Chapter 145: Sensitive
Watching Wen Ling’s retreating figure, the image of Wen Ling spanking the boy to teach him a lesson inexplicably popped into Cheng Ge’s mind.
Cheng Ge shook his head, clearing away those nonsensical thoughts, and asked 001 about the boy’s situation.
The boy really hadn’t lied.
That orphanage was over ten kilometers away. Who knew how such a small child had managed to run all the way here.
When Wen Ling returned to the room, his expression was awful. It took Cheng Ge kissing and coaxing him before he stopped being angry.
Wen Ling grabbed the ointment, rolled up Cheng Ge’s pant leg, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.
“I hate him so much,” Wen Ling applied the medicine with a very light touch, muttering as he rubbed. “How could he do this? He’s so bad!”
Wen Ling’s feelings regarding Cheng Ge were always extreme. Anyone who hurt Cheng Ge was automatically bad, regardless of whether it was intentional or not; he just hated them.
Cheng Ge knew Wen Ling’s personality. He patted his head: “It just looks scary, it doesn’t hurt that much. With you caring about me so much, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Liar.” Wen Ling quietly exposed him, but didn’t say anything more.
Cheng Ge looked at the top of Wen Ling’s head, feeling a bit worried about what to do with the boy.
If they called the police, they would likely just send the child back.
Logically, returning the boy to the orphanage should be the solution. But the people there bullied him; wouldn’t sending him back be pushing him into the fire?
Even if they asked someone to keep an extra eye on him, bullying was always hard to prevent.
Perhaps because he had seen how little Wen Ling was bullied, Cheng Ge was very sensitive to these kinds of things.
No matter what, they had to find the kid a new place to go, and that would take time.
Letting him stay temporarily was something Wen Ling definitely wouldn’t agree to; he didn’t like the kid.
After hesitating for a long time, Cheng Ge took a deep breath and called out, “Wen-wen.”
Wen Ling screwed the cap back on the ointment and looked up at him.
Cheng Ge’s smile was incredibly ingratiating: “Can we discuss something?”
Wen Ling: “Mhm?”
“Well, you see, it’s freezing outside right now…”
After finishing his shower, the boy wore the sweater and padded jacket Wen Ling gave him and ran the water to wash his own clothes.
Then, carrying the washed clothes, he huffed and puffed down the stairs.
The boy searched several rooms but couldn’t find the two older brothers. When he finally found them…
He happened to catch Cheng Ge holding Wen Ling, kissing him.
The boy froze instantly, his eyes wide open.
Once he reacted, he immediately covered his eyes and hid outside.
“Alright?”
“I don’t want to.” Wen Ling said.
Cheng Ge buried his face in the crook of Wen Ling’s neck and rubbed against him, scratching his back: “It should just be for a few days, it won’t be too long.”
Wen Ling stopped talking, his agreement level probably reaching 80%.
Cheng Ge “got handsy” with Wen Ling, kissing and hugging him, calling him “Baby,” calling him “Wen-wen,” and saying “Please.” How could Wen Ling refuse?
“I hate you.”
Nowadays, when Wen Ling said “hate” to Cheng Ge, it was basically a disguised form of acting spoiled. Hearing it only made Cheng Ge want to kiss him a few more times.
After the two finished being affectionate and settled the matter, the boy cautiously peeked half his body out from behind the door, waiting for the two older brothers to call him.
Cheng Ge finished soothing Wen Ling, looked up, saw the hem of the boy’s clothes, and called him in.
Clutching his washed clothes, the boy shuffled in, fear evident on his face.
Even though Wen Ling had found the shortest clothes and pants, they were still way too big for the boy. The padded jacket almost reached his knees, and the pants had to be rolled up four or five times just to keep them from dragging on the floor.
The boy’s face was still flushed red. With his short stature, his overall appearance was a bit comical.
Cheng Ge: “Are you too hot? Why is your face so red?”
The boy shook his head: “No!”
“What’s your name?”
The boy kept his head down, his voice very small and muffled: “…Short Winter Melon.”
“What?” Cheng Ge didn’t hear clearly.
“Short Winter Melon.” The boy said a bit louder.
Cheng Ge frowned: “I’m asking for your real name.”
“I, I forgot… everyone calls me that.”
Cheng Ge felt a bitter taste in his heart. “Then I’ll call you Little Dong. How old are you?”
“I think, I think I’m eight.”
Cheng Ge nodded. “Do you want to go back to the orphanage?”
Little Dong bit his lip and lowered his head: “No.”
“Then you can stay with us temporarily for a couple of days.”
The boy tilted his head up, his eyes brightening slightly: “Is it really okay?”
Cheng Ge smiled: “It’s okay.”
Little Dong suddenly puckered his small mouth, looking like he wanted to cry. “You’re too good to me. When I grow up, I’ll repay you…”
Cheng Ge was slightly stunned. This kid really resembled Wen Ling in some ways—those clear round eyes, looking dopey, and puckering his mouth before crying.
Even his way of speaking was similar.
“Don’t cry, you don’t need to repay us. Just thank this brother here.” Cheng Ge secretly pointed at Wen Ling.
“Thank you, older brother.” Little Dong gave a ninety-degree bow, his attitude sincere, and his eyes tearful and pitiful.
Cheng Ge tugged at Wen Ling’s clothes, and Wen Ling finally gave a “Mhm.”
“Alright, you head out first. The hangers are on the balcony. Just go out the door, turn right, and it’s at the very end.”
“Thank you, older brother.”
After Little Dong left, Wen Ling grumpily bit Cheng Ge’s collarbone, but didn’t say anything. The matter was settled.
In Cheng Ge’s view, adding an obedient child wouldn’t have much impact on their lives.
Little Dong had a very docile personality and was very sensible, never making a fuss.
He would proactively help with chores. When they needed him, he was cheerful; when they didn’t, he would quietly stay by himself.
It’s just that finding a new place for Little Dong was difficult.
That was the only orphanage, there were no welfare homes, and finding someone to adopt him would take quite a while. Overall, there was nowhere good for him to go.
But in Wen Ling’s eyes, after the boy arrived, Cheng Ge changed a lot.
For example, he spaced out more. Nowadays, Cheng Ge especially loved to space out and stare blankly.
And during those times, Cheng Ge didn’t look happy.
For example, he became very emotional. When watching a romantic movie together, Cheng Ge would hug him and say he felt so sad, needing to be held for a long time to recover.
For example, he became forgetful. Cheng Ge couldn’t remember things well lately; one time he even forgot to add salt while cooking.
And Cheng Ge was becoming more and more clingy. He liked it when Wen Ling took the initiative; it seemed their roles had reversed.
Previously, there had only been slight, barely noticeable signs of these issues with Cheng Ge.
Wen Ling didn’t understand why these situations with Cheng Ge intensified as soon as this kid arrived.
He understood even less why Cheng Ge would ask him if they should adopt this kid.
That day, Cheng Ge was holding Wen Ling while they sunbathed. Wen Ling was lying on top of Cheng Ge; he was sunning his back, and Cheng Ge was sunning his legs.
Cheng Ge complained that the sun was shining in his face, muttering, “If we keep this up, our skin tone difference will become even more obvious.”
Cheng Ge wasn’t dark—just a normal skin tone—but standing next to Wen Ling made him look darker.
Cheng Ge had never cared about this before, but recently he had become sensitive about it.
“Then I’ll block it for you.”
Wen Ling straightened his back, aligning his face with Cheng Ge’s, touching his nose against Cheng Ge’s nose.
When he got tired later, he simply placed his palm over Cheng Ge’s face and continued lying in his arms.
Cheng Ge was quiet for a moment, then suddenly called Wen Ling’s name and asked him, “How about we raise Little Dong for now?”
“No.”
At the time, Wen Ling thought Cheng Ge was just making a helpless joke because he couldn’t find anyone to adopt the kid.
He never expected Cheng Ge was serious.
Recommended Reads
