Lovers
With the school competition approaching, Su Zesui no longer had time to look for a better way to announce things officially.
He stacked the competition books he had written on his desk, forming a small mountain, then flipped through them one by one, picking out the marked difficult and unusual problems to redo, strengthening his memory.
When it was time to leave in the afternoon, he idly looked around the office while his oversized backpack—stuffed until it looked like a plump, round ball—sat obediently beside him, waiting for Gu Yilan to pick him up.
In the past few days, he hadn’t run into anyone on his way to the office. It felt as if everyone on the tenth floor had vanished since he left the hospital. Su Zesui chalked it up to his incredible luck.
This time, however, luck wasn’t on his side.
Just as he bounced out the door in front of Gu Yilan, a group of students who had just finished their experiment appeared on the other side of the hallway. They were chatting and laughing, and their gazes seemed to drift in his direction.
Su Zesui flinched, instinctively turning around, wanting to cling to Gu Yilan like his backpack—heavy and immovable.
But just as he was about to open his arms, he realized he couldn’t.
He was no longer the socially clueless kid from days ago who would shout “I want to sleep with you” in public, forcing Gu Yilan to clarify on his behalf.
He had learned some boundaries. For instance, he hadn’t made his relationship with Gu Yilan public yet, so intimate contact here was a no-go. Otherwise, people would gossip. Definitely not allowed.
So, like before, Su Zesui hid behind Gu Yilan, pretending to be invisible, waiting until the students greeted Gu Yilan and walked away.
Once the hallway was empty again, Su Zesui suddenly said, “I had another dream at noon today.”
Gu Yilan raised an eyebrow and adjusted the strap of his backpack with his fingers. “What did you dream about?”
Su Zesui replied, “I dreamed that in that other world, you didn’t talk to me at all. The voice recorder I used to pass messages only updated once in a long while.”
Gu Yilan lifted a foot. “Want to listen to a new recording again?”
“No,” Su Zesui lowered his head, fiddling with the flowing strap of his backpack.
Following the boy’s gentle pressure, Gu Yilan stopped walking and quietly looked at the boy with puffed-up cheeks, hearing him mumble softly, “Maybe the ‘brother’ over there likes someone else.”
Su Zesui waited for the man to ask, “Why?” Then he would hint that his other self there didn’t have an official status yet, and finally, he would go with the flow and suggest, “Let’s make it official.” The whole process was seamless, perfectly natural, and entirely reasonable.
But Gu Yilan didn’t play by the rules. Without a second thought, he said, “Impossible.”
Taken aback, Su Zesui froze. “W-why?”
“I wouldn’t like anyone else,” Gu Yilan replied lightly.
“How can you be so sure?” Su Zesui took a few quick steps toward him, hands clasped behind his back, walking backward. “The parallel world could be different. What if that version of you is a scumbag?”
“Then you’d better remember properly,” Gu Yilan smirked faintly. “Once you recall everything and confirm that the other me dares to bully you, I…”
“What will you do?” Su Zesui tilted his head.
Gu Yilan gave a helpless sigh. “I’ll let you hit me to vent, alright?”
Pressing the elevator button, Su Zesui frowned slightly, feeling something was off.
It wasn’t until the elevator in the physics building finally dinged and arrived slowly that he realized, indignantly, “Then… then doesn’t that mean you’ll get to feel pleasure?”
Gu Yilan turned his head, silently chuckling.
Su Zesui stepped forward and poked his conscience, saying, “You big villain. I’m punishing you by forbidding you from feeling pleasure from now on.”
Gu Yilan grabbed his hand and led him into the elevator.
Unwilling to be outdone, Su Zesui, trapped by Gu Yilan’s grip, still used his fingertips to tickle the man’s palm.
Gu Yilan glanced at the boy, who was pretending to be angry. Where the boy’s fingers scratched his palm, it felt as if electric currents were flowing, carrying an irresistible intimacy that made his heart tingle and race.
Gu Yilan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his low, husky voice carried the faintest trace of a smile: “No. I’ll have other chances to feel pleasure later.”
Su Zesui didn’t understand the hoarse riddle, staring into his eyes, trying to read whether he still had any self-harming tendencies. He spent the entire elevator ride of ten floors doing this before stepping out.
The first floor of the physics building was open to the public, with reading areas and cafes where students not in the department could enter. The crowd suddenly grew.
Su Zesui knew that Mr. Gu was both crazy and stubborn, and very serious when it came to matters of the heart. Before their relationship was official, he even kept telling people outside that he was “just a younger brother,” not even earning the title of a fake couple.
Even now, though they had officially become a couple, it would be too abrupt to reveal it suddenly in front of other students. It would be informal, lacking ceremony, and out of tone for someone as serious as Gu Yilan.
So, Su Zesui moved his sweaty little fingers and instinctively withdrew his hand from the man’s large palm.
Gu Yilan glanced at the boy, paused briefly to confirm he was fine, then quickly withdrew his gaze and returned it to the buzzing phone.
Outside the grand doors of the physics building, a few couples lingered, hugging, holding hands, occasionally kissing, making the most of the remaining time together.
In the past, Su Zesui would keep his head down, embarrassed for no reason, and leave as quickly as possible.
Now, he felt curious.
Not a prying curiosity into others’ private lives, but a desire to know, to explore.
He had kissed before, more than once, but no textbook had ever told him the “right way” to kiss, or the other optional things one could do alongside it.
He was genuinely curious—how did other couples kiss?
Was what he did with Mr. Gu—kissing, biting, touching—standard nationwide? Was kissing an uncontrollable instinct that naturally emerged at a certain stage of a relationship?
Curious kissing researcher Su Zesui squinted and sneaked a look.
. . . . .
A University physics building ranked top globally, tall and imposing, with a wide curved plaza in front, taking a while to walk from the main gate to the parking lot.
Gu Yilan lowered his head to check the butler’s message.
[AAA Butler: Young Master Gu, the Gu family couldn’t reach you, so they asked me to relay this. They want to arrange a wedding ceremony for you and Little Master Su as compensation. What do you wish to do?]
“Gu family,” naturally referring to those two.
[11th Dimension: Hold off.]
[AAA Butler: May I ask, Young Master Gu… are you already with Little Master Su?]
[11th Dimension: Yes.]
[AAA Butler: Then shall we still hold a wedding? It wouldn’t take much time. It would give Little Master Su a proper status. Otherwise, seeing other wealthy families’ weddings… he might start overthinking. What do you think?]
[11th Dimension: Not appropriate.]
Whenever the conversation turned to Su Zesui, the butler tended to talk more. He couldn’t understand why it was “inappropriate” and tried cautiously:
[AAA Butler: Is it because the relationship isn’t fully confirmed? Or does Little Master Su have feelings for someone else?]
Gu Yilan frowned.
[11th Dimension: His mental state has worsened, he’s not suitable for such lively or crowded environments and may become stressed. We need to proceed gradually.]
[AAA Butler: Ohhh, I see. Then it really can’t be helped. You were certainly more foresighted. (thumbs up)(thumbs up)(thumbs up)]
[11th Dimension: He’s shy by nature. You shouldn’t bring up private relationship matters in front of him. It’s better to act unaware so as not to trigger him—otherwise, it’ll be counterproductive.]
[AAA Butler: Understood, understood (pat chest.jpg)]
——Understood, understood, secret relationship!
After sending the message, Gu Yilan lifted his eyelids again and saw the boy who had just wriggled free from his grasp, now two steps behind him. The boy stretched his pale, slender neck, eyes fixed without a blink on a couple in the corner.
The couple hadn’t noticed the boy’s unabashed gaze. They were too busy in a passionate kiss.
As the two twisted together, the boy even tilted his head slightly along with them, eyes glued to the meeting of their lips.
Gu Yilan’s eyes darkened, his brow tightening. “Su Zesui.”
The couple in the corner reached a critical moment, and the boy who had been passive finally dared to touch with the tip of his tongue…
Su Zesui felt it keenly, desperate to see what would happen next. He murmured a half-hearted “hmph” to Gu Yilan, his gaze never wavering.
He had just clenched his fingers and widened his eyes in nervous anticipation when, in the next second, his head was twisted by a scorching hand, forcibly turned back.
“What’s wrong?” Su Zesui asked, looking at Gu Yilan’s stern face.
Seeing the boy still wanting to look back, Gu Yilan grabbed his wrist and strode toward the parking lot. “What’s so interesting? So focused?”
The man’s long legs left Su Zesui running to keep up, leaving him no energy to continue his “how to kiss properly” field study.
Looking at the man marching ahead without a glance back, Su Zesui frowned thoughtfully, adding another descriptor to the already serious Gu Yilan: traditional.
——Publicly kissing in broad daylight? Gu Yilan would definitely resist such behavior.
Su Zesui pressed down the budding thought of an official announcement deep in his heart.
Gu Yilan was the person he had finally pursued—he couldn’t rush and scare him off. The announcement could wait.
After rounding the corner past an open space, Gu Yilan glanced back at the boy still distracted. “Still reminiscing?”
Su Zesui’s gaze followed Gu Yilan’s thin, moving lips. Years of studying science had trained him to immediately practice what he learned after understanding the theory.
Feelings were no different. Having just learned how others kissed, he couldn’t resist wanting to practice on Gu Yilan—but was too shy to ask.
The boy’s silence only made Gu Yilan frown deeper.
Reaching the black SUV, Gu Yilan didn’t rush to drive. He leaned against the door, eyes lowered, expressionless. “Who kisses better, your brother or them?”
Su Zesui felt guilty, ears heating. After a quick check to make sure no one was around, he whispered, “Can’t compare…”
One was observing with a learning mindset, paying meticulous attention. The other… well, immersed in the moment, enjoying it—it would make him blush just remembering.
Of course, it couldn’t be compared.
Not only was his answer vague and hesitant, but it still lingered ambiguously without a clear conclusion.
Gu Yilan unconsciously ground his molars. “Alright.”
“You… you’re not upset?”
Finally noticing the man’s displeasure, Su Zesui, looking at the serious, traditional, conservative Gu Yilan, promised, “Don’t worry. I… won’t do what they did…”
Publicly kiss in broad daylight.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it all aloud, but he knew Gu Yilan understood—and would appreciate his thoughtfulness.
Gu Yilan understood.
——He didn’t want to kiss him.
Gu Yilan grinned so widely his teeth ground together.
Seeing that the man’s expression hadn’t softened, Su Zesui bit his lip, stomped once, and, with a decisive gesture between them, said, “Then… we’ll keep our distance.”
——At least keep distance in public. That should be fine now, right? You should be happy this time… wuwu.
Gu Yilan was so “happy” he almost bit through his own teeth. He turned around, opened the driver’s door, and got in with a face as cold as frost.
Su Zesui couldn’t read the man’s thoughts, but he had a strong feeling that he must have messed something up.
After returning home and finishing dinner, Mr. Gu didn’t ask him—as he normally would—if there were any problems with his homework. Instead, he picked up the car keys, said, “I have something to do,” and left coldly.
Su Zesui sat cross-legged on the bed. After running through several problem-solving strategies for the competition in his head, his mind began to wander uncontrollably.
——Why was Mr. Gu angry?
——Was it because he shamelessly stared at a couple openly kissing—maybe thinking, even though he was just as carefree as they were, the conservative Mr. Gu still got furious?
——Or was it because Mr. Gu’s possessiveness had exploded, and he didn’t want Su Zesui looking at anyone else?
He couldn’t figure it out. He just couldn’t.
But Su Zesui didn’t dwell on it for long.
Soon enough, Gu Yilan returned home from his errand, went straight upstairs, and casually asked him a couple of questions about the interview without any awkwardness.
“The day after tomorrow… I’m so nervous,” Su Zesui said, twisting his fingers.
This interview had been arranged by A City No.1 High School to boost its reputation. They would later combine it with footage from the school competition day to make a simple documentary showcasing the spirit and determination of first-year students.
As a quirky competitor who had switched from arts to science only last summer, Su Zesui naturally became one of the interview subjects.
There were pros and cons.
The advantage was that he had another chance to desensitize himself and be more socially bold. The downside was that if he failed under the pressure of the school competition, it would be a very public embarrassment.
“It’s fine. I’ve prepared a list of possible questions and will send them to you later,” Gu Yilan said as he approached, looking at the boy’s drooping head. “I’ll be right there with you.”
Su Zesui sincerely said, “You’re really the best.”
Gu Yilan hesitated for a moment, then said, “Since you’ll be on TV, I bought you some new clothes.”
Su Zesui’s eyes lit up immediately. He looked up in delight. “Wow… new clothes!”
——So when Mr. Gu said he had something to do, he had actually… gone shopping for him?
“Mm,” Gu Yilan said, bringing over the shopping bag he had casually set down on the table earlier. “See if you like them.”
“I like it!” Even before unwrapping the package to see the clothes, the boy kept exclaiming “I like it!” with little “wow” escaping his mouth.
Gu Yilan’s lips curved into a faint smile as he quietly watched Su Zesui carefully lay out each piece on the bed and admire them.
Su Zesui picked up one shirt, held it against himself, and exclaimed in surprise, “It fits perfectly! How did you know my size?”
Gu Yilan raised an eyebrow. “I told you, I remember most of what happened yesterday.”
Yesterday…
Su Zesui thought back for a moment and felt a warm blush spread across his face.
Yesterday, he had kissed Mr. Gu first. Then Mr. Gu held him and slowly measured him, hand by hand, learning the exact size of every part of his upper body.
Gu Yilan looked away for a moment, pursed his lips, and said, “Just because it fits doesn’t mean it’s really comfortable. If you like it, we can pick one to try on tomorrow.”
Of course, Su Zesui liked them. After much deliberation, he finally chose a cute light-blue shirt with a clownfish pattern.
It matched perfectly with their ocean-themed bedroom. He placed the shirt beside his pillow.
He was easily pleased. Not long ago, he had been sulking over his own overthinking, but the next day, wearing the clothes personally picked out by Mr. Gu, he felt happy again.
Su Zesui stood in front of the floor-length mirror in the master bedroom, admiring himself repeatedly while waiting for Gu Yilan to finish in the bathroom.
Today, Mr. Gu lingered a little longer.
Just as Su Zesui was about to knock, the man finally emerged.
At the sight of him, Su Zesui froze, his beautiful eyes wide with surprise—
Gu Yilan was wearing a light-blue shirt in the same color family as his own, but instead of a silly clownfish, there was a cartoon shark on it.
Clearly… they were wearing matching couple outfits!
Este mf de Gu es tan lindo… Como pasé del odio al amor por este hombre 😝