Chapter 38 If I leave now, will you...?

Jiang Luo coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "You still remember him, right? My senior from university."

“I remember.” Jiang Chen paused, then said, “I’ve never heard you mention him before.”

"I only met him this semester, I'll mention him more often later," Jiang Luo said with a smile. "Don't find it annoying then."

"Have you two become that close?"

"Yes, he's really nice. He's a really nice person too."

"What are you doing at his place today? Does he also live off-campus?"

"Ah, I... went to hang out with him. It's getting late, so I just stayed here."

Jiang Xiaochen was indeed slow-witted and didn't doubt the truth of his words at all; he believed whatever his brother said.

Jiang Chen usually goes to bed early, so the video call didn't last too long. After hanging up, Jiang Luo opened the door and went out to take a look. There was no one in the living room, but the door to one of the rooms was open and the light was on.

That room was Gu Shiyue's study. Jiang Luo walked to the door and called out, "Senior?"

There were three computers on the desk. Gu Shiyue was writing something on the middle computer, his eyes never leaving the screen as he typed: "Come in."

The study was very large, with one wall of books and the other a glass display case filled with airplane models of all sizes. Most of these models were made by Gu Shiyue himself, while some were from his collection. Next to the glass case was a separate airplane model, larger than the models in the case, which had its own display case.

"Sit down for a while," Gu Shiyue said as he typed. "There's still a little bit left; I'll finish writing it."

"No rush, take your time writing." Jiang Luo walked closer to examine the airplane models, noticing their greater detail up close. "Senior, did you make these airplane models yourself?"

"Most of them are."

Jiang Luo thought to herself, "That's so cool."

Gu Shiyue was writing his thesis proposal; the computer screen was filled with technical terms that looked like gibberish at first glance. Jiang Luo didn't wait long; ten minutes later, they returned to their bedroom.

Gu Shiyue got into bed first, while Jiang Luo stood to the side, her fingers hooked together in front of her, looking both obedient and a little pitiful.

Gu Shiyue looked at him: "Are you planning to stand there and watch me sleep tonight?"

Jiang Luo twirled her fingers: "Hmm..."

Gu Shiyue lifted the other side of the blanket, gesturing for him to come over.

Jiang Luo obediently walked to the bedside and lay down next to Gu Shiyue. Gu Shiyue reached out and covered him with the blanket, but Jiang Luo shrank further under the blanket, hiding half of his face, with an arm's length between them.

Gu Shiyue twirled his earlobe: "I have to say everything to you twice."

The sudden physical contact made Jiang Luo tremble slightly.

Jiang Luo must have felt embarrassed to share a bed on the very first day of their relationship, even though they were just lying there and not doing anything.

Jiang Luo suddenly remembered that she had bumped into Gu Shiyue's uncle here last time while dressed as a woman, and sat up abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Gu Shiyue asked, looking at him.

"Um, what if your uncle suddenly comes back?" Jiang Luo asked in a low voice.

Seeing his tense expression, Gu Shiyue teased him, "It's possible."

Jiang Luo's eyes widened suddenly.

"Want to leave?" Gu Shiyue asked him.

Jiang Luo pondered for a moment, then pulled the covers over herself and lay back down: "I'm not leaving."

Gu Shiyue looked down at him and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You told me to stay, and I'm doing my duty." Jiang Luo blinked. "If I leave now, you'll be unhappy."

"Aren't you afraid he might suddenly come back?"

"There are some countermeasures you can take... for example, you can formally introduce yourself to him."

Gu Shiyue couldn't help but chuckle softly. He had laughed several times today, which was quite unlike him.

“If you’re not afraid, I don’t need to be either,” Jiang Luo said with a smile. “Besides, your uncle seems quite open-minded.”

"You were so nervous just now."

"After all, my last meeting with your uncle was a bit nerve-wracking, and I'm still feeling a bit shaken."

Gu Shiyue patted Jiang Luo's hair: "Do you want to go to work at the coffee shop tomorrow?"

Jiang Luo shook his head: "I've already resigned from the coffee shop. I've been quite busy lately, with competitions and final exams to study, so I'm a bit overwhelmed."

Gu Shiyue nodded, his fingers tracing the soft strands of his hair.

"Senior." Jiang Luo turned over and faced Gu Shiyue.

Gu Shiyue looked down at him.

"I have something I want to tell you."

"Okay, go ahead."

Jiang Luo threw back the covers and sat up, cross-legged on the bed, looking at Gu Shiyue: "I want to talk to you about my situation."

"I mainly wanted to talk about my family situation, because we're already together, and I felt I should let you know." Jiang Luo smiled. "Although you'd find out sooner or later, I wanted to tell you myself."

Gu Shiyue watched him silently, waiting for him to continue.

“My younger brother, Jiang Chen, you met him at the comic convention last time. He’s four years younger than me and is currently a high school sophomore. Um…” Jiang Luo paused for a moment and said, “Actually, it’s just my brother and me at home.”

Gu Shiyue frowned slightly.

“My dad died in a work accident when I was very young. I don’t remember anything back then, and my brother was just a tiny little thing. My mom…” Jiang Luo lowered her eyes, “She also passed away when I was in my first year of high school because of illness… So now it’s just my brother and me in my family. My mom and dad are no longer here.”

Jiang Luo nodded after speaking: "Yes, that's roughly the situation. I'm done."

Jiang Luo told Gu Shiyue all this simply because she wanted him to know her situation and understand her better. She and Gu Shiyue were already together, and lovers shouldn't keep everything to themselves. Rather than telling him later, she decided to tell him now.

Gu Shiyue stared at him silently for a long time before finally speaking: "Have you been taking care of your brother all these years?"

Jiang Luo's younger brother is four years younger than him. When his mother passed away, his younger brother was still so young. If there were no other relatives or elders in the family, the responsibility of raising his younger brother would inevitably fall on Jiang Luo's shoulders.

“My uncle and aunt took care of him at first, and then I took over.” Jiang Luo smiled. “My brother is very well-behaved and easy to take care of, much easier than me, his older brother.”

Jiang Luo's mother had only been gone for a few years, and Gu Shiyue had no idea how Jiang Luo had managed all these years. When his mother passed away, he was still a minor.

This was the first time Gu Shiyue had shown such a serious expression. His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and the emotions in his eyes were very clear. Jiang Luo felt a little heartache at that look. She tugged at his sleeve and said, "I'm fine now, don't frown."

“I’ve taken good care of myself and my brother, don’t you think?” Jiang Luo asked him with a smile.

Gu Shiyue pulled him into his arms and whispered, "Yes."

Jiang Luo closed her eyes, her face pressed against Gu Shiyue's chest, and her nose suddenly felt a little sore: "Actually, I was really sad when I heard about your mother that day. I know you're sad too, but I don't know how to comfort you. My mother... she was a very, very good person. I miss her so much, but I don't dare to think about her too much. The deeper her image is etched in my mind, the sadder I become. Why do such good people leave so early..."

Jiang Luo's tears slid down her cheeks and dripped onto Gu Shiyue's clothes.

Gu Shiyue gently wiped away the tears on his eyelashes and silently hugged him.

Jiang Luo sniffed and said in a hoarse voice, "They will be watching over us from another world, so we all have to be well, live well, and move forward. We can't stay in the past, we can't stay so sad forever..."

Gu Shiyue gently stroked his hair and hummed in agreement.

Jiang Luo buried his face in Gu Shiyue's chest, shaking his head and rubbing against him forcefully. Gu Shiyue looked down at him, stroking the back of his neck: "Are you a puppy?"

"Yes, it's me." Jiang Luo raised her face, her eyes a little red. "You smell nice, like a puppy."

Gu Shiyue pinched his nose: "The puppy wiped its snot on me, what do you say?"

Jiang Luo laughed out loud and quickly got off him: "I didn't, my face is clean, don't talk nonsense."

The low mood dissipated instantly. Jiang Luo didn't allow himself to let his mind wander and be overwhelmed by negative emotions. He rubbed his face and suddenly remembered something: "By the way, senior, there's something else I haven't told you."

"I want to tell my younger brother about our relationship after he turns 18. I still feel like he's a child, and it's not really appropriate to tell him these things."

"what ever."

Am I being too old-fashioned?

"It's alright." Gu Shiyue asked, "When will my younger brother come of age?"

"Soon! I'll be eighteen next year."

Gu Shiyue nodded, took a book from the bedside table, and asked Jiang Luo, "Want to watch TV?"

Jiang Luo shook his head: "Didn't you want to read a book?"

Gu Shiyue had a habit of reading before bed. He opened the book and said to Jiang Luo, "Watching TV won't affect my reading."

"I don't watch TV, I watch you."

Gu Shiyue raised his eyelids and glanced at him. Jiang Luo blinked and said, "See? I won't bother you."

Indeed, there was no disturbance. Later, there was no sound at all. Hearing the gentle breathing, Gu Shiyue turned his head to take a look—Jiang Luo had fallen asleep, her face slightly turned to the side, nestled in the soft pillow, her hair disheveled, and her breathing light.

This must have been exhausting.

Gu Shiyue lowered her head and gently kissed his lips.

Jiang Luo slept soundly until dawn, and when he opened his eyes, Gu Shiyue was no longer in bed. He had just woken up and was a little groggy, staring at the ceiling for a while before his brain finally restarted.

What happened last night wasn't a dream; he really was at Gu Shiyue's house, in Gu Shiyue's bed.

With a soft "click," Gu Shiyue opened the door and walked in. Jiang Luo glanced at the doorway.

"It's still early, sleep a little longer." It's only 7:30 now, and Gu Shiyue is already dressed. He walks to the bedside and says, "I made breakfast for you, it's in the steamer. I have to go to the lab to do an experiment today, so I have to go now."

"So early?" Jiang Luo had just woken up, and her voice was a little hoarse.

"Hmm." Gu Shiyue leaned down, face to face with him. The faint scent of aftershave from Gu Shiyue's face wafted into Jiang Luo's nose, and Jiang Luo's eyes blinked, and he couldn't help but hold his breath.

"Good morning." Gu Shiyue kissed his forehead, then closed the door and left.

Jiang Luo stared blankly at the doorway for a long while before snapping back to reality. He pulled the blanket over his face, closed his eyes, and smiled knowingly.

"Good morning," he whispered to himself.