Chapter 44: Love Confession Song

Chapter 44: Love Confession Song

Upon returning to school, Gu Jiabei was practically immersed in his classroom every day. With the high school entrance exam looming, Yun He would glance at his class whenever he passed by on his way to the restroom. Gu Jiabei seldom looked out of the window; he was either wearing his scholarly glasses, working on assignments or engrossed in books. His presence on the basketball court grew scarce, and the latest photos of him circulating on the school forum were all of him studying intently from a profile angle. Despite this, admirers flooded the comments section with remarks like "Boys who study diligently are the most attractive," "The more academically gifted often work harder, fairness isn't always guaranteed as looks and talent can coexist," and "In just a few days, we won't see Gu Shuai's figure anymore after graduation. I'll cherish every extra glimpse now."

Yun He could only manage a few words with Gu Jiabei during their commutes to and from school.

"On our way to high school, we'll be attending different schools," Yun He said unhappily, looping his arms around Gu Jiabei's waist while seated on the back of his bicycle.

"Yet, we live next door and can still see each other daily," Gu Jiabei replied casually, pedaling slowly. The breeze brushed past his face, causing his hair to sway gently in the wind. The charm of his adolescence was undeniable.

"The high school entrance exam is tomorrow. Time flies so fast. I wish I could take it soon too and attend the same high school as you."

"Just hold on for one more year."

"But I'll always lag a year behind you. When you go to university, you'll leave a year earlier than me."

"I'll wait for you at university for a year then."

"Deal. We'll attend the same university in the future." Yun He tightened his embrace around Gu Jiabei's waist.

"Alright, as long as you can pass the exam." Gu Jiabei grinned.

"Tch, who do you think you're underestimating? Let me tell you, I'm only using a third of my strength in studying now. If I go all out, I could choose any top university I want!"

"Cool." Gu Jiabei burst into laughter.

When the middle school entrance exam was over, Gu Jiabei walked out of the testing center with ease. Yun He later realized just how impressive Gu Jiabei's abilities were when the results were released. Yun He suspected that Gu Jiabei had been hiding his true potential during previous school exams. When he asked if it was because Gu Jiabei wanted to keep a low profile due to his prominence at school, Gu Jiabei merely smiled without answering. But Yun He believed that was the case. Even if Gu Jiabei ranked first in their class, he might not have revealed his full strength. After all, Gu Jiabei's score placed him first in the entire city for the middle school entrance exam. Although this ranking was discussed privately among teachers, it somehow leaked onto the school forum, prompting fans and admirers to flood the platform with their effusive writings.

Suddenly, Yun He became afraid that he might not be able to attend the same university as Gu Jiabei. His best result was only twentieth in the grade, which was still a significant gap from being the city's top scorer.

During the last stretch of the semester, Yun He devoted himself entirely to studying. As Gu Jiabei had already finished the entrance exam and was on vacation, Yun He spent most of his days glued to his seat, buried in books.

"Literally, the holidays are almost here. Why are you still so focused on solving problems?" Lin Yong couldn't comprehend, turning to ask during a break. "I've never seen you this passionate about studying before."

"I didn't realize my grades were so poor before," Yun He replied without lifting his head, continuing to work through his exercises.

"You're bad at studying? Weren't you fourth in the class this time? You've improved since the last exam, right?" Lin Yong looked at Yun He in confusion, unable to believe it.

"Fourth in the class is nothing. It's not like I was fourth in the whole city," Yun He said, his pen scribbling formulas on the scratch paper without pause.

"The whole city? Oh... I get it now!" Lin Yong had an epiphany. "You must have been amazed by Gu Shuai's ranking as first in the city for the high school entrance exam, right? I have to admit, I found it unbelievable too. I heard he usually ranked within the top ten in his grade. That's impressive enough, but who would have thought he could surpass that and become the number one in the city! He must be cheating somehow!"

"Idiot, that's called concealing one's strength!" Wang Xiaomi chimed in from the side. "He doesn't need to show his full potential unless it's crucial. School exams don't require too much effort; maintaining consistent grades is enough."

"You think you know everything about Gu Shuai, huh?" Lin Yong shot Wang Xiaomi an annoyed glance.

"Hmpf, I can overlook your ugliness, but you'll never understand how someone good-looking wants to stay low-key," Wang Xiaomi retorted with a glare of her own.

"How would an ugly girl like you understand Gu Shuai's feelings then?!" Lin Yong countered sharply.

"Ugly girl? Are you kidding me? Open your dog eyes, Lin Yong, and take a good look! I—" Wang Xiaomi's voice rose abruptly, as if she were about to jump up and strangle Lin Yong.

"Enough, enough. Both of you, calm down." Yun He put down his pen helplessly, massaging his temples. With these two around, there was no peace for his ears. "Let me tell you both seriously and solemnly: my goal is to rank within the top ten in the city for the high school entrance exam. So, if you two want to bicker or argue, please turn right when you leave and don't disturb me. Got it?"

Wang Xiaomi immediately understood. "Got it, deskmate. Study hard, and I'll support you!"

Lin Yong looked at Yun He with an expression of confusion, "What? Top ten in the city? Yun Ge, why do you have to be so hard on yourself? You can still get into our city's top high school with your current grades. Why do you insist on being in the top ten? Do you want to compete with Gu Shuai? Is that necessary? Wouldn't it be better for us to live more relaxed lives?"

"Woman, you're both foolish and talkative!" Wang Xiaomi said with disdain.

"Damn it, Wang Xiaomi! If you weren't a girl, I'd really challenge you to a fight!" Lin Yong was furious but couldn't physically confront a girl.

"What's wrong with what I said? You're such a clueless straight guy. I wonder when your idiocy will help you win Jiang Lingling's heart," Wang Xiaomi taunted.

"How am I a clueless straight guy? Besides, what does Jiang Lingling have to do with this? Wang Xiaomi, you're such a bitch. If you were a guy, I'd beat you up so badly that you wouldn't be able to leave the school gates today!" Lin Yong roared, barely holding back his urge to pull Wang Xiaomi from her seat and throw her to the ground.

"Oh, wow! How mighty of you! Trying to scare who, exactly? You're just a stupid—" Wang Xiaomi shot back with sharp words.

Yun He's head was about to burst from their constant bickering, "Lin Yong! Wang Xiaomi! Please, both of you, let me be. I feel like I'm going deaf..."

Frustrated, Yun He rubbed his hair. Not only could he not see Gu Jiabei at school, but he also had to endure these two daily. Yun He wished for summer vacation to come quickly, so he would at least have a whole summer to spend every day with Gu Jiabei.

After another week, Yun He finally bid farewell to Lin Yong and Wang Xiaomi's daily squabbles and threw himself wholeheartedly into Gu Jiabei's arms, starting their summer of constant togetherness.

Throughout the summer, Yun He almost dragged Gu Jiabei daily to teach him, displaying an unprecedented level of enthusiasm for studying.

"How come I didn't realize before that you're so smart?" Yun He asked, sitting at his dining table and watching Gu Jiabei effortlessly solve a complex math problem.

"Not impressive?" Gu Jiabei casually replied.

"Hmm, of course it is!" Yun He gazed at Gu Jiabei with starry eyes, filled with admiration. "You're a genius, good-looking, skilled in playing the guitar, great at basketball, skiing, and even ballroom dancing! Gu Jiabei, you're practically a jack of all trades!"

"You're exaggerating. Lu Angyu can do all those things too. We've attended many tutorial classes together since we were kids," Gu Jiabei said calmly.

"Oh, right, Lu Angyu..." The sparkle in Yun He's eyes dimmed slightly as he pouted. "What else did the two of you learn together?"

"Well... fencing, taekwondo, horseback riding, shooting, painting, calligraphy, swimming, skydiving..." Gu Jiabei answered earnestly.

"You both know so much..." Yun He's tone was tinged with jealousy. "Unlike me, who only knows how to play the piano."

"We just know a lot of things, but not necessarily proficient in them," Gu Jiabei tilted his head to look at Yun He. "Unlike when you play the piano, it's so vivid and full of spirit."

Yun He's face flushed with a hint of embarrassment. "Don't comfort me. I know I'm far behind you..."

"Nonsense," Gu Jiabei frowned.

"Sigh, forget it. It's already like this, so I'll just strive to catch up with you." Yun He shrugged. "By the way, which university do you plan on attending in the future? Will it be in Beijing, or perhaps another city?"

Gu Jiabei maintained his frown, pausing for a few seconds before replying slowly, "Do you want to attend university in Beijing?"

"It would be great to go to Beijing, but there are excellent universities elsewhere too, like Shanghai and Nanjing. But I'll definitely have to follow you to the same city, so I need to work hard to match your academic performance." Yun He said.

"There's no rush. We still have three years to consider this matter," Gu Jiabei said, looking down to pick up his water glass and taking a sip, avoiding Yun He's gaze.

"True, my current goal is to excel in the high school entrance exam, and then focus on the college entrance exam next." Yun He continued, "Ah, I really wonder if having a genius boyfriend is a blessing or a curse."

"I suppose it's not necessarily a bad thing," Gu Jiabei replied, seeming somewhat distracted.

"Right, this gives me motivation. I haven't been this eager to study seriously in a long time," Yun He said, noticing Gu Jiabei's serious expression and assuming he took his jesting comment seriously. He shifted to a more lighthearted tone.

"Mm," Gu Jiabei nodded. "Then focus on your practice questions."

After saying that, Gu Jiabei stood up from his chair as if not to disturb Yun He, wandering around the room lost in thought. As he approached the piano, his fingers unconsciously played a short melody on its keys. Baiyun, who had been sleeping on the sofa, perked up at the sound, twitching its ears before slowly opening its eyes to look at Gu Jiabei.

"You can play the piano?" Yun He, in the midst of doing his practice problems, abruptly looked up at Gu Jiabei, reacting much quicker than Baiyun.

"Um?" Gu Jiabei seemed to be awakened from his reverie by Yun He's voice, glancing at his fingers still resting on the piano keys. "Oh, I took some lessons before, just for fun."

"How come you never mentioned that you play the piano?" Yun He's interest piqued, and he tossed aside his pen, rushing to sit beside Gu Jiabei.

"I'm not very good at it, so there's nothing much to talk about," Gu Jiabei replied.

"But you should still tell me! Now I feel like you're a treasure trove of untapped talents!"

"I only know this much," Gu Jiabei said.

"Well, then play something for me," Yun He suggested.

"Showing off in front of an expert?" Gu Jiabei chuckled.

"Just a little bit," Yun He grinned, moving closer to Gu Jiabei. "The feeling that my boyfriend is proficient in everything is amazing."

Gu Jiabei sat down at the piano bench, flexing his fingers. "I'll just play something randomly then."

Yun He also sat down next to Gu Jiabei, leaning against his arm. "Play whatever you like."

It wasn't until Gu Jiabei began playing that Yun He understood what he meant by "playing something casually." He had expected Gu Jiabei to play a famous classical piece, but after listening for a while, he realized that he had never heard the melody before.

"What song is this?" Yun He asked.

"I don't know. I just made it up on the spot," Gu Jiabei replied, pausing his fingers and looking at Yun He. "Do you like it?"

"You can compose music too?!" Yun He's eyes sparkled with admiration; it couldn't get any better than this.

"Don't look at me like that. I prefer to keep a low profile," Gu Jiabei said, amused by Yun He's expression. The emotions he had been concealing in his gaze faded away. "But your look really makes me feel proud."

"Damn it, be proud! You should be proud! You must be proud!" Yun He grabbed Gu Jiabei's arm excitedly and shook it. "That piece was amazing! I want to record it. Play it again!"

"It was just something I played randomly."

"Well, play it randomly again then!"

Gu Jiabei sighed helplessly and sat up straighter. "Fine, I'll dedicate this piece to you. Let's call it... you can come up with a name later. Something simple and easy to understand."

"Okay!" Yun He nodded eagerly and took out his phone to turn on the recording function. Gazing at the handsome Gu Jiabei on the screen, he said, "Alright, let's begin!"

A light and fluid melody flowed from Gu Jiabei's fingertips, an improvisation he had crafted on the spot. He felt that the room was especially warm on this afternoon, and beside him sat a fervent-eyed youth, whose gaze filled his heart to the brim. Unconsciously, his tune resonated with a gentle, upbeat rhythm. Little Baiyun swayed its tail lazily, ambling over to the piano stool where it hopped up and sprawled, listening to the music with contentment.

Yun He gazed at Gu Jiabei through the camera lens, radiant and captivating. His youthful face was reflected on the pristine piano keys. If there were any beautiful memories in this world worth cherishing for a lifetime, Yun He believed that this very moment would be enough to occupy his thoughts for years to come.

A cat, a melody, and the love of my life - it's almost too delightful to be true.

The melody gradually faded to a gentle halt. Gu Jiabei removed his fingers from the keys and waved them before the camera. "Are you mesmerized or enchanted?"

"Beautiful." Yun He slowly lowered his camera, gazing at Gu Jiabei in a daze. "Sounds lovely too."

A smile tugged at the corners of Gu Jiabei's lips, and he gently ruffled Yun He's hair with his palm. "I told you not to make me too proud."

"What were you thinking about when you played this piece?" Yun He inquired.

"It's a melody for you, so naturally, I was thinking of you," Gu Jiabei replied.

"Then can we name this piece 'Thinking of You'?" Yun He suggested.

"Thinking of You..." Gu Jiabei's smile broadened. "Your way of naming things is quite straightforward, isn't it?"

"When I have time in the future, I'll write lyrics for that melody. It'll be our love song, hehe," Yun He mused happily, his face beaming with contentment.

"Alright." Gu Jiabei picked up the little Baiyun from the chair and stroked its head. "By the way, your birthday is coming up soon. How do you plan to celebrate it?"

"Anything's fine with me. My parents are always busy, so they don't always remember my birthday. If they do, we celebrate; if not, we skip it," Yun He said nonchalantly, mimicking the gesture on little Baiyun's head.

"What would you like as a birthday gift?"

"Money?" Yun He joked, spreading his hands wide.

"Vulgar," Gu Jiabei commented, placing little Baiyun in Yun He's palm, who meowed in protest.