Mr. Nice Guy's "Troublemaking"
Consciousness slowly emerged from the dark sea like a sunken ship.
Gu Yansheng woke up feeling sticky and uncomfortable. She was drenched in sweat, and her thin pajamas clung to her skin, giving her a subtle sticky feeling.
The gray morning light seeped in through the gaps in the heavy curtains. Last night's violent thunderstorm had subsided, leaving only the soft, lingering sound of raindrops hitting the glass, like a low, vague requiem.
The annoying red rash on his arm had not completely subsided and was still itchy, reminding him that the disease had not completely subsided.
But compared to the pain of being stabbed by thousands of needles, suffocated and burned last night, the body at this moment is more like a small boat that was barely stranded after a storm, tired and weak, but at least... it is no longer capsizing.
When he regained consciousness, he realized that he was curled up in a warm and solid embrace.
Jiang Lin's arm was still wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly against him in a protective, perhaps even restraining, manner. The man's chest pressed against his back, and his steady, powerful heartbeat could be heard through the fabric of his clothes, like some kind of reassuring metronome.
Gu Yansheng slightly moved his stiff neck, trying to free himself from the shackles of intimacy. This subtle movement was like a stone dropped into a calm lake.
The person holding him from behind woke up almost instantly.
There was no confusion or drowsiness like the ordinary people have when they first wake up. Jiang Lin's deep eyes suddenly opened, and the clarity and sharpness in his eyes were frightening, as if he had never truly fallen asleep.
Before Gu Yansheng even had time to turn around completely, a strong arm had already passed over his shoulder and reached towards his neck with unquestionable strength!
The slightly cool fingers with thin calluses pressed directly on the skin where his carotid artery was pulsating.
"Ugh!" Gu Yansheng was caught off guard. He flinched at the sudden, intensely "inspection" touch, and his heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously looked up at Jiang Lin.
The light coming through the curtains clearly illuminated Jiang Lin's neck, which was very close to him - on it, there was a dark purple tooth mark with a clear edge!
It was the mark he'd left last night, in the agony and confusion of losing control. The bite mark stood out against the cold, pale skin, like a silent medal, revealing his disastrous loss of control and the other's impassive endurance.
Jiang Lin's eyes seemed to briefly glance over Gu Yansheng's startled gaze, but his expression remained calm, as if the tooth marks hadn't even existed. His fingertips steadily felt the warmth of the skin beneath his fingers, the rhythm and strength of his pulse, his concentration as if he were conducting a precise surgical assessment.
After a few seconds, he withdrew his hand, his movements quick and decisive. Then, with Gu Yansheng still frozen in his tracks, Jiang Lin naturally and with the indifference of someone completing a routine task, rolled over. His broad back instantly blocked Gu Yansheng's view, leaving only a cold, aloof silhouette.
The air seemed to freeze.
Gu Yansheng sat on the bed, stunned, staring at the figure with his back to him. Fragments of chaotic memories from last night surged back: that irresistible embrace, that strangely soothing touch, the needles piercing his skin, his own uncontrollable biting... and now, the other person turning away as if nothing had happened, even as if he felt he was in the way.
The rash remaining on his arm itched more clearly, like countless ants crawling around. Gu Yansheng frowned irritably and subconsciously raised his hand, his nails about to scratch the itchy red rash.
"Dare to scratch the skin a little."
A low, cold, emotionless voice suddenly rang out from the figure with its back to him, like an ice-hardened blade, instantly piercing the silence of the early morning.
Gu Yansheng's movements suddenly froze in mid-air, his fingertips only millimeters away from the skin.
The voice continued to sound, with a firm threat, as if it had eyes behind it:
"Go home and wait for the punishment."
“…”
Gu Yansheng froze as if under a spell. The word "ruler" instantly brought him back to the punishment he had received a few days ago.
A chill mixed with an inexplicable sense of shame shot up from his tailbone. He retracted his hand as if he had received an electric shock, his fingertips curled up, and he dared not touch the itchy rash again.
The only sounds in the room were the dripping rain outside the window and Gu Yansheng's rapid breathing.
The figure with his back to him did not move at all, as if the cold threat just now was just an illusion of Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng sat there for a few more seconds, with complex emotions churning in his chest. There was the exhaustion of surviving the disaster, the guilt for the teeth marks, the irritation of the itchy arms, and the frustration of Jiang Lin's "throw away after taking care of him" and ruthless attitude.
He took a deep breath, sweaty and with an inexplicable feeling of depression, he threw back the quilt, jumped out of bed with some force, walked straight to the closet, grabbed a set of clean clothes at random, and rushed into the bathroom without looking back.
The door was slammed shut, blocking out the indifferent figure outside and the sound of the falling rain.
The bright and clean hotel restaurant, with its large floor-to-ceiling windows, revealed a world thoroughly washed by last night's violent typhoon rain. The sky was a clear, pale blue, and sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, illuminating the wet, glistening streets and leaves. The air was filled with the uniquely fresh scent of earth and plants.
Gu Yansheng, wearing a tight long-sleeved white shirt and beige trousers, sat by the window, quietly drinking warm water. Wu Mingyi, holding Lin Wei's arm, walked over with a cheerful face. "Hi! Good morning, handsome guys!"
"Senior, Sister Lin Wei, good morning," Gu Yansheng replied with a smile. Jiang Lin raised his eyelids as a greeting, his gaze lingering on Gu Yansheng's slightly pale face for a moment. He then naturally moved the tempting basket of shrimp dumplings and rice rolls that might have contained seafood sauce away from him. He then scooped up a bowl of soft and fragrant white porridge, placed a few safe stir-fried seasonal vegetables and steamed pumpkin on a small plate, and pushed it towards Gu Yansheng.
"Finish eating." The voice was low and contained a sense of urgency.
Wu Mingyi pulled Lin Wei to sit down. The sweetness of her newlywed life made her particularly perceptive. While pouring tea for Lin Wei, she habitually glanced at the two people opposite. The sunlight hit from the side, clearly illuminating Jiang Lin's neck as he tilted his head slightly.
"Wow!" Wu Mingyi's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered a new world. She pointed at Jiang Lin's neck, her voice filled with undisguised teasing and gossip.
"Doctor Jiang! Your neck... that's quite a battle! Tsk, tsk, those deep purple... teeth marks?" She deliberately dragged out the word "teeth marks," her eyes flicking back and forth ambiguously between Jiang Lin and Gu Yansheng, who was sipping porridge beside him. "Last night... it seems like we weren't the only newlyweds who were busy?"
Gu Yansheng's hand gripping the spoon suddenly stiffened, his head drooping even lower, his ears flushing uncontrollably. He could practically feel Wu Mingyi's probing gaze shining on him like a searchlight, and the awkwardness and resistance he felt yesterday instantly returned, making him wish he could find a hole to crawl into.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Jiang Lin didn't even pause. He slowly picked up the tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth gracefully, as if Wu Mingyi was referring not to the hideous bite mark on his neck, but to an insignificant speck of dust.
He raised his eyes, his deep and calm eyes staring directly at Wu Mingyi, his thin lips slightly parted, his tone was as cold as usual, even with a hint of nonchalant mockery.
"Wu Mingyi, besides pink bubbles and gossip, can your mind be filled with anything else?"
He casually tapped the teeth marks on the side of his neck with his fingertips, his expression as frank as if he were discussing someone else's business. "Last night, the wind was so strong that the cat on the balcony next door got startled and jumped over to me. It lost its balance and took a nibble in a panic. What's wrong? Your eyesight is so bad after getting married? You can't tell the difference between cat bites and human bites?"
His face was expressionless, but his eyes held a hint of disdain, a hint of "You're so shallow." He added slowly, successfully diverting the subject and striking a precise blow, "It seems you really didn't sleep well last night. Lin Wei, I suggest giving your child some lutein and DHA supplements. They're good for his eyesight... and IQ."
As he said the last half of the sentence, he glanced at Wu Mingyi meaningfully.
"Pfft..." Lin Wei, who had been watching the show quietly, couldn't help but chuckle and quickly picked up the teacup to cover it up.
Wu Mingyi was so choked by this well-reasoned yet extremely venomous retort that she was speechless and her eyes widened.
"Cat?! Jiang Lin, you are kidding me! Which cat has teeth like this..." She looked at Jiang Lin's calm look, which said "Believe it or not, I'm stating the facts anyway", and then looked at Gu Yansheng, who was almost burying his head in the porridge bowl next to him. The second half of the word "neat" was stuck in her throat.
She turned to Lin Wei angrily, "Weiwei! Look at him!"
Lin Wei smiled and picked up a shrimp dumpling for her. "Alright, eat quickly. Don't talk while eating, and don't talk while sleeping."
She looked at Jiang Lin with understanding and a hint of subtle approval in her eyes - this guy was so protective of his shortcomings that he even shut everyone up at the same time.
Jiang Lin ignored the other person, as if he had just dismissed an insignificant incident. He picked up a walnut-shaped bun with a golden, soft crust, checked the filling, and placed it firmly on the small plate in front of Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng looked at the round and warm walnut bun on the plate, then quickly glanced at the extremely clear tooth marks on Jiang Lin's neck that were "framed" by the cat, and felt mixed emotions.
He had truly sinned so monstrous last night. How could he have done such a thing? But when he spoke to the senior, there was no disgust in his eyes. Jiang Lin was cold and sharp-tongued, but there was no disgust? Why? Could it be that Jiang Lin wasn't who he thought he was?
Was all his worrying these days just overthinking things? Gu Yansheng felt increasingly lost. He had no time to think about anything else. He was starving. He had only eaten lunch and drank some wine last night, and then he had a fever that consumed a lot of calories. Eating breakfast to fill his stomach was the most important thing right now!
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