Chapter 13: Clearing Skies After the Typhoon

Chapter 13: After the Typhoon, Rain Turns to Clear Skies

Zhao Yu said nothing. He couldn't bring himself to tell Gu Hansheng the truth, so he just kept his head down and finished the whole bowl of noodles.

The only sound in the room was the news playing on the TV. Gu Hansheng didn't press further. When lightning flashed outside the window, he got up and drew the curtains.

With the storm and dampness shut out, the room was dry and warm. Zhao Yu, his stomach full, quietly cleared the dishes. Suddenly, a man's warmth pressed up against him from behind, bringing with it a faint, cool scent. Zhao Yu was already very familiar with this scent. He froze for a moment, then, as if possessed, turned around—almost like he was willingly stepping into the man's arms.

The man held him without making any further move, letting the quiet embrace stretch on for a long time. They held each other the way real lovers did, feeling each other's warmth, scent, and heartbeat, confirming the other's presence—like they each held a special kind of affection that belonged only to them.

Zhao Yu's churning emotions gradually settled, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he clutched Gu Hansheng's clothes until a teasing voice sounded from above: "Have you been crying?"

"No."

"Look up and let me see."

Zhao Yu refused to look up, pressing his forehead into the man's shoulder, tucking all his emotions away.

Chen Xitong's life had always been smooth sailing. He never ran into any real problems—just fights with family or friends, or a rough patch in school. These little bumps would smooth over once the storm passed, and the cheerful Chen Xitong would be back. Zhao Yu knew this well, so he could only pull himself together and slip back into character.

"Brother, I'm fine. I just got into a fight with my mom."

"Did you win?"

Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh. "How do you even call that a win or a loss?"

Gu Hansheng tilted his chin up, and seeing his mood lift, joked, "I'll fight your battles for you. I never lose."

"You're an investor now. She wouldn't dare argue with you. That'd be winning without lifting a finger."

"If you want to see a bloodier win, that can be arranged."

"Then never mind!"

Zhao Yu looked down at his slightly damp pant cuffs, listened to the wind and rain outside, and said, "In this weather, can you even get home? Do you want to..."

His voice trailed off.

Stay?

This was Chen Xitong's home, after all. What if he slipped up?

But the weather really was bad—even the TV was scrolling flood warnings. It was already past seven. If Gu Hansheng left now, the roads wouldn't be safe.

Zhao Yu gritted his teeth. "Brother, just stay the night. Wait till the rain lets up tomorrow before you go."

"Alright."

Zhao Yu guided Gu Hansheng to sit on the sofa and said, "The bedroom's a bit messy. Don't peek—I'll clean it up."

With that, he quickly slipped into the bedroom and shoved anything suspicious into the drawers. Luckily, Zhou Lan was thorough and had him switch from the guest room to the master bedroom early on, with the decor redone to match Chen Xitong's tastes. There was no way anything would look off.

Zhao Yu then dug through boxes to find fresh toiletries and a new set of pajamas, setting them out in the bathroom.

One toothbrush on the counter became two. Two towels hung in the shower. An extra pair of bath slippers appeared. It was like Gu Hansheng wasn't just crashing for one night, but moving in with him.

Zhao Yu quickly shook off that ridiculous thought—everything he was doing was just to keep up the Chen Xitong act. Nothing special.

After Gu Hansheng finished showering, he came out wearing the pajamas Zhao Yu had prepared. At 1.9 meters tall, the sleeves and pant legs came up a bit short.

Zhao Yu instinctively pulled up a shopping app: "Brother, what size do you wear? I'll order you a set that fits."

Gu Hansheng sat down, draping his arm along the back of the sofa behind Zhao Yu, his gaze drifting from the phone where Zhao Yu was browsing pajamas to his face. Today's "Chen Xitong" was different from usual. The weight hidden in that pause was heavy—more than just a fight with his mom. Gu Hansheng had picked up on it the moment he walked in. But the man kept his feelings buried deep, and no matter how Gu Hansheng held him or kissed him, he always felt like he was touching an empty shell.

"Brother, you like this one? The dark blue one." Zhao Yu tapped on a pajama image to get his opinion, and when he turned his head, he met Gu Hansheng's eyes.

"How'd the screen crack?" Gu Hansheng asked in a low voice.

"I dropped it by accident... You like the blue one?" He was so close that Zhao Yu found himself lowering his voice too.

"It looks good."

The mood turned intimate. When Gu Hansheng leaned in, Zhao Yu couldn't help but close his eyes, but he didn't pull back. Instead, he let him in, tilting his head up to meet the kiss.

Gu Hansheng eased him down onto the sofa, caging him between his arms, no longer satisfied with a taste, no longer playing the gentle gentleman. He wanted to grab hold of the soul hidden inside that empty shell and keep it firmly in his grasp.

Since he was a kid, whatever Gu Hansheng wanted, he took with his own hands—whether it was company shares or the GM position, he'd crushed the ambitions of uncles and cousins, snatching it right out of the wolves' mouths. The instinct to fight was etched into his bones. Chasing "Chen Xitong" had already used up every ounce of gentleness he had. This approach had gotten him what he wanted, but now that he'd caught "Chen Xitong," he still felt unsatisfied.

This kiss was unlike any before—full of desire and possession. Zhao Yu quickly sensed something was off. He instinctively braced a hand against Gu Hansheng's chest, but couldn't push him back.

Zhao Yu had never been in a relationship. Only back in childhood, before his life went to hell, had he had a brief, innocent crush on a girl—which was why he figured he was straight. But nothing ever came of it, and since then, he'd been practically immune to love.

Now, Gu Hansheng was sending off dangerous signals, and Zhao Yu was so nervous his hands and feet went numb. It wasn't that he'd never pictured sleeping with Gu Hansheng, but the investment was already in the bag—he had no reason left to offer himself up.

Yet he didn't push Gu Hansheng away with any real force. The strength he'd summoned faded almost instantly.

He felt guilty—for the feelings Gu Hansheng had been tricked into having, and for his own constant scheming. He'd gotten the money, but he'd given almost nothing in return. He couldn't look this man in the eye with a clear conscience anymore.

Late into the night, the storm tore through the city. Tree shadows thrashed under the streetlights, rain pounded the leaves, sending water flying.

The lights in the neighborhood blinked out one by one. When the downpour suddenly stopped, everything went quiet.

The bedroom was dark and still. Zhao Yu had already fallen asleep by the time Gu Hansheng switched off the bedside lamp. Then, from the drawer, a phone notification chimed. But both their phones were in the living room. Frowning, Gu Hansheng opened the drawer and found an old phone.

Judging by the model and the wear on it, the phone was ancient. Gu Hansheng pressed the home button, and the lock screen lit up with a photo of a woman celebrating her birthday. She looked to be in her forties or fifties, wearing a lopsided birthday hat, her eyes squinting into two little crescents as she smiled. Her posture was a little hunched—a sign of years of hard labor—and her clothes were a bit plain. The background was a modestly decorated restaurant.

Using her photo as the lock screen wallpaper said enough about how important she was. But given Chen Xitong's background, where would he have formed such a deep bond with a woman like this?

Gu Hansheng tapped the notification again. It was an image, but he couldn't see it without unlocking the phone. The sender was "Meng."

Zhao Yu wasn't sleeping peacefully, his brows slightly knit, the corners of his eyes still a little red and swollen. Gu Hansheng looked down at him, his fingers brushing gently across his face, his gaze full of curiosity.

...

When Zhao Yu woke up the next morning, Gu Hansheng was already gone. He only vaguely remembered the man kissing him, and him, half-asleep, wrapping his arms around his arm, subconsciously trying to keep him there.

Gu Hansheng had been careful with him in bed, so the pain wasn't too bad—just a sore back.

Still lying in bed, Zhao Yu checked the photo Meng Qi had sent. It was a picture of him with Guo Lin. She was wearing a knit cap, sitting in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the camera, while Meng Qi grinned like an idiot beside her.

Zhao Yu couldn't help smiling too. Guo Lin had been in a coma for a long time after her stroke, but now she was awake. She was still out of it and couldn't talk, but at least it was good news.

The doctors had long since given their verdict—terminal cancer. Back then, both Zhao Yu and Meng Qi had cried, but Guo Lin hadn't. She said she wouldn't give up until the very end. So she lived her life to the fullest—taking her meds, doing chemo, and still running her restaurant like a champ.

After her stroke, she'd been in critical condition at one point, but she'd pulled through, and now she was awake. Zhao Yu finally felt grounded, like everything he'd done had been worth it.

After the typhoon, the skies cleared. Zhao Yu pulled open the curtains, and his mood lifted right along with them.

At noon, Zhou Lan arrived and lingered at the door for a while before entering. He had heard about the situation from Chen Li, and as her assistant, he wasn't sure how to face Zhao Yu.

Seeing him come in, Zhao Yu glanced at him, kept flipping channels with the remote, and finally settled on a sitcom.

Zhou Lan had bought a bunch of snacks and soda, and while stocking the fridge, he said, "Boss Chen asked if there's anything you want; I can go get it for you."

Zhao Yu kept it short: "Money."

Zhou Lan knew he'd get this cold treatment. Chen Li might want to make up for going back on her word, but these half-hearted gestures of concern weren't doing much. Zhou Lan felt awkward, and after putting everything away, he stood there not knowing what to do.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and before Zhou Lan could react, Zhao Yu got up first to answer it. He figured it was the pajamas he'd ordered arriving at warp speed, but the courier handed him a square box instead.

"Did you get the wrong package?" Zhao Yu asked.

The courier glanced at the receipt: "Are you Mr. Chen? Verify the last four digits of your phone number."

The number was right, and the name was Chen Xitong's too. Zhao Yu took the box inside and opened it—and there it was, a brand-new phone.

Zhou Lan said, "Did your phone break? Why didn't you tell me? Boss Chen would definitely buy you a new one."

"I didn't buy this," Zhao Yu said, glancing at his own cracked-screen phone, immediately knowing who'd sent it.

That man didn't always say much, but he kept tabs on him, showing up when he needed it, slowly worming his way into his life with a presence you couldn't ignore. If this relationship hadn't started with deception, Gu Hansheng would one day take over every part of his life—but if he hadn't played the liar, he might've spent his whole life at the bottom, never crossing paths with Gu Hansheng at all.

This was a no-win situation; from the moment things started off on the wrong foot, it was doomed to keep going down the wrong path.

"Zhou, between Chen Li and me, who do you think is more shameless?" Zhao Yu shook the new phone, his smile a little cold. "Honestly, Boss Gu's been really good to me. I might never be able to repay what I owe him in this lifetime."

"Author's Note"

I'm back to beg for starfish again! My people, can you help me climb the rankings soon (•̀ω•́)✧

Comments and bullet comments also boost popularity points 555