Chapter 87 Reconciliation
His stomach warmed up and he felt much better. As he ate, Gu Xu couldn't help but cautiously glance up at Chu Yan, who was sitting beside the bed.
Chu Yan still had that expressionless look on his face, his gaze fixed indifferently on the window, seemingly unfocused, completely unlike his usual carefree smile. His expression clearly signaled that he was unhappy.
Gu Xu felt even more uncertain.
Chu Yan was angry. This was an obvious fact.
He blinked, feeling somewhat bewildered. Throughout their time together, despite being several years older, Chu Yan had always been the more at ease and tolerant of everything he did. Chu Yan seemed to have an innate ability to handle complex emotions and situations, always managing to defuse even the slightest friction with ease. They had rarely exchanged a single word, let alone a one-sided, silent cold war.
He…he actually didn't know how to comfort an angry lover.
When the bowl of porridge was empty, Chu Yan stood up, took the empty bowl without saying a word, turned around and walked out. During the whole process, he didn't look at Gu Xu or say a word.
The bedroom door was gently closed.
The bedroom fell silent again, leaving only him alone, and the faint aroma of porridge lingering in the air. Gu Xu leaned against the headboard, blinking blankly, a mixture of guilt and grievance slowly welling up in him.
Gu Xu looked toward the door, pursed his lips, and felt a sense of emptiness. He subconsciously picked up his phone, which had just been charged by the bed, and turned on the screen.
As soon as he turned on his phone, all sorts of unread message notifications flooded in. And at the top was a picture message from Chu Yu.
His fingertips paused for a moment, but he still clicked in.
The next second, Gu Xu's breathing suddenly stopped.
The photo was taken under the hazy moonlight, the angle incredibly tricky. Chu Yan's eyes were closed, seemingly lost in sleep, while Chu Yu leaned over, her lips gently pressing against his eyelashes. The lines of his face appeared especially gentle in the moonlight. The background was clearly the farmhouse bed, the intimate and seductive atmosphere nearly overflowing the screen.
[Oh wow! Exciting!] The system relayed the data in real time in Chu Yan's mind, the data crackling like melon seeds. [Gu Yu saw Chu Yu's declaration of war, and his face turned pale!]
Chu Yan was washing dishes slowly in the kitchen. He just raised his eyebrows when he heard the words, his expression as steady as a rock, as if he was not the one whose legitimate boyfriend had discovered evidence of "cheating".
[He replied, saying…] The system paused, as if trying to identify the message. [Low-level tactics.] Then, he blocked Chu Yu in a quick and decisive move.
Chu Yan wiped his hands and snorted with an ambiguous tone. Block someone? That was exactly what Gu Xu would do. It was a bit childish and angry, but it also fit in with his usual business style of cutting through the Gordian knot.
In the bedroom, after Gu Yan finished all this, his fingers gripping the phone trembled slightly, not because of anger, but more because of an indescribable panic and shame. Chu Yu could show off so blatantly, but what about him? He didn't even dare to tell Chu Yan that he was sick.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heartbeat. Only then could he focus on the other messages. He clicked on the long list of reports and work arrangements sent by his secretary, which ended with a cautious reminder: "Mr. Gu, has your fever subsided? I'm truly sorry to disturb your rest, but I can't see that you're not doing well, and since I can't contact your family, I had to take the liberty of notifying Mr. Chu Yan..."
Seeing this, Gu Xu suddenly understood where Chu Yan's suppressed anger came from.
At this moment, Chu Yan's cell phone in the living room rang, and the caller ID showed the word "mountain".
Chu Yan wiped his hands, picked up his phone, and walked back to the bedroom slowly.
He walked step by step to the bedside, and in front of Gu Xu's stunned gaze, he deliberately shook the phone screen towards him, then swiped his thumb across the answer button and pressed the hands-free button.
"Hello?" Chu Yan's voice came through the loudspeaker, calm and without any emotion.
Almost at the same time, two voices rang out in the quiet bedroom.
One came from the phone speaker, and the other came from Gu Xu who was lying on the bed. He looked into Chu Yan's eyes and said, "Ayan, I'm sorry."
Chu Yan seemed to pause for a moment, then a faint smile flashed across his eyes, but his tone remained cold as he looked at Gu Xu's haggard face: "What's wrong?"
Gu Xu looked into those deep eyes. His mind was still a little fuzzy due to the fever, so he subconsciously answered according to his own thoughts: "I shouldn't have... let the secretary disturb you. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"?" Chu Yan was so shocked by his bizarre train of thought that he lost his temper. He knew that Gu Xu was ill and his mind was not clear, but he didn't expect it to go as far as the Pacific Ocean.
He sighed, his forced anger nearly dissipated by this ridiculous response. But he managed to calm himself, deciding not to argue with a feverish patient about such trivial matters. He hung up the phone, tossing it carelessly on the bed. Then, leaning over, his hands on either side of Gu Xu's body, he looked directly into his fever-soaked eyes and asked, "Brother Xu, who am I?"
Gu Xu was stunned by his nonsensical question and answered doubtfully, "Chu Yan."
"Yeah," Chu Yan nodded and continued to ask, his tone leaving no room for evasion, "Who is Chu Yan? Who is Chu Yan to you?"
Gu Xu opened his mouth, Chu Yan's name rolled around on his tongue, but he couldn't immediately come up with the next definition.
Boyfriend? Of course. But seeing the photo Chu Yu sent, the uncertainty and inferiority that had surged up in him crept back in. What right did he have to confidently claim Chu Yan was his now? He was no longer the heir to the glorious Gu family. All he had left was a new company with an uncertain future and a self-deprecating self who couldn't even tell his lover if he was sick.
Chu Yan saw clearly his hesitation and evasion.
Chu Yan was both angry and amused. He stretched out his index finger and gently tapped his forehead. The force was not strong but it was filled with a hint of resentment: "You haven't burned yourself silly yet. At least you still know that I am Chu Yan." He paused and said in a more serious tone, "Then what's the next question? Who is Chu Yan to you?"
Gu Xu seemed to be forced into a corner. He lowered his eyes, and his thick eyelashes cast a small shadow on his pale face. His voice was so low that it was almost inaudible: "...boyfriend."
"Since you know I'm your boyfriend," Chu Yan's voice dropped, the deliberately maintained indifference finally replaced by a genuine emotion filled with heartache and reproach. "Then, brother, tell me, why do I need to hear about your illness from your secretary? If your secretary doesn't contact me, are you going to carry it all by yourself, hiding it from me until you recover? Hmm? In your heart, am I, your boyfriend, so unworthy of your reliance and trust?"
Gu Xu's lips moved, wanting to explain, wanting to say that it wasn't like that, that he just didn't want to trouble him, didn't want him to see his useless side. But all the words got stuck in his throat, and in the end, they just turned into a bitter silence.
He wondered if Chu Yan would still be by his side if he was no longer the effortless Gu Xu. Would Chu Yan, like his mother, ultimately be left with only disappointment and disgust? He was afraid of exposing his vulnerability, afraid that relying on someone would only lead to loss.
Seeing Gu Yi sink into his habitual state of self-denial and anxiety, Chu Yan's anger had almost subsided. Why would he argue with a patient, especially one with so much inner anxiety?
Chu Yan stood up, took off his shoes, lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down naturally, then reached out and pulled the man who was still in a daze and exuded a depressed aura into his arms.
Gu Xu's body was warm from the fever, and holding him in his arms felt like a small stove, with the softness and dependence that only comes with illness. Chu Yan adjusted his posture to make him lean more comfortably, his chin gently resting on the top of his head.
"Don't let your imagination run wild," Chu Yan's voice was low and gentle, carrying a reassuring power. "I just took some medicine. Go get a good night's sleep, okay? When you wake up, your illness will be gone, and everything will be fine."
The special medicine produced by the system was effective, and Gu Xu felt a strong sense of sleepiness coming over him. He rubbed against Chu Yan's warm embrace in a daze, his arms subconsciously wrapped around Chu Yan's waist, and rested his burning forehead on the crook of Chu Yan's neck, mumbling in an almost inaudible voice:
"I know I was wrong... I won't do it again next time..."
Chu Yan rubbed his soft head. "Hmm," he whispered back and kissed his hair. "Then I forgive you."
The person in his arms seemed to relax completely, their breathing becoming even and long as they fell into a deep sleep. Chu Yan also closed his eyes. The sunlight from outside the window shone through the gap in the curtains, a corner of quiet and warm.
[Tsk, what a sweet burden.] The system beeped softly, silently lowering the volume of the data melon seeds.
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