Secretly Liking Him - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Shen Yanzhi noticed Gu Xun looking at him, so he looked back.

When their eyes met, Gu Xun only felt his heart go soft, filled with a kind of soothing, slight warmth. Thus, he cracked his mouth open and gave Shen Yanzhi a big smile.

Gu Xun’s smile was a bit silly, but it was surprisingly infectious, as if he never had a single worry in the world.

But in the next moment, Shen Yanzhi thought of Gu Xun’s tears from last night, and remembered his disheveled appearance, face covered in sweat and dust.

Shen Yanzhi couldn’t help but purse his lips.

Noticing the change in his expression, Gu Xun asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Yanzhi looked at Gu Xun and simply said softly, “Nothing.”

Gu Xun wanted to ask more, but the car had already come to a stop.

Shen Yanzhi was the first to pull open the car door. After saying goodbye to Gu Jingyuan in the driver’s seat, he stepped out of the car first.

Gu Xun had no choice but to follow him down, carrying a small Lock & Lock container containing some fried meat strips he had brought for Wang Xiaosong.

Although he kept telling Wang Xiaosong to eat less, they were brothers after all, and Gu Xun couldn’t bear to let him suffer too much.

The lethality of Wang Xiaosong’s mother’s cooking was only slightly better than the cafeteria’s big-pot meals. So, for the sake of survival, Wang Xiaosong and his father often ate out—which was probably a major reason for his physique.

Then Gu Xun couldn’t help but think: thank goodness he had persuaded Shen Yanzhi to eat at his house. If Shen Yanzhi also frequently ate outside and got fat…

Gu Xun’s eyes drifted toward Shen Yanzhi, and then he shamefully discovered that he actually felt that even if Shen Yanzhi turned into a little fatty with a build similar to Wang Xiaosong’s, then… then he would definitely be a good-looking little fatty…

Gu Xun: “…”

Gu Xun felt that his brain might have been blown out of order by the air conditioning vent just now.

Otherwise, how could he have such a terrifying association!

Shen Yanzhi grabbed Gu Xun, who didn’t know where he was walking, and said, “This way.”

Gu Xun: “Uh… I spaced out…”

Shen Yanzhi sighed: “I really don’t know what’s filling your head.”

Gu Xun almost blurted out “thinking about you,” but he managed to hold it back. How could he tell Shen Yanzhi that he was thinking about how a fat version of him would still be good-looking!

He’d probably get beaten up for that!

Gu Xun chose to avoid the main point: “This is called divergent thinking!”

Shen Yanzhi said: “It could also be a manifestation of ADHD.”

Gu Xun: “…Don’t be like that!”

Shen Yanzhi smiled. By this time, the two had reached the classroom door. Almost all the classmates were there, and the entire room was noisy.

When Wang Xiaosong saw the two of them, he immediately hurried over, his target aimed directly at the Lock & Lock box in Gu Xun’s hand.

Upon seeing that there were fried meat strips inside, Wang Xiaosong’s eyes almost turned into little stars: “Meat strips! Meat strips are my favorite!”

Gu Xun shoved the meat strips into his hands: “Alright, alright, look at how greedy you are.”

With food in hand, Wang Xiaosong didn’t care at all about what Gu Xun said. He took the Lock & Lock, opened the box, and without being picky, started eating directly with his hands.

The meat strips were still warm. Although they had softened a bit from being covered on the way here, the taste was still top-notch. Wang Xiaosong ate with a beaming face.

Gu Xun watched from the side with disdain: “Did you wash your hands?”

Wang Xiaosong: “I did! I was hoping you’d bring me something to eat!”

Gu Xun let out a “tsk” and teased him: “You poor thing, it’s still your brother who dotes on you!”

Wang Xiaosong kicked at him: “Whose advantage are you trying to take!”

Gu Xun nimbly dodged and ran back to his seat with a grin.

Next to him, Shen Yanzhi had already taken out the homework assigned by the teacher this morning to write. Seeing how serious he was, Gu Xun felt too embarrassed to disturb him, so he also took out his homework to write.

And then…

Gu Xun looked at the exercises with a face full of confusion, feeling that while he recognized the characters, they looked like a heavenly script when put together.

He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Shen Yanzhi, only to find that the other had already finished that page and was turning to the second page to start again.

Gu Xun: “…”

Gu Xun came up with a shameless idea and intended to put it into action.

Gu Xun leaned over and whispered: “Can I copy yours when you’re finished?”

Shen Yanzhi’s pen paused. He turned to look at him, his brow twitching slightly.

Gu Xun gave a fawning, silly smile: “Hehehe…”

Shen Yanzhi asked him: “Do you do this often?”

Gu Xun’s gaze drifted; he felt that copying homework was probably out of the question: “Just… generally… often…”

Just as Gu Xun was wondering whether copying homework was an unpardonable sin in Shen Yanzhi’s eyes, Shen Yanzhi suddenly said: “You can copy, if you want.”

Gu Xun’s eyes instantly sparkled as he looked at him, feeling as if there was a divine light shining behind Shen Yanzhi.

Shen Yanzhi then took out a notepad from his desk. After scribbling something on the first page, he handed it to Gu Xun.

Gu Xun had a bad intuition: “…What’s this?”

Shen Yanzhi: “The main problem types taught in this class today. If you can do them, I’ll let you copy.”

Gu Xun: “…”

Gu Xun finally understood Shen Yanzhi’s thinking. The guy felt that if he knew how to do it, then copying was just saving time; but if he didn’t…

He asked humbly: “What if I don’t know how?”

With a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, Shen Yanzhi asked back: “What do you think?”

Gu Xun nodded: “I understand…”

Gu Xun thought it over carefully: doing one problem was, after all, easier than doing many. So, he took that sticky note and studied it intensely.

When Wang Xiaosong finished the meat strips and returned the Lock & Lock box, he saw Gu Xun studying a small sticky note with the attitude of researching a global dilemma.

Wang Xiaosong poked his head over to look. After seeing it, he was shocked: “Whoa… what are you researching…”

Gu Xun didn’t even look up: “Doing a problem!”

Wang Xiaosong felt that Gu Xun might be possessed by a ghost; otherwise, why would he suddenly start doing problems voluntarily! This problem was clearly not part of the assigned homework!

Wang Xiaosong: “What wrong medicine did you take?”

Gu Xun waved his hand as if shooting a fly: “Don’t mess with my train of thought!”

Wang Xiaosong: “…Fine, good luck.”

Gu Xun tried hard to recall what the teacher had said in class, and then began to try and fit it onto the problem Shen Yanzhi had given him. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration and thought of the solution.

Gu Xun was so happy he grabbed a pen and wanted to write it on the note.

But seeing that beautiful handwriting on the note, and then thinking of his own chicken scratch, Gu Xun was momentarily reluctant.

In the end, Gu Xun found the nicest notebook among his unused ones, pasted the note into it, and then wrote the solution he had thought of next to it.

After finishing, Gu Xun admired it himself for a moment before presenting it to Shen Yanzhi like a treasure.

Shen Yanzhi stopped to see how he solved it, then used the tip of his pen to point vaguely at a certain spot: “This part is wrong.”

Gu Xun’s first reaction was: “Impossible!”

Shen Yanzhi said directly: “Calculate it again and see.”

Gu Xun had no choice but to go back dejectedly and calculate it again. It really was wrong…

Gu Xun felt as if those words “impossible” were slapping him in the face.

When he handed the thing to Shen Yanzhi again, Gu Xun wasn’t as cocky as before. He was cautious: “How about now?”

Shen Yanzhi looked at it again, his gaze sweeping from top to bottom. After looking it all over, he said: “Mhm, it’s correct.”

Gu Xun instantly felt like jumping for joy, his eyes looking at Shen Yanzhi brightly.

Shen Yanzhi then gave the math workbook he had just finished to Gu Xun, but Gu Xun didn’t take it.

Shen Yanzhi was puzzled: “Not copying anymore?”

Gu Xun: “…Copying.”

The little flame in Gu Xun’s eyes suddenly went out. Ahhh, why didn’t Shen Yanzhi praise him! He just got it right! He wanted Shen Yanzhi to praise him!

Praise him for being smart or something! Ahhh!

Gu Xun was roaring in his heart, but on the surface, he just honestly took the math workbook.

In front of them, Wang Xiaosong leaned over again and asked, “Which of you finished the math exercise? Let me copy!”

Shen Yanzhi pointed at Gu Xun, indicating that Gu Xun was currently copying it.

Wang Xiaosong understood instantly: “Oh, oh, oh! Gu Xun, hurry up and copy!”

Gu Xun hadn’t even started copying yet, and his emerald-glass teenage heart shattered into pieces on the floor.

Gu Xun: “…He doesn’t have to do a problem?”

This was discrimination! He wanted to protest!

Without looking up, Shen Yanzhi said: “I have to be responsible for you. I don’t for him.”

Gu Xun’s mind was filled with “Shen Yanzhi wants to be responsible for me,” feeling like his whole person was floating.

Ahhh! He said he wants to be responsible for me!!!

What does this mean!!!

Shen Yanzhi said: “If your grades are better, your parents will be happier.”

Gu Xun: “…Oh.”

So it was about making his parents happy…

Gu Xun’s feelings were complicated, and to make matters worse, Wang Xiaosong kept coming over to rush him: “Gu Xun, hurry up!”

Gu Xun resentfully flipped him the bird: “Get lost! Wait!”

Then, turning his grief into speed, he finished copying quickly.

Shen Yanzhi had already placed a workbook for another subject between the two of them. A sticky note was pasted on the cover of the workbook, with a problem already written on it.

Gu Xun curled his lip, but he carefully peeled the sticky note off. After thinking for a moment, he took out another notebook and pasted it in.

Well, one notebook per subject—that’s very scientific.

But this time, Shen Yanzhi asked him: “Why is this the answer?”

Gu Xun: “???”

Does there need to be a ‘why’?

Shen Yanzhi looked at him quietly, waiting for his answer.

Gu Xun said weakly: “Just… a feeling…”

Shen Yanzhi: “…”

Gu Xun could only bite the bullet and ask humbly: “…Uh, why?”

Shen Yanzhi leaned closer and used his pen to circle the key points in the problem: “Here.”

Gu Xun took a moment to process before getting the gist of it, responding with “Oh, oh, oh…”

But what he was thinking in his heart was: his eyelashes are so long…