Chapter 69 Part 1

Zhou Chiyu and Gu Yuan had not been back home long when Gu Lao asked them to come to the study room. To their surprise, Gu Ming had not complained to Gu Lao. Instead, the deputy general manager had reported the incident.

Before explaining, Zhou Chiyu played the recording for Gu Lao to hear. As he watched the old man’s face grow darker, Gu Yuan spoke up. “We didn’t provoke Gu Feng. He started it first, saying some nasty things to insult us.”

As for the content of those words, Gu Yuan did not tell Gu Lao.

“Grandpa, let’s not pursue this matter.” A verbal spat between the younger generation of the Gu Family was not enough to make a big fuss. Gu Yuan worried about dragging Zhou Chiyu into it, and moreover, if Gu Feng’s words became known to more people, it would not be good for their relationship.

“I understand.” Gu Lao waved his hand. “You two can go.”

Once out of the study room, Zhou Chiyu quietly asked Gu Yuan, “Bro, why didn’t you tell Grandpa that Gu Feng said we had a thing going on?”

Gu Yuan walked him back to his room, a smile tugging at his lips. “We do have a thing going on.”

Zhou Chiyu raised his brows. “Doesn’t that let Gu Feng off easy? What he said was too vicious, targeting you at every turn.”

“It’s fine if he targets me. I don’t care.” Gu Yuan weighed the pros and cons. “If we tell Grandpa what Gu Feng said, he would definitely fly into a rage and might even force Gu Feng to apologize publicly in front of the family elders. But once we go public with our relationship in the future, Gu Feng will surely kick us when we’re down, and we’ll face even more backlash.”

Zhou Chiyu muttered, “Makes sense.”

“Let me think about it.” Gu Yuan ruffled his hair. “Get some early sleep.”

Zhou Chiyu tilted his head up, his nose and lips brushing lightly against the other’s palm before he planted a quick kiss there.

“Good night.”

The bedroom door locked shut. Gu Yuan strolled down the corridor, his sharp brows slightly furrowed as he paused thoughtfully.

Perhaps he could use Gu Feng to achieve certain goals.

—

Mid-November brought a sudden drop in temperature across the city.

Zhou Chiyu bundled up every day like a little penguin and became a heavy sleeper who struggled to get out of bed.

Lately, the Campus Top 10 Singer Contest had kicked off with great fanfare. With the weather growing colder, activities at the Roller Skating Club had decreased. Seeing so many people sign up, Zhou Chiyu decided to give it a try too.

Moreover, the finals happened to fall on the anniversary of the day he first met Gu Yuan. He wanted to sing a song with special meaning for him.

“Fish Young Master, any plans after school today?”

Chen Qixuan noticed that lately, Zhou Chiyu bolted right after class and rarely ate lunch in the school cafeteria. A few times, he had seen Gu Yuan waiting at the gate for Zhou Chiyu. The two brothers walked hand in hand, chatting and laughing like a couple.

“I’ve got to head to the academic affairs office.”

Zhou Chiyu slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and rushed to the administrative building before the teachers got off work.

He had been looking into the qualifications for an exchange program at MIT. Besides GPA and language scores, it required recommendation letters, a personal statement, and a research plan.

He heard that STEM majors had an easier time applying for MIT exchanges, but his field was finance, which made it tougher.

Gu Lao had talked to him about it, saying he did not want Zhou Chiyu to give up his studies just because he was worried about leaving the old man alone in the country. A year as an exchange student in the USA was a precious opportunity, and he hoped Zhou Chiyu would seize it. However, he had not told Gu Yuan about his plans. The competition was fierce, and he wanted to surprise Gu Yuan if he succeeded.

After leaving the academic affairs office, Zhou Chiyu gathered a lot of useful information. For instance, besides campus competitions, he could contact MIT finance professors directly to secure an exchange spot.

In the evening, Gu Yuan finished his last class and spotted a familiar figure at the gate. These days, his classmates in the major were no longer surprised by Zhou Chiyu coming to accompany him during lessons. As a classic extrovert, Zhou Chiyu had quickly befriended everyone, exchanged WeChats with many, and even brought food for them sometimes.

“Little Fish, bye!”

“Little Fish, here to pick up your brother again?”

“Little Fish, I want the pancake and egg from the stall at the gate tomorrow morning. Want me to grab one for you?”

Gu Yuan took Zhou Chiyu’s schoolbag, raising a brow. “As expected, Little Fish has always been a social genius.”

“Of course!” Zhou Chiyu hugged the snacks Gu Yuan had bought him and told him about his plan to join the Campus Top 10 Singer Contest.

MIT valued not just grades but overall student qualities. The Campus Top 10 Singer Contest was a big deal at Qing University. If he made the top ten, it would get official promotion and help with credits.

His goal was modest: top ten in the department would do.

That level would net him two extra credits.

“I’ve only heard you sing when you were little.” Gu Yuan reached out to tidy the long hair by his ear. “Your hair feels like it needs a trim again.”