Secretly Liking Him - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After a moment of complete daze, Gu Xun couldn’t quite describe the feeling of hearing those words. He felt a bit happy, yet also a bit… unhappy.

Beside them, Wang Xiaosong couldn’t stop clicking his tongue: “Truly a role model for our generation…”

Shen Yanzhi said with a straight face: “Now is not the time to think about such things.”

Gu Xun and Wang Xiaosong both looked at him blankly, their expressions similar to when they spaced out in class because they couldn’t understand the lecture.

Shen Yanzhi continued solemnly: “It affects grades.”

Gu Xun: “…”

Wang Xiaosong: “…”

They both felt like something was slightly off…

While they were pondering exactly what was wrong, Min Yibo shouted from behind: “Shen Yanzhi, come to the office for a moment.”

Shen Yanzhi headed over.

Seeing Shen Yanzhi leave, Gu Xun poked Wang Xiaosong: “What do you think was wrong with what he just said?”

Wang Xiaosong: “…He’s scoring nearly full marks, yet he’s telling us it ‘affects learning.’ The mental impact of that on us can’t possibly be small.”

Gu Xun: “…True.”

While they were talking, Shen Yanzhi returned from the teachers’ office carrying a stack of exam papers. As he passed Gu Xun, he called out: “There’s more, help me carry some.”

Gu Xun gave an “Oh” and went to act as his manual labor.

At the office door, Gu Xun shouted: “Reporting in! Teacher Min, I’m here to help move the papers!”

Inside the office, seeing Gu Xun enter, Min Yibo couldn’t help but have a smile break out on his face. He waved him over and said: “Gu Xun, you made great progress in this monthly exam. Keep working hard next time!”

Gu Xun gave a silly grin: “It’s all because Ah Yan taught me well.”

Min Yibo felt proud of his seating arrangement in his heart, but didn’t forget to praise Gu Xun outwardly: “That’s also inseparable from your own hard work. Come, just take these and help hand them out.”

Gu Xun happily left carrying the papers. Who wouldn’t be happy to be praised by a teacher?

Shen Yanzhi saw him return clutching the papers, smiling so wide his teeth were showing but his eyes weren’t. He also let out an imperceptible smile, then continued handing out the papers in his own hands.

After everyone had received their papers for each subject and their holiday homework—some with joy, others with heavy hearts—the seven-day long holiday finally arrived.

No matter how discouraged they were a moment ago, the instant school was dismissed, everyone was jubilant.

A group of buddies immediately came over to Gu Xun’s side to invite him and Shen Yanzhi for a game of ball.

Gu Xun turned to ask Shen Yanzhi’s opinion. Seeing him nod, he told his friends, “Be there or be square.”

After going home and eating dinner, the two of them squeezed onto one bed again to play games. They didn’t even have time to pay attention when Shen Lan came in to ask if they wanted to go out during the holiday.

Shen Lan was truly caught between laughter and tears. She had said that since the two little ones did so well on their exams, she would take them out to play, but their responses to her were just perfunctory “mhm”s and “ah”s.

Seeing how intensely they were playing, Gu Jingyuan smiled and pulled his wife away, whispering: “Look, isn’t this great? Look how well our Xunxun scored this time, and Xiao Shen is much more lively. Isn’t this better than anything else?”

Shen Lan thought about it and agreed, but she still muttered: “Our Xunxun won’t lead Xiao Shen astray, will he? Look at how obsessed they are.”

Gu Jingyuan said: “What boy doesn’t like that? Stop worrying about nothing; you’re scaring yourself over nothing.”

Shen Lan turned and glared at him: “How can you call this worrying about nothing!”

“Fine, fine, fine. You have the heart of a devoted mother.”

“That’s more like it…”

Inside the room, Gu Xun made a face and then yelled out: “Hey, hey! Dodge! Nice! Beautiful!”

Shen Yanzhi calmly operated the game controller and once again achieved a perfect clear.

Gu Xun laughed uncontrollably. He lunged for the telephone and called Wang Xiaosong to brag about how he and Shen Yanzhi had cleared that incredibly difficult game.

However, as soon as he finished bragging and hung up, another call came in.

Gu Xun checked the caller ID, picked up, and asked: “Hello? Juntao, what’s up?”

Shi Juntao immediately complained on the other end: “Why are the phones for both you and Xiaosong always busy!”

Gu Xun immediately bragged to him with a giggle: “I was just calling him! Ah Yan and I cleared the Demon King’s Castle!”

Shi Juntao cursed instantly: “You two must have used a cheat code!”

Gu Xun: “Yeah, yeah! Ah Yan is my cheat code!”

Shi Juntao only wished Gu Xun was in front of him; otherwise, he would definitely give him a double middle finger.

But Shi Juntao had called for a reason, so after a few sour remarks, he said: “Hey, Gu Xun, can you and Xiaosong come with me tomorrow to buy something?”

Without thinking, Gu Xun replied: “Not going! I’m staying home to play games with Ah Yan!”

Shi Juntao first gave Gu Xun a thorough scolding—saying things like “seeing the new love smile while the old love cries”—and then offered an incentive: “Come on, come on, I’ll treat you all to something good!”

Gu Xun immediately perked up, clutching the phone and squeezing closer to Shen Yanzhi: “Eat what? Let’s get this straight first: I’m definitely bringing Ah Yan!”

Shi Juntao curled his lip: “Didn’t a new fried chicken shop open on the shopping street? We’ll eat that! All you can eat!”

Gu Xun’s eyes sparkled: “Alright!”

That fried chicken shop had been very popular lately. Gu Xun had wanted to go for a long time. With someone treating, it would be against the laws of nature not to go!

Then Gu Xun got gossipy: “What do you need to buy? You’re not making us your manual labor, are you?”

Shi Juntao suddenly became bashful: “I’m not! It’s… anyway, just come tomorrow! Why ask so much!”

Gu Xun “tsk-ed”: “Fine, but if you make me and Ah Yan carry things, we’re definitely turning around and leaving!”

After the two agreed on a time, Shi Juntao hung up to contact Wang Xiaosong.

Gu Xun happily nudged Shen Yanzhi: “Shi Juntao is treating tomorrow! Fried chicken for us!”

They were close together, so Shen Yanzhi had heard about seventy or eighty percent of the phone conversation. He didn’t have much interest in fried chicken, but seeing Gu Xun happy, he also smiled.

That night at bedtime, Gu Xun again stubbornly stayed in Shen Yanzhi’s lower bunk, refusing to leave.

Shen Yanzhi was used to it. Since they had been playing games together, they only had to set the console aside and could sleep without even moving their positions.

Gu Xun was so dazed he was almost asleep, yet he still mumbled: “Why do I feel like you smell better than me…”

Shen Yanzhi was helpless: “I use the same body wash as you.”

Gu Xun hummed: “Then it’s your constitution that’s more fragrant than mine…”

The two of them went back and forth a few times over the issue of fragrance until Gu Xun finally went silent.

Shen Yanzhi listened to his breathing and gradually entered the world of dreams.

The next day, both of them woke up quite early. Gu Xun had specifically set an alarm because he was thinking about the fried chicken.

Shen Lan was surprised to see them come out for breakfast: “So early even on a holiday?”

Previously on weekends, they could sleep until the afternoon because of gaming. Now that they had seven days off, they were being diligent?

Gu Xun grabbed a small steamed bun from the table and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly: “Have an appointment with Juntao to go out.”

Shen Lan asked: “Going to play ball?”

Gu Xun shook his head, swallowed the bun, and then said: “No, he seems to need to buy something. Probably needs us to help carry it. Lunch is his treat—fried chicken!”

Hearing this, Shen Lan pulled her wallet from her bag, took out some notes for him and Shen Yanzhi, and instructed: “You two bring some too. Don’t always let others treat, you know?”

“Got it! If he can’t afford it, we’ll pay for ourselves!”

Gu Xun giggled as he took the money, and even stuffed Shen Yanzhi’s share into his pocket: “Money from the ‘Big Boss,’ take it quickly!”

Shen Yanzhi didn’t refuse, saying with a smile: “Thank you, Auntie Shen.”

Gu Xun quickly bumped him with his shoulder: “Stop thanking her! What if my mom gets so moved she empties her whole wallet!”

Shen Yanzhi laughed out loud at his words. Shen Lan poked Gu Xun’s forehead with her finger: “I’m going to sign you up for a cross-talk comedy class later!”

Gu Xun laughed loudly, saying he could be entirely self-taught and didn’t need training at all.

When Wang Xiaosong arrived, the two of them were just about ready to leave, so the three of them went together.

Just as they were leaving, Gu Xun started fumbling for coins as if he had lice on his body.

Wang Xiaosong asked: “What are you scratching for?”

Gu Xun: “Don’t we need to insert coins for the bus later? Our cards can only be swiped once per trip on the same bus. Do you have any in your pocket?”

Wang Xiaosong also started feeling around, and finally, they fished out two from a piggy bank Gu Xun had forgotten about eight hundred years ago.

Shen Yanzhi thought for a moment and said: “I should go get a card made in a bit too.”

Gu Xun took the task upon his mother: “I’ll have my mom do it for you later. It’s convenient for her to handle that.”

Talking all the way, the three of them arrived at the bus stop just as the bus they were waiting for arrived.

Shi Juntao was waiting for them at the stop near the entrance of the shopping street. By the time they arrived, Shi Juntao had already paced back and forth several times.

Gu Xun got off the bus and asked: “What exactly are you buying?”

He and Wang Xiaosong had made all sorts of guesses along the way; by now, their curiosity was about to explode.

Shi Juntao’s face instantly turned red, and he stammered: “Tell me… what’s good to buy as a birthday gift for a girl?”

Wang Xiaosong and Gu Xun both looked at each other in bewilderment. What???

A girl??? A birthday gift???

Gu Xun: “…In all my years, I’ve only given gifts to my mom and my kindergarten teacher. And my primary and middle school homeroom teachers were all men.”

Wang Xiaosong: “…Same as above.”

Then the three of them simultaneously turned their faces to look at Shen Yanzhi, their expressions craving knowledge.

Shen Yanzhi: “…”

Shen Yanzhi asked: “Why would I know?”

Gu Xun: “Intuition, I guess…”

Wang Xiaosong and Shi Juntao both nodded vigorously, expressing 120,000% trust in the “Male God” Shen.

Then Wang Xiaosong asked very gossipy: “Who are you planning to give it to?”

Shi Juntao: “Just… well, uh…”

Gu Xun was also curious: “Who?”

Shi Juntao’s eyes were wandering: “Song Xinxin…”

The three opposite him: “…”

Shi Juntao got a bit embarrassed and angry: “What! It’s not like Gu Xun likes her!”

Gu Xun: “…No, we just think you’re quite brave!”

Wang Xiaosong nodded vigorously. Shen Yanzhi remained silent.

Gu Xun coughed: “Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s head inside! There’s a new handmade glass shop! Buy that! Little girls will definitely like it!”

Shen Yanzhi turned to ask him: “How do you know?”

Gu Xun: “…I heard Xu Meng and the others talking about it.”

Shen Yanzhi kept looking at him.

Gu Xun: “…When I came back from basketball, didn’t I ask them for a tissue to wipe my sweat? That’s when I overheard it.”

Why does my heart feel so uneasy?