The first time Gu Yan met Xia Yuze was in the student council at school. The two of them belonged to the same department, but they did not have much interaction.
Xia Yuze joined the student council because he wanted his graduation records to look better, giving himself another advantage when looking for a job in the future.
As for Gu Yan, he simply felt that he should join some kind of club. Music clubs, art clubs, and similar organizations seemed too flashy for him. Only the student council seemed suitable—it gathered when there was something to do and dispersed when there was nothing going on.
The two of them became familiar with each other when they worked part-time together.
Gu Yan did not care who he met at his workplace, but Xia Yuze was somewhat surprised. No matter how he looked at it, Gu Yan did not seem like someone who needed to work part-time to earn money.
He had once seen a very expensive car come to school to pick Gu Yan up.
Judging by appearance alone, logically speaking, Xia Yuze should have been the one to approach Gu Yan first.
But the reality was that Gu Yan was the first to support Xia Yuze.
Because in Gu Yan’s eyes, people who could rely on themselves were the ones who could make it through difficulties until the end. He disliked people who depended on their families and lived like parasites.
After that, the two slowly became familiar with each other.
Gu Yan wanted to become friends with Xia Yuze, and Xia Yuze was not the kind of person who was difficult to get along with. In addition, they had many shared topics, so naturally, they became friends.
That year, Gu Yan was a first-year university student. He had skipped a grade in elementary school.
Xia Yuze was a second-year university student and had not yet started dating Lei Xin.
Qiao Chuqin was one of Gu Yan’s best friends.
Although it was said as “one of,” in reality, there were very few people Gu Yan truly considered friends, let alone close friends.
The two could be said to have grown up together. Their fathers were also very close.
After Gu Yan finished fourth grade, he was sent back to China and directly entered sixth grade.
In Gu Yan’s father’s opinion, studying domestically during the middle school and high school years was extremely necessary. Although it was difficult, he truly learned much more.
Compared with the Gu family’s relaxed approach of raising children, the Qiao family had far more rules.
During all six years of elementary school, Qiao Chuqin never attended regular school. His family hired private tutors to teach him individually.
When Gu Yan had nothing to do on weekends, he would also go to the Qiao family’s house and sit in on the lessons.
Yes, aside from holidays, Qiao Chuqin also had classes on weekends.
Qiao Chuqin was very intelligent. He learned everything quickly.
However, he and Qiao’s father were extremely incompatible.
At that time, he was still young and had no ability to resist, so he could only suppress everything inside.
With his mother’s comfort and reassurance, Qiao Chuqin’s life was not considered too difficult.
But suppression and comfort were not the fundamental solutions to the problem.
Without proper guidance, the conflict between father and son finally exploded after Qiao Chuqin’s mother unexpectedly passed away.
After losing his mother, Qiao Chuqin became like an irritable little lion. Whoever he encountered, he wanted to bite. He was impulsive and had no direction.
Qiao’s father, unable to control him anymore, became too tired to argue with him.
Starting from middle school, he no longer kept Qiao Chuqin at home for lessons and allowed him to attend regular school.
After that, Qiao Chuqin constantly avoided meeting his father.
Otherwise, he always felt that he was still being restricted by the rules of his family.
After living like this for some time, although he had relatively more freedom, he still could not escape the sense of oppression brought by his family.
His tuition fees were paid by his family.
His food and clothing were arranged by his family.
Even when he wanted to go out and work part-time, there was nowhere overseas that would hire a minor.
And the thing that frustrated him the most was that every time there was a parent-teacher meeting, Qiao’s father would always attend on time, as if announcing to everyone that Qiao Chuqin was his son.
Every year, only when Gu Yan returned during holidays did Qiao Chuqin feel that life had some meaning.
Although his spending money was restricted, Gu Yan had plenty of allowance and never separated what belonged to him from what belonged to Qiao Chuqin.
The two could happily spend an entire holiday playing together.
Teenage years were naturally a period of rebellion.
Because his family basically did not interfere, Gu Yan’s rebellious phase passed smoothly. There was practically no one for him to rebel against.
But Qiao Chuqin’s relationship with his father remained bad, and it continued getting worse.
However, Qiao’s family only had him as the only male heir of his generation.
So no matter how angry Qiao’s father became, he could not really do anything to him.
After Gu Yan entered his first year of university, Qiao Chuqin suggested going to N City for a visit.
He had never been there before.
Gu Yan agreed without hesitation.
As long as Qiao Chuqin had the time, it was fine.
Qiao Chuqin was two years older than Gu Yan. Because he had started school later than Gu Yan, he was currently in high school.
However, he was someone who skipped classes frequently, so coming over was not difficult.
After Qiao Chuqin arrived in N City, Gu Yan helped arrange everything.
Then he found Xia Yuze and hoped that when he had free time, Xia Yuze could act as a guide and take Qiao Chuqin around.
Although Gu Yan had already returned to N City for quite some time, he never stayed in the country during holidays.
Therefore, he himself did not know what places in N City were worth visiting.
He could only ask someone else for help.
He did not feel comfortable asking strangers.
After thinking about it, Xia Yuze was the most suitable person.
Xia Yuze considered that he could earn some extra money, and he only needed to accompany the guest during the afternoon.
The employer would not wake up early in the morning, and Gu Yan would take over in the evening.
Coincidentally, he only had afternoon classes one day a week that semester, so he agreed.
The first time the two met was at noon on the third day after Qiao Chuqin arrived in N City.
Gu Yan had classes all day and could not accompany them.
He only gave the two of them each other’s phone numbers and told them to contact each other directly.
When Xia Yuze saw Qiao Chuqin, he was slightly surprised.
This was the first time he had seen a mixed-race person.
Although they were the same age, the other person was half a head taller than him.
Qiao Chuqin was also quite satisfied when he saw Xia Yuze.
Young people were often visual creatures.
Xia Yuze’s appearance was very clean and refined. He was not the type of person who would amaze someone at first glance, but he was attractive the more one looked at him.
Especially his eyes.
They gave Qiao Chuqin a warmth and strength he had never felt before.
It seemed those eyes could clear away the fog before him and allow him to see the direction ahead.
“Today’s weather is pretty good. Let’s go to the seaside first. There’s a fairly large aquarium there that we can visit.”
After lunch, Xia Yuze explained their afternoon plans.
“Okay.”
Qiao Chuqin nodded.
Because his first impression of Xia Yuze was good, he naturally felt that Xia Yuze’s suggestion was also good.
Qiao Chuqin pulled the corner of his lips.
Two days ago, his father had called and ordered him to immediately go back and attend classes.
After skipping school for so many days, it was normal for the school to contact his family.
Previously, Qiao’s father had been away on business trips. Even if the teachers called the house, the butler could not say anything.
This time, the teacher happened to call just after Qiao’s father returned from his business trip.
Qiao Chuqin already disliked his father controlling him. Normally, since they rarely saw each other and did not contact each other, things were still bearable.
But after his father’s call, the relaxed mood he had finally regained became irritated again.
He hung up without saying a single word, not even bothering to answer.
After being silent for a while, Qiao Chuqin spoke.
“I feel like my life is suffocating. I can’t control anything myself. I don’t have freedom.”
“Going to school and studying every day is already enough, but when I return home, I still have to be controlled in every little thing. I feel exhausted.”
Xia Yuze looked at him for a while before saying softly:
“I’ve never had anyone control me since I was young, and that’s exhausting too.”
Qiao Chuqin raised his eyes and looked at Xia Yuze.
Xia Yuze smiled.
“There is no such thing as absolute freedom. Sometimes freedom is an attitude.”
“You’re still young. It’s normal for your family to manage you. Once you can become independent, no one will control you anymore.”
“The condition is that after becoming independent, you must also be able to live well.”
Qiao Chuqin thought about Xia Yuze’s words.
“Even though no one controls you, you still live very well.”
“You have your own goals and ideas. You’re smart, and people like you.”
“I’ve lived this long, but it feels like I’ve never known what my goal is. I’ve just been passing my days while playing around.”
“Even if teachers and classmates at school don’t like me, they don’t dare say anything.”
“My relationship with my family is also terrible. So terrible that it feels like there’s no way to fix it anymore.”
“I just think… maybe I should let it remain terrible.”
He liked Xia Yuze, so he did not want to pretend to be some perfect person in front of him.
That would only make Xia Yuze feel that he was fake.
And he believed Xia Yuze would not like that.
They were the same age, but the difference between them was huge.
Xia Yuze was already in university and had excellent grades.
While he was only a spoiled rich second-generation heir who wasted his days…
“You actually have everything.”
“You just haven’t found the correct way to arrange everything, so you feel trapped.”
“I work so hard because I have nothing.”
“But I want to have a home, and I want to have a decent life. That is my goal.”
“People can survive in any situation. As long as you want to live well, life will not be too terrible.”
“As long as you have a goal and are willing to work for it, that’s enough.”
At that time, Xia Yuze truly did not have any great ambitions or grand dreams.
He only wanted to have a home that belonged to him and live a stable life.
Even if it was a little difficult, he did not mind.
As long as he did not go hungry, that was enough.
Qiao Chuqin looked out the window, but no scenery entered his eyes.
Xia Yuze’s requirements were simple, yet not simple.
They were very realistic.
He had a family, but he hoped that family could be warm and peaceful.
Right now, he could not escape his father’s restrictions.
But as long as he was willing, one day he could break free from those restraints and seek what he truly wanted.
Previously, Qiao Chuqin’s thinking had been simple.
He wanted to oppose his father and make him stop controlling him.
But after talking with Xia Yuze today, he suddenly felt that perhaps he had found a goal.
His originally aimless life seemed as if the fog had been pushed aside, allowing him to see the road ahead.
At this moment, his thoughts were too numerous and too complicated.
He needed to carefully organize them.
If possible, he did not want to continue living such a wasted life.
Especially after someone like Xia Yuze had entered his heart…
He wanted to live well.
And then let this person live well too…
When they left the amusement park, the sky was already completely dark.
The two boarded the bus provided by the amusement park back into the city.
After playing for an entire day, Xia Yuze genuinely felt tired and soon fell asleep in a daze.
Qiao Chuqin carefully adjusted him so that he could rest more comfortably against his shoulder.
The lights inside the bus were not turned on.
Only the glow of the streetlights outside the window illuminated the interior, allowing Qiao Chuqin to clearly see Xia Yuze’s sleeping face.
After a long while, Qiao Chuqin lowered his head and kissed Xia Yuze’s eyes.
Then he kissed his lips.
It was only a light touch.
He did not dare wake him.
Qiao Chuqin really liked Xia Yuze’s eyes.
Those eyes seemed to always bring him warmth and strength.
They made him feel safe and comfortable.
If he had a home, and Xia Yuze was in that home…
Then that would be the most perfect thing in the world for him.
At this moment, Qiao Chuqin knew—
He had truly fallen for him.
When they arrived at the stop, Qiao Chuqin woke Xia Yuze.
Xia Yuze seemed completely unaware that Qiao Chuqin had kissed him.
He simply followed him off the bus with sleepy eyes.
The temperature was low at night.
Xia Yuze was not wearing much, so Qiao Chuqin took off his coat and placed it over Xia Yuze’s shoulders.
Xia Yuze did not refuse.
They walked to a coffee shop by the street.
Xia Yuze went inside and bought two cups of hot cocoa, handing one to Qiao Chuqin.
“When you’re in a bad mood, drinking a cup of hot cocoa will make you feel much better.”
Xia Yuze himself was not in a bad mood.
On the contrary, after playing all day, he was quite happy.
He was simply drinking it together with Qiao Chuqin.
Qiao Chuqin took a sip of the sweet hot drink.
He did not like sweets.
But since Xia Yuze bought it for him, he would not refuse.
After finishing the hot cocoa, whether it was psychological or whether it truly worked, Qiao Chuqin did feel much better.
Even when thinking about his father, his emotions no longer immediately sank.
When they said goodbye at the station, Xia Yuze told him:
“Don’t keep getting stuck in a dead end.”
“When you make your family feel reassured, naturally they won’t control you so much.”
“I hope that when I see you tomorrow, you’ll already have figured things out.”
“Okay.”
Qiao Chuqin nodded.
His blue eyes were deep and bright.
However, at that moment, Qiao Chuqin had not yet realized—
Tomorrow, he would no longer be in N City.