Chapter 88: Fourth Brother, the Gu King
A group of cyclists in yellow and blue riding gear and helmets glided past the rest stop with ease.
A red banner on the nearby tree read “10th Annual South Mountain Road Cycling Competition,” which flashed by in their view.
The staff member in a red vest at the rest stop glanced towards the end of the road and chatted with a companion, “Those riders just now were going pretty fast. They must be professionals, right?”
His gaze fell on two more competitors who were riding identical bicycles and wearing matching gear. They weren’t riding quickly but were perfectly in sync, indicating they knew each other.
As they neared the rest stop, the staff member noticed one of them had long hair and thought, one male and one female—probably a couple.
The atmosphere between them was noticeably different.
The two stopped at the rest stop, and the young man with short hair removed his glasses and went to fetch some water.
The staff member handed him the water, and as he glanced at the “girlfriend” behind him, he was momentarily stunned.
Sitting on the bicycle, with one hand on the handlebars and the other removing his glasses, was actually a long-haired man.
When he looked over, the sunlight fell on his face, revealing a look that was… indescribably exquisite.
“Thank you,” the young man with a gentle demeanor took the water and handed a bottle to the long-haired man. They both drank and rested.
The staff member couldn’t help but glance over several times. Seeing them finish their water and speak softly, the long-haired beauty suddenly smiled.
The companion beside him whispered, “The way they look at each other is so affectionate. They must be a couple, right?”
The two cyclists soon mounted their bikes and continued riding, leaving the rest stop behind. The staff watched their departing figures and joked:
“That guy was so stunning, even a straight guy like me almost got dazzled!”
“You’re still a straight guy? I don’t believe it.”
The summer breeze brushed their cheeks as Yu Shi and Feng Xuexiang rode past the rest stop, with no other riders in sight ahead.
The fastest group had already moved ahead, and the slower group was still behind. They were somewhere in the middle.
This was an amateur cycling competition with no entry restrictions, attracting a large number of participants, some of whom were more serious while others were just there to have fun.
Yu Shi and Feng Xuexiang were here for the fun of it.
In the past, Yu Shi had participated in similar cycling races and even won second place, with his eldest brother taking first place.
His eldest brother had organized a family activity and dragged them all into the cycling competition.
His third brother fell behind early, riding slowly; his second brother, sweating profusely, decided not to continue and gave up; his fifth brother veered off halfway to watch the spectacle and didn’t keep up. Only Yu Shi completed the entire course with his eldest brother.
Yu Shi enjoyed that experience, so when he saw the promotion for this race, he decided to bring Feng Xuexiang along.
Now, things were different. The goal wasn’t to win but to enjoy the ride and relax with his partner. Thus, he didn’t push himself to the limit.
While achieving a high ranking would be satisfying, leisurely enjoying the scenery had its own charm.
In the city, temperatures were higher at this time, but the cycling route was flanked by trees and fields. The summer breeze carried the scent of fresh grass and ripe rice, making the ride pleasantly cool.
Yu Shi frequently glanced back at Feng Xuexiang, seeing him with his eyes comfortably squinted and a smile on his face.
Feng Xuexiang had never ridden a bicycle before; Yu Shi had taught him a few days ago, and he had quickly become quite proficient.
When Yu Shi had intentionally ridden close to him earlier, Feng Xuexiang had remained calm, firmly gripping the handlebars. It seemed he hadn’t noticed Yu Shi’s playful intent and had just smiled back.
They passed by an orange orchard, with large orange trees lining the roadside, heavy with fruit and blocked by a low netting.
Several competitors had stopped by the roadside, pointing at the drooping branches.
“Those oranges are huge; they must be ripe by now.”
“Let’s pick a couple. The ones over there look reachable; just jump and grab them!”
“Isn’t it bad to steal someone’s oranges?”
“What’s the big deal? We’ll just take a couple to try!”
Yu Shi noticed that Feng Xuexiang’s speed had slowed as he, too, looked curiously at the orange trees, his gaze eager.
As they rode on, Feng Xuexiang kept glancing back at the orchard.
Yu Shi said nothing, waiting for him to catch up before continuing forward.
This was just a minor diversion, and soon Feng Xuexiang’s attention was back on Yu Shi.
By evening, the race finally ended. They had persevered until the end and were handed medals by the staff, who presented them with a ceremonious flair.
Feng Xuexiang examined the medal from all angles and asked, “What place did we get?”
Yu Shi suppressed a laugh and replied, “We got a participation award.”
Feng Xuexiang asked, “…Should we ride faster next time?”
Yu Shi hadn’t expected him to show any competitive spirit but agreed, “Sure.”
That evening, Yu Shi asked if he was tired. Feng Xuexiang shook his head, so Yu Shi said, “Then let’s go to another place tomorrow.”
The next day, they drove to the orange orchard they had seen along the road the previous day.
Feng Xuexiang’s eyes lit up when he saw the endless rows of orange trees. “Shall we pick some oranges?”
“Hmm,” Yu Shi paused suspiciously for a moment before smiling and saying, “Yes, let’s pick oranges.”
The orchard was owned by an elderly couple. Yu Shi went over to greet them.
“Oh, you’re the one who called yesterday, right?”
“Yes, I’m here with a friend to help pick oranges. I wanted him to experience it.”
…
After a brief chat, the old lady brought out some tools, such as baskets and pruning shears, and handed them over.
The old man led them to the section of the orchard where the oranges were ripe and ready for picking.
“This is the area. You see, the oranges here are starting to turn yellow and are sweet now…”
“Are there people who come to collect the oranges?” Yu Shi asked the old man while brushing aside some branches that were in Feng Xuexiang’s way.
“Oh, yes, people come every year. We also take some to the city to sell. There are folks who come here during their holidays to pick them. It’s six yuan per pound, but it’s not quite time yet. We have to wait until a larger batch ripens!”
Seeing Feng Xuexiang staring at the oranges, the old man chuckled, “You can pick and eat as many as you like!”
He then picked an orange and handed it to Yu Shi.
Yu Shi peeled the orange, tasted a segment, and found it quite sweet, so he shared a large portion with Feng Xuexiang.
The old man showed them to the area where they could pick, then left them to their work and went back the way he came.
“Come on, let’s start picking over here,” Yu Shi called to Feng Xuexiang.
Feng Xuexiang peeled the orange he picked and shared half of it with Yu Shi.
His luck wasn’t great with this orange, as it was a bit sour, but Yu Shi ate it nonetheless.
“You see, you shouldn’t pull the oranges off with your hands; it’s easy to break off the stem, which is bad for storage. Use the shears to cut the stem,” Yu Shi explained.
Feng Xuexiang nodded repeatedly, indicating he understood.
At first, he followed Yu Shi around, but with so many green and yellow oranges everywhere, he quickly became absorbed and moved away, eagerly picking oranges beneath the trees.
Seeing his genuine interest and enjoyment in picking oranges, Yu Shi continued to pick for a while before bringing over a large basket for him to fill.
“Look, there are many over there.”
“Really? Those should be very sweet.”
“I’ll go pick them!”
“Look, there are also good ones over there.”
After a while, Yu Shi turned around and didn’t see Feng Xuexiang’s figure. He called out, “Xuexiang?”
“Here!” Feng Xuexiang emerged from among the dense orange trees, carrying a basket.
His hair was disheveled from being caught by branches, but he didn’t notice. With a smile, he handed Yu Shi two large, yellow oranges, saying, “Look, these two are the biggest. They’re for you.”
His fingertips were stained with a layer of green.
Yu Shi peeled the oranges and asked, “Are you happy?”
Feng Xuexiang’s eyes curved into a smile as he savored the cool, juicy segments. “Mm.”
Yu Shi said, “Then we’ll come back next year.”
They spent the entire day picking oranges and even bought a bag to take home.
…
One evening, as Feng Xuexiang took out the last orange, Yu Shi suddenly asked him, “Do you want to see penguins?”
“Want to!” Feng Xuexiang guessed Yu Shi was definitely going to take him to see penguins, and with a smile, he feigned ignorance, asking, “Where are we going to see penguins?”
“Well, we’ll go in a couple of days,” Yu Shi replied.
Feng Xuexiang wondered where there might be a good place to see penguins, perhaps a zoo?
But Yu Shi took him to a newly opened polar marine park.
They didn’t buy tickets or go through the usual visitor channels; instead, they were directly escorted inside by staff.
“Today, I’ll be showing you around. You have experience, right?” the staff member asked.
“Yes, I have experience,” Yu Shi answered.
Feng Xuexiang looked at Yu Shi, puzzled. He could only see Yu Shi smiling in response.
They were soon outfitted in expedition jackets, water pants, and boots, and the staff member, named Awu, explained the precautions.
Feng Xuexiang finally understood. The polar marine park was hosting a “one-day keeper” event, allowing enthusiasts to closely care for and observe the penguins.
Yu Shi had secured a spot for this experience due to his qualifications, and because of his experience, he was allowed to bring Feng Xuexiang along.
Inside the penguin enclosure, the temperature was quite low. They needed to clean up leftover ice, lay down fresh ice, and feed the penguins.
Awu showed them how to feed the penguins and then let Yu Shi try.
Moments later, seeing Yu Shi almost surrounded by penguins, Awu was astonished.
Usually, when he fed them, the penguins weren’t this eager. Could it be that today’s fish was more delicious?
Meanwhile, Feng Xuexiang stood to the side with a piece of fish, feeling ignored by the penguins.
He then watched as the penguins on Yu Shi’s side fought bravely for food, with some fat penguins bumping into their companions and others, who couldn’t squeeze in, stumbling and falling outside the circle in frustration.
Feng Xuexiang walked over to a fallen penguin and offered a piece of fish.
The penguin ignored the food at its beak and struggled to get up, trying to rejoin the group while making distressed noises.
Feng Xuexiang: “…………”
Yu Shi squeezed out from the penguin pile, grabbed Feng Xuexiang’s hand, and fed the penguins the fish he had been holding.
Feng Xuexiang felt a bit neglected and frowned, saying, “They don’t like me.”
“I like you,” Yu Shi said, resting his head against Feng Xuexiang as a form of comfort.
With that comment, Feng Xuexiang’s view of the penguins softened. He no longer minded being bumped by rebellious penguins and even went out of his way to help a penguin that had fallen.
After the cleaning and new ice was laid, Awu stood by, relieved.
The day before, he had expected to be frazzled, but with Yu Shi’s help, the work was much easier than he’d anticipated.
“Everything’s taken care of. Now we just need to run the snow machine for a bit,” Awu said, hands on his hips.
“The snow machine?” Yu Shi asked.
“Yes, it’s new, mainly for creating scenery,” Awu explained. “If the snow scene looks good, visitors will want to take photos, which means more visitors.”
Feng Xuexiang followed the penguins as they jumped into the pool when he suddenly heard Yu Shi call him.
“Xuexiang, come, stand here.”
Feng Xuexiang was led to an open area and saw Yu Shi turning around and waving.
“Vroom.”
A cold breeze blew in, and soon white snowflakes began to fall.
The delicate, fluttering snow blanketed the area where Feng Xuexiang stood, creating a magical winter scene.
