Chapter 64 Part 1

After finishing the call with Gu Yuan, Zhou Chiyu felt great. Even though the wind stung his cheeks painfully, he still hummed a little tune and strolled leisurely down the street.

Gu Yuan’s words had lifted the shackles from him, making his guilt feel much lighter.

But he knew that Gu Yuan had made this choice because he loved him. If Gu Yuan had never met him, none of this might have happened.

But that was how love worked, wasn’t it? There were no “what ifs” or “if onlys” back then.

Fate itself was a stack of countless coincidences, and it could only be explained as “destiny.”

These past few days, he had already figured one thing out—he couldn’t live without Gu Yuan.

WeChat notifications kept flashing. Zhou Junyi wanted to invite him to play tennis over the weekend, but he had elite classes arranged by Old Master Gu and couldn’t make it.

He bought some snacks and desserts, stuffing his schoolbag until it bulged. When Uncle Liu came to pick him up, he kept staring at the bag and finally reminded him warmly, “Little Fish, aren’t you afraid Gu Lao will nag you?”

Zhou Chiyu had a sweet tooth, and everyone in the Gu Family knew it. Although they had a dedicated chef for kids’ snacks, Zhou Chiyu preferred the treats from street stalls, so he often snuck out to buy them.

Back home, Zhou Chiyu sneaked upstairs with his schoolbag. Just as he entered his bedroom, Butler Chen called out to him. He thought Butler Chen was about to scold him, but instead, the butler looked at him anxiously, as if something serious had happened.

In the living room, Gu Lao was entertaining Old Master Lin from the Lin Family.

As soon as Zhou Chiyu went downstairs, Old Master Lin looked up at him with a face full of affection. Sitting beside Old Master Lin was his daughter-in-law, Lady Zhao. Lady Zhao quietly sized up Zhou Chiyu’s face and revealed a satisfied smile.

“Little Fish, this is your Grandpa Lin, your maternal grandfather’s best friend.”

“Hello, Grandpa!” Zhou Chiyu felt a natural closeness upon hearing that Old Master Lin was his maternal grandfather’s friend. “Did you come to see me?”

Old Master Lin was a bit excited. “Yes, we’ve been living abroad all these years and only returned to the country last month.”

Zhou Chiyu’s maternal grandparents had passed away before he was born, so he had almost no memories of them—only stories from his mother.

Gu Lao put his arm around Zhou Chiyu’s shoulders and gently ruffled his messy curls. “How did you end up so disheveled today?”

Zhou Chiyu snuggled up to Gu Lao and grinned. “The wind was too strong.”

“You two grandsons have such a great relationship.” Old Master Lin smiled. “Seeing Little Fish in such good spirits puts my mind at ease. It’s clear he’s growing up in a home full of love.”

“Yes!” Zhou Chiyu said proudly, nuzzling into Gu Lao’s embrace. “My grandpa is the best in the world to me.”

Gu Lao nodded lightly, pulled out a tissue, and wiped the dust from Zhou Chiyu’s nose. “You’re almost an adult, and you still act like a little kid.”

Old Master Lin sighed with emotion, gratitude in his eyes.

Gu Lao held the tissue, and his expression subtly changed. “Little Fish, your Grandpa Lin came this time for two reasons: first, to see you, and second, to talk about the arranged childhood betrothal.”

“Arranged betrothal?” Zhou Chiyu’s face showed surprise. “My arranged betrothal?”

Old Master Lin chuckled twice. “Don’t be nervous, Little Fish. Here’s what happened…”

It turned out that before Zhou Chiyu was born, his maternal grandfather had joked with Old Master Lin about becoming in-laws if Zhou Chiyu was a boy.

Zhou Chiyu’s parents had been there and agreed to it.

So many years later, Old Master Lin’s granddaughter had just turned eighteen. The Lin Family wasn’t some powerful clan, but they were a scholarly household.

The Lin Family had no intention of climbing the social ladder; they had come to give this matter a proper conclusion.

After hearing Old Master Lin out, Zhou Chiyu turned to Gu Lao with a questioning look. “Grandpa.”

Gu Lao said warmly, “You decide for yourself.”

Zhou Chiyu thought for a moment and said to Old Master Lin, “I understand the deep friendship between you and my maternal grandfather, and thank you for coming back to see me. But I believe in free love when it comes to relationships. I don’t like arranged family marriages, so I’m sorry.”

Old Master Lin nodded. “I understand how you feel. I haven’t come to see you all these years—that’s my failing to your maternal grandfather.”

Lady Zhao wasn’t as calm as Old Master Lin. In just a few minutes, she had gotten a sense of Zhou Chiyu’s personality.

She thought this child was polite and handsome. If he could really marry her daughter, it might not be a bad thing.

“Little Fish, would you like to see a photo of Qingqing?”