Chapter 949: Afraid of Embarrassing You

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As Gu Zi made her way towards the gate, her mind churned with unease. She had no idea why Da Hu and his brothers hadn’t shown up yet, but she clung to the hope that perhaps they were just running late.

The last thing she wanted was for Su Bing to feel disheartened over his friends.

Unlike Su Li, who was naturally sociable and bright, Su Bing’s personality leaned towards the reserved and distant. If his friends truly failed to appear, Gu Zi feared he might withdraw even further from forming connections.

Su Bing trailed behind her, his steps heavy with a mix of hope and doubt.

But just as Gu Zi reached the gate and stepped outside, she caught sight of three familiar figures lurking near the corner of the yard wall, hesitant and fidgety. It was them—Da Hu, Er Hu, and Xiao Hu.

Relief flooded her, and Su Bing, noticing them too, immediately quickened his pace.

“You’re here!” Su Bing exclaimed, his voice laced with a mixture of surprise and mild reproach. “Why didn’t you come in?”

Da Hu stepped forward reluctantly, his face tinged with a deep crimson. His brothers hesitated before following his lead.

“Su Bing,” Da Hu began, his voice subdued, “we did come, but… we didn’t know you’d invited so many kids from those rich families. We figured we’d better not go in. We didn’t want to embarrass you.”

His words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered. Standing there, Da Hu’s usual bravado seemed to crumble under the weight of the reality before him. He and his brothers had known Su Bing’s family was wealthy, but today they’d witnessed just how vast the gulf between them was.

Every child at the party had arrived in sleek cars with uniformed drivers waiting to take them home. The disparity felt insurmountable, and the grand threshold of the Su family’s home suddenly seemed forbidding.

Er Hu, clutching a small package wrapped in paper, stepped forward. He held it out to Su Bing, avoiding his gaze.

“We brought this for your little brother,” he said quietly. “It’s a wooden spinning top. Back when we were kids, it was what we wanted most. I remember our big brother once found a broken one for me, and I played with it for ages…” His voice trailed off, a wistful smile playing on his lips. “Anyway, we’ll leave now.”

Xiao Hu, standing slightly behind, tugged nervously at Da Hu’s sleeve. His wide, earnest eyes darted to the spinning top in Er Hu’s hands, his longing palpable.

Finally, he mustered the courage to speak, his words tumbling out in a rush. “Su Bing, I… I wanted to teach Su Li how to play with it. But Da Hu and Er Hu think we’d just bring you trouble. Maybe I can show him next time instead. You can give it to him for me and tell him happy birthday.”

Xiao Hu’s cheeks flushed as he finished, his small hands twisting together. He wasn’t merely holding back his own desires—he was swallowing them whole. The scent of birthday cake wafting from inside the house only deepened the ache.

He’d never been to a real birthday party, never tasted the sweet, frosted cakes that other kids spoke of. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to cross the invisible boundary separating their world from Su Bing’s.

The brothers’ plight struck a chord in Gu Zi. She saw the shame in Da Hu’s posture, the hesitance in Er Hu’s gift, and the yearning in Xiao Hu’s eyes. These boys had no parents, no stability, and were scorned as street kids. They’d endured so much rejection that the idea of stepping into her home felt impossible.

Su Bing, however, was resolute. His gaze softened as he said firmly, “You’re my friends. If you leave now, I won’t forgive you. Come inside and help me celebrate my brother’s birthday.”

Gu Zi’s chest tightened at the rawness of the moment. To spare the boys any further embarrassment, she stepped forward with a warm, inviting smile. “Da Hu, Er Hu, Xiao Hu, you’re here. How can you leave without even stepping inside? Come, join us. We’re about to start making cakes. Don’t you want to see how a birthday cake is made?”

Xiao Hu’s eyes lit up, his eagerness betraying him. But he quickly checked himself, glancing nervously at Da Hu for approval.

Da Hu, as their unspoken leader, hesitated. His hands balled into fists, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. This was the first time anyone had extended such genuine warmth to them.

His eyes glistened, but before the emotion could spill over, Gu Zi tactfully added, “It’s settled then. Su Bing, take your friends inside. I have some things to attend to.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked briskly back into the house, leaving no room for further protest.

The three brothers shuffled into the yard, still unsure but no longer able to refuse.

The chatter and laughter of children surrounded them as Su Li spotted them from across the room. His face lit up, and he waved enthusiastically, his hands smudged with frosting. “Da Hu, Er Hu, Xiao Hu! Come here! Making cakes is so much fun. Join me and Gao Ming!”

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