ITOTIABSAM | Interstellar Orcs | 131
Gu Cong was somewhat surprised.
He didn't expect that Xie Ye would recognize him so quickly.
In the moment when he caught sight of the tiger pouncing towards him, he completely forgot about his mimicry, forgot about his disguise. It wasn't until he snapped out of it that he realized he might have gone too far.
Gu Cong already understood Xie Ye's aversion, even disgust, towards ferocious beasts.
Even in the almost unconscious state of deep sleep, the silver-white cat would perk up its airplane-like ears and puff up its fur. Not to mention, at this moment, he should appear as a strange and terrifying wolf covered in blood in Xie Ye's eyes.
However, against all odds, amidst the tiger's dying wail, it was Xie Ye who, against the crowd, approached and accurately called out his name.
"Gu Cong."
The ferociousness of his nature vanished in an instant. Tilting his head back, the amber-like beast eyes met the emerald ones, revealing strands of soft, misty warmth.
Droplets of crimson blood fell from the dense and sleek fur of the black wolf. Xie Ye, who always favored cleanliness, didn't worry at all about getting his clothes dirty. He discarded the umbrella, tightly embraced the black wolf, and gently nuzzled its neck:
"Thank you."
Click. Click.
The flashlights flickered, and the reporters who had regained their senses finally remembered to capture the headline news in front of them. The patrolling AI, which had been delayed by the crowd, finally arrived late and automatically called the emergency center. However, unexpectedly, as it approached the tiger, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded.
【Beep.】
【Identity recognition: Suspect at large, Xie Tianhua.】
【Charges: Kidnapping, unlawful confinement, damage to and abandonment of a body, illegal drug trafficking.】
【Execution order: Arrest after medical treatment.】
【End of transmission.】
Xie Tianhua's animal form was registered, and there was nowhere for him to hide. With numerous reporters present, cameras from various angles faithfully recorded the information flashing through the patrol AI's eyes.
Moreover, there were accounts live-streaming the scene, coincidentally consuming all available bandwidth:
【Damn! Terrorist attack!】
【Just discharged from the hospital and almost went back in again. Poor wife.】
【Wasn't it said that after registration, areas with large animals would be under the patrol AI's close watch? This is too scary.】
【Mainly because the scene was too chaotic.】
【Save Xie Tianhua, he's on the run? I am losing trust in the police gradually.】
【Where's the surveillance? How did he manage to evade it?】
Even the police responsible for escorting Xie Tianhua and Xie Haiguo to the central bureau were speechless about this incident. The former suddenly transformed into an animal form and jumped out of the vehicle, and the nearby surveillance cameras happened to be under maintenance, causing them to lose track of the suspect.
Xie Tianhua was initially thought to be attempting to flee the capital star, prompting the bureau to urgently deploy surveillance at major spaceports. However, unexpectedly, he showed such persistence towards Xie Ye.
In hindsight, Xie Tianhua probably saw the news randomly displayed on the roadside big screen during the escort, learning about Xie Ye's imminent discharge from the hospital. He then acted impulsively, catching everyone off guard.
The logic behind his actions was reasonable, but it went overly smoothly. Apart from the black wolf that suddenly appeared, there was not a single misstep in the process, as if blessed by luck.
The only comforting aspect was that no lives were lost in the end. The black wolf's actions were clearly measured, as Xie Tianhua bled profusely but was ultimately diagnosed with only minor injuries, classified as grade two injuries.
Xie Ye, as the innocent victim, sat on a bench in the corridor, holding the hot water poured by a female police officer, waiting for the situation to be resolved.
He hadn't even changed his clothes yet, with the hem stained with blossoming bloodstains resembling plum blossoms. The side of his face and the tip of his nose were also marked with two dried red streaks, adding a touch of vividness to his otherwise cold countenance, making him appear both eerie and mesmerizing.
Images captured from the same angle quickly spread across the Star Network, slightly blurry but clearly depicting the moment when the young man dropped his umbrella and embraced the black wolf.
【Gotcha! Beauty and the Beast! Lock them together for me!】
【So spicy! My wife is so spicy!】
【Frame by frame, it looks like the black wolf is the man behind Xie Ye. Look at the red circle. (Images) (Images)】
【Bodyguard?】
【Subordinate?】
【No no no, too handsome, so I reasonably suspect he's the romantic partner.】
【Third-rate coffee shop worker?】
【Let's insert some sugar daddy literature.】
"How is that possible?" Seeing the increasingly outrageous speculations online, Xiao Meng's face was full of disagreement as he scoffed, "Brother Gu has a boyfriend, and he's even a big celebrity."
Although he still hadn't guessed the specific name.
"But Brother Gu's heroic act of throwing out that scum brother is really cool. Such a big tiger, if I were Boss Xie, I would definitely be moved." With the boss being attacked, which was a big deal, and no urgent projects on hand for the time being, the entire office put down their work to gossip after discovering that the black wolf was Gu Cong.
The short-haired girl next to Xiao Meng enthusiastically agreed, "Who says it's not? It's like a real-life idol drama."
Unfortunately, Brother Gu already has someone, while Boss Xie seems to be immune to love based on his aura alone.
He hopes that unknown celebrity won't get angry after seeing the hot search.
"But Xie Tianhua seems to be seriously injured," another colleague asked, concerned. "Shouldn't it be considered self-defense?"
Xiao Meng immediately responded, "What self-defense?"
"It's obviously an act of bravery."
The only thing he couldn't figure out was why Brother Gu was at the hospital on a workday. Was he covering for the executive assistant?
---
Rubbing her nose, Anna hurriedly arrived with her lawyer, holding back a sneeze.
Kidnapping, illegal drugs, animal attacks—the troubles came one after another, as if all the misfortunes of Ark Technology in the past five years had accumulated in the past two months. She deeply suspected that her boss was going through a streak of bad luck.
"It's okay, the lawyer is negotiating. Once we finish the recording, we can leave," Anna breathed a sigh of relief after inspecting Xie Ye from head to toe to ensure he wasn't injured. "Have you seen the police's case announcement? It's just too coincidental that the surveillance malfunctioned and Xie Tianhua happened to transfer you out of the hospital. Isn't it a bit too convenient?"
With lowered eyelashes, Xie Ye responded calmly, "Convenient?"
It was nothing more than the world consciousness targeting his malicious intentions, leading to all of this.
【It must be furious now,】 1101's tone was cheerful, trying to lighten the mood. "The most crucial technology is still in our hands."
But Xie Ye's mind was preoccupied with another matter:
How was he going to let this new world consciousness know that he had killed many protagonists?
1101 shuddered suddenly, weakly saying, "Such a bad world consciousness must be hard to deal with."
Moreover, neither the protagonist nor the host had officially met, which was somewhat pitiful.
【I'm just kidding, after all, Gu Cong is still alive in this world,】 Xie Ye replied softly, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I just want to give it a little threat."
To let the world consciousness taste a bit of fear.
1101: I don't think you're joking.
But if you say so.
"Or wait until things settle down, and you can go visit some temples or shrines on the weekend, pay your respects to various deities," unaware that the young man next to her was contemplating terrifying thoughts in earnest, Anna changed the subject, thinking he might have been reminded of unpleasant memories by Xie Tianhua's animal form.
She wasn't superstitious, but everything that happened today was just too strange.
She could guess that he would refuse even with her knee, so Anna added, "Take Gu Cong with you, too."
Her slightly parted red lips moved again, then tightened.
Seeking divine intervention wasn't her thing.
...But going out with Gu Cong was an option.
The hot water in the paper cup remained mostly untouched, gradually cooling down. As the sun outside reached its zenith, Gu Cong, now restored to his human form, finally emerged from the interrogation room:
Thanks to the reporters who had gathered early at the hospital to surround Xie Ye, there were dozens of high-definition cameras filming every detail from various angles, all indisputable. Plus, with support from Ark Technology, he only needed to stay in the capital star for the time being and cooperate with the police investigation at any time.
Like Xie Ye, Gu Cong didn't have time to change clothes either. The blood stains on his fur had soaked through the fabric, giving him a somewhat fierce appearance at first glance.
But soon, his gaze fell on the white-haired youth sitting on the bench in the corridor, and like a magic trick, the man's aura softened, as if in an instant, he had transformed from a wolf to a gentle and harmless large dog.
With the mission accomplished, Anna tactfully left with the lawyer, leaving behind a set of car keys.
As sunlight flooded in through the windows, the young man habitually sat in a spot away from the window. But upon seeing him, he rose and walked towards the brighter and warmer front.
Without any reason, Gu Cong suddenly had the urge to hug him.
But before he could act, the young man seemed to understand his thoughts and opened his arms to him.
In three quick steps, eager yet gentle, Xie Ye was enveloped in the embrace of the man who was half a head taller than himself.
As his body leaned back with the momentum, his waist settled into the curve of the other's arms. Ignoring the gazes of those around them, Xie Ye reached up and gently touched Gu Cong's head, feeling the slightly firmer texture of his hair. "I'm okay."
"Let's go back home."
In their previous world, these words were always spoken by Gu Cong. Today, for the first time in a long while, it was Xie Ye's turn to say them. Considering the security level and configuration of the residential area, he decided to take Gu Cong directly to his own apartment.
After experiencing an attack and interrogation, neither of them was in a suitable condition to drive, and Anna had locked the system into autopilot beforehand.
In the back seat, there were clean clothes of different sizes but the same style. After closing the car door, Xie Ye, who had been patient for a long time, raised his hand and, in front of Gu Cong, unbuttoned his shirt openly.
One by one, the blood-stained shirt fell away, revealing the elegantly shaped collarbones, only to be covered again by the soft fabric in an instant.
"Chu."
A warm kiss landed heavily behind Xie Ye's ear.
"I've been wanting to do this for a long time." Since the moment he hugged the black wolf.
"I didn't mean to deceive you," Gu Cong casually fastened two buttons and changed his clothes faster than the young man. He took the initiative to confess, "I was just afraid that you would be scared."
"Afraid?"
With his collar neatly buttoned, Xie Ye tilted his head. "You're Gu Cong."
He was the only "beast" whom Xie Ye wouldn't be afraid of, even if he had no strength left.
Simple and straightforward, those four words, plain and cold, couldn't be considered as particularly romantic words. However, it was precisely this matter-of-fact statement that made Gu Cong unable to suppress the surge of emotions in his heart.
"I like you." Naturally, those emotions that had once made him tangled and confused converged into a clear and definite answer.
Knowing that he should say these words in a more formal and romantic setting, Gu Cong couldn't control himself. As if compelled by some unseen force, he repeated, "Xie Ye, I like you."
"Will you be my boyfriend?"
With the goal of growing old together, not just existing in others' words, as a boyfriend.
Author's note:
"No need for a recording; I'll still say what you want to hear."
"Because love has nowhere to hide."
0 Comments
Post a Comment