Chapter 79: They all like An Nanyi so much…
Night shrouded the highway, streetlights lining the road illuminating the path for vehicles. A black sedan drove steadily along, merging seamlessly with the traffic flow.
The passenger-side window was slightly open, the night breeze ruffling the boy’s black hair. A chill settled on his face; his eyes were still red from crying, and his nose was flushed.
His watery eyes held a multitude of emotions. Neon lights reflected in them, like scattered sparkles. He looked away, and the light in his eyes disappeared.
Lin Qingyan anticipated what was to come, but was mostly filled with uncertain anxiety and apprehension. He sat restlessly, his unease swelling like a sponge soaking up water as time passed.
Gu Fei stopped at a red light and took the boy’s unusually cold hand in his. Lin Qingyan’s apprehension was plain on his face. Gu Fei squeezed his hand. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Mm.” Lin Qingyan nodded, offering the man a weak smile.
The light turned green, and Gu Fei continued driving. After a few minutes of silence, Lin Qingyan suddenly whispered, “Ge Fei, I don’t want to go. Let’s go back.”
Gu Fei glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Qingyan lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes trembling slightly. He hesitated before speaking, “I want to go back to the dorm. It’s too late, and contestants aren’t supposed to go out without permission.”
Gu Fei, “It’s alright, I’ll explain to the production team.”
After hearing Gu Fei’s words, Lin Qingyan fell silent again.
After a moment, he looked up at Gu Fei. “But I don’t want to go. Can we turn back?” He looked at the man beside him, vulnerability shimmering in his wet eyes. His gaze and tone held a pleading quality.
With his red eyes and flushed nose, he looked exceptionally aggrieved and fragile, as if he might shatter at the slightest touch. Gu Fei merely glanced at him, his heart trembling.
The child was scared.
Gu Fei looked at the road ahead, his eyes, usually deep and profound under the night sky, now seemed as soft as moonlight. He seemed to guess Lin Qingyan’s worries.
“YanYan, you are the child with An family’s bloodline. An Nanyi is merely an interloper. You both should return to your rightful places. Otherwise, it’s unfair, isn’t it?”
“No parents dislike their own child.”
Gu Fei’s words struck at the core of Lin Qingyan’s anxieties.
Although his words made sense, Lin Qingyan couldn’t help but overthink. Due to his family background and upbringing, he lacked self-confidence.
Lin Qingyan was indeed scared and hesitant. For nineteen years, An Nanyi had lived in that family, receiving the love and care of his parents and two older brothers.
So what was he, this suddenly appearing biological son? To the An family, he was just a stranger with a blood connection. Could he compare to An Nanyi, who had spent nineteen years with them?
Lin Qingyan was unsure.
Even if the An family accepted him as their son, would they give up An Nanyi for him? If it weren’t An Nanyi, but someone else, Lin Qingyan would still find it difficult to accept, let alone An Nanyi.
He wasn’t a saint, and he absolutely couldn’t accept sharing his family with An Nanyi, let alone being brothers and living under the same roof. As long as An Nanyi was in the An family, he wouldn’t go back.
The boy’s eyes were dull, his mind replaying the scene of An Nanyi talking to his mother on the phone earlier, their voices so intimate, their conversation so cheerful.
And An Jing, wasn’t An Jing also very good to his younger brother, An Nanyi? Lin Qingyan had seen it all.
They all like An Nanyi so much…
The car continued driving.
Lin Qingyan’s fear spread rapidly, causing tears to silently stream down his face again. He trembled, tugging at Gu Fei’s clothes, his voice shaking as he pleaded, “Ge Fei, let’s go back? Please?”
“It’s too sudden, woo…” He choked back a sob, wiping his tears, and said in a choked voice, “I’m not ready yet. Please… let me think about it, okay?”
Gu Fei couldn’t bring himself to refuse his request. He didn’t want to see him collapse emotionally again; it would be too dangerous in the car. He could only nod. “Okay, we’re not going.”
“YanYan, calm down first.”
“Mm…” Lin Qingyan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself after a while. His tears gradually subsided. He felt he had been overly sentimental and unreasonable; Gu Fei was trying to help him after all.
He lowered his eyes submissively, his voice hoarse from crying, “Ge Fei, I’m sorry, I was too willful.”
Gu Fei, “YanYan is the most well-behaved child I’ve ever met.”
Lin Qingyan, “I… I’m nineteen years old.”
Gu Fei, “Oh? So?”
Lin Qingyan, “Ge Fei, I’m not a child anymore.”
Gu Fei, “I hope YanYan can be a carefree child while he’s with me.”
The man’s voice was low and gentle. Lin Qingyan felt a warm current spreading through his body, warming him from head to toe, slowly calming his restless heart.
No matter what, he still had Gu Fei.
This man always helped him and stayed by his side when he was in trouble or down. In both past and present lives, to Lin Qingyan, Gu Fei was an inseparable bond in his life.
Lin Qingyan didn’t actually want to go back. He couldn’t calmly face An Nanyi yet. He frowned slightly, and at that moment, Gu Fei said, “There’s a hotel up ahead. If YanYan doesn’t want to go back, we can stay at the hotel for a night and go back tomorrow morning.”
Gu Fei was like a mind reader, always guessing his thoughts. But Lin Qingyan didn’t have time to be surprised; he hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Gu Fei drove to a hotel and booked a luxurious suite.
It was a star-rated hotel, with a beautiful room and a floor-to-ceiling window offering a view of the bustling city night scene. Lin Qingyan glanced at it but then looked away; he wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.
Gu Fei asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”
Lin Qingyan shook his head, saying he wasn’t hungry.
Considering that the boy had only eaten a little cake and was probably still hungry, Gu Fei still called room service to order food.
The staff quickly delivered the meal. Gu Fei ordered all of Lin Qingyan’s favorite dishes. Lin Qingyan lacked appetite, but to avoid worrying Gu Fei, he obediently sat at the dining table and began to eat.
“Eat slowly.” Gu Fei sat beside him, his eyes filled with subtle worry. After a while, he got up, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Ge Fei will be out for a while, I’ll be back soon.”
The boy nodded, watching the man’s back disappear from sight before burying his head in his food again. He only put down his chopsticks when he was truly full.
About twenty minutes later, Gu Fei returned, carrying two bags. He had gone to the supermarket next to the hotel to buy some clothes and asked the hotel staff for an ice pack.
He walked in to see Lin Qingyan standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. The boy’s frame was slender and his back looked thin, especially lonely. His delicate profile was soft, appearing exceptionally cold and desolate under the moonlight.
Lin Qingyan thought, he might never be able to let go.
Just thinking about An Nanyi usurping his identity, his family, and living the life of a pampered young master, a stone seemed to press on his heart, making him very uncomfortable, as if he couldn’t breathe.
Lin Qingyan was lost in his own world. Only when Gu Fei approached did he hear footsteps, bringing him back to reality. He turned to Gu Fei, a trace of sadness in his eyes before he managed a smile.
“Ge Fei, you’re back.”
Gu Fei saw everything but said nothing. He took Lin Qingyan’s hand and walked toward the sofa. “Your eyes are a little swollen from crying. You need to ice them.”
At this, Lin Qingyan realized how embarrassing he had been. He must have looked awful, even worse when crying, yet the tears just wouldn’t stop.
He felt heartbroken and wronged, and that feeling hadn’t subsided yet. He might start crying again any minute. No… he felt his nose getting sour again.
This time it wasn’t because of grievance, but because Gu Fei was too kind to him.
“YanYan, lie on my lap.”
Lin Qingyan felt a little embarrassed, but still did as Gu Fei said, carefully resting his head on the man’s lap. He opened his eyes, red like a rabbit’s, looking at the man’s face from this angle for the first time. He was indeed handsome, truly flawless from every angle.
Gu Fei suddenly lowered his head, “Close your eyes.”
The person in front of him seemed startled and immediately closed his eyes. The corners of Gu Fei’s lips curved upwards, though his expression turned serious as he gently applied the ice pack to the skin around the boy’s eyes.
Lin Qingyan’s body stiffened, his lips tightly pursed, not daring to move even his fingers, only his thick, dark eyelashes trembling uncontrollably, as tense as if he were being tortured.
Gu Fei chuckled silently.
After the ice pack, it wasn’t late, so they both took a shower, feeling refreshed and lying down on the bed. Even though they were under the same blanket, the distance between them seemed like a vast bridge.
Lin Qingyan didn’t have much experience sleeping in the same bed with Gu Fei. His heart was racing, his body pressed against the edge of the bed, far away from Gu Fei.
“YanYan, are you planning to sleep under the bed tonight?”
…
Before Lin Qingyan could speak, an arm went around his waist, pulling him closer until his back rested against the man’s chest. Even through the fabric, he could feel the warmth.
Lin Qingyan’s body froze, even holding his breath.
Gu Fei tightened his arm, firmly holding him in his embrace. The air was filled with the scent of the boy, a faint fragrance of bath lotion.
He lowered his head and gently kissed the boy’s fair, delicate nape, as if handling a priceless treasure.
“My darling, good night.”