Mu Chen's expression darkened. He stepped forward and tried to help Gu Nian'an out of bed, but the man only tightened his hold on the person in his arms.
"Ji Yaozhi! Wake up!"
At the sharp reprimand, Ji Yaozhi's eyes flew open. Only when he saw the person half-cradled in his arms did he suddenly realize what he had done.
He immediately let go, his face flushing scarlet.
Ji Yaozhi hurriedly sat up and scratched his head awkwardly, glancing sideways at the young man standing beside the bed, his face flushed as he kept rubbing the hem of his clothes.
He opened his mouth, but for a long while, he had no idea what to say.
Gu Nian'an stood there feeling utterly awkward. The blush on his face gradually spread behind his ears, making him look like a ripe peach.
Remembering what had just happened, Ji Yaozhi felt his heart race. He stammered, "Sorry, I-I went to sleep too late last night. I was dreaming, and then I saw you, so I instinctively..."
"It's fine. Hurry up and get up for breakfast." Gu Nian'an interrupted before he could finish.
After saying that, Gu Nian'an left without looking back, as though something were chasing him.
Ji Yaozhi and Mu Chen exchanged a wordless look, then followed him out.
At the dining table, Ji Baiwei's gaze swept back and forth between Ji Yaozhi and Gu Nian'an before she teased, "What's going on? Why are you two suddenly so quiet?"
Nian'an had not spoken since coming back, and Yaozhi did not dare look at him either. His eyes were practically glued to the table.
Ji Baiwei wondered whether the two had fallen out, but it did not look like it.
Ji Yaozhi raised his eyes for a quick glance at Gu Nian'an, only to meet his gaze. He hurriedly lowered his head. Remembering what had happened earlier, he felt the tips of his ears burn.
Seeing the reaction of the man beside her, Ji Baiwei more or less understood. She sighed softly without saying anything. She could watch the livestream replay later.
[Yaozhi, why don't you dare look at him now? Weren't you being pretty bold just now?]
[I'm dying. Now he's starting to feel awkward. Who was sleeping like the dead just now? Hahahaha.]
[I reasonably suspect Ji Yaozhi was pretending and deliberately taking advantage of him.]
[Suddenly, the suspicion above sounds pretty reasonable, hahahahahahahaha.]
[So Gu Nian'an really can bewitch people, right? Remember Yu Songqing?]
[I still remember an interview years ago where they asked Ji Yaozhi about his ideal type. He said sexy older women without a moment's hesitation. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How long has he even known Gu Nian'an? He's already completely bewitched.]
After breakfast, everyone gathered in the little courtyard to bask in the sun. Gu Nian'an suddenly felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat and hurriedly sat up, patting his throat.
Mu Chen sat up as well and asked what was wrong.
Ji Yaozhi also straightened, wanting to ask something, but remembering what had happened that morning, he still did not know how to begin. He sat in his chair, his gaze constantly wandering.
Gu Nian'an waved to indicate that he was fine, then got up and went inside to dig out the medicine Fu Xiuyuan had pressed on him before he left. He looked around but could not find any water.
So he got up and went to look in the living room. Mu Chen followed him in, and seeing the young man searching for something, he approached and asked, "Nian'an? What are you looking for?"
Having searched for his cup for ages without finding it, Gu Nian'an looked up with a helpless smile and waved the pills in his hand.
"I don't know where I put my cup."
Just then, Lin Xianyu came in with a bowl of water. He gently set it on the table and said casually, "You looked unwell just now. You need to take medicine, right? I got you some water while I was at it."
With that, he walked out without looking back.
Watching Lin Xianyu leave, Gu Nian'an could not help chuckling softly. He really was cold on the outside and warm on the inside.
He tore a few pills out of their packaging, picked up the bowl of water, and struggled to swallow them. Ever since he was little, he had been unable to swallow pills and had always taken them crushed up. Only after growing up had he slowly learned how, but it was still difficult.
He held the pills in his mouth for a long time without managing to swallow them. In a moment of nervousness, he accidentally choked and began coughing violently.
He hurriedly covered his mouth to keep the pills from coming out, but water still seeped between his fingers.
Mu Chen's brows furrowed at the sight. He stepped forward and gently stroked the young man's back. "Can't swallow them? You can take them one at a time."
Gu Nian'an's reaction brought back memories for him. He deftly pulled out a tissue and patted the young man's back.
Having finally swallowed the pills, Gu Nian'an sighed and took a few more sips of water before recovering. Taking pills was like undergoing a heavenly tribulation every single time.
[Slurp. So hot. Licking.]
[Help, how can someone make taking medicine look so sexy?]
[Best Actor Mu is so gentle. He's like an understanding big brother.]
[As a Mu fan, I agree.]
[Just passing through, not a fan. So hot. Lick, lick, lick, lick, lick. Lick, lick, lick, lick, lick.]
[You're going to get yourself in trouble licking everything.]
[Am I the only one who relates way too hard? I can't swallow pills either, and taking medicine is such a struggle every time. When I was little, my mom even tossed them straight into my mouth.]
[Wow. How have you survived this long without choking to death?]
[Hard to kill.]
Ji Baiwei, who had come over after hearing the commotion, froze as well. Looking at the scene before her, she seemed to think of something. Only after standing dazed for a long moment did she approach and ask, "An'an, are you having trouble swallowing the medicine?"
There was a questioning note in her voice, but her gaze wandered, carrying a hint of urgency.
Gu Nian'an wiped his hands and looked at the woman, tilting his head in confusion, not quite understanding why she wore that expression.
"Yes, I'm not very good at swallowing pills, so it takes some effort."
"I see. I heard the noise just now and thought something had happened." Only then did Ji Baiwei seem to come back to herself. Realizing she had lost her composure, she smoothed the loose strands of hair beside her cheek and forced a smile.
When she had come in after hearing the noise and seen that familiar scene, it had been as though she were seeing her own child when he was little. Her child had often been like this too, unable to swallow pills.
Coming back to herself, she abruptly remembered that her child had long since died. Waves of sorrow welled up inside Ji Baiwei. Afraid she would lose her composure in front of the cameras, she excused herself to everyone and returned to her room.
Ji Baiwei did not come out of her room until evening. Everyone could tell she was in low spirits and began telling jokes to cheer her up.
They made Ji Baiwei laugh as well. She turned to glance at Gu Nian'an as he handed her a cup of water, tenderness rising in her eyes, and could not help reaching out to stroke his head.
Seeing that Ji Baiwei seemed to be in a bad mood, Gu Nian'an obediently let her stroke his head while he told her amusing stories about the countryside.
[The atmosphere is so nice.]
[A variety show to watch over a meal without any scheming is seriously so nice!]
[I want to go to the countryside and experience this kind of life too.]
[What you'll get to experience is mosquitoes pestering you and frequent power outages.]
[Too real, hahahaha.]
[Boohoo, don't shatter my dreams~]
The meal ended amid cheerful conversation and laughter.
Everyone washed up afterward. Some sat in the courtyard to let their food settle, while others returned to their rooms early to get ready for bed.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
Before you continue