Chapter 101 Above Cloud Youth (Xu Zhongshuang Perspective)
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The Gu family’s old house was quite large. Although it was called an “old house,” it had a history of over a hundred years. However, the interior was modern, filled with a vibrant atmosphere.
Today, they were celebrating the hundredth birthday of Gu family’s old lady. Xu Zhongshuang followed his father to attend the banquet and met his friend Gu Yunli. Both appeared humble and elegant, a type that was favored by elders in such gatherings. However, deep down, both were not fond of these social occasions. Therefore, they made plans to play chess in Gu Yunli’s room.
When Gu Yunli’s mother came to find them, both, without prior agreement, claimed that the chess game was already halfway through, and if not finished, they wouldn’t be able to sleep.
When the adults discussed them, they all praised them as young talents of the new generation who mutually appreciated each other. The bond between the Gu and Xu families was expected to continue in their generation.
With no outsiders around, Gu Yunli placed one leg on the chair, the other hand on his knee, smiling confidently at the chessboard as if he already had a seven-point advantage.
On the opposite side, Xu Zhongshuang maintained his dignified and refined posture, contemplating the chess pieces between his fingers, with a slight furrow of his brow.
“Little Shuang, if you were an omega, maybe we wouldn’t be sitting here playing chess, but having a blind date,” Gu Yunli teased.
“Get lost.” Xu Zhongshuang raised his eyebrows and said, “Make your move; within fifty moves, I’ll make you surrender.”
“Little Shuang, you’re quite calculating.” Gu Yunli deliberately elongated his tone, “I feel like having sugar frosting cake. Can you go get it for me?”
Xu Zhongshuang sneered, “This is the Gu family. It should be you going out to get whatever I want.”
“Oh, if I go down, I might not come back.”
“I think you just know you’re going to lose, want to distract me, and then move the pieces around, right?” Xu Zhongshuang said, not pleased.
“Photograph it as evidence then.”
Xu Zhongshuang couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. He left the room and went downstairs to find a sugar frosting cake for young master Gu.
Skillfully avoiding the chatting elders, he approached the dessert table. After looking for a while, he couldn’t tell which one was the “sugar frosting cake” Gu Yunli mentioned. That guy must be intentionally teasing him.
Carrying a plate, he picked up a few cakes. Just as he was about to leave, his pants were tugged by something and quickly recoiled. Remaining vigilant, Xu Zhongshuang continued picking cakes. Suddenly, a small hand reached out from the tablecloth, tugging his pants, and quickly retreating.
Xu Zhongshuang chuckled, half-squatting down, lifting the tablecloth to reveal a child in a vest, with cream on his face. The moment the child saw Xu Zhongshuang, he tried to crawl to the other side of the table to escape. Xu Zhongshuang raised an eyebrow, went to the other side, and waited for the child to climb out.
As soon as the child’s head appeared, he saw Xu Zhongshuang half-squatting in front of him, showing a surprised expression. Expecting him to run away, Xu Zhongshuang heard the child say with big eyes open, “Brother… you’re really handsome.”
Xu Zhongshuang lifted him out, and just as others were about to notice them, Xu Zhongshuang swiftly carried the child upstairs, not forgetting to bring the cake for Gu Yunli.
“What’s your name?” Xu Zhongshuang asked.
“You tell me your name first, and then I’ll tell you mine,” the child said seriously.
“I’m… Gu Yunli,” Xu Zhongshuang said.
“Liar! You’re not Gu Yunli!”
“Why am I not Gu Yunli?” Xu Zhongshuang asked.
“Because you’re much better looking than him! And Gu Yunli is the worst person in the world! He’s the big demon king!” The child was about to explode when mentioning Gu Yunli.
“What did the big demon king do to make the little angel unhappy?”
The child’s focus seemed different from adults. For instance, he immediately asked, “Do you agree that he’s the big demon king? And do you really think I’m a little angel?”
At this moment, Gu Yunli opened the door, holding his arms and said, “Do you know why they say you’re like a little angel? Because you’re chubby!”
The child, not happy, tried to pounce forward, but how could he be Gu Yunli’s opponent? Xu Zhongshuang picked him up and handed the plate to Gu Yunli. “Didn’t you want to eat cake? Eating it will skyrocket your blood sugar!”
Gu Yunli took the cake, entered the room, Xu Zhongshuang carried the child and sat across from him.
“Why did you bring him in?”
“All the adults outside are busy with socializing, and he was the only one playing under the table. It’s boring out there.”
“Is watching us play chess more interesting?” Gu Yunli chuckled.
“I understand.” The child spoke, “Starting from an empty board, black first, white next. Stones that cannot be captured are living.”
Xu Zhongshuang patted the child’s head, giving Gu Yunli a glance, “Don’t underestimate kids; he understands.”
So, the chess game turned into Gu Yunli playing chess while Xu Zhongshuang held the child, explaining why he made certain moves and how to break the aura of the great demon, Gu Yunli.
The child listened attentively. In the final few moves, Xu Zhongshuang intentionally leaned over and asked by his ear, “If it were you, where would you place it?”
Upon hearing this, the child pointed to a specific position.
Xu Zhongshuang smiled and placed the chess piece on that spot.
On the opposite side, Gu Yunli laughed, “Why play here? Clearly, playing there would have allowed you to capture a large portion of mine.”
“By playing here, you will be forced to kill yourself!” The child said seriously.
Gu Yunli was puzzled for a moment, “Why would I want to kill myself?”
“To have room for a turnaround.”
Xu Zhongshuang laughed, “Yunyi is really clever; he defeated the great demon in one go.”
The child turned to him, “How do you… how do you know my name?”
“You, with your little nose and big eyes, look so much like Gu Yunli when he was a child. Aren’t you his younger brother, Gu Yunyi?” Xu Zhongshuang answered.
“Then, are you Shuang Er?” Gu Yunyi asked.
“Huh? Shuang Er? What Shuang Er?” Xu Zhongshuang looked up and saw Gu Yunli grinning while touching his nose.
This guy was giving him random nicknames again.
“Yunyi, you can’t randomly give people nicknames like the great demon. I’m called Xu Zhongshuang, eight years older than you. You should call me Brother Xu, understand?”
“Oh, understood, Brother Shuang.” Gu Yunyi replied seriously.
Xu Zhongshuang looked into his eyes, large and round, full of innocence but still revealing a hint of mischievousness, similar to Gu Yunli.
“Big Brother Xu.”
When they were doing homework in Gu Yunli’s room, the little companion played with Lego bricks at Xu Zhongshuang’s feet.
Later on, Xu Zhongshuang spent most of half a year overseas with his parents. During the summer break, he specially came back and stayed over at Gu Yunli’s house.
The day the Gu family’s driver picked him up from the airport, Gu Yunli helped him with his luggage and raised an eyebrow, saying, “The clingy spirit is here.”
“Huh? What?”
Xu Zhongshuang hadn’t reacted yet when he heard a clear teenage voice approaching.
“Brother Shuang!”
Then someone threw themselves into his arms, clinging tightly like a koala.
Xu Zhongshuang almost lost his balance but, upon a closer look, discovered it was Gu Yunyi.
He was no longer a little companion. With exquisite features and a beautiful appearance, although he shared about five or six points of similarity with Gu Yunli’s features, he lacked a bit of the sharp aggressiveness. “Yunyi? You’ve grown so much.”
“Every time you video chat with the big demon king, when I want to talk to you, the big demon king cuts off the video!” Gu Yunyi accused his elder brother.
Xu Zhongshuang smiled. He hadn’t expected that besides Gu Yunli, there were others who missed him. He hugged Gu Yunyi’s shoulder and walked into the gate of the Gu family, adding, “Big demon king, the luggage will be left to you!”
“Tsk! I’ll sell your luggage as junk.”
A cat ran over, circled around Gu Yunyi’s legs, and he picked it up. “Brother Xu, look, this is the cat I adopted. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Beautiful.” Xu Zhongshuang patted the cat’s head.
“It was treated badly before, but I take care of it now.”
Xu Zhongshuang lowered his head, watching Gu Yunyi with the cat. It was indeed cute.
Although Gu Yunli and Xu Zhongshuang were still students, they had begun to participate in the decision-making of some family matters. When they discussed together, Gu Yunyi always obediently put down snacks and drinks to play on his own.
But at night, he would run into Xu Zhongshuang’s room and crawl under his blanket.
Initially, Xu Zhongshuang treated Gu Yunyi as a little brother who was several years younger, but he gradually discovered that Gu Yunyi had agile thinking and meticulous reasoning. Everything he said was not just innocent words but reminders from his perspective.
“Big Brother Shuang Er.” Gu Yunyi gently called in Xu Zhongshuang’s ear.
Intentionally, Xu Zhongshuang covered his face with a pillow. “What did you say?”
“Big Brother Xu! Big Brother Xu! I’m almost suffocating!”
When Xu Zhongshuang moved the pillow away, he pinched Gu Yunyi’s face. “Next time, if you call me like this again in front of your big brother, I’ll pickle you in a jar and turn you into a sugar cookie.”
“Big Brother Xu, in the future, can I differentiate into an alpha?” Gu Yunyi asked.
He was pressed on the pillow by Xu Zhongshuang, his bangs becoming a middle part, looking a bit silly but cute. Xu Zhongshuang answered, “Sure. Haven’t you already accepted the test?”
“Then, when I differentiate into an alpha, can I mark you?” Gu Yunyi asked.
Xu Zhongshuang was choked by his words. “Mark me? Little guy, do you want to mark me? Do you know that I’m also an alpha?”
“It’s okay. Big Brother Shuang Er becoming a strong alpha, others won’t be able to bully you anymore. Only I can bite you. Bite you here.” Gu Yunyi circled around Xu Zhongshuang’s neck and pressed him down. Xu Zhongshuang immediately held him with both hands.
“Yunyi, you must remember… alphas can’t mark another alpha.”
“I’m very smart. When I grow up, I will research a drug that allows alphas to mark other alphas.”
Xu Zhongshuang flicked Gu Yunyi’s forehead. “If you have time to research such nonsense, you might as well study the smart water.”
“What smart water?”
“After drinking it, you won’t have these absurd thoughts in your head.”
Xu Zhongshuang would always remember waking up the next morning and finding Gu Yunli sitting coldly by his bedside, hugging his arms.
“Awake?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Xu Zhongshuang sat up leisurely.
“Don’t let Yunyi sleep in your bed from now on.”
As Gu Yunli spoke, Gu Yunyi crawled out from under the blanket and stared at him with round eyes, asking, “Why?”
“Now that you’re this old, why do you keep sneaking into someone else’s bed?”
While speaking, Gu Yunli lifted Gu Yunyi out.
“I don’t! It’s just you— you want to monopolize Big Brother Xu! You can’t stand how good he is to me!”
“Is it you who wants to monopolize?” Gu Yunli faced his younger brother, showing an unusual cold expression.
“Big Brother Xu is so good. Why can’t I want to monopolize?” Gu Yunyi retorted.
“Get out. If I see you running into Xu Zhongshuang’s bed again, I’ll kick you to death.” Gu Yunli’s voice squeezed out from between his teeth.
“I hate you.” Gu Yunyi kicked Gu Yunli and ran away.
Just as Xu Zhongshuang was about to go after him, Gu Yunli pulled him back.
“Don’t chase after him. This is his usual trick. If you don’t like him, don’t let him spend too much effort on you.”
Xu Zhongshuang was stunned. “Yunli, what do you mean?”
“He likes you, can’t you see?” Gu Yunli straightforwardly pierced through the window paper.
“Isn’t it obvious to anyone with eyes? If he likes me, is big brother uncomfortable with it…”
Suddenly, Xu Zhongshuang remembered the question Gu Yunyi asked him before going to bed.
“He likes a stray cat in the school, but that cat refused to go home with him. He pretended to be scratched by that cat, and the school started a stray cat cleanup. That cat had nowhere to go. He encouraged his classmates to injure the cat with bricks, and then he played the role of a savior, sending the injured cat for treatment. Now, that stray cat is the one you saw when you came to our house.”
Xu Zhongshuang stood there in a daze, “He… he wasn’t like this before…”
“He has always been like this. I don’t want you to become his cat, understand? I also don’t want my little brother to think that people’s hearts can be obtained through manipulation.”
After saying that, Gu Yunli left the room.
Since that day, Xu Zhongshuang locked the door to his bedroom. Even if he woke up in the morning to find Gu Yunyi pitifully leaning against the door with a blanket, he would only wake him up and tell him to go back to his own room to sleep.
Both he and Gu Yunli grew up in alpha families with power struggles, understanding when it was time to be ruthless.
This deliberate distance lasted for a long time.
Once, Xu Zhongshuang thought that with Gu Yunyi’s intelligence, the Gu family would cultivate him to become an asset for Gu Yunli in the future. However, Gu Yunyi unexpectedly never returned from the path of art. In his second year of junior high school, he became a disciple of a contemporary master painter and even won awards.
The year Xu Zhongshuang graduated from university, Gu Yunyi gave him a painting as a graduation gift.
The painting depicted Xu Zhongshuang and his high school sweetheart walking in the rain under an umbrella.
It was beautiful, and at that moment, Xu Zhongshuang’s eyes became moist.
Therefore, when Gu Yunyi’s award-winning works were exhibited, Xu Zhongshuang also bought a bouquet of flowers to visit him.
Gu Yunyi, dressed in a suit, combed his hair back like an adult, and his facial features were even more handsome and refined. He walked confidently towards Xu Zhongshuang and embraced him.
“I thought Big Brother Xu wouldn’t come.”
At that time, Xu Zhongshuang thought that Gu Yunyi had grown up, and the childhood “affection” was finally put down.
Gu Yunyi skipped the banquet and ran away with Xu Zhongshuang.
They were eating hamburgers in a 24-hour fast-food restaurant, and Gu Yunyi was stuffing his face without any grace.
“Big Brother Shuang Er, do you want to visit my studio tomorrow?”
Gu Yunyi said while wiping the sauce from the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. Xu Zhongshuang handed him a napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Why are you still acting like a child?”
“I can’t wait to grow up and become an alpha to mark you.” Gu Yunyi widened his eyes, imitating the tone he used when he was a child.
In that manner, it seemed like he was making fun of the nonsense he used to say when he was a child.
“Tomorrow is not possible. I have to meet a friend.”
“What friend?” Gu Yunyi put down the hamburger.
“A friend I have feelings for.”
“Didn’t you like a beta girl before? Why are you already liking someone else so soon?” Gu Yunyi’s voice turned cold.
Xu Zhongshuang thought since he was only fourteen, he still believed that love was as simple and fulfilling as loving one person for a lifetime.
“She is an omega named Jiang Xiaoran, very strong and independent. During my high school days, because of my crush on Rosy, I caused a lot of trouble, even running away from home with Rosy. But Jiang Xiaoran has always been helping us. She understands me very well.”
“I understand you very well too. So why don’t you be with me?” Gu Yunyi asked.
“Because… you are…”
“Because I am Gu Yunli’s brother? Because Gu Yunli told you that I am a little devil who does anything to get what he wants? Or because you are an alpha but too weak to accept the courage of another alpha?”
Suddenly, the scent of ambergris exuded from Gu Yunyi.
Xu Zhongshuang had felt this pheromone on Gu Yunli before. When they differentiated for the first time, out of curiosity, they competed in pheromones, but the result was complained about. Both families’ parents went to the Alpha Management Committee to retrieve them.
Gu Yunyi’s pheromones were even colder than Gu Yunli’s, like the damp, cold sea surface in winter, raising huge waves from thousands of miles underwater, rushing toward Xu Zhongshuang.
“Yunyi—what are you doing!”
This was a public place, and even though Gu Yunyi was young, if he was discovered, he would be locked up for such a degree of pheromone release.
However, Gu Yunyi remained motionless, staring at Xu Zhongshuang.
The scent of ambergris became heavier and heavier, overwhelming the alpha customers in the fast-food restaurant. Some were having difficulty breathing, and some even laid on the dining table, struggling to get up.
“Why not choose me? Why?” Gu Yunyi repeatedly asked that question.
The shop was already chaotic, and if Xu Zhongshuang released more pheromones, those fallen customers might really lose their lives.
“Yunyi! Yunyi! I’m here, stop now! Stop now!”
But Gu Yunyi completely lost control. Against the huge pheromone tsunami, Xu Zhongshuang struck his hand against the back of Gu Yunyi’s neck.
However, he didn’t expect that Gu Yunyi had anticipated what he was going to do. He grabbed his wrist with one hand and held the back of Xu Zhongshuang’s head with the other.
When that frantic kiss came down, Xu Zhongshuang’s whole body turned cold.
He saw Gu Yunyi’s eyes filled with overwhelming possessiveness. He couldn’t even break free from his embrace, and every time he struggled, Gu Yunyi would release more pheromones. The store owner had already called the Alpha Management Committee.
When Gu Yunyi was taken away, he said something in Xu Zhongshuang’s ear, “This way, you’ll never forget me.”
That night, Xu Zhongshuang and Gu Yunli squatted outside the 24-hour convenience store, drinking beer and smoking.
“The things I told you about, why don’t you take them seriously?” Gu Yunli flicked the cigarette ash.
“I was wrong… I always hoped he would always remain like a little dumpling, pure and cute.”
“You are just too lonely. Since childhood, we were educated to withstand calculations and see through people’s hearts. But we are also human beings, and there are soft spots in our hearts. If I were a few years younger, I might get more of your affection.”
“Get out. I’ll smoke you to death.” Xu Zhongshuang replied.
After that, Xu Zhongshuang never saw Gu Yunyi again.
It wasn’t until the third day of Xu Zhongshuang’s marriage to Jiang Xiaoran that he learned Gu Yunyi had a car accident and suffered brain injuries.
He originally was a high-quality alpha like Gu Yunli, but intracranial hemorrhage compressed the nerves, and the surgery damaged the pituitary gland responsible for producing alpha pheromones. The hospital purified Gu Yunli’s pheromones to balance and repair his pituitary gland. However, even after recovery, he couldn’t regain his previous pheromone levels.
Xu Zhongshuang took out his phone and saw the last message Gu Yunyi sent him: “I want to see you once, want to see you smile.”
He begged Xu Zhongshuang not to drive him away if he appeared at Xu Zhongshuang’s wedding.
“Do you want to go see him? He’s recovering well now,” Gu Yunli once asked Xu Zhongshuang.
“I won’t.”
After that, whenever Xu Zhongshuang visited the Gu family, Gu Yunyi would go to a classmate’s house, as if they had an unspoken agreement. Gu Yunyi never sent an invitation to Xu Zhongshuang for his art exhibitions.
Later, a major incident occurred in the Gu family. During Song Kelan’s delivery, Gu Yunli lost control of his pheromones and was sent to isolation by the Alpha Management Committee.
His condition deteriorated, and he couldn’t communicate as he did before.
Xu Zhongshuang felt a deep loneliness, and every time he visited Gu Yunli, he was treated as an enemy.
Later, Xu Xingran was born, which was the greatest comfort for Xu Zhongshuang.
In the corridor outside the nursery, Xu Zhongshuang saw Gu Yunyi.
He smiled, teasing the babies inside through the glass. Without anyone’s introduction, he could easily recognize which one was Xu Zhongshuang’s child.
Gu Yunyi knew Xu Zhongshuang was in the corridor on the other side, but he didn’t turn around.
Silently, Xu Zhongshuang stood there, not calling Gu Yunyi’s name.
Maintaining the tacit agreement that kept them in peace.
Later on, Jiang Xiaoran developed adenocarcinoma. Gu Yunli and Xu Zhongshuang’s “Yunshuang Foundation” tirelessly researched transformative agents, hoping to save Jiang Xiaoran. However, at the critical moment of the research, the system was infected with a virus, leading to the failure of the study. Xu Zhongshuang stood in front of Jiang Xiaoran’s tombstone, motionless for an entire night.
At midnight, Gu Yunyi came to see Xu Zhongshuang. At that time, he was about to take the college entrance examination, carrying beer to visit Xu Zhongshuang.
“Big Brother Xu, if letting me mark you could save Jiang Xiaoran, would you save her?” Gu Yunyi asked.
“Yes, save her. Mark me now… see if she wakes up…” If it were before, Xu Zhongshuang, when asked this question by Gu Yunyi, would probably punch him directly. But now, everyone he cared about was no longer around, and he had lost his temper.
“So, in the past, you kept your distance from me, but you let me mark you for Jiang Xiaoran. She is the most important.”
Gu Yunyi left without looking back, saying something to Xu Zhongshuang that seemed to be “I have no regrets.”
At that time, Xu Zhongshuang didn’t understand what he meant. Later, he learned that Gu Yunyi released the virus in the research lab, and Gu Yunli was forced mad by calculations. The Yunshuang Foundation had long been under the control of Gu Yunyi when he and Gu Yunli weren’t paying attention.
This organization called “Eden” was like an invisible web, capturing everything.
When this web was torn apart, Gu Yunyi fell in front of Xu Zhongshuang, grabbing his ankle, begging to be marked by him.
Xu Zhongshuang just watched him. He had never truly understood Gu Yunyi, and all his care and pity for him dissipated with the revelation of the truth.
Gu Yunyi was eventually taken away by the Alpha Management Committee, and he could never leave that room for the rest of his life.
“Do you want to go see him?” Gu Yunli asked.
“No, I won’t.” Xu Zhongshuang paused and said again, “I gave him what’s in the safe.”
Gu Yunli was stunned, and, like in high school, he put his arm around Xu Zhongshuang’s shoulder and said, “Shuang Er, have you ever thought that if you agreed to Yunyi’s pursuit, became our Gu family’s daughter-in-law, none of this would have happened?”
“No, all of this would still happen. He still wouldn’t tolerate that you are my most important friend. He would still treat you as a lunatic and lock you up. He still wouldn’t tolerate that we have a common career, and he would try every means to take control of the ‘Yunshuang Foundation.’ He would still resent your outstanding achievements. He understands the mentality of those who look up to others better than we do. That’s why he can win over Lin Huaien and Cheng Huan. We use the future to win hearts, but he uses the dream of ‘surpassing Gu Yunli’ to bewitch people. In this aspect, he will always be more formidable than us. He will repeatedly verify the areas where he is superior to you to gain satisfaction.”
Gu Yunli smiled helplessly, “But he’s still my brother.”
“Yeah, actually, Yunyi is not wrong. It’s just his nature.”
Later, in the specially designed room at the Alpha Management Center, Gu Yunyi repeatedly requested to see Xu Zhongshuang until Xu Xingran brought a box to see him.
“This is the safe that you’ve always wanted to get into. You always thought there were alpha enhancers inside, but it was originally something researched for you.” Xu Xingran opened the box, revealing a video inside.
The video was shaky, and the young Xu Zhongshuang in the footage was still very spirited. He smiled and said, “Yunyi, I know you’ve always been concerned that the car accident prevented you from reaching the pheromone levels of a high-quality alpha. So, your big brother and I funded a study to induce a secondary healing of your pituitary gland regarding alpha pheromones, using Yunli’s pheromones as a fusion inducing agent. I hope it succeeds, and I hope you become confident and radiant.”
Gu Yunyi stood there in a daze, watching that video, his eyes turning red.
“Will he forgive me?”
Xu Xingran put down the things and was about to leave.
“You also once liked that boy so much… you understand my feelings, right?” Gu Yunyi looked at Xu Xingran with eyes seeking forgiveness.
“Possessiveness is our nature. So, I always possess the best part of him.” Xu Xingran smiled.
The video in the safe repeated over and over again, showing Xu Zhongshuang’s most ambitious moments when he was young.
Xu Xingran returned to the car, where his father, Xu Zhongshuang, was sitting in the driver’s seat waiting for him.
“Dad, I suddenly thought, the ‘Above Cloud Youth’ painting by Gu Yunyi isn’t An Lan. After all, he hadn’t met An Lan before at that time.”
“Really?” Xu Zhongshuang smiled faintly.
“That must be the most cherished image in his heart. Everyone sees the person in their heart. For example, Gu Liyu would see An Lan, and I would see An Lan too. Dad, who would you see? Uncle Yunli?”
Xu Zhongshuang didn’t answer him.
The sunlight streamed through the car window onto Xu Zhongshuang.
Perhaps, I would see the young Gu Yunyi.
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