Stars run to him chapter 83
The Final Decision
An hour and a half later, at the apartment.
The packed meals were placed on the dining table, and even the insulated bags were left unopened. The living room and dining room were both empty, except for Gu Zhongyi’s suitcase casually placed there.
In the entrance area, their shoes were scattered all over, with no attempt to tidy them up.
Following the path from the entrance to the bedroom, one could find Gu Zhongyi’s tie, Lin Yuxing’s short-sleeved shirt, and Lin Yuxing’s pants, scattered on the floor.
In the bedroom, a low voice could be heard: “Zhongyi ge…”
Lin Yuxing’s throat was almost hoarse. His life had experienced ups and downs in changing addresses from “senior” to “A-Yi” and then to “Zhongyi ge.”
Lin Yuxing, panting, gazed at Gu Zhongyi with a dazed expression. He couldn’t understand—how could an Alpha’s stamina be so good? He should have refused, but when he opened his eyes, Gu Zhongyi’s expression made it impossible for him to say the word “no.”
He reached out, tremblingly touched Gu Zhongyi’s face, still able to feel the dampness from the tears.
Therefore, Lin Yuxing, feeling distressed, hugged Gu Zhongyi’s neck and kissed his ear, every word carrying his affection: “Don’t cry, I want to hold you.”
Gu Zhongyi hugged him tightly, his sobbing cries like a light summer rain.
At this moment, Gu Zhongyi called out Lin Yuxing’s childhood nickname: “Little Star.”
It was a recovery and a precious find.
Normally, Gu Zhongyi’s vulnerability would never be overly revealed in front of Lin Yuxing. However, today, unable to control his emotions, he wanted to hand over his most helpless side to Lin Yuxing.
Afterwards, with a red nose, Lin Yuxing put a small pillow behind his waist and sat on the bed to eat.
Gu Zhongyi found a low table and put all the dishes, except for the king crab, into their bowls and plates, heating them up and bringing them over.
Lin Yuxing had only eaten two buns in the morning and was starving. He looked at Gu Zhongyi peeling the crab legs, unable to resist salivating. “Is it delicious?”
“I think it’s average, but you should like it.” Gu Zhongyi knew he was hungry and handed him a peeled crab leg. “Open your mouth.”
Lin Yuxing sighed that he wasn’t a child, mumbled something, and obediently took a bite.
The fresh and sweet crab meat made his eyes light up. He exclaimed, “It’s delicious! I wonder how much one costs. I don’t know if my brother has ever eaten one; I want to buy one for him to try.”
“It’s as much as you want in the restaurant.” Gu Zhongyi wiped Lin Yuxing’s mouth with his fingertips and smiled. “Tomorrow, the three of us will have a meal together. You can order as many as you like.”
Upon hearing that he would invite his brother, Lin Yuxing hesitated to let Gu Zhongyi pay. “Tomorrow, let me treat you!”
“Yuxing, do you still pay when you eat at your own family’s restaurant?” Gu Zhongyi said with a stern face. “Your brother is my brother. I don’t need to say more about this, right?”
Unable to argue with Gu Zhongyi, Lin Yuxing could only nod in agreement. Reminiscing about the phrase “Your brother is my brother,” he felt like he and Gu Zhongyi were getting married tomorrow.
Thinking about it, his face turned red, and he quickly fed Gu Zhongyi a mouthful of food.
He found it strange; he was starving, yet Gu Zhongyi could calmly peel crab legs for him.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m fine.”
“Is an Alpha’s stomach different from mine?” Lin Yuxing picked up another chopstick of meat and brought it to Gu Zhongyi’s mouth. “Never mind me; go ahead and eat.”
Gu Zhongyi leaned over and kissed Lin Yuxing’s mouth, satisfied. “I’m full.”
This implied meaning, Lin Yuxing certainly understood. His face turned so red that it was hard to look at. He raised his hand and stuffed a large mouthful of rice into Gu Zhongyi’s mouth, almost choking him.
Gu Zhongyi: “…”
Lin Yuxing quickly kissed Gu Zhongyi’s face several times as a remedy. By now, he had learned how to handle Gu Zhongyi!
After peeling some crab legs, Gu Zhongyi listened to Lin Yuxing’s words and picked up chopsticks to eat. Lin Yuxing occasionally fed him vegetables, afraid that Gu Zhongyi would eat too little.
“Senior.” Lin Yuxing swallowed the crab meat in his mouth, almost forgetting about this matter. “Before I went to the airport, I met your father.”
Gu Zhongyi stopped his chopstick movements, instantly losing his appetite.
The smile at the corner of his mouth disappeared, and he immediately put down the chopsticks, gripping Lin Yuxing’s shoulders, and angrily said, “You went to see Gu Zhuang?!”
In this raised voice, Gu Zhongyi was filled with undisguised fear.
He wasn’t afraid of Gu Zhuang; he was afraid that Gu Zhuang had harmed Lin Yuxing.
In an instant, Gu Zhongyi’s usual calm composure vanished. His face changed abruptly, and he looked serious. “Did he do anything to you?!”
Lin Yuxing sensed Gu Zhongyi’s hands trembling.
Realizing that something was wrong, Lin Yuxing quickly put down the chopsticks in his hand and shook his head vigorously. “Chen Hua came to the school to find me, and I went to see him.”
Lin Yuxing pressed down Gu Zhongyi’s forcefully gripping hand. With a slight frown, when Gu Zhongyi eased the pressure, Lin Yuxing grasped his hand and reassured him, “Don’t worry; he wanted to discuss with me about going abroad to study with you. He even said he would give me money for treatment. He just came to talk to me, and nothing happened.”
Gu Zhongyi’s heart tightened. Sure enough, Gu Zhuang had started to take action.
He concluded that Lin Yuxing had not agreed.
Lin Yuxing, as expected, refused straightforwardly, “It’s just that his pheromones made me uncomfortable, so I quickly ran away after refusing.”
Lin Yuxing guessed that Gu Zhuang might have a violent tendency. He rolled up his sleeves to show Gu Zhongyi his arms. “Your dad seems to have a bad temper, and he wanted to give me a verbal scolding. But he didn’t actually hit me, and I’m not injured anywhere, see.”
Lin Yuxing didn’t know that Gu Zhongyi’s concerns went far beyond this.
Anyone might not understand the terror of Gu Zhuang, but Gu Zhongyi definitely couldn’t be ignorant.
He had endured torture and had been trained by Gu Zhuang into an emotionless machine… the pain in it, Gu Zhongyi didn’t want to recall.
He had survived countless days and nights to achieve his current happiness. If there were any mistakes again, he would undoubtedly be ruined by Gu Zhuang once more.
Just yesterday, after meeting with Xu Wanling, he finally understood all the suffering Lin Yuxing had endured was caused by him.
It was his persistence that led to Gu Zhuang causing financial troubles for the Cheng family and planning a murder in a heartless manner.
Ironically, this was not Gu Zhuang’s first murder.
As a branch of the Gu family, Gu Zhuang had gained his current status, thanks to some ruthless and dirty deeds.
In Xu Wanling’s narrative, Gu Zhongyi finally saw through the deeper mud in Gu Zhuang’s bones.
It was rotten, beyond redemption.
Xu Wanling had chuckled slightly, sighing deeply, “You probably don’t know. He is looking for other women now. Since you started breaking free from his control, he became more dissatisfied with me.”
She worried a lot, “My parents passed away, my relationship with my older brother is distant, and he doesn’t care about me. I’ve been by Gu Zhuang’s side for many years, and I know quite a few secrets. Once divorced, who knows what accidents I might encounter. This is one of the reasons why I decided to come see you.”
Xu Wanling handed over all the evidence she had collected privately over the years, thinking it might be useful for self-preservation. She gave a copy to Gu Zhongyi, expressing heavily, “Bringing down Gu Zhuang and preventing him from making a comeback is not that simple.”
Gu Zhongyi saw Xu Wanling’s lips move slightly, unlike her usual gentle demeanor.
She turned out to be a beauty with a knife-like heart and had long had a plan, “So I thought of someone, someone who can push Gu Zhuang to a dead end.”
Gu Zhongyi also thought of the same person.
“Gu Yuanchen.”
Unlike Xu Wanling’s anxiety, Gu Zhongyi, who had experienced failure in a previous life, had fewer hesitations.
He had to cooperate with his uncle Gu Yuanchen immediately before Gu Zhuang took action.
If he still had a trace of familial affection for Gu Zhuang before, not willing to send Gu Zhuang to the guillotine with his own hands, now, after learning that Gu Zhuang was the one who planned to kill Lin Yuxing, after understanding that Gu Zhuang had taken more than one life… he no longer hesitated.
This bit of family affection shattered into powder was nauseating.
He didn’t want to think about it anymore.
He breathed rapidly, slightly turning away, not wanting Lin Yuxing to worry about him.
But his throat choked with something, a surge of words ineffective in the face of fear, leaving only a throbbing pain in his chest. This feeling of relief after the danger passed was true only when one had experienced loss and fear.
Gu Zhongyi composed himself and said, “I have to go out for a while. I’ll have your brother come to accompany you.”
“I’m fine at home alone—”
Gu Zhongyi interrupted him, restraining his emotions, “During this time, try not to be alone. When I’m not at home, I’ll have Lin Yuheng come to keep you company.” He tried to control his emotions, changed his tone, and said gently, “Let’s eat; the dishes are getting cold.”
Saying that, in order to make himself look normal, he continued to handle the crab meat for Lin Yuxing. He pressed hard with his fingers, and the intact crab shell was crushed by him, cutting his palm open.
Because of excessive force, his palm started bleeding.
Gu Zhongyi stood up, “I’ll go wash my hands.”
He closed the bathroom door, turned on the tap, and scrubbed his hands forcefully, ignoring the pain.
He didn’t know how long he had been washing, but he calmed down.
“Fortunately, Yuxing is okay. Fortunately, Yuxing is okay.”
He repeated it twice.
When he opened the door again, he saw Lin Yuxing silently placing the home first aid kit on the bed.
Facing the silent Gu Zhongyi, Lin Yuxing didn’t ask anything. He just stepped forward, held his wrist, and pulled him to sit on the bed.
He skillfully disinfected Gu Zhongyi and put on a band-aid.
“You’re done for.” Lin Yuxing said, “It’s your right hand, and you can’t hold chopsticks anymore.”
Gu Zhongyi gave his right hand a squeeze. This small wound wouldn’t affect his normal life.
He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Lin Yuxing picked up his bowl and chopsticks, extending a piece of food to his mouth. ‘Fortunately, you have a boyfriend. Even if you can’t use chopsticks, you won’t starve.’
Lin Yuxing, completely unaffected by Gu Zhongyi’s recent outburst, raised his chin, saying, ‘Eat, you haven’t had much. You’ll ruin your stomach if you starve.’
Gu Zhongyi focused on him and said, ‘Yuxing…’
‘Eat first.’
Gu Zhongyi, with no other option, under Lin Yuxing’s insistence, finished a whole bowl of rice. After feeding him, Lin Yuxing quickly finished his own meal, having another bowl of rice with the soup from the braised pork, cleaning it all up.
Having eaten their fill, Lin Yuxing insisted on helping Gu Zhongyi with the dishes.
Both of them squeezed into the kitchen, one washing the dishes and the other sealing the leftover food and placing it in the refrigerator, without exchanging a word throughout.
In the end, Lin Yuxing tugged at Gu Zhongyi’s sleeve, subtly reminding him, “Remember the words we said on the way back?”
Gu Zhongyi put down the half-washed bowl, furrowing his brow slightly.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten. He had promised Lin Yuxing not to hide anything anymore and not to bear everything alone.
Gu Zhongyi turned around, and his gaze towards Lin Yuxing was incredibly gentle, mixed with countless apologies. Despite his tall stature, he lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling to the ground before returning to Lin Yuxing.
“During this time, I went on a business trip, not for work, but to investigate the previous car accident case.” He spoke like a child who had done something wrong, opening up reluctantly. “The accident… was arranged by Gu Zhuang.”
In addition to that, Cheng Rong’s leg injury, the increasing debts in Lin Yuxing’s ‘family,’ and the factors preventing stability were all caused by Gu Zhuang.
Later, Lin Yuxing’s ability to safely enter C University wasn’t because Gu Zhuang spared him. It was during that period when Gu Yuanchen and Gu Zhuang were at odds, coupled with the aftermath of the mistaken killing that occupied Gu Zhuang’s attention, allowing Lin Yuxing to escape unscathed.
As Gu Zhongyi spoke these words, he felt a great burden lifted from his heart.
“Yuxing, all the suffering you endured… it’s because of me, it’s my fault.”
Gu Zhongyi looked at Lin Yuxing, who was listening seriously, his eyes like the night sky with only a single star shining.
He could accept all of Lin Yuxing’s anger and disdain; it was what he deserved. But if Lin Yuxing wanted to leave him, he would not agree, and he would not compromise.
He would go find Gu Yuanchen later; this time, he wouldn’t make a mistake.
He thought for a long time, considering a thousand different ways to apologize and admit his mistakes.
However, Lin Yuxing took a step forward, extending his hand to him.
Gu Zhongyi closed his eyes, willing to be slapped by Lin Yuxing.
But he guessed wrong.
Among the many thoughts, he overlooked one thing: Lin Yuxing liked him and would sincerely hug him.
As he closed his eyes, Lin Yuxing, just like in their childhood, tightly embraced him.
“You must have suffered a lot,” Lin Yuxing’s hands gently stroked Gu Zhongyi’s back, saying with great sadness, “He must have treated you very badly.”
After hearing that all the chaos in his life was caused by Gu Zhuang, Lin Yuxing could only think about how badly Gu Zhongyi must have been treated.
Lin Yuxing didn’t dare to imagine how Gu Zhongyi, caught in the whirlpool, lived such an inhumane life and grew up.
Indeed, he felt fear when he heard that Gu Zhuang wanted to kill him. However, when he looked into Gu Zhongyi’s injured eyes, the fear disappeared instantly.
What was there to be afraid of?
The two people he loved, one saved him from death, and the other pulled him out of the mud.
Happiness was within arm’s reach, and he shouldn’t be timid; he should be brave.
Lin Yuxing comforted Gu Zhongyi, saying softly, “It’s okay now; I’ll always be by your side. I will live well, and I will treat you well.”
He also told Gu Zhongyi, “Although my brother doesn’t have his own body, he told me that he got rid of the synchronization with Xu Xiangchi, and he feels very relaxed. I’m saying these things not to let Gu Zhuang off the hook. Gu Zhuang unintentionally caused my brother’s death, which is a fact, and he will pay the price. I just don’t want you to carry the blame for these sins.”
“Gu Zhuang’s mistakes have nothing to do with you,” Lin Yuxing’s warm palms touched Gu Zhongyi’s frozen heart, “You don’t need to bear any of his guilt, and you shouldn’t apologize for him.”
Gu Zhongyi was speechless.
This star in his heart was burning with a warm fire that had never been extinguished.
He lowered his head, eyes moist.
Lin Yuxing released his hand, rubbing his eye corners. Suddenly remembering something, he awkwardly said, “Senior, I might be in trouble…”
“Trouble?”
“I didn’t know Gu Zhuang could be so malicious, even capable of murder. So, um, I accidentally… I, I scolded him harshly.” Lin Yuxing was apprehensive, tugging at Gu Zhongyi’s clothes, asking nervously, “You came back after a rebirth; you must have a way, right?”
At that moment, Gu Zhongyi couldn’t cry anymore. Lin Yuxing’s anxious appearance amused him. He nodded, pushing Lin Yuxing back into his embrace.
“Yes, I won’t let him harm us again.”
Lin Yuxing breathed a sigh of relief. After all, nobody wanted to die again.
He didn’t want to make the atmosphere too heavy, mainly because he didn’t want to see Gu Zhongyi cry again. An Alpha, crying so easily, actually made him feel distressed…
It seemed that he really liked Gu Zhongyi too much.
Lin Yuxing, like an adult giving candy to a child, coaxed, “Then don’t be sad. Tell me what we can do? You and my brother are working hard, so…” He looked up, hesitatingly asked, “Is there anything I can do? I also want to contribute.”
Gu Zhongyi spoke warmly, “Of course, there is.”
The next day, Gu Zhongyi took Lin Yuxing to the Gu family together.
To Gu Yuanchen’s residence.
Accompanying them was the stack of evidence against Gu Zhuang in Gu Zhongyi’s hands. Lin Yuxing and Gu Zhongyi had worked all night to organize, categorize, and bind the evidence.
Though Lin Yuxing didn’t get much sleep, he was surprisingly energetic. Seeing the vast mansion covered with green vines and the slowly opening door, he felt a sense of relief.
Gu Zhongyi drove in, saying, “We’ve arrived.”
As they got out of the car, they were greeted by Gu Zhong’s adopted son, Han Yang.
Han Yang, a few years older than Gu Zhongyi, had a strained relationship with him since childhood.
The reason was rooted in their childhood when, influenced by Gu Zhuang, Gu Zhongyi dared not get close to Gu Nuan. He had scared Gu Nuan to tears once. Han Yang, always protective of Gu Nuan, had even fought with Gu Zhongyi. Of course, at that time, Han Yang had the age advantage and easily won.
Today, he looked at Gu Zhongyi with a stern face. However, Gu Zhongyi, contrary to his usual demeanor, politely greeted, “Brother Yang, it’s been a while.”
Han Yang raised an eyebrow slightly, not buying into the act, coldly saying, “Long time no see.”
Lin Yuxing, seeing a celebrity for the first time, greeted cautiously, “Hello, Brother Yang. I’m Lin Yuxing.”
Han Yang knew Lin Yuxing was Gu Nuan’s friend and had seen their group photos on Gu Nuan’s phone. His attitude softened slightly, “Hello, I’m Han Yang.”
Just as the introductions were made, Gu Nuan timely rushed out of the house. His lively appearance clashed with the serious atmosphere. He threw himself onto Lin Yuxing, rubbing his face against him, saying, “Yuxing! Welcome to my house—”
Han Yang reached out and pulled Gu Nuan back, looking helpless, with an indulgent tone in his expression that didn’t match his cold demeanor, “Xiao Nuan, don’t be naughty.”
With five words, Gu Nuan was calm.
Gu Nuan stood properly, obediently saying, “Got it, brother.”
Lin Yuxing, on the side, was in a daze, as if he saw a small tail on Gu Nuan’s ass, swaying as he shook it in front of Han Yang.
Lin Yuxing: …So that’s how it is.
At the same time, Gu Nuan blinked at Lin Yuxing, subtly pointed at Han Yang, and conveyed with his eyes, “My Alpha, handsome, right?”
Lin Yuxing, always supportive of Gu Nuan, silently gave a thumbs up, “Handsome!”
Gu Zhongyi frowned, quietly grasped Lin Yuxing’s hand, held it, and pressed the thumbs back down.
Han Yang sighed and invited them into the house, “Uncle Gu is in the study, waiting for you.”