Perhaps it was because too many things had happened over the past few days, or perhaps it was the excessive drinking and irritable mood, but Gu Yulan’s stomach problems flared up in the middle of the night. The butler received the news and rushed over in a hurry. When he pushed open the door, he found the bedroom pitch black without a single flicker of light.
Wrapped in a dark atmosphere, the room was so quiet and devoid of sound that it made one’s heart feel cold. The butler’s voice trembled slightly as he called out, “Young Master.”
“Do not turn on the light.”
A slightly raspy voice suddenly came from the corner. The butler froze, his body stiffening as he heard the command just as he was about to reach for the switch. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he used the faint light from the window to find Gu Yulan curled up in a corner. He looked as if he had been abandoned by the entire world. The bitterness and loneliness surrounding him felt almost tangible, making the butler’s heart heavy.
“Young Master.”
“Uncle Zhang, tell me, why do they all want to leave me? Am I really that loathsome? They avoid me like a poisonous scorpion. Su Jianyang was like that, and so was my mother.”
A sharp, twisting pain radiated from his stomach. It hurt so much that Gu Yulan gasped for breath. Large beads of sweat rolled down his face, falling from the scar on his brow directly into his eyes. The stinging sensation turned his eyes red instantly.
“I was so good to him. Why did he choose someone else?”
Perhaps it was the physical pain that caused his long-suppressed emotions to finally explode.
“My mother promised she would stay with me as I grew up. If that man had not betrayed her, and if I had not given that letter to her that day, would everything be different? I would have a complete family, and she would still be alive.”
The butler sighed. Since Gu Yulan had grown up, he had rarely seen this hidden, fragile side of him. Thinking back to the events of those years, he felt a wave of pity. Ever since the mistress passed away seven years ago, the teenage Gu Yulan had become a different person. His personality shifted from humble and polite to irritable, paranoid, and aggressive. He was like a hedgehog, and no one could get close to his heart.
The appearance of the youth named Su in recent years had brought some change, but now things had reached this miserable state.
“Young Master, why do you torment yourself so?”
“Uncle Zhang, every time I remember that his blood flows in my veins, I feel disgusted.”
Gu Yulan smiled with a look of desolation and obsession. “I once swore to my mother that I would never be like that man. I have carved out every part of myself that resembles him.”
“If the mistress were here, she would not want to see you like this. She would want you to let go of your obsession and live well.”
Gu Yulan stared into the void, his vision blurring. He pulled at the corners of his mouth. If she truly could not bear to see him like this, why had she not appeared in his dreams once in seven years? He had almost forgotten what she looked like. Accompanied by this unshakeable obsession, his consciousness eventually sank into darkness.
The moment Gu Yulan’s body collapsed, the butler caught him and turned on the lights. After helping him onto the bed, he realized the back of Gu Yulan’s clothes was soaked with sweat. His face was as cold as white jade, his pale lips were pressed together weakly, and the corners of his eyes were wet. He looked pitiful, lacking his usual arrogance.
The family doctor arrived soon and administered a painkiller, which finally relaxed Gu Yulan’s furrowed brow. After learning about the recent events, the doctor gave his diagnosis.
“This flare-up was likely caused by alcohol, irregular meals, and extreme emotional fluctuations. The stomach is an emotional organ. When a person feels anxious, irritable, or depressed, the stomach feels it too.”
“I have prescribed a week of medication. Ensure the patient takes it on time. During this period, he must avoid alcohol, maintain a positive mood, and eat gentle foods. A glass of milk every day will help neutralize stomach acid and provide protein.”
The butler noted the instructions and saw the doctor out. The next morning, Gu Yulan snapped his eyes open, covered in a cold sweat. He rubbed his temples. He had had another nightmare. The youth had appeared in his dream again, but this time he was filthy and holding a bag of trash. With a pale face, he crouched at the foot of the bed, weeping tears of blood and watching him silently.
Gu Yulan checked his phone to see the time and noticed a message from a stranger with an image of the sky as a profile picture. He was surprised. He did not remember having this person on his list. He noticed the timestamp was 7:23 AM, which was exactly when he had been at the restaurant.
In a flash, the image of the pale youth appeared in his mind. He clicked on the message and saw a video. He hesitated but eventually opened it. The background of the video was the restaurant from earlier.
The camera was shaky at first, as if the person filming was inexperienced. Then, the view shifted to a small yellow dog wagging its tail. A slender, white hand appeared to scratch the dog’s chin, making the puppy whimper comfortably. Gu Yulan frowned, wondering if the youth had sent this by mistake.
Suddenly, the scene changed. Through the shaky footage, a middle-aged man and a handsome young man appeared. They were talking. Gu Yulan froze when he saw the young man. Although the focus returned to the dog, their conversation was crystal clear.
“Yu Fei, you must seize this opportunity. Once you hook a top-tier rich heir like Gu Yulan, we will have all the resources we want.”
“Do not worry, Brother Zhang. I will not let this chance slip away.”
“I knew you were smart. Be clever and act intimately with him later. I will take photos as evidence. We will not have to worry about him backing out, and we can even raise the price.”
“I am leaving now. I have arranged for the paparazzi. Go touch up your makeup. That Gu man will be here soon.”
“Okay, Brother Zhang. I will do as you say.”
Gu Yulan finished the video, his expression turning incredibly ugly. His sharp eyes narrowed. They dared to plot against him? They were looking for trouble. He saved the video and forwarded it to Luo Yu. Once that was done, he thought of the youth. He rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache, but he acknowledged that the boy had helped him.
“Young Master, drink a glass of milk. It will make your stomach feel better,” the butler said as he entered.
Looking at the milk, Gu Yulan thought of the thin figure from the night before. His hand where he had been bitten began to throb again. He said coldly, “I do not want to drink it right now.”
The butler insisted, “Young Master, these are doctor’s orders. You cannot take your anger out on your own body. When the mistress was alive, she told me to take good care of you.”
Under pressure, Gu Yulan finally took the milk. The warmth of the glass seeped into his cold fingertips. He involuntarily thought of the scene from the previous night: the deaf-mute youth picking up discarded flowers from a trash can with a look of pure joy. Was he really that happy just picking up flowers that others did not want?
He took a sip of the milk, the warm liquid soothing his throat. He asked casually, “Is that deaf-mute boy named Shen Shuyi?”
The butler was startled by the sudden question. “Yes.”
The atmosphere became quiet. Gu Yulan waited for the pain in his head to subside before opening his eyes. His gaze fell on a photo frame on the table. In the photo, a beautiful woman was smiling while holding a five or six-year-old boy. The scene was very warm. His cold eyes softened instantly.
“He is all alone. If he stays at home while he is sick, he probably cannot look after himself. Forget it. Call him back. The Gu family can afford a few extra meals.”
The butler was delighted. “Yes, Young Master. I will call him back immediately.” He followed Gu Yulan’s gaze to the photo and smiled. “If the mistress knew how kind you are, she would be very proud of you.”
Gu Yulan lowered his eyes, his long lashes hiding the dark emotions within. He looked away from the photo and whispered, “I hope so.”
“When the mistress was alive, she often did good deeds and donated to poor mountain areas to pray for your health and safety.”
Gu Yulan’s expression was no longer as cold. He finished the milk in one gulp. The butler watched him with a relieved smile. Seeing that the young master was in a better mood, he hesitated before speaking again.
“I heard that the Master will be returning from his business trip soon.”
“What does his return have to do with me?” Gu Yulan’s face changed instantly. He sneered, “Does he not have another family out there? Why bother coming back to this old, dilapidated villa? No one here welcomes him. I do not, and my mother would not either.”
As he spoke, his expression turned dark, and his eyes were filled with deep hatred. The butler, knowing the friction between the father and son, shut his mouth immediately. He quietly left the room with a silent sigh.