“No…” The drunkenness softened those lively brows and eyes into spring water. Zhou Chiyu’s lips grew even more vivid, like plum blossoms on snow, tightening Gu Yuan’s throat.
“Bro, hug.” Zhou Chiyu suddenly wrapped his arms around Gu Yuan’s neck and nuzzled into his collarbone. “I think I’m really drunk.”
Gu Yuan’s fingertips pressed against his back, feeling a layer of fine sweat.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
He noticed Zhou Chiyu was still wearing shoes on the sofa and gently removed them while he lay on his side.
“Should I take you to the hospital?”
He gripped Zhou Chiyu’s wrist, worry creasing his brows. “Who forced the drinks on you?”
Zhou Chiyu murmured, “Gu… Feng…”
At the same time, Gu Feng and the others were watching for developments.
“Time’s about up.” Chen Chi glanced at his watch, his mind on that room.
Gu Feng said, “What’s the rush?”
Chen Chi wasn’t sure why, but he said softly, “You just want footage of them being intimate. Aren’t you afraid your grandpa will turn on you if it goes too far?”
Gu Feng pondered for two seconds and found it reasonable. He rallied everyone and they marched toward the room in a group.
Gu Yuan was pouring water for Zhou Chiyu when he heard chaotic footsteps outside—
“Little Fish, are you okay?”
“Can we come in and check?”
Gu Feng used his prepared excuse, excitedly punching in the door code. As the door swung open, Gu Yuan was bent over helping Zhou Chiyu with his shoes.
Flashes popped nonstop. Gu Feng recorded video while shouting questions at Gu Yuan about why he was there.
Amid the flurry of shutter sounds, the quiet room seemed startled awake. Gu Feng raised his camera, focusing on Zhou Chiyu’s arm around Gu Yuan. “What are you doing?”
As more people rushed in, Gu Yuan suddenly realized Gu Feng’s scheme. He slipped Zhou Chiyu’s shoes back on and smiled lightly at Gu Feng. “Something wrong?”
Gu Feng glanced at Zhou Chiyu’s neat clothes and inwardly panicked. Meanwhile, the friend who’d bought the incense spotted the extinguished incense burner and tensed up.
Gu Yuan hadn’t done anything with Zhou Chiyu?
Impossible!
Gu Feng’s mind raced through frantic possibilities, his eyes reddening with anxiety as he clutched the camera helplessly.
At this point, he could only bluff. “What are you doing with Little Fish? Don’t you think you’re too close?”
Gu Yuan eyed Gu Feng’s nervous demeanor and slowly approached. Gu Feng’s friends behind him faltered instantly.
“Too close? How so?”
Gu Yuan’s voice lowered. “Helping my brother put on shoes is too close?”
“You all even prepared cameras in advance?”
The room erupted in murmurs. Gu Yuan leaned against the table, picked up a glass of water, and handed it to Gu Feng. “Calm your nerves.”
Gu Feng had installed surveillance in the room; he didn’t believe Gu Yuan hadn’t touched Zhou Chiyu intimately since entering.
“I was just worried Little Fish might have an accident.” Gu Feng signaled his friends to retreat. “Since you’re here, I’ll head out.”
Hastened footsteps sounded again as Gu Feng quickly slipped away.
Gu Yuan’s gaze fell on the incense burner. He preserved its contents, then called the assistant to take Zhou Chiyu to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Gu Feng and his friends regrouped, planning to make an issue out of the brief video footage.
In the video, Zhou Chiyu was indeed hugging Gu Yuan. No close brothers acted that intimately. Gu Feng had his friends edit all the surveillance clips of their physical contact to ruin them in their circle.
…
That evening, after the gathering, Gu Lao rushed to the hospital. Stunned and baffled upon learning Zhou Chiyu had likely been poisoned—especially after the doctor’s report on the drug’s aphrodisiac effects—he was dumbfounded.
“I found this in the room where Little Fish was resting.”
Gu Yuan didn’t name Gu Feng but simply recounted the events. “Little Fish was plied with drinks and taken there. We’ll have to ask who did it once he wakes. Not sure what got into Gu Feng tonight, but while I was looking after Little Fish, he burst in with his friends, phones out, looking really tense.”
“Gu Feng?” Gu Lao hesitated slightly. “Why would Gu Feng have anything to do with Little Fish?”
Gu Yuan nodded. “I’m not sure.”
That night, Gu Feng received a message from Lin Jinyu.
[Everyone’s going crazy sharing that video of you and your brother being intimate. The wording is really vulgar. Do you know about it?]
Gu Yuan: “No idea. Can you send screenshots?”
Miss Lin quickly packaged all the chat logs and sent them, kindly adding, “The group that started it has a few people I know. They seem close to Gu Feng.”
Gu Yuan: “Thanks.”
Overnight, every prominent family connected to the Gu or Zhou families heard about it. When Gu Cheng was tipped off by a friend, Gu Lao had just learned too.
Had Gu Yuan not mentioned Gu Feng beforehand, he might have suspected Gu Yuan of ill intent toward Zhou Chiyu, but the hospital’s diagnosis certificate from yesterday made it clear: Zhou Chiyu had been set up by someone with bad intentions.
