CH 7

Little Tu Bao was so scared that his ears are hanging down, how pitiful

“Today’s new product launch is very important, it’s considered as your first big endorsement after your comeback. Xiao Yan, you must look at the script carefully, especially the brand name and the new product model. You definitely must not say the wrong thing.” His manager stuffed two pieces of A4 paper into Tu Yan’s hands, then turned around to urge on the makeup artist and assistant. 

Tu Yan flipped through it casually. At first, he didn’t care much, but his eyes landed on a familiar name, making him stop short.

Gu Chaocheng. 

“It can’t be…” Tu Yan immediately had a headache. He called out for the manager and questioned her, “Is this Hua Sheng’s new product launch?”

The manager was a little baffled by the question, “Yes, what’s wrong?”

“So Gu Chaocheng has to come too?”

“He does. He’s the person in charge and will sit next to you.”

Tu Yan cursed inwardly. The manager was doubtful, “Do you have a conflict with director Gu?”

Tu Yan waved his hand and made a random excuse, “Nothing’s wrong, I just heard he has a bad temper.” 

The manager smiled, “You scared me, I thought something big happened. He’s the local tyrant, you can’t offend him even if his temper is bad. Alright, you can look at it for a few more minutes, then get your hair done. The launch will start at three.” 

When Tu Yan entered the venue, it set off the energetic cheers of fans in the back row. Although he had disappeared for half a year, Tu Yan quickly adjusted to the flashing lights and red carpet. He flashed an appropriate smile, greeting the fans at the site, then a staff guided him to the exclusive seat. 

Gu Chaocheng only arrived when the launch was about to begin. When he saw Tu Yan, he frowned and sat down unwillingly, not even giving a good face to Tu Yan. 

Gu Chaocheng looked like a typical top-grade alpha, gallant and majestic, and had an imposing demeanor. As soon as he appeared, he would immediately become the focus of attention. He and Gu Chenbai were biological brothers that looked the least like biological brothers. Although they had similar eyebrows and eyes, their temperament was quite the opposite. 

“Choosing you as the spokesperson is a mistake made by the advertising department, don’t misunderstand that your love is reciprocated,” The host glowed with enthusiasm while reading out the process of the brand launch, but Gu Chaocheng suddenly spoke, his voice was neither loud nor soft and just right for Tu Yan to hear, “You and Chenbai are already divorced, the Gu family will no longer give you any career support.” 

Tu Yan scoffed lightly, “It’s what I want but can’t get.”  

He and Gu Chaocheng could never deal with each other, because Gu Chaocheng was crazy about taking care of his younger brother. In his eyes, no one was worthy of the perfect Gu Chenbai. From the moment Tu Yan entered the Gu house, he never looked Tu Yan in the eye and could not get along with Tu Yan in all sorts of matters on any other day. 

“Don’t speak too soon. Otherwise, you’d be driven out and reach a tight spot one day, and it’d be difficult to sign a deal to sell yourself to the family.” 

“Don’t worry director Gu, that day won’t come,” Tu Yan turned to face Gu Chaocheng with a fake smile, but there were needles in his eyes, “You don’t have to taunt me like that. No matter how much you look down on me, it wouldn’t change the fact that Gu Chenbai loves me.” 

“Loves you? Where did you get this confidence? You two have already divorced, Chenbai would be starting his new life soon, he’d forget you sooner or later.” 

Tu Yan sat perfectly straight, appearing extremely calm, but his hand was gripping tightly onto the cuff of his shirt in the shadows. 

“Beautiful omegas aren’t easy to find? You’re not the only one in youth films,” Gu Chaocheng sneered, “But you, can you find someone better than Chenbai?”

Tu Yan didn’t say anything. He looked straight ahead, not allowing the reporters in the back row to get any hints. 

Gu Chaocheng spoke again, “I’ve already introduced suitable partners to Chenbai, all of them are more outstanding than you. Oh right, the third lady from HT group had afternoon tea at Chenbai’s house yesterday. You must’ve known that the both of them have a friendship formed from childhood, it’s not impossible to continue on…” 

Tu Yan felt a chord in his brain suddenly snap, the images in front of his eyes turned blurry, and the sound by his ears had become hollow. 

He didn’t know how he went through the whole brand launch event, only remembering that he was like a mechanical human prop. He only smiled when the host asked him to, and only held the phone to take photos when he was told to. 

He forced himself not to think about that person, but failed. 

When Gu Chaocheng was welcomed on the stage by the host, Tu Yan almost couldn’t stand it. Gu Chaocheng’s words were repeating in his ears again and again. 

——You can say you want a divorce and you get a divorce, but why can’t Chenbai fall for someone else? 

Once the launch ended, he left after picking up his coat and car keys. The manager was calling out to him from the back, but he turned a deaf ear on her. 

When he arrived at the door of Gu Chenbai’s house, he turned off the car engine. Accompanied by the heavy rain outside, he leaned over the steering wheel in a daze. 

What was he doing?

Why did he have to come here?

What did he want to see? Or, what did he not want to see?

But his actions moved faster than his brain. Before he could find an answer, he had already gotten out of the car. He keyed in the passcode to open the door and arrived  under the roof of the entrance. 

He knocked on the door twice. Half a minute later, the door opened. 

Gu Chenbai wore dark blue home clothes, and was a little surprised after seeing him, “Tu Bao?”

Just then, Tu Yan heard the sound of porcelain plates knocking against each other in the kitchen, then a woman’s voice called out, “Chenbai? Who’s outside?’ 

The woman’s voice sounded familiar, but it was enveloped by the sound of rain in addition to Tu Yan’s pent-up emotional knot growing thickly at that moment, causing him to not have time to distinguish it. There was only a pale sense of awareness in his mind: Someone else came into his house. 

He felt something in his heart falling quickly, making it hard to breathe. In a rage, he sent Gu Chenbai a death glare. Gu Chenbai didn’t know the reason, but he was afraid Tu Yan would get wet in the rain, so he immediately pulled him inside. Tu Yan wanted to turn around and leave, but Gu Chenbai was stronger than him and he couldn’t struggle free. At the moment he refused to give in, the person from the kitchen walked out.

“It’s Xiao Yan?”

Tu Yan was stunned. He raised his head, and his whole body froze. 

It was Gu Chenbai’s mother. 

Mother Gu was a little surprised when she saw him. She couldn’t help but look toward Gu Chenbai, the smile on her face disappeared as she said lightly, “I thought the two of you didn’t see each other anymore.” 

Gu Chenbai didn’t respond to that and said, “It’s getting late and the rain is getting heavier, you should hurry and go back. Uncle Chen’s car is already at the door.” 

Tu Yan lowered his head and remained so. He didn’t dare to look into mother Gu’s eyes. 

Mother Gu didn’t like Tu Yan as well, but her dislike was different from Gu Chaocheng’s; it was more that she felt heartache for her son. She thought that because of Tu Feihong’s hundreds of millions of debt, Tu Yan would take the responsibility of caring for and accompanying Gu Chenbai, but not only did he not do that, he still bossed Gu Chenbai around and even went so far as to get a divorce willfully. Gu Chenbai grew up from his family’s love, but he had suffered countless wounds with Tu Yan, anyone who saw would feel heartache. 

Tu Yan could understand, so he was ashamed in front of mother Gu. 

Mother Gu didn’t speak for a long time, her eyes shifting between Tu Yan and Gu Chenbai’s faces. She then let out a long sigh. 

“Take good care of yourself, mom will come again another day.” Mother Gu walked out after picking up her bag. 

“I’ll see you out,” Gu Chenbai helped mother Gu pick up an umbrella. 

When he came back, Tu Yan was still standing where he was. After closing the door, Gu Chenbai walked over and reached out his hand to touch Tu Yan’s ear, laughing at him, “Little Tu Bao was so scared that his ears are hanging down, how pitiful.” 

After taking an emotional roller coaster ride, Tu Yan only had complex feelings now, not knowing how he should feel. He pushed Gu Chenbai and wanted to leave too, but Gu Chenbai held onto him.

“Why did you suddenly come over today? You should at least give me a reason right?”

“You care about me?”

“This is my house, do you know this is breaking into someone’s private home?” Gu Chenbai lowered his head and teased him, “Be careful, I’ll call the police.”

Tu Yan didn’t want to pay attention to him. He wanted to throw his arms off and walk away, but suddenly stopped. 

“What’s wrong?”

Gu Chenbai felt something was wrong, so he moved closer, and he suddenly smelled a strong milky scent. He froze, then said, “Tu Bao, your heat is here.”

The string in Tu Yan’s heart instantly snapped. Gu Chenbai was always able to see his most discomfited appearance, it was obvious that he was the one who signed the divorce agreement elegantly and naturally a month ago.  

Tu Yan wanted to leave, but he couldn’t move. 

The next second, Gu Chenbai hugged him from behind. 

When the manager’s phone call came, Tu Yan was on the bed on the second floor, biting the corner of the quilt, his eyes glistening with wetness. 

The alpha who was releasing intensely strong pheromones asked him, “Tu Bao, do you want my temporary mark, or do you want me?”

Tu Yan could only whine “wuwu”, unable to speak. 

Gu Chenbai’s hands were on either side of his neck as he bent down to kiss between Tu Yan’s eyebrows. He then kissed Tu Yan’s lips and said gently, “Tu Bao, don’t blame me, you brought it upon yourself.” 

–

Tu Yan hated being in heat.

Absolutely hated it. 

Because his heat would turn him into a rag doll with no self control and resistance. 

Gu Chenbai’s right leg was crippled, so his sense of balance was unstable. He always had to lean on Tu Yan’s body, and the two would stick too close. 

The expression in Gu Chenbai’s eyes and his tone were too deceitful. So when he revealed the brutal nature of an alpha for the first time in bed, Tu Yan was truly frightened. On one hand, he would always softly call out Tu Bao, extremely warm and gentle, while on the other, he would show no mercy. 

Gu Chenbai’s pheromone level was one of the highest grades among all alphas Tu Yan had met. Tu Yan lacked the power to resist him. 

Although they never went to the hospital to get tested, his pheromone matching value with Gu Chenbai’s should not be low. Otherwise, why would he submit in bed like this?

It’s definitely because of our match value, Tu Yan thought. 

In bed, Gu Chenbai would release the strong and aggressive scent of pheromones, like the fragrance of refined wood that had been stripped and melted into the burning flames, searing and boiling hot. This made Tu Yan feel afraid. The fangs and claws, righteousness and self confidence that he normally carried had all shrunk into a corner. He didn’t allow Gu Chenbai to mark him completely. But Gu CHenbai had many ways to punish him, as though in bed, he was making up for being bullied everyday. 

This was the case before their divorce. After their divorce, the grievance in Gu Chenbai’s heart naturally became worse. 

Just like now, Tu Yan was already exhausted to death as he laid in bed. He couldn’t even lift his hand, but Gu Chenbai still wouldn’t let him go. He bent over to kiss him, laughing at him, “Tu Yan, are you made of water?”

Tu Yan cursed at him hatefully, “Asshole.” 

Gu Chenbai bit his earlobe, then asked the previous question again, “Why did you come to find me today?”

Tu Yan shut his mouth and didn’t answer. 

“Come to steal my clothes again?”

The sound of Gu Chenbai’s gentle laugh entered Tu Yan’s ear. Tu Yan felt his entire body set aflame and he buried his face into the pillow.

“Okay okay okay, I was wrong baobei, I won’t laugh at you anymore,” Gu Chenbai’s hand slowly caressed Tu Yan’s back. Hugging him from behind, he said in his ear, “You can steal all my clothes. In the meantime, steal me away too.” 

Tu Yan didn’t know what to think, his face turned red like soldering iron as he muffled against the pillow, “Get lost.”

……

The rain outside the window had stopped. When the sky was entirely dark, Gu Chenbai gave Tu Yan a temporary mark, allowing this sudden heat period to pass smoothly. 

Tu Yan said he was hungry, so Gu Chenbai went downstairs to cook some congee and brought it up to feed him. Tu Yan was so tired that his eyes couldn’t stay open, but he still ate a small bowl. The second the scoop left his mouth, he fell asleep. 

Gu Chenbai set the bowl aside and climbed into bed, then pulled the cover over Tu Yan before hugging him in his arms and went to sleep. 

When he woke up, the person in his arms was gone, but there was a rustling movement at the foot of the bed. He knew that Tu Yan hadn’t left.

He reached forward to turn on the bedside lamp and saw Tu Yan kneeling at the foot of the bed only wearing his pyjama top, while holding a small towel to wring out water in his hand. Perhaps it was a little hot, Tu Yan changed a few holding methods before opening up the towel. Just as he was about to apply it on Gu Chenbai’s calf, he turned his head and saw that Gu Chenbai had switched on the table lamp, his eyes watching him tenderly. 

“You still remember?”

His calf would hurt when it rained. Using a warm towel compress would relieve it a little.

The first time they went to bed, it was a rainy day as well. After Gu Chenbai finished serving Tu Yan, a person secretly climbed off the bed in the middle of the night. Tu Yan had found out when he was limping to the bathroom to get a cloth towel. He only knew after asking that Gu Chenbai’s leg had flared up in pain and he had been enduring in bed because of saving face. 

Tu Yan wanted to joke that he was overestimating himself, but he took the towel and helped him with the hot water twice. 

After that, it became a habit.

Tu Yan was stunned by Gu Chenbai’s question and thought: this is a bad habit.

He tossed the towel on Gu Chenbai’s leg and got off the bed, then picked up his shirt and changed into it without a word. Before walking out the door, he said to Gu Chenbai on the bed, “Don’t misunderstand that your love is reciprocated, it’s just a one night stand.”

When he strode out of the room, he heard Gu Chenbai’s voice coming out from the room, a little downcasted, “Tu Bao, I will also feel sad when you say such words.”