Chapter 93

Chapter 93

"You said you'd change the hospital records from your name to mine," Qi Yanyu was still stewing over this.

Seizing the moment when the other was acting meek, Qi Yanyu decided to press his advantage. But he was careful—he didn't want to push too hard and risk Gu Jinglan actually breaking up with him.

In truth, the moment Gu Jinglan softened and cooed a few sweet words, Qi Yanyu would cave easily.

"Go ahead, change it then," Gu Jinglan teased, deliberately nonchalant.

Qi Yanyu had hoped for more coaxing, so hearing that made him flare up slightly.

He was like a spoiled house cat—any displeasing word made his fur puff up in irritation.

Gu Jinglan stepped closer, gently pinching Qi Yanyu’s cheeks with one hand, squishing them into soft, chubby buns.

Then he aimed for Qi Yanyu’s lips, pecking him lightly a few times. All his affection poured into those gentle kisses.

The anger melted away, but Qi Yanyu wasn’t ready to let go completely. He still put on a tough act on the surface.

Gu Jinglan kissed him again, noticing his still-sulking face, then wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close.

Two days later, Gu Jinglan was headed to a competition at a university in the southwest.

Qi Yanyu asked offhandedly, "Are you taking me with you?"

They were studying at the café under the library, surrounded by noisy students discussing in groups.

Gu Jinglan was going over his competition notes and replied casually, "No."

Even though Gu often said the opposite of what he meant, Qi Yanyu—who knew him well—still felt a twinge of annoyance. "So you're going with Xia Yiyi, huh?"

Gu Jinglan grunted a yes.

"I’ll fucking end you!" Qi Yanyu punched the stack of printed materials in front of him, scattering papers across the floor. Immediately, he regretted it—throwing a tantrum wasn’t a good look.

As Qi Yanyu bent down to pick them up, especially the few near Gu Jinglan’s left foot, he couldn’t be bothered to walk around. Instead, he leaned over Gu Jinglan’s legs to grab the fallen sheets.

Suddenly, Gu Jinglan wrapped an arm around his waist. "If we go to the southwest, you’ll put out for me, yeah?"

"Heh," Qi Yanyu grabbed the papers but couldn’t straighten up—Gu Jinglan’s arm was pressing down on his waist. "Not a chance. Go chase after Xia Yiyi instead."

Of course, if Gu Jinglan really did, Qi Yanyu wouldn’t like it one bit. Wanting to change the subject, Gu Jinglan whispered in his ear, "Husband, I want you."

"Then go jerk off," Qi Yanyu huffed.

Once released, Qi Yanyu’s face remained expressionless, but inside he was secretly giddy.

Packing for the trip to the southwest—accompanying Gu Jinglan to the competition, then spending a few extra days together.

In the dorm, Qi Yanyu folded clothes into his suitcase. Qi Yuanhan, who rarely studied in the dorm, glanced over. "Going home?"

Qi Yanyu grunted in response. He packed all his heart medication, stomach pills, and asthma inhalers, along with two of his favorite outfits. He even stashed a few condom boxes—specially bought outside campus—in a black bag and hid them between the folded clothes.

After packing for a while, he added sunglasses, hats, and some matching couple's gear, like the sun hats he and Gu Jinglan had bought—one black, one khaki.

Once done, he zipped up the suitcase and set it aside.

Later, Gu Jinglan returned right at curfew. He used his laptop briefly while Qi Yanyu half-watched cartoons, sneaking glances at Gu Jinglan the whole time. Gu Jinglan waited until lights-out to pack.

Huang Shaoze, who had just returned, asked, “Gu, where are you heading?”

“To a competition in the southwest. I’ll bring back some local specialties for you guys.”

“Damn, the one at Southwest Hua X Medical?” Huang Shaoze was envious that Gu Jinglan was about to win another award. “Why aren’t you joining, Qi?”

Qi Yuanhan said with a smirk, “Oh, *he’s* going too,” then deliberately glanced at Qi Yanyu, waiting for a reaction. When none came, he added with exaggerated flair, “Just… *next* year, right?”

Qi Yanyu stayed silent.

Only Gu Jinglan gave him a pointed look and said, “Hey, got any sunscreen?”

Qi Yuanhan shot back, “Pretty sure Qi Yanyu’s got some.”

At this, Qi Yanyu’s face went blank.

Gu Jinglan gave him another *look*, and Qi Yuanhan chuckled before handing it over.

Qi Yanyu turned on an animated show, already plotting Qi Yuanhan’s slow poisoning.

The rest of the team had an afternoon flight, but Gu Jinglan deliberately avoided it, opting to board earlier with Qi Yanyu in the morning.

While watching *The Lion King* together, Gu Jinglan’s phone buzzed with photos before he turned off the internet.

They were images of Qi Yanyu accompanying Jiang Tiyan to a variety show, holding up fan signs, and later sitting side by side during a late-night snack after filming.

Gu Jinglan scrolled through them, then looked up—Qi Yanyu’s eyes were glued to the screen.

He locked his phone and turned it off.

Over lunch, Qi Yanyu insisted on trying local southwestern cuisine.

As Gu Jinglan ate, Qi Yanyu said, “Once you’re done competing tomorrow, we’ll head to XX Falls in the afternoon, stay at a homestay tonight, and on the third day, we’ll check out…”

Changing the subject, he asked casually, “You hang out with anyone lately?”

“Nah,” Qi Yanyu said too quickly. Friends weren’t really his thing. Aside from Gu Jinglan, he barely interacted with anyone.

But he didn’t want to sound like a loner—it made him seem antisocial, especially compared to Gu Jinglan, who always had people around him.

“Holy shit, this slaps,” Qi Yanyu said after taking a bite of the steaming dish, snapping a photo. “We *have* to come back for this.”

Gu Jinglan didn’t respond right away, so Qi Yanyu glanced up, wondering if he didn’t like the spice or the food itself. Only then did Gu Jinglan say, “Sure.”

In the afternoon, Gu Jinglan met up with the team.

Meanwhile, Qi Yanyu stayed at the homestay. He’d rather wait—exploring alone would ruin the fun. Joy was better shared.

With that thought, he dozed off in the room—until Jiang Tiyan’s texts blew up his phone.

—“You good?”

—“Where’d you go? Not in the dorm?”

—“Don’t tell me you’re sulking.”

Qi Yanyu scowled and deleted the messages. Then he paused—screw it. He’d screenshot this and leak it. Expose the creep to his fans.

Trash idol. Do *not* recommend.

-"Thanks for cheering me on last time. You're pretty obedient—no wonder your roommate likes you."

-"Stay this obedient, and I'll take you on the show next time."

Qi Yanyu had already turned on airplane mode and gone to bed.

He hadn’t set an alarm and woke up to find the room so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face—the homestay near a scenic spot in the suburbs was quiet, with just the chirping of crickets breaking the silence.

Occasionally, a dog barked once or twice. Qi Yanyu checked his phone—it was already 8 p.m., and Gu Jinglan still hadn’t returned.

Was he having dinner with his teammates? Wasn’t he going to eat with him?

Qi Yanyu switched on the bathroom light and took a shower, then sent Gu Jinglan a text message.

Gu Jinglan was slow to reply. It turned out there had been a match in the afternoon, and it wasn’t until after 10 p.m. that he finally messaged back, telling Qi Yanyu to cab over somewhere for dinner.

Qi Yanyu changed clothes and headed out.

Gu Jinglan had booked a private room. Nightlife in the southwest was lively, and even past 11 p.m., the restaurant remained open.

The room had a faux-antique decor—not very large, but cozy. Usually, when two people dined together here, they’d sit side by side rather than across from each other.

Qi Yanyu sipped his tofu soup while Gu Jinglan hardly touched his chopsticks. He asked, “Didn’t you eat?”

“What do you take me for?” Qi Yanyu replied, feeling he shouldn’t seem too spoiled, then softened his tone. “Have you eaten?”

Gu Jinglan nodded slightly—he’d already had dinner with his teammates earlier. There was another match that evening, which was why he reached out so late.

“Jinglan, you little…” Qi Yanyu said, feeding himself a bite of rice while pinching Gu Jinglan’s cheeks between two fingers in a playful V-shape.

Gu Jinglan remembered—this pose looked familiar, like the photos Jiang Tiyan had sent him that afternoon when he boarded the plane.

In the pictures, Qi Yanyu had his eyes closed, the light was dim, and Jiang Tiyan was also squeezing his cheeks.

It might have been in a private room or a hotel.

The surroundings were hazy and unclear, only Qi Yanyu’s cheeks were flushed—maybe from drinking, or maybe from coming. Who could say?

Qi Yanyu expected Gu Jinglan to tease him or apologize, but neither came.

Thinking Gu Jinglan must be exhausted—unlike him, who had taken a nap in the afternoon—Qi Yanyu asked with concern, “Are you too tired? You gonna fuck your big brother tonight?” He flipped the script, playfully questioning Gu Jinglan.

Gu Jinglan’s gaze darkened slightly. The private room was small and enclosed. Past 11 p.m., the din from multiple tables of customers drinking and eating late-night snacks outside made it anything but quiet.

“Let me suck you, ge?” Qi Yanyu continued teasing recklessly.

“Mm,” Gu Jinglan answered noncommittally, watching him eat. “Is it good?” he asked flatly, like he was just going through the motions.

Thinking of ordering more food in case Qi Yanyu was still hungry, he flipped open the menu—but what appeared before him wasn’t the menu. Instead, visions flashed through his mind: Jiang Tiyan gripping Qi Yanyu’s cheeks, squeezing his neck, kissing his hand.

Gu Jinglan’s expression grew darker.

Qi Yanyu quickly finished eating, cleaning his plate. Because he was starving, he wolfed down the rice and meat hungrily.

After taking a couple of sips of the hot milk tea that Gu Jinglan had brought him, Qi Yanyu asked if they should head back to the guesthouse or go out for a walk to check out the night markets or streets of the southwest.

Suddenly, a hand pressed the back of his neck down onto the tablecloth.

Qi Yanyu’s eyes flew open, but Gu Jinglan didn’t say a word. Qi Yanyu shut his eyes briefly and clenched his mouth tight. After a moment, he said, “Gu Jinglan, didn’t know you were such an animal…”

Gu Jinglan didn’t answer. Qi Yanyu tried to suppress his breathing, but in the eerie quiet of the private booth—amid the lively sounds from the diners outside—Gu Jinglan’s breathing stayed steady, while his own came in ragged bursts.

“Gu Jinglan, what if someone walks in?”

Still no reply. The air was thick with his own labored breaths. Qi Yanyu closed his eyes as the other man grabbed his face, fingers digging into his cheeks.

Qi Yanyu could only stare up at Gu Jinglan.

With dark hair and black eyes, Gu Jinglan looked every bit as striking as those viral campus speech photos. Quiet, though—hardly speaking at all—his gaze holding something feral.

Since Gu Jinglan wasn’t talking, he wouldn’t either.

Qi Yanyu kept his lips sealed until then a sharp pain shot through his neck, the lack of air making his thoughts scatter.

But before Qi Yanyu could indulge too long, it stopped. He yanked his pants back on, but Gu Jinglan pinched his mouth open again and shoved a shot of liquor into his mouth.

“You like this, don’t you?” Qi Yanyu swallowed the drink and smirked.

The second he did it, Gu Jinglan knew he’d messed up—Qi Yanyu had a heart condition and couldn’t drink. But why had he been able to drink with Jiang Tiyan?

Gu Jinglan didn’t respond, just muttered, “Forgot. You can’t drink.”

But Qi Yanyu didn’t argue.

That twisted the knife even deeper.

He could drink with others…

But not with him…

After settling the bill, the two walked along the streets growing quieter.

They still weren’t sure where the night market was. Qi Yanyu had originally wanted to go—he was about to pull up the map on his phone.

But Gu Jinglan just said they should turn in early.

So Qi Yanyu walked back with him—it was a short walk, just seven or eight minutes.

Because of Gu Jinglan’s earlier behavior in the private booth, Qi Yanyu thought he was messing with him in some new way.

Still riding the high, he taunted, grinning, “It’s been so long, and I haven’t even heard one ‘baby’ yet?”