Chapter 23 I Don’t Like It!

Chapter 23 I Don’t Like It!

Guo Guo could entertain himself. He wasn’t born with autism; rather, the trauma of witnessing his parents die in a car accident right before his eyes caused severe psychological trauma. He was capable of sensing kindness from others.

While Gu Shiying helped wash dishes in the kitchen, Guo Guo didn’t play with toys but stood by the sliding door, watching.

Grandma Lin sat on a chair, remarking with feeling, “Guo Guo is really happy you’re here to spend time with him. In the past year, he hasn’t actively gotten close to anyone. He truly likes you two.”

Gu Shiying smiled and said, “I like Guo Guo too. I’ll come visit him often from now on. He’s so adorable and well-behaved.”

Hearing him praise Guo Guo, Grandma Lin happily shared stories from Guo Guo’s childhood, back when he still had his parents by his side.

Grandma Lin was usually very particular about cleanliness and had raised Guo Guo very well. After her son and daughter-in-law passed away, there were no relatives around to help. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan did what they could to assist her by cleaning the entire house.

Not only did they help Grandma Lin tidy up the house, but they also sorted Guo Guo’s toys. They had arrived in the afternoon, and by the time they were ready to leave, it was already evening.

However, just as they were about to leave, Guo Guo took hold of Gu Shiying’s finger, clearly indicating that he didn’t want him to go. At the same time, Guo Guo’s thoughts came through to Gu Shiying.

"Mom."

If Gu Shiying hadn’t known that this had always been Guo Guo’s deepest wish, he would have suspected the boy was calling him.

Seeing Gu Shiying standing motionless while looking at Guo Guo, Fu Huan asked, “Aren’t we leaving?”

Grandma Lin patted Guo Guo and said, “Guo Guo, the young men need to leave now.”

However, Guo Guo tightened his grip on Gu Shiying’s finger.

"Mom."

Gu Shiying thought, “...But I’m not your mom.”

Seeing this, Fu Huan understood that Guo Guo really liked Gu Shiying. “How about we stay for dinner?”

Grandma Lin said, “Then I’ll ask the neighbor to help cook.”

Fu Huan replied, “No need for the trouble. We can go pick up some food.”

Seeing that Grandma Lin was about to refuse, Gu Shiying suggested, “How about we all go out to eat? That way, we don’t have to cook at home.”

Grandma Lin said, “I can’t trouble you like that. How about this: you take Guo Guo out to eat? He doesn’t eat much, so I won’t go. The community delivers meals at set times, and they’re light, which suits my taste. Guo Guo doesn’t really like them.”

Gu Shiying said, “Sure, we’ll take Guo Guo out for a while tonight and bring him back before 9 p.m.”

“Thank you for being willing to spend time with Guo Guo. The kids around here bully him when I’m not looking.” As she spoke, Grandma Lin’s eyes reddened slightly, but she quickly composed herself.

Gu Shiying said, “It’s no problem, Grandma. We’ll come visit often from now on.”

They also asked Grandma Lin if Guo Guo had any dietary restrictions. Grandma Lin said no, explaining that Guo Guo was easy to feed and could eat anything.

Gu Shiying picked up Guo Guo and said, “Then let’s go! We’ll take Guo Guo to eat something delicious!”

Once they got in the car, Gu Shiying’s bold proclamation faded.

He could only ask Fu Huan, “Where should we take Guo Guo to eat?”

Fu Huan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to him and asked, “What do you feel like eating?”

Gu Shiying looked at Guo Guo, who was also looking back at him. Scratching his head, he suddenly realized the decision was entirely up to him.

“When we were kids, our parents never let us eat junk food. How about we take Guo Guo to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal? They come with toys.”

He genuinely wanted to eat it himself—he was tired of eating cafeteria food every day.

Seeing the excitement in Gu Shiying’s eyes as he spoke, Fu Huan nodded and said, “Sure.”

The houses in this area were quite old; you could call it the old town. The nearest McDonald’s was about three kilometers away, and it was a quick drive.

“Fu Huan, did Liang Qi get a new car again?” Gu Shiying assumed Fu Huan was driving Liang Qi’s car.

Fu Huan paused for a moment. “Yeah.”

Gu Shiying remarked, “He sure has a lot of cars. Feels like he’s changed several already.”

The cars Fu Huan drove when they went to the livehouse and to the hospital were different each time. The only thing Gu Shiying noticed was that the cars were getting increasingly expensive. For college students, the disparity in family backgrounds was quite noticeable.

Fu Huan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Which one did you like the most?”

Gu Shiying didn’t have any particular attachment to cars, unlike Zhang Zhi and Guan Yu, who could list off details effortlessly. Still, he had his own preferences.

“The gray-green electric car. The interior layout is different from regular gas cars—it’s very minimalist. If I were to buy a car, I’d probably lean toward that style.”

“Really?” Fu Huan’s lips curved slightly upward. “I quite like that one too.”

Gu Shiying smiled inwardly. “...” Oh no, suddenly being on the same wavelength as Fu Huan—this can’t be a good sign.

The roads in the old town were narrow, and it was rush hour. The three-kilometer drive took fifteen minutes. After arriving at the mall, they spent some time looking for a parking spot.

The restaurant was quite crowded, mostly with parents and their children. The sight of Fu Huan and Gu Shiying with a child stood out.

Not wanting Gu Shiying to have to hold Guo Guo while jostling through the crowd, Fu Huan said, “What do you want to eat? I’ll go order.”

Gu Shiying said, “I want their Filet-O-Fish burger. A combo is fine.”

Fu Huan said, “Go find a seat. I’ll bring the food over when it’s ready.”

Remembering that he still owed Fu Huan several meals, Gu Shiying said, “How about I order?”

Fu Huan acted as if he didn’t hear, placing a hand on Gu Shiying’s shoulder and turning him toward the other side. “There’s a table for four over there. Go ahead.”

Gu Shiying replied, “Okay.”

Fu Huan soon returned with two meal sets, placing theirs together and the kids’ meal separately.

This subtle detail would likely go unnoticed by most.

Guo Guo could eat by himself and seemed to be enjoying his meal.

As Gu Shiying listened to Guo Guo’s inner thoughts while eating his delicious burger and fries, he noticed that the boy had stopped calling out for his mom.

“Did Guo Guo used to come to McDonald’s with his mom often?”

Guo Guo tilted his head to look at Gu Shiying, blinking as if responding to his words.

Fu Huan said, “Seems like it. He really likes you.”

Gu Shiying asked, “Do I have a kind and gentle face or something?”

Fu Huan looked at him seriously and said, “No, you’re an approachable, handsome guy.”

"Your compliment is giving me goosebumps." Gu Shiying felt his scalp prickle under the gaze; did Fu Huan realize how obvious his staring was?

Fu Huan: "What kind of praise would you like to hear?"

Gu Shiying: "You've stumped me there."

Fu Huan: "Beautiful on the inside and out, kind-hearted, compassionate, a good person."

Gu Shiying: "Shut up, you're not cut out for giving compliments."

Fu Huan let out a soft chuckle, then casually ate a French fry as if nothing had happened.

Gu Shiying knew Fu Huan didn’t see him as just a friend; these topics were veering into dangerous territory. Fu Huan was subtly trying to please him, catering to his preferences. If it were Zhang Zhi or Yang Shuhang, he might have made some jokes, but with Fu Huan, he didn’t dare.

Perhaps realizing his question was too personal, blurring the line between classmates, Fu Huan picked up a fry and offered it to Guo Guo, who was eating corn.

Guo Guo didn’t understand why the older brother suddenly fed him, but he obediently ate it anyway.

Gu Shiying showed concern for Guo Guo: "Do you think his condition can be managed?"

Fu Huan: "If he continues treatment and receives proper intervention, I think it’s manageable. He could see a child psychologist."

Gu Shiying: "When we ran into him at the hospital before, what was he admitted for?"

At the time, he’d only thought of it as a brief meeting with Guo Guo and hadn’t paid attention to the details.

Fu Huan remembered they went to pediatrics: "Probably a minor illness like a fever, not for treating his autism."

Today was only their second time meeting Guo Guo, and they hadn’t gone into details about the situation with Grandma Lin.

Gu Shiying felt frustrated by his own limitations.

Sensing his low spirits, Fu Huan reassured him: "Don’t worry, there’s always a way. He’s only five; with time, he’ll forget the past. Happy memories will replace the painful ones. I believe he’ll have a healthy upbringing."

"I hope so." Gu Shiying pinched Guo Guo’s chubby cheek and glanced at Fu Huan across the table. "You’re quite optimistic about his condition."

"Yeah, there’s no hurdle that can’t be overcome," Fu Huan said firmly.

Gu Shiying felt as if Fu Huan had been through something himself but didn’t dare ask, fearing it would mean getting to know him better.

After dinner, they took Guo Guo into the mall.

Since Guo Guo didn’t react much to his surroundings, they skipped the usual kids’ play area and went to an arcade with claw machines instead.

Gu Shiying asked Fu Huan, "How good are you at claw machines?"

Fu Huan shook his head: "No idea, I’ve never tried before."

Gu Shiying: "Let’s give it a shot then."

Fu Huan: "Alright."

Fu Huan exchanged money for tokens at the counter, and the two wandered around the machines with Guo Guo, looking for a plushie to target.

"Guo Guo, how about we try for this pink pig?"

"You’re not objecting, so let’s go for this one."

Gu Shiying started trying, using almost ten tokens without success.

Gu Shiying: "So close!"

Fu Huan handed him more tokens: "Want to try again?"

Gu Shiying used another ten tokens but still failed, getting more determined to win the pink pig.

Frustrated, Gu Shiying declared, "I’m catching this pig today! Fu Huan, help me out."

While Gu Shiying played, Fu Huan had been watching intently. When Gu Shiying suddenly looked over, Fu Huan quickly masked the warmth in his eyes.

Fu Huan replied softly, "Okay."

He missed on his first try but succeeded on the second.

Gu Shiying grumbled at the machine, "Is it rigged against me?"

Fu Huan laughed, "You were really close to getting it earlier; I just got lucky."

"Hmph." Gu Shiying happily examined the plushie before handing it to Guo Guo. "Here, Guo Guo, hold it. Let’s see if there are others you’d like."

They spent half an hour in the arcade, winning five plushies—targeting whichever toy caught Guo Guo’s eye. Fu Huan handled the claw machine while Gu Shiying cheered him on.

Since they’d promised Grandma Lin to bring Guo Guo back by 9 p.m., they didn’t stay too long and returned with five plushies.

Guo Guo was clearly delighted; when Gu Shiying dropped him off, he didn’t even hear him mentally calling for his mother.

But as they were leaving, Guo Guo clung to Gu Shiying’s hand, unwilling to let go, his eyes showing a newfound dependence.

Gu Shiying’s heart softened, and he glanced at Fu Huan for input: "Doesn’t he usually sleep at 9? Should I wait until he’s asleep before heading back?"

Fu Huan: "Sure, half an hour won’t hurt."

Grandma Lin thanked them again: "Thank you so much. Was Guo Guo well-behaved today?"

Gu Shiying: "Absolutely, he was very good and ate on his own."

Grandma Lin’s eyes welled up: "It’s been a long time since Guo Guo seemed this lively."

They helped lull Guo Guo to sleep, and he dozed off quickly.

Before leaving, Grandma Lin handed them a red plastic bag containing two jars.

Grandma Lin: "This is my homemade chili sauce—a little sweet. I hope you like it."

Gu Shiying: "But you sell these for a living."

Grandma Lin: "I have plenty more. If they don’t sell, they’ll go bad anyway. It’s not worth much—you can mix it with noodles; it’s delicious."

Gu Shiying’s mouth watered at the thought, and he didn’t refuse: "Thank you, Grandma. We’ll head back now."

Grandma Lin: "Drive safely, you two."

They left Guo Guo’s home with two jars of chili sauce.

On the way back, Gu Shiying couldn’t take his eyes off the jars, clearly craving a taste.

Fu Huan: "You can have both jars."

"No way, one each." Gu Shiying felt a little embarrassed that Fu Huan had noticed his craving.

Fu Huan said, "Then we'll just leave them in the dorm for everyone to eat. That way everyone can have some."

Gu Shiying threw him a thumbs-up. "Good idea! Let's leave them in the dorm—our roommates love spicy food too."

Fu Huan nodded, his calm face once again revealing no emotion.

Along the way, Gu Shiying made small talk with Fu Huan. Honestly, at this moment, Fu Huan didn’t seem like someone who was into him at all.

Fu Huan spoke little, even coming across as kind of distant. Sometimes, his responses were just one or two words. In the past, Gu Shiying would have assumed the other person didn’t like him and would have kept his distance, just as he always had.

But no—he was supposed to be keeping his distance from Fu Huan. It was just that the more he tried, the more entangled they became.

When they returned to school, Gu Shiying carried the two jars of chili sauce upstairs. Without dwelling on Fu Huan’s feelings for him, he was still in good spirits. If Fu Huan hadn’t been around, he might have hummed a tune.

As he reached the third floor, the staircase was completely dark. Not paying attention, he missed a step and stumbled forward.

Fu Huan, following closely behind, reached out to catch him, one hand firmly gripping Gu Shiying’s waist, just barely steadying him.

"Watch your step. How do you keep missing stairs whether you're going up or down?"

"I really like this position."

"..." Gu Shiying clutched the chili sauce jars tightly, glaring angrily at Fu Huan in the darkness.

I don't like this!

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Author's note: Fu Huan: [Dog emoji holding a rose] Perfect.

Gu Shiying: [Angry][Angry][Angry]