PPS Chapter 3

Chapter 3: “Brother”

After Chu Zhaoyi was thrown out by Gu Yusen, Gu Yusen didn’t see him for the next three days. Only the meals delivered by the servant to the door of the studio would be taken inside, and then put back at the door after a while.

Gu Yusen confirmed that this person was still breathing, so he didn’t bother much. He wasn’t one to meddle in other people’s business in the first place. He had a pile of things arranged for him at home during this summer vacation, and after dealing with them, he still wanted to go out and have fun. Where would he find so much leisure?

But what he didn’t expect was that Chu Zhaoyi stayed in the studio for three whole days. At night, they only assumed that Chu Zhaoyi had returned to his bedroom, but he hadn’t.

Gu Yusen discovered this on the fourth night. He came back a little later that day because of some things and noticed that the light in the studio was still on, which made him a little puzzled.

Still in the studio?

Gu Yusen hesitated for a moment and still knocked on the door of the studio, but there was no response inside. He then went to knock on the door of Chu Zhaoyi’s bedroom, but there was no response there either.

Oh, that’s right, what’s the point of him knocking? Chu Zhaoyi can’t hear him.

Gu Yusen kept forgetting that the young man had hearing problems. He slapped himself on the head and decided to push open the studio door to take a look.

In that slightly deserted studio, the lighting was dim and yellow, adding a touch of loneliness to the entire space.

Numerous paintings were quietly piled on the ground, ignored by all. The air was filled with the unique smell of paint.

A young man lay quietly on the floor.

His bare feet looked particularly pale and frail, as if isolated from the world, surrounded by an invisible film, unable to establish contact with the outside world.

He still tightly held that paintbrush in his hand, the paint on it already dried.

The painting on the easel, although colorful, faintly revealed a hint of bizarre strangeness. The red lines were chaotic and disordered, yet vaguely formed a human face.

The young man’s breathing was slow and weak, as if he could merge into this silence at any moment.

He curled up his body, as if seeking a trace of warmth and comfort, but everything around him seemed so cold and distant, binding him tightly in this narrow space.

When Gu Yusen saw all of this, his footsteps slowed down involuntarily, his eyes filled with disbelief and deep shock.

The young man lay quietly amidst his own creations. His long hair, which hadn’t been taken care of for a long time, covered his face, strands of hair scattered haphazardly on the floor, intertwined with his body.

These long hairs were like a heavy black curtain, obscuring his face.

So many paintings on the ground were painted by Chu Zhaoyi in the past three days. Some were discarded drafts and unfinished products that were casually thrown on the ground, but more were watercolor paintings of people. The faces painted with many colors were bright but blurry, faintly revealing a trace of eeriness.

Gu Yusen suddenly realized that this young man had experienced the pain of losing both parents one after another a few days ago, not to mention that he already had mental illness and even physical defects.

A fragile life abandoned by his parents one after another and left alone in this world, as if being toyed with by fate, a young man who could easily perish with a single touch.

After being adopted by a new family,

he was thrown out of the bedroom by his new brother and left alone in an unfamiliar environment, without a word or any care for three whole days.

Gu Yusen, who thought he had done everything he could, felt a rare sense of guilt.

Gu Yusen walked and helped him collect the paintings, barely clearing a path to walk on. He squatted in front of the young man, raised his hand, and gently touched Chu Zhaoyi’s shoulder.

No response.

He must be asleep.

His body is already weak, and sleeping on the cold floor will definitely cause problems.

Speak of the devil, Gu Yusen brushed aside the broken hair on the young man’s forehead, revealing the young man’s face. His fair face showed an abnormal flush, and his breathing was abnormally rapid.

He has a fever.

Gu Yusen realized this problem and sighed deeply. He told the housekeeper to call the doctor and bent down to pick him up at the same time.

“Chu Zhaoyi? Are you okay?”

No response.

Gu Yusen carefully put his hands through the young man’s armpits, preparing to pick him up. However, the moment he touched the young man, his heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly. The young man’s body was so thin and light, almost weightless, like a feather about to float away in the wind.

Gu Yusen’s arms tightened unconsciously, carefully adjusting his posture to make the young man’s body closer to his chest, for fear of hurting him with too much force.

The young man’s head rested gently on Gu Yusen’s shoulder, his breathing still revealing an abnormal rapidness.

Gu Yusen took him towards the bedroom he had carefully prepared for him, but felt resistance the moment he stepped into the room.

Gu Yusen looked down expressionlessly. One of Chu Zhaoyi’s hands was tightly gripping the door frame, refusing to go in.

The man had woken up at some point. His beautiful peach blossom eyes were open with some confusion, perhaps because he had a high fever.

It was estimated that all his strength was concentrated on the hand gripping the door frame, and his fingertips were faintly white from the force.

“Brother.”

Gu Yusen heard the young man speak softly. His voice was very soft, so soft it would have been difficult to hear if the entire environment hadn’t been unusually quiet.

His heart softened again and again when he saw the young man’s face. He cursed his own damned Yan Kong attribute countless times. His vision was terribly picky. The people who others thought were exquisite and handsome were all ugly without exception in his eyes.

But when he saw Chu Zhaoyi for the first time, he understood what a real beauty that he acknowledged in his heart looked like.

Just now, when he saw the scene in the studio, a strange sense of heartfelt admiration welled up in his heart.

It’s difficult to use simple adjectives to describe this young man and this scene.

Gu Yusen could feel his heartbeat getting faster and faster in his chest.

Gu Yusen tightened his arms holding Chu Zhaoyi as a response.

“Brother Sanmu, go there.” The young man’s cheeks revealed an abnormal flush, and the hand gripping the door frame slowly loosened, pointing to the opposite side.

It was Gu Yusen’s bedroom.

Gu Yusen’s face darkened. He looked around the bedroom and it wasn’t hard to see that there was no trace of anyone living here. It was still the way the servant had arranged it before.

In the three days after he was thrown out of the bedroom, this man had never set foot in his own bedroom.

He stayed in the studio for three days, even sleeping on the cold floor at night.

Perhaps it was just now in that position.

No wonder he had such a bad fever.

Gu Yusen didn’t like other people entering his bedroom. It felt like someone was invading his territory. He had a strong possessiveness towards his own territory. He would feel uncomfortable all over if his place had a different smell.

Let alone the bedroom, such a private thing as the bed.

So when he uncontrollably brought the young man to his bedroom, put him on the bed, and even gently covered him with the quilt,

Gu Yusen felt like he was crazy.