Marriage (1/2)
The scene in front of them looked way too much like they’d been shamelessly hitting on someone else’s boyfriend—only to get caught red-handed by the actual boyfriend.
Awkward. Seriously awkward…
Under the cold, indifferent gaze of the man, the two boys stiffly pulled back their hands that had been hanging mid-air. They forced out a couple of dry laughs and awkwardly said, “S-Sorry to bother you.”
There were only a few people standing at the restaurant’s front desk, and honestly, the moment the boys stepped through the door, they’d noticed the tall, striking man. With his presence and aura, it was nearly impossible not to.
But they never imagined that the two people standing before them were… a couple!
They would’ve much rather believed that the boy standing there had been waiting for his gentle, soft-spoken, and elegant boyfriend who had just gone to the restroom!
In fact, the moment the boy backed up and accidentally bumped into the man, they’d all instinctively reached out—either to catch him or help him apologize for the accidental collision—hoping that the man, who clearly didn’t look easy to deal with, wouldn’t take offense.
Little did they know…
They’d totally misread the situation. It was so embarrassing.
The two boys bolted upstairs like they were fleeing for their lives.
“They ran off,” Su Zesui murmured as he watched the two boys disappear around the corner of the second floor.
He thoughtfully rested his chin in his hand, muttering to himself in different tones and inflections, repeating the word “Scram.”
Gu Yilan: …
Gu Yilan said calmly, “Don’t go around saying that word so casually from now on.”
Su Zesui asked with genuine curiosity, “Why?”
Gu Yilan glanced at the boy’s milky-white cheeks and those clear, innocent eyes. His Adam’s apple moved as he replied, “Because different situations call for different approaches. Sometimes it can backfire.”
Su Zesui nodded slowly, his thoughtful expression clearly saying: So that’s how it is.
The seats Gu Yilan had reserved were upstairs on the second floor, in the innermost area by the window. It was partitioned off, offering a high degree of privacy, and from the window, one could see a lush green park across the street.
As they made their way upstairs, the butler couldn’t help but whisper a question to his boss: “Young Master Gu, didn’t you say you wanted the little master to practice interacting with people? So… why did you drive away those two who tried to chat him up?”
As the butler of a prestigious family, he knew better than to pry into his employer’s private affairs out of mere curiosity.
But lately, Young Master Gu had assigned him to assist the little master’s social development. He couldn’t afford to act on his own whims—he needed clear standards and guidance.
Gu Yilan shot him a brief sideways glance, and the butler felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.
“At his current stage, he’s not ready to handle situations that complicated,” Gu Yilan said calmly. “It has to be done gradually—one step at a time.”
Hearing this, the butler finally understood and couldn’t help but inwardly admire his boss’s thoughtful approach.
——As expected of the boss! An expert in education!
Gu Yilan walked ahead and stopped beside Su Zesui, pointing to the innermost seat by the window. “Go on.”
To reach it, Su Zesui had to pass several occupied tables—a small but real challenge for him.
But he pushed through, darted to the window seat, and then sat down, clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
“Brother…” He looked worriedly at Gu Yilan, who was walking toward him. His little face wrinkled in concern. “Will… will people hit me?”
He’d seen news stories about socially anxious people meeting online friends and getting beaten up for not being enthusiastic enough. Would that happen to him too if he didn’t know how to talk when he met Mr. Gu’s friends?
The butler blinked, then quickly reassured him, “Of course not! With Young Master Gu around, who would dare lay a finger on you?”
Su Zesui immediately turned to look at Gu Yilan, who had just sat beside him.
Hearing this absurd exchange, Gu Yilan merely raised an eyebrow in silence. He didn’t confirm or deny it.
But that alone was enough to make Su Zesui breathe a sigh of relief. A warm sense of security began to spread through him.
However, the calm didn’t last long. A tall man began walking toward their table—it was the same man Su Zesui had seen last time outside the cafe.
“Gu Yilan, Su Zesui?” Gong Chuang gave them a wave from a few steps away. “Fancy seeing you again.”
There were only a few influential families in City A, and with just a bit of digging, he had easily figured out who the young boy was.
Striding over with polite confidence, Gong Chuang reached out to the boy sitting next to Gu Yilan. “Hello, I’m Gong Chuang.”
He had just come straight from the lab, rushing to the address Gu Yilan had sent him.
He was genuinely curious.
He’d known Gu Yilan for nearly twenty years. Their families were similar, and their educational paths were nearly identical. But for reasons never explained, Gu Yilan had always kept him at arm’s length—aloof to the point of coldness.
This was the first time Gu Yilan had ever invited him out. He’d even skipped a family elder’s 75th birthday just to see what big event could have prompted such a rare invitation—especially one that involved bringing along this adorable young companion.
Gu Yilan hadn’t told him much in their messages—only that he should speak gently when he arrived and not scare Su Zesui.
Gong Chuang had scoffed at the time.
——Scare him? Me? I have a handsome face and a kind soul—kids at family reunions love me! Why do I sound like a walking plague in your version?
He’d reflected afterward. The last time outside the cafe was kind of a disaster. He’d blurted out way too many technical terms and probably came off as distant. This time, he was determined to smile, be approachable, and talk about stuff kids like.
Smiling warmly, he reached out his hand again, ready to chat about the latest celebrity concert in City A—when he saw the boy flinch, clutch Gu Yilan’s arm, and hide his entire face behind the man’s back.
Gong Chuang: “…?”
Clearly something had gone wrong.
“Ahem… Zesui, right? Hello.”
But the more he spoke, the more Su Zesui trembled. Gong Chuang was at a complete loss. “I-I’m not a kidnapper, I swear.”
To Su Zesui, being called by name by a semi-stranger was as terrifying as being called on in class when you forgot your homework.
The words had struck straight at the heart of his worst fear. He squeezed his eyes shut, holding his breath, and buried his little face like an ostrich behind Gu Yilan.
“Relax,” Gu Yilan said softly, turning his head slightly. His tone was calm, gently coaxing.
To Su Zesui, it was like a beam of light breaking through a dark world. He finally saw a way forward. Slowly, he loosened his grip and began to relax his stiff body.
“Deep breath,” Gu Yilan guided again.
“Hu——Hu——” Su Zesui puffed out his pale cheeks and obediently exhaled in small bursts, though he still didn’t dare look at the man across from him.
Seeing how a simple greeting had caused such distress, Gong Chuang was completely bewildered. He stood frozen beside the table, managing only a weak, “S-sorry?”
Gu Yilan looked up and shot him a glance. Gong Chuang instantly knew to keep his mouth shut.
It took nearly five minutes of comforting before Su Zesui could peek out from behind Gu Yilan’s back, revealing half his face. In a soft, shy voice, he said, “H-hello.”
Gong Chuang had never seen Gu Yilan be this patient with anyone. Just as he was wondering whether to speak again, a WeChat notification popped up:
[11th Dimension]: Keep your sentences short, formal, and pronounce each word clearly.
Gong Chuang instantly understood.
——He wanted him to act more robotic.
After pouring hot water for the three of them, the butler quietly went downstairs to wait.
Gong Chuang spoke clearly and formally, “May I ask if you’ve ordered?”
Gu Yilan turned his head and looked at the boy, motioning for him to speak. Su Zesui timidly replied, “I’m not sure.”
The boy kept his gaze lowered, eyes fixed on the teacup in front of him. His voice was so soft that Gong Chuang had to read his lips to figure out what he said.
Gong Chuang was momentarily stunned, but before he could respond, Gu Yilan turned back and calmly said, “It’s been ordered.”
Gong Chuang: ?
——You ordered the food, but you just had to wait until the kid said “I don’t know” before you spoke up?
———What’s your problem?
Before he could voice his confusion, the boy softly repeated, “It’s been ordered.”
Gong Chuang: ???
——Can someone explain what the hell is going on between these two?
Su Zesui was clearly imitating Gu Yilan’s usual cold tone and delivery, but with his naturally soft, clear voice—light and gentle like snow—it ended up sounding… weirdly cute.
If the situation weren’t so absurd, Gong Chuang would’ve really wanted to tease him more.
Since they were being treated to the meal, Gong Chuang didn’t feel it was right to call over a server and add more dishes.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, then picked it up again and took another sip—he’d never felt time crawl this slowly before.
“Talk,” Gu Yilan finally broke the silence.
“I…”
“You two…”
Gong Chuang and Su Zesui spoke at the same time, then both immediately fell silent.
Gong Chuang was honestly speechless. These two had managed to turn a full-on extrovert like him into a mute.
“What are your plans after lunch?” Gong Chuang tried to regain his usual social grace and charm, glancing naturally between Gu Yilan and the timid boy.
Su Zesui didn’t take long to answer. He fiddled with his fingers and softly said, “Get a marriage certificate.”
Gong Chuang nearly dropped his teacup. “What?!”
Only after receiving a warning glare from Gu Yilan did he force himself to calm down.
——…Thanks for taking time out of your clearly very busy lives to mess with me.
“You two…” Gong Chuang was at a loss for words.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but sitting with these two felt oddly like being a test proctor. Gu Yilan was reviewing the questions, and the boy was nervously answering them.
“How did you two meet?” Gong Chuang gave it another shot.
“…At the club,” Su Zesui replied.
“How long have you known each other?” Gong Chuang asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Su Zesui seriously counted on his fingers, then obediently answered, “Fifteen days.”
Gong Chuang sucked in a breath and tightened his grip on the teacup. He shot Gu Yilan a meaningful look, suddenly intrigued again, and eagerly asked, “So… how far have you gotten?”
Su Zesui didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t even sure what “steps” there were, so he turned helplessly to the man beside him for help.
Gu Yilan took a sip of cold water and flatly said, “Ask something else.”
Gong Chuang: …
——Boring man.
After enduring several more rounds of awkwardness, the food finally arrived.
Looking at the meal in front of him, which was mostly made with sweet ingredients, Gong Chuang said in some shock, “Weren’t you the one who used to hate sweet things the most? Why did you order so much today? Sweet and sour ribs, Kung Pao chicken, honey-glazed char siu, pineapple sweet and sour pork…”
Hearing this, Su Zesui also glanced at the man beside him.
Gu Yilan remained expressionless and said, “I don’t mind eating anything.”
Gong Chuang clicked his tongue lightly, his face a vivid mix of emotions, difficult to describe in words.
Gu Yilan ignored the performance, pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the drawer, and placed them on the boy’s bowl. “Eat. No need to talk.”
Su Zesui whispered, “Thank you,” then happily picked up the chopsticks. Seeing the table full of his favorite dishes, he licked his soft lips.
After a completely silent lunch, the three of them headed downstairs together.
At the first-floor exit, there was a self-serve ice cream machine. As soon as Su Zesui saw it, he froze in place, unable to take another step. His eyes lit up as he looked at Gu Yilan.
Gu Yilan gave a slight nod. “Go ahead.”
Once the boy happily ran over to the nearby machine, Gong Chuang finally asked, “So why exactly did you ask me out today? What, still not planning to tell me?”
Gu Yilan replied, “It’s already over.”
Gong Chuang: “?”
Gu Yilan said flatly, “I just wanted him to have some interaction with strangers.”
Gong Chuang: “???”
——You’ve got to be kidding me.
——I ditched my great-uncle-in-law’s 75th birthday party for this?
——You bring me all the way out here just for that?!
Noticing that ever since the boy had run off, Gu Yilan’s gaze had remained steadily fixed on his slender figure, Gong Chuang clicked his tongue and said, impressed, “Wow, never thought I’d see the day—you really like someone this much?”
Gu Yilan’s gaze lingered on the boy’s slightly confused figure. “He’s just a younger brother.”
“Younger brother?!” Gong Chuang’s mouth twitched. “You’re seriously planning to register your marriage with your younger brother?!”
Before he could finish the sentence, the boy had already turned and was running back toward them.
Gong Chuang instantly shut his mouth, swallowed the curse words, and resumed his role as the poised, mature next-door big brother.
“Brother,” Su Zesui panted slightly as he looked up at Gu Yilan. “I don’t have any money…”
Hearing this, Gu Yilan nodded and stretched out his long legs, following the boy back toward the ice cream machine.
Gong Chuang stayed in place, watching as Gu Yilan leaned down to say a few things to the boy. Then, Su Zesui broke into a shy smile and responded softly.
But Gong Chuang didn’t hear a single word.
He just stared at the big “LIMITED TIME OFFER – 6 yuan per cone” sign on the ice cream machine.
His face turned a kaleidoscope of colors.
——Seriously? What kind of stingy “big brother” won’t even give a kid six yuan?
——And what kind of angel child is this? So easy to please? Where did he even find him?