ALCSRB Chapter 46

Jiang Mingyi pouted, looking pitifully up at the man standing at the bedside.

He had just been praising Shen Xingyan in his head—how great his body was, and that too—and now the guy was throwing him a bad attitude. Clearly, he didn’t treat him like someone precious.

His resentment was written all over his clear, pure eyes, making Shen Xingyan’s brows twitch. In the end, he sighed and softened his tone. “Why are you pouting? It’s not like I’m scolding you. It’s just—you suddenly showed up in my room and even lay on my bed. You scared me, that’s all.”

Clearly, he was the one being taken by surprise, so why did it feel like he was the one being accused of wrongdoing?

“You’re the one who scared me,” Jiang Mingyi mumbled, still curled up under the blanket with only his head peeking out.

His small face and delicate features made his eyes appear especially large in this position—like two huge black-purple grapes on a porcelain plate. He looked utterly edible.

But what really captured Shen Xingyan’s attention were those moist red lips.

Jiang Mingyi was lightly biting his lower lip, making them appear even redder and glossier than usual as he spoke—irresistibly attractive.

Shen Xingyan, who had been leaning over, suddenly froze. His hand at his side quietly clenched into a fist. If one looked closely, the veins on the back of his hand were popping—clearly, he was exerting a lot of effort to suppress something stirring inside.

He pinched the palm of his hand and said in a calm tone, “Next time, knock before you come in.”

Jiang Mingyi instantly felt even more upset.

“You never asked me to knock before. Why now?”

“So it’s true that now that there’s someone else, this younger brother of his has become worthless.”

A wave of sorrow surged up instantly, and a mist of tears began to gather in his eyes.

Seeing this, Shen Xingyan had no choice but to compromise. “Fine, don’t knock, but you can’t just lie on my bed however you like.”

Jiang Mingyi just stared at him silently, continuing to let the mist collect in his eyes.

Time ticked by, minute after minute. The entire room was quiet, with only the sound of two uneven breaths.

Jiang Mingyi’s eyes were starting to ache from holding back the tears, yet Shen Xingyan still hadn’t said anything comforting. Suddenly, he couldn’t hold it in anymore—the mist in his eyes broke like a dam, and the tears flowed uncontrollably.

The calm façade Shen Xingyan had maintained was completely shattered in that moment.

…

Ten minutes later, Jiang Mingyi finally pulled Shen Xingyan under the covers, satisfied. The two of them lay side by side, their shoulders touching.

The room’s air conditioning wasn’t set low, but his hands and feet under the blanket were still cold.

His hand brushed against Shen Xingyan unintentionally, and he felt the body beside him stiffen slightly.

He turned his head and grinned, “Ge, did I freeze you?”

There was a kind of smugness in his tone, like he’d gotten away with something mischievous.

Shen Xingyan grabbed the hand that was trying to cause more trouble, black eyes filled with helplessness. He feigned anger and said, “If you’re not planning to sleep, then go back to your own room.”

Jiang Mingyi gave a little “Oh.”

He had worked so hard to climb into his brother’s bed—how could he just leave because of one sentence?

He hadn’t forgotten the reason he came over tonight. Although the earlier drama had almost made him forget his original purpose, fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

Shen Xingyan let go of his hand. Jiang Mingyi immediately turned slightly to face him. From that angle, Shen Xingyan’s flawless and handsome side profile filled his view.

At that moment, a strange feeling surged in Jiang Mingyi’s heart—along with a faint sadness.

If only this man weren’t his brother… in every way, he fit Jiang Mingyi’s fantasy of a perfect boyfriend.

Why did he have to be his brother!!!

His dark eyes lowered. The man in front of him was staring at him, and those big black eyes reflected his face—but the gaze wasn’t focused at all. Clearly, he was lost in thought.

Shen Xingyan lifted a hand and touched his cheek. The skin was smooth and soft—the sensation at his fingertips was wonderful.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Mingyi blurted out, “About you.”

Shen Xingyan’s heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Mingyi snapped out of it and met the man’s deep, pitch-black gaze. Deep in those eyes, it felt like a terrifying beast—bound by thick, heavy chains—had stirred its sharp claws in response to his words.

“……”

What the hell was he thinking?

He gathered himself and said, “While we were having dinner, Mom told me something—she said you have someone you like.”

Shen Xingyan’s heart skipped another beat.

Seeing that he wasn’t saying anything, Jiang Mingyi leaned closer, propping himself up on one elbow. “Ge.”

The sudden closeness made Shen Xingyan’s pupils contract slightly. Before he could speak, the boy continued, “Since you have someone you like, why did you hide it from me?”

His tone carried a hint of accusation, and the dissatisfied look in his eyes pierced straight into Shen Xingyan’s heart.

Jiang Mingyi glared at him with his big round black eyes, trying his best to look fierce. “Is it because you don’t think of me as your younger brother?” Otherwise, why wouldn’t you tell me?

He was going to settle the score later.

Even if he wasn’t happy that Shen Xingyan had someone he liked…

He still had to show some concern for Shen Xingyan.

Yes, that was it. He was just being concerned about him.

What a good, thoughtful little brother he was.

From self-hypnosis to self-moved—Jiang Mingyi transitioned seamlessly.

Shen Xingyan stared at him deeply, wanting so badly to say: It’s because I don’t see you as a younger brother—I want to see you as a lover.

But he couldn’t say that.

Because in Jiang Mingyi’s clear, candid eyes, he saw honesty—and a pure curiosity about his older brother having someone he liked.

He almost despised his own hesitation. Since when did he have to hide his feelings so cautiously, forcing himself to act like a good brother?

Maybe it was because he had truly kept this person in his heart, so much so that he couldn’t bear to hurt him—leading to this sense of being “tied down.”

A slender, pale finger poked Shen Xingyan’s chest. The touch wasn’t forceful, but it was hard to ignore.

“Well? Say something,” Jiang Mingyi urged.

Shen Xingyan came back to his senses, lowering his eyes to stare at that long, fair finger on his chest. His gaze was unreadable.

“No,” he said flatly, his tone emotionless.

“No what?”

Shen Xingyan rephrased, “Don’t believe what Mom said.”

His two curved eyebrows slowly drew together. “You mean Mom was wrong?”

“She had a bit too much to drink the other day—she probably misheard,” Shen Xingyan continued denying, his handsome face composed and serious.

As soon as Jiang Mingyi heard “had too much to drink,” he immediately understood. “Ah, I see.”

So that meant—there was no one he liked.

And here he had spent a whole night feeling upset for nothing.

“Mom’s not even that old, how could she go around spreading such misunderstandings,” Jiang Mingyi said indignantly. “Good thing she only said it at home—if she’d told someone else, wouldn’t everyone think you’re in love?”

“Good thing, good thing I came to clear it up tonight. I’ll tell Mom tomorrow about this lovely misunderstanding.”

He grinned as he spoke, then completely relaxed and flopped softly onto Shen Xingyan, vowing earnestly, “Ge, don’t worry—I won’t let this misunderstanding leave the house.”

Shen Xingyan had just sighed in relief, but before he could catch his breath, he was once again rendered breathless by Jiang Mingyi’s sudden closeness.

Luckily, a second later, Jiang Mingyi rolled to the side and moved away.

“Okay, we’re done talking. Ge, let’s sleep.”

The lingering warmth on his waist and abdomen from being leaned on hadn’t faded yet. Shen Xingyan glanced at the boy, who had already closed his eyes and begun to sleep, and suddenly asked:

“Do you care that much if I like someone?”

Just as Jiang Mingyi was about to empty his mind and drift off to sleep, he heard that sentence—and whoosh—his eyes snapped open.

He happened to meet the man’s gaze.

In that moment, a guilty feeling rose in his heart.

He pressed his lips together, then held up his fingers to show a tiny gap. “Just a little bit… I care just a little.”

Seeing a slight flicker in those dark eyes, he added another explanation: “I have to care about my brother’s love life at least a little, otherwise I’d be a pretty unqualified younger brother.”

He blinked his big eyes at Shen Xingyan with a “Aren’t I super thoughtful?” look, clearly fishing for praise.

Shen Xingyan’s heart tightened slightly. “Mm, very qualified.”

At the same time, he gave him a look—Next time, don’t be this qualified.

Jiang Mingyi completely misread the look as one of being moved. He chuckled to himself inside, raised his brows slightly, and gave a look that said—Got it.

—

The next day.

When Jiang Mingyi woke up, he was alone in the room.

He glanced at the time—it was already past eight.

Uh-oh, he seemed to have overslept again.

Sure enough, when he went downstairs, only Su Wanxin and he were left at home.

Aunt Wang silently brought him breakfast—and just as silently left.

Jiang Mingyi: “…”

Okay, he shouldn’t have forgotten to count Aunt Wang.

He ate breakfast while scrolling on his phone. He had nothing planned for the day and was ready to be a couch potato.

When he heard a noise, he looked up to see Su Wanxin had changed into a beautiful dress. Her face had light makeup, and she exuded a graceful elegance with a touch of understated gentleness.

“Mom, are you going out?” He swallowed his food and asked curiously.

“Yes, I’ve made plans to have tea with a few friends,” Su Wanxin replied.

“Going out for tea in this summer heat… Mom, you ladies really have…” The last few words “a lot of leisure” quickly turned into something else under Su Wanxin’s warning gaze, “…deep sisterly bonds.”

Su Wanxin smiled with satisfaction. “We haven’t gotten together much lately, and since almost everyone’s free today, it’s the perfect time for some tea and a chat.”

“What’s there to chat about?” Jiang Mingyi asked offhandedly, but then a sudden flash of insight hit him—gossip, a woman’s favorite thing.

He didn’t even finish his breakfast and quickly grabbed Su Wanxin, who was about to head out.

“Mom, you can’t go.”

Su Wanxin: “…”

“What’s gotten into you? Don’t tell me you want to come too?”

She had brought her youngest son to her get-togethers before, but the kid couldn’t sit still and always complained it was boring. After that, he never wanted to go again.

Did he have a personality change today or something?

“There’s something I forgot to tell you,” Jiang Mingyi looked at her with a serious expression. “I asked my brother, and he said he doesn’t like anyone. So, please don’t mention anything about that in front of your girlfriends.”

Otherwise, in less than an hour, the entire city of the capital would know that his brother had a crush on someone.

Everyone knew that when it came to gossip, women spread it faster than the speed of light.

“What? Say that again?” Su Wanxin looked like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

Jiang Mingyi had no choice but to repeat himself, “It might be a beautiful misunderstanding, but fake is still fake. Mom, don’t feel sad about it.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Jiang Mingyi nodded by her side, relieved that he explained it in time and protected his brother’s reputation.

But Su Wanxin fell into thought. This didn’t match what her eldest son had said. Who should she believe?