Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 46

The assistant pushed open the door and led Ethan into the room. Having finished feeding Pei Jichuan, Gu Nian was now sipping the remaining porridge in small mouthfuls.

Pei Jichuan sat propped against the headboard, holding the apple Gu Nian had just shoved into his hand. The skin had been peeled clean and the fruit was perfectly intact, no longer the lumpy, misshapen mess it had been earlier. Pei Jichuan turned the apple over in his hand, reluctant to take a bite.

Upon entering, Ethan’s gaze fell first on Pei Jichuan. The name of the Pei family heir was well-known; many had offered high prices for his life, but Country Z was too strict—not to mention firearms, even controlled knives couldn’t be brought in—so they rarely accepted contracts involving that country.

Pei Jichuan had deep-set features; in terms of bone structure, he actually shared some similarities with the people of Country F. The assistant stepped forward and explained the newcomer’s identity to Pei Jichuan.

Only then did Pei Jichuan scrutinize the man. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, bulging muscles, and pupils that seemed forged from frost—mechanical and cold. Likely due to being in a hospital, the man’s attire wasn’t overly flashy, but the gun tucked into his waistband made it clear he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Ethan stood dead center in the room, allowing Pei Jichuan to look him over. His peripheral vision swept over Gu Nian, who sat on the other side. Gu Nian’s back was to him as he drank his porridge. Ethan noted his frail frame and looked away with indifference.

“Commissioned by Elder Pei to protect you until your return to Country Z.”

Ethan’s mechanical voice rang out, repeating his purpose. Pei Jichuan nodded and replied in a raspy voice, “Many thanks.”

Gu Nian spun around abruptly to face Pei Jichuan. Before he had even swallowed the porridge in his mouth, he said in a muffled voice, “The doctor said you shouldn’t be talking right now.” He swallowed his food and handed a glass of water to the man.

Ethan stared at Gu Nian’s profile, feeling an increasing sense of familiarity. He looked a few more times, his brow furrowing. Pei Jichuan was always highly sensitive to others staring at Lin Nuo; he looked up warily and ignored the doctor’s orders to speak again.

“This is my wife. I hope Mr. Ethan will protect him well during this time. My wife’s safety is the priority above all else.”

Cough, cough—

Having finished his sentence, Pei Jichuan couldn’t help but cough uncontrollably. The gunshot had affected his trachea, which was why the doctor required him to speak as little as possible to avoid hindering his recovery.

Pei Jichuan’s words made Gu Nian feel a spark of happiness, but the man’s refusal to listen to medical advice left him feeling somewhat helpless. He rushed forward anxiously to support the sides of Pei Jichuan’s chest, otherwise, the coughing would cause agonizing pain in the wound. The assistant also scrambled to help.

Ethan ignored the chaotic scene before him because he was frozen to the spot, unable to move. Just as Pei Jichuan finished speaking, Gu Nian had cast a sideways glance at Ethan. It was indeed a familiar face.

Ethan desperately wanted to step forward to confirm if his eyes were playing tricks on him. His stoic expression trembled slightly from the tension; his eyes widened, and his pupils contracted in shock.

As a team leader personally trained by Gu Nian, Ethan ultimately did not reveal any outward abnormality. He looked toward Gu Nian, waiting for a response, fearing that a rash move might disrupt Gu Nian’s plans.

Black Crow had already sent spies to infiltrate the Pei Group, some even holding high-level positions, but Ethan hadn’t expected the Boss himself to take the field. No wonder he hadn’t shown his face for several years.

Gu Nian’s hand, currently soothing Pei Jichuan, paused as he subtly adjusted his hand gesture.

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and looked away, not daring to look again. That was the signal for “maintain secrecy.”

He spoke calmly: “Then President Pei should rest. I will discuss the personnel arrangements with the bodyguards.” With a slight bow of his head, Ethan turned and left. Although he tried his best to hide it, his gait was still slightly stiff.

Pei Jichuan was somewhat surprised. Mercenaries are usually this polite?

Once outside, Ethan grabbed his close friend and pulled him away. Out of the fourteen men, only the two of them were veteran members; the rest were newer recruits. This mission wasn’t particularly difficult, so Ethan and Jeff had brought them along for some field experience.

Jeff looked at Ethan’s tightly pressed lips and immediately understood that something had happened. He followed silently to a relatively secluded spot. While the other twelve men stood guard vigilantly on the perimeter, Ethan scanned the area to ensure there were no suspicious figures before whispering:

“Boss Gu is in there.”

Jeff’s eyes bulged. “Wh—”

Before the exclamation could escape, Ethan clamped a hand over his mouth. “Keep your voice down.”

Jeff nodded with wide eyes. “Are you sure?” he whispered.

Ethan frowned and said decisively, “Positive. He gave me the signal for secrecy. Out of everyone here, only we two have seen him before, so I’m giving you a heads-up. If you accidentally ruin Boss Gu’s plan, he will absolutely hang you up and whip you.”

Jeff shuddered violently at the thought. He never wanted to experience Gu Nian’s whip a second time. He asked in a low voice, “Then what is the Boss doing? Do we need to cooperate?”

“He has his own plans. We just pretend we don’t know him.”

Jeff nodded and let out a long breath. “That’s good, that’s good.”

“I’m going to discuss the rotation with the bodyguards. For this job, tell the men to stay on high alert.” Ethan was about to leave when he remembered one more thing. He turned back and said to Jeff through gritted teeth, “Brother Zhou sent word—if the mercenary unit’s revenue is low again this year, we’re all going to have to work as male models at the club.”

Jeff looked at Ethan with instant horror.

Gu Nian picked up another apple to peel. Pei Jichuan leaned against the headboard, watching him helplessly.

The assistant was currently munching on an apple, looking tearfully at the tray where a small mountain of skinless apples had accumulated. Gu Nian was focused intently on his work, a long spiral of peel dangling down—but at the very last turn, Gu Nian’s hand jerked, and the peel snapped again.

He gritted his teeth, his fingers nearly digging into the fruit. Since childhood, he had possessed a powerful competitive streak; he wanted to be the best at everything. A small flame flickered in Gu Nian’s eyes. He stood up and placed the apple on the tray beside the assistant; the “apple mountain” had gained a new peak.

Pei Jichuan gave a silent smile. In some ways, Gu Nian was as childish as a little kid. Gu Nian picked up a fresh apple and repeated the process, focusing all his concentration on his hands.

However, Pei Jichuan’s smile gradually faded. He had lived with Lin Nuo for three years; they were practically inseparable. Whenever he was home, he wanted Lin Nuo by his side, no matter what he was doing. Because of this, he could say he understood Lin Nuo very well.

But ever since Lin Nuo woke up from his suicide attempt, it was as if he had become a different person. Pei Jichuan couldn’t understand—could a suicide attempt truly change someone’s entire temperament?

It wasn’t just his personality; his hobbies and habits were all different.

Pei Jichuan watched Gu Nian intently, thinking in silence.