Forcefully Doting On You - c71

 

Chapter 32 (End of First Arc)

Gu Yunchen was nervously waiting for Mu Cai's response.

His heart was pounding powerfully. His eyes could see nothing but the person standing in front of him.

The young man stood on a hillside at dusk, his soft black hair blowing in the evening breeze. Upon hearing Gu Yunchen's words, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, his face a blank slate.

Then, the other party showed a look of apology. His long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and his eyelids drooped as if he dared not look at Gu Yunchen, "I'm sorry, Brother Gu. You're great, but..."

Before Mu Cai could finish his words, he was interrupted by a slender, powerful hand.

Gu Yunchen's hand gently rested on his own shoulder. He was looking at himself, his eyes revealed a tenderness that was almost irresistibly charming, "I understand, I get it all. But don't be so hasty to reject me, okay?"

His voice, low as if it would shatter and dissipate in the wind the next second, sounded like a whisper in the ear in the night breeze.

Mu Cai wanted to reject him.

He did like Gu Yunchen, but this affection had nothing to do with romantic love. Besides, he would have to leave this world someday. Accepting Gu Yunchen's feelings would be irresponsible.

But Gu Yunchen's expression was heartbreaking.

Without uttering a word, he just quietly stared at Mu Cai. The sunset was reflected in his eyes, casting two small silhouettes. His entire focus seemed to be on Mu Cai alone.

He was like a big dog waiting for his master to pass judgment. Despite feeling aggrieved, he couldn't help wagging his tail.

But not rejecting Gu Yunchen felt like stringing him along, giving him false hope. Mu Cai wanted to reject him, yet felt reluctant to do so. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Gu, you deserve better. There's no need to waste your effort on me."

Yet Gu Yunchen replied firmly, "In my heart, you are the best."

It was the first time Mu Cai had heard such straightforward words from him. Feeling somewhat shy and pushed into a corner, Mu Cai could only reply harshly, "Brother Gu, I don't like you."

A thin layer of blush spread across the young man's pale face. His cheeks puffed up as he huffed out those words, utterly lacking in intimidation.

Gu Yunchen simply had the audacity to say, "It's enough that I like you."

Mu Cai was completely speechless.

Looking at the swollen, red ears of the young man, which looked like drops of bright red gemstones, Gu Yunchen couldn't stop a smile forming in his heart.

His dear Mu Cai was still so easily embarrassed, thinking about him even in this situation.

How could he bear to let him go?

Gu Yunchen took a flight home that night.

He had originally planned to stay with Mu Cai for one more night. Then he wanted to bring him to his own house. However, now that Gu Yunchen had clearly expressed his feelings, any rash actions would be inappropriate. Mu Cai needed time to adjust.

Even if Mu Cai hadn't agreed to him now, he still had opportunities to pursue him.

Every time Gu Yunchen thought about that spot on Mu Cai’s ear, which turned as red as a blood droplet when he faced him, he couldn’t help but feel joyful.

He had plenty of time to wait — to wait until Mu Cai came to his senses or for him to fall in love with him.

The next afternoon, when Mu Cai arrived for the reshoot of 'Memories of a Small Town,' Director Wu Feng noticed something was off with him.

Mu Cai was already slender, and putting on the broad costume made him look even more skeletal. His complexion at the moment was unusually pale, his spirit listless — he resembled Yao Xiubin just out of a serious illness.

This made him look even more pitiful.

This was before the shooting had started, and the frail appearance of the other party should represent his actual state. Director Wu Feng asked with some worry, "Mu Cai, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?"

Next to them, Xiao Liu also looked worried.

Mu Cai's complexion has not been so good since the previous night, but he hadn't expected him to look this weak today!

Xiao Liu had sent a message to Brother Su in the morning. He replied that he had just boarded the flight and would probably be arriving in a couple of hours.

Hearing Director Wu's suggestion, Mu Cai shook his head.

He was indeed ill, but this sickness was a method deployed by the system to make him exit the energy field in a peaceful manner. A trip to the hospital wouldn't improve his condition. Plus, he didn't have many scenes left to reshoot. They could be done in an afternoon.

Renting a venue for a day wasn't inexpensive, and of course, Mu Cai didn't want to put Director Wu through unnecessary trouble.

The pale youth shook his head rejecting the offer. A trace of fatigue seeped through the pleasant resonance of his voice, "I'm fine, Director Wu. After we finish shooting, I'll get a check-up. It won't make much difference if it's delayed for an afternoon."

Seeing Mu Cai's insistence, Wu Feng didn't press further. After all, although Mu Cai looked weak, he didn't appear to be enduring any pain, nor did it seem like an emergency.

Wu Feng immediately signaled the cameraman into position.

Right now, Mu Cai wasn't feeling well, so they would finish shooting as quickly as possible and then rush him to the hospital. As for the quality of these reshoots, Wu Feng wasn't planning on pushing too hard.

The clapboard was struck, and shooting began.

________________________

Yao Xiubin opened the door and walked out.

He had just returned from Shungang a while ago and immediately fell ill due to the hardships and worries of the journey.

He had been ill intermittently for half a month, and it was only yesterday that Yao Xiubin felt a bit better. Last night, he was already able to stand on his own, even take a few steps and have some porridge. Thus, he sent his younger brother, who was taking care of him, out the first thing in the morning.

His brother had been an apprentice in the blacksmith's shop in town, and he'd taken leave specifically to look after him for the last ten days or so. Yao Xiubin didn't know how much this had disrupted his brother's work. Fearing the master blacksmith wouldn't be pleased, Yao Xiubin urged his brother to return quickly.

While Yao Xiubin knew the blacksmith to be a good person, he dared not gamble with his brother's livelihood.

Yao Xiubin opened the door, took a few steps, and although he felt weak, it was much better than just lying on the couch before.

At this point, everything was set in stone. Yao Xiubin hadn't seen Ji Zicheng in Shungang. Although he was heartbroken and wished he could have a good cry, he understood that life had to go on.

Apart from everything else, his brother hadn't yet mastered his craft and become independent; therefore, Yao Xiubin couldn't completely rest easy.

Thinking of this, Yao Xiubin added some rice to the pot to cook congee. He had just recovered from his illness, and it was better for him to eat lighter and more easily digestible foods.

After breakfast, Yao Xiubin picked up a basket, placed in it some clothes and shoes he had sewed in his free time, gathered a few chicken eggs, took some money, and prepared to go to the market to exchange these for some necessary items.

He had arranged with Brother Niu to ride the only ox cart in the village to the market.

The market was bustling, with people coming and going, and the hawking of wares was incessant.

Yao Xiubin and Brother Niu set up a stall together.

With his still ill and frail appearance, his shy smile was especially heartbreaking. The women and young ladies who bought things from him or sold things to him couldn't help but give him a bit extra.

After selling all his items and buying some daily necessities, Yao Xiubin's face froze in a smile. After packing up the stall, he sat on Brother Niu's ox cart, feeling the afternoon sun on the somewhat bumpy road.

Brother Niu laughed, saying, "The sun is really nice today!"

Yao Xiubin smiled, "Yes, it is."

Brother Niu continued, "It was gloomy just a few days ago, but today it's sunny again. I saw that there was fog this morning; after prolonged gloom and thick fog, it's bound to be sunny! People are like that too; when things haven't been going well for a while, they'll eventually get better!"

Something stirred in Yao Xiubin's heart, and his smile shone brightly under the sun, like a blooming flower: "Yes!"

Life will eventually get better, and the pain will pass.

He didn't know where Zicheng was now or when he would be back. He might never see him again.

But Yao Xiubin would still wait.

He would live well and manage his days well. So if one day they could meet again, Yao Xiubin could proudly say to Ji Zicheng:

See, I have been waiting for you well! Just like the ivy on the wall, which, with the arrival of spring, is full of life and covers a whole area!

________________________

After Mu Cai finished filming "Memories of a Small Town," he was sent to the hospital by Su Xingyun and Xiao Liu.

His situation was quite dire. According to the hospital's examination results, although the cause of the disease could not be found for the time being, Mu Cai's physical function was indeed showing signs of decline. Under the pressure of Su Xingyun and Xiao Liu, he could only obey the doctor's advice to stay in the hospital for observation.

Without the need to work, Mu Cai was quite relaxed. However, after seeing the doctor, he was so tired that he fell asleep directly without even eating dinner.

Mu Cai originally planned on just taking a nap, but to his surprise, he woke up to a bright day outside and Gu Yunchen sitting next to him.

Mu Cai was somewhat taken aback.

He knew that he couldn't hide his illness from Gu Yunchen, considering he was an artist under Kaicheng Entertainment, and the other party was a shareholder of Kaicheng Entertainment.

But Mu Cai didn't expect Gu Yunchen to find out so soon. He was admitted to the hospital last night, and Gu Yunchen was by his side by this morning.

However, when Gu Yunchen saw Mu Cai wake up, an indescribable mixture of joy and sorrow suddenly emerged on his originally tired face: "You finally woke up!"

Saying this, he quickly pressed the bedside bell, and immediately the doctors and nurses came hurrying over with a cart.

Only then did Mu Cai realise that he had not just slept for one night, but for an entire week.

The doctor's diagnosis was that Mu Cai had "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome."

The symptoms of this disease are that the patient has no apparent symptoms of any endocrine or autonomic dysfunction, yet they would sleep for several days, weeks, or even up to several months.

Mu Cai's condition was even more severe, as his physical functions were also declining.

Mu Cai didn't have many thoughts about his illness because after he finished eating, he began to feel sleepy again.

Gu Yunchen thoughtfully tucked him in and tried to talk to him to keep him awake: "How do you feel now?"

Mu Cai struggled to stay conscious: "It's okay, just a bit sleepy."

As he said this, his eyes looked at Gu Yunchen, and he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Gu, don't you have any work recently?"

With Gu Yunchen's current status, film contracts and endorsements should be pouring in like snowflakes.

Gu Yunchen smiled: "No, I'm here to accompany you."

Mu Cai could barely keep his eyes open: "But that's not good, I..."

Gu Yunchen grasped Mu Cai's shoulder, gently shaking him: "Cai Cai, don't fall asleep. Cai Cai!"

But it was to no avail, his drowsiness swept over him like a tidal wave.

Before Mu Cai closed his eyes, he saw Gu Yunchen looking at him gently and heard him say, "Cai Cai, I'll always wait for you."

Mu Cai's eyes slowly closed until he was completely asleep.

________________________

News of rising star Mu Cai's Sleeping Beauty Syndrome started to circulate. In a blink of an eye, countless people flocked to Mu Cai's Weibo profile to wish him a speedy recovery. Mo Hengqing, Father Mo, Lin Jiayi, Jing He, and Liang Yunxi took turns visiting him in hospital, but most of the time, Mu Cai was deep in sleep.

He looked like a peaceful little prince when sleeping, but only Gu Yunchen, who was always by his side, knew how thin his body had become.

Mu Cai's condition worsened, with his sleeping episodes lasting up to a month.

Gu Yunchen diligently kept watch over him, day and night. He even added an extra bed in the room to stay by his side, waiting for the moment when he would wake up so that he could talk to him.

A lot happened during Mu Cai's illness.

'Xiaoxue Jiangshan' broke box office records and Mu Cai, who played the role of Yi Sheng, soared in popularity. In the Nuo International Film Festival, Mu Cai was unanimously voted as the Best Actor for his role in 'Memories of a Small Town.'

Regrettably, at that time, Mu Cai was lying in bed, sleeping with shallow breaths.

As time went on, Mu Cai's sleeping periods grew longer, and his physical functions declined. Despite Gu Yunchen's attempts to exhaust all medical treatments available, nothing worked.

Finally, one day, the rising star and newly crowned Nuo Film Festival Best Actor fell like a meteor in his sleep.

At the moment when Mu Cai's life signs stopped completely, Gu Yunchen could no longer hold back and buried his face in the blanket covering Mu Cai.

Droplets of tears dampened the snow-white bedding, and only Gu Yunchen could feel the icy coldness.

The long wait had worn him down, and in the end, all he was left with was a devastating outcome.

Gu Yunchen couldn't accept such an outcome! He couldn't bear to see Mu Cai leave him!

At the moment when all his emotions burst forth, time around him suddenly froze.

Everyone's movement stopped.

The chirping cicadas outside the window ceased, the hurried footsteps in the corridor outside the door, the sound of the wheel cart rolling on the ground – all disappeared. Assistant Lin, who had been standing at one side, seemed like a mannequin, completely still.

The silence around him was somewhat terrifying.

Only Gu Yunchen raised his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate the hospital window and reach somewhere far away.

His eyes were sharp, his face still wet with tears, but his demeanor was as if he had completely changed.

A will that had been slumbering for tens of thousands of years was slightly awakening in this moment, within this body.

A cosmic gaze that had seen the eternal universe and stars flickered in the eyes of the planet's ruler. It ultimately pierced through time and space, landing on a young man lying in a nutrient chamber, sound asleep.

"I look forward to meeting you again."

________________________

Mu Cai opened his eyes as the door to the nutrient chamber opened.

Researchers beside him were busy detaching various tubes from his head and body.

The researcher leading him, Old Huang, excitedly said, "Cai Cai, I knew you were special the moment I saw you! The energy collection this time was perfect."

He then muttered quietly, "Except for the slight premature energy field explosion."

Initially, the energy field generated by Mu Cai's activation had been transformed and applied smoothly to various human production activities. Even if Mu Cai were to leave, the residual energy should have sustained it for at least ten more minutes.

Unexpectedly, the energy field erupted prematurely, consuming all its energy. As soon as Mu Cai woke up, the energy field was rendered useless.

Old Huang had never seen such a situation before. Although he couldn't figure it out, he couldn't investigate it any further for the time being.

Mu Cai sat up rather quietly.

Before he had completely fallen asleep, a low, languid voice had reached his ears, "Cai Cai, I will always wait for you."

Even though he knew that this whole world was merely an energy field, and that the various joys and sorrows within it were merely the result of colliding spiritual energies, Mu Cai couldn't help but feel sad for a moment.

For those who worked directly with the energy field, a stint in the nutrient chamber usually lasted four or five days. After each mission, the department would grant them two days off, allowing them to engage in physical activities to maintain good health, making them ready for the next round of energy stimulation work.

Since each person woke up at different times, their days off were also staggered. Over these two days, Mu Cai had meals and exchanges with colleagues who were also on their holidays. After running half an hour daily on the treadmill in the department's gym together, the faint distress in his heart finally dissipated.

The holiday period flashed by. Mu Cai adjusted his state, laid back into the nutrient chamber, and began entering the next world.

________________________

Author's Note:

An Alpha with straight A's, rubbing his hands together: "Cai Cai, my wife, hurry over!"

An Omega friend: "Hehe."

An Alpha prince: "Hehe."

A Beta brother: "Hehe."

Notes:

This is the end of the first arc. Hope you enjoyed it! And yep, I will be continuing this novel in its entirety. ^_^

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