I’ve Got this Cannon Fodder’s Back
Chapter 7 - I've got this Tyrant's back (7)
Chapter 7 - I’ve got this Tyrant’s back (7)
Chapter 7 I’ve got this Tyrant’s back
Lu Deng felt his pulse. It was rapid and running wild. It slammed and slammed against his fingers.
Though the man had already fallen into a coma, he was far from having an easy sleep. His breaths came loud and jarring from the bottom of his lungs. His brows were furrowed tightly and cold sweat soaked through his hair. His muscles were coiled tightly, going into convulsions.
Before the new change in Gu Yuan’s condition, Lu Deng had nimbly extricated himself from those arms and Lu Deng pressed Gu Yuan’s tall body against the bed.
His strength was insufficient and he could hardly restrain Gu Yuan’s instinctive struggle. Lu Deng caught sight of the thrown aside necktie and simply grabbed it and used it to bind both of their wrists together.
With the borrowed help, Lu Deng used his body to press down on the other’s unconscious struggle. He fumbled around for and held that trembling palm. The smart computer on his right wrist lined up exactly with Gu Yuan’s smart computer.
The non-intelligent backup system of Gu Yuan’s smart computer didn’t sound any alarm and quickly fell under the control of the host. Bypassing layer upon layer of protective barriers, he quickly transferred over the monitoring audio-visual recordings.
It was a large drinking party. Glasses were pushed around and cups were exchanged. Everyone had on kindly, polite smiles.
Lu Deng closed his eyes and through his mind, he quickly riffled through every frame of the recording. He finally stopped on the wine glass in Gu Yuan’s hand.
When he had taken that glass of wine, Gu Yuan’s figure, in its half-drunk state, wavered and spilled a few drops of the wine on his wrist.
In the warning record of the smart computer Gu Yuan wore on his wrist, it issued a warning that the wine’s special ingredients exceeded the limit.
The ingredient in the wine was an extract of Broken Star Grass, a chemical specially produced on Planet Guar. It was specially used to induce people into making confessions. When taken, it will make people fall into a state similar to drunkenness. Under the guidance of the people around him, he will act only by instinct, revealing the true secrets hidden in the bottom of his heart.
As expected, the Guars still didn’t fully trust Gu Yuan.
Regardless whether there was a problem with the wine, Gu Yuan had no choice but to drink it. Gu Yuan’s current symptoms must be related to the excessive amount of inducers in the wine.
Lu Deng saw fingertips touching the switch hidden in the interior of the smart computer. Lu Deng frowned and fumbled a few times to confirm that the switch for electrical stimulation of the brain was still turned off and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The electrical stimulation of neurons in the brain was the most effective way to resist the effect of the drug. However, it can also cause severe damage to the human brain. Prolonged exposure to the electrical stimulation can cause complications such as vertigo and violent headaches.
In the original plot line, Gu Yuan couldn’t find himself an excuse to get free. He must have overcome the Guar’s last attempt at probing him by turning on the smart computer’s electrical stimulation.
After that, it was probably because he was unable to maintain clear-headedness for a long period of time that he overlooked something important and the resistance swooped in and exploited that opportunity, and finally Gu Yuan fell under the muzzle of an assassin.
Although the electrical stimulation was not turned on this time, the side effects of the drug have not yet passed. Despite the chaos in his mind, Gu Yuan still remembered not to hurt him. He was struggling to breathe in low, trying to move outward to keep away.
Lu Deng held that hand tightly. He used his body to cover the other and embraced the person firmly.
Vaguely aware of the uncomfortable confinement, the man frowned and muttered lowly.
Guessing that he wanted something, Lu Deng leaned over and brought his ear closer. The man’s muffled voice hit his ear along with his scalding breath.
“Zhiguang…”
Gu Yuan struggled feebly, his chest trembling slightly, looking for traces of the boy.
Foreign invaders exploited him. His countrymen hated him. He walked on the edge of a knife, every step was filled with the glint and flashes of daggers and swords, every inch was as though he was on the brink of an abyss.
He had reached this point of desperation—at this point, he could no longer distinguish what the existence of the teenager meant. From out of nowhere, he felt a warmth, a companionship he never could have hoped for — the only pure land left in his chaotic world — care, comfort, hope.
The only light in the abyss.
Lu Deng’s breathing was slightly slowed, fixedly looking at Gu Yuan’s lashes that were fluttering slightly because of the pain. He hesitatingly raised his hand and touched a bit of crystal clear water overflowing from the extreme struggle.
Perhaps it wasn’t the dripping cold sweat that had fallen on his face at that time.
“It’s okay now…”
Lu Deng spoke softly, spread his arms and put it around him. Lu Deng gave him comforting pats and wiped away the water tracks that Gu Yuan would never have shown were he clear-headed. “It’s okay. I’m here with you. It’s okay…”
He has always been reticent and he has never felt it to be any inconvenience. It wasn’t until this point that he suddenly felt that the available words were really too scarce.
Lu Deng tightened his lips and hesitated for a moment. He still grabbed onto the knotted shoulders under his body, recalling the pictures the system had used to warn him, he leaned over.
This young man has never experienced communicating affection, he only knew how to follow the script and so with soft trembling kisses he touched the man’s still burning forehead.
Cool and soft kisses stroked his knitted brows, Gu Yuan’s figure palpitated slightly and his unconscious struggles finally calmed down.
High fever was caused by his body subconsciously resisting the drug. Once it’s undone, his fever will naturally gradually recede. After a while, his body temperature return to normal.
Lu Deng heaved a sigh of relief. His eyes carefully fell on Gu Yuan’s finally smooth brows, softly confirming, “He’s feeling better now.”
The corners of his lips curled slightly. He raised his hand, placed it on the man’s short, sweat-damp hair and slowly rubbed it.
Following the faint clear and mellow voice, Gu Yuan pushed away the thick layer of fog that seemed to be in front of him. Gu Yuan opened his eyes with difficulty and was met with fine starlight in the young boy’s eyes.
*
Seeing that he had woke up, Lu Deng was finally completely relieved. He propped up his body and tried to get up, but his arms couldn’t help shaking, his eyes also blurred from dizziness.
This body was set to be that of a poor student’s. He hadn’t realized that he’s already exhausted his physical strength and vigor. Lu Deng was caught off guard as he fell down. Gu Yuan suddenly supported him to sit up and wrapped him tightly between his arms. .
Lu Deng leaned docilely against his chest. He raised his head and looked into those dark eyes that were once again brought back to their bright and penetrating state. He blinked and a clear smile stretched out across his features.
“Still smiling…”
Except for when he didn’t have to do homework, this was the first time Gu Yuan had seen the boy in his arms let out such a bright and clear smile. Gu Yuan hesitantly gave a faint smile. He muttered something and raised his hand to rub they boy’s short hair.
When he moved his left hand, he suddenly realized that something was a bit wrong. Gu Yuan looked down, his heart flew to his throat, a thunderous roar sounded in his head.
Their hands were still tightly bound. The wide face of the tie wrapped around his wrist twice and the knot was tied at the other end. The fair and clear skin of the young man’s wrist had eye-catching welts from the chafing of the tie.
His heart was instantly filled with uneasiness. His voice because so hoarse, it was hard to understand. Gu Yuan opened his mouth, then said with difficulty, “I… tied this?”
Lu Deng’s eyes turned into crescents. He flipped over his wrist and untied the knot, “I tied it.”
Gu Yuan’s heart dropped back down with a plop. Gu Yuan gaped and remained at a loss for words for a long while. Looking at the smiling expression in the young man’s sleek raven-black eyes, he finally couldn’t help pulling the young man into his arms. He closed his eyes tightly and couldn’t help letting out a laugh.
His head was still hurting. Even a smile seemed to touch on fragile nerves that couldn’t withstand any kind of stimulation. But Gu Yuan just allowed his entangled emotions rush out unrestrained from the bottom of his heart, and the moisture in his eyes welled up and lightened.
Lu Deng lay docilely in his arms He raised his hands to embrace the man’s broad and strong shoulders, slowly giving open-palmed pats to comfort the other.
He wasn’t good at speaking, but he seems to have found a more effective way of comforting than talking.
*
Under the boy’s clumsy but earnest pats of comfort, Gu Yuan finally relaxed. His surging emotions gradually calmed down. His hollowed out chest was pacified by the familiar warmth.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Looking at the young man leaning in his arms, Gu Yuan pursed the corners of his lips. Suddenly, he felt the urge to lower his head and kiss his slender and long eyelashes. But he resisted it and simply stroked his hair.
Lu Deng has run out of strength. Now that he was relaxed once again, he began to feel vaguely sleepy. But still he let out a smile that turned his eyes into narrow crescents.
With that flash of brightness half hidden behind his lashes, Gu Yuan’s breath slightly ran wild. His arm tightened unconsciously and then slowly relaxed.
It must be that drug hasn’t completely left his body.
Gu Yuan took a deep breath and slowly calmed down the impulses in his chest. When he recovered most of his strength, he carried the boy in his arms and got out of bed. He walked into the bathroom and gently placed the young man inside the bathtub made of silvery star stone.
Warm water slowly poured into the bathtub. Gu Yuan took off Lu Deng’s remaining clothes for him. He leaned against the bathtub, and carefully scrubbed the boy’s body that had light red marks because of Gu Yuan’s unconscious struggle.
Feeling comfortable in the hot water, Lu Deng raised his head slightly and smiled at Gu Yuan through the dense steam.
Gu Yuan rubbed Lu Deng’s hair and carefully held his wrist that had been wounded from the tie and placed it on the edge of the bath that was still dry. The light in his eyes gradually deepened.
When he found out that the wine had been drugged, he actually started to make preparations.
Electrical stimulation was his last resort. When he drank that glass of wine, he tried to draw his attention away from those plans that have left him mentally and physically exhausted, leaving only that silhouette in his mind.
This wasn’t difficult for him.
There has never been anyone around Gu Yuan. Lu Deng was the first. He been repeating this same process every day; separating himself from being the head of the Gu Group who was fighting at knife’s edge in that battlefield like business world; returning to the villa, chatting and keeping that young man company, tutoring him on homework.
As long as he could return to that moment, even under the inducement of drugs, he would never reveal that enormous and important duty.
The pure land that he’d guarded carefully became his only refuge for helping himself.
At the banquet, he deliberately allowed himself to become a drunken mess. Vaguely repeating to himself about looking for his little lover upstairs. He was surrounded by half-doubting half-believing wanton laughter.
Holding on to that last bit of sobriety, he stumbled up the stairs and crashed into the room. He played that last scene for the person watching outside the window. By then, Gu Yuan’s consciousness was almost befuddled.
Although he repeatedly told himself that he must never hurt the other, he was still perturbed. He couldn’t guarantee whether he could control himself once he was fully under the effects of the drug.
Fortunately.
At least he felt relieved that he hadn’t made any big mistakes. After sweeping his eyes across the stark welts on the boy’s wrist, Gu Yuan’s eyes, as before, silently drew back.
Soaking in the warm water, Lu Deng was starting to feel drowsy. A languid and relaxed look took over his delicate features. Gu Yuan rubbed his hair and said softly, “I’ll get the medicine. Wait a moment and be careful not to fall asleep.”
This kind of injury was nothing at all. Lu Deng sat up a little. He was about to tell Gu Yuan not to bother when he met the silent black light in the man’s eyes. He swallowed back his protests and just lightly nodded.
The hotel’s private rooms weren’t intended for serious and proper business. Not only did it have special tools, it also had everything one needed to respond to an emergency.
Even though Gu Yuan had never touched any of these, he could still guess more or less what these items before him were used for. He put on his bathrobe and held his breath, digging out the wound medicine and a clean bandage and hurried back to the bathroom.
Lu Deng had listened to what he said and didn’t fall asleep. He was leaning back in the bathtub playing in the water. Hearing his voice, he immediately looked over, his eyebrows curving into gentle arches.
In the hazy mist, the young man’s eyes looked exceptionally bright. The tips of his hair were soaked slightly, offsetting the dark and clear quality of his brows and lashes. He stretched out his arms towards him without a second thought.
Gu Yuan chest was suddenly hit. The rapid beating of his heart rang in his ears.
Gu Yuan’s footsteps hesitated for a moment. But he still walked quickly over and gathered the boy’s warm body along with the dripping water into his arms.
Lu Deng wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders. He pressed close and leaned meekly against the other’s chest. He leaned against Gu Yuan’s neck and rubbed lightly.
The drug hadn’t completely left without any after effect. Gu Yuan’s life level has stabilized at 92. Lu Deng wanted to determine where the hidden danger lurked in Gu Yuan’s body. He needed to let the amulet hanging from his neck touch the other’s body and then treat the symptoms according to the detailed diagnosis.
Besides—he really wanted to hug this person in front of him.
He wasn’t sure where this idea came from but having his body held between the other’s arms was really comfortable. The chest and shoulders, which had been soaked with cold sweat, had been warmed by the warm water. His body was strong and sturdy and his broad arms revealed unmistakable affectionate warmth.
The plot line gradually became clear in Lu Deng’s mind. Lu Deng lowered his head a bit and tightened his arms slightly. His eyes narrowed.
Gu Yuan must survive, he must survive and live a good life.
Gu Yuan didn’t know what thoughts were whirling in the young man’s mind. He merely took it as the young man finally feeling fear after the fact, now that he had relaxed. Gu Yuan simply stepped into the spacious bathtub, comforted the other person by wrapping him in his arms and gently handled the wound on his wrist for him.
A cool touch on his wrist gently spread the ointment. Carefully avoiding the dense water vapor, Gu Yuan wrap the clean bandage around his wrist and covered the stark welt.
Lu Deng slowly moved his bandaged right wrist, his gaze suddenly brightened. He turned around, making as if to say something, when he met the man’s deep eyes.
Gu Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. In an instant, he figured it out. He chuckled helplessly. He rubbed the soft hair of the young man in his arms.
“If you’re sure about your exam, if you’ve already studied well these past few days, then you don’t need to do the exercises anymore…”
Heaven!
The light in his eyes immediately jumped for joy. The boy slammed firmly against the man, creating a splash of water. He then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
His chest was suddenly emptied and Gu Yuan’s mind went blank for a moment. He held the young man in a daze.
With the sound of dripping water, the beating of his heart became louder and louder, gradually turning into a boom.
The author has something to say: Lu Deng: No! more! Home! Work! Q^Q
Gu Yuan: (*///@////@///*)
System: Now, they’ve even taken a bath aaaaahhhh _(┐「Q口Q)_
Translator’s note:
This author uses a lot of abstract and ‘flowery’ language and I’m not always able to convey that to it’s fullest. So, that’s just something to keep in mind.