Lin Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Gu Yan responded with a meaningful smile.
Even the academic advisor hadn’t expected Gu Yan to agree so readily.
After all, this young master had never paid much attention to university rules or regulations in the past.
Together with his close friend Wang Zhiliang, he had always been one of the students who gave the teachers the biggest headaches.
*
Everyone headed to the surveillance center.
Under the supervision of the director of the Academic Affairs Office, the surveillance footage from the examination day was retrieved.
There were four or five teachers in total.
All of them stared intently at the screen, barely blinking as they reviewed every recording of Gu Yan taking his exams.
The longer they watched, the more varied their expressions became.
This kind of review was extremely strict.
Even the slightest movement unrelated to the examination would be replayed repeatedly and could potentially be considered suspicious.
But Gu Yan hadn’t made any suspicious movements at all.
Throughout the entire examination, he had focused solely on answering the questions.
His eyes had never once wandered away from his exam paper.
After finishing, he checked his answers.
Once he finished checking, he handed in his paper.
Every examination had followed exactly the same pattern.
His movements were smooth and efficient, without the slightest indication of cheating.
Lin Chen muttered under his breath,
“Impossible… How could this be possible…?”
He pushed past the director standing at the front and stared at the surveillance footage.
“He… he must have hired someone to take the exams for him!”
“Check it again! That has to be it!”
“There’s no way he could have achieved scores like these on his own!”
“Something is definitely wrong here!”
The director frowned deeply and looked at Lin Chen with displeasure.
“Young man, all our surveillance cameras record in high definition, and the footage can be enlarged for closer examination.”
“The person shown in the video is standing right in front of you.”
“There is absolutely no evidence of anyone taking the exams on his behalf.”
Another teacher nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. I can testify to that.”
“I was the invigilator during Gu Yan’s Statistics examination.”
“He was the first student to hand in his paper, so I remember him particularly well.”
“There’s no possibility of mistaken identity.”
Lin Chen froze on the spot.
He stiffly turned his head and glared at Gu Yan.
How could this be happening?
Back when he had been dating Gu Yan, although Gu Yan was wealthy and good-looking, his academic performance had been terrible.
Lin Chen, on the other hand, had excellent grades.
Since Gu Yan was academically inferior to him, he had never had any reason to look down on Lin Chen.
But now, after their breakup, Gu Yan seemed to have cast off a burden.
Every aspect of his life was getting better and better.
Gu Yan looked at Lin Chen’s face, which was filled with resentment and unwillingness to accept the truth.
He felt there were a few things he needed to remind him of.
“It really costs you nothing to spread rumors and falsely accuse people, does it?”
“First, you claimed I cheated. Then you accused me of hiring someone to take the exams for me.”
“What’s next? Are you going to claim that I bribed every teacher in this room?”
“Don’t forget, you still have disciplinary consequences to face.”
Those words struck Lin Chen like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.
He staggered backward, nearly losing his balance.
He was about to receive a public reprimand throughout the entire faculty.
When that happened, everyone would learn about this humiliating incident.
Those wealthy friends who usually acted friendly toward him would surely drop their pleasant masks and start mocking and ridiculing him.
And then there was Gu Xingxing.
Gu Xingxing cared deeply about his reputation.
Once he found out, he would definitely be furious.
He might even break up with Lin Chen!
Lin Chen felt as though his entire future had suddenly gone dark.
Instinctively, he grabbed the director’s hand and began explaining earnestly.
“Director, I was only trying to protect the fairness and integrity of the examination process!”
“I absolutely had no other intentions!”
“I can write a ten-thousand-word self-criticism!”
“As long as you don’t publicly reprimand me, I’ll do anything!”
“I’ll sincerely apologize to Gu Yan…”
Lin Chen turned toward Gu Yan again.
His former arrogant and disrespectful expression had completely disappeared.
“Gu Yan, I’m sorry.”
“I really misunderstood you. I’m so sorry.”
“For the sake of our past relationship, could you please—”
“No.”
Gu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.
He took a step back, avoiding Lin Chen’s outstretched hand.
There was no attempt to conceal the coldness and contempt in his eyes.
Lin Chen froze.
But a moment later, realization struck him.
This was Gu Yan.
Not Gu Xingxing.
With Gu Yan’s unforgiving nature, it was already too late, no matter how much Lin Chen regretted his actions.
The director of the Academic Affairs Office clasped his hands behind his back and spoke sternly.
“This matter ends here.”
“Student Lin Chen will receive the appropriate disciplinary punishment.”
“From now on, you are not permitted to make accusations against others without evidence!”
“You’ve wasted not only the teachers’ time but also the time of the student you falsely accused!”
“If this happens again, the punishment won’t be as simple as a public reprimand and a written self-criticism!”
*
The matter was finally settled.
As Gu Yan was leaving, he glanced back one last time.
Lin Chen remained standing in the same spot, his face utterly defeated, without moving an inch.
It seemed unlikely that he would be able to cause any serious trouble again.
Wang Zhiliang and Yi Feng were still waiting for Gu Yan at their original meeting spot.
After hearing what had happened, both of them were thoroughly disgusted by Lin Chen’s petty, underhanded behavior.
Wang Zhiliang hit the nail on the head with a single sentence.
“He just can’t stand seeing you happy or successful.”
“That’s why he panicked and tried to drag you down with him.”
Gu Yan put away the laptop on the table.
“Maybe.”
“Oh, right!”
Wang Zhiliang, who could never seem to keep his mouth shut, suddenly spoke up again.
“Yan Zi, you did so well on your exams this time, and your birthday is only two days away. That’s two reasons to celebrate!”
“How about we throw you a birthday party the night after tomorrow?”
“At that karaoke place near your apartment!”
Gu Yan smiled faintly.
“Let’s forget it.”
Apart from Wang Zhiliang and Yi Feng, he didn’t really have any particularly close friends.
Parties were only fun when they were lively.
If only a handful of people showed up, the atmosphere would be awkward and dull.
Wang Zhiliang immediately protested.
“How can we just forget it?”
“Leave everything to me! We’ll definitely make sure everything is properly arranged.”
“Right, Yi Feng?”
Yi Feng, who was completely absorbed in playing the game Carrot Fantasy, froze when he heard his name.
Although somewhat reluctant, he still muttered,
“Yeah.”
Unable to argue with the two of them, Gu Yan could only smile and agree.
*
The weekend arrived.
On the morning of Gu Yan’s birthday, his phone began receiving numerous birthday wishes.
Some came from people he had spent time with in the past, while others came from relatives who had only recently started contacting him.
Even the distant aunts, uncles, and other relatives connected to the Gu family had suddenly become friendly after hearing rumors about his relationship with Yi Heng.
His maternal grandfather had transferred money to him again.
He told Gu Yan to go wherever he wanted and enjoy himself, without worrying about saving money.
Gu Yan already had more money in his account than he could possibly spend.
But he didn’t want to reject his grandfather’s kindness, so he decided to keep the money aside for the time being.
Among the many messages, one at the very top caught his attention.
Whatever sleepiness he still felt instantly disappeared.
Yi Heng had sent only four Chinese characters.
[Happy birthday.]
Gu Yan stared at the screen, wanting to smile yet feeling a little disappointed.
Why only four characters?
Even Yi Feng had included an extra exclamation mark!
Gu Yan: [Thank you.]
He had barely put down his phone when another WeChat notification sounded.
Gu Yan picked it up again.
Yi Heng: [Do you have any plans today?]
Gu Yan thought for a moment.
[Not yet.]
It was his birthday, after all. He could spend it however he felt most comfortable.
In the past, he usually slept until noon on his birthday, had a meal, and then went out to meet a few friends in the afternoon.
The main purpose was simply to relax.
There were never any particularly special activities.
Sometimes, he even returned home earlier than usual.
But why was Yi Heng asking whether he had plans?
Could it be that Yi Heng wanted to take him somewhere?
A faint sense of anticipation suddenly began growing in Gu Yan’s heart.
He found himself eager to know exactly what Yi Heng had in mind.
After waiting a little while, another message arrived.
Yi Heng: [Would you like to go horseback riding?]
Gu Yan had never actually learned how to ride a horse.
Once, when he had traveled to the grasslands with some friends, one of them had nearly had his skull shattered by a kick from a wild-tempered horse.
Ever since then, Gu Yan had kept his distance from large animals, even though most of them were quite gentle.
He hesitated for a moment.
But gradually, his excitement about this birthday outing overcame his fear.
He had just sent back an “Okay” when Yi Heng immediately replied.
[Come downstairs.]
“?!”
Gu Yan sprang out of bed.
Without even putting on his slippers, he rushed into the living room, opened the window, and looked down.
Yi Heng’s car was already parked outside his apartment building!
When had he arrived?!
Gu Yan immediately panicked.
He dashed into the bedroom and frantically searched for clothes.
After throwing on an outfit, he hurried into the bathroom.
Doors throughout the apartment slammed open and shut, making loud banging noises.
*
Ten minutes later…
Sitting in the car, Yi Heng watched Gu Yan open the door, panting heavily.
He looked slightly surprised.
“What’s the rush?”
Gu Yan fastened his seat belt.
The golden leaves outside the window made his already striking features appear even more radiant.
His eyes curved into a smile.
“If you’re not enthusiastic on your birthday, there’s something wrong with your attitude!”
Yi Heng was wearing a plaid wool coat today.
Gu Yan’s gaze lingered on him for a few extra seconds before he spoke again.
“Actually, I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
“Is it okay if I’m a complete beginner?”
Yi Heng’s lips, usually set in a straight line, curved into a faint smile.
“I can teach you.”
The equestrian club was located on the outskirts of the capital.
Its owner was a foreign friend of Yi Heng’s, a remarkably warm and enthusiastic man.
He led several of the finest horses from the stables over to Gu Yan and said cheerfully,
“You can choose whichever horse you like best.”
“Then have your name engraved on the nameplate beneath its neck.”
“From that moment on, the two of you will become soul companions.”
A fine horse was extremely expensive.
Gu Yan had only come here to experience horseback riding, not to buy a horse.
He looked toward Yi Heng somewhat awkwardly, only to discover that Yi Heng had been watching him the entire time.
Yi Heng seemed to understand exactly what he was thinking.
“Don’t worry. All these horses belong to me.”
“Go ahead and choose one.”
In the end, Gu Yan chose a black horse that seemed particularly fond of licking his hand.
*
Yi Heng stood outside holding the horse’s reins, waiting for Gu Yan.
When Gu Yan emerged after changing into his riding clothes, Yi Heng’s gaze paused.
All his attention immediately settled on Gu Yan.
The fitted professional riding breeches outlined Gu Yan’s long, straight legs.
His riding shirt emphasized his narrow waist.
The safety helmet was fastened securely beneath his chin, making his face appear even smaller.
Gu Yan stood before the towering black horse.
He glanced at its powerful, muscular legs, then at its hooves, which were even larger than his fists.
He couldn’t help feeling a little intimidated.
Yi Heng removed his coat, placed one foot in the stirrup, and swung himself onto the horse in one smooth, decisive movement.
Then he extended a hand toward Gu Yan.
“Come up.”
So Yi Heng intended to teach him personally, step by step.
Gu Yan immediately felt reassured.
With Yi Heng beside him, he believed nothing would go wrong.
The saddle wasn’t particularly spacious.
As soon as Gu Yan climbed up, the two of them were pressed closely together, Gu Yan’s back resting against Yi Heng’s chest.
“Hold the reins firmly.”
Yi Heng’s breathing was closer than ever before.
His voice drifted past Gu Yan’s ear like a gentle breeze.
Every warm breath brushed against the sensitive curve of his ear.
Gu Yan was secretly grateful that he was wearing a helmet.
Otherwise, the sudden redness spreading across his ears would have been impossible to hide.
Following Yi Heng’s instructions, Gu Yan gripped the reins tightly.
Yi Heng’s broad palm naturally covered his hand, enclosing both Gu Yan’s fingers and the reins within his grasp.
Gu Yan’s breathing suddenly became uneven.
The cool skin on the back of his hand gradually warmed beneath Yi Heng’s palm.
“Keep your back straight.”
“Place your feet in the center of the stirrups.”
“Once you’ve found your balance, we’ll start by walking slowly.”
Yi Heng gently pressed his legs against the horse’s sides.
The black horse let out a heavy snort and obediently began walking forward.
Gu Yan’s entire body immediately tensed.
All his attention focused on the horse beneath him, to the point that he could barely hear what Yi Heng was saying anymore.
The place where his back pressed against Yi Heng felt unbearably hot.
If they moved even a little closer, he might burst into flames!
The horse walked leisurely along the dirt path.
The rhythmic sound of its hooves striking the ground seemed to echo directly against Gu Yan’s heart.
A rich, refreshing scent of open fields drifted toward them, mingled with the distinctive fragrance of ripened wheat in autumn.
As they passed the stables, the view suddenly opened up.
The vast riding grounds stretched across flat land.
Tall grass, golden with hints of green, lined both sides of the path as though welcoming them.
The autumn scenery reflected in Gu Yan’s eyes, making them sparkle brightly.
Gradually, he forgot the nervousness he had felt about riding.
Yi Heng carefully controlled the pace, allowing the horse to begin trotting.
The wind rushed past their faces.
At that moment, the world seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.
So horseback riding could actually be this much fun!
Perhaps this was what freedom felt like.
Gu Yan couldn’t help smiling.
His thoughts scattered with the horse’s movements until nothing remained but a wonderful sense of exhilaration.
The two of them completed a lap at a gentle trot.
“Yi Heng.”
Gu Yan suddenly spoke.
“Thank you…”
“This is the most meaningful birthday I’ve ever had.”
Yi Heng remained silent behind him.
He merely responded with a low “Mm,” continuing to hold Gu Yan securely.
No one knew what was going through his mind.
Yi Heng had always been a man of few words, so Gu Yan didn’t think much of it.
Looking toward a small stream flowing in the distance, Gu Yan couldn’t help letting out an excited cheer.
Raising his voice against the wind, he asked,
“Can we go a little faster?”
The answer came in the form of the horse’s loud neigh.
A moment later, clouds of golden dust billowed behind them.
*
Horseback riding was certainly enjoyable.
But it wasn’t until afterward that Gu Yan realized just how exhausting it could be.
Since it was his first time riding, his body wasn’t used to the experience.
By the time he dismounted, his legs had practically turned to jelly.
There was still a birthday party that evening.
Wang Zhiliang had already been waiting at the karaoke lounge for quite some time.
Yi Heng had also been invited, so he and Gu Yan drove there together.
“The birthday star has arrived!”
The moment Gu Yan opened the door, Wang Zhiliang fired a small burst of colorful streamers.
Bright strips of paper fluttered down, covering both Gu Yan and Yi Heng.
When Yi Feng saw the streamers scattered across his older brother’s shoulders, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Wang Zhiliang immediately pulled Gu Yan away from Yi Heng and dragged him toward the table.
“Come on, come on! We’ve been waiting for you to cut the cake!”
Wang Zhiliang had decorated the karaoke room with all kinds of colorful ribbons and balloons, making the place look lively and festive.
Gu Yan spotted several familiar faces sitting on the sofa.
“Hi, Gu Yan! Happy birthday!”
Leng Hao and her best friend greeted him with cheerful smiles.
Three other people also offered their birthday wishes.
They were all people Gu Yan had become relatively close to during the short holiday at the resort.
He hadn’t expected Wang Zhiliang to remember every one of them.
He had even gathered them from all over the country just to celebrate Gu Yan’s birthday.
It would have been a lie to say Gu Yan wasn’t touched.
But before he could say anything, someone suddenly placed a crown on his head.
“Birthday boy! Hurry up and light the candles!”
“We’ve been waiting forever to eat the cake!”
Leng Hao urged him loudly.
He was already a grown man. Why was he wearing a crown meant for children?
Gu Yan reached up to take it off.
But Wang Zhiliang immediately held his head in place, refusing to let him remove it.
The two struggled back and forth, making everyone around them burst into laughter.
Yi Heng sat off to one side.
Among the noisy, playful young people, he seemed somewhat out of place.
He simply watched Gu Yan quietly, staying there to keep him company.
*
The birthday party continued late into the night.
Most of the young men in the private room had been drinking and were now sprawled across the sofas, resting.
Leng Hao and her best friend were touching up their makeup, planning to visit Midnight, the capital’s most famous bar, after the party ended.
Gu Yan had also been drinking.
However, his alcohol tolerance was terrible.
It didn’t take long for a blush to spread across his cheeks, and he sat quietly in a corner, staring into space.
Leng Hao joked,
“Gu Yan has the best drinking manners of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“He actually gets even quieter when he’s drunk.”
Yi Heng noticed that Gu Yan’s gaze had become somewhat unfocused.
He stood up and gently supported him.
“I’ll take him home first.”
*
Throughout the journey, Gu Yan sat quietly in the passenger seat.
Whenever he felt sleepy, he simply closed his eyes and dozed off in the car.
His head tilted against the seat, and there was still a little cake frosting on his face that hadn’t been wiped away.
Gu Yan’s head felt dizzy and hazy.
By the time he opened his eyes again, he was already home.
He slowly sat up from the sofa.
Through his blurry vision, he saw Yi Heng standing in the kitchen.
Without bothering to put on his slippers, Gu Yan walked straight toward him in a daze.
“Awake?”
Yi Heng turned around and discovered that Gu Yan had somehow made his way over to the table.
He looked rather dazed, clearly still drunk.
“Why aren’t you wearing slippers again?”
Yi Heng set down the spoon in his hand.
Then he slipped both hands beneath Gu Yan’s arms and effortlessly lifted him onto the table.
Perhaps because he had exhausted himself having fun all day, Gu Yan rubbed his eyes vigorously, leaving even the corners of his eyes red.
Yi Heng spoke gently.
“If you’re sleepy, go to bed first.”
Gu Yan shook his head and muttered softly,
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because… because we haven’t done today’s contact therapy yet.”
As he spoke, Gu Yan unconsciously raised his head and stared at Yi Heng’s lips.
Yi Heng had beautifully shaped lips.
They were thin and pale in color.
Yet they looked incredibly soft.
Gu Yan’s mind was a complete muddle.
Through his drunken haze, he saw those soft lips move slightly.
Then he heard Yi Heng’s voice suddenly take on a dangerously low tone.
“How would you like to be treated?”
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