“Brother…”
Zhou Chiyu didn’t know how to describe his feelings at that moment.
The easter egg had surprised him and caught him off guard.
He gently removed his glasses and looked at Gu Yuan. “How are you so amazing?”
Gu Yuan gazed back at Zhou Chiyu. “So, does sweety like it?”
Zhou Chiyu’s eyes suddenly burned. He lowered his head and smiled. “Of course I like it.”
“Hm? It looks like sweety has already accepted this nickname.”
Gu Yuan ruffled Zhou Chiyu’s hair. “As long as you like it.”
He pressed a command, and the miniature world they had just built reappeared on the computer screen. Two little boys huddled together, making wishes on the fireworks.
“Brother.” Zhou Chiyu gently grasped Gu Yuan’s wrist and opened his mouth.
He had so many words in his heart, but he didn’t know how to voice them.
Ever since he learned the truth about how Gu Yuan had saved him all those years ago, his mind had been in turmoil.
He had even thought about devoting himself to Gu Yuan in return, but he felt that wouldn’t be fair to him.
The premise for him and Gu Yuan to date was that he truly loved Gu Yuan, with no impurities in his feelings.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yuan seemed to guess his emotions and said directly, “It looks like the liberal arts student managed to create some surprises. Mission accomplished.”
“Of course.” Zhou Chiyu showed a shy smile. “I think your surprise was especially romantic.”
“So direct?” Gu Yuan’s tone carried a rare hint of surprise. “Is there a reward?”
“A reward?” Zhou Chiyu zoned out for a moment. After thinking it over, he met those eyes that showed no attempt to hide their affection. The words on the tip of his tongue came out stumbling. “What gift do you want? I can give you one.”
“I don’t want a gift.”
Gu Yuan sat up straight and continued manipulating the keyboard. “I want something else.”
“Something else?” Zhou Chiyu asked. “What do you want?”
Gu Yuan stared at Zhou Chiyu’s reflection on the display screen, hesitating as if he wanted to speak but held back. “Forget it, never mind.”
Zhou Chiyu scratched his head. It was the first time he had seen Gu Yuan like this.
“Brother?”
“Brother?”
He leaned over, poking his head forward and nudging Gu Yuan’s shoulder hard. “Anything I can give you, I definitely will.”
“Really?” Gu Yuan tilted his head slightly, his voice very soft. “You should know what I want most.”
Zhou Chiyu’s eyes suddenly deepened, a flash of panic crossing the depths.
He did know what Gu Yuan wanted most.
“Want to grab some food?”
Juan called out to everyone. “I think we need some entertainment.”
The club’s internal competition had a strong recreational vibe, so it didn’t need to be too formal. As president, Juan had prepared a lavish dinner for everyone.
“Yuan, bring your Little Sweetheart over for dinner.”
Archer was an optimist; his failed pursuit didn’t dampen his mood. “I want to show everyone something fun.”
The electronic oscilloscope was Archer’s latest gadget, already patented. It could detect if someone was lying.
“My Lie Detector is extremely advanced.”
Archer boasted shamelessly. “I told Yuan about my idea, and he said he was very interested. He even invested in me.”
Zhou Chiyu was gnawing on ribs with gloves on when he heard this and looked at Gu Yuan. “Brother, is his Lie Detector really that impressive?”
“Mm.” Gu Yuan gave a brief introduction. “His Lie Detector captures changes in brain blood oxygen levels to locate deception-related areas of the brain, like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and uses the transmitted data to judge if the other person is lying. Plus, the device is quite compact, giving it a big advantage over the equipment used in criminal investigations.”
Zhou Chiyu asked, “So you invested in it?”
“Mm.” Gu Yuan looked at the smudge of sauce around Zhou Chiyu’s lips and smiled gently. “You’ve got sauce on your mouth.”
Zhou Chiyu let out an “oh” and slowly removed his disposable glove. But Gu Yuan had already wiped it clean for him first.
“Do you guys want to give it a try?” Archer invited everyone. “Maybe we can make it a competition. Put on the Lie Detector and answer everyone’s questions. Whoever keeps their heart rate the steadiest wins.”
“Are there prizes?” Zhou Chiyu asked.
Archer blinked. “Prizes sponsored by Gu Yuan.”
“Why?” Zhou Chiyu sounded protective. “What if my brother wins? Wouldn’t he just be rewarding himself?”
Archer hesitated. “Alright then, I’ll handle buying the prizes.”
“That’s more like it.” Zhou Chiyu grinned triumphantly and scooted closer to Gu Yuan. “Brother, are you joining the competition? You have to make Archer bleed money!”
“Mm.” Gu Yuan’s voice was impossibly soft. “What about you? Want to try?”
“I can too.” Zhou Chiyu’s thinking was simple. “As long as I don’t lie, it should be fine.”
Gu Yuan smiled thoughtfully. “You might not know them that well.”
The first to try on the Lie Detector was Juan. Archer asked first. “Did you kiss the Volleyball Club President the day before yesterday?”
Juan had admired the Volleyball Club President for a long time and had recently won his heart. He raised an eyebrow. “Mm.”
Another girl in a white sweater followed up. “Is he better to kiss, or was your ex-boyfriend better?”
Juan’s previously steady heartbeat suddenly fluctuated. “My current boyfriend.”
The Lie Detector beeped “beep beep beep” at that moment.
Juan covered his face and laughed. “Alright, it was my ex. It was more passionate with him.”
Zhou Chiyu was completely intimidated by the scene and quietly nudged Gu Yuan. “Are the questions all… this explosive?”
“Mm.” Gu Yuan’s smile was calm. “Still dare to try?”
“Of course.” Zhou Chiyu was stubborn. “I don’t have anything I don’t want everyone to know.”
Juan’s challenge ended in failure. Next, the others took turns testing. It was Zhou Chiyu’s first time seeing a Lie Detector game with such a huge scale.
As a pure-hearted elementary schooler at heart, Zhou Chiyu felt extremely embarrassed. He kept his head down, nodding along as everyone discussed sex techniques.
Had these people’s sex education started this early?
In high school already…
Zhou Chiyu didn’t dare meet Gu Yuan’s eyes. It seemed the plots in American dramas really came from life—everyone was pretty open about sex.
“Little Sweetheart, want to give it a try?”
Suddenly called out, Zhou Chiyu dropped the grilled meat in his hand. Like a shy little seal, he nudged Gu Yuan. “Brother, why don’t you go first.”
Gu Yuan chuckled. “Actually, I wasn’t planning to try.”
“What?” While Zhou Chiyu was stunned, Archer had already put the monitoring device on him. Archer was most curious about Zhou Chiyu and had prepared plenty of questions.
“Little Sweetheart, how old were you for your first kiss?”
Zhou Chiyu’s fingers gripping the chopsticks turned slightly white. “Recently.”
“Recently?” Archer found it unbelievable. “Was it with Gu Yuan?”
Zhou Chiyu’s earlobes were nearly red enough to bleed. He stammered, “Mm.”
Everyone present showed shocked expressions. Archer looked at Gu Yuan. “Aren’t you Childhood Sweethearts?”
“Yes.” Gu Yuan’s expression was calm. “We’re into pure love.”
Archer shook his head. “I don’t get it. You actually didn’t have feelings for Little Sweetheart, not even…”
Archer didn’t finish, but another boy was blunt and asked directly, “Have you had sex?”
Zhou Chiyu completely froze, his gaze flickering evasively. “Of course not.”
“Ah!” Everyone exclaimed in surprise again. After the earlier competition, everyone had seen how sweet and affectionate they were— it would be strange if they hadn’t had sex.
“We’re not together yet.” Gu Yuan tried to translate it into terms everyone could understand. “Since ancient times, love in our country has been romantic and subtle. As a famous writer once said, ‘When you meet someone you like, even the proudest person will become very humble, lowering themselves to the dust. But from that dust, a flower can bloom just from seeing the person you like every day.’”
Zhou Chiyu gazed dazedly at Gu Yuan’s smile, his heart a tangle of emotions.
These words were both the writer’s true feelings and Gu Yuan’s own sentiments from his secret crush period.
“This is probably that subtle Eastern way of yours.” Archer seemed to understand Gu Yuan’s feelings for Zhou Chiyu. “Little Sweetheart, do you like Gu Yuan?”
He was too curious about what Zhou Chiyu was thinking.
“Me?” Zhou Chiyu’s heart raced, his breathing gradually quickening. It was obvious whether Archer meant familial or romantic love. He stared at the Lie Detector, worried his answer might hurt Gu Yuan. What if he said he loved him and it beeped? He wasn’t even sure if his answer counted as a lie.
“I haven’t figured it out yet.” He said softly. For him, dodging the question was the best solution.
Gu Yuan wasn’t surprised by his answer—he seemed to have expected it—but that didn’t stop his eyes from growing even more downcast.
“Alright.” Gu Yuan tried to remove the device for Zhou Chiyu, but Archer stopped him. “Maybe Little Sweetheart can win? Let’s ask a few more.”
Zhou Chiyu stared into Gu Yuan’s eyes, his lips parting slightly. “Brother—”
“What kind of person makes your heart race?” Archer propped his chin on his hand. “Maybe we can call him your ideal type?”
“My ideal type?” Zhou Chiyu glanced at the wilted rose drooping on the table. In his peripheral vision was Gu Yuan’s focused gaze.
This time, his thoughts weren’t so jumbled. The heat pounding in his chest gradually coalesced into an answer. “I like Gu Yuan’s type.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the Lie Detector. The machine showed no reaction.
