Chapter 23: I Don’t Like It!

Guoguo could entertain himself. He wasn’t a child with inherent autism. The trauma of witnessing his parents die right before his eyes in the car accident had caused massive psychological damage. He could sense the kindness others showed him.

While Gu Shiying helped wash dishes in the kitchen, Guoguo didn’t play with his toys. He just stood by the sliding door, watching.

Grandma Lin, seated in her chair, sighed with emotion. “Guoguo is so happy you came to spend time with him. He hasn’t proactively gotten close to anyone in the past year. He really likes you both.”

Gu Shiying smiled. “I like Guoguo too. I’ll come play with him more often. He’s so cute and well-behaved.”

Listening to him praise Guoguo, Grandma Lin chuckled warmly and told them stories about Guoguo as a baby, back when he still had both parents.

Grandma Lin usually took great care to keep the house clean. She had raised Guoguo well. After her son and daughter-in-law passed away, there were no other close relatives to help. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan did what they could, cleaning the entire house for her.

Not only did they clean, but they also sorted Guoguo’s toys by category. They had arrived in the afternoon, and by the time they were preparing to leave, it was early evening.

But when they tried to leave, Guoguo grabbed Gu Shiying’s finger, his meaning clear: he didn’t want him to go. At the same time, Guoguo’s inner voice reached Gu Shiying.

【Mama.】

If Gu Shiying hadn’t known this was always Guoguo’s most intense wish, he’d have suspected the child was calling him.

Fu Huan saw Gu Shiying frozen, looking at Guoguo, and asked, “Not leaving?”

Grandma Lin gently patted Guoguo. “Guoguo, the big brothers have to go home now.”

But Guoguo’s grip on Gu Shiying’s finger only tightened.

【Mama.】

Gu Shiying: “…” But I’m not your mama.

Seeing how much Guoguo clung to Gu Shiying, Fu Huan suggested, “Why don’t we have dinner here?”

Grandma Lin: “Then I’ll ask the neighbor to help cook.”

Fu Huan: “No need to go to that trouble. We can go buy something.”

Seeing Grandma Lin about to refuse, Gu Shiying added, “Why don’t we all go out to eat? Saves cooking at home.”

Grandma Lin: “I couldn’t possibly impose like that. Tell you what, you two take Guoguo out for a bit. He doesn’t eat much. I won’t go; the community center delivers food, and it’s light, suits my digestion. Guoguo doesn’t always like it.”

Gu Shiying: “Sounds great. We’ll take Guoguo out to play this evening and bring him back before 9 PM.”

“Thank you for being willing to play with Guoguo. The kids around here bully him when I’m not watching.” As she spoke, Grandma Lin’s eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly composed herself.

Gu Shiying: “Don’t worry, Grandma. We’ll come by more often from now on.”

They asked Grandma Lin if Guoguo had any dietary restrictions. She said no; he was easy to feed and ate anything.

Gu Shiying scooped Guoguo up. “Alright, let’s head out! We’re taking Guoguo for some good food!”

Once in the car, Gu Shiying’s bold declaration weakened.

He could only ask Fu Huan, “What should we get Guoguo to eat?”

Fu Huan turned back from the passenger seat to ask him, “What do you feel like eating?”

Gu Shiying looked at Guoguo, and Guoguo looked back. Scratching his head, he suddenly realized the decision was now entirely his.

“When I was a kid, my parents wouldn’t let us eat junk food. How about we take Guoguo for a McDonald’s kid’s meal? They even come with toys.”

He really did want some. Eating cafeteria food every day got old.

Fu Huan, seeing his eyes light up at the suggestion, nodded. “Sure.”

The houses in this area were all old—the epitome of an old town district. The nearest McDonald’s was about three kilometers away, a quick drive.

“Fu Huan, did Liang Qi switch cars again?” Gu Shiying assumed Fu Huan was borrowing Liang Qi’s car, as usual.

Fu Huan paused for a second. “Mm.”

Gu Shiying mused, “He sure has a lot of cars. I feel like every time I see you driving one, it’s different.”

The car they’d taken to the livehouse, the one to the hospital—none were the same. The only constant was the price tag, getting steeper each time. Same college students, but the gap in family background was rather large.

Fu Huan was silent for a moment. “Which one did you like best?”

Gu Shiying wasn’t a car enthusiast, unlike Zhang Zhi or Guan Yu who could recite specs. But he did have his own aesthetic.

“That gray-green electric car. The interior layout is so different from regular gas cars, very minimalist. If I ever buy a car, I’d probably lean toward that style.”

“Really?” Fu Huan’s lips curved up slightly. “I like it quite a lot too.”

Gu Shiying gave a small laugh. “…” Crap. Suddenly being on the same wavelength as Fu Huan was not a good sign.

The old town roads were narrow, and it was rush hour. The three-kilometer drive took fifteen minutes. Finding parking at the mall took a bit longer.

The restaurant was crowded, mostly parents with kids. Fu Huan, Gu Shiying, and a child entering together drew quite a few glances.

Fu Huan didn’t want Gu Shiying to have to hold Guoguo while squeezing through a crowd. “What do you want to eat? I’ll order.”

Gu Shiying: “I want the cod fish sandwich. A combo meal is fine.”

Fu Huan: “Go find us a seat. I’ll bring the food over when it’s ready.”

Gu Shiying remembered he still owed him several meals. “Want me to order?”

Fu Huan acted as if he hadn’t heard, placing a hand on Gu Shiying’s shoulder and steering him in the other direction. “There’s a four-seater over there. Go grab it.”

Gu Shiying: “Oh.”

Fu Huan quickly returned with two trays. Their food was on one, the kid’s meal separate.

Such subtle intentions. An ordinary person truly wouldn’t notice.

Guoguo could feed himself and ate happily.

Gu Shiying periodically listened to his inner voice. Munching on the delicious burger and fries, Guoguo’s constant silent cries for ‘Mama’ had actually stopped.

“Did Guoguo used to come here for McDonald’s with his mom often?”

Guoguo turned his head to look at him, blinking. He reacted to Gu Shiying’s words.

Fu Huan: “Seems like it. He really does like you.”

Gu Shiying: “Do I just have a kind and gentle face?”

Fu Huan looked at him seriously. “No, you’re a down-to-earth, approachable super-hottie.”

“That compliment gives me goosebumps.” Gu Shiying felt his scalp tingle under the scrutiny. Did Fu Huan realize how blatant his gaze was?

Fu Huan: “What kind of compliment do you want to hear?”

Gu Shiying: “You’ve stumped me.”

Fu Huan: “Beautiful inside and out. Kind-hearted. Morally upright. A righteous hero.”

Gu Shiying: “Shut up. You’re not suited for complimenting people.”

Fu Huan chuckled lowly, then casually dipped a fry and ate it as if nothing had happened.

Gu Shiying knew Fu Huan wasn’t treating him like a ‘bro.’ These conversations were getting increasingly dangerous. Fu Huan was subtly, intentionally or not, pandering to him, following his lead. If it were Zhang Zhi or Yang Shuheng, he might have joked around, but in front of Fu Huan, he didn’t dare.

Perhaps aware his question had been too intimate, crossing the line for classmates, Fu Huan picked up a fry and offered it to Guoguo, who was eating corn kernels.

Guoguo didn’t understand why the big brother was suddenly feeding him fries, but he obediently ate it.

Worried about Guoguo, Gu Shiying asked, “Do you think his condition can be cured?”

Fu Huan: “If he’s been receiving treatment and proper intervention, I don’t think it’s a huge problem. He could see a psychologist.”

Gu Shiying: “When we ran into him at the hospital before, what was he hospitalized for?”

At the time, he’d just thought of it as a chance encounter with Guoguo. He hadn’t expected it to develop further and hadn’t paid attention to that detail.

Fu Huan remembered they’d been in the pediatrics department. “Probably a minor illness, like a fever. Not treatment for his autism.”

Having only met Guoguo twice now, they hadn’t asked Grandma Lin about this in depth.

Gu Shiying was troubled by his own limitations.

Sensing his low mood, Fu Huan said, “Don’t worry. There will be a way. He’s only five. Over time, he’ll forget things. The more happy memories fill his mind, the more the painful ones will fade. I believe he’ll grow up healthy.”

“I hope so.” Gu Shiying pinched Guoguo’s chubby cheek and looked across at Fu Huan. “You’re very optimistic about his condition.”

“Yeah. There’s no hurdle that can’t be overcome.” Fu Huan said.

Gu Shiying felt like Fu Huan had experienced something himself, but he couldn’t ask. If he did, wouldn’t that mean getting to know Fu Huan even better?

After dinner, they took Guoguo into the mall.

Guoguo’s reactions to the outside world were still muted. They didn’t take him to the usual kids’ play areas but went into a claw machine arcade.

Gu Shiying asked Fu Huan, “Are you any good at claw machines?”

Fu Huan shook his head. “Don’t know. Never tried before.”

Gu Shiying: “Let’s give it a shot.”

Fu Huan: “Okay.”

Fu Huan went to the counter to exchange for tokens. Then the two of them wandered the machines with Guoguo, looking for a prize they wanted.

“Guoguo, how about we try for this pink pig?”

“You’re not objecting, so we’ll go for this one.”

Gu Shiying started trying. After nearly ten tokens, he hadn’t caught a thing.

Gu Shiying: “So close.”

Fu Huan handed him more tokens. “Try again?”

Gu Shiying tried another ten times, still failing. His obsession with the little pink pig only grew.

Frustrated, Gu Shiying grumbled, “I have to catch this pig today. Fu Huan, help me out.”

While he’d been trying, Fu Huan had been watching from the side. When Gu Shiying suddenly turned to him, Fu Huan reined in the excessive tenderness in his eyes.

Fu Huan answered softly, “Okay.”

His first try failed, but he got it on the second.

Gu Shiying glared at the machine. “Is this thing rigged against me?”

Fu Huan smiled. “You’d already loosened it with your previous tries. I just got lucky.”

“Hmph.” Gu Shiying happily grabbed the plushie and examined it, then handed it to Guoguo. “Here, Guoguo, hold this. Let’s see if there are any others you want.”

The two of them spent half an hour inside, catching a total of five plushies. Whatever doll Guoguo’s gaze lingered on, they targeted. Fu Huan provided the skill, Gu Shiying provided the cheering.

Mindful of their promise to Grandma Lin to have Guoguo back by 9 PM, they didn’t stay out too late and returned with their five plushies.

Guoguo was visibly happy. When Gu Shiying brought him home, he didn’t hear any silent cries for ‘Mama’ in his mind.

But when it was time to leave, Guoguo still held onto Gu Shiying’s hand, his eyes showing an unfamiliar dependence.

Gu Shiying couldn’t bear it. He looked at Fu Huan for his opinion. “Doesn’t he usually go to sleep at 9 PM sharp? How about I wait until he falls asleep before we go?”

Fu Huan: “Sure, half an hour won’t hurt.”

Grandma Lin thanked them again. “I really can’t thank you enough. Guoguo didn’t cause any trouble out there, did he?”

Gu Shiying: “Not at all. He was so good. He even ate by himself.”

Grandma Lin couldn’t help but tear up. “It’s been so long since Guoguo’s been this lively.”

They coaxed Guoguo to sleep, and soon, he was in dreamland.

Before they left, Grandma Lin handed them a red plastic bag containing two jars.

Grandma Lin: “This is my homemade chili sauce. I don’t know if you’d like it. It’s a bit sweet.”

Gu Shiying: “But this is what you sell for income.”

Grandma Lin: “I have plenty more here. It’ll go bad if I can’t sell it all, and it’s not worth much anyway. It’s great mixed with noodles, very fragrant.”

Gu Shiying’s mouth watered just thinking about it. He didn’t refuse. “Thank you, Grandma. We’ll be heading back now.”

Grandma Lin: “Drive safely on the road.”

And so, the two of them left Guoguo’s house with two jars of chili sauce.

On the drive back, Gu Shiying kept staring at the jars, looking rather eager.

Fu Huan: “The chili sauce is all yours.”

“No way, one jar each.” Gu Shiying was a bit embarrassed at being so easily read.

Fu Huan: “Then let’s put them in the dorm for everyone to share. That way, we can all enjoy it.”

Gu Shiying gave him a thumbs-up. “That works. Let’s put both in the dorm, then. They both love spicy food too.”

Fu Huan nodded. His calm face was unreadable again.

Along the way, Gu Shiying made sporadic conversation with Fu Huan. Honestly, at times like this, Fu Huan didn’t seem at all like someone harboring desires for him.

Fu Huan wasn’t talkative, sometimes even giving an impression of coolness, responding with only a word or two. In the past, Gu Shiying would have thought the other person disliked him and would have kept his distance, just like before.

Wait… he wanted to keep his distance from Fu Huan. It was just that the more he tried to execute his plan, the more their interactions increased.

Back at school, Gu Shiying lugged the two bottles of chili sauce upstairs, choosing not to dwell on Fu Huan’s feelings. His mood was still upbeat. If Fu Huan weren’t there, he might’ve even hummed a tune.

As he reached the third floor, the stairwell was pitch black. He missed a step and pitched forward.

Fu Huan, right behind him, was quick-handed and sharp-eyed. He reached out and caught him, one hand landing squarely on Gu Shiying’s waist, steadying him just in time.

“Watch your step. How are you so prone to tripping going up and down stairs?”

【I love this position.】

“…” In the darkness, Gu Shiying clutched the chili sauce jars tightly and shot Fu Huan a furious glare.

I don’t like it!