Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The phone on the bedside table had been ringing non-stop for the past ten minutes.

Gu Yubai stubbornly kept his eyes shut, savoring the sweet remnants of his dream, utterly unwilling to open them and reach for the phone.

What was the rush? His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet—why call so early?

Without even looking, Gu Yubai knew the caller was Song Yao, the hotheaded organizer of this high school hiking trip for their two classes, who had arranged for them to take a bus together.

Still battling morning grumpiness, the incessant ringing only fueled his irritation, making him want to bury his head in the pillow.

He waited for Song Yao to give up, but even after ten minutes, she persisted.

Gu Yubai had to hand it to her. He groggily opened his eyes, groggily sat up, and groggily reached for the phone.

After answering, he didn’t speak, just sat there like a disoriented puppy, staring into space.

True to form, Song Yao didn’t need Gu Yubai to say a word.

She could barrel through the entire conversation on her own.

Her voice was laced with anger as she yelled at Gu Yubai through the phone.

“Oh, Brainiac! You finally picked up! Do you even know what time it is? The bus appears at the meeting point at eight sharp, and it takes at least forty minutes to drive there from your place—it’s already 7:30!”

“Where are you?! Where are you?! And you’re still ignoring my calls! Are you trying to kill me?! I’ve almost finished checking the attendance, and you’re still MIA! Gu Yubai, tell me the truth—did you never plan to go hiking in the first place?!”

“You’ve got some nerve, Gu Yubai! You’re Mingcheng’s top scholar, the role model for so many classmates, and here you are, flaking out! Zero sense of punctuality—are you having the time of your life right now?!”

Song Yao’s temper was legendary. Two minutes into her tirade, Gu Yubai suddenly caught a key detail and jolted awake as if he’d been electrocuted, his eyes widening in shock.

7:30?! His alarm was set for 7:00—how was it already 7:30?!

Any lingering drowsiness vanished instantly.

He scrambled out of bed, washed up, threw on his running shoes, grabbed his phone, and bolted out the door.

As he reached the elevator, he suddenly remembered Yu Li, who had promised to join him on the hike. He quickly turned and dashed down the stairs.

Yu Li’s place was eerily quiet. Recalling that the man had been working late the night before and likely hadn’t gotten home until the wee hours, Gu Yubai’s heart sank.

Damn it, Yu Li—don’t tell me you passed out the moment you hit the bed and are still asleep?!

Without holding back, Gu Yubai hammered on the door like thunder.

Glancing at the time, he shouted, “Brother Yu! Get up, we’re gonna be late for the hike!”

He’d promised to be Yu Li's human alarm clock, but in the end, he’d slept straight through himself.

Skipping breakfast, he’d gone from waking up to banging on Yu Li’s door in just five minutes—lightning speed.

Song Yao had been planning this hike for a month, and gathering classmates from two different classes was no easy feat. Once the semester started, everyone would go their separate ways. At this point, Gu Yubai couldn’t possibly leave her hanging.

He’d already decided—if Yu Li didn’t open the door in five minutes, he’d leave without him.

Fortunately, Yu Li wasn’t a sleepyhead like him. The moment Gu Yubai finished shouting, the door swung open.

Yu Li was already ready to go. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and gray joggers, with white sneakers on his feet, he looked every bit the college student—his whole demeanor radiated youth, looking decades younger than his usual buttoned-up corporate look.

What’s more, he seemed to have just showered, his hair still damp and hanging by his ears, a white towel slung around his neck.

He slung a black duffel bag over his shoulder, his gear looking seriously pro-level. In contrast, Gu Yubai had only brought his phone.

The contrast couldn't be sharper.

Gu Yubai couldn’t help but stare for a moment.

Yu Li locked the door and immediately ushered Gu Yubai forward with an arm around him.

“Didn’t you say we’re running late? Let’s hurry. By the way, we’re driving to the bus meeting point, right? I’ll drive—you direct me. We’ll aim to get there in twenty minutes.”

Gu Yubai instinctively checked the time again and wanted to sob in frustration.

“Twenty minutes is impossible. Even by taxi, it takes at least forty. Maybe I should call Song Yao and ask her to wait for us.”

“No need. We’ll make it in twenty.”

Yu Li’s tone was firm.

Gu Yubai pursed his lips skeptically.

That route was one he’d taken countless times during school days. Even by taxi, it usually took over forty minutes—and now, during morning rush hour? Even a veteran driver like Yu Li would get stuck in traffic.

Yu Li was talking big.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Gu Yubai froze.

Yu Li had just wheeled out a sleek, jet-black, aggressively styled badass motorcycle from the underground parking garage.

A… motorcycle!

And what looked like a pro-level racing bike at that. Twenty minutes suddenly seemed plausible.

Yu Li handed Gu Yubai a helmet, then put on his own before decisively mounting the bike and twisting the throttle.

The entire time, he didn’t say a word to Gu Yubai.

Only when Gu Yubai was seated behind him, clinging to his waist, did Yu Li finally quirk a smile and glance back.

“Hold me tighter.”

With a thunderous roar, the motorcycle shot out of the garage.

True to form, the roads were packed with vehicles and pedestrians during the morning rush.

Yu Li weaved the motorcycle effortlessly between the cars.

The morning sun hung gentle, not yet scorching, and even through the helmet, Gu Yubai could feel the refreshing coolness of the wind against his face.

His eyes grew brighter, his smile beaming like the sun.

Unable to resist, Gu Yubai spread his arms wide.

The motorcycle cut through the air like a blade, tearing a gash in the dull, stifling routine of life—letting in a rush of exhilarating novelty.

The whooshing wind, loud and chaotic, enveloped Gu Yubai and Yu Li, creating a world of their own.

Gu Yubai shouted into the wind, “You never told me you could ride a motorcycle! Holy crap, I sold you short—you’re not just an overtime demon after all!”

"You're driving so fast, were you a professional racer before? What other surprises do you have that I don’t know about?"

Yu Li focused intently on the road, his attention fully on the motorcycle’s surroundings, the rest going to Gu Yubai's navigation.

He didn’t quite catch what Gu Yubai was saying behind him, catching only that it sounded like praise.

Yu Li grinned and shouted back.

"Don't apologize! The moment I didn’t get your wake-up call at seven sharp, I knew you must have slept in!"

Gu Yubai: "...I wasn’t apologizing."

The one who should apologize was his alarm clock.

Why hadn’t it gone off?

Had it rung, but he’d slept too soundly to hear it?

Gu Yubai huffed and settled back in, wrapping his arms around Yu Li’s waist.

Meanwhile, Song Yao was frantically trying to calm the classmates who had been waiting for ages.

She raised two fingers solemnly, swearing up and down, "Seriously, Gu Yubai said he’s almost here! Just wait a little longer."

But even when the bus arrived, Gu Yubai was nowhere in sight.

All the students had boarded, leaving Song Yao standing outside, rolling her eyes so hard they might fall out.

Gu! Yu! Bai!

If you don’t show up soon, even the driver’s going to lose patience.

Fortunately, fate smiled on Song Yao—a black motorcycle came to a sudden stop beside the bus.

Gu Yubai pulled off his helmet, waving cheerfully at Song Yao.

"Good morning! We’re not late, are we?"

Song Yao: "...Get moving!"

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The mountain chosen by Song Yao for the two-class group trip was in the neighboring city.

The bus carried sixty or seventy incoming college freshmen, the noise growing louder by the minute.

Yu Li fell asleep the moment he got on the bus.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes—no single night's sleep could undo days of overtime exhaustion. Gu Yubai sat beside him, chatting with classmates at first, but when he noticed Yu Li had dozed off, he gradually lowered his voice.

Gu Yubai raised a finger to his lips with a quiet "shhh," and his conversation partner immediately took the hint, joining the other students in their boisterous fun.

While chaos reigned around them, Gu Yubai’s spot was unusually quiet.

Before long, Yu Li suddenly let his head drop onto Gu Yubai’s shoulder.

His eyes remained closed in sleep, but the warmth of his breath tickled Gu Yubai’s neck with each exhale.

Gu Yubai felt his ears grow hot.

He bit his lip unconsciously, even hesitating to move too much while using his phone, afraid of disturbing Yu Li’s precious sleep.

Yu Li dreamed of a piece of braised pork—tender, fragrant, and radiating warmth—swinging tantalizingly before him, suspended by a fishing line.

He’d never tasted floral-scented braised pork before and was intrigued. Though not hungry, the sight of that succulent meat so close stirred a sudden, intense craving. In the dream, all he desperately wanted was to pounce and devour it whole, as if that alone would bring security.

Acting on instinct, he took a bite.

Before he could savor the flavor, he heard a soft gasp.

Yu Li’s eyes snapped open, as awareness returned—only to be met with the sight of Gu Yubai’s smooth, fair, and vibrant skin.

He froze, sucking in a sharp breath as he jerked backward.

The abrupt movement sent the back of his head slamming into the bus window, a sharp pain shooting through his skull.

But right now, he was too stunned to care about the pain. He stared in shocked disbelief at Gu Yubai, as if the other had morphed into some terrifying creature.

This uncharacteristic fluster was a far cry from the usual composed, mature, and authoritative aura of the ever-calm "Boss Yu."

Gu Yubai, having just been unexpectedly bitten on the neck, took one look at Yu Li’s horrified expression and burst out laughing despite himself.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not like I’m going to eat you!"

Yu Li’s face was a picture of conflict.

He opened his mouth, hesitated, then hesitated again.

Honestly, being eaten might be simpler.

God only knew what thoughts raced through his mind the moment he opened his eyes and realized the "braised pork" he’d bitten was actually Gu Yubai’s neck? What disturbed him most was—he kind of wanted to take another bite.