The Most Handsome in the Universe

In September, the evenings were starting to get a little chilly.

Gu Zhuoling and Shen Xinde each went home for dinner that day.

Shen Xinde had finished bathing with his dad and changed into new, long pajamas. They were green, made of pure cotton, and had little flowers printed on the chest.

Shen Xinde was arranging the artwork he had just received that day in his studio when Gu Zhuoling knocked on the door from outside.

"Come in!"

Gu Zhuoling had come in his pajamas, though he had also put a thin little jacket on over them.

"Dolly!" Shen Xinde jumped up, bounced over to Gu Zhuoling, and hugged him.

Gu Zhuoling wrapped his arms around him with practiced ease and gently patted Shen Xinde's back twice with one little hand. "Did you brush your teeth properly?"

"Not yet."

Shen Xinde shook his head.

A faint smile on his face, Gu Zhuoling said, "Open your mouth."

Shen Xinde obediently opened his mouth, and Gu Zhuoling slipped something hard and round inside. Shen Xinde tasted it carefully. It was an apple-flavored hard candy.

"It's a reward for you, good Ha ohao." Gu Zhuoling cupped Shen Xinde's cheeks and spoke softly.

Shen Xinde loved sweets like these most of all, but children couldn't eat too many, and their parents kept an eye on them. He hadn't expected Gu Zhuoling to secretly bring him a piece of candy today.

He was so happy.

Shen Xinde held his cheeks and swayed his head in delight. "Haohao is the best behaved."

More little rewards like this, please!

With the candy in his mouth, Shen Xinde pulled Gu Zhuoling over to look at his paintings.

Gu Zhuoling had already seen a few of them over the past two days. After carefully admiring every painting among the many on display, he looked up and saw a new one pinned to the display board.

It was the one Jiang Nan had exchanged with Shen Xinde.

Gu Zhuoling studied the painting, then finally settled his gaze on Shen Xinde, who had his little bottom sticking out as he showed Gu Zhuoling the little plaster figures he had colored.

"I want a painting by Haohao too. Can I have one?" Gu Zhuoling was quiet for a long while before suddenly speaking.

Shen Xinde didn't understand why Gu Zhuoling suddenly wanted one of his paintings, but he quickly agreed anyway... "Sure! Dolly, which one do you like?"

As he spoke, he thoughtfully spread out all his art albums for Gu Zhuoling to choose from.

"I want one Haohao paints just for me." Instead of picking one out, Gu Zhuoling looked earnestly at Shen Xinde's face.

Shen Xinde hummed, lifted his chin, and propped it up with his hand. After pondering for two seconds, he said, "No problem! I already know what to paint!"

"Thank you, little artist Haohao." Gu Zhuoling was in a good mood now, and his eyes curved.

The unusually obvious smile made Shen Xinde stare blankly for a few seconds. He couldn't help clutching his little heart. When Dolly smiled, he really was...

The! Most! Handsome! In! The! Universe!

"Then I'll paint a picture for Haohao too. Will Haohao put it here?" Gu Zhuoling glanced at the painting beside them, pretending not to care.

Shen Xinde shook his head without hesitation. "No."

Gu Zhuoling: ?

For an instant, Gu Zhuoling's face went blank. He seemed not to have expected Shen Xinde to be so decisive, and an indescribable feeling was about to well up in his heart. "Why?"

Doesn't Haohao like me anymore?

Why can't my painting go here when someone else's can?

Shen Xinde looked up, and whoa—Gu Zhuoling blinked rapidly twice. Shen Xinde immediately realized that what he had just said hadn't properly conveyed what he meant.

Dolly, this little crybaby, was about to cry.

He hurriedly stood up and covered Gu Zhuoling's eyes with his hand. He felt Gu Zhuoling's long eyelashes brush lightly against his palm, tickling a little.

"No crying," Shen Xinde quickly said to stop him, then hurriedly explained, "I'm going to put everything Dolly gives me in my room."

He felt Gu Zhuoling blink more slowly, then heard him ask, "Why?"

"That way I can see them every day!" Shen Xinde knew he had soothed Gu Zhuoling, so he lowered his hand with a grin. "You didn't cry, did you?"

Only now did Gu Zhuoling feel a little embarrassed. A suspicious blush flashed across his face, and he turned his head away so Shen Xinde couldn't see. "I didn't cry."

"Of course you didn't!"

Shen Xinde was very cooperative. If Dolly said he hadn't, then he hadn't. He was determined to protect Gu Zhuoling's dignity to the end.

Gu Zhuoling was still a little shy, so he dodged Shen Xinde's circling attack, with himself as the center and one head's length as the radius, determined not to let Shen Xinde see his red face.

"All right! Time to brush your teeth!" While Shen Xinde paused to catch his breath, Gu Zhuoling immediately seized the upper hand, pinched his cheeks, and declared a truce.

Shen Xinde obediently followed Gu Zhuoling out of the studio. On the way, they ran into Xia Wanqing, who was about to go upstairs to remind Shen Xinde to get ready for bed.

"With Zhuoling here, a certain little rascal doesn't dare make a fuss and refuse to go to bed." Seeing Shen Xinde obediently following Gu Zhuoling, Xia Wanqing couldn't resist teasing him.

"I do not!" Shen Xinde pouted, refusing to admit that he was the little rascal his mother was talking about.

"I didn't say who it was!" Xia Wanqing winked playfully, clearly teasing him.

"Hmph!" Shen Xinde played along with his mother and deliberately put on a defiant look.

"All right, you two get to bed early. Good night." Xia Wanqing saw the two children to the door of the room, then crouched down and stroked their heads.

"Good night, Mommy."

"Good night, Auntie Xia."

Gu Zhuoling obediently said good night before pushing the door open and entering the room.

As soon as he entered, he saw the lisianthus he had given Shen Xinde two days ago sitting intact on Shen Xinde's bedside table. Before going to sleep, Shen Xinde was bound to get restless and play with all the dolls on his bed or the things on his bedside table.

Shen Xinde must have played with the lisianthus several times too.

With that thought, Gu Zhuoling's steps grew much lighter as he led Shen Xinde off to brush his teeth.

"My whole mouth tastes like apple." Shen Xinde swayed beside Gu Zhuoling.

"Was it good?" Gu Zhuoling squeezed an appropriate amount of toothpaste onto Shen Xinde's toothbrush and handed it to him.

"It was! Sweet and sour." Shen Xinde was happy just thinking back to the taste of the candy.

"Be good, and I'll bring you another one next time."

Hearing there would be more candy, Shen Xinde held his toothbrush in his mouth and reached out to make a pinky promise with Gu Zhuoling. "Okay! Dolly, don't trick me."

"I won't." Gu Zhuoling held his own little toothbrush in one hand and hooked his other little finger around the one Shen Xinde held out.

"I want to eat lots and lots of candy!"

Shen Xinde's mouth was full of foam, and in his excitement, his words came out rather unclear.

"You'll get cavities."

"Haohao isn't scared. Haohao brushes his teeth!"

"Stand still, Haohao. Don't fall." Gu Zhuoling held Shen Xinde steady as he wriggled on his little stool.

The two finished washing up without trouble and could finally return to bed to rest.

"Where's the doll?"

Gu Zhuoling had said he would bring over the doll from beside his bed.

"I put it next to your schoolbag, so we won't forget it tomorrow." Gu Zhuoling reached out to stop Shen Xinde, who wanted to get up and look for the doll. "Be good and go to sleep!"

Shen Xinde didn't fuss. He lay back down and held Gu Zhuoling's hand, saying contentedly, "Then I'll hold Dolly's hand while I sleep tonight."

"Good night."

Gu Zhuoling didn't pull his hand away. He only spoke softly.