“Hm?” Gu Yuan smoothed out the suit pants and lifted Zhou Chiyu’s two chubby little legs to help him slip them on. “Where did I go wrong?”
“I didn’t finish my math homework!”
Gu Yuan glanced up at him, already accustomed to taking the blame for similar issues.
“Get down.”
Gu Yuan carefully tied the shoelaces, then stood up with Zhou Chiyu and straightened his belt for him.
Three years had passed, and both boys had grown quite a bit taller, but their height difference was still a full head. Zhou Chiyu attributed this to his own weight—some online doctors said that kids who were chubby from a young age didn’t grow tall easily.
“What am I gonna do!”
Zhou Chiyu obediently spread his arms as Gu Yuan helped him, his round eyes gleaming with a hint of probing. “Brother, hurry and think of something for me.”
After pinning the final school badge in place, Gu Yuan’s gaze landed on that rosy little round face. He lifted his chin slightly. “Why didn’t you do it?”
Zhou Chiyu guiltily fiddled with his fingers. “I forgot.”
Gu Yuan was already used to it—forgetting like this had happened at least twice last semester.
“If you don’t help me, I’ll have to stand as punishment!” Zhou Chiyu slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and chased after Gu Yuan, whining coquettishly. “Maybe I’ll even get hit on the palms!”
Gu Yuan walked leisurely. “The school doesn’t allow corporal punishment.”
Zhou Chiyu frowned. “But I’ll suffer a mental attack!”
These days, Gu Yuan walked with a spring in his step, going up and down stairs without needing mid-way rests. His bones were much sturdier than before, and sometimes Zhou Chiyu could barely keep up.
“Brother, hurry and think of something for me.”
The car was already waiting in the courtyard. After they got in, Zhou Chiyu pulled out his math homework and clutched it to his chest. He hummed and hawed without actually doing anything, sneaking glances at Gu Yuan with his peripheral vision, hoping for a response.
Gu Yuan handed him breakfast and said softly, “Eat first.”
Today’s breakfast was tuna sausage rice balls paired with soy milk, Zhou Chiyu’s recent favorite. With food in hand, he immediately let go of the homework, propped up his little legs contentedly, and started eating.
Gu Yuan didn’t rush to eat. Instead, he unfolded the car’s small table, opened the math workbook to last night’s assignment section.
“First question: 24 divided by 2 equals how much?”
Gu Yuan held the pen, planning to fill in the answers for Zhou Chiyu.
Though he could finish these problems in three minutes, he had no intention of doing Zhou Chiyu’s homework for him. Bai Wenran said that would be spoiling him, which wasn’t good for his growth.
But—
If it was a number Zhou Chiyu calculated himself, then filling it in shouldn’t be a problem.
Delaying Zhou Chiyu’s breakfast would be even worse for his growth, right?
“24 divided by 2…”
Zhou Chiyu chewed on the oily sausage, his mind starting to wander.
Gu Yuan’s expression remained calm. “You have 24 starch sausages and give half to me. How many are left?”
“12 left!” Zhou Chiyu’s answer blurted out. “But if Brother likes them, I can give you all of them.”
Gu Yuan paused slightly while writing the answer, a faint flicker of amusement passing through his eyes.
“As long as Brother likes it, I can give him the whole world.”
Zhou Chiyu chewed on his rice ball, puffing up his chubby cheeks. “Brother is my priceless treasure!”
They hit a red light just then, and the driver sneaked a chuckle in the rearview mirror.
If he had that kind of skill, his wife wouldn’t get mad at him all the time.
“You plan to buy ten little cakes and five cups of milk tea. The cakes are 15 yuan each, the juice is 10 yuan each. Is the 210 yuan in your pocket enough?”
“Enough!” Zhou Chiyu answered solemnly. “But if I only had 120 yuan in pocket money, I’d buy all your favorites.”
Gu Yuan greatly appreciated Zhou Chiyu’s unwavering loyalty at moments like this. Satisfied, he looked at him. “Really?”
“Yes!” Zhou Chiyu’s plump lips slurped noisily on the straw as he raised his little hand in a vow. “Though I get a million yuan in pocket money every month, if I only had 120 yuan, I’d give it all to Brother.”
“Nice use of ‘though… but…’ there.” Gu Yuan reached out and ruffled Zhou Chiyu’s curly hair. “Little Fish, your hair seems longer.”
“Oh!” Zhou Chiyu raised his rice ball in a victory pose. “Then let the barber uncle come to the house and cut our hair.”
“Mm.” Gu Yuan turned his attention back to the workbook and continued questioning. “Your little biscuits…”
With Gu Yuan’s help, the two pages of math homework were finished quickly.
After eating breakfast, Zhou Chiyu hugged his math homework tightly and confessed to Gu Yuan, “How am I so lucky to have such a great brother like you?”
Gu Yuan bashfully lowered his eyelashes, hurriedly took a couple bites of breakfast, then said goodbye to Zhou Chiyu and Uncle the driver at the school gate, holding Zhou Chiyu’s hand.
“Brother, I’ve never had milk tea before.”
Zhou Chiyu patted his little pocket, his voice full of grievance. “I wonder if I’ll get to taste it before I die.”
His wish for milk tea had been rejected by Bai Wenran multiple times, always because it was junk food with too many additives. But Zhou Chiyu was a little glutton cat—every time they passed a milk tea shop, he stared longingly, his pitiful eyes tugging at Gu Yuan’s heart.
“Little Fish.” Gu Yuan stopped walking, his posture serious. “Don’t say things like that anymore.”
“Oh.” Zhou Chiyu hung his little head, his grape-like eyes darting around sneakily.
Today was the school anniversary at Hayton No.1 Primary School, and the gate was bustling. Not only were there celebrities present, but many famous entrepreneurs had returned to their alma mater to give gifts to the kids.
