Yu Rui’s face turned ashen. He hid behind his father, unable to utter a word. Only after the manor butler went to retrieve the surveillance footage did he realize he was truly done for this time.
“Chairman Gu, why don’t we go inside and wait—”
“No need.” Gu Lao raised his hand. “The banquet continues. We’ll announce the truth right here.”
Lin Hecheng nodded. “Mm.”
The investigation was swift. The surveillance captured Yu Rui’s actions crystal clear. The Yu father and son stood in the corner like defendants awaiting judgment, sweat beading on their foreheads.
Faced with the evidence, Yu Rui stopped resisting. He began apologizing to Zhou Chiyu and promised to restore the brooch perfectly.
“We’ll hand the brooch over to you.”
Gu Yuan looked at Zhou Chiyu’s sullen expression and gently smoothed his slightly disheveled hair. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure they fix it properly.”
Zhou Chiyu’s eyes reddened a bit. Bai Wenran had given him this brooch just that morning, and now it was ruined.
Though it wasn’t primarily his fault, he hadn’t taken good care of it.
Zhou Chiyu’s bad mood soured Gu Lao’s as well.
Seeing this, Lin Hecheng quickly ushered them into a resting room and comforted Zhou Chiyu, saying that if the Yu father and son failed to restore it properly, he knew a renowned jewelry designer who could make the brooch look as good as new.
Zhou Chiyu nodded in thanks. Glancing at the distressed Gu Lao, he said softly, “Grandpa, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Gu Lao sighed softly, his tone laced with familiar indulgence. “Next time something happens, call Grandpa right away, got it?”
“Mm-hmm, got it.”
“Don’t be upset anymore. You look so handsome today. Go take a walk outside with Little Yuan.”
Zhou Chiyu wiped his nose, and the last of his grievance dissipated. “Okay.”
At the banquet, Zuo Feng was still chatting with his friends about the incident. His friend told him that the one in the pink suit was the heir to ZN Group, the Zhou family’s only precious seedling, worth billions.
“Who does Yu Rui think he is, messing with him? Everyone at this banquet is no pushover,” his friend gloated. “He deserves it. He’s kicked an iron plate this time.”
Zuo Feng stared at Zhou Chiyu, who had returned to the banquet, a hint of melancholy in his gaze.
The Zhou Family Little Young Master had a boyfriend. It seemed he had no chance.
At that moment, Zhou Chiyu approached him proactively. Zuo Feng paused. “Something wrong?”
“Thanks for speaking up for me earlier.” Zhou Chiyu expressed his sincere gratitude. “What’s your name?”
Zuo Feng met the eyes of Gu Yuan behind Zhou Chiyu and nodded slightly. “Zuo Feng.”
Gu Yuan’s hand rested lightly on Zhou Chiyu’s waist as he inclined his head. “Thanks.”
As the two walked away, Gu Yuan glanced back at Zuo Feng once more. Turning back, he straightened Zhou Chiyu’s hair. “Cold?”
Zhou Chiyu shook his head. “A little.”
Gu Yuan took off his suit jacket and draped it over him. “Wear mine.”
Their intimacy drew many eyes, but Gu Yuan didn’t mind the whispers that they had once been brothers or the rumors that his pursuit of Zhou Chiyu was ulterior. He picked up a dessert from the table, fed one to Zhou Chiyu, and coaxed him to the lakeside to admire the moon.
…
Late at night, Gu Yuan brought Zhou Chiyu home. They played with Gu Lan for a while, but Zhou Chiyu grew sleepy and went to bed first.
Gu Lan was naturally dissatisfied—he wanted to play more with Zhou Chiyu—but noticing his Little Fish Brother’s poor mood, he didn’t dare disturb him.
When Gu Yuan took Gu Lan back to his bedroom, he told their parents about the banquet.
Bai Wenran couldn’t understand Yu Rui’s behavior. He had no grudge against Zhou Chiyu, so why the strong malice?
Gu Cheng’s words enlightened them. He said the world was full of baseless malice—maybe because you got more attention, or he disliked your outfit’s color, or even because you had done him a favor. Some people’s hatred was just inexplicable.
Bai Wenran thought for a moment, then rose and took another brooch from the drawer. “Little Yuan, since Little Fish is asleep, you deliver this for me.”
Gu Yuan opened the box and found it was a navy blue feather brooch, suitable for a young man to wear.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Gu Yuan chuckled softly. “He’s really blaming himself over this. You know how much he values you all.”
Bai Wenran nodded. “Of course I know. So coax him a bit. Tell him I’ll make his favorite dessert tomorrow.”
Before Gu Yuan left, Gu Lan called him back. He jumped off the bed at lightning speed, rummaged through his toy cabinet, and pulled something out.
“Here, give my favorite Ultraman to Little Fish Brother. Tell him that if anyone bullies him next time, Ultraman will protect him.”
Gu Yuan pinched Gu Lan’s chubby cheek. “No problem. He’ll love it.”
The next morning, Zhou Chiyu was woken by the sunlight. What met his eyes was a navy blue feather brooch—and the Ultraman tasked with guarding it.
