Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 6

After finishing lunch, Gu Nian took a short nap. By the time he woke up again, it was only two o’clock in the afternoon.

Opening his eyes to the sight of the surveillance camera blinking in the corner of the wall, a wave of irritation surged in his heart. He got out of bed, snatched the ashtray off the table, and hurled it at the device.

With a sharp bang, the camera shattered. The carpet on the floor effectively muffled the impact, so the sound of the fall was dull enough that it didn’t attract the attention of the servants downstairs.

There were no entertainment facilities in the room—not even a television in such a massive manor. As a late-stage “smartphone addict,” Gu Nian felt utterly bored. He kicked his slippers to the side and headed out the door barefoot once again.

The second-floor study held many confidential documents, so servants were normally forbidden from entering as they pleased.

Gu Nian wandered the second floor for a while. Once he had a general grasp of the layout, he pushed open a half-closed door; this appeared to be Pei Jichuan’s study.

The computer on the desk hadn’t gone to sleep. It displayed a dark surveillance feed. After carefully inspecting the study and confirming there were no monitoring devices inside, Gu Nian sat down boldly in Pei Jichuan’s office chair.

Though Gu Nian had smashed the camera, the playback history was perfectly intact. This was indeed the feed from his own room.

He really is a total pervert.

Gu Nian didn’t touch the folders on the desk. Instead, he turned and browsed the bookshelves, pulling out a few interesting-looking books and simply lying down on the floor to read.

Most of these books had clearly been bought just to fill space and decorate the shelves; the crisp, new interiors suggested they had never been opened.

Gu Nian found the reading quite engrossing, but his unhealthy body soon succumbed to drowsiness. Too lazy to walk back, he simply fell asleep right there on the carpet.

The meeting had lasted nearly two hours. Cooperation with the Tianyu Group from Country F had to be handled with extreme caution. As fellow top-tier global corporations, Tianyu possessed cutting-edge technology that the Pei Corporation currently desperately needed.

After the meeting, the secretary handed the consolidated materials to Pei Jichuan.

“The cooperation with Tianyu has been finalized. They mentioned that since it involves international trade, President Zhou of Tianyu will personally come to negotiate the detailed terms.”

Pei Jichuan frowned slightly, flipping through the draft proposal. Upon hearing the secretary’s words, he fell silent for a few seconds.

“We haven’t lacked cooperation with Tianyu in the past, yet this President Zhou has never shown his face before.”

A sharp light flickered in Pei Jichuan’s eyes, and he suddenly gave a soft laugh.

“Regardless of his motives, the benefits he brings cannot be ignored.” Pei Jichuan closed the materials. “Go negotiate the specific dates. Try to conclude everything before the end of the year.”

The secretary left as instructed.

After an afternoon of intense work, the most urgent tasks had been handled. Pei Jichuan rubbed the bridge of his nose; the dryness from staying up late made the bloodshot veins in his eyes look even more terrifying.

He had to rest tonight. The side effects of long-term sleeping pill use were too great; the daytime grogginess made it impossible to focus on work.

But as long as he held Lin Nuo…

Pei Jichuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. That warm, soft body always allowed him to relax his mind.

Stay sober. Stay restrained. Show respect…

I can’t scare him again.

The mouse slid gently across the computer desktop.

Pei Jichuan opened the surveillance software, but the screen did not show the person he yearned for day and night. Instead, he was met with nothing but a screen of darkness.

Pei Jichuan froze. The blood-red hue in his eyes seemed ready to blind him. In the next second, the computer files and the water glass on the desk were ruthlessly swept to the floor.

The loud crash coming from the President’s office instantly silenced the noisy office area. The secretary summoned her courage and tremblingly went to knock on the door. Just as she was about to ask what had happened, the door was thrown open.

Pei Jichuan strode out, putting on his coat as he walked, ignoring the secretary entirely. He took the elevator straight to the underground parking garage.

Pei Jichuan got into the car, starting the engine with one hand while calling Butler Zhao with the other.

The rearview mirror reflected his crimson eyes; his distorted expression made him look like a man-eating demon.

The phone rang for only three seconds before it was answered.

“Go check right now. Is Lin Nuo in his room?” Pei Jichuan said through gritted teeth.

Butler Zhao was in the garden supervising the pruning of branches. Hearing that tone—which harbored a violent storm—he felt as though he could already see his own grave.

He grabbed a nearby gardener.

“Xiao Wu, go to the second floor! Check if Young Master Lin is in his room!” After saying it, he felt it was too slow and simply sprinted to the second floor himself while holding the phone.

“Never mind, I’ll go myself!”

The moment he opened the door and saw the surveillance equipment scattered on the floor and the empty room, Butler Zhao’s legs went weak. He felt utter despair for his dark professional future.

Every time Lin Nuo tried to escape, the villa replaced its butler. It was rumored that the previous Butler Li was currently mining in Africa.

Butler Zhao held up the phone tremulously: “President Pei… Young Master Lin isn’t in his room…”

Before Butler Zhao could finish, Pei Jichuan hung up.

The manor was in a remote location with little traffic. Pei Jichuan gripped the steering wheel tight, the roar of the engine echoing through the silent roads.

A car that was nearly sideswiped veered sharply to the side. The owner rolled down the window, ready to unleash a tirade, but upon seeing a license plate consisting entirely of 8s, he silently rolled the window back up against the rising dust.

Ten minutes after the call, Pei Jichuan arrived at the manor. Every servant in the estate was conducting a “carpet search.” A panicked Butler Zhao was waiting anxiously in the foyer.

Pei Jichuan burst through the door and headed straight for the second floor. The despondent Butler Zhao didn’t even have time to follow before a gesture froze him in his tracks.

Gu Nian’s room was deep on the second floor. Pei Jichuan strode forward, pausing slightly as he passed the study.

He had ordered the study door to be left open for ventilation before he left this morning, yet the door was now tightly shut.

Pei Jichuan placed his hand on the doorknob. His uneasy emotions calmed for a split second as a secret hope flickered through his mind.

His heart pounded violently, out of control.

He pushed the door open gently. Sure enough, the person who had thrown the entire manor into chaos was lying on the carpet, sleeping soundly.

The sound of the door lock woke the sleeping Gu Nian. He regained his clear reason within the second of hearing it, but being interrupted mid-sleep left him feeling a bit dazed.

Gu Nian propped himself up and looked at the person at the door. The sun hadn’t set yet, and the golden twilight glowed through the window, letting Gu Nian see clearly.

Residual rage still lingered on Pei Jichuan’s face, and the crimson in his eyes remained visible—just like the night he first woke up, making it unclear whether he was facing a man or a demon.

The sunset complemented Gu Nian’s slightly flushed cheeks, and his post-sleep expression carried a hint of bewilderment.

Gu Nian was lying not far from the desk, and he could reach it with a slight stretch. Using the desk for support, he slowly stood up.

However, just as Gu Nian rose, he was violently pinned against the desk by Pei Jichuan.

Pei Jichuan had lunged forward, not forgetting to slam the study door shut behind him.

The wooden desk made Gu Nian’s back ache from the impact. Hands like iron pincers pressed into his thin shoulders, and his legs were pinned, making it impossible to move.

Just as Gu Nian was about to speak, a hot, feverish breath rushed toward his face.