Pale yellow light spots fell on Gu Yuan’s eyelashes.
Zhou Chiyu rubbed his eyes and discovered that Gu Yuan was crying.
“Brother, don’t cry. We can video call every day. If you miss me, I’ll come to the USA to see you.”
Zhou Chiyu had always been good at coaxing people, but this time he felt at a loss.
Gu Yuan’s throat moved slightly, and after a long while, he struggled to lift his hand to tidy up Zhou Chiyu’s messy little curls.
He actually wanted to tell Zhou Chiyu that if he couldn’t come back—
No, better not say it.
“Let me warm your hands, Brother.” Zhou Chiyu slipped Gu Yuan’s icy hand into his own palm and murmured, “You’ll be warm soon.”
Gu Yuan was covered with a thick blanket, yet his body felt terrifyingly cold. Zhou Chiyu desperately wanted to climb onto the bed and hug him, but he knew he couldn’t do that.
Two pairs of teary eyes gazed at each other for a very, very long time.
Zhou Chiyu lay on the edge of the bed, holding Gu Yuan’s hand and drawing a heart in his palm.
Gu Yuan’s eyelashes trembled, and he hooked Zhou Chiyu’s finger. Zhou Chiyu smiled, his charming eyes and brows just like when they first met at four years old.
“Willing.”
Gu Yuan said softly.
“Willing?” Zhou Chiyu tilted his head toward Gu Yuan, not understanding the meaning of those two words. “Willing what, Brother?”
“Nothing.”
Gu Yuan’s hoarse voice fluctuated with his breaths. He smiled and touched his head again.
“Little Fish.”
It meant he was willing—to go for a drive with you.
Time seemed to have hit the fast-forward button, speeding up faster and faster.
At school, Zhou Chiyu applied for a week’s leave and spent all his remaining time accompanying Gu Yuan. Even so, he still felt like he couldn’t outrun time; in the blink of an eye, only two days remained before Gu Yuan’s departure.
Gu Yuan’s birthday was in four days, and he would probably celebrate it in the USA.
Zhou Chiyu racked his brains all night and finally came up with a good idea.
These past few days, he and Elder Gu stayed in the room next to Gu Yuan’s. Every night, Elder Gu coaxed him to sleep.
Under the covers, he touched Elder Gu’s beard and quietly shared his idea. Elder Gu thought it might be hard to pull off but didn’t object.
All the preparations for Gu Yuan’s trip to the USA were ready. On the day before departure, he still hadn’t seen Zhou Chiyu.
“Mom, where’s Little Fish?”
Gu Yuan gripped the IV line tightly, a trace of unease rising in his heart.
By rights, Zhou Chiyu should have come in the morning.
“Mom, did Grandpa send bodyguards to protect Little Fish?”
Gu Yuan was unusually clear-headed today and began to worry about Zhou Chiyu’s safety.
“Have they caught the culprit?”
He looked at Bai Wenran, his eyes filled with worries beyond his years. “Will he come back to hurt Little Fish again?”
“Grandpa has strengthened security. Don’t worry.” Bai Wenran didn’t tell Gu Yuan about the Zhou family’s inheritance dispute; the temptation of trillions in assets made it unsurprising that people would take risks. Telling a child would only add to his stress.
“But—” Gu Yuan’s words cut off abruptly as Bai Wenran gently fitted the nebulizer over him and pried his tightly clutching hands from the bedrail. “Little Yuan, don’t be nervous. Little Fish is fine.”
Gu Yuan’s eyes were threaded with red veins as he leaned against the bedrail, only half-convinced.
Sunlight pierced through the blinds and fell on his pale face. The only sound in the room was the quiet drip of the medication.
After an unknown amount of time, the sun had set.
Gu Yuan stared at the purple bruises on the back of his hand, white mist filling the nebulizer.
He started to worry that something had happened to Zhou Chiyu.
“Little Yuan.”
Elder Gu’s voice suddenly appeared in the room. Gu Yuan asked urgently, “Grandpa, where’s Little Fish?”
“Little Fish is preparing your birthday gift.” Elder Gu smiled as he sat by the bed. “Do you want to see it now?”
“Birthday gift?”
Gu Yuan had almost forgotten; his birthday was coming up.
“But I want to see Little Fish.”
Gu Yuan rubbed the pulse oximeter clip with his fingertip, constantly glancing toward the door.
What gift would Zhou Chiyu prepare for him? Did it take this long?
More than the gift, he wanted to spend more time with Zhou Chiyu.
“Little Fish will be here soon.”
The sky grew darker and darker. Elder Gu nodded to the assistant, who pushed in a giant cake slowly into the ward.
The lights went out, leaving only the faint flicker of candle flames around them.
Gu Yuan looked puzzled at the people singing the birthday song and noticed Langlang’s family was there too.
Langlang held a gift, a bit shy. With his mother’s repeated encouragement, he handed it to Gu Yuan. “Happy birthday, Brother.”
The IV tube swayed slightly with Gu Yuan’s movement as he took the box and found a game console inside.
“Thank you.”
Seeing Langlang’s slightly nervous expression, he added, “I really like it.”
Langlang breathed a sigh of relief and grinned while touching his head. “Brother, you can play when you’re bored.”
“Langlang, have you seen Little Fish?”
The birthday song had already finished, but Zhou Chiyu still hadn’t appeared. Gu Yuan felt increasingly strange.
“I saw him.” Langlang blurted it out, then realized he’d let it slip and hurriedly covered his mouth.
At that moment, Elder Gu had someone bring in a heavyweight gift.
“Wow.”
Langlang’s mom said in surprise, “That gift box is huge.”
Gu Yuan’s gaze fell on the yellow gift box about a meter tall, his breathing quickening slightly.
“This is the gift Little Fish prepared for Young Master.”
