Chapter 54: Interruption. "He wants to be your only one."

Gu Ci sat obediently on the beanbag, hands on his knees. Across from him, Huo Wenyuan also sat on the sofa.

Though he didn't try to create it, the moment Huo Wenyuan sat down, an innate sense of oppression welled up, making Gu Ci feel even more guilty and uneasy.

But the problem was... he had done nothing wrong, so why should he feel so guilty?

Huo Wenyuan had been silent since entering, expecting Gu Ci to speak first. To his surprise, Gu Ci lowered his head lower and lower, until he was only able to see the back of his head.

Was he... scared by him?

Huo Wenyuan had to use his gentlest tone to explain, "I'm sorry, Cici. I don't mean to question you. I'm just leaving the country tomorrow and wanted to see you again."

Gu Ci looked up in disbelief. This sudden visit was just to see him?

He grumbled quietly, "Didn't we just...see you last night? What's so good about me?"

"Of course you're good-looking," Huo Wenyuan hastily answered his question, which wasn't even a question. He looked him in the eye eagerly and repeated, "My Cici is the prettiest."

"..." Gu Ci was at a loss.

What did "my" Cici mean?

Seeing Huo Wenyuan's increasingly shameless behavior, alone and with last night's experience, Gu Ci was a little afraid he might do something out of line again. So he said, "Now that we've seen it, can we..."

He stopped himself, the word "leave" stuck in his throat.

Huo Wenyuan clasped his hands, leaned forward, his eyes full of smiles. "Cici, I knew you wouldn't want me to leave."

Gu Ci nearly fainted.

What had these seven years given Huo Wenyuan?

He finally steeled himself and stood up, attempting to send him off ruthlessly. "Brother Wenyuan, I'm going to ACIU for an exchange program next week. I need to pack my bags now, so I won't keep you any longer."

Huo Wenyuan remained motionless, shifting his position on the sofa. "What a coincidence! I'm going there too."

"It's on my way, so I'll give you a ride."

It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Gu Ci's dark eyes widened, instantly recalling Shang Zui's words: "Strange, didn't he ask to go with you?"

Now he could answer Shang Zui: He did.

Gu Ci still declined Huo Wenyuan's offer: "No, I've made an appointment with my seniors to go together."

Huo Wenyuan then asked, "Does that include that senior named Qiu?"

"Yes," Gu Ci nodded. "We applied together."

Huo Wenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.

He remembered the look Qiu had given Gu Ci that day. As a fellow man, he naturally knew who the song was for.

Although he knew Gu Ci had no shortage of suitors, Huo Wenyuan still felt a tinge of discomfort when he heard from Gu Ci that he was in a relationship with another man. A primal urge brewed within him.

He wanted to hide Gu Ci, to seize him, to possess him all to himself, to keep him from anyone else.

His desire was so intense that he feared frightening Gu Ci, but he couldn't lie to himself, nor could he let Gu Ci be with someone else.

His promise of watching him fall in love and marry the one he loved was bullshit; he simply couldn't do it.

Without warning, Huo Wenyuan stood up, approached Gu Ci, and pushed him back onto the beanbag.

Gu Ci's eyes widened in shock, his hands pinned to his chest by Huo Wenyuan's grasp. His legs were forced apart, and he allowed the man above him to intrude.

Time froze, his nose filled with the familiar scent of Huo Wenyuan, his heart pounding as he stared into his dark eyes, his high nose, and then... his thin lips, drawing ever closer.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, Huo Wenyuan suddenly said, "Ci Ci, between me and Qiu Yue, who do you choose?"

Gu Ci, waking from a dream, opened his eyes.

...What had he just been doing? Not struggling, but closing his eyes?

Gu Ci shamefacedly tried to push Huo Wenyuan away, but he remained motionless, his eyes fixed on him, waiting for his answer.

He had no choice but to release his grip and soothe Huo Wenyuan, saying, "Why are you asking such a question? You're not the same..."

Huo Wenyuan pressed, "How are we different?"

This stumped Gu Ci.

Yes, they're both important friends to him, so how could they be different?

But even though he didn't answer immediately, Gu Ci inexplicably felt a certain inclination: Huo Wenyuan must be his most important. If he'd let his impulses run wild for a second, he might have spoken.

However, the current situation didn't allow him to get too close to Huo Wenyuan. Perhaps only when Huo Wenyuan stopped disliking him could he rekindle his friendship as before?

Seeing Gu Ci's hesitation, Huo Wenyuan stopped prodding him. He put his arm around Gu Ci's waist and helped him steadily to his feet.

Gu Ci thought Huo Wenyuan was no longer entangled and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Huo Wenyuan said, "So that's how it is."

He smiled at Gu Ci and said, "Pack your luggage. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

He was confident and thought that Gu Ci would still stand by him without hesitation and choose him like she did when she was a teenager.

He was so selfish and self-righteous, it was natural for Gu Ci not to choose him.

Huo Wenyuan left quickly. Gu Ci looked at the pink lychee rose left on the table with a complicated mood.

He walked over and gently poked the tender petals of the rose, feeling that he could not bear the affection represented by the rose.

Gu Ci opened his phone, found the chat page with Huo Wenyuan, and typed a line of words:

[Brother Wenyuan, you don't have to send me flowers anymore.]

His finger pressed on the "send" button, but he was reluctant to let go.

Why couldn't he bear to completely reject Huo Wenyuan?

Gu Ci exited the chat page and dialed Shang Zui's number.

"Little Gu Ci is here!" Shang Zui answered quickly, "Who came just now and stayed for so long."

Gu Ci hadn't thought of how to answer yet, so he said, "A... friend."

"Friend?" Shang Zui's gossip soul was activated, "Which friend? Male or female? Straight or gay?"

Gu Ci began to doubt Shang Zui's motives: "You wouldn't... want to tip off Huo Wenyuan, would you?"

"No way..." Shang Zui denied it flatly, "I have deeply realized my mistake! I'm simply curious!"

Gu Ci sat on the lazy sofa, looking at the place where Huo Wenyuan had just stayed, feeling a little empty in his heart, and asked, "Shang Zui, tell me, if someone asks you who you would choose between him and another person, what does that mean?" "

Choose?" Shang Zui, who was still lying on the bed like Ge You, sat up, "Who! Who made you choose? Which suitor, tell me the name!"

"Pursue?" Gu Ci became more and more confused, "Does choosing mean pursuing?"

Shang Zui said seriously, "I can't guarantee it, but maybe 80 percent. After all, you know, my ex and I broke up because of 'choice,' it's ridiculous."

"What adult doesn't know the meaning of choice? If someone asks you who to choose, there's only one reason—"

"He wants to be your one and only."

Gu Ci froze.

So... Huo Wenyuan wants to be his one and only?

He couldn't help but wonder, "Then why is he comparing himself to Senior Brother Qiu?"

Shang Zui overheard this and shouted excitedly, "Little Gu Ci, who is it? Otherwise, I'll fly over here and force a confession!"

"..." Gu Ci shook his head in denial, "It's really no one."

Shang Zui: "I don't believe it.

" Gu Ci: "That's not true."

Shang Zui: "Do I look stupid? Who is that woman or man? Be careful, I really tell Huo Gou, and he'll join me in caring about you!"

Gu Ci's confusion deepened.

Could Huo Wenyuan be the man?

He suddenly thought of something and asked Shang Zui, "Why does Brother Wen Yuan care about all this?"

Shang Zui didn't think twice and answered bluntly, "It's because he likes..."

Realizing he had let the cat out of the bag, he changed his words, "He likes to care about you."

Gu Ci said, "He likes me."

Shang Zui's voice suddenly became louder, "You finally found out?!"

Gu Ci: "..."

It turned out that Shang Zui knew about it.

Shang Zui was furious, "Little Gu Ci, how did you find out?"

Gu Ci couldn't hide it anymore and said frankly, "He said it himself."

He knew about it even earlier.

Shang Zui breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, I don't have to hide it anymore. I was so suffocated."

"Then what was your reaction?"

Gu Ci said sullenly, "I refused at that time."

The rest of Shang Zui was even more surprised than before, "You refused? You don't like him?"

Gu Ci didn't know how to describe it.

"No," he answered.

Shang Zui reasoned logically, "If it's not dislike, then doesn't that mean I like him?"

Gu Ci said, bewildered, "That's fine. It's just... I don't know."

Shang Zui, sensing Gu Ci's bewilderment, counseled, "I think I understand how you feel."

"Are you reluctant to reject him completely, but unable to accept him right now?"

Gu Ci nodded.

Shang Zui felt he was touching upon familiar territory.

He automatically assumed the role of spiritual mentor and asked, "What reasons do you think prevent you from accepting Huo Gou?"

Gu Ci honestly recounted the reasons he had previously summarized.

Shang Zui then asked, "It's all external factors? What about you? Do you have feelings for him yourself?"

Gu Ci was startled. "External... factors?"

"Yes," Shang Zui said. "You didn't reject him because you were afraid of disappointing Uncle Huo, or because of external pressure? Do you have any feelings about Huo Gou yourself?"

Gu Ci hadn't given this question much thought.

Or rather... he didn't dare to think about it at all.

Shang Zui said from the other end, "When I was hesitant about whether to be with my ex, you were the one who counseled me, telling me to follow my heart and not worry about what others thought. Now it's you who's confused."

"You told me then that if all the reasons I had now couldn't make me decide to say no, it meant there must be something more important holding me back, but I just couldn't see it clearly at the moment, making me hesitate."

"Look, little Gu Ci, isn't there something you can't see clearly right now, but something more important than saying no is making you hesitate?"

These were Gu Ci's exact words, and sure enough, the next day he accepted Qu Zhi's confession.

Thinking about it now, he was definitely right; he just had a brainwave at the time.

But the same principle seemed to apply to Gu Ci and Huo Wenyuan as well.

Gu Ci understood Shang Zui's meaning.

"You're all my good friends. I'm not biased. I simply respect your decision. I'm not saying anything good for Huo Gou either. Little Gu Ci, put aside those interfering external factors and think for yourself: do you like Huo Wenyuan?"

After the call ended, Gu Ci finally understood why he'd been feeling this way despite having rejected him.

He'd been trying to justify his rejection with external, realistic reasons, deliberately avoiding his feelings for him.

So... putting aside those fabricated excuses, putting aside the so-called friend and brother roles, did he like Huo Wenyuan?

Gu Ci took a deep breath, burying his face in the pink lychees. Suddenly, amidst the floral fragrance, he heard the shrill sound of an ambulance downstairs.

On his phone, messages from the neighborhood homeowners' group chat kept popping up, all discussing the recent car accident outside their door.

[How did they suddenly get hit by a truck?]

[They say the truck was illegally mismanaged, and the brakes weren't working. And it was a luxury car! It must have cost millions, right?]

[Millions of dollars to buy this? But I saw in the pictures that the crash was pretty bad, with shattered glass all over the floor and blood all over the ground.]

...

Something in Gu Ci's mind suddenly tightened. He quickly browsed through the news and clicked on a picture of the scene.

In the picture, a black car was hit by a large truck and pushed outside the guardrail. The car body was severely dented, the glass was shattered all over the floor, and the ground was covered with blood.

Gu Ci's hands and feet were cold, and he didn't even see the injured person clearly before rushing out the door.