Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Gu Jinglan knew he was timid, but he didn’t expect him to be this timid.

Didn’t he say it was just for fun? So why wouldn’t he admit it now? Gu Jinglan looked at him with amusement, thinking he was being inconsistent.

Still holding his hand, Gu Jinglan pulled him and asked, “Why deny it?”

Afraid of being recognized by classmates, Qi Yanyu had no choice but to keep his head down and mutter, “Better to keep a low profile.”

Later, the four listened as staff explained the rules—no hitting NPCs, no kicking or forcing locked doors open, etc.

The four players then entered. They had several escape rooms to pick from, and they went with the horror hospital theme.

The girl gripped the back of the boy’s shirt while Gu Jinglan held onto Qi Yanyu’s hand.

After leading them into a room, the staff left, leaving them alone to “explore” and solve the puzzles themselves.

Left alone in the room with eerie music playing, the girl asked, “Are NPCs gonna jump-scare us later?”

“Probably,” the boy replied, clearly scared too. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

In the pitch-dark environment, filled with unsettling screams and a creepy soundtrack, everyone was on edge.

Yet Gu Jinglan deliberately asked Qi Yanyu, “Qi-ge, I’m kinda scared.”

“You’re a grown-up—look after yourself,” Qi Yanyu shot back.

“Guess I’ll have to protect myself… and you too, Qi-ge.” Judging from Gu Jinglan’s tone, he clearly wasn’t afraid.

Suddenly, an NPC burst in, sending them all bolting in different directions.

They ran out into the hallway and into nearby rooms. It was so dark that Qi Yanyu only realized he’d run into some random room by himself.

He called out for Gu Jinglan, but no one answered.

“Gu Jinglan, are you there? Did we get separated already?” Even though he didn’t believe in ghosts, the pitch-dark setting and creepy soundtrack were enough to make Qi Yanyu uneasy.

Gu Jinglan was all “I’ll protect Qi-ge”—so where the hell was he now?

Had he been deliberately abandoned to scare him? With these anxious thoughts and the terrifying atmosphere getting to him, Qi Yanyu kept grumbling to himself.

“Jerk.”

“I should’ve just snuck my phone in from the storage room to protect myself.”

“If Gu Jinglan’s dependable, I’m a flying pig…”

Muttering curses under his breath, Qi Yanyu kept moving ahead by himself, hoping to regroup with the couple. In a situation like this, sticking together was better than going solo.

“Jerk, really… lost me like this…”

And this guy says he’s into me?

If he couldn’t even keep track of someone right next to him, did he pay for that student council president title? What kind of ability was that anyway? All book smarts, no real skills.

“Freaking nerd, Gu Jinglan…”

Not that Gu Jinglan was actually a nerd—he’d manhandled him pretty well in laser tag and once held him down all night in the school’s “cornfield” patch. He’d probably pulled plenty of shady stunts before.

"That bastard Gu Jinglan..."

Little did he know, Gu Jinglan was tailgating him in the dark, just a couple steps back. With eyes crinkled in amusement, he deliberately listened to Qi Yanyu’s grumbling and curses, curious to see how his boyfriend would act alone in the escape room.

So *he’d* been cursing me the whole way.

Weren’t you the one who claimed to be a materialist before we came in? What happened to Mr. Brave?

Yanyu’s such a chicken. Scared of his own shadow—people judging him, haunted house actors...

All bark, no bite. Cursing me out while trying to keep himself from peeing his pants.

So *this* is how “important” I am in your little world.

Qi Yanyu blamed the creepy music for his fear, forcing himself to calm his racing heart as he fumbled toward the eerie green glow ahead.

Cursing Gu Jinglan under his breath to stay brave, he covered his ears—if he couldn’t hear the music, maybe he wouldn’t be so scared.

Just as he neared the green-lit room, something lunged from behind. Terrified that some ghostly NPC had come after him, Qi Yanyu almost jumped out of his skin.

But the "NPC" slammed him into the wall, the icy touch pressing him into a stainless steel cabinet.

Qi Yanyu thrashed like a wild animal, trying to shove the figure away, but the "NPC" gripped both his wrists and leaned in close.

Something brushed against his cheek.

Thinking it was a staff member playing an NPC, Qi Yanyu fought hard, but the "NPC" stayed silent on purpose.

Hot breath tickled his neck.

He screamed bloody murder, kicking and clawing.

Gu Jinglan’s petty jealousy flared up again.

Dropping sloppy kisses on his cheek, Gu Jinglan whispered, *"Missed me that much?"*

Still terrified, Qi Yanyu barely registered the words, failing to recognize the strong-armed figure who had him pinned inside the cabinet, mouth sealed over his, relentless.

"Why were you cursing your husband the whole way?" Gu Jinglan cupped his face, alternating between light pecks and deep, lingering kisses. *"You* want me to wreck you, don’t you, hm?"

Only after half a minute of screaming did Qi Yanyu realize it was Gu Jinglan, who had him trapped in the dark corner of the aluminum cabinet, kissing him until he was jellied-legged and gasping for air.

Head spinning, he was dragged along by Gu Jinglan, who teased, *"Can you even walk now?"*

When Qi Yanyu refused to be carried, Gu Jinglan propped him up like a drunk, leading him to a hospital-style bed in another area.

Seating Qi Yanyu on the high metal-framed bed, Gu Jinglan bent slightly to kiss him again.

Later, pressed against the headboard, Qi Yanyu’s fox-ear headband tilted sideways, making Gu Jinglan chuckle as he reached out to fix it.

Hand in hand, they moved to complete the next task—lying in what looked like a creepy-ass morgue drawer for "transportation."

Though inwardly shaking with fear, Qi Yanyu played it cool.

Gu Jinglan tugged his hand, seizing the chance to tease, *"Say ‘please,’ hubby might help."*

"In your dreams, *kid*," Qi Yanyu shot back stubbornly.

He went through the teleportation alone, and Gu Jinglan was the second to be sent out. In the end, both of them fell into a cage they couldn’t escape from and needed that couple from earlier to save them.

It was pitch black around them, with only the eerie green glow of exit signs faintly illuminating the space. Qi Yanyu, who never begged, was probably genuinely scared: “Is anyone there? Help us…”

Though the light was dim, Gu Jinglan had eyes only for him. Just looking at him made his pulse race.

“Qi Yanyu, why’d you say I wasn’t serious?”

Qi Yanyu turned his head and saw Gu Jinglan looking at him with a smile in his eyes, though his gaze had turned intense.

“I think you *are* just messing around.” Qi Yanyu was still a little angry from the scare Gu Jinglan had given him earlier, but the way Gu had pressed him down and kissed him had left him a melted, flustered mess.

“How do I win you over?” Gu Jinglan chuckled, brushing off the dirt from Qi Yanyu’s clothes.

Qi Yanyu couldn’t find the words to answer.

*You’ve already got me,* he admitted silently.

“Tell me, please, Qi Yanyu.”

Gu Jinglan wheedled at him.

A full-grown man, pulling this act.

Qi Yanyu couldn’t take it. Worn down by Gu Jinglan’s nagging, he stammered, “At least… be sincere.”

“How do I meet your sincerity requirement?”

“I don’t know either…” Qi Yanyu truly didn’t.

“Is this about getting a room?” Gu Jinglan wasn’t sure what Qi Yanyu meant by “chasing,” “not playing around,” or “sincerity.” Did sleeping together count as sincerity?

Qi Yanyu’s pupils blew wide. “Gu Jinglan, all you want is to get in my pants, huh?”

“Not exactly,” Gu Jinglan lightly chuckled. “No one else interests me. I only want… you.”

Christ.

Qi Yanyu’s breathing grew erratic. He ducked his head, mumbling, “Don’t… not like that.”

“Mm, I’ll wait for your go-ahead.”

But now Qi Yanyu kind of wanted to say yes. Part of him *wanted* it too.

“Gu Jinglan, what exactly… do you like about me?” He wasn’t sure—had never been sure. He didn’t believe it. From the start, he’d been filled with doubt. How could someone like him—who’d never been lucky—hit the romantic jackpot for the first time in his life?

“I feel like the impression you gave me before and after was very different.”

“How so?”

“When I first met you, I thought you were arrogant—skipping class, sleeping until noon every day, terrible relationships with classmates, total stereotypical trust-fund brat vibes.”

“But later I realized you…” Gu Jinglan drawled, savoring the pause.

“What about later?”

“…were *actually* that arrogant,” Gu Jinglan laughed.

Qi Yanyu stared. “….”

Qi Yanyu steadied his breathing. "I remember you being even more arrogant back then, Gu Jinglan. Compared to you, I’m pale in comparison. You strutted around like you were hot stuff."

"Is that so? Then who was closer to everyone in Room 413?"

"...I just couldn’t stand Qi Yuanhan. He’s the absolute worst kind of person. And if I had taken classes with you guys freshman year, I’d have gotten along fine with Room 413 too."

Gu Jinglan chuckled lightly. "Didn’t he actually mess with you?"

Qi Yanyu huffed. "You helped him lay into me once. Don’t play dumb."

Lay into him? When had that happened? He never scolded Qi Yanyu before. Thinking he must’ve misremembered, Gu Jinglan smiled faintly and asked, "When did I ever do that?"

"That time when Qi Yuanhan cut the pig’s artery during the experiment." Qi Yanyu remembered clearly—how Gu Jinglan had dragged him out of the lab and torn into him.

"Oh," Gu Jinglan recalled now. That was when Qi Yanyu came back after his heart episode and went ballistic, arguing with Qi Yuanhan in the lab. He had pulled Qi Yanyu out to separate them.

When he told him to wash up, Qi Yanyu refused. Worried about infection, Gu Jinglan later dragged him under the faucet to rinse his eyes and face, only to splash water all over his clothes.

He returned to the lab first, and it took a long time before Qi Yanyu came back. His lab coat and inner clothes were soaked in parts. He looked cold and numb, just going through the motions like he’d checked out completely.

Gu Jinglan feared infection—but even more, he feared Qi Yanyu catching a chill. For someone with a heart condition, a cold was a big deal.

After class, instead of eating, he bought cold medicine and left it on Qi Yanyu’s desk. Days later, it was still there—he hadn’t even touched it.

When Qi Yanyu asked what he liked about him, the man had simply said “arrogant.”

It nearly made Qi Yanyu see red—if he were a cat, his fur would’ve puffed up. "You like that I'm arrogant?"

"I think you're different from how you appear."

"..." Qi Yanyu stayed quiet this time, afraid he'd keep poking at him.

"You seem arrogant, but there's more to you than that." Gu Jinglan got real. "I think you're really brave."

Qi Yanyu listened.

"If you can't do one thing you truly want, you might as well be dead," Gu Jinglan said softly.

"If I can’t choose the people or things I love, even becoming a god wouldn’t make me happy, Qi Yanyu." Gu Jinglan looked at him.

Qi Yanyu kept listening.

Not even immortality could bring happiness.

Was this really how Gu Jinglan felt?

"So, I want to try something with you." Seeing Qi Yanyu silent and unmoving, Gu Jinglan flicked his fingers across his face with a smile. "Qi Yanyu, are you asleep? Are you even listening?" Was this idiot really sleeping—or just zoning out?

"Yeah… I am." It hit Qi Yanyu just as hard as Gu Jinglan’s confession on the hillside.

If he couldn’t choose the people or things he loved, even immortality wouldn’t bring happiness.

Qi Yanyu thought, *So this is how you could live.*

Finally, that couple showed up and found them, hitting the button to let them out of the cage.

Gu Jinglan glanced at Qi Yanyu, catching his flustered look, and adjusted his Zootopia’s Nick Wilde ears.

Together, they dropped to their knees by the incinerator to complete the final escape room challenge.

Qi Yanyu was still on his knees when Gu Jinglan took his hand.

As they kowtowed to the ground, Qi Yanyu felt less like he was escaping an escape room and more like a groom bowing to heaven and earth at his wedding.

So weird.

He was scared, but his chest swelled with honeyed warmth all the same.

"I'm scared," said the girl once the bowing ended, standing back up. Her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, shielding her behind him as best he could.

Qi Yanyu's reaction was different—he was afraid too, but he told himself he was a man of science, after all. He stood side by side with Gu Jinglan, waiting for the NPCs to appear.

But then Gu Jinglan turned to him and said, “Qi-ge, I’m scared.”

“Chill, it’s nothing,” Qi Yanyu replied, knowing full well Gu Jinglan was just teasing him.

“Qi-ge, can you hold me?” Gu Jinglan asked, his voice adopting a pitiful tone. “If someone tries to take me later, will you come save little ol’ me?”

Qi Yanyu knew exactly what he was doing and shook his head firmly.

Gu Jinglan’s act kicked into high gear. “Why won’t you save me, Qi-ge?”

“You’re outrageous,” Qi Yanyu muttered under his breath.

“Does that mean Qi-ge doesn’t like people like me?”

“I like people who act their age,” Qi Yanyu said, feigning seriousness.

“How do you know I’m not normal? You’ve never seen me ‘like *that*,’ so how can you judge?”

Damn it. Even though only the two of them could hear this exchange, Gu Jinglan’s words were making Qi Yanyu’s face burn crimson.

What did he mean by "*that*"? Was he dropping a raunchy hint?

“Stop talking about *that*,” Qi Yanyu snapped. “Just be normal the rest of the time.”

“But I really like Qi-ge,” Gu Jinglan pouted. “Every time I see you, I get weak in the knees…”

Qi Yanyu had had enough. He shot Gu Jinglan a defiant look and said, “How about Qi-ge takes you tonight, huh?”

Even in the dim light, Gu Jinglan’s strikingly handsome face was unmistakable. “Absolutely,” he replied playfully. “Just be gentle with me.”

With Gu Jinglan needling him like this, Qi Yanyu didn’t feel wronged, or frightened, or even anxious about their relationship being exposed—he certainly didn’t doubt Gu Jinglan’s feelings. All he could think was: Is Gu Jinglan really straight? How could he say such shamelessly flirtatious things and tempt him so openly?

“I’ll go hard on you,” Qi Yanyu shot back, joining in the suggestive banter, “because you’re such a tease.”

“Even if I’m a tease, play nice, Qi-ge,” Gu Jinglan retorted smoothly.

Gu Jinglan changed the subject, discussing their evening plans. “We’re heading back to my place for dinner tonight, okay, Qi Yanyu?”

“Works for me.”

“How should I address you?”

“Just call me by my name,” Qi Yanyu said.

“What do your family members call you?”

“Same as you—just my name.”

"Yanyu?" (hesitant)

"My full name." Qi Yanyu recalled that Qi Muyao usually called him by his full name. Only when pretending to coax him into doing something would he occasionally say "Yuyu." The nickname made his skin crawl when it came out of Qi Muyao’s mouth.

But before they reached the market or a big supermarket, Gu Jinglan stopped the car. Thinking he was just parking by the roadside, Qi Yanyu followed him out.

Gu Jinglan took his hand and led him into a flower shop.

"What’s good for my boyfriend, miss?"

Hearing the word "boyfriend," the middle-aged shop owner did a double take at Qi Yanyu before breaking into a warm smile. "We’ve got tulips, lisianthus, hydrangeas—you name it."

There was also a man buying flowers for his wife, two girls browsing, and a couple who looked like they’d just gotten off work—all gawking at the same-sex couple.

Were same-sex couples this common now?

Looking at the pair, one was gorgeous, while the other was plain and low-key.

Why would someone go for such an average guy? Was it because he had money?

But his clothes didn’t look like luxury brands.

Still, there was something about him—a snobby air, like old money. Even though his looks weren’t anything special.

The shop owner eagerly asked Qi Yanyu, "We also have water-grown lotuses—like those? We just got fresh hydrangeas in today."

At the mention of hydrangeas, Qi Yanyu cringed. Anything Qi Muyao liked, he automatically disliked.

"I don’t like them," he said flatly, seeming cold to others.

Inside, though, he was uneasy. He whispered to Gu Jinglan, "Wanna try another place? This one’s standing out too much."

"Just a few people. What’s the problem?"

"We’re... too noticeable."

"It’s fine. No one here knows us." Gu Jinglan looked through the flowers—the shop had the freshest, most beautiful blooms with the widest selection. "I’ll pick some for you."

Qi Yanyu watched as Gu Jinglan selected flowers from the buckets.

The other customers kept eyeing him, but Qi Yanyu ignored their stares, focusing only on Gu Jinglan choosing for him. "What colors do you like?"

"Nothing cheesy," Qi Yanyu replied softly. "Just make it pretty. I’ll like whatever you choose."

Gu Jinglan picked a huge bunch of white and purple roses. The shop owner chimed in, "Great pick! The purple ones are *Salman’s Wedding*, and the white ones are *Princess Nanzhao*."

As the staff wrapped them up, Qi Yanyu grumbled, "I can’t carry all this. We’re hauling these to the market?"

Gu Jinglan said, "Then I’ll hold them. You don’t have to."

"…" Might as well let him carry them then—so everyone could see they were from Gu Jinglan.

Gu Jinglan picked nearly a hundred roses for Qi Yanyu. The staff counted them—eighty-six total.

(Who even counts that?)

While Qi Yanyu was still wondering how they’d manage carrying so many, Gu Jinglan suddenly said, "Pick out a bouquet for my grandma."

Qi Yanyu chose deep purple *Yu Ji* and pink-yellow gradient *Peach Melba*—another huge bunch. After wrapping them, the staff placed the bouquet for Grandma in the car. Qi Yanyu got his own giant bouquet from Gu Jinglan, so large it practically buried him.

After paying, Gu Jinglan suddenly remembered something and took the flowers for him: "I forgot you have asthma. Are you allergic to pollen?"

He wasn’t allergic to romance. Qi Yanyu shook his head.

"Really?"

"Let’s go grocery shopping." Clutching the bouquet, Qi Yanyu headed to the supermarket with Gu Jinglan.

Carrying such a large bouquet was truly flashy. His usual cold, standoffish air now gave off a quietly sophisticated vibe under the flowers’ contrast.

Gu Jinglan had phoned home earlier, saying he’d buy groceries and bring a classmate over for dinner. As they walked through the food section, he asked, "What do you like to eat?"

"What’s your Momo’s specialty?"

"Why not ask what *my* specialty is?"

"Then what’s your specialty?"

"Way too many. Just pick what you like." Eight out of ten sentences Gu Jinglan spoke were meant to amuse Qi Yanyu.

"Gu Jinglan, is ‘Momo’ your grandma or your mother’s mother?"

"She’s my wet nurse—she’s like a mom to me."

"And your actual mother?"

"She passed away."

Qi Yanyu fell silent. Gu Jinglan, not wanting him to feel guilty, smiled. "What’s wrong? Eager to meet my family?"

"..." Qi Yanyu’s breath stuttered slightly, about to retort, when Gu Jinglan added, "My Momo *is* my family now. Maybe in a few days, if there’s a chance, I’ll take you to meet my dad."

"…………"

Hard pass. Qi Yanyu was afraid—few parents were that accepting. "Don’t."

"Don’t what?"

"Let’s spend more time together first. What if we don’t work out?" It was just humble talk, though not all parents were like Qi Muyao.

"Alright," Gu Jinglan took his hand, letting him choose shrimp. "Just tell me what you want or need, and I’ll make it work."

Driving home, they parked in the garage. Momo, who had already prepared rice, came out to help unload.

Gu Jinglan handed her the groceries. "Momo, my boyfriend picked a bouquet for you."

When Qi Yanyu emerged from the car with her flowers, it was clear Momo had misunderstood—her eyes went round.

Gu Jinglan, thinking she might not have heard properly, said again, grinning, "Momo, this is my boyfriend."

Her hands hovered mid-air, stiff. "What—what kind of friend??"

"The dating kind. Like boyfriend-girlfriend." Gu Jinglan smiled calmly, carrying the groceries himself to spare her the effort. "This is Qi Yanyu, my classmate."

He’d actually introduced him as his boyfriend to family! Qi Yanyu was stunned. Hurriedly, he handed the flowers to Momo, playing the sweet boy. "Hello, Momo."

She recognized him from past visits—but since when were they dating?

In all her years raising Gu Jinglan, she’d never seen him with a "boyfriend."

Afraid of startling the elderly woman—and equally shocked by Gu Jinglan’s blunt introduction—Qi Yanyu tugged his sleeve to shut him up.

"He’s a good kid, right, Momo?" Gu Jinglan teased. Old folks ate that sweet act up.

That sent her into a panic. Since when did her master come back from college into guys? But she could only nod like a bobblehead. "Yes, very well-behaved." But…