Hearing the shock in the man’s voice, Wu Yan nodded calmly. “Exactly.”
“Didn’t you hate him before?” Gu Yanzhuo’s level of internal shock was no less than hearing that a fellow artist in his company had started dating. His memories might be old, but he knew exactly how much Wu Yan used to loathe Pei Jin.
Wu Yan and Gu Yanzhuo had grown up together. While they hadn’t quite shared the same pair of pants, they had at least shared the same jacket.
“Yeah, because I hadn’t met him back then,” Wu Yan said placidly.
“Hadn’t you seen his photos?” Gu Yanzhuo strolled over to a chair and sat down, unceremoniously grabbing a fruit candy from Wu Yan’s nightstand and stuffing it into his mouth.
“Photos and the real person aren’t the same thing,” Wu Yan countered righteously. He shifted his gaze to Gu Yanzhuo’s defiant face and asked, seemingly at random, “Didn’t you just finish a performance? Why aren’t you going back to rest?”
“Small fry. I’m young; I’m not tired at all.” Gu Yanzhuo crumpled the candy wrapper and threw it accurately into the bin. He raised an eyebrow. “I’m on break for a while; you have to play with me.”
“No,” Wu Yan blurted out without hesitation. “Why?” Gu Yanzhuo asked, confused. “I have someone to chase,” Wu Yan replied without looking up.
Gu Yanzhuo bolted upright, his chair legs screeching against the floor. He strode over to Wu Yan, leaning down. “Baby Yan, you weren’t like this before. You used to say you loved me most.”
“Are you kidding? When did I ever say that? And who is your baby!” Wu Yan frowned and swatted away the hand reaching for him.
Outside the closed door, Xu Yike, who had just finished the discharge paperwork, looked in surprise at Pei Jin standing in the hallway. “Brother Pei, why are you here?”
Pei Jin, expressionless, handed a paper bag to Xu Yike and turned to leave without a word.
Xu Yike found it bizarre. Before he could speak, the man had vanished. He pushed the door open and saw Wu Yan talking with someone else.
Wu Yan noticed the movement and looked toward the door. His eyes settled on the paper bag. Recognizing the logo, he raised an eyebrow. “How did you know I’ve been craving pistachios from this place lately?”
“Pistachios from the north side of the city? Wait, Yanyan, are the people around you all superhuman? This assistant can teleport?” Gu Yanzhuo was equally shocked.
“I didn’t buy them,” Xu Yike said, placing the bag on the nightstand.
“If it wasn’t you, could it be… Pei Jin?”
Wu Yan’s words trailed off. He vaguely remembered mentioning how delicious those pistachios were while chatting with Pei Jin last night. But the hotel the man stayed at was in the south of the city—how could he have found time to run all the way to the north in the middle of his busy schedule?
“It was Brother Pei,” Xu Yike said truthfully, explaining how he had just seen him at the door.
“Then why didn’t he come in?” Wu Yan wondered, finding it strange. “Probably busy with work,” Gu Yanzhuo added flatly.
Inside the bag were not only pistachios but also the shop’s famous nut crisps and honey walnuts. Wu Yan stared at the bag, lost in thought.
The Move
By the time they left the hospital and reached home, it was nearly 11:00 AM. The first thing Wu Yan had to do was “endure” taking his medicine. He had already mastered the skill of swallowing it without a grimace.
Gu Yanzhuo sat beside him, looking at the empty bowl and the cupboard full of medicine jars. His expression was complex. “Wu Yan, why are there even more types of medicine now?”
“Mama says it’s to regulate my body,” Wu Yan answered, drinking water without looking up. Gu Yanzhuo had something to say but decided against it, instead watching Xu Yike shell a whole plate of pistachios for Wu Yan.
Wu Yan didn’t care. He popped a few into his mouth and looked at Gu Yanzhuo. “Want some?” “No, I don’t like those.” Gu Yanzhuo pulled out his phone, scrolled through his photos for a while, and pushed it toward Wu Yan.
Wu Yan looked at a photo of a pure-looking girl in a mint-green dress holding pink tulips, smiling sweetly at the camera. “Did you really get a girlfriend?”
“No,” Gu Yanzhuo sighed. “I didn’t tell you before because you hated Pei Jin. But if you’re chasing him, I have to tell you, this is a student from a poor family he started sponsoring six years ago. She’s at the same school as my friend’s younger brother. I heard her feelings for Pei Jin aren’t simple.”
“Really?” Wu Yan hadn’t heard of this. He studied the photo for a long time before looking away.
“Of course. When have I ever lied to you?” Gu Yanzhuo saw the doubt. “I heard she wants to enter the entertainment industry too. If Pei Jin mentors her, imagine the opportunities for them to be together.”
“Pei Jin won’t like her,” Wu Yan said suddenly.
Xu Yike’s hand paused in the middle of shelling a pistachio. Gu Yanzhuo went silent. Looking at the two stunned men, Wu Yan added indifferently: “Pei Jin definitely won’t accept someone that much younger than him.”
In truth, he remembered that in the original novel, Pei Jin remained single even after the engagement was canceled. That means he’s either asexual or… incapable, Wu Yan thought. He suddenly felt worried—with his frail body, what if he fainted in the middle of… doing it with Pei Jin?
The other two men clearly had no idea what Wu Yan was thinking.
After lunch, Wu Yan messaged Pei Jin to say he was eating well and had received the nuts. A while later, Pei Jin replied with a simple “Mhm.”
“So cold…” Wu Yan tossed his phone onto the sofa, where it happened to hit Gu Yanzhuo.
Gu Yanzhuo was in the middle of a game, hiding in a bush for a sneak attack, when the impact caused him to move. The next second, his screen turned gray. “Wu Yan! It’s one thing to ignore me, but why do you have to bully me while I’m gaming?”
Wu Yan sat on the other side, looking at him flatly. “How much longer are you going to stay at my house? Don’t think I don’t know you’re just hiding from your manager.” He recalled Gu Yanzhuo’s manager, a fierce woman who handled top stars with an iron fist.
“I’m on break…” Gu Yanzhuo couldn’t even meet Wu Yan’s eyes. “Forget it. I know your character. When we were kids, you used to climb—”
“Stop, stop! I lose, okay? Don’t say it!” Gu Yanzhuo coughed, grabbed his coat, and put on a mask. “I’m heading back then.”
The living room finally fell silent. Wu Yan looked at the snow outside. He recalled Pei Jin’s schedule; the man was about to go on a business trip. If he didn’t act now, who knew when they’d meet again?
If a girl chasing a guy is like a thin layer of gauze, then me chasing him is… well, I need to be more proactive.
Wu Yan went to his room, bundled himself up like a Zongzi, and headed straight for the Bauhinia Hotel.
Bauhinia Hotel
The lobby was quiet. The receptionist’s face flushed when she saw the beautiful youth standing before her. “Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation?”
Wu Yan nodded and showed his phone. After checking the info, she handed him the keycard. “Your room is on the 12th floor, sir. Please let us know if you need anything.”
Wu Yan thanked her and took the elevator. His heart raced as the numbers climbed. Inside the room, the warm yellow lighting felt comfortable. He looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city lights.
He messaged Xu Yike to bring his luggage. Half an hour later, Xu Yike arrived with bodyguards and several suitcases. They began disinfecting the room and moving things in while Wu Yan leaned lazily on the sofa.
“What is it?” he asked, noticing Xu Yike’s hesitant look. “Young Master, the Madam will be angry if she finds out you moved out.”
“What did you say?” Wu Yan’s eyes chilled. He knew his mother wouldn’t be back for at least half a month. “Don’t you dare report this to Mama. Otherwise, I’ll fire you.”
Xu Yike lowered his head. Wu Yan stood up when he saw a figure pass by the half-open door.
Pei Jin, just finishing an interview, was about to swipe his card when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a joyful Wu Yan. “Wu Yan? Why are you here?”
Wu Yan shifted to block the man’s view into his room, smiling. “I came to find you.”
But Pei Jin was much taller; he easily saw the busy figures and suitcases inside the room. “Why are you staying at a hotel?” he asked, confused.
“Because, I want to be closer to Brother.”