I'm Rich - 60
Every time Guan Zhiyi finished filming, she would turn into a total dormouse, her sleep stretching out to impossible lengths. She had gone to bed so early the night before, and yet she had still slept all the way until ten o'clock the next morning.
Qi Chengyan had always been an early riser, but when he woke up to find someone burrowing into his arms today, his desire to get out of bed was ruthlessly snuffed out.
So he just held her for a bit, and before he knew it, he had drifted back to sleep.
The next time he woke up, it was because he took a kick to the thigh. It wasn't very heavy, but Qi Chengyan was a light sleeper, and his eyes snapped open instantly.
By this point, the person who had been sleeping in his arms had drifted far away. She was lying almost completely sideways, her head near the edge of the bed and her feet resting right on him.
She stretched lazily, as if she was finally waking up. Qi Chengyan curved his lips, reached out, and caught her by the ankle.
The very first thing Guan Zhiyi did upon waking was reach blindly toward the bedside table for her phone. She groped around for a while, but her fingers found nothing. When she opened her eyes to check, she finally remembered she hadn't slept in her own room last night.
Yesterday, she had slept right alongside Qi Chengyan. But she had been so exhausted that she barely managed to exchange a couple of words with him after returning to the room before passing out entirely...
"You're awake," a voice suddenly came from beside her.
Guan Zhiyi turned her head to look. Huh? No one was there?
"Over here." Someone gave her leg a gentle tug, amusement threading through the words. "Scoot yourself back over."
Guan Zhiyi followed the sound, only to discover that her sleeping posture had been utterly uninhibited. She paused for a second, pulled the duvet up to cover half her face, and muttered, "I usually sleep alone..."
So she was used to it. She would take over an entire bed by herself, sleeping in every which way possible.
Qi Chengyan let out a soft laugh. "I know. Come here."
Guan Zhiyi inched over slowly, settled back onto her own pillow, and peeked at him from over the top of the blanket with just her eyes visible. "Don't you have to go to the company today?"
"I was supposed to."
"And then?"
"And then I figured you were home alone and I wouldn't worry, so I decided not to go."
"You can just do that?" Guan Zhiyi said. "You don't need to mind me. I'm totally fine at home by myself. You, you just need to come back in the evening."
That remark sounded remarkably like a devoted little housewife.
If Qi Chengyan had still possessed even a shred of inclination toward going to work a moment ago, it had now vanished into thin air. His heart turned to mush, and all he wanted to do was scoop her back into his arms.
Which he promptly did the very next second, pulling her close with his chin resting against the crown of her hair. "Hungry?"
Guan Zhiyi pressed against his chest, finding the whole sensation utterly magical. To think they could actually wake up in the same bed... It felt almost like being a married couple.
She smiled secretly to herself, clutching the fabric at his chest and refusing to let go. "A little bit."
"Then shall we get up and go down for breakfast?"
"But I told Auntie yesterday she didn't need to come today, either."
Qi Chengyan said, "I'll make it."
"Huh?" Guan Zhiyi lifted her head in surprise. "You were actually serious about what you said yesterday?"
"Don't trust me?"
Guan Zhiyi considered this. "It's not that... but I guess I'll just have to see for myself, won't I?"
Right as she finished speaking, her gaze locked onto his chin. She stared at it for a moment, then leaned forward to brush her forehead against it.
Qi Chengyan had no idea what she was up to, only watching as the little girl rubbed her own forehead afterward and said with a silly grin, "You've got a tiny bit of stubble. It's a little prickly."
"Prickly?"
"Yeah. Do you want me to help you shave later?"
Instant enthusiasm.
Watching her bubbling excitement, Qi Chengyan smiled and asked, "Do you even know how?"
"Never tried." Guan Zhiyi said, full of lively spirit, "but I've watched my brother do it. How hard can it be? You just slather on a layer of white foam and scrape it right off."
"Why does that sound so utterly unreliable?"
"Says who?" Guan Zhiyi reached out to stroke his chin. "I'm bound to be amazing at it~"
After getting up, the two of them headed to the bathroom to wash up. Once they finished, Qi Chengyan actually handed her the razor, letting a complete novice run wild across his face.
"Crouch down a bit. It's hard for me to reach like this."
Seeing how hard she was straining her neck, Qi Chengyan simply picked her up and sat her right on the vanity counter. Then he braced both hands on either side of her and leaned his upper body in.
"Is this better?"
Guan Zhiyi steadied herself by grabbing his head. "Yes!"
Qi Chengyan laughed indulgently. "Alright, go ahead and play."
Guan Zhiyi didn't say it aloud, but her urge to help him shave mostly came from watching too many movies. Whenever she saw that scene in the past, she always thought the couple looked so sweet, which was why she wanted to try it herself.
"Hiss..."
Guan Zhiyi froze instantly, her voice tight with panic. "Did I hurt you? Did I cut you?!"
The corners of Qi Chengyan's lips lifted slightly. "No. Just teasing you."
Guan Zhiyi glared at him. "Be quiet."
After that, she proceeded with the utmost caution, terrified she might actually nick him.
She was entirely focused, every muscle in her body tense, but Qi Chengyan looked entirely at ease. Yet, gazing down at the girl he loved from this close, a restless itch inevitably stirred in his chest.
"Are you done yet?"
Guan Zhiyi replied, "Not yet."
After a moment.
Qi Chengyan asked, "Almost?"
Guan Zhiyi shook her head. "Hold on."
Another moment passed.
Qi Chengyan asked, "How about now?"
Guan Zhiyi glanced up at him. "Soon... Hey, why are you in such a rush?"
Tilting his chin slightly upward, Qi Chengyan replied flatly, "I want to kiss you."
Guan Zhiyi's hand paused. She fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "...Gege, don't tempt me right now."
"Hmm?"
Guan Zhiyi forced her gaze away from his lips and said earnestly, "We can kiss after I finish shaving."
"Can't I even talk about it first?"
"Nope."
"Fine, then hurry up."
Guan Zhiyi nodded, held her breath, and finally swept off the last few patches with clean, decisive strokes.
"All done, you can wash up now." Guan Zhiyi let out a breath of relief.
Qi Chengyan said, "Right."
After rinsing and drying his face, Qi Chengyan stepped right back in front of her.
Guan Zhiyi reached out to stroke his chin. "As expected of me. Brilliant."
Instead of answering, Qi Chengyan lowered his head straight toward her lips. "Can I kiss you now?"
Guan Zhiyi blinked, startled. "...Then let me down first."
"No need. Right here."
With that, he bent down and covered her mouth in a kiss.
It tasted faintly of mint... That was the hazy thought that drifted through her mind as their lips and teeth intertwined.
Besides, she always felt that when he kissed her, it was different from usual. Ordinarily, he was endlessly gentle and indulgent, but whenever they kissed, his inherent strength and dominance surfaced with unmistakable clarity.
Right now, she was being kissed until she kept leaning further and further backward. With him pressing down so thoroughly, her arms were starting to ache from propping herself up.
"Wait a second..."
Qi Chengyan had no intention of stopping now. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisted her upright, and pulled her flush against his chest. "Is this more comfortable?"
Guan Zhiyi clutched tightly at his waist. Given the question combined with their current posture, her face flushed crimson. "Will you let me down first..."
Almost intoxicated by the sight of her looking so adorably pathetic, Qi Chengyan coaxed, "In a minute."
"...Aren't we going to make lunch then? I'm hungry."
Coming back to his senses, Qi Chengyan finally remembered he still hadn't fed this little foodie. "Right, right away..."
Even as he said it, he couldn't resist lingering for several more relenting kisses.
Guan Zhiyi had no idea what other people's early days of dating were like, but ever since they made things official, she felt as though she were constantly submerged in a pool of honey.
Clinging, sweet, and overflowing with happiness.
Actually, she had always loved sticking close to him before, but compared to now, she realized her previous clinging was totally meaningless—just standing near him could never compare to the joy of actually holding him and kissing him.
Eventually, the two of them managed to drag themselves out of the bathroom.
When Qi Chengyan headed into the kitchen, Guan Zhiyi followed right behind him. She stood on the sidelines, occasionally pitching in to help prep and wash the vegetables.
Qi Chengyan turned out to be far more capable than she had imagined. She had never seen him cook before, yet everything he whipped up looked genuinely professional.
"I saw a few cars drive past just now, looks like they were heading next door," Guan Zhiyi mentioned over lunch.
Qi Chengyan nodded. "Your brother's place finished renovations quite a while ago. They must be moving in some of the smaller, miscellaneous furniture in batches recently."
"...He's not over there, is he?"
"Haven't seen him come around once since the renovations started."
Guan Zhiyi let out a sigh of relief. "True, he hates dealing with trivial matters like that. He'd never show up until the place is actually habitable. But is he planning to move out on his own?"
"Maybe."
"Could it be that he's got a girlfriend?" Guan Zhiyi's eyes lit up. "It has to be. Bringing a girlfriend home is too inconvenient, so staying outside means he can do whatever he wants."
No sooner had those words left her mouth than she noticed Qi Chengyan looking at her with a deeply meaningful gaze.
Guan Zhiyi stammered, "...I wasn't implying anything about you."
"Oh?"
"Really..."
As the two of them chatted idly over their meal, right next door, the moving crew bustled back and forth until every single item was finally arranged in its proper place.
"Where are the display pieces I wanted placed against that wall?" A man stood in the middle of the living room and asked.
The staff member nearby hurried over. "President Guan, those items are fragile and quite valuable, so we didn't bring them in with this batch. But don't worry, they'll all be delivered before seven o'clock tonight."
"Mhm."
Nearly all the furnishings and equipment in the house were set up now, and all the daily necessities were fully stocked, making it completely ready for immediate move-in.
Guan Yuanbai took a slow circle around the place. "Not bad."
The few staff members hovered anxiously nearby. They had handled every single aspect of this house from start to finish, and though the owner had never once shown his face over all this time, his sudden appearance today naturally made them nervous, terrified that something might fall short of his standards.
Hearing Guan Yuanbai refrain from nitpicking, they all let out a collective breath of relief.
Guan Yuanbai instructed, "You guys can go over the details once more. I'm just going to look around."
"Ah, right away."
Guan Yuanbai had simply had some free time today and decided to check out this property, seeing as he would likely be living here once he moved out.
After finishing his tour of the house, it happened to be lunchtime, so Guan Yuanbai headed out next door.
The neighboring house belonged to Qi Chengyan. He had been here before and knew the passcode, so he dialed the phone while pressing the digital lock.
Meanwhile, completely oblivious, Qi Chengyan and Guan Zhiyi had just finished eating. One of them was in the kitchen washing strawberries while the other was in the living room searching for a movie the former had mentioned.
Vrrrt—
The phone on the coffee table buzzed.
Lowering his gaze to check the caller ID, Qi Chengyan answered, "Yuanbai."
"Are you home?"
"Yeah." Qi Chengyan glanced toward the kitchen direction and asked, "You free these past couple of days?"
"What is it?"
"I've got something I want to talk to you about."
"What kind of thing? Just tell me now, I'm here."
"......Hm?"
"I just came by to check how my place turned out."
Qi Chengyan paused slightly. "So you're at your house right now?"
"Not anymore."
"Then you're—"
Where?
The last three words died in Qi Chengyan's throat as he caught sight of someone walking in from the hallway. There was no need to ask anymore. Guan Yuanbai wasn't at his own place; he was right here in Qi Chengyan's house.
Seeing Qi Chengyan seated in the living room, Guan Yuanbai hung up the phone directly and walked straight toward him. "You..."
"The strawberries are all washed~" Before Guan Yuanbai could get another word out, a figure darted out from the kitchen, heading straight for Qi Chengyan on the couch. "They're so, so sweet."
Guan Zhiyi bit into one and instinctively held out the bitten-off stem toward Qi Chengyan's lips. "Try this."
Qi Chengyan gave a light cough, pulled her hand down, and looked toward the entryway. "Since you're here, perfect timing."
Perfect timing? Perfect for what?
Before Guan Yuanbai could puzzle that out, his eyes landed on the half-eaten strawberry in Guan Zhiyi's hand.
At that exact moment, his first thought was: When did this pest get back?
His second thought was: Why is she here instead of at home?
His third thought was: How could she possibly feed someone else food she's already bitten into? Has she lost all her manners?
A flurry of thoughts collided chaotically in his head, finally crystallizing into a single demand:
"Why are you here?"
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