After Yin Moshu finished speaking, he was called away for filming, leaving Gu Jinmian standing there stunned.
It wasn’t until Liu called him several times that he snapped out of it.
Without saying a word, Gu Jinmian got in his car and drove away, leaving Liu looking bewildered. He drove over for so long in the middle of the night and didn’t wait for a moment, then he left again?
What was the point?
Gu Jinmian didn’t drive back to S City but went to B City, specifically to the high school where they had filmed the movie before, Qiuyang High School.
He returned to the park where he first saw Yin Moshu sitting on that bench.
That time, when he didn’t see Yin Moshu in the production team. He asked the staff and came to this dilapidated park. On the park bench, he saw him. At that time, Gu Jinmian had a brief moment of confusion. At that time, he didn’t know what he was confused about.
Even though Yin Moshu told him that there was a child here who said his smile was good-looking, at that time he only regarded Yin Moshu as the Yin Moshu in the book and that it must have been the details in the book, but he couldn’t remember.
Now being aware that Yin Moshu was He Bujin, and when Yin Moshu told him again in detail, he finally understood what that fleeting confusion moment was.
Gu Jinmian told Yin Moshu that he only remembered a handsome big brother but couldn’t recall what he looked like anymore.
That’s how he was.
Turns out, he remembered deeply, ingrained in his subconscious.
So much so that sixteen years later, seeing a description matching that face made him fall in love without reason.
The inexplicable love that readers and fellow book lovers didn’t understand, the love he couldn’t explain, now had an origin.
For him, it was because he liked paper characters that he had the chance to fall in love. It turns out, he fell in love with many paper characters because of one person.
Gu Jinmian walked up to the bench and sat down, hanging his head down.
When Yin Moshu took his self-introduction and asked him about his school, he said it was the least memory he wanted to recall.
Yin Moshu probably felt uncomfortable.
It was a memory Yin Moshu remembered so vividly.
Why was he so terrible, couldn’t do anything right, ranked first in “inserting the knife.”
Gu Jinmian sat there for a long time until the old street lights lit up.
Gu Jinmian’s father, Gu Yunpeng, was a wealthy businessman who enjoyed life. Apart from his reversed good fortune, he was known for his deep affection.
When he was young, he was a henpecked husband, always obeying his wife’s words. When they were poor, he sold land to build a garden for his wife. After his wife’s death, he didn’t come out for two years and almost followed her. Despite having money, he never found another partner.
Gu Yunpeng would laugh when talking about this, and if his son were present, he would look guilty and remorseful.
He was affectionate, treating his wife as everything, but in doing so, he let his son down.
Once he became wealthy, Gu Yunpeng wished to give all his money to his son, fulfilling every request. He spoiled him to the point where he had a fearless personality. Then, he asked a teacher if this was being a good father.
The teacher was at a loss for words.
“Putting aside whether what you’re doing now is right or not, those two years are something that can’t be compensated for now. From ages 3 to 6 is the crucial period for a child’s personality formation. At that time, they are establishing the order of the world in their hearts, and it’s the most sensitive period for people, especially considering that Mian Mian had facial nerve paralysis during that time.”
After hearing this, Gu Yunpeng would cry while drunk, hold him, and bring up the teacher’s words.
In truth, Gu Jinmian didn’t feel much about it. He didn’t want to recall those memories, and it wasn’t enough to leave a lasting impact on him.
His teacher also mentioned that it was quite rare for someone to maintain such a sunny and straightforward disposition after spending two years alone during a crucial period of understanding the world.
Now thinking about it, he didn’t harbor any shadows, and that was also due to the companionship he had during that time.
He wasn’t alone, even with facial paralysis, he had someone to talk to.
He had no lingering shadows because someone had held up a shield for him.
He managed to drill out from the bottom and walked into a place of warmth and light.
What about that person?
A lively commotion came from outside, indicating that it was the end of the school day at Qiuyang High School.
Gu Jinmian looked into the distance, slowly stood up from the chair, rubbed his eyes, and went against the flow of people towards the school.
During normal school hours, schools typically didn’t allow outsiders to enter casually. When Gu Jinmian was stopped by the school security, he took out his phone and opened his Baidu Baike page, saying, “I’m Gu Jinmian. I donated money to the school. I want to see the principal.”
The security guard: “.,,..”
The security guard might need some time to figure out who Gu Jinmian was, but the younger students were different.
Kids these days mature early, not to mention middle school students. Many students were fans of celebrities, and quite a few recognized him.
“He’s Yin Moshu’s boyfriend!”
“He’s the senior’s boyfriend!”
“Are you two really in love?”
They were at an age where they understood the entertainment industry and loved to question things. There had been numerous skeptical comments online before, and they remembered them well.
Gu Jinmian nodded. “Yes! He loves me very much.”
“Ah ah ah ah ah!”
They didn’t expect Gu Jinmian to answer them, let alone answer in such a way.
In reality, Gu Jinmian appeared even more vivid and real. As a wealthy young master, his skin was flawless, even better than girls their age. His face had a slight hint of innocence, but his beautiful eyes were incredibly charming. With a slight nod, his eyelashes fluttered, and a sweet joy overflowed.
A group of girls were sweetened to the point of exclaiming, “Ah ah ah.”
At the same time, at this age, they understood why fans always liked to call themselves “mama.”
Gu Jinmian felt a bit embarrassed being called by them. After the security guard made the call, he immediately headed towards the administrative building.
After a few steps, he turned back and said, “Don’t mention this online for now. At least wait until tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
“Did you come here secretly to investigate whether Yin Moshu had a crush on a girl in middle school?”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
If they had to think that way, he couldn’t help it.
After all, he couldn’t deny all speculations.
In the evening, Gu Jinyin browsed the internet for a while and found that there wasn’t a widespread discussion. He felt somewhat relieved and went to bed early. However, the absence of any discussion at all was impossible. Given the current popularity of Yin Moshu and the enthusiasm of CP fans, once the news was discovered, discussions would quickly unfold.
On the second day at noon, both Fatty and Liu found out.
The two of them were quite perplexed. Why would Gu Jinmian, come in the middle of the night, around three or four in the morning, and immediately go to investigate Yin Moshu’s middle school days?
It was hard to fathom what the boss had in mind.
They found it difficult to decide whether to tell Yin Moshu or not.
When they returned to the hotel, after weighing the pros and cons, they decided not to say anything. If they didn’t tell Yin Moshu, he might find out through Weibo anyway. If they did tell him, it might be considered as betraying the boss.
They were afraid that the boss would kick them out of the group chat temporarily when he distributed red envelopes in the future.
Xiao Liu and Fatty hastily returned to their rooms.
When Yin Moshu glanced at them, he swiped his card to open the door. However, when he looked up, he froze.
The room had undergone a drastic change since he left.
The once clean walls were now covered with graffiti in various old tones, filled with insults and weak confessions that dared not be spoken aloud. The graffiti, in a riot of colors, chaotically adorned the three walls, exuding a mix of youthful and adolescent vibes.
The living room was stripped of furniture like sofas and carpets, replaced by thick soil and stone slabs. Several sturdy trees, two peeling lampposts, and a worn-out bench were placed. Seated on the bench was a teenager in the uniform of Xuming Middle School, with short hair and eyes as clear and bright as before.
It seemed like that boy had grown up on the bench, progressing from middle school to high school.
Always waiting for him here.
Yin Moshu blinked, overwhelmed by the romantic impact of someone’s time looping. His fingertips trembled as he struggled to react.
When uncertain, his expression would revert to its original state, with that smile on his face.
High school student Gu Jinmian said, “Big Brother, your smile is really good-looking.”
Yin Moshu was left dumbfounded. His gaze softened and heated as it lingered on him, with a hint of somewhat greediness.
The uniform of Qiuyang Middle School High School, designed based on Xuming Middle School’s, featured a bright blue and clean white combination. Worn by Gu Jinmian, it looked perfectly fitting. With his naturally striking features, slender frame, and newly cropped hair, the uniform transformed him into a high school student seamlessly.
As he gazed at Yin Moshu with clean and moist almond-like eyes, the address “big brother” had an enchanting effect on the heart.
“What are you doing?” Yin Moshu asked in a hoarse voice.
Gu Jinmian pursed his lips and, in a poised manner, took out a letter from the baby teletubby backpack.
Now that he had grown up, he couldn’t hang a baby teletubby water bottle around his neck anymore. It was replaced by a baby teletubby backpack.
He handed the letter to Yin Moshu with both hands. “Big Brother, I’m here to send you a love letter.”
Yin Moshu raised an eyebrow. “Big Brother?”
Was calling him big brother displeasing? Wasn’t that how he used to be addressed?
“Senior, please accept my love letter!”
True to his acting skills, Yin Moshu’s aura changed instantly. He pulled Gu Jinyin aside, lazily sat on the bench, one arm resting on the armrest, legs crossed, and transformed into a seemingly arrogant senior.
He raised the corner of his mouth with a hint of playfulness. “Read it to me.”
Gu Jinmian: “…..”
He stiffly opened the envelope and, upon seeing the words on the sun-patterned stationery, his face immediately collapsed.
Nighttime was when emotions were most sensitive, and coupled with the fact that he had just learned the truth, after listening to the class teacher talk about Yin Moshu’s junior high school years, he realized his own intentions. Last night when he wrote, he felt that the words were real, but now he felt embarrassed and pinched his toes.
Isn’t it more shameful to read it out?
“Go ahead, read it, Junior.”
Gu Jinmian: “…I like you the most in this life.”
Yin Moshu’s expression froze for a moment, and the arrogant demeanor on his face almost cracked.
Internally, he felt a mix of emotions. Was this how love letters were written? No build-up, just straightforwardly confessing like this?
Gu Jinmian nervously fidgeted with his toes, and with a paralyzed face, continued reading, “From the beginning, I liked you the most. As I grew up, I still liked you the most. Even as I came into this different world, I still liked you the most. No matter how things change, it’s always you.”
Yin Moshu: “…”
Gu Jinmian wiped his sweaty palms on the school uniform pants. He wasn’t sure if it was due to nervousness or embarrassment.
“I said I couldn’t remember what you looked like; that was a lie. I always remember. So, seeing characters in the book described like you, I would fall in love with them, whether they are cannon fodder or villains. They are all stand-ins, but I’m definitely not a Sea King.” (TL: Internet buzzword, meaning “a player’)
Yin Moshu: “…..”
“I genuinely like you. When I wanted to be your mama, it was the real you. When I want to be your boyfriend, it’s still you. Before and after the transformation, it’s always you.”
Gu Jinmian was now shedding tears out of embarrassment. What on earth did he write? It was so mushy and awkward, utterly nonsensical.
In the beginning, he read slowly due to embarrassment, but as he progressed, his speed increased so much that he could barely understand it himself.
****
“In summary, can you be my boyfriend?”
Yin Moshu seemed to have been unresponsive for a few seconds, but it was only a brief pause. Then regained his usual demeanor and asked, “Is that it?”
The pretentiously innocent junior stared at him indignantly.
After all this effort, he just asked ‘is that it?’.
“Is a boy’s confession just words?” Yin Moshu’s gaze shifted to Gu Jinmian’s lips, which had turned red due to constant biting.
The implication was clear.
Gu Jinymian: “…”
He bit his lip, clutched the love letter, and walked toward Yin Moshu, bending down slightly to get closer to him.
Yin Moshu, sitting there like a lord, had his scrutinizing eyes fixed on Gu Jinmian. The dim streetlight cast a flickering light on them.
It had been a long time since they kissed.
As Gu Jinyin approached, he saw Yin Moshu’s lips, and his ears started to burn. A surge of heat spread through his body, as chaotic as his heartbeat.
It clearly wasn’t like this before.
Gu Jinmian swallowed hard. Feeling Yin Moshu’s shallow breath and the fragrance he liked, he closed his eyes.
His trembling eyelashes pressed against his eyes as he leaned in gradually.
The breath on his face became heavier and hotter—until a palm pressed against his face, pushing him away.
Gu Jinmian was left dumbfounded.
After seeing Yin Moshu’s seemingly insincere expression, a mix of anger and embarrassment surged within him.
“Who allowed you to kiss? The confession hasn’t even been answered yet, and you’ve already wanted to kiss?”
Yin Moshu’s enigmatic gaze fixed on his beet-red ears as he calmly said, “So you’re in such a hurry to be ‘intimate.'”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
Was he like this back then?
Wasn’t he the one who used to stick to him so much? The one he couldn’t shake off no matter how hard he tried?
Suddenly, Gu Jinmian thought of a point to balance his current embarrassment and anger.
“What’s this about you writing that Gu Jinmian clings to Ji Nan? Are you trying to sabotage me out of revenge, or do you specifically want me to be with someone else?”
Yin Moshu: “…”
Gu Jinmian: “You still think I’m a man!”
Yin Moshu: “…”
“I’m a first grader, and you’re in the first year of junior high school. That time, aren’t you at least five years older than me?”
Yin Moshu: “… it’s barely five years.”
“Too much of a loss, won’t confess. I need to go back and think about it.” Saying this, he started to leave.
Yin Moshu quickly grabbed him, and Gu Jinmian turned to look at him with a hint of smugness in his eyes. “I can let you bully me a bit, but don’t go too far.”
Yin Moshu: “People leave when they leave. Leave the love letter, in case it gets exposed later, it won’t be good for me.”
Gu Jinmian: “…”
He stared at Yin Moshu in disbelief. Seeing that Yin Moshu maintained this attitude for more than ten seconds, he angrily slapped the love letter into his arms. With one hand, he picked up the teletubby backpack, swung it to the back and headed to the bedroom.
Yin Moshu loosened his collar, took a deep breath, and looked down at the love letter.
He carefully stored the love letter, and went into the bathroom to wash his face. When he lifted his eyes, he saw the deep desire in them being reflected in the mirror.
Gu Jinmian was unaware. When Yin Moshu opened the door and saw him sitting on the bench in his school uniform, the impact on his heart and body was completely different.
Just now, he almost pressed Gu Jinmian onto the chair.
However, not yet, not enough yet. It’s almost there.
When Yin Moshu returned to the bedroom after taking a shower, Gu Jinmian was lying on the sofa with his back to the door.
Yin Moshu walked over to sit in front of him, reached out and pulled the zipper of his school uniform, slowly pulling his neck towards him.
“Which student was deceived into giving this?”
“The principal gave it to me personally, ” Gu Jinmian snorted.”I don’t wear anyone else’s clothes.”
“Were the chairs and streetlights secretly carried back in the middle of the night?”
“It’s too old to use anymore. I donated a whole new set to the park and also donated two pavilions, ” he muttered. “This way, whoever learns from you in the future won’t get caught in the rain after the fight.”
Yin Moshu said, “Friends in first grade will no longer become drowned rats, their hair will be like a dog had licked them.”
Gu Jinmian: “…..”
The zipper of the school uniform was pulled to the bottom, revealing the white shirt inside. The white shirt had an obedient student collar, and Yin Moshu began to unbutton it again.
Gu Jinmian realized something was wrong and said, “What are you doing?”
“Taking off your school uniform, you look like you’re sixteen or seventeen years old,” Yin Moshu said in a low, playful voice. “And sleeping in the same room feels like it’s a crime.”
Gu Jinmian: “….”
Without further ado from Yin Moshu, he went to the cloakroom and took it off himself.
As he took it off, he thought to himself: A stereotypical man, no fun in the future.
With that in mind, he rummaged through the wardrobe, running his hands over the clothes. He found a loose-fitting shirt that was as comfortable as pajamas from Yin Moshu’s. Squinting his eyes, he changed into it.
As he emerged, Yin Moshu was engrossed in his phone, a noticeable smile playing on his lips. Upon hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyes and saw the transformation, his grip on the phone tightening.
Having been filming here for a while, occasionally doing street shoots, his stylist had prepared him with many new sets of clothes and just sent them over for him to try on.
This shirt was meant to be worn under a sweater in autumn and winter, making it particularly loose, let alone on Gu Jinmian.
Wearing a shirt under the woolen sweater, one or two buttons were unbuttoned, revealing the collar of the high-necked sweater. Gu Jinmian wore it right; when he walked, the large neckline showcased his fair collarbone as it swayed gracefully.
“Wearing such a mature shirt doesn’t make it look like a crime, right?” It was a question, as if he were seriously asking him, but the unyielding provocative undertone couldn’t be hidden.
However, he only held onto the deep and silent gaze of Yin Moshu for a moment, quickly slipping into the bed, explaining in a vague manner, “I just didn’t wear pants, my legs are cold.”
Yin Moshu sat stiffly in place for a long time.
Gu Jinmian said, “Come up here, aren’t you sleeping?”
Yin Moshu: “…..”
“I’ll go sleep in the study,” For the first time, Yin Moshu said with an unusual uncertainty.
“No way!”
He was just confessed to and now wants to go to the study to sleep?
“You haven’t explained clearly to me what you mean by Gu Jinmian liking Ji Nan for so many years.”
Yin Moshu pinched his brow, hesitated for a while, and then reluctantly got into bed.
“I didn’t write it,” he said, lying on the other side of the bed.
Gu Jinmian remembered Yin Moshu saying he couldn’t stand it when others coveted him. He pursed his lips, and brought his upturned mouth into a tight line. “Then why is it like this?”
“If ‘Entertainment Supreme’ were to be made into a movie, Gu Jinmian would already be beyond the top level. How could I possibly describe him in such detail?”
“So, you’re saying I’m not important, not worth your effort, and the world completes on its own.”
Gu Jinmian cleverly said, “But it’s not entirely baseless completion, right? Is it based on your foreshadowing or something you’ve thought about?”
Yin Moshu knew he couldn’t hide it anymore and had to tell him, “Back when I took you to the arcade, I told you to follow closely and not follow the wrong person; otherwise, you’ll be bullied and cry. You agreed.”
“?”
Gu Jinmian half sat up and looked at him, “You, so malicious and scheming!”
“Yes, I’m just that malicious, it’s ingrained in my bones and blood.” Yin Moshu reached out and pushed him back down. “Therefore, be cautious.”
Gu Jinmian wanted to sit up again and continue, “This is not the same thing at all.”
Yin Moshu, not wanting to discuss the issue further, picked up his phone and placed it between their pillows.
Outside the gate of Xuming High School, someone was surrounded by students.
“Are you really in love?”
“Yes! He loves me very much.”
The bedroom immediately returned to its rightful quiet state.
