Chapter 906

"I do." Tang Jinzhou shot Pei Chuan a disdainful look, as if the man were some rabid dog about to bite. Gu Yun remained silent, resigned to being carried in Tang Jinzhou's arms. Pei Chuan opened his mouth to protest, but Linda stopped him. "Pei Chuan... is this your friend?" Linda asked nervously. "No," Pei Chuan snapped. "He doesn’t deserve to be." Unfazed, Tang Jinzhou carried Gu Yun to the car without another word. "His leg is injured, you—" Pei Chuan tried again, only for Linda to tug at his sleeve once more. "Pei Chuan... what should we have for dinner tonight?" Linda’s voice wavered with unease. She had loved Pei Chuan since childhood. After years apart, fate had finally reunited them, and she dreamed of marrying him. But what if his heart belonged to someone else? All these years, she had taken comfort in the rumors that Pei Chuan had never shown interest in anyone. No women by his side—just as she had hoped. Yet the moment she saw Gu Yun leap from the building, a chill ran down her spine. This man... was more dangerous than any woman. A woman’s intuition was never wrong. And hers screamed that Pei Chuan’s feelings for Gu Yun were anything but ordinary. "Gu Yun!" Pei Chuan’s voice cracked with fury as he watched the other man docilely allow himself to be taken away. In his blind rage, he didn’t even realize he had shoved Linda aside. Linda lost her balance and fell to the ground, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Before Pei Chuan could react, he rushed over in a panic to help her up. "Linda, I swear I didn’t mean to," he said, his voice laced with guilt. Linda forced a weak smile, brushing it off. "It's fine..." Inside the car, Gu Yun watched as Pei Chuan comforted Linda, his heart sinking like a stone. A dull ache throbbed in his chest, suffocating and relentless. Tang Jinzhou drove in silence for a long while before finally glancing at Gu Yun. "You’re not actually into that mad dog, are you?" "Mad dog"—that was Tang Jinzhou’s nickname for Pei Chuan. Beckett’s rabid guard dog... Gu Yun stayed silent, refusing to answer. "Come on, what’s so great about him? Tell me what you like, and I’ll find someone better for you," Tang Jinzhou pressed, exasperated. Gu Yun said nothing, only shaking his head slightly. He didn’t even know why he liked Pei Chuan. The guy was downright awful... "Then how about you and me? Just like me instead, and we’ll go get married abroad," Tang Jinzhou teased, trying to lighten the mood. Gu Yun let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head helplessly. "Tang Jinzhou, you're such a stereotypical straight guy." "......" Tang Jinzhou was at a loss for words. He was, indeed, straight. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine," Gu Yun murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think... I want to leave Pinebrook." He truly didn’t want anything more to do with the Tang family, the Beach family, or anything else in Pinebrook. If he just left—put enough distance between himself and this place—Pei Chuan wouldn’t have any excuse to keep tormenting him. "Alright. I’ll have someone book your ticket. Where do you want to go?" Tang Jinzhou nodded. He had used Gu Yun, and the guilt weighed heavily on him. "Back to Hong Kong. Back to my own home," Gu Yun said softly, thinking of the place he once shared with his mother. Tang Jinzhou gave another nod. "I’m sorry... about your leg..." The guilt over Gu Yun’s injury had been eating at him. In his life, he had manipulated plenty of people, but Gu Yun was the most undeserving of it all. He could have stayed out of this mess. Yet he had chosen to help. And Tang Jinzhou hated himself for failing to protect him. "It's alright, not your fault." Gu Yun shook his head. Tang Jinzhou let out a sigh. "Gu Yun, if you were a woman, I'd marry you in a heartbeat." Gu Yun couldn't help but laugh at Tang Jinzhou's remark. "That’s such a player thing to say—so cringe. Even if I were a woman, I wouldn’t marry you." Tang Jinzhou was even more of a mad dog than Pei Chuan... No, more like a rabid wolf. Far more terrifying than a mad dog. Gu Yun was afraid of Tang Jinzhou down to his bones. Best to keep some distance. Tang Jinzhou arched an eyebrow. "What’s wrong with me? I’d be a damn good husband—spoiling my wife rotten." "Mr. Tang, is there someone you like right now?" Gu Yun couldn’t resist prying. Tang Jinzhou shook his head. Not a soul. "I’m seriously worried you’ll end up alone for the rest of your life..." Gu Yun sighed. Few women could rival Tang Jinzhou in looks... So it was hard to imagine what kind of woman could ever catch his eye. "Don’t waste your concern on me." Tang Jinzhou drove Gu Yun to the hospital. After a thorough checkup to confirm he was unharmed, Tang Jinzhou finally dropped him off at his hotel. That night, Gu Yun couldn't sleep a wink. He lay awake the entire night. Linda had moved in with Pei Chuan tonight. By now, they were probably fast asleep... The truth was, Pei Chuan was truly despicable. He was the one who'd pretended to be gay first, deliberately provoking Gu Yun—all for Beckett's sake. ... At Fu Wenxi's residence. Bai Heming had just been discharged from the hospital, his hands still not fully healed. Yet there he sat on the sofa like some entitled lord, barking orders at Fu Wenxi left and right. "Fu Wenxi, pour me some water." Silently, Fu Wenxi fetched him a glass. The housekeeper looked uneasy and whispered, "Sir, let me handle it—" "Let her do it. She's my wife—isn't it her job to pour me water?" Bai Heming was deliberately tormenting Fu Wenxi, making a point of forcing her to serve him. Fu Wenxi showed no anger, quietly fulfilling his demand. Bai Heming snorted in satisfaction, his mood noticeably improving at her obedience. "Give me a foot massage." Bai Heming motioned for Fu Wenxi to knead his feet. Fu Wenxi sat nearby, quietly observing Bai Heming with an inscrutable expression. Bai Heming's face darkened. "What? Not willing?" "Are you sure about this?" Fu Wenxi asked gently, her voice soft but laced with something unreadable. "I’ve had strong hands since I was little." A shiver ran down Bai Heming’s spine, and his temper flared. "Are you threatening me?" "Not at all." Fu Wenxi settled onto a nearby stool, her gaze fixed on Bai Heming’s feet. "Brother!" Bai Yu and Li Jingyu had just stepped inside when they saw Fu Wenxi massaging Bai Heming’s feet. Before Li Jingyu could even react, a bloodcurdling scream tore from Bai Heming’s throat. "Fu Wenxi!" Bai Heming writhed in agony, tumbling off the couch and onto the floor, his foot trembling uncontrollably—either dislocated or broken from Fu Wenxi’s grip. Fu Wenxi blinked innocently. "I did warn you… my hands are a bit strong," she sighed, as if mildly inconvenienced. Bai Heming should’ve asked her to massage his head instead. Then she could’ve crushed his skull outright. "Brother! What happened?!" Bai Yu rushed forward with exaggerated alarm, only to trip over the coffee table and send a pot of scalding water spilling straight into Bai Heming’s lap. Now his lower abdomen and legs were burned too… "Ahhh!" Another agonized scream from Bai Heming tore through the air. The entire household erupted into chaos. Li Jingyu rushed over. "What the hell happened?" In the confusion, his foot came down squarely between Bai Heming's legs. "AAAHHH!" The screams echoed through the cavernous living room, one after another. Even Fu Wenxi couldn't bear to watch, turning her face away. Li Jingyu hoisted the man onto his back and bolted for the door—only to trip and stumble the entire way. By the time Bai Heming was finally admitted to the hospital, he was completely unconscious. This time, his injuries were even worse than before. ... Bai Heming’s second hospitalization did not sit well with Shen Rou. Already swayed by Tang Jinzhou’s persuasive words, Shen Rou grew increasingly impatient with Bai Heming’s repeated trips to the hospital. The bidding for the Southern District project is just around the corner. What on earth is Bai Heming up to? "What's wrong with him now?" Shen Rou snapped, her voice laced with irritation. "Well... I heard he just got discharged from the hospital, then spilled a kettle of boiling water, scalded himself, and broke his leg in the fall..." Her assistant sighed helplessly. How could someone suddenly have such a streak of bad luck? "Did he forget to check his horoscope before stepping out these days?" Shen Rou muttered under her breath. "Or maybe karma's finally catching up with all the shady things he's done." The assistant wisely kept silent. Rubbing her temples in frustration, Shen Rou finally said, "Schedule an appointment. I'm going to see him at the hospital!" With the bidding imminent, what kind of game was Bai Heming playing?