Chapter 35: Pink Progress and a 3000m Shock
The system immediately shared this piece of good news with Gu Tang.
[Host, host, the pink progress bar is going up!]
[The words on the bar are still blurry, but Senior said that as long as the numbers keep rising, there should not be any problem with the plot!]
Gu Tang was also happy to hear that the plot could continue, but he still felt like something was off…
He lowered his head and glanced at young master Gu, who was still lying in bed.
The sickly beautiful boy pressed his slightly pale lips together at him. Although he looked away, he did not chase Gu Tang off, nor did he show the slightest sign of hating him. He even stretched one hand out from under the blanket and held onto Gu Tang’s wrist.
Even if he did not say it out loud, his actions clearly showed that he did not want Gu Tang to leave.
So young master Gu did not actually hate him at all, right?
Gu Tang could not figure out how that strange dislike-value progress bar had gone up. He suspected there was some kind of bug again.
The system was curious too.
[Host, what exactly did you just do?]
Gu Tang looked very innocent. “I didn’t really do anything…”
He had only brought some snacks, taken his temperature, cracked a few jokes, and pinched him a couple of times…
The system did not mind.
It had long gotten used to it.
Its host always said he had not done anything, and then silently completed the mission anyway.
Wuwuwu, it truly was the luckiest system in the world!
Its very first job had brought it a kind, gentle senior to guide it, and then such an efficient and adorable host!
[Who cares? As long as the value is going up! Host, you’re amazing!]
Gu Tang thought for a moment, then hesitated. “Maybe it’s because I pinched him.”
[Huh?]
Gu Tang said awkwardly, “I praised him for being firm and pinched his arm, so the dislike value went up…”
Why would being praised increase the dislike value?
The male lead was so strange…
Still, the system had long given up trying to understand the male lead’s ocean-deep, needle-thin heart, and just waited for the host to explain.
The more Gu Tang thought about it, the more convinced he became. “Because Niannian is a little tsundere.”
With young master Gu’s tsundere personality, if someone praised him so directly, he would definitely feel awkward.
And Gu Tang had even gone ahead and pinched him all over while he was sick. No wonder it had felt like young master Gu got a little uncomfortable earlier. The dislike value must have started rising right then!
[So that’s it. Then Host, hurry up and praise him more, and pinch him more, and let him send you some points!]
That was exactly what Gu Tang had been thinking.
Using praise to build mission progress was the best method. It would not hurt little Gu Qinian at all.
So Gu Tang held onto Gu Qinian’s arm, pinching it as he shyly said, “It’s really great that you exercise so much. When you get sick, you recover faster, and the muscle lines you’ve worked out look really nice too. I love drawing Niannian when he’s being active.”
Sure enough, the moment he finished speaking, the system discovered that the pink progress bar jumped up a tiny bit more.
[!!!]
[It really is! Host, keep going!]
Gu Tang said, “Okay!”
One rainbow compliment after another spilled out of Gu Tang’s mouth, praising young master Gu until the tips of his ears turned red.
After a while—
Gu Qinian pulled the blanket over himself and muttered from underneath it:
“I know.”
At the time, Gu Tang had no idea that because of those careless rainbow compliments of his, young master Gu would enter a demonic training mode.
Martial arts in the early morning, basketball during breaks, swimming at home on weekends, and aristocratic sports like horseback riding, tennis, and golf—not a single one was left out. He practically forced himself into becoming an all-around prodigy.
From time to time, the system would sigh.
[Host, in a pretty alternative sort of way, you really are pushing the male lead to rise and succeed…]
Love lasted longer than hate.
People really did grow more easily through encouragement and praise.
By the second year of middle school, young master Gu had even represented Jiang City No. 1 High School in the provincial youth swimming competition and won third place.
Although it was only third place, the award carried enormous weight.
Because first and second place had both gone to provincial team members, and both were high school students. In fact, among the top ten, young master Gu was the only true new face, a complete amateur.
The provincial team coach took one look at him and immediately rushed over, trying to persuade Gu Qinian to join the team, but young master Gu politely refused.
The coach could not understand it, nor was he willing to give up.
Who would reject an olive branch from the provincial team?
Joining the provincial team meant full room and board, and if you achieved good results, you could even get bonus points on the college entrance exam!
The coach just assumed it was youthful arrogance and specifically came to the school to persuade Gu Qinian, right up until he got hold of young master Gu’s profile.
The coach was dumbfounded on the spot.
The provincial team’s biggest sponsor at the moment came from the Gu Corporation.
How could mere room and board possibly attract young master Gu?
And as for bonus points on the college entrance exam…
Sorry.
At Jiang City No. 1 High School, whenever there was an exam, Gu Qinian was the Great Demon King. His strength crushed everyone else, and he had never ranked second.
Compared to making the Gu family’s little genius come swim, it was far more realistic to let him grow up properly into the heir of the Gu family and continue sponsoring the swim team in the future.
The coach bent under the weight of future funding and could only sigh “what a pity” before finally giving up on recruiting young master Gu.
From then on, Gu Qinian’s swimming ability became famous throughout Jiang City No. 1 High School.
But no one could have guessed—
that the willful young master Gu would turn around and switch sports again.
Though in truth, the willful one was not Gu Qinian.
It all began one day when Gu Tang was leaning against the edge of the pool with a sketchbook in hand. He let out a huge yawn and muttered lazily, “I want to draw something else…”
Even though young master Gu looked very handsome while swimming, Gu Tang had drawn him too many times already. He could practically sketch his movements from memory now.
Gu Tang liked novelty. Once he had drawn something too much, he wanted a change.
Gu Qinian had just swum a lap and climbed out of the pool. Draped in a towel, he sat down beside Gu Tang, water droplets still clinging to his thick eyelashes.
“What do you want to draw?” he asked.
Gu Tang bit the end of his pencil, and suddenly the image came to mind of little Gu Qinian making that three-point shot on the orphanage basketball court long ago. At the time, young master Gu had been so tiny, but even then his movements had already been beautifully precise.
“Basketball would be nice.”
Gu Tang’s eyes curved with amusement at the memory of the tiny young master Gu with his short arms and legs. “There are more variations, and the movements are really cool too.”
At those words, Gu Qinian’s hand paused in the middle of drying his hair with the towel.
Even the system could not help complaining.
[Host, forgive me for saying this, but you really do have the potential to be one of those demanding little drama queens. The male lead would have to be crazy to listen to you…]
But the moment the system finished speaking, young master Gu once again said in that low, muffled tone:
“I know.”
Exactly like back then.
[I’m seeing things…]
The system suddenly had a bad feeling.
And sure enough—
the moment high school started, Gu Qinian signed up for the school basketball team.
[Host, do you ever feel like some seductive imperial consort who bewitches the ruler and throws the court into chaos?]
Gu Tang frowned unhappily. “Please mind your wording.”
[Sorry…]
The system slowly withdrew.
Gu Tang absolutely did not think young master Gu had taken up basketball because of him.
What was strange about teenage boys becoming fascinated with basketball?
Back when he had been lying in his hospital bed in his previous life, he used to lie by the window and watch tall boys playing basketball on the school field outside. He had been insanely envious.
Sadly, his health had never allowed it. Otherwise, he would have gone down to play too.
But this life was different. Even if this body’s foundation was not good, he had years of accumulated life points supporting him. An occasional bit of exercise was no problem.
So the moment young master Gu joined the basketball team, Gu Tang enthusiastically asked him to teach him too.
Young master Gu was extremely conscientious when it came to explaining theory. But for some reason, every time he tried to correct Gu Tang’s form, his ears would turn bright red. He would not touch him to help, and even his speech would grow vague and unclear.
After trying to learn for ages and still feeling totally lost, Gu Tang finally said he was going to go ask one of young master Gu’s teammates to teach him how to play.
At that exact moment, young master Gu’s expression darkened.
Little Gu Qinian had always had a bad temper, and Gu Tang was not afraid of him. But when he actually went to ask the other team members to correct his posture, every single one of them waved their hands frantically and said, “No, no, we wouldn’t dare.”
It was not that they were unwilling, and it was not that they refused to teach.
They simply did not dare.
Gu Tang did not even need to think about it. He went straight to young master Gu to settle the score. “Niannian, did you threaten your teammates so they wouldn’t dare teach me?”
Gu Qinian had served as student council president at Jiang City No. 1 High School for three years, and after entering high school, he continued being re-elected. If he really wanted to intimidate his teammates, it would not have been difficult at all.
Gu Qinian answered without changing expression or heartbeat, “No.”
As if.
Gu Tang pouted unhappily. “You’re bullying me.”
Gu Qinian froze. “How could I…”
“Isn’t it true?”
Gu Tang accused him, “You won’t teach me properly, and when I go ask someone else to guide me, why can’t I?”
Gu Qinian frowned.
Correcting basketball movements naturally involved touching hands, brushing against legs, bumping waists…
The thought of someone else being that close to Gu Tang made him feel irritated.
Gu Qinian shook his head firmly. “No.”
“You can only be taught by me.”
Seriously.
After going in a huge circle, they were right back where they started!
Gu Tang huffed angrily. “But you don’t teach me seriously!”
Gu Qinian lowered his eyes and looked at the boy in front of him.
Over the past few years, Gu Tang had grown taller too, his build long and well-proportioned. But because he disliked exercise, there was not much muscle on him, and his skin was still that creamy pale softness that looked delicate and tender at first glance.
For Gu Tang, sports had always been a three-minute enthusiasm.
Just like back when he had suddenly decided one day in childhood that he wanted to practice martial arts with him.
He ended up falling down, accidentally exposing his little bottom, and after that refused to train ever again.
After considering for a moment, Gu Qinian coughed lightly and softened his tone. “Playing basketball makes you sweat a lot.”
Gu Tang blinked. “I know.”
He shrugged carelessly. “Then I just take a shower. You’re a neat freak, and you still play.”
Gu Qinian continued, “And you’ve also seen that when I play, I often collide with other people.”
Gu Tang blinked again, his expression innocent.
Gu Qinian spoke earnestly. “It hurts when you get hit.”
That was true…
There had been several times when young master Gu came back from basketball and went to shower, and Gu Tang had accidentally caught sight of bruises—green and purple marks—covering his pale back.
Afraid of pain, Gu Tang instinctively shrank his shoulder blades.
Gu Qinian’s lips curled slightly. “Still want to learn?”
Gu Tang hesitated.
Basketball was fun and really cool, but he was genuinely afraid of pain.
Back in his previous life in the hospital, aside from the pain of his illness itself, he had gone through endless needles, punctures, and surgeries for treatment. His body had been riddled with suffering. He had experienced every kind of pain there was. In this life, he did not want to touch pain at all.
Gu Tang shook his head quickly. “Forget it. I’m not learning anymore.”
Then he hugged his sketchbook to himself and looked at young master Gu with smiling eyes. “I’ll just draw you instead. Some things don’t have to be experienced personally.”
“Right.”
Gu Qinian nodded with a faint smile, secretly letting out a long breath of relief.
And so Gu Tang returned to his blissful life of “young master Gu does sports while he sits nearby drawing.”
Only now, the venue shifted from the indoor pool at the Gu residence to the basketball gym at Jiang City No. 1 High School.
He sat at the edge of the court, surrounded by the smell of youth, with the sounds of sneakers squeaking against the floor and basketballs pounding against the court ringing in his ears.
Gu Tang’s eyes shone brightly, and his gaze followed only one person on the court.
Whenever the other boy made some especially brilliant move, Gu Tang captured it with his pencil.
After drawing young master Gu so many times, no one needed to teach him anymore.
Little by little, Gu Tang came to understand some of the standard movements in basketball too.
Bang————
A powerful slam dunk.
The entire court seemed to shudder with it.
It was hard to imagine that such a ball had been made by a boy with almost dazzlingly beautiful features.
His wet hair was black and glossy, making his skin look even colder and fairer. His brows and eyes were sharp, and because of the heat from exercise, a faint blush had brushed the corners of his eyes. His thin lips were red as blood.
Yet his aura was not feminine at all.
The boy’s tall frame and broad shoulders with narrow waist were even more captivating than his face.
The teammates usually loved it when Gu Qinian came to play.
As long as Gu Qinian was there, the number of girls in the stands increased four or five times over compared to normal. And most importantly, Gu Qinian never competed with them for the girls. The moment practice ended, he would go sit obediently beside a certain baby-faced little boy.
And he would only drink the water that little boy brought him.
As for the snacks and drinks the girls brought to cheer them on, those all ended up benefiting the other teammates.
All the teammates: What kind of heavenly arrangement is this?!
Sadly, Gu Qinian was the student council president and so busy he was practically flying around. At most, he trained once or twice a week, so the teammates only got to enjoy these benefits a limited number of times.
“Qinian, your brother’s here to see you again.”
A teammate quickly pointed out the little boy’s location to Gu Qinian, urging him to hurry over, so the rest of them could go claim the consolation snacks from the girls.
To be honest, that baby-faced little boy was really adorable.
He looked so obedient and sweet.
One teammate joked, “Too bad he’s not your little sister, or I’d definitely chase after him.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he received a gaze that could kill.
The teammate froze in fright.
“Don’t let me hear something like that again. It’s not funny.”
Gu Qinian dropped that icy sentence and turned away, walking toward Gu Tang.
The teammate stayed where he was, still shaken, and touched his chest.
Holy crap, that was terrifying!
For a moment there, he thought the student council president was going to end him on the spot!
Another teammate came over and kicked him in the butt. “You deserved that for running your mouth. That little boy is our president’s treasure, and he’s not his younger brother.”
“…Then what is he?”
“Apparently he’s the older brother.”
“What?!!”
That teammate had transferred in from another school into Jiang City No. 1’s high school division, so he had no idea about the once-explosive rumor scandal involving a rich family’s illegitimate son.
Back then, the popular forum thread had been wiped out overnight.
Several people who spread rumors were also punished.
Afterward, when everyone calmed down, they realized that saying the Gu family’s young master was an illegitimate child had been ridiculously far-fetched.
But many people had heard Gu Tang call Gu Qinian “younger brother,” and some bold ones began speculating again, suspecting that Gu Qinian and Gu Tang were fraternal twin brothers. That would also explain why they did not look alike.
The new post lined up all sorts of evidence, and the more it went on, the more convincing it sounded.
But right before that thread could really blow up, it got deleted too.
Only this time, it was not removed by an administrator account.
It was deleted because it had been reported.
Gu Tang knew about that too.
At first, he thought young master Gu had been the one to remove it. But when he asked, Gu Qinian shook his head. “Not me.”
In truth, Gu Qinian wished there were more rumors like that.
Though emotionally he did not want to be real brothers with Gu Tang, because he vaguely felt that the intimacy of real brothers was not the kind of closeness he wanted, still, if they were brothers, then he could tie Gu Tang down with perfect legitimacy and stop him from ever thinking about leaving the Gu family.
Until he could come up with a better solution, Gu Qinian privately felt that the more rumors there were about them being real brothers, the better.
Even if it meant using morality as a chain, he would tie Gu Tang to the ship called the Gu residence.
No leaving.
Gu Tang, of course, had no idea about all the little twists and turns in little Gu Qinian’s heart. He simply believed him, since he felt young master Gu had no reason to lie to him.
So the question remained.
Who on earth had been so bored that they went and reported that thread for deletion?
When Gu Tang watched Gu Qinian open the administrator backend, he discovered something magical—
there were actually multiple reporters!
That only made it stranger.
What kind of mysterious force was this?
Even now, when Gu Tang occasionally thought back on it, he still could not make sense of it.
His mind wandered as he drew, thinking about old things, when suddenly a shadow fell over him completely.
Gu Tang lifted his face, and his eyes curved into a smile. “Niannian, you’re done playing?”
“Done.”
Gu Qinian brushed back his damp bangs with one hand, fully revealing features as perfect as a work of art. A few loose strands slipped from between his fingers, their tips falling over that flushed corner of his eye.
Gu Tang was good at drawing.
He had eyes that could spot beauty.
And right now, beauty was standing directly in front of him. There was no way he could pretend not to notice.
It was only normal to stare blankly at a beautiful person for a little while.
That is, until the other boy shoved the mouth of a mineral water bottle right to his lips.
“Drink.”
Gu Qinian’s tone was casual, but the gesture was thoughtful. After Gu Tang took the bottle, Gu Qinian even pulled out a tissue and stuffed it into his other hand.
Gu Tang kept staring blankly at the beautiful boy while gulping down water, and before long—
“Ah!”
He dribbled some.
Good thing he had a tissue in his hand and could wipe his mouth.
Gu Qinian sighed. After all these years, the understanding they had built up was still somewhat useful. At the very least, he could read exactly what Gu Tang meant from a single expression or glance.
For example, staring at his face while drinking water usually led to spilling it…
Gu Tang smiled sheepishly. “Niannian is so pretty that I got distracted staring.”
That sort of line would sound very much like teasing if someone else said it. But the boy’s eyes were so clear and clean, and his pale little face was full of innocence and lack of worldliness. Not only was it impossible to dislike, it made one’s heart itch instead.
Gu Qinian looked away and took the bottle of water Gu Tang had already drunk from, then drank from it himself.
Gu Tang thought absolutely nothing of it.
The two of them had shared even a single piece of candy since childhood.
What was the big deal about drinking from the same bottle of water?
Gu Tang lowered his head and continued sketching that close-up moment of young master Gu brushing back his hair.
It was way too beautiful!
And as he drew, he continued speaking honestly and sincerely. “Niannian, you’re already this good-looking now. Once you grow up a little more, who knows how many girls you’ll charm.”
“…”
Gu Qinian lifted an eyebrow.
Then he heard Gu Tang continue slowly, in a voice tinged with education and warning: “You’re not allowed to become a scumbag, okay?”
Gu Qinian let out a soft laugh. “Okay.”
Hearing the laughter in his voice, Gu Tang felt faintly dissatisfied. He turned back around and emphasized seriously, “Be serious. I mean it.”
In the original novel, the male lead had been the sort who focused entirely on his career and was always furiously busy with work.
But that did not mean Boss Gu of the future would not have a romantic storyline.
A romantic storyline itself was fine. What Gu Tang feared was if it became a messy one.
With young master Gu’s face, if he ever went around playing with people’s feelings, would that not stir up absolute chaos?
It was necessary to instill proper values in little Gu Qinian while he was still young.
Looking into the boy’s clear amber eyes, Gu Qinian felt a strange electric numbness in his heart.
He steadied himself, set aside his smile, and nodded. “Got it.”
“I won’t be a scumbag.”
“That’s more like it.”
Relieved, Gu Tang lowered his head and continued drawing the beauty in front of him.
Completely unaware that the beauty himself was now resting his chin in one hand, sitting there and quietly watching his profile.
Gu Qinian’s gaze moved from the boy’s bright round eyes, to his long lashes, to the small upturned tip of his nose, and finally down to his slightly parted lips.
Then he huffed faintly to himself in his heart.
Gu Tang really had the nerve to lecture him. He was not much better himself.
Just thinking of all those pink love letters Gu Qinian had secretly wiped out over the years—
he could pile them into a small mountain!
And the worst part was that the people trying to hand Gu Tang those letters were not just girls.
There were boys too.
Annoying as hell.
Gu Qinian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Luckily, Gu Tang did not like sports. He preferred quiet hobbies like drawing and playing piano. Otherwise, if he were always running around outside where people could see him and think about him, it was hard to say whether, over time, he might not get tricked away by some honeyed words.
Yet Gu Qinian had no idea that the one thing he least wanted to see was already on its way.
Jiang City No. 1 High School had not held a sports meet in many years.
But this semester, a new principal had arrived.
When he was younger, the new principal had been a PE teacher, so he valued teenagers’ physical health very highly. He proposed holding the school’s autumn sports meet in November, after the midterm exams, and required every teacher and student to sign up and participate.
All four people in Gu Tang’s dorm had been promoted directly from the middle school division to the high school division of the same school, and with Gu Qinian’s “behind-the-scenes operation,” they still shared the same room.
They had just moved from downstairs to the top floor, where the air was fresher and the sunlight was excellent.
The moment Zhu Xu walked into the dorm, he asked Xie Qian, “What event are you signing up for?”
“Something that won’t hurt my hand. High jump.”
Then Xie Qian politely returned the question.
Zhu Xu made a ball-pushing motion. “I’m signing up for shot put! This kind of power sport suits me!”
Xie Qian shook his head. “Shot put is pushed with one hand. That wasn’t the right movement.”
Zhu Xu did not really know the difference and scratched his head. “Then what is two hands?”
“No idea. But the way you moved looked like a dung beetle rolling a poop ball.”
“…”
The two immediately began wrestling.
When Gu Qinian walked in carrying his bag, he frowned. “I really should have just kicked both of you out. You’re too noisy.”
The two boys wrestling instantly quieted down.
It was like instinctive suppression in the natural world.
After a moment, Zhu Xu asked curiously, “Gu Qinian, what are you signing up for?”
Before young master Gu could answer, Xie Qian directly informed him that the student council president did not need to sign up for a regular event. However, there would be a basketball exhibition match after the sports meet, and he would take part in that.
During the sports meet, the student council would be extremely busy, especially the president.
Just being able to appear in the basketball exhibition match was already not easy.
No one thought that was unfair.
“Gu Tang is busy too. His publicity department is in charge of all the posters and outdoor decorations for this sports meet, so he probably doesn’t need to sign up for any major event either, right?”
Zhu Xu felt sorry for Gu Tang’s thin little arms and legs. No matter how he looked at him, he really did not resemble some great athlete.
Xie Qian was worried too. “If it really comes down to it, just sign up for jump rope. It only lasts a minute.”
Gu Qinian had assumed Gu Tang would definitely pick some easy event. If he really did not want to participate, Gu Qinian could even find a way to let him slip through without signing up for anything at all…
Then Gu Tang came back from class, and three faces crowded in front of him.
“Tang Tang, have you decided what event you’re signing up for?” Zhu Xu asked with concern.
“I already decided ages ago!”
To everyone’s complete surprise, Gu Tang’s eyes lit up with excitement, and his cheeks even glowed a little pink. “I signed up for the 3000-meter long-distance run!”
Zhu Xu: “??”
Xie Qian: “???”
Gu Qinian shot to his feet. “What did you just say?!”
