having our whole family together like this makes me so happy."
She pulled a red velvet box from her pocket and placed it before Su Chenzhu. "Chenzhu, your Grandpa and I didn’t know what young people like these days. This is our welcome gift for you. Don’t refuse it, and don’t think poorly of it."
Su Chenzhu accepted the box with both hands. Inside was a golden ingot engraved with the character for "fortune," gleaming under the moonlight.
The ingot had a satisfying weight. Su Chenzhu traced the character with his fingers. "Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa. I love it."
"No need for formalities among family." Grandpa grinned, pleased by Su Chenzhu’s reaction. "You and Shengsheng are both my grandsons. You’ve got three or four days left of your vacation—tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll cook it for you."
Family.
Su Chenzhu lifted his head, taking in every smiling face before his gaze settled on Chao Musheng beside him. "Whatever Shengsheng likes, I like too."
They talked late into the night. When Chao Musheng woke the next morning, Su Chenzhu had already gone to the vegetable garden with Grandma and Grandpa.
He ambled over to find them but ran into Sister Ling along the way.
"Musheng." After exchanging pleasantries, Sister Ling suddenly brought up Su Chenzhu. "That friend of yours—last time he visited, why didn’t you take better care of him?"
Chao Musheng was taken aback. "When?"
"Last winter, when it snowed. It was two or three days before New Year’s Eve. Back then, the village hadn’t started its tourism side business yet, so strangers stood out. I noticed him right away." Sister Ling sighed. "I didn’t know he was your friend. He was just standing by the fishpond, covered in snow. I asked who he was looking for."
"And then?"
"Then he left without a word, walking straight into the snow." Sister Ling shook her head. "Thinking back, I regret it. If I’d known he was your friend, I’d have at least lent him an umbrella."
"Sister Ling, it’s not your fault." Chao Musheng stood frozen, his heart aching faintly.
On the snowy day, he should have been at home, pampered by his grandparents, enjoying the carefully prepared meals they made for him, completely unaware that not far away, someone stood in the wind and rain, not daring to disturb or approach.
After parting ways with Sister Ling, Chao Musheng took out his phone and scrolled through his friend list in the messaging app, stopping at the contact named "Su."
Since he joined Kunlun, this "Su" had rarely appeared in his social media updates.
Opening the chat window, he saw it filled with holiday greetings from Su.
For nearly two years, Su had sent him blessings for every holiday.
Sometimes he replied, but other times, the chat only showed Su's lonely messages, left unanswered.
Yet even when he didn’t respond, Su’s greetings still arrived punctually with each new holiday, never missing a single one.
"Chaochao." Su Chenzhu walked over, bathed in the morning light, carrying a basket of freshly pulled white radishes.
"Su Chenzhu." Chao Musheng put away his phone. "This Spring Festival, let’s go back to our hometown together to celebrate the New Year."
"Okay." Su Chenzhu nodded, his eyes brimming with joy.
"From now on, every New Year’s Eve, we’ll spend it together." Chao Musheng took his hand.
"Chaochao, my hands are dirty..."
But warm, soft fingers intertwined with his, clasping tightly.
He looked at Chao Musheng, and Chao Musheng looked back at him.
Su Chenzhu, I’m sorry I came so late.
"Chaochao." Unable to suppress the flutter in his heart, Su Chenzhu leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Chao Musheng’s lips. So dreams really could come true—how wonderful.
"Chaochao, what should I prepare for New Year’s Eve?"
"Prepare to help Grandma and Grandpa peel garlic with me."
"What gifts do you think we should get for the elders?"
"We’ll pick them out together when the time comes."
"Okay, together."
[Don’t forget to check the extra content below—it’s a bonus side story!!]
I Like You Best
On a sunny afternoon, Chao Musheng lounged on the sofa, lazily watching a drama with a cat curled up in his arms.
Mottan, the cat, lay obediently against him, much to the envy of the other staff in the villa. This feline lord was only ever this docile around Mr. Chao—otherwise, he carried himself with the aloofness of a king.
"Sir, the car is ready," the butler announced as he entered. "Should we prepare dinner for you tonight?"
"No need. After the dance performance, Chenzhu and I have other plans." Chao Musheng gave Mottan a few affectionate pats before setting him down. "Meow." The cat let out a sweet, clingy sound, earning a few more strokes before Chao Musheng left.
But the moment Chao Musheng was gone, Mottan’s syrupy tone vanished. With a dignified "meow," he retreated into his cat bed.
The dance theater was alive with dazzling lights, a breathtaking stage, and skilled performers.
The interplay of light and movement drew gasps of admiration from the audience—no wonder the production was backed by Kunlun’s technical expertise. The effects were so stunning that people wished they could watch it all over again.
As the performance ended, thunderous applause filled the venue. Shen Ran stood onstage with the dancers, bowing in gratitude, his eyes glistening with emotion. When his gaze swept over the audience and landed on Chao Musheng, his smile brightened even more.
Thank you for letting me stand under the spotlight to fulfill my dream, instead of drowning in the darkness.
"Brother Shen, congratulations." Chao Musheng went backstage and handed Shen Ran a carefully prepared gift. "The performance was amazing. When’s the next show? I’ll bring my boyfriend along."
"Thank you, Brother Chao." Shen Ran accepted the gift, holding it close. "I’ll save two tickets for you next time."
Chao Musheng’s phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered with a gentle tone, murmuring a few words.
Though Shen Ran politely turned away, he still caught phrases like "finished" and "pick me up."
Backstage buzzed with activity, but everyone knew Chao Musheng’s status, so no one dared approach.
Before long, a man in a black overcoat walked in, a scarf draped over his arm, his noble bearing making others hesitate to step forward.
"Why did you come backstage?" Chao Musheng smiled apologetically at Shen Ran before walking over to Su Chenzhu.
"It’s cold outside, and the butler said you didn’t bring a scarf." Su Chenzhu gave Shen Ran a slight nod.
"General Manager Su, hello." Shen Ran stood stiffly, equal parts respect and wariness in his voice. The same went for everyone else—the entire backstage had gone quiet.
Noticing their discomfort, Chao Musheng said to Shen Ran, "We’ll head out now. Congratulations again—your performance was stunning."
"Thank you." Shen Ran escorted them to the backstage exit, watching as Su Chenzhu carefully wrapped the scarf around Chao Musheng’s neck, leaving only his beautiful eyes visible.
"Brother Shen, see you later." Standing in the night, Chao Musheng waved.
"See you." Shen Ran lingered for a moment, watching the two walk away hand in hand, before turning back to his dressing room.
"Brother Shen," his assistant gushed, "you actually know Mr. Chao and General Manager Su! But why do you call each other ‘brother’?"
"I call him ‘brother’ because of the respect I hold for him. He calls me ‘brother’ out of courtesy." Shen Ran carefully tucked the gift from Chao Musheng into his bag.
Under the high-hanging moon, he marveled at his fortune—to be illuminated by such brilliance.
"Your hands are so warm." Chao Musheng intertwined his fingers with Su Chenzhu’s, tucking both their hands into the pocket of Su Chenzhu’s coat. "I remember when we first met, I accidentally brushed against your fingers, and they were freezing."
"Mm. My hands are warm in winter and cool in summer." Su Chenzhu smiled like spring sunshine in the cold wind, enveloping Chao Musheng’s soft hand in his palm.
"Then I’m really lucky to have such a perfect human thermostat." Chao Musheng laughed, lowering his head.
As they walked out of the theater, a dirty little dog limped out from around the corner. It wore no collar, its frail body shivering in the cold, ribs visible beneath its matted fur.
A security guard tried to shoo it away, but the dog didn’t bark—just cowered, letting out tiny whimpers as it retreated.
The guard, pitying the creature, hesitated to force it away but also worried about complaints from theatergoers. He glanced nervously at Chao Musheng and Su Chenzhu.
"It’s fine, we’ll handle it." Chao Musheng smiled before turning to Su Chenzhu. "Go get a coat from the car."
Su Chenzhu eyed the dog silently before returning with his own black coat.
Chao Musheng wrapped the trembling animal in the coat and cradled it gently. "Let’s go."
Su Chenzhu stayed quiet the whole way. Once in the car, he noticed Chao Musheng had set the dog on the seat instead of holding it.
"Chaochao, do you want to keep it?"
"Grandma mentioned recently that she’d like a dog. I’ll arrange for someone to take it to her place." Chao Musheng chuckled, meeting Su Chenzhu’s gaze. "Su Chenzhu, I won’t raise any other dogs."
Su Chenzhu suddenly found the scruffy little creature much more tolerable.
"Did you suffer after you left?" Chao Musheng had already guessed some truths when the virus sphere disguised as General Manager Chen brought a dog identical to the one from back then and started telling stories.
Su Chenzhu remained silent. Chao Musheng didn’t ask why he had left—only whether he had been alright.
"Why aren’t you saying anything?" Chao Musheng poked him with a finger.
"I wasn’t really like that." Su Chenzhu still remembered Chao Musheng’s words back in Chen Garden: "so ugly." He added, "I didn’t suffer. I had no choice but to leave."
Chao Musheng was so good. He didn’t want the evil god to enter a world where Chao Musheng existed.
But after that, he never dared to disturb Chao Musheng’s life again.
"Then what do you really look like?"
"I can take any form." Su Chenzhu asked earnestly, "Chao Musheng, do you like small animals the most?"
Gods are formless. Humans may perceive them as whatever they fear or revere.
But Chao Musheng was different. He could become whatever Chao Musheng loved most.
"There are many animals I like."
He could change his form every day.
"But—" Chao Musheng drew out the word, smiling at him.
The little dog bundled in clothes tilted its head up, watching as the two humans leaned closer and closer.
"Whatever form you take, I’ll love it."
"Woof~"
These two humans—their heads were touching now!
"Because what I love most is you."
