Chapter 75: A Confession in the Night
Eighteen-year-old Gu Qinian was tall, with broad shoulders, standing before him in the backlight, wearing the same style of cotton pajamas as him.
Everything was no different from an ordinary night.
Except for what he was saying.
“Compared to the picture album, there’s something I like even more.”
“Do you know what I want most?”
Young Master Gu’s crimson lips parted, and he softly said a single word—
“You.”
For a moment, Gu Tang’s mind buzzed. His brain seemed to freeze, unable to process that one simple word.
What Young Master Gu wanted… was him?
What did he want him for?
Before Gu Tang could react, the system suddenly let out a shrill cry—
[That’s impossible!]
[How can it be heart-flutter value?!]
Heart-flutter value?
Young Master Gu’s heart had fluttered?
For whom?
For him?!!
Gu Tang stared blankly at the person in front of him, too stunned to care about the system wailing in his head.
And that expression, in Gu Qinian’s eyes, looked no different from being frightened.
The boy’s eyes were wide and round, forgetting even to blink. His gaze was empty and lost, his delicate nostrils trembling lightly, his lips slightly parted. It was as if his soul had left him. Even his limbs had gone stiff, as though he had turned into an exquisite, beautiful doll.
Gu Qinian looked at him deeply.
This was exactly the reaction he had expected.
If Gu Tang found out what he felt, he would definitely be scared.
The fact that he was not crying already counted as good luck.
Seeing him like this made Gu Qinian’s heart ache. He reached out, wanting to touch the boy’s cheek, but just before his fingers could reach him, he suddenly drew his hand back.
“Gu Tang, I like you.”
Gu Qinian said it with utmost care.
Before the other boy gave permission, he did not dare make a single extra move, afraid he might frighten this precious treasure before him.
Hearing that, Gu Tang’s eyelid twitched slightly.
He did not feel afraid.
He only felt that it was all too unreal.
Even in his dreams, Young Master Gu had never said something like “I like you” to him.
“But you’re…”
Gu Tang began in a dazed voice.
Yet he could not bring himself to say the word “little brother.”
From the moment Young Master Gu said those words to him, the relationship between the two of them could never go back to what it had been.
He had never been good at hiding his thoughts in front of Young Master Gu. Even though he did not finish what he wanted to say, the other understood anyway.
Gu Qinian looked straight into his eyes, giving him no chance to avoid it. “I want to change my role beside you. Is that okay?”
“I want a role where I never have to be separated from you.”
“Gu Tang, can you give me a chance?”
Gu Tang’s eyes had been open so long they were starting to ache. He blinked a few times, and only then did a faint blush slowly rise over his face.
How could he have been so foolish? How had he not noticed at all?
Wasn’t that pink “disgust value” progress bar strange?
If either he or the system had had even a little experience, they never would have misunderstood Young Master Gu’s feelings…
After all this time, it turned out there was no bug in the main brain.
The one who had gotten it wrong was him.
Neither he nor the system had realized that the progress bar with the blurred label had never been disgust value at all!
When the boy stayed silent for so long, Gu Qinian started to grow anxious. Even when facing business contracts worth hundreds of millions, he had never been this nervous.
His heart was pounding so fast it felt like it might jump right out of his throat.
“…Is it not okay?”
he asked cautiously.
To be honest, he did not know how to face the other possibility.
If Gu Tang rejected him, what was he supposed to do?
Gu Qinian had never thought about it, nor dared to.
The only thing he knew for certain was that he would never hurt Gu Tang, not even a single hair on his head.
Gu Tang remembered that the last time Young Master Gu had shown such panic was when he saw the rumors about Gu Tang’s background appear on the school forum and thought Gu Tang was about to leave the Gu family.
Back then, too, his eyes had lowered, his lips pressed tightly together.
And then he had hugged him tightly.
Now that he thought back on it, there had been signs all along.
Young Master Gu’s feelings had not sprung up on a whim. They had clearly been hidden away for a very, very long time…
When Gu Tang saw Gu Qinian’s eyes gradually reddening, he quickly shook his head.
Why was Young Master Gu looking so wronged?
He had not said it was not okay…
In this situation, a double negative became a positive.
Shaking his head meant “yes.”
Once he realized that, Gu Tang’s face turned even redder. His pale skin slowly bloomed with vivid color, like a little begonia flower coming into full blossom.
Never before had Gu Qinian felt his emotions so completely held in another person’s hands. With a single thought from Gu Tang, he would either be sent to heaven or cast into hell.
He lowered his head carefully and patiently confirmed, “So… it is okay?”
Gu Tang’s face was so hot it felt like it might burn. In a muddle, he nodded.
He saw joy flash through Young Master Gu’s eyes, joy unlike anything he had ever seen there before, along with a trace of madness. Those dark, deep eyes seemed to light up.
“Since it’s okay…”
Gu Qinian leaned closer and gently brushed his nose against Gu Tang’s. “Then I want one more gift. Can you give it to me?”
This time, there was no mask between them.
Their breaths intertwined.
The warmth between their noses and mouths rose.
Gu Tang had lived through two lifetimes. Even without experience, he could more or less guess what the other wanted.
His eyelashes trembled softly as he closed his eyes.
Even in his dreams, he had never truly kissed Young Master Gu.
Young Master Gu’s lips were even softer than he had imagined. The touch was slightly cool, but the breath he exhaled was so hot it felt like it might burn him.
At first, it was only a gentle touch.
But that tenderness lasted only a brief moment before Young Master Gu began sucking at his lower lip, grinding lightly with the tips of his teeth, nibbling at it little by little. The small curve of flesh quickly turned numb and tingling.
Impatient, Gu Tang let out a soft little sound, and his lips parted slightly.
The other seized the chance at once, pried his lips open, and pushed inside…
When it came to kissing, Young Master Gu was extremely aggressive, but in truth, like him, he had no experience.
He was simply exploring on instinct.
Charging recklessly through his mouth.
Gu Tang was forced to keep his lips parted, his eyelashes trembling as a mist slowly filled his eyes.
“Mmph… mmph…”
He felt like he could not breathe again, and his fingers twisted the pajama top at Young Master Gu’s chest into a wrinkled mess.
Sensing it, Gu Qinian hurriedly pulled away.
Gu Tang gasped for breath, thinking that would be the end of it.
But after letting him breathe for a few moments, the other leaned in again and covered his lips once more.
“…”
It really felt as if Young Master Gu were some kind of suction cup spirit.
Why could he never get enough kissing?
By the time he was released again, Gu Tang was lying dazed on the bed, his eyes half-closed and unfocused.
He did not even know when he had been pressed down.
In any case, Young Master Gu was not doing much better. He was leaning over him, his chest rising and falling hard.
After kissing for so long, there were naturally a few shining traces at the corners of his mouth that had not been swallowed in time.
Gu Tang watched as the person in front of him lowered his eyes and gently licked them away for him.
Only after the other raised his head again did Gu Tang belatedly cover his mouth and ask in disbelief, “How can you eat that…”
Where had all of Young Master Gu’s cleanliness obsession gone?!
Seeing the boy look so shy, Gu Qinian only felt that the road ahead was long.
Clearly, Gu Tang knew very little about intimate acts between them.
Gu Qinian was grateful he had awakened earlier and at least thought to learn a little about this kind of thing, even if he had never had the chance to practice. At the very least, he understood far more than the muddleheaded Gu Tang.
He did not answer. He only lowered his head and kissed the boy’s forehead. “I’ve received the gift. I like it very much.”
Mm, that was obvious…
Gu Tang rubbed his tingling lips and worried gloomily whether they might swell by tomorrow.
“Should I take you back to your room?”
Suddenly, Gu Qinian’s expression changed slightly as he propped himself up on one arm and asked.
He seemed a little anxious.
Gu Tang’s whole body felt limp and weak, and he really did not want to move. In fact, he felt a little wronged. What was Young Master Gu doing? Kissing him and then immediately trying to send him away?
However, just as he shifted as if to roll over, he suddenly realized something was wrong with Young Master Gu.
“You…”
Gu Tang’s eyes widened in shock.
After being brushed just once by him, veins had already risen along Gu Qinian’s neck.
“I understand. Niannian, move aside…”
Gu Tang was so startled he did not even dare touch him now, but if Young Master Gu did not move, he could not leave either.
There was absolutely no way he could sleep in this room tonight!
After taking a few deep breaths, Gu Qinian finally got himself under control and slumped to one side. “Sorry. I probably can’t walk you back.”
“You don’t need to. I can go by myself!”
Gu Tang shot upright off the bed and made to flee.
But the hem of his shirt was caught by the other.
“Gu Tang, can I book it in advance?”
Gu Qinian clutched that bit of fabric in his hand. “After the college entrance exam, can we date?”
Gu Tang nodded with a red face, trying to rescue his shirt from his grip.
“Goodnight kiss.”
Young Master Gu shamelessly pushed for more.
Gu Tang had no choice. He turned back, puckered his lips, and pecked him on the cheek.
“…That’s all?”
Young Master Gu did not look very satisfied.
Gu Tang ignored him and covered his own mouth. “We’re not dating yet, so no more kissing!”
“Hurry up and go… deal with it.”
As he said that, Gu Tang’s gaze drifted downward involuntarily.
Once again, he was stunned by the sheer completeness of Young Master Gu’s development.
If they kept kissing any longer, he was afraid Young Master Gu might explode on the spot!
“Alright.”
Gu Qinian smiled, loosened his fingers, and watched Gu Tang dart away like a little rabbit.
Only after the boy had gone did he get up and head to the bathroom for a cold shower.
Before this, Gu Tang had never known what it meant for your legs to feel weak. Now he did.
His feet felt like they were stepping on two lumps of cotton, soft and useless. Afraid the elders might notice, he did not dare use the elevator and instead stumbled his way back up to the third floor by the stairs.
The moment he got into his room, he threw himself onto the bed.
He rarely slept in his own bedroom, but Uncle Butler still cleaned it regularly. The bedding and pillow were spotless, carrying the scent of sunlight.
Gu Tang buried his face in the quilt and inhaled several times, yet still could not forget the taste and scent of interlocked lips and tongues with Young Master Gu.
Ahhhhhhh—
So embarrassing!
He wanted to find a place and scream a few times, but he was afraid of waking the family, so he could only twist and roll around in bed until he nearly tied himself into a knot.
[Congratulations, Host…]
[You’ve completed the task “Make the Male Lead Feel Desire,” reward: 100 life points, 20 plot coins…]
The reward was generous, but the system announced it in a weak, drained voice.
It did not understand.
Was this really still the task line for a cannon-fodder fake young master?
But the main brain had mercilessly certified the task, leaving it no room to doubt.
This was bad. In the future, it looked like it was going to have to work a lot of overtime…
Though there was one good thing.
More tasks meant more rewards, and lately the host had been constantly using life value to save his father. If this kept up, his body would weaken. So having more replenishment packs was naturally a good thing.
The moment Gu Tang heard the system’s voice, he sat bolt upright. “You were there the whole time?!”
[Of course…]
Gu Tang’s face burned as he fidgeted with his fingers. “Then just now… you saw everything?”
[I didn’t.]
The system answered very quickly, but Gu Tang still looked suspicious. “Didn’t you just say you were there the whole time?”
[The system world has strict privacy regulations. Whenever humans are involved in private behavior, the main brain automatically censors it for us. If the host does anything shy, I can’t see or hear any of it.]
Hearing that, Gu Tang relaxed.
At the same time, his face grew even redder.
Even if the system had not seen anything, it still knew that kind of thing was embarrassing…
He subconsciously touched his own mouth.
It was the first time he had truly realized that Young Master Gu had grown up.
In every possible sense.
That kiss just now had carried such strong possessiveness and aggression, as if Young Master Gu wanted to devour him whole.
Looking back now, Young Master Gu had hinted many times before.
All those touches that were too intimate, the way he actively asked for morning and night kisses, the kiss through the mask… none of those looked like things ordinary brothers would do!
No wonder…
Young Master Gu had never liked being called “little brother.”
Even the few times he had initiative called him “brother,” he had always deliberately made the atmosphere strange.
Gu Tang knocked his own head lightly. “How did I never notice…”
Maybe it was a side effect of kissing.
Every time Gu Tang closed his eyes, Young Master Gu’s enlarged face kept appearing in his mind, and his lips seemed to replay that kneeling sensation.
That night, he experienced the first insomnia of his life.
The next morning, at breakfast.
Gu Tang sat at the table with two dark circles under his eyes.
“Brother Tangtang has super, super big panda eyes!”
Yu Xi held a panda-shaped custard bun in his hands and compared it to Gu Tang again and again.
Helpless, Gu Tang patted his little cousin’s round head. “No talking while eating and no talking while sleeping. Eat your little bun and stop talking.”
“Oh…”
Yu Xi was very obedient. He lowered his head and took a bite of the panda bun, then lifted his face again to examine his older brother’s dark circles.
Although the dark circles did not hurt his handsome big brother’s looks, he had heard that only people who stayed up late working without sleep got panda eyes.
So what had his big brother been busy doing last night?
Why had he not slept properly?
Was he working that hard???
Yu Xi tilted his head and looked at his older brother worriedly.
“What’s going on? Didn’t sleep well? Is the bedding uncomfortable?”
Once Yu Xi pointed it out, Su Mei also noticed the dark circles under Gu Tang’s eyes and asked in concern, “High school senior year is stressful. Enough sleep is very important. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell Grandma.”
Gu Tang could not explain it, so he could only mumble a few “Mm-hmms.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Young Master Gu sitting beside him.
That person behaved as if nothing had happened, slowly pouring him a glass of milk. “Drink.”
“If you’re sleepy later, go sleep some more.”
Gu Tang: “Okay…”
Young Master Gu looked no different from usual, but Gu Tang did not even dare look at him closely. He picked up the milk and drank it in one go.
From the seat of honor, Gu Quan asked with concern, “Did our good boy study too hard? Go to bed earlier at night and don’t stay up too late.”
“Mm-hmm…”
Gu Tang nodded guiltily and kept drinking his milk.
After finally finishing the whole glass, the moment he lifted his face, a napkin was already waiting at his mouth.
With long, elegant fingers, Young Master Gu used the napkin to wipe his lips, following the line of them little by little.
Last night’s stimulation was still fresh. Gu Tang’s ears immediately turned red.
His back stiffened, and he did not dare move at all.
But the whole family had long since grown used to Gu Qinian taking care of Gu Tang like this, so everyone simply continued eating and did not find anything strange.
Only Shen Ningqing, sharp and observant as ever, immediately noticed that something was off in Gu Tang’s expression.
Normally, their good boy would only smile sweetly and say softly, “Thank you, Niannian.”
But today, Gu Tang had flushed from cheeks all the way to the roots of his ears, his eyes darted everywhere, and he did not even dare look at her son.
What had happened?
Shen Ningqing did not even need to ask to guess. She turned and glared at her biological son.
Meeting his mother’s warning gaze, Gu Qinian showed no reaction at all and continued calmly wiping Gu Tang’s mouth.
“What’s Gu Lin been busy with lately?”
Noticing the empty dining chair, Gu Quan asked curiously, “Why has Ah Lin been coming home less and less?”
Ever since Yu Xi came to the Gu family house, Madam Su had thrown herself completely into raising the little one and had long ago tossed her own grown son to the back of her mind. Hearing Gu Quan mention it, she too grew confused.
Su Mei said, “Has his media company been that busy?”
Gu Quan said casually, “Could he be seeing someone? Didn’t someone show up in the family group chat before…”
Clang—
Before he could finish, Gu Tang accidentally dropped and shattered a porcelain spoon.
He was so guilty his back started sweating.
Thinking about how his second brother had stolen away his uncle, he wondered if Papa Gu would be angry if he found out.
“Good boy, are you alright?”
Once Gu Quan saw Gu Tang’s hand was unhurt, he relaxed. “Breaking things means peace all year. That’s a good sign.”
The butler immediately stepped forward to clear away the broken shards.
Gu Qinian took another porcelain spoon and gave it to Gu Tang. Their fingers brushed accidentally, and Gu Tang flinched, instinctively shrinking back.
Luckily, Young Master Gu held on firmly, or else another spoon would have died a heroic death.
Gu Qinian’s brows softened. Taking Gu Tang’s hand, he placed the spoon into his palm and said quietly, “Be good. Hold it properly.”
That low “be good” made Gu Tang’s cheeks burn crimson.
“I… I’m full…”
Gu Tang set down the spoon and fled the table in a hurry.
Noticing the undercurrents between the two children, Shen Ningqing felt that something was wrong, and her brows drew together.
Gu Tang went back to his room and did two practice papers, trying to clear his head.
Otherwise, every time he thought of Young Master Gu from last night, even facing him became unnatural.
Come to think of it, he was the older brother, and Niannian was the younger brother.
No matter how one looked at it, shouldn’t he be the one guiding Young Master Gu…
After drifting through the morning in a daze, Gu Tang ran into Shen Ningqing when he stepped out of his room.
She walked over and gently touched his head. “Good boy, did something happen that’s bothering you? If your heart feels unsettled, you can tell me.”
Gu Tang hurriedly shook his head. “Don’t worry, Auntie Shen. I’m fine.”
How could he dare tell Auntie Shen about what happened between him and Young Master Gu last night?
Even if Gu Tang said nothing, Shen Ningqing had already noticed the clues. “If Qinian is bullying you, you have to tell me, understand?”
Gu Tang nodded guiltily, then shook his head again. “He wouldn’t. Niannian is very good to me.”
Young Master Gu was truly good to him.
He was the one at fault.
He was the one who had bent Young Master Gu crooked.
So now, even standing in front of Shen Ningqing, Gu Tang felt deeply guilty.
Just then, Gu Qinian’s voice sounded from the staircase. “Gu Tang, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the piano room to relax? Why are you still standing here?”
“Ah, right…”
Gu Tang scratched his head and went along with it. “I’m going to the piano room.”
Watching the most well-behaved child in the house flee in a hurry, Shen Ningqing turned to her son and asked sternly, “Explain yourself. What did you do to our good boy?”
Faced with his mother’s questioning, Gu Qinian did not deny anything. “I haven’t done anything yet. The college entrance exam matters. I won’t affect Gu Tang.”
The moment she heard that, Shen Ningqing’s brows shot up. “What do you mean you haven’t yet?! You actually intend to—”
“Mother has known for a long time already, so why ask a pointless question?”
Gu Qinian curved his lips. “And don’t keep saying random things to Gu Tang either. He’s timid, obedient, and prone to overthinking. It wouldn’t be good if it affected his exams.”
“Like I need you to tell me that?”
Of course Shen Ningqing knew exactly what kind of child she had raised.
Gu Tang was obedient, yes—but her own biological son was the real problem.
She looked at Gu Qinian silently for a while, then sighed. “If your father finds out, he’ll definitely send you overseas. He won’t let you have any chance to keep in contact with our good boy.”
“I don’t care. I can accept any punishment, but I will never let go.”
Gu Qinian’s gaze was deep and serious as he said firmly, “Gu Tang is mine.”
His determination startled Shen Ningqing for a moment, and the more she looked at him, the more she felt that this stubborn side of him was exactly like Gu Quan when he had been young.
When it came to the person he loved, he really would disregard everything.
Seeing that his mother’s expression had softened a little, Gu Qinian immediately pressed the advantage. “Do you all really want to watch Gu Tang get taken away by the Yu family? Could you bear that?”
Shen Ningqing froze.
Gu Qinian’s lips lifted slightly. “This is the only way to keep Gu Tang forever.”
Shen Ningqing thought her son had gone mad—pathologically possessive when it came to Gu Tang—but at the same time, she could not really refute anything he had said.
The problem was, no matter how much they wanted to keep Gu Tang, it still depended on what Gu Tang himself wanted.
“How does our good boy feel about it?”
Shen Ningqing asked, her thoughts in complete disarray. “You two grew up together. He’s always treated you like a younger brother. Could he really like you?”
The moment she finished speaking, she saw that her son—her cold, rarely-smiling iceberg son—was suddenly wearing a face full of smug springtime satisfaction.
Shen Ningqing: …Got it.
After taking a deep breath, she warned him, “If you dare hurt our good boy, this family won’t keep you.”
“If I ever hurt him, I won’t be able to keep myself either.”
Gu Qinian said it in a low voice.
After playing a few pieces in the piano room, Gu Tang felt that music had a much better calming effect than doing practice papers.
His whole person gradually settled down.
Once he had calmed, he suddenly remembered something important.
“Ah! I forgot to give Niannian his gift…”
Last night, besides the picture album, he had actually prepared another gift.
A proper gift.
Not the kiss Young Master Gu had wanted.
But now…now that he and Young Master Gu had already kissed, that gift had become tainted too, just like the relationship between the two of them. It no longer felt entirely proper.
Gu Tang hugged his head, overwhelmed by another wave of headache.
Maybe it would be better not to tell Young Master Gu at all…
[Host, you’d better think carefully.]
[You spent all your plot coins buying that thing. Are you really not going to tell him?]
The system was not trying to side with the male lead.
But since the plot tasks had already changed, what choice did a working system like it even have?
“I can’t say it, can’t say it…”
Gu Tang muttered it over and over again, then even ran back to his room and carefully locked the drawer containing the “gift.”
If Young Master Gu found out he had bought that thing, he would definitely think Gu Tang had long been plotting and making an invitation of his own…
Gu Tang: Ah, so embarrassing!
Watching its troubled host, the system shook its nonexistent head.
System: You humans are so complicated.
***
Author’s Note:
Gu Niannian: Let me see—what exactly did Tangtang buy?
Tangtang: No no no no no!
