CH 96

His landlord didn’t speak for a long time, like he had been struck by lightning.

Yan Suizhi waited for a while only to hear the busy tone that came out of nowhere—the eternal bachelor had cut the line without a word. It appeared that the wound he received wasn’t slight. 

The esteemed Professor Yan raised his brows, gazing at the ‘comms ended’ interface on his smart device, a little caught between vexation and amusement.

Footsteps rustled across the carpet, and a shadow shrouded him.

AD

Yan Suizhi sat on the side of the bed. As he unhurriedly sent his landlord a message, he said, “You made my landlord storm off in a rage.”

“…” 

What was called ‘the guilty party files the suit first’? This, right here, was it.

After sending a polite message, Yan Suizhi inclined his head, unruffled. Gu Yan was standing in front of him, bending over to place that cup of water at his bedside cabinet, then slid his hands into his pockets and straightened up again. His gaze hung down at him from this towering height, “What do you mean ‘might have’?”

“You listened for so long and only heard those two words?” As Yan Suizhi spoke, he kicked Gu Yan’s slippers. “Stop looming, who are you trying to intimidate?”

This was a rather unfair statement. After all, Lawyer Gu was that tall to begin with. Unless his legs were sawed, he couldn’t get any shorter.

But Gu Yan, at this time, was unusually obedient, likely the effect of the word ‘boyfriend’ just now. His gaze dropped to his feet but didn’t move. He let Yan Suizhi kick him twice in just, bending down complaisantly, kissing him on the lips, and asking without letting up, “Why ‘might have’?”

“Because the term boyfriend sounds a bit…” Yan Suizhi paused, considering his wording, “odd.”

Their lips were very close to each other. Hearing this, Gu Yan, still bending over with his hands in his pockets, kissed him once, asking in a low voice, “How so?”

He kept pressing kisses on him, just like this, one after another, and after each, asking in that usual, indifferent timbre. 

It made Yan Suizhi feel ticklish, as well as a bit amused. While he wasn’t averse to the term boyfriend, he simply hadn’t imagined that it would ever be used on him one day. It was novel and quite intriguing.

“Reason.” Gu Yan’s gaze cast down from his half-lidded eyes.

Yan Suizhi narrowed his eyes. He had to admit, Gu Yan being this way was truly endearing; he was completely unable to withstand it.

But that was only as far as ruefulness went. His mouth still couldn’t resist the temptation of teasing Gu Yan, “It’s just that I suddenly remembered something.” 

“What is it?”

“I tried the Heart of Nature you drank at the bar today many years ago. When I was about eleven or twelve, I believe.” Yan Suizhi said, “At that time, the butler at home knew how to mix drinks. I was bored stiff that day and duped him into mixing a drink for me…”

Here, his words took a turn. He teasingly asked Gu Yan, “Weren’t you just out of the womb back then?”

Gu Yan, “…” 

He was expressionless and appeared to have a bit of a migraine. He was probably questioning why he would like such a bastard who didn’t know how to talk sensibly.

Having gotten rid of the itch in his mouth, Yan Suizhi hurriedly stroked the mint leaf twice in appeasement. “I thought that you’d storm off in a rage at me again.”

Gu Yan looked at him. He quietly uttered an ‘mn’. “I thought so too… but my feet don’t want to move.”

“Don’t move, then. This is your house.” 

Dea Xe Tjc rjlv, “Ktlr lr sbeg gbbw.”

Tjc Velhtl ujnf j rajga.

“Tbe tjnf atf gluta ab jrx jcsbcf ab ufa bea bo tfgf,” Xe Tjc rjlv. “Zsrfio lcmievfv.”

Lf tbqfv atja Tjc Velhtl kbeiv ags ab agfja atlr jr j qijmf ktfgf tf yfibcufv, klatbea yflcu mbcraglmafv bg vlraegyfv. Qtfc tf kjcafv ab yf jibcf, tf mbeiv peraloljyis aegc jcsbcf jkjs ja atf vbbg, jcv tf kbeivc’a tjnf jcs gfjrbc ab vgloa jybea, wbnlcu ogbw bcf qijmf ab jcbatfg. 

Gu Yan’s voice was deep and unhurried like water. It was clearly spoken very calmly, yet it made Yan Suizhi’s heart suddenly soften.

All of a sudden, he didn’t know what he should say.

He had no shortage of cheeky remarks and jokes to make, like how on most days, he could smoothly deal with anything that came his way. However, when it really came down to it, at some times, he’d find his tongue in knots, never finding the right words.

Yan Suizhi gazed at Gu Yan for a good long while, then suddenly sighed softly with a smile. “The last time I was at such a loss for words was probably on my birthday back in my teens.” 

In the decade that flew past like a day, he was also never able to find the right words to match those birthday blessings from his parents. In the end, he could only feign nonchalance and respond “don’t worry” or “no problem”.

But giving Gu Yan such a reply would be too shallow.

“I seem to have really lucked out,” he said, reaching out to stroke Gu Yan’s lips.

“No.” Gu Yan caught his fingers, and couldn’t resist kissing them, saying in a low-pitched voice, “It’s not only for you.” 

He wasn’t a saint untouched by worldly pursuits and desires. In actuality, he was very greedy.

Before getting used to being in each other’s space as romantic partners, he hoped that Yan Suizhi could first get used to feeling a sense of belonging for this place, just like getting used to a home. In this way, if there was ever friction or discord between them, Yan Suizhi would think of going back to his room rather than leaving from here.

This wasn’t something that a simple “yeah” could convey.

But it so happened that he had sufficient restraint and patience. 

The dim lighting was evocative, and as they tangled together, it was easy to get carried away.

Yan Suizhi narrowed his eyes, a little out of breath. He felt Gu Yan draw away a little, the tip of his nose pressing into the hollow of his shoulder blade, only raising his head after a long time.

In the blink of an eye, the restraint and patience he had faith in just a moment ago were barely able to hold up anymore.

He touched the corner of Yan Suizhi’s lips, murmuring “goodnight”, then lifting his hand and turning off the lights in the room for him, getting up to leave. While still seemingly composed, cutting a tall and straight figure at first glance, the rhythm of his footsteps as he left was markedly brisker than usual. 

Even so, he didn’t forget to help Yan Suizhi close the door behind him.

“…”

The lights of the staircase disappeared behind the door and the room turned dark. Under the window, only the reflection of the lamps out in the courtyard cast a weak sheen of light through the curtains.

Yan Suizhi leaned against the head of the bed, sitting for a long time in the darkness before his breathing gradually calmed. 

He gazed towards the door, listened to the fading footsteps go down the stairs, and was suddenly a little amused.

What are you in such a hurry for, he thought to himself, is there a ghost chasing you?

—

In the early morning, the atmosphere shrouding Southcross Law Firm resembled that of a funeral parlour. The reason for this was that Adams, a senior manager, had a grave face, pacing the ground and upper floors several times. 

Many lawyers didn’t come to the firm today as they were out for business. The interns were left behind like ‘stay-at-home children’, propping up 80% of the vibrancy at the law firm. These young students were a bit overwhelmed by this atmosphere, fumbling with their smart devices, frantically discussing in the intern group chat.

[Anna: Did the senior manager eat a bug for breakfast today? Why does he look so unhappy from head to toe.]

[Henry: What did the bug do wrong…]

[Luke: And what did we do wrong…] 

[Freida: Kill me now, he’s passed by my area for the seventh time already, now drinking coffee in the pantry with a dark face. Ten minutes more of this and you’ll see my dehydrated corpse. Luke, where are you???]

[Luke: In the washroom. I’ll be back the moment Mr Adams heads down.]

[Freida: …]

[Henry: It’s alright now, I see Ms Fizz going over in her stilettos to take the bullet for us. Ms Fizz is like a true goddess today. I’m going over to eavesdrop on what’s this all about.] 

[Anna: Godspeed.]

Two minutes later, Henry came bearing news.

-Ah… I think I finally know what’s going on.

[Freida: Don’t play coy. Spill.] 

[Henry: The defence counsel for the second defendant of the elderly bobblehead case has been confirmed. It’s Lawyer Gu.]

Right after hearing that this had to do with Gu Yan, Anna and Freida leapt out.

-Ah? What happened? Why is it Lawyer Gu? Are you sure?

-No way, isn’t Lawyer Gu in his public notification period? 

[Henry: I don’t have a clue either. I only know that Mr Adams is on the verge of washing his head with boiling water to calm down.]

Silence descended upon the group for five seconds, then everyone began manically tagging Yan Suizhi in unison.

Yan Suizhi had only just gotten off Gu Yan’s space podcar when he saw the conversation in the group chat. He massaged his finger which had gone numb from the buzzing, condescending to glance through the little fools’ discussion online, replying:

-? 

The interns were shaken by this exceptionally cavalier attitude. After being stunned for several seconds, they began to pop out message after message:

-Ruan! Have you read what Henry said yet?

-Is Lawyer Gu really taking the elderly bobblehead case?

-Ruan! Why aren’t you at the firm today! 

-Can you get Lawyer Gu to make up an excuse and send Mr Adams on his way?

Yan Suizhi replied, [Haven’t read, yes, I’m at Spring Ivy, no.]

Everyone sent a long chain of ellipsis.

Yan Suizhi didn’t continue to read what they talked about after that. He closed the interface once sending the reply and walked with Gu Yan, who had locked the car, into the elevator, heading straight to the quarantine station on Level 11. 

At Southcross earlier this morning, Gu Yan had gone to Senior Manager Adams’ office, coming out five minutes later with a signed Request for Representation, leaving Adams alone inside to ram his head into a pillar, desk, and bookcase.

“What were you chatting about just now?” Gu Yan asked.

“We were chatting about whether you’ll drive your senior manager to his grave.” Yan Suizhi smiled, saying, “Hearsay things have already developed to the point that he’s on the verge of washing his head with boiling water.”

Gu Yan, “…” 

It was abnormally busy in the quarantine station, especially with Level 11 being the main floor. There were ten special wards, two research rooms, and a large staff office here. Whenever anyone in the building encountered any problems, they loved to come running over, such that everyone in the lobby and the corridors moved in a blur of action, stirring dust in their wake.

They were only just out of the elevator when they almost collided head-on with a young nurse.

Both of them reacted quickly, gentlemanly holding the nurse’s shoulders, preventing any awkwardness from knocking right into her. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the nurse hastily waved a hand, then called out behind her. “Dr Lin, the lift is here.” 

Dr Lin?

Yan Suizhi looked over after hearing this and caught sight of a familiar figure in a white coat, hurriedly jogging towards the elevator.

Coincidentally, it was Lin Yuan, the doctor who helped them set up the genetic test the other time.

“Eh? The two of you?” Lin Yuan gave a start. “Why did you come over here? The quarantine station isn’t a good place to play around.” 

Perhaps in the aftermath of the episode concerning the doctor in the black market, when Yan Suizhi saw him, he unconsciously checked the other’s eyes first.

Regrettably, they weren’t blue.

“We’re here to meet a client,” Gu Yan said.

“Client?” Lin Yuan asked. “Who?” 

“An infected patient. Surnamed Lee.”

Lin Yuan gave a drawn-out “ah”, and a slightly bizarre expression crossed his face.