After Escaping Chapter 15

XIV. Falling Ill

Perhaps it was due to being exposed to the cold wind yesterday, or maybe it was because of the recent period of indulgence, but when Pei Shuyun woke up, he felt completely groggy, his forehead throbbing.

The large bedroom was empty. Pei Shuyun leaned against the headboard for a while, waiting for the aches in his body to subside slightly before putting on his clothes and pushing the door open.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Gu Yu was busy by the stove, wearing an apron. He swiftly fried a steak, drizzled it with sauce, and after a moment of thought, cracked an egg into the pan.

The egg sizzled in the oil, gradually turning golden. Gu Yu happily turned to grab a tray, only to see Pei Shuyun wobbling down the stairs.

His heart immediately softened. He turned off the heat and rushed up to embrace the dazed little deer in his arms. “You’re awake, darling? Wait for me, breakfast will be ready right away.”

Pei Shuyun sniffled against his chest. The aroma of the food immediately intensified. “Are you making breakfast?”

“I learned from someone in college,” Gu Yu lowered his head and stole a kiss on his forehead. “Darling, do you prefer Western or Chinese? How about you try a little of both…”

His voice suddenly trailed off. The person in his arms was burning up like a furnace, soft and limp against him. Gu Yu quickly carried him to the sofa, anxiously searching for a thermometer while simultaneously calling the doctor.

Pei Shuyun lay in the living room, watching him fuss in a panic. The throbbing pain in his head made him close his eyes and drift back into unconsciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, an IV drip was attached to his arm.

“Don’t move, you have a fever,” Gu Yu sat beside him, looking apologetic. “Yunyun, I’m sorry. I’ve been too reckless these past few days.”

Now he feels regret? Why didn’t he show any tenderness when he was acting so rough every time? Pei Shuyun closed and opened his eyes, which were now filled with vulnerability. “Do you have any water? I’m so thirsty.”

After drinking some congee and taking medicine, his temperature dropped slightly. Gu Yu climbed onto the bed and pulled him, blanket and all, into his arms, only to hear a muffled, nasal voice coming from beneath the covers. “I don’t want to sleep here. It’s gray and depressing.”

Pei Shuyun, taking advantage of being sick, started acting spoiled, pouring out all the words that had been bottled up in his chest.

One moment he was accusing Gu Yu of being too rough and too dominant, the next he was complaining that Gu Yu was always gone in the morning, leaving him alone in this dark house full of surveillance cameras, so empty that not even a bird would fly in.

Gu Yu remained silent. Only after Pei Shuyun fell asleep did he go out onto the balcony to make a phone call.

Ke Yi, who was still enjoying a moment of tenderness, was yanked out of his comfort by his boss, who cited his long absence from work. Before he could fully embrace the warm, soft beauty in his arms, he was called to help his boss move house.

Ke Yi was confused by his boss’s sudden whim. Why would he suddenly want to move from a villa to a small, shabby rental apartment? But seeing Gu Yu’s grim expression, he dared not say more. He merely adjusted his glasses, lowering his head to contemplate how to appease the little tyrant waiting at home.

When Pei Shuyun woke up again, the sky had darkened. The overhead light fixture had been replaced by a familiar ceiling, which looked particularly warm and intimate under the soft yellow glow of a small lamp.

Gu Yu sat beside him, watching him gently. Seeing him open his eyes, he reached out and touched his forehead to check his temperature, finally relaxing. He tucked the blanket around him. “If you don’t want to live there, we won’t. Move back here and recover properly. Once you’re better, we’ll look for a house together and buy one you like, okay?”

Seeing that Pei Shuyun didn’t object, Gu Yu leaned closer, cautiously attempting to kiss him.

Pei Shuyun turned his face away. “I’m sick. It’s contagious.”

Gu Yu cupped his face. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

His tightly sealed lips were parted, and their tongues intertwined deeply, licking every sweet spot inside. The trembling pleasure reached its peak amidst the wet, lingering sounds.

Gu Yu was immersed in the ecstasy brought by the kiss, desiring only to pluck the increasingly delicate flower that had bloomed beneath him due to illness.

He failed to notice that after the lust faded from Pei Shuyun’s eyes, only a clear, sober awareness remained.