[[For the first time in his life, Caesar began to doubt himself. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and irritable he became, to the point where his head began to ache again late in the night.
Damn it. That familiar headache again.
So a few minutes later, Gu Bai, who had already changed into his pajamas and prepared to sleep alone as per their contract, looked in astonishment at the bedroom door that suddenly opened.
Standing there was none other than Caesar, his expression as cold as ever.
But didn’t he claim he didn’t want to see him?
Moreover, the contract explicitly stated that their acting was only required in front of others—it didn’t include private moments like this…
Never having been in a relationship before, Gu Bai was instantly at a loss.
“Play the piano for me. I want to hear it.”
The next second, Caesar’s blunt demand fell with a thud.
So that’s all it was—he just wanted to hear him play the piano late at night.
This made Gu Bai relieved, but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel a bit resigned.
This man always showed up so punctually at his performances, he must genuinely love music.
Without much resistance, Gu Bai found himself led out of the bedroom by Caesar to the villa’s glass-roofed garden atrium where the piano was kept.
As soon as he saw the magnificent piano in front of him, Gu Bai’s eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s a Clantis!”
To anyone passionate about music, this piano was an unparalleled masterpiece, an object of irresistible allure.
But it’s exorbitant price and extreme rarity made it unattainable for ordinary people.
At that moment, Caesar couldn’t help but smile proudly as he watched Gu Bai step forward, captivated by the piano.
This guy clearly loved the gift.
In truth, Caesar had arranged for the piano to be transported from the musical mecca of Auguste Star via a specialized starship long ago.
Ever since he had caught Gu Bai gazing intently at a piano magazine backstage, with bright eyes fixed on a photo of this very piano, Caesar had been planning this.
Yet no matter how he thought about it, directly giving it felt too strange—almost like he was deliberately trying to please him.
For someone as proud and arrogant as Caesar, this was an unacceptable notion!
So, after it arrived, the piano simply sat at home, never delivered.
But day after day, seeing it idle there, Caesar always felt like something was missing.
A person.
Someone who could sit there, playing the piano, and smile up at him.]]
When the truth of this piano as a wedding gift was revealed, the interstellar readers were once again left utterly stunned.
[Ah, I honestly didn’t expect this—it’s a wedding gift! And this kind of piano is said to be ridiculously expensive!]
[The one above, it really is insanely expensive. I’m in this field, and I could never afford even a tiny part of it in my lifetime!!]
[Oh my god, I can’t imagine how I’d react if my partner gave me such an expensive and thoughtful wedding gift! I’d probably be crying tears of joy!]
For interstellar readers, who had never read novels where wealth was displayed so directly and unashamedly, this kind of plot where a domineering CEO who openly spends money to buy expensive gifts was undoubtedly a new kind of shock.
Though Caesar was proud, stubborn, and had a bad temper, he was rich, handsome, and affectionate without realizing it!
This is the magic of a domineering CEO, he spends a lot of money and makes people love and hate him, which instantly draws all the readers into the pit of chasing after the latest updates.
However, just as the readers were screaming collectively, the author, Yu Mian, once again showcased his evil plot magic.
After all, the saying goes:
“Push and pull”, naturally involves both pushing and pulling.
Otherwise, how would the plot progress?
[[But even though he was thinking of one thing, Caesar subconsciously blurted out something else:
“This surprises you? It’s just something I bought on a whim. If you like it, it’s yours.”
Caesar’s deliberately indifferent tone immediately made Gu Bai freeze in place, his movements to admire the piano halting.
After all, to Gu Bai, the feigned disdain in Caesar’s attitude rendered his appreciation for the piano inexplicably pathetic.
It was like how that one million that had saved his mother’s life meant everything to him, but to someone like Caesar, it might not even account for a day’s expenses.
Meanwhile, after saying those words, Caesar panicked, he never expected that his words could have such great power!
Why does this guy get sad so easily?
He just wanted to give him the piano!
But every explanation Caesar could think of vanished as Gu Bai lowered his head and sat down to play the piano.
The next moment, a light, sorrowful melody flowed from the keys under the moonlight, tinged with sadness and longing.
It was more poignant than any music Caesar had heard before, instantly soothing the pounding ache in his head.
But his heart seemed to ache along with the melody’s unspoken sorrow, compelling him to reach out and comfort the person in front of him—to smooth away the melancholy in the music.
And when the final note of this midnight solo faded, the atmosphere between the two seemed to shift ever so slightly.
Perhaps this was the magical effect of music, drawing two hearts closer together.
So the next morning, Caesar unexpectedly came over to ease the atmosphere. He proposed a tour of his collection, much like the grand piano from the previous night that was housed in the atrium.
Gu Bai was a little surprised, but looking at Caesar who seemed a little nervous, he still agreed.
But he must be overthinking it, how could someone like Caesar be nervous? Especially in front of him.
In fact, Caesar had secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Could the words he said last night have been too harsh?
He had always wanted to show Gu Bai these treasures anyway.
Caesar’s voice was exceptionally pleasant, and as he began explaining the various artifacts he had collected during his travels across the galaxy, a rare, childlike pride shone through.
So much so that Gu Bai found himself unconsciously relaxing. Through these collections, it was as if he were glimpsing into Caesar’s many past adventures.
However, just as the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious, Gu Bai subconsciously reached out toward the door of the next exhibit hall.
“Stop! You’re not allowed to touch that!”
Caesar’s expression became exceptionally stern, and his movements betrayed a rare fluster, immediately stopping Gu Bai from pushing the door open.
The servants and butlers in the vicinity turned to the commotion with startled gazes.
“Sorry…?”
Gu Bai’s startled apology carried a trace of unease. Under the crowd’s suspicious and curious stares, his apprehension only grew.
At that moment, Caesar’s stern reprimand shattered the fragile harmony that had been carefully built.
Retracting his hand, Gu Bai clenched his fists in discomfort, suddenly reminded that he was nothing more than a passerby in this place.
An intruder with no right to pry into any of this.
The moment ended abruptly, like a grand concerto silenced mid-performance. ]]
—
The readers, who had just been basking in the pink bubble of a budding romance, were complaining blindsided by this turn of events.
They had just eaten enough sugar from the last scene, and then it was like candy raining from the sky! They had never been so happy.
Who could have guessed the situation would take such a sharp turn?
Caesar’s overly unnatural reaction immediately sparked a flurry of speculation:
[What the heck, Caesar?! You finally managed to ease the tension, and now this?! (Screaming)]
[What’s in that exhibition hall that’s so mysterious?!]
[Oh no, could it be something horrifying or something Gu Bai shouldn’t see…? Author, you?! If it’s something about Caesar’s first love, I swear I’m dropping this novel!]
There were cries of frustration over the ruined atmosphere, as well as threats of abandonment from readers fearing an unwanted white moonlight subplot.
Fortunately, the chapter didn’t end on that cliffhanger as the mystery was finally revealed!
—
[[After watching Gu Bai hurriedly retreat to his bedroom and disappear down the corridor, Caesar rushed to lock the exhibit hall door again.
The collection in this exhibition hall, which is never allowed to be visited by outsiders, didn’t contain anything sinister or related to a white moonlight.
Instead, the hall was filled with records of Gu Bai’s piano performances he had collected meticulously. Rows upon rows of display cases showcased every detail!
If someone saw it, wouldn’t it expose his inexplicably obsessive behavior?
His carefully maintained image of aloofness would have been destroyed!]]
—
This sharp twist at the chapter’s end revealed the reason.
It turned out that the reason why Caesar was so nervous was not because of anything else, but precisely because everything in the exhibition hall was related to Gu Bai.
The revelation left readers caught between exasperation and relief.
[For the love of… Caesar, what “aloof image” are you even talking about? Your hard exterior is a complete lie!]
[I’m sobbing—if Gu Bai had stumbled upon this, it could’ve cleared up the misunderstanding perfectly!]
[This author is too cruel! When will these two finally reconcile?!]
Whether it was the explosion of comments under the chapter or the boiling barrage in the live broadcast room, the intensity was undeniable.
“Contract Marriage”, which had slowed in growth during its five-day hiatus, once again rocketed to popularity as its latest chapter ignited fierce discussion.
—
[Doesn’t anyone care about “us”?!]
[Exactly! Only the readers have been hurt!]
Amid the fervor of discussion in the live broadcast room, another wave of new readers, who had just downloaded the Universe Reading Platform and caught up on the earlier chapters, returned to join the fray.
[Bai Lande! Where is the sweet story you promised?! I’m speechless!]
[Oh my god, I was lured in by the recommendation and downloaded the platform. I started reading from the beginning but the more I read, the more I felt something was off! Who came up with such a damned thing like a “contract marriage”?! (Gasping for air)]
[I’m in a very complicated mood right now. Bai Lande, what is your address? I have something to tell you.]
Bai Lande: “…”
Bai Lande then realized that the previous wave of readers who had been misled earlier had now caught up and returned to voice their feelings.
But what did this have to do with him?
Weren’t the details at the beginning of this chapter update sweet??
