Chapter 60

Chapter 60

"......"

Gu Yihong’s tone was regretful, yet his face betrayed a hint of schadenfreude.

Yu Li paused for only a moment, feigning deafness, and nonchalantly turned to look at Gu Yubai.

He frowned slightly. "So, does that mean if I want to find you, I’ll have to go to your school?"

Gu Yubai nodded, but retorted, "Not necessarily. Perhaps I’ll come to Yu Corporation to find you instead."

The two exchanged words as if oblivious to Gu Yihong’s earlier remark. Gu Yihong’s eyes widened instantly, and he huffily turned away.

They were clearly ignoring him on purpose!

The moment he turned, Gu Yubai silently smirked, and Yu Li’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Gu Yihong abruptly spun back, only to find them both eating and drinking tea with perfectly straight faces.

He narrowed his eyes slightly; something felt off.

Gu Yubai’s phone on the table suddenly rang. Gu Yihong’s sharp eyes clearly caught the name "Lin Xuyan" on the screen.

He instinctively glanced at Gu Yubai, only to see his older brother suddenly stand up, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face. Before Gu Yihong could even ask, Gu Yubai was already heading into his bedroom with the phone.

Gu Yubai: "I’ll take this call."

The deliberate way he avoided them sent a ripple of unease through Gu Yihong.

"Has my brother already gotten together with Lin Xuyan?"

"It’s only been a few days!" Gu Yihong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

While Gu Yubai was present, Gu Yihong had spoken somewhat reservedly. But now that Gu Yubai had left, he dropped the pretense.

He shot Yu Li a sour look. "Do you really like my brother? I feel like you’re making no progress. My brother’s about to be snatched away..."

Yu Li’s eyes flickered slightly. He gave Gu Yihong a subtle smile.

"I like your brother very much. But pursuing someone always takes a process, doesn’t it?"

Gu Yihong scoffed. "Process? By the time you’re done with your 'process,' my brother will already be taken."

"Do you know that Lin Xuyan? I’ve mentioned him before—he’s my brother’s age, handsome, excels in studies, and wins scholarships every year. He’s liked my brother since high school and is incredibly driven."

"Now that we’re moving into the dorms, not only will he have the advantage of proximity, but my brother seems to like him quite a bit too."

"If you don’t put in some effort, I’m worried that by the time I come back next week, those two will already be officially together. By then, even if you still have feelings, it’ll be completely hopeless."

This time, Yu Li truly couldn’t help but frown.

The thought that Gu Yihong’s words might come true filled him with intense discomfort.

Yu Li’s smile faded, and he stated flatly,

"That won’t be a possibility."

"How can you say that’s not possible? Didn’t you see how happy my brother looked when he answered that call just now?"

Gu Yihong scoffed. He was about to continue when footsteps approached, followed by Gu Yubai’s calm voice.

"Can’t you even eat without talking?"

Gu Yihong immediately fell silent.

He looked up at Gu Yubai, then at Yu Li’s displeased expression, and suddenly felt an inexplicable similarity between the two.

The angrier they were, the less their emotions showed.

As Gu Yubai returned, Yu Li’s lips tightened briefly before a faint smile reappeared on his face.

"I’m finished eating. I have matters at the company, so I’ll be leaving first."

With that, he stood up to depart.

Gu Yubai took a couple of steps toward him, seemingly intending to see him off.

Gu Yihong remained silent, but his gaze remained fixed on the two, sensing something was amiss.

Wasn’t Yu Li being a bit too familiar? The way he stood at the door chatting with Gu Yubai made it seem like he was in his own home—like a husband heading off to work while his wife gave him a send-off.

At that thought, Gu Yihong’s face instantly darkened.

Who said Yu Li wasn’t making progress? The man was utterly cunning!

Gu Yihong stood up, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Brother—"

Before he could finish, Gu Yubai had already turned and closed the door, and Yu Li had left the Gu residence.

Gu Yihong’s words were instantly choked back.

Gu Yubai acted as if he hadn’t noticed. "Finished breakfast? Then go pack your things. We’ll head straight to school afterward."

Gu Yihong: "Oh, okay."

Gu Yubai added, "I’ll go downstairs first to fill up the tank. Hurry up, and we’ll meet at the community gate."

Gu Yihong: "Ah... oh, okay."

Before he could say more, Gu Yubai had already grabbed his car keys, slung on his backpack, and left.

Gu Yihong stood there stunned for a long moment, feeling that his brother had left a bit too hastily. Was he really just going to refuel—or had he made plans with Yu Li?

Gu Yihong’s eyes darkened, and he sped up his movements.

In less than ten minutes, he had packed everything he needed. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly spotted an opened package on the entryway cabinet.

It seemed to be something mailed to Gu Yubai, left there to be taken along.

Gu Yihong grumbled about his brother’s carelessness, now even more suspicious that his brother’s rush to leave had nothing to do with refueling.

The moment his hand touched the package, it slipped and fell to the floor. Plastic bottles scattered everywhere, rolling across the entrance.

Gu Yihong chuckled as he knelt to pick them up. Then, with a soft *click*, one of the bottle caps flew open, and several colorless, odorless pills spilled out—they looked oddly familiar to Gu Yihong. When he checked the sender’s address, he froze—it was from a well-known mental health clinic in Ming City. Coincidentally, he had just been there last week.

Gu Yihong's body shook uncontrollably.

When he looked up again, his expression showed confusion and fear, his eyes wide with shock and suspicion.

------

Gu Yubai had just stepped out of the elevator when he was suddenly pulled aside.

Yu Li, who had said he was leaving earlier, abruptly pushed him against the wall, bracing his arms on either side of Gu Yubai's head, caging him in.

Yu Li's voice sounded slightly aggrieved: "When you went to make that call, you didn’t hear how outrageous your brother was. He actually said you’d be with that Lin Xuyan next week."

Being taller than Gu Yubai, his warm breath ghosted over Gu Yubai’s head as he spoke, carrying a faint hint of the soy milk he’d drunk earlier at Gu Yubai’s home.

Gu Yubai instinctively raised his head, his eyes meeting Yu Li, who sounded petulant but whose face wore a smile.

Some of his tension eased, and his eyes took on a teasing glint.

Gu Yubai: "With an excellent stock like President Yu around, how could I possibly look at anyone else?"

"Really?" Yu Li leaned in even closer, his mouth nearly touching Gu Yubai’s ear.

The air between them grew charged, the atmosphere increasingly heated.

Gu Yubai watched as Yu Li drew nearer, knowing exactly what this guy was up to.

His eyes darted, and the next second, he pushed Yu Li back.

Gu Yubai’s tone was crisp: "Believe it or not!"

Yu Li had hoped to use this moment to get closer to Gu Yubai, to at least create some romantic tension between them—something befitting a couple.

But Gu Yubai wasn’t having any of it.

Pushed away, Yu Li didn’t take offense.

He took two steps back, proudly showing off his freshly changed "work uniform."

A black dress shirt on top, suit pants below—nothing particularly novel.

Except compared to his usual white shirts, the black one made Yu Li look even more attractive and sensual.

Yu Li was pleased to notice Gu Yubai’s gaze lingering on his upper body, realizing he'd hit on something Gu Yubai liked.

He said, "Of course I believe you. Honesty is a businessman's best policy."

Gu Yubai smirked as he murmured, "I’m not a merchant."

Before Gu Yubai could finish, Yu Li stepped forward again, this time directly taking Gu Yubai’s hand.

Gu Yubai could only watch as Yu Li abruptly pulled his hand to his chest.

Through the expensive, cool fabric of the black shirt, the warm, delicate sensation of skin invaded Gu Yubai’s mind through his fingertips. He froze, momentarily forgetting to pull his hand back, only staring blankly at Yu Li.

Yu Li’s lips curved into a faint smile, subtly tinged with triumph.

He said, "I know you’re not a merchant, but I am."

His voice suddenly dropped lower.

"Promoting products to clients is what we merchants do best. How to sell a comb to a monk is also a problem we merchants rack our brains over to find solutions for."

"Yubai, you’re too innocent. You’ve never been in a relationship before, never even dated in high school, so you..."

Yu Li paused here. Gu Yubai looked up at him, catching a flicker of discomfort on his face. Just as he began to wonder, Yu Li suddenly spoke louder, his tone carrying a defensive edge.

"So... if I don’t recommend myself to you, how would you ever know what a good man is like?!"

Gu Yubai’s eyes widened in shock. He thought he'd misheard—how could he say something so preposterous?

"You—"

Before he could speak, Yu Li put a finger to Gu Yubai’s lips.

Yu Li sped up his words.

"Unless you touch me, how would you know I’m not just good-looking but also have a great body? If you don’t hold my hand, kiss me, or touch me, how would you know just how far you can accept me? How would you know how much my body desires you?"

"I’m a merchant. I have professional integrity. It’s my duty—and my right—to create demand for a client who’s never had a teenage romance, never nurtured love with anyone."

Gu Yubai’s ears instantly turned bright red. The thin skin of his ears was completely flushed, and even his usually calm and composed expression instantly turned crimson.

This... this... this....

Yu Li was truly shameless!

"Ahem, I—"

The next second, Gu Yubai’s eyes went wide.

Yu Li was no longer satisfied with the barrier of the black shirt. He lowered his head slightly, guiding Gu Yubai’s hand from his chest to his neck, where it brushed against the man’s distinctly sensual Adam’s apple. Tilting his head back, he allowed Gu Yubai’s hand to fully cover his throat.

Yu Li murmured softly, "So... what do you think of this non-sale item? The skin... dear customer, are you satisfied?"

No resistance.

The thought surfaced instinctively in Gu Yubai’s mind. He even wanted to go further—to slip his hand beneath Yu Li’s collar, to touch his warm skin without any barriers, to boldly demand that Yu Li strip off his clothes and show off those eight-pack abs just for him.

Gu Yubai: "......"

Was he really this shameless?

Coming back to his senses, Gu Yubai struggled twice.

Yu Li clicked his tongue, stepping back and leisurely buttoning up the two buttons he’d deliberately left undone earlier.

The heated, ambiguous atmosphere vanished in an instant.

Gu Yubai sidestepped away, turning his head slightly, too embarrassed to look at Yu Li.

Yu Li chuckled softly, giving him space and ceasing his teasing.

He said, "So... since you don’t actually reject me, Yubai... you’d better put me ahead of that Lin Xuyan. I’m definitely better than him!"

Finally, Gu Yubai understood what had gotten into Yu Li.

He was jealous.

Pretending to be indifferent in front of Gu Yihong, only to ambush him in the underground parking lot the moment he turned his back.

And then putting on this whole seduction act—how elaborate. Merchant and client, all while subtly hinting that Gu Yubai didn’t know how to date, so he’d personally stepped in to teach him what romance was.

Gu Yubai was a bit angry, but more torn between laughter and frustration, and even somewhat flustered. Even though his wildly pounding heart had calmed down, he still didn’t dare to look at Yu Li.

After a few seconds, he finally gritted his teeth and managed to utter a few words.

"You... I haven’t even acknowledged you as my boyfriend yet."

Yu Li waved his hand, knowing Gu Yubai was still shy. His tone was gentle but carried a hint of possessiveness.

Yu Li: "That doesn’t matter!"

Gu Yubai: "...No, it matters a lot. I’m not the kind of scum who toys with others’ feelings."

Yu Li snorted lightly: "I’m willing to be your guinea pig for your love life."

"Of course, if you’re satisfied with me, it’d be even better to officially promote this one-of-a-kind, limited-edition item—exclusively for customer Gu Yubai."

"I even offer... lifetime after-sales service."

In the underground parking lot, it seemed like only Gu Yubai and Yu Li were present.

After speaking, Yu Li locked eyes with Gu Yubai, wearing a playful, relaxed smile, though a trace of nervousness flickered in his eyes.

He was waiting for Gu Yubai to respond. To up the ante, he reached for Gu Yubai’s hand again. Seeing no resistance, he placed it over his own pounding heart.

Gu Yubai frowned slightly, a rare show of frustration crossing his face.

He was certain—Yu Li was cornering him.

This man couldn’t wait for any proper dating phase. He just wanted to seduce Gu Yubai into acknowledging him as his rightful, official boyfriend.

Gu Yubai opened his mouth to speak, and Yu Li visibly held his breath even more.

Just then, the elevator doors suddenly opened.

The next second, Gu Yihong’s shocked voice cut through, loud enough to echo through the empty underground parking lot.

"What are you two doing?!!!!"

Gu Yubai: "..."

He finally remembered his hand was still resting on Yu Li’s collar. Wordlessly, he snatched it away.