Chapter 197: Chapter 197: You won’t die if you don’t irritate me for a day, will you?
Tang Yuxiu was surprised that the words he found difficult to say in front of Gu Yan could be confidently spoken in front of others.
The emotions he couldn’t express in front of Gu Yan, he could openly admit in front of others too.
Is this the difference when facing someone you like?
Not only was he surprised, but even his three longtime friends were a bit shocked.
They knew Tang Yuxiu was confused about his feelings, but they didn’t expect him to suddenly figure it out.
This realization came faster than they had anticipated.
Xue Xianglan gazed at the man before her, feeling more surprised now than ever before, as if she never knew him.
"Young Master Tang, you better remember what you said today. If you ever cheat, I won’t let you off," she said.
Tang Yuxiu squinted his eyes slightly, "I dislike being threatened the most."
"I don’t like threatening people either, but if you dare to hurt Gu Yan, I’ll likely take action."
There are always a few people in this world unafraid to oppose Tang Yuxiu, and Xue Xianglan is one of them.
Tang Yuxiu snorted coldly, "I fear you won’t have the chance to do anything."
"That’s none of your concern, but preferably, there won’t be any chance for me to act," Xue Xianglan shrugged, indicating that if Tang Yuxiu treated Gu Yan well, she could worry less.
"Take care of Yanyan. I’ll come back to see her," Xue Xianglan said, giving a light kick to Xue Jiarui sitting on the nearby sofa, "Let’s go, we’re leaving."
"If you want to leave, then leave. Why involve me?" Xue Jiarui muttered softly, but still stood up obediently.
After the Xue siblings left, Xiang Linghao relaxed his spine, leaning powerlessly against the sofa, feeling dejected that Xue Xianglan hadn’t looked him in the eye.
"Alright, there’s nothing for you here anymore. Everyone should leave," Young Master Tang issued an order.
Xiang Linghao cast a resentful glance at him, "Bridge burner!"
You Shuyang resignedly stood up, pulling Xiang Linghao by the collar, "Young Master, we’re leaving."
Forced to follow along, Xiang Linghao said, "You Shuyang, you’ve been with Tang Yuxiu so long, you’ve become his lackey."
"Unless you plan to ruin their private time here."
Considering Gu Yan had just been rescued from a kidnapping and was frightened, it was precisely the time she needed Tang Yuxiu’s comfort and care, so why intrude?
"Huh, when did you, a solitary sort, become knowledgeable about such things?" Xiang Linghao exclaimed in surprise.
You Shuyang rolled his eyes at him, "It’s common sense!"
Finished speaking, You Shuyang pushed Xiang Linghao out of the villa and followed, shutting the door.
The villa returned to tranquility as Tang Yuxiu went upstairs to the bedroom.
Gu Yan was already asleep, but her brows were still furrowed, indicating she wasn’t sleeping very peacefully.
He walked over, gently touched her hair, and sighed softly.
Rest assured, anyone who harms you, I will find them and make them pay back double.
Tang Yuxiu took a shower, lifted the covers and lay down, carefully cradling Gu Yan into his arms.
Perhaps smelling his familiar cold scent in her sleep, Gu Yan seemed to relax significantly, her furrowed brows gradually loosening.
Tang Yuxiu let out a breath, seeing her sleep peacefully, then closed his eyes to sleep as well.
The next day’s sunlight fought its way through the thick curtains, a few strands sneaking in subtly, not glaring, not intense, gently diffusing warmth.
Gu Yan’s biological clock was half an hour earlier than Tang Yuxiu’s. She woke first, her mind initially foggy, taking a moment to process what had happened the previous day.
And now, she lay nestled against Tang Yuxiu, embraced by him.
Faced with this man, she truly couldn’t help but be moved.
Though he was sharp-tongued and narcissistic, when he got angry, reason might be overshadowed, but at crucial moments, he always appeared, saving her from despair.
Attraction to someone isn’t due to their vast wealth or striking appearance; it’s simply enough that they are there for you when needed.
For Gu Yan, Tang Yuxiu was that man.
Last night, when he appeared before her with his upright posture, everything he had done before, all the harm he inflicted on her, seemed to fade away, disappearing like smoke.
Gu Yan shifted slightly, waking Tang Yuxiu instantly.
Seeing her awake, he lifted himself up to ask, "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
"No," she softly replied.
Tang Yuxiu looked at her; the emotional turbulence from last night was gone, except for the lingering swelling on her face, she looked almost like her usual self.
Seeing this, Tang Yuxiu wisely refrained from mentioning unpleasant matters.
He withdrew his hand, "Are you hungry?"
"A little."
Tang Yuxiu lifted the covers and got up, "I’ll go freshen up. Wait a bit, I’ll have someone bring food."
Gu Yan thought for a moment and nodded.
The items in the fridge had been sitting for two days, likely running low, and she felt too lazy to move now, preferring to lie still for a while longer.
Besides, Tang Yuxiu must have handled her leave with the company; she was embarrassed to go out looking like a bruised head.
Tang Yuxiu finished washing up, meticulously tidying himself before heading downstairs.
Gu Yan then lifted the covers and slipped into the bathroom.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she finally understood how swollen her face was, indeed like a pig’s head. She suddenly doubted how Tang Yuxiu could fall asleep facing her ugly-as-death face?
Last night she even went crazy kissing him, and it’s a wonder Tang Yuxiu didn’t just throw her out.
This state of hers could ruin one’s appetite, especially for someone like Tang Yuxiu with severe cleanliness and OCD tendencies.
True feelings are revealed in times of crisis; Tang Yuxiu was quite decent in a critical moment.
She gently touched her swollen face, guessing that even after medication last night, it still looked slightly better only after a night’s time.
Suddenly, Gu Yan found Tang Yuxiu last night really manly!
A man should be like that!
When Gu Yan went downstairs, You Shuyang happened to knock on the villa door, delivering takeout from the big hotel along with lunch.
Gu Yan nodded at him apologetically and greeted him.
You Shuyang, as usual, seemed not to notice the bruises on her face and smiled, calling her "Miss Gu".
"Just deliver the stuff and get lost. Why are you still hanging around?" Young Master Tang’s unceremonious voice came from the sofa, and You Shuyang silently grumbled, asking if Tang Yuxiu couldn’t treat him a bit better for running errands for him!
But if Tang Yuxiu ever did change and treated him well, he would probably think that Tang Yuxiu was possessed!
"Goodbye, Miss Gu." You Shuyang said politely, still finding the polite Miss Gu adorable.
"Goodbye." Gu Yan smiled slightly.
After You Shuyang left, Gu Yan walked into the living room with one hand covering her face.
Several bags of food You Shuyang brought were on the coffee table.
"Come and eat something."
"Oh." Gu Yan sat cross-legged on the carpet opposite him, one hand covering her cheek, and the other rummaging through the bags.
Tang Yuxiu glanced up at her, "What are you doing?"
"What?" Gu Yan asked, puzzled.
"You’ve already shown your face before, and there’s no one else here. Why are you covering it? Aren’t you hot?"
Gu Yan, "... Because I want to."
Everyone cares about beauty, and she was no exception.
Looking ugly can be ignored when feeling down and unseen, but now that she saw herself, it was different.
The key is, the person she’s facing now is someone she secretly likes. Others might not care, but she does.
Tang Yuxiu chuckled, "Covering it still won’t hide it."
Gu Yan, "..."
She glared at him fiercely. Indeed, Tang Yuxiu’s gentleness and thoughtfulness were fleeting clouds, reverting to his true self after just one night!
"Would you die if you didn’t annoy me for a day?"
"I wouldn’t." He answered calmly, looking deeply at her with his dark eyes, then lowered them slightly, a trace of laughter flashing somewhere Gu Yan couldn’t see.
That’s the Gu Yan he likes, lively and spirited, seemingly forgetting all traumas overnight.
Moreover, it’s been a long time since they interacted like this, and he missed such scenes.
Regarding this kidnapping incident, it might be a blessing in disguise, giving him a chance.
Otherwise, with his personality, he would never have actively sought reconciliation, silently enduring as if strangers to Gu Yan, and she wouldn’t easily turn around and treat him amicably.
In the end, he felt that things were quite good as they were.
Tang Yuxiu opened the food container and pushed it in front of her, "Eat more."
After yesterday’s kidnapping, she hadn’t eaten anything.
"I don’t need you to tell me." Gu Yan retorted ungraciously, but uncharacteristically, Tang Yuxiu didn’t get angry or argue back. Only he knew how much he enjoyed the current atmosphere.
Oh, was he innately inclined toward masochism because of Gu Yan’s teasing?
He found it comfortable only when Gu Yan went against him and they bickered.
Gu Yan propped herself on the coffee table, covering half her face, thinking, luckily it’s the left side that’s injured. Using her left hand to cover it, if it were the right side, it would be inconvenient to hold chopsticks.
After the shadow passed, Gu Yan could entertain herself like this. She was either optimistic or a bit silly, who can say?
Tang Yuxiu was actually a bit puzzled. Why, after such a significant event as being kidnapped, could she return to her previous state in just one night, while he...
For doing her a slightly harmful deed, she could coldly keep him distant for so long.
That wasn’t fair to him!
He didn’t understand Gu Yan’s mindset.
Many times, the people we like are always treated more harshly than others.
Hurt that seems trivial to others is magnified many times over when it comes from someone we care about, becoming extremely painful and hard to forgive.
Not to mention, was what Tang Yuxiu did to her trivial?
Getting angry at the smallest thing, speaking without a filter when angry, like a beast, almost forcing her—though he didn’t succeed, he never had a kind word.
Luckily, it was Gu Yan. If it were anyone else, they would have left already.
Gu Yan couldn’t leave. If she could, she would’ve left long ago.