Chapter 36

Rain leaked in through the window crack, drip-drip, making it hard to settle.

Gu Yunchi propped one hand on the desk edge, watching Wen Ran with a calm face: “What reason.”

“You gave me a model, I'm really happy.” What was actually more precious than receiving a precious gift was that this gift came from Gu Yunchi. Wen Ran said, “And we haven't seen each other in half a month, right?”

Gu Yunchi said: “Not convincing enough.”

“Not enough?” Wen Ran was surprised. “Then what do I do? I really, really want to hug you right now.”

Gu Yunchi said: “That's enough now.”

Didn't understand how it suddenly became enough again, suspected he was just messing with him, but Wen Ran didn't mind. That lingering excitement pushed him to reach out and wrap his arms around Gu Yunchi's neck, hugging him, even knocking him back a little, the desk making a soft thump.

Upper bodies pressed together, Wen Ran clearly felt the chest vibrating—heartbeat, couldn't tell if it was his or Gu Yunchi's.

Face buried in Gu Yunchi's shoulder and neck, Wen Ran's nose tip pressed against the skin on his side neck, unconsciously nuzzled twice, sincerely said: “You're the number one good person in Capital City.”

Gu Yunchi held his waist with one hand, the other reaching from between their bodies to the side of his neck, pushing Wen Ran's face away, tsked: “Don't talk so close.”

Took a breath against his palm, Wen Ran pressed his face against it, leaned against Gu Yunchi's shoulder looking up, looking at his lips, nose tip, and eyes, finally seeing Gu Yunchi's dark pupils gently turning to gaze down, lashes casting a shadow like tonight's rain.

While looking at each other, the arm around his waist tightened a bit, that swelling feeling in his chest being squeezed, Wen Ran had a more excessive thought.

Just as he was about to act on it, in a flash, from deep in his memory some blurry, fragmented images very similar to the present moment suddenly emerged—except in bed, he was pressed against Gu Yunchi's neck, speaking very close to his ear, and Gu Yunchi's hand was on his waist.

Startled, Wen Ran let go, stepped back, his face temperature rising sharply.

Gu Yunchi also let go, propped his hand back on the desk edge, said: “You flip faster than turning a page.”

“No... I thought of something.” The scene was too real, not like a dream, but he really didn't have complete real memories. Wen Ran said, “Must have been a dream, I mixed it up.”

“What did you dream about.”

“Nothing.” Wen Ran would guard this secret to the death, absolutely couldn't let Gu Yunchi know he'd dreamed of this kind of intimate scene. He urgently changed the subject, “Is your trip over?”

“Leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“Going again so soon.” Wen Ran sat on the bed edge, to hide his emotions he just lay down, “Did you have fun?”

Gu Yunchi walked to the foot of the bed, looked down at Wen Ran's face: “It was fine.”

“Then I wish you more fun.” Thought about it, Wen Ran asked, “Which university are you planning to attend, will you go abroad?”

Quiet, Gu Yunchi turned his head to look at the desk, after a moment answered: “Not sure yet.”

“Grandpa Gu should respect your thoughts, let you choose yourself, right? I still don't know what university my mom will want me to attend.”

Gu Yunchi turned back, suddenly leaned down, gripped Wen Ran's face and turned it toward himself, firm but not rough, stared into his eyes: “You listen to her about everything, are you being her son or her dog.”

Wen Ran was a bit startled, pushed Gu Yunchi's arm, couldn't move it, asked in a muffled voice: “What's wrong with you?”

After a few seconds of eye contact, Gu Yunchi let go, Wen Ran sat up and looked up at him: “Are you angry because I have no opinions of my own?”

Even if Gu Yunchi answered 'yes', Wen Ran didn't plan to argue back, because he couldn't reveal that he'd already spent many years under Chen Shuhui's control like this, so he could only accept that he appeared to others as a spineless loser with no self-awareness.

“You're not without opinions.” Gu Yunchi reached out, the curve of his palm fitting right around Wen Ran's neck, “There's an iron chain tied around your neck.”

Wen Ran stared at him blankly, Gu Yunchi continued: “When you decide to break free, you can tell me, I'll help you.”

He didn't spell it out, but Wen Ran understood—his lack of control, being at someone else's mercy, seemed to have already been noticed.

But that should be all, if Gu Yunchi had really found any substantive evidence, the Gu Family would probably have sent people to wipe them out already.

“Just proves you're missing half a brain.” Seeing Wen Ran wooden and unable to speak, Gu Yunchi straightened up, “I'm heading back, you hug the model and sleep.”

Wen Ran finally found his voice: “I'll walk you out.”

“Wait for me, I'll put the model in the wardrobe first.” He stood up, went to open the wardrobe door, then went to the desk to close the Model Box, carefully picked it up.

The wardrobe only had a few sets of formal wear and a few old T-shirts, Wen Ran put the Model Box in, then lifted the folded pants at the bottom, revealing the hidden Computer, he turned to Gu Yunchi and said: “Look, the Computer is hidden here too.”

Gu Yunchi glanced at the Computer, then looked at Wen Ran, but Wen Ran had already turned back, only leaving the back of his head. He busily tried to cover the Model Box with pants too, ultimately unsuccessful, had to stand up and close the cabinet door: “Tomorrow I'll find some winter clothes to cover it.”

Seeing Gu Yunchi watching him without speaking, Wen Ran belatedly realized his various behaviors probably looked very shabby and petty in the other's eyes, he pressed his lips together, awkwardly smiled at Gu Yunchi, slightly ingratiating.

“Didn't want family to know you gave me things, that's why I hid them.” Wen Ran said, “No other meaning.”

“I'm not you, my brain is intact.”

Wen Ran nodded in agreement, went to open the room door.

Before going down the stairs, Wen Ran fumbled for the wall light switch, but Gu Yunchi brushed past and was about to keep walking. Afraid he'd be unfamiliar with the terrain and step into empty air and fall down the stairs, Wen Ran hastily reached out to block, just grabbing Gu Yunchi's wrist, held tight, whispered: “Wait for me to turn on the light before walking.”

Click, the wall light came on, pale yellow light eerily illuminating the dark brown wooden stairs, looking down, gloomy like stairs leading to hell. Gu Yunchi said: “Your house really has ghosts.”

Already nervous from the secret rendezvous, Wen Ran immediately shivered, gripped Gu Yunchi's wrist tighter, forcibly suppressing fear, seriously declared in a low voice: “No, there can't be ghosts, I'm a materialist.”

“There are four.” Gu Yunchi said slowly while going down the stairs, “One sitting on the sofa, two hanging from the chandelier.”

Wen Ran's hair was already standing on end, just as he was about to finish the last few steps, Gu Yunchi raised his chin: “One standing at the stairway entrance.”

A fatal blow, Wen Ran immediately closed his eyes, almost hugging Gu Yunchi's entire left hand in his arms, palms sweating wildly, legs nailed to the spot refusing to walk any further down.

Gu Yunchi tilted his head closer, said: “Aren't you a materialist.”

Materialist Wen Ran didn't want to say more, eyes closed, hanging on Gu Yunchi's hand, started moving his feet again.

Forgot to take the umbrella when leaving, Gu Yunchi changed shoes and casually brought it along, opened it, walked out side by side with Wen Ran. Got to the car, Gu Yunchi sat in the driver's seat, Wen Ran took the umbrella, held the car door: “Be careful on the way back, thanks for giving me the model.”

He hesitated, Gu Yunchi also didn't rush to close the door, arms crossed leaning against the seat back looking up at him.

“Next time you come back from a trip, can I hug you again?” Wen Ran gripped the umbrella handle tightly, rain hitting the umbrella with muffled sounds, his voice hesitant and careful, but his eyes didn't dodge, “Don't need a gift, just hug you.”

After a long silence, Gu Yunchi's Adam's apple rolled once, his gaze looked at the windshield, then started the car.

Not getting an answer, Wen Ran was a bit deflated, but immediately stepped back, helped him close the door.

With only ten centimeters left before closing, Gu Yunchi suddenly raised his hand and pressed the car door, Wen Ran blinked in confusion.

In the urgent rain sounds, he heard Gu Yunchi say: “I'll think about it.”

Then with a bang, the car door was pulled shut by Gu Yunchi from inside.

With a mood even more floaty than when receiving the model, Wen Ran walked back to the side door, holding the umbrella and waving hard. The car turned around and drove into the distant rain, Wen Ran turned and went home.

Like a bull charging through the living room with four ghosts, Wen Ran flew up the stairs back to his room, heart pounding wildly from the intense exercise, about to break through his chest—still not feeling enough, he ran from the room door to the bathroom, then from the bathroom to the desk.

Ding, a new message, Wen Ran panting went to check his Mobile Phone.

A Good Person: Tricked you, no ghosts.

Sunday, the house was silent, Wen Rui hadn't come back since his last big fight with Chen Shuhui, Wen Ran only saw his figure in a news report—a Company under Boqing Group focused on developing high-end resorts, new project Launch Ceremony, Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui were the general managers.

At the grand Launch Ceremony, mother and son held wine glasses with proper smiles, looking without any grudge or gap.

Wen Ran stared at the news. This project wasn't a collaboration between Boqing Group and Shengdian Group, which meant Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui had already entered Boqing Group's management with Gu Peiwen's approval.

They were gradually getting everything they wanted.

After dinner, Wen Ran pushed aside the test papers he'd been doing all day, pulled out the design drawings from the drawer. The gift design first draft was more than half done, as for the Kangaroo Model, needed to wait for Tao Susu to send front, side, and back photos of the little kangaroo, according to her she'd been trying to photograph all day, but the little kangaroo wasn't cooperating, hadn't yet gotten clear satisfactory photos.

Revising and modifying, Wen Ran buried his head drawing nonstop, all senses except vision almost completely shut off, until he heard the high heel sounds in the corridor outside the room, suddenly snapped back, sat up straight motionless, waiting for those footsteps to pass his room like usual, heading to the master bedroom.

But today the footsteps stopped at his room door.

The moment the door handle was pressed, Wen Ran only had time to shove his Mobile Phone under the test papers, frantically turned back, Chen Shuhui had already walked in, her gaze passing over his shoulder, seeing the stack of design drawings densely marked with size data on the desk.

Wen Ran slowly pushed his chair back and stood up, his voice even hoarse: “Mom.”

Chen Shuhui didn't even bother with an 'mm', walked to the desk, picked up the stack of drawings, casually flipped a few pages, then turned them sideways, tore them from the middle, threw them at Wen Ran.

“I remember I told you a long time ago, don't do this stuff anymore.” She spoke expressionlessly, “And the result is you shut yourself in your room all day doing this.”

Papers fluttered down from in front of him, scattered all over the floor, Wen Ran lowered his eyes, didn't dare let his gaze shift—afraid he couldn't help looking at the wardrobe, and Chen Shuhui would notice there were still things hidden there.

“You really think you have talent?” Chen Shuhui's tone became mocking and sharp, “Really think you're his son, completing his unfinished wish?!”

This seemed to be the first time Wen Ningyuan had been so directly mentioned by Chen Shuhui since his death, Wen Ran raised his eyes to look at her.

“Won't draw anymore.” Wen Ran said.

But Chen Shuhui suddenly scoffed: “Of course you don't need to draw, after all someone's already sending you models directly.”

The drawings being torn didn't compare to this moment making Wen Ran fearful, his heart thumped hard, he suddenly curled his fingers tight.

“The front gate surveillance turns on motion detection after nine at night, usually I can't be bothered, but last night with such heavy rain, the system told me a vehicle approached, I thought Wen Rui was coming home, casually tapped to look, didn't expect to actually see Gu Yunchi.”

“Coming in the middle of the night in the rain to deliver you a model, since when are you two this close, I didn't even know.” Chen Shuhui stared into Wen Ran's eyes, “I warned you last time to keep your distance from him, why do you always treat my words like they're nothing? Or do you have some clever trick, even that picky young master Gu can be hooked by you, tell me about it?”

Wen Ran met her gaze without dodging, answered: “No.”

“Right, after all with a 97.5% match rate, you're no longer an unattractive Beta to him.” Chen Shuhui's face slightly twisted, showing a strange smile, “I spent so much money on your surgery, and in the end it became your ticket to climb the social ladder, really funny.”

She stepped half a step closer to Wen Ran: “Did you tell him, told him you were adopted by the Wen Family, that you were originally a Beta, that you had surgery to become an Omega, did you tell him?”

The answer was obvious, didn't understand why she needed to ask, Wen Ran stayed silent.

“Of course you wouldn't say, would you dare? You lied to him, lied to the Gu Family, you're just a tool to them, you think he has feelings for you? It's because of the Pheromone and match rate, you idiot!”

Had to admit Chen Shuhui was indeed very good at grabbing leverage, easily prying open the point Wen Ran worried about most—he was a complete and total fraud.

Identity was fake, gender was fake, Pheromone was fake, wrapped up in the Wen Family's ambition, not a single aspect could be called honorable.

“I understand.” Wen Ran's tone was very flat, his attitude submissive as always, “I'll be careful in the future, sorry.”

“Whatever, I've really had enough of looking at your face.” After several seconds, Chen Shuhui gave an ambiguous hum-laugh, “Anyway the final result will be the same, how long can you be happy.”

Picked up the papers all over the floor, pieced them back together one by one, but they were all wrinkled, uneven and ugly, Wen Ran decided to redraw, the details and data were already memorized, starting over wasn't difficult.

After showering and lying on the bed, before turning off the light Wen Ran opened the message interface again to look at the chat history with Gu Yunchi, unfortunately too little content, one scroll up and down and it was done, he turned off his Mobile Phone.

Thought he'd have insomnia, unexpectedly fell asleep quickly, seemed very tired.

He dreamed of Wen Ningyuan, sitting at the dining table, handing him a sandwich, smiling: “The ordered model is arriving, you can open it when you get back from school.”

During that time an important Shengdian project had problems, very likely facing huge compensation, Wen Ningyuan was tired and busy because of it, but didn't show any of it when facing Wen Ran, still warm and calm.

“Really?” Wen Ran was going to be late, quickly eating breakfast, took another sip of milk, “We'll open it together tonight, I'm going to school, bye dad.”

“Okay, driver is at the door, don't rush, walk slowly.”

Didn't make it to the end of school, just after lunch break, Wen Ran was picked up by the driver and taken to the Hospital, saw Wen Ningyuan's body.

He touched Wen Ningyuan's hand, cold, then other people came, Wen Ran was pushed aside, standing dully with his Backpack.

Back home, the new model was on the coffee table, that was Wen Ningyuan's last gift to him, Wen Ran couldn't bear to open it, carefully treasured it.

Then Chen Shuhui's prohibition sounded in his ear, Wen Ran saw that model thrown into the basement clutter, the door slowly closing, the light on the model dimming bit by bit.

Forward time stopped, started rapidly retreating, back to the Orphanage at seven years old, an overcast evening, Wen Ran held a stone in his left hand, standing by the fence, looking at the woman with a ponytail.

“What's your name?”

“I'm called Little Tree.”

The teacher's voice came from behind: “Little Tree, who are you talking to? Excuse me, who are you?”

The woman hurriedly stood up, wrapped her Black Windbreaker tight and left—

No, no, not the same as the previous dream.

Before leaving, Wen Ran clearly heard her say: “Little Tree, wait for me a bit longer.”

Wen Ran opened his mouth, wanted to tell her: But I don't have time.

Three days ago, he was taken to the director's office, saw an unfamiliar couple, the director called them 'Mr. Wen' and 'Mrs. Wen'. They looked at him for a long time, chatted with him a while, finally signed an agreement with the director, agreeing to come pick him up the morning of the fourth day.

So there was no time, he was going to be picked up tomorrow morning.

“Did you hear, Little Tree?” The woman's voice trembled and was urgent, “Be good, wait for me, okay?”

Wind picked up, the stray hairs by the woman's face were blown away, under the gloomy sky, revealed slightly red eyes, and that delicate face.

Riiip—the scene before his eyes suddenly tore like paper, his body went empty, a huge sense of weightlessness hit, Wen Ran abruptly opened his eyes, left hand clenched into a fist, sat up startled in the pitch-black room, unable to suppress gasping for breath.

That was Li Qingwan's face.