Chapter 1
**Title: An Unexpected Union** Liam Hawthorne used to think he was just a temporary distraction for Gabriel Blackwood, a pastime until the wedding day, after which he’d be tossed aside like last season’s fashion. However, instead of neglect, he found himself showered with affection and playful attentions from Mr. Blackwood. Gabriel had a way of teasing Liam that made him feel all flustered and bewildered, and one impulsive moment led him to tackle Gabriel to the ground, revealing a heat between them that was undeniable. Gabriel's cunning smile during those moments resembled that of a sly fox, leaving Liam both enchanted and aggravated. After the wedding, Liam believed Gabriel had no major flaws other than being fiercely protective and a bit brazen. But to his surprise, he discovered that Gabriel was also a man of intense jealousy. When classmates invited Liam to see a movie, Gabriel, with a serious expression, declared, “What’s the point of two people watching a movie together? I’ll treat your whole class to it.” So, while the entire class filled one theater, Gabriel whisked Liam away to a private screening—all just for the two of them. Liam’s childhood friend, Hannah Bright, traveled from afar to see him, and Gabriel was nothing if not welcoming. “First time in the Kingdom of Celestia? You’re in for a treat; let me arrange everything,” he said enthusiastically. From that day forward, Hannah embarked on a grand tour across the country, and Liam rarely saw her again. Things turned comically perilous when Isabella Fairchild, knowing Liam had tied the knot, pursued him back home. Gabriel, however, had an aggressive streak. “That little brat better stay away from my wife, or I swear I’ll break his legs!” he snapped. Liam could only stare in disbelief. “But Gabriel, he’s your own nephew! Can’t you show him a little mercy?” --- In the backdrop was Hawthorne Manor, where Liam and Gabriel shared a life unexpectedly rich with love yet peppered with Gabriel’s overwhelming protectiveness. Their days were filled with a blend of playful banter, heartwarming moments, and the occasional whirlwind of jealousy that would spark a fire in Gabriel like no other. Now, in this new chapter of their lives, Liam began to wonder if being cherished so fiercely was truly a blessing or a burden—but, for now, he reveled in the attention, all the while knowing he was undeniably, irrevocably loved.
Chapter 2
Liam Hawthorne stood at the front door of Gabriel Blackwood's house, realizing his palms were slick with sweat. He gave a self-deprecating chuckle; despite all the mental preparation he had done, he was still tense. Fortunately, Gabriel wasn't home, which allowed Liam to breathe a little easier. Once inside, he set his luggage down by the entryway and slipped on a pair of house slippers he found in the closet. Then he began to explore his new home. Yep, this was officially going to be his new home. Because he had just married Gabriel Blackwood. This morning, after landing in the country for the first time, the first thing he did was head to the Bureau of Civil Affairs to get a marriage license with a man he had never met before. That man was Gabriel Blackwood. Word around the block was that he was a wealthy CEO—handsome, successful, and fond of all the cute… guys. Liam couldn't help but think that was why his mother had summoned him back home. He sighed, shaking off the annoying thought, and carried his bag into the closet. His belongings were sparse: a wheeled suitcase containing a few changes of clothes and a backpack stuffed with his laptop and some books. Gabriel's closet was spacious yet organized; there wasn’t much clutter at all. After finding an empty corner, he hung up his clothes, making sure not to disrupt the neatness before stepping back out. Looking at the time, he realized it was already past six in the evening. He hadn’t eaten much since getting on the plane yesterday, and his stomach growled in protest. Heading to the kitchen, he peeked inside the fridge, which was nearly filled with beer and water. Luckily, he spotted a cucumber on the shelf, and in the pantry, he managed to scrounge up some leftover pasta. Deciding to whip up a simple cold noodle dish, he boiled the noodles, rinsed them in cold water, shredded the cucumber on top, and mixed it all with a tasty sauce he concocted. It was simple, but it hit the spot. After finishing his meal and cleaning up the kitchen, he took his clothes to the bathroom for a shower. The journey had been exhausting. After a long flight, he hadn't had time to adjust to the time change; he had rushed straight to the Bureau of Civil Affairs, then faced a slew of unfamiliar faces in meetings. To top it off, a traffic jam had forced him to hop out of the taxi and drag his luggage for twenty minutes until he finally arrived here. It felt like a chaotic whirlwind had just swept through him. As he settled into the warm bathtub, he suddenly realized how sore and tired he felt from head to toe. The past couple of days felt like a surreal dream. Just two days ago, he had been working in a café on the other side of the world. He planned to call his mom later after work to check in. But then she called him first. He was taken aback and quickly answered, “Mom, I—” “Liam Hawthorne, I booked you a flight. Pack your things and come home tomorrow. Don’t forget to bring all your important papers.” “Home? But Grandmother—” “I’ll have someone take care of her. You don’t need to worry about that.” “Really? Thanks, Mom,” he said, thrilled. “No need to thank me, dear. Actually, I have a favor to ask you. There’s been a bit of a situation with the family business. You’re eighteen now, right?”
Chapter 3
Liam Hawthorne was bewildered, unsure of how the company's troubles could possibly concern him. "Yeah, I just turned twenty-two a couple of days ago," he replied. "That's good to hear. Go pack a bag, say goodbye to Grandma, and then come back. Mom will pick you up from the Grand Port," she instructed. So, he returned home. On the way to the Bureau of Civil Affairs, it finally dawned on him: he was being called back to get married. His mom had been vague, but he understood that the Hawthorne family business was in trouble and that he was expected to marry Gabriel Blackwood to secure his assistance. As they drove, his mother kept reiterating how Gabriel Blackwood had instantly agreed to marry him upon seeing his photo, implying that Gabriel had some affection for him and would treat him well once they were married. But Liam couldn’t stop thinking: why would Gabriel Blackwood even see his photo? He had never set foot in this country since he was born, and hardly anyone knew that Clara Hawthorne had a son. They must have been marketing Liam to Gabriel, presenting his photo like a catalog for him to choose from. But reminiscing on that didn’t really matter now; he was already married to Gabriel Blackwood, and he had agreed, so there was really nothing to complain about. After freshening up and putting on clean clothes, Liam felt a wave of relief wash over him. Stepping out of the bathroom, he noticed someone had joined him at home. At the dining table, a man lounged in a chair, long legs casually crossed, giving him an air of effortless elegance. In front of him was a half-prepared dish of cold noodles, chilled noodles beside shredded cucumber and a well-mixed sauce—just waiting to be tossed together. In his hand, he held a sticky note Liam had written, which was originally on the table. "You... you're back," Liam said, trying not to appear too flustered as he walked over to greet him. Gabriel Blackwood’s gaze lifted from the note and roamed over Liam unabashedly. Liam had just showered, hair still damp and dripping, wearing a loose cotton robe that showcased his delicate collarbone. He looked youthful, akin to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old. An instinctive smile crept up his lips when Gabriel turned his way, revealing a faint dimple on his cheek. Yet his hands hung nervously at his sides, knuckles turning white from how tightly he was squeezing. His feet shuffled restlessly in ill-fitting slippers, betraying the anxiety he felt. Gabriel recalled how, during their photo session earlier at the Bureau of Civil Affairs, Liam’s face was all soft smiles while his hands were clenched tightly behind his back. He wouldn’t be surprised if the kid's palms were nicked from his own nails. Upon scrutinizing Liam enough, he finally shifted his focus back onto the note, lifting it slightly. "You wrote this?" he asked, his tone neutral. As Gabriel’s gaze moved away, Liam felt a wave of relief wash over him. He nodded lightly and explained, "I wasn’t sure if you'd come back, so I left you a note. If you’ve already eaten, then..." Gabriel inspected the note before interrupting, "This writing is pretty awful." "Oh," Liam replied, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.
Chapter 4
Liam Hawthorne stood there, momentarily dazed, his clear blue eyes lingering on Gabriel Blackwood, who was speaking in his own language. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Liam’s pale cheeks flushed a deep crimson. With his head lowered, he murmured, "I'm sorry, my Chinese isn't very good." And that was the truth. His understanding of the language was decent, but his speaking was slow, stilted, and marked by a slight accent—every word felt like it was being dragged from the depths of his throat, stumbling out like a child learning to speak. Writing was an even bigger challenge. Whenever he attempted to form those rigid square characters, it felt as if his hands had a mind of their own, rebellious and unyielding, resulting in a jumbled mess on the page. Gabriel Blackwood seemed to pay no mind to his discomfort as he nodded casually. "It's evident. It's not just your handwriting; there are also spelling mistakes." "What? No way. I copied directly from my phone," Liam protested. Usually, he was meticulous about his work; hearing that there were mistakes made him instinctively want to double-check. He moved closer, leaning over Gabriel's desk to snatch the note and examine it intently. He scrutinized each character multiple times, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Doubt tugged at him, and he nervously turned back to Gabriel. “Could you please tell me which characters are incorrect?” Gabriel maintained his relaxed posture, his lips curling into a teasing smirk. "Who are you asking for help here?" Gabriel was strikingly handsome, a fact Liam had noted when they first met at the Bureau of Civil Affairs. That day, Liam had considered him to be one of the most attractive people he had ever seen. Yet, Gabriel had this cold, aloof demeanor that made him seem almost unapproachable. Up until now, Liam had never seen him smile. But when he did—lips arching slightly, brow lowering a fraction—suddenly it was as if a glacier had melted away. The whole room felt warmer. Liam found himself staring for a moment longer, before a rush of embarrassment settled over him again. Gabriel was hinting at something. Since seeing Gabriel, Liam had been trying to sidestep the issue of how to address him, as he genuinely had no idea what to call someone who seemed to be a mixture of a partner and a stranger. But Gabriel continued to watch him with an amused expression, as if to say, “I know you’re struggling, and I want to hear you say it.” While he wasn’t typically one to back down from a challenge, the thought that they were now married—and would be living under the same roof—threw Liam into an anxious spiral. Eventually, he bit his lip, gathered his courage, and looked up at Gabriel. “Um... big... brother...?” Gabriel's teasing smile wavered, and just like that, his expression turned icy. "You're ten years older than me; calling me 'big brother' is a stretch. Why not just call me ‘uncle’?" Liam, though aware of his poor Chinese skills, recognized that no one likes to be called old, and immediately shook his head in a flustered response. “No, it’s not that! I—um—I didn’t mean you’re old, I mean...” What he had meant to say was “hubby,” a term he remembered from the Mandarin dramas he'd watched. But staring into Gabriel's eyes, full of warmth yet playful mischief, made him second-guess himself. In a panic, he switched his words to “big brother,” which only confused matters further. And with his shaky command of the language, he found it hard to explain himself, letting out a soft apology. “I’m sorry.” He stared down at his feet, feeling the flush of heat creeping up his neck. A few damp strands of hair slipped from his forehead, droplets of water trailing down his neck, making him acutely aware of Gabriel’s gaze following the path of the water. Suddenly, Gabriel stood up, leaning in, gripping Liam's chin firmly, forcing him to meet his sharp gaze. His voice was stern as he said, “If you're angry, just let me know; otherwise, I won’t help you anymore.” With that, he turned and left Liam standing there, heading upstairs.
Chapter 5
Liam Hawthorne rubbed his sore cheek and stared at the back of Gabriel Blackwood, momentarily lost in thought. There was something about him that felt different from what he had imagined. He seemed a bit childlike. Liam had expected that someone like Gabriel Blackwood would be more severe when angry, but instead, it felt like a child throwing a tantrum—complaining vocally about his displeasure but underneath, it was as if he was silently asking to be soothed. Liam couldn’t help but think he must be losing his mind. How could a domineering CEO like Gabriel Blackwood have such a side? He must have been so tense that he was hallucinating. Shaking off the thought, he decided to put the untouched cold noodles from the dinner table into the fridge for breakfast the next day. He then picked up his phone and retyped a phrase from a note he had written earlier, checking it against what he had written—only to find he hadn’t actually made a mistake. Gabriel Blackwood had deceived him. Liam’s nose crinkled slightly as he instinctively challenged himself. There was a cup of water on the table that Gabriel had already half-drunk, and he dipped his finger in it to practice writing the characters he had seen on his phone. Having grown up in an English-speaking environment, Liam had never properly learned Chinese; the only person around him who spoke it was his Grandmother, but her dialect was far from standard Mandarin. His exposure to Chinese had come when he was a child, watching Chinese dramas with her because she loved them. As he grew older, he found less time to share those moments with her, and so his opportunities to learn the language dwindled. Honestly, he had never needed the language before, so it didn’t matter much whether he learned it or not. But now, clearly, he had to learn. It wasn't that he was upset with Gabriel Blackwood for deceiving him; he knew Gabriel meant no harm. Instead, he recognized that this experience taught him he couldn’t continue to have an indifferent attitude toward learning Chinese. Liam had a peculiar trait—when he focused intently on something, he became fully absorbed, forgetting everything else around him. So, when a broad hand reached out from behind him to hold his own, he was startled to realize that Gabriel had somehow crept up behind him. He instinctively tried to pull his hand away but only found it held tighter, accompanied by a stern look. “Focus on your writing,” said Gabriel, taking Liam’s hand and carefully writing the character for “evening.” To be fair, Gabriel’s handwriting was beautiful—especially next to the messy scrawl Liam had produced. But Liam was too distracted to appreciate the aesthetics; his body stiffened with tension. The two of them were uncomfortably close, so close that he could smell the fresh scent of Gabriel’s body wash. He was afraid that if he moved even slightly, he might end up right in Gabriel’s arms. Yet, the man seemed oblivious to Liam's awkwardness, casually stating, “Your uncle’s instruction isn’t quite right.” Liam blinked, failing to grasp it at first, until he turned just enough to meet Gabriel’s eyes and realized he was still hung up on Liam’s earlier verbal slip. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Liam acknowledged that he had been the one to say the wrong thing that upset Gabriel, and he owed him some responsibility. So, he inhaled softly, lowering his gaze. “I actually meant to call you… my… um… partner.” His voice was barely a whisper. But the two were so close that the words didn’t escape Gabriel’s ears. The man’s expression darkened slightly, followed by a silent chuckle. He gently pinched Liam’s earlobe, which had turned a brilliant shade of red, and said playfully, “That’s nice, say it again, let me hear it.”
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