Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
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Gu Ze finally managed to peel an apple completely in one turn. Laying the ring of apple skin on his palm, he glanced at Meng Fu’s sleeping face.
With this…
Will we be able to stay together, for a lifetime?
In fact, I’m afraid of losing you, Meng Fu.
He stood up and pressed his lips lightly but firmly against Meng Fu’s.
This was the first time he was kissing Meng Fu, and he actually felt very nervous to be doing it. He was worried that Meng Fu would suddenly wake up.
But thank god, Meng Fu did not wake up.
He could not bear to part from him. Even though his lips were dry and not as soft as a woman’s, they were pleasant, and mesmerizing.
“Big Brother, what’re you doing?” Meng Yi, who was sleeping in the next bed, had woken up at some point and was currently staring curiously at Gu Ze. “Are you kissing Meng-Meng?”
Embarrassed, Gu Ze quickly got up and placed a finger on his lips. “Shh.”
He went up to Meng Yi. “Not so loud, Meng Fu is sleeping. And also, don’t tell him what happened just now, alright?”
“Okay, I know! Big Brother was secretly kissing Meng-Meng, and Big Brother is shy. Big Brother definitely likes Meng-Meng, right? Don’t worry! I won’t tell Meng-Meng.” Covering his mouth, Meng Yi giggled from under the blanket. But after laughing for a while, he realized something unusual about this arrangement. “Big Brother is a boy. Meng-Meng is also a boy. Shouldn’t boys like girls?”
“You won’t understand.”
He thought that boys liked girls too, but Meng Fu was a surprise for him.
Meng Yi glanced at Gu Ze, seemingly understanding.
“Meng Yi, this is our secret. Remember not to let Meng Fu know.”
Meng Yi nodded.
As soon as Meng Fu woke up, he was greeted by the sight of Gu Ze holding an apple peel.
It was a full loop.
“Are you feeling better now?” Gu Ze asked. He had the apple peel laid out on his palm as if he were showing off. “I did it.”
Meng Fu shot him a faint, vapid smile, like a blurry reflection on the surface of water, almost illusory.
He said, “Your wish will come true, Mr. Gu.”
If Gu Ze gets to spend his life with the one he loves, would that make him feel less guilty?
Meng Yi’s face moved away from his comic book. “Meng-Meng, why hasn’t Big Brother Ye Yan come? He won’t pick up when I call him either.”
“Ye Yan might be busy right now.”
“Until when?”
“Be patient, Xiao Yi. Ye Yan will call you when he’s free.”
It was now that Meng Fu realized how attached Xiao Yi had grown to Ye Yan.
“Okay…” Meng Yi answered sullenly before turning back to his book.
In just a short while, he could no longer endure the curiosity to lower his book again, peeking over at Meng Fu with his large, pretty eyes.
Meng-Meng, Big Brother kissed you! He screamed in his mind as if he could hardly hold it in.
…
Ye Yan had no idea how to speak to his mother. He had just learned the cruel truth from Meng Yu’s mouth, and he hoped he never had to learn more.
At times, as if by instinct, humans feared the truth.
Even more so when the truth rips away another person’s facade.
“Mother.”
“Ye Yan, are you still angry with me?” Ye Yan did not take a single step out of the house during the past two days, as if out of spite for his mother, and this was all Meng Fu’s fault.
“Mom.” Ye Yan tried his best to remain calm. “Did you go to Meng Fu’s house during the last few days?”
“No.” Meng Yu did not expect to hear him ask about the brothers, and she did not want to put a strain on her relationship with her son. “Ye Yan, forgive your mother, please? Mama’s in a tough spot, too. After all, your father’s career was unsuccessful, and we still have to put food on the table. The house is long gone, and even if you bought it back, if you took into consideration the increase in housing prices, it’s simply not something we can afford. If you really want to compensate Meng Fu and his brother, then I can come up with a bit of money.”
Meng Yu did not seem to be lying, and her voice also sounded quite sincere.
His mother still had a good heart, at least. That was what he thought.
“Mom, just scrape up as much as you can. If possible, I would still like to try my best to return that house to them.”
“Very well…”
This was just a temporary measure. How could she so easily give out the money that she had received?
…
“Mr. Jin. Someone is investigating our trail.”
Inside a dark room with a single wooden chair, a man leaned forward, reporting to the seated man, dressed in a suit.
“Who?”
“Gu Ze.”
“Isn’t he the one who wants this the most? Why is he investigating me?” Mr. Jin continued stroking the ring on his right ring finger as he spoke, not even lifting his head.
Seated with his legs crossed, one leg shook back and forth in great leisure.
“We’re not sure about the situation at present. Meng Fu has been in the hospital after his suicide attempt, but we failed to retrieve any further news,” the man reported the matter as-is.
“Fine. Keep your eye on them, and don’t reveal my identity before you figure out what Gu Ze’s intentions are.” Turning his ring one full circle, Mr. Jin returned it to its original position.
…
On the fourth day, Meng Fu’s body was still weak, but he insisted on being discharged. Even though the doctors and the nurses had seen the rumors on the net, they did not show much animosity towards Meng Fu as they took care of them in the past few days.
Gu Ze had also informed them in private not to tell Meng Fu about the news being spread on the internet.
If there was one thing he had to be thankful for, it was the fact that Meng Fu did not have a habit of staring at his phone.
Despite the amount of effort it took for him to even get out of bed, the man still insisted on being discharged. Without a single word, Gu Ze suddenly picked Meng Fu up as soon as he had gotten out of bed.
“Mr. Gu…” His voice was filled with panic and unease.
The way this man hauled him up below the knees was awkward and embarrassing.
Everyone knows that porcupines were unfortunate in that they were unable to embrace each other even if they fell in love. Being held by Gu Ze just made him feel pain all over as if he were being pricked by his thorns.
“Mr. Gu, put me down…” He bleated.
But Gu Ze paid his discomfort no mind. He merely shot him a glance, and in that single moment, it was like a rock had cracked apart. Something inside him could no longer be contained.
Meng Fu tried to struggle, but he was still weak. There was no way he could break free from the arms of a sturdy man like him.
The nurses in the hospital were all staring at them while Meng Yi trailed behind them, thinking to himself that Big Brother probably liked Meng-Meng.
Meng Fu buried his face in Gu Ze’s arms out of embarrassment, leaving only his dark hair in view.
Why is he doing this?
His mind was in disarray. Countless threads intertwined like a messy ball, refusing to be untangled, leaving him with unreasonable guesses.
But he was too weak to even bother guessing his intentions.
He was tired. All he wanted was to have a good rest.
Gu Ze carried him into the car and fastened his seat belt. Then, he turned around and instructed Meng Yi, who was sitting in the back, to fasten his seatbelt as well.
“Meng-Meng, so many people were looking at you just now!” Meng Yi exclaimed from the back.
Next to him were the comic books he had brought with him, placed on top of the car seat.
“Yeah…” Meng Fu responded weakly.
Since Meng Fu was unwilling to talk, Meng Yi poked his head out and spoke to Gu Ze instead. “Big Brother, is Meng-Meng heavy?”
“No, he’s very light. He should eat more and put on some weight.”
Gu Ze glanced at Meng Fu in the passenger seat as he said that, studying his delicate face that was clearly underweight.
This man was so quiet that it almost seemed as if he were not breathing.
“Yeah, Meng-Meng usually eats a lot! But Meng-Meng keeps on sleeping recently, so he hasn’t been eating. We have to make sure Meng-Meng eats properly when we’re home.”
Does he eat a lot? Even though he’s usually thin, too. Where is all that food going?
“You should eat properly once you’re home,” Gu Ze instructed, his concern purposefully hidden away as if he were only speaking in passing.
Meng Fu nodded lightly.
But little did he know, the “home” that Gu Ze mentioned was no longer the small apartment he rented.