Chapter 61: Acting Coy

Chapter 61: Acting Coy

What are you so pleased about? Who allowed you to feel this way?

Cen Wu's face was expressionless. Under the covers, he kicked Xie Guiluan mercilessly, intending to cripple him, but Xie Guiluan firmly grasped his ankle.

In the pitch-black night, Xie Guiluan's scorching breath grew heavier, his palms hot, his fingertips rubbing against Cen Wu's ankle bone.

Held back but intense.

Cen Wu struggled a few times, then suddenly remembered something, his face turning completely red. He pushed Xie Guiluan away forcefully, quickly retracting his leg and maintaining a one-meter distance from Xie Guiluan.

He couldn't handle it anymore. He was genuinely afraid Xie Guiluan would grab his foot and make him step on him. He felt Xie Guiluan was capable of such a thing.

"Afraid of what?" Xie Guiluan's arms were now empty.

He vaguely noticed the red tips of Cen Wu's ears and suddenly realized what Cen Wu was thinking. A wicked smile curled on his lips, but his tone remained obedient, "Brother, do you really think I'm that kind of person?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu: "Aren't you?"

Xie Guiluan didn't speak for several minutes. Cen Wu thought he had fallen asleep. He slowly scooted closer to Xie Guiluan under the covers, pulling the blanket over him.

Then, he suddenly heard Xie Guiluan chuckle softly, with a playful and teasing tone, "I am."

Cen Wu: "..."

Damn it, he should just die together with Xie Guiluan.

But maybe Xie Guiluan would actually be willing. He could already picture Xie Guiluan's infuriatingly teasing tone saying, "Brother, do you really want to die with me?"

Cen Wu's ears were almost dripping with redness. How could Xie Guiluan have such thick skin?

He grabbed the blanket and tossed it over Xie Guiluan's face, as if trying to suffocate him, and growled, "Sleep... go to sleep!"

Xie Guiluan didn't resist, laughing softly under the blanket. He suddenly turned and hugged Cen Wu, burying his face in Cen Wu's chest instead of his neck.

Xie Guiluan was a good half-head taller than Cen Wu, so curling up like this must have been uncomfortable, but he nuzzled against Cen Wu, never letting go.

Cen Wu reached out and hugged him. He couldn't hold Xie Guiluan as fully as Xie Guiluan held him, given their size difference, but it was enough to dispel the cold of the night.

And the loneliness of their long adolescence.

Xie Guiluan's palm gripped Cen Wu's waist, his head always nuzzling against him, gentle and without desire. Cen Wu's face grew hot from the nuzzling. He couldn't take it. Xie Guiluan was really good at acting coy. Damn him.

This time, Cen Wu refused to respond no matter what, and Xie Guiluan finally settled down. When Cen Wu's breathing gradually evened out, Xie Guiluan propped himself up, pulled Cen Wu into his arms, and whispered, "Goodnight."

Cen Wu was sound asleep, not even noticing when he was hugged, and he curled up further into Xie Guiluan's embrace.

Huaijing had suddenly turned cold. The next day, Cen Wu was almost frozen awake, but Xie Guiluan's embrace was scorching hot, and he had tightly wrapped Cen Wu in the blanket. Only Cen Wu's face felt icy cold.

Xie Guiluan had woken up earlier, afraid Cen Wu would feel cold, so he hadn't moved. Seeing Cen Wu awake, he wrapped him in the blanket and went to fetch clothes, even bringing an extra sweater of his own.

"I... I'll wear it," Cen Wu refused. "What will you wear?"

Xie Guiluan said, "I have more."

Cen Wu remembered Xie Guiluan didn't have many thick clothes. The original owner of the body had wanted to freeze him to death, throwing away many of his clothes every winter. Xie Guiluan had simply stopped buying more, making do with what he had.

Seeing Cen Wu adamantly refusing, Xie Guiluan's lips curled into a smile, "Does the young master want me to help you get dressed?"

Cen Wu, who had been resisting, suddenly froze, snatched the sweater from Xie Guiluan, and hurriedly put it on. He then grabbed his pants, his face red as he stammered, "Who... who needs you to care?"

Xie Guiluan waited until Cen Wu had obediently dressed before changing his own clothes.

Xie Guiluan's sweater was oversized on Cen Wu, a deep gray that made his pale skin stand out, the sleeves long enough to cover his entire hand, his cold, pale fingers clutching the cuffs.

The apartment building gradually filled with the sounds of children heading off to school and adults grumbling as they rushed to work.

Xie Guiluan turned around, seeing Cen Wu's sweater in disarray, and reached out to roll up the sleeves for him, his eyes darkened with a deep, hidden desire. Cen Wu wearing his clothes satisfied a deep, greedy craving within him.

It was like putting his own stamp on Cen Wu, no different from a dog marking its territory.

Unaware, Cen Wu had already put on his school jacket, grabbed his backpack, and was ready to head to school, where the classroom was heated and much warmer than Xie Guiluan's place.

Xie Guiluan wore only a thin sweater, and despite the vigor of youth, it was easy to fall ill.

Xie Guiluan also packed his textbooks and followed him.

As Xie Guiluan locked the door, Cen Wu sneaked a glance at Xie Guiluan's desk, at the drawer secured with twelve screws, where he hid chemical substances.

Xie Guiluan excelled in chemistry, perhaps naturally drawn to such deadly things.

In the original story, Xie Mingcheng died a gruesome death, poisoned by Xie Guiluan, his internal organs dissolved, and his body turned into a pool of blood from the inside out. Xie Guiluan then poured several bottles of chemicals over his face, burning Xie Mingcheng's face beyond recognition, like a butterfly torn apart in a storm.

The Cen family couldn't stop him; some paths, once taken, are irreversible. In this lifetime, Cen Wu was absolutely determined to stop Xie Guiluan.

When they arrived at school, more than a dozen classmates were already in the classroom. Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan bought breakfast at the school gate, and sitting next to Xie Guiluan, Cen Wu was about to eat when he saw Zhang Yuanzhou staring at him with wide eyes.

Cen Wu almost had a social anxiety attack from the intense stare, too nervous to eat, and he lowered his head.

"Damn," Zhang Yuanzhou couldn't hold back, winking and asking Cen Wu, "Second young master, why are you wearing Bro Xie's sweater?"

Cen Wu: ?

Cen Wu was baffled; it was just a gray sweater, how could anyone tell it was Xie Guiluan's?

Cen Wu didn't know yet that this was the beginning of his social demise, as almost everyone passing by gave him an extra glance, and new classmates entering the room also widened their eyes in surprise.

Even Lu Wang, coming in with his backpack, looked horrified at the sight of him, "Why are you wearing Xie Guiluan's sweater?!"

He had tried so hard to keep his friend's secret, and now it seemed to be blown wide open. What was all his effort for?

He Yao, who had gone to play basketball with boys from the next class, was instantly defeated upon entering the classroom, glaring fiercely at Xie Guiluan.

This shameless guy, how could he move so fast.

It was the first time he saw Cen Wu coming in with Xie Guiluan in the morning; they must have slept together last night.

Several girls passing by couldn't help but sneak glances at him and Xie Guiluan, Cen Wu's head sinking lower and lower.

Even Meng Liangping, who arrived early in the classroom, exclaimed in surprise, walking over and bending down to ask curiously, "Second young master, are you wearing Xie Guiluan's sweater?"

Cen Wu: "..."

He had no idea Xie Guiluan was so popular.

Xie Guiluan was cold and aloof, ignoring others, but his looks and grades were undeniable, always attracting attention.

He only had a few coats and sweaters, wearing them over and over every winter until they were washed to a pale color, making it hard not to remember.

Xie Guiluan's cool, peach blossom eyes lowered, his pale and stern complexion paired with his tall stature made even a cheap sweater look like it was worth thousands.

So, everyone had seen what he wore before, but their attention wasn't on it.

However, Cen Wu wearing this sweater was obviously too big and ill-fitting. The classroom was warm with heating, and when he took off his coat to eat breakfast, everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to him.

Cen Wu opened his mouth, at a loss for words, his ears turning red with embarrassment. He looked to Xie Guiluan for help.

Of course, Xie Guiluan wasn't a good person either, but Cen Wu didn't think Xie Guiluan would act shamelessly in front of the teacher and classmates in the classroom.

"..." Xie Guiluan lifted his thin, cold eyelids, his voice naturally cool and unhurried, "Because the second young master and I are good friends, it's normal for brothers to share a sweater."

Cen Wu felt something was off, but it was somewhat plausible. The classmates around them were also skeptical, but just as Cen Wu was about to relax, Xie Guiluan continued.

"Since we're brothers," Xie Guiluan's lips curled mischievously, "sharing a pair of pants is normal, and sharing a bed is also..."

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu: !!!

Cen Wu's ears instantly turned bright red. He desperately stomped on Xie Guiluan's foot under the table, trying to make him shut up.

Meng Liangping was confused. His eyes were like a ruler, having been a homeroom teacher for over twenty years, he had caught countless early romances. If he hadn't discovered that baby, he would have thought something was off between Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan, but now that there was a baby.

He didn't think much more about it and said with relief, "Yes, that's how it should be. Students should help each other."

Xie Guiluan was silent for a while after being stomped by Cen Wu. In his panic, Cen Wu had almost crushed his foot to the point of fracture, but after a moment, he still continued, "The teacher is right."

The classmates around them looked completely done. Who could understand? Could the flirting couple please get out of Class 2 of the second year?

Cen Wu: "..."

Are tickets to leave this planet going on sale tonight?

The morning self-study bell rang, and the classmates finally scattered. Cen Wu hurried back to his seat.

Today's morning self-study was accompanied by the Chinese teacher, Mr. Zhang Biao, a wrinkled old man with piercing eyes who didn't allow any small movements.

Cen Wu lowered his head and rubbed his burning cheeks a few times. The Chinese teacher's eagle eyes immediately locked onto him, and Cen Wu quickly put his hands down, continuing his morning reading with a bright red face.

After class, he overheard the Chinese teacher talking to the homeroom teacher, "Old Meng, the heating in the classroom is too hot. Look at how flushed the students' faces are. How can they study like this?"

Cen Wu: "..."

Enough, I really want to kill Xie Guiluan.

Cen Wu decided not to speak to Xie Guiluan anymore. What a jerk, ruining his concentration. He took out the notebook Xie Guiluan had given him and started reviewing from the beginning, first going through the formulas a few times.

His Chinese and English grades were good, so Xie Guiluan hadn't prepared much for those subjects. It was mainly math, physics, and chemistry, where he had compiled all the key formulas and question types, writing out the reasoning steps.

Cen Wu had always memorized formulas by rote, but Xie Guiluan's notes were detailed and clear. After following the reasoning once, he didn't need to memorize them; they just stuck in his mind. Flipping to the next page, there were corresponding example problems, progressing from easy to difficult, and then to additional problems.

There wasn't a single unnecessary word, and he had even summarized the mistakes from previous monthly exams, efficiently filling in the gaps.

Cen Wu only got through three pages of notes during the morning self-study, but his mind felt much clearer, no longer just grabbing at whatever he saw.

In November, on the day of the winter solstice, the midterm exams ended.

As Cen Wu stepped out of the examination hall, a cold wind blew over him, and he couldn't help but shiver. Huaijing winters are bitterly cold, and even though it was only early November, many people had already started wearing padded jackets.

Cen Wu turned his head and suddenly felt something warm touch his cheek. He was taken aback for a moment before realizing it was a cup of milk tea.

"Here you go," Xie Guiluan said, holding Cen Wu's backpack and handing him the milk tea. The boy's pale fingers were red and raw from the cold, clearly indicating that he had left the exam early and had been waiting for Cen Wu for a long time.

Cen Wu held the lychee milk tea and took a sip, then walked home with Xie Guiluan.

Song Lingwei's health had taken a turn for the worse since winter set in. After Xie Guiluan dropped Cen Wu off at home, he went straight to the hospital.

Song Lingwei had just finished vomiting and was still feeling uncomfortable, her face flushed from dry heaving and her breathing labored. She leaned against the hospital bed, gasping for air, while the caregiver gently patted her back.

"Throwing up like this every day isn't good," the caregiver said worriedly. "Xiao Xie, maybe you should go ask the doctor again?"

Before Xie Guiluan could respond, Song Lingwei suddenly interrupted the caregiver. She smoothed her hair and said, "Sister Li, could you step out for a moment? I need to talk to Xiao Lan."

The caregiver quickly complied, helping Song Lingwei sit up properly before leaving the room.

Xie Guiluan's dark eyes watched her silently, and Song Lingwei remained quiet as well.

Even in her illness, Song Lingwei was still strikingly beautiful. She cared deeply about her appearance and adjusted her hair until she was satisfied. Then, she handed Xie Guiluan a test report, touching her stomach with barely concealed joy. "Xiao Lan, I'm pregnant."

Xie Guiluan was momentarily stunned, his expression darkening instantly. Song Lingwei was already nearly two months pregnant. His fingers clenched, crumpling the test report, and he said coldly without hesitation, "Get rid of it."

Song Lingwei, in theory, shouldn't have been able to conceive. Moreover, she had hardly left the hospital in years, and Xie Mingcheng only visited occasionally. There were bodyguards stationed outside her room, and Xie Guiluan wasn't allowed to get close unless Xie Mingcheng summoned him or dismissed the guards.

Only then did Xie Guiluan realize why Xie Mingcheng had come.

Disgusting.

Xie Mingcheng was the most disgusting rat, burrowing into her body and tainting him with his filthy blood.

"You child," Song Lingwei had expected his opposition and wasn't angry. She reached out to pull Xie Guiluan, trying to get him to sit by the bed, her tone gentle. "Listen to your mother."

Xie Guiluan coldly avoided her hand.

Song Lingwei had many underlying health issues, including a weak heart and poor lung function. Her blood clotting was also problematic, and she relied on expensive medical equipment and imported drugs to stay alive. Giving birth would be a death sentence for her.

Song Lingwei knew this herself. She was also prone to miscarriages, and giving birth to Cen Wu had been a fluke. She had no intention of carrying this child to term; it would have to be aborted sooner or later.

Since that was the case, she couldn't let it go to waste.

She had been probing Xie Mingcheng these past few days. Xie Mingcheng was no longer willing to tolerate Zhou Li, but divorcing her would mean dividing their assets. In wealthy families like theirs, divorce was a messy affair.

Xie Mingcheng would never divorce. If Song Lingwei wanted to become Mrs. Xie legitimately, Zhou Li would have to die.

Once Zhou Li was gone, and with the child in her belly, Song Lingwei could sweet-talk Xie Mingcheng, and he might soften, remembering their long-standing relationship.

They had grown up together and had both come to Huaijing. Their lives had been intertwined for so long that it was impossible to separate them. She was the one who should have married Xie Mingcheng. When Xie Mingcheng was in college, she had even given him a few hundred yuan for tuition.

Xie Mingcheng could have handled it himself, but there was still some marital affection between them. Besides, the Blue Night underground casino was already under heavy scrutiny, and Xie Mingcheng couldn't afford to have more blood on his hands in recent years.

Having someone else do it would still trace back to him.

Xie Guiluan became a convenient tool. Everyone knew Xie Mingcheng didn't care for this illegitimate son, and Xie Guiluan had conflicts with him. He wouldn't do Xie Mingcheng's bidding, and investigating him wouldn't easily lead back to Xie Mingcheng. At most, Xie Guiluan would go to prison.

"Haven't you had enough of this life?!" Song Lingwei's eyes reddened as she pulled Xie Guiluan closer. "I don't want you to take the fall for him either. You must have a way out, right?"

"You don't have to go to jail, but if Zhou Li and Xie Shangjing both die, Mom can take you to the Xie household, and we won't have to suffer anyone's bullying anymore. Wouldn't that be better?"

Xie Guiluan still didn’t respond, and Song Lingwei’s tone grew increasingly venomous. "Anyway, they deserve to die."

Xie Guiluan’s actions back then were almost flawless, minimizing his own culpability. His only flaw was telling the old man not to go out at night.

But this was also intentional, within the limits he could bear, and Song Lingwei knew it.

Since Xie Guiluan could do it ten years ago, why not now? It wasn’t just her who wanted to kill Zhou Li; Xie Mingcheng wanted it too.

She had done Xie Mingcheng such a big favor, becoming inextricably linked. Shouldn’t Xie Mingcheng marry her then?

Xie Guiluan raised his head, staring coldly at Song Lingwei. "Do you really think it’s that straightforward?"

If Zhou Li died, the police would first suspect Xie Mingcheng, and then Song Lingwei, since Zhou Li’s death benefited her the most. Besides, Xie Mingcheng knew about Chen Weiguo and had hinted before that he wanted him to deal with Zhou Li. If Zhou Li died, Xie Mingcheng would know it was him.

For his own safety, Xie Mingcheng would definitely use Song Lingwei as a hostage, forcing him to confess, and then maintain a convincingly innocent facade in front of the police.

Once he was in jail, everything would spiral out of control, and Xie Mingcheng would never let Song Lingwei live.

Why should he give up his future, his life, and even the person he loved to do such a thing?

Once he did it, he would never have the chance to be with Cen Wu again.

Xie Guiluan lowered his eyes coldly, even suspecting that Song Lingwei didn’t want him to be with Cen Wu, which was why she wanted him to go to jail. His thin lips moved as he said, "Don’t even think about it."

Song Lingwei’s hair was somewhat disheveled. She covered the lower half of her face, tears streaming down continuously. Her morning sickness was severe, and the capillaries in her throat had ruptured, bringing out blood.

She leaned on the bed, vomiting, but Xie Guiluan remained cold-faced, looking down at her from above.

It was as if he was watching her in the throes of death.

Song Lingwei trembled all over, tears streaming as she said hatefully, "Beast... I know you think I’m a burden, you’ve wanted me dead for a long time! I risked my life to bring you into this world..."

Xie Guiluan’s face was pale, sharp, and cold, staring at her without any reaction.

Until the caregiver heard the commotion, came in worriedly, and was startled, quickly helping Song Lingwei. Xie Guiluan then looked away and left the room without a word.

But just outside the room, his gaze suddenly paused.

Cen Wu sat on the bench across from the ward, holding an insulated lunchbox, not knowing how long he had been there, dozing off, his head nodding. The ward was soundproof, so he probably didn’t hear anything.

The hospital corridor was somewhat dim, but the streetlights outside cast a faint warm glow on Cen Wu’s hair, his face half-buried in a scarf, looking very warm on this winter night.

"Young master," Xie Guiluan walked over and squatted in front of him.

Cen Wu then opened his eyes. He had been waiting so long he was sleepy, his beautiful, sparrow-like eyes misty with sleep. He looked up and saw Xie Guiluan, then smiled at him.

Today was the start of winter, and the old butler had made dumplings in the evening. Thinking Xie Guiluan probably hadn’t eaten yet, he brought some over.

Cen Wu handed him the chopsticks. "Eat quickly, eat quickly."

"Isn’t it the winter solstice when we eat dumplings?" Xie Guiluan took the chopsticks, still not standing up, leaning against Cen Wu’s leg.

Cen Wu hadn’t reacted yet, and he took advantage, resting his chin on Cen Wu’s knee, his dark peach blossom eyes looking up at him.

"We eat dumplings on the start of winter too," Cen Wu said, seeing he wasn’t eating, so he picked one up and fed it to him, reminding him, "Take it slow... chew carefully."

Xie Guiluan was about to swallow it whole but slowed down as instructed. Suddenly, he felt something hard and found a coin inside the dumpling.

Cen Wu quietly marked the dumpling and placed it on top, planning to pick it first for Xie Guiluan.

When he was a child, his father often did this, and he’d always fall for it, thinking he was so lucky to always get the special dumpling first, so thrilled he’d wiggle his feet under the table.

He hooked Xie Guiluan’s cold fingertips, noticing his sudden gloominess.

Xie Guiluan pulled his hand back.

"Who’s... who’s the luckiest kid here?" Cen Wu held his face, rubbing it, trying to cheer Xie Guiluan up, but ended up feeling oddly warm himself, turning red and murmuring, "Turns out it’s you."