Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome chapter 14
Business Trip
In a few days, it was time for Xie Huaizhou to go on a business trip. Gu Jinyi took leave from the studio and packed his bags.
Not only did the teachers at the studio hate to see him leave, even the maids at the Xie Huaizhou family’s house looked at him eagerly, asking when he would be back.
Gu Jinyi had become familiar with everyone at the Xie Huaizhou family over the past few months. With his naturally likable personality and friendly face, initially, the young maids were reserved and rarely spoke more than necessary, but now they surrounded him, helping him pack and chatting with him.
“Roselle Star, is that where you went to school, sir?” asked a short-haired maid.
Gu Jinyi smiled as he checked the medications he needed to bring and replied, “Yes.”
He didn’t expect that the place where Xie Huaizhou was going on this business trip would turn out to be the planet where he had studied years ago.
Roselle Star was just an average planet among the many in the empire, but it was technologically advanced and had beautiful scenery, making it a prosperous place. So there was not just one school on Roselle Star, besides Lande, there were two other colleges, and the three colleges often competed.
He told the little maids surrounding him, “I’ll bring you gifts when I come back. You can tell me what you want.”
Everyone expressed their gratitude, saying, “Oh, you’re too polite, it’s embarrassing. We won’t refuse, just bring us some local snacks.”
Gu Jinyi agreed to each request, and after making sure nothing was left behind, he went to Chi Xiaonian’s room.
Because it was a business trip, not a vacation, he didn’t prepare to take Chi Xiaonian with him this time.
Xie Huaizhou did say that arrangements could be made for someone to bring Chu Xiaonian, but after some consideration, he decided to let Chu Xiaonian obediently go to school.
Although Chi Xiaonian was a bit disappointed, he didn’t cry or make a fuss, just pouted and murmured while hugging Gu Jinyi’s neck, “Then daddy, come back early.”
Gu Jinyi was softened by his softly murmured words and didn’t know what to do.
He hugged Chi Xiaonian’s soft body and hooked his little finger with his, saying, “Daddy will bring you special products from Roselle Star, and then we’ll go on vacation to other star systems during the summer vacation, okay?”
Chi Xiaonian became happy again, “Can I go with Jiang Ying?”
Jiang Ying was his best friend in kindergarten.
Gu Jinyi thought for a moment, “That depends on his parents. I’ll ask them later, okay?”
Chi Xiaonian thought about it and reluctantly nodded.
Because they were leaving the next day, Gu Jinyi was a bit reluctant to part with Chi Xiaonian and stayed in his room until ten o’clock, reading him a whole book of fairy tales before coaxing him to sleep.
Looking at Chi Xiaonian’s sleeping face, he smiled softly, gently pinching his chubby cheeks before quietly leaving the room back to Xie Huaizhou’s .
He hadn’t been lying on the bed for long when Xie Huaizhou came back.
But even that night, Xie Huaizhou still didn’t kiss him, even deliberately sleeping a bit farther away from him, leaving enough space for another person between them.
Gu Jinyi couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.
With the absence of physical intimacy and lingering kisses, even the scent of pheromones in the room had diminished significantly.
And what Xie Huaizhou needed most was a high concentration of pheromones.
He glanced at Xie Huaizhou, almost wanting to ask, but in the end, he held back.
His only job was to administer Xie Huaizhou’s medication, and all he needed to do was cooperate with Xie Huaizhou’s arrangements in everything.
The next day, after having breakfast together, they set off.
Roselle Star wasn’t close to Baidi Star, so almost all of Xie Huaizhou’s team members took another spaceship, leaving only a secretary to accompany him and Gu Jinyi on his private aircraft.
Xie Huaizhou had several secretaries, but the one this time wasn’t any of the ones Gu Jinyi had seen before. He was a young alpha named Han Ze, who looked very calm and steady.
He whispered to Xie Huaizhou about work matters, while Gu Jinyi sat next to them reading a book.
It had been two years since he last visited Roselle Star, but he could still picture the scenery on the planet.
Eighty percent of the planet was covered in water, with rivers of various sizes flowing through the cities. Colorful boats carrying tourists could be seen everywhere, experiencing the slow-paced life. Along the streets, there were taverns and cafes with hand-painted signs.
Many of the residents there had a maritime heritage, so there were often strikingly beautiful mixed-race individuals, attracting attention wherever they went.
He recalled these past events and inadvertently drifted off into a daze.
Meanwhile, Xie Huaizhou had already confirmed the upcoming work arrangements and had the secretary leave the lounge.
He sat down next to Gu Jinyi and asked, “Returning to Roselle Star, are you happy?”
It took Gu Jinyi a while to realize that Xie Huaizhou was speaking to him, and he looked at Xie Huaizhou blankly.
Xie Huaizhou repeated the question.
“I’m happy. In fact, I’ve returned to school once or twice after graduation, but I left quickly each time, without visiting any places,” Gu Jinyi replied sincerely.
Xie Huaizhou fell silent for a moment. Actually, he didn’t need to spend ten days discussing business with the Liu family. The reason he planned on staying so long was because he wanted to walk around the planet where Gu Jinyi had once studied.
He wanted to know where Gu Jinyi had traveled and whom he had met during those four years.
But before he could figure out how to broach the subject, he heard Gu Jinyi say softly, “If you have time after your business discussions, I can take you to see the sights of Roselle Star.”
Xie Huaizhou raised his head and saw Gu Jinyi’s gentle eyes.
“I can’t say about other places, but I’m quite familiar with most areas of Roselle Star,” Gu Jinyi said hesitantly. “Of course, it depends on whether you’re willing or not. If you are too busy, that’s fine too…”
Before he could finish, Xie Huaizhou interrupted him.
“I’m willing,” Xie Huaizhou said earnestly. “I really want to see the places you used to go to school.”
……
After seven hours, the aircraft landed on Roselle Star.
Since he had slept on the aircraft, Gu Jinyi didn’t feel tired. He kept looking out of the window.
Roselle Star was a planet with a developed tourism industry. The cities at night were beautiful, with bright lights and elegantly dressed tourists everywhere. Fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating everyone’s smiling faces and the shimmering rivers.
However, he didn’t have much time to look before the aircraft crossed the sky and landed at the Xie Huaizhou family’s holiday manor.
Most of the buildings on Roselle Star were built directly on the water, and this manor was no exception.
Gu Jinyi stepped onto the glass bridge spanning the water, feeling the sensation of returning to Roselle Star—water was everywhere.
He told Xie Huaizhou, “Lande Academy was also built on the water. We used to take boats to class every day. If we missed the school’s boat, we had to run there ourselves wearing water boots.”
Xie Huaizhou glanced at him and asked, “Were you often late?”
Gu Jinyi’s expression stiffened, wondering how Xie Huaizhou guessed that, even though he had long since corrected his habit of sleeping in.
“Not often,” he tried to justify himself. “My attendance rate was still passing.”
Xie Huaizhou lightly smirked, saying nothing more, and walked into the villa with him.
The staff at this holiday manor were all from the Xie Huaizhou family and were very familiar with Xie Huaizhou’s habits and preferences. They had also done their homework on Gu Jinyi’s preferences and had rearranged the entire house accordingly.
Gu Jinyi thought that Xie Huaizhou would choose to rest and dine in the villa.
But when he finished his shower, he found that Xie Huaizhou had changed into casual clothes. Turning around, he asked, “Do you have any favorite restaurants in Roselle Star? Can you take me there?”
Gu Jinyi didn’t expect Xie Huaizhou to be so enthusiastic.
But after a moment’s thought, the Xie Huaizhou family’s holiday villa was in the sixth district, and there was indeed a small restaurant nearby that he used to frequent.
That restaurant was located in an alley beside the main road, and hover cars couldn’t enter, so they had to park nearby and walk in.
The restaurant wasn’t large, but it had large floor-to-ceiling windows. The sign next to it was written in the common language of the marine race, which translated to “Tide.”
As Gu Jinyi pushed the door open and walked in, he said to Xie Huaizhou, “I was here last time when I graduated. I wonder if the owner is still here?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the owner sitting inside the restaurant. He still had the same gray hair as before, tied into a small bun behind his head. Although he wasn’t young, he dressed very youthfully and always had a smile on his face.
Everything was just like when he left Roselle Star.
Gu Jinyi smiled and greeted him, “Boss Todd, do you still remember me?”
He walked in, and his more three-dimensional and handsome features were exposed under the light compared to a few years ago.
There weren’t many people in the restaurant that day. The owner was busy but took a moment to remember him and came over with a smile, clapping him on the back. “Hey, how could I forget? It’s Master Gu Jinyi! You still look so good after all these years!”
Because Gu Jinyi used to come here with Chu Miyun, the owner looked behind him and asked, “Miss Chu, where is she? She used to drink a lot of good wine from me. I heard you two got married; it’s a pity she didn’t get to drink the wedding wine.”
He asked with a cheerful tone.
Gu Jinyi’s smile faded from his face.
The only downside to returning to Roselle Star was that everyone here who knew him remembered Chu Miyun.
“She passed away,” Gu Jinyi said softly. He saw the owner’s expression change suddenly, but he remained calm and said, “It was an accident, and it’s been a while.”
The owner was at a loss for words, first murmuring a “what a pity” and then saying, “I’m sorry.”
Gu Jinyi shook his head, not wanting to talk about it further. “It’s all in the past.”
He put his smile back on. “Boss, please give us the usual set meal as before, but without the grilled liver.”
He remembered that Xie Huaizhou didn’t like it.
The owner quickly agreed and hurried off to the kitchen.
Gu Jinyi sat down with Xie Huaizhou by the window. This window wasn’t the one facing the alley, so outside was the shimmering river, with pretty boats moored on the shore.
After taking a sip of lemon water, Xie Huaizhou asked him, “Is this the place you used to come with Chu Miyun?”
Gu Jinyi looked out the window, the glistening water reflecting in his eyes, resembling tears and stars.
“Yeah, besides her, I came here with other classmates too, but it was mostly the two of us,” he smiled at Xie Huaizhou. “Actually, I wasn’t a good student back then. I skipped classes and even climbed walls. Sometimes I would sneak here to drink at night, so I’m quite familiar with the owner.”
Xie Huaizhou wasn’t surprised.
He just asked, “Do you want to drink today?”
Gu Jinyi was silent for a moment before saying, “Just a little bit. It’s been a long time.”
The dishes soon arrived, and Xie Huaizhou tasted them. They were indeed delicious, with the cooking style of Roselle Star and the owner’s secret spices, adding a unique flavor.
Gu Jinyi poured him some wine, and they clinked their glasses.
The wine was a rare collection of the boss’s, with a mellow taste and a strong aftertaste.
Gu Jinyi’s cheeks gradually turned red, but Xie Huaizhou remained calm.
He quietly listened to Gu Jinyi talk about the things that happened in this small restaurant in the past.
Gu Jinyi had once plucked off the flower buds from the potted plant at the entrance, and every spring, the owner would introduce special desserts. During winter, the restaurant often closed, and no amount of protest from customers would change that—the owner just wanted to take a break.
Gu Jinyi chuckled and pointed to the river outside the window. “Our Command Department had a gathering here once, and a guy got drunk and started taking off his clothes, then jumped out of the window into the river. The photos circulated throughout the entire department, and even the professors knew about it.”
Gu Jinyi looked at the window and confirmed, “It was this one.”
Xie Huaizhou subtly glanced outside the window.
He had been rebellious in his youth too, but he didn’t think he had done anything as disgraceful as that—the most outrageous thing he did was probably when he beat up a third-year student in his first year.
“Then what happened?” he asked.
“Later, we climbed back over the school walls and got caught by the security guards. We had to write self-criticism letters together.”
Gu Jinyi recalled the past and chuckled softly.
“Why was I so rogue back then?” he was a bit drunk, his eyes misty, “Sometimes I even felt like that wasn’t me.”
That seemed like another Gu Jinyi.
Living a stolen segment of his life.
…
Because Gu Jinyi had drunk quite a bit, the two of them didn’t leave the restaurant until it was almost closing time.
Gu Jinyi insisted on treating, and Xie Huaizhou didn’t argue, just quietly stayed by his side.
When the owner was settling the bill, he casually asked, “Is this gentleman your friend? Feel free to come by often next time; I’ll give you a discount.”
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.
Because Xie Huaizhou wasn’t really a friend; he was Gu Jinyi’s new partner.
And unfortunately, the owner knew that Gu Jinyi had been married to Chu Miyun.
Of course, Xie Huaizhou knew that Gu Jinyi didn’t need to answer such questions; he could just brush them off.
But he still felt a kind of suffocating congestion in his heart.
Everyone knew that Chu Miyun and Gu Jinyi were a pair.
And he was the clandestine newcomer.
Gu Jinyi married Chu Miyun voluntarily, but he married him out of necessity.
He turned his face away, not wanting to hear Gu Jinyi’s answer.
It was somewhat self-deceptive and ridiculous.
But after a few seconds, he heard Gu Jinyi say softly, “Not a friend… he’s my, husband.”
There were no other customers in the room, so this sentence floated lightly in the air, especially clear.
Xie Huaizhou turned his head again.
He saw that Gu Jinyi had drunk a lot, his cheeks flushed, but he still earnestly spoke to the owner.
“Boss Todd, I’ve remarried.”
The owner was stunned. He looked at Gu Jinyi, then at Xie Huaizhou.
He didn’t say anything, just seemed a bit bewildered.
After a moment, he took out a small box of homemade pastries from behind the counter and handed it to Xie Huaizhou.
“Last time you missed the wedding toast here in my restaurant, but this time you didn’t. Consider this box of pastries a gift,” the owner smiled at Gu Jinyi, “Mr. Gu Jinyi, I wish you happiness.”
Gu Jinyi was stunned for a moment. His mind was already a bit dull now, but he still inexplicably felt his nose tingling.
“Um, thank you.”