Chapter 152: The Crying Child Gets the Candy
Gu Fei sensed that something was off with the youth’s mood. He was clinging to him tightly, refusing to let go, his face buried in the crook of Gu Fei’s neck. All Gu Fei could see were the tips of his ears, flushed a faint red.
He didn’t speak, simply holding An Qingyan in a silent embrace, his palm gently and soothingly stroking the youth’s back. The emotion in his eyes was as soft as the moonlight outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
An Qingyan didn’t know what to say. He just held the man tightly, feeling a sense of security finally settle in his heart, like a small, lost boat that had been adrift on the deep sea finally returning to its harbor.
He felt an overwhelming sadness and heartache, but he couldn’t explain it to Gu Fei. The one he ached for was the Gu Fei from their past life. After he had died, what must the man have gone through?
Did Gu Fei love him back then?
An Qingyan didn’t know, but the meticulous care the man had shown him when he was sick had already said it all.
He understood Gu Fei’s character; he wasn’t some do-gooder who would help just anyone.
If the Gu Fei from their past life had loved him, it only made his heart ache more. Putting himself in the other’s shoes, what would he do if Gu Fei were to suddenly die in an accident?
Just the thought of it made An Qingyan’s heart feel as if it were being squeezed by a tightening net. With every inch it constricted, his chest grew heavy and suffocated, on the verge of bleeding.
Gu Fei felt the youth’s slender shoulders trembling in his arms. The fabric of his shirt where An Qingyan’s head rested seemed to be dampened by a warm liquid, leaving a cool sensation against his skin.
He placed his hands on those trembling shoulders and gently pulled back a little. He was met with the sight of An Qingyan’s lowered head, tears streaming silently down his cheeks.
Droplets fell one by one from the line of his jaw, catching the light for a fleeting moment.
The youth bit his lower lip hard, trying to keep himself from crying out loud, seemingly fighting to control his emotions. His long eyelashes were clumped together with tears, fluttering like a butterfly lost in a storm.
Seeing him cry so miserably, looking so pitiful, made Gu Fei’s own heart ache. He raised a hand to the youth’s tear-soaked cheek, his thumb gently wiping the tears away.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning down to meet An Qingyan’s gaze. His eyes were filled with undisguised nervousness and concern, his gentle voice almost cautious. “Who bullied Yanyan? Feige will help you teach them a lesson.”
An Qingyan didn’t speak, only shaking his head.
He reached out again and wrapped his arms around the man’s waist.
Gu Fei smoothly scooped him up by the hips, holding him like a child, and walked over to the sofa. He sat down with An Qingyan settled face-to-face on his lap.
“You can cry for a little longer, but then you have to stop.”
“Mm…” An Qingyan wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, still burying his face in his shoulder and crying silently. He nearly soaked the entire patch of shirt fabric before his sobs finally began to subside.
An Qingyan swore he wasn’t a crybaby. He used to cry often as a child, but as he grew up, he realized that crying was the most useless thing one could do. No one would feel sorry for you, and it solved no problems.
But ever since meeting Gu Fei, the number of times he’d cried had increased. Because now, he was cared for. He was cherished.
“Done crying?”
“Mm…”
Gu Fei lifted An Qingyan’s chin and placed a soft kiss on the reddened corner of his eye. Then, he pulled out a tissue to wipe the remaining tear tracks from his face, letting out a soft chuckle. “You cry just like a little bunny.”
An Qingyan simply stared at the handsome man before him with eyes as red as a rabbit’s, a watery film still covering them, making him look especially pitiful.
“It makes Feige’s heart hurt to see you like this,” Gu Fei said softly.
“I just… my heart hurts for you,” An Qingyan’s voice was hoarse from crying.
Gu Fei poured a glass of warm water and held it to his lips, watching him take a few sips before asking, “What about me makes your heart hurt?”
An Qingyan couldn’t explain. He lowered his eyes shyly and mumbled, “My heart hurts seeing you work so hard, still doing overtime this late.”
Of course, Gu Fei didn’t believe him. If it were just because he felt bad about him working hard, he wouldn’t have cried so heartbrokenly.
Playing along, Gu Fei said in a serious tone, “I’m earning money to support my wife. A little hard work is nothing.”
The word “wife” made An Qingyan’s face flush a deep red. “I’m not your wife,” he muttered under his breath, before wrapping his arms around the man’s waist in a docile manner. He said sweetly, “I can earn money to support you, too.”
This made Gu Fei laugh. He held him in his arms as if he were some priceless treasure, his chest vibrating with amusement. “Alright,” he said, “Feige will be waiting for Yanyan to earn money and support me.”
An Qingyan finally smiled.
Gu Fei’s smile faded, but the gentleness in his eyes remained. He looked at the person in his arms and asked seriously, “Can you tell me why you were crying now?”
An Qingyan averted his gaze. “I met a fan at the airport just now. He told me… he told me I have to be happy. I was very moved.”
Gu Fei raised an eyebrow. “So you were so moved that you cried?”
An Qingyan shook his head. He knew Gu Fei would never believe such a flimsy excuse. He frowned in hesitation, remaining silent for a moment before finally speaking with difficulty.
“Feige, I know you have a lot of questions, but I’m not mentally prepared to tell you yet…” He forced a small smile. “Besides, for us right now, it’s not really that important.”
After all, seizing the present was what mattered most.
The story of his rebirth was too bizarre. Other than Wen Yan, who had also been reborn, probably no one would believe him. As for Gu Fei… An Qingyan wasn’t sure.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” Gu Fei didn’t press him further. He wasn’t the type to grill someone for answers.
The man rested his chin on the youth’s shoulder, his dry lips almost brushing against his earlobe. “But Feige still hopes that Yanyan can trust me,” he said softly, “no matter what happens.”
A smile touched the youth’s lips as he gently patted the man’s shoulder. “Mm, I trust you.”
His gaze involuntarily shifted to the fabric of the man’s shirt on his shoulder. He had cried so hard earlier that he had soaked Gu Fei’s clothes.
He only now felt a pang of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I got your shirt all wet.” An Qingyan sniffled, lowering his head in self-reproach. “Am I crying too much? A man isn’t supposed to cry so easily…”
But he had been so, so sad.
Gu Fei suddenly opened his palm in front of him. A sour plum candy appeared inside, as if by magic. He unwrapped it and popped it into the youth’s mouth. “The crying child gets the candy,” he said.
An Qingyan couldn’t help but smile. “Mm, it’s sweet.”
The documents spread out on the desk were forgotten. Gu Fei tidied up briefly and then led An Qingyan out of the office, holding his hand. “Are we going back to the An family home or the Gu family home?”
An Qingyan hesitated for a moment. “My parents don’t know I’m back.”
The youth’s thoughts were easy to guess. The corners of the man’s lips curved up slightly. “Then we’ll go back to my place.”
An Qingyan didn’t say anything, which was a silent agreement.
He had rushed back in such a hurry precisely for Gu Fei. Of course, he didn’t want to be separated from him so soon. He wanted to be with him every single moment, even if they were doing nothing at all.
On the way back, An Qingyan dozed off in the passenger seat. He had been busy with the photoshoot since the morning, then rushed to pack and fly back to Nancheng. He was truly exhausted.
Gu Fei stopped the car at a red light and turned to look at the sleeping person beside him. His head was tilted to one side, and his eyes and nose were still red from crying so hard earlier, making him look like a pitiful little thing.
The man’s eyes, exceptionally calm in the darkness of the night, held a mix of helplessness and indulgence. He had no idea what unspeakable secrets his little partner was hiding in his heart, secrets he couldn’t even share. All it took was a few tears, and he was completely at his mercy.
Whatever the secret is, he thought, as long as he can stay by my side, through all four seasons and three meals a day, happy and safe, that’s all that matters.
It was almost ten o’clock by the time they arrived at the Gu family home.
The moment the car stopped, An Qingyan groggily woke up. He let Gu Fei lead him into the house. After washing his hands, he was pressed into a seat at the dining table, where a steaming bowl of mini wontons was placed before him.
Yu Qingtong, still wearing an apron, smiled brightly. “Yanyan, Auntie made these for you herself. Try them, see if they’re good.” As she got a clearer look at the youth’s face, she exclaimed in surprise, “Why are your eyes so red? Did you cry? Did Gu Fei bully you?!”
With that, she shot a questioning glare at Gu Fei, who was sitting next to An Qingyan. An Qingyan quickly explained, “No, no, Feige didn’t bully me.”
“Then what happened? Who else would dare to bully you? Tell Auntie, and Auntie will get even for you!”
An Qingyan was suddenly at a loss for how to explain.
“I bullied him,” Gu Fei said, looking at Yu Qingtong with a calm, stoic expression on his handsome, deadpan face. “It’s a part of our romance,” he stated seriously. “You wouldn’t understand.”
An Qingyan: “…”
Is it too late to find a hole to crawl into?!
How could this person say such things with a completely straight face?!
“Oh, I understand, I understand.” Yu Qingtong had a knowing, teasing smile on her face, as if she had seen through everything. She patted An Qingyan’s shoulder. “Yanyan, eat up. Auntie won’t disturb you two.”
An Qingyan: “…Mm, thank you, Auntie.”
He was indeed hungry. He buried his head in the delicious shrimp wontons, not forgetting to shoot a resentful glance at the man who remained as composed as ever beside him. “Don’t say things like that in front of Auntie in the future,” he said helplessly.
Gu Fei gave a noncommittal “oh,” that was utterly unconvincing.
An Qingyan suspected he hadn’t heard a word.
Master Gu was quite the rebel.
Yu Qingtong was an excellent cook. He finished the entire bowl of wontons, not even leaving the broth, and stretched contentedly. He was getting sleepy after eating.
After washing up, the two lay down in bed to sleep. They didn’t do anything else. An Qingyan snuggled into the man’s warm embrace and quickly drifted off to dreamland.
In this life, no matter what happens, I just want to be with my Feige. The tragedy of our past life will not be repeated. We will be happy. So very happy.
We definitely will be.
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