CH 30

Tu Bao, people are selfish animals

Tu Yan suddenly realized that divorce didn’t seem to be the end to him, but a new beginning. 

His first time confessing, his first time showing weakness…all happened after the divorce. It sounded a little absurd, but because it’s Gu Chenbai, they became natural. 

Tu Yan stuck closely to Gu Chenbai while Gu Chenbai held him, the two of them were quiet. Something like a vine grew inwardly around and upwards, wrapping tightly around them. There wasn’t a sound in the surroundings, like there were only the two of them in the vast universe as they held each other. 

“Tu Bao, what are you afraid of?”

Tu Yan’s eyelashes trembled, he dwelled on for a moment and bit his lip. 

“What did he say that made you so upset? Tell me, okay?” 

Tu Yan looked at Gu Chenbai with red eyes. He struggled for a moment and finally gave up, muttering, “He said your mom and dad won’t accept me.” 

Not waiting for Gu Chenbai to speak, he said, “Your family doesn’t like me, and I can’t make them like me. I haven’t known how to please the elders ever since I was little. I’m probably not suitable for marriage at all, and not suitable to be your wife. Maybe we were wrong from the beginning.”

“Which part is wrong?”

“You actually didn’t have to suffer. If you had gotten married with a gentle and considerate omega, you wouldn’t be stuck in a dilemma now.” 

“But I don’t think I suffered, why do you think I’ve suffered?” Gu Chenbai wiped the tears from Tu Yan’s eyes with his fingers and said seriously, “I’m clearly the most blessed person in the world.”

The hope in Tu Yan’s eyes sharply increased, then he hid timidly. 

“Tu Bao, people are selfish animals. I like you, and it’s not that I don’t want anything in return. If you don’t like me and didn’t make even a little bit of change for me, I wouldn’t hold up until now, “ Gu Chenbai gently caressed Tu Yan’s back, lowered his head to kiss him, then said, “When you subconsciously push me away, I’ll indeed be sad, but later I knew that my little Tu Bao actually doesn’t know how to express love. He has me in his heart, and he will care about me silently. I think everything is worth it.”

Tu Yan’s nose turned sour. He was afraid he would burst into tears again, so he looked away, “Who said in my heart I have-” 

However, he stopped abruptly when the words came to his lips. He glanced at Gu Chenbai with the corner of his eyes and saw Gu Chenbai looking at him with a faint smile on his face. 

He buried his head into Gu Chenbai’s arms, “I’m not saying it anymore.”

Gu Chenbai pulled him out and looked at him, “I’ll deal with my parents, don’t be afraid.”

Tu Yan nodded, “Mm.” 

Gu Chenbai remembered that the elevator button hadn’t been pressed yet. As he was about to reach out, Tu Yan grabbed his hand and hesitated, “What do you want me to do, you tell me. I may not do it well, but I’ll try my best to satisfy your parents.”

Gu Chenbai was speechless for a long time. Tu Yan didn’t dare to look up at him, thinking that the elevator had reached their floor and walked out. However, Gu Chenbai reached out and grasped his hand tightly, gently caressed his face and landed a kiss. 

The kiss was so intense that it made Tu Yan stop breathing for a moment, it was like Gu Chenbai became a different person, Tu Yan’s train of thought was disrupted by him, his soul left his body, and he could only hold Gu Chenbai’s neck like a disoriented drowning person. 

As their kiss went out of hand, the elevator doors suddenly opened. 

Tu Yan could suddenly feel a cold wind come in. He jolted and came to his senses at once. Gu Chenbai’s reaction was a little quicker than his. He held Tu Yan in his arms and blocked his face, then looked to the side impatiently. As he was about to curse out, he saw Gu Chaocheng in his ironed suit standing at the elevator door, his face extremely ugly, plus another twelve points of indisputable rage. 

Gu Chaocheng choked out a few words through his teeth, “In broad daylight, you have no sense of shame!” Then he turned around angrily and left. 

Tu Yan poked his head out from Gu Chenbai’s arms and squinted his eyes, equally angry, “He’s annoying to death!” 

This time, of course, Gu Chenbai wanted to follow whatever he said and immediately echoed, “Yeah, how annoying.”

“Everytime I meet him, I’m filled with bad luck.”

Gu Chenbai smiled, “Don’t see him again in the future.”

“I wish that he can never get a wife!”  

Gu Chenbai thought about their brotherhood, “That’s not good.”

Thinking about his father and mother in law, Tu Yan felt that this curse was indeed a little harsh, so he changed his words and said, “Then I wish that he continues to be alone next year, even if he meets an omega he likes, they wouldn’t like him back!” 

Gu Chenbai said in his heart: Ge, sorry to have wronged you a bit. 

Then he kissed Tu Yan’s forehead muddle-headedly, “Okay.”

Tu Yan was very satisfied with Gu Chenbai’s response. While eating in the office, he even took the initiative to feed Gu Chenbai two spoons of steamed eggs. 

After eating, Gu Chenbai always couldn’t help reaching under the hem of Tu Yan’s shirt and touching his stomach. 

“Is my little bunny full?” 

(T/N: little bunny = xiao tu bao) 

“No,” Tu Yan rolled his eyes, “He says he doesn’t want to eat.”

“Why?” Gu Chenbai nestled onto Tu Yan’s abdomen and planted a kiss. 

“Because he says he’s called little rabbit, not little bunny.”

Gu Chenbai was stunned for a moment. When he reacted, he laughed and said, “Oh, it’s daddy’s fault, daddy forgot Tu Bao is mommy’s exclusive nickname, no one can use it.”

Tu Yan humphed. His leg dangled gently by the sofa as he quietly watched the sky outside the window, turning from orange-red to dark purple, until a deep shade of black. Gu Chenbai worked quietly a few meters away from him. From time to time, a phone call came in, and Tu Yan could hear Gu Chenbai’s pleasant and magnetic voice. He felt that he wished to continue time with nothing more than this. 

After Gu Chenbai dealt with the matter at hand, he put on his coat and reached out to Tu Yan, “Tu Bao, let’s take a walk outside”

He helped Tu Yan put on a mask and scarf before zipping up his cotton-padded jacket all the way to the top. 

Tu Yan slapped his hand impatiently, but Gu Chenbai didn’t go along with it. He persistently tied Tu Yan’s long scarf into a knot, afraid of letting a little bit of wind in. 

Tu Yan held Gu Chenbai’s arm as they went out from the back door of Hua Sheng headquarters. Walking home slowly, they passed a market square on the way. There were a lot of people, a band was performing, and many vendors setting up stalls were selling some small shiny and bright items. 

Tu Yan was worried that someone might bump into Gu Chenbai, so he didn’t really want to come here. As they were about to make a detour, he saw an old granny beside the square carrying a bamboo basket in her hand. She was promoting something similar to a peace talisman in her hand to the passersby, but no one was buying it. 

It was probably due to the influence of the pregnancy hormone that Tu Yan had always been easily sensitive recently. Seeing the lost look on the old granny’s face, he couldn’t help but feel bitter and soft-hearted as he walked up to her unconsciously. 

“Young fellow, do you want to buy a peace talisman? It’s been entrusted with a divinity from Hui Yin temple.” As the old granny watched Tu Yan come closer, she promoted with a smile lit on her face. 

These words were naturally untrue, Tu Yan’s heart was clear about it.  

Gu Chenbai walked over and hugged Tu Yan’s waist, asking him, “Do you want to buy it?”

Tu Yan didn’t speak. Seeing the married-couple appearance of the two people in front of her, the old granny immediately said, “There’s not only a peace talisman, I also have a red string that’s been entrusted with a divinity, take a look, it’s purely hand-knitted, preserves marriage. If you put it on, you will stay together for the rest of your lives.” 

Gu Chenbai smiled in Tu Yan’s ear, “It turns out that Tu Bao wants to be with me for the rest of his life.” 

How on earth would Tu Yan think about such a thing? He instantly blushed and rejected the old granny’s promotion, “Is there a red string for safety protection?” 

“Yes, yes, yes.” 

The old granny quickly took it out of her basket and handed it to Tu Yan, “This is for safety protection. Aren’t the most important things to people good health and being safe wherever one goes?” 

Hearing the words ‘good health’, he couldn’t help but be superstitious and nodded, “Okay, I’ll take two.” 

After Gu Chenbai paid the money, Tu Yan took the red strings from the old granny and put them in his palm as he thought for a moment. 

“It’s better if you put it on for me, and I’ll put it on for you.” Tu Yan said to himself, then nodded his head and ordered, “Stretch out your hand.” 

Gu Chenbai stretched out his hand and lifted it in front of Tu Yan. 

“My safety is placed with you now. Be careful, don’t knock and fall, I won’t spare you.” Tu Yan fastened it around Gu Chenbai, then he lifted his gaze and saw Gu Chenbai watching him tenderly. He twitched his lips unnaturally and pretended to be fierce, “Do you understand?” 

Gu Chenbai lowered his head, gave him a peck, and replied, “As you command.” 

He fastened it around Tu Yan as well and joked, “So wouldn’t it be that my Tu bao won’t be able to fight in the future?” 

Tu Yan bashfully punched Gu Chenbai and quietly spat out, “I’ll beat you in the future.” 

Before leaving, Tu Yan looked back at the old granny and hesitated to take a step. Like a worm in his belly, Gu Chenbai shortly guessed what he was thinking.

“Tu Bao, if you want the marriage talisman, I’ll take you to the temple next time to seriously ask for one.’

Tu Yan didn’t refute this time, and nodded slowly after a while. 

When they reached home, Gu Chenbai kissed Tu Yan again as he pressed him against the entryway. After being carried by Gu Chenbai to take a bath, he was wiped clean and climbed into bed. While lying drowsily in Gu Chenbai’s arms, Tu Yan weakly lifted the quilt, but suddenly realized that something was missing.

He came back to his senses and was awake. 

The red string on his wrist was missing. 

At three o’clock in the morning, Gu Chenbai woke up from his dreams. Before he got up to go to the bathroom, he wanted to touch the person who was sleeping soundly next to him, but he felt an empty space.