Chapter 57: Shame

Yu Xi had never imagined that the words “having an affair” could ever be applied to him.

Visibly, he became red-faced and ears-crimson. As if drunk, a sheet of red spread across his ears and neck, his cheeks dyed the color of rouge, and his bright eyes became even more vivid as he glared at Gu Chuanzhou with a hint of reproach.

“Don’t use words so carelessly,” he said solemnly.

Finally, he gave Gu Chuanzhou another tiny glare, pursed his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and got up from the sofa to return to his room.

But the moment he took a step, his wrist was caught and he was dragged back.

He didn’t fall onto the sofa, but rather into Gu Chuanzhou’s embrace.

His back was against Gu Chuanzhou’s chest, and beneath his seat were Gu Chuanzhou’s firm thighs, instantly surrounded by a light, crisp scent of minty wood. He blanked out for a full two seconds. Once he reacted, he began to struggle, but his waist was quickly encircled and locked in place, leaving him unable to move.

“What… what are you doing?”

Panicked and at a loss, he leaned his head back to ask Gu Chuanzhou, only to have his soft cheek rubbed by Gu Chuanzhou in response, causing him to tightly close his eyes out of reflex.

“Just holding you for a moment. I’m a little tired.”

The words of refusal Yu Xi wanted to say failed to leave his mouth upon hearing Gu Chuanzhou’s slightly exhausted sigh.

He recalled that over the past few days, Gu Chuanzhou had been constantly running around and exhausting himself for his sake. The strength of his struggle gradually ceased, and a hesitant expression appeared on his face.

Though his heart was wavering, his body had already softened in reality, obediently allowing himself to be held.

The moment he compromised, Gu Chuanzhou relaxed his binding grip, lightly resting his head against Yu Xi’s shoulder—unlike those previous times when he held him so tightly as if to snap his waist, carrying a sense of suffocation.

Right now, this embrace was warm and gentle; it wasn’t all that resistant after all.

The movie on the screen was still playing. The volume wasn’t high, and the soft background music was soothing and light, which, paired with the dialogue of the characters pouring their hearts out to one another, was actually somewhat hypnotic.

After watching for a while, Yu Xi’s eyelids and long eyelashes drooped involuntarily. His originally somewhat stiff spine slowly leaned back, aligning with Gu Chuanzhou as he rested his weight against him.

He actually felt that sitting in Gu Chuanzhou’s lap was much more comfortable than sitting on the sofa…

But very quickly, the sleepiness that had been induced was completely driven away.

A sudden itch tickled his neck and shoulder, and at the same time, his ear detected a heavy, deep inhalation.

“!”

Instantly, like a kitten sounding an alarm in its brain, Yu Xi’s fur stood on end. He gave a sharp shudder, then twisted his head to look with flushed eyes at the man buried against his shoulder: “You’re sniffing me again!”

He knew Gu Chuanzhou couldn’t stay well-behaved for long!

Yet the man being questioned wasn’t the least bit ashamed or guilty; instead, a muffled laugh escaped his throat against Yu Xi’s shoulder.

Anoyed, Yu Xi said he wanted to leave, but Gu Chuanzhou hastily tightened his arms, gathering him back.

“Because Xixi smells so good, I couldn’t help but sniff.”

Yu Xi didn’t believe his nonsense, lightly swatting his head: “What smells good? I didn’t even use perfume.”

“It’s true,” Gu Chuanzhou said, brushing against the collar of his sweater. His straight nose pressed against the delicate skin, moving back and forth, exhaling breath that sprayed entirely upon it.

Meanwhile, between those deep, handsome eyes, an indescribable, burning desire was written plain as day.

Being touched like this caused Yu Xi’s shoulders to shrink, and a wave of numbness washed over his entire back.

The place in contact with the breath itched fiercely, surging all the way into his body, making him want to curl up, wanting to flee.

“Don’t…” Yu Xi felt the tip of Gu Chuanzhou’s nose venture inside his collar, the corners of his eyes stained with a thin flush of shame. “Don’t sniff anymore.”

He couldn’t endure this strange sensation. Under the circumstances where he couldn’t escape, he clutched Gu Chuanzhou’s hair.

But as if he couldn’t understand words, Gu Chuanzhou continued to sniff him, his breathing growing heavier and heavier, resembling an addict losing control.

Applying force with his hand, Gu Chuanzhou let out a pained, muffled groan, finally halting his sniffing behavior.

The fingers Yu Xi used to clutch his hair loosened slightly out of reflex, but in the next second, he discovered that the darkness in Gu Chuanzhou’s deep eyes had grown increasingly scorching, as if a ball of fire was burning, wanting to sweep him into it together.

This was an incredibly predatory gaze, exactly like a starved beast driven by instinct.

“Xixi can pull a bit harder.” Gu Chuanzhou’s meticulous bangs had already become messy, falling between his brows, and a hint of pleasure seeped from his gaze.

This expression instead terrified Yu Xi into instantly letting go of his hand, but before he could shrink back, he was caught once more.

Gu Chuanzhou pried his fingers open, forcing a tight interlock.

Just like that, he used his slightly calloused fingertips to rub against the tender flesh between the gaps of his fingers.

Even though it was merely touching hands, Yu Xi trembled unceasingly. Seeming unable to bear it, he struggled fiercely, his fingertips scratching and clawing.

Added to that, sniffing wasn’t exactly an overly outrageous act, yet Yu Xi found it unbearable to the extreme. His entire person was flushed red as if steamed thoroughly, and small, fragmented whimpers continuously escaped his mouth. A layer of water mist surfaced in his eyes, making him look pitiful to the extreme. If anyone else saw his current state, they would undoubtedly think he was suffering an immense amount of bullying.

“Gu Chuanzhou…”

He unconsciously called Gu Chuanzhou’s full name, which was very rare.

Gu Chuanzhou’s respiration hitched, and then became increasingly rapid. He originally wanted to bite, but the moment he opened his mouth, he heard the plea.

“…let go of me.”

Yu Xi didn’t cry, though his eyes brimmed with watery light.

He felt the reaction of his body was very foreign—his lower abdomen felt aching and swollen, and his body temperature was scorching hot. This unprecedented sensation left him somewhat frightened.

He couldn’t handle it well. His two knees had clamped around Gu Chuanzhou’s leg at some point, rubbing against it completely without self-awareness, subconsciously believing that doing this would make him feel a bit better.

As he writhed in Gu Chuanzhou’s embrace, his lower abdomen was suddenly pressed down.

Gu Chuanzhou’s slightly low, hoarse voice traveled over: “Xixi, don’t move around.”

“Then you let go…” Yu Xi arched his waist, wanting to flee, but he was pressed back down. When he landed back into Gu Chuanzhou’s embrace, he felt himself bump against something, terrifying him into silence.

His heated and dizzy brain took quite a long while to finally realize what the object he was sitting on was. All his thoughts drifted away, leaving behind nothing but a blank expanse.

He turned into a block of wood, unable to move or think, shrinking rigidly within Gu Chuanzhou’s embrace.

“Be a bit good.” Gu Chuanzhou still pressed one hand forward against his lower abdomen, while the other hand caught his hand to rub it, sniffing his scent every now and then. “I’ll be fine shortly.”

Yu Xi was frightened to the extreme. He gave a tiny sniff of his nose, biting his lip as he chose to endure.

An unknown amount of time passed, and the movie neared its end.

Yu Xi had already been sniffed to the point of numbness, and his fingers, which were repeatedly touched, were also red beyond belief, burning hot; he even suspected the skin had already been chafed raw.

Yet after so long had passed, the sense of presence behind his waist remained exceptionally strong.

Wasn’t it supposed to be shortly?

Why hadn’t it been resolved after so long…

Yu Xi bit his own lips until they were red and swollen. Gathering his courage, he said in a trembling voice, “I… I’m so sleepy, I want to sleep.”

He no longer struggled or resisted, shifting his method to beg for mercy. “Let me return to my room, alright? Brother Chuanzhou.”

“Call my name.” Gu Chuanzhou lightly pressed his tightened abdomen. “Or call me the way you did when we were children.”

The way they did when they were children…

Yu Xi was somewhat confused, unable to figure out how much of a difference there could be between “Brother Chuanzhou” and “Big Brother Chuanzhou”—wasn’t it just one extra word? Why did the man want to hear him call him that…

However, opening his lips, it was inexplicably difficult to articulate; he actually couldn’t call it out.

After stammering for a long time, he still ended up calling him “Gu Chuanzhou”.

The moment he felt himself released, he instantly hid back into his room like a startled rabbit.

Gu Chuanzhou was left alone in the living room, leaning back against the sofa. His shirt was full of wrinkles, and his disheveled hair half-concealed his eyes, which surged with burning desire.

After a dozen seconds of silence, a soft “clack” echoed from Yu Xi’s bedroom.

——The door had been deadlocked.

Gu Chuanzhou let out a low laugh.

Ten o’clock in the morning.

The flight heading toward the capital was about to take off.

Inside the first-class cabin, Yu Xi was wrapped in a blanket, nestled within the comfortable seat. His face was turned toward the window against the U-shaped pillow, revealing only a fluffy back of his head, appearing as though he had already fallen asleep.

“Xixi, seatbelt.”

Gu Chuanzhou reminded him softly. Seeing that the youth still gave no reaction, he closed the laptop in his hands and leaned over.

The moment he drew close, the youth—who appeared fast asleep—had his ears prick up like an alert rabbit.

“No need to trouble yourself.”

Yu Xi swiftly snatched away the half of the strap Gu Chuanzhou held in his hand, fastening it with a click. Once it was buckled, he returned to his previous posture, twisting his body with effort to keep his back facing Gu Chuanzhou.

He wrapped the blanket on his body a bit tighter and closed his eyes.

“Is Xixi still angry with me?” Gu Chuanzhou asked softly.

Yu Xi said in a muffled voice: “I’m going to sleep, please do not disturb me.”

Even while angry, he still didn’t forget to maintain his manners.

Looking at the slight, rounded curve of Yu Xi’s cheek peeking out from the blanket, Gu Chuanzhou laughed silently.

After this, Gu Chuanzhou didn’t disturb Yu Xi again, but Yu Xi’s current sulk lasted exceptionally long.

From waking up in the early morning all the way until the plane landed, he didn’t actively speak a single word to Gu Chuanzhou.

His spirit wasn’t good either; having not slept enough on the plane, his slightly red and swollen eyelids drooped listlessly, his red lips pursed, and he kept his head lowered without uttering a word.

“Did you not sleep well last night?” Gu Chuanzhou dragged the suitcase with one hand while keeping his other hand loosely protective behind Yu Xi’s back.

Yu Xi cast over a reproachful look that wrote, “You still have the nerve to ask.”

Gu Chuanzhou couldn’t help but laugh again: “It’s all my fault.”

Yu Xi flattened his lips: “It was to begin with.”

It was all Gu Chuanzhou’s fault. If it weren’t for the strange things Gu Chuanzhou did, he wouldn’t have had such a strange dream…

No one knew how helpless and panicked Yu Xi had been upon waking up to find the center of his thighs damp.

He must have been frightened, which was why such a situation occurred.

It absolutely wasn’t himself…

“Zhang Xingkuo.” Gu Chuanzhou’s sudden voice interrupted Yu Xi’s thoughts.

Yu Xi lifted his head blankly: “What?”

Gu Chuanzhou tilted his chin toward a certain direction: “Over there.”

Yu Xi followed his gaze blankly, and then his entire person froze.

Zhang Xingkuo was wearing a very conspicuous black-and-red windbreaker and a baseball cap, looking around not far away, clearly searching for something.

“Quick, hide!”

This was Yu Xi’s first reaction.

He grabbed Gu Chuanzhou’s arm to walk in another direction. Spotting the first-class VIP lounge, his eyes lit up, “Let’s go over there!”

Gu Chuanzhou allowed himself to be dragged along, a pleasant smile remaining on his face: “Do we need to hide?”

“It’s you hiding alone.”

Yu Xi pushed Gu Chuanzhou into an unoccupied corner and took over his own suitcase: “Xingxing is definitely here to pick me up. I’ll go out first to return home with him, and then you return by yourself.”

Gu Chuanzhou’s brow arched slightly: “You’re going to abandon me?”

Yu Xi blinked, somewhat at a loss: “It’s… it’s not abandoning you. After all, you hid it from everyone to accompany me to visit my mom. If Xingxing finds out, he will definitely make a scene, and it will be very difficult to clean up the aftermath then…”

Probably feeling that such a request was very unfair to Gu Chuanzhou, Yu Xi revealed an apologetic expression, “I’m sorry.”

Gu Chuanzhou nodded, looking at him tenderly: “It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

But such tolerance made Yu Xi feel even more guilty: “I’ll compensate you properly later on.”

“Mm, then let’s count it as Xixi owing me one condition.”

“?”

Yu Xi blanked out. He thought Gu Chuanzhou would say “it’s okay” or “don’t mind it” like usual, but he hadn’t expected him to just agree along with it like this.

Although he had put it forward sincerely himself, for some unknown reason… facing Gu Chuanzhou’s half-smiling eyes, a trace of regret surfaced within him.

It shouldn’t be any outrageous request, right?

He asked, but Gu Chuanzhou merely said: “Xixi will know when the time comes.”

Yu Xi’s heart grew increasingly frantic, and he remained absentminded even while together with Zhang Xingkuo, only snapping back to his senses after being called twice.

“Are you tired? Do you want to sleep for a bit?”

Zhang Xingkuo adjusted the temperature inside the car slightly higher and turned off the music.

“…I am a little tired,” Yu Xi pursed his lips and said.

Zhang Xingkuo reached out to ruffle Yu Xi’s hair into a mess, saying, “You ran so far all by yourself, and even took the plane alone; you’re bound to be tired. Now that I’m driving, you can rest at ease. Go to sleep.”

“…” Feeling even more guilty, Yu Xi gave a tiny response and closed his eyes to fake sleep the entire way.

All in all, Gu Chuanzhou’s existence was hidden away just like that, avoiding a major battle.

Over the next few days, Yu Xi kept thinking about Gu Chuanzhou’s condition, his heart jumping up and down. Fortunately, Gu Chuanzhou became busy upon returning to his company, failing to come see him again for several days, merely chatting and speaking with him on WeChat.

Even on the day they all went together to the hot spring villa, Gu Chuanzhou had to be half a day late before he could hook up with them.

It was normal to be busy at the end of the year, but Yu Xi knew that Gu Chuanzhou’s work had piled up more and more mainly because of him.

“If he’s this busy, he might as well just not come, yet he insists on coming,” Zhang Xingkuo said sourly upon seeing Yu Xi admiring and sharing photos of the villa with Gu Chuanzhou at the same time.

Sheng Yunjuan said: “I find you quite annoying too.”

“The mountain roads here are so winding; it wouldn’t do without me driving to bring Xiao Xi,” Zhang Xingkuo crossed his legs. “I am at least of some use. This Prince of Piano started yawning the moment he arrived; I don’t even know what he came for.”

The title “Prince of Piano” was spoken by Zhang Xingkuo in a highly playful tone, carrying a thick layer of mockery.

Lin Shuhuai’s expression remained unchanged, and he smiled without sincerity: “I booked the rooms, so of course I had to come.”

Saying this, he turned around and placed Yu Xi’s hand into his own palm, “Xiao Xi, I’ll take you to see your room.”

Zhang Xingkuo instantly went into defense mode, snatching Yu Xi back in one go: “You’re getting handsy again!”

“Is it not even allowed for an older brother to hold his younger brother’s hand? Xingkuo, you’re being a bit too overbearing. No one will like you if you’re this childish.” Lin Shuhuai let out a sigh, looking at Zhang Xingkuo helplessly, as if looking at a willful child.

The veins on Zhang Xingkuo’s forehead instantly bulged out.

Just as the flames of war were about to erupt, Yu Xi, who stood in the middle, held both of their hands simultaneously. His brows furrowed slightly, and he asked in a soft voice: “Do you two want to argue here?”

His lifted eyes were filled to the brim with distress; no one could bear to make things difficult for him.

“There are other customers in the lobby. Let’s not affect others, okay?”

In an instant, the two men withdrew their sharp edges, no longer bickering a single word.

“Let’s go, we’ll look at the rooms together.” Having coaxed the two, Yu Xi wouldn’t neglect the relatively quiet Meng Shen either, waving his hand toward the back to signal him to follow.

The hot spring villa was very large. Lin Shuhuai had locked down all the best rooms, each featuring a private hot spring pool.

Among them, the scenery of Yu Xi’s room was the best, allowing him to see the plum blossom trees planted outside the villa, which, paired with the snowscape, was elegant and pleasant.

Not in a rush to soak in the hot spring, they ate a meal first, and then each took a nap in their respective rooms.

Yu Xi’s nap time was short. After waking up, he went to Pei Wang’s room first to coach him in his studies.

Even though a high school senior could play, his grades couldn’t slide.

“You did this exam paper very well; the error rate is getting lower and lower. You’re just a bit careless, always forgetting the additional conditions.” When it came to studies, Yu Xi was always very earnest and single-minded.

It wasn’t until the others came knocking on the door that he remembered everyone had agreed to gather in the villa’s plum blossom garden at two-thirty in the afternoon to boil tea around a stove.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

Yu Xi helped Pei Wang pack away the exam papers and met up with everyone.

Somewhat unexpectedly, they ran into a familiar acquaintance from their social circle in the plum blossom garden.

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