Chapter 23 Part 3

After arriving at the foot of Yanling Mountain, Zhou Chiyu gripped Gu Yuan’s hand tightly and secretly reminded him to say hello to the homeroom teacher. The group leader said everyone needed to get a hiking medal to go home. If that was true, he might have to stay in the mountains to feed the tigers.

“Teacher, I’m not feeling well today. Can my brother stay by my side to take care of me?”

Teacher Li agreed readily. “Sure, but Little Fish, you at least have to walk five kilometers.”

This hike had two medals in total. Midway through the route, each student could claim one five-kilometer medal.

Hearing this, Zhou Chiyu nodded happily. Five kilometers was like a piece of small cake for him.

A gentle breeze blew through, rustling the leaves. The mountain wind carried threads of coolness as it wove through the crowd.

Zhou Chiyu hated the heat, so he rolled up his pant legs and sleeves, climbing step by step up the stairs. To motivate himself, he demanded that Gu Yuan buy him a cup of milk tea after school, but he ultimately failed.

However, Gu Yuan promised to have the family’s dessert chef make him a healthier version of milk tea, which gave Zhou Chiyu something to look forward to.

After walking for 40 minutes, the third-grade group’s hiking pace slowed slightly. Zhou Chiyu fell to the back, panting heavily. The tips of his soft curls stuck together with sweat. He wiped his face casually with his hand, leaving a wet streak of sweat.

“Little Fish, do you want to drink my water?” Zhou Junyi proactively offered his thermos to Zhou Chiyu.

“No need, thanks.” Gu Yuan unscrewed his own cup and gently held it to Zhou Chiyu’s lips, feeding him personally. “I have some here.”

Zhou Junyi watched Zhou Chiyu’s adorable way of gulping down the water and smiled to himself. “Okay, I have more if it’s not enough.”

To lighten their loads, the students had left heavy items from their schoolbags on the bus before setting out, keeping only necessary water and food.

Zhou Chiyu felt sorry for Gu Yuan, so he stuffed both their snacks and water into his own little schoolbag. But just before getting off the bus, Gu Yuan had quietly taken the three bottles of water.

“Thanks, we brought enough.”

Zhou Chiyu was already exhausted like a compressed biscuit—wilted and listless—so he naturally didn’t notice that the mineral water was all in Gu Yuan’s schoolbag. They finally reached a temporary rest point, and lunchtime was approaching.

“Let’s eat.” Gu Yuan found a clean patch of grass, spread out the picnic mat, and led Zhou Chiyu to sit down.

“Little Fish, are you this tired?”

The nearby classmates saw Zhou Chiyu’s disheveled state and wondered curiously why he was sweating so much. Gu Yuan had poor health and had walked the same distance, yet he was spotless. His white shirt was pristine, and he even carried the fresh scent of body wash.

In contrast, Zhou Chiyu’s soft curls were practically flying everywhere. The little white shoes he’d worn out of school were filthy, and his face and neck were covered in smudges.

“I’m exhausted.”

Zhou Chiyu whined and sprawled out spread-eagled on the picnic mat, spacing out. But it was high noon, the sun’s rays at their strongest, and Zhou Chiyu had nowhere to hide. He flipped over, buried his little head in the picnic mat, and started sulking.

Gu Yuan had already scouted the terrain. There were no large trees nearby for shade, and the shady spots were all taken by other grades. They had no better place to go for now.

However, he had brought a parasol. To cool Zhou Chiyu down, he opened it and placed it at his side.

“Little Fish, do you want to eat the crepe first or the wagyu sushi?”

“Sushi.” The heat on Zhou Chiyu’s body eased a bit, and he twisted his little face toward Gu Yuan. “Brother, my legs hurt.”

“How could your legs hurt?” Zhou Junyi, who was right next door, asked concernedly. “Little Fish, did you twist your ankle?”

“Maybe.” Zhou Chiyu sat up and furrowed his little brows seriously. “For the rest of the way, I’m afraid I can’t walk anymore.”

“Open up.” Gu Yuan put on disposable gloves and fed Zhou Chiyu a piece of sushi. With his cheeks puffed out, Zhou Chiyu mumbled indistinctly, “Can I wait here for everyone?”

Zhou Junyi hesitated. “Maybe we can ask—”

“Little Fish, drink some water.” Gu Yuan interrupted Zhou Junyi, carefully inserting a straw into the juice. “Do you want a mini burger or mashed potato chicken wings?”

“Yeah.” Zhou Chiyu had no intention of lifting a hand. He wiggled his little feet slightly, enjoying Gu Yuan’s service while continuing to chat with Zhou Junyi. “I bet Teacher Li will say no.”

Zhou Junyi stared at Zhou Chiyu’s nimble little feet and hesitated to speak. “Probably.”

After lunch, Zhou Chiyu lay on the picnic mat like a sloth, not moving an inch. Gu Yuan saw how much he’d sweated and pulled out baby wipes to gently clean his cheeks, neck, and arms.

Zhou Chiyu cooperated by flipping over lightly.

Gu Yuan: “…”

He’d thought Zhou Chiyu had fallen asleep.

He was getting lazier and lazier.

“Little Fish, want a biscuit?” Zhou Junyi’s picnic mat had only him on it, so he invited Zhou Chiyu proactively. “My picnic mat is big. Want to lie here so your brother can rest too?”

The picnic mat Gu Yuan brought was too small. After Zhou Chiyu lay down, Gu Yuan was squeezed to the edge.

“Yeah.” Zhou Chiyu lifted his head in a daze. “Brother, then I’ll—”

“I’ll lie over there.” Gu Yuan packed up the trash and walked lightly to Zhou Junyi’s picnic mat, thanking him. “Sorry for the trouble.”

Zhou Junyi hadn’t quite reacted yet. He glanced at Zhou Chiyu and nodded slowly. “No problem.”

The unique chill of autumn, carrying the scent of pine resin, slowly drifted in.

Zhou Chiyu draped his jacket over himself and drifted off to sleep with a sweet expression.

On the picnic mat next door, Gu Yuan and Zhou Junyi lay side by side, silent.

“Little Fish said he really likes you. He treats you like a friend,” Gu Yuan said in a low voice, staring up at the sky.

Zhou Junyi paused for a moment before smiling innocently. “Me too.”

Gu Yuan raised his hand and caught a falling leaf carried by the breeze. “He also said he loves me.”

Author’s Note:

Zhou Junyi: No, he has…

Because it needs to go up for review, the next chapter’s update is delayed~ New update time: Monday at 11 p.m.~