Chapter 51

Chapter 51

After the fireworks, they headed out.

On the way back, the group got hungry once more and found a hot pot spot that was supposed to be amazing.

Jiang Chenyu and Zhang Ruochuan went to grab a queue number, while Xie Ci and Fu Yicheng stood by the roadside, talking about the report on the sports school's malicious violations.

The group waited half an hour before finally getting seats.

With so many people, they had to split up into several tables. Jiang Chenyu and the others just figured Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng would sit together, but Xie Ci went straight to join Fu Yicheng and some others from the second high school.

Fang Size glanced at Gu Yufeng sitting across from him and asked in a low voice, "What's up with Lao Xie? Is he in a funk?"

Gu Yufeng, though, was in a great mood and smiled as he asked, "Is he? Isn't he always like this?"

"He didn’t say a word the whole way. He’s usually quiet, but not this quiet."

Fang Size probed, "Did you guys have a fight?"

Gu Yufeng thought to himself, typical of an old comrade, even a slight mood shift couldn’t be hidden.

"Maybe it’s because I got hurt at the sports school, and he’s still mad about it?"

Fang Size figured that made sense.

After all, Lao Xie and Lao Gu had already moved up to being desk mates who kissed.

Over there, Xie Ci noticed Gu Yufeng looking over, smirking a bit, not reflecting at all, and quietly looked away, pretending not to notice.

Attacking a minor, and still has the gall to smile.

After ordering, everyone went to mix their own dipping sauces. Gu Yufeng rarely got to eat hot pot, and usually, the dipping sauces were already made for him. Faced with dozens of condiments, he was at a loss.

Over there, Xie Ci noticed Gu Yufeng standing like a statue at the condiment station and got up to head over.

Gu Yufeng was about to throw some together when he saw Xie Ci approaching, still with that sour look, ignoring him, like they were back to their first meeting after rebirth.

"No need to be so mad, right?"

Gu Yufeng leaned in, picked up a spoon pretending to add sauce, and said in a casual tone, "It was just a peck, I didn’t even use my tongue."

As soon as he said it, he got a warning look from Xie Ci.

Xie Ci took the small sauce dish from Gu Yufeng, handed him the prepared sauce, made another for himself, then turned and left.

Gu Yufeng looked at his sauce dish, then at Xie Ci who had stormed off, and thought, "Was this kid always so uptight?"

Hadn't he already figured out his identity? What's the big deal about a kiss?

Even from Xie Ci's perspective, thinking he kissed a seventeen-year-old minor, but given his previous public demeanor, isn't that normal?

How many people used to surround him before? Did Xie Ci ever care?

People started coming to the condiment station one after another, and Gu Yufeng standing there was in the way. He was about to return to his seat when he turned and saw Fu Yicheng's horrified expression. After a moment's thought, he smiled and asked, "What did you hear?"

"Nothing!"

Fu Yicheng was startled by Gu Yufeng's smile and quickly shook his head, "I didn't hear anything!"

"That's good," Gu Yufeng nodded, satisfied, and left.

In a good mood and with a hearty appetite, and with the dipping sauce just right, Gu Yufeng enjoyed his meal.

Jiang Chenyu, sitting across from him, glanced at Gu Yufeng's dipping sauce and asked curiously, "Lao Gu, what’s in that? It looks amazing."

Gu Yufeng shrugged, "No idea. Lao Xie handed it to me."

Fang Size rolled his eyes.

And so the lovey-dovey stuff begins.

Jiang Chenyu, oblivious to the subtext, turned to Xie Ci and said, "Hey, Lao Xie, make me one too."

Midway through the meal, Zhang Ruochuan grabbed some drinks for everyone, saying, "These are local specialties—you won’t find them anywhere else."

Gu Yufeng took one, opened it, and sipped it, only to immediately sense something was wrong. He flipped the bottle around, realizing that joy had turned to despair.

Peanuts were listed third from the bottom.

Since peanuts were so far down the list, the amount was minimal, and with just one sip, he figured he’d be okay.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was nearly ten when they got back to the hotel.

After wrapping up with Fu Yicheng, Xie Ci headed to his room, already dreading the idea of sharing a bed with Gu Yufeng.

Spotting Gu Yufeng waiting at the door from a distance, Xie Ci was reminded of their kiss in the square.

Back when he didn’t know Gu Yufeng had also reincarnated, he’d wanted to keep his distance. But since they were bound to cross paths, being friends seemed like the next best thing.

Once he knew Gu Yufeng had reincarnated, he didn’t want him to fall for anyone else—not even his younger self.

Being dumped out of the blue in his past life left him wondering why Gu Yufeng had come back to him.

"Hurry up, my foot’s killing me," Gu Yufeng complained.

Xie Ci took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Should I take the first shower?" Gu Yufeng asked.

Xie Ci nodded.

As Gu Yufeng headed into the bathroom, Xie Ci pulled out the doctor-prescribed ointment and set it somewhere obvious.

Once Gu Yufeng was done showering, Xie Ci told him to put on the ointment himself before heading into the bathroom.

When he came out, the ointment was still untouched, and Gu Yufeng was already in bed, facing the balcony with his back to him, apparently asleep.

So well-behaved.

Xie Ci was a little surprised—he’d figured with such a perfect opportunity, this guy would’ve stirred up some trouble.

Xie Ci debated between waking him up to apply the ointment (and risking being pestered) or letting him sleep (and skipping the ointment altogether). In the end, he decided to wait until he was sound asleep and apply it quietly.

He grabbed his phone and sat by the window, where group messages were flooding in—high schoolers buzzing about, trying to round up people for games.

Xie Ci opened the chat, and a string of new messages popped up.

Lei Qiliang: "You crushed it today! Got any flaws? The old city land deal’s moving along—when are you free for tea?"

Gu Yongnian: "Xiao Xie, could you keep an eye on Xiao Feng and make sure he has a good time?"

Xie Qian: "Are you heading straight to school from the hot spring town tomorrow? If you left anything at home, I’ll drop it off for you in the morning."

After replying to the messages one by one, Xie Ci opened the last message from an unfamiliar number.

"I am Xie Hongguang. I apologize for startling you the other day. I heard you clinched the provincial championship in basketball. I’d like to throw a celebration banquet for you and apologize in person. Someone will pick you up after school on Monday. Will you give your old man this chance?"

Xie Ci glanced at the message and typed a reply.

"My dad’s painting is going up for auction at Shengde Auction House on the 2nd next month. You’ll show your support, right?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the guy on the bed stir, curling up into a ball.

This dude never sleeps all balled up. Xie Ci put down his phone and got up to check.

The guy on the bed was bundled up in the blanket, half his face buried in the pillow, frowning, tossing and turning, and scratching his neck like crazy.

"Old Gu?" Xie Ci tugged the corner of the blanket down a bit and saw that Gu Yufeng’s neck was already red from scratching. The disheveled bathrobe revealed one side of his collarbone, covered in small red rashes that spread all the way to his chest.

Xie Ci yanked the blanket off and pulled open Gu Yufeng’s bathrobe, spotting rashes all over his body.

"Knock it off."

Half-asleep, Gu Yufeng tried to grab the blanket, but Xie Ci pinned his shoulders and flipped him onto his stomach.

Xie Ci yanked the back of his collar down, exposing a rash-covered back.

"Xie Ci!" With his clothes pulled off, Gu Yufeng was fully awake now, turning his head to glare at him angrily. "What the hell’s your problem?"

"You’re having an allergic reaction. Don’t you feel it?"

Xie Ci’s face was stern. "You’re all tough talk, but when you’re actually sick, you clam up. Who let you get away with this?"

Hiding in the dorm with a fever, holing up in the lounge with a leg injury, and now sneaking around with an allergic reaction—it’s like he doesn’t trust anyone.

"I’m used to handling things on my own."

Gu Yufeng looked down. "I’ll be fine after some sleep."

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Xie Ci felt irritated. "What did you have tonight?"

Gu Yufeng scratched the small red rashes on his body and casually said, "I had a sip of peanut milk. It’s not gonna kill me."

"You’re gonna scratch yourself raw." Xie Ci grabbed his hand to stop him from scratching. "I’ll grab you some meds now."

Gu Yufeng wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Xie Ci had already gotten up and left the room.

Xie Ci first knocked on Fang Size’s door to get some rash ointment.

Fang Size, upon hearing that Gu Yufeng was having an allergic reaction, handed him the ointment. "Take this for now. I’ll check with the front desk for oral meds. If they don’t have any, I’ll hit the streets to grab some."

"Thank you." Xie Ci returned to his room. Thinking that Fang Size would come over and that the others from their group were staying nearby, he left the door open.

While applying the ointment to Gu Yufeng, Xie Ci suddenly realized something.

Every time Gu Yufeng got sick, there was no family around. The first time he suffered from acclimatization, it was Robertson’s assistant who took him to the hospital. This time, Gu Yongnian clearly knew Gu Yufeng might have been injured and arranged for a doctor, but he still went off to attend to other matters.

When Gu Yufeng said, "I’m used to it," he probably meant he was used to dealing with everything solo.

Gu Yongnian and Catelyn do care about their son, but they just don’t have the time.

"If you feel unwell, let me know right away."

Xie Ci whispered the instruction, only to get a half-hearted response from Gu Yufeng.

Lying still while Xie Ci applied the medicine felt like torture to Gu Yufeng.

The small red rashes were unbearably itchy, and Xie Ci’s touch only intensified the itch, while also stopping him from scratching.

As Xie Ci focused on the rashes on his neck, Gu Yufeng tried to sneak a scratch on his stomach, but Xie Ci pulled his hand away before he could get any relief.

"I told you not to scratch, didn’t I?" Xie Ci squeezed out a bit more ointment and applied it to the rashes on his chest.

"Easier said than done. You’d be just as bad," Gu Yufeng shot back, clearly annoyed.

"Then find something else to distract yourself with."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yufeng let out a low, teasing moan. Xie Ci paused, raising his head with a blank expression to meet Gu Yufeng’s gaze: "What’s with the noise?"

"Didn’t you tell me to find something else to distract myself?" Gu Yufeng watched Xie Ci’s changing expression with amusement, deliberately altering his tone to hum, "Come on, hurry up."

Xie Ci: "..."

Who’s distracting who here?

Xie Ci, noticing the door was still open, felt a pang of anxiety.

If this guy kept moaning, he’d draw attention, so Xie Ci hurried up with the ointment.

"Turn over; I’ll get your back."

Gu Yufeng propped himself up on his side, pulling the robe off his shoulder to reveal the smooth nape of his neck and the soft skin of his back. His long legs brushed against the blanket as he asked in a low, husky voice, "This okay?"

Xie Ci’s eyes trailed from Gu Yufeng’s jawline to his shoulder, down his straight back to the curve of his body. His eyelids flickered, and he grabbed the back of Gu Yufeng’s neck, pushing him back onto the bed.

"Stay still."

Gu Yufeng noticed the intensity in Xie Ci’s eyes, but before he could gloat, Xie Ci pinned him down and roughly rubbed his back. "Be gentle!"

"If you cooperate, it’ll be over faster," Xie Ci said, focused only on speed.

His entire back was itchy and numb, and he couldn’t scratch. Gu Yufeng gripped the blanket and endured it. When Xie Ci reached his waist, Gu Yufeng let out a small moan.

"I told you to keep quiet," Xie Ci said, giving his butt a light slap.

"Damn it," Gu Yufeng snapped. He turned over, grabbed the ointment from Xie Ci, and tossed it aside. He then pinned Xie Ci to the bed and reached for his waist, "Let’s see if you’ll make noise if I touch you here."

"Stop messing around."

Xie Ci grabbed his wrist and pinned it to the side, flipping over to sit up.

Gu Yufeng tried to move his hand but found it firmly restrained. He looked up at Xie Ci: "Are you taking revenge? Just because I kissed you, is it really that big of a deal?"

Xie Ci laughed in frustration: "So you knew that action would upset me, and you still did it?"

"And what about you?"

Gu Yufeng sat up straight, locking eyes with Xie Ci at close range, "If you’re going to reject me, then do it properly. Why do you care so much?"

Xie Ci retorted, "Can't we just keep it simple as classmates and friends? Why does it have to be so complicated?"

"Impossible."

Gu Yufeng looked at him, enunciating each word clearly, "You and I can never just be friends."

After a brief exchange of glances, Xie Ci asked seriously, "What do you even see in me?"

This had always been his question.

In his past life, he had somehow succeeded and then just as suddenly been dumped.

What exactly had set him apart from the crowd around Gu Yufeng, making him the only one who could register a marriage with this person?

Gu Yufeng thought for a moment, "Those big muscles and that cute butt of yours."

Xie Ci: "…………"

Xie Ci stood up, his face cold, and started to leave.

Gu Yufeng put his arm around his shoulder and brought him back, "You asked for it, why are you getting mad?"

In the midst of their argument, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, and the next moment Jiang Chenyu rushed in, holding a Monopoly map, and excitedly shouted, "Hey Old Xie, let's play Monopoly!"

In the room, Gu Yufeng was half-lying on the bed, his bathrobe askew, one hand on Xie Ci's neck, while Xie Ci propped himself up, ready to push him away.

Hearing the noise, they both looked over.

Both froze, stunned.

For a moment, they were speechless.

Jiang Chenyu looked at the messy bed and the unexplained red marks on Gu Yufeng's neck, scratching his face in confusion, "Are you guys... wrestling or something?"

By the time Fang Size caught up to stop him, it was too late. He glanced at the disastrous scene and handed over the medicine seriously, "If it's not too bad, take one."

Xie Ci took it and got up to get some water.

Fang Size, seeing Jiang Chenyu's shattered worldview, explained, "Old Gu had an allergic reaction, and Old Xie was just helping him with the medicine."

Jiang Chenyu suddenly understood, "Oh, that explains it!"

At least his worldview was preserved.

Soon, Zhang Ruochuan and others arrived, gathering around the small living room to play Monopoly.

After taking his medicine and getting his foot treated, Gu Yufeng felt sleepy and dozed off after a few games.

When he woke up, it was nearly two in the morning. He got up to use the bathroom and found three people still playing in the living room. Xie Ci was lying just an arm's length away, fast asleep.

The day's finals had worn everyone out, especially Xie Ci, who as both forward and captain had been the main target of the opposing team. He didn't say it, but he was clearly wiped out.

Jiang Chenyu was sprawled at the foot of the bed, one leg dangling, his upper body pressing on Xie Ci's leg, snoring away.

As Gu Yufeng was about to get up, he saw Xie Ci stir, thinking he'd woken him, but instead heard him murmur softly.

"Little Fang…"

Little Fang?!

Gu Yufeng narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned in closer.

Xie Ci murmured, "It's so heavy..."

"..."

Gu Yufeng looked at Xie Ci and waited, but the sleep talk stopped abruptly.

Too heavy?

Given his build, Xie Ci had never complained about him being too heavy. Is Xiao Fang some kind of heavyweight tipping the scales at over two hundred pounds?