“Brother.”
Zhou Chiyu took the porcelain bowl from Gu Yuan’s hand. “Let me help you.”
“You go rest for a bit.” Gu Yuan sized him up. “I feel like you don’t have much energy today. Did you not sleep well last night?”
“I slept pretty well.” Zhou Chiyu inwardly fretted, his eyes quickly flicking toward Gu Yuan. “Brother, Wu Chen told me that he likes you.”
Gu Yuan’s movements stalled, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
“Hm?”
Gu Yuan stiffly turned his head, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the iron skewer as he slowly directed his gaze toward Zhou Chiyu.
“He wants to date you.”
Zhou Chiyu hesitated to speak, cautiously shrinking back. “Bro, do you like boys or girls?”
He felt a bit uneasy inside. For some reason, looking into Gu Yuan’s calm and profound eyes gave him a sense of impending storm, the whole building filled with tension.
“What do you think?”
Gu Yuan set down the tools and gently lowered his eyes to wipe the water stains from his fingertips. “Do you hope that I date Wu Chen?”
Though his expression tried its best to remain controlled, it lacked its usual composure and poise; the lines of his side profile tensed coldly.
With a “bang,” the porcelain bowl was knocked over by his hand and shattered on the floor with a crisp crack.
Zhou Chiyu jumped in fright, his eyelashes fluttering wildly. “Bro, are you okay?” He stumbled over the words and noticed that Gu Yuan’s mood was growing increasingly off.
“I’m fine. Step back a bit, don’t get hurt.” Gu Yuan’s hands at his sides clenched tightly then slowly relaxed. A trace of bitterness welled up in his throat, and his voice was very low. “I’ll get someone to clean it up.”
Watching Gu Yuan’s retreating back, Zhou Chiyu hesitated in place. He didn’t know which words exactly had upset Gu Yuan.
The noise from the kitchen drew Wu Chen and Xie Lin’s attention. Xie Lin wanted to go take a look but was stopped by Wu Chen. “Little Fish is helping me play matchmaker with Gu Yuan. If you go over now, you’ll interrupt them.”
“You and Gu Yuan?” Xie Lin was astonished. “You like him?”
“Idiot.” Wu Chen crossed his legs and slightly raised a brow. “I was just testing. If the result is what I think, brother advises you to give up.”
Xie Lin was utterly confused. “What do you mean?”
Wu Chen patted his shoulder. “It’s for your own good.”
Not long after, Gu Yuan brought a broom and swept the kitchen clean. Zhou Chiyu wanted to help but was refused by Gu Yuan on the grounds of safety.
He stood alone in the corner like a child who had done something wrong, watching Gu Yuan’s every move.
“Bro.”
He slightly furrowed his brow. “Are you unhappy?”
Gu Yuan threw the shattered porcelain pieces into a trash bag, sealed it, and stood up to face Zhou Chiyu. “Mm.”
Zhou Chiyu clasped his hands behind his back, anxiously saying, “Is it because you don’t like Wu Chen?”
“Yes.” Gu Yuan’s voice carried a raw pause. “I don’t like him.”
“Then I’ll go tell him.” Zhou Chiyu let out a breath of relief, chiding, “If you don’t like him, just say it straight. Why get upset?”
Gu Yuan didn’t respond further. He bent down to move all the BBQ ingredients to the top deck, then sat alone and started grilling the meat.
Zhou Chiyu felt aggrieved. He had only asked one question, after all. Back in the living room, Wu Chen eyed his wilted appearance and already guessed the answer. “How’d it go?”
Zhou Chiyu euphemistically told Wu Chen, “My brother doesn’t want to date for now.”
Wu Chen wasn’t surprised at all and instead asked, “What was Gu Yuan’s expression?”
Zhou Chiyu told the truth. “My brother seemed unhappy.”
At that, Wu Chen had his answer in mind. “Your brother probably has someone he likes.”
He smiled at Zhou Chiyu. “Little Fish, do you like boys or girls?”
Xie Lin paid very close attention to this question.
Zhou Chiyu thought for a moment. “I’m not too sure, because I haven’t met someone I like yet.”
Wu Chen tasted a red grape and teased, “You’re already eighteen, and you’ve never dated? Little Fishy, you’re not up to par.”
“Tch, that’s because my life is rich enough; I don’t need romance to fulfill me.” Zhou Chiyu was eager to go eat with Gu Yuan, so he grabbed some red grapes and stuffed them into his mouth. “I have my loving family and brother. I don’t need to date right now.”
Xie Lin’s originally expectant gaze gradually dimmed, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to advance his relationship with Zhou Chiyu.
“I’m going to eat first.”
Zhou Chiyu took big steps and quickly reached the deck.
“Brother.”
Seeing Gu Yuan peeling freshly grilled large shrimp, he trotted over and squatted beside Gu Yuan. “I’ve already told Wu Chen.”
“Told him what?” Gu Yuan kept his eyes lowered, his expression inscrutable.
“That you don’t want to date.” Though Zhou Chiyu didn’t understand why Gu Yuan was throwing a tantrum, he planned to make amends. “I won’t play matchmaker for you anymore. You can go find your own.”
“Find what?” Gu Yuan’s fingers paused slightly.
Zhou Chiyu said, “Go find the person you truly like.”
He guessed that Gu Yuan must want to have a free romance.
Gu Yuan suddenly smiled and fed the peeled shrimp into Zhou Chiyu’s mouth.
After a long silence, he murmured, “I thought you would be jealous if I found someone.”
“Oh! So that’s what you thought!”
Zhou Chiyu chewed with puffed cheeks. “Don’t worry, I won’t fight for attention with your partner.”
“Really?” Gu Yuan continued smiling. “Looks like Little Fish has grown up a lot over these years.”
“Yes.” Zhou Chiyu nudged Gu Yuan, signaling him to grill some wagyu for him. “I’ll be good and share some of my liking for you with the person you like.”
He was the sort who loved the house and its crow.
Gu Yuan’s family was his family, and he would do his best to treat everyone well.
