ALCSRB Chapter 18

By the time they got home, it was already completely dark.

As soon as they stepped into the living room, they heard Su Wanxin laughing out loud at something on the TV.

“Oh, you’re back,” she said, turning her head at the sound of the door. She pointed at a plate of darkened bayberries on the table.
“These just arrived by air this evening. Come and have some.”

Jiang Mingyi’s round, dark eyes lingered on the bayberries for a moment. He wanted to eat them.

But—

“Mom, I’ll go wash my hands first before eating.”

He quickly walked off toward the kitchen.

Su Wanxin turned to her older son. She remembered he didn’t really like this kind of fruit. “Do you want to…”

Shen Xingyan looked over calmly. “I’ll go wash my hands.”

The kitchen wasn’t far, and it was spacious.

Just as Jiang Mingyi got in and was about to wash up, another pair of hands reached in from the side and turned on the faucet.

Jiang Mingyi froze for a moment. Seeing the hands already under the water, he quickly reached out.

“Can’t you wait for me to finish first?”

A low voice sounded beside his ear. Jiang Mingyi tilted his head slightly and used the motion to push the other person aside. “Nope. I got here first.”

Shen Xingyan shifted to the side a bit, his dark eyes falling on the teen’s fluffy hair. He let out a low chuckle.
“You’re the reason I need to thoroughly wash my hands.”

Jiang Mingyi scrubbed his hands carefully with soap, then flashed a proud smile at the man. “You don’t have to wash them.”

He waved his now-clean hands, turned, and was about to leave.

But a long leg easily blocked his path.

“Then you don’t have to go out either.”

With Shen Xingyan’s tall frame and long legs, Jiang Mingyi had no way to get around him.

Facing the smug look in his eyes, Jiang Mingyi was fuming.
What, was he supposed to climb over the sink or something?

Jiang Mingyi glared. “You’re so mean. I’m telling Mom.”

Shen Xingyan raised an eyebrow. “Tell Mom what—that you didn’t wash your hands after using the bathroom?”

“So you not only harmed me but also stole my chance to wash my hands.”

Jiang Mingyi was suddenly blamed out of nowhere and gritted his molars hard. “Fine! I’ll let you wash them now, okay?”

“No. I’m upset now. I want my little brother to wash my hands.”

Looking at the slender, well-defined fingers stretched out in front of him, then at the man’s handsome face with its shameless expression, Jiang Mingyi’s beautiful peach blossom eyes turned red with anger.

“Okay, okay, I was just teasing you. Don’t cry now.” Shen Xingyan had only intended to mess with him and hadn’t expected to go too far.

He reached out to comfort him, but was met with a fierce glare.

“You haven’t finished washing your hands—don’t touch me.” Jiang Mingyi quickly backed away, his beautiful face full of disdain.

“You were the one who touched these hands earlier. Why can’t I touch them now?”

“Don’t touch me. Go away—
Stay away from me—
Ah—”

Jiang Mingyi ignored Shen Xingyan the entire night.

The next morning, when he went downstairs, he was surprised to find that the man, who normally left early for the office, was still at home for once.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Jiang Mingyi walked into the dining room, and Aunt Wang served him breakfast.

There were only two exams left today. The results for some subjects would be based on GPA. As long as he got through today, he could finally welcome the summer vacation.

Jiang Mingyi happily ate his breakfast, thinking to himself, when someone came closer.

He glanced sideways and met Shen Xingyan’s gentle, smiling eyes. The food in his mouth almost got stuck.

“I’ll drive you to school today.”

Jiang Mingyi quickly swallowed. “Why? Did you fire Uncle Yu?”

“Uncle Yu has worked in the Shen family for so many years. Even if he hasn’t done great things, he’s worked hard. You’re heartless, inhumane, and have no empathy—”

“I just asked Uncle Yu to go wash the car.”

Faced with this string of unreasonable accusations, Shen Xingyan interrupted helplessly, “After all, the car got dirtied by a certain little brat yesterday. If it’s not thoroughly cleaned, I’m afraid it might smell funny.”

Jiang Mingyi: ——

They picked a black SUV from the garage. Jiang Mingyi hesitantly got into the passenger seat.

Shen Xingyan leaned over. His black hair brushed against Jiang Mingyi’s nose, making it ticklish. Jiang instinctively covered his mouth and nose.

After buckling his seatbelt, Shen Xingyan looked up and saw Jiang Mingyi staring wide-eyed at him.

Perplexed, he asked, “Why are you covering your mouth?”

Jiang Mingyi looked down at the seatbelt, then back at the man so close to him. He let go and muttered, “Can you give me a warning next time? Don’t be so sudden.”

“You got in the car without fastening your seatbelt. What, I fasten it for you and you’re still not satisfied?” Shen Xingyan raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Mingyi pouted and mumbled, “I’m not a kid.”

“You’re a little prince—how could a little prince be expected to do things himself?” Teasing him, Shen Xingyan sat back upright and started the car.

There was a bit of traffic on the way. They arrived at the school with time to spare.

Just as Jiang Mingyi was getting out of the car, Shen Xingyan called out to him, “I’ll pick you up after your exam. Don’t want you getting tricked by some idiot again.”

Jiang Mingyi responded by giving him a smack on the back of the head and slamming the car door.

By 3:30 in the afternoon, students started handing in their exams and leaving their classrooms.

Jiang Mingyi wrote the final sentence on his paper and added a period before turning it in.

When he walked out, many students were already dragging their luggage home, their faces relaxed and cheerful.

Pei Shiqing hurried up behind him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“Finally done! Let’s go celebrate tonight!”

Jiang Mingyi pushed his arm off. “It’s hot—stay away from me.”

Pei Shiqing backed off and asked again, “So? Are you coming?”

“Where to?” After staying home every night to study recently, Jiang Mingyi was tempted.

The exams were finally over, vacation was here—tonight he could finally let loose.

“The twins told me there’s a really nice bar over on South Street. You just had your birthday too, so tonight I’m taking you out to celebrate.”

The two agreed on a time, and Pei Shiqing got into his family’s car and left first.

Jiang Mingyi waited for a while. It was already past four, and Shen Xingyan still hadn’t shown up.

He was starting to get annoyed. If he’d known, he would’ve just gone with Pei Shiqing.

Just as he was thinking that, a black SUV pulled up in front of him.

The window rolled down, revealing Shen Xingyan’s handsome face. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up at the last minute.”

The words Jiang Mingyi had wanted to complain about got stuck in his throat when he saw the apologetic look in the man’s eyes.

He got in the car. “Since you came all the way to pick me up, I’ll let it slide this time.”

Shen Xingyan turned his head and looked at him, arms crossed like a proud little prince, and let out a soft laugh.

He played along, saying, “Thank you, little prince.”

Jiang Mingyi huffed, “Drive. Let’s go home.”

When they got home, Shen Jili had come back early today as well.

Seeing his two sons come home together, he looked very pleased.
“Xiao Yi, from now on, let your brother take you to and from school. That’s what big brothers are for—taking care of their younger siblings.”

Jiang Mingyi walked over to him, hooked his arm, and nodded in agreement. “Dad’s right.”

Shen Xingyan glanced at the affectionate father and son pair and sat down on the other side of the sofa. “Don’t worry. Since I promised to pick you up, I’ll keep my word.”

Su Wanxin came over with a plate of cut fruit. Hearing the conversation, she casually added, “Xiao Yi just finished his final exams. He’s off for summer starting tomorrow. Your brother doesn’t need to pick you up anymore.”

The proud smile instantly froze on Jiang Mingyi’s face.

Right… How could he forget that?

His eyes darted as he looked at the man across from him. When he noticed the faint smile tugging at Shen Xingyan’s lips, he immediately got angry.

“So all that talk about picking me up and dropping me off was just a one-day trial card that expires tomorrow?”

Shen Jili and Su Wanxin were startled by his loud outburst.

Shen Xingyan had to coax him: “When school starts again, I’ll renew the card.”

Noticing Shen Jili and Su Wanxin staring blankly at him, Jiang Mingyi toned down his temper. “Hmph, it’s just an empty promise for the next two months—won’t even come true.”

Seeing him mutter under his breath, Shen Xingyan smiled. “How about you come to the company with me every day instead?”

Jiang Mingyi rolled his eyes at him and huffed, “Keep dreaming.”

After dinner, Shen Xingyan took a call and went out.

Jiang Mingyi, telling Su Wanxin that he had evening plans, went straight upstairs to pick out some clothes, took a shower, and changed.

When he came downstairs, Su Wanxin saw his outfit and looked worried.

“Xiao Yi, Mom’s getting anxious seeing you go out dressed like that,” she said with concern. “My precious little baby’s all grown up—what if some bad person out there sets their sights on you?”

Jiang Mingyi: …………

Probably a universal trait of all parents—he was used to it by now.

He chatted with Su Wanxin for a while until Pei Shiqing’s call came in.

After hanging up, he said, “Mom, I’m heading out.”

Su Wanxin waved at him. “Okay, have fun tonight!”

South Street was especially lively and full of neon lights at night. Jiang Mingyi didn’t usually come to places like this, and neither did Pei Shiqing, who walked close beside him.

“It’s so lively here at night.”

People crowded the streets, men and women dressed in revealing outfits everywhere.

Noticing some unfriendly stares around them, Pei Shiqing shifted a bit and asked Jiang Mingyi softly, “Did your older brother go out tonight too?”

Jiang Mingyi nodded. “Went out after dinner—no idea who called him.”
Though he was curious, he didn’t ask further.

“My brother went out too. He usually never goes out this late,” Pei Shiqing said with a slight frown.

“Maybe the two old men went out drinking together,” Jiang Mingyi replied casually.

The moment their eyes met, both of them chuckled quietly.

They followed the Xu family twins into the bar, where the deafening music instantly surrounded them.

Under the dazzling lights above, Jiang Mingyi instinctively shut his eyes for a moment. His phone vibrated softly in his pocket.

—

In a private room on the second floor, Fang Mingyue returned with a bottle of red wine and saw Shen Xingyan with his head down, texting.

He opened the wine and poured a glass for him, speaking in a calm, clear voice: “Who are you texting?”

“A kid at home—asking if he wants any late-night snacks. I’ll bring some back for him later.”