The Road Home

When Su Nanxing woke, his throat felt dry and raw—like it had been scoured with sandpaper.

He opened his mouth to speak, and the sound came out hoarse and painful.

Every breath was thick with congestion.

On his forehead lingered a faint coolness.

Gu Yanzhou sat beside the bed, his fingertips just withdrawn from Su Nanxing’s brow.

His face was etched with worry, brows tightly knit.

“Awake?”

Su Nanxing blinked.

His mind was still foggy, his nose uncomfortably blocked.

Each shallow breath carried a heavy, congested sound.

His entire body felt limp and weak—even lifting a hand was an effort.

Gu Yanzhou helped him lean against the headboard, his voice full of affectionate reproach. “See what your recklessness gets you!”

The night before, Su Nanxing had been insistent, tangling with him in the bathroom until the early hours.

They had fallen asleep too exhausted to even dry their hair.

This cold was the inevitable result.

Su Nanxing’s voice was raspy, weak and fragmented. “It’s your fault for ignoring me so long…”

His cold was severe: his head throbbed, his nose was completely blocked, and his words came out in broken, nasal fragments.

Every syllable sounded soft and pitiful.

“Don’t talk anymore,” Gu Yanzhou said softly, his voice low. “Your throat is wrecked. I’ll get you some warm water and medicine.”

Su Nanxing nodded obediently, burrowing into the covers.

The tip of his nose was red, and he sneezed twice in quick succession.

Every bit of his misery was written plainly on his face.

Gu Yanzhou stayed with him through breakfast and his medicine.

Then he stepped out to take a phone call.

When he returned to the bedroom, he pressed a hand to Su Nanxing’s forehead. “Still a bit feverish. Rest today. I’ll come back early tonight to keep you company.”

Su Nanxing nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait.”

Gu Yanzhou went downstairs.

As he was about to leave, he glanced at the garage and asked A-Kai, “How did Nanxing get here yesterday?”

A-Kai opened the car door. “President Su likely took a taxi.”

Gu Yanzhou paused mid-step, looked up at the master bedroom on the second floor, then got into the car.

“A-Kai, cancel all my afternoon appointments.”

A-Kai was taken aback. “All of them? Even the meeting with the old man?”

Gu Yanzhou pressed his temple. “Yes, cancel everything. And about yesterday—is it handled?”

“No one else will know. You can rest assured.”

“Then forget about the old man for now.”

“Understood.”

“Have my house in the western suburbs prepared. From now on, don’t bring just anyone to Yanshan Residence.”

“Yes, sir.”

Su Nanxing lay in bed, listening to the car drive away.

He murmured to himself, “It’s okay. Being good is fine too.”

He drifted in and out of sleep until noon, when Uncle Xu came up to call him for lunch.

Su Nanxing squinted at the tray of food.

He had no appetite. “Uncle Xu, I don’t want to eat. Please take it away.”

Uncle Xu looked at him with concern. “Young Master Su, is there anything else that’s wrong? Should I call the doctor again?”

Su Nanxing had slept through the morning and felt much better.

His throat didn’t hurt as much, but he still had no appetite.

“No need. I’m still very sleepy. I want to rest more.”

Uncle Xu had no choice but to leave with the tray.

“Young Master, why are you back? Have you eaten?”

Uncle Xu had just descended the stairs when he saw Gu Yanzhou changing his shoes at the entrance.

Gu Yanzhou glanced at the tray in his hands. “Nanxing didn’t eat anything?”

Uncle Xu sighed. “Young Master Su said he wanted to sleep more.”

“Mm. Prepare lunch. I’ll bring him down to eat with me.”

Uncle Xu acknowledged and went to prepare lunch.

Su Nanxing heard the living room door handle turn.

Thinking it was Uncle Xu coming to press him about food again—and not wanting to face that worried expression—he turned off his phone, placed it beside his pillow, and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.

But as the footsteps drew near, he caught the familiar scent of cold sandalwood.

His eyes flew open, and he met Gu Yanzhou’s knowing gaze.

“You… why are you back?”

Su Nanxing’s eyes fluttered.

There was no trace of sleepiness in them.

Gu Yanzhou sat on the edge of the bed and felt his forehead. “Came back for lunch. Uncle Xu said you hadn’t eaten.”

Su Nanxing nodded. “I don’t want to.”

“Oh? Then get up and eat with me?”

Su Nanxing sat up immediately, got out of bed, and put on his shoes. “Let’s go.”

Gu Yanzhou draped a blanket over him and took his hand, leading him downstairs.

Gu Yanzhou had already eaten lunch before coming home—a business meal.

At the table, he barely ate himself, simply watching Su Nanxing eat.

Uncle Xu glanced at them and shook his head.

Young Master Su’s appetite seemed good; the cold appeared mostly gone.

After lunch, they sat on the second-floor terrace overlooking the villa complex.

Gu Yanzhou gazed at the road in front of Yanshan Residence, stretching all the way down the mountain, its end invisible.

He realized he had never noticed how long that distance was—from the outermost wall of the estate to the main gate.

He turned his head.

Su Nanxing, leaning on his shoulder, had fallen asleep.

Su Nanxing didn’t wake until after four in the afternoon.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Gu Yanzhou on the sofa, typing on his laptop.

Su Nanxing stared blankly at Gu Yanzhou on the sofa—his sharp shoulders, cold eyes and brows.

He looked every bit the mature, distinguished man he was, yet for a moment, his figure blurred and overlapped with a hazy, thin silhouette from Su Nanxing’s memory.

“Awake?”

Su Nanxing’s reverie was broken by a gentle voice.

Su Nanxing stared dazedly at the man by the bed.

After a long pause, he asked, “Don’t you have work this afternoon?”

Gu Yanzhou gestured with his chin toward the laptop on the sofa. “Same work, from home.”

Su Nanxing sat up and stretched, all traces of fatigue gone.

He blinked and asked, “You didn’t come back just for me, did you?”

Gu Yanzhou didn’t confirm or deny.

He scooped Su Nanxing out of the covers. “Come, I want to show you something.”

Su Nanxing followed Gu Yanzhou down to the garage.

A brand-new black G-Class stood before them—a car that hadn’t been in Gu Yanzhou’s collection.

Gu Yanzhou tossed him the keys and opened the driver’s door in an inviting gesture. “Want to take it for a spin?”

Without waiting for a reply, he got into the passenger seat.

While Su Nanxing was still processing, Gu Yanzhou tapped the door. “Get in.”

As Su Nanxing drove down to the main road at the foot of the mountain, Gu Yanzhou received a call from Uncle Xu asking when they’d be back for dinner.

Gu Yanzhou checked his watch. “We’ll be home in half an hour.”

Su Nanxing glanced at him. “Should we head back?”

Gu Yanzhou nodded. “Mm. Going home.”

Su Nanxing made a U-turn and drove back up the mountain.

He was a little bewildered.

He couldn’t figure out what Gu Yanzhou was up to with this round trip—just a joyride?

As the car entered the outer wall of Yanshan Residence, the gate recognition system identified the vehicle and the electric sliding doors opened automatically.

Su Nanxing parked in the garage, turned off the engine, got out, and held the keys out to Gu Yanzhou.

Instead of taking them, Gu Yanzhou took his hand and led him toward the house. “This car is yours now. From now on, whenever you want to come home, you can.”

Su Nanxing’s fingertips trembled slightly.

He turned back to look at the car sitting quietly in the garage, and suddenly understood—Gu Yanzhou hadn’t taken him for a joyride.

He had guided him along the road home to Yanshan Residence.

And he had said ‘going home.’

The road home.