Chapter 19: A Date
That early-morning encounter at the alleyway was like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake, sending undeniable ripples through Gu Ye's life. Ever since that night, Gu Ye's small, cold rental house seemed completely forgotten in a corner of the city.
He officially moved into Chu Yan's apartment. There was no grand ceremony, no extra words. The next morning, when Gu Ye emerged from the guest room with his messy hair and saw steaming soy milk and fried dough sticks on the dining table, he silently handed his phone to Chu Yan, who was staring at his tablet. On the screen was a transfer record—not a large amount, but enough to cover his share of the rent and utilities.
Chu Yan looked up at the screen, then at Gu Ye's face, which was tense and pretending to be calm. He didn't refuse, but nodded slightly and tapped the screen with his fingertips: "Yes, I got it."
It was simple and neat, like confirming a simple transaction. Gu Ye's subtle uneasiness instantly dissipated, and he even felt a strange sense of security. An unspoken understanding quietly formed between the two of them—they became roommates.
Life seems to have been accelerated in an efficient and regular manner.
In the apartment study at night, Chu Yan occupied one end of the large desk. Complex charts and English reports were scrolling on the laptop screen spread out in front of him. His fingertips tapped quickly on the keyboard, and occasionally he whispered professional terms that Gu Ye could not understand into the Bluetooth headset.
Gu Ye occupied the other end, a thick stack of exercise books and exam papers before him. He bit the pen, wrestling with the stubborn formulas and theorems. Sometimes, when he got stuck, he would scratch his hair in frustration, the tip of his pen unconsciously poking tiny holes in the draft paper. At this moment, Chu Yan's eyes would flicker away from the screen, glance at the problem in front of him, and then quickly return to his own screen, as if he had never been interrupted.
The sound of keyboard tapping, the rustling of pen tips against paper, occasionally mixed with Gu Ye's low complaints or Chu Yan's brief instructions, formed a strange yet incomparably harmonious background sound in the study.
Exercise became a regular part of their lives. They could always be seen at the gym downstairs or on the night jogging track near their apartment building. Gu Ye could clearly feel the changes in his body—his strength was growing, his endurance was improving, and his spirit seemed to have become much stronger.
The annual sports meet of Shenghua College kicked off. Colorful flags fluttered, the crowds bustled, and the exciting music on the radio intertwined with the cheers of support.
The sports committee member was a tall, thin boy, scowling as he moved through the class lines, registration forms in hand. His gaze swept through the groups of students, finally locking onto Gu Ye, who was sitting at the back of the class, chatting casually with Chu Yan.
"Brother Ye! Brother Ye, help me!" The gym teacher rushed over, clasped his hands together, and almost knelt down in front of Gu Ye. "1500 meters, no one in our class has signed up yet, and the deadline is almost here. Please, I know you've been training really hard lately, please help me! Otherwise, the teacher will definitely skin me alive!"
Gu Ye was taken aback by his exaggerated movements. He did have a good relationship with the Sports Commissioner, having often played ball together. Seeing the Sports Commissioner's face, which looked like it was about to burst into tears, and remembering that Chu Yan's nightly training had really improved his endurance, he felt a little eager to try.
"Okay, okay." Gu Ye waved his hands, pretending to be impatient, "Stop crying, I'll go."
"Long live Brother Ye!" The physical education teacher's expression changed instantly. He happily filled in Gu Ye's name, then turned his eyes slyly to Chu Yan, who was quietly reading a book next to him, "That Brother Yan? Look, Brother Ye is so righteous, and there is still an empty high jump position in our class..."
Chu Yan raised his head and glanced at the flattering smile of the sports commissioner and Gu Ye's eyes that were waiting for the show.
"Brother Yan, just sign up. The important thing is to participate! With your height and long legs, you can just jump over there. Please, Brother Yan!" The physical education committee member started pestering mode and kept muttering to Chu Yan.
Chu Yan frowned slightly at the scolding and sighed, "Alright, stop scolding. Report it."
"Okay, Brother Yan is awesome!" The sports committee member was as if pardoned. He quickly filled in his name and ran away.
The sun is shining brightly on the sports field.
On the 1500-meter track, Gu Ye wore a simple sports vest and shorts, his muscles flowing smoothly, with a sense of strength unique to young people. When the gun went off, he did not rush out like the others, but followed the rhythm that Chu Yan had analyzed with him before the game, and stayed steadily in the middle of the first echelon. His steps were even, his breathing was steady, and his eyes were firm. In the stands, the students in Class 2 (A) of Senior High School burst into enthusiastic cheers. When he crossed the finish line, he got a good second place in the group. Although he was panting heavily from exhaustion and sweat dripped down his chin, his face was filled with a pure, hearty joy and sense of accomplishment. He subconsciously looked for that familiar figure in the crowd.
Over at the high jump field, Chu Yan was making his final jump. He'd taken off his school uniform jacket, revealing a fitted white sports T-shirt underneath. His figure was tall and straight. His run-up, takeoff, and back-over were as smooth and clean as a textbook. The bar landed steadily at its new height, drawing gasps and applause from the crowd. He landed easily, his face expressionless, and he casually dusted his hands, as if he'd just done something perfectly normal.
Gu Ye squeezed through the crowd and walked over to Chu Yan, who had just finished a competition. He was still breathing heavily, his face flushed with excitement after the exercise. "Hey, Chu Yan! The sports meet is over tonight. Do you want to eat hot pot? We can buy the ingredients and cook it at home. It's cleaner than going out!"
Chu Yan was just taking the bottle of mineral water from his classmate when he heard the words and paused in his motion to unscrew the bottle cap. He looked up at Gu Ye's sparkling eyes and was silent for a few seconds. "No," he said calmly. "I have something to do tonight. I have an appointment."
The smile on Gu Ye's face froze instantly. A cold sense of loss washed over him without warning, instantly extinguishing all the passion and excitement he'd felt from the exercise. His heart felt like it was being violently gripped, a sour and bitter sensation. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt blocked.
"Oh, something's up." He quickly lowered his head to hide the sadness in his eyes, then raised his head again and forced an exaggerated and stiff smile. He patted Chu Yan's shoulder vigorously and raised his voice, "Okay, okay, you busy man! Then you go do your thing, I'll go with Aliang and the others! Let's go!" After saying that, without waiting for Chu Yan's response, he turned around and squeezed into the noisy crowd, his back showing a sense of panic.
Chu Yan stood where he was, watching Gu Ye's almost fleeing figure disappear in the crowd, and his fingers holding the mineral water bottle tightened slightly.
The hustle and bustle of the end of the sports meet gradually faded away, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the campus a warm golden color.
Chu Yan walked out of the school gate alone and went straight to the shade of an inconspicuous tree on the corner of the street.
Butler Chen Bo had already been waiting by the car. Seeing Chu Yan approach, he bowed slightly respectfully and then opened the back door. At the same time, he handed over an exquisitely wrapped dark blue velvet gift box tied with a silver ribbon.
"Master Yan, the gifts are prepared as you requested. The birthday party will be held in the main hall of the Gu family's old house and will start at seven o'clock."
Chu Yan took the gift box expressionlessly, his fingertips gliding across the cool velvet fabric, making a subtle friction sound. He bent down and got into the car. The door closed, isolating him from everything outside.
The light in the carriage was dim. Chu Yan casually placed the exquisite gift box on the seat next to him and opened a hidden storage compartment in front of the seat. Inside was a meticulously ironed black dress neatly hung.
His crisp black suit outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His white shirt was buttoned meticulously at the collar, and his cuffs were inlaid with discreet sapphire cufflinks, which reflected a cool luster in the dim light. He looked in the rearview mirror and casually tucked a few strands of hair back, revealing his smooth, full forehead and those deep, unfathomable eyes.
At this moment, he no longer possessed the youthfulness or gentleness of a Shenghua Academy sophomore. Instead, he held a restrained edge, a sense of distance from someone who had long held a high position, and a scrutiny that felt like he was about to step into a hunting ground.
The car started smoothly, merging silently into the evening traffic, heading towards the Gu family mansion on the other side of the city, ablaze with lights and a symbol of wealth and power. The dazzling lights outside the car window quickly passed by, reflected on his stern profile, as if wearing a perfect mask.
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