That evening after dinner, Zhou Chiyu returned to his room to watch cartoons. Because he’d gotten hurt, Old Master Gu had prepared lots of gifts for him. He took photos of all the gifts and shared them in the family group chat.
Grandpa and his parents all replied, but he didn’t recognize many characters yet, so Butler Chen read them for him.
“Uncle, why don’t they send voice messages?”
Zhou Chiyu propped up his chubby cheeks and asked in his milky voice. “I haven’t heard their voices in so long.”
Butler Chen’s nose tingled, but he kept his expression steady. “We’ll have time tomorrow—how about a video call with them?”
“Really?” Zhou Chiyu nuzzled him happily like a little seal. “Yay! I miss them so much.”
Butler Chen sighed quietly and prepared to turn off the lights to put Zhou Chiyu to bed.
Just then, a knock sounded at their door.
When he saw the small figure outside, he was clearly surprised.
Gu Yuan wore only a nightshirt and carried a paper bag in his hand.
“Can I come in?”
Butler Chen nodded. “Of course.”
He walked straight into the bedroom and immediately spotted the chubby doll with a mop of woolly curls on the bed.
The bag wasn’t heavy; he set it lightly on the table.
He looked at Zhou Chiyu for a moment, then turned coldly. “This is for you.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Suddenly, a pudgy little hand grabbed his.
He stopped in astonishment, frowning slightly as he looked back.
“Your hand is so cold. Little Fish will warm it up for you.”
Zhou Chiyu lifted his nightshirt, exposing his round white tummy. “My body’s super warm.”
Gu Yuan froze, coldly starting to say a word. But upon seeing Zhou Chiyu’s beaming smile, the word vanished from his lips.
“What’s the gift you brought me?”
Zhou Chiyu opened the bag and found a Lego Garden Lakeside Building inside.
“Did Brother build this?”
Gu Yuan nodded, his gaze falling on the plump Koi Carp in the lake.
He had spent a long, long time assembling this Lego set.
“You’re so awesome. I can’t build stuff like that.”
Zhou Chiyu clearly loved it. He placed it by his bed and clapped in delight. “I love this gift so much. Thank you, my good friend.”
Gu Yuan lowered his eyes, using his bangs to hide them. “I’m not your good friend.”
Zhou Chiyu ignored him and repeated excitedly, “We! Are! Good friends!”
Gu Yuan turned sideways. “I’m leaving.”
Watching the frail back retreat, Zhou Chiyu tilted his head up. “Won’t you have a cup of coffee? Or a drink before you go?”
He’d picked up the lines from an uncle in the cartoon, probably to show hospitality.
Gu Yuan ignored him and hurried away.
Butler Chen closed the door thoughtfully. “Looks like the Gu Family Little Young Master doesn’t always need the wheelchair.”
Zhou Chiyu nodded. “Brother needs it when he’s tired.”
“Uncle wants to ask you something.” Butler Chen picked up the little guy and put him on the bed. “Why do you like Gu Yuan so much?”
Zhou Chiyu fiddled with the Lego. “He’s pretty.”
Butler Chen chuckled in surprise. “So Little Fish is a looks guy.”
“Salt guy?” Zhou Chiyu asked back. “Does it have to do with salt-baked chicken drumsticks?”
Butler Chen laughed. “Our Little Fish is such a little foodie.”
…
The next day, Zhou Chiyu brought his good friends over to visit.
The party was set at the Swan Lake Shore, where the scenery was beautiful. They could rest in the sunroom if they got tired from playing.
“Young Master of Zhou Family really treats this place like his own home.”
The two servants whispered. “Old Master really dotes on him.”
“Yeah, I heard Old Master is rushing back from the company to join the kids’ party.”
“What great luck—how’d he get reborn into that family?”
“Little Fish, your new home is so big.”
Shao Yumeng, in her white dress, did a little dance. When she looked up, she spotted a pretty, aloof boy standing at the fourth-floor window.
“Little Fish! Who’s that?”
She pointed eagerly, unable to help praising. “He looks like a little prince!”
When everyone looked toward where Shao Yumeng pointed, the figure was already gone.
Zhou Chiyu instantly guessed that the prince Shao Yumeng had seen was Gu Yuan.
“Him? My good friend.”
Zhou Chiyu munched on a lollipop and coolly flicked his curly hair. “He gave me a Lego toy yesterday—one he built himself. Probably took him five years.”
“Five years?” Shao Yumeng was even more envious. “Can you introduce him to me?”
“Of course.” Zhou Chiyu stuffed a BBQ Skewer that his uncle had grilled into his mouth. “I’ll go call him right now.”
“Awesome.” It wasn’t just Shao Yumeng; all the other kids eagerly awaited Gu Yuan’s arrival.
Zhou Chiyu clapped his hands and hopped down from the chair nimbly. “Wait for me—I’ll be right back.”
Amid everyone’s expectant gazes, he lifted his little feet like a tiny soldier heading into battle and knocked on Gu Yuan’s door.
Gu Yuan was reading and didn’t speak, but he pressed the door-open button.
Zhou Chiyu ran in and flopped stickily onto Gu Yuan’s wheelchair, wriggling. “Brother, wanna come BBQ with us?”
Gu Yuan’s gaze never wavered. “No.”
“Why not? Don’t you want grilled meat?” Zhou Chiyu slowly brought his chubby face close to Gu Yuan’s book. “Grilled meat is the yummiest thing in the world.”
“I don’t want any.”
Gu Yuan wasn’t feeling well today—his legs had no strength when he tried to walk, so he’d been in the wheelchair since morning. If Zhou Chiyu begged him to join, he actually would have. He’d been peeking from the window for a long time earlier. Everyone was laughing happily, discussing Disney cartoons. Zhou Chiyu, as the center of attention and absolute leader, always had fun games to share.
But today, he couldn’t walk on his own.
“You don’t have to eat. You can just sit there, and we can watch cartoons together.” Zhou Chiyu kept tempting him. “The sunshine outside is super nice, and the Big White Goose came out to play too.”
Looking into those eyes full of smiles, Gu Yuan took a deep breath and decided to voice his true thoughts.
Ever since birth, he’d endured strange stares—even from relatives’ kids, who secretly shunned him. People thought he wasn’t a normal child, feared him, rejected him, and didn’t want to play with him.
He pursed his lips, his eyes cold and lonely. “If I go down to play, I’ll need the wheelchair. Your friends will see and laugh at you.”
“You must be scared of everyone looking at you like that.”
“Laugh at me?” Zhou Chiyu didn’t quite get what there was to mock. He said word by word, “So what about the wheelchair? Does sitting in a wheelchair mean you’re not my Treasure Brother anymore?”
Author’s Note:
No nutrient solution, wuwuwu. If you like these two treasures, toss some nutrient solution their way [sobbing]?_?
