Zhao Che’s peach-blossom eyes suddenly widened.
!!!
Gu Yu was actually wearing a T-shirt in the exact same style, just in a different color—a white shirt printed with a blue planet, identical to the one he was wearing. Out of all the clothes in the wardrobe, he just happened to pick this one; wasn’t this pure mind-meld?
Glimpsing the shirt on Zhao Che, Gu Yu was also taken aback for a moment. Going upstairs to change out of it now would seem too deliberate, so he simply ignored Zhao Che and walked straight toward the front door. Yet in the eyes of the person behind him, his pace looked rather deliberate too, stiff as a robot.
“Hey, wait for me!”
Leaving Fengjing Garden, the two walked along the street for a while before entering a restaurant. Calling it a restaurant, it felt more like a small bistro—after all, being right next to a villa complex, neither the environment nor the taste would disappoint.
They ordered three dishes and a soup, which were served before long. Taking advantage of a moment while Gu Yu was looking down at his phone, Zhao Che found a good angle and snapped a photo with a click.
In the photo, the two were wearing matching shirts, looking just like a couple outfit.
Although he had taken photos wearing matching clothes in his past life too, the meaning was different then. Back then, the group photo included Wang Xue and Zhao Guowei, crowded together in lively cheer, whereas this current photo had only him and Gu Yu.
Hearing the sound, Gu Yu looked over: “What are you doing?”
“Filing a report with Ms. Wang Xue,” he waved his phone without a trace of guilt. “Otherwise, her video call will come through in a minute.”
Gu Yu gave an “Mm” and looked back down. Just in time, he saw a message from “Che Ye” pop up in a group chat named How Can Studying Be as Sweet as Slacking Off? (Say No to Overwork). Tapping it open revealed a photo: Zhao Che showed only half his face, the lens capturing the dishes on the table and Gu Yu looking down at his phone. The angle was tricky, just managing to catch both of their matching T-shirts.
The group chat instantly flooded with a wall of “…”.
Gentle: …
I Like Zhouwei: …
Even Li Changlin, who hadn’t popped up in a while, emerged.
Sport: …
Gu Yu scrolled up through the chat history. The timestamp showed 18:30, roughly when they had just arrived back at Fengjing Garden.
Gentle: I uploaded the video to the group files. You guys study the general movements over the weekend.
I Like Zhouwei: Rest assured, Consort Rou, I will surely delve deep into it with utter devotion.
A few other classmates followed up with replies below, but when it came to Zhao Che, the tone completely shifted.
Che Ye: Sigh, such a trendy dance, and yet the handsomest guy in class can’t perform it. Side-eye laugh.jpg
Gentle: It’s fine, we still have Brother Yu. Fan-girl.jpg
I Like Zhouwei: Exactly! But our Brother Yu belongs to the cool and distant handsome type—what will he look like dancing a square dance? Looking forward to it.jpg
Gentle:Who cares what he looks like? As long as my male god is handsome, that’s all that matters!
I Like Zhouwei: Holy crap, Rourou, when did Brother Yu become your male god? Weren’t you saying two days ago that senior from Grade 12 was your male god?
Gentle: This morning! Even though he rejected my humble self, my humble self will wait for him. Wiping tears.jpg
Che Ye: Rest assured, your General Yu won’t look back.
I Like Zhouwei: Brother Che, isn’t it just because our Rourou turned down your attempt to win her over? Keeping such a petty grudge!
Che Ye: I am not. Say no more, I’m off to eat with your General Yu. Smug.jpg
Gentle: …
I Like Zhouwei: …
Before Gu Yu could finish reading, he heard Zhao Che calling him: “Gu Yu, eat quickly, or it’ll get cold from the air conditioner.”
He responded. By the time he exited the app, he noticed the photo had already been recalled.
Five minutes into eating, Zhao Che, acting attentive, served a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Gu Yu, saying with a grin: “Gu Yu, drink some soup.”
Gu Yu replied coldly: “Thanks.”
Zhao Che pointed at the dish of A-choy: “Gu Yu, eat some greens.”
Without even lifting his head: “Mm.”
“Gu Yu, eat some meat.”
“Mm.”
“Gu Yu, eat some rice.”
“…”
What kind of sudden madness is this?
After several back-and-forth rounds like this, the atmosphere held an indescribably weird vibe. Unable to take it any longer, Gu Yu furrowed his brows and asked: “What exactly do you want?”
The air went still for a full ten seconds before Zhao Che spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a touch of awkwardness: “Regarding what happened this afternoon… I purely didn’t mean to.”
Gu Yu: “…”
It was already in the past, why bring it up again? I see you purely don’t want a peace of mind.
The scene fell silent once more.
Huh? Why isn’t Gu Yu talking? He had fought a full ten-second mental battle before speaking up, you know!
Zhao Che tested the waters: “Gu Yu?”
The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly spotted Gu Yu’s other hand resting on the table curl up, his gaze sharp as blades.
Holy shit? Gu Yu wouldn’t want to beat him up, right?
In the end, he heard the person across from him squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth with restrained annoyance: “Shut up and eat.”
“Alrighty.” Zhao Che picked up a piece of braised pork, then recklessly asked again: “Then are you still mad, Student Gu Yu?”
Gu Yu was pushed past his limit where endurance was no longer an option, blurting out a curse directly: “Are you a dumbass? I’m not mad, do you get it?”
“Got it, got it!” Zhao Che picked up the teapot to pour a cup of water, pushing it over to Gu Yu’s side. “Um… why don’t you cool down your temper first?”
Gu Yu: “…”
How can someone be such a dumbass.
After dinner, the two walked back along the cobblestone path. Without the daytime mugginess, the night felt exceptionally serene. A few scattered stars dotted the vast sky, and as they passed a residential yard, a faint fragrance of jasmine drifted over.
Kicking a loose cobblestone on the ground, Zhao Che asked casually: “About what happened on the playground that day—why did Sun Hao suddenly apologize to me?”
Gu Yu paused in his tracks, saying offhandedly: “I saw him do it on purpose.”
“So you confronted him?”
“Mm.”
Hearing Gu Yu admit it confirmed his suspicion.
That day, when he had rushed out of the infirmary in a hurry, he happened to bump into Sun Hao on the path near Boxue Grove, limping while clutching his shoulder. Hearing the guy apologize, Zhao Che had actually known all along that his injury was intentional on Sun Hao’s part. He also remembered Sun Hao’s verbal insults toward Gu Yu and had planned to find a chance to teach him a lesson together, not expecting Gu Yu to beat him to it. In the end, only after making Sun Hao go back and apologize for his stupid remarks did the matter come to an end.
Thinking of this, Zhao Che let out a low chuckle: “Thank you.”
“Mm.”
“Why do you always say ‘Mm’?”
“Got a problem?”
Zhao Che pondered for a moment, talking to himself: “Fair enough.”
From childhood to adulthood, Gu Yu’s face always seemed covered in a layer of frost, his emotions constantly hidden away tight, revealing themselves only on rare occasions. When it came to questions about liking or disliking something, he would always answer with vague words like “Anything’s fine,” “Mm,” or “Same.”
Yet who knew that beneath that distant layer of indifference, a delicate and fiery heart had always been hidden? In corners where no one watched, it beat vividly and powerfully, holding a warmth that others couldn’t read.
In an instant, a sharp wave of bitterness surged in Zhao Che’s heart—indescribable and untraceable, yet spreading along his blood vessels little by little, seeping into his chest and organs, making even his breathing carry a tight, dull ache.
At this moment, he almost couldn’t suppress the urge. He simply wanted to recklessly grab Gu Yu and directly ask him: “Can you stay in Nancheng in the future?”
Yet a evening breeze happened to blow past, the maple leaves rustling shaa-shaa, and together with that sudden impulse, it was blown away by the wind.
Gazing at the leaves falling on the ground, his mind gradually settled. It didn’t matter. Since Heaven gave him a chance to start over, those regrets had a chance to be rewritten. As for Gu Yu leaving back then without a single word, there would be plenty of ways to figure out the reason.
At this thought, Zhao Che’s trace of sorrow vanished without a trace. The corners of his eyes curved as he tilted his head, asking Gu Yu seriously: “Have you thought about which university you want to go to in the future?”
Gu Yu replied in his usual cool yet crystal-clear voice: “Nancheng University isn’t bad.”
Hearing these words, Zhao Che’s heart suddenly missed a beat, his throat turning inexplicably tight. Forcing down that flutter, his eyes shone as bright as fallen stars, yet carrying an unhideable nervousness as he softened his voice with utmost care: “Then let’s go to Nancheng University together, alright?”
He still asked for the promise he wanted most.
Gu Yu paused, kicking away a cobblestone by his feet. After taking two more steps, he spoke without much emotion: “Mm, we’ll see.”
“‘We’ll see’?” Hearing those two words, a flash of disappointment swept through Zhao Che’s heart, but turning it over in his mind, at least this was a step forward, wasn’t it?
There was still a whole year before the college entrance exam; everything was still in time.
Just then, Gu Yu, who had already walked several meters ahead, suddenly turned his head, his voice ringing out coldly: “What are you dazed for? Let’s go.”
Zhao Che snapped back to his senses, a smile rippling across his face as he answered: “Coming!”
After taking a shower, Zhao Che lay on his bed feeling truly bored, so he played a few rounds of Fight the Landlord. Unexpectedly, he lost ten rounds in a row, unable to hold back a direct “Fuck.”
In his past life, he was a CEO worth over a hundred million, commanding wind and rain in the business world with absolute authority, yet today he was getting played to total bankruptcy by such a tiny game, almost losing his underpants.
Truly unwilling to accept this!!
Just then, a system prompt popped up showing he could claim 10,000 coins just by sharing. Without a second thought, he tapped share. He originally intended to send it to Zhou Wei, but with a slip of his thumb, he sent it to Gu Yu instead.
Che Ye: Shared a Fight the Landlord link: Blew up again! Need someone to carry me~
Zhao Che: “…Fuck. How the hell does it include text?”
Just as he was about to recall it, a message already popped up from the other side.
GY: ?
Zhao Che typed awkwardly: “Sent by mistake…” Hesitating for two seconds, he added, “Do you play?”
The chat box showed “The other party is typing…”, stopped, then showed again, repeating back and forth several times.
Finally.
GY: Sure.
Holy shit? Gu Yu is actually going to play Fight the Landlord with him? A mistake turned out to be a win again!
Che Ye: Come come come! I’ll invite you.
Che Ye: Game Link
Che Ye: Just waiting for you.jpg
Before long, Gu Yu joined the lobby. His avatar and nickname were no different from his WeChat ones, recognizable at a single glance.
Zhao Che selected a 2v2 game mode. He and Gu Yu were on the same team, randomly matched against two opponents. After two decks of cards were dealt, almost everyone had several bomb hands. But he didn’t know what was up with his luck tonight—his hands were consistently awful. The highest card he held was merely a King, and even his bombs didn’t exceed 10s.
Zhao Che tapped one of the built-in voice lines, and an authentic Dongbei accent rang out: This hand is utterly trashed, no way to play this!
He also sent Gu Yu ten flowers along the way.