Chapter 33
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
His clear eyes blinked in confusion.
Why did Gu Xiuyuan’s tone feel like he was enticing a child with candy? But it was too strange to use him as that candy.
Could Gu Yang agree to go back home just because he could ask questions there too?
Impossible, right?
Lin Xiaoran silently shook his head in his mind, lowered his head to eat, and continued to mind his own business, but he didn’t notice Gu Yang looking at him.
Not having to go to school today, Lin Xiaoran wasn’t wearing his school uniform. When he didn’t wear his uniform, he always favored white. Today, he wore a white hoodie, with a slightly loose neckline. As he ate with his head down, a large patch of fair skin was exposed on the back of his neck, looking pale and tender.
Suddenly, an image popped into Gu Yang’s mind of Lin Xiaoran standing at the door last night, all wet and soft, talking to him. His skin was just as fair and tender.
So if he went back home, would he get to see this scene every night?
“Okay, I’ll move back tonight.”
As soon as this sentence came out, the reactions of the three people were completely different.
Naturally, Gu Xiuyuan was delighted, with a big smile on his face. “Great, moving back is good. Where else would be as comfortable as living at home? Let me call Aunt Wu right now and have her cook your favorite dishes for tonight.” With that, he took out his phone and started making a call.
Lin Xiaoran, on the other hand, lifted his head from the dishes in front of him, looking at Gu Yang unexpectedly.
Did he just agree?
Although Lin Xiaoran also hoped that the father and son could resolve this matter, did Gu Yang agree too readily?
But never mind, it was good that Gu Yang could go back home.
Thinking like this, his attention returned to the food, and he continued to eat with his head down.
Gu Yang’s face didn’t reveal much, but he felt extremely frustrated in his heart!
Going back home was fine, but before he agreed, what he had thought of was… being able to see Lin Xiaoran, wet and soft, every night. This was absurd.
After blurting out that sentence, he almost bit off his own tongue.
Even if it was because of the mark, he felt that he was acting too strangely, almost like a lovesick fool.
He was attracted to beauty, but he definitely wasn’t a fool for it.
So when Gu Xiuyuan left for something later, leaving just the two of them, Gu Yang kept his mouth shut and didn’t initiate conversation with Lin Xiaoran. It was as if he were using this method to challenge himself, showing that he could handle the aftermath of the mark.
Unfortunately, Lin Xiaoran had no idea about his inner struggles. He enjoyed the meal contentedly, not only because the food was delicious but also because the issues between Gu Yang and Gu Xiuyuan were resolved, and everything was peaceful.
Satisfied, he wiped his mouth and said, “Let’s go, pack up your things at my place and then go back to your house.”
With that, he got up and walked out.
Watching his slender figure, Gu Yang hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling childish. Why was he competing with Lin Xiaoran? This wasn’t Lin Xiaoran’s fault.
He lowered his head and rubbed his nose. Then he got up and followed after Lin Xiaoran. “Hey, thanks for today.”
“Hmm?” Lin Xiaoran turned his head to look at him, his thick eyelashes trembling slightly, clearly not understanding why Gu Yang was thanking him.
Gu Yang chuckled, suddenly remembering the incident at the KTV where Omega accused him of taking advantage. Lin Xiaoran quietly went to talk to Omega and persuaded him to change his testimony at the police station, clearing his name. Afterwards, Lin Xiaoran didn’t mention it at all.
It was the same this time too.
During the time when he ran away from home, Lin Xiaoran not only actively went to internet cafes to find him and let him stay at his house, but also motivated him to return to school with a bet. Behind the scenes, he had been persuading Gu Xiuyuan to apologize to him.
While he himself would only hold a grudge against Gu Xiuyuan, Lin Xiaoran, who seemed aloof, had been constantly mediating the conflict behind the scenes.
However, Lin Xiaoran himself seemed to think that he hadn’t done anything extraordinary.
It was the same last time, and it was the same this time. He didn’t bring it up because he genuinely didn’t see it as a big deal, and he didn’t even think about it.
That was Lin Xiaoran. Probably even if he earnestly thanked him, he would just respond with “boring.”
Gu Yang lowered his head, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his lips.
Over here, Lin Xiaoran was just laughing silently to himself, not saying a word. He couldn’t help but wonder if this guy had something wrong with his brain, but he continued to ignore him and walked ahead.
Gu Yang quickly caught up, “I just remembered, you gave me a gift when we first met.” He raised his arm and presented the watch on his wrist to Lin Xiaoran, “But I still haven’t given you a gift in return. It’s better late than never, so how about today? What do you want, and I’ll get it for you.”
Looking at the watch on Gu Yang’s wrist, which was the same as the one on his own wrist, Lin Xiaoran’s thin lips twitched slightly, showing a hint of hesitation. Should he tell Gu Yang that the watch wasn’t actually from him? When Gu Yang put it on earlier, he didn’t even know what he was given.
After some consideration, he decided to swallow the truth and simply said, “Boring.”
Forget it, Gu Yang seemed to like wearing it every day, so there was no need to make things difficult for him.
Gu Yang didn’t know what Lin Xiaoran was muttering about in his mind, nor did he care about Lin Xiaoran’s refusal. He just wanted to give Lin Xiaoran a gift as a token of gratitude.
“Don’t say that. It’s only fair. How can I just accept gifts without giving anything in return? This shop looks nice. Let’s go in and take a look.” Afraid that Lin Xiaoran would refuse, Gu Yang immediately grabbed his hand and dragged him into the adjacent shop.
Upon entering, they realized it was a jewelry store.
Uh…
Gu Yang felt a bit embarrassed. After all, Lin Xiaoran, even if he was an Omega, was still a guy, and he probably wouldn’t like this kind of thing. He couldn’t help but observe Lin Xiaoran’s reaction from the corner of his eye, and indeed, Lin Xiaoran’s beautiful eyebrows were slightly furrowed, full of impatience.
Forget it, let’s go somewhere else.
Thinking this, Gu Yang was about to pull Lin Xiaoran out, but his gaze was suddenly drawn to a necklace on the counter.
The design of the necklace was simple, but the pendant was somewhat unique, shaped like a maple leaf. It was not overly fancy, just simple and silver-white, with a small maple leaf.
Gu Yang’s foot, which was about to step forward, hesitated and retracted. He pulled Lin Xiaoran in another direction, heading straight to the counter, and pointed to the necklace inside, asking Lin Xiaoran, “What about this one?”
Following his finger to look into the counter, Lin Xiaoran’s eyes flickered slightly, then he pursed his lips and said, “No, it’s for girls.”
“…”
Before Gu Yang could speak, the store attendant came over with a smile, “This one isn’t for girls; it’s unisex. You see, the ones for girls are over there, more delicate and glamorous, while the ones for boys are usually designed to be simple and elegant. If you like this one, you can take it out and have a look. I think it should suit him very well.”
The store attendant had keen eyes and immediately noticed that Gu Yang wanted to buy it for Lin Xiaoran. After taking out the necklace, he handed it to Gu Yang with a smile and said, “Are you buying it as a gift for… a friend? You can let him try it on. I think this style should suit him very well.”
In fact, Gu Yang was attracted to this necklace at first sight not only because the maple leaf resembled Lin Xiaoran’s birthmark but also because it gave off a similar vibe to Lin Xiaoran, clean and simple.
But should he let Lin Xiaoran wear it?
Glancing at the Omega next to him, Gu Yang felt that he didn’t dare to. Lin Xiaoran would probably kick him away and tell him to get lost.
So he tactfully ignored the store attendant’s suggestion, picked up the necklace, and approached Lin Xiaoran to show him. “Take a look, it’s for men. I think it’s quite nice. What do you think?”
But Lin Xiaoran clearly had no interest in this kind of thing. With a glance, he simply said, “Not interested,” and turned to leave.
Huh?
Gu Yang felt a little disappointed. He really thought this necklace was perfect for Lin Xiaoran.
Did Lin Xiaoran really not like it?
The staff at the counter were quite shrewd and immediately sensed the opportunity to make a sale. They quickly smiled and said, “Actually, I think your… friend doesn’t really dislike it. It’s just that he may not have worn these things before and assumes they’re for girls, so he insists on not wanting it. Buy it and explain it to him properly. Once he understands, he’ll definitely want it. This is our limited edition for this year. If you miss it today, you won’t be able to buy it later. I think your… friend is really handsome, especially his collarbone. He’ll look especially good with this necklace.”
Gu Yang had wanted to buy it from the start, and hearing this, he immediately decided to go for it!
The staff member continued persuading, performing a magic trick by producing another identical necklace. “Actually, this design comes in a set of two, exactly the same. Of course, we also sell them individually. But I see that you and your friend get along well. Why not buy both and each wear one? Wouldn’t that be even better?”
By now, Lin Xiaoran had already walked out of the store and was standing under the plane trees on the roadside, looking back impatiently.
Worried that Lin Xiaoran was getting impatient, Gu Yang blurted out to the staff member, “Wrap them both together, please.”
And just like that, he hurriedly paid and left the store.
It wasn’t until they reached the door that he realized the significance of what the staff member said about the two identical necklaces being a set, most likely meant for couples.
Damn it!
The gift he wanted to give Lin Xiaoran turned out to be a couple’s item?
This was different from the meaning behind Lin Xiaoran giving him the watch. It wasn’t just the two of them; however, this necklace was designed specifically for couples to wear.
Now, how was he supposed to give it?
But if he didn’t give it, why did he buy it in the first place?
He didn’t like it himself; he just thought it suited Lin Xiaoran.
After hesitating for a moment, he looked up at Lin Xiaoran, who seemed to be getting impatient, and quickly took out a box from the bag and stuffed it into the bag with the books.
Coincidentally, Lin Xiaoran turned around, and he immediately waved his hand, walked up, and handed over the bag containing only one necklace. “Uh, a welcome gift.”
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
After looking at Gu Yang and then at the bag handed to him, Lin Xiaoran couldn’t help but roll his eyes, reluctantly took the bag, and muttered, “I’m not going to wear it!”
Gu Yang chuckled softly, mimicking his previous tone, “We’ll see!”
Instantly, a cold glare shot over, clearly indicating: Who’s going to see it with you again?
Pretending not to understand, Gu Yang pulled him forward, urging, “Alright, let’s go back and pack up your things to go home. I need to get back to studying properly. I have to catch up on my progress and can’t waste any more time.”
As if he hadn’t been wasting time himself just now.
Lin Xiaoran’s lips twitched, but he ultimately swallowed back the words.
The two of them returned to Tian Jun Peak, packed up Gu Yang’s belongings, and took a taxi to Gu’s house.
The housekeeper was overjoyed. She had been worried about Gu Yang during this time, although she didn’t say it out loud. But since Gu Yang had been staying at Lin Xiaoran’s house for a long time, and they treated her like family, she didn’t know what to say about this matter. She could only worry silently.
Now that Gu Yang was back, she couldn’t have been happier.
For dinner, she displayed her cooking skills and made a table full of dishes that Gu Yang and Lin Xiaoran loved.
During the time Gu Yang stayed at Lin Xiaoran’s house, everything seemed normal on the surface, and even Lin Xiaoran didn’t notice anything unusual about him. But now that they were back home, Lin Xiaoran clearly sensed that Gu Yang was very happy.
Well, even though Gu Yang might seem open-minded, he couldn’t possibly have no emotions at all. He just didn’t like to show his emotions.
Besides the housekeeper, Bai Tang was also particularly enthusiastic towards Gu Yang. She spent the whole evening rubbing against Gu Yang, giving the old man Gu a complete and thorough satisfaction.
Lin Xiaoran didn’t argue with him either. After dinner, he went upstairs, leaving the father and son alone in their world.
However, their private time didn’t last long, and the old father soon went upstairs to study as well.
After all, he was now betting on his college entrance exam scores against the study god, and that wasn’t something he could just casually study for.
So, even on weekends, Gu Yang didn’t slack off. He went back to his room and started studying and doing practice questions, not stopping until midnight when he felt his neck was a bit sore.
Standing up to stretch his muscles, preparing to take a shower, he caught sight of the computer next to him and suddenly froze.
It had been a long time since he last logged into Seventh World.
Because he had been busy catching up on his previous courses recently, he hadn’t had the time, and even though there was a computer in Lin Xiaoran’s room, he hadn’t dared to open it without Lin Xiaoran’s permission, considering there might be something private inside.
It had been a full week since he last logged into the game.
Feeling a bit regretful, he immediately opened the computer and logged into Seventh World. Messages immediately popped up in his friends list, quite a few of them, but he accurately picked out the messages from Change of Fate, which surprisingly included several invitations to the arena, all of them reading: Are you there? Arena.
The earliest message was a week ago, and the most recent one was… just now.
Staring at the unchanged messages, Gu Yang couldn’t help but smile. It really was his style.
Then, with a decisive click of the keyboard, he replied to the message: Here, arena, send me the room number.
Soon, the response from Change of Fate came: Are you okay?
With just one word in response, Gu Yang’s smile deepened slightly. It wasn’t easy to get Change of Fate to ask such a question. That guy just wanted to beat him in the arena.
Change of Fate: Okay, room number is 983726, hurry up.
As expected, not even an extra word. Gu Yang had never met him in person, but he knew he was a reserved person. But Gu Yang knew he wasn’t cold. A cold person wouldn’t silently accompany him all night when he was feeling down, nor would he always sense his mood first.
So, at most, he was just someone not good with words.
Actually, Gu Yang didn’t really enjoy the endless solo battles in the arena. He liked Seventh World more because the scenery was so realistic and beautiful, especially Starfall Lake.
So after three matches, he sent a message: I’m exhausted, I’m done. I played three matches with you, now it’s your turn to accompany me to Starfall Lake to watch the stars.
Change of Fate: Fine.
Smiling and shaking his head at the computer screen, Gu Yang couldn’t help but marvel at the unchanged response. This guy, why is he so lacking in fun?
