Xie Luyu condensed his part and condensed it again. His enthusiasm even caused the rest of the crew to speed up production as well. The crew was already about to wrap up, but, with him rushing things, they ended up finishing his part a lot sooner than planned. There were still a few scenes scattered here and there that needed to be filmed. However, Xie Luyu didn’t care about those scenes and left that to the crew to finish.
He immediately called Gu Qingchi as soon as he got off the plane.
“I’m free tonight. We can’t keep postponing our dinner with Mom. Are you still at school? I’ll pick you up later in the evening, and we can then head home together.”
Xie Luyu had been very proactive ever since he learned that Mrs. Gu wanted to invite him over for dinner. He wanted nothing more than to fly back that very day. However, Gu Qingchi knew that he was in the middle of filming and insisted that he see it through.
Xie Luyu had been harping at Gu Qingchi about it for the past couple of days. Gu Qingchi now breathed a sigh of relief.
“Mn. In that case, let’s have dinner tonight. I’ll give Mom a call.”
Just as he was about to hang up, Xie Luyu suddenly asked, “Hold on. How should I refer to her? Mom or Auntie?”
Gu Qingchi laughed for a long time.
“If you’re not sure, why are you still always calling her Mom?”
Xie Luyu was prone to rambling when he got nervous.
“No, it’s just that, in my mind, our relationship moved pretty quickly. I’m afraid our mom will find it uncomfortable. If it’s not appropriate, I’ll just refer to her as auntie. I can always change it later. It would be bad if I were out of line … ”
“Would you say that we were out of line last time then?”
Xie Luyu didn’t quite follow.
“Which time?”
Gu Qingchi was very straightforward.
“Oh, you know, the time we did it on the couch and on the carpet and in the bathroom — ”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Xie Luyu looked left and right. His face felt hot under the mask.
He found a place with no one there and faced the corner.
“I feel like this conversation is getting a little not safe for work, so I need you to stop.”
Gu Qingchi was very confused. “Are you feeling shy? Why? You were the one who wanted to do that. You were the one who wanted to do it on the sofa, on the carpet, and in the bathroom … ”
Gu Qingchi may have been the one to start it, but Xie Luyu was definitely the one who finished it. He even spouted a bunch of dirty talk while they were at it. In the end, the sofa covers had to be replaced, and the carpet was completely unrecoverable.
Gu Qingchi felt that he was entirely justified and said as much.
“You even said that it felt good. You said that it was super hot and — ”
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.
“Lfs, tfs, tfs!”
Wlf Oese delmxis gjlrfv tlr nblmf jcv lcafggeqafv atf batfg. Lf atfc ibbxfv jgbecv jujlc jcv kjr gfilfnfv ab rff atja atfgf kjr cb bcf firf jgbecv.
Lbkfnfg, eqbc lcafggeqalcu, tf obecv atja atfgf kjr cb kjs obg tlw ab gfoeaf yfmjerf tf vlv lc ojma vb jii bo atbrf atlcur. Po atf ageat yf abiv, Xe Hlcumtl tjv jigfjvs kjafgfv vbkc atf fnfcar bo atja cluta. Wlf Oese tjv vbcf fnfc wbgf beagjufber atlcur yfrlvfr ktja kjr vfrmglyfv. Pc atf fcv, tf wjcjufv ab eaafg j offyif ofk kbgvr, jiwbra yfuulcu.
“Can we not talk about this … ”
He’d ended up squatting down sometime in the course of their conversation, his face bright red. If it wasn’t for the mask and hat that he was wearing, his bright red neck would also be painfully obvious.
Xie Luyu was usually very thick-skinned. In fact, there were very few with thicker skin than him, but this was only under the condition that he didn’t feel the need to be ashamed. If he did feel ashamed, he would blush harder than anyone else.
Xie Luyu did feel the need to be embarrassed about this. He’d always considered himself rather conservative in this respect. He lost all reason in bed, and he lost all shame. However, once he was out of bed, his reason would return. He was only a beast in the sheets. He was a complete gentleman in the streets.
However, the person he was met with just so happened to be Gu Qingchi, and Gu Qingchi was the complete opposite of Xie Luyu. Gu Qingchi didn’t think it was anything to be embarrassed about at all. He was frank and forthright from beginning to end, and he didn’t think there was any problem with it.
Xie Luyu squatted in the corner. He was beginning to regret bringing up this topic.
⁂
Night soon fell. Xie Luyu was dressed very formally, having tidied up his entire person. He wasn’t even this particular when he attended award shows.
He first went to pick up Gu Qingchi.
In comparison to Xie Luyu, Gu Qingchi was dressed much more casually. He wore a t-shirt and a pair of cropped pants with lots of pockets. His hair was styled into soft wavy curls, and he was wearing a pair of sunglasses. He leaned back in the passenger seat, seeming a little fickle and frivolous as well as strange and unfamiliar.
Xie Luyu turned his head to the side when the other got into the car and looked him up and down.
“Have you picked up a new role?”
“Mn. I start filming this year during the holidays. It’ll take two years.”
Xie Luyu estimated the time.
“Is it a leading role? Not bad. Have you had someone look over the script? I want to check it out.”
Xie Luyu was a little worried that this role might entail too many negative emotions.
“Sure. It’s at my dorm. I’ll take you there when I have the chance.”
In the time it took them to have this conversation, they had already reached their destination.
The two of them unfastened their seat belts almost in unison. They then got out of the car and shut the car door. Once they got the gifts from the trunk, they walked into the house one after another. Neither of them spoke for the entire duration as there was no need for words.
Mr. Gu and Gu Xie were in the kitchen. Mrs. Gu was sitting in the living room. She stood as soon up as she saw them.
Xie Luyu held the gift he brought in one hand. He also bought a bouquet of flowers which he held in the other.
“Good evening, Auntie.”
Mrs. Gu first greeted Xie Luyu before calling out to Gu Qingchi. She then looked at the large bouquet of flowers in surprise.
“Oh, it’s a gift, and there are flowers too. Is this all for me? They’re beautiful. Thank you, Xiao Xie. I absolutely love gifts. I really like the flowers as well.”
Mrs. Gu took the flowers and put them away in a vase. She then went to look at the presents. Mr. Gu and Gu Xie’s presents were set to the side. She only looked at the present meant for herself. It was a season ticket to a certain high-end brand.
“The tickets you got me last time were already super nice. The other ladies kept asking me where they were from. I also like this brand quite a bit. I got a ton of good boy’s clothes from there.”
Seeing as how the other was still standing, Mrs. Gu waved her hand and ushered him to the sofa.
“Go sit with good boy. Make yourself at home. I believe dinner will be done soon. Good boy, go get some ice cream and share it with Xiao Xie. I’ll go see how the food’s coming along.”
Normally, Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Li did the cooking. Occasionally, Mr. Gu and Gu Xie would do the cooking if it wasn’t mealtime. Mr. Gu and Gu Xie were also in charge of these kinds of family gatherings. Mrs. Gu headed towards the kitchen after speaking.
Xie Luyu sat down next to Gu Qingchi. He lowered his voice to speak with Gu Qingchi.
“I feel like the atmosphere at your home is really nice.”
Gu Qingchi whispered back.
“I think so too. What ice cream flavor would you like?”
“Your mom is so gentle.”
“I think so too.”
Gu Qingchi followed up with another comment.
“Our mom.”
Xie Luyu’s eyes promptly curved into a smile. He said quietly, “I’m good at cooking. In the future, I’ll be able to help you dad and brother with the cooking.”
“Would you like some ice cream then?”
“I would.”
Xie Luyu had always walked with his head held high, no matter what it was he encountered. No one had ever offered him ice cream like this before.
⁂
Since that first visit, Xie Luyu became a lot more relaxed during subsequent visits. Gradually, he no longer needed to be invited. He would just tag along with Gu Qingchi. Much later, he wouldn’t even need to tag along with Gu Qingchi. He would just show up at the house whenever he felt like it. It was like going home for him.
He never missed family gatherings. Now, every time he joined them, he would unconsciously make his way for the kitchen with Mr. Gu and Gu Xie.
Gu Qingchi and his family had a very nice atmosphere to their home. It was the kind of family life that Xie Luyu had always dreamed of as a child.
Mrs. Gu was also starting to warm up to Xie Luyu. Mr. Gu and Gu Xie were both the taciturn type. It made them feel very very reliable, but, at the same time, it made them seem rather stuffy at times. Gu Qingchi was a little bit better. He would sweetly make conversation with her, so it wasn’t too bad. However, Mrs. Gu would sometimes be the only one talking out of all of them, making her kind of bored.
Xie Luyu, on the other hand, was entirely different. He was the kind of person that was really good at livening up the atmosphere. Having one of him was like having two of Gu Xie. Xie Luyu would instinctively throw the conversation to others. He would pull others in. Mr. Gu and Gu Xie would say a few more words if he was there. He was also very good at having fun. He knew of lots of party games, and their gatherings had even improved.
Mrs. Gu had added Xie Luyu into the family group chat on WeChat. The two of them would often chat on the phone. They talked about Gu Qingchi. They talked about fashion. They talked about what so-and-so did and gossip. Xie Luyu was well-informed about everything, and Mrs. Gu liked listening to others talk about things she didn’t understand.
Today was another weekend. There wasn’t anything in particular going on. They had scheduled to meet up with each other, just a simple barbecue in the garden. Mrs. Gu was very excited. She prepared the ingredients early in the morning and posted photos in the group chat, urging them to come home soon.
Mr. Gu and Gu Xie both replied that they were on their back.
Gu Qingchi was in class, and Xie Luyu was waiting outside to pick him up. Xie Luyu was in the car, on the phone with Mrs. Gu.
“Auntie, Xiao Gu and I have to go to the clinic this afternoon, so we might be late. His doctor asked us to come in today.”
Mrs. Gu asked worriedly.
“Aren’t his appointments supposed to be at regular intervals? Why does he suddenly have to go in now? Is something wrong with Xiao Gu? Isn’t it easy for his condition to relapse?”
“Not to worry. I heard the doctor say that his condition is pretty good, pretty stable. Xiao Gu’s not going to relapse. I think they might be changing his prescription. Hasn’t his old prescription been making him a little dizzy?”
He comforted Mrs. Gu. Gu Qingchi just so happened to walk out at this moment.
The clinic wasn’t too far away. The two of them arrived in a matter of minutes.
Xie Luyu was waiting outside the consultation room. He’d originally been sitting on a bench, but he hadn’t even stayed seated for more than a few minutes before standing back up and leaning against the door. He may have said all those things to Mrs. Gu. However, he was actually a little unsure. He was still stewing in his worries when the door beside him opened. Xie Luyu immediately straightened up.
“Well? What did the doctor say?”
Gu Qingchi looked at him and smiled.
“He said that I can stop taking medication.”
Xie Luyu couldn’t believe his ears. He turned his head and asked again.
“What?”
He’d just uttered the question when the words finally registered.
Gu Qingchi climbed out of that abyss.
Xie Luyu had watched him struggle, watched him break down, watched him injure and harm himself, watched him use up all his strength just to keep himself alive each day.
How many times had he broken into tears without warning? He would just sit there like a beautiful statue, already numb to the world.
However, Xie Luyu was most saddened by the fact that he could only watch. He couldn’t share in his pain in the slightest.
Now, Gu Qingchi finally freed himself of the shadow that was always with him.
Xie Luyu had a lot that he wanted to say. He wanted to shout out loud. He wanted to verbalize his joy. However, in the end, he didn’t do any of that. He simply stepped forward and held the other’s hand.
“Come on. Let’s go home and have some barbecue.”
Thank you for the chapter! This was sweet!
😭😭😭😭
😭😭😭 good boy is healed😭😭😭❤❤
Thank you for the chapter ❤
Awww I’m so happy for both of them! 😭💙
Chi Chi healed and can now live his life more freely. He deserves only happiness going forward.
Thank you for the update!
For all the people that is in the abyss right now, however deep or shallow you are in, I hope that all of you will be able to climb out just like Gu qingchi.
Thank you for the new chapter
Good job to our good boy 😭
Thank you for the update 😍
Yay, Gu Qingchi is recovering!! I hope he has a life full of happiness from now on! 💖
Im so glad… With his family and Luyu, Chichi was finally out of the abyss. He totally deserve to be happy.
Great job Chi Chi TTwTT So proud of you! And now they are one big family, it’s so nice to watch (read)~
Thank You for the new chapter (๑˙❥˙๑)
Ah. When my medication made me dizzy or had other negative side effects, my mom just forced me to endure it. Dunno how many times I nearly fell because of it. I’m glad Mrs. Gu isn’t like that.
Finally, our baby is free!!!! I really love the both of them and Gu family. The fans are so supportive too, even tho his agent and xiao ke haven’t appeared in those past chapters i just know they’re supportive of Chi chi too!!! ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
The way this novel is written is really weird… like characters are suddenly removed, time isn’t linear and characterization is often changed on a whim. But it’s still good, cause it’s apparent that the author doesn’t really wanna write a story, but moreso emotions and state of minds.
…i think
he’s healed!!! 😭😭😭 everyone is happy now! 💕
He did it :3
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)
Huhuhu I am so happy for them🤗😘