Chapter 84: A Shaky Ride Home
The shabby little car jolted and rattled as it moved.
Gu Tang felt as if he were sitting in an unstable cradle, swaying from side to side with every bump.
“…”
Gu Qinian glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then said quietly, “I’m making you suffer.”
Across both the Gu and Yu families, they probably could not scrape together another car like this. Gu Tang had been raised in luxury since childhood and had never endured anything like it.
Just as Young Master Gu was feeling distressed that Gu Tang had to put up with this hardship, the boy suddenly let out a laugh.
“Where did you dig this thing up?”
Gu Tang patted the seat cushion beneath him.
It was the only brand-new thing in the car. Gu Qinian had probably bought it specially so he would not get bumped around too badly.
With some helplessness, Gu Qinian said, “I searched and searched and couldn’t find a suitable car, so I asked Fang Chi to find one at the used-car market. I never expected him to find something this broken…”
“And even more unexpectedly, it still actually runs.”
Hearing Young Master Gu complain like that, then looking at the way his long legs were so awkwardly cramped in the driver’s seat, Gu Tang laughed even harder.
He playfully flicked the peace charm hanging from the rearview mirror.
He actually liked this car a lot.
“Fang Chi’s taste is as good as ever,” Gu Tang said, giving his friend a firm stamp of approval.
It was just like the batch of filming equipment Fang Chi had once purchased for the publicity department. They were all second-hand, cheap, and though repaired models could not compare to the newest machines, they were durable and practical—perfect for a school setting, where affordability mattered most.
This car was the same. It fit their old neighborhood setup perfectly.
Wobbling like a roly-poly doll with every bump, Gu Tang happily said, “This car really does have a lovely old-fashioned feel. It suits our home perfectly!”
The words our home struck exactly the softest spot in Young Master Gu’s heart.
Gu Qinian could not help smiling, and even the look in his eyes when he glanced at the wreck of a car became more gentle. His slender fingers tapped happily against the steering wheel.
“What happened to the old one?” Gu Tang asked.
Gu Qinian drove the rattling old car with great satisfaction and said casually, “I gave it to Gu Lin. He’d had his eye on that car for a long time.”
If the car went to Gu Lin, then the one who would end up driving it most of the time was probably Yu Yang.
Gu Tang clicked his tongue. “Second Brother got off cheap.”
“Did he?”
Gu Qinian’s mood improved even more. “Then I guess I accidentally did the right thing and scored some points with Second Brother-in-law.”
Gu Tang: “?”
He paused to sort through the complicated family relationships in his head.
Normally, the older brother of one’s wife would be called brother-in-law.
Realizing that, Gu Tang’s face turned red. “…Who’s your wife?!”
Faced with the question, Young Master Gu’s grin nearly reached his ears, and the corners of his long eyes curled upward in delight. “Whoever’s blushing.”
“Hmph.”
Gu Tang turned his face away, refusing to look at him, though the corners of his own lips could not help lifting too.
While waiting at a red light,
Young Master Gu asked on purpose, “Wife, what do you want for dinner tonight?”
Gu Tang did his best to control the curve of his mouth and deliberately looked around. “Hm? Nian-Nian, who are you calling? Where’s your wife? Why can’t I see her?”
Gu Qinian pinched his chin and turned his face toward the rearview mirror so he could see his own reflection. “See her now?”
“…”
Gu Tang had already begun to suspect last night that Young Master Gu’s cleanliness obsession was fake. Now he was starting to suspect his aloofness was fake too.
He tugged his chin out of the other man’s hand.
As he rubbed his burning cheeks, Gu Tang began thinking about dinner.
Gu Qinian prompted him, “We’ll be passing the dessert shop later. Do you want to buy a strawberry cake?”
“Okay… no, forget it. Better not.”
Somewhat troubled, Gu Tang pinched his soft little belly. “I think I’ve gained weight.”
He did not know whether it was because his father had awakened, the college entrance exams were over, or he had fallen in love, but perhaps his heart was so carefree that his body had followed suit. These days Gu Tang had not a single worry. He ate well, slept well, and felt like even his stomach had gotten softer.
“Really? Let me see.”
Gu Qinian reached into his shirt and gave his waist a quick feel, then came to a conclusion. “You haven’t gained weight.”
It was simply that the boy was on the verge of becoming a young man. His still-youthful body was going through the changes of growth. Gu Tang himself did not notice it, but to everyone around him, it was obvious that he had become even more beautiful.
Only after the light turned green did Gu Qinian reluctantly withdraw his hand and resume focusing on the road.
Gu Tang was still dazed from having his stomach touched so casually. When he came to his senses, his face flared bright red.
He turned to look out the lively, bustling car window.
Coming home after class with a lover picking him up, the two of them buying groceries in their little car, then returning to their own small place to be affectionate together…
Wasn’t this exactly the quiet, peaceful life he had wanted in his last life?
If only it could go on like this forever.
One month into the semester,
Gu Tang’s life had been very comfortable.
He had more freedom here than he ever had in the Gu or Yu households. There were no elders restricting him, no fear of being discovered, and he and Young Master Gu had grown closer and closer.
Even to the point of recklessness.
Just last night, after dinner, he had leaned against the sofa with a full stomach. Young Master Gu had come over and said he would help rub his belly to aid digestion.
And while rubbing, the atmosphere gradually changed…
But strangely, every time he made Gu Tang feel good, Young Master Gu never did anything further to him. Instead, he went to the bathroom by himself to take care of matters.
Was that how other couples were too?
Gu Tang might never have tasted pork, but he had at least seen pigs run. No matter how he thought about it, that could not be normal.
His mood became subtly complicated.
Gu Tang: depressed.
[Host, what are you worrying about?]
Although the system could not directly read his thoughts, it could tell from his physical health data that he was in a state of anxiety and irritability.
This kind of issue was hard for Gu Tang to bring up.
But there was no one he could really discuss it with.
Picking at his fingers, he said hesitantly, “I have a friend…”
[?!!]
This was that legendary asking for a friend routine!
The system had studied the “human language” course.
Whenever the host used this tone to talk to it, what followed was usually some major life issue.
The system, suddenly solemn, listened very seriously for what came next.
Gu Tang stammered, “My, um, friend and his partner get along really well in every other way, and they love each other, but his partner won’t… you know… with him…”
[Won’t what…?]
The system was completely lost.
Unable to say it aloud, Gu Tang blurted, “That thing. Figure it out yourself!”
[…]
The system had no choice but to search the human information database.
A moment later, it came storming back.
[You and the male lead want to sleep together?!]
If the system had had a physical body, Gu Tang would have punched it on the spot.
His face burning, Gu Tang snapped, “How do you even know words like that?!”
[Didn’t Host tell me to figure it out myself? And now you’re blaming me instead…]
The system felt wronged.
Gu Tang took a deep breath. “So what’s the reason?”
[According to the data, when something like this happens, it’s usually either because he can’t, or because he doesn’t love the person. But Host is adorable, so we can eliminate the ‘doesn’t love you’ option.]
[According to this system’s analysis, there is a 90% chance that—the male lead is impotent.]
Gu Tang: “…”
Impossible.
In terms of both size and duration, Young Master Gu was very… exceptional.
In short, he perfectly met every exaggerated male lead standard.
Resting his chin on his hand, Gu Tang thought for a while, then suddenly realized what was wrong.
“I told you, it’s not me and Nian-Nian!”
Gu Tang protested loudly, his face still red.
[Oh.]
The system replied with complete numbness.
It was beginning to suspect that once the mission was complete, it would not be able to take its host away with it.
At this rate, the host would have to be crossed off the travel plans, leaving only the poor lonely system by itself…
It still could have gone to find its senior, but that senior had done strange things to it. It no longer liked its senior and never wanted to see it again.
Just then, the system felt the main core tremble.
“Boss, why are you trembling?”
It was cursing its host, not the boss.
Though to be fair, the exploitative boss deserved cursing too…
The core could not speak. It just kept trembling, as if excited.
The system: “???”
Getting cursed and still that happy?
Was it imagining things?
That sickly, obsessive vibe felt way too much like its senior???
“Tangtang, why don’t you look very well today?”
Zhou Ze came over to the studio and saw Gu Tang looking troubled.
Gu Tang obviously could not tell his friend about him and Young Master Gu, so he could only shake his head. “Nothing, I just didn’t sleep well last night…”
“What a coincidence, neither did I!”
Tan Mian stormed in with two huge dark circles under his eyes.
Gu Tang was startled. “What happened to him?”
He looked worse than Gu Tang did!
Zhou Ze rolled his eyes. “Nothing. Too many films. Kidney deficiency.”
“Absolutely not!”
Tan Mian defended himself. “I call it indulging in moderation. Who knew that bastard from the sculpture department would hand me one with two male leads? I swear I’m going to beat him to death today.”
The two of them were speaking in a way Gu Tang could not follow. “Watching films can make you kidney deficient?”
Tan Mian scratched his head irritably. “Are you seriously that innocent or are you pretending? All this while you’ve been dating two gu—”
Before he could finish, Zhou Ze clapped a hand over his mouth.
Tan Mian: “Mmff mmff!”
Zhou Ze snapped, “Shut your dog mouth.”
Gu Tang: “?”
One of them was trying to explain, the other refused to let him.
Only after a long and confused exchange did Gu Tang finally understand that his two roommates had misunderstood and thought he was dating two boyfriends.
“It’s not like that. The first car my boyfriend came in wasn’t his.”
Gu Tang gave a simple explanation.
After all, the car had gone to Gu Lin in the end, so technically that was not a lie.
“Oh, so it was a borrowed car.”
Zhou Ze let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry, we misunderstood you.”
Tan Mian also scratched his head awkwardly. “If you ever need help, just say the word.”
“Help…”
A thought flashed through Gu Tang’s mind. Suddenly, he felt that maybe learning by comparison—watching how other people handled things—was not the worst idea.
But after only a few minutes of watching, he was already miserable.
As expected, he could only accept Young Master Gu. If it were anyone else, even just looking at it made him want to throw up.
Gu Tang gave up the struggle.
The Mid-Autumn Festival only came with a three-day break.
There was not enough time, so Gu Tang and Gu Qinian had no plans to return to Jiang City.
Originally, Gu Tang had worked up the courage to use the holiday to sit down with Young Master Gu and seriously talk through the issue between them.
Instead, their high school friends somehow found out the address of their little place and all came over together.
When Young Master Gu opened the door, his expression was dark. “I thought we all agreed to go our separate ways?”
Zhu Xu barged in boldly. “Well, once I heard the two of you applied to Hua University, I filled out my own application for a university in the capital too. Since I had time, I figured we should get together more.”
“Exactly. If you can get into the capital, why go anywhere else?”
Duan Zhengyu walked in wearing a new pair of glasses, looking very scholarly. “We can discuss math problems together when we have time.”
Fang Chi followed behind them cheerfully. “I just barely got into a university in the capital too!”
After entering, Xie Qian handed Gu Tang the thing in his hand. “A gift from everyone. Happy marriage.”
Gu Tang nearly dropped it. “Huh?”
Song Chen, coming in last, covered his face. “…It’s for your housewarming.”
Xie Qian was completely unconcerned. “Same difference. Those two are going to get married sooner or later.”
Gu Tang: “…”
And yet Young Master Gu, to everyone’s surprise, became unusually hospitable. He welcomed everyone in, and even took the gift from Gu Tang’s hand and set it aside carefully.
He looked every bit like the male owner of the house.
Taking advantage of Young Master Gu being in such a good mood, Xie Qian slyly draped an arm over Gu Tang. “Why do you look all wilted? You’ve got that sexually frustrated look on your face.”
Gu Tang guiltily rubbed his own face. “Stop talking nonsense.”
Xie Qian narrowed his eyes. “Were we interrupting your couple time? If we hadn’t shown up, what exactly would the two of you have been doing in here?”
Gu Tang’s face was thin-skinned. Just a few teasing words and clouds of red bloomed over his cheeks. “Definitely not!”
“Really?”
Xie Qian nudged him with his shoulder, grinning. “You two haven’t…?”
Before he could finish, Gu Tang grabbed a mooncake and stuffed it into his mouth. “Shut it!”
Though the two were speaking softly, the living room of their small apartment was not large. Everyone else could still vaguely hear. Seeing Gu Tang’s flushed face, they all understood.
Song Chen, who had held back for years, still could not stop himself from saying, “The president really isn’t human.”
Even a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass near its own nest.
Yet Gu Qinian had gone ahead and devoured the one inside it!
“It’s not like that…”
Gu Tang turned toward Young Master Gu for help.
He had thought the other person would help explain and deny everyone’s teasing.
Instead, Young Master Gu said nothing at all and actually smiled as if silently admitting it.
No matter how much Gu Tang tried to explain after that, all his classmates looked at him as though he were already married.
“…”
Gu Tang puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Didn’t that count as lying on Young Master Gu’s part?
They had clearly never actually done it even once…
That night, everyone gathered on the little rooftop terrace to eat barbecue.
Gu Tang opened a can of beer.
A large hand reached out and covered the opening of the can.
“You’re not allowed to drink.”
Gu Qinian had seen Gu Tang get drunk before. He knew that just a little alcohol was enough to make him go limp, and that he was definitely not someone suited to drinking.
Normally, Gu Tang was very obedient. He would not even touch alcohol on his own.
But today his mood was off, and for once he did not want to agree with Young Master Gu.
“I’m an adult now, so I’m going to drink!”
Lifting his chin, he pushed Young Master Gu’s hand aside and gulped down a big mouthful.
Gu Qinian: “…”
He had noticed it already.
Gu Tang had been sulking at him lately.
Young Master Gu had reflected on himself many times and still genuinely did not think he had done anything wrong. No matter how much he thought about it, he could not figure out why Gu Tang was unhappy.
And now he even wanted to drink alcohol.
Fine. If he wanted to drink, then let him drink. They were at home, and nothing serious could happen even if he got drunk.
After thinking it over, Gu Qinian simply let Gu Tang have his way and went off to handle the food preparations.
Young Master Gu took over all the work, while Gu Tang sprawled over the little table, sipping beer little by little.
The bubbly drink was slightly bitter and not especially good.
It was nowhere near as nice as strawberry juice.
The more he drank, the more Gu Tang found himself disliking it.
At that moment, Xie Qian came over and sat next to him.
Xie Qian jabbed him lightly with an elbow, pointing toward Young Master Gu in the distance as he busied himself. “You know, I never thought Gu Qinian would actually cook for you. The feeling the two of you give off—do you know what it is?”
Gu Tang turned his head, his eyes a little misty with drink. “What?”
Xie Qian pinched his cheek. “I can’t decide which one of you people should be envied more.”
Before he could say another word, Song Chen came to drag him off. “Did you finish grilling the meat? Did you skewer all the corn? Sneaking off over here… and if you pinch him two more times, are you trying to make the Great Demon King go crazy?”
Before being dragged away, Xie Qian turned back and blinked at Gu Tang. “Still, I think I envy Gu Qinian more. Our Tangtang is so cute.”
Gu Tang made a face at him. “Get back to work.”
Just now, while listening to Xie Qian talk and drinking beer, he had not felt dizzy.
That gave Gu Tang the false confidence that maybe his alcohol tolerance had improved.
Everyone else was busy, and only he sat there leisurely drinking beer.
He swallowed one cool mouthful after another, gazing at the friends on the rooftop terrace, and at… his Young Master Gu.
Lazily narrowing his eyes, Gu Tang’s vision gradually blurred…
“Gu Tang, Gu Tang…”
After some unknown amount of time, someone shook him awake.
The weather was cool now, with the breeze of early autumn.
Outside it was fully dark, and only the soft golden terrace lights still twinkled faintly.
In front of him, Young Master Gu’s handsome features looked somewhat blurred in the dim light.
Gu Tang mumbled dazedly, “…Where are they?”
“They all went home.”
Gu Qinian touched the boy’s forehead and tucked the clothing draped over him more securely around his shoulders. “It’s chilly outside. Should we go inside?”
Although he phrased it as a question, in the next instant he lifted Gu Tang into his arms.
Gu Tang curled himself up, nestling against Young Master Gu. “They all drank… make sure you called cars for them…”
“I did, don’t worry.”
As he spoke, Gu Qinian carried him inside, then lifted one long leg and shut the terrace door with his foot.
Gu Tang had slept for a while, so he seemed a little more awake, but in reality the alcohol had not left him. His head was still fuzzy.
Tilting his head up, he looked at the beautiful line of Young Master Gu’s jaw, licked his lips, wrapped both arms around his neck, and leaned up to kiss him.
“Hehe, Nian-Nian is so pretty…”
Gu Qinian: “…”
Gu Tang had been saying that since childhood, and every time he said it, it was accompanied by a silly little smile.
The moment Young Master Gu heard that tone, he knew the boy was not truly sober yet.
Still, Gu Tang in that state was unbearably adorable.
His soft lips pressed against his jaw, rubbing there over and over with little smack smack sounds.
In his clear-headed state, Gu Tang got shy easily and rarely took the initiative…
“Hiss—”
Gu Qinian suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
Hearing that, Gu Tang let go with his teeth, then pointed a finger at the round bite mark now on Young Master Gu’s chin, looking extremely satisfied. “I’ve marked you now, so Nian-Nian belongs to me.”
“You’re mine alone!”
Gu Qinian froze and looked down at him.
The boy had always been soft-tempered and gentle, never especially possessive of anything.
Seeing him not respond, Gu Tang grew unhappy. “Aren’t you mine alone?”
“Yes.”
Gu Qinian carried him into the room, placed him on the bed, and knelt on one knee before him. “I am yours alone. I belong only to you.”
As he spoke, his well-defined hand wrapped around the boy’s ankle.
“Hehe…”
Gu Tang grew happy again, not even noticing that Young Master Gu had started removing his shoes and socks.
“Come on, arms up.”
Young Master Gu stood and coaxed him softly.
Gu Tang was always very obedient. Since his own Nian-Nian told him to lift his arms, of course he had to listen.
He raised both thin little arms high.
With one smooth motion—his T-shirt was stripped off.
The sudden coolness against his skin made Gu Tang instinctively pull his arms back to cover his chest.
Afraid he might get cold, Gu Qinian immediately grabbed the air-conditioning blanket and draped it over him, then reached for his pants.
This time, however, Gu Tang suddenly refused to cooperate.
Kicking his legs, he planted one foot against the other man’s lower abdomen.
“I don’t want to!”
Gu Tang frowned, pouting angrily.
Gu Qinian lowered his gaze to the pale, tender foot resting against his stomach, his eyes darkening a little, though his tone remained restrained. “Don’t make trouble. I’m changing you into pajamas so you’ll sleep more comfortably.”
But the moment he heard that, Gu Tang became even more resistant.
“I don’t want comfort!”
Gu Tang slapped his other foot against him too, and even kicked twice against his stomach as if throwing a tantrum. “Every time it’s just me being comfortable, and then you leave!”
“Waaah, does Nian-Nian just not love me…”
He felt genuinely aggrieved, and the words that came out were slurred and sticky with grievance.
Gu Qinian was tense from being kicked like that, but after a moment he finally understood what Gu Tang was saying.
“I don’t love you?”
He lifted his eyes and looked directly at the boy.
Gu Tang sniffed, lowering his head. “…Other people do it together. Why don’t we?”
“…”
Gu Qinian took a deep breath. “So this is what you’ve been upset about?”
The more precious someone was, the harder it was to move carelessly.
He had always been afraid that his desire was too strong and might hurt Gu Tang.
The person who had grown up by his side, the one from whom he had rarely been separated all these years, played many roles in his heart. At times a lover, at times a companion, and at times a little treasure that needed protecting.
He cherished him in the palm of his hand and loved him carefully.
Never in his life had he imagined that his restraint would make this little fool think he did not love him?!
Gu Qinian closed his eyes, then opened them again.
“Then why not see for yourself and test whether I love you or not.”
His dark eyes fixed on the boy before him. “Gu Tang, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you really sure?”
To Gu Tang’s ears, that sounded unmistakably like provocation.
The boy raised his chin proudly and puffed out his slight little chest. “If other people can, then why can’t I?”
As soon as he said it, Young Master Gu’s eyes narrowed. “…Other people?”
“Who?”
At some point, Young Master Gu had gradually lost the last traces of boyhood in his face. His features had sharpened, and when he looked at him now, the aggression in his eyes was undeniable.
Even with alcohol still clouding his mind, Gu Tang suddenly felt it very clearly—what he was facing was a man.
His presence was on a completely different level.
So was his physique.
Gu Tang’s arms and legs were much thinner than his, almost weak-looking by comparison.
Realizing that, Gu Tang instinctively started to back down. He shrank away a little and muttered in a tiny voice, “I saw in films that people do…”
Good. At least now it had become clear that he had been watching things behind his back.
Gu Qinian leaned down, bracing both arms on either side of him. “Which roommate showed you that kind of film?”
“No one.”
Gu Tang shook his head honestly, then added, “I wanted to watch, because I didn’t know…”
That answer relieved Gu Qinian at once.
“Don’t watch other people’s things in the future.”
His fingers stroked the milky white skin of Gu Tang’s ankle as he said quietly, “I can teach you.”
Gu Tang’s lips pouted into a little sulk. “Liar. You always just go to the bathroom by yourself…”
Before he could finish, his ankle was tugged.
Gu Tang fell backward with a soft thump onto the bed, his fine hair spreading across the sheets.
Young Master Gu planted his arms on either side of him, trapping him beneath. “Only I get to teach you these things. Understand?”
Gu Tang’s lashes trembled. Half understanding, half not, he nodded.
In the very next second, he was kissed hard.
It felt like a warning and a punishment all at once, his lips kneaded and rubbed as if the other boy were telling him over and over—not to go looking at anyone else.
Only when Gu Tang had cried did he finally ease off, kissing away the tears that had seeped from the corners of his eyes.
“Gu Tang, call me.”
Young Master Gu murmured the words right beside his ear.
Gu Tang’s mind was too muddled to think. With a sobbing whimper in his voice, he cried out, “Nian-Nian…”
“That’s wrong. Again.”
“Mm…”
Gu Tang didn’t know what he was supposed to call him, so in the end he gave up and cried out, “Qinian…”
“Good. That’s right.”
Since long ago in his dreams, Gu Qinian had imagined this moment.
Hearing Gu Tang call his name like this, crying.
It was strange. He couldn’t bear to make Gu Tang cry, yet at the same time, he found he especially loved seeing him cry.
Holding the boy’s slender wrist, his thumb rubbed the delicate bump of the wrist bone. His palm covered the back of Gu Tang’s hand, and his fingers slowly threaded themselves through the boy’s.
Their fingers interlocked tightly.
The white and green little gourds at their wrists knocked together with tiny ting-ling sounds.
Every crisp little collision made Gu Tang’s heart tremble.
His vision blurred with tears.
And through the watery haze, Gu Tang vaguely saw a streak of green seeping into the center of the little white gourd on his wrist.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and the tears clinging to his lashes fell away.
Then he saw it clearly—that streak of green was spreading into the white jade gourd, like ink dropped into water, rippling outward.
Then, as if by magic, the little white gourd began to emit a faint glow…
***
Author’s Note:
The green jade gourd: Work hard, feed the wife!
The little white gourd: I’m not pure anymore!!!
