Chapter 70

“Wait a little longer. Little Fish hasn’t finished eating yet.”

Professor Lin turned his head and watched Zhou Chiyu in the dining room, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Besides, he just finished dinner, and it’s so cold outside. Let him rest a bit first.”

“It’s fine. The heater was on in the car the whole time.”

Gu Yuan paused, his gaze sharpening with a hint of judgment. “We won’t disturb you anymore.”

Zhou Chiyu had already trotted over and returned the jacket to Professor Lin, flashing an embarrassed smile. “Thank you for dinner. We’re heading out now.”

Professor Lin’s gaze softened. “Keep it on. It’s cold outside. You can return it next class.”

Zhou Chiyu was about to thank him when Gu Yuan took off his own jacket and handed back Professor Lin’s sweater. “Wear mine instead.”

Zhou Chiyu pursed his lips and sneaked a glance at Gu Yuan.

“Alright.” Professor Lin took it calmly. “Drive safely.”

Before leaving, Gu Yuan opened an umbrella and gently steadied Zhou Chiyu’s shoulder, reminding him to watch for the puddle at the door. Zhou Chiyu wore Gu Yuan’s jacket, which hung loosely on him—the hem nearly reaching mid-thigh, the collar sloppily askew to the left, exposing his fair neck. He resembled a slender little deer, clumsy and green in his steps.

Professor Lin stood by the second-floor floor-to-ceiling window, silently watching the two figures in the drizzle, dark undercurrents surging beneath his gentle facade.

The car heater blasted warm air, and Zhou Chiyu felt a bit stuffy. He shrugged off the jacket and sprawled out in the passenger seat.

He stole a glance at Gu Yuan, sensing that his brother seemed unusually serious today. Based on his understanding of Gu Yuan, he was probably upset.

“Brother, is your research group super busy?”

Zhou Chiyu tried to comfort him in his own way. “Have you eaten? There’s a revolving restaurant with great food. I can go with you.”

Gu Yuan’s voice was low. “I’ve eaten.”

“Oh, then are you tired?” Zhou Chiyu asked tentatively. “If you’re tired, go rest early when we get back.”

“Little Fish—” Gu Yuan interrupted, gripping the steering wheel lightly. “What do you think of Professor Lin?”

“Professor Lin?” Zhou Chiyu tilted his face toward the road ahead, thinking seriously. “His professional skills are top-notch, he’s funny and witty, and he really cares about his students. He must be really popular in the academy.”

“Mm.” Gu Yuan’s knuckles whitened, his voice growing lower. “How about switching professors? I know one who specializes in pop music coaching. She’s written songs for a lot of celebrities.”

“I don’t really want to switch.” Zhou Chiyu looked troubled. “I think Professor Lin is great.”

“Alright.” The car stopped at a red light, and Gu Yuan grasped Zhou Chiyu’s wrist, leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead. “From now on, when you have class, I’ll go with you.”

“Okay.”

The next day was Saturday, the day Zhou Chiyu and Professor Lin were going to the concert. When Professor Lin picked up Zhou Chiyu, he saw Gu Yuan there too and smiled in surprise. “I didn’t expect Young Master Gu to be interested in music too.”

Gu Yuan nodded. “Yes.”

Along the way, Zhou Chiyu chattered animatedly with Professor Lin about classic works from the Classical period. Honestly, he hadn’t been curious about music before, but after two days of lessons with Professor Lin, his interest had grown stronger.

Professor Lin answered his questions one by one, occasionally glancing at Gu Yuan in the rearview mirror. After last night, the boy’s hostility toward him seemed even stronger.

“Next weekend, there’s a music composition workshop. If you’re interested, you can come with me.”

“Thanks, Professor Lin. I’ll think about it.”

Zhou Chiyu really wanted to go, but he had Old Master Gu’s elite class on weekends, and skipping too often wouldn’t be good.

“No problem. Let me know.”

Half an hour later, the three arrived at the Opera House.

Gu Yuan had bought his ticket late, so his seat was far from the others. Zhou Chiyu worried about him feeling left out and hesitated awkwardly by Gu Yuan’s seat.

Professor Lin noticed his dilemma and generously offered to swap seats with Gu Yuan. Gu Yuan seemed surprised, meeting Professor Lin’s gaze with scrutiny for two seconds.

Professor Lin smiled, handed over the ticket, and lightly patted Gu Yuan’s shoulder. “Enjoy the concert.”

The harp gleamed like silver frost, and as the violin drew out the first notes, the concert officially began.

“Professor Lin is really so nice.” Zhou Chiyu whispered into Gu Yuan’s ear. “Sometime, I want to treat him to dinner.”

Gu Yuan’s fingertips brushed Zhou Chiyu’s hand back inadvertently, his expression calm. “I’ll go with you.”

After the concert, Gu Yuan took the initiative to invite Professor Lin to dinner, and Professor Lin gladly accepted.

“There’s a Japanese restaurant nearby. The head chef has won the top 100 global best chef award for four years straight. I hope it suits your taste.”

Professor Lin’s face was mild. “I like Japanese food.”

“Their Hokkaido Milk Ice Cream is especially delicious.” Zhou Chiyu’s eyes curved happily. “Brother, Professor Lin will definitely love it. We should order extra portions.”

Gu Yuan’s lips curved with deeper meaning. “Is it Professor Lin who wants it, or someone else?”

Zhou Chiyu raised his eyebrows, playing dumb. “Of course Professor Lin likes it.”

Gu Yuan laughed meaningfully, staring straight into the dark eyes in the rearview mirror. “Little Fish has a sweet tooth. He’s loved ice cream since he was little. To control his sugar intake, we only let him order one portion when eating out.”

A soft expression crossed Professor Lin’s face. “I see.”

“Brother, you always expose my flaws.” Zhou Chiyu pouted from the passenger seat. “Give me some face next time, okay?”

Gu Yuan showed a faint smile. “Alright, I won’t tell outsiders how we ditched the driver uncle to sneak out for milk tea.”

Zhou Chiyu laughed along. “Shh!”

Professor Lin drove on, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You brothers have such a good relationship.”

“Yes.” Gu Yuan’s voice lost its earlier softness, carrying a firm edge. “So I won’t stand by and watch someone scheme against my little brother.”

Zhou Chiyu fiddled with his seatbelt, completely missing the implication in Gu Yuan’s words.

Professor Lin replied, “Indeed. If I had a brother as cute and innocent as Little Fish, I’d worry about others bullying him too.”

“Mm.” Gu Yuan’s gaze casually swept over Professor Lin’s hem. “You’re right.”

Zhou Chiyu’s dorm group lit up nonstop. The chat reminded him that the Top 10 Singers prelims were next Monday, and he and Bai Zhiqi should get styled that day to wow everyone.

Zhou Chiyu replied with a “thanks” emoji. He was determined to get the credits from Top 10 Singers. Plus, he planned to join the Global Entrepreneurship Competition hosted by MIT Sloan School of Management. A good placing there would boost his chances too.

—

NISHIKI’s dishes were plated meticulously, with fresh ingredients shaped artistically by the head chef.

Zhou Chiyu held his ice cream, eyes fixed on Gu Yuan’s portion. He wasn’t a kid anymore, but Gu Yuan still wouldn’t let him have two. It was so strict.

He grumbled inwardly about Gu Yuan while curving his lips obediently and quickly polishing off his ice cream.

“Brother, I want to order more.”

He picked up the tablet computer, tilting the screen so Gu Yuan wouldn’t see.

“I’ll order for you.”

Gu Yuan saw through his little trick and took the tablet. “What do you want?”

Zhou Chiyu’s hands were empty, and he puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction. “Sea Salt Ice Cream.”

Gu Yuan glanced at him and smiled. “You’ve already had one.”

“The one I just ate was Hokkaido Milk Ice Cream. Now I want to try Sea Salt Ice Cream. They’re different.”

Gu Yuan chuckled lightly. “Little Fish would make a great lawyer.”

“If you won’t order it, I’ll eat yours.” Zhou Chiyu set his face stubbornly, feeling Gu Yuan wasn’t giving him face. In front of Professor Lin, he should make an exception.

“Go ahead.” Gu Yuan’s brows lifted slightly. “Half is fine. It’s getting cold out, and I’m worried about your stomach.”

Zhou Chiyu’s expression eased a bit. He scooped a small bite from Gu Yuan’s ice cream. “But leaving half uneaten is wasteful.”

“I’ll eat it later.” Gu Yuan reached out with his long fingers, leaning in to wipe the ice cream sauce from Zhou Chiyu’s lips. “I don’t mind.”

A thin flush crept up Zhou Chiyu’s neck. He deliberately avoided Professor Lin’s view and winked at Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan pretended not to notice, asking warmly, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Nothing, just eye strain.”

Zhou Chiyu sighed inwardly, thinking Gu Yuan was too bold. If Professor Lin figured out their secret, it would be disastrous.

“Whether you mind or not, you can’t eat my leftovers, right?”

He held the small plate, beaming. “How about I just finish it all?”

“When we were little, we often shared utensils, and you never worried about me minding.” Gu Yuan’s voice was feather-light. “Forget it. Give me a taste, and you can have the rest.”

Before Zhou Chiyu could react, Gu Yuan’s hair tips brushed his arm, and soft lips bit the edge of his spoon.