Chapter 7: Going Out

When Gu Chuanzhou arrived, Yu Xi was in the small study of the Pei villa, accompanying Pei Wang while he did his homework.

Pei Lexin had tentatively suggested the idea during breakfast, hoping to ease the tension between the two. Yu Xi immediately understood her intention and nodded in agreement.

As for Pei Wang’s opinion, Pei Lexin didn’t particularly care.

What she did care about was whether Yu Xi would be mistreated. “If that boy dares to bully you or give you attitude again, don’t indulge him,” she whispered to Yu Xi. “Find me, Auntie Wan, or the butler. Don’t keep it bottled up. If you’re upset and don’t speak up, it’s bad for both of you, and it’ll make me feel terrible. Understand?”

After her quiet warning to Yu Xi, she turned and gave Pei Wang a stern lecture. “Stop looking at everyone down your nose. Our Xiao Xi was the top science student in his entire province. It’s your good fortune to have him tutor you. You better behave yourself and don’t cause trouble.”

Hearing this, the defiance on Pei Wang’s face shifted into surprise. He glanced at Yu Xi several times, eyes wide with disbelief.

He knew getting into Capital University required immense talent, but he hadn’t expected Yu Xi to be that high-achieving.

Shock aside, he still wasn’t willing to cooperate.

Once in the study, he ignored Yu Xi’s presence entirely and buried his head in his summer assignments.

Yu Xi didn’t push him. He sat quietly to the side for a while, and out of boredom, began to observe the room.

The Pei villa had a study on every floor; the small one on the second floor was reserved for Pei Wang, so the shelves were filled with his personal belongings.

There were many books—not just textbooks and workbooks, but a variety of extracurricular reading: literature, miscellanies, novels… there was even an entire glass display case filled with complete manga sets and cool Gunpla models. Yu Xi, who had rarely encountered such things, could tell they were quite valuable. Besides the books, there were two trophies from football matches on the cabinet, and the walls were adorned with Pei Wang’s certificates, award photos, and family portraits from childhood to the present.

Looking at this small world, one could sense how happy and fortunate the owner’s upbringing had been. The absence of a father seemed to have had no negative impact on Pei Wang; the love of his family was more than enough to support his pride and confidence.

That’s nice.

… “Hey, if you don’t want to be here, don’t stay.”

Pei Wang’s voice pulled Yu Xi’s attention back. He blinked and shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”

Pei Wang clicked his tongue, threw down his pen, and scratched his neck. “Why do you listen to her so much? She’s already gone to the office. She won’t know if you tutored me or not. Why sit here and suffer?”

Yu Xi fidgeted with his hands. “I wanted to come and help you myself.”

Pei Wang snorted. “Stop pretending. Don’t tell me you don’t hate me?”

“…” Yu Xi kept his head lowered, looking as soft and easily bullied as ever. His voice was small, but his words caught Pei Wang off guard. “I… do dislike you a little. But not a lot.”

Pei Wang was stunned for a long moment before letting out a stifled laugh—it wasn’t clear if he was angry or just speechless. “I thought you were going to lie through your teeth and say you didn’t.”

“Because you’re very mean to me,” Yu Xi bit his lip. “I can feel that you don’t like me.” Yu Xi had a good temper and was very patient, but that didn’t mean he was a pushover who accepted everything, good or bad, without feeling.

He understood why Pei Wang targeted him and wanted to maintain a harmonious relationship, but… perhaps Pei Lexin’s words before leaving had given him a bit of courage. He felt better after saying it out loud, though he immediately felt a bit apprehensive, fearing Pei Wang might explode.

To his surprise, Pei Wang only gave a lukewarm evaluation: “Oh. So you’re not completely stupid.”

Yu Xi let out a quiet sigh of relief and pushed a bit further: “I’m actually very smart. Do you want me to help you with these problems?”

Pei Wang gave him a disdainful look. “No need. I can do them myself.”

“…Okay.”

The slightly warmed atmosphere turned cold again.

Yu Xi couldn’t help, and he didn’t want to disturb Pei Wang’s concentration, so he sat perfectly still, eyes lowered, daydreaming in silence.

He was very patient; he could sit motionless for over an hour.

When Pei Wang finished a subject and stood up to stretch, he was startled to find someone still sitting across from him. He jumped slightly.

Yu Xi tilted his head. “?”

Pei Wang rubbed his face. “Wait, why are you still here?” Because Yu Xi was so quiet, Pei Wang—who was the type to get deeply immersed in his work—hadn’t noticed him at all. He assumed Yu Xi had left long ago.

“I was afraid you might run into something you didn’t know, so I wanted to stay with you,” Yu Xi said.

“Oh…” Pei Wang glanced hesitantly at several blank questions on his paper. Just as he was debating whether to ask for help, Yu Xi suddenly stood up.

“It’s almost ten. I promised Chuanzhou-ge I’d meet him. He should be arriving soon.” After explaining, Yu Xi quickly left the study.

Left behind, Pei Wang scowled at the clock. There were still twenty minutes left. Is he really that impatient to see him??

… Yu Xi grabbed his things for the outing and called out as he headed downstairs: “Auntie Wan—”

Auntie Wan answered from the living room. When he followed the sound, he found an extra person on the sofa—Gu Chuanzhou, exactly as promised.

The man held a teacup, his posture relaxed yet elegant. His deep eyes lit up with a smile the moment he saw Yu Xi. “Xi Xi.”

After a brief moment of surprise, Yu Xi strode forward. “Chuanzhou-ge, when did you get here?”

Auntie Wan answered for him. “He’s been here a while. I was going to go upstairs to call you, but Master Gu wouldn’t let me. He said he didn’t want to disturb you and has been sitting here waiting for quite some time.”

“Ah.” Yu Xi’s eyes filled with apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Gu Chuanzhou shook his head. “I came early on my own. I couldn’t sit still at home once I thought about our meeting. I was a bit impatient.”

Hearing this, the apology in Yu Xi’s heart was replaced by an overflowing sense of joy.

It’s so good. I can go out and play with a good friend again.

The two stepped out. Sitting in Gu Chuanzhou’s car, Yu Xi looked around curiously before his gaze settled on Gu Chuanzhou.

The man was wearing a casual, loose-fitting blue striped shirt today. The color was refreshing and much more approachable than yesterday’s formal custom suit, softening the sharp coldness of his features. His large hands gripped the steering wheel, driving with practiced ease, radiating the aura of a mature man.

Even though this was their second meeting, Yu Xi still wasn’t quite used to the grown-up Gu Chuanzhou. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but he found himself staring.

Suddenly, a few containers were held out to him.

Gu Chuanzhou: “There are snacks here. Want to try some?”

They were various sweet and sour preserved fruits and candies. They were unopened, with foreign text on the packaging—clearly imported.

Yu Xi opened one and tried it, his eyes sparkling as he told Gu Chuanzhou, “Everything tastes so good!”

Gu Chuanzhou nodded. “Then Xi Xi can snack on those to pass the time. The drive won’t be long.”

“Do you want some?” Sharing good things was a trait deeply ingrained in Yu Xi’s upbringing. After asking, he realized it might be inconvenient since the other was driving.

Luckily, Gu Chuanzhou offered a perfect solution: “Could Xi Xi feed me?”

Since it was just a small favor, Yu Xi had no reason to refuse. He picked up a sour plum and held it out. Gu Chuanzhou turned his face slightly and opened his mouth to take it.

Perhaps because the plum was small and Gu Chuanzhou had to focus on the road, his lips accidentally brushed against Yu Xi’s finger.

For a brief second, his cool, thin lips enveloped the pink-tinged fingertip. Gu Chuanzhou straightened his head as if nothing had happened, naturally thanking Yu Xi.

Yu Xi stared blankly at his finger. “…You’re welcome.”

It was just a small thing. The road conditions were good, and with the snacks and steady driving, Yu Xi didn’t feel carsick at all. He listened to the soothing music, occasionally feeding Gu Chuanzhou a bite.

The drive lasted only about ten minutes before they stopped. Yu Xi looked around; there was a subway entrance nearby, surrounded by residential areas. He asked curiously, “Where are we going?”

Gu Chuanzhou placed a pale yellow bucket hat on Yu Xi’s head and said, “We’re taking the subway.”

Yu Xi: “??”

Gu Chuanzhou straightened the hat for him. “The mall we’re going to is a bit far. There’s traffic up ahead—it would take at least forty minutes by car. You’ll be more comfortable on the subway.”

“Oh…” So that’s why.

Yu Xi realized now that all of Gu Chuanzhou’s careful preparations were meant to prevent him from getting carsick or uncomfortable.

“Let’s go. There aren’t many people on Line 3 at this station. We don’t have to worry about finding seats.” Gu Chuanzhou took the dazed Yu Xi by the wrist and led him toward the escalator.

Having spent his life moving between remote towns with his parents, Yu Xi rarely had the chance to take the subway. The number of times he had ridden one in his life could be counted on one hand, let alone the subway in a major city center. Without Gu Chuanzhou to lead him, he would have spent a long time figuring out how to enter the station.

“Sit here.” Gu Chuanzhou chose the last carriage, where it was quiet and empty.

The subway ran smoothly with very little shaking, and unlike other vehicles, it didn’t have that heavy leather smell. Yu Xi felt no discomfort at all.

“Are you dizzy?” Gu Chuanzhou asked.

Yu Xi shook his head. “Not at all.” He stretched out his legs, lightly tapping his toes together—a sign of his good mood. “You still remember that I get carsick.”

A faint smile touched Gu Chuanzhou’s lips. “When we were kids and everyone went on a trip to the mountains, you were so carsick but you kept enduring it. Your face went white, but you didn’t say a word. Everyone was so worried they were crying, begging the adults to call an ambulance and send you to the hospital.”

Yu Xi was reminded of an embarrassing memory. That trip was supposed to be fun for everyone, but it was cancelled halfway because of him, causing quite a stir.

“How do you still remember that so clearly…”

Gu Chuanzhou said softly, “Has Xi Xi forgotten? The year your mother took you away, you held my hand and cried, telling me not to forget you. So, I remember everything about you very clearly.”

Yu Xi was surprised, and a little sheepish.

Back then, he had been very insecure about his friendship with Gu Chuanzhou.

As a child, Gu Chuanzhou was far more mature than the others. He was smarter and excelled in everything he learned. While the other kids played, Gu Chuanzhou was often kept in the study by his family to learn things Yu Xi didn’t understand. On the rare occasions they were together, Gu Chuanzhou never joined their games; he would sit by himself doing Sudoku, learning programming, or reading thick, difficult books…

At twelve, the calm and composure in Gu Chuanzhou’s eyes seemed untouchable by anyone or anything.

At first, Yu Xi was curious about this unique older brother and wanted to pull him into their games, but the other friends stopped him.

“He’s not like us. He doesn’t like hide-and-seek or building blocks. He says those games are childish.”

Despite being a loner, no child dared to ignore him. Whether the issue was big or small, they liked letting Gu Chuanzhou make the decisions. Whenever he spoke, all the children would stop what they were doing and listen intently. If any kids fought, the problem was solved the moment he stepped in. In the eyes of the children, Gu Chuanzhou’s words were more effective than those of the adults.

The more he learned, the more the young Yu Xi admired Gu Chuanzhou. In his eyes, Gu Chuanzhou was like the sun—distant and brilliant.

Later… after many events, his relationship with Gu Chuanzhou grew closer, and they shared many little secrets.

But that closeness still left him feeling insecure. He was always afraid that the fast-progressing Gu Chuanzhou would leave him behind, walking so far away that he wouldn’t recognize him as a friend anymore.

The mere thought of it would make him cry. He ignored the comfort of the other children, and before leaving, he clung tightly to Gu Chuanzhou’s hand, rubbing his soft face against him and getting tears and snot everywhere.

He pleaded with Gu Chuanzhou: “Brother, please don’t forget Xi Xi, okay?” “Xi Xi has no choice. Xi Xi has to go home with Mommy, to a place far, far away for school…” “When summer comes, Xi Xi will take a car and come find Brother again. We’ll still be best friends then, right?”

… The scenes from the past replayed in Yu Xi’s mind.

He remembered them, too.

Crying so hard, clinging to someone and talking nonsense… thinking about it now made him quite embarrassed.

A faint blush began to spread across Yu Xi’s ears.

But he couldn’t be blamed. Because the young Gu Chuanzhou was so cold and different, he always gave off a sense of distance, which was why Yu Xi had been so afraid.

It was the same now. Gu Chuanzhou was still outstanding and extraordinary—impossibly talented. The gap between them wasn’t just about ability; the status difference was an even greater hurdle.

If Gu Chuanzhou hadn’t taken the initiative, they might never have crossed paths again.

“I’m not really much of anything…” Yu Xi murmured to himself.

His voice was too low. Gu Chuanzhou leaned in and asked, “What was that?”

Yu Xi looked up. “I was too young back then, so I didn’t know how to speak properly. Don’t feel burdened by what I said.”

“How could it be a burden?” Gu Chuanzhou gently grasped Yu Xi’s wrist, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the delicate bone. “Xi Xi, you have never been that. Don’t belittle yourself.”

Hearing this, Yu Xi’s heart lightened considerably. He tapped his toes together again and changed the subject: “What about the others? Are they doing well now?”

The smile on Gu Chuanzhou’s face froze slightly. “The others?”

“You know,” Yu Xi bit his lower lip. “Xingkuo and the rest.”

Gu Chuanzhou’s tone was flat as he gave a concise answer: “They’re doing alright.”

“I see… that’s good.” Yu Xi scratched his cheek. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t help but ask, “I heard a little about them from someone else yesterday. They said Shuhuai-ge is abroad and Xingkuo is in a competition. What are they doing exactly? Can you tell me?” He was genuinely curious, his eyes searching Gu Chuanzhou’s for an answer.

Gu Chuanzhou obliged: “Concert performances and car racing.”

Yu Xi let out a small “Wow.” “That’s amazing.”

He wanted to ask for more details, but Gu Chuanzhou spoke again: “I don’t know the rest.”

His voice was slightly cold, devoid of emotion. “They rarely contact me. We aren’t particularly close.” “Sorry, I can’t give you specifics… Can we stop talking about them?”

“…”

Yu Xi was speechless for a moment. He reached out and squeezed Gu Chuanzhou’s hand as the other man lowered his eyes. “It’s okay, Chuanzhou-ge. It’s not your fault.”

He didn’t have the heart to ask further.

Looking at Gu Chuanzhou’s expression, there must be some unspeakable difficulty.

Perhaps something had happened between Gu Chuanzhou and them, or perhaps time had simply pulled them apart, causing them to drift further and further away. It was cruel, but it was perfectly normal.