“An arranged marriage?”
Zhou Chiyu and He Zhao repeated in unison.
President Lin chuckled. “Don’t talk nonsense. These two kids might both like girls.”
The heat in Zhou Chiyu’s earlobes hadn’t fully faded yet. He secretly glanced at He Zhao, who merely smiled warmly and gently without explaining or saying anything more.
“So, does Little Fish like girls? What about Little Zhao?” President Ye continued to tease. “Little Fish hasn’t dated anyone, right? And you, Little Zhao?”
“I haven’t either,” He Zhao said with a faint smile. “But I do like boys.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the elders all revealed surprised expressions, especially Old Master Gu, who looked at Zhou Chiyu with a hint of unease, as if he feared some bad boy had set his sights on his grandson.
Gu Yuan lowered his gaze and picked up a cup of hot tea from the table, nearly knocking it over in the process.
“Isn’t that just perfect?” President Ye grinned at Zhou Chiyu. “In my opinion, these two kids are both good-looking with great personalities. They really match each other well.”
“Little Fish isn’t an adult yet.” Gu Yuan stiffly set the teacup down on the table, completely forgetting his manners and propriety as his eyes fixed straight on President Ye. “Isn’t Uncle Ye jumping the gun a bit by talking about marriage now?”
President Ye’s smile remained, though a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
He hadn’t expected an eighteen-year-old boy like Gu Yuan to publicly contradict him.
“Little Yuan.” Old Man Gu’s voice lowered, carrying clear displeasure. “Is that how you speak to your elders?”
Tea splashed out from the cup onto the table, mirroring the turmoil surging in Gu Yuan’s heart.
His clenched fist tightened further, and he felt like he was on the verge of suffocating.
Even so, he kept his expression unchanged, showing no intention of apologizing.
“Brother.” Zhou Chiyu suddenly took hold of Gu Yuan’s arm and smiled at everyone. “My brother just can’t bear to see me get married. He doesn’t want us to be apart.”
President Ye nodded with a laugh. “I can see that.”
“Come on, let’s go watch the opera.” Old Master He noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere and stood up, ushering everyone toward the newly set-up opera stage next door.
Zhou Chiyu’s mind was a mess. He stared at Gu Yuan’s back as Old Man Gu scolded him with his head lowered, and before he knew it, he had fallen to the end of the group.
“Little Fish.” He Zhao politely waited one step behind, naturally falling into step beside him. “You go to Qing University?”
“Yeah.” Zhou Chiyu opened his mouth, his peripheral vision catching a tall figure passing by his side.
Gu Yuan wedged himself between the two of them. “Let’s go.”
Before he could turn his head, Gu Yuan gripped his wrist tightly.
Facing Gu Yuan who had suddenly inserted himself between them, He Zhao smiled in surprise, then promptly gave Gu Yuan plenty of space, allowing the three of them to walk side by side.
Gu Yuan ignored He Zhao’s courtesy. His palm shifted slightly downward, his fingertips slipping into the gaps between Zhou Chiyu’s fingers, interlocking them tightly.
Zhou Chiyu stared dazedly at Gu Yuan’s handsome profile, his ear tips burning even hotter.
When Gu Yuan turned to look at him, he hurriedly averted his gaze.
His fingers were gripped tightly in that scorching palm, and he frowned slightly, finding it a bit painful.
This feeling was just too strange. Gu Yuan seemed angry.
“Gu Yuan, is your coursework usually heavy?” He Zhao smiled as he spoke to Gu Yuan. “My brother’s also at MIT studying architecture. They say he’s always worrying about exams.”
“It’s average.” Compared to earlier, Gu Yuan’s attitude toward He Zhao had subtly cooled, his voice indifferent. “I’m fine.”
He Zhao nodded and looked past Gu Yuan toward Zhou Chiyu on the other side. “What about you, Little Fish? Do you find it tiring?”
Zhou Chiyu stretched his neck out and earnestly answered He Zhao. “I’m not tired. The courses aren’t too intense, though second year might not be as easy.”
“Same here.” He Zhao asked further, “What do you do for fun when you don’t have classes?”
Zhou Chiyu nudged Gu Yuan and continued straining his neck to talk to He Zhao. “I check out restaurants everywhere. Lately, I’ve been into roller skating. Occasionally, I go to the Club to shoot arrows, ride horses, or race cars.”
“That sounds exciting.” A gentle smile bloomed on He Zhao’s lips. “We should do it together sometime.”
“Sure, sure!” Zhou Chiyu curved his eyes into a smile.
Gu Yuan didn’t interject from start to finish. He stood like an impassive mountain between them, his demeanor cold and hard, without a trace of extra expression.
As they entered the hall, dense, rhythmic drumbeats suddenly exploded. The performer in blue robes moved with the beat, her singing melodious and her movements graceful.
“There are seats up front. Let’s go.”
As the host, He Zhao prepared to lead them to their seats.
