Chapter 53

Shu Jingyi was actually sitting at a table near them, but was not able to hear their conversation. He could only watch as they chatted animatedly, and was unreconciled with it.

Gu Xiaoshan gave Shu Jingyi a side-eye look, then quietly told Renzi, “Say, why don’t we leave him here and head back home first without letting him know?”

“Is that ok?” If it was like usual, Renzi would definitely not agree to such a “joke”. After all, to leave without any notice was very impolite. However, Renzi now saw Shu Jingyi as a major rival. As “all is fair in love and war”, then, there was no need to talk about being polite.

Gu Xiaoshan saw that Renzi was a little tempted, so he goaded him on. “Does it matter? It’s also not something that we must let him know.”

Having a private agreement with Gu Xiaoshan and concealing it from Shu Jingyi, although it was rude, but it gave Renzi a sense of security and superiority in his love life.

Renzi only thought about leaving without any notice, but Gu Xiaoshan had put more thoughts into it. The main thing being that he was still quite bothered about that night when Renzi secretly met Shu Jingyi in the night at his manor. Firstly, he was not happy that Renzi did not listen to his warning and went out, even hiding it from him. Secondly, he was bothered by how Shu Jingyi managed to get in contact with Renzi.

Shu Jingyi had already been blacklisted on Renzi’s social media, and Renzi’s SIM card had also been replaced. How did Shu Jingyi get in contact with Renzi?

Gu Xiaoshan was even a little suspicious of that manager who helped him purchase the SIM card. If that manager had really given Shu Jingyi the information, then that would be troublesome. Should he mention it, or should he not? When he was not around, the hotel would be managed by this manager, what would happen then?

Luckily, after some scrutinisation, Gu Xiaoshan believed that this should have nothing to do with the manager. There should be a network sniffer in Shu Jingyi’s manor that could retrieve phone numbers. A person with such shady background like Shu Jingyi would definitely be able to easily get such a device that cost about six or seven US dollars, as it was not some ultra powerful hacking device.

However, it was not possible that Shu Jingyi had made a last minute purchase of this device. His manor must have long had it already, and this made Gu Xiaoshan quite uncomfortable.

Although the Shu family had claimed they had left such shady dealings behind, and that their business back home were all legal, but it was said that in C Country, they still had some fingers in their past businesses there. Gu Xiaoshan felt a little apprehensive about it, and that it would be better if they drew a line with Shu Jingyi, whether it was with him, or Renzi.

Gu Xiaoshan and Renzi planned their trip, and only sent Shu Jingyi a message when they were at the airport. They said that due to sudden matters, they were unable to bid him goodbye properly. They had to go now, bye. They were on the plane now, they had to shut their phones off, bye.

The two of them soon returned to their city. Renzi was exhausted, and fell deeply asleep in the car as Gu Xiaoshan drove him back to the Yu home. Seeing Old Mister Yu, Gu Xiaoshan had to be polite, and made some smalltalk. Old Mister Yu looked like his usual self, and his tone was just like normal. As such, Gu Xiaoshan thought, it seems like Uncle Yu only knows that Renzi is gay now, but he doesn’t know that Renzi’s chasing after me.

As for Old Mister Yu, he was thinking, seems like there’s still nothing between them. This Renzi, after chasing a person halfway around the world, he still didn’t manage to achieve anything, how embarrassing!

Gu Xiaoshan had quite a lot of respect for Old Mister Yu. It was not because Old Mister Yu was an elder, but because it was known that Old Mister Yu should not be antagonised, as he could do anything and everything when he was upset. Everyone had a certain status in society, and no one wanted to damage their relationship with Old Mister Yu, and hence, this allowed Old Mister Yu to gain control over the occasion no matter where he was.

When Renzi woke up, he found himself already lying in his bed at home, and was a little dazed.

I really miss Brother Xiaoshan… Renzi thought, then tried correcting himself. No, it’s Shanzi… Shanzi sounds so awkward, it’s so much easier to just call him Hubby.

Thinking about this, Renzi’s heart started pounding again.

He really should grasp the opportunity to be able to call Brother Xiaoshan his hubby as soon as possible.

Gu Xiaoshan did not know that he had been labelled as “hubby” already. As per his habit, he returned to his apartment in the city to place his luggage there. On the way, he kept wanting to smack his own head, what exactly had happened? After doing so much, and running to another country to avoid Renzi, he now ended up personally bringing Renzi home.

What was this?

Sweeping these thoughts aside, Gu Xiaoshan could still focus on his work. Coming back, he immediately jumped back into his work, partly to ignore his feelings about Renzi. However, other people did not treat it as anything special, as Gu Xiaoshan had always been a workaholic.

Gu Xiaoshan felt that all his projects and work plans were enough to take up the space in his brain, but he could not help admiring himself for being so outstanding. His brain could not only handle his work, but there was still space within to think of Renzi.

Sticking to him like plaster, and having chased him halfway around the world, Renzi recently had not appeared in front of him. However, he still kept sending him him messages.

“Shan, are you there?”

“Ahh, it’s not that I missed out typing “zi”, it just that I don’t think it sounds nice.”

“Do you think I can call you Xiaoshan?”

“Xiaoshan, how are you?”

“No, I think it’s better if I stick to Brother Xiaoshan?”

…

Towards these forms of address, Renzi could probably write eight hundred words on them.

Gu Xiaoshan dismissed them all with a laugh.

In the end, he kindly replied Renzi. “No matter how you address me, it’s all good.”

Renzi thought, as expected, it’s best to call him hubby.

However, how could he say this out now? Of course, he still had to confess his feelings first. He was not a man who would randomly call others his hubby!

Renzi then sent him another message. “What time would you finish work? My wine is done fermenting, shall I bring it to your apartment tonight?”

Gu Xiaoshan had planned on staying overnight in his office. However, after seeing Renzi’s message, he thought about it, and changed his mind, deciding to head back home. He also agreed to Renzi’s request, and would be happy to try out his new wine. He thought, he should take a photo with Renzi and the wine and post it on his social media. Then, he’ll tag Shu Jingyi in it, and thank him for providing the grapes out of friendship.

On this rare occasion where Gu Xiaoshan finished work on time, Xu Yunyun was extremely happy. This was because if the boss did not go off work, the secretary would not be able to leave as well. Xu Yunyun was very tired of this boss who basically lived in the office, he was essentially this generation’s Huang Shiren

¹. Worse still, he was a Huang Shiren who did not go around taking advantage of girls! To a certain degree, Xu Yunyun was quite willing to be taken advantage of, but too bad Gu Xiaoshan was gay.

However, Xu Yunyun thought about it in another way. Her boss was also so stingy towards his lovers, there was no point being taken advantage of.

When Gu Xiaoshan reached the car park, he saw someone walking towards him, smiling and waving. That person was not Yu Yunren — he also was not sure who he was, but he did look somewhat familiar. Since he could not remember, he thought that he must have met him in some business occasion previously, and so did not dare to slight him. He smiled back, “You’re looking for me?”

The other person seemed to be very enthusiastic upon seeing Gu Xiaoshan. “Yes, I’ve been waiting for you here for many days!”

— This sounded a little suspicious.

Gu Xiaoshan frowned, but maintained his smile. “Umm, sorry, you are?”

“I’m your relative!” That person hurriedly explained. “I’m, I’m your younger brother!”

Gu Xiaoshan’s face immediately turned frosty. He remembered on what occasion he had seen this person now — Tang Guoguo’s funeral.

That person who called himself his younger brother pulled out a folder. “I’m really Tang Guoguo’s biological son, take a look at this…”

With the words Tang Guoguo, Gu Xiaoshan could only hear a buzzing in his head. In his ears was a whirlwind of “love”, “love”. Gu Xiaoshan was vexed, and waved him off, “No, I don’t know you.”

“I’m really your relative!” That brother followed Gu Xiaoshan, unwilling to give up.

Gu Xiaoshan asked coldly, “Relative? Is your last name Gu?”

That brother was taken aback, and his face too turned icy. He snorted, “We both came from the same womb, why are you acting all high and mighty? Just because your father is rich? Today, I’m here to discuss privately with you. Tang Guoguo has given all her shares to you, it’s completely not with the law. If you comply with the laws, and willing give me some of the shares, I’ll let it go. If not, I’ll see you in court!”

Gu Xiaoshan understood the purpose of this person’s presence, and he relaxed, smiling. “Then I’ll see you in court.”

That brother was alarmed. Seeing that Gu Xiaoshan was about to leave, he chased after him, speaking shamelessly, “If this becomes a case, we’ll all lose our dignity. We’ll waste time and effort!”

Gu Xiaoshan had no words for the capricious attitude of this brother, a disgust welling up within him. However, he still maintained his composure and smiled, “You’re wrong. You’ll be the only one wasting time and effort! I have a legal team, I’m not afraid of this.”

That brother was unresigned. “You’re already so rich, why do you have to squabble with me over this! Can’t you just treat it as though it’s a minor expense, that you happened to just drop some money by accident? If we calculate it, the amount might be even lesser than hiring a top tier lawyer!”

“Yes, a court case would need money. We’ll drag it out. Between you and me, we’ll see who will end in dire straits first.” Gu Xiaoshan then signalled to the security guard to chase away this “unrelated person”.

When the security guard realised that Gu Xiaoshan had been harassed, he was also very apologetic. He continuously apologised to Gu Xiaoshan, and promised that this person would never again have the chance to enter the office building.

Gu Xiaoshan’s mood had been greatly affected, and on his way home, he was feeling quite repressed. When he entered the lift of the apartment building, he felt the air becoming even more oppressive. The memories to do with Tang Guoguo haunted him like ghosts, and all he could hear was the sounds of the ocean waves. The memories that mingled with the salty sea breeze and thick perfume, together with how Tang Guoguo hugged him and wailed in his ears — he was starting to feel nauseated.

The door of the lift opened, and he stepped into his place. There were candles flickering, and roses in vases, setting a romantic scene. On the glass dining table was a bottle of wine, whose colour was like that of a rose — when Gu Xiaoshan saw this scene, he was a little confused. His brain was still in a chaotic state, and did not immediately register what was happening. By then, Renzi had already ran out and tugged Gu Xiaoshan to his seat, and smiled brightly, “Here, you’ll have the first glass.”

Renzi opened the bottle, and poured out the red wine that looked as smooth as silk. He was quite satisfied with it. “The wine has a pretty good colour!”

Gu Xiaoshan laughed woodenly. He drank the first mouthful, and his brows knitted. It was also thanks to this unpleasant tasting wine that Gu Xiaoshan returned to his usual self, and he looked at Renzi.

Renzi was startled. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiaoshan wanted to say that the wine was too fucking awful, but after some deliberation, he instead said, “It’s a little… sour…”

“It can’t be?!” Renzi did not believe him, and poured himself a glass. After drinking it, he said, “It’s too fucking awful.” Then, Renzi was distressed, feeling that everything he had meticulously planned had been destroyed by his stupidity and clumsiness. “I… I really can’t do anything well!”

Gu Xiaoshan hurriedly consoled him. “No, it’s just a little sour. It might be a problem with the grapes. Also, some wine tend to be more sour.” Gu Xiaoshan then closed his eyes and finished the whole glass of wine. He pressed down on the nausea he felt, and smiled slightly. “Actually, I feel that the wine is just nice, it’s not too sweet.”

“Really?” As expected, Renzi believed Gu Xiaoshan. “If you like it, have some more!”

Renzi lifted up the bottle, about to pour more for Gu Xiaoshan. Gu Xiaoshan quickly stopped him. “No, no, I.. I… I still have to work later, I can’t drink too much.”

He then quickly replaced the cork into the bottle and said, “Since you don’t like it, don’t drink anymore. Just leave it.”

— But part of the plan for his love confession was to finish up most of the wine!

Renzi was anxious, thinking about it, he yanked out the cork from the bottle and poured himself another glass. “Since Brother Xiaoshan can’t drink, I’ll drink it. I’ll taste it again to see if the sourness is just nice!”

Gu Xiaoshan saw that Renzi was about to do something crazy, and quickly stopped him. He then diverted his attention to another topic. “I think you shouldn’t come to my office for now.”

“Why?” Renzi’s eyes rounded. “Did I do anything wrong?”

Gu Xiaoshan explained, “No, it’s just that recently Tang Guoguo’s illegitimate son has been looking for me for money. He even loitered around the company’s car park for many days to watch me, it doesn’t feel safe. Once this is settled, you can come over and play again.”

“Oh…” Renzi also became grave. He recalled the absent look on Gu Xiaoshan’s face when he just came home, which was very similar to how he looked during Tang Guoguo’s funeral. Renzi’s heart seized. “Is it true that Tang Guoguo had tried bring you along to commit suicide?”

Gu Xiaoshan’s temples started to throb. “Yes… It’s true.”

Renzi’s head lowered. “So… so do you feel that she was a bad person?”

Gu Xiaoshan paused when he heard this, unable to give a response, feeling complicated about it. He had never thought about this question, as he naturally resented his mother. However, in his heart, he had all sorts of emotions towards her, and it was hard to define his feelings. He had also never discussed this issue with anyone before, including his father and sister. To suddenly open his heart to someone about this matter was very difficult for him. Maybe it was because the wine was too awful, so he could be somewhat honest with Renzi. “I don’t know, she kept saying that she wasn’t looking for death, but for love.”

“Love?” Renzi was taken aback.

Gu Xiaoshan spread his palms out. “Yes, this even made me feel that love is something very disgusting.”

“Ah…” Renzi felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped over him.

Gu Xiaoshan shook his head. He saw that Renzi’s face had turned pale, and it reminded him of that day they were at the sea behind Tang Guoguo’s home. He remembered how Renzi sank in the sea, his face white, and his mumblings… Gu Xiaoshan suddenly asked, “What is the meaning of ‘you’ll be the Arturo Merino Benitez’ ?”

Renzi’s face reddened, thinking, he’s already asking about it, now that the atmosphere’s like this, at most I’ll just die trying!

Renzi then tossed another glass of wine down, and summoned his courage. “Because no matter which flight I take from our country, to go to the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, I will have to make a transfer…”

“Huh?” Gu Xiaoshan did not get it. “Yes, then?”

“I’ll have to change flights!” Renzi exclaimed loudly. “I am turning gay for you, do you understand?”

Gu Xiaoshan was stunned. It was not clear if it was because he was surprised by Renzi’s sudden increase in volume, or trying to digest the homonyms of turning gay and changing flights

²

Renzi was very loud, almost yelling. His face turned extremely red like a tomato because of his shyness. He spoke gruffly, “I… I like you! It’s because of you, that’s why I became gay! Do you understand?”

It was as though lightning had struck Gu Xiaoshan. From Renzi’s looks and expressions, he had long known that Renzi liked him. However, when Renzi professed his feelings for him so loudly, Gu Xiaoshan was still astounded by it, like seeing fireworks exploding in the sky for the first time.

“You…” Gu Xiaoshan again started to retreat behind his protective shell. “Are you making a joke?”

Although he had been warned that Gu Xiaoshan most likely would not believe that he really liked him, but seeing how Gu Xiaoshan doubted his feelings, Renzi was dismayed.

“Who, who’s making a joke!” Renzi rushed in front of Gu Xiaoshan, grabbing his collar and pulling him up from his chair. “I want to be your husband!”

Then, Renzi went on tiptoes, lifting his head to kiss Gu Xiaoshan. As their lips were about to meet, Gu Xiaoshan suddenly pushed him away. With this motion, Renzi was dispirited. He wanted to say something, but a thing that made him even more dejected happened — Gu Xiaoshan covered his mouth, ran to the bathroom, and vomited.

— It’s cold, it’s cold.

Renzi’s heart had completely turned cold…

Renzi thought that due to Tang Guoguo, Gu Xiaoshan really felt disgust towards love. He has already reminded me about it, but I still seeked love from him, of course he would be disgusted…

Gu Xiaoshan was vomiting badly in the bathroom. He thought, even Renzi would make me feel disgusted? Does this mean it’s hopeless for me already?

Neither one of them thought about the possibility that the bacteria in the wine had exceeded the safe consumption level.