Chapter 26: Brother, I Will Always Be By Your Side, You Have to Be Too.[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: So when is your brother going to let you come out and play]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: It’ll be a week at the very least.][Being a Boss is So Tiring: …….]
[A Pure Young Boy’s Day as a CEO: …….]
[My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: …….][Ordinary and Simple is True: What’s the matter? You guys want me to come accompany you that badly? Then come accompany me more.][Ordinary and Simple is True: Home alone, bored. So lonely. I need handsome older brothers to come accompany me~][A Pure Young Boy’s Day as a CEO: I CAN!!! But we have to wait until your brother leaves. Right now my legs shake every time I see him.][My Daily Trouble is Having Too Much Money: You guys sound like you’re having an affair.][Being a Boss is So Tiring: Successfully disciplined and conditioned.]
[A Pure Young Boy’s Day as a CEO: ?????????][Ordinary and Simple is True: By the way, there’s going to be some explosive news in a few days.][Being a Boss is So Tiring: How explosive?]
[Ordinary and Simple is True: You’ll know in a few days.]
Jiang Qing exited the chat interface.
Just now, Mother and Father Jiang were discussing when to publicly announce Su Lin’s identity.
This was supposed to be a crucial part of his planβin the original novel, the public reveal of the true and fake young masters’ identities was the fuse that escalated the conflicts, triggering a series of subsequent storms. He originally intended to stir up the winds and clouds during this event to change the plot’s trajectory.
But now…
His gaze uncontrollably drifted to the other side of the living room once again.
Su Lin was sitting quietly on a single sofa. Jiang Yu sat in the main seat, handling work on his tablet. The two were separated by half the living room, with absolutely zero communication between them. The atmosphere was so peaceful that…
It was way too abnormal.
Jiang Qing rubbed his chin.
Forget it.
No matter what happened, he would help hold up the sky.
No one could drive him and that little idiot Jiang Linmu away.
Let the plot derail however it wants to.
He, Jiang Qing, would protect this home, protect everyone he cared about, in his own way.
ββββββββββββββββββββ
Jiang Qing hummed a tune as he walked out of the bathroom.
He was in a good mood. After all, today’s family storm had settled in an unexpected way, and it seemed he had discovered something even more interesting than the original plot.
He casually turned off the bathroom light, walking towards his large bed by the moonlight filtering in through the window, ready for a comfortable night’s sleep.
However, as he reached the bed and habitually reached out to pull back the covers, his hand froze in mid-air.
Something wasn’t right.
Through the hazy moonlight, he could see that underneath the blanket… there was a massive, bulging lump.
Jiang Qing frowned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant.
Did Eldest Brother install some new type of surveillance equipment? Or were his “prison break tools” discovered, and Eldest Brother is using this method to warn him?
Suddenly, he imagined countless other possibilities:
A mangled, bloody zombie… a disheveled female ghost… a human body with only a lower half… a hunched-over Pyramid Head muscle man… a limping faceless nurse… a boy with blue twin-tails wearing a mask… a Santa Claus who chops off people’s legs on Christmas to give as presents… a black-and-white bear principal who loves watching people kill each other…
Wait, what the hell was that last one.
He cautiously reached out his hand and suddenly ripped the covers off in one swift motionβ
Underneath the covers, Jiang Linmu was curled up into a tight ball, hugging a pillow tightly in his arms, his eyes red.
“Brother…” Jiang Linmu’s voice had a nasal tone as he called out to him softly.
Jiang Qing looked at the scene before him, stunned for two seconds, before feeling caught between laughing and crying.
He reached out and with a “click”, turned on the bedside lamp. The warm yellow light instantly chased away the darkness.
“Jiang Linmu,” Jiang Qing crossed his arms, looking down imperiously at the “uninvited guest” occupying more than half of his bed, “Not sleeping in the middle of the night, running over here to cosplay a wrapped Zongzi? Or are you planning to experience the feeling of being kicked out of my bed early?”
Hearing this, Jiang Linmu’s ears turned a bit red, but he still didn’t move. He only hugged the pillow in his arms tighter and muttered softly:
“I… I kind of can’t sleep.”
Jiang Qing sighed. He didn’t say anything, just walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the covers, and slipped in.
“Move over a bit, it’s too crowded.” Despite his words of disgust, Jiang Qing shifted his body to make room, leaving enough space for Jiang Linmu. “Go to sleep quickly. If you don’t sleep now, I’m going to play Joyous Harvest.”
Feeling the familiar warmth radiating from beside him and his brother’s impatient yet indulgent attitude, Jiang Linmu’s taut nerves finally relaxed. He quietly shuffled closer to Jiang Qing and softly replied:
“…Oh.”
The room fell into silence once again, leaving only the steady breathing of the two of them.
After a while, just as Jiang Qing was about to fall asleep, he heard Jiang Linmu softly say:
“Brother, thank you.”
Jiang Qing’s eyes were closed, but the corners of his mouth curved up slightly. He didn’t respond, but merely extended an arm, habitually draping it over Jiang Linmu, just like when they were kids.
Tsk.
He cursed mentally, yet he pulled his younger brother in slightly tighter.
I said I would guard you, so I will guard you.
In the darkness, Jiang Linmu listened as Jiang Qing’s breathing gradually became long and even, and the arm draped over him slowly loosened its grip.
He carefully turned over, quietly watching Jiang Qing’s sleeping face in the hazy moonlight.
He knew his brother’s mouth was always full of complaints, calling him stupid and troublesome. But every single time he was truly scared, truly in need, Jiang Qing was always the first, and the only one, who would come to his side in his own awkward way.
Just like when he was little and afraid of thunder. Jiang Qing would call him a “coward” while simultaneously crawling under his covers with a pillow.
Just like when he failed an exam and was too scared to go home. Jiang Qing would scold him for being “dumb as rocks” while simultaneously forging their parents’ signatures to help him sneak by.
Just like today, when he thought his entire world was going to collapse. His brother used a joke about “three older brothers” and this silent companionship to tell him: The sky hasn’t fallen, I’m here.
Jiang Linmu’s eyes began to sting again. He quickly blinked rapidly to force the tears back down.
He quietly shuffled just a tiny bit closer to Jiang Qing, feeling that reassuring warmth and scent.
Jiang Linmu also reached out his own hand, gently grasping the wrist of the arm Jiang Qing had draped over him.
“Brother,” he whispered again using only his breath, “I will always accompany you.”
“You have to always accompany me too.”
Jiang Linmu closed his eyes, and listening to the sound of breathing beside his ear, he finally fell into a deep sleep.
And Jiang Qing, who was supposed to be “sound asleep,” gave a soft chuckle in the darkness.
“Okay.”
Translator’s Note:
- Zongzi (η²½ε): A traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Jiang Qing is saying Linmu looks like a tightly wrapped Zongzi huddled under the blankets!
- Horror Game References: Jiang Qing’s hilarious list of monsters includes references to Silent Hill (Pyramid Head, Faceless Nurse), Sally Face (Blue twin-tails boy with a mask), Crimson Snow (Santa), and Danganronpa (Monokuma). Our gamer boy has a wild imagination!
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