YMW CH 29

Can only hug for a while

Cen Wu grabbed Xie Guilan’s wrist and pulled him along as they left school early. He hadn’t planned on calling a driver—they were just going to take the bus home.

But as they reached the school gate, he noticed Guan Xingxue’s car still parked there. He hesitated for a moment, then tugged Xie Guilan over.

Guan Xingxue had a good relationship with Cen Junshan. They had been out shopping together and decided to drop off a pair of shoes for Cen Wu. Since he only had a few hours left of class, they figured they might as well wait for him.

Xie Guilan’s dark eyes carried a stormy chill, his expression cold under the night sky. He frowned and tried to pull his wrist free.

But Cen Wu, afraid he’d run, tightened his grip. Xie Guilan resisted at first but eventually let himself be dragged toward the car.

Cen Junshan sat in the driver’s seat. Guan Xingxue had been waiting in the back for Cen Wu, but when she saw Xie Guilan with him, she got out and moved to the front passenger seat.

As they approached, her gaze landed on Xie Guilan’s shoes. That’s when she realized Cen Wu had asked her to buy them for him.

“President Guan,” Xie Guilan lowered his eyes and greeted them, “President Cen.”

At the Xie household, he was nothing more than a servant. It was the same here—he had no right to call Cen Wu’s parents Uncle and Aunt. Even if Cen Wu brought him home, he still had to keep his place.

Cen Wu glanced at Guan Xingxue, his eyes pleading. He didn’t want her to say anything.

Xie Guilan was difficult to deal with—most people, when hurt, curled up like a hedgehog. But Xie Guilan was like one wrapped in layers of clam shells, shutting everything out. Right now, he was willing to accept Cen Wu, but that didn’t mean he would accept anyone else. If he found out, he would definitely return the favor in some way.

And once he closed himself off again, getting through to him would be even harder.

It was strange—Guan Xingxue wasn’t his biological mother, but she always seemed to understand him.

Maybe it was just a mother’s instinct.

Her peach blossom eyes curved as she wrinkled her nose playfully, saying nothing.

Cen Wu quickly pulled Xie Guilan into the car, only letting go of his wrist once they were inside.

After spending all day running around at the hospital, Xie Guilan’s wrist had turned ice-cold. But Cen Wu’s palm had warmed it. When he finally let go, the night wind, damp with rain, blew against Xie Guilan’s skin, sending a sharp chill through him. His fingers curled slightly, unused to the sudden cold.

His long lashes lowered, and his lips, unnaturally red, stood out starkly against his pale skin.

Cen Wu sat close beside him, sensing how his mood suddenly dipped again. He sneaked a glance at the rearview mirror.

Xie Guilan always looked cold, making it hard to tell exactly why he was upset.

Cen Wu was baffled—it felt like dating someone impossible to please, someone who got angry for reasons he could never quite figure out. With no better idea, he grabbed Xie Guilan’s wrist and gave it a small shake.

A silent attempt to cheer him up.

He noticed Xie Guilan’s lips press together slightly—like he was a little less unhappy now.

Cen Wu: “…”

Got it. Just hold his hand.

So he didn’t let go until they arrived home. Any longer, and Cen Wu’s parents might notice—Xie Guilan wouldn’t want that either.

This time, though, Xie Guilan’s mood didn’t change.

It was already past 9:30 when they got home. Cen Wu told Guan Xingxue and Cen Junshan that Xie Guilan would be staying the night. They didn’t question it and asked the housekeeper to prepare a guest room.

After that, Cen Wu took Xie Guilan to his room to do homework.

Xie Guilan’s clothes were still damp, and he hadn’t thrown away that broken umbrella of his. Cen Wu sighed, grabbed a towel, and borrowed an unused set of pajamas from Cen Xiao for him to change into.

Cen Xiao’s clothes were loose and casual—nothing particularly modest about them. But Xie Guilan took forever to put them on, and when he finally came out, Cen Wu noticed that the drawstring on his pants was tied in an unbreakable knot.

Cen Wu: “…”

Was it just his imagination?

It almost felt like Xie Guilan was guarding against something.

Shaking his head, Cen Wu decided not to overthink it. He had homework to finish.

He pulled out his worksheets, leaving half the desk for Xie Guilan.

Xie Guilan hesitated. His mind was a tangled mess of frustration and restlessness, but in the end, he still walked over and sat down.

He didn’t even know why he was here.

Why he had come to the Cen household at all.

But with Cen Wu’s parents around, he couldn’t just leave.

Xie Guilan rarely did homework—only the assignments that mattered to him. He’d finish half a worksheet at most before moving on to more difficult practice problems.

Meng Liangping often brought him extra problems from other schools to work on.

Cen Wu’s last subject was math. By the time he got to it, Xie Guilan had already finished his assignments and even completed an entire senior-year science exam. Meanwhile, Cen Wu was still stuck on the first big math problem.

After a while, he slumped over his desk, exhausted.

Frustrated, he decided to check his answers first.

In their school’s advanced class, they received answer sheets to review and analyze their mistakes. The system relied heavily on the students’ self-discipline.

But at Huai Jing No. 1 High, self-discipline wasn’t an issue. Even the regular class students were top-tier compared to other schools.

Cen Wu got too focused. He was so used to having Xie Guilan sit near him at school that he completely forgot he was there.

With a red pen in hand, he started marking his mistakes.

One after another, Xs covered half the page.

Annoyed, he shifted his legs—and suddenly kicked something.

His entire body froze.

Slowly, carefully, he turned his head.

And met Xie Guilan’s dark, cold gaze.

Cen Wu: “…”

Crap.

He had just kicked Xie Guilan’s leg.

Carefully, he shifted his foot away, then looked up—only to see Xie Guilan staring at his test paper.

It was covered in bright red Xs.

Cen Wu’s ears burned. He immediately flopped over his desk, slamming his arms over the paper like he could somehow hide his failure. Stammering, he muttered, “Wh-what are you looking at? I—I have a plan, okay? You wouldn’t get it.”

Xie Guilan: “…”

He looked away, his face still cold and unreadable, like he didn’t care. But his brow was furrowed, and his complexion seemed a little pale. That’s when Cen Wu noticed—Xie Guilan had been holding his stomach the whole time.

Skipped dinner again.

No wonder CEOs always end up with stomach problems. Cen Wu remembered that later on, Xie Guilan’s stomach got even worse.

Pressing his lips together, Cen Wu reached out and tugged at Xie Guilan’s hand. “Come… come with me.”

It was already past eleven. Cen Junshan’s study light was still on, but the servants had all gone to bed. The kitchen was dark as Cen Wu quietly led Xie Guilan inside.

Xie Guilan frowned. In a low voice, he said, “Young master…”

This didn’t seem appropriate. He was going to say he wasn’t hungry, but Cen Wu didn’t give him a chance.

“Looks like there’s only dumplings,” Cen Wu said, eyes shining. “I can… I can cook you some dumplings?”

Cen Wu wasn’t great at cooking. He had lived on his own from an early age, but at school, he ate in the cafeteria, and on set, he was too busy—he always just ordered takeout.

He couldn’t just reheat leftovers for Xie Guilan.

Dumplings it was.

“Anything’s fine,” Xie Guilan replied.

Even if Cen Wu had handed him cold leftovers, he wouldn’t have said a word. At the Xie household, he was lucky to get any leftovers at all. He acted like he was picky, but in reality, he didn’t have a choice. Give him food, and he’d eat it. Less picky than a stray dog.

His eyes looked tired as he stood to the side, his head lowered. Cen Wu didn’t want to wake anyone, so he had only turned on a dim kitchen light. The faint glow outlined the sharp bridge of Xie Guilan’s nose, casting shadows across his features. He looked like a figure lost in the dark, carrying a quiet, brooding violence.

Cen Wu had said before that he was afraid of him, but that wasn’t entirely true. He could barely remember what kind of person he used to be.

But he knew that back then, he hadn’t been afraid of anything.

Holding Xie Guilan’s face in his hands, Cen Wu gave it a light squeeze. The dim kitchen light reflected in his deep eyes as he whispered, “Don’t be upset.”

Xie Guilan: “…”

His thin lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just turned his head away, avoiding Cen Wu’s touch.

Cen Wu pouted and went back to cooking the dumplings.

But before they were even halfway done, Guan Xingxue’s voice suddenly rang out. She had gotten up for a glass of water and noticed the kitchen light was on. Curious, she walked over and asked, “Xiao Bao, why are you still up?”

“I-I… I was hungry.” Cen Wu jumped in surprise, his voice hitching on the last word.

“Just dumplings?” Guan Xingxue glanced over, then gently nudged Cen Wu aside. “Let Mom make you some noodles instead.”

Her gaze landed on Xie Guilan, and she smiled. “Xiao Xie, do you want some too?”

“He does,” Cen Wu answered before Xie Guilan could speak.

Xie Guilan swallowed, the words I’m not hungry dying in his throat.

Guan Xingxue told them to wait outside, and before long, she brought out two steaming bowls of crab roe noodles. The golden roe coated the noodles, accompanied by a few pieces of crab leg.

She had even fried them each a soft-boiled egg and added fresh, crisp greens on the side. The rich aroma made it impossible to resist.

Cen Wu actually wasn’t hungry, but if he refused to eat, Guan Xingxue wouldn’t have made any for Xie Guilan either. So he ate too.

Guan Xingxue rested her chin on her hand and watched Cen Wu.

She was a little sleepy, but her gaze was still filled with warmth—the kind of motherly affection that made it seem like, even though Cen Wu was already seventeen, as long as he finished his food, she’d still praise him like a little kid.

Xie Guilan ate quietly, head lowered. He had no idea what Cen Wu was thinking.

His parents were home, yet he had still brought him back.

Wasn’t he afraid of getting caught?

Cen Wu had always been nervous around Guan Xingxue and Cen Junshan. The moment he spoke, he would stutter and trip over his words.

Of course, they weren’t oblivious. They had noticed it on the first day but chose not to say anything, afraid of hurting his pride. If his stuttering got too severe, Guan Xingxue would probably insist on taking him to a doctor.

But tonight, Cen Wu wanted her to get to know Xie Guilan a little.

She had no idea—this was the first time she had ever cooked noodles for her own child, just like how earlier, she had bought him a pair of shoes in the rain.

For over ten years, in a place she didn’t know about, Xie Guilan had gone hungry and worn threadbare clothes.

In the original story, Guan Xingxue had cared for Xie Guilan, too. But his relationship with the Cen family had always been distant. He only saw them as a means to an end—he never truly cared about them.

Then again, the Cen family had willingly let him use them, so in the end, he had never taken revenge on them either.

The first time Guan Xingxue and Xie Guilan met in the original story was ten years ago at Xie Shangjing’s birthday party. That was when Xie Guilan’s father had just brought him home. Xie Shangjing had thrown a fit.

Their father spoiled Xie Shangjing and gave him everything he wanted. But no matter how much he screamed that night, his father refused to send Xie Guilan away.

“Xiao Jing,” his father soothed, holding him in his arms. “Just think of him as a stray dog we picked up. Ignore him, and he won’t bother you.”

He wanted to put Zhou Li in her place, but he had no intention of creating a rift with his beloved son. If he could smooth things over, he would.

Xie Shangjing’s dark eyes gleamed with something that didn’t quite belong to a child. “Really?”

“Really,” his father assured him.

That night, at the party, Xie Shangjing let his Rottweiler loose.

Then, with the original protagonist, he tied the dog’s leash around Xie Guilan’s neck and left him outside for the entire night.

It was the dead of winter, and the night was freezing.

Guests came and went, all catching sight of the child kneeling outside—a scrawny boy the Xie family had just brought home. His pitch-black eyes looked eerie in the dim light.

He wore a thin, shabby cotton jacket, its stuffing clumped together, barely providing any warmth. His hands and feet had turned purple from the cold, and his lips were bloodless.

But by then, the Xie family had already taken control of half of Huaijing.

No one dared to question Xie Mingcheng.

And besides, this was a family matter—anyone who interfered would only get themselves dirty.

The Cen family didn’t care much about Xie Mingcheng. As an old and powerful family, their influence was considerable, but Guan Xingxue didn’t bother with him either.

She waited for the original host to give Xie Shangjing his birthday gift and play for a while before taking him home. In fact, if the original host hadn’t insisted on playing with Xie Shangjing, she wouldn’t have come at all that night.

“Mom,” the original host whined, rubbing his teary eyes and kicking his legs, unwilling to leave. “I want to play with my brother.”

Guan Xingxue held him, soothing him while putting a wool hat on his head. As they passed by Xie Guilan, her gaze barely lingered for a second before shifting away without any emotion.

Xie Guilan wasn’t the type to bring it up. Besides, he didn’t care—he had too many enemies, more than he could ever deal with, and he was busy.

But later, someone mentioned it offhand, and that was when he found out—Guan Xingxue had completely forgotten about that night. The sky had been dark, and she hadn’t even seen who was kneeling there.

And, more importantly, she hadn’t cared.

The Cen family had always been cold-hearted. Whether it was Guan Xingxue, Cen’s father, or even Cen Xiao, they only cared about their own children and siblings. Anyone else was invisible to them.

In the original novel, Xie Guilan didn’t say anything about it. The only thing mentioned was that he glanced up once—other than that, he had no reaction.

But in this life, no matter what, his ties with the Cen family would never improve.

Not that this incident was the main reason for his distance from them. It was just a small factor.

The bigger issue was that Xie Guilan had always been indifferent. If he had been seven or eight years old, maybe he would have longed for his biological parents. But at eighteen, he had no emotions left for anyone.

His coldness also made it difficult for others to approach him. Guan Xingxue and the rest didn’t understand him, and he never gave anyone the chance to. Even if they had wanted to care about him, they wouldn’t have known how, which only pushed them further apart.

Cen Wu didn’t want to interfere with Xie Guilan’s choices. Whether or not he accepted the Cen family was entirely up to him, and no one had the right to judge him for it.

He just hoped that Guan Xingxue and the others would treat Xie Guilan a little better.

No matter how distant and unfeeling the novel portrayed him, Xie Guilan wasn’t someone who never felt lonely.

Cen Wu tried to stay calm and not stutter as he talked to Guan Xingxue about school. Out of politeness, she asked a few questions about Xie Guilan.

At least they had a conversation.

After keeping them company for a while, Guan Xingxue went to bed.

Cen Wu peeked out to make sure she was really gone, then quickly moved his fried egg and crab legs onto Xie Guilan’s plate, adding half a bowl of noodles too. “You… you’re not full, right?”

Xie Guilan stayed silent and kept eating. He wasn’t messy or sloppy, but he was a teenage boy—when hungry, he couldn’t help but devour his food a little too fast.

Cen Wu brought over the dumplings as well.

After finishing the meal, Xie Guilan was about to head to the guest room when Cen Wu tugged at him and whispered, “Do you… do you want to sleep with me tonight?”

Xie Guilan: “……”

His eyes darkened with frustration.

Was it always this fast? Did Cen Wu bring other people home like this too?

Especially with his parents still around tonight?

What were they supposed to do?

Even Xie Shangjing wasn’t this reckless—he only brought people over when his parents weren’t home.

Cen Wu had no idea what Xie Guilan was thinking. He just figured Xie Guilan might feel uncomfortable sleeping alone in someone else’s house.

Xie Guilan stiffened, not reacting.

Cen Wu assumed he had agreed and pulled him into the bedroom, even bringing an extra blanket. Then he blinked at Xie Guilan and said, “I… I’m going to take a shower first.”

Xie Guilan: “……”

His frustration deepened.

How did things turn out like this?

What was he supposed to be in this situation?

Cen Wu went into the bathroom, and soon the sound of running water filled the room. Xie Guilan sat there with a stormy expression, then finally sent a message to Ji Changyu.

【Xie Guilan: When you went to that girl Su’s house, what did you do at night?】

Ji Changyu wasn’t involved in anything shady, but since Blue Night’s waiters had to meet a certain appearance standard, he was pretty good-looking. Sometimes, he flirted with customers at the bar and even dated a few.

Xie Guilan wondered—was there a chance that Ji Changyu had spent the night… just doing homework?

Ji Changyu was still awake and replied quickly.

【Ji Changyu: ?】

【Ji Changyu: What’s up? Who did you go home with?】

Xie Guilan didn’t respond.

Ji Changyu couldn’t help himself and sent another teasing message.

【Ji Changyu: What do you think? It’s nighttime—what else could you be doing? But let me give you some advice, brother. In our line of work, never fall for a client.】

Xie Guilan: “……”

He blocked Ji Changyu.

When Cen Wu came out of the bathroom, he saw that Xie Guilan was already lying down, turned away from him.

Cen Wu hesitated—Xie Guilan was lying on the side where his injured face was.

Didn’t that hurt?

“Xie… Xie Guilan,” Cen Wu knelt on the bed and whispered, “Xie Guilan?”

No response. He seemed to be asleep, stubbornly staying in that position.

Cen Wu: “……”

Fine, suit yourself.

He lay down as well, but for some reason, he couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because too much had happened that day, or because his mind kept drifting to the past.

The entire villa was silent under the night sky. Cen Wu curled up under the blanket, then suddenly remembered the horror movie Zhang Yuanzhou had played earlier.

He hesitated for a moment, then scooted closer to Xie Guilan and whispered again, “Xie… Xie Guilan?”

If Xie Guilan was really asleep, Cen Wu figured he would just shift over and sleep next to him. Xie Guilan was warm—his body heat felt almost like a protective charm against bad dreams.

Xie Guilan: “……”

His expression darkened.

Could they not just sleep normally? Why did Cen Wu keep pushing things further?

With a cold expression and a furrowed brow, he finally spoke. “You can hug me. That’s it.”

Don’t even think about anything else.

Cen Wu was startled—he hadn’t expected Xie Guilan to still be awake, and his mind was a little foggy.

Huh?

Why did he want a hug?

But a hug wouldn’t kill him. Earlier that night, when he didn’t hold Xie Guilan’s wrist, Xie Guilan seemed upset. Fine, if he wanted a hug, he’d give him one. Cen Wu reached out and wrapped his arms around him.

Xie Guilan stiffened completely, hesitating before awkwardly placing a hand on Cen Wu’s back in response.

Cen Wu gently touched his face, careful not to press too hard in case it hurt. His voice was quiet. “Should I… put some medicine on for you?”

There was a small cut on his lip, nothing too serious, but the slap mark on his face was deep. If they left it alone, it’d definitely swell up by morning, and people at school would stare.

Xie Guilan didn’t say anything, but Cen Wu didn’t need to ask. He already had a pretty good idea—it had to be Xie Mingcheng.

Song Lingwei wouldn’t dare hit Xie Guilan. Cen Wu knew she was afraid of him. She might throw a tantrum, but she wouldn’t dare go that far.

Xie Guilan turned his head slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the closeness. He let out a quiet “mm,” and Cen Wu took that as permission. He went to get the medicine, carefully applied it, and then hesitated.

Should he keep hugging him?

Whatever. Just a little longer.

Cen Wu was starting to feel drowsy. Xie Guilan was so warm that, before he knew it, he had drifted off, his nose brushing against the hollow of Xie Guilan’s neck. It was an unintentional yet incredibly intimate position.

Xie Guilan: “…”

His lips pressed into a tight line.

They were only supposed to hug for a moment—how had it turned into this?

How much did Cen Wu actually like him?

Cen Wu was thin. Even through the blanket, Xie Guilan could feel the sharp edges of his spine, yet his face was unbelievably soft. His eyelashes quivered in his sleep, brushing against Xie Guilan’s collarbone, like a restless little cat curling up against him.

Xie Guilan lowered his head slightly, his nose brushing against the top of Cen Wu’s hair. It carried a faint, intoxicating scent, probably from his shampoo.

Cen Wu woke up in the middle of the night, feeling suffocated.

He blinked drowsily and realized Xie Guilan was still asleep, but his face looked a little pale.

Cen Wu shifted slightly, and Xie Guilan’s eyes snapped open. Even in the darkness, his cold, sharp gaze sent a chill down Cen Wu’s spine.

“…Is your leg hurting?” Cen Wu propped himself up, his loose pajama collar slipping a little as he leaned forward. From Xie Guilan’s angle, he caught a brief glimpse of pale skin—and the faintest hint of red.

Xie Guilan: “…”

His jaw clenched as he quickly looked away. His voice was low and raspy from sleep. “I’m fine.”

Cen Wu didn’t believe him.

He reached out and pressed his fingers against Xie Guilan’s calf, noticing how tense and tight the muscles were.

Xie Guilan was growing fast—he would eventually reach 191 cm. The rapid growth spurts caused intense growing pains, especially at night.

No one ever took care of him, and Xie Guilan himself never cared. He was the kind of person who thought, If I can survive, I survive. If I can’t, I die. Simple as that.

Cen Wu sighed, feeling like a worried parent. He grabbed a warm towel and pressed it against Xie Guilan’s leg, waiting for the stiffness to ease. Then, he started massaging the muscle with his palm.

Xie Guilan: “…”

His voice was hoarse. “Young Master, I can do it myself.”

“It’s… it’s fine,” Cen Wu replied.

Xie Guilan couldn’t sit up properly to massage his own leg without making the pain worse, so Cen Wu rolled up his pajama pants slightly and continued.

His warm hands kneaded the tight muscle, working out the tension. Xie Guilan’s leg twitched involuntarily, but Cen Wu pressed down on his knee, silently telling him not to move.

Xie Guilan froze.

After a moment, he wordlessly yanked the blanket over his lower half.

His entire body was getting unnervingly stiff.

Cen Wu, oblivious, kept massaging. Xie Guilan’s voice was quieter when he spoke again. “Young Master, how did you know my leg hurt?”

Cen Wu: “…”

He wasn’t going to answer that.

Instead, after finishing the massage, he scooted closer to Xie Guilan and burrowed into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around Xie Guilan, resting his chin against the blanket-covered shoulder, staring up at him.

A face so strikingly beautiful—soft, pink lips, long lashes fluttering slightly, a hazy, drowsy look in his eyes. And if Xie Guilan wasn’t imagining things… there was a hint of something almost coquettish in his expression.

Cen Wu pretended nothing had happened. He gently patted Xie Guilan’s face and murmured, “Okay, sleep now.”

Then, he closed his eyes and snuggled closer.

Xie Guilan: “…”

He didn’t say another word.

Cen Wu fell asleep quickly. His complexion was unnaturally pale, almost ghostly, but his long, dark lashes contrasted starkly against his skin. He looked strangely delicate.

Almost like he had shed his disguise.

But in Xie Guilan’s arms, he was undeniably soft.

Xie Guilan held him for a while. When he was certain Cen Wu was deep asleep, he carefully lifted the arm draped over his shoulder and shifted Cen Wu off him.

After tucking him under the blanket, Xie Guilan silently got out of bed and went to the bathroom.

His pajama pants were thin.

They did nothing to hide… certain reactions.

Xie Guilan’s face darkened as he stared down in silence for a few moments.

Then, coldly, in his mind, he ordered—

Go down.