After the assistant arrived, he ran to Bai Yuxin’s side, clearly surprised and excited, and tried to keep his voice down. “How come I heard him yelling at Director He?”
Bai Yuxin looked at him helplessly and finally couldn’t resist sarcastically saying, “Why are you so blind?”
Assistant: “?”
Who was he calling blind?
Bai Xinyu was exasperated. “Did you see how when Uncle He just entered the conference room, his eyes almost stuck to him like that?”
Assistant: “…”
When He Shumo just entered the conference room, his gaze did seem strange, but he thought it was just like him, trying to figure out who dared to doze off in a meeting.
Wait a minute. If the manager had noticed something unusual earlier, why was he still speechless in the elevator?
Something must also have happened in the car or just now.
“So, what’s the situation now?”
Who knows what the situation is.
Even Gu Jinmian didn’t know what the situation was.
He Shumo spoke again, “Shall I take you home?”
Gu Jinmian collapsed back in his seat like a salted fish.
He Shumo pursed his lips, his other hand at his side gripping emptiness.
Gu Jinmian suddenly jumped off the car. Since everything had gone haywire, he decided to be even more shameless. “I’m not leaving!”
After finally finding him, if he left, everything would really be over. Although it was uncomfortable for him to guess, he had to follow along and figure things out.
“……”
The driver found it strange. This rogue had forcibly squeezed into the car, and just as they were finally leaving, his boss, who had been as tense as a mummy, suddenly relaxed. Now, this rogue wanted to follow along, but his boss was completely at ease?
Gu Jinmian not only did not leave but also took the wheelchair down and handed it over to He Shumo, helping him sit on it and pushing him.
The movements were seamless, without any pause.
Gu Jinmian cheekily said, “I think I’m quite good at taking care of people. If the salary is right, I can consider part-time work for you when I’m not flying.”
“……”
The driver thought, their boss used to pay over a thousand for caregivers. If the salary was really right, he didn’t know if he qualified.
The assistant said to Bai Yuxin, “Manager, your job has been stolen.”
Bai Yuxin followed with a stiff face.
Gu Jinmian pushed the wheelchair through the gate, and the environment felt strangely familiar to him. After a few seconds, he realized why it was familiar.
Inside the book, regardless of the Gu family or the Yin family, the large family structures were similar. They all had a secluded small forest followed by a lake and residences.
Written all according to his family.
No wonder it can be done at a speed of three to four thousand words, with settings and characters readily available. How could he not be fast?
When he saw a person with the face just as unpleasant as Bai Xinyu’s following behind, he asked, “What’s your name?”
The person remained silent.
He Shumo: “Speak.”
Bai Yuxin said with a touch of grievance, “I’m Bai Yuxin.”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
This guy, Yin Moshu, He Shumo, Bai Xinyu, Bai Yuxin—couldn’t even bother to come up with new names, huh?
Why bother writing original novels? Couldn’t he just go to the fanfic channel?
Gu Jinmian asked Bai Yuxin, “Have you ever read a web novel called ‘Entertainment Supreme’?”
Bai Yuxin disdainfully scoffed, casting a glance at He Shumo. He said, “I’m about to take over the management of the company, visit various branches, learn multiple foreign languages, and attend various social events. Who has time for online novels, that kind of thing?”
“Online novels, ‘that kind of thing’?” Gu Jinmian heard the disdain and glanced at He Shumo, smiling without saying a word.
Seeing him smile, Bai Yuxin felt a sense of unease and asked, “What does that expression mean?”
Finding it amusing, Gu Jinmian leaned in close to He Shumo’s ear and whispered, “So, you also write out-of-character in your novels?”
In the book, Bai Xinyu was a timid and humorous character. This Bai Yuxin was nothing like him.
The two of them were close, and Gu Jinmian’s breath lightly brushed against He Shumo’s ear, a familiar warmth. He Shumo’s throat rolled, his voice slightly hoarse. “.”
Hm?
Gu Jinmian noticed something unusual and poked his head to look at his face.
“Don’t whisper!” Bai Yuxin suddenly said.
Gu Jinmian pulled back and looked at him. How could Bai Yuxin not see that he held deep feelings of admiration and awe for He Shumo? In Bai Yuxin’s heart, He Shumo was probably a combination of an elder and an idol.
Was he so defensive because he thought Gu Jinmian was trying to compete for He Shumo’s favor?
Gu Jinmian approached Bai Yuxin a little bit and said, “Then I’ll whisper to you.”
Bai Yuxin: “?”
He looked wary and nervously stared at Gu Jinmian.
In a hushed tone, Gu Jinmian said something chilling, “Sooner or later, I’ll become your little aunt.”
Bai Yuxin: “???”
Gu Jinmian watched as Bai Yuxin’s tensed expression cracked, satisfied, and continued pushing He Shumo forward.
After walking for a while, a middle-aged man approached them with light and quiet steps. He glanced at Gu Jinmian and then bent down to say to He Shumo, “Dr. Zhou is here to see you.”
Hearing the word “doctor,” Gu Jinmian perked up his ears and looked at He Shumo.
He Shumo happened to raise his head, meeting Gu Jinmian’s gaze. His fingers tapped on the armrest as he said, “Please bring her in.”
Zhou Jingjun learned about He Shumos adoptive mother’s passing and saw He Shumo being written into the novel as Yin Mosu. She had been uneasy ever since, feeling that something big was going to happen. Early the next morning, she called the secretary to say she was coming to check on him.
The secretary informed her that he was in a meeting. Perplexed, she wondered if things had become so serious that he needed to work to distract himself.
However, upon her arrival, she found that things were not as she had imagined.
They met in a small garden, and when Zhou Jingjun arrived, she saw a man with a youthful appearance eating breakfast at a small table. When she saw him, she was stunned for a moment. There was a sense of familiarity about him.
While chatting with He Shumo, Zhou Jingjun noticed that his attention was often drawn to the young man—Gu Jinmian. Finally she understood why the man seemed familiar.
He was like the special existence in He Shumo’s novel, Gu Jinmian.
Surprisingly, she found that He Shumo’s condition was particularly good. When she conveyed this conclusion to He Shushu, he simply said, “You don’t need to sugarcoat it; face the facts.”
Zhou Jingjun: “…”
But it was exceptionally good!
She hesitated and said, “Indeed, we shouldn’t be complacent. Let’s continue the weekly checkups.”
He Shumo nodded in agreement.
Zhou Jingjun walked over to Gu Jinmian and said, “I am Zhou Jingjun, a psychiatrist. May I ask your name?”
Gu Jinmian quickly put down his cup and stood up, saying, “I’m Gu Jinmian.”
Zhou Jingjun widened her eyes slightly and then smiled. It seemed she had figured out the reason behind He Shumo’s excellent condition.
Gu Jinmian asked, “Is He Shumo okay?”
Zhou Jingjun, seeing genuine concern in his eyes, smiled and reassured him, “Don’t worry. As long as you’re around, he’ll be fine.”
Gu Jinmian scratched his head awkwardly. Zhou Jingjun, resembling the female lead from the movie “Grandpa at Twenty,” laughed. He used to feel jealous that Yin Moshu was willing to talk to her in the novel. Now he understood that the psychiatrist had an uncanny resemblance to that character.
After meeting He Shumo’s psychiatrist, it didn’t take long for Gu Jinmian to encounter his personal physician. Under the guidance of the personal physician and the assistant, he underwent difficult rehabilitation in the gym.
Gu Jinmian observed quietly, leaning on the windowsill. He watched as beads of sweat formed on He Shumo’s forehead. After a short break, he noticed Shumo’s legs trembling.
Next, Gu Jinmian witnessed He Shumo at work.
People from various companies queued up to see him. He sat expressionless in the study, furrowing his brows in silent concentration as he reviewed documents. The intimidating aura around him made people shudder when he casually flicked a piece of paper.
At dinner, Gu Jinmian observed the dynamics of his interaction with family.
The dinner table was particularly dull, with the kind of nervousness and pressure that made people gasp for breath, and it didn’t look like a family dinner at all.
He Shumo’s sister, who had cried nervously at the wedding, struggled to hold onto her chopsticks, and after dropping some food, became even more flustered.
Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Jinmian placed the utensils on her plate and said, “If you’re not used to chopsticks, use a spoon. Don’t force yourself.”
The atmosphere slightly eased. Just as Gu Jinmian was about to eat, his father called. He got up to take the call.
His father asked why he hadn’t returned home yet, and Gu Jinmian casually mentioned having dinner outside.
He noticed someone at the dining table looking at him, so he deliberately raised his voice, saying, “Dad, I was heartbroken.”
His father calmly responded, “Dad figured it out last night.”
Gu Jinmian: “?”
Gu Yunpeng began to offer old-fashioned consolation, “There are plenty of fish in the sea, my son. You’ll surely find someone better.”
Gu Jinmian couldn’t help but think to himself. After all these years and having multiple stepmothers, this kind of comfort had little effect. Moreover, he didn’t care about finding greener pastures elsewhere; he wanted this particular “blade of grass.”
Gu Jinmian returned to find He Shushu clenching his jaw tightly. He took a few bites at a meal and pretended not to notice. When dinner ended, he casually said, “Let me take you back to your room. Once you’re back, I’ll leave.”
He Shumo raised the corners of his mouth slightly and agreed, “Okay.”
He Shumo’s bedroom had a cold, muted gray and white color scheme. Perhaps due to his leg condition, a soft, long-furred carpet covered the floor.
After He Shumo returned to his room and looked at him, under the cold white light, his sharp jawline resembled carved white jade, rigid, with a hint of a stern curve.
According to Gu Jinmian, he should leave now.
However, instead of leaving, Gu Jinmian went to the front of the wheelchair, crouched down, and embraced He Shumo’s legs, resting his head on his lap.
He Shumo’s legs stiffened, and his hand subconsciously moved to touch the back of Gu Jinmian’s neck but pulled back.
Gu Jinmian muttered, “You know, if you let me go like this, I’ll just leave and never come back?”
Gu Jinmian could see that He Shumo was deceiving him. He wasn’t foolish, perhaps because He Shumo had also completely deceived him.
He didn’t want to test He Shumo. Instead, he gave him an opportunity to choose.
He had told the psychologist that there was no need to say good things. He showed him the tedious and difficult rehabilitation process, witnessed how his subordinates feared him, and experienced the stifling atmosphere of his family, hoping to reveal all the negatives and embarrassments in front of him.
Pretending to be indifferent, he acted as if their encounter had been nothing more than a brief meeting. If He Shumo couldn’t accept the reality of this situation, Gu Jinmian was willing to leave considerately.
Whenever Gu Jinmian found him infuriating, he could always discover a terrifying tenderness beneath his cold and hard exterior.
Isn’t it just four or five years older? Who said that age should determine the roles in a relationship?
Having made such a considerate choice for him, why not do it for himself?
Gu Jinmian gritted his teeth, making his voice sound normal, “I’m leaving. Thank you for taking care of me. Take care of yourself in the future.”
Gu Jinmian finally patted his leg and stood up, walking towards the door with firm but not hurried steps. As he was about to reach for the doorknob, he was suddenly pulled forcefully, and pressed him against the wall.
Gu Jinmian looked surprised, with a hint of panic on his face. Following the forceful pull, he accidentally grabbed onto He Shumo’s sleeve and ended up pressed against his chest, his mouth right against his Adam’s apple.
Warm breath sprayed onto the skin, and then soft, moist lips followed.
Gu Jinmian seemed stunned, taking a while to lift his head and saying in amazement, “We only met when I was five or six years old. Your reaction is a bit too beastly, isn’t it?”
Finally, Gu Jinmian saw a familiar expression on his face, a smiling expression out of frustration.
“Aren’t you just deceiving yourself?” Gu Jinmian snorted.
He Shumo touched his lips, his eyes a mix of obscurity and heat, his voice low and husky, “I thought I could endure it. I’ve endured so much already.”
Gu Jinmian pretended to understand, but he wasn’t planning to let him off so easily. “You can endure it? Your reaction is already so obvious.”
He widened his eyes in horror, “Director He, you’re not going to use workplace unspoken rules on me, are you?”
He Shumo: “…”
“I’m telling you, I won’t accept it. My family isn’t short of money, and I’m no longer that poor little boy from back then!”
Amused, He Shumo leaned even closer, almost kissing him.
Gu Jinmian wanted to provoke him further, “Really, don’t be like this. I won’t accept any workplace unspoken rules. I want to keep my innocence and date someone else.”
He Shumo’s eyes became even more mysterious and dark. He shifted one leg to open a space between Gu Jinmian’s legs, pinching the back of his neck, and asked, “Who do you want to date?”
Facing his intrusive gaze and actions, Gu Jinmian felt the dangerous atmosphere, and he was also afraid.
He Shumo dared to double-standard, and Gu Jinmian dared to speak up. He wanted to make him realize how serious his issues were, how much he was deceiving himself.
“Actually, if I have to say, there is indeed one person. Someone around my age, proactive and ambitious, proficient in management and foreign languages, and most importantly, a high-quality man who doesn’t indulge in online novels.”
