Part 2
Chi Aibei said indignantly, “I don’t believe it won’t come out.”
Lin Xiu was so amused he was angry. He pulled Chi Aibei over. “I thought you were going to bite it off for me.”
Chi Aibei frowned unhappily, his entire being wilting. On the first day of being together, this was too embarrassing.
He hung his head and said aggrievedly, “Do you think I should go to the hospital for a check-up? Could something be wrong with me?”
How could he be a “1” like this? What if Lin Xiu was disappointed in him and didn’t want him as a boyfriend anymore?
Lin Xiu felt he wasn’t being a very suitable boyfriend either; even at a time like this, he still wanted to laugh. He suppressed his laughter and comforted him, “There’s nothing wrong. It’s perfectly fine.”
…
Most of the people who had attended the birthday banquet had already left. Di Zuo had left last night, drunk as a lord. Fearing for his safety, Meng Huaiqing had gone back with him.
Now, the only ones left were the still-asleep Zhuang Yuan and the hungover Lin Yang.
He Chenjiang wasn’t downstairs at the moment. It was unclear if he had left or gone back to his room. Thinking back to Lin Xiu’s fierce “get lost” earlier, Chi Aibei belatedly realized—could he have been jealous?
Chi Aibei looked at Lin Xiu happily… Was it really jealousy? But let’s skip the jealousy over He Chenjiang.
Chi Aibei: “Ah, Brother, feed me.”
Lin Yang yawned as he came downstairs and saw Chi Aibei opening his mouth to eat the rice from Lin Xiu’s spoon. Lin Yang tapped the back of his head, which was still a bit swollen from the hangover. “So you two plan to stop hiding it from today onward?”
Chi Aibei jumped up from his chair. “Let me introduce you—”
Lin Yang quickly held out a hand. “Don’t. No need for introductions; I’ve known him for years. Save your dog food for others. We’re old acquaintances; no need to be so polite.”
Chi Aibei just wanted someone to show off to, but everything that needed to be known had already been learned yesterday.
Seeing Lin Yang wasn’t giving him face, Chi Aibei said, “It’s different. You know Lin Xiu; the person I’m introducing to you is my boyfriend.”
Lin Yang’s lips twitched as he pointed at Chi Aibei. “Top Student, are you just going to let him show off like this?”
Lin Xiu laughed and pulled Chi Aibei over. “Eat.”
Lin Yang also sat across from them. Looking at the two of them made him feel full without even eating. “Right, did Jiang Yu text you? He seemed to have left early this morning.”
Chi Aibei shook his head. “I don’t know where I put my phone. Why did he leave without telling me?”
Lin Yang had only seen Jiang Yu’s message after he got up. He said, “He’s been like this lately. His dad often calls him back with just one phone call. I don’t know what he’s so busy with.”
Chi Aibei felt he might know. Jiang Wenshi and Jiang Wenyu’s grades were both poor, and both brothers were sent abroad after the college entrance exams. Father Jiang was someone who prioritized profit; Jiang Yu was a capable hand both in studies and in handling company affairs. Father Jiang was planning to groom him.
After eating, Chi Aibei found his phone in the karaoke room. Jiang Yu had indeed sent him a message:
[Explain the thing between you and Lin Xiu to me properly another day. We agreed to be brothers for life; you two are committing betrayal! Betraying our friendship!]
Looking at Jiang Yu’s indignant tone in defense of “friendship,” Chi Aibei suddenly felt his training had been quite successful.
Lin Xiu: “Ignore him.”
Presumably, Jiang Yu wouldn’t have time to listen to his excuses right now anyway, so Chi Aibei simply put him aside for the moment. The lights in the karaoke room were very dim, and the speakers weren’t on. Chi Aibei sat across Lin Xiu’s lap. “I want to tell my brother that we’re together.”
This had to be said sooner or later. Lin Xiu had intended for him to be the one to say it, but since Chi Aibei wanted to, Lin Xiu didn’t stop him.
Chi Aibei dialed Chi Wendong’s number. After a few rings, the call was answered.
“Awake?” Chi Wendong’s voice was no longer as icy as it was when Chi Aibei first met him. The warmth and kindness in it made Chi Aibei no longer afraid of him. “Brother, I have a boyfriend.”
Silence reigned on the other end for several seconds before the previously gentle voice suddenly spiked. “Boyfriend? What boyfriend? How did you end up with a boyfriend after just one birthday? Who is it? What’s his name? How old? What does his family do? Why didn’t Lin Xiu tell me about such a big thing? I told him to watch over you—how did he watch you into a boyfriend?”
Chi Wendong’s barrage of questions left Chi Aibei with no chance to speak. Only when he finally caught a gap did he manage to interject. “My boyfriend is—”
Chi Wendong: “Forget it, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I’m calling Lin Xiu right now to ask him what on earth is going on!”
Looking at the hung-up phone, Chi Aibei turned to Lin Xiu. “…My brother says he’s calling you.”
Just as he said that, Lin Xiu’s phone rang.
Lin Xiu answered the call. To make it easier to listen in, Chi Aibei leaned in close, turning to sit across Lin Xiu’s lap with his hands on Lin Xiu’s shoulders, leaning his body against Lin Xiu like a sacrificial offering.
Chi Wendong immediately asked, “Is Xiao Bei in a relationship?”
Lin Xiu glanced at the Chi Aibei who had proactively leaned in. “Mhm.”
Chi Wendong: “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Lin Xiu: “It happened last night.”
Happening last night meant the person was among those who attended the birthday party yesterday. Chi Wendong was there yesterday too; he thought back to who among them seemed to have an unusual relationship with Chi Aibei… Was it Di Zuo? No, his younger brother’s taste couldn’t be that bad—he couldn’t possibly like that flirtatious guy.
Was it that illegitimate son from the Jiang family? But that kid didn’t look gay!
Or was it Meng Huaiqing? He’d found it strange that Meng Huaiqing had come to Chi Aibei’s birthday banquet, and he was always smiling at his brother.
After guessing around, Chi Wendong couldn’t be sure. He asked, “So who exactly is that bastard?”
Chi Aibei shouted toward the phone, “Why are you swearing?”
Lin Xiu patted his waist comfortingly and said into the phone, “That bastard is me.”
Chi Wendong: “…”
Chi Wendong’s voice disappeared for almost a minute. When he spoke again, his voice had turned icy. “Lin Xiu, do you know what you’re doing?”
Lin Xiu: “I do. Xiao Bei will have to find a partner sooner or later. Rather than handing him over to someone else, it’s better to hand him to me. After all, you have my ten-year indenture contract; you should feel more at ease with me than anyone else.”
These words left Chi Wendong unable to find a rebuttal for a moment. If Lin Xiu had told him Chi Aibei’s boyfriend was someone else, he would have done everything in his power to break them up. But since it was Lin Xiu, he didn’t know what to do for a while.
Chi Wendong: “Were you already after him when you agreed to the ten-year contract back then?”
Lin Xiu: “Not really.”
Chi Wendong: “You think I believe that?”
Lin Xiu: “Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
Chi Wendong said angrily, “What if I don’t agree?”
Lin Xiu glanced at the person leaning on his shoulder. “Although I haven’t seen him throw a fit, it would probably be quite a hassle if he did.”
Chi Wendong wasn’t afraid of Chi Aibei throwing a fit; he was just afraid that if he did, he would stop recognizing him as a brother. He gritted his teeth in anger. “…Lin Xiu! You’d better be serious. If I find out this is just a whim, I’ll have your life!”
Chi Aibei grabbed Lin Xiu’s hand and turned the phone toward himself. “Brother, don’t say such scary things!”
Chi Wendong’s voice paused. “Fine. You’ve only just gotten together and you’re already siding with him. Am I still your brother?”
Handling Chi Wendong now was like child’s play for Chi Aibei. He said, “Of course you are. It’s because you’re my brother that I told you first. You’re the person I most want to share my joy with. You were the first person I thought of. It doesn’t matter if anyone else knows, but since you’re my brother, you have to know. Brother, don’t be mean to Brother Lin Xiu. I pursued him for so long before I got him. What if you scare him into going back on his word?”
Chi Wendong: “He wouldn’t dare!”
Hearing Chi Wendong defend him in turn, Chi Aibei knew this matter was settled. He shot Lin Xiu a triumphant smile.
Lin Xiu felt somewhat sympathetic toward Chi Wendong. However, seeing how unhesitatingly Aibei handled Chi Wendong in front of him, Lin Xiu also felt this kid was practically a dangerous element. Perhaps one day, he would use this tactic against him too.
Recommended Reads
