This Mind-Reading Technique Is Useless. - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Sharing Joy. His efforts to trick his brother were not in vain.
The blue wrapping paper was dotted with white daisies, and a blue butterfly made of matching blue ribbon lay quietly atop the box.
Gu Shiying rested his chin on his head, staring at the hot gift. He wondered what was inside, yet at the same time knew he shouldn’t accept it.
From Fu Huan’s perspective, he was secretly pursuing him.
If he didn’t have his special ability, Heart Voice, he would have accepted the gift with complete peace of mind, and might even be scrambling to find a return gift on the shopping platform right now.
Over time, the two became friends, and then familiar with each other.
Damn, Fu Huan was so calculating.
What to do?
He was a bit overwhelmed, the distance between him and Fu Huan unknowingly closing.
To others, he and Fu Huan were roommates, close friends, and sharing activities wouldn’t be a problem. But only he knew what Fu Huan was thinking of him.
Fu Huan had previously been restrained, maintaining a normal roommate relationship with him, but now he’s starting to think about pursuing him. His thoughts are changing little by little.
What had he done to make Fu Huan go from secretly in love with him to openly pursuing him? Couldn’t he change?
He had to refuse, to distance themselves from him, and stop acting together.
He could divide his plan into two phases:
Short-term plan: Grandma Lin will accompany Guoguo to her appointments, so he can remain invisible. As for Grandma Lin’s chili sauce, he can move it himself, advertise it for her, and bring Zhang Zhi in. Wouldn’t that leave Fu Huan with nothing to worry about?
Long-term plan: He could apply for a new dorm and move out of 504 next semester!
However, since he’d accepted the gift, he’d have to open it and see what was inside.
Otherwise, she’d be like a little devil, constantly teasing him.
Would Fu Huan ever know what he liked?
Open it.
When he saw the logo printed on the box, Gu Shiying couldn’t help but curse.
“Damn, Fu Huan is crazy, giving me this!”
It wasn’t that he was scolding him for giving it something he didn’t like, but that it was way too much.
This was the GoPro he’d been dreaming of for so long!
He’d been saving up for it this year, hoping for a price drop during the 618 shopping festival. If it didn’t, he’d buy a used one on Xianyu and use it for a while.
Fu Huan was so hard to dislike, what could he do?
Could he just stop liking me and just be a friend, a good friend, even?
Would he accept this gift?
Day!
It was just what he wanted.
Even though he knew Fu Huan came from a well-off family, he couldn’t accept such an expensive gift, could he?
Gu Shiying scratched his head and cheeks alone in his dorm room, occasionally jumping up and down, unable to take his eyes off the GoPro. He really wanted to take it out and shoot a video right now.
With a GoPro, he could shoot videos with a wider range of content. He’d always wanted to run his own personal account, and now he could start one, even deciding on a theme.
Alas.
But if he accepted this gift, how would he be able to distance himself from Fu Huan in the future?
Or, he could just be his roommate for now. As long as he pretended to be oblivious to his feelings, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Accepting a gift from a friend didn’t seem out of place. He could give Fu Huan his share of the chili sauce, or use his savings to buy a gift and give it back, or treat him to a couple of extra meals. Wouldn’t that offset the gift cost? Just think of it as an installment plan!
As for his short-term plans, he’d wait a while before executing them.
Summer vacation was only a month away, and with two months of break, they could split up and change dorms. Wouldn’t it be a matter of minutes to distance themselves from Fu Huan?
While Gu Shiying was struggling with whether to use the GoPro or leave it unused, Fu Huan sat down to eat with his parents.
The decor at home was very much in keeping with the style of a middle-aged or elderly person, with dark Chinese décor, Chinese furniture, and even a Chinese round table.
There were only three people at the large round table, and the only sound throughout was the crisp clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
Fu Huan ate, not speaking.
He Qi, with her hair in a bun, placed her chopsticks down with a dignified manner. “Huan’er, how’s school been lately?”
Fu Huan mechanically replied while eating, “Just so-so.”
Fu Yuandong, unable to bear his lifeless demeanor, put down his chopsticks heavily.
His eyes widened. “How do you talk to your mother like that?”
Fu Huan, no longer in the mood to eat, put down his chopsticks. “Just ask whatever you want to ask.”
Fu Yuandong snorted.
He Qi: “Don’t talk to your son like that.”
Fu Yuandong: “You’re always like this when you come back. I owe you this in my past life.”
“Huan’er, we just want to know if you’ve been…” He Qi paused, a little embarrassed.
Fu Huan: “Boyfriend?”
He Qi: “Yes.”
Fu Huan: “Not yet.”
Fu Yuandong: “What do you mean by ‘temporarily’? If he has one, then he has another. Or are you just like those homosexuals out there, messing around? If you dare…”
He Qi: “Old Fu, you’re getting more and more outrageous. Huan’er has sense and wouldn’t do such a thing!”
Fu Yuandong snorted.
“Don’t listen to your dad’s nonsense.” He Qi finally got to the point. “Look, Mom and Dad are familiar with this circle. It can be complicated, and we’re doing this for your own good. A while ago, your Uncle Lin told us that his son shares your sexual orientation and is the same age as you. Why don’t you meet and talk? It’s better to meet someone you know than not, right?”
She looked at Fu Huan with a hint of flattery.
Fu Huan’s face darkened and he stood up. “If you want to get to know someone, get to know them yourself.”
He then left the restaurant.
Fu Yuandong: “Fu Huan, every time I tell you this, I just leave.”
Fu Huan: “You could say something more interesting.”
He Qi: “Huan’er, I’ll give your WeChat to that Uncle Lin’s son. You can check it out later. Whether you like it or not is another matter. Let’s meet first. What if something unexpected happens?”
Fu Huan rolled his eyes: “I have someone I like. I won’t add them, nor will I get to know them.”
He Qi: “Kid, getting to know them won’t hurt you.”
Fu Huan didn’t want to hear any more and went upstairs to his room.
At that moment, a man as tall as Fu Huan, dressed in a casual suit and looking somewhat like Fu Huan, walked in.
Fu Qin: “Dad, Mom.”
He Qi: “Are you back? Have you eaten yet? I made some delicious old hen soup today. Would you like some?”
Fu Qin: “Okay, where’s Fu Huan?”
He Qi poured him a bowl of soup. “Just went upstairs. We introduced him to a boy, but he’s not happy about it. Can you try to persuade him?”
Fu Qin almost spit out his soup and laughed, “Introduce him to a boyfriend?”
Fu Yuandong said coldly, “We accept his sexual orientation and find him a partner, but he’s still picky!”
Fu Qin: “Things like love are hard to say, aren’t they?”
He Qi: “Actually, I’ve met that boy. He’s handsome and polite. I asked about his personal life, and he’s not promiscuous, and he’s never been in a relationship. He’d like her. Can you try to persuade her? This world is so chaotic, it’s better to find someone to settle down with, right? He’s your brother, so you should pay some attention to him.”
Fu Qin drank a bowl of soup, acknowledging his parents’ concern for his younger brother.
He saw a bottle of chili sauce on the table, which didn’t fit in with their four dishes and one soup.
Fu Qin: “Okay, I’ll go upstairs and try it later.” Fu Qin opened the chili sauce and dipped a little in it to taste. “This chili sauce is quite fragrant. Where did you get it from?”
He Qi: “Your brother brought it back.”
Fu Qin: “Doesn’t he like spicy food?”
He Qi: “I don’t know. I have a weak stomach, so I don’t dare try it. Is it good?”
Fu Qin: “It’s okay.”
“Let me try it.” Fu Yuandong picked up the serving chopsticks and put some into the bowl. “It’s really fragrant.”
Their house has four floors, and Fu Huan lives alone on the fourth floor.
He was reclining on the sofa, shooting a basketball at the hoop. His posture was carefree and lazy, but also seemed a little bored. After throwing the basketball, he looked down at his phone and scrolled through his Moments. He liked a post Gu Shiying had just sent, and wanted to reply, but then he let go.
Nothing he said seemed right. Would Gu Shiying be satisfied with his gift?
Fu Qin: “You finally made it back, why don’t you eat two more bowls of rice?”
He just noticed that Fu Huan still had half a bowl of rice in his bowl.
Fu Huan: “I’ve only taken two bites and they’re already rushing to introduce me to a boyfriend. Are you trying to persuade me too?”
Fu Qin: “I don’t have the time for that. But they’ve been fretting about this for a while.”
Fu Huan: “Then why did you come up to see me?”
Fu Qin: “I haven’t seen you come up to see me in a while, is that okay? But I really do have something to ask you.”
Fu Huan: “What is it?”
Fu Qin: “That bottle of chili sauce you brought back is pretty good. We’re developing a new product, and I’ve taken a liking to it. If I could buy the recipe, we could save some trouble.”
Fu Huan straightened up from his half-slumped position on the sofa.
He knew his brother had his own company in the food industry, with his own R&D team, and a good annual income.
Fu Huan: “Are you kidding me?”
Fu Qin: “No.”
Fu Huan: “Then how much royalties are you planning to pay for this recipe?”
Fu Qin rarely saw him so concerned about anything. “The chili sauce recipe can actually be made. It shouldn’t be expensive. It depends on how they negotiate with us. Do you know it?”
Fu Huan: “I do, but you’ll have to pay more.”
Fu Qin: “No, Fu Huan, you’re being ungrateful.”
Fu Huan: “The chili sauce is made by the grandmother of an autistic child. The child’s parents died in a car accident, and now the grandmother is the only one taking care of him. Shouldn’t you give more?”
Fu Qin: “Okay, just think of it as charity. I’ll give more.”
Fu Huan: “Don’t tell me when the time comes.” If I want to buy it, I will contact another person. ”
Fu Qin: “Is it so complicated?”
Fu Huan: “My classmate, he is helping Grandma Lin promote chili sauce.”
Fu Qin looked at his brother playfully: “Fu Huan, do you have an unusual relationship with this classmate?”
Fu Huan put aside his brother’s prying eyes: “My roommate, please do me a favor.”
Fu Qin: “This is to give credit to the other party. If I don’t come forward, I will ask Assistant Hu to contact him.”
Fu Huan: “Yeah.”
Fu Qin suddenly laughed and said: “By the way, you really don’t want to meet Uncle Lin’s son introduced by your parents? I have met him once. He looks really fair and about the same age. Maybe you can really like him.”
Fu Huan: “Impossible.” He has someone he likes.
Fu Qin: “I’ve never seen you fall in love. How is it impossible?”
Fu Huan: “Stop teasing me.”
On Sunday morning, Gu Shiying received a call just after waking up. The other person said that he accidentally took a bite of the chili sauce he brought back to school and wanted to buy the recipe for the chili sauce.
Gu Shiying: “Ah? You’re not trying to trick me, are you?”
Assistant Hu: “We’re a legitimate food company, registered, and we have many products on the market. We’ve signed formal contracts. Classmate, I won’t cheat you.”
Gu Shiying: “Okay, I’ll add you on WeChat. I’m selling this chili sauce for someone else, an elderly person.”
Assistant Hu: “Then I’d probably need you to take me to meet this elderly person. When is Mr. Gu free?”
Gu Shiying: “I have classes during the day, so I’m usually free after school.”
Assistant Hu: “Then let’s meet next Wednesday. You can discuss it with the elderly person over the next two days.”
Gu Shiying: “Sure.”
The two added each other on WeChat.
Gu Shiying first told Grandma Lin about the situation. Grandma Lin said she could sell the chili sauce recipe and would be happy to do it for the right price.
“Grandma, please do your best to come up with a satisfactory proposal and price when we sign the contract.”
“Thank you, Xiao Gu. Guoguo is truly blessed to have met you.”
“You’re welcome.”
After he hung up, he was so excited he wanted to share this joyous news with someone. After thinking about it, he felt the most suitable person to share it with was Fu Huan.
But he couldn’t tell this guy.
Sunday evening, Fu Huan returned to school from home, bringing with him a box of lychees.
He had never done this before and wasn’t very skilled, but distributing it to Gu Shiying was a breeze.
“We can’t finish them at home. If you want some, help yourself.”
Gu Shiying looked at the lychees that were almost filling the table. “They look great. Just put less.”
Fu Huan: “They’ll spoil if they’re left out for too long.”
Gu Shiying: “…”
Yang Shuheng: “Fvck, lychees already? I want them, I want them.”
Guan Yu: “Brother Huan, you’re so generous.”
Gu Shiying ate the lychees Fu Huan brought back, his hands stained with the sweet juice. He felt increasingly guilty and remorseful.
That night, Fu Huan was the last one to shower and go to bed. He went to turn off the lights.
As Fu Huan passed by Gu Shiying’s bed, Gu Shiying suddenly popped his head out, his eyes bright, and he said to him, “Fu Huan, I’m telling you, someone’s trying to buy Grandma Lin’s chili sauce recipe through me. I checked, and they’re a legitimate company.”
Fu Huan looked at his eyes, which shone like stars, and thought to himself that his efforts to trick his brother had paid off.
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Author’s Note: Fu Huan: [dog head] What’s wrong with betraying my brother for my wife?
Gu Shiying: [question mark][question mark][question mark]
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Next chapter will be updated at 8 PM on the 6th ~ Heart [heart][heart][heart]