ALCSRB Chapter 32

After arriving at the company, Jiang Mingyi found himself with nothing to do.

He had happily opened his computer as soon as he entered the office, ready to play a game. Though there were a few small bugs, they didn’t really affect the experience.

But before he could get far, Shen Xingyan walked over and, without a word, forcefully closed the game window.

“…” Jiang Mingyi was stunned. “Bro, why did you shut off my game?”

Just as he reached to reopen it, his hand was pressed down by another.

Shen Xingyan said flatly, “I’ve already sent the game project back. You don’t need to keep testing it.”

“Ah?”

When did that happen? How come he didn’t know anything about it?

Shen Xingyan glanced at him indifferently and walked back to his own desk. He pulled out a document. “Since you’re free, help me retype this file.”

Jiang Mingyi originally wanted to ask about the game project, but unexpectedly, he got brushed off with some random paperwork. He had no choice but to sit down at the computer and start typing one word at a time.

It didn’t take long to finish retyping the document.

Shen Xingyan took the file. “Good job. Take a break.”

In the large, quiet office, Jiang Mingyi lay slumped over his desk in boredom and could only poke at Pei Shiqing on WeChat.

[Jiang Mingyi]: I’m so bored.

It took over ten minutes before a reply came in.

[Pei Shiqing]: I’m literally dying over here.

[Pei Shiqing]: You have no idea how outrageous my brother is. If he’s not making me organize documents, he’s having me print files. The worst is today—he actually asked me to retype everything in an entire file cabinet. I’ve been at it the whole morning. I’m only catching my breath now.

[Pei Shiqing]: Seriously, what kind of older brother treats his younger brother like a slave?

Jiang Mingyi read through the string of complaints and shifted his position before typing.

[Jiang Mingyi]: Sounds nice. At least you’ve got something to do.

[Pei Shiqing]: Ugh, I’m starting to doubt we’re even related. This is pure capitalist oppression—he’s just exploiting me because I’m his brother. You should’ve seen the looks of pity the secretarial ladies gave me. [crying.jpg]

Jiang Mingyi paused mid-typing and slowly lifted his slumped upper body from the desk.

[Jiang Mingyi]: Just take it as his way of showing love.

[Pei Shiqing]: [biting-handkerchief.jpg] That kind of love is too much for me.

[Pei Shiqing]: I wish he’d express it differently. I’d like it a lot more.

…

The two of them chatted back and forth until Pei Shiqing was caught slacking off by his brother.

He quickly put on a sheepish smile. “Bro, I was just taking a little breather.”

Pei Mingyue stared at the long string of chat logs on his WeChat. “That’s quite the breather you took.”

Pei Shiqing gave a goofy grin. “I was just breathing enough for the whole afternoon in one go.”

Sigh, what a poor, pitiful soul he was.

Pei Mingyue glanced at the messy pile of documents on his desk. “Take your time. No need to rush.”

“Okay.”

Seeing him scramble to organize the paperwork, Pei Mingyue turned around and suddenly said, “I’ll take you out to relax this weekend.”

“Huh?” Pei Shiqing froze for a second, then immediately declared, “Bro, if it’s a trip to the bar, I’m out.”

That’s not relaxing. That’s a heart attack waiting to happen.

“It’s not,” Pei Mingyue paused and said calmly, “There’s a charity gala this weekend.”

——-

Getting no reply, Jiang Mingyi guessed he’d probably been caught slacking off.

With that thought, he snuck a glance at Shen Xingyan, who was focused on his work. Compared to Pei Shiqing, he seemed rather lucky.

At least he could slack off openly right now.

Maybe his gaze was too obvious, because Shen Xingyan lifted his eyes and looked over. “What, bored already?”

“How could I be bored during break time?” Jiang Mingyi laughed, not wanting to end up like Pei Shiqing. So he said, “But ge, you look super busy. Just watching you makes me feel tired.”

During the time he’d been slacking, people kept coming into the office to report work or get documents signed—Shen Xingyan was practically nonstop.

“Too bad someone isn’t helping to take some of the load.”

Shen Xingyan’s words were pointed, and his eyes fell on Jiang Mingyi. The latter acted like he didn’t notice.

“How about I give you a shoulder massage then?” he offered with a bootlicking grin as he walked over behind Shen Xingyan. He flexed his fingers with flair.

“I used to give Dad shoulder massages, and he always said I was amazing—on par with a professional!” he added proudly.

“Is that so?” Shen Xingyan seemed skeptical but still relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes, ready to accept the boy’s so-called “thoughtful care.”

Only—

“You sure this is the kind of pressure you used on Dad?” Shen Xingyan’s dark eyes suddenly opened, his handsome face turning serious.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t it comfortable?”

Jiang Mingyi was already prepared to be praised, but to his surprise, Shen Xingyan stood up from the chair. The perspective from looking down at his brother’s back was instantly reversed. Now Jiang Mingyi had to crane his neck up to meet a pair of amused eyes.

Jiang Mingyi: ???

This doesn’t seem like I’m about to be praised…

Sure enough, the next moment, Shen Xingyan’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “If Dad didn’t end up in the hospital, I guess it’s because you were going easy on him.”

Jiang Mingyi blinked.

What did that mean?

He thought it over—then his little face fell and he pouted. “You’re saying I suck.”

“At least you’re self-aware,” Shen Xingyan said, softening a little as he noticed Jiang Mingyi’s sulking. “Next time, save this loving ‘care’ for Dad.”

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

Dad, come and see—your filial son right here.

——

After lunch, Jiang Mingyi headed straight to the break room for a nap.

The bed was soft and cozy—no worse than the one at home. Ever since he’d slept here once, he’d grown especially fond of it.

He realized his brother really knew how to enjoy life. This bed was clearly a custom piece, and everything else in the break room was top quality.

His dad definitely didn’t have such nice stuff.

Grinning, Jiang Mingyi sprawled out on the bed and was asleep in no time.

When he woke up and checked the time, it was almost 3 p.m.

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

Was he turning into a lazy bum? Why hadn’t his brother come to fish him out yet?

Yawning, he opened the door to the break room and called out, “Ge, why didn’t you wake me up…”

Before the word “bed” even left his mouth, his eyes landed on a pair of beautiful ones.

“Uh… Sister Jinglan, what are you doing here?” He gave an awkward but slightly shy smile and tiptoed over to the sofa with exaggerated grace.

He stuck his butt out and sat down next to Shen Xingyan.

“I came to talk to your brother about something,” Lu Jinglan said, sitting across from them. She noticed some sleep marks at the corner of Jiang Mingyi’s eyes and smiled.

Shen Xingyan also noticed the marks, his brows furrowing slightly. “How did you get so muddled just from a nap?”

His warm fingertip gently pressed against the corner of Jiang Mingyi’s eye. “It probably won’t fade for a while.”

Jiang Mingyi blinked in surprise. “What?” He raised his hand to touch it but only ended up touching Shen Xingyan’s finger resting there.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lu Jinglan watching them with an amused smile, and he felt a flicker of embarrassment.

Just then, Shen Xingyan said, “Here.” He guided Jiang Mingyi’s hand to press on the corner of his eye, where the skin was marked with faint, uneven indentations.

“You probably pressed against the embroidery on the pillow while you were sleeping,” Shen Xingyan explained as he pulled his hand back. He remembered exactly where that embroidered design was—most likely the boy had hugged the pillow while he slept, otherwise it wouldn’t have pressed there.

“What kind of mark is it?” Jiang Mingyi was still a bit confused.

Lu Jinglan examined it closely. “Hard to tell the shape, but the way it’s printed on the corner of your eye looks… unique.” She originally wanted to say “stunning,” but reconsidered and chose a different word.

“Is it weird-looking?” Jiang Mingyi turned to Shen Xingyan and asked.

Shen Xingyan shook his head. “No, it actually looks quite good.”

His clear and bright eyes, with a slight upward tilt at the corners, now had a faint feather-like imprint there. On someone else, it might’ve looked strange, but against the boy’s fair and delicate features, it only enhanced his appearance—like a unique touch of makeup that was both exquisite and captivating.

His long curled lashes fluttered slightly. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“As long as it looks good, then it’s fine,” Jiang Mingyi said, relieved.

Shen Xingyan added, “I’ll have Qin Hao change the pillow later so you don’t end up with another imprint.”

“But didn’t you just say it looks good? What’s the problem if it happens again?”

“What if next time it’s on the tip of your nose? Aren’t you afraid people will think there’s something wrong with it?”

“…Fair point.”

Lu Jinglan quietly watched the two of them, her tone filled with envy. “You two have such a good relationship—it’s really enviable.”

Unfortunately, between her and her younger brother stood a stepmother, so closeness like that was impossible.

Jiang Mingyi chuckled. “It’s just okay, I guess.”

Lu Jinglan raised an eyebrow. “Your ‘just okay’ is something most siblings can’t even dream of—especially in wealthy families.” Once a big family gets involved in interests and inheritance, how many can really stay on good terms, even on the surface?

The Shen family had only Shen Xingyan as the heir, and Jiang Mingyi was only an adopted son. Maybe it was precisely because there were no conflicting interests that they could truly act like brothers.

Lu Jinglan gathered her thoughts and stood up. “Since we couldn’t reach an agreement, I’ll head back first.”

She waved at the two of them and walked toward the door in her high heels.

After she left the office, Jiang Mingyi turned to Shen Xingyan and asked, “What was Sister Jinglan talking to you about? Why didn’t you two reach an agreement? She still looked pretty happy though.”

“Nothing important,” Shen Xingyan replied as he walked over to close the door and returned to his desk.

Jiang Mingyi followed him, pressing down on the hand reaching for the mouse. “What exactly was she talking to you about? Don’t tell me you two…”

“What’s that little head of yours thinking about?” Shen Xingyan flicked his forehead with a finger after pulling his hand back.

“Ow, don’t hit me—what if I get dumber?”

Jiang Mingyi covered his forehead and moved away a little, casting a wary look at Shen Xingyan’s hands.

“You say I’m imagining things, so tell me then.”

Seeing how curious he was, Shen Xingyan finally relented, “There’s a charity gala this weekend. She wanted me to go as her date.”

“Huh? What charity gala?” Jiang Mingyi looked confused.

Shen Xingyan reminded him, “Dad talked to me about it last night.”

“Oh, right.” Jiang Mingyi nodded in realization. “So you turned Sister Jinglan down?”

After saying that, he gave Shen Xingyan a disapproving look, as if to say, “You’re so ungentlemanly.”

Shen Xingyan, seeing his expression, raised his hand again as if to flick him, but Jiang Mingyi immediately bolted, grinning smugly from three meters away.

“You even turned down a pretty woman…”

“That’s because I’m taking my own kid,” Shen Xingyan replied, his gaze soft as it landed on Jiang Mingyi. “As his date.”

Jiang Mingyi had originally wanted to tease him more, but he got stuck when he heard that answer.

After a moment, he lowered his head, not realizing that the tips of his ears had turned red. He mumbled quietly, “Who asked you to be my date?”

Jeez… He never agreed to go.

Besides, what kind of brother acts as his younger brother’s date?