The Wealthy Family’s Adopted Son (19) – “Even down to the netherworld, he will barge in…”
During the time Zong Xian was absent from his hospital room, the nurses had been searching everywhere for him in a panic. Turning around, they suddenly discovered that the patient had reappeared in the room, which finally allowed them to set their minds at ease. “Mr. Zong, it is time for your check-up.”
Gu Wen intended to temporarily step out of the room, but Zong Xian grabbed his wrist instead. “Nurse, he can stay here, right?”
The nurse gave an affirmative response and notified the attending physician to arrive at the room. Gu Wen watched from the side as Zong Xian completed all the necessary examinations. His recovery status was progressing well, and he appeared completely normal.
The medical staff left the room, and Zong Xian crooked his finger toward Gu Wen. “Come here.”
Gu Wen approached Zong Xian’s hospital bed, and the other person used force to pull him onto the bed. “What needs to be done next?”
“I have homework to draw.” Gu Wen honestly answered Zong Xian’s question. The latter unceremoniously met the gaze of the person before him, seemingly verifying whether Gu Wen was telling the truth.
Seeing that Zong Xian did not press further, Gu Wen did not take the current situation to heart, until someone delivered an easel, canvas, and paints from outside the room. Only then did Gu Wen spot the problem. “Zong Xian-ge, I can go back to draw.”
“Don’t you understand? Every single second after class belongs to me.” Zong Xian used his fingertips to touch the bite mark on Gu Wen’s shoulder through his clothing. “Right now, I do not allow you to leave my sight.”
Gu Wen tried to twist the doorknob of the hospital room, but before his hand could even touch the target object, the person behind him pulled him forcefully into an embrace. “Didn’t you want to be obedient?”
Gu Wen had no choice but to let go and unpack the painting supplies that had just been delivered. The private room was spacious enough to accommodate all his art supplies. He unfolded the easel, spread a brand new canvas over it, and began mixing colors with a feigned sense of normalcy.
Until the dead of night, Gu Wen never left the room. Whenever he lifted his gaze from the canvas, he would meet Zong Xian’s undisguised stare, as if he were a domesticated animal on a stage, specifically put there for the other’s amusement.
When the final stroke was completed, Gu Wen washed his brushes, deliberately avoiding Zong Xian’s eyes, only to be forcefully grabbed by the wrist.
Thinking he was about to be dragged back onto the bed once more, the next second Zong Xian opened the hospital room door and led Gu Wen by the hand all the way to the elevator lobby.
Gu Wen followed him out of the elevator on the top floor and climbed the stairs to the hospital rooftop. Zong Xian spread a jacket on the ground and invited Gu Wen to sit beside him.
“Look up.” Zong Xian did not let go of Gu Wen’s hand.
Gu Wen’s gaze naturally fell upon the sky overhead, and only then did he notice that tonight was a full moon, hanging round in the sky with countless stars scattered around it, leading him to guess that tomorrow would bring fine weather. “The night sky is very pretty.”
“Have you looked enough?” Zong Xian forcefully turned Gu Wen’s shoulder around. “Now, look into my eyes.”
Gu Wen met Zong Xian’s gaze, blinking frequently and involuntarily. For some reason, he had a gut feeling that he could not look into Zong Xian’s eyes for too long, as if there was an indescribable charm within them that would effortlessly draw Gu Wen in.
“Me and him,” even though Zong Xian did not spell it out, Gu Wen knew the other was referring to Lu Yu Teng, “who will you choose?”
Gu Wen did not quite understand the point of Zong Xian making him take a multiple-choice question. Zong Xian had suffered heavy injuries for Lu Yu Teng, and all his interactions with himself were merely to prevent Lu Yu Teng from being approached by others, or even constantly humiliating him to make him back down out of difficulty. Whichever one he chose, he remained nothing more than a redundant character.
“I choose you, of course, Zong Xian-ge.” Gu Wen tightly grasped the back of Zong Xian’s hand, acting almost submissive.
“Liars.”
Zong Xian forcefully pulled Gu Wen’s arm, forcing the latter to stand up under external force.
Gu Wen was dragged toward the edge of the rooftop. Since there was a retaining wall blocking the way, he would not actually fall off unless someone did it on purpose.
“Answer me one more time.” Zong Xian’s gaze looked as though it wanted to drill straight into Gu Wen’s eyes.
“I choose you,” Gu Wen said, tightening his grip on the other’s hand slightly. “Ge.”
“Then jump down with me.” Zong Xian suddenly smiled.
Gu Wen’s heart skipped a beat. He recalled the scene where Zong Xian had driven toward the seaside, attempting to plunge into the ocean. “Zong Xian-ge, don’t die.”
“Do you know what I would do if you chose him?” Zong Xian pressed the back of his hand against Gu Wen’s already chilling cheek.
Gu Wen gave a stiff shake of his head.
“I would call him over in a hurry, and push you and him down together.”
Zong Xian left the second half unsaid, pushing Yan Guanbai and Lu Yu Teng down, and then becoming the third corpse at the base of the building. Allowing his beloved to achieve a perfect martyrdom with his love rival was not his style; even down to the netherworld, he would barge in.
He observed Yan Guanbai’s face instantly turn ashen, as the foolish younger brother seemed to have taken his words seriously.
“Don’t be afraid.” Zong Xian’s palm rested on top of Gu Wen’s head, stroking it very gently. “The day hasn’t come yet.”
Hasn’t come yet.
Instead of saying it never would.
Gu Wen spent the night in the hospital room as well. Before falling fast asleep, he specifically asked the system whether accidental death would affect his state in reality, and upon receiving a negative answer, he finally closed his eyelids in peace.
When Zong Xian was discharged from the hospital, his personal driver waited specifically at the base of the teaching building where Gu Wen attended classes, intercepting the familiar figure the moment he spotted him and demanding that Gu Wen get into the car, rather than asking.
The driver was merely a working professional, and Gu Wen did not want to make things difficult for him, so he climbed directly into the back seat without asking any questions.
The location where Gu Wen stepped out of the car was the hospital. Without needing to guess, he knew who had requested his presence. He entered the elevator and pressed the top-floor button.
The hospital room door stood wide open, and while still in the corridor, Gu Wen saw that Zong Xian had already changed into his regular clothes. The hospital gown was folded neatly at the head of the bed, and his personal items had already been packed.
Gu Wen very consciously stepped forward to pick up the bag, but it was quickly taken away again by one of Zong Xian’s men, leaving Gu Wen with nothing in his hands except Zong Xian’s own palm. “Stop wandering around everywhere.”
“I didn’t, I came straight here as soon as I got out of the car.” Gu Wen explained helplessly. Zong Xian seemed to accept his explanation, but his grip did not loosen in the slightest as he asked whether Gu Wen had seen Lu Yu Teng.
“We are in the same class, seeing each other is normal.”
“Is that so?” Zong Xian did not appear to harbor any blame. After heading downstairs and getting into the driver’s car, Gu Wen took a seat beside him.
The car doors closed, and the driver set the vehicle in motion. Instead of sending Gu Wen back to his apartment, Zong Xian headed toward a suburban villa he owned. The gates were locked tight, and Zong Xian stood before the door with no intention of unlocking it, turning his face instead to meet Gu Wen’s gaze. “Stay here and live with me.”
“But, the school is too far away.” Gu Wen answered with a straight face.
“Then you can choose the alternative.” Zong Xian curved his lips slightly. “I will move to your apartment and live with you.”
Gu Wen looked momentarily stunned. “How?”
“Do not make me repeat myself a second time. You cannot leave my sight.” Zong Xian unlocked the door. Not only did he leave his personal items in the car, but he also instructed people to organize, pack up, and transport the belongings inside the house straight to Gu Wen’s apartment.
Gu Wen clearly had no room for refusal. An unexpected roommate was dropped into his apartment without warning, and this roommate even thoughtfully hired someone to come clean up the dusty guest room, moving in on the spot.
It was not his first time experiencing living under the same roof with Zong Xian, but for some inexplicable reason, Gu Wen’s frame of mind was vastly different from before.
Even if it did not affect his state in reality, Gu Wen had no desire to be thrown off a building in the middle of the night and smashed to death.
He deliberately stayed behind in the school art studio very late, putting down his paintbrush only after completing all his assigned tasks.
As Gu Wen walked out, pondering whether he should spend the night in the school dormitory, he suddenly ran into Lu Yu Teng halfway.
Lu Yu Teng was facing the wall and did not notice him. Just as Gu Wen was about to step forward and greet him, the other abruptly peeled off the thin jacket he wore outside, revealing an arm heavily wrapped in bandages.
“Yu Teng?” Gu Wen could not help letting out his gaze fall onto the other’s injury. “How did you get hurt so badly? Can you still hold a paintbrush?”
Lu Yu Teng hurriedly put his clothes back on, using the long sleeves of his jacket to cover his arm once more. “I am fine. I am heading back first.”
“Wait,” Gu Wen could not bring himself to leave an injured classmate unattended. “Why are you still here this late?”
“Do not follow me.” Lu Yu Teng quickened his pace.
Gu Wen let out an imperceptible sigh, freezing in place for a fraction of a second. “I won’t come over, but can you tell me?”
Lu Yu Teng stopped walking with some distance between them, pondering for a long time before speaking again. “I got hurt when I was kidnapped earlier. You do not need to overthink it. My arm hurts so drawing takes longer, but it will get better.”
Gu Wen finally felt reassured. Watching Lu Yu Teng leave, he noticed the other mouthing a silent thank-you.
The surroundings returned to silence. Gu Wen walked forward along the campus path, and as he passed a patch of bushes, he was pulled inside without any warning whatsoever.
Being dragged forcibly from the roadside for the second time, Gu Wen’s mindset was much more stable. His first reaction was not to cry for help, but to look down and check whether the other person was wearing leather shoes.
“Zong Xian-ge.” He obediently offered zero struggle, turning around only after the person behind him released his grip.
“You care about him a lot.”
Zong Xian wore a smile, but it was clearly not a happy one. His fingertips pressed against the bite mark left on Gu Wen’s shoulder through his clothing, applying enough pressure to make it feel as though he wanted to crush the flesh before cupping it in his own palm.
“You do not know pain, and you are not afraid of death. I believe he really is important to you.”
Gu Wen reached out to wrap his arms around Zong Xian’s waist, but this routine no longer worked. The other pried his palms apart, putting a complete halt to all his attempts at pleasing him.
Zong Xian grabbed Gu Wen’s wrist just as he had done at the hospital.
The sedan was parked not far away, and Gu Wen was eventually shoved into the front passenger seat.
The car started and hit the road, yet Gu Wen kept his lips pursed without uttering a word. He knew very well this was not the route home, and he knew asking for the destination would yield no answers.
It was eleven o’clock at night, and the car continued driving along the highway. Zong Xian showed no intention of stopping.
After a long while, Gu Wen noticed the car had already driven out of the city limits, as a welcome sign for a certain neighboring city hung high by the roadside.
“Ge?” During a red light, Gu Wen tentatively called out in Zong Xian’s ear.
“Do not ask.”
Zong Xian raised a hand to touch Gu Wen’s cheek.
“Very soon, there will be no one else left in your world.”