YMW CH 48

Publicly Funded Love

Cen Wu struggled several times but couldn’t break free. At first, Xie Guilan gripped his wrist bone tightly. When Cen Wu refused to touch it, Xie Guilan simply pressed down on the back of his hand instead, his pale yet strong fingers slipping between Cen Wu’s.

It was almost like their fingers were interlocked—guiding his hand to caress the cold, black collar.

Cen Wu’s pale ears burned red, almost as if they were bleeding. Xie Guilan wasn’t going easy on himself either—he gripped Cen Wu’s hand tightly, forcing his fingers to rub against the cold, black collar. His bones instinctively curled inward, pressing against Xie Guilan’s Adam’s apple, sending a shiver through him, a sensation that bordered between suffocation and something else.

But Xie Guilan never let go.

“Y-you… don’t do this,” Cen Wu trembled, humiliated to his core. His eyes were misty, his voice stumbling as he stammered, “Get up already…”

A wave of shame rushed through him. The collar around Xie Guilan’s neck was a real dog collar—demeaning, humiliating. And yet, he felt something disturbingly satisfying about it.

Xie Guilan’s fingers tightened around his, his warm palm pressing against the back of Cen Wu’s hand, making a thin layer of sweat break out along his spine.

At this point, he didn’t even know which was more messed up—Xie Guilan wearing a collar, or the fact that he was resting his head on Cen Wu’s lap like this.

Xie Guilan turned slightly, lying on his side. Cen Wu was thin, but his thighs were soft. When Xie Guilan moved, his high-bridged nose nearly brushed against Cen Wu’s lower abdomen. He held onto Cen Wu’s hand and shut his eyes.

Cen Wu tried lifting his leg to nudge him away, but Xie Guilan didn’t budge. Frustrated, he shoved at his shoulder, only for Xie Guilan to chuckle lowly. His breath was hot as it ghosted over Cen Wu’s stomach, sending an inexplicable tingling sensation up his spine.

He froze.

Xie Guilan’s lips curved slightly, his voice shamelessly low. “We’re both the young master’s little dogs,” he murmured. “Why can’t I lie here?”

He hadn’t even made Cen Wu pet his head yet.

Was this really that over the line?

Cen Wu: “……”

Brother, you’re playing dog again.

Xie Guilan reached out, hesitating for a moment before withdrawing his hand. He had no right to hold Cen Wu’s waist—lying here was already pushing it.

Cen Wu’s thighs were starting to stiffen. Annoyed, he shook his legs, trying to jostle Xie Guilan off. He didn’t realize that in doing so, his soft flesh brushed against the sharp bridge of Xie Guilan’s nose.

“……”

Xie Guilan grabbed his leg, stopping him from moving. His dark, smoldering eyes lowered, his breathing slightly heavier.

He lay there for a few more minutes before finally bending one knee to block the view.

Cen Wu hadn’t noticed before, but tonight, with Xie Guilan shamelessly sprawled across his lap, he finally did. His eyelashes quivered with frustration as he tried to shove Xie Guilan off again—only for his gaze to accidentally land there.

He froze.

Xie Guilan had changed into sleep pants, but the thin, soft fabric didn’t hide much when his leg was bent.

A rush of heat surged straight to Cen Wu’s head. His entire face burned red-hot, and for a moment, he genuinely wanted to punch Xie Guilan.

What kind of straight guy is this?!

He had read the original novel—over three million words of it—front to back, countless times. And for the first time, he seriously questioned if he had been reading a power fantasy all along.

Xie Guilan couldn’t possibly be into men.

Then again… seventeen, eighteen-year-old guys were full of raging hormones. Anything was possible. And Xie Guilan wasn’t broken or anything—it wasn’t necessarily because of him.

Cen Wu held his breath, trying to suppress his thoughts. But in the end, he couldn’t take it anymore. His pale fingers hooked onto Xie Guilan’s collar, yanking him up with a trembling voice. “Get up!”

He used a bit too much force. The neck was one of the most fragile parts of the human body, and Xie Guilan let out a low grunt as he was pulled forward, his voice hoarse. But he finally sat up.

And he was still laughing.

“The bathroom… it’s over there,” Cen Wu stammered. He didn’t even know how his hands had managed to unfasten Xie Guilan’s collar. He had never met someone so shameless in his life. He was so mortified he couldn’t even lift his head. Meanwhile, Xie Guilan remained as nonchalant as ever.

This lunatic.

Cen Wu couldn’t hold it in anymore. He kicked Xie Guilan’s leg, then grabbed a towel and threw it over his head.

Xie Guilan didn’t even get mad. Right now, he was so obedient, he seemed more like a well-trained house dog than some arrogant young master.

Cen Wu told him to go to the bathroom, so he went.

As if he hadn’t just pinned Cen Wu down moments ago, demanding he fasten that collar around his neck.

The bathroom was still steamy from Cen Wu’s shower earlier. The mist hadn’t fully dispersed, and Xie Guilan’s lean back was already damp with sweat, rolling down the curve of his spine.

But the mist was quickly washed away under the cold spray of the shower.

Xie Guilan hung the towel on the side. When he lifted his head, his dark eyes were unreadable, heavy with something unspoken. Droplets clung to the bridge of his nose, icy cold.

Cen Wu, now buried under his blankets, could still hear the water running. But for some reason, he kept thinking he heard something else—low, muffled breaths, strained and uneven.

He tried to ignore it. He really did. But in the end, he couldn’t take it anymore. Flushing red, he ran up and kicked the bathroom door.

Then ran away.

Inside, Xie Guilan’s back tensed. His Adam’s apple bobbed sharply. His expression had always been indifferent, his face sharp and handsome, but in the fogged-up mirror, his dark eyes were heavy with something else entirely. His damp skin was burning.

He lowered his head and ran his hands under the water. His ears were slightly red.

Xie Guilan didn’t leave the bathroom for over an hour. By the time he came out, Cen Wu had already turned off the lights and climbed into bed, wrapped so tightly in his blanket it was as if he was trying to suffocate himself.

Xie Guilan leaned over, carefully pulling the blanket down from over Cen Wu’s face so he wouldn’t overheat. Then, he lay down beside him.

He debated reaching out to hold him. They had slept like this before.

But as soon as he raised his hand, Cen Wu, face flushed red, mumbled in a small, furious voice, “Pervert.”

He didn’t even open his eyes. Only his eyelashes trembled.

That collar was gone. He needed to buy a new one. There was no way he could face Cen Xiao with that thing around.

Xie Guilan chuckled softly. The next second, Cen Wu kicked the blanket off—then kicked him a few times for good measure.

It hurt.

What a temper.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Guilan’s voice was still a little hoarse, carrying a teasing lilt in the darkness. “Young Master, you’ve never done this before?”

Even if he were to fall into ruin, Xie Guilan never regretted his choices.

But for the first time, he regretted asking that question.

Cen Wu had no reason to do it himself. There were plenty of people willing to serve him—people from Blue Night, maybe even Xie Shangjing himself.

Xie Guilan clenched his jaw, pushing down a wave of irritation. He reached over, attempting to wrap an arm around Cen Wu through the blanket—just as they had the past few nights.

“You already broke me,” Cen Wu huffed, voice sharp with frustration. “What the hell do you think I can do now?”

“…” Xie Guilan hadn’t intended to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. His dark, almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, and he shamelessly said, “I promise to compensate you. You just don’t want to fix it yourself.”

Fix your ass.

Cen Wu felt like he had gotten the wrong protagonist. The Xie Guilan in the original novel didn’t talk this much nonsense.

He could catch him off guard with just a few words.

Cen Wu curled up further under the blanket, refusing to respond. Xie Guilan also stopped talking.

Rainy nights were perfect for sleeping, but as Cen Wu’s eyelids fluttered and he was about to doze off, he realized that Xie Guilan was still awake.

He wriggled under the blanket, scooting closer to Xie Guilan. He moved too quickly and almost bumped his head against Xie Guilan’s shoulder. In a small voice, he asked, “W-what are you thinking about?”

He figured Song Lingwei must have shown up tonight. That was probably why Xie Guilan seemed so off.

He knew Song Lingwei didn’t want him near Xie Guilan—just like the original host of this body hadn’t wanted Xie Guilan to have any contact with the Cen family. It would be too easy to expose things. But he didn’t understand why Song Lingwei was so nervous.

She had even gone all the way to school.

The murder Xie Guilan committed could have remained a secret. His only mistake was telling that old man not to go out that night.

The novel never mentioned this detail, but Cen Wu was certain that Xie Guilan had foreseen the consequences. He just wasn’t afraid.

Because every piece of evidence was broken. No matter how much the police suspected, they had no concrete proof against him.

And yet, Cen Wu couldn’t help but wonder—how was Xie Guilan planning to kill him?

He must have thought about it.

In the original novel, the protagonist had been drowned at sea only after Xie Guilan was officially recognized as part of the Cen family.

By then, Xie Guilan had power and didn’t need any elaborate schemes for revenge. But right now, he had to rely on himself.

He had probably already come up with a well-thought-out plan.

Cen Wu found it absurd. Xie Guilan wanted him dead, yet here they were, lying in the same bed.

What kind of hollow pretense was this?

He thought Xie Guilan wasn’t going to speak anymore. His eyelashes lowered with his breath, and he was about to drift off when Xie Guilan suddenly murmured, “There’s someone I like.”

Cen Wu instantly snapped awake.

At first, he thought he must have misheard. This had never happened in the original novel.

But there was no one who knew Xie Guilan better than he did—not even Xie Guilan himself.

He immediately understood what Xie Guilan meant.

There was someone he liked, but he couldn’t confess.

Cen Wu knew Xie Guilan cared about nothing except Song Lingwei’s illness. He could afford not to care, but he couldn’t expect the other person to do the same.

For anyone, it would be a burden.

Not to mention, Xie Guilan was carrying the weight of the Xie family and a whole lot of other things. He was powerless. He couldn’t make any promises.

He didn’t even have the right to love someone.

Cen Wu pursed his lips, feeling a sudden ache in his heart for the man.

If he were in Xie Guilan’s position, he would probably consider the same things. But in the novel, the truth about the real and fake young masters had been exposed a month before the college entrance exams, and he had planned to leave early anyway. At most, it was just one more year.

Everything Xie Guilan was worried about wasn’t really a problem.

Besides, he was here. If anything did go wrong, he could handle it.

Cen Wu was momentarily dazed.

Xie Guilan actually wanted to be in a relationship?

He had never considered the possibility before.

But maybe it was a good thing. Having someone to care about would restrain him better than that collar ever could. It would keep him from turning into the ruthless killer he became in the later parts of the novel.

“If you like her… then go after her,” Cen Wu said softly. His eyes sparkled in the darkness as he looked at Xie Guilan, his voice gentle as he patted Xie Guilan’s shoulder. “I… I know what you’re thinking, but maybe she w-wouldn’t mind. Maybe she’ll only regret not being with you in high school.”

Xie Guilan hesitated for a moment.

When Cen Wu spoke, he had leaned in close. The soft tips of his hair brushed against Xie Guilan’s shoulder. Xie Guilan curled his fingers slightly but, in the end, didn’t reach out to touch him.

His voice was hoarse as he smiled faintly and said, “Okay.”

Cen Wu wanted him to confess.

Yes, he should be the one to confess first.

Cen Wu had already done so much for him. This last step should be his to take.

Cen Wu had no idea what was going through Xie Guilan’s mind.

Xie Guilan closed his eyes and said nothing more.

Cen Wu blinked a few times. When he didn’t hear anything else, he finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep.

The next morning, for once, Xie Guilan didn’t leave early. Cen Wu dragged him to breakfast before finally letting him go to the hospital.

That afternoon, the school was holding a parent-teacher meeting. At No. 1 High School, these meetings always lasted until past eight in the evening. Guan Hangxue was attending for him, and Cen Junshan was supposed to take him out for sushi.

Before dinner, they could also stop by the mall to see if there was anything he wanted as a reward for scoring over 500 points.

Cen Wu initially didn’t want to go, but after thinking about it, he pestered Cen Junshan until he agreed to bring Xie Guilan along too.

“…” Cen Junshan couldn’t withstand the pestering and relented helplessly. “If that’s what you want.”

Cen Junshan didn’t want anything to do with the Xie family, nor did he want Cen Wu getting too close to Xie Guilan. But for some reason, Cen Wu seemed to care too much about Xie Guilan—to the point that even he and Guan Hangxue found it baffling.

He didn’t want to provoke Cen Wu. He knew his youngest son was a little… erratic. It was rare for him to be so obedient lately. If something set him off again, who knew what would happen?

Since Cen Wu didn’t mind, he brought Xie Guilan along.

The weather in Huaijing was getting colder. Xie Guilan only had his school jacket. Cen Wu wanted to buy him some clothes.

At first, he worried that Xie Guilan would refuse. But he soon realized that Xie Guilan’s tolerance for him had increased significantly—maybe he’d actually accept the gift.

Even though Xie Guilan saw it as another debt, one he planned to repay in full.

Not that it mattered. By the time Xie Guilan had enough money to repay him, the truth about the imposter would have already come to light.

Actually, the Cen family rarely shopped in malls. New arrivals from major brands were always delivered straight to their home.

Xie Guilan didn’t want to accept anything, especially since the cheapest coat Cen Wu picked out was five or six hundred yuan—a clear attempt to spare his dignity. Otherwise, Cen Wu could’ve just grabbed any pair of pants worth several thousand.

But then Cen Wu took his wrist and shook it, as if he were the one asking for a favor. Even though he was the one giving Xie Guilan something, he always seemed so cautious about it.

Xie Guilan didn’t want to hurt Cen Wu just to protect his own pride. Cen Wu wasn’t pitying or belittling him—he simply wanted to help. If he kept refusing, it would be too pretentious.

Cen Wu tugged Xie Guilan along to try on clothes. He braced himself and stepped into the store, though his anxiety made him want to turn around and run. The sales associate recognized him as the second young master of the Cen family and shadowed his every move.

In the end, Xie Guilan had to glare and tell them to stop following him before they finally backed off. Cen Wu let out a relieved breath.

“This one too,” Cen Wu tugged at Xie Guilan’s coat, handing him a gray, low-neck sweater.

Xie Guilan’s collarbone was starkly pale, and Cen Wu figured this color would suit him well.

Now he finally understood why Lu Wang wanted to buy him shoes. He also wanted to buy Xie Guilan clothes.

That was what brotherhood was about—none of that messy nonsense.

Once they finished shopping, Cen Junshan took them to dinner. As they were leaving, someone suddenly called out to him.

“Chairman Cen!”

It was a business partner who happened to be dining at the same restaurant. He seized the opportunity for some small talk and to discuss a previous collaboration.

Cen Wu and Xie Guilan remained at their seats, where a server delivered an extra serving of dessert.

“Lu… Lu Wang wants to game,” Cen Wu glanced at his phone and informed Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan replaced his fork with a new one and pushed the cake toward him. “Mm.”

Only then did Cen Wu open his game. After one match, he looked up and saw that Xie Guilan was also staring at his phone.

Xie Guilan rarely used his phone, and when he did, it was always for things Cen Wu didn’t understand—cryptic, convoluted chemical equations that he never hid from him.

But this time, when Cen Wu leaned over to grab his jacket, Xie Guilan subtly moved his phone away.

Just a tiny bit, but Cen Wu noticed.

“…”

What the hell?

Acting all secretive all of a sudden.

Cen Wu thought about it. Maybe he was texting that crush of his. He politely averted his eyes and didn’t peek at Xie Guilan’s screen.

Xie Guilan had spent the whole day looking up how to confess, but none of the answers satisfied him.

He considered asking Ji Changyu, but Ji Changyu was all about tricks and never truly sincere. He wasn’t the right person to ask.

Half an hour later, Cen Junshan came back and drove them away.

That night, Xie Guilan still had to go to Blue Night, and Cen Wu tagged along, worried that Xie Shangjing might come looking for trouble.

He even brought a practice test with him.

But then, he realized that Xie Guilan was slacking off tonight. After delivering drinks to a booth, he pulled out his phone again.

Cen Wu was tempted to ask who exactly Xie Guilan liked, but he held back.

He buried his head in his test, stabbing at the paper with his pen, frustration evident even in the way he did homework.

Xie Guilan turned his head just in time to catch him in the act.

…What the hell was that? So cute.

Xie Guilan went to deliver drinks, but since it wasn’t busy, he kept coming back to pour Cen Wu a glass of water or jot down solutions for his difficult questions on scratch paper.

Ji Changyu: “…”

Ji Changyu was speechless, watching Xie Guilan walk back and forth past Cen Wu, taking the longest, most roundabout route across Blue Night just to pass by.

Where was the manager?!

He needed to report that someone was having a workplace romance on company time.

Cen Wu didn’t think much of Xie Guilan hovering around. When he looked up, he saw Xie Guilan in his uniform—white dress shirt, fitted black trousers, and a pair of black leather gloves.

Blue Night’s uniforms were well-tailored, perfectly fitted. With his tall frame and long legs, Xie Guilan exuded a cold, untouchable allure.

But under the dim, shifting lights of Blue Night, the contours of his sharp features were accentuated. When he delivered drinks, the bridge of his nose was brushed with a deep blue glow, making him look even more striking.

For some reason, a faint smile played on his lips.

The regulars at Blue Night were perplexed. Working here, Xie Guilan inevitably attracted attention. But his gaze was always frigid and unwelcoming, his expression blank, scaring away anyone who dared approach. This was the first time anyone had seen him smile.

Maybe it was because he was usually so cold, but now, with his dark eyes locked onto something—or someone—his expression seemed almost gentle.

“Over here,” someone waved. “Another bottle of whiskey.”

Cen Wu suddenly felt irritated. That guy had already ordered three times in a row, and Xie Guilan still hadn’t caught on?

He didn’t believe for a second that Xie Guilan was oblivious.

This was clearly flirting.

What was there to smile about?

Cen Wu paused, a sudden thought creeping in—could it be that Xie Guilan had already confessed? Was that why he was in such a good mood tonight?

Come to think of it, he still didn’t know who Xie Guilan liked. Xie Guilan never said, and he never asked.

Since arriving in this world, Xie Guilan had spent all his time with him. How did he even have the chance to like someone?

No wonder he was still top of the class despite being so busy.

A master of time management.

“Take a break,” someone at the table Xie Guilan was serving said. They poured a glass of tequila and tapped their fingers flirtatiously against the rim. “Have a drink?”

Xie Guilan arched a cold brow.

“You can have this,” the person smirked, holding up their own glass. “Or would you rather drink from mine?”

Xie Guilan’s face remained unreadable, his dark eyes indifferent and cold. He stared at the person for a long moment before turning and walking away.

That one glance was sharp as a knife, sending an icy chill down their spine despite the warmth of the bar.

Humans have an instinct for self-preservation. Their gut screamed at them to stay away from Xie Guilan. He was dangerous.

Xie Guilan felt a gaze on him. When he turned, he met Cen Wu’s eyes.

Cen Wu immediately looked away, grabbing his test and lifting it to cover his face. Then, after a pause, he lowered it just a little, peeking out with cautious eyes.

And then, to his surprise, Xie Guilan started walking straight toward him.

Cen Wu: !!!

“You… why are you coming over?” Cen Wu tried to keep his composure. Earlier that night, he had asked Xie Guilan to open a bottle of wine for him, intending to bring it to Cen Xiao while also letting Xie Guilan earn some commission.

He opened the bottle and poured a glass for Xie Guilan to drink—if only to keep those persistent onlookers from fixating on him.

At Blue Night, the rule was simple: once you accepted a drink from someone, you couldn’t take one from anyone else for the rest of the night.

No matter how eager the others were, they had to abide by the rules.

Xie Guilan’s hands, cold-boned and slender, were wrapped in black leather gloves—like fire trapped beneath layers of ice.

Perhaps even the fire itself was cold, but that didn’t stop people from wanting to dive into it, like moths to a flame.

Cen Wu found himself growing annoyed with Xie Guilan’s gloves. Actually, he was starting to find Xie Guilan himself annoying.

What was he even wearing?

Not a trace of proper male virtue.

Cen Wu pursed his lips. He had originally planned to just hand the glass to Xie Guilan and let him drink on his own. But instead, Xie Guilan lowered his gaze and suddenly gripped Cen Wu’s wrist.

Cen Wu panicked for a moment, trying to pull away but afraid of spilling the wine.

Xie Guilan’s lips curved slightly, a faint smirk. The black gloves encased his fingers tightly, and his broad palm completely wrapped around Cen Wu’s cold, pale hand, holding him firmly in place.

Forced to lift his hand, Cen Wu’s ears burned red. He didn’t dare look up, aware that many eyes were on them. Yet Xie Guilan’s grip tightened just enough to keep him from escaping.

Left with no choice, Cen Wu could only raise the glass to Xie Guilan’s lips.

Xie Guilan tilted his head back slightly, his Adam’s apple shifting as he swallowed. The tendons on his throat were pronounced, the movement unmistakable.

Cen Wu: “…”

He was almost certain Xie Guilan was seducing him—but he had no proof.

The surrounding patrons, seeing this scene unfold, didn’t dare linger any longer. Especially after recognizing Cen Wu’s face—who would be foolish enough to challenge a direct heir of the Cen family?

Cen Wu finally managed to break free from Xie Guilan’s grip. He put down the glass, suddenly unwilling to stay any longer. He decided to leave right away.

What the hell.

Said he liked someone else, yet he was out here smiling at others, flirting shamelessly, and even forcing Cen Wu to feed him wine. A true Casanova.

Cen Wu stood up, ready to head out, only to find Xie Guilan blocking his way.

He stepped left, and Xie Guilan followed.

He moved right, and Xie Guilan matched him again.

Cen Wu nearly bumped straight into his chest.

The whole bar was watching, as if they were some bickering couple.

“Move,” Cen Wu said, his face flushed with frustration. “I don’t want to deal with you right now.”

But after saying that, he hesitated, realizing his tone was a bit harsh. Worried he might upset Xie Guilan, he reluctantly added, “I’ll deal with you the day after tomorrow.”

“What should I do then?” Xie Guilan chuckled at his words. His dark, fox-like eyes curved slightly, but he still didn’t step aside.

His gaze lingered on Cen Wu’s flushed profile as he spoke, his voice low and lazy, with just a hint of teasing mischief—

“Because right now, I really, really want to deal with you.”