Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Drunken Confessions

The two of them had a late-night barbecue, which ended with Gu Yihong howling like a banshee.

Halfway through the meal, Gu Yihong, who had downed an entire case of beer, began clinging to Gu Yubai’s arm and sobbing loudly.

"Big brother, don’t hate me! I didn’t mean to say those things on purpose!"

"I’m a scoundrel! If you’re angry, just lock me up in a psych ward, boo-hoo… But don’t be sad yourself."

"Don’t be so sad that you leave me, boo-hoo…"

Gu Yihong’s cries were pitiful.

His voice was hysterical and slurred, almost to the point of being incomprehensible, but the increasing volume made it clear just how devastated the young man was.

The surrounding customers turned to look, and a few shirtless, drunken men were so startled that one of them, too intoxicated, fell off his chair in terror, clutching a table leg and hiding behind a companion’s thigh.

He yelled in terror, "A ghost! There’s a ghost crying!"

Gu Yubai couldn’t help but laugh.

Hearing the laughter, Gu Yihong, who was still clinging to his arm, suddenly lifted his head. He stared blankly at Gu Yubai for several seconds before abruptly stopping his crying fit and pressing his face into Gu Yubai’s palm like an unusually well-behaved and affectionate puppy.

His voice was small, filled with complete trust as he looked at Gu Yubai.

"Big brother, don’t leave me. I like you so much. I didn’t mean to say those things that hurt you—I got tricked."

"Lock me up in a psych ward, big brother. I missed you for so, so long, but you never came. Do you blame me for not protecting your remains? Then it’s only right that you don’t want to see me. It’s all my fault for not bringing enough people, letting Su Linyuan, that madman, scatter your remains."

"I know you hate the Su family. Big brother, don’t go back. I’ll go back in your place. I’ll get revenge for you—I’ll wreak havoc on the Su family!"

"But big brother, I already got payback for you. Su Linyuan ended up with nothing, haha! All he had left was his old wheelchair. Big brother, I avenged you, so don’t blame me anymore…"

Gu Yihong grew visibly drunker. His gaze, fixed on Gu Yubai, grew increasingly unfocused until, after a few feeble struggles, his head lolled to the side, resting on Gu Yubai’s shoulder as he fell asleep.

Hearing that his remains had been scattered by Su Linyuan, Gu Yubai couldn’t help but frown.

But the next second, seeing Gu Yihong’s state, he didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.

Holding up the passed-out man, he glanced at the uneaten skewers still on the table and called the barbecue shop owner to pack them up.

---

Gu Yubai was a little drunk himself.

Carrying the doggy bag in one hand and mostly dragging Gu Yihong with the other, he headed home. For some reason, Gu Yihong’s earlier cocky remark echoed in his mind:

"It’s not like I don’t have a big brother and uncle who care about me! I won’t take their crap—I’ll just come back on my own!"

In his past life, Gu Yubai had never possessed such boldness and confidence. He felt a twinge of envy toward Gu Yihong.

After his adoptive father, Gu Mingliang, became in a vegetative state and Gu Yihong was taken away following his memory loss, no one had ever loved Gu Yubai unconditionally again.

Without any support, Gu Yubai became extremely cautious in a world that had only just begun to show its ugly side to him.

Facing his adoptive father in a vegetative state, he prepared for the worst. Even after selling his house and car, despite the large sum in his bank account, he rented a place in the old city district and wouldn't even treat himself to a ten-yuan omelet with extra eggs from the nearby stalls.

He constantly worried that if he spent even a little extra, the hospital would call the next moment, telling him his adoptive father had a chance to wake up—but the treatment would cost a fortune.

He feared that those few extra bucks he spent might cost his father that sudden, miraculous opportunity to wake up.

He carried a fortune but didn’t dare use it.

So when the Su family came to claim him, Gu Yubai, staring at his adoptive father’s daily hospital bills, didn’t hesitate to return to his biological family.

He wasn’t wrong—the Su family was wealthy enough. Within days of his return, they handed him a bank card with ten million bucks.

Gu Yubai bought back the house and car he had just sold. With the Su family’s backing, it seemed he no longer had to worry about his adoptive father’s medical expenses.

Gu Yubai should have been content. But after returning to the Su family, a huge emptiness opened in his heart, icy winds seeping through, leaving him empty and numb.

He blamed his own immaturity at the time—after solving his adoptive father’s medical expenses, he naively yearned for love from his real family.

No wonder the fake heir, Su Shengli, always had it in for him, repeatedly setting him up, mocking him, and putting him down.

And the Su family, fully aware of his innocence, unhesitatingly sided with the fake heir, reprimanding, blaming, and writing him off completely.

In the Su household, no one stood by him, no one cared for him, no one loved him.

Gu Yubai could only endure silently, bottling up all his pain.

Later, he finally understood—this was his punishment for daring to expect genuine familial affection.

A curse like him didn’t deserve love from family. Everyone who truly cared for him would inevitably come to harm because of him.

Just like his adoptive father, Gu Mingliang—already unlucky enough to end up in a vegetative state after a car accident, only to later perish in a fire, turned to ashes.

With that, the person who loved him most in the world vanished completely, and Gu Yubai’s world went completely gray.

Inside the elevator, Gu Yihong, still drunk, leaned against Gu Yubai’s shoulder, slurring drunkenly.

"Hate the Su family… hate them… won’t let them have peace…"

Gu Yubai turned his head, looking at the Gu Yihong of this life—the one who had stayed by his side instead of going abroad after his rebirth—and his gaze softened once more.

-----

The elevator ascended.

Before reaching their floor, the dead drunk Gu Yihong suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze dazed, he looked at Gu Yubai, mouth opening as if to speak—only to suddenly bend over in pain, clutching his stomach.

Before Gu Yubai could step forward to steady him, Gu Yihong instinctively covered his mouth, his expression contorted with the clear need to vomit.

Gu Yubai instantly understood what was happening.

He glanced at the floor display, relieved to see they were almost home, hoping Gu Yihong could hold out long enough not to vomit in the elevator.

But just then, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a figure in black standing outside.

Gu Yubai barely registered that this was their new neighbor who had just moved in downstairs tonight when Gu Yihong shot out of the elevator.

The next second, the loud sound of retching echoed through the hallway, followed by the slow spread of an awful smell.

Gu Yubai, who had already stepped out, immediately retreated back into the elevator, his eye starting to twitch as he instinctively covered his nose.

The new neighbor outside hesitated, clearly reluctant to get in but equally unable to tolerate someone vomiting in his building’s corridor.

Holding the elevator door patiently, Gu Yubai waited until the man finally stepped inside.

Dressed in a black suit with a briefcase under his arm, the neighbor’s phone screen was lit up, like he was on a call.

He avoided meeting Gu Yubai's eyes the entire time.

Gu Yubai didn’t notice at first, but after the elevator doors closed, he suddenly realized the man looked vaguely familiar.

He automatically turned to look at him, only for the man to promptly turn away from Gu Yubai.

Gu Yubai couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"This elevator goes up before descending. What floor do you need?"

The man muttered reluctantly, "First floor, thank you."

However, when the elevator reached the floor where Gu Yubai lived, he didn’t get off either.

The doors closed, and the elevator started back down.

Yu Li finally stood upright, remembering the drunk kid who'd puked at his doorstep earlier, and frowned slightly.

"What’s your relationship with the drunk boy who just threw up outside my door?"

Gu Yubai paused for two seconds, his face showing hesitation before he reluctantly answered.

"He’s my brother."

The man was exceptionally good-looking, radiating calm sophistication.

Assuming Gu Yubai hadn’t recognized him, he gave the younger man a polite, tight-lipped smile.

He said, "Hello, I’m the new resident who just moved in. My surname is Yu—Yu Li."

After a brief pause, his tone took on a warning edge, though his face stayed pleasant as he added,

"I get off work early today at 3 p.m. I hope the hallway will be clean and odor-free by the time I return."

The topic he’d been trying to avoid was finally brought up by his new neighbor.

Gu Yubai’s ears turned red instantly—he didn’t need to touch them to know his cheeks were bright red.

His face had been thoroughly shamed by his good-for-nothing brother! What kind of first impression involved vomiting at a new neighbor’s doorstep?!

Gu Yubai didn’t even want to speak. He struggled to keep up a calm demeanor to ease the awkwardness in the elevator caused by his embarrassing brother.

By the time the elevator finally reached the first floor, he had finally pulled himself together.

"Understood."

After a moment’s thought, Gu Yubai added, "I live right above you, Mr. Yu. I’ll take care of everything before you return from work."

Yu Li shot him a quick look, his mouth twitched in a brief smile.

Then, remembering their first encounter the night before—when his towel had slipped off in a humiliating accident—his smile disappeared just as quickly.

Just as he lowered his gaze, it accidentally met the young man’s curious, searching gaze.

The next second, the elevator doors opened.

Yu Li hesitated inside for two seconds, realizing Gu Yubai had recognized him, then bolted out, his steps quick and almost frantic.

His fleeing form looked positively fleeing, as if a pack of wolves were chasing him.

Before he even disappeared into the night, peals of laughter rang out from the elevator.

Yu Li stumbled mid-step, almost losing his footing.

He turned wide-eyed to look back at the building’s elevator, catching sight of the young man bent over, clutching his stomach as he was dying to hold back laughter—his eyes crinkled into merry crescents, utterly failing to hold back.

Yu Li suddenly felt as if a cat were nuzzling against his heart in his chest—warm and fuzzy, an indescribable sensation.

So, he *had* recognized him after all.

Yu Li felt like the embarrassment from last night still hadn’t been picked up off the floor.

Only after his new neighbor had completely vanished into the night did Gu Yubai choke back his laughter and tap his keycard to press his floor button again.

He never expected his first real encounter with this new neighbor would happen under such awkward circumstances.

Then again, Gu Yubai’s impression of Mr. Yu was already pretty memorable—after all, not every neighbor’s first encounter involved such… *openness*.

But compared to the younger, slightly disheveled version of Mr. Yu from last night—hair damp, towel slipping—the mature, striking figure in the black suit, holding a briefcase and talking on the phone, was absolutely captivating.

The perfectly fitted suit hugged his fair, jade-like skin, his hair neatly combed back.

His sharp, captivating eyes, the proud bridge of his nose, lips a deeper shade of dusty rose—just one glance, and his composed, refined elegance was overwhelming.

His looks were a solid nine out of ten, effortlessly surpassing most celebrities in the entertainment industry.

And when he spoke earlier, there was an undeniable charm—the kind only possessed by those long accustomed to power and success, oozing confidence and charm.

With such a handsome, charismatic new neighbor around, Gu Yubai’s mood suddenly brightened.