Chapter 10 – Decision

Editor: Ning Ning
Proofreader: Happy Bubbles

The first thing Gu Chen spotted when he came over was Long Junhao. In his oversized cotton pajamas, in the middle of the hallway, Long Junhao looked adorable. The warm lights shining on him from above accentuated his soft, radiant hair. Anyone who saw this would feel an impulse to hug him tightly and not let go.

When Long Junhao sensed Gu Chen’s gaze, he was slightly stunned before he bit his lip and took a few steps forward. He couldn’t stand still when he recalled that dream. The same familiar face staring at him coldly in the dream had left him frightened.

Gu Chen walked forward and reached out to rub his head. A smile crept onto Long Junhao’s face as he noticed the flowing warmth in Gu Chen’s eyes. He seemed to have this fond remembrance as surging sentiments overwhelmed him, causing his heart to palpitate continuously.

He suddenly found himself feeling glad that it was Dr. Gu Chen before him and not that person.

Gu Chen felt a warm, fuzzy feeling as he was embraced. He held his breath while enjoying the warm sensation and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Long Junhao buried his face in Gu Chen’s bosom. “I had a bad dream…”

Gu Chen consoled, “It’s alright, it was just a dream.”

After the dealings on that end were done, Xia Han and Long Xi came over to check on their son’s condition and Gu Chen replied readily. The whole time, Long Junhao never looked up nor released his hold of him. Xia Han wasn’t too concerned as she knew that patients would have some sort of reliance on their primary doctors. Long Xi, on the other hand, scrutinized Gu Chen for a bit before pulling his wife away.

Gu Chen watched Long Junhao’s parents leave before pulling him back. The bedroom had already been tidied up and there was no trace of the earlier disturbance. Long Junhao obediently laid in bed and glanced at Gu Chen. “Are you going home?”

“Nope,” Gu Chen replied. “I still have to come to work tomorrow anyway so I will just sleep here.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“I’ll just find a random room. Why?”

Long Junhao was silent for a while before suddenly shifting himself towards the inside of the bed. Gu Chen raised an eyebrow and met his gaze. Without a word, he removed his clothes and climbed in. He pulled Long Junhao to his chest. “Were you afraid of the nightmare?”

Long Junhao hesitated for a moment. “I dreamed of the general…”

Gu Chen stopped dead for a moment. He still didn’t understand how deeply attached Long Junhao was to this imaginary general. And this imaginary person even had the same face that he had. Gu Chen sighed helplessly upon knowing Long Junhao’s motive for getting him to stay. “You just want me for comfort?”

Long Junhao shook his head and gazed at Gu Chen. “You treat me better than the general did…”

Gu Chen nodded. Him coming back this time was indeed good for this person, but he hadn’t yet made the final decision. Long Junhao continued, “The general said he didn’t like me, he likes…” His face distorted repulsively, as if he couldn’t accept whatever it was he had heard in the dream, and couldn’t continue.  

Gu Chen asked casually, “Oh, he has a childhood sweetheart?”

Long Junhao shook his head.

“Then, he likes the princess?”

Long Junhao continued to shake his head.

“A courtesan?”

Another shake of the head.

Gu Chen lowered his gaze and met Long Junhao’s. After hesitating for a bit, Long Junhao finally said. “He… He said he likes Aunt Zhang’s brown and white pussycat from next door… and wants to spend eternity with it…”

“…”

“Don’t, don’t look at me this way… I… I also don’t know why this… I already said it was a dream…” Long Junhao had been startled awake because of this.

“…Are you certain you like him and not hate him?” Could it be that one dreams about what he thinks of in the day?

“Of course I am certain. But he said he didn’t like me…” Long Junhao sniffled and bit his lip. “A prince like me can’t even match up to a pussycat…”

His aggrieved look made Gu Chen pull Long Junhao deeper into his embrace.

Long Junhao snorted and decided not to lower himself anymore. He had already been tired out and this person’s warm embrace made him fall asleep quickly.

Gu Chen looked at Long Junhao’s dim silhouette. He wasn’t too sure whether it was guilt or responsibility that made him act this way. Perhaps he previously hadn’t made a decision but he knew the answer after tonight. He didn’t wish to experience this sort of alarm again.

“I won’t let things like this happen again…” Gu Chen mumbled as he patted Long Junhao’s head.

Gu Chen was nowhere to be seen when Long Junhao woke up the next day. He washed up and had a simple breakfast before heading out. After the incident last night, Long Junhao’s status became even more undoubtable. People around him were much meeker and extremely respectful.

Long Junhao went for a stroll around the institute. The long-haired beauty singing his mournful tunes seemed resolute. The bandaged Comrade Shu Wen was soaking in the morning sun while Chu Jian was taking his pulse, speaking some kind words of concern from time to time. Shu Wen felt touched with the given attention and his eyes welled up with tears. The two of them portrayed a harmonious scene.  

Long Junhao glanced over at the side. Shu Wen’s medical team immediately turned pale when they noticed. They worried their master would run over to speak about the child he was carrying, so they rushed over to Long Junhao and asked apprehensively, “Your highness, do you have any instructions?”

Long Junhao had vented enough the previous night and thus, he could avoid getting mixed up with these creatures. He went straight to the point. “Have you all seen Gu Chen?”

Everyone’s face lit up in realization. It turned out that the prince was just looking for his lover. Everyone glanced in all directions and one of them spoke, “I saw him. Dr. Gu went to the Director’s office in the morning. Not too sure if he is still there.”

“Director’s office huh…” Long Junhao mumbled as he walked away slowly.

The group of medical staff heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief after sending Long Junhao away. Someone asked, “What’s Dr. Gu doing at the Director’s office? Do y’all think he is going to… resign?”  

“Possibly. After all, it’s too frightening when the prince goes crazy.”

“Hisss—— Listen to me. It’s best we don’t make blind guesses regarding the imperial household. Otherwise…”

Everyone felt a shudder as they recalled the bandages that were on Dr. He and Shu Wen. With the thought in mind, they quickly turned around and walked back. In the distance, Chu Jian had developed a deep interest in comrade Shu Wen’s bandages. He said that these bandage wrappings weren’t practical and he would need to rewrap them for the health of the baby. Shu Wen agreed to it and thus, a certain miracle doctor went to work. Now, Comrade Shu Wen was wrapped up so tightly his face was flushed from the lack of oxygen. He didn’t forget to compliment that the bandages were wrapped well, so a certain miracle used more strength after being praised. Comrade Shu Wen’s eyeballs were now rolled upwards and his tongue was hanging out.  

Everyone held their breaths and rushed over. This was also a young master!

Long Junhao walked slowly in the direction of the Director’s office. He mulled over whether he should enter or not. After all, whoever built this asylum was definitely a weirdo. Although Long Junhao hadn’t interacted with the Director ever since coming here, it didn’t stop him from coming to a conclusion.

The director’s office had its own courtyard. It was excessively huge and lavishly ornamented. There was also a clear spring in the courtyard where frolicking schools of fish could be seen. When Gu Chen went in, the institute’s Director, Li Xuan, was seated on his wooden chair, sipping tea. His handsome face was barely discernible through the white steam emitted from the tea. Li Xuan didn’t even bat an eyelid and continued sipping his tea when Gu Chen entered.

Gu Chen walked over and sat down on a chair opposite to him. He placed his hands on his thighs and watched the Director silently.

Li Xuan drank very slowly. He fully appreciated the tea’s fragrance before placing the teacup down and looking over. “What’s this? Have you finally thought things through?”

“So you actually knew from the start.” Gu Chen’s gaze stiffened and he asked icily, “Li Xuan, what exactly goes on in your mind? Did you turn yourself foolish when treating Xiao Yu?”  

“Hey, don’t say it like this.” Li Xuan smiled warmly. “We have been friends for so long. If you want to turn over a new leaf, I will naturally help you.”

“Including personally smashing a source of easy money?”

“It hasn’t been smashed yet. If you are talking about last time… that made my heart ache a little.” Li Xuan glanced at him sincerely. “Go ask Xiao Yu if you don’t believe me. I haven’t been able to sleep the past few days because of my aching heart…”

“Did Xiao Yu not let you into the bedroom again?”

“How can that be.” Li Xuan’s expression didn’t change. “The affection between us has never been better. How could Xiao Yu bear to let me sleep on the sofa.”

Gu Chen stared at him. Li Xuan met his gaze and smiled.

“Alright.” Gu Chen got up slowly. “I’ll cut to the chase since you already know. I wouldn’t be able to delay it for too long before they start moving. You do as you see fit.”

Li Xuan nodded, then eyed Gu Chen playfully. “I heard that you slept in the same bed as the prince last night.”

Gu Chen stopped in his tracks. “What are you trying to imply?”

“I am just curious about your psyche. Is it guilt? I have never seen this sort of thing in many years. It’s even more improbable that it is a sense of responsibility. He went crazy because of his own weak mental state. What has it got to do with you?” Li Xuan continued honestly. “I’m just really curious.”      

Gu Chen pondered for a moment. “I don’t know either.”

“Oh…” Li Xuan used a knowing tone.

“…” Gu Chen continued, “What are you trying to say?”

“I already said that I was just really curious.” Li Xuan maintained that honest look. “I’ve known you for many years and I have never seen or heard of you sleeping with anyone in the same bed.”

Gu Chen replied, “He had a bad dream and was afraid.”

Li Xuan used the same knowing tone again. “Oh…”

Gu Chen was about to lose it when he saw Li Xuan suddenly wave at the door and smile kindly. “Isn’t this the prince?”

Gu Chen turned around and saw Long Junhao walk in slowly. Li Xuan put on a smile suitable for an institution director and asked amiably, “Your highness, how may I help you?”

“It’s nothing. I came to find Gu Chen.” Long Junhao looked at the institution Director and realized that this was a rather normal person.

“Oh, looking for the general, huh. I’ll let you two chat then.” Li Xuan said kindly and called out, “Serve the tea.”

Li Xuan’s assistant understood his boss thoroughly and served a cup of hot tea respectfully. Although Gu Chen somewhat understood the personality of this friend, he couldn’t help grimace. Would serving an extra cup of tea make you go broke?

Long Junhao continued to watch the Director. Just as he was about to ask Gu Chen about this person, the phone on the table rang. Li Xuan was rummaging through the stuff in his room and casually pressed the button for a hands-free call. “Hello, this is…”

He hadn’t finished when an icy voice hissed out two succinct words. “Li Xuan.”

Li Xuan immediately tossed aside all the items in his hands and grasped the phone like it was a treasure. His smile became especially sweet and any semblance of being a director of an institution disappeared. “My dear, how is it that you have the time to call me? You have never called me for no reason before. Go on, I will do whatever you tell me to. I will even dig out my heart for you, if you want…”

The voice on the other end of the call interrupted him once again. “Go and die.”

A beep of a disconnection followed.

Li Xuan was stunned. His heart immediately shattered. Long Junhao stared blankly for a moment before looking towards Gu Chen. Gu Chen asked calmly. “What does Xiao Yu want?”

Li Xuan replied miserably, “She insists on buying a helicopter…”

“So then?”

The miserable voice continued, “I stole all the bank cards and passbooks at home and moved them out…”