Chapter 61
It was supposed to be just a minor cold, but Lin Xiaoran never expected that two consecutive days of intense mental exertion would make things so much worse.
After finishing his exam, he slumped weakly over the desk, and it seemed that all the strength he’d been holding onto had drained away. Coupled with the effects of the medication, he drifted into a hazy sleep.
At some point, he vaguely heard Gu Yang’s voice, but he couldn’t open his eyes, and soon, even the voice faded.
Gu Yang called his name several times but couldn’t wake him up. Noticing that Lin Xiaoran’s cheeks were flushed with fever, he panicked and rushed him straight to the school infirmary.
Hearing the school doctor say that he was just asleep, Gu Yang finally relaxed. He called his family’s driver to pick them both up and take them home.
After returning, Gu Yang didn’t leave Lin Xiaoran’s side, staying by the bed all evening, even skipping dinner.
Lin Xiaoran slept for what felt like forever, only waking up in the early hours of the morning.
His thick eyelashes fluttered slightly as his eyes slowly opened, immediately meeting a pair of amber-colored ones. A hand gently rested on his forehead, and Gu Yang’s voice, full of undisguised concern, asked, “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”
As he spoke, Gu Yang used his own hand to feel his own forehead for comparison. Realizing that Lin Xiaoran still had a bit of a fever, his brow furrowed in worry.
Lin Xiaoran, still groggy from sleep, blinked at him in confusion. It wasn’t until the soreness in his body reminded him that he was running a fever that the memories came flooding back, stopping at the end of the exam.
Gu Yang must have been really worried when he saw him like that in the classroom, right?
A pale hand reached out from under the blanket, gently grabbing Gu Yang’s hand. Lin Xiaoran gave a small smile and softly said, “I’m feeling much better.”
His voice, however, was hoarse from the prolonged fever.
Hearing this, Gu Yang’s heart ached even more. He picked up a glass of warm water from the bedside and held it to Lin Xiaoran’s lips. “Drink some water to soothe your throat.”
Lin Xiaoran’s throat was indeed dry and sore, so he drank a few sips from the glass Gu Yang held.
“Why did you push yourself so hard when you were this sick? You should’ve asked for time off.” Gu Yang knew Lin Xiaoran hadn’t been feeling well, but he’d kept insisting he was fine, even saying at lunch that he was much better.
Gu Yang had no idea it was this serious.
Thinking about how Lin Xiaoran had pushed himself through two days in this condition, Gu Yang’s heart couldn’t help but ache.
Lin Xiaoran released the cup and looked up at him, “I didn’t want to lose to you.”
Gu Yang paused, then sighed, “It was just a bet; we could’ve postponed it.”
Lin Xiaoran’s bright eyes blinked at him. “So this time doesn’t count?”
Uhh…
Gu Yang scratched his nose awkwardly. He really wanted to say it didn’t count, but opportunities like this were rare—he was a little reluctant to let it go.
“Hmph!” Lin Xiaoran saw right through him and gave him a side-eye. “I’m hungry.”
Gu Yang chuckled and pinched his cheek. “Auntie made some millet porridge. It’s staying warm in the pot. I’ll go get it.”
Lin Xiaoran didn’t feel like moving, so he obediently sat in bed waiting.
It wasn’t long before Gu Yang returned, carrying the millet porridge along with a few light side dishes.
Lin Xiaoran hadn’t been eating much these past two days due to feeling unwell. Although he still had a bit of a fever, he was feeling much more energetic now, and his hunger had returned.
Though millet porridge wasn’t particularly appetizing, the side dishes Aunt Wu had made were quite delicious, so eating the porridge along with them wasn’t too bad.
Gu Yang sat nearby, watching him eat with obvious enjoyment. He remembered how, at lunch, Lin Xiaoran had pushed all the meat dishes over to him, only taking a few bites of vegetables and rice, clearly lacking appetite. Gu Yang hadn’t noticed at the time and had foolishly believed Lin Xiaoran when he said he was fine. Now, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
Just then, Lin Xiaoran seemed to remember something. He looked up and asked, “Did you have dinner?”
Even though Gu Yang hadn’t said anything, Lin Xiaoran figured that he must have been worried after seeing him collapse at school, and had likely been by his side ever since.
Gu Yang, who indeed hadn’t eaten, hadn’t even thought about it until Lin Xiaoran mentioned it. He reflexively rubbed his empty stomach. “I guess I haven’t.”
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
He knew it.
“Go get yourself a bowl.”
There was plenty of millet porridge left, enough for both of them.
“No need. I’ll just use your bowl once you’re done,” Gu Yang said with a smile.
Lin Xiaoran didn’t argue, just quickened his pace, finishing two bowls of porridge before handing the bowl and utensils to Gu Yang.
Gu Yang hadn’t felt particularly hungry before, but now that he thought about it, he realized he was famished. In no time, he polished off the rest of the porridge and side dishes.
After clearing up the dishes and taking them downstairs, Gu Yang returned to find that Lin Xiaoran had gone to the bathroom for a shower. He used the opportunity to go to his own room, quickly washed up, and changed into comfortable cotton pajamas. When he returned to Lin Xiaoran’s room, Lin Xiaoran was already back in bed, taking some medicine while sipping water.
“The fever hasn’t completely gone down, so you need to take some more medicine,” Gu Yang said as he sat by the bed, watching Lin Xiaoran finish his medicine before lying down. He carefully adjusted the blanket, tucking Lin Xiaoran in.
With half his face covered by the blanket, Lin Xiaoran blinked his bright eyes in confusion. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
It was already past 1 a.m.
Gu Yang smiled and gently ruffled his hair. “I’ll leave once you fall asleep.”
Lin Xiaoran pressed his lips together, watching Gu Yang without saying anything.
He felt that Gu Yang was making a bit of a fuss. It was just a fever, and now that he’d taken his medicine and was ready to sleep, Gu Yang sitting by his side wouldn’t make him recover any faster.
But then he remembered his sister, Lin Lan, always staying by his side whenever he got sick. Even though it didn’t really help, it still made him feel warm inside.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Xiaoran shifted over, leaving space next to him, and lifted the blanket slightly. “Then sleep here.”
Gu Yang: “…”
His amber eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly slipped under the blanket without hesitation. Lying on his side, he gave Lin Xiaoran a teasing smirk. “You’re pretty bold. Aren’t you afraid I might lose control and do something?”
Lin Xiaoran, resting on his pillow, looked at him and calmly replied, “I’m running a fever.”
The implication was clear—could Gu Yang have a bit more self-control?
Gu Yang chuckled and playfully pinched Lin Xiaoran’s cheek before lying down next to him. “I won’t do anything. Just sleep.”
“Mm.” With the medicine kicking in, Lin Xiaoran was soon overcome with drowsiness. He let out a soft hum before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Gu Yang, however, stayed awake.
Of course, he wasn’t actually thinking about anything inappropriate while Lin Xiaoran had a fever. He was just worried about him. Throughout the night, he kept checking Lin Xiaoran’s forehead to monitor his temperature. Once the fever began to subside and Lin Xiaoran’s breathing became more steady, Gu Yang finally relaxed and let sleep take over.
The next morning, Gu Yang woke up earlier than Lin Xiaoran. Lin Xiaoran had been sick for two days, and his body clearly needed time to recover. He was still peacefully sleeping.
Lin Xiaoran seemed to be a calm sleeper—he was in the same position he had fallen asleep in, lying on his side with half his face hidden under the blanket, his thick lashes casting shadows on his closed eyelids. His long eyelashes looked like two delicate fans, and every time Gu Yang saw them, he had the urge to touch them.
But this time, he restrained himself, not wanting to wake him. Quietly, Gu Yang slipped out of bed and prepared to head back to his own room.
If any of his family saw that he had spent the night in Lin Xiaoran’s room, it would cause unnecessary trouble. So, he needed to leave before anyone noticed.
Unfortunately, just as he opened the door, he came face to face with his father, Gu Xiuyuan.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Neither father nor son said a word as Gu Xiuyuan’s eyes flickered with disbelief, scanning Gu Yang from head to toe before glancing past him at the bed inside.
Even though Gu Yang had carefully tucked Lin Xiaoran in before leaving, there were still clear signs that someone else had slept there.
It was early in the morning, and his son was coming out of an Omega’s room, wearing pajamas, sleepy-eyed. On top of that, the bed inside clearly showed that two people had slept there.
What did this imply?
Gu Xiuyuan’s face turned pale, and he almost staggered in shock. He had only come to check on Lin Xiaoran’s fever, but instead, he’d walked in on this unbelievable scene.
“Gu Yang, have you lost your mind!?” After the initial shock, rage quickly surged through Gu Xiuyuan, and he exploded in fury.
Gu Yang hadn’t expected to be caught in such an unfortunate situation either. He was just thinking of how to explain himself when his father’s shout startled him. His first reaction was to turn around and check if Lin Xiaoran had woken up. Seeing that he was still asleep, Gu Yang felt slightly relieved.
Stepping out of the room, he quietly closed the door behind him and calmly said to his father, “We’ll wake Ranran if we talk here. Let’s go to my room.”
With that, he walked toward his own room.
Gu Xiuyuan, still in a daze, followed his son without protest. His mind was buzzing, but somehow, he didn’t question Gu Yang’s suggestion.
Once inside, Gu Yang shut the door behind them and faced his father. With a composed demeanor, he began, “It’s not what you think. Yes, I slept in Xiaoran’s room last night, but all I did was sleep. Nothing else happened.”
Hearing this, Gu Xiuyuan let out a small sigh of relief, but before he could respond, Gu Yang spoke again.
“The truth is, Ranran and I are together. I like him. I was planning to tell you after the college entrance exams, but since you caught us today, there’s no point in hiding it. Don’t worry, we won’t let it affect our studies,” Gu Yang explained calmly.
He chose to be upfront because he knew that after being caught, there was no use making up excuses. It was better to just come clean. After all, he was determined—no matter how much Gu Xiuyuan might object, it wouldn’t change anything. He also couldn’t imagine what reason his father could have for opposing the relationship, especially since he had reassured him that their academics wouldn’t be affected.
But Gu Xiuyuan’s reaction was unusual. It was as if he hadn’t fully understood what Gu Yang said. He stared at his son for a long moment, then, as if finally processing the words, asked in disbelief, “You said you’re together with Ranran?”
Gu Yang’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, it seemed that this news was hitting his father harder than he had anticipated. Still, he nodded. “Yes.”
“Beast!” Gu Xiuyuan exploded, his fury erupting in an instant as he slapped Gu Yang hard across the face.
Blood appeared at the corner of Gu Yang’s mouth as he stared at his father in shock.
For the past three years, the father and son had not been on the best of terms. Sometimes, when Gu Xiuyuan was frustrated and had drunk too much, he would vent his anger at Gu Yang, but he had never actually hit him before.
And now, over something as simple as dating Lin Xiaoran, his father was this angry?
As stunned as he was, Gu Yang couldn’t make sense of it.
Gu Xiuyuan, too, seemed momentarily taken aback after striking his son. He glanced at his hand, a flicker of regret crossing his face. But almost immediately, his rage reignited. “How could you do something like this? Don’t you know that I’m going to marry Lin Lan? Ranran will be your family—you two will be brothers! How can brothers be together?”
Gu Yang’s eyes widened in shock. His mind reeled at the sudden revelation, his ears ringing from both his father’s shout and the impact of what he had just learned.
After a pause, Gu Yang found his voice. “But we’re not actually related. I looked into marriage laws. It only says that blood relatives can’t marry.”
“So what?” Gu Xiuyuan roared back. “Once I marry Lin Lan, you and Ranran will become legal family—adoptive siblings in the eyes of the law. Do you think the law will allow that kind of relationship?”
Boom!
In the other room, Lin Xiaoran, who had been woken up by the shouting, was about to come over and help explain things. But when he overheard that sentence, he froze in place.
What did that mean?
He and Gu Yang couldn’t be together?
They would legally be brothers, even if they weren’t related by blood, and that meant they couldn’t be together?
Inside the room, Gu Yang was just as stunned.
Because of the complex relationship between Lin Lan and Gu Xiuyuan, Gu Yang had checked the marriage laws when he realized he liked Lin Xiaoran. He had been certain that the law only prohibited blood relatives from marrying, which was why he had confidently pursued Lin Xiaoran.
But now, he realized he hadn’t considered the possibility of legal family ties, like adoptive siblings, being a barrier.
So, if Gu Xiuyuan married Lin Lan, even without blood ties, he and Lin Xiaoran would be legally barred from being together?
Gu Yang’s mind had never been this chaotic. He didn’t know what to say or do. For the first time, he was completely at a loss, unsure of how to react.
But Gu Xiuyuan knew what to do. Pulling out his phone, he began searching through his contacts while saying, “Gu Yang, listen to me. You and Ranran cannot be together. I’m going to call Lin Lan right now and have her talk to Ranran. You two are—”
Before he could finish, the door suddenly burst open. Lin Xiaoran rushed in, his voice urgent as he interrupted, “Uncle Gu, Gu Yang and I will break up. But please, don’t tell my mom about this!”
