Chapter 10: How Many Good Brothers Do You Have?
Jiang Shulu’s pointed gaze caused even the most unrestrained shippers to falter.
“What’s going on?! Is there a script?!”
“There’s always a bit of a script in group variety shows, but I don’t know how to make a child act.”
“Jiang Shulu’s gaze!! If I randomly screenshot it and ask others who the person being looked at is, the answer is always ‘their significant other’!!”
“What did I miss during those three years…”
“Is Yao Lixin doing this on purpose?!”
“I feel like these guys don’t need to sell it, why didn’t they do it when they were in the group?”
Tang Yue, however, was out of it. He let out an “ah”: “Why?”
He walked forward, squeezing next to Yao Lixin: “Second Brother, we slept together before too.”
Yao Lixin ruffled Tang Yue’s soft hair: “That was then.”
Tang Yue: “Then why is it okay with Third Brother!?”
“Tang Yue, what’s wrong with you! You ship everything! Why are you always shipping Liu Xichao with others.”
“I remember once the captain of another group jokingly confessed to Liu Xichao, and Tang Yue said that Liu Xichao was our captain’s…”
“Is there anyone willing to compile all the material? I’m so curious!”
Yao Lixin: “Because he’s about to become a married man too. It’s like negative times negative equals positive, and I’m straight.”
Tang Yue quickly interjected: “So am I!”
Yao Lixin made an “oh” sound.
“Tang Yue, you really don’t look like it.”
“But the child is irrefutable proof ah ah ah ah!”
“I want to go crazy, who is it! Who slept with Tang Yue!”
Tang Yue was also a little uneasy. At this moment, Jiang Shulu walked over and directly hooked his arm: “Let’s go, check out the room.”
Yao Lixin tilted his head, looking at Jiang Shulu’s hand on Tang Yue’s shoulder with a smirk, thinking that Liu Xichao missing this was a huge loss.
Jiang Shulu’s drama was too good to miss, this was a free chance to eat melon!!
The show mainly focused on scenery, so the locations were either mountainous or by the water.
The two children; one who had rarely seen the world, was excited for a long time upon seeing a boat earlier, and the other, raised in the city, had seen pictures of punts but never experienced them in real life, and his eyes were wide with wonder.
Even the aloof Yao Xuan Yu, at only six years old, expressed great curiosity about the surroundings, the two of them had already run into the courtyard.
Tang Yue hadn’t expected Jiang Shulu to put his arm around him and felt uncomfortable, wanting to pull away.
But Jiang Shulu didn’t let go. He seemed unaware of Tang Yue’s resistance, asking: “How did you decide to participate in this variety show?”
Given Tang Yue’s way of cutting contact five years ago, Jiang Shulu couldn’t find any information despite his efforts, indicating that someone was helping him.
This made Jiang Shulu even more agitated.
In this respect, he was similar to Tang Yue; one’s smile grew more prominent when agitated, making Jiang Shulu seem gentle to outsiders; while Tang Yue’s expression grew colder the more anxious he became.
In the shared shot, one was smiling gently and the other had a cold expression; they didn’t look like the close teammates from the past, appearing unusually distant.
“Um…although, but, they look really unfamiliar.”
“Why ahhhh!!! That’s why I didn’t buy stock back then!”
“Did the authors who wrote those fics about Jiang Shulu and Tang Yue ever think this day would come?”
“I remember there was a very famous birth fic…(Help, so embarrassing, what was I even reading back then)”
Tang Yue couldn’t break free, so he could only follow Jiang Shulu into the house.
His voice was still as clear and beautiful as jade, unique and captivating: “A friend recommended it.”
Jiang Shulu: “How close a friend?”
Hearing the word “friend” from Tang Yue was surprising, both to Jiang Shulu and Yao Lixin, who was taking the keys from the staff.
Yao Lixin wasn’t surprised by Jiang Shulu’s action. They’d often put their arms around each other in the practice room, and Jiang Shulu occasionally did this.
Tang Yue seemed to not notice how brief his resistance was; every time the captain put his arm around him, he wanted to respond, but immediately gave up.
Yao Lixin didn’t understand why back then.
He understood on the plane today.
Tang Yue actually thought Jiang Shulu and Liu Xichao were having an affair, and was very certain of it.
Yao Lixin didn’t know how to tell Liu Xichao the tragic news.
The younger brother thinks you’re his sister-in-law but doesn’t know you’re the captain’s little aunt, it’s hilarious no matter how you look at it.
Now, Jiang Shulu’s question was calm, but Yao Lixin could still hear the difference.
Things kept hidden for too long eventually spoil, especially with a catalyst.
Jiang Shulu wasn’t as gentle as he appeared.
His willingness to defy his family and join the group showed that a fire always burned within him.
Yao Lixin’s family background wasn’t as good as Jiang Shulu’s, but he didn’t envy that kind of family; an overly perfect, template life, with suppressed emotions since childhood.
Did Jiang Shulu know what he wanted?
When would his patience break?
“How close???”
“Am I crazy, I actually think Brother Jiang is jealous sos”
“I wasn’t a fan before, but watching Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu on the live stream, their atmosphere was strange, like they were close, yet not close.”
Before Tang Yue could answer, Tang Mian, who had run into the room and back out, said, “Auntie Yi asked me to come out to play! She said I’ve been at home too long!!”
The child’s voice was clear and lively: “She said I’d get moldy if I stayed with Dad any longer!!”
The house was by the stream, a stilt house style, close to the riverbank, with many steps.
The early autumn wind carried a chill, lifting Tang Yue’s slightly long bangs. His bright blue eyes met Jiang Shulu’s, always seeming fleeting, as if he would turn and leave the next second.
Tang Yue was like that, always giving Jiang Shulu a feeling of unsettling instability.
As if he had no place in this world.
Making Jiang Shulu want to give him a place, but not knowing how to speak.
Because Tang Yue resisted him.
Jiang Shulu: “Who is that?”
A woman who knows about Tang Yue and Tang Mian’s existence, an aunt? What kind of aunt?
Tang Mian’s mother had passed away; who had taken care of Tang Yue during those five years?
It was said that Tang Yue lived in a mountain village in the suburbs, sometimes taking his child to the hospital, buying groceries, etc. Given Tang Yue’s outwardly calm but actually socially anxious personality, and his extreme indecisiveness when shopping, he would need someone to make decisions for him.
Was that woman with him?
What role did that woman play since Tang Yue said Tang Mian’s mother was gone?
Tang Yue made a noncommittal sound, not fidgeting with his fingers this time, but instead twisting his clothes.
The camera zoomed out, showing the green mountains and water, the stilt house, and the two men standing outside. Their height alone made them look like a couple.
Especially Jiang Shulu’s downcast gaze at Tang Yue, easily misleading viewers into thinking they were a couple.
“It’s over, it really smells like jealousy.”
“Tang Yue, how many good sisters do you have!! It was good brothers before hahaha!”
“I wouldn’t be happy either, he took such good care of Tang Yue when they were in the group, and disappeared without a word, now he still won’t say anything.”
“Tang Yue is so mysterious!”
Jiang Shulu took Tang Yue’s hand, noticing his tension, easing his unease as he did before.
He simply reached out, taking Tang Yue’s hand.
The camera showed the clear difference between Jiang Shulu’s and Tang Yue’s hands.
The contrast between the distinctly-jointed and slender hands was too strong; yet, Tang Yue couldn’t break free. His heart was beating rapidly; he dared not look at Jiang Shulu.
Tang Yue could only push open the door to the other room, feigning ease as he answered Jiang Shulu: “It’s my sister.”
“Ah?? Does Tang Yue have a sister? A biological one?”
“Jiang Shulu’s expression perfectly matches the barrage comment: ‘How many good sisters do you have.'”
Jiang Shulu: “When did you get a sister?”
Yao Lixin had already gone into the room with his luggage, and Tang Yue was forced to walk into the room hand-in-hand with Jiang Shulu.
The furnishings didn’t match the initial expectations of a tourist homestay but it was clean, though too simple.
The only real value was the window view.
There was a small courtyard and an old open-air kitchen outside.
The bathroom was also outside; the only plus was its cleanliness. The rest was rudimentary.
Tang Yue: “During that time, she came to find me.”
Tang Yue wanted to pull away, but Jiang Shulu didn’t let go, making the two of them look rather clingy on screen.
Tang Yue was embarrassed, even though he and Jiang Shulu had done such things, he was still incredibly naive.
Jiang Shulu glanced at the camera in the room and then pulled Tang Yue to inspect the room’s decorations, making it seem as if he were performing an inspection.
The room wasn’t large, the bed was a double bed, but it looked low-quality; Jiang Shulu let go, and as soon as Tang Yue sat down, it creaked.
Jiang Shulu: “So during those years, you were with that sister?”
His tone was calm, but his fists were clenched tight in his coat pockets.
Tang Yue shook his head: “I lived alone. Xiao Mie and I were doing okay, it’s just that he’s going to start school now.”
Jiang Shulu: “Didn’t Xiao Mie go to kindergarten?”
At the mention of this, Tang Yue scratched his head: “He said he wanted to go straight to elementary school, but Xiao Mie is super smart, and he’s already completed early childhood education.”
The sadness in Tang Yue’s brow vanished as he mentioned his child; he smiled brightly, like melting ice, making the audience’s hearts tremble.
Not to mention Jiang Shulu, who had belatedly realized his loss.
Jiang Shulu feigned ease with an “oh”: “So he’s quite like his mother?”
Tang Yue was instinctively angry: “What! Captain, do you think I’m not smart?”
It had been a whole day of the live stream, and he seemed to only now be thawing from his slow-paced state.
Or perhaps it was because he knew that Liu Xichao wasn’t with Jiang Shulu; a heavy weight lifted from his heart, and his tone was childishly light.
Jiang Shulu laughed: “Yes, you’re clumsy.”
He didn’t hide his fondness for Tang Mian, “Xiao Mie seems very smart and lively, it seems you…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say it, feeling like he was only inviting more pain.
Tang Yue made a noncommittal sound: “No, he’s not lively, but he’s definitely smarter than me.”
Though a young man, Tang Yue’s youthful air hadn’t faded; his clear eyes made Jiang Shulu’s heart itch even more.
Tang Yue added: “As smart as the captain.”
It would be bad if he was like me; I wasn’t good at studying, thankfully Xiao Mie is like the captain, so he can go to a good university.
Jiang Shulu: “Is that so? Can you tell me how you two got together?”
Tang Yue choked.
How do you explain a one-night stand?!
Moreover, it was with you, and we ended up with a child.