At the same time, thousands of miles away in Country B, Mu Luoming booked a flight home the moment he learned about Gu Yulan’s accident. However, as soon as he got off the plane, he received a call from a strange number. This was his private number; aside from a few close friends and family, no one knew it.
He answered the call immediately. Soon, a familiar voice came from the other side.
“Uncle, it is me, Gu Yulan.”
Mu Luoming froze. “Did you not have a car accident?”
He quickly realized something was wrong and said sternly, “Gu Yulan, what exactly is going on?”
Gu Yulan immediately recounted what had happened. “Uncle, you are the only one who can help me now.”
Hearing this, Mu Luoming’s rugged features instantly softened. No matter what, Gu Yulan was the only child left by his sister. Even if he had half the blood of that man in him.
“Where are you now? I will send someone to pick you up. Are you hurt? Is it serious?”
Hearing Mu Luoming’s unpracticed tone of concern, Gu Yulan felt very moved. Since his mother passed away and his uncle had an argument with his father, his uncle had moved abroad and rarely returned to City A. Since he became an adult, the two had almost never met, so they were not very close. But now he believed that the only person who could help him was Mu Luofán.
Gu Yulan said, “I am fine, Uncle; I just sustained some minor injuries.” He paused and continued, “By the way, Uncle, I have a brother; with me.”
Mu Luoming’s brow furrowed. “A brother? When did your father get you an illegitimate brother? He promised me back then there would be no other illegitimate children.”
Gu Yulan felt a surge of warmth and hurriedly explained, “No, it is not an illegitimate brother. It is a brother I adopted.”
An adopted brother? He had not heard that Gu Yulan had such a hobby before.
His gaze fell upon the youth sleeping peacefully in the bedroom, and his expression softened instantly.
“If it weren’t for him saving me, I might not have had the chance to make this call to you.”
Mu Luoming pursed his lips and said, “Alright, wait for me. I’ll send someone to pick you up immediately.”
Not long after, a black SUV appeared at the entrance of the small courtyard. Hearing the movement, Gu Yulan went out to greet them. Soon, a man with an imposing aura stepped out of the vehicle.
“Uncle.”
The moment Mu Luoming saw Gu Yulan, he stepped forward and pulled him into a brief hug. “It is good that you are alright.”
A sudden sting of pain shot through Gu Yulan’s shoulder; the wound had likely been pulled during the embrace. Mu Luoming noticed immediately, his expression turning grim. “You are injured?”
He saw the fresh blood seeping through Gu Yulan’s shirt at the shoulder. Gu Yulan shook his head and gave a relaxed smile. “Uncle, it is just a superficial wound. Do not worry.”
Seeing that Gu Yulan’s mental state seemed fine, Mu Luoming said no more for the moment. Everything would be settled after a full check-up at the hospital.
He scanned the surroundings and frowned. “How did you find such a remote place? It is far too messy.”
“It is alright. There is quiet amidst the chaos. Staying here ensures we will not be noticed.”
“Let us go.”
Gu Yulan added, “Wait for me, I need to pack a few things.”
Gu Yulan returned to the bedroom. Looking at the youth who had been asleep for a long time, he intended to wake him. “Wake up, we are leaving.”
However, Xie Yizhou was in a deep sleep and did not respond. At Gu Yulan’s call, he merely furrowed his brows, turned over, and continued to sleep. Left with no choice, Gu Yulan shook his head helplessly and picked the youth up from the bed himself.
The youth in his arms was still dreaming and seemed unaccustomed to the movement. He squirmed restlessly in Gu Yulan’s arms like a kitten before finally finding a comfortable position. His fluffy head buried into Gu Yulan’s shoulder, and his soft hair brushed against the skin of Gu Yulan’s neck as they walked, sending a tingle through him.
Gu Yulan’s body stiffened, his ears already flushed deep red.
Xie Yizhou had actually sensed the movement, but the body temperature pressed against him was so warm that he did not want to open his eyes. However, realizing that Gu Yulan intended to carry him out, he finally opened his eyes groarily.
Gu Yulan watched as the youth’s raven-feather lashes trembled slightly. Fearing the youth might not hear clearly, he lowered his head and whispered into his ear, “Go back to sleep. I will wake you when we arrive.”
Perhaps because Gu Yulan was too close, his hot breath fanned against the side of the youth’s ear. Xie Yizhou instinctively buried his head deeper and pulled irritably at the other’s collar. Because they were so close, the breath felt itchy and uncomfortable against his skin.
Gu Yulan watched as the jade-like earlobe slowly stained with color before his eyes. The vivid pink spread across the pale skin; it was beautiful. For a moment, he stared blankly.
Is he this sensitive?
Gu Yulan’s throat felt strangely itchy, perhaps a craving for a cigarette. He licked his dry lips and hurried out with the youth in his arms, afraid of keeping Mu Luoming waiting too long.
Outside the courtyard, Mu Luoming checked the time and frowned. What could possibly take so long to pack? Just as he was about to go in and help, he saw Gu Yulan walking out of the room carrying someone.
He raised an eyebrow. No wonder it took so long; it seemed Gu Yulan had truly grown up and started dating.
Gu Yulan carried the youth into the car, placing him gently in the back seat. Afraid he might catch a cold, he carefully draped a blanket over him. To ensure the youth’s sleep remained undisturbed, he even thoughtfully removed the hearing aid.
Mu Luoming witnessed their interaction. It was the first time he had seen Gu Yulan care so much about someone. He asked knowingly, “Who is he?”
Gu Yulan looked up and met Mu Luoming’s gossiping gaze. Realizing the misunderstanding, he quickly explained, “Uncle, it is not what you think!”
Mu Luoming smiled. Seeing Gu Yulan’s frantic explanation, he couldn’t resist teasing him. “Oh? Then what is it? You are being so hesitant; could it be some unmentionable relationship?”
Knowing Mu Luoming was making fun of him and afraid the youth might accidentally hear, Gu Yulan clarified, “Uncle, stop joking. Didn’t I tell you before? He is the brother I adopted.”
Mu Luoming was skeptical. “Really?”
Gu Yulan gazed at the youth’s peaceful sleeping face, his mind wandering. “I can only be brothers with him. I only see him as a younger brother.”
However, Mu Luoming did not believe him. Seeing Gu Yulan so deeply affected, it did not look like a simple brotherly relationship. He didn’t care if Gu Yulan liked a man or a woman, as long as he was happy. But what kind of “brothers” use a bridal carry? What kind of “brothers” take care of each other so meticulously?
To thoroughly dismiss Mu Luoming’s ideas, Gu Yulan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “I already have someone I like. And stop poking around with those strange jokes; the kid is still a minor.”
Screech!
A sudden emergency brake nearly caused Gu Yulan to hit his head, and the jolt made him hiss as his wound was pulled. Mu Luoming turned his head in shock, looking at his nephew with a complex expression. Gu Yulan felt the gaze and looked away.
“Gu Yulan, as your uncle, I have a duty to remind you that there are some red lines you should not and cannot cross.”
Gu Yulan’s brow furrowed, a nameless irritation rising in his heart. He couldn’t help but curse, “I fucking know that! But if he likes me, what can I do?”
Mu Luoming was surprised. It seemed things were different from what he thought; Gu Yulan was actually the one being pursued.
Gu Yulan’s throat felt dry. The youth had risked everything to save him during such a dangerous night. He glanced at the sleeping youth, took a breath, and said raspily, “Do not worry. I have already told him I have someone I like and that we can only be brothers. If he is not stupid, he will wake up soon.”
Mu Luoming was speechless. He looked at Gu Yulan as if looking at an idiot. His expression was hard to describe. He remembered his sister was quite smart; how did she give birth to such a fool? He must have inherited it from Gu Qishan.
Seeing Gu Yulan’s silent face, Mu Luoming decided not to say more. Matters of the heart cannot be explained in a few words; one has to experience them to understand. He only hoped his foolish nephew wouldn’t regret it later.
“What do you plan to do next?”
Gu Yulan rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window as his fingers brushed through the youth’s soft, cool hair. “What else? Naturally, I will take care of him.”
Soon, they stopped in front of a private hospital. Gu Yulan said, “Uncle, help me contact a doctor.”
When Xie Yizhou woke up, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. He pulled off the oxygen mask, feeling like he had finally had a full night’s sleep. He looked around but found no one else; the ward was very quiet. His mind was also quiet; 0377 had gone into hibernation.
He instinctively felt his ear and found that even the hearing aid was gone. And where was Gu Yulan?
Xie Yizhou jumped out of bed barefoot. Just as he pulled the door open, a tall, slender figure appeared at the entrance, blocking his path. He looked up and saw Gu Yulan with a cool, stern face, looking at him with disapproval. They stared at each other for a few seconds.
Gu Yulan sighed, wondering why he was getting angry with someone who couldn’t hear. Xie Yizhou watched as Gu Yulan reached out. Suddenly, his ear was touched. He felt it in surprise and realized it was his hearing aid.
Gu Yulan walked into the room and came back out a moment later with a pair of shoes. “Who told you that you can run around on the floor without shoes? What if there are glass shards on the ground? If you step on one, you’ll get hurt.”
He placed the shoes on the floor and urged, “Hurry up and put them on.”
Since they were placed right at his feet, Xie Yizhou put the shoes on immediately without a word. However, his stomach growled at an inopportune moment. He was hungry again. Perhaps because he had spent too much energy, he felt hungry very quickly.
Gu Yulan raised an eyebrow at the sound. He noticed the chin he had finally managed to put some weight on was thin again. He chuckled and asked, “Hungry?”
Xie Yizhou nodded honestly.
“Then let’s go. Your big brother will take you to get something good to eat.” Gu Yulan said “big brother” very naturally.
Xie Yizhou’s eyes lit up. He didn’t notice any difference in the way Gu Yulan addressed him. He had adapted well.
The food at the hospital cafeteria was, at the very least, better than what Gu Yulan could cook. Gu Yulan walked ahead, checking periodically to see if the youth was following. Seeing him keeping up at a steady pace, Gu Yulan let out a sigh of relief.
He was far less relaxed than he appeared. The youth hadn’t just slept for a day or two; he had been lying in that hospital bed for an entire week. He had almost thought the youth would never wake up. However, the doctor told him not to worry; the youth was just resting as his body slowly recovered, requiring a lot of time for repair.
They arrived at the cafeteria. Gu Yulan took two trays and got food. Soon, Xie Yizhou demonstrated his incredible appetite; a stack of plates quickly piled up beside him. Surrounding people cast surprised glances. Gu Yulan, however, was already used to it.
Once full, Xie Yizhou wiped his mouth contentedly and looked at Gu Yulan with a bright smile. He took out his phone and typed: “Where are we going today?”
Gu Yulan glanced at him. “There is one place we need to go.”
“Where?”
“It is a secret.” Gu Yulan led the way. “Just follow me.”
Xie Yizhou followed Gu Yulan out of the cafeteria and through the hospital garden. Finally, they entered a building and went into a quiet room. A woman in a white coat with a gentle aura was already waiting there. She was organizing documents at her desk but stepped forward to greet them immediately.
“Hello. I am the speech rehabilitation therapist, Mao Fang. You can call me Teacher Mao.”
Xie Yizhou turned to look at Gu Yulan. “What does this mean?”
Gu Yulan looked a bit unnatural, as he had arranged this without telling the youth. “I was afraid you would be bored these few days, so I arranged some classes for you.”
He clearly remembered that day when he had vaguely heard two words from the youth’s mouth. The pronunciation wasn’t standard and the voice wasn’t loud, but it had given him an indescribable shock. He hoped the youth could have a better life. He simply wanted to help him without expecting anything in return.
Just like when they first met and the youth said he would help him pursue Su Jianyang. Recalling that now, Gu Yulan found it a bit funny. Who would be willing to help a rival pursue the person they liked? Those were all just excuses to get close to him. Gu Yulan’s lips curled up instinctively; he looked at the youth as if he had seen through everything.
He looks small, but he has big ideas.
Xie Yizhou watched Gu Yulan say nothing and just smile mysteriously, so he blinked in confusion. However, his attention turned to the gentle female teacher. Teacher Mao soon understood Xie Yizhou’s situation and smiled happily upon learning he had acquired deafness later in life.
“In your case, because the deafness was acquired, if you persist with speech rehabilitation training, you will be able to speak and communicate normally with people. You can even go to a regular school and interact with others.”
Xie Yizhou was stunned. School… he had never been to school. This body had also stopped attending school after the accident in elementary school. He recalled the books he had brought from home; he had read them several times and found the content very interesting. If school was that interesting, he wanted to go.
“First, I will teach you some vocalization exercises. This is not something that can be achieved in a short time; it will take a lot of effort and persistence.”
Xie Yizhou nodded. Teacher Mao was very satisfied with his obedient behavior and said with a smile, “Let’s start with some tongue exercises. Because you haven’t vocalized for a long time, your tongue function may have weakened. We need to strengthen it.”
“First, cheek pushing. Use your tongue to push against your left and right cheeks, then rotate it. Second, tongue cupping. Relax the tongue, let the surface sink, and then roll the tongue up…”
Xie Yizhou followed the exercises, pushing his tongue against his cheeks and rotating it. Gu Yulan leaned against the door, watching the youth study so seriously, a faint smile on his lips.
“Third, tongue biting. Flatten your tongue, then use your teeth to gently bite the surface while extending it outward and then retracting it. Fourth, chewing movements. Move your tongue from left to right and right to left, like the feeling of chewing food… Remember to practice every day.”
“Alright, that is all for today. We will cover the other parts tomorrow. Go back and practice well today.”
Xie Yizhou felt his cheeks getting sore and couldn’t help but rub his face.
“How was it?” a voice suddenly came from behind.
He turned and saw Gu Yulan leaning against the door, his eyes widening slightly. He thought Gu Yulan had left long ago, but the man was still there waiting for him.
Gu Yulan was amused by the expression. He reached out to ruffle the youth’s hair and said somewhat playfully, “Who else would your big brother wait for if not you?”
Outside, news of his death was spreading like wildfire. Since the mastermind who wanted him dead hadn’t been caught yet, it wasn’t suitable for him to show his face. So, he found things to do for himself, like accompanying the youth to class.
Xie Yizhou was caught off guard by the hair ruffling and nearly lost his balance. He frowned, and just as he was about to resist, a hand pinched his cheek. Gu Yulan saw the youth’s pouting “goldfish mouth” and burst out laughing; he looked adorably stupid. He had wanted to do this ever since he saw the youth pinching his own face.
Xie Yizhou was stunned. He hadn’t expected Gu Yulan to be so forward. He remembered the scar on his hand. He frowned and was about to open his mouth to bite when his teeth were suddenly blocked by a hand.
Gu Yulan was prepared. He extended a finger and pressed it against Xie Yizhou’s tongue, which was sore from the exercises. The warm finger pad pressed against the soft, somewhat clumsy tip of the tongue. The indescribable sensation made both of them freeze.
However, while Xie Yizhou was dazed, something was suddenly stuffed into his mouth. A sweet taste spread across his taste buds immediately, and the mischievous hand withdrew quickly as if burned by heat.
Gu Yulan could still feel the lingering sensation on his fingertip; it was so soft it made his heart flutter. Gradually, a rich peppermint scent spread through Xie Yizhou’s mouth. The unique taste made him squint his eyes, and his tongue curled around it in delight. He twitched his nose and sniffed lightly; the air also emitted a faint peppermint scent.
This was the scent he often smelled on Gu Yulan. Besides being cool and refreshing, it was also a bit sweet.