Chapter 4 004 Part 1

Old Master Gu didn’t know why Zhou Chiyu wanted to write that sentence, but he felt it was harmless, so he agreed to the child’s request.

In just two short days, the two little ones had started interacting like playmates, which filled him with great relief.

“Grandpa Gu, hold me.”

Zhou Chiyu was having a blast, praising in his tremulous baby voice, “Grandpa’s so strong—he must be the king of beasts in the forest!”

Gu Lao was momentarily stunned, then a kindly smile spread across his lips. He ignored the butler’s reminder about his old back injury, bent down gently, and scooped Zhou Chiyu into his arms. “If Grandpa’s the big lion, then you’re the little lion.”

“I wanna be the little lion!” Zhou Chiyu clutched the kite string, grinning from ear to ear as he shouted, “I’m almost as tall as the kite now!”

“Hahaha, our Little Fish is amazing.”

Gu Lao deliberately rubbed his beard against Zhou Chiyu’s fair little cheek. “Does it prick?”

“It doesn’t prick! Grandpa, I wanna take a photo with you.”

Over the past few days, Zhou Chiyu had grown extremely attached to Gu Lao. In the Gu Family home, Gu Lao was the person he felt closest to. Worried that Gu Lao might refuse, he wrapped his chubby little legs around him tightly, rubbing against him like an immature sloth clinging to its mother.

Gu Lao laughed so hard he couldn’t close his mouth. “Alrighty, let’s take one right now.”

Though Zhou Chiyu was only four and a half, he already had three years of photo-taking experience. His little head was stocked with over a hundred cute poses, and the adults all said that no matter what he did, he was the cutest.

His brown curls swayed in the breeze, with one slightly longer curl landing perfectly on his dainty white nose. Gu Lao helped tidy his hair. “Our Little Fish treasure needs a haircut soon.”

Zhou Chiyu scrunched up his chubby face in agreement, looking resolute as if facing death unflinchingly. “Grandpa, do you know? When they cut my hair, I held back the pain the whole time. Am I brave or what?”

“It hurts?” Gu Lao was a bit puzzled.

“Of course cutting hair hurts—it’s like cutting my hand!” Zhou Chiyu grinned mysteriously and whispered in Gu Lao’s ear, “As a reward, can we have plum chicken wings for dinner?”

Gu Lao chuckled helplessly. “Okay, okay, okay. You’re the bravest.”

The glaring sunlight shone on the white hair at Gu Lao’s temples. He held Zhou Chiyu’s back tenderly, growing fonder of the child by the minute. With a casual glance, he spotted a wheelchair appearing not far away.

“Little Yuan’s here!”

Gu Lao grew even happier and waved at Gu Yuan. “Come on over and fly the kite with your little brother.”

Under the sunlight, everyone else wore just a jacket, but the frail young one was bundled in a thick scarf.

Though the weather wasn’t cold, Gu Yuan’s immunity was poor—a minor cold could land him in the ICU for days, so he couldn’t afford any mishaps.

“Is Little Yuan going to fly the kite?” Bai Wenran asked. Gazing at the faint blue veins visible under Gu Yuan’s nearly transparent skin, her heart grew heavy.

Due to years of lacking sunlight, Gu Yuan’s osteoporosis had worsened. The disease itself increased fracture risk, and without proper exercise, he’d truly be bedridden for the rest of his life.

But Gu Yuan—

She sighed inwardly. The psychologist had said that Gu Yuan’s will to live wasn’t particularly strong; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sunk into despair after learning his diagnosis a year ago.

Gu Yuan was clearly still mad at Zhou Chiyu, especially seeing how intimate Gu Lao and Zhou Chiyu were.

He shot Zhou Chiyu a sullen glare, then looked up at the kite in the sky. “I’m going to the fountain garden.”

The AI program in the Electric Wheelchair received the command, turned around, and carried Gu Yuan away.

As he passed Gu Lao and Zhou Chiyu, Gu Yuan stared straight ahead, holding his neck high in haughty disregard, deliberately ignoring Zhou Chiyu’s fawning smile.

Bai Wenran reminded softly, “Why don’t you greet Grandpa?”

“Gram…” Gu Yuan struggled to part his tightly pressed lips, but upon seeing Gu Lao’s arm wrapped tightly around Zhou Chiyu, his frail shoulders shrank into the scarf. “Speed up.”

The wheelchair obeyed, immediately leaving Bai Wenran far behind.

Gu Lao was long accustomed to Gu Yuan’s aloof and withdrawn nature. He soothed Zhou Chiyu in his arms. “Little Fish, your brother has a very serious illness, so his personality isn’t as outgoing as yours. Forgive his rudeness, okay?”

Zhou Chiyu lifted his chubby face in confusion. “What illness does Brother have?”

Gu Lao: “A very serious one.”

Zhou Chiyu asked again, “Can medicine cure it?”

Gu Lao’s throat tightened. “No.”

Zhou Chiyu’s brows furrowed, his childish face filled with fear. “Will Brother die then?”

Gu Lao choked up, a scalding tear falling onto Zhou Chiyu’s plump little hand. He quickly wiped Gu Lao’s eyes with his sleeve and cooed, “Don’t cry, Grandpa. My mom and dad are scientists—they’ve cured so many people. I can ask them to help.”

Gu Lao’s lips trembled slightly as he smiled and patted Zhou Chiyu’s little head.

“What a good child.”

Zhou Chiyu had always been an emotionally rich little kid.

Last time, he’d mistakenly thought Gu Yuan was a girl, which made Gu Yuan angry and coughing. He’d felt so guilty that he’d gifted the Electric Scooter as an apology.

Now, learning these things, he was even more at a loss.

At this moment, Gu Lao said gently, “Little Fish, do you know how important a healthy body is? So our Little Fish must stay happy every day—that way, your parents…”

He paused, holding back the sting in his eyes. “That way, us adults can be happy too.”

Zhou Chiyu nodded as if he half-understood. “Got it!”

“Grandpa, I’ll protect Brother too!”

…

By the fountain, Gu Yuan slumped in the wheelchair, staring blankly. Before heading out, he’d brought a Rubik’s Cube to fiddle with when bored.

The courtyard was still flying kites, and Zhou Chiyu seemed great at running—even three aunties couldn’t catch him.

He had to admit, the game over there drew him in.

Gu Yuan watched intently, but just as he solved the Rubik’s Cube, it was quietly scrambled again. At that moment, Zhou Chiyu came dashing over, kite string in hand, chubby legs pumping joyfully. Gu Yuan tensed and quickly averted his gaze.

“Brother, for you!”

Zhou Chiyu held a three-meter-long little kite printed with a chubby Koi Carp that looked just like him.

“May blessings endure forever, wishing you health year after year.”

Bai Wenran read it aloud and crouched down to stroke Zhou Chiyu’s curls. “Thank you, Little Fish.”

Gu Yuan could roughly grasp the meaning, but he didn’t know why Zhou Chiyu said that to him.

Or rather, Zhou Chiyu was genuinely enthusiastic toward him.

On sleepless nights, he often chatted with the Companion Robot’s AI.

The robot had told him no one would want to be friends with him.

He turned his head away, deliberately avoiding Zhou Chiyu’s expectant eyes, and fiddled with the Rubik’s Cube to distract himself.