Top Dupe CH 072 Desire And Obsession Part 2

Gu Xiaowei obediently leaned into Luo Yu's embrace, murmuring, "But in the script, Wen Yuchi never hugged Lu Pingfeng. How would he know what Wen Yuchi's breath and heartbeat felt like?"

Luo Yu laughed and let go of Gu Xiaowei, turning around to keep walking. As he walked, he tapped his forehead with his fingers. "Maybe Lu Pingfeng imagined it? Sometimes, imagination is far more enchanting than reality. The more you imagine, the more reluctant you are to let go."

Gu Xiaowei lowered his gaze, his faint smile like a crack that allowed moonlight to spill in. "Maybe he imagined more than just breathing and heartbeats."

"What?" Luo Yu turned back to look at him.

In that moment, he seemed like a fawn lost in the deep forest, looking back into the dense woods, his eyes full of life, the only light—waiting to be captured.

Gu Xiaowei's lips barely curved, offering a gentle yet calm smile. "Nothing."

When Luo Yu turned around, a thin frost covered Gu Xiaowei’s eyes, as if endless darkness was spreading silently and carefully from behind him, chasing after Luo Yu’s figure.

They kept walking forward until they reached a vast expanse of climbing roses. The roses spread along the trellis, forming a winding corridor. Their branches cascaded down like a vast sea, hiding the sky. Moonlight fell directly on them, casting mysterious shadows on the buds, as if they were the hands of a siren, while the blooms facing the moon were bold and passionate.

Light and dark intertwined, with hidden temptation and overt exuberance tangled together.

Luo Yu had never seen such a sight; it was far more spectacular than when viewed from the window.

Under the spinning trellis, there were dark shadows, with only a few stars falling through the gaps, forming tiny specks of light on the ground.

Luo Yu walked inside, and Gu Xiaowei silently followed behind him.

Once inside, you couldn’t see anything, but in the dark and quiet, Luo Yu could hear Gu Xiaowei’s footsteps more clearly. His silence made Luo Yu feel an invisible force constantly hovering over him.

Ahead, they reached the center of the rose corridor. There was a large fountain, in a Western style, but it wasn’t running, and the European statues surrounding it stood in various poses under the unfiltered moonlight, as if reaching for something in the void.

Luo Yu vaguely heard a strange sound, as if someone was leaning against the statue opposite the fountain.

Just as he was about to move closer, a hand reached from behind, covering his mouth. A familiar and distinctive scent filled Luo Yu’s nose.

It was Gu Xiaowei’s aftershave, PURE COLOUR.

—“Under the name of abstinence, performing acts of temptation.”

For some reason, Luo Yu suddenly remembered the words on that bottle of aftershave.

"Mmph..." Luo Yu tried to pry Gu Xiaowei’s hand away.

But Gu Xiaowei leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Shh—"

That sound sent a shock through Luo Yu’s auditory nerves, straight into his brain. His entire body stiffened as if he’d been electrocuted.

He was practically trapped in Gu Xiaowei’s embrace, the other’s cheek nearly touching his. His heart raced, and Luo Yu turned his head away. As he gradually adjusted to Gu Xiaowei’s overwhelming presence, he could finally make out the sound on the other side of the fountain.

Oh my God, someone’s having a secret meeting here!

Realizing why Gu Xiaowei had pulled him back, Luo Yu’s face flushed crimson.

If something must be blamed then blame the roses for stirring such carnal thoughts.

They couldn’t just stay and eavesdrop, could they?

Luo Yu awkwardly turned his head, searching for Gu Xiaowei’s gaze. When he looked up, he realized the other had been watching him the entire time.

All of his embarrassment and surprise had been seen.

Was it his imagination, or did it seem like Gu Xiaowei was smiling? That smile blended into the shadows of the roses, but upon closer inspection, it seemed he wasn’t smiling at all.

Luo Yu lifted his hand and patted the back of Gu Xiaowei’s, signaling him to let go.

Gu Xiaowei’s hand slid down, his fingers brushing past Luo Yu’s lips. For a moment, his heartbeat surged inexplicably. Luo Yu held his breath for a long time before exhaling slowly.

The sounds from across the fountain became clearer, perhaps because the stillness had drawn them too deeply in.

Luo Yu gestured to Gu Xiaowei, signaling it was time to leave; he couldn’t stay there any longer.

After carefully taking three or four steps forward, he turned back to find Gu Xiaowei still standing there.

There was no light. He seemed to blend into the climbing roses, as if something was pulling him into the dark.

Luo Yu suddenly felt a bit panicked. He couldn’t leave him behind, so he went back and reached out to pull Gu Xiaowei.

Gu Xiaowei extended his hand and firmly grasped his wrist.

Feeling the warmth and strength from Gu Xiaowei’s palm, Luo Yu’s throat moved, the sound of his swallowing all too obvious. He could only reassure himself that the couple on the other side of the fountain were making far more noise than he was.

With his head lowered, Luo Yu carefully pulled Gu Xiaowei forward.

At first, he pulled him along completely, but Gu Xiaowei’s palm was too warm, making Luo Yu inexplicably flustered. He loosened his grip, but as his fingers slipped away, Gu Xiaowei’s fingers curled, hooking onto Luo Yu’s.

The multitude of tangled emotions tightened, and Luo Yu paused for a moment. He wanted to turn around, but was inexplicably afraid of Gu Xiaowei’s gaze.

Perhaps it was because they had stumbled upon such an awkward situation—too embarrassing to handle.

Then again, this resort was perfect for romance, so it wasn’t surprising that a couple from the crew couldn’t resist.

Who could have guessed that their evening walk would lead them to such a remote spot?

After walking for an unknown distance and no longer hearing the sounds of that couple, Luo Yu finally let out a breath.

"Why are you so nervous?" Gu Xiaowei's voice sounded, carrying a faint huskiness that was rarely present in his usually clear tone.

"Aren't you nervous? How embarrassing would it be if they had caught us?" Luo Yu slowly turned around and looked at him.

Gu Xiaowei tilted his head slightly, "Wouldn't they be the ones embarrassed?"

Luo Yu remained silent, because he could vaguely sense the rebelliousness hidden beneath Gu Xiaowei’s typically reserved exterior.

He wasn’t as serious as Luo Yu had imagined.

Being stared at by those deep eyes, Luo Yu’s heart began to beat faster again.

After a long pause, Gu Xiaowei said, "Let’s go back."

A feeling of relief surged in Luo Yu’s chest. 

"Okay."

Luo Yu wanted to leave quickly, but he noticed that Gu Xiaowei was walking at a leisurely pace.

"Have you ever fantasized about doing something wild in a deserted place?" Gu Xiaowei’s voice came from behind him.

Even though there was some distance between them and Gu Xiaowei's presence wasn't physically overwhelming, Luo Yu still felt the heat creeping up his back.

"No."

"Well, you can think about it today."

After saying that, Gu Xiaowei walked ahead.

"I won’t."

"Really?" Gu Xiaowei turned slightly, and Luo Yu caught a glimpse of a fleeting smile on his lips.

The sea of climbing roses grew farther and farther away, their drooping branches like heavy, wild fantasies.

No matter how much one represses their thoughts, given the chance, they will always find a way to emerge.

Luo Yu returned to his room, closing the door behind him. Through the door, he could hear the sound of Gu Xiaowei washing up.

The quieter it got, the louder the sound of water became.

Gu Xiaowei's earlier question—”Have you ever fantasized about doing something wild in a deserted place?”—kept repeating in his mind.

His calm tone was filled with endless temptation.

Gu Xiaowei was doing this on purpose, pulling Luo Yu into a contradictory, heart-fluttering whorl of emotion.

Cautious and resistant, yet unable to suppress the desire to get closer—perhaps this was how Lu Pingfeng first imagined Wen Yuchi.

But… Luo Yu couldn’t let Lu Pingfeng lead him by the nose. That wouldn’t make him Wen Yuchi.

Luo Yu sat alone by the window, staring at the vast rose field in the distance, suddenly recalling the awkward moment he and Gu Xiaowei had stumbled upon earlier. Even though they only heard the sounds and saw nothing, his heart still raced.

It almost felt like... it had been them having a rendezvous.

Unknowingly, the sound of the water stopped.

Two knocks came at the door, causing Luo Yu’s heart to skip a beat, pulling him back to reality.

"I'm done. You can use the bathroom now." Gu Xiaowei's voice came from the other side of the door, polite yet carrying a tone unfamiliar to him.

Because Gu Xiaowei hadn’t called him "senior brother." Although they’d left school for a long while now, and the title "senior brother" might seem more fitting for a school drama, it had always been a shared understanding between them—an expression of trust and closeness only they understood.

The script pages on the desk fluttered as the wind blew through the room, and at that moment, Luo Yu seemed to realize something.

Gu Xiaowei's behavior mirrored Lu Pingfeng's probing of Wen Yuchi.

Testing whether Wen Yuchi would doubt or fear him, whether he would confine him to a dark place and speculate wildly like everyone else.

"This guy really gets into character fast." Luo Yu smiled wryly.

He stood up, opened the door with a calm grace, and sure enough, saw Gu Xiaowei with a towel draped over his shoulder. His damp bangs half-covered his eyes, with a drop of water clinging to one strand of hair.

He wore loose sleepwear, which accentuated his broad shoulders, making it seem as though he could envelop Luo Yu entirely.

Since Gu Xiaowei was in character, Luo Yu had to embody Wen Yuchi—calmly accepting everything about Lu Pingfeng, never retreating from his eccentricities but instead confidently stepping into Lu Pingfeng's dark, enigmatic world.

Luo Yu raised a hand and brushed Gu Xiaowei’s damp hair aside, allowing the water drop to slide down his finger and settle in his palm.

Gu Xiaowei’s gaze was deep, giving Luo Yu the illusion that at any moment, he might move closer, step by step into his room, pushing Luo Yu back until there was no escape.

The scent of the sea salt men’s body wash lingered in the air.

In actuality, Luo Yu didn’t retreat. Instead, he softly said, "It’s still quite chilly. You should dry your hair."

Gu Xiaowei remained still, as if searching for any hint of discomfort or hesitation in Luo Yu’s eyes, but Luo Yu’s expression was gentle and composed.

After a long moment, Gu Xiaowei quietly replied, "Okay."

He then returned to his room but didn’t close the door, leaving it open as if signaling a candid invitation, suggesting there were no secrets between them.

Luo Yu gathered his things into a waterproof bag and left the door open as he headed to the bathroom.

The lingering steam hadn’t fully dissipated yet, and the air smelled exactly like Gu Xiaowei had, giving Luo Yu the sense that the entire space, including himself, had been marked by Gu Xiaowei’s presence.

Luo Yu turned on the hot water and casually used the same shampoo and body wash Gu Xiaowei had left behind.

Why, you ask? Because Gu Xiaowei's stuff was good.

After all, they’d already shared sleepwear, so why fuss over sharing body wash?

After finishing his shower, Luo Yu glanced at Gu Xiaowei’s room. The door was now shut. Gu Xiaowei was very disciplined; with filming starting tomorrow, he probably went to bed early to stay in top shape.

Luo Yu entered his room, drying his hair while looking for the hairdryer. As he turned around, he noticed a piece of paper had appeared on his bedside table.

It must have been left by Gu Xiaowei.

Luo Yu picked it up, and as soon as he turned it over, his scattered thoughts seemed to tighten under an invisible force.

The paper showed a side profile of a person, with youthful bangs giving off an air of innocence. The person’s eyes were slightly lowered, revealing a sense of shyness and uncertainty.

Below the nose, a hand covered their mouth, and because their head was tilted forward, the back of their neck was exposed, even the delicate contours of their ear were drawn with remarkable detail.

With just a few strokes, it captured a desire—both to protect the fragility of the person in the drawing, and to recklessly destroy and possess them.