Chapter 56 Ferris Wheel
The only sounds in the cramped space were the gentle breathing of the two people and the subtle hum of the air conditioning system. Chu Yan lazily leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the vast, illuminated star map outside the window. With a few taps on his phone, he set a 15-minute countdown alarm.
"Tick..." A faint reminder sound rang out in the silence, like an announcement of some countdown.
Chu Yu remembered Chu Yan's advice to "keep an eye on me" and his gaze had been fixed on Chu Yan since he entered the elevator. His eyes were filled with an almost greedy inquiry, as if he wanted to imprint every inch of the man before him, every expression, into his mind.
Chu Yan felt a little helpless under this undisguised gaze. He chuckled softly and broke the silence: "Brother Yu, how do you feel about today's practical class? How is your learning progress?" His tone was relaxed, with his usual teasing.
Chu Yu frowned slightly, thinking very seriously for a few seconds, then shook his head very solemnly: "Not good." His voice was low, with a hint of subtle thought, "I haven't learned it yet."
"Hmm?" Chu Yan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the dishonest answer. "How could that be? Brother Yu is the smartest student."
Chu Yu still shook his head stubbornly, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his eyes stubbornly reiterated: "I haven't learned it yet." That look didn't seem like he was evaluating his learning results, but more like he was stating a major problem that he urgently needed to solve.
Chu Yan understood, a playful glint in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the transparent glass railing between them, closing the distance between them and Chu Yu. He lowered his voice, a hint of temptation: "Oh? It seems that my teaching is not good enough? Maybe I need to teach you a few more times?" He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "teaching", the ending tone rising, full of ambiguous hints.
Chu Yu seemed to have finally received some kind of promise or solution he wanted. His tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and even a look of satisfaction, almost like "a teachable child", appeared on his face. He nodded very seriously.
The elevator continued to rise, the lights below becoming increasingly distant, while the stars above seemed within reach. Chu Yu remained silent for a few seconds, as if gathering his courage, or perhaps precisely formulating his words. Finally, he spoke, his voice deep and clear, with a penetrating directness, like a question posed at the negotiating table:
"Chu Yan," he called his full name, "If I learn all of this, will you love me?"
Chu Yan hadn't expected Chu Yu to ask such a direct question at this moment. His heart felt like it had been gently bumped, a subtle jolt. He met Chu Yu's unflinching eyes, filled with persistence and inquiry. There were no tentative probing, no detours, only the purest, most urgent desire for an answer.
Chu Yan was silent for a few seconds, a complex emotion flickering through his eyes. Finally, he slowly and clearly uttered one word: "Yes." There was no hesitation, no perfunctory. He acknowledged the possibility. Chu Yu was indeed someone who was worthy of being loved.
A flash of fire suddenly ignited in Chu Yu's eyes, but then it was overshadowed by a deeper scrutiny. He pressed on with his victory, posing a second, even more deadly question. Like a barrage of artillery, it precisely struck at the core barrier of Chu Yan's emotional perceptions:
"After you fell in love with me," he stared into Chu Yan's eyes, enunciating each word clearly, "will you break up with Gu Xu?"
The system was speechless with shock, leaving only garbled text swirling across the virtual space. This question was like a precise dance in a minefield.
Chu Yan was truly stifled this time. He felt his breath stop for a moment. Chu Yu's logic was terrifyingly clear, one thing after another, pressing forward step by step, leaving no room for maneuver.
He thought carefully, not about how to deceive, but about how to explain his complex and even somewhat shocking emotional values to this "student" who was as blank as a sheet of paper in terms of emotions but extremely sensitive.
Finally, Chu Yan slowly and firmly shook his head: "No."
"Why?" Chu Yu asked, his brows furrowed again, with a strong sense of confusion and a barely perceptible hint of possessiveness.
Chu Yan took a deep breath and decided to be honest. He needed to make Chu Yu understand that his world wasn't black and white. He looked at Chu Yu, his eyes calm and serious, trying to explain a concept that was taken for granted in the most understandable terms: "Because I also quite like Gu Xu." He paused and added, "Brother Yu, in my opinion, feelings are not absolutely exclusive. I like you, and I can also like Gu Xu. These two likes can coexist."
Clearly, Chu Yan's theory completely transcended Chu Yu's cognitive boundaries, overturning all the concepts he had been taught since childhood about the uniqueness and exclusivity of love. A look of near bewilderment and confusion appeared on his handsome face.
"So," Chu Yu's voice was filled with a barely perceptible tension and dangerous temptation, "If I learn that you've fallen in love with me, and I force you to make the only choice between me and Gu Xu, will you leave me?" He threw out his last trump card, trying to use "leaving" to test Chu Yan's bottom line.
Chu Yan sighed softly as he looked at the complex emotions in Chu Yu's eyes, a mixture of confusion, stubbornness, and obstinacy. He nodded again and gave an answer that Chu Yu might find even harder to accept, but his tone was strangely gentle and insightful:
"Brother Yu," he called softly, with a hint of comfort, each word spoken with clarity, "Love and separation are never contradictory."
Chu Yu fell silent. He couldn't understand the logic of coexistence in Chu Yan's words. In his life, he believed that if he wanted something, he should hold on to it, no matter the odds, to get it. It was all or nothing. Chu Yan's answer, like a key, opened a door he had never imagined existed, a door called loss. This left him feeling an unprecedented sense of irritation and loss of control.
Just then—
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!" The 15-minute alarm set by Chu Yan rang sharply, breaking the suffocating silence and confrontation.
Chu Yan almost subconsciously reached for his phone in his pocket, wanting to turn off the inappropriate noise. However, just as his fingertips touched the edge of the phone, a hand covered in sweat but with an unusually strong grip suddenly grasped his wrist.
Chu Yu seemed to be pushed to the brink by Chu Yan's cold declaration that "love can coexist, but it can also be withdrawn at any time." He no longer waited, no longer pondered the complex logic that he could never understand. He chose to use the most primitive and direct means to vent his turbulent emotions at the moment, to prove his presence, to assert his sovereignty - even if only temporarily.
An irresistible force came over Chu Yan, and he was caught off guard and pulled forward. His body instantly lost its balance and crashed into an embrace with a refreshing breath and a slight warmth.
The next second, Chu Yu's face, filled with slight anger and a desperate determination, enlarged in front of him, and his lips felt awkward but extremely firm, even with a hint of roughness.
Chu Yu's kiss was devoid of technique, even clumsy and awkward, driven entirely by instinct and an urge so strong it threatened to consume his sanity. He gripped Chu Yan's waist tightly, his other hand clasping the back of his neck, leaving him no room to escape. He seemed to be biting, perhaps even sucking, eagerly and methodically exploring that unfamiliar territory, as if to expel from this kiss all the words that had been troubling him.
Chu Yan was initially taken aback, but he soon sensed the determination Chu Yu conveyed. He relaxed his body, allowing Chu Yu to clumsily advance, even slightly parting his lips, his tongue gently sweeping across the other's taut lips in a guiding manner.
As if receiving some kind of permission, Chu Yu's movements suddenly stopped. He seemed to have grasped the key to this. He stopped rushing around and began to try to imitate Chu Yan's guidance, responding, exploring, and entangled awkwardly. His breathing became heavy and hot, and the clumsy kiss quickly became a reciprocal one, full of heart-pounding aggression and a beginner's, almost greedy desire for exploration.
Inside the elevator, the only sounds were the two people's pounding heartbeats, their rapid, burning breaths, and the faint, blushing sound of water as their lips and tongues tangled. The city lights beneath them faded into blurry spots, and the starry sky above them lost its focus. Time seemed to stand still at this moment, yet it also seemed to be rushing forward like a torrent.
It wasn't until Chu Yu felt the oxygen in his chest was about to run out that he finally panted and, with a hint of reluctance, slowly ended this long and predatory kiss. Their foreheads touched, their noses almost touching, and the rapid airflow exchanged scorching heat between them.
Chu Yan's lips were slightly swollen from the kiss, and his eyes were sparkling with a hint of laziness after being disturbed and the lingering passion. He looked at Chu Yu's equally flushed cheeks and those eyes still burning with strong possessive desire, and laughed softly, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion: "Brother Yu's learning ability is indeed amazing."
Chu Yu didn't respond to his teasing. His chest heaved violently, his deep eyes fixed on Chu Yan's lips, where he had kissed them. The redness and swelling seemed like a mark of victory, temporarily soothing the irritation in his heart.
He released his hand that was clasping Chu Yan's neck, reached into his trouser pocket, and quickly took out his cell phone.
Under Chu Yan's slightly puzzled gaze, Chu Yu unlocked the screen and brought up the front camera. He didn't look at the camera, but instead locked his gaze firmly on Chu Yan. At the same time, he stretched out his arm and pulled Chu Yan to his side without saying anything, so that their faces appeared together on the small phone screen.
"Take a picture." Chu Yu's voice was low and firm with an unquestionable command tone, as if he was issuing a business order.
Chu Yan was slightly startled, then understood. He looked at Chu Yu's tense jawline and his own visibly ravaged lips on the screen, as well as the two of them pressed together. A meaningful, almost indulgent smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.
"Okay." Instead of resisting, he cooperated very well by tilting his head slightly and leaning towards Chu Yu's shoulder. He even gave the camera a brilliant smile and made a cheesy scissors hand gesture.
Chu Yu pressed the shutter button.
There was a crisp electronic sound, and the picture froze.
On the screen, Chu Yu's expression still carried a hint of the afterglow of a kiss and a lingering possessiveness, his eyes fixed sharply on the camera. Beside him, Chu Yan wore a lazy, casual smile, a mixture of indifference and a hint of playful amusement. His swollen lips and the "V" sign he made formed a striking contrast. In the background, the blurred outline of the Ferris wheel cabin and the distant, blurry lights of the city below.
[Why is he taking pictures?!] The system finally recovered from the thrilling kiss and straight-talking question and answer session.
Chu Yan chuckled in his mind, his voice almost cold and sober. "What else can I do? Send it to Gu Yu, of course." He knew Chu Yu all too well. This man, standing at the top of the pyramid, possessed a strong sense of territory and possessiveness. He couldn't understand Chu Yan's theory that "love can coexist," let alone accept it.
Since he couldn't address the problem at the source, Chu Yan, he chose to go after Gu Yu. This photo was a naked declaration of war, intended to use the most direct "evidence" to break down his competitor's psychological defenses, forcing Gu Yu to react, and even forcing Chu Yan to make a choice. At heart, Chu Yu was a businessman who believed that offense was the best defense.
[Then why are you still so cooperative?!] The system is about to crash. [Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?]
Chu Yan cast his gaze outside the elevator, taking in the blurry reflections of himself and Chu Yu in the glass. His eyes were as deep as a cold pond. "Gu Yu will find out sooner or later." His voice was calm and composed, aloof and indifferent. "After all, I never promised to remain a virgin for him. So, whether he finds out today or tomorrow, it makes no difference to me." Where would this war ignited by Chu Yu lead? He was happy to be the one watching from the sidelines.
The Ferris wheel's cabin trembled slightly before finally reaching the ground. The hatch made a soft unlocking sound, preparing to open.
Chu Yu put away his phone. Before the screen went dark, the striking photo flashed before his eyes. His face regained its usual calmness, even a hint of determination. He stood up first, straightening his slightly wrinkled shirt cuffs. "Let's go."
Chu Yan looked at his tall figure, then at the slowly opening hatch, which was flooded with the noisy voices and sweet aromas. The playful smile on his face deepened. He stood up, slowly straightening his own somewhat disheveled collar. His eyes swept over Chu Yu's pocket, where he kept his phone, and he whispered silently, "Gu Yu, what would you do?"
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