Chapter 37 Bizarre Logic

Chapter 37: Bizarre Logic

Misunderstood, he became more tight-lipped than a clam...

Gu Ze, on the other side, was also somewhat annoyed by Bai Suizhi’s subtle refusal. Oliver had clearly stated Bai Suizhi was very interested in the storage room, and he wasn't even handling the meat—just standing there lost in thought—yet he declined, claiming to be busy. It was obvious he didn't want to come along.

Oliver remained completely oblivious to having inadvertently caused Gu Ze to misunderstand Bai Suizhi. He looked around the storage room, marveling, "This storage room is huge!"

Gu Ze replied perfunctorily, "Mm."

Oliver pulled open a bottom cabinet, revealing diving equipment inside. "Too bad it’s not safe outside right now, otherwise we could have gone to the beach."

Gu Ze answered absentmindedly, "Mm."

Oliver finally noticed his unusual quietness and cautiously asked, "Gu Ze, what’s wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Gu Ze frowned. "No."

Oliver asked, "Should I get you a mirror?"

Gu Ze said irritably, "Are you done looking? If so, let’s go back and help."

Oliver, as if he'd found something amusing, said leisurely, "The kitchen is pretty much ready. No need to rush back to help."

Gu Ze said, "Then you can continue looking. I’m going back." With that, he turned to leave.

Oliver grabbed him, hitting the nail on the head: "Hey, are you upset because Brother Bai didn’t come with you?"

Gu Ze froze at his words, turning his head to stare at Oliver in shock: "Who told you that?" The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and cursed himself inwardly for being brain-dead—how was this any different from admitting it outright?

Oliver couldn’t hold back his laughter and teased, "So it’s true, Gu Ze. Tsk tsk tsk."

Gu Ze was so infuriated by his taunting tone that he trembled with rage. He immediately pinned Oliver with his bandaged forearm against his neck: "Say that again, I dare you!"

Oliver, choked, yelled for mercy, not daring to struggle recklessly and worsen Gu Ze’s injuries: "I was wrong, I didn’t hear anything, let me go—cough, cough, cough..."

Oliver coughed until his face turned red.

It wasn’t because Gu Ze was choking him, but purely because he had spoken too quickly and choked on his own saliva. Still, Gu Ze loosened his grip and patted his back irritably to help him catch his breath.

It took Oliver a while to recover. He took a deep breath and said, "Damn, I almost passed out."

Then he turned to Gu Ze: "Thanks."

Gu Ze looked at him with mixed feelings: "..."

Oliver said seriously, "What’s the issue between you and Brother Bai?"

Gu Ze looked somewhat bewildered: "What issue?"

Oliver said, "Haven’t you been trying to show off how capable you are in front of Brother Bai, so he’ll acknowledge you?"

Gu Ze felt there was something odd about this statement and asked, "What do you mean?"

Oliver wore an expression that said, "Stop pretending," and explained knowledgeably, "Your relationship with Brother Bai is so subtle, and these past few days, whenever something happened, he handled it—and handled it perfectly. You could say without Brother Bai, we wouldn’t be safe and sound here today..."

Oliver paused. Gu Ze grew more and more confused: "So what does that have to do with what you said earlier?"

Oliver sighed and asked directly, "Are you jealous of Brother Bai?"

Gu Ze’s mind went blank, then he said angrily, "What nonsense is that?!"

Oliver grew impatient too: "Still denying it! Isn’t it just because Brother Bai is better than you in every way, and you’re jealous of him, so you want to perform well in front of him, have him praise you, acknowledge you—am I right?!"

Gu Ze roared, "Right your head!" From the moment Oliver misunderstood him tearing bedsheets for fun on the rooftop, he should’ve known this person’s brain was wired differently from normal people’s.

Oliver, shouted at, lost his conviction. Could he have guessed wrong after all?

Gu Ze was so angry his chest heaved. After a long moment, he asked, exhausted, "How did you even come to that conclusion?"

Oliver replied, "I’ve seen psychologists on TV say that if the gap between siblings is too wide, it often leads to one feeling inferior and pressured, causing them to do extreme things to seek the other’s acknowledgment."

Gu Ze had too many retorts to voice: "Do you think I’m inferior?"

Oliver shook his head. If Gu Ze was inferior, then no one in the world was confident.

Gu Ze looked at him quietly. Oliver also realized his logic was contradictory and tried to save face: "Maybe you subconsciously have such thoughts, which led you to act this way?"

Gu Ze said wearily, "Before the rooftop, the total number of times I’d met him was less than ten. Do you think someone like me could develop such a complex emotion as jealousy in such a short time?"

Oliver said, "Perhaps?"

Gu Ze was speechless with anger: "I admit he’s excellent and impressive, but I’m not bad either, okay? Why would I need to be jealous of him?"

Anyone who could say such a thing would never know inferiority in their life. Oliver finally believed Gu Ze, but: "Then why were you unhappy that Brother Bai didn’t come with you?"

Gu Ze simply laid his cards on the table: "Didn’t you say he was very interested in the storage room? But when I asked him, he declined, saying he was busy. Isn’t that clearly drawing a boundary with me? Would you be happy if it were you?"

Oliver guiltily lowered his head and said weakly, "I lied."

Gu Ze didn’t hear clearly: "What?"

Oliver said, "Brother Bai didn’t say he was interested in the storage room. I made that up. He’s been seriously handling the meat and didn’t hear us talking."

Gu Ze was stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief. So it wasn’t because he dislikes me...

Seeing Gu Ze spacing out, Oliver stealthily edged toward the door. Halfway there, Gu Ze came back to his senses and looked at him intently: "You..."

He had only said one word when Oliver stopped and said with a grimace, "I’ll do it myself, no need for you to take action."

With that, he imitated Gu Ze’s earlier action, pressing his arm against his own neck. The scene was as ridiculous as it could be.

Gu Ze burst out laughing: "So stupid."

Seeing him laugh, Oliver let go and hugged him: "I was wrong about this. I shouldn’t have made assumptions behind your back and misunderstood you."

Gu Ze’s anger came and went quickly: "Alright, it’s over. Let’s go help out."

Just then, Chen Yi’s loud voice came from the kitchen: "Gu Ze, Oliver, get over here! We’re going upstairs to eat—"

When Oliver and Gu Ze entered the kitchen, several people were arranging skewers on plates and then packing them into baskets one by one. Various seasonings were tucked into the remaining gaps, filling the baskets to the brim.

Chen Yi called to them: "Grab the stuff from the living room, and we’ll head up."

Gu Ze and Oliver agreed.

The group then carried their things and headed upstairs together.

The staircase wasn’t very wide, so the five of them ascended in small, alternating groups. Oliver said excitedly, "It feels like going camping with friends." Chen Yi asked, "Aren’t we friends?"

No wonder they hit it off immediately; their thought processes are practically on the same wavelength.

Oliver chimed in naturally, "Of course we're friends, but it feels different."

Gu Ze asked, "What's different about it?"

Oliver said, "Hard to put into words."

Chen Yi pondered for a moment and came up with a brilliant analogy: "We're like instant noodles that have just been unwrapped—before we even get to know all the flavor packets, we're thrown into boiling water and cooked into a jumble. By the time we're scooped out, you can't even tell whose noodle clump is whose."

Oliver, holding onto a bedsheet, freed a hand just to clap. "Exactly! You described it perfectly."

Chen Yi said, "That makes it sound so cold, as if we were forced to stick together."

Gu Ze blurted out, "Aren't we?"

Oliver feigned hurt, hugging a bundle of fabric and complaining playfully, "So you were forced to be with us? How sad~"

Gu Ze said softly, "No."

Oliver asked, "What did you say? I didn't hear you."

Gu Ze replied, "Not telling."

But everyone else heard him.

Chen Yi chuckled and said to Oliver, "What a temper."

Oliver nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Oliver had finally seen through Gu Ze: he was a prickly young master. When misunderstood, he clammed up tight, unwilling to offer even half an explanation. But if someone provoked him a bit and then coaxed him the right way, his deeply hidden true feelings would squeak out, much like a cat that only shows its belly when teased.

Bai Suizhi, who wasn't far from them, naturally caught the whole exchange. He grew increasingly puzzled: What did Gu Ze really think of him?

He hadn't cared about this question before, but now they were in the same team, up against unknown and terrifying dangers together. He didn't want their personal issues to affect the entire group. Although everything was going smoothly so far, even a small conflict could fester under the surface and eventually lead to an irreparable disaster.

The rooftop was only on the third floor, and they arrived quickly.

Oliver exclaimed, "Brother Bai, Kahn, isn't this place amazing!"

He had been going on about how luxurious the pool was and how perfectly the place was decorated ever since he left the rooftop, which had set high expectations for Bai Suizhi and Kahn.

The place did not disappoint. As soon as they entered, they were captivated by the flower walls on both sides, adorned with all sorts of stunning and delicate blooms that were both pleasing to the eye and fragrant. Even though Oliver had seen it before, he was still amazed. "I can't even imagine how much it costs to maintain these flowers."

The ceiling above was transparent, offering a clear view of the fiery clouds outside. If Gu Ze hadn't mentioned earlier that the rooftop was covered, Bai Suizhi wouldn't have noticed the glass overhead.

Oliver fantasized, "After we finish eating, we can lie here and stargaze." The air quality here was excellent, so they should be able to see a sky full of stars.

The open space in the middle was furnished with a few lounge chairs and a table. Compared to the rest of the area, it was less flashy and even somewhat plain, but it exuded a particularly relaxed and lazy vibe.

They set their things down in this open area and followed the enthusiastic Oliver to take another look at the luxurious swimming pool.

They had actually spotted the pool when they first entered. It was raised, with three steps leading up to it, and designed with transparency. The azure water reflected the distant sea, shimmering under the glow of the setting sun.

In the middle of the pool floated a giant rubber duck, drifting alone on the water. A warm light strip was installed along the edge of the pool, but it wasn't lit due to the power outage. Still, paired with the tall palm trees outside, it had a chilly, romantic vibe.

Seeing how much Oliver liked it, Yang Yuan said, "Why not take a few laps? You're the only one who can get in the water." The others were all injured.

Oliver regretfully declined, "Maybe next time. Let's get dinner ready first!"

Yang Yuan's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Let's get started!"