If (7/9)
“Count you… count you as my brother,” Su Zesui said in confusion. “That is… family members.”
What he meant was that in the travel group, it wasn’t only his classmates—some were also bringing other friends—so it shouldn’t matter at all if Gu Yilan went. But whether the man had misunderstood him or was just looking for an excuse to refuse, Su Zesui couldn’t quite tell.
“Brother!” Seeing that Gu Yilan was about to turn back inside again, Su Zesui quickly called after him, pleading, “Then I won’t go with them. Let’s just go by ourselves. Where would you like to go?”
“There’s no need,” Gu Yilan sighed softly. “It’s better for you to spend more time with your classmates. As for a trip with just the two of us—there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”
Hearing the gentler tone, Su Zesui grew bolder. Puffing out his pale cheeks, he protested, “That’s not the same!”
When Gu Yilan remained silent, Su Zesui simply darted into his room, threw his arms wide, and flopped onto the man’s large bed, refusing to leave.
He was already in his loungewear, clean and neat as usual, and the bed was big enough for two. Unable to resist, he rolled around just like he used to when he was little, stubbornly repeating, “No.”
Gu Yilan: …
After closing the door, Gu Yilan walked to the bed and looked down at him. “You’ve been out all day. Aren’t you tired?”
“Tired,” Su Zesui admitted, rolling over to face the ceiling. “And then you rejected me, so now I’m emotionally and physically exhausted. Wuu…”
“At the end of August I’ll be quite busy—I might not be able to make time.” Gu Yilan picked up the phone from the table, pulled up the packed schedule his assistant had sent him, and handed it to the boy.
Lying on the bed, Su Zesui held the phone in both hands, staring at the dense schedule until his head started to spin. With a groan, he lifted his arms and tossed the phone onto the soft bed, muttering, “Then I can adjust my volunteer schedule so I can go with you.”
“Why do you insist on going with me?” Gu Yilan asked.
Su Zesui was a bit dazed by the question and said, “Don’t we spend every winter and summer vacation together? I’m not used to it without you.”
“Suisui, your eighteenth birthday is at the end of this month, isn’t it?” Gu Yilan suddenly asked, steering the conversation elsewhere.
Su Zesui nodded, but stubbornly dragged it back. “Then when the time comes, I’ll make a birthday wish—to spend the summer traveling with you.”
But Gu Yilan ignored that, and instead shifted the topic. “You’re an adult now. There are a lot of things you can do—like… start dating.”
Su Zesui froze for a moment.
——So that’s why Mr. Gu no longer restricted his contact with Shi Fangbin? Because… he was about to grow up?
The subject was so striking that it successfully pulled his thoughts away. Stubbornly, he insisted, “But I don’t like anyone else.”
“What about your classmates in the group?” Gu Yilan asked. “Any of them single?”
Su Zesui had spent the whole day worrying about why Mr. Gu’s attitude toward him had changed, so he hadn’t paid much attention to his teammates’ chatter. “I don’t know… maybe? I’m not really close with them.”
He didn’t notice how, in saying this, he had instinctively excluded the boys in the group; nor did he notice the faintly repressed look that flickered in Gu Yilan’s eyes after hearing his answer.
Leaning down, Gu Yilan casually picked up the phone that the boy had tossed aside earlier and asked, as if offhandedly, “And the boys in your group—they’re all straight, right?”
“Ah? I—I don’t know.” Su Zesui sat up, flustered for no clear reason. “I… I don’t like them, so I never asked.”
Gu Yilan raised an eyebrow and was just about to say something when his eyes caught an unread message on his phone.
It was a diagnostic summary from his psychologist earlier that day. The message warned him that excessive control could hurt both himself and others, and that if he kept pushing, it could lead to irreparable damage—like breaking the fragile balance between them and ending up not even as friends. It also included a few suggestions for psychological recovery.
Looking at the pure and clueless boy lying on his bed, Gu Yilan pressed his thin lips together and chose to remain silent.
When he didn’t reply, Su Zesui went on flatteringly, “They’re all just average. None of them are like you. They wouldn’t book hotels for me, carry my luggage, buy me breakfast, or act as my personal tour guide.”
But Gu Yilan didn’t respond to the compliment. Instead, he said coolly, “We can go together during winter break. That’s enough. Now go back and rest.”
Su Zesui was still caught up in the conversation, not ready to return to his cold, empty room just yet. He pouted and protested, “I don’t want to go. I’m so tired I can’t even walk. Let me sleep here tonight.”
A vein in Gu Yilan’s temple twitched. “What, are you going to cling to your brother like this even after you get married?”
That shut Su Zesui right up. He opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with a reply.
To him, marriage was some distant, unreachable concept—just like the idea of being separated from his brother. If it ever happened, it would be a long, long time from now. Too far off to imagine, and completely beyond his control.
Su Zesui muttered, “We’ll deal with that when the time comes…”
Gu Yilan lowered his dark eyes to look at him and said seriously, “When you get married in the future, you’ll move out and live with her. You won’t be able to live with me anymore, let alone lie in my bed, act spoiled, or go traveling alone with me.”
Su Zesui froze for a few seconds, then fiddled with his fingers and muttered, “Then I just won’t get married… That should work, right?”
“Don’t make decisions for your future self so early,” Gu Yilan replied, effectively dismissing him. “Go back and rest. I still have things to do. I’ll have my assistant see if my schedule can be adjusted later. For now, let’s leave it at that.”
Since he had already said so much, Su Zesui couldn’t bring himself to keep stubbornly clinging on. With a quiet “Goodnight, brother,” he left, looking dejected.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Mr. Gu had been strange tonight, though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was.
From that night on, over the next two weeks, Su Zesui often saw that “other brother” visiting as a guest. He would bring along a thin booklet and chat with Mr. Gu. Judging by the length of their conversations, they often lasted even longer than the time Su Zesui had recently spent alone with Mr. Gu.
Su Zesui was deeply curious about what the two of them were discussing, but every time he passed by, the unfamiliar “brother” would immediately fall silent, as if deliberately avoiding him.
——Brother has his own secrets now…
The thought made Su Zesui feel quietly miserable.
However, he wasn’t the type to give up easily, especially when it came to matters concerning Mr. Gu. So, for a while, he pretended to be thirsty and needed water, and then he went to the door to grab a package, running up and down, persistently trying to eavesdrop.
“Hey, that bracelet of yours looks nice. I’ve noticed you always wear it. Where did you buy it? Send me the link, I want to pick one out too.”
After hearing it enough times, the unfamiliar “brother” stopped pretending to be mute every time and instead made small talk with Mr. Gu—random, trivial chatter just to fill the awkward silences.
This time, though, the idle chatter really caught Su Zesui’s attention. As the “creator” of that bracelet, he couldn’t help puffing out his chest with pride.
Clutching his iced water as he ran upstairs, he strained his ears, eager to hear how his brother would respond.
But to his disappointment, Gu Yilan stayed silent, lost in thought.
At the turn of the staircase on the second floor, Su Zesui grabbed the handrail and glanced back from the blind spot, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gu Yilan secretly smiling while thinking of how to reply.
But before he could see clearly, he bumped straight into someone else.
With a startled “Oh dear!” from the butler, the stack of documents he was carrying toppled. The top sheets of A4 paper fluttered through the air, while the thick pile underneath scattered messily across the floor.
“Ah sorry, sorry…” Su Zesui quickly turned around and bent down to help the butler pick up the papers scattered across the floor.
Thankfully, from the living room’s angle, it was hard to see the mess, otherwise he would have been thoroughly embarrassed again.
——But… had Mr. Gu spoken just now or not? How would he introduce the bracelet that he had spent hours making? No—why hadn’t he answered right away? What was he hesitating over?
Before Su Zesui could sort out the jumble of thoughts in his head, one of the documents in his hand caught all of his attention.
It was a set of files resembling resumes, but instead of work experience, they focused on personal details—appearance, temperament, family background. More like… matchmaking profiles.
By the time the butler, with his beer belly, finished picking up the scattered papers. Just as he straightened his old back, panting, he saw Su Zesui staring intently at a stack of documents.
Leaning over for a glance, the butler nodded knowingly. “Oh, those are the candidates for Young Master Gu’s fiancee. The Gu family picked them out—well-matched families, all very fine young women.”
At those words, Su Zesui felt his mind go blank with a sudden buzzing sound. His fingers tightened unconsciously, lips parting as he struggled to find his voice. After a long moment, he finally managed a whisper: “Brother… he’s getting married?”
The butler gave him a suspicious glance, took the documents, and said, “Of course. Young Master Gu is of legal marriage age this year. Even if he doesn’t plan to marry right now, he’ll certainly settle down with a good family eventually. Besides, he’s the only son of the Gu family—he also carries the responsibility of continuing the family line.”
Su Zesui clenched his fists and nodded.
Although he hadn’t been standing long, his legs felt numb. He pressed his lips together and shuffled back toward his room, moving slowly as if every limb were heavy. From the corner of his eye, he saw the butler following with the documents, looking concerned. “Did you hurt yourself when you bumped into someone just now?”
Su Zesui paused at his door and shook his head, feeling a little wronged.
His mind was full of what Mr. Gu had told him before—that when he got married, he would move out to live with his wife. At that time, Su Zesui couldn’t cling to him, act spoiled, or go traveling with him.
——But if the one getting married was Mr. Gu, wouldn’t it be the same? Mr. Gu would live alone with his wife, and they would go their separate ways…
——So, even back then, Mr. Gu had been implying something.
Su Zesui’s eyes reddened slightly as he murmured to himself, “No wonder he never wanted to show off the bracelet I made…”
The butler standing nearby looked worried. Hearing this, he quickly reassured him, “That’s not true, Young Master Su. Between you and me, I often see Young Master Gu quietly admiring the bracelet you gave him in his study. He definitely likes it—he’s just too shy to say it out loud.”
Su Zesui pouted and turned to the butler. “So… the reason he doesn’t want to go out and play with me is because he’s going to be spending time with his fiancee soon?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?” the butler said, flustered. “You’re Young Master Gu’s younger brother. How could that be the same as his relationship with a fiancee? Even if Young Master Gu gets married, he’ll still make time for you.”
Su Zesui lowered his gaze. “…It won’t be the same.”
“Why wouldn’t it be the same?” the butler tried to comfort him. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Young Master Gu isn’t getting married anytime soon—he hasn’t even gone on any matchmaking meetings yet.”
“Really?” Su Zesui looked up. “Then when will he go on a matchmaking meeting? When will he get married? After he gets married, will he move out?”
“Well… um…” The butler felt embarrassed. “I’m not really sure about that. My job is just to handle the documents. How things actually unfold… that’s up to Young Master Gu himself.”
A bad feeling gnawed at Su Zesui. Somehow, he couldn’t shake the sense that all of Mr. Gu’s unusual behavior these past few days was laying the groundwork for the upcoming marriage.
. . . . .
Ever since discovering the “matchmaking candidate profiles,” Su Zesui often found himself secretly tracking Gu Yilan’s movements.
If Mr. Gu had dinner engagements, he would try to find ways to keep him home. If Mr. Gu had no plans over the weekend, Su Zesui would occupy all his free time with university assignments…
He knew these behaviors were childish, clingy, and utterly absurd—but he couldn’t help himself.
The thought that all of Mr. Gu’s future care and attention might be given to someone else made him unbearably sad. He would thrash helplessly on his bed, struggling with his frustration, before reluctantly returning to the reality of the world.
Despite all this, Gu Yilan still showed him the greatest patience and never acted impatient. But after a while, Su Ze himself started to feel embarrassed. He would occasionally let Mr. Gu go out for dinner, then spend the entire evening agonizing over it by himself.
It wasn’t until he saw Gu Yilan return home without any triumphant smile—no “matchmaking success” glow—that he could finally relax again.
. . . . .
On the evening of June 26, just before his birthday, Gu Yilan insisted on going out, and no amount of whining or pleading could change his mind.
Su Zesui guessed that Mr. Gu had probably forgotten his birthday entirely. Feeling a little hurt, he murmured, “So many people need you every day…”
Gu Yilan, sensing the boy’s deep lack of security over the past days, gently patted his fluffy head and said, “I’ve got something to take care of. Go rest early tonight—don’t wait up for me.”
Su Zesui fidgeted with his fingers together, still unable to bring himself to say, “Brother, did you forget something?”
His sixth sense told him that no matter what he did tonight, from this moment on, Mr. Gu would no longer belong to him alone.
It was something that would have happened eventually, but Su Zesui hadn’t expected it to come so fast—so fast that he hadn’t prepared at all.
He pursed his lips, trying to hide the sadness on his face.
Gu Yilan hesitated for a moment, then gently hugged the downcast boy.
In recent days, he had deliberately tried to cultivate independence between himself and Su Zesui, but at this special time—on the boy’s birthday—he allowed himself to set aside all the tangled, unavoidable matters for a while.
Suddenly feeling the dampness on his chest, Gu Yilan froze for a moment and brushed away the tears at the corner of Su Zesui’s eyes. “Why are you crying?” he asked softly.
“N-nothing,” Su Zesui rubbed his eyes. “I just feel sorry seeing you work so hard…”
Gu Yilan felt his heart tighten, tempted to stay with him, but just then a message popped up on his phone:
[Mr. Gu, the young master’s birthday surprise is almost ready. I guarantee he’ll absolutely love it! When will you be coming?]
Gu Yilan ruffled Su Zesui’s dark hair and said softly, “Be good. Take care of yourself at home. I’m leaving now.”
Watching the man’s retreating figure, Su Zesui felt a sour, aching sensation in his chest. He puffed out his cheeks in frustration, unhappy, yet powerless.
He trudged back to his room and collapsed onto his soft bed, imagining himself as a puppet. Plop! His spring spent, he lay there completely motionless.
He didn’t know how long he had been lying there, but finally, two “buzzing” WeChat notifications woke him up.
Su Zesui groggily picked up his phone:
[Shi Fangbin: Suisui, is it your birthday tomorrow? I got you a cake. Want to come out tonight so we can celebrate your birthday at midnight? (Address: Blues Bar)]
[Shi Fangbin: Don’t worry, it’s just people from our volunteer group—you know them all. Come on, give me some face, play some games, have a few drinks with everyone?]
On any other day, Su Zesui would never dare set foot in a bar—his brother would have a fit if he found out.
But now… Mr. Gu had left him alone to go on a blind date. So… maybe he could…
Su Zesui sat up, suddenly energized as if struck by a bolt of electricity, and furiously typed on his phone:
[Okay! I’ll take a taxi over later. Tonight—Not! Going! Home! Until! Drunk!]