Boyfriend Always Thinks I’m a Little Pitiful Chapter 107

Ever since he went to study in Country M, Xie Ci hadn't visited Old Street. Over the years, the city's renovation had changed Old Street, making it different from what Xie Ci remembered. The old road used to have only two lanes, mostly occupied by street vendors, making it crowded even for pedestrians. Now, the road had been widened, and the street vendors were organized, turning it into a pedestrian street.

The internet cafes and KTVs were still in business, though with new facades. The row of stationery stores was still filled with various small items, like a little world, a favorite spot for many students. Xie Ci's gaze fell on the red fire hydrant by the street, the place where he first saw Gu Yufeng after being reborn. The image of the handsome young man holding a bundle of cash and pretending to ask for directions was still vivid in his mind.

Beside him, Gu Yufeng's attention was on the small alley across the street. The alley used to have several large trash bins, with the ground around them blackened and smelly, cluttered with various items. Now it was completely renewed, with tiled ground, but he still felt like any moment, a delinquent youth in a worn school uniform with a stern look would walk out, ignoring everyone as he headed back to school.

Gu Yufeng couldn't help but turn to look at Xie Ci, who happened to look back at him. Their eyes met, and they instantly understood what each other was thinking.

"Was it you who called the police back then?" Xie Ci asked.

Gu Yufeng teased, "Your reaction time is really slow."

When they first met, Xie Ci didn't know that Gu Yufeng had also been reborn, so he didn't think in that direction. He just assumed it was some uncontrollable effect of his rebirth that caused the police to arrive early. Looking back now, Gu Yufeng had come from Country D specifically to find him, so naturally, he would intervene in his affairs.

"The uncle who sold egg burgers has opened a shop," Zhang Ruochuan pointed to a snack shop at the end of the pedestrian street and turned to them, "We used to eat there often, remember?"

"The silly uncle who put beef in the egg burgers, how could I forget?"

Jiang Chenyu looked in the direction he pointed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "I thought he went bankrupt, but he actually had money to open a shop. Was it really my taste buds that were off, and it wasn't beef but rat meat we were eating back then?"

Wang Hao: "…Isn't it too late to pursue that now?"

"I'm sure it was beef, and good quality beef at that," Fang Size glanced at Gu Yufeng, having some guesses but not certain.

It was Saturday, and the shop was doing well, with a few students eagerly waiting at the entrance. Jiang Chenyu insisted on buying another to try, ordering one for everyone and mingling with the students to wait for their orders.

The students noticed his branded clothes and watch, silently stepping aside, casting suspicious glances as if wondering, "Do rich people eat egg burgers too?" They inadvertently noticed Xie Ci and the others chatting by the roadside, all tall and exuding the aura of successful people, like a group of walking hormones.

These seemingly "expensive" people, so out of place with Old Street, why would they come here for snacks?!

The uncle handed the egg burgers to the students and noticed Jiang Chenyu's group, momentarily seeing the group of boys who used to squat by the roadside, eating and playing. He couldn't help but ask Jiang Chenyu, "Were you guys students from First High School?"

"You still remember us? You have a good memory," Jiang Chenyu replied with a smile, "You used to set up a stall over there, and we often bought from you."

"I thought you looked familiar," the uncle chatted while his hands kept working, "Here to have fun?"

"A class reunion, just strolling around," Jiang Chenyu tried to probe, "You opened a shop, is selling egg burgers that profitable?"

Uncle: "I handed the stall over to a wealthy boss six years ago, I'm just an employee now."

Jiang Chenyu got more confused, "A wealthy person took over?"

By the roadside, Fang Size heard the conversation and became more certain of his guess. He heard Xie Ci ask Gu Yufeng, "Is this shop yours? I thought you let go of it long ago."

Back then, Gu Yufeng jokingly bought the stall just so Xie Ci could have something good to eat. So much happened in the second half of their senior year that he had forgotten about it, not realizing the uncle's stall had turned into a shop.

"Didn't you say that old man was pitiful?" Gu Yufeng said nonchalantly, "The shop's revenue is more than enough for his retirement, and there's someone managing it, so I don't have to worry."

Xie Ci: "…"

He remembered something he said so casually.

"Old Gu, is that shop yours?" Zhang Ruochuan was surprised, as if suddenly realizing, "No wonder the uncle suddenly became generous, turns out he wasn't spending his own money."

Wang Hao, who wasn't in the same class as them, heard that Gu Yufeng was investing and making money in high school and exclaimed, "Investing and making money in high school, that's amazing. I didn't know anything back then."

Fang Size thought to himself, this isn't investing, it's probably Old Gu setting up a special treat for Old Xie. They unknowingly benefited a lot from Old Xie.

A moment later, Jiang Chenyu returned with a bag, handing out egg burgers to everyone. Hearing it was Gu Yufeng's shop, he widened his eyes, "I was wondering which boss could afford such losses, it had to be you, Old Gu."

"It's profitable now," Gu Yufeng opened the paper bag, eating as they walked towards Lao Li's Stir-fry. He noticed the egg burger in Xie Ci's hand had different ingredients and casually asked, "What's your flavor? It looks tastier than mine."

Xie Ci casually offered it to his mouth, "Pork, seems to be marinated beforehand."

Gu Yufeng took a bite from his hand, "I like this one, let's swap."

Zhang Ruochuan watched them exchange half-eaten egg burgers without a care and exchanged a glance with Fang Size, suddenly understanding.

But Jiang Chenyu was still clueless, seeing Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng swap, he looked at Wang Hao beside him, "What's your filling? Let's swap too?"

Wang Hao moved his away with a look of disdain, "I don't eat what you've already bitten."

"Do you have to be so picky?" Jiang Chenyu retorted, "Didn't we often swap food at street stalls back then?"

Wang Hao: "But I have a girlfriend now, I have standards."

Jiang Chenyu laughed in exasperation, "Old Gu is engaged, and he didn't mind Old Xie's leftovers. Old Xie, you be the judge."

Listening to them bicker like elementary school kids, Xie Ci finished what was in his mouth and calmly said, "I just don't mind Old Gu's, but I do mind yours."

Jiang Chenyu: "…"

Even you?

Zhang Ruochuan almost burst out laughing, "Stop embarrassing yourself, just eat yours."

Jiang Chenyu, unwilling to give up, asked Gu Yufeng, "Old Gu, what do you say?"

Gu Yufeng finished his in a few bites, speaking with a double meaning, "Old Xie and I have even shared a bed, what's this?"

If someone else said it, Jiang Chenyu might have looked into the deeper meaning, but with Gu Yufeng saying it so openly, he didn't think anything of it. Back in high school, Old Gu and Old Xie often swapped beds, their relationship closer than brothers, no problem there.

Fang Size saw Jiang Chenyu's expression and knew he only understood the literal meaning, patting him with some sympathy, "Hurry up and find a girlfriend, she might be willing to swap food with you."

Jiang Chenyu didn't like the tone, "As if you have a girlfriend?"

"No," Fang Size adjusted his glasses, speaking with a deeper meaning, "Even Old Xie hasn't found a girlfriend, I'm not in a hurry."

Zhang Ruochuan: "…"

Old Xie doesn't have a girlfriend, but he dated a boyfriend in high school and is living the good life.

Lao Li's Stir-fry hadn't changed much from what Xie Ci remembered, except the sign was now uniform, and the interior had been repainted, looking cleaner. It was lunchtime, and Lao Li was busy at the stove in front of the shop, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a towel hanging around his neck. He noticed Xie Ci and the others approaching, first puzzled, then delightedly greeting them, "Oh, it's you guys, long time no see!"

The six of them went to a small private room, and Lao Li brought over a pot of barley tea, smiling with a face full of wrinkles.

"Seeing you all grown up makes me feel old."

"You're not old," Zhang Ruochuan laughed, "In the boss lady's eyes, you're still a handsome young man."

Lao Li shook his head with a light sigh, "She calls me a black bear spirit every day, I'm no longer the prince in her heart."

His words made everyone at the table laugh.

Gu Yufeng specifically ordered a plate of stir-fried snails, and Xie Ci wasn't picky, eating whatever they ordered, casually pouring tea for Gu Yufeng.

The conversation at the table revolved around various embarrassing things they did in high school. Gu Yufeng had only been with them for half a year, so he hadn't experienced many of those things, listening with great interest.

Hearing Jiang Chenyu mention planning to help Zhang Ruochuan pursue a girlfriend in sophomore year, Gu Yufeng curiously asked, "Did Old Xie ever pursue anyone? A bad boy like him should have been popular with the girls, right?"

Xie Ci's brow twitched, picking up his teacup to drink, maintaining a calm exterior while frantically recalling if he had done anything outrageous during his rebellious phase.

The question stumped Jiang Chenyu and the others, exchanging a few glances.

"Seems like… no," Jiang Chenyu mused, "Old Xie was always busy, besides classes and training, we couldn't find him. But he might have secretly dated someone behind our backs."

Zhang Ruochuan: "Never saw Old Xie pursue anyone, but he often rejected girls' confessions, making it so no girls dared approach him later."

Wang Hao: "Didn't the school belle like Old Xie? Her group really admired him, even asked me to deliver a love letter at the start of senior year."

Gu Yufeng's eyes flashed, "A love letter folded into a heart?"

Wang Hao nodded, "You know about it? When I delivered it, Old Xie wasn't there, so I slipped it into his desk. Later, I heard the girls say Old Xie didn't respond at all, I thought he hadn't seen it."

"He really didn't see it," Xie Ci said casually, "I found it while cleaning out my desk during winter break."

"What a pity," Gu Yufeng drawled slowly, "That was the school belle's love letter, just missed like that."

"What's there to pity?"

Xie Ci put down his cup, looking composed, "I've already received a better love letter."

Gu Yufeng suppressed the upward curve of his lips, "President Xie often receives love letters, how enviable. Unlike me, I've never received anything like that."

Xie Ci turned his head to look at him, "Just like that love letter that sat in the drawer for half a year, maybe it's not that no one sent you anything, you just didn't look hard enough."

Gu Yufeng caught the hint in his words, thinking of the little cards with hints at home.

Was what Xie Ci hid a love letter for him?

"I have something to do, I'll head back first." Gu Yufeng, eager to find the treasure hidden at home, couldn't wait and got up to leave.

Xie Ci pulled him back, "Finish eating before you go, no rush."

Then, Xie Ci added with a hint of sarcasm, "We've already wasted so much time, what's a meal's worth of time?"

The other four, seeing Gu Yufeng about to leave, all urged him to stay.

Gu Yufeng reluctantly sat back down.

The dishes they ordered arrived, and it had been a long time since Gu Yufeng had eaten snails. He was really into it, though it was a bit too spicy for him, and he couldn't handle too much.

Wang Hao noticed and handed over two cans of drinks.

They had all driven there, and it wasn't suitable to drink alcohol in the middle of the day.

Gu Yufeng casually took a bottle of Sprite, instinctively glancing at it, and the label read "Lei Bi," instantly hitting him with a wave of nostalgia.

He heard a low chuckle beside him, and Gu Yufeng gritted his teeth, preparing to open it, but Xie Ci snatched it away, replacing it with a cup of barley tea.

They munched on skewers, and the conversation gradually shifted from high school to university, eventually talking about Zhang Ruochuan's wedding.

"When are you planning to get married?" Fang Size asked him, "If you've decided, let me know early so I can arrange my schedule."

Zhang Ruochuan: "Tentatively in June, July and August are too hot, and we're both busy in the latter half of the year, so June is the most suitable. Haven't picked a date yet."

"Which hotel are you planning to hold the wedding at?" Xie Ci picked up the conversation, "I can help you arrange it."

Zhang Ruochuan was delighted, "Haven't decided yet."

He then hesitated a bit, "But if the cost is too high, we might not be able to afford it."

"Old Xie already offered, and you're still worried about the cost?" Gu Yufeng finished a skewer of lamb, putting down the stick, "If you like the Gu Family Hotel, I can arrange it for you too."

Zhang Ruochuan stared, dumbfounded.

Being backed by big shots felt amazing.

Jiang Chenyu joined in the excitement, "Don't worry about the cost, if it's not enough, I can cover it too. You only get married once in a lifetime, just pick the best and your favorite venue!"

"You're the first among us to get married, if you have any difficulties, just say so," Wang Hao chimed in.

Fang Size nodded in agreement.

Zhang Ruochuan's eyes glistened, deeply moved, "Thank you."

Gu Yufeng asked many related questions, like how to choose invitations, the wedding process, what to buy for return gifts, how to decorate the wedding room. Even someone as slow as Jiang Chenyu could see he was very interested in weddings.

"Old Gu, you shouldn't need to worry about these things, right?" Zhang Ruochuan was a bit puzzled, "What I said might not be of much reference to you."

They came from different backgrounds, with different social statuses, even if they got married, the standards would be worlds apart.

Gu Yufeng: "Just asking."

Xie Ci glanced at the curious baby beside him, meeting Zhang Ruochuan's puzzled gaze, casually saying, "He's just envious of you."

"You see things clearly," Gu Yufeng smiled.

Being teased, Xie Ci remained calm, "I have 20/20 vision, of course I see clearly."

Gu Yufeng: "…"

Relying on this guy to propose, the body would be mummified.

Find the treasure at home today, buy rings and propose tomorrow, he wasn't waiting any longer.

After the meal, the six of them strolled around Old Street, discussing what to do in the afternoon.

Gu Yufeng inadvertently noticed a small noodle shop by the roadside, the middle-aged man cooking noodles at the entrance looked familiar, it was Xie Ci's maternal uncle who once asked him to help with the stall and chased Robertson for two streets.

Gu Yufeng patted Xie Ci, signaling him to look in that direction, "Is that your uncle?"

Xie Ci looked over, just in time to see his aunt come out, delivering a few bowls of cooked noodles to the tables.

The small shop had only one storefront, but business was good. Even at this hour, there were still five or six customers inside.

The bundle of cash Gu Yufeng casually threw had helped this small family out of trouble, money well spent.

As they passed by the shop entrance, the uncle recognized Xie Ci.

"Xiao Ci? Is it really you!?" The uncle walked up to Xie Ci, excitedly looking him over, "I saw you from afar just now, you've changed so much, I didn't dare to recognize you!"

Xie Ci exchanged a few pleasantries with him, glancing inside the shop, "When did you open this?"

"Six years ago, after receiving that money, I thought about it and decided your suggestion was reliable. It took over half a year to find a suitable shop."

The uncle was a bit emotional, "Originally, I wanted it to be close so you could come by often for noodles, but I heard from your dad that you had already gone abroad to study."

With Gu Yufeng and the others around, the uncle took a few steps with Xie Ci, lowering his voice, unable to hide his happiness, "You know, your insight is really good! This street may not look like much, but it has a lot of foot traffic, business is good. We even bought a house in the city last year! Though it's a bit out of the way."

Xie Ci chuckled, "It'll only get better from here."

There were still customers in the shop, so they didn't chat much. Seeing Xie Ci about to leave, the uncle rushed into the kitchen and brought out a bag, stuffing it into his hand.

"There's nothing special in the shop, this is something I just fried, eat it while it's hot, it's really fragrant!"

Unable to refuse, Xie Ci left with the bag.

On the way home, Xie Ci was driving.

Gu Yufeng smelled the aroma, took the bag, and opened it, finding it full of crispy, golden fried small fish.

"Smells so good." Gu Yufeng took one, his eyes lighting up, then fed one to Xie Ci, "Your uncle should consider opening a fried small fish shop, guaranteed profit, I'll invest."

Xie Ci nodded in agreement, "I'll mention it to him next time we meet."

Gu Yufeng looked at the bowl-sized takeout box, "This box isn't enough for me, would it be inappropriate to go back and ask for another?"

Xie Ci: "…You know it's inappropriate?"

Gu Yufeng: "I'll buy it from him."

Xie Ci thought for a moment, "Tomorrow we'll pretend to pass by his shop again."

Gu Yufeng was amused by his serious tone.

"Deal."

Back home, Gu Yufeng, holding a box of fried small fish, stood in front of the wall of bookshelves, eating and looking, in high spirits.

He had already found about a dozen hint cards on this bookshelf, meaning the treasure hunt area was just this big.

Seeing Xie Ci approaching, Gu Yufeng asked, "Is what you hid in this bookshelf?"

Xie Ci casually picked up a book, preparing to sit in the small hall and watch Gu Yufeng treasure hunt, "Rules prohibit asking questions."

Gu Yufeng: "A hint?"

Xie Ci: "No."

Gu Yufeng wrapped an arm around Xie Ci, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "How about now?"

Xie Ci pushed him away, "Don't get oil on my face."

Gu Yufeng pulled his hand away, grinning mischievously with an oily mouth, "If you don't give me a hint, I'll smear oil all over you."

Xie Ci: "…"

This guy knows how to threaten him.