Chapter 46: You’re Not Your Mother’s Biological Child
In the past two weeks, this was the first time Lin Qingyan had seen Gu Fei’s face so dark. Although the man usually had an expressionless face, he had never looked this scary.
The man’s brows were clouded, his thin lips pursed. He said in a low voice, “You were injured, why didn’t you say anything?”
“What?”
Lin Qingyan followed Gu Fei’s gaze downward and discovered the bleeding on his leg. He opened his mouth in surprise. He hadn’t noticed the injury when he fell; his pants were dark, and it wasn’t easy to see.
So, that was the downside of not feeling pain.
He might develop some disease one day, not feel any pain, and die suddenly without knowing what happened. Lin Qingyan should be grateful that he had been healthy all these years.
Lin Qingyan didn’t know what to say, so he silently watched Gu Fei bend down and carefully roll up his trouser leg, revealing his slender white leg. There was a small three or four-centimeter cut on his calf, apparently scratched by something.
The wound wasn’t deep, not a serious injury, and the bleeding wasn’t much and had stopped, but the bright red blood against the boy’s delicate white skin looked shocking.
Gu Fei looked at the wound, his sharp brows furrowing even tighter. He told the driver to drive to a nearby hospital immediately and asked Lin Qingyan, “Are there any other injuries?”
The man’s expression softened slightly, but he was still somewhat frightening. Lin Qingyan hesitantly shook his head and examined the exposed skin. “No… I don’t think so.”
Gu Fei looked at the boy’s slightly bewildered expression, his eyes still red and swollen, his face still wet with tears. This pitiful look made it impossible to scold him.
Gu Fei pursed his lips, suppressing the urge to lift the child’s clothes to check. He simply stroked his hair, looked into his eyes, and said seriously, “Does it hurt? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Under Gu Fei’s gaze, Lin Qingyan softly said, “A little, not much.”
Regarding the second question, he hadn’t known he was injured. He probably got scratched by broken glass when he fell from the tree. He could only say, “I didn’t want you to know I climbed down the tree, so I didn’t say anything.”
This reminded Gu Fei. He lightly tapped the boy’s forehead, his low voice serious. “Yan Yan, don’t do such dangerous things again. I hope that in the future, if you encounter such a thing, you can find me.”
Hearing these words from the man, Lin Qingyan’s nose felt sour again.
He nodded seriously, then curled his lips, giving Gu Fei a sweet and bright smile. His wet eyes glittered, slightly curved into crescents, like stars twinkling in the moon.
Gu Fei looked at those eyes, slightly stunned, then took a bun from the bag and brought it to Lin Qingyan’s mouth, his thin lips moving, uttering a familiar word: “Eat.”
Lin Qingyan: “…Thank you, Ge Fei.”
The two hastily finished breakfast in the car; Gu Fei had rushed back from out of town overnight and hadn’t eaten anything.
Gu Fei had sensed something was wrong from last night’s call. Lin Qingyan might have been able to deceive others, but not Gu Fei.
Gu Fei knew his actions were unusual, unprecedented in his past twenty-odd years, but he still dropped his work and rushed back overnight.
He was worried that something had happened to the child, that he had been bullied. Could he handle it alone? Could he cope? These thoughts filled Gu Fei’s mind.
Some people, some things, were worth it. He did it willingly.
At the hospital, Lin Qingyan’s leg needed stitches. Gu Fei couldn’t bear to watch, so he went outside to wait. He sat quietly on a bench in the corridor; occasionally, patients, doctors, and nurses would pass by and glance at the striking man.
Gu Fei didn’t pay attention to these glances. He was thinking about something, something strange… when he discovered Lin Qingyan’s leg injury, the boy’s expression was clearly one of surprise, indicating that he didn’t know he was injured before.
The wound was serious enough to bleed; it must have hurt. How could he not know?
Gu Fei pursed his lips, recalling the boy’s every move. Even his walking was normal, not like someone who was injured—as if he couldn’t feel pain…
“Ge Fei, my wound is treated. Let’s go back.”
Gu Fei’s thoughts were interrupted. He stood up and supported the young man who hopped out, looking down at the boy’s leg wrapped in gauze. “Why didn’t you call me?”
He knelt down in front of Lin Qingyan, patted his shoulder, and gestured for him to get on his back.
“No need to trouble you. I can walk by myself. It’s just a minor injury.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“I’m dirty…”
“Get on.”
His calm tone held an undeniable strength. Whenever Gu Fei spoke like this, Lin Qingyan seemed unable to refuse. He hesitated, pursed his lips, and slowly climbed onto the man’s strong and broad back.
Gu Fei’s arms supported Lin Qingyan’s legs, and he stood up steadily. The young man was slender, and the weight on his back wasn’t heavy. He carried him forward step by step.
Lin Qingyan’s chin rested on Gu Fei’s shoulder, his breathing light and shallow, his warm breath spraying on the man’s ear. He whispered, his voice soft and tentative, “Ge Fei… did you rush back overnight because of me?”
Gu Fei hummed and said, “Don’t say sorry.”
Lin Qingyan: …Why did Gu Fei always know what he wanted to say? Despite the guilt, his mood brightened, a sweet feeling spreading through his heart.
Gu Fei had dropped his work and rushed back overnight for him, not for anyone else. Didn’t that mean he was special to Gu Fei?
If Gu Fei had looked back, he would have seen a smile on the young man’s handsome face, his lips slightly curled, his brows and eyes lifted, his clear eyes intently looking at the man’s handsome profile.
He wanted to talk to the man, so he found a topic. “Ge Fei, how did you find out where my home is?”
Gu Fei said, “Sorry, I had someone check your information.”
So, he knew how the child had been living these years: a gambler father, a weak, selfish, and self-centered mother who favored her younger son, forcing her obedient older son to drop out of school early to work and support the family.
Lin Qingyan smiled. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize.”
Gu Fei hummed, the corner of his lips slightly rising. Thinking of Lin Qingyan’s mother’s actions, the smile quickly faded. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “You’re not your mother’s biological child? You were picked up?”
Clearly not expecting this question, Lin Qingyan was stunned. He was smiling, but his eyes held little mirth. He said half-seriously, half-jokingly, “I’ve sometimes wondered that too. But my mother gave birth to me in the hospital and brought me home herself.”
He asked, “Why do you think so?”
Gu Fei frowned slightly, his cold and indifferent tone serious. “They’re ugly; you’re handsome. You don’t look like a family.” Besides seriousness, there was a hint of pride.
Lin Qingyan wondered how Gu Fei knew what his family looked like without having met them. Then he thought about Gu Fei’s power and wealth. He probably had investigated his family’s history, seen their photos.
He couldn’t help but chuckle softly, whispering in the man’s ear, somewhat mischievously, “From what you say, Mr. Gu, you’re complimenting me on my looks? How handsome am I?”
The young man’s voice was full of joyful laughter, his warm breath spraying on his ear, like an electric shock, a tingling sensation spreading from his ear to his whole body.
Gu Fei rarely blushed. He said, “You’re the most handsome.”
——
“What’s wrong with you? You couldn’t even watch one person?” An Nanyi paced restlessly on the balcony. A weak and timid voice came from the phone.
“Nan Nan, I’m sorry. Mom didn’t expect him to climb down the balcony. I don’t know how he is now. What if he’s hurt…”
“I don’t want to hear this. If you care about your son, go find him yourself. And I’ll say it again, my mother is not you. Please don’t randomly claim kinship!”
“Nan Nan…”
An Nanyi impatiently hung up, cursing under his breath. Turning around, he saw An Jing standing not far away. His expression hadn’t faded; he was startled. “Big brother, when did you get here?”
“Just now. Who were you talking to on the phone? You were so angry.”
An Jing stared at An Nanyi’s fair and delicate face, wondering if he’d seen wrong, because he’d seen an unusually gloomy and unfriendly expression on his usually obedient brother’s face.
An Nanyi smiled. “I was practicing lines with a classmate. My character is a vicious villain.” He changed the subject. “Big brother, are you going out now? To the Tomorrow’s Star audition?”
“Is that so…” An Jing didn’t know whether to believe him or not and didn’t mention it again. “Yes, I’m going to the audition site now. Talk later. Bye.”
“Mm, bye, Big Brother.”
Watching An Jing leave, the smile on An Nanyi’s face gradually faded, replaced by anxiety. Damn it, Lin Qingyan would definitely go to the audition today, and he might meet Big Brother…
It didn’t matter. Even if he went to the audition, so what? He had never heard that Lin Qingyan could sing or dance. Given his family’s circumstances, how could he have the money to learn these things? He’d probably be laughed at.
Lin Qingyan definitely wouldn’t pass!
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