ALCSRB Chapter 24
by Suxxi“Yi-bao? Yi-bao?!”
Pei Shiqing nudged the dazed person next to him. Seeing Jiang Mingyi resting his chin on his hand with zero response, he leaned in and called out.
Warm breath brushed past his ear. Jiang Mingyi instinctively stood up, and the chair behind him screeched softly from the sudden movement.
“Sir, are you all right?” a nearby waiter asked while steadying the chair, a professional smile on his face.
His eyes wandered blankly as he looked around. Young men and women sat in groups of twos and threes nearby.
Realizing he wasn’t in a hospital room but in a cold drink shop, Jiang Mingyi finally snapped out of it.
He gave Pei Shiqing a slight glare. “Why are you so close to me?”
Then he awkwardly shifted and sat back properly.
Pei Shiqing blinked innocently.
He wasn’t that close—just leaned in a little to call his name softly by his ear.
Was that really worth such a big reaction?
“I only called you a few more times because you weren’t responding,” Pei Shiqing said, his dark, bright eyes fixed on Jiang Mingyi. “What’s up with you today? You seem totally out of it.”
Jiang Mingyi’s eyes flickered. He lowered his gaze, picked up the water cup beside him, and took a sip with both hands before replying with a smile, “Nothing.”
“Yeah, right. Nothing.” Pei Shiqing clearly didn’t buy it. He switched seats to sit beside Jiang Mingyi. “You’re the one who asked me out to go shopping, but now that we’re here, you’re completely unresponsive.”
Jiang Mingyi continued sipping his water, not reacting much.
Noticing that he had finished half the cup, Pei Shiqing asked, “Thirsty? Let’s order drinks then.” He took the initiative to place the order. “Same as usual? Orange juice?”
Jiang Mingyi paused. “Yeah.” Then quickly added, “No ice.”
Pei Shiqing tapped his phone to confirm the order and put it down. “Is your stomach problem that serious now? Not even drinking cold beverages?”
“It’s okay.”
Jiang Mingyi had been discharged from the hospital a few days ago and had been obediently taking stomach medicine at home. He was mostly fine now.
But ever since that bizarre incident with Shen Xingyan, Jiang Mingyi had been trying to avoid him. Who would’ve thought that the company got so busy, and the guy hadn’t even come home in two days?
He’d quietly asked Shen Jili about it, and all he said was that there was a project that needed someone to follow up closely.
As the person in charge, Shen Xingyan was naturally running around nonstop.
That “nonstop” label was one Jiang Mingyi gave him—after all, if he wasn’t even coming home, wasn’t that the very definition of running around and being away?
“Well, if that’s ‘okay,’ I can practically hear the water sloshing around in you,” Pei Shiqing joked. “But seriously, stomach issues can be a big deal. Better be careful.”
The drinks arrived quickly.
Jiang Mingyi held his room-temperature orange juice and took a sip. “Did your big brother really drag you to the hospital for a checkup yesterday?”
Hearing that, Pei Shiqing rolled his eyes. “All I said was that you ended up in the hospital from drinking too much, and once he heard it was acute gastritis, he insisted on dragging me for a full-body checkup.”
“Can you believe it? A full hospital tour for a perfectly healthy person—how tragic.” He then slurped loudly on his iced drink, as if venting his frustration at a certain man with the surname Pei.
Seeing him pouting and complaining without a hint of real anger in his tone, Jiang Mingyi chuckled.
“That’s nice. Your brother really cares about you.”
Cough cough— Pei Shiqing choked on his drink, a flash of awkwardness passing through his eyes. “He… My brother is pretty good to me.”
“I’m really envious of your brotherly relationship,” Jiang Mingyi said softly.
“Huh?”
Meeting Pei Shiqing’s confused gaze, Jiang Mingyi just shook his head.
Then suddenly, he glanced around before leaning closer to Pei Shiqing and whispering,
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Jiang Mingyi pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment. “Has your brother ever kissed you?”
“What are you saying?!” Pei Shiqing’s face instantly turned red. He covered his cheeks with both hands, feeling hot.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Mingyi also felt a bit embarrassed and looked down at the water droplets on the table. “I mean, like a forehead kiss, like…”
In an instant, he recalled the tone of Shen Xingyan’s voice that day—filled with deep concern and tenderness.
And the helplessness of someone who didn’t know what else to do.
“Xiao Yi, you have to take care of your body. Don’t make me worry, okay?”
That low, warm tone had drilled its way into Jiang Mingyi’s ears and carved itself into his heart.
“A forehead kiss?” Pei Shiqing slowly let out a breath.
So that’s what he meant. For a second, his thoughts had really gone the wrong direction.
“A forehead kiss between brothers isn’t that big of a deal.”
When he was little and upset, he’d always cling to his brother and ask for kisses.
As long as he got a kiss, he could be happy all day.
Kisses on the forehead, on the cheek.
As the kisses became more frequent, Pei Shiqing sometimes felt that it wasn’t enough.
But he never showed that in front of his older brother.
Jiang Mingyi raised his eyes suspiciously, “Really nothing?”
“But when he kissed me, it just felt… weird.”
Though he couldn’t quite say what exactly felt off.
“What else could it be?” Pei Shiqing snapped out of his thoughts. “It’s not like it was your boyfriend kissing you. Why overthink it?”
Jiang Mingyi was momentarily speechless from the bluntness of that statement, pursing his lips silently.
It… kind of made sense.
Maybe Shen Xingyan was just being a caring brother, worried about him.
After all, he’d worked so hard back then to get that stomach condition—just so Shen Xingyan would feel bad for him.
And even though years had passed, he’d finally achieved that goal.
“But it’s not satisfying…”
He murmured. Pei Shiqing didn’t catch it clearly and thought he was still concerned.
So he suggested, “Then just kiss him back—call it returning the favor.”
———–
The two of them stepped out of the cold drink shop, only to be hit by a heatwave so intense it felt like they were melting like popsicles left on the ground, about to evaporate into the sun.
Without hesitation, they headed straight into the mall.
“Why did we think going shopping in this heat was a good idea?” Pei Shiqing looked at his friend, who was drenched in sweat, with a gaze full of despair.
Jiang Mingyi’s pale face was now flushed from the heat, and it made his delicate features even more striking.
Passersby were looking at them, and quiet whispers floated over.
“That guy is so handsome.”
“The other one’s not bad either.”
“Looks like they’re both into that type.”
“Hehe…”
“…”
Jiang Mingyi glanced at the two girls, then directly pulled Pei Shiqing into the elevator.
“Since we’re here already, let’s just look around.”
He casually pressed a floor number.
The elevator slowly ascended.
A few seconds later, it dinged and stopped.
The elevator doors opened, and the two of them stepped out one after the other.
Children ran past them, giggling and laughing like a string of silver bells.
“Uh…”
“This floor seems to be for children’s clothing.”
Jiang Mingyi and Pei Shiqing exchanged a look, then stepped back and reentered the elevator.
On the elevator wall was a layout map of the entire mall, which they studied for a while.
Jiang Mingyi asked, “How about we shop for some clothes?”
Pei Shiqing readily agreed.
They arrived at the menswear floor, and this time it was Pei Shiqing who pulled Jiang Mingyi along.
“I want to check out that store.”
Jiang Mingyi recognized the brand. “But you don’t wear clothes from that brand.”
That brand was usually targeted at mature men — it wouldn’t really suit them.
“I’m picking something for my brother,” Pei Shiqing said as he dragged him along. “All he ever wears is black or white. So dull. I’ve told him several times but he won’t listen. I’ll pick something in a brighter color to surprise him.”
Noticing the expression on his face, Jiang Mingyi said, “Your brother’s lucky to have you.”
“I call this returning the favor,” Pei Shiqing said with a bright smile. “Most of my clothes were custom-made by my brother anyway.”
Hearing the phrase “returning the favor” again made Jiang Mingyi pause for a moment.
When he looked up, Pei Shiqing had already walked into the store.
He followed him in. A shop assistant came to greet him, but Jiang Mingyi simply waved them off.
He wasn’t buying clothes for Shen Xingyan, so what was there to pick?
Jiang Mingyi sat down to the side, waiting for Pei Shiqing to finish picking out clothes.
“I’ll wait for you here.”
He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through short videos aimlessly, occasionally letting out clear laughter at something funny.
A few store clerks gathered together and whispered:
“He totally looks like a rich young master. Why aren’t you all properly attending to him? If he’s in a good mood and buys something, we’ll hit our commission targets for the month.”
“You’re dreaming. I went over earlier and got coldly rejected.”
“Xiao Mei’s the lucky one—she’s helping the other guy.”
They all looked envious.
As they whispered, another store clerk arrived late.
“Sorry, I had something to take care of and came a bit late.”
he smiled at them, then turned to go change into his uniform.
One of the clerks muttered bitterly, “Some people really have it easy. Even working part-time feels so leisurely.”
“Can you even compare? After all, he was personally arranged here by Young Master Lu. Our store never hires part-timers otherwise.”
“Total flirt, clearly.”
“Well, if he could cling to Young Master Lu, that’s his skill too.”
One of them glanced over at Jiang Mingyi. “Hey, I just remembered who that rich young master is.”
“Who?” the others quickly asked.
“Remember that young man who used to tag along every time Young Master Lu came to the store? That’s him.”
“I remember the last time young master Lu came by, he was super affectionate with Bai Yumo.”
“You think the two of them might be…”
Just then, Bai Yumo came out in uniform and was assigned to serve a customer.
There weren’t many customers today—just one young man sitting in the lounge area, playing on his phone.
Bai Yumo had been working here part-time for a while now. Thanks to his good looks and eloquence, he’d made quite a few big sales and earned decent commissions, which boosted his confidence.
He walked over with a polite smile on his delicate face and asked, “Sir, we have a lot of new arrivals in store. Would you like to have a look?”
Jiang Mingyi was completely absorbed in the short videos when a familiar voice caught his attention.
He looked up.
Ha!
It really was someone he knew.
“What are you doing here?” His eyes swept over Bai Yumo’s uniform. “You work here?”
Clearly not expecting to run into Jiang Mingyi, Bai Yumo was stunned too.
But he kept his smile and greeted him, “Young Master Jiang, what a coincidence.”
“It is quite the coincidence,” Jiang Mingyi put away his phone and walked a slow circle around him. “Haven’t seen you in a while. You seem to be doing quite well.”
The smile on Bai Yumo’s lips stiffened a little, and he pressed his lips together, saying nothing.
“Lu Jingze paid off a million yuan for you, and you’re still working this hard?”
“Young Master Lu is kind. Of course I should repay him.”
If it weren’t for the person in front of him, he wouldn’t have ended up with this debt in the first place.
He felt bitter, and his tone lost its initial warmth.
Jiang Mingyi didn’t seem to care. “He’s kind? That’s fair. I guess I’m the wicked one.”
Under Bai Yumo’s slightly flustered gaze, Jiang Mingyi walked straight to the service counter and made a call to the complaint hotline.
In no time, mall staff arrived.
Jiang Mingyi pointed at Bai Yumo. “If I remember correctly, this mall has a rule against hiring part-timers. Isn’t it your job to investigate when someone clearly breaks that rule?”
His tone was arrogant, arms crossed, chin lifted slightly, his beautiful peach blossom eyes fixed on Bai Yumo, whose face had turned pale.
“Young Master Jiang, I’m just a worker. Why go out of your way to target me?” Bai Yumo said softly, his delicate face full of vulnerability. “If you’re not satisfied with our store’s offerings, there are plenty of others in the mall that might suit your taste better.”
The staff looked awkward. “Sir, our mall strictly follows all protocols. There’s no way we’d allow such a violation as you’ve described.”
“Whether it’s true or not, a check will make it clear.” Jiang Mingyi snorted lightly. “Or are you saying some people have backing and can ignore the rules?”
Bai Yumo frowned, realizing Jiang was deliberately making things difficult for him.
“We’ve verified the information of every employee in each store,” the staff member emphasized. “There won’t be any issues.”
Being contradicted twice, Jiang Mingyi lost his temper. “Just because you say there won’t be any problems doesn’t make it true! In that case, get your mall manager out here. I will get to the bottom of this.”
At that moment, Pei Shiqing noticed the commotion. Forgetting all about picking clothes, he rushed to Jiang Mingyi’s side.
“What’s going on?” he asked, then caught sight of Bai Yumo. “What are you doing here?”
Seeing him, Bai Yumo’s heart sank.
Those two who always seemed to be against him were together again—how annoying.
“What’s happening?”
That voice instantly eased Bai Yumo’s anxiety.
“Young Master Lu,” he said, unable to hide the joy in his tone.
Lu Jingze immediately noticed Jiang Mingyi and frowned. “Jiang Mingyi, are you bullying Yumo again?”
He stepped forward and shielded Bai Yumo protectively, glaring at Jiang with hostility.
After being scolded by his father for the last incident, Lu Jingze had held a grudge against Jiang Mingyi. Now that he saw him again, his face was full of displeasure.
Jiang Mingyi rolled his eyes. “You two are so clingy.”
Seeing Lu Jingze reminded Jiang Mingyi of certain “foolish” settings, and he suddenly lost interest in arguing.
“You’re the one who keeps picking on Yumo. He’s just working hard with his own hands. Do you really have to be this petty?”
“Really?” Jiang Mingyi glanced at Bai Yumo’s hands. “I thought he relied on other kinds of skills.”
Lu Jingze was startled by his suggestive words. No one was supposed to know about his special relationship with Bai Yumo.
Lu Jingze shot back, “Still better than someone who’s useless at everything.”
Jiang Mingyi couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. He turned to Pei Shiqing. “Have you picked your clothes yet?”
Pei Shiqing paused, then replied, “I picked a few. I was waiting for you to help me choose which one’s better.”
“If you’ve picked a few, then take them all. It’s not like we’re short on money.” Jiang Mingyi said, his gaze locked on Bai Yumo, catching the jealousy in his eyes.
Pei Shiqing thought that made sense—more choices for his brother couldn’t hurt.
Happily, he went off to pay.
Seeing this, the staff member said, “Since this gentleman is no longer pursuing the matter, we’ll return to our duties.”
They were about to leave when they looked up—and saw the mall manager striding toward them.
“Who said we’re not pursuing it?” The mall manager said with a stern face, immediately scolding the two staff members.
But Jiang Mingyi’s attention was entirely on the man beside the manager. He didn’t even hear the manager say that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
“What are you doing here?” Jiang Mingyi fell silent for a moment. Under the man’s gaze, he couldn’t help but speak first.
Shen Xingyan looked down at him and replied, “Just handling some business.” And happened to see his little brother getting “bullied” again.
Jiang Mingyi muttered, “Oh.”
Shen Xingyan patted his head, then looked over at the other two.
Ever since Lu Jingze had been kicked by this man, a deep fear had settled in his heart. The defiance he usually had in front of Jiang Mingyi had completely turned into cowardice in Shen Xingyan’s presence.
Shen Xingyan curved his lips into a cold smile and said, “Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson.”
As he took a step forward, Lu Jingze instinctively backed away.
Bai Yumo was pulled along and almost stumbled.
“Young Master Lu.”
Shen Xingyan gave Bai Yumo a cold glance, then turned to the mall manager and said, “Handle this matter properly. I don’t like seeing my little brother being messed with.”
The mall manager immediately responded, “Yes, President Shen.” Then he turned to Jiang Mingyi and said, “Rest assured, young master. We’ll deal with your report fairly.”
To the side, Bai Yumo heard this and nervously clutched Lu Jingze’s hand.
Lu Jingze was seething. He had arranged this job for Bai Yumo—now this whole thing was making him lose face.
His gaze toward Jiang Mingyi turned dark and vicious.
Not long after, Lu Guozhang called. Lu Jingze’s hand trembled slightly as he picked up the phone. In the end, he still answered.
Seeing his face grow darker and darker, Bai Yumo grew increasingly anxious.
After getting an earful from his father, Lu Jingze put away the phone and said with a chilling tone, “Jiang Mingyi, I won’t forget this.”
————
Shen Xingyan took the two of them to another floor.
Pei Shiqing lowered his voice and whispered to Jiang Mingyi, “Why did your brother suddenly show up again?”
“He said he came to take care of something,” Jiang Mingyi replied, eyes locked on the man’s back.
That damned attractive man… Just seeing that broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, long-legged figure reminded him of the moment during the birthday party that tugged at his heartstrings. He really liked Shen Xingyan’s body.
“You actually believed that?”
“Well, it’s not like he came looking for me.”
When they followed Shen Xingyan into a private room in a restaurant, they finally realized he really did have business to attend to.
Only, the person he had business with…
Pei Shiqing was shocked. “Bro? Why are you here?”
Pei Mingyue was sipping tea. Hearing the voice, he looked up, his gaze landing on the three at the door. “What are you doing together?”
Shen Xingyan gave a brief explanation and had them take a seat.
Pei Shiqing sat next to Pei Mingyue and started showing him the clothes he bought.
Jiang Mingyi awkwardly met Shen Xingyan’s amused gaze. “Are you here to talk about something with Brother Pei? Are we getting in the way?”
“Just some small matters. Doesn’t really matter whether we talk or not.”
Shen Xingyan poured him a cup of warm water. “Mom told me you’ve been behaving well these past few days, even taking your meds.”
Jiang Mingyi took the glass of water and gave a small “mm” in response.
“So obedient.”
That gentle tone made Jiang Mingyi uncomfortable. He paused mid-drink, pouting a little. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.”
Shen Xingyan raised an eyebrow. “What, can’t even take a compliment now?”
“It’s not that I’m unhappy…” Jiang Mingyi raised the glass again and sipped slowly.
Seeing him like that, Shen Xingyan was inexplicably reminded of a small animal—cheeks puffed out, looking kind of cute.
His fingers, resting on the table, twitched slightly. He resisted the urge to reach out and poke him, turning his gaze away.
Then Jiang Mingyi said, “When you talk like that, it makes me feel like I’m a five- or six-year-old.”
He was already an adult. He didn’t like being treated like a child at all.
Shen Xingyan thought about that for a moment and replied, “You’re right. Our little Yi is a little adult now.”
Little adult? What kind of word was that?
Jiang Mingyi pouted slightly and decided not to argue over something so pointless.
Turning his head, he saw Pei Shiqing pulling out a light blue shirt to show his brother.
Now that was a pair of loving brothers.
Not like him and Shen Xingyan—just a few words and he already felt stifled with frustration.
Shen Xingyan followed his gaze and naturally picked up on the warmth between the two brothers.
Then he looked at Jiang Mingyi’s empty hands. “You didn’t buy anything?”
Jiang Mingyi glanced up at him, his clear eyes seemingly asking: Who would I be buying for?
Shen Xingyan understood that look and pointed to himself. “Other people’s brothers get gifts—why don’t I?”
“……”
Watching him sigh with such a disappointed expression, Jiang Mingyi felt a little guilty.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “I didn’t know your size.” A perfect excuse.
Shen Xingyan looked slightly surprised, then immediately listed off his measurements with a smile.
“Got it memorized?”
That smile was too friendly, making Jiang Mingyi feel like if he said no, it would break the man’s heart.
He had no choice but to nod. “I remember.”
“Really?” Shen Xingyan’s tone held a trace of doubt. “Then repeat it back to me. Let’s see if you actually remember or if you’re just brushing me off.”
Jiang Mingyi immediately regretted his earlier softness. This man really didn’t know when to stop once you gave him an inch.
“I said I remembered it, so I remembered it.”
He shouted in frustration, loud enough to make the two brothers in the private room turn and look over.
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Mingyi shot Pei Shiqing a look, then turned to Shen Xingyan—just in time to catch the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
That only made him angrier!
Shen Xingyan knew when to stop. He gave him a soothing smile and handed him his phone to order food.
Jiang Mingyi didn’t hold back at all. He took the phone and started tapping away furiously, jabbing so hard it looked like he might pierce the screen.
He quickly ordered over a dozen dishes and finally looked satisfied.
Shen Xingyan took the phone back and glanced at the list. “This one’s a bit spicy—it’s not suitable for you.”
Jiang Mingyi watched as he immediately canceled the dish with no chance to stop him.
Next: “This one’s fried—not healthy.”
Another one canceled.
…
He watched helplessly as more than half of the dishes he ordered were removed one by one with different excuses. Jiang Mingyi gritted his teeth. “Then why’d you let me order in the first place?”
“So you’d be happy,” Shen Xingyan said, looking every bit the picture of a doting older brother.
“Weren’t you really happy just now while ordering?”
Jiang Mingyi pressed his lips together—he had been happy.
But—
“You canceled them all. I’m not happy at all now.” He looked utterly dejected, face full of three parts grievance, seven parts resentment.
“That’s okay. As long as you were happy at some point,” Shen Xingyan replied calmly.
Jiang Mingyi clenched his fists instantly.
…
While waiting for the food, Jiang Mingyi sulked in silence.
A faint scent of milk wafted toward him.
He looked up. It was a glass of milk.
“Your stomach just recovered. You still need to be careful,” Shen Xingyan placed the milk in front of him. “I’m not stopping you from eating—just worried you’ll ignore your health again.”
Jiang Mingyi heard the care in his tone, and the anger in his chest slowly faded as he drank the warm milk.
By the time the meal ended, it was nearly one o’clock.
Shen Xingyan had to return to the office in the afternoon, so he asked, “Wanna come to the company with me?”
“Why would I go? I don’t even know what to do there,” Jiang Mingyi muttered.
Shen Xingyan didn’t say much, just said goodbye to the others and left.
Pei Mingyue took the clothes Pei Shiqing had bought and also returned to the company.
Jiang Mingyi asked Pei Shiqing, “Did your brother like the clothes you picked?”
Pei Shiqing beamed, “Of course! He even praised my taste.”
Jiang Mingyi was momentarily dazed by his bright smile. Pressing his lips together, he said, “Then let’s go look at men’s clothing again.”
“Huh?” Pei Shiqing was a bit surprised but caught up to him. “Are you buying something for your brother?”
“No, I’m buying for Dad,” Jiang Mingyi answered firmly, though in his heart he muttered: If I find something suitable, I might buy one for Shen Xingyan too.
–
Two guys shopping together rarely made much of an event. Once they finished buying clothes, they each went home.
When Jiang Mingyi got home, it wasn’t even three o’clock yet.
The sun outside was scorching, but the moment he stepped into the air-conditioned house, he felt alive again.
Su Wanxin and Aunt Wang were drinking mung bean soup while watching TV.
Seeing him return, Su Wanxin put down her bowl. “Xiao Yi’s home. What did you buy today?”
Jiang Mingyi’s gaze lingered on the refreshingly cool soup, then he raised the bags in his hand. “I bought a set of clothes for Dad. He can try them on when he gets home to see if they fit.”
“Then your dad must be overjoyed.”
Su Wanxin took the bag, opened it, and took a look. “Your dad will definitely like this outfit. He told me before that he wanted to order a set in ash gray. He said Old Liu looked younger in his, and he was jealous.”
“Yeah, I heard that conversation between you and Dad, so I thought of getting a set for him.”
“Our little Yi is so thoughtful.” Su Wanxin smiled and handed the clothes to Aunt Wang. “Go ahead and iron these, please.” Then she noticed another bag. “Oh? What’s in that one?”
Jiang Mingyi quickly moved the bag behind his back. “That’s mine.”
Su Wanxin asked, “Can’t let Mom see it?”
Jiang Mingyi hesitated. “It’s something for guys. You can’t use it.”
“I just want to take a look.” Seeing her younger son so nervous, Su Wanxin’s curiosity was piqued.
“It’s something you can’t use anyway, so it’s meaningless to see it.” Jiang Mingyi began to press his lips together, his eyes drifting toward the stairs, calculating how many seconds it would take to dash upstairs from the living room.
“That’s true,” Su Wanxin said, pretending to sigh with regret. “Then next time, buy something for Mom.”
“You bought something for Dad and something for yourself, but you forgot all about Mom and your brother.” She held her chest and spoke with a soft sorrow. “Aren’t Mom and your brother a little pitiful?”
Jiang Mingyi tightened his grip on the bag. “I… I get it. I’ll buy something for Mom next time.”
He finished and was about to head upstairs when he heard Su Wanxin’s voice behind him: “And something for your brother, too.”
In a flash, he bolted to his room, closed the door, and felt his heart pounding like a drum.
The bag in his hand swayed, and inside was a long rectangular box.
He walked over to his desk, took the long box out of the bag, and placed it on the surface.
Jiang Mingyi’s mind went blank. He couldn’t remember why he had impulsively bought this thing at the time.
Now, just looking at it made it feel like a hot potato—he couldn’t keep it, but he couldn’t give it away either.
He opened the box, revealing a flash of red.
He reached for it, hesitated, then closed the box again.
He went back to his bed and flopped onto the soft mattress, sinking into it.
With a flick of his long arm, he pulled a pillow into his embrace.
His cheek rubbed against the soft cushion, thoughts swirling in his mind, his eyes gradually losing focus.
By the time he snapped back to reality, he realized he had fallen asleep clutching the pillow.
He glanced at the time—he had napped for over half an hour.
It was only four o’clock.
The sun outside was still dutifully shining, and he stayed curled up in his room, killing time playing video games.
He kept playing until nearly six, when the sound of a car came from outside.
He declined Pei Shiqing’s invitation for another game and put away his phone, walking over to the window.
The driver had parked the car in front of the gate, and Shen Jili stepped out.
A faint trace of disappointment appeared in Jiang Mingyi’s eyes. He stood by the bed for a moment before hearing someone call him from downstairs.
As soon as Shen Jili got home and found out that his youngest son had bought him the outfit he’d been dreaming of, he was overjoyed and shouted loudly at the foot of the stairs.
Jiang Mingyi walked downstairs and was immediately pulled into a hug by Shen Jili.
He got a big smooch on the cheek.
“You’re really Daddy’s precious boy. I’m so happy!” Shen Jili laughed and let go of him, picking up the clothes to try them on right away.
Su Wanxin stopped him. “Go take a shower first. You reek. Don’t dirty the new clothes Xiao Yi bought you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Shen Jili obediently went upstairs to shower.
Jiang Mingyi wiped the kissed spot on his cheek and muttered, “Why does Dad kiss people so casually? I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Su Wanxin chuckled. “He couldn’t help it. You bought him clothes today, he’s just happy.”
Once Shen Jili finished showering and changed into his new clothes, he struck a pose in front of his wife and son. “I feel ten years younger—way more handsome than Old Liu.”
Su Wanxin generously praised him a few times, making him beam with joy.
It was in this cheerful atmosphere that Shen Xingyan came home.
“Why is everyone so happy today? Is it because you knew I was coming back?” he said while changing his shoes at the entryway, still holding a file in his hand.
“What’s there to be happy about just because you’re coming back?” Shen Jili struck a proud pose. “Look, Xiao Yi bought me these new clothes today.”
Shen Xingyan first glanced at Jiang Mingyi, who was looking down, avoiding eye contact.
He curved his lips slightly, then looked at the clothes on Shen Jili. “Not bad.”
“Of course! My precious baby boy bought them for me—how could they not be good?” Shen Jili said, then shot Shen Xingyan a disdainful look that screamed “youngest son is a treasure, eldest son is just grass.”
Shen Xingyan ignored him completely and, as he walked past Jiang Mingyi, he paused. “Had fun shopping today, huh?”
Hearing that, Jiang Mingyi looked up—only to meet the deep, dark eyes of the man.
Shen Xingyan’s gaze lingered on his face for two seconds, then he lifted his hand. “You must be tired then.”
A warm palm gently ruffled his hair. Jiang Mingyi froze for a moment, then replied, “It wasn’t too bad.”
Shen Xingyan smiled, said nothing more, and went upstairs.
Jiang Mingyi turned to look at his retreating back, a faint sense of loss swirling inside him.
His chest tightened a little, and at that moment, he heard Su Wanxin’s soft scolding voice: “See, that’s what you get for showing off—A-Yi didn’t look very happy.”
Jiang Mingyi turned his head again and realized she was speaking to Shen Jili.
After finishing her lecture, Su Wanxin turned around and noticed her younger son was gone.
Shen Jili said, “Probably went back upstairs again.”
Su Wanxin frowned. “It’s almost time for dinner. What’s he going upstairs for now?”
———–
Jiang Mingyi had gone back to his room to fetch something. After dawdling for a while, he arrived outside Shen Xingyan’s room.
The door wasn’t fully closed, and through the crack, he could hear the man’s low voice.
He was on the phone.
Standing outside the door, Jiang Mingyi could vaguely catch some business-related words like “effective” and “notarization.”
He didn’t understand what was being said on the call, so he just stood there quietly until it ended. Only then did he raise his hand and knock on the door.
Shen Xingyan put away his phone and walked over when he heard the knock, his voice calm. “What is it?”
Jiang Mingyi pressed his lips together and handed over a bag from behind his back. “This is for you.”
When he noticed Shen Xingyan didn’t take it right away, he awkwardly averted his eyes and explained, “I didn’t find any clothes that seemed suitable for you, so I got this instead.”
His hand was still suspended mid-air, starting to feel a little sore.
After a moment, someone finally took it.
The sound of unwrapping reached his ears, and only then did Jiang Mingyi shift his gaze back.
A pair of slender, well-defined hands quickly unwrapped the box, revealing what was inside.
It was a crimson-red tie.
“You picked this especially for me?”
The deep voice drifted through the air and into Jiang Mingyi’s ears. He softly hummed in confirmation.
“It’s beautiful,” Shen Xingyan said. “I really like it. Thank you.”
His gaze landed on the boy’s delicate features, and a touch of warmth appeared in his dark eyes.
“As long as you like it,” Jiang Mingyi said, then turned, intending to leave.
A hand stopped him, the warmth from the touch spreading through their skin.
He turned around, looking at Shen Xingyan with confusion.
Shen Xingyan let go, stepped aside, and gestured, “Come in. I have something to talk to you about.”
The last time he’d entered this room was when he applied medicated oil to Shen Xingyan. Coming in again now, his feelings were a little different.
Jiang Mingyi pondered for a second, then stepped inside.
Shen Xingyan closed the door, walked over to the bed, and picked up a file.
“I was planning to give this to you another time,” he said as he handed the file to Jiang Mingyi, “but today works just as well.”
Jiang Mingyi took the file suspiciously. “What is it?”
“This is your coming-of-age gift,” Shen Xingyan said. “There was a procedural issue before, so I couldn’t give it to you on your birthday. I hope you won’t mind this belated birthday present.”
Jiang Mingyi was flipping through the documents when he paused slightly at Shen Xingyan’s words.
But as he gradually understood the contents of the documents, he was completely stunned.
“This is… a property transfer document?” he asked in disbelief, holding the document up.
It was the ownership of an island that was being transferred—and Jiang Mingyi had seen it recommended by many influencers before. It was a tourist island in South Asia.
The island was fully equipped with facilities and was considered a golden destination in the tourism industry, with countless visitors daily.
He had even made plans with Pei Shiqing to visit it sometime.
And now, the owner of this island was giving the entire place to him?
The island itself might not be astronomically valuable, but the tourism revenue alone could bury him in wealth.
“This… this is too much,” Jiang Mingyi said, shaking his head. The document in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making it hard for him to breathe.
Shen Xingyan grabbed his hand that held the document. “Back then, a little boy got mad at me, and I didn’t know how to make it up to him. I happened to see an uninhabited island up for auction, so I bought the ownership and started developing it into a tourist spot, hoping that one day I could take him there to have fun—so he could live a happy, carefree life.”
Jiang Mingyi was stunned. He had never imagined that this tourist island had been created for such a reason.
“It was brought to life because of you,” Shen Xingyan said. “I hope it can bring you joy, rather than you continuing to frown and stay mad at me.”
As Shen Xingyan gently smoothed the furrow between his brows with his fingertip, Jiang Mingyi met the man’s tender gaze, and his heart trembled.
“So all these years you didn’t come to comfort me, thinking this thing would make me happy?” Tears unknowingly welled up in his eyes and began to fall, drop by drop.
“Shen Xingyan, are you an idiot?” Jiang Mingyi shouted through his sobs. “All I ever wanted was for you to comfort me—I don’t care about some island.”
He shoved the document into Shen Xingyan’s chest. The tears streaming down his face carried all his pent-up grievances. “If you had just comforted me earlier, I wouldn’t have stayed angry with you, wouldn’t have kept avoiding you. You’re an idiot. When you left me back then, you didn’t even know how much it hurt.”
“Mom and Dad abandoned me. You abandoned me too.”
“I’m just a kid that no one wants—”
Shen Xingyan suddenly pulled him into an embrace. “You’re not a child that no one wants. I want you.” Each of his sobs tore at Shen Xingyan’s heart.
Jiang Mingyi cried bitterly in his arms, clutching the man’s shirt tightly. “But after you came back, you still didn’t try to comfort me. I kept telling myself that if you just comforted me once, I’d forgive you. I was really afraid that one day you’d leave again without a word—leave me behind again—”
“I won’t. Now that I’m back, I’m not leaving again,” Shen Xingyan said, holding him close with deep affection. “It was my fault. I didn’t know how to comfort you and made you angry all these years.”
…
After a long while, Jiang Mingyi finally stopped crying.
He leaned in Shen Xingyan’s arms, head tilted back slightly as he gazed up at the man’s extraordinarily handsome face.
He hadn’t expected it would be so easy to talk things through. He felt a bit silly for holding onto it for so long.
“Will you spoil me like you did when I was a kid?”
“I will,” Shen Xingyan promised, his eyes warm and tender. “These past ten years, Mom and Dad spoiled you. From now on, it’s my turn, okay?”
Looking into his serious and earnest eyes, Jiang Mingyi nodded firmly. “Okay.”
“Brother, why are you so good to me?”
“You’re my little brother. If I’m not good to you, who else would I be good to?”
“Brother, if you keep spoiling me like this, I’ll be completely ruined.”
Shen Xingyan reached out to ruffle his hair, his eyes full of laughter.
Jiang Mingyi suddenly thought of something. He stepped out of Shen Xingyan’s arms, his face flushing red.
Then he tiptoed and planted a quick kiss on Shen Xingyan’s cheek while the man was completely unprepared.
Seeing his stunned reaction, Jiang Mingyi burst into giggles. “Brother, this is me returning the favor.”
Shen Xingyan grabbed the young man who was about to run away and asked, “What do you mean by ‘reciprocating a gift’?”