Chapter 59

Gu Zhao admitted it too cleanly and decisively — for a moment, Qin Auntie didn't know what to say.

Ji Chen, who had been crouching quietly to one side, sensed something was off. He jogged over in a few quick strides and stood tensely behind Qin Auntie.

Qin Auntie gathered herself, put on the bearing of an elder, and lectured with grave sincerity: 'Student Gu, business isn't child's play. You can't destroy a whole company on a whim — do you know how many people's livelihoods that represents?'

Gu Zhao asked back, expressionless: 'If you treasured it so much, why didn't you regulate production properly and leave such gaping holes?'

Qin Auntie couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to counter, so she steered the conversation elsewhere: 'The conflict between Ji Su and his father is a matter between father and son. As outsiders, we shouldn't meddle. What if he regrets it later—'

'Not outsiders.' Ji Su, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. 'Gu Zhao isn't an outsider.'

He stepped back from Gu Zhao's embrace, took hold of that warm, broad hand, and laced their fingers together.

Gu Zhao hesitated only a second before squeezing back hard.

Qin Auntie's face went slack with shock: 'You two—'

Ji Chen took a disbelieving step back: 'Ge, you really are together with him?'

'Gu Zhao is right — if there hadn't been problems inside the company, no one could have reported it successfully.' Ji Su analyzed calmly. 'So the one who drove the company to ruin isn't me, and it isn't the Gu Family either.'

Ji Chen looked at him with eyes that seemed to barely recognize him: 'Ge, how did you become like this?'

Ji Su smiled faintly: 'But I quite like who I am now.'

In the past, he had always been careful, trying to please everyone, trying to make them all happy and satisfied — and in the process, he'd forgotten himself entirely.

It was Gu Zhao who helped him find himself again, and Gu Zhao's love that taught him to love himself.

The careful mask on Qin Auntie's face began to crack, and her voice rose to a sharp pitch: 'Are you set on driving your father to his death? Aren't you afraid of karmic retribution for such filial impiety?'

'Retribution?' Gu Zhao laughed coldly. 'Whether we'll see it is hard to say — but yours has already arrived.'

'You—' Qin Auntie was so furious she couldn't catch her breath and nearly collapsed on the spot.

'Mama!' Ji Chen rushed forward to catch her. 'Mama, are you all right?'

'Let's go…' Qin Auntie pressed a hand to her chest. 'Xiao Chen, we're leaving!'

Ji Chen supported her as they walked out, glancing back again and again as he went.

Ji Su and Gu Zhao stood side by side, their hands clasped tight — a sight at once jarring and perfectly harmonious.

Qiao Jin spat to one side, watched the two figures recede, then gave Gu Zhao a thumbs-up: 'Campus heartthrob Gu, I'm in total awe this round — thanks for finally venting some of Su Su's grievances for him!'

But Gu Zhao didn't let it go to his head. He lowered his gaze to the person beside him, studying his expression.

Ji Su pulled his hand back and walked toward the Dormitory door without a word.

Gu Zhao immediately lengthened his stride to follow, leaving behind only one sentence: 'Qiao Jin, come up later.'

Qiao Jin's face was a picture of confusion. Though he didn't know what was going on, he decided to follow Campus heartthrob Gu's instructions and head to the Gymnasium to watch Zhou Yang play basketball first.

Ji Su reached the Dormitory door, took out his key, unlocked it, and pushed the door open.

Gu Zhao followed him in, reached out, and pulled him into his arms: 'Are you angry?'

Ji Su struggled a little: 'Talk properly. Keep your hands to yourself.'

Gu Zhao not only didn't let go, but held him tighter, and apologized in a low voice: 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted on my own.'

Ji Su raised his eyes: 'So you know that's what I'm angry about?'

Gu Zhao sighed: 'Your heart is too soft. I was afraid you'd take pity on them.'

Ten Ji Families wouldn't be enough to stand against the Gu Family. If his elder brother wanted to crush the Ji Family, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.

As a precaution, he had specifically blocked all the Ji Family's contact information in advance — he hadn't expected it still to reach Ji Su's ears.

Ji Su's heart was a tangle of feelings: 'You wanted to help me get back at the Ji Family?'

'When I think about all the grievances you suffered at the Ji Family over the years, I can't bear it.' Gu Zhao cupped his face in both hands. 'I should have found you sooner and brought you home.'

'It's not too late…' Ji Su gazed into those dark eyes brimming with deep feeling, his voice catching slightly. 'I wish I'd met you sooner too, but whenever I met you, it would have been the best time.'

'All right…' Gu Zhao answered, pressing his forehead to Ji Su's, their noses brushing, their breaths mingling.

After a long moment, Ji Su opened his eyes: 'Gu Zhao, let the Ji Family matter rest as it is.'

Gu Zhao looked at him: 'You want the Gu Family to stand down?'

'What already happened, the Ji Family brought on themselves.' Ji Su replied softly. 'But from here on, don't let the Gu Family's hands get any dirtier. Whether they can recover is up to their own fate.'

Gu Zhao said nothing, seeming to weigh something.

'It's not that I'm soft-hearted, or that I miss the old ties — I just don't think it's necessary.' Ji Su lifted both arms and wound them around his neck. 'Because I feel so happy now, everything that came before has become trivial.'

And more importantly — if the Ji Family were truly driven to the wall, they might lash out in desperation, and he feared Gu Zhao could get hurt.

Gu Zhao replied: 'Understood.'

'Gu Zhao, you're so good to me.' Ji Su curved his lips, rose slightly on his toes, and offered a kiss of his own accord.

His shy lover was rarely the one to make the first move — a flicker of amusement crossed Gu Zhao's eyes. He gripped that slender waist with one hand and deepened the kiss.

Soon, Ji Su was lifted up and pressed against the door, kissed there.

The wet, breath-catching sounds rose in the quiet Dormitory, and the air grew hotter and hotter.

Two sharp knocks — the door Ji Su was leaning against was suddenly struck from outside, and Zhao Ziyun's rough voice reached their ears: 'Is anyone in the Dormitory?'

Ji Su shuddered all over, suddenly coming to his senses, and tried to turn his face away.

Gu Zhao was thoroughly enjoying the kiss and, unrelenting, chased after those wet lips.

'No, mmh…' Ji Su buried his burning face in the crook of Gu Zhao's neck. 'Someone's—'

Gu Zhao took a few deep breaths, then turned and carried him to the bed.

He set Ji Su down on the bed and bit that soft, hot cheek with a faintly gritted-teeth air: 'I'll get the door.'

Ji Su, still dizzy from the kiss, conveniently rolled over onto his stomach and pretended to be asleep.

Gu Zhao walked to the door and opened it.

Zhao Ziyun's eyes went wide: 'Gu Zhao? Why are you here?'

'Ji Su wasn't feeling well, so I brought him back.' Gu Zhao offered a brief explanation, then left.

Li You hurried into the Dormitory, went to Ji Su's bedside, and asked with concern: 'Ji Su, where do you feel unwell?'

Ji Su lifted his face from the pillow and replied softly: 'Thanks for asking, I'm fine.'

His cheeks were flushed, his lips still a little swollen, and his eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water — he looked especially beautiful.

Li You was momentarily stunned, completely forgetting what he'd come to say.

Ji Su asked: 'Anything else?'

'Ah?' Li You came back to himself, stammering: 'N-no, nothing else.'

'All right.' Ji Su lay back down and felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He took out his phone and opened WeChat to check the message.

Gu Zhao: [I've spoken to my elder brother.]

Ji Su: [Thank you, Gu Zhao.]

Gu Zhao: [Just a thank-you?]

Ji Su: [Then how do you want me to thank you?]

Gu Zhao: [Call me laogong again?]

Ji Su recalled what had happened the last time he'd called him laogong, and the tips of his ears burned as if licked by fire.

Ji Su: [No.]

Gu Zhao: [Really not?]

Ji Su: [Really not.]

Gu Zhao: [Fine, then save it up for later.]

Ji Su stared at the words in the chat window and shivered for no reason.

*

The days drifted forward at an unhurried pace, and the weather gradually turned cooler.

That day, while checking his phone calendar, Ji Su suddenly realized Gu Zhao's Birthday was coming up.

Back at the Dormitory that evening, he consulted Qiao Jin: 'Xiao Qiao, Gu Zhao's Birthday is in a few days — what do you think I should get him?'

Qiao Jin was in the middle of a long phone call; on hearing this, he covered the mouthpiece and replied: 'Think about what Campus heartthrob Gu has been needing lately?'

Ji Su thought about it seriously: 'He doesn't seem to need anything.'

'I think so too…' Qiao Jin had a sudden flash of inspiration. 'How about this — wrap yourself up as the gift. Gu Zhao will definitely love it!'

Ji Su: '…'

He recalled the consequences of following Qiao Jin's advice last time and wasn't sure this was a good idea.

Qiao Jin simply hung up the phone and threw himself into the discussion with full concentration: 'From what I know, Campus heartthrob Gu loves seeing you in skirts. Buy yourself a sexy little dress, wrap yourself up as a present, hehe…'

As he spoke, he started laughing to himself lewdly: 'I guarantee Gu Zhao will be a hundred percent satisfied with this gift!'

'Stop right there!' Ji Su leaned back tactically. 'I'm asking about a proper gift. Can you be serious for one second?'

'Fine.' Qiao Jin cleared his throat. 'Then get him clothes, sneakers, that sort of thing. He doesn't need them, but the ones you buy will mean something different.'

Ji Su nodded: 'Then I'll get him a pair of sneakers.'

Qiao Jin asked, refusing to give up: 'Are you really not considering my suggestion?'

Ji Su refused: 'Not considering it.'

Though his refusal was categorical, Ji Su was actually a little hesitant in his heart.

On one hand, he really wanted Gu Zhao to receive a gift he'd be very happy with — after all, when his own birthday had come, Gu Zhao had given him the most perfect birthday gift.

But on the other hand, he was a little afraid Gu Zhao would make him wear even stranger clothes…

After much thought, Ji Su decided to first consult the person in question.

Back home that evening, he sat cross-legged on the sofa and asked: 'Gu Zhao, is there a birthday gift you particularly want?'

Gu Zhao was reviewing a case; on hearing this, he pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses: 'You.'

Ji Su pressed his lips together: 'Besides me?'

He already belonged to Gu Zhao — he couldn't really count as a birthday gift.

'You wearing a skirt for me—' Gu Zhao paused a beat, his tongue swerving mid-word, '—for me to look at.'

Ji Su had a hunch he hadn't actually said 'look,' but he had no proof.

Gu Zhao asked, ever the gentleman: 'May I have this birthday gift?'

'You may.' Ji Su emphasized, blushing. 'But it can't be one of those weird dresses.'

'Oh.' Gu Zhao replied slowly, rising from the sofa. 'Come with me.'

Ji Su stood up and followed him into the bedroom.

An entire wall of the bedroom was taken up by a wardrobe. Gu Zhao pulled open one of the doors: 'Here, pick one yourself.'

Only then did Ji Su realize that what hung inside was an entire collection of dresses of every style.

He licked his somewhat dry lips: 'Why… are there so many dresses?'

'Of course I want to see you wear them.' Gu Zhao's long fingers trailed across the dresses one by one as he answered frankly.

Ji Su: '…'

Gu Zhao's fingertip paused on one of the dresses: 'Would a qipao be acceptable?'

Ji Su thought briefly — a qipao probably wouldn't be too strange: 'All right, then a qipao.'

Gu Zhao's smile took on an ambiguous edge: 'I'm looking forward to it.'