Chapter 48: Courting — Be My Baby, Okay?
Early the next morning, Jiang Yunian rubbed his eyes and walked out of the bedroom. The scene in the kitchen made him stop in his tracks.
In the small space, two men occupied different sides. Lu Yuanbai was frying eggs, his movements elegant and calm; Jiang Yan was heating milk on the other side, serious and focused. Not a word was exchanged between them; the atmospheres were vastly different.
“Senior is up so early.” Jiang Yunian tentatively spoke, his voice still carrying the softness of just waking up.
“I’m used to it.” Lu Yuanbai smiled and plated the fried eggs, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yunian’s face for a moment. “As for you, did you sleep well last night?”
“It was okay.” As Jiang Yunian spoke, a cup of hot milk appeared by his hand, pushed over by the person next to him. “Ge, drink milk.”
At the dining table, the atmosphere between the three became increasingly subtle.
Lu Yuanbai gently pushed the fried egg in front of Jiang Yunian: “Try it. A light breakfast is better, I specially used less oil.”
Almost simultaneously, Jiang Yan pushed his portion over too: “Doesn’t Ge like it a bit crispier? Eat.”
Jiang Yunian looked at the two breakfasts in front of him and inexplicably felt a faint awkwardness. He carefully took some of each: “I’ll try both.”
A bowl of water held level (treating everyone equally).
Breakfast was incredibly long. Whenever Lu Yuanbai wanted to talk to Jiang Yunian, Jiang Yan would interrupt at the right time—either suddenly asking if he wanted more milk or “accidentally” dropping a fork to make noise. Jiang Yunian stopped talking later on, finished eating quietly, and put down his chopsticks: “I’m full.”
“I should take my leave too.” Lu Yuanbai also stood up and said to him, “Thanks for last night.”
Jiang Yunian wanted to see him out, but Lu Yuanbai asked him to stay. Walking to the door, as if remembering something, he reminded him with a smile: “Don’t forget the regular meeting next week.”
Jiang Yan’s brows sharpened abruptly, watching this scene coldly.
“Yunian and I are both in the Volunteer Association; we can see each other every week,” Lu Yuanbai added faintly, which looked like a subtle provocation in the other’s eyes.
As soon as the door closed, someone immediately revealed his true form. Before Jiang Yunian turned his head, he felt a scorching gaze behind him as if it wanted to burn through him. He turned around to meet Jiang Yan’s gloomy face; there were faint dark circles under his eyes, clearly from not sleeping well.
“Um… do you want to sleep a bit more?” Jiang Yunian suggested in a small voice.
“Hmph.”
Jiang Yunian brushed away the broken hair blocking his eyes, his movements carrying a soothing meaning. “Go on, I’ll call you later.”
Jiang Yan’s expression cleared up slightly. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled him close, pestering him to sleep with him. Jiang Yunian refused but it was ineffective; he was forcefully carried back to the room in his standing posture.
“Hey…” Jiang Yunian was thrown off guard onto the soft bed. Just as he climbed up a little, his body was pressed down. His waist was pinched with a threat, “Move again and don’t expect to sleep.”
Jiang Yunian was too scared to move. Only then did Jiang Yan lie down with satisfaction, pulling him into his arms. The familiar scent lingered at the tip of his nose; Jiang Yunian gradually relaxed and actually became sleepy, accompanying him for a return sleep.
When he woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. Jiang Yunian rarely slept in. If it weren’t the weekend, he would never have indulged Jiang Yan’s nonsense like this. He moved his body and found Jiang Yan’s arm still around his waist. Sensing the movement beside him, Jiang Yan made a vague nasal sound, his fluffy head unconsciously rubbing against his chest, the hoop’s strength tightening unconsciously.
Jiang Yunian looked down at him. Jiang Yan was born fair, different from his own natural fair skin; it was a kind of pale from lack of nutrition, making his thin lips look exceptionally rosy.
This unguarded appearance looked very harmless. As if possessed, he reached out his hand, his fingertips gently touching those soft lips, then retracted his hand as if burned. Jiang Yunian felt he was a bit bewildered, actually birthing the thought of touching it with an equally soft place. He shook his head to discard those messy thoughts, carefully extracted himself from the embrace, and got out of bed to wash up.
The weight at his side lightened. Jiang Yan lifted his eyelids, licked his lips, and greedily licked the place his brother had touched with the tip of his tongue, revealing a successful smile.
The fish was about to take the bait.
A few days later, Jiang Yan stayed in his room again in the same way, only the excuse was that he had found clues about LG and wanted to discuss it in detail.
Outside the window, the moonlight was hazy. Only a warm bedside lamp was on in the room. The two of them, one leaning and one sitting, looked serious.
“There’s a lead.” Jiang Yan sat on the edge of the bed, looking solemn. “A Computer Science student named Chen Zhixian. His body shape is similar to the one in the alley that day.”
Jiang Yunian unconsciously sat up straight: “Are you sure?”
“Not completely sure yet.” Jiang Yan shook his head. This person had a withdrawn personality and had many verbal disputes with his roommates, moving out very early on. Importantly, Chen Zhixian’s whereabouts had been erratic recently. He hadn’t attended classes for a long time and seemed to have conflicts with classmates, developing a weariness for school, not even caring about the school’s disciplinary warnings.
Jiang Yunian inhaled gently: “No wonder he dares to act recklessly in Zhou Shu’s territory…”
“Mn, he’s someone who isn’t afraid of death.” Jiang Yan continued, “It basically matches our previous speculation. He has sufficient motive and time, but we still lack substantial evidence right now. And this person hasn’t shown his face for a long time; locking onto his tracks is by no means easy…”
The room fell into a brief silence. Jiang Yunian unconsciously clenched the corner of his clothes. That name circled in his mind, but he couldn’t match it with any face in his memory. He simply couldn’t imagine when exactly he had provoked such a person.
“Unless…” Jiang Yan hesitated to speak, his gaze falling on his face, hiding a hidden struggle.
Jiang Yunian instantly understood what he meant: “You mean… let me lure him out?”
Jiang Yan didn’t answer directly but looked at him seriously: “Does Ge trust me?”
Even a private detective couldn’t find him, which showed how tricky it was. Jiang Yunian knew this was probably the only way. Using himself as bait was certainly dangerous, but if he could drag out that pervert sooner, he could also be free sooner. He looked at Jiang Yan and nodded gently.
Getting an affirmative answer, Jiang Yan’s brows softened. He gently stroked his hair, his tone solemn: “I won’t let him touch you even a bit again. I promise.”
Jiang Yunian looked up, his eyes full of trust: “Mn.”
Under the warm yellow light, those trusting eyes were particularly clean and translucent. His lips looked soft too, glowing with a moist luster; the slightly pouting appearance revealed an innocence unversed in worldly affairs. Jiang Yan’s heartbeat missed a beat, and a heat rushed uncontrollably through a certain place. His brain seemed to no longer belong to him. He leaned down slightly, slowly approaching those alluring lips.
Just at the moment of touching, Jiang Yunian turned his head in a panic, his whole body tense: “I… I’m going to sleep…”
Before he could escape, he was pulled back. Jiang Yan’s arm wrapped tightly around his waist, his voice low: “Ge.”
The shadow loomed over. Jiang Yunian’s heartbeat inexplicably accelerated. The moment he was imprisoned, what happened next was already out of control.
Slender knuckles slowly rubbed against his lips. Jiang Yan suddenly asked him: “That night you didn’t fall asleep, right?”
Jiang Yunian was stunned; he didn’t expect him to say this. The scene of Jiang Yan stealing a kiss that night immediately surfaced in his mind. He should have denied it, pretended not to understand, and continued to maintain the decency that should exist between brothers. But his throat felt glued shut; he couldn’t make a sound. He knew he could no longer turn a blind eye to Jiang Yan’s feelings. Even if he was psychologically resisting, his body had long become accustomed to the other’s hugs and touches. This ambiguous relationship would have to face reality one day; he just hadn’t thought of how to deal with it yet. His caution was nothing more than fear—fear that once the veil between brothers was pierced, it would be hard to go back to how it was before.
But one thing he was very clear about: no matter the direction, he didn’t want to lose Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan left him enough time to think, but a man’s patience was ultimately limited. No matter how much hesitation there was, it would be broken by him without hesitation.
“How long does Ge intend to pretend?”
Jiang Yan’s suppression had reached its limit. He couldn’t bear it anymore. He flipped over and pressed the person onto the bed, a posture identical to that night. Just by lowering his head, he could kiss those lips: “Remember now?”
He rubbed lightly with the tip of his nose, their breaths intertwining: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember. I don’t mind helping Ge review it again.”
“You…” Jiang Yunian stared at him blankly. “You knew…”
“Yes, I knew Ge was awake that night.” Jiang Yan’s eyes gradually deepened, like a cold pool. “I also knew Ge has been avoiding me.”
“If it weren’t for the fear of scaring Ge, I would have openly trapped Ge here long ago, forced a kiss on you, kissed you until you were breathless and could only cry while holding me.”
Hearing such shameless words made Jiang Yunian’s face hot. He raised his hand to push Jiang Yan away, but the other mistook it for a response, seizing the opportunity to grab his hand and press it against his heart, venting the desire hidden deep in his heart without reservation.
“I like Ge. Ge knows that, right?” Jiang Yan’s breathing was disordered, looking at him obsessively. “Then do you know I like Ge so much I’m going crazy? I dream of Ge sitting on me without clothes…”
Jiang Yunian’s eyelashes trembled, wishing he could cover his ears. The current Jiang Yan was like a lunatic crazy for love, his eyes turbid, neither sober nor rational, his hands wandering wildly, whispering incoherently.
“Don’t push me away… Let’s not be brothers. Be my baby, okay?”
Jiang Yunian was so shamed by those two words (“my baby”) that he closed his eyes. Until he was prodded by something underneath, he clearly realized that Jiang Yan’s desire for him was far more than this.
His mind suddenly went blank as he tried to find an answer. How did a perfectly good person step onto this point of no return? Why did it have to be Jiang Yan, and why did it have to be him?
Where exactly did it go wrong?
Before he could figure it out, Jiang Yan forcefully forced him to face reality.
Jiang Yunian looked at the lust in his eyes, still afraid to believe that all along, Jiang Yan had never treated him as a brother: “No… this isn’t true.”
“It is true.” Jiang Yan didn’t allow him to retreat, speaking word by word. “Stealing the kiss that night was true, liking Ge is true, wanting to be with Ge is true…”
He paused, his eyes scorching: “Wanting to f*** Ge is also true.”
Jiang Yunian suddenly covered his mouth. He couldn’t bear to hear Jiang Yan whisper this in his ear. His whole person burned up, his face and eyes flushing an abnormal red.
He opened his mouth, his voice trembling: “How could…”
Jiang Yan hooked his lips. His handsome face spoke words that were like poison, fatal in one strike: “It was Ge who seduced me first.”
“You’re talking nonsense,” Jiang Yunian bit his lower lip. “I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did not,” Jiang Yan began to count the details. “Then who was the one showering with me? Who slept in my arms, being hugged and held? Who voluntarily helped me relieve my needs? Piece by piece, wasn’t it all tacitly permitted by Ge?”
He called this tacit permission? Clearly, it was he who insisted on showering together, insisted on burrowing into his covers, hugging and holding him, and used the excuse of feeling uncomfortable to beg him for help. How did it all become his instruction?
But at this moment, he couldn’t utter a word of rebuttal. In the eyes of a homosexual, these behaviors seemed to have become some kind of sexual suggestion. By the time he realized it, it was too late.
Jiang Yan stopped, staring at him fixedly, his voice suddenly dropping low like a defeated suitor: “Does Ge not like me?”
This question caught Jiang Yunian off guard. He looked straight at the eagerness and desire in the other’s eyes, like a puppy begging for pity. It was as if two little people were fighting in his brain. One told him he should deny it; they were not only the same sex but also brothers, and absurd love would have no result. The other said they weren’t related by blood; like had nothing to do with gender, and he should follow his heart and be brave to be himself.
Past interactions flashed through his mind frame by frame, vivid in his memory. The Jiang Yan who hugged him and acted spoiled, the Jiang Yan who cooked for him every day, the Jiang Yan who hid in his arms afraid of thunder, the Jiang Yan who stood up for him and protected him… Knowing Jiang Yan’s feelings clearly yet tacitly allowing him to be presumptuous—he asked himself, did he really not like Jiang Yan?
“Why not answer?” Jiang Yan said, “Actually, that morning, Ge wanted to kiss me too, right?”
Jiang Yunian’s thoughts were completely disrupted; he didn’t remember which day he was talking about.
Seeing that he didn’t deny it, joy flashed in Jiang Yan’s eyes: “I knew it, Ge likes me too.”
Jiang Yunian’s eyelashes trembled. His mouth just moved when it was enveloped by the descending shadow.
“Mmph…”
He widened his eyes; Jiang Yan kissed him.
Jiang Yunian felt his whole body floating in the clouds, no longer his own. Jiang Yan gently ground against his lips, murmuring low while kissing: “Be with me… okay?”
“Mn… don’t lick…”
Just as he opened a small gap, the smooth, soft tongue tip drilled in nimbly, tangling with his tongue, stirring and plundering his breath. Jiang Yunian was kissed into a daze, drowning in the wet, hot kiss, his heart thumping, almost unable to breathe.
Jiang Yan finally let go of that alluring little mouth, yet was still unsatisfied. Like a wolf that had been starving for a long time facing delicious prey, he couldn’t help but continue to demand, kissing from the corner of the mouth to the chin, then to the neck, sucking deeply.
“Mmph…”
A bright red strawberry (hickey) was planted on the fair skin, both pure and lustful, burning Jiang Yan’s last bit of reason. He buried his head in Jiang Yunian’s neck, sniffing deeply in confusion, his hands becoming more and more restless.
“Ge is mine…”
“Belongs only to me.”
Faced with beauty, a man fallen into a gentle trap is always insatiable. Jiang Yan mumbled his desires incoherently. When he touched a certain indescribable zone, Jiang Yunian couldn’t stand it and grabbed his hand.
Jiang Yan stopped and looked up at him: “Is Ge going to reject me?”
Translator’s Note: Confession~ ahehehehehe
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