After Redeeming the Paranoid Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 24.1

As soon as those words were spoken, Su Yu recalled Gu Chen’s frantic expression while holding the knife. Fearing that Gu Chen might do something reckless, he quickly offered words of comfort.

Gu Chen sensed the anxiety in Su Yu’s voice. In the darkness where Su Yu could not see, the corners of Gu Chen’s mouth curled upward. He said softly, “Then, will you hold me for a moment?”

Gu Chen’s request was tentative, sounding like a plea or an inadvertent revelation of his fragility. It caused Su Yu’s heart to swell with a sudden, aching sympathy.

In the next moment, Gu Chen felt a person carrying the fresh scent of a recent bath sink into his embrace. As Gu Chen breathed in the scent of the same body wash he used, a successful smile played on his lips. The person in his arms was gradually being pulled into his abyss.

Since Gu Chen disliked having his own emotions controlled, he would instead control the emotions of the other person. At the very least, he would no longer be dictated by unpredictable feelings.

Gu Chen felt the warmth in his arms and gently held the person close. He was like a man wandering in a desert who, upon finding an oasis, desperately craved it and refused to let go.

Su Yu felt the temperature radiating from Gu Chen and tried to move away uncomfortably, but Gu Chen pulled him tighter. Su Yu suspected Gu Chen was doing this on purpose, but when he looked up, he only saw Gu Chen’s sleeping face. It seemed as though the movement had been nothing more than a subconscious reflex in his sleep.

Once Gu Chen sensed that Su Yu had given up struggling, the corners of his mouth twitched upward. Being held in Gu Chen’s arms made the tips of Su Yu’s ears turn red. His mind screamed that he could not possibly fall asleep like this, but after the thought circled his brain a few times, he fell into a deep slumber.

The sound of light breathing from the person in his arms caused Gu Chen to hold Su Yu even tighter. This was the first time since the car accident that Gu Chen had felt a true sense of peace.

The morning sun spilled across the windowsill in front of the desk. The sleeping person murmured a soft dream before slowly opening his eyes. The scene before him made Su Yu freeze. He looked at the cool, European style layout, and his mind struggled to process where he was. He only knew it was not his room.

Realizing this, Su Yu struggled to sit up, but the tightness around his waist stopped him. The moment he met Gu Chen’s sleeping face, all his memories from the previous night came rushing back.

Last night, he and Gu Chen had slept in the same bed.

Su Yu cautiously tried to move Gu Chen’s hand from his waist so he could get up, but the sleeping man only held him tighter. Gu Chen’s warm breath fell against the tip of Su Yu’s ear, staining it a deep red and leaving him in a difficult position. Meanwhile, Gu Chen’s closed eyes hid a slight, imperceptible twitch of his brow, suggesting he was in an excellent mood.

Because he could not break free, Su Yu remained stiffly in Gu Chen’s arms. Looking at Gu Chen’s face, he had to admit that the man was exceptionally handsome. Those eyes, in particular, always made his heart skip a beat when they looked at him. Even Gu Chen’s voice, whenever he whispered in Su Yu’s ear, sounded like a vampire duke from an old European novel. It was elegant enough to make one unknowingly fall for him.

At the thought of Gu Chen’s voice, Su Yu felt his ears grow even warmer.

“Why have you been staring at me?”

The deep voice rang out, no longer a figment of his imagination but a real sound. Su Yu’s body trembled instinctively as he looked up and met Gu Chen’s eyes.

“I… I…” Su Yu stammered in Gu Chen’s arms, unable to form a complete sentence.

“You blush so easily,” Gu Chen said. His hand emerged from under the covers, warm as it touched the tip of Su Yu’s ear.

The moment he was touched, Su Yu’s hair practically stood on end. He let out a light gasp, broke free from Gu Chen’s embrace, and jumped off the bed while covering his ears.

From the bed, Gu Chen watched Su Yu’s intense reaction. Realizing something, he let out a soft chuckle. “So, your ears are a sensitive spot.”

Su Yu glared at the man on the bed who was smiling mischievously. He wanted to give him a piece of his mind, but he did not dare.

A knock at the door broke the awkward and somewhat ambiguous atmosphere. Gu Chen looked toward the door and gestured to Su Yu. “Go open it.”

Su Yu looked at Gu Chen on the bed and then at the wheelchair nearby. He resigned himself to helping Gu Chen open the door.

“Master, you have not woken up yet, so I… oh, hello, Young Master Su.” The butler stopped mid-sentence when he realized something was unusual. He looked up to see Su Yu holding the doorknob.

At that moment, Su Yu was loosely dressed in one of Gu Chen’s black shirts. Because the shirt was quite large, it slipped slightly as he opened the door, revealing his well-shaped collarbone. Looking further up, the butler saw Su Yu’s flushed ears and the lingering redness in his eyes.

The butler’s eyes darted back and forth over Su Yu, thinking that his master was truly impressive. Who said the master was incapable?

“Uncle Wang, tell them to prepare breakfast.”

Gu Chen’s voice drifted from the room. The obvious joy in his tone was immediately understood by Butler Wang. Being a shrewd man, he vanished from the doorway in an instant, leaving a bewildered Su Yu behind.

Su Yu watched the butler disappear down the hallway and could not help but marvel. Although the butler was older, his physical condition was excellent. His sprinting speed was no less than that of a young man.

Su Yu’s morning routine and breakfast were both handled in Gu Chen’s room. He thought it was perfectly normal, but when he pushed Gu Chen’s wheelchair out the door and met the butler’s knowing gaze, everything began to feel quite strange.

Sitting in the wheelchair, Gu Chen spoke. “If you want to be a celebrity, go ahead.”

Su Yu had not expected Gu Chen to still be thinking about it. He hesitated before answering, “It is alright. If you mind, it is okay if I do not do it.”

“I do not mind.” Gu Chen looked up at Su Yu, his fingers tapping lightly on the wheelchair. “I want to see you on television. I want everyone to know that you belong to me, Gu Chen.”

Although Gu Chen was looking up from his wheelchair, Su Yu could see a suppressed madness and an unmasked desire for control deep within those light brown eyes. That look made Su Yu shiver. He remembered how the original author had described Gu Chen as a man of madness and paranoia. In that moment, Su Yu felt as though he were being watched by a predator.

After a long silence, Su Yu eventually nodded under Gu Chen’s gaze.

On the other end of the phone, Li Wen was naturally delighted to hear Su Yu’s response. He was eager to bring the contract directly to Su Yu’s home to sign. While Su Yu tried various excuses to prevent Li Wen from seeing his supposedly middle class living conditions, Gu Chen, who knew the truth, looked up from his computer and spoke calmly. “Let him come over.”

Su Yu looked at Gu Chen in shock. In his memory, Gu Chen was not a hospitable person, and inviting someone to the house was practically unheard of.

“Some things will eventually be exposed even if you try to hide them. Besides, the business world and the entertainment industry are intertwined. Rather than being secretive, it is better for your manager to know your family’s true situation. It is better than him making up a ridiculous story about a poor background for you later.”

As Gu Chen spoke, he did not even move his eyes from the computer screen, as if he were simply stating a matter of fact. Su Yu thought it made sense and sent the address to Li Wen.

About an hour later, Li Wen walked into Gu Chen’s villa with his eyes glazed over, the contract tucked under his arm. When he drove up and saw the palace like villa and the blooming gardens along the road, his sanity had already begun to slip. He felt less like he was on his way to sign a contract and more like he was attending an aristocratic gathering in medieval Europe.

Li Wen suspected Su Yu had sent the wrong location, but the moment the villa doors opened and he saw Su Yu sitting inside drinking tea, he realized his own perspective had been far too narrow. After being hit with a continuous wave of wealth, Li Wen finally succumbed to the madness of capitalism, believing that even if a vampire walked out of this palace like villa, it would be perfectly normal.

Seeing Li Wen at the door, Su Yu set down his teacup and greeted him politely. “Brother Wen.”

That single greeting caused the coffee cup in Gu Chen’s hand to pause before he continued drinking as if nothing had happened. The steam from the coffee obscured the look in Gu Chen’s eyes.

Hearing Su Yu’s voice, Li Wen finally snapped out of his trance. He sat down opposite Su Yu with his briefcase, only then noticing Gu Chen sitting silently nearby. Sensing Li Wen’s inquisitive gaze, Gu Chen looked up and gave him a brief look. That single, fleeting glance made Li Wen’s skin crawl.

Even though the man was in a wheelchair and should have been in a position of weakness, Li Wen felt as if the man were looking down on him from a great height. That simple glance told Li Wen that this man was someone who had long held power. He was an emperor like figure who could easily decide the fates of others.

Li Wen was not stupid. He saw the disdain and indifference in Gu Chen’s eyes, but above all, he saw a warning. It was like a dragon guarding its treasure in a cave. If it sensed anyone coveting its prize, it would kill them without hesitation. Cruel and paranoid, that was Li Wen’s first impression of Gu Chen.

“This is…” Although he had a vague idea of Gu Chen’s identity, Li Wen asked politely.

“He is…” Su Yu’s ears turned red. “My partner, Gu Chen.”

Gu Chen seemed satisfied with this answer. He toyed with his coffee cup and looked at Su Yu, the coldness in his eyes replaced by a faint smile. Li Wen, witnessing this sudden change in attitude, understood exactly what Gu Chen had been warning him about. He also understood what treasure the dragon was guarding. Looking at Su Yu, who was chatting with him in complete ignorance, Li Wen sighed inwardly. Perhaps even the treasure itself did not know how cherished and protected it was.

Under Gu Chen’s watchful eye, the process went smoothly. It was only after all the contracts were signed that Li Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief. While explaining the terms, he had been constantly worried that Gu Chen’s gaze would kill him. He specifically noticed when they reached a clause regarding the sacrifice of personal time for the company. Gu Chen looked up, tapped a long finger on the contract, and said in a flat voice, “This clause cannot be accepted.”

Li Wen wanted to say it was a company regulation and applied to everyone, but his resolve weakened under the man’s gaze. The man sat with his hands crossed, his light brown eyes showing no emotion, yet the quiet stare made Li Wen’s hair stand on end.

“I… I will check with my boss,” Li Wen said weakly.

Unsurprisingly, the clause was rejected by his sharp tongued boss. Just as Li Wen was about to hang up with a long face, Gu Chen spoke beside him. “Give me the phone.”

As if possessed, Li Wen handed the phone to Gu Chen. Gu Chen took the call and stepped away from the group. After several minutes, when Li Wen got the phone back, the cold blooded capitalist boss had miraculously agreed to Gu Chen’s demand. He looked at the man in astonishment, curious as to how he had persuaded a boss who valued money more than life.

After Li Wen left, Su Yu turned to Gu Chen. “What did you say to him? Can a contract be changed so easily?”

Gu Chen stared at Su Yu for a while until his ears turned red. Only then did he satisfy himself and withdraw his ambiguous gaze. “I told him I did not want my partner to be too tired.”

When he said the word “partner,” Gu Chen seemed to emphasize it. Even if Su Yu were slow, he would realize Gu Chen was responding to how he had introduced him to Li Wen. He avoided Gu Chen’s gaze and muttered quietly, “Only a fool would believe that.”

How could a company owner change his interests based on a single sentence from a family member? If Gu Chen wanted to lie, he should at least make it sound believable. Gu Chen watched Su Yu’s expression and knew he was being criticized internally, but he did not plan on telling Su Yu that he had indeed made a deal with the person on the other end of the line.

“By the way,” Gu Chen said as if in passing, “why did you call him ‘Brother’ so casually just now?”

Su Yu thought for a moment before remembering he had called Li Wen “Brother Wen.” He did not know what taboo he had broken to make Gu Chen so visibly displeased. Gu Chen smiled, but the expression in his eyes did not change. Su Yu felt a sense of madness in it, similar to the gloom he had seen when Gu Chen held the knife.

In the silence, Gu Chen spoke with a smile. “Be good. Do not call others that in the future.”

Watching Gu Chen’s back as the elevator doors closed, Su Yu’s pupils contracted. In that moment, he felt like he was being coiled by a lurking snake. It was cold, mad, and impossible to escape. Did I do something wrong? This was the first time since arriving here that Su Yu began to reflect on his actions.

When he stepped back into Huaxing, Su Yu’s mood had shifted. What followed was a variety of professional training and sessions. During this time, Li Wen arranged several variety show appearances and magazine shoots for him. Normally, a newcomer would not have such good resources, but strangely, his boss seemed to have become generous, shifting resources toward Su Yu. Chi Wenjing’s unusual attitude caused rumors to spread through the company.

Su Yu could feel the eyes of others whenever he passed by. He gave a bitter smile. Although he had not officially entered the public eye, Chi Wenjing’s special treatment had given him a taste of what it was like to be the center of attention.

“No wonder he is so successful. It turns out…” Someone stopped mid-sentence when they saw Su Yu. Although they did not finish, Su Yu could guess what they were thinking. He was certain people were gossiping about him and Chi Wenjing. He had even heard rumors so vivid they described Chi Wenjing pulling him into an embrace in the CEO’s office.

The thought of those rumors made Su Yu feel a wave of disgust. He would rather be kissed by Gu Chen than by that cold capitalist. The sudden comparison startled him. Why did I have such a subconscious thought? Su Yu left the hallway with a flushed face.

Strangely, the rumors vanished overnight. Su Yu guessed it was his sharp tongued boss’s doing, or perhaps Gu Chen was operating behind the scenes. Just as he felt a sense of relief, more trouble arrived.

A photo of Su Yu walking in the hallway of Huaxing had been secretly taken and posted online. Although it was blurry, his aura was clear. Just as Li Wen had said, people could see an uncommon air of nobility at first glance. The comments section was already buzzing.

“Wait, is this a new artist signed by Huaxing? The photo is blurry, but I can tell this man is my future husband!”

“To the person above, have some dignity. We high quality people usually just say: Hello, let us get married.”

“I am ready for this!”

“The new husband looks very expensive! I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way!”

“Huaxing Entertainment, open the door! You have the nerve to sign him but not the nerve to let him out!”

Amidst the rising heat, Huaxing Entertainment was forced to release Su Yu’s official photos on Weibo and announce him as their newly signed artist.

Huaxing Entertainment: He comes stepping through the winter snow, bringing a touch of pure white to the world. @sy-SuYu

The post featured a photo of Su Yu taken recently, wearing a white sweater in a snowy landscape. A few snowflakes rested on his hair, making him look as though he were part of the ice and snow.

The sudden announcement brought kind words of congratulations, but it also triggered a hot topic under the hashtag #SuYu.

“You are all calling him husband, but you have no idea how filthy he is behind the scenes. He would sleep with anyone to get ahead.”

This comment was naturally attacked, but since Su Yu was not yet famous, many people simply waited for more gossip. Fulfilling their expectations, the user posted a photo of Su Yu entering Chi Wenjing’s office. Su Yu looked at the photo and finally remembered it was from the day the rumors disappeared. He had gone to ask if Chi Wenjing had intervened, but the boss had only looked at him deeply without a word.

The comments under the photo were filled with mockery.

“Seriously? You think one photo of him going to the CEO’s office means he is sleeping around? By that logic, I saw Ji Yanli on set once, so am I his girlfriend now?”

“To the person above, you have truly mastered the art of jumping to conclusions.”

“If that is the case, I have Ji Yanli’s signature at home. Does that mean we are married?”

“Do not be ridiculous. I am wearing clothes endorsed by Ji Yanli, so he is basically holding me right now while we look at Weibo.”