Chapter 3: Spring Light, Shifting Hearts

When He Ting entered the classroom, the preparatory bell had already rung.

Du An was sitting in his seat.

Seeing him stroll in at a leisurely pace, he urged anxiously, “My young master, can you hurry up? Quick, quick, quick! Hand over your homework!”

He Ting tossed his bag onto the desk, rummaged out his notebook, and threw it to him.

“When are you ever going to write your own homework properly?”

Du An grinned carefreely.

“Why would I, when I’ve got you? With you around, why should I bother?”

He said it so confidently that He Ting couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tch… Can you still copy during the college entrance exam?”

Du An replied while diligently copying, “Isn’t that still far away? Why think that far ahead?”

He Ting pressed his lips together, looking speechlessly at Du An bent over his work.

After a while, he said, “Hey, Du An, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?” Du An didn’t even lift his head.

“Well… I have a friend,” He Ting lowered his voice, “who wants to transfer to our school. Do you have any connections?”

“Huh? Our school isn’t easy to get into. Why don’t you just ask Gu Qiuhang to help you?” Du An asked, puzzled.

He Ting pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze.

Du An looked up at him.

“No way. After all the running around you do for him, he won’t even help with something this small?”

“No,” He Ting quickly explained.

“I haven’t told my young master about this.”

Meeting Du An’s look, as if he were staring at an idiot, He Ting grew annoyed.

“Hey, do you have any connections or not?”

“I do, I do.”

Du An replied good-naturedly.

“I’ll ask my dad and get back to you.”

He Ting shot him a glare, then smiled.

“Good boy. Then hurry up.”

Du An didn’t mind at all.

He leaned in, gossiping, “Hey, have you changed or something? Usually you can’t go three sentences without mentioning your young master, but now you won’t even tell him when something comes up?”

He Ting said seriously, “Yeah. I’m older now, I’ve changed.”

Du An snorted.

“Damn!”

****

After school at noon, Su Bei indeed took him out for seafood as promised.

But just as they arrived at the restaurant entrance, He Ting’s phone rang.

He paused, took it out, and upon seeing the number on the screen, pressed his lips together.

“Hello.”

Meng Ling’s voice came from the other end.

He Ting frowned slightly but softened his tone.

“Didn’t I say we’d talk after school this afternoon?”

Meng Ling’s voice carried a hint of grievance and ingratiation.

“Ge, I’m already at your school gate. Come out.”

He Ting lowered his gaze helplessly, unsure what to say.

A strand of willow fluff drifted down, landing on his hair.

Standing beside him, Su Bei naturally reached out, pinched it off, and gently blew it away.

Neither of them noticed how this small action had brought them unexpectedly close.

A car brushed past them and stopped ahead.

Su Bei instinctively drew He Ting closer inside.

Unseen, a pair of dark eyes inside the car watched them intently, deep and unreadable.

He Ting hung up and said apologetically, “Sorry, Senior. My brother came to see me. I have to go back first.”

Su Bei smiled.

“Tell him to come over. We can all eat together.”

But He Ting shook his head.

“Forget it. Next time. I’ll treat you then.”

Seeing how he had gone from energetic to listless after the call, Su Bei didn’t ask further.

He simply reached out and ruffled his hair comfortingly.

Then, putting on a mock aggrieved expression, he said, “Alright then, I’ll wait for you to treat me. But don’t you dare go back on your word.”

He Ting hadn’t expected this side of him.

His eyes curved, lips lifting slightly as he laughed, amused by Su Bei’s boyishness.

That genuine smile shone brightly in the sunlight.

Raising a brow, he said, “I won’t.”

Then added with a smile, “Thank you, Senior.”

That smile was so bright, fresh and clean, yet unfamiliar.

Inside the car, Gu Qiuhang stared blankly through the rearview mirror as the figure grew more distant, his expression gradually darkening.

It had only been half a year since he left the affiliated high school, yet He Ting and Su Bei had already grown this close.

The assistant beside him cautiously reminded, “President Gu, it’s time.”

Gu Qiuhang nodded.

“Let’s go.”

He stepped out of the car first.

Since he had afternoon classes, he had arranged the meeting at a hotel near the school for convenience.

He hadn’t expected to witness that scene.

Thinking of the boy’s radiant smile, a faint smile surfaced in his own eyes.

But realizing that smile was for someone else made his heart inexplicably restless.

Like a calm lake disturbed by a sudden pebble, ripples spread endlessly.

****

Meng Ling resembled He Ting by about seventy percent.

But he was slightly shorter and looked more delicate.

If He Ting was a clean and fresh handsome youth, then Meng Ling was refined and fragile, evoking pity.

‘Two completely different temperaments.’

He Ting made people want to get close, while Meng Ling made people want to protect him.

If He Ting didn’t know his nature, he might have felt the same.

Meng Ling was the type who easily aroused protective instincts, and he knew it well.

The two were now sitting in a small noodle shop.

He Ting ordered two bowls of noodles and a couple of side dishes.

Facing each other, the brothers felt awkward, neither knowing what to say, so they lowered their heads and ate in silence.

After a while, He Ting spoke.

“Is it that urgent? Even if I help, it’ll take time. Be patient for a few more days.”

Meng Ling bit his chopsticks and nodded softly.

After a pause, he hesitated.

“But brother… for the Gu family, isn’t this just a small matter? It’s already been over a month…”

He Ting looked at him and said plainly, “I’m not planning to ask the Gu family for help.”

“What?”

Meng Ling’s eyes widened in shock.

“Why? How could you handle it alone?”

He Ting smiled faintly.

“There’s always a way. I’ve already asked a classmate to help find a connection. Just wait a bit longer.”

Meng Ling bit his lip, looking aggrieved.

“Brother… do you not want to help me?”

He Ting frowned.

“Didn’t I make myself clear? I’m already trying.”

“But-”

Meng Ling couldn’t help but press, “I really don’t understand what you’re thinking. For the Gu family, it’s just a word. Why go the long way around? Can’t you just ask Gu Qiuhang? Or even Gu Donghang?”

He Ting looked at him coldly, waiting for him to continue.

Meng Ling finally spoke his true thoughts.

“I’m just afraid you don’t actually want to help me… that you’re just brushing me off.”

“If you don’t want to help, just say it. Dragging me along like this is meaningless.”

His voice grew softer, but each word struck like thunder in He Ting’s ears, chilling him to the core.

He lowered his lashes, staring at the half bowl of udon in front of him, silently listening.

Until Meng Ling added, “Ge, you grew up in the Gu family. Do you know how much I envy you? So many people want to connect with them.”

He Ting suddenly laughed.

He set down his chopsticks and looked at him with clear eyes.

“Is that so?”

Meng Ling felt a little guilty under his gaze but still said softly, “Of course.”

“So what?”

He Ting let out a cold laugh.

“Back then, I was abandoned by my parents and almost died, should I thank them?”

“I’ve endured humiliation in the Gu family all these years, should I be proud?”

“In your eyes, when I was useless, I deserved to be thrown away. Now that I’m useful, I should be picked back up?”

He sneered, his gaze sharp.

“Then what am I?”

Meng Ling panicked.

“No, brother, that’s not what I meant.”

He Ting shook his head and stood up.

“I said I would help you. Just wait quietly, understand?”

Meng Ling nodded repeatedly.

He Ting went to pay the bill and left.

He felt awful.

No one had ever considered his feelings, his struggles, how he had lived all these years.

But then again…

People who could abandon their own child, how could they care about others?

Perhaps selfishness ran in their blood.

But after only a few steps, Meng Ling caught up and grabbed his sleeve.

“Ge.”

He hesitated before saying, “Mom and Dad really want to see you.”

He Ting stopped.

Looking into his eyes, he said firmly, “From the moment they abandoned me, they were no longer my parents.”

“They no longer have me as a son.”

“I’ll say it one last time, I will not see them. Don’t bring it up again.”

Looking at Meng Ling’s pale face, he softened slightly.

“I’m helping you because this has nothing to do with you. You’re innocent.”

Meng Ling stared at him, confused.

His brother, who had seemed to waver before, now suddenly appeared resolute, almost cold and heartless.

‘It was… different.’

But that made things difficult.

Their parents had hoped to use this connection to get close to the Gu family.

When they learned their abandoned child had grown up in the Gu household, they were overjoyed.

If they could latch onto the Gu family, even scraps from their table would be enough for a feast.

But…

He Ting had already walked far away.

Meng Ling remained standing there.

There was one thing he hadn’t lied about.

He truly envied him.

Envied his life in the Gu family.

Envied his place at the affiliated school.

Meanwhile, He Ting was internally screaming at the system.

“System, is there a ‘365 Ways to Deal with Ungrateful People’ guide?”

The system replied, “…”

“An encyclopedia would work too.”

“After this world, you might be able to write one yourself.”

“…”

****

Du An was hunched over his desk, scribbling something.

He Ting leaned over and, to his surprise, saw him blush.

“Tch,” He Ting smirked.

“Writing a love letter?”

Du An quickly covered the paper.

“To Wang Yuanyuan from the next class?”

“Huh?!”

Du An looked shocked.

“How did you know?”

He Ting wrinkled his nose and laughed.

“Isn’t it obvious to everyone?”

Du An slammed his pen down, glaring at him.

“Hey,” He Ting nudged him with his elbow.

“I’ll deliver it for you.”

“Really?”

Du An lit up, slinging an arm over his shoulder.

“You’re a real bro.”

He Ting and Wang Yuanyuan were both English class representatives.

They interacted often.

“So, did you ask about the transfer?” He Ting asked casually while organizing his desk.

“Yeah,” Du An said, chewing his pen.

“But my dad’s abroad. He won’t be back until next month, so it’ll take time. Is it urgent?”

He Ting bit his lip.

“Yeah. Pretty urgent.”

Du An thought for a moment.

“There is another way. A senior handled some transfers last semester.”

Lowering his voice, he rubbed his fingers together in a money gesture.

“But it’s expensive.”

He Ting nodded.

“That’s fine. Help me contact him.”

Du An looked at him.

“Who is this friend of yours? Make sure you settle the price first.”

“What if the deal goes through but they back out?”

He Ting nodded.

“Don’t worry. Money’s not an issue.”

After Tang Wanli’s death, he had left He Ting a considerable inheritance.

Since he had no family, most of his earnings had been saved.

He Ting had entrusted it all to Gu Qiuhang and never used it.

Living in the Gu family, he lacked for nothing.

He also received a generous monthly allowance.

So money wasn’t a problem.

With Du An’s help, he felt reassured.

He only needed to urge him to move quickly.

****

Gu Qiuhang returned earlier than usual that day.

After dismissing Old Chen, he went to a nearby art shop to buy paints and supplies.

The sun was setting.

The spring breeze brushed gently across his face, soothing and intoxicating.

A painting lingered in his mind.

One he desperately wanted to capture on canvas.

He walked slowly, lips pressed slightly together.

The gates of the Gu residence came into view, but his steps slowed.

Because he saw another painting.

Quiet, beautiful, filled with tenderness…

And without realizing it, a faint smile appeared in his eyes, his expression softening.

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