Chà Chà Novel

Was this some kind of joke?

Wake Yi Heng up to help him?

Use the bathroom right in front of Yi Heng?

Did he have no dignity left at all?

“I can do it myself,” Gu Yan replied stiffly.

Yi Heng casually switched on the bathroom light.

The sudden brightness made Gu Yan’s eyelashes flutter violently, forcing him to narrow his eyes.

The bathroom was small but fully equipped. There was a shower area, a Western-style toilet, and even separate wet and dry zones.

Unfortunately, all those conveniences came at the cost of space.

The room was so cramped that there was barely enough room for one adult to move around comfortably.

“I really can manage on my own. Look how small it is in here. Maybe you shouldn’t…”

Gu Yan saw a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps, with a little more effort, he could still talk his way out of this embarrassing situation.

But before he could finish speaking, Yi Heng interrupted him.

“Be good.”

Yi Heng hadn’t raised his voice.

Yet in the silence of the room, those two simple words seemed to thunder directly into Gu Yan’s ears.

The hand Gu Yan had been using to gently push him away instantly froze.

A tingling sensation spread across his scalp near Yi Heng’s lips, traveling all the way to his ears until they turned completely red.

With just two softly spoken words, Yi Heng had rendered him speechless.

Every argument he’d prepared vanished from his mind, and the fragile walls of courage he’d been trying to build collapsed before they were even finished.

The destructive power of those words was no less devastating than an asteroid crashing into Earth.

Gu Yan couldn’t turn his head, so he had no way of seeing Yi Heng’s expression.

Meanwhile, every trace of embarrassment on his own burning face was completely exposed to the other man.

“Okay.”

Gu Yan answered woodenly.

His thoughts hadn’t even caught up yet, but his mouth had already made the decision for him.

He didn’t have many outstanding qualities.

Perhaps his only redeeming traits were that he was upright, sincere, and hopelessly attracted to handsome men.

When faced with Yi Heng’s tenderness, he had absolutely no defenses.

Even legendary heroes could fall before beauty.

And when Yi Heng coaxed him in that voice, how could Gu Yan possibly resist?

Unfortunately, Gu Yan had forgotten that beauty could be dangerous.

And Yi Heng was hardly some delicate beauty.

Blinded by a moment of weakness, he had failed to recognize the situation he was getting himself into.

As a result, he ended up paying a truly “devastating” price.

“C-Could you… step outside for a moment?”

Gu Yan clutched desperately at his trousers, holding on to the last shreds of his stubborn dignity as he made one final protest.

He regretted everything.

He should never have let himself be bewitched by that single, gentle command.

Unfortunately, his protest was completely ineffective.

Yi Heng simply pointed out that Gu Yan couldn’t lower his head and would have difficulty managing on his own.

Then, with effortless ease, he undid Gu Yan’s belt.

Gu Yan lowered his eyes.

Helplessly, he watched those long, slender fingers move with practiced dexterity, about to slip inside.

“That’s enough!”

Gu Yan suddenly raised his voice.

“I really can do the rest myself!”

Not since he’d stopped wearing split-crotch pants as a toddler had he endured the humiliation of having someone help him use the toilet.

“Just wait outside. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

Gu Yan grabbed Yi Heng’s hand, his face burning so fiercely that steam might as well have been rising from his head.

The bathroom was already small, and squeezing two grown men into it was a challenge.

Gu Yan’s back was pressed tightly against Yi Heng’s chest.

His heart is beating so fast…

Gu Yan instinctively held his breath.

But a few seconds later, he suddenly realized something.

That didn’t seem to be his own heartbeat.

It was Yi Heng’s.

“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”

Yi Heng stared at Gu Yan’s bright red earlobes, delivering the most embarrassing words imaginable in the calmest, most matter-of-fact tone.

Both of them simultaneously recalled the time Yi Heng had helped Gu Yan bathe in the bathroom.

Gu Yan nearly choked on his own saliva.

“How is that the same thing?”

With someone standing there watching him use the toilet, he wouldn’t be able to go even if he stood there all day.

But continuing this standoff wasn’t going to solve anything.

In the end, Yi Heng finally released him and gave in.

“All right. Call me when you’re finished. I’ll help you fasten your trousers.”

He was worried that Gu Yan might hurt himself by holding it in too long.

He was also afraid that struggling too much might tear open his surgical wound.

Gu Yan nodded so quickly it was almost comical.

Only after making absolutely certain that the bathroom door was firmly closed did his tense body finally begin to relax.

Yi Heng rarely said things that could make someone blush like that.

Now that Gu Yan had recovered his composure, he couldn’t help feeling that Yi Heng had been teasing him on purpose.

He raised a hand and rubbed his eyes.

An unprecedented sense of relief washed over him, and the corners of his lips lifted into a small, involuntary smile.

He felt like a ship that had spent months sailing across a vast and turbulent ocean, finally finding its way back to a sheltered harbor after refusing to surrender to the waves.

Beneath the gentle glow of the lighthouse, even the battered masts and sails, scarred by countless storms, no longer seemed worth worrying about.

After all, the ship had finally made it home.

Gu Yan had originally thought that seeing Yi Heng again after waking up would be unbearably awkward.

He had imagined they would struggle to find something to talk about, eventually falling into an uncomfortable silence, unable to do anything but look at each other.

But now, he realized he had been worrying for nothing.

It was almost as though they had never been apart.

As if the time they’d spent separated had been nothing more than a dream he’d had, a stretch of days that had never truly existed.

After finishing in the bathroom, Gu Yan was much wiser this time.

He made absolutely certain his trousers were properly fastened before calling Yi Heng back inside.

One humiliation was more than enough.

If he had to go through that again, he would probably still remember it in his next life.

The following morning, Gu Yan had barely been awake for long when the doctor arrived.

The nurse changed his dressings, applied medication, and tended to his wounds, keeping him occupied for more than ten minutes.

“The incision is in a particularly delicate location, so there’s a possibility it may leave a scar. We can only use medication to promote faster healing and try to make the scar as inconspicuous as possible.”

Instead of looking worried, Gu Yan smiled.

“It’s fine. I don’t really care whether it leaves a scar. Honestly, scars can look pretty cool. I’ll just consider it a souvenir.”

Yi Heng stood silently beside him, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his opinion.

After the doctor and nurse left, Gu Yan yawned, thinking he could finally get a little more sleep.

But just as his head settled against the pillow, a formally dressed man entered the room, carrying a document folder.

“President Yi, the agreement has been prepared according to your instructions.”

The man addressed Yi Heng with utmost respect.

Yi Heng replied calmly,

“Read it.”

Gu Yan: “?”

His ears practically perked up.

All traces of sleepiness vanished instantly.

An agreement?

Before he could even process what was happening, the man opened the first page of the folder and began reading aloud in a clear, formal voice.

“PHEROMONE DYSREGULATION TREATMENT AGREEMENT.”

“Party A: Yi Heng. Secondary gender: Alpha.”

“Party B: Gu Yan. Secondary gender: Omega.”

“All provisions contained herein shall be legally binding…”

Gu Yan felt as though his brain had rusted over.

For a moment, his thoughts simply refused to turn.

It took him several seconds to understand what was happening.

So Yi Heng had heard what he’d said before losing consciousness.

And this time, he had even gone so far as to arrange for an official witness to certify the agreement, complete with an official seal.

By the time Gu Yan slowly recovered from his shock, the man had already read several more lines.

“During the effective period of this agreement, Party A shall provide Party B with pheromone-based treatment. In return, Party B shall be obligated to fulfill the following requirements stipulated by Party A.”

“Article One: To facilitate treatment and conserve Party A’s time, Party B must reside at Party A’s residence.”

“Article Two: To prevent Party B from missing the optimal treatment window due to embarrassment or similar reasons, thereby compromising treatment effectiveness, the method of treatment shall henceforth be determined solely by Party A.”

“Article Three…”

The certifying official maintained a solemn expression, his voice loud and resonant as he read the clauses with complete seriousness.

His words practically echoed through the hospital room.

Every now and then, nurses passing outside would cast curious glances through the glass panel in the door.

Gu Yan’s entire face turned crimson.

The agreement he’d been dreaming about had not only been drafted, but officially stamped and put into effect.

Yet at that very moment, all he wanted was to find a crack in the floor and disappear into it.

To make matters worse, he still couldn’t move his neck freely.

He couldn’t even bury his head beneath the blanket to hide.

All he could do was turn his face slightly to one side and cover it with one hand.

The certifying official turned to the next page.

“Article Ten: During the effective period of this agreement, as a condition of Party A providing treatment to Party B, Party A and Party B shall enter into a romantic relationship and automatically assume all responsibilities and obligations associated with being lovers.”

“Duration of agreement: Permanent.”

“Wait a minute…”

Gu Yan suddenly sensed that something wasn’t quite right.

He was fairly certain the final clause of their previous agreement hadn’t been worded like that.

At first, he assumed the official had simply read it incorrectly.

But when he took the document and examined it carefully several times, he confirmed that the agreement really did say “enter into a romantic relationship.”

Not “pretend to be in a romantic relationship.”

Gu Yan forgot how to breathe.

In that moment, his heart seemed to soften, soaked through with an indescribably tender emotion.

He instinctively raised his eyes toward Yi Heng.

And as it happened, Yi Heng had been watching him the entire time.

Their gazes met.

There was no fierce collision, no overwhelming clash of emotions.

Instead, their eyes came together gently, merging in a quiet understanding.

In that single instant, each seemed to comprehend everything the other had left unspoken.

A mysterious warmth suddenly flowed through Gu Yan’s body.

It spread into every corner of him before gathering again, rushing straight toward his heart.

“If there are no objections, please sign here,” the official said.

Gu Yan accepted the pen, his fingertips trembling slightly.

This was Yi Heng’s answer to him.

It felt as though he were locking a precious treasure inside a safe.

With every stroke of his pen, another lock clicked into place.

One after another.

Until he and Yi Heng were securely locked together, sealed so tightly that there was no possibility of escape.

Not now.

Not ever.

Yi Heng’s pen moved across the paper in firm, powerful strokes, producing a faint scratching sound.

Once he’d finished signing, he calmly replaced the pen cap.

“Have it framed.”

Gu Yan’s soaring emotions came to an abrupt halt.

“… Huh?”

Yi Heng’s words carried an unmistakable implication.

“Have it framed and sent home. Tell the housekeeper to hang it in the living room, so a certain someone won’t conveniently forget.”

The certifying official didn’t understand the reasoning behind the request, but he didn’t dare question it.

“Of course, sir.”

Gu Yan’s embarrassment reached its absolute peak.

He had never imagined Yi Heng could hold a grudge so thoroughly.

“Oh, right.”

The official suddenly remembered that there was one important clause he hadn’t read aloud.

He hurriedly flipped through the pages until he reached the very last one.

“If either party unilaterally breaches or terminates this agreement, the other party shall have the right to demand reasonable compensation or impose an appropriate penalty.”

Gu Yan: “…”

He felt as though he’d just been handed a priceless block of gold, only to accidentally drop it directly onto his own foot while trying to carry it.

The official took the agreement away to have it framed.

There were four or five pages in total, each of which would be placed in its own individual frame.

Once they were all hung together like photographs in the living room, the display would undoubtedly be quite a spectacular sight.

Yi Heng noticed that Gu Yan’s lips looked a little dry.

He poured a glass of warm water and sat down beside the bed.

“What’s wrong? Still don’t understand?”

Gu Yan stared at him without blinking.

Then he watched Yi Heng’s thin lips move.

“From this moment on, you’re my boyfriend.”

“Gu Yan, will you go out with me?”

The footsteps in the corridor seemed to disappear.

Even the howling wind outside the window fell silent.

The entire world appeared to stand still.

Only his heartbeat refused to follow its usual rhythm, growing faster and faster with every passing second.

Yi Heng’s confession had come without warning.

And yet, somehow, it had arrived at exactly the right moment.

Gu Yan stared at Yi Heng’s lips, his eyes flickering with emotion.

“Mm.”

He managed a soft sound of agreement.

But his throat was still hoarse, making his response indistinct and slightly slurred.

It sounded more like a quiet hum than an actual answer.

Kiss him.

A voice whispered inside his head.

It had been so long since they’d shared any intimacy.

He had almost forgotten what it felt like to kiss Yi Heng.

The only things that hadn’t changed were the anticipation and nervous excitement stirring inside him.

Like a car suddenly accelerating after someone pressed down hard on the gas pedal, Gu Yan impulsively leaned closer.

He intended to give Yi Heng his answer through actions rather than words.

“Yanyan!”

Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Gu Yan’s grandmother pushed open the door.

Seeing that her grandson had finally regained consciousness, she was overwhelmed with surprise and joy.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hurried toward the hospital bed.

Startled, Gu Yan completely forgot about the wound on his gland.

In a moment of panic, he instinctively tried to turn his head.

Yi Heng reached out with his large hand, firmly supporting the back of Gu Yan’s neck to keep him from moving recklessly.

Then, without betraying the slightest change in expression, he calmly put some distance between them.

“Slow down!”

Gu Yan’s grandfather followed closely behind his wife, his heart in his throat, terrified that she might lose her footing and fall again.

When Yi Heng’s parents heard that Gu Yan had regained consciousness, they also came to visit, bringing chicken soup they had personally prepared.

Yi Feng followed behind his parents.

Throughout the entire visit, he didn’t dare look Gu Yan directly in the eyes.

He wasn’t noisy or argumentative, nor did he show even the slightest trace of impatience.

Gone was the perpetually sour expression he’d worn before.

He even took the initiative to peel an apple for Gu Yan.

Although he’d managed to peel away almost all the flesh along with the skin, Gu Yan graciously took a couple of bites anyway.

That afternoon, Gu Chengjing made a brief appearance as well.

He didn’t want people criticizing him for failing to visit his injured son, so he came to put on a superficial display of concern before leaving.

Wang Zhiliang was the last to arrive.

If Yi Feng hadn’t told him, he would never have known that Gu Yan had gone through something so terrible over the past two days.

“Fuck, this bathroom is tiny! I can barely turn around in there!”

Wang Zhiliang had been chatting with Gu Yan for over an hour.

After drinking several glasses of water, he’d gone to use the bathroom.

He finished, pulled up his trousers, and stepped out, intending to tell Gu Yan that it was getting late and he’d come back tomorrow.

But the moment he emerged from the bathroom, he witnessed a scene that made him want to gouge out his own eyes.

The golden glow of the setting sun poured into the hospital room.

Yi Heng gently wiped away a lingering drop of water from the corner of Gu Yan’s mouth with his thumb.

His fingers brushed across Gu Yan’s cheek before he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss at the corner of his lips.

It was the kiss they’d been interrupted from sharing that morning.

Wang Zhiliang felt as though he’d been struck by lightning.

He rubbed his eyes.

Then, right before his very eyes, he watched the tips of his best friend’s ears slowly turn red.

“Uh… well…”

Wang Zhiliang suddenly felt that his presence in the room was entirely unnecessary.

Still, he couldn’t exactly leave without reminding the two people beside the bed that they weren’t alone.

He watched his notoriously pleasure-loving, party-going friend stiffen his back and jolt as though he’d been caught doing something scandalous.

Wang Zhiliang felt his entire worldview suffer a devastating blow.

Here’s a joke for you.

My best friend is apparently an innocent little romantic.

One tiny kiss, and he’s too embarrassed to even turn around.

The way Gu Yan pretended nothing had happened was almost like covering his own ears and assuming nobody else could hear anything.

For some inexplicable reason, it was rather childish.

Under Yi Heng’s calm gaze, Wang Zhiliang tiptoed over and picked up his bag.

“Sorry! You two carry on. I’ll be leaving now!”

He practically hugged the wall as he made his escape, slipping out of the room in a flash.

How strange.

Wang Zhiliang patted his poor, startled heart.

Only after leaving did he belatedly realize how unfair the whole situation was.

He hadn’t walked in on them deliberately!

Clearly, those two had simply forgotten that there was still another person in the room.

Shouldn’t they have been the ones feeling guilty?

Shouldn’t they have apologized for traumatizing his poor, innocent little heart?

But no matter how much he thought about it, Wang Zhiliang didn’t dare go back and argue.

After all, a single glance from Yi Heng was enough to make his calves cramp with fear.

In the end, with two imaginary streams of tears running down his cheeks, Wang Zhiliang unilaterally declared that he was severing his friendship with Gu Yan.

For exactly one hour.

Inside the hospital room, Gu Yan rubbed his burning cheeks and hurriedly changed the subject.

“You’ve spent the entire day here with me. What about your work?”

Ever since waking up, he’d lost count of how many times his heart had started racing.

His head felt light and dizzy.

At this rate, he was practically going to give himself a fever.

Yi Heng drew the curtains closed.

“The secretaries can handle the simpler matters. I’ll personally review anything important.”

“My youngest uncle will have a little more work to deal with at the group. Once you’re discharged, I’ll give him some time off.”

“Every meeting that could be postponed has been rescheduled. The ones that couldn’t be delayed have all been moved online.”

Gu Yan pressed his lips together.

So Yi Heng had rearranged practically everything, pushing his responsibilities aside to make time to take care of him.

“Actually, you don’t have to stay here with me all the time. It’s just a minor injury. The incision doesn’t even hurt anymore today. I can take perfectly good care of myself.”

Gu Yan believed that two people in a relationship should stand shoulder to shoulder, moving forward together.

It shouldn’t be a matter of one person desperately dragging the other along.

He added softly,

“I’m not that delicate.”

Yi Heng’s calm gaze traced Gu Yan’s features.

How could he possibly not understand?

During the two hours Gu Yan had spent in surgery, Yi Heng had gradually come to understand why Gu Yan had chosen to leave him.

Some people appeared as proud and thorny as roses.

Yet beneath that fierce exterior lay hearts that were extraordinarily sensitive, thoughtful, and resilient.

They refused to become the weaker party in love.

They refused to become a burden in a relationship.

Instead, they would stubbornly use their fragile branches and leaves to shield the people they cared about from the sand and stones hurled at them by the outside world.

If this had happened before, Yi Heng would have respected Gu Yan’s wishes and returned to work the following morning.

But this time was different.

Yi Heng raised a hand and gently ruffled Gu Yan’s hair.

“Gu Yan, I’m staying here with you because I want to. There’s no other reason.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“There’s something else I forgot to tell you.”

“Regarding your pheromone disorder, the doctor has proposed two new treatment options.”

“Which one would you like to hear first?”