YMW CH 36

Oh No, Oh No

Xie Guilan pinched Cen Wu’s cheeks, kneading them a few more times before suddenly asking, “Young Master, why aren’t you stuttering anymore?”

Cen Wu froze. His entire face flushed red, and he would’ve been fine if he hadn’t reacted to the question. But as soon as he tried to speak, his lips trembled, and his voice faltered again, “I… I…”

Xie Guilan instantly regretted asking.

Cen Wu lifted his head to look at Xie Guilan, about to say something, but before he could, hurried footsteps sounded behind him. He turned around and was stunned.

Chu Zijian was here—along with Cen Xiao and Guan Xingxue.

“Second Young Master, I really had no other choice,” Chu Zijian explained hastily, worried that Cen Wu would be furious with him. “I was afraid something would happen to you, so I had to tell President Guan.”

He had told the guys at the racetrack that Cen Wu must’ve gone to find Xie Guilan, but those idiots wouldn’t believe him. Well, now he knew—Cen Wu would do anything for Xie Guilan.

Chu Zijian felt a headache coming on. The whole situation with Wang Yue and the betting slips was one thing—not many people were there, and those who were had kept their mouths shut, so it wouldn’t spread.

But this time, Xie Shangjing was definitely going to find out.

There was no more fooling himself into thinking Cen Wu still hated Xie Guilan. Hate? What a joke. He was practically head over heels for him.

Wait a minute—why should Xie Guilan get to be his sister-in-law?

“Xiaobao,” Guan Xingxue rushed in, a thin cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders. She was wearing only slippers, clearly in a hurry. She reached out and touched Cen Wu’s burning forehead. “You have a fever again—why are you so hot?”

The Cen family had many business dealings overseas. Cen Junshan had just left Huai Jing on a flight last night. Now, the city was being battered by a torrential downpour, and all flights were grounded. Otherwise, he would’ve come too.

It was past one in the morning, and the storm outside was so fierce that it was practically impossible to leave the house. Cen Wu’s throat tightened at the thought of how dangerous it must have been to drive all the way from the city in this weather.

Even though he saw that Guan Xingxue and Cen Xiao had arrived safely at the hospital, his palms were still slick with cold sweat.

He had wanted to yell at Chu Zijian, but when Guan Xingxue noticed the fresh wound on his leg, her eyes reddened. She knew exactly what he was worried about and gently reassured him, “This little bit of rain is nothing. No matter where you are, Mom will always come to you.”

Cen Wu’s pale lips quivered, and his eyes reddened slightly. His fingers touched the damp fabric of Guan Xingxue’s shawl.

The rain was so heavy that even with an umbrella, just walking from the car to the hospital entrance was enough to get soaked.

Cen Xiao had gone to ask a nurse for a blanket for Guan Xingxue. His own suit jacket was drenched too—he had rushed over straight from the office after getting Chu Zijian’s call.

After taking off his wet jacket and draping it over his arm, Cen Xiao turned to look at Cen Wu. Then, with a meaningful expression, he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

Cen Wu, still a little dazed, met Cen Xiao’s complicated gaze and realized something—Xie Guilan was still holding him.

His face instantly heated up. He scrambled to push Xie Guilan away, wanting to get up, but then hesitated. Why was he panicking? There was nothing between him and Xie Guilan.

Reacting like this would just make him look guilty.

The hospital wasn’t in great condition, but given the late hour and the relentless storm outside, driving back wasn’t safe. Cen Wu still had a fever, so staying the night was the best option.

Guan Xingxue asked Cen Xiao to check with the nurses to see if there were any available hospital beds or if they could admit him for the night.

Meanwhile, when no one was paying attention, Cen Wu clenched Xie Guilan’s cold fingers and leaned in to whisper, “I… I’m hungry. Can you… get me something to eat?”

“Mm.” Xie Guilan lightly squeezed his fingertips in return. Now that Guan Xingxue and the others were here to take care of Cen Wu, he went to buy food.

Once Xie Guilan left, Cen Wu took the chance to discuss the competition with Guan Xingxue. They couldn’t delay any longer—right now, the rumors about Xie Guilan cheating hadn’t fully spread, but the longer they waited, the worse it would get.

Rumors were dangerous because once they took root, even if the truth came out, there would always be people who didn’t see it—or who pretended not to. Only a few actually cared about the facts.

It had to be shut down immediately.

Guan Xingxue held him close, gently stroking his soft black hair. Even though Cen Wu spoke hesitantly, tripping over his words, she listened patiently.

The Liao family had been in the jewelry business since the last century and had deep roots. A sapphire necklace they once owned had been auctioned off for an astronomical price and eventually ended up in the hands of a European queen.

Guan Xingxue, a legendary actress, wasn’t as active in film anymore, but her status in the industry was untouchable. She had been the spokesperson for Liao Jewelry for ten years.

Meanwhile, Cen Junshan had a long-standing relationship with the Liao family, going back generations. The issue at hand wasn’t a big one, but if they pushed too hard, it would damage the relationship between both families.

“Xiaobao.” Guan Xingxue was silent for a moment before gently cupping his face. “Are you sure you want to help him?”

Cen Wu looked fragile, his face pale with fever, but his eyes—wet and glazed—held a stubborn determination as he nodded.

“…Alright,” Guan Xingxue said.

Cen Wu finally felt a weight lift from his chest.

This situation was different from Wang Yue’s. Wang Yue had deliberately made things difficult for him, so the Cen family would never let him off the hook.

Besides, Wang Yue’s company was nothing compared to the Cen family—if Cen Xiao wanted to crush him, it would take nothing more than a word.

But with the Liao family, the conflict was only with Xie Guilan. Maybe he had been framed, but so what?

Guan Xingxue wasn’t Meng Liangping—she wouldn’t go to great lengths to protect a student just because they were wronged.

The only reason she agreed was because the Cen family doted on Cen Wu—so much so that they indulged him in everything.

She didn’t even ask for a reason.

Just because he was her child, she was willing to do anything for him.

Cen Xiao returned after speaking with the nurse. There were no more hospital beds available, and they weren’t accepting new admissions.

But someone who had been receiving IV treatment in the outpatient area had left in a hurry despite the rain, freeing up a bed. Since Cen Wu’s leg was injured, the nurse let him take it.

Once he was settled in, Guan Xingxue went to get hot water, leaving Cen Xiao and Cen Wu alone in the hospital room.

Cen Xiao sat by the bed, crossing his long legs. He looked at Cen Wu with great interest and asked, “Mom’s gone now. So, can you tell me the truth? Do you like Xie Guilan?”

Cen Xiao wasn’t like other rich kids—his only hobby had been e-sports.

Cen Junshan had crushed that dream, but just because he didn’t play didn’t mean he didn’t know things.

Chu Zijian told him that Cen Wu had driven up the mountain. In an instant, all the blood in his body turned ice-cold. He couldn’t believe Cen Wu had dared to do such a thing.

In his entire life, he’d only been this scared twice. The first time was when Cen Wu was born.

Back then, Guan Xingxue was filming in the mountains, and the rain was just as heavy as tonight. He and Cen Junshan were stuck at the foot of the mountain.

At first, Guan Xingxue’s assistant sent them a message saying she might go into early labor. But as the rain kept pouring, the flood swallowed the entire night, and they didn’t hear anything for days.

It felt like the storm from over a decade ago had returned to tonight. That was when he realized—he was still afraid.

Cen Xiao originally wanted to knock Cen Wu on the head to see what kind of nonsense had gotten into him, making him act so recklessly. But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he reached out and ruffled Cen Wu’s hair.

After all, in this life, besides his parents and Cen Wu, there was no one else he’d do something like this for.

Cen Wu was caught off guard. His ears turned red in an instant. Wait—why did everyone assume he liked Xie Guilan? Couldn’t he just have pure brotherly affection?

Flustered, he stammered, “I… I don’t.” His face burned as he quickly added, “I don’t like him.”

Cen Xiao knew that the original host of his body was gay. He might not have known there were thousands of names in his “fishpond,” but he was aware that the original often sought out male models at Blue Night.

But because he was afraid of making Xie Shangjing jealous and causing trouble, he never actually got physically close to anyone. At most, he just admired their abs.

Cen Xiao never paid much attention to it.

It was just his brother looking at abs—what was the big deal? Were those abs so precious that they couldn’t even be looked at?

“You don’t like him? Are you insane?” Cen Xiao immediately put on a cold face. “You were willing to risk your life for him, and now you’re telling me you don’t like him?”

Cen Xiao already had a hostile attitude toward Xie Guilan, and Xie Guilan felt the same about him. The night of the Lu family banquet, when Cen Xiao was driving both Xie Guilan and Cen Wu home, they exchanged a glance in the rearview mirror.

Both of them became wary of each other.

To be honest, Cen Xiao had never liked Xie Guilan—not because of his background as an illegitimate child, but because of who he was as a person. Those dark, narrow eyes always carried a cold, indifferent look, making him seem distant and unfeeling.

The Xie family was a mess. Cen Xiao didn’t want Cen Wu to get involved with any of them—let alone Xie Guilan.

But what Cen Wu had done went beyond normal. Even if he had a crush, this wasn’t something someone would do just because of that.

If Cen Wu was dead set on this guy, then fine. But first, Cen Xiao needed to investigate Xie Guilan.

Song Lingwei used to be a hostess. She spent ten years in Huaijing’s nightlife scene, surrounded by chaos. It was rumored that after giving birth, she even went back to taking clients for a while.

Growing up with her, there was no way Xie Guilan came out of it unscathed.

“It doesn’t matter if you won’t admit it,” Cen Xiao gave Cen Wu a sidelong glance. “Once I finish digging into him, I’ll go tell Mom and Dad.”

“…Bro!” Cen Wu panicked and grabbed his sleeve.

If Cen Xiao really started investigating, there was a good chance he’d uncover the whole identity swap situation. That would be a disaster.

And that’s when it hit Cen Wu—he’d been so preoccupied with Xie Guilan that he hadn’t even prepared an escape fund yet. Cen Xiao had actually reminded him.

At the very least, he needed to save up ten or twenty thousand. Otherwise, how was he supposed to run?

Besides, Xie Guilan really couldn’t afford to be investigated.

The Cen family wasn’t familiar with Xie Guilan yet. Some things weren’t meant to be discovered at this stage.

Cen Wu was still running a fever, his damp eyelashes clinging together. Lying in the hospital bed, his pale fingers clutched the hem of Cen Xiao’s shirt as he looked up at him, eyes filled with silent pleading.

“…” Cen Xiao had already stood up, but seeing that look, he sat back down, feeling utterly frustrated. There was no doubt that Xie Guilan had problems, yet Cen Wu insisted on protecting him.

Cen Wu tugged at his wrist again, shaking it slightly. “Bro.”

“You just wait,” Cen Xiao tucked him in and warned, “You better not be hiding anything big from me.”

---

Cen Wu was getting an IV on the second floor of the hospital. Xie Guilan had gone to buy food. As he was coming back up the stairs, he ran into Guan Xingxue. She had a blanket draped over her shoulders, as if she had been waiting for him.

Xie Guilan’s dark eyes lifted slightly as he came to a stop. His voice was low and hoarse as he greeted, “Ms. Guan.”

“Xiao Xie,” Guan Xingxue’s peach blossom eyes curved into a faint smile. She looked tired but not distant. She got straight to the point. “I wanted to talk to you about the competition. Wu Wu wants me to help you.”

Xie Guilan pressed his lips together. He knew that accepting the Cen family’s help meant owing them a debt—not just a financial one, but something far more difficult to repay. A debt that could last a lifetime.

The hospital corridor was dimly lit late at night. Guan Xingxue reached out and briefly grasped his arm. “I don’t mean any harm to you. Wu Wu cares about you a lot, and I don’t want to see him upset. This isn’t a big deal. You don’t need to feel burdened by it.”

The darkness swallowed the contours of Xie Guilan’s face, making his already pale complexion look even colder.

“You know your own value better than anyone,” Guan Xingxue met his gaze. It was only then that she realized how striking his peach blossom eyes were. “Since you’re capable of making an equal trade with me, there’s no need to feel indebted. I’m helping you now, and in the future, when you graduate, if you’re willing, you can come work at Cen Corp. I just hope that by then, you’ll prove to me that I didn’t waste my time on you.”

She spoke bluntly—without any empty reassurances, without pity. That made it easier for Xie Guilan to accept.

“…” Xie Guilan hesitated, thinking of Cen Wu’s injured leg. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he rasped, “Thank you, Ms. Guan.”

Guan Xingxue smiled and lightly pushed his back. “Come on, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

Cen Wu had guessed that Guan Xingxue would go talk to Xie Guilan. But she cared about the original host. Since she could see that he wanted to help Xie Guilan, she wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

When Xie Guilan followed her into the hospital room, he didn’t seem any different. Cen Wu blinked, and when he saw that Guan Xingxue and Cen Xiao weren’t paying attention, he reached out and touched Xie Guilan’s arm.

Xie Guilan: “…”

Touch and physical closeness were the best ways to sense someone’s emotions. When he grabbed Xie Guilan’s wrist, he didn’t feel any resistance. Only then did he relax and sit down to eat with him.

At night, the hospital didn’t have much to eat, so Xie Guilan went down to the first-floor supermarket and bought some bread and millet porridge.

After eating, Cen Wu felt the urge to use the restroom, but his legs were still weak, and he couldn’t stand up on his own.

He couldn’t ask Guan Xingxue to take him, and Cen Xiao wasn’t exactly his brother—it just felt weird. In the end, he had no choice but to grab a few of Xie Guilan’s fingers, lean in close to his ear, and whisper with a flushed face, “Xie… Xie Guilan, I… I need to…”

Xie Guilan’s lips curled slightly. He wrapped an arm around Cen Wu’s waist, effortlessly lifting him up to take him to the restroom.

There was no private restroom in the ward, only a shared one outside. Guan Xingxue was on the phone with Cen Junshan at the end of the hallway and didn’t notice them. Cen Xiao, however, did. But when he met Cen Wu’s pleading, blushing face, he simply pretended not to see anything.

What the hell.

Right in front of him, hugging like that.

Cen Wu’s legs were so weak he couldn’t stand, and his hands trembled, lacking strength. He was practically shivering. Xie Guilan kept a firm hold on his waist, while Cen Wu’s pale ears had turned so red they looked like they might start dripping blood.

He froze for a long moment, unable to get anything done. His hands were shaking too much—he even fumbled multiple times, making a mess of things.

Xie Guilan stood by, holding onto his waist, silently watching. Cen Wu grew flustered and annoyed, turning to glare at him. “What… what are you looking at? Haven’t seen anyone bigger than you before?”

Xie Guilan had only been watching to make sure he didn’t fall, but hearing that, his lips curled into a smirk, his voice carrying a teasing edge. “Haven’t seen. Thought I’d take a good look.”

Cen Wu: “……”

Mortified, Cen Wu tried to stomp on Xie Guilan’s foot with his weak legs.

But he had no balance to begin with. After struggling for a while, he only ended up being firmly caught—Xie Guilan grabbed him by the waist and pulled him right into his arms.

Xie Guilan was much taller than him, making it easy to wrap around him completely. Cen Wu still tried to resist, but before he could finish struggling, Xie Guilan’s calloused fingers reached over.

This time, he got it right.

Cen Wu’s mind went blank, his face instantly burning from his ears down to his neck. The dimly lit restroom amplified the sound of his heartbeat. His lips trembled. “Y-you… what are you doing?”

“Helping you,” Xie Guilan’s naturally cool voice was slightly husky now. Holding Cen Wu’s slim waist, he lowered his gaze, catching sight of the small red mole on his ear. He let out a soft chuckle. “What’s there to be afraid of? Worst case, you just pee on my hand.”

Cen Wu: “……”

Bro, can you calm down?

Cen Wu didn’t even remember how he made it back. His face was so red he couldn’t lift his head, and he insisted Xie Guilan wash his hands with hospital disinfectant multiple times before finally letting him go.

Xie Guilan carried him back to the ward. Cen Wu lay on the hospital bed, nearly dying from embarrassment, burying himself under the blanket and refusing to come out. Meanwhile, Xie Guilan acted like nothing had happened.

Was this what being a straight guy was like? He wasn’t even the least bit fazed?

Cen Wu hid under the blanket for ages, but it was too stuffy. His eyes were still red when he finally peeked out a little. He had never had a boyfriend before, never been touched like that by anyone.

What the hell was this? Why did it feel like he was suddenly dating Xie Guilan? Weren’t they supposed to be just brothers?

The hospital bed was small. Cen Xiao told Xie Guilan to stay in the room and keep an eye on Cen Wu, while he went to get some thick mats for Guan Xingxue, making sure she wouldn’t get cold while sleeping in the hallway.

There was no extra space in the ward, and the hospital was packed that night—many patients and their families were resting out in the corridor, huddled together.

Cen Xiao also leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest.

As the night deepened, the hospital grew quieter. Cen Wu’s bed was against the wall. Xie Guilan tucked an extra blanket behind him to keep him warm, then pulled another over him before slipping an arm around him.

Cen Wu curled up in his embrace, no longer cold, but he still found Xie Guilan’s long, slender fingers annoying to look at. He had no choice but to shut his eyes and sleep, hoping ignorance would be bliss.

Xie Guilan held him close. Cen Wu, exhausted from the long day, soon drifted off into steady breathing. Xie Guilan lowered his gaze, staring at his own hand for a moment before lifting it to his nose.

No smell.

Cen Wu had been forced to drink a lot of water earlier by Guan Xingxue. As a result, he woke up in the middle of the night needing the restroom again.

Xie Guilan was still tired, faint dark circles under his eyes. Cen Wu didn’t have the heart to wake him. His legs weren’t as weak now—his knees still hurt, but he could manage.

He quietly got up and went to the restroom alone. On his way back, he noticed Guan Xingxue’s blanket had slipped down a little. Carefully, he tiptoed over and adjusted it for her.

Guan Xingxue was a light sleeper. The moment he approached, she stirred, reaching out to touch his face. “Little Bao, still awake?”

She had sensed that something was different about him. Cen Wu had always been a bit slow with words, but tonight, he seemed more mature—he was even looking after her. Before, he never would’ve thought to fix her blanket.

“I just went to the restroom,” Cen Wu whispered.

Outside, heavy rain poured down. The hospital’s conditions were poor, which reminded Guan Xingxue of when she had given birth in a remote mountain village.

She hadn’t wanted the film crew to fall behind schedule because of her, so she had kept working despite being pregnant. She figured she was young and healthy enough to handle it. But then, a sudden downpour came, and she went into early labor.

The hospital had run out of blood for transfusions. She had nearly died on the operating table. After giving birth, she remained unconscious for days before finally waking up.

“You were so tiny and red back then,” Guan Xingxue gently pinched Cen Wu’s cheek, holding him close as she murmured, “All wrinkled up, nothing like your brother when he was born.”

Cen Junshan had received careful attention, and Guan Xingxue’s pregnancy with him had been smooth—no major discomforts. When Cen Xiao was born, his complexion was fairer, and he looked healthier than most newborns.

Cen Wu lay beside her, his lips moving slightly, but no words came out.

The night she gave birth, someone took her baby and replaced him with another. She hadn’t even seen her real child before opening her eyes to a stranger’s.

Song Lingwei had a history of drug use and had even abused other substances. Her body had already weakened, and doctors had warned her against having a child. But she refused to listen, which led to her baby being born weak and frail.

Even if Guan Xingxue had gone into labor early and given birth to a smaller baby, just one glance might have been enough to realize something was wrong.

But she had never even had the chance.

“You were so tiny when you were born,” Guan Xingxue gently stroked Cen Wu’s cheek. “Always sickly, always struggling. It broke my heart. Back then, I promised myself I’d never let you suffer again. Whatever you want, Mama will help you. My little treasure has always been the sweetest.”

Cen Wu’s eyes turned red. His eyelashes trembled, and tears welled up before silently slipping down his cheeks. Guan Xingxue wiped them away, soothing him in a soft voice. “Go to sleep now, you’re still running a fever.”

Cen Wu nodded obediently.

Guan Xingxue waited until she saw him return safely to his hospital bed before lying back down herself.

The moment Cen Wu reached the doorway of the hospital room, Xie Guilan stirred awake. His arms instinctively searched for warmth, but the space beside him was empty. His brows furrowed, and he was just about to get up and search when he saw Cen Wu walking in, eyes brimming with tears.

Xie Guilan froze for a second.

Cen Wu climbed into bed, still sniffling, burying himself in his blanket. Without a word, Xie Guilan reached out and wiped the tears from his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You… you broke it,” Cen Wu mumbled, voice trembling. Another tear slid down. His reddened eyes flickered with grievance. “You have to… you have to take responsibility.”

He couldn’t quite put it into words, but he swore something about himself had changed after Xie Guilan touched him. He even checked just now—it definitely didn’t look the same as before.

Xie Guilan: “…”

Before he could respond, Cen Wu flung the blanket off and kicked him in the leg.

Xie Guilan lowered his gaze, dark eyes sweeping over himself before he smirked lazily. His voice, husky and laced with amusement, was as infuriating as ever. “How do you want me to take responsibility?” He leaned in slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. “You wanna break mine too? Go ahead, take your best shot.”