OCY - Chapter 34

Chapter 34 - You Care About Me the Most

Shen Shaoyan woke up on the sofa with a sore back. After a moment, he opened his eyes, rubbing his waist while looking around. Ji Linxue was gone, and Gu Hengzhi wasn't there either.

What time is it? They still hadn't finished their meeting?

He glanced at the time and instantly looked horrified. How was it already past five o'clock! It was almost time to get off work!

Just then, a rhythmic knock sounded at the door. The secretary's voice came through the door panel, "Mr. Gu, would you like me to order dinner for you?"

Shen Shaoyan walked over and opened the door, "He's not here."

The secretary's face instantly turned incredibly scared. Her hand trembling, she pointed to the office, "...But Mr. Gu hasn't come out since he went in."

Shen Shaoyan's face was pale. His voice trembled, "...When did he go in?"

How did he not know!

Shen Shaoyan comforted himself, maybe he was too deeply asleep and didn't hear. He asked the secretary, "Is there a rest area inside?"

"Yes," the secretary pointed. "It's over there."

Shen Shaoyan walked in the direction she pointed and gently pulled open the door. Seeing the two people lying inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The next second, that released breath was sharply drawn back in!

No, he wasn't mistaken, was he? Heng Ge and Xiaoxue were sleeping together, even hugging?

Heaven knows how much of a clean freak Ji Linxue was, and how much Gu Hengzhi disliked others getting close. Ji Linxue would even scold him for putting an arm on his shoulder, saying he smelled of sweat.

An idea suddenly struck Shen Shaoyan, reminding him of the possibility he most easily overlooked. Could these two be...?

Realizing this, his whole face turned pale and then red, like a colorful palette.

Behind him, the secretary asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is someone inside?"

Shen Shaoyan's hand trembled, and he slammed the door shut with a bang, explaining guiltily, "Yeah, he's still sleeping. We shouldn't disturb him."

Saying this, he hastily pulled the secretary away.

In the rest area, Shen Shaoyan closing the door made a loud noise, waking the person sleeping soundly. Ji Linxue groggily opened his eyes. Before he could figure out what was happening, his attention was drawn by the sensation on his body.

A hand was resting on his waist, a broad palm tightly holding his side. It was a posture of extreme possessiveness. A ticklish sensation came from the back of his neck, likely someone's hair. Warm breaths sprayed onto his exposed skin, and in just a moment, that area felt hot.

Ji Linxue's ears turned crimson. Besides Gu Hengzhi, he couldn't think of anyone else who would be lying on this bed.

It wasn't the scent on the blankets anymore, but a living person, his warm fragrance tightly enveloping him.

He had never had such intimate contact with anyone else. His voice was unsteady, even stuttering, "Gu, Gu Hengzhi..."

The person behind him was breathing steadily, showing no sign of movement, still in deep sleep.

Ji Linxue gritted his teeth, slowly extended his left hand, wanting to remove the hand from his waist. But unexpectedly, as soon as he touched the back of the hand, the large palm immediately tightened, pulling him even closer into the embrace.

They wore few clothes in the summer. Through the thin shirt, he felt the firm chest muscles. Gu Hengzhi's body was very hot, like a beast poised to strike, every muscle tightly coiled.

Not only that, but he also felt something behind him slowly rise, pressing directly against his thigh.

Ji Linxue's face instantly turned bright red. Although he had seen it and knew Gu Hengzhi was exceptionally gifted in that regard, experiencing it so directly was a first.

He suddenly pulled away Gu Hengzhi's hand. Before the person behind him could react, he threw off the blanket and stood up, then tossed the blanket back onto Gu Hengzhi, covering his lower body.

Gu Hengzhi seemed to have just woken up, his voice hoarse, "What's wrong?"

As soon as the words fell, he also realized something was off. His gaze swept over Ji Linxue's face, which was as red as a cherry, and his eyes, which were glistening with moisture. His eyes darkened, "Sorry."

"You sort yourself out," Ji Linxue didn't pay attention to his expression. He hurriedly left the rest area, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

The rest area had a restroom and a shower. Gu Hengzhi quickly took care of things and changed his clothes before coming out.

Ji Linxue and Shen Shaoyan were sitting on the reception sofa, one on the left, one on the right. Both seemed lost in thought, staring blankly into space, not even noticing he had come out.

"Let's go," he said, calling the two people immersed in their own worlds back to reality.

Shen Shaoyan was the first to walk out. He walked quickly, leaving the other two behind in no time.

Ji Linxue lowered his head. His face was still very red. The heat that had finally subsided rose again after seeing Gu Hengzhi.

He inadvertently glanced towards Gu Hengzhi and met a thick, intense gaze.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly quickened his pace.

Looking at his back, Gu Hengzhi didn't say anything. He called his assistant over, gave some work instructions, then unhurriedly left the office.

He was in a great mood. The short half-hour rest had swept away the fatigue of the past few days, and the doubts in his heart had been resolved.

A normal straight guy wouldn't have that kind of reaction.

Shen Shaoyan got into the car first. He held his phone, constantly sending messages to Lu Yu.

[Silence is Golden : Holy crap! Guess what I saw?]

[Silence is Golden : You'll never guess!]

[SilenceisGolden : I really want to tell everyone, but I can't, ahhh!]

Lu Yu was reading in the library and normally wouldn't have bothered with him, but seeing him so persistent, it was truly unreasonable not to reply.

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Oh.]

Shen Shaoyan, "..."

He gritted his teeth and protested for the Nth time—

[SilenceisGolden : Don’t be so cold! You killed my urge to share anything!]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Alright, what did you see?]

Shen Shaoyan was truly easy to appease. His words were quickly coaxed out.

[SilenceisGolden : I saw Xiaoxue and Heng Ge sleeping together! Heng Ge was hugging him! Heng Ge seemed to be kissing Xiaoxue's neck!]

After sending this message, he nervously held his phone, waiting for Lu Yu's reply. If Lu Yu knew, he would definitely be as shocked as he was, right?

It would be fine if it were anyone else, but this was Gu Hengzhi and Ji Linxue...

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : ...]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Anything else?]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : That's it?]

The three consecutive messages made him a little dumbfounded.

[SilenceisGolden : ??? Aren't you surprised?]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Isn't this very normal? Anything else? If not, I'm going back to reading.]

Shen Shaoyan felt his worldview constantly collapsing. Was he the only one who thought it was abnormal?

Why was this happening...?

But he didn't dare to tell anyone else about this, so he could only continue to harass Lu Yu.

[SilenceisGolden : Actually, I think they might be gay. Don't tell Heng Ge, just pretend I misunderstood.]

He was a playboy with a lot of experience and insight. There were people in his circles who liked the same sex, so it wasn't rare. He hadn't considered this possibility for the two of them at first because they both seemed too straight.

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Oh, me too.]

Shen Shaoyan, "???"

He read this message over and over again, completely unwilling to accept that possibility.

[SilenceisGolden : Haha, you mean you misunderstood too, right?]

However, Lu Yu's answer was destined to disappoint him.

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : I mean, I'm also gay. G-A-Y, got it?]

Shen Shaoyan completely collapsed.

[SilenceisGolden : Why did you never tell me!]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : You never asked.]

I'm going to fight all you gay people!!

Shen Shaoyan's face was contorted in the car. Just then, Ji Linxue opened the car door and glanced at him indifferently.

Shen Shaoyan instantly put on a fake smile, even nodding friendly.

Ji Linxue, "?"

He went directly to the passenger seat. Not long after, Gu Hengzhi came down and sat in the back with Shen Shaoyan.

Ji Linxue looked straight ahead, not glancing at Gu Hengzhi the entire time.

Shen Shaoyan was still typing away on his phone. He had already gotten over the initial shock. He still had many questions to ask.

[SilenceisGolden : When did you become gay? How come I didn't know?]

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Like I’d let you know, You big loudspeaker.]

Alright, he admitted he talked a lot, but he wouldn't spread his friends' privacy everywhere.

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : Probably knew when I was in junior high and reading books.]

Shen Shaoyan hesitated for a long time, "...Then Heng Ge and Xiaoxue too?"

Seeing that scene today, he was just guessing, he couldn't be sure.

[Little Fish Eats Big Fish : I wasn't sure before, but now I can tell you, 100% yes.]

After returning home, the three tacitly avoided mentioning what had happened. Ji Linxue cooked corn and pork rib soup, garlic shrimp, and cilantro beef for dinner.

They cleared the dishes. Perhaps after eating, Shen Shaoyan regained his energy and said excitedly, "Want to go out and have fun tonight?"

"No," Ji Linxue's mind was in chaos right now. After finishing the chores, he returned to his room, looking dejected and in poor spirits.

Gu Hengzhi also refused, "I still have work to deal with."

Shen Shaoyan was unsuccessful and could only go find his shady friends to hang out with. The lights in the private room were dazzling. He drank a few sips of alcohol, and as the alcohol settled in, his thoughts became confused.

Coincidentally, Su Muqing called. He answered without thinking.

Hearing the noisy background on the other end of the phone, Su Muqing thought this guy had indeed forgotten what he promised her and was still out messing around.

"When are you arrange what you said last time?"

Shen Shaoyan burped, "Huh? What thing?"

Su Muqing was so angry she wished she could run to the other end of the phone and hit him. Her tone was impatient, “When are you going to help me ask Gu Hengzhi out?”

Oh, Shen Shaoyan remembered, "That's not something I can arrange just because I want to. Heng Ge is a very busy man now. I even have to make an appointment to visit his company."

Of course, this was a lie, but he was a master at lying on the spot.

Su Muqing naturally didn't believe him, "How could that be!"

Shen Shaoyan continued to haggle with her, "Really. If you don't believe me, go ask Heng Ge. He's really busy right now. It's been ages since he's come out to play with us. Do you think everyone is as idle as we are?"

Su Muqing was so angry she hung up the phone.

For a period after that, Shen Shaoyan didn't receive her calls. It seemed she was genuinely angry.

But he felt that she would definitely find other ways to approach Gu Hengzhi.

After summer passed, it was a short autumn, and soon, it turned into a biting winter.

Ji Linxue no longer knew which day it was since he arrived in this world. The north wind howled. After the final exams ended, he returned to A City with his suitcase.

A City was not much different from when he left. Before the Spring Festival arrived, Gu Hengzhi's birthday came first.

He couldn't afford something too expensive, and something too cheap wouldn't be presentable. Ji Linxue simply chose a middle ground, selecting a pair of sneakers worth a few thousand yuan, and ordered them online, filling in Gu Hengzhi's address.

Gu Hengzhi said thank you after receiving them, and then there was no follow-up.

Perhaps it was because he was busy with work, or perhaps he didn't want to reply.

But this sense of distance made Ji Linxue feel much more comfortable. He no longer deliberately recalled what happened that day, feeling as if nothing much had changed from before.

After the winter break ended, he returned to school and also became busy with his own matters. Following his teacher to work on projects, participating in competitions, taking certification exams, and a series of other things kept him swamped.

If it weren't for Shen Shaoyan mentioning it, he wouldn't have known he hadn't seen Gu Hengzhi in over a month.

The next time he heard news of Gu Hengzhi was on the business page. Among the newly rising companies in the internet industry, topping the list was Hengchuang Technology, the company Gu Hengzhi founded.

In addition, he also heard about Gu Fengyan going to prison, even being involved in a major corruption case. Gu Corporation's internal affairs had become a chaotic mess. No one could stabilize the situation, and it was gradually going downhill.

With the fall of the Gu family, rival families like the Lu family and the Su family swarmed in, devouring and dividing Gu Corporation's market share.

Except for the lifelessness of the Gu family, other families were all in a jubilant mood.

For this, the Su family even held a private banquet at their old mansion, inviting many people. Ostensibly, it was to celebrate Su Muqing's nineteenth birthday, but Ji Linxue remembered that her birthday was clearly over a month away. Moreover, Su Muqing had even invited him.

No matter how he thought about it, something wasn't right.

The banquet was scheduled for seven in the evening. At six o'clock, Ji Linxue finally saw Gu Hengzhi. He seemed to have just returned from a business trip, looking dusty and tired, but his eyes were very bright, staring intently at Ji Linxue.

"Long time no see."

Ji Linxue smiled, "It's only been a month."

Gu Hengzhi hummed in agreement, still couldn't help but stare at him.

For him, this past month felt like years. The company was in a growth phase, with countless matters to handle every day, and many decisions requiring his personal attention. 

He was so busy he was losing track of time. Sometimes he would fall asleep while looking at documents, not even having time to reply to Ji Linxue's messages.

Ji Linxue helped him adjust his clothes. Seeing that Shen Shaoyan and Lu Yu had also arrived, he said, "Shall we go?"

The four of them took two cars separately. Shen Shaoyan and Lu Yu in one, and Gu Hengzhi and Ji Linxue in the one behind.

The Su family's old mansion was built on a mountain in the suburbs, with clear streams and beautiful scenery.

Winding up the mountain road, they soon reached their destination.

The car stopped at the entrance of the old mansion. The four got out. Not far after walking, they were stopped by two figures, one large and one small.

Ji Linxue hadn't seen Lin Muxin in several years. Seeing her again, her appearance hadn't changed much, she was still young and beautiful, but her face was much more gaunt, and her attire wasn't as exquisite as usual.

Her eyes were red, and she wore a white dress, looking very much like a white rabbit with red eyes. Her voice was sharp, "Gu Hengzhi! How could you do this to your father? He provided for you, clothed you, raised you all this time, and this is how you treat him?"

Other attendees of the banquet around them all looked over, their faces showing they were ready for a show.

Gu Hengzhi didn't even spare them a glance. He said to Ji Linxue, "Let's go in."

Shen Shaoyan proactively stepped forward, standing beside Gu Hengzhi, and said impolitely, "Auntie, your makeup is smeared. Don't come out and scare people."

Lin Muxin was startled and touched her face. She had clearly used waterproof makeup, how could it be?

Seeing that she actually believed him, Shen Shaoyan laughed without restraint, "Sorry, I lied to you."

Gu Zixi ran up to Shen Shaoyan, saying angrily, "You can't talk about my mom like that!"

"Who do you think you are?" Although Shen Shaoyan was unreliable in front of them, he had been spoiled since childhood. His arrogant and overbearing manner was quite intimidating, "If you dare to act up in front of this young master again, I'll knock you both out with one punch, you and your mom won't get away!"

Gu Zixi was so scared he cried on the spot. He turned to look at Gu Hengzhi, clenching his fists, his eyes filled with tears, like a little red-eyed rabbit, "I'm never calling you Gege again, you bad guy! Dad is so good, why are you treating him like this!"

Gu Hengzhi watched the farce coldly. Seeing the crowd of onlookers increasing, he exchanged a look with Lu Yu. The latter understood and quickly called for bodyguards to escort Lin Muxin and Gu Zixi out.

Watching the two being led away by bodyguards, Shen Shaoyan made a gesture of spitting, "How unlucky. How did they get in?"

"You'll have to ask the Su family about that. I refuse to believe their bodyguards are that useless, letting people who aren't invited sneak in," Lu Yu said coldly. "They can't even hide their fox tails this quickly."

With the fall of the Gu family, the Lu and Su families became the biggest competitors. Getting to watch a good show for free was naturally something the Su family eagerly welcomed.

Ji Linxue thought for a moment, then suddenly chased after them. Lin Muxin had stopped cursing and was muttering something outside the courtyard wall.

Ji Linxue walked over and happened to hear a sentence she said—

"Impossible. It was clearly a sanatorium, how could it be prison?"

His steps froze in place. He thought, 'as expected'. The words he had coaxed out of Gu Zixi's mouth that time made him realize that Lin Muxin must have had dreams about the original novel and firmly believed them.

In the original novel, she and Gu Fengyan's fate was being locked up in a sanatorium by Gu Hengzhi. Now, the plot had changed.

Lin Muxin hadn't noticed him yet, but Gu Zixi had already turned his head. He was like a ruffled little lion, bristling with defense.

"You're a bad guy too! Don't go near my mom!"

Ji Linxue didn't plan to argue with a child and turned to leave.

But the child's sharp voice suddenly came from behind, "Dad and Mom are right, Gu Hengzhi is a jinx! No wonder his mom didn't want him!"

A surge of anger rose from his chest, instantly spreading throughout his limbs. Ji Linxue turned his head, staring at him with an extremely cold gaze, as if looking at a dead person, "Gu Hengzhi is very good. Your whole family isn't worthy of talking about him, especially you."

"You received all the love and grew up carefree, yet he suffered coldness and harshness, even being wronged repeatedly because of your own mistakes. By what right can you stand on the moral high ground and talk about him with a clear conscience?"

Gu Zixi was startled and quickly ran behind Lin Muxin.

Lin Muxin snapped back to reality and fiercely shielded the person behind her, "What do you want to do to my son?"

Ji Linxue walked closer step by step, his voice dangerous, "I don't hit women and children, but the premise is that you don't cross my bottom line."

"You'd better control your son, otherwise..."

His gaze slowly moved to Gu Zixi's leg. In the original novel, Gu Hengzhi's leg was injured by the kidnappers while saving this ungrateful person, leaving permanent sequelae.

Lin Muxin could tell he was serious and quickly pulled Gu Zixi and ran.

Ji Linxue watched them leave for a long time. Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "So fierce."

Ji Linxue was stunned for a moment, then turned his head. All the coldness that hadn't dissipated from his eyes fell into Gu Hengzhi's eyes. The latter's gaze darkened, and he stepped forward, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him into an embrace.

A large palm gently patted his back, "Don't be angry anymore. Why bother with people like that?"

Ji Linxue felt extremely uncomfortable with the sensation on his back. He endured it, and still, a blush spread to his earlobes, "I can't stand hearing them curse you."

Gu Hengzhi chuckled softly, "I know."

"You care about me the most."

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