When Zhou Cibai woke up the next day, he habitually wanted to hug Gu Jiqing, but when he touched his side, his body instincts suddenly awakened before his consciousness, and he stood up and shouted, “Gu Zhizhi!”
However, there was only one tent, one car, and one person left on the entire camping platform on the top of the mountain, and the only response to him was the echo in the empty valley.
Done for.
Zhou Cibai’s first reaction was whether something had happened to Gu Jiqing. He didn’t even have time to calm down and think for a second before he took out his cell phone and quickly dialed Gu Jiqing’s number.
After the busy tone rang three times but no one answered, Zhou Cibai was so anxious that he got into the driver’s seat and wanted to go straight to the police station.
Fortunately, just before he put this idea into practice, Gu Jiqing’s light and lazy voice came from the phone: “Hello, boyfriend, you are awake?”
The moment he heard these words, Zhou Cibai’s tense nerves finally relaxed.
Fortunately, everything that happened yesterday was real, not a broken dream.
His sigh of relief was so obvious that Gu Jiqing, who was on the other end of the phone, quickly realized what had happened and curled his lips slightly. “Were you worried that I would abscond with the money?”
“En.” Zhou Cibai responded sullenly, “I even want to call the police.”
Gu Jiqing chuckled and said, “Then feel under your sleeping bag and see if you still want to call the police.”
Zhou Cibai returned to the tent and felt around.
There is a small red envelope with 520 yuan.
Zhou Cibai wondered why he slept so soundly that he didn’t even notice the red envelope Gu Jiqing gave him.
Fortunately, he stuffed the red envelope under Gu Jiqing’s sleeping bag before going to bed yesterday; otherwise, his boyfriend would have no New Year’s money.
“But why did you leave without telling me this morning?”
“I was afraid that you would be in a hurry to go back in the afternoon, so I thought of going shopping by myself in the morning. After all, I don’t know when will you come back next time.” Gu Jiqing’s tone sounded like he didn’t care much.
But when Zhou Cibai thought that Gu Jiqing no longer had a home in Nanwu, he felt distressed and whispered, “Don’t worry, Zhou Zhou has Su Yuebai to help take care of, and she has already helped me to cover up with my family in order to atone for her sins. Grandpa and the others all know that I have urgent matters to deal with, and I am not in a hurry to go back. I can go shopping with you.”
“Then that’s good.” Gu Jiqing nodded slightly. “It seems that my New Year’s gift can be given.”
“? What new…”
Beep——
Before Zhou Cibai could react to what the New Year’s gift meant, Gu Jiqing hung up the phone with a “click.”
Zhou Cibai was left listening to the busy tone. Before he could redial, his phone dinged, and a WeChat message popped up.
[Zhou Dagou’s Gu Xiaomao]: New Year limited gift, inviting Zhou Dagou to go follow the instructions carefully; otherwise, if there is a mistake and the bone is missed, Gu Maomao will not compensate
[Zhou Dagou’s Gu Xiaomao]: Please press 1 if you receive
Gift? Missed? No compensation?
Although Zhou Cibai didn’t understand it very well, when he saw the WeChat message, Gu Jiqing’s slightly curved eyes and a naughty and yet irresistible smile that made people want to touch him immediately emerged in his mind.
His instinct and intuition to eat meat made him return without a second thought: [1]
Gu Jiqing also quickly replied: [Location: XX milk tea shop, to ensure lunch opportunity, please arrive safely within two hours]
Zhou Cibai immediately packed up a pile of miscellaneous tents, stepped on the accelerator, and headed straight for the navigation location given by Gu Jiqing.
When he arrived at the destination, he found that it was the outer gate of Nanwu Shiwa.
The school gate and teaching building are a little older than he remembered, but the bamboo planted within the walls is still lush and green, and the brick-red tower-shaped roof of the Art and Sports Building, faintly visible above the bamboo forest, is also the same as he remembered.
So Gu Jiqing asked him to come here…
Before Zhou Cibai could react, there was a knock on the car window.
He turned his head, rolled down the window, and then paused.
Gu Jiqing outside the car window was dressed differently from usual.
He doesn’t know when his hair has grown long, with the hair on his forehead hanging down past his eyebrows and the hair on both sides just past his earlobes. It hung down smoothly and freshly, as if it had just been washed.
He was wearing a backpack, his hands lazily shoved into his pockets, and his long, loosened jacket with the zipper open, revealing the national blue and white school uniform and trousers underneath.
A small piece of headphone wire sticks out from the white turtleneck sweater, and the black hair on the side of his ears seems to be looping through English listening or BBC broadcasts.
This simple style, which can be said to be common among domestic high school students, not only does not conceal Gu Jiqing’s beauty but also makes his temperament appear even cleaner and clearer. The red mole at the corner of his eye also brings just the right amount of alienation and soft boyishness.
He was exactly like the kind of gentle and pretty high school senior who had good grades and personality and whom at least half of the girls in the school had a secret crush on, but no one dared to approach him easily.
Apart from the clear gender characteristics, all his feelings and temperament were exactly the same as the “first love goddess” in Zhou Cibai’s imagination, as if those vague secret love fantasies in his long adolescence had actually come to him.
Zhou Cibai stood there in a daze for a moment.
Gu Jiqing looked at it and asked softly, “Why, doesn’t it look good?”
Zhou Cibai quickly came back to his senses: “It looks good, very good, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
“It’s just that I feel like I’m trafficking minors.”
Zhou Cibai got out of the car and stood in front of Gu Jiqing. Seeing Gu Jiqing like this, he actually looked a bit helpless and awkward, as if he didn’t even dare to hold his hand.
Gu Jiqing smiled and said, “Of course, puppy love must be done by minors.”
“En?” Zhou Cibai hasn’t reacted yet.
Gu Jiqing has already stretched out his right hand. “So, boyfriend, do you want to have puppy love?”
He tilted his head slightly and looked at Zhou Cibai seriously, asking simple and direct questions just like he did when he was a teenager.
Zhou Cibai’s heart moved. He took Gu Jiqing’s hand with one hand, put his arm around Gu Jiqing’s waist with the other, and moved forward, lowering his head, wanting to kiss him.
Then Gu Jiqing gently pushed him away just before his lips fell and slowly said, “But minors are not allowed to have intimate contact, so no kissing during puppy love.”
After saying this, he turned around and left with a clear conscience.
Zhou Cibai, whose heart was pounding, and left behind: “???”
“Gu Zhizhi!”
Zhou Cibai finally realized that Gu Jiqing was “seducing” him under the pretext of puppy love while leaving him without getting anything to eat. He was so angry that he took a long step and quickly chased after him, intending to capture the hit-and-run driver, Gu Zhizhi, alive.
After the hit-and-run driver, Gu Zhizhi, changed into his high school uniform and carried a backpack, he actually looked a bit more cheerful than he was in his youth. When he heard Zhou Cibai chasing him in anger, he smiled and ran forward with the backpack on his back.
Of course, he didn’t have Zhou Cibai’s speed and strength, but he was more agile and familiar with the terrain. The two of them chased and played on the back street of Nanwu, which was full of snack stalls, and laughed childishly like two high school boys.
It seemed that Gu Jiqing’s physical strength was no match for the energetic big dog. He bent over, panting and smiling, and was hugged by the waist and held in Zhou Cibai’s arms.
“Gu Zhizhi, you bullied me on the first day of the new year.” Zhou Cibai whispered in Gu Jiqing’s ear, gritting his teeth.
However, even though he was gnashing his teeth, Gu Jiqing had told him not to kiss him, and they were outside, so he didn’t dare to kiss him casually, so there was a bit of indulgence and helplessness in his gnashing of teeth.
Gu Jiqing leaned on his shoulder, smiled, and took a deep breath while saying, “So why do you always get fooled?”
Zhou Cibai was so angry that his teeth itched. “What do you think?”
Gu Jiqing pretended to be ignorant. “I don’t know, but I’m tired from running, and I’m thirsty. I want to drink milk tea, but I don’t have any money.”
The tone was gentle and pleasant, but the words he said were so righteous and unreasonable.
But Zhou Cibai couldn’t do anything about him, so he could only resist the urge to teach him a lesson and took him by the hand into the milk tea and fried chicken shop next door: “What do you want to drink?”
Gu Jiqing didn’t even look at the menu and said, “I want a couple cup.”
The clerk quickly brought out the so-called couple cup.
In fact, it is just a giant cup that is much larger than the largest ordinary cup.
Zhou Cibai held Gu Jiqing’s hand, watched him suck the pearls slowly, and asked, “Why is it called a couple’s cup?”
“Since we are a couple, we can drink from the same cup.” Gu Jiqing said as he leaned over and handed the milk tea to Zhou Cibai, “Try it.”
Zhou Cibai lowered his head and took a sip. It seemed sweeter than ordinary milk tea.
Gu Jiqing took back the cup and walked slowly with Zhou Cibai leading, drinking milk tea, and slowly said, “This couple cup sold very well when we were in high school, because many girls couldn’t get enough drink from one cup but they couldn’t finish two. Boys sometimes drank it too, but they were not as fond of it. Later, the store introduced cups of this size. When the girls had nothing to do, they would feed the boys a few sips, and it would be just enough for the young couple to finish it during a lunch break.”
When he was in high school, many young couples liked to go to the back street during lunch break or dinner to eat, do homework, and date.
Although he did not have puppy love, Xia Qiao was a person who could not stand loneliness. He often went to the senior grade to wait for Shen Zhao after class, and then they would go to the milk tea and fried chicken shop to do homework together.
It just so happened that Xia Qiao loved drinking milk tea, so he often ordered the largest couple cup. When he couldn’t finish it, Shen Zhao would take care of the rest.
At that time, Gu Jiqing actually didn’t feel anything at all and didn’t even notice this matter because Xia Qiao loved to act like a spoiled child, so Gu Jiqing and Shen Zhao were used to giving in to him.
But the moment he entered the milk tea and fried chicken shop, he suddenly wanted to order a couple cup.
It was as if he was trying to tell his past self that he had also become someone who was given by others.
And couples should drink from couple cups.
The back streets on New Year’s Day were not as crowded as usual, but there were lights and decorations everywhere, exuding a joyful atmosphere. Gu Jiqing and Zhou Cibai walked hand in hand.
One person with one side on the earphones shares the same cup of milk tea.
Whenever he saw delicious snacks, Zhou Cibai would buy them for Gu Jiqing. Gu Jiqing ate them slowly, and Zhou Cibai would carry bags of snacks for him. Only when he came across something that Gu Jiqing didn’t want to eat or couldn’t finish would he take it and help Gu Jiqing finish it.
When they saw the photo booth selfie machine that was probably about ten years old on the street corner, Gu Jiqing directly pulled Zhou Cibai in to take a whole set of photos. After the photos came out, Zhou Cibai realized that Gu Jiqing’s face was so small and delicate that he looked like a giant monster.
He was so angry that he hid the photo and would not let Gu Jiqing see it. However, he finally put the photo secretly in the pocket of his wallet and took it out from time to time to take a peek. He then smiled like a pervert and thought, How could his boyfriend be so handsome? But he was not bad either, one was beautiful and another was handsome, they were really a match made in heaven.
When they were tired of shopping, the two went to the student cinema to watch a cheap and brainless comedy movie. Zhou Cibai picked out the popcorns covered with butter and fed them to Gu Jiqing, and then took advantage of Gu Jiqing’s inattention to secretly give him a kiss on the face that tasted like popcorn.
Gu Jiqing looked at the big screen, feeling the touch of his cheek, with a smile in his eyes, and did not expose his little thoughts.
Anyway, puppy love always involves some sneaky little infractions in order to be considered the youthful taboos of that time.
By the time the movie was over, it was already evening, and the cold was even colder than during the day.
Zhou Cibai wrapped his scarf around Gu Jiqing’s neck and asked, “Is there anything else you want to do?”
Gu Jiqing nodded. “I want to eat spicy stew food.”
“En?” As a native northerner, Zhou Cibai couldn’t remember what this thing was for a moment.
Gu Jiqing didn’t intend to explain but just asked, “It’s my favorite snack bar from when I was in high school. Would you like to buy it for me?”
Anyway, he is penniless now, and the snack bar in front of the school does not accept credit cards, so he can only find his innocent little creditor to support him. After all, more debts are not a burden.
Since he said so, Zhou Cibai was not unwilling at all and quickly took his hand and said, “Okay, let’s go buy it together.”
Immersed in the sweetness of love, Zhou Cibai did not notice the evil smile in someone’s eyes.
It wasn’t until they got to the spicy stew restaurant that he realized something was wrong.
Because under the light, the items on the counter were so dazzlingly red, as if they were the Spring Festival couplets posted on the door, and the piles of peppers looked like piles of red lanterns.
Zhou Cibai, who is not very fond of spicy food: “……”
Gu Jiqing felt his stiffness, tilted his head to look at him, and asked in a puzzled manner, “You don’t like it?”
Zhou Cibai quickly said, “No! I like it, I like it very much. I have been able to eat spicy food since I was a child.”
After all, it’s his boyfriend’s favorite snack bar, how could he not like it?
Besides, it’s just spicy, it will pass if he just bears with it.
Gu Jiqing looked at the tragic expression of fearlessness in his eyes, hid the smile in his eyes, turned to the boss, and said, “Sister, give us an ounce of potatoes, an ounce of cauliflower, an ounce of baby cabbage, an ounce of kelp sprouts, and some meat dishes, all of which must be super spicy.”
“Okay, as usual, students of Shiwai get a 20% discount.” The lady boss responded while busying herself. Half way through her response, she realized something was wrong. “Hey! Aren’t you the beautiful top scorer from the last two years? How come you’re back again and in your school uniform? I almost didn’t react!”
The boss was as enthusiastic as ever. Gu Jiqing smiled and said, “I’m bringing my boyfriend back to visit our alma mater.”
The boss was stunned for a moment, then she saw the tall and handsome Zhou Cibai next to him and the two of them holding hands tightly, and she understood instantly: “Oh, I know, I understand. The top science student who just graduated also secretly came to our place every day to buy spicy stew, but his boyfriend only allowed us to give him slightly spicy ones, which made me laugh to death. So don’t worry, sister will definitely bless you. Today I will give you a 30% discount and give you each a bottle of Arctic Ocean!”
After saying that, without waiting for Zhou Cibai to refuse, two bottles of Arctic Ocean were opened and placed in front of the two of them.
Zhou Cibai: “……”
Gu Jiqing picked up the two bottles of soda and said with a smile: “Don’t worry, we Southwestern people are so knowledgeable and hospitable, don’t be afraid.”
“…Oh, thank you sister.”
Zhou Cibai took the spicy stew somewhat embarrassedly under the teasing gaze of the boss and sat next to Gu Jiqing.
The table that Gu Jiqing chose was not on the main street but in a small alley at the corner of a store. There was a large parasol to shade it, and it seemed secluded and quiet in the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, which was not very lively to begin with.
Gu Jiqing pushed the spicy stew in front of Zhou Cibai and said, “Try it.”
“En, okay.”
Zhou Cibai looked very calm. He picked up a piece of kelp sprout that didn’t look so bright red and put it in his mouth.
Then, three seconds later, his movement stopped and his expression froze.
An unprecedented spicy sensation burned every inch of his taste buds. The burning and painful sensation made him put down his chopsticks immediately. He picked up the Arctic Ocean and gulped it down in one breath.
However, the soda could only temporarily relieve the spiciness. Once the slightly cool liquid wore off, the burning sensation became even stronger. Zhou Cibai couldn’t help but gasp for air. His lips, which usually looked very thin and ruthless, turned unusually red. His palms kept fanning in front of him, making him look embarrassed, pitiful, and cute.
Gu Jiqing couldn’t help but laugh out loud while lying on the table.
Zhou Cibai already felt that he was extremely embarrassed, and when he saw Gu Jiqing laugh, he immediately got angry and grabbed him, wanting to bite him a few times: “Gu Zhizhi! You! Wu…”
However, before he could finish his words, he felt a cool touch on his lips, and then the cool feeling was sent into his mouth, bringing gentle soothing, growing sweetness inch by inch, relieving the original burning sensation.
Zhou Cibai paused there in a daze, forgetting to even close his eyes. He just stared at Gu Jiqing’s trembling eyelashes in front of him, not daring to move.
It was not until a long time later that Gu Jiqing gently raised her eyelashes and asked him, “Is this the effect of the first kiss rice noodles you mentioned last time? Do you like it?”
He asked in a normal but serious tone.
It was as if the acts of lightning and fire that could kill someone just now were not done by him.
Zhou Cibai finally realized that Gu Jiqing ordered the spicy food even though he knew he couldn’t eat spicy food very well because he remembered the childish first kiss he talked about on their first date.
So although Gu Jiqing was a bad cat sometimes, he actually secretly took every word he said to heart.
The kiss just now seemed not enough, he lowered his eyelashes and slowly moved his lips to his again.
Then, a second before the contact, Gu Jiqing took a half-step back again and said, “Wait.”
“?”
Before Zhou Cibai could ask what happened.
The next moment, they saw a wealthy middle-aged man with a Mediterranean appearance running towards them at the speed of a 100-meter sprint, and he shouted with great vigor and energy: “The one who is in a puppy love relationship wearing a school uniform next to the spicy stew shop! Stop right there!!!”
“Our dean is here, run!”
As soon as Gu Jiqing finished speaking, Zhou Cibai had already picked up the bag in one hand, held Gu Jiqing’s hand with the other, turned around, and quickly ran into the dark alley.
The cold wind of the winter night whistled past both sides of their cheeks, blew into the boys’ school uniforms, and blew up the swelling wind, bringing out inexplicable smiles and arrogance on the boys’ faces.
Huang Shuliang, the director of the Shiwai School who was chasing them, couldn’t keep up with their tall and long legs. He could only stop after chasing them for ten blocks, panting, and shouting unwillingly, “The net of heaven is vast, and nothing can escape it. Sooner or later, I will bring you guys to justice!”
After Gu Jiqing let Zhou Cibai lead him to run aimlessly through two alleys, he finally couldn’t help but stop. He bent over, laughing so hard that he almost couldn’t breathe.
Zhou Cibai had already realized that Gu Jiqing was teasing him, so he caught him and held him in his arms. While he was calming him down, he couldn’t help but laugh and say, “Gu Zhizhi, is the happiest thing you do every day now bullying me?”
Gu Jiqing leaned on his shoulder, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “I didn’t bully you, he is indeed our dean, but I just forgot that I have graduated for almost two years already.”
What forgot? It was obviously intentional.
However, a puppy love that has not been caught by teachers is not considered a complete puppy love.
Moreover, he really liked to see Gu Jiqing’s smile—that naughty and carefree smile that had only appeared in front of him.
Zhou Cibai hugged Gu Jiqing tightly and kissed the top of his head. “Are you happy today?”
Gu Jiqing also recovered a lot and replied softly, “Happy.”
“Is there anything else you want to do?”
“There is.” Gu Jiqing looked up at him, “Zhou Cibai, let’s play a game.”
Zhou Cibai didn’t quite understand.
Gu Jiqing added, “I will find a place to hide first, and then you will come to find me in ten minutes. If you find me, you will get a reward. Is that okay?”
Gu Jiqing looked up at Zhou Cibai, his eyes full of earnest expectation. Zhou Cibai had no way of saying anything to refuse such a Gu Jiqing.
He nodded. “En, okay.”
Then Gu Jiqing took the bag from his hand, turned around, grabbed the wall, and jumped over the wall of the alley with ease and grace.
“No, Gu Zhizhi, how can you still climb over the wall?!” Zhou Cibai suddenly realized that he knew nothing about Gu Jiqing’s ability and shouted anxiously, “It’s too dangerous! Come back!”
However, only a faint voice came from the other side of the wall, “Don’t worry, this is a blind spot of Shiwai’s surveillance. Most people don’t know about it, so nothing will happen.”
Is this the accident he was talking about?
He was worried about what they should do if someone as delicate as Gu Jiqing got hurt and fell in the middle of the night.
Just as he was about to turn over, Gu Jiqing’s WeChat message came: [We agreed on ten minutes, don’t cheat, or I’ll be angry]
“……”
Zhou Cibai realized at that moment that Gu Jiqing was simply his little ancestor.
The dusk was getting darker and darker, and a few clumps of green bamboo were peeking out from the other side of the wall. On the deserted campus, a few sparse lights made the brick-red roof of the Art and Sports Building seem even more lonely and desolate.
After waiting for ten minutes, Gu Jiqing’s real-time location was finally sent.
Zhou Cibai was only worried about Gu Jiqing and didn’t have time to think about where the location Gu Jiqing sent him was or what he was going to do. He simply climbed over the wall and ran towards Gu Jiqing’s location quickly.
In the thick darkness, he could hardly see anything. He could only run into a wide building with the help of his cell phone light and shout, “Gu Jiqing!”
But no one responded.
He was so anxious that he almost went crazy. Just as he was about to call Gu Jiqing, he suddenly saw a light come on at the end of the corridor.
At that moment, he looked at the familiar scene and suddenly realized where he was.
He walked over step by step, pushed open the door, and saw someone standing under the light. He was wearing the same dancing dress that Gu Jiqing wore when he first met him. His back was facing away from him, with his collar slightly slanted, revealing his thin and stern white shoulders. Then he slowly glanced to the side.
The white gauze was faintly visible, outlining the slender and delicate curves, the corners of his eyes were slightly raised, his red mole was shimmering with an innocent charm and aloof purity.
That is the ultimate beauty that can confuse gender.
Just like five years ago, his heart was pounding, and he even forgot to breathe.
The only difference from five years ago was that at that time he still didn’t know what love was, didn’t know what he liked, and hadn’t had the chance to see the dance that was said to be stunning.
But five years later, he understood that liking is liking, it is love at first sight without any reason, and it is also inevitable. What he likes is Gu Jiqing, and only Gu Jiqing.
He finally saw Gu Jiqing’s dance.
For the first time, he realized that a man’s body could be so soft, and within that softness lies extreme strength, so much so that even though he was wearing a white gauze dancing dress that outsiders thought was only worn by girls and was dancing the softest and most lonely dance, but no one would ignore his gender either.
That is the gentle power that is unique to Gu Jiqing, so even on the simplest stage and with the simplest music, that kind of beauty that belongs only to Gu Jiqing makes him so charming under the soft lights that people can’t help but fall in love with him.
Zhou Cibai didn’t have any words to express himself. He just remembered what Lu Ping once said: Gu Jiqing dancing at the welcome party was as beautiful as a fairy.
He didn’t take it seriously at the time.
Now it seems like no exaggeration.
But the fairy came down to earth for him.
When he thought of this, Zhou Cibai felt that there was no one in the world that was luckier than him, and the inherent possessive nature of human beings made him almost unable to suppress the crazy urge to possess and destroy his body.
So when the music ended, when Gu Jiqing turned around and looked at him, his dancing dress was disheveled, his forehead was wet, his cheeks were flushed with peach blossom color, and his eyes were filled with charm.
Zhou Cibai didn’t say a word, he just walked over quickly, picked him up, put him on the leg-stretching railing, and then kissed him deeply.
Without waiting for him to utter a word or allowing any resistance, he kissed him forcefully and violently, as if he wanted to rub Gu Jiqing into his bones and blood.
Because it was a surging passion, love, and obsession that he could not express in any words.
He thought there would be no one better than Gu Jiqing in the world.
Gu Jiqing gently hugged his neck and resolved all his impulsiveness.
On the deserted campus, everything is surging quietly.
It was not until a long time later that Zhou Cibai whispered in his ear, “Gu Zhizhi, I will compensate you with a new dance dress tomorrow, okay?”
