YMW CH 49

Playing Innocent

Cen Wu had no intention of paying him any attention, but Xie Guilan refused to let go. If this went on, the entire bar would end up staring at them. Left with no choice, Cen Wu sat back down, his face flushed, waiting for Xie Guilan to finish his shift.

Damn it.

He hated straight men more than anything in this life.

The school had planned an autumn trip in two days, lasting three days and nights. But since Song Lingwei was having surgery tomorrow, Xie Guilan definitely wouldn’t be able to go.

Cen Wu hadn’t planned on going either—this was practically a death sentence for someone with social anxiety. But Lu Wang had pestered him relentlessly, leaving him with no way to refuse.

Fine. He’d go.

As long as he holed up in the hotel and didn’t leave, it would be bearable. Besides, the trip was just to a resort on the outskirts of Huaijing, only an hour or two away by car. If anything happened with Xie Guilan, he could rush back immediately.

Cen Wu didn’t have his driver wait outside Blue Night. Lately, Xie Guilan had been the one taking him home on a motorcycle every night.

Still the same one borrowed from Ji Changyu.

Ji Changyu had been living in his school dorm for the past few months. Thirteen High was closer to Blue Night than First High, so his motorcycle had just been gathering dust in the garage. Rather than letting it sit unused, he lent it to Xie Guilan.

But the bike only had one helmet, so Xie Guilan had bought another one—for Cen Wu.

When Xie Guilan went to get the bike, Ji Changyu squatted nearby and sighed resentfully, “Xie-dog, you’ve never bought me anything.”

Of course, he knew Xie Guilan was broke—so broke he could barely afford to eat. Even if Xie Guilan did buy him something, he wouldn’t accept it.

But Cen Wu? There was nothing he couldn’t have. A few million, even a few billion, was just a number to the Cen family. Yet Xie Guilan still went out of his way to buy him a helmet.

Insane.

Did he really have to care this much?

The night was deep and dark. Behind Blue Night, only a few dim neon lights flickered.

Xie Guilan straddled the motorcycle, one long leg propped against the ground. He twisted the handlebars a couple of times, then, after a pause, finally asked Ji Changyu, “How… how do you confess to someone?”

Ji Changyu had been about to mock him for stammering like Cen Wu but thought better of it—one word out of line, and he’d probably get beaten to death.

His brain short-circuited for a second. He didn’t even have the energy to react.

Who else could Xie Guilan possibly want to confess to?

Even a fool could tell.

Ji Changyu’s parents had been divorced for years. His dad was a strict and rigid university professor who wanted his life to follow some textbook-perfect path. But their own marriage had been far from perfect, so who were they to demand perfection from him?

Ji Changyu cut class, worked at Blue Night, and had dated plenty of people—just drifting through life as a troublemaker.

But Xie Guilan was different.

Ji Changyu knew that someone like Xie Guilan—cold, ambitious, never allowing himself to fail—would never say he liked someone unless he had already thought it through, planned every move.

If Xie Guilan was going to fall in love, it would be for that one person only.

Not just anyone would do.

Ji Changyu scratched his head, unable to offer any serious advice. “Just kiss them.”

The people he met at bars and clubs were all the type who played around. Sometimes, it wasn’t even about dating—just about spending the night. No unnecessary talking, no beating around the bush.

Xie Guilan’s expression instantly shifted when he heard that. His sharp, cold eyelids lifted slightly, and his brows furrowed like he had just laid eyes on something disgusting.

Ji Changyu: “……”

Son of a—

What the hell was that look of disgust?

Let’s go.

Xie Guilan didn’t ask again. He started the motorcycle and rode to Blue Night’s main entrance to pick up Cen Wu.

Cen Wu stood still, letting Xie Guilan put the helmet on him. Truthfully, he liked riding on Xie Guilan’s motorcycle.

Xie Guilan always took his hands and tucked them into his jacket pockets. The night wind swept past them, but Xie Guilan’s body radiated heat, keeping him warm. In the quiet depths of the night, there was a sense of freedom that only belonged to the young—it felt like Xie Guilan could take him anywhere.

When Cen Wu got off the bike, he waved at Xie Guilan under the villa’s streetlamp before turning and running home.

As always, Xie Guilan watched him disappear from one pool of light to the next, until his bedroom window lit up.

Xie Guilan had never thought he’d feel this way. He didn’t even need to see Cen Wu in person—just seeing that light turn on in the night was enough to fill his heart with warmth.

【Cen Wu: Goodnight!】

【Cen Wu: Cat snuggled under a blanket.jpg】

Cen Wu had said he wouldn’t talk to Xie Guilan until the day after tomorrow, but tonight, he still sent a message.

When Xie Guilan saw it, he finally turned to head home.

---

The next day, Song Lingwei had surgery.

She knew Xie Guilan wouldn’t listen to her.

When she had first arrived in Huaijing, she used to have terrible nightmares—she’d dream of the person who had fallen from that rain-soaked rooftop, except in the dream, it was her, blood covering her face.

After the Xie family took Xie Guilan away, she deliberately avoided seeing him, pretending he didn’t exist. Over time, the nightmares faded. But now, in the past few nights, they had started again.

Xie Guilan liking Cen Wu was a thorn lodged deep in her heart. She knew what kind of person Xie Guilan was—once he set his mind on something, he would achieve it. And if he wanted someone, he would make sure to have them.

Things were slipping out of her control.

The surgery was set to start in half an hour. Anxiety gnawed at her chest, and suddenly, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She cried until she was exhausted, but when she finally saw Xie Guilan, the suffocating tightness in her heart only worsened.

She didn’t even know anymore—had she stolen everything from Xie Guilan, or had Xie Guilan stolen everything from her?

“Get out!” Song Lingwei’s eyes were bloodshot as she grabbed a nearby IV bottle and hurled it at him.

“Ms. Song,” the nurse gasped, quickly stepping in to calm her. “Your surgery is about to start—you can’t get agitated like this. Whatever it is, you can talk about it after the operation.”

Song Lingwei wiped her tears, but her shoulders still trembled. She covered her face and broke down crying again.

The nurse had no choice but to approach Xie Guilan, speaking softly. “Xiao Xie, your mother’s not in a condition to enter the operating room like this. How about you wait outside for now? We’ll take care of everything here, and the aides will help too—it’ll be fine.”

Xie Guilan had already fallen out with Xie Mingcheng. That man hadn’t visited Song Lingwei in a long time, but no one knew what exactly was going on in the Xie family. Even when Xie Guilan hadn’t paid off the hospital bills in full, no one dared to mistreat Song Lingwei—she was still in the VIP ward.

And now that Xie Guilan had settled the payments, the hospital had no reason to delay her surgery.

“Alright.” Xie Guilan lowered his gaze.

The IV bottle had shattered at his feet, its liquid soaking into his pants, but his expression remained as cold and indifferent as ever.

“Thank you.”

---

Song Lingwei’s heart stent surgery took five hours. By the time she regained consciousness in the evening, her emotions flared again at the sight of Xie Guilan. If she weren’t lying down, unable to move, she would have thrown something at him.

Even the nurses had never seen a mother and son like this before.

There was a deep, unreadable resentment in Song Lingwei’s eyes. The sight of it alone was unsettling—who knew how Xie Guilan felt?

His dark, brooding eyes lowered slightly. He stared at Song Lingwei for a long moment. This time, before the nurses could say anything, he picked up his backpack, turned, and walked out of the hospital room.

“…”

Song Lingwei’s fingers clenched tightly. With the oxygen mask still on her face, her breathing became rapid and uneven.

A crushing fear surged inside her. She wanted to call him back—but in the end, she didn’t.

She knew Xie Guilan had truly left this time. He probably wouldn’t come back to the hospital anytime soon.

It had happened before.

Years ago, Xie Mingcheng had nearly deafened Xie Guilan with a slap, leaving him with impaired hearing in his right ear for weeks. That time, Xie Mingcheng didn’t visit her in the hospital either—instead, he attended a gala with Zhou Li. Song Lingwei had panicked, thinking he was abandoning her. She had cried and begged Xie Guilan to go to the Xie Corporation to find him, but Xie Guilan refused.

She had struck Xie Guilan in frustration, and after that, he didn’t come to the hospital for half a month. It wasn’t until she was about to undergo surgery, with no one to stay by her side, that the doctors called him, and he finally showed up.

And this time, there was also Cen Wu.

---

The school’s autumn trip was scheduled for an early departure. By the time Cen Wu arrived, the school bus was already parked at the front gate.

They were required to wear their uniforms during the trip, but they could bring a change of clothes. Most of the students were already tired of their uniforms, so many had thrown jackets over them.

He Yao had dressed up in a sleek leather jacket, clearly putting effort into his appearance. He was pestering Lu Wang, trying to swap seats with him.

The school bus seats were arranged in pairs, and since the whole class was going on the trip, Cen Wu was naturally going to sit with Lu Wang.

But Lu Wang wasn’t having it. He frowned, annoyed. “Don’t you have your own friends?”

Why did He Yao have to steal his?

He Yao: “…”

I’m not looking for friends—I need a boyfriend, alright?

Lu Wang never thought before he spoke. Then again, even if he did, it wouldn’t help—he had a blunt way of talking that could be downright rude. But He Yao wasn’t offended. As long as he kept Lu Wang happy, maybe Cen Wu would pay more attention to him.

However, before he could even start trying, his expression instantly soured.

Cen Wu, sitting in the back row, also froze for a second.

Xie Guilan had actually come.

He stood outside the bus, tapping his knuckles against Cen Wu’s window.

He was wearing the black jacket Cen Wu had bought for him. That familiar, dangerous aura clung to him—a kind of dark allure, something cold and heavy, born from ambition and sin. It was the kind of presence that warned people away, yet somehow drew them in.

With his towering height of 1.9 meters and that face, it was impossible not to attract attention.

Many students near the bus were sneaking glances at him.

But Xie Guilan didn’t care. His gaze flicked to He Yao—he wasn’t about to lose in terms of looks—and then, without hesitation, he stepped onto the bus and walked straight toward Cen Wu.

“Xie-ge,” Lu Wang had stubbornly refused to give up his seat to He Yao, but the moment he saw Xie Guilan, he immediately made way. Pointing at his seat, he said, “Come sit here.”

He actually really wanted to sit with Cen Wu, but for the sake of his brother’s love, he was willing to stand guard all night—let alone give up a seat.

He Ruo nearly ground his teeth to dust.

What, was he just unworthy of being Cen Wu’s love interest???

Feeling completely dejected, He Ruo had no choice but to swap seats with another guy and ended up sitting behind Cen Wu.

The bus was packed with their class, leaving only one empty seat next to Meng Liangping. No one wanted to sit there. Luo Wang hesitated for a second before plopping down, tilting his head up to meet Meng Liangping’s eyes in an awkward stare.

“…” Meng Liangping’s expression turned stiff. He turned to the students on the bus and ordered, “Pin your school badges on!”

The school had made new badges that were originally meant to be distributed after the holiday, but since Meng Liangping had just picked them up, he decided to hand them out now.

Pinning them on by yourself could easily make them crooked.

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan took a badge, lifted his gaze, and said to Cen Wu, “Let me do it for you.”

Cen Wu handed it over.

He Ruo, still fuming in the back, had initially wanted to sit closer to Cen Wu, but now he had the best seat in the house to watch the whole damn scene unfold.

Xie Guilan was eerily skilled at pinning the badge, his long fingers lifting Cen Wu’s collar in a way that felt ridiculously intimate—like a wife adjusting her husband’s tie.

Once Cen Wu was done, he felt a little embarrassed. Xie Guilan was always the one taking care of him. Stammering, he said, “I… I’ll do yours too.”

“It’s only right for me to take care of Young Master,” Xie Guilan replied, though he still turned slightly toward Cen Wu, allowing him to pin the badge. Just as Cen Wu leaned in, Xie Guilan subtly shifted back.

Cen Wu, unaware, instinctively leaned in further, his balance tilting slightly—though he didn’t actually touch Xie Guilan. But then, the bus suddenly started moving, and he fell straight into Xie Guilan’s arms.

Flustered, Cen Wu reached out to steady himself, but there was nothing to grab onto. In the end, his hands landed on Xie Guilan’s arm.

Almost like he had anticipated it, Xie Guilan had already reached out and grasped Cen Wu’s shoulders to keep him from hitting his head. His naturally cold voice carried a rare hint of concern. “Young Master, are you okay?”

“N-no problem.” Cen Wu’s ears warmed as he sat upright.

He Ruo stared daggers at Xie Guilan, having just witnessed the entire setup for this calculated “accidental” embrace. He nearly laughed out of sheer disbelief.

Xie Guilan only now seemed to notice He Ruo’s gaze. Turning to him, he asked with apparent concern, “He, are you alright too?”

Cen Wu blinked in surprise. He never expected Xie Guilan to care about others. This was the same man who could kill without blinking—cold-blooded and merciless. And now, he was suddenly acting considerate toward a classmate?

It was like a crack had formed in his otherwise pitch-black world.

Cen Wu thought maybe he really could leave a month earlier. Perhaps after he was gone, Xie Guilan would still get along fine with the Cen family and their classmates in Class 3, Grade 11.

He Ruo was always chatting with Xie Guilan, and their relationship seemed pretty good.

That was what brotherhood looked like, right?

Cen Wu lowered his lashes. Xie Guilan had never participated in these kinds of group activities before. His sudden presence today… was it because his crush was in their class?

At first, Cen Wu had thought it might be Xu Lingling, but in the original story, Xie Guilan never ended up with her. Now, it didn’t seem likely either.

A strange sourness filled his chest. He had clung to Xie Guilan like a ghost, only to be met with indifference and rejection. But now, the moment Xie Guilan liked someone, he turned into this.

Once Xie Guilan confessed, there would be no reason for Cen Wu to stay. He just needed to return everything that belonged to the Cen family to him and leave—without disrupting the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, Xie Guilan’s dark, piercing gaze remained locked on He Ruo.

He Ruo: “…”

Freaking green tea bastard.

Feigning frailty, He Ruo tugged at his stylish leather jacket and weakly pressed a hand to his forehead. “I think I might’ve hit my head earlier.”

Hearing that, Cen Wu turned around, leaning on the seat to get a better look at him. “Is… is it serious?”

He seemed to recall hearing some noise behind him.

He Ruo: “…”

That was the sound of his heart breaking.

He Ruo coughed a few times and lamented, “Feels kinda bad.”

He had seen Cen Wu tending to Xie Guilan’s wounds before, so he thought maybe Cen Wu would check on him too—perhaps even reach over to examine his forehead. He hadn’t even had the chance to hold Cen Wu’s hand yet.

But instead, Cen Wu raised his hand, took a deep breath, and called out, “T-teacher, He Ruo might have hit his head.”

He Ruo: “…”

Meng Liangping was startled and rushed over. He Ruo spent the next few minutes explaining that he was fine.

Still worried about a possible concussion, Meng Liangping wouldn’t let it go. In the end, He Ruo almost had to get up and do a few jumping jacks before the teacher finally believed he was okay. “If you start feeling unwell, tell me immediately,” Meng Liangping reminded him.

Xie Guilan had barely paid He Ruo any attention before, but now, his gaze darkened slightly.

Cen Wu rarely spoke, and he stuttered when he did. Yet, for He Ruo’s sake, he had just spoken in front of the entire bus.

Xie Guilan’s face was pale and sharp, his dark eyes seeming even colder under the dim light. Cen Wu noticed and hesitantly asked, “Are… are you feeling carsick?”

He had sensed Xie Guilan’s mood shift but wasn’t sure why. Maybe the sudden start of the bus had made him look unwell—some people did get carsick in vehicles like this.

He hadn’t brought any motion sickness medicine, so he was about to ask the teacher for some when Xie Guilan murmured, “I’ll be fine if I rest a little.”

Cen Wu didn’t push it. “Then you… you can lean on me and sleep.”

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan actually hesitated, asking, “Would that be appropriate?”

Cen Wu: “…”

Bro, you literally used my thigh as a pillow before, and now you’re playing innocent?

Cen Wu simply patted his shoulder in invitation. Xie Guilan leaned against him, his sharp gaze lazily sweeping toward He Ruo.

He Ruo: “…”

There he goes, being inhuman again.