Bai Wenran hadn’t expected Gu Yuan to refuse her, and even less had she expected his attitude to be so resolute.
A hint of awkwardness crept into her smile as she looked toward Gu Cheng. Gu Cheng apologized again, “It’s our fault for forgetting about this.”
Miss Lin’s mother lifted her teacup with a smile. “No worries, we understand.”
“Gu Yuan, why don’t we go for a stroll outside?” Miss Lin invited him proactively. “I hear the scenery by the lake is quite nice.”
Bai Wenran looked at Gu Yuan. “Dinner won’t be served for another hour. It’d be good for you to go for a walk.”
“Okay.”
This time, Gu Yuan didn’t refuse. Instead, he politely reminded Miss Lin to bring a thick coat.
Bai Wenran and Miss Lin’s mother exchanged a smile. Miss Lin’s mother said, “Gu Yuan is such a thoughtful child.”
Before leaving, Gu Yuan stopped in front of Zhou Chiyu. Zhou Chiyu deliberately avoided looking at him and sulked while shelling nuts.
“Little Fish.” Gu Yuan picked up his coat and handed it to him. “Come out for a walk with us. Then you can eat more at dinner tonight.”
Zhou Chiyu instinctively glanced at the elders in the living room. Before he could figure out how to refuse Gu Yuan, a thick scarf was already wrapped around his neck by Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan’s expression remained calm, utterly unconcerned by the elders’ gazes.
Only after bundling Zhou Chiyu up like a little penguin did he nod in satisfaction. “Uncle, Auntie, we’ll head out first.”
Zhou Chiyu wore a woolen knit hat, with only a pair of guilty eyes peeking out. Gu Lao frowned. “Go on, then. Little Fish is about to sweat.”
The three children soon left. Watching Zhou Chiyu’s somewhat stiff-backed figure, Gu Lao chuckled. “Little Yuan really went overboard, wrapping Little Fish up so thickly.”
Miss Lin’s mother smiled faintly. “Those two have such a good relationship. It’s rare to see brothers who stay so inseparable even after growing up.”
Gu Lao’s smile gradually faded, a swirl of indescribable thoughts churning in his deep eyes.
…
By the lakeside, the three walked side by side.
Miss Lin’s full name was Lin Jinyu. She had a bright and enthusiastic personality, and she chatted with Gu Yuan about his studies at MIT, covering many topics.
Zhou Chiyu quite liked Miss Lin’s personality. He even thought that, if Gu Yuan hadn’t fallen for him first, he might have gradually come to like Miss Lin himself.
“Little Fish, you’re at Qing University, right?”
Miss Lin winked at him. “I’m at the school next door to yours.”
Zhou Chiyu lifted his fluffy knit hat and grinned at Miss Lin. “Then we’re really close. We can hang out together sometime.”
Miss Lin: “No problem.”
A gust of wind swept ice shards from the lake across Zhou Chiyu’s forehead. He abruptly squeezed his eyes shut and stopped to rub his stinging eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yuan’s fingertip carefully hovered near Zhou Chiyu’s ear as he anxiously examined him. “Something get in your eyes?”
“Yeah…” Tiny ice crystals clung to Zhou Chiyu’s eyelashes. He blinked hard, physiological tears sliding down his cheeks.
He raised a hand to rub them, but Gu Yuan suddenly grasped his wrist with a warm palm.
“Don’t move.” Gu Yuan leaned in slightly, his breath carrying a chill as it brushed Zhou Chiyu’s face. He intently studied those reddened eyes, his expression fraught with anxiety and tension. “It’ll be fine in a moment.”
“It hurts.” Zhou Chiyu wasn’t one to be delicate, but as Gu Yuan drew closer, his breathing gradually stilled. The air around them filled with the faint mint scent from Gu Yuan’s body.
It was the smell of Gu Yuan’s body wash.
A warm puff of breath swept over his eyelashes. Zhou Chiyu’s round eyes blinked, and the discomfort vanished instantly.
He smiled, and a teasing voice came from above his head: “Idiot.”
Staring at the smiling Gu Yuan, Zhou Chiyu widened his eyes. “What did you call me?”
Gu Yuan suppressed his smile. “Nothing.”
Lin Jinyu thoughtfully observed the brothers’ interaction, a hint of hesitation in her expression. When Zhou Chiyu’s sly eyes turned to her, she smiled gently. “Little Fish, I heard you have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah… I do.”
Zhou Chiyu hadn’t expected Miss Lin to know about it already. He stammered a reply. “Why?”
Miss Lin glanced at Gu Yuan again and joked, “I’ve heard about the Top 10 Singers at your school. They say your boyfriend is a computer genius, and you two are very much in love.”
Zhou Chiyu tilted his head. “Did that spread so far?”
“Yes.” Miss Lin’s tone carried a teasing lilt. “But if your boyfriend ever bullies you in the future, I bet Gu Yuan would help you beat him up.”
Zhou Chiyu shot Gu Yuan a look. “Bro, would you?”
Gu Yuan: “Yes.”
Zhou Chiyu deliberately provoked him. “What if he’s taller, buffer, and more handsome than you? Would you still beat him up for me?”
As he spoke, he intentionally put some distance between them to avoid Gu Yuan flicking his forehead.
Miss Lin was clearly curious about the question too, staring intently at Gu Yuan as she awaited his answer.
Gu Yuan relaxed his brows. “He probably isn’t more handsome than me.”
Zhou Chiyu and Miss Lin exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
They walked for another quarter of an hour before heading back for dinner.
During the meal, Miss Lin’s mother, Lady Zhao, was very pleased with Gu Yuan. After asking about his final exam grades, she became even more eager to promote a marriage between the two families.
“Little Yuan, why haven’t you gotten a girlfriend at school?”
Lady Zhao was curious. A boy like Gu Yuan, with both knowledge and looks, should have plenty of admirers.
“Is it because you’re immersed in academics?”
“That’s one reason.” Gu Yuan carefully peeled the shrimp shells off for Zhou Chiyu. “Besides, I don’t think romance is something to rush. In my ideal marriage, two people should be soulmates, never letting go of each other’s hands no matter the setbacks or hardships.”
Lady Zhao smiled. “Your view on love is too idealistic.”
“I know it sounds a bit naive.” Gu Yuan smiled politely at Lady Zhao. “But I firmly believe I’ll meet someone like that.”
Lady Zhao maintained her smile. “Good luck to you.”
Before leaving, Lin Jinyu proactively added Gu Yuan on WeChat. He noticed that Gu Yuan’s profile picture was a child’s scribble—messy, without any clear shape or scene, like something a very young kid had drawn haphazardly.
“Does your profile picture have any special meaning?”
After getting in the car, Lin Jinyu still asked.
Gu Yuan replied quickly: “It’s a drawing my little brother did when he was four.”
Lin Jinyu seemed to understand something. She replied, “It’s very cute.”
After seeing off all the guests one by one, Gu Lao asked Gu Yuan to come upstairs for a talk. Zhou Chiyu wanted to follow, but Gu Lao refused.
Zhou Chiyu felt a bit uneasy inside. Apart from him, both Bai Wenran and Gu Cheng were called in as well.
Helpless, he could only hide in the hallway and eavesdrop.
In the Study Room, Gu Lao got straight to the point. “What do you think of Miss Lin?”
Gu Yuan looked at his parents and grandfather, his voice steady. “She’s an excellent girl, but she has nothing to do with me.”
“What do you mean ‘nothing to do with you’?” Gu Lao furrowed his brows. “What were you trying to prove by saying all that in front of the Lin Family?”
It was the first time Bai Wenran had seen Gu Lao so angry with Gu Yuan. She wanted to step forward and dissuade him, but Gu Cheng held her back. Gu Cheng said, “Dad, it’s fine what Little Yuan said. Marriage requires mutual affection anyway.”
“I’m not forcing him to marry, but look at his attitude!”
The image of Gu Yuan caring for Zhou Chiyu earlier flashed before Gu Lao’s eyes again, thickening the suspicions in his heart. “Gu Yuan, make yourself clear today. Do you want to properly get to know the marriage candidate I’ve arranged for you or not?”
Gu Yuan: “No, I already have someone I like.”
