Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 18

The continuous drizzle lasted for several days until the weather turned biting cold, and the bustling City A fully entered the winter season. Once the rain passed and the skies cleared, the world seemed washed clean of dust, and the oppression brought by the overcast days finally dissipated.

Gu Nian exhaled a breath; the day for their appointment at Xiao Yuan’s house had finally arrived. Under the tireless efforts of the family doctor, Gu Nian had completely recovered. This outing was much more low-profile than previous ones, yet the standard escort of six bodyguards remained.

The elite of City A all lived in similar high-end districts, so the motorcade arrived quickly. Xiao Yuan was already waiting at the villa entrance, dressed in a casual tracksuit that made him look like a vibrant college student.

As soon as Pei Jichuan stepped out of the car holding Gu Nian’s hand, he saw Xiao Yuan waving his arms exaggeratedly from a short distance away. Xiao Yuan walked up quickly, the same breezy smile from their first meeting hanging on his lips.

“You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you two for days, counting the stars and the moon.”

Xiao Yuan walked to Pei Jichuan’s other side, familiarly throwing an arm around his shoulder to lead him inside. As they walked, his chatter never stopped. “You’ve come at the perfect time. Today, I’ll make sure you go home ‘fully loaded’!”

The interior of Xiao Yuan’s house was not as extravagant as the Pei residence; instead, it was low-key and sophisticated. However, with the eye for detail Gu Nian had cultivated over the years, he could tell the furniture and ornaments were of immense value.

The bodyguards and nannies remained outside; only the four of them entered the living room.

Four?

Gu Nian’s gaze landed on the extra person. This youth had been standing by Xiao Yuan’s side since they were outside. Judging by his clothes and aura, he didn’t look like a staff member of the villa, but rather a son of a wealthy family though a certain timidity in his bearing added a layer of contradiction.

Gu Nian only glanced at him a few times before withdrawing his gaze. They sat on the sofa, with Pei Jichuan sticking closely to Gu Nian’s side. The youth turned to fetch prepared tea from a nearby counter.

Xiao Yuan chatted idly with Pei Jichuan, occasionally glancing at the youth. After setting down the tea, the young man stood to the side, appearing somewhat dazed. It wasn’t until Xiao Yuan patted the seat beside him that he sat down as instructed.

“Let me introduce you. This is Jiang Wensu, my spouse. We’ve already registered our marriage.”

As Xiao Yuan spoke, his lips curled up involuntarily, revealing a canine tooth. Combined with his youthful face, he looked quite playful.

“We met in Country D. He’s a very talented pianist~” Xiao Yuan reached out a long arm and pulled Jiang Wensu close. “Darling, play a piece for them. Let’s help our Great President Pei cultivate some artistic sentiment.”

Jiang Wensu lowered his head, stood up in response, and walked to the piano at the side of the hall. His slender, long fingers danced across the keys, and a crisp melody poured out from his fingertips.

Gu Nian did not miss the flash of hollow numbness in the man’s eyes. The dynamic between these two was strange.

When Zhou Yi was investigating Pei Jichuan, he naturally hadn’t forgotten the friend by his side. Pei Jichuan didn’t have many friends, but Xiao Yuan had the highest “screen time”; the two had been close since childhood.

Xiao Yuan’s father was the younger brother of the current head of the Xiao family. However, this brother had quietly married a young master from a noble family in Country F when he was young, nearly infuriating Old Master Xiao to death. As for Xiao Yuan’s origin, it was because Old Madam Xiao feared her son would have no bloodline successor, so she drugged him to “borrow a seed.” Consequently, Xiao Yuan’s father never really cared for him, and Xiao Yuan was raised by Old Madam Xiao.

Gu Nian turned his gaze toward Xiao Yuan. The love in his eyes did not seem fake.

This Jiang Wensu… seemed like a potential breakthrough point.

“Weren’t you tone-deaf since childhood? Since when could you appreciate piano music?” Pei Jichuan was also dressed casually today. Compared to his usual unchanging suit and shirt, he seemed a bit more approachable. He sat with a straight back, one hand still firmly holding Gu Nian’s.

“So what if I can’t understand it? It’s pleasing to the eye, isn’t it? Aren’t people visual creatures?” Xiao Yuan leaned lazily against the sofa back, his posture a sharp contrast to Pei Jichuan’s.

Suddenly, Jiang Wensu’s wrist twitched, and he struck a wrong note. Pei Jichuan frowned almost imperceptibly, but Xiao Yuan didn’t seem to notice. Gu Nian narrowed his eyes, using the light to inspect the pianist’s hand. Whether it was the lighting or not, there seemed to be faint scars on his right hand.

Once the piece ended, Jiang Wensu returned to Xiao Yuan’s side. Xiao Yuan stood up and stretched.

“Help me entertain Lin Nuo. President Pei and I have things to discuss.” With that, he gave Pei Jichuan a look and headed upstairs first.

“I’m going to discuss some matters with Xiao Yuan. Rest here for a bit; I’ll be back soon,” Pei Jichuan instructed, patting Gu Nian’s hand reassuringly before following Xiao Yuan upstairs.

Gu Nian sat in his place, unmoved. Jiang Wensu nervously fiddled with his fingers and sat down across from Gu Nian. He picked up his teacup and took a sip to mask his underlying anxiety.

“Was your right hand ever injured?” Gu Nian asked suddenly, without any preamble.

Jiang Wensu’s hand jerked, nearly losing his grip on the teacup. “Ye… yes. But it’s already been treated. It’s just not as flexible as before,” he said, looking up cautiously.

“Is that so? For a pianist, the hands are the most important thing. What a pity…” Gu Nian stared intently into the other’s eyes, yet Jiang Wensu kept his head down, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze.

Jiang Wensu didn’t reply, simply staring at his own reflection in the tea. Suddenly, a second face appearing in the reflection startled him, and he looked up quickly.

Gu Nian had moved in front of him at some unknown point. Gu Nian watched him quietly, then suddenly curled his lips into a warm smile. “Can you tell me the story of how you two met?”

The warm smile was like a spring breeze, yet the darkness in the depths of his eyes brought a sense of eerie horror. Jiang Wensu swallowed hard and slowly began to speak…

Pei Jichuan unceremoniously occupied the chair belonging to Xiao Yuan in the study. Xiao Yuan sat opposite him, gently stroking a stack of books on the desk.

“I spent a fortune to get these. They are very precious, and I’m sure they will help you!” Xiao Yuan said decisively.

Pei Jichuan picked one up at random and focused on the title: How Love is Forged.

Pei Jichuan paused, then flipped through the titles of the entire stack.

36 Stratagems of Love How to Date Scientifically From Simp to Casanova: Only Five Steps From Virgin to Player

With every book Pei Jichuan looked at, his face grew a shade darker, until the very last one: What to Do if the Sow Refuses to Breed.

Pei Jichuan flipped his wrist, pointing the cover directly at Xiao Yuan. “Are you sure these teach ‘humans’ how to fall in love?” He emphasized the word “humans.”

Xiao Yuan froze, startled, and hurriedly reached out to snatch the book away. “Mistake, a mistake! Cough, this one isn’t the right one.” He cleared his throat and threw the book behind him.