Chapter 76

Chapter 76

The unwelcome visitor departed.

Gu Yubai turned to meet Yu Li’s gaze, then, with a frown, pulled Gu Yihong back into his seat.

Gu Yihong’s expression was sheepish, avoiding Gu Yubai’s eyes, a hint of guilt in his demeanor.

Gu Yubai’s brow relaxed as he spoke calmly, "Do you know you were wrong now?"

Gu Yihong nodded vigorously, immediately raising two fingers. "Big Brother, I know I was wrong, I truly do."

"I never expected to run into Su Shengli. The Su family kicked him out, and with his arrogant nature, I thought he’d be too ashamed to leave home. Who knew that when I went to the restroom just now, he’d suddenly pop up."

Gu Yihong stole a glance at Gu Yubai.

"He... he seemed to think you still didn’t know about me impersonating you to visit the Su family. He assumed I harbored ill intentions, coveting the Su family’s wealth, so he threatened to expose my impersonation everywhere if I didn’t cooperate with him."

"So... can I trust him? Obviously, Big Brother and I are the best of friends."

As he spoke, Gu Yihong puffed out his chest again.

Gu Yubai rolled his eyes at Gu Yihong’s theatrics and pushed the stinky tofu he’d bought from outside toward him.

"Here, your stinky tofu. Brother Yu personally got out of the car to buy this for you. Hurry up and say thank you."

Gu Yihong blinked, realizing Gu Yubai was no longer angry, and grinned at Yu Li.

"Thanks, Brother Yu! And thank you for not minding me being a third wheel. Don’t worry, I just missed you since it’s been a while, so I pestered Big Brother to come for hot pot. I promise I’ll leave right after eating—won’t bother you one bit!"

He had finally understood.

His Big Brother had taken a liking to Yu Li, so as a good younger brother, he naturally couldn’t keep disliking Yu Li and holding his brother back.

Gu Yihong chuckled, while Yu Li remained composed, offering a polite smile.

Yu Li poured Gu Yubai a glass of grape juice, his tone gentle and generous.

Yu Li: "He’s still young. I won’t take it to heart."

Gu Yihong: "..." Shameless bastard! He still couldn’t stand Yu Li!

The pig brain Gu Yihong wanted to eat ended up being cooked last.

Every time he tried to drop it into the hot pot, Gu Yubai would give him a calm look. At first, he didn’t understand why—until he noticed Yu Li’s self-satisfied smirk.

Damn it!

You two lovebirds!

Seething, Gu Yihong ordered a strawberry ice cream, wolfed it down, and stormed off.

True to his word, he didn’t let Yu Li get annoyed.

Gu Yubai: "..."

Neither had touched alcohol. By the time they left the hot pot restaurant, darkness had fallen. Despite the glowing signs and lively shops casting a vibrant glow, the evening breeze felt cool against Gu Yubai’s skin, carrying the faint warmth and sweetness unique to a thriving commercial district.

Fingers intertwined with Yu Li's, swinging their clasped hands as they strolled, Gu Yubai felt increasingly content and happy.

Once they grew tired, they returned to the car.

This time, Yu Li drove. The exhaustion from their flight had completely faded as he took the wheel, bringing Gu Yubai to his residence near Mingcheng University.

Gu Yubai roused from sleep when the car stopped, blinking drowsily.

Gu Yubai: "Are we home?"

Yu Li chuckled, leaning over to unbuckle Gu Yubai’s seatbelt. As their bodies brushed, Gu Yubai caught the pleasant scent of Yu Li’s hormones, even half-asleep.

Gu Yubai wrapped his arms around Yu Li without a word, burying his face in Yu Li’s neck.

He sighed contentedly, his voice lazy and unintentionally coy.

"I don’t want to go back to school. I want to stay here with you."

Yu Li stroked the back of Gu Yubai’s head, his lips curving upward.

"Just a little over half a semester left. Bear with it... I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here waiting for you."

Gu Yubai mumbled in agreement, holding Yu Li tightly for a while longer before slowly letting go.

Just as Yu Li was about to tease him for behaving like an adorable kitten clinging to its mother, Gu Yubai suddenly grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes.

Before Yu Li could react, he felt a sharp pain on his neck and sucked in a sharp breath.

Gu Yubai had bitten him!

His little boyfriend had actually bitten him!

Yu Li’s eyes widened in uncharacteristic shock.

Gu Yubai grinned victoriously, arms crossed, laughing for a good while. When Yu Li gave him a pitiful expression, he finally spoke cheerfully.

"That’s my mark on you!"

It was conspicuous—right on his neck. Unless Yu Li buttoned his collar all the way, anyone would see the pink, blatant love bite. And if he wore a T-shirt, it’d be even more obvious.

It took Yu Li a moment to process what had happened.

But instead of getting angry, he smiled, lifting Gu Yubai’s chin with his fingers.

This time, he didn’t ask. Meeting Gu Yubai’s bright eyes, Yu Li leaned in and kissed him.

A thread of saliva connected them when they parted. Gu Yubai’s lips shone, tingling from the intensity. He wriggled uncomfortably, and Yu Li took the hint, pulling back before resting his forehead against Gu Yubai’s, his gaze soft and shimmering.

A long while later, once Gu Yubai’s breathing had steadied, Yu Li reluctantly moved away.

But then Gu Yubai, suddenly energized, looped his arms around Yu Li’s neck, pulling him close again. They lingered like that before finally separating.

"You’re still young," Yu Li murmured, thumb brushing Gu Yubai’s lips.

Gu Yubai licked his lips, his gaze flickering downward for a brief moment before he replied quietly,

"I’m not that young."

"Still not an option," Yu Li said firmly, his eyes tender.

"I don’t want to hurt you."

They finally stepped inside. Gu Yubai was fine, calming down quickly, but Yu Li spent over half an hour in the upstairs bathroom before coming down.

He changed into a bathrobe, his face returning to its usual calm, unreadable expression. He pulled out a gift box from a spot downstairs and handed it to Gu Yubai with a smile.

"A gift I brought back for you."

It was a small box, like those ring boxes in jewelry stores. However, unlike the brand-new velvet-lined boxes in shops, this one looked slightly worn, showing subtle signs of age.

Gu Yubai glanced up at Yu Li.

Yu Li opened the jewelry box and produced a small jade-green ring that appeared to be made of jade. The ring was edged with gold, and a red string had been added to the gold border.

Yu Li looked away sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed. "This... this was a gift my grandfather gave to my grandmother when wooing her. Later, my father gave it to my mom. Now, I want to give it to you."

Without hesitation, Gu Yubai scooped up the jade ring. He first tried it on his finger but found it was too big, immediately understanding why the red string had been added.

He looked at Yu Li, who suddenly got the hint. Yu Li took the ring from his hand, walked behind Gu Yubai, and undid the simple necklace chain before carefully tying it around Gu Yubai's neck.

"From today onward, you're mine now," Yu Li joked, looking at Gu Yubai.

Gu Yubai reached up to touch the jade ring around his neck and smiled. "I’m willing."

Mingcheng University was close by, so Gu Yubai parked his car and left it in the parking lot near Yu Li’s place.

When he returned to school, Yu Li insisted on walking him all the way to the campus gate before turning back.

After getting home, Yu Li even texted Gu Yubai 'goodnight'.

Back in his dorm, Gu Yubai looked at the open textbooks on his desk and suddenly let out a quiet laugh.

-----

Everything afterward fell into routine. Gu Yubai hired a professional manager for the company. Additionally, following the original agreement, he gave shares to the seniors who had helped launch the campus startup and later joined the company.

Several college students who hadn’t even graduated suddenly became wealthy. The seniors were ecstatic and booked the best hotel near Mingcheng University that night to take the whole company out to celebrate.

Gu Yubai was there, of course. Besides him, Gu Yihong and a few of his classmates also attended. Even Yu Li, upon hearing about the company dinner, drove over to come along for the party.

Lin Xuyan had recently joined Gu Yubai’s company as an intern. He was extremely envious of the shares the seniors had received and was practically orbiting them in excitement.

"Oh my god, I was the one who introduced you guys in the first place! Who knew you’d achieve so much before the semester even ended? Yubai—no, Gu Yubai—is seriously amazing!"

One of the seniors immediately boasted, thumping his chest, "It’s not just us—the real credit goes to Boss Gu’s connections! We only came up with the concept and did some groundwork. We thought it’d take at least two years to see results, but Boss Gu worked his magic!"

"Ha, and not just any magic. Turning a small workshop into a company and smoothly integrating it into the market takes serious money and effort. Man, our Boss Gu is just in a league of his own!"

Lin Xuyan smiled along with the others, sharing their pride, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah, Junior Gu was the Science Top Scorer in Mingcheng. Top scorers are always extraordinary."

Still, no matter how profitable Gu Yubai’s company was now, he had no backing.

The smallest market shake-up would put his company to the test.

At this thought, Lin Xuyan finally calmed down. His gaze drifted casually toward Gu Yubai, who was standing in a corner by the stairs, hand-in-hand with a gorgeous guy and chatting with a bright smile. Then, his eyes shifted to Gu Yihong.

Gu Yihong, a law student, was holding a glass of red wine and talking to a polished young lawyer-type. Coincidentally, Lin Xuyan recognized him—he was the same person he’d seen on campus before.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance. Hotel security was stopping a well-dressed guy who seemed agitated, pushing past security despite being stopped.

Gu Yubai and Yu Li instinctively turned toward the noise. After a moment, Yu Li squeezed Gu Yubai’s shoulder, sounding amused but confused.

"Why is Su Linyuan rushing here to find you in such a hurry?"

Yeah, why would Su Linyuan be in such a hurry to find an "outsider" like him?

Gu Yubai was also confused. He exchanged a glance with Yu Li, and the two walked toward the entrance together.

"Let him in. We know him."

Gu Yubai gave Su Linyuan a slight nod. Before he could even ask what was going on, Su Linyuan burst out nervously,

"You—Classmate Gu, I heard Shengli came to see you before he disappeared. Do you... do you know where he went?"

Su Shengli had disappeared?

Gu Yubai couldn’t hide his surprise.

"How would I know where he went? This... has nothing to do with me, right?"

He eyed Su Linyuan closely.