Seeing the two people who were supposed to have left an hour ago still standing before him, his thoughts were a jumbled mess as he asked, "Why are you two still here?"
His gaze paused, noticing the casual outfits they had changed into looked oddly familiar—almost like his own clothes.
Not that it was a big deal. Since they were five years old, the three of them had often played together.
On rainy days, Ji Nian would take the other two to the pond to pluck lotus leaves, balancing them on their heads as they listened to the heavy raindrops drumming against the broad surfaces.
In autumn, they’d sneak into the woods to collect maple leaves, burying Gu Xiuyuan under them before ending up covered in dirt, huddled together roasting sweet potatoes.
During winter, they’d make the older kids pull them around on sleds until they got too wild, resulting in all three catching fevers. Nestled under blankets with cooling patches on their foreheads and thermometers in their mouths, they’d listen to Ji Tingzhou scolding them.
These activities always turned the fair-skinned kids into grubby ones, so sharing clothes became second nature. Besides, they usually ended up wearing new ones anyway.
Noticing his lingering gaze on their outfits, Ji Nian tugged at her sleeve. "The dress was uncomfortable, so I just raided your closet and grabbed something to change into."
Their familiarity with Gu Xiuyuan’s walk-in closet was as natural as if it were their own. They’d head straight for the rack holding the latest seasonal arrivals.
Shen Qingtang nodded in agreement, adding casually, "Next time, have them send over some lighter colors. Everything’s so dark—we had to dig forever to find something barely wearable."
Ji Nian chimed in, "And the sizes are way too big. You’re not even that tall—why do you need such oversized stuff?"
Hearing their complaints, he reached out, pinching both Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang’s cheeks as he laughed in exasperation. "You’re lucky to have anything to wear at all, and you’re still picky?"
Though he had no idea what they were up to, under their urging, he took the clothes they’d picked out and headed into the bathroom to change.
The outfit—dug out from some forgotten corner—consisted of a white T-shirt layered under a light blue short-sleeved jacket and a pair of wide-leg jeans. Not his usual style.
After giving it a few disdainful glances, Gu Xiuyuan sighed and resigned himself to wearing it.
While he changed inside, Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang stood in front of the full-length mirror, snapping pictures before sending updates to the birthday planning group chat.
Tucking her phone away, Ji Nian adjusted the oversized shirt that nearly matched the length of her skirt (left behind during last year’s visit and now barely fitting).
"Next year, we won’t be able to wear Gu Xiuyuan’s clothes anymore."
Shen Qingtang, busy tying up her hair, responded absentmindedly, "Huh? Why not?"
Ji Nian picked up a stray strand of hair from Shen Qingtang’s neck and handed it to her, saying meaningfully, "Because next year, he’ll be old enough for puppy love. Boys and girls should keep their distance—we’ll need to avoid impropriety."
Of course, Shen Qingtang probably wouldn’t have to worry about that. But Ji Nian would.
Shen Qingtang suddenly understood.
Time had flown. They were no longer at the age where sharing a bed would earn them praise for being adorable.
When Gu Xiuyuan finally emerged, Ji Nian slipped into a pair of flip-flops (also scavenged from his closet—beach sandals, no less).
Gu Xiuyuan let himself be pulled along, though hesitation still flickered across his face.
Ji Nian knew exactly what he was worried about. "Relax, I already talked to Uncle Gu. He said it’s fine as long as we don’t stay out too late."
Given her status—and the fact that she’d once saved Old Lady Gu’s life—Ji Nian had considerable sway with Gu Jing.
Hearing this, Gu Xiuyuan relaxed, allowing the two to lead him out.
At the entrance, seeing no vehicle in sight, he frowned.
Ji Nian pulled out a key and pressed it with flair.
One of the two bicycles parked near the grass responded with an electronic beep as it unlocked.
Shen Qingtang patted his shoulder. "Don’t look so shocked, young master. It’s just a bicycle."
Gu Xiuyuan was starting to doubt their destination.
Shen Qingtang had only recently learned to ride, and while she could manage on her own, she lacked experience carrying passengers.
So, Gu Xiuyuan was assigned to Ji Nian.
"Here, hold this. There are wine glasses in the bag—don’t break them."
Before he could even sit down, Ji Nian shoved a plastic bag into his hands.
The neck of a champagne bottle poked out from the top. Though he didn’t drink much, Gu Xiuyuan recognized it as one from their family’s collection. He was baffled.
"Hold tight, we’re moving."
Ji Nian glanced back at Gu Xiuyuan before pushing off, the bike lurching forward.
"Are you sure you can handle this?"
Gu Xiuyuan gripped the bag with one hand and clutched the bike seat with the other, nervous.
Ji Nian’s voice carried back on the wind. "Relax, I’ll get you there in one piece."
On the night of his fifteenth birthday, Gu Xiuyuan didn’t follow the usual routine—attending a tiresome banquet before changing into comfortable clothes and blowing out candles with friends in his room.
Instead, he sat on the back of a bicycle, clutching a bottle of champagne and a set of "fragile" glasses, the faint breeze doing little to dispel the summer heat as the scenery blurred past under the amber glow of streetlights.
Their destination was an old residential complex he’d visited a few times before.
Navigating the narrow, obstacle-ridden streets, it suddenly dawned on him why they hadn’t taken a car.
Past experience had taught him this was a nightmare for parking—or even driving through.
But bicycles, agile and compact, slipped easily into the cramped alleys, weaving past overflowing trash bins.
The downside? Running over a half-finished milk carton left carelessly in the road, spraying his shoes with liquid.
And the uneven pavement left his backside numb from the constant jolting. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0velFire.ɴet
Dismounting, Gu Xiuyuan glared at his ruined shoes, fighting the urge to rub his sore behind. Maintaining his composure, he asked coolly, "What are we doing at He Xiang’s place so late?"
Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang grinned, nudging him forward.
Gu Xiuyuan hushed them. "The walls are thin here—we’ll disturb people."
Their laughter instantly quieted as they tiptoed up the stairs.
He Xiang lived on the fifth floor.
At the door, Ji Nian pushed Gu Xiuyuan forward, signaling him to knock.
Baffled, he complied.
The moment the door opened, before he could process anything, a sudden shove from behind sent him stumbling inside.
The door slammed shut with a bang, and as his vision cleared, he was showered in a burst of colorful streamers.
Lu Jinghuai and He Xiang stood at the front, while Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang flanked him from behind, all pulling party poppers in unison.
It took Gu Xiuyuan a second to process.
So… they’d dragged him all the way here just to celebrate?
His earlier annoyance melted away, his lips quirking up ever so slightly.
With an exaggerated sigh, he handed the bag to He Xiang, only for Ji Nian to yank him back and plop a ridiculous paper birthday hat on his head.
"This is so childish."
He reached up, touching the flimsy crown.
Shen Qingtang nudged him lightly and said, "Just bear with it." With that, she pulled out her phone, turned on the camera, and motioned for everyone to look at her screen for a group photo.