Chapter 82

Chapter 82

At those words, Ning Qiuyan froze for a second. Then, like dry grass swept up by wildfire, his entire being ignited in an instant.

Loyalty of the mind and body.

From Guan Heng.

All of it would be given to him.

A promise like that was solemn-practically the kind of vow only lovers made to each other. Ning Qiuyan knew very well that Guan Heng always kept his word. He never made empty promises, never lied to him, and never promised anything he could not do.

In that instant, Ning Qiuyan felt as if he had been struck by the grand prize in a lottery. It was so unbelievable that, for a moment, he even found himself doubting, Why me? What right do I have?

Although Guan Heng had said this was only part of his reward, to Ning Qiuyan, he was already so happy he wanted nothing else.

“You can stay here and sleep.” Guan Heng moved his fingers away, damp where they brushed against Ning Qiuyan’s lips, and looked at him. “I told you, you can change your mind whenever you like.”

Ning Qiuyan’s flushed lips shone with moisture.

He understood what Guan Heng meant.

Back on the day he had first returned to Du Island, Uncle Kang had said to him, “Sir asked me to ask you whether you’d like to stay in your old room or move up to the third floor.” At the time, Ning Qiuyan still had many misgivings, and Uncle Kang had even specially reminded him, “Sir also said you can go upstairs anytime.”

The right to stay by Guan Heng’s side had not been granted only when they took that photo. It had been his from the moment he decided to put on the Ruby Earring.

Ning Qiuyan’s body moved before his mind could catch up.

He closed his eyes and leaned in, wanting to kiss Guan Heng’s lips, but before he could touch them, Guan Heng gently stopped him with a finger.

When Ning Qiuyan opened his eyes, Guan Heng’s narrow phoenix eyes were still gazing deeply at him, the desire in them not yet gone.

But with just that light motion, Guan Heng made his meaning perfectly clear-he did not intend for anything further to happen tonight.

No matter when, Guan Heng was absolutely rational. He was the one who controlled everything.

“Go take a shower, then sleep.” Guan Heng lowered his head and kissed Ning Qiuyan’s forehead. “I’ll wake you tomorrow morning.”

Ning Qiuyan was almost drowned by such tenderness and said, extraordinarily obedient, “Okay.”

After his shower, he put on Guan Heng’s robe with nothing underneath, lay down on Guan Heng’s large bed, and wrapped himself in the duvet that carried Guan Heng’s scent. He thought he would not be able to fall asleep easily.

Because this was his first time lying in the same bed as Guan Heng under circumstances like these.

Only a small lamp by the bed was on, its light hazy and dim. Guan Heng sat propped against the other side of the bed, close enough to touch if Ning Qiuyan reached out. From outside came the occasional crackle of firecrackers, from people who had not slept all night and were still making merry.

As if to confirm that the conversation just now had truly happened, Ning Qiuyan turned over and tentatively reached out, touching Guan Heng’s fingers.

Guan Heng did not pull away.

So Ning Qiuyan held his hand and looked at him with eyes misted with moisture, yet still dark, bright, and clear. “Sir, am I dreaming?”

This stable, romantic life.

In the world of his dreams, with the person from his dreams.

Just like that, so easily, he had everything. It was so perfect it did not feel real.

“I’m so happy. I’ve never… been this happy before.” Ning Qiuyan closed his eyes. “…Thank you.”

The soft bed and faint incense numbed his nerves, and the wine that had been fading surged up again.

About two minutes after saying those words, he fell asleep.

The young human’s jet-black hair covered the pale nape of his neck. His flushed cheek was pressed against the pillow, bulging slightly, making him look a little childish. The forehead that usually furrowed unconsciously in sleep had smoothed out, presenting a relaxed state he had never shown before.

Bang-

Outside the mansion, someone had started setting off fireworks again.

Guan Heng withdrew his gaze, picked up his phone, and sent out a few messages. Then he lifted a hand and covered Ning Qiuyan’s ears.
Ning Qiuyan had only slept four or five hours before he woke in the pitch-black darkness.

The heat in the room was turned up high. Guan Heng held him loosely from behind, and Ning Qiuyan’s left hand was still clasped with his, their ten fingers intertwined. The moment Ning Qiuyan opened his eyes, Guan Heng noticed.

In the intimate silence, neither of them spoke.

A cool, soft sensation fell against the side of his neck. It was Guan Heng’s lips.

Ning Qiuyan stared into the darkness before him, his breathing a little rapid. Guan Heng tightened his grip on Ning Qiuyan’s fingers. Then a sharp sting pierced his neck.

As blood flowed down his neck, the pain vanished.

Before his consciousness drifted away, Ning Qiuyan had only one thought in his heart: he wished Guan Heng would take even more from him. Willingly, wholeheartedly, he hoped Guan Heng would take everything he had.

When Ning Qiuyan regained consciousness, Guan Heng was already no longer in the room.

The curtains were wide open, and the glaring daylight poured in, illuminating the empty side of the bed.

Ning Qiuyan sat up and saw a faint trace of blood left on the pillow, proof that everything that had happened earlier was not an illusion. He got out of bed and looked out the window. In the snow, spent firework tubes still lay scattered, along with some ribbons from last night and the footprints people had left behind. Clearly, after a night of celebration, the people of Du Island were still asleep. Spring Festival came only once a year; they were indulging their idleness openly and honestly.

“Happy New Year.”

Guan Heng’s voice suddenly rang out.

Ning Qiuyan turned around and saw Guan Heng standing by the folding screen. His heart gave a soft little leap, and he smiled at Guan Heng. “Happy New Year.”

Guan Heng wore a black overcoat, his figure tall and slender. He stepped toward Ning Qiuyan, walking into the daylight spilling into the room. A soft halo fell over his pale face, and even the depths of his dark eyes seemed to light with a glimmer of starlight.
The aura that had cloaked him in the night faded away, and Guan Heng looked so young, as if he were nothing more than a handsome human.

Just as Su Jianzhou had imagined, he seemed like a sickly, erudite, mysterious young heir who kept himself far from the clamor of the world.

“Get ready. We’re going out.”

Guan Heng said to him.

Ning Qiuyan assumed that by “out,” Guan Heng meant something like a walk outside. After all, it was rare for the two of them to have time together during the day. So after he got ready and had breakfast, he was utterly taken aback when he saw the black off-road vehicle parked by the entrance.

“Are we driving?” he asked.

“Mm.” Guan Heng stood beside the car and said mildly, “Get in.”

Out of habit, Ning Qiuyan glanced around, but he didn’t see the driver.

At this hour, no one else had gotten up yet. Outside the manor, everything was quiet. There were only the two of them, he and Guan Heng.

“Hurry.” Guan Heng gentlemanly opened the passenger door for him, his expression as calm as ever, yet he deliberately reminded him, “If we don’t leave now, Gu Yu will be here.”

Ning Qiuyan quickly ducked into the car.

Guan Heng got into the driver’s seat. He actually intended to drive himself.

The engine had barely started when Ning Qiuyan heard Gu Yu’s voice. “Brother Xiao Ning?!”

He looked out the window and saw Gu Yu standing on the porch in a thick, fluffy duck onesie, still bleary-eyed from sleep. Sure enough, the moment Gu Yu saw they were leaving, he took off toward the fountain, his voice cracking.

“Brother Xiao Ning, where are you going? Take me with you-”

Guan Heng stepped on the gas, and the car immediately shot forward, leaving Gu Yu, that little tagalong, behind as a tiny dot in the snow.

Ning Qiuyan felt a little guilty. “Sir, should we bring him along?”

“No,” Guan Heng said. “Leave child care to Lu Qianque.”

As he said that, the faintest smile even appeared at the corner of his lips.

Guan Heng rarely showed this side of himself, and Ning Qiuyan couldn’t help laughing too. Two grown people bullying a short-legged child like this was rather unkind, but it did buy them some peace and quiet.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“The other end of the island,” Guan Heng answered briefly.

Ning Qiuyan had never been to the other end of the island. The farthest place he had gone was the farm, so when he heard Guan Heng’s plan, his interest was immediately piqued.

Guan Heng didn’t usually drive, but even on the roads after snowfall, he drove very steadily. It was clear he knew every route on Du Island like the back of his hand. Ning Qiuyan turned on the car radio, intending to play some music, but then remembered the island’s signal shielding and gave up.

“It works in the car,” Guan Heng said.

“Really?” Ning Qiuyan asked doubtfully. But when he switched on the radio and heard music coming through, he said in surprise, “It really does!”

“Mm,” Guan Heng said. “Sometimes we can’t be completely cut off from the outside world.”

Ning Qiuyan guessed that perhaps this had something to do with recent events, but he knew Guan Heng had everything under control, so he didn’t dwell on it.

Because it was the Spring Festival, all the radio stations were playing cheerful New Year songs.

Worried that Guan Heng might find them noisy, Ning Qiuyan switched through several channels before finally finding one maverick station. It was playing road-trip music with a strong rhythm and heavy bass-something neither Ning Qiuyan nor Guan Heng usually liked, but at this moment, it suited the mood perfectly.

The off-road vehicle, fitted with snow chains, drove through the vast Forest after the snowfall.

As far as the eye could see, there were fir trees laden with snow and rolling hills. The sky was a rare clear blue, the view so crisp that his heart felt as though it had been washed clean.

They took another road.

They passed another freshwater lake, then a snow-covered wilderness of withered grass that looked as if a patch had been shaved bald, and gradually entered the depths of Du Island.

“Sir, there are deer over there-”

Ning Qiuyan suddenly called out.

There was a herd of deer out on the wasteland, around a dozen of them. Their fur looked dull and gray in the winter. Uncle Kang had once told Ning Qiuyan that these deer would grow new coats in early spring. The deer didn’t run when they saw the car. They simply stood where they were, legs planted in the snow, slowly chewing withered grass.

“And seagulls,” Ning Qiuyan said, looking up at the sky.

“Not seagulls,” Guan Heng said. “Albatrosses.”

Ning Qiuyan didn’t understand. “Albatrosses? They look huge.”

“Albatrosses are relatively large seabirds,” Guan Heng said. “There aren’t many on Du Island. There didn’t use to be any here; they followed ships over a few years ago. They generally live out at sea. In winter, they nest and breed here, but they don’t stay for long.”

The sun came out.

This was very rare weather for winter on Du Island. The sunlight reflected off the snow, a little dazzling.

Ning Qiuyan thought it was beautiful.

As the car continued forward, the man-made road disappeared, and they drove across the snowfield as if wandering without a destination.

After an unknown length of time, they finally stopped in a jagged valley.

There were hardly any trees here. The thick snow had vanished as well. Between the ground and the rocks, there was only moss in withered yellow and dark green, specks of white snow and thin ice scattered here and there. The earth was a deep gray. It felt as though they had arrived on another island entirely, utterly different from the other end of Du Island.

They got out of the car. The wind was especially strong, bitterly cold. Ning Qiuyan wrapped his scarf tighter around himself and could barely open his eyes.

Guan Heng held out a hand clad in a black leather glove.

Ning Qiuyan immediately took it.

This place seemed very close to the sea. Ning Qiuyan could sense the salty, damp sea air mixed into the wind.

He asked Guan Heng, “Why is there nothing here?”

Guan Heng answered, “Because of the wind.”