Chapter 63: What to Do, Iām Almost Falling for You
Lin Siyu shook his head helplessly. It truly was just like the two of them; born from the same mother, yet falling for the exact same person.
When he had first heard the news, his own reaction hadn’t been much better than Lin Siwuās. The only difference was that he was better at masking it than his younger brother. He had firmly suppressed every throb of his heart.
So, as he watched his brotherās blatant displays of joy and panic, Lin Siyu felt more than just helplessness; he felt a sliver of shared experience that he didn’t even want to admit to himself.
Falling for the same personāespecially someone like Jiang Qingāwas destined to be a long and hopeless trek.
He saw things more clearly than Lin Siwu. Jiang Qing appeared casual, but his heart was heavily guarded, his boundaries clearly defined. That ambiguous “itās okay” was less of a response to Lin Siwu and more of an observation or a test.
He likely found Lin Siwuās passion and bluntness amusing, like teasing an overly energetic puppy, but that didn’t mean he would actually stop for anyone or open that tightly locked door.
And what about himself? Lin Siyu let out a self-deprecating smirk.
He didn’t even have the courage to be as direct as Lin Siwu. His affection was wrapped in the safe shells of “friend” and “business partner,” cautiously maintaining a proper distance. He was terrified that taking one step too far would shatter that precarious balance, causing him to lose even the position he currently held.
The two brothers were both trapped in the same labyrinth named “Jiang Qing”.
Jiang Qing had been busy for the past few days, barely closing his eyes. He hadn’t even had time to check how far his “pigs” had progressed in his game.
He lay on the floor in despair.
So annoying.
There was too much to do.
“Glucose” saw his master lying motionless on the ground and, assuming his lifespan had reached its end, sauntered over and swept his tail across Jiang Qingās clothes.
“…… Iām stubborn; Iām not dead yet. You don’t need to be so diligent.”
Jiang Qing scooped up the Ragdoll cat and went to sit on the sofa.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He lifted Glucose up to look him in the eye.
“Glucose, tell Papa the truth. Did you sneak over to old man Shiās place next door again to steal his Maine Coonās kibble? Hmm?”
Jiang Qing stared into those big, crystal-clear blue eyes. Glucose, uncomfortable with being held up, let out a “meow” and squirmed, trying to rub his fluffy head against Jiang Qingās wrist.
This “I know I was wrong but Iāll do it again next time” posture of professional cuteness made Jiang Qing both angry and amused. He pulled the cat back into his arms and absentmindedly stroked his soft, fluffy fur.
Glucose found a comfortable spot on his lap and curled up, as if the “interrogation” had never happened.
Leaning back into the sofa, Jiang Qing felt the warm weight on his lap and the rhythmic purring. His tense nerves seemed to relax slightly. He closed his eyes.
Although the Sun family had been suppressed for now and Xu Xunchen had paid a heavy price, the follow-up cleanup and deterrent work remained tedious.
However, he had dumped a mountain of it onto Qin Zhiyan and Jiang Yu.
When it came to troublesome matters, it was naturally best to have someone else willing to do them.
Meanwhile, far away, Qin Zhiyan was fuming:
“Go to #! You call me out of the blue to make me investigate everything thoroughly without even giving me a reward, saying stuff like ‘it’s your honor to work for me’… I %*ļæ„&!”
Jiang Qing seemed to sense something and opened WeChat to send a message.
[Note: Stupid, rich, and useful]
[Plain and Simple is True: Baby, you have to work hard.]
[Plain and Simple is True: They say capable men are the most charming. What should I do? Iām almost falling for you.]
After sending it, he tossed the phone aside expressionlessly.
How disgusting.
Glucose seemed to sense his masterās foul mood and looked up, gently touching the back of Jiang Qingās hand with his nose.
Jiang Qing looked at the “silly, sweet, and fair” cat in his arms, who did nothing but eat and sleepāother than occasionally stealing neighborās kibbleāand whose biggest worry might be a dissatisfaction with today’s canned food flavor. Suddenly, he felt a bit envious.
It really was better to be a cat.
No need to handle complex family affairs, no need to deal with difficult people, and certainly no need to worry about those messy, entangled relationships.
He sat on the sofa with the cat for a while longer until Glucose began to squirm impatiently, at which point he gently set him down.
As soon as the cat hit the floor, he walked toward his food bowl with elegant strides, clearly having tossed his masterās “worries” to the back of his mind.
Just then, a “patter” of footsteps came from the doorway.
Before Jiang Qing could fully pull himself out of his thoughts, the slightly ajar study door was pushed open a crack, and a black-and-white figure slipped inside.
It was Jiang Linmuās Border Collie, Peanut Candy.
He didn’t explore with his usual high energy or look for a playmate. Instead, he stopped after entering, his eyes immediately locking onto Jiang Qing, who was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, rubbing his brow.
Peanut Candy tilted his head and lightened his steps as he walked to the sofa.
He first approached Jiang Qingās hand hanging by his side, gently touching it with his nose. Seeing that Jiang Qing didn’t react, he gave a light leap and jumped onto the empty side of the sofa.
Then, he slowly lowered himself, gently resting his fluffy head on Jiang Qingās thigh, his chin pressed against his masterās leg, while his tail wagged slightly behind him.
On the other side, Glucose, who had been heading toward his food bowl, noticed that the “big guy” who usually chased him around wasn’t harassing him today. Instead, he was lying quietly beside their master. Curious, Glucose stopped in his tracks. He hesitated for a moment before walking over and jumping onto the other sofa armrest.
For a moment, the study was silent, with only a cat and a dog quietly accompanying Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing had his eyes closed, but he could feel the added weight on his lap and the warmth of the animalās body. He didn’t open his eyes, but the hand that had been rubbing his brow dropped, naturally landing on Peanut Candyās soft, thick neck fur.
The smooth texture under his fingertips and the steady breathing under his palm felt like they possessed a strange, soothing power.
Just then, Jiang Linmuās voice came from the door, deliberately kept low: “Peanut Candy? Peanut Candy, where did you go? Don’t bother Ge…”
He stopped abruptly at the sight inside the study.
Standing at the door, Jiang Linmu subconsciously held his breath, afraid to break this rare moment of tranquility.
Hearing Jiang Linmuās voice, Peanut Candyās ears twitched, but his head didn’t move. Only the tip of his tail wagged slightly, as if to say: “I know you’re here, but I have something more important to do right now.”
Jiang Qing only then slowly opened his eyes to look at Jiang Linmu.
Caught by his gaze, Jiang Linmu immediately became flustered, explaining in a low voice: “Ge… I came back from walking the dog, and Peanut Candy just ran in here on his own. I couldn’t stop him. Did he disturb you? Iāll take him out right now…”
“No need,” Jiang Qing said. “He didn’t.”
He continued to stroke Peanut Candyās fur rhythmically, his eyes sweeping over the leash in Jiang Linmuās hand. “Why is the leash broken?”
Jiang Linmuās face flushed as he stammered, “Well… he saw a bird and got too excited. He lunged, and…”
Jiang Qing didn’t press further. “Be careful next time. Get a stronger one.”
“Yes! Understood, Ge!” Jiang Linmu nodded hurriedly. Seeing that Jiang Qing didn’t seem angry, he felt a sense of relief, though he looked at the dog lying on Jiang Qingās lap with a hint of envy.
He really wanted to…
Wait.
What was he thinking?
“Then… Ge, you rest. Should I take Peanut Candy out first?” Jiang Linmu asked tentatively.
“Mm,” Jiang Qing responded.
Jiang Linmu then walked in cautiously and made a “come here” gesture to Peanut Candy. Peanut Candy looked at Jiang Qing before finally standing up slowly and jumping off the sofa, but before leaving, he turned back to rub his head gently against Jiang Qingās hand.
Jiang Qing patted his head.
Only then did Peanut Candy follow Jiang Linmu out of the study with a satisfied air.
Glucose flicked his tail, jumped down from the armrest, and nestled back beside Jiang Qing, finding a comfortable spot.
The study returned to silence.
Jiang Qing picked up his phone again and checked the time.
Then, he sent a message to Xie Yunran:
[Do you have any more of that ointment from last time? Give me two more tubes.]
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