Chapter 90: Cabin in the Woods
My holiday in Switzerland with Gu Ye felt like a beautiful dream. They chased the sunset across the snowy plains, their golden-red light stretching their figures, overlapping them against the boundless whiteness. They nuzzled into the private hot springs they'd reserved, the steam blurring their vision but sharpening their senses. They explored each other's most intimate pleasures, unlocking new and blushing positions. Gu Ye's passion and unconditional dependence, like the blazing sun, threatened to melt them.
Because their world of two was so sweet and intoxicating, when the holiday ended and they set off on their journey home, Gu Ye's mood visibly dropped. Outside the plane window was a rolling sea of clouds, but he had no interest in appreciating it. He simply leaned listlessly against Chu Yan's shoulder, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of Chu Yan's clothes, as if that would make time pass more slowly.
This melancholy mood reached its peak when he walked out of the airport pick-up gate in S City and saw the unexpected tall figure, even with a hint of subtle vigilance and hostility.
Chu Yu just stood there, wearing a well-tailored dark coat, with a straight posture and a cold temperament. He seemed out of place and extremely eye-catching in the bustling airport.
His gaze fell precisely on the two of them, especially lingering for a moment on their still tightly clasped hands, but there was no obvious emotion on his face.
Gu Ye subconsciously tightened his grip on Chu Yan's hand, his fingertips turning slightly pale. He raised his head, looked at Chu Yu, then glanced sideways at Chu Yan, who looked calm. A flash of understanding dimmed in his eyes. He slowly lowered his head, but didn't let go, as if stubbornly guarding the last bit of warmth that was about to dissipate.
Chu Yan sensed Gu Ye's change in mood and soothingly rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb. Then, he looked up at Chu Yu with surprise in his eyes. "Brother Yu? Why are you here?" Chu Yu had indeed asked about his return date, but he hadn't expected him to show up in person at the S City airport. The end of the year was the busiest time for the group, and Chu Yu should have been at the A City headquarters, tending to all sorts of matters.
"I'm here to pick you up." Chu Yu's answer was concise and to the point. He met Chu Yan's gaze calmly, and his tone was so natural that it seemed as if it was a matter of course.
These words startled Gu Ye. He stared at Chu Yu. Their eyes met, and the air around them seemed to freeze, filled with a tense atmosphere.
Chu Yan smiled, not seeming to be very surprised by Chu Yu's appearance, nor did he intend to delve into it: "Wait for me for a while?"
Chu Yu nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating his agreement.
Chu Yan then pulled Gu Ye to a less crowded place and took out a small, beautifully packaged box from his backpack and handed it to him. Inside was the wooden snowman he bought in Switzerland and some other small items. "This is for you. Are you going to the cemetery for the New Year this year?"
Gu Ye took the box, held it tightly in his hand, shook his head, and said in a muffled voice: "No, I have to stay at home this year." He has now stepped into the core of Gu's power. During such an important time as the Spring Festival, there will inevitably be countless social engagements and family affairs to deal with. He can no longer do whatever he wants as before.
"Okay," Chu Yan nodded in understanding, "If you need anything, feel free to call me."
"Hmm." Gu Ye replied softly, but his eyes drifted involuntarily to Chu Yu, who was quietly waiting not far away. His heart felt like it was clogged with cotton, astringent and swollen. He knew that Chu Yan didn't belong to anyone, but when the separation was so concretely presented before him, the feeling of loss was still overwhelming.
In the end, Gu Ye watched Chu Yan walk towards Chu Yu, watched Chu Yu take the not-so-heavy luggage from Chu Yan's hand very naturally, and watched the two of them walk side by side towards the parking lot until their figures disappeared in the crowd.
He stood there alone, tightly clutching the wooden box that represented his short and sweet vacation. After a long time, he turned around and joined the crowd returning home.
The black Maybach cruised smoothly down the highway. Chu Yan sat in the passenger seat, his head down, checking emails and messages on his phone. Chu Yu drove intently, his profile cold and hard, and the atmosphere inside the car was subtly quiet.
The drive from City S to City A was quite long, taking at least several hours. Chu Yan had just finished replying to an email regarding the progress of the cloud-based intelligent control project when the system notification sounded in his mind.
[Chu Yan, the task progress has reached 70%.] The system has recently developed a few new plug-ins for itself and is trying them out one by one. The data flow seems to have become much more active.
"Yes, as expected." Chu Yan responded in his mind. "Gu Ye has now entered the core circle of the Gu family, and his foundation is gradually becoming stable. As long as he officially becomes the heir, and then completely kicks Gu Hongyuan out and takes full control of the Gu family, the mission progress should jump to over 90%."
[What I mean is...] The system paused, as if weighing its words, [At this rate, we may soon be leaving this world.]
Chu Yan's finger, scrolling across the screen, paused imperceptibly. "What? You can't bear to leave this place?" he asked, somewhat surprised. He had never thought that his system, so focused on leveling up and earning points, would develop feelings for a particular mission world.
[…Just keep playing dumb.] The system muttered, its data stream flickering for a moment, seeming a little depressed, but it didn't continue the topic.
Chu Yan smiled silently. He certainly understood the system's subtext—it was reminding him that his time with the people in this world might not be long.
But he didn't really care about separation. Or rather, from the moment he linked himself to the system, he had never intended to stay in any world for long. The five-year deadline was just a rough goal he had set for himself, but if he could complete the task ahead of schedule and efficiently, he would be happy to see it happen.
The car was still quiet, with only the low roar of the engine and the subtle sound of the air conditioner.
"Brother Yu, if you are tired of driving, let me drive later." Chu Yan put down his phone and broke the silence.
"Yeah." Chu Yu responded, still looking ahead.
However, after a while, Chu Yan keenly discovered that the car was not heading towards the main highway leading to City A, but turned to a completely different road at a fork in the road.
Chu Yan looked at the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, then turned his head to look at Chu Yu's emotionless profile. He raised an eyebrow and decided to hold off for the time being, pretending he hadn't noticed anything.
Is this a "kidnapping" or a "elopement"?
The car had excellent performance and drove fast and steadily on the road with fewer and fewer vehicles. The city scene outside the window was gradually replaced by wilderness and mountains, going in the opposite direction of City A and getting farther and farther away.
The sky gradually darkened and the distant skyline was stained with twilight.
Chu Yan finally decided not to play dumb anymore. He turned his head and calmly looked at Chu Yu's tense jawline. A playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his voice was lazy: "Brother Yu, where are we going? The route doesn't seem right... Are you going to elope with me?"
Chu Yu's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He remained staring ahead, not answering immediately, but his Adam's apple rolled slightly.
Chu Yan didn't press the issue, merely observing his reaction with interest. He then picked up his phone again and leisurely continued with his work. Besides the Chu family's cloud-based intelligent control, he also secretly ran an investment company, capitalizing on information gaps to lay the foundation for possible future tasks. He was currently processing some backlogged tasks.
When the scenery outside the car window was completely shrouded in thick twilight and sparse trees, the car finally slowed down and finally stopped in a seemingly deserted clearing in the woods. There was silence all around, only the whimpering of the wind blowing through the bare branches.
Chu Yu turned off the engine, and the car fell into silence. He took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of resolution, and then turned to look at Chu Yan. His voice was even lower than usual: "Get out of the car."
Chu Yan readily unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed the door, and got out. A burst of cold air instantly hit him, carrying the fresh scent of trees and snow. He looked around. This seemed to be the edge of a private woodland, with a cleared path leading deep into the woods.
Chu Yu locked the car and walked ahead to lead the way. Chu Yan followed behind him, stepping on the soft snow, making a light crunching sound.
Less than five minutes down the path, the view suddenly opened up. A small yet exquisite log cabin stood quietly in a clearing in the woods. Its roof was covered in a thick blanket of snow, wisps of smoke still billowed from its chimney, and a warm, dim light shone through the windows. The ground in front of the cabin had been meticulously swept, revealing a dark wooden platform.
Chu Yu walked to the door, took out the key and opened it. A stream of air mixed with the fragrance of pine wood and warm air instantly rushed out, dispelling the coldness on his body.
Chu Yan stood at the door, looking at everything in the house that had obviously been carefully decorated - the burning fireplace, the soft carpet, and even the fresh fruit on the table.
This was definitely not a sudden idea, it was something Chu Yu had prepared long ago.
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