Chapter 37: Temptation

Chapter 37: Temptation

After Xie Guiluan finished speaking, Cen Wu remained silent. Xie Guiluan grabbed Cen Wu's wrist and pulled him into his arms, lifting his thin, cold eyelids as he allowed Cen Wu to touch him recklessly.

His eyes were so cold, yet under the covers, he held Cen Wu's hands, forcing him to touch him.

"Let go," Cen Wu stammered, his snow-white cheeks flushing red. "I don’t want yours; yours is broken. Mine’s better..."

His mind was in chaos, and he wasn’t even sure what he was babbling about.

Xie Guiluan couldn’t hold back and chuckled softly. He kept holding Cen Wu's hand until Cen Wu lay down to sleep. Xie Guiluan also lay down next to him, his low voice still tinged with laughter.

Cen Wu was about to calm down when Xie Guiluan’s laughter irritated him again.

What was so funny?

He kicked Xie Guiluan a few more times, and then his leg was caught by a burning-hot hand. Xie Guiluan's hand reached over from under the covers, gripping firmly to prevent him from moving. The soft flesh of his leg was pinched, sinking into Xie Guiluan's cold, hard fingers.

"Young master," Xie Guiluan lowered his dark gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "Watch out for the injury on your leg."

Cen Wu moved his leg uncomfortably, blaming Xie Guiluan for this mess. If Xie Guiluan hadn’t asked him to touch him, he wouldn’t have kicked him. His ears were red, and he struggled again. "Let go."

Xie Guiluan held Cen Wu’s knee and pulled him closer, settling him down to sleep. Cen Wu wasn’t prepared and was dragged over in a panic, his leg almost hooking onto Xie Guiluan's waist.

Xie Guiluan’s waist was easy to hook, his abs both restrained and sexy, with a hint of youthful toughness.

Cen Wu was numb, letting Xie Guiluan handle him like a ragdoll. What was this? Did straight guys casually touch thighs and hook waists every day without thinking it was weird?

Xie Guiluan's calloused fingertips rubbed against his skin, and the snow-like flesh of his legs soon turned red, trembling slightly.

"Don’t touch me!" Cen Wu’s butt clenched instinctively, worried Xie Guiluan might go further. Fortunately, Xie Guiluan wasn’t crazy and didn’t touch his butt.

Xie Guiluan finally let him go, and Cen Wu realized he had been so tense he hadn’t breathed much. His vision was foggy, and he felt a bit dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

Cen Wu evasively grabbed his phone, hoping to distract himself. The screen lit up, and he saw dozens of messages, one of which was from Lu Wang.

The bed was too cramped for two boys to sleep comfortably. They had to hold each other, leaving no room to escape.

Xie Guiluan lowered his eyes and could see his phone screen.

Cen Wu intended to open Lu Wang’s message but accidentally opened someone else's chat when a new message popped up. He was suddenly faced with a photo of abs.

The sender had probably taken it at home after a shower, wrapped in a towel with water droplets rolling down his shark-like muscles. The towel was wrapped too low, revealing most of his waist, hips, and pubic bone. His slender fingers casually hooked on the edge of the towel, perfectly balancing the line of temptation—not too explicit to be disgusting, but still teasing.

Cen Wu's face turned bright red, embarrassed to the point of wanting to die. He hurriedly sent a sticker to Lu Wang and then turned off his phone, swiftly stuffing it under his pillow.

A stormy cloud rolled in Xie Guiluan's eyes, a heavy aura of resentment and coldness surging up before being concealed.

Cen Wu opened his mouth but decided to close it again, feeling defenseless. He didn’t have any extra relationship with Xie Guiluan, so why did he feel so guilty?

It was all because someone kept saying he liked Xie Guiluan that whole night. When he opened the abs photo, he was too preoccupied with worrying if Xie Guiluan would be angry to even appreciate it.

Why was he so scared?

"Alright, alright," Cen Wu patted his pillow and said to Xie Guiluan, "Really going to sleep now..."

Xie Guilan’s thin lips pressed together, but he showed no intention of sleeping, still staring at him with a cool and indifferent gaze.

Cen Wu: ?

Why did he feel that Xie Guilan was really angry... But adding a male model, or maybe this person wasn’t even a model, after all, the original owner had other ways to add handsome guys besides models.

Anyway, what did Xie Guilan have to be angry about?

Cen Wu had no choice but to pick up his phone again, find that person, and delete them right in front of Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan’s cold expression eased slightly, but there was still no trace of a smile in those dark, almond-shaped eyes.

"..." Cen Wu asked cautiously, "Delete more?"

Xie Guilan immediately seized on the key point. He paused, then spoke calmly, "...More?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu: !!!

Oh no, I slipped up.

Cen Wu’s scalp tingled. He gritted his teeth and proceeded to delete ten more people right under Xie Guilan’s watchful eyes before raising his head and stammering, "This time... really none left."

With each deletion, Xie Guilan’s face grew darker. Each time Xie Guilan thought he was done, he would watch helplessly as Cen Wu opened another contact.

Given how casually he could send photos of abs, even showing half of the pubic area, anyone would know it wasn’t a serious relationship, let alone just for visual pleasure every day.

He didn’t dare to open the groups to delete them. Facing Xie Guilan’s cold expression, he felt that if Xie Guilan saw the full extent of his friend list, he might delete all these thousands of people and never speak to him again.

Xie Guiluan didn’t know whether to believe it or not, his dark eyes flickering as he suddenly asked, "Why is your profile picture different from the one you used when you added me?"

The profile picture for Cen Wu’s account was a luxury yacht worth tens of millions, a birthday gift from his father when he was sixteen.

Just now, while scrolling through the chat history and selectively deleting contacts, Cen Wu had seen notes for his parents and brother, as well as Chu Zijian, Lu Wang, and a few classmates.

So this must be the account Cen Wu usually uses.

Cen Wu hadn’t added him.

Cen Wu hadn’t expected Xie Guiluan to be so perceptive. Inappropriately, he thought that in a relationship with Xie Guiluan, one couldn’t afford even a second of infidelity, or else they would be caught immediately, let alone cheat.

Xie Guiluan’s Adam’s apple rolled, bringing a faint hint of blood, and he didn’t doubt that Cen Wu liked him. But Cen Wu liking him didn’t mean he wouldn’t like others.

Lying on his side, Cen Wu whispered close to Xie Guiluan, “That account... only has you.”

The original owner was raised by Cen Wu’s parents, but he was nothing, and Lu Wang was also the original owner’s friend.

He hadn’t touched the original owner’s account much, except for deleting a few male models and changing Lu Wang’s note from “idiot” to his real name.

He didn’t want to use this account to add Xie Guiluan, the Xie Guiluan who now didn’t hate him, someone he knew entirely on his own.

There was no shadow of anyone else between them.

The fierce look in Xie Guiluan’s dark eyes faded somewhat. He actually didn’t want to add this account either, feeling an inexplicable aversion, but Cen Wu cared about him deeply, showing no hesitation when deleting contacts.

Only he was different.

Cen Wu was so drowsy that his head kept nodding, eventually bumping into Xie Guiluan’s shoulder. Just before falling asleep completely, he felt Xie Guiluan’s fingers caressing his cheek, then pinching it slightly, and asking in a low voice, almost unable to bear it, “Have they kissed you?”

Cen Wu's cheeks puffed up into a small soft mound as he was pinched, mumbling gibberish and randomly nodding, not actually hearing what Xie Guiluan was saying.

"..." Xie Guiluan's fingertips brushed over his lip. He originally didn’t plan to ask, but then, almost masochistically, he did, "Have you... done it too?"

Cen Wu's lashes fluttered as he nodded sleepily, half-asleep, and even had a dream.

He had planned to cling to Xie Guiluan like a ghost to make him forgive him, but somehow, he ended up being haunted by a male ghost instead. He said no, trying to refuse, but the male ghost pressed him down and kissed him, scaring the living daylights out of him.

The next morning, Cen Wu woke up to see Xie Guiluan standing by his hospital bed, his pale, expressionless face showing no emotion, with a faint trace of tiredness in his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.

His bitterness was worse than any ghost in his dreams.

Cen Wu: "..."

What's up, bro.

Seeing that Cen Wu had woken up, Xie Guiluan lowered his gaze, his expression seeming to improve a little. "First, let's take your temperature," he said.

The rain had poured all night and only just stopped. Cen Wu's fever had broken, though his legs still hurt quite a bit.

Chu Zijian had been there all night too. He didn't dare to be in the way, finding a corner to hide in, and only when Cen Wu woke up and was about to take his medicine did he slink forward, shoulders hunched.

Xie Guiluan walked behind them all. He almost instinctively went to pick a fight with Chu Zijian but stopped just in time.

With a look of disgust, like he'd just eaten something rotten, he glanced at Xie Guiluan several times before saying in frustration, "Bro Xie."

Xie Guiluan's brows furrowed coldly, seemingly disgusted. Without acknowledging Chu Zijian, he walked past him to help Cen Wu open the car door, leaving Chu Zijian behind, seething in frustration.

It was Friday, and Cen Wu had originally planned to go to class, but Guan Xingxue didn't give him the chance, taking him directly to the hospital in the city center for a full examination.

Song Lingwei was also admitted there.

Xie Guiluan had intended to accompany Cen Wu for the check-up, but Song Lingwei's attending doctor called him, saying her condition had worsened. So, Xie Guiluan had to head to the inpatient department.

Song Lingwei had been dizzy and throwing up nonstop since last night. Her skin was as pale as paper, and when she looked up after finishing vomiting and saw Xie Guiluan, she was so frightened that her whole body convulsed.

The nurses nearby were bewildered, wondering why she reacted as if she had seen a ghost upon seeing her own son.

"Young Xie," the attending doctor came over, "These tests need to be done first, and the surgery can't be delayed any longer. As for the fees..."

Xie Guiluan said, "I have a way."

"That's good," the attending doctor sighed in relief. It had been Xie Mingcheng who asked him to perform the surgery on Song Lingwei, but now that father and son had fallen out, his position was quite awkward.

Xie Guiluan rented a wheelchair and took Song Lingwei for her tests. Her face pale, she absentmindedly brushed away the hair in front of her face, her mouth opening as if to ask something but said nothing.

"Don't worry," Xie Guiluan said, "Your 200 grand is still intact."

Song Lingwei's clenched hands loosened a little, but just after, it was as if a cold blade had stabbed into her back.

Wrong!

Xie Guiluan must be observing her; she shouldn't have reacted like that.

Song Lingwei's throat was dry, and she turned to look at Xie Guiluan. He was indeed staring at her, his dark, sinister eyes like an abyss without end, giving her an illusory pain as if her body would shatter.

Seeing this, the nearby nurse rushed over and told Xie Guiluan, "Young Xie, your mother seems like she's about to have another episode. Shall I help push her to the third floor for the check-up?"

"Yeah," Xie Guiluan didn't refuse, "Thanks."

Song Lingwei had been in the hospital for a while, and though the medical staff, due to professionalism, couldn't say much, they couldn't help but feel bad for Xie Guiluan.

Song Lingwei's stomach and heart conditions were bad enough, but she also seemed to have some mental issues. Her mood swings were unpredictable, often leading her to scream and cry uncontrollably until Xie Guiluan left the room.

The doctor had even suggested that Xie Guiluan take her for further examinations, but the results showed that Song Lingwei was perfectly fine mentally.

No one understood what she feared, seeing her own son as some kind of demon.

Song Lingwei was having a color Doppler ultrasound on the third floor, and once she stopped shivering and her tears dried up, Xie Guiluan took the wheelchair from the nurse's hands. But as soon as they exited the elevator, Song Lingwei's face turned as pale as a ghost, and she frantically shouted at Xie Guiluan, "Don't go out! Don't go out!"

Xie Guiluan ignored her and pushed her out. He happened to run into Cen Wu and Guan Xingxue.

Song Lingwei’s messy black hair hid her face. She hunched over, lowering her head, only slightly lifting it to reveal a pair of red, swollen eyes staring blankly at Cen Wu.

"Xiao Xie," Guan Xingxue glanced over and asked with a smile, "Bringing your mom for a check-up?"

Xie Guiluan responded.

Guan Xingxue took Cen Wu's hand, "I'll take Wu Wu away first. Let Wu Wu bring you over for a meal another day."

Polite small talk.

Xie Guiluan exchanged a few pleasantries with her, then took Song Lingwei for an X-ray. As they passed by each other, Cen Wu reached out to grab Xie Guiluan, their hands briefly touching.

Cen Wu turned his head and met Xie Guiluan's eyes. Xie Guiluan seemed to smile, and Cen Wu's ears turned red. He hurriedly shifted his gaze, not looking at him again, and left with Guan Xingxue.

It felt awkward; there was definitely something strange going on between them.

After Cen Wu and Guan Xingxue left, Song Lingwei’s frail hand gripped Xie Guiluan’s arm tightly. Her eyes, still bloodshot, questioned him, "How do you know Cen Wu?!"

"Let go." Xie Guiluan's brow was heavily shadowed, his tone cold.

"Xiao Lan," Song Lingwei flinched, looked up with tears in her eyes, and pleaded, "I don’t blame you, but please stay away from him. We can’t afford to mess with those people."

Xie Guiluan ignored her.

Song Lingwei, with tears in her eyes, wanted to turn and look at Cen Wu again but was afraid of being found out. She remained silent during the examination and, upon returning to the ward, lay still without moving.

Cen Wu went to school on Monday. He had been worried that someone in the class might target Xie Guiluan because of the cheating incident.

But perhaps because Xie Guiluan had participated in the evening performance, he had become somewhat familiar with his classmates. Whether to his face or behind his back, Cen Wu didn't hear anyone say anything.

Even some straightforward boys came over and said to Xie Guiluan, "Bro Xie, I trust you. The guys from the affiliated high school are the most insidious. If you ask me, there's definitely something wrong with the competition. Otherwise, why would Old Meng order a retrial, and why are they so afraid of it?"

"Exactly, treating us like fools. This Liao guy dares to do it but doesn't dare to take responsibility. If you ask me, we should put a bag over his head and beat him up."

Meng Liangping, upon arriving, overheard the conversation about putting a bag over someone's head. His forehead veins throbbed, and he shouted, "What are you all doing?! I'll put a bag over your heads and beat you up first!"

The boys in the back ducked and hurried back to their seats.

Cen Wu turned his head and saw that Xie Guiluan's eyes were cold, still like the unmelting snow on a mountain.

Cen Wu let out a sigh of relief, glad that Xie Guiluan seemed back to his usual self.

Guan Xingxue acted swiftly as well. On the first day, she directly ordered the official reinvestigation of the cheating incident at the Qingyue Cup, not as a request but as a command that brooked no argument.

The Liao family received the news and were completely baffled, unsure of how they had offended Guan Xingxue. For the time being, they decided to hold their ground and not make any moves.

However, the next night, when Liao Shenrong attended a jewelry auction, Guan Xingxue’s subordinates outbid him three times in a row. Each time, they waited until the final moments to place a significantly higher bid.

The money Liao Shenrong brought seemed laughable at the auction, and he lost all face.

Liao Shenrong swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. He realized Guan Xingxue’s actions were related to the competition incident, but since he had been telling everyone that Liao Bin won first place, admitting to cheating now would be humiliating. He also pressured the competition organizers to halt the investigation.

Then, on the third day, Guan Xingxue’s studio informed him that all endorsement contracts with Liao Jewelry had been terminated, with a promise of no future collaborations. Liao Shenrong could no longer sit still.

Guan Xingxue was not only famous but had also maintained a good reputation as a leading actress for many years. Her sudden termination of the contract created significant public pressure, which fell heavily on Liao Shenrong. Some insiders took the opportunity to undermine him, causing fluctuations in Liao Jewelry’s stock prices.

Liao Shenrong had no choice but to abandon the competition. That night, he took Liao Bin to the Cen family’s residence to apologize.

Guan Xingxue had no need for his apology, and neither did Xie Guilan want to see them. Liao Shenrong wasn’t even allowed inside the Cen family’s door and was escorted out by the old butler.

"...Guan Xingxue," Liao Shenrong muttered bitterly while sitting in his car, almost gnashing his teeth.

The entire upper-class circle in Huai Jing knew that it was better to offend Cen Junshan and Cen Xiao than to offend Guan Xingxue.

Although Cen Junshan wouldn’t show mercy, he would at least give people some face. Guan Xingxue, on the other hand, was ruthless and cold in her actions.

Liao Shenrong had known Cen Junshan since they were young. While other rich second-generation kids were indulging in luxury, Cen Junshan had never been in a relationship. It seemed like he wanted to find true love before getting married.

They had all wondered who Cen Junshan would end up with, but no one expected him to choose Guan Xingxue, a woman known for being cold and ruthless.

Most of them had married for business reasons, and the word 'love' seemed laughable, but they all thought Guan Xingxue would never fall in love. Yet, her husband and child had become her Achilles' heel.

"Holy crap," the bell for the evening self-study session rang, and Zhang Yuanzhou rushed into the classroom, excitedly saying, "You guys know what?! Hou Zhong has been suspended, and there’s a chance he might be fired!"

The Qingyue Cup, which had been hiding dirty secrets, caught the attention of the provincial authorities, who sent special investigators. Hou Zhong was temporarily detained, suspected of leaking exam questions more than once.

Xie Guilan’s prize money was still paid out. With the 30,000 yuan from the competition and the 200,000 yuan from racing, he had enough not only for the surgery but also to pay back some of his debts, allowing him to quit a few jobs.

However, he still went to Blue Night as usual, since the pay was good, and he needed to save for college tuition.

Cen Wu hired a few people to post about Liao Bin’s cheating on the school forums of both No. 1 High School and the affiliated high school. Once the momentum was built, and the posts about Liao Bin were all over the front page, he ensured everyone knew who had cheated before stopping.

He even asked Cen Xiao to help buy a trending topic to further tarnish the reputation of the Qingyue Cup.

"So vengeful," Cen Xiao couldn’t help but laugh on the phone with Cen Wu, "I guess I won’t dare to provoke you in the future."

Cen Wu was indeed very much like Guan Xingxue in his approach—either he didn’t do something, but if he did, he left no room for retreat.

Cen Wu fumbled and hung up the phone.

Just then, the sports committee member He Yao came over and said, "I’m having a birthday party on Saturday night. Do you guys want to come? We’re having hotpot at the restaurant next to the school. Xie, Second Young Master, you two should come too."

Xie Guilan looked up, still unsettling but not causing trouble, and said, "I’ll come."

He Yao finally relaxed and stepped back.

Cen Wu wasn’t too keen on going. As the sports committee member, He Yao had many friends in other classes, and he had invited at least fifty to sixty people. The thought alone gave Cen Wu social anxiety.

But if he didn’t go, Xie Guilan probably wouldn’t go either. He still wanted Xie Guilan to interact more with his classmates.

Lu Wang was very unlucky; he caught a cold and had to rest at home, unable to come to school for a few days. He envied them so much that he almost cried, and he nearly wet his pants.

On Saturday evening, they went straight to the hotpot restaurant after school was dismissed at around 5 PM. The restaurant was well-known for its delicious food, generous portions of meat, and reasonable prices—otherwise, it wouldn’t have been enough for these hungry high schoolers to indulge in.

The tables were a bit small, and with ten people sitting at each table, their legs were all pressed together.

Xie Guiluan took a seat by the wall, which was more spacious. He left a seat next to him for Cen Wu, but when Cen Wu came over with his dipping sauce, after some hesitation, he sat opposite Xie Guiluan, squeezed together with a few boys from the class.

Xie Guiluan’s gaze froze, and his whole demeanor turned icy, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.

The boy next to him shivered in fear, moving away slightly and hugging his seatmate, tears streaming down his face.

He wanted to go home.

Cen Wu, being skinny and socially awkward, didn’t dare say anything when squeezed, only managing to grab bits of meat here and there. Cold sweat beaded on his fair nose, and the tips of his ears turned red from the squeeze.

He had originally wanted to sit next to Xie Guiluan, but since Xie Guiluan had finally become somewhat familiar with the class and was willing to come out for this meal, Cen Wu decided to let Xie Guiluan talk to the other classmates.

With more boys at their table, a large plate of meat appeared, and before it was even fully cooked, people started grabbing. Cen Wu couldn’t compete and only managed to get a few overcooked pieces of lamb.

“Hey, Second Young Master,” He Yao, sitting next to Cen Wu, noticed his empty bowl and said with a smile, “What do you want? I’ll get it for you.”

Cen Wu, his face turning red, nervously replied, “No, no, no… I can do it myself.”

But He Yao still used the communal chopsticks to get some meat for him.

No one could touch the newly placed plate until He Yao had gotten half of it for Cen Wu, then the others could dive in.

Cen Wu ate with his head down, while He Yao occasionally spoke to him, to which Cen Wu just nodded. Encouraged, He Yao continued chatting enthusiastically, even picking up a white radish. “I can carve radish flowers. I’ll carve one for you.”

A boy sitting next to them interjected with disdain, “Even if you carve out Guang Tou Qiang, it’s still going to end up in our stomachs after being cooked.”

“Go away, go away,” He Yao said impatiently.

Cen Wu didn’t particularly like radishes, but since He Yao had carved a snow-white rose and thrown it into the pot, he had no choice but to fish it out and eat it.

“Bro Xie,” Zhang Yuanzhou was darting around, eating with one person for a bit before moving to another, even approaching a few girls who kicked him playfully. He dodged with a cheeky grin and then came over to Xie Guiluan, “Want a beer? It’s iced.”

Xie Guiluan, with long but not curly lashes, exuded a cold aura. His deep-set eyes cast a shadow, and without shifting his gaze, he took the beer from Zhang Yuanzhou.

Zhang Yuanzhou, following Xie Guiluan’s gaze, smirked mischievously and whispered to him, “He Yao seems to have a bit of a thing for the second young master.”

He Yao was bisexual; he had dated both boyfriends and girlfriends before and hadn’t hidden it deliberately, so many people in the school knew.

He Yao hadn’t really paid attention to Cen Wu before. But when Cen Wu read his self-criticism on stage, his eyes slightly red and fighting back tears, He Yao started to notice him.

Pretty cute, actually.

But when Cen Wu put on a cold expression, his aura changed, and He Yao didn’t dare to get too close. Seeing Cen Wu stirring his dipping sauce alone tonight, He Yao decided to try striking up a conversation with him.

“I really want to be in a relationship too,” Zhang Yuanzhou said, leaning back in his chair with a contented sigh after chugging some iced beer. He had eaten his fill and was now watching He Yao showing off like a peacock.

Xie Guiluan stayed silent, his eyes downcast, looking cold and distant. He didn’t outwardly display much emotion, making it hard to gauge his feelings, but even Zhang Yuanzhou could sense that Xie Guiluan’s mood had sunk, as if a storm was brewing.

Cen Wu hadn’t noticed, though.

He Yao was talking too much, and it felt like there were a hundred Zhang Yuanzhous yelling in his ear. Cen Wu felt like covering his ears, munching gloomily on a pickled bamboo shoot when he suddenly felt someone touching him under the table.

Someone’s shoe gently brushed against his calf, then hooked around his ankle and rubbed lightly, in a suggestive way.

Cen Wu: "..."

Who is it?! Someone is seducing him.

Cen Wu never lacked admirers in his past life. He was young and handsome, with a simple romantic history. Anyone he supported would rise to fame. Whether they truly loved him or just wanted to be his kept lover, there were plenty of admirers swarming around him.

Cen Wu could tell someone was intentionally rubbing against him. He looked up, but everyone was busy eating, stretching their chopsticks to grab meat. He really couldn't figure out who it might be.

Bewildered, he spun around and met Xie Guiluan's cold, deep-set eyes, like icy moonlight.

Someone under the table was still touching him. Cen Wu's handsome face gradually turned red. He looked down, but the person dodged, repeating this a few times without getting caught.

Xie Guiluan, staring at his flushed face, asked coldly, "Are you feeling warm, Second Young Master?"

"J-just a little," Cen Wu stammered.

Even He Yao picked up on Cen Wu's discomfort. Unable to bear the strange sensation any longer, and feeling uneasy, Cen Wu excused himself to He Yao and went over to Xie Guiluan.

"I think... actually, I think," Cen Wu leaned close to Xie Guiluan, his lashes fluttering, whispering, "someone keeps touching my leg."

"In that case," Xie Guiluan's thin, crimson lips curved slightly, his voice laced with concern, "stay close to me."