Chapter 27: SnugglingâDrunk Yu Xi is Extremely Well-Behaved
Under several burning gazes, Gu Chuanzhou brought Yu Xi into his car.
After instructing the driver to maintain the steadiest and slowest speed, he raised the divider between the front and back seats and took a bottle of water from the storage box, unscrewing it.
“Do you want to drink some water, Xixi?”
Yu Xi leaned against his shoulder and only gave a slow response after being asked twice: “I do.”
His voice carried a bit of a nasal tone, like a bean paste bunâsoft and sweet, making one want to squeeze it to see if more sweet filling would come out.
Gu Chuanzhouâs breathing slowed. He cupped Yu Xiâs chin with one hand and brought the bottle opening close with the other, carefully and gently feeding the water in.
Yu Xi tilted his face up, his eyes narrowed, looking like a cat being fed. He took small sips, and his chin was inevitably moistened a bit.
Gu Chuanzhou timely retracted his hand, temporarily placing the water to the side, and used his hand to wipe Yu Xiâs chin and the corners of his mouth. A pink tongue tip peeked out, seemingly in an unconscious action of licking his lips, but happened to touch Gu Chuanzhouâs fingertips.
A moist and soft sensation, gone in a flash.
Gu Chuanzhouâs eyes immediately turned several shades darker.
Yu Xi, unaware, smacked his lips with satisfaction after drinking the water and leaned his face back onto Gu Chuanzhouâs shoulder.
The back seat didn’t have the lights on. The neon light from outside swept across Gu Chuanzhouâs face like flowing water. In the light and shadow, his prominent features looked exceptionally deep, and a pair of dark eyes stared intensely at the person pressed close to him.
“Xixi,” Gu Chuanzhou called out in a low voice.
Yu Xi opened his eyes a crack and responded ambiguously, “Mhm?”
Gu Chuanzhou pressed the phone screen to light it up. “Look, itâs already very late. If we go back to the Pei house, weâll likely disturb Auntie Pei and Pei Wangâs rest, right?”
Yu Xi, whose head was dizzy, thought along with Gu Chuanzhouâs words and nodded. “Right.”
“Then should Xixi change places to stay?” Gu Chuanzhou continued to ask.
Yu Xi still took a few seconds to react. “Change places… where to?”
“To my place.” Gu Chuanzhou saw the person jumping into his trap bit by bit, and his eyes couldn’t help but surge with excitement. “Thereâs no one at my house, the house is big, the bed is soft… I know Xixi has a class meeting tomorrow evening; Iâll send Xixi back to school then. Is that good?”
It made a lot of sense.
Yu Xi thought dazed, and nodded again under Gu Chuanzhouâs gaze. “Okay.”
Gu Chuanzhou hooked his lips into a satisfied smile, rubbing his chin against Yu Xiâs hair. His whole person emitted an aura of joy.
…
Half an hour later, Gu Chuanzhou looked with a gloomy face at the three cars following closely in his right rearview mirror, then at the dazzlingly bright message on his phone.
Sheng Yunzhuan:
[You better honestly send Xiao Xi into the Pei house.]
[Otherwise, the five of us won’t let you off.]
[Penguin mosquito vision staring at camera.jpg]
Gu Chuanzhou: “…”
He took a deep breath, put away his phone, and instructed the driver: “Drive to the entrance of the Pei house.”
The driver did as told and drove away from the Gu house.
After the car stopped steadily, Gu Chuanzhou got out first, then carried the already asleep Yu Xi out. He gave a brief glance at the cars behind which were flashing their hazard lights, and walked into the Pei house.
Pei Lexin hadn’t returned from the company yet, and Pei Wang, being in his senior year of high school, would have evening self-study until 10:30 PM. It wasn’t time yet.
The butler came to greet them.
Gu Chuanzhou refused the butlerâs help. “Iâll bring Xixi up myself; you don’t need to trouble yourself.”
The butler had received instructions from Pei Lexin and was naturally at ease with Gu Chuanzhou, accompanying them upstairs to help open the room door before retreating.
Gu Chuanzhou carried the person steadily all the way. He was extremely careful when putting him down. But while taking off his shoes, he heard a movement and found that Yu Xi had already sat up by himself.
He just sat there dazed, not speaking, his blurry eyes staring into the void.
Gu Chuanzhou placed the shoes properly. “Why are you awake? Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I am.” Yu Xi nodded repeatedly, then held his own head. “Dizzy.”
Seeing him nod himself dizzy, Gu Chuanzhou couldn’t help but laugh. “Then lie down properly. Iâll go get a wet towel to wipe your face.”
“Okay.” Yu Xi was very obedient and lay back down. He was in a very standard and disciplined flat position, with his hands crossed over his belly, staring with eyes open waiting for the person to come and wipe his face. He was exceptionally well-behaved.
Gu Chuanzhou, witnessing this scene, felt his heart being struck twice. He stood and watched for a while before going to the bathroom.
When he came out with the warm wet towel, the person who should have been lying properly on the bed had changed to a prone position, reaching out and searching for something in the nightstand drawer, making a rattling sound.
“Xixi.”
At Gu Chuanzhouâs call, Yu Xi quickly changed back to his initial flat position, pretending to be well-behaved as if afraid Gu Chuanzhou would scold him.
Gu Chuanzhouâs eyes were full of laughter. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked while gently wiping Yu Xiâs face, “What are you doing?”
“Iâm looking for Yu Xiaohe.” Yu Xi squinted while cooperating, answering.
“Yu Xiaohe?” Gu Chuanzhouâs brow arched slightly.
Yu Xiâs face after being wiped had damp brows and eyelashes, looking darker and thicker, and his cheeks were even more pink. He probably felt comfortable, as he let out a light breath before speaking: “Heâs my pet.”
Gu Chuanzhou was a bit surprised. “When did you get a pet?”
Not to mention Yu Xi had never mentioned it, it was hard to imagine what kind of pet would be hidden in a nightstand drawer.
A lizard or a hamster?
Yu Xi answered seriously: “Iâve had him for four years. I found him by the river. Can you help me find him? I used to say goodnight to him every day before sleeping. I didn’t bring him with me when school started, and I haven’t talked to him for a long time…”
“Okay.”
Gu Chuanzhou pulled open the nightstand drawer again, searching through the two drawers.
There were very few things insideâsome tissues, books or pens, and an iron box covered by scratch paper.
When the iron box was taken out, Yu Xi shouted with great happiness, “Thatâs it!”
Gu Chuanzhou saw “Yu Xiaoheâs Home” written on the box. He opened it gently and met “eyes” with the thing inside.
It wasn’t a lizard, let alone a pet.
It wasn’t even alive; it was just a pebble.
The pebble lay on dry grass decorated with small flowers. Two symmetrical eye stickers were pasted on its flat front, and it wore a small straw-woven round-top hat on its “head.”
“…”
Gu Chuanzhou was stunned for a long while, then let out a muffled laugh. He quickly suppressed it and brought it to the waiting Yu Xi. “Here, your pet.”
“Thank you.” Yu Xi held the stone out and had Gu Chuanzhou bring the wet towel he had just used to wipe his face to wipe the stoneâs body, then reorganized the flattened dry grass in the box.
Gu Chuanzhou sat by the side watching. He heard Yu Xi muttering to himself about getting new dry grass to make a mattress for the stone, and the doting smile in his eyes was almost overflowing.
“Xixi, why did you name him Xiaohe? Wasn’t he found by a stream?”
“Because…” Yu Xi smiled shyly. “I hope he has a broader, more magnificent life than I do.”
Gu Chuanzhou nodded. “I think Xixiâs name is also very good.”
He cupped Yu Xiâs face and met his gaze. “The clear stream rushes swiftly, unhindered by the towering green mountains.”
Yu Xi blinked, suddenly smiling. “I like that sentence.”
Gu Chuanzhou smoothed the messy hair on Yu Xiâs forehead, his gaze profound. “I do too.”
This was the Yu Xi in his heart. It was just that Yu Xi never knew how good he was, and even placed his yearnings on a stone as if they were an extravagant hope.
But Yu Xi was worthy of a broad and magnificent life and would definitely have one.
The un-sobered Yu Xi didn’t know what was in Gu Chuanzhouâs mind, and was seriously saying goodnight to Yu Xiaohe. Finally, he held the stone in front of Gu Chuanzhou: “Chuanzhou Gege, do you want to say it too?”
Gu Chuanzhou: “Goodnight, Yu Xiaohe. And Xixi, goodnight.”
Yu Xi smiled with satisfaction and fell back onto the bed. “Today Iâm going to sleep with Yu Xiaohe!”
“Mhm, of course. But don’t forget we still have to apply medicine before sleeping.” Gu Chuanzhou took the ointment for sunburn out of Yu Xiâs satchel. “Lie on your stomach, Xixi.”
Yu Xi quickly lay on his stomach, his face pressed into the pillow.
His back neck was exposed. The scarlet sunburn seemed a bit better after the medicine was applied once in the afternoon. Gu Chuanzhouâs technique was still gentle and meticulous this time.
But the drunk Yu Xi didn’t have the endurance he had while sober in the afternoon. Being tickled by the finger applying medicine, he laughed, dodging somewhat uncooperatively, his shoulders shrinking and shaking continuously.
Gu Chuanzhou used a bit of strength to press on Yu Xiâs shoulders. It took some time before the medicine was applied. He placed the ointment on the nightstand. “The medicine hasn’t been absorbed yet; don’t move around for now, Xixi.”
“Okay.” Yu Xi quieted down, holding the stone and letting out a big yawn.
Seeing this, Gu Chuanzhou pulled the blanket over him and adjusted the lighting.
Yu Xi lay down but didn’t close his eyes properly. His gaze followed Gu Chuanzhou, staring at him intently.
“What is it?” Gu Chuanzhou rubbed his hair.
Yu Xi grabbed this hand, clutching the slender fingers, and said, “Thank you.”
Gu Chuanzhou vaguely sensed that Yu Xiâs emotions were a bit different at this moment. “Thank me for what?”
“Thank you for being willing to come find me after so long. It was all my fault…” Yu Xi turned on his side and curled his legs, shrinking into a small ball. He pulled Gu Chuanzhouâs hand close and pressed it under his face. “Sorry. I wanted to find you too, but… but I couldn’t.”
His voice was small, carrying very obvious guilt and a sense of grievance.
“…”
Gu Chuanzhouâs breathing hitched slightly.
He looked at the curled-up Yu Xi and felt the damp heat on the back of his hand. His chest felt a wave of sourness. He lowered his head and asked, “Xixi can tell me if you have any difficulties, okay?”
Yu Xi, whose face was buried in his palm, suddenly became quiet, like a cat that had its red line crossed. Even though he was drunk, he became alert: “I… I don’t have any difficulties.”
“Really? Then look at me and say it.” Gu Chuanzhou said warmly.
After a long while, Yu Xi lifted his head slightly, revealing his eyes. He met Gu Chuanzhouâs gaze and then hurriedly looked away.
His eyes were red, and the tears he was desperately holding back were swirling inside. He probably thought he had disguised it well and even said, “I really don’t.”
“Mhm.” Gu Chuanzhou wasn’t blindly pressing for an answer, coaxing him. “If there are no difficulties, did you run into any trouble before?”
Yu Xi sniffed. “Not really either…”
Gu Chuanzhou was silent for a moment. “Even if Xixi doesn’t say it, I can guess. Xixi must have had a hard time over these years and suffered many grievances.”
During this period after their reunion, Gu Chuanzhou had witnessed every move of Yu Xi being afraid of causing trouble for others and being careful everywhere.
This wasn’t like Yu Xi; Yu Xi shouldn’t be like this.
He should be like when he was a childâwithout too many scruples and carefree. His face should carry a brilliant and happy smile, and his eyes should only have pure joy, rather than cautiously watching peopleâs expressions, trying to please and compensate everyone around him, and hiding his bad emotions in his heart, choosing to process them alone.
Gu Chuanzhou had been trying everything to give him more of a sense of security, wanting him to let go of his burdens and accept all the kindness others gave him with a light heart.
But this was a long-term battle.
Gu Chuanzhou didn’t ask Yu Xi further as he closed himself off again, quietly staying with him until the other gradually fell asleep.
Yu Xi stayed like that, pillowing on his hand, sleeping very deeply. His brow was still unconsciously furrowed.
Gu Chuanzhou reached out and smoothed Yu Xiâs brows. He sat with him until late at night before gently lifting Yu Xiâs head and withdrawing his right hand, which had long since gone numb and lost sensation.
He walked onto the balcony, closed the glass door, and made a phone call.
“Help me investigate Xixiâs past. I want to know all his experiences over these nearly twelve years. It must be detailed; don’t miss any important matter.”
…
Gu Chuanzhou had originally wanted to wait for Yu Xi to open up himself, but he couldn’t wait any longer.
When he felt Yu Xi secretly crying, his heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife, and he was burning with anxiety.
Translator’s Note:
- “Qingxi benkuai…” (ć¸ ćşŞĺĽĺżŤďźä¸çŽĄéĺąąç¤): This is a quote from the Song dynasty poet Xin Qiji. It means the clear stream rushes fast, unhindered by the obstruction of the mountains. Gu Chuanzhou uses it to tell Yu Xi that he is like that streamâstrong and free.
- Yu Xiaohe (çĺ°ć˛ł): The pet rock. “Yu” is the protagonist’s surname (meaning jade). “Xiaohe” means Little River. It’s heart-wrenching that a piece of stone was his only companion.
- The Investigation: Now we get to the “Cold CEO” part where he uses his power to find the truth. The 12 missing years are clearly very dark.
- Gu Chuanzhou’s Restraint: He didn’t take advantage of Yu Xi being drunk, which shows he truly respects and loves him.
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