Chapter 44: A Hundred Birthdays Together
Gu Tang initially thought Young Master Gu was joking with him.
Just now during the snowball fight, Xie Qian had tried to stuff a snowball down his collar. It seemed perfectly reasonable that Young Master Gu wanted to use him to warm his hands.
But Gu Qinian’s expression was far too serious—one could even say somewhat stern. His hand didn’t touch Gu Tang’s skin directly either; instead, through a thin layer of inner clothing, he slowly felt along his back inch by inch.
Gu Tang: “……”
Could it be he was really checking whether wings would grow?
The touch made Gu Tang itch all over. He twisted and turned trying to dodge, but when he couldn’t escape, he could only whine softly, “Niannian, I won’t grow wings.”
It’s not like he transmigrated into some urban fantasy novel!
“Is that so?”
Young Master Gu didn’t seem convinced and pressed again on his shoulder blades.
Only after confirming there really were no wings did he withdraw his hand, straighten Gu Tang’s clothes, and seriously remind him:
“You’re not allowed to grow them in the future either.”
Gu Tang: “……”
If Young Master Gu didn’t never watch TV, he’d almost suspect he’d been brainwashed by some fantasy cartoon!
How could a person just grow wings out of nowhere?!
Gu Qinian rubbed his fingertips together; Gu Tang’s body warmth still lingered there.
Thinking about the sensation under his palm just now, he slowly let out a breath.
He wasn’t crazy—of course he knew Gu Tang couldn’t grow wings.
It was just that, for a moment—
Gu Tang’s existence felt unreal.
When he had just been reborn, he thought he was merely reliving his past life. But because of Gu Tang, everything had changed.
The vicious nanny still existed, but her attempt to swap the child failed, and she was punished by the law.
Xinxin Welfare Institute still existed, but it didn’t turn into a corrupt orphanage; it remained a shelter for those children without parents.
Even the car accident he had encountered before his rebirth still happened—only, no one was injured this time…
Everything seemed the same, yet also very different.
Fate was unfolding in another form.
And the only variable in all of this was Gu Tang.
Gu Tang was like a little angel who suddenly appeared, fluttering here and there, quietly changing the course of his life.
Gu Qinian didn’t believe in metaphysics, but his experience of rebirth made it impossible not to believe that some mysterious things existed in this world.
It made him uneasy.
For a little angel like Gu Tang—would there come a day when, if he wasn’t paying attention, he would simply fly away?
Gu Qinian narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy, deep in thought.
Gu Tang was tidying up the clothes that had been messed up by Young Master Gu. Noticing the gaze on him, he paused mid-motion while tucking his shirt into his pants and hesitated, “Niannian, don’t you know? Tucking your shirt into your pants keeps you really warm!”
“Do you want to try? I can help you!”
Gu Qinian: “……”
“No need.”
However, watching Gu Tang busily stuffing his shirt in, Young Master Gu’s mood eased a little.
Angels shouldn’t be afraid of the cold, right?
If they’re afraid of the cold… then they can’t fly?
Gu Qinian was lost in random thoughts.
At that moment, a strange middle-aged man walked toward them.
“Hey, you two! Students, please wait!”
As soon as he approached, he handed over a business card. He looked polite, but his expression was full of superiority.
He introduced himself, “I’m a talent scout from Wanxiang Entertainment. I’ve been watching while you were filming just now. You both have outstanding looks and great camera presence. Have you ever thought about entering the entertainment industry?”
“Not interested.”
Before Gu Tang could speak, Gu Qinian coldly replied and pulled him away.
Persistence was practically a required skill for talent scouts.
As if he hadn’t heard the refusal, the man didn’t feel embarrassed when they didn’t take the card and quickly caught up in a few strides.
Probably thinking Gu Qinian was hard to deal with, he stopped in front of Gu Tang instead. “Kid, you’re so cute—don’t you want to enter the entertainment industry?”
Gu Tang shook his head. “Uncle, we’re only first-year high school students.”
“That’s perfect!”
The talent scout raised two fingers. “Our company offers two years of free trainee training. After two years, you’ll just be adults and can debut directly! You’re still young and don’t understand—studying is a waste of time. Won’t you end up working hard at some job anyway?”
“Look at your faces—this is what heaven feeds you with! Of course you should enter the entertainment industry and make big money!”
The more he spoke, the more excited he became.
He had a feeling that if he signed these two kids, he’d become a top agent in the industry in the future!
After listening for a while, Gu Tang shook his head again. “Better forget it.”
The talent scout was puzzled. “Why? Don’t you want to make big money?”
Gu Tang gave a shy smile. “We’re not short of money.”
Talent scout: “……”
What a simple and unpretentious reason.
Seeing them about to leave, the scout played his final card. “Won’t you really reconsider? Our Wanxiang Entertainment is no weaker than Xinglin Media!”
They both paused.
The scout’s eyes lit up—there’s a chance!
At the same time, he cursed inwardly.
Looks like their company’s influence among young people still couldn’t compare to Xinglin Media!
Damn it, I want to jump ship!
Gu Qinian raised a brow. “No weaker than Xinglin Media?”
The scout nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes!”
Gu Tang, ever ready with a jab, added, “So that means it’s still a bit worse, right?”
Talent scout: “……”
That was actually putting it mildly.
The gap was quite big.
But in this industry, who tells the truth? Of course, you lure people in first!
The scout put on a “sincere” smile, pinching his fingers to indicate an almost nonexistent gap. “Just a tiny bit behind. But Xinglin Media is hard to get into. You may have heard—the boss of Xinglin is the second young master of the Gu family. He’s picky and hard to deal with…”
Before he could finish, the baby-faced cute boy nudged the tall, handsome boy with his elbow.
The two ignored him completely and started whispering among themselves.
Gu Tang’s eyes sparkled. “Didn’t expect my little uncle to be this impressive!”
Gu Qinian’s expression remained indifferent. “Passable, I guess.”
At least Gu Lin hadn’t disgraced the Gu family.
The talent scout was completely confused. After a long pause, he cautiously asked, “May I ask… who exactly is your uncle?”
Gu Tang smiled sweetly. “The one who’s picky and hard to deal with.”
Talent scout: “?”
Talent scout: “!!!”
Watching the two walk away, the scout’s eyes widened.
Th-that means… aren’t these two the young masters of the Gu family?!!
He thought the kids were bragging…
Turns out they’re really not short of money!
No—forget that. These kids are basically his bosses!
Did he just miss a golden opportunity to switch jobs?!
Please, ancestors, just poach him over to Xinglin Media!
But the two boys had long legs and walked fast. By the time the scout came back to his senses, they were already nowhere to be seen.
Gu Tang hooked his arm through Young Master Gu’s, chin lifted high.
He was part of the Gu family.
So hearing others praise his little uncle like that made him feel especially proud.
Anyone in the Gu family being impressive made him proud—of course, if that impressive person was Young Master Gu, he’d feel even prouder.
Thinking about how the future big boss Gu would dominate the business world, turning the tides with a flick of his hand, Gu Tang felt full of anticipation.
Young Master Gu didn’t need any messy side plotlines—this one point alone could just follow what was written in the book.
But right now, Young Master Gu was still young. No need to think that far ahead.
Gu Tang tugged him along. “Let’s keep playing in the snow!”
But Gu Qinian lowered his gaze and shook his head.
Seeing that he seemed a bit down, Gu Tang took his hand and rubbed it gently. “Are you cold?”
As he spoke, he stuffed both of Young Master Gu’s hands into his own pockets.
“Or just put them inside my clothes—it’s warmer.”
The boy lifted a warm, sweet smile. Gu Qinian’s heart trembled at the sight.
The dark thoughts he had just suppressed began to quietly grow again.
He had touched Gu Tang’s back earlier because he was worried about wings growing.
But what if wings really did exist?
If Gu Tang wanted to fly away, what would he do?
Just now, when the talent scout came to approach them, he hadn’t even asked Gu Tang’s opinion before pulling him away. But what right did he have to refuse on Gu Tang’s behalf?
If Gu Tang actually wanted to enter the entertainment industry, then what he did just now was—
Breaking his wings and trapping him by his side?
The more Gu Qinian thought about it, the more despicable he felt. He pressed his lips together, an uncontrollable sense of self-loathing rising within him.
His mood sank, and he no longer felt like playing in the snow. His brows knitted tightly together.
Suddenly, a warmth touched the space between his brows.
The boy’s fingertip pressed against his forehead, gently smoothing out the crease little by little.
“Even though Niannian looks good when frowning, if you do it too much you’ll get fine lines.”
Standing on tiptoe, face tilted up, Gu Tang spoke slowly as he pressed his brow, “You should smile more in the future. You look best when you smile.”
At such a close distance, Gu Qinian turned his head away, afraid his gaze would keep falling on those lips that kept moving.
Gu Tang puffed his cheeks and cupped Young Master Gu’s face with both hands, turning it back. “Look at me.”
Gu Qinian: “……”
Gu Tang widened his round eyes. “Smile.”
The boy tried to look fierce, but he was so cute it made people want to take a bite.
Young Master Gu pressed his lips together, then slightly curved them upward.
Only then did Gu Tang feel satisfied, patting his shoulder. “Good boy, Niannian.”
Gu Qinian: “……”
The morning shoot was basically finished.
The photographer was checking the footage. The three girls were still building a snowman. Xie Qian was exhausted from the snowball fight, sprawled nearby like a dead dog, completely motionless.
With nothing else to do, Gu Tang dragged Young Master Gu to a sheltered spot. The two sat side by side. “If you’re tired, just rest. If you don’t want to play, then don’t. I’ll stay with you.”
Gu Qinian said in a muffled tone, “You don’t actually have to worry about me.”
He said that, but his hand didn’t let go of Gu Tang’s—instead, he held it tightly.
Truly worthy of the Gu family’s inherited tsundere nature.
Gu Tang secretly laughed to himself and lightly scratched Young Master Gu’s palm inside the pocket. “What are you saying? How could I not care about you?”
Gu Qinian only felt his palm itch, a trace of hidden joy rising in his heart.
But before that happiness could spread through his whole body—
He heard Gu Tang say, “I’m your big brother, after all.”
Gu Qinian: “……”
In an instant, his heart turned ice-cold.
Logically, it shouldn’t be like this.
For a time, Gu Qinian had even wished they were real brothers.
That way, he could hand over the position of Gu family heir to Gu Tang, and use the Gu family itself to bind him—so Gu Tang would never be able to leave.
But recently, for some unknown reason, he couldn’t stand hearing that sentence.
Just thinking about their “brother” relationship made him restless and irritated, like ants crawling all over him.
“What if we’re not?”
Gu Qinian couldn’t hold it back and carefully probed, “If we’re not brothers… would you still stay with me?”
He asked this with extreme caution.
Afraid that Gu Tang might feel inferior because of his background.
But Gu Tang was carefree and didn’t think that deeply at all. He nodded without hesitation. “Of course I would.”
Gu Qinian froze. “Why?”
Gritting his teeth, he finally voiced the doubt he had held for years all at once, “Why would you stay with me unconditionally?”
If there were conditions, he would at least know how to use them to keep someone.
But unconditional—that was the hardest thing to deal with.
Why would Gu Tang treat him so well unconditionally?
[Of course it’s because there’s a mission!]
The system answered on behalf of its host, then immediately reminded Gu Tang with some concern:
[Host, be careful! Has the male lead noticed something and is trying to test you? You absolutely must not reveal the plot!]
Gu Tang: “Don’t worry.”
For the sake of not messing up the storyline, for the sake of letting Young Master Gu grow up properly, he would definitely keep his mouth shut—he wouldn’t leak a single word!
To him, Young Master Gu’s occasional emo moments were just typical teenage confusion.
Easy to handle.
Gu Tang was full of confidence. “Watch me.”
Without any buildup, he tilted his little head and leaned against Young Master Gu’s shoulder, blurting out, “Of course it’s because I like Niannian the most. I like being with you, so I’ll always stay by your side.”
After saying that, he even raised his face and blinked his big, innocent eyes at him.
Those three carefree sentences slammed heavily into Gu Qinian’s heart—Duang, duang, duang.
His heart skipped three beats on the spot.
If not for his young and healthy body, Young Master Gu might’ve passed out right there.
“You… what did you say?”
Gu Qinian was so stiff that his tongue seemed to be fighting his teeth.
Gu Tang had said things like “like” before, but back then they were still young, and the atmosphere was completely different from now.
The noisy sounds of people playing in the snow seemed to fade away all at once. Under the vast sky, it felt like there were only the two of them, quietly leaning together, whispering.
Gu Qinian felt the blood rush to his head, making him dizzy with heat—he didn’t feel cold at all.
He asked stiffly, “What kind of ‘like’?”
“Bzzz—”
Before Gu Tang could reply, the phones in their pockets suddenly vibrated violently.
Both of their phones at the same time.
No need to check—they already knew someone was talking in the family group chat.
“Huh, what’s going on at home?”
Gu Tang didn’t notice that Young Master Gu was still stiff. He pulled out his phone with his free hand, and his eyes instantly lit up. “Niannian! Quick, come grab red packets!”
In the small group “Loving Gu Family,” red packets were pouring down like rain.
And still increasing.
[Dad Staying at Home: Kids, come get your red packets!]
[Mom Working Hard: Mom’s definitely giving more than Dad!]
[Grandma the Most Beautiful: Grandma will never lose this battle!]
Good grief!
The elders were actually competing to send red packets!
After midnight tonight, it would be his and Young Master Gu’s 16th birthday.
Gu Tang had originally worried that since they came out for filming, they wouldn’t be able to celebrate together. But unexpectedly, Young Master Gu came along too. Now it turned into the two of them celebrating outside, while the elders celebrated remotely from home.
Madam Su Mei even specially took a photo of the cake, sent it to the group chat, and added a birthday song.
Gu Tang replied: [Grandma, save me a piece! I want lots of strawberries!]
[Grandma the Most Beautiful: OK!]
[Grandma the Most Beautiful: Hurry and grab the red packets, see who gives the most.]
Madam Su Mei was extremely confident—this year she had prepared especially big red packets for the two kids.
But who could have guessed that in the end, Gu Lin actually won the red packet competition.
The reason was—Gu Lin had backup.
The whole thing was absurd.
At first, just like previous years, Gu Lin sent a big red packet each to Gu Tang and Gu Qinian.
Because the short video of Gu Tang and Gu Qinian playing piano together had gone viral, Sugar’s song had become popular again. On top of that, Xinglin Media had been operating very well, so Gu Lin had made a fortune this year—his red packets were especially generous.
Little money-lover Gu Tang was overjoyed, fingers flying across the screen as he typed.
[Tang Tang: Thank you, Uncle! Wishing you a booming career and hoping you find us a little aunt soon! [heart][heart]]
But just after he hit send, the group suddenly showed—
“Uncle” invited “Yu Yang” into “Loving Gu Family.”
At the same time, a security reminder popped up in the group: “‘Yu Yang’ is not friends with anyone else in the group. Please be mindful of privacy.”
Gu Tang thought this person was Gu Lin’s friend.
But as soon as the person joined, they changed their group nickname to “Little Aunt.”
Gu Tang: “???”
Before anyone could react—
“Little Aunt” sent a huge red packet with great extravagance.
[Little Aunt: Happy birthday to my nephews!]
Gu Tang: “?”
Gu Qinian: “??”
The entire Gu family: “???”
While everyone was still completely confused, Gu Lin started roaring below.
[Uncle Is Me: Get lost! What are you doing? This is my family group!]
[Little Aunt: [smile.jpg]]
Su Mei was the first to react.
[Grandma the Most Beautiful: A Lin, why are you scolding them? Do you have a partner now? Bring them home for us to see!]
“Uncle Is Me” exited the group chat.
[Little Aunt: Then I’ll take my leave too. Married to the chicken, follow the chicken; married to the dog, follow the dog… I’ll miss you all, family. See you again! [blow kiss.jpg]]
“Little Aunt” exited the group chat.
[Grandma the Most Beautiful: ???]
Not only was Su Mei full of question marks, the entire Gu family was baffled.
Gu Tang pointed at the words on his phone screen and showed it to Young Master Gu. “Why does it say ‘the husband sings, the husband follows’? Did Little Aunt type it wrong?”
“Who knows.”
Gu Qinian couldn’t be bothered to care who Gu Lin was with—he already had a mess of his own thoughts to sort out.
He didn’t want to be brothers with Gu Tang, yet he still wanted to be with him.
Hearing Gu Tang say “I like Niannian,” he would secretly feel happy.
So… what kind of relationship did he actually want with Gu Tang?
He couldn’t figure it out.
Gu Qinian: So annoying…
For this school magazine shoot, according to the plan, the final day was to capture the sunrise.
Which meant everyone had to take the cable car up to the mountaintop campsite at the ski resort to stay overnight.
Qiu Kaiyi had injuries on his face and couldn’t participate in the shoot. Taking him up would just waste a cable car ticket, so the photographer simply had him leave with his assistant.
As soon as he left, Ye Xiao visibly let out a sigh of relief.
No longer being stared at like prey by a scumbag, Ye Xiao relaxed quite a bit and chatted casually with everyone in the cable car.
Knowing Gu Tang was from the student union’s publicity department, she quietly asked him, “Why didn’t we shoot inside the campus for this school magazine? We’ve been filming outside the whole time.”
“I heard the new principal wants to be different from other schools.”
Gu Tang had wondered the same before and asked the dean about it. “Also, the campus is pretty quiet in winter. They said after winter break, in the new semester, they’ll shoot some spring scenes on campus to make up for it.”
Ye Xiao nodded in understanding.
But the moment she straightened up, she met the student council president’s gloomy gaze.
Ye Xiao: “……”
Being treated like prey was a feeling she was very familiar with, so she keenly noticed that their student council president seemed to be treating Gu Tang as his prey.
No… not exactly prey.
More like a dragon guarding its treasure—refusing to let others covet it, and unwilling to let the treasure slip from its grasp.
Ye Xiao glanced at Gu Tang with some concern.
Meanwhile, Gu Tang was completely oblivious.
After speaking, he leaned against Young Master Gu again and sat quietly.
The cable car glided slowly along the track, and the snowy scenery outside the window was breathtaking.
Gu Tang tilted his head, looking out at the view.
Completely unaware that someone was staring at him intently.
Gu Qinian watched the boy’s fair and delicate side profile, his gaze dark.
Countless shadowy thoughts surged in his mind, thick and heavy, as if they wanted to wrap around the boy completely.
He wanted to hide him away—so no one else could see.
“Wow! So cool!!!”
Gu Tang suddenly let out a small exclamation.
Their cable car was suspended in midair, with the advanced ski slopes below.
Many professional skiers were active on those slopes.
Among them, one figure in a silver ski suit stood out. That person dove straight down from the steep mountaintop, graceful as a bird folding its wings, gliding lightly over the white snow.
This kind of extreme sport was dangerous, but undeniably cool.
Anyone watching would feel their blood stir.
Gu Tang’s praise carried no extra meaning, just like admiring an exciting scene on TV.
After he spoke, Xie Qian also praised it enthusiastically, and the girls crowded by the window to watch the silver figure.
A group reaction—but only Gu Tang was “held accountable.”
Suddenly, he felt a chill at the back of his neck.
Young Master Gu’s slightly cool palm rested on his neck, and a low voice sounded by his ear: “You think he’s very cool?”
Gu Tang vaguely sensed a hint of resentment in his tone, but before he could process it, the system chimed happily in his mind.
[Great! Male lead career branch 2—activated.]
Gu Tang: “!”
That won’t do!!!
Gu Tang spun around, grabbing Young Master Gu’s arm tightly. His slender fingers sank into the down jacket as he said word by word, “Niannian, extreme sports are absolutely a no-go!”
“It’s enough to just watch others do it. We need to stay healthy and live long lives!”
Gu Qinian narrowed his eyes slightly. “We?”
Gu Tang looked serious. “Of course! You have to celebrate a hundred birthdays with me! Got it?”
In his previous life, no one celebrated his birthday with him. Now that he finally had Young Master Gu, he had to make up for it properly.
A hundred times—not a single one less!
The boy’s amber eyes shone clear and bright in the sunlight. Gu Qinian could see his own reflection in them.
In those sparkling pupils, there was only him—nothing else.
The warmth of Gu Tang’s fingers seemed to pass through the thick down jacket and reach his heart.
The gloom that had lingered in Young Master Gu’s mood for so long finally began to clear.
He looked into Gu Tang’s eyes and slowly nodded. “Mm.”
[Male lead career branch 2—closed.]
The system felt so defeated it wanted to resign.
Ugh, how annoying!
Can’t the male lead go do something else instead of clinging to its host…
Even after hearing the system notification, Gu Tang didn’t feel reassured.
At this age, people like Young Master Gu loved to challenge dangerous things.
No, he still had to persuade him!
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed what seemed to be an elderly couple with white hair sitting closely together in the cable car ahead.
An idea struck him—he decided to use them as an example to educate Young Master Gu and completely eliminate his desire to try extreme sports.
“Look at that grandpa and grandma. Even at their age, their relationship is still so good.”
Gu Tang pointed at the white-haired couple and nudged Young Master Gu with his elbow. “When we’re that old, we should rely on each other like that too. So we have to cherish life and stay away from—”
Before he could finish, the “elderly couple” in front suddenly took off their hair.
[Ahhhhhh—]
The system screamed in fright.
Gu Tang froze, took a closer look, and realized they had just removed wigs.
“……”
Why are there so many people wearing white wigs for cosplay?!
He thought they were an old couple!
The atmosphere was completely ruined. Gu Tang could only change his tone and continue awkwardly, “Anyway, stay away from danger, or you might not even live long enough to collect your pension…”
As for what Gu Tang said after that, Gu Qinian didn’t hear a single word.
Because it suddenly seemed like he had figured out what kind of relationship he wanted with Gu Tang.
Author’s note:
Gu Niannian: A relationship where we share retirement funds together.
Tang Tang: ???
