[Mission Objective: Current Destiny Deviation Value is 7%.]
The moment 0377’s voice sounded, Xie Yizhou snapped back to his senses. The deviation value had increased.
At the same time, the door to the drawing room was abruptly pushed open. Hearing the noise, Zhou Yichen turned his head sharply and met a pair of gloomy eyes. He had not expected Gu Yulan to appear so suddenly, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Gu Yulan leaned lazily against the door. He glanced at the youth, who remained almost exactly as he had left him, and then at the uninvited guest. Toying with the lighter in his hand, he strolled over unhurriedly.
“Heh, it really is a small world for enemies.”
He let out a cold laugh and stepped directly in front of the youth, grabbing the man’s outstretched hand in a firm grip.
“What do you think you are doing to him?”
Gu Yulan’s eyebrows arched slightly. His sharp, dark eyes were intimidating, radiating a bone-chilling coldness. The next second, his smile vanished, and his grip tightened abruptly like an iron vise. He successfully watched the man’s expression contort.
A sudden surge of sharp pain shot through his wrist. The force was so strong it felt as though his bones might be crushed, causing Zhou Yichen’s face to turn pale. He had not expected Gu Yulan to resort to physical violence here. His eyes darkened instantly.
Shielded behind Gu Yulan, Xie Yizhou could not hear their conversation. He looked over with some curiosity. However, before he could poke his head out, his head was pressed down by a hand. He looked up and met Gu Yulan’s cool gaze.
“What are you looking at?”
This time, he clearly saw what was being said. Xie Yizhou immediately shrunk back. Just as the two were on the verge of a physical altercation, a voice suddenly drifted in from outside the door.
“What are you doing here?” Gu Qishan asked, his expression one of surprise. He looked at Gu Yulan. “Did you not leave?”
Zhou Yichen’s expression smoothed out as he forced a smile. “Chairman.”
Immediately after, his gaze fell on Gu Yulan’s whitening knuckles. Realizing the situation, his expression shifted as he said in a low, stern voice, “Gu Yulan, let go!”
“This is the company’s new Technical Director, Zhou Yichen,” Gu Qishan introduced.
Hearing this, Gu Yulan narrowed his eyes. Only then did he unhurriedly release his grip, saying nonchalantly, “Oh, so it is the new company director. He was not wearing his work badge. I saw him trying to offend my friend just now and thought he was a thief who had sneaked in from outside.”
At those words, Gu Qishan’s face changed instantly. “Gu Yulan, say less.”
Gu Yulan’s expression was mocking. “Did I say something wrong?”
Gu Qishan immediately glared at him.
“Chairman, there might be a slight misunderstanding between Young Master Gu and me. I had something to attend to today and took a few hours of leave,” Zhou Yichen interjected gently. “Young Master Gu probably does not come to the company often, so it is normal that he is not aware of the situation.”
Gu Yulan felt a surge of irritation at those words. He lifted his eyelids and swept a glance over the two of them, his eyes darkening. He could not be bothered with these boring games. He did not even want to pretend. He turned and left, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
“Chairman, please do not argue with Young Master Gu because of me.”
The massive sound of the door slamming left the room in sudden silence. Looking at Gu Yulan’s arrogant departure, Gu Qishan was so angry his face turned green.
Not long after his grand exit, Gu Yulan suddenly realized he was missing someone. He turned his head and, through the glass, saw the quiet youth. He stopped in his tracks and immediately turned back.
Standing where he was, Xie Yizhou watched as Gu Yulan strode past the other two and came to a stop in front of him. With an irritated expression, Gu Yulan said, “Let us go.”
Meeting those deep eyes, Xie Yizhou did not even have time to react before his hand was grabbed. He was dragged directly out of the room. Gu Yulan had returned like a whirlwind and left just as quickly, taking the person with him.
Only two people remained in the room. After a few seconds of silence, Gu Qishan turned back. Looking at the man’s somewhat familiar features, he said hesitantly, “I apologize. Yulan has been a bit spoiled since he was a child. Please be patient with him.”
Through the glass, Zhou Yichen watched the silhouettes of the two leaving until they disappeared. Hearing this, he merely shook his head and said with a hint of loss, “Chairman, one is only spoiled because there is someone to dote on them. That is something others cannot help but envy.”
Just as he finished speaking, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the message and said with a smile, “I have other matters to attend to, so I will be leaving first.”
Gu Qishan watched the man’s departing back and let out a heavy sigh.
Zhou Yichen left the drawing room and went to his own office. He locked the door and placed a call. He pulled an old pocket watch from his coat, staring blankly at the old photograph inside. That youth looks so much like her.
The call was picked up quickly. Zhou Yichen narrowed his cold eyes and said in a deep voice, “Go investigate someone for me.”
After Xie Yizhou was pulled into the car, the red Ferrari shot out like a bolt of lightning accompanied by the roar of the engine. He looked at the silent Gu Yulan beside him and did not plan on provoking him at this time.
It was not until a blue line appeared on the horizon that Xie Yizhou realized Gu Yulan had brought him to the seaside. He stared blankly at the scene where the sea met the sky. Soon, the car came to a stop. He put on his hearing aid and followed Gu Yulan out of the car. The sea breeze was strong, blowing his clothes into the air. He watched as Gu Yulan walked against the wind toward the observation deck alone.
Under the sunlight, the man’s handsome profile was outlined with a transparent edge. In the sea breeze, even the cool scent of mint seemed tinged with a faint saltiness. His tall, slender back exuded a silent trace of loneliness and desolation.
Xie Yizhou hesitated for a few seconds before following him. Gu Yulan bent down to pick up a pebble by his feet and hurled it into the sea with all his might, as if throwing away all his anger. The pebble flew far away instantly.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught the figure following him. He picked up another stone. “What exactly do you want to do?”
He had been restless from the very beginning. Only after saying this did Gu Yulan remember the youth could not hear. He frowned, feeling bored, and shut his mouth. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He saw a new message:
[I just want to help you.]
“Help me? What a joke. Do I look like I need your help?” Gu Yulan sneered. “Mind your own business.”
He turned his head, his gaze falling on the side of the youth’s ear. Seeing the hearing aid that had suddenly appeared, he froze for a moment. Then, he raised an eyebrow and let out a soft “tsk.” The fire that had not yet dissipated in his heart surged up again.
“Little Mute, after all that, you were playing me!”
Fine. He had not even settled today’s score with him yet! He reached out and snatched the hearing aid right off the youth’s ear.
With the hearing aid suddenly removed, a buzzing sound filled Xie Yizhou’s ears, and it took a second or two to adjust. Without the old device, he could hear almost nothing. He looked at the hearing aid in Gu Yulan’s hand, pursed his lips, and reached out toward him. His clear, black-and-white eyes stared intently.
Give it back!
It seemed he had finally elicited a trace of outward emotion on the youth’s face. Gu Yulan brandished the old hearing aid, raised an eyebrow, and flashed a wicked smile.
Not giving it back!
Not only would he not return it, but he was also going to give this ignorant “Little Mute” a small lesson. He opened his mouth and said, “Little Mute, I am giving you a small lesson.”
As soon as Gu Yulan finished speaking, he violently tossed the object in his hand toward the sea. A splash rose from the surface. He immediately turned to look at the youth. He saw that the youth seemed to have frozen in place. The youth’s back was straight, his raven-feather lashes trembled, and his short black hair was disheveled by the sea breeze, revealing a beautiful jawline. Perhaps the wind-blown clothes made his figure look even thinner, as if he could be knocked over by a gust of wind.
After about a few seconds, Xie Yizhou pursed his lips. He looked at the spot where the object had fallen into the water, ran forward quickly, and leaped into the sea.
Gu Yulan only saw a thin figure flash past his eyes. It was so fast it made his head spin. He gradually realized something was wrong. By the time he reacted, the youth had plunged into the sea like a kite with a broken string.
Gu Yulan’s mind went blank. His eyes widened, and his grip on the object in his hand tightened.
“Fuck!”
Watching the sea surface return to calm in an instant, Gu Yulan uttered a rare curse. He had only intended to tease him. He did not expect the other party to actually go for it.
“Little Mute!”
There was no response at all. Gu Yulan looked down at the old hearing aid in his hand, the veins on his forehead throbbing wildly. Either he was crazy, or that Little Mute was crazy!
Gu Yulan kicked off his shoes and immediately jumped into the sea to save him. The seawater was piercingly cold. He searched the depths where the youth had jumped in, but he saw nothing. After searching underwater for a while, he swam to the surface to breathe. Looking at the calm water, he searched his mind, but there was nothing.
Gu Yulan’s heart was in turmoil. Even though he knew the youth could not hear him, he still shouted loudly, “Little Mute!”
How could a living person disappear in the blink of an eye?
He dove back down to continue the search. While searching, a sudden sharp pain shot through his calf. His muscles began to cramp, and he lost all strength. Gu Yulan panicked. At that moment, the oxygen in his lungs began to deplete rapidly, and he felt his body sinking continuously.
Meanwhile, Xie Yizhou, who was searching for the object at the bottom of the sea, heard 0377’s voice in his head.
[Oh no! The mission target is in danger!]
Xie Yizhou was stunned. He opened the mission panel and saw Gu Yulan’s progress bar flashing with red exclamation marks. He immediately swam back. Soon, he saw Gu Yulan slowly sinking. He swam over instantly. Gu Yulan felt the seawater beginning to pour into his nose and mouth.
Seeing Gu Yulan starting to lack oxygen, Xie Yizhou’s brow furrowed. He immediately hooked his arm around the man’s neck, leaned down, pressed their lips together, and transferred air to him.
Just as Gu Yulan was about to lose consciousness, a sudden softness on his lips jolted him awake. He forced his eyes open and looked at the youth in front of him in shock.
Xie Yizhou dragged Gu Yulan by the arm, swam to the surface, and hauled him to the shore. Once he breathed in the fresh air, Gu Yulan began to pant heavily. At this point, the system alarm was deactivated.
After a moment of recovery, he opened his eyes and looked at the youth floating on the sea. The youth had black hair and white skin, like a water sprite. While he was still conscious, he used his strength to pull the person from the water. His fingers gripped the warm skin, and feeling the other’s pulsing heartbeat finally gave him a sense of reality.
Xie Yizhou looked at his wrist being held tightly. Suddenly, a small object was pressed into his palm.
“I give up. I am giving it back to you.”
Gu Yulan looked at the youth before him, his eyes bloodshot. He was only playing a joke. He did not expect the other person to gamble with his life! He could not afford to play like that.
Xie Yizhou looked at the perfectly intact hearing aid in his hand and was momentarily stunned.
The soft sensation seemed to linger on his lips. Gu Yulan’s gaze subconsciously fell on the youth’s slightly reddened lips. Recalling the scene from just now, his body suddenly froze.
As if burned by the youth’s temperature, Gu Yulan abruptly let go of his hand. He raised the back of his hand to wipe his lips, as if to wipe away that strange sensation. With a darkened face, he said, “Fine. We are even now.”