ALCSRB Chapter 43

Su Wanxin was genuinely shocked that he would give such a reason—she was completely stunned.

She knew her son’s personality well. Ever since he was young, he never needed his parents to worry about him. Whether it was school or his career, Shen Xingyan had always been the kind of model child others praised.

Over the years, both she and Shen Jili had always felt reassured by him. The only thing that slightly concerned them was that their son, nearly thirty years old, had never brought home anyone he was dating.

Not even someone he was rumored to be close with.

With so many prestigious families in the Imperial Capital, it was only natural that her son’s excellence would draw their attention. But since he’d been abroad, there wasn’t even a chance for people to approach for matchmaking.

Now that he’d been back for over a month, Su Wanxin had already been discreetly questioned by many wealthy ladies trying to gather information.

She had always replied that her son would make his own decisions regarding marriage, rejecting any talk of arranged unions.

But now, in the middle of the night, it was the very first time she heard her son say he had trouble in the realm of love.

Su Wanxin couldn’t help but be surprised. If it weren’t for the time and place, she would’ve patted his shoulder and praised him: Good son, you finally figured it out!

Her gaze drifted toward the younger son, who was sound asleep in Shen Xingyan’s arms. Su Wanxin lowered her voice and asked, “What kind of trouble? Talk to Mom. I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Is it that you like someone, or someone likes you?”

“Or maybe you both like each other, but you don’t know how to confess?”

“Aiya, none of that is a big deal. Mom’s got experience.”

“When your dad and I were dating, I had him wrapped around my finger in no time. Look at him now—so obedient. I tell him to go east, and he wouldn’t even glance west.”

Shen Xingyan looked up and saw the excitement glowing in his mother’s eyes. He had no interest in listening to her talk about her love story with his dad, so he said coolly, “It’s late. Another time.”

Su Wanxin: “……”

Why is it so hard to get anything out of him now that he’s grown up?

The excitement and gossip-fueled enthusiasm she’d just built up were instantly doused with cold water. “I can tell you won’t sleep well tonight. Why don’t we have a heart-to-heart, just the two of us?”

Su Wanxin made one last attempt to get something out of him, but Shen Xingyan wasn’t cooperating at all.

“I’m afraid I’ll wake up Xiao Yi.”

A very reasonable excuse that completely shut down Su Wanxin’s curiosity—she had no argument against it.

She was even tempted to just carry the younger son back to his room. But would Xiao Yi get upset if she did that, thinking she only cared about gossip?

As Su Wanxin was caught in her internal struggle, Shen Xingyan had already stood up from the sofa, carrying the boy in a princess hold. Yet his movements were so gentle, as if he were holding the most precious jewel in the world—so careful and tender.

The motion caused the sleeping youth to stir slightly, as if searching for a familiar scent. His nose twitched a couple of times before he nestled his head closer to Shen Xingyan’s chest, clinging tightly and settling back into peaceful sleep.

When Shen Xingyan’s dark eyes fell on that small hand clutching tightly at his collar, he stiffened, standing motionless.

His lowered eyes shimmered with a soft light, subtly concealed so that Su Wanxin wouldn’t notice.

“I’ll take Xiao Yi back to his room first.”

After saying that, without paying attention to Su Wanxin who was still standing there, Shen Xingyan walked straight toward the stairs.

Once in the room, Shen Xingyan didn’t turn on the main light. Instead, he walked slowly toward the large bed in the center of the room, guided only by the moonlight streaming in through the window.

The blanket on the bed was neatly arranged, tidy and clean. On the headboard, there was a pillow and a slightly longer body pillow.

He knew Jiang Mingyi was a restless sleeper. That body pillow would always end up on the floor by morning, though the boy never admitted to having kicked it off.

If he teased him about it, the boy would get all worked up, hands on his hips and eyes glaring, angrily retorting, “You’re the one who sleeps badly!”

He used to be so well-behaved when sleeping beside him as a child—how did he grow up to be like this?

Shen Xingyan’s gaze lingered on the sleeping boy’s face for a moment—delicate features, a tall nose bridge, lips slightly pursed as if dreaming.

With gentle movements, he laid the boy down onto the soft bed. The mattress dipped slightly under Jiang Mingyi’s weight. Just as Shen Xingyan was about to withdraw his hand, the boy, sensing the loss of warmth, stirred awake briefly.

His eyelids fluttered open, and through the hazy blur of sleep, he still recognized the figure before him.

A soft smile spread across his face, and in a low, drowsy voice, he broke the stillness of the room.

“Ge, you’re back?”

His voice was full of joy and contentment.

Shen Xingyan remained bent over, unmoving.

The moonlight seemed to drape a soft veil over his features, and his gaze toward the boy was filled with tenderness.

Jiang Mingyi squinted, still drowsy, and, not hearing the reply he wanted, let out a soft whine.

“Ge, why aren’t you answering me?” As usual when he got a little emotional, he pouted. His drunken, flushed lips were especially rosy—and right then, they caught Shen Xingyan’s eye.

So red, so beautiful, so tempting… he couldn’t help but want to make them even redder, even more irresistible.

With that thought, his hand moved to those soft lips, gently brushing against them—slowly, carefully—like a lover’s most intimate caress.

Feeling the unfamiliar sensation on his lips, Jiang Mingyi tilted his head slightly, eyes dazed. Instinctively, the tip of his tongue flicked out.

The warm, moist sensation slid across Shen Xingyan’s fingertip, and his heart trembled.

The moment the boy’s lips parted slightly, Shen Xingyan’s finger slipped inside as if chasing after that fleeting tongue—but in the next second, he suddenly came to his senses.

Shen Xingyan, what are you doing with someone who’s drunk?

That’s your younger brother.

You’ve always doted on him, wanting nothing more than for him to be happy. And yet now, you’re having these kinds of thoughts about him.

Do you want to destroy the image of the beloved older brother he holds in his heart?

He shut his eyes tightly, forcing down the chaotic emotions, suppressing the urge that should never have existed.

“Go to sleep. Everything will be fine in the morning.”

It sounded like he was comforting the drunken boy, but more than that, it felt like he was talking to himself: tomorrow, they would still be loving brothers, just like always.

His fingers slipped away—reluctantly, but resolutely.

Yet just as he was pulling away, those curled fingers were suddenly grasped tightly by another hand. Heat spread through their skin-to-skin contact, full of longing and unwillingness to let go.

The drunk boy’s body was soft, yet the grip on his hand was so firm that he couldn’t break free.

Lying on the bed, the boy tilted his chin slightly, exposing the slender curve of his neck to the man’s eyes.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke with a tone full of yearning, “Don’t go, ge. I want to sleep with you.”

Though his movements were sluggish, he still tried hard to scoot over on the bed, making space for the other.

“I love sleeping with ge the most.”

In that moment, the blood in Shen Xingyan’s body seemed to surge faster, as if catalyzed by the alcohol, all of it rushing to his heart at once.

His heart felt full—he couldn’t tell if it was bitterness or sweetness, only that it was overflowing with some emotion he couldn’t name. His feet felt like they were made of lead; he couldn’t take a single step.

He looked down and met the boy’s eyes, filled with hope. Time seemed to freeze in that gaze, before finally moving forward again.

In the silent room, a low voice broke the stillness: “Okay.”

Upon hearing the reply, the boy smiled softly, a subtle smile impossible to ignore, before drifting back into sleep.

—

The next morning, Jiang Mingyi woke up pressing a hand to his temple, aching from the hangover. He sat up.

Last night, he’d been waiting in the living room for Shen Xingyan to come home—so how did he end up in his own bed now?

Did he not manage to wait for Shen Xingyan and, heartbroken, just came back to his room and fell asleep?

“Ah—you idiot.”

“How could you be so impatient? All you had to do was wait for someone to come home. You barely waited at all, and you just uselessly went back to your room.”

Jiang Mingyi punched his own head in frustration, internally freaking out and filled with regret.

His pretty face scrunched up from the emotions, a light mist of tears beginning to form in his eyes.

He curled up, hugging his knees, chin resting on top of them. His long eyelashes trembled, and soon, shiny tear tracks appeared on his face.

When Shen Xingyan pushed open the door and came in, he was met with the sight of the boy’s sorrowful figure. His heart clenched.

“You’re awake? Are you feeling unwell?” He quickly walked to the bedside and was immediately faced with a pitiful expression—red-rimmed eyes, teardrops clinging to the corners, making the boy look heartbreakingly aggrieved.

“Ge, I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

Jiang Mingyi suddenly burst into loud sobs and threw himself into Shen Xingyan’s arms. Caught off guard, Shen Xingyan fell to the ground from the impact.

Fortunately, the thick carpet cushioned the fall, and Shen Xingyan held onto him tightly, ensuring he wasn’t hurt.

After a moment’s hesitation, his hands wrapped around the boy’s thin and frail body. He gently comforted him, “How could I not want you? You’re my little brother. Of course I would never abandon you.”

“But you didn’t reply to my WeChat yesterday. I waited for you so long, and you never came home.”

Jiang Mingyi clung tightly to his shirt, accusing him of yesterday’s coldness and neglect.

“I even went to your company looking for you, but you weren’t there. I didn’t know where you’d gone. I couldn’t find you.”

His words were a bit jumbled, but Shen Xingyan understood.

He held the trembling boy even tighter, filled with tenderness and love, as if he wanted to fuse him into his own body.

Lying in his arms, Jiang Mingyi sobbed, “You used to say you’d spoil me forever, be my big brother for life… But why does it feel like you don’t like me anymore, and it hasn’t even been that long?”

“Did I do something to upset you? I can change.”

“Is it because I asked you about making a wish the other day? If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t ask again.”

“When I saw you drive away yesterday, my chest hurt so much. It felt like I was breaking into pieces.”

“Ge, please don’t ignore me.”

One by one, crystal tears rolled from the corners of Jiang Mingyi’s eyes—but each one felt like it crashed directly into Shen Xingyan’s heart. Though they were weightless, they hit like meteors—heavy and crushing, leaving his heart full of cracks and shattered pieces.

He cupped the boy’s face, gently wiping away each tear with his fingertips. His deep voice was filled with endless tenderness as he said:

“I won’t. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have ignored you, shouldn’t have left your messages unanswered, shouldn’t have let you sit alone in the dark waiting for me to come home.”

“I’ll never neglect you again, never ignore you, never make you sad.”

“Ge always keeps his promises.”

If what you want is for me to be your big brother for life—then I’ll bury these unworthy feelings of affection and just be the brother you love the most.