Pinching Face
In the field of quantum physics at A University, there was a legendary young figure. Despite his youth, he had already achieved remarkable success in academia, and through an election, had become the youngest president of the String Theory Association in the history of City A.
His research on “black hole entropy in quantum gravity” had even touched upon the possibility of the existence of parallel universes. According to his theory, the information inside black holes might be the very link connecting our universe to all the others.
His research results suggested that one day, humans might be able to travel through time and reach parallel universes—an achievement that shocked the world.
To outsiders, however, these dazzling accomplishments felt too abstract and dry. Over time, even the junior researchers in the same laboratory got used to it.
So they preferred to gossip about other things.
Like how ridiculously handsome their senior was—unfairly so—or how his personality was unapproachably cold and indifferent.
Everyone knew that Gu Yilan came from a wealthy family, but none of them could quite picture what his home life was like.
The longer they knew him, the more they felt… this man didn’t seem like he came from a normal family at all. It was as if he had popped out from between the cracks in a rock or fallen straight from the sky.
Because they simply couldn’t imagine what Gu Yilan was like in private—how he treated his family, what kind of child he had been…
What kind of upbringing could possibly produce someone so aloof and detached from the world?
And yet now, in a video feed from the great Gu Yilan, they saw a fair-skinned young boy appear on screen!
The boy puffed out his cheeks, flipping through a book with serious focus. After spreading the textbook in front of Gu Yilan and pointing to a question, he casually glanced around the room, totally relaxed—completely unlike the anxious, cautious way they all acted around Gu Yilan.
Through the slightly low-angle webcam, they could even make out the name of the textbook—
<Higher and Deeper Physics>
One of the must-read high school competition prep books, authored by Shen Chen.
For a moment, the entire online meeting room fell silent as everyone digested this overwhelming amount of information.
The notoriously aloof Gu Yilan… not only had a hidden, stunning little wife at home—but that “wife” was a high school student???
The boy glanced nervously at the camera, gave a tiny shiver as if afraid of being seen, and tugged on Gu Yilan’s sleeve.
Feeling the pull on his arm, Gu Yilan finally lifted his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping across the meeting screen.
At that, all five of them instinctively sat up straight and held their breath. Each of them had been crushed at some point by his casual, cold “redo it,” and now they had a conditioned fear response just seeing his face.
“Go on,” Gu Yilan said calmly, unmuting his mic.
“Y-yes.” The man presenting let out a breath of relief and immediately resumed explaining his patched-together research.
The others lowered their heads, pretending to take notes—but they kept sneaking glances at Gu Yilan’s video feed.
Even though the boy had quickly retreated from the camera’s view, leaving only a few strands of fluffy black hair, they suddenly heard a soft, trembling voice through their headphones: “Brother, I’m scared…”
“I—I studied…” The presenter’s voice wavered, nearly breaking down.
The others in the meeting all kept their heads down, silently mouthing: “Holy shit, holy shit…”
Because honestly, there were no other words in any human language that could capture their shock.
“Sit properly first,” Gu Yilan said as he placed the book between them. He lightly underlined part of the question with a pen and added unhurriedly, “You missed a few conditions. Look again.”
After handing the pen back to Su Zesui, he finally turned his gaze toward the people in the meeting who were still making exaggerated facial expressions.
“What are you all doing?” Gu Yilan frowned.
“Uh… S-sorry, Senior,” the man stammered, face flushed from being caught. His mind was now completely blank, except for endless loops of “holy shit.”
Even though Gu Yilan was actually a few years younger than him, his academic accomplishments and PhD status fully justified being called “Senior.” Not to mention, his calm and intimidating demeanor always made people forget his age.
As soon as Gu Yilan frowned, everyone in the meeting felt doomed, bracing for a cold scolding. At that moment, they deeply regretted letting gossip distract them from business.
But the next second, the little “wife” poked Gu Yilan again, interrupting his dangerous aura.
Apparently unaware that his voice could still be heard in the meeting, the boy asked softly, “Brother, is this right?”
Gu Yilan tilted his head slightly. His profile—sharp and smooth—was fully exposed to the camera.
He tapped part of the question with a long finger and replied in a calm tone, “Combine both conditions.”
That hint of patience in his voice was something none of the meeting attendees had ever witnessed. Normally, they wouldn’t even dare to bother the cold, temperamental Gu Yilan. And if they did gather the courage to ask something, they’d only get a chilly, “Can’t figure it out? Think harder.”
They were speechless. Honestly, just witnessing this scene was worth any scolding.
Prompted by Gu Yilan’s guidance, Su Zesui’s eyes lit up with sudden clarity. He picked up the pen and began working out the solution on scrap paper.
Gu Yilan’s cool voice murmured beside him, unhurried and composed, as if summarizing the key points of a formal academic seminar. Most of the terms were too technical, but Su Zesui managed to catch a few of the scolding phrases in between.
Far from feeling annoyed, he actually found it reassuring. His thoughts flowed more freely.
Once he entered that “problem-solving zone,” time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to go downstairs for lunch or dinner. And in another blink, it was time for bed.
Before going to sleep, he received a message from his parents.
After he changed his WeChat number, the family had created a new group chat called “Family Group.” Even with how busy his mom and dad were—barely setting foot on the ground—they still used this chat to talk to him.
[Dad: Suisui, your brother told us everything. Is the reason you want to marry Gu Yilan because you’re short on money? I’ll transfer you another 50,000 a month.]
[Mom: Are you worried about not being able to find a good competition coach? I’ve got connections—I found a few for you.]
A few days ago, Su Zesui would’ve responded with a dry “Because he’s a good person.” But now, something had clearly clicked for him. He typed without hesitation—
[(o^^o): Because I like him (Rabbit heart.jpg)]
With that one line, the family group chat fell silent for several minutes.
Eventually, it was Su Mingyu who broke the awkward silence.
[S: He’s determined to hit the wall before turning back. If he wants to get married, let him. He’ll come running home crying sooner or later.]
Su Mingyu had clearly spent a long time convincing their parents. And unbelievably, Father and Mother Su—who had always doted on their youngest son—actually gave in. Each of them transferred several million yuan into Su Zesui’s bank account.
That was when Su Zesui learned… he even had a bank card.
After saying goodbye to his parents, he began fumbling through his phone, trying to find it.
Since he had changed his phone number recently, all his accounts had been synced and updated. So it didn’t take much effort before he located the card.
One zero, two zeros, three zeros…
——Whoa. There was more than ten million yuan in that card!
Clutching his phone in shock, Su Zesui’s soft lips parted.
——That was so much money. How many bags of chips, bars of chocolate, mini cakes, and ice cream could he buy with it?!
The reason he had brought a whole suitcase full of chips with him in the first place was because he thought he didn’t have any money—so once he moved into Mr. Gu’s house, he wouldn’t be able to afford them.
Just like a little squirrel hoarding food, he’d stocked up on all his favorites and brought them over in one go.
But now…
Licking his lips, Su Zesui flopped onto the bed and started shopping for snacks, using the express delivery option and scheduling it to arrive the next morning.
They were getting their marriage certificate in the afternoon and moving in that night. Which meant this was his last night sleeping in the soft, cozy bed of the side room.
Feeling a little sentimental, Su Zesui tossed and turned. He took turns comforting his plushies, then stared at the blank white ceiling in a daze, before finally falling asleep much later.
. . . . .
The next morning, he almost overslept again after staying up late.
After quickly washing up and hurrying downstairs, he saw the front door wide open—with the butler standing in the entryway.
Outside, there were mountains of delivery boxes stacked up.
A deliveryman handed the butler a slip and said, “Hello, here’s your order: 1,050 bags of chips, 427 chocolates, and 152 strawberry-flavored mini cakes…”
Su Zesui stared, dumbfounded.
He—he really ordered that much?!
All he remembered was that during the livestream shopping session, the host had told him to buy, so he did. And when the host said spending a certain amount would get him a massive discount, he obediently added items until he hit the mark.
“Return all of it,” came a voice from the living room.
It was Gu Yilan, who had walked over, frowning.
Su Zesui froze for a second, then immediately shook his head like a rattle drum.
“Sir, just so you know, return shipping isn’t included,” said the deliveryman at the door.
“No return shipping…” Su Zesui repeated softly, almost pitifully.
“It may look like a lot, but if your family eats a little each day, you’ll go through it quickly,” the deliveryman added.
“Very quickly,” Su Zesui echoed.
“Return it,” Gu Yilan said again, tone firm and final.
“How much is the shipping?” The butler, not daring to go against his boss, quickly turned to the deliveryman. “We’ll return everything.”
Su Zesui pouted in protest, clearly feeling wronged.
The next moment, a large, warm hand landed on his head, gently pressing down on his black hair. Then it brushed sideways twice, as if measuring something.
The man’s voice followed lazily, “You don’t want to grow any taller?”
That sudden touch was like a bomb going off in Su Zesui’s heart.
His pulse began to race wildly. He looked up blankly at the man towering over him.
With his small face tilted upward like that, it made it all too easy for Gu Yilan to reach down and lightly pinch his pale cheek between his fingers—just a quick touch.
Gu Yilan’s expression didn’t change as he continued, “And you’re still this skinny.”
Su Zesui quickly lowered his head again, pressing a hand to his chest and mumbling a faint “mm-hmm.”
He no longer had the heart to care about all those many, many boxes of snacks.
Gu Yilan turned and walked toward the dining room, leaving behind just one sentence: “I’ve already asked Su Mingyu to cancel your secondary card.”
Su Zesui: !
——Wuwuwu, his tens of millions… wuwuwu, his endless stash of chips and chocolates…
He was heartbroken—but also easy to cheer up.
The moment he saw a glass of warm milk on the table, heated exactly to 37°C just for him, his sorrow was instantly forgotten, and he felt content again.
After breakfast, he was finally free to stop going separate ways from Mr. Gu. He could follow him happily into the study and sit down in his very own little seat.
As soon as Su Zesui got settled and opened his favorite competition prep book, a dark-screened tablet was placed in front of him.
“This is what you’re studying this morning,” Gu Yilan said from beside him.
“Okay,” Su Zesui replied, his eyes glued to the tablet with excitement. He licked his lips in anticipation, eager to see what kind of high-quality physics lecture Mr. Gu had found for him.
With a few taps of the man’s fingers, a long video loaded on the screen—<Understanding Severe Social Anxiety: Causes and Treatments in Depth>.
Gu Yilan double-tapped the screen. The video began to play, and a gentle young male voice said:
“Good afternoon, students. Today, we’ll be discussing something we often hear about—social anxiety.”
After adjusting the volume for him, Gu Yilan sat down and resumed his own work.
The video was high quality—the instructor was witty and engaging, using lots of animated graphics to enhance the lesson. It was way livelier than those boring middle-aged teachers in the typical physics competition videos.
Still, Su Zesui hadn’t slept well the night before.
And no matter how interesting you dress it up, if it’s not a topic you’re into, it’s still… a lullaby.
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. In less than half an hour, he was asleep on the desk.
Gu Yilan hit “Enter” to send off a document, then turned his head to glance at the boy sleeping peacefully beside him. He let out a silent sigh.
The boy was curled up, resting on his arms. His long lashes cast shadows under his eyes, deepening the natural color there and making him look like he’d been up all night doing something sneaky. Whatever dream he was having, he smacked his lips a couple times in satisfaction.
Gu Yilan didn’t wake him. He turned off the tablet video, reached into a cabinet behind him, and pulled out a thin blanket to gently cover the boy.
In his dream, Su Zesui was swimming through an ocean of potato chips, gobbling them up like crazy. He devoured every last one in the dream like a little bean-man before he slowly blinked his eyes open.
“Awake?” That distinct, low voice spoke beside him.
Su Zesui rubbed his sleepy eyes and instinctively mumbled, “S-sorry…”
But when he saw Gu Yilan’s raised eyebrows and teasing expression, he immediately snapped awake. He quickly covered his mouth, and his soft voice came muffled through his fingers: “N-not sorry.”
But the attempt to take it back was flimsy at best.
Gu Yilan gave him a cold warning: “I’ll let it go this time. But if you say it again, I’m deducting a bag of chips.”
Su Zesui blinked in confusion and mumbled, “I… I don’t have any chips.”
“From now on, the butler will give you one bag each morning,” Gu Yilan replied.
Su Zesui’s soft lips parted in surprise and joy. “R-really?”
“Mm.” Gu Yilan glanced at the time and stood up. “Let’s go.”
At those words, Su Zesui immediately straightened up and checked the clock—it was nearly noon. The thin blanket slipped off his shoulders and landed on the comfy leather chair.
They were going to get their marriage certificate! He was so excited!
Wait—no, no, not yet. First, they were going to meet Mr. Gu’s friend.
Work first, then happiness! Still, he was so excited!
Having always been close to his big brother through both lifetimes, Su Zesui instinctively lumped “family” into the category of warmth and safety.
So when it came to meeting Gu Yilan’s family, he wasn’t too nervous or scared. He believed those people must be good—just like Mr. Gu.
But when it came to friends, it was a whole different story.
To him, friends were like an unreachable reflection in water or a flower in a mirror—beautiful, distant, and fragile. And if he wasn’t careful, they could turn into terrifying monsters.
That’s why he was very afraid of Mr. Gu’s friends.
This time, the butler was once again tagging along, helping drive and run errands.
Mr. Gu told him that their destination today was a Chinese restaurant.
After they parked near the location, Su Zesui hopped out of the car. Seeing the crowd of people walking by, he instinctively shrank back and whispered nervously:
“Brother…”
“Hmm?” Gu Yilan had just gotten out of the car and walked over to his side, standing there quietly. He neither scolded nor rushed him.
“I-I want to…” Su Zesui mumbled, head down. “…hold hands.”
From where he stood, he could clearly see Mr. Gu’s large, strong hand—long fingers, prominent knuckles. The warm skin beneath which faint veins pulsed. Even now, relaxed, those hands still held visible strength.
If he could hold that hand… it would definitely feel warm, and very safe.
Su Zesui swallowed, getting a little impatient.
But his voice had been too soft—just a series of hums and murmurs. Gu Yilan didn’t catch it and simply said, “Let’s go. Straight ahead.”
Su Zesui pressed his lips together, then slowly lifted his much smaller hand and, word by word, clearly insisted: “Hold. Hands.”
After hearing what the boy said, Gu Yilan visibly paused. His Adam’s apple bobbed once, but in the end, he said, “Walk on your own.”
Su Zesui let out a soft “oh” and slowly withdrew his little hand.
He figured he must’ve been too eager—Mr. Gu wouldn’t be getting the marriage certificate with him for another two or three hours. It wasn’t time to hold hands yet.
No, not yet.
In the bustling street, Su Zesui was very cautious. Unlike at home, he didn’t dare let his gaze wander freely.
He kept his eyes fixed on the tips of his shoes, focusing intently on counting his steps.
But soon enough, he could clearly feel Mr. Gu’s intense gaze on him, and so he shifted his attention to that instead. This time, instead of being scared, he actually felt reassured.
“Mr. Gu, the little master looks really nervous. Why don’t you hold his hand?” the butler whispered.
“He’s too dependent on me,” Gu Yilan replied, looking at the boy in front of him. After a moment’s thought, he added, “That’s not a good thing.”
Most of the boy’s requests revolved around him, and that wasn’t healthy. It would hinder his growth.
The parking lot was close to the Chinese restaurant, and in just a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance.
Gu Yilan had a reservation, so he went straight to the front desk to confirm with the staff.
Several enthusiastic servers were waiting there. Su Zesui stood nervously a few steps behind Gu Yilan, eyes glued to his feet, silently waiting for Mr. Gu to come back for him—and quietly admiring how capable he was.
Mr. Gu is amazing. Even when talking to several people, he’s so composed and confident.
So amazing.
So handsome.
While Su Zesui was mentally showering Mr. Gu with praises using his limited vocabulary, two boys approached him from across the lobby.
“Hi, cutie. Are you here alone?”
Startled by the voice, Su Zesui looked up and saw the two of them staring right at him. He flinched and instinctively stepped back—only to bump into a broad, solid back.
“Don’t be nervous. We’re not bad guys,” one of them said with a smile. “You’re just really pretty. Mind if we add you on WeChat?”
Ever since the ice cream shop incident, Su Zesui had developed a certain level of trust and goodwill toward “duos who ask for his WeChat.” He’d even built up some immunity to the experience.
“O-okay,” Su Zesui said as he pulled out his phone.
“Haha, thanks!” The two boys raised their phones, ready to scan his code.
“It’s… it’s no problem,” Su Zesui replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s.
But just as he opened WeChat, a large hand suddenly pressed down over his screen. The next moment, Gu Yilan’s cold, warning voice rang out above him: “Scram.”
Su Zesui looked up in confusion—only to see Gu Yilan narrowing his eyes at the two boys, a dangerous glint flashing in his gaze.
Panicking, Su Zesui quickly clutched his phone and obediently repeated the word in his soft, sweet voice: “Scram.”
Gu Yilan: …
The two boys froze, their phones still awkwardly held mid-air: …?