Chapter 43: Birthday Gift

As soon as she enters the house, Ji Su walks back to her bedroom, unzips her suitcase and hangs her clothes back in the closet.

Gu Zhao leaned against the doorframe and watched him organize his clothes.

After a long time, Ji Su had almost finished packing, when she suddenly realized that her pajamas seemed to have disappeared from the bed.

Gu Zhao had given him the pajamas, so he hadn't intended to take them with him.

Gu Zhao asked openly, "Looking for what?"

"I'm looking for my pajamas." Ji Su spun around, "I remember putting it on the bed yesterday, why is it gone ......"

Gu Zhao didn't change his face, "I took it to the cleaners."

Ji Su was puzzled, "When did this happen?"

"Last night, I washed it off for you." Gu Zhao stood up straight, "What do you want for lunch today?"

Ji Su was so distracted by him that he forgot to ask about the pajamas, "I'm fine with all of it, I like to eat anything you make."

Gu Zhao: "Yes?"

Ji Su nods, "Really."

Gu Zhao turned and headed out the door, "You play for a while, I'll call you when lunch is ready."

After lunch, Ji Su sat down on the couch and started thinking about what she should do this summer.

The online orders could definitely continue to be taken, but there was plenty of other free time and he didn't want to let himself be idle.

Thinking about it, Ji Su decided to check out part-time tutoring jobs online.

Gu Zhao brought a glass of warm water and walked over to hand it to him, "What are you looking at?"

"Thanks." Ji Su took the glass of water, "I was looking online to see if there were any part-time jobs for college tutors."

Students coming out of the U of A are still highly sought after in the tutoring market.

Gu Zhao sat down beside him and asked casually, "Short of money?"

"No, I just thought it would be nice to have the summer vacation free." Ji Su paused for a moment and her voice lightened, "Well, actually I was thinking of saving up."

Gu Zhao asked again, "What are you saving for?"

Ji Su returned a little embarrassed, "I want to buy a house in the future."

Gu Zhao's brow twitched, "You want to buy a house?"

"Yes, I can design and decorate it myself." Ji Su smiled back, "It doesn't have to be too big, but it will be my own home."

Gu Zhao narrowed his dark eyes slightly and said thoughtfully, "I see."

Ji Su didn't hear: "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Gu Zhao racked up a pair of long legs, "You want to be a tutor, why don't you come teach me."

"Huh?" Ji Su leans back tactically, "What can I teach you?"

"There's a lot you can teach me." Gu Zhao let out a laugh, "Like teach me how to catch up with you."

Ji Su averted her eyes, "I'm talking seriously."

Gu Zhao returned, "I'm serious."

Ji Su stopped talking and continued to swipe the screen of her cell phone with her eyes downcast.

Gu Zhao suggested, "How about teaching me to play the piano?"

"I can't do this one, I can't teach you." Ji Su shook his head, "I'm not a music student, I can't mislead people."

Gu Zhao was silent for a few seconds and coldly changed the subject, "Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

Ji Su fingered, "Yes, I've always wanted to see the ocean."

"Good." Gu Zhao answered and opened his cell phone screen.

Ji Su didn't wait for a follow-up and went on to look at his part-time job.

After a while, Gu Zhao spoke again, "Booked a flight for tomorrow morning, we're leaving tomorrow to see the ocean."

It took several seconds for Ji Su to respond, repeating incredulously, "We're going to see the ocean tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh." Zhao Gu lifted his eyes, "Summer vacation just started, it's not too late to look for a part-time job after you come back from seeing the ocean."

Ji Su had a mixed feeling, on one hand she didn't want to spoil the other's fun, on the other hand she really wanted to see the real sea for once.

After weighing his options, he silently opened WeChat, "How much is the airfare, I'll transfer it to you."

"Counting with me like that?" Zhao Gu lifted his hand and pinched his cheek.

Ji Su's cheek flesh was pinched and her rosy, full lips puckered up slightly, looking like she was asking for a kiss.

Zhao Gu's eyes sank, "What kind of pursuit is it if you don't give a damn about chasing someone?"

Ji Su pushed his hand away and muttered in a small voice, "Can you stop hanging on to that word all the time?"

Gu Zhao smiled and said, "Which one?"

Ji Su's ear tips are red: "Just that ah ......"

"You mean wooing?" Gu Zhao leaned in close, "I'll stop hanging around if you agree to my pursuit."

Ji Su dodged and got up from the couch, "I'm going back to my room for a nap."

Gu Zhao watched his back leave and smiled meaningfully.

*

Waking up early the next day, Ji Su packed two changes of clothes and put them in her backpack.

Before leaving, Gu Zhao had prepared breakfast, and after eating, they took a cab to the airport.

Ji Su didn't sleep well last night, so when she got on the plane, she put on an eye mask and reclined on the back of her seat to catch up on her sleep.

Gu Zhao was sitting next to him, reading a book in his hand.

His appearance and demeanor were extraordinarily striking presences, and people in the cabin, front and back, kept stealing glances at him.

Finally, a long black beauty couldn't help but boldly walk over and ask softly, "Hello, are you also going to-"

Gu Zhao raised his eyes and made an expressionless gesture of silence.

It was only then that the beautiful woman noticed that there was someone else sleeping beside him, and even with the blindfold that covered half of his face, she could tell through the exposed jaw and lips that it was a rather good-looking boy.

The beautiful woman smiled awkwardly and mouthed back, "Sorry to interrupt."

After the people left, Gu Zhao raised one hand and gently held Ji Su's hand on his abdomen.

It went on until I was almost off the plane, and sure enough, no one came to talk to me anymore.

Ji Su woke up and tried to raise his hand to remove the blindfold before realizing he was holding one hand.

Zhao Gu reached over and removed his blindfold, "Sleep well?"

Ji Su looked dumbfounded at the handsome face close at hand and then down at the hands they were interlocking.

Gu Zhao let go of his hand as if nothing had happened, "Wake up just in time, the plane will be landing soon."

Ji Su: "......"

Upon arriving at their destination, the two took a taxi to their pre-booked hotel.

The hotel is located just a short distance from the beach, and the detached two-story cottages are spacious and private.

After dropping off their luggage and having a quick bite to eat, Ji Su changed into shorts and couldn't wait to run to the beach.

The blue sea is endless and the sea is connected to the sky.

The beach was full of tourists, from small couples to families, and people lying on the sand, sunbathing.

Like a curious child, Ji Su stepped barefoot on the soft, hot sand, letting the waves come and flood her pale, jade-like insteps.

Gu Zhao followed him and opened his mouth to call out, "Ji Su, come here."

Ji Su turned back around, "What's wrong?"

"Put on a pair of sunglasses to avoid the light." Gu Zhao raises his hand and puts sunglasses on the snow-white face.

"Thanks." Ji Su smiled at him with arched eyebrows and ran off after the waves again.

Gu Zhao had never seen him look so playful, the corners of his always cold and hard lips unconsciously rose, and his gaze always followed that lean and upright back.

As he looked, his eyes descended back down to those straight, slender calves.

Ji Su spent most of the afternoon on the beach before heading back to the hotel in the evening.

After a shower and a change of clothes, the two of them were ready to go to dinner.

Ji Su was expecting to go to an ordinary restaurant, but Gu Zhao took him to an open-air restaurant on the beach.

Just a few steps away from the beach, the dining table is covered with a white lace tablecloth, with candlesticks and flowers at either end, the flickering candle flames reflecting the dim sky, romantic and warm.

Ji Su was a bit baffled, "Wouldn't this be a bit too formal?"

"No." Gu Zhao pulled out the white chair for him, "Sit down."

Although you have to eat seafood when you come to the beach, they ordered something else because Ji Su is allergic to seafood.

Gu Zhao also opens a bottle of red wine, but Ji Su, having learned his lesson the first two times and unwilling to fall in the same pit three times, only sips a glass of wine.

When she was almost done eating, Ji Su raised her eyes and realized that a waiter was coming across the street pushing an exquisite and beautiful three-layer cake.

He only glanced at it and withdrew his eyes, thinking only that it was a guest's birthday.

As a result, the waiter stopped beside him and spoke with a big smile on his face, "Mr. Ji Su, happy birthday!"

Ji Su's brain went blank for a few seconds, subconsciously turning her face to look at Gu Zhao across the street.

Gu Zhao asked, "Don't you remember what day it is?"

It was only at this moment that Ji Su remembered that it was his birthday.

He looked back to the cake, topped with a crystal figurine and next to it was an architectural model of a small cottage.

Gu Zhao gets up, walks over to the cake, picks up the figurines and models and puts them on the table, and lights the candles with a lighter.

There were twenty candles in all, and he patiently lit them one by one.

When Gu Zhao raised his eyes again, the starry candle flame was reflected in the bottom of his dark and deep eyes, like scattered stars in the sky, "Ji Su, happy twentieth birthday."

Ji Su suddenly felt that his eyes were sore, and so was the tip of his nose, so he could only hurriedly lower his head, trying to hide the sudden emotion.

"Make a wish, birthday girl." Gu Zhao's voice was low and magnetic, showing some tender and loving meaning in the sea breeze.

"Good ......" Ji Su closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

But his brain was so cluttered with thoughts and unfamiliar with such a process that he didn't know what to wish for for a while.

Ultimately, he thought to himself, then he hoped that both he and Gu Zhao would become who they wanted to be and do what they loved to do.

Whether in the future, they will always be together or not.

Ji Su opened her eyes and blew out the candle in one breath.

Gu Zhao handed him the cutter, "Here, cut the cake."

Ji Su cut a large piece of cake and brought it back to Gu Zhao: "The first piece of cake is for you."

Gu Zhao didn't push back and took a bite of the cake.

Ji Su sliced a piece for herself, and the cream went into her mouth, sweet and soft, like a sweet cloud.

"Ji Su," Gu Zhao's voice rang in his ears, and he lifted his face, the tip of his nose cooled as he was dotted with a splash of white cream.

Gu Zhao smiled at him and probed his tongue, licking the remaining cream off his fingers.

Ji Su blushed inexplicably and lowered her eyelashes not daring to look directly at her.

Gu Zhao said to the waiter with a sideways glance, "The rest of the cake, please help us distribute it to the guests at the other tables."

The waiter answered and pushed the cake to the other tables to inquire.

The guests gladly accepted the birthday cake and wished Ji Su a happy birthday from afar.

Ji Su smiled back, this was the first time he had received so many wishes on his birthday, even though all of them, except Gu Zhao, were strangers who had never met him before.

He felt like the heart in his chest was dripping with hot syrup, sweet and hot and soft, pulling sweetly at the tug.

Gu Zhao sat back down across from him and pushed the model of the villa in front of him.

Ji Su returned to his senses and picked up the architectural model for a closer look.

Gu Zhao promised, "As soon as you think of it, you can always take this model and exchange it with me for the real thing."

"Really?" Ji Su joked, "You're giving me the villa?"

Gu Zhao stared at him, "Ji Su, you know what I mean."

Ji Su's fingers tightened around the model, and his raven-feathered eyelashes quivered.

Luckily Gu Zhao didn't step on his toes and poured him another glass of red wine, clinking glasses with him, "Happy Birthday, I hope I get to spend every one of your birthdays with you from now on."

Ji Su pursed her lips, "Thank you really, Gu Zhao."

He tilted his face up and drained his glass of red wine.

*

After dinner, Ji Su walked back to the hotel with the architectural model in both hands, as if he were holding some most cherished treasure.

When he got back to the hotel, he set up the model and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Getting out of the shower, the alcohol in my body steams up.

Wanting to clear his head, Ji Su opened the floor-to-ceiling windows and lay on the sofa by the window to catch the sea breeze.

A few moments later, Gu Zhao also came out of the shower.

He walked to the window and his eyes fell on the man on the couch.

I don't know if it's because he just showered or he's been drinking, but his always-cold-white skin is flushed with a light layer of powder, and the neckline reveals a large area of white-on-pink skin.

Two long, white legs rested on the sofa, the hem of the silky pajama pants slid upward, revealing a bit of the tender root of the leg, and the red mole on the side of the leg was faintly visible.

Gu Zhao's throat twitched slightly and he lowered his voice, "Sleeping?"

Ji Su lifted his long eyelashes, his tone with a little bit of the characteristic lethargy of alcohol: "No it's not, I'm blowing the wind."

Gu Zhao sat down at the end of the bed and propped his hands back, "Did you have a good day?"

"Happy, exceptionally happy." Ji Su lowered her legs and sat upright, "It's the happiest birthday I've had since ...... it's the happiest birthday I've had since my parents got divorced."

When the two were in a strong relationship, he was also a child who felt pampered by his parents, and could have whatever gifts he wanted on his birthday, and his parents would even hold a birthday party for him.

It's just that after the year he turned six, no one ever made a special effort to celebrate his birthday again.

Gu Zhao smiled, "It's good that you're happy."

Ji Su cast her eyes out the window and asked softly, "Gu Zhao, do you know why I've always wanted to come and see the sea?"

Gu Zhao responded, "Why?"

"Because the summer before my parents divorced, they had promised to bring me to the beach." Ji Su looked at the floating light of the sea under the moonlight and fell into a long ago memory, "Then one time, dad promised Auntie Qin to take us to the beach together for a vacation, but unfortunately I happened to be sick, so I didn't get to go that time either."

People will eventually be stuck for life because they are too young to get one thing.

He knew he was flawed, and it was one of the things he had feared most for a long time.

Gu Zhao walked up to him and leaned down, "So the sea you saw today, did it meet your expectations?"

"More than that." Ji Su tilted her face up and smiled brightly, "From now on, when I think of the ocean, I'll never think of the lack of childhood again, I'll only remember what happened today."

Beautiful, moving, desirable everything.

The sea breeze was cool and the sound of the waves was loud.

Gu Zhao gazed deeply at him and whispered solicitously, "Can I kiss you?"

Ji Su was already a little dizzy and blushed from the hook in those dark eyes, unconsciously licking her upper lip.

Gu Zhao leaned over and kissed the watery red lips.

Ji Su's spine tingled and she opened her lips obediently, almost instinctively.

Gu Zhao's breath caught in his throat and he leaned forward smoothly, pressing the man into the couch for a kiss.

After a few times, he seemed to have gotten the hang of kissing and was kissing less aggressively.

It was only when Ji Su was out of breath and trying to push back that he would instead kiss deeper, the tip of his tongue almost in his throat, before backing away a little to let him get some fresh air.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for the kiss to resume.

Such gentle and abrasive kisses were too provocative, and after a couple of intermittent kisses, neither was quite right.

Ji Su face flushed, eyes lax, red lips wet, the whole person like a puddle of water soft in Gu Zhao's arms, in addition to ......

Gu Zhao licked the watery corners of his lips, his breathing deep, his voice husky, "Happy birthday, and I have another present for you tonight."

Ji Su's response became slow: "What ......"

Gu Zhao laughed softly and slowly ambled over.

Being kissed dizzy brain instantly awake a few points, Ji Su and shocked and shy: "Gu Zhao ...... can not唔唔......"

Large, rolling hands pinched his waist, while the other gripped a slightly fleshy thigh.

Through the thin fabric of her pajamas, Ji Su shivered at the warmth of her palm.