Chapter 23: It’s Good That He’s Willing to Pretend to Be Good
Qin Wan sat in the seat closest to the door, keeping as much distance as possible from Gu Xinglan.
The faint scent of ebony agarwood filled the cabin.
That was the unique scent belonging to Gu Xinglan.
Although it smelled good, it made Qin Wan’s scalp tingle in waves.
He dared not look up, nor dared he make a sound, just shrinking quietly in the corner of the seat.
He didn’t dare to think about how Gu Xinglan would deal with him.
This time, he had not only escaped but also injured his friend.
He must be furious.
Qin Wan felt bursts of darkness before his eyes, and his breathing was somewhat obstructed.
After a long time, the suffocating silence in the cabin was broken by Gu Xinglan’s voice.
“What’s in the bag?” he asked.
The voice sounded devoid of any abnormality.
But Qin Wan had gradually learned that Gu Xinglan almost never showed his joy or anger through his expression or voice.
Qin Wan’s fingers trembled as he slowly handed the bag over.
Seeing the contents, Gu Xinglan laughed. “Qin Wan, sure enough, a thief never leaves empty-handed!”
“You ran away, yet you didn’t forget to swipe my gold chain?”
Qin Wan pressed his lips tightly together, not knowing how to reply.
Until a fair, elegant hand reached over and clamped his chin.
“Qin Wan, your skills have improved. Tell me, how did you come up with the hostage trick?”
Qin Wan’s small face was forced upward.
Gu Xinglan narrowed his eyes slightly, meticulously admiring the panic on his face.
“I… I just… just thought of it on the spot…” His voice was very low.
Gu Xinglan’s voice was flat and waveless. “Mn. And the dinner fork? You hid it this morning, planning to save it to stab me tonight?”
Qin Wan’s body shook violently. “No! Really no! I… I wouldn’t dare…”
“Wouldn’t dare, not wouldn’t want to, right?”
The smile remained on Gu Xinglan’s lips, but a trace of cold ruthlessness shrouded his handsome brow and eyes.
“Qin Wan, I’m still too lenient with you. So much so that to escape, you even harbored murderous intent toward me.”
With his voice, he reached out and yanked the person from the other side.
Imprisoning him tightly in his arms.
The gloomy, tyrannical aura radiating from him at this moment made Qin Wan feel dizzy, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.
“I didn’t!” he cried out. “Really didn’t! I… I didn’t know the fork would be useful. I just… just felt…”
“Just felt what?” Gu Xinglan’s eyes were dark and predatory, relentless.
“I felt… felt…” Qin Wan knew he couldn’t explain it clearly no matter what.
His breathing became more rapid, trembling.
He reached out his hand and touched Gu Xinglan’s chest.
“Brother, I know I was wrong!” He lifted his small face, his clear black eyes fluttering as he looked at him.
His expression was sorrowful, nearing despair.
“I’m sorry, Brother. I’ll go back with you. I promise I won’t run away again!”
His small hand climbed onto his shoulder, in a posture asking for a hug, exceptionally obedient.
“Brother, I’ll go back with you; punish me however you want.” His eyes turned red, his lips trembling slightly.
“But, please, please don’t hurt Aunt Rong!”
“Her health is very bad; she can’t withstand any torment…”
Qin Wan sank softly into Gu Xinglan’s embrace, his eyes drooping low.
At an angle invisible to Gu Xinglan, a tear fell.
Gu Xinglan knew perfectly well that the little liar was lying again.
His obedience and submission were all an act.
However, it was good that he was willing to pretend to be good.
After all, in a certain sense, pretending to be good was the first step to being tamed.
Gu Xinglan looked down at the pale, delicate hand climbing onto him.
With this look, he suddenly noticed something wrong.
Qin Wan’s wrist looked strange.
His wrist was very slender, but right now it looked swollen a size larger.
Gu Xinglan frowned.
He pushed his sleeve up a bit.
Now, two tiny, bright red tooth marks were revealed.
Gu Xinglan was not unfamiliar with these marks.
His heart sank violently, ignoring the previous topic.
“Qin Wan, were you bitten by a snake?”
Qin Wan’s brain was still in a state of high tension; hearing this, he froze for a moment.
Then he nodded, his voice small. “Mn.”
“In the woods, a baby bird fell from its nest. A snake crawled over nearby, so I used a branch to drive it away…”
“Qin Wan, you’re really something! You’re running for your life, yet you have the leisure to care about a bird’s life or death!”
Gu Xinglan inexplicably swore, startling Qin Wan into shrinking his neck.
“Immediately, go to St. Ann Hospital! Fast!” Gu Xinglan shouted urgently into the driver’s intercom earpiece.
Qin Wan was a bit confused by the reaction.
But at this moment, he felt breathing becoming more difficult, his head splitting with pain.
He realized something.
“That snake… was poisonous, wasn’t it?” he asked in a daze.
The next second, he felt his vision blur, unable to see anything clearly.
His eyelids rolled back, and his body went limp, collapsing into Gu Xinglan’s arms.
“Qin Wan, Qin Wan!” Gu Xinglan’s handsome brows knitted into a knot, gently patting his cheek.
But the person in his arms had already lost consciousness.
“Quick, faster!” Gu Xinglan opened the partition screen between the front and rear rows, roaring at the driver.
“Yes, President Gu!”
Only then did the driver uncle see the situation in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
He didn’t know the reason, only seeing the young man’s face was deathly pale, lying motionless in his boss’s arms.
The driver uncle also became worried, flooring the gas pedal, and the car sped toward St. Ann Hospital.
When Qin Wan opened his eyes again, he found himself in a room where everything was white.
He blinked, realizing only then that this was a hospital ward.
He recalled what had happened earlier.
Gu Xinglan said he was bitten by a poisonous snake, so it was probably the snake venom taking effect.
He exhaled, feeling that apart from having no strength in his body and being a bit dizzy, he was otherwise fine.
He looked around the luxurious, spacious ward.
He didn’t see Gu Xinglan’s shadow.
He wasn’t here.
A burst of excitement hit Qin Wan, and he instinctively wanted to get up and escape.
But he suddenly remembered that Aunt Rong was still controlled by Gu Xinglan.
The light flashing in his eyes dimmed instantly.
He sighed deeply.
Gu Xinglan held his weakness; he was destined not to escape.
At least for the short term.
He looked at the fluid slowly dripping tick-tock, tick-tock from the IV bottle above him, his nose turning red, his small face scrunching up.
In the adjacent room.
Fu Yunting had gauze wrapped around his neck and was moaning and groaning on the hospital bed.
Gu Xinglan and Li Ye sat on the sofa.
A vaguely indescribable smile played on Li Ye’s handsome face.
“Yunting, really, why did you provoke him when everything was fine?”
“Xinglan already said the little guy was a bit violent. Yet you delivered yourself on a silver platter.”
Fu Yunting’s mouth twitched as he shot a sideways glance at Li Ye. “Li Ye, why do I feel like you’re gloating a bit?”
Li Ye handed over a peeled apple.
“Alright, I won’t laugh at you. Here, eat a peace apple to calm your nerves.”
Fu Yunting puffed up angrily. “Not eating!”
Li Ye: “Then sit up and talk. It’s just a scratch, but you’re acting like you had major surgery.”
Fu Yunting: “Won’t get up!”
As he spoke, he pulled a small mirror from the bag next to him and looked at his face.
“Look at you two, this slap mark… it’s been hours, and it’s still red!”
“Not only did he poke my neck, but he also slapped my face! How can he be so savage?”
“Since childhood, when has this Young Master ever suffered such bullying!”
His peach-blossom eyes were full of grievance as he looked at Gu Xinglan.
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