During the following Chinese language class, Gu Yuan was somewhat distracted. He didn’t take the initiative to find Zhou Chiyu to play with until the big break.
Hayton Elementary School had interest clubs every Wednesday afternoon. At the start of the new semester, each class needed to go to the computer room to sign up for courses.
Zhou Chiyu liked the Craft Club the most and hated sports clubs the least. Every time they selected courses, he needed to act quickly to avoid his favorite clubs being taken.
“Brother, what club do you want to sign up for?”
Zhou Chiyu rubbed up against Gu Yuan’s side and, with practiced ease, pulled out snacks from Gu Yuan’s desk pocket to eat. Zhou Junyi happened to see the intimate way the two interacted and observed them thoughtfully.
“Drone Programming Club.” Gu Yuan leaned back in his chair, holding his book and replying faintly.
“Ah?” Zhou Chiyu chewed on potato chips, his brows furrowing tightly. “You’re not going to the Craft Club with me?”
In the past two years, Gu Yuan had always accompanied him to whichever club he wanted to join.
“Mm.” Gu Yuan’s response was still brief.
“Okay then.” Zhou Chiyu hugged his tub of potato chips and casually asked Zhou Junyi, who sat diagonally across from him. “New classmate, what club do you want to join?”
Zhou Junyi had been observing them anyway, so he nodded upon hearing this. “Which club do you think is the most fun?”
Zhou Chiyu said, “I think the Craft Club! You can make lots of fun things there. Last year, I molded a kitten out of clay.”
Of course, that kitten had ended up on Gu Yuan’s desk in the end.
“Then I’ll sign up for the Craft Club too,” Zhou Junyi said.
Gu Yuan finally raised his eyes. As his fingertips gripped the textbook tightly, a flash of anxiety passed through the depths of his eyes.
“Yay!” Zhou Chiyu said impatiently. “Then let’s go sign up for classes now?”
Zhou Junyi nodded. “Okay.”
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Chiyu’s chubby figure had rushed to the classroom door. Before leaving, he turned back to ask Gu Yuan, “Brother, I’ll sign you up for the Drone Programming Club too, okay?”
Drone programming classes were fun and interesting, and a lot of people wanted to sign up every year.
Gu Yuan lowered his gaze and gently clenched his fist. He gave a cold “Mm.”
He was very disappointed and very angry. Zhou Chiyu hadn’t even tried to keep him? If Zhou Chiyu had apologized to him, he would have been willing to forgive him.
He spread out his English test paper and started doing the questions, stewing in his own sullen mood alone.
…
The weather was still very hot, and the ice cream stand at the supermarket entrance was extremely popular. Zhou Chiyu looked enviously at his classmates who had bought ice cream, feeling secretly downhearted as he patted his little belly.
Ever since they had entered elementary school, Auntie Bai and Grandpa Gu had paid close attention to his daily life. Although he wasn’t as fat as he had been in kindergarten, snacks and other foods high in additives were forbidden. The snacks he ate now were all homemade, and Gu Yuan held custody of them.
Elementary school students could eat lunch at school or bring their own. Auntie Bai worried they wouldn’t like the cafeteria food, so she had someone deliver meals every day at noon, which meant they almost never got money loaded onto their meal cards.
Of course, this was also to restrict Zhou Chiyu’s binge eating. Gu Yuan was purely collateral damage because he was soft-hearted and couldn’t resist Zhou Chiyu’s wheedling and cuteness.
“Zhou Junyi.” Zhou Chiyu shyly dug at his toes, his little head furiously brewing a bold plan. “Can I ask you to help me with something?”
Zhou Junyi nodded. “Sure.”
Zhou Chiyu opened WeChat on his phone watch and said furtively, “I can transfer you 30 yuan. Can you help me load money onto my meal card?”
The weather was really too hot. He wanted to buy an ice cream.
“No need. I can treat you.” Zhou Junyi was very generous and led Zhou Chiyu to the ice cream stand. “What flavor do you like?”
“Chocolate.” Zhou Chiyu tested the waters. “Ice cream is 15 yuan each. Actually, I wanted to buy two.”
Gu Yuan hadn’t had one yet.
Zhou Junyi looked at Zhou Chiyu’s nervous and bashful chubby little face and nodded readily. “No problem. I can treat both of you.”
“You’re practically a Great Benefactor!” Zhou Chiyu clapped and hopped a little. “My brother likes blueberry flavor.”
“OK.”
On the way back, Zhou Junyi saw Zhou Chiyu happily humming a tune and asked curiously, “Little Fish, are you and Gu Yuan classmates good friends?”
Zhou Chiyu licked his ice cream. “We’re blood brothers.”
Zhou Junyi’s little face smiled. “I see.”
Back in the classroom, Zhou Chiyu handed the nearly melted ice cream to Gu Yuan. “Brother, eat up quick. Zhou Junyi treated us.”
Gu Yuan didn’t look up. “I don’t want any.”
“Why not? Is it because it’s cold?” Zhou Chiyu watched as the tip of the ice cream was about to drip off. He stuck out his tongue, licked it once, and held it up to Gu Yuan’s mouth. “It’s not cold anymore, actually.”
Gu Yuan raised his slightly resentful eyes and was immediately met with Zhou Junyi’s smiling face. He simply turned his head away, deliberately avoiding Zhou Chiyu. “I don’t want to eat it.”
“Okay then.” Zhou Chiyu swallowed the ice cream in two or three bites and turned to smile at Zhou Junyi. “The blueberry one is tasty too.”
Gu Yuan glanced sidelong at Zhou Chiyu’s carefree smile, and his depressed mood grew even heavier.
Had two ice creams been enough to buy him off?
What a gluttonous Little Fat Fish.
That evening, the two packed their schoolbags and rode home in the car. Zhou Chiyu didn’t notice at all that Gu Yuan was sulking.
Just as the car was about to start, Zhou Junyi suddenly knocked on their car door. Zhou Chiyu poked out his round little face. “What’s up?”
“Little Fish, I didn’t write down all of my English homework. Can I add you on WeChat?”
“Sure.” Zhou Chiyu opened his phone watch and held out his meaty little wrist. “You can ask me if you have any questions you don’t get.”
Zhou Junyi smiled brightly. “Thanks.”
Uncle Liu, the driver, saw Zhou Junyi and teased with a smile, “How come I haven’t seen this handsome little boy before?”
