Adopted Son of a Wealthy Family (20) I Don’t Want to Be Your at All.
Not only were they leaving the original city, but the car kept driving away from the downtown area. Gui Wen watched with his own eyes as the people and cars outside the window gradually thinned out, eventually vanishing from his sight, replaced by continuous stretches of trees and wild grass.
The car finally stopped in front of a flat-roofed house in the suburbs. When they arrived, the sky was already faintly bright. Gui Wen got out of the car and followed Zong Xian into the house.
The interior was very neatly arranged, and the space was more spacious than he had imagined. Looking out from the living room window, he could see the sunlight coming from the direction of the distant mountains, shining through the tree branches onto the windowsill, with dust floating slowly in the air.
Birdsong could not be hidden among the mountains. Gui Wen’s gaze fell outside the window, and the surrounding environment had a strong sense of seclusion from the world, making one feel very relaxed.
Gui Wen had no leisure time to unpack his luggage, but the daily necessities inside the house were already fully prepared. The owner of the house seemed to have planned this escape even earlier.
He had managed to catnap in the passenger seat, while Zong Xian had been driving almost all night, yet no signs of fatigue were visible on him. “You must be tired, right?”
Just as he finished speaking, Gui Wen could not help letting out a yawn himself.
“Come here.” Zong Xian reached out his hand toward Gui Wen.
The latter placed his palm on top of it. Zong Xian pushed open the door of the second-floor room, right in the center of which stood a double bed, so neat there wasn’t a single crease.
Just as in the hospital room, Zong Xian tugged at Gui Wen’s arm, pulling him onto the bed, and raised his hand to close the other’s eyes.
Gui Wen had no intention of struggling; his exhausted body quickly followed its instincts and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, it was already close to noon.
Zong Xian seemed to be making lunch, and the aroma was very rich. Gui Wen was involuntarily attracted by it, following the scent to locate the kitchen, only to find sliced fish porridge simmering in a pot.
“Hungry?” Zong Xian turned his head to look at him. Gui Wen’s hair was messy from sleep, and the former patiently pressed down every single strand of hair that was sticking up.
“So hungry.” Gui Wen stepped closer. In another pot, curry was cooking, and its golden color looked very appetizing. “Can we eat now?”
“Go wait for me outside.” Zong Xian smiled with rare gentleness.
Gui Wen walked outside the kitchen door and listlessly felt his pockets, wanting to check his phone only to find that they were completely empty.
He pushed the kitchen door open again. “Brother Zong Xian, my phone is gone.”
“I know,” Zong Xian scooped a full bowl of fish porridge, meticulously picking out the remaining fish bones. “It’s with me.”
The curry was also plated by him. “Looking for someone? I’ll help you contact them.”
“Over at the school.”
“You’ve taken a leave of absence.” Zong Xian’s tone remained very calm throughout.
Gui Wen pressed his lips together hard. He realized he had fallen into a cage, and Zong Xian was willing to use himself as bait just to keep him trapped within the world carved out by his nominal elder brother.
The fish slices were savory and fresh, but Gui Wen’s tongue seemed to have suddenly lost its sense of taste, unable to taste anything.
“Brother, I will be obedient.” Gui Wen put down his spoon and suddenly spoke up.
Zong Xian looked as though he didn’t understand the words. “Eat your food.”
Gui Wen picked up his cutlery again. Until the porridge bowl was empty, he stood up from the dining table and returned to the room where he had just slept soundly, searching everywhere.
“Are you looking for this?”
Zong Xian’s voice suddenly sounded from behind. Gui Wen turned back and saw the other holding his phone.
“Brother.” Gui Wen called out ingratiatingly again.
“Stop calling me brother.” Zong Xian put the phone into his own pocket and turned around coldly. “I don’t want to be your brother at all.”
Gui Wen knew he wasn’t favored by Zong Xian, so hearing such remarks didn’t come as a surprise.
He closed the room door, feeling an inexplicable reluctance to see the other person.
Gui Wen fell asleep on the bed without realizing it. In the haze of midnight, he sensed Zong Xian lifting the blanket and sliding in beside him, an arm wrapping around his waist.
When dawn broke, Zong Xian had changed his clothes and asked Gui Wen if he wanted to go outside to bask in the sun.
Shortly after, Gui Wen changed out of his pajamas and followed Zong Xian outside the door. The weather was very clear, and birds could be seen perching and chirping on the branches. He observed for a long time without figuring out what species they were.
Zong Xian clearly noticed Gui Wen’s gaze. He caught a bird from a low branch into his palm and brought it in front of Gui Wen.
“Don’t do that.” Gui Wen took the little bird from Zong Xian’s hands and released it back into nature. “Once the little bird is in your palm, it stops singing.”
“You like hearing its voice?” Zong Xian did not look at the bird fluttering its wings anew in the sky, but instead gazed into Gui Wen’s eyes.
Gui Wen tilted his head. “If I have to choose, I prefer its free state.”
“Leaving it too free, I would worry it might get hurt.” Zong Xian placed his palm on top of Gui Wen’s head. “I’d rather domesticate and keep it under my eyes every single second.”
“That would be very tiring.” Gui Wen blinked with deadpan seriousness.
Zong Xian gently smoothed out Gui Wen’s hair. “But I love it enough.”
Gui Wen did not voice any further refutation, quietly watching the bird perched back on the treetop. Behind him, Zong Xian combed his shoulder-length hair neatly and carefully tied it up with a hair tie.
“I can do it myself.” Gui Wen reached out his hand to ask Zong Xian for the hair tie, but the latter ignored him and continued tying his hair on his own.
After tidying up his hair, Zong Xian walked around to the front of Gui Wen again, smoothing down his slightly long bangs. “Why didn’t you keep your hair short?”
“Short hair doesn’t look good. My face shape is suited for long hair,” Gui Wen answered very honestly.
Zong Xian suddenly studied his face very intently, causing Gui Wen to shyly look away.
“Look at me.” Originally, both of them were sitting on the grass, but at this moment Gui Wen was pressed down onto the ground, his wrists firmly shackled, and the hair that had just been tidied up became disheveled once more.
Gui Wen had no choice but to stare blankly into Zong Xian’s eyes. “It hurts a little.”
“You always hide from me.” Zong Xian let out an imperceptible sigh, loosening the force in his hands slightly.
Gui Wen feigned seriousness. “I’m not hiding anymore.”
“In the future?”
“In the future,” Gui Wen couldn’t help pausing, “won’t either.”
“Liars.” Zong Xian still released the other person.
Toward evening, Zong Xian wheeled out a bicycle from the backyard of the house.
Gui Wen had seen all kinds of bicycles at university, but the one Zong Xian brought out clearly wasn’t in the same league as what he usually saw. The other was wearing a thin white shirt, got on the bike first, and crooked a finger at Gui Wen, signaling him to sit on the back seat.
“Are we going somewhere?” Gui Wen asked while getting on the bike.
Zong Xian grabbed his hand and pressed it against his waist. “You’ll know soon enough.”
The bicycle passed through the woods, and Gui Wen fell almost asleep pressed against Zong Xian’s back, until they finally stopped in front of a lake. Flocks of wild ducks strolled along the shore, and the arrival of outsiders inevitably startled them, sending them scurrying to both sides.
Gui Wen couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh. “Waddling along like that.”
Hearing his laughter, Zong Xian turned his head almost instantly.
In truth, he had a strong impulse to kiss Yan Guanbai.
Yet he did not want to make the smile on Yan Guanbai’s face vanish for the sake of a kiss, so he merely raised his hand and stroked the other’s cheek.
The other person still reined in his expression because of it. “Is there something dirty on my face?”
Zong Xian couldn’t help chuckling softly. “There has to be something dirty for me to touch you.”
Yan Guanbai seemed unable to process his thoughts for a moment, pausing briefly before replying. “That’s not what I meant.”
Zong Xian did not dwell on the topic, and Yan Guanbai’s attention shifted back to the wild ducks.
There were large ducks leading ducklings swimming in the lake. Yan Guanbai got off the bicycle and, afraid of frightening the ducks, watched from a distance.
Suddenly, his gaze scanned the surroundings as if searching for something, before looking back at Zong Xian after a good while. “What do wild ducks eat?”
“Small fish and shrimp, aquatic plants, vegetables and fruits, paddy rice.”
Yan Guanbai immediately dived into the bushes. Zong Xian instinctively followed him in, only to watch as the other searched everywhere, digging up a piece of wild vegetable from heaven knows where and patting the dust off it.
“Is this okay?” Yan Guanbai asked, handing the wild vegetable to Zong Xian.
“Let’s try.” Zong Xian raised a hand to wipe the mud smudge off Yan Guanbai’s face.
Consulting his opinion like a little child, this dirt-smudged face in Zong Xian’s eyes was exceptionally cute, and the desire to kiss him was even stronger than before.
“Your face really is dirty now.” Zong Xian reached out and removed Yan Guanbai’s glasses.
Yan Guanbai immediately looked displeased, reaching out to snatch the glasses back, until the other nearly tripped over a tree branch due to poor vision, prompting Zong Xian to place the thin metal-framed glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.
“Don’t go the wrong way again.” Zong Xian took his hand.
Yan Guanbai’s palms were very warm, and Zong Xian wanted to kiss his hands again.
He wanted to kiss Yan Guanbai. He wanted to forget all time and matters, and intertwine in kisses with Yan Guanbai.
His eyes held only Yan Guanbai.
Yet he knew Yan Guanbai wasn’t that.
Zong Xian didn’t even dare let Yan Guanbai know how much he loved him.
Love was a weakness. He must become the master in control of his beloved pet, rather than being dominated by the pet in return.
Returning to the lake, Zong Xian watched as Yan Guanbai approached the wild ducks holding the tiny piece of wild vegetable.
The wild duck accepted the food from him, opening its beak to nibble on the vegetable leaves. The corners of Yan Guanbai’s mouth curved upward, smiling like sunlight streaming down.
Just as Zong Xian was about to approach behind him, the phone in his pocket rang without any warning.
It was a call from his assistant.
Zong Xian glanced up at Yan Guanbai, maintaining a distance from him, and only answered after confirming Yan Guanbai couldn’t hear the call. “What is it?”
“Young Master Zong,” the assistant’s tone was anxious, “your mother has suffered a sudden illness and has already been sent to the hospital. Elder Master Zong is accompanying her.”
Zong Xian subconsciously tightened his grip on the phone. “How is she?”
“Her condition is temporarily stable, but we still need to observe her condition later on.” The assistant explained his mother’s current status in detail. Zong Xian’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper before he finally hung up the phone.
Returning to the lakeside, he found that Yan Guanbai was looking for him. “Where did you go?”
“I answered a phone call.” Zong Xian watched Yan Guanbai’s hand stroking a wild duck, before ultimately having to cruelly pull the other’s hand into his own palm.
“Guanbai, let’s go back.”
Yan Guanbai froze visibly in place.
“Something happened to Mother.” Zong Xian’s expression was grave.