Chapter 32 – Feeling Nauseous
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Late at night, on a desolate mountain road with no one around, an off-road vehicle emerged, speeding through the dark and empty path without slowing down even on turns, as if it could break through the guardrail at any moment.
Guan Shu drove the car up to halfway up the mountain before finally stepping on the brakes.
Beside him, his phone suddenly vibrated with a “buzzing” sound, and the light from the screen seemed particularly harsh in the darkness. When Guan Shu turned his face towards it, in that moment, he wasn’t sure what he was hoping for.
Seeing the name “Guan Yan” on the screen, his lips, which had just relaxed, immediately tightened.
Expressionless, Guan Shu shut off the phone and then turned the car around, continuing towards Shen Yao’s apartment. He parked the car downstairs and lowered the window, counting the floors as he looked up. The lights were already off.
In the early hours of the morning, around two or three o’clock, the whole world seemed like a silent forest, quiet and devoid of any trace of smoke.
He tightly pressed his lips together and continued driving the car forward.
In his sleep, Lu Tingxin was abruptly awakened by the ringing sound, and his mood was extremely poor when he opened the door. After seeing it was Guan Shu, he immediately cursed, “Are you sick or something?”
Ignoring everything, Guan Shu walked into his apartment without even raising an eyebrow. “Let me stay in the guest room for one night.”
“What the h*ll were you just doing?” Lu Tingxin frowned, waving his hand in front of his nose in disgust. “Where did that smell of smoke come from?”
Guan Shu had just been smoking in the car, and the smell of smoke hadn’t dissipated yet. He was just fooling around with Shen Yao, but he wouldn’t tell Lu Tingxin that he had slept with Shen Yao again and transitioned from ex-lovers to current lovers.
He had recently said that he wouldn’t have any more contact with Shen Yao.
“Went out for a smoke.”
Guan Shu replied with a cold face, speaking as if he hadn’t said anything at all. He walked straight into the guest room and closed the door.
The guest room was much smaller than the master bedroom, and it seemed like nobody had slept in it for a long time. There was a distinct odor coming from the sheets. When Guan Shu was undergoing wilderness training, he didn’t even have a bed, so this environment made no difference to him.
He had even undergone specialized sleep training, where he could fall asleep smoothly in five minutes of lying in bed. But Guan Shu kept his eyes tightly shut, with no trace of drowsiness.
At one moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze extremely clear. He got up from the bed, picked up his clothes from the floor, and noticed that there were only a few cigarettes left in the pack.
The sky was already dimly lit, and Guan Shu leaned against the balcony, lighting the cigarette he held between his teeth. His smoking technique had become increasingly skillful, especially when he blew out smoke rings.
Guan Shu’s gaze drifted far ahead to the building where Shen Yao lived, but it was blocked by an equally tall apartment building, and he couldn’t see anything.
Shen Yao said he wanted to be in a romantic relationship with him, but when Guan Shu left, Shen Yao didn’t even spare him a glance. Guan Shu let out a cold laugh. Shen Yao must be busy tonight, busy explaining things to Xu Yibai. He wouldn’t have spare time to bother with him.
After all, Xu Yibai was the boyfriend, and he was just a lover. He didn’t need Shen Yao’s insincere explanations and comfort. He didn’t feel sorry for himself at all; Xu Yibai was the one deserving of pity.
He drove away tonight but turned back midway. This time, Guan Shu parked the car in a completely secluded corner.
His gaze firmly fixed on the illuminated floors in the distance, he couldn’t see what was happening inside, but he could imagine and speculate.
As time passed, second by second, when he couldn’t control the urge to get out of the car again, Xu Yibai’s figure appeared within his line of sight.
The distance was too far, and even though Guan Shu had excellent eyesight, he couldn’t see many details.
It was still raining outside, and all he could see was Xu Yibai standing at the door for a long, long time until he was soaked through. Only then did Xu Yibai slowly raise his hand to shield his eyes.
It was only after seeing Xu Yibai leave that Guan Shu drove away.
He didn’t have any sympathy for him. He just wanted to know if Xu Yibai would continue to be manipulated by Shen Yao or if he would decisively break up with him.
Breaking up would be best, and it would be even better if Shen Yao got dumped.
Lu Tingxin woke up promptly at seven o’clock, just as his alarm clock went off. While brushing his teeth, he prepared to check the weather from the balcony, but when he saw Guan Shu standing there, he swallowed the toothpaste in his mouth: “Who are you scaring here so early in the morning?!”
Guan Shu picked up the scattered cigarette butts from the ground. There was no sign of fatigue on his face, but Lu Tingxin could tell at a glance that he hadn’t slept.
He was about to say something when the phone rang, and Lu Tingxin felt a headache seeing the name displayed as the caller ID.
“It’s Uncle Guan calling me,” Lu Tingxin became alert instantly, staring at Guan Shu, he asked, “What have you done again?”
“Don’t answer,” Guan Shu frowned irritably. “I’ve disabled the GPS on my phone.”
“What do I say when Uncle Guan asks me about it?” Lu Tingxin exclaimed.
Guan Shu’s eyes bore into him with a deep gaze. “I didn’t hold it against you when you reported me last time.”
“I’m just worried that you’ll get into trouble…” Lu Tingxin turned his face, touching his nose. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he asked incredulously, “You didn’t smoke so much again because of Shen Yao, did you?!”
“No,” Guan Shu said expressionlessly. “I just had a craving for cigarettes, so I smoked a lot.”
Lu Tingxin’s expression became complex, and he wanted to say something, but Guan Shu gave him a push on the shoulder and urged impatiently, “Hurry up and go, don’t be late.”
When Lu Tingxin finished brushing up, only ten minutes had passed. He wiped his face with a towel and asked in confusion, “It’s still early, why are you rushing me?”
“Because you’re not driving, I am,” Guan Shu held both his and Lu Tingxin’s car keys in his hand and said without hesitation, “I also need to go home and change clothes.”
Having someone be the driver was not a bad thing, and Lu Tingxin came down feeling groggy. Guan Shu’s car was not parked in the underground parking lot but in front of the apartment building.
When he saw the dent on the car’s front, his heart tightened. “Guan Shu, what the h*ll did you do yesterday? You managed to dent the front of the car like that?”
Guan Shu got into the car with long strides. Closing the door of an off-road vehicle required some force, and he slammed it forcefully, fastened his seatbelt, and said coldly, “At least I didn’t hit anyone.”
Lu Tingxin didn’t follow Guan Shu, his mind constantly speculating about these inexplicable behaviors. After waiting in the car for about ten minutes, Guan Shu came out.
He had changed into his uniform, taken a short shower, and was holding a file in his hand.
Unable to resist, Lu Tingxin asked, “Guan Shu, did you go to see Shen Yao last night? Otherwise, why were you in the…” apartment.
Before he could finish his sentence, Guan Shu smashed the file in his face.
“When you go upstairs later, I’ll wait for you in the car, or else people will find out where I am,” Guan Shu looked casual, as if he hadn’t heard clearly, and spoke in an official tone, “What about the batch of goods on the coast that you mentioned last time?”
Lu Tingxin was momentarily stunned and instinctively replied, “The cargo on those ships has been inspected, and all the documents are in order. Samples have also been taken.”
“Keep them detained,” Guan Shu said succinctly, “Don’t release them.”
Unless there were exceptional circumstances, under the current situation, the goods should be released because there must be a reason for detaining someone else’s cargo.
Lu Tingxin thought he had misheard and suddenly remembered something, his face filled with fear.
“You really don’t like Shen Yao anymore?” Lu Tingxin cautiously confirmed, and he phrased it delicately, “Those goods are related to Shen…”
Guan Shu understood the implicit meaning behind his words. He thought that Guan Shu was using his authority for personal gain, detaining the goods and then having Shen Yao come to him.
He didn’t refute it. He was indeed using his authority for personal gain, but in a different direction. These goods were brought up by Shen Yao last night while holding onto him, asking for his help in detaining them.
Lu Tingxin earnestly advised him, “You really can’t detain the goods arbitrarily. If there’s nothing wrong in the end…”
“Do it in my name,” Guan Shu interrupted him, speaking in a flat tone, “At worst, I’ll be dismissed from my position.”
He spoke about such a serious matter with such indifference, and Lu Tingxin’s breath hitched. He cursed, “You’re f*cking insane.”
His entire face froze like ice in the scorching summer, and Guan Shu automatically ignored Lu Tingxin’s incessant words. During a red light, he turned his face to look out the window.
Since he had promised, he would definitely follow through, or else Shen Yao might think there was something that only Yan Zhixing could do.
He stepped on the accelerator again, surpassing the cars beside him. Guan Shu drove with one hand, using the other to support his face.
If Yan Zhixing could help Shen Yao, then he could help Shen Yao with everything as well.
Guan Shu parked the car in a secluded area and sat inside for the entire day. It seemed like he was really fulfilling his promise to be Lu Tingxin’s driver. After it was over, he drove Lu Tingxin back.
He didn’t get out of the car this time but turned around and drove back the same way. As he passed by Shen Yao’s apartment building, he gently pressed on the brakes.
Guan Shu sat downstairs for a long time again, waiting for the daylight to fade and night to descend. People passing by would engage in hushed conversations when they saw his car.
Once the crowd dispersed, Guan Shu opened the car door and entered the apartment building. He just wanted to come and witness the joke that Shen Yao had become, to see if Shen Yao was truly sincere with Xu Yibai, and to see if Shen Yao would be as cold-hearted when breaking up with Xu Yibai as he was when breaking up with Guan Shu.
He reached out and pressed the doorbell, and soon Shen Yao came to open the door.
Standing in front of him, Shen Yao looked exactly the same. He was wearing soft home clothes, his black hair slightly long and falling over his forehead. He was still the same, with no swollen eyes or signs of lethargy.
This breakup didn’t seem to have affected him, and Guan Shu found a subtle sense of balance in his heart.
“Where’s Xu Yibai?” Guan Shu was stopped at the door by Shen Yao, but his gaze kept darting into the room.
There was no one inside. Only the bag he had brought back with Shen Yao last night was placed on the sofa, and he still didn’t know what was inside it.
Guan Shu withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened. “You broke up?”
Shen Yao had a restless sleep last night, feeling drowsy and sluggish. He didn’t have the mood to deal with Guan Shu now and asked coldly, “What are you here for?”
His behavior was completely different from what Guan Shu had anticipated. Guan Shu’s lips straightened, and he coldly chuckled, “Are you angry with me because of Xu Yibai? Didn’t you break up with him because of your infidelity? If I knew you had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t have slept with you either.”
“No, I was going to break up with him anyway, just like I did back then,” Shen Yao leaned against the door, showing no emotional fluctuations. “Guan Shu, I just dislike things that are beyond my control.”
Just like yesterday, he had no idea that Xu Yibai would come back or anticipate this unexpected situation.
“You plan your breakups?” Guan Shu smirked. “You don’t really want to break up with him, do you?”
Shen Yao raised his gaze and looked at Guan Shu with a half-joking, half-serious tone. “If that’s what you want to believe, there’s nothing I can do. After all, I had a plan to break up with you too, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to implement it before you caught us in the act…”
“Shen Yao,” Guan Shu interrupted him coldly, gripping his wrist tightly. “You don’t need to say these things to make me feel unhappy, nor do you need to remind me.”
Shen Yao lowered his head, his slender wrist firmly held by Guan Shu. He softly said, “Guan Shu, it hurts.” He tilted his head and looked at Guan Shu, asking, “Are you angry again? What do you want to do, force yourself on me?”
His soft words fell into Guan Shu’s ears like a thunderbolt, particularly the word “force,” which pierced him like a sharp knife, rendering him unable to move.
Guan Shu suddenly remembered Xu Yibai’s words from yesterday, where he condescendingly mentioned that Guan Shu couldn’t control his emotions. Guan Shu’s actions paused for a moment, and then he slowly released his grip on Shen Yao’s wrist.
“Shen Yao…”
Before Guan Shu could say anything more, the elevator chimed again. Facing away from the elevator, he could only hear the person inside making a phone call, the sound leaking through the narrow gap of the open elevator doors.
Shen Yao reacted quickly and swiftly tugged Guan Shu’s wrist, forcefully pushing him into the room before closing the door.
“Bang, bang.”
The door behind them vibrated as Shen Yao calmly looked at Chen Shuang, who was running over with an anxious expression. At the moment he approached, Guan Shu seemed to sense something, and the noise subsided.
Perhaps it was because Chen Shuang often stayed by Yan Zhixing’s side, he also possessed a calmness that wouldn’t be shaken even if the sky were to collapse. However, Chen Shuang’s current expression was filled with panic, and he didn’t even ask why Shen Yao was outside. He seemed to have run all the way here, his breathing not yet calmed down as he said, “Mr. Shen, you need to come with me abroad.”
It seemed there was no room for any explanation as he gestured for Shen Yao to go downstairs with him.
“Just a moment.” Even a perceptive person could see Chen Shuang’s urgency, but Shen Yao calmly said, “Chen Shuang, wait for me downstairs. I’ll change my clothes quickly.”
He didn’t give Chen Shuang any time to stop him, immediately unlocking the door with his fingerprint and closing it. Chen Shuang stood outside the door, helpless and could only knock on the door a few times while urging loudly before hurriedly departing with hurried footsteps.
The living room was dark, and as soon as Shen Yao entered the room, Guan Shu rushed over and pushed him against the door. Guan Shu held him tightly in his embrace, a mixture of an embrace and a threat.
“Shen Yao, am I that disgraceful to you?!” Guan Shu gritted his teeth, “Xu Yibai is your boyfriend, so I left yesterday. But what about Yan Zhixing? What are you hiding me for? What are you afraid of? Didn’t I tell you that whatever he can help you with, I can help you too?”
Shen Yao placed his hand on Guan Shu’s shoulder, his gaze piercing and seeing through everything. “I’ve said it before, I don’t like relationships based on emotional and material interests.”
For him, interests were interests, and emotions were emotions. Getting close to Guan Shu and Xu Yibai was merely for the purpose of dating them, at most with a little manipulation involved.
That’s why he never bothered to investigate Xu Yibai’s background because he wasn’t curious and didn’t care.
Anything related to interests was already precarious, and if emotions were added into the mix, it became even more complex. The knives wielded by trusted people became even colder.
Shen Yao preferred a one-to-one transactional relationship, and for now, Yan Zhixing was a reliable ally.
“If you don’t like relationships without emotions involved,” Guan Shu’s strength slowly dissipated, and he lifted his gaze to ask, “then why did you ask me to help you secure those goods?”
Shen Yao had mentioned their past relationship last time, but what about now?
Shen Yao pushed him away. Before entering the bedroom, he turned back as if pondering and said, “Occasionally, you’re also a relationship I can use.”
Guan Shu leaned against the wall in silence, watching Shen Yao change clothes and walk out. Shen Yao wasn’t afraid that Guan Shu would mess with things in the room; he walked straight towards the door.
Shen Yao didn’t say a word to him, and all Guan Shu could see was his back. He was long accustomed to Shen Yao’s abandonment and abandonment of him.
“Shen Yao.”
At the moment Shen Yao opened the door, he was called by Guan Shu. Shen Yao turned back, and the bright light from outside illuminated the area. Guan Shu stood at the boundary of light and shadow, his face more distinct in the contrast.
Shen Yao lifted his eyelids, his gaze obscured and unclear.
Guan Shu said, “I won’t be a mistress.”
Shen Yao silently sat in the back seat of the car. He reached into his pocket and realized he had forgotten to bring his phone when he left.
His phone had run out of battery and shut down last night. It had been lying in the bedroom all day, and Chen Shuang probably couldn’t reach him, so he came directly to find him.
Shen Yao didn’t know what was so urgent, so he subtly asked Chen Shuang several times.
Chen Shuang’s answer was always, “You’ll know when you get there.”
After the private plane landed, it had been ten hours. Shen Yao had only rested with his eyes closed on the plane.
Shen Yao followed Chen Shuang into a black car guarded by several bodyguards. He stared out of the window the whole way, in an environment completely unfamiliar to him.
The road the car was on became increasingly desolate, and it finally stopped in a small forest. A building stood tall in the midst of it, appearing particularly out of place.
Jian Ran, wearing a white shirt, waited at the entrance, frequently checking his watch. His eyes lit up when he saw the car. Shen Yao instinctively glanced back at Chen Shuang, but Chen Shuang gestured for him to follow Jian Ran.
Shen Yao walked through the empty building, and he could hear the sound of his own footsteps clearly. It was as if Yan Zhixing had given them a seal of silence, and Jian Ran didn’t say a word to him either.
The higher the floors they ascended, the more pronounced the fear of heights became when looking down from the glass elevator. The elevator stopped in front of a long corridor, and this one room at the end of the corridor was the only space in this spacious level.
Everywhere was filled with a quiet whiteness, and walking down the corridor felt like walking in a parallel dimension.
Shen Yao’s mind was spinning with thoughts, but his facial expression remained unchanged. He saw the door to the room reflecting a silvery light from a distance, indicating a unique material.
As he approached closer, Shen Yao’s footsteps abruptly halted. His lips tightened, but due to his unfamiliarity with Jian Ran, who was beside him, there was no excessive change in his expression.
The scent of an alpha’s pheromones leaked out from the tightly closed door, as if invisible hands grabbed hold of him, pulling him back to that stifling and dark little room, back to those gloomy memories.
Sandalwood, a strong scent of sandalwood.
Indeed, such a strong pheromone scent would typically elicit physiological reactions in an omega, to some extent at least.
But Shen Yao was different. His reactions were the exact opposite of what one would expect.
Instead of being drawn in, he felt nauseous just from the smell.
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