Chapter 41 Part 2
Shi Xu didn’t understand the connection between his troubles and a warm body. Did Gu Sui intend to warm his brain?
“No, go back to your room.”
Gu Sui had his own bedroom, but he preferred sleeping with Shi Xu. He had only slept in his own room once. If Shi Xu didn’t want him in his bed, he would rather sleep on the living room sofa, at least it carried Shi Xu’s scent, a small comfort.
Gu Sui lingered at the door. “I… want to… be in… same room… with Wife… I can… sleep… on the floor…”
Shi Xu: “Go back to your room now, while I’m still being reasonable. Otherwise, you’re sleeping on the lawn.”
He knew Gu Sui’s intentions. He would sneak into his bed while he was asleep, then feign innocence in the morning.
His plan foiled, Gu Sui quickly came up with another one. “Wife, do… you want… to experience… the power… of the… fresh lamb kidneys… I ran… thirty kilometers… for?”
Shi Xu smiled. “Do you want to experience the sharpness of the knife I sharpened yesterday?”
Gu Sui: “…”
He tried to argue, but Shi Xu simply said coldly, “Get out.”
Gu Sui closed the door, sighing dejectedly.
He just wanted to be with Wife all the time. Why was such a simple wish so difficult to fulfill?
Gu Sui’s antics, however, had eased Shi Xu’s mind, his worries fading.
There was no point overthinking it. He would deal with it when he met the housekeeper.
…
Shi Xu was a man of action. He didn’t like delaying things. The morning after receiving the results, he called the housekeeper.
As he suspected, the housekeeper’s loyalty to Shi Yan had wavered. He seemed to be waiting for his call, readily agreeing to meet, quickly settling on a time and place.
Shi Yan was home today, preventing the housekeeper from leaving. They agreed to meet at a coffee shop tomorrow at 1 pm.
After the call, Shi Xu got ready for work.
There were now six security guards at Jinzhu Bay, including him. He was the only one with a nine-to-five schedule. The others didn’t mind. Their shifts were different, but their work hours were the same.
Same pay, same benefits, just different hours. No one would complain about that.
After the handover, his senior didn’t leave immediately. He had just ordered breakfast, chatting with Shi Xu while he ate.
Shi Xu joined the Anomaly Management Bureau at 18. This senior, Qian Xin, had taken him under his wing. Six months later, Qian Xin resigned.
His PTSD wasn’t severe. He resigned at 43 to focus on his family, wanting a safer job.
His wife had just given birth to their daughter. Battling Variants made him appreciate life. He didn’t want his daughter to grow up without a father.
They stayed in touch, exchanging holiday greetings, but their contact was infrequent.
After nearly six years, seeing Qian Xin again, Shi Xu felt no distance between them, thanks to Qian Xin’s easygoing nature.
Qian Xin loved sharing stories about his daughter. He was a doting father, always bragging about his precious girl.
His daughter was a fan of Shi Xu, which made him even more eager to chat with Shi Xu.
“My daughter told me about you. You really found a partner?” Shi Xu wasn’t usually talkative, but he wouldn’t ignore a friendly conversation.
“Yes.”
Qian Xin: “And you have a child?”
Shi Xu: “Yes.”
“Wow, moving fast. I thought you’d be single until at least thirty, haha.” Qian Xin was straightforward, not mincing his words.
Shi Xu wasn’t offended, but he wondered: Qi Yu thought so too. Did he really look like someone who would stay single for that long? Did he look like someone who wouldn’t date?
“How did you meet your partner?” Qian Xin asked.
Shi Xu recalled their first meeting, not counting the encounters in the rift.
“Bumped into him on the street.”
Qian Xin raised an eyebrow. “Love at first sight?”
Shi Xu: “Sort of.”
Qian Xin: “And you got together quickly?”
Shi Xu considered it. Not that quickly, but still relatively fast.
Shi Xu: “Yes.”
Qian Xin: “True love! You must really like him.”
Shi Xu was confused. “How can you tell?”
Qian Xin: “With your personality, you wouldn’t get into a relationship that quickly, unless you really liked him. And to get married and have a child… that’s serious.”
Shi Xu touched his face, chuckling self-deprecatingly. “Is it that obvious?”
“No,” Qian Xin wagged his finger smugly. “I wasn’t reading your expressions. I was analyzing your personality. I was just guessing, trying to trick you, and you fell for it, haha!”
Shi Xu’s smile didn’t falter, but he felt a strange unease.
Not because Qian Xin had guessed his thoughts, but because he couldn’t deny them.
Like?
Or even love?
For that pollutant?
Ridiculous!
Before his shift ended, Shi Xu requested leave for tomorrow.
Due to the rumors of his marriage and child, his popularity hadn’t waned. Fans still lingered near Jinzhu Bay. He still had to take the less-traveled path to and from work. Today, as expected, he saw Gu Sui waiting for him.
Ever since the first time, Gu Sui always picked him up after work, unless something prevented him.
Despite being scolded and banished from Shi Xu’s room last night, Gu Sui seemed to have forgotten, greeting him with a bright smile.
“Wife, I’m… here… to pick you up~”
Shi Xu felt a pang of guilt.
Even the cold and ruthless Captain Shi could be sentimental. It was Qian Xin’s fault, his words making him overthink.
He admitted, he liked Gu Sui.
But his affection was a mere fraction of Gu Sui’s.
He wondered if Gu Sui felt it was unfair.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Gu Sui approaching, tentatively touching his fingers, then, seeing no resistance, intertwining their fingers.
“I… marinated… a lot of meat… Wife, let’s have… barbecue… tonight.”
Suddenly, Shi Xu asked, “I’m always so mean to you. Doesn’t it bother you?”
Had Gu Sui ever been truly angry with him?
Gu Sui paused, then asked, “Why… would I… be angry?”
He added, “How… can I be… angry at Wife? If I… misbehave… Wife… should punish… me. It’s… natural!”
Shi Xu: “…”
Gu Sui did deserve to be punished, but only because he always initiated their… interactions.
But was he being too harsh?
Gu Sui’s way of expressing affection was direct and unrestrained, his actions impulsive, his clinginess overwhelming. Shi Xu often resorted to coldness as a defense mechanism.
But even the most passionate heart would eventually grow cold, wouldn’t it?
Even though he knew Gu Sui wasn’t human, that he would never leave him.
He only needed to give a little, and Gu Sui would return it a hundredfold.
“Wife, you’re… acting… strange… Are you… unwell? I’ll… carry you… home… okay?” Gu Sui gently swayed their joined hands.
Shi Xu rejected his offer. “I’m fine.”
Gu Sui: “Then… what’s wrong?”
Shi Xu felt a strange surge of sentimentality, expressing his uncharacteristic vulnerability. “I suddenly feel… I’ve been… quite mean… to you.”
Gu Sui looked surprised. “Wife… mean… to me?”
Shi Xu: “…”
He rephrased it in terms Gu Sui could understand. “When I chase you away, are you… sad?”
“Of course… sad…” Gu Sui lowered his head, his face close to Shi Xu’s, his voice filled with grievance. “Can’t… cuddle… and kiss… Wife… I’m… sad…”
Shi Xu’s expression remained neutral. “Be serious.”
Gu Sui’s expression turned serious. “Wife, if… you don’t tell me… I won’t know… What are you… thinking?”
Shi Xu’s lips twitched, a mischievous smile curving them. “I’m thinking… no matter how mean I am… you have to endure it… You can’t be angry… You can’t disobey me… You can only… obey me…”
They both froze, their eyes meeting. Shi Xu saw his own reflection in Gu Sui’s bright eyes, his darker impulses illuminated.
Gu Sui smiled. “Are… you… confessing?”
Shi Xu frowned. “Do you even understand what I’m saying?”
Gu Sui, ignoring him, his voice cracking with excitement, “You… confessed!”
Shi Xu: “…”
He leaned against Gu Sui, Gu Sui’s chin resting on his shoulder. Despite his excitement, Gu Sui’s touch was gentle. He wasn’t hurt by Gu Sui’s chin, but warmed by his body and his words.
“No matter… what Wife… does… I won’t… be angry… I won’t… disobey… I will… always… obey Wife… only Wife…”
The tight embrace, the fervent response, was unsettling, yet he didn’t pull away.
He slowly raised his arms, hugging Gu Sui back, his cheek touching Gu Sui’s.
So warm.
Shi Xu: “You’re so clingy.”
Gu Sui: “Only… with Wife.”
Shi Xu: “Disgusting.”
A wave of warmth spread through Gu Sui, his arms tightening around his precious treasure, his love poured into a soft whisper.
“I… like you… too. Only you.”
