Chapter 51

“Gu Yuan, is Little Fish awake yet?”

He Zhao paused for a moment when he entered, then hesitated before saying, “We can go eat now.”

Gu Yuan slowly sat up straight. “Mm, you go ahead.”

“You…” He Zhao frowned slightly. “Do you want to change clothes?”

Gu Yuan’s current state was quite strange—somewhat oppressive, with low pressure filling the air around him. He seemed deeply downcast because of Zhou Chiyu’s injury.

If He Zhao hadn’t seen wrong just now, Gu Yuan’s forehead had been resting against Zhou Chiyu’s wrist.

He couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but his intuition told him that Gu Yuan probably liked Zhou Chiyu.

“I’m hungry.”

Zhou Chiyu’s muffled voice broke Gu Yuan’s silence. Gu Yuan quickly turned to look at him, stood up, and checked his forehead. “Does your head still hurt? How does your body feel?”

Although the CT scan showed no risk of concussion for Zhou Chiyu, Gu Yuan was still very worried.

“It’s fine.” Zhou Chiyu’s waist ached a bit. He struggled to sit up, but the scraped area on his arm hurt too much to exert force.

Gu Yuan bent down and gently supported his shoulders. “Let me help.”

“Oh.” Zhou Chiyu was like a startled little goldfish. His hands clutching the blanket suddenly tightened. “Okay.”

Gu Yuan gazed at those eyes that dodged away in panic, a flicker of confusion passing through his own.

Did Zhou Chiyu have something on his mind?

To make it easier for Zhou Chiyu, Gu Yuan wheeled over a wheelchair. He Zhao, remembering that Gu Yuan was also injured, wanted to push it for him, but Gu Yuan refused.

On the way to the restaurant, He Zhao stared at the anxious-looking Zhou Chiyu and softly asked, “Little Fish, does it still hurt anywhere?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Zhou Chiyu’s scattered thoughts gradually pulled together. He lifted his right foot, wrapped in gauze, and shook it. “This little pain is nothing for a boy.”

“Don’t move around.” Gu Yuan bent down to readjust his foot’s position, his tone very gentle. “It’s just a surface wound, but the bleeding was serious. Try to keep your leg still.”

“Okay.” Zhou Chiyu clasped his hands together on his knees, looking like a child caught by an elder, his expression a bit unnatural.

He Zhao joked, “It’s hard to imagine you’re half a year older than Little Fish.”

Gu Yuan lowered his gaze. “Mm.”

He Zhao noticed Gu Yuan wasn’t in a good mood and turned to Zhou Chiyu. “Tonight’s dinner is all your favorites, Little Fish. You have to eat plenty. I’m sorry you got hurt.”

“What does my injury have to do with you?” Zhou Chiyu’s laugh carried a note of delight. “My stomach’s super empty right now. I’ll definitely eat a lot later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his smile gradually faded, a flash of tension and helplessness crossing his eyes. His peripheral vision suddenly caught a scorching, focused gaze, and his breathing unconsciously lightened.

“Little Fish.” Gu Yuan looked at him. “Are you cold?”

“Not cold.” The wheelchair glided smoothly over the lawn. Zhou Chiyu stared straight ahead, not even daring to turn his head, afraid to meet Gu Yuan’s eyes.

Gu Yuan continued observing him, his light brown eyes holding a probing look that was intriguing and tinged with faint worry.

…

The dining area was on the club’s top-floor terrace. The city lights gradually brightened in the distance, the towering TV tower encircled by silver lights. He Zhao had arranged a light show to keep everyone entertained during dinner. Occasionally, a cool breeze blew through, carrying the faint scent of osmanthus. Zhou Chiyu held his juice and couldn’t help shrinking his neck.

“Are you cold?” Gu Yuan took off his jacket and draped it over Zhou Chiyu, then reached up to tidy the messy strands of hair on his forehead. “Do you need another jacket?”

“No need.”

A jolt of electricity shot up Zhou Chiyu’s back, making his breathing even more cautious. “This is enough.”

Thousands of light beams lit up in the dark night sky. His heartbeat pounded painfully in his ears. He lowered his head and sipped some seafood soup, his pale fingertips gripping the bowl tightly. Just thinking about what had happened earlier made his throat tighten.

His brother wouldn’t like him, right?

At the thought of that possibility, his hand holding the soup bowl trembled slightly, and all the sounds around him amplified endlessly.

For some reason, he subconsciously curled up, pulling away from Gu Yuan.

His mind was a complete mess right now.

Gu Yuan’s gaze deepened as he quietly watched Zhou Chiyu.

Though he couldn’t guess what the other was thinking, a trace of uncontrollable fear and unease slowly rose in his heart.

The charcoal-grilled honey ribs were served at that moment. He cut them into small pieces with knife and fork and naturally placed them onto Zhou Chiyu’s plate. Zhou Chiyu liked sweet things, so this dish should suit him.

“Thanks.”

Zhou Chiyu murmured softly, keeping his head down as he chewed slowly.

“Could you get me a clean pair of gloves?” Gu Yuan served Zhou Chiyu a small bowl of seafood fried rice and picked up a shrimp to peel. Seeing this, Zhou Chiyu said quietly, “Brother, I don’t want to eat it, or… let me do it myself.”

Gu Yuan froze, his heart skipping a beat.

“Don’t you like shrimp?” He looked at Zhou Chiyu, his eyes probing. “No appetite today?”

“Yeah, a bit.” Zhou Chiyu scooped up some fried rice and ate two bites, deliberately pushing the shrimp to the side without touching it.

“Does Little Fish usually like shrimp?” He Zhao seemed to discover a new continent and smiled. “I like shrimp too.”

“I liked it a lot when I was little.” At this, memories flashed through Zhou Chiyu’s mind. Back when he was young, during meals, Gu Yuan always peeled shrimp for him. No matter the type, the shrimp meat he got was always perfectly clean.

The family actually had plenty of aunties, and Old Master Gu thought he should build his hand skills, so he always reminded Gu Yuan not to spoil him too much. But Gu Yuan never cared what others said. Half the time during a meal was spent serving him.

Thinking about it carefully, Gu Yuan really treated him like a little brother.

Had he overthought that kiss?

But the sensation had been so clear—he could feel Gu Yuan’s soft thin lips gently pecking the back of his hand.

“Don’t you like it anymore?” Gu Yuan’s voice was deep, like ice-sealed seawater—calm and cold.

“Mm…” Zhou Chiyu felt a bit guilty under the question, bit his lip, and replied, “A little.”

Gu Yuan fell silent for a long time, then slowly removed his gloves without speaking.

He took a deep breath, his slightly stiff facial contours reflected in the glass cup.

The subtle atmosphere between them piqued He Zhao’s curiosity even more. He gave Zhou Chiyu a portion of foie gras tartare and smiled. “It’s normal for tastes to change as you grow up. Gu Yuan, do these dishes suit you? Need anything else added?”

“Thanks, no need.”

A gust of wind swept through at that moment. Zhou Chiyu set down his knife and fork, his eyes blinded by it. Gu Yuan instinctively wanted to shield his eyes, but something suddenly occurred to him. His outstretched hand hovered in midair for a long time before slowly dropping.

Zhou Chiyu opened his eyes and noticed that Gu Yuan’s eyes seemed red.

“Bro…”

He murmured softly, “You got—”

He stopped midway, because he realized bandages were wrapped around Gu Yuan’s leg too.

He had originally thought Gu Yuan wasn’t injured, since pushing the wheelchair earlier hadn’t seemed abnormal.

“You’re injured?”

Zhou Chiyu anxiously bent down and rolled up Gu Yuan’s pant leg. “OMG, how are you hurt this badly too?”

“It’s nothing, just a simple scrape.” Gu Yuan pulled back his leg, his expression calm as he gazed at the night scenery in the distance. His chest ached fiercely, as if being repeatedly scorched by flames.

He seemed to have guessed the reason for Zhou Chiyu’s unusual mood.

Zhou Chiyu had woken up much earlier than he thought.

So, he was still disliked after all.

“And you were still pushing the wheelchair?” Zhou Chiyu was clearly anxious, forgetting the thing that had bothered him as he grabbed Gu Yuan’s pant leg to inspect further. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“No.” Gu Yuan blocked Zhou Chiyu’s arm and adjusted his sitting position. “Eat quickly. Weren’t you hungry?”

Zhou Chiyu lifted his face, looking at Gu Yuan’s downcast eyes, his voice growing smaller. “Does it hurt?”

Gu Yuan shook his head, his voice as light as a feather falling to the ground, about to be scattered by the wind around them. “It doesn’t hurt.”

The night grew deeper, and the distant light show reached its climax. On the terrace, He Zhao silently watched their interaction, sipping his juice alone without interrupting.

Zhou Chiyu’s straight back slightly hunched, as if his soul had suddenly been drained. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the jacket Gu Yuan had given him.

Had he been too obvious?

Gu Yuan, he…

Looking at those lonely eyes, he said softly, “Brother.”

“I want to eat shrimp. Peel some for me.”