Gu Zhan met those dark, gleaming eyes, and the turbulent emotions between their gazes seemed to flow back and forth, so full and overwhelming that they were almost about to spill out. Yet Gu Zhan couldn't say a word.

He finally understood what Fu Yan must have felt that night at Shengshan, when he had knelt on the ground in near despair, clinging to the edge of the cliff and calling Gu Zhan's name over and over with all his strength. Now, wasn't Gu Zhan himself wishing he could kneel and beg the heavens to protect the person he loved and keep him safe? Wishing he could hold Fu Yan's hand tightly and tell him, Don't go. Never leave me.

Sometimes life was simply that fragile. When the person you loved was about to leave you forever, all the worries, hesitation, and uncertainty in your heart suddenly became insignificant.

“Gu Zhan, do you still love me?”

“Of course I love you.”

Gu Zhan gently closed his eyes and tremulously pressed his lips to Fu Yan's. He tenderly kissed and caressed his lips, letting the tip of his tongue slowly deepen the kiss, chasing, entwining with, and soothing Fu Yan's tongue again and again. In this most intimate way, he expressed all the depth of his feelings.

Worried about Fu Yan's condition, Gu Zhan didn't dare keep kissing him for too long. Reluctantly, he pulled away, then lingered over the corner of Fu Yan's lips and gave it a gentle bite.

When Fu Yan struggled to open his eyes and look at Gu Zhan again, the corners of Gu Zhan's eyes were already blurred with tears. Fu Yan couldn't hold back anymore either, and a tear slipped down his cheek.

“You…”

“Don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted to bite you. You're so damn infuriating!” Gu Zhan's mouth remained stubborn, but his eyes had long since softened completely. His voice choked with emotion. “You idiot, why did you risk yourself by going after the USB drive alone? Did I need you to disregard your own safety for Slungshot?”

Fu Yan tugged the corners of his mouth into a faint smile and leaned his lips toward Gu Zhan.

“Then… bite me again.”

At a time like this, this idiot still had the nerve to joke around!

Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of Gu Zhan's eyes.

“Fu Yan, I'm telling you, if you don't make it through this, there are some things you'll never get to know.”

Fu Yan gazed at him, deeply moved.

“Then you have to keep your word. If… if I make it through this, I want you… to tell me those things… yourself.”

“Mm.” Gu Zhan looked at him earnestly through his tears and nodded before kissing him again.

This time, Gu Zhan kissed him more deeply. Holding the back of Fu Yan's neck, he tilted his head back and passionately kissed him, as though he could no longer control his emotions. He was truly terrified—terrified that Fu Yan would leave him just like this, terrified that he would lose Fu Yan forever.

By the time the rescue doctors arrived, Fu Yan had already fainted weakly in his arms, his face buried against the hollow of Gu Zhan's neck.

“Fu Yan… Fu Yan, you have to stay awake. You have to wake up…”

Even after getting into the ambulance, Gu Zhan continued holding Fu Yan's hand, repeatedly calling his name. He believed that as long as he kept calling Fu Yan, Fu Yan would never have the heart to leave him. Surely he would turn back and answer him.

But no matter how many times Gu Zhan called, Fu Yan remained motionless, lying there without answering him.

When the cold doors of the operating room shut him out, Gu Zhan was nearly frantic. Yet there was nothing he could do except crouch helplessly beside the wall and wait. He could do nothing but endure the agonizing pain that gripped his heart again and again.

Several members of the Fu family arrived as well. Fu Chuyin blamed himself terribly, clutching his head and crying alone in a corner. After Fu Hongping learned what had happened, he couldn't bring himself to blame the younger generation, but his blood pressure shot up from anxiety, and Lin Lan had to take him to see a private doctor first.

Before leaving, Lin Lan looked at Gu Zhan and sighed.

Although she didn't openly blame him, Gu Zhan was consumed by guilt. Fu Yan was the only child of the couple, their treasured son who had been raised like a heaven-blessed prodigy. Yet today, he had suffered such a serious injury because of Gu Zhan. The fact that Fu Hongping and his wife hadn't openly torn into him was already a testament to their restraint.

Only now did Gu Zhan realize how little he had appreciated Fu Yan in the past—how little he had appreciated someone who genuinely loved him. If something truly happened to Fu Yan today, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.

He stayed outside the operating room in pain and guilt for more than two hours, every second an agonizing ordeal.

Eventually, the doctor came out.

The operation had been a success. In fact, Fu Yan's injuries weren't as serious as they had initially seemed.

Fu Yan wasn't someone who acted recklessly without a plan. He had known in advance that Chang Jian had a gun, so how could he have come to confront him without any protection? He had been wearing a bulletproof vest. The bullet hadn't penetrated his body; the enormous impact had instead injured his internal organs, particularly his lungs. The severe bruising had caused internal bleeding, which was why he had coughed up blood in the woods.

Gu Zhan first called Fu Hongping's phone. Lin Lan answered.

He told her that Fu Yan was out of danger. There was silence on the other end for quite a while, and Gu Zhan could hear faint sobbing. Lin Lan was probably covering her face as she cried.

Other than “I'm sorry,” Gu Zhan didn't know what else he could say.

After composing herself for a while, Lin Lan instead comforted him.

“It's all right now. That's what matters. Gu Zhan, you're a good child. Auntie knows this wasn't your fault, so don't take it too much to heart. As for Xiao Yan, please help take care of him for me. I can't leave your Uncle Fu's side just yet.”

“Mm, no problem. Fu…”

Gu Zhan hesitated. He really couldn't bring himself to call Fu Hongping “Uncle” yet.

“How is Chairman Fu?”

Lin Lan noticed the awkwardness in his voice but didn't mind.

“He's fine. He took some medicine and is resting. That's just how he is—short-tempered and easily worked up. I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone.”

“Okay. When Fu Yan wakes up, I'll have him call you.”

“Okay.”

The two ended the call.

Just then, Fu Chuyin walked in carrying some takeout food.

He hadn't met Gu Zhan many times, so being somewhat socially awkward, he turned his head away and didn't dare look directly at him. He handed the food to Gu Zhan.

“Eat something first.”

It was already four in the afternoon. Gu Zhan hadn't eaten anything since morning. After the enormous emotional upheaval and ordeal of the day, things had finally settled down.

Gu Zhan let out a breath, accepted the food, and thanked Fu Chuyin. He happened to notice that Fu Chuyin's eyes were as red as a rabbit's.

“Chuyin? Is it okay if I call you that?”

“Mm.” Fu Chuyin nodded.

Gu Zhan softened his voice.

“Your brother getting shot was an accident. It wasn't your fault, so you really don't need to blame yourself. In fact, you helped tremendously with the investigation into Chang Jian this time. I should be thanking you properly.”

Fu Chuyin looked at Gu Zhan in surprise. This was the first time he'd interacted with him privately, and he had never expected that President Gu, who could be smooth and sophisticated or sharp and formidable in the business world, would be so sincere and gentle in private.

“It's nothing.” Fu Chuyin shook his head, then hesitated. “President Gu, actually, there's something I should apologize to you for.”

Gu Zhan looked at him attentively, clearly ready to listen.

“It's about… the technical proposal for the Youfan bidding project. Because of me, my brother may have misunderstood you. And because of my own selfishness, I didn't clear things up for you in front of him right away. Maybe… perhaps I was partly responsible for you two breaking up a year ago…”

Fu Chuyin lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.

After hearing this, Gu Zhan's expression suddenly relaxed.

“My breakup with your brother was ultimately my own decision. It took everything I've been through to understand this, but we both loved ourselves too much back then. Even without the technical proposal incident, even if it hadn't happened a year ago, we would have broken up sooner or later. Maybe that's what fate was trying to teach us—to learn how to cherish the people beside us.”

His gaze fell upon Fu Yan, who lay quietly on the bed, gentle as warm yellow moonlight.

Fu Chuyin looked at the two of them and suddenly began to understand what his brother had once said: Gu Zhan is a lovable partner and a worthy opponent.

Perhaps he really had been judging Gu Zhan through biased eyes before. President Gu was a good man, worthy of the best brother in the world. And his brother loved Gu Zhan so deeply. If the two of them could be together, perhaps he should finally let go of his own reservations.

“But you…” Gu Zhan smiled. “I get the feeling you didn't like me very much before. Someone as proud as you actually taking the initiative to apologize?”

“That’s because… my brother likes you.”

Fu Chuyin looked up and met his eyes seriously.

“President Gu, my brother has never loved anyone the way he loves you. Please give my brother another chance.”

He wanted nothing more than for Fu Yan to be happy.

“You little brat.”

Gu Zhan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“You really are still a kid. Don't worry about your brother and me. You must be tired today too, right? Go home and get some rest. Don't worry. I'll take care of your brother here.”

Fu Chuyin looked at him and nodded.

After Fu Chuyin left, Gu Zhan ate a little and then remained beside Fu Yan's hospital bed.

There were still countless things he needed to deal with—the Japanese Brand, Chen Lang. Every single one was urgent. Yet he didn't want to do any of them. He only wanted to quietly wait for Fu Yan to wake up, because he knew that when Fu Yan opened his eyes, the first person he would want to see was him.

By evening, Fu Yan finally showed signs of waking.

Gu Zhan saw his eyelashes tremble before he slowly opened his confused eyes like a wounded animal.

“Fu Yan, you're finally awake. How do you feel? Is there anywhere that hurts? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“My… heart…”

Fu Yan murmured, trying to speak, but his voice was extremely faint.

Gu Zhan leaned closer, putting his ear beside Fu Yan's mouth.

Fu Yan struggled to speak.

“My… heart hurts a little…”

“What? What should we do?” Gu Zhan panicked. “Could your heart have been injured too? Should I get the doctor to come take another look—”

“No need.”

Before he could finish, Fu Yan lifted a hand and pulled him into an embrace.

“This… makes it better.”

Fu Yan wrapped his arms around him and pressed Gu Zhan's head against his neck. They held each other for a long while, both closing their eyes and feeling the other's living heartbeat.

After a while, Fu Yan murmured softly beside his ear.

“Scared you, huh?”

He gently patted Gu Zhan's back once or twice, comforting him.

“It's all right now… It's all right…”

Warmth immediately welled up in Gu Zhan's eyes again. He buried his face against Fu Yan's neck and took a long time to calm himself before wiping away his tears. He straightened and looked at Fu Yan with reddened eyes.

“Don't ever do this again.”

“Mm.” Fu Yan nodded, smiling as he looked at him. “Gu Zhan, don't you have something to tell me?”

“What?”

Gu Zhan turned his head away, pretending not to understand.

“President Gu always keeps his promises. Don't tell me you're going to go back on your word? Before I passed out, you clearly promised that once I woke up, you'd confess your feelings to me in person. I woke up in such a hurry precisely because I couldn't wait to hear President Gu's heartfelt confession.”

Gu Zhan looked at him.

They stared at each other as Gu Zhan spent a long while gathering his courage. Finally, he pressed his lips together and cleared his throat.

“I'm going out to get some water.”