Chapter 20: Why Are You Still as Spineless as When You Were a Kid?

Chapter 20: Why Are You Still as Timid as When You Were a Kid?

Gu Sai, afraid Teacher Chen might lose his temper, snuck over to Lan Miaomiao and whispered, "Sister Miaomiao, I feel like Teacher Chen is mad at me? What did I do to upset him?"

Lan Miaomiao said, "It's fine, it's fine. Movie kings get moody a few days every month. Just give them some hot water and they'll get over it."

Gu Sai: "Oh."

As soon as the afternoon livestream began, Gu Sai and Gu Yunlang used their silver coins to earn their way up to the second floor.

Director Ma asked Chen Wang, who'd also gathered five silver coins, "Teacher Chen, aren't you going up?"

Before Chen Wang could speak, Guan Yujia answered for him, "Brother Wang's worried I can't handle the tasks alone, so he's staying here with me. He'll head up with me once I've got enough coins."

"Wow! I knew they were a thing! Brother Wang, you're too much!"

"Brother Wang's got a sharp tongue, but he spoils our Jia Jia rotten."

"The Chen-Guan ship is real!!! They're totally on the same level. That nobody of an actor shouldn't even get close!"

Gu Sai, that nobody-tier actor, didn't even have time to check the comments. As soon as he got the chance, he rushed up to the second floor.

Lan Miaomiao had told him to do tasks fast on the second floor while it was still empty—more people meant more problems.

So when Gu Sai got his first task card from the staff, he couldn't wait to get started.

His task card said: gather ten lilac flowers for one silver coin.

Gu Sai suggested to Gu Yunlang, who was right on his heels, "How about we split up? That way we've both got a better shot at finding lilacs."

Gu Yunlang said coldly, "No need to tell me. I was already planning on splitting up."

With that, he turned and walked off, leaving Gu Sai staring at his cold, arrogant back.

Gu Sai scratched his head and hurried off to find lilacs.

The production team really knew how to hide stuff, like they were scared the guests would find it. On chandeliers, under tables, in floor cracks... if you could think of it, they'd hide it there.

Gu Sai ran around the second floor for over an hour, searched everywhere, was drenched in sweat, and still only had five flowers.

The guests downstairs would probably be up soon, and with more people, it'd be even harder to find any.

Gu Sai scanned the library bookshelves and finally spotted a lilac branch sticking out from the top shelf.

"Found it!"

But it was too high—even jumping, he couldn't grab it. He dragged a stool over and carefully climbed up.

But just as he reached for the lilac, a big hand shot out from behind and grabbed it off the shelf first.

"Huh?"

Gu Sai turned and saw Gu Yunlang. He blinked, said nothing, and silently got off the stool.

"Wait, Baby Gu Sai clearly spotted that flower first. Is Gu Yunlang just taking it?"

"How's that stealing? Gu Sai never even touched it. Our Yun Lang got it first, okay."

"Yeah, so what if he took it? This game's all about grabbing stuff. And 'Baby Gu Sai'—that little kid who's still nursing should go home to his mommy!"

"Heh, so you can take stuff, huh? Gu Sai, go snatch it back! Don't fear that gym rat—his muscles are all steroids! Punch his chest!"

"Are they gonna fight? Downstairs, Guan Yujia and Xie Yang are already going at it, pulling hair. Let the upstairs brawl start too!"

Gu Sai wiped the stool with his sleeve, put it back, and turned to leave. Clearly, he'd given up on that flower and was gonna look somewhere else.

Gu Yunlang, who'd been bracing for a fight, frowned and called out, "Hey!"

Gu Sai turned around. "Huh?"

Gu Yunlang blurted, "Someone takes your stuff and you don't even fight back? Why are you still such a wimp like when you were a kid?"

Back when they were kids...

Both Gu Sai and Gu Yunlang froze.

Little Gu Sai was skinny and short, with soft features, looking like an easy target. Back then, Gu Yunlang had said the exact same thing to him.

"Are you not going to fight back when someone takes your stuff?"

At seven, Gu Yunlang was half a head taller than eight-year-old Gu Sai. He could beat up kids a grade above him and get back the money that was stolen from Gu Sai.

"Thank you." Gu Sai clutched the money, staring at Gu Yunlang's swollen face, and said shyly, "I... I'll buy you ice cream."

Gu Yunlang said, "I've got my own money. You don't need to buy me anything."

Gu Sai hung his head and stayed quiet.

Gu Yunlang was quiet for a bit, then said, "But I forgot my money today. So you can get it for me."

"Okay!" Gu Sai looked up, his eyes sparkling.

They sat on the curb under a tree's shade, eating tasty ice cream. Gu Yunlang asked, "My dad said my uncle adopted you from the orphanage? You don't have your own parents?"

Gu Sai said, "Probably not. Or maybe they just didn't want me. I don't remember."

He said it flatly.

Gu Yunlang paused, then asked, "How can you not remember? Didn't my uncle just bring you home? You're this big and can't remember stuff—are you dumb?"

Gu Sai explained slowly, "I've been in the orphanage since I was little. I got adopted a few times, but those parents said I was slow, different from other kids, so they sent me back."

He took a small bite of his ice cream and said calmly, "I don't know how long these parents will keep me either."

Maybe when they figured out he wasn't that bright, they'd do the same. But Gu Sai wouldn't blame them. He was used to it.

Gu Yunlang opened his mouth, and after a long pause said, "My uncle's a great guy, and my aunt's even better. She loves kids. She'll definitely keep you for good."

Gu Sai looked up and gave a shy smile.

Gu Yunlang added, "My family lives right upstairs from yours. From now on, walk home with me after school, and no one will bully you!"

"Okay."

Gu Sai was very happy. He had met another good friend.

When he got home, his mother smiled and hugged him first, asking if he was used to his first day of school, whether he got along with his classmates, and if the school food suited his taste.

Gu Sai obediently answered each question, but didn't mention being bullied on the way home. He didn't want to trouble his parents.

Dad was sitting on the sofa watching TV. The boy called out "Dad," but his father only glanced at him, grunted in acknowledgment, and showed no further reaction.

Dad had always been like this—distant toward him, neither particularly fond nor openly disliking.

Dad and Uncle Gu upstairs—Gu Yunlang's father—were cousins. Uncle Gu often came over to drink with Dad.

Whenever that happened, Gu Yunlang would tag along. While the adults drank and chatted outside, the two kids played with toys, read comics, and played video games in the room.

That day, the two kids got to play together again. Each held a small toy car and pushed it along the floor. Suddenly, they overheard the adults outside mention Gu Sai's name. They both froze and listened closely.

They were both afraid of the same thing—that the adults might send Gu Sai back.

"Cousin, this kid you adopted... does he have some kind of intellectual problem?" Gu Yunlang's father asked.