Top Dupe CH 095 Gu Xiaowei: I Saw It

Killing all other heirs aside from herself was too difficult; it would be much easier to eliminate Wen Yuchi from the list and slip away.

She cast a glance at the man on her left, her nominal cousin Zhuang Chao. There was a deep scar running from the corner of his right eye down to his chin, a mark supposedly obtained during a prison fight, inflicted by a plastic fork. He had the look of someone dangerous and ruthless.

On her right was her other so-called cousin, Ding Bing, wearing a knitted hat. His bald head could be seen beneath it, suggesting his hair had already fallen out. At first, he had the friendly and approachable attitude of "we're all family here," but in a quick moment, he had knocked Qin Lin down.

The reason? Qin Lin was the only outsider in their group and had insisted on waiting on the island for police rescue. However, Ding Bing didn't believe they would survive long enough for the police to arrive. The immediate priority was to locate Wen Yuchi and Lu Pingfeng and secure the antidote from them.

Currently, Qin Lin was tied up and dumped in a tent, unable to move.

Ding Bing hadn't killed Qin Lin for two reasons: first, it wasn't time to spill blood yet; second, he wanted to find out whether the secretary's presence in their game was intentional. Qin Lin had always served as Zhuang Jie’s agent. It was possible that Qin Lin was acting as a "proctor" of sorts, responsible for delivering the message to old man Zhuang’s men to send rescue in the end.

According to their understanding, Lu Pingfeng, Wen Yuchi, and Lu Pingfeng's driver had three antidotes among them. After allying themselves, they had expelled Zhuang He from their group.

"I thought that a painter and a forensic doctor would be easy targets, like sending their heads to us on a platter. But unexpectedly, they managed to kill Zhuang He." Zhuang Feifei raised a branch and poked at the campfire.

"We can't waste any more time. We need to act quickly, or we'll suffer the same fate as the driver who brought us here," Ding Bing said, picking up his gun and adjusting his knitted hat.

At that moment, footsteps came from the distance. The three raised their guns instinctively.

When they looked again, they saw Zhuang He. He froze as soon as he saw three guns pointed at him, nearly stumbling.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It's me!"

"You? Really?" Zhuang Feifei frowned as she stepped forward. "You screamed so loudly earlier; we thought you were dead. Did you manage to handle those two alone?"

"No! No! Those two are strong!"

Ding Bing pressed further, "Does that painter know that killing the forensic doctor would prompt old man Zhuang to send a helicopter to rescue him?"

"Yes, but they’re allies!"

"Allies? And the antidote?"

"They know about the antidote and invited you all to the hunting lodge to 'discuss' it."

"Discuss? How naive. They don't realize how crazy old man Zhuang can be," Ding Bing sneered.

Zhuang Chao, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, "They might be trying to lure us to the hunting lodge to capture us all in one sweep."

Zhuang Feifei agreed, "Exactly. Wen Yuchi isn't afraid of us killing him? Lu Pingfeng is quite the enigma—he chooses to stay with Wen Yuchi instead of taking an easier route."

"Maybe his conditions for survival are different from ours," Ding Bing said.

Zhuang He added, "They know you're worried it's a trap, so they hid the antidote in another location. They said, whether you believe it or not, Lu Pingfeng and Wen Yuchi are waiting for you at the hunting lodge. If you agree to go, you can negotiate calmly. If not, you can wait for 24 hours to see if the poison takes effect."

The three fell into silence.

After Zhuang He finished speaking, he turned to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To the hunting lodge. Since the antidote is with them, I might as well stay near them," Zhuang He said, preparing to leave.

Ding Bing raised his gun and pressed it against Zhuang He's back.

"We don't think it's that simple. You walk in front. If you make any sudden moves, we’ll shoot you."

Zhuang He swallowed, raising his hands, "Watch it! Don’t shoot by accident!"

"You have a handgun, right? Where is it?" Zhuang Feifei asked.

"Lu Pingfeng took it," Zhuang He admitted.

Hearing this, the three exchanged glances. This confirmed that Lu Pingfeng wasn't defenseless—he could be a threat.

"We’re leaving. What about Qin Lin?" Zhuang Feifei glanced at the tent.

"Leave him there. Otherwise, who here would volunteer to stay behind and watch him?" Ding Bing said with a sarcastic smile.

After all, there were only three antidotes, and if Lu Pingfeng really intended to meet with them at the hunting lodge, the one left behind to guard Qin Lin would lose their chance to get the antidote.

"Pack up the food and weapons. Leave everything else behind," Ding Bing ordered.

They quickly extinguished the campfire and departed with Zhuang He.

Five or six minutes later, Wen Yuchi and Lu Pingfeng, who had been lying in ambush, quietly approached the tent. They opened it to find Qin Lin tied up inside.

Wen Yuchi took out a dagger and cut through the ropes binding Qin Lin.

Qin Lin's limbs were stiff from being tied for too long, and he couldn't move.

Wen Yuchi knew there was no time to delay. If Zhuang Feifei and the others weren't foolish, they would soon realize this was a diversion.

Wen Yuchi dragged Qin Lin out of the tent. His eyes landed on a first aid kit nearby. He smirked. Clearly, Ding Bing and the rest prioritized weapons and food over first aid supplies—a sign of their weaker survival instincts.

Wen Yuchi reached out his hand, dragging the first aid kit toward him and placing it on Qin Lin as he dragged them out together.

Lu Pingfeng was lying in wait nearby, his gun pointed at the opposite side of the tent. If Zhuang Feifei and the rest returned, Lu Pingfeng would provide them with cover.

When Wen Yuchi had dragged Qin Lin completely out, he stepped onto a stone and twisted his ankle. He bit his lip, forcing himself not to make a sound.

As soon as he managed to drag Qin Lin to Lu Pingfeng's side, Lu Pingfeng stretched his arm and grabbed Wen Yuchi's ankle.

"You okay?" Lu Pingfeng's deep voice sounded.

"I'm fine," Wen Yuchi shook his head.

Tonight’s scenes had come to an end.

The moonlight shone brightly on the rocks and the stream in the mountains, and the temperature was continuing to drop. One of the crew members suddenly sneezed.

The rest of the crew became nervous, because the scene where Wen Yuchi twisted his ankle hadn’t been in the script. It seemed that Luo Yu had really lost his footing. Fortunately, Gu Xiaowei's reaction had been quick, saving the situation by smoothening things over. The scene didn’t feel out of place, as though it was just an additional moment to enhance the audience's sense of tension, suggesting that Qin Lin was too heavy and caused Wen Yuchi to twist his ankle while dragging him.

The director picked up the megaphone and called out, "Tonight’s scenes went really well! Everyone prepare yourselves—we’ll finish the reshoots in one go and get home earlier to rest!"

Nie Yangchen, who played Qin Lin, climbed to his feet and reached out to help Luo Yu.

"You've worked hard. I must be pretty heavy."

Luo Yu smiled, but just as he was about to take his hand, Gu Xiaowei grabbed his arm from the other side and pulled him up.

"You are pretty heavy. You’re very suited to playing a corpse," Gu Xiaowei said.

Nie Yangchen awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Alright, I’m clearly unnecessary here. I’ll just go drink some water."

When Nie Yangchen walked away, Gu Xiaowei lowered his head and looked at Luo Yu's injured ankle. "Did you really twist it just now? Does it hurt?"

Luo Yu sighed and patted Gu Xiaowei on the shoulder, "Your observational skills are still so sharp, Teacher Gu!"

"You still haven’t answered my question—did you twist your ankle?"

"It’s fine." Luo Yu took a couple of steps forward and then returned. "Look, it’s fine."

Luo Yu prayed that Gu Xiaowei wouldn’t make him move around again, as he really had twisted his ankle. 

But he didn’t think it was serious; resting for a bit would likely alleviate the pain. Admitting it could turn a minor issue into a major one and delay shooting.

But, to his dismay, Gu Xiaowei squatted down and tugged at Luo Yu’s pants, pulling his socks down to reveal his swollen ankle.

"This is fine?"

"Well… it’s not a huge deal. A bit of ointment and it’ll be okay. Plus, I twisted my ankle—not my face—so there’s no need to make the crew overly nervous. At least let’s finish today’s reshoots, alright?" Luo Yu pleaded, trying to convince him with a calm tone.

"En," Gu Xiaowei’s expression darkened.

Fortunately, they would start reshooting with close-ups of Zhuang Feifei and the other two by the campfire, so Luo Yu still had time to ease the pain in his ankle.

Gu Xiaowei called Luo Yu to a quieter spot during this break.

"I’m fine, Gu Xiaowei, you really don’t need to—"

Before Luo Yu could finish, Gu Xiaowei suddenly lifted him up. For a moment, Luo Yu’s mind went blank.

—Was his weight lighter? Why did Gu Xiaowei lift him again?

Luo Yu was placed onto a raised rock. He didn’t sit steady, swaying slightly, and grabbed Gu Xiaowei’s shoulder for support.

Gu Xiaowei’s face was cold and stoic as always. He lowered his head and removed Luo Yu’s shoe, pulling his sock down further. He took out a spray from his pocket and applied it to Luo Yu’s swollen ankle.

The cool sensation eased Luo Yu’s pain, and the air was filled with the light scent of the spray.

Gu Xiaowei’s appearance at this moment felt different. His long, graceful lashes cast shadows on his cheekbones, and even when dappled by the moving shadows of the trees overhead he only looked more tempting.

Luo Yu instinctively reached out and touched his eye.

Gu Xiaowei’s eyelids lifted, his long eyelashes brushing against Luo Yu’s finger. A strange, ticklish sensation built up inside him.

"What are you doing?" Gu Xiaowei asked.

"Nothing… I thought there was something on your eye, but it was just a shadow," Luo Yu laughed, quickly recovering his composure.

He made use of his acting skills again.

Gu Xiaowei pulled Luo Yu’s sock back on and began putting his shoe back on for him. Luo Yu hastily grabbed his own shoe. "I’ll do it myself! I’ll do it myself!"

But Gu Xiaowei stepped back, and the rock Luo Yu was sitting on was round and unstable. Luo Yu had no choice but to steady himself by grabbing Gu Xiaowei again.

"Didn’t you just say you’d do it yourself?"

"Don’t go! I’ll do it myself!" Luo Yu struggled, trying to pull his shoe on.

After much back and forth, Gu Xiaowei eventually reached out to help secure the strap on his shoe and tied the laces.

Once his shoe was on, Luo Yu hesitated before asking, "You really have a lot of strength, don’t you? Could you help me back down?"

"You’re clearly afraid you’ll twist your ankle again when jumping down." Gu Xiaowei held onto Luo Yu’s waist, and before Luo Yu could say anything, he had already lowered him back down.

"You’re really inhuman…" Luo Yu muttered, cautiously walking on the ground.

"Then do be a human, alright? During the reshoots, pace yourself," Gu Xiaowei replied.

Luo Yu gave him an OK gesture.

Today’s night shoot lasted until about 4:00 a.m. After the sun began to rise, Sheng Yunlan finally announced that everyone could return to rest.

Because the following days were scheduled for night shoots, moving equipment up and down wasn’t convenient. Thus, everything was moved into the hunting lodge for storage, and staff were assigned to take turns keeping watch.

Gu Xiaowei and Luo Yu could finally head down the mountain and rest.

Luo Yu walked ahead, with Gu Xiaowei following behind.

The descent featured stone steps—not very steep. Luo Yu could tell from the shadow he cast in front that Gu Xiaowei always stayed right behind him, and his arm would occasionally lift, as though preparing to catch him.

He was very nervous about him.

This gave Luo Yu a mischievous thought. As he deliberately swayed upon his next step, sure enough, a hand came from behind to grip his elbow, steadying his balance.

"Thank you!" Luo Yu smiled.

It seemed that proving his importance to Gu Xiaowei put Luo Yu in a genuinely good mood.

"If you can’t walk properly again, I’ll carry you down," Gu Xiaowei said, glancing over.

Luo Yu immediately felt guilty.

"Teacher Gu, you’re overthinking. I’m walking fine—very fine."

Had he acted unnaturally just now? Why did it feel like Gu Xiaowei had already noticed his intentions?

The car took them from the foot of Jing Mountain back toward the vacation resort, bypassing Jing Lake.

At first, a tired Luo Yu leaned against the seat, almost ready to fall asleep. However, light flickered across his eyes. He sat up.

The morning light was rising, reflecting off Jing Lake, resembling a massive blue mirror. Luo Yu stared at it, awed.

"This lake is so beautiful," Luo Yu murmured.

"But the lake is pretty deep. The resort wants to develop a diving program here. I heard there are sunken boats at the bottom," Gu Xiaowei said.

"Oh," Luo Yu said, leaning toward Gu Xiaowei in an attempt to look out the window.

Usually, those seated by the window would lean back or adjust their seat, allowing space for others to look outside. But Gu Xiaowei remained still. Luo Yu’s shoulder pressed against his chest, but Gu Xiaowei didn’t move away.

The wind picked up a leaf that smacked against Luo Yu's forehead with a crisp sound.

Before Luo Yu could react, Gu Xiaowei reached out and plucked it off, casually tossing it back outside.

Luo Yu smiled. The morning light hit his nose. This quiet, thoughtful observation of a person felt nostalgic—he hadn’t experienced this since elementary school.

Only Gu Xiaowei made him feel as though he could freely indulge in his youth without restraint.

Luo Yu continued to look outside energetically, staying close to Gu Xiaowei until the car drove into the resort area. Rose bushes were in full bloom, occupying his view once again. He leaned back into his seat, feeling a bit visually fatigued.

As they entered the villa, breakfast was already delivered. Everyone was hungry after an entire night and ate ravenously.

"Xiao Qin, did we prepare any medications for sprains or injuries?" Gu Xiaowei asked.

"We brought them! Sprays, ointments, gels—everything," Xiao Qin said with half a bite of her breakfast, looking nervously at them.

Gu Xiaowei gestured toward Luo Yu with his chin.

Sure enough, Ye Shengyi exclaimed:

"Brother Luo! You’re injured? How did you get hurt? Why didn’t I notice? Where did you get hurt?"

Luo Yu felt a headache and quickly reassured them, "I’m fine, just a sprain. But I can still walk down the mountain, so it’s not serious. Based on experience, I’ll be fine after a good rest—ready to walk, run, and maybe even play basketball again soon…"

"You still want to play basketball?" Gu Xiaowei asked.

"No, no, it’s just a metaphor. I’ll let my ankle rest and get the swelling down."

After breakfast, everyone went to wash up, exhausted from the previous night and ready to rest.

As Luo Yu grabbed his waterproof toiletry bag to enter the bathroom, Gu Xiaowei stood at the door and asked, "Do you want me to accompany you?"

"Huh?" Luo Yu didn’t immediately react.

"I said, do you want me to watch over you while you shower?" Gu Xiaowei said in a very serious tone.

This made Luo Yu feel like he wasn't very serious.

"No, no, no! No need! I haven’t reached the point of not being able to stand yet!"

If Gu Xiaowei watched him, he would definitely be standing even less steady.

"Okay, then. Don’t lock the bathroom door. If anything happens, I can come in to help you," Gu Xiaowei said.

"I got it. Teacher Gu, don’t worry too much."

After this, Luo Yu closed the bathroom door and locked it habitually.

"Click," the lock sounded, and Gu Xiaowei’s voice came from outside, "Don’t lock it."

"Fine, fine, fine! I won’t lock it!"

Luo Yu quickly unlocked the door.

Hot water poured over him, the exhaustion of the previous night washing away as he stood motionless.

It felt so good.

After a while, Luo Yu almost fell asleep standing up. He suddenly remembered that Gu Xiaowei was likely waiting to use the bathroom and reached for the shampoo.

But as soon as his foot moved, it gave way, and he slipped and fell, landing with a loud splash.

"Ah, damn!" Luo Yu muttered, feeling pain all over.

The bathroom door immediately swung open, cold air cutting through the steamy mist. Gu Xiaowei was quickly coming toward him.

“What the hell—”

Luo Yu hurriedly tried to grab a bath towel and wrap himself, but only managed to pull a bottle of shower gel instead. His efforts caused him to slip again.

"You okay?" Gu Xiaowei asked, kneeling beside him.

His voice cut through the mist. Luo Yu instinctively tried to curl up, only for Gu Xiaowei to sigh as he looked away.

"I originally wasn’t going to think about anything."

What does "originally wasn’t going to think about anything" mean? Luo Yu’s mind buzzed with confusion.

Then what was he thinking now?

Luo Yu felt even more embarrassed,  and increased his efforts to cover himself.

"Senior Brother, don’t you know that the more you try to hide things, the more people are curious?"

Gu Xiaowei’s face was turned to the side, his handsome face flushing a light pink.

"Then you should leave!"

"If I leave, can you get up on your own?" Gu Xiaowei asked, turning his head back around and staring into his eyes.

Luo Yu hesitated. He’d wanted to insist he could stand, but two outcomes seemed possible: Gu Xiaowei would watch and see if he really could, or he would slip again. The pain in his ankle seemed to have worsened with all the slip and slide.

"How about getting me a pair of pants instead?" Luo Yu requested carefully.

Gu Xiaowei closed his eyes and sighed again.

"I thought you would say you wanted me to close my eyes and help you out of here," he said.

"Then we’d both end up falling together. Before it was just one person with a limp, now it'll be two."

Gu Xiaowei grabbed a bath towel from the rack and threw it over Luo Yu’s head.

"What are you covering my face for?" Luo Yu protested.

"Didn't you think you lost face? Where else would you cover?"

“You…” Luo Yu yanked the towel off his face, his face undoubtedly redder than a tomato.

Before he could protest again, Gu Xiaowei had already lifted him from the ground, carrying him out of the bathroom.

Luo Yu was shocked.

"Don’t carry me! What if you slip?!"

"My shoes are more slip-resistant than yours."

Gu Xiaowei turned to the side, easily carrying Luo Yu out of the bathroom.

Luo Yu nervously glanced downstairs, terrified that someone might witness this scene and his reputation would be done for. Thankfully, Xiao Qin and Xiao Yezi were both exhausted and no one was active in the living room.

Gu Xiaowei reached Luo Yu’s bedroom door. Luo Yu turned the doorknob, but Gu Xiaowei shifted to the side and carried him inside. He knelt on the edge of the bed, gently placing Luo Yu down.

Luo Yu let out a deep breath and, as he looked up, found Gu Xiaowei watching him.

"Stop looking! I have what you have!" Luo Yu quickly reached for the blanket, but as he moved, his bath towel slipped, the cold air prickling his back. He hastily pulled the blanket over himself.

"Your bath towel came loose just now," Gu Xiaowei remarked.

"I know! Don’t keep repeating it!" Luo Yu felt a buzzing in his head that was only growing louder.

"So I saw it," Gu Xiaowei said.

"I already said we have the same anatomy, didn't I?"

"What I’m saying is, everything that can be seen and everything that can’t has already been seen. You can just give up." Gu Xiaowei’s expression held no trace of jest.

Was this guy serious? What did "giving up" even mean?

Before Luo Yu could dwell further on it, Gu Xiaowei turned back toward the bathroom, retrieving Luo Yu’s waterproof toiletry bag and placing it on his nightstand.

"...Thanks."

Gu Xiaowei didn’t respond, his expression cold as he left the room.

But for some reason, Luo Yu felt his presence lingering, his aura wrapping around the space, seeping into his skin and mixing with his bloodstream. His heart would pound, sending shivers of tingling sensations through him.

He had just finished getting dressed when the door opened again. Gu Xiaowei had returned with ointment in hand.

Luo Yu instinctively dove deeper into the blanket, and Gu Xiaowei sighed in exasperation.

"You forgot we went swimming together. I’ve seen your shoulders, your abs, your legs. As for what you didn’t want me to see too clearly, well… that was your mistake earlier."

"I… I also wanted to have… a bit of mystery…"

"But the more you care about me seeing, the more I want to see."

Gu Xiaowei’s voice was low and calm, meant not to scare Luo Yu, but its certainty made his heart race even faster.

His hand slipped under the blanket. Luo Yu instinctively tried to pull away, but Gu Xiaowei’s fingers grasped his ankle, firm yet gentle, pulling it out.

"Let’s check your ankle to see how the injury is," Gu Xiaowei said softly.

"Oh."

Luo Yu exhaled, propping himself up. As Gu Xiaowei supported his heel and moved it slowly, that uneasy, heart-thudding sensation returned.

He held his breath, gripping the blanket tightly, uncertain whether he was afraid of Gu Xiaowei discovering something or simply the sensation itself.

"Does it hurt?" Gu Xiaowei’s voice was quiet but deep, resonating deeply with Luo Yu’s heart.

"It’s fine…" Luo Yu tried moving his foot a little. "I don’t think I hurt my ankle."

Gu Xiaowei applied the medication and wrapped his ankle in a thick gel wrap. Luo Yu thought Gu Xiaowei would let go of his foot, but he brought it closer into his embrace.

"Rest well tonight and don’t move too much," Gu Xiaowei said.

"Of course."

"Tomorrow’s scene—you need to be careful. If it gets worse, I’ll go with you to the director. Missing one or two nights isn’t that important."

"En, thanks."

When Gu Xiaowei placed his foot back under the blanket, Luo Yu suddenly found himself longing for his warmth.

"Hey!" Luo Yu called out to him.

"En?"

"Look at me, I’ve got a limp now. Teacher Gu, can you stay with me tonight? What if I need to use the bathroom and fall again…?"

He knew that if he wanted something, he would have to be proactive about it.

Gu Xiaowei didn’t seem to mind touching his foot at all, and Luo Yu figured he should take advantage of the moment.

"Alright, I’ll take a shower first and come back."

Gu Xiaowei left right after saying that.

Luo Yu rubbed his nose, his heart suddenly pounding.

Why did that "take a shower and come back" sound a little… strange?

That night, Luo Yu relied on his injured ankle to have the opportunity to share a bed with Gu Xiaowei once again.

Gu Xiaowei turned off the lights. At first, he was lying with his back to Luo Yu. But not long after, they both turned over, finding that they were awake and staring at each other.

"What are you thinking about?" Gu Xiaowei asked.

Thinking about you, but if I said it out loud, would you fight me?

"I forgot to check Weibo. I wonder if the ratings for ‘Counterattack’ have dropped," Luo Yu casually offered as an excuse.