Chapter 52
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“So late? Where did you go?”
The man who spoke was Gu Yaoyang, who had returned from his business trip. He cast a casual glance at Lin Yuyan’s sketchboard, and a smile played on his lips. This smile was dazzling, even more handsome than his youth.
But Lin Yuyan didn’t dare to look closely. He leaned up and kissed him, a display of affection that wasn’t out of place for a married couple. After all, they had been married for several years. Suddenly acting distant would raise eyebrows.
In recent years, Gu Yaoyang had grown more astute and composed, a single word or a glance was enough to seize the enemy’s weakness and hold them in a chokehold. If the 18-year-old G was like a nimble cheetah that initiated attacks on the ring, the current Mr. Gu was a lion lounging in the jungle, lazily waiting for prey to come to him.
Lin Yuyan didn’t understand Gu Yaoyang back then, but now he understood him all too well.
After all, the numerous cases of cruelty and hardship, marked with blood, were written in his name. Just thinking about them made his back hurt, and he certainly couldn’t make any mistakes at this moment.
“It’s been nice weather lately. Xu Ze organized an outing for the art studio teachers. There was some traffic on the way back.”
During this time, not only had Gu Yaoyang changed, Lin Yuyan had also matured. He was no longer the fragile, crying, and delicate young man he used to be. He now had the ability and intelligence to confront the “forces of evil.” With his capabilities, he had managed to regain his position as the head of their household.
Without giving Gu Yaoyang a chance to speak again, Lin Yuyan flipped his sketchboard and leaned it against the shoe cabinet by the door, making it seem like a casual gesture. He naturally asked, “Didn’t you say you’d be back in a week?”
Gu Yaoyang replied, “I finished my work ahead of schedule.”
Lin Yuyan continued, “Have you had dinner yet?”
“Not yet.”
“In that case, I’ll whip something up.” With that, Lin Yuyan pulled Gu Yaoyang into the kitchen, leaving the sketchboard behind, and he chuckled secretly. Later on, he could chat about something else, and this incident would pass completely unnoticed. He had secretly made the same mistake twice and used the same method, and both times, he’d emerged unscathed.
“Is Shao Zheng’s girlfriend really pregnant?” Lin Yuyan served Gu Yaoyang a bowl of soup at the dinner table. His soup-making skills had greatly improved, but the other dishes were still passable at best.
Gu Yaoyang nodded with an “Mm-hmm.”
“So, are they getting married?” Shao Zheng had followed Gu Yaoyang around and although he appeared to be his driver, Lin Yuyan always thought of him as a good friend. Gu Yaoyang might have a cold exterior, but he had a warm heart and had helped Shao Zheng in many ways.
“They’re planning to register their marriage next Monday.”
“Really?” Lin Yuyan said joyfully, “That’s great! So if they have a baby, does that mean we’ll become uncles?”
Gu Yaoyang nodded and, taking a spoonful of soup, he looked at Lin Yuyan, who was gleeful, “I heard it’s a girl.”
Lin Yuyan asked in surprise, “So you already know? So quickly?”
“Yeah, Shao Zheng has been worried about picking a name for her lately.”
“A girl, huh.” Lin Yuyan started thinking, “How about calling her Meimei?”
Gu Yaoyang didn’t hesitate to express his opinion, “What if she turns out to be not so pretty? Calling her Meimei might be ironic.”
Lin Yuyan countered, “How could she not be pretty? Women can transform drastically, and Shao Zheng isn’t ugly either. Plus, his girlfriend, Song Ling, is very beautiful.” Song Ling was Shao Zheng’s girlfriend and they had met after returning to China.
Gu Yaoyang took a bite of vegetables with his chopsticks and said, “It’s hard to say; even if the parents look good, their children may not necessarily be attractive.” He watched Lin Yuyan intently, his dark eyes gleaming with an enigmatic light. “It’s like that classic fairy tale, ‘The Ugly Duckling.'”
Lin Yuyan had yet to realize that he had stepped into a fog-covered forest and had walked straight into a trap.
“The Ugly Duckling wasn’t actually ugly; it grew up to become a beautiful swan.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course,” Lin Yuyan said. “You must have read that fairy tale before, haven’t you?”
“I have.”
“By the way,” Gu Yaoyang casually changed the topic, he was so natural that Lin Yuyan hadn’t sensed anything amiss yet. “I heard that a few white swans flew into a scenic area yesterday?”
“They were black, over a dozen of them,” Lin Yuyan replied, placing some rice into his mouth. He had an uneasy feeling in his heart but quickly added, “Oh, it looks like they were black. I saw it online too.”
“Oh?” Gu Yaoyang asked, “Were there a lot of people who went to see them?”
Lin Yuyan nodded and finally realized that he had fallen into a trap. Typically, it was best for him not to say anything in situations like this, but remaining silent was equivalent to agreeing. So, he said, “They said the tourists were so crowded they couldn’t move.”
“With so many people, wouldn’t it affect the visibility?”
“Haha,” Lin Yuyan forced a laugh, struggling as if he were on his deathbed. “It would definitely affect people who want to take photos.”
“What about those who are drawing?” Gu Yaoyang asked.
Lin Yuyan calmly analyzed, “If someone is drawing the lake surface, it would definitely be affected. But choosing another direction should be fine.”
“Which direction did Xu Ze choose?”
“Southeast…” Lin Yuyan’s face suddenly changed, and he quickly covered his mouth.
“Hmm?” Gu Yaoyang put down his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair. “What’s wrong?”
“You…I…” Lin Yuyan stammered, his nervous emotions suddenly exposed.
In this situation, if Gu Yaoyang had asked, “Which direction did you choose?” Lin Yuyan would definitely have replied, “I didn’t go.” But by suddenly mentioning an unrelated person, Lin Yuyan’s first reaction wasn’t, “We both didn’t go.”
Too cunning, too crafty!
Gu Yaoyang tapped his long fingers on the table three times and then stopped.
Lin Yuyan had completely given up struggling. He knew that Gu Yaoyang had found out, even the previous two times he’d managed to bluff his way through, Gu Yaoyang had been aware.
“H-husband,” Lin Yuyan stammered, trying to ease the tension. But the room was spinning, and he suddenly realized that he was already resting on Gu Yaoyang’s shoulder.
Gu Yaoyang effortlessly lifted him and headed upstairs. Lin Yuyan’s mind raced, and he attempted to explain, “There really is nothing wrong there now. The fact that the park is open to the public means it’s safe and there are sufficient safeguards in place.”
“When the accident happened earlier, wasn’t it open to the public?” Gu Yaoyang interrupted, his tone chilling.
“Well, maybe back then, the person in charge of the park didn’t have a strong sense of safety. But now everything is fine, and they’ve sealed off the areas where landslides used to occur.”
“I just want to ask you one question,” Gu Yaoyang said, his voice heavy. “What if there’s another landslide, and you happen to be in that area when it happens?”
“What, what do you want me to do then?”
“What do you think? Could I bear that one-in-a-million chance?”
“Y-you think… I could bear that one-in-a-million chance?”
“Lin Yuyan.”
Gu Yaoyang continued, “Do you still not understand your place in my heart?”
“I understand.”
“Since you understand, why would you do something that hurts me?”
“I…” Lin Yuyan was at a loss for words, feeling remorseful. “I’m sorry.”
Gu Yaoyang paid no heed, continuing to walk step by step toward the bedroom. Lin Yuyan was panicking, twisting his head and softly pleading, “Husband, I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. Please be gentle this time; I have to teach on Monday…”
With a loud bang, the bedroom door slammed shut, and Lin Yuyan’s cries did not cease; instead, they intensified.
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Thank You for the new chapter (๑ơ ₃ ơ)♥