Chapter 53: Family Tradition of Catching Cheating

Chapter 53: Family Tradition of Catching Cheating

Cen Wu had originally planned to let go after hugging for a while, but Xie Guiluan didn’t release him, holding on tightly as if afraid Cen Wu would leave. Cen Wu couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for the man again.

He stroked Xie Guiluan’s back to soothe him and then reached up to pat his head. Unwilling to be the first to let go, afraid that Xie Guiluan would be sad, they remained like that for a few more minutes.

Suddenly, Cen Wu felt a wet warmth on his neck.

He froze. Xie Guiluan was holding him so tightly that Cen Wu struggled to raise his hand and push him away just enough to see his face.

It was hilarious; he couldn’t push Xie Guiluan away at all.

Cen Wu gave up, managing only to reach out and touch Xie Guiluan’s face, only to feel tears there.

Cen Wu’s fingertips trembled.

Xie Guiluan’s cold lips pressed against his neck, sucking and biting, causing Cen Wu to flinch away in pain, only for Xie Guiluan to lower his head and soothingly lick him.

Cen Wu felt torn inside. He thought he shouldn’t have come back to find Xie Guiluan; he couldn’t date him—giving him hope would destroy his sense of security.

But he was also glad he had returned; otherwise, Xie Guiluan would have cried alone.

Xie Guiluan held him for over ten minutes before finally letting go, still wearing that perpetually cold expression, showing no signs of having cried, his eyes not even red.

Cen Wu held back but eventually couldn’t resist peeking over.

Did he really cry?

Xie Guiluan just stared silently. “Young Master, what are you looking at?”

Cen Wu shrank back, no longer afraid that Xie Guiluan would hit him, but afraid he would bite him. He blinked innocently. “N-nothing.”

He took Xie Guiluan’s hand and led him out of the alley, wanting to check the injury on Xie Guiluan’s face from the earlier slap.

Xie Guiluan’s palm curled involuntarily as soon as Cen Wu held it, his lips turning pale.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Wu asked, startled.

Xie Guiluan spoke in a calm tone, tightly gripping Cen Wu’s hand, their fingers interlocking again. “It’s nothing.”

Cen Wu didn’t believe him and stopped letting Xie Guiluan hold him. Instead, he grabbed Xie Guiluan’s wrist and, despite Xie Guiluan’s resistance, forced him to look at his hand once they reached a lit area.

Only then did he discover that Xie Guiluan’s palm had been burned by a cigarette, the flesh blistered and bleeding, the wound still fresh, the stark red against Xie Guiluan’s pale fingers especially glaring.

Xie Guiluan’s cold eyes dropped as if he didn’t feel any pain, and after Cen Wu finished looking, he casually put his hand away.

Cen Wu remained silent. He led Xie Guiluan to a pharmacy to buy some medicine and an ice pack.

They sat down on some steps, and Cen Wu cleaned the wound, then had Xie Guiluan apply the ice to his face.

But Xie Guiluan didn’t move. Instead, he leaned down to hug him again, burying his face in his shoulder without speaking.

Cen Wu had no choice, feeling like he was carrying a big bear, his heart too soft to scold him. He could only hold onto Xie Guiluan’s hand tightly, struggling to clean the wound and apply the medicine.

Xie Guiluan had clutched the burning cigarette in his palm, burning his hand in several places, the once pale and clean skin now covered in dense red marks from the burns.

Cen Wu thought it looked painful, unsure how Xie Guiluan had endured it, knowing it would take at least half a month to heal. He gently blew on Xie Guiluan’s hand and then carefully wrapped it with gauze.

Once he was finally done, he pinched Xie Guiluan's chin and examined his face. He had indeed slapped him hard, harder than when he hit Xie Shangjing last time. Although there was no swelling, you could see a bit of a finger mark.

"It hurts." Xie Guiluan's dark peach blossom eyes looked up, meeting Cen Wu's gaze, before he suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Cen Wu's guilt hit him hard. A few kisses wouldn’t hurt anyone, why did I hit him?

"S-so... what now?" Cen Wu's eyelashes fluttered as he avoided Xie Guiluan's gaze, touching his face with a heart full of guilt. "Maybe... just try not to feel the pain for now?"

Cen Wu was stunned, barely able to react.

Xie Guiluan remained silent, staring at his lips, before suddenly leaning in to kiss him again.

Cen Wu was startled and almost slapped him once more.

"I want to kiss." Xie Guiluan's hoarse voice spoke up again, and he continued to lie on him, his tall and straight figure enveloping Cen Wu completely from behind.

Cen Wu was stunned.

You only remember the sweet stuff and forget the rough patches.

"If you keep doing this," Cen Wu, unable to hit or scold him, could only threaten, "I'm going to ignore you."

He realized that Xie Guiluan was taking advantage of the fact that Cen Wu wouldn't really get angry, being all over him, kissing and hugging, and had even tried to pull down his pants before. If things went any further, would he try to... go all the way?

Xie Guiluan paused, pulling back from the kisses but didn't move away. In a low and depressed voice, he asked, "Why do you keep messaging him?"

Cen Wu was confused for a moment before realizing Xie Guiluan was talking about A Ling. He took out his phone, feeling indignant. "I paid him for it."

So ungrateful.

Who was he spending all that money for?

Xie Guiluan remained silent, his eyes lowered as he looked at Cen Wu's phone. Cen Wu simply handed the phone to him. Xie Guiluan didn't take it, his voice suppressed and dejected. "Can I look?"

"Yes." Cen Wu said.

There was no need to be so passive-aggressive.

He had already lifted his hand, yet he kept pretending.

Cen Wu figured if he didn’t show Xie Guiluan, he’d be haunted by him all night.

Only then did Xie Guiluan take the phone, scrolling through Cen Wu's chat records with A Ling. Sure enough, it was just daily payments, and when they did chat, it was mostly A Ling updating Cen Wu on his life.

The dark look in Xie Guiluan’s eyes softened slightly, but then he scrolled up and was met with a photo of abs.

Xie Guiluan was speechless.

It was the photo A Ling had sent the night Cen Wu had crossed into the novel.

Cen Wu flinched and instinctively reached for the phone, but hesitated. Grabbing it would make him seem guilty, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.

Cen Wu resisted the urge to snatch it back. Xie Guiluan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Cen Wu softly added, "Y-you can look at other things too."

Only then did Xie Guiluan exit the chat and start scrolling through other content, his eyes narrowing as he browsed through the photos sent by the male models.

The chat history seemed endless; even after scrolling for over half an hour, he still hadn't reached the beginning. Over three hundred people had messaged Cen Wu that night alone, sending all sorts of selfies, some even showing their underwear.

Xie Guiluan remained silent, turning his head to nuzzle against Cen Wu.

Cen Wu was suddenly overcome by a strange sense of guilt and softened.

He really felt guilty. Xie Guiluan had offered to let him touch his abs, but he had still been checking out others.

However, ever since that night at the horse ranch, Cen Wu hadn't replied to anyone. If the other person continued to message, he would secretly look, and if they stopped, he wouldn't say anything either.

Xie Guiluan was still holding Cen Wu, his chin resting on Cen Wu's shoulder. His high, straight nose gleamed coldly, his long lashes casting shadows on his pale face. His injured hand felt especially cold.

It was a rare moment of weakness.

He was still tightly holding Cen Wu's waist, but Cen Wu couldn't muster any sympathy. He felt like he was being haunted by a male ghost, but since the ghost was so handsome, he could barely endure it.

After a few minutes of silence, Xie Guiluan returned the phone and asked in a low voice, "Who called you just now?"

Cen Wu was startled.

He had almost forgotten about Cen Xiao. He quickly called Cen Xiao back, and as soon as Cen Xiao picked up, he asked suspiciously, "What were you doing? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Cen Wu: "..."

I was kissing your brother.

"I... wasn't doing anything," Cen Wu said obediently, "I was in a car just now and didn't hear it."

Cen Xiao was skeptical and continued to question him about whose car he was in, where the car had driven, and his current location, demanding quick answers.

Cen Wu broke out in a cold sweat.

Serves me right. I feel like I'm being haunted by two male ghosts, both checking up on me.

Cen Wu, who was already stammering, turned red-eared under the barrage of questions and couldn't utter a word.

Feeling a bit guilty, Cen Xiao finally let him off but warned sternly, "Tell him to take you home early. Don't stay out."

Xie Guiluan hadn't said a word the entire time, and Cen Wu had no idea how Cen Xiao was so certain that he was with Xie Guiluan.

A family tradition of catching cheaters red-handed.

There was no chance of infidelity in the Cen family.

Cen Wu was so preoccupied with Cen Xiao that he barely noticed Xie Guiluan. When he finally turned back, he found that Xie Guiluan was still holding him, resting his head on his shoulder, quietly watching him, looking particularly obedient.

After Cen Wu hung up, Xie Guiluan said, "Second young master, I'll send you home."

Cen Wu hesitated. At first, he was supposed to take Xie Guiluan home, but now it had flipped around. He explained the situation about the gang of thugs to Xie Guiluan.

Xie Guiluan had already seen his chat with A Ling but didn't react much, only saying, "Don't worry."

These were trivial matters, and Xie Guiluan was well-versed in dealing with them.

To be honest, Cen Wu wasn't very worried either. Xie Guiluan's calmness made it clear that he was in an extremely bad mood. Anyone who dared to provoke Xie Guiluan now would be signing their own death warrant.

Cen Wu agreed to let Xie Guiluan take him home.

Xie Guiluan didn’t ride his motorcycle tonight. They took the night bus, and after a fifteen-minute walk from the bus stop, they arrived at the Cen family’s villa.

Cen Wu pursed his lips, still tasting the blood from when Xie Guiluan had nearly bitten through them moments ago.

He pressed his lips together and immediately winced in pain. It finally dawned on him why the kiss had felt so off earlier.

Wait, are you actually into guys, bro?!

What happened to the typical male lead trope?

Cen Wu felt cheated; this whole book transmigration was a scam, nothing like what he'd expected.

He sensed that Xie Guiluan had an unusually intense attachment to him, but he had stubbornly believed Xie was straight, so he deceived himself, refusing to consider any other possibility.

Who would have thought Xie Guiluan would switch teams so easily?

Under the night sky, the lights of the Cen family estate flickered in the distance. Xie Guiluan walked him to the villa entrance, his gaze fixed on Cen Wu's lips.

Cen Wu's snow-white ears turned red as he quickly turned and headed inside, but Xie Guiluan grabbed his wrist and pulled him into another hug.

Startled, Cen Wu's heart raced, fearing that Xie Guiluan was about to kiss him. If the Cen family found out, he'd be dead. But Xie Guiluan simply cupped his cheeks, squeezing them playfully.

His fair cheeks were squeezed, becoming soft and puffy.

Xie Guiluan suddenly smiled, his dark peach blossom eyes gentle like mist, and said to him, "Go on home."

"Uh… yeah." Cen Wu took a few steps, then glanced back to see that Xie Guiluan was still standing there. Under the night, Xie's shadow was dark, and his mood seemed to sink as well. Cen Wu's steps grew heavier.

He paused, considering running back and asking Xie Guiluan to stay the night, but before he could, Xie waved at him, signaling to keep going.

Cen Wu bit his lip and continued running forward until he reached his bedroom. There, he collapsed onto the bed, hugging a pillow and refusing to move.

Cen Wu buried his face in the pillow, leaving only his snow-white ears peeking out, which turned bright red from embarrassment.

The silence of the bedroom only made him remember how Xie Guiluan had teased his tongue and kissed him.

Cen Wu punched the pillow a few times, lying face down, until the heat on his cheeks subsided a little and he finally lifted his misty eyes.

It was all Xie Guiluan's fault for seducing him.

Unwilling to think about it anymore, Cen Wu went to close the curtains before going to sleep. But as he approached the window, he suddenly froze. Over half an hour had passed, and Xie Guiluan was still there.

Cen Wu didn't dare call out to him, afraid someone from the Cen family might hear. He quickly called Xie Guiluan instead, then ran out to the bedroom balcony, waving his arms vigorously.

"Why… why are you still here?" Cen Wu asked.

Xie Guiluan picked up the phone quickly, his voice cold and hoarse, sending a shiver down Cen Wu's spine as he said, "I’m having second thoughts."

"?" Cen Wu was confused. "Regretting what?"

Xie Guiluan gazed at the small figure under the night sky and deliberately said, "Regretting not kissing you more."

Cen Wu's defenses crumbled. He ran back to the bedroom, slammed the window shut, and quickly drew the curtains. He crouched down on the carpet, angrily pulling at the wool.

"If I kiss you now, I’ll probably get hit—or maybe even slapped," Xie Guiluan said with a mischievous grin, watching the flustered figure flee. "How about a kiss and a slap?"

"..." Cen Wu, flustered and red-faced, angrily said, "Get lost!"

Is kissing the only thing on your mind?!

Xie Guiluan let out a soft chuckle, and Cen Wu's ears turned red. He moved his phone slightly away, then brought it back, hearing Xie Guiluan's gentle voice in the night breeze saying, "Goodnight."

Cen Wu bit his lip and didn't say anything. Xie Guiluan hadn't hung up either. Cen Wu didn't know if he had left or not. After a few minutes, he cautiously stood up, intending to part the curtains and take a look.

But the lights in his bedroom were still on, and standing up like that, his shadow was cast on the curtain, looking like a droopy, unhappy little mushroom.

Seeing Cen Wu’s shadow, Xie Guiluan felt like he had cornered his prey and spoke again, "Goodnight."

Cen Wu was startled and realized he had exposed himself. He quickly crouched down and hung up the phone.

He didn't dare to make any more rash moves. After holding his breath for a minute, he stood up again. Xie Guiluan was finally gone from the villa's entrance.

His phone buzzed just then.

"Xie Guiluan: cat_covering_with_blanket.jpg"

Xie Guiluan always seemed to anticipate every move Cen Wu made. His controlling nature was quite terrifying, but Cen Wu didn't feel afraid.

Cen Wu: "..."

Feeling helpless, Cen Wu replied, his ears flushing red.

"Cen Wu: Goodnight."

Xie Guiluan put away his phone and left the Cen family's place. He didn't go to the hospital or home; instead, he headed straight to Blue Night.

Ji Changyu was a bit stunned when he saw him and asked, "You're not working tonight, so why are you here?"

"Give me the drink menu," Xie Guiluan said, sitting down in a booth.

Ji Changyu handed it over, confused. Xie Guiluan ordered a few beers, which left Ji Changyu even more puzzled.

Xie Guiluan hardly ever drank. He rarely smoked too, only when he was extremely troubled. He was extremely disciplined and wouldn't let anything disrupt his mental clarity unless absolutely necessary.

Having known Xie Guiluan for over a year, this was the first time Ji Changyu saw him take the initiative to drink.

"Looks like I’m your personal bartender now," Ji Changyu grumbled, though he went to get the drinks anyway.

Blue Night wasn't very crowded that night. The dance floor was empty, and the live singer on stage was adjusting equipment, casually playing a few songs. One of the songs played was by a sorrowful and hysterical male singer:

"Falling in love with someone I shouldn't, I gave you my soul, you left me, leaving me heartbroken..."

Xie Guiluan: "..."

His expression darkened.

The live singer was new, having been there only for about half a month, and had already noticed that no one at Blue Night ever provoked Xie Guiluan.

Even the manager didn’t dare to raise his voice around Xie Guiluan. After all, Xie Guiluan was not only highly capable but also extremely handsome, making him the perfect face of the establishment. Finding someone like him to work there would be tough.

The manager didn't want Xie Guiluan to leave, but he also sensed a dangerous instability in him. Still, as long as Xie Guiluan didn't offend any customers, he was willing to indulge him a little.

Besides, he knew that Xie Guiluan was Xie Mingcheng's son. Even if he was illegitimate, it all depended on Xie Mingcheng. Who knew, maybe one day Xie Mingcheng would suddenly start caring about this son.

The live singer shuddered and quickly switched songs.

"How could I blame you for your mistakes? I gave you too much freedom, leaving you even lonelier..."

Xie Guiluan: "..."

Xie Guiluan's expression grew darker and darker, and the singer, looking like he was about to cry, switched to a Debussy instrumental piece, which finally made Xie Guiluan look away.

It was already midnight. As soon as Ji Changyu got off work, he came to find Xie Guiluan to drink. That was when he noticed the injury on Xie Guiluan's face, which looked like he had been slapped, and his hand was wrapped in gauze.

"F*ck," Ji Changyu cursed angrily, "How did this happen?!"

He had already sat down in the booth but stood up again, indignant, thinking it was probably done by Xie Shangjing's group once more.

But Xie Guiluan, after drinking half a glass of wine, said calmly, "I got slapped for forcing a kiss."

Ji Changyu let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good then."

Then he paused for a minute.

Ji Changyu: "..."

Ji Changyu: "???"

Wait, what the hell is going on?

"You didn't confess your feelings to that guy, did you?" Ji Changyu asked in disbelief. Even though he knew Xie Guiluan was a tough person, he didn't expect Xie Guiluan to be so direct as to confess just like that.

Xie Guiluan hadn't planned to confess that night. He had intended to take Cen Wu on a date and bring it up when the atmosphere was right, but he couldn't hold back in the moment.

He hadn't even realized

that he could be so jealous.

"Who doesn't get slapped once or twice," Ji Changyu said, trying to comfort Xie Guiluan. "It's not like you two are on the same path anyway. Forget it, it's better not to force things."

Ji Changyu had very low standards. If someone else chose to degrade themselves by being a third party, he wouldn't care, and as long as his friend was discreet, it was fine too. Even if he himself was the third party, it could be some grand love affair.

Even if Cen Wu and Xie Shangjing were together, he would support Xie Guiluan in taking him from Xie Shangjing, let alone the fact that Cen Wu wasn't dating Xie Shangjing.

Probably... not dating, right?

But Song Lingwei was already Xie Mingcheng's mistress, and Xie Shangjing hated Xie Guiluan so much that if Xie Guiluan also snatched his boyfriend, Ji Changyu couldn't imagine how badly Xie Guiluan and Xie Shangjing would fall out.

It would be a fight to the death no matter what.

Whether Cen Wu was dating Xie Shangjing or not, Xie Shangjing would treat Xie Guiluan as a mistress, and life would be harder from now on.

"Don't obsess over it," Ji Changyu advised. "The Cen family holds so much power; can you outsmart them? Even if you're dating him now, can you stay together forever? And you know he's been fooling around with many male models; can you stand him cheating all the time?"

The word "fooling around" and Ji Changyu's tone didn't sit well with Xie Guiluan. His expression immediately turned cold.

Ji Changyu: "..."

Can't even say anything.

Ji Changyu quickly changed his approach. "No fooling around, no fooling around. He's totally innocent; he just appreciates men's bodies, alright?"

Xie Guiluan finally shifted his gaze away and poured another glass of wine. The three or four bottles of beer on the table were soon gone.

The alcohol didn't make his face flush; his complexion stayed pale and stern, but his long lashes drooped, and his movements did become sluggish.

No matter how earnestly Ji Changyu tried to persuade him, Xie Guiluan didn't react much, until Ji Changyu said, "If he liked you, that'd be one thing, but he doesn't. Why are you forcing it?"

After drinking, Xie Guiluan's thin lips turned a deep red, and he finally spoke up. "How do you know he doesn't like me?"

"..." Ji Changyu was so exasperated he laughed, "He slapped you, and now you're asking me how I would know?"

Xie Guiluan frowned, "He comforted me after slapping me. Why didn't he comfort anyone else?"

Ji Changyu: "..."

"So why did he only slap you and not anyone else?" Ji Changyu wanted to make him see reason, so he said harshly, "It means he dislikes you."

Xie Guiluan was silent for a moment before reluctantly saying, "He slapped others as well, but he only came to comfort me."

Ji Changyu couldn't take the circular arguments anymore. He continued to analyze the pros and cons with Xie Guiluan, talking until his throat was parched. He then picked up his drink, downed a cup, and asked, "Got it?"

"I understand," Xie Guiluan responded.

Ji Changyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he heard Xie Guiluan continue, "You’re just jealous of me."

Ji Changyu: "..."

Go to hell, lovesick idiot!