Chapter 8
“Young Master?”
After leaving Jiang Huaisheng with Gu Tang, the two were alone in the room.
The housekeeper had already finished informing the old mansion and rebooking the flights. Now he was returning to report to Jiang Huaisheng.
He didn’t barge in rashly, but politely knocked on the door three times as usual.
Gu Tang woke up as if from a dream and quickly pushed Jiang Huaisheng away.
The latter was sitting on the bed, propped up by a lumbar support pillow. With the push, his head knocked against the headboard.
Because of the lumbar pillow as a buffer, Jiang Huaisheng’s head didn’t hit hard, but it still made a clear “dong” sound.
He was a little dazed, looking at Gu Tang with disbelief.
Gu Tang wiped his mouth, his lips were moist, and he knew they were red without looking in the mirror.
He turned his head and asked the housekeeper aloud, “Is there something wrong?”
The latter opened the door a crack, ensuring his voice could be heard inside, but remained standing outside, answering through the door: “The Chairman already knows, Mr. Jiang and Madam also know, and they said Young Master should rest well.”
He carefully asked: “I didn’t disturb Young Master’s rest, did I?”
The housekeeper was relatively young, having joined the Jiang family just two years ago. At this moment, he belatedly realized that he hadn’t been thorough enough and should have sent a message to ask Gu Tang first.
After all, people with fevers were prone to headaches, and it was likely that he was sleeping just now and was woken up by him.
Jiang Huaisheng’s face darkened, and he coldly spat out a word: “Get lost.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, Young Master Huaisheng! Please call me if you need anything.”
The housekeeper wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and hurried back to wait by the service bell. He started to instruct the kitchenette to cook porridge according to their requirements.
This hotel mainly offered local food, much of which was raw and unsuitable for the young master’s delicate stomach. There were even fewer things Jiang Huaisheng could eat when he was sick.
Regardless of whether Jiang Huaisheng had an appetite or not, his service had to be prepared in advance. After all, a million-year salary wasn’t that easy to earn.
“Does it hurt?”
Gu Tang first went to lock the door to prevent anyone from suddenly barging in, then came over to touch the back of Jiang Huaisheng’s head. He breathed a sigh of relief. The round back of his head was smooth, without any strange bumps: “No lumps.”
Jiang Huaisheng looked at him with gloomy eyes: “You get lost too!”
He had really spoiled Gu Tang too much, to the point that the other party was pushing his luck, daring to push him so hard.
Gu Tang pursed his lips and defended himself: “If the housekeeper hadn’t knocked just now, anyone who came in would have seen us.”
It was just a reflex, who told Jiang Huaisheng to suddenly kiss him without warning.
And… inexplicably, he even stuck his tongue in… Saliva wasn’t a very clean thing, and he didn’t know where Jiang Huaisheng’s cleanliness obsession had gone.
Based on his understanding of Jiang Huaisheng, Gu Tang guessed that it might be because the other party had a fever and was delirious, thinking of infecting him in this way.
But compared to a cold, Gu Tang thought it was more likely that the other party’s fever was caused by inflammation, non-viral, and not contagious.
This matter wasn’t his fault, at least he wasn’t the one who made the mistake first. Gu Tang only felt guilty for two seconds before successfully justifying himself.
Since Jiang Huaisheng didn’t want to see him, Gu Tang was happy to be at ease: “Then I’ll call the doctor and bodyguards in.”
Jiang Huaisheng had told both the housekeeper and him to get lost, so the only ones left to take care of him were the doctor or the bodyguards.
“Get back here!”
Jiang Huaisheng’s voice was hoarse due to the fever. Although he could make a sound, it was like grinding a millstone with sandpaper from a construction site. He even suspected that he might become mute because of this.
The effect of the IV drip wasn’t that fast, he still had a headache, and he felt terrible, how could he just let Gu Tang leave?
Jiang Huaisheng said: “Read to me.”
The two of them had fooled around all night yesterday. Why did he have a fever, headache, and sore throat, while Gu Tang’s voice could remain normal? He should be hoarse too!
Gu Tang knew it would be like this, but he still took two steps: “Wait a minute, I’ll make you some pear water first.”
There was a teapot for making tea in the room, provided by the hotel, but Gu Tang didn’t use it. He used his own personal items from the private jet.
Gu Tang cut the fresh snow pear from the fruit plate, added the peeled pear flesh, rose flowers, and dried tangerine peel into the pot. He cut a cross on the small kumquats and threw a few in as well.
His movements were skillful, he wouldn’t worry about cutting his hand even with his eyes closed. This was a life skill he had developed from taking care of himself and the young master since childhood.
Despite the oppressive environment in the Jiang family, Gu Tang never mistreated his own body.
Actually, when he first arrived at the Jiang family, in order to attract his mother’s attention, he had done some foolish things, such as getting bad grades on purpose or deliberately catching a cold by exposing himself to cold wind.
But the first time, he could still comfort himself, thinking his mother might be too tired. The second, the third time… he quickly realized that he had already lost the maternal love he wanted.
Ms. Wen Xinyi didn’t care much about him, and would even show disgust because he wasn’t that outstanding.
When he was sick and needed her care, she was only impatient, and the second time she directly left him to the nanny hired by Jiang He.
Wen Xinyi would always say to him with a tired face: “Gu Tang, you have to be sensible, Mom is very tired.”
“Mom is pregnant and can’t take care of you…”
“Mom has to take care of your little brother…”
She would meticulously care for his little brother, because the little brother was Jiang He’s biological child, and he was the baggage from her ex-husband.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Gu Tang knew very well that with his father dead and his grandparents old and sick, no one in this world loved him unconditionally anymore.
Degrading himself in front of someone who didn’t love him would only cause annoyance and justified disgust, and he wouldn’t get the care, protection, and love he wanted.
When he realized this, Gu Tang knew to be kinder to himself. Study hard, take care of his body, be obedient and sensible, and take good care of Young Master Jiang Huaisheng.
By doing so, at least materially, he could receive sufficiently favorable treatment and attend the best schools. Education was really expensive for a child, at least not something he, who had received no inheritance and was only eight years old, could afford.
Although the school Gu Tang attended was public, the after-school tutoring fees were exorbitant. Only after growing up did he clearly realize how much money the Jiang family had spent on his education, an astronomical figure that could have bought several of his father’s lives.
Even though Gu Tang never wanted these things, he wanted his father to be alive more. If his father were alive, his mother wouldn’t have remarried, and there wouldn’t be a stepfather and a little brother.
“Beep,” the health pot started working.
His memories pulled back from the past. Gu Tang moved a chair to the bedside and took out an e-reader with an ink screen: “What do you want to hear?”
Actually, various audiobook apps were very well-developed now, with all kinds of emotional male and female voices, and even crosstalk dubbing.
But Jiang Huaisheng clearly didn’t want to listen to an audiobook, he just wanted to torment him.
“Whatever.” This time he coldly threw out two words, suppressing his voice, really not wanting to speak more.
“When I was six…”
Gu Tang picked a book, his favorite fairy tale, “The Little Prince.”
Jiang Huaisheng, after hearing the beginning, said: “Read the original version.”
Gu Tang switched to French. His French was also fluent. His voice hadn’t been affected much by puberty, still that clear and pleasant young man’s voice, like a stream flowing on a snowy mountain, clean and pure.
The French version sounded even gentler than the translated version, and Jiang Huaisheng’s headache from the fever eased a bit.
Ibuprofen capsules themselves had an analgesic effect, but due to years of illness and taking too many painkillers, his body had developed resistance to many pain medications. Gu Tang’s reading voice was even better than painkillers, having a strange soothing effect.
When Gu Tang read to the part about the little prince and the rose, Jiang Huaisheng suddenly asked: “How was it before?”
Gu Tang didn’t understand: “How was what?”
Jiang Huaisheng pretended to be reserved: “What else could it be, that kiss just now!”
It was also his first kiss, he was inexperienced, so naturally he wanted to hear the other party’s evaluation.
Gu Tang’s expression became subtle. How could he feel?
Thinking back carefully, he just felt baffled, more shocked than stimulated.
Fortunately, there was no string of saliva during the kiss, and Jiang Huaisheng didn’t have bad breath, his oral hygiene was very good. They had both brushed their teeth in the morning, so the tip of his tongue tasted a faint mint and a hint of lemon, very refreshing, otherwise he would definitely feel a little disgusted.
No, the soft tongue forcefully pushing in was still a bit strange. Gu Tang’s whole body was stiff during the kiss. He was a little worried that he would accidentally bite off the young master’s tongue.
But if he said this, Jiang Huaisheng might die of anger. Considering that the young master’s illness would delay them further, Gu Tang chose to embellish his words and gave a moderate evaluation: “Like lemon jelly, very soft.”
He silently added in his heart, but jelly was still better to eat, Jiang Huaisheng’s mouth wasn’t very tasty.
Just like that birthday night, the books and the internet said it would be very enjoyable. He originally thought it would be a very delicious little cake.
Pressing Jiang Huaisheng underneath him and doing as he pleased, seeing the other party cry and beg for mercy should have been very exciting, but Gu Tang wasn’t very happy either.
Gu Tang deeply reflected on himself, perhaps he didn’t like cake. If he had known this, he shouldn’t have signed a four-year contract.
