Chapter 27
Edited by Isalee
437.
The car continued moving, steadily and at a uniform speed.
Gu Yiliang did not speak, and I dared not either.
Quiet. It was too quiet. It truly was really too quiet.
Even Quietism was not this quiet, a quietus was not this quiet, a quiet lung was not this quiet, and a quiet sun was never this quiet!
438.
I was panicking, and was tied up tightly with a sense of crisis.
Other than the roar of the engine and the radio, I seemed to be able to hear my own pounding heartbeat as well.
I wasn’t a coward, it was this atmosphere that was too peculiar!
His fingers holding onto the steering wheel, why were they white? His straightened back, why was it so tense? Why were the tips of his ears red, and why was his Adam’s apple bobbing away?!
439.
Such a situation, such a silence, such a stalemate…
My eyes narrowed, turning sharp in an instant.
— Don’t tell me Gu Yiliang wants to do something to me?!
440.
Was he planning on selling my organs? Or selling me into a circus or some rural area? Or did he simply just want to kill me and eat me?
However, after going through two road junctions, step by step, I came to a conclusion. He had been so nice to me during this period of time. For all I knew, perhaps he wanted me to put my guard down and find a good opportunity to kill me off. If he got rid of me, his adversary, he would then be able to take a further step up his career.
441.
This sense of crisis I was feeling reached its peak when I saw the same billboard advertisement from the car window for the third time.
I clung tightly to the door, preparing myself to escape through the window and flee at any moment. Cautiously, I asked, “Why… are we turning circles here?”
Gu Yiliang looked even stiffer, and he sounded even more cautious than me. “I haven’t prepared anything at home, and I was thinking about looking for them on the way back… Yes, I’m looking for a supermarket.”
442.
What was not prepared that made him so nervous until he seemed to have lost his wits?!
Tape? Nylon ropes? A rongeur? An electric saw? Plastic sheets? Garbage bags?
Uncle Policeman, I’m very scared!!
I pressed myself further into the door, and I tried to speak very lightly, hoping to calm him down. “Turn right up ahead, I saw a small convenience store there just now.”
He turned his head slightly to look at me, and his entire being seemed abruptly more steady now.
The car took a right turn, and then stopped.
Gu Yiliang said, “I’ll go buy the things myself, just wait for me in the car.”
Quaking, I nodded and watched him step out of the car and enter the store. Immediately, I scrabbled wildly at the door, trying to unlock it.
【Gu Yiliang’s Phone Memo — Excerpt 1】
Things that were supposed to come would come. My adversary had suggested going to my place.
I… am extremely nervous.
There’s nothing that can be of use at home, I’ve overlooked my preparations.
My adversary was a lot calmer than me. Knowing that I had nothing prepared, he even consoled me instead.
I must be calm and composed, I definitely must be calm and composed.
I should bring my diary along with me at all times, if not I really have no idea how to deal with my emotions.
443.
When Gu Yiliang returned with a big plastic bag, I had just undone my seatbelt in complete despair, planning to break the window.
Him: “…”
I swiftly buckled myself in again, bolting up and smiling at him. “You’re back. That was fast.”
He nodded composedly, elegantly and naturally returning to his seat. His every action was very calm, completely different from the crazy murderer just now.
444.
Did he inject himself with a tranquilizer outside the car?
445.
As he turned to place the plastic bag in the backseat, my eyes followed him silently. With a burning gaze, I probed the bag with my eyes, trying to guess what was inside.
The plastic bag was bulging, and I could vaguely make out tissues, kitchen towels, potato chips, coke zero, frozen pizza, disposable cups…
446.
Huh?
Aren’t these standard items for when straight guys gather to watch a late-night football match?
So just now, he was worried that his hospitality wasn’t good enough, and was afraid that he wouldn’t be a good host?
I looked at him, my eyes full of question marks. He looked back at me, his expression telling me that things were settled.
Huh? What was settled?
447.
The car moved off again. Gu Yiliang focused on driving, and still did not say a word.
Although the atmosphere in the car was still a little strange, it was much better than how it was just now.
In complete confusion, I agonised over the strangeness, and a light bulb lit up.
I got it!
BGM! It must be because there was no background music!
Empty silence needed background music to smooth things over, and emotions needed the accompaniment of background music to drive things along. As a thespian — oh no, as an actor, how could I have forgotten about such an important thing!
448.
I saw the light. Silently scolding myself for being stupid, I reached out and tapped on the car audio system, asking Gu Yiliang courteously, “Can I play some music?”
Gu Yiliang made a sound of agreement, and so I pressed play. Music immediately filled the air.
Upon recognising this tune, I fell into deep silence.
Here’s the question.
Do you know what’s dang dang dang dang dang…?
Dang dang dang dang dang was —
449.
In a moving, confined space, a top idol who could make me breathless by narrowing his eyes and cocking his brow was seated next to me, less than half a metre away.
Listening to the gentle, tender and sentimental <Only You> in surround sound, I fell into a trance, feeling as though I was sitting in a bed of needles.
450.
Mom!! Help!! The atmosphere has turned even stranger!!
The background music is wrong!!!
It’s not supposed to be this sort of ambiguous and emotional music!!
Pink bubbles of love are starting to float up!!!
On this wide, straight road, don’t make such a sudden bend!!
Stop the car!! This isn’t the path to friendship!!!
If I were to continue listening, the montage of the edited Niangzi MV was going to appear. With a shaky hand and trembling lips, I pretended to accidentally hit the “next” button.
The same trick could not be employed twice.
As such, in the next dozen or so minutes, in a trance, on a bed of needles, with trembling lips and shaky hands, as well as the montage playing in my head, I finished listening to <Wonderful Tonight>, <Say You, Say Me>, <Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You>, <Can You Feel The Love Tonight>, <Quando Quando>…
451.
I really wanted to grab hold of Gu Yiliang’s collar and ask him where the hell he found this playlist from?!
Was it the Top 50 Classic European Love Songs?!!
452.
When the first bars of <Careless Whisper> started playing, my desire to jump out of the car was even greater than just now.
Gu Yiliang instead still looked very calm. His fingers were relaxed, tapping along with the music on the steering wheel. He looked very unruffled, looking as though he was undefeatable in his background music.
While waiting for the lights to turn green, he even turned his head and smiled at me.
453.
I was about to be submerged in the pink bubbles of love that were dancing along with the music. I struggled, I resisted, I was helpless, I was defeated.
Oh god, even the straightest tree sapling would bend in the raging winds, alright?! Gu Yiliang, could you not sing quietly along with <Make You Feel My Love>?! I might not be as straight as a tree sapling, but you’re wilder than the raging winds! I can’t endure this alone!! Can you drive faster? The frozen pizza is about to melt!!
454.
I no longer suspected that he was going to do something to me. I suspected that he was about to do me.
455.
No way, no way, I’m definitely overthinking this.
Anyone could have sat in the car, and the songs were not played specifically for me. He was Yiliang, the one born under the country’s flag and raised in the spring breeze, and excelled in his studies, his character, and his health. How could he have such undue thoughts towards his own fanservice buddy and partner of this official CP?
As a heterosexual, not only did he frequently reminded himself that he was performing fanservice, working hard to study and research various methods of performing fanservice, he even had a good discussion with me on how we should improve ourselves together. He also avidly produced fluff for me and the masses of people. How could I speculate about him with such evil intentions?!
This very essence of brotherhood is extremely moving!
456.
Luckily, luckily, before <Make You Feel My Love> could finish playing, the car drove into an underground garage.
Gu Yiliang hummed quietly, parking the car. I heaved a breath of relief, undoing my seat belt with a great weight off my mind.
Just as I thought that things would be fine, he undid his seat belt, turning to grab the plastic bag in the backseat. Right at that moment, he happened to meet my eyes.
He paused, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Together with the gentle music, he earnestly sang the last line—
“… To make you feel my love.”
457.
His tune was completely offkey, and his singing was very shaky. It simply sounded as though he was reciting the line instead. However, it was extremely touching, and like a spell, it wiped away my soul, leaving me defenceless and defeated.
I looked into his bright eyes, and there was only a single thought in my head.
458.
This deteriorating brotherhood was extremely cruel and ruthless.