After being moved to tears by the sworn enemy's pheromones - Chapter 67

Facing the dim light, Gu Yu replied, “I didn’t plan to tell you at first.”

Or rather, that’s how he’s been for the past seven years.

No matter how much he liked Shen Jin, he was unwilling to express it out loud. Whenever something happened, he thought he could handle it himself. Even when he needed Shen Jin’s comfort and company, he maintained the calmness that an alpha should have, not wanting Shen Jin to see through him.

Back then, he always believed that it didn’t matter if he stayed silent, as long as he loved Shen Jin in his heart.

“But now, I feel that telling you isn’t a big deal,” Gu Yu said. “Instead of letting you guess why I’m always busy, why I don’t reply to messages in time, or why it seems like after we started dating, I stopped caring—even the quality of the ingredients I use to cook dropped—it’s better for you to know what’s really going on.”

He continued, “I understand that I might not fully grasp the pressures of real life, and I don’t have much experience with society. But this is a step I can’t back down from. Even if the future will be hard and full of challenges, I know that when I look back, I won’t regret today’s decision.”

He didn’t “guess,” “believe,” or “predict,” but he “knew.”

Just like how he also knew that their fate had already been sealed, and no obstacle would change it.

Shen Jin was slightly stunned, not expecting Gu Yu to one day confess such a significant decision to him.

No one understood better than Shen Jin what it meant to leave one’s original family at such a young age. He knew the anxiety Gu Yu was bottling up, and how it was far from as light-hearted as it seemed on the surface. But this time, Shen Jin didn’t plan to stop Gu Yu; instead, he intended to take a gamble.

This gamble stemmed from his selfishness—perhaps the only time in his life.

“Alright, tomorrow we’ll go to the supermarket, and I’ll teach you how to stretch two thousand yuan over three months.” Shen Jin moved closer, smiling. “Though, it seems like I’m the one who’s always busy, who can’t reply to messages in time, and who can’t even tell the difference in the quality of the food.”

“Heh.” Gu Yu faked a cold laugh. “As long as you understand, senior.”

Shen Jin squinted, smiling, “Senior knows he’s wrong, okay? From now on, we’ll have meat only every three days~”

But Gu Yu wouldn’t agree: “I won’t let you go without meat.”

“Okay.” Shen Jin replied seriously, “Here’s a tip: I can’t tell the difference between rat meat and beef either.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Yu pulled him closer, pinching his cheek. The two playfully tussled for a while, holding hands, and eventually fell asleep in peace, as if neither was worried about the challenges ahead.

*

Putting aside all concerns, during the following week, Gu Yu ignored any messages from his father.

He took Shen Jin to a respiratory clinic for a check-up and met with a psychologist to discuss Shen Jin’s condition and the treatment options.

Luckily, Gu Yu had scheduled everything in advance and set aside money for Shen Jin’s treatment. According to the doctor, Shen Jin would need daily IV drips for his cold-induced cough, with a follow-up in three weeks to assess progress.

As for the lung and bronchial damage, medication and rest were recommended as the best treatment—it would take time to heal.

“So… it can’t really be cured?” Qin Zhu asked after looking at the list of medication for Shen Jin’s IV drips. “Three and a half bottles a day… Do you have enough money? If not, I can lend you some.”

“No need,” Shen Jin replied. “Gu Yu already gave me the money.”

Xu Tingyun raised an eyebrow in surprise and remarked, “I didn’t expect our saintly coach Shen would do something like that… Are you really okay with spending his money like this?”

“Of course not. I’d rather sell my blood and kidneys to support my dear boyfriend. Satisfied?” Shen Jin kicked him playfully but then sighed. “I wanted to cover it myself… but he insisted that it was his responsibility.”

“Oh?” Xu Tingyun immediately saw through the situation. “So… that rainstorm during senior year—was it for your dear boyfriend?”

Qin Zhu was shocked. “Damn, you really are the number one romantic at C University.”

Shen Jin’s face flushed red. He wanted to argue but could only angrily shake his clothes, making them rustle. “The doctor said I don’t have to go to the hospital every day. I can just get the IVs done at a nearby clinic, so I’m planning to stay at Gu Yu’s place for a month or two. Oh, and this Friday, we’re celebrating his birthday. You two should help me pack. I’ve already told Lao Zhang.”

Qin Zhu teased, “Stay at his place? Ever since the junior arrived, you’ve barely treated this dorm as your home. Might as well not come back and leave me as the lonely old man here.”

Xu Tingyun shook his head with a grin. “How are you planning to celebrate Gu Yu’s birthday?”

“…” Shen Jin coughed lightly, avoiding the question.

The psychologist had talked to him at length and concluded that his situation wasn’t too serious. The suggestion was to increase physical contact with his boyfriend, starting gradually and desensitizing himself over time.

So, over the past few days, Shen Jin had been diligently holding Gu Yu’s hand and touching his thigh, all while blushing and contemplating whether or not to use suppressants for his upcoming heat cycle.

Gu Yu didn’t know what Shen Jin had discussed with the psychologist, but he silently endured the “gradual progression,” turning his head away so that Shen Jin wouldn’t notice how red his face was.

“Don’t ask anymore. He’s probably planning to give himself as a birthday present,” Qin Zhu concluded firmly, though not without concern. “By the way, don’t forget the essentials. Make sure you know Gu Yu’s size.”

“Huh? What size?” Shen Jin panicked, nearly dropping a cup.

He genuinely didn’t know what size Gu Yu needed. “He… he’ll probably buy them himself… Besides, I’m sure it’s XL or larger, so I’ll just grab a couple.”

“?!” Qin Zhu raised his hand, as if about to hit him. “You… you really are too blindly protective.”

Shen Jin stammered for a while, still unwilling to back down. “If you don’t hear from me the day after his birthday, don’t worry about me. Just consider me a missing person.”

The two bickered as they packed up Shen Jin’s belongings. He grabbed a few clothes and headed to Gu Yu’s apartment, arriving just before 7 p.m.

Two days ago, Gu Yu had told him that the school counselor had referred him to an interview for a part-time tutoring job that afternoon, but he hadn’t heard back yet. Judging by the silence, things probably didn’t go as planned.

After putting away his clothes, Shen Jin went to the kitchen with his phone.

While waiting for the water to boil, he repeatedly scrolled through his chat history with Gu Yu, his palms tightening.

On reflection, this was probably the first major setback Gu Yu faced after making his choice.

At school, Gu Yu had always been outstanding in both appearance and academics. Even back at F District’s No. 5 High School, no matter how cold his personality was, people never got tired of him. Those who were rejected by him could even excitedly gush to their friends, “His voice is so cold and nice! If only he could curse me out directly.” At C University, the situation wasn’t much different.

But when dealing with parents who are concerned about their children’s academic performance, the treatment might not be as kind.

With tutoring centers closing down in recent years, families who could afford it would go to great lengths to hire private tutors. Who knows if the family Gu Yu’s counselor referred him to would be easy to deal with?

Shen Jin braised some ribs and steamed pork, but finally couldn’t resist sending a message: “How much longer until you’re back?”

He didn’t ask about the interview just yet. About ten minutes later, Gu Yu replied: “On my way to the bus stop, I’ll be home in 20 minutes.”

Gu Yu didn’t mention the result of the interview, which made the outcome pretty obvious. So, Shen Jin quickly stir-fried some pork belly and eggs, regretting not having come earlier to make some soup. 

It was a cold winter night, and Shen Jin couldn’t help but wonder whether Gu Yu’s frustration while standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus came from the picky parents at the interview, or from the biting cold wind.

When the door finally opened, Shen Jin was filled with regret.

He almost wanted to abandon his selfish game, but Gu Yu quickly turned into the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts. “Sorry I’m late.”

He furrowed his brow and walked over. “Didn’t I say I’d do the cooking?”

“And I saved two chicken legs. If you’re hungry, you could’ve eaten them to hold you over.”

Snapping back to reality, Shen Jin said, “I didn’t touch any cold water—”

After pulling himself together, he added, “Stop making excuses and come try my cooking. See if I’ve improved.”

Gu Yu lowered his gaze to the dishes in front of him. “Instead of testing whether your cooking has improved, I think I should get a silver spoon and test for poison first.”

“I’ll test it for you,” Shen Jin pouted, pulling out his chopsticks. Only then did Gu Yu step forward and hug him, softly admitting, “It looks much better. It even smells great. I’ll give you that—it’s an improvement.”

The enticing aroma of food filled the air as Shen Jin nuzzled into Gu Yu’s embrace. “No matter what you say, nothing’s stopping me from mastering this skill and heading to culinary school.”

Helpless, Gu Yu could only rub the back of his neck with his palm. “I’ll make sure to come back earlier in the future.”

Shen Jin shook his head, then nodded.

He didn’t ask about Gu Yu’s interview, instead pulling him toward the table to eat, worried he might be hungry. But Gu Yu turned back to the entryway and returned with a small bundle of dried roses, placing it next to Shen Jin.

“Do you like them?” Under the warm light of the dining room, Gu Yu kept his head down, fiddling with his bowl. “I saw them while waiting for the bus and bought them… they were cheaper than fresh flowers.”

The dried roses had a dark purplish-red color, low in saturation, exuding a unique blend of pride and tenderness.

Shen Jin’s heart felt both tight and warm. He replied, “They’re beautiful, just as good as fresh flowers.”

Gu Yu placed a rib in Shen Jin’s bowl but still avoided looking at him. “But I know you prefer fresh flowers.”

Shen Jin felt both pained and amused. “And where did you get that idea?”

He didn’t expect Gu Yu to respond, “When I confessed to you that time, I gave you roses. They were almost withered, but you still adored them. I saw you take them back to the dorm.”

Shen Jin blinked, then asked, “And did you ever ask why I brought them back to the dorm?”

Gu Yu raised his head, and Shen Jin immediately grinned at him. “I dried them and put them in my drawer.”

He placed them together with the jade comb his great-grandfather had given him, the deep purple of the roses making the jade look even more vivid, while the pale jade emphasized the beauty of the roses.

“…” After hearing this, Gu Yu quickly averted his gaze. “Who would’ve thought you’d be so boring, keeping things like that.”

Staring at Gu Yu’s reddened ears, Shen Jin couldn’t help but chuckle. “I love everything you give me. Even if you gave me a trash bag, I’d want to be buried with it. Thousands of years from now, aliens would probably think it’s some kind of ancient burial garment.”

Gu Yu’s lips twitched, and his ears turned even redder. “…But plastic trash bags would degrade long before then.”

As an engineering student, his scientific attitude was always serious, which made Shen Jin knock his bowl in frustration. “Just eat. Afterward, don’t think about anything and get some sleep. No rush on the part-time job; we’ll figure it out slowly.”

Later, Shen Jin would have to go to a nearby clinic for an IV drip, but he thought there was no need to worry Gu Yu about it.

Yet Gu Yu looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

Shen Jin licked his lips and put down his chopsticks, holding Gu Yu’s wrist to comfort him. “Gu Yu, I understand it’s not easy to earn money. If you ever feel wronged, just tell me. Don’t hide it like you used to, okay?”

Gu Yu was full of question marks. After a moment, he replied, “But I wasn’t wronged. I got the part-time job, actually.”

“…” Now it was Shen Jin’s turn to be surprised. “What?”

“I said, I got the job.” Gu Yu calmly pried open Shen Jin’s hand, placing his chopsticks back into it. “That family doesn’t have enough budget to hire a professional tutor, so they decided to try out part-timers. Initially, they thought C University was just a mid-tier 985 school, and even the best majors didn’t seem convincing enough. But after seeing my science grades and math scores from the college entrance exam, they agreed to let me tutor their kid.”

Shen Jin was stunned. Suddenly, he realized he had never asked Gu Yu this question. “What were your math and physics scores in the college entrance exam?”

He remembered these were Gu Yu’s strongest subjects. Looking at Gu Yu’s handsome face, he couldn’t help but wonder if good looks gave him an edge. However, he stubbornly chose not to say it, trusting that a mature woman in her forties or fifties wouldn’t give extra points just because a young man was clean-cut and handsome.

Gu Yu answered, “I estimated my scores back then. I guessed that I didn’t lose many points. But my performance in the other science subjects was average, and my Chinese was especially bad.”

This “average” likely wasn’t very average, just relative to his math and physics scores. Shen Jin had long grown used to hearing such modesty from top students, but as a struggling student, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of despair.

Gu Yu motioned for him to eat and said, “At first, the parent thought a freshman wasn’t much older than her kid, so at worst, she should hire a graduate student. But I told her that only freshmen still remember high school content.”

“So… that’s how you convinced her?” Shen Jin suddenly felt a little indignant. “Even though I’m in my second year, I still remember high school content, okay?”

Shen Jin was particularly good at math and was quite confident about it. However, Gu Yu looked him straight in the eye and asked him one of the simplest questions: “What are the quotient relationships in trigonometric functions?”

“…” Shen Jin was left speechless. After a while, he stubbornly blurted out, “I remember trigonometric functions, but what’s a quotient relationship? You… you made that up, didn’t you?”

Gu Yu lowered his head, hiding the faint smile that threatened to show. “Yeah, I made it up.”