Chapter 47 Going to Confess

Chapter 47: Confession Time

Gu Shiying wasn't foolish enough to provoke an armed man in such a situation.

He subtly shifted towards safety, careful not to make a sound. He knew Fu Huan was worried and was determined to protect himself.

Ever since acquiring this troublesome mind-reading ability, he'd been plagued by such incidents. He'd initially wanted to help others with small acts of kindness, but people's thoughts proved to be so unpredictable. This ability was a curse to anyone who possessed it.

The enraged man stood with his back to Gu Shiying. Gu Shiying continued to inch backward until he reached a private room. Seizing a moment when the man wasn't looking, he turned and slipped inside.

Meanwhile, Fu Huan's eyes were strained from intense watching, terrified that Gu Shiying might make a sound and draw the man's attention. Fortunately, he got inside safely.

[Gu Shiying: I'm hidden. Remember to give the wallet to the police. It has photos of his wife and child inside. Hopefully, it will help him regain some sense.]

Injuring someone and killing someone are two entirely different crimes.

Gu Shiying had promised Fu Huan he wouldn't take risks alone, but this time, it was an unavoidable, chance encounter.

Fu Huan and the others were some distance from the furious man. The police were in a standoff with him, aiming to de-escalate the situation first. If they couldn't persuade him to drop the remote, snipers hidden in the shadows would intervene—provided they could be ready within ten minutes or so. After all, they were in the mountains, not the city.

If no snipers were available, negotiation would be their only option. Explosives were no laughing matter; there were many customers present, and if the second floor collapsed, countless casualties would ensue. Stabilizing the man's mental state was the top priority.

Fu Huan had anticipated Gu Shiying's reasoning and had thought of it himself.

He crouched, returning to the private room to hand the wallet to the police and relay what Gu Shiying had learned.

Fu Huan: "My friend overheard the details up close. The man's wife was not only slandered but also cyberbullied, leading her to jump to her death out of shame. The police never provided him with an investigation result, which is why he resorted to such desperate measures. The people he took hostage are not innocent—they were the masterminds behind the rumors."

Officer: "Understood."

The two officers immediately used their walkie-talkies to inform their teammates, awaiting further instructions from higher-ups. Understanding the situation and identifying the root cause made things easier, and additional officers would arrive shortly.

The standoff lasted at least an hour. When the police presented the man with his wallet, he broke down in tears. As his psychological defenses crumbled, special forces hidden in the shadows swiftly subdued him and successfully confiscated the remote control for the explosive device.

Gu Shiying, hidden in the private room, had crouched for so long that his legs went numb. His nerves were no less frayed than those outside; he kept his ears open for any sound and didn't dare sit down, fearing he wouldn't be able to escape in time.

After a series of loud thuds outside, everything seemed to quiet down for a moment, followed by screams, and then silence again.

As he looked up at the door, the slightly ajar door was suddenly pushed open. "Gu Shiying!"

Fu Huan stood at the doorway. Before Gu Shiying could stand up, Fu Huan had already crouched down and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Every time something happened, Fu Huan was there to help him in moments of danger, but this time, he held him firmly in his arms. Gu Shiying was enveloped in Fu Huan's scent.

Gu Shiying had been scared from the start, but he was alone and had no choice but to act calm. Now, with someone he could rely on, he finally relaxed. Unconsciously, his vision blurred the moment Fu Huan hugged him.

Although they had been texting each other to ensure their safety, they had genuinely experienced a life-and-death situation. Gu Shiying's phone had been low on battery after taking photos for Yang Shuhang on the way there and during his trip to the restroom. Fu Huan had been extremely worried, afraid the enraged man might turn around and find Gu Shiying.

Gu Shiying discreetly wiped the tears from the corner of his eye with his fingertip, but his choked voice betrayed him.

He patted Fu Huan's back. "Fu Huan, you're squeezing me too tight."

Fu Huan loosened his grip around Gu Shiying's waist and back, unusually firm in front of him.

"Good, you feel the pain. Next time, don't pick up anyone else's wallet!"

Gu Shiying was also shaken. "I understand."

He was terrified when he saw the man shoot someone in the leg. No amount of past experience compared to the danger of this situation. He was still in a daze, but Fu Huan's almost bone-crushing hug brought him back to reality.

Now, his hands and feet were cold, and his legs were still numb from crouching.

Fu Huan asked him, "Can you stand up?"

Gu Shiying leaned on Fu Huan to rise, stretching his numb legs. "A bit numb, but it'll pass."

Fu Huan: "Are you hurt?"

Gu Shiying shook his head, his hand still gripping Fu Huan's wrist. He heard his inner thoughts.

"If anything happened to Gu Shiying, I would never forgive myself."

For the first time, Gu Shiying didn't let go of Fu Huan's hand after hearing his thoughts. Fu Huan's hand was icy cold—he must have been terrified.

If Fu Huan were the one in danger, he wouldn't be this nervous. He might even have been able to subdue the man himself.

He felt that Fu Huan was more anxious than he was, perhaps because Fu Huan was worried on his behalf. Gradually, his body warmed up, and his thoughts cleared.

"I'm fine, don't worry. How did they subdue the man in the end?"

"The officers worked together—some pinned his arms, others his legs, and someone disarmed him. That's how they got him under control."

Now, it was Gu Shiying who wanted to calm Fu Huan's fears. He even noticed that Fu Huan's racing pulse hadn't yet steadied. For someone who exercised regularly, his pulse should have been slower than average.

While making small talk, Gu Shiying tightened his grip on Fu Huan's broad hand. Fu Huan, seemingly calm on the surface, hadn't noticed Gu Shiying's subtle gesture.

Gu Shiying: "Where are Liang Qi and Yang Shuhang?"

Fu Huan: "They went downstairs first."

Gu Shiying: "Let's go too. We shouldn't stay here."

Leaving this environment would likely help Fu Huan relax.

Gu Shiying held Fu Huan's hand the entire way from the second floor to the first, where they found Liang Qi and Yang Shuhang.

Liang Qi glanced at their intertwined hands and let out a soft "wow," then quickly realized it wasn't the time for jokes. While happy for his friend, he composed himself.

Yang Shuhang stepped forward and touched Gu Shiying's arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Yang Shuhang's hand slid down and brushed against Gu Shiying's hand, which was still holding Fu Huan's.

"Ying Er, are you still scared? Here, hold my hand too. Don't be afraid!" He enthusiastically grabbed Gu Shiying's other hand.

Suddenly part of a trio, Gu Shiying: "..."

Liang Qi chuckled. "I've already paid the bill. The owner gave us a 50% discount. Shall we head down the mountain?"

At this point, no one was in the mood to stay and enjoy the scenery. Everyone was thoroughly shaken.

After such a harrowing experience, Gu Shiying had no desire to remain, especially since someone else was even more affected than him.

The police and the shop owners provided rides down the mountain. Most people no longer wanted to continue their outing.

In the car, Fu Huan held Gu Shiying's hand tightly, but his inner thoughts remained unchanged.

It wasn't until the police car dropped them off at their parking spot that the two finally let go of each other's hands.

Liang Qi asked for Fu Huan's car keys, knowing full well Fu Huan was in no condition to drive right now. He also noticed that Gu Shiying clearly understood Fu Huan's condition.

It wasn’t that Gu Shiying had no feelings for Fu Huan—wasn't there something going on between them?

At this point, only Yang Shuhang was still pushing for the three of them to stick together.

"Ying Er, still scared? Hold my hand when we get in the car later!"

Liang Qi firmly pulled him toward the front: "You take the passenger seat."

Yang Shuhang: "What do you mean? I want to keep Ying Er company."

Liang Qi rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that Yang Shuhang must be clueless, completely missing the obvious romantic tension between Fu Huan and Gu Shiying.

Gu Shiying smiled: "I'm okay."

In truth, the one who needed comforting and company wasn’t him—it was Fu Huan.

Seemed like he'd scared Fu Huan again.

The first time was at school, and now here.

Although he had hidden this time, he had truly made Fu Huan’s heart pound.

After getting in the car, Yang Shuhang was still puzzled about why he couldn’t sit in the back with Gu Shiying, but he didn’t feel right calling Fu Huan out—after all, it was his car, and three in the back would be pretty tight. Neither Fu Huan nor Gu Shiying had petite builds under 5'7".

Even though he couldn’t sit with Gu Shiying, Yang Shuhang still had his motor mouth.

"Ying Er, you probably didn’t know, but we watched the whole time as that guy waved the gun around—it nearly scared us half to death."

Gu Shiying: "Why didn’t you hide?"

Yang Shuhang: "The guy threatened us, saying if anyone tried to hide, he’d press the detonator. Thankfully, you hid later—that was the right move. It was way too close for comfort."

Gu Shiying: "Indeed." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Fu Huan’s brow furrowing, so he changed the subject. "Liang Qi, are we heading back to school?"

Liang Qi: "Let’s go back to school first. This incident has caused quite a stir."

As it happened, the event was live-streamed by a streamer who had been visiting the farm, and it blew up on social media within half an hour.

On the way back, Liang Qi had already received two calls, and soon after, Yang Shuhang also got calls from concerned friends.

As they neared the school, Gu Shiying received a call from Zhang Zhi and told him he was okay.

Fu Huan got a call from his older brother; his parents weren’t as quick to hear about it and didn’t know yet.

When the three returned to school, Yang Shuhang grabbed Gu Shiying’s arm to go upstairs, but Gu Shiying let go.

"You go back to the dorm first. Fu Huan and I have something to discuss."

Liang Qi, being sharp as always, threw an arm around Yang Shuhang and pulled him along: "I’ll take you for coffee to calm your nerves."

Yang Shuhang: "What’s up that you can’t tell me?"

Liang Qi dragged him away, and from a distance, you could still hear Yang Shuhang yelling: "Let go of me, you jerk!"

Gu Shiying sighed in relief—finally, he got Yang Shuhang out of the way.

He turned to Fu Huan and met his intent, confused, but hopeful look.

Gu Shiying grabbed his wrist: "Let’s go."

Fu Huan asked, unable to believe it: "Where to?"

Gu Shiying smiled at him. To confess my feelings.

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Author's note: Fu Huan: Nervous. [peeking nervously] [peeking nervously] [peeking nervously]