What to Do if You Transmigrate Into the Body of the Number One Scumbag? - Chapter 2

The moment the young man caught sight of him, a wave of irrepressible joy flooded his eyes. Gu Shiyan could clearly see the light that suddenly kindled in the boy’s gaze, transforming his entire expression.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment. Gu Shiyan remained where he was, waiting for the other to speak first. In this unfamiliar world, he had already adopted the habit of waiting for others to initiate conversation, allowing him to quickly calculate the most appropriate response.

He watched quietly as the boy beamed with excitement. It looked as though the youth wanted to rush over and embrace him, yet he seemed held back by some invisible hesitation. Eventually, the boy simply walked over with light, careful steps until he stood directly in front of Gu Shiyan. He tilted his fair, delicate face upward and spoke in a soft, melodic voice.

“Hus… Husband, you’re home?”

Gu Shiyan received the signal loud and clear. Based on the form of address, he understood that the person standing before him was his young husband, Luo Mu.

Luo Mu was dressed in soft cotton pajamas, and his gaze was a mix of timidity and delight. It was obvious that even if the original owner of this body had been cold and harsh, this little wife still held onto a lingering hope for his new husband. He seemed truly devoted, innocent, and simple, the type of person who looked as though he would be incredibly easy to bully.

When Gu Shiyan failed to react for a long time, Luo Mu grew a bit bolder. He slowly reached out his hands and wrapped them around the man’s waist. By the time Gu Shiyan realized what was happening, a soft little bundle had already tucked itself into his embrace.

As a career-driven workaholic whose mind was usually occupied only by his company and his business interests, Gu Shiyan had never been this physically intimate with anyone. Feeling uncomfortable with the closeness, he reached out to push the boy away. Although his strength was quite gentle, the distant nature of the gesture still clearly wounded the boy’s heart.

“I’m sorry… I forgot that you don’t like being held. I… I’ll be more careful next time.”

Luo Mu looked up to offer his apology with great caution before quickly lowering his head. He began to pick at the palms of his hands in sadness. Even without looking at the boy’s face, Gu Shiyan instinctively felt that the starlight he had seen earlier had been completely extinguished.

Gu Shiyan rarely dealt with people in such a personal manner. In his world, the business market was a battlefield where he never had to consider anyone’s emotions. He only needed to focus on his own interests and use his strength to persuade others to accept his terms until a contract was signed. Now, however, looking at this silent boy, he felt a rare sense of helplessness.

Just as he was wondering how to ease the tension, Luo Mu seemed to find a spark of courage and looked up again. “Husband, have you had dinner yet? It is already very late. Are you hungry? I can ask the maid to prepare something, or I could even…”

“No need.” Gu Shiyan clenched his fist slightly as he faced this tricky situation. He instinctively rejected the kindness for two reasons: first, he truly wasn’t hungry because the alcohol made it impossible to eat anything, and second, he felt it was too much trouble to wake the staff so late. He certainly didn’t want the boy to do it himself. Looking at how thin and fragile the youth was, Gu Shiyan felt that Luo Mu was the one who actually needed a good meal.

Although he believed his tone was perfectly normal, the boy actually flinched upon hearing the answer as if he had been frightened. He bit his lip with a look of grievance, appearing as though he wanted to say more but hesitated. Finally, he looked away and stood there, looking utterly dejected.

“Husband… do you really hate me that much? If there is something you don’t like, I… I will work hard to change it. Please, just don’t hate me, okay?”

Gu Shiyan had never expected the boy to overthink things so drastically. He couldn’t help but wonder if his tone really was that cold, even as his heart began to soften while staring at the aggrieved youth.

“There’s no need for that.”

Luo Mu felt rejected once again. To him, it seemed that no matter what he did, he would never be liked, so there was no point in changing because the man would never care for him regardless of who he became.

“I don’t hate you,” Gu Shiyan clarified. “When I said there was no need, I meant that I am not hungry and don’t need to eat. Furthermore, you don’t need to change because I truly don’t dislike you.”

Upon hearing this explanation, Luo Mu looked at him with pleasant surprise, his eyes shimmering once more. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Gu Shiyan nodded and looked at him. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? It’s very late.”

Luo Mu looked a bit embarrassed by the question. “I… I wanted to wait for you to come home.”

The statement felt somewhat intimate, leaving Gu Shiyan momentarily speechless and unsure of how to respond. “Well, you can go and rest now.”

Luo Mu nodded shyly. Just as Gu Shiyan felt a sense of relief, he watched as the boy walked straight toward the large bed in the center of the room. Gu Shiyan’s composure fractured for a moment.

“You…” He started to speak but swallowed his words. He had almost forgotten that they were married, and while this was his bedroom, it was naturally Luo Mu’s as well.

Luo Mu sat on one side of the bed, behaving as properly as an obedient student. He didn’t lie down but stayed seated while looking back at Gu Shiyan, seemingly waiting for him.

Feeling the heat of that direct gaze filled with shyness and hidden expectation, Gu Shiyan looked away and cleared his throat. He intended to find the walk-in closet and change into a proper set of pajamas before deciding what to do. However, he had underestimated how much his little wife was focusing on him. The moment he let out that fake cough, the boy stood up nervously. He clutched the hem of his shirt and looked over with deep concern.

“Husband, do you have a cold? I’ll go get some medicine for you!”

Gu Shiyan raised a hand to stop him. “No need. You rest first. I’m going to the closet to change.”

When he emerged later, fully covered in a more modest set of clothes, he found that Luo Mu was still sitting on the edge of the bed instead of sleeping. Gu Shiyan glanced at the bedroom door, wondering how he might escape. For a man who had been a bachelor for over twenty years, the idea of suddenly lying in bed with a stranger was difficult to accept.

He felt uncharacteristically clumsy as he wandered around the room to familiarize himself with the layout. After swallowing a mouthful of warm water and placing the glass back on the thermal coaster, he prepared to make an excuse about sleeping in the guest room or the study. However, the boy had somehow slipped behind him with silent footsteps.

“Husband, do you… not want to sleep with me?”

Gu Shiyan paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling the awkwardness of having his thoughts seen through for the first time. “Uh, no. I just remembered I have some work to attend to. You go ahead and sleep, I’ll be in the study.”

“You don’t have to explain…”

Gu Shiyan remained silent.

“I know that you aren’t used to sleeping with someone else yet.” Luo Mu sniffled but quickly cheered himself up. “I understand. Don’t worry, Husband, I won’t force you. We can talk about it again… whenever you are ready in the future.”

“But, today is our first day as newlyweds…”

Gu Shiyan felt the weight of those words.

“But it’s fine. I know your work is important. You should go and get busy, Husband.”

Gu Shiyan hadn’t realized this seemingly frail boy could speak with such hidden impact. Though the words were supportive, anyone could hear the underlying disappointment and loneliness in his voice.

Looking at the boy’s forced smile, Gu Shiyan’s heart softened completely. The boy was only twenty, eight years younger than himself. In his eyes, Luo Mu was just a kid. Since he wasn’t the original scumbag, he didn’t have the heart to mistreat a youngster, but he could see that the boy truly liked him. He couldn’t just take advantage of that affection or dismiss it cruelly.

Moved by the display, Gu Shiyan reached out his hand, intending to pat the boy’s hair to offer some comfort. To his surprise, the boy’s eyes lit up and he shyly took the opportunity to step forward. He grabbed Gu Shiyan’s sleeve and pressed himself into the man’s chest.

Gu Shiyan felt that something was a bit strange about the situation, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

“Husband, I’m fine. I’m willing to wait for you. I will be very well-behaved,” Luo Mu said considerately.

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