Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 50

Gu Nian’s blood seemed to turn to ice. He stared blankly at that face as the sound of dripping liquid echoed through the silent room.

Drip… drip…

Gu Nian stiffly shifted his gaze. From the figure’s wrist, vivid red blood was sliding down its fingers and onto the floor. Moonlight pierced through the gaps in the curtains, casting a silver-gray glow over “him.”

The figure’s lips moved slightly, as if trying to speak. Bizarrely, Gu Nian felt no fear in the depths of his heart.

“Brother…”

A sudden gust of wind from nowhere rustled the curtains, and the figure vanished instantly. That final murmur felt like a hallucination; Gu Nian couldn’t be sure if it was real. He moved Pei Jichuan’s arm and climbed out of bed. The room was perfectly still. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.

Gu Nian crept to the spot where the ghost had stood. The bright moonlight shone down on him, but there was no further movement. Perhaps he had simply seen wrong. He walked back to the bed and lay down beside Pei Jichuan again, but no matter how exhausted he felt, sleep eluded him. It wasn’t until around 5:00 AM that he finally fell into a hazy slumber.

Because Pei Jichuan was injured, he wouldn’t be going to the office for a while. The two held each other and slept until high noon, missing breakfast entirely. In the kitchen, Chef Hao was thinking in despair: Am I really about to be fired?!

It was nearly midday. The sunlight was a bit piercing, streaming through the gaps in the curtains and onto their intertwined legs. The warmth was comforting. Gu Nian shifted a few times within the messy sheets, and Pei Jichuan woke up fully. He didn’t open his eyes immediately, but simply pulled Gu Nian closer, nuzzling against his hair.

The soft black hair felt wonderful to the touch, clean with a faint fragrance—a brand of shampoo Pei Jichuan had personally selected. Gu Nian blearily leaned into the heat source; having slept poorly the night before, he was still in a daze.

Pei Jichuan gently rubbed the back of his neck. Gu Nian hummed a few times before opening his eyes in confusion. “What time is it?” he mumbled.

“Almost 11:00.”

Hearing this, Gu Nian closed his eyes again. “It’s almost lunch. Wake me at 12:00 to eat.” With that, he actually started to drift back to sleep.

Pei Jichuan found it somewhat amusing. He leaned close to Gu Nian’s ear, his warm breath creating a patch of moisture on the side of the younger man’s neck. “I’m waiting for you to get up and change my dressings. It’s not convenient for me to do it myself.”

The bullet had pierced his flesh and shattered his ribs. Pei Jichuan currently couldn’t lift anything heavy, and even raising his hand to eat was difficult. Hearing this, Gu Nian gathered his strength and opened his eyes, though they were so sore he could only manage to half-open them.

Seeing his state, Pei Jichuan’s heart softened instantly. “Changing them in the afternoon is fine too. Sleep a little longer.”

Gu Nian decisively closed his eyes and was breathing steadily again in moments. Pei Jichuan quietly climbed out of bed to wash up in the bathroom before creeping back to pull Gu Nian into his arms.

Near noon, Gu Nian was finally woken up. The first thing he tasted was minty breath. His lips were pressed and rubbed repeatedly until they were red and slightly swollen. Gu Nian gave a slight shiver, his nails raking lightly over the other’s arm, eliciting a deep, heavy groan.

Gu Nian opened his bleary eyes. They seemed clouded with a layer of mist, making Pei Jichuan’s breathing hitch. He reached out and hung his arms around Pei Jichuan’s neck, blinking to wake himself up.

Ultimately, they managed to reach the dining room for lunch just before Chef Hao could hang himself in despair. Today’s dishes had taken Chef Hao two whole nights to prepare. He hid behind the cabinetry and watched anxiously, but his massive frame was impossible to hide. Gu Nian and Pei Jichuan tacitly pretended not to see him.

Gu Nian was very happy to eat today; there was actually Sichuan cuisine on the table! The bright red chili peppers looked intimidating. Pei Jichuan didn’t dare use his chopsticks on them, as they were detrimental to his recovery. Watching Gu Nian feast, Chef Hao wiped his eyes with a handkerchief in relief.

I’ve finally been recognized by Young Master Lin! I won’t be fired!

Wait… I think I just cut chilies and didn’t wash my hands!

Chef Hao bolted from the room in a panic, heading straight for the sink. Gu Nian, still chewing, touched his head in confusion as he watched the chef sprint away. Despite a quick rinse, Chef Hao still ended up with a pair of “rabbit eyes.”

After lunch, they returned to the study. Pei Jichuan still had work to handle, but before that, his medication needed to be applied. Pei Jichuan’s long legs were in the way, and the wound was positioned high on his chest; sitting in the opposite chair, Gu Nian had to stretch his arms fully to reach.

Under Pei Jichuan’s confused gaze, Gu Nian stood up, pushed his chair aside, and sat directly on the man’s lap.

Pei Jichuan’s entire body stiffened before he slowly forced himself to relax. Gu Nian applied the medication seriously, with the supplies laid out on the nearby table within easy reach. He wore medical gloves on his slender fingers, and combined with his serious, solemn attitude, Pei Jichuan found himself staring.

The scent of disinfectant mixed with the faint fragrance of Gu Nian’s hair swirled around his nose. As a cold cotton ball brushed against his chest, Pei Jichuan instinctively gripped his shirt fabric. Gu Nian’s other hand rested seemingly by accident against one side of his chest, the warmth of his palm ironing the skin.

Pei Jichuan felt his blood beginning to boil.

“Does it hurt?” Gu Nian asked softly as the cotton ball brushed the wound.

“It doesn’t,” Pei Jichuan replied, his own raspy voice startling him.

Gu Nian, however, didn’t seem surprised at all. He finished applying the medicine and recovered the area with gauze. He didn’t seem to notice Pei Jichuan’s burning gaze, his fingers inadvertently grazing the contours of the man’s chest muscles.

As the dressing was finished, Gu Nian tried to stand up, but his wrist was grabbed. He was pressed into Pei Jichuan’s embrace until their noses touched. Gu Nian was about to struggle when Pei Jichuan’s voice rang in his ear: “Don’t move. It hurts.”

Gu Nian instantly stopped. The wound that had torn open yesterday had only just closed; it couldn’t handle much stimulation. Gu Nian’s earlobes turned red as he looked down at Pei Jichuan. They were so close that with only a slight lean forward, Pei Jichuan easily captured those still-swollen lips.

Gu Nian mischievously placed his hand on the man’s abdomen. Pei Jichuan’s shirt was open, leaving nothing to block the touch. The man gave a sudden jolt and caught Gu Nian’s meddling hand, but Gu Nian moved his fingers again without fear.

“Didn’t you say I could touch it whenever I like?” He raised an eyebrow, repeating Pei Jichuan’s own words back to him.

Pei Jichuan realized his defeat. He released Gu Nian’s hand and gave a small smile. “Of course. Touch it however you like.” He pressed Gu Nian’s hand down firmly. “Touch it as long as you want.”