Chapter 39 Accomplice

Chapter 39: Accomplice

He not only didn’t expose it but willingly became an accomplice...

When the bottle spun seven times and finally landed back in front of Gu Ze, his face seemed to sprout six ellipses—three on the left, three on the right, symmetrically arranged with his nose as the dividing line.

Gu Ze shot a sharp glare at Oliver. Though he said nothing, his aggrieved look spoke volumes.

Oliver widened his innocent eyes: "I didn’t do anything."

Chen Yi’s shoulders shook with laughter, his tone laced with mockery: "What’s with you? Are you putting yourself on the spot?"

Oliver’s face darkened: "Tell him to stop staring at me before you say things like that."

Gu Ze averted his gaze, his tone light and casual: "Ask away."

Oliver’s eyes darted, then he looked at Bai Suizhi: "Bai-ge, you ask this round. Otherwise, you’ll have no stake in the game."

Bai Suizhi didn’t refuse, smiling slightly: "Alright, let me think of a question."

Gu Ze’s earlier calm vanished instantly. He sat up sharply, his lips pressed into a thin, almost straight line. His hands clenched unconsciously, and even his breathing seemed to slow by half a beat. The usual serenity in his eyes was subtly replaced by a hint of unease.

Oliver snickered, his mischievous eyes flitting between the two.

What question would he ask?

We’ve only met a few times. If not for this chance encounter, he might’ve even forgotten what I look like...

This question must be really difficult for him, right?

In the slowed-down passage of time, Gu Ze suddenly felt Oliver’s suggestion was a bit unfairly demanding. Just as he was about to say something to smooth things over, Bai Suizhi spoke.

"What kind of person am I in your heart?"

The question came so suddenly, completely catching Gu Ze off guard. His mind felt like it had been stuffed with a tangled mess of threads, his thoughts thrown into disarray. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed against his knees, and for a long moment, he couldn’t utter a word.

Seeing his hesitation, Bai Suizhi chuckled lightly: "Should I change the question?"

Gu Ze: "No need!"

Chen Yi looked at him, baffled: "Having a top student moment? Can’t answer the question but won’t let the proctor change the paper? Just that stubborn?"

Oliver added fuel to the fire: "You know Gu Ze so well."

Chen Yi shot him a sidelong glance, everything under control: "That little guy, I’ve got him all figured out."

Gu Ze swatted both Oliver and Chen Yi on the back of their heads. The two covered their heads and fell silent.

Gu Ze took a deep breath, looked directly into Bai Suizhi’s eyes, and said: "Do you remember the first time we met? Back then, I was trying to sneak out to play with my classmates. I climbed onto the wall at home but couldn’t get down. In the end, you carried me down."

So he followed the sound and saw a child not much smaller than him perched on the wall, stuck between going forward and retreating. The little face was white with fear, hands gripping the wall tightly, dangling legs trembling unsteadily—clearly terrified.

Bai Suizhi recognized him at a glance as his younger brother because Gu Ze looked so much like their mother, as if carved from the same mold. For a moment, his heart felt stuffed with unnamed emotions, tangled with indescribable feelings, winding around him strand by strand, making it impossible to distinguish exactly what he was feeling—or perhaps, he felt a bit of everything.

He collected himself and said calmly: "Don’t be afraid. Step on my shoulders, and I’ll carry you down."

Gu Ze, afraid of embarrassment, hadn’t dared to call for help loudly. But the longer he stayed up there, the more scared he became. Just as he was about to lose his grip, Bai Suizhi appeared before him like a divine intervention.

He asked in a trembling voice: "Who are you?"

Bai Suizhi didn’t answer his question, only saying: "Coming down or not? If not, I’m leaving." He made as if to walk away.

Gu Ze anxiously called out: "Don’t go!"

Bai Suizhi seemed to smile, or maybe not. His back was to Gu Ze, all emotions hidden in an unseen expression.

Gu Ze tentatively placed the tip of his foot on Bai Suizhi’s shoulder and asked worriedly: "Can you hold me?"

Bai Suizhi: "Yes."

Those two simple words, coming from him, carried an inexplicable sense of reliability.

Gu Ze hesitated no longer, maneuvered his other leg over to rest on Bai Suizhi’s shoulder.

Bai Suizhi grasped his legs, securely positioning him on his shoulders. Then, slowly bending down, he slipped his arms under Gu Ze’s knees and back, gently lifting him from his shoulders and setting him steadily on the ground.

The fear gripping Gu Ze’s heart also settled. He broke into a bright smile: "Thank you, brother!"

Bai Suizhi was momentarily stunned: "No problem."

Gu Ze waved at him, smiling: "Bye, brother! I’m off to play with my classmates!"

Later, Gu Ze learned that the brother who helped him that day was truly his "brother." Ironically, a term he could easily use for a stranger became something he could no longer utter because of their complicated family relationship.

Bai Suizhi blinked, his eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes. The fire's dying embers pulsed, the last sparks glowing and fading, making the light in his eyes shimmer faintly.

Gu Ze: "From that moment on, you’ve been like an older brother to me in my heart."

Chen Yi: "What the heck? Can ‘brother’ be used to describe someone? Isn’t that off-topic?"

Seeing that no one paid him any mind, Chen Yi nudged Oliver with his elbow: "It’s off-topic, right?"

Oliver rolled his eyes dramatically: "Can’t you read the mood? Is this really the time for that?"

Chen Yi didn’t get it but obediently fell silent.

Gu Ze wanted to seek Bai Suizhi’s attention, earn a word of praise, or gain some acknowledgment. It wasn’t about competitiveness or jealousy—he just wanted to shine a little brighter in front of the brother he admired.

Bai Suizhi said softly: "I didn’t know you felt that way."

Gu Ze looked away: "Well, now you know."

Bai Suizhi: "Mm."

Chen Yi waited a while, then couldn’t help asking: "That’s it?"

Oliver observed them for a moment, confirming neither intended to speak further, and pronounced: "That’s it."

Chen Yi was baffled: "What did they even talk about?"

Oliver stroked his chin, putting on a profound expression: "It can be sensed, but not explained."

Bai Suizhi coughed lightly: "It’s getting late. Let’s head down."

Oliver, like a child reluctant to see the party end, dragged out his words: "But you haven’t been picked yet—"

Chen Yi, thinking Oliver had forgotten him, raised his hand pointedly: "I haven’t been picked either."

Oliver responded with a haughty sidelong glance: "Nobody cares."

Chen Yi looked puzzled.

Bai Suizhi shrugged nonchalantly. “Then just ask whatever you want directly. No need to spin the bottle.”

Oliver cheered internally. After playing this game so many times, it was the first round where everyone had a turn (except for a certain Chen with insane luck).

Oliver: “Then, Brother Bai, you pick someone to ask the question.”

Bai Suizhi glanced around and finally settled his gaze on Kahn. “Is there anything you want to ask me?”

Oliver covered his mouth, giggling under his breath. He was all for this romantic moment!

Chen Yi caught Oliver’s odd antics out of the corner of his eye and was creeped out. That smile was super creepy.

Kahn hesitated a moment but still asked the question he had earlier: “Will we still be together on my birthday this year?”

Bai Suizhi’s heart melted instantly. He answered softly, “Of course.”

In such an unpredictable environment, promises like this seemed somewhat unreliable, but since Bai Suizhi said it, he would do his best to keep it.

Oliver jumped in excitedly, “Kahn, ask me! Ask me!”

Chen Yi followed suit, “Me too! Me too!”

Then both of them looked at Gu Ze, urgently gesturing with their eyes: Join in!

Gu Ze sighed helplessly, “Naadu! Naadu!” (mimicking Chen Yi)

Oliver: “What kind of nonsense is that?”

Gu Ze glanced at Chen Yi, who explained on his behalf, “He caught it from me.”

Oliver understood—so he learned it from Chen Yi. That would make Chen Yi’s ex-girlfriend Gu Ze’s… great-teacher?!

What a mess. Oliver shook his head, frustrated by his habit of letting his thoughts wander off-topic.

Kahn watched his playful friends, and his dull heart felt as if sunlight poured in, warming it, making his eyes tear up: “Can we spend my birthday together this year?”

“Of course!” The same answer Bai Suizhi gave was repeated three times, the others chorused.

Bai Suizhi laughed, “Stop stealing my line.”

Oliver: “Of course!” (in English)

Chen Yi: “Tāng yō nà jī!” (roughly “of course” in his made-up language)

Gu Ze stayed silent.

They all laughed. Gu Ze made a silent vow to learn another language someday.

Good times never last. Oliver put the last chair back in place and sighed, “Another day down.”

Chen Yi: “Yeah, feels like such a long day.” From falling into the sea, to researching the mutant virus (minimal involvement), to cooking, to playing games (zero involvement)—it was exhausting!

Oliver: “…” The same day, different experiences.

When they returned downstairs, they took turns washing up again. With plenty of water now, they could afford to be more careful. Who knew when they might have to go back to living among zombies again?

On a long night, choosing a suitable place to sleep was clearly important.

Oliver: “I vote for the living room!”

Chen Yi disagreed, “The living room is too exposed, hard to defend. I vote for the kitchen!”

Oliver eyed him suspiciously, “You’re not planning to sneak a snack in the middle of the night, are you?”

Chen Yi declared righteously, “Ridiculous!”

Oliver didn’t trust Chen Yi’s words, nor did he trust his own ability to resist temptation, so he said, “The kitchen is too messy. I veto the kitchen!”

Gu Ze didn’t understand why this was even up for debate. “Can’t we just sleep in an actual bedroom?”

Oliver: “The beds in the rooms are too small. They’re too small for all five of us.”

Gu Ze: “What about splitting up into two rooms?”

Chen Yi: “Too dangerous. It’s safer to stick together.”

Gu Ze: “Weren’t you sleeping alone in the helicopter before?”

Chen Yi said, still shaken, “After what happened this morning, I realized I’m not cautious enough.”

Gu Ze: “Can someone translate what he just said in plain terms?”

Oliver translated plainly: “He’s spooked.”

Gu Ze: “Got it.”

Bai Suizhi suggested, “Let’s still sleep in a room. We can grab a mattress from storage and lay it on the floor. It’ll be a tight fit, but all five of us can sleep there.”

Gu Ze: “I’ll go get the mattress then.” He immediately headed off, afraid the other two would be fussy again.

Bai Suizhi quickly moved to the next step: “Let’s take the middle room. It’s windowless and roomy.”

Oliver and Chen Yi: “OK.” Following the captain’s lead was smart.

As for Kahn, even before Bai Suizhi became captain, he had always followed Bai Suizhi’s lead.

After Gu Ze brought out the mattress, they all went to their chosen room to arrange the bedding.

Once everything was ready, it was time to assign sleeping spots.

Oliver was the first to raise his hand: “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Chen Yi: “Me too.”

Gu Ze: “…” He looked at Bai Suizhi, then at Kahn, and an image of being sandwiched between them in bed flashed through his mind.

He said urgently, “I’ll sleep on the floor!”

Oliver also caught on and nearly choked trying to hold back his laughter.

Bai Suizhi: “Let’s decide by rock-paper-scissors.” The fairest method in the world.

No one objected. Rather than arguing and stalling, it was simpler to leave it to chance.

Before throwing his hand, Kahn gently tapped Bai Suizhi’s hand, subtly pressing it downward.

Bai Suizhi curved his lips slightly. Faced with a rule-breaker undermining the game’s fairness, he didn’t expose him but willingly became an accomplice.

The arrangement worked out perfectly for everyone; he and Kahn slept on the mattress on the floor, while the remaining three took the bed.

Oliver: "You two are way too coordinated."

Bai Suizhi repeated his words teasingly: "Coincidence?"

Kahn averted his eyes and blurted out, "I'm going to sleep!" His tone held a hint of poorly suppressed panic, like a small animal whose secret had been exposed, eager to curl up in its burrow.

Bai Suizhi laughed. "Alright, let's sleep."

"Okay!"

The thrilling and joyful day finally came to a close. The initial sense of distance among the boys had long been worn away by the day's ups and downs and shared happiness, like cotton softened by moonlight, lightly sticking together.