“Gu Yuan, is that your little brother?”
Gu Yuan lifted his damp eyelashes, his gaze landing squarely on Zhou Chiyu’s puzzled face.
He thanked the girl who had handed him the water and ran over to Zhou Chiyu.
Zhou Chiyu’s thoughts slowly gathered. By the time he spotted Gu Yuan, the other was already standing in front of him.
“Little Fish.”
Zhou Chiyu looked up at Gu Yuan’s tall figure and instinctively glanced toward the basketball court. He noticed the girl from earlier peering over at them.
“Oh… Brother, I came to pick you up and take you home.”
Seeing that Gu Yuan had no water in hand, Zhou Chiyu handed his over. “I bought this for you.”
“Thanks.” Gu Yuan looked parched. He tilted his head back and downed half the bottle in one go. The sweat sliding down his neck soaked his basketball jersey, faintly revealing the firm muscles of his chest beneath.
Zhou Chiyu felt envious.
He stared at Gu Yuan’s raised forearm. Gu Yuan’s muscles weren’t as exaggerated as those of an adult man; instead, they had a youthful tautness. In the moment of shooting the ball, they exuded the tension and power unique to youth—utterly captivating.
In contrast, himself…
He pinched his own soft arm and sighed quietly.
“What are you thinking about?”
Gu Yuan found it amusing. He mimicked Zhou Chiyu’s action and pinched the flesh on Zhou Chiyu’s arm. “So soft.”
“Tch.” Zhou Chiyu felt mocked. He lifted his chin proudly and crossed his arms. “Are you done?”
“Still half a game left.” Gu Yuan glanced back at his teammates waiting for him and asked Zhou Chiyu’s opinion. “We lost the bet today, so I have to treat everyone to dinner. Do you want to come with me?”
For some reason, Zhou Chiyu blurted out, “Is that pretty girl going?”
“She is,” Gu Yuan explained. “She’s the Team Manager.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll wait for you.” Zhou Chiyu awkwardly rubbed his nose, unsure what to say.
He was afraid Gu Yuan would ask why he cared if the girl was going, because he didn’t even know why himself.
Professor Lin’s class that day had a lot of key points, and he had some homework to do afterward. He simply sat down nearby, opened his laptop, and started working on it.
Gu Yuan eyed his serious expression and patted Zhou Chiyu’s head before leaving. As he ran back to the court, his expression showed a hint of hesitation. He glanced sideways at Zhou Chiyu’s figure.
“Wait for me.”
He signaled to his teammates and strode back to the spectator seats with his long legs.
“Little Fish.”
He pulled a box of Water Yokan from his schoolbag and handed Zhou Chiyu a clean fork. “If you’re hungry, have some first.”
“Ah? Thanks, Brother.” Zhou Chiyu grinned and took it. “Brother, you had this in your bag? I don’t remember the school supermarket selling it.”
“Yeah, I remembered you like it, so I bought it from a shop I passed on my way out this afternoon.” Gu Yuan took a Blind Box from his schoolbag and gazed gently at Zhou Chiyu. “This is for you too.”
“What’s this?”
Zhou Chiyu carefully unwrapped it and found a chubby little boy in a suit. The outfit resembled the one he wore as a child.
“Doesn’t it look like you?” Gu Yuan’s finger casually twirled a curl of hair on Zhou Chiyu’s forehead as he said warmly, “It’s merchandise from the movie Chase Dream Wonderland. I thought this little boy looked just like you.”
In the mall, he’d only glanced at it casually, but he couldn’t tear himself away.
“It really does!”
Zhou Chiyu held the figurine’s plump body. Its short limbs swayed with his movements. Most similar were the innocent big eyes, just like his expression when he was banned from snacks.
“Brother, how did you spot it?”
Gu Yuan chuckled lowly. “I passed the counter and saw it at a glance. Let it keep you company while you wait.”
“Ah?” Zhou Chiyu hadn’t expected that reasoning. He found it both childish and heartwarming. “So my brother still has a childlike innocence.”
Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to leave.
Clutching the figurine, Zhou Chiyu placed it on the seat beside him. He tapped his keyboard, glanced at the quietly accompanying doll, and his lips curved unconsciously.
Having a brother felt really good.
Back on the court, Gu Yuan faced questions from his teammates. Dribbling the ball, he explained in a low voice, “My little brother gets hungry easily. I got him something to eat.”
“I didn’t expect Gu Yuan to be a Brother-con.” The others teased. “But your little brother really is cute, like a doll.”
Gu Yuan’s lips curved. He glanced at Zhou Chiyu again. “Yes.”
An hour later, everyone arrived at a barbecue restaurant near the school.
“Gu Yuan’s little brother, which department are you in?”
Zhou Chiyu settled in and looked at the plaid-shirt guy asking him. “Finance Department.”
“You don’t seem like a finance guy.” The plaid-shirt guy laughed. “You seem like an Art Department boy.”
“Why’s that?” Zhou Chiyu and Gu Yuan asked in unison.
“Because you’re especially good-looking.” The plaid-shirt guy said, “Art Department guys are all handsome, and they have great fashion sense.”
“Then my brother should be Art Department too.” Zhou Chiyu was visiting this barbecue place for the first time. The aroma made him hungrier, so he opened a bag of Potato Chips to tide himself over. “He’s definitely the top in the Art Department.”
