The taxi stopped by the roadside. Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin got out with their schoolbags, entering the residential complex one after the other. It was just eight o'clock. They didn't dare to knock too hard, afraid of disturbing the neighbors' sleep-in.

The door opened, and Pei Zhi stood frozen inside, his sleepiness vanishing in an instant. He looked first at Zhuang Fanxin, then at Gu Zhuoyan. When he looked at Gu Zhuoyan, his pupils trembled, his unspoken thought being, 'What's going on?'

Zhuang Fanxin said bluntly, "I already know you two have been contacting each other privately."

Pei Zhi quickly waved his hands. "Don't misunderstand—"

Zhuang Fanxin snapped his fingers, looking quite cool. Then, Gu Zhuoyan actually bowed. "Thank you for helping me." After bowing, he was so embarrassed that he couldn't look at anyone, instead tilting his head up to stare at the doorframe. Growing up, he had met many wealthy businessmen and political figures with his parents, and had even sat in a room full of diplomats listening to rare talks, but no matter who he met, he had never been this deferential.

Early in the morning, like a little kid being dragged up by his parents to give New Year's greetings to his granduncle, Gu Zhuoyan was brought by Zhuang Fanxin to thank Pei Zhi. After thanking him and entering the house, Zhuang Fanxin gave Pei Zhi a hug. "You saw that I was being silly and were too embarrassed to say it plainly, so you contacted him secretly. I understand everything."

Pei Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the gratification of seeing his little brother grow up and get enlightened. "You agreed? That's great, that's great. Go for it."

Ten minutes later, Pei Zhi felt that something wasn't right. After thanking him, the two of them sat down in the living room and started eating yogurt, potato chips, and cookies, nearly finishing his entire week's worth of snacks.

Zhuang Fanxin opened a pack of lover plums and fed one to Gu Zhuoyan. Gu Zhuoyan chewed it, then wiped away the crumbs from the corner of Zhuang Fanxin's mouth with the back of his hand. What a picture of sweet affection in the early stages of a relationship. Pei Zhi folded his arms and asked, "What are you two planning to do next?"

Zhuang Fanxin grinned. "We're afraid of being found out at home, so we were thinking of doing our homework here."

After finishing the pack of lover plums, Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin took out their books and started studying. Pei Zhi washed up, ate breakfast, and took out the trash. In all his coming and going, he didn't hear a single word unrelated to studying.

Zhuang Fanxin held a stack of bound lecture notes. Every formula, every example problem, had been compiled for him by Gu Zhuoyan himself. When Gu Zhuoyan explained, he listened attentively. When Gu Zhuoyan asked, he answered seriously. When Gu Zhuoyan's voice grew hoarse, he quickly refilled his cup with hot water.

After two full hours of explaining, Gu Zhuoyan stopped and, striking while the iron was hot, assigned a test paper. Zhuang Fanxin scribbled away at it, and immediately after finishing, he started correcting his mistakes without pause. Pei Zhi couldn't watch anymore. He had originally thought doing homework was just a pretense. After all, when a young couple gets together, they do everything but study. Who would have thought that Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin did nothing but study.

Having been caught kissing in the break room before, Pei Zhi had thought their roles might be reversed today. Not a chance. He carried his easel back to his room.

"Tired?" Gu Zhuoyan asked after they finished correcting the problems.

Zhuang Fanxin rubbed his eyes. "A little."

Gu Zhuoyan sat cross-legged by the coffee table. He gripped Zhuang Fanxin under the armpits and placed him in front of him, his chest serving as a cushion and his shoulder as a pillow. In such a tender, close state, a simple folding of the arms could lead to an embrace, a tilt of the head to a kiss, but the two of them just nestled quietly together and picked up a phone to start a lesson from a prestigious school's online class.

But they were only mortal, after all. Gu Zhuoyan's hand wrapped around Zhuang Fanxin's lower abdomen from behind. It was completely flat. He caressed upwards, feeling the distinct lines of his ribs. His mind wandered slightly. 'Too skinny. It would be better if you were a bit chubbier.'

Zhuang Fanxin muttered, "My mom confiscated the potato chips."

Gu Zhuoyan pinched that soft belly. "Being a picky eater is one thing, but you also love eating junk food."

Zhuang Fanxin suddenly smiled. He'd never had a crush before, but he often eavesdropped on Qi Nan and the Class Monitor discussing the ways of love, and he'd also been forced to describe his ideal type. He had forgotten how he'd fabricated it, only remembering two points: he hoped the other person would be willing to cook for him, wouldn't mind his picky eating, and would watch his favorite movies with him.

Silence fell behind him. Gu Zhuoyan was a young master who had never lifted a finger to do housework; let alone cook, he had never even served his own food at home. The movie-watching was also a weak spot, one that remained uncured. Zhuang Fanxin leaned back on Gu Zhuoyan's shoulder and rubbed against it, saying, "Don't panic. I thought of a new one for you last night."

Gu Zhuoyan was all ears. "Do tell."

Zhuang Fanxin twisted around in his arms, his butt pressing against the base of Gu Zhuoyan's thigh and turning half a circle. The friction lit a fire in Gu Zhuoyan's eyes. He held him down tightly and, half-pleading and half-threatening, nibbled his ear. "Stop fucking squirming!"

After squirming, Zhuang Fanxin snuggled sideways into the crook of his arm, acting subservient and small, his demeanor meeker than a small pet. When he opened his mouth, his tone was filled with deferential adoration. "I've never ranked in the top ten of our grade before. Can you help me ascend?"

Gu Zhuoyan lowered his gaze, stunned. "You mean?"

Zhuang Fanxin said, "It's too late for midterms. Let's do homework together every day, and you can tutor me. Can you help me get into the top ten of our grade for the finals this term? I'm already with you, so shouldn't I ride your coattails and become a top student?"

Having been led astray before, Gu Zhuoyan felt a bit of 'once bitten, twice shy'. "You're not with me just because I'm good at studying, are you?"

Zhuang Fanxin glared at him. "How can you see me like that?"

"Just look at how you were acting just now." Gu Zhuoyan roughly ruffled the back of Zhuang Fanxin's head. "Acting all cute and wheedling, just like a sugar baby cozying up to their sugar daddy. Other sugar babies ask for cars and houses; you ask for a top-ten grade ranking."

Zhuang Fanxin tried to glorify himself. "I'm an academic-type sugar baby, then."

Gu Zhuoyan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was completely at his mercy. Even if Zhuang Fanxin was a love swindler, he would accept it. They ordered takeout for lunch, ate a few bites, and continued studying. The day passed in a flash.

Zhuang Fanxin stretched and left the living room. Following the smell of paint to the bedroom, he found Pei Zhi painting. Seeing him approach, Pei Zhi said, "I'm trying not to be a third wheel and disturb you two, yet you still come looking for me."

Zhuang Fanxin pulled up a chair to sit beside him, holding the paint palette for him like a servant. "You already know about me and Gu Zhuoyan, so does that mean I can also know about... you and that upperclassman?"

Pei Zhi stared at the canvas. "What do you want to know?"

Zhuang Fanxin asked, "Is your upperclassman from Harvard?"

Pei Zhi was speechless. "Do you think Harvard is a vegetable market you can just go to whenever you want?"

Zhuang Fanxin was extremely proud. "Gu Zhuoyan is going to apply to Harvard." He was so proud it made him worried, and he secretly decided to come out before university. That way, when Gu Zhuoyan got into Harvard, he could brag that his partner was from Harvard. "Before, when I asked you to go to the movies, you wouldn't go. Could it be that you went with your upperclassman?"

Pei Zhi chuckled. "You're quite clever now."

"Brother." Calling him that never meant anything good. Zhuang Fanxin asked curiously, "Is a long-distance relationship hard?"

Pei Zhi lowered his eyes. "I wouldn't really know."

Zhuang Fanxin asked, "Aren't you and that upperclassman in a long-distance relationship?"

Only then did Pei Zhi look at him. "No, we're not dating." His gaze was as still as a lake. "It's a bit complicated between us. Just forget what happened in the break room. He suddenly came onto me, and I couldn't resist, which is when you saw us."

Zhuang Fanxin's mouth fell slightly open. He was indeed cautious and conservative, his way of thinking conventional. He believed only lovers could engage in intimate acts. Hearing Pei Zhi say this now was like a young monk descending from the mountain and being dazzled by the world of sensual pleasures.

A cool sensation touched his cheek. Pei Zhi had painted a streak of oil paint on his face, changing the subject. "Your partner is being awfully quiet by himself. Go check on him."

Zhuang Fanxin tiptoed back to the living room and peeked. He saw Gu Zhuoyan bent over the coffee table, working through problems. He wrote out formulas and drew diagrams with extreme speed, filling up a sheet of scratch paper in about ten minutes. The oil paint on his cheek gradually dried, and the fish in the tank swam back and forth nearly a hundred times before Gu Zhuoyan finally looked up at him. When he spoke, his voice was even more charming: "Come, I'll explain a few more problems."

The class group chat had been silent for several days. On Sunday night, Xia Wei reminded everyone not to be late for the midterm exams and to strictly abide by the exam rules and regulations. This was Gu Zhuoyan's first exam since entering Tianji High School. The group fight had caused Xia Wei's bonus to be docked, so he had to make up for it this time.

On the day of the exam, the entire second year of the science track was shocked.

The exam rooms and seating were always arranged according to the previous exam's results. For the others, it was based on the final exam results from the last semester. For Gu Zhuoyan, it was based on his entrance exam results. In any case, it was the same set of papers. When Gu Zhuoyan slung his bag off and took seat number one in Class 1, it was an unspoken announcement that he had become number one in the grade.

At the beginning of the school year, everyone only knew that a particularly handsome transfer student had come to Class 3. After the fight broke out, everyone assumed Gu Zhuoyan was just messing around and not studying. They heard he even acted crazy by opening an umbrella in class. The rumors spread, and in short, he had gained a bad reputation.

Zhuang Fanxin and the Class Monitor were taking the exam in Class 2, sitting one behind the other. Before the exam, they faced each other while reviewing their books. The Class Monitor said, "Sigh, as the Class Monitor, I'm not first in the class. It's really upsetting."

Zhuang Fanxin comforted him, "Maybe you'll surpass Gu Zhuoyan this time."

The Class Monitor said, "There's an entire class's worth of people between him and me in the rankings. Do you think that's realistic?"

Zhuang Fanxin was asking for a beating. "Then let him be the Class Monitor." After saying that, he got punched. He punched back, and he and the Class Monitor fooled around so much their books went flying. A tall figure appeared at the door. Gu Zhuoyan walked in holding a freshly filled cup of water, attracting everyone's gaze. He walked to the desk, gave the cup to Zhuang Fanxin, and then broke off half of his eraser for him.

The three of them discussed what to eat for lunch, when the Class Monitor suddenly said, "Did you guys know? They installed a security camera in the little corner."

"Really?" Zhuang Fanxin said in pleasant surprise. "They should have installed one long ago. Let's see who dares to break the rules there now."

The Class Monitor rolled his eyes. "You little idiot. The ones breaking the law are a minority, after all. Can we still sneak off to slurp noodles in the future? Can we still hide and play on our phones during P.E. class? Can the little couples still hide there to make out?"

Gu Zhuoyan unconsciously looked at Zhuang Fanxin, and Zhuang Fanxin couldn't help but lift his eyes. Their gazes met, this little couple carrying on a secret affair in front of a room full of people. Zhuang Fanxin recalled the feeling of making out, how Gu Zhuoyan had held him and gnawed on his lips until they were swollen. As if seeing through his thoughts, he felt a pain on the tip of his ear. Gu Zhuoyan had reached out and pinched it.

Zhuang Fanxin asked with a red face, "Class Monitor, have you ever kissed anyone?"

The Class Monitor said, "Of all the things to ask, you just had to bring up my sore spot." He grabbed Zhuang Fanxin's collar and yanked. "The Sports Committee Member is already with Lin Xiao'an. We have to try harder too!"

Zhuang Fanxin's gaze wavered, darting specifically towards Gu Zhuoyan. The Class Monitor asked strangely, "Why do you keep looking at him?"

Gu Zhuoyan said, "He's telling me to try harder too." He hooked an arm around Zhuang Fanxin's shoulder and pulled him over. The bell rang, and everyone returned to their seats. He took advantage of the chaos to lean down. "It's okay if you don't do well on the exam."

The edge of his lips brushed past the tip of his ear, and the slight pain instantly turned into a burning heat.

After the exams finished on Tuesday afternoon, school let out early. A group of boys went to Yinan's Time to drink milk tea. The Sports Committee Member, having gloriously escaped singlehood, treated everyone amidst their teasing. Gu Zhuoyan ordered an extra Summer's First Love to go. By the time he got home, the layer of ice cream had melted into a milkshake.

At the end of the alley, a narrow path branched off. There was hardly anyone around. Gu Zhuoyan and Zhuang Fanxin sat on a stone at the base of the wall, eating together. Zhuang Fanxin hadn't been to the Xue Family's house in a long time. The old are the most cunning, as they say. He was afraid Xue Maochen would see through something, and he was also afraid...

He glanced at the main gate. "Is little sister home?"

Gu Zhuoyan hmphed. "For you, she writes poems; for you, she paints pictures; for you, she's rapidly entering puberty."

The little girl had guts. Her confession had been rejected, but her crush hadn't died. Whenever she saw Zhuang Fanxin, she would cast flirtatious glances, hoping to knock open the door to Zhuang Fanxin's heart before fifth grade.

Zhuang Fanxin was very troubled. "I don't even dare to see little sister anymore."

Gu Zhuoyan said, "You specialize in driving us Gu siblings crazy. You almost drove the older brother insane and the younger sister silly. It's a good thing Bond was neutered." He spoke in a strange, sarcastic tone, even getting jealous of his own sister. As his jealousy grew, he let it slip, "Back then, I deliberately hit on you. Maybe you really could have angered my dad to the point of fainting."

The air suddenly fell silent. Zhuang Fanxin narrowed his eyes. "You hit on me back then to piss off your dad?"

Gu Zhuoyan's tongue felt tied. "Yes... when I first came to Rong City, I was a bit of a mess..." Might as well confess. "When I met you, I had some not-so-good ideas."

Zhuang Fanxin said, "You didn't even know my sexual orientation, and you wanted to use me?"

"Your hair was all curly back then. How straight could you be?" Gu Zhuoyan recalled the first time he saw Zhuang Fanxin. "I started to genuinely like you later. When I went home for National Day, I even used threats and bribes to make Baoyan not mention you."

Zhuang Fanxin's focus shifted. "When did you genuinely start to like me?"

Gu Zhuoyan remembered clearly. "I kept falling slowly, but the biggest change happened that rainy day you burrowed into my clothes."

Zhuang Fanxin was taken aback. "We didn't have enough rain gear... I've done that with Qi Nan and the Class Monitor too."

Gu Zhuoyan got anxious. "You fucking— Not anymore!"

Seeing their relationship on the verge of splintering, Zhuang Fanxin nodded repeatedly. He accidentally choked on a tapioca pearl and started coughing. After he calmed down, his teary eyes looked as if they were trying to seduce someone. Gu Zhuoyan took a breath. The surroundings were quiet, and the setting sun was just right. He leaned in and kissed the corner of Zhuang Fanxin's eye.

Pecking the teardrop away, Gu Zhuoyan's lips tasted slightly salty. "Back then, when you ordered me a Summer's First Love, could it be that it was already fated?"

Zhuang Fanxin stammered, "I also ordered a Waking Hour. Does that mean..."

"Stop." A basic rule of dating: you don't have to say sweet nothings, but don't be a buzzkill. Gu Zhuoyan pulled him to his feet. "Let's go home. Your mom's calling you for dinner."

They parted ways at the end of the alley. After watching Zhuang Fanxin go inside, Gu Zhuoyan turned to go home. Gu Baoyan was running out, leading Bond on a leash. He blocked the little girl with one hand and said, "Call me 'Big Brother'."

"My foot."

Gu Zhuoyan held back his temper. "I'll tell you something about Brother Xiao Zhuang."

"Big brother!"

Gu Zhuoyan smiled. "Stop crushing on your sister-in-law."