After Being Deceived, I Married Someone Else and Had Children Chapter 99

Leave a window open for him?

The image came to mind, 

In the middle of the night, Gu Heng sneaking into his room through the window like a thief, slipping past everyone’s eyes, including his father’s, just to get to him…

Just picturing it made Zuo Shihuan want to laugh.

Even the heavy, suffocating feeling from knowing he’d have to return to the Zuo estate and be separated from Gu Heng began to fade.

He honestly believed Gu Heng could do it. This was the man who had, in front of everyone, snatched him away from his own engagement banquet.

What couldn’t Gu Heng do?

Zuo Shihuan truly believed he had the ability to pull it off without anyone noticing. But what worried him more…

Was that Gu Heng might be too brazen about it, bold enough to walk straight into his room without even hiding from the Zuo family.

That would probably drive his father, Zuo Zoujian, insane.

The thought made him almost… excited.

It felt like something inside him had broken free, a lock opened by this cunning, reckless demon named Gu Heng, unleashing something he’d kept sealed away for too long.

Zuo Shihuan cupped Gu Heng’s face in both hands, smiling softly. “All right.”

At that, Gu Heng finally smiled too, his expression no longer shadowed or grim.

He raised his sharp brows, his tone fierce and confident. “Since you’ve agreed, Shihuan, then I’ll agree to let you return to the Zuo estate. But even if it’s the Zuo family, even if it’s your father, no one can stop me from seeing you.”

Zuo Shihuan blinked, half exasperated, half amused. “You really are… Forget it. Just be careful my father doesn’t put another bullet in you.”

Gu Heng lifted his chin and sneered. “He couldn’t if he tried.”

If he were to be shot by some old, slow-handed Alpha, then he might as well give up his title as the Empire’s Crown Prince and be reborn as someone else.

Zuo Shihuan could faintly sense that Gu Heng was no ordinary person, but he still didn’t fully understand just how deep Gu Heng’s abilities or confidence ran. He worried that Gu Heng was simply young and reckless, unaware of how immense the Zuo family truly was, that taking them head-on alone was impossible.

Even though Zuo Shihuan knew Gu Heng worked for the Federation’s Secret Investigation Bureau, that still made him just one of many within a vast government organization, not a true wielder of power.

Unlike his father, Zuo Zoujian.

As much as Zuo Shihuan despised his father’s control and manipulation, he couldn’t deny that Zuo Zoujian was the true head of the Zuo family, with immense influence, and even a private army fully equipped with weapons.

That fact alone made it impossible for Zuo Shihuan to feel completely at ease.

No matter how much he trusted Gu Heng, one thousand times, ten thousand times over, even believing that Gu Heng could stand against his father and single-handedly extract him from the engagement banquet…

Even now, even Zuo Zoujian himself couldn’t find him, only growing more and more desperate, using innocent people as leverage to force him back to the Zuo family.

But he couldn’t gamble on Gu Heng not being hurt, not even a little. He couldn’t take that chance.

Zuo Shihuan’s gaze was calm as he looked at Gu Heng, still as arrogantly young as ever, his brows tightly knit, lips pressed thin. His hand brushed over Gu Heng’s face, so strikingly cold and sharp, like a towering lone peak jutting out over a seaside cliff.

Just like Gu Heng himself.

Arrogant and dangerous by nature.

Even if he stood as a perilous height that no one could reach, he still fatally drew countless people toward him, one after another, all trying to climb this proud, dazzling, perilous mountain.

And one after another, they fell, wretchedly.

When everyone else believed this high, unshakable peak could withstand every storm, resting easy at its base beneath its shelter, there would always be someone who felt heartache for even a single stone knocked loose by the wind and rain.

Zuo Shihuan’s brows drew tighter, his face solemn, eyes fixed on Gu Heng. His fingertips gradually tensed until the pressure left faint red marks on Gu Heng’s cheek.

Gu Heng noticed and asked quietly, “What is it?”

Zuo Shihuan snapped out of his heavy thoughts, looking at the quickly fading red marks on Gu Heng’s face, a flicker of guilt and heartache crossing his light brown eyes.

“I’ll deal with my father.”

Zuo Shihuan frowned deeply, continuing, “You’ve really made my father, Zuo Zoujian, furious this time. If you appear in front of him again, I’m afraid he’ll lose his mind and truly strike at you.”

Gu Heng’s dark eyes flashed with indifference. Even if Zuo Zoujian lost his sanity ten thousand times over, it would be just like at the engagement banquet, he still wouldn’t be able to do a thing to him.

But just as Gu Heng was about to reassure him, Zuo Shihuan’s fingertip pressed lightly over his lips.

Silenced, Gu Heng could only stare up with wide, innocent eyes.

Though Zuo Shihuan’s touch was gentle, Gu Heng exaggeratedly acted as if his mouth were tightly sealed, looking up pitifully for mercy, letting out muffled little hums of protest.

Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly regained his seriousness.

“I know you have your ways,” he said softly, “but leave my father to me. At least as long as I’m still his designated Alpha heir, he won’t truly harm me while I still have value.”

Gu Heng’s dark eyes sank. He caught Zuo Shihuan’s curled fingers and brought them to his lips, pressing a light kiss to them. His voice dropped low: “Even a biological father doesn’t mean safety.”

His own life had already proven that, even blood ties and parenthood were no guarantee of trust.

It was a bitter truth.

But that was the lesson Gu Heng had nearly died to learn: no one could be trusted forever. No one could be relied on forever.

“Don’t go back.”

Gu Heng frowned, meeting his eyes. “Shihuan, if it’s like this, then don’t go back. I don’t feel at ease.”

Zuo Shihuan froze. “But didn’t we agree? You even promised me just now.”

“I changed my mind.”

Gu Heng’s brows drew together hard, his deep black eyes locked onto Zuo Shihuan’s stunned face. “I changed my mind. No one is worth you taking this risk for. Even if Yu Lizhu is being held because of us, by your father, it’s the same.”

“If you want to save Yu Lizhu, let me do it. I can infiltrate the Zuo estate. I can rescue her, hide her somewhere safe where no one can find her. You said it yourself, she doesn’t have a good relationship with her family. This could be her chance to cut ties.”

“She can bring whoever she wants, even Ji Shenwen. If she wants money, I’ll give her that too.”

But that wasn’t what Gu Heng truly wanted to say. What he truly wanted was…

“If I do this, Shihuan… will you come with me? Will you finally agree to leave all this behind, and go somewhere new with me?”

Gu Heng’s eyes shone, his voice roughened from restrained excitement, afraid to startle him.

But inside, his heart was already racing out of control.

If Zuo Shihuan gave even the faintest sign of agreement, Gu Heng would make it happen, no matter the cost, no matter who or what stood in the way.

After that, he would take Zuo Shihuan back to the Empire.

He had once given up that plan out of respect for Zuo Shihuan’s will, but in his heart, he had never let go of the idea.

Now that Zuo Zoujian had crossed the line, threatening him with innocent Yu Lizhu, he had completely infuriated Zuo Shihuan… and rekindled a dark, desperate spark of hope in Gu Heng.

Because just like him, Zuo Shihuan had always walked alone, strong, solitary, without friends or family. There was nothing much here to hold him back.

If he hadn’t been recognized by the powerful Zuo family of the Federation, hadn’t gained new relatives and friends, new ties… he wouldn’t have any of these lingering attachments now.

But that was the thing, someone as good as Zuo Shihuan deserved to be seen. Those people had simply been blind before.

What Gu Heng regretted most, with a bitter ache, was not taking Zuo Shihuan back to the Empire before the Zuo family ever found him.

Now that he had formed bonds and attachments, it was no longer easy to ask him to give them up, even for someone like Yu Lizhu, Zuo Shihuan was ready to go back.

At first, Gu Heng had agreed because he loved him, because he knew how deeply Zuo Shihuan valued his emotions and couldn’t just abandon those people.

He hadn’t wanted to make things harder for him.

But that didn’t mean Gu Heng felt no resentment, no bitterness.

Why should Shihuan have to sacrifice for them?

Even if he returned to the Zuo family, it was no longer the same Zuo family it once was.

Zuo Shihuan had already defied his father, Zuo Zoujian, once before, when he ran away with Gu Heng to escape their arranged marriage, and that alone had sent his father into a furious rage. Since then, his father would never again fully trust or nurture him the way he once did.

So how could anyone guarantee that once Zuo Shihuan returned to the Zuo family, he wouldn’t be mistreated or hurt?

Just the thought of what Zuo Shihuan might face if forced back made Gu Heng’s eyes darken with cold anger, a storm of fury and heartache boiling together in his chest.

He lifted his head again, grasped Zuo Shihuan’s hand, and looked at him with eyes full of hope and longing. “Wouldn’t it be better this way? We could go somewhere new, somewhere we could live more freely.”

Something in Gu Heng’s heated, intent gaze made Zuo Shihuan’s heart skip. There was a faint unease, as if the next words he spoke might completely overturn his world.

Gu Heng covered his own face with Zuo Shihuan’s hand, those bright black eyes shining with love and yearning. A smile, excited, full of expectation, curved his lips as he said, “That way, no one would know who we are. No one could find us. Shihuan, we could really be together, live together, see each other every day, and we could…”

Each word stirred the deepest corners of Zuo Shihuan’s heart, his secret longing, his almost-collapsing restraint. For a moment, he wanted to follow his heart and just say yes.

He gently stroked Gu Heng’s face, eyes complicated. “I want to say yes.”

Gu Heng froze, stunned, disbelief flickering in his trembling voice as he looked up. “Shihuan, you’re saying yes? You’re not lying to me?”

Zuo Shihuan lowered his gaze again. “But it’s not that simple. If only we could run away… I could, and you could, but the others can’t.”

Gu Heng’s expression dimmed. Then, with a humorless laugh, he covered his eyes and clenched his jaw. “I knew it. I knew it. How could you possibly agree so easily? I knew it wasn’t possible…”

Sensing something wrong, Zuo Shihuan reached out and touched his face, his tone full of concern. “Gu Heng…”

Gu Heng looked back at him, eyes heavy with longing, and gave a dry, bitter smile. “I know. I know you have your reasons, so I understand…”

“Gu Heng…” Zuo Shihuan’s voice tightened nervously.

Gu Heng shook his head with a faint smile, eyes dark and unreadable. “I know there are people who mean a lot to you. I know you’re not truly rejecting me. So I’ll endure it. I’ll wait until the day you’re willing to leave with me of your own accord.”

By the time he finished speaking, Gu Heng’s teeth were clenched so hard it felt like they might shatter, the taste of blood rising in his throat, which he forced himself to swallow.

What else could he do? Force Zuo Shihuan to abandon his friends, his family?

Even if he promised to rescue Yu Lizhu, to save everyone Zuo Shihuan wanted to save, would that still not be enough?

Gu Heng turned his head away from Zuo Shihuan’s touch, forcing a strained smile as he muttered, “I know Yu Lizhu is important to you. Fine, it’s like this now, what can I do? If you want to go back to the Zuo family, then go…”

This time, Zuo Shihuan truly panicked. He leaned forward, trying to explain. “But Gu Heng, what about you? Even if I go back to the Zuo family, I won’t stop thinking about you. Don’t be upset. I never meant to leave you. I just… I need to deal with my father first before I can come to you in peace.”

Hearing his anxious reassurance, Gu Heng thought he would feel better, but the disappointment and bitterness in his voice still showed through.

“I know. I know you have responsibilities, that you need to think of the bigger picture. You need to go back to the Zuo family, save Yu Lizhu, do so many things… It’s just…” he gave a hollow laugh, “you’ll be leaving me again. I guess I’m not part of that ‘bigger picture,’ am I?”

An inexplicable sorrow rose in Gu Heng’s chest, twisting into a bitter smile.

But in his heart, there was only a fierce unwillingness to accept it.

Why was it always someone else who could make Zuo Shihuan go this far?

Why, when he was also someone important to Zuo Shihuan, was he always the one forced to be left behind?

He could joke that he had long legs and could climb the walls or windows himself, sneaking into the Zuo family estate to see Shihuan, but deep down, what he really wanted was for Shihuan to want to come see him that way.

It always felt like he was the only one putting the other first. And though he knew Zuo Shihuan cared for him, loved him, it still wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

At least… not like now.

Once again, he had to step back for the sake of the people Shihuan cared about, and with such a justified reason, that even protesting would make him look petty, selfish, and cruel.

But he truly didn’t want to think about “the bigger picture.” He didn’t want to care about anyone else’s life or death.

No one had ever cared about his.

Thinking of the so-called “greater good” changed nothing about the fact that, as a child, he had been kidnapped by his royal uncle, used to threaten his father, the emperor, only for his father to abandon him without hesitation.

Like discarding a burden, a piece of trash.

Once, that same father had valued him, praised him, taken him onto the battlefield in person. The young Gu Heng had watched him fight, brave, unmatched, eyes full of admiration and yearning.

Yet that same man had ultimately cast him aside so casually.

Not even a word of comfort, not even a lie to soften the blow. The moment the emperor judged the price of saving his son too high, he had “cut his losses”, not even sparing the effort to lie.

He simply ended the communication.

And went back to his grand “greater cause,” to his war.

The most ridiculous thing was that even his royal uncle, the one who had kidnapped him, had been stunned and panicked.

He had plotted revenge against his elder brother for so long, but in the end, that brother’s indifference made all his schemes feel like a joke.

And so, humiliated and enraged, he took out all his anger on the young Gu Heng.

Betrayed by both, Gu Heng could only clench his fists, ignoring the pain, enduring the beatings.

He had only one thought: to live.

No matter what, he would live.

Even if everyone else died, he would still survive.

And in the end, he did.

When he returned alive to the Empire, everyone was shocked, even his funeral as the Imperial Crown Prince had already been held, and yet, he came back alive.

Gu Heng found it both absurd and tragic.

Seeing everyone’s horrified, panicked faces, and the half-dismantled funeral decorations still left standing for him, he felt a deep, mocking amusement from the bottom of his heart, how ridiculous, how funny, how utterly absurd.

And yet, also unspeakably sad.

He hadn’t even attended his own funeral, and there hadn’t even been a corpse, and his father had still dared to hold one for him?!

He’d really been treated as if he were dead.

After that, Gu Heng deliberately acted brimming with vitality, proving to everyone he was alive, seizing power, going to the battlefield, opposing his father.

But in truth, while his mind spiraled in long stretches of chaos and extremity, deep down he felt an unbearable boredom toward it all.

Thinking of this, Gu Heng gave a bitter, self-mocking smile. His dark eyes fixed deeply on Zuo Shihuan’s worried, flustered face; his heart ached, a twisted mix of love’s sweetness and helpless pain.

He knew Zuo Shihuan would never be cold or cruel to him like his father.

But still, he couldn’t accept it. He simply couldn’t.

Why was it that the person he had fought so hard to win over could so easily choose to leave him?

Didn’t he love him?

Gu Heng didn’t doubt that Zuo Shihuan loved him, but precisely because of that, he once again fell into the same fog of confusion and disbelief.

Just like when he had been betrayed and abandoned by his closest kin.

More than pain or rage, what filled him then, and now, was confusion.

“It’s not what you think, Gu Heng!” Zuo Shihuan suddenly felt a jolt of panic, sensing that this time Gu Heng was truly disappointed and hurt by his decision to return to the Zuo family.

But Zuo Shihuan had no better way, no idea what else to do. He only knew he didn’t want Gu Heng to show that look of dejection and loneliness.

Gu Heng’s eyes were clouded with exhaustion and confusion. His dry lips trembled slightly as he asked, “Not what I think? Then what is it?”

He wanted Zuo Shihuan to give him an answer, the answer the boy he once was had been waiting for all his life.

Not an orphan, yet worse than one.

All his blood kin had either betrayed him or never loved him.

The chill of that realization had frozen him to the bone, shaping him into someone who believed he, too, had inherited the same cold, bloodless indifference of his family.

Until he met Zuo Shihuan, and discovered that his heart could still be warm, that he could still love.

But now, Zuo Shihuan’s choices left him deeply, painfully confused all over again.

He had been raised in the deep palace, taught by countless scholars and masters, yet not one of them had ever taught him how to love, or what it meant to be loved.

And Gu Heng vaguely sensed something was wrong here.

Why was it that the one being loved was still the one who had to be sacrificed, who ended up hurt?

Didn’t love mean not hurting him?

He could feel Zuo Shihuan’s care, his value, his love, yet why was he still the one being forced away?

Gu Heng couldn’t understand it.

Even if Zuo Shihuan’s answer were a lie, he would accept it, if only to be comforted, deceived gently for a little while.

Otherwise, he truly couldn’t understand…

How could love, when shown to him, feel like both love and pain at once?

Lost and dazed, Gu Heng stared deeply at Zuo Shihuan, longing for an explanation, for an answer not just for himself now, but for the boy he once was.

Zuo Shihuan met Gu Heng’s bewildered gaze, and his heart tightened painfully. Anxious and disordered, he rushed to explain, “I never wanted to leave you, Gu Heng. It’s not that you’re not part of what I’m protecting, you’ve always been in my plans, in my life!”

Gu Heng’s eyes flickered. His lips parted, but he said nothing.

It was the first time Zuo Shihuan looked so desperate, his hands trembling slightly. Seeing Gu Heng’s silence and confusion, his throat closed up; his eyes grew red as he choked out earnestly, “I’m going back to the Zuo family because my father threatened me using the people around me. It’s a burden I have to bear, I don’t want anyone else hurt because of our elopement…”

Gu Heng lowered his gaze, his voice calm but heavy with disappointment. “I know. I know that Zuo Shihuan is a man of deep feelings and responsibility… So tell me, what can I possibly do about that?”

But that wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

Excuses, he could hear a hundred, a thousand of them. What he wanted was just one answer: that Zuo Shihuan chose him.

Even if it was selfish, even if it was unrealistic, he just wanted to hear it once.

If he could just be soothed, even for a moment, he would help Zuo Shihuan without hesitation, let him go back to his family, save whoever he wished.

Gu Heng let out a deep sigh, then raised his head stubbornly. “Shihuan, your choice is still to leave me. No matter how many reasons you give, there’s not a single one that solves things without you leaving me.”

Zuo Shihuan froze, at a loss for words. “I… I didn’t? But I thought, once I settle things with the Zuo family, I’ll finally be able to see you again, Gu Heng…”

“But I always feel like you’re too responsible, Shihuan,” Gu Heng said with a bitter smile. “You keep excluding me, as if I’m not the one closest to you.”

He gave a faint laugh, one filled with helplessness and grievance. “Sometimes, I even feel… Shihuan, you treat Yu Lizhu better than you treat me.”

Zuo Shihuan blurted, “How could that be?”

Seeing the disbelief and hurt in Gu Heng’s eyes, he panicked, fumbling to explain again and again, clumsy but sincere.

“The person I care about most is you, Gu Heng. I want to leave the Zuo family with you, I would leave with you. If the one my father captured had been you, I would have surrendered myself right away! But… but you’re still here, in front of me, alive and well, ”

Zuo Shihuan’s words grew tangled, his light brown eyes dazed and unfocused. He grasped Gu Heng’s arm tightly, murmuring under his breath: “But you’re right here, safe and alive before my eyes. I’m already content with that… As for the rest, let me handle it. I can’t let you see my father again, not like last time…”

Watching Gu Heng get hurt right before his eyes.

Even the proud, strong Gu Heng was still flesh and blood, still human. Bullets could pierce his skin, he could bleed, he could die…

Zuo Shihuan’s expression went blank. Instinctively, he gripped Gu Heng’s arm, his features gradually darkening, the corners of his eyes reddening with agitation.

He suddenly clenched his teeth and, with a hard, resolute tone, shouted at Gu Heng: “No matter what you say, I will never let you risk yourself to follow me back to the Zuo family!”

Hearing Zuo Shihuan’s loud, impatient shout, Gu Heng suddenly fell quiet, a bitter mixture of grievance and frustration swelling in his chest.

His eyes quickly reddened, and in anger he exclaimed, “You say it’s not true! But clearly, Zuo Shihuan, you treat outsiders better than you treat me!”

“No matter what, I just can’t compare to that outsider Yu Lizhu, can I? Zuo Shihuan, you treat a young, beautiful Omega with tender care, but for someone like me, an Alpha… or Beta, you just handle me casually, don’t you?”

Gu Heng’s eyes were rimmed red with bitterness. He almost lost control, tempted to reveal his Alpha identity outright, but in the end, it felt better to just speak plainly.

No matter Beta or Alpha, in Zuo Shihuan’s eyes, neither could compare to Yu Lizhu, that Omega!

Zuo Shihuan, hearing Gu Heng’s accusation, felt a mix of confusion and anger. “I didn’t! And besides, what does this have to do with Yu Lizhu?”

Gu Heng clenched his fists. “You say it has nothing to do with her, but Zuo Shihuan, you’re clearly favoring Yu Lizhu!”

Zuo Shihuan, irritated, shot back: “When have I ever favored Yu Lizhu? If there’s anyone in this world I favor the most, it’s you, Gu Heng! I never imagined I’d one day elope with you, even abandoning Yu Lizhu at the engagement banquet. And yet you still say I favor her!”

Zuo Shihuan was so angry, he almost wanted to strike someone.

Gu Heng pounded his chest, spreading his hands, and continued, “If you want to save someone, let me help! Why exclude me?”

Zuo Shihuan stammered, “I… didn’t…!”

Gu Heng cut him off sharply: “Shihuan, you’re lying!”

“I am not lying!” Zuo Shihuan shot back, clenching his fists.

“You are lying!” Gu Heng sneered, grinding his back teeth. “You keep saying you don’t favor her, but you never include me in your plans! You always tell me to wait safely while you handle the Zuo family, yet you never seek my help… In the end, Zuo Shihuan, you still treat me like an outsider!”

Zuo Shihuan’s pupils shook in disbelief, his clenched fists gradually loosening. He weakly countered, “I didn’t. I never intended to treat you as an outsider.”

Gu Heng took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, speaking calmly again: “But that’s what you did. You rejected all my suggestions, wouldn’t let me help you, wouldn’t let me help you save anyone, and stubbornly returned to the Zuo family, ”

Zuo Shihuan’s expression wavered, but he denied it: “I never intended to reject all your suggestions. Even if I did, it’s because some of them were unfeasible.”

Gu Heng lowered his gaze, his expression dark and sorrowful, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “Unfeasible… or do you not trust me, Zuo Shihuan?”

Zuo Shihuan’s heart ached as he looked at Gu Heng’s dejected expression. In a hoarse voice, he said, “How could I not trust you?”

Gu Heng chuckled dryly twice. “Who knows? Some people will never trust those closest to them. Even if I told you a thousand times I could rescue Yu Lizhu, rescue anyone you wanted to save… even…”

He could eliminate anyone Zuo Shihuan wanted dead.

Even his father, Zuo Zoujian.

For a moment, Gu Heng’s expression turned cold, his black eyes flickering with a quiet, sharp killing intent, as if thinking about taking someone’s life was just casual, effortless.

“Shihuan, you don’t believe I can do it. You always overthink, try to account for everything, make things overly complicated.”

Gu Heng reached out, grasping Zuo Shihuan’s pale neck. His black eyes were dead, expressionless. Leaning close to his ear, he whispered, “People have limits. But I can simplify things.”

The troubles a living person brings are greater than those caused by someone dead.

Then let him die.

If Zuo Zoujian dared to push Zuo Shihuan to the brink, to make him suffer, to separate him from Gu Heng,

Gu Heng’s eyes darkened sharply, fangs flashing in a grim smile.

He would strike first, eliminate Zuo Zoujian.

Killing the head of a top-tier Federation family would be troublesome, but not for him.

Though Zuo Zoujian was Zuo Shihuan’s biological father, as far as Gu Heng knew, Zoujian had abandoned Zuo Shihuan and his mother long ago, letting Shihuan suffer illness and hardship without care. There was no real filial bond between Shihuan and his father.

Without attachment, there was no need to consider how Shihuan would feel, or whether he would grieve.

If Zoujian died suddenly, the only Alpha heir left would be Zuo Shihuan. Then Gu Heng could support him, help him rise, and truly become the head of the Zuo family.

No one would dare stand in the way of him and Zuo Shihuan being together.

Thinking like this, the benefits of Zoujian’s death were far too many.

The only obstacle was that Zuo Shihuan would never allow it.

Even if Zuo Zoujian shamelessly used people around Shihuan to threaten him, forcing him back to the Zuo family, Shihuan would merely grow angry, planning secretly to accumulate power and one day overturn his father’s influence.

But that would take too long.

Even now, Gu Heng felt he couldn’t wait.

If only he could do it secretly, without Shihuan knowing… after all, this world was full of accidents…

Suddenly, Zuo Shihuan felt a chill run down his spine, a shiver that made his heart race, as if some hidden danger were closing in.

Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help tightening his grip on Gu Heng’s arm. Looking at Gu Heng’s deathly still face and silence, he called his name anxiously.

“Gu Heng…”

“Gu Heng!”

That familiar, worried voice pulled Gu Heng back to reality.

He turned his burning gaze toward Zuo Shihuan once more.

Gu Heng’s eyes softened, filled with deep tenderness. He reached out, cupping the back of Zuo Shihuan’s neck, and with black eyes gleaming with affection, smiled and said, “Shihuan, how about this? If you still haven’t thought it through, just leave everything to me.”

Then, he lowered his head and placed a kiss on Zuo Shihuan’s forehead.

It was such a gentle, delicate kiss, yet for some reason, it made Zuo Shihuan’s heart tremble and his body go cold. His lips quivered as he whispered, “Don’t.”

Gu Heng’s expression chilled. He gave a self-mocking smile. “Shihuan, you still don’t trust me, do you?”

Zuo Shihuan stubbornly gripped Gu Heng’s arm tighter, his light brown eyes glimmering with moisture. “I don’t want you to go save anyone. I don’t need you to save anyone.”

Gu Heng cupped his face in his palm, his black eyes dark and deep as he smiled faintly. “But you do need me.”

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes reddened with defiance, holding back tears as he said hoarsely, “You can save one person, two people, but can you save a hundred?”

He didn’t want Gu Heng to oppose the Zuo family for his sake, nor did he want him to get hurt or put himself in danger.

But in Gu Heng’s eyes, it only meant that Zuo Shihuan still didn’t trust him.

“Why not?”

Gu Heng swept his black hair back, revealing sharp, arrogant eyes. His thin red lips curved upward in a wild, defiant smile. “So what if it’s one, two? Even a hundred or ten thousand, I can save them all!”

He grabbed Zuo Shihuan’s chin.

Gu Heng’s eyes lowered, faintly angry, his jaw tight as he bit out, “Shihuan, you really underestimate me.”

Zuo Shihuan, though his chin was held, met Gu Heng’s fierce, burning gaze with unyielding defiance. Tilting his head back stubbornly, he said, “I just won’t let you go!”

Gu Heng’s pupils contracted sharply. His face darkened, his lips curling coldly. “And if I insist on going?”

Now it was Zuo Shihuan who was trapped.

If Gu Heng was determined to go to the Zuo family, he couldn’t stop him.

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes grew redder, his nose flushed, and through gritted teeth, he choked out, “Didn’t you say I treated you like an outsider? Didn’t you say you haven’t liked Yu Lizhu for a long time? Then why are you still going to save her?! Why are you still going to the Zuo family?!”

Gu Heng’s eyes dimmed for a second before he said coldly, “Because of you! You’re the one who wants to go back to the Zuo family!”

Zuo Shihuan took several shaky breaths before answering hoarsely, “But I won’t get hurt if I go back… Gu Heng, you’re different, ”

Gu Heng’s dark eyes narrowed; he gripped Zuo Shihuan’s shoulders tightly, his voice sharp with pain and anger. “Yes, I’m different! I’m different! Then tell me, Zuo Shihuan, have you ever truly treated me as your lover? Or just someone insignificant, someone you can walk away from whenever you want?!”

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes glistened with tears as he retorted, “I’ve never thought that way! It’s you, Gu Heng, you keep wronging me!”

“Wronging you?”

Gu Heng let out a cold, mocking laugh. He lifted his head, eyes sharp and gleaming. “When would I ever dare wrong the great young master Alpha of the Zuo family?”

“Zuo Shihuan, you’re cruel. You think leaving me outside is for my own good?”

His deep black eyes flickered with suppressed fury. “You’ve never once thought about how I feel… What do you expect me to do? Just stand by and watch you walk alone into the Zuo family’s den of dragons and tigers?”

“Even if I can sneak in to see you, I can’t stay by your side every moment. Outside, I’ll be constantly terrified for you, unable to rest, and that’s what you call doing it for me?”

Gu Heng stared at him deeply, then gave a bitter smile. “You asking me to stay behind, it’s like you’re cutting my heart out. Not that you’d care much, anyway…”

“I do care about you, Gu Heng!”

Zuo Shihuan’s eyes were completely red now. He was crying out of anger, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face, his eyes burning and swollen. Clenching his fists, he choked out through sobs, “I do care about you, Gu Heng! I can’t bear to let you go!”

“You think you’re some kind of superman? That you can save hundreds or thousands of people? Even if you had the ability, one mistake and you’d still be hurt, still bleed, you’re not invincible! Gu Heng, you’re flesh and blood, you can die! You were shot and bleeding just yesterday at the engagement banquet!”

Tears kept falling down Zuo Shihuan’s face, his nose red, looking pitifully fragile, but his grip was firm as iron. He grabbed Gu Heng’s collar, shaking him hard, shouting with furious conviction at the stunned man before him: “No matter what you say, Gu Heng, I won’t let you go to the Zuo family! I won’t let you get hurt!”

He was so angry he could barely see through the blur of tears. He didn’t even bother to wipe them, letting them fall freely as he repeated again and again, stubborn to the bone: “I don’t want you going to the Zuo family. I just won’t let you go save anyone…”

He didn’t wipe his tears, because someone would always wipe them for him.

Gu Heng’s expression went blank for a moment. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at the tear-streaked Zuo Shihuan, his lips moving stiffly, as though glued shut, when he asked in confusion, “You… you want to protect me?”

Zuo Shihuan bit his lip and didn’t answer, only sniffled quietly now and then.

But watching him cry like that, his eyes and nose flushed red, fists clenched, furious yet helpless…

Gu Heng couldn’t help but smile faintly. He reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Zuo Shihuan’s reddened eyes, then placed another kiss on his forehead.

There was a kind of quiet joy in it, one even he couldn’t quite describe.

Again, Gu Heng murmured softly, “Shihuan, you want to protect me.”

“Can’t I?” Zuo Shihuan snapped, so angry he could barely stop himself from hitting him, his teeth itched with frustration, and he really wanted to bite this infuriating man in front of him.

Gu Heng’s smile deepened, rich and warm. He wrapped his arms around Zuo Shihuan, pulling him close. Immersed in the embrace, he felt a deep, overwhelming sense of peace, and let out a low, contented laugh.

“Of course you can. I’m really happy that you want to protect me.”

Truly, he was happy.

A faint, uncontainable joy lit up in the depths of Gu Heng’s dark eyes. His heart surged as he drew the foolishly earnest Zuo Shihuan into his arms, buried in his warm, soft scent, unable to stop himself from wanting to laugh, laugh freely and from the bottom of his heart.

So all that arguing… was because Zuo Shihuan, with his stubborn temper, wanted to protect him?

Ha, ha ha ha, 

Gu Heng really did laugh out loud.

Zuo Shihuan’s face flushed red. Feeling the tremor of Gu Heng’s chest as he laughed, he immediately suspected that Gu Heng was mocking him.

“What’s so funny?” he said angrily. “Can’t I want to protect you?”

“You can. Of course you can,” Gu Heng’s dark eyes curved with a brilliant gleam. He hugged Zuo Shihuan even tighter, leaned close to his cheek, and said in a magnetic, laughing voice,

“I’d be overjoyed for you to protect me. How could I ever laugh at you?”

He wasn’t laughing at Zuo Shihuan, he was simply too happy. 

So happy.

His heart was moved.

Everyone else only ever reached out to him for protection, and Gu Heng had long been used to that. Only Zuo Shihuan, only this one person, ever tried to protect him.

Said he wanted to protect him.

Even cried from anger, yet still wanted to protect this b*stard of a man.

How could Gu Heng not feel that deep, genuine happiness? The feeling of being protected was so sweet, even after such an intense quarrel.

Now, when he thought back on it, there was only a lingering sweetness in his heart.

Maybe that was why he loved Zuo Shihuan so much.

It was just that both of them were strong-willed and stubborn. Neither would ever yield, both habitually shouldering everything themselves.

That kind of independence, while thoughtful on the surface, only hurt the people closest to them.

Both of them were like that.

He wanted to help Zuo Shihuan; Zuo Shihuan wanted to protect him, and in the end, it just turned into another fierce, unyielding fight.

It was really… so foolish.

In truth, neither of them had truly learned how to love.

Holding the sulking Zuo Shihuan, Gu Heng’s lips curved in both fondness and pain. “Alright then, I’ll let you be the only one to protect me.”

For this lifetime.

And in this lifetime, he would protect Zuo Shihuan too.

This silly Alpha who’d cry from anger yet still wanted to protect him, Gu Heng wanted to spend his whole life slowly learning how to love him.