Chapter 60: Abandoned After Seduction

Chapter 60: Abandoned After Seduction

At first, Cen Wu didn’t understand what Xie Guiluan was saying, but when it clicked, his cheeks flushed crimson, and he completely forgot about his social anxiety. Today, one of them was going to die.

He kicked his legs vigorously, wanting to jump down, and barely containing his shame and anger, he snapped, "Are you sick?"

Xie Guiluan, however, held onto the back of his thighs, adjusting him to sit more securely on his back, his face expressionless. He said, "Don't act up, be good, or you’ll cry if you fall."

"Who… who cried?" Cen Wu punched him, stubbornly refusing to admit it. "You… you cried."

Regret washed over him.

He shouldn’t have let Xie Guiluan off the hook. When Xie Guiluan had cried, he should’ve taken a photo. Now, he had no evidence.

"Hmm," Xie Guiluan was surprisingly compliant, "I cried."

Cen Wu pulled Xie Guiluan’s jacket higher, covering his head completely, ensuring no one could see him. Only then did his tense body relax.

He hugged Xie Guiluan’s neck and asked, "Why… why did you cry?"

"You were scared," Xie Guiluan countered, "Why didn’t you wait for me?"

Cen Wu denied it again, lying on Xie Guiluan’s shoulder, his voice muffled. "Who was scared?"

Cen Wu had always been stubborn since he was a child, one of those kids with a contradictory temperament. When he was three or four, his parents were busy filming, and he lived with his grandfather, who ran a jewelry company. His grandfather wasn’t able to pay much attention to him.

Apart from going to kindergarten, he spent all his time at home with the nanny. When it was time to train him to sleep alone, his parents, worried he’d be scared, thought about having the nanny accompany him.

But Cen Wu said he wasn’t afraid. He insisted on sleeping alone, pouted, and even sent the nanny away. Hugging his little rabbit doll, wrapped in a small blanket, he curled up on the bed.

In the dark bedroom, after the lights were off, he was a small lump on the bed, hard to spot unless you looked closely, both pitiful and amusing. The nanny took photos and sent them to his parents.

When his parents came home at night, he heard the noise and came running, his small hands clutching the rabbit doll’s ears, his eyes red, his pale face streaked with tears. But he wouldn’t let them hug him, stubbornly saying, "I’m not scared."

"I don’t miss you at all," he said, his voice filled with childish defiance, "I really hate that you came looking for me."

He didn’t need anyone. Without anyone, he could still manage just fine.

Every time, his parents would coo, saying how amazing their Wu was, the most amazing child in the world. Then they’d tuck him in and close the bedroom door.

He refused to let anyone see his vulnerability, until the day it all broke apart.

"Hmm, I was scared," Xie Guiluan bounced him slightly again, still going along with him, but his tone light, carrying a teasing grievance, "Afraid you'd leave me after leading me on."

Cen Wu: "..."

He was floored. How did the conversation turn like that? And what seduction? Nothing has ever happened between us!

"You’ve already kissed me," Xie Guiluan said, his voice low and pleasant in the night, but lazy and self-righteous, "You’ve also touched me, and you have a nude photo of me. If you don’t want me, no one will, and you have to take responsibility for me."

Cen Wu: "..."

Who wants your nude photo? Can you just get rid of it?

Cen Wu was so angry his face turned red, and in his fluster, he couldn’t immediately think of a rebuttal.

"You have something on me," Xie Guiluan continued, "I don’t have anything on you. It makes me feel insecure."

Cen Wu’s mouth moved faster than his brain, caught up in Xie Guiluan’s words. He hadn’t even considered why he should give Xie Guiluan any sense of security, and retorted, "What do you want from me? Should I take some photos of you too?"

"..." What Xie Guiluan wanted wasn't this, but he curled his thin lips and said in a teasing tone, "It could work."

Cen Wu only then realized what he had just said, his face instantly flushing crimson. He tightened his grip around Xie Guiluan's neck and buried his face in the back of his neck, gritting his teeth to say, "Keep dreaming."

"Alright," Xie Guiluan's voice was low and muffled with laughter. Cen Wu, lying on his back, could almost feel the vibration as Xie Guiluan murmured, "Didn't expect you'd be dreaming about me, huh?"

Cen Wu: "..."

"Bro," Cen Wu admitted defeat; he couldn't out-charm him. He reddened and begged, "Whatever you say is right."

Xie Guiluan swallowed, about to blurt out more flirty words, but Cen Wu's cheeks were buried in his shoulder, shamefully hot, and he couldn't bear to say more.

The school wasn't far from the station. The taxi’s a small space with a driver, so Xie Guiluan was worried Cen Wu might feel uncomfortable. Instead of taking a taxi, he carried him for half an hour.

Cen Wu was afraid Xie Guiluan would discover him, so he originally bought a different train to transfer. But since he had already been caught at noon, there was no point in hiding anymore. He switched his ticket to join Xie Guiluan on the same train.

Actually, he could have asked the Cen family's driver to come from Huai Jing to pick him up, but Cen Wu thought it wasn't quite appropriate. No wonder Cen Xiao was angry; in the eyes of others, he really looked like a lovesick fool.

Especially since it was a hopeless case.

He didn't dare let Cen's parents discover that he was chasing after Xie Guiluan like this. Even Cen Xiao couldn't accept it; they certainly wouldn't be able to, and if they didn't allow him to associate with Xie Guiluan, it would be troublesome.

Xie Guiluan got them a sleeper berth so Cen Wu could rest during the trip. He sat by the side to block the view.

Cen Wu was quiet when he was awake, but once he fell asleep, he suddenly got closer, burying his face in Xie Guiluan's palm.

Xie Guiluan cupped his cheek and gently pinched it, causing Cen Wu to frown discontentedly in his sleep before he finally let go. But he took Cen Wu's hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.

They arrived in Huai Jing at ten PM. Xie Guiluan had originally wanted to take Cen Wu home, but the thought of the dozens of servants at the Cen family's estate made Cen Wu's scalp tingle. He still hadn't gotten used to it.

Pale-faced, he clung to Xie Guiluan and whispered hesitantly, "I... I want to go to your place."

Plus, if Guan Xingxue saw him like this, she’d definitely worry.

"..." Xie Guiluan was stunned for a moment, then pursed his lips and coaxed him, "I'll take you home, and I'll stay with you tonight, alright?"

His place wasn’t the best spot for Cen Wu. Cen Wu belonged in the bright manor villa; there was no reason for him to endure this.

Cen Wu was very insistent. After knowing him for so long, he had never been to Xie Guiluan's place, and he really wanted to go.

Xie Guiluan couldn't persuade him otherwise and could only agree.

But as soon as they left the station, a caregiver called suddenly, saying that Song Lingwei had been vomiting severely at night. Cen Wu grabbed a mask and put on a baseball cap, saying, "I... I'll go with you."

Xie Guiluan lowered his eyes, the dark night casting a cold, dim light on his tall nose. He tightened his grip on Cen Wu's hand.

Song Lingwei was like a leech, needing someone to latch onto just to get by. Since Chen Weiguo's death, their relationship had been reversed. Song Lingwei no longer acted like a mother, and he had to bear a heavier fate.

It would only end with death.

When they arrived at the hospital, several bodyguards were guarding outside the ward. Xie Guiluan had previously spoken disrespectfully to Xie Mingcheng, saying he was too old to fetch a good price. Xie Mingcheng had said he would never take care of them again, but a few days ago, he suddenly sent bodyguards over.

Song Lingwei had just vomited and looked haggard and pale, but her lips were a striking red, decadent and alluring. She hadn’t looked at Xie Guiluan kindly since the school anniversary gala.

Especially a few nights ago, when she had come across reports of Xie Mingcheng attending a banquet with Zhou Li. The Zhou family had already fallen, yet Xie Mingcheng still hadn't divorced Zhou Li.

Was she doomed to be a mistress forever?

"Xiao Xie is here," the caregiver helped Song Lingwei wipe her face, then stood up. "Your mother feels a little better after vomiting."

"Hmm," Xie Guilran responded, "Thank you."

He took out the medicine to be taken before bed and handed it to Song Lingwei, who received it with a sullen face, feeling suffocated and miserable.

Her lips moved, unable to resist the urge to lose her temper at Xie Guilran, when Cen Wu suddenly peeked into the hospital room from outside the door.

Now, whenever Cen Wu encountered people, his palms would turn cold and clammy, but he didn’t want Xie Guilran to get scolded either.

Song Lingwei looked up, clearly startled, then tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a smile.

She couldn’t say much in front of Cen Wu, but she couldn’t help feeling resentful towards Xie Guilran in her heart. Isn’t Xie Guilran supposed to be amazing?

What’s the use of only killing Chen Weiguo? If he’s capable, why not kill Xie Mingcheng too and seize all the Xie family’s money?

Xie Shangjing made Xie Guilran sleep in the stable and would whip him with a horsewhip at every turn, all of which Xie Mingcheng had silently approved. Chen Weiguo was just a drug addict who hit people; he couldn’t compare to Xie Mingcheng’s cruelty.

She thought Xie Guilran would hate Xie Mingcheng, but he hadn’t laid a hand on him for many years. She couldn’t understand why and didn’t dare to think too much about it.

Otherwise, she would realize that the devil’s initial plan was to save his mother. He cared about her pain far more than his own, and she would discover that Xie Guilran actually loved her very much.

Song Lingwei turned her head to wipe her tears, took the medicine, and lay down without paying any more attention to Xie Guilran.

Xie Guilran didn’t care about her resentful glare either, and went to find Cen Wu, taking his hand and leaving the hospital.

Cen Wu hadn’t bought the wontons, and they hadn’t eaten dinner. Xie Guilran had wanted to order takeout, but Cen Wu strongly refused. Xie Guilran would definitely have ordered something expensive.

The supermarket next to the hospital was still open, so he pulled Xie Guilran to the supermarket. It was better to buy some instant noodles to cook.

Cen Wu wore a hooded sweatshirt and put the hood up, covering himself very tightly, which ironically made him stand out. But Xie Guilran kept his arm around him, ignoring all the curious glances.

Cen Wu’s ears under the hood were burning red. He pushed Xie Guilran lightly and whispered, "I… I’m already okay. Don’t do this, people will think you’re gay."

He remembered that in the original story, same-sex marriage is legal, but the law had not been passed for long. Most people still didn’t accept it, which was why Xie Shangjing didn’t dare to tell Xie Mingcheng that he liked the original protagonist.

"I don’t care," Xie Guilran slightly raised an eyebrow, his tone drawling and teasing, "Besides, am I not? Young master, I thought you were a boy?"

He glanced at Cen Wu.

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu’s blood rushed up, his face turning red as he glared at Xie Guilran angrily, "What are you looking at? Mine is bigger than yours."

"Shh," Xie Guilran’s dark peach blossom eyes curved up as he coaxed him, "Someone might hear you."

He didn’t mind, but he was afraid Cen Wu would be too embarrassed.

Cen Wu quickly poked his head out, cautiously looking left and right. His voice hadn’t been too loud, and there were few people in the supermarket at night, so he relaxed, thinking no one had heard.

"W-what is it?" Cen Wu still glared at Xie Guilran, but his voice was much lower and stammering, losing half of his confidence, "Mine is bigger, don’t you agree?"

"I do," Xie Guilran shamelessly said, holding up a can of lychee soda, "I like things bigger."

Cen Wu: "..."

Your preferences are quite unique.

Cen Wu had lost all his strength and tricks; he was no match for Xie Guilran at all. The Cen family was quite normal, how did they end up with such a troublemaker?

He imagined any member of the Cen family acting the way Xie Guiluan did and felt a chill run down his spine.

Xie Guiluan hugged him, and Cen Wu let him, his face expressionless. Xie Guiluan put a little cat hat on him, and Cen Wu wore it without showing any emotion. Xie Guiluan took advantage of the situation and suddenly lowered his head, pinching Cen Wu's chin. "'Kiss me,' Xie Guiluan demanded."

Cen Wu tried to keep his face from flushing, but eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and slapped Xie Guiluan. "Go away!"

Xie Guiluan had truly angered him. Cen Wu walked with his head down, his legs shaking every time he saw someone. He refused to walk with Xie Guiluan, stubbornly staying ahead with a furious expression.

Why was he being so adorable?

Xie Guiluan followed his shadow, staying behind him. Occasionally, he would take a few steps forward and get pushed away by Cen Wu, only to follow again, endlessly coaxing him.

If only Cen Wu liked him. If Cen Wu did, he'd even let Xie Shangjing sit at the main table at their wedding.

Furious, Cen Wu walked ahead, and by the time they reached the run-down building where Xie Guiluan lived, his pace slowed. He turned around and ran back to Xie Guiluan, hugging his arm.

Xie Guiluan figured Cen Wu was scared of the dark. This building was even worse than the one Xie Guiluan had lived in as a child. The wiring was old, and the stairwell lights barely worked, flickering at most.

"Don't worry," Xie Guiluan reassured, putting an arm around his shoulders.

Cen Wu was quite tense. Xie Guiluan took out his keys to open the door, and Cen Wu grabbed onto Xie Guiluan's jacket. Even when the door opened, Cen Wu didn't dare to look inside until Xie Guiluan turned on the lights, making the room bright. Only then did Cen Wu open his eyes.

Xie Guiluan's long, cold eyelashes flickered. He looked at Cen Wu's pale and tense face, holding onto his hand.

Xie Guiluan's place was tiny, barely ten square meters. As soon as you entered, there was a desk and a bed. There was a bathroom directly opposite the door, and at that moment, the bathroom light wasn't on, leaving it dark.

A large, dark splatter stained the wall near the shoe cabinet. The color was so dark it seemed slightly red.

Cen Wu was shocked. He couldn't believe Xie Guiluan hadn't even bothered to paint over the wall. A chill ran down his back, and he felt like something was there, so he clung to Xie Guiluan's waist, not daring to let go.

Huai Jing No.1 High School was one of the best high schools in Huai Jing. There were also several other schools nearby. The school district housing here, no matter how dilapidated, wouldn't cost less than 600 yuan a month. But the house Xie Guiluan rented was only 300 yuan a month.

This was because a brutal murder had taken place earlier in the year.

Xie Guiluan had approached the landlord and offered to rent the place. The landlord was eager to get rid of the problem and never returned after renting it to Xie Guiluan.

Xie Guiluan put an arm around Cen Wu and kissed his head. He was happy that Cen Wu had taken the initiative to hug him but didn't want to scare him. So, he asked, "How about staying at a hotel?"

"No, no, no!" Cen Wu protested.

If Xie Guiluan could live there, why couldn't he? He had come on his own, and leaving now might make Xie Guiluan overthink.

Xie Guiluan told him to sit on the bed and then took some newspapers to cover the bloodstains on the wall. Cen Wu still followed him like a little tail, moving slowly behind him.

"Aren't you scared?" Xie Guiluan turned his head, teasing him slightly. "Why did you still come over?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Bro, everyone except you is scared.

After covering the wall with newspapers, Xie Guiluan led him to the desk and bed. Then, he found a small pot to cook some noodles for him.

It was almost November, and the building hadn't started heating yet. It was very cold at night, so Xie Guiluan wrapped Cen Wu in a small blanket. Cen Wu lay beside him, watching Xie Guiluan cook a soft-boiled egg in the pot.

Except for the bloodstains on the wall, which Xie Guiluan didn't care about and left untouched, the rest of the place was very clean. The small blanket smelled nice, carrying Xie Guiluan's scent.

Cen Wu slurped down a bowl of instant noodles, feeling warm all over. The water in the bathroom had also heated up. Xie Guiluan asked him, "Young master, do you want to take a shower?"

Cen Wu wanted to, but he was also a bit scared. He pulled Xie Guiluan, asking him to go with him.

Xie Guiluan thought Cen Wu wanted him to wait at the door, but Cen Wu pulled him into the bathroom and, turning his back to him, barely managed to say with shame, "Don't... don't peek."

The bathroom was small, combined with the toilet, and he could almost bump into Xie Guiluan with every turn.

"Mm, won't peek," Xie Guiluan's voice, tinged with laughter, sounded. He heard the rustling sound of Cen Wu undressing behind him, then the showerhead was turned on, immediately filling the air with white mist.

Xie Guiluan's deep peach blossom eyes flickered. Cen Wu thought he couldn't see, but the bathroom door reflected the blurry outline of the youth's snow-white figure, his waist slender and her figure perfectly proportioned.

Cen Wu turned his back to Xie Guiluan and let the water run down his back. His waist dipped deeply, forming a beautiful arc, and water droplets gathered into a small puddle before rolling down his pale, rounded buttocks.

He was a bit scared and, after washing for a while, would turn his head to touch Xie Guiluan's hand, pinch his fingers, then his palm—the warmth of a living person, hot and reassuring.

The bathroom was hot and stuffy. Xie Guiluan shifted his gaze away from the door, his neck veins pulsing as sweat trickled down his abdomen. Cen Wu's wet hands kept touching him, causing a ticklish sensation that came and went.

"Xie... Xie Guiluan," Cen Wu stammered, "say something... talk to me."

The youth's voice was softened by the stuffiness, like a mist clinging to him, unconsciously touching him again and again.

Xie Guiluan's forehead vein twitched, and he said flatly, "Peace, love, and happiness..."

Cen Wu: "......"

Enough, being red-faced makes me feel safe.

As Cen Wu was nearly done washing, he asked Xie Guiluan uneasily, "You didn't... didn't peek, right?"

Xie Guiluan raised his hand—his long, elegant fingers with prominent blue veins—pressed against the bathroom door, and said without hiding anything, "No peeking, but you can see from here."

He was openly watching.

Cen Wu froze for a second, and as he leaned over, he realized you could indeed see a bit. Though it was blurry, the waist was a waist, and the buttocks were buttocks, both distinguishable in outline.

Cen Wu's face instantly turned bright red. Without bothering to dress, he started wrestling with Xie Guiluan.

Xie Guiluan, fearing Cen Wu would fall, reached out to hold him. As he turned around, he consciously closed his eyes, not daring to look. Despite being hit a few times by Cen Wu's fists, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but curl up in a smile.

"Are you gonna die if you don’t flirt so much?!" Cen Wu was half-mad, his snow-white spine colliding with the glass bathroom door, water droplets rolling down his vertebrae and disappearing into his taut thighs.

Xie Guiluan opened his eyes, his gaze deep, black, and obscure. Closing his eyes made him prone to touching places he shouldn't, but opening them didn't seem entirely appropriate either. In the end, he'd get hit either way. He stared at Cen Wu's mist-wet, red lips and leaned in to kiss them lightly.

Cen Wu: "............"

You're invincible.

Cen Wu, having lost his temper, pushed Xie Guiluan away and went back to washing. After finishing and stepping out, Xie Guiluan found his own pajamas for Cen Wu. They were too big, the pant legs long, and Xie Guiluan bent down to roll them up, then brought over a thick quilt.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," Xie Guiluan said seriously, "Would the young master like to accompany me?"

"I... I'm not going," Cen Wu, being quite double-standard, wrapped himself in the quilt, not giving Xie Guiluan a chance to drag him out.

Xie Guiluan was worried Cen Wu would be scared if left alone, but Cen Wu had grown more accustomed by now. He waved him off, saying, "It's fine."

He picked up Xie Guiluan's chemistry worksheet, planning to solve a few problems, intending to conquer his fear with academics.

"I'll be out soon," Xie Guiluan told him.

Cen Wu nodded in agreement. Next week was the midterm exam, and he could now solve six or seven out of ten multiple-choice chemistry questions, though there were still some things from his first year he hadn't fully memorized.

"Xie... Xie Guiluan," Cen Wu called toward the bathroom, "I want... I want to see your first-year chemistry book."

"Xie Guiluan asked him, 'Should I go and help you find it, or will you look for it yourself? It's in the desk drawer.'

The only sizable piece of furniture in Xie Guiluan's place was the desk, which had five or six drawers. Cen Wu told him not to come out, then wrapped himself in the quilt for comfort. He shuffled his way toward the desk.

After finding the book, he quietly focused on his exam papers without calling for Xie Guiluan again.

Xie Guiluan finished his shower in under ten minutes and casually glanced at the desk as he left. He discreetly lowered his eyes.

The two right-hand drawers had been opened. His first-year textbooks were originally in the second right-hand drawer, but he had recently moved them to the first drawer for the chemistry competition.

The left drawer, closer to Cen Wu, was secured with twelve screws. Cen Wu didn't touch it.

Cen Wu probably searched for the books in their original location first and, upon not finding them, opened the top drawer, which was used for temporarily storing things.

He had obsessive-compulsive tendencies and was very particular about cleanliness. In private, his behavior was very rigid. Unless it was something he needed urgently, everything had to be in its designated spot.

Xie Guiluan had noticed that Cen Wu knew him better than anyone should.

Many killers return to their crime scenes. This house wasn’t safe, especially since Xie Mingcheng knew his address.

Xie Guiluan had placed strands of hair and similar things by the door, windows, bedside, drawers, and many other places. If anyone had touched his belongings, he’d know.

At least, since he had moved here, no one had come, so Cen Wu couldn't have investigated him either.

Cen Wu was very concerned about his competition, as if he knew something would go wrong with it. He seemed to know that Xie Guiluan had killed someone, that he liked eating fish but hated the bones, even though Xie Guiluan had never eaten fish in Huai Jing.

Apart from Song Lingwei, no one could possibly know these things. Yet Cen Wu even knew Xie Guiluan's little habits when tidying up his drawers, something even Song Lingwei didn't know.

Xie Guiluan's dark eyes lifted, with the cold, dim light of the night reflecting on his pale, handsome face, bisected by his high, straight nose. Half of his profile was lost in the shadows.

Cen Wu was unaware, hiding under the blanket, sitting in the spot farthest from the door. He was wrapped in Xie Guiluan's quilt, holding Xie Guiluan's pen, and working on Xie Guiluan's draft paper. His chin rested on his knees, his snow-white cheeks squished into a soft little mound.

Xie Guiluan gently tilted Cen Wu’s chin and softly said, 'It’s time to sleep.'

Cen Wu realized it was almost 1 a.m., and he still had school the next day. Putting down his papers, he prepared to sleep.

Xie Guiluan only had a cotton quilt and a thin blanket. He had given the cotton quilt to Cen Wu and was planning to use the thin blanket himself, but Cen Wu rolled over and wrapped him in the quilt too.

Cen Wu patted his back like he was soothing a child, hugging him and saying, 'Sleep, sleep. Are you cold?'

Since they had already hugged and kissed, there was no need to be reserved. He was more worried that Xie Guiluan would catch a cold.

'Not cold,' Xie Guiluan paused, rubbed his head against Cen Wu's, and handed him a notebook, saying, 'This is for you, young master.'

Cen Wu lay there and opened it, then froze in surprise. It was a notebook compiled by Xie Guiluan, covering all subjects from first-year until now. It listed all the key points with the corresponding textbook page numbers and included many example questions cut out from various workbooks. The notebook was thick from all the content.

These example questions were cut out from different workbooks; Cen Wu couldn’t help feeling distressed thinking about how much money it must have cost to buy all those workbooks.

Xie Guiluan's grades didn’t really require him to review these, so this was clearly prepared specially for him. He didn’t know how long it had taken to put together.

'Happy birthday,' Xie Guiluan said.

This was the birthday gift he had prepared for Cen Wu. He had intended to give it to him on the night of his birthday, but compared to other people's gifts, this notebook seemed insignificant.

Xie Guiluan didn’t consider himself a person prone to low self-esteem, but when he was with Cen Wu, he always felt like he had nothing, as if he were looking up at the moon from a gutter. There was nothing he had that could match up to Cen Wu."

He didn’t want his affection to be anything less than pure.

Cen Wu carefully tucked the notebook away. Not to mention, Xie Guiluan’s meticulously organized notes could fetch tens of thousands at an auction, guaranteed to be a hot commodity.

Of course, there was no way he’d part with it.

He was just talking nonsense about becoming the top student in the provincial exams; he knew he wouldn’t pass. He didn’t expect Xie Guiluan to take it to heart.

Cen Wu didn’t take offense at Xie Guiluan’s teasing anymore. He blinked and simply said, "Thanks."

Xie Guiluan stayed silent, which made Cen Wu suddenly uneasy. What’s wrong, Princess? Why’s he upset all of a sudden?

He propped himself up and cradled Xie Guiluan’s face, rubbing it gently.

Xie Guiluan grabbed his hand and suddenly said, "I deliberately made you open the drawer just now."

He could have directly told Cen Wu which drawer the chemistry book was in, but he didn’t. He let Cen Wu find it himself to corroborate his guess, almost as an instinctive reaction.

But in truth, he didn’t care about what Cen Wu knew. What scared him was the thought that Cen Wu might fear him.

Cen Wu froze for a moment and then realized what was happening. Cold sweat nearly broke out. Xie Guiluan had been so kind to him that he’d forgotten just how cautious Xie Guiluan always was.

He wrapped his arms around Xie Guiluan without a word, but it was more than enough to offer comfort.

Xie Guiluan held him in his arms, burying his head in his neck. Lying like this felt too intimate. After a moment, sensing that Xie Guiluan’s mood had lifted, Cen Wu blushed and tried to push him away.

He needed to keep some distance from Xie Guiluan—if he left later, it would feel like he’d used him and then tossed him aside.

But Xie Guiluan tightened his grip. In the darkness, their breaths mingled as their bodies pressed close together. Cen Wu felt something and froze, unable to move, his ears burning.

"You… you… you…" Cen Wu gritted his teeth, how could he still be so shameless? "I’ve wanted to tell you," Xie Guiluan murmured, his nose nuzzled into Cen Wu’s neck, his voice low and sultry. "Don’t feel guilty. When you hold me, it feels amazing."