Guo Jingyu asked about his cousin’s recent situation abroad. Most of what he talked about was related to game development. Gu Yu was particularly enthusiastic and excited when he mentioned this topic.
Guo Jingyu advised him, “Cousin, when you have a moment, make sure to call home and let them know you’re safe. Uncle has been particularly concerned about you. Since you didn’t come home for Chinese New Year, they’ve been mentioning you constantly. Grandma prepared red envelopes for each of us, and she’s kept yours aside, saying she’ll give it to you when you return.” Gu Yu had been away for almost half a year, and the situation had settled. Uncle Gu couldn’t do much about his son. After all, they were family. Their relationship had temporarily reconciled, and Uncle Gu’s main concern was his son’s well-being. He had long ceasstopped being angry.
Gu Yu felt a twinge of guilt at his cousin’s words, nodding in agreement. “I called home just last week, but I still can’t go back. Since I’ve come this far, I can’t face going back without achieving something.”
Guo Jingyu teased him, “That’s reassuring to hear. Only when you are under pressure can you succeed.”
A smile spread across Gu Yu’s face as he asked, “How about you? How have you been lately?”
Guo Jingyu rubbed his nose and replied with a hint of satisfaction, “I’m doing pretty well, too.”
“What about that person you mentioned you were going to pursue last time?”
“It worked out.”
“Hey, congratulations!”
Guo Jingyu chuckled, “It’s too early for congratulations. Let’s wait a couple of years until we have a banquet. Ge, you better bring a gift when you come.”
Gu Yu replied with a smile, “No problem. You’re thinking ahead, as always.”
Guo Jingyu nodded, “Of course. I’ve been striving for him my whole life. He’s what drives me to make money.”
Gu Yu listened with envy, especially admiring his cousin’s determination.
After chatting for a while, just as they were about to hang up, Gu Yu reminded, “Jingyu, do me a favor and bring some money. When you go back to see Grandma, get her some tonics. And for my dad, he loves smoking… Well, forget about cigarettes. Mom will get mad again. Get him two bottles of good liquor instead. I’ll study hard and come back to the country once I’ve finished.”
“Sure thing, don’t worry.”
After finishing the call with Gu Yu, Guo Jingyu went to find Wu Xiajun.
The second batch of goods came in larger quantities. In addition to the skincare products, several warehouses were stocked with various items. Wu Xiajun also managed to acquire a batch of limited edition diamond-studded keychains from the brand supplier. Typically, these were meant to be given away as part of a set, so they often requested an extra batch for backup. These were leftovers, totaling about seven to eight thousand pieces. Wu Xiajun purchased them all for a dollar each, complete with the prominent logo. They were priced at 15 yuan each and sold quite quickly, adding another sum to their income.
Guo Jingyu held one of the keychains, looking somewhat puzzled. “Jie, it’s just a keychain. Why is it so expensive, but people are still snatching it?”
Wu Xiajun said,”You just don’t get it, do you? Designer bags are expensive, and high-end perfumes cost hundreds per bottle. But this keychain is only 15 yuan and can be seen every day. It’s a great deal.”
Guo Jingyu found her reasoning sound and took one for himself. Before he could even use it, Wu Xiajun stopped him, saying, “Forget it. If you use it, people will think it’s fake.”
Guo Jingyu: “…”
Guo Jingyu was dissatisfied. “Do I not look wealthy enough?”
Wu Xiajun scanned him from head to toe, from the splattered colorful paint on his clothes to the torn jeans. Then she smiled, shaking her head. “You look like a poor artist. Let me buy you a couple of outfits. You’re too casual in this attire, such a waste of your handsome face.”
Guo Jingyu replied confidently, “No matter what I wear, I look good. Once I step into a crowd, I’m definitely the fallen prince charming.”
Having spent more time with him, Wu Xiajun was beginning to develop some immunity to Guo Jingyu’s handsome face. At first, she couldn’t help but notice a hint of prince-like charm, and being someone who had her heart set on someone else, she still couldn’t help but take a second look. Guo Jingyu’s chestnut hair looked particularly stunning under the sunlight, each strand seems to be shining. Especially the beauty of the teenager’s face, coupled with long legs and a penchant for laughter and mischief, he truly embodied the ideal “school grass” every girl dreams about.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Lao Cao held his hand, repeatedly asking, “Are you really leaving? I’m really uncomfortable with you suddenly leaving. We had such good conversations in the studio. Now, it’s just me and a few others left in class. We can’t even gather enough people for a game of cards anymore…”
Guo Jingyu remarked, “When I’m not around, you can always invite others to play cards, just like with my Jie, right?” He winked at Wu Xiajun. The relationship between these two had progressed rapidly during this time, almost breaking through the barrier, and his teasing made her blush. While Wu Xiajun maintained her composure, Lao Cao scratched his head, saying, “Y-yes, that’s right. Playing cards with Xiajun is quite enjoyable.”
Wu Xiajun bought water for him, insisting to take it with him on the way.
Guo Jingyu took the opportunity to advise Lao Cao, “Cao Ge, why talk about playing cards?”
Lao Cao looked bewildered. “Then what should I say?”
“You should compliment the girl, say she’s beautiful. Have you ever been in love before?”
“Uh… no, this is my first time,” Lao Cao admitted sheepishly.
Guo Jingyu shot him a disdainful look, causing Lao Cao to bristle with embarrassment and anger. He lowered his voice and retorted, “So what if you’ve only been in one relationship? What makes your experience any better than mine?!”
Guo Jingyu responded, “I’m different. My partner, you see, is all about romance—watching the stars and moon, setting off fireworks in the snow, refusing any gifts on birthdays, just quietly asking for a bowl of noodles cooked by me… Oh, Cao Ge, you have no idea. Whenever I see him, my heart aches. I wish I could turn 22 tomorrow and marry him right away.”
No matter how Lao Cao listened, something didn’t quite sit right with him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Guo Jingyu and his so-called “girlfriend” seemed to have their roles reversed. It should’ve been Guo Jingyu showering the girl with all sorts of romance, and then the girl moved to tears, cooking him a bowl of noodles in return.
Before he could think further, Wu Xiajun quickly returned with some drinks and snacks for Guo Jingyu. She ruffled his hair and smiled, saying, “Remember to give us a call when you get home, and stay safe on the way.” After being called “Jie” by this kid for months, she was starting to see him as her own younger brother.
Guo Jingyu nodded in agreement, smiling as he waved goodbye to them and boarded the bus.
He slept the entire way on the long-distance bus. At one point, the bus broke down, and they had to wait at a service area for a while. With money on him, he didn’t dare to leave the bus, so he sat there and waited.
The rest of the journey went relatively smoothly, and by the time he reached home, it was almost eight o’clock in the evening.
Guo Jingyu hesitated for a moment, looking at the roadside before finally deciding to wait at the bus stop in front of the residential area.
He thought to himself, if a bus came within three minutes, he would go see Li Tongzhou.
In less than a minute, the familiar bus arrived.
A grin couldn’t help but curl at the corners of Guo Jingyu’s mouth as he stepped onto the bus with a lightness in his step. He dropped some coins into the fare box, relishing the crisp sound of “ding” more than usual.
Just a couple of stops later, within a few minutes, he reached his destination.
After getting off the bus, Guo Jingyu headed to Li Tongzhou’s apartment building and dialed his number. The call was quickly answered, and Guo Jingyu asked, “Li Tongzhou, what are you up to?”
The voice on the other end remained as gentle as ever. “Just reading and grading some papers.”
“Can I take a few minutes of your time?”
“Of course, don’t you have classes tonight? No painting lessons to give?”
“No, not tonight. What about you? Just home alone?”
“En.”
As Guo Jingyu ascended the stairs, he said, “Then you should open the door.”
The person on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment, then it was abruptly disconnected. By the time Guo Jingyu had pocketed his phone, the door in front of him swung open. Li Tongzhou hurried over, his breath slightly labored. He blinked a few times after seeing him, as if he coudn’t believe it. “Jingyu? You’re back? You didn’t tell me earlier, I had no idea. I could have picked you up from the station…”
Guo Jingyu stepped forward and gave him a big hug, smiling as he said, “Surprise! Do you like it?”
Li Tongzhou subconsciously responded to the hug and quickly whispered in his ear, “I love it.”
Guo Jingyu gave him a playful shove and chuckled, “Hey, aren’t you going to invite me in for a while? I just got off the bus and came straight to you without even stopping for a drink of water.”
Li Tongzhou immediately brought him in, poured him a glass of juice, and brought over two bags of bread. “There’s nothing else to eat at home, so have some bread first.”
Guo Jingyu had just eaten a bowl of noodles at the service area at noon. The rest was the snacks and drinks Wu Xiajun bought for him, so he wasn’t really hungry. He reached out and fiddled with the bread, then looked up at Li Tongzhou. “Are you managing with just this when you’re alone at home? Your stomach must not be satisfied. Should I go to the kitchen and make something for you?”
Li Tongzhou said, “No need, you take a rest, I’ll cook dumplings for you.”
Guo Jingyu curiously asked, “Who made them for you, Auntie?”
As Li Tongzhou rolled up his sleeves, he replied, “No one, I bought them from the supermarket, they’re frozen.”
Guo Jingyu nodded, considering it an improvement compared to before.
Li Tongzhou went to the kitchen to cook dumplings for him. Dressed in a white shirt, he looked even more scholarly. His one-handed spoon technique appeared quite proficient, and as the steam rose in the kitchen, it added a touch of excitement to the atmosphere. Li Tongzhou focused on cooking, his eyes lowered in deep concentration, resembling someone operating in a chemical experiment. His lips were pursed in a handsome and indifferent manner.
Guo Jingyu followed behind and whispered, “Impressive, you’ve learned to cook on your own, huh?”
Li Tongzhou nodded. “En, you taught me. The steps are similar to making dumplings. But they don’t taste as good as yours.”
Guo Jingyu chuckled. “Of course, I’m a great chef. How about next time I make dumplings for you? Fish filling sounds good?”
“Sounds great.”
Li Tongzhou carefully served the dumplings, placing them in a small bowl and handing them over to Guo Jingyu.
Guo Jingyu ate two and found them delicious. He asked, “Have you tried them before?”
Li Tongzhou sat across from him and nodded. “Yes, I have.”
Guo Jingyu paid no attention to him, helping himself to two bowls. They were filled with pork and corn filling, with a subtle sweetness, similar to the taste of those sold in the local shops. Overall, they were alright, considering it was a hot meal, it was much better than bread.
Li Tongzhou sat there, watching him eat. Whenever Guo Jingyu asked something, he just replied, never taking his gaze off him.
Guo Jingyu asked, “Is your health getting better? What did the doctor say?”
Li Tongzhou replied, “It’s okay, just taking some medicine should help.”
Guo Jingyu was a bit dissatisfied. “Where did you see the doctor? Is it reliable? How about you come with me to Beijing or Shanghai? We can go to a big hospital for a thorough check-up. I’m worried about you always being like this.”
Li Tongzhou answered slowly, as if carefully considering each word. “I’m almost better, Jingyu. Just give me a little more time to recover.”
Guo Jingyu continued eating in silence, not saying a word.
After watching him for a moment, Li Tongzhou asked again, “Why did you come back so soon? I thought you were going to stay for a few more days.”
“It was boring there. I’ve learned everything I need to in the studio. I came back to focus on my studies.”
“Isn’t Miss Xia working on business with you?” Li Tongzhou asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to earn that much money. I want to spend time with you,” Guo Jingyu replied.
Li Tongzhou seemed surprised by such a sweet answer. He paused for a moment, then smiled softly.
Guo Jingyu loved seeing him smile because this person rarely smiled, making his smiles all the more precious. He leaned in closer and asked softly, “Are you happy that I’m back?”
Li Tongzhou replied, “Happy.”
Guo Jingyu bumped his knee against his, leaned in, and gently nuzzled their noses together. With a soft laugh, he said, “I’m happy too.”
After finishing his meal here, Guo Jingyu was fed a piece of fruit by Li Tongzhou and had two glasses of juice. Seeing that it was getting late, he stood up, ready to leave.
Li Tongzhou offered to walk him out, but Guo Jingyu insisted that he only accompany him to the door. As he bent down to change his shoes, he said, “You don’t need to see me off. I’ll text you when I get home.”
Li Tongzhou looked confused, watching him in silence. Guo Jingyu reached out and pinched his cheek, smiling. “Don’t look at me like that. I might not be able to resist kissing you later.”
After a moment of thought, Li Tongzhou asked, “Is that okay?”
Guo Jingyu shook his head. “Nope, we have to exchange secrets first before we can kiss.”
In his teenage years, Li Tongzhou’s appearance was outstanding. But his weird temperament deterred most people from approaching him. He only had Guo Jingyu, and without him, he was alone. In his amber eyes, there reflected only one youthful face, filled with gentleness yet tinged with a hint of subtle melancholy, giving him a somewhat troubled appearance.
Guo Jingyu felt a little soft-hearted by his gaze, but still didn’t agree outright. Instead, he held Li Tongzhou’s hand and guided it to his own chest. Li Tongzhou’s body tensed up, and Guo Jingyu could feel his breath quicken as he pressed against him. With his forehead against Li Tongzhou’s shoulder, Guo Jingyu whispered softly, “Can you feel it? My heart is racing so fast. You have no idea how much I like you, Li Tongzhou. I can’t put it into words. Feel it for yourself. Once it senses you, it beats even faster.”
Li Tongzhou wanted to hug him, but Guo Jingyu quickly stepped back. Opening the door, he said, “I’m leaving now. See you at school tomorrow!”
Li Tongzhou felt a little sweetness in his heart, like tasting a piece of candy, but before he could savor it, the sweetness vanished, leaving him feeling somewhat confused.
The author has something to say:
Little Feather: The art of attracting flesh and body was successful!
K: Finally! There are back together again (˶˃⤙˂˶)
