Chapter 33 Thanks for Your Kind Words

Chapter 33: Appreciate the Good Omen

Gu Shiying had been to Western restaurants before, but when dining with someone he didn't know well, he preferred to be a bit more formal.

He Zexuan had chosen a Western restaurant in a mall near the school, easily accessible by subway for Gu Shiying.

Unlike many years ago, when Western restaurants were considered high-end, they're quite commonplace now.

The host standing at the entrance smiled and asked him, "Hello, do you have a reservation?"

Gu Shiying replied, "My friend's already here."

The server said, "Alright, please come in."

He Zexuan's chosen restaurant wasn't too crowded. Soft instrumental music played in the background, and the decor was elegant. According to his female classmates, it was a really photogenic spot.

He Zexuan saw Gu Shiying and stood up, waving to him.

"Over here, over here."

Today, He Zexuan looked completely different from the last time Gu Shiying had seen him at the KTV. Back then, he had been drugged and disoriented; his suit did nothing to show off his good looks. Now, he was wearing a well-fitting dark blue shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing his nice collarbones.

He was a man with real charisma, and his smile was captivating.

Gu Shiying sat down across from him and started by asking about his health, "How are you feeling now?"

He Zexuan replied, "Thanks to you, I spent two days in the hospital on an IV, but I’m pretty much recovered now."

Gu Shiying said sincerely, "That’s great to hear."

He Zexuan smiled and said, "Come on, let’s order. If there’s anything you’d particularly like, it’s on me today."

It seemed the incident at the KTV hadn’t had much of an impact on He Zexuan. He appeared to be a very cheerful person.

Knowing that He Zexuan genuinely wanted to treat him, Gu Shiying ordered straightforwardly, choosing a moderately priced set meal from the menu. When it came to handling social situations, he felt he did quite well.

While waiting for the food, He Zexuan asked Gu Shiying about which school he attended, and Gu Shiying saw no reason to hide it.

He Zexuan said, "You’re quite the top student! Getting into A University is really impressive."

Gu Shiying replied, "Not really. I’m far from being a top student at my school—there are plenty of classmates who are much better than me. I’m not being modest; it’s the truth."

He Zexuan said, "I get it, I get it. But A University was once my dream school too."

Gu Shiying then asked, "By the way, Zexuan-ge, what do you do for work? How did you end up meeting people like that?"

He Zexuan paused for a moment, unsure whether he should share this with a college student.

"To be honest, I have a dream of becoming a director. I recently wrote a script and was trying to secure funding. A friend recommended this dinner meeting to me, so I went, but I never expected something like this to happen."

Gu Shiying was surprised and asked, "Did you study directing?"

If He Zexuan had said he was an actor, Gu Shiying would have understood the misunderstanding about the dinner, given how much He Zexuan resembled the popular actor type.

He Zexuan was used to such reactions. "It doesn’t seem like it, right? Many people don’t believe me."

Gu Shiying nodded, "You seem more like an actor."

He Zexuan asked, "What about you? What’s your major?"

Gu Shiying told him his field of study and then asked, "In that case, could I ask for your advice on how to make a good project? Like how to handle camera work, capture close-ups well, and edit the content into a compelling story."

When it came to professional matters, He Zexuan became serious. "Do you have any works? Let me take a look."

Gu Shiying showed him the assignments and projects he had submitted. He Zexuan pointed out several detailed issues that even his teacher hadn’t noticed.

"You’re right. I haven’t shot my final project yet. Can I ask for your advice when the time comes?"

"Of course, anytime."

The server brought their food.

During the meal, the two chatted happily. Gu Shiying asked He Zexuan many professional questions, and He Zexuan patiently answered them.

They both enjoyed the meal.

Gu Shiying never expected that saving someone would lead to such a rewarding conversation.

He Zexuan had other plans in the afternoon and offered to drive Gu Shiying back to school, but Gu Shiying declined.

They parted ways at the mall.

Before leaving, He Zexuan patted Gu Shiying on the shoulder and said, "See you next time. Feel free to reach out if you need anything."

Gu Shiying replied, "Sure."

After He Zexuan left, Gu Shiying searched his name online and found that he actually had an entry.

He had graduated from a top-tier film academy, and a work he created during college had won first prize in a school competition—an award with considerable prestige. His first film after graduation had earned him the Best New Director award.

However, there seemed to be a reason why such a talented person hadn’t been recruited by a major company.

He Zexuan’s works tended to be tragic and artistic, which didn’t align with current market trends. Perhaps that was why he had to seek funding on his own.

Although Gu Shiying, as a college student, couldn’t offer much help to He Zexuan’s career, their conversation strengthened his resolve to build his own personal platform.

As he scrolled further, he noticed a less prominent entry below:

He Zexuan’s rumored boyfriend: Wei Ming.

Huh?

Wasn’t Wei Ming a famous celebrity?

This entry seemed a bit far-fetched. Wait—Gu Shiying suddenly realized—did He Zexuan like men?

He clicked on the link in the entry and discovered that He Zexuan’s award-winning debut work was actually about a homosexual theme. Though it was expressed subtly, the two male characters were willing to sacrifice for each other. What deeper emotion could that be if not love?

The subway connected directly to the mall, so he decided to take it back to school.

However, as he left the restaurant, he thought he saw a familiar figure. He wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Fu Huan should be at school—there was no way he’d be at the mall, right?

Surely he wouldn’t have followed him out of concern for him dining with a stranger?

Was he being overly concerned about him?

They've indeed been hanging out together recently, but isn't this getting a little clingy?

Gu Shiying watched as the elevator doors opened and people crowded in. He made way, not going down, and leaned against the railing nearby. He stared at the giant brown bear in the center of the mall, lost in thought for quite a while.

He opened WeChat and went to his chat with Fu Huan.

"Gu Shiying: Brother Huan, are you still in the dorm?"

Fu Huan replied instantly.

Lately, Fu Huan had never made any attempt to hide his care and affection for Gu Shiying in front of him.

"Fu Huan: What is it?"

"Gu Shiying: I want to shoot some footage, but I forgot my GoPro. Can you bring it to me at the mall?"

"Fu Huan: Gu Shiying, I'm not in the dorm."

"Gu Shiying: Then where are you?"

"Fu Huan: Behind you."

Gu Shiying didn't turn around, but he could sense the taller figure approaching him.

He glanced sideways at Fu Huan, whose ears were turning red from being caught. Gu Shiying didn’t ask why he had followed him.

It seemed Fu Huan had figured out that He Zexuan was gay even before he did.

Was this guy projecting his own feelings onto others?

How could He Zexuan possibly like him? He was being overly paranoid.

Gu Shiying: "Have you eaten?"

Fu Huan: "A little."

He had been hiding nearby, watching Gu Shiying and He Zexuan chat happily, and couldn't eat much.

Fu Huan was actually very nervous. He hadn’t expected Gu Shiying to notice him, but he didn’t want Gu Shiying to misunderstand.

He displayed a rare moment of hesitation: "Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?"

Gu Shiying: "I know you’re worried about me." He also knew that it was because Fu Huan liked him that he did this. "But don’t do it again."

Fu Huan: "Sorry." He didn't elaborate, as any excuse would seem weak. Besides, he noticed that Gu Shiying didn’t seem surprised at all.

He wouldn’t keep following him secretly anymore—he’d stick by Gu Shiying’s side openly from now on.

Gu Shiying really wasn’t surprised. Over the past week, he had noticed that Fu Huan was somewhat possessive of him. The care was genuine, but the feeling was hard to describe. What surprised him wasn’t Fu Huan’s possessiveness, but the fact that he himself didn’t mind it at all.

He didn’t mind it—even after discovering Fu Huan had followed him, he still didn’t mind. Why?

Gu Shiying was kind of baffled himself.

He didn’t want to dwell on it with Fu Huan: "I need to shoot footage for my final project. Want to come with me?"

"Sure, what do you want to shoot?" Fu Huan felt relieved inwardly. Gu Shiying didn’t dislike him.

Gu Shiying pulled up a map on his phone: "I need to go here, here, and here. Do you have enough time this afternoon?"

Fu Huan: "Yes, my entire day is yours."

Gu Shiying: "..." Stop throwing out sweet lines!

Sigh, with his skills, couldn’t Fu Huan pursue anyone he wanted? Why did it have to be him?

It was very convenient that Fu Huan had brought his car.

After seeing the locations Gu Shiying wanted to go to, he asked, "Do you want to shoot windmills?"

Gu Shiying: "I looked it up. It seems only this park in our city has windmills to shoot."

Fu Huan: "I know another place with windmills, right by the ocean. But it's a bit of a drive. You can also watch the sunset there—it’s really beautiful. Do you want to go?"

Gu Shiying, really tempted by the idea of going to the seaside, said, "Yes!"

His theme for this project was simple: filming different romantic vehicles, and windmills were just one of them.

Fu Huan: "Then wait here for me. I need to buy something from that store."

Gu Shiying nodded.

Ten minutes later, Fu Huan came out of a brand-name clothing store carrying two paper bags.

Gu Shiying didn’t even ask much, assuming Fu Huan was buying clothes for himself.

It wasn’t until they had been driving for nearly two hours that Gu Shiying finally couldn't help asking: "Where are we going? We've left City A, haven't we?"

Fu Huan was familiar with the roads and rarely needed navigation—he was pretty much a human GPS.

Fu Huan: "Yes, we’re going to the neighboring city. They have windmills by the sea there. City A doesn’t have any."

Gu Shiying: "How much longer?"

Fu Huan: "Don’t worry, we’ll make it in time for the sunset."

Gu Shiying was restless with curiosity. Fu Huan really knew how to keep him in suspense, wouldn't tell him where they were going. He couldn’t even look it up on his phone in advance.

But wasn’t this a kind of surprise?

He thought to himself, with Fu Huan’s romantic nature, who couldn’t he successfully chase?

They actually made it in time for the sunset.

Fu Huan brought Gu Shiying to the seaside, where there was a clean, soft sandy beach, row after row of huge windmills, and an endless expanse of ocean.

Gu Shiying exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, this is so romantic!" He completely forgot Fu Huan’s intentions and blurted out, "Fu Huan, you’re so romantic—you could successfully pursue anyone!"

Fu Huan looked at him steadily: "I’ll consider myself blessed."

Gu Shiying wanted to smack himself: Big mouth!

—Author's note: Fu Huan: My wife calls me romantic. [kiss][kiss][kiss]