Chapter 49

The Gu Family Manor sits halfway up the mountain. Deep into the night, the entire garden lay in slumber.

Only from a certain bedroom on the second floor did strange sounds drift out — faint and indistinct.

Ji Su's legs were long and straight; his pale thighs pressed together, leaving only a narrow gap between them.

The inner thigh is the tenderest, softest flesh on the body — springy as jelly, so that even when pressed down hard enough to sink in, it soon bounces back.

The air-conditioning was on inside, but Ji Su's body temperature kept climbing.

He was drenched in hot sweat, as if just pulled from water; his thighs soaked through with it, growing wetter and wetter, slicker and slicker, so slick they could barely stay pressed together…

He didn't know how long it had been — long enough that he almost thought he would be scalded to ruin — when the large hand at his waist suddenly tightened.

Gu Zhao opened his mouth and bit down on the slight ridge of bone at the back of his neck; his scorching breath spilled across the surface of Ji Su's skin, hot enough to make his very soul tremble.

Like a little lamb seized by the scruff of its neck by some wild beast — nowhere to hide, no road of escape.

After a long moment, Gu Zhao gripped his damp chin and turned his face back for a kiss, the tip of his tongue lapping the fine, dense beads of sweat that had seeped out across Ji Su's face.

A flush of unhealthy red had spread across Ji Su's eyes and brows; kissed until he could only let out a pitiful whimper from his throat…

That whole night, even in his dreams Ji Su felt as though he were held in the embrace of a furnace in human shape.

Especially since inside that furnace there was also a most terrifying fire-poking rod…

*

The next morning, when Ji Su woke, he was the only one left in the bed.

He lay in bed for a while, collecting himself, and was just about to rise when a faint stinging pain shot through the side of his leg.

Ji Su froze, and instinctively looked down at his own leg.

Though medicine had been applied the night before, after a night's sleep the inner thighs were still red and swollen — the skin even broken in places…

While he was still in a daze, Gu Zhao pushed the door open and came in: 'Awake?'

Ji Su immediately pressed his legs together, using so much force that the pain made him draw a soft breath through his teeth.

Gu Zhao walked to the bedside and bent down: 'Let me see.'

'It's nothing.' Ji Su shook his head, refusing to let him look.

Gu Zhao laughed softly: 'I've already touched it — and you still won't let me look?'

Heat rushed to Ji Su's cheeks; he grabbed the pillow beside him and threw it at Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao caught the pillow with a laugh, set it aside, and his large hand cupped the soft hollow of Ji Su's knee, gently parting his legs to examine him carefully.

Apparently unused to being watched like this, the flesh of his thigh trembled faintly of its own accord; even the small red mole at his side seemed to flush a deeper red.

'The skin's been rubbed raw.' Gu Zhao's eyes darkened; in a tone that was hard to read, he said, 'Poor thing.'

Ji Su shrank back: 'It's all because you're too—'

Gu Zhao lifted a brow: 'Too what?'

Ji Su refused to finish the sentence: 'Move aside — I need to wash up.'

Gu Zhao turned and pulled open the nightstand, taking out a tube of ointment: 'Let me put some more medicine on for you.'

'No.' Ji Su reached for the ointment. 'I'll do it myself.'

Gu Zhao took the opportunity to press him down onto the bed and kissed him hard.

Ji Su raised his hands to cover his lips: 'I haven't brushed my teeth yet.'

'Doesn't matter — you smell good.' Gu Zhao kept kissing the back of his hand, then trailed from his hand to his ear.

The two of them carried on like this on the bed for a good while early in the morning; in the end, Ji Su ran out of strength and had his legs parted anyway, the ointment applied.

Because the skin on the side of his leg had been broken, once he put on trousers the fabric chafed against it with a sharp sting as he walked.

'If it were just the two of us at home, you could wear a skirt.' Gu Zhao said, unhurried. 'A skirt wouldn't create any friction.'

Ji Su glared at him: 'I'm not wearing a skirt — if anyone should, it's you.'

Gu Zhao laughed, his meaning unclear: 'Oh?'

Once they had tidied themselves up, the two went downstairs together to the front hall.

The moment he stepped inside, Ji Su found everyone neatly seated around the dining table.

He was immediately embarrassed, and asked in a small voice: 'Why didn't you wake me up?'

Gu Zhao reached out and pinched his waist, replying in a low voice: 'I saw how tired you were last night and wanted to let you sleep a little longer.'

Ji Su: '…'

He slapped away the unruly large hand, walked quickly forward, and said apologetically: 'I'm sorry — I got up too late.'

'No matter — you young people sleeping soundly is a blessing.' Old Master Gu said with a smile. 'Wait until you're my age; you won't be able to sleep even when you want to.'

'That's right — we only just got up ourselves not long ago.' Gu Chen called out. 'Don't stand there, Xiao Ji — sit down and have breakfast with us.'

Ji Su answered: 'All right.'

Gu Zhao walked over and pulled out his chair for him.

After breakfast, Gu Chen and Gu Xueyao went off to the company, and Old Master Gu called Gu Zhao aside into the study for a private word.

The lady of the Gu family was afraid Ji Su would be bored alone, and offered to take him for a walk around the garden.

Ji Su couldn't bear to refuse her kindness, and agreed with a smile: 'Then I'll trouble you, dasao.'

The two of them walked through the garden, one ahead of the other; the lady of the Gu family spoke in a gentle, soft voice, with the graceful warmth of a Jiangnan woman, patiently and carefully introducing everything to him one by one.

As they chatted, the subject turned once again to Gu Zhao.

'Actually, when we saw Xiao Wu bring you home this time, we were all especially surprised.' The lady of the Gu family said with a smile. 'Given his temperament, we all thought he'd stay single forever.'

'Gu Zhao, he…' Ji Su hesitated. 'Has he always been like this, since he was little?'

The lady of the Gu family was silent for a moment, then asked: 'Su Su, do you know about Xiao Wu's parents?'

'Gu Zhao told me a little.' Ji Su replied honestly. 'I only know his parents passed away when he was young.'

The lady of the Gu family sighed: 'That is true — but it's far from the whole story.'

The Gu family's only daughter, Gu Sheng, had a beauty twenty-some years ago that was enough to bring half the city to its knees.

Among the swarms of suitors — as many as carps crossing the river — the one who won Gu Sheng's favor was an unknown, penniless young man: Gu Zhao's biological father.

But this was no ordinary tale of a rich girl and a poor boy; just as Old Master Gu gave his nod of approval, the young man was in a car accident and died despite all attempts to save him.

At that time, Gu Sheng was already carrying Gu Zhao in her womb.

Gu Sheng was grief-stricken to the point of collapse, fainting again and again; fortunately, Zhou Junning — someone she had known since childhood — stayed by her side the whole time, helping her, encouraging her, accompanying her through those difficult days.

A few months later, Gu Sheng gave birth to Gu Zhao.

Zhou Junning treated this child as his very own, attending to everything personally — more thorough than a biological father could have been.

Gu Sheng saw every bit of it with her own eyes, and the child did need a father — so when Zhou Junning proposed to her once more, she said yes.

Who could have guessed that it was all Zhou Junning's scheme and disguise.

A few years into the marriage, Zhou Junning had gotten what he wanted and began to neglect Gu Sheng; toward Gu Zhao, his disgust was impossible to conceal.

Gu Sheng finally realized, belatedly, that she and the child were nothing more than a chess piece in his hands.

An even more devastating blow: Gu Sheng learned by chance that her former lover's car accident had also been orchestrated by Zhou Junning.

Under the double blow, Gu Sheng's spirit shattered completely; she wanted to drag Zhou Junning down with her, but fate was cruel — she lost her own life, while Zhou Junning went on living, perfectly fine.

'That man put on such a good act that everyone was fooled.' Even today, when Madam Gu recalls those days, she still feels a chill run down her spine. 'Back then, Old Master and Old Madam were lost in the grief of losing their daughter and had no time to look after their grandson — so he began tormenting the young Xiao Wu.'

Ji Su suddenly remembered something, and couldn't bear to hear what came next.

'That beast abused Xiao Wu, locked him in a pitch-dark basement.' Madam Gu grew angrier as she spoke. 'By the time Old Master thought to bring him back, the child was already skin and bones — barely a breath away from death.'

Ji Su's heart felt as though it had been struck hard with a sledgehammer; the dull ache made it almost impossible to breathe.

'Don't bother trying to please someone who doesn't like you.'

Young Gu Zhao must have tried with all his might to win over that nominal father, only to earn more disgust and abuse in return.

'I'm used to sleeping with the light on.'

Locked in that lightless basement, how frightened and helpless he must have been...

After a while, Ji Su and Madam Gu walked back along the path, and happened to meet Gu Zhao coming to find them.

'Only apart for a little while and Xiao Wu's already come looking?' Madam Gu teased gently. 'Just as you'd expect from a couple in the throes of young love.'

Gu Zhao reached out and wrapped an arm around Ji Su's waist, replying lightly: 'Sao zi, you and Da ge have been married for all these years and your honeymoon period still hasn't ended either.'

'Having a partner really does change a person — you say nicer things now.' Madam Gu laughed. 'Alright, I won't disturb you two.'

After watching the elder sister-in-law walk away, Gu Zhao turned his face: 'What did my sao zi say to you?'

'Nothing really.' Ji Su blinked his lashes, his tone innocent as he countered: 'Is there something you're afraid I'd find out?'

'Nothing.' Gu Zhao pinched the soft, fair flesh of his cheek. 'Whatever you want to know, just come ask me.'

Ji Su held his gaze for a few seconds, then rose slightly on his toes and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

The 'mwah' was loud enough that even he blushed.

Gu Zhao stood perfectly still — clearly stunned by the kiss.

Ji Su found his hand and slipped his own into it: 'After lunch, are we going home?'

Gu Zhao came back to himself, locked their fingers together, and repeated softly: 'Mm, after we eat, we go home.'

*

After lunch, Gu Zhao drove them back the way they had come.

By the time they arrived home it was already evening; Ji Su had received a last-minute notice, so he went to his room and turned on the computer to handle some rendering images.

When he came out of the bedroom again, Gu Zhao was already preparing dinner.

Ji Su padded over in his slippers, rested his chin on the broad shoulder, and asked softly: 'What are we having for dinner?'

Gu Zhao turned and kissed him: 'Eating you.'

The tips of Ji Su's ears flushed slightly, but he didn't pull away: 'I'm being serious.'

Gu Zhao nuzzled him with his high-bridged nose and replied: 'I'm being pretty serious too.'

After dinner, Ji Su went to the bathroom to shower first.

When Gu Zhao came out of his own shower, he saw the person sitting on his bed — wearing a loose shirt on top, its hem reaching the base of his thighs, with black underwear barely visible beneath.

Two slender, fair legs were folded up; the marks on the inner thighs had not faded, and if anything looked a touch redder.

Ji Su looked up at the sound: 'Done with your shower?'

'Mm.' Gu Zhao answered, his gaze — fathomless and dark — settling on his legs. 'Why aren't you wearing pants?'

The roots of Ji Su's ears went hot, and he explained softly: 'The fabric rubbing still hurts a bit...'

'Then what should we do?' Gu Zhao walked to the bed, his lowered gaze fixed there. 'Want me to help soothe it?'

Ji Su asked, bewildered: 'How would you soothe it?'

Gu Zhao laughed: 'With my saliva.'

Ji Su: '...'

He knew it — nothing that came out of this man's mouth was ever proper!

'What made you willing to come to my room tonight?' Gu Zhao sat on the bed, the soft mattress dipping slightly. 'Not afraid I'll eat you up?'

Hearing that, Ji Su was still a little afraid, his soft voice sounding almost coquettish: 'My legs still hurt...'

'So delicate.' Gu Zhao laughed low. 'Come here and get kissed.'

Tonight, Ji Su was unusually pliant — letting himself be kissed however Gu Zhao wished, an obedient picture of yielding to every demand.

Gu Zhao knew why he was like this, but there were still things he didn't know.

The little boy locked in that basement actually hadn't found it quite so unbearable — because there was a small window that connected to the neighbors' house next door.

In the darkness, he could always hear that piano piece — the only sound in his silent world.

Until the day Old Master Gu came to take him out of the basement, when the car passed by the neighbors' house, he saw a small figure sitting by the window, tirelessly playing that same piano piece.

Later he tried to go back and find the little girl who played the Piano, only to learn that the neighbors had emigrated — no trace of them anywhere.

Many years later, he still clearly remembered every detail of that fleeting glimpse — the little girl with shoulder-length hair, skin white as snow, eyes as large as a doll's, lips as pretty as flower petals.

So much so that when he first met Ji Su at School, he couldn't help but look twice.

Only Gu Zhao hadn't expected at first that the little girl in his memory was actually a little boy — the long hair that year was simply because his parents had been too busy arguing over their divorce to look after him, and had sent him to stay with his grandmother for a while.

A spark of fire lit in Gu Zhao's dark, bright eyes; his long-boned fingers parted the wet, reddened lips, and he asked in a hoarse voice: 'May I?'

Ji Su was already dizzy from the kissing; coaxed into taking a little, then spitting it back out, he whimpered and burrowed straight into Gu Zhao's arms.

Gu Zhao clenched his molars hard, but in the end couldn't bring himself to force anything.

He tightened his embrace with all his strength and murmured: 'Long before you knew me, you had already saved me.'

The gears of fate, more than a decade later, finally clicked into place.