After Being Transformed Into Cannon Fodder For Death, The Heartthrob Chapter 61
byYe Qingyun didn’t entirely believe that Gu Shenyuan had actively pursued him, but since Gu Shenyuan said so, he, the amnesiac, could only temporarily trust Gu Shenyuan’s words.
Even if Gu Shenyuan’s pursuit was clumsy, he still had to play along and give face!
Ye Qingyun thought this until the next day when he was called for a meal.
Gu Shenyuan was sitting at the table waiting for him, and the attendants standing behind him all looked dazed, as if they had seen a ghost.
What was going on? Was there some mystery hidden in the food?
Ye Qingyun looked at the unfamiliar meats and vegetables on the table, gathered his courage, and tentatively took a bite.
Ye Qingyun: “!”
It perfectly matched his taste.
Gu Shenyuan observed Ye Qingyun’s expression without batting an eye and asked, “How is it?”
“It’s too delicious!” Ye Qingyun praised, feeling a little curious. “Is everything here this delicious?” After speaking, Ye Qingyun felt he had asked a meaningless question. This was the highest center of power in the entire galaxy; of course, they hired the best chefs who could make anything taste good.
Gu Shenyuan: “Mm.”
Ye Qingyun eagerly asked, “How much does it cost to hire a chef like this?”
He wanted to hire one too!
Gu Shenyuan looked up, his expression faint: “If it’s for you, a kiss is enough.”
Ye Qingyun froze, failing to react for a moment.
Gu Shenyuan watched him, as if waiting for something.
No way, could it be that…
“Are you unwilling?” Gu Shenyuan lowered his eyes and asked in a muffled voice, “Then is holding hands okay?”
Ye Qingyun finally understood completely.
The person who cooked for him was truly Gu Shenyuan.
Gu Shenyuan, a person who completely disregarded external possessions and cared even less about the taste of food, managed to create this exquisite and delicious meal, perfectly tailored to his taste. How much effort had he put into this?
Ye Qingyun’s heart swelled. He looked down beneath the table and indeed saw Gu Shenyuan’s hand hanging down, forming a loose cup shape.
Ye Qingyun reached his hand over, placing it in that warm palm, where it was immediately grasped tightly.
Their hands were clasped closely. Ye Qingyun felt nervous, yet strangely, he didn’t feel any sense of unfamiliarity, as if they had held hands like this countless times before.
On the table, the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks during the meal could be heard. The people eating didn’t converse much, like those who had just met.
But under the table, the two clasped hands never let go.
Ye Qingyun felt lightheaded.
Was this what falling in love felt like? He liked it so much!
However, being pampered by an overbearing sovereign truly shook one’s resolve. Fortunately, he was a good young man raised under the red flag, with firm willpower, so he wouldn’t be completely swept away and become a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the nation.
The fact that he, a boy, even had the chance to become a wicked concubine was truly unpredictable.
After dinner, Ye Qingyun followed Gu Shenyuan for a walk in the garden.
The hand that had been released after the meal was grasped again.
This was not an enclosed space; others might come over at any moment to discuss matters with Gu Shenyuan. Ye Qingyun even saw the guards in the distance practically bulging their eyes. Ye Qingyun instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but failed. Instead, it was held even tighter.
Ye Qingyun whispered, “In broad daylight, this isn’t very appropriate.”
“What’s inappropriate?” Gu Shenyuan’s voice was slightly cold.
“Look,” Ye Qingyun glanced around, pulling Gu Shenyuan into a slightly more secluded corner, worriedly saying, “What you’re doing doesn’t fit the image you have in your subordinates’ minds. If someone with ulterior motives sees this, they’ll say you prioritize lust over the state, that you’re easily charmed, and not a dignified ruler!”
Gu Shenyuan: “Mm.”
“So in public, you should maintain your composure and keep some distance from me—”
Ye Qingyun couldn’t finish his sentence. Gu Shenyuan stepped forward, loosely embracing him.
This level of contact didn’t make Ye Qingyun feel unacceptable; he was just startled.
“I’ve already been charmed, it’s too late,” Gu Shenyuan whispered in his ear. “Let them say what they want. I won’t keep my distance from you for such a ridiculous reason. Qingyun… to me, you are more important than everything else in this world.”
Ye Qingyun’s face began to heat up. Gu Shenyuan didn’t hold him for long, quickly releasing him and taking his hand again.
This time, Ye Qingyun didn’t struggle, allowing Gu Shenyuan to lead him through the garden, his heart pounding like a drum.
Night fell, and it was time for sleep again.
Ye Qingyun was escorted back to his room by Gu Shenyuan. When he turned to close the door, he saw Gu Shenyuan standing quietly outside, clearly intending to watch him until he was completely out of sight.
“Good night. You should go back and rest early too,” Ye Qingyun said, gritting his teeth, and closed the door.
Ye Qingyun didn’t leave after closing the door. He leaned against it, listening for a long time, but heard no footsteps indicating Gu Shenyuan had left.
Gu Shenyuan couldn’t still be here, could he? But standing by the door the whole time seemed unlikely.
Puzzled, Ye Qingyun opened the door a crack. In the faint light of the corridor outside, Ye Qingyun saw Gu Shenyuan leaning against the wall, head bowed, arms crossed, standing quietly. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned his head to look at him.
Gu Shenyuan was actually still here!
Ye Qingyun was stunned. “W-what are you doing here? Why aren’t you going back to sleep?”
Gu Shenyuan looked at him without explaining, only saying, “It’s nothing. Just standing for a while. You go to sleep first.”
Ye Qingyun: “You’ll go back to sleep soon, right?”
Gu Shenyuan said faintly, “You sleep first.”
So Ye Qingyun closed the door again.
Gu Shenyuan stood outside the door, listening to the sound of running water as Ye Qingyun bathed inside.
Ye Qingyun was separated from him by just one wall. This distance was his limit; any further, and he would feel immense anxiety.
If he was far away, what if something happened to Ye Qingyun and he couldn’t get there in time? What if Ye Qingyun found him annoying, wanted to leave, and created some kind of scrambler to sneak away?
He couldn’t let these things happen, so he chose to guard him here. Even if he couldn’t rest, he was willing.
In any case, during the time Ye Qingyun was gone, he rarely slept anyway; he was already used to it.
Gu Shenyuan knew that his thoughts were terrifyingly possessive, and love that didn’t allow for personal space could easily breed resentment and a desire to escape. He didn’t want Ye Qingyun to feel that way, so he chose to stand here silently by himself, not disturbing Ye Qingyun.
Gu Shenyuan stood quietly. The sound of water in the bathroom didn’t stop, and then the door clicked open again.
Ye Qingyun poked half his body out of the room to look at him, still carrying the warm steam from the shower. Water droplets ran down his hair tips, landing on his prominent collarbone before sliding into the area covered by his clothes.
“I knew you were still here!” Ye Qingyun exclaimed.
Gu Shenyuan was suddenly caught, feeling quite flustered. He hesitated, then reached out to stroke Ye Qingyun’s hair, catching the falling water droplets in his hand so they wouldn’t soak Ye Qingyun’s clothes. He explained softly, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything to you if you don’t want me to. I just… can’t sleep, so I’m standing here for a bit.”
“Do you even believe that yourself?” Ye Qingyun exposed him mercilessly.
He wasn’t stupid. Gu Shenyuan’s clingy attitude throughout the day, combined with the fact that he had died once, made it easy to guess that Gu Shenyuan was scared and didn’t dare to leave.
If he hadn’t opened the door, would Gu Shenyuan have stayed outside like this, maybe sitting on the floor to sleep when he got tired?
Ye Qingyun felt both heartache and annoyance. He opened the door wider and said indignantly, “Get in here, quickly.”
Gu Shenyuan was stunned, then vaguely followed Ye Qingyun into the room.
He watched Ye Qingyun find a towel to dry his hair, complaining as he did so: “You’re truly spoiled and arrogant, taking advantage of my affection to act so recklessly! We haven’t even kissed yet, and we’re already sharing a room!”
Gu Shenyuan really wanted to explain to Ye Qingyun again that even if they were in the same room, sleeping in the same bed, he would absolutely not force Ye Qingyun to do anything if he was unwilling.
But the words on the tip of his tongue took a turn: “We were like this before, too.”
Ye Qingyun: “???”
Gu Shenyuan continued, “The first time we slept in the same room, we weren’t even friends.”
Ye Qingyun was so shocked he nearly dropped the towel in his hand.
Were they that open-minded? Was he out of touch with the times?
No, he needed to keep his thoughts pure. Maybe they simply had nowhere else to stay and were forced to share a room?
Speaking of which, he had to confirm one thing with Gu Shenyuan.
“Shenyuan… I ask you,” Ye Qingyun paused, “How far did our relationship progress before? That kind of relationship, um, you know what I’m asking, right?”
If they had already shared a bed, and every time they did, they engaged in intense zero-distance activities, then tonight would be extremely awkward, and he might even have to consider sleeping on the floor.
But if they were both sexually cold and focused more on spiritual communication, then this arrangement was very safe.
…Now that he thought about it, Gu Shenyuan’s lack of interest in that aspect perfectly matched his aloof character setting. Gu Shenyuan’s interest in sexual matters might only be shallow, or even nonexistent.
Moreover, in the novel Gu Shenyuan was from, although there were no romantic storylines from beginning to end, the novel’s perspective was marked as Protagonist Shou!
…Gu Shenyuan and his attributes clashed. It was highly likely that the two of them pursued a platonic relationship.
But it didn’t matter. Even if it was platonic, he still liked Gu Shenyuan.
Ye Qingyun nervously awaited Gu Shenyuan’s answer. Gu Shenyuan remained silent for a long time before answering truthfully: “Kissing, or using hands.”
Ye Qingyun immediately breathed a sigh of relief. This middle-school-level progression made him feel quite secure. He dried his hair, lay down on the bed, and urged Gu Shenyuan to take a shower.
When Gu Shenyuan finished washing, Ye Qingyun patted the spot next to him on the bed, signaling Gu Shenyuan to come over.
The lights were turned off, and the mattress beside Ye Qingyun dipped.
“No insomnia allowed. If you can’t sleep, force yourself to sleep,” Ye Qingyun commanded domineeringly.
Gu Shenyuan responded with an extremely soft sound. He fumbled in the darkness, eventually finding and grasping Ye Qingyun’s hand.
Ye Qingyun didn’t resist, letting Gu Shenyuan hold him, while also asking curiously, “The kisses between us, they weren’t the most basic kind, just lips touching lips, were they?”
“No,” Gu Shenyuan’s voice in the darkness carried an indescribable huskiness. “It was… the kind of kiss where I kissed every inch of your skin.”
Ye Qingyun: “???”