This extra and the following ones have been written at the occasion of SAYE’s licensing by Seven Seas

 

Jiang Cheng sat in the passenger seat, holding a telescope, watching two people skateboarding ahead towards the square.

One was Gu Miao, with her hair messily tied up on top of her head, wearing a pair of large headphones, a puffy jacket, and jeans. The other was Wu Yi, a psychology major student who had been eyeing Gu Miao for years and always seemed eager to pick a fight with him.

"Cheng ge, we can't drive through," Gu Fei turned the steering wheel and looked at Jiang Cheng, "Can you give some instructions?"

"Get out of the car," Jiang Cheng said.

"You're coming too?" Gu Fei asked somewhat helplessly.

"She's your real sister, not mine," Jiang Cheng turned to him, "Can't you show some brotherly responsibility?"

"No, but..." Gu Fei laughed, "Don't you think it's actually easier for us if he follows Gu Miao?"

"Easier is one thing, but him pursuing Gu Miao is another. Gu Miao hasn't shown any interest in him. What if he tries to hold her hand or something?" Jiang Cheng explained, "Besides, I'm not following them on purpose. If I happen to come across them, is there a problem with me checking it out?"

"No problem," Gu Fei sighed, "I just wanted to say that we can't drive through..."

"Park ahead," Jiang Cheng pointed to a parking spot on the roadside ahead, "Let's take a walk in the square. It's been a while since we walked together, let's reminisce."

It had indeed been a long time since they walked together. Both of them were busy with work, often traveling for days. Sometimes Gu Fei would be out taking photos for almost half a month, while Jiang Cheng couldn't be away for that long due to work commitments, but it was common for him to work overtime when there were issues at the company.

The idea of going out together excited Gu Fei, as it had been a long time since they did so.

"Okay," Gu Fei pressed the gas pedal, and the car jerked forward before coming to a halt.

"This car should be scrapped," Jiang Cheng noted.

"Yeah," Gu Fei tried to start the car again, "Haven't you found a good one yet?"

The car failed to start as expected, making a few sputtering noises before remaining motionless.

"I always thought you were more decisive than me," Jiang Cheng watched him trying to start the car again, "But here we are, a year has passed, and you still haven't found one."

Gu Fei smiled but didn't say anything. The car still wouldn't start.

Jiang Cheng kept his eyes on Gu Miao and Wu Yi until their figures disappeared into the crowd at the square. Finally, Gu Fei managed to start the car and drove it to the parking spot ahead.

 

"Let's go," Gu Fei said.

"They're gone, what's the point of going?" Jiang Cheng remarked.

"Didn't you say we were going for a walk?" Gu Fei squinted his eyes.

"Walk," Jiang Cheng nodded, "Get out of the car and let's take a stroll."

As they got out of the car, Jiang Cheng accidentally slammed the door a bit too hard, causing the car to emit a clanging sound as if it were about to fall apart the next second.

"We won't survive the month without buying a car," Jiang Cheng noted.

"We'll buy one," Gu Fei put his arm around his shoulder, "This week, I'll make sure you get your car."

"How many years have we been driving this car?" Jiang Cheng glanced back as they walked, "How did we let it deteriorate like this?"

"Over four years, plus the years it was previously used, it's been almost ten years," Gu Fei counted.

"Which models have you been considering?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"I'm comparing the ones you mentioned to me," Gu Fei replied, "I'm also considering a SUV for the spaciousness, making it convenient to take Gu Miao out."

"Okay," Jiang Cheng nodded, then sighed, "She doesn't like going out with us anymore, she's grown up and independent now."

"Weren't you worried before that she wouldn't be able to live independently?" Gu Fei stretched lazily, "Now that she can, you're feeling melancholic."

"Aren't you feeling melancholic?" Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue.

"It's alright, I'll tough it out," Gu Fei said.

"If she really starts dating Wu Yi, would you accept it?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Let me put it this way, setting aside the feeling of Gu Miao being 'stolen' from you, what do you think of Wu Yi?" Gu Fei asked.

"I don't deny that he has good qualities, and as of his looks... they're passable. Can't expect him to be more handsome than me..." Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, "Of course..."

"Cheng ge," Gu Fei interrupted him, "Stay on topic."

"He's alright," Jiang Cheng nodded, "Quite good."

"Well, that's settled then," Gu Fei concluded, "Let Gu Miao decide the rest herself. She'll eventually find someone she likes, and it's a good thing that she's starting to understand feelings now."

"Um," Jiang Cheng responded.

He understood everything Gu Fei said, but what bothered him was watching the little girl who had grown up day by day and gradually become better, suddenly no longer revolving around him and Gu Fei alone.

 

She was slowly able to speak, and her words were gradually becoming more abundant. In her world, there were also more and more people, with some good friends among them, and among those good friends, there were one or two boys who awere interested in her...

Especially that boy named Wu Yi, it was evident that in Gu Miao's world, Wu Yi was a rather special presence, at least she won't easily hit him.

Actually, none of this mattered much. If she wanted to fall in love, let her fall in love. If she no longer centred her world around her brothers, he could bite the bullet along with Gu Fei. What he was more worried about, but hadn't told Gu Fei, was whether any parents would truly accept their son being with a girl like Gu Miao, who, after so many years, could only be considered "normal" through adaptation?

Gu Miao was still very noticeable in the crowd. Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei's "walk" didn't last even five minutes when they spotted her amidst a group of skateboard enthusiasts, facing a small U-shaped slope next to the square.

Wu Yi was probably genuinely in love. In order to have a "common language" with Gu Miao, over the years, he had actually become quite skilled at skateboarding, able to keep up with Gu Miao on terrain of normal difficulty.

"You can't play, Jiang Cheng?" Gu Fei looked at the two people skateboarding over there.

"I can't play normally," Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue, "You're her brother, it's quite miraculous that you haven't learned after all these years."

"But I have a sister who can play," Gu Fei answered.

"I'm going to consider Wu Yi my little brother now," Jiang Cheng added.

"Sure," Gu Fei laughed, "Go ahead."

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue again, then stared over there for a while. "Forget it, let's go. It would be awkward if they saw us. Gu Miao definitely wouldn't be happy."

"Shall we go to the bookstore?" Gu Fei took out his phone and checked the time. "It's time to get some free meals."

"Let's go," Jiang Cheng nodded. "Pan Sun owes me three meals, and I haven't had the time to eat there."

"Apply for leave this summer," Gu Fei suggested. "I have some free time in July and August, we can go on a trip or something. Feels like it's been a long time since we went out. We could still play around when we were in school."

"I'll see how it goes," Jiang Cheng said. "I'll try to make time... Why do I feel like I'm talking like our boss when I say this? Feels like I'm exuding middle-aged man vibes..."

Gu Fei "You're close enough".

Jiang Cheng looked at him: "I'm not even thirty yet."

"Why are you looking at me?" Gu Fei chuckled. "If you're not even thirty, then I'm definitely not thirty yet."

"Have some face, man. It's just one month difference. You're talking like we're from different generations," Jiang Cheng said.

"A day's difference is still a difference," Gu Fei extended his hand.

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue twice and shook his hand.

Pan Zhi's bookstore, apart from not being particularly profitable, was managed smoothly. He almost had his mom send him back home when there was a financial crisis in the middle, but other than that, things were relatively peaceful.

Recently, he was thinking about renting the adjacent storefront and opening a pet shop. He was running around every day to gather information. When Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei arrived at his bookstore, he had just returned from outside.

"Grandpa!" Pan Zhi saw Jiang Cheng and immediately shouted, "You finally showed up!"

"Come here for a hug," Jiang Cheng opened his arms.

Pan Zhi came over and hugged him, then turned around and hugged Gu Fei. "You two are really busy, we have to rely on fate to meet."

"Have you eaten?" Gu Fei glanced over at "Unexpected".

"Not yet, I was waiting for you two before eating," Pan Zhi looked at Gu Fei, "Stop looking over there. We had an argument yesterday, and now we've drawn a boundary. Our gaze can't cross it. Even my dog got sent back after going over there."

"...With you two like this all the time, are you even getting married?" Jiang Cheng couldn't help but ask.

Pan Zhi had been with Xiao Boss for almost two years, and they had talked about getting married several times, but they hadn't taken any real action.

"Are you his grandfather?" Pan Zhi stared at him.

"No," Jiang Cheng assured.

Pan Zhi sighed and led them into the bookstore. "Don't worry, I'll definitely help you get this daughter-in-law."

"Wouldn't she be uncomfortable with that title?" Gu Fei teased, as the dog came wagging its tail towards them.

"No, she's called Jiang Grandpa before," Pan Zhi waved his hand. "That time was just to tease me."

"That's just to tease me," Jiang Cheng looked at him. "Your intelligence is really something."

"What should we do then, should we switch roles?" Pan Zhi suggested.

"Nice try," Jiang Cheng hugged the dog, rubbed its head, and it struggled to get away. He felt a bit aggrieved. "How come Gu Fei can tease it, but when I do, it runs away?"

"You smell like a cat," Pan Zhi explained.

"Doesn't Gu Fei smell like a cat?" Jiang Cheng said. "He's always fighting with Gu Miao for the cat."

"I look gentle," Gu Fei snapped his fingers, and the dog ran back to him, wagging its tail.

"Gentleness is gentleness," Jiang Cheng looked at him, "but it's not 'just looking' gentle. You'll know once you're in it."

"So you know, right?" Gu Fei turned around and smiled.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Pan Zhi interrupted their conversation. "He knows, don't even say he knows, I know, and I also know that you two especially like to stimulate me when my emotions are down!"

"Let's go eat, hot pot." Jiang Cheng quickly walked over and patted his shoulder.

For the past two years, they always went to the same restaurant for meals. It was a charcoal hot pot restaurant, recommended by Boss Xiao, with generous portions and affordable prices, very satisfying to eat. Jiang Cheng had been thinking about buying a copper hot pot for home hot pot recently, but considering he didn't have much time, he gave up on the idea.

"You two actually have time to come out today," Pan Zhi sighed as he ordered. "I was thinking if I didn't see you two before summer, I'd come looking for you."

"It's been particularly busy this year," Gu Fei agreed. "I never thought I could be this busy before."

"When are you going to set up your own studio?" Pan Zhi asked. "I'll have my wedding photos taken there with Boss Xiao."

"Even if others don't take wedding photos, you have to," Jiang Cheng said.

"Other people not taking them doesn't mean I won't. We've had years of friendship," Pan Zhi looked at Gu Fei.

"If you and Boss Xiao can get married, even if I don't have a studio, I'll take photos for you two," Gu Fei promised.

"No," Pan Zhi put down the menu. "I've noticed you two have a habit of speaking like that. What do you mean 'if you can get married'? My words are still here. I'm getting married to her within this year. By then, you two better prepare a big red envelope for me."

"Don't worry," Jiang Cheng chuckled. "We've prepared it long ago, adding money to it every year."

"...Then I'll get married the year after next," Pan Zhi said.

Gu Fei laughed for a while. "Don't keep us waiting too long. We've been looking forward to your wedding for many years. Among my group of friends, only Li Yan and Liu Fan haven't gotten married yet."

"Let's not count Li Yan in here," Jiang Cheng remarked. "He doesn't have anyone to marry anyway, leaving only Liu Fan unmarried."

"Yeah," Gu Fei nodded, looking at Pan Zhi. "Just one left."

"How about we go abroad then? Like the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada. You two, me and Boss Xiao, we could have a collective wedding," Pan Zhi suggested.

"Why would you go to the Netherlands if you're marrying Boss Xiao?" Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow. "Do you two have some kind of secret..."

"Can we have a serious conversation for once!" Pan Zhi pointed at him. "Isn't this me appreciating your performance!"

Jiang Cheng looked at his finger.

Pan Zhi withdrew his finger. "Isn't it?"

"Yes!" Jiang Cheng nodded.

"Then are you going or not?" Pan Zhi asked.

"Not going," Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei both answered at the same time.

Pan Zhi looked at them, sighed after a moment, "Are you guys going easy and saving to buy a house? You can't even afford to go abroad for a wedding."

"We're not broke as long as we have you," Jiang Cheng chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Actually, we just feel it's unnecessary. Why get married? For a proof that we're together? That we love each other enough to get married? For assurance that if we separate, we need to go through a procedure?"

Pan Zhi remained silent.

"I with your grand...father," Jiang Cheng glanced at Gu Fei, "don't need any proof or assurance. We don't need to join in on the commotion."

Gu Fei didn't react to his title, just glanced at him and smirked.

"Alright," Pan Zhi thought for a moment. "You two have been through a lot together until today. It's probably unlikely for you to separate. If you did, Gu Miao wouldn't even know who to go to."

"To me," Jiang Cheng responded without hesitation.

Gu Fei looked at him without saying anything, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"That's all I wanted to say," Jiang Cheng added.

"Yeah," Gu Fei nodded.

As for marriage, Jiang Cheng had thought about it a few years ago, but as time passed, he truly felt it wasn't necessary. Some people and things just naturally fit together, like flowers planted in the same pot. After a year or two, three or five years, when you dig into the soil, you see the roots growing together.

When there was nothing else to do, he liked to stare at Gu Fei. He felt that this person filled every detail of his life, whether visible or not, awake or asleep, he was always there.

Gu Fei was no longer just his back.

After having dinner with Pan Zhi, they sat in the bookstore for a while and even helped Pan Zhi walk the dog.

When they were returning the dog to the store, they saw Boss Xiao standing by the window of "Unexpected," looking out at the street scene with her arms folded.

And beside the window of the bookstore, was Boss Pan, also with his arms folded.

Gu Fei quickly took out his phone and took a few pictures of this scene. "It's quite poetic."

 

"Send it to me later," Jiang Cheng said, "I'll use it to tease Pan Zhi."

"Where's your humanity?" Gu Fei asked as he sent the photos to him, "They're having an argument."

"Just showing them this photo will make them reconcile immediately," Jiang Cheng guessed, "Or should I show it to Boss Xiao first?"

"Give it a try," Gu Fei smiled.

" Boss Xiao," Jiang Cheng went over and greeted her, "Long time no see, and you're even more beautiful now."

"When did your flattery skills drop to this level?" Boss Xiao said, "You're far behind your grandson."

"I can't compete with Pan Zhi's charm when I'm in front of you," Jiang Cheng chuckled, then glanced at his phone.

Boss Xiao's phone rang, she glanced at the phone on the nearby table, then turned back to look at Jiang Cheng outside the window, "Are you trying to plead for your grandson?"

"No," Jiang Cheng assured her "Why would I plead for him? You should just kick him out. Someone like him is only worthy of being single."

"Get lost," Boss Xiao glared at him, then reached over, took the phone, and glanced at it before smiling, "Just taken, huh?"

"Yeah, Gu Fei took it," Jiang Cheng said, "Isn't it obvious they're a perfect match?"

"Stop it," Boss Xiao tossed the phone back onto the table, "I'll have to ignore him for a few days this time. If I don't draw a line, he won't know where to stop. Don't tell him that."

"Don't worry," Jiang Cheng nodded.

"You stubborn man," Boss Xiao said, "You have to be properly disciplined. I can't just take you home like this."

"You've done a great service to the people by eliminating the harm," Jiang Cheng mentioned.

"Don't mention it," Boss Xiao said, "My childhood dream was to be a female knight."

*

As they drove back, Gu Fei glanced at Jiang Cheng, " Cheng ge, do you think we've already sorted things out between us?"

"Not quite," Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, resting his arm, "I've sorted myself out, and then I sorted you out too."

"Seems like it," Gu Fei looked ahead, thought for a moment, then nodded, "Indeed."

"I'm not Boss Xiao," Jiang Cheng laughed, "You don't need to flatter me like that."

"I'm not flattering," Gu Fei reacted, "Without you, I definitely wouldn't be like this now. Without me, you'd still be the same."

"Are you being so modest because you have some ulterior motive?" Jiang Cheng turned his head slightly, opening one eye to look at him.

"What do you think?" Gu Fei asked.

"Do you think it's because we rarely have free time like today, and Gu Miao isn't home?" Jiang Cheng insisted.

"Yeah," Gu Fei reached over to touch his leg while waiting at the red light, "At our age, it's the hungry age. Busy like rabbits every day, but still have some space in our minds for a little porn."

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue, remaining silent for a while.

"What's wrong?" Gu Fei asked.

"I can't seem to remember the last time we did it," Jiang Cheng sighed.

 

"At the beginning of the month, it's been over half a month, Cheng Ge," Gu Fei said, "Don't you feel panicked?"

"Screw off," Jiang Cheng chuckled and tugged at his belt, "Ate too much for lunch, stomach feels tight."

"That settles it," Gu Fei said.

"What settled?" Jiang Cheng opened his eyes.

"Going home to take care of business," Gu Fei stepped on the gas pedal.

*

When it came to matters in bed, they had probably passed the stage where just a glance could make them hard, but every time their skin touched, the excitement never diminished.

After finishing, Jiang Cheng lay on the bed and reached out to touch Gu Fei's back for a long time, and casually praised, "This back, so perfect."

"These abs," Gu Fei reached out to touch his stomach, "so perfect."

"Hurry up and touch," Jiang Cheng continued, "I haven't been exercising much lately. In a few months, I'm worried they won't be there anymore."

"Go buy some fitness equipment and put it in the house," Gu Fei suggested, "The study is still half-empty, right? Perfect place for it, next to the window."

"That'll cost a lot," Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue.

"Both of us are planning to change car, so we can afford it, right?" Gu Fei said.

"It's precisely because we need to buy cars that we need to save some money," Jiang Cheng turned over, rested his arm, and rubbed his leg against Gu Fei's buttocks, "Still want to buy a house..."

"Let's hold off on the house for now," Gu Fei said, "Right now, we're still in the dreaming stage."

"We could buy a small one," Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, "We don't have children, so two rooms will suffice. One for us, and one for Gu Miao. When she gets married in the future, the vacant room can be used as a study... no, no, no, can't do that. Even after she gets married, we should keep it, just in case she divorces her husband and needs to come back... then we'll need three rooms..."

Gu Fei kept laughing without saying a word. After Jiang Cheng rambled on for a while, he sighed, "No matter who Gu Miao marries, I won't be happy."

"Such a typical father's mindset," Gu Fei patted his hand.

"I've watched her grow up, haven't I?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"You have," Gu Fei admitted, "And you've watched me grow up too..."

"Where's my knife?" Jiang Cheng sat up.

"Where would you get a knife? You only have a few slingshots, and what about the study?" Gu Fei chuckled, "What do you need a knife for?"

"To cut off your thick skin and weigh it to see how heavy it is," Jiang Cheng explained.

Gu Fei laughed for a while, then turned over and climbed on top of him, "Your idea of domestic violence is too terrifying, isn't it?"

"If I don't rough you up a bit, you won't know how thick your own skin is..." Jiang Cheng didn't finish his sentence. The phone resting on the bedside table suddenly rang, and he picked it up and tossed it to Gu Fei, "They're not calling you to work, are they?"

"If they're calling someone to work on their day off, that's your boss," Gu Fei picked up the phone, "Our boss isn't that harsh... It's from Gu Miao, she's back."

"Get up," Jiang Cheng got out of bed, "Quickly, shower and get dressed."

The two of them always maintained a serious demeanour in front of Gu Miao, always acting like proper gentlemen, hoping that Gu Miao would know what a good man should be like and would choose a boyfriend based on them...

After taking a shower and coming out, Jiang Cheng was blow-drying his hair when he heard a knock on the door.

"Gu Miao's back!" He turned off the hairdryer and walked towards the living room, calling out, "What do you want to eat tonight? Cheng Ge will take you to eat..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Gu Miao standing at the door changing her shoes, with Wu Yi standing behind her.

Wu Yi?

Gu Miao brought Wu Yi home?

Damn it, Gu Miao brought a guy home?

Jiang Cheng was stunned with his half-dried hair, while Gu Fei spoke from the kitchen, poking his head out as he talked, "Cheng Ge was still worried that you'd end up with that bastard Wu Yi..."

He didn't finish his sentence either, as he looked up and saw the bastard standing at the doorway.

"Hello, Fei Ge," Wu Yi greeted, "Hello, Cheng Ge."

"Uh," Jiang Cheng responded, "Hello."

"Hello," Gu Fei also responded, hesitated for a moment, and added, "Gu Miao didn't say she was bringing someone home."

"I planned to come again next time, but I just dropped her off, and she asked me to come up," Wu Yi smiled, "I just listened to her."

"You're quite obedient," Jiang Cheng noted.

Wu Yi didn't say anything, just smiled.

Gu Miao grabbed a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and threw them in front of Wu Yi before entering the house.

"You..." Gu Fei glanced at Wu Yi, "Feel free to sit down."

"No thanks," Wu Yi said, "I just brought her up. I'll visit next time when it's more convenient."

"Sit," Jiang Cheng looked at him, "Since you're already here."

"Uh..." Wu Yi hesitated for a moment, then bent down to change his shoes.

"Please, have a seat," Jiang Cheng gestured towards the sofa.

Wu Yi sat down on the sofa.

Gu Fei went over to pour him a glass of water, "Let's have dinner together tonight. I just bought some groceries."

"No need for dinner," Wu Yi quickly took the water and stood up again, "I'll bring something next time..."

"What are you bringing?" Jiang Cheng said from the side, "Are you planning to meet the parents?"

Wu Yi cleared his throat, unsure of what to say.

"Please, sit," Gu Fei saw Gu Miao coming out and handed her the TV remote, "You two can watch TV for a while."

Jiang Cheng went into the kitchen, and Gu Fei followed.

Before Gu Fei could say anything, Jiang Cheng turned his head and looked at him, "Damn, what's wrong with me?"

"I have no idea," Gu Fei also looked at him, "Give him a break, Cheng Ge, he hasn't done anything wrong."

"I didn't mean to offend him," Jiang Cheng sighed, "My brain just malfunctioned a bit, and I couldn't control what I wanted to say."

"I feel sorry for Wu Yi." Gu Fei leaned against the wall, chuckling.

"Are you cooking?" Jiang Cheng opened the fridge and looked inside.

"I am," Gu Fei agreed, "You just have the skill level to boil noodles."

"And you've been making the same cola chicken wings since high school," Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue, "It's been ten years and there's been no improvement."

"In every trade, mastery is essential; when cooking a dish, one must achieve perfection," Gu Fei asserted.

"Perfection? What's the difference between your cola chicken wings now and ten years ago?" Jiang Cheng rummaged through the fridge and indeed found some chicken wings.

"I'll make cola chicken wings," Gu Fei took the chicken wings.

"And then?" Jiang Cheng sighed, "Are you going to make four plates of cola chicken wings and boil some vegetable soup?"

"We can also order takeout," Gu Fei chuckled.

They usually ate simple meals at home, Gu Fei would cook a few dishes, and since Jiang Cheng and Gu Miao weren't picky eaters, they could eat anything. If they wanted something more extravagant, they would order takeout.

"Alright," Jiang Cheng nodded, "I'll order a few dishes to be delivered."

"Okay," Gu Fei took a pot and started preparing the chicken wings.

Jiang Cheng returned to the living room, where Gu Miao and Wu Yi were sitting on the sofa, looking at Wu Yi's phone together.

"This is a picture I took of you during the second round," Wu Yi pointed at the screen, "Your hair was standing up. Let me teach you a phrase."

Gu Miao nodded.

"Wroth to the sky," Wu Yi quickly took out a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down these words for Gu Miao, "It means being extremely angry, so angry that your hair stands up and pushes your hat up."

Gu Miao understood and smiled, saying, "I'm not angry."

"Yeah, I know you're not angry," Wu Yi smiled, "It's just a metaphor, it looks like you're angry."

Gu Miao nodded.

"By the way, you can learn another phrase," Wu Yi continued writing on the paper, "from Yue Fei's 'Man Jiang Hong,' wroth to the sky, leaning on the rail, the rain stopped."

(NT: "满江红" (Mǎn Jiāng Hóng - All Red River) is a famous patriotic Chinese poem attributed to Yue Fei, a military general and national hero during the Southern Song dynasty)

Gu Miao stared at the words on the paper, probably unable to understand. She recognized many characters now, but she couldn't understand this phrase.

"You don't need to know the meaning yet," Wu Yi added, "Just focus on learning to pronounce it, good poetry has a beautiful rhythm and tone, even if you don't understand the meaning, you can still feel its beauty."

Tsk.

Sour little fellow.

Jiang Cheng walked over and picked up his phone from the coffee table, opening the food delivery app.

However, what Wu Yi said made sense. When we are young, we learn a lot of poetry, and sometimes when reciting or memorizing, we may not understand the meaning, but we could still appreciate the beauty of the words.

For Gu Miao, Wu Yi was indeed a very good teacher.

"Cheng Ge," Wu Yi only noticed him now and smiled, calling out to him.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng controlled his layered brain, "You guys continue your conversation. ‘Wroth to the sky, leaning on the rail, the rain stopped, raising your eyes, gazing at the sky, heroic and fervent’. I'll order some dishes to eat."

Gu Miao snapped her fingers at him, raising her thumb, indicating that although she might not understand the meaning of this sentence, she knew Jiang Cheng was referring to the latter part.

"Order some dishes?" Wu Yi asked.

"Yeah," Jiang Cheng nodded, "Usually, when Gu Miao's brother cooks, he has only been making one dish, cola chicken wings, for ten years. I'll..."

"But didn't you say you bought some groceries?" Wu Yi stood up, rolling up his sleeves and walking towards the kitchen. "If there are groceries, I'll cook."

"You?" Jiang Cheng looked at him.

"Yeah," Wu Yi smiled, "My skills are just okay, only a few dishes, but my friends who visited me said they were delicious."

"...Then you cook," Jiang Cheng put down his phone.

"Okay," Wu Yi went into the kitchen.

Gu Fei was a bit surprised to see him go into the kitchen.

"He said he can cook a lot of dishes," Jiang Cheng explained, "Let him do it, we'll wait to eat."

"Alright," Gu Fei glanced at Wu Yi, "I didn't expect that."

"This is a hidden skill, not easily visible," Wu Yi chuckled.

"Are there any other hidden skills?" Gu Fei squinted, "We can't see them, and Gu Miao probably can't either."

Jiang Cheng leaned against the wall, hugging his arms.

Many times, Gu Fei seemed calmer than him, not as impulsive and straightforward, especially regarding Gu Miao's affairs. Only in the details could one appreciate that Gu Fei was actually very careful and attentive to everything around Gu Miao.

"Gu Miao is actually quite sensitive," Wu Yi said calmly as he watched Gu Fei take out the vegetables from the fridge, "Many things others can't feel, she can detect. She just sometimes struggles to express it."

"Yeah," Gu Fei smiled and didn't say more.

Wu Yi's cooking skills probably weren't much better than theirs, but at least he knew how to cook certain dishes. So while he busied himself in the kitchen, Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng returned to the living room, knowing they couldn't help much.

Gu Miao was still holding the poem written by Wu Yi.

"What's this?" Gu Fei leaned over to take a look, "Wroth to the sky..."

"Leaning on the rail," Gu Miao continued the sentence word by word, "The rain stopped."

"Not bad," Gu Fei nodded, then looked at the words on the paper, "Who wrote this?"

"Wu," Gu Miao said.

"Wu's handwriting is pretty good," Gu Fei flicked the paper with his finger, "Much better than Cheng Ge's."

"No," Gu Miao glanced at him.

"No?" Gu Fei was surprised.

"Cheng Ge's handwriting is good," Gu Miao said.

"Oh my," Jiang Cheng couldn't help but laugh beside them, "My own sister!"

Gu Miao turned her head and snapped her fingers at him, raising her thumb.

Jiang Cheng immediately returned the gesture, raising both thumbs.

Actually, Wu Yi's handwriting was quite good. It was evident that he had practiced. Even though Gu Fei, with his biased view, considered everything about Jiang Cheng to be the best, he still had to admit that Wu Yi's handwriting was better than his. But when he heard Gu Miao blatantly telling lies like that, he couldn't help but feel delighted.

"Er Miao," Gu Fei leaned back on the couch, looking at Gu Miao's hair, "Your hair needs a trim. How about letting Yan Ge give you a little perm?"

Gu Miao turned her head and thought for a moment, "No."

"Do you want to keep it long?" Jiang Cheng asked.

Gu Miao's hair was shoulder-length now. The bangs Li Yan cut for her when he came over to play had grown long. When she gathered it up, there were quite a few strands at the back that were neither short nor long, some of which she had cut herself with scissors. Now she couldn't tie it up properly. If it weren't for her being pretty, this hairstyle would be a mess.

"No," Gu Miao shook her head.

"So, you're okay with it being messy?" Jiang Cheng asked again.

Gu Miao thought for a moment and nodded, "Yeah."

"Then let it be messy," Jiang Cheng sighed. Gu Miao's sense of aesthetics was always a bit puzzling. Her clothes, hairstyle, were all quite free-spirited. Sometimes it looked unique, but sometimes it relied entirely on her appearance to pull it off.

Just like her brother's selfies.

Jiang Cheng smiled.

The TV screen showed a poor signal warning. They usually didn't watch this TV much, and the cables were all set up by the previous landlord, so sometimes they became loose.

Gu Miao was watching cartoons, but now that there was no signal, she frowned and turned to look at Jiang Cheng.

"Due to professional choices, Jiang Cheng hasn't had the opportunity to compete for a long time."

Jiang Cheng muttered softly as he took out a slingshot from the drawer under the coffee table. "Now he's like a wandering hero, shouting whenever he sees injustice. Usually, he serves a little beauty named Gu Miao... Look, Jiang Cheng hasn't regressed yet, but he can't even find a suitable bullet now..."

Jiang Cheng looked under the coffee table for a while before grabbing Gu Fei's lighter. "No, his skills have surpassed the norm. Now he can just pick up a lighter and use it. The next step might be to attack with his mind after ascending to immortality... Look, this is a reality-based live broadcast program... Now let's watch Jiang Cheng's performance of shouting against injustice!"

Jiang Cheng pressed and pulled the lighter on the slingshot, and when he let go, the lighter flew straight and hit the signal cable on the set-top box.

"Wow—" Gu Fei applauded beside him, playing along, "This really shows his skill. The lighter didn't even spin in the air, it flew straight like an arrow. This, doesn't this demonstrate excellent control of force?"

"Yes," Jiang Cheng took out his own lighter and hit the cable again, "There aren't many players with this kind of power control nowadays..."

"Are you exaggerating a bit too much, Cheng Ge?" Gu Fei couldn't keep up with the act.

"Any thoughts?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"None," Gu Fei leaned back into the couch, "Even if I did, I'd keep them to myself."

"Mmm," Jiang Cheng smiled.

After busying himself in the kitchen for a while, Wu Yi poked his head out and looked at Gu Miao. "Do you want to watch me make scrambled eggs? Last time, didn't you say you wanted to watch?"

Gu Miao looked at him, pondering for a moment, probably recalling, and finally nodded.

"I'm making scrambled eggs now, want to watch?" Wu Yi asked.

Gu Miao stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Usually, when cooking, they would close the kitchen door to prevent oil smoke from coming out. Previously, when Wu Yi was cooking, he always kept the door closed, but this time, after Gu Miao went in, Wu Yi didn't close the door.

Jiang Cheng and Gu Fei sitting on the couch could see what was happening in the kitchen.

Gu Fei sighed while leaning back on the couch.

"It's quite contradictory," Jiang Cheng also sighed, "Isn't it?"

"Mmm," Gu Fei sighed, "I feel like this kind of considerate behaviour is good, but at the same time, I feel like Gu Miao is being too careful and might end up losing out."

"What should we do?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"What can we do?" Gu Fei shrugged.

“Now what?” Jiang Cheng insisted

 

"Well." Gu Fei whispered, "Gu Miao is still young, she's not getting married right now. They're just good friends for now."

"Mmm," Jiang Cheng nodded vigorously, then leaned back on the couch and chuckled, "Is this our way of comforting ourselves?"

"Could be," Gu Fei chuckled too.

"Observing in secret," Jiang Cheng continued.

"Mmm," Gu Fei leaned closer to him, "Jiang Cheng."

"Hmm?" Jiang Cheng glanced at him.

"Did you ever think I was the type who's pretty considerate and responsible back then..." Gu Fei's words were cut off by Jiang Cheng.

"Didn't think so," Jiang Cheng admitted, "It's not that I'm saying this on purpose, I really didn't think so. When I first met you, you really, really rubbed me the wrong way."

"Oh," Gu Fei chuckled.

"You should thank your lucky stars for giving you that face and this leg," Jiang Cheng mentioned, "It's because of that face and this leg..."

"Jiang Cheng," Gu Fei kicked his legs in the air, "I have two legs."

"It's because of that face and those two legs that I grit my teeth and continued to put up with you," Jiang Cheng told him.

"Thank you, heavens," Gu Fei clasped his hands together towards the window.

Jiang Cheng slumped back into the couch for a moment, then let out a long sigh, "Initially, I didn't think so. But later on, I realized you're actually quite considerate and a good person."

"And now?" Gu Fei asked.

"Now?" Jiang Cheng looked at him, "Now, you're also pretty good, your temper has improved, you're not as bossy as before... Of course, you're older now, even if you are bossy, you're an old bossy..."

"I'm younger than you," Gu Fei underlined.

"Shut up," Jiang Cheng repleid.

"Mmm," Gu Fei nodded.

"Pretty good, I like it," Jiang Cheng grinned, "I could easily like it for another hundred or eighty years."

"I could easily endure another hundred or eighty years of your insults," Gu Fei said.

Jiang Cheng extended his hand, and Gu Fei gave him a high-five.

 

 

Translator : DarNan