Gu Qichi had never imagined before that a simple word like “Senior” would bring him such huge trouble.

He admitted that although he intentionally called Bo Yu “Senior” just now to tease him, he truly hadn’t expected the other party’s reaction to be so big.

It was as if he wanted to swallow him alive.

Clearly, a long time ago, when he used various methods to flirt with Bo Yu, the other party could still try hard to maintain his rationality, even putting on an act like a perfect gentleman.

But now, he was simply like a reckless beast, only thinking about how to tear his prey apart and devour it.

Bo Yu came back around six o’clock in the evening, which happened to be the evening rush hour.

But during winter, the sky in Dongcheng always darkened exceptionally fast.

Just a moment ago, the golden sun was setting in the west, and the sunset’s light was still dazzlingly bright, but in the blink of an eye, the sky darkened, and it was already difficult to catch even a glimmer of daylight.

Gu Qichi tilted his head back, his mind hazy, his black hair soaked and damp with sweat.

The most fragile Adam’s apple on his body was caught in someone’s mouth, wantonly ravaged, and then bitten on the side of his neck. A dense, fine pain penetrated his skin and seeped into his cerebral cortex.

Gu Qichi remained silent, his five fingers uncontrollably gripping the edge of the desk tightly as he let out a muffled groan.

Heavy and hoarse.

“Bo Yu, be gentler.”

In the past, whenever he said this, Bo Yu’s heart would ache for him, and he would give him enough time to adapt.

But this time was different.

A fierce gale blew outside, making it hard to hear any noisy human voices; only the howling of the biting wind could be heard.

A full moon hung high, perfectly positioned over a tree outside the window, looking like a huge, perfectly round fruit growing on the tree.

The stars twinkled amidst the clouds, their light somewhat dim, but fortunately, the moon was bright and the breeze was clear; it could still be considered a good night.

From the corner of his eye, Gu Qichi caught a glimpse of A’Ci secretly hiding in a corner. She suddenly jumped upwards, but her slightly heavy body was a bit hard to support the jump, and she crashed clumsily onto the ground with a muffled thud.

But the Silver Shaded cat was unwilling to give up. She aggressively let out a “meow,” aimed at a spot, and got ready to pounce. Her cat eyes widened as she tried to jump up again.

This time she actually made it up, but the result wasn’t very ideal. She knocked over several books on the bookshelf and scurried around on it a few times. The bookshelf was made to sway by her movements, tottering on the verge of collapse.

The bookshelf she chose was relatively short and had fewer books on it. Surprisingly, under the tottering gravity, it actually crashed to the ground with a huge bang, making a massive noise.

“Meow!”

The Silver Shaded cat’s fur puffed up, and she jumped down following the arc of the collapse. Fortunately, she didn’t get hurt.

Originally thinking Bo Yu would scold her, the cat glanced in the man’s direction.

The other party had absolutely no intention of paying attention to her. He just minded his own business, so entirely focused on his work that he was too lazy to spare even an extra glance for her.

The Silver Shaded cat sharpened her claws, repeatedly confirmed that Bo Yu really hadn’t noticed her, and silently spread her thick pink paw pads. She picked a book she was interested in, grabbed it in her mouth, and walked off to a corner.

This book looked pretty easy to tear; she hadn’t played this kind of game in a long time.

While Bo Yu and Gu Qichi were ignoring her, she had to play quickly.

Gu Qichi and Bo Yu indeed didn’t have any time to care about what their cat was doing; the two of them were busy sorting out the “clutter” on the desk.

It wasn’t until late at night, when Gu Qichi was so exhausted he couldn’t even lift his hands, that Bo Yu finally carried him downstairs.

Going down the spiral staircase, although there was heating in the house, Bo Yu was still afraid he would catch a cold, so he draped his own suit jacket over Gu Qichi.

If someone were to look up from below in the villa, they would be able to see the young man’s legs glowing white under the light. It was just that his knees were, for some unknown reason, rubbed completely red, inexplicably arousing some…

Before being carried into the bathroom by Bo Yu, Gu Qichi struggled to lift his eyelids and vaguely saw the clock hanging on the wall. The hour hand had reached a position close to ten o’clock.

He was too tired to speak, his mind filled with mixed thoughts. He aimlessly thought, It’s a good thing it’s still early, I can sleep a bit longer.

The light in the bathroom was much brighter than in the third-floor study. Gu Qichi was placed into the bathtub by Bo Yu. While the water was filling, unlike the past when he just bathed him, this time, Bo Yu also stepped into the bathtub.

Gu Qichi’s heart skipped a beat; his intuition told him this was bad.

He forced his eyes open, rested his left hand on the edge of the bathtub, and struggled to get up, only to be pressed back down.

Bo Yu’s hair was slightly dampened by the splashing water. Water droplets flowed down his strands, trailing down to his high nose bridge. Gu Qichi was a bit dazed as he met Bo Yu’s gaze. His eyes were deep and dark, and the contrasting heights between his brow bone and eye sockets made his features look even deeper, but also somewhat gloomy.

Like a bottomless well, it could easily make a person sink deep inside.

He didn’t know if it was his misconception, but he felt that Bo Yu was too greedy today.

Bo Yu pulled him down and held him in his arms. His upturned eyes stared straight at him, cold and casual, like some kind of dangerous large beast hunting its prey.

The water was filled. Bo Yu casually reached out and turned off the tap. The flowing water ripples formed slender, undulating patterns in front of them. Gu Qichi’s hand gripping the edge of the bathtub was forcefully pried back. Bo Yu’s voice was low and hoarse, and a very light chuckle escaped his throat:

“Baby, where do you want to go?”

Gu Qichi’s limbs were sore and weak. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice was incredibly hoarse: “Bo Yu, enough.”

The light from overhead shone down. Gu Qichi’s eyelashes had long been dampened by tears, tangling together at the corners of his eyes. Hot steam permeated the air, condensing into white mist when it met the cold mirror in the bathroom, obscuring the reflection of the two people in it.

Bo Yu leaned over, kissed his eyelids, and said in a languid voice, “Not enough, wifey.”

“It’s only past ten. We still have plenty of time.”

…………

By the time everything was over, Gu Qichi had thoroughly passed out from exhaustion.

Only then did Bo Yu slowly get up, carry him back to bed, and head up to clean up the mess in the third-floor study.

It wasn’t just the solid wood desk used for work; Bo Yu glanced at the two collapsed shelves, then narrowed his eyes at A’Ci, who was tearing a book on the ground. He strode over, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and lifted her up.

“Meow!”

A cat’s pupils tend to be rounder at night. The Silver Shaded cat was suddenly lifted up, caught somewhat off guard. Her heavy and slightly chubby body flailed in the air. Not only did she fail to intimidate the human opposite her, but her own cat hair flew everywhere instead.

Flying in the air alongside the silver-gray cat hair were the shredded scraps of paper from her mouth.

Bo Yu slightly lowered his head, glanced at the crumpled book on the floor, and leveled his gaze with A’Ci’s: “I’ll let you off today, but don’t even think about coming up to the third floor in the future.”

“Meow!”

Truth be told, this cat ancestor had been a bit too lawless lately. Bo Yu furrowed his brows, then casually glanced at A’Ci and the cat hair on the ground. His tone was somewhat asking for a beating: “You haven’t been shedding as much lately. It seems your diet has been pretty good recently, but you need to lose weight.”

“Even I can barely lift you anymore, let alone Gu Qichi.”

As if she could understand what he was saying, A’Ci struggled even more fiercely in his hand, roaring angrily:

“Meow! Meow! Meow!”

Bo Yu nonchalantly carried her out of the study and locked the door to prevent her from coming in to tear up books again.

The bookshelf knocked over by the cat was righted, and the books scattered all over the floor were sorted and neatly placed back.

By the time everything was cleaned up, Bo Yu finally stood up.

He picked up the book that Gu Qichi had been gripping tightly not long ago, which had also been gnawed and torn to pieces by the cat.

The page bearing his name was no longer legible. If Bo Yu’s grandfather were still alive, he would definitely curse this as a reckless waste of God’s good gifts.

Bo Yu flattened out the page again. As his gaze fell upon it, he suddenly remembered the question Gu Qichi had asked him just now—

“Have you ever told me the origin of your name before?”

Bo Yu had been in the heat of the moment then and had just casually replied “No.”

But actually, although he hadn’t told Gu Qichi the origin of his name, he had told him his name a very long time ago.

Bo Yu lowered his eyes and rummaged through the desk to find his long-sealed graduation photo. Looking at his youthful self in the high school graduation picture, he lowered his eyelashes.

The light in the study was dim, and more than half of his face was enveloped in shadows. His facial contours were cold and sharp, making it impossible to see the emotion in his eyes.

He originally thought that time was his and Gu Qichi’s first meeting.

But he never expected that he and Gu Qichi had crossed paths even earlier.

The two of them might have inadvertently brushed past each other in places he hadn’t explored, but it was also possible they had never seen each other.

But regardless, he wanted to go back to Dongcheng First High School with Gu Qichi to take a look.

After all, the unknown is always what people look forward to the most.

…………
…………
…………

When he woke up the next day, Gu Qichi’s first reaction was feeling a bit stuffy in his chest.

It felt like a boulder was pressing on his chest and abdomen, making it a bit hard to breathe. He blankly opened his eyes, only to discover that A’Ci had climbed onto the bed at some unknown time. She hadn’t gone anywhere else; she just lay on his chest, sleeping soundly.

After he nudged A’Ci awake, the heavy pressure on his chest disappeared, and fresh air entered his lungs, finally making him feel alive again.

The quality of the blackout curtains was excellent, not leaving a single gap, let alone letting in any morning sunlight.

Unable to tell what time it was now, and unclear on exactly when he and Bo Yu had finally stopped their madness last night, Gu Qichi’s brain was a bit numb as he wanted to get up and open the curtains.

But the moment his feet touched the ground, his legs went soft. Along with his entire waist and abdomen, his muscles ached, and he almost couldn’t stand firm and fell to his knees.

“Be careful.”

Bo Yu had come in at some unknown point, still holding a glass of milk in his hand. With quick eyes and fast hands, he scooped Gu Qichi up by the waist and settled him back onto the bed.

He handed the milk to Gu Qichi, then turned around to pull open the curtains, asking as he did so:

“Aren’t you going to sleep a little longer?”

The sunlight pierced his eyes with a somewhat scorching heat. Gu Qichi raised his hand to block his eyes. Once he recovered, he shot him an annoyed glare.

“Bo Yu, I have work today.”

Bo Yu slightly raised an eyebrow and buttoned up his pajama top, which had become completely messy after a night of sleep. His tone was sincere: “I know, I’ve already arranged everything.”

He slowly took out his phone, brought up the chat records with the principal of Dongcheng First High School, and said unhurriedly, “Seeing as I’m an outstanding alumnus and have donated quite a bit of money over the years to build their library and laboratory buildings, the principal said that once we arrive, we just need to notify the security guard and we can go right in.”

Gu Qichi: “…”

He vaguely guessed something in his heart, couldn’t hold it back, and asked out loud: “Why is the principal so welcoming to you? Did you throw money at him again?”

Bo Yu, having been exposed: “…”

Gu Qichi, having correctly guessed Bo Yu’s prodigal behavior: “…”

Alright, after spending all these days together and frequently feeling the ruthless operation of the power of capital, Gu Qichi felt he had adapted quite well to some of Bo Yu’s behaviors.

…………
…………
…………

When they arrived at Dongcheng First High School, the car drove steadily nearby. On both sides of the road were bare-branched cypress trees, but between every three cypress trees was a dark green pine tree, its dense pine needles swaying in the wind.

The closer they got, the red-walled, white-roofed tall buildings became clearer before their eyes. The outer frames of the windows were painted gray, the colors evenly distributed, looking vibrant yet retaining a sense of seriousness.

Gu Qichi felt a bit dazed.

Perhaps it had been too long since his rebirth; he seemed to have become somewhat blurry on his previous memories, not even clearly remembering what important things had happened here.

Stepping onto this campus once again, he merely felt as though a lifetime had passed.

Hearing Bo Yu’s name, the security guard knew he was the famous alumnus the principal had specially notified them about, so he couldn’t help but look at him a few more times. When his gaze subsequently fell on Gu Qichi, his eyes showed obvious surprise.

Gu Qichi looked at him strangely, only to see the man’s eye rims turn slightly red. He wanted to reach out and pat his shoulder, but upon extending his hand, he caught sight of the dust on his palm and awkwardly lowered it:

“Xiao Chi ah, what made you suddenly think of coming back? Have you been doing well since going to college?”

He clearly knew Gu Qichi.

Hearing the man’s words, Gu Qichi’s gaze was blank. He first glanced at Bo Yu beside him, then turned his head back to look at the somewhat elderly security guard in front of him.

Like a spark of flint, a current flashed through his mind, and memories regarding the man gradually surfaced in his head.

That was probably when Gu Qichi was 17 years old, not long after he was taken back by the Gu family.

He had transferred from his previous school to Dongcheng First High School. Unfamiliar with the place and the people, he had no friends to hang out with.

Gu Qichi had a cold personality and spoke little. He would often stay in his seat all day long, either doing test papers or memorizing knowledge points. He was terrifyingly quiet, living only in his own little world.

Mostly because of Gu Yuning, many rumors about Gu Qichi spread throughout Dongcheng First High School.

Remarks like “illegitimate child,” “born from a mistress,” and “country bumpkin” were countless. At first, Gu Qichi hadn’t noticed them at all, but as time passed, more and more trash appeared in his desk. Sometimes when he arrived at school in the morning, even the textbooks and homework inside his desk would vanish into thin air.

Only then did he realize there was a problem.

But it didn’t help matters.

Teenagers’ emotions are the easiest to discern: black is black, and white is white. When they decide on a certain matter, the malice deep in their hearts will be deliberately amplified, bearing sharp thorns, plunging unscrupulously into others.

During that time, Gu Qichi did not have a good life at all.

To prevent others from pulling any more petty tricks, he simply studied in the classroom late into the night, being the last to leave. The next morning, he would arrive at school early to check if his personal belongings were damaged.

It was right around that time that he met this old security guard.

The man was still relatively young back then, working diligently at his post every day, possessing a strong sense of responsibility and justice.

During one of his shifts, the security guard discovered a certain young master deliberately tearing Gu Qichi’s textbooks to shreds and casually tossing a small robot hidden inside into the trash can. He decisively chose to stand up for Gu Qichi.

However, the ensuing consequences were something he absolutely could not bear.

The young master’s family firmly insisted that the security guard was lying and slandering their son, demanding the school fire the meddlesome security guard.

With both sides locked in a dispute, just when the security guard was nearly expelled by the school, Gu Qichi pushed open the door, took out a video recording of the other party stealing and damaging his belongings, and threatened to call the police. Only then did the other party’s parents panic.

Under Gu Qichi’s vigorous arguments based on reason, the two sides finally reached a settlement: Gu Qichi would destroy the video, while the other party would transfer their child to another school and the security guard would stay.

From then on, the brightest light in the security office would always match Gu Qichi’s frequency, igniting a solitary heart in the dark night.

He would also occasionally receive small snacks or homemade food while studying late at night. Upon opening it, the lunchbox would be piping hot, containing meals cooked by the security guard and his wife.

Not only that, the man also secretly did many things to help him in private.

Gu Qichi went to find him once, and before he could say anything, the security guard patted his shoulder, his tone filled with heartache:

“Xiao Chi ah, you are a good kid. After you get into college, hurry up and escape from here.”

This seemed to be one of the very few moments of warmth he had felt during his high school years.

He just didn’t expect that, after so many years, the other party could still recognize him immediately and would caringly ask if he was doing well…

Gu Qichi blinked, curled his lips into a smile, and took the initiative to step forward and grasp the security guard’s hands. He spoke with utmost sincerity, “Uncle Wu, I’m doing very well. Thank you.”

Uncle Wu waved his hand, his smile amiable: “As long as you’re doing well, as long as you’re doing well. It’s been so many years in a flash.”

Bo Yu quietly sized the man up, silently making a mental note to find a time to learn more about Gu Qichi’s past.

……

After the two entered the school gates shoulder to shoulder, a bell just happened to ring—

“Students, class time is approaching. Please return to your classrooms quickly and prepare for class—”

The campus, which was bustling just a moment ago, suddenly became empty. One could only clearly see a few students rushing back to their classrooms in a panic, and a few groups of figures playing freely on the sports field.

The paths in the school were always the cleanest places. Every class was assigned a specific area to be responsible for cleaning, and this was used as a quantitative performance score for the homeroom teachers.

Therefore, students were always plagued by it, forced to sweep the fallen leaves over and over again.

But this time was also often their happiest, because they could occasionally delay returning to a class they disliked for a few minutes, and they could gather in small groups with brooms in hand to chat.

Gu Qichi and Bo Yu walked down this path. At the edge of their vision, they ran into a few sneaky students.

The one in the lead was looking around, not forgetting to brainwash the people beside him: “Let me tell you guys, Xijun goes to the kindergarten at this time every week to find his son and do parent-child activities. He definitely won’t check on the class, so this is the perfect time to hop the wall and go play games…”

His classmate asked him uneasily: “Don’t lie to me, did Xijun really leave?”

The guy scoffed, his tone somewhat disdainful: “Didn’t you guys just see him drive away with your own eyes?”

“Will we really not get caught?”

The lead student waved his hand. He had just started to say: “We won’t, don’t worry. When I was made to stand as punishment this morning, I even heard the principal announce that they’re receiving a VIP today…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he immediately saw Bo Yu and Gu Qichi approaching head-on, and couldn’t hold back a low curse, “Holy f*ck.”

Then he immediately corrected himself, “Hello, teachers.”

But right now there was absolutely nowhere to hide. This group of boys almost resigned themselves to their fate, closing their eyes and waiting for judgment.

Gu Qichi couldn’t help but find it amusing. Recalling his own three years of high school, he was almost entirely immersed in endless studying, utterly lacking their youthful vigor.

Are we going to be taken to stand as punishment, or do we have to go to the office to write a self-reflection? Why isn’t this teacher giving a clear word?

After a long time, the group still didn’t hear a word from Gu Qichi. Instead, they watched Gu Qichi and Bo Yu silently walk away.

The lead boy scratched his head, somewhat baffled, and muttered to himself: “They’re not teachers? Then why did they look so familiar?”

The person next to him was just about to tell him to stop skipping class and go back to the classroom together to admit their mistake, when they heard the guy exclaim in sudden realization: “I was wondering why they looked so familiar! Aren’t those two the ones hanging on the Wall of Honor?”

His lackey’s face was full of confusion. What Wall of Honor???