GRMFBS CH34

As soon as Zhan Suiru opened the door and entered the house, she heard footsteps thundering down the stairs from above.

Her younger brother, with his head full of messy curls, paused when he saw her, then grabbed a package from the table and shoved it into her hands. “Quick, take a look! I got you a present!”

Zhan Suiru opened it—inside was a book titled The Aesthetics of Art.

She raised her hand to swat him, but Zhan Yan had already anticipated it and darted off.

Zhan Suiru laughed and scolded, “Don’t run!”

Zhan Yan circled the coffee table and tossed another package at her. “This one! This one’s for you too!”

Zhan Suiru caught it. Inside was a set of rose-scented hand creams and a bag of rose candies. Almost everything Zhan Yan had brought back from Chunan had something to do with roses.

Zhan Suiru unwrapped a candy and popped it into her mouth, taking a deep, long breath. The fragrant rose aroma filled her, pushing out all the shadows she had tried so hard to suppress into the corners of her heart.

“Come here, let me give you a haircut.”

She washed her hands, applied the rose hand cream, and began fussing with his fluffy head.

Zhan Yan pointed and gestured in the mirror. “Hasn’t it gotten kind of long?”

Zhan Suiru said, “I’ll give you a new hairstyle—make it look good.”

Zhan Yan replied, “It gets messy like this. Make it shorter, even shorter.”

“I don’t like thick bangs.”

“Sis, is your sense of aesthetics even reliable?”

…

Zhan Suiru finally lost patience and pinned him down. “Quit nagging! These hands of your sister’s are worth a fortune!”

Zhan Yan looked at her through the mirror and suddenly smiled, his eyes curving into crescents.

Zhan Suiru paused for a moment, then snorted softly and muttered, “That sharp gaze of yours.”

Zhan Yan had sensed she wasn’t in a great mood since she got home, and had been deliberately trying to cheer her up.

Zhan Suiru gave him a stylish haircut, admired it for a few seconds with satisfaction, and then reached out to ruffle it. “Go take a shower! You’re covered in hair.”

Zhan Yan rinsed off in the bathroom, washing away all the loose strands.

Meanwhile, the “Energy” bar in his Gossip System was nearly full. Zhan Yan was planning to check the forums for some juicy gossip to finally level it up today.

In the spam section, the hottest current thread was a post accusing Zhao Qingnan of the Chiyang Sect of dating multiple women at once. Several girls had been unknowingly turned into “the other woman.”

After the original poster discovered the situation, Zhao Qingnan had asked for time, saying he’d explain everything. But it had been four months, and the scumbag had completely disappeared.

Zhan Yan began digging.

Zhao Qingnan seemed to be fairly well-known among the younger generation, and the post was gaining traction. Victims #2, #3, and #4 had come forward to confirm the story. Many commenters were asking why Zhao Qingnan hadn’t shown up to explain now that the matter had blown up.

Zhan Yan eventually found the juiciest update about Zhao Qingnan’s disappearance:

[Zhao Qingnan deceived the sacred beast Lushu into falling for him. Touched by what it thought was true love, Lushu used its divine power to make him pregnant—with ten children at once.]

Lushu! That was a legendary beast said to bless fertility. Zhao Qingnan really pulled something off!

45L:
Don’t be sad. Look on the bright side—maybe he got in a car accident?

46L “Approaching Science”:
Or better yet—maybe he’s the one pregnant and resting at home?

53L:
? Wait a second, is anyone actually reading what 46F just said?

55L:
I saw it. [stunned]

Are they joking? Some kind of anti-scumbag humor?

59L “Approaching Science”:
Not joking. He deceived Lushu into believing his love was real. Lushu was deeply moved, and feeling the emotional resonance, caused him to conceive. Now he’s pregnant with ten—because it was a divine conception, he can’t abort them. He’s hiding in a house behind the Chiyang Sect, resting.

You should go block the door.

The rest of the thread quickly devolved into a chorus of “hahahaha.”

The original poster and the other scammed girls joined forces and were planning to go confront him.

Lushu may grant fertility, but for a man to get pregnant, the conditions are strict. Zhao Qingnan had no genuine feelings, so what he carried weren’t real embryos, just clusters of fetal energy. Still, they couldn’t be expelled and had to go through the “birthing” process.

After reading this gossip, Zhan Yan’s energy bar finally filled up, and a previously greyed-out “Confidential Star” icon lit up.

Zhan Yan tapped on the little star.

[As long as it’s a secret you want to keep, no one can know it! As long as it’s related to you. Want to protect more secrets? Keep leveling up!]

Now he could make other pieces of information confidential! Though it came with conditions, it was still highly useful.

Zhan Yan immediately added his home address to the list. No one would be able to find their home by trying to track down his dad through shady means again.

Once he earned another little star, he should be able to apply this to protect other people’s information too. When that time came, his dad’s details would be locked down first.

After exiting the Gossip System, Zhan Yan suddenly received a bank message—his mom had just transferred him a large amount of money.

A message from Ji Yueming popped up: “Your travel allowance and commission.”

“Have fun.”

Zhan Yan: This is way too much!

Long live Mom!

Clutching his phone, Zhan Yan curled up on the bed and began calculating how many vacation days he had left.

A little over a week.

He could resign early from his internship at Zhenke News. Working all the way until the new semester was way too much like being a corporate drone. Now, with a sudden windfall, he could go anywhere. But… with whom? And where?

Zhan Yan wasn’t really a fan of traveling alone. He had plenty of friends and could easily find someone to go with, but… there wasn’t anyone he particularly wanted to travel with.

He opened his phone, his thumb swiping instinctively, until he landed on his chat with Gu Jiancheng.

Ever since that almost-confessional message last time, Zhan Yan hadn’t given him any new hints.

The day he got off the plane, he went straight to see Wen Yinghui, then contacted the flowerwood company. That night, while on the phone with Gu Jiancheng, they only talked for a few minutes before he fell asleep. It wasn’t until the next morning that he remembered—he’d forgotten to give a clue.

But Gu Jiancheng hadn’t asked for one, either.

Neither of them brought it up again. Zhan Yan had thought Gu Jiancheng’s silence meant, “The clue’s enough—I’ll find you any moment now.” But so many days had passed, and still, Gu Jiancheng hadn’t given him an answer.

So much for their unspoken connection!

Zhan Yan typed: “Goodnight.”

The phone call came through immediately. “Yanyan, you’re brushing me off like that?”

Zhan Yan huffed, “Who’s brushing off who? I only have a little over a week of break left.”

Gu Jiancheng couldn’t help but laugh. “Yanyan, do you want to see me?”

He had indeed purposely delayed investigating for a few days because he’d been looking into matters of the supernatural world—things he didn’t want Zhan Yan involved in.

Zhan Yan’s ears flushed red from his affectionate, lingering tone.

“Very soon,” Gu Jiancheng promised. “I want to give you a surprise.”

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

Zhan Yan smiled with his eyes, turned off his phone, and fell asleep full of anticipation.

—

The next morning, Zhan Yan, still drowsy, was dragged out of bed by his dad. One look at the clock—six o’clock.

“…Dad, why half an hour earlier again?” He said wearily, wiping his face with a towel. Wasn’t it six-thirty before?

Zhan Yunkai was full of energy. “Your fitness plan clearly says morning training starts at six.”

Zhan Yan: …Crap! That was a workout plan for high schoolers! It was meant to match the ridiculously intense schedule of a top student!

“…No need to be that precise with the time, right?”

Zhan Yunkai responded seriously, “You have to trust the professionals.”

Zhan Yan: This must be what people mean by “hoist with your own petard”…

Fine, he’d train. But afterward, he was definitely having an extra bowl of porridge! He could already smell the ham congee his dad was making!

Since he got up so early, Zhan Yan happened to run into Zhao Wen, who also exercised at this hour.

“Morning!” Zhao Wen was out for a jog and walking her big yellow mutt, named Da Mao.

Zhan Yan took the chance to pause for a break and reached out to pet Da Mao.

Da Mao let out a whine and darted behind Zhao Wen with his tail tucked.

Zhao Wen was surprised. “Huh? What’s going on? Weren’t you his favorite before?”

Zhan Yan had always been a hit with animals. Normally, Da Mao would wag his tail like crazy and rub all over him.

Zhan Yan pulled back his hand, feeling a little wronged. “Ah… maybe it’s because I assisted with a few neutering surgeries last semester.”

He was studying veterinary medicine. Ever since he’d participated in spay/neuter procedures, cats and dogs had been avoiding him all summer =_=

Zhao Wen: …Pfft.

Still tired after the workout, Zhan Yan walked into the doorframe when he got home.

Clutching his head, he crouched down.

Ji Yueming rushed over, startled. “Come here, let mom take a look!”

She pulled out antiseptic and gauze to tend to the bump. “Exercise is exercise, but why make the poor kid get up so early?”

Zhan Yan’s eyes were watery. He didn’t mean to cry, but the tears just wouldn’t stop.

Zhan Yunkai was startled too and immediately agreed to let him sleep in from now on.

“Exactly! The older two are just getting up now!” Ji Yueming carefully applied a square gauze patch. “Still hurt?”

Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru, just coming downstairs, suddenly being mentioned: ???

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Zhan Yan said, still a bit stuffy-nosed. “Breakfast time?”

Breakfast was ready. Everyone had their own place set at the table.

Zhan Yan looked at the green veggie and ham congee and shrimp rice rolls in front of everyone else… then looked at his own: a boiled egg and instant oatmeal.

His spirit cracked.

“Dad! That fitness meal is for serious bodybuilders!! I don’t need that!!”

Zhan Yan managed to negotiate a deal: one extra round of cardio in exchange for regular food. But today’s meal had already been prepared, so he still had to eat the fitness version.

He picked up the oatmeal with a grim face and sniffed.

The ham congee smelled amazing. The shrimp rice rolls looked exquisite—translucent skin wrapping whole shrimp, shredded carrots, chopped greens, and a glossy, savory sauce…

Zhan Yan’s pitiful expression won over Ji Yueming, who gave him half a bowl of congee.

Zhan Yan looked at her with gratitude.

Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru each gave him half a roll.

Human kindness still exists!

Zhan Yunkai swapped his own bowl of congee with Ji Yueming’s.

Zhan Yan looked down again, his whole demeanor full of silent grievance.

Zhan Yunkai went to flavor the oatmeal for him.

It was Friday. Zhan Yan couldn’t finish the egg, so he stuffed it in his pocket to take to work—and couldn’t help wondering what Gu Jiancheng’s “surprise” would be.

—

At the news agency, the returning editor-in-chief Zhen Hua was in high spirits and introduced a newcomer: “You were on break the past few days. We’ve got a new hire—come meet them.”

Morning sunlight spilled through the glass windows, falling across the wooden floors and desks. Gu Jiancheng stood by a table, dressed in a button-up and slacks, the shadows of the window frames crossing his jaw and shoulders.

Meanwhile, Zhan Yan stood there in workout clothes, with his stylishly tousled hair now mussed from stress, a gauze patch on his face, and a hard-boiled egg in his pocket.

[Surprised?]

The gossip system couldn’t help chiming in.

Gu Jiancheng looked up, practically glowing. He had been about to smile, but when he saw the gauze on Zhan Yan’s face, he hesitated, lips slightly parted…

Zhan Yan beat him to it: “Want an egg?”

Gu Jiancheng: …

Zhen Hua: ???

Zhan Yan ran both hands through his hair in frustration, only making it messier.

He curled his fingers, ready to stuff that dumb egg back into his pocket.

Gu Jiancheng reached out and took the egg right from his palm.