Chapter 14: The Bold Deception

Chapter 14

When Xuan Congnan rented his own place before, there was never a medical kit in the house.

Seeing Gu Shi take out a medical kit and then pull out what looked like red flower oil, he was a little stunned.

Xuan Congnan asked, "Did you get hurt outside?"

Having returned soaked from the rain, Gu Shi had already taken a hot shower and changed out of his wet clothes. While he was showering, Xuan Congnan sat on the sofa in his bedroom.

The rain continued outside, and Gu Shi didn’t want to go back to his room alone, so Xuan Congnan had no choice but to follow him in.

"You’re injured," Gu Shi said, wearing his dark blue long-sleeve pajamas.

"Hmm?" Xuan Congnan looked down at himself. "I’m not really... Oh, it’s just my wrist—no big deal."

Gu Shi reached out, "Let me rub it."

As Gu Shi opened the red flower oil, a distinctive scent wafted out.

Xuan Congnan rolled up his sleeve to reveal his slender wrist, marked by two bluish-purple finger imprints. "Thanks."

With someone else at home, Xuan Congnan stayed close by, and Gu Shi’s complexion was no longer as pale as when he first came in.

If it weren’t for his fear of the heavy rain and thunder, the sound of summer rain could lull one into drowsiness. Xuan Congnan’s eyelids were already heavy. He loved to sleep at times like this, feeling wrapped in a sense of security.

The rain never ceased, and since Gu Shi didn’t want to be alone in his room, he stayed in the living room with Xuan Congnan.

Gu Shi placed his warmed palm over Xuan Congnan’s wrist and quietly asked, "The matter you need to deal with—does it involve meeting your ex?"

Xuan Congnan leaned against the sofa, struggling to keep his eyes open, feeling no suspicion. "Not exactly. He was looking for Xuan Zhuoyao—my cousin, you probably remember him; he came to my place last time. He told Zhuoyao to find me and gave him a hundred thousand yuan."

His relationship with the Xuan family was poor, but he didn’t avoid them. And Shen Qian’s demand was precisely that Xuan Congnan not avoid them.

The thunder ceased, but the rain continued to patter outside. Gu Shi, half-lidded, carefully massaged Xuan Congnan’s wrist. Their hands touched closely because of Gu Shi’s fear of the bad weather, and they remained side by side, very near.

It was as if this rainy night had quickly drawn them closer beyond their simple roommate relationship, and Xuan Congnan wanted to speak.

"I recorded the entire conversation with him at the restaurant," Xuan Congnan said. "Tomorrow, I plan to report to the police, telling them they illegally sold my personal information without my consent. Do you think the police will take it seriously?"

"They will," Gu Shi replied. "The amount involved in their transaction is considerable."

"That’s good."

"I’ll go with you to the police station tomorrow."

"You should stay home," Xuan Congnan shook his head, recalling Officer Li’s words: "Don’t cause traffic congestion."

Gu Shi looked a bit frustrated. "I never wanted to be an actor or a celebrity."

Xuan Congnan teased, "Then how did you become such a top star?"

After massaging the wrist, Gu Shi tightened the red flower oil bottle and put it back into the medical kit, silent.

"What are you looking at me for?" Xuan Congnan asked curiously.

Gu Shi lowered his gaze. "Nothing."

Xuan Congnan listened carefully. "Looks like the thunder has stopped. Why don’t you go back to sleep?"

Gu Shi didn’t move. "What if it starts again later?"

Xuan Congnan had no choice but to sit and wait for the rain to stop.

There was only one sofa in the living room, and the two of them couldn’t squeeze in to sleep. With nothing else to do, Xuan Congnan opened his phone’s recorder and started editing the latest clip—just bored and looking for something to do.

Xuan Congnan: "He sold me for a hundred thousand yuan, and you bought me for the same amount. Is that what you mean?"

Shen Qian’s voice came through: "You always refuse to see me. I just..."

Xuan Congnan: "My relationship with them is bad, I’ve told you more than once. Now that you’ve given them money, have you thought about how to settle things afterward? You’re teaching them to treat me like a cash cow."

"Today Zhuoyao can take home a hundred thousand, but tomorrow Zhuo Yajun will ask you for two hundred thousand or five hundred thousand."

"I’m asking you, to find me, are you sure you gave Zhuoyao that hundred thousand? Do you admit it?"

"Yes, I gave him the hundred thousand."

"If there’s a next time, will you go to my uncle or aunt? Will you give them a million to buy me?"

"…"

Xuan Congnan only kept the part about the money in the recording, with Shen Qian’s admission. He submitted the original recording to the police as well.

---

The heavy rain gradually ceased. Gu Shi suddenly asked, "Do you like him very much?"

"Hmm?" Xuan Congnan looked up, his eyes full of the heavy fatigue from staying up late.

Then he realized what Gu Shi meant, and a glimmer of clarity appeared in his eyes.

They had broken up over a month ago, but the past year still seemed close to Xuan Congnan.

"He’s actually a pretty good person," Xuan Congnan answered honestly.

"My personality..." Thinking of Zhuo Yajun’s comment a few days ago that he was emotionally cold, Xuan Congnan still spoke truthfully, "I don’t even know if I really liked him. But I have thought about marrying him."

"Oh."

At half past one in the morning, the rain finally stopped, but Xuan Congnan lay awake in bed, no longer sleepy. Pulling the covers up, he stared at the ceiling, unsure why he had shared such heartfelt thoughts with Gu Shi.

Once the emotion passed, it felt rather awkward.

Why say these things to a stranger?

Since his parents’ death, no one had seriously listened to him for a long time.

He pulled the blanket up to his chin, wrapping himself tightly and closing his eyes to sleep, trying not to overthink.

Because he was worried about Gu Shi last night, he forgot to hang the umbrella out on the balcony. Today, Xuan Congnan took it out to dry.

It wasn’t rainy or blazing sunny, so he went out feeling at ease.

He went to the police station to report the incident from the previous day.

Before long, Shen Qian and Xuan Zhuoyao were both summoned to the station.

Zhuoyao, still half asleep, thought the call was a scam. But seeing the local police number, he panicked and scrambled out of bed.

After hearing the whole story, he said incredulously, "Xuan Congnan, you actually reported this?"

Xuan Congnan ignored him, but the police sternly said, "You traded his information for a hundred thousand yuan—shouldn't you be reported?!"

Xuan Ye was naturally a gambler who often got harassed by creditors, and the police had come before.

Every time uniformed officers appeared, Xuan Ye would scurry away like a rat in a gutter, leaving Zhuo Yajun and Zhuoyao to deal with things.

Having encountered them so often, Zhuoyao had developed an innate fear of the police, as if they were always coming for his father.

Because of Xuan Ye, he and Zhuo Yajun couldn’t hold their heads high, no matter how many designer clothes and bags Zhuo Yajun rented to cover it up.

When the police shouted, Zhuoyao shrank his neck and dared not utter a word.

Shen Qian remained calm throughout.

Xuan Congnan had said yesterday he’d meet at the police station today, so Shen Qian knew what it was about.

His eyes seemed glued to Xuan Congnan, but Xuan Congnan didn’t look back. After finishing the police statement, he turned and left.

The matter wasn’t resolved yet; Shen Qian and Zhuoyao couldn’t leave. The hundred thousand yuan Zhuoyao held would have to be returned in full, but Xuan Congnan didn’t care about the details.

Behind him, Zhuoyao stared venomously as Xuan Congnan disappeared around the corner.

As expected, that evening Xuan Congnan received a call from Zhuo Yajun.

She clearly knew the whole situation and screamed hysterically over the phone: "A hundred thousand yuan—that’s a lot of money! You can have problems with anyone else, but are you crazy to have problems with money?! And that was money Yao Yao earned himself! Who gave you the right to make him take it back? You actually dared to report it?! Xuan Congnan, where are you living now? I’m coming over to beat you to death!"

Xuan Congnan was in the living room studio, fiddling with his paints, phone on the floor. Hearing this, he said calmly, "I’m at the police station. Come if you want."

Zhuo Yajun’s tone cooled somewhat. "What are you still doing there?"

He sighed as he looked at the nearly empty paint box. "I’m telling the police about your plan to sell me off to Mr. Zhang for a million yuan. Illegal human trafficking is much worse than Xuan Zhuoyao’s case."

"You!" Zhuo Yajun snapped coldly. "Do you know who you’re offending? You really think the police can save everyone? If Mr. Zhang gets serious with you, there won’t be any trace of you left in this city!"

Then she thought of something else and sneered, "If you wanted to report it, you would have done so earlier. Why wait until now? Don’t act all high and mighty threatening me. Your mother’s painting is still with me. Back then, your uncle and I spent twelve million to buy her last work. You should be grateful to me."

Xuan Congnan said coldly, "If it weren’t for my mother’s painting, your whole family would have been dead long ago."

—

"Congnan." Gu Shi knocked on the studio door.

Xuan Congnan tore his gaze away from the nearly empty paint box and answered, "Ah."

Gu Shi said, "Come out and eat. You can paint again tomorrow."

Regarding kitchen matters, besides boiling some noodles and frying an egg, Xuan Congnan knew nothing. Whenever Gu Shi cooked, Xuan Congnan couldn’t help and would finish washing the vegetables and then have nothing to do.

He could only go back to the studio and tinker with his things.

---

A couple of branded pure white T-shirts he had ordered arrived a few days ago. Xuan Congnan wanted to paint but couldn’t even hold a brush after a while. He opened the studio door and went out. "What’s for dinner? Smells delicious."

"Old hen soup," Gu Shi replied. "You’re a bit thin. You need to eat more nourishing food."

Xuan Congnan looked at himself and touched his face.

His face was quite fleshy. "I’m okay."

Gu Shi asked, "How tall are you?"

"One point eight meters."

"And your weight?"

Xuan Congnan had always paid attention to his weight—not to lose weight, but to gain. There was a scale at home. "112 jin."

Gu Shi said, "Too thin. Eat more."

Sincerely, Xuan Congnan said, "Those four jin of weight gain came from eating your cooking."

Before meeting Gu Shi, Xuan Congnan’s weight had been stuck at 108 jin for half a year, unable to rise.

Gu Shi said, "I’m honored."

Xuan Congnan smiled a little. "Thank you, Gu Shi."

A full bowl of old hen soup was placed before Xuan Congnan. Gu Shi nodded.

Since he had run out of paint, he planned to buy more. He didn’t want to buy online; seeing the materials in person gave him more confidence.

He had classes all day tomorrow and needed to review for final exams, so he planned to visit a physical art supply store when he had time.

---

The next evening, returning from the library, Xuan Congnan saw the studio light was on.

Gu Shi came out and explained, "I bought some things. It’s not good to leave them in the living room, so I put them in here for you."

"What did you get?" Xuan Congnan walked over, feeling an inexplicable intuition.

Chinese cinnabar pigment, natural ultramarine pigment, Winsor & Newton paints... several boxes, each looking like it could weigh fifty or sixty jin, neatly stacked in a corner. Various other art supplies were in separate boxes nearby. Xuan Congnan thought that even if he painted every day, these materials would last two years.

Xuan Congnan had never bought branded paints before—they were too expensive. For him, as long as the materials worked well, that was enough.

These boxes of paint...

Gu Shi said, "I don’t understand painting. I just bought whatever others recommended. Should be enough, right?"

"More than enough..." Xuan Congnan was still amazed, pointing at the pile. "Why buy so much? Some of these will expire if you keep them too long."

Gu Shi replied, "You can afford to waste a little."

Any true art lover seeing these supplies would feel tempted. Xuan Congnan’s hands itched; he didn’t want to eat, just wanted to try the new paints and tools immediately.

He restrained himself and said, "Thank you."

Gu Shi stared at him and said, "You like them."

Xuan Congnan nodded. He smiled genuinely, not refusing, saying again, "Thank you, Gu Shi."

His smile flickering like light in his eyes, Gu Shi lowered his lashes, unable to meet his gaze. "Hmm."

Since meeting Gu Shi, Xuan Congnan felt extraordinarily lucky. Every day he could live somewhat happily. Having a roommate like Gu Shi was truly a blessing.

Thinking of all Gu Shi had done for him, Xuan Congnan, who usually received without giving, suddenly felt embarrassed. He hadn’t done anything for Gu Shi.

"...Is there anything I can help you with?" Xuan Congnan asked, using the serving chopsticks to pick some food into Gu Shi’s bowl.

Gu Shi was pleasantly surprised, quickly reaching out to receive it. "Hmm?"

"I can do some things for you too," Xuan Congnan said, then added more precisely, "As long as it’s legal and within my ability, I’ll help you."

"There is something," Gu Shi said, setting down his chopsticks, sitting upright, agreeing quickly.

Xuan Congnan also put down his chopsticks and took the matter seriously. "What is it?"

"Marry me," Gu Shi said without hesitation.