While Lu Chenyu and Wen Xuqian, the two top economics students, were studying seriously, the campus forum was already about to erupt.
[Extra! Extra! The Real Young Master and the Fake Young Master suspected of being in a relationship! Is their relationship really not as awkward as the rumors suggested?]
[Ladies, look at what I captured! Holding hands! Have they started dating?]
[The delicate Fake Young Master looks so cute about to cry, his lips are red, how did I never notice before? I want to touch, I want to kiss!]
“Hey, hey, hey, students, can we play less with our phones during class? At least look at me once!” The professor on the podium couldn’t take it anymore. More than half the class had their heads down, staring at something on their phones.
Some shy students hurriedly put their phones away, but a few brazen ones, practically immortal in their shamelessness, ignored the professor entirely.
Wu Ze was one of them.
He tapped the back of Wen Xuqian’s seat. “Brother Xu, guess what I saw? The thing from earlier is already on the forum. Honestly, this Fake Young Master is pretty adorable. How did I not notice before?”
Wen Xuqian had no intention of responding, but the words “Fake Young Master” triggered a spark of curiosity. Even Lu Chenyu, beside him, became momentarily distracted from the lesson.
Wen Xuqian took his phone from his pocket and opened the campus forum. After a brief look… he frowned and shut it down. “So boring. Whoever posted this, delete it.”
Wu Ze didn’t understand why Wen Xuqian reacted so strongly but instinctively obeyed. “Ah? Oh, okay, I’ll get someone to check right now.”
Was such a reaction necessary? Lu Chenyu snickered inwardly.
Then he also pulled out his phone. When his eyes landed on the entertainment-style posts, he wasn’t angry; instead, a perverse sense of twisted amusement surged through him.
Dating…
Kisses… touches…
It was as if he had discovered a whole new world. He read every post speculating about him and Gu Cha, without skipping a single one.
Play with Gu Cha… then, when he got attached, discard him…
This seemed far more entertaining than simply bullying Gu Cha…
Besides, Gu Cha liked him already, so he was giving himself a perfect opportunity.
…
Gu Cha felt something strange. He usually went home alone, but today Lu Chenyu was waiting at the stairwell.
Lu Chenyu even extended his hand proactively. “Weren’t you going to hold hands? Here.”
Several “Huh?” popped into Gu Cha’s mind. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly extended his hand. “Mm… let’s hold hands.”
[Luck value +1, current total luck value: 10]
Gu Cha waited quietly. No machine voice sounded in his mind this time. His little face scrunched up, and he sighed as if overwhelmed by worry.
Lu Chenyu inwardly laughed at the sigh. The young master’s entire demeanor was not one that normally worried—this resigned sigh was completely out of character.
Tong Tong, just recovering consciousness, opened its eyes and immediately saw their hands intertwined. It was ecstatic, but when it heard the machine’s voice, only a single luck point had increased.
Tong Tong felt a little disappointed but quickly realized it couldn’t waste this opportunity. It shouted eagerly:
[Cha Cha, hug! Hug the male lead!]
Gu Cha froze, thinking in his mind: “Tong Tong?”
[Yes, it’s Tong Tong. Cha Cha, hug the male lead!]
Gu Cha looked at Lu Chenyu, their eyes meeting.
He quickly lowered his head, awkwardly swinging his feet side to side, and finally spoke, “A hug… okay?”
Lu Chenyu raised an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly the young master acted—just as he hoped. “Sure.”
He pulled the blushing Gu Cha into his arms. Gu Cha’s height allowed Lu Chenyu to rest his chin atop Gu Cha’s soft hair, and his nose caught a whiff of a gentle, pleasant scent.
[Luck value +5, current total luck value: 15]
[Ahhh! +5! Cha Cha is amazing!]
Tong Tong screamed in excitement.
Gu Cha laughed too, though his face was pressed against Lu Chenyu’s chest. Lu Chenyu heard a clear, bell-like laughter, followed by the vibrations in his chest.
He looked down and saw Gu Cha’s bright, toothy smile, momentarily stunned.
So happy just being with him? Even a hug could make him this cheerful.
Noticing the luck value had stopped increasing, Gu Cha hurriedly let go. “Thank you.” He joyfully thanked Lu Chenyu, this “truly good person.”
He was practically brimming with excitement he couldn’t contain.
Seeing that Gu Cha genuinely liked him, Lu Chenyu straightforwardly asked, tilting his head slightly with a smile he hadn’t noticed in himself: “Young Master Gu, want to… date?”
Gu Cha blinked in confusion. “Date… date what?”
“Date. If we date… you can hug me every day, and we can do more intimate things… so, what do you say?”
In the eighteen years Gu Cha had spent in the dilapidated temple, he had never had a concept of romance. His mind only filled with “hugs every day” and “more intimate things.”
That was… intimate contact!
“Yes! Yes! Let’s date!” Gu Cha readily agreed.
Plan accomplished.
Lu Chenyu smirked.
…
When they returned home, even Lu Chenyu hadn’t expected to see the two people who had “raised” him for eighteen years so quickly.
Lu Xuan and Ming Nan seemed to have already been causing a scene at the Gu Family. Lu Chenyu and Gu Cha had unfortunately missed the infamous moment when they spat at the Gu Family gate. By the time they arrived, the pair had moved on to lying on the ground, crying loudly, while the Gu Family bodyguards were trying to drive them off.
“You heartless bastards! Ungrateful! We raised that little brat for years, and in the end, you won’t even give us a penny! Waaah—this is outrageous!”
“Where’s Gu Cha?! Our own son! What kind of big family are you Gu Family people, abducting someone else’s child? You aren’t even dogs!”
“I don’t care! I don’t care! You Gu Family have to give us an explanation!”
Lu Chenyu crossed his arms, watching the so-called parents throwing tantrums on the ground with a cold expression, showing no intention of intervening.
He had grown to this point entirely independent of these gambling-addicted parents.
Apparently, they were trying to extract money again. Lu Chenyu immediately saw through their intentions.
They had tried many times before to sell him off to settle debts.
His gaze shifted to Gu Cha, eyes wide and full of curiosity. The boy probably didn’t even realize how bad things were now.
Simply pitifully foolish.