Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 15

Since returning from the gathering, Gu Nian had not spoken to Pei Jichuan for an entire day. Their relationship seemed to have reverted to its former cold state.

While Pei Jichuan was currently in the study handling work, Gu Nian no longer lay on the rug by the desk to read. Instead, he stayed curled up in the bedroom, unwilling to step foot outside.

Irritated, Pei Jichuan crumpled the documents in his hand into a ball and tossed them to the side of his desk.

He pulled open a drawer beneath the desk, took out a small medicine bottle, and swallowed several pills. He couldn’t tell if it was merely psychological, but his medication seemed to be getting less effective lately.

Pei Jichuan raised a hand to rub the space between his brows, his finger hovering over the dial interface of his phone, hesitating to press down. Eventually, with a furrowed brow, he dialed the number.

The phone rang only a few times before it was answered. Immediately, a familiar voice rang out.

“Yo, is the sun rising from the west today? President Pei actually has the time to call me?” Xiao Yuan’s lips curled into a smirk, his tone casual and lazy.

Pei Jichuan remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. “The medicine you gave me doesn’t seem to be working well.”

“Doesn’t seem to be working…” Xiao Yuan leaned back against his chair, carefully weighing those words. “Did you and Lin Nuo get into a fight?”

Pei Jichuan was stunned for a moment. “How did you know?”

“Hmph, nothing gets past me!” Even through the phone, Pei Jichuan could imagine Xiao Yuan’s smug expression.

“Medicine is only an aid. If you can’t regulate your own emotions, no amount of pills will help,” Xiao Yuan paused, then spoke again. “What exactly is Lin Nuo’s charm? You two have been entangled for years in this life-and-death struggle; even I can’t stand to watch it anymore. Can’t you just let him go…?”

“Impossible!” Before Xiao Yuan could finish, Pei Jichuan interrupted him sharply.

Pei Jichuan stood up and walked to the window. In the courtyard below, Gu Nian had—for once—left the bedroom. He was currently squatting to the side, poking at a strangely shaped plant.

The moment Pei Jichuan’s gaze touched him, his eyes softened.

“Do you remember the time I was kidnapped over ten years ago?”

Xiao Yuan was taken aback. Back then, they were both just teenage boys. On a day that seemed as peaceful as any other, a group of mercenaries had suddenly snatched the young Pei Jichuan and demanded an astronomical ransom.

At that time, Pei Jichuan’s stepmother had stirred up trouble, obstructing most of the rescue efforts and concealing the news from Pei’s father. It was eventually Old Master Pei who arranged for people to save him, but by then, the matter had already been delayed for three days.

Just when everyone thought the kidnappers had already killed the hostage, Pei Jichuan returned. From that day on, he lived in the ancestral residence and was raised personally by the Old Master.

“I remember. Thanks to that stepmother of yours, things were delayed so long that we all thought you were a goner,” Xiao Yuan said, his expression turning solemn. He clearly didn’t understand why Pei Jichuan was bringing this up now.

“It was him who saved me,” Pei Jichuan said softly, his eyes focused entirely on Gu Nian. “They detonated the explosives. It was Lin Nuo who saved me. I thought he was dead… I never imagined he would appear before me again.”

“So, I will never let go again. He is mine. We are destined to be together forever and ever,” Pei Jichuan added, his voice carrying an undisguised, greedy possessiveness.

Even if they were to die, they would die together. Even if they were ground into dust and scattered as ashes, they would remain entangled with one another, vanishing into the world as one.

Xiao Yuan fell silent for a while. He had never seen his friend possess such an obsession. From childhood to adulthood, nothing and no one had ever made him lose his composure like this.

“Jichuan, if your enemies find out about Lin Nuo’s existence, there will be no peace. You can protect him for a moment, but can you protect him for a lifetime?” Xiao Yuan sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“As long as he doesn’t leave the manor, he is safe. I will provide for him for the rest of his life,” Pei Jichuan’s expression remained normal, yet a flash of complex emotion flickered between his brows.

“Jichuan, he is a human being, not a kitten or a puppy. A person will go mad if they are locked up for a lifetime,” Xiao Yuan advised earnestly. He stood up, irritably running a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth in his office.

Hearing this, Pei Jichuan’s fingers tightened slightly around his phone. He could not tolerate Lin Nuo leaving his sight. Consequently, whether at home or out and about, the environment was filled with surveillance and eyes. Even for the recent class reunion, he had given prior orders to install pinhole cameras in the private room. Driver Xiao Wang reported in every half hour, and there were suddenly increased security personnel and a lobby manager on standby…

Even so, he remained anxious and irritable, unable to focus on his work documents. It wasn’t until Gu Nian’s message arrived that he finally escaped that swamp-like, violent state of mind.

Pei Jichuan’s prolonged silence caused Xiao Yuan to look worried. This was clearly an unsolvable problem. Strict guarding and surveillance would only cause their relationship to deteriorate, but if they were removed and Lin Nuo was kidnapped… Xiao Yuan didn’t dare imagine how insane Pei Jichuan would become.

“Sigh… regarding the two of you, handle it as you see fit. After spending a long time together, feelings will eventually develop. Let’s head out for a meal together another day; I’ll introduce my partner to Lin Nuo. Didn’t we also fall in love over time?” Xiao Yuan gave a low chuckle, his voice returning to its light, casual tone.

After receiving Pei Jichuan’s acknowledgment, Xiao Yuan hung up.

Pei Jichuan set his phone aside carelessly, his gaze still refusing to move. Below, Gu Nian had stood up and was sitting on a chair by the garden.

From the moment he started fiddling with that strange plant, Gu Nian had felt a burning gaze stuck to him. He didn’t turn back to check; he didn’t need to guess to know who it was.

Gu Nian lowered his head, boredly picking at his fingers.

He had already sent a message to Zhou Yi. From verifying his identity to Zhou Yi arriving in Country Z, it would take a week at the fastest. However, there were still many suspicious points that hadn’t been cleared up; he likely couldn’t leave yet.

He had to gain the man’s trust first—at least enough to be allowed out of the house.

Gu Nian pondered for a moment, then suddenly tilted his head up, feigning an accidental discovery of Pei Jichuan by the window. He then offered a brilliant, radiant smile.

As Pei Jichuan met that bright smile, he suddenly took half a step back, his heart skipping a beat uncontrollably.

The massive explosion, the chaotic screams, and the hand he could no longer hold—these things had appeared in his dreams for years. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lin Nuo being buried in a sea of fire.

But now, his dream seemed to have come true. It was as if a god had heard his devout prayers and returned the lost treasure to him.

He steadied his footing and returned the smile.

Everything he cherished he would never lose it again.