Chapter 3 – 003

After knocking out Xie Yunjing, Gu Xian rolled his eyes at the dazed Zhang Hejie. “What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and help carry him out.”

Zhang Hejie didn’t question why Gu Xian wasn’t helping himself. He quickly moved to assist Li Yuqiu in lifting Xie Yunjing.

Gu Xian, familiar with the layout, skillfully climbed through windows and over walls, leading Zhang Hejie and Li Yuqiu in circles around the courtyard as if strolling through his own garden. Without alarming anyone, he successfully took Xie Yunjing away.

Zhang Hejie frequently glanced at the backseat through the rearview mirror. Although the engagement banquet was undoubtedly disrupted by now, Gu Xian had only provided a hotel address and then fell silent, leaving Zhang Hejie clueless about his next move.

Daishan Villa’s vast grounds meant they had quite a workout getting out. Gu Xian wiped his sweat-soaked bangs away from his forehead and irritably reminded, “Keep your eyes on the road.”

Zhang Hejie redirected his focus, though his reflection in the mirror still showed a distracted expression.

Gu Xian exhaled impatiently, pulled out his phone, and tossed it to Li Yuqiu in the front seat. “Here, Qiuqiu, help me take a photo.”

Li Yuqiu nearly dropped the phone. He hesitated, “Isn’t it inconvenient to do this in the car?”

“What’s inconvenient about it?” Gu Xian pulled Xie Yunjing upright and shifted to the middle of the backseat. “Come on, hurry up and take it.”

“…” Li Yuqiu watched as Gu Xian pressed Xie Yunjing’s head against his shoulder and then leaned in. He stammered, “Aren’t we supposed to take a compromising photo of Xie Yunjing?”

“?” Gu Xian’s eyes snapped open, and he angrily scolded, “Taking compromising photos is illegal. What’s in your head?!”

“But, but…” Li Yuqiu swallowed hard. Seeing Gu Xian and Xie Yunjing “intimately snuggled” was something he couldn’t quite adapt to. “Then what kind of photo do you want?”

Gu Xian looked at him like he was an idiot. “Haven’t I already prepared everything?”

Li Yuqiu: “…”

Li Yuqiu: “Why do I need to take a picture of you?”

Gu Xian looked at him with an expression that screamed, “How can you be so stupid?” He replied, “Obviously, to make sure there won’t be any more engagement banquets, now or in the future.”

The car suddenly jolted to a stop, it was Zhang Hejie checking the rearview mirror again.

Gu Xian immediately glared at him, sternly criticizing the dangerous driving behavior, “Focus on driving!”

Then he scolded Li Yuqiu, “Why do you talk so much? Just take the photo. Hurry up—”

He poked Xie Yunjing, who let out a low groan as if disturbed. “Once this guy wakes up and stops cooperating, it won’t be as easy to take the picture, got it?”

Li Yuqiu finally pointed the camera at Gu Xian and Xie Yunjing.

Gu Xian suddenly asked, “Do you know how to use filters?”

Li Yuqiu’s finger slipped, almost dropping the phone. “What filters?”

“…,” Gu Xian’s gaze was one of utter disappointment. “The kind that makes the picture pink and sparkly.”

Li Yuqiu still looked dumbfounded.

Gu Xian extended his hand, “Give me the phone.”

After setting up the filters, Gu Xian tossed the phone back to him, rolling his eyes, “You’ve added so many girls, but it seems you’ve learned nothing. Find a good angle, make the picture as suggestive as possible.”

At this point, if Li Yuqiu still didn’t understand what Gu Xian was planning, he would indeed be an idiot. But precisely because he understood, he hesitated to press the shutter button.

“Gu, Gu Xian…” Facing Gu Xian’s impatience, he stammered, “Do you really need to do this yourself? Can’t we just find someone else to take these kinds of pictures?”

Gu Xian clicked his tongue heavily and opened his eyes again. “You want to do it?”

Li Yuqiu immediately shook his head furiously. “No no no! I don’t dare!”

Taking such suggestive photos would brand Xie Yunjing as gay and completely ruin the Xie family’s arranged marriage. It was obvious how terrifying the anger of Xie Yunjing and the Xie family would be. He didn’t have the courage to face that storm.

Moreover, if he were mistaken for being gay too, his father would definitely break his legs.

“Then that’s settled.” Gu Xian moved his shoulder, which Xie Yunjing was leaning on, with disgust. “Hurry up and take the photo. Any more complaints and I’ll make you do it.”

At this point, Zhang Hejie no longer doubted Gu Xian. He even felt somewhat moved. “Gu Xian, you don’t have to…”

Go to such lengths.

Gu Xian had lost all patience and cut him off directly, “Do you want to do it yourself?”

Zhang Hejie: “…”

Zhang Hejie chose to focus on driving seriously.

Li Yuqiu took dozens of photos before finally getting one that met Gu Xian’s standards.

After parking the car in the hotel’s garage, Gu Xian got out, paused to check the photos on his phone, and directed the two to carry Xie Yunjing to the designated location.

“Li Yuqiu, stand against the wall.”

“Yes, right there. Zhang Hejie, you step back. Just let Li Yuqiu hold Xie Yunjing.”

“Li Yuqiu, don’t push him so far. Closer. Hold Xie Yunjing’s head, face to face.”

Li Yuqiu followed the instructions one by one, until he saw Gu Xian raise his phone to take a picture of him and Xie Yunjing. He suddenly screamed, “Gu Xian! Brother Xian! I was wrong! I’ll take the photos properly! If my dad thinks I’m gay, he’ll kill me!”

Gu Xian ignored him, raising the phone and taking a few steps as if searching for the best angle.

“Brother Xian—” Li Yuqiu dared not move, his calls becoming increasingly pitiful.

“What’s all the noise?” Gu Xian snapped, then turned to Zhang Hejie, “Go over there and hold up Xie Yunjing.”

He met Li Yuqiu’s pleading gaze and sneered, “Pathetic.”

Then he waved, “Alright, come over here and stand where I was.”

Li Yuqiu escaped with relief, and now it was Zhang Hejie’s turn to panic. “Uh, Gu Xian, I, I… this doesn’t seem right?”

“…,” Gu Xian took Li Yuqiu’s phone, adjusted the filter, and set up the camera angle. He then quickly walked over to Xie Yunjing and Zhang Hejie.

He stood against the wall like Li Yuqiu had done, holding up Xie Yunjing, and shooed Zhang Hejie away, “Move aside.”

Realizing his misunderstanding, Zhang Hejie lowered his head and quickly ran over to Li Yuqiu.

Having been Gu Xian’s lackey for so many years, Li Yuqiu was all too familiar with the deadly rivalry between Gu Xian and Xie Yunjing. Even though he knew the intimate-looking photos were just cleverly staged, his palms were sweaty, and he almost dropped the phone.

Zhang Hejie, who had once chosen sides between Xie Yunjing and Gu Xian, was now stunned, mumbling, “Gu Xian really goes all out, huh…”

Li Yuqiu chuckled awkwardly, “Who says he doesn’t, haha…”

“Li Yuqiu!”

With Zhang Hejie no longer helping, Xie Yunjing, unable to stand on his own, leaned entirely on Gu Xian. It took considerable effort for Gu Xian to finally position him as desired.

Upon suddenly hearing his name called, Li Yuqiu’s spine straightened as he responded, “Here!”

“Check the angle, and if it’s right, hurry up and take the picture. Do it properly! Damn it, he’s so heavy…”

“Gu Xian…” As Gu Xian was cursing, Xie Yunjing, leaning on his shoulder, suddenly spoke. His voice was hoarse and filled with the effort to resist drowsiness, “What are you up to now?”

Xie Yunjing had taken a sleeping pill, not a strong sedative, so it wasn’t surprising to Gu Xian that he woke up. If he hadn’t woken up after being moved around so much, that would have been a bigger problem.

Since Xie Yunjing didn’t resist after waking up, it was clear the drug was still affecting him, leaving him dizzy and weak. Gu Xian, confident, shifted his annoyance towards Xie Yunjing, shouting, “Are you a pig? You’re so damn heavy!”

Xie Yunjing, with a throbbing headache, couldn’t muster the energy to retort, merely grumbling lowly in Gu Xian’s ear before falling silent again.

“Are you done taking the picture?”

Li Yuqiu then realized who Gu Xian’s “are you a pig” comment was directed at and quickly replied, “Yes, I’ve got it!”

He moved to run towards Gu Xian but was stopped.

“Stay there!” Gu Xian waved his phone, “Send it to me. I need to see how it turned out first.”

Whether it was due to Gu Xian’s well-chosen position or Li Yuqiu’s exceptional effort, the photos were much better this time.

Gu Xian put his phone away, “Alright, come over and help carry him. We’re going upstairs.”

*

In the room Gu Xian had apparently booked in advance.

As he removed his jacket and shirt, Gu Xian instructed Li Yuqiu and Zhang Hejie, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get Xie Yunjing’s clothes off.”

Li Yuqiu: “…”

Zhang Hejie: “…”

Gu Xian had finished undressing himself, but the two still hadn’t moved. He glanced at them disdainfully before starting to undress Xie Yunjing himself.

With his fair skin that almost glowed, Gu Xian’s appearance made the scene increasingly resemble a crime scene. In a very low voice, Zhang Hejie asked Li Yuqiu, “Do you think Gu Xian might have some… intentions towards Xie Yunjing?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Li Yuqiu glared at him, then weakly asked, “Brother Xian… what exactly are you trying to do?”

Gu Xian didn’t even lift his head. “We’re going all the way with this act.”

Gu Xian commanded more respect from Li Yuqiu than from Zhang Hejie. Fearing that their plan to crash the engagement would turn into a real crime, Zhang Hejie nervously said, “Gu Xian, this… this isn’t necessary, is it? Besides, Xie Yunjing is still dressed in his engagement outfit. Anyone can see it’s fake…”

“So what if it’s fake?”

With Xie Yunjing’s hands tied behind his back, he couldn’t lie flat. Gu Xian tried a few positions and realized that being on top wasn’t convenient and could easily backfire. He decisively lay down himself and pulled Xie Yunjing on top of him.

“The point is, once people see Xie Yunjing shirtless and entangled with another man, the Tao family, if they have any pride left, would never let their daughter marry him.”

Under the influence of the sleeping pill, Xie Yunjing was drowsy and didn’t react much to being stripped of his shirt. However, when his bare skin touched Gu Xian’s equally bare chest, the sensation was like a jolt of electricity, waking him up instantly.

“Gu Xian!?”

Gu Xian remained unfazed, pulling the blanket over Xie Yunjing to hide his bound hands before patting his face. “Oh, Young Master Xie, you’re awake!”

The hotel room was well-air-conditioned, and Gu Xian’s skin, having been exposed for a while, still retained a slight chill.

Xie Yunjing tried to get off him but was held down. Losing his usual composure, he furrowed his brow and snapped, “Gu Xian, do you know what you’re doing?!”

The more agitated Xie Yunjing became, the more pleased Gu Xian felt. Seeing Xie Yunjing so visibly flustered was a rare sight in their nearly twenty-year history of animosity.

Gu Xian’s face flushed with excitement as he continued to provoke, “Oh my, Young Master Xie is scared, huh? But don’t worry, Young Master Xie, we’re just taking pictures, we’re not actually going to—”

He grinned mischievously, lifting his knee, “—do anything to you.”

“Gu Xian!!!” Xie Yunjing inhaled sharply, his anger evident. “Enough is enough!”

Gu Xian, still wearing a cheeky smile, rubbed even more aggressively. “I’m not stopping. What can you do about it?! …Huh?!”

His laughter abruptly ceased, and the excitement on his face was replaced by sudden confusion.

What’s going on—? Why is Xie Yunjing… reacting to this???

Xie Yunjing, with a hint of vengeful pleasure, scoffed, “I warned you…!?”

“Like I’m scared of you!” Gu Xian suddenly straightened up. “We’re both men. You have what I have. So, it’s a showdown, huh? Bring it on!”

“…” Xie Yunjing’s lips trembled, uncertain if he was more enraged or frightened, and for a moment, he was speechless.

Gu Xian, despite his bold words, didn’t seem as fearless as he tried to appear. Immediately after his tough talk, he turned his head and barked at Li Yuqiu, “Li Yuqiu! Call that bastard Huang Wei and ask what the hell kind of drug he used at the bar last time!”

Li Yuqiu and Zhang Hejie could only see the movement under the blanket, but from the conversation, they could roughly guess what was happening. They had been dumbfounded for a while, and being suddenly called out was like restarting a frozen computer; it took time to function properly.

Li Yuqiu responded with an “ah” but was slow to act.

Someone as close and familiar as Xie Yunjing couldn’t fail to notice the underlying panic in Gu Xian’s bravado.

Seizing the upper hand, Xie Yunjing coldly smirked and whispered in Gu Xian’s ear, “I’m gay.”

Gu Xian’s body noticeably tensed.

But before Xie Yunjing could press further, Gu Xian snapped back, indignantly shouting, “You scumbag! You’re gay and still getting engaged to a girl?!”

Xie Yunjing: “…”

The card Xie Yunjing thought would disgust Gu Xian the most had no effect. Instead, Gu Xian, fueled by a sense of righteous indignation, regained his swagger.

The taste of utter defeat was unpleasant. With a dark expression, Xie Yunjing glanced at Li Yuqiu and Zhang Hejie, then spat out two words.

“Idiots.”

Gu Xian raised his eyebrow, “You scumbag—”

Just as he was about to retort, he was silenced by the soft touch of Xie Yunjing’s lips, which had lowered and landed on his own.