After the Straight Male Incubus Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 31

Liang Wenle already detested Gu Zhe. Hearing Ye Lin’s words, his first instinct was to throw a punch.

Gu Zhe reacted quickly, dodging the blow while trying to explain, “Don’t listen to his nonsense! I have nothing to do with him!”

Liang Wenle had already assumed a professional combat stance. His lower body was steady and his gaze was resolute, like a stalking cheetah ready to spring upon its prey. “Let him go!”

Seeing this, Ye Lin’s mind raced. He hatched a plan and whispered into Gu Zhe’s ear, “If you breathe a word about those things, I will tell everyone it was you.”

Gu Zhe’s expression shifted, his face turning grim. He understood the threat instantly: if he dared to expose the affair between Ye Lin and Gu Jiazhi, Ye Lin would pin everything on him. After all, he looked exactly like his younger brother.

Liang Wenle was a fool blinded by love; he would undoubtedly believe Ye Lin’s slander and misunderstand that there was something between Gu Zhe and Ye Lin.

Ye Lin noticed the change in Gu Zhe and knew the tables had turned. The “high-intelligence antagonist” of a male-oriented web novel was actually quite easy to deal with. Now that he held Gu Zhe’s weakness, as long as Gu Jiazhi was around, he had no reason to fear Gu Zhe at all.

Liang Wenle noticed how close they were. Without stopping to consider the mechanics of human movement, he subconsciously assumed Gu Zhe was forcing himself onto Ye Lin. His rage flared. Before Gu Zhe could even react, Liang Wenle was upon him.

To protect himself, Gu Zhe had to release Ye Lin’s hand. He caught Liang Wenle’s fists with both hands and shoved back with force. Freed, Ye Lin immediately retreated several meters to avoid the battlefield.

Liang Wenle continued to fight Gu Zhe, but his motive had shifted to pure venting; he wanted to use this physical confrontation to dispel the anger in his heart.

“Wenle, he squeezed my wrist for so long! It hurts so much, look, it is all red!” Ye Lin spoke with a deliberate softness, acting like a wronged little spouse rushing into his husband’s arms for protection. “And also, he said my earlobes look beautiful. He kissed me when I could not fight back!” Ye Lin raised a hand to pinch his earlobe, making it turn red instantly.

“Jiazhi told me before that you were a wretched, disgusting person, but I never thought you would actually do something like this!” Liang Wenle clenched his fists and poured every ounce of strength into his strikes. His punches whistled through the air, aimed almost entirely at lethal spots like the temples, throat, and spleen.

“I did not! Stop listening to his lies!” Mindful of how much the Liang family doted on Liang Wenle, Gu Zhe controlled his strength, not daring to deal a fatal blow.

“You are a morally bankrupt piece of trash! I will kill you!”

“Liang Wenle, calm down!”

As the intensity of their fight escalated, Ye Lin felt like clapping and cheering. He wished he could find a high perch to sit on with some sunflower seeds to watch the show. This was incredibly satisfying. Both were people he disliked; it would be best if both ended up in the hospital with serious injuries. They deserved it.

Fight! Hit him harder!

Ye Lin mentally predicted their movements, silently critiquing their performance. He felt Liang Wenle’s punches were a bit slow, and while Gu Zhe’s counterattacks were on point, they should have been angled slightly differently. If things went as expected, both would end up with fractures and disfigured faces, and that would be fun.

“Wenle, keep going! Kill him for me! I was so, so scared just now.”

After saying those words, Ye Lin was nearly sickened by his own high-pitched voice. He quickly turned his head away, pretending to gag. Honestly, he used to see certain gay men speak in that artificial voice and found it incomprehensible, even contemptible. Yet here he was today, speaking that way with practiced ease. Was this karma coming back like a boomerang?

It was a bit of a self-own, but it was all Liang Wenle’s fault.

Ye Lin rarely indulged in self-reflection. After a few seconds of doubt, he quickly shifted the blame onto others. To him, attacking outward when things went wrong was the way to live a carefree life; internalizing guilt only led to misery.

Looking at the fight, however, Gu Zhe still seemed to have the upper hand. It was a good thing he had not tried to face Gu Zhe head-on.

Two handsome guys fighting at a university quickly attracted nearby students, who spontaneously formed a circle to watch and discuss from a distance. From a bystander’s perspective, two tall, handsome men fighting with a slightly shorter guy standing nearby could only mean one thing: a love triangle.

Someone recognized Gu Zhe’s face and whispered, “Hey, those two look familiar. I think they are friends!”

Hearing this, Ye Lin turned and saw someone had already taken out a phone to record, with the lens pointed at him. He immediately walked over. “Hello, classmate, please stop filming.”

The person he addressed lowered their phone. A girl asked, “Are they fighting over you?”

Seeing it was a girl asking, Ye Lin nodded in affirmation. The girl almost shrieked. She covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling into a slightly wicked smile. Ye Lin felt her expression was bizarre, but he did not dwell on it.

Gu Zhe noticed the crowd thickening. He began moving toward a gap in the circle, looking for a chance to leave. Liang Wenle, immature by nature, had been energized by Ye Lin’s words. He pressed on relentlessly, determined to prove his boyfriend power at this moment.

Both were wearing colors now, with bloody scratches on their faces and dust clinging to the fabric at their elbows and knees. The open space in front of the teaching building was not large, and it was soon packed with people, some even holding snacks while they watched. The drama of two wealthy young masters brawling for love was too entertaining for any passerby to intervene.

Seeing the crowd grow, Ye Lin did not want things to spiral out of control. He walked near Liang Wenle and feigned concern. “Stop fighting, it will not look good if word gets out.”

At this point, the onlookers began to jeer and record, enjoying the melodramatic scene. With his blood pumping, Liang Wenle refused to listen.

Gu Zhe, having no other choice, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and landed a punch on Liang Wenle’s left cheek. Taking advantage of Liang Wenle being momentarily distracted by the pain, Gu Zhe managed to retreat quickly.

Ye Lin reacted fast, stepping in front of Liang Wenle to block his path to pursue Gu Zhe. He whispered solicitously, “Wenle, are you okay?”

Gu Zhe looked at Ye Lin’s back in disbelief, surprised the man would actually help him escape. But this was indeed no place to linger; he quickly melted into the crowd and vanished.

Feeling his left cheek swelling, Liang Wenle immediately reached into Ye Lin’s pocket. “Where is the mirror? Give it to me!”

Ye Lin did not have one, so he turned on his phone camera for him to check his injuries. The other marks were manageable, but the swollen left cheek made his face look asymmetrical and deformed.

Liang Wenle hissed through his teeth, “I am going to kill him!”

Ye Lin looked at the surrounding crowd. “Wenle, let us head back first. It is not good to be stared at.”

Liang Wenle was dragged away, grumbling. They went into the teaching building to grab their bags before heading to the parking lot. On the way back, Liang Wenle sat in the passenger seat staring into the mirror, fretting over his face. He cursed Gu Zhe hundreds of times and called his friends one by one to complain.

Ye Lin sat in the driver’s seat, sighing helplessly as he performed his duties as a hardworking, long-suffering boyfriend. When he tried to call Gu Jiazhi, it took a long time to connect.

Liang Wenle slammed his phone down and shouted, “I am so mad! Why is Gu Jiazhi not picking up? What is he so busy with!”

In the past, if he called Gu Jiazhi to complain about Gu Zhe, the other would surely curse even louder than him, ending with, “That is too much! How dare he hit our Wenle!”

Thinking of the busy Gu Jiazhi, Ye Lin could not let him be disturbed, so he joined in the cursing. “Wenle, do not worry, the injury will heal soon. Gu Zhe is truly subhuman for hitting you. He deserves to die!”

Liang Wenle turned to show him his face, asking worriedly, “I do not look ugly right now, do I?”

Ye Lin desperately wanted to laugh out loud, but he restrained himself and tried to remain calm. “Not at all, Wenle is the best-looking!”

Liang Wenle then remembered that the bastard Gu Zhe had kissed Ye Lin. He gripped the armrest in anger. “Go shower as soon as you get back! Especially your earlobe, scrub it clean! I am so pissed!”

Ye Lin agreed repeatedly, though he only planned to give it a perfunctory wipe.

Because his facial injuries were too embarrassing to show in public, Liang Wenle took seven days off school to rest at home. He applied medicine meticulously every day and used beauty products to speed up the recovery.

Ye Lin had become proficient at helping him with these products and patiently applying the ointments. He was quite happy to do these tasks; it was much better than being serviced by Liang Wenle.

In the afternoons, they would move to the large semi-circular balcony. There were two white lounge chairs, a light blue sunshade, a round side table, and a large vintage speaker. Two glasses of refreshing, custom beauty water, complete with spiral heart-shaped straws, sat atop an exquisite lace tablecloth.

Below the balcony was a vast bed of yellow roses. They were a carefully bred variety, each as large as a bowl, plump and multi-petaled, emitting a thick fragrance. When the wind blew, waves rippled through the deep green rosebushes, making it feel like they were sitting by a green ocean, enjoying the gentle breeze.

Liang Wenle liked to lie there with a face mask on, soaking up the sun, occasionally sipping iced beauty water while listening to classical music. Ye Lin lay beside him. With nothing to do, he felt at peace. Even though he used to dislike classical music, it now sounded like celestial melodies to his ears. The romantic, soft music felt like a pair of hands pulling them into a beautiful fairy tale: a world of leisure and vivid dreams, free from exhaustion and monotony.

Unknowingly, he almost drifted off to sleep. Ye Lin suddenly felt that this kind of life was quite nice and he could live like this forever. But before long, he heard someone rushing upstairs with heavy, hurried footsteps. He opened his eyes and looked toward the room, a bad premonition washing over him.

Sure enough, a middle-aged couple dressed in understated luxury appeared in his vision. The woman was blonde with blue eyes, wearing a blue halter dress, while the man had black hair parted down the middle and wore a black suit.

The man walked onto the balcony, spared Ye Lin a single glance, and then looked at the eye-closed Liang Wenle, calling his name sternly: “Liang Wenle!”

Hearing the voice, Liang Wenle sat up immediately. He looked at the couple and quickly greeted them, “Mommy, Dad!”

The woman narrowed her eyes and smiled, sizing up Ye Lin. Ye Lin reacted instantly, standing up to greet the elders before moving to the side, not daring to interfere with the conversation between Liang’s father and son.

Liang’s father, unsmiling, placed his phone on the small table. The screen showed the video of Liang Wenle and Gu Zhe fighting, along with various comments about the love triangle. After watching the video, Liang Wenle complained instinctively, “Gu Zhe started it! You should go to the Gu family and demand an explanation for me!”

Liang’s father did not say a word, his face stern. The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy; the sunlight outside no longer seemed bright, as if a storm were approaching.

Liang’s mother gently advised, “Sweetie, it is wrong to fight at school. And you used so much foul language in the video; that is not good.”

Liang’s father spoke coldly, “We sent you to school to study. It is bad enough that you skip classes constantly, but all you do is cause trouble. This incident has been suppressed, but the influence is still very negative. And you have the nerve to ask me to demand an explanation? Gu Zhe has been sensible and obedient since he was a child. It was clearly you who started it!”

Liang Wenle looked at Ye Lin. “It was not! If you do not believe me, ask Ye Lin. He can prove it; Gu Zhe hit me first!”

Ye Lin thought to himself, Kid, do not drag me into the mud with you, but outwardly he maintained his composure, preparing to speak. Before he could open his mouth, Liang’s father barked, “This little boyfriend of yours would obviously lie for you! You have the audacity to ask him to testify!”

Liang Wenle peeled off his face mask and ran to his mother’s side, grabbing her sleeve and acting spoiled. “Mommy, look at him. All he does is scold me. My face still hurts, I am so sad!”

Seeing the marks on his face, Liang’s mother softened. She waved her hand at her husband. “Stop scolding him. It is just kids bickering; it is fine now that it has been suppressed. Oh, our baby is so pitiful, he is almost crying. Come here, give me a hug.”

Liang’s father loved his wife dearly, so he could only sigh helplessly. Liang Wenle buried himself in his mother’s embrace, gave a triumphant “Hmph,” and looked at his father. “You should leave. You are not welcome here, you pest!”

Standing in the corner, Ye Lin rubbed his forehead. He desperately wanted to escape this awkward scene, but fearing Liang Wenle would blame him later, he could only endure it.

Liang’s father wanted to scold him more but found it difficult. He continued to express his disapproval: “I think you have lost your mind over this relationship. Stay home these next few days and cool off. Stop fooling around with that little boyfriend of yours.”

With his mother’s support, Liang Wenle raised his head confidently. “I do not want you bossing me around!”

Liang’s father looked over at Ye Lin. Ye Lin, wishing for a vacation, pretended to tremble with fear. He said in a shaky voice, “Uncle, you are right. It is my fault for leading Wenle astray. I will leave now and come back to see him in a while.”

Liang’s father nodded with satisfaction. “At least this boyfriend of yours is somewhat reasonable.”

Ye Lin took the opportunity to slip away as fast as he could. He could faintly hear Liang Wenle calling after him, followed by the sound of the father and son arguing, but none of it concerned him anymore. He was now like an arrow shot from a bow, wanting only to leave the villa and return to his old apartment to enjoy a life of freedom. With the excuse of being afraid of Liang’s father, he could logically avoid Liang Wenle for a few days. He was delighted at the prospect.

Having been away for so long, the apartment still looked exactly the same. His bedroom was spotless, clearly cleaned regularly. He remembered when he first transmigrated into this book; he was living in a dilapidated rental in an expensive area and owed a lot of money. It was Gu Jiazhi who helped him pay off the debt and gave him a place to stay.

Months had passed in a flash. Returning here brought back old memories. Back then, he did not have to wake up early for classes. He would sleep until he woke naturally, order takeout, and play on his phone. When Gu Jiazhi came back, they would lie together and play games. As they played, things would sometimes just happen naturally.

He could lose his temper whenever he wanted without having to consider Gu Jiazhi’s feelings, and he could even boss him around. Although Gu Jiazhi would grumble and complain, he always did what Ye Lin asked. As expected, being free and happy at a good friend’s house was dozens of times better than being a servant at Liang Wenle’s place.

Ye Lin lay down on the sofa and could not help but call Gu Jiazhi. He picked up on the second try, his voice sounding utterly exhausted.

“Hello? Is something wrong?”

“Are you done with your social engagements?”

“Just finished. I am about to sleep.”

“Ah, did you not sleep last night?”

“I was drinking with clients all night. I just finished the contracts.”

“Okay, you go sleep then.” Hearing his voice, Ye Lin could imagine Gu Jiazhi’s dark circles and his half-dead state. “You can let your subordinates do some of the drinking. You do not have to handle everything personally.”

“The company is short-handed right now, and clients only want to sign if they see me. I have no choice.” Gu Jiazhi was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, but hearing Ye Lin’s voice, he forced himself to stay awake.

“Go to sleep. They say online that pulling all-nighters can cause sudden death.” Ye Lin gripped his phone slightly; he was genuinely worried. At the same time, he blamed Shen Shao: why could he not hire more people for Gu Jiazhi instead of working him to this pitiful state?

“So why did you call?” Gu Jiazhi had not heard Ye Lin’s voice in so long that he was reluctant to hang up.

“It is nothing.” Ye Lin did not hang up immediately either. He felt a pang of guilt for letting Gu Jiazhi suffer like this. In his memory, Gu Jiazhi had always been a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted good person.

“Where are you? Still at that Liang guy’s house?”

“No, I am back at the apartment. You have someone clean my room every day? It looks so clean.”

“You are at the apartment!”

“Yeah, I am staying the night. I do not want to go back for now.”

“Wait! I am coming back right now.”

“Ah, but will you not—”

Ye Lin wanted to tell him to sleep, but the call was cut off, and he could not get through again. Gu Jiazhi sent a message saying he had already bought a flight and expected to arrive by 10:00 PM, telling Ye Lin to wait for him.

Ye Lin checked the flight info; it was Economy Class. In the past, Gu Jiazhi always flew First Class or even on private jets, but now he was relegated to Economy. Having been cut off financially by his family, and with Fanxing not yet turning a profit, he was even selling his own assets to keep things afloat. He must be very short on cash.

To be a brother to this extent, Gu Jiazhi was truly loyal. Ye Lin immediately transferred twenty million to him, demanding that he upgrade to First Class and stop suffering in Economy. Gu Jiazhi did not reply; it was unclear if he changed the ticket.

The more Ye Lin thought about it, the angrier he got. He decided to call Shen Shao. As soon as the call connected, Shen Shao’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Were you not so enchanted by Liang Wenle that you lost your mind? Why are you calling me?”

“Shen Shao, be serious. I have something to discuss.”

“Judging by your voice, you are not at Liang Wenle’s villa. Are you not afraid he will be angry that you are out calling me?”

“The company has money! Why have you not hired more people for the marketing department? All you do is overwork Gu Jiazhi. He worked through the night on business deals. It is exhausting and dangerous!”

“Oh, so that is it. Where does the company have money? Most of the money you invested went to the R&D department; there is not much left for other departments.”

“How is that possible? Why does R&D get the most?”

“Purchasing equipment, recruiting technical talent. Tech startups are expensive. Fanxing is researching cutting-edge fields; the costs are ten times that of average products. But once we succeed, the patent fees in the future will be immense.”

“So annoying! I do not understand any of that. Speak human.”

“In short: the company has no money to hire for marketing. Besides, Gu Jiazhi seems to like doing business. He is young and has plenty of energy; it is not a problem at all.”

“Just tell me how much it takes to hire people to take the load off him. I will transfer it to you right now.”

“Forty million should be enough.” Shen Shao deliberately exaggerated the amount, hoping Ye Lin would back down.

“Transferred. In the future, if I hear news of Gu Jiazhi pulling an all-nighter for business, I am coming for you!”

Since middle school, Ye Lin had always valued brotherhood. He transferred the money without a moment’s hesitation. It did not matter if others worked themselves to death, but his brother Gu Jiazhi could not suffer. If money was the solution, money would be sent.

Shen Shao stared at the transfer of exactly forty million, momentarily speechless. Forty million was an exaggeration; twenty million would have been more than enough. He thought the stingy Ye Lin would not agree, yet for Gu Jiazhi, he did not even blink.

Shen Shao thought of himself, working from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM at the company, occasionally pulling all-nighters without asking for a cent, let alone hiring someone to help him. Ye Lin had not asked a single question about him; he only cared about that inexperienced junior, Gu Jiazhi. Was business on the road hard? Was managing the whole company easy? Furthermore, a few days ago, he had invited Ye Lin over for dinner and had been heartlessly rejected. Yet Gu Jiazhi just complains a little from out of town, and Ye Lin is already heartbroken for him.

A sea of jealousy surged in Shen Shao’s heart. He subconsciously felt: My treatment can be inferior to the official boyfriend, Liang Wenle, but I absolutely cannot lose to Gu Jiazhi, who does not even have a title! Both were hidden relationships that could not see the light of day. Why did Gu Jiazhi get more of Ye Lin’s concern? It was not fair. Ye Lin should treat him and Gu Jiazhi equally.

After concluding his complex mental journey, Shen Shao could not resist questioning him over the phone: “You really do dote on Gu Jiazhi. When I asked for money before, you made every excuse. Gu Jiazhi pulls one all-nighter and you immediately send forty million!”

Hearing him complain gave Ye Lin a headache. “Because you did not have a valid reason last time! Why would I give it to you? Besides, Gu Jiazhi and I have a bond forged through life and death. What are you? You are not even worthy of being the other man, so stop overacting!”

Shen Shao felt like his chest was being crushed. He pressed on, “And dinner? I only asked you to come over for one meal, and you would not even do that?”

Having been schemed against by Shen Shao so many times, how could Ye Lin have a good impression of him? Ye Lin felt like he was dealing with a lunatic. “The only reason I went to your place for dinner last time was for Gu Jiazhi’s sake; thinking we could all talk about the business to stay motivated. You did not actually think I wanted to eat with you, did you? You really think too highly of yourself. How hilarious!”

These words were sharp and cruel, more painful than ten thousand arrows through the heart. Shen Shao was silent for a moment, then said coldly, “Ye Lin, you are truly heartless. You better not give me an opening, or I will definitely show you what I am capable of.”

With that, he hung up. He used the money to hire several top-tier talents for the marketing department to lighten Gu Jiazhi’s load. But even though he did the work, Shen Shao would take all the credit for himself. He would never tell Gu Jiazhi that this was money Ye Lin invested out of concern for him. If he could not have Ye Lin’s favoritism and concern, Gu Jiazhi was not allowed to know about it either.

Night fell, and the skyscrapers outside the window were ablaze with lights, the streets teeming with people. Above the bustle and noise was the quiet, lonely apartment building. Only the recessed lights were on in the living room, casting a dim, soft glow suitable for sleeping. The marble floor tiles looked like jade under the light, with fine, delicate veins.

Ye Lin lay on the sofa under a thin blanket, playing on his phone. Feeling sleepy, he forced himself to check the time, only to find it was 8:00 PM; still a long way until 10:00. Gu Jiazhi had sacrificed so much for the company; he deserved to be valued. Ye Lin planned to greet Gu Jiazhi at the entryway today and say some heartfelt words to deepen their bond. But before long, he fell asleep.

In his dreams, he heard a faint noise, followed by the beep of the electronic lock opening the door. Ye Lin sat up to look at the entryway. The blanket slid down, revealing the star-patterned pajamas Gu Jiazhi had bought for him.

The man standing at the entrance saw him with sleepy eyes and messy hair. He froze for a moment, not moving forward. Ye Lin rubbed his eyes. The silhouette looked like Gu Jiazhi, so he immediately ran over. When he reached him, he stood on his tiptoes and gave the man a big hug, resting his head on the man’s shoulder.

“I waited so long for you,” Ye Lin complained in a groggy voice. Having just woken up, his speech was slurred and sounded clingy. “Traffic must have been bad. Did you sleep? Are you hungry? There is food in the kitchen.”

The man’s body went rigid. He did not answer.