Chapter 23: Bluffing

Gu Yan's body suddenly stiffened.

How could Gu Lin have come?

"Quick, quick, hide."

Her first reaction was to want Shen Yanhui to hide.

While looking back toward the door, she pushed at Shen Yanhui, wanting to shove him behind the screen or the pile of canvases to the side.

Shen Yanhui did not move; he lowered his eyes to look at her, feeling that her current appearance—flustered yet forcing herself to stay calm—was...

Extremely cute.

Gu Yan could not push him, and she became even more anxious.

Outside the door, Gu Lin had already started twisting the doorknob: "Gu Yan? No movement? I'm coming in!"

"I'm changing clothes!" Gu Yan blurted out, her voice an octave higher.

She scrambled to grab a thin cashmere shawl draped over a nearby chair, wrapping it haphazardly around her body, which was only wearing a camisole nightdress, barely covering herself.

She was immensely grateful that she had locked the studio door on a whim last night.

If she had let Gu Lin barge straight in and see a half-naked Shen Yanhui in her room, along with that painting on the easel...

Then she really wouldn't need to stay on Earth anymore!

Shen Yanhui's lips curled up, and he didn't forget to comfort her: "Slow down, don't be anxious."

"You... you stay there and don't move! Don't make a sound!" Gu Yan glared at him and warned him in a low voice.

Then she took a deep breath, tried hard to make her expression look natural, turned around, and walked quickly toward the door.

She pulled open the studio door, slipped out quickly, and immediately closed the door behind her, moving as fast as if she were afraid something inside would run out.

Gu Lin was frowning at the door panel; seeing her come out, he looked her up and down.

Her hair was a bit messy, her cheeks were abnormally red, and her eyes were flickering... she looked like a thief with a guilty conscience.

"What are you doing?" Gu Lin looked at her suspiciously, "Why lock the door? Why is your face so red? Running to the studio early in the morning... did the sun rise from the west? So diligent?"

Gu Yan's heart was about to jump out of her throat, but she forced herself to keep a straight face: "None of your business, I... I'm looking for inspiration, is that not allowed?"

"You lock the door to look for inspiration?" Gu Lin clearly didn't believe it and tried to bypass her to look inside, "Let me see what kind of inspir..."

"Gu Lin!" Gu Yan panicked, blocking him with one hand and covering the doorknob.

The two of them stood in a stalemate at the doorway.

Gu Yan's brain spun rapidly.

This second brother of hers was overly curious and loved to go against her; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop him if she just blocked him by force.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes, took the initiative, and swept a sharp gaze toward Gu Lin.

"It's you, actually," her tone changed, carrying a sense of scrutiny, "Driving from home to Yunqi Jian takes two hours even without traffic. It's six-ten now."

She held up her phone in front of his eyes, "You, Young Master Gu, could never possibly wake up this early."

She stepped closer, tilting her face up, her gaze piercing: "Confess, what did you do last night? Staying out all night?"

Gu Lin was choked by her question; a trace of unnaturalness flashed across his face, and he subconsciously raised his hand to touch his nose, his eyes drifting away.

"I... what could I have done? Can't I... can't I wake up early to exercise?"

"Exercise?" Gu Yan crossed her arms, snorted coldly, and lifted her chin, "Exercising from the city all the way to the mountains in the suburbs? Gu Lin, who are you trying to fool?"

She paused, deliberately drawing out her tone, and guessed: "Did you... sneak off to go street racing again?"

Gu Lin acted as if his tail had been stepped on and jumped up: "What street racing! That's called racing! A formal competition! I have a license!"

"Oh~" Gu Yan drew out the sound, hugging her chest, watching him with composure, "With your level? Who was it last time that almost drove the car into the buffer zone, scaring the coach until his face turned white?"

"I wasn't familiar with the track then!" Gu Lin was anxious, his voice an octave higher, "And that time was an accident! My level has improved a lot now! Although I can't compare to my Wild God, compared to those people in the circle, it's more than enough!"

Gu Yan knew the Wild God he spoke of: the young master of the Jingcheng Xu Family, Xu Zhouye.

The only active Chinese F1 driver, a three-time WDC, and a legendary figure in the paddock.

He was also the idol of this big blockhead, Gu Lin.

He seemed to have found an opportunity to prove himself and began to chatter incessantly: "You don't know, in last month's small-scale practice race, I ran third! Third! Old Liu and the others were all shocked! They said I had a natural talent, and given time..."

Gu Yan listened to his endless boasting and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Very good, his attention had been diverted.

Truly hopelessly stupid.

She wore an expression of "half-believing" and "too lazy to listen to your bragging" at the right moment, only hoping in her heart that he would finish talking and leave soon.

Gu Lin was still there, gesturing wildly, describing how he "overpowered the crowd" and had "supernatural driving skills," with spit almost flying out.

Just at this moment—

"Click."

A soft sound.

It was the sound of the door lock turning.

Right behind Gu Yan.

Gu Lin's impassioned voice came to an abrupt halt.

He looked up and met eyes with Shen Yanhui at the door. He was stunned for a moment, and then a belly full of suspicion rose up.

Gu Yan's whole body stiffened, and her blood seemed to turn cold in an instant.

She turned around abruptly.

Shen Yanhui was already standing at the door.

Fortunately, his attire was still relatively neat.

No, wait, didn't she tell him to stay inside and not move?

Gu Yan glared at him in accusation; now, how was she supposed to make up an excuse?

Her second brother was a fool, that was true, but he wasn't actually mentally disabled!

Shen Yanhui's expression was calm, his gaze sweeping lightly over the brother and sister standing stiffly at the doorway, finally landing on Gu Yan's puffed-up cheeks.

"Finished arguing?" he asked.

Gu Lin looked at Shen Yanhui, then at his own sister, and then at the pajamas on Shen Yanhui; the string in his brain named "reason" went "snap" and broke.

He tremblingly raised his hand, his index finger shaking as he pointed at Shen Yanhui, his voice changing pitch:

"He... he... Mr. Shen... Mr. Shen?! Why is he here?! And... and wearing pajamas?!"

Gu Yan closed her eyes.

It's over.

It's all over.

Shen Yanhui reached out and grasped Gu Lin's trembling hand, his tone unchanged, "Second Young Master Gu, I've long admired your name."

Even at a time like this, his social etiquette remained exemplary.

Gu Lin was taken aback by this, blankly replying, "... Nice to meet you?"

Only after saying it did he suddenly realize something was wrong.

"You... you two..."

Gu Yan had completely given up struggling and raised her hands to cover her face. Don't ask her; she didn't know anything, and she was just the one bewitched by his good looks.

Shen Yanhui withdrew his hand, took the opportunity to straighten his pajama cuffs, and suddenly changed the subject: "I hear Second Young Master Gu is very interested in racing?"

Gu Lin was still immersed in the shock of "my sister hiding a man in her studio," and upon hearing this, he nodded subconsciously: "Ah? Ye... yes, I am."

"Xu Zhouye," Shen Yanhui spat out the name lightly, "do you know him?"

Gu Lin's eyes lit up instantly.

"Wild God, of course I know him! The genius driver of the new generation, he just took Pole Position in Monaco last week, he's my idol!"

Shen Yanhui nodded, "He will be returning to the domestic base next week for adaptive training."

Gu Lin: "...!!"

"If Second Young Master Gu is interested, you can come over and take a look."

"Really?" Gu Lin's voice was so excited it changed pitch, "I can go?"

"Of course, I'll have a word with the racing team."

Amidst his excitement, Gu Lin's reason returned slightly, and his tone was suspicious, "Can you really contact Wild God?"

Shen Yanhui smiled faintly, "Do you need me to give him a call?"

As he spoke, he took out his phone, tapped the screen a few times with his fingertips, and after two "beep" sounds, a lazy male voice rang out.

"Hello, Big Boss Shen, what's the occasion so early?"

Gu Lin froze.

As a die-hard fan who had listened to every one of Xu Zhouye's race TRs, this voice was far too familiar.

"Holy crap, it's really Wild God!"

Gu Yan covered her face and turned her head away.

Speechless, truly speechless; she really didn't want to admit that this person was her own brother.

Shen Yanhui said a few words to the other end, then handed the phone to Gu Lin.

Gu Lin took it blankly and stammered a greeting.

Taking advantage of the time he was talking, Shen Yanhui put his arm around Gu Yan's waist and led her toward the living room downstairs.

As they walked, he said: "Let's go eat breakfast first, then you can catch up on sleep."