Qiao Shu: “???”
What learning achievement?
The script in hand was taken away and placed on the bedside table. Gu Chenyan leaned over, one hand supporting himself at Qiao Shu’s side, imperiously half enclosing Qiao Shu beneath him. His intense black eyes tightly seized Qiao Shu.
In the lamplight, Qiao Shu was completely overshadowed by Gu Chenyan’s silhouette.
Qiao Shu unconsciously swallowed saliva.
Nervous.
At such a close distance, Qiao Shu could smell the same shower gel scent on Gu Chenyan as on himself, but he always felt that this fragrance was even more delightful and captivating on Gu Chenyan.
Qiao Shu: “Wh-what?”
His hands quietly tightened the bedsheets beneath him, and a heated atmosphere lingered between the two as they locked eyes.
The answer was quite obvious.
As expected.
Gu Chenyan: “Qiao Shu.”
Qiao Shu swallowed: “Mmm.”
Gu Chenyan: “In the past few days, I finished watching the sex education videos that Fang Zhouyou sent me.”
Qiao Shu continued to swallow: “Mmm.”
Gu Chenyan: “It won’t hurt this time.”
“Can we?”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Such a serious question…
Qiao Shu felt a tingling sensation in his spine from being asked so seriously.
He tightened his grip on the bedsheet and a flush spread across his fair cheeks.
Qiao Shu: “Yes.”
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
The dim yellow light cast shadows on the wall, with two figures tightly entwined.
Gu Chenyan: “Can you say it again?”
Qiao Shu: “Wh-what?”
Gu Chenyan: “Call me Brother.”
…
Qiao Shu: “Bro… Brother—mmm—”
Gu Chenyan: “Sounds nice.”
“Say it again.”
…
The fact is, Gu Chenyan’s learning achievements are remarkable.
When Qiao Shu woke up, his throat felt dry. He wearily climbed out of bed.
His lower back felt a bit weak.
As his gaze fell on the marks on his body, Qiao Shu froze, and then he blushed like a boiled shrimp.
It was already nine o’clock.
Gu Chenyan had already gone to work. Just like last time, Qiao Shu found a note left by Gu Chenyan on the bedside table.
【There’s warm porridge in the kitchen. Remember to eat. If you’re feeling unwell, give me a call.】
Qiao Shu raised an eyebrow. He carefully folded the note and placed it in the drawer.
When he got out of bed, Qiao Shu’s legs felt weak, but he quickly regained his balance and didn’t fall.
He stood there, assessing his body. He felt a bit weak but not uncomfortable. Qiao Shu remembered that after they were done last night, he was so exhausted that he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Gu Chenyan had carried him to the bathroom to clean up.
Qiao Shu covered his face.
After standing for a while, he took a few steps to make sure everything was okay before heading to wash up. While brushing his teeth, Qiao Shu suddenly hesitated and leaned closer to the mirror.
A red plum blossom bloomed on his neck.
Qiao Shu: “…”
“Ahem.”
He reached up to adjust his clothes, temporarily covering himself with the collar of his pajamas.
After washing up, Qiao Shu changed into fresh clothes. Then, he finally went downstairs for a belated breakfast: a bowl of white rice porridge, a soft-boiled egg, and a few small side dishes.
Perhaps because Gu Chenyan had prepared everything, Qiao Shu found the meal particularly delicious.
In the end, he managed to finish everything.
Burp~
Qiao Shu rubbed his somewhat full stomach, tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, and placed them in the dishwasher.
After finishing the chores, Qiao Shu stood for a moment, then went out.
There were many cars in Gu Chenyan’s garage, each of them extraordinary and some even unattainable with money. Qiao Shu coveted each one, touching them one by one. Following Gu Chenyan’s instructions, he took a set of car keys and drove away the most low-profile one.
Ancient Sword Art Hall.
Qiao Shu confirmed the address name on his phone and walked into the martial arts hall after confirming it was correct.
At this time, there weren’t many people in the martial arts hall; only a few were practicing swordsmanship.
Qiao Shu found the person in charge of the martial arts hall.
Qiao Shu: “Hello, I’m Qiao Shu. We made an appointment yesterday.”
Before returning to Haicheng, Qiao Shu asked Yu Qiong to help him find a swordsmanship hall to learn sword dancing.
The male lead he was about to film was a master swordsman, and since Qiao Shu hadn’t dealt with such roles before, he wanted to learn sword dancing in advance. He didn’t need to master it; he just wanted to look like he knew what he was doing.
It’s always better to shoot scenes yourself than to use a stunt double. As for other moves, the martial arts director on set would teach him.
The person in charge glanced at the computer. “Please wait in practice room number three. Master Wu will be here shortly.”
Qiao Shu: “Alright, thank you.”
Master Wu was a man in his forties, with a beard, dressed in a white practice suit, exuding an air of a true master.
Master Wu: “Learning sword dancing, huh?”
Qiao Shu: “Mmm.”
He bowed, “Thank you for your hard work these next two days, Master Wu.”
The key to sword dancing lies in the wrist and arm. Master Wu took a sword hanging on the wall and demonstrated it to Qiao Shu, then broke down the explanation step by step.
After the explanation, he handed Qiao Shu a wooden sword for beginners.
It seemed easy when watching with the eyes.
Actually doing it, why is it so difficult?
Qiao Shu practiced the inner and outer circle flower patterns in the practice room for over an hour. His wrists were exhausted, and the wooden sword hit him many times before he managed to create a barely qualified, very slow sword dance.
But it wasn’t enough.
After lunch and rest, Master Wu handed Qiao Shu a prop sword.
Master Wu: “You did well in the morning. Now, practice with this one. The weight and feel will be different from the wooden sword. Most of the ones you use for filming are similar to this. Get used to it in advance. Also, your wrist strength is not enough. Do more push-ups when you go back to strengthen your arms and wrists.”
Qiao Shu: “Okay.”
Master Wu: “This afternoon, the focus is still on continuing to practice these two moves. Once you become proficient, it will look good.”
Indeed, it would look good when proficient.
There was indeed a difference between the prop sword and the wooden sword. The most obvious was that the prop sword hurt more if accidentally struck on the body compared to the wooden sword. Fortunately, Master Wu foresaw this and had Qiao Shu practice with the wooden sword first; otherwise, Qiao Shu would probably have been in tears.
However, the results were satisfactory.
Before concluding today’s lesson, he could already perform a somewhat challenging sword dance.
The only drawback was his strained wrists.
This led to Qiao Shu feeling a bit dumbfounded when he almost couldn’t open the car door.
Qiao Shu: QAQ How do I even drive like this!
Qiao Shu looked at his sore wrists, feeling like crying without tears.
After a while, he bit his lip and took out his phone.
Gu’s Group.
Gu Chenyan handed the signed documents to Chen Wenyuan. As he retracted his hand, it instinctively veered to touch the wrist of the other hand.
On the cuff of the white shirt were navy blue cufflinks.
Chen Wenyuan, holding the documents, didn’t leave immediately. He hesitated and remained in place.
Gu Chenyan looked up, “Is there anything else?”
Chen Wenyuan: “Sir, Mr. Gu Yan insists on seeing you.”
Gu Chenyan’s good mood dissipated instantly.
After deciding to marry Qiao Shu, Gu Chenyan directly left the hospital, catching Gu Yan and a few shareholders off guard. In the end, Gu Yan was thrown into prison by him.
Fratricide and patricide.
Gu Chenyan had never imagined that his personally raised nephew would tread such a wrong path.
But a mistake was a mistake.
Even though Gu Yan was the only child left by his elder brother in this world, certain things absolutely could not be tolerated.
Chen Wenyuan stood still, quietly awaiting a response.
The office was very quiet.
After a while.
Gu Chenyan: “No need to deal with it.”
Chen Wenyuan: “Understood.”
Chen Wenyuan left the office with the documents.
In the office.
Gu Chenyan took the coffee from the side, took a sip, and the bitter taste spread in his mouth.
He sat quietly for a few minutes and then refocused his gaze on the computer.
When the phone rang, Gu Chenyan had just finished reviewing a document.
He picked up the phone, and the displayed name on it slightly eased the tension on his brows.
Qiao Shu…
Gu Chenyan: “Qiao Shu?”
Qiao Shu: “Gu Chenyan.”
A slightly aggrieved voice came through the phone, causing Gu Chenyan’s brows to furrow again.
Gu Chenyan: “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Shu: “My wrist hurts, and I can’t drive. Can you come and pick me up?”
Gu Chenyan: “Where are you?”
Qiao Shu: “Ancient Sword Art Hall.”
Gu Chenyan got up, grabbed his coat, and headed outside.
Qiao Shu sat in the driver’s seat, leaning his head on the steering wheel, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Why did he have to call Gu Chenyan?
And even act coquettish.
Qiao Shu covered his heated face with his hand: “Qiao Shu, you’re not okay!”
He could have just taken a taxi back, but he had to trouble Gu Chenyan to come and pick him up.
So melodramatic.
Qiao Shu scolded himself.
Gu Chenyan arrived quickly, having driven over himself.
The car stopped beside Qiao Shu. He reached out to open the car door, but on the first attempt, he couldn’t open it; his hand was weak.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Just as he was about to rub his hand and try to open the car door again, the driver’s seat door was opened. A tall man with long legs stepped out. “Let me do it.”
Finally settling into the car, Qiao Shu guiltily fastened his seatbelt. He looked at Gu Chenyan, “Thank you for this.”
Gu Chenyan: “In my book, anything concerning you is not a bother.”
Qiao Shu: “!!!”
Ah!
This man!
Why did he suddenly pull out this move again!
The car started.
Qiao Shu secretly leaned to the side, excitedly raising a hand to cover his heart which was pounding like crazy.
Foul play!
Too foul!
Who can resist this!
After a while, Qiao Shu finally calmed down, turning back to sit properly.
Qiao Shu: “Did I disturb your work?”
Gu Chenyan: “No.”
“Work can be done anytime.”
Qiao Shu: “Oh.”
The car interior fell silent again, and Qiao Shu sneakily turned his head to look at Gu Chenyan’s profile.
The man was very handsome.
Gu Chenyan: “What’s wrong?”
Caught in the act, Qiao Shu panicked for a second, “N-nothing.”
Gu Chenyan: “What happened to your hand?”
“Ah.”
Qiao Shu looked at his hand, “My hand is sore from practicing sword dancing all afternoon.”
His voice carried a hint of grievance.
Gu Chenyan: “When we get back, I’ll massage it for you.”
Qiao Shu: “Okay!”
The slight grievance disappeared instantly as if he had tasted the sweetest honey in the world. Qiao Shu couldn’t help but smile.
He asked softly, “Gu Chenyan, why are you so good to me?”
Gu Chenyan didn’t catch that: “What did you say?”
Qiao Shu laughed: “Nothing.”
When the car reached halfway, Gu Chenyan received a phone call.
The expression on Gu Chenyan’s face momentarily darkened after something was said from the other end.
“Keep an eye on him.”
Qiao Shu looked over in surprise.
It was the first time he had seen Gu Chenyan like this.
Gu Chenyan pressed his lips together, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and the lines on his face tightened a bit.
He was angry.
And there was sadness too.
Qiao Shu bit his lip.
Had something bad happened?
After hanging up the phone, Gu Chenyan parked the car by the side of the road. He rubbed his forehead, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue, “Sorry, did I scare you just now?”
Qiao Shu shook his head: “You don’t need to apologize to me.”
Gu Chenyan paused slightly: “Hmm.”
A few seconds later.
He explained, “It’s my nephew.”
Gu Yan?
Qiao Shu was slightly stunned.
Almost forgot about this person.
In the book, the information about Gu Chenyan was spread through others’ accounts. According to those rumors, Gu Yan was supposedly ruthlessly eliminated by the cold and cruel Gu Chenyan.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Now it seemed that rumors were truly terrifying. In his recent understanding, Gu Yan was clearly doing well in prison.
Gu Chenyan looked at Qiao Shu: “You must have heard the recent rumors about the Gu family.”
Qiao Shu: “Yes.”
In this world, Qiao Shu learned more truths than what was portrayed in the book.
Such as Gu Chenyan.
He wasn’t cruel.
Gu Chenyan pursed his lips and asked him, “Are you afraid?”
Qiao Shu froze.
Gu Chenyan: “For money, a nephew can plot an accident for his uncle, and the uncle, in turn, uses a plan to send the nephew to prison.”
Suddenly, a warm hand covered the back of Gu Chenyan’s hand. Gu Chenyan looked up at the owner of that hand.
Qiao Shu said, “I’m not afraid.”
“Gu Chenyan, this is not your fault.”
He was very serious: “You raised him and provided him with the best living environment. But he didn’t cherish it. He chose the wrong path.”
“It’s Gu Yan’s fault.”
“Gu Chenyan, don’t be sad.”
They locked eyes.
After a few seconds, Gu Chenyan smiled slightly, “Qiao Shu, I’m not sad.”
“Alright, let’s go home.”
Qiao Shu looked at him, hesitated, and said, “Okay.”
The accelerator was pressed again.
Suddenly, Qiao Shu said, “Wait.”
Gu Chenyan: “What’s wrong?”
Qiao Shu: “Wait for me.”
When he opened the car door, Qiao Shu’s hand hurt so much that he almost couldn’t help but exclaim in pain. He turned back and said to Gu Chenyan again, “I’m going to buy something.”
He quickly ran to a nearby small supermarket, found what he needed, paid swiftly, and ran back to the car.
Gu Chenyan: “Take your time, no rush.”
Qiao Shu, slightly out of breath, smiled at Gu Chenyan, “Gu Chenyan, close your eyes.”
Gu Chenyan: “Hmm?”
Qiao Shu: “Close your eyes.”
Gu Chenyan closed his eyes.
Qiao Shu, confirming that Gu Chenyan had indeed closed his eyes, took out the large White Rabbit milk candy he had just bought, carefully unwrapped the packaging, and the candy wrapper made a faint rustling sound.
Qiao Shu: “Gu Chenyan, open your mouth.”
Gu Chenyan, with some vague speculation, obediently opened his mouth.
Qiao Shu placed the unwrapped milk candy into Gu Chenyan’s mouth and said, “You can open your eyes now.”
“Is it sweet?”
As soon as the candy entered his mouth, it started to melt slightly. The sweet taste spread in his mouth and followed down his throat, finally reaching his heart.
Very sweet.
Gu Chenyan looked at Qiao Shu, thought about what Qiao Shu had said to him in the hospital, and smiled slightly, “Very sweet.”
Qiao Shu breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m glad it’s sweet.”
Gu Chenyan: “Do you want to taste it?”
Qiao Shu: “Hmm?”
When their lips touched, both Qiao Shu and Gu Chenyan tasted the sweetness together.
⌈Weekend chapters: 2⌉ ⌊Progress: 1/2 ⌋
