Boyfriend Always Thinks I’m a Little Pitiful Chapter 56

Gu Yufeng actually got up earlier than him.

"So early—" Xie Ci got out of bed and went out, pausing when he saw the situation in the living room. He felt this might be the biggest crisis he faced since his rebirth.

In the living room, there were three young men and women in formal attire. One was communicating with a technician in the kitchen, while the other two were sitting in the living room, each working on a laptop.

To their right, Gu Yongnian was leisurely drinking tea on the sofa, dressed in a suit, wearing a luxury watch, with shiny leather shoes, and his hair meticulously groomed. At over forty, he showed no signs of aging, looking quite spirited for an old man.

No wonder Caitlin was charmed by this little old man; he certainly had the charm.

However, Gu Yongnian appearing here at this time was clearly unreasonable.

The little old man might have seen something on the surveillance and came early in the morning to demand an explanation.

Would he be sent away with a large sum of money?

This thought crossed his mind, and Xie Ci almost laughed, but he couldn't when he met Gu Yongnian's gaze.

"Xiao Xie, did I disturb your sleep?"

Gu Yongnian smiled and waved at Xie Ci, "Come over and have some tea."

Xie Ci couldn't find any flaws in this smiling tiger's expression. After greeting him, he casually went over and sat down, accepting a cup of tea from a staff member.

"Sorry for the disturbance last night."

Countless response plans flashed through Xie Ci's mind, but he remained calm on the surface.

Gu Yongnian scrutinized Xie Ci. The boy's hair was slightly messy, and his face had a sleepy look, different from his usual little wolf cub demeanor. This relaxed state was more fitting for a seventeen-year-old.

"You guys went to the Xie Family gathering yesterday? How was it?" Gu Yongnian asked casually.

Xie Ci lowered his eyes slightly while drinking tea to avoid Gu Yongnian's gaze, replying nonchalantly, "It was lively, just a bit far."

They chatted casually for a few moments. Xie Ci, adhering to the principle of 'the less said, the fewer mistakes,' didn't stray off-topic, waiting for Gu Yongnian to get to the point.

"Xiao Xie."

Gu Yongnian sighed, putting down his teacup.

Xie Ci noticed this and thought, finally, he's getting to the point.

You can dodge the first day of the lunar month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. There's no escaping it.

Gu Yongnian crossed his hands in front of him, looking at Xie Ci, "You know the situation in my family. Xiao Feng is very averse to all kinds of gatherings. Yesterday was the first time he actively wanted to attend one, and also the first time he brought a friend home."

"I drank a bit last night and caused him some trouble," Xie Ci replied vaguely, wondering if he could brush it off with poor drinking habits and drunken antics.

Gu Yongnian said seriously, "He's never been so attentive to anyone else. He must really like you."

Xie Ci almost choked on his tea, forcing himself to stay calm and said, "We're desk mates, so we have more opportunities to interact. Naturally, we're closer than with other classmates."

"Then you two should get along well. If you encounter any trouble, feel free to come to me."

Gu Yongnian leaned in slightly, lowering his voice, "Xiao Feng doesn't have many good friends. If you stop hanging out with him, he'll be very upset."

Xie Ci: "…Okay."

Isn't this conversation going in the wrong direction?

Xie Ci patiently waited for Gu Yongnian to make his move, but unexpectedly, the topic ended there.

Gu Yongnian rubbed his hands and smiled, "I heard you got a painting from President Xie last night?"

Xie Ci: "…"

So after all that roundabout talk, this was the main topic?

When Gu Yufeng woke up and came downstairs, he happened to see Xie Ci passing by, heading back to the guest room to change clothes.

"Morning." Gu Yufeng yawned.

Xie Ci stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning to watch Gu Yufeng come down, "It's noon. Do you want breakfast first or go straight to lunch?"

"Whatever."

Gu Yufeng reached the last step, naturally wrapping his arms around Xie Ci's waist, leaning in for a morning kiss, but Xie Ci pushed his face away.

Under his dissatisfied gaze, Xie Ci whispered, "Your dad is here."

Gu Yufeng shivered, "Did he find out?"

Xie Ci looked towards the direction of the floor-to-ceiling window, a bit speechless, "No."

Following Xie Ci's gaze, Gu Yufeng saw his old man sitting in front of the sofa near the window, nodding repeatedly at the oil painting in front of him.

He walked over, hearing the old man exclaiming and regretting.

"A masterpiece... this mood, this composition... if only I hadn't gone on a business trip... why did I have to go on a business trip... this use of color..."

Gu Yufeng: "…"

Hearing footsteps, Gu Yongnian turned his head, "Awake? I had someone buy breakfast and put it in the dining room. Go eat."

"Coming all the way here on a weekend just to see a painting, aren't you embarrassed?" Gu Yufeng circled around the sofa, sitting opposite him, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"The kitchen alarm malfunctioned last night. I thought there might be a safety hazard, so I had someone come to check."

Gu Yongnian said righteously, "Looking at the painting was just incidental."

Gu Yufeng glanced at the kitchen, "You know which was incidental."

Gu Yongnian: "…"

When Xie Ci came out after changing clothes, Gu Yongnian asked him, "Does your dad have any more works going up for auction at the end of the year?"

"Probably not."

Xie Ci said uncertainly, "The previous ones were returned from Mingjian. Dad's health isn't great, so he can't produce works that quickly."

Though he said this, in reality, there were still many works at home that could be sold, but he wasn't in a hurry now that they had left that unscrupulous gallery. The value of the paintings needed to withstand market scrutiny. His goal wasn't to reap the current crop of leeks but to restore his dad's works to their original value. Whether they could sell for the same price as in his past life wasn't his concern.

He didn't need to make money by selling paintings. With his socially anxious little old man's spending habits, the money they had was enough for now.

"Who knows how many young artists have suffered under them. If such galleries continue to run rampant in the industry, where will we see any good works in the future?"

Gu Yongnian was indignant when mentioning Mingjian, and after speaking, he seemed a bit down.

His phone on the table vibrated, and Gu Yongnian picked it up, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh, Yi Zhong is organizing a parent-teacher meeting?!"

Gu Yufeng/Xie Ci: "…"

Is there a need to be so happy?

The three of them had lunch together, and then Gu Yongnian left with his people.

Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng stood by the roadside, waiting for Robertson to drive over.

Gu Yufeng moved half a step closer, his shoulder touching Xie Ci's, and he leaned in slightly, asking in a low voice, "You said last night you wanted to start over. So are we now ex-husbands re-employed?"

"…"

Xie Ci looked at him seriously, "Aren't we already dating?"

Gu Yufeng was a bit surprised, "It's already started?"

Xie Ci: "Didn't you notice?"

Gu Yufeng thought for a moment, "What's different from before?"

"The difference is huge," Xie Ci looked puzzled, "Don't you know how to date?"

Gu Yufeng was momentarily speechless, his competitive spirit rising, and he retorted without thinking, "I'm more than capable."

Xie Ci nodded, and when Robertson stopped the car, he opened the back door, "Then I'll trouble you to teach me in the future. I don't know how."

Gu Yufeng watched Xie Ci get in the car, speechless.

Was he being played?

The car stopped at Jianyan Studio's entrance. Xie Ci opened the car door, deliberately turning to Gu Yufeng, "Make a schedule when you get back today and give it to me tomorrow."

With Gu Yufeng's shocked expression, Xie Ci got out of the car, carrying the painting without looking back.

Watching the car door close, the more Gu Yufeng thought about it, the more puzzled he became.

Is this really dating? Why does it feel more like work?

Robertson looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror, thoughtfully asking, "What schedule do you need to make? Are you going on a trip?"

"No."

Gu Yufeng rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window with a troubled expression, "If it were a trip, it would be simple."

He only knew how to use interpersonal relationships to achieve his goals. In his past life, he clearly understood what everyone around him wanted. By knowing who to use and at what cost, he could achieve the desired outcome, like formulas clearly listed in his mind.

Whenever he wanted a certain result, he just had to choose a formula he could accept and apply it directly.

Only in his interactions with Xie Ci did he try to restrain his desire for control, occasionally following Xie Ci's lead, feeling surprised by unexpected arrangements, and gradually enjoying this feeling.

So during the time before marrying Xie Ci, it was always Xie Ci making the arrangements.

Now this kid said he didn't know how and threw the task back to him.

In the end, what's the point of dating? Can't we just get married directly?

Monday, second period math class.

Xiang Haibin finished writing a problem on the blackboard, turned around, and immediately noticed Gu Yufeng in the last row, resting his chin on his hand, writing something. The whole class was looking at the blackboard, except for him, staring at his desk.

"Gu Yufeng."

Xiang Haibin waved at him, "Come up and solve this problem."

Calling his name got no response, and Xiang Haibin's temper flared, directly throwing a piece of chalk.

The class watched the chalk fly over, not daring to make a sound.

As the chalk was about to hit Gu Yufeng, Xie Ci reached out to catch it, looking at Xiang Haibin, lying with his eyes closed, "He was too focused."

Xiang Haibin frowned, "What's that spread out in front of him?"

Seeing Xiang Haibin approaching, Gu Yufeng casually covered it with a nearby test paper, stood up, and glanced at the blackboard, "Do you need someone else to solve such a simple problem for you?"

The class: "…"

You really have a thick skull.

Seeing Xiang Haibin's increasingly stern face, Xie Ci patted Gu Yufeng's leg from an angle others couldn't see, signaling him to hurry up and write it down.

Gu Yufeng glanced at him, walked to the podium, and smoothly wrote down the solution process, tossing the chalk aside, ready to leave, but was stopped by Xiang Haibin.

"You can write?" Xiang Haibin asked him.

Gu Yufeng: "Of course."

Xiang Haibin: "If you can write, why leave it blank during exams?! Always coming in last, why don't you try coming in second to last for once?!"

Gu Yufeng replied confidently, "Too simple, can't be bothered to write."

Some in the class lowered their heads, laughing.

Only Gu Yufeng dared to go head-to-head with the teacher.

Though it sounded arrogant, Xie Ci understood.

When he first came back to life, there was indeed a period of chaos, but since he had learned it all before, reviewing it once was enough to solve any problems. Some simple questions really didn't seem worth the time.

Xiang Haibin was momentarily speechless, turning to instruct Xie Ci, "He's your responsibility. If he comes in last again in the finals, dragging down our class average, I'll separate you two!"

Xie Ci: "…"

"Wow! The teacher is mighty!" Jiang Chenyu and a few others started to jeer.

"Give me one, I'm short of a top student by my side!"

"They should have been separated long ago! Letting two top students sit together is a waste of resources!"

Fang Size: "Give me one, the one who picks questions can be yours."

Zhang Ruochuan laughed, turning around, "You're a top student yourself, and you still want to compete with us? That's too much!"

The class had been under pressure for a while, and it had been a long time since the atmosphere was this relaxed.

Once the jokes started, they couldn't stop.

"Don't even think about it."

Gu Yufeng walked back slowly, "My bond with Lao Xie is as strong as gold. You think you can just separate us?"

"Is that a declaration of sovereignty?" Jiang Chenyu laughed and asked.

Gu Yufeng: "Yes."

Even the girls started to cheer, and the boys banged on their desks, creating a ruckus.

Gu Yufeng's attitude was so straightforward that everyone thought it was just a joke, not taking it seriously.

Xiang Haibin made a gesture for silence, "They can't, but I can."

Gu Yufeng: "…"

Xiang Haibin, with his hands behind his back, said seriously, "We'll use this final exam as the standard. Everyone will witness it. If he's last, on the first day of the next semester, we'll have a lottery to give away a top student!"

"Wow!!!" The whole class cheered.

Jiang Chenyu: "Teacher, you finally did something right!"

Xiang Haibin laughed and scolded, "Get lost!"

Xie Ci, innocently caught in the crossfire, hadn't done anything but ended up with the task of tutoring his wild desk mate.

Gu Yufeng returned to his seat, seeing Xie Ci looking over, patted his thigh, and took the opportunity to give it a squeeze, speaking with a double meaning, "Don't worry, I'm not like you. I won't just go find someone else to play with."

He said it so righteously, Xie Ci found it amusing, "As if you haven't gone to find others to play with."

Gu Yufeng was indifferent, "What kind of people are they? At most, they're just talking potatoes."

Xie Ci: "…"

You really can say that.

Xiang Haibin didn't let them mess around for too long. After easing the classroom atmosphere, he continued with the lesson.

During the break after the third period, a few people from the front rows went to the bathroom together.

Gu Yufeng handed the paper he'd been writing all morning to Xie Ci, "President Xie, please review the schedule."

Xie Ci looked up from his physics problems, taking it and glancing at it, his brow twitching.

The paper outlined the week's schedule.

Monday morning, a ten-minute good morning kiss, at noon, intimacy *2, in the evening, a half-hour goodnight kiss.

Tuesday morning, a ten-minute good morning kiss, at noon, a half-hour cuddle, in the evening, intimacy *3.

...

Saturday, art exhibition, hotel, intimacy *20.

Sunday, musical, hotel, intimacy *20.

Many numbers had been altered, like Saturday's *20, changed from the original 5 to 8, then to 10, and finally adding a stroke to make it 2.

"What is this?"

Xie Ci flipped it over for Gu Yufeng to see, "A playboy's battle schedule?"

Gu Yufeng: "Doubting me? Didn't you ask me to arrange it?"

Xie Ci countered, "Is this how you used to date others?"

Gu Yufeng, with a stiff face, "Of course not."

Xie Ci quickly marked up the paper, then tapped it on his forehead, "Redo it."

Gu Yufeng pulled it down to see, almost everything was crossed out, leaving only the art exhibition and musical.

He belatedly realized, leaning on the chair back, "Do you care about how I used to date others?"

"Can't I?" Xie Ci didn't deny it at all.

Gu Yufeng smiled, "You never cared before."

"That was before."

Xie Ci twirled the pen in his hand, looking at him, "Now we're 'starting over,' right?"

Gu Yufeng raised an eyebrow, "What's the difference?"

Xie Ci lifted Gu Yufeng's chin with the pen, speaking softly, "It means this time, I won't just 'invade' you, but also 'invade' your privacy."