Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Yu Li's looks and demeanor were truly exceptional.

Even in simple athletic wear, with his hair falling casually across his forehead—a stark contrast to his usual meticulous appearance for work—his broad shoulders, upright posture, and commanding presence set him distinctly apart from the fresh-faced college freshmen surrounding him.

These teenagers, averaging eighteen years old, were like fledglings just out of the nest, chirping with wide-eyed curiosity, exploring the world. Untouched by hardship, they radiated an innocent goodwill and fondness for everything around them.

Yu Li, in his twenties, was fully developed. His appearance and aura were at their most vibrant, passionate, and mature—like a ripe fruit, heavy and ready to fall from the branch, exuding a rich, alluring fragrance that was both timeless and captivating.

Most students instinctively felt this mature young man belonged to a different world. As they hiked, they constantly stole glances at Yu Li, their eyes filled with a distant curiosity and admiration.

Their gazes gleamed with envy and longing, their faces subtly revealing a hint of excitement and pride.

Yu Li had already become their aspirational benchmark for the future.

They believed that they, too, would one day be like this older youth before them—mature and effortlessly capable in every gesture, successful and gentle, untainted by worldly concerns.

Gu Yubai had long noticed how his classmates' attention was completely fixated on Yu Li.

With an amused smile, he paused, turning to stand two steps above Yu Li on the trail. He looked down at the young man, who had also stopped, a teasing grin playing on his lips.

"Brother Yu, your charm is really something. You've completely captivated my classmates. They came here to hike and have fun today, not to meet an idol."

Yu Li instinctively looked up at Gu Yubai’s face, his expression blank, as if he hadn't quite registered what was said.

The sunlight was perfect—golden yet not scorching—filtering through the leafy canopy on either side of the steps, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on Gu Yubai’s face and clothes as he stood above.

He was so young, his aura pure and endearing, brimming with the same youthful energy as the other teenagers constantly passing by.

This was the first time Yu Li clearly realized Gu Yubai was only eighteen.

Just eighteen. Nearly a decade separated them. When Yu Li was in college, Gu Yubai might have just been graduating from elementary school.

As Yu Li pondered their age difference, a strange sense of loss and reluctance stirred within him.

For the first time, he found his own maturity and composure to be a disadvantage.

"What are you spacing out for? I asked you a question."

Gu Yubai waved a hand in front of him, his amusement now replaced by curiosity, his eyes studying Yu Li intently, filled with contemplation.

Yu Li snapped back to attention, reflexively asking, "What did you say?"

Gu Yubai: "I said, have your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend contacted you recently? Did you tell them you were coming out to have fun? Maybe you should update them on your 'intimate payment' app? You should tell them I'm not a homewrecker; I'm your new friend and neighbor, a truly innocent friend with no ulterior motives whatsoever."

Having said this, Gu Yubai couldn't help but laugh at his own absurd rambling.

Yu Li didn't laugh. Once he processed Gu Yubai's abstract nonsense, his expression became utterly complex.

Yu Li didn't join Gu Yubai in laughing; he seemed genuinely preoccupied with something very serious.

Gu Yubai's smile faded. He frowned slightly and asked cautiously, "Did your company go bankrupt in the few hours we've been hiking?"

"No."

Yu Li's expression grew even more troubled.

Could he directly tell Gu Yubai that he, nearly eight years his senior, seemed to be developing some inexplicable feelings for him?

No, he couldn't. Yu Li himself wasn't sure if these feelings were genuine or merely an illusion born from spending so much time together.

Around them, freshmen roughly Gu Yubai's age continuously walked past, many instinctively casting curious glances at the two.

Those were Gu Yubai's true peers.

Gu Yubai was still waiting for Yu Li's answer. Yu Li's face shifted through various emotions before he finally seemed to give up, blurting out,

"I just suddenly remembered something, but I'm not entirely sure what it is myself, nor can I frankly tell you."

Gu Yubai's gaze meticulously scrutinized the young man's face, as if trying to penetrate Yu Li's slightly troubled expression to understand what he was truly thinking.

Before Gu Yubai could speak, Yu Li let out a sigh.

A hint of apology colored his expression: "I'm sorry. I was the one who insisted on coming with you to hike, but I've ended up spoiling your fun with your classmates. I..."

"It's fine."

Gu Yubai suddenly interrupted Yu Li, standing on the step with a playful smile, looking at the slightly distracted Yu Li.

"I said it's fine."

He winked at Yu Li, feigning nonchalance.

"I'm not blind. You've been acting a bit off ever since before we even got off the bus."

His face would turn pale and then flush, occasionally giving Gu Yubai unpredictable glances. His nerves seemed frayed; he often silently lowered his head in thought, completely oblivious to his surroundings, trailing behind Gu Yubai, entirely lost in his own thoughts.

Yu Li behaved like a character in a game with "follow" mode enabled, exuding a distinct NPC vibe.

Gu Yubai felt he had guessed what was on Yu Li's mind.

He decided to speak his mind, come what may. Most importantly, he felt that he and Yu Li were already such good friends that there was no need for secrets between them.

"You haven't taken out your phone once since we got off the bus, which clearly shows that whatever's bothering you isn't work-related."

Gu Yubai joked, "Based on my years of observing classmates' early romances, your sudden peculiar behavior is clearly a sign of seeing someone you have a crush on."

Yu Li's heart leaped into his throat. Gu Yubai's guess was so accurate that he was momentarily stunned.

Yu Li was clearly caught off guard by the accuracy of his guess.

Gu Yubai narrowed his eyes smugly.

"First, let's rule out me!"

Yu Li's heart skipped another beat, only calming down slowly after he fully processed Gu Yubai's words.

Yu Li hesitated, then instinctively curved his lips into a smile, looking indulgently at Gu Yubai, who seemed possessed by a two-dimensional detective.

Unaware of the faint, amused smile that had escaped Yu Li's eyes, Gu Yubai continued his deduction.

"If you had fallen for me at first sight, you would have shown some signs of being off, given how long we've known each other. And I'm a smart person; I would definitely have noticed your strangeness, but I didn't before. So I can confidently conclude that the person you like is not me."

So that's how it was.

Yu Li's mouth twitched twice. He couldn't help but ask Gu Yubai, with a meaningful tone,

"Then, according to a smart person... your opinion, who have I fallen for at first sight?"

Gu Yubai blurted out, "Who else but my classmates? You've been acting strange since the bus ride, and even more quiet after we started climbing. Most people hiking at this time are my classmates, so it's obvious the person affecting you is among them."

Yu Li nodded in admiration.

"You guessed so accurately. Truly a smart person."

For some reason, Gu Yubai felt there was a hint of sarcasm in Yu Li's compliment.

Gu Yubai glared at him, then continued, "That's why I said it was fine earlier when you were distracted. I genuinely don't mind you ignoring me. But is it Song Yao or someone else you like? Tell me, maybe I can give you some advice."

"Though, heh, you're much older than them—definitely a case of an old... bull grazing on young grass. That’s not great. Aren’t you afraid that after giving your all, in a few years, my classmate will be in the bloom of youth while you’re already past thirty?"

Yu Li: "...That stings."

He gave Gu Yubai a troubled look but ultimately shook his head.

Yu Li felt he couldn't, just because of a fleeting crush and his greater life experience compared to Gu Yubai, justifiably pull someone with a bright and promising future into an emotional entanglement.

From ancient times to the present, relationships with a significant age gap, broadly speaking, have been unfair to the younger person and made the older person seem selfish and domineering.

If only Gu Yubai had liked him first.

But that was clearly unrealistic.

Gu Yubai didn't even seem to be aware of such things.

Yu Li resolved to let go of that little flutter in his heart. Being friends was already wonderful.

He smiled casually at Gu Yubai.

"Don't worry, I won't go cradle-robbing. And you don't need to subtly probe on behalf of your classmates either."

Gu Yubai's expression froze.

He gave Yu Li a sheepish smile, then softly explained,

"I wasn't subtly probing you."

Yu Li: "Heh."

------

It took the group a full three hours to reach the midway rest area.

Everyone was starving by then. Seeing the small restaurants and convenience stores open in the rest area, they rushed over in clusters.

Gu Yubai was also hungry. He hadn't brought anything, and during the climb, when he was parched, Yu Li had pulled two bottles of water from his backpack, giving one to him.

Thanks to that bottle, Gu Yubai had managed to trudge along, stopping and going at a leisurely pace until they arrived.

Standing at the entrance of the rest area, he spotted Song Yao, who had arrived earlier, sitting by the window of a little diner.

She was excitedly waving at them.

Gu Yubai glanced back at Yu Li, and the two walked toward the restaurant together.

At the table, they learned Song Yao had waved them over because the food was too expensive. A few classmates had gathered but decided it’d be more economical to go Dutch with two more people.

Gu Yubai had no objections. He grabbed two chairs for himself and Yu Li and picked up the menu.

Yu Li leaned over to share the menu with Gu Yubai: "We still have more climbing ahead. Let’s eat something light but not too much—don’t want indigestion or stomachaches. I heard there are no more rest areas until the summit."

Gu Yubai nodded. "Then let’s add a fish dish and a bowl of white rice."

He handed the menu back to the server and asked around the table if anyone wanted anything else. The others were too exhausted, sitting dazed in their chairs, and immediately shook their heads.

"We already ordered. Just waiting for you two."

Gu Yubai was also tired. He rested in his seat for a while, and when the food arrived, picked up his chopsticks to leisurely eat the late lunch.

While eating, he kept glancing at Yu Li, relieved to see him focused on his meal and not paying attention to any particular classmate at their table.

After lunch, the group didn’t head out right away. The scenery at the midway rest area was quite nice, so everyone fanned out to snap pictures or buy supplies.

The summit had no shops—only an overpriced small hotel.

After discussing, Song Yao and the others realized that by the time they reached the top, it would already be dark. If they descended immediately, they might run into trouble on the way down.

They decided to rent tents from the rest area’s store and carry them up.

Song Yao came over to organize the tent assignments. "Since this hike is a group activity, we’ve decided to pair up and rent tents to take up. I’ve heard the summit gets windy at night, and it’s quite cool—perfect for stargazing. Staying in tents will give us more of a real camping experience."

"Though some have chosen to stay at the hotel. What about you two? If you’re tenting, I’ll add you to the list. I’ll haggle with the owner for a discount—every penny counts."

Gu Yubai instinctively turned to look at Yu Li.

Yu Li seemed deep in thought, his eyes shifting uneasily.

Gu Yubai assumed the company big shot wasn’t into tenting and was about to turn back to Song Yao when she added,

"I’ve heard there’s a nightly fireworks show and bonfire party organized by other climbers at the summit. If you stay at the hotel, you would miss it. The hotel and camping area are in opposite directions."

Fireworks! Bonfire party!

After climbing this high, missing out on the joys of camping would be a waste.

Gu Yubai immediately caught Yu Li by the arm and pulled him aside.

"Brother Yu, we’ll share a tent—no complaints, okay?"