After Escaping Chapter 3
byIII. Rainy Night
After the banquet ended, Pei Shuyun was carried away the entire way. Gu Yu wrapped him in his large suit jacket and, like a conqueror displaying his spoils, carried him past the crowd, completely unconcerned by the astonished or disdainful looks directed their way.
Even after getting into the car, Gu Yu showed no intention of putting him down. He simply held Pei Shuyun in his arms, watching him in silence.
The redness on Pei Shuyun’s ears slowly faded. He refused to look at Gu Yu, and the two remained in a silent, tense standoff.
Outside, the rain began to fall, pattering against the car windows and the road, forming small puddles that reflected the distorted, incomplete lights of the tall buildings in the night.
“Yunyun, it’s raining.”
“Do you remember? The first time I saw you, it was also on a rainy day like this.”
The person in his arms remained stiff for a long time, then suddenly bit down hard on his shoulder. Gu Yu’s muscles were hard, making Pei Shuyun’s gums ache, but he bit down relentlessly, as if he wouldn’t stop until he tore off a piece of flesh, venting the accumulated grievances and humiliation of the past few days.
Gu Yu winced in pain but didn’t try to stop him. He merely stroked the man’s soft black hair, letting him release his frustration.
“Yunyun, whether you hate me or resent me, in this lifetime, don’t ever think about escaping me.”
Gu Yu spoke the most chilling words of affection in the gentlest tone.
“Yunyun, you are mine. Even if I had to do this countless times, I would still bind you to my side. If you dare to run, I will break your legs. If you dare to die, I will crush your ashes and mix them into my flesh and blood. In this life, neither of us will ever let the other go.”
Gu Yu knew he was a madman. He had walked alone in the darkness for the first half of his life, yearning countless times for life to grant him light. Now that he had finally obtained it, no one would take this greedy obsession away from him—not even the light itself.
Gu Yu held the person in his arms tighter, almost hearing the faint crunching sound of bones pressing together.
“Yunyun, I love you…”
The sound was lost in the rain outside, barely audible.
Gu Yu was right; their first meeting was indeed on a rainy night, even if Pei Shuyun’s memory of it had long since blurred.
At that time, Pei Shuyun’s temperament was still relatively gentle, and he would occasionally smile. Although he still appeared cool and aloof, he wasn’t the fragile glass beauty he was now, ready to shatter at a touch.
Pei Shuyun was an illegitimate child. His biological father was a businessman who, after making some money, began indulging in a life of debauchery. It wasn’t until Pei Shuyun’s mother passed away that he dared to bring the young child into the Pei Family Estate.
Pei Shuyun grew up in the Pei Family Estate, constantly watching the expressions of his biological father and Madam Pei, until he turned eighteen. Then, he left home and opened an Art Studio to support himself.
Father Pei and Madam Pei considered him a burden, so they let him go.
That day, he stayed late at the Art Studio. The sky outside had darkened, and a light rain was falling.
The streets were already deserted. Pei Shuyun locked up the Art Studio, opened his umbrella, and walked back alone.
Under the dim yellow streetlights, a figure seemed to be vaguely lying on the ground. As Pei Shuyun approached, he smelled a pungent odor of alcohol.
The man must have been lying there for a long time; the rain had soaked him completely. Faint bloodstains surfaced on his white shirt. Although not very obvious, they still startled Pei Shuyun.
Despite feeling a little afraid, the inherent kindness in his bones made him walk forward and hold the umbrella over the man’s head.
“Are you alright?”
The man opened his eyes, glanced at him, but didn’t reply.
“You’re injured. Lying in the rain could lead to infection. Where is your home? I’ll call a taxi to take you back.”
“I don’t know…”
The man was probably drunk and still confused. Pei Shuyun stopped asking questions, hailed a taxi, and took him to a nearby hotel.
Pei Shuyun wasn’t a talkative person. After settling the man in and seeing that he remained silent, he prepared to leave.
But his wrist was tightly grasped. Pei Shuyun turned back, confused.
“What is it? Are you worried about the room fee?”
“I already paid for it. You should sober up tonight and go back tomorrow.”
His wrist was still held in a death grip. In the dim lamplight, Pei Shuyun inexplicably saw a hint of pleading and vulnerability in the man’s eyes.
“Alright, I’ll stay with you for the night then.”
Pei Shuyun lay down fully clothed, turning off the light as he did so. Before falling asleep, he vaguely wondered if the man’s injuries were serious. Maybe he should buy some medicine for him tomorrow.
Morning light filtered into the room through the thin curtains.
When Pei Shuyun woke up, the space beside him was empty. Only a few hundred dollars placed on the bedside table indicated that someone had been there.
“What the heck! Why did he just leave like that?”
Pei Shuyun rubbed his eyes sleepily. “I wasn’t after this small amount of money. Couldn’t he even say goodbye?”
Life continued as usual after that. Pei Shuyun quickly forgot the incident, never imagining that the gears of fate had played a massive joke on him because of it.