The two of them were up until the wee hours[1]roughly 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1308582_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1308582_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); the night before, and the bedding and carpet around the love bed were all changed. They also showered repeatedly. The hotel also had a fresh air system that could continuously ventilate the room 24 hours a day.
Even so, Yu Yuan still felt a faint smell of Mayinglong ointment lingering in his nostrils… The night before felt like a dream, and it was still hard to bear when he woke up.
Gu Shaocheng took a handful of medicine before bed and again when he woke up. He seemed to have recovered, but he treated Yu Yuan like he was invisible the whole time. Yu Yuan could understand, just as he didn’t want to see his bodyguard brother now.
Compared to Gu Shaocheng, he felt that his own situation was not so unacceptable. He could simply go back and buy another box to return to Zheng Liang and that would clear things up.
However, such thoughts vanished when Yu Yuan opened the door and saw his energetic bodyguard, and he slammed the door shut.
Gu Shaocheng, who had stepped out first, paused. After a moment, the door reopened. Yu Yuan’s gaze swept quickly between the two of them before he lowered his head and murmured softly, “The wind was too strong just now…”
Gu Shaocheng frowned as if he had thought of something, and his straight lips tightened even more: “Zheng Liang, go to the car first.”
Zheng Liang’s eyes lit up. He understood! The landlady and the boss still had some private things to say to each other. They were really inseparable and couldn’t wait a moment longer.
Zheng Liang always saw himself as Gu Shaocheng’s confidant, so naturally he thought what his employer thought and was anxious about what his employer was anxious about. Upon hearing this, he took a long stride and left the scene at almost breakneck speed.
After everyone left, Yu Yuan raised his lifeless face, somewhat annoyed that Gu Shaocheng had broken his promise: “Didn’t you say Zheng Liang wasn’t coming this time?”
Gu Shaocheng frowned: “I didn’t say that.”
Yu Yuan’s eyes widened slightly as he carefully recalled the events in his mind. Gu Shaocheng had indeed not explicitly stated anything… His slightly puffed-up cheeks deflated instantly like a punctured balloon: “Then what should we do? You’ve already crushed the medicine. How am I supposed to clear up the misunderstanding for him?”
After waking up, Yu Yuan calmly considered the situation. If he told Zheng Liang the truth—that none of the hemorrhoid suppositories worked and that Gu Shaocheng had crushed them all—not to mention whether Gu Shaocheng would cooperate and admit it, it would be hard for anyone to believe him. Instead, they would think that he was just being guilty and would come up with any outrageous lie.
Mentioning the events of the previous night, Gu Shaocheng’s expression turned even colder: “Buy him another box today.”
Yu Yuan nodded, agreeing that great minds think alike. He had previously worried that it would be difficult to buy medicine on the island, but now that the two had reached an agreement, Gu Shaocheng always managed to resolve the matter perfectly.
*
Hainan Island is the private island of the Gu family. The entire island is divided into two parts for tourism development. One half is open to all tourists, while the other half is developed into a high-end water resort on the inner island, which is used by the Gu family themselves and to receive some VIPs.
Hainan Island is close to the equator, so the temperature is unusually high in summer, but it is exceptionally warm and comfortable in winter.
When Yu Yuan was packing his luggage to go to the Wang family, he thought his “biological parents” would want him to stay by their side, so he packed two sets of clothes for all four seasons, as well as pajamas and a toiletries bag.
His initial plan was to prioritize accompanying his adoptive mother, who was in poor health, while also taking time to return to the Wang family to cultivate their relationship. Therefore, he made comprehensive preparations. He never expected things to develop this way, and after going around in circles, he ended up using the short-sleeved shirt and shorts he had prepared back then on Hainan Island.
The island has a thriving leisure and entertainment industry. Until the car stopped in front of a manor with a unique ancient charm, Yu Yuan didn’t see a single pharmacy. His deep worry made him forget about being nervous.
Gu Shaocheng lowered the car window and let them pass by scanning his face.
The manor is built on white sand, and most of the buildings inside are low houses of two or three stories. The wooden buildings are elegant and unique, exuding a distinctive charm.
The car stopped, and an elderly man with half-gray hair stood in the courtyard waiting with a kind expression. A little distance behind him stood four servants, ready to take instructions at any time.
Yu Yuan’s tension returned; he was genuinely curious why the Gu family had so many nannies…
The old man was wearing a silk short jacket, his back was straight and he was in good spirits. In addition, the pressure around Gu Shaocheng gradually decreased after he saw him, which was consistent with the discord between the grandfather and grandson that Yu Yuan had previously deduced using the controlled variable method.
Yu Yuan almost called him “Grandpa” as soon as he got out of the car, but Gu Shaocheng paused slightly, called out “Uncle Qin,” and walked straight into the door.
Yu Yuan could only hurriedly greet Uncle Qin, and then quickly walked away from the servants’ group as if he were being chased by wolves.
The two entered one after the other. The interior layout resembled a huge exhibition hall, spacious and elegant, with a servant standing every few meters, ready to receive the employer’s any instructions.
There were quite a few people, but fortunately the space was large enough that they didn’t block Yu Yuan’s way. He was also accompanied by a tall, mobile wall of flesh with a familiar scent. With both of them working together, Yu Yuan felt he could adapt fairly well.
Grandpa Gu was watching the fish swimming in a fully embedded aquarium when he heard the sound and slowly turned around.
Yu Yuan didn’t dare to pinch the corner of his eye or adjust the focus in front of the old man. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he could clearly feel that the old man’s aura was completely different from that of Uncle Qin.
Uncle Qin was upright and kind, while Old Master Gu’s leisurely demeanor concealed a sharp edge. Yu Yuan obediently followed Gu Shaocheng in greeting the old man, then lowered his eyes and let the old man scrutinize him.
He was so nervous he barely dared to breathe, partly due to his natural aversion to strangers, and partly because he worried about performing poorly and ruining their plans.
Fortunately, Grandpa Gu scanned people very quickly, and soon he smiled and said gently, “He’s a good kid.”
Before the words were finished, the old man tapped his cane lightly on the floor, and immediately a servant came to Yu Yuan’s side with a wooden tray, on which was placed an exquisite red envelope.
Yu Yuan looked at Gu Shaocheng, at a loss, but the old man smiled and said, “Why are you looking at him? This is a little something from your grandfather for you.”
Seeing his unease, Gu Shaocheng reached out, took the red envelope, and stuffed it into Yu Yuan’s hand. The old man’s smile lines around his eyes became even more genuine.
The old man chatted with Yu Yuan for a few minutes before the two of them got down to business. Yu Yuan, receiving the hint, immediately and very sensibly said that he needed to use the restroom. During this time, he didn’t forget to secretly make a “two” gesture to Gu Shaocheng behind his back, indicating that he shouldn’t forget about their time together.
The old man smiled and said, “Shao Cheng can listen to these meaningless things all by himself. Xiao Yuan can go and wade in the water on the beach.”
”That’s great!” Yu Yuan nodded eagerly, but even though he was very excited, he still had to slowly walk out with the servants while staying with the old man.
Hearing Gu Shaocheng speak calmly, “Uncle Qin is with mother…”
The old man’s eyes darkened upon hearing this, and he shook his head: “His respiratory system is not good this year, so he will come to Hainan Island to recuperate in the winter.”
Before Yu Yuan left, the old man had already started talking to Gu Shaocheng about serious matters: “Your father is getting more and more preoccupied… Wen Ping is a good boy, but I’m not as energetic as I used to be. Come back and help your grandfather…”
*
When Yu Yuan arrived at the beach, he immediately told the servant who was guiding her that he wanted to take a stroll by himself.
After everyone left, Yu Yuan didn’t have time to admire the beautiful sea view. He first took out his phone and searched around. Finally, in the chat section of a travel forum, he saw a young man with hemorrhoids reminding him: Friends who need hemorrhoid cream should bring their own before going to the island, as only basic medicines for fever and colds are available on the island…
Yu Yuan sent the screenshot to Gu Shaocheng, along with a GIF of a cat crying: [You must have a way, right!]
Gu Shaocheng was still busy. After Yu Yuan finished asking the question, he switched to the interface and received a response early in the morning to the photos he had sent to Ye Qiutang in the middle of the night.
Yu Yuan opened the chat page and saw a bunch of red-faced, tongue-wagging emojis from the other person. He then said, “[OMG, this is so awesome!]”
Yu Yuan was walking along the beach, wading in the water with his phone in hand, intending to chat with him for a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone directly in front of him. He paused and was about to retreat when a pair of chubby little arms, like lotus roots, grabbed his calf.
The little girl exclaimed excitedly, “Brother! I’ve found a treasure even prettier than Little Fen!”
Human cubs are still human. When Yu Yuan was suddenly hugged, he almost couldn’t catch his breath, but he didn’t dare to struggle too hard for fear of knocking the child down.
Yu Yuan looked down and saw a pair of delicate, beautifully sculpted faces looking up at him with a sweet smile. He took a breath and realized it wasn’t so hard to accept after all.
However, the little girl’s brother quickly caught up with him. The man picked up the child and apologized to him, but Yu Yuan waved his hand repeatedly, saying “It’s nothing,” and was about to leave.
The man paused for a moment after recognizing his face, then quickly smiled and said, “I’m Chu Qingyun, this is my sister Ningning. Thank you for helping her up and preventing her from falling. What’s your name? Would you mind being friends?”
Yu Yuan realized that although the siblings were far apart in age, they both had the same exquisite good looks. People who could enter the inner island must have a good family background. This was the first time Yu Yuan had encountered such a situation. He subconsciously felt that he couldn’t afford to offend them and wanted to run away, but he was suffering from a twisted hip.
Faced with the man’s overly enthusiastic questioning, Yu Yuan shrugged and stammered, “No need to thank me, she did it herself, she hugged him…”
”Yuan Yuan.” A deep, cold voice came from behind.
Yu Yuan turned around at the sound and met a pair of deep, cold black eyes. Although Yu Yuan desperately needed this familiar wall of flesh to alleviate the anxiety brought by the stranger, he could also clearly see that the other person was not in a good state.
Could it be another relapse? He immediately recalled the outrageous events of the previous night and his ears burned with unease… Caught between a rock and a hard place, Yu Yuan walked over anxiously.
Chu Qingyun, carrying his younger sister, immediately followed, making Yu Yuan want to hide behind the man. Luckily, he hadn’t run away just now; given Chu Qingyun’s relentless pursuit, he probably would have run away with his sister in his arms too.
The little girl still looked at Yu Yuan with shining eyes, while Chu Qingyun’s gaze remained fixed on Yu Yuan, who was trying to hide, as he absentmindedly greeted Gu Shaocheng: “Mr. Gu.”
Gu Shaocheng grabbed Yu Yuan’s hand: “Do you not see this young master?”
Chu Qingyun’s gaze froze upon hearing this, then a clear look of disappointment appeared on her face: “You are Wang Yuyuan?”
Yu Yuan nodded obediently.
Chu Qingyun glanced at Yu Yuan again, as if unwilling to give up, and said with a straightforward sigh, “What a pity.”
Yu Yuan was completely bewildered. Was this something that could be said? He could clearly feel the black aura rising around him without even looking at him.
Gu Shaocheng suddenly tightened his grip on their clasped hands, causing Yu Yuan’s face to twitch in pain.
You think you’re so great and high and mighty? You’re strong but petty. If you’re not happy, go pinch yourself!
Yu Yuan endured for two seconds, twisting his wrist to try to pull out his fingers, which were being squeezed into a radish-like shape, but the man’s hand was like an iron clamp, not loosening its grip even slightly.
Gu Shaocheng ignored Yu Yuan’s subtle actions, his face so dark it seemed about to drip water, and he spoke in a sinister tone: “Mr. Chu thinks it’s a pity?”
The little girl was so frightened by Gu Shaocheng’s villainous appearance that she shrank back into the man’s arms, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, as if an invisible gunpowder was everywhere in the air.
Yu Yuan kept his head down and struggled, and their clasped hands became Gu Shaocheng’s emotional transmitter, the grip tightening more and more.
Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, he resorted to drastic measures, stuffing his other hand under the man’s armpit and scratching him roughly through the thin fabric.
Just as the situation was about to erupt, Gu Shaocheng suddenly burst out laughing: “Hahaha…”
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