Deadly Trap.

Chapter 58. Take Care
When Gu Mufeng pushed open the bathroom door, it was past midnight. The light from the text message on his phone went out instantly.

The bedroom lights were already off, and a crumpled white lace nightgown lay disheveled on the armchair floor. Outside the window, the deep, inky night of Minhang was bustling and enchanting, vaguely illuminating Su Li's small silhouette under the covers.

She wasn't fast asleep; she was just a little tired from his satisfaction.

Half-asleep, she turned over, as if sensing a familiar presence behind her. Gently and softly, she reached out her hands to him. In a very soft and indistinct voice, she murmured:

"Mu Fei... hug me."

Gu Mufeng didn't speak. He hadn't expected Su Li to wait for him in the first place. He tiptoed to the bedside, like a sneak attack.

He quietly put down his phone and stood by the bed. His damp, sparse hair fell to the bridge of his nose, and his phoenix eyes, now as warm and gentle as jade, gazed down at Su Li's drowsy and sleepy face.

Her face was rosy and her lips were slightly parted, as if she was still lingering from the intense embrace and kiss.

Reluctant.

He raised his hand, gently approaching her lips, then withdrew it. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally managed to gently remove the loose robe that draped over his shoulders.

Hearing the soft sound of him finally untying his belt, and his hand approaching to support her, pressing the bed against her body and causing it to sink silently, Su Li lazily squinted her peach blossom eyes and curled up to hug his hand.

Her eyes were red and sleepy. Blurred and confused, Su Li sketched his handsome face, which had been secretly gazing at her for a long time:
"Why did it take so long?"

"Did I wake you up?" Gu Mufeng's voice was low, filled with unspoken apology.

"No..." Su Li answered vaguely. Her gaze lingered almost affectionately on his still slightly damp chest and abdominal muscles:

"Hmm... I've fallen asleep while waiting. Come here."

Gu Mufeng gently lay down. Naturally, Su Li moved closer to him, nestled against his arm, and buried her head in his full shoulder.

Her warm, steady breaths, like ocean waves, gently brushed against his skin, bringing a subtle ticklish sensation. This warm, comforting feeling instantly calmed Gu Mufeng's heart, softening it completely.

I closed my eyes, and gently stroked his back as I drifted off to sleep.

"You must be very tired today?" Su Li asked in a daze, her hand naturally cupping his heaving chest.

Gu Mufeng did not answer immediately. His mind flashed back to everything that had happened at Gu Garden that day:
He recalled the old woman's tears and eyes, filled with both sorrow and surprise, then with a look of joy and relief, as she called him "Fangran," and her cold hand that held him tightly, insisting that he stay for dinner.

He thought of the desolate garden, his mother's old residence; he thought of the golden ginkgo leaves, adorning the lonely, pure white tomb in the middle of the water.

Immediately afterward, he felt a chill run through him: he remembered the night nineteen years ago when he held his sister's hand and fled in the moonlight.

If Su Yan knew who that man was.

But as if interrupting his thoughts, Su Li in his arms stirred gently, her warm, soft body pressing tightly against his. Her breaths mingled, instantly making him lower all his guard again.

For a brief moment, he just wanted to forget everything, forget who he was, and simply be her support.

"Yeah, I'm a little tired." Gu Mufeng finally admitted softly, "But I'm fine now."

With keen sensitivity, Su Li noticed a subtle fluctuation in his voice. She turned her head lazily to the side, her rounded shoulders exposed outside the undulating silk quilt.

She looked down at him intently: "Are you really alright?"

At this moment, Gu Mufeng's eyes were slightly closed, and his usually cold and indifferent eyes revealed a playful and relaxed expression.

He gently pinched her chin, a faint smile playing on his lips: "What, you're finally feeling sorry for me?"

Su Li's words were almost coquettish, yet also seemed like a stubborn refusal to admit it. She merely pursed her lips slightly, without responding with her usual sharp tongue or averting her gaze.

She became even more serious, looking straight into his heart: "Mu Fei, you're a little different tonight."

Gu Mufeng released her and gently closed his eyelids again. Using sleepiness as an excuse, he completely avoided Su Li's sharp gaze. His voice was low and husky: "What's different?"

"I...can't explain it."

With her head bowed, Su Li pressed her face against his chest again, as if confirming his heart's desire. Her fingertips lightly traced repeated circles on his arm.

Su Li murmured softly, "I just feel that tonight, you are especially far away. Like you are in a place I can never reach."

Gu Mufeng's chest tightened slightly. He gently stroked her soft hair.

With a soft sigh, Gu Mufeng replied firmly yet with a hint of mockery, "Nonsense."

Su Li gently shook her head: "Perhaps I'm overthinking it..."

Her tone carried a slight uncertainty: "But you don't have some sudden plan again, do you?"

To her ears, his heartbeat and breathing remained calm, without the expected ripples. After a moment of calm silence, Gu Mufeng replied calmly:

"will not."

His voice was flat and even sounded cold.

But Su Li felt a sense of relief: indifference was his usual state. Hearing his almost promise-like answer, she turned and nestled into his warm embrace, smiling slightly.
"That's good."

Satisfied, she slowly closed her eyes, which had been too sleepy to keep open, and hugged his forearm again with peace of mind, her breathing gradually becoming relaxed and even.

But Gu Mufeng became completely lucid. He stared intently into the dark ceiling, as if a fierce battle was raging within him:
On one hand, he desperately wanted to shake off everything and immerse himself in the rare tranquility and warmth of the moment; on the other hand, his firm resolve was like a raging torrent, constantly eroding and flowing away.

He suddenly realized that Su Li's anxiety and insecurity were not unique to her. Wasn't he feeling the same way at that moment?
However, he is better at deception and disguise.

"Mu Fei..." As if still worried, Su Li's murmur drifted out from her dream, soft and fragile:
"If one day you get tired of me, please tell me first, okay? Don't suddenly leave me alone."

Gu Mufeng's heart skipped a beat.

He turned around. The moonlight illuminated Su Li's real silhouette from behind. From behind, he tightly embraced her warm body. At this moment, he was simply himself, without any other identity. He completely enveloped her, protected her, and possessed her.

His warm hands sheltered her, protecting the last vestiges of his desolate world.

Calm and low-pitched, after an unknown amount of time, in her breath, Gu Mufeng could not hesitate any longer before answering, "Okay."

Then, without a word, he said, "...I swear on my life."

He gently patted her back with his breath. Only after Su Li had finally fallen into a deep sleep did he carefully place a feather-light kiss on the warm crook of her neck.

His phone vibrated faintly on the bedside table. Gu Mufeng didn't look at it, nor did he want to.

He looked out the window; the city still flowed quietly, its lights never ceasing to illuminate the night. And in his arms, Su Li slept soundly. He could finally enjoy this brief moment of peace.

Gu Mufeng closed his eyes, gently pressing his face against her shoulder and back, feeling the soft warmth of Su Li's skin and her gentle, rhythmic breaths. At this moment, the world was peaceful; it seemed to slowly stop turning, finding a brief sense of belonging.

Before tomorrow, in the darkness, he will cherish her tenderness in his heart. For the rest of his life, he will savor it again and again, extending it infinitely.

>>>>>
Next chapter: "Pathetique"

[Author's Note | Chapter 58]

For Gu Mufeng, the world doesn't really need much; perhaps a moment of rest in the dead of night is enough.

After being drenched in the heavy rain at the Gu family's residence, Gu Mufeng clearly had a plan. Su Li noticed. Can you guess what Gu Mufeng is going to do?

As Su Li falls asleep embracing Gu Mufei's vows, can her heart finally find peace?
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(End of this chapter)