Zhou Chiyu’s heart tightened. He walked with He Zhao toward the cafeteria. He Zhao said to him, “My grandpa told me last night that you were back.”
“Oh! Yeah!” Zhou Chiyu grinned. “These past few days in the USA flew by.”
“Did you have fun?” He Zhao clearly had something on his mind. “Your brother didn’t come back this time, right?”
“Yeah.”
At the mention of Gu Yuan, Zhou Chiyu sighed inwardly.
Thank goodness Gu Yuan wasn’t around during this period—otherwise, after hearing Bai Wenran’s words, he wouldn’t know how to face him.
“Little Fish, I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight.” He Zhao chuckled lightly. “There’s a gathering at home today. We hired a few Turkish chefs to prepare the banquet. You’re a foodie—I’d love for you to come taste it.”
He Zhao had a way with words that made it impossible for Zhou Chiyu to refuse, and besides, he rather liked being friends with He Zhao.
“Thanks! I’ll head over tonight.”
“Perfect.” He Zhao had something that afternoon too. He glanced at his wristwatch. “I’ll wait for you.”
After seeing He Zhao off, Zhou Chiyu rushed to the cafeteria. As he finished getting his food, he bumped into a few Roller Skating Club classmates.
“Little Fish, who was that handsome guy you left with just now?”
The club president raised an eyebrow at him. “I remember that handsome guy from the Math Department is your fiancé, right? You’ve got some high-quality admirers, kid.”
“Fiancé?” Zhou Chiyu took a bite of his chicken leg, then realized the rumors about him and Gu Yuan had really spread far. “He’s not my fiancé—he’s my—”
Halfway through, he suddenly paused. The club president leaned in curiously. “He’s your…?”
Zhou Chiyu shook his head with the chicken leg still in his mouth and ended up not explaining anything.
He didn’t want to call Gu Yuan “brother.”
…
That evening, he took the car to the He Family, bringing some meeting gifts prepared by Gu Lao. Old Master He liked him very much. Together with He Zhao, they showed him around the antique room and even gave him a Jadeite Pendant. He hadn’t wanted to accept at first, but it was hard to refuse the kindness—and with the deep friendship between Old Master He and Gu Lao, turning it down persistently would make the families seem distant.
“This pendant is something my grandpa bought at an auction last year,” He Zhao said as he led Zhou Chiyu on a stroll through the courtyard. “It has great meaning—it’s said that this pendant can’t change owners. If the owner wears it close to them, it ensures lifelong safety.”
“Wow.” Zhou Chiyu’s eyes sparkled. “Thanks so much, Grandpa He.”
“My grandpa likes you.” Several sightseeing carts were parked by the flower beds. The He Family’s gardens were vast; they usually took guests on rides to admire the scenery. “Want to give it a try?”
The evening breeze wasn’t chilly, and Zhou Chiyu felt a bit sleepy after eating his fill, so he agreed to ride with He Zhao.
“Careful.” He Zhao naturally took his hand. “It’s a bit cool.”
His slightly cool wrist was suddenly enveloped in a warm palm. Zhou Chiyu jerked his head up and met a pair of smiling eyes.
He hastily pulled his hand back and sat properly in the cart, his heart fluttering.
He felt that He Zhao’s smile just now wasn’t the kind between friends—He Zhao seemed to like him.
“Little Fish.” He Zhao’s voice was gentle. “I’ve been reading Byron’s Manfred lately. Have you heard of it?”
“Manfred?” Zhou Chiyu thought carefully. “I think it’s about a taboo topic—brother falls in love with sister Astarte.”
“Looks like you’ve read it too.” He Zhao’s tone was wistful. “There aren’t many works like this, and themes of forbidden sibling love are often used by writers to metaphor human nature, ethics, or the tragedy of fate.”
Zhou Chiyu knew He Zhao was in the literature department, so it wasn’t odd for him to delve into such books. But he found it quite a coincidence that He Zhao chose this moment to share Manfred with him—it felt like a hint.
“Though these kinds of stories usually end in tragedy, which makes sense. From ancient times to now, love that defies ethics has never been encouraged.” He Zhao curved his lips into a smile. “Was the roast meat tasty tonight?”
Zhou Chiyu watched him. “Yeah, delicious.”
“As long as you liked it. This Friday, my grandpa’s inviting some old friends over. Want me to pick you up from school and join us for dinner?”
He Zhao always spoke softly, like a warm spring breeze carrying an air of refined scholarly elegance.
But suddenly, Zhou Chiyu didn’t like this way of speaking.
He couldn’t pinpoint why, but he just didn’t.
“I’ll see about my schedule—I might not be able to make it.” Zhou Chiyu took the pendant from his pocket and caressed it carefully in his palm. Moonlight shimmered faintly, falling on the icy jade’s green hue and weaving dreamlike ripples.
This jade pendant made him think of Gu Yuan.
Cool, resilient, profound.
“I want to give this jade pendant to my brother,” Zhou Chiyu said, tilting his head with a smile at He Zhao. “My brother’s safety and health—that’s my greatest wish.”
