Chapter 77: Duck Fight in the Bath
Gu Tang was trapped between the marble railing of the balcony and Young Master Gu.
The other boy had strong arms around him, not letting him escape.
Not that he had planned to run.
Once the kissing got too tiring, he very obediently wrapped his arms around Young Master Gu’s neck.
But even though he was being this good, he still got kissed until he could barely breathe…
Feeling the boy’s fingers weakly scratching at his back, Gu Qinian finally released him with obvious reluctance and lowered his head to look at him.
Gu Tang’s eyes were unfocused, his chest rising and falling sharply.
He looked as though he could not catch his breath.
Gu Qinian knew Gu Tang’s body had never been strong, but he had not expected that just kissing could make him short of breath. Startled, he immediately rubbed his back for him. “How is it? Feeling better now?”
“Mmm…”
Physiological tears had gathered at the corners of Gu Tang’s eyes, and both his cheeks were bright red.
But he still nodded obediently to show that he was fine.
Afraid he might have kissed Gu Tang too hard, Gu Qinian touched his cheek in distress. “If you couldn’t breathe, why didn’t you tell me?”
“…”
Gu Tang cursed him in his heart. Did you even give me a chance to say anything?
My mouth was completely sealed shut!
He had thought Young Master Gu had only wanted to bring him out to get some fresh air, maybe look at the stars and moon together, and at most stay quietly close for a little while. After all, they were outside, where there were lots of people around.
Who would have guessed that the other boy would ignore everything and hold him there, devouring him for ages!
Like a beast that had been starving for far too long—wild and utterly without restraint…
“You haven’t improved at all.”
Gu Tang poked one finger against Young Master Gu’s firm chest.
Seeing that, Gu Qinian grew concerned again. “Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“…”
Gu Tang pressed his lips together. They felt a little numb.
It was not exactly uncomfortable, but clearly there was still plenty of room between this and “comfortable.”
“Don’t tell me you really are uncomfortable?”
Young Master Gu frowned and sank into thought.
Just as Gu Tang was about to change the subject, the system suddenly spoke in his head.
[Host, what were you two just doing?]
Gu Tang’s face immediately reddened. “Nothing…”
[Liar! I got censored, so you must have been doing something inappropriate!]
Gu Tang: “…”
If you know that already, why are you asking?!
[Host, why aren’t you answering?]
Gu Tang: Because I’m shy!
Not wanting to explain any more to the system, he only asked about what mattered. “Why did you suddenly appear? Another urgent reminder?”
[Yes! The backend shows that the male lead has entered a state of self-doubt!]
[Host, please be careful. The male lead’s mental state is unstable, which could easily cause the plot to derail!]
Although the story had already gone who-knew-where, the most important thing right now was still to hold the line.
Keep the big direction, let the small details slide.
As long as they kept following the main path of “the male lead rises,” it should be fine.
The system reminded him: do not hurt the male lead’s confidence.
Gu Tang: “…”
Was it that serious?
Faced with the system’s worry, Gu Tang had no choice but to admit that Young Master Gu’s kissing skills still needed improvement. He said it while his whole face burned.
The system instantly jumped.
[You absolutely cannot say the male lead hasn’t improved!]
[The one thing men hate most is being told they’re not good enough!]
Was that how it worked?
After hearing that, Gu Tang hurriedly comforted Gu Qinian. “It’s not only your problem that the kissing wasn’t good. I’m responsible too. We haven’t practiced at all for such a long time…”
There had been several months before the college entrance exam, and the two of them had not kissed even once.
Wasn’t it normal that he had not improved…
But the moment he said that, Young Master Gu nodded solemnly. “You’re right. If we kiss more in the future, I’ll get better.”
Gu Tang: “?”
Young Master Gu looked at him with shining eyes. “You’ll practice with me, right?”
Gu Tang: “…”
Was it his imagination?
Why did Young Master Gu suddenly feel so… tea-like?
After thinking for a moment, Gu Qinian asked again, “What kind do you like?”
He was clearly asking what kind of kissing he liked, yet his tone was as natural as if he were only asking what flavor of cake he preferred.
Too embarrassed, Gu Tang turned his head aside, cheeks red, and whispered, “…Something gentler, I guess.”
Gu Qinian nodded as if he understood, then pressed, “How gentle?”
“How about Director Tangtang demonstrates for me?”
Every winter and summer vacation, Gu Tang went to help at Tang Tang Orphanage, and the people there all called him Director Tangtang.
When he taught painting or piano, the little kids would also crowd around him and say in sweet little voices, “Director Tangtang, show us again!”
But somehow, when the title came out of Young Master Gu’s mouth, it changed flavor completely.
Both of Gu Tang’s cheeks burned. “Don’t call me that randomly…”
“Director Tangtang doesn’t want to teach me?”
Young Master Gu lowered his brows and eyes, pouted slightly, and looked at him pitifully from underneath his lashes.
Gu Tang: “…”
Right. He could confirm it now.
It was not his imagination.
Young Master Gu really was being unbearably tea-like!
“I’ll teach you, I’ll teach you.”
Gu Tang held Young Master Gu’s face in both hands, took a deep breath, lifted his chin, and leaned in until their lips touched.
Because he was shy, the boy’s lips trembled very slightly, but they were unbelievably soft.
Gu Qinian froze for a second.
He had only meant to tease him a little.
He had not expected his sweet, innocent treasure to take it seriously.
Gu Qinian suddenly did not dare move. Afraid of scaring him off, he simply bent forward slightly and stood there, waiting to see what Gu Tang would do.
The boy nuzzled and tested him like a little animal, then his soft, damp lips brushed lightly against his, settling on his lower lip and sucking at it little by little, like a tiny fish nibbling at food.
It was unbearably cute and unbearably seductive…
Gu Qinian’s lips curved, and his arm wrapped itself around the boy’s slender waist.
In an instant, offense and defense switched places.
By the time he was being kissed until he felt dizzy, Gu Tang was numb with the thought: no wonder he’s the male lead…
He learns everything so fast.
He had not even explained clearly what he meant, yet Young Master Gu had already somehow grasped the type of kiss he liked and was kissing him until his mind turned hazy.
He had not touched a drop of alcohol, yet he felt almost drunk…
The two finally parted after who knew how long.
Gu Tang leaned back against Young Master Gu’s chest, breathing softly. Looking up at the round full moon above, he touched his swollen lips.
The corners of his mouth could not help curling upward.
Suddenly he felt that changing the nature of his relationship with Young Master Gu was actually pretty nice.
If it had been anyone else, he thought he would never have accepted something so intimate and embarrassing.
Just imagining kissing anyone else made his whole body crawl.
Only Niannian was okay.
Kissing Niannian felt good…
“What are you thinking about?”
Gu Qinian kissed lightly behind the boy’s ear, and when he saw that he was still dazed, he deliberately teased him. “Brother?”
“!”
Gu Tang’s whole body jolted.
He turned his head and glared at him indignantly. “Did you do that on purpose?!”
Earlier it had been “Director Tangtang,” and now it was “brother.” Was Young Master Gu doing this just to make fun of him?
Seeing the blush spread beautifully across the boy’s ear, Gu Qinian lowered his head and kissed that little red ear again, then asked innocently, “Wasn’t it you who wanted me to call you that, brother?”
Gu Tang covered his ear. “You’re not allowed to say it anymore.”
He knew it—Young Master Gu’s desire for revenge was terrifyingly strong!
Once he had successfully stopped Young Master Gu from calling him “brother” again, Gu Tang turned away and looked back up at the moon.
His back found a comfortable position against the broad chest behind him, and he felt the arms around him tighten slightly.
Gu Tang could not help lifting the corners of his lips.
Arrogant, awkward, tea-like Young Master Gu.
He liked all of him.
[Ahem, ahem…]
[Host, please receive the cannon-fodder fake young master’s new task.]
The system, of course, did not actually need to cough.
It just needed some kind of opening to remind the host of its existence.
Otherwise, just like before, the host would be in the middle of talking to it and then suddenly go do inappropriate things with the male lead, leaving it black-screened again for ages.
Gu Tang’s eyes widened. “The plot’s already twisted into this shape, and there are still cannon-fodder tasks?”
“Are you sure it’s not a romance-line task?”
[No, it’s definitely not!]
The system answered with great certainty.
After learning that the pink “disgust value” on Young Master Gu’s side had actually been “heart-flutter value,” Gu Tang had at first been pretty worried, afraid that a major plot had been changed.
But the system had explained that the original book had never fully described the male lead’s emotional line, so that whole route was basically a question mark.
And if it was a question mark, then even if it merged with the cannon-fodder fake young master’s storyline, that did not seem to count as a contradiction.
At the very least, the main brain had not judged the cannon-fodder tasks as failed.
Which meant that as long as Gu Tang kept completing the original tasks, the romance part was just an added reward track.
Gu Tang actually thought that was a pretty good deal.
“Alright then. What’s the new task?” he asked.
[After the college entrance exam, the male lead will move toward a new life direction, and the cannon-fodder fake young master’s provocations toward him will also escalate…]
[Please complete the key plot task “Stand Opposed to the Male Lead.” Time limit: 24 hours. Reward: 100 life points and 10 plot coins!]
The reward was generous, but why was there a time limit this time?
Gu Tang frowned. “How am I supposed to do that?”
He and Young Master Gu simply could not quarrel.
Forget now, when the two of them were dating—even in the past, Young Master Gu had always yielded to him in everything, and on top of that he barely talked…
“There’s no soil for a fight to grow in, and no opportunity for us to stand opposed at all!”
Gu Tang protested with a wrinkled little face.
The system had no solution either, so it could only encourage him.
[The key plot task cannot be changed. The countdown is a bit tight this time, but Host, you’re the best!]
[Think of the reward. Come on! Go!]
Gu Tang: “…”
He had spent all of his previously earned plot coins buying Young Master Gu’s birthday gift. This task alone would reward ten coins—that was one hundred thousand yuan. For his tiny savings, it was exactly what he needed.
And those 100 life points could also be split in half again and shared with his father.
More importantly, this was not a plot he could refuse.
So he had no choice but to accept it.
Gu Tang nodded. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“You’re zoning out again?”
Young Master Gu suddenly lifted a hand and tapped him lightly on the nose.
Hurriedly, Gu Tang said to the system in secret, “Got it. I’ll do the task as soon as possible, so hurry and go!”
[Alright…]
The system retreated gloomily, full of resentment.
Why did it always have to leave the moment the male lead appeared?
It was not some illicit little system sneaking around with the host, hmph!
Gu Tang kept the “stand opposed” task in mind and turned to look at Young Master Gu.
Taking a deep breath, he said in the most quarrelsome tone he could manage, “…That’s right. Even when I’m with you, I’m still thinking about other things.”
Gu Qinian narrowed his eyes. “Oh? Thinking about what?”
“I’m not telling you!”
Gu Tang raised his chin. “I have tons of thoughts and a whole belly full of bad intentions. Aren’t you curious?”
Come on, fight with me!
Let’s hurry up and complete the “stand opposed” task!
Seeing the boy’s shifting gaze, Gu Qinian’s eyes darkened slightly.
He had watched Gu Tang grow up from childhood. Of course he knew that although Gu Tang was simple and pure, he carried many thoughts inside, as though he were hiding some secret he could not tell anyone. He often drifted off alone or muttered to himself.
But since Gu Tang had grown up under his nose, what did it matter even if he held some enormous secret?
Wasn’t he himself a man reborn from a previous life?
If he were not afraid of scaring Gu Tang, he would have liked to confess everything he once lived through.
Perhaps Gu Tang had a similar kind of burden?
“I’m not curious.”
Gu Qinian brushed the hair away from the boy’s forehead and bent to kiss him there. “When you want to tell me, you’ll tell me.”
Gu Tang: “…”
Wah…
So troubling. What do you do when you can’t even find a chance to quarrel?!
And yet at the same time, his heart felt so moved.
Young Master Gu trusted him completely. Even if he really were carrying some bad intentions, Young Master Gu still wouldn’t guard himself against him.
Gu Tang wrapped his arms around the other boy’s narrow waist and rubbed his cheek against his chest in a messy little nuzzle.
His Niannian was the best!
Gu Qinian was slightly surprised by this sudden dependence, but he said nothing, only hugged the boy’s thin body. “Shall we go back?”
“Mm.”
When the two of them returned to the private room, they found their friends in various stages of drunken collapse.
Not fully unconscious, but each of them had gone soft and lazy with drunken haze in their eyes. Only Zhang Xiaoya was staring at them with open excitement.
Zhang Xiaoya, live performance: eyes shining, expression suspicious.
The way she was looking at him made Gu Tang’s scalp tingle, and he instinctively touched his face.
Other than it being a little hot, there was nothing on it…
So why was Zhang Xiaoya’s expression so strange?
“Are we leaving already?”
Zhu Xu had eaten until his belly was round and had no strength at all. He lounged weakly in his chair, leaning against his girlfriend, clearly not wanting to move yet.
Xie Qian was slumped in Song Chen’s arms without making a sound, looking as though he had fallen asleep.
Song Chen, whose alcohol tolerance was the best, was the most sober of all. He spread his hands toward Gu Tang and the others. “Can the Gu family clubhouse provide rooms? Why don’t we just stay here overnight?”
“That’s a great idea!”
Gu Tang turned and said to Young Master Gu, “Let’s stay here tonight too.”
Gu Qinian’s attitude was basically “whatever Gu Tang says goes,” so he nodded without a second thought. “Mm.”
Little Glasses also had no desire to go home and get interrogated by his father about how the exams went, so he strongly supported the idea.
Fang Chi was even happier. With alcohol in his stomach to lend him courage, he rubbed his hands together. “…Hehe, can I sleep with Tangtang?”
Before Gu Qinian could even say anything, Song Chen smacked the back of Fang Chi’s head.
Fang Chi clutched his head pitifully. “Brother Song, why’d you hit me?”
Song Chen replied, “I’m saving your life.”
The one who protested most strongly was actually Zhu Xu. “Why do I still have to sleep with Xie Qian after graduation? I refuse!”
Xie Qian lifted his head out of Song Chen’s arms. “Like I want to?”
Zhu Xu wrapped an arm around Yu Xinxin. “I want to sleep with my girlfriend!”
Yu Xinxin’s cheeks turned pink. “No. I’m sleeping with Xiaoya!”
Xie Qian, clearly delighted to stir up trouble, snickered. “Exactly. Zhu Xu, you dirty rascal, stay farther away from the girls.”
Zhu Xu kicked him. “Get lost!”
Out of everyone, Song Chen was least worried about anything except one thing: Gu Qinian ending up sleeping in the same room as Gu Tang.
Before, when they were in the school dorm, everyone had still been underage, and Gu Qinian was also the student council president, so it was impossible he would do anything too far out of line.
But now it was different.
They were eighteen. The college entrance exam was over.
It was exactly the season for cutting loose.
If Gu Qinian stopped being human tonight and just outright took Gu Tang, that would be disastrous…
The more Song Chen thought about it, the more numb his scalp felt. He was wondering whether he should risk his life to separate the two of them, when he heard Gu Tang say in confusion, “Why sleep separately? There’s a rest area by the clubhouse bath, and we can stay overnight there too. We can even chat. Wouldn’t it be better if we all slept together?”
Song Chen let out a huge breath. “That’s perfect!”
As soon as everyone heard there was a bath, they became excited. “Let’s go bathe!”
Only Young Master Gu alone looked displeased enough for his brows to clamp a fly to death.
Gu Qinian: “…”
Who wanted to sleep in one giant shared area?!
Since it was Gu family territory, the advantage was that Young Master Gu could make the rules.
The clubhouse was cleared out completely for the night.
The huge luxurious bath area belonged entirely to them.
Besides soaking and splashing around, there were spa and sauna services too, with fruit and desserts available in abundance. If they had actually had room left in their stomachs, they could even have added a seafood buffet.
The girls had gone off to play in the women’s bath, while all the boys stayed in the men’s side.
Gu Tang was in an individual changing room, changing into his bath clothes, when he heard Zhu Xu outside loudly insisting on comparing sizes with Xie Qian.
“Why compare with me? If you’ve got the guts, compare with Brother Song!”
Xie Qian sounded disgusted.
Zhu Xu instantly got indignant. “I’m talking to you, so why bring Old Song into it? He’s taller, of course he’d be bigger! Gu Qinian’s even taller, so why don’t you bring him up?”
Xie Qian shot back, “Do I look like I’m tired of living?!”
The two of them bickered all the way off.
Gu Tang shook his head. “Two children.”
At that moment, someone knocked twice on the changing-room door, and Fang Chi’s voice came from outside. “Tangtang, are you done? Want to go together?”
“You guys go first.”
Gu Tang had his shirt half off and his head still tangled in it when he answered, “You all drank, so be careful in the bath. Keep an eye on Zhengyu. His eyesight is bad, so he might not see clearly.”
Fang Chi: “Okay.”
Then he went off to find Little Glasses.
Gu Tang pulled his shirt off and hung it up, standing there bare-chested in only his underwear.
Knock knock knock—
The door was knocked on again.
He thought Fang Chi had come back to say something else, so he opened the door a crack.
Young Master Gu squeezed his way inside.
“What are you doing?”
Instinctively, Gu Tang grabbed a piece of clothing and held it across his chest.
The changing rooms in the Gu family clubhouse were not small to begin with, but once Young Master Gu’s tall body filled the space, it suddenly felt cramped.
“You’re just going out like this?”
Young Master Gu looked him up and down a few times and asked.
Gu Tang blinked. “How else?”
How was he supposed to bathe without undressing?
Gu Qinian frowned. “Then why are you covering yourself in front of me?”
Gu Tang: “Oh… right…”
But he still did not lower the clothes in front of him.
He was allowed to be shy, wasn’t he?
“How about we go to a private spring?”
Scratching at the floor with his toes, Gu Tang made the suggestion in a very small voice, then quickly found a noble-sounding reason for it. “You’re a clean freak, aren’t you…”
Only after hearing that did Young Master Gu’s tightly drawn brows relax. “Alright.”
Gu Tang also breathed easier.
Just now, he had been worried that if Young Master Gu got into the main bath, Zhu Xu—empowered by alcohol and stupidity—might drag him into comparing sizes.
When the two of them reached the bath and were still both neatly wrapped in their robes, Zhu Xu found it very strange. “Where’d you two go? Why haven’t you undressed yet?”
“Probably because they’re afraid you’ll launch a sneak attack, you??.”
Xie Qian cursed Zhu Xu once, then added, “Not undressing is fine. You can just wear your bathrobes into the pool.”
Song Chen already knew Gu Qinian would never let Gu Tang strip in front of the others, so he said nothing.
“We’re going to use one of the smaller pools. Do you want to come?” Gu Tang asked.
For the small pools, they just needed to open a few private rooms, which was very convenient.
Everyone knew Gu Qinian had a cleanliness obsession, so it was perfectly normal for him to go to a smaller pool. Zhu Xu shook his head. “The big pool is way more comfortable. You can even swim in it. I’m not going. You two go ahead.”
Gu Tang said, “Then don’t stay in too long, okay? Drinking makes it easier to get dizzy.”
Xie Qian waved a hand. “Relax, it’ll all just steam out.”
Seeing that his friends were having fun, Gu Tang relaxed and followed Gu Qinian away.
Watching their retreating backs, Song Chen suddenly jolted.
Bathing together…
Wasn’t that even more dangerous than sleeping together?!
Only when Young Master Gu began undressing by the edge of the private pool did Gu Tang belatedly realize the same thing.
The nature of their relationship had changed.
It was no longer the kind of pure brotherhood where they could bathe together without a thought.
The moment Young Master Gu started to take off his pants, Gu Tang spun 180 degrees on the spot and turned his back.
Gu Tang covered his eyes: What is improper to look at, I shall not look!
Splash—
There was the sound of someone entering the water.
Warm water droplets splashed onto his calves.
“Why aren’t you coming in?”
Young Master Gu asked from behind.
Biting his lip, Gu Tang felt that being this awkward was no good either. So he kept his back turned and slowly stepped down into the water.
Gu Qinian watched his sluggish movements for a while, then suddenly asked, “Aren’t you taking off your clothes?”
“I’ll take them off after I get in!”
Gu Tang’s voice sounded panicked.
Gu Qinian looked at him with leisurely amusement and only said, in a low voice, “Mm.”
The warm water rose up to his chest. Because of the steam and the distorted reflections, it was hard to see clearly beneath the surface.
Even the smaller pool could fit seven or eight people, so with only the two of them there, it still felt spacious.
Young Master Gu sat far away on the opposite side, head tilted back against the edge of the pool, his Adam’s apple prominent, his eyes closed in calm enjoyment…
He did not look like he was going to come closer.
Only then did Gu Tang dare take his clothes off under the water. Like Xie Qian, he wrapped a towel around his waist.
It made him look like he was wearing a little skirt, but it would not stop him from bathing.
Yet no sooner had he wrapped the towel than he felt the movement of water. Turning his head, he discovered that Young Master Gu had somehow moved to sit beside him.
Gu Tang’s face instantly reddened, and he tried to flee.
“Sit down.”
Young Master Gu said quietly, spreading his long arms along the edge of the bath. He did not touch Gu Tang, but still enclosed him completely within his range. “Otherwise, I’ll come catch you.”
Gu Tang obediently sat back down.
With both of them naked, chasing each other around seemed far too dangerous.
He hugged his knees and sat there like a little mushroom within the territory made by Young Master Gu’s arms, staring blankly at a little plastic yellow duck floating lazily on the water.
Suddenly, a thin stream of water sprayed onto his cheek.
Turning his head, he saw that Young Master Gu was holding a squashed little duck in his hand.
“You sprayed me?”
Gu Tang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
This was so childish—it did not feel like something Young Master Gu ought to do.
Gu Qinian smiled and squeezed the duck again, proving with action that yes, he really could be that childish.
A stream of water shot out of the duck’s beak.
Right into Gu Tang’s face.
“…”
Wiping the water from his face, Gu Tang puffed out his cheeks. “I think you’ve got it coming!”
What a perfect chance!
Young Master Gu was the one who attacked first.
He was about to complete the “stand opposed” task!
Gu Tang grabbed two little yellow ducks from the water, one in each hand, let them soak up as much water as they could, and then started spraying Young Master Gu furiously.
“Niannian, let me show you how powerful I am! Let’s see if you dare do that again!”
Gu Qinian burst out laughing.
His long, beautiful eyes curved, a faint red tinted the corners, droplets slid from his hair and fell onto the bridge of his nose, and his thin lips formed a soul-stealing curve.
Never before had Young Master Gu laughed so openly.
Gu Tang was dazzled by the sight of a wet, gorgeous boy, and only after the ducks had run out of water did he suddenly realize—
Why hadn’t the system announced task completion yet?
Was the attack power of the ducks not strong enough?
His eyes landed on a colorful water gun lying quietly by the side of the pool, and he narrowed them, licking his lips.
He was determined to win the “stand opposed” task!
Taking advantage of Young Master Gu’s distraction, Gu Tang splashed to his feet and lunged for the water gun.
Unfortunately, he moved too fast, and his foot slipped.
His center of gravity vanished instantly.
Gu Tang: “!!!”
Before he could react, he had already gone crashing into the water.
A surge of water swept away the towel around his waist, and he fell straight into Young Master Gu’s arms.
Gu Tang: Thank you. I departed peacefully.
Faced with such a sudden “throwing yourself into my arms,” Gu Qinian froze too. By instinct, he reached out and caught him, pulling him tightly in.
Something that should not have touched collided together.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the key plot task “Stand Opposed to the Male Lead”!]
[Your efficiency is so high—you did it in less than an hour!]
When the system tried to take a look at exactly how the host had managed to complete the task with such shocking efficiency, it discovered that it was still being censored.
System: ???
Why exactly?
What kind of task-completion process was it that a system like it was not allowed to watch?
***
Author’s Note:
Tangtang: I’m not the needle, wuwuwu…
