The sound was neither too loud nor too soft; it was just loud enough for us to hear.
Gu Chenxiangyu didn't react to the sound.
At least, it didn't react as the boy had anticipated.
Xiang Yu basically divided the shrimp in the bowl in half and said, "You eat too."
Gu Chen smiled and said, "Okay."
Seeing that the two were doing whatever they wanted without even glancing at him, the boy felt embarrassed and was about to shout loudly to continue his mockery when a waiter came over and warned him.
To be precise, it was advice.
"Sir," the waiter said, "please don't disturb other customers."
After saying that, she secretly played a video she had saved on her phone a long time ago for him. It showed the scene when Xiang Yu first came to Shengshi.
The video circulated among the onlookers at the time.
The video is quite clear, and the face in the video matches the face of the person dining in the corner.
The waiter was right; the man was indeed a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the punch he'd received in the video would land on his face.
After that, he ate in silence and didn't say a word, becoming much quieter.
After Gu Chen and Xiang Yu finished their meal and paid the bill, they left, completely ignoring the boy.
Gu Chen bought Xiang Yu a hot fruit tea at the milk tea shop across from Shengshi. While waiting for the order, he asked, "Boyfriend, were you angry just now?"
Xiang Yu shook his head. "His attitude was bad, but he was telling the truth."
They are gay, but so what?
Homosexuality is not a disease but a choice. We all live on the same land. Does his sexual orientation hinder others? He is creating value for society in a different way, even more valuable than those who gossip.
"I don't think it's a big deal either." There were no other customers in the store, and Gu Chen took advantage of the shop assistant's inattention to lean over and kiss Xiang Yu's lips. "But I'm afraid you'll be angry."
Xiang Yu glanced at the shop assistant and, seeing that the person was still mixing fruit tea and hadn't turned around, quickly replied with Gu Chen's name.
Gu Chen was stunned, not expecting her boyfriend to be so bold, and couldn't stop laughing.
Xiang Yu chuckled a few times as well.
The shop assistant turned to bag the fruit tea and handed it to Xiang Yu, who was smiling. Xiang Yu returned the smile with a bright smile, saying, "Welcome back next time!"
Gu Chen smiled and said, "Thank you, Happy New Year."
Afterwards, Xiang Yu was clearly in a good mood, and her smile never faded when she was with Gu Chen.
Time flew by in a blur. Gu Chen felt like he had just brought his deskmate out and hadn't done anything yet when it got dark.
The street was bright and festive, with lanterns and decorations adding to the New Year's atmosphere. The two held hands tightly.
Gu Chen put their hands into the outer pockets of his down jacket. They were warm and cozy, and Xiang Yu's palms were even sweaty, but he didn't try to pull them out.
Unlike in late autumn, the plane trees lining the street no longer have all their leaves fallen, leaving only bare trunks and branches.
The tree trunk remained thick and sturdy. It was completely dark at this time of day, and there was practically no one on the road.
Gu Chen stopped beside the sycamore tree. "Boyfriend."
Xiang Yu had already taken a step, but seeing that Gu Chen had stopped, she stopped and turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"
Gu Chen approached step by step, his breath falling on Xiang Yu's face, getting closer and closer.
Using the thick trunk of the sycamore tree and the cars parked by the roadside as cover, Xiang Yu knew exactly what the other party wanted from this excellent vantage point.
Xiang Yu's back was pressed against the sycamore tree, with Gu Chen's leg forcefully blocking him.
It seems like the option is for Xiangyu to either lean against a tree or sit on one's lap, giving him a choice.
Even though I'm wearing thick clothes in winter, there's no discomfort on my back from the constant pressure.
It wasn't their first kiss, and Gu Chen's kissing skills had improved rapidly compared to before, but Xiang Yu was like a greenhorn.
Xiang Yu's lips parted slightly as she accepted the other's gentle invasion, her breath stolen in the tenderness.
Xiang Yu reached out and gently pushed the other's chest, but when he couldn't push it, he slid down to Gu Chen's waist. Just as he tried to push, Gu Chen grabbed his hand and pulled it around his waist.
"Hold me close."
Gu Chen separated from the other person slightly, and before he could even catch his breath, he moved closer again.
Xiang Yu's body went limp, and she succumbed to his gentle advances.
Until they parted ways.
"Whoosh—"
Xiang Yu gasped for breath, her eyes glazed as she looked at Gu Chen, her lips slightly swollen from being sucked.
"Good boy." Gu Chen gently stroked his face. "You seemed to be in a bad mood this morning. Are you feeling better now?"
"Um……"
"Can your boyfriend tell you why you're in a bad mood?" Gu Chen coaxed him gently.
"I didn't sleep well, I had some strange dreams," Xiang Yu said slowly, turning her head to look to the side, "plus my mom..."
Both the actions and the speech came to an abrupt halt.
The passenger-side window of the car used as cover by the roadside was half-lowered at some point, revealing Sun Xiaoli's tired face in the driver's seat.
Xiang Yu's mind went blank, and it took him a long time to speak.
"mom."
Sun Xiaoli seemed to have just woken up, rubbing her temples. It was unclear whether she had heard Xiang Yu calling her.
There was no direct response.
"Get in the car." Sun Xiaoli's tone was calm, yet extremely authoritative.
Xiang Yu's cry of "Mom!" left Gu Chen stunned.
This is a black Geely Emgrand, not a car that Xiangyu recognizes, and it doesn't have any police markings.
"Mom, I..."
Xiang Yu was interrupted by Sun Xiaoli before he could finish speaking.
"Get in the car."
The voice was louder than the previous one, so forceful that it brooked no refusal.
After speaking, Sun Xiaoli looked at Gu Chen with deep eyes, as if she could see through any lie at a glance.
"You get on the bus too."
Chapter 81 Thank you, Dad and Mom, and I'm sorry.
Chapter 81 A Late Journey: Dad, Mom, thank you, and I'm sorry.
No one moved in the car.
Gu Chen and Xiang Yu sat in the back seat, neither of them speaking first. The car was silent, like the calm before a storm.
Gu Chen and Xiang Yu exchanged a glance. Since things had come to this point, there was no need to hide anything; it was better to just be frank.
Xiang Yu made this decision but failed to seize the opportunity, as Sun Xiaoli beat him to it.
"Name."
His tone was serious and authoritative, even though Sun Xiaoli had tried her best to suppress the anger in her heart.
But once the words are spoken, it's like interrogating a criminal.
"Gu Chen."
After Gu Chen answered, he didn't say anything more, and the car fell silent again.
The car was still parked in the parking space. Sun Xiaoli stared straight ahead, trying to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the rearview mirror in order to guess what she was thinking.
Unfortunately, it ended in failure.
Sun Xiaoli seemed to have thought about it for a long time before finally picking up the thermos cup next to her, unscrewing it, and taking a sip.
He let out a long sigh, "Sigh—"
When Sun Xiaoli sighed, Xiang Yu's nerves tightened as well.
“The car broke down a little when I drove it into the living room this morning, so I took it to get it repaired,” Sun Xiaoli said, her tone returning to its usual calm, as if nothing had happened. “This is my colleague’s car, which is for the night shift. I need to return it tomorrow morning.”
After saying that, he started the car, without waiting for the two children to speak.
Question: "Where do you live?"
Knowing that the question was directed at him, Gu Chen answered truthfully, "Xin Yuan."
Sun Xiaoli didn't know where Xinyuan was, so she opened the navigation.
Xiang Yu tried to speak several times, but Gu Chen stopped her.
Gu Chen said, "Auntie, I looked for Xiang Yu first."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiang Yu looked at him with sparkling eyes, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something.
Gu Chen shook his head.
Sun Xiaoli noticed the subtle movements in the back row and hummed in response.
Gu Chen was about to continue speaking, but Sun Xiaoli didn't want to discuss the matter with him.
I asked casually, "What do your family members do?"
Gu Chen answered fluently, "My dad is a literature professor at X University, and my mom is a writer."
A family of scholars and highly educated individuals.
Sun Xiaoli hummed in agreement, then fell silent again.
The car followed the navigation all the way, and every time Gu Chen wanted to explain the matter, Sun Xiaoli would interrupt him with something unrelated before he could even open his mouth. This happened every single time.
After this happened several times, Gu Chen stopped talking and fell silent with Xiang Yu.
Sun Xiaoli's attitude and thoughts at this moment remain a mystery.