Chapter 85: Shutting the Mouth

Chapter 85: Shutting the Mouth

The incident didn’t escalate too much in the end. Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan went to school for the evening study session, and there wasn’t much discussion in the class, nor did anyone know what relationship Song Lingwei had with them.

After all, Song Lingwei had never attended a parent-teacher meeting for Xie Guiluan and had only come once during the school anniversary gala. Apart from Meng Liangping, none of the classmates recognized her.

The classroom was a mess, with shocked murmurs about someone jumping off a building, and then some crowded by the window to catch a glimpse of the police cars.

Meng Liangping sternly pulled them by the ears, forcing them to sheepishly return to their seats to do their homework.

Cen Wu turned his head, casting a worried glance at Xie Guiluan. Even if Song Lingwei had really died that night, Xie Guiluan wouldn’t be sad, but Cen Wu still felt uneasy.

Xie Guiluan’s eyes were cold and somber. He reached out and pinched Cen Wu’s cheek, making it flush slightly before letting go. Cen Wu frowned, and Xie Guiluan’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

Xie Guiluan, who always had a cold demeanor, was the epitome of an unreachable flower in the original story. His rare smiles carried a lazy, alluring charm, both mischievous and completely inappropriate.

Cen Wu felt that even if he hadn’t read the original story, he would still fall for Xie Guiluan—or at the very least, be irresistibly drawn to him, wanting to sleep with him.

"Quit being so flirtatious, man," Cen Wu thought.

Cen Wu slapped his hand away, rubbing his cheek where it had been pinched as he turned back. Damn Xie Guiluan, he was worrying over nothing.

Guan Xingxue didn’t let them get involved further. Song Lingwei’s sentencing was already a foregone conclusion.

Cen Wu thought about it and, when the police said visitation hours were permitted, he took Xie Guiluan to the prison.

He asked Xie Guiluan to wait outside while he went in to see Song Lingwei alone. Xie Guiluan frowned, hesitant to let him go by himself, but eventually let go of his hand.

It was Cen Wu’s first time meeting Song Lingwei alone. Song Lingwei’s head hung low, still pale and worn out, her eyes reddened upon seeing him, though her emotions were much calmer.

Song Lingwei’s lips moved as if she wanted to call his name, but she didn’t know how.

"You... you might struggle to understand," Cen Wu said through the visitation window, "but I’m really... really not your son. I don’t know where he went either."

Cen Wu couldn’t explain his origins. He didn’t even know why he had ended up in this book. He could only avoid the topic of transmigration and try to find a reason to explain to Song Lingwei, to make her believe him.

If he were a director, he might have found Song Lingwei pitiable yet despicable, even worthy of making a movie about.

But since he had fallen in love with Xie Guiluan, he couldn’t forgive those who had caused him pain.

He left Song Lingwei like that, deciding not to see her again, fearing she might direct her anger towards Xie Guiluan.

It was better to make things clear.

"I love him very much," Cen Wu said, his skin pale against the snow outside the prison, his long, cold eyelashes lifting as he spoke his final words to Song Lingwei. "So I won’t come to see you again."

Song Lingwei’s lips were pale. She hung her head in silence for several minutes before asking with a trembling voice, "Did he come to see me?"

"He did," Cen Wu replied.

Cen Wu knew she was referring to the original protagonist.

In the original story, the original protagonist had indeed come to see Song Lingwei. When the truth about the real and fake young masters was exposed, Cen’s parents no longer cared for him, and Xie Mingcheng didn’t acknowledge him as his illegitimate son.

Fearing that Xie Guiluan would kill him and having no one else to rely on, he thought of Song Lingwei, his mother.

But by then, Song Lingwei had already been killed by Xie Guiluan. With no way out, he could only turn to Xie Shangjing, hoping he would save him, but Xie Shangjing used him and then discarded him.

The original protagonist never got to reunite with Song Lingwei before his death.

Song Lingwei's eyes reddened, and tears suddenly streamed down her face. She lowered her head, sobbing uncontrollably, and by the end, she had forgotten why she was crying, only that the pain was overwhelming.

Cen Wu pressed his lips together and said nothing more to her. He stood up and left the prison.

Xie Guiluan had bought him a cup of boba tea, still warm. Cen Wu took it and grasped his hand as they headed home.

The leaden gray sky of early spring was overcast, but the cold, iron-like prison was now behind them. No matter how long the night, it always ends, and moving forward brings the promise of spring.

Cen Wu's heart raced slightly. After leaving the prison, he and Xie Guiluan went to the hospital. He wanted to find a way to treat his social anxiety; he couldn't go on stuttering like this forever.

After his parents died, he truly had no hope left. He wasn't a particularly brave child; otherwise, he wouldn't have seen Xie Guiluan as his moon, drawing strength from him.

He always wanted to go find them, but with his aunt and Lu Jian still there, he couldn't just leave.

As Lu Jian gradually became able to direct on his own and after his aunt passed away, he truly had nothing left to hope for. It didn't matter that he couldn't speak; he hadn't left the house in half a year. In those dark days, only Xie Guiluan stayed by his side.

He longed to see him.

That night before bed, Cen Wu kept thinking about how much he wanted to see Xie Guiluan. If he could see him, no matter how long the night, he wouldn't feel afraid. His light was dazzling, yet not as harsh as the sun, enough to dispel the shadows in his life.

The driver drove them, and Cen Wu leaned against Xie Guiluan's shoulder, clinging to him, and slipped his hand into Xie Guiluan's palm.

"Scared?" Xie Guiluan squeezed his hand and asked softly.

Cen Wu shook his head. He didn't want to tell Xie Guiluan how much he loved him; otherwise, it would just give him more ammunition. Xie Guiluan would probably try to coax him into anything, daring to say any flirtatious thing.

On New Year's Eve, Xie Guiluan had him hold his legs and then asked if it was deep enough.

He blushed and stayed silent at first, but Xie Guiluan kept teasing him, so he had to say, "Enough, enough," his voice trembling.

Xie Guiluan's dark eyes lowered, concealing his infatuation, and he chuckled softly, calling him a naughty boy.

Cen Wu almost wanted to slap him but couldn't bring himself to do it. Xie Guiluan, on the other hand, had no problem teasing him.

Xie Guiluan and Cen Wu held hands, and Cen Wu's gaze drifted, unsure of what he was thinking, his ears suddenly flushing red.

Xie Guiluan lowered the partition in the back seat, gripped his shoulders, and leaned in to kiss him.

Cen Wu struggled briefly but couldn't break free, so he had no choice but to kiss him back.

Whatever.

As long as he was with Xie Guiluan, he wasn't afraid. Xie Guiluan was the moon in the sky, his omnipotent deity.

He would never tell him.

When Cen Wu arrived at the consultation room, he didn't let Xie Guiluan come in. He went to see the doctor first, who ordered some tests to confirm that his throat and everything else were fine.

The doctor leaned more towards post-traumatic stress disorder, not really social anxiety. As long as Cen Wu could overcome his psychological barriers, his social anxiety would improve. The most important thing was the night he lost his voice.

"Think about it," the doctor asked him, "what do you want to do but haven't done yet?"

So it was heartbreaking.

Cen Wu's throat tightened. There were many things he wanted to do: to go back to when he was very young and tell his parents that he was actually very scared at night, to sleep with them, and then take his teddy bear to find them.

He also wanted to go back to that night when he was thirteen and confess that he missed them so much, but he was afraid they were too tired and might get into an accident driving back at night, so they shouldn't rush back.

He also wanted to tell Lu Jian that he knew he had been trying very hard, but he was afraid he couldn't hold on and would eventually leave him, so he had to push him.

I want to tell my aunt that I love her very much, and I also love my uncle, so I don’t want to hurt you. I can only leave you, but don’t worry about him. He can live well at school, and even if he moves out, it doesn’t mean he’s separated from you.

Perhaps one evening, he will bring a bouquet of roses to pick her up from work. Although his parents are gone, there is still him, and he can also be her family for a lifetime.

He also wants them to accompany him to the Berlin Film Festival. Standing on stage feels incredibly lonely; there are many people in the audience who love him, but not the one he most wants to see.

Can you come to watch his film?

He really wants them to come and see the film he made.

He just wants to grasp the butterfly’s wings, to make this storm stop forever, as if no one had ever left.

Cen Wu wiped his tears. He had said many insincere words before, feeling that he had hurt them, and it seemed he had no reason to speak again. This was the punishment he gave himself.

The doctor didn’t prescribe any medication, just advised him to try going to more crowded places, speaking slowly but coherently, and to keep this up for a few months.

Cen Wu nodded in agreement. When he left the consultation room, he found Xie Guiluan waiting at the door and almost bumped into him.

Xie Guiluan reached out to him, intending to hug him, but Cen Wu had already thrown himself into his arms.

“I... I’m scared,” Cen Wu had just cried, his eyelashes stuck together, his nose red. He hugged Xie Guiluan’s neck, shook it hard, let Xie Guiluan hold him tightly, and then said with a bit of grievance, “I’m hungry, I want... to eat, and I want to go home.”

This was the first time he had been so honest with Xie Guiluan. He had originally thought it would be hard to say, but after saying it, he found that exposing his vulnerability in front of Xie Guiluan wasn’t so embarrassing.

Xie Guiluan hugged him tightly, kissed the top of his head, and his heart ached terribly. He wished he could tell Cen Wu not to watch, even if Cen Wu didn’t like to go out; he could support him in the future.

He could give him everything and couldn’t bear to let him suffer.

He had told Cen Junshan and the others before that they should wait until he and Cen Wu got married before registering the household. He was serious about letting Cen Wu stay in the Cen family so that he could have a sense of belonging.

He didn’t care about parents anymore, but he was glad that Cen Junshan and the others were his parents. They would love Cen Wu very much, giving his treasure a home in this world.

Even if, in Cen Wu’s heart, Cen Junshan and the others couldn’t replace his biological parents, there would still be comfort. Until many years later, they could finally let go, missing but no longer in pain.

No matter what Cen Wu wanted to do, he would accompany him. If Cen Wu wanted to stay at home, he would stay at home with him. If Cen Wu wanted to take a step forward, he would also hold his hand.

Cen Wu had been fine, but holding Xie Guiluan, he felt aggrieved again, buried his face in his chest, and cried.

Xie Guiluan held his cheek, wiped his tears, and asked, “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Shall we go eat now?”

“En.” Cen Wu’s voice was soft.

Xie Guiluan took him to eat at the nearby mall. Cen Wu pressed Xie Guiluan, saying he wanted to buy a hat, but actually, he wanted to try buying something in the store by himself.

Xie Guiluan let go of his hand and waited outside.

The mall was crowded now. Cen Wu’s breathing was a bit labored, his legs were stiff for several minutes, his back was sweating, and he finally took a step forward.

It took him nearly an hour to buy a hat. When he came out, his lips were pale, and his calves were trembling.

“Come here for a hug,” Xie Guiluan said with a smile, reaching out to him.

Cen Wu hugged him, snuggling into his arms. He really wanted to hug Xie Guiluan but was afraid Xie Guiluan would find him clingy.

Cen Wu looked up nervously and was kissed on the cheek by Xie Guiluan.

Xie Guiluan hugged him very tightly, as if he wanted to hug him even more, and didn’t let go.

Cen Wu thought it was bad; he was going to dig wild vegetables with Xie Guiluan, and Cen Xiao would be furious.

Xie Guiluan held the back of his head, pulling him into his embrace, his face still cold, but his dark Peach Blossom Eyes softened as they looked down, praising him like a child.

He told him he was really amazing.

Cen Wu looked up with eager eyes, his ears turning red from the praise, but he was happy when Xie Guiluan praised him.

Xie Guiluan took him out to eat.

As winter turned to spring, the hectic second semester of sophomore year made time fly. Before they knew it, final exams were upon them again.

Over the past six months, Xie Mingcheng had been arrested several times, only to be released because of lack of evidence. After all, he had been entrenched in Huaijing for twenty years, and his influence was firmly established. Not even the Cen family could take him down overnight.

But Cen Junshan had obtained the videotape Xie Guiluan had mentioned and uncovered several murders Xie Mingcheng had been involved in. Xie Mingcheng had only been free for a few days before being arrested again for suspected murder.

This time, getting out would be much harder for him.

After the final exams ended, Cen Wu headed to Blue Night with Xie Guiluan that night. They hadn’t been there much in the past six months, and they were shocked to find Blue Night so empty, with just a handful of customers in the booths.

Ji Changyu and A Ling were there, waving them over from the B-section booth. They walked over, and several bottles of alcohol were already on the table.

"It’s done for," Ji Changyu said as he opened a bottle for them. "Blue Night is likely to shut down, possibly within the next few days."

And it’s probably going to be shut down for good.

Ji Changyu was really upset. After all, Blue Night paid really well, and he had been there for over a year. He had also met Xie Guiluan here, so it was hard to let go.

He just wanted to get Xie Guiluan and the others together for a drink, probably their last drink at Blue Night.

He raised his bottle sadly, but Xie Guiluan didn’t clink glasses with him. Instead, Xie Guiluan bent down to help Cen Wu with his school uniform jacket, asking if he was cold or hungry, saying he’d go get him some food.

He didn’t even catch what Ji Changyu was saying.

Ji Changyu: "..."

Hopelessly in love.

Ji Changyu’s face went numb, and his sadness instantly dissipated. It wasn’t worth feeling sad over such a jerk.

A Ling, sitting nearby, also raised a bottle and said to Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan, "Second Young Master, Bro Xie, Blue Night can’t stay open. I’m leaving tonight, so I wanted to say goodbye."

Cen Wu was stunned and felt a bit sad. He wasn’t particularly close to A Ling, but they had known each other for a long time, and he always felt upset whenever he had to part ways with someone.

"Don’t be like that," A Ling said with a smirk, his tone carrying a habitual flirtatiousness. "You’re making it hard for me to leave. Besides, I’m not leaving Huaijing. I’ll just switch to another club."

Cen Wu felt a little better.

"But aside from me," A Ling continued, "everyone else has to leave too. I’m fine—I have connections. But for the others, other clubs might not be willing to take them."

The competition in this industry was still fierce.

Cen Wu said sympathetically, "That’s so sad."

Xie Guiluan: "..."

Xie Guiluan’s cold Peach Blossom Eyes lowered, his thin lips pressed together. Under the dim lights of Blue Night, his complexion looked even paler. He picked up a bottle and took a sip, expressionless.

Cen Wu hadn’t yet realized the seriousness of the situation.

After finishing his drink, A Ling prepared to leave. He stood up and winked at Cen Wu, saying, "Second Young Master, we’re friends now. If you come find me in the future, I’ll give you a freebie."

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu was completely baffled. Free? What’s free? When he finally realized, he immediately turned to look at Xie Guiluan, meeting his gloomy eyes.

A Ling was wearing a crop top tonight, his abs exposed, waiting for Cen Wu to respond.

Cen Wu panicked and quickly refused, "No... no, no, let's not meet again in the future."

A Ling pretended to be hurt. He genuinely saw Cen Wu as a friend and didn't have any ulterior motives; he just wanted to see Xie Guiluan's dark expression.

He wanted to chat more with Cen Wu, but when he looked up and saw Xie Guiluan's cold face, he quickly clammed up.

He didn’t want to get into a fight.

A Ling quickly fled the scene.

Cen Wu glanced at Xie Guiluan’s face, but Xie Guiluan didn't even acknowledge him. Cen Wu nudged him, and only then did Xie Guiluan take his hand, though he still didn't speak, his eyes downcast.

"He was just trying to provoke you," Cen Wu clung to Xie Guiluan’s arm, shaking it, "I even gave you my phone passcode, how... how could I go to him?"

Since he started dating Xie Guiluan, Cen Wu hadn’t checked the original account or looked at the photos male models had sent him.

To make Xie Guiluan feel secure, he had even given him his password, telling him he could go through his phone anytime.

At first, Xie Guiluan was very restrained, and Cen Wu thought he had finally become more tolerant. But then, Xie Guiluan stayed up, opened the original owner's WeChat, unliked all the posts he had previously liked from male models, and then deleted them one by one.

Filled with resentment and jealousy.

Cen Wu had no idea how late Xie Guiluan stayed up deleting. When he woke up, Xie Guiluan had finally finished and was sleeping soundly, holding him tightly.

Cen Wu: "..."

Cen Wu gently kissed his forehead. After all, he couldn’t take care of every male model out there. If Xie Guiluan wanted to delete them, so be it, as long as it made him happy.

Xie Guiluan still didn't speak.

Ji Changyu tutted beside them. He was still there; could they not be so obvious?

Cen Wu began soothing Xie Guiluan once more, who was acting all pitiful but still causing trouble, watching Cen Wu fuss over him.

Ji Changyu noticed a slight lift at the corner of Xie Guiluan's mouth, but as soon as Cen Wu wasn't looking, it dropped back down.

Ji Changyu: "..."

You're such a faker.

Sometimes, he couldn't help but envy Xie Guiluan. Who else was so lucky, always causing trouble and still being spoiled?

Whenever Xie Guiluan looked down, Cen Wu would lean in to comfort him. Xie Guiluan would claim his stomach hurt and refuse to eat, and Cen Wu would instantly feel bad for him. Xie Guiluan would cling to him, demanding to be fed, and Cen Wu would oblige.

But Xie Guiluan was faking it, wanting to stir up some drama, watching Cen Wu run around for him. He could feel how much Cen Wu loved him and couldn't bear to trouble him further.

Cen Wu, totally clueless, fell for it every single time. What if it were real?

Ji Changyu still had to work tonight, probably his last night shift. He left the booth to put on his Blue Night uniform.

Cen Wu and Xie Guiluan stood in the hallway, and Cen Wu stood on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around Xie Guiluan's neck.

Xie Guiluan looked down at him with dark eyes.

"Don't... don't be angry," Cen Wu leaned in eagerly, pleading, "Please kiss me."

Xie Guiluan, surprisingly, stayed firm and did not kiss him.

Cen Wu, with longing eyes and no anger, licked Xie Guiluan's lips, said in a clingy voice, "Then I'll kiss you."

Xie Guiluan wasn't really angry; he just wanted to be coaxed by Cen Wu. He pulled Cen Wu into his arms and lowered his head to kiss him. He was just a bit bothered by Cen Wu saying someone was pitiful.

He didn't want Cen Wu to pity others.

Why should he feel that way?

Xie Guiluan grabbed a fistful of Cen Wu's black hair at the back of his head, their lips pressed together, the kiss growing rougher by the moment.

"Mmm..." Cen Wu moaned softly, reaching up to touch Xie Guiluan's face, pressing against his lips, murmuring coaxingly, "Yes, my mouth... my mouth is naughty, shut it up."

Xie Guiluan kissed him deeply for several minutes before pulling away.

Cen Wu clung to his shirt collar, the soft blue light casting a hazy, intimate glow. He gazed up at Xie Guiluan, breathless, and whispered, "This... this didn't shut me up either."

Xie Guiluan's Adam's apple bobbed as he leaned in to kiss him again, but Cen Wu pressed a hand against his chest.

Cen Wu's eyes curved into a smile, his gaze dropping. His thin, red lips parted slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, like a mischievous little cat, teasing Xie Guiluan, "How about... how about using something else to shut me up?"