Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 21

【Gu Chaoyu】: Resting well? Want to grab dinner tonight? I bought some fresh fish. It’ll be perfect for a hearty soup.

Lin Mucí stared at the words on the screen feeling butterflies in his stomach…

【He asked me out to dinner! He asked me out to dinner!】

【Should I accept?】

On one side was a dinner invitation from his dream guy; on the other, his demonic female cousin was about to storm in.

He tugged at his hair in agony, but “reason” ultimately triumphed over his love-struck brain.

If he went to Gu Chaoyu’s place now, Su Wanqing would definitely call him the moment she arrived and found him gone, berating him relentlessly before storming over to drag him back.

He dared not imagine that scene.

【Lin Mucí】: No, no, I have friends coming over tonight. I won’t bother you.

After typing those words, he felt his heart bleeding.

He actually turned down Gu Chaoyu!

【Gu Chaoyu】: Alright, take care of your business first.

Seeing Gu Chaoyu’s instant reply only deepened Lin Mucí’s gloom. He curled up on the sofa, rolling around with his phone clutched tightly.

“Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!”

A series of urgent doorbell rings interrupted his melancholy.

Lin Mucí sprang up from the sofa like a fish leaping out of water and resignedly went to answer the door.

The door swung open to reveal Su Wanqing’s exquisitely made-up face. She wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and the pair of eyes behind the lenses scanned him up and down. Her eyes looked intimidating.

“Well, well, still alive?” Su Wanqing pushed her glasses up, striding in on high heels with an aura that seemed to tower two meters eight. “Impressive. You actually cleaned up this doghouse. Seems my surprise inspections are quite necessary.”

“Sis, couldn’t you’ve given me a day’s notice before showing up?” Lin Mucí handed her a pair of slippers, his voice flat.

“Then what kind of surprise inspection would that be?” Su Wanqing shot him a withering look, circling the living room and sniffing the air. “Hm? Did you spray air freshener? Trying to cover up some evidence?”

“What evidence? I was just doing some regular cleaning!” Lin Mucí protested, feeling guilty.

Su Wanqing ignored him, plopping down on the sofa with her legs crossed, her gaze fixed on him. “Spill it. Something’s been up lately, hasn’t it?”

“N-nothing’s been up,” Lin Mucheng mumbled, his eyes darting around, avoiding her stare.

“Cut the crap!” Su Wanqing snorted. “I’ve known you since you were a kid. I can tell what kind of shit you’re shitting just by the way you sit. Your face is as red as a boiled shrimp, your ears are practically bleeding, and you tell me nothing’s up?”

“I’m just hot! I got all worked up cleaning!”

“Oh, really? “ Su Wanqing drawled, pulling out her phone and opening an interface she thrust toward him. ”Lin Mucí, I advise you to be honest with me. I, Su Wanqing an emotional blogger with millions of followers, the Sherlock Holmes of the ‘CP world,’ who’s read countless men… even if it was all through screens. That sour stench of romance? I can smell it from miles away!”

Lin Mucí swallowed hard as he stared at the flashy backend data interface on her phone.

【Oh crap, she’s cheating!】

【My little schemes are practically naked in front of her!】

Just as he was racking his brain for a way to bluff his way out—

“Ding-dong—”

The doorbell chimed again.

“Must be my takeout!” Lin Mucí felt like he’d been granted a reprieve, dashing toward the door. “Sis, hold on a sec. I’ll grab the delivery!”

He swung open the door, a relieved smile still plastered on his face.

But standing there wasn’t a delivery guy.

It was Gu Chaoyu.

Dressed in casual loungewear, he held a small white porcelain bowl steaming with hot black fish soup.

“Mucí, I finished stewing the fish soup and brought you a bowl. Drink it while it’s hot,” Gu Chaoyu said, glancing toward Su Wanqing in the living room, who was raising her eyebrows with a probing look.

Lin Mucí’s smiling face instantly fell.

In the living room, Su Wanqing pushed her glasses up, a sharp gleam flashing across the lenses.

【Oh no, oh no!】

【This is a collision of Mars and Earth! A public execution scene!】

…

“And who might this be?” Su Wanqing broke the silence first, adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses as she scrutinized Gu Chaoyu from head to toe.

【Holy crap! Over 6’1″! Broad shoulders, narrow waist, killer legs! That face could land him a center position in any idol group!】

【That casual outfit looks simple, but it’s that niche Italian haute couture brand, right? Understated luxury. 】

【My brother’s got game! When did he meet such a hottie?!】

Lin Mucí was jolted back to reality by her outburst, his tongue tripping over his words: “Ah… this… this is my neighbor, Gu Chaoyu. He’s a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. Um… Chaoyu, this is my cousin, Su Wanqing.”

“Hello.” Gu Chaoyu gave Su Wanqing a polite nod before handing the small white porcelain bowl to Lin Mucí. “The fish soup is ready. I brought you a bowl. Drink it while it’s hot.”

While Su Wanqing was still discreetly sizing up Gu Chaoyu,

his abilities quietly activated.

【Why did that hottie look at me earlier like I was his love rival?】

【Wait… love rival?!】

【He doesn’t think I’m Mucí’s girlfriend, does he?】

【Hahahahaha! This is getting interesting! Totally interesting! That damn possessiveness!】

Gu Chaoyu’s hand holding the empty bowl paused slightly.

Love rival?

This is intriguing.

Since you’re so eager to be the “rival,” he might as well… play along.

“Please come in, please come in!” Su Wanqing stepped forward to welcome Gu Chaoyu inside. “Oh my, thank you so much, Dr. Gu, for bringing soup to our Mucí. He lives alone, and as his older sister, I’m always worried about him.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “sister,” then moved affectionately toward Lin Mucí, pinching his flushed cheek.

Lin Mucí stiffened.

【Sis! What are you doing?】

【Men and women shouldn’t touch each other… Wait, this isn’t the time to worry about that!】

“Our Muci has always been clingy with me since he was little. He was a child who never grew up,” Su Wanqing said to Gu Chaoyu with a beaming smile, her hand still lingering on Lin Mucí’s face.

Gu Chaoyu’s expression remained impassive, but the fingers hanging at his side twitched slightly.

【I haven’t even pinched this little face yet!】

【Get your hand off him right now!】

He walked to the coffee table, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it to Lin Mucí. This action conveniently separated Su Wanqing’s hand.

“He’s very independent,” Gu Chaoyu said calmly, “and very good at taking care of others.”

Su Wanqing’s hand was forced to withdraw.

【!!!】

【He’s flustered! He’s flustered! He’s jealous!】

【Not only did he pour water for my brother! But that protective tone! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

“Sis, don’t say things like that. I’m not clingy at all.”

He only sensed the atmosphere growing slightly awkward.

“Ding-dong—”

“Takeout! My order!” Lin Mucí hurried away from the scene of potential trouble to answer the door.