Chapter 52: Intimacy "...Stay."

Gu Ci stood on tiptoe, wrapping his arms around Huo Wenyuan's neck and pressing tightly against his chest, tears welling in his eyes.

He didn't know why he did this. He'd told himself to keep his distance from Huo Wenyuan at this moment, but when he saw Huo Wenyuan blow-drying his hair as usual, that familiar voice and scene, it was as if everything had returned to the old days. He

said he was taking care of Huo Wenyuan, but in reality, Huo Wenyuan was the one who cared for him.

He hadn't changed.

The more Gu Ci thought about it, the more he couldn't help himself. He tightened his grip around Huo Wenyuan, his heartbeat secretly quickening.

Huo Wenyuan hadn't expected Gu Ci to pounce on him so suddenly. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, and his hand faltered for a second, but then he embraced Gu Ci tightly, the veins on the back of his hand visibly showing.

Though he didn't know the reason, Gu Ci's initiative had already caught him by surprise.

He embraced his treasure in his arms, cupping the back of Gu Ci's head with his palm, and pulled him against his chest.

Gu Ci initially thought it was his own heartbeat, but it wasn't until he felt the rise and fall of Huo Wenyuan's chest that he realized something was wrong.

...How could his heartbeat be so fast!

Gu Ci tilted his head, curious about Huo Wenyuan's expression, but he was pinned to his chest, unable to move.

"Brother Wenyuan..." Gu Ci had no choice but to ask, "You..."

"I know," Huo Wenyuan replied quickly. "Just one more second, and I'll let go."

Hearing Huo Wenyuan's response, Gu Ci frowned and said sullenly, "That's not what I meant..."

A second passed, and Huo Wenyuan let him go. Without a word, he took his hand and stood in front of the mirror, gently smoothing his hair. His hands made a rustling sound.

Gu Ci stared into the mirror, seemingly looking at himself, but actually he was stealing glances at Huo Wenyuan out of the corner of his eye.

It had to be said that Huo Wenyuan looked even more... handsome now than when he was younger. Seven years had passed, and his features had deepened, the sharpness between his brows had intensified. His lips were slightly pursed, and every gesture exuded maturity and calm.

He'd seen Huo Wenyuan at work, both in the media and in real life, and for a moment, he truly felt a distance between them. But no matter how time passed, no matter what they became, he was still the same brother Wenyuan who would hug him, joke with him, hold his hand and blow his hair.

That seemed enough.

They'd promised to always be by each other's side.

Seven years had changed things, things might change, time had changed, but they hadn't.

He thought of the blue whale-shaped wish sticker he'd posted underwater. He'd handwritten a wish:

"I hope I'll never be separated from Huo Wenyuan."

Lifelong friends, family, how could those feelings fade so easily? Since they were meant to be together, even in other roles...

The wind died down, and Gu Ci's thoughts came to a halt.

Realizing his thought, Gu Ci froze, his face flushing, not even noticing when Huo Wenyuan approached from behind.

...Why was I letting my imagination wander again?

He turned, about to meet Huo Wenyuan's handsome face, and instinctively ducked back, his back pressed against the sink.

A chill seeped through his pajamas, and Gu Ci, hands on the edge, nervously looked up at Huo Wenyuan.

"Wen... Brother Wenyuan..."

Huo Wenyuan quickly extended a finger, pressing it to his lips.

He leaned down, lowering his head, only a finger's length away from Gu Ci.

Gu Ci's eyes widened, his eyelashes fluttering rapidly, and he pressed his body back until he realized there was no way out.

... He saw the fear on his own face in Huo Wenyuan's pupils. He

wanted to say something, but Huo Wenyuan wouldn't let him.

"Cici, don't be afraid. I won't do anything to you." Huo Wenyuan smiled, reaching out with his fingertips to brush a strand of hair from his ear. Whether intentional or not, his fingertips brushed Gu Ci's cheek, giving him a slight shudder.

Strangely, he didn't resent this kind of... intimacy.

Huo Wenyuan meticulously combed his hair. A slight movement would have brought them face to face. Gu Ci didn't dare to move, so he subtly increased the strength in his palms, forcing himself to steady himself.

Then, a pair of large hands wrapped around his waist, and Gu Ci was caught off guard and lifted. Reflexively, he clung to Huo Wenyuan's strong arms, then was lowered steadily onto a dry towel padded out on the sink.

"The button's unfastened," Huo Wenyuan said, reaching for his waist.

Gu Ci quickly looked down, only to discover that the buttons on his pajamas had come undone, exposing his abdomen and waist.

"It's okay, Brother Wenyuan, I can do it myself!" Gu Ci frantically reached for his waist, but Huo Wenyuan grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Brother, help you."

At the word "brother," Gu Ci shuddered uncontrollably, letting Huo Wenyuan button his waist. This time, he was perfectly polite, not touching Gu Ci's skin.

But Gu Ci felt horrified. It was clearly just a matter of buttoning, but it made him dare not even breathe. His lower abdomen tightened, his whole body was hot, and his skin exposed to the air was a translucent pink.

"It's too hot..." Before Huo Wenyuan could look up, Gu Ci turned his head away and gently pushed his shoulder. "Brother Wenyuan, let's go out and talk..."

Huo Wenyuan looked at Gu Ci's pajamas thoughtfully, noticed the changes in his body, and asked in a low voice, "Are you sure... you want to go out and talk now?"

Gu Ci's ears were burning from the shock, and he wanted to cover his eyes with his hands: "Hmm..."

"It's so hot in the bathroom."

But Huo Wenyuan refused to retreat, placing his hand beside his leg and asking deliberately with a seductive tone: "Do you need my help?"

Gu Ci: "?!"

All the blood in his body rushed to one place, his body was terribly hot, and even more shameful, besides the anger, his mind was actually a little bit... excited.

Without waiting for Gu Ci's refusal, Huo Wenyuan pressed forward, placing his hand on his leg. "If you don't deny it, then take that as... an agreement?"

Gu Ci hurriedly released his hand, but before he could object, he watched helplessly as his pajama pants were pulled down. Huo Wenyuan placed one arm around his back to prevent him from falling backward, while the other held him tightly.

Beyond his appearance and physique, Huo Wenyuan's hands were also remarkably beautiful. His fingers were long, white, and his nail beds were round and plump. Though delicate, they weren't weak. On the contrary, from years of boxing, his fingertips were covered in a thin, even layer of calluses, and the prominent veins on the back of his hand added a touch of strength.

That hand could sign documents, play the piano, or fight, but now...

it was doing something Gu Ci couldn't bring himself to speak of.

Huo Wenyuan's face showed no shame or awkwardness; on the contrary, it seemed perfectly natural. He placed his lips close to Gu Ci's ear and continued to move his hands faster. Sensing Gu Ci's nervousness, he placed a warm palm on his back, a gesture.

"Ci Ci, lean on me."

Whether Gu Ci wanted to or not, he had to lean on Huo Wenyuan. Because... he had no strength left.

He leaned back softly, letting Huo Wenyuan control his weakness. His rosy lips were slightly open, and his eyes were misty.

His mind was blank, and he was inexplicably back to a certain autumn afternoon. He couldn't refuse Huo Wenyuan, so he sat next to him and practiced the piano with him. Seeing his curiosity, Huo Wenyuan took his hand and taught him the piano.

Fallen leaves fluttered outside the French window. Huo Wenyuan held his hand, placed it on the keys, and followed the instructions in his mouth to move up and down. Huo Wenyuan was very familiar with the keys, but Gu Ci seemed very unfamiliar with them and could only follow Huo Wenyuan's speed. At first, his unfamiliarity kept him slow, but he learned quickly. Huo Wenyuan changed to another piece, his intertwined fingertips accelerating, the undulating rhythm escaping. The song, still lingering, ended, Huo Wenyuan's hand still resting on Gu Ci's. They looked up at each other in tacit understanding.

Gu Ci looked away, no longer able to face Huo Wenyuan.

He slumped down on the sink, his strength drained from him, relying on Huo Wenyuan to support him.

"Ci Ci..."

"Stop talking!"

Gu Ci, with all his strength, reached out to cover Huo Wenyuan's mouth, stifling sobs and pleading, "Please, Wen Yuan... Brother, stop talking."

"I want some quiet time, okay?"

"Yes," he agreed, but Huo Wenyuan meticulously cleaned him up and put on his pajamas before steadily carrying him out of the bathroom.

Gu Ci was still completely smitten. He didn't want to hug Huo Wenyuan, but forced into this position, feeling insecure, he could only clutch Huo Wenyuan's shirt tightly, his heart racing.

A single thought crossed his mind: This is truly over.

Huo Wenyuan gently laid him on the bed and covered him with a thin blanket. Seeing Gu Ci's irritated expression, he knowingly asked, "Ci Ci, are you angry?"

Gu Ci: "..."

This time he was truly furious! How could they... How could they do that?

Thinking back to what had just happened in the bathroom, he no longer cared about the awkwardness or embarrassment. He glared at Huo Wenyuan fiercely, clenching his fists.

...So what if he's good-looking? He still deserves a beating! Is this how he acts as a brother and friend?

"You want to hit me?" Huo Wenyuan clearly saw his anger, but he deliberately leaned in, even taking his hand and brazenly saying, "It's my fault, hit me."

Gu Ci raised his hands in the air, staring at that face, unable to bring himself to strike. His

heart was in turmoil, and that was exactly what he was feeling now.

Rather than blaming Huo Wenyuan for what he did, he blamed himself for not objecting in time.

How could he not be sober? Even…even in the end…

Gu Ci didn't dare to think about it anymore.

"Brother Wenyuan, I…"

Before he could finish his words, a knock at the door interrupted him.

Gu Ci bit his lip in time.

Butler Feng's voice came from outside: "Xiao Ci, have you rested?"

Gu Ci panicked for a moment and replied, "Not yet. What's wrong, Uncle Feng?"

"Oh, it's like this. Do you know where the young master went? He said he wouldn't stay tonight. The driver was waiting downstairs, but I didn't see him come down. I went to the study and he wasn't there either. It's really strange…"

Gu Ci immediately turned to look at Huo Wenyuan, his face wrinkled, and he mouthed what he should do.

Huo Wenyuan didn't seem to have any intention of concealing his feelings. His lips moved, as if he was about to speak.

Gu Ci quickly covered his mouth.

"Don't let Uncle Feng find you here with me," he warned in a low voice.

Huo Wenyuan blinked innocently, and nodded in agreement at Gu Ci's warning look.

Gu Ci loosened his hand, and Huo Wenyuan leaned in next to his ear and whispered softly, "Say I'm gone."

Gu Ci: "..." You

still want to stir up trouble at this time?

He is not good at lying. If it were before, he would not be afraid of being discovered in the same room with Huo Wenyuan, but after what happened tonight... he felt really guilty, so he had to follow Huo Wenyuan's words to explain to Butler Feng: "Uncle Feng, Brother Wenyuan... just told me that he had something urgent to do, so he left first."

"Really? I thought he would just stay at this late at night." Butler Feng muttered to himself outside the door, and then said to him, "Sorry to disturb your rest, Xiao Ci, go to bed early, I will send you home after lunch tomorrow."

Gu Ci concentrated his attention to reply to Butler Feng outside the door: "Okay! Thank you, Uncle Feng, good night!"

After Butler Feng left, Gu Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head, and Huo Wenyuan looked at him with a smile in his eyes: "Do you want to continue?"

Gu Ci shrank back: "?"

"Ci Ci, don't get me wrong." Huo Wenyuan asked shamelessly, "I mean... do you still want to punish me?"

Gu Ci had nothing to say.

He blushed and lowered his head. "How can I punish you..."

Huo Wenyuan squatted beside his bed, looking up into his eyes. "You don't blame me anymore?"

Gu Ci grasped the corner of the quilt in embarrassment. "Don't ever mention what happened tonight again."

"And don't ever... do what happened tonight again!"

Huo Wenyuan's attitude was uncharacteristically straightforward. "Whatever Ci Ci says, that's what it is."

Gu Ci: "..."

Forget it, just treat it as a dream.

Otherwise... he couldn't explain why this had happened, much less... how he had half-heartedly forgotten to refuse.

Or perhaps, he hadn't even considered refusing.

Huo Wenyuan tucked in the corner of the quilt for Gu Ci and just as he stood up, Gu Ci quickly grabbed him: "Where are you going?"

He noticed Gu Ci's nervousness and deliberately answered: "I've disturbed you for so long, I should go back."

Gu Ci's heart suddenly went on the alert: "What if you go back now and get discovered?"

There were so many people downstairs. Putting aside the patrolling guards, there were security guards on duty 24 hours a day on the ground floor and in the underground garage. Besides, he hadn't informed them in advance. If Huo Wenyuan left at this time, it would be embarrassing if he was caught by Butler Feng.

Huo Wenyuan certainly saw Gu Ci's concerns, and he suppressed the smile in his heart, pretending to be puzzled and asked: "Then what does Ci Ci want me to do?"

Gu Ci gritted his teeth, but was helpless. He lowered his hands powerlessly, not realizing that he had fallen into Huo Wenyuan's trap step by step.

"...Stay."