Chapter 48 Got Together

Chapter 48: Getting Together

Although Gu Shiying wanted to confess to Fu Huan, he was inexperienced, and it was even earlier than he had planned.

Fu Huan's inner thoughts kept echoing in his mind, making him even more nervous.

"He's holding my hand."

"He's holding my hand."

"He's holding my hand."

He just kept leading Fu Huan along aimlessly, and as they walked, the path got more crowded. They even ran into a group of freshmen in camouflage uniforms heading their way, with no way to avoid them.

The freshmen were a lively bunch. Seeing two seniors holding hands, they started hooting and cheering, and some even took videos.

"Seniors, so handsome!"

"Seniors, 99!" (meaning "forever")

"Seniors, blessings!"

Gu Shiying finally let go of Fu Huan and hid slightly behind him. They weren’t even together yet, and people were already wishing them well—he was speechless.

Fu Huan, however, thanked them very sincerely.

"Thank you."

Gu Shiying noticed the school auditorium up ahead. At this time, it was probably empty, so he decisively pulled Fu Huan toward it.

Their school had a long history, and the auditorium was an old building. During a department event where he was asked to help, an older student had told him which door was broken and could be opened easily.

Actually, most people knew there was a door with a loose lock, but no one usually came here.

Without a word, Gu Shiying pulled Fu Huan into the auditorium, which was half-dark, with sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows.

Fu Huan leaned against the wall, light falling on his left shoulder, mirroring his current state of mind—half seeing a glimmer of hope, half still shrouded in uncertainty.

The afternoon sun was bright, and as the wooden door closed, it stirred up dust in the rarely cleaned auditorium. The dust and light intertwined, creating a hazy glow.

Gu Shiying leaned back against a table, looking up at him. "Fu Huan."

Fu Huan stared intently at him. "Hmm?"

Gu Shiying rested his hands behind him, his long eyelashes casting shadows. "You like me."

"Yes, I like you," Fu Huan nodded, still leaning against the wall, not daring to step closer. He could have closed the distance, but at this moment, he hoped Gu Shiying would come to him. He asked, "So, do you like me even a little?"

Gu Shiying couldn’t help but laugh at his humble tone. Despite his tall stature and lean, toned muscles, Fu Huan was surprisingly shy and timid.

He couldn’t hide his smile. "Hey, you should dare to dream a little bigger."

Fu Huan tentatively asked, "More than friends but not quite lovers?"

Gu Shiying glanced at his hand. "Would Liang Qi hold your hand?"

Fu Huan replied, "No, we’re just friends, childhood buddies. Holding hands would be weird."

Gu Shiying was curious. "When did you realize you liked boys? Have you ever liked anyone else?"

"Middle school. I’ve never liked anyone else," Fu Huan understood what Gu Shiying was implying. "All my friends were interested in girls, watching videos and stuff, but I had no interest. That’s how I knew I liked boys. I’ve never been involved with anyone."

He laid his heart bare, even wishing he could turn his past into a video and show it to Gu Shiying.

"A real virgin, huh?" Gu Shiying chuckled.

Seeing him laugh like that, Fu Huan couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch his cheek. "Don’t make fun of me."

Gu Shiying grabbed his finger and looked at him seriously. "Want to give it a try?"

Fu Huan thought he misheard. "What?"

Gu Shiying raised his index finger. "I’ll only say it once."

Without a second thought, Fu Huan grabbed his finger and leaned in closer, looking down at him.

"Yes, I’m afraid you’ll regret it, Gu Shiying."

He wasn’t afraid Gu Shiying wouldn’t take it seriously or that it was just a fleeting impulse. His only fear was that Gu Shiying might regret it.

As long as Gu Shiying was with him, he had no intention of ever letting him go.

Gu Shiying looked at their intertwined hands. "Hey, you might not know this, but I understand you better than you think."

He had already grown accustomed to Fu Huan constantly thinking about him in his mind, even cherishing those thoughts. What else couldn’t he accept?

He was certain he liked Fu Huan—not just a simple fondness, but a liking filled with excitement and emotion.

Moreover, he was genuinely moved by Fu Huan, not just because of today, but because of everything Fu Huan had done for him before.

Fu Huan took another step toward Gu Shiying, his thigh pressing against Gu Shiying’s knee, blocking half the light. If he leaned down just a little, he could kiss Gu Shiying.

"Gu Shiying, from now on, wherever you want to go to gather material, I’ll go with you."

"Okay."

Fu Huan slowly lowered his head. Gu Shiying watched him approach, eyes wide open, but when they were just centimeters apart, Fu Huan hesitated and started to pull back. Instead, Gu Shiying reached up, pressed the back of Fu Huan’s neck, and actively pressed his lips to Fu Huan’s for a quick kiss before pulling back slightly.

He knew how much Fu Huan wanted to kiss him. The fact that Fu Huan still didn’t dare to take the initiative showed how much he respected him.

In Gu Shiying’s twenty years of life, no one had ever respected and cherished him so deeply. Fu Huan liked him, adored him, and Gu Shiying had grown addicted to Fu Huan’s devotion.

At first, hearing Fu Huan’s inner thoughts had made him somewhat resistant. But at some point, he could no longer remember why he had ever wanted to push him away. Instead, he even enjoyed being held in Fu Huan’s arms, savoring the sense of security it brought. Sometimes, he even felt the urge to actively approach Fu Huan, to get closer to him.

Liking someone means not resisting physical contact with them.

Whether physically or emotionally, Gu Shiying felt no resistance toward Fu Huan. What did that mean? It meant Fu Huan had already seeped into his life bit by bit, and he, too, had fallen for this person beyond saving.

"Coward."

Fu Huan took charge, leaning in and pressing Gu Shiying against the table, forcing him to brace himself with his hands behind him.

He bit Gu Shiying’s lower lip, his hand pulling Gu Shiying closer. "Who’s the coward?"

Gu Shiying lifted his chin slightly, a defiant look on his face. Fu Huan covered his lips again, and when Gu Shiying opened his mouth to say something, Fu Huan gently slipped his tongue in, sealing it with a deeper kiss.

This back-and-forth kissing completely scrambled both their heartbeats. Gu Shiying’s mind even blocked out Fu Huan’s inner thoughts, leaving only the sound of his own pounding heart. Despite his calm appearance, he was actually extremely nervous.

In the future, he wouldn’t just be dating Fu Huan—they would share even more intimate moments.

The first kiss was just the beginning.

The kiss lasted a good while, so long that Gu Shiying kicked Fu Huan’s calf and said, "Let go, I need to breathe."

Fu Huan rested his chin on the nook of Gu Shiying’s neck and let out a soft chuckle, "Don’t know how to catch your breath?"

Gu Shiying pushed him away and deliberately glared at him, "Oh, so you’re the expert, huh?"

Fu Huan kissed his lips again—Gu Shiying's fake anger was just too cute.

He pulled up a folding chair and sat down next to Gu Shiying at the desk, wrapping his arms around Gu Shiying’s waist and pressing his face against Gu's arm.

Gu Shiying swung his legs lightly and patted Fu Huan’s head.

The truth was, Gu Shiying knew exactly what was going on, even without Fu Huan saying a word.

"So much love, so much love, so much love—if only time could freeze right here."

"He smells so good, so good, so good—I still want to kiss him."

"Gu Shiying’s tongue is so soft."

"Gu Shiying is mine. No one can ever separate us from now on."

"He’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine."

The more silent Fu Huan was, the louder his inner thoughts became, and the tighter he held Gu Shiying.

Gu Shiying had to tap his head and say, "What are you thinking about? Let’s head back."

The auditorium was indeed a secluded spot, but the sunlight was fading, and soon it would be completely dark.

Fu Huan let go of Gu Shiying’s waist first, and then Gu Shiying stood up.

The two of them walked out of the dimly lit auditorium.

Outside, the sun was still bright, though it was gradually sinking behind the mountains, bidding farewell to the day.

Fu Huan asked Gu Shiying, "Where do you want to go?"

Gu Shiying checked his phone and said, "My phone’s dead. I need to go back to the dorm to charge it."

Fu Huan looked at him with a pout and said, his voice tinged with jealousy, "So your phone is more important than your boyfriend now."

Gu Shiying knew he was doing it on purpose and pinched Fu Huan’s pinky finger, but Fu Huan turned his hand and laced their fingers together tightly.

"Hey, we’re out in public."

"What’s wrong with holding my boyfriend’s hand?"

"Nothing, just want to keep a low profile?"

"Fine by me."

Fu Huan let go of Gu Shiying’s hand, but the two walked even closer than before, with Fu Huan practically glued to Gu Shiying’s side.

Gu Shiying said, "You’re such a clingy person."

Fu Huan admitted without hesitation, "Only clingy to you."

Gu Shiying laughed and pushed him away, "It’s so hot."

But Fu Huan deliberately stuck to him again, and the two of them playfully made their way back to the dorm.

Back in the dorm, Gu Shiying grabbed his charger to plug in his phone. Just as Fu Huan was about to sneak up and hug him from behind, the dorm door was suddenly flung open.

"Ying Er!"

Hearing Zhang Zhi’s frantic shout, Gu Shiying instinctively pushed Fu Huan away.

Then, Fu Huan watched as Gu Shiying, now free from his embrace, was grabbed and hugged by Zhang Zhi, who had rushed in. The smile that had been on Fu Huan’s face all afternoon slowly faded.

"Are you okay?!"

"Are you hurt?"

"How did you get into this kind of situation again? I told you to come to the temple with me, but you wouldn’t go. At least there, I could help you cut off your ill-fated bond!"

Fu Huan caught the key phrase, "Ill-fated bond? What ill-fated bond?"

Zhang Zhi said, "Of course, Ying Er’s ill-fated bond. He has a secret admirer."

Fu Huan looked at Gu Shiying with interest, "A secret admirer? Male or female?"

Not knowing the full story, Zhang Zhi guessed, "Must be a girl."

Fu Huan kept his eyes fixed on Gu Shiying, waiting for the correct answer.

Gu Shiying thought to himself, *Zhang Zhi and his big mouth*, and smacked Zhang Zhi in the face with a book from the desk. "Dude, stop talking. I don’t have a secret admirer anymore, and there’s no ill-fated bond to cut off."

Zhang Zhi moved the book away, "Hey, what happened to that secret admirer of yours?"

Gu Shiying glanced at Fu Huan, "I think he’s pretty great. I’ll introduce you to him someday."

Zhang Zhi suddenly wailed dramatically, "Oh my god, you didn’t go and start dating someone behind my back, did you? You unfilial son, how could you leave your bro behind and ride off in a Land Rover by yourself!"

Just then, Liang Qi and Yang Shuhang returned from the coffee shop, each holding an ice pop.

Yang Shuhang, hearing the commotion, immediately came over to gossip, "Zhang Zhi, what are you yelling about?"

"My dear son is dating someone! Can’t I yell? He actually dared to ditch me for a relationship and didn’t even tell me," Zhang Zhi pressed Gu Shiying, "Tell me, who is it?"

Yang Shuhang exclaimed, "Holy shit, you’re really dating someone? Who is it?"

Liang Qi chimed in, not one to miss out on the drama, "Yeah, I’m so curious."

Gu Shiying: "..."

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Author’s note: Fu Huan: Me, me, it’s me! [kiss][kiss][kiss]

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Upcoming story: *From the Republic of China to Here*—a story about a protagonist from the Republic of China era who time-travels to the modern day and meets the male lead, featuring an arranged marriage that turns into love.

Jiang Yicen was born into a feudal family in the late Qing Dynasty. He studied the eight-legged essay with his grandfather and read the Four Books and Five Classics. From a young age, he was engaged to a young lady from another family. However, his fiancée, who had studied abroad and embraced modern ideas, broke off the engagement, politely explaining that he was too rigid, old-fashioned, and boring, and that being with him would surely lead to unhappiness.

Later, he lived through the turmoil of war, spending his family’s fortune to save people from suffering.

Later still, he joined the army and died in the chaos of war.

He thought death was the end, but little did he know it was a new beginning—only, he found himself back in a family that was both feudal and open-minded.

The "feudal" aspect was that he was sent by his family for an arranged marriage; the "enlightened" part was that his arranged marriage partner was a man.

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Nan Shuyi was unrestrained and freedom-loving, acting entirely on impulse. He literally made headlines every day for various incidents and could rightly be called a profligate.

To rein in Nan Shuyi's wild nature, the Nan family forced an arranged marriage upon him.

The day before the wedding, he scornfully complained to his friends, "Tch, no way I’m ever sleeping with a man in this lifetime."

On the wedding day, his arranged marriage partner sat composed before him like a young master from the Republic of China era, a slight, reserved smile gracing his lips, impeccably proper.

He addressed Nan Shuyi softly, "Sir."

Nan Shuyi paused, straightening his tie, which he had tugged askew in his impatience, and stood straight as a rod.

Jiang Yicen thought, having finally arrived in an era without war, where he could live safely and soundly, he could adapt to anything—addressing his arranged marriage partner as "sir" was a small price to pay.

He had journeyed far to get here from the Republic of China era.

Years later, Jiang Yicen concluded that his former fiancée had been wrong—his life hadn’t been all that dull after all.

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