MCFEM C40

Chapter 40 – Doesn’t It Sound Romantic …

Since it was their first meeting, Uncle Huang worried the boy might be nervous, so he went to pick him up early downstairs, driving his own, more discreet car.

On the way, he even called the eldest young master in advance.

Gu Yang was still lying in bed, his voice drowsy. He only murmured that he understood and told him to just send the person upstairs once he arrived.

But Uncle Huang felt that wasn’t proper, so he appealed to his feelings, persuading him that since it was the tutor’s very first day, it would be better for him to get up and greet him.

There was the sound of rustling, as though the boy had rolled over under the covers, and only after a long pause came a muffled “mm.”

Uncle Huang had worked for the Gu family for more than twenty years, having witnessed far too much and having watched Gu Yang grow up. Though the boy was his employer’s son, he still carried a measure of genuine affection for him.

He knew this child was sentimental, which was why he would listen to the old man’s nagging.

After picking up Song Yinxing, he drove back toward the house.

“Don’t worry, there’s no need to be too nervous. Today, at home, it’s only your employer and his younger brother, who’s a year younger than him.”

Uncle Huang had already looked into the family background while preparing for this job, so after parking in the underground garage, he added a word of reassurance: “Once you meet, you can just go straight to his room.”

Song Yinxing nodded lightly.

Because he had experienced too much malice and darkness, he could better appreciate the preciousness of such kindness.

He could tell the residence was worth a fortune; anyone who lived here was either rich or powerful.

And yet, wealthy people had rarely ever left him with a good impression.

As they walked from the basement up to the first floor, Song Yinxing’s gaze happened to collide with a man.

Gu Qingxu?

What was he doing here?

A chill rose in Song Yinxing’s chest, making his hands and feet go cold.

Gu Qingxu, dressed in loungewear, had just stepped out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee. Seeing this unexpected guest, he froze: “And you are…”

Uncle Huang quickly explained: “Second young master, this is the tutor the eldest young master personally arranged.”

“A tutor? Teaching what?”

What else would he teach? Uncle Huang was baffled. “Of course, academics.”

At that moment, footsteps came from upstairs.

Through the dark gray metal grating, a figure could be vaguely seen.

As though realizing something, Song Yinxing’s heartbeat quickened, and he raised his eyes to stare.

Gu Yang slowly descended. Since they were indoors, he wore only a beige knit cardigan and loose, comfortable pants. Barefoot in slippers, he looked soft, almost languid.

“You came,” he said, yawning sleepily, utterly unaware of the tension between the others. He greeted Song Yinxing as naturally as could be. “Let’s go to my room first.”

“And what exactly do you plan to do, bringing him to your room?” Gu Qingxu asked coldly.

Gu Yang’s voice was lazy, sounding drained of energy: “What’s it to you?”

That effortless jab only darkened Gu Qingxu’s expression further.

Uncle Huang hastened to smooth things over: “Of course, for tutoring. This young Song is here as the home tutor.”

He knew the second young master’s temper was not mild. Though they rarely interacted, Xiao Song would be coming and going often, and offending him wouldn’t end well.

By now, Song Yinxing had collected himself. He followed Gu Yang upstairs, forcing himself not to glance again at Gu Qingxu.

He disliked Gu Qingxu.

The man was Nie Ying’s friend. To be so close to Nie Ying meant that, deep down, they were cut from the same cloth.

Only, compared to Nie Ying, Gu Qingxu’s malice was better hidden.

He had never directly acted against him, but whenever Nie Ying targeted him, he happened to be nearby. He wouldn’t intervene, wouldn’t encourage, merely stood there smiling faintly.

That man’s class consciousness was strong. He liked to rank people into grades, and Song Yinxing could feel it—the condescension hidden beneath every one of his smiling looks.

Even now, with everything different, without Nie Ying’s suffocating oppression weighing down on him and with no interactions with Gu Qingxu, at this very first meeting, his face still clearly said: What right do you have to be here?

Back in the room, Gu Yang collapsed back onto the bed.

He kicked off his slippers and hugged a pillow to his chest.

“Sit wherever you like—the sofa or the chair. Just not on my bed.”

Song Yinxing had countless questions to ask Gu Yang, but what came out first was: “Why… did you go in such a roundabout way to find me?”

“Weren’t you the one who said you’d tutor me?” Gu Yang half-squinted his eyes. “Might as well earn some money while you’re at it, isn’t that good?”

“I wanted to tutor you to thank you for helping me so many times. I don’t need money. I know I have nothing else I can give you.” Song Yinxing shook his head calmly.

“Take it. It’s not coming out of my account anyway; someone else will reimburse it.” Gu Yang’s voice was languid. “Just think of it as helping me spend more.”

Song Yinxing’s next words of refusal caught in his throat. He processed the statement with confusion and bafflement: “But you didn’t have to pay me this much. After all, it’s your family’s money—”

“It’s fine. It’s what I’m owed anyway. Call it compensation.” Gu Yang waved impatiently. “Enough. I don’t want to hear this topic again.”

Song Yinxing was silenced and had to press the matter down for now. “Then at least get up. Let’s start studying.”

“No need. Read your book. You can use my desk. I’m going to sleep. Don’t wake me.”

Song Yinxing watched as Gu Yang genuinely seemed ready to fall asleep on the spot. “It’s morning—you just woke up, didn’t you?”

Gu Yang ignored him, eyes shut tight, refusing to talk.

By now, Song Yinxing could be almost certain—Gu Yang had gone through all this trouble just to give him money.

But why would he go so far for him?

From the very beginning—whether it was stepping in against Nie Ying, cleaning up after Ding Ziyu’s harassment, or suddenly visiting his sick mother in the hospital—he had always extended kindness.

Nobody was kind for no reason.

This was the only deviation in two lifetimes of otherwise identical paths.

He had even wondered if Gu Yang, too, had been reborn.

But even if he had, what reason would he have to help him?

In the past life, they had had no interaction. The only connection, Gu Qingxu, would hardly have spoken of him.

Song Yinxing forced himself to cut off that dead-end line of thought.

“Gu Yang, you don’t have to go this far for me.” After all the times they had interacted, he knew Gu Yang was temperamental. He spoke gently, coaxing: “Come on, sit up. Let me go over the key points with you, then we can do a timed paper.”

At those words, unpleasant memories surged for Gu Yang. He pressed a pillow over his face to block it out. “Don’t need it. Shut up.”

Though rebuffed, Song Yinxing’s expression didn’t waver.

He knew the difference between malice and mere irritation.

The point wasn’t why Gu Yang did what he did, but that he had already done so much. He forced himself to stop searching for reasons.

Here was someone who consistently offered him goodwill.

He closed his eyes briefly.

It was too precious.

“Morning’s almost gone already. Let’s start with math.” Song Yinxing spread out his prepared notes. “Come on, otherwise it’ll be noon soon.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m really tired.” Gu Yang’s voice even cracked with frustration as he continued lying on the bed.

“I know. That’s what everyone says when they don’t want to study.” Song Yinxing replied calmly, unmoved.

Seeing that Gu Yang wasn’t even acknowledging him, he sighed softly and got up, intending to pull him out of bed. “Don’t be such a child—”

But before he could take more than two steps, his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling onto the bed with a thud.

Catching himself awkwardly with one hand, he turned back to see what had tripped him.

It was a long-haired ragdoll cat, sleek and glossy. Half crouched on the rug, its wide innocent eyes glared accusingly at the human who had just kicked it by accident.

“I told you—I don’t like people sitting on my bed.” The voice floated up behind him.

Only then did Song Yinxing realize—his supporting hand was mere centimeters from Gu Yang’s head.

Gu Yang gazed at him with a blank expression.

For the first time, Song Yinxing was so close to those gray eyes, seeing even the flutter of lashes when he blinked.

Before either could speak, the deadlock was broken by a knock at the door.

“Young master, is Bulin in there?” Xiao Huang, realizing she couldn’t find the cat anywhere on the first floor and that all doors and windows were locked, guessed it must have slipped upstairs again.

No answer came. Growing worried, she pushed the door open.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the two on the bed.

Before she could even process what she was seeing, Bulin gave a soft meow and bolted away, wanting no part in the situation.

With the cat found, Xiao Huang stammered out an apology, then retreated with a dazed expression, carefully closing the door behind her.

Song Yinxing didn’t have time to say anything, and as he struggled up, she was already gone.

Still sprawled on the bed, Gu Yang couldn’t hold back a laugh. His expression was hidden behind a pillow, but his amusement was obvious.

Song Yinxing: “…”

Yet, in the end, it seemed to lift Gu Yang’s earlier gloom. He stretched out a hand for Song Yinxing to pull him up.

He had him sit at the desk and pulled a stool beside him.

Song Yinxing forced himself not to think about the incident just now and opened his notebook.

“So many notes. No wonder you’re first place.” Gu Yang, who couldn’t help but feel sleepy at the sight of so much writing, only offered a comment on the quantity.

“My family was poor, so from a young age I worked hard at my studies. Everyone said it was the only way to change my fate.” Song Yinxing’s voice was even.

But in truth, all his efforts had seemed futile—just the laughable struggle of someone not knowing their place.

“My father only gambled, wasting away all our money. My mother was the only one who could earn, but then she fell ill too. I became the only one left to support us, which is why I came to Guanyue to study.”

“Even then, the man wouldn’t leave us alone. Whenever he needed money, he’d come to us, without a care for my mother’s life or death.”

“She still tells me how good he once was to her. But what use is that? No matter how good the past was, the truth has long since been laid bare. Time always reveals people’s hearts.”

Realizing he had gone too far, he quickly apologized.

Too much had happened lately. His mind was chaotic, and negativity kept slipping out.

He knew he shouldn’t be dumping this on Gu Yang.

If Gu Yang’s help was only out of pity, then this would only draw him in deeper.

Nie Ying was dangerous—anyone entangled with him would not escape unscathed.

And besides… Gu Yang was already barely keeping afloat.

That suicide in the original timeline—it had once passed by his ears without impact. But now, in hindsight, it loomed like a crashing wave.

Gu Yang’s expression showed no surprise, no reaction. He seemed entirely calm, because he already knew all of this.

Resting his cheek in his hand, he looked at Song Yinxing.

He did know far too much about him—it wasn’t fair. And since he was in a good mood now, he decided to share something of his own.

“My parents were deeply in love. It was love at first sight, and they married quickly. Only, my father was unlucky—he died young.”

“But in the end, my mother still chose to follow him in death.”

As he said this, Gu Yang smiled at Song Yinxing.

“Well? Doesn’t it sound romantic?”