YMW CH 41

Adorable

Cen Wu had indeed asked someone to buy the test papers for him, intending to give them to Xie Guilan. But the difficulty was a bit beyond him—he struggled for a long time and couldn’t even get through the multiple-choice questions. In the end, he simply gave up.

He lay beside Xie Guilan, watching him work through the problems. Xie Guilan was fast, barely needing any scratch paper.

After staring at the page for a while, Cen Wu’s gaze began to wander, inevitably drifting toward Xie Guilan’s face. His eyelashes were long, eyes deep-set, and when he lowered them, they cast a cool shadow beneath. His Adam’s apple was prominent, collarbones sharp and youthful, with the hollows of his features fading into delicate shadows.

At first, Xie Guilan had only been solving a few problems to humor Cen Wu. But the test paper was well-made, and he gradually got more invested. Yet, the persistent gaze from the side was impossible to ignore. His pen halted as he turned his head.

Cen Wu suddenly found himself locking eyes with those deep, black pupils. He flinched in surprise—after all, the worst nightmare of someone with social anxiety was direct eye contact.

Panicking, he averted his gaze, but in that moment, he caught sight of a dark stain seeping through Xie Guilan’s shoulder. His brows knitted together.

“Wh-what happened?” Cen Wu reached for his pajama top.

Xie Guilan blocked him with a nonchalant air. “It’s nothing.”

But Cen Wu wasn’t giving up so easily. He grabbed hold of him, refusing to let go. Left with no choice, Xie Guilan unfastened his pajama top. It was only then that Cen Wu saw the blood streaks covering his shoulder and back—fresh wounds, punctured by something sharp. Some had already scabbed over, but others were still oozing blood.

Song Lingwei had been sick for years, her hands weak, so even when she gripped a pair of scissors, she couldn’t stab too deep. Xie Guilan had only treated the wounds enough to stop the bleeding before leaving them be. One of the cuts was a little deeper, so he had wiped away the blood and stuck a piece of gauze over it.

But just now, while messing around with Cen Wu, the wound must have reopened. Blood had begun seeping out again.

Xie Guilan curled his fingers around a few of Cen Wu’s, gently rubbing them in his palm. “It doesn’t hurt,” he said.

Cen Wu pursed his lips, feeling a little dejected. He had been doing his best to stay by Xie Guilan’s side every day, yet somehow, Xie Guilan still managed to get hurt when he wasn’t looking.

Would he get tetanus from this?

“Wait here,” Cen Wu told him. “I’ll get some gauze.”

He took off so fast that Xie Guilan couldn’t stop him. His fingertips slipped from Xie Guilan’s palm, like trying to catch a cat’s flicking tail—always just out of reach.

It was already past midnight, and the servants were all asleep. Cen Wu tiptoed toward the medicine cabinet, but even so, he ended up waking the old butler. In a flash, the butler was at his side.

Young master, this old servant has arrived once again.

Cen Wu: “……”

“Young master,” the butler said, “allow me.”

With no choice, Cen Wu obediently followed behind him.

The old butler had served the Cen family for nearly fifty years, having once been at Cen Wu’s grandfather’s side. He had practically raised Cen Wu’s father, and both Cen Xiao and the original owner of this body had grown up under his care.

With practiced efficiency, the butler cleaned Xie Guilan’s wounds, applied medicine, and secured them with fresh gauze.

Cen Wu leaned in for a closer look. The wounds weren’t too deep, but they were harshly inflicted, the crisscrossing cuts sharp and painful to look at. He held the gauze in place as the butler reached out and gently patted his head.

Cen Wu had indeed gone out of his way to get that set of exam papers. He originally intended to give them to Xie Guilan, but the difficulty was a bit too much for him. After struggling for a while and still failing to solve a single multiple-choice question, he simply gave up.

Instead, he lay on the desk, watching Xie Guilan work through the problems. Xie Guilan was quick, barely using any scratch paper.

After staring for a while, Cen Wu’s gaze inevitably drifted from the exam papers to Xie Guilan’s face. His long eyelashes cast a faint shadow over his deep-set eyes, a cool, muted light pooling beneath them. His Adam’s apple was prominent, his collarbones sharp and well-defined with the angularity of youth. Shadows carved into the hollows of his features.

Initially, Xie Guilan had only picked up the exam papers to humor Cen Wu, solving a few problems absentmindedly. But as he worked through them, he realized the test was decently designed, and he gradually became more focused. The persistent gaze from beside him, however, was impossible to ignore. His pen halted. He turned his head.

Cen Wu suddenly found himself locking eyes with Xie Guilan’s pitch-black pupils. Startled, he flinched. After all, for someone with social anxiety, prolonged eye contact was the ultimate nightmare.

He quickly averted his gaze, only to catch sight of a dark stain seeping through Xie Guilan’s shirt near his shoulder. His brows furrowed slightly.

“Wh-what happened?” Cen Wu reached out and tugged at Xie Guilan’s sleepwear.

Xie Guilan blocked him with his arm, his expression indifferent. “It’s nothing.”

Unconvinced, Cen Wu grabbed his sleeve and refused to let go. Left with no choice, Xie Guilan unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the wounds on his shoulder and back. The marks were fresh—cuts from a sharp object, some already scabbed over, others still oozing blood.

Song Lingwei had been ill for years. She barely had the strength to hold a pair of scissors, so the wounds weren’t deep. When the bleeding stopped, Xie Guilan hadn’t bothered to tend to them further. One of the cuts was slightly deeper, and he had simply wiped away the blood and stuck a piece of gauze over it.

But just now, while playfully tussling with Cen Wu, the wound had reopened. Blood began to seep out again.

Xie Guilan gently hooked a few of Cen Wu’s fingers, rubbing them between his palm. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Cen Wu pursed his lips, looking somewhat dejected. He had been staying close to Xie Guilan every day, yet somehow, Xie Guilan still managed to get hurt when he wasn’t looking.

Would he get tetanus from this?

“Wait here,” Cen Wu said. “I’ll go get some gauze.”

He bolted before Xie Guilan could stop him, his fingertips slipping from Xie Guilan’s palm—like the flick of a cat’s tail, impossible to catch.

It was past midnight. The servants were all asleep. Cen Wu had tiptoed off to find bandages and medicine, but he still managed to wake the old butler. The moment the old man heard movement, he sprang into action, rushing over in an instant.

“Young Master, this old servant is here again.”

Cen Wu: “…”

The butler regarded him with a calm but knowing look. “Young Master, allow me.”

Left with no choice, Cen Wu followed obediently behind him.

The old butler had served the Cen family for nearly fifty years, having started under Cen Wu’s grandfather. He had even raised Cen Wu’s father. Both Cen Xiao and the original Cen Wu had grown up under his care.

Now, the butler carefully cleaned Xie Guilan’s wounds, applied medicine, and secured the gauze.

Cen Wu leaned in to observe. The wounds weren’t deep, but the way the crisscrossing cuts marred his skin made them look painfully vicious. He held the gauze while the butler reached over and patted his head.

The old butler had a strong grip, causing Cen Wu’s head to bob slightly with each pat. He didn’t dare avoid it.

The wrinkles on the butler’s face softened, filled with warmth. He had long passed the age of retirement, and the Cen family had wanted him to settle down and enjoy his later years, free of responsibilities. But he couldn’t sit still—he still wanted to serve.

He had no children of his own. Though, in name, he had only been Cen Wu’s grandfather’s servant, their bond was closer to that of brothers. When Cen Wu was born, the butler had been so overjoyed it was as if he had gained a grandson.

As a child, Cen Wu had clung to him constantly. But as he grew older, he no longer allowed head pats. Recently, though, something had changed—he had become inexplicably obedient again.

Right now, he sat still, just like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck, not daring to move.

Cen Wu’s parents were always busy with business, so in his early years, he had practically been raised by the butler. Like all children, he had grown attached to the person who took care of him.

But as he got older, he started seeing the butler as just another servant of the Cen family. Naturally, he grew distant.

He had long forgotten how, years ago, the butler had eagerly awaited his birth. How, on nights when his parents were away and Cen Xiao was at school, the butler had been the one holding him, lulling him to sleep, watching over him as he grew.

In the original novel, when the truth about the real and fake young masters started to unravel, Cen Wu had panicked. Knowing he couldn’t keep it under wraps for long, he had begun fighting Cen Xiao over the family inheritance. In his desperation, he had nearly caused the deaths of his parents. And when everything was exposed, the butler, overwhelmed by blow after blow, had passed away before Xie Guilan was even brought back to the Cen family. He had never gotten to meet him.

Cen Wu thought of his own grandfather. When his parents had been away filming, he used to sleep next to his grandfather at night. If he couldn’t sleep, his grandfather would take him to the beach to collect shells and stones. The coastline shimmered with bioluminescent waves—“blue tears” glistening under the night sky.

The deep blue glow flowed in the darkness, more mesmerizing than any sapphire he had ever seen, reflecting in his young, wide eyes.

After his grandfather’s bankruptcy, everything of value had been pawned away. The only thing left was an old pocket watch with an embedded sapphire. Tucked inside its compartment was a photo of him. It had been buried alongside his grandfather during the funeral.

Cen Wu sighed. He really should leave soon. People shouldn’t grow too attached to things that don’t belong to them.

“All done.” The butler finished tending to Xie Guilan’s wounds and warned, “Young Master Xie, keep the wound dry these next few days and change the dressing regularly. It’s deep—be careful of infection.”

Xie Guilan nodded. “Thank you.”

He was used to injuries. Pain barely registered anymore. Back when Cen Wu had whipped him with a riding crop, he hadn’t even bothered treating it. He figured he wouldn’t die from it, so why bother?

He didn’t care much about how the butler handled his wounds. His dark eyes, however, were locked onto Cen Wu.

Cen Wu was crouched beside him, carefully holding the gauze.

Getting his head patted.

Blinking his thick lashes, looking up at him.

Xie Guilan felt lightheaded. He used to hate Cen Wu. But now…

Why was he so damn cute?

How did he grow up to look this adorable?

Cen Wu shrank under his stare. Once the butler left, he quickly urged Xie Guilan to go to bed. “You’re hurt. You should rest properly.”

Xie Guilan didn’t argue. He obediently lay down.

Cen Wu kicked the blanket aside, climbed into bed, then pulled the blanket over himself.

But just as he settled in, an arm wrapped around his waist.

Xie Guilan pulled him into his embrace, his chin resting on the top of Cen Wu’s head. He was half a head taller, just enough to completely envelop him.

The way he held him was so natural, as if they had spent lifetimes like this.

Cen Wu’s ears burned.

She had almost been taken advantage of.

In the original story, she had already been dragged away, just moments from being pulled into a room. At the time, Xie Guilan happened to be working at this hotel. He saw Xu Lingling but initially chose not to intervene—until she was thrown to the ground, her dress grabbed as they tried to drag her forward. Only then did he step in.

Back then, Xie Guilan’s right hand had been broken by Xie Shangjing, and it hadn’t fully healed. He fought with the man’s bodyguards, and while he won, his hand was further injured, leaving him with a lifelong ailment.

This production was funded by Cen Xiao, who was also attending the banquet tonight. When Cen Wu arrived downstairs at the Cen Corporation building, Cen Xiao had already gotten into the car, ready to leave. He only noticed Cen Wu running toward him from a distance and had the driver stop.

“Brother…” Cen Wu knocked on the car window. “I… I want to go too.”

Cen Xiao raised an eyebrow in surprise. Cen Wu used to love attending these banquets, but recently, he had changed—acting as if he wanted nothing to do with them. Since it wasn’t a necessary event for him, Cen Xiao never forced him to go. He hadn’t expected Cen Wu to suddenly ask to come along.

Cen Wu had run so fast he was panting, his face flushed red.

“In such a hurry… Who’s at the banquet tonight?” Cen Xiao glanced at his flushed face and teased, “Don’t tell me Xie Guilan is there?”

It was a casual remark, but as soon as he said it, Cen Wu started fumbling for words.

Cen Xiao’s expression darkened instantly.

What kind of seductive troublemaker was this?!

He scowled, looking at Cen Wu with a mix of disappointment and frustration. “Look at you—completely bewitched.”

Cen Wu was scolded and wilted like a withered leaf. When they arrived at the banquet, he followed Cen Xiao to greet a few people before sneaking away to find Xie Guilan.

He remembered it happened on the third floor of the hotel.

Sure enough, when he got there, he saw Xu Lingling in a white cocktail dress. A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties had grabbed her wrist, pulling her along with an arm around her shoulders.

Xu Lingling didn’t dare offend him, forcing a smile even as he touched her multiple times. Her eyes were slightly red.

“I told you, I can get you a role,” the man said impatiently when she hesitated, anger creeping onto his face. “Stupid bitch, don’t know what’s good for you. How the hell do you expect to get a part if you won’t come with me?!”

Xie Guilan was there too. Although he had cleared his debts and still had over a hundred thousand left, he took this hotel gig because they paid well and were short on staff. One night’s work was enough for him, so he had accepted it. He was currently delivering drinks on the third floor.

Just like in the original story, he didn’t interfere at first. But when the man tried to pull Xu Lingling’s dress down, Xie Guilan stepped in.

One of the bodyguards immediately moved to block him.

Xie Guilan’s expression was cold as he shoved the bodyguard aside, preparing to fight. Xu Lingling’s tears finally spilled over. Just as things were about to spiral out of control, a firm arm wrapped around her shoulders.

She flinched, trembling, but when she turned her head, she found that it was Cen Wu.

Xie Guilan also froze for a moment.

Cen Wu pulled Xu Lingling close and then, with his other hand, casually took hold of the middle-aged man’s hand. His beautiful eyes curved slightly, though there was no warmth in them. He said, “Director He.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The man, his hair slicked back with gel, was thoroughly drunk, his face flushed. He didn’t even recognize Cen Wu.

Cen Wu steadied Xu Lingling and fixed the torn strap of her dress before tightening his grip on Director He’s hand, pulling him forward. His youthful face remained calm, yet he carried himself like someone all too familiar with such scenes.

Too intoxicated to think clearly, Director He didn’t even realize that Cen Wu was just a high school student. He let himself be led along, his muddled mind unable to resist.

The surrounding bodyguards, however, recognized Cen Wu instantly. They hesitated before stepping back, letting go of Xie Guilan. None of them dared interfere.

After all, in Huaijing, the second young master of the Cen family could do whatever he pleased. Even if their employer were sober, he wouldn’t dare offend Cen Wu.

Let alone them.

Once they reached an empty banquet hall, Cen Wu pushed the door open and led Director He inside. Then, with a cold expression, he lifted his leg and kicked him square in the back.

Director He crashed onto the floor.

“Agh—!” He groaned in pain but was too drunk to get up, sprawled on the ground and reeking of alcohol.

Cen Wu released Xu Lingling and turned to her. “Kick him.”

Xu Lingling hesitated at first, but when she met Cen Wu’s gaze, she inexplicably found the courage. Anger flaring, she stomped forward in her high heels and viciously kicked the man several times.

She even ground her heel into his back a few times for good measure.

Director He coughed up several mouthfuls of alcohol, too intoxicated to stand, slumped on the floor like a pile of sludge.

Cen Wu winced just watching.

The bodyguards wanted to intervene but feared stepping in. Still, they couldn’t just stand there and watch their boss get beaten up, so they covered their eyes instead.

They didn’t see anything.

Cen Wu: “…”

Once Xu Lingling had let out her anger, Cen Wu patted one of the bodyguards on the shoulder. Softening his tone, he forced himself to speak smoothly. “Tonight… I was the one who hit him. Got it?”

The bodyguard flinched. “G-Got it.”

It was already past midnight. Xie Guilan was unharmed, and Xu Lingling was safe. Cen Wu decided to take her home.

Xie Guilan had also finished work and left with them.

On the way back, Xu Lingling quietly wiped her tears. But when they reached her building, she stopped at the entrance and quickly composed herself.

Xie Guilan didn’t follow them inside. He stood beneath a tree a short distance away, dressed in a black coat, his silhouette cast in the dim glow of the night. His pale skin carried a cold sharpness under the faint light.

Cen Wu took out his phone and held it up to give Xu Lingling some extra light. She dabbed foundation on her face to cover the tear stains, then applied a bit of smoky eye makeup to hide her reddened eyes—she didn’t want her grandmother to worry.

“Second Young Master,” she sniffled, her eyes still red as she turned to Cen Wu. “Thank you… for tonight.”

Cen Wu shook his head. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Your… your grandma’s medical expenses—I can… I can cover them.”

Xu Lingling was a top student, and her scholarships covered her living expenses, but paying for her grandmother’s treatments had left her in constant financial trouble.

She was too young and had no background. Cen Wu didn’t think it was good for her to continue acting under these circumstances.

Xu Lingling bit her lip.

“I also have… conditions,” Cen Wu told her. “After you graduate, you have to sign with the entertainment company under the Cen family’s name.”

Xu Lingling was momentarily stunned. She remembered that the Cen family didn’t own an entertainment company. Guan Xingxue had a studio, but it only managed him and never signed anyone else.

“Don’t… don’t worry about that,” Cen Wu said. “There will be one by then. You just need to decide… whether you want to agree or not.”

Xu Lingling should have been more cautious, but when she looked at Cen Wu, she felt he wouldn’t deceive her. The Cen family might not have an entertainment company now, yet every industry they entered, they excelled in.

Should they decide to open an agency, it would undoubtedly be top-tier. Signing now would likely mean joining a small, exploitative company with unfair contracts. On the other hand, if the Cen family was willing to sign her, there was nothing but benefits.

“Second Young Master,” Xu Lingling asked, “can I ask why?”

Cen Wu didn’t want Xie Guilan to get hurt, so he had to prevent him from getting into a fight tonight. Xu Lingling was destined to be the top actress for the next twenty years. Locking her in early wouldn’t hurt the Cen family either.

He also had enough money on hand. Xu Lingling’s grandmother’s illness wasn’t severe and wouldn’t cost much.

Besides, Xu Lingling was supposed to sign with Xie Guilan in the original story.

The original protagonist was a classic “Dragon AoTian” type. Who knew what kind of golden opportunities he had? Cen Wu didn’t want any disruptions to Xie Guilan’s future. He glanced in his direction before telling Xu Lingling, “Brother Xie… Xie said you have great acting skills.”

He wasn’t lying. In the original story, when Xie Guilan saw Xu Lingling’s resume, he had simply told his agent: “Sign her.”

Xie Guilan had indeed signed her because he recognized her talent.

Xu Lingling wasn’t just lucky—she had the skills to become an award-winning actress.

She was momentarily dazed. She hadn’t expected Xie Guilan to pay attention to her acting. But that wasn’t the point. Xu Lingling was decisive and knew how to seize opportunities. After only a few minutes of consideration, she agreed.

Her eyes were still slightly red. Initially, she wanted to hug Cen Wu, but when she looked up, she met Xie Guilan’s dark, piercing gaze. His expression was so cold it sent a chill down her spine. Her arms stiffened mid-air, and instead of hugging him, she abruptly leaned back, performing an exaggerated chest-expansion stretch.

Cen Wu: ???

“Second Young Master, Brother Xie,” Xu Lingling said with an awkward laugh, still stretching, “I’ll head up first. Thanks again for tonight.”

With that, she turned and ran upstairs.

Cen Wu was utterly confused. He had no idea what just happened. He walked over to Xie Guilan, ready to go home together.

About a minute later, his phone vibrated with a message from Xu Lingling.

【Xu Lingling: All good. Home safe!】

【Cen Wu: Got it.】

Xie Guilan lowered his gaze. The glow from Cen Wu’s phone screen illuminated his cool-toned profile. His long, curled lashes cast faint shadows over his face.

He’s this nice to everyone.

For the first time, Xie Guilan found himself wondering—did Cen Wu actually like him, or did he just pity him?

He didn’t mind Cen Wu helping Xu Lingling. But he didn’t know whether, in Cen Wu’s heart, he was the same as her.

Or the same as Lu Wang.

The same as everyone else.

When Cen Wu put his phone away, he noticed that half of Xie Guilan’s face was swallowed in darkness. The deep night shadows made his already sharp features look even more striking, his expression unreadable.

Cen Wu leaned in slightly to get a better look.

Xie Guilan: “…”

Xie Guilan pressed his lips together and moved away. Cen Wu immediately circled around to the other side and peeked at him again. Xie Guilan dodged several more times, but Cen Wu kept following him in loops until inertia took over. Just as he was about to keep going, Xie Guilan suddenly stopped walking.

Caught off guard, Cen Wu stumbled and crashed into his chest. Xie Guilan caught him by the shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Wu looked up. He reached out and gently patted Xie Guilan’s cheek in a soothing motion.

Xie Guilan didn’t say a word.

Cen Wu suddenly realized something. He hadn’t expected Xie Guilan to care about this so much. He grabbed his wrist, gave it a little shake, and said, “You… you’re really important to me. I care about you the most… Even if the whole world fell into the ocean, I’d still save you first.”

Xie Guilan: “…”

His lips twitched slightly—maybe he was smiling, maybe he wasn’t. His dark lashes lowered as he suddenly murmured, “Say that I’m your favorite.”

Cen Wu blinked, confused. Xie Guilan didn’t seem drunk, but his request still caught him off guard. He hesitated, then tried to deflect, “You… you’re my favorite.”

Xie Guilan’s gaze stayed locked onto him, clearly dissatisfied. His entire presence seemed to darken.

Left with no choice, Cen Wu finally said, “I… I like you the most.”

Xie Guilan stared at him. That’s when Cen Wu realized just how close they were. Xie Guilan’s heated breath brushed against his face. His lashes trembled, and a deep blush spread across his cool-toned cheeks.

Xie Guilan leaned in. His eyes lingered on Cen Wu’s slightly parted, flushed lips. The warmth from his body surged forward. Cen Wu’s mind went blank—he wasn’t prepared at all. Their lips almost brushed, and he could feel the searing heat from Xie Guilan’s breath.

But Xie Guilan suddenly gripped his shoulders tighter, his breathing heavy, almost painfully restrained. His fingers dug in slightly, as if he was suppressing something.

In the end, he let go. He took a step back.

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan curled a finger and gently brushed against Cen Wu’s burning cheek. His voice was low and hoarse. “Let’s go home. I’ll take you back.”

“Mm… okay.”

Cen Wu’s face was completely flushed. His lashes fluttered wildly. He wasn’t even sure what he had just agreed to.

God help him.

For a second there, he really thought Xie Guilan was going to kiss him.