Doctor Gu’s Orange Cat Boyfriend - Chapter 36

Is that too much?

 

Lin Mucí pondered for half a second.

 

Seems… not really?

 

After all, he’d served as a free human pillow for him. Returning the favor with a hug sounded perfectly reasonable.

 

【Wait!】

 

【No, that’s not right!】

 

Lin Mucí suddenly snapped to attention.

 

【How did I get played by him again?!】

 

【From the very start, wasn’t it him who pulled me over?!】

 

【That old fox! No, that fox spirit!】

 

【He’s practically my Daji! With just a few words, he’s got me completely wrapped around his finger!】

 

Lin Mucí raged inwardly, yet his body betrayed him—he dared not move an inch.

 

Fine.

 

A hug it is.

 

His boyfriend’s chest was warm, soft yet firm, and carried that delightful lemon scent. Why pass up such a treat?

 

He reassured himself with this thought, carefully shifting his position to find a more comfortable spot before burying his face in the chest.

 

Gu Chaoyu sensed the small movement of the person in his arms and chuckled softly.

 

【You little fool, you’re quite good at finding a spot.】

 

【Good boy.】

 

The night was still.

 

Only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats filled the room.

 

Gu Chaoyu soon settled into steady, even breaths, seemingly asleep.

 

But Lin Mucí was wide awake.

 

He couldn’t sleep.

 

Every time he closed his eyes, his mind flooded with everything that had happened today.

 

From the hotel’s partner-compatibility test, to confirming their relationship, and now… here they were, lying in the same bed, holding each other tightly.

 

It all felt like a dream.

 

He was so excited his toes curled involuntarily, and he shifted quietly beneath the covers.

 

No.

 

He still couldn’t sleep.

 

Like a caterpillar, he wriggled quietly in Gu Chaoyu’s embrace.

 

【So excited! Ahhh!】

 

【My heart’s racing!】

 

【What do I do? I’m wide awake!】

 

Just then, a teasing chuckle came from above his head.

 

“Keep fidgeting, and it won’t just be a hug.”

 

Lin Mucí immediately froze.

 

【!!!】

 

【He wasn’t asleep?!】

 

【He was pretending to sleep the whole time?!】

 

“Your heart’s pounding like a drum. How could I possibly sleep?”

 

Lin Mucí buried his face deeper, trying to play dead.

 

Gu Chaoyu gently patted his back, soothingly asking, “Can’t sleep?”

 

“…Mm.” Lin Mucí responded muffledly.

 

“Then shall we chat?” Gu Chaoyu suggested.

 

“Sure.”

 

That suited him perfectly.

 

Lin Mucí immediately lifted his head from Gu Chao Yu’s embrace, his eyes sparkling in the darkness.

 

“Chao Yu…” he pondered for a moment before asking, “All these years we were apart… what did you go through?”

 

He was genuinely curious.

 

What kind of experiences had transformed that once quiet little boy into the gentle, strong, yet occasionally cunning man he was now?

 

Gu Chaoyu tightened his arms around him.

 

He fell silent for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts.

 

“After Mom passed away, my dad… he was really depressed at first.”

 

“He blamed himself, constantly wondering why he hadn’t noticed Mom’s health issues sooner. He felt that if he’d taken her to the hospital earlier, maybe… he could have had a few more years with her.”

 

Lin Mucí’s heart clenched instantly.

 

He could imagine the pain and regret that followed losing someone so dear.

 

“As for me,” Gu Chaoyu’s voice continued, “I didn’t know what to do. The only thing I could think of was to throw myself into my studies.”

 

“Middle school, high school—nothing but studying. I wanted to get into the best university, study the best major, become strong enough to protect the people I cared about.”

 

“In the end, I got into the top traditional Chinese medicine school in the country.”

 

Lin Mucí couldn’t help but interrupt at this point. “Why… choose traditional Chinese medicine?”

 

In his understanding, Western medicine seemed the mainstream approach, offering quicker results.

 

Gu Chaoyu appeared to have anticipated this question.

 

He patiently explained, “Because traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes ‘treating before illness manifests.’”

 

“‘Preventing illness before it occurs’?” Lin Mucí repeated the phrase, unfamiliar with its meaning.

 

“Yes,” Gu Chaoyu’s voice was gentle yet firm. “It means preventing disease before it takes root is the top priority. Nip it in the bud before it fully forms.”

 

He paused, his voice beginning to tremble slightly.

 

“Actually, long before my mother was diagnosed, she had one symptom.”

 

“She would often wake up between 1:00 and 3:00 AM and find it very difficult to fall back asleep.”

 

“At the time, we all thought it was just ordinary insomnia. No one paid much attention about it.”

 

【1:00 to 3:00 AM…】

 

【Is that a specific indicator?】

 

“After studying traditional Chinese medicine, I learned that 1:00 to 3:00 AM is when the liver meridian is most active. If someone consistently wakes during this window, it often indicates liver issues—like excessive liver fire or stagnant liver qi.”

 

“If someone in our family had known about TCM back then, they might have been alerted by her symptoms and taken her to the hospital for a thorough checkup sooner.”

 

“Maybe…”

 

His voice trailed off.

 

“Maybe Mom wouldn’t have left me so soon.”

 

Hearing this, Lin Mucí’s heart ached bitterly.

 

He finally understood why Gu Chaoyu had chosen this path.

 

This wasn’t merely a career choice—it carried a young man’s deepest longing for his mother.

 

【So that’s how it was…】

 

【He turned every regret into fuel to push forward.】

 

【He endured so much suffering…】

 

Lin Mucí could no longer hold back. He reached out and pulled Gu Chaoyu tightly into an embrace.

 

He wanted to offer comfort, just as he had comforted that little boy crying in the corner when they were children.

 

Gu Chaoyu felt the embrace, his body pausing slightly before tightening his hold on Lin Mucí.

 

【You silly goose, worrying about me again.】

 

【It’s okay, it’s all in the past.】

 

【Having you by my side now is happiness enough.】

 

He drew a quiet breath, composed himself, and continued, ” My original motivation for studying Chinese medicine was to understand my family’s health without relying on cold machines. I wanted to diagnose them through observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation, then create tailored plans to regulate their bodies and prevent tragedies from happening again.“

 

”But after truly entering the field, I realized how many people in this world are plagued by illness.“

 

”And for most of them, it stems from unhealthy lifestyle habits.”

 

“For instance, excessive indulgence…”

 

Gu Chaoyu’s voice carried clearly to Lin Mucí’s ears.

 

“And staying up late…”

 

Lin Mucí was still listening intently to this heavy, moving story when these two sentences suddenly cut in.

 

【???】

 

【Over… over what?】

 

【Did I hear that right?!】

 

Before he could process this information, Gu Chaoyu said to him with utmost seriousness:

 

“So, boyfriend, go to sleep.”

 

“It’s getting late, don’t stay up too late!!”

 

Lin Mucí: “…”