Chapter 24 Part 3

Zhou Chiyu and Zhou Junyi’s little faces fell at the same time. They watched helplessly as Gu Yuan took away the entire box of chocolate.

After the board games, it was already evening.

Zhou Junyi’s parents kept the two for dinner. During the meal, Zhou Chiyu was absent-minded, occasionally flashing fawning smiles at Gu Yuan or sneaking touches of his arm.

Gu Yuan didn’t respond much, just glanced at him now and then. Each time their eyes met, Zhou Chiyu would bat his eyes obsequiously. All the way home, he stuck to him clingily.

“Brother.”

After his bath, Zhou Chiyu, wearing his favorite light green pajamas, circled around Gu Yuan, who was doing Olympiad math problems. “Shouldn’t the chocolate go in the fridge? It’s too hot out; it’ll melt.”

Gu Yuan held his pen, his gaze focused and serious. “Mm.”

“Do you need me to put it away for you?” Zhou Chiyu’s chubby little face quietly nestled into Gu Yuan’s neck. He wiggled his round little body. He was surrounded by the scent of milk-mango body wash, his little curls softly against his forehead. He looked bright and adorable.

“I’ll do it myself.” Gu Yuan set down his pen and, through the glass box opposite, observed Zhou Chiyu’s expression.

Still the same as when he was little.

His intentions weren’t obvious at all. There was no sign he wanted to eat that box of chocolate.

“Okay.” Zhou Chiyu didn’t pester him further. He just hugged his little pillow and pattered off in his slippers.

Gu Yuan didn’t pay it much mind at first. But when he noticed one pillow was missing from the bed, he grew alert.

Ever since his health improved a year ago, he slept with Zhou Chiyu almost every night. For Zhou Chiyu to suddenly take his pillow—did that mean—

He set down his pen and hurriedly went to knock on Zhou Chiyu’s room door.

But after knocking for a long time with no answer, he pushed open the door to find it empty.

So where could Zhou Chiyu be?

Gu Lao’s room also had no sign of Zhou Chiyu.

“Young Master Little went to the Astronomical Observatory.”

After Auntie’s reminder, Gu Yuan ran toward the secret base. Just as he reached the door, he heard faint sobbing.

Inside the observatory, the lights were almost all off, leaving only the dome imitating the universe, twinkling with colorful nebulae.

Zhou Chiyu was dressed thinly, curled up on his little pillow with his body and little feet, covering his mouth as he cried softly.

Gu Yuan felt as if all his blood had congealed in his eyes. He rushed over and knelt beside Zhou Chiyu, hesitating several times. “Little Fish, you…”

Zhou Chiyu pursed his lips tight, his nose souring. “I miss Mommy.”

Gu Yuan’s little hands hung helplessly at his sides, his little brows furrowed tight. “Don’t cry…”

He didn’t know how to comfort him. He just gently pulled Zhou Chiyu into his arms.

“Little Fish, are you unhappy because you didn’t get any chocolate?”

Gu Yuan’s heart ached more than the time he’d broken a bone as a child.

Zhou Chiyu’s shaking shoulders paused slightly. Beneath his teary lashes were a pair of lively, mischievous eyes. “Oh, a little.”

Gu Yuan had already run out. Not long after, he returned with the chocolate. “Here, for you.”

He thoughtfully opened the box and fed Zhou Chiyu a strawberry white chocolate one. “Don’t cry, okay?”

“Okay.”

Zhou Chiyu’s teeth were very strong; biting the chocolate made crisp crunching sounds. Seeing he’d easily gotten the whole box, his teary eyes curved, and he leaned in Gu Yuan’s arms to take a second piece.

Seeing Zhou Chiyu no longer crying, Gu Yuan’s suspended heart slowly settled. He felt very regretful, thinking he shouldn’t have deliberately won against Zhou Chiyu, much less used the chocolate to tease him.

He knew Zhou Chiyu’s weakness all too well.

He was really bad.

“Brother.” Zhou Chiyu was already unwrapping his fourth piece and, when Gu Yuan wasn’t looking, secretly stuffed the chocolate wrapper into his pillowcase. Auntie Bai had said he could have at most two pieces a day. If he hid the wrappers, it didn’t count toward the limit!

“Brother, are you unhappy?” He looked up and found tear tracks at Gu Yuan’s eye corners. “Here, have one.”

He bit off a piece and stuffed the rest into Gu Yuan’s mouth.

Gu Yuan stiffly held the chocolate in his mouth, his voice muffled. “Mm.”

Zhou Chiyu continued leaning against Gu Yuan, puzzled. “Why?”

Gu Yuan was silent for a moment before voicing his true feelings. “I shouldn’t have taken the chocolate. Because I—”

The lights intertwined and crisscrossed.

He stared blankly at the outline of a planet in front of him and murmured, “I don’t like you playing with Zhou Junyi.”

As for why, he didn’t know.

Many years later, he realized it was possessiveness at work.

“You teamed up with him to discuss beating me. That made me uncomfortable.” Gu Yuan voiced his knot, and the stuffiness in his heart faded a lot. “I think you should always be on my team. We shouldn’t be separated by anyone.”

Zhou Chiyu was his little brother.

He couldn’t be anyone else’s.

“But those are the game rules.” Zhou Chiyu stuffed the sixth piece into his mouth and mumbled, “If we weren’t playing, I’d definitely be on Brother’s side.”

Gu Yuan said nothing, lowering his eyes to gaze silently into the distance.

“You don’t like Little Yi?”

“No.”

Gu Yuan replied softly, “I don’t want you to be close with others.”

He was afraid Zhou Chiyu would ignore him.

“Is it selfish of me to think that way?” Gu Yuan turned his head to look at Zhou Chiyu. A faint mango scent wafted over, followed by a loud smooch on his lips.

“Don’t worry, Brother.” Zhou Chiyu thumped his little chest. “No matter how many friends I have, I only have one brother.”

Gu Yuan’s eyes widened slightly.